So who had Buffalo and Detroit both undefeated after three weeks? Ok, put your hands down, liars! With that, lets hand out some game balls and throw some penalty flags.
GAME BALLS
Buffalo Bills: No one circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills! According to STATS LLC, since 1950, the Bills became the only team to overcome deficits of at least 18 points to win in consecutive weeks after falling behind New England 21-0 Sunday. (They were down 21-3 last week to Oakland). And, the Bills are leading the NFL in scoring. No one saw that coming!
Detroit Lions: The Lions are fourth in the NFL in scoring and third in points allowed. Two of the three wins are on the road including an impressive comeback Sunday after falling down 20-0 to Minnesota. Lions are 3-0 for the first time since 1980.
Cam Newton, QB Carolina: Newton did not pass for 400 yards, but more importantly, he led the Panthers to a comeback win. Newton hit Greg Olsen for a 16 yard touchdown with 4:20 left to seal the win and also found Olsen for the ensuing two-point conversion pass that helped Carolina win 16-10.
Colt McCoy, QB Cleveland: Colt McCoy threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Massaquoi with 43 seconds left going nine of 13 for 80 yards on the final drive to rally the Browns to a 17-16 win Sunday over Miami.
Wes Welker, WR New England: Welker was the one bright spot in the Pats loss to the Bills catching 16 passes for a franchise record 217 yards and two scores. No matter who the Bills put on him, he got open and made plays.
Eli Manning, QB New York Giants: Just a week after getting booed (for winning no less) Manning carved up the Philadelphia "Dream Team" defense for 254 yards and four touchdowns. The Giants snapped a six-game losing streak against their division rivals.
Torrey Smith, WR Baltimore: The rookie's first three career receptions went for touchdowns totaling 133 yards in the first quarter for the Ravens as he started in place of the injured Lee Evans. Smith grabbed touchdown catches of 74, 41 and 18 yards finishing with five receptions for 152 yards.
PENALTY FLAGS
Chris Johnson, TE Tennessee: Johnson has solidified his position as worst rich guy in the NFL. For the second week in a row, the self-proclaimed best player in the league was a non-factor in a Titans win rushing for 21 yards on 13 carries, a 1.6 yard average. He now has 46 carries for 98 yards this season, which ties him for 36th best among rushers.
Leslie Frazier, Head Coach Minnesota: For the third week in a row, the Vikings came out of the gates fast leading Detroit 20-0 only to lose 26-23. The Vikings led San Diego 17-7 week one before losing 24-17 and led Tampa Bay 17-0 before losing 24-20 last week. How does Adrian Peterson only touch the ball five times in the second half? Not a good start to Frazier's career in the Twin Cities.
Tom Brady, QB New England: A rare appearance for Brady on this side of the column. Brady had a career high four interceptions and had other passes knocked down at the line by the Bills defense. Brady clearly looked flustered most of the second half, a rare time Brady didn't stay cool in the pocket. For the record, Brady had only four picks all of last season.
Chad Ochocinco, WR New England: Eight-five dropped a routine pass at the five yard line in the fourth quarter that would have been an easy score for the Pats. Brady stared down his wide out in sheer disappointment. Ochocinco is struggling this year and the drop may land him in Bill Belichick's doghouse.
Kerry Collins, QB Indianapolis: Collins came out of retirement to help out the Colts in lieu of the injury to Peyton Manning although Collins still looks to be retired. Collins could only muster a 13 of 29 for 93 yard performance despite having a talented receiving corp in a game that even an average performance by Collins would have given the Colts a win. The Curtis Painter bangwagon is getting bigger by the hour.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Sports Shorts, Sept. 23
Checking my (sports) shorts wondering whatever happened to He Hate Me...
* A lot of college realignment has been in the news this week. One was a surprising jump and the other was a surprising non-jump. When I heard on Sunday that Syracuse and Pittsburgh were fleeing the Big East for the ACC, I hated it. Now, I am thinking otherwise. I grew up a Syracuse fan so the thought of them not playing Georgetown and St. John's was upsetting. But, when I look at the big picture, this is a great move. For football, Doug Marrone's bunch will have much better competition with Virginia Tech, Florida State and 'da U. Also, it gives football more exposure in the state of Florida, which is a huge recruiting area. For basketball, starting new rivalries with Duke and North Carolina is a definite upgrade. My only hope is somehow the 'cuse at least finds a way to keep the hated Hoyas on the schedule.
* It seemed earlier this week, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech seemed prime to ditch the Big XII for the Pac-12 (or Pac whatever it is). But, apparently, the Pac-12 never offered to add those schools and said it was not expanding. At least for now. I don't buy for a second that these four won't at some point move to the Pac-12, but it sounds like some behind the scenes things need to be hashed out. Oklahoma wants Texas to be reeled in from the monster the Longhorn Network has created so a lot of negotiating will happen either for Oklahoma to stay in the Big XII or jump to the Pac-12. This will happen, just not now.
* I am never a fan people losing their jobs, but the Dolphins Tony Sparano looks like he is one more loss away from being the first NFL casualty of 2011. Sunday's game vs. Cleveland is a must win seen as San Diego looms the week after. If Sparano starts the season 0-4, he probably won't be around to see game 5.
* So Manny Ramirez says he is willing to sit out the 100 game suspension he owes Major League Baseball to return to the league after being rejected by the Dominican Republic winter league. I find it hard to believe any team at this point is willing to put up with his nonsense to take a chance that he may have something left in the tank. Manny may want to talk Randy Moss to see how hard it is to find a team after people feel your attitude is not worth the headache.
* One of my favorite lacrosse events is returning in the Bowhunter Cup. The Bowhunter Cup is an international friendly between the United States Indoor Lacrosse National Team and the Iroquois Nationals. This year's event will move to the Turning Stone Casino in Oneida on Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. Turning Stone had a successful debut as a lacrosse venue at the National Lacrosse League All-Star game earlier this year. The Iroquois are 3-1 all-time vs. the U.S. with the Americans only win coming in a thrilling 13-11 win in the first Bowhunter Cup in Syracuse last year. The two teams will feature a host of players with Upstate New York roots so local bragging rights for the next year are on the line. For more information, visit: http://www.bowhuntercup.com/.
* A lot of college realignment has been in the news this week. One was a surprising jump and the other was a surprising non-jump. When I heard on Sunday that Syracuse and Pittsburgh were fleeing the Big East for the ACC, I hated it. Now, I am thinking otherwise. I grew up a Syracuse fan so the thought of them not playing Georgetown and St. John's was upsetting. But, when I look at the big picture, this is a great move. For football, Doug Marrone's bunch will have much better competition with Virginia Tech, Florida State and 'da U. Also, it gives football more exposure in the state of Florida, which is a huge recruiting area. For basketball, starting new rivalries with Duke and North Carolina is a definite upgrade. My only hope is somehow the 'cuse at least finds a way to keep the hated Hoyas on the schedule.
* It seemed earlier this week, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech seemed prime to ditch the Big XII for the Pac-12 (or Pac whatever it is). But, apparently, the Pac-12 never offered to add those schools and said it was not expanding. At least for now. I don't buy for a second that these four won't at some point move to the Pac-12, but it sounds like some behind the scenes things need to be hashed out. Oklahoma wants Texas to be reeled in from the monster the Longhorn Network has created so a lot of negotiating will happen either for Oklahoma to stay in the Big XII or jump to the Pac-12. This will happen, just not now.
* I am never a fan people losing their jobs, but the Dolphins Tony Sparano looks like he is one more loss away from being the first NFL casualty of 2011. Sunday's game vs. Cleveland is a must win seen as San Diego looms the week after. If Sparano starts the season 0-4, he probably won't be around to see game 5.
* So Manny Ramirez says he is willing to sit out the 100 game suspension he owes Major League Baseball to return to the league after being rejected by the Dominican Republic winter league. I find it hard to believe any team at this point is willing to put up with his nonsense to take a chance that he may have something left in the tank. Manny may want to talk Randy Moss to see how hard it is to find a team after people feel your attitude is not worth the headache.
* One of my favorite lacrosse events is returning in the Bowhunter Cup. The Bowhunter Cup is an international friendly between the United States Indoor Lacrosse National Team and the Iroquois Nationals. This year's event will move to the Turning Stone Casino in Oneida on Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. Turning Stone had a successful debut as a lacrosse venue at the National Lacrosse League All-Star game earlier this year. The Iroquois are 3-1 all-time vs. the U.S. with the Americans only win coming in a thrilling 13-11 win in the first Bowhunter Cup in Syracuse last year. The two teams will feature a host of players with Upstate New York roots so local bragging rights for the next year are on the line. For more information, visit: http://www.bowhuntercup.com/.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Game Balls and Penalty Flags- Week 2
Week two is in the books and apparently we need to put an APB out for NFL defenses. Also, how about the Bills, Redskins and Lions each being 2-0. With that, lets hand out some game balls and penalty flags.
GAME BALLS
Tom Brady, New England: I have a feeling Brady will be a mainstay here this year. Going 31-40 for 423 yards and three touchdowns is just ridiculous. Can you say front runner for another MVP award?
Cam Newton, Carolina: Yes, Newton did toss three picks against the Packers defense, but he also threw for 432 yards against possibly the best defense in the NFL. For those that thought Newton was not ready for the NFL, he has proven us wrong. He and Brady this weekend became the sixth and seventh QBs in NFL history to have back-to-back 400 yard passing games.
Fred Jackson, Buffalo: Jackson ran for 117 yards and two scores leading the Bills to an impressive comeback win over Oakland. He is leading the NFL in rushing after two weeks with 229 yards.
Eric Decker, Denver: Even Decker's family had no idea he would play this well. He caught five passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns become Kyle Orton's favorite target while Denver's receivers struggle with injuries.
Matt Hasselbeck, Tennessee: A castaway by Seattle, who could really use him right now, had a great day in the Titans upset of Baltimore passing for 358 yards and a touchdown.
PENALTY FLAGS
Chris Johnson, Tennessee: The Titans had a surprising win over the Ravens and the self proclaimed best player in the league was a non-factor. Johnson rushed 24 times for a pathetic 53 yards, just a 2.2 yard average. So far, Johnson has only been able to muster 77 yards on 33 carries for a 2.3 yard average, but he has moved up from 48th to 34th place in terms of the league rushing leaders. To add further insult, the Titans plan to workout Clinton Portis on Tuesday.
Dunta Robinson, Atlanta: It is time to suspend Robinson for his lack of understanding of how to properly hit a receiver. Robinson got flagged, again, for an illegal hit on the Eagles Jeremy Maclin for leading with his head. He was fined $40,000 this time.
I could have a few more penalty flags, but I am going to leave them with just Johnson and Robinson. These two deserve the extra distinction this week.
GAME BALLS
Tom Brady, New England: I have a feeling Brady will be a mainstay here this year. Going 31-40 for 423 yards and three touchdowns is just ridiculous. Can you say front runner for another MVP award?
Cam Newton, Carolina: Yes, Newton did toss three picks against the Packers defense, but he also threw for 432 yards against possibly the best defense in the NFL. For those that thought Newton was not ready for the NFL, he has proven us wrong. He and Brady this weekend became the sixth and seventh QBs in NFL history to have back-to-back 400 yard passing games.
Fred Jackson, Buffalo: Jackson ran for 117 yards and two scores leading the Bills to an impressive comeback win over Oakland. He is leading the NFL in rushing after two weeks with 229 yards.
Eric Decker, Denver: Even Decker's family had no idea he would play this well. He caught five passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns become Kyle Orton's favorite target while Denver's receivers struggle with injuries.
Matt Hasselbeck, Tennessee: A castaway by Seattle, who could really use him right now, had a great day in the Titans upset of Baltimore passing for 358 yards and a touchdown.
PENALTY FLAGS
Chris Johnson, Tennessee: The Titans had a surprising win over the Ravens and the self proclaimed best player in the league was a non-factor. Johnson rushed 24 times for a pathetic 53 yards, just a 2.2 yard average. So far, Johnson has only been able to muster 77 yards on 33 carries for a 2.3 yard average, but he has moved up from 48th to 34th place in terms of the league rushing leaders. To add further insult, the Titans plan to workout Clinton Portis on Tuesday.
Dunta Robinson, Atlanta: It is time to suspend Robinson for his lack of understanding of how to properly hit a receiver. Robinson got flagged, again, for an illegal hit on the Eagles Jeremy Maclin for leading with his head. He was fined $40,000 this time.
I could have a few more penalty flags, but I am going to leave them with just Johnson and Robinson. These two deserve the extra distinction this week.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Sports Shorts Sept. 16
Checking my (sports) shorts wondering whatever happened to Randy Moss....
* Titans RB Chris Johnson acted like a whiny child all training camp demanding to be paid like the top offensive player in football let alone the top running back. And, how has he rewarded Tennessee? Nine carries for 24 yards against a weak Jacksonville defense in his first game after signing his record deal. Last week, 48 players ran for more yards than the alleged best player in football including QBs Josh Freeman, Donovan McNabb, and Chad Henne. Good to see he is proving to Titans fans he deserved $55.26 million over six years.
* Kudos to Rochester native Ryan Callahan as he was named captain of the New York Rangers on Monday. As NHL training camps get underway, four American born players are captains. With Callahan's new role, three of the four have ties to upstate New York. Callahan, Rochester native Brian Gionta of the Montreal Canadiens and Ithaca native Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings.
* Can anyone explain the ridiculous need for ESPN to over-hype just about everything? Why is week three of the college football season dubbed "Road Test" weekend? While there are a couple of interesting games this weekend, not many of the top 25 have "road tests" and actually the majority of them play at home. I'm guessing #4 Boise is not concerned with going to Toledo, nor is #7 Wisconsin at Northern Illinois, or #21 Auburn heading to Clemson. To add to the insult, one of the network big shots, Scott Van Pelt, has been poking fun at it all week on his radio show calling it "Roadhouse" weekend. Pretty sad when your own can't take the hype machine seriously.
* For a long time, I was not a big fan of Patriots coach Bill Belichick. I think just about all of Western New York agrees with me. But, after watching this great piece by NFL Films (http://www.nfl.com/videos/new-england-patriots/09000d5d8223ad1a/Films-Encore-Belichick-the-next-generation), you can finally see the human side to him. I started to warm up to Belichick a few years ago when I learned he played lacrosse at Wesleyan in the '70's and kept a stick in his office. Now, as I try to involve my son in my own coaching activities, I think I like the guy. For the record, Stephen Belichick just finished a four year career as a lacrosse player at Rutgers and is now a long snapped for the Scarlet Knights football team. Belichick's daughter Amanda is following in her dad's footsteps as she also played lacrosse at Wesleyan and is now an assistant women's lacrosse coach at Ohio State.
* Titans RB Chris Johnson acted like a whiny child all training camp demanding to be paid like the top offensive player in football let alone the top running back. And, how has he rewarded Tennessee? Nine carries for 24 yards against a weak Jacksonville defense in his first game after signing his record deal. Last week, 48 players ran for more yards than the alleged best player in football including QBs Josh Freeman, Donovan McNabb, and Chad Henne. Good to see he is proving to Titans fans he deserved $55.26 million over six years.
* Kudos to Rochester native Ryan Callahan as he was named captain of the New York Rangers on Monday. As NHL training camps get underway, four American born players are captains. With Callahan's new role, three of the four have ties to upstate New York. Callahan, Rochester native Brian Gionta of the Montreal Canadiens and Ithaca native Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings.
* Can anyone explain the ridiculous need for ESPN to over-hype just about everything? Why is week three of the college football season dubbed "Road Test" weekend? While there are a couple of interesting games this weekend, not many of the top 25 have "road tests" and actually the majority of them play at home. I'm guessing #4 Boise is not concerned with going to Toledo, nor is #7 Wisconsin at Northern Illinois, or #21 Auburn heading to Clemson. To add to the insult, one of the network big shots, Scott Van Pelt, has been poking fun at it all week on his radio show calling it "Roadhouse" weekend. Pretty sad when your own can't take the hype machine seriously.
* For a long time, I was not a big fan of Patriots coach Bill Belichick. I think just about all of Western New York agrees with me. But, after watching this great piece by NFL Films (http://www.nfl.com/videos/new-england-patriots/09000d5d8223ad1a/Films-Encore-Belichick-the-next-generation), you can finally see the human side to him. I started to warm up to Belichick a few years ago when I learned he played lacrosse at Wesleyan in the '70's and kept a stick in his office. Now, as I try to involve my son in my own coaching activities, I think I like the guy. For the record, Stephen Belichick just finished a four year career as a lacrosse player at Rutgers and is now a long snapped for the Scarlet Knights football team. Belichick's daughter Amanda is following in her dad's footsteps as she also played lacrosse at Wesleyan and is now an assistant women's lacrosse coach at Ohio State.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Game Balls and Penalty Flags- Week 1
Game balls and penalty flags is back for season three. Each Monday of the NFL season, we will honor those who performed well and will call out those that flopped each week.
Game Balls
- Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo: Raise your hand if you saw this lopsided win by the Bills. OK, liars, put your hands down. Not even the most optimistic Bills fan could have imagined how well the Bills played and Fitz set the tone early and finished with four touchdown passes.
- Randall Cobb, Green Bay: Best non-Newton rookie performance. Cobb debuted with a touchdown catch and also ran a kickoff back 108 yards for another score, tying an NFL record for the longest kickoff return in history.
- Cam Newton, Carolina: I guess Newton made a smooth transition to NFL starter. Playing on the same field where he led Auburn to the BCS championship in January, Newton went 24 of 37 passes for 422 yards and two touchdowns, the first rookie to throw for more than 400 yards in his NFL opener. He also ran for another score and had an impressive Pete Townsend-esque touchdown dance.
- Ted Ginn, Jr., San Francisco: Ginn returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in a minute's span late in the fourth quarter. Ginn ran a kickoff back 102 yards moments after Seattle had closed the gap to 19-17. The last player to have a kickoff- and punt-return touchdown in the same game was Eddie Royal of the Denver Broncos on Oct. 19, 2009, against the San Diego Chargers.
- Ravens Defense: I was trying to pick one, but why not all of them. The Ravens forced seven turnovers by the normally disciplined Steelers. Ed Reed had two interceptions, Ray Lewis had a pick and a forced fumble, Terrell Suggs had two forced fumbles and Haloti Ngata had a forced fumble and a tipped pass which was intercepted.
Penalty Flags
- Indianapolis Colts: Apparently, Peyton Manning means more to this team than we thought. Indy looked awful on both sides of the ball and Kerry Collins looked like he was ready for a vacation.
- Tony Romo, Dallas: Romo did his best Brett Favre impersonation on the final drive trying to lead the 'boys to a win tossing a perfect spiral to the Jets Darrelle Revis snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
- Giants offensive line: The O-line gave up four sacks to a Redskins defense that ranked 31st in the league last year. Eli Manning was running for his life all day.
- Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons were a trendy Super Bowl pick in the preseason, but they played like they taking a trip to the outhouse. They made a old and slow Bears defense look elite and the Falcons defense was erratic against a normally shaky Jay Cutler.
Game Balls
- Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo: Raise your hand if you saw this lopsided win by the Bills. OK, liars, put your hands down. Not even the most optimistic Bills fan could have imagined how well the Bills played and Fitz set the tone early and finished with four touchdown passes.
- Randall Cobb, Green Bay: Best non-Newton rookie performance. Cobb debuted with a touchdown catch and also ran a kickoff back 108 yards for another score, tying an NFL record for the longest kickoff return in history.
- Cam Newton, Carolina: I guess Newton made a smooth transition to NFL starter. Playing on the same field where he led Auburn to the BCS championship in January, Newton went 24 of 37 passes for 422 yards and two touchdowns, the first rookie to throw for more than 400 yards in his NFL opener. He also ran for another score and had an impressive Pete Townsend-esque touchdown dance.
- Ted Ginn, Jr., San Francisco: Ginn returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in a minute's span late in the fourth quarter. Ginn ran a kickoff back 102 yards moments after Seattle had closed the gap to 19-17. The last player to have a kickoff- and punt-return touchdown in the same game was Eddie Royal of the Denver Broncos on Oct. 19, 2009, against the San Diego Chargers.
- Ravens Defense: I was trying to pick one, but why not all of them. The Ravens forced seven turnovers by the normally disciplined Steelers. Ed Reed had two interceptions, Ray Lewis had a pick and a forced fumble, Terrell Suggs had two forced fumbles and Haloti Ngata had a forced fumble and a tipped pass which was intercepted.
Penalty Flags
- Indianapolis Colts: Apparently, Peyton Manning means more to this team than we thought. Indy looked awful on both sides of the ball and Kerry Collins looked like he was ready for a vacation.
- Tony Romo, Dallas: Romo did his best Brett Favre impersonation on the final drive trying to lead the 'boys to a win tossing a perfect spiral to the Jets Darrelle Revis snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
- Giants offensive line: The O-line gave up four sacks to a Redskins defense that ranked 31st in the league last year. Eli Manning was running for his life all day.
- Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons were a trendy Super Bowl pick in the preseason, but they played like they taking a trip to the outhouse. They made a old and slow Bears defense look elite and the Falcons defense was erratic against a normally shaky Jay Cutler.
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