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Thanks for the Blowouts

Nov 28

Posted by admin in Uncategorized | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

Thanksgiving, probably my favorite holiday of them all. I get to sit at home eat, drink, and watch some good old fashioned American football.

Just one problem with Thanksgiving circa 2008…every single game was a blowout. Let’s begin with the first game on today , Detroit and Tennessee. While most of us were dining on some finger foods, chips n’ dip , and perhaps a few adult beverages we were all “treated” to watching the worst team in football take on one of the best and of course hilarity ensued.

Why are the Lions even on national TV at this point? The team is 0-11 and very likely headed for an  0-16 season. They are a complete disaster to watch and outside of Calvin Johnson have no players that inspire enthusiasm.

So basically unless you are a Titans fan the game was a complete bust to watch. In fact, I’m betting that most Titan fans didn’t even watch the entire game and witness their teams 47-10 drumming of the hapless Lions.

I moved past the tragedy that was the first game in the NFL’s Thanksgiving day lineup, filled myself up with some delicous turkey, stuffing, mashed potatos, and more adult beve’s and tuned in for the second game, the Dallas Cowboys and the Seatlle Seahawks.

Love em or hate em the Cowboys are an interesting team to watch and while the Seahawks have been pretty dismal this year I had my fingers crossed for a tight game. So much for crossing your fingers. The Cowboys scored on their first three drives, quickly ending any notion that this game would be even remotely competitive. I’d like to say that I watched the entire game but, I didn’t and it was probably for the best because 34-9 doesn’t exactly sound appealing.

Ahh, but there was hope yet, the Eagles and Cardinals we’re coming on and this game had to be a good one! I mean what are the chances of three blowouts in a row? Apparently pretty damn good! This game was pretty much over at half time and the score was surprising even to myself. The Eagles and their much malinged QB Donovan McNabb simply dominated the game leading by 24-7 at the half. I actually did stay tuned in to this game, but only because Westbrook is on my fantasy team and I’m fighting for a first round bye. Once Westbrook left the game, so did I.

The games were a bust, but at least the food and drinks we’re enough to satisfy.

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McNabb Doesn’t Know Overtime Rule

Nov 19

Posted by admin in Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Football, NFL, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Uncategorized, online sports community | 1 Comment

By Matt Valentine

In what has to be on eof the most ridiculous things to ever come out of a professional quarterbacks mouth, Donovan McNabb stated during a postgame press conference, that he was unaware of the overtime rule in the NFL.

The rule McNabb was referring to is of course the fact that an NFL game can end in a tie if neither team scores during the overtime period. This was the case when the Eagles and Bengals played on Sunday ending in a 13-13 tie.

When asked McNabb said, “I’ve never been a part of a tie. I never even knew that was in the rule book. It’spart of the rules and we have to go with it. I was looking forward to the next opportunity to get out there and try to drive to win the game.”

McNabb in a postgame press conference talks about the overtime rule.

McNabb in a postgame press conference talks about the overtime rule.

I mean this really has to be the silliest thing a professional QB could possibly say. Not only did McNabb not know the rule, but he didn’t help his team much on the field either, turning the ball over 4 times in the contest, the first time he’s done that since 2003.

While the tie does not entirely destroy the Eagles post season hopes it sure doesn’t help. At 5-4-1 the Eagles find themselves in last place in the NFC East and unless they go on a winning streak have little chance at a wild card berth either.

Now to be fair many people have suggested that had McNabb known the rule perhaps he would have played more agrresively in overtime. One, McNabb has been throwing the ball agressively all day long and it resulted in the 3 interceptions. Two, to suggest that he would have some how tried harder to win the game had he known that it would end in a tie is just plain silly. McNabb was out there trying to win no matter what the rule was that’s his job.

The Eagles will move on this season and make no mistake about it, McNabb will be the quarterback, despite Eagles fans calling for his job and possibly his head. What should be noted is that McNabb’s contract is up next season and its likely that the two will part ways. The real question is will head coach Andy Reid remain in Philadelphia if they don’t make the playoffs this season? That remains to be seen, for now the Eagles must refocus their attention on making a postseason run.

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NFL First Half Surprises

Nov 7

Posted by admin in Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Football, NFL, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Uncategorized, online sports community | No Comments

As with my previous post there have been a fair number of pleasant surprises in the first eight weeks of the NFL season. Teams which many thought would pose little challenge to their opponents have demonstrated that they are a more then legitimate threat and have proven the old adage that on any given Sunday anyone can win. Once again I’d like to note that this list is in no particular order.

1. The Miami Dolphins:

Chad Pennington leading the Dolphins to a surprising first half record.

Chad Pennington leading the Dolphins to a surprising first half record.

The Dolphins may be the biggest surprise of the first half of the NFL season. The team has already tripled their win total from all of last season and has done so in surprising fashion with wins over San Diego, Buffalo, and New England. In fact the way Brett Favre has played of late the Jets might be regretting letting him go, especially to a division rival.  The Dolphins have definitely surprised a few people in the NFL and though they may not make the playoffs this season, Parcells and company seem to have things headed in the right direction.

2. The Atlanta Falcons:

After losing franchise player Mike Vick to a prison sentence the Falcons were a franchise in complete disarray. They seem to have found their answer though in QB Matt Ryan who has exceeded everyone’s expectations in his rookie campaign, and who along with free agent signee Michael Turner has led the Falcons to a surprising 4-3 record. The Falcons face a tough second half schedule, but if Matt Ryan and Roddy White continue to develop their chemistry, and if Michael Turner continues his own success then the Falcons could continue to surprise in the final 8 weeks of the season.

3. The Tennessee Titans:

Titans dynamic rookie Chris Johnson.

Titans dynamic rookie Chris Johnson.

At 7-0 the Titans stand alone as the only undefeated team in the NFL and have done so in convincing fashion. The Titans have a stout defense that has surrendered just 88 points so far this year, by far the fewest in the NFL. They also have the NFL’s fourth ranked rushing attack with dynamic rookie Chris Johnson and goal line beast Lendale White. Yet, perhaps the most surprising thing about the Titans season to date is that they have done all this without the services of Vince Young, who has been supplanted by the steady if unspectacular hand of Kerry Collins at QB position. It unlikely that the Titans will run the table, but they have almost gauranteed themselves a spot in the postseason and could be primed for a deep run if everyone stays healthy.

4. Kyle Orton and the Chicago Bears:

Until Orton sustained a high ankle sprain while playing against the woeful Detroit Lions he had looked nothing like the quarterback that many remembered. To date Orton had the 10th best QB rating in the league at 90.8, he had also thrown for 1777 yards with 10 TD and just 4 INT. Meanwhile, the Bears a team who many thought would struggle mightily on offense, have scored the 5th most points in the NFL and lead the NFC North division at 5-3. If Orton can return from his injury in due time look for the Bears to capture the NFC North crown, and be a legitimate threat in the postseason.

5. Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers has finally stepped out from Favres shadow.

Aaron Rodgers has finally stepped out from Favre's shadow.

After riding the pine for years behind legendary quarterback Brett Favre, Rodgers finally got his chance to emerge from the “gunslingers” shadow. And emerge he has. Rodgers’ play thus far has given a reprieve to everyone in the Green Bay front office who wanted to start him over Favre, a move which incurred the ire of many a Green Bay fan and was one of the most heavily covered media frenzies since Brett Favre’s last retirement extravaganza. Rodgers ranks 5th in the league with a QB rating of 95.3, he has thrown for 1982 yards with 13 touchdwons against just 5 interception. Though the Packers are just 4-4 they are easily the best 4-4 team in the league right now and could make a nice run to the playoffs in the second half especially if Rodgers continues to play at this high level.

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NFL First Half Disappointments

Oct 29

Posted by admin in AFC, Bengals, Chargers, Football, Manning, NFC, NFC East, NFL, NFL First half, Pro Sports, QB Rating, Shocking, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Super Bowl, borwns, colts, cowboys, disapointing, interceptions, online sports community, passing, peyton manning, touchdowns, upset | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

The NFL season has reached the halfway mark and there have been some major surprises and some huge disappointments heading into week 9. With 8 weeks left to play in the season let’s take a look back at the first half of the NFL season and examine some of the most shocking and disappointing aspects of the season so far.Keep in mind this list is no particular order, just how they came to me at the time I was writing…

1. The Indianapolis Colts:

Manning looking dejected on the sidelines.

Manning looking dejected on the sidelines.

The Colts record stands at 3-4 heading into November. This marks the first time under head coach Tony Dungy that the Colts will enter the second half of the season with a losing record. The most surprising and disappoitning fact about this has been the play of Peyton Manning. Manning’s QB rating of 79.0 places him 22nd in the league. Just for a little perspective on that the man right behind Manning is Dan Orlovsky of the Detroit Lions. Manning has thrown 10 TD’s this season, but has complemented that with 9 INT. If Manning doesn’t find his rhythm soon the Colts may be looking at their first losing season since Mannings rookie year. WIth a key loss to the Titans on Monday night the Colts can kiss any hopes of winning their division goodbye and will now have to rely on the Wild Card if they want a shot at the postseason.

2.  The San Diego Chargers:

LT looking upset...perhaps with himself?

LT looking upset...perhaps with himself?

The Chargers were a hot Super Bowl pick this season after narrowly missing out last season with a loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Yet, they have played some disappointing football in the first half of the season and hold a 3-4 record with 8 games left to play. Phillip Rivers has played outstanding this season and he’s had to because All-World running back Ladanian Tomlinson has looked like a shadow of his former self while suffering from a toe injury. The Chargers defense has also looked incredibly vulnerable especially in the secondary and are showing all the affects of losing Shawne Meeriman for the season. The Chargers must find their game and find it fast or they like the Colts could be looking at their first losing season in a long time

3. The Dallas Cowboys:

Romo buries his head in a towel as the Cowboys season takes an unexpected turn.

Romo buries his head in a towel as the Cowboys season takes an unexpected turn.

Another hot Super Bowl pick before the season began, the Cowboys have looked anything but since the season started. Granted injuries have decimated the team at key positions, especially in the secondary, and with Tony Romo out with a broken pinkie until after the teams bye week the Cowboys find themselves in dire straits heading into their week 8 match up with the New York Giants. If the Cowboys fail to beat the Giants they will find themselves well out of the division race in the tough NFC East. The team that was all but crowned the NFC Champs in the off-season will now have to fight just for their playoff lives in the second half of the year.

4. The Cleveland Browns:

Derek Anderson...I think the picture says it all.

Derek Anderson...I think the picture says it all.

After a year in which the Browns went 10-6 and still missed out on the playoffs many NFL prognosticators had the Browns picked to equal that mark and make the franchises first playoff appearance since re-entering the NFL in 1999. The Browns began the season with three straight loses and their offense led by Derek Anderson has looked anemic at times. Anderson himself has struggled mightily in the first half of the season and has yet to return to the Pro-Bowl form he had last year. A surprising win against the Giants seems to have sparked some life into the struggling team and they have won three of their last 4 games. Anderson will need to return to form and find his timing with wideout Braylon Edwards or he may lose his starting job to Brady Quinn the Browns first round draft pick two years ago. If Anderson and Edawrds can return to form the Browns could find themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot, if not they’ll keep the franchise streak alive.

5. The Cincinnati Bengals:

Ocho Cinco wanted out...now we all know why.

Ocho Cinco wanted out...now we all know why.

Easily the most disappointing team of the first half of the NFL season the Cinncinatti Bengals have looked like abject failures in every aspect of the game. Now I understand why Ocho Cinco so desperately wanted out of Cincy, he wanted to be the first rat to desert a sinking ship. It’s hard to imagine that just a few short years ago this team was a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Now they’re duking it out tooth and nail with the Detroit Lions for the worst team in the league. Palmer has been injured for most of the season and Ryan Fitzpatrick is a less then suitable backup, but still this team cannot seem to do anything right. They can’t play defense, can barely move the ball and basically have regressed in every phase of the game. The Bengals will challenge for one thing this season and that is the infamous 0-16 record set by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of yesteryear . Good Luck Cincy.

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Easy E or Big Ben: The Debate of the Class of 2004

Oct 25

Posted by admin in 2004 Nfl Draft, Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Football, NFL, New York, Pro Sports, QB controversy, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Steelers, Uncategorized, draft, giants, online sports community, pittsburgh, quarterback | 1 Comment

By Matt Valentine

The 2004 NFL deaft will certainly go down as one of the best drafts for Quarterbacks, perhaps in the history of the game.

That draft gave us 3 outstanding QB’s in Eli Manning the Number 1 overall pick, Ben Roethlisberger, and Phillip Rivers. Roethlisberger felt overlooked by the Giants when they chose Rivers with the fourth overall pick and packaged him in a trade to San Diego.

Big Ben vs. Easy E

Big Ben vs. Easy E

This Sunday’s marquee match-up between the 5-1 Steelers and the 5-1 Giants takes us back to a question many have been asking since that 2004 NFL draft: Which QB was the better pick?

It’s really a tough call, even for a Giants fan like myself, both QB’s have excelled at the game since entering the league though it is undeniable that it took Eli Manning more time to mature.

If based on pure stats Big Ben would seem to have the edge on Easy E. In his career thus far Roethlisberger has a better completion percentage (63.2), more yards (12,836), more TD (93), and less interceptions (57) then Eli.

In Eli’s career thus far he has a completion percentage of 55.4 has thrown for 12,774 yards, and has tossed 85 TD’s with 68 INT.Eli also led his team to a Super Bowl win last season against the undefeated Patriots.

In Roethlisberger’s first season he was dominant, going 13-0 and leading his team to a 15-1 record. In his next season he won the Super Bowl.

Manning’s first season was nowhere near as dominant. The Giants went 6-10 that year, with Manning compiling a 1-6 record.

In fact, Roethlisberger holds the edge in every statistical category including wins. Big Ben’s career record stands at 44-17 while Mannings’ stands at 35-26

So, if the game was measured in statistics alone clearly Roethlisberger would have the edge, but there are other factors to take into consideration.

For example, Manning was instrumental in leading the Giants on their playoff run and eventual Super Bowl win. Roethlisberger on the other hand, struggled mightily in his Super Bowl appearance and many would argue that his team won in spite of him not because of him.

Manning played superb in the Super Bowl and throughout his playoff run, leading his team on one of the most classic drives in history culminating with a 17 yard TD strike to Plaxico Burress to seal a 17-14 win over the then undefeated New England Patriots.

Also, Roethlisberger went to a team that was ready to win, and could suffer the occasional rookie mistake. Manning went to a team that was on a down swing and in just four years took them to a Super Bowl.

The debate will continue long after Sunday’s game and can only truly be measured when one of the two ends their football career. However, this Sunday at Heinz Field we get a measure of an answer with the winner taking the crown…at least for the time being.

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Saints McAllister and Smith Caught Doping

Oct 24

Posted by admin in Football, League Policy, NFL, New Orleans, Pro Sports, Saints, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Steroids, Substance abuse, Uncategorized, diuretic, doping, online sports community, violation | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

Normally when we talk about doping these days we’re usually talking about a baseball player, a cyclist, or even a horse. Somehow the players of the NFL always manage to fly under the radar when it comes to the controversial issue of steroids.

I guess every dog has its day. It has recently been reported that the Saints Deuce McAllister and Will Smith are among several players that have violated the NFL’s steroids policy. A FOX affiliate in Denver citing an unnamed source stated that there have been  between six and 10 positive tests in the NFL for a weight-loss diuretic. However, the station only mentioned the names of the two Saints players who are in London this week for a game against the San Diego Chargers.

Saints RB Deuce McAllister has been accused in a doping scandal.

Saints RB Deuce McAllister has been accused in a doping scandal.

ESPN citing two unnamed sources has stated that the number is higher somewhere in the range of 10-15 players.

While the NFL and the players teams have yet to comment on the report, an attorney David Cornwell told The Associated Press he has been hired to handle the appeals of a number of players who are facing possible suspensions.

Cornwell has declined to name any of his clients or how many clients he is representing. He did release a statement saying, “The recent reports about pending appeals by players who are alleged to have used weight loss supplements reflect the most egregious violation of the NFL steroid policy. The foundation of the policy is both a player’s right to appeal and an absolute right to confidentiality. By leaking this story, the ‘source’ is clearly attempting to put their thumb on the scale of justice and harm these men.”

Saints DE Will Smith was the other player named int he doping scandal.

Saints DE Will Smith was the other player named int he doping scandal.

A diuretic is used as a masking agent to dilute the urine in an attempt to excrete lesser amounts of any banned substances.

While major sports like baseball and lesser sports like cycling have been hit hard by steroid scandals the NFL has been able to cruise mainly under the radar. The sheer enormity of the games popularity has basically given the NFL and its players a free pass on what has become a hot button issue in sports.

Though news like this is never good for a player as they can face at minimum a 4 game suspension it should have little affect on the day-to-day buisness of the NFL.

We’ll have to wait and see just how many players are really involved in the doping scandal, and how the league will react once all the evidence is taken under consideration.

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Cowboys Get Roy Williams

Oct 15

Posted by admin in American Football, Dalls Cowboys, Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Football, NFL, Pro Football, Pro Sports, Roy Williams, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Star, Sports Stars, Uncategorized, online sports community, position, receiver, star, trade, trade deadline, wide receiver | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

In a last minute trade at the seldom used NFL trade deadline the Dallas Cowboys added WR Roy Williams to their roster.

Now, the only problem will be finding someone to throw him the ball the first three weeks while Tony Romo is sidelined with a broken pinkie for 4 weeks.

Roy Williams is now a Cowboy.

Roy Williams is now a Cowboy.

The move upgrades the Cowboys at a position that already has plenty of depth with receivers Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin and Sam Hurd. Hurd went down with an injury in the Cowboys loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but Miles Austin has progressed better then expected and has developed into a solid receiving option, with 8 receptions for 186 yards and 3 TD.

Williams should presumably be the successor to the T.O. throne in Dallas, with Owens nearing the age of 36. Though Owens shows no signs of becoming a less then elite option in the near future, the time will come when he will have to pack it in and Dallas has made steps to prevent a major drop off at the position.

Williams was a Matt Millen draft pick,one of the few good ones that Millen made, and has been productive with some very mediocre quarterbacks in the past. In his career Williams has 262 receptions for 3,884 yards and 29 touchdowns.Williams’ best season was 2006, when he went to the Pro Bowl after catching 82 passes for 1,310 yards and seven touchdowns

The trade came as a surprise to some seeing as the Cowboys could most likely use help on the defensive side of the ball, with the recent suspension of corner back Adam Jones and numerous injuries in their secondary leaving them depleted at the position.

Also, its my opinion that Cowboys gave up far too much for Williams. Perhaps the new GM in Detroit actually has a plan for the future and is doing so by stock piling draft picks at the Cowboys expense. The Cowboys gave the Lions a first, third, and sixth round pick in 2009. Detroit gave the Cowboys a seventh-rounder as well as Williams.

The addition of Williams will only heighten the Super Bowl expectations of the Cowboys who now trail the Giants by one game in the NFC East. Though at the moment the Cowboys have plenty of other things to worry about before they even think about getting to a Super Bowl.

The Cowboys will play their next three games without star QB Tony Romo who suffered a broken pinkie on his throwing hand during the teams loss to Arizona. During that stretch the Cowboys will Saint Louis, Tampa Bay and the Giants. Backup Brad Johnson has been named the started in the interim, but the Cowboys face trouble if they lose any of these games especially their match up against the Giants.

While in the long run the trade may prove to be beneficial for the Cowboys who now have one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. The trade may not pay immediate dividends with Brad Johnson throwing them the ball.

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Fantasy Football Start em: Quarterback

Oct 10

Posted by admin in Browns, Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Football, NFL, Pro Sports, Quarterbacks, Secondary, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, defense, fantasy football, giants, online sports community, passing game | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

Week six is approaching and if your fantasy team isn’t looking good thus far you still have plenty of time to get back into playoff contention. With that said, let’s take a look at some week 6 match ups that should be beneficial to fantasy quarterbacks.

1.  Kyle Orton- Chicago Bears

Wow,what a difference a year makes. The Chicago Bears easily had one of the NFL’s most dismal passing attacks last season but all that has changed with Kyle Orton under center. Orton has tossed multiple TD’s n his last two games and should do the same this week against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are surrendering 222 yards and 1.8 passing touchdowns per game. Now that the Bears are finally beginning to utilize the speedy Devin Hester in their passing attack Orton could end up being one of this weeks best fantasy options.

2. Jason Campbell- Washington Redskins

Campbell is QB on the rise. He has posted back to back wins on the road against division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. Now he gets to go up against one of the worst teams in the NFl in the St. Louis Rams whose passing defense ranks 28th in the league allowing 245.8 yards and 2 TD’s per game. Campbell finally looks comfortable in coach Jim Zorn’s offense and with a number of nice options including Santana Moss and Chris Cooley  he should have an explosive day against the woeful rams.

3. Kurt Warner- Arizona Cardinals

Warner came off another nice fantasy performance against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday and looks to return with another strong performance agaisnt a banged up Dallas secondary at home this week.  Terrence Newman is out, Roy Williams is most likely out, and the Dallas pass rush has been very inconsistent thus far this year. Thats all good news for Warner who should post his fourth straight multiple touchdown game in what should be a shootout in the desert.

4.  Brett Favre- New York Jets

After posting a career high 6 TD’s against the Cardinals in his last game Favre and the Jets hope to continue the trend in this weeks game against the Bengals. If you look at the numbers it doesn’t look like a good match up for Favre with Cincy’s D ranking 6th in the league in passing defense. That is a more then deceptive number becuase everyone just dominates Cincy’s D on the ground instead of through the air. The Jets have yet to establish their ground game this year and Favre has had an extra week to heal and work on his timing with his receivers, that should bode well for a strong fanatsy day.

5- Eli Manning- New York Giants

Make no mistake about it the Giants are the nest all around team in the NFL right now. Thanks in large part to their consistent ground game Eli has had ample time to pick opposing secondary’s apart this season and has the Giants passing attacked ranked 6th in the NFL. The Giants face off against the dissapointing Cleveland Browns who have a weak secondary and have yet to play well on either side of the ball. Consider also that Plaxico is back from his one game suspension and that the Giants have one of the deepest receiving corps in the league with the likes of Steve Smith, Amani Toomer, Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham and last weeks fantasy darling Dominick Hixon and the Browns secondary shouldn’t stand a chance.

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Wildcat Formation Leading Dolphins to Victory

Oct 10

Posted by admin in Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Football, NFL, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Uncategorized, Wildcat, dolphins, formations, gimmick play, online sports community, playbook, ronnie brown | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

Usually reserved for games played on Fridays or Saturdays the wildcat formation has found a home on Sundays.

The wildcat formation a formation popular among high school football coaches and some college coaches (or at least a variation thereof) has found its way to the Miami Dolphins playbook.

Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown taking a direct snap in the Wildcat formation

Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown taking a direct snap in the Wildcat formation

For those of us who enjoy watching football, but dont get too deep into the technical side of the sport here’s a very brief explanation of the Wildcat formation. The Wildcat is a variant of the single-wing formation which was founded by legendary coach Pop Warner in 1907. Basically, in the wildcat formation you have a running back that lines up in a simliar position to a quarterback in shotgun formation. This back will take a direct snap from the center while another back is sent in motion from a slot position just prior to the snap. Furthermore, it calls for an unbalanced, reshuffled line, often with two natural tackles playing on the weak side

The quarterback doesn’t even need to be on the field or can line up as a wideout in this formation. The formation is primiarly a run offense, but can be used to draw defenders in while a TE or WR sneaks out where he can receive a pass from the back.

Now the defense is left with a number of possible options: A. the back can take the direct snap and run the ball, B. the back can take the direct snap and hand off to the other back that is set in motion, or C. the back can take the direct snap roll out and look for a passing option downfield.

So, this leads us to Week 3 in the NFL the Miami Dolphins square off against the New England Patriots.  The Dolphins lined up in the wildcat formation a number of times and guess what….it resulted in five touchdowns all accounted for by Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown, 4 TD’s on the ground and one through the air, when Brown connected with TE Anthony Fasano for a 19 yard TD strike. For once Bill Bellicheck and his famed genius was nowhere to be found. His defense looked lost every single time the Dolphins lined up in the wildcat and it resulted in 38-13 blowout. In total the wildcat formation was employed six times during the Dolphins, Patriots game…I’d day the results speak for themselves.

Ronnie Brown is the key to the wildcat formation success in Miami.

Ronnie Brown is the key to the wildcat formation success in Miami.

The Dolphins would employ the wildcat again in their week 5 match-up against the San Diego Chargers. And while the wildcat would have a limited success this time around (47 net yards gained), it still resulted in a key touchdown that would give the Dolphins the lead and an eventual victory.

The Dolphins head coach Tony Sporano who is in his first year with the team, has stated that the Dolphins are just scratching the surface of how the wildcat can be employed this season. So far, the wildcat has helped lead a team that was 1-15 last year to a 2-2 record this season, with wins over some of the AFC’s best teams.

Now the question becomes will the wildcat catch on elsewhere in the NFL? The Patriots used the formation in their game against the 49ers, and the Dolphins have no plans to stop using the formation, at least until it stops working. Like the spread offense that is sweeping college football and lighting up scoreboards, the wildcat may soon have NFL defensive coordinators scratching their heads and NFL offensive coordinators salivating at the mouth.

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The Super Bowl Champ Will Come From the NFC East

Sep 19

Posted by admin in AFC, Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Football, NFC, NFC East, NFL, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Uncategorized, online sports community | No Comments

For a long time all of the so called experts in the NFL have been declaring the AFC as the superior league in professional football.

Now, many of them seem to be changing their tune and for a damn good reason. If you watched any of the ridiculously entertaining shootout on Monday night between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys then you know why they suddenly seem to all be siding with the NFC as the  best league in the NFL and the NFC East as perhaps the best division in all of sports.

Take a look at the NFC East and you’ll find that even its presumably weakest team, the Washington Redskins, just beat the team many predicted to win the NFC South, the New Orleans Saints. Now consider, that the Dalls Cowboys are perhaps the leagues most talented team, the New York Giants are the defending Super Bowl champs and have continued to perform exactly like that through the first two weeks, and the Philadelphia Eagles nearly defeated the Cowboys and you have one tough division and the makings of a Super Bowl champ.

Yet, its not just the fact that the top three teams in the NFC East all have the potential to beat any other team in the league on any given Sunday it’s also the fact that all the “top” teams in the AFC haven’t looked anywhere near as prolific as the “beasts of the East”.

The Colts for example,who lost to the underdog Bears in a game that frankly wasn’t even close and then came back the next week to win a squeaker against the improved, but still unstable (especially at the QB position)  Minnesota Vikings.

Then there is the San Diego Chargers another favorite in the AFC, whose record now stands at 0-2 with loses to the Denver Broncos (though Ed Hoculi played a fairly major role in that one) and the unheralded Carolina Panthers. And who now may have to deal with an injury to star running back Ladanian Tomlinson that may nag him throughout the season and are playing without All-World linebacker Shawn Merriman for the rest of the season and their Super Bowl hopes look a bit dimmer.

Need I even mention the other heavy favorite in the AFC whose record setting quarterback suffered a season ending injury, dramatically altering the landscape of the entire NFL? Yes, the Patriots are still a good team without Tom Brady, but a Super Bowl contender with Matt Cassel at QB,….I don’t think so.

The fact is that there are no teams in the NFL and certainly no division NFC or AFC that can match the talent in the NFC East.

Let’s start with the defending Super Bowl champs. Though they lost the defensive prowess of both Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora their defense has yet to miss a beat. In their first two games the Giants D has surrendered just 20 points, scored 1 TD, sacked the QB 7 times and picked them off once.  Not to mention that Eli looks much improved, Plaxico Burress is an absolute beast, the rest of the receiving corps is solid as can be and they have what could be considered the best running back committee in the NFL with Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Bradshaw in the backfield and the G-Men look poised to make another deep run into the playoffs.

The Cowboys, the popular Super Bowl pick at the start of the season have thus far lived up to their star status. Romo continues to develop into an elite QB, connecting with Terrell Owens and Jason Witten both excellent receivers and their defense is as strong as ever (Monday night being the exception). The addition of Felix Jones as a change of pace back to the bruising Marion Barber has paid big dividends in the first two weeks and has added a threat not just in the backfield, but on special teams as well. Player for player Dallas is the most talented team in the league if they can avoid an upset like last year they could be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl and if they get there, there is no reason to think they shouldn’t win it all.

Now, perhaps the biggest surprise thus far has been the play of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have always had a strong defensive team with Jim Johnsons exotic blitzing schemes giving opposing QB’s fits. Yet, they haven’t had a healthy Donovan McNabb in a long time, that is until this year and its showing in their play. Brain Westbrook is in my opinion the best all-around running back in the league and the addition of rookie Desean Jackson has aided a passing game that has suffered a number of injuries to their starting wideouts, that is if he manages to cross the goal-line with the ball (come on buddy let’s not be silly!). If McNabb stays healthy, and with Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown due to return at some point this season the Eagles should be a major player for the rest of the year and a definite Super Bowl contender.

It’s a long road to the Super Bowl, but when its all said and done look for one of these three teams to be holding the Lombardi Trophy at the end of season.

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