Extra Point Football

WE'VE MOVED!

2009-10-26T23:04:00.002-04:00

We are happy to announce that we are all grown up now and have moved to the Bloguin Network. This is a real privilege for us and we are certain that you will get much more enjoyment and use out of the site. You can read all about our move HERE.

Our new home will be http://www.xtrapointfootball.com/. Hope to see you there!

P.S. Our baseball site has moved as well. The new URL is http://www.athbaseball.com/

TRICK or TREAT?

2009-10-21T13:16:00.000-04:00

Guys, this will be our last post on this site. We are happy to announce that we are all grown up now and have moved to the Bloguin Network. This is a real privilege for us and we are certain that you will get much more enjoyment and use out of the site. You can read all about our move HERE.

Our new home will be http://www.xtrapointfootball.com/. Hope to see you there!

P.S. Our basebal site has moved as well. The new URL is http://www.athbaseball.com/

With Halloween upon us the theme for football fans is clearly trick or treat. As a kid, one of my most traumatic experiences was knocking on the door of someone's house and saying "Trick or Treat..." and having the guy who answered the door yell "TRICK!" and slam the door in my face.

Before we get started though, we need to award this year's Xtra Point Football best football fan costume. Congrats to Green Bay Packers "St. Vince." He seems to be in the running every year, but this year we've given it to him. Ok, on to the Halloween festivities.

After six weeks we have some surprises in the NFL. Some of you fans have been treated by your team while some of you have been tricked. Let's go by conference and division and see if your team has been giving out good candy:

NFC East

Giants (5-1) - Treat! About what you expected. They had a little hiccup last week, but nothing they can't correct.

Eagles (3-2) - Trick! They lost to the Raiders. That could come back to bite them.

Cowboys (3-2) - Trick! They have become way too comfortable in their new locker room. Too much talent being wasted here.

Redskins (2-4) - Trick! The blame is on Zorn but it all starts with the front office. It's amazing they can create the 2nd wealthiest franchise (behind the cowboys) running the team this way.

NFC North

Vikings (6-0) - Treat! We thought they would win the division, but we didn't think they would start off 6-0. Brett Favre has actually played well and he's brought them down the field in crunch time when he's needed to.

Packers (3-2) - Trick! Keep the ambulance close by because the offensive line is going to get Aaron Rodgers hurt.

Bears (3-2) - Trick! Lots of fanfare getting Jay Cutler, but Kyle Orton the QB they let go is 6-0!

Lions (1-5) - Not home, we have to come back. They do have one win already though...

NFC South

Saints (5-0) - Treat! Their candy clearly has the most caffeine in it. What an offense. Like the early 80's Chargers!

Falcons (4-1) - Treat! No sophomore jinx for Matty Ice. He's a bringht kid. A playoff team here, no doubt.

Panthers (2-3) - Trick! Jake Delhome is on the take. He's giving the other team the game plan. Gotta be. No other explanation. Mark Sanchez threw FIVE interceptions in one game last wek and still couldn't surpass him for having the dubious distinction of having the league lead in INT's.

Buccaneers (0-6) - Trick! I don't care how low the expectations were or how unstable the QB position is. In the NFL if you are 0-6 your fans have been tricked.

NFC West

49ers (3-2) - Treat! Singletary has them playing well. Without a a fluke loss to the Vikings and an injury to Frank Gore they would probably be 5-0. They have a legit shot at the playoffs. One of the surprise teams in my mind.

Cardinals (3-2) - Not home, have to come back. I know many didn't expect a lot just because they made a good run last year, but I did. We'll revisit them in a few weeks and see where they stand. Their season can still go either way.

Seahawks (2-4) - Trick! Mostly because I hate those green uniforms. I wish they would switch back to those old AFC ones that from the Steve Largent era with the grey helmets. They are better than those fluorescent ones they wore a few weeks ago though. Ugh. They are too flakey and their fans never know what team will show up. This division is up for grabs and they aren't doing much in the way of fighting for it.

Rams (0-6) - Trick! Again, low expectations do not have to mean an 0'fer. The Bucs will get a win at some point but I'm not sure the Rams will. They may be the Lions of 2009. They have already lost their last 16 games.

AFC

AFC East

Patriots (4-2) - Treat! Any real concerns have been answered. "What's wrong with Brady, what's wrong with Brady?" Five touchdowns in one quarter now shut up!

Jets (3-3) - Trick! What a tease. I bit less talking by the coach and some defensive players and a bit more paying attention to what you are doing on the field may help here guys. How about stopping the run and maybe getting a sack or something? Sanchez did complete 10 passes to his team and only 5 to the other team last week, so there is promise. The loss of Kris Jenkins may hurt more than anything else. If they turn it around here, they will be fine. Lose to the Raiders this week and the rest of the season will be a disaster.

Dolphins (2-3) - Treat! Chad Pennington was actually a good manage the game QB for them and the loss hurts, but they may have found something in Chad Henne. And the Wild Cat is no gimmick with the personnel they have. They get their best two players Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams on the field at the same time. How can that be a bad thing? Their defense may do them in though. They should have one the Colts game. If your offense keeps the ball for ¾ of the game, you are supposed to win the game.

Buffalo (2-4) - Trick! Sure they beat the Jets last week for a nice division win, but that's starting to not look like much of an accomplishment as the Jets are on the verge of collapse. Dick Juron sure makes some odd in game decisions.

Bengals (4-2) - Treat! Carson Palmer is back. Without the fluke play in week one, they would be 5-1. And nice job by Chad Eight-Five by buying the extra 1,600 tickets so the game didn't get blocked out on TV in Cincinnati this past week. Maybe the guy is growing up.

Steelers (4-2) - Not home, we have to come back. I guess it all comes down to if Troy Polamalu can stay on the field or not. They are clearly a different team without him. Perhaps the biggest single impact guy to their team in the league not named Peyton Manning. Ben Roethlisberger is not the best at anything but just knows how to win. Reminds me of Derek Jeter.

Ravens (3-3) -Trick! Joe Flacco and Ray Rice are doing their part. It's time for Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and the rest of the "D" to hold up their end of the bargain. And Ray, enough complaining about the referees (even though you are right) because no one wants to hear it. And you should lucky that shot to the head on Chad Eighty-Five should cost you a suspension, not just s fine. You could have really hurt the guy. Remember Darryl Stingley?

Browns (1-5) - Trick! Ha, ha , ha.... What a joke. That Eric Mangidiot is something else isn't he?

AFC South

Colts (6-0) - Treat! Peyton Manning had the ball for less than 15 minutes in the game against the Dolphins and he pulled it out. Enough said.

Jaguars (3-3) Trick! Have to be disappointed with the poor start. Expected a lot more from them. They can still get a Wild Card spot though. Del Rio is a good coach though and can certainly turn them around. It's still early.

Texans (3-3) - Not home, we have to come back. Not sure how to read this team yet, I think their fans are confused too. They should be able to put up consistent points so they have a shot to make a run.

Titans (0-6) - TRICK IT'S A TRICK! RUN, IT'S A TRICK! MY god, RIP. What the hell happened here? How the might have fallen..., they were 14-2 last year! Fisher must be sick. He's a great coach and this has to be killing him. Anyone calling for his head is a moron. I would guess they have to start playing Vince Young here at some point just as a matter of principle to see what they have don't you think?

AFC West

Broncos (6-0) - Treat! Pat Bowlen got it right hiring a young Mike Shanahan, maybe he got it right with Josh McDaniels too? Knowshon Moreno is doing well and you can't say enough about Kyle Orton's performance. They were the laughing stock of the NFL with their off season circus of moves and non moves, but look who's laughing now....

Chargers (2-3) - Trick! How many times does Norv Turner have to trick us? And I don't care what anyone says, Ladainian Tomlinson will never be the same player he was, those days are over. They will probably make the playoffs again; they have too much talent not to. But Norv will find a way to screw that up. Love Philip Rivers though, he's a fighter. Have enough guys like that on your team and you will win. He can play for my team any day.

Raiders (2-4) - Trick! The defense they put out there is actually not that bad? If Jamarcus Russell can't learn to read a defense soon those, they are going to have to make a switch. He's certainly got the physical tools. Hey, I'm not calling the guy a dope or anything, playing QB in the NFL may be the toughest thing to do in all of sports? There have been many great athletes that couldn't play in the league, he wouldn't be the first. But he's got to show some improvement soon; it's time.

Chiefs (1-5) - Trick! This is a turn-around story so expectations couldn't be that high. But you have to be disappointed if your team only has one win in six weeks. After all, it is the NFL and everyone is playing for a paycheck. They have a great management team in their now and they are headed in the right direction. Matt Cassel should be there for a few years and have some success over time.

Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around the Horn Baseball Bog and Xtra Point Football Blog.
Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

No Respect!

2009-10-20T15:56:00.000-04:00

Why is it that Kyle Orton gets absolutely no credit for being a good NFL QB? In fact, not only doesn't he get credit for being a good QB, he's frowned upon and looked at as a stop gap until a good one comes along.

The Denver Broncos were the laughing stock of the NFL this off season when they let Jay Cutler go to the Bears and received Orton back as part of the compensation. They were the laughing stock again as they new coach Josh McDaniels lobbied publicly for and failed to get New England QB Matt Cassel who ultimately was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.

When Orton was a Chicago Bear they couldn't wait to get rid of him. In 2005 as a rookie Rex Grossman (the predetermined starter going into the year) was hurt in preseason and Orton played the first 15 games. Orton was 10-5 as a starter and when Grossman was healthy they placed him as the starter in game 16, throughout the playoffs and for the Superbowl.

The coaching staff asked Orton to minimize mistakes and to let the rushing attack and the defense win ballgames rather than employing an aggressive passing attack. Measuring Orton by victories, his rookie season was a successful one even by historical standards. Orton's 15 starts and 10 victories are both rookie records for Bears quarterbacks, and the 10 victories are the third most in the NFL since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, behind only Ben Roethlisberger's 14 victories in 2004, and 11 victories by Joe Flacco last year.

Following the 2005 season, the Bears signed veteran Brian Griese as the team's second string quarterback. Orton, now demoted, became the Bears' third-string quarterback, and did not see any playtime throughout the entire 2006 season.

In 2007 the Bears played merry-go-round with their QB's. Grossman. Greise, Orton.... In 2008 more of the same, Grossman, Orton.

So now he's in Denver. Orton has led the Broncos who were the laughing stock of the league no more than seven weeks ago to a 6-0 start. Kyle Orton, is not pretty. True, he doesn't groom himself and could use a shave, but that's not what I mean. He doesn't put up flashy stats and isn't charismatic. He simply manages the game, and manages the game well.

He manages the game so well in fact he has the 3rd highest winning percentage behind all active QB's with more than 2 full years of game starts.

My apologies if your favorite QB isn't on the list but let's take a look at the QB's that are generally regarded as the best QB's in the NFL and where they rank.

No one wants the guy. Josh McDaniels didn't want him, Lovie Smith didn't want him, the fans in Chicago definitely didn't want him, the pundits in the TV and print media didn't want him.... I don't even know if his mother wanted him? The guy is always the fall-back position. Grossman doesn't work out... ok try Orton. Greise doesn't work out... ok try Orton, Cassel doesn't work out... ok, try Orton.

All I know is the guy wins. I'm a life-long Jets fan and my guy threw five picks last week. FIVE! If Orton was my QB we'd be 5-1 right now and not 3-3. And there are at ten teams at a minimum that would be better off if Orton were their QB too. Count'em. - Mike Cardano Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around the Horn Baseball Blog and the Extra Point Football Blog.
Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

NFL Week 6 Final

2009-10-20T09:10:00.000-04:00

Sunday's games ran the gamut from two shutouts to two shoot-outs. Let's go around the country for a quick wrap up and commentary.

Patriots beat the Titans 59-0: The return of Junior Seau.... What's Jeff Fisher to do, conduct a human sacrifice to scare his team into performing? Brady threw for six TDs in snow and slush and an undrafted rookie played the bulk of the second half at QB to blunt the shots that Belichick was piling on.

Buffalo Bills beat the Jets in OT 16-13: Ryan's defense wasn't bullied like last week but then again, the offense disappeared and special teams failed him. Sanchez threw five INTs, a botched snap in OT doomed a FG, stupid penalties made it worse and Thomas Jones romped for a Jets record well over 200 yards in a wasted effort. Different coach, different players, same old Jets.

Raiders beat the Eagles 13-9: Yes you read that right. McNabb was shut out while JaMarcus Russell hit Zach Miller for an 86 yd. score. Camera shots of Al Davis with blanket on his lap in his special chair are just plain sad; or mean depending on your view. With nothing working why didn't Philly use the Wildcat?

Arizona Cardinals beat the Seahawks 24-3: Seattle got punched in the mouth early in the first quarter and never recovered. It couldn't get on the field until 11 minutes had ticked off the clock. Hasselbeck got manhandled with five sacks and Kurt Warner became fastest to throw for career 30,000 yards.

Carolina Panthers beat the Buccaneers 28-21: The Bucs keep getting closer to a win but are now losing to other bad teams. Jake Delhomme remained upright by handing off the ball to Williams and Stewart for 257 yards. Even two INTs that gave the Bucs two scores couldn't spoil the Panthers' day.

Falcons beat the Bears 21-14: Bears @ Falcons was the Sunday Night game. Not a pretty game but one in which red zone mistakes cost the Bears a win. Here's a hint of what it was like: Jay Cutler ran for more yards than any RB on either team. A game that appeared even on paper and was played out that way. A defensive pass interference penalty had the Bears at the Atlanta 14 with 1:07 left but they couldn't convert. The battle of the Smiths had Mike defeating Lovey. See these two meet again in the playoffs.

Kansas City beats the Redskins 14-6: Todd Haley got his first win as head coach and after the game SI's Peter King reported that the Redskins stripped Coach Jim Zorn of his play calling duties. Well that should take care of it, right? Despite benching Jason Campbell, Washington couldn't score a TD.

Saints beat the NY Giants 48-27: Were Giants exposed or was it just one of those weeks? Hard to tell since the Saints never seemed to be doing anything other than scoring one way or another. Brandon Jacobs had only 33 yards. Not sure if that is the start of a problem that is arising or just a symptom of the game getting away? Drew Brees gets back on track as he throws for four TDs.

Pittsburgh beats the Browns 27-14: Steelers continue dominance over the Brown but Big Ben thinks team offense wasn't as good as he thought it would be. Browns highlights: QB completed 9 passes! Oh, and Joshua Cribbs 98 yard kickoff return for a TD.

Jacksonville beats the Rams in OT 23-20: Jones-Drew goes off for three TDs but Rams made it more than interesting. St. Louis remains winless and Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo looked liked a beaten dog in post-game interview. Rams extend the NFL's longest losing streak to 16 games.

Minnesota beats the Ravens 33-31: But for a last-second missed FG the Ravens would have stolen the magic out from under Favre and the Vikings. Adrian Peterson finally cracked the 100 yd. rushing mark, and Ray Rice ran caught for a monster fantasy game. Flacco held his own but Favre is on a mission. Neither team's vaunted defense could hold the other.

Houston beat the Bengals 28-17: Matt Schaub made his fantasy owners happy with four TDs and there was no winning final drive this week for Cincinnati. Chad Eight-Five had a great day but Andre Johnson, held without a TD had 135 yards receiving.

Green Bay beat the Lions 26-0: Two shutouts in one day for the NFL. Not good. Aaron Rodgers still got clobbered with five sacks (does his O-line dislike him?) but threw for 2 TDs and 350 yards. Detroit looked awful and lost another QB as Culpepper pulled a hamstring.

Broncos beat the Chargers Broncos 34-23: The Broncos were on Monday Night Football for the 18th straight season, which is the longest active streak in the NFL (mention that one at the water cooler today for 2 points.) The Chargers were able to convert on just 2 of 11 third-down opportunities. Denver's defense swarmed Philip Rivers, and three of its five sacks came on third down. Kyle Orton just moves the chains.

Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around the Horn Baseball Blog and the Extra Point Football Blog. Mike is also the founder of the fantasy sports games Ultimate Franchise BaseballTM and Ultimate Franchise FootballTM.
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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Why does management hate Kellen Clemens?

2009-10-19T23:32:00.000-04:00

What did Kellen Clemens do that was so bad that the Jets constantly go out of their way to make certain that he does not play?

It begs the question, if what he did was that bad, why is he still on the team? Are they punishing him by banishing him to the bench?

Did Clemens rape a member of the Johnson family or something? By the lengths they are taking to keep him OFF the field you might think so. (Ok, maybe not rape, but possibly a gentle molestation.)

Clemens' base salary this year is $535,000 ($937,500) if you include his prorated 1.6 million dollar signing bonus he got with his July 28, 2006 contract. His 1.6 million was spread over 4 years in addition to his salary of $275,000 (2006), $360,000 (2007), $445,000 (2008) and $535,000 (2009).

Clemens was the Jets 2nd round pick in 2006, the 49th player picked in the draft. He had a pretty decent career at Oregon. If he was at a college that gets more PR he would have been a pretty high profile guy.

When Chad Pennington got hurt in 2007 Clemens started 8 games. The Jets went 3-5 under Clemens and he was serviceable. Nothing that would catapult him into being THE GUY but no worse that many QB's have in their 1st 8 games. In fact, batter than many who became great QB's.

He lost out to Pennington in 2006, he lost out to Pennington again in 2007, he lost out to Brett Favre in 2008 (not much of a fair fight there, but he was about to lose out to Pennington again anyway), and he lost out to 1st Round pick rookie Mark Sanchez in 2009.

Yesterday, the NY Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez in his 6th professional career game (he only played 16 college games) faded back to pass 29 times and connected on 15 of them. 10 times the ball went the Jets, 5 times it went to the Bills, and the other 19 times the ball hit the ground with no one catching hit (which I guess should be considered a positive compared to the 5 interceptions.)

I don't care who you are. You could be Joseph Willie Namath. You could be Peyton Manning, a rookie, a veteran it doesn't matter. At some point, after 3 interceptions, 4 interceptions, 5 interceptions, ....... there has to be a unanimous consensus between the 80,000 people in the stands, the millions watching on TV, the offensive coordinator, the head coach, the team owner, the QB's mother an anyone who is even heard second hand what is going on that it's not your day and you have to come out of the game and the back-up has to go it.

After Sanchez threw 4 interceptions did they think that Clemens would throw 2 more and Sanchez would only throw 1 more so the lesser of two evils was to leave Sanchez in? If you didn't put the back-up guy in on a day like yesterday, exactly when would you do it? The Jets would have received a $535,000 Salary Cap Savings if they just cut him this year. Instead, they have a kid QB that desperately needs to sit, relax, watch and learn for a bit and a back-up who apparently, the coach can't or won't play.

A buddy of mine in our office has Rex Ryan's cell phone number. He left the following message during 4th quarter of the game.

"Rex, you are paying the guy $937,500 this year! He's standing there with a baseball cap on freezing his ass off! Put him in the game and let's see what he can do, the other guy doesn't have it today! It doesn't mean that you are calling him the starter. It doesn't mean that you are creating a QB controversy; you have to try to win the game!"

Whatever Clemens did must have been really bad....... - Keith A. Baker

Keith A. Baker is a sports agent in Stamford, Connecticut. His goal is to offer a unique insight to the world of sports. Comments in his columns are for entertainment purposes only and do not reflect the views and opinions of his firm or his client.

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Have a Fantasy Football or Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

College Football Saturday In 500 Words Or Less

2009-10-18T20:37:00.000-04:00

A recap of what went down and what you should take away from Saturday's college football games.

Unfortunately for Oklahoma fans and college football fans everywhere, the nation's best quarterback's college career may be over. Of course, Sam Bradford and the medical team that is examining his right shoulder do not know for certain if he will be able to return or not, but it is discouraging news for Bradford and the Sooner nation, who before the season began planned on gunning for a national title. Those hopes are over as Oklahoma now holds only fleeting hopes of winning the Big Twelve South.

Recapping the day in 500 words or less, this is what Saturday taught us about the season:

- With three losses, Oklahoma's national title hopes are dead and are long shots to win the Big Twelve South. Who in their right mind would criticize Bradford at this point if he chooses to sit out the rest of the season, even if he's cleared to play the Sooners' final couple games? The man was the surefire top pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and, with that now in question, would be wise to protect his draft stock and NFL future as much as possible. Saturday morning, Landry Jones was the future in Oklahoma. Fourteen plays later, he was the present.

- The Iowa Hawkeyes continue to get better and better as the season progresses. On September 13, I called Iowa, "the worst preseason top 25 team to start the season 2-0 in this history of the game." After narrowly escaping Northern Iowa and allowing Iowa State to beat themselves in their first two games, I really believed that statement. Now, the Hawkeyes are the best team in the Big Ten. That's something nobody can contest.

- Nothing says BCS National Championship like the 23 flavors in Dr. Pepper. It says football so much that every Saturday I make my own Dr. Pepper by combining one shot of every drink I have in my refrigerator. It comes out pretty close to the real thing.

- I can't help but think that Ohio State was overrated after they were downed by Purdue. The Buckeyes have not impressed me all year. Call me a downer, but I don't think Terrelle Pryor has lived up to the hype surrounding him as a recruit even if he is only a sophomore. Of course, he's only one man and this can't all fall on him. But anybody who puts on the recruiting spectacle that he did better be Superman.

- Alabama is the best team in the nation. How anybody can say that the Crimson Tide is playing better than the Gators but Florida deserves the #1 ranking is beyond me.

- There has to be some JFK level conspiracy theories after the Florida/Arkansas game. The pass interference in the end zone? Defending yourself from being whacked 25 yards away from the play? I don't know why the referees wasted everybody's time with Florida's second to last possession. Next time just give them the six points and move on. Florida did not win the game; they survived with a little help from the referees. Florida's defense may be the best in the nation, but their offense was far less than impressive on Saturday and has been all season long.

- Texas Tech beat 15th ranked Nebraska to move to 5-2. They're only two losses came against Texas and a highly underrated Houston Cougars team. Mike Leach has established a plug and play offense that allows any quarterback to be successful and throw for a bazillion yards.
- Tyrod Taylor is a passer now. And a damn good one it seems.

With a career day, Mark Ingram Proved He's Worth The Hype on Saturday. This guy is my Heisman frontrunner at this point in the season and anybody who disputes that better have a damn good argument. He rushed for 246 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown on Saturday night. Tim Tebow hasn't done all that much for the Gators this season, yet is still many people's pick for Heisman. Jimmy Clausen had the chance to become the frontrunner if he beat USC, but came up just short, and Colt McCoy had a less than stellar showing against Oklahoma. Even in his least productive game of the season (17 carries for 50 yards—Sept. 26 vs. Arkansas) Ingram managed to find the end zone twice.

Montel Harris of Boston College rushed for 264 yards on 27 carries and scored 5 touchdowns against NC State on Saturday, becoming a New Household Name in the process. Included in the 264 yards was a 70 yard run that set up his 2 yard touchdown run the very next play. It wasn't his first big day of the season. Harris rushed for 179 yards on 25 carries against Florida State on October 3. He rushed for 2 touchdowns in that game as well.

My Heisman ballot if they let me vote:

1. Mark Ingram, Alabama- Third most rushing yards in the NCAA. Carries his team when nothing else is going right.
2. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame- 14 touchdown passes and only 2 picks. Needs to win a big one. If Notre Dame beat USC, he'd be the consensus frontrunner.
3. Tony Pike, Cincinnati- Consistency, consistency, leadership. I like this guy. Hope he can go next week vs. Louisville.
4. Case Keenum, Houston- Threw for over 500 yards in a loss to the University of Texas at El Paso and has not thrown for fewer than 330 yards in any game this season. The 5-1 Cougars are underrated as a team, and Keenum may be the most underrated quarterback in the nation. Has two quality wins over Big Twelve teams (Oklahoma State and Texas Tech) and defeated Mississippi State of the SEC.
5. Tim Tebow, Florida- Gives Florida a chance to win every week. Hasn't done enough to warrant another Heisman win, though. Florida's undefeated record is in large part due to their defense, while their drop to #2 in the AP poll is largely due to their offense's lacking in big games.

Next week's games worth watching include a Thursday night showdown between two disappointing ACC teams when Florida State visits North Carolina. Ohio State looks to get back on the winning path against Eric Decker and the Minnesota Golden Gophers, as does South Florida when they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers and phenom freshman running back Dion Lewis. Arkansas and Mississippi look to prove they belong in the upper echelons of the SEC when they meet in Oxford. Also on Saturday, top ranked Alabama takes on Tennessee, Clemson travels to Miami, Penn State visits Michigan and Oklahoma takes on Kansas in a Big Twelve showdown. LSU is looking to rebound from a loss to Florida when they take on Auburn, TCU and Brigham Young will fight it out to prove they belong among the elite, while Texas travels to Missouri in the primetime headliner. - Danny Hobrock

Danny Hobrock is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Roto-Rx

2009-10-18T00:05:00.002-04:00

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/ where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball and Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: Do you expect Cedric Benson to continue this success? – Hank, Harrisburg, PA

Hank: Ced Benson has really been a surprise this year. He looks fast and has regained the swagger that he lost over the last few years. With Palmer and a good WR corps in Cincy, there should be no reason why he couldn't continue his success. He won't see any 8 man fronts and so long as he stays injury free, should be fine.

Question #2: Do you see any meaningful trades happening at the trade deadline or was the Braylon Edwards deal it? – Patrick, Texas A&M University (GO AGGIES!)

Patrick: Dr. Roto would be surprised to see any big deals go down in the NFL before Tuesday's deadline. Names like Bowe, Cribbs, etc have been floating around, but Dr. Roto tends to doubt that anything big will happen. Football trades are less prominent than baseball trades (perhaps due to the fact that there is no minor league in football). Whoop!

Question #3: Is Matt Hasselbeck a good play now? – Maurice, Seattle, WA

Maurice: As my friend Big V likes to say, Hasselbeck is the best bald QB in the NFL. And when healthy, (which he seemed to be last week) a definite fantasy starter.

Question #4: After the first 5 games, who has had the most impressive rookie fantasy impact player? – Claude, Baker City, OR

Claude: Probably a toss-up between Mark Sanchez, Percy Harvin, and Knowshon Moreno. Sanchez started out hot, but has tailed off a bit. Harvin's numbers have not been spectacular, but he has caught some TD's. Moreno has started to pick it up a bit recently and looks like a real player out there in Denver. He was a stud at Georgia; it is good to see him running hard and getting tons of reps. BTW D. Heyward-Bey will go down as one of the worst picks in NFL history (think Tony Mandarich).

Question #5: Do you see significant playing time for David Clowney as the year progresses? – Carney, Hamilton, TX

Carney: Not really unless there is an injury for the JETS. This week, he makes a terrific play as Cotchery is out. But long-term, he will sit behind Cotchery and Braylon.

The Doctor is out...

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Open Letter to Daniel Snyder

2009-10-17T10:10:00.001-04:00

Dear Dan,

We’ve never met before, but I wanted to send you this personal note anyway.

My name is Dr. Mark Roberts and I am a fantasy football expert. Recently, I have been prescribing meds to all my patients in the Northern Virginia and Maryland/DC area because they are nauseous watching your Redskins play this season.

Dan…times are hard now for Doctors. No one knows what President Obama's new insurance plan exactly means to medical professionals. So, I am coming to you to see about a job.

Let’s be honest…your team SUCKS! Your QB is a confused mess, your running game is getting older and slower by the minute, and your young WR have below average ability. Thank God for Chris Cooley and your kicker, Shaun Suisham…without them it could be ugly. Kudos to you for getting Albert Haynesworth in the off-season. He is a monster and certainly looks like he is having a good effect on your young defensive studs, LaRon Landry and Brian Orakpo.

Here is what I am proposing: I will do for you what Bill James has done for MLB teams. Let me guide the Skins from the shambles they are in to respectability. Now look, I know you have like a bazillion dollars and you are chomping at the bit to offer half of the Isle of Togo to get either Jon Gruden or Mike Shanahan to coach for you. I’ll make you a better offer. I will take $5,000 for every game we win in the first year. How can you beat that, Dan? I am practically working for free (still have to feed the kidos at home though).

Credentials, you ask? I have been playing fantasy football for years and have won my league now four years running. I even picked up Miles Austin this week before he had his big game. Another one of my sleepers was Jermichael Finley. He carried me to a victory the other week. Can your front office guys predict that? I know how to make lopsided trades, and am all over the waiver wire looking for the next great pickups. Do your guys do that? I don’t think so otherwise you would never have Devon Thomas and Malcolm Kelly on your roster.

You had a real chance this season, Dan, considering your schedule had the worst teams in football on it. But, you blew it and have lost to most of them. Tell me…what’s gonna happen when the schedule gets tougher?

Dan, I promise you that we can bring respectability back to the Nation’s capital. Hogs, Smurfs, you name it, we’ll have it all. Just stop with the madness and give me a call. I’ll let you call collect if it makes you feel better…

Your future employee,
Mark Roberts M.D.

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Dan, if you are reading this:

a) welcome to our blog
b) you’re a moron
c) call Dr. Roberts
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Have a Fantasy Football or Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Zorn’s Welcome is Worn Out – So What Happens Now?

2009-10-17T00:05:00.001-04:00

The Redskins are down on their back and upside down (not so bad I guess is it?)

In February of 2008, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder hired Jim Zorn as the new head coach after Joe Gibbs’ departure. Zorn was the Seahawks’ quarterbacks coach and had never been a head coach before. But that didn’t matter to Snyder who was so impressed with Zorn during the interview process, he promoted him to head coach just two weeks after initially hiring him as offensive coordinator.

20 months later, Zorn looks like he is on his way out of Washington D.C. and Snyder is going to have to make another coaching change once again. It is rumored that by the time the Redskins reach their bye week, Jim Zorn will be fired after the horrendous start to the season. One of the assistant coaches will most likely fill in as the interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Mike Shanahan looks like the leading candidate to get the job. But I would not be surprised if Snyder tries to lure in Mike Holmgren, Jon Gruden or even Brian Billick.

Either way, I seriously doubt that any one of those candidates would take the job in the middle of the season. I don’t really see why any of them would want to work under Daniel Snyder anyways.

The bottom line is that although Jim Zorn has proven he doesn’t have what it takes to motivate his team (or be prepared enough to not waste all of their timeouts with eight minutes still remaining in the game), the problem starts at the top with Dan Snyder.

Just take a look at his coaching decisions in the past. He fired Marty Schottenheimer, a great coach (at least in the regular season) and then hired Steve Spurrier (someone who has never been a head coach in the NFL before).

After that experiment failed, hall of fame coach Joe Gibbs decided to come back to his former team and take over the head coaching position. He led the Redskins to the playoffs twice in his second stint in Washington D.C and brought in a great group of guys to round out his coaching personnel with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams (defensive genius) and offensive coordinator Al Saunders.

So after Gibbs retired, what did Dan Snyder do next? He fired Gregg Williams and Al Saunders for Jim Zorn, another guy who has never been a head coach before.

What are they doing now? Gregg Williams completely turned around the Saints defense and helped make them an elite team in the NFL. Al Saunders is in Baltimore and now the Ravens have one of the most prolific offenses in football. So I think it is safe to say that Dan Snyder has extremely poor judgment when it comes to football.

But Mike Shanahan would be perfect for this job as long as he gets just as much control as Vinny Cerrato. Because neither Cerrato nor Snyder knows what it takes to win.

Shanahan knows how to create a productive running game. He knows how to build an effective offensive line. His winning percentage in Denver was .646 (best in Denver history). And well, he is a winner (two Super Bowl titles in 1998 and 1999).

But for the Redskins as of right now, this is what rock bottom looks like when it comes to an NFL franchise. There is an owner who has no clue what he is doing. There is a “Vice President of Football Operations” (basically a general manager) who knows as much about what it takes to win a Super Bowl as my nine-year old cousin. There is a head coach who has never been a head coach in his career and simply looks in over his head. And then there are the fans who have to suffer and struggle with watching mediocrity game after game, even when the opposing team is just as bad or worse.

I just wonder how the Redskins will do when they go up against some teams who have won a game or two so far… - Michael Klopman

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

NFL Week #6 Picks

2009-10-16T11:33:00.001-04:00

We got back on track last week sweeping the 3 college games and splitting the 4 NFL games. Dallas won but didn’t cover, and the Jets inability to stop the Wildcat shocked me. It remains to be seen if that offense is a gimmick or a valid NFL scheme. But if they are going to continue to lead the NFL in rushing and time of possession, at some point it has to stop being called a gimmick.

So after 5 week’s we are up almost 29%. Not bad. In a few weeks we’ll pick the charity that the winnings will go to. Oh, there will be winnings………

Week #1 = + $77.50
Week #2 = + $72.50
Week #3 = + $20.00
Week #4 = - $12.00
Week #5= + $129.50

Total = + $287.50 after 5 weeks.

Remember, we are using a $1,000 betting pot to start out with so we are up 28.7% after 5 weeks (winnings go to charity). Gotta turn it back around this week, here we go……

We are going to take Rutgers for the 2nd week in a row. This time we will take them as a DOG to win the game. Woof!
$50 – Rutgers +3.5 MONEYLINE (+150)

Iowa doesn’t lose until they do. Another DOG. Woof, woof!
$100 – Iowa +3.0 MONEYLINE (+120)

Air Force will fly (we’ll, they will run wild) in Wyoming
$50 – Air Force -9.5 (-110)

Central Florida will be no match for Miami
$150 – Miami -14.5 (-110)

Hard for me to see the NY Giants as DOG to anyone on any field right now. Meow!
$50 – NY Giants + 3.0 (+160)

Detroit gets blown out
$50 – Green Bay - 13.5 (-110)

Oakland gets blown out AGAIN. Ugh. This one could be ugly.
$50 – Eagles – 14.0 (-110)

I don’t know how they are 0-5, but Tennessee just isn’t that bad
$50 – Titans +9.0 (-110)

That’s 8 games (a lot) risking $400. We mentioned what often happend when you take too many games (us usually end up going nowhere) but let’s see if we can really make some headway. See you next week. Good luck.

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Robert Fairchild is a professional sports gaming professional. He legally wages on professional and collegiate sporting events for a living. Robert is NOT suggesting that you quit your day job and try to wager on sports for a living. He is contributing his thoughts and experience to assist you in a recreational activity that you as an informed adult may choose to take part in.

Have a Fantasy Football or Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

The NFL Trade Deadline - NOT!

2009-10-16T08:20:00.000-04:00

With an unbelievable number of bad teams in the NFL this season, extra attention is being paid to Tuesday's trade deadline. Everyone is talking trade. The most prominent names are Cleveland quarterback Brady Quinn, Oakland cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, and Buffalo receivers Terrell Owens and Roscoe Parrish, not to mention a few others.

In season trades don't happen often in the NFL, and even more rarely at the deadline. Fewer than five in-season trades have been made every year dating to the 1980s. Teams will shop in August if they have an abundance of talent at a position or if they don't feel like they can keep a player who's going to be a free agent.

It's hard to bring a running back in at Week 7 and tell him, 'You've got to learn this, this and this, and we've got to win next week.’ Unless you're talking a kicker or a punter, the schemes and the learning required don't lend themselves to trades at the deadline. Guys who were in camp with you or are on the practice squad know your terminology and they can come in and at least operate.

Unlike baseball, basketball and hockey, the NFL's trade deadline usually passes quietly. The deadline, traditionally set to expire after six weeks of the season, often comes at a time when teams still aren't sure whether they are contenders or pretenders.

This year however the fact that there are four winless teams and four other 1-4 squads alters the possibilities of trades a bit. A quarter of the league knows it doesn't have a chance to compete for a playoff spot, and that makes things interesting.

Sure we’ve had two big trades already this year. But Braylon Edwards was running the same offense with the same terminology in Cleveland and only has to brush up on quirks and details and Richard Seymour was actually dealt before the year started, it just took a while to get done.

Despite what you may hear, don’t expect anything earth shattering to happen. - Keith A. Baker
Keith A. Baker is a sports agent in Stamford, Connecticut. His goal is to offer a unique insight to the world of sports and Major League Baseball in particular. Comments in his columns are for entertainment purposes only and do not reflect the views and opinions of his firm or his clients.
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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Coach On Coach Violence

2009-10-15T13:39:00.000-04:00

It seems that 2009 is the year of the coach on coach violence. Earlier this year during the preseason, reports surfaced from the Oakland Raiders camp that head coach Tom Cable punched one of his assistants. Now, the daily lobo, yes “The Independent Voice of University of New Mexico since 1895” is reporting that New Mexico head coach Mike Locksley has been suspended for a game for having fisticuffs with an assistant coach.

The Raiders situation is currently being investigated by police and the Napa County District Attorney. Roger Goodell has taken the firmest stand possible on the Raiders situation, commenting that if Cable is charged with any crimes, he might possibly be punished by the league… Way to come down hard on this sort of behavior commish.

And there is some irony to these unfortunate occurrences. Every time a football player, whether it is college or the pros, gets in the slightest amount of trouble, the league or the NCAA is quick to pounce; just ask Dez Bryant if you don’t agree with that statement. Yet, when the guys who are the role models for players, the men charged with leading their teams out on the field screw up and punch somebody, it is not that big a deal… What did LeGarrette Blount, the running back from Oregon who sucker punched an opponent earlier this year, do differently than Tom Cable? Well, two things, he punched a guy on the other team, and afterwards didn’t threaten to kill him as Cable did with his assistant. Blount was suspended for the entire season by Oregon.

Then, maybe you point to it being an organization or institutional issue. Oregon, a respected school in the NCAA, would not have its reputation tarnished by the foolish act of a player. The University of New Mexico didn’t even have much of a national reputation to tarnish with its suspension decision. So why not hand down the most barebones, save the slightest amount of face possible, with a one game suspension decision? And the Raiders organization? It never had any respectability worth saving by making any sort of preemptive move before the league acts.

Does it make it better that certain acts of violence are more acceptable if they are against people on the same team? I do not know for certain. What I do know is this all seems to be bred by a culture of insider machismo specific to football players. Both these coaches were former football players, who loved the game, and loved its physical nature. Everyone is lauding Mike Singletary in San Fran for bringing his old school, smash mouth attitude to that franchise. And all this hard hitting action is all well and good, right up until the coaches cannot control themselves. Wouldn’t it be hard for Cable to get angry with a player for loosing his cool and getting flagged for a personal foul? How could he be upset with someone getting a roughing the passer call? At least that Raider got someone in another uniform…

Don’t get me wrong, I love hard hitting football games, and teams that play with such a mentality. I think its great when teams reflect the character of their coaches, as it makes the entire team more fun to root for. But, it is worth noting this does not happen, at least with such frequency in other sports or other professions. It is something specific to former football players turned coaches who never quite lost that edge that made them want to play football in the first place. And it seems to be a disturbing trend for this season. I could be wrong about this theory of mine. In fact, I will gladly eat my words if tomorrow’s headline reads “John Clayton suspended by ESPN after allegedly drop kicking production intern at Bristol, CT offices.” - Matthew Aibel

Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Roto-Rx

2009-10-15T07:02:00.000-04:00

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/ where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball and Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: The Jets defense looked pretty porous to me? Too much hype for their ”D”? – Wallace, Bolder, CO

Wallace: The truth is that the Jets were not as good as they looked the first few weeks of the season, but they are also not as bad as they have looked recently either. Rex Ryan has gotten the hype, but now the team needs to get out of their post Wildcat funk. They should put up some great numbers against the pathetic Bills this week. This will give them some confidence back for sure.

Question #2: Any truth to the rumor the T.O. is being traded to the Bears? If so, would that help or hurt his fantasy value? – Michael, Las Vegas, NV

Michael: I doubt that you will see TO in Chicago. He's just not a great fit for their team. My guess is that people will shy away from his contract and he will finish the year in relative obscurity in Buffalo.

Question #3: Thomas Jones seems to have a nose for the end zone (even when he’s not doing much else.) Is he worthy of a starting spot? – Forrester, Pompton Lakes, NJ

Forrester: Just by the hair of his chiny, chin, chin strap. Jones has lost some carries to Leon Washington and Shonn Greene this season. He still could surprise in some games (Dr. Roto thinks he is a good play this week against the Bills). He is worth a roster spot, but he is not a rock solid performer. I would rather see you move him in a deal for a younger, better RB.

Question #4: Do you see Carson Palmer performing like his pre-injury form? – Max, Yale University

Max: Which injury are you talking about? Palmer looks okay, but he is keying too much on Ochocinco. If he can continue to spread the ball to Henry, Caldwell, Coles, etc he might put up good numbers. The emergence of Cedric Benson has been a real help as well.

Question #5: Does the Junior Seau signing help the value of the Patriots defense or is it a non event? – Matthew, Sutter Creek, CA

Matthew: Seau really offers nothing up to the fantasy value of the Patriots. Real life-wise it is a good move, but his abilities are almost shot and the Pats need more than Seau to improve their D.

The Doctor is out...

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Dallas Win Means Absolutely Nothing

2009-10-14T15:04:00.000-04:00

Some people love to say, “a win is a win” no matter who you beat. That expression definitely works sometimes (not for the Redskins fans after their 9-7 win over the Rams in week 2 of course).

Well, not this time. Dallas squeezed out a victory in overtime against the winless Kansas City Chiefs and Jerry Jones looked like he was ready to break out the champagne with his buddies.

Some writers and analysts have already said that this win will provide the confidence boost that the Cowboys desperately need. I just don’t understand that point of view.

Yes, Tony Romo (the most overrated quarterback in the league) threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns. He also astonishingly did not throw any interceptions. Miles Austin had a field day in Arrowhead Stadium, catching 10 passes for a career-high 250 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime.

But those aspects of the game were the only bright spots for Dallas.

A game like that for Romo should be expected against a very weak Kansas City secondary. And by the way, Romo made some terrible passes to wide-open receivers that could have put the game away. He also fumbled the ball on Dallas’ own 16-yard line that led to a Mike Vrabel touchdown reception.

Don’t forget about the 13 penalties the Cowboys made that cost them 90 yards. Don’t forget about the two fumbles the Cowboys lost, including a muffed punt, to put the Chiefs in amazing field position. Don’t forget about Nick Folk’s missed field goal from just 40 yards out.

And what happened to Dallas’ scary running game? The Cowboys ran the ball 23 times between Marion Barber and Tashard Choice. Choice actually played well, rushing for 92 yards on just eight carries, but Barber did absolutely nothing.

And it’s not like the Dallas defense completely shut down the Chiefs. The Cowboys defense allowed Matt Cassel to throw for 253 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs gained a total of 304 yards and a game-tying touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe with just 24 seconds left in regulation. Even the time of possession was pretty even throughout the game.

The point is that the Chiefs have not won a game for a reason. The several miscues and horribly executed plays by Dallas outweigh the close victory over a winless team. Who really thinks Miles Austin is going to put up numbers like that on a consistent basis? Does anyone honestly believe the Cowboys are going to be good without a healthy Marion Barber? I just don’t see it.

Dallas can certainly play well enough to beat teams like the Chiefs, Buccaneers and Panthers (combined record of 1-13). But the Dallas defense has proven that just about anyone can move the ball down the field on them. Tony Romo has proven he is nowhere close to being one of the better starting quarterbacks in the NFL. And the Cowboys have proven that they are mediocre at best.

So here is my advice to Jerry Jones: It’s only week 5. Stop celebrating. A win over the Chiefs means nothing. - Michael Klopman

Have a Fantasy Football or Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

TCU Is More Consistent Than You Think

2009-10-13T17:14:00.000-04:00

In 2002 they won 10 games. In 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008 they won 11. They finished in the top 25 in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008 and are currently ranked 10th in the AP and 9th in the Coaches'. They've played in a bowl game every year since 1998, with the exception of 2004, beginning with a Sun Bowl victory over USC. The 2004 campaign managed only 5 wins and 2007 was an 8 win season. The TCU Horned Frogs are much more consistent than you may think. But what does that consistency really tell us about TCU? Does it mean that they belong among the perennial elite? Or is it merely a fallacy because they've played in the Mountain West Conference since 2005 and in Conference USA from 2001 to 2004?

TCU is currently undefeated, having beaten the likes of Virginia, Texas State, Clemson Southern Methodist and Air Force. Next up for TCU is a matchup with Colorado State before they play their first ranked opponent of the year when they visit conference foe BYU. The Cougars are currently the only ranked opponent on the Horned Frogs' roster, but a November 14 matchup with Utah may prove challenging as well. With only two legitimate challengers (to a top 10 team) left on their 2009 schedule, will TCU validate their top 10 ranking, or will they prove they're only the best of the rest?

At first glance, TCU's high ranking and their consistently strong final records seem to be the product of a fluffy schedule. However, look at 2008's schedule and you might be surprised to see four games versus top 10 opponents. The Horned Frogs lost at 2nd ranked Oklahoma and at 8th ranked—and eventually undefeated—Utah (their only losses of the season), but managed to defeat 9th ranked BYU and 9th ranked Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl.

So yeah, TCU plays some good teams. They win some, they lose some. Pretty definitive of a top 25 team, don't you think?

Andy Dalton is a good quarterback. He's thrown 6 touchdown passes and only two interceptions this season. He even rushed for 86 yards on 19 carries in a narrow win over Clemson. But it's not offense that carries TCU. It's defense. Led by defensive end Jerry Hughes, TCU is 1st in rush defense, 25th in pass defense and 7th in total defense this season.

So while TCU may not be among the perennial elite teams in the nation, they have consistently been a very good team with a solid foundation who deserve their current top 10 ranking until another team says otherwise. Expect another 10 or 11 win season. Combine that with two road victories over ACC opponents, and if TCU can manage a victory against either Utah or BYU, expect a nice bowl bid. Just don't expect a BCS at-large bid from the Horned Frogs—unless they go undefeated and look damn good in the process. But that's a whole different story. - Danny Hobrock

Danny Hobrock is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.

NFL WRAP-UP - Week 5 Final

2009-10-13T08:53:00.000-04:00

Arizona Cardinals (28) - Houston Texans (21)
Both of these teams have impressive offenses and less than impressive defenses. In the first quarter Tim Hightower took it in from one yard out, and the second quarter featured Kurt Warner hitting Larry Fitzgerald for a 9 yard touchdown pass to give the Cardinals a 14-0 lead. With only 20 seconds left in the half, Warner hit Fitzgerald again, as the 21 yard score had Arizona up 21-0 in the Desert at intermission.

The Cardinals have not been good at finishing games, and the Texans made a game of it in the second half. Matt Schaub led a 6 minute, 64 yard, 10 play drive that was capped off by Brown running it in from one yard out to make it 21-7. Early in the fourth quarter Schaub led the Texans 77 yards, with an 11 yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson pulling the Texans to within 21-14. Schaub then drove the team 66 yards on their next drive. A second strike to Johnson tied the game 21-21 with plenty of time left.

Matt Schaub kept firing, but his next touchdown pass went to Rogers-Comartie, who plays defense for the Cardinals. The 49 yard interception return had the Cardinals back on top 28-21 with 2:20 left. Andre Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 63 yards to immediately put the Texans in business. Schaub led the Texans to the one yard line, where on 3rd and goal, Schaub rolled out and fired a pass high to the end zone. The receiver barely had one foot touch the line for an incomplete pass. With 40 seconds remaining, on 4th and goal from the one, Chris Brown ran up the middle and hit a big red Arizona brick wall. The offenses lit up the day as expected, but the Arizona defense saved the day. Cardinals (2-2), Texans (2-3)

NY Giants 44- Oakland Raiders 7
One of the themes this week was good teams playing bad teams. David did not slay Goliath. Goliath beat David up, stole his lunch money, and took his girlfriend.

The Giants are 5-0 for a reason. The Raiders are 1-4 and lucky to not be 0-4 for many reasons. The Giants took the ball down the field, with Eli Manning starting despite some thinking he would not. Manning led an 8 minute drive. There was hope for Oakland when Brandon Jacobs was stopped on 3rd and goal at the one, but on 4th and goal Ahmad Bradshaw got in. Tom Coughlin made the right call, and the Giants led 7-0. After the inevitable praise of Shane Lechler as a great punter, the Giants then moved 79 yards in only 3 plays, with Bradshaw again running it in, this time from 19 yards out, to put the Giants up 14-0 and effectively end this game in the first quarter.

Just to compound the misery, Manning hit Mario Manningham on the first play of the second quarter for a touchdown and a 21-0 Giants lead. This completed a 94 yard drive that took less than 2 minutes to follow up a 79 yard touchdown drive in less than 2 minutes. The drive included a 3rd and 23 conversion on the ground from a give up run. JaMarcus Russell, who only seems to get mentioned when something goes wrong, got hit by Justin Tuck and fumbled the ball away. Manning hit Hakim Nicks to put the Giants up 28-0 only 2 1/2 minutes into the second quarter. The Giants led in yards 262-9 and in 1st downs 15-0. Yes, you read that correctly.

Russell completed a 21 yard pass to Zach Miller for the 1st Oakland 1st down. A deep pass was underthrown, and a 9 yard gain set up 3rd and 1, where Michael Bush was blown up in the backfield. On 4th and 2, Tom Cable decided to go for it, and Russell rolled out and ran for Oakland’s second 1st down. Yet on 3rd and from the Oakland 45, Russell was sacked, and the signs of life were gone. Yet after an entire half of perfect play, the Giants finally made a mistake as Sinorice Moss fumbled the punt and the Raiders recovered at the New York 14.

Russell was almost sacked for another big loss when a miracle bad pass led to a defensive pass interference call for 1st and goal at the 5. Louis Murphy had not caught a pass, but this receiver is a bright spot for the Raiders. He is very fast, and it causes defensive players to make mistakes. Speaking of mistakes, Justin Fargas fumbled the ball, and it was returned 95 yards for a touchdown. However, the 35-0 lead was short lived. No, the Raiders did not come back. However, the whistle had blown and Fargas was ruled down by contact. It was not reviewable, and Coughlin actually did not burst a blood vessel. Michael Bush ran it in from 5 yards up the middle, and with 2:20 left in the half, the Raiders were within 28-7.

As Greg Gumble pointed it out, it was the 4th Oakland touchdown of the entire season, compared to 4 for the Giants in this first half. In a surprising turn of events, Coughlin decided to sit Manning down and bring backup David Carr in. With a big lead, letting Manning rest his foot may have been wise, even with plenty of time left. Manning had a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating, although nobody honestly knows what that means.
Russell completed another pass, and with 33 seconds left, rather than go to the locker room, the Raiders called timeout to try and set up for anything. They set up a Russell sack and fumble that allowed the Giants to get a field goal and a 31-7 halftime lead for the Giants. Despite Raiders fans pleading for them not to, the Raiders came out for the second half.

After another New York touchdown, Russell had his 3rd lost fumble on the day. The Giants took over at the Oakland 19, and out of sheer mercy and compassion, refused to score another touchdown. A field goal made it 41-7. The Giants added another field goal because they could. Russell for some reason was still in the city, much less the game. I noticed that he has played this year like his jersey, which is # 2. The Giants remain unbeaten, and the Raiders may have to consider benching Russell and giving Bruce Gradkowski a chance. Russell has the physical tools, but not the mental acumen. He does not have pocket presence, and keeps fumbling the ball. Giants (5-0), Raiders (1-4)

Minnesota Vikings (38) – St. Louis Rams (10)
The Vikings are 5-0 for many reasons, and the Rams are 0-5 for every possible reason. Brett Favre took the Vikings down the field, and a short touchdown pass had Minnesota up 7-0. Yet the real entertainment came when Kyle Boller tried to attempt a pass. With nobody around him, the ball slipped out of his hands backwards. The fumble was picked up by Minnesota and returned by Jared Allen for a 52 yard touchdown to put the Vikings up 14-0 and effectively end this game as well before the second quarter could exist.

Boller then led a 14 play, 7 1/2 minute, 93 yard drive that produced no points when Stephen Jackson fumbled at the one yard line and Jared Allen recovered. Yet for all of Favre’s accomplishments, and they are deserved, he is also first place in interceptions in NFL history. He was picked off, setting the Rams back up at the Minnesota 25. They are the Rams, so a field goal was all they mustered. Favre remained calm, either due to his Super Bowl ring or Hall of Fame career. Or perhaps it was the 14-3 lead against a terrible team. He led a drive that was uneventful but productive, and Minnesota led 17-3. Another long Rams drive again was completely wasted with another fumble, this time at the 3 yard line. The Rams had moved the ball but trailed 17-3 at the break.

In the third quarter the Rams punted, and the Vikings took over at their own 10. Adrian Peterson ripped off a 13 yard gain, and Favre then hit Berrian for 12 more. Favre when deep to Rice for a 47 yard gain to the Rams 17. Favre then it Vincent Shiancoe for the 13 yard score to make it 24-3. For the third time in the game, the Rams moved down the field. A 14 play, 6 minute drive went from the St. Louis 19 to a 4th and 6 at the Minnesota 9, where Boller was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. This game could have been 24-24. Woulda, coulda, shoulda = one “oulda” for each mistake in this 24-3 game.

In the fourth quarter Favre moved the Vikings 80 yards, and they actually do turn their “ouldas” (new statistic) into “dids.” Adrian Peterson ran it in from 7 yards out to have the Vikings cruising 31-3. The Rams actually did complete a drive in the fourth quarter, but Chester Taylor added a one yard touchdown run of his own to complete the blowout. Sometimes records are misleading but records for these two teams accurately reflect what’s going on. Vikings (5-0), Rams (0-5)

Cincinnati Bengals (17) - Baltimore Ravens (14)
The surprising 3-1 Bengals and their reasonably good offense went to Baltimore to take on a tough defense coming off an even tougher loss last week. Cincinnati moved the ball well early on, but a drive came up empty when a short field goal was blocked after a high snap. After a scoreless first quarter, Carson Palmer made the mistake of throwing the ball anywhere near Ed Reed. Reed took the 52 yard interception for his 13th defensive touchdown, a new NFL record. The Ravens led 7-0, and Ed Reed will one day go to Canton when he is done feasting on Cincinnati. Palmer came right back, and from the Cincinnati 23 went deep for a 73 yard gain to Chris Henry. Yet on 1st and goal at the 4, a pair of incomplete passes followed by a sack and a 10 yard loss meant another field goal attempt. Shane Graham put it through as the Bengals closed to within 7-3. Another promising Cincinnati drive ended when Ed Reed forced a fumble. The future Hall of Famer punched it out of the receiver’s hand.

The third quarter was a defensive slugfest, when Cincinnati finally cracked through the Baltimore defense. Cedric Benson broke through for a 28 yard touchdown. The Bengals remain the only team that puts the excitement into the extra point. The snap sailed over the holder’s head, but a defensive penalty gave the Bengals a second try. The uneventful kick had them up 10-7 at the end of the third quarter. Yet with 7 minutes remaining in the game, a simple short pass from Joe Flacco to Ray Rice followed by 3 miss-tackles became a 44 yard touchdown and a 14-10 Ravens lead. Both defenses had played well, but given up one big play on the day.

From midfield, desperately needing a stop, the Bengals survived a scare when Joe Flacco went for all the marbles and overthrew the open receiver. With 2:15 left, the Bengals had the ball at their own 20. Both of these teams have played cardiac games, and this would be another one. On 4th and 1 from their own 47 with 1:47 left, Palmer ran for the first down to keep the drive going. With 48 seconds left, future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis blundered. He leveled Chad Johnson, but it was a late hit on a defenseless receiver. The drive continued, and Palmer hit Henry on the next play to the Baltimore 24 with 43 seconds left. With the Ravens bringing the entire defense, the Bengals fumbled the snap but fell on it and called their last timeout. They faced 3rd and 16 with 34 seconds remaining. Yet an incomplete pass was nullified by defensive pass interference on Ed Reed. The Bengals still had life at the 20 with 27 seconds left.

Palmer then fired to Caldwell for the touchdown with 22 seconds left. As the announcer said it best, “the Cardiac Cats have done it again.” Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are two of the best defensive players of all time. Yet this week the vaunted Baltimore defense was beaten. The win was especially sweet for Bengals Assistant Coach Mike Zimmer. His wife had died earlier in the week at age 50. He decided to work this week, and with many family members in attendance, his pain was eased for a few moments. The Bengals meanwhile, are one bizarre “doink” play in the opening week from being 5-0. They are for real. Bengals (4-1), Ravens (3-2)

Pittsburgh Steelers (28) – Detroit Lions (20)
While it would be tempting to describe this as the very best against the very worst, that would simply be untrue. The defending champions are teetering, and the Lions are no longer the team that went winless. The Lions led 3-0 in this game when Rashard Mendenhall took it in from 7 yards out to put the Steelers up 7-3. The Lions stayed in it early, and a second Jason Hanson field goal had the Lions within 7-6. It would not be close for long.

In the second quarter Ben Roethlisberger led a 12 play, 76 yard drive that culminated in Big Ben tossing a 15 yard score to Heath Miller to make it 14-6. When the Steelers got the ball back, Big Ben threw another touchdown pass. Unfortunately for the Steelers, James plays for the Lions. The 36 yard interception return had the Lions within 14-13. However, Big Ben stayed calm. Perhaps the two Super Bowl rings relaxes him. He came right back with a 17 yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward, who does play receiver for the Steelers. Pittsburgh took the 21-13 lead into the locker room.

With Daunte Culpepper playing this game in place of an injured Matthew Stafford, the Lions embarked on a 6 1/2 minute drive to start the second half that was all for naught due to a missed 49 yard field goal. Roethlisberger went right to work after that, quickly throwing a 47 yard bomb to Wallace to break the game open at 28-13. Yet the Lions kept fighting. Culpepper led Detroit from the Lions 19 to the Pittsburgh 28 before an interception killed the drive. With 5 minutes remaining in the game, Culpepper finished an 82 yard drive with a 25 yard touchdown pass to Dennis Northcutt. The Lions were within 8 points.

The Lions got the ball back at their own 29 with 3 minutes left. Culpepper rapidly moved them 50 yards to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 21 with 1:54 left. Yet 3…yes 3…straight sacks had the Lions facing 4th and 34 from the Pittsburgh 45. They did not convert. The Lions are improved and the Steelers are struggling, but the better team survived on the road. Steelers (3-2), Lions (1-4)

Cleveland Browns (6) – Buffalo Bills (3)
Out of respect for football fans everywhere, I will make this as brief as possible, which entered the fourth quarter tied 3-3. A fumbled punt with 3 minutes left set up Billy Cundiff with 23 seconds left. Cundiff kicked the winning field goal. Does anybody care who he plays for? No. Derek Anderson completed 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards, and he was on the winning team. At least the Browns have good punt coverage, downing 3 punts at the one yard line. Browns (1-4), Bills (1-4)

Philadelphia Eagles (33) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14)
The Buccaneers are winless, and the Eagles hung tough when Donovan McNabb got injured. Well “McRib” is back, and looking very sharp early on. A 51 yard bomb to Jeremy Macklin on the second play of the game had the Eagles up 7-0. In the second quarter McNabb fired a 20 yard touchdown to Weaver as the Eagles led 14-0. The Buccaneers finally got on the board when Johnson hit Kellen Winslow form 9 yards out, but the comeback was short lived. McNabb went to Macklin again, and the 40 yard connection had the Eagles up 21-7. Injury? What injury?

Bryan Westbrook ran it in from 7 yards out to have the Eagles rolling at 28-7. Johnson moved the Bucs from the Tampa Bay 20 to the Philadelphia 12, where an interception killed any chance of this turning into a game. Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb can now fade into the background. Andy Reid knows that this is McNabb’s team. He led Philadelphia from their own 9 to the Tampa Bay 27, where a field goal made it 31-7. The Bucs eventually scored a touchdown, but the Philly defense added the exclamation with a safety against Cadillac Williams to wrap things up. Tampa Bay is winless, Jon Gruden is still in the Monday Night Football booth, and the Eagles are still a good team that deals with adversity as well as anyone. Eagles (3-1), Bucs (0-5)

Dallas Cowboys (26) - Kansas City Chiefs (20) OT
If the Chiefs are the worst team in the league, the Cowboys are the biggest underachievers for a team that was supposed to be good. After a scoreless first quarter, a fumbled Dallas punt by Patrick Crayton had the Chiefs at the Dallas 24. They lost 4 yards and kicked a field goal to lead 3-0. Tony Romo then fumbled, and the Chiefs took over at the Dallas 20. Matt Cassel hit Matt Vrabel for a one yard touchdown and a 10-0 Chiefs lead. Romo led an 83 yard, 11 play drive that reached the 5 yard line as a Nick Folk field goal had Dallas within 10-3 at intermission.

Kansas City did add a field goal in the third quarter to lead 13-3, but very late in the quarter Tashard Choice ripped off a 36 yard touchdown run to bring Dallas within 13-10 entering the final quarter. Dallas got the ball back and moved into the red zone, but no further than the 11. A 28 yard field goal tied the game 13-13. With 3 minutes left in the game, the Chiefs had the go ahead field goal attempt. The kick was blocked.
As awful as the Cowboys played, they were playing the Chiefs. Romo threw a short pass to Miles Austin, who broke a tackle and raced 59 yards for the go ahead score with 2:16 left. Cassel borught the Chiefs back, and a long completion had them at the Dallas 35 with 1:26 left. Another completion, this time to Dwayne Bowe, had Kansas City at the Dallas 19 with 1:04 left. On 4th and 7 from the 16, Cassel hit Bowe for the touchdown as all of Dallas went into shock. With 26 seconds left, the Chiefs had tied the game 20-20.

Overtime was uneventful until midway through, when one play ended things. Tony Romo threw another short pass to Miles Austin, who broke a tackle, made it to the corner, and raced down the sideline again. Romo finished with 351 yards passing, while Austin finished with a ridiculous 250 yards receiving on 10 catches. The 60 yard touchdown to end things left the Chiefs winless and the Cowboys breathing heavy sighs of relief, as Jerry Jones did not fire the entire team this week. Cowboys (3-2), Chiefs (0-5)

Denver Broncos (20) – New England Patriots (17)
This game was drenched in subplots, with Darth Vader, aka Bill Bellichick, squaring off against his protégé Josh McDaniels. McDaniels was supposed to be a disaster before the season began, but the Broncos came in at 4-0. They had beaten up a couple of bad teams, but seem to be gelling. This game would be a major test. Early on Denver flunked as Tom Brady moved the Patriots 62 yards. An 8 yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker had New England up 7-0. Stephen Gostkowski added a 53 yard field goal to have the Patriots up 10-0.

The Broncos were bottled up most of the first half when Kyle Orton led the Broncos from their own 10. Yet 10 plays, 5 minutes, and 90 yards later, an 11 yard touchdown pass from Orton to Brandon Marshall made it a 10-7 game. The difference in the game was the field goal kicking of Prater, who has been shaky this year. He missed his first attempt wide before Gostkowski made his. Yet the real problem was that Denver had no answer for Brady, who put on a clinic in the 2 minute drill. 74 yards ended with a 7 yard touchdown pass to Ben Watson with 5 seconds left in the half as New England led 17-7 at what Stuart Scott would call recess.

In the third quarter Orton led a 12 play, 66 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive that could not get past the 7 yard line. Prater hit a 24 yard field goal to get the Broncos to within 17-10 as the game went to the fourth quarter.
Orton took over for the Broncos in the fourth quarter at their own 2 yard line. While John Elway is retired, Orton endeared himself to Denver fans with an impressive drive of his own. 98 yards took 12 plays, and Orton hit Brandon Marshall from 11 yards out to tie the game 17-17. New England went nowhere in the second half, and each team had missed a field goal. With 2 1/2 minutes left, Brady and the Patriots took over at their own 30. New England then fumbled the ball away, and Denver took over at the New England 45. Needing only one first down for a long field goal attempt, Orton was sacked as the game went into overtime.

Denver got the ball, and despite wearing hideous retro uniforms, moved the ball again. A 40 yard field goal attempt by Prater was good, and the Broncos are a stunning 5-0. This time is for real. The post game handshake between Bellichick and McDaniels never occurred because McDaniels was busy lighting up the crowd by pumping his fists after the game. 5-0 is impressive, but McDaniels does not have 3 Super Bowl rings yet as a head coach. If he faces New England in the playoffs, this will be on the bulletin board. As for Orton, he was 35 of 48 for 330 yards. He is much more than a game manager. He is a game winner. Broncos (5-0), Patriots (3-2)

Carolina Panthers (20) - Washington Redskins (17)
At least this game featured a pair of bad teams as the 0-4 Panthers took on a barely better Redskins team. Yet the Panthers fumbled the opening kickoff, and Washington took over from the Carolina 13. Jason Campbell hit Clinton Portis from 10 yards out to put the Redskins up 7-0 before both teams settled into doing nothing. In the second quarter Jake Delhomme led the Panthers on a long drive, but on 4th and goal from the 1, the Panthers fumbled the ball away. Yet Clinton Portis was tackled in the end zone for a safety, as the Panthers were on the board down 7-2. Late in the second quarter Jason Campbell led Washington from their own 21 to the Carolina 19, where a field goal had the Redskins up 10-2 at the break.

In the third quarter Delhomme was intercepted by Hall, who returned it 44 yards to the Carolina one. Portis took it in, and the Redskins were coasting at 17-2. Those who coast in the NFL suffer. Moore returned the kickoff 55 yards to the Washington 40. Delhomme hit Steve Smith for 18 yards and then hit King for the 17 yard touchdown to pull the Panthers to within 17-9. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Redskins faced 4th and 3 at the Carolina 37. Campbell fired incomplete to Santana Moss, and the Panthers took over. Delhomme led the Panthers to the Washington 25, where a 43 yard John Kasay field goal had the Panthers within 17-12 less than one minute into the fourth quarter.

With 10 minutes left, the Redskins gave the game away by fumbling a punt deep in their own territory. Carolina took over at the Washington 12, and Stewart ran for 4 yards and then the final 8 yards. The 2 point conversion had the Panthers up by a field goal. The Redskins punted, and with 5 minutes left Carolina got the ball back. At the 2 minute warning, Carolina had 3rd and 8 at their own 25. Delhomme ran for 9 yards and a first down to run out the clock. The Panthers now have a win. Panthers (1-3), Redskins (2-3)

Seattle Seahawks (41) - Jacksonville Jaguars (0)
Life is like a box of Forrest Gump chocolates with these teams. They are both erratic this season. The Walrus is still retired, but the Hasselbeck returned from injury. As for Jacksonville, Jack Del Rio had to be pleased with his team’s solid win last week, but this week was a different story. The game was pretty dull early on, with a 47 yard Olindo Mare field goal putting the Seahawks up 3-0 to cap an 11 play drive.

The second quarter featured another 11 play drive and another field goal to make it 6-0 Seahawks. Yet Matt Hasselbeck looked good, and a 34 yard touchdown pass to TJ Houshmanzadeh had the Seahawks leading 13-0. Hasselbeck fired at will, with nearly 200 first half passing yards. A 44 yard touchdown pass to Nate Burleson had the Seahawks cruising at 20-0 at intermission.

The second half was just as ugly for Jacksonville as Hasselbeck kept the foot on the accelerator. A 13 yard strike to Houshmanzadeh and a 5 yarder to Burleson had the Seahawks up 34-0 in a laugher. There was no laughing in Jacksonville. Seattle plays in a terrible division, so despite all their problems, they might win the division again. Seahawks (2-3), Jaguars (2-3)

Atlanta Falcons (45) – San Francisco 49ers (10)
The storyline this year is that Mike Singletary has turned the 49ers into a physical, disciplined team. That made things all the more impressive when the Falcons jumped on them to start the game. Michael Turner ran it in from 7 yards out to start the scoring, and Matt Ryan hit Roddy White for a 31 yard score to have the Falcons up 14-0 early on. Yet the 49ers settled down, and Shawn Hill quickly led the 49ers 78 yards, as Glen Coffee, filling in for Frank Gore, plunged in from 2 yards out to get the 49ers within 14-7.

Joe Nedney added a 39 yard field goal in the second quarter to make it a 14-10 game. Midway through the second quarter, the Falcons were backed up at their own 10. Ryan threw a short sideline pass to White, who raced 90 yards down the sideline in front of a stunned San Francisco crowd as the Falcons led 21-10. White did a summersault in the end zone, and the No Fun League gave him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

The 49ers fumbled the kickoff, although it clearly appeared that the runner was down. However, with 7 minutes left in the half, the 49ers were out of timeouts and could not challenge the play. From the San Francisco 38, Michael Turner raced 33 yards to the 5. Turner took it into the end zone, and a close game was broken open at 28-10. Singletary is known for defense as a player in Chicago and a defensive assistant in Baltimore. He was disgusted when Ryan found White again down to the one yard line, and Turner ran it in again as the Falcons had a shocking 35-10 lead. It was the most points scored and given up by these respective teams in the first half in their entire histories.

The uneventful second half was best summed up by the announcer with a great quote. “I would love to be in the post game locker room when Singletary addresses the players, but I would hate to be a 49ers player hearing it.” One play that should be shown to the entire league was an interception by Dre Bly. He did his best Leon Lett imitation by showboating after he intercepted the ball, allowing him to fumble on the return and give it right back. As for the Falcons, last year does not seem to be a fluke. Falcons (3-1), 49ers (3-2)

Indianapolis Colts (31) - Tennessee Titans (9)
The Sunday night game. Before the season this was a possible AFC Title Game preview. The Colts at 4-0 was no surprise, Even with Tony Dungy retired. Yet the Titans at 0-4 was a stunner, especially with Jeff Fisher still at the helm. Tennessee has vexed Peyton Manning throughout his career, but not today.

In the first quarter Alge Crumpler fumbled, allowing the Colts to take over at the Tennessee 23. On 4th and 1 from the 3, Manning hit Reggie Wayne for the touchdown and the 7-0 lead. Later in the quarter it was the Colts fumbling a punt, and Tennessee took over at the Indy 37. However, the Titans could not move the ball, settling for a field goal and a 7-3 game. Manning was then intercepted, setting up the Titans at the Indy 34. On 3rd and 19, Kerry Collins hit Bo Scaife for 18. On 4th and 1 from the 25, Jeff Fisher opted not to go for it. The field goal was good, and the Titans were within 7-6.

In the second quarter Manning led a 12 play, 7 minute drive that went 81 yards. Joseph Addai ran it ion from one yard out to give the Colts a 14-6 lead. Collins came right back for the Titans, leading them from their own 20 to the Colts 28. Unfortunately, they had to settle for a third field goal. They only trailed 14-9, but the lack of touchdowns would eventually kill them, especially when playing against a touchdown machine.

The Colts took over at their own 7 yard line with only 57 seconds left. Even Manning could not go 93 yards in less than one minute. Not without help anyway. The Titans provided the help. A roughing the passer penalty moved Indy to their own 30. On 3rd and 1 from the 39 with 35 seconds left, Addai picked up the first down. On the next play another roughing the passer penalty had Indy at the Tennessee 39. Manning then went deep to Collie for the touchdown pass to stun the crowd and give the Colts the 21-9 lead at the break.

The second half began with Collins immediately throwing an interception, setting up the Colts at the Tennessee 31. Manning hit Collie for 6 yards to make it 28-9. The rest of the game was uneventful, except for a Vince Young sighting in the fourth quarter. Collins was benched, although it seemed to be a precautionary measure since he was getting hit and the game was out of reach. Colts (5-0), Titans (0-5)

Miami Dolphins (31) – NY Jets (27)
The Monday Night game. While it is tempting to refer to every game where Bill Parcells faces off against his former team as a “Tuna Bowl,” this needs to be put to rest since he is sitting in a President’s box with no say on coaching or calling plays. It is not even a Chad Pennington bowl since he is injured and out for the season. There was a Chad playing, which was Henne. As for his opponent Mark Sanchez, he faces the same pressure Pennington once did, which is that some already have him in the Hall of Fame.

As for Henne, he started the game and led a 12 play, 7 1/2 minute drive that went 80 yards. Ronnie Brown ran it in on 3rd and goal from the 1 to put the Dolphins up 7-0. The Jets appeared t go 3 and out, but on 4th and 6 from their own 34, a perfectly executed fake punt picked up 26 yards and kept the drive going. A 19 yard completion from Sanchez to Smith moved the Jets just outside the red zone. A defensive pass interference penalty on the next play set the Jets up at the 6 yard line. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Sanchez hit newly acquired Braylon Edwards for the tying touchdown.

The Dolphins struck back quickly when a short pass from Henne to Ricky Williams led to a 59 yard gain. However, Miami moved no further, and settled for a 34 yard field goal and a 10-7 lead. In the second quarter Sanchez moved the Jets from the New York 21 to the Miami 40, where Rex Ryan decided to punt on 4th and 3. In a major surprise, a second fake punt in the same game worked again, as Smith picked up 12 yards. This led to a field goal and a 10-10 game. Miami went nowhere on their next possession, and the Jets took over at their own 44 with one minute left in the half. A 13 yard pass to Leon Washington followed by passes of 8 and 6 yards to Clowney led to a 43 yard Jay Feeley field goal as time expired to put the Jets up 13-10 at halftime.

A scoreless third quarter had Miami on the move. They drove from their own 36 over the final 8 minutes of the period to the New York one yard line. Less than one minute into the fourth quarter, Henne hit Fasano for the touchdown to complete the 15 play drive and put the Dolphins back on top 17-13. To Rex Ryan’s credit, he does not use rookie Mark Sanchez as a game manager. He realizes hit talent and lets him play to win the games, to quote Herman Edwards. Sanchez came out and immediately hit David Clowney on a perfectly thrown 54 yard bomb to the Miami 23. After a very controversial intentional grounding call set up 3rd and 23 from the 36, Sanchez went deep again, and an even more fabulous throw and catch went for a touchdown to Braylon Edwards. Miami challenged the call, and the ball was put back to the one yard line. Thomas Jones ran it in on the next play. The Jets had retaken the lead 20-17, although 12 1 /2 minutes still remained.

The game began to take on the feel of a track meet, as the defenses took a siesta. Bill Parcells and Buddy Ryan groomed Tony Sparano and Rex Ryan, but this game was turning into a shoot-out. Henne went deep to Ted Ginn for a 53 yard touchdown to put the Dolphins back in front 24-20 with a full 10 minutes left.

The quarterbacks kept trading bombs. Sanchez went deep again. Although the ball was on the money, it was dropped. Yet defensive pass interference put the ball on the four yard line, and Thomas Jones piledrived his way in on the next play. The 5th lead change of the game had the Jets up 27-24 with 5 minutes left.

That was more than enough time for Henne, who moved the ball and bled the clock. Pat White, who did not play the whole game, came in on the final drive. Miami even through in a halfback option pass. These are teams unafraid to take chances that would make most coaches squirm. With 10 seconds left, the Dolphins faced 3rd and goal at the Jets 2 yard line. The Dolphins had a timeout, allowing them to keep all options open. Both teams locked in, and Ronnie Brown took a Wildcat snap straight up the middle behind perfect blocking. The 6th lead change with 7 seconds left was the decisive score. The Jets slipped to 3-2 while the Dolphins climbed to 2-3. These teams play again later in the year, and that game is already worth watching. Dolphins (2-3), Jets (3-2)Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around The Horn (Baseball Blogs) and Extra Point (Football Blogs). Mike is also the founder of the fantasy sports games Ultimate Franchise Baseball™ and Ultimate Franchise Football™.
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NY Jets - Miami Dolphins rivalry stands alone as truly one of a kind

2009-10-12T12:17:00.000-04:00

It isn't the NFL's longest standing rivalry, but in a class of most bizarre and strange happenings, the Miami Dolphins - New York Jets rivalry stands alone as truly one of a kind. This rivalry has produced some of the most memorable moments, dramatic finishes, miraculous comebacks, and exciting classic shootouts the NFL has ever seen.

The Dolphins face the Jets tonight on Monday Night Football in an AFC East rivalry that throws off intensity that you don't often find in the NFL. It's more like a great college football rivalry. Sure the Patriots have been the class of the AFC East for some time now, but if you grew up as a Dolphins or Jets fan the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, the Jets vs. Dolphins rivalry is where it’s at.

The Jets hold the all-time series lead in this rivalry at 46-40-1. As for tonight, Miami and their Wildcat offense will wear their orange jerseys for only the fourth time in team history and the first time since 2004. They will be going up against one of the best defenses in the NFL and see the debut of Braylon Edwards as NY Jet.

The game is has sub-stories all around. Pennington out for the year, Parcells at the helm, Mark Sanchez responding to adversity, the Chad Henne era, Braylon Edwards, the Wildcat, the Seminole, and it goes on and on.

Let’s take a look at just a few of the memories this rivalry has produced. I could mention sub-stories for every year, you may have other games prominent in your head, but here are what I think are the top 15 Jets / Dolphins moments / games (in chronological order).

Dec. 2, 1969 in NY: - Joe Namath out-slugs Bob Griese:

In a game featuring two Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Joe Namath and Bob Griese put on a show that would catapult this rivalry for years to come. This game had six lead changes from two high powered offenses as both defensives struggled tremendously. But in the end, it was "Broadway" Joe and the Jets that prevailed by a small margin. Result: New York 34 Miami 31

Nov. 19, 1972 in MIA: - Dolphins beat Jets to keep perfect season intact:

Miami was down during the entire game, but they still managed to keep up with the Jets. Miami scored the final touchdown of the game with less than 1:30 on the clock to keep their undefeated season intact. Miami went on to win Super Bowl VII and finish with an unprecedented, untouched 17-0 undefeated season. The NFL's only perfect season. Result: Miami 28 New York 24

Jan. 23, 1983 in MIA: - A.J. Duhe stars in AFC Championship Mud Bowl:

Probably the biggest game in this rivalry to date was the 1983 AFC Championship, more appropriately known as "The Mud Bowl". After sweeping the Jets during the regular season by scores of 45-28 and 20-19, the two teams would meet again, this time with a trip to Super Bowl XVII on the line. A slippery, sloppy, muddy field kept both teams scoreless in the first half, however that would all change in the second half. All game, it was a classic defensive battle that featured ten turnovers, eight of them were quarterback interceptions. The star of the game was undoubtedly Dolphins linebacker A.J. Duhe who picked off three of Jets quarterback Richard Todd's five interceptions, returning one 35 yards for a touchdown which helped seal the win and sending Miami to Super Bowl XVII. It also marked the third time in Dolphins history that they shutout the Jets and the first time Miami defeated the Jets three times in one season. Result: Miami 14 New York 0

Nov. 10, 1985 in MIA: - "Super" Duper's last minute heroic 50 yard touchdown catch:

After being sidelined for seven weeks with a broken leg, Mark "Super" Duper had the game of his life when he came back on this day to play the Jets. He set a Dolphins club single game record with 217 receiving yards, but not before helping Miami catapult to victory. Down 17-14 with less than a minute to play, Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino fired a 50 yard touchdown pass to "Super" Duper for the win. Result: Miami 21 New York 17

Sept. 21, 1986 in NY: - Ken O' Brien outguns Dan Marino:

In one of the greatest, classic shootouts in NFL history, quarterbacks Ken O' Brien and Dan Marino put on an offensive performance no Dolphin or Jet fan should ever forget. Both defenses looked absolutely foolish as the two quarterbacks combined set NFL single game records of 884 net passing yards and ten touchdown passes, records that still stand to this day. Marino completed 30 of 50 passes for 448 yards and six touchdown passes. Mark Duper and Mark Clayton had big games each having over 100 yards receiving (Duper with 154, Clayton with 174). Ken O' Brien threw four touchdown passes all to wide receiver Wesley Walker, including the one in OT for the win.     Result: New York 51 Miami 45 / OT

Dec. 7, 1987 in MIA: - Marty Lyons clips Dwight Stephenson:

No Dolphin fan will ever forget. Mention the name Marty Lyons to any Dolphin fan, and emotion bordering on hatred will emerge. Miami won the game that night but came out of it with a HUGE loss. Marty Lyons and Dwight Stephenson were teammates at the University of Alabama and were good close friends up until that faithful night in Miami. The hit came on a fumble return when Marty Lyons took a cheap shot by going low and doing an illegal chop block right at the right knee of Dwight. Dwight's knee turned into a mangled mess with permanent ligament and nerve damage, forcing him to retire early. After the game, Marty Lyons so distraught over what he did, went to the Dolphins locker room to apologize, but Dolphins head coach Don Shula chased him out in one of the most ugly profanity-laced tirades in NFL history. Dwight Stephenson is known to many as the greatest center of all time when he was elected to the pro football hall of fame in 1998.     Result: Miami 37 New York 28

Oct. 23, 1988 in MIA: - Dan Marino throws for 500 yards...but loses:

Dan Marino put on another great performance however he came up short. On this day, Dan Marino joined a small, select few of quarterbacks to throw for more than 500 yards in a single game. Marino threw for a career high 521 yards (NFL record: 554 by Norm Van Brocklin). Marino completed 35 0f 60 passes, threw for three touchdown passes, but five interceptions led to his demise.     Result: New York 44 Miami 30

Nov. 12, 1989 in NY: - Pete Stoyanovich's 59 yard field goal:

The second longest field goal in NFL history at the time was made in this game when Miami kicker Pete Stoyanovich nailed a 59 yard field goal with less than 2:30 on the clock to help seal the win.     Result: Miami 31 New York 23

Dec. 22, 1991 in MIA: - Season Finale - Winner takes all, Loser goes home:

The season finale in 1991 between the Jets and Dolphins had so much on the line. The winners would clinch the final AFC Wildcard spot in the playoffs, and the losers would have their season come to an end. It was a seesaw battle all game, but in the end it would be another chapter in this storied rivalry. Miami took the lead 20-17 with 44 seconds remaining, however when the Jets got the ball, they drove down the field, and tied the game to force OT on Paul Allegre's 44 yard field goal. Allegre came through for the Jets once again in OT with a 30 yard field goal, sending the Jets in the playoffs, and sending Miami home.     Result: New York 23 Miami 20 / OT

Nov. 27, 1994 in NY: - Dan Marino's infamous "fake spike":

Undoubtedly the single greatest play in Dan Marino's glorious career. What Dan Marino did on this play absolutely tortured the Jets and their fans so bad, it would haunt them for years to come. Heading into the fourth quarter, Miami was down 24-6 and were simply being outplayed. Marino, however never gave up. He drove the Dolphins to two scores, thus making the score 24-21. Marino got the ball one last time and on this drive, single handedly changed the course of history for the entire Jets franchise. Marino drove the Dolphins down the field and within the Jets five yard line. With 30 seconds remaining, and the clock continuing to wind down, it appeared Marino was going to spike the ball to stop the clock and send out the field goal unit to tie the game. But the kick was never needed. Instead, Marino took the snap from center, and fired the ball in the corner of the end zone, passed Aaron Glenn and into the hands of Mark Ingram. When the snap happened, the entire Jets defense froze thinking Marino spiked the ball. It was Mark Ingram's fourth touchdown catch of the game, which tied a club record with former Dolphins wide receiver Paul Warfield. Miami went on to win and as for the Jets, after that play, for the rest of that year and the following two years, the Jets compiled a record of 4-32. The "fake spike" destroyed the Jets franchise for two years, while during that time, Miami won one AFC East Division title and made the playoffs both years. Result: Miami 28 New York 24

Dec. 13, 1998 in MIA: Sunday Night Football for the Division lead:

After starting 4-0 only to lose to the 1-2 New York Jets in New York by a score of 20-9, these two teams would meet again, this time with identical 9-4 records with the division lead, and possibly the division title on the line. The Jets walked away from this game with the win, the lead, and ultimately their first AFC East Division Title. The Jets would go all the way to the AFC Championship game, only to lose to Denver 23-10. As far as Miami goes, Miami would make it to the second round of the playoffs, only to get blown out by Denver 38-3. Denver eliminated both New York and Miami from the playoffs that year. Result: New York 21 Miami 16

Oct. 23, 2000 in NY: - The Monday Midnight Miracle at the Meadowlands:

It wasn't the 1992 AFC Wildcard game where the Bills made up a 32 point deficit to beat the Oilers 41-38 in overtime, but it sure was similar. Many people say it was the greatest Monday Night Football game in NFL history, and also one of the greatest comebacks in NFL History. The Jets and Dolphins waged a war so big, that the game lasted over four hours. In the first half, everything went right for the Dolphins. They had a long touchdown run, a long touchdown pass, and a trio of field goals. As far as the Jets, everything that could go wrong, did. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw three interceptions, running back Curtis Martin had 30 yards on the ground, and the Jets could only manage two first downs in the first half. At halftime, the score was 23-7 in favor of Miami. By the end of the 3rd quarter, Miami had a commanding 30-7 lead and ironically, in the most memorable quote during the game, Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler walked over to defensive end Jason Taylor and said this:

Jay: "They ain't coming back on us!"
Jason: "Hell No! You Kidding?! C'mon now."

The jinx was set. From the start of the fourth quarter, the floor fell out from underneath Miami. Vinny Testaverde threw a pair of touchdown passes, one almost intercepted by Dolphins cornerback Sam Madison but caught by Jets receiver Laverneus Coles. The score now went from 30-7, to 30-13, to 30-20. The Jets kept clicking and Miami kept faltering. After a field goal by John Hall, narrowing the margin even more, Vinny Testaverde fired a touchdown pass to Wayne Chrebet to tie the game 30-30. Before the fourth quarter, the Jets were so bad, their fans were actually leaving the stadium. Now all of a sudden, the Jets tied the game and the fans were piling into the stadium again. After the Wayne Chrebet touchdown, it took only two plays for Miami to respond. Jay Fiedler fired a long touchdown pass to Leslie Shepard to retake the lead 37-30. Vinny Testaverde was then given one last chance to tie the game. With less than a minute left on the clock, and the Jets inside Miami's five yard line, the most memorable play of the game happened when Testaverde hit his offensive tackle Jumbo Elliott for a touchdown pass on a tackle eligible play. The score was now 37-37 going into OT. After playing absolutely miserable in the first three quarters, Vinny Testaverde was 18 for 26 for 235 yards and four touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. He threw five touchdowns overall. After having only five first downs in the first three quarters, the Jets had a whopping 20 in the fourth. In OT, Jay Fiedler was picked off for the third time which set up the dramatic finish. John Hall nailed a 40 yard field goal capping off a 23-point, fourth quarter deficit forever known to Jet fans as the "Monday Midnight Miracle at the Meadowlands".     Result: New York 40 Miami 37 / OT

Oct. 14, 2001 in NY: - Miracle at the Meadowlands..Part II:

It wasn't as dramatic as one year earlier, but the game ended in similar fashion. Once again, for the second consecutive year in New York, the Jets were able to overcome a Miami deficit and secure a win. At halftime, Miami held a lead of 17-0 and outgained the Jets 250-27 in offensive yardage. That would change once again, and in similar fashion the Jets scored 21 unanswered points, which included two long touchdown passes from Vinny Testaverde to Laveranues Coles, and Curtis Martin rushing for 120 yards, which allowed New York to outgain Miami 159-19 in offensive yardage in the third quarter. In the closing moments of the game, Jay Fiedler was giving a chance to lead Miami to a comeback win, however an ill-advised throw in double coverage caused the pass to be picked off by linebacker Marvin Jones, clinching the win for the Jets by a score of 21-17. However the significance of the game happened at a Miami press conference after the game when Miami middle linebacker Zach Thomas came and spoke out about both teams claiming that both teams "suck", which led to their meeting only four weeks later.     Result: New York 21 Miami 17

Sept. 22, 2002 in MIA: - Miami ends eight game losing streak:

The Jets tortured Miami for eight straight games until this day. Two streaks were on the line. The Jets winning streak against Miami, and Miami had a 16 game home winning streak in the months of Sept. and Oct. However, at this time, guess which team was the last to beat the Dolphins in Miami in the months of Sept. and Oct.? Thats right - the New York Jets 24-14 in 1993. Plus, Miami was 2-0 heading into this game. Miami got a lot of help from their new running back Ricky Williams who rushed for 151 yards on 24 carries, including a 53 yard touchdown run. Miami whopped the Jets in this game and in a ironic twist of fate, it was after this game that Vinny Testaverde got benched and the new starting quarterback for the Jets, would be Chad Pennington.     Result: Miami 30 New York 3

Oct. 15, 2006 in NY: - The Miss - The Comeback that Could of Been:

So close, yet so far. Miami tried to exact some revenge from six years ago and have their own "Miracle at the Meadowlands". It was not meant to be. The Dolphins were heading into this game at 1-4 and searching for answers on offense, while the Jets even though at 2-3 were playing great football and playing in tight games. After a 3-0 halftime score in favor of the Jets, the Jets absolutely blew the Dolphins away when Jets kicker Mike Nugent hit another field goal, and quarterback Chad Pennington hit two long touchdown passes to Laveranues Coles to open the score up 20-3 with less than 13 minutes to play. Miami didn't give up though as Dolphins quarterback Joey Harrington who played miserable in the first three quarters was on fire in the fourth. He finished 27 of 43 for 266 yards with a touchdown strike to wide receiver Chris Chambers, but two interceptions cost him. The touchdown to Chris Chambers happened with less than nine minutes on the clock, narrowing the margin to 20-10. With less than four minutes of play time left, Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown, who had his first 100 yard rushing game of the season, had a one yard touchdown run, to narrow the score to 20-17. Miami got the ball one last time. Joey Harrington got Miami in striking distance by firing a trio of passes to wide receivers Wes Welker, Chris Chambers, and rookie Derek Hagan, as well as a strike to tight end Randy McMichael. Miami got in field goal range and called for their kicker Olindo Mare to attempt a 51 yard field goal with 33 seconds left to force OT. Mare kicked it but it was short and wide right, and the Jets held on to win as Miami will have to wait for its miracle another day.     Result: New York 20 Miami 17Brain James is an independent sports journalist. Brian has been covering major professional sports for over 25 years.
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College Football Saturday In 500 Words Or Less

2009-10-12T07:06:00.000-04:00

A recap of what went down and what you should take away from Saturday's college football games.

Tebow concussion missionary Tebow circumcision home school Tebow community Superman Tebow charity leader championship Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow. Tebow overload.

Just doing my part.

Primetime was good to us this week. All four games—Florida/LSU, Texas/Colorado, Iowa/Michigan and Georgia Tech/FSU—provided some suspense and intrigue. Tim Tebow came back from injury to lead the Gators to their 15th straight win, while the Longhorns lost their top two running backs with Oklahoma next up on the docket. Iowa squeaked out a victory over conference rival Michigan, quelling any doubters who were still hanging around after a rough start against Northern Iowa and Iowa State. Georgia Tech played well against FSU, but the Seminoles continue to show us that this is just not their year.

Recapping the day in 500 words or less, this is what Saturday taught us about the season:

- Tennessee is on the verge. It won't be long before the Volunteers return to national prominence. It probably won't happen this season, but the Volunteers have a solid, youthful core to build around going forward. The victory over Georgia proved that Tennessee isn't as bad as their critics, and some of their own fans, have said. If they can pull it together on a weekly basis like they did on Saturday, the SEC better take notice of the boys in orange and white.

- Does anybody have an argument for why the SEC is not the best conference in the nation? If you do, I'd love to hear it. Of the six ranked SEC teams, half lost this weekend…to other SEC teams.

- Florida may have been an uncalled Riley Cooper tug of the jersey away from going into the half tied with, or up three on LSU. The touchdown gave the Gators enough separation and momentum to hang onto the lead. Give credit to the Florida defense for holding LSU to only three points.

- Mississippi impressed by holding Alabama out of the red zone on several occasions on Saturday. They just couldn’t manage more than 3 points against the 'Bama defense. At this point, a Florida/Alabama SEC Championship looks eminent. Whoever wins that game, wins the National Championship.

- It wasn't just that Auburn looked bad against Arkansas (besides the 5 minutes in which they scored 3 touchdowns), the Razorbacks looked really good. Ryan Mallett completed 65% of his passes, threw for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Michael Smith rushed for 145 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown for Arkansas. Ben Tate was the star of the Auburn effort, rushing 22 times for 184 yards, including a 60 yarder, and 2 touchdowns. The Tigers will be fine if they can avoid slipping into the dark place they were in last year when they won only 5 games.

- Once Texas went up 17-14 on Colorado early in the second half, forget about it. The Buffalos played like they wanted it in the first half, while the Longhorns played like they were scrimmaging to get ready for the Sooners next weekend. Coming out of the half, it was a whole different story. The early scare may prove to be a positive for Texas moving forward, as good teams rarely make the same mistake twice.

- Is there any question that the Virginia Tech Hokies deserve a top 5 ranking and recognition as the best one-loss team in the nation? They're now ranked 4th and sure played like it on Saturday against Boston College. Dave Shinskie, the Boston College quarterback completed one pass in the game, which didn't come until the second half. Backup Mike Marscovetra fared better, but the Eagles weren't on the board until the fourth quarter when Virginia Tech had wrapped up the win. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams showed that he deserves to be mentioned among the game's elite running backs.

As they stand now, it looks like the BCS National Championship in Pasadena will be played between the winner of the Florida Tebows and Alabama Crimson Tide SEC title game and the Texas Longhorns, provided Texas can get through Oklahoma, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Kansas—all ranked teams at this juncture of the season—and the Big Twelve Championship. The Tebows are facing no cakewalk on their road to the National Championship, either. They must take on a gauntlet of SEC rivals and an in-state rival—Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida State—before they can get to the SEC Championship game. Alabama takes on South Carolina, LSU and Auburn in the regular season. So of course, anything could happen.

This week, Jonathan Crompton Proved He's Worth The Hype bestowed upon him after a 63-7 shellacking of Western Kentucky to start the season. He's still got a long way to go before he can permanently quiet his critics, but he showed some flashes of what got so many Volunteers fans excited in the beginning of the season. Saturday versus Georgia, Crompton was 20 for 27 for 310 yards and 4 touchdowns. He was finding the open man on almost every play, throwing only one pick in the contest.

I'm calling Pittsburgh running back Dion Lewis this week's New Household Name on a week he scored no touchdowns. The freshman has rushed for 738 yards this season, the third highest total in the nation and only 8 yards behind the nation's leading rusher Toby Gerhart of Stanford. On Saturday, he ran for 158 yards against the Connecticut defense, one of the best in the nation. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry on Saturday and averages 5.6 on the season. Keep an eye on this guy throughout what is shaping up to be a great career as he works toward becoming the next great Pitt running back since Tony Dorsett's tenure in the 70's and Craig Heyward's in the 80's.

Next week's big games include a Thursday matchup between a highly ranked Cincinnati team and Big East rival South Florida. On Saturday, Arkansas takes on Florida, Oklahoma takes on Texas, Minnesota travels to Penn State, Texas Tech and their explosive offense visits Nebraska and Virginia Tech takes on Georgia Tech in a battle of ranked ACC teams. The primetime headliners include South Carolina's trip to Alabama and a Missouri/Oklahoma State matchup in the nightcap. - Danny Hobrock

Danny Hobrock is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.

Roto-Rx - Answering Your Fantasy Football Questions

2009-10-10T08:05:00.003-04:00

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball and Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: Who gets a better bump in fantasy value, Mark Sanchez or Braylon Edwards from the Edwards move to NY? – Jonathan, Almador City, CA

Jonathan: Dr. Roto will say Sanchez. Edwards is another weapon that should help Sanchez find his other players a bit more (paging Dustin Keller) and open up the offense too.

Question #2: Would you start McNabb this week or wait a week? – Pat, Temple University

Pat: I don't know who your backups are, but McNabb should be a decent play this week against Tampa. Tampa has been horrible on defense and this game should be a nice transition game for McNabb as he recovers from his injury.

Question #3: I have two Steelers running backs and need to dump one to fill other needs. Should I keep Parker or Mendenhall? – Adam, Binghamton

Adam: Willie Parker is still not fully recovered from his injury. Mendenhall is a sure starter against Detroit. Short-term pick is Mendenhall, although keep listening to what Mike Tomlin says about the situation. Willie Parker may be football's version of Wally Pipp.

Question #4: I’ve been offered a trade, Steve Slaton for Brandon Jacobs. Should I pull the trigger for Slaton? – Tim, Baldwin Park, CA

Tim: Slaton finally had a good game last week against the Titans. Jacobs has been struggling somewhat this season, but should get healthy against the Raiders. Tough call here, but I think I would stay with Jacobs. Slaton seems a bit tentative in his running and has had problems holding onto the ball. Jacobs is on one of the top rushing teams in the NFL. Close one, though....

Question #5: Who is the better fantasy QB, Aaron Rodgers or Matt Schaub? – Douglas, Reno, NV

Douglas: Dr. Roto is a fan of both QB's this year. Rodgers has a great arm, plays in an explosive offense and runs very well for a QB. Big problems are that is OL stinks and he has the toughest playoff schedule around. Schaub has some big weapons in Houston. He just needs to stay injury free. Dr. Roto will take Rodgers by a hair...mainly because of those rushing yards which may add up as he runs for his life most games!

The Doctor is out...

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NFL Week #5 Picks

2009-10-09T07:16:00.002-04:00

As often happens when you pick a lot of games you end up relatively flat. We picked 8 games last week and we went 4 & 4. It’s rare that you go 7 -1 or 1 -7, 5 - 3, 3 - 5 or 4 - 4 is more common. It’s easier to pick a small amount of games because you can select only those you have maximum conviction in. But we are here to pick so pick we shall do.

We’re not too disappointed thought because you can’t expect to be + every week, and much like stock trading, part of being successful is to keep you losers small. We did that this week.

Week #1 = + $77.50
Week #2 = + $72.50
Week #3 = + $20.00
Week #4 = - $12.00

Total = + $158.00 after 4 weeks.

Remember, we are using a $1,000 betting pot to start out with so we are up 15.8% after 4 weeks (winnings go to charity). Gotta turn it back around this week, here we go……

Syracuse is week again this year
$75 – West Virginia - 10.0 (-110)

FSU just doesn’t have the horses this year
$40 – Georgia Tech +3.0 (-110)

Rutgers has been playing well since game 1
$40 – Rutgers MONEYLINE (-110)

Until the Rams show me that they can hang with anyone, you have to pick against them.
$50 – Minnesota -10.0 (-110)

Dallas will finally put a good game together
$50 – Dallas – 8.5 (-110)

16 points is a lot to give in the NFL but unless their defense scores, I just don’t see Oakland scoring any points.
$50 - NY Giants -16.0 (-110)

We’ll go with the Jets here in a blow out. If they don’t win convincingly here, our outlook on them this season will change.
$50 - NY Jets (-2.0) (-110)

Robert Fairchild is a professional sports gaming professional. He legally wages on professional and collegiate sporting events for a living. Robert is NOT suggesting that you quit your day job and try to wager on sports for a living. He is contributing his thoughts and experience to assist you in a recreational activity that you as an informed adult may choose to take part in.

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Do we really need to watch other people live?

2009-10-08T13:52:00.002-04:00

What is it about society that makes so many people interested in watching other people live on TV? I know reality TV shows are popular and that I am in the minority (having no interest in them at all) because they get wonderful TV ratings and advertisers want to pay for them.

Frankly, I don’t care who the subject of the reality TV show is. It could be my favorite sports figure / actor / politician / model etc. I have no interest whatsoever in watching them go about their daily life. Am I the only one who has other things to do and is too busy to watch other people do what they have to do on a given day?

And what about the subjects of the shows? Are these people that desperate to stay or become celebrities that they want to let millions of people watch them live? Why would they want the intimate personal details of their lives broadcast in the public domain?

So now we find out that Michael Vick is going to have a reality TV show on the BET Network. According its producers, "The Michael Vick Project will follow Vick's comeback in Philadelphia and also document his past, including the 2007 arrest for running a dogfighting ring.”

The Michael Vick Project? That’s the best they could come up with?

"I just want people to really get to know me as an individual," Vick said.

Why? Do you guys reading this have a burning desire to let everyone in America get to know you? I don’t want millions of people across the nation to know me. I want my family and friend to know me. Why would I want some character in Blow Hunk Idao to know me? That’s a bit odd don’t you think?

This isn’t an attack on Vick because I am actually one of those in the minority that believes he served his time and is now entitled do any of the privileges of life that the law allows him. The show could be about watching the Pope or the President live and I wouldn’t watch it.

I’m certain that the show will get wonderful ratings and I’m certain that many of you reading will be watching. I won’t, I don’t care because I have my own life to live. I guess you guys can let me know what happens. - Keith A. Baker

Keith A. Baker is a sports agent in Stamford, Connecticut. His goal is to offer a unique insight to the world of sports and Major League Baseball in particular. Comments in his columns are for entertainment purposes only and do not reflect the views and opinions of his firm or his clients.

Roto-Rx

2009-10-08T07:26:00.000-04:00

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/ where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball and Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: Do you think Michael Crabtree will have a fantasy impact THIS YEAR? – Elvis, Irving, TX

Elvis: Crabtree finally signed with the 49ers. Great for him, but not so special for fantasy leaguers. We are in Week 5 now and it should take him at least 4 weeks or so to get accustomed to what they are doing in SF. That put us at Week 9. Then he has to build some trust with Shaun Hill which takes time. Also, remember that the 49ers are a run first team. He may help later in the seaosn, but Dr. Roto is not counting on him.

Question #2: The Saints defense looked good last week. They are not taken in my league, should I grab them? – Lawrence, San Bernardino, CA

Lawrence: Go get 'em. The best part about the Saints is that their offense is so good that most teams will be playing catch up each week. That means more sacks and INT's. Dr. Roto loves the Darren Sharper pick up. The Former William and Mary grad has been a stud in the secondary for the past 12 years...he's way underrated as a defensive player.

Question #3: Which running back on the Dolphins will have the best fantasy year? – Dennis, Notre Dame University

Dennis: No brainer on this one...Ronnie Brown.

Question #4: Joe Flacco seems to be throwing more this year. Would you play him over rookie Mark
Sanchez? - Joseph, St. Petersburg, FL

Joseph: Flacco has a year under his belt and has the confidence of Cam Cameron and John Harbaugh. Sanchez has played well, but he is still a rookie. Flacco was Dr. Roto's sleeper QB before the year started ...no reason to get off his bandwagon now.

Question #5: What is your opinion of Brett Favre at this point in his career? Is he a viable option for my fantasy team? - Carlos, Arlington, TX

Carlos: Favre is a fantasy nightmare. He will have some great games, and he'll have some bad ones. The Vikings are a run first team with the best RB in the NFL. When Peterson has his great days, Favre could be looking at 15-22 for 150 yards and a TD. Favre makes for a great backup/BYE week play. He is certainly worth having on your roster...just not as a starter.

The Doctor is out...

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A letter to Mr. Mangidiot..........

2009-10-07T13:45:00.001-04:00

October 7, 2009 (a day that will live in infamy)

Dear Mr. Mangidiot:

Thank you for giving us wide receiver Braylon Edwards today. I didn’t think that Wesleyan University produced morons, but I see that they have now produced at least one. I expect that by this time next week when I look up the word IGNORAMUS on Wikipedia, that you will be cited in the definition.

Sure Edwards is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. But if he can do a Plaxico and bring us a Superbowl before he loses it, I’ll take it.

Just to show you that all New Yorkers aren't without class, I would like to give you my best thoughts and wishes.

Best wishes, and I hope you are eternally miserable.

Sincerely,

Mark Foster (Jets fan no matter what)

Thank your Mark for that superbly written letter.

The “Brady Rule” is Making a Joke of the Quarterback Position

2009-10-07T07:24:00.001-04:00

I get it. Carson Palmer got hit low in a playoff game and sat out for a long period of time. It sucked. Tom Brady got hit low and missed an entire season after leading the Patriots through an undefeated regular season the year before. It sucked. Nobody wants to see the star players of the NFL get injured, standing on the sidelines with no pads for long periods of time. I get it.

But that’s football. Injuries happen.

The personal fouls that were called against Baltimore’s defense on two hits (if you can even call them “hits”) on Tom Brady were horrendous and Ray Lewis had every right to make those statements after the game.

If you’re a football fan and don't know what I'm talking about, take a look for yourself.

Terrell Suggs was pushed well after Tom Brady released the ball, and fell into Brady’s legs. And the “Brady Rule” prohibits any hits on the knees or below of quarterbacks – whether the defender leads with his helmet or his shoulder.

However, Suggs barely grazed the leg of the golden boy of the NFL. In fact, there wasn’t even enough contact to make Brady go to the ground. Brady intentionally and successfully dodged Suggs, stayed on his feet and actually argued for a 15-yard penalty.

Are you kidding me?

The New England quarterback reacted in a way that a center in a professional basketball game argues for a charging foul (except there’s more contact on a charging foul in the NBA than there was on this play).

Of course, the roughing the passer call occurred on a critical third down and kept the drive alive. And of course, the Patriots converted that gift from the refs to seven points.

Earlier in the game, Baltimore defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was questionably penalized for roughing the passer and New England turned that into seven points as well.

Ray Lewis was absolutely right when he said, “it is embarrassing to the game.” The referees should be embarrassed. The NFL owners who lobbied for the “Brady Rule” should be embarrassed. And Tom Brady should be embarrassed (although I doubt he is).

The “Brady Rule” might as well include flags on the waist of the quarterback and eliminate contact on the QB all together. All the defender would have to do is pull the flag and that would count as a sack. Because if rules like this one keep being implemented, then the game is going to turn into something close to flag football.

When former Patriot and teammate of Tom Brady, Rodney Harrison, says that Brady should “take off the skirt,” you know that the penalty was a disgrace to the game of football. - Michael Klopman

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NFL WRAP-UP - Week 4 Final

2009-10-06T09:14:00.001-04:00

Minnesota Vikings (30) - Green Bay Packers (23)
Brett Favre had 3 TD passes for the 66th time and 12th time on Monday night. That’s pretty much all you need to know. Favre has now beaten all 34 NFL teams. Adrian Peterson wasn’t even needed as the Vikings pass rush completely controlled the game with 8 sacks. Jared Allen’s 4 ½ sacks including a safety made this one easy for Favre. So it’s Favre- 1, Packers-0, but they do this again at Lambeau field and that one should be something to behold. Vikings (4-0), Packers (2-2)

Tennessee Titans (17) - Jacksonville Jaguars (37)
What the heck has happened to the Tennessee Titans? From 13-3 to a shocking 0-4. This team has just fallen apart, and Jeff Fisher has every right to be exasperated. The 1st 3 losses all could have went either way. This time though, the Titans put up a clunker. Jacksonville jumped on the Titans from the start. A Josh Scobee field goal and a nine yard run by Maurice Jones-Drew had the Jaguars up 10-0. An 8 minute drive by Tennessee led to a short Rob Bironas field goal, but the rest was all Jacksonville. A pair of touchdown passes of 9 and 15 yards from David Garrard to Sims-Waler sandwiched around another Scobee field goal had the Jaguars rolling 27-3 at intermission.

A Scobee field goal in the third quarter increased the lead to 30-3. By the time the Titans reached the end zone, it was way too little, way too late. The Jaguars may have revived their season with this one. Titans (0-4), Jaguars (2-2)

Washington Redskins (16) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13)
As is often the case, a pair of bad teams can actually make for a good game. If good is defined by close, yes. If defined by quality of play and excitement, then no. Johnson hit Antonio Bryant on a 2 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, and a field goal in the second quarter had the Pirates of Pewter Pants up 10-0 at halftime.

The third quarter was all Washington. A field goal had them within 10-3, and Jason Campbell tossed a 17 yard touchdown to Chris Cooley to tie the game and a 59 yard touchdown to Santana Moss to put the Redskins up-17-10 after three quarters. Tampa Bay did take 8 minutes and 12 plays to reach the Washington five yard line, but the drive bogged down. A field goal had the Bucs within a field goal with two minutes left. But that was all she wrote. Redskins (2-2), Bucs (0-4)

Chicago Bears (48) - Detroit Lions (24)
The Lions are improved. Matthew Stafford has talent. Yet the Bears are even more improved, and Jay Cutler finally had the breakout game Chicago was expecting of him as the Bears exploded on the scoreboard. It was the Lions that got going early with a one yard run from Smith to put Detroit up 7-0. Cutler responded with a 5 yard run of his own to tie the game 7-7. Yet the Lions came back, and Stafford hit Heller for a 14-7 Lions lead after the opening quarter.

Both teams kept their feet on the offensive accelerator in the second quarter. Cutler threw a pair of short touchdown passes, 2 yards to Davis and one yard to Greg Olsen as the Bears led 21-14. Yet Smith ran it in again, this time from 3 yards out, as the teams went to the locker rooms tied 21-21. Yet while the first half was a pinball machine for both teams, the second half was all Chicago.

Johnny Knox got things going by returning the second half kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown as the Bears led 28-21 and never looked back. Robby Gould connected on field goals of 52 and 22 as the Bears led 34-21 entering the final quarter. Jason Hanson did kick a 35 yard field goal to pull the Lions to within 34-24, but Detroit got no closer. Matt Forte ripped off a 37 yard run for a touchdown, and Wolfe closed out the scoring with a touchdown on the ground from 2 yards out. The final score was a blowout, but the game was closer than the score indicated. Bears (3-1), Lions (1-3) - * Matthew Stafford suffered a knee injury in this game but it doesn’t appear to be anything major as he is listed “day to day”.

Cincinnati Bengals (23) - Cleveland Browns (20) - OT
Normally this is for the right to embarrass all of Ohio, but the Bengals are much improved. The Browns are not. Yet anything can happen in this game. In the first quarter Chad Johnson took a five yard touchdown from Carson Palmer to put Cincy up 7-0. In the second quarter a 75 yard fumble return by Geathers had the Bengals up 14-0, which should have been enough. Yet for all the hype about Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson can play. A one yard touchdown pass to Heiden had Cleveland within 14-7 at the break.

Derek Anderson ran it in from one yard out to tie the game 14-14 in the third quarter. Cleveland twice reached the red zone in the fourth quarter, but had to settle for field goals and a 20-14 lead. However, Cincinnati was doing nothing. Carson Palmer led one final drive to try and win it. With time running out, Palmer found Johnson for the 2 yard touchdown. The Bengals were getting ready to celebrate a fantastic comeback and a typical Cleveland meltdown. Yet in another “are you kidding me?” moment for the Bengals this season, the extra point attempt was blocked. Instead of a 21-20 Bengals win, the last game that anybody would want to have overtime did.

To make matters worse, they played virtually the entire 5th quarter for the right to be the best team in Ohio behind the Ohio State Buckeyes. Sudden death was endless agony. With one minute remaining in overtime, the Bengals faced 4th and 10 at the Cleveland 40. Marvin Lewis decided to go for it rather than try a 58 yard field goal. Palmer escaped the pocket and ran 15 yards for a 1st down. Another screen pass set up a chip shot field goal on the final play. It looked terrible, but was ruled good. Bengals (3-1), Browns (0-4)

Houston Texans (29) - Oakland Raiders (6)
For the seventh straight year, the Raiders are a bad team, and the season appears lost after 4 games. JaMarcus Russell had another miserable day, going 12 for 33. Kris Brown kicked a 26 yard field goal, and Sebastian Janikowski responded with a 46 yarder to make it 3-3 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, reality set in. Brown kicked a 34 yard field goal to put the Texans up 6-3. Slaton then ran 32 yards for a touchdown to make it 13-3. Slaton then took an 18 yard touchdown pass from Matt Schaub as the Texans coasted 20-3. Seabass added another field goal for the Raiders as they trailed 20-6 at intermission. Raiders fans watched the second half under protest through many bitter tears of silver and black wins in days long gone by.

The Texans did not score any points on offense in the second half. Their defense put a safety on the board, as Justin Fargas was tackled in the end zone by Brad Cushing. Jones then returned the free kick 95 yards for the final score of the game as the Raiders managed to play poorly in all three phases of the game. Outside of offense, defense, special teams, blocking, and tackling, the Raiders have hope. Texans (2-2), Raiders (1-3)

Indianapolis Colts (34) - Seattle Seahawks (17)
When a bad team travels on the road to play a good team, miracles usually do not happen. That is why they are called miracles. Brown ran it in from one yard out to put the Colts up 7-0. In the second quarter, Peyton Manning hit Reggie Wayne from 5 yards out to give the Colts a 14-0 lead and end any suspense that should never have existed anyway. An Olidno Mare 38 yard field goal made it 14-3, but Manning then hit Collie, who woofed his way 9 yards into the end zone to make it 21-3 Colts at the half. For some reason, the second half was played.

In the third quarter Joseph Addai ran it in from 12 yards out to make it 28-3. Adam Vinatieri was getting lonely, so the Colts decided in the fourth quarter to stop scoring touchdowns so his leg could have a workout. A pair of field goals made it 34-3. Seattle eventually reached the end zone, but by then the Colts were busy preparing for next week. Colts (4-0), Seahawks (1-3)

New York Giants (27) - Kansas City Chiefs (16)
I’m finding it hard to watch the Giants games as they are largely anti-competitive, at least to date. Once again, a good team with a Manning played a bad team without one. Once again, Goliath beat up David and took his lunch money. Eli Manning hit Steve Smith for a 3 yard touchdown as the Giants led 7-0. A field goal by Succop had the Chiefs within 7-3, but in the second quarter the Giants ended any suspense in another game that was expecting none. Manning hit Smith again, this time for 25 yards, as the Giants led 14-3. A field goal by Tynes in the second quarter and another one in the third quarter had the Giants coasting 20-3 after three quarters.

Manning tossed a 54 yard touchdown to Nicks to make it 27-3. Kansas City did crack the end zone during garbage time, but the score did not reflect the fact that this game was a blowout. Giants (4-0), Chiefs (0-4)

New England Patriots (27) – Baltimore Ravens (21)
If you didn’t notice it was “pink week” in the NFL as breast cancer awareness was in full swing. In this game first quarter a field goal by Stephen Gotkowski had New England on the board first, but Joe Flacco hit Derrick Mason for a 20 yard touchdown to put the Ravens up 7-3. In the second quarter Tom Brady led a 14 play, 76 yard, 8 minute drive that ended with Brady sneaking in from one yard out to put the Patriots back up 10-7. Sammy Morris added a 12 yard touchdown run to put the Patriots up 17-7 at intermission.

In the third quarter the Ravens recovered a fumble in the end zone. The gift touchdown had them within 17-14. Yet Brady hit Randy Moss from 14 yard out to give the Patriots a 24-14 lead. The Ravens hung tough, and early in the fourth quarter Flacco hit Willis McGahee from 13 yards out to pull the Ravens to within 24-21. A New England field goal gave the Patriots a 6 point cushion, but late in the game Flacco moved the Ravens deep on one final drive.

Two years ago the Patriots went 16-0, but the closest they came to a loss was when they played the Ravens. A critical fourth down was stopped twice by the Baltimore defense, but New England was given a third chance, which they used to win. This time it was the Ravens facing 4th and 3 from the New England 15. Flacco threw a perfect pass, and with less than 30 seconds left, Mark Clayton simply dropped it. It was right in his hands. Once again, Bill Bellichick and Patriots find a way to prevail. The Ravens and Pats are both (3-1)

Miami Dolphins (38) - Buffalo Bills (10)
Despite being winless, the Dolphins are not as awful as their record. The Bills are coached by Dick Jauron, which means the Dolphins had every reason to expect to win at home. After a scoreless first quarter, a 33 yard field goal and a 23 yard interception return for a touchdown of Trent Edwards had Miami up 10-0. Ryan Lindell did get the Bills on the board with a 35 yard field goal, but a one yard touchdown run by Ronnie Brown had the Dolphins up 17-3. Chad Pennington did not play in this game, but it did not matter as Henne did the job just fine.

In the third quarter Henne threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Hartline. When Ricky Williams ran it in from one yard out, the Dolphins led 31-3. The Dolphins were never as bad as their 0-3 record, although Bill Parcells has often said that your record reflects what you are. Dolphins (1-3), Bills (1-3)

New Orleans Saints (24) - New York Jets (10)
The Jets are a very good team, and expectations are rightly raised. However, the Saints are an even better team, and their sky high expectations were enhanced with home field. Mark Sanchez is on his way to a successful career, but Drew Brees is ridiculous. Rex Ryan is a defensive genius, but the problem for the Jets was not Drew Brees in this game. It was the Saints defense that clamped down on the Jets offense.

A 13 play, 7 minute drive led to a 34 yard field goal as the Saints led 3-0 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, Sanchez was intercepted by Darren Sharper, who returned it 99 yards the other way for a shocker that had the Saints up 10-0. Ayodele recovered a fumble in the end zone as the Saints increased their lead to 17-0. Sanchez stayed calm, and a 14 play, 7 minute drive led to a 38 yard Jay Feely field goal to pull the Jets to within 17-3. A 15 yard run by Thomas Jones in the third quarter had the Jets within 17-10, but the Saints closed the door in the fourth quarter with a one yard Pierre Thomas run. Both of these teams are good and Sanchez will learn from his rookie mistakes. If the Jets are going to do any real damage this year though they offensive play calling has to help Sanchez out. When you run a wide receiver 3 yard slant 11 times in the game, I think the defense can figure out what you are going to do after the 6th or 7th time…. Saints (4-0), Jets (3-1)

San Francisco 49ers (35) - St. Louis Rams (0)
As awful as the Rams are, neither team did anything to deserve being on the field in the first half. In the second quarter, McKillop recovered a fumble in the end zone for the only score of the half as the 49ers led 7-0 in a game that was too ugly to describe. For excitement, San Francisco missed a field goal. The second half was played only because NFL television rules require it.

The second half was all 49ers. Shawn Hill hit Vernon Davis for a 13 yard touchdown and Willis returned a Kyle Boller pass 23 yards for another touchdown. Marc Bulger was probably almost glad not to be playing in this debacle. Hill hit Morgan for an 11 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Mike Singletary had to be pleased when an 11 yard fumble return became the second defensive touchdown on the day. No, these are not the 1985 Bears, and yes, the Rams are horrendous, but Singletary has the 49ers moving in the right direction from an attitude standpoint. They are one Brett Favre miracle away from being 4-0. 49ers (3-1), Rams (0-4)

Dallas Cowboys (10) - Denver Broncos (17)
The Broncos came in at 3-0, but beating up a pair of Ohio teams and Oakland would not be as tough a test as a loaded Cowboys team. In the opening quarter Nick Folk nailed a 49 yard field goal, and Marion Barber added a one yard touchdown run to put the Cowboys up 10-0 early on. Denver did nothing, but were given a gift, allowing them to start a drive at the Dallas 9 yard line. One play was enough for Kyle Orton to hit Moreno for the touchdown. Dallas had the ball for 18 of the first 25 minutes, and were dominating statistically, yet only led 10-7.

The second half was a defensive game, but late in the fourth quarter a 28 yard field goal by Prater tied the game 10-10. Denver got the ball back, and the crowd erupted when Kyle Orton found Brandon Marshall for a 51 yard touchdown pass with a little over one minute remaining. Tony Romo brought the Cowboys down the field, and with 9 seconds left, Dallas had 3rd down from inside the 10. After an incomplete pass, Dallas had one last shot with 5 seconds left. Another incomplete, pass, and Denver had completed the stunning upset. The Broncos were supposed to be a mess. No Mike Shanahan and no Jay Cutler? No problem. As for Dallas, there is trouble in Big D, and Jerry Jones is watching his 1.2 billion dollar investment fall short. Broncos (4-0), Cowboys (2-2)

Pittsburgh Steelers (38) - San Diego Chargers (28)
Both of these came in with something to prove. While it is difficult to call the defending champs under Mike Tomlin overrated, they need to right the ship. San Diego definitely is overrated, and will remain so under Norv Turner. The first half was a black and gold massacre. The Steelers had Terrible Towels, while the Chargers were just terrible. The first quarter featured a one yard touchdown run by Robert Mendenhall and an 11 yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Mewelde Moore. Mendenhall ran it in from 19 yards out to put the Steelers up 21-0 at halftime.

In the third quarter Big Ben Hit Heath Miller for a 5 yard touchdown to give the Steelers a 28-0 advantage. At that point the Steelers got bored, and Mike Tomlin will have plenty to say about heir second half play. Philip Rivers hit Antonio Gates for a 3 yard touchdown pass, but the Steelers still led 28-7 after three quarters. Yet when Hester returned a fumble 41 yards for a score, the Chargers were within 28-14. When Roethlisberger found Miller again for a 6 yard score, the Steelers were back up 35-14, but Rivers kept firing as the Chargers tried to make a furious comeback.

Rivers threw touchdown passes of 30 yards t Gates and 13 yards to Chris Chambers, and a 28-0 deficit was now a ballgame as the Chargers were within 35-28. Yet champions play well when it matters most, even on off nights. A time consuming drive bled the clock, and a 46 yard field goal by Josh Reed iced the game. Rivers had thrown for 254 yards and 3 touchdowns on 21 for 36 passing, but Roethlisberger was a ridiculous 26 for 33 for 333 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Steelers (2-2), Chargers (2-2)Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around The Horn (Baseball Blogs) and Extra Point (Football Blogs). Mike is also the founder of the fantasy sports games Ultimate Franchise Baseball™ and Ultimate Franchise Football™.
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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

College Football Saturday In 500 Words Or Less

2009-10-05T07:44:00.002-04:00

A recap of what went down and what you should take away from Saturday's college football games.

Few upsets this week, as only one top 10 team was defeated. We were, however, able to learn more about some teams than we had learned all season. As teams begin to get away from their cupcake schedules at the beginning of the season and enter conference play, that early season mask is pulled away and we get our first glimpses of how teams will fare over the course of the season.

Recapping the day in 500 words or less, this is what Saturday taught us about the season:

- Iowa needed to prove their win over Penn State was no fluke. Granted Saturday's win came against Arkansas State, the Hawkeyes' offense showed some signs of life. Iowa began the game with two quick scores and came out of the half firing, but if they want to hang in there all season long, they've got to find a way to produce on offense more consistently. Still, I'm about ready to call myself a believer after the 5-0 Hawkeyes' shaky start.

- Does any team rely on a single player the way Minnesota relies on Eric Decker? Wait, that would be Cal with Jahvid Best. Whereas the Gophers' supporting cast was able to take advantage of the double teams that Decker drew (in a loss), Kevin Riley and the Cal offense could not take advantage of the attention given to Best by Oregon and USC.

- I've said it almost every week, but UNC's offense is anemic. How do you manage only 3 points against Virginia?

- On that subject, is there anything less exciting than an ACC matchup? Maybe it's because their games have little implications on the national landscape. Maybe it's because outside of a few programs (notably Miami and FSU—and maybe BC, Clemson and Virginia Tech) there is a lack of longstanding football tradition in the programs.

- More Tate Forcier. Seriously, this kid doesn't have a give-up bone in his body. Of course, his interception in the end zone didn't help matters, but the Michigan Wolverines have a bright future as long as Forcier is under center.

- Penn State bounced back after to their poor showing last Saturday night in the loss to Iowa. They got off to a slow start on offense against Illinois (hangover?) but scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to get back on the winning path.

- Golden Tate's extraordinary confidence began at birth…when his parent's named him Golden. I wonder what that does for a boy's confidence growing up. Golden sure has a quiet arrogance about him (not in a bad way) and he's emerged as the big playmaker on the Notre Dame offense this season.

- Kyle Rudolph is going to be the next big tight end to come out of college football. The guy's 6-6, has become a favorite target of quarterback Jimmy Clausen and has a basketball background like Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates.

- Speaking of Notre Dame, their overtime win over Washington was the game of the week. Clausen and Jake Locker are quietly underrated on the national scope. I say 'quietly underrated' because everybody knows they're good, but few consider them among the elite, which is where they belong.

- Besides looking like he's about to deliver a pizza to a group of co-eds in some dimly lit apartment, Landry Jones showed Oklahoma fans they have reason to cheer about the team's future. Oklahoma's supporting cast just didn't back him up on Saturday. Give credit to the Miami Hurricanes, though.

We're in that really meaty part of the season, where most teams begin, or have begun, conference play and the real season begins to take shape. Florida will get their first big-time test next week when they visit LSU, while Miami will get their first breather when Florida A&M, and their kickass band, comes to town.

Robert Hughes became a New Household Name with his performance in Notre Dame's overtime win against Washington. He filled in for Armando Allen, who was injured in the game, rushing for 70 yards on only 8 carries and scoring a touchdown in which he dragged most of the Huskies defense and Irish offense into the end zone in the process. The 235 pound halfback even broke off a 37 yard run in the win. The Irish should take solace in knowing that they have some depth at running back after Hughes' performance.

This week, Jacory Harris Proved He's Worth The Hype. Harris was able to bounce back after making two poor decisions to start the game, which resulted in interceptions. He would throw for 3 touchdowns and led Miami to a win over 8th ranked Oklahoma, and a 3-1 record in the process.

Next week's big games include top-ranked Florida's trip to LSU to face the fourth ranked Tigers in the prime time headliner. Michigan visits Iowa in another big prime time matchup. In earlier matchups, Georgia visits Tennessee, Alabama visits Mississippi and Oregon visits UCLA. - Danny Hobrock

Danny Hobrock is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Dan Snyder Deserves What’s Coming to Him

2009-10-04T08:25:00.000-04:00

I will be blunt… the Washington Redskins will never contend for a championship as long as Daniel Snyder is the owner of the team. That statement was one of the toughest and nauseating things I have ever written. I am a loyal and diehard Redskins fan, but sometimes the truth hurts. The thing is, as much as I want the Redskins to succeed I know Dan Snyder doesn’t deserve a championship. He deserves to suffer for what he has done to the Redskins franchise and the fans.

Dan Snyder is arguably the worst owner in the NFL. I think he is the worst owner in football for couple reasons. He spends an absurd amount of money, which is something fans should want their owner to do. But that is all. The owner shouldn’t do anything else and that is a problem that Snyder has. He just has to get involved. Neither Snyder nor Vinny Cerrato, the man Snyder hired as Vice President of Football Operations, have any idea what championships are made out of. For instance, most Super Bowl winning teams usually have amazing offensive lines (except for last year’s Steelers). Did the Redskins draft any offensive linemen after having one of the worst o-lines last season? No (By the way, starting right guard Randy Thomas is out for the season). It is very easy to point out all of the bad moves Snyder and Cerrato have made over the years. Trust me, there are plenty to choose from.

But the most important reason why Snyder is the worst owner in the NFL is how he treats the loyal fans. Never has there been an owner of a professional football team that treats the fans so terribly. Snyder constantly makes the fatal mistake no fan wants their owner to make. He chooses his wallet over the team and its fans.

Snyder has sued over a hundred people and companies who are loyal Redskins fans over the past five years for breaching their season-ticket contracts. In one case, Snyder sued a 73-year-old woman who signed a 10-year, $5,300-a-year contract for season tickets for the Washington Redskins. She was on the verge of bankruptcy and couldn’t afford paying for the tickets so she requested to be released from the contract so she could try to become financially stable.

What kind of person does that? Dan Snyder is suing senior citizens who can barely make it out of the house to a game just so he can make some extra money. That is absolutely horrible.

And now it looks like Washington has hit rock bottom. The Redskins just lost to the Lions who had not a game in 19 attempts. Jim Zorn, the coach Snyder hired (who has never been a head coach), is failing. Albert Haynesworth, the player Snyder is paying 100 million dollars, can’t stay on the field. The fans are booing after victories. This is what some people call “karma.”

It is becoming extremely difficult to support and root for a team with an owner who is a scumbag and the rest of the fan base sounds like they are starting to feel the same way.

So this is what I have to say about Dan Snyder, the owner of my favorite football team… He deserves what’s happening right now. I just wish I didn’t have to feel the pain. - Michael Klopman

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Roto-Rx

2009-10-03T22:11:00.000-04:00

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/ where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball and Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: Should Derek Anderson be picked up? He did great for me two years ago. – Aaron, Bradley, MI

Aaron: Don't go crazy Aaron. Edge James did well for me two years ago and you don't see me picking him up. Remember one thing...don't get sentimental. Just because a guy won you a big fantasy game three years ago against your college roommate doesn't make him good today. Most guys are only as good as their last game. In Anderson's case, he is not even that good. In the immortal words of Jerry Seinfeld, "He's a chucker". Avoid.

Question #2: I know that the Dolphins picked up Thigpen, but does Chad Henne’s stock rise here? – Mavis, Stanford University

Mavis: I wouldn't get too excited about the Fins picking up Tyler Thigpen. He is backup material at best. Chad Henne was going to get the starting job next year for the Dolphins. He's not 100% ready just yet, but he will be a bit better than you expect. That said, he should not be starting on anyone's fantasy roster this weekend (unless Mrs. Henne plays roto).

Question #3: Darren McFadden seems to have fumbleitus. Do I bench him? – David, Ashford, AL

David: This would NOT be the week to bench McFadden. He is playing Houston...the home of good steak and crappy run defense. If he can't get it going this week then you should start to panic.

Question #4: Should I activate Kellen Winslow or Heath Miller this week? – Roger, Allentown, PA

Roger: Although I like Winslow more as a receiver, i think the play here is Heath Miller. The Chargers don't cover the TE exceptionally well and Miller should have some redzone opportunities. Tampa will struggle a bit this week with a new QB and a road crowd that will be chomping at the bit for a W.

Question #5: Do you see Fred Taylor as a 1,000 yard back this year? – Lamont, Royal City, WA

Lamont: No way. There are too many guys in the NE backfield and the Pats still like to throw it. I do think that you will see Fred have a few good weeks over the course of the season. Just hard to predict which ones will be good. Stay away this week as the Ravnes come to town.

The Doctor is out...

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NFL Week #4 Picks

2009-10-02T12:20:00.002-04:00

Last week Bret Favre’s TD pass with just seconds to go costs us $125 and a nice week. Boy is that frustrating. That’s why you shouldn’t bet. HA! Never the less, we were still + $20 for the week.

Week #1 = + $77.50
Week #2 = + $72.50
Week #3 = + $20.00

Total = + $170.00 after 3 weeks.

Remember, we are using a $1,000 betting pot to start out with so we are up 17% after 3 weeks (winnings go to charity). We are still headed in the right direction and slow and steady wins the race……

This week we are picking up the pace a bit and picking 4 NCAA games and 4 NFL games. As the season goes on you tend to get a feel for the teams and you can pick with more confidence. Of course even when you are right, you are always a Brett Favre pass away from being wrong…… Here we go.

Roll Tide Roll
$30 - Alabama -16.0 (-110)

Ole’ Miss bounces back after a rough performance last week while ranked #4
$30 - Mississippi - 10 (-110)

VT is a special teams machine.
$30 - Virginia Tech - 7 (-110)

Iowa parlay’s last week’s Pen St. win
$30 - Iowa - 21.5 (-110)

KC is no match for the G-Men
$30 - NY Giants - 8.5 (-110)

Tampa will get more than 100 total yards this week 
$30 - Tampa Bay Bucs+7.0 (-110)

I was going to take the Jets +7 but the +220 temptation was too much to turn down
$30 - NY Jets MONEY LINE (220)

Buffalo stomps on the Fins without Chad managing the game
$30 - Buffalo Bills - 1.5 (-110)

8 games and only one underdog. Hmmm. I like it.

Robert Fairchild is a professional sports gaming professional. He legally wages on professional and collegiate sporting events for a living. Robert is NOT suggesting that you quit your day job and try to wager on sports for a living. He is contributing his thoughts and experience to assist you in a recreational activity that you as an informed adult may choose to take part in.

Roto-Rx

2009-10-02T06:42:00.002-04:00

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/ where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball and Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: Should Derek Anderson be picked up? He did great for me two years ago. – Aaron, Bradley, MI

Aaron: Don't go crazy Aaron. Edge James did well for me two years ago and you don't see me picking him up. Remember one thing...don't get sentimental. Just because a guy won you a big fantasy game three years ago against your college roommate doesn't make him good today. Most guys are only as good as their last game. In Anderson's case, he is not even that good. In the immortal words of Jerry Seinfeld, "He's a chucker". Avoid.

Question #2: I know that the Dolphins picked up Thigpen, but does Chad Henne’s stock rise here? – Mavis, Stanford University

Mavis: I wouldn't get too excited about the Fins picking up Tyler Thigpen. He is backup material at best. Chad Henne was going to get the starting job next year for the Dolphins. He's not 100% ready just yet, but he will be a bit better than you expect. That said, he should not be starting on anyone's fantasy roster this weekend (unless Mrs. Henne plays roto).

Question #3: Darren McFadden seems to have fumbleitus. Do I bench him? – David, Ashford, AL

David: This would NOT be the week to bench McFadden. He is playing Houston...the home of good steak and crappy run defense. If he can't get it going this week then you should start to panic.

Question #4: Should I activate Kellen Winslow or Heath Miller this week? – Roger, Allentown, PA

Roger: Although I like Winslow more as a receiver, I think the play here is Heath Miller. The Chargers don't cover the TE exceptionally well and Miller should have some redzone opportunities. Tampa will struggle a bit this week with a new QB and a road crowd that will be chomping at the bit for a W.

Question #5: Do you see Fred Taylor as a 1,000 yard back this year? – Lamont, Royal City, WA
Lamont: No way. There are too many guys in the NE backfield and the Pats still like to throw it. I do think that you will see Fred have a few good weeks over the course of the season. Just hard to predict which ones will be good. Stay away this week as the Ravens come to town.

The Doctor is out...

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Ask Dr. Roto your fantasy football questions.

Reflections on this week's NCAA poll rankings

2009-10-01T21:51:00.000-04:00

In an article last week I commented on the Miami Hurricanes' ascent to the top 10 and lauded voters who were not afraid to break that unwritten poll rankings rule that limits how far a team may climb following a win or how far they may fall following a loss. Miami lost on Saturday and on Sunday were quickly relegated to their previous position in the rankings (17th in the AP and 21st in the Coaches').

And rightfully so! The 'Canes offense looked deflated against the Virginia Tech defense and were a far cry from the offensive juggernaut that downed Florida State and Georgia Tech. Losses on Saturday from both FSU and Georgia Tech did little to help Miami's cause.

Overall, however, Miami did not look like a top 10 team, or even a top 15 team, and voters were more than justified in dropping them in the rankings. It was up to Miami to prove they deserved the 9th spot, just as it's up to Florida, Texas and Alabama to prove every week that they deserve their spot in the top 3. Miami didn't prove it and they were put back in their place for now. Miami gets their first chance to redeem themselves on Saturday night when the 8th ranked Oklahoma Sooners visit.

Miami wasn't the only one taking a plunge. Cal dropped from 6th to 24th in the AP (19th in the Coaches') after getting rocked by Oregon. Penn State fell from 5th to 15th in the AP (13th in the Coaches') after falling to Iowa. Curiously, however, the coaches put Iowa four spots behind Penn State. I know I'm having a hard time believing that Iowa is for real after their shaky start to the season, but they've already turned a few critics after Saturday night's performance and with another solid showing I might be the next one to drink the Hawkeyes Kool-Aid.

Ole Miss was the other big loser this weekend, falling from 4th to the 21st spot in the AP (18th in the Coaches'). Watching Thursday night as South Carolina defeated Mississippi, I could only bow my head in shame after writing an article supporting the Rebels' unusually high ranking. Some may argue that Ole Miss deserves to fall out of the rankings completely, having no quality wins thus far and losing to an unranked, and still unranked, South Carolina team. Stuart Mandel brought up an interesting point in his Mailbag, one that is applicable to this discussion. He writes, "The Rebels have not accomplished a darn thing. But people like me propped them up all offseason as a BCS contender, so clearly it's going to take more than one ugly loss to bump them out."

It's clear that most voters were looking for an excuse to drop them, but because of the lofty preseason hype, and Week 3 hype courtesy of some writers, voters are having a hard time dropping the Rebels out of the top 25, even if they want to. Once again, that nasty unwritten poll ranking rule has been allowed to wreak its havoc. Maybe we should hold off on ranking teams until after the first week. Then we'll have a little basis for how they look. The Rebels play both LSU and Alabama this season, so in a way they control their own destiny as it relates to competing for an SEC title. Their preseason ranking won't help them anymore.

The polls are never an exact science. They present new questions every week and every season. For instance: If Boise State is one of two undefeated teams this season, should they play in the National Championship Game? The Broncos' defense is stout, their offense is explosive and their victory over Oregon is looking pretty good, too, after Oregon's annihilation of Cal on Saturday.

Should Utah have been given a chance to play for the title after going undefeated last season? They beat two top 15 teams in the regular season (TCU and BYU) and were able to handily defeat fourth ranked Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

The teams that play like the two best teams in the nation should compete for the championship. It's obvious, right? Whether that means sending an undefeated team from the WAC or MWC, or sending a one-loss team from the SEC, Big Ten, Pac-10, ACC or Big 12, equal treatment should be accorded to all teams, television ratings be damned! - Danny Hobrock
Danny Hobrock is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.
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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Worst of the Worst - Week 3

2009-10-01T09:49:00.000-04:00

Carolina's Offense - What happened to the explosive offense Carolina had last year? What happened to the amazing highlights from DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart? Williams only had 11 carries in the Monday night game against the Cowboys. 11 carries? Did Jake Delhomme really throw the ball 33 times? I just don't understand what John Fox is doing anymore. The only way to limit Delhomme's turnovers (by the way... his interceptions against Dallas weren't even his fault) is to reduce the amount of passes.

The running game can open up the passing game and make Steve Smith the deadly receiver that he is. They didn't win the division last year because of Jake Delhomme. The running game is Carolina's biggest strength, but it was barely used on Monday night. 11 carries for DeAngelo Williams is unacceptable.

Ryan Mouton - There is no way to lose a game that is easier than giving the ball away along with great field position, and that is exactly what Ryan Mouton did... twice. After the Jets scored on their opening drive, Ryan Mouton fumbled the kick return on Tennessee's own 19-yard line. New York easily converted that turnover into seven points. In the third quarter, Ryan Mouton muffed a punt and the Jets recovered the ball on Tennessee's 23-yard line. The Jets put seven more points on the board and took the lead four plays later.

When you are 0-2 and desperately need a quality win to boost your confidence and to keep up in the division, fumbling the ball in your own territory is the last thing you want to do. New York converted two Tennessee turnovers into 14 points and won by seven. All Mouton has to do is catch the ball (he called for a fair catch). The Titans don't necessarily have to panic now, but Mouton definitely does.

Kurt Warner - In the opening home game for the Arizona Cardinals, quarterback Kurt Warner threw two interceptions. On Sunday night against the Colts at home, he threw two more. And one of the only things worse than an interception… is an interception in the red zone (the other thing that is worse is if it gets ran back for a touchdown). Arizona had the ball on Indianapolis's 1-yard line and Warner threw it into double coverage. The ball was tipped and then it fell into the hands of Antoine Bethea. Warner needs to be smart enough to know not to just throw it up there when you're in the red zone and down 21-3. Throwing it over 50 times is probably a problem too.

Honorable Mentions – Jim Zorn (it’s getting too repetitive), Seattle Seahawks (those uniforms were hideous), Eric Mangini (what was benching Brady Quinn going to fix?), Buffalo Offense (T.O. didn’t have any receptions…)- Michael Klopman

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship!

Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini is a self absorbed egotistical jerk

2009-09-30T13:50:00.000-04:00

No one likes Eric Mangini. The players don’t and people around the league don’t. Not that anyone condoned “Spygate”, but people around the league didn’t like the fact that he “broke code” and squealed on Belichick.

There is a little published fact that deserves some attention here. When Mangini was obviously a hot candidate for a head coaching job, Belichick who disliked the Jets (that’s a whole entire different story, Belichick is a dope himself for hanging the Jets out to dry like that) asked Mangini to take any job except the Jets job. Not that he had the right to do that, but the reality is that Mangini would be a school teacher somewhere right now if it is wasn’t for Belichick so I guess some loyalty was warranted…..

When Mangini returned back to the Patriots complex after interviewing for the Jest head coaching position he’s key card did not work. Belichick was pissed and changed the lock. And there started the feud between Mangini and Belichick …

Let’s look at where Mangini is coming from:

College

Mangini has a Wesleyan University education. In college he played nose tackle at Division III Wesleyan and holds the school's single-season (11.5) and career (36.5) sacks records. During the second semester of his junior and senior years, he coached the Kew Colts, a semi-professional football team in Melbourne, Australia, to two regional championships. Mangini joined the Chi Psi Fraternity that coaching mentor Bill Belichick, a Wesleyan alumnus, was part of two decades earlier.

Coaching career

Assistant coach

Mangini first caught the attention of Bill Belichick, as a 23-year-old ball boy with the Cleveland Browns. His work ethic impressed Belichick, and the head coach was instrumental in promoting Mangini to a public relations intern, and later, an offensive assistant.

After spending 1996 as an offensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens, Mangini rejoined Belichick and spent three seasons as a defensive assistant with the New York Jets. When Belichick was hired as the New England Patriots head coach in 2000, he brought along Mangini as his defensive backs coach. Mangini, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, turned down defensive coordinator positions with the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns before accepting the position with New England in 2005.

Head coach

Mangini, 35, became the youngest head coach in the NFL when he was hired by the Jets on January 17, 2006, to replace Herm Edwards. He beat internal candidates Donnie Henderson, Mike Heimerdinger and Mike Westhoff and external candidates Jim Haslett, Mike Tice, Tim Lewis and Joe Vitt for the job.

In his first season, Mangini led the Jets to a 10-6 record and a postseason berth. New York, which finished the previous year 4-12, lost to New England in a wild-card playoff game.

New York went 4-12 in 2007, failing to make the playoffs. Early in the regular season, Mangini complained to league officials that Belichick's Patriots illegally filmed the Jets' defensive signals, causing the "Spygate" scandal.

In 2008, a late-season collapse—the Jets missed the playoffs despite an 8-3 start—led to Mangini's firing on December 29, 2008, one day after the season ended.

Mangini was hired as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns on January 7, 2009, signing a four-year deal. Mangini currently has an 0-3 record as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns and is now replacing his young QB 3 games into the season. Not that I like Brady Quinn better than Derek Anderson to begin with, but if you are going to name your young “franchise QB” the starter, you have to have a longer leash than that.

Mangini seems to pride himself on running a tight ship. He does in fact run a tight ship over there on the Cleveland Browns. How do we know? Nothing says d-bag no-nonsense like fining a player $1,701 over a bottle of water snatched from a hotel mini-bar. (The NFLPA has filed a formal grievance.) Apparently, the parched player grabbed the H2O but didn’t pay for it during a team road trip. Are you serious?

Some other reasons Mangini is an called “A-Hole” we haven’t discussed yet:

- He kept Brett Favre’s injury hush-hush while coaching the Jets last season. Oops, there’s a fine.
- He made rookies take a 10-hour bus ride (each way) to and from his one-day football camp in Hartford, CT. This took place on a weekend between voluntary minicamp and team activities slated for the following Monday. Oh, and he took a plane on the way down. After some heat, Mangini rode the bus with them back to Cleveland.
- He showed up in Cleveland and had a mural of Browns greats removed. Something tells us that isn’t a team-building exercise in the NFL Coach Handbook.
- During training camp he fined a player for parking in a spot that he did not first pre-approve of. (Ok, I don’t know that actually happened, but I heard it did, and why wouldn’t you believe it?)

This guy is more concerned with bullshit stuff that has nothing to do with playing the game. The bottom line is that he takes the fun out of it for the players as well as the fans and he won’t get the players to play for him or the fans to root for him.

I feel sorry for the Cleveland fans. I’m a Jets fan. I wished you would have asked me before hiring him, you would have saved yourself some pain. Get rid of him. -Keith A. Baker

Keith A. Baker is a sports agent in Stamford, Connecticut. His goal is to offer a unique insight to the world of sports and Major League Baseball in particular. Comments in his columns are for entertainment purposes only and do not reflect the views and opinions of his firm or his clients.

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship!

Earl Campbell - I wish you well...............

2009-09-30T08:09:00.000-04:00

I had the privilege of seeing Earl Campbell yesterday. He was going to the food store. He literally took 6-7 minutes to six minutes to cover 40 yards across the parking lot – a distance he used to breeze through in less than five seconds as a punishing running back at Texas and during an eight-year, Hall of Fame career in the NFL, mostly with the Houston Oilers. Still wearing his trademark beard, now gray, he was standing at a 45-degree angle, unable to straighten at his lower back. He couldn’t straighten his knees, either.

I had a nice conversation with him. He was very polite and accommodating. In talking with him, Campbell was totally lucid one second and struggling to recall names and prominent dates the next. It was very uncomfortable.

He said that when the walker becomes too much work, he uses a wheelchair that he travels with at all times. He wasn’t bitter thought. He feels he’s lived a blessed life.

What a shame. People talk down upon Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Tiki Barber etc. (all great players) for retiring in their prime. They obviously knew what they were doing.

Earl Campbell and Walter Payton were the two greatest running backs I ever saw play in person. I never got to see Jim Brown, I was too young. I wish Earl well. He looked so uncomfortable just trying to go to the food store….. So Sad. - George Carson
George is an avid reader or Extra Point (Football Blogs). Thanks for your submission George.
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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

NFL WRAP-UP – Week 3 Final

2009-09-29T08:19:00.002-04:00

Did anyone else besides me notice the crest on the 50 yard line of Qualcomm stadium this Sunday? 1960 - 2009??? The Chargers are actually celebrating the 49th year of the AFL? Who celebrates anniversaries this way? Would you celebrate your 50th birthday on your 49th because it is the start of your 50th year of life? Shesh!

On to the week that was.

Lions (19) – Redskins (14)
The Lions tear the Redskins Teepee apart finally winning a game. The people of Motown have been through a lot the past two years and this was long overdue. Good for the Lions and good for the people of Motown but bad for Jim Zorn, very bad. To say he’s on the hot seat is an understatement. Things were so bad for Zorn this week that he even got into an argument with Redskins legend Sonny Jurgensen on the air.

Patriots (26) - Falcons (10)
The Patriots defense clamps down in the 2nd half shutting them out.

Jets (24) – Titans (17)
Rookie Ryan Mouton’s two turnovers do in the Titans. The Titans (who we think will still make the playoffs) are officially the best 0-3 team in football. The Jets are now 3-0. Btw – the Jets need to nix the old NY Titans uniforms, they are awful. There has to be a better way to increase your merchandise sales.

Vikings (27) - 49ers (24)
Frank Gore left this game after his 1st touch of the ball with an ankle injury yet the 49ers (who are better that people expected them to be) were second from going 3-0 and had one taken from them in typical Brett Favre fashion with his long touchdown pass with just seconds to go. You will see this highlight for quite a while. The word is that Gore will miss at least two more games.

Ravens (34) – Browns (3) / Eagles (34) – Chiefs (14)
The Ravens and Eagles took care of inferior opponents. The Browns have scored just 1 touchdown in their past 9 games and the Chiefs are rebuilding. The Chiefs aren’t as bad as the Browns but it’s going to be long years for both. Did I say that the Browns have scored just 1 touchdown in their past 9 games? Mangini is a joke……… more on this to follow.

Bengals (23) - Steelers (20)
The Bengals show some resolve and come from behind to knock off the Steelers. The Steelers miss Troy Polamalu and have absolutely no running game (can’t remember ever saying that about a Steelers team.)

Saints (27) – Bills (7)
The Saints offensive machine continues as they come alive late. Great game next week, Jets vs. Saints.

Bears (25) – Seahawks (19)

The Bears hold off the Seahawks. Not sure how to look at this one as this was closer than many had thought with the Seahawks playing without 9 starters. The Seahawks uniforms were worse than the Jets. Awful really, what are they thinking? The NFL has so many rules about uniforms giving fines for sox being uneven, shirts not tucked in, players wearing unauthorized bandannas under their helmets, but they let the Seahawks wear fluorescent green over puke green?

Giants (24) – Bucs (0)
Not much to say here. Even Gaints fans were changing the channel.

Broncos (23) – Raiders (3)
Broncos too care of business. JaMarcus Russell may be a man boy, but he’s not an NFL QB. 61 yards passing? Ca’mon. How do they explain cutting Jeff Garcia? The defense plays their hearts out every week. If I were on the Raiders defense I would be pissed.

Jaguars (31) – Texans (24)
Can the Texans defense stop anyone? Put the Raiders defense with the Texans offense and you have a complete NFL team.

Chargers (23) – Dolphins (13)

The Chargers drowned the fish. Looks like Chad Pennington is done for the year, and maybe his career. What a shame. Throughout his career Chad, certainly showed that he has guts and, he’s one of the brightest and classiest guys in the NFL. Chad has the highest completeion percentage in NFL history. He’s gonna make a great coach some day. Unfortunately, maybe sooner than later now; it’s hard not to root for this guy.

Colts (31) – Cardinals (10)
The Colts just don’t lose in September. Did you know that the Colts have the NFL best regular season record of 116-46 in the last decade? Think of how much money you would have made the past 10 years picking Peyton Manning and the Money Line in the regular season. When you think about it, it’s actually amazing that Peyton doesn’t get more press than he does!

Cowboys (21) – Panthers (7)
Wow, what an awful start for John Fox and the Panthers. It was a tight game with the Panthers actually staring a drive that could have given them a lead until Jake Delhomme threw 27 yard TD pick to Terrance Newman with 5:07 left in the 4th ¼. It’s an every other year thing for the Panthers. Unfortunately this one appears to be the other.
Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around The Horn (Baseball Blogs) and Extra Point (Football Blogs). Mike is also the founder of the fantasy sports games Ultimate Franchise Baseball™ and Ultimate Franchise Football™.
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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

College Football Saturday In 500 Words Or Less

2009-09-28T09:03:00.001-04:00

A recap of what went down and what you should take away from Saturday's college football games.

It was the week of the giant killers in college football, as Ole Miss, Penn State and Cal all fell to unranked opponents. In addition to the fourth, fifth and sixth ranked teams, the ninth ranked Miami Hurricanes were downed by 11th ranked Virginia Tech. 40% of the teams in the top ten will be different from the previous week, once again reminding us why they play the games, and why we love college football so much.

Recapping the day in 500 words or less, here's what Saturday taught us about the season:

- O.K. really, the instant replays have gotten out of hand. At one point I was flipping between three channels and all three referees were waiting for word from the replay officials.
- If Wisconsin runs the ball effectively, watch out. Whereas they lost three fumbles last Saturday against Wofford, and fumbled five times total, the Badgers lost only one fumble yesterday. John Clay ran the ball 32 times, opening up the passing game enough for Scott Tolzien to throw 4 touchdown passes.
- Who are you FSU? You play well against Miami, squeak out a victory against FCS Jacksonville State, annihilate BYU and go down to South Florida.
- UNC's lackadaisical offense finally caught up to them. Besides a few big plays here and there, the Tarheels need to figure out a better way to consistently move the ball down the field.
- Fresno State is the best three-loss team in the nation. They've never been out of any game, taking Wisconsin to double overtime, sticking with Boise State's high octane offense up until the very end and playing keep away from Cincinnati all game, allowing the Bearcats to control the ball for just over a quarter. If they had been able to get over the hurtle and stole a win from one of their early opponents, would they have continued to do so? Hawaii is next, and the Bulldogs are looking at a much easier schedule to close out the year.
- Tate Forcier looks like he's the real deal. He's got guts. Down 26 to 21 to Indiana at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Forcier led the Wolverines down the field, diving head first into the end zone to give the Wolverines a three point lead after converting the two point conversion. With five and a half minutes left and trailing once again, Forcier led the Wolverines down the field again to answer the Hoosiers' score. Michigan won the game 36-33.
- The Miami Hurricanes looked absolutely flat against Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech, on the other hand, stepped up their defense after being challenged by the coaching staff and managed to stymie the Hurricanes offense. Funny how the same analysts who were shouting 'Miami's back!' on Saturday morning are now calling such declarations premature.
- You shut down Jahvid Best and you shut down Cal. Oregon looked pretty good to say the least.
- JoPa said he wasn't out for revenge against Iowa. Maybe he should have been. After a 79 yard bomb to begin the game, Darryl Clark managed only 119 yards passing. It was Penn State's only touchdown of the game. Penn State couldn’t manage much offense last year either when Iowa downed the then third ranked Nittany Lions. Maybe Penn State should avoid a top five ranking in seasons they play Iowa.
- Arizona, down star tight end Rob Gronkowski, lost starting tailback Nic Grigsby and backup tailback Keola Antolin to injury, but still managed to beat Oregon State.

Without question, the game of the week was Houston's thrilling victory over Texas Tech. No giants went down in this one, but anybody who stayed up late enough, or stayed in late enough, was rewarded. With a few big boys taking hits on Saturday, a significant shakeup to the top 10 was inevitable.

This week's New Household Name is Arizona quarterback Nick Foles, who replaced Matt Scott as the starting quarterback on Saturday. It was Foles' first career start and he made the best of the opportunity, throwing for 254 yards and three touchdown passes. He probably isn’t a household name per se, but he earned the right to be recognized as the breakout performer of the week.

You might make the argument that Tori Gurley is the new household name based solely on his name and his appearance in primetime on Thursday, but I'm giving it to Foles nonetheless.

This week, Tate Forcier Proved He's Worth The Hype with another breakout performance. This guy is growing up right before our eyes, letting pressure bounce right off of him and leading his Wolverines on game winning drives almost weekly it seems.

Next week's games to watch include Oklahoma's trip to Miami, the always entertaining Michigan/Michigan State matchup, LSU vs. Georgia and Washington vs. Notre Dame. Cal takes on USC in the primetime headliner. - Danny Hobrock

Danny Hobrock is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.

L.T is Diminishing Just like the Others before Him

2009-09-27T06:35:00.001-04:00

Try to remember what happened in the NFL four years ago. Now try to remember it five years ago. Try to remember the trend that started back in 2002.

Do you remember Priest Holmes? How about Shaun Alexander? Larry Johnson? Can you even remember Ahman Green back when he was relevant?

These guys set the trend that LaDainian Tomlinson is currently following.

In 2002, Priest Holmes scored 21 rushing touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards per carry while running for his career-high 1,615 yards with the Kansas City Chiefs. The next year, Holmes scored an astonishing 27 rushing touchdowns.

He has only played in 19 games since then.

Ahman Green rushed for even more yards in 2003 with 1,883 while scoring 15 touchdowns with Green Bay. He never played a full season after that.

Larry Johnson and Shaun Alexander took over the spotlight in 2005 and reached the end zone 20 and 27 times, respectively. The Seahawks lost their best guard Steve Hutchinson and Alexander started his decline. Johnson had some issues off of the football field, suffered some injuries and hasn’t really been the same since.

Then L.T emerged and started his reign over opposing defenses. The very next year in 2006, L.T rushed for his career-high 1,815 yards and scored a league record 28 rushing touchdowns. He even recorded 508 receiving yards. It was simply remarkable.

But now L.T is starting to disappear just like the others. It is just taking a little more time than what we are used to seeing.

Since that amazing year of 2006, Tomlinson’s total rushing yards has decreased each year by at least 300. His rushing touchdowns dropped to 15 in 2007 and 11 in 2008. His yards per carry have also significantly decreased. In 2006, L.T averaged 5.2 yards per carry. In 2007, that stat was reduced to 4.7. It was then dropped to 3.8 the next year.

After a season where he rushed for his career-low 1,110 yards, L.T was supposed to break out again this season. He was fully healthy at the end of training camp and he was supposed to be more explosive than ever.

Now, L.T is going to miss his second consecutive game on Sunday when the Chargers face the Dolphins due to a sprained ankle. That means he will have missed three of San Diego’s last four games, dating back to the playoff loss to the Steelers in January.

It looks like his backup Darren Sproles is better for the team. Philip Rivers looks like he is the leader. And it looks like there isn’t going to be any room for L.T whenever he is ready to comes back. This very well could be the end of the road for L.T and it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. It has happened before. So forget about the Madden curse. Start paying attention to the curse of the seemingly unstoppable running back.

But who knows? Maybe Adrian Peterson has what it takes to break this trend. It certainly looks like he does.

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship! - Michael Klopman

Roto-Rx

2009-09-26T07:26:00.003-04:00

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/ where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball and Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: Where does Frank Gore rank in your list of fantasy running backs? – Albert, San Francisco, CA

Albert: Dr. Roto is a big fan of Frank Gore. I've been watching him since he's been at the U and he has only gotten faster and tougher. I'll put him down as my number 3 RB. Got to go with AP at number 1, and MJD at number 2. If the Niners can find a QB and sign Crabtree you might see Gore climb one spot.

Question #2: Aren’t the Steelers known for their smash mouth running game? Willie Parker 27 attempts and 66 yards? Should I look for someone else? – Murphy, Stanford University

Murphy: It doesn't look good for Fast Willie. Right before the season started, Mike Tomlin told reporters that Parker would get close to 30 carries a game. Two weeks later he is lauding R. Mendenhall for his good work. Parker looks a step slow this year. My sources tell me there might be an injury that we're not hearing about. Keep a close eye on it, but you may need to figure out other options.

Question #3: Trying not to go off of just one game…. is Dallas Clark your number one rated fantasy tight end? – Gene, Buffalo, NY

Gene: Dr. Roto thinks that Clark is the number 1 TE. Witten is great (as is Tony G. and Antonio Gates) but Dr. Roto loves the Peyton Manning-Dallas Clark hookup.

Question #4: Who actually gets more fantasy points over the course of the year, someone like Chris Johnson who breaks long runs and runs for lots of cumulative yards or someone like LenDale White who often gets put into the game when the Titans get on the goal line? – Christopher, Round Rock, TX

Christopher: Let's assume that your league gives 6 points per TD and 1 point for every 10 yards rushing/receiving. White will get you about 1000 total yards with 9 TD (a total of 154). Johnson should get you close to 1600 yards with 8 TD (a total of 208). Plus Johnson can break a few big ones which could be extra points in your league. A PPR league would only add to Johnson's value.

Question #5: How many QB’s do you rank ahead of Kurt Warner? – Shawn, Antioch, CA

Shawn: One of the few things Dr. Roto likes about Warner this year is his receiving corps. They are arguably the best in the NFL. I'll put Warner in my top ten because of their skill and the fact that Ken Wisenhunt is a terrific coach. IF Warner were my QB, I would make sure I had Matt Leinart as my backup along with another solid QB on my roster.

The Doctor is out...

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An open letter to Jerry from Portland

2009-09-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

Jerry,

By now most of the college football world has heard of Chip Kelly's check-writing ways. I had only heard about the story in passing until your email came through and I was able to delve deeper into the story. For anybody who doesn't know, Tony Seminary, an Oregon alum and season ticket holder who attended Oregon's disastrous opener in Boise, apparently felt so disappointed and let down by his Ducks that he sent Coach Kelly an email with an invoice for his trip. The invoice, which was sent in jest according to its source, included the cost of the game tickets, airplane tickets and his meals. Coach Kelly responded with a $439 check to cover the cost of Seminary's trip, which Seminary returned to Kelly with a thank you note attached.

For some reason, and I don't know why, the first thing that popped into my head after reading the story was an episode of Seinfeld…

Specifically the episode titled 'The Opera' from the fourth season. There's a scene in the episode where Jerry and another man argue over whose quarter is lying on the ground. The argument progresses to the point that both men ask each other, "you think I care about money?" and proceed to rip up dollar bills, throwing the remnants on the ground.

Of course, I highly doubt that Chip Kelly was trying to prove a point about money, but wouldn't it be funny if he were doing it for spite (another Seinfeld reference)? Coach Kelly had to have been in a sour mood following the game in Boise, and reading an email from a fan demanding his money back couldn't have done much to help turn his frown upside down. What if he was so bothered by the email that he let himself get heated to the point that he busted out the old checkbook and scribbled a reimbursement check for the unhappy alum? Take that!

No way that's what happened, though. A more accurate description of what actually went down may be that Coach Kelly agreed with Seminary. The Ducks had played poorly in the opener, managing to put up only eight points, as the post-game actions of one frustrated player sent the Ducks spiraling even further. Kelly had to have been embarrassed by his team.

Seminary said that he only sent the email to a few friends. But his friends forwarded it to hundreds of others. From there, it made its way into the hands of the media, who reported the story. Coach Kelly had to have known that sending a refund check to a disgruntled fan would make the news. Perhaps that was his intent. It sure shows Oregon fans that he agrees with their assessment of his team's performance in the opener against Boise State. It might even reassure some fans that Kelly has the team's best interests at heart.

Whatever his intentions, Coach Kelly's actions sent a message to Oregon fans: He understands their frustration. And that's a good thing. He knows that the Ducks' performance was unacceptable, and that the actions of LeGarrette Blount, who did apologize, were intolerable. Not many other coaches, if any at all, would even look at the email. It shows that Coach Kelly has his heart in the right place.

But hey, that's just what I took from it.- Danny Hobrock

Danny Hobrock is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship!

Oher entry

2009-09-25T07:20:00.001-04:00

As a Yankee fan, every time I watch Nick Swisher, I feel like a proud father watching his son in little league. No, I am not his father, in fact, we are not even related. I get this feeling because I read Michael Lewis’s book Moneyball and have been following Swisher’s career ever since I was introduced to him in the book. Well, now I have a new guy to root for in the NFL. He plays on a team I hate, the Baltimore Ravens, but that is mostly because of the grudge I hold for the Super Bowl in 2000 when they humiliated my Giants. But this kid has such a compelling story, I would be a scrooge of a sports fan to not root for him.

Michael Oher was drafted this year in the first round with the 23rd overall pick. He was a four year starter at Ole Miss and is the starting right tackle for the Ravens. With a drug addicted mother and uninvolved father, Oher was brought up in foster homes most of his life. He got bad grades and was held back several years in school. He was living with a friend’s family sophomore year of high school, when he was accepted to a prestigious private school for his junior year.

Oher had played football for only a season, having dropped the sport after his freshmen year. Then he took the game up again as a junior and his prodigious talent unfolded before America. He was named to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl his senior year, and was considered the number one tackle prospect in the country. In the meantime, he was adopted by a family at his high school and caught up with his classmates academically.

I cannot do justice to the emotional appeal of this story, and luckily I don’t have to. Oher was the subject of another Michael Lewis book, The Blind Side, which chronicles the evolution of the left tackle position and Oher’s life. I would highly recommend it, as it is much more than the average sports book about overcoming adversity. This gives an in-depth look at the evolution of football strategy and player development, not in an complex or overly technical manner, but rather, it enriches every snap a person watches thereafter.

Reading the book has made me an automatic fan of Oher, and I no doubt will have that proud father feeling when I see the Ravens play. In a league where guys are constantly making news for screwing up, this is a story that really brings out the positives of the game. And for those of you who hate to read, the movie based on the book comes out in November… - Matt Aibel...

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Have a Fantasy Football or Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

NFL Week #3 Picks

2009-09-24T16:56:00.006-04:00

Last week we were + $72.50 for the week.

Week #1 = + $77.50
Week #2 = + $72.50

Total = $150.00 after 2 weeks.

Remember, we are using a $1,000 betting pot to start out with so we are up 15% after 2 weeks (winnings go to charity). Slow and steady wins the race……

This week we are picking 2 NCAA games and 4 NFL games. Here we go.

Not a knock against higher ranked VT (depending on the poll) but Miami is on a roll and momentum will propel them.
$50 -Miami Hurricanes -3.0 (EVEN)

Nebraska is baacckk…..
$75 - Nebraska Corn Huskers -27.0 (-110)

I think Eric Mangini is starting to regret taking that job.
$50 - Baltimore Ravens -13.0 (-110)

Alright don’t laugh…… It’s gonna happen sometime
$25 - Detroit Lions MONEY LINE (+250)

Singletary’s 49ers are playing with confidence. Gore outrushes Peterson. A long day for Favre…
$50 - San Francisco 49ers MONEY LINE (+250)

John Abraham in Tom Brady’s face all day. Same result as last week
$25 - Atlanta MONEY LINE (+180)

Pittsburgh doesn’t lose 2 games in a row... At least not this one. Grandma Fairchild could be playing safety, they run away with it late.
$30 – Pittsburgh -4.0 (-110)

Robert Fairchild is a professional sports gaming professional. He legally wages on professional and collegiate sporting events for a living. Robert is NOT suggesting that you quit your day job and try to wager on sports for a living. He is contributing his thoughts and experience to assist you in a recreational activity that you as an informed adult may choose to take part in.

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Have a Fantasy Football or Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Roto-Rx

2009-09-24T13:52:00.002-04:00

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/ where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball and Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: Do you see Pat White getting any significant playing time in any capacity over the course of the year? – Walter, Charleston, WV

Walter: Dr. Roto has big worries about Pat White. I think that he may have been a waste of a 2nd round pick by the Fins. For this year, Dr. Roto sees Ronnie Brown getting most of the Wildcat snaps. Also don't forget Chad Henne there on the sidelines. The Dolphins really like him and he will probably be the starter next year.

Question #2: Do you consider Mario Manningham a front line receiver? – Melissa, Nyack, NY

Melissa: It's way too early to call Manningham a front line WR. What we can call him is a talented young WR with big upside. It would be no surprise to watch him fulfill his vast potential that he showed while at Michigan. If he's still on the waiver wire in your league, grab him ASAP.

Question #3: Who do you think will end up with more all purpose yards, Darren Sproles or Leon Washington? – Mike, Giants Stadium (friend of Fireman Ed)

Mike: You're putting me in a tough spot here Mike, because if I say Sproles, Fireman Ed is going to revoke my New York Jets library card. Ryan has been saying that he wants to get Washington 20 touches a game, but Dr. Roto hasn't seen that yet and doubts that he will. The longer LT is out, the more chance Sproles has of being the better player. Truth is, if Washington is getting too many touches it means the Jets are playing from behind. So far, Mark Sanchez isn't letting that happen!

Question #4: After two weeks, what defense has impressed you the most? – Frank, Baltimore, MD

Frank: This is an easy one. It's the J-E-T-S. They have been swarming and impressive. Darrell Revis is one of the top 3 CB in the NFL. They have stopped Schaub and Brady in the first two weeks...not an easy thing to do. They are getting Calvin Pace back soon, which will make them even more dangerous.

Question #5: Would you start Tony Romo or Jay Cutler this week? - Anthony, Fairfax, VA

Anthony: Dr. Roto is going to say Romo. Don't be surprised to see Matt Forte have a big game in Seattle. The Seahawk run defense is suspect and the Bears really need to get Forte on track. Romo is starting on MNF...it will be a good time for him to show his critics that he really is a top 10 QB.

The Doctor is out…

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Breaking that unwritten poll rankings rule

2009-09-23T16:48:00.001-04:00

With the first major upset of the season behind us, some have called for a team unranked in the preseason polls to take Southern Cal's place in the top 5. It's gotten me thinking about the rankings and wondering if those lucky enough to have a say really do their due diligence in picking the best 25 teams in the nation. How much does a team's reputation play into their spot in the rankings? Don't worry. I won't start any campaigns to do away with the BCS or pitch a fix to the system. If that's what you want you need only type 'BCS' into Google and you'll have reading material until the next presidential election. I'll go a step further and not mention those three little letters in that order again in this article. You're welcome.

Not to get into the specifics of who should be ranked where, but it's eerie how much the AP Poll and Coaches' Poll look alike every week. Moving 20th ranked Miami up to #5, as Kirk Herbstreit said he planned on doing on his ballot, would break the unwritten rule that limits the number of spots a team can jump in the week following a win. I guess nobody likes to rock the boat by moving an unlikely team into the top 10, or top 5, even if they've played well enough to warrant the spot.

Anybody who's seen Miami's first two games would have a hard time counting them out against any team in the country. Most would have a hard time submitting that the Hurricanes have looked better than Alabama, Texas or Florida, but might be more willing to admit a more equal relation when compared with Penn State, Mississippi, Cal, LSU, Ohio State and Boise State. Should a team that is obviously as talented, or more so, than teams ahead of them be relegated to wait until those teams lose a game?

One of the most famous instances in which a team has risen or fallen significantly in a single week was following Michigan's loss to Appalachian State in their 2007 opener. They were ranked 5th in both preseason polls (with 2 first place votes in the Coaches' Poll) and fell out of the rankings completely following the loss. Does anybody think that Appalachian State was really a better team than Michigan following the loss? The 2007 Missouri Tigers were the consensus #25 team in Week 5 (Sept. 23) of the '07 season. The same week, the AP Poll ranked Appalachian State higher than Michigan. Who do you think had a better chance of beating the Tigers that year? Michigan or Appalachian State?

To keep things recent, who's the better team? USC or Washington? Most would agree that USC is still the better team despite the upset. But the Huskies downed the Trojans on a last second field goal so they've got to be the better team, right?

You won't see the Trojans fall below the Huskies in the polls at any point this season barring some catastrophic meltdown. Back in 2007, at no time did the coaches put Appalachian State in the rankings. And that's how it should be, because Appalachian State was not one of the top teams in the nation even though they beat fifth ranked Michigan. Clearly, Michigan was not the fifth best team in the nation when they played Appalachian State, so Appalachian State did not deserve to be credited for downing the fifth best team. Make sense?

How does this relate to Miami's ascent to the top 10? Few thought Miami was worthy of being ranked following a string of disappointing seasons. They climbed up to about #20 in both polls following a victory over Florida State. In the win, the Hurricanes looked better than the #20 team in the nation. They were favored over #14 Georgia Tech heading into Friday's game despite the lower ranking, probably voted on by many of those that picked Miami to win. Why would you place a team at #20 when you were going to predict them to take down the #14 team in the nation a few days later? Shouldn't they be ranked higher than 14 if that's where you placed the other team?

The AP Poll was just released and the writers placed the Hurricanes at #9 (Coaches' #13). I know teams have risen higher than 11 spots in a week, but in most cases they beat a top 5 team. Miami, on the other hand, beat the 14th ranked team and the 18th ranked team.

'How could you move a team from #20 to #9 in a week!?!?' more conservative voters may ask. Critics of the decision may also argue that the Hurricanes beat an overrated Georgia Tech team and a volatile Florida State team. You put them at #9 because Miami has played like the #9 team in the nation. Simple, right? - Danny Hobrock

Danny Hobrock is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship!

One Bad Play Call - “good night, the lights…..”

2009-09-23T13:41:00.004-04:00

The Miami Dolphins had the perfect offensive game plan against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night. It reminded me of the “keep away” strategy the New York Giants used against the high-octane Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV. Bill Parcells had a part in that as head coach, and I’m sure as GM he had his hand in this.

The Giants had just shocked the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game in San Francisco and were boarding buses for the flight back east. Parcells, playing with a backup quarterback and no scary offensive weapons, knew they'd have to face the best offense in football, Buffalo's, in the Super Bowl. He looked across the aisle of the bus at offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt and said to him, "Shorten the game.''

The Colts had the ball for just 3:07 in the first quarter, 6:25 in the second and 1:30 in the third. That's right -- three plays and 90 seconds in one quarter, sandwiched around 11- and 13-play Miami drives.

Dan Henning and Tony Sparano made a mistake in play calling though. With 4:33 left in a 20-20 game the Dolphins had ball at the Colts 30 yard line and it was 3rd and 6 yard to go for a 1st down. They play they called / ran was a run by Brown behind the left side of the line, behind guard Justin Smiley and Jake Long. The play gained only three yards and Miami settled for a Carpenter field goal from 45 yards out to take a 23-20 lead and gave the ball back to Peyton Manning with 3:55 to play. Opps!

It took Manning 32 seconds to go 80 yards, thanks to the 48-yard catch-and-run by Pierre Garcon, the replacement for Anthony Gonzalez. That made it 27-23 with 3:18; “good night, the lights…..”, the Dolphins couldn't score in the last 3:18 and the game was over.

Think about it. If the Dolphins converted made a meaningful attempt to convert that 1st down and made it, they get to cut more time off the clock, and maybe the Colts have to start using their three timeouts? Maybe Peyton Manning gets the ball back with less than two minutes left, needing a field goal or touchdown to tie or win? Maybe the Dolphins can get two more first downs before kicking a field goal or scoring a touchdown, the clock could bleed down to zero and Miami will have won without letting Manning have another possession. If Pennington throws an incompletion, kicker Dan Carpenter has a 48-yard field-goal attempt. Carpenter's a second-year kicker; his career-long is 50, and on the evening, he had already hit from 45 and 44 yards missing once on a 49 yarder.

Chad Pennington has the highest completion percentage of all time in the NFL at 65.61%. That’s his strength, short accurate passes. He had been very efficient and safe with the ball all night – they should have let him throw the ball. …….

P.S. Observation - Besides NOT BEING ABLE TO CATCH THE BALL Ted Ginn Jr. is a wonderful receiver. He is in the wrong profession, he should be in track and field. -Keith A. Baker

Keith A. Baker is a sports agent in Stamford, Connecticut. His goal is to offer a unique insight to the world of sports and Major League Baseball in particular. Comments in his columns are for entertainment purposes only and do not reflect the views and opinions of his firm or his clients.

THE WORST OF THE WORST – NFL WEEK 2

2009-09-22T17:16:00.000-04:00

TONY ROMO – There is no better way to completely ruin the opening night of a new billion dollar stadium than throwing three interceptions and basically giving the Giants 21 points. On the night that Jerry Jones’ enormous spectacle finally opened, quarterback Tony Romo showed why he is the most overrated player in the NFL.

Take your time and just try to think of someone more overrated… Did you think of anyone yet? It’s just not possible.

If it wasn’t for running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones, the Cowboys would have been blown out. Romo made some terrible passes throughout the night, including three picks that looked like they were thrown right to the New York secondary. He might be able to throw all over the Tampa Bay defense, but the NFC East defenses are going to make his life miserable.

JEFF REED – It’s hard to place blame entirely on a kicker, but in this case it is kind of hard not to. In a hard-hitting typical Pittsburgh game, the Steelers had a couple opportunities to get ahead in the fourth quarter. But kicker Jeff Reed missed two (that’s right… two) field goals in the final 15 minutes from 38 and 43 yards out, respectively.

With less than 12 minutes to play, the Steelers faced a fourth-and-17 on Chicago’s 20 yard line when Jeff Reed went in for the field goal attempt. He could have put Pittsburgh up 17-7, but the ball went wide left. After a Bears touchdown, Reed had another opportunity to put the Steelers ahead, but the 43-yarder went wide left again. It is unacceptable for the defending champions to squander opportunities like that.

JIM ZORN – Zorn’s offense made five trips to the red zone and only came out with three field goals. Yes, Mike Sellers and Devin Thomas dropped easy touchdown passes, but other than that Zorn showed he has no confidence in his quarterback when he is within 20 yards from the end zone.

Zorn’s red zone play calling was horrendous to say the least. On the seven-yard line, Zorn called two running plays to Clinton Portis and gained a total of two yard, and then called a half-back pass to tight end Chris Cooley. Why is he so afraid of Jason Campbell in the red zone? He rarely throws interceptions and if it wasn’t for two dropped balls, Campbell would have two touchdown passes.

And to top that off, Zorn had the offense go for it on fourth-and-inches on the two-yard line. Washington could have just kicked a field goal, making the score 12-7 and forcing the Rams to have to score a touchdown to win with less than two minutes left (the reasonable and just plain smart call), but Zorn was too desperate. And of course, he called a horrible running play to the outside (a play that never worked throughout the game) and Portis lost two yards. Fortunately for Zorn and the Redskins, they were playing the Rams. - Michael Klopman

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship!

My Son is closing in on Brett Favre's streak

2009-09-22T08:33:00.001-04:00

So Brett Favre now has the all-time record for consecutive NFL starts (271) as last Sunday, he past the Vikings Jim Marshall. Those of you old enough to remember those Vikings teams that went to four Suuperbowls remember Jim Marshall as a member of one of the most famous NFL Defenses of all time. The Vikings had a famous defensive unit in the late 60’s and early 70’s called "The Purple People Eaters" (they used to name defenses…… this was just before the Steelers famous “The Black Curtain” defense) which consisted of Marshall (DE), Alan Page (DT), Gary Larsen (DT), Carl Eller (DE), Wally Hilgenberg (OLB), Jeff Siemon (MLB), and Roy Winston (OLB).

As for Marshall, during his time with the Minnesota Vikings, Marshall was involved in one of what is considered by many to be one of the most embarrassing moments in professional sports history on October 25, 1964. In a game against the San Francisco 49ers, Marshall recovered a fumble, but ran 66 yards with it the wrong way, into his own end zone. Thinking that he had scored a touchdown for the Vikings, Marshall then threw the ball away in celebration. The ball landed out of bounds, resulting in a safety for the 49ers.

Back to Favre’s new record, let's get this straight…… The guy has now gone to works 271 days in a row. Did you realize that’s a smidge more than 1 years work for most of us? Could you imagine going to work for a year and not calling in sick and then being told that you held an industry record that will probably be written on your tombstone?

Look, I’m not saying that staying healthy enough to play in that many NFL games is not an achievement, it certainly is. No one else has done it. I’m certain that he’s played through scrapes, bumps, bruises, strains, even a broken bone or two. (Let's not forget that if not for a timely BYE week in the Green Bay Packers schedule, Favre's streak would have ended at 164) in but to crown this feat as some sort of an ironman thing like Cal Ripken’s record is just silly.

Ripken started and played in 2,632 games in a row, Favre 271. Ripken played in 502 straight games AFTER breaking Lou Gehrig’s record? There are plenty of people in this country that go years without missing work. When I was a kid my dad went over 9 years, almost 2,300 days without missing a day at one point and there were guys no doubt that went longer than him.

Last year one of my children received a certificate from his grammar school because he has perfect attendance in 1st grade. He went to 1st grade 180 days in a row and on time. If Favre plays all 16 NFL regular season games this year his streak will be at 285. Sometime this coming February my son will break Bret Favre’s record of consecutive days as he will have a streak going back to 2nd grade. I guess I’ll post it here so he gets some PR but I doubt you’ll see him on the nightly news.

If you are one of those who have gone to work for more than year or so without missing (271 days), give yourself a hand. Treat yourself to something special; maybe even buy yourself a trophy. You have beaten Bret Favre’s consecutive streak. And if you were able to do it without being addicted to pain killers like Farve (my son is clean) you get the record without an asterisk!

P.S. – One good things about John Madden retiring this year is that I don’t have to listen to him wax poetically about Brett Favre anymore…. or at least so I thought. At halftime on Sunday Night Football during the Giants vs. Cowboys game, Bob Costas interviewed Madden and of course the topic of Brett Favre came up. Costas wanted to know what he thought about the never ending Brett Favre saga and this particular episode. Costas didn’t think he was going to get Madden to say something negative about Favre did he? I thought Madden was both a great coach and announcer but his love for Favre and his inability to be objective about Favre’s shortcomings has always been a bit much for me. - Mike Cardano

Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around The Horn (Baseball Blogs) and Extra Point (Football Blogs). Mike is also the founder of the fantasy sports games Ultimate Franchise Baseball™ and Ultimate Franchise Football™.

Monday Morning Quarterback

2009-09-21T13:05:00.004-04:00

Cincinnati Bengals @ Green Bay Packers – FINAL 31-24 Bengals, both teams are (1-1)

For a while Carson Palmer was able to hook up with Charles Woodson seemingly at will and threw a 37 yard touchdown pass to Woodson. Unfortunately for the Bengals, Woodson plays defense for the Packers…

With the Bengals up 10 points and 2 minutes left, they almost gave up the ghost for the second week in a row. Remember last week they gave up an 87 yard touchdown pass off a tipped pass.

Coming down the stretch the Packers took over at their own 21. Aaron Rogers hit Donald Lee for 11 yards and scrambled for 16 more. 7 plays and 1:11 led to a 45 yard field goal by Mason Crosby to get the Packers within 7 points. Green Bay successfully recovered the onsides kick at their own 43 with 44 seconds left. On 3rd and 10, Rodgers hit Jermichael Finley for 22 yards to the Cincinnati 35 with 17 seconds left. Rodgers hit Donald Driver for a 25 yard gain to the Cincy 10, with no timeouts and the clock ticking. They tried to spike the ball with one second left, but a false start led to the runoff that ended the game. Despite another almost meltdown, the Bengals survived.

Oakland Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs – FINAL 13-10 Raiders, Raiders (1-1) Chiefs (0-2)

The end of the 1st half represented exactly how ugly this game was. The Chiefs had 1st and goal at the Oakland 9 with 14 seconds left and no timeouts. A West Coast Offense swing pass led to an inbounds tackle and the clock running out. It doesn’t get any worse than that.

The Raiders offense is absolutely dreadful but their defense is as good as their offense is bad, so they can stay in games. They made some plays on the final drive when it counted and escaped with the win from Arrowhead. The Chiefs led in total offense 409-166. They led in plays from scrimmage 79-51. They led in rushing yards 173-67. They led in possession 38.5 to 21.5. Yet when all was said and done, it was the Silver and Black that had won a shocker. For the third straight year, the Raiders won at Kansas City.

This team has many questions on offense, especially with JaMarcus Russell. Yet they won, and are 1-1. Tom Cable has this team competing hard but Russell finished the game 7 of 24 for 109 yard passing. That’s two weeks in a row now, not good. That’s got to improve or it will be hard to overcome, no matter how well the defense plays.

New England Patriots @ New York Jets – FINAL 16-9 Jets, Jets (2-0) Pats (1-1)

Everyone talks about Mark Sanchez being the toast of the town and that’s all well and good, but the story on this day was Rex Ryan and his defense. The Jets were in Tom Brady’s face all day and he was harassed all game, as New England never reached the end zone. Sanchez threw only 22 times, 17 of them after halftime. These Jets are for real (at least the defense is).

As an aside, those claiming the demise of the New England defense may be premature as the Jets didn’t do much on offensive. Also, Wes Welker did not play do to a banged up knee. You can be sure that some of those 3 and outs would have been 1st downs moving the chains so let’s not write the Pats off just yet.

Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans – FINAL 34-31 Texans, Texans are (1-1) Titans (0-2) a surprise to all...

Chris Johnson ran wild, with 179 yards on the ground, including touchdown runs of 91 and 57 yards and Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson put on a passing clinic hooking up 10 times for 149 yards and 2 TD’s. Schaub ended up throwing for 357 yards and 4 TD’s. This was a wild one.

Arizona Cardinals @ Jacksonville Jaguars – FINAL 31-17 Cardinals, Cards (1-1) Jags (0-2)

Kurt Warner began by completing a ridiculous 18 of his first 19 passes. Ultimately, Warner was benched because he was 24 for 26…. This one was no contest really. At current the Jaguars are a mess.

Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons – FINAL 28-20 Falcons, Falcons (2-0) Panthers (0-2)

Jake Delhomme looked much improved from the last couple of nightmarish games going 25-41 for 308 yards but Matt Ryan remained red hot and Ryan to future hall of famer Tony Gonzalez 7 times for 71 yards and a TD was ultimately too much.

New Orleans Saints @ Philadelphia Eagles – FINAL 48-22 Saints, Saints (2-0) Eagles (1-1)

Kevin Kolb started for an injured Donovan McNabb. As for Kolb, he was 31 for 51 for 391 yards and a pair of touchdowns, with 3 interceptions. Drew Brees picked up right where he left off last week, throwing for 213 first half yards.

At halftime it was 17-13 Saints but the second half was a blowout. Brees continues to be a fantasy football machine finishing 25-34 for 311 yards and 3 TD’s. Just to prove that he is human, (there were some questions going into the game) he did throw a pick.

After the game, Andy Reid made it clear that if McRib can’t go, Kolb is the starter, not Michael Vick. The Eagles are not that bad. The Saints are that good.

Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions – FINAL 27-13 Vikings, Vikings (2-0) Lions (0-2)

Brett Favre set the all time NFL record for consecutive games started in a row at 271 breaking Jim Marshall’s record of 270 games. Woop-de-friggin’doo - More on that to come in another post.

Favre and Adrian Peterson proved to be too much for Matthew Stafford and the Lions as Favre was very efficient on the day, completing 23 of his first 27 passes for 155 yards. Stafford is talented no doubt, but it’s going to take time. He was 18-30 for 152 with 1 TD and 2 picks. He’s no Ryan Leaf - remember Troy Aikman had a rough go of it his 1st year too.

St. Louis Rams @ Washington Redskins – FINAL 9-7 Redskins, Redskins (1-1) Rams (0-2)

Sometimes a game between a pair of bad teams can produce a thriller. But not this time… Boring!!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Buffalo Bills – FINAL 33-20 Bills, Bills (1-1) Bucs (0-2)

A field goal had the Bills up 17-0 after one quarter, with the game on pace to be 68-0 and 8 Byron Leftwich interceptions.

Leftwich threw a 42 yard touchdown pass to Kellen Winslow Jr. early in the second quarter. Winslow does play for Tampa, which brought the Bucs to within 17-7. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the half, Buffalo looked to turn out the lights. Trent Edwards drove the team from their own 9 to the Tampa 14. Yet the game quickly changed when Buffalo fumbled, Sabby Piscitelli picked it up at the 20, and raced 72 yards to the Buffalo 8 in front of a stunned Bills crowd. Leftwich hit Cadillac Williams with seconds left in the half for the touchdown, and instead of trailing 27-7, the Buccaneers were only down 20-14. The Bills should be 2-0.

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers – FINAL 23-10 49ers, 49er (2-0) Seahawks (0-2)

The 49ers have something going here as Mike Singletary seems to have found a way to get through to these guys. Shaun Hill isn’t bad; very efficient at managing the game again going 19-26 for 144.

I checked this morning to see if Frank Gore has stopped running and they are unable to locate him at the moment. So for now, he’s at 16 rushed for 207 yards and 2 TD’s. I’ll let you know what he ends up at….

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Chicago Bears – FINAL 17-14 Bears, Bears (1-1) Steelers (1-1)

Both of these teams have superstar quarterbacks in Ben Roethlisberger and Jay Cutler, despite Cutler’s 4 interception debacle last week. Yet these teams, despite Brian Urlacher and Troy Polamalu not in the game, are about defense. This game was expected to be an old fashioned slugfest, and it was.

The game came down to the kickers with Jeff Reed missing a 43 yarder with 3:18 on the clock and Robbie Gould hitting his 44 yarder with 20 seconds left. This game was as good as advertised for those that like tough defense.

Cleveland Browns @ Denver Broncos – FINAL 27-6 Broncos, Broncos (2-0) Browns (0-2)

The Josh McDaniels era needed an 87 yard miracle doink reception touchdown by Brandon Stokely to avoid imploding after one week of the post Mike Shanahan and Jay Cutler era. While they did not have the luxury of playing Cincy again, there is a pair of bad teams in Ohio for Denver to practice against.

With 12 minutes left, Denver only led by 7 in a game they were dominating. Ultimately, they pulled away. A 49 pass from Kyle Orton to Jabar Gaffney followed by a 2 yard touchdown toss to Peyton Hillis had the Broncos safely in front 20-6 and off they went. The Broncos are bad, but they are 2-0 and out of awful Ohio teams to play. The Browns are even worse at 0-2, and looking forward to playing the improved Cincy rival to avoid 0-16. It has happened before. In case you were wondering, yes the Browns do play the Lions this year they play them in week # 14.

Baltimore Ravens @ San Diego Chargers – FINAL 31-26 Ravens, Ravens (2-0) Chargers (1-1)

Will the people that keep claiming the Chargers have Super Bowl potential finally concede that Norv Turner will not get them there? I will say it again. They have no shot with Norv! Yes they have the players, but it doesn’t matter.

This was a good game really with playmakers making plays on both sides. With 3 minutes left and down by a touchdown the Chargers took over at their own 27 and Philip Rivers immediately fired 38 yards to Vincent Jackson at the Baltimore 35 at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 3 from the 28, Rivers picked up 5 to the 23. On 3rd and 2 from the 15, Rivers fired incomplete. On 4th and 2 from the 15, (Rivers had thrown for 436 yards at that point and the running game had done nothing - even Norv Turner can understand this - no, he can’t) a trap run by Darren Sproles was blown up in the backfield by Ray Lewis. Remember him? The Ravens have Super Bowl rings. The Chargers have Norv Turner.

New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys - FINAL 33-31 Giants, Giants (2-0) Cowboys (1-1)

The Sunday night game. Jerry Jones spent 1.2 billion dollars on the stadium, and an NFL record over 105,000 people attended the game.

Firstly, in case you were wondering, no one hit the scoreboard. Eli Manning passed for 330 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Tony Romo had only 129 yards passing, but that was because the running game gashed New York for over 250 yards. This game was simply terrific. Back and forth body offensive body blows all night.

With 4 seconds left, Lawrence Tynes lined up for the field goal. This was about redeeming his earlier miss, and also the winning or losing the entire game. After the first attempt was nullified when Wade Philips called a last second timeout (thank you Mike Shanahan for screwing up the game with that,) Tynes connected perfectly down the middle.

105,000 fans went home dejected. Jerry Jones found out that a billion dollars cannot buy a championship, or even a home opening win. 8 lead changes made for a thriller. The rematch is already anticipated. – Mike Cardano

Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around The Horn (Baseball Blogs) and Extra Point (Football Blogs). Mike is also the founder of the fantasy sports games Ultimate Franchise Baseball™ and Ultimate Franchise Football™.

College Football Saturday In 500 Words Or Less

2009-09-20T20:37:00.000-04:00

A recap of what went down and what you should take away from Saturday's college football games.

This week taught us a lot about the college season; more so than the previous two weeks. It taught us that reputation might play into the polls more than we'd like to think. It revealed which players we should follow as the season progresses. It showed us how important a quarterback is to a team's success and that continuity at the position is a good thing. Week 3 also taught us a few things we already knew or weren't too surprised to see confirmed.

Recapping the day in 500 words or less, here's what Saturday taught us about the season:

- Where to start? Oh! Washington beat USC with three seconds remaining! It really makes you think: How important is the quarterback position!? Matt Barkley, whose ascent to the top of the depth chart was questioned by many, sat out with a shoulder injury. Aaron Corp, whose snubbing at the beginning of the season was questioned by some, got the start. Barkley hasn't been All-World or anything in his two starts, but he's led a couple of two minute drills to close the half and win the game against Ohio State. If Barkley plays, does he let the Trojans lose?

- On the other side of the ball, how big is Jake Locker's return? Washington was 0-12 without him a year ago. With Locker back under center, the Huskies are 2-1 and took down the mighty Trojans. Who would have thought that next week's Washington/Stanford matchup would determine the early leader in the Pac-10?

- Tyrod Taylor is going to have to become more of a passing threat if Virginia Tech hopes to compete for the ACC Championship. I was, however, impressed with his final drive on Saturday to beat Nebraska. His throw to Danny Coale was near perfect and his scramble on third and goal bought him enough time to hit Dyrell Roberts in the end zone to win the game. He'll have to be more consistent with his passing if Virginia Tech hopes to beat Miami next week.

- Eric Decker is tough. In the process of catching his first of two touchdown receptions, Sean Cattouse dealt a crushing blow to Decker's face. Decker was knocked unconscious momentarily, his mouth was bleeding and he couldn't breathe for a moment. The hit was legal, by the way. It was Decker's second catch of the game. He finished with eight.

- Is there any doubt that Jahvid Best is the best back in the nation? I think not.

- Michael Floyd underwent surgery following an attempted touchdown reception that left him with a broken collar bone. Huge blow to Notre Dame, as Armando Allen and Jimmy Clausen must now carry the Irish offense. Equally as crushing was Arizona's loss of Rob Gronkowski for the season. Gronkowski missed the Wildcats' first three games with a strained back and will have season ending surgery this week.

- Was I the only one who noticed the ridiculous amount of instant replays used to confirm or overturn receptions, ball spots, touchdowns, etc.? The NCAA Board of Whatever Panel Commission will soon vote on whether to use instant replay to make sure that players have tied their shoes correctly. I miss the days when a catch was a catch and a touchdown a touchdown.

- Thirty point underdogs, I can't decide if Tennessee should take a partial win out of Gainesville. No, they shouldn't, but at least they didn't give Urban Meyer the chance to run up the score. And Tebow didn't look too hot through the air against Eric Berry and the Volunteers secondary.

The polls have just been released following an interesting week in college football. USC dropped to 12 in the AP and 10 in the Coaches', while Washington climbed to #24 in the AP and remains unranked in the Coaches'. Miami was the week's biggest riser (9th in AP, 13th in Coaches') following another impressive showing.

This week, Jahvid Best Proved He's Worth The Hype. He's had an impressive start to the season, but Saturday's five touchdowns showed why he's considered the best running back, or football player, in the country. Saturday's five scores was roughly one third of his entire scoring production from last season (16 touchdowns). Scary.

The New Household Name for this week is Eric Decker. Decker caught 8 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns. He became Minnesota's all-time leader in receptions in the process. He even threw a touchdown pass to boot. This all coming on a day where he was knocked out, required stitches and left the game only when he sprained his ankle on Minnesota's final drive.

Some big games await us next weekend. Fourth ranked Ole Miss looks to continue to prove they belong in the top 5 when they take on South Carolina on Thursday night. In Saturday's early games, never-say-die Fresno State takes on 17th ranked Cincinnati and 22nd ranked North Carolina takes on a Georgia Tech team on the rebound. ABC will air a trio of games in the 3:30 P.M. ET slot: #6 Cal at Oregon, #9 Miami at #11 Virginia Tech and Illinois at #13 Ohio State. Top ranked Florida travels to Kentucky at 6 P.M. ET and Arizona State visits 21st ranked Georgia at 7 P.M. ET. Iowa travels to #5 Penn State in the primetime headliner. - Danny Hobrock

Danny Hobrock is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.

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Trying to bring down our true role models

2009-09-20T11:19:00.003-04:00

Why is it so important to some people to feel that they have to bring down our true role models? There are so few of them that are genuine, innocent and pure. It seems that there is always someone out there looking to take a hack at them.

Is it jealousy?

Did anyone read “The Trouble With Tim Tebow” in the Wall Street Journal on Friday?

Tim Tebow was the first college football player to both rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season and was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. As a sophomore in the 2007 season, he became the Gators' starting quarterback and broke the Southeastern Conference records for both rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns accounted for in a single season. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, his performance in 2007 also earned him the Maxwell Award as the nation's top football player, the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback, and the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport.

Last year after the Florida Gators lost a close game to the Ole’ Miss Rebels after failing to convert on a 4th and 1 with the game on the line the kid publicly pledged his heart and soul to the program he plays for and single handedly took responsibility for bringing the Gators a National Championship from that point on.

He then went on to deliver upon his pledge.

Tebow donates his time with his family on Christian missionaries in the Philippines and other nations; he’s a great student, a model citizen by all accounts and the best amateur football player in the nation (for a few years now). If there is anyone in world that should be a role model to others (children and adults alike) it’s Tim Tebow.

Shame on the Wall Street Journal for publishing anything negative about this kid at all. – Brian Pierce

Brian is an avid reader of Extra Point (Football Blogs) and Around The Horn (Baseball Blogs) who felt that he had to speak up about an issue that he thought was important in society; “Trying to bring down our true role models.”

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Roto-Rx

2009-09-19T20:47:00.002-04:00

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/ where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball & Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: Who is your number one rated fantasy QB? – Barry, San Diego, CA

Barry: It's got to be Drew Brees. He plays in a wide open offense and has tons of weapons at his disposal. Sean Payton is an aggressive play caller and he gets to play half his games in a climate controlled dome (plus some away games in Florida and Georgia). Manning and Brady are close, but Brees is the man right now.

Question #2: Should I activate Darren Sproles and reserve LaDanian Tomlinson this week? – Daniel, Teaneck, NJ

Daniel: Not sure if you saw, but LT has been ruled out for this week. Sproles will get the carries this week against the Ravens. Put him down for a decent day, but it will be tough for him to break a big one against the tough Raven D.

Question #3: Is the Redskins defense a good play against the Rams this weekend? – Don, San Diego, CA

Don: The Skins D is one of Dr. Roto's best plays this week. Hard to imagine St. Louis coming into DC and playing well. The Skins have a chance for 3-4 sacks, 1-2 INT, and 1-2 Fumble Recovery. Start them with confidence.

Question #4: Is Knowshon Moreno worthy of a starting fantasy running back spot? – Jamie, Port Washington, NY

Jamie: Maybe down the road, but right now Dr. Roto is not a Moreno fan. The Broncos got lucky last week in Cincy. If they don't score that miracle TD, people would be talking about a crappy offensive day for Orton and the rest of the Broncos. Your best chance is to hope he has a good week and then trade him to a guy in your league that is a big rookie fanatic.

Question #5: What do you think about Mike Singletary and the job he’s done? Is his defense worthy of activating this week? – Bruce, San Jose, CA

Bruce: Dr. Roto thought that Patrick Willis was the best defensive player he saw in the NFL last week. He looked amazingly fast against the Cards and the 49ers defense held tough against Warner, Hightower, and Fitzgerald. Seattle looked good last week, but don't forget that they were playing the Clams. Go ahead and activate the 49ers this week. They have the potential to surprise.

The Doctor is out...

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The Rebels Belong!

2009-09-19T08:42:00.001-04:00

Quick! Name the top three schools in the SEC. I'll give you a minute.
…………
No, don't go check the rankings!

Ok, ready? Good. You put Florida #1. Obviously. At number 2 you put Alabama. Good choice. And who did you put at number 3? Georgia?!? Did you not see their offense against Oklahoma State? Or their come from behind win against South Carolina?? I mean, I'd place 9th ranked LSU at #3 before I chose the 23rd ranked Bulldogs! Joe Cox and Co. has a long way to go before they start living up to their lofty expectations.

You forgot about the Mississippi Rebels! Not surprisingly I guess. Before their 9-4 campaign last season, the Rebels were written off by many in the SEC following a disastrous 2007 campaign in which they finished 3-9. It wasn't much prettier in 2006 (4-8), 2005 (3-8) or 2004 (4-7). They're last winning season before 2008 came in 2003 when the team went 10-3 on the back of Eli Manning. It's safe to say, despite an impressive campaign last season and a high ranking this season, many fans have all but dismissed any notion of the Rebels as worthy competition for the powerhouses of the SEC.

While it's easy to put them at 3 simply because they're the third highest ranked SEC team at #5 (Florida is #1 and Alabama is #4), in their lone game this season the Rebels showed why the sports' most informed individuals think so highly of them.

I have so far written 263 words of an article covering Ole Miss without mentioning the name Jevan Snead. Shame on me! He's looked upon with adoring eyes by Ole Miss fans and was the trendy Heisman pick before Miami's Jacory Harris stole the hearts of football fans.

Critics might knock Snead's penchant for throwing picks, however. In 2008 he threw 26 touchdowns, but had 13 interceptions. In the Rebels' first game this season, against the Memphis Tigers, Snead tossed two touchdowns, but was picked off twice as well. Interceptions cannot be the bane of the Rebels if they hope to compete in the SEC.

In the Memphis game, both of his picks came in the 2nd quarter as he got off to a poor start. Some might relate it to first game jitters, but Heisman worthy quarterbacks get over those fast. Snead answered any naysayers by completing 4 of 5 passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns in the 4th quarter.

Fans are hoping that Snead and the Rebels can pick up where they left off last season. In 2008, Ole Miss won five straight to end the regular season and lost only four times including tough losses at 20th ranked Wake Forest and at 2nd ranked Alabama. The effort earned them a spot in the Cotton Bowl where they defeated 7th ranked Texas Tech. Did I mention that Ole Miss defeated the eventual champion Florida Gators in the Swamp last year? It was the Gators' only loss of the season.

I could've let Tennessee's visit to the Swamp and the Lane Kiffin/Urban Meyer/Tim Tebow slap fight take up more space on the Internet, but it's the Ole Miss Rebels that have me excited. If Ole Miss wants to take the SEC West they'll have to down Alabama and LSU to get there. You can bet that the Rebels have their sights set firmly on the SEC Championship. What a scenario that would be: the SEC East Champion Florida Gators seek revenge in the SEC Championship Game against the team that handed them their only loss a year prior.

Mississippi takes on Southeastern Louisiana at home tomorrow before heading to South Carolina and Vanderbilt…two of the teams that defeated Ole Miss in '08. - Danny Hobrock

Danny Hobrock is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.

Ray Rice is your guy...

2009-09-18T11:58:00.001-04:00

Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Marion Barber, Frank Gore…. I’m certain that these were all players off the board early in your football fantasy drafts this year. The obvious ones are easy. How hard is it to know that if you ended up with Adrian Peterson and Drew Breese in your backfield that you did well? But it’s those second level picks that will win you a league championship.

It’s great that you got Peterson, but the other guy has Jones-Drew. It’s great that you have Breese, but the other guy has Brady. Who else do you have? Who’s your second running back? What kind of depth do you have?

I’m here to tell you that Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens is your guy. If you live in the NY Metropolitan area I’m sure you know all about Ray Rice. This 5-8, 210-pound 2nd year NFL player had an All-American career for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights – setting every school rushing record along the way.

In his rookie year Rice had 33 catches for 273 yards (8.3 per reception) and 107 carries for 454 yards (4.2 per carry). He played sparingly learning his craft behind veteran Willis McGahee. Now in his 2nd year Rice is listed number 1 on the depth chart at tail back and is ready to let loose.

Rice no longer has to be taken off the field on crucial passing downs because of complicated NFL blitz protection schemes that almost all rookie backs struggle with and the Ravens can now take advantage of his superior skills as a receiver out of the back field as well as his runs from the line of scrimmage.

In week # 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rice had 19 carries for 108 yards and 2 catches for 12 yards. Assuming he stays healthy I would expect Ray Rice’s year end numbers to be well in excess of 2,000 yards from the line of scrimmage.

That’s what you need from your second level running back to win a league title. - Mike Cardano

Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around The Horn (Baseball Blogs) and Extra Point (Football Blogs). Mike is also the founder of the fantasy sports games Ultimate Franchise Baseball™ and Ultimate Franchise Football™.

NFL Week #2 Picks

2009-09-17T08:02:00.002-04:00

Ok, in NFL Week # 1 we had 3 wins and 2 losses for a = + $77.50

We wagered $350.00 and won $77.50 for a return of 22%. Not exactly an earth shattering wagering day, but no one should ever complain about making 22% on their money FOR THE WEEKEND.

On to this week’s picks:

1 – The Raiders were able to hang with the Chargers last week losing a thriller with 18 seconds. They showed some of the swagger that the Raiders are known for. The Chiefs are not the Chargers. Brodie Croyle is 0-9 as a starting QB and I don’t see that trend changing if he plays. If Matt Cassel is healthy enough to start they have a fighting chance but I don’t think it’s enough with his 1st game with his new team. He doesn’t exactly have the offensive talent behind them that he did last year.

$50 - Oakland Raiders (Money line) (+140)

2 - Not exactly sure what team that was last week but it wasn’t the “same old Jets.” They are going to pressure Brady all day and he’s not moving too well. I’m sure Moss, Welker and Faulk will have 25 catches between them but they will all be 6 yard passes. Sure the Patriots are still the Patriots and if you give them an opportunity to win the game, they will do it like they did last week, but the Patriots were exposed. Had the Bills special teams not turned the ball over the Bills would have won the game. The Jest special teams will be better than the Bills, especially with Leon Washington anchoring them.

$50 – New York Jets (Money line) (+170)

3 – The Redskins aren’t a bad team. They should shine playing teams out of the NFC East.

$75 – Washington Redskins -9.5 (-115)

4 – Take Troy Polamalu off the Steelers; Brian Urlacher off the Bears and the Steelers are still more than 3 points better than the Bears. I don’t care where the game is.

$75 – Pittsburgh Steelers -3.0 (-105)

5 –This week we are playing one college game again. Ohio St. lost to USC last week but there is no shame in that. They played a great game and will run away with this one as Toledo will be no match. Take the Buckeye’s and the points.

$75 - Ohio St. -20.5 (-110)

Robert Fairchild is a professional sports gaming professional. He legally wages on professional and collegiate sporting events for a living. Robert is NOT suggesting that you quit your day job and try to wager on sports for a living. He is contributing his thoughts and experience to assist you in a recreational activity that you as an informed adult may choose to take part in.

Roto-Rx

2009-09-16T17:35:00.000-04:00

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/
where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball & Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: After week #1 and seeing how coaches are planning on using their players this year, are there any major changes to how you valued anyone prior to the season starting? – Maureen, Meriden, CT

Maureen: It is still too early to tell that, Maureen. There were some guys who I thought would play more (Donald Brown) and some guys I thought would play less (Cadillac Williams), but we need to give it at least 3 weeks before we start to see trends forming.

Question #2: Is the fact that the Bears lost Urlacher enough reason to waive the Bears defense and look for another one? – Stewart, Coronado, CA

Stewart: Not a chance. Lovie Smith will have those guys prepared and Tommie Harris and Lance Briggs will make sure that the team is fired up. I would rather have the Bears without Urlacher over the Lions with 12 players!

Question #3: Does Roy Williams get a bump in his value because T.O. isn’t there? – Ben, Buffalo, NY

Ben: For sure. The Cowboys are going to need Roy to step up and show the skills he once did in Detroit. If he doesn't, Dallas will be in some trouble because Witten is the only other serious threat there (with apologies to P. Crayton).

Question #4: Is Jake Dellhome in jeopardy of losing his job? – Daryl, Detroit, MI

Daryl: Hate to say this, but I hope so. He's a gunslinger with no bullets right now. He's making bad decisions and the team is losing trust in him. The running game is solid, but don't forget that Steve Smith is a fiery guy. The Panthers do not want him raging up and down the sidelines pissed off because Delhomme can't get him the ball. John Fox is a Parcells disciple--he hates the turnover!

Question #5: Is now the time to pick up Michael Vick? – Roger, Atlanta, GA

Roger: I would have said yes but then the Eagles went out and signed Jeff Garcia. With Garcia there and McNabb recovering a bit faster than expected, I think Vick won't get more than a start or two this year. If you can pick him up and stash him, you may want to consider that, but don't count on him for production this year.

The Doctor is out...

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I Hate Kevin Faulk!

2009-09-16T08:06:00.002-04:00

Kevin Faulk. Kevin Faulk. Kevin Faulk. Kevin Faulk.....

I can’t begin to tell you how much I hate Kevin Faulk. I hate to say his name and I hate to think about him. Watching the game this past Monday night made me sick. I can’t stand the guy. When he walks on the field I want to vomit.

Why you say...? He doesn't put up monster stats against your team? And Monday night he only had 2 rushes for 7 yards and 6 catches for 51 yards. What’s the big deal?

Well here’s the thing. I am a HUGE Jets fan. And more than any player that the Patriots have, I am jealous that they have Kevin Faulk.

I’m not jealous that they have Tom Brady, Randy Moss or Wes Welker etc. (they have a lot of great players) but it kills me that the Pats have Kevin Faulk.

For the last decade now, this guy has been the best player in football that no one talks about. The guy walks on to the field on third and 7 with everyone in the stadium and watching on TV knowing that Tom Brady is going to dump the ball off to him at about 4 yards, and that he is going to get the 1st down and he does it anyway.

He does it in the pre season, the regular season, the playoffs, the Superbowl. He probably does it to his kids in his back yard. The guy just does what it takes to win all the time and my team never seems to have a player like that.

I know it’s not literally true, but my perception is that he never misses an opportunity to stick a dagger in the other team’s heart. He’s clutch, he catches everything thrown in his vicinity and gets every necessary yard he needs each and every time he touches the ball.

He’s been at it since 1999 when he was drafted by the Patriots out of LSU and I’m sick of it. Even when the Patriots don’t score, he extends drives wearing defenses down or takes time off the clock. A 4 yard draw play to extend a drive here, a 9 yard catch and run to set up a field goal there. He gets out of bounds when he needs to stop the clock, he stays in when he needs to let the clock run. He catches it high, low, anywhere his hands can reach and sometimes even where they can’t. He’s not flashy and does not put up the best overall stats, but in crunch time he always comes through. No one talks about it but he’s an integral part of why the Patriots have been so good for so long and have won all these championships. The guys is the Derek Jeter of football.

Watching the Patriots vs. Bills the other night made me sick because I could see him doing the same thing this week against my Jets. He always does. If I had one player that I wished would miss this week’s Jets vs. Pats game it would not be Brady, Moss, Wilfork, Welker or any of the obvious great players they have it would be Faulk.

He’s a great player and I hate his guts because he's on my biggest rival.

I never whish for bad things to happen to people and on a personal level I really don't wish anything bad for Kevin Faulk - I'm sure he's a nice guy. But my team neads a win this weekend and I don't see how they do it if this guy plays so I need to do what I need to do to help out.

I am hereby officially putting on the Costa HEX on Kevin Faulk in the public domain. (Sorry Kevin.... well not really....) You can call it cheating and that's fine because I've just about lost all my morals at this point and Costa HEX works all the time (goes back generations in my family - it's the one talent we Costa's have - kind of a grandpa Munster thing)

Kevin Faulk, you are a gamer and I would take you on my team any day. But you are not on my team and my team needs a win.

"Kevin, I hope you get hemorrhoids real bad and can’t play this weekend."

There, I did it. The Costa HEX in in effect (there is only one way to take it off and I'm not telling :) – Peter Costa

Pete is a serious baseball Rotisserie participant playing the same league with the same guys for 17 years. Not only has Peter never finished in the money; he’s finished last 13 times and no higher than 10th (in a league with 14 guys). We’ve been following Pete’s trials, tribulations and frustrations on Around The Horn as he attempted to navigate his way out of the basement in 2009 (didn’t happen) and now he’s trying his luck at Fantasy football. Can’t blame a guy for trying right? Good luck Pete, you’re gonna need it…….

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship!

THE WORST OF THE WORST – NFL WEEK 1

2009-09-15T08:48:00.000-04:00

Jay Cutler – Well now we know what happens when Devin Hester is the no.1 receiver for Cutler. Besides Hester (who is not a wide receiver) and tight ends Desmond Clark (who is out with a back injury) and Greg Olsen, Cutler has nobody to throw it to.

And since Matt Forte can’t carry the ball every play, Chicago’s offense is in trouble. And Green Bay exploited Sunday. Cutler threw four interceptions in a game that was only decided by six points by a touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers with less than two minutes left.

Four interceptions… That is not what the Bears had in mind when they traded for Cutler, especially when a defensive tackle is the one who makes the interception. Although the 325 pound Johnny Jolly made an incredibly athletic play to make the catch, that is no excuse for a “pro-bowl caliber” quarterback to throw the ball into the hands of a defensive tackle.

The Redskins Offense – A total of five plays were run by the Washington Redskins offense in the first quarters against the Giants at the Meadowlands. That’s it.

Jason Campbell looked like a deer in the headlights lining up against Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. And the New York defense loved every minute of it. Campbell couldn’t move the ball. Head coach Jim Zorn was not consistent with his play calling. And if it wasn’t for a fake field goal in the red zone that score a touchdown, the Redskins would have been down 17-0 at halftime.

Santana Moss was completely taken out of the game after getting a little too physical with defensive back Corey Webster. Campbell was totally unsuccessful throwing the deep ball. The Giants dominated the time of possession and the Redskins looked like they never had a chance (although they only lost by six).

Kurt Warner – The re-signing of Kurt Warner was supposed to help the Arizona Cardinals continue to be successful on offense. But when running back Tim Hightower is the team leader in receptions against the 49ers, there is a problem.

Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin only caught a combined total of eight passes and for 90 yards. Isn’t Warner supposed to spread the ball around a little more? Isn’t Warner supposed to be more successful with the deep ball? Didn’t the Cardinals win every game against an NFC West opponent last year?

Instead, the San Francisco defense intercepted two of his passes, completely shut down Arizona’s running game and won 20-16. Maybe the Cardinals won’t run away with this division after all.

HONORABLE MENTIONS – The Cincinnati Bengals (too easy), Jake Delhomme (way too easy), Andre Johnson (only four receptions for 35 yards). - Michael Klopman

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship!