Posts Tagged offense

Brodeur Out 3-4 Months

Martin Brodeur has been the picture of stability for the Devils franchise since joining the team in the 91-92 season.

In fact, since 1998 Brodeur has played in at least 70 games during the regular season, hardly ever suffering any serious injuries. Well, it seems that, that streak will be coming to an abrupt end with the elbow injury Brodeur sustained in a game against Atlanta.

Brodeur suffered the injury while making a glove save on a wrist shot that was actually headed wide of the net. While making the save Brodeur said he felt a pop as he extended his arm. The pop was actually his bicep ligament tearing away from the muscle near his elbow.

Brodeur cringes in pain.

Brodeur cringes in pain.

And now for the first time in his career and for the first time since Brodeur became the Devils franchise goaltender he will miss significant playing time during the regular season.

The 4 time Vezina trophy winner has been the one contant throughout the years for the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have always been built as a defense first team. However, in the last few years they have lost some marquee players at the position including Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko to retirement and Scott Niedermeyer to free agency. Those key loses were offset by the remarkable play of Brodeur whose skill at the position is perhaps unmatched in history.

In fact, Brodeur was well within reach of surpassing a number of NHL goaltending records this season including Patrick Roy’s career win total of 551 and Terry Sawchuck’s 103 career shutouts. Brodeur is just 7 wins shy of surpassing Roy and 5 shutouts shy of passing Sawchuck.

With Brodeur sidelined to late February, early March it is likely that those records may have to wait until next season to fall.

The more pressing issue for the Devils however, will not be making NHL history, but simply making the NHL playoffs. Without Brodeurs’ prowess between the pipes the Devils face a long, hard fight and now must ask backup Kevin Weekes to fill some pretty large skates.

The Devils currently hold second place (16pts) in the Atlantic Division trailing the red hot New York Rangers by 7 points.  If the Devils have any hope of catching their cross river rivals they must rely on something they haven’t had to rely on in 13 years…offense.

With young players like Zach Parise (9 goals/5 assists ) and veterans like Patrick Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner the Devils could do it. They can also look to the return of the injured Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik to provide an extra offensive boost when they return to the lineup.

Either way, the Devils find themselves in very unfamiliar territory this season. A season the will play mostly without the aide of Martin Brodeur. Where they end up is anyone’s guess at this point.

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Fantasy Football Start Em: Running Backs

Week 7 is fast approaching and for most leagues this marks the halfway point in thir fantasy season. Hopefully by now you’ve solidified your position as one of the league’s strongest GM’s, but even if you haven’t theres still plenty of time to get back into contention. Maybe this list will help you make the best choices in your lineup calls for week 7.

1. Chris Johnson vs. Kansas City

Kansas City is a pretty dismal team right now. Larry Johnson wants to be traded, Tony Gonzalez wanted to be traded and the team has absolutely no shot of being a contender this season. Which is great news if you’re one of the lucky people who own Chris Johnson this week.The K.C. defense surrenders 182.2 rushing yards a game and Johnson has been averaging 90 total yards a game so far this year. Lendale White is suffering from a shoulder injury at the moment which may give Johnson some more goal-line chances. Look for Johnson to have a nice fantasy week this week.

2. Dominic Rhodes vs. Green Bay

Rhodes disappeared off the fantasy radar for a while when he went to Oakland (as most people do). However, hes back in Indy and both Joseph Addai and Mike Hart are sidelined this week with injuries making Rhodes a very serviceable option. The Packers have been struggling with their rush defense allowing 153 yards per game. Rhodes should get plenty of touches and could find the end zone. A nice start here, especially if you’re an Addai owner.

3. Mewelde Moore vs. Cinncinatti

Moore is most likely available in a number of leagues and can be a nice pick up n’ play this week against a struggling Bengals defense. With Willie Parker sidelined for another week due to injury Moore is once again Pittsburgh top rusher. The Bengals rush defense is giving up 156.8 yards per game so Moore has a chance to go off. He gave a solid performance in his first start and should follow it up nicely with this favorable match up.

4. Thomas Jones vs. Oakland

Ah just when you were about to give up on Jones he comes up with a huge performance. Jones scored three times last week (2 rushing, 1 receiving) surpassing his total from all of last season. This week Jones is facing off against an Oakland defense that’s surrendering 115 rushing yards and 1.6 rushing touchdowns per game. With Oakland’s offense unable to muster much production the Jets offense should have plenty of chances to score and Jones could be the primary beneficiary.

5.  Steve Slaton vs. Detroit

At first glance this may not look like the best match up especially considering what Detroit was able to do to Adrian Peterson last week, but Houston has a much better QB then Minnesota and Schaub should open up the field with his ability to throw the long ball to Andre Johnson. With a deep passing threat established Slaton could find plenty of open holes and could have a nice fantasy day.

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Red Sox Make Historic Comeback

By Matt Valentine

Heading into the seventh inning of game five of the ALCS it looked like the Red Sox would be headed home and the Rays would be headed to the World Series.

The Rays held a 7-0 lead heading into the inning and were just 9 outs away from making the first World Series appearance in franchise history. Yet, just when most were about to change the channel the Red Sox came storming back to life.

Keyed by big hits from JD Drew, David Ortiz and Coco Crisp the Sox were able to stave off elimination with one of the most historic and unlikely comebacks in postseason history.

Red Sox celebrate their amazing comeback over the Rays in Game 5 of the ALCS

Red Sox celebrate their amazing comeback over the Rays in Game 5 of the ALCS

The Rays jumped out to a big lead early on when BJ Upton went yard hitting a 2 run blast a Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria added back-to-back home runs for the second straight game. Scott Kazmir had one of his best outings in a long time allowing just two hits over six innings and never allowing a baserunner to advance past second base.

However, the game quickly went downhill for the Rays as soon as they called on their bullpen. Ortiz who had been slumping during the postseason broke out with a three run homer in the 7th followed by a Dustin Pedroia RBI single. In the eighth Drew hit a two-run homer to pull the Sox even closer and then it was Coco Crisp who provided the drama, tying the game with a two-out, two-strike single off of reliever Dan Wheeler.

The Rays were unable to muster any offense in the ninth and Boston came up and provided the Fenway faithful with another dramatic comeback. Kevin Youkilis grounded to Evan Longoria with two outs, but wound up at second when the throw bounced in front of first baseman Carlos Pena. Then Jason Bay was intentionally walked and Drew stepped up to the plate for the last time. Drew lined a single to right off of J.P. Howell and over the glove of Gabe Gross to bring in the game winning run.

JD Drews game winning single in the ninth

JD Drew's game winning single in the ninth

There was deinitely some questionable decision throughout the Red Sox comeback made by Rays manager Joe Maddon. First, Maddon refused to place his outfielders back stating that they were not playing no-double defense. Obviously the decision did not pay off as the game winning hit was actually a ground rule double that may have been caught had Gross been playing back a few steps.

Second, Maddon seemed to panic with his relief pitchers bringing in closer Dan Wheeler and asking him to make the finally 7 outs, which he was obviously unable to do. Also, Maddon stated that he doesn’t believe in lefty on lefty matchups which is why he did not bring in a lefty to face David Ortiz. Another call which did not pay off.

The Red Sox are beginning to make a habit of postseason comebacks. In 2004 they made postseason history when they came back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the New York Yankees. Last season they overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Cleveland Indians, both times they went on to win the World Series.

The series will move back to Tampa for game 6. Scott Shields and Josh Beckett will get the start.

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Fantasy Football Start em: Quarterback

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

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 Jets Are Not Getting Their Money’s Worth

by Matt Valentine

The NY Jets were the most active team during the off season this year revamping their offensive and defensive units with what many thought would be some key signings. Then just when you thought they couldn’t do much more they added future Hall of Fame QB Brett Fave and instantly turned themselves into a playoff contender. At least, that’s the way most people thought it was going to happen, but after the first three weeks of the season that scenario is looking less and less likely.

The Jets opened the season promisingly enough holding off former Jets QB Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to capture a 20-14 victory. Since that game however, the Jets have looked anemic on both sides of the ball in loses to New England in week 2 and San Diego on Monday night.

The loss on Monday night seemed to magnify some of the Jets most glaring weaknesses. For one they had an extremely hard time moving the ball in the first half and though the Jets defense did score the games first points on a pick six by linebacker David Barrett, the offense turned the ball over 3 times in the half, twice on Favre interceptions and once on a Thomas Jones fumble.

Another obvious weakness was the Jets inability to convert on third downs. The Jets were just 1-8 on third downs, while Phillip Rivers and the Chargers were 9-13.

Though Favre’s final stat line looks decent enough ( 30-42, 271, 3TD, 2INT)  it is pretty deceptive. First, Favre should have finished the game with at least 4 INT, he threw the ball directly into the hands of Charges defensive backs Antonio Cromartie, and Clinton Hart ,but neither were able to haul in the pick. Second, Favre racked up most of his passing yards and touchdowns late in the second half when the Chargers had a large lead and went into prevent mode allowing Favre and the Jets to catch passes underneath and drain the game clock.

Favre has struggled to learn the offense and it has showed on the field. He has yet to establish timing with his receivers which has resulted in a number of miscues that have cost the Jets in the first three weeks. Add to that that the Jets supposedly revamped line has not afforded him with the time or protection to make plays down field and you have the makings of a 1-2 record.

The O-line has also not given Thomas Jones the type of running room you would like for the money. If they could give him more space to operate then maybe he could take the pressure off Favre and allow him to settle in, instead of basically placing the entire outcome of the game in his hands.

The Jets defense has struggled as well. The one thing that did become clear Monday night was that without Kris Jenkins manning the middle the Jets could be run on and run on often. Calvin Pace the Jets other defensive off-season acquisition has yet to make himself heard and he better start soon if he wants to earn the paycheck the Jets are handing him each week.

Then for the second week in a row there was questionable play calling by head coach Eric Mangini. With the Jets trailing by just 3 points (14-17) Mangini decided to go for an onside kick in the second quarter. The kick was recovered by the Chargers, who scored on the ensuing drive and all momentum was lost for the Jets.

The one bright spot for the Jets was their special teams. Leon Washington had two nice returns one 94- yarder and one to mid-field which eastablished excellent field position for the Jets.

If the Jets want to go anywhere this year they’re going to need the guys they brought in, in the off-season to play up to their contracts or this 1-2 record may not just be growing pains, but a sign of things to come.

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Are the Mets Due for Another September Collapse?

It’s that time of the year again for Mets fans and I’m sure many of them are cringing, and feeling almost the exact same emotions as the did the same time just one year ago.

If you recall it (and I’m sure every Mets fan does) it was this time last year that all Mets fans were watching their teams historic September collapse, giving away a 7 game lead with just 17 games to play and surrendering their NL East lead to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Well, here we are in September again, and here the Mets are, this time surrendering a 3 game lead to the Phillies who now own sole possession of first place in the NL East after Ryan Howard’s go-ahead homer in the 8th inning Tuesday night gave the Phillies an 8-7 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Once again, the Phillies and Howard in particular, seem to thrive in September while the Mets and their offense seem to fold.

The Mets who lost to the Nationals in back-to-back games while surrendering their NL East lead just can seem to get  it clicking on all cylinders when it matters most. They received an outstanding pitching performance from Mike Pelfrey but let it go to waste by providing him with no offense in a 1-0 nothing loss to who else, but the Washington Nationals, the same team that squandered the Mets playoff hopes late last season.

This loss came just one day after John Lannan held the Mets to one hit over seven innings, New York managed just two hits against Odalis Perez Tuesday night.

This time around there will be no one to blame except for the Mets players themselves, no Willie to take the heat for a team that just cannot get it done when the pressure is on. If its not the bullpen surrendering runs in late innings of what should have been wins, then its the Met offense whose bats go quiet at the most inopportune times.

And while the Mets remain just a 1/2 game behind the Phillies for the NL East lead their fans grow restless that another September swoon may be on the horizon.

There is still the wild card, even if the Mets do surrender the division to the Phillies, but even that is not a certainty as another team whose had a September to forgot, the Brewers, are just a 1/2 game back.

Perhaps worst of all for the Mets is that they’ve now lost both Fernando Tatis and Damion Easley to injuries. Two right handed bats that the Mets can ill afford to lose down the stretch. Tatis has been an especially nice surprise for the Mets returning from baseball after a prolonged absence to put together some clutch performances when the team needed them most.

Speaking of clutch performances that’s exactly what the Mets are going to need down the stretch to avoid their second consecutive season without a postseason appearance. They need their stars to step up now more then ever, players like David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Pedro Martinez need to demonstrate to their team, and most importantly their fans that this September will not end like last years did.

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Fantasy Football Week Two QB Review

As week two of fantasy football comes to a close there have been a number of surprises and disappointments at the QB position so far this season. Let’s take a look back at some of the best week 2 performances from the NFL’s Quarterbacks.

1. Jay Cutler-Denver Broncos

Jay Cutler is emerging as a true fantasy star this season and Denver (and my fantasy team) are all the better for it. In the last two weeks Cutler has faced what were supposed to be some staunch passing defenses in Oakland and San Diego and has absolutely torched them to the tune of a combined 650 yards, 6 TD and 1 pick. Cutler was dominant in the first half against San Diego tossing three touchdown passes, he had some trouble moving the ball in the third quarter but came back to toss a 4th TD pass in the closing moments of the game and followed it up with a 2pt conversion (both to WR Eddie Royal) sealing a 39-38win over the Chargers.  At this pace Cutler could emerge as a top 5 fantasy QB by years end, I for one am keeping my fingers crossed.

2. Phillip Rivers- Sand Diego Chargers

Though he was outplayed by Cutler, Rivers more then held his own in this week two shootout, especially considering L.T. was sidelined for most of the game with a toe-injury. Rivers threw for 377 yards with 3 TD and 1 INT. He connected with Chris Chambers on on two TD strikes and got a nice assist from Darren Sproles on a check-down that Sproles took to the house. Rivers and the Chargers offense once again got off to a slow start, but heated up in the second half only to lose the game in the final moments. Right now Rivers looks like a solid play week to week.

3. Kurt Warner- Arizona Cardinals

Kurt put a big hurting on the Dolphins defense in week two making them look like fish out of water. He connected on 19 of 24 passes for 361 yards and 3 TD. For the second straight game Warner didn’t committ a turnover and he has clearly cemented himself in the starting role for the time being. I guess Leinart can go back to partying his ass off because if Warner keeps playing like this there’s no chance he’s going to see the field so he might as well go back to doing what he does best. He has another decent matchup against Washington next week and should be in your starting lineup as long as he’s the Cardinals starting QB.

4. Aaron Rodgers- Green Bay Packers

Brett Who? Thats probably what most Packers fans are saying after watching Rodgers the last two weeks, especially if they caught any of the Jets-Pats game. Rodgers has stepped in and led the Green Bay offense to two straight victories and although he played against a terrible Lions defense he is proving himself as a solid fantasy starter week to week, though next week he faces a much stiffer test in the Cowboys D so you may want to look elsewhere. Rodgers threw for 328 yards and 3 TD’s and has a great connection with last years breakout player Greg Jennings who racked up 167 yards receiving. If Rodgers continues his play people like me won’t even have to mention Favre and Rodgers in the same sentence again.

5. Eli Manning- NY Giants

Eli has never really been a fantasy stud, but he certainly looked like one on Sunday. He torched a woeful Rams secondary to the tune of 260 yards and 3 TD’s in leading the Giants to a 41-13 rout. Ever since his Super Bowl run Manning has the type of confidence you want to see in a QB and has demonstrated it on the field. The Giants play a fairly favorable schedule for the next few weeks with Cincinnati, Seattle, Cleveland, and San Francisco on the slate and Eli should be considered a starter for all of thos games if you have him on your roster.

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Giants Beat Skins in NFL Season Opener

Before the game began fans of both teams had questions on their minds about this coming season.

Would Eli play like he did during his magical playoff run which led to a Super Bowl MVP? Would the Giants defense be able to apply the same pressure without Osi Umenyiora, and Michael Strahan? Would the Redskins look as dismal as they did in their final two postseason games?

Actually the answer to all these questions seems to have been a resounding yes.

After Michael Strahan came out to fire up the crowd with the Lombardi Trophy in hand the Giants took the opening kick off and drove 84 yards in 11 plays with Eli running a boot leg in the endzone to secure a 7-0 first quarter lead. During the drive Eli and his favorite target Plaxico Buress, who was awarded with a contract extension hours before the game began, connected on some big third down conversions to keep the drive alive.

Manning scores first touchdown of the NFL year.

Manning scores first touchdown of the NFL year.

Then the Giants defense on their first play from scrimmage, were able to answer the questions about their ability to apply the same type of pressure on QB’s that helped lead them to a Super Bowl Championship. Justin Tuck and Fred Robbins both broke through the Skins line and sacked QB Jason Campbell. It was a foreshadowing of things to come for both the Giants defense and the Redskins offense.

The Redskins looked befuddled under new head coach Jim Zorn’s West Coast scheme. Jason Campbell in particular looked like he had little idea of how to run this offense, on many occasions electing to check down for three or four yard gains in 3rd and long or fourth and long situations.

Washington’s defense didn’t look too much better allowing the Giants to drive down field on three consecutive drives, but holding firm in the red/green zone, relenting field goals instead of touchdowns. Perhaps the closeness of the game was more a result of conservative play calling from the Giants rather then stellar defense from the Redskins.

The Giants have to be happy about their performance on both sides of the ball. Brandon Jacobs was an absolute beast last night, literally plowing over Redskins on his way to 116 yards on 21 carries. Just ask Redskins safety Dawan Landry about what its like to try and tackle Jacobs. Manning completed 19 of 35 passes for 216 yards and 1 interception. He looked very good on third down conversions, but did throw some of those trademark ill advised passes that could have reversed the course of the game had Washington been able to make a play on them. Plaxico Burress who is finally healthy after fighting through knee and ankle injuries last season had a dominant 10 catch 133 yard performance and at times made the Skins secondary look like high schoolers. Despite the win though the Giants left a number of points on the board and allowed Washington to hand in the game much longer then they shouuld have. They also did not score a point in the second half, but then again they didn’t really need to.

The Giants defense was outstanding. New York limited the new-look Redskins to 11 first downs and 209 total yards and gave indications that these Giants are back for another run despite the preseason predictions that there chances of repeating are slim.

With one in hand now each team will go back to the drawing board and try to improve on this weeks performance. The Redskins will have to make a lot of adjustments if they are to be contenders in the ultra competitive NFC East. The Giants on the other hand have to be happy about picking up right where they left off, now they just have to focus on finishing drives instead of setteling for field goals and all should be well in New York.

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Favre, Packers Remain in Limbo

With reports swirling today that Favre will most likely be dealt to a new team in the very near future, two candidates have emerged as front runners in the Brett Favre sweepstakes.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to be in the best position to deal for Favre with the New York Jets still in the hunt to acquire the 39 year old QB.

This came after Favre and Packers coach Mike McCarthy spoke very candidly for approximately six hours over the past two days, and McCarhy drew the conclusion that Favre is not ” in the right mind-set” to play for the Green Bay Packers.

Favre cannot seem to move past what he deems, “emotional wounds” inflicted on him by the team as tensions mounted in recent weeks. This coming despite that fact that the Packers stated there would be an open competition for the starting QB role. Now, it seems that Favre and Green Bay will have to part ways and perhaps no one is more to blame then Favre himself.

While both sides have played a role in the disintegration of their respective relationships it is Favre who has rarely taken the high road. He has aired his grievances publicly on numerous occasions all but ensuring that any attempt at patching up the battered relationship would be futile.  In his many conversations about his situation Favre has never seemed positive about his status with the team. Even stating that he felt he couldn’t trust Packers GM Thompson because he failed to heed his pleadings to acquire Randy Moss and because he chose to hire Mike McCarthy over Favres long-time friend Steve Mariucci.

Honestly, what other QB in his right mind would try and tell a general manager how to do his job, and then get all pissy when the GM doesn’t do what he said?  Um, the last time I checked Brett your job was to run this teams offense on the field not determine roster moves or head coaching decisions. That’s Thompson’s job and apparently he’s done it pretty well considering you were 13-3 last season and you were one drive away from going to the Super Bowl, a drive that ended by the way on a terrible pass thrown by you!

Favrre has kept all of Green Bay in limbo for a number of off seasons now. He has been a consistent distraction to his teammates this time of year, and even the players are getting upset about it. Favre knows the type of power he holds in Green Bay and has wielded it with a childish, impetuous fist at times.  No quarterback should have the power to hold a franchise hostage like Favre has done for several years, none worse then this one.

And after all this, Favre feels he has the right to be traded to a team within Green Bay’s own division?  Why would someone who is so loyal to the fans, and the franchise want so desperately to play them twice a year? I think the answer is simple, so he can go in there and without raising his voice or middle finger send a big F-U to everyone in the Packers front office. But, Brett wouldn’t you be hurting the fans, and former teammates more then anyone else? It all seems so silly now, and the Packers have every right to finally refuse the man who they’ve given nearly everything he’s asked.

Of course,  the person getting the stiffest end of this deal is Aaron Rodgers, the only one who has handled the situation with even a shred of dignity. I  just hope that at some point those fans that relentlessly cheer “We want Brett” and  relentlessly boo Rodgers realize that this man is going to be leading this team and you better get behind him now, or keep your mouths shut. What sense does it make to boo your own QB? Especially considering the kid has yet to do anything, but put his head down, keep his mouth shut, and do his job. Wow, what a crime.

When this situation finally does resolve it self, with Brett being trade to whatever team wheter it be the Jets or Tampa I just hope Green Bay fans don’t cling so desperately to the notion of Brett the icon and open their eyes to who really took the situation to the point of no return.

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