Oct

31

Browns Owner Lerner Responds to Talk of a Protest Before Browns Next Home Game

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Lerner
There’s plenty of talk still about the protest that Dawgpound Mike was trying to put together for the November 14th Monday night game vs the Ravens. The Browns have gotten wind of it, along with questions about it, and now owner Randy Lerner is speaking out about it:

‘On the grounds of frustration and irritation with performance, then that’s the medicine I [we] are going to take, and I accept that. The goal this year was to rebuild the culture at the Browns. We felt at the end of last year that we lacked any overall philosophy, approach or direction regarding recruiting, drafting, coaching, preparation or training. As a result, each season was feeling like starting over and 4-12 following 10-6 felt painfully not all that surprising.

”It’s been way too long since the Browns have had anything to feel good about or invest in, and it’s clear that the doubt and negativity are taking on a life of their own.

”What I can say is that we, and I, have remained open to new and fresh ideas and thinking and people with passion for the Browns and football experience getting involved and with hope and luck and support, making a difference. We won’t become entrenched or stubborn and despite my allergy to be more conspicuous, I do remain eager to seek help and guidance from any and all corners.”

At the end of the day, these things usually go nowhere, and I would be willing to bet that the fans will be in their seats come kickoff for the game – no matter what.

Oct

31

NFL Writers Room: Who Brett the Favre Out?

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Ever wonder how the NFL produces their storybook seasons? In ESPN the Magazine’s first web series, the scribes who craft the magic behind the scenes find themselves in front of the camera, giving fans a first-hand look at how each week’s biggest showdowns are shaped. Think of it as pro wrestling — with a ball!

Oct

31

Week Eight Preview: Houston at Buffalo

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The last time the Bills were in the friendly confines of Ralph Wilson Stadium, the confines were, well, unfriendly to say the least. Coming off a horrendous 6-3 loss to Cleveland, the Bills were reeling like a punch-drunk boxer with only the ropes holding them up. But some road cooking turned out to be a blessing for the Bills. They’ve won two straight road games away from home, a 16-13 overtime thriller against the Jets and a gritty 20-9 victory against the Panthers. Now the Bills return home in a lot better shape to face the Houston Texans and red hot quarterback Matt Schaub.

Since an opening day clunker against the Jets, Schaub has captained the Texans to win four of their last six, including two straight victories over Cincinnati and San Francisco. Schaub’s numbers on the year are gaudy. He’s already set a franchise record with 16 passing touchdowns, which leads the NFL. Schaub also leads the NFL with 2, 074 yards passing, and only Peyton Manning (313.3) and Philip Rivers (297.8) have posted a better yards per game average than Schaub’s 296.3.

In three road games this season, Schaub has thrown 10 touchdowns (4 apiece against Tennessee and Cincinnati) to only two interceptions. On the road, Schaub is averaging 373.3 yards passing. His passing yards total has increased in each road game, going from 357 against the Titans to 371 against the Cardinals to 392 against the Bengals.

In any defensive meeting on Wednesday afternoon, most of the discussion about how to stop or slow the opposing quarterback starts with stopping the run. But for Houston, their running game has been stuck on stop this season. The Texans rank 30th in the NFL in rushing averaging just 79.1 ypg, while second-year back Steve Slaton is experiencing a sophomore slump.

A year removed from setting the franchise record with 1,282 rushing yards, through seven games this season Slaton has 341 yards on 109 carries and two touchdowns. While Slaton has found tough sledding on the ground, he’s making up for it through the air. Slaton has 304 yards receiving and three touchdowns, averaging 11.3 yards per catch. He has successive games with a receiving touchdown and he’s caught a touchdown pass in three of the past four weeks. Two weeks ago in Cincinnati, Slaton was a nightmare out of the backfield, catching six passes for 102 yards including a 38-yard touchdown catch and run.

Slaton’s biggest problem this season has been ball security. Not counting quarterbacks, Slaton leads all players with six fumbles. He’s lost four of six fumbles, which puts him in dubious company with embattled Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell for second in the NFL in that category. Slaton has fumbled in five of the seven games thus far this season, including two against Tennessee in Week 2.

The bread and butter of the Texans offense remains getting the ball down the field and Houston’s two best horses to do the job are wide receiver Andre Johnson and tight end Owen Daniels. Johnson leads the NFL with 634 yards receiving, but Daniels’s name isn’t far behind. Daniels leads all NFL tight ends and ranks 10th in the league with 497 yards receiving.

He leads the team with five touchdown receptions, one better than Johnson. His five touchdowns equal his total output the past two seasons. Daniels is coming off a great game against San Francisco, catching seven passes for 123 yards, including a career-long 42-yard touchdown.

While Johnson remains one of the game’s best wide receivers, he won’t be 100% healthy entering Sunday’s game with the Bills. Johnson is nursing a bruised lung suffered in last week’s victory over San Francisco. He is listed as day-to-day, but expect Johnson to be ready to go against the Bills on Sunday.

The Bills turnaround the past two weeks starts with opportunistic defense, sprinkled with some bad quarterbacking. Two weeks ago, Buffalo picked off Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez five times and last week in Carolina, the Bills intercepted Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme three times. In their two straight road victories, the Bills forced a combined 10 turnovers.

Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will start for the second straight game this week and since stepping in for injured starter Trent Edwards, Fitzpatrick hasn’t made anyone forget about Jack Kemp or Jim Kelly, but we’re not lumping him in with JaMarcus Russell either. Dating back to last season, Fitzpatrick has won five straight games, completing 21 of 47 passes for 239 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Both his touchdowns were to wide receiver Lee Evans, whom Fitzpatrick has developed a good rapport with. His first touchdown pass two weeks ago against the Jets tied the game at 13 and last week, Fitzpatrick’s second score to Evans put the Bills in front 14-2 against Carolina. Last week against Carolina, Evans had his best game of the year catching a season-high five passes for 75 yards and a score.

While the Bills went from stopping the run the first few weeks to stopping nobody since, the Texans have turned around their running woes. After giving up an average of 205.0 yards rushing per game the first three weeks of the season, Houston has stepped it up as of late.

Through the past four games, Houston has given up an average of only 48.5 yards per game while bottling up Cincinnati’s Cedric Benson and San Francisco’s Frank Gore. Two weeks ago, Benson was held to just 44 yards rushing on 16 carries, and last week Gore managed only 32 yards on 13 carries. Both running backs were held to under 3.0 yards per carry.

Fitzpatrick’s first home start for Buffalo could get the Bills back to .500 for the first time since Week 2 against Tampa Bay. While Houston has thrived on the road, Buffalo has not been able to take advantage of their home turf. The Bills are 1-2 at the Ralph, but in their last 2 homes games the Bills have scored a combined 10 points.

Buffalo’s last offensive touchdown at home came when Terrell Owens hauled in a 43-yard pass from Trent Edwards at the 9:16 mark of the fourth quarter. For those keeping score at home, the Bills have gone eight quarters without scoring a touchdown at home.

Buffalo holds a 3-1 advantage in this series, but this will be the first meeting since 2006. The Bills won that Nov.19th contest three years ago, 24-21, in Houston. That was a memorable day for Bills wide receiver Lee Evans, who caught two 83-yard touchdown passes in the first quarter and finished the day with 11 catches for 265 yards and two scores. The Bills have won the past two meetings against the Texans.

Prediction: Buffalo 20, Houston 17. The Bills have won two straight on the road and now they return home with a golden opportunity to beat a quality Houston Texans team and get back to .500 for the first time since Week 2. Houston has been good on the road, going 2-1 so far this year. Even though Schaub is playing like his hair is on fire, something tells me the Bills will be ready in this spot. This could be similar to the game against San Diego at home last season, when the Bills found a way to bottle up a stout Chargers attack. I think the Bills get it done.

Oct

31

Chiefs and RB Johnson Come to Terms on a Settlement Over Slur

Filed Under Kansas City Chiefs, Off The Field News | 1 Comment


There’s been sides working on trying to reach a settlement for Chiefs RB Larry Johnson, this after Johnson used a gay slur on his Twitter account. Tonight there are reports that Johnson and the team has reached a deal where he will stay suspended for two weeks, but lose his game check for just one.

Here’s a report about it from the KC Star:

Larry Johnson won’t be back any sooner, but now a settlement is reportedly in place to withhold only one week’s pay from the Chiefs running back.

According to an ESPN report Saturday, Johnson and the Chiefs reached an agreement in which the embattled Kansas City running back will remain suspended for two weeks but will be paid for one of those weeks.

Johnson’s team suspension had called for him to miss two weeks’ pay, until the punishment expires Nov. 9. After his suspension ends, Johnson could be subject to additional punishment after he called out coach Todd Haley last Sunday on his Twitter account, then publicly used two gay slurs in less than 24 hours.

Such a settlement will allow Johnson to recoup about $330,000, which includes his base salary and any escalators built into Johnson’s contract, which runs through 2012.

Look for the Chiefs to try and move Johnson this offseason, as they are done with his antics, and Todd Haley and Scott Pioli are sick of having to put up with his immature and troublesome attitude.

Oct

31

Giants vs Eagles – An Inside Look and Breakdown

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Giants
All right let’s do a unit by unit comparison of the Giants and Eagles to see who has the advantage this weekend.

Names that are colored are from the team with the advantage.

Quarterbacks-

Donovan McNabb vs Eli manning.

Even

Let’s face it both team’s quarterbacks have slaughtered bad competition and both have played poorly against good competiton (like the Saints). Donovan McNabb did not play vs the Saints, but he did play poorly vs the Raiders.

McNabb will also put up better numbers than Eli-the Eagles are built to pass, and both are winners. Both are franchise Quarterbacks. I like Eli more, but he’s been playing poorly.

Running Backs.

Brandon Jacobs, Bradshaw, Johnson, Ware vs (Westbrook), McCoy, Buckley

The New York Giants have the advantage at running back especially if Westrbook doesn’t play. Both Jacobs and Westbrook have injury histories, but Jacobs is healthy now. He’s also averaged over 4.0 yards per carry his last two games and seems to be picking up steam.

Bradshaw is right now better than LeSean McCoy although I have seen both miss in pass protection. The Eagles might use Buckley the Giants won’t use Ware or Johnson unless the game is a blow out.

Wide Receivers

Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks, Domenik Hixon (…) vs DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant Kevin Curtis

The Eagles are more explosive at their starting wide recieve rpositions. The Giants have more versatility with their wide receivers.

The Eagles third leading WR is Jason Avant with 11 catches, Kevin Curtis (hurt) and Reggie Brown have 5 catches on the season between them with no touchdowns. The Giants third leading Wide receiver is Hakeem Nicks (16 catches 4 Touchdowns). Domenik Hixon, Sinorice Moss, and Derek Hagan have combined for 10 catches and a touchdown. Giants are deeper at Wide Receiver.

Read more

Oct

31

Eagels RB Westbrook to Be a Game-Time Decision vs Giants

Filed Under Injuries, Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment

Eagles
The Eagles may have to turn to rookie RB LeSean McCoy Sunday at home vs the Giants, as running back Brian Westbrook remains questionable with a concussion suffered last week vs the Redskins.

Coach Andy Reid said Friday that wide receiver Kevin Curtis, defensive end Victor Abiamiri (knee), and backup cornerback/special teams player Dimitri Patterson (hand/quadriceps) won’t play against New York. He also said free safety Victor Harris (ankle) and backup defensive end Chris Clemons (elbow) are questionable.

None of them practiced Friday.

“It’s going to be a game-day decision,” Reid said of Westbrook, who traditionally performs well against the Giants. “We’re waiting to get more tests back and see how they look. So far the tests we have done this week have looked OK. But it comes down to a matter of time.”

Westbrook has not practiced all week, but he was on the field Friday with his teammates and seemed in good spirits.

“I know he wants to play,” Reid said. “As long as he cleared, he’s OK’d, we just have to see. The experts are looking at this. We have to listen to the doctors.”

Oct

31

CB Winfield Out for the Vikings Big Showdown Sunday in Green Bay

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vikings

The Vikings have ruled out Antoine Winfield from Sunday’s game at Green Bay.

Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Darius Reynaud, and Jasper Brinkley are all questionable.

Brett Favre, E.J. Henderson, Ben Leber, Karl Paymah, and Naufahu Tahi are all probable.

According to Access Vikings, Donald Driver thinks highly of Winfield and he had this to say about his absence:

“With [Winfield] it’s a big factor because he’s especially big in the run game. He loves to shoot up and hit the running back. He’s one of those guys that just loves to make tackles so you have to be willing to watch out for him a lot. I think little [Benny] Sapp, that’s why they’ve got him out there as well. He’s a little scrappy kid as well. I think he watches Winfield and imitates him a lot. That’s going to be the guy that’s going to try to support the run if Winfield doesn’t play. They’ve got some good corners. We’re not going to sit here and say their corners are bad. But we’ve got some good wideouts, too. We know it’s going to be a battle and we just have to go out there and execute.”

Oct

31

October NFL Rookies of the Month

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october2009ROM

OFFENSE: WR HAKEEM NICKS, NEW YORK GIANTS

  • Nicks, a first-round draft pick (No. 29) out of North Carolina, scored a touchdown in all four October games.
  • He had 14 receptions for 297 yards (21.2 average) and became the first Giants rookie with a touchdown reception in four consecutive games since 1948 (BILL SWIACKI).
  • Three of Nicks’ touchdowns went for at least 30 yards (62, 54 and 37), the most by any rookie in the month.
  • His four touchdown receptions during the month tied for the NFL lead and Nicks’ 297 receiving yards were the most by a rookie.
  • For the season, Nicks ranks second among all NFL rookies with 315 yards (16 catches) and his 19.7 yards per catch average is the highest among all rookies with at least 10 receptions.
  • Nicks is the first Giant to earn NFL Rookie of the Month honors since safety GIBRIL WILSON (Defense, October 2004).  He joins tight end JEREMY SHOCKEY (November and December 2002) as the only Giants to be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month.

DEFENSE: S JAIRUS BYRD, BUFFALO BILLS

  • Byrd, a second-round selection out of Oregon, started all four games at free safety and totaled 15 tackles, five interceptions and seven passes defensed as the Bills posted a 2-2 record in October .
  • Byrd is the first rookie with five interceptions in a month since Chicago Bears safety MARK CARRIER (December 1990).
  • He is the first rookie with two interceptions in two consecutive games since Dallas Cowboys cornerback EVERSON WALLS in 1981.
  • In the past two wins, the Bills offense converted three of Byrd’s four interceptions into touchdowns (one against the Jets and two against the Panthers).
  • Leads all NFL rookies and ranks second in the NFL with five interceptions (DARREN SHARPER, 6)
  • Byrd joins safety DONTE WHITNER (September 2006), linebacker SAM COWART (October 1998) and defensive end GABE NORTHERN (November 1996) as the fourth Bills player to earn a Rookie of the Month Award.

Courtesy of the NFL

Oct

31

Stafford To Be Back Under Center for Lions Sunday

Filed Under Detroit Lions, Injuries | 1 Comment

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Detroit’s rookie quarterback practiced every day this week, so it would seem that he had no setbacks on the recovery of his knee. Therefore, Matthew Stafford is expected to be back under center this Sunday. His supposed number one target, on the other hand, was very limited in practice this week and is still listed as “Questionable” in the injury report. This means that there is a good chance that the only Johnson we will see catching passes on Sunday is Bryant, not Calvin.

The Rams are the weakest team Detroit has played yet this year, and there is a better than even chance that the Lions could win without Megatron on the field. That notion may be creeping around in the back of Coach Jim Schwartz’s noggin. He is probably more willing to let Calvin Johnson have another week to heal than he would be if the Lions were playing a better team.

That might be a mistake, especially since a loss to the lowly Rams would be emotionally devastating both for Detroit’s players and their fans. Schwartz may be hesitant to rush Calvin Johnson back to the lineup in what he thinks is a non-pivotal game. That sentiment is understandable, since recriminations would be loud and angry should Johnson reinjure himself. Still, they will be even louder and angrier if the Rams manage to pull off their first win of the season at Ford Field.

These are the little decisions that are the bane of head coaches. If the Lions win and Johnson gets hurt, Schwartz will get blamed for taking an unnecessary risk. If the Lions lose with Johnson on the bench, Schwartz will get blamed for being too cautious.

If Calvin Johnson’s knee won’t let him perform at a competitive level, then of course he should sit the game out. But with Detroit needing a win against a struggling team, Schwartz shouldn’t be too cautious if Johnson can play. Schwartz seems like the kind of coach who is willing to roll the dice to win games. If Johnson is on the bench Sunday, my guess is it’s because he is too hurt to help the team, not because Schwartz is afraid to risk further injury.

Oct

30

Former Browns GM Phil Savage Has a Point

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savage
I hate to admit it, but Phil Savage does have a point. “We left two quarterbacks (Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn) behind that both seem ruined right now.” Although we can’t blame this abysmal season on the quarterback situation entirely, it is a huge culprit. What should have been a team strength has morphed into a liability. Why?

We all thought this would be Brady Quinn’s year. He has been with the organization long enough to have established respect in the locker room along with a familiarity with the core offensive players on the team. His storied football IQ and his much talked about work ethic should have prepared him for consistency if not immediate success. Unfortunately, he could never win the starting job outright, and was only given the nod right before the season opener. Still, he should have been ready.

Derek Anderson was a Pro Bowl quarterback. He has a strong arm that should make the majority of QB’s in the league jealous. His only real problem is his inability to throw short. But, isn’t that what practice is for? Isn’t repetition on specifically designed plays a useful tool to help a player develop and turn weaknesses into strengths? Shouldn’t his “touch” be a non-issue in what is his third year as a Brown?

That is why Phil Savage’s comments make so much sense. He’s right. How have two very young and talented quarterbacks regressed so much under the oversight of this new regime? These are questions that have to be asked. There needs to be some accountability with regard to the development of players, especially players at such key positions.

One example that has eaten at me was the letting go of Martin Rucker. There have been very few legitimately thorough reports about what happened with him. The only thing that made any sense to me was with respect to his inability to block. Well, that seems ridiculous to me. Blocking may be a mentality, but it is also a skill set that can be taught. Surely a player with his explosiveness on offense could be persuaded to knock an opponent around for a few plays a game.

With Brady and Derek the same thing seems to be happening. Neither has made any strides and it would be silly to blame it on the team’s new faces. Other quarterbacks around the league seem to adjust just fine when new wide receivers are introduced. Even if we blame their stunted growth on another new system and coaching staff, I would have to argue that these are professional athletes and a few miscues aside, adapting and overcoming should be the rule.

Phil Savage made many mistakes as a GM. Our team overall was no better under him than the Butch Davis regime and the excuse was always that upon arrival “the cupboard was bare.” Same with Mangini. But eventually you can’t make excuses. You have to perform. Our quarterbacks aren’t performing and Savage’s insight should open everyone’s eyes. Something needs to be done. There is no excuse for this team to be in such shambles.

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