Sunday, September 25, 2011

Week 3

Alright, one more week written by Mike...he goes a little more in depth than I usually do, so enjoy his extra insight while it lasts! Have a great Sunday!

Week 3 things to watch for:

Cam Newton
Blaine Gabbert
Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers host the Jacksonville Jaguars. This doesn't seem like an important game but Jacksonville is starting their rookie quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, after cutting last year's starting QB in the offseason and last weeks' starting QB Luke McCown throwing 4 interceptions in the 32-3 loss to the Jets. Gabbert was picked 10th overall in this years draft so it should be exciting to see these two rookie QBs, the futures of both franchises, facing off on Sunday. (Note from Molly: I'm gonna check out this Gabbert guy because I cannot tell what he looks like from his internet pics. In some he looks really cute and others he has this long stringy hair and looks hideous. Hey, at least I'll be watching!)

Vick
NY Giants at Philadelphia Eagles. NFC East battles are always exciting. With both teams having records of 1-1 it is an important game for each team, both of which hope to win the division this year. Eagles QB Michael Vick suffered a concussion in last weeks loss to Atlanta and people are wondering if he will be 100%. Vick says he is ready to go.

Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints. This should be a high scoring offensive showdown. Houston hasn't lost yet and would like to continue to stay undefeated and at the top of the AFC South Division. The Texans want to take advantage of Payton Manning being injured and gain a large lead over the Colts, who have won the division the past few years. Drew Brees and the Saints would like a win here as they are trying to gain some of their swagger back from two years ago when they won the Superbowl.

Jackson
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills. Both of these teams are undefeated...this is normal for Tom Brady and the Patriots but everybody is surprised at how well the Buffalo Bills are playing this season. Running back Fred Jackson leads the league in rushing after two weeks. Patriots Tom Brady has an astounding 940 yards passing in two games. This should be a great game to watch and if the Bills win they will establish themselves as a playoff contender.

NY Jets at Oakland Raiders. The Raiders suffered a tough loss last week in the final minutes of the game against the Bills but the Raiders are showing promise. Running Back Darren McFadden is showing why he is considered one of the best RBs in the league. The Jets haven't lost and their defense is looking as tough as ever. This should be a very hard fought battle and I wouldn't be surprised if a few fights break out on the field....it could turn into a very dirty game on both sides of the ball.

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears. Green Bay won the Superbowl last year but the Bears won the division. The Packers beat the Bears 21-14 in the playoffs to get into the Superbowl and don't think the Bears have forgotten this fact. Look for Aaron Rodgers to come out firing but Chicago's defense will be tough to score on.


Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both of these teams won last week and would like to gain some momentum. The Falcons have one of the best offenses in the game, lead by QB Matt Ryan but the Bucs are always in contention when it comes to playoff time. This should be another great game to watch but could be low scoring.

--Due to one injury the Sunday night game, which would have been a fantastic game, will most likely be a blowout. If Payton Manning were playing for the Colts, they would have a good chance of beating the Pittsburgh Steelers. But since he is out for at least a few months, Ben Roethlisburger and the Steelers will most likely crush the Colts, who will be starting 0-3 for the first time in years with a loss on Sunday night.

Hightower
--The Monday Night game is another NFC East matchup with the Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys. Tony Romo is expecting to play on monday after suffering a broken rib and punctured lung in the win against the 49ers last week. The Redskins are 2-0 and will give the Cowboys a tough time, especially with Romo not being 100% and wide receiver Miles Austin not in the game. Look for Redskins RB Tim Hightower to take over the game.

(Until next time!)

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Week 2 Recap and welcome Sasha Jane!

Baby Sasha, big sis Laila and Daddy
Hi everyone! Things have been a bit crazy around here this week as you can imagine. On Friday morning, we welcomed Sasha Jane Alexander into our family! Big sister Laila is very proud and we are all recovering nicely.

Needless to say that football has taken somewhat of a backseat to all of the other goings-on at the Alexander household. Luckily, with three fantasy football leagues to contend with, Mike is still keeping track and has agreed to guest-write this weeks recap. Thanks, honey!! So here's his recap, I'll be back to give you the scoop on week 3 by Saturday. Enjoy!

--#1 draft pick Cam Newton is continuing to silence critics by breaking his own rookie record for passing yards that he set last week by passing for 432 yards in a loss to Green Bay.

--Not to be shown up by a rookie, Tom Brady had another incredible day passing for 423 yards and 3 touchdowns in a big win over San Diego. Brady has thrown for 940 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2 games (if you didn't know that is A LOT)

--The Oakland Raiders suffered a devastating loss to the Buffalo Bills in the final seconds of the game.

--The Detroit Lions are off to a 2-0 start for the first time in years by crushing the Kansas City Chiefs 48-3. The Chiefs not only lost the game but they also lost their star Running Back Jamaal Charles for the season. This not only hurts the Chiefs but hurts many fantasy football teams.

--Payton Manning-less Colts lost another game showing how important Payton is to the team.

--Pittsburgh Steelers had a decisive victory over the Seattle Seahawks 24-0 which will help them gain some confidence after getting beating by the Baltimore Ravens in week 1.

--The Washington Redskins are 2-0 after beating the Arizona Cardinals 22-21...nobody knows how they're doing it.

--Mark Sanchez and the Jets won again....super villain Coach Rex Ryan is happy

--San Francisco 49ers lost to the Dallas Cowboys in overtime showing that even though they lost, Jim Harbaugh is a coach that can improve this team. Tony Romo suffered a punctured lung but came back in the game and won it for the Cowboys. Also, Kim Kardashian's ex Miles Austin caught 3 touchdown passes.

--Amidst boos and chants of "Tebow! Tebow!" QB Kyle Orton and the Denver Broncos beat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-22. I have a feeling if Orton doesn't win many games the Broncos fans will get their wish of seeing Tim Tebow starting.

--The Sunday Night Game was the Philadelphia Eagles at the Atlanta Falcons. If you don't remember, Michael Vick (QB for the Eagles) was drafted by the Falcons and given a $100 million contract before breaking the contract and heading to the slammer. The Eagles have recently given Vick a $130 million contract....this means that in one lifetime Michael Vick has signed TWO $100+ million contracts...pretty amazing. Vick ended up losing to his old team in a great game.

The whole (tired) fam!
Until next time!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Week 2 Games

Good morning, everyone!
I'm off to have my baby girl today but I couldn't keep you guys in the dark about this weekend. I'll give you a quick overview of the games to watch.

Morning games:
Oakland Raiders vs. Buffalo Bills (1pm ET, CBS)
These two teams were on the lower rung of the AFC but now they are showing a lot of promise. Both could be playoff contenders.

Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs (1pm ET, CBS)
The Lions offense is looking exciting.

Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints (1pm ET, FOX)
These are two great NFC teams, both made the playoffs last year. They could both do it again.

Green Bay Packers vs. Carolina Panthers (1pm ET, FOX)
Newton
Packers are the Superbowl champs and watch for Cam Newton on the Panthers.

Afternoon games:
Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers (4:05pm ET, FOX)
This matchup has always been a heated rivalry and rivalries are always fun to watch.

San Diego Chargers vs. New England Patriots (4:05pm ET, CBS)
This is another huge rivalry--PLUS we get to see golden boy Tom Brady do his thing.

Kind of a funny story: Tom Brady told his fans to "start drinking early" this Sunday so they could be all liquored up ready to cheer for the Patriots. Of course, shortly thereafter a spokesperson for the team clarified his comments and said that what he meant to say was "stay hydrated, drink lots of water and drink responsibly." Way to take the fun out of it! I, for one, will be having a beer or two on Sunday!

Night game:
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atlanta Falcons (8:20pm ET, NBC)
Michael Vick
My husband says that he'll watch every single game that Michael Vick plays in this year. Apparently he's living up to his huge contract and is one of the most exciting players in the league. Atlanta looked bad during the first game, not looking like a team who went 13-3 last year.

I know it's a short summary, but I should be back soon to help you on your football journey.

Until next time!


Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Week 1 Recap

So did we survive week 1? And how about those TWO games last night? Were you as annoyed as I was about that? I mean, c'mon, that's like 8 more hours of football...on one night! I was a little cranky to say the least. Good thing I'm nine months pregnant and can use that as an excuse for going to bed at 9pm.

Let's review what happened this week...
Cam Newton
Rookie QB and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers passed for 422 yards and had two touchdowns. This obliterated Peyton Manning's record of a little over 300 yards for the first game of any rookie career. He also did it on the road. The Panthers ended up losing the game but this guy is gonna be big. Remember his name.

Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles (who just signed that monster contract) played well and the Eagles won the game.

The Detroit Lions won, just as I predicted.

The Baltimore Ravens crushed the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-7. This was a big deal because the Steelers won the Superbowl last year. You'd think they'd have put up more of a fight.

A 9-story Brady in Manhattan
As everyone predicted, the Colts got their butts kicked without star QB Peyton Manning who is out indefinitely after his third neck surgery.

The SF 49ers won their first game with Jim Harbaugh as their new head coach.

During the night game, our Battle of the Hot QBs, Dallas was winning the game until Tony Romo blew it at the last minute when he threw an interception. The Jets won 27-24.

In last night's games, Tom Brady was the ultimate superstar (what's new?) passing for a whopping 517 yards and 4 touchdowns. Yes, this makes him even hotter. The record for most yards in one game is 554 yards.
The Patriots beat the Dolphins 38-24.

In the other Monday night game, the Raiders beat the Broncos 23-20. Sebastian Janikowski tied the record for longest field goal ever at 63 yards. Darren McFadden was also a standout player.

That's it for this week! I'm scheduled to have my baby on Friday and I'll keep you all posted! Until then, enjoy this pic from our friends wedding we attended this weekend. :) Until next time...

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Week 1 Sunday!

9/11 gear worn in today's games
Welcome to the first Sunday of Week 1!
There are 13 scheduled games today on this 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In honor of this day, players were given the go ahead to wear specially designed cleats and gloves. I'm expecting many stories today of how players and coaches lives were affected by that terrible day 10 years ago. Should be a pretty emotional day.
Peterson

Some news around the league today:
Viking's RB Adrian Peterson signed a mega-deal for 7 years, $100 million. Remember that he's a running back and their careers are generally short. We told you that Chris Johnson of the Titans signed a huge contract for $53.5 million. Well, this one dwarfs it. Everyone will be talking about this today. Also, Steeler's safety Troy Polamalu (he of the big hair) signed a large extension as well. The exact details have not been released, but he's expected to make over $9 million a year.
Polamalu
Games to watch today:

Atlanta Falcons/Chicago Bears (1pm ET, Fox)
Watch Bears QB Jay Cutler (ex-fiance of Kristen Cavallari) play agains the Atlanta Falcon, one of the best teams in the NFC.

Detroit Lions/Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1pm ET, Fox)
Everyone wants to see if the Lions are any good this year. (Usually, they're not.) Apparently the team is shaping up to be a good one and people are anxious to see if it pans out.

Pittsburgh Steelers/Baltimore Ravens (1pm ET, CBS)
These are two AFC powerhouse teams with a lot of talent. Watch for Troy Polamalu and his huge hair. Should be a good game.

McNabb
Rivers
Minnesota Vikings/San Diego Chargers (4:15pm ET, Fox)
Everyone will be watching Adrian Peterson on the Vikings as well as QB Donovan McNabb. Watch for Philip Rivers on the Chargers.

New York Giants/Washington Redskins (4:15pm ET, Fox)
These are NFC East rivals. Rivalries are always fun.

Night game:
Dallas Cowboys at NY Jets (8:20pm ET, NBC)
Sanchez
Battle of the hot QBs! Cowboy's Tony Romo vs. Jet's Mark Sanchez.
You have to wait all day for it but it will probably be worth it!

Until next time...
Romo

Friday, September 9, 2011

Game 1 Recap

Good morning! Did everyone survive the first night of football season? I watched most of the game and it was pretty good. High scoring battle of the QBs, just as I predicted. To get you through the morning, here's a recap and let's figure out 'What to say to a Dude' so you can look super educated.

First things first. Packers won, 42-34. This means you should console your Saints fans and high-five your Packers fans. Both quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers of the Packers and Drew Brees of the Saints) had statistically great games. This is important for fantasy football. For example, my husband didn't care who won or lost last night, as long as his Barbies...er, sorry...players did well.

Couple of things the boys will be talking about today.

Cobb
1. Randall Cobb, a Packers rookie wide receiver (say that 5 times fast!) caught a touchdown from Rodgers and ran a kickoff back 108 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. 108 yards. If we do our math on this one, the field is 100 yards long so he was all the way in the back of the 10 yard endzone. This is a big deal because it ties the NFL record for longest kickoff return in history and most people wouldn't try to run the ball from way back there--they'd ask for a 'fair catch'.
Extra Credit: he ties New England's Ellis Hobb's record set in 2007.


Sproles
2. Tiny Saints running back Darren Sproles was a force in last nights game. He was like a little Mighty Mouse. The guy is only 5'6" and trust me, he looks TINY on the field next to all of those beasts. BUT, he can run like a freaking cheetah! He ran a punt back for a touchdown and was a great playmaker in last night's game.



Ingram
3. Remember Mark Ingram from yesterday's post? Everyone was watching to see how he'd do. Well, he did ok, however he royally messed up the last play of the game. Ouch. The Saints had one play to tie it up with 1 yard to go (for a touchdown) and a few seconds left. Brees handed it off to Ingram and he didn't make it into the endzone. Everyone will be asking, 'Why wouldn't they just give the ball to Brees so that he could make a better decision? Why hand off the ball to the rookie?' This will be one of those morning watercooler conversations for sure.
What to say to a Dude: "Why'd they hand it off to Ingram? That was dumb. Shoulda given it to Brees."

In other news, Peyton Manning had yet another neck surgery yesterday which might be a season-ending event. It usually takes 8-10 weeks to heal from something like this so it's not looking good for the Colts.

Now go forth and impress your football fans! 

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Right about now, all over the country, giddy little boys (well, actually more like giddy grown-ass men) are waking up to a different version of Christmas morning. The official start of the 2011-2012 football season! Many of their wives are waking up with a strange feeling of dread that they can't quite place until later this evening when the TV gets taken hostage and the DVR goes on overdrive.

But have no fear, I am here to help guide you through the season. You'll know just enough to be able to hold your own in a watercooler/sportsbar/couch conversation and might even learn a thing or two. Dare I suggest you might even begin to ...enjoy it? ...a little bit? I won't hold my breath.

Here's what you need to know for tonight's game. (8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT on NBC): 
We have the Green Bay Packers vs. the New Orleans Saints. The Packers are the reigning Superbowl Champs and the Saints won the year before. My husband says they are both "NFC powerhouses." To brush up on AFC/NFC, click here.

Drew 'Bad Hair' Brees
Aaron Rodgers
It will be a 'Battle of the Ugly Quarterbacks' instead of our preferred Battle of the Hot QB's but they are two of the best in the NFL so I guess we'll forgive them. First up, we have Drew Brees of the Saints. Here he is on the left. Feel free to discuss his terrible hair. Next we have Aaron Rodgers of the Packers. Here he is on the right. There, now you at least know the leaders of both teams. Also, both teams have great receivers so it could potentially be an exciting game. 

Other players to watch for tonight are rookie Mark Ingram, a running back for the Saints. He's basically taking Reggie Bush's place (Kim Kardashian's ex who has since moved to the Miami Dolphins). 
Mark Ingram

Jermichael Finley
You can always ask your sports fan how he thinks Ingram will do tonight. If you want to brush up on why running backs are like Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, click here. Remember that RB's are the guys who get absolutely hammered by the defense and don't have very long careers. 

On the other side, watch for the Packers' tight end Jermichael Finley. (Don't even get me started on the name!!) He suffered a season-ending knee injury last year and everyone will be watching to see how he performs tonight. To brush up on why the tight ends are like shape-shifters, click here. In my experience, it really helps to know a couple of the key players in the game so that when the announcer talks about them you can think to yourself, "Oh yeah, that guy!" Trust me, it will really help keep your interest during those 3-4 hours. 

A couple more things to know about the season:

Manning
Colt's QB Peyton Manning (who's wife gave birth to twin boys in March!) will not be starting this weekend due to residual pain from neck surgery earlier in the year. This is a big deal as everyone seems to think that without Peyton, the Colts are just an average team and probably won't get very far at all this season. This will also end his streak of 227 consecutive starts.




Johnson
Titan's Running Back, Chris Johnson, signed a 4 year, $53.5 million contract extension with a guaranteed $30 million. This is a big deal because it is a crapload of money and remember that RBs generally have short careers because they get so beat up. It's also cool because Johnson has a huge head of dreadlocks and lots and lots of gold teeth. Easy one to remember and comment on. 



Tressel
Jim Tressel, former head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, resigned this year after facing allegations of "memorabilia for ink" by his players. What this means is that they were accused of trading valuable sports memorabilia for....tatoos! (???) Who does this? In any case, this is a big deal because he was one of the best coaches Ohio State has ever seen and has now been hired by the Colts as a consultant. However, he will not be allowed to participate in the first seven games of the season due to his involvement in the NCAA scandal.

And there you have it! All prepped for tonight. Enjoy!

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