Saturday, October 31, 2009

Sunday in a Nutshell: Week 8

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!!
Hope this holiday finds you well....get ready for tomorrow's big games!!
.................................................................................
Morning Games:
.................................................................................
DENVER BRONCOS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS:
Denver is still undefeated and coming off of a bye week (remember, this means that they have the week off) so they should be healed and rested and ready to go this Sunday. The Ravens are 3-3 but are still an incredibly tough team to play. They also have a great mascot for Halloween. Baltimore is also coming off of a bye week so both of these teams will either come out with a lot of energy or will be a bit rusty from the week off. Either way this game should be a good one but will most likely be a low scoring matchup as both teams boast strong defenses. Keep an eye on underpaid WR Brandon Marshall.


MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK JETS:
The Dolphins beat the Jets in their first meeting which was QB Chad Henne's (rhymes with Jenny) first game as a starter. The Jets are coming off of a big win against the Raiders while the Dolphins are coming off of a loss to the Saints--a game where they let by 2 TDs at half time. These teams always play hard against each other so this should be a good game to watch….especially with Miami still running the wildcat offense so effectively through RBs Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown.
..............................................................................
Afternoon Games:
..............................................................................
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS:
This is it! Brett Favre returns to Lambeau field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the place he called his home for 16 seasons. The Vikings have already played the Packers once this year and came out with a victory. Green Bay is looking for redemption and would like to beat their division rivals. They're also coming off of a game where they destroyed the Browns and held them to 3 points (1 field goal) total. The Vikings are coming off of their first loss of the season and would like to bounce back with a win. I think this is an incredibly important game to Brett Favre but his replacement on the Packers--QB Aaron Rodgers--most likely feels the same importance of this game. Let’s also not forget a guy named "All Day" who the Packers will be looking to stop. This is the game of the week FO SHO!!!!!!!!!
.....................................................................................
Night Game:
.....................................................................................
There is no Sunday night game due to the World Series.
.......................................................................................
Monday Night:
......................................................................................
ATLANTA FALCONS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:
The Saints are still undefeated but gave everybody a scare last week when they looked terrible in the first half of the game against Miami. Atlanta is coming off of a loss to Dallas and would like to bounce back with a win. This will be a game full of highlights and fireworks as both of these teams boast high powered offenses--another great Primetime game for this NFL season.

Until next time!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Week 7: What Happened?

What happened, you ask? Well I'll tell you! Here goes:
.............................................................................
Morning Games:
(winning team in RED)
..............................................................................
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT HOUSTON TEXANS:
Well this was an interesting one. Houston was winning 21-0 by the half. The 49ers decided to bench starting QB Shaun Hill for their backup QB Alex Smith. Smith was the 49ers #1 pick overall in the draft in 2005 but has been a bust ever since. He stepped in and threw 3 TD passes--all to TE Vernon Davis. Unfortunately the Texans made a field goal in the second half so the final score was 24-21 in favor of the Texans. Michael Crabtree had a decent first day of school. Remember he is just starting the season because he held out for more cash. There were no fireworks but you can see his potential and will probably be a big star. One to watch.

What to say to a dude:
"Do you think Alex Smith will be able to get this weak offense going and give the Niners the QB that they need to win some games?" 
"I guess Mike Singletary really made an impression on Vernon Davis. (who after 6 games has more TDs than he’s ever had in the past)"

...............................................................................................
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS:
Well Brett Favre lost--finally. Sad face. :( He had two costly turnovers--one fumble (when the offensive player drops the ball and the other guys grab it) returned for a touchdown and one interception (when the QB throws the ball and a defensive player catches it) at the end of the game that was returned for a touchdown. That last minute interception lost them the game. Oops. Favre attempted 51 passes in a game which is a lot especially for a guy who’s 157 years old (alright, just kidding...he’s only 85). If the Vikings want to keep his arm alive they are going to have to run the ball with "All Day" Adrian Peterson more than the 18 times they did in this game.

What to say to a dude:
"The Steelers defense looks like it did when they won the superbowl last year." 

"Brett Farve will never last the whole season if he has to throw 50 passes every game, why didn’t Minnesota use Adrian Peterson more?"

...................................................................................
Afternoon Games:
...................................................................................
NEW YORK JETS AT OAKLAND RAIDERS:
Well, the Raiders are back to their old awful ways after that fluke win against the Eagles last week. Raiders QB Jamarcus Russell was benched after the first half. The half in which he threw 2 interceptions. Not a good start. The backup QB Bruce Gradkowski did not fare much better and the Raiders were shut out by the Jets. This means that the score was 38-0. Ugly. Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez had a decent game with no mistakes but it was the running game that really beat the Raiders. Unfortunately the Jets had one RB who didn’t have such a lovely game. Leon Washington broke a bone in his leg and a piece of the bone was actually sticking out of the skin….needless to say his season is over. Gross.
Super Villain coach Rex Ryan should be happy with his team’s performance but isn’t happy with losing a big playmaker like Leon Washington.

What to say to a dude:
"How many more chances are the Raiders going to give to QB Jamarcus Russell? He looks terrible these days."

................................................................................
CHICAGO BEARS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS:
Yikes. The Bears got destroyed by the Bengals. Bengals QB Carson Palmer had 5 TD passes--two of which went to our favorite guy with a number as his last name, Chad Ochocinco. Former Bears RB Cedric Benson had a monster game for the Bengals with 189 rushing yards and a TD touching the ball 37 times (a lot for a RB). Jay Cutler threw 3 interceptions for the Bears. The Bengals are playing well right now with a 5-2 record while the Bears are mediocre with a 3-3 record.

What to say to a dude:
"Do you think after that game that the Bears Execs are thinking twice about giving Jay Cutler a 2 year $30 million extension?"

..............................................................................
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS:
By the end the first half, it looked like the Saints' perfect season was over. They were down 24-10 at halftime. The Saints scored 34 points in the second half and Miami was only able to score 10. The final score: 46-34. The Saints won and continue the season undefeated. M(most) V(valuble) P(player) Candidate QB Drew Brees threw 3 interceptions and only 1 TD but he ran 2 TDs in. Dolphins RB Ricky Williams had 3 TDs and RB Ronnie Brown rushed for 1 TD. Unfortunately, the Dolphins passing game led by Chad Henne (rhymes with Jenny) was sub-par so they couldn’t keep up with the Saints high powered offense.

What to say to a dude:
"Out of the 3 undefeated teams, Saints, Colts and Broncos, who do you think is the best team?" 
"Who do you think is playing better--Drew Brees or Payton Manning?"

............................................................................................
Night Game:
............................................................................................

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT NEW YORK GIANTS:
Payton’s little bro Eli Manning has now lost 2 in a row. Eli threw 3 interceptions and made only 1 TD. Cardinals QB Kurt Warner didn’t have a spectacular game but only had one turnover to Eli’s 3. We often hear that the team with the least turnovers wins the game. Larry Fitzgerald caught 6 passes but no TDs and still has not felt the wrath of the Madden Curse (Note other Madden Cover guy Troy Palomalu played well this Sunday and didn’t get hurt again) The Giants have now lost 2 in a row both to teams with high powered passing offenses. The Defense needs to start playing better for the Giants to win. The Cardinals have now won 3 games in a row.

What to say to a dude:
"Do you think Kurt Warner and the Cardinals are playing well enough in a weak NFC west division to make the playoffs and get to the superbowl again?" 

Next week we'll cover all this silly division madness. AFC? NFC? Yes, and yes. Stay tuned!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Sunday in a Nutshell: Week 7

Hi everyone, here are the games to watch on Sunday!

Morning Games:

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT HOUSTON TEXANS:
Two words sum up this game: Michael Crabtree. Now, I normally would never bore you with stats, but this was a player that as a freshman in college caught 134 passes for 1962 yards and 22 TDs….these are record breaking NFL stats. In college these are unheard of. Crabtree was expected to be drafted early in the top 10 but when teams like the Oakland Raiders picked players that nobody thought they would, Crabtree ended up as the 10th pick overall to the 49ers. He was pissed. Crabtree thought he deserved more $$$ than the 49ers offered him (which was something like $22 million...not too shabby) and held out on the team (meaning he didn’t participate in ANY games or practices) until last week when he finally signed the contract. Everybody is curious if he was worth it and hopefully in this game we’ll see. 49ers RB Frank Gore is back from injury. On the other side Houston is playing great football. QB Matt Schaub is leading the league in many statistic categories. This will be a great game to watch.

What to say to a dude:
"Do you think Crabtree will live up to the hype? At least he's coming in at a good time...the 49er offense definitely needs a jump start."

MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS:

This is yet another test for Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. "Madden Cursed" Troy Polamalu (remember him from week 1?) is back on the Steelers defense much to the chagrin of the Vikings offense. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisburger threw for 400 yards last week but is going to have a tough time against the hard hitting Vikings defense led by defensive linemen Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and Pat Williams (no relation). This will also be a test for "All Day" Adrian Peterson against this tough Pittsburgh defense. Lets see if Brett Favre can remain undefeated with the Minnesota Vikings.

Afternoon Games:

NEW YORK JETS AT OAKLAND RAIDERS:
The Raiders won last week! Finally. QB Jamarcus Russell actually looked like he knew what was he was doing and the Raiders Defense held the Eagles offense to 3 field goals and no TDs. Super Villain Rex Ryan and Rookie QB Mark Sanchez have lost 3 in a row after winning the first 3 games of the season. This game will show if Jamarcus Russell had a fluke game last week or he is starting to live up to the hype. We’ll see if Rookie Coach and Rookie QB can lead the jets to a win after 3 tough losses. Should be an interesting game.

CHICAGO BEARS AT CINNCINATI BENGALS:

Both of these teams lost last week and are looking to bounce back this Sunday. Bengals RB Cedric Benson is having a surprisingly great season after having 3 awful seasons in Chicago. Benson will be looking to have a big game to prove that his old team made a mistake letting him go. Chicago defense will be looking to prove him wrong. Gay Butler/Jay Cutler just signed a 2 year $30 million contract extension so he will be looking to show the Chicago bears execs that he is worth it. These two teams are going to be playing hard on Sunday.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS:
These are just two very fun teams to watch. Saints QB Drew Brees is playing unbelievable football. Miami’s Wildcat offense is still very effective. The Saints will most likely win and stay undefeated but this will still be a great game to watch just for the exciting offenses.

Sunday Night:

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT NEW YORK GIANTS:
Cardinals QB Kurt Warner was the Giants starting QB when Eli Manning was drafted. He got benched halfway through the season so Eli could take over the team. Eli took the Giants to the superbowl a few years later and Kurt Warner took the Cardinals to the superbowl last year. Both teams really want this win, especially NY after losing so badly to the Saints last week. Another great game lined up for Sunday night.

And that's it for now. Until tomorrow!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Week 6: What Happened?

So did we all see the first super snowy game of the season? What fun! Here we go with the recap:

Morning Games:
(the team in RED is the team that won)

HOUSTON TEXANS AT CINNCINNATI BENGALS:
The Houston Texans got a much needed win after a tough loss to Arizona last week. Texans QB Matt Schaub had another huge game passing for 4 TDs and wide receiver Andre Johnson did great too. On the Bengals, QB Carson Palmer had less of an outstanding game along with Chad "My favorite number is 85 so I just went and changed my name" Ochocinco who had over 100 yards receiving but no TDs. This ended the Bengals 4 game winning streak and showed that their defense can be beaten if you simply throw the ball over their heads (meaning that a "pass heavy" offense seemed to work against them).

What to say to a dude:

"Do you think Carson Palmer will start declining towards the second half of the season like all of the experts predict?" Or "I think Andre Johnson is the best receiver in football, do you think anybody else is better this season?"

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS:
Well Brett Favre did it again. This game was a 20-10 game in favor of the Vikings going into the 4th quarter. Favre threw another TD pass to bring the game to 27-10 and it looked like the game was over. The Ravens scored a quick TD to bring the game to 27-17, the Vikings kicked a field goal to make the score 30-17--again we all thought it was over--but the Ravens scored 2 more TDs to take the lead 30-31 with only 3 and a half minutes left. Brett Favre proceeded to march his team down the field and the Vikings kicked a field goal with less than 2 minutes left. The Ravens had one more chance with the ball and had a 44 yard field goal opportunity with 2 seconds left but the kicker missed it giving Brett Favre and the Vikings another last minute win keeping their undefeated season alive. This is the first time Favre has gone this deep into the season being undefeated. He also seemed quite happy, frolicking amongst his teammates with a grin from ear to ear.

What to say to a dude:

"Do you think Brett Favre can last all season or is his arm going to start to have issues like last season when he was on the Jets?"

NEW YORK GIANTS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:

It appears that the Saints are the real deal. Their defense shut down a very good NY Giants offense and their offense really gave a beating to a tough Giants defense. Saints QB Drew Brees was back in form throwing 4 TDs to 4 different players. The saints also had 3 rushing TDs, one of them by Kim Kardashian's BF, Reggie Bush. The Saints remain undefeated but have a tough road ahead playing Miami and Atlanta . Eli Manning (Payton's bro) only had 1 TD and also threw an interception….not a good game for baby brother.

What to say to a dude:
"Drew Brees is back to his old form after the bye week. Do you think he’ll be MVP this year?" Or, "Are the Saints the best undefeated team in the NFL or do you think the Colts or Vikings are better?"

Afternoon Games:

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS:
This was a terrible game for Seattle who after putting up 40+ points only put up 3 points against a pretty weak Arizona defense. AZ WR Larry Fitzgerald had 13 catches for 100 yards and a TD. This was a good game for AZ fans, not so good for Seattle fans.

What to say to a dude:
"Seattle is so streaky that I don’t think they’ll be able to win the NFC West division."

TENNESSEE TITANS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS:
The snow was falling hard during this game and the mighty Titans were falling even harder (cheesy but true). New England Beat the Titans 59-0. Did you read that? FIFTY-NINE to ZERO. Patriots had the biggest half time lead in league history of 45-0 and the final score was the largest margin of victory since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. (More on that this week) Tom Brady threw 5 TD passes in the second quarter (another NFL record) and threw 6 TDs total in the game. The Titans had -7 (yes, that's negative seven) yards passing the entire game. This is an incredibly painful loss for the Titans who are now 0-6. I bet the Lions don't feel so bad now. The one ray of hope is that Titans RB Chris Johnson had a good day rushing with over 100 yards….no TDs though. Big win for New England, big loss for Tennessee.

What to say to a dude:
Just start quoting all of the records set in this game (above).

Night Game:
CHICAGO BEARS AT ATLANTA FALCONS:
Jay Cutler had a decent day of passing but threw 2 interceptions. Those turnovers along with RB Matt Forte’s two fumbles pretty much cost the Bears the game. Atlanta didn’t have a great game but came away with the win due to Chicago’s 4 turnovers compared to their two turnovers. Atlanta scored a TD with a little over 3 minutes left in the game to take the lead 21-14 and Chicago just couldn't match it. This was one of the less exciting primetime games we’ve had this season but still a good game to watch for football fans.

What to say to a dude:
"I’m not sure Jay Cutler was worth everything that the Bears gave up to get him, especially seeing how well Kyle Orton is playing for the Broncos." Or "The Bears are not the same team without Linebacker Brian Urlacher. Too bad he's out for the season."

And that's all for now!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Sunday In a Nutshell: Week 6

So how are we doing on this fine Fall day? It is week 6 of the 2009/10 NFL football season. We've come a long way so far--do you realize this?! We know all about the offense. We know which teams are doing well and which teams suck. (Raiders, anyone?) We know who's hottie (Brady) and who's nottie (Derek). And I'm hoping we can even hold our own in a conversation with football enthusiasts--or at least with the guy sitting next to you in the sports bar.
Here we go with Sunday's games!

Morning Games:
HOUSTON TEXANS AT CINNCINNATI BENGALS:
The Bengals are on a 4 game winning streak and look to continue winning at home against the Texans. Keep an eye on Bengals QB Carson Palmer and WR Chad "I think matching my last name with my jersey number is cool" Ochocinco, they should make some highlights in this game. On the Texans, keep an eye on QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson who have been making big plays together. This should be a high scoring matchup and an exciting game to watch.

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS:
Another huge game for Brett Favre and his undefeated Vikings. The Ravens have vowed to stop RB "All Day" Adrian Peterson (remember, he's a "Whitney"), so Favre will probably have to throw (pass) the ball instead of trying for the hand off. The Ravens have one of the toughest defenses in the NFL but their offense has been sputtering lately. This is another great matchup but will be more of a defensive battle so there might not be as much scoring. Let’s see if the Ravens young QB Joe Flacco (rhymes with "Jacko") can bounce back after losing to the Bengals last week.

NEW YORK GIANTS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:
This is a battle of undefeated teams--two great QBs in NY’s Eli Manning (Payton's bro) and NO’s Drew Brees. Drew Brees threw 9 TD passes in the first two games but hasn’t thrown one since. NY destroyed the Raiders last week (calling the game a scrimmage and not a real game. Ouch.), so they come to this game with somewhat of a swagger. New Orleans had the week off so they are well rested and ready to go. This could very well be a prelude to a matchup in the playoffs. Great game to watch.

Afternoon Games:
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS:
This would be a great win for either team to gain some ground on the 49ers who have a bye this week. Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck (his brother is married to the View’s Elizabeth) has come back from an injury and been playing great football. WRs Nate Burleson and TJ Houshmandzadeh (huh?) are starting to make some big plays as well. Arizona is coming off of a win against Houston and Kurt Warner is starting to look like he did last year on the way to the Superbowl (good). WR's Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan (if you can believe it, rhymes with "Antoine") Boldin are starting to put up some good numbers too. This should be a high scoring game.

TENNESSEE TITANS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS:
Tennessee needs to win. If they lose this game and go 0-6 they must win 10 straight games to have a chance at the playoffs. No pressure or anything. New England is coming off of an overtime loss to Denver so they'd probably like to have a win at home.

Night Game:
CHICAGO BEARS AT ATLANTA FALCONS:
Both of these teams have records of 3 wins and 1 loss. Gay Butler (Jay Cutler) and his team are rested after the bye week and are looking to come out firing against a Falcons team that really obliterated the 49ers last week. Both of these teams will want this primetime win to show NFL fans that they are contenders for the Superbowl this year. Should be another great Sunday night football game.

Monday Night:
DENVER BRONCOS AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS:
Denver is the talk of the NFL these days--the dark horse popular girls in school. Nobody thought this team would be a contender, much less an undefeated team at this point in the season. Bronco's QB Kyle Orton and WR Brandon Marshall have been making the big plays at the end of the games to win but Denver’s defense is what is really impressing NFL experts. Running back Ladainian Tomlinson (LT) still wants to quiet critics who say that he is over the hill (he's 30, by the way) but has yet to have a big game this year.

And that's it...I don't know about you, but I'm getting excited for the Holidays. Football has been on the TV in the background of these occasions for as long as I can remember. Now, maybe when the conversation starts to lag, you can turn around and watch the game--and even have something to contribute! Cheers

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Week 5: What Happened?

OK! Better late than never, right? Let's get right to it:

Morning Game:
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS:
Cincinnati is now on a four game winning streak after losing their first game to Denver. Bengals RB Cedric Benson had a nice game against an incredibly tough Ravens Defense and QB Carson Palmer had a decent game completing 7 passes to his favorite target, Chad "I changed my name to 85" Ochocinco. Young Ravens QB Joe Flacco had a rough game against the suddenly tough Bengals defense. The Bengals play Houston next which should be a high scoring game with two good QBs matching up against each other.

What to say to a dude:
"Can you believe how well Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco are playing after having such an awful season last year?"

"The Bengals now have a running game with Cedric Benson that they haven’t had in years"

"Cedric Benson is finally living up to his hype."

Afternoon Games:
ATLANTA FALCONS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS:
Yikes! The Falcons destroyed the 49ers this week (not a happy week in our household). RB Michael Turner had 3 TDs and WR Roddy White caught for 2 TDs. Recently, the 49ers defense has been winning their games for them since their offense has been relatively stagnant without star RB Frank Gore who should be back after this upcoming bye week. The Niners defense couldn't stop the high powered Atlanta offense lead by 2nd year QB Matt Ryan. The 49ers didn’t score in the second half. They are going to have a long week off. My recommendation is that they go purchase some new bling. Diamonds make everyone feel better, right?

What to say to a dude:
"I wonder how many times the 49ers are going to have to run the hill after that devastating loss."

Or "I guess Michael Crabtree is coming into this offense at the right time since they haven’t been able to score much lately."

HOUSTON TEXANS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS:
Arizona pulled off the win but both QBs and star receivers had good games. QB Matt Schaub passed for 2 TDs--both to star receiver Andre Johnson. Kurt Warner threw for over 300 yards and 2 TDs--both to his star receiver Larry "Fitz" Fitzgerald who still has not felt the Madden curse. This was a game that wasn’t decided until the last two minutes when Matt Schaub threw an interception to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Really? You hyphenated that?) for a TD.

What to say to a dude:
"Who do you think is the better receiver, Andre Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald? In Andre Johnson’s defense this is the first year that Matt Schaub has stayed healthy for this long."


NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT DENVER BRONCOS:

This was a great game that went into overtime before a winner was decided. Again the Broncos were down in the fourth quarter and underpaid WR Brandon Marshall scored a TD. He had two TDs in the game and Randy Moss didn’t have any……looks like Marshall is proving why he should get a bigger paycheck. Cha-ching! The Broncos are still undefeated and have beaten tough teams in Cincinnati, Dallas and New England along with easy wins over Oakland and Cleveland. The Broncos have a few more tough games coming up but it looks like they are a serious contender in the AFC and their defense is playing incredibly tough football.

What to say to a dude:
"So who is gonna beat the Broncos first--Baltimore, Pittsburgh or the NY Giants?"

"Can you believe how well that safety, Brian Dawkins, is playing after being let go by the Eagles?"

"So do you think the Broncos have the best defense in the league this year?"

Night Game:
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT TENNESSEE TITANS:
Poor Tennessee--they get a sad face :(. After having such a great season last year they are now at 0-5. Coming up, they have to play New England, Jacksonville and SF who all have pretty tough defenses. Titans star RB Chris Johnson was held to 34 yards rushing which might be the lowest total of his career (remember that a "good" rushing number should be somewhere around 200-300. 34 stinks.). Colts QB Payton Manning had another fantastic day (shocker) passing for over 300 yards and 3 TDs. The Colts are now 5-0 going into a week off to rest up and heal their bruises (or buy diamonds). Plus, they get to go up against the terrible Saint Louis Rams in two weeks which should be a nice easy win for them.

What to say to a dude:
"Payton Manning doesn’t need Marvin Harrison on his team, he makes any wide receiver great."

Monday Night:
NEW YORK JETS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS:
This was a fantastic game. Our Super Villain Jets coach Rex Ryan has lost two in a row now. Braylon Edwards played great after being traded to the team only two and a half days before playing in a game. New York scored 14 points in the fourth quarter but Miami scored 21 points--the last 7 of which came on a TD with 6 seconds left in the game. The Wildcat offense (this is when they do NOT use a QB on the play. The ball is hiked directly to a Running Back. Weird, right?) was successful again for the Dolphins along with a great performance by QB Chad Henne (rhymes with "Jenny") when he did actually play. Miami's running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams who stepped in for the QB during those Wildcat formations both had great performances.

What to say to a dude:
"Isn't it crazy that Braylon Edwards is only the second player ever to be traded during the week and start the game that Sunday or Monday."

And that's about it! Until next time...

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Stay tuned...

...for Week 5: What Happened? tomorrow morning. Chick 101 is traveling and won't be home until tonight! Thank you for your patience and dedication. Until tomorrow!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Sunday In a Nutshell: Week 5

Hello, my lovelies! Are we ready for Sunday's games? Let's get going...

Morning Games: Sadly, there aren't that many good matchups, however, that gives you an excuse to sleep in! Here is the one to watch:

CINCINNATI BENGALS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS:
Both of these teams are 3-1 (meaning they've won 3 games, lost 1 game.) The Ravens are coming off a painful loss to the New England Patriots so they are hoping to bounce back with a win. The Bengals are coming off a thrilling overtime victory against the Cleveland Browns. Remember the "Battle of Ohio" last week? WR Chad "Ochocinco" and QB Carson Palmer of the Bengals are starting to make memorable plays which is a good sign for the Bengals as these are their top two players. The Ravens have been relying on their defense but their offense shows promise with young QB Joe Flacco and WR Derrick Mason who is now in his 13th season in the NFL. This should be a good game to watch with some good highlights on both sides of the ball (Offense and Defense).

Afternoon Games:

ATLANTA FALCONS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS:
The Falcons are coming off a bye week (meaning they get the week off....time to shop!) so the team is very rested. It will be interesting to see how the Falcons high powered offense lead by QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White and TE Tony Gonzalez play against an incredibly strong 49ers defense who shut out the St Louis Rams last week. The 49ers are off to a great start even with losing their star RB Frank Gore (he got hurt last week). Rookie RB Glen Coffee has filled in nicely and TE Vernon Davis (said to be the fastest TE ever) has been catching touchdowns. The 49ers also finally signed Rookie WR Michael Crabtree who has been holding out for more money. We will not see Crabtree this Sunday but he should be learning the playbook and getting ready to see some action in weeks to come. Crabtree needs to prove himself as he signed a 6 year $37 million contract with $17 million in guaranteed money.

HOUSTON TEXANS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS:
This should be a high scoring game. Keep an eye on two of the top QBs in Houston's Matt Schaub and Arizona’s Kurt Warner. These teams also boast two of the best receivers in the game in Houston’s Andre Johnson and Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald. This game should have lots of passing and lots of highlights. Keep an eye on Fitz and his Madden curse.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT DENVER BRONCOS:

This should be a real test for the undefeated Broncos. New England is coming off a great victory over Baltimore and the Broncos are coming off a last minute win against the Dallas Cowboys where underpaid WR Brandon Marshall made the play to win the game. New England started off a little slow this season which can be expected with Tom Brady not playing all of last season but they are now 3-1 and looking to give Denver their first loss. We’ll see if $14 million WR Randy Moss can outplay $400K receiver Brandon Marshall.

Night Game:

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT TENNESSEE TITANS:
The Colts are undefeated and the Titans have not won a game this season. Payton Manning is playing amazing football these days and doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. The Titans have the NFLs leading rusher in RB Chris Johnson but their passing game has been less than great. Kerry Collins is the QB in Tennessee but we aren’t sure how long he will keep his job as there are talks of giving QB Vince Young some action (he used to be the starter but had a nervous breakdown last year. Rough.) Young hasn’t played in a regular season game since "the incident" so we’ll see if he can deal with the pressure this year. The Titans are fighting for their season right now as going 0-5 will make it incredibly difficult to make the playoffs so watch for the Titans to be coming out firing.

Monday Night:

NEW YORK JETS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS:
The Jets finally lost last week but they just made a big move this week. The Jets signed controversial and unhappy (he complains a lot) Cleveland Browns WR Braylon Edwards to catch passes from Rookie Jets QB Mark Sanchez. Braylon Edwards had 16 TDs two seasons ago and made the Pro Bowl but last season only had 3 TDs and a major case of dropping passes. We’ll see if Super Villain Coach Rex Ryan can keep Edwards in check and get him to start catching passes. If Edwards can stay focused this will be a lethal combo in Sanchez and Edwards. The Miami Dolphins are 1-3 but have suffered some tough losses this year. They have also lost starting QB Chad Pennington for the year (injury) and will be relying on second year QB Chad Henne. We’ll see if Miami and their wildcat offense can stay tough even after losing their QB.

That's it, folks! Good luck and until next time...

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Tight Ends: The Shape-Shifters

Pick your favorite tight end: Jacob Black or Sam Merlotte. Now, unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of years you know that these two dudes happen to turn into animals every once in a while in their respective vampire chronicles, Twilight and True Blood. The same goes for the tight ends!

Sometimes he's an offensive lineman blocking those nasty "X" guys across the way, and sometimes he morphs into a receiver and runs downfield for a short pass from the QB.

Let's look at where he sits on the field:

The tight end sits out on the edges of the offensive line. He can be on the right or left end of the line but he is basically part of the offensive line. He is usually a big fellow (hence the blocking) who is also a bit quicker than those oafish guards and tackles next to him (hence the catching).
Usually, they don't make those huge catches in the endzone--that's the WR's job. These guys' job is to basically smash through (or block) that "X" filled center line and get the ball a little farther down the field. Because of this job description, they tend to get really smashed up by the defenders and take very hard hits. All in a day's work, I guess! Some famous tight ends are Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Jason Witten and Jeremy Shockey.

And that's it! Simple, right? So now you pretty much know your offense. Next week we begin with defense! Until next time....


Monday, October 5, 2009

Week 4: What Happened?

Sooooooo, did we all enjoy the PINK ACCESSORIES some of the players wore this weekend to support Breast Cancer awareness month? At least 100 players wore pink shoes. Fantastic.
Are we ready for the recap and "What to say to a dude"? I thought so!
Here we go:

...................................................................................
Morning games:
...................................................................................

CINCINNATI BENGALS VS. CLEVELAND BROWNS:

The Bengals won--it was a close game. Our numerically egocentric friend Chad "Ochocinco," caught 2 TD passes--one with less than 2 minutes left in the game--to tie the score. The Bengals finally won by kicking a field goal in OT. Browns QB Brady Quinn is still benched over ugly Derek Anderson even though they lost this game.

What to say to a dude:
"Can you believe that extra point was blocked at the end of the game? That never happens!"
"Luckily they managed to win it in overtime."
.......................................................................................

OAKLAND RAIDERS VS. HOUSTON TEXANS:
Raiders looked awful--again--as did their sloppy and inaccurate QB Jamarcus Russell. They failed to score a TD in the entire game (2 field goals). The rare scoring play, the "Safety," was seen during this game. A Safety is when someone on the team gets tackled in their OWN endzone, meaning the other teams' defense has managed to shove them backwards into said endzone. Exactly where they don't want to be.
The other team scores 2 points for humiliating them. Kinda like the Raiders have been doing to Oakland this season.

What to say to a dude:
"Can you believe Jamarcus Russell only completed 36% of his passes on Sunday? That's awful!"
................................................................................................

BALTIMORE RAVENS VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS:
Golden boy Tom Brady and his patriots beat the previously undefeated Ravens 27-21. He threw a TD to highly paid WR Randy Moss (Giselle) and he even ran one into the endzone. (QB's are allowed to do this, it just doesn't happen very often.

What to say to a dude:
"Wow, can you believe how many "roughing the passer" penalties there were in the Patriots game?"
(This means that when the QB has already thrown the ball, a defensive player still crashes into him. That's not allowed.)
"I guess the NFL doesn't want Tom Brady to mess up his pretty face."

.............................................................................................
Afternoon Games:
..............................................................................................

NY JETS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:
So our Jets' rookie QB (Mark Sanchez) and rookie coach (Rex Ryan) finally lost their first game of the season. The strong Jets defense was no match for Drew Brees and their high-powered offense, even though Drew Brees didn't even throw 1 TD pass.

What to say to a dude:
"Even though the Jets lost, the defense did a pretty good job of containing Drew Brees."
.........................................................................................

DALLAS COWBOYS VS DENVER BRONCOS:
The Broncos won and remain undefeated for the season. The game was tied 10-10 when underpaid WR Brandon Marshall made an unbelievable catch and ran 51 yards for a touchdown with less than 2 minutes left to win the game.

What to say to a dude:
"What a catch by Brandon Marshall. Can you believe he went over the back of Terrence Newman to make the play?"
..............................................................................................

SAINT LOUIS RAMS VS SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS:
The Niners massacred the Rams, shutting them out 35-0. The 49ers defense scored 2 touchdowns. How, you ask? One from an interception and one from a fumble recovery.

What to say to a dude:
"It really looks like 49ers defense is channeling Mike Singletary's energy from when he was a defensive linebacker in the 80's."
................................................................................

Sunday Night:

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS VS. PITTSBURGH STEELERS:

The Steelers were up 28-0 by the 3rd quarter, making the Chargers look like big 'ol losers. But then the Chargers started scoring. Unfortunately, they could never quite catch up to the Steelers and lost the game 38-28.
This week we'll be discussing the position of the TIGHT END (TE), and who better to start with than Chargers TE, Antonio Gates. No relation to Bill. Gates caught 9 passes for 124 yards and 2 TDs. That is a monster game. He is widely thought of as the best TE in the league.

What to say to a dude:
"How 'bout that Rashard Mendenhall?"
Advanced:
"The coach gives him the start this week after being benched last week and he gets 165 yards and 2 TDs. Huge game."
.....................................................................................
Stay tuned for a recap of tonight's Monday night game tomorrow! Until then...

Friday, October 2, 2009

Sunday: In a Nutshell (Week 4)

Here we go again! Here are the games to watch this weekend--try watching the supermodel Wide Receivers this week:

Morning Games:

CINCINNATI BENGALS VS. CLEVELAND BROWNS:

The battle of Ohio. Cleveland coach Eric Mangini has benched "Heartthrob" QB Brady Quinn for "Not-So-Much" Derrick Anderson. I guess we can keep in mind that two years ago Derrick Anderson made the Pro Bowl throwing 29 TD passes. I guess. The Bengals are coming off a thrilling victory over their rival Pittsburgh Steelers last week so lets see if Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco can keep the momentum going.

OAKLAND RAIDERS VS. HOUSTON TEXANS:
I think everybody wants to see what the high powered Houston offense will do to the Raiders--those sad, sad Raiders. Texans QB Matt Schaub is having a great season so far and WR Andre Johnson (said to be the best in the game along with Fitz) should have big games. It will also be interesting to see what disappointing Raiders QB Jamarcus Russell can do against a weak Texans defense. Running Back Darren McFadden has flashes of greatness but is definitely being held back by a weak Raiders offense.

BALTIMORE RAVENS VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS:

The Ravens are playing great football these days. They are undefeated so far this season coming off a one-sided victory against the Browns 34-3. The Ravens win because they have a great defense so sometimes watching the games isn’t as exciting for someone who likes high scoring matchups. New England is now 2-1 after beating the Falcons last week. Tom Brady is starting to look like his former self and WR Randy Moss (remember, he's Tom's Giselle) is having a good season but has not caught a touchdown. Keep in mind that two years ago Tom Brady broke the record for most TD passes in a season and Randy Moss broke the Great Jerry Rice’s record for most TD catches in a season. This should be a good game.

Afternoon Games:

NY JETS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:
This is a battle of two undefeated teams. First year coach Rex Ryan (we remember him, of course) and first year QB Mark Sanchez want to exploit a weak Saints defense. The Jets defense is playing great but we will see if they are the real deal up against the high powered Saints offense. Saints RB Pierre Thomas had 2 TDs his first game back this season so we will see if he can keep the momentum going. Drew Brees had 0 TD passes in the win against Buffalo so let’s see if he can toss a few passes into the endzone against a tough Jets Defense. This is another great matchup to watch.

DALLAS COWBOYS VS DENVER BRONCOS:
The Broncos have quietly started the season 3-0 led by QB Kyle Orton who was traded from Chicago for Jay Cutler (Gay Butler). Controversial WR Brandon Marshall for the broncos caught his first TD pass of the season after holding out and being suspending all preseason. Marshall caught over 100 passes (that is a lot) in each of the last two seasons making him one of the top WRs in the game. His problem is that he is only making $448,000 this year. This might sound like a lot but remember Payton’s brother Eli got a contract for $60 mil and defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth signed a contract for $100 million…..I’d say Marshall is right to complain. (FYI-Randy Moss will make $14 million this season and Terrell Owens will make $13 million this season.)

SAINT LOUIS RAMS VS SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS:
Everybody is looking forward to see how the 49ers bounce back after that devastating last minute loss to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. Most people would not want to be in the Rams shoes right now because Coach Mike Singletary has the Niners fired up after that loss. (FYI-Singletary is a hall of fame linebacker (defense) who played for the Chicago bears during their great 1980s run.)

Sunday Night:

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS VS. PITTSBURGH STEELERS:

Pittsburgh lost by 3 points to rival Cincinnati so we’ll see if they can bounce back against a tough chargers team. The Chargers are coming off a win against the Dolphins but still do not have future hall of fame running back Ladainian Tomlinson healthy. Both teams will want this win, Pittsburgh so they don’t go 1-3 to start the season and the Chargers so they can keep pace with the Denver Broncos in the AFC west division.

Monday Night:

GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS:

This is the game of the week! This is the first game Brett Favre will have played against his former team, the Packers, where he won 1 super bowl and earned 3 Most Valuable Player awards during his 14 season stint as their QB. (You know these people the Packers--they wear the cheese on their heads) Favre and the Vikings are coming off a thrilling last minute win against the 49ers. All Day Adrian Peterson will be looking to have a better game than last week where he did not break 100 yards or get into the endzone. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will want to prove that the Packers were right in dropping Brett Favre to make way for him as the Packers QB of the future. This is also a division rivalry game so there is a lot at stake in this Monday night game.

Good luck everyone! And stay tuned for "What to say to a dude!" on Monday. Next week we will feature "What to say to a dude!" for the upcoming games as well as the game follow up, so get excited! Until next time...

Wide Recievers: The Supermodels

Hello my lovelies,
Today we are going to learn about the WIDE RECEIVERS, otherwise known as the "Supermodels." They actually have categorical names like the "Split Ends," (wait, guys think about them too? Shocking!) "Flankers," and "Slot" receivers. These names, however, do not matter to you in the least bit. Isn't that fantastic? To you, they are all simply wide receivers (WRs). Let's refresh our memories on where they reside on the field, shall we?They are the dudes way out on the ends. When the ball is snapped to the QB, we once again focus on his options. Remember that he has the option of either passing it to the running backs (Whitney and Kevin) as they run by, or he can try to stall as these wide receiving "supermodels" of the offense gallop past the defense and try to find an open spot on the field so he can chuck it to one of them as hard as he can. They, in turn, will (hopefully) "receive," or catch, the ball from him. Hence the difference between running backs and wide receivers--they have similar job descriptions but mostly, the running backs get the ball passed to them and run with it while the wide receivers run down field first and then catch the ball. See diagram below:
Meet your wide receivers. These are the guys with no dirt on their uniforms. They are the ones you see running full speed while looking backwards over their shoulders while reaching out (sometimes with only one hand) to catch the ball--all while trying to keep two feet in bounds at all times. They are usually tall, on the thin side, super fast and graceful. Almost like a Gazelle.....or, shall we say, a "Giselle." So, in other words, Tom Brady is in fact passing the ball down field to his wife Giselle. Who woulda thought?

Some famous wide recievers are Randy Moss, Terrell Owens (TO), and the best name of all, Chad Ochocinco. (His name was Chad Johnson until he LEGALLY changed it to Chad "Ochocinco" which means "8-5" in Spanish. He did this so his name would match the number on his jersey...85. Wow. Dedication or stupitidy? You decide.)
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...