The New England Patriots are one of the most well-run franchises in all of sports these days; the squad has been en rout to three Super Bowl Championships in the last six years and four championship appearances while being able to retain many of the core players from histories' past.
Team sports are one identity; take on a similar kind of domination with "an individual" having a thirty-two match winning streak snapped
Justin-Henin might be the world's number one women 's player (in spite of losing in the Austrailian Open quarters to Maria Sharapova last night 6-4, 6-0) but there are clear indications that this just might be Sharapova's tournament PERIOD.
The powerfully swift and fabulous looking tennis star from Russia advanced to the Aussie Open semifinals for the fourth consecutive year...winning for only the the third time in nine opportunities against the world's elite player.
Meanwhile, after this Henin loss along with Serena Williams being elimnated from the tourney there is a guarantee of the road being a little bit easier for Sharapova...who is 2-3 against the former world's number one.
Later on in the tournament Venus Williams tries her luck against Ana Ivanovic in an attempt to salvage any American pride left on the women's side (there is only one United States representative left on the men's side...James Blake).
Men's tennis has been vastly more exciting than the women's side especially with third round action going late into the early afternoon on Saturday
The two matches going the distance included number one Roger Federer against Janko Tipsarevic in a clasic ending in overtime with Federer taking ten games and Tipsarevic grabbin only eight.
Later on in the Melbourne night, #19 Leyton Hewitt took out #15 Marcos Baghdatis in a five-setter that broke the record for the longest match played in this history of the Austailian Open. The summation of matches ended the latest in the history of the Aussie Open by more than an hour.
More tennis to come
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Pat's on the Back
After all the various conclusions people came across during the NFL season, one could infer how the Patriots might join the victory parade with a slew of weapons at the wide receiver position, a Hall-of-Fame caliber quarterback and a defense featuring all-pro quality players at each spot. The American tradition is to celebrate the countries' independence on July 4th after what the colonists fought for during the War for Independence. This year's many are showing patronage for the Pat's of New England has yet to complete a 19-0
But which squad is representing the tories from the NFC.
The opposition coming into the playoffs was believed to be the Dallas "star" Cowboys or Lambeau Legend. But after contemplating the situation for three weeks of wild-card, divisional, and conference championship round action...how many would have said the G-men would be standing as tall as a beanstalk and be victorious?
It's not only the concept of victory that brings Giants fans in awe:
1.) The team was 10-1 on the road this year (including playoffs)
2.) Eli Manning has thrown four TD passes with no turnovers in the postseason
3.) The Giants have one giveaway the entire postseason (R.W. Mcquarters on an interception return)
4.) Brandon Jacobs established himself amassing more than 1,000 yards on the ground while missing five games this year
5.) Tight end Kevin Boss, taking over for injured Jeremy Shockey, in week 15 and helping to block for the running backs and making key receptions
6.) The Michael Strahan holdout wound up giving him additional energy for the latter part of the season and the playoffs (9 sacks in the regular season)
7.) How about the Giants General Manager and his ability to muster draft picks that were widely used in the offenive, defensive, and special teams schemes.
After the retirement of Tiki Barber, the former star running back made comments detrimental to New York; the Giants responded using an incisor of tricks and manipulations to ruin Jeff Garcia's run at a possible championship. That victory catapulted the G-men over Tony Romo and the 'Boys in Dallas the next week. After that...zero degrees didn't bother them in Green Bay
Simply put, the Patriots will defeat the Giants and master all of NFL history becoming the first 19-0 team and a squad that will be remembered by NFL Films, the fans, and especially teams who hate them for "spygate" and a lack of supposed class in victory.
Patriots 35, Giants 28
But which squad is representing the tories from the NFC.
The opposition coming into the playoffs was believed to be the Dallas "star" Cowboys or Lambeau Legend. But after contemplating the situation for three weeks of wild-card, divisional, and conference championship round action...how many would have said the G-men would be standing as tall as a beanstalk and be victorious?
It's not only the concept of victory that brings Giants fans in awe:
1.) The team was 10-1 on the road this year (including playoffs)
2.) Eli Manning has thrown four TD passes with no turnovers in the postseason
3.) The Giants have one giveaway the entire postseason (R.W. Mcquarters on an interception return)
4.) Brandon Jacobs established himself amassing more than 1,000 yards on the ground while missing five games this year
5.) Tight end Kevin Boss, taking over for injured Jeremy Shockey, in week 15 and helping to block for the running backs and making key receptions
6.) The Michael Strahan holdout wound up giving him additional energy for the latter part of the season and the playoffs (9 sacks in the regular season)
7.) How about the Giants General Manager and his ability to muster draft picks that were widely used in the offenive, defensive, and special teams schemes.
After the retirement of Tiki Barber, the former star running back made comments detrimental to New York; the Giants responded using an incisor of tricks and manipulations to ruin Jeff Garcia's run at a possible championship. That victory catapulted the G-men over Tony Romo and the 'Boys in Dallas the next week. After that...zero degrees didn't bother them in Green Bay
Simply put, the Patriots will defeat the Giants and master all of NFL history becoming the first 19-0 team and a squad that will be remembered by NFL Films, the fans, and especially teams who hate them for "spygate" and a lack of supposed class in victory.
Patriots 35, Giants 28
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Lame duck and luck at the same time!
Most people would agree that sports has undergone some of the worst publicity in the word today (only the war in Iraq might be worse). In basketball, a referee, Tim Donaghy admitted to fixing basketball games he officiated. This event not only stunned the NBA but also gave the league an even bigger black eye than what stemmed fom the Ron Artest fight at the Palace of Auburn Hills, the Carmelo Anthony slap and run like a girl routine against the Knicks and the antics of Tim Hardaway about homosexuals.
In terms of other sports, hockey went through a lockout which eliminated the 2004-2005 season and destroyed any hope of retaining many of the mainstream fans. Football continues to have suspensions, videotape controversies and other questionable ordeals.
Baseball, however, was the most brutal in the sports ability to make money and cheat the fans and the public simultaneously. Yet, the owners of Major League Baseball agreed to extend commisioner Bud Selig's contract another three years for the morally reprehensible act of not pursuing the steroids matter more thoroughly...when it was a big issue in the late 90's and early 2000's.
Even though the fans flocked to the ballpark, neither the public nor the media identified the main problem of drug use in the game. Now, the owners are rewarding the man who was apprehensive in nailing the players who abuse the system and wrecked their lives and the lives of others.
It's a sad state of affairs for the Major Leagues and while te main objective is to earn profits and win at ths level, it was thought to not deceive the public or lie to them about alleged dug use. Second chances are afforded to those who comply and admit to their wrongdoing and yet there are others on the Mitchell investigation list who haven't shown any sign of being forthright.
In conclusion, Selig should BE BANNED from the game for not correcting the problem when the situation exploded right in front of his very eyes. He may not have known if competitors were injecting but he is responsible for leading some of the darkest ages in the history of baseball.
In terms of other sports, hockey went through a lockout which eliminated the 2004-2005 season and destroyed any hope of retaining many of the mainstream fans. Football continues to have suspensions, videotape controversies and other questionable ordeals.
Baseball, however, was the most brutal in the sports ability to make money and cheat the fans and the public simultaneously. Yet, the owners of Major League Baseball agreed to extend commisioner Bud Selig's contract another three years for the morally reprehensible act of not pursuing the steroids matter more thoroughly...when it was a big issue in the late 90's and early 2000's.
Even though the fans flocked to the ballpark, neither the public nor the media identified the main problem of drug use in the game. Now, the owners are rewarding the man who was apprehensive in nailing the players who abuse the system and wrecked their lives and the lives of others.
It's a sad state of affairs for the Major Leagues and while te main objective is to earn profits and win at ths level, it was thought to not deceive the public or lie to them about alleged dug use. Second chances are afforded to those who comply and admit to their wrongdoing and yet there are others on the Mitchell investigation list who haven't shown any sign of being forthright.
In conclusion, Selig should BE BANNED from the game for not correcting the problem when the situation exploded right in front of his very eyes. He may not have known if competitors were injecting but he is responsible for leading some of the darkest ages in the history of baseball.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Another Syracuse athlete that doesn't think
It's incredible how many college football players think they can make it to a great position in the professional ranks after their junior seasons'. Of course, some of them are physically, mentally and emotionally mature and do not have anything to play for in their respective sport. For example, running back Steve Slaton is about to be NFL bound because of his aptitude in running it and the way he matriculated the ball down the field. His 211 carries led the Mountaineers along with his 1,051 yards on the ground were immense for a spread offense. He also caught twenty-six of Pat White's passes and turned it into 350 yards. In total Slaton amassed 18 touchdowns. He appeared ready for the NFL.
There are other cases where one could make the claim that the athletes belong in the pro ranks; the Arkansas tandem (in the backfield) of Daren McFadden and Felix Jones who each gained at least 1,000 yards this yer for an 8-5 club. The Heisman candidate went for 1830 yards running on 325 attempts with 16 TD's while Jones accumulated 1162 yards on the ground.
Then there are fringe players who hav yet to play out their senior year of eligiblity including Syracuse wide receiver Taj Smith. ESPN analysts predict the ball-retriever or the Orange wil go in the seventh round of the draft. If your expected to be that low in the draft, why don't you improve your game to the point that you can make yourself more marketable.
Something must be going on underneath the surface that the athletic department does not want to reveal to the public...oher than the ineptitude of his once proud franchise. Is it possible that Smith was on academic probation and was not going to be able to play the sport he loves next year because of his grades?
None of us know what the truth is behind friendly lines except what media sources are told and the information various outlets provide. Even if Taj Smith is drafted, unless the player selected is on the defensive or offensive lines, it's extraordinarily difficult for someone to make an NFL team from there. If he isn't drafted, Smith will be forced to go to a tryout for a team and even there he may not be able to crack the professional ranks.
So why go pro if your projected that low in the draft. What's the worst that can happen if you play another year? Injury! It's not as if players cannot use the medical red-shirt to play one ore season. A bad team! It's a way for Smith to make himself stand out more than a seventh round pick. If Andrew Robinson is tossing the ball to Taj now, imagine a guy like Ben Rothelisberger doing the same! The diference in abilities are obviously night and day.
Taj, you made a mistake. You weren't even leading our own team in receptions and yards. The honor went to sopomore Mike Williams who caught 60 passes for 837 yards and ten touchdowns. Smith went for 82 yards on 44 receptions and five TD's
There are other cases where one could make the claim that the athletes belong in the pro ranks; the Arkansas tandem (in the backfield) of Daren McFadden and Felix Jones who each gained at least 1,000 yards this yer for an 8-5 club. The Heisman candidate went for 1830 yards running on 325 attempts with 16 TD's while Jones accumulated 1162 yards on the ground.
Then there are fringe players who hav yet to play out their senior year of eligiblity including Syracuse wide receiver Taj Smith. ESPN analysts predict the ball-retriever or the Orange wil go in the seventh round of the draft. If your expected to be that low in the draft, why don't you improve your game to the point that you can make yourself more marketable.
Something must be going on underneath the surface that the athletic department does not want to reveal to the public...oher than the ineptitude of his once proud franchise. Is it possible that Smith was on academic probation and was not going to be able to play the sport he loves next year because of his grades?
None of us know what the truth is behind friendly lines except what media sources are told and the information various outlets provide. Even if Taj Smith is drafted, unless the player selected is on the defensive or offensive lines, it's extraordinarily difficult for someone to make an NFL team from there. If he isn't drafted, Smith will be forced to go to a tryout for a team and even there he may not be able to crack the professional ranks.
So why go pro if your projected that low in the draft. What's the worst that can happen if you play another year? Injury! It's not as if players cannot use the medical red-shirt to play one ore season. A bad team! It's a way for Smith to make himself stand out more than a seventh round pick. If Andrew Robinson is tossing the ball to Taj now, imagine a guy like Ben Rothelisberger doing the same! The diference in abilities are obviously night and day.
Taj, you made a mistake. You weren't even leading our own team in receptions and yards. The honor went to sopomore Mike Williams who caught 60 passes for 837 yards and ten touchdowns. Smith went for 82 yards on 44 receptions and five TD's
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Bolts strike Colts!
I know this blog is being written a day later but think of it as a way to digest everything from the Aussie open's first round of action. This included a 3:30 in the morning match featuring the men's number one player, Roger Federer blasting Diego Hartfield allowing the Argentinian to get 3 games in the second set of a straight sets win.
Getting back on point, the Chargers beat the Colts without LaDainian Tomlinson in the second half and Philip Rivers...after the third quarter. The Chargers came up enormously in spite of a road game at Indianapolis and Bill Volek calling the plays in the huddle.
Once again the history of the success of the Chargers against the Colts came into effect and now the squad has amassed a three-game winning streak from the now departed Super Bowl champion's
Antonio Cromartie played a huge role in forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass at the end of the first half to hold the Colts to a tenseven lead. Cromaie returned the bal for a touchdown but the call was reversed after olding penalty on the return at the forty yard lne. The call was fictional because the players were battling ach other and both competitors did not let each other go.
What's exhiliaring and mortifying is that Peyton Manning was productively efficient...completing 22 of 27 passes and had two passes deflected for interceptions. The pro-bowl quarterback tossed for 402 yards on 33-of-48 but it wasn't enough to compensate for the losses of wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.
The Chargers became the King Midas while the Colts touched the gold before realizing false promise of another Super Bowl run. In light of these circumstances, it's time to look forward to a brutal conquest next weekend as San Diego heads to Gillette Stadium for a playoff re-match from last year with the Pats. This time around, however, the game is played in New England and I give the Chargers almost no chance to come out on top.
The Pats will go to 18-0 on the season afer Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Ben Watson, and Randy MOs pick apart one of the best secondaries in football. Philip Rivers and L.T wil play hurt but won't impact how the front seven of the Patriots perform.
Patriots go to the Super Bowl with a 31-17 victory.
Getting back on point, the Chargers beat the Colts without LaDainian Tomlinson in the second half and Philip Rivers...after the third quarter. The Chargers came up enormously in spite of a road game at Indianapolis and Bill Volek calling the plays in the huddle.
Once again the history of the success of the Chargers against the Colts came into effect and now the squad has amassed a three-game winning streak from the now departed Super Bowl champion's
Antonio Cromartie played a huge role in forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass at the end of the first half to hold the Colts to a tenseven lead. Cromaie returned the bal for a touchdown but the call was reversed after olding penalty on the return at the forty yard lne. The call was fictional because the players were battling ach other and both competitors did not let each other go.
What's exhiliaring and mortifying is that Peyton Manning was productively efficient...completing 22 of 27 passes and had two passes deflected for interceptions. The pro-bowl quarterback tossed for 402 yards on 33-of-48 but it wasn't enough to compensate for the losses of wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.
The Chargers became the King Midas while the Colts touched the gold before realizing false promise of another Super Bowl run. In light of these circumstances, it's time to look forward to a brutal conquest next weekend as San Diego heads to Gillette Stadium for a playoff re-match from last year with the Pats. This time around, however, the game is played in New England and I give the Chargers almost no chance to come out on top.
The Pats will go to 18-0 on the season afer Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Ben Watson, and Randy MOs pick apart one of the best secondaries in football. Philip Rivers and L.T wil play hurt but won't impact how the front seven of the Patriots perform.
Patriots go to the Super Bowl with a 31-17 victory.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Amazingly shockng!
On how many occasions do you see a 10-6 squad make it to the NFC Championship game? How often does a team with no identity at the quarterback position...form one where the starter steps up his play from the mediocre season he had? If one were to tell you that two starters in the secondary were injured and that the third string corner had to watch Terrell Owens, would it be logical to say the Giants had a chance to contain the Dallas offense? If Marion Barber III amassed 101 yards on the ground in the first half, who would have believed the G-Men would have kept the game tied? After a ten-minute and twenty-eight second drive leading to a touchdown for the Cowboys...who would have expected Tom Coughlin to have the guts to coordinate Eli Manning to lead a TD drive in 46 seconds?
All of those othe factors were key to the contest yesterday when the Giants took out the Cowboys. A 10-6 team defeated the NFC's number one seed. It's the first time since 1996 that an NFC's top seed has lost in the Divisiona Round since 1996.
By the way, the last time Dallas smelled victory in the postseason, Barry Switzer was the head coach as the team won the Super Bowl in 1996. Since the trumph against the Pitsburgh Steelers, the Cowboys have shown an ability to collapse and an 0-5 record in the process.
Either way, it's LUDICROUS to put the load of the loss on quarterback, Tony Romo. There were numerous dropped passes by the wide receiving core of Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and especially Patrick Crayton (one he could've taken the distance if he focused more on catching the ball rather than running with it).
The 'Boys hurt themseles with eleven penalties for 84-yards includin three on the potential game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.
One more astonishing moment was the play of the secondary afte the injury to Sam Madison forced him to miss the game and the injury to Aaron Ross sidelined him during the second half.
Ultimately, one would have to consider the Giants the better team; but New York faces an uphill challenge next week at Leaping Lambeau where the love of football is prevalent and historic; the weather is brutal and unforgiving; and the plaers are all young (with the exception of Mr. Favre). It's too cold or the Giants to win when the high temperature is scheduled to be eight degrees
Packers 17, Giants 10
Patriots and Chargers tommorrow...
All of those othe factors were key to the contest yesterday when the Giants took out the Cowboys. A 10-6 team defeated the NFC's number one seed. It's the first time since 1996 that an NFC's top seed has lost in the Divisiona Round since 1996.
By the way, the last time Dallas smelled victory in the postseason, Barry Switzer was the head coach as the team won the Super Bowl in 1996. Since the trumph against the Pitsburgh Steelers, the Cowboys have shown an ability to collapse and an 0-5 record in the process.
Either way, it's LUDICROUS to put the load of the loss on quarterback, Tony Romo. There were numerous dropped passes by the wide receiving core of Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and especially Patrick Crayton (one he could've taken the distance if he focused more on catching the ball rather than running with it).
The 'Boys hurt themseles with eleven penalties for 84-yards includin three on the potential game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.
One more astonishing moment was the play of the secondary afte the injury to Sam Madison forced him to miss the game and the injury to Aaron Ross sidelined him during the second half.
Ultimately, one would have to consider the Giants the better team; but New York faces an uphill challenge next week at Leaping Lambeau where the love of football is prevalent and historic; the weather is brutal and unforgiving; and the plaers are all young (with the exception of Mr. Favre). It's too cold or the Giants to win when the high temperature is scheduled to be eight degrees
Packers 17, Giants 10
Patriots and Chargers tommorrow...
Sunday, January 13, 2008
How predictable are the playoffs?
Take a magician like Harry Houdini and pose him as a caricature of himself on an actor such as Danny DeVito. It would be an interesting perspective, but you never know or can tell what's going to happen. It's almost as unpredictable (for me) as finding out that Ellen Page (the star from the movie Juno) is an actress from British Columbia and was never a Disney movie star with a show on Nickolodeon. She was in more sophisticated Canadian films including Hard Candy and American adventures, X-Men: The Last Stand.
But all adventure is out of the picture in the NFL playoffs for now as both favorites played it safe this time around and did what the squads needed to do...rather than pull tricks from their playbooks...to win the game.
In New England, Jacksonville came out raking.
the Jaguars pulled a baseball bat out of a hat and connected as quarterback David Garrard found former signal-caller at Arkansas, Matt Jones and it was seven nothing.
But in typical New England fashion...the Patriots struck back like Jedi. Tom Brady's arm threw the Jaguars defense out at the plate as the sixth rounder from the University of Michigan dwindled any hope of stopping the Pats on any possession. It started with a three-yard pass. This tied the game at seven.
Then the Pats squashed Garrard on the ensuing possession which led to a fumble and a recovery by New England set up near the end of the first quarter. The team would exploit the opportunity through starting fullback Kevin Faulk who nabbed 19 of the twenty nine yards on the drive...which culminated into a one yard touchdown run from Maroney. It was 14-7
Jacksonville would follow New England's response and pulled a snake out of the playbook. Beginning at the Jaguars 19 yard line, the Jags slithered 81 yards for the score...capped off with wide receiver Ernest Wilford catching the leather cowhide ball in the end zone. The battle went forward with the game squared at fourteen.
A 35 yard field-goal miss towards the end of the first half makes it 14-14 at halftime.
Since Jacksonville began the competition with the ball, the tricks were directed back to the Pats. This team came out majestically, orchestrating an 82 yard touchdown drive. Laurence Maroney carried the ball three times for twenty-nine yards on this drive...but the ball was slammed home by Brady on a Favreian toss to Wes Welker in the back of the end zone.
It appeared as if it didn't matter what animals the Jaguars created with their magic wands in the second half because the defense bent but didn't break. The southern squad drove down the field three times in the second half...accounting for two Josh Scobee field goals as the only scores in the last 30 minutes
The final score in Foxborough, Patriots 31 and Jaguars 20
The big killer for the Jags was not only their inability to stop New England's chances later in the ballgame...but it was the incompetency of Fred Taylor and Maurice-Jones Drew to stomp over teams the way the duo is accustomed to. The dynamic tandem had two consecutive poor performances in combining for 66 yards on 19 carries this week after gaining only 77 yards on 24 carries the week before against Pittsburgh
The question becomes...who takes the wrath of the punishment from the Pats next week; the Indianapolis Colts or the San Diego Chargers? The Colts provided a better matchup as Indy only lost by four points and now the team has Marvin Harrison back at Wide Receiver. The Bolts were blasted at Gillette Stadium in week two, 38-13. Although, this is a different squad than the one that initiated it's season 5-5, the squad has not defeated three opponents with a winning mark including an earlier matchup with the Colts
While cornerback Antonio Cromartie led the NFL in interceptions this season (with ten), he might be the x-factor in this game between the Chargers and Colts. Indy brings along a wide-receiving core the Chargers haven't seen since week two against the Patriots ( during week 10, Harrison was out with a knee injury) with Marvin Harrison (questionable) and Reggie Wayne at wide receiver, Joseph Addai Catching screen passes and with the potential for Anthony Gonzalez (foot) and Dallas Clark to combine for the rest of the yardage.
Even more importantly, if the Colts have more threats, then Peyton Manning will most likely complete the ball to the other team fewer times. In essence, it took six interceptions and a missed field goal at the end for the Chargers to win. Is it possible, San Diego might be in Manning's head?
I don't think that's the case. Colts 38, Chargers 31
The Seattle Seahawks looked like pigeons after the first quarter of yesterday's matchup with the Green Bay Packers. The running game was feeble, the defense was enigmatic and the team was desperate to find a crumb of hope in it's repertoire to earn a victory.
Pack running back, Ryan Grant, fumbled the ball twice leading to two touchdowns...one by former MVP Shaun Alexander and the other...a pass by pro-bowl play-caller, Matt Hasselbeck. It was 14-0, four minutes and one second in.
The turnaround began with Brett favre's determination and persistence as he led a 75 yard drive for a score.
After a forced punt,Grant avenged his ball-handling issues and accounted for 49 yards on the ground of the sixty-four total for the drive and a one-yard rumble into the end zone. The score was knotted at 14.
After a Seattle fumble at the beginning of the second quarter, the Packers recovered and Favre converted as he found Wide Receiver Greg Jennings for six.
The Seahawks tried responding but only added field goals the rest of the day as the Packers took down the hawks...in blizzard conditions...42-20.
If the Giants upset the Cowboys today and play at Lambeau Field next weekend the team will do it without Safety Sam Madison and possibly without the number one wide receiving services of Plaxico Burress. The two tried practicing this week but it was difficult for them to do so. As a matter of fact, Burress did not practice on Wednesday.
Dallas' offense will be too much without Sam madison considering Terrell Owens is a go for this weekends' matchup with the G-men. The receiving core is almost as dynamic as New England's...but not as deep. Marion barber will carry the Cowboys to an explosive lead and will hold on
Cowboys 45, Giants 31
Let the games begin!
But all adventure is out of the picture in the NFL playoffs for now as both favorites played it safe this time around and did what the squads needed to do...rather than pull tricks from their playbooks...to win the game.
In New England, Jacksonville came out raking.
the Jaguars pulled a baseball bat out of a hat and connected as quarterback David Garrard found former signal-caller at Arkansas, Matt Jones and it was seven nothing.
But in typical New England fashion...the Patriots struck back like Jedi. Tom Brady's arm threw the Jaguars defense out at the plate as the sixth rounder from the University of Michigan dwindled any hope of stopping the Pats on any possession. It started with a three-yard pass. This tied the game at seven.
Then the Pats squashed Garrard on the ensuing possession which led to a fumble and a recovery by New England set up near the end of the first quarter. The team would exploit the opportunity through starting fullback Kevin Faulk who nabbed 19 of the twenty nine yards on the drive...which culminated into a one yard touchdown run from Maroney. It was 14-7
Jacksonville would follow New England's response and pulled a snake out of the playbook. Beginning at the Jaguars 19 yard line, the Jags slithered 81 yards for the score...capped off with wide receiver Ernest Wilford catching the leather cowhide ball in the end zone. The battle went forward with the game squared at fourteen.
A 35 yard field-goal miss towards the end of the first half makes it 14-14 at halftime.
Since Jacksonville began the competition with the ball, the tricks were directed back to the Pats. This team came out majestically, orchestrating an 82 yard touchdown drive. Laurence Maroney carried the ball three times for twenty-nine yards on this drive...but the ball was slammed home by Brady on a Favreian toss to Wes Welker in the back of the end zone.
It appeared as if it didn't matter what animals the Jaguars created with their magic wands in the second half because the defense bent but didn't break. The southern squad drove down the field three times in the second half...accounting for two Josh Scobee field goals as the only scores in the last 30 minutes
The final score in Foxborough, Patriots 31 and Jaguars 20
The big killer for the Jags was not only their inability to stop New England's chances later in the ballgame...but it was the incompetency of Fred Taylor and Maurice-Jones Drew to stomp over teams the way the duo is accustomed to. The dynamic tandem had two consecutive poor performances in combining for 66 yards on 19 carries this week after gaining only 77 yards on 24 carries the week before against Pittsburgh
The question becomes...who takes the wrath of the punishment from the Pats next week; the Indianapolis Colts or the San Diego Chargers? The Colts provided a better matchup as Indy only lost by four points and now the team has Marvin Harrison back at Wide Receiver. The Bolts were blasted at Gillette Stadium in week two, 38-13. Although, this is a different squad than the one that initiated it's season 5-5, the squad has not defeated three opponents with a winning mark including an earlier matchup with the Colts
While cornerback Antonio Cromartie led the NFL in interceptions this season (with ten), he might be the x-factor in this game between the Chargers and Colts. Indy brings along a wide-receiving core the Chargers haven't seen since week two against the Patriots ( during week 10, Harrison was out with a knee injury) with Marvin Harrison (questionable) and Reggie Wayne at wide receiver, Joseph Addai Catching screen passes and with the potential for Anthony Gonzalez (foot) and Dallas Clark to combine for the rest of the yardage.
Even more importantly, if the Colts have more threats, then Peyton Manning will most likely complete the ball to the other team fewer times. In essence, it took six interceptions and a missed field goal at the end for the Chargers to win. Is it possible, San Diego might be in Manning's head?
I don't think that's the case. Colts 38, Chargers 31
The Seattle Seahawks looked like pigeons after the first quarter of yesterday's matchup with the Green Bay Packers. The running game was feeble, the defense was enigmatic and the team was desperate to find a crumb of hope in it's repertoire to earn a victory.
Pack running back, Ryan Grant, fumbled the ball twice leading to two touchdowns...one by former MVP Shaun Alexander and the other...a pass by pro-bowl play-caller, Matt Hasselbeck. It was 14-0, four minutes and one second in.
The turnaround began with Brett favre's determination and persistence as he led a 75 yard drive for a score.
After a forced punt,Grant avenged his ball-handling issues and accounted for 49 yards on the ground of the sixty-four total for the drive and a one-yard rumble into the end zone. The score was knotted at 14.
After a Seattle fumble at the beginning of the second quarter, the Packers recovered and Favre converted as he found Wide Receiver Greg Jennings for six.
The Seahawks tried responding but only added field goals the rest of the day as the Packers took down the hawks...in blizzard conditions...42-20.
If the Giants upset the Cowboys today and play at Lambeau Field next weekend the team will do it without Safety Sam Madison and possibly without the number one wide receiving services of Plaxico Burress. The two tried practicing this week but it was difficult for them to do so. As a matter of fact, Burress did not practice on Wednesday.
Dallas' offense will be too much without Sam madison considering Terrell Owens is a go for this weekends' matchup with the G-men. The receiving core is almost as dynamic as New England's...but not as deep. Marion barber will carry the Cowboys to an explosive lead and will hold on
Cowboys 45, Giants 31
Let the games begin!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Tennis Trickery...or Not!
The legend of McEnroe, Connors, and Courrier lived in the days of hard-hitting, sweat-filled, and intense tennis action At the time, you could also find Ivan Lendl, the early days of 12-time slam champion Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi when he either wore a toupee or he dressed his hair like a hippy. Those days were fabulously unpredictable with great matchups from top to bottom...with many upsets and people flocking to tyhe arenas and buildings for this burning passion for racquet sports.
What's the catch here; for the last four years, the world has been given an opportunity to watch some of the best tennis by an individual in the history of the world while the world's youth tries catching up to a Swiss Lambourgini. Unfortunately, the older mechanism adapts itself to the changes in it's environment and performs better than the newest of models out thre including Novak Djokovic, and Nikolai Davydenko.
Roger Federer is no surprise to be the men's number one seed entering the Aussie Open. It's even more shocking, though, that every seed determined at the end of the year has not changed for this tournament especially considering most have competed in one tournament by now. The top 32 seeds have been named. Either way, it would be assinine to believe anyone else but the worlds number one would be the favorite in this tournament to win everything.
The new plexicushion surface at the Open may not have rave reviews by Novak Djokovic, Jelena Jankovic, but it may provide Rafael Nadal a clear advantage like the one he enjoys at the French Open because of how slow the ball moves from one side of the court to the other. According to Jankovic and Djokovic...the thought was that te ball was going to be faster. As it turns out, the two players believe the opposite is true.
Even American competitor, Mardy Fish, had the same idea saying, "It's a little bt slow for me. The balls get really fluffy and it plays extremely slow. I am not a big fan."
STOP TRYING TO SLOW ROGER FEDERER'S PURSUIT OF PERFECTION and his glory to get to number one in all-time grand slam marks...let the Austrailian open be one of the hard court surfaces in the world and do not change the traditional surface there.
By the way, Justin-Henin wil win the Austrailian Open in spite of the court controversy with te changes in the surface. There is no woman out there who has come quite clos to knocking her out of a competition and I don't see why it could happen now.
What's the catch here; for the last four years, the world has been given an opportunity to watch some of the best tennis by an individual in the history of the world while the world's youth tries catching up to a Swiss Lambourgini. Unfortunately, the older mechanism adapts itself to the changes in it's environment and performs better than the newest of models out thre including Novak Djokovic, and Nikolai Davydenko.
Roger Federer is no surprise to be the men's number one seed entering the Aussie Open. It's even more shocking, though, that every seed determined at the end of the year has not changed for this tournament especially considering most have competed in one tournament by now. The top 32 seeds have been named. Either way, it would be assinine to believe anyone else but the worlds number one would be the favorite in this tournament to win everything.
The new plexicushion surface at the Open may not have rave reviews by Novak Djokovic, Jelena Jankovic, but it may provide Rafael Nadal a clear advantage like the one he enjoys at the French Open because of how slow the ball moves from one side of the court to the other. According to Jankovic and Djokovic...the thought was that te ball was going to be faster. As it turns out, the two players believe the opposite is true.
Even American competitor, Mardy Fish, had the same idea saying, "It's a little bt slow for me. The balls get really fluffy and it plays extremely slow. I am not a big fan."
STOP TRYING TO SLOW ROGER FEDERER'S PURSUIT OF PERFECTION and his glory to get to number one in all-time grand slam marks...let the Austrailian open be one of the hard court surfaces in the world and do not change the traditional surface there.
By the way, Justin-Henin wil win the Austrailian Open in spite of the court controversy with te changes in the surface. There is no woman out there who has come quite clos to knocking her out of a competition and I don't see why it could happen now.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
The Goose is Hall-bound
I was not alive when Rich "Goose" Gossage performed at an exceptional level and when he was relevant as the closer for the New York Yankees. As a fan for a long time, I've come to the conclusion that the ultimatum of being a fan is to remember the triumphs of the time and reflect on what was sweet and endearing about the people and the glory. What's extraordinarily impressive is finding out that the pinstripes were finally able to settle a situation in the bullpen that was long overdue; searching for a replacement to this man who saved more games than any Yankee.
It only took until 1996 to find the appropriate man for the job to finsh Yankee games in Mariano Rivera. Gossage saved 310 games...tossed more than 100 innings on five occasions and had 125 two inning saves during the regualr season which far outweighs the accomplishments of Mo who only has 11 to speak of.
With that said, Gossage deserved to be in Cooperstown and commemorated for his efforts during his career. He becomes the fifth reliever in baseball history to earn his maksmanship in baseball's main enshrinement.
The pitcher spent five seasons as a reliever with the White Sox, seven seasons with the pinstripes and four other with the San Diego Padres. His other stops included the Pirates, Cubs, Giants, Rangers, A's and Mariners during his 22 year career.
It only took until 1996 to find the appropriate man for the job to finsh Yankee games in Mariano Rivera. Gossage saved 310 games...tossed more than 100 innings on five occasions and had 125 two inning saves during the regualr season which far outweighs the accomplishments of Mo who only has 11 to speak of.
With that said, Gossage deserved to be in Cooperstown and commemorated for his efforts during his career. He becomes the fifth reliever in baseball history to earn his maksmanship in baseball's main enshrinement.
The pitcher spent five seasons as a reliever with the White Sox, seven seasons with the pinstripes and four other with the San Diego Padres. His other stops included the Pirates, Cubs, Giants, Rangers, A's and Mariners during his 22 year career.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Samuel and Roger Clemens
Mark Twain was a man whose destiny brought him from the Midwest to a fame he could never have imagined growing up as a writer. What he envisioned was a society full of realistic dreams, goals and expectations. In one of his most famous novels...Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the description of people is quite straight forward because it's what's expected from people living near the Mississippi River, in Missouri, at the time. Defiant racism and entrenched attitudes were prevalent; I would love to take a closer approach at the latter (because five states including Mississippi have banned slavery entirely and in sports the latter is more relevant in finding news).
When defining attitude, I mean the way people show themselves out to be. Each region should have a distinguishing feature about it that allows people to associate to his or her different environment...wherever he or she may go. Eventually, Huckleberry Finn joins the Grangerford family (a rival of the Sheperdsons). After a member of each of the rival families elopes, fighting ensues and there are only two survivors (similar to when many baseball players have been deemed guilty during the Mitchell investigation and Clemens was not named by Jason Grimsley)
There is still one person who remains partly blemished, like Huckleberry Finn, who has an opportunity to clear his name entirely in the public eye; Mr. "Rocket" Roger Clemens. He took that chance to deny using steroids on 60 Minutes and filed a lawsuit to at least show some interest on maintaining innocence.
Clemens began his career in the spotlight and may end it that way. The native of Houston won the College World Series for the University of Texas. Two seasons after his major league debut, he led the Red Sox to a world series birth...losing to the Mets in seven games. It was clear that year, he would be one of the great ones as he went 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA. His first world series ring was with the Yankees in 2000
This was just the summation of his career. If he was not injected with extra testosterone, everybody would consider him one of the most dominant pitchers of all-time. The flame-thrower is second in strikeouts with 4672...8th in wins with 354...amassing a 3.12 ERA and tied for 26th in shutouts with 46.
It's still odd that Brian McNamee, former trainer for the New York Mets and Yankees, listed Raja as one of the culpraits in the steroid investigation...claiming to have personally injected the future hall-of-famer with testosterone. The indication by Clemens was that the shots taken were of B-12 and lidocaine.
Whether he is guilty or not, Clemens' original attitude shows how futile the excuses are becoming because the public is sick and tired of all the potential cheaters and steroid allegations made against Major League players; the fans are accustomed to hearing a new name every day and people flock to the parks because the individuals want to see home runs. By the way, if McNamee gave many of the Yankees and Mets names up, where are other personal trainers from clubhouses who might know something?
According to McNamee's testimony, the personal trainer didn't want to give Clemens to Mitchell until Brian's hand was forced on whether to spend time in prison.
Either way, Clemens' lawyers are suing McNamee for defamation of character and indescribable humiliation in what he alleges to be an assassination of his pitching resume and his public image. According to ESPN, a countersuit will most likely be filed to show how Clemens destroyed the life of McNamee.
All in all, Clemens is playing every appropriate hand to suggest to the public he is innocent; however, if other trainers step up and try to eliminate steroid use, Clemens' career could be tainted for the good of Major League Baseball. All we know is what's being reported; but if Clemens was injected, he probably won't make the Hall-of-fame for a long time.
When defining attitude, I mean the way people show themselves out to be. Each region should have a distinguishing feature about it that allows people to associate to his or her different environment...wherever he or she may go. Eventually, Huckleberry Finn joins the Grangerford family (a rival of the Sheperdsons). After a member of each of the rival families elopes, fighting ensues and there are only two survivors (similar to when many baseball players have been deemed guilty during the Mitchell investigation and Clemens was not named by Jason Grimsley)
There is still one person who remains partly blemished, like Huckleberry Finn, who has an opportunity to clear his name entirely in the public eye; Mr. "Rocket" Roger Clemens. He took that chance to deny using steroids on 60 Minutes and filed a lawsuit to at least show some interest on maintaining innocence.
Clemens began his career in the spotlight and may end it that way. The native of Houston won the College World Series for the University of Texas. Two seasons after his major league debut, he led the Red Sox to a world series birth...losing to the Mets in seven games. It was clear that year, he would be one of the great ones as he went 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA. His first world series ring was with the Yankees in 2000
This was just the summation of his career. If he was not injected with extra testosterone, everybody would consider him one of the most dominant pitchers of all-time. The flame-thrower is second in strikeouts with 4672...8th in wins with 354...amassing a 3.12 ERA and tied for 26th in shutouts with 46.
It's still odd that Brian McNamee, former trainer for the New York Mets and Yankees, listed Raja as one of the culpraits in the steroid investigation...claiming to have personally injected the future hall-of-famer with testosterone. The indication by Clemens was that the shots taken were of B-12 and lidocaine.
Whether he is guilty or not, Clemens' original attitude shows how futile the excuses are becoming because the public is sick and tired of all the potential cheaters and steroid allegations made against Major League players; the fans are accustomed to hearing a new name every day and people flock to the parks because the individuals want to see home runs. By the way, if McNamee gave many of the Yankees and Mets names up, where are other personal trainers from clubhouses who might know something?
According to McNamee's testimony, the personal trainer didn't want to give Clemens to Mitchell until Brian's hand was forced on whether to spend time in prison.
Either way, Clemens' lawyers are suing McNamee for defamation of character and indescribable humiliation in what he alleges to be an assassination of his pitching resume and his public image. According to ESPN, a countersuit will most likely be filed to show how Clemens destroyed the life of McNamee.
All in all, Clemens is playing every appropriate hand to suggest to the public he is innocent; however, if other trainers step up and try to eliminate steroid use, Clemens' career could be tainted for the good of Major League Baseball. All we know is what's being reported; but if Clemens was injected, he probably won't make the Hall-of-fame for a long time.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Bowl Games
The Coach of the Year in the Big-12 and the country should be headman Mark Mangino. After all, the crusading Jayhawks had their record go from a mediocre six-and-six, to a national title contending 12-1 after a victory last night over a hungry and angry Virginia Tech team.
The Hokies squad...which returned a punt for a touchdown and whose defense play their tails off in an effort to supress Kansas from a coveted one-point three million bucks, fell short. We congratul;ate VA Tech for it's recovery after the worst murder by a single person (on the Blacksburg campus) in U.S. history
In light of the events...lets have a lucid idea about how Todd Reesing played...he managed the game well enough for his team to come out on top. Reesing was 20/37 for 227 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the air and one score running the ball. The key to last night's affair, however, was the Jayhawk defense. The team intercepted Sean Glennon twice and caused the Hokies problems moving the ball all night. Here's another idea: ten offensive starters return from a team that set all kinds of offensive marks for any K-U team.
From what happened last night, it's clear that Todd Reesing should have been mentioned in the same conversation as Chase Daniel, Tim Tebow, and Colt Brennan...but the Heisman Committee can only select a certain number of people anyway. The choice was to leave Colt Brennan and Todd Reesing off the Heisman balloit and allow the producers on big-name programs to compete for the honor (with the exception of Brennan).
After watching some of the matchup last night...it begs to question whether Missouri really belonged there over Kansas.
Some of the critics indicated the second team from the Big-12 should have been Missouri. I'm not sure the Tigers would have done anything against Virginia Tech because of the lack of defense Missouri has shown throughout the season until Arkansas (23.2 PPG). This is represented best by the 41 and 38 points surrendered to Oklahoma in two losses, 34 squandered versus Illinois, and 32 against Kansas State.
Ultimately...if the BCS system is kept, the statute of limitations needs to change because the best teams were not entirely represented in the games. why not go with the top 10 teams in the rankings and forget about traditional Rose Bowl matchups between the Pac-10 and Big-Ten Conferences. Is Juice Williams a better quarterback than Chase Daniel (even if he had a poor performance)? Is Rashard Mendenhall more qualified of a running back than Tony Temple?
Either way, the top ten squads should make it to a BCS game and no one else should sniff an opportunity...it's then up to the bowl committees to decide which teams battle it out.
The Hokies squad...which returned a punt for a touchdown and whose defense play their tails off in an effort to supress Kansas from a coveted one-point three million bucks, fell short. We congratul;ate VA Tech for it's recovery after the worst murder by a single person (on the Blacksburg campus) in U.S. history
In light of the events...lets have a lucid idea about how Todd Reesing played...he managed the game well enough for his team to come out on top. Reesing was 20/37 for 227 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the air and one score running the ball. The key to last night's affair, however, was the Jayhawk defense. The team intercepted Sean Glennon twice and caused the Hokies problems moving the ball all night. Here's another idea: ten offensive starters return from a team that set all kinds of offensive marks for any K-U team.
From what happened last night, it's clear that Todd Reesing should have been mentioned in the same conversation as Chase Daniel, Tim Tebow, and Colt Brennan...but the Heisman Committee can only select a certain number of people anyway. The choice was to leave Colt Brennan and Todd Reesing off the Heisman balloit and allow the producers on big-name programs to compete for the honor (with the exception of Brennan).
After watching some of the matchup last night...it begs to question whether Missouri really belonged there over Kansas.
Some of the critics indicated the second team from the Big-12 should have been Missouri. I'm not sure the Tigers would have done anything against Virginia Tech because of the lack of defense Missouri has shown throughout the season until Arkansas (23.2 PPG). This is represented best by the 41 and 38 points surrendered to Oklahoma in two losses, 34 squandered versus Illinois, and 32 against Kansas State.
Ultimately...if the BCS system is kept, the statute of limitations needs to change because the best teams were not entirely represented in the games. why not go with the top 10 teams in the rankings and forget about traditional Rose Bowl matchups between the Pac-10 and Big-Ten Conferences. Is Juice Williams a better quarterback than Chase Daniel (even if he had a poor performance)? Is Rashard Mendenhall more qualified of a running back than Tony Temple?
Either way, the top ten squads should make it to a BCS game and no one else should sniff an opportunity...it's then up to the bowl committees to decide which teams battle it out.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Bowl Fiasco
This is not one of my favorite times of the year, with the exception that I am off for a month. Let's be clear about something; while fans are attracted to the idea and the idiosyncracy of the bowl season, it is terrible to see teams like the Cal Golden Bears have an opportunity at 6-6 to revamp their season and compete in any bowl after finishing 1-6 (despite beating Air Force).
At one point, wasn't their a standard of excellence necessary to earn a spot for a coveted bowl. For one, I cannot remember a time when a three-loss team, such as the Illinois squad, competed for the Rose Bowl and was ranked number 13. How about the moment a squad such as the University of Florida was as highly ranked as number nine in the BCS when there were two loss teams better than the one the Gators posed. Too much Tim Tebow hyping and not enough of a magnifying glass was placed on Tigers on the prowl (who spanked Darren McFadden and the Razorbacks).
How about earning a bowl bid period. There used to be a method of determining how 6-6 clubs did not make any ground and were left out of all bowls. Should six and six clubs...such as Colorado and Alabama be rewarded for a postseason when the two clubs never experienced excellent results this year?
There was a point where the new chairman of the BCS declared that as soon as the current contract with the BCS was finished in 2011, there was a possibility to re-consider all the options of having a plus-one system or a playoff format. Hey, Illinois is going to wind up in the bottom half of the top twenty-five with four regular season losses. I recall the way running back Rashard Mendenhall was cruising up and down the field against the Syracuse Orange and how Juice Williams squeezed the life out of S-U...but here's the problem...the team was defeated by Missouri on the road and upset Ohio State in Columbus. Since the rules for the BCS system state no more than two teams can represent the ten available spots for the bowl games, it was down to a select few for the Rose Bowl
The rule automatically eliminated the University of Florida because Georgia and LSU were there from the SEC. Missouri was stricken from the competition as a result of the conquests made by Kansas and Oklahoma in the Big12 (in which leaving Missouri out appeared to be egregious).
College football's bowl committee was left with an inopportune and brutal decision; put Illinois in a traditionally renowned Pac-10 versus Big-Ten matchup in the Rose Bowl or go with another club (possibly Boston College or Clemson) at numbers 14 and 15 respectively?
The rule is bogus...but if one goes by the standards set by the committee, then Illinois (by default) would be the team that poses the greatest challenge to USC's Rose Bowl hopes...in spite of what happened
All in all, scrap the bowl system...it stinks...it puts colleges on a pedestal that they won't be able to attain...and rewards medocrity. Do you think players USC, Miami or LSU would devote themselves 100 percent to a bowl which one of those teams was 6-6 and the opponent was as well?
At one point, wasn't their a standard of excellence necessary to earn a spot for a coveted bowl. For one, I cannot remember a time when a three-loss team, such as the Illinois squad, competed for the Rose Bowl and was ranked number 13. How about the moment a squad such as the University of Florida was as highly ranked as number nine in the BCS when there were two loss teams better than the one the Gators posed. Too much Tim Tebow hyping and not enough of a magnifying glass was placed on Tigers on the prowl (who spanked Darren McFadden and the Razorbacks).
How about earning a bowl bid period. There used to be a method of determining how 6-6 clubs did not make any ground and were left out of all bowls. Should six and six clubs...such as Colorado and Alabama be rewarded for a postseason when the two clubs never experienced excellent results this year?
There was a point where the new chairman of the BCS declared that as soon as the current contract with the BCS was finished in 2011, there was a possibility to re-consider all the options of having a plus-one system or a playoff format. Hey, Illinois is going to wind up in the bottom half of the top twenty-five with four regular season losses. I recall the way running back Rashard Mendenhall was cruising up and down the field against the Syracuse Orange and how Juice Williams squeezed the life out of S-U...but here's the problem...the team was defeated by Missouri on the road and upset Ohio State in Columbus. Since the rules for the BCS system state no more than two teams can represent the ten available spots for the bowl games, it was down to a select few for the Rose Bowl
The rule automatically eliminated the University of Florida because Georgia and LSU were there from the SEC. Missouri was stricken from the competition as a result of the conquests made by Kansas and Oklahoma in the Big12 (in which leaving Missouri out appeared to be egregious).
College football's bowl committee was left with an inopportune and brutal decision; put Illinois in a traditionally renowned Pac-10 versus Big-Ten matchup in the Rose Bowl or go with another club (possibly Boston College or Clemson) at numbers 14 and 15 respectively?
The rule is bogus...but if one goes by the standards set by the committee, then Illinois (by default) would be the team that poses the greatest challenge to USC's Rose Bowl hopes...in spite of what happened
All in all, scrap the bowl system...it stinks...it puts colleges on a pedestal that they won't be able to attain...and rewards medocrity. Do you think players USC, Miami or LSU would devote themselves 100 percent to a bowl which one of those teams was 6-6 and the opponent was as well?
AFC playoffs
Now that we have discussed the NFC playoff race and possible divisional round previews, lets go further into the AFC hunt. The two divisional matchups in the opening weekend. They include the Tennessee Titans traveling to the West Coast to take on the San Diego Chargers while an exact re-match occurs between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Pittsburgh Steelers from Heinz Field.
Tennessee At San Diego
These two teams squared off during week 14. In that game, played in Nashville, the Chargers trailed 17-3 before making up ground to tie the game in regulation and finish the comeback in overtime. LaDainian Tomlinson had two touchdown runs of 6 and 17 yards for the Bolts and finished with 147 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, quarterback Philip Rivers tossed for 228 yards and two scores...but also two interceptions.
This time around, however, it will be a home game for the Chargers and I fully expect the League's leading rusher to have a field day. Tennessee's defense will not be able to hold down the San Diego offense in spite of an anticipated average performance out of Philip Rivers.
There are question marks about the Titans quarterback situation whether Vince Young is healthy enough to take the field after suffering a quad injury. If Kerry Collins starts the game, it'll be the first time he's entered the postseason since his Super Bowl run with the Giants in 2000...succumbing to eventual Super Bowl Champion...the Baltimore Ravens. With this in mind and the lack of faith I have in LenDale White continuing to have a monster of a season, the Chargers will snap a streak of losing three consecutive years in the first round the team plays in.
The count is San Diego 31, Tennessee 17
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh
The first matchup between the two was late in the season and Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker was playing. He is now on injured reserve which should indicate the Jaguars are going to handle less of a load from whichever runner comes at the defense. In week 15, Parker rushed for 100 yards on 14 carries but quarterback Ben Rothelisberger only gained 142 yards through the air.
Jacksonville also had a slate of athletes who performed well that week. Starting running back Fred Taylor ran 25 times for 147 yards and a touchdown while second year back out of UCLA, Maurice-Jones Drew pounded the Heinz Field surface for 69 yards on twelve attempts.
In spite of all these statistics, the outcome (a Jags victory over Pittsburgh in week 14) and the injury to the Steel City's Willie Parker, Jacksonville has not won a playoff game since 1998. This cast of characters is almost the same group (except for Jones-Drew) as the one that got smashed in New England. The team is identical because that squad had no running game and a bunch of good but not great receivers. Pittsburgh has a similar construct as the Pats and while the offense for Jacksonville has been prodigent this year, the Steelers will squeak out a victory led by Big Ben, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and most importantly...Najeh Davenport (the former Green bay Packer) will relive his playoff destiny and rush for 100 yards.
Pittsburgh 21, Jacksonville 20
Tennessee At San Diego
These two teams squared off during week 14. In that game, played in Nashville, the Chargers trailed 17-3 before making up ground to tie the game in regulation and finish the comeback in overtime. LaDainian Tomlinson had two touchdown runs of 6 and 17 yards for the Bolts and finished with 147 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, quarterback Philip Rivers tossed for 228 yards and two scores...but also two interceptions.
This time around, however, it will be a home game for the Chargers and I fully expect the League's leading rusher to have a field day. Tennessee's defense will not be able to hold down the San Diego offense in spite of an anticipated average performance out of Philip Rivers.
There are question marks about the Titans quarterback situation whether Vince Young is healthy enough to take the field after suffering a quad injury. If Kerry Collins starts the game, it'll be the first time he's entered the postseason since his Super Bowl run with the Giants in 2000...succumbing to eventual Super Bowl Champion...the Baltimore Ravens. With this in mind and the lack of faith I have in LenDale White continuing to have a monster of a season, the Chargers will snap a streak of losing three consecutive years in the first round the team plays in.
The count is San Diego 31, Tennessee 17
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh
The first matchup between the two was late in the season and Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker was playing. He is now on injured reserve which should indicate the Jaguars are going to handle less of a load from whichever runner comes at the defense. In week 15, Parker rushed for 100 yards on 14 carries but quarterback Ben Rothelisberger only gained 142 yards through the air.
Jacksonville also had a slate of athletes who performed well that week. Starting running back Fred Taylor ran 25 times for 147 yards and a touchdown while second year back out of UCLA, Maurice-Jones Drew pounded the Heinz Field surface for 69 yards on twelve attempts.
In spite of all these statistics, the outcome (a Jags victory over Pittsburgh in week 14) and the injury to the Steel City's Willie Parker, Jacksonville has not won a playoff game since 1998. This cast of characters is almost the same group (except for Jones-Drew) as the one that got smashed in New England. The team is identical because that squad had no running game and a bunch of good but not great receivers. Pittsburgh has a similar construct as the Pats and while the offense for Jacksonville has been prodigent this year, the Steelers will squeak out a victory led by Big Ben, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and most importantly...Najeh Davenport (the former Green bay Packer) will relive his playoff destiny and rush for 100 yards.
Pittsburgh 21, Jacksonville 20
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