Sep

30

Packers Keys to Beating the Vikings Monday Night

Filed Under Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings | 4 Comments


Beating Minnesota (-3.5)…

First off, the Vikings can be beaten. The 49ers had them on the ropes and allowed them to escape…

Minnesota’s play-calling is at this point, very predictable. Run the ball as much as possible and occasionally, have Brett throw a play-action pass. Makes perfect sense, when you have a powerful offensive line and the best running back in the NFL. Still, they were a few seconds from defeat last weekend against an upstart and fired-up San Francisco squad.

Secondly, the Vikes special teams allowed a blocked kick to be run back for a TD just before halftime. Their special teams play has its issues. They don’t appear as stout against the run as they were the past few seasons.

What the Packers will need to win:

1. The defensive line must play extremely well and that means we’ll be needing B.J. Raji playing more than just a few snaps. Ryan Pickett, Cullen Jenkins and Johnny Jolly have all performed well, but, we’ll need more reps for Raji so they’re not wore out in the fourth quarter.

2. The offensive line is going to have to step up to the plate. Minnesota’s line is superior to the Rams, Bengals and Bears, for that matter and we cannot allow more than two sacks. This has to be our coming-out party.

3. The new defense will need to continue to improve, and to stop the run, we may need to employ more of the 3-5 (five LBs). A.J. Hawk played his best game of the season last week. Brady Poppinga and Nick Barnett must step-up their games. It may very well mean playing more Desmond Bishop and Clay Matthews. They each, at this time, have shown more playmaking ability than either Nick or Brady. I’d like to see Kampman get a sack and a forced fumble.

4. We need to win the turnover battle-again. We know that Brett, if pressed, will throw balls into double coverage. To this point, the Vikings receivers have been rather pedestrian. Berian is averaging about ten yards a catch versus twenty last year. Charles Woodson and Al Harris and company need a pick or two. I sure would love to see Nick or Charles run one all the way back. We may need that to win the game.

5. Field position. I hope Will Blackmon’s quad is healthy, because we must win the field position game. We need a few big returns. We also need 4.2+ hang time from our punter. And, no missed field goals. Win the first downs battle. Control the clock and time of possession.

6. Penalties must be held to a minimum. No stupid false starts, illegal motions or running into the kicker penalties. We must not have any late hits on Favre.

7. Lastly, we need to be able to run the ball. That means over a 100 yards. Twenty-five or more carries by our running backs. And I’m not counting any scrambles by Aaron. We must be able to run the ball. It may mean initially, passing on first down to have second-and-four or second-and-two. Ball control.

We can win this game. Let’s stay focused and play smart. Field position. Catch all our passes. Ryan Grant must have a solid game running the ball. Blackmon needs some big returns. Crosby can hit a couple of 50+ yard field goals. Kapinos can kick a few punts inside the ten. Woodson and the boys, can pick-off a couple of Brett’s passes. We can win this game. Aaron, we need a big game from you. This is Monday night. This is what it’s all about. Let’s kick their ass!

Sep

30

Despite the Win, the Cowboys Still Have Plenty to Prove

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First interception of the season, check times 2. First sack of the season, check times three. In just the second home game of the season, and the third regular season game the Cowboys almost looked as you would hope, but there are a lot of questions still on the table that need to be answered, and likely won’t be answered until the Cowboys beat some better teams.

Is the defense’s secondary going to be able to continue to play tough against the pass and not continue to get beat deep? Can the Cowboys defensive front guys continue to put pressure on the QB, and help the secondary out? Then there is the biggest question of all can Tony Romo be the same regular season QB he has been in the past, and can he be the post season QB he hasn’t been in the past?

The Carolina Panthers game showed the Defense can play and even more specifically, I think, that the Corners can cover. However, the question will be until they prove otherwise can they continue their success against good teams? Keep in mind that Delhomme had thrown 5 interceptions in the first 2 games and four of those were to the Eagles. He was also sacked a total of 4 times in those two games, again three of those to the Eagles.

While he did have a decent showing against Atlanta, does that really show that Carolina is that good, or does it show that Atlanta may not be one of the best defenses in the NFL? The jury is still out on that one. Dallas did a great job not getting beat offensively, as the defense showed up huge. They proved they might have what it takes to compete in the NFC East, but they will have to continue performing like they did this past Monday night to quiet all the doubters.

Offensively something is wrong. There is no way around it, no way to hide it, and they have to figure it out quick. Romo has looked uncomfortable in the first half of all three games this season. Maybe he is truly trying to do what he has been saying he wanted to, be more careful with the football and make better reads.

That’s just not the kind of player Romo is though, and it looks like it is showing on the field. All the things that drive you crazy about Romo in the games they lose are the same things you have to love about Romo in the games the Cowboys win. He is a risk taker, he will do whatever he can to make something out of nothing and while there are a lot of times it fairs negatively for the team, there are so many more times it has kept the Cowboys alive. That’s not to say however that it’s all his fault. There are other players out there to blame and some coaching that might be at fault here as well.

Maybe the Cowboys really are going to need a number one WR after all, though Roy Williams has shown he can come up with big plays and Patrick Crayton has shown he can fight for a lot of yards after the catch, are they really good enough to compete against some of the top corners in the league?

Then again, with the Cowboys running for over 200 yards on the ground the past two games, maybe there is a problem with the play call. For instance 2nd and goal from the 2 yard line, your running backs have been showing they can run it on the ground even in the redzone, what do you do? The Offensive Coordinator thought then was a good time to pass it, on almost identical out pattern routes in the end zone. My question is, really??

Despite everything however, the Cowboys are 2 and 1, and had very narrowly missed being 3-0 right now. The four turnovers against the Giants did hurt the Cowboys, but somehow they managed to keep the game close, and that is the mark of a good football team. Not every game is going to be pretty, not every game is going to be a win, but the good teams figure out how to stay in the game and so far the Cowboys have done just that. Until they show a lot more consistency, however, they won’t be called a great team, and may not even be recognized as a good team.

Sep

30

Gridiron Gabbin w/ Titans DL Jocob Ford

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Join Site Editor Matt Loede as he chats with Titans defensive lineman Jacob Ford about the Titans latest, a loss to the Jets, the teams surprising 0-3 start, and the upcoming game this week in Jacksonville vs the Jags. Click to hear this exciting edition of Gridiron Gabbin!

Sep

30

Browns Coach Mangini Names Derek Anderson the Starting QB for Sunday

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Ravens Suggs Football
He’s baaackkkkk….

Like it or not, the Browns will have a “new” starting QB on Sunday, as Eric Mangini today named 2008 starting QB Derek Anderson as the starting QB this Sunday vs the Bengals. Mangini says he believes the Browns have a better chance to move the ball with Anderson.

“I’m excited about the opportunity,” Anderson said. “We’re all competitors, we all want to play. I’m ready to go.”

Both Quinn and Anderson were unable to do much vs the Ravens in a 34-3 loss Sunday. Anderson played the second half, and while he moved the ball a bit, he still threw three picks, and was unable to get the team in the red zone. Despite that, Mangini must think that the team has a better shot to do something on offense with D.A.

“I felt like I went out there and did what I can do,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s breakout game two years again was in week two vs the Bengals at home, as he threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns in the teams 51-45 win. We’ll see if he can do that again this week vs a much improved Bengals squad.

Sep

30

Texans Coach Kubiak’s Job on the Line This Week

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The Texans are off to another slow start, losing at home to the Jets in week one and the Jaguars this past week. Now it seems that the pressure is clearly on coach Gary Kubiak, as today’s Houston Chronicle reports that the coach’s future is on the line, and a loss this week in Oakland may mean the end for Kubiak as the man running the show in Houston:

The Texans host Oakland on Sunday in the most important game of Gary Kubiak’s head coaching career. No hyperbole here. That’s the way it is going to be all season for the Texans’ fourth-year head coach. No doubt, Kubiak’s job is on the line this week. If the Texans lose, we’ll talk about what might happen — whether or not Bob McNair will pull the trigger — for the next few months, but that would be a lot of wasted air, ink and blog space. Let JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders get out of Reliant Stadium with a victory and Kubiak would be as lame a duck as Cecil Cooper was this summer.

“Your job is on the line every week in this league,” a former NFL head coach said in a phone interview Tuesday evening, “but for all of us, there are certain times when the wheels can come off, and when you look back at it, those are the toughest weeks. “I guarantee you — go ahead and write a column about it if you want to — but I guarantee you Gary isn’t thinking about that. He’s just thinking about Sunday’s game and how to beat the Raiders. He might look back and know it was the game of games, but he won’t enter it thinking it is the most important game.”

The Raiders are a pretty bad team right now on offense, and the Texans have got to take advantage of that. If they do find a way to lose this week, there’s no doubt that Kubiak should be canned at this point.

Sep

30

Injured Quad Could Keep Colts’ Freeney Out Awhile

Filed Under Indianapolis Colts, Injuries, Rumors | Leave a Comment

An injured quadriceps muscle could very well keep Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney out for a bit, according to an ESPN report, with the initial prognosis being issued by an unnamed source.

According to team spokesman Craig Kelley, the team would not provide a more detailed injury report on Freeney until Wednesday (today); Freeney’s agent, Gary Wichard, did not respond to any emails sent his way. The injury occurred during the third quarter of Indianapolis’ win over the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday night; Freeney walked off the field under his own power, and according to team president Bill Polian, Freeney said that:

“if he could walk, he could play.”

I can only speak for myself here when I say that assuming that the quad injury is what it appears to be, Freeney should sit out a week or two until the quad is vastly recovered. The team will need his presence for the long haul of the balance of this regular season and beyond, so trying to be a hero will not achieve neither Freeney’s or the Colts’ overall goals.

Sep

30

Pennington Out For Season, Thigpen Signed

Filed Under Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Off The Field News | Leave a Comment

The Miami Dolphins, as thin as they were even when they had healthy quarterbacks, took a hit when the team placed Chad Pennington on the injured reserve, effectively ending his season. But fear not, Dolphins fans. The Dolphins did manage to find a replacement.

The team on Tuesday acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs Tyler Thigpen for an undisclosed draft pick in 2010; apparently, this was hastened by the fact that Pennington, who was injured last Sunday in San Diego, will have a third surgery to repair a torn capsule in his shoulder on Friday.

What the trade does is make Chad Henne the de facto starting QB with Pat White beng the other reserve QB. Speaking of which, Henne will make his first NFL start next Sunday when Miami takes on Buffalo. Although Thigpen will be an obvious and welcome addition to the ball club, it does make one wonder what Pennington’s future will be in light of Friday’s surgery. After all, this will be the third surgery on the same shoulder in a relatively short period of time.

You also have to factor in that as burdened as the Dolphins’ running game already is (the bread and butter of the team), it will probably – for the short-term, at least – be burdened even further as Henne acclimates himself to the team’s extensive playbook. Suffice it to say, it looks like a long season already down in Miami.

Sep

30

Watch ALL the NFL Games LIVE on the Direct TV NFL Sunday Ticket

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Get 5 months Free of our best TV package!

If your an NFL fan, you probably already know all about Direct TV and the Sunday Ticket. It’s the ultimate NFL package for any NFL fan, and if you’ve never had the pleasure of having the Sunday Ticket – now is the time to grab it! Two weeks ago in the comfort of my living room, I was able to go back and forth between the Jets-Pats, Cardinals-Jags, and Titans-Texans. Then at 4pm it was time for the Bears-Steelers, Browns-Broncos, and 49′ers-Seahawks.

Sunday Ticket also has a great new element, the NFL Red Zone, which has all the great highlights and the big plays – AS THEY HAPPEN! It’s totally worth it to get your fellow NFL friends and sit around on Sunday’s to watch each and every NFL game, follow your fantasy players with the Sunday Ticket’s stat page, and then watch the Red Zone channel to see all the great highlights.

Right now, you can get five months free of the best Direct TV package when you purchase the Sunday Ticket for just $59.99 for five months. Take advantage of this great deal to have a great NFL season and watch ALL the games live as they happen!

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Sep

30

Week 3: FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Week Nominees

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Fans To Vote For Winners On NFL.com

FedEx Delivers Pedestrian Safety Improvements

On Behalf of Winning Players In Their Teams’ Markets

Quarterbacks JOE FLACCO of the Baltimore Ravens, KEVIN KOLB of the Philadelphia Eagles and PEYTON MANNING of the Indianapolis Colts are the finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on September 27 – 28, while running backs CORRELL BUCKHALTER of the Denver Broncos, MAURICE JONES-DREW of the Jacksonville Jaguars and PIERRE THOMAS of the New Orleans Saints are the finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week, the NFL announced today.

Fans can vote for one player in each category on NFL.com/FedEx from 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday through noon EST on Friday to determine the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week. The winners will be announced Friday evening on NFL.com.

Fans will be voting for more than their favorite player. As part of the Air & Ground program, FedEx continues its support of Safe Kids USA – a national non-profit organization that works to prevent accidental injury among children – by making weekly $1,000 donations in the winning players’ names. The funding, allocated to local Safe Kids coalitions in that team’s city, is used for pedestrian safety improvements throughout the year, from upgraded crosswalks and street signage to traffic barriers and educational training.

For a second season, fans can tune into the “FedEx Air & Ground Lowdown” posted exclusively on NFL.com/FedEx starting Wednesday mornings. The show examines the nominees in the Air & Ground categories through exclusive video highlights and expert analysis. NFL Network’s RICH EISEN and MARSHALL FAULK host the weekly five-minute show.

A closer look at the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week finalists:

  • Baltimore’s JOE FLACCO completed 25 of 35 passes for 342 yards and one touchdown in the Ravens’ 34-3 win over the Cleveland Browns.
  • Philadelphia’s KEVIN KOLB completed 24 of 34 passes for 327 yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles’ 34-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
  • Indianapolis’ PEYTON MANNING completed 24 of 35 passes for 379 yards and four touchdowns with one interception, and won his 120th career game in the Colts’ 31-10 victory at Arizona on Sunday Night Football.

A closer look at the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week finalists:

  • Denver’s CORRELL BUCKHALTER rushed 14 times for 108 yards in the Broncos’ 23-3 win at Oakland.
  • Jacksonville’s MAURICE JONES-DREW had 23 carries for 119 yards and three touchdowns in the Jaguars’ 31-24 win over the Houston Texans.
  • New Orleans’ PIERRE THOMAS had 14 carries for 126 yards and two touchdowns in the Saints’ 27-7 win over the Buffalo Bills.

As the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, FedEx understands the need for a winning game plan, and created the Air & Ground program to highlight superior on-field performance while delivering safe kids off the field. Because FedEx has thousands of delivery trucks out on the roads each day, the company is committed to funding pedestrian safety improvements through its 10-year partnership with Safe Kids USA.

Sep

30

Week 3:Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week Nominees

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Fans To Vote For Winner On NFL.com

Running back DONALD BROWN of the Indianapolis Colts, wide receiver PERCY HARVIN of the Minnesota Vikings, running back KNOWSHON MORENO of the Denver Broncos, quarterback MARK SANCHEZ of the New York Jets and quarterback MATTHEW STAFFORD of the Detroit Lions are the finalists for PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK honors for games played on September 27 – 28, the NFL announced today.

Fans can vote for one of these five players on NFL.com/rookies beginning Tuesday at 9 am ET and ending Friday at noon ET to determine the PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK. The PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK will be announced Friday evening on NFL.com/rookies.

After the regular season, five players will be nominated for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year honors.  Fans can vote for the winner on NFL.com/rookies throughout the month of January.  The winner will be announced at a press conference at Super Bowl XLIV in South Florida.

A closer look at the finalists:

  • Indianapolis’ DONALD BROWN totaled 112 scrimmage yards in the Colts’ 31-10 victory Sunday night at Arizona.  Brown had 40 rushing yards and a 72-yard reception.
  • Minnesota’s PERCY HARVIN made four catches for 51 yards and had a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the Vikings’ 27-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
  • Denver’s KNOWSHON MORENO had 21 carries for 90 yards and one touchdown in the Broncos’ 23-3 win over the Oakland Raiders.
  • New York Jets’ MARK SANCHEZ completed 17 of 30 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in the Jets’ 24-17 win over Tennessee, becoming the first rookie quarterback to start and win his team’s first three games of a season in the past 40 years.
  • Detroit’s MATTHEW STAFFORD completed 21 of 36 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown in the Lions’ 19-14 win over the Washington Redskins. Stafford led Detroit to its first win since December 23, 2007.

This is Pepsi’s eighth year as the official soft drink sponsor of the NFL and the fifth year that Pepsi will present the NFL Rookie of the Week and NFL Rookie of the Year awards.

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