So I found this video on Yahoo Sports and thought it was pretty interesting and cool. A video in quadruple speed, showing how the stadium transforms from Giants stadium on Sunday afternoon to Jets stadium, ready for Monday Night Football.
The fake nerdy side of me is amazed by this video. I've always wondered the process of transforming everything for the 2 teams, but now we get to see it first hand (even though it's CLEARLY on speed mode and I don't mean how fast it's going).
Am I the only person that thinks this is a bit much and the Jets would have been better off getting their own stadium after all of this? By the time you pay all of the people doing the transformations, you'd probably buy a new stadium anyway.
I figured this was a cool insight on the makings of Giants/Jets Stadium in the new Meadowlands. Enjoy your weekend!
Okay, this is where the fun begins. I've did my own rendition of picking the AFC and the NFC for the upcoming season.. and of course, folks want to know who my Super Bowl picks will be. Although I'm not the best at picking divisions, I've been pretty decent in picking my potential SB picks (I chose San Diego and New Orleans last year, so I was half right LOL).
So without further ado... DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUN!!! Here are my 2010 Playoff Scenario picks:
AFC Wild Card Weekend
Texans @ Jets- The Texans are my dark horse pick this year, beating out New England for a playoff spot by strength of schedule. They finally get in the dance! But I don't forsee them advancing. This Jets D is ferocious and the Texans are more of a pass happy team, not as balanced. Sexy Rexy gets the win this time.
Winner:
Baltimore @ San Diego- The Chargers will get in, but they will really miss Vincent Jackson come playoff time. The Chargers D won't be enough to stop all of the weapons the Ravens have on offense. The Ravens win easy, simply because their D won't be able to handle it.
Winner:
(sorry boo boo, I love you but my squad will prevail)
Divisional Playoffs Baltimore @ Indianapolis - The Colts are Ravens Killers. They know how to beat them better than any other team in the league. This is the year the Ravens get the monkey off their back.
Winner:
Jets @ Bengals- In a rematch of the 2009 Wild Card game, I don't forsee the same result. This is where the buck stops for Rex and company. It all comes down to the QB play. If Palmer stays healthy, the sky is the limit for this team. I still don't trust Sanchez enough, despite the weapons he has. The think Cincy pulls it out
Winner:
AFC Championship
Baltimore @ Cincinnati- Yes, I'm picking an AFC North AFC Championship. And I am far from biased. But the NFL is like a crap shoot, and to a lot of you, this is not something you would see happening. But it's extremely realistic. These two teams know each other.. and well! Carson Palmer is second behind Peyton Manning in making the Ravens eat their own crow. But in the end, the Ravens will prevail. Ed Reed will be back and Carson Palmer wants no parts of that, trust me.
Winner:
NFC Wild Card Weekend Washington @ Dallas- These two bitter rivals will meet for Wild Card weekend. By then, I expect McNabb to either be hurt, or out of gas. Sorry Skins fans, I think Dallas has what it takes to go further. Sucks that it's to your arch nemesis though Winner: Minnesota @ San Francisco- This is my upset pick. While the Vikings are a good overall team, I think this is when we really see how good the 49ers are on defense. Adrien Peterson fumbles away another game. The End
Winner:
NFC Divisional Weekend
Dallas @ Green Bay- Sorry Dallas, Aaron Rodgers is on a mission. And you're in the way. Cowboys fans are gonna throw tomatoes at me, but if you're playing GB in the Divisionals, it looks like another 1 win playoff year for you.
Winner:
San Francisco @ New Orleans- San Francisco may not be able to handle all that New Orleans can throw at them. The Saints have way too many weapons and the 49ers can't outscore the Saints. Winner:
NFC Championship
Green Bay @ New Orleans- This is going to be epic. Better than the Vikings- Saints NFC Championship game. Aaron Rodgers, the NEW face of the Packers, against Drew Brees, the NFL darling. High powered offenses, good defense, and plenty of points. But in the end, I think Green Bay prevails.
Winner:
Super Bowl XLV Baltimore @ Green Bay- Looks like this is the sexy pick amongst other bloggers and sports writer. When I first predicted this earlier in the year, I thought I was doing something. I guess I really wasn't doing that much, because a lot of other people have this same prediction. I refuse to change my pick, because I'm going with my gut. However, everyone is picking Green Bay to be the winner. And while I picked them to win as well, someone has to pick the underdog. And since my squad is the underdog...... allow me to be the one to do it!
Ravens 27, Packers 24 With a last second FG from Billy Cundiff!!!!!
The NFL Season is here!!!!!!!!! LEGOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Okay, I know I've already done a Sitcho Azz Down post for the week, but this one warrants another post. Rex Ryan, the lovable, hugable Jets coach (and former Ravens defensive coordinator) is a good guy. He's a good coach and I always wished him the best of luck in Gang Green Land. But sometimes Sexy Rexy doesn't know when to STFU.
Ravens S Ed Reed is currently rehabbing from hip surgery he had earlier in the year. While the Ravens are contemplating on whether or not they should place Reed on the Physically-Unable-To-Perform list (or known better as the PUP List), Ryan seems to have this notion that Reed will play. According to the Baltimore Sun, Rex explains why he thinks Reed will play in the Monday Night opener against the Jets. Here's a tidbit of what he said:
“Somebody asked me about Ed Reed saying, ‘You know Ed Reed hasn’t practiced,’” Ryan said.
“I said, guys, Ed Reed will play this game. Now he might not play the second game, third game or fourth game, whatever, but Ed Reed is going to play this game. I think part of that is a respect thing. He knows how disappointed I would be if he didn’t play. I want to win the game, but I want to play against Ed. I want them at their best and I know they will be.”
Uhhhh... Earth To Rexy: Reed doesn't play for you. He plays for the Baltimore Ravens. Why would he care anymore if he disappoints YOU, and not his current head coach, John Harbaugh? As far as the respect comment goes, respect shouldn't even be a factor if a player is coming off of surgery. This isn't an ankle sprain... this man was operated on! Reed needs to worry about the best interest of HIM as well as the team that pays him, not some former coordinator that's moved on and will become the enemy come September 13th.
I love Rex Ryan.. but Rex needs to sit his chunky azz down.
Jets RB LaDainian Tomlinson talked with ESPN's Sal Paolantonio about his new home in NY and revealed his new tattoo: A Jets logo with "2010-" below it, on his leg. Tomlinson also has a Chargers tattoo with the years 2001-2010 below, marking the duration of his career in San Diego, on his other leg. Tomlinson says the Chargers tattoo are marking the end of his SD career. The Jets tattoo is marking, "a new birth being born"in his career in NY.
Also during the interview, Tomlinson was asked that, if he wins a Super Bowl with the Jets and makes it to the NFL Hall Of Fame, does he go in as a Jet, or as a Charger? LT's response:
"Interesting"
LOL that was so cute... NOT!
I've always been a fan of LT. I think he's one of the greater RBs of our modern NFL times. But he's thrown me for a loop with this one. Getting a tattoo of your new squad is a bit extra, and Sal Paolantonio even notices it by saying he's never seen a person get a tattoo so quickly after signing to a new squad. We get it... you want to move on from San Diego. But tatting yourself up before training camp seems to be kind of...well...pressed, actually.
What got me the most is the answer in which he gave Sal after the HOF question. I don't care if he wins 3 Super Bowls with the Jets, he will always be remembered as a Charger first. His 2006 season (one of the best single seasons for a RB) was done as a Charger. A Super Bowl doesn't change any of that. There's nothing interesting about it, Tomlinson will go to Canton in powder blue- not gang green- and to not even acknowledge that is foolish at best.
According to the New York Daily News, the New York Jets will host the 2010 HBO reality series, "Hard Knocks". The show gives fans an inside look of an NFL team on and off-the-field, during training camp.
The NY Jets are full of personality, especially with Rex Ryan at the head coach position. The fact that the Jets, sometimes viewed as the "other NY team", went to the AFC Championship this past season probably helped with choosing them to be the latest team involved in the successful series.
I think this is a great pick by HBO, in choosing the Jets and for a couple of reasons. First off, anytime you have a Ryan behind a microphone, you are bound to get good TV. Rex has always been outspoken and colorful, even in his days as a Baltimore Ravens assistant. The fact that we get to see more of Sexy Rexy cursing, coaching and.. oh yeah... cursing, will make me want to watch. Maybe he'll flip the bird at the cameramen like he did at the MMA match this offseason. That would make great TV.
The second, and most important reason for me, is the NY Jets have one of the most attractive teams in the NFL. I'm sorry to all of my male readers, but I just had to say it and represent for my female readers for a sec. Just about every guy on that team is eye candy. And if you think I'm lying, check this out, to keep you up to speed on what they look like. The Jets are a casual female fan's dream. I'm not passing up on the chance to watch Braylon Edwards, Mark Sanchez and Co in the ice tub... Yeah I'm sold.
This may be one of the best Hard Knocks seasons to date, in my opinion. The different personalities and the new additions to the team (i.e., LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Cromartie) will also give you a first glance at what the Jets are doing to repeat their instant success under Coach Ryan. I'll be tuned in. How about you???
And we now know it's the Indianapolis Colts against the New Orleans Saints. The two teams who were undefeated for majority of the regular season, made it to the big game. While many people picked at least one (or both) of these teams, it was still a crap shoot on who was actually going to make it. Yesterday's championship games were full of excitement and didn't disappoint, as expected. Let's recap what happened for these 2 teams to be the conference champions.
- The Colts came out as AFC Champions, like most of us expected. Rex Ryan had his usual, crazy schematic blitzes and at times Manning looked scared and confused. The Jets defense was really getting to him. In addition to that, New York's offense had a point to prove as well. Sanchize and Co was up 17-13 by halftime. But this is Peyton Manning we are talking about.... and right now he's playing on a level I've never even seen before. The Colts came back at the half and adjusted, scoring 17 unanswered points and winning the game, 30-17. Shout out to Ryan and the New York Jets for giving Indy a huge scare in the first half. But in the end, Indy came out victorious.
-*petty moment alert* I hate to do this, but I must..... my blogging brother, Ed The Sports Fan, wrote a blog that the 2009 Jets were a second coming of the 2000 Ravens (good blog post, check it out here). Well, you can't be the 2000 Ravens if you give up nearly 400 yards of total offense and don't make it to and win the Super Bowl. As I said in last week's post, The 2009 Jets = 2008 Ravens. Yesterday's loss just confirmed my assessment.
-It must be really bad when you have your own trending topic on twitter. Last night as the AFC Championship game was closing, #rexryanstomach was atop the hottest trending topics. It's really bad when your sweater vests and shirts look like they are a size extra smedium. Rex looks like a male version of Octomom on the sidelines. It's not a good look, Sexy Rexy.
-Former Jets QB Joe Namath was in attendance to yesterday's game. Am I wrong for wishing Suzy Kolber had interviewed him again so he could make more passes at her???
-The NFL must be the only gig Jordin Sparks can get these days. When is enough, enough?? I'm just saying......
-Of course, the petty side of me LOVED Peyton Manning's classy swipe (if there is a such thing) at Rex Ryan and the Jets. During his postgame interview, Manning said , "I thought we just kept our mouths shut and went to work this week". I love petty moments!
-New Orleans has the second best pregame ritual ever. Of course, my Ravens pregame are #1 in my book, but I always wanna throw on some pads when I see Drew Brees fire his teammates up!
-The Minnesota/New Orleans game was one of the best playoff games BY FAR this postseason. It was live, full of drama and suspense... but it was also sloppy as hell. Turnover after turnover was the deciding factor in this game. If I would have told you that the Vikings had twice as many 1st downs (31 to 15), nearly 3 times the amount of rushing yards (165 to 68) and double the total yards (475 to 257) and still lost, you would think I was lying, right?! I would too. But Minnesota had 5 turnovers, out of the 6 total in last night's game. Where they do that at?? The stats say they were the better team, but this is the NFL. Stats never tell the whole story.
-Out of all the turnovers, the one that sticks out the most is Favre's interception in field goal range with 7 seconds left on the clock. That pushed the game into OT and with New Orleans winning the coin toss, it was over. The Saints kicked the winning FG to advance to the Super Bowl. Brett Favre is a great QB, probably one of the greatest, but he will always be known for making boneheaded mistakes in the clutch as well. Yesterday's INT eerily resembled the 2007 NFC Championship, when Favre threw an INT that eventually led to the Giants OT win against Green Bay. I hope Favre finally retires. His last 3 seasons haven't ended on a positive note. It's time to hang up the cleats, Brett!
-If I'm Brad Childress, I'd make Adrian Peterson carry a football for the rest of the year, until training camp. His fumblitis is hurting the Vikings.
-Listening to Joe Buck slurp Favre's bath water during the entire broadcast was annoying as hell. But it wasn't just Buck. Fox's pregame show should have been dubbed the Favre Pregame Show. There was no love for Drew Brees or the Saints. It was a big ol' Brett Favre love fest. I get it, Favre is an NFL legend. But he's on the couch now, along with 29 other teams. The media and their biased nature is down right sickening at times.
-Congrats to the Saints for advancing to their first Super Bowl ever. It's amazing how much joy a sports team brought to an entire community. The fans of New Orleans relied the Saints for joy ever since Hurricane Katrina, as a way to celebrate life. And now, they finally have an opportunity to bring home their first ever Lombardi Trophy.
-The girl in me is kinda glad New Orleans won. There is tons of man candy on that team. Reggie, Sharper, and Meachem makes it MLK Fan approved!
-Does American Idol have a contract with the NFL? Two former Idols did the National Anthem before the championship games. This is the NFL, they couldn't find more popular artists to sing? If Prince can make a Minnesota fight song, he damn sure can sing the National Anthem.
-Speaking of the Vikings Fight song, I blame Minnesota's mishaps squarely on Prince. That song is awful. If you haven't heard the anthem, check it out. Prince was dead wrong for this.
Excuse me for taking a brief hiatus. The Ravens once again, found a way to rip my heart out, and stomp on it like a Dave Chappelle skit.
To make matters worse, my boo Philip Rivers pulled a Peyton Manning (before his SB win, of course) and choked in the playoffs....... AGAIN! I had to regroup, this football weekend was just too much for me to handle in such a short period of time.
Luckily for me, I've ignored the local sports media stations, ESPN and the NFL Network so I could collect my thoughts and create a new blog post. Here's my thoughts on this weekend's divisional games:
-If you thought the Saints were going to be one and done in the playoffs, raise your hand.......
Looks like you were dead wrong! I had no idea how to look at Cardinals-Saints game, but I sure thought that the score would have been similar to last week's wild card game with the Green Bay Packers. After scoring on their first possession, they looked totally out of their game. Once Kurt Warner's INT and hit happened, it was pretty much a wrap.
Warner said he planned to retire, but then recanted that statement right before the playoffs. My guess is after that hit, he's gonna call it a career.
-Hello Reggie Bush!
I've waited your whole NFL career for a game like Saturday's, and you came out on fiyah! Five carries, 84 yards and a punt return resulted in 2 TDs for the day for Mr. USC. I guess Kim Kardashian's presence and possible marriage proposal bet has that effect on him.
-Shout out to the homeless dude at the Saints game.
Good to see New Orleans giving back to the community. Oh wait........... that's Brad Pitt.
- I love my Ravens, and I always will, but they were not on their game this weekend. The football gods clearly weren't working in their favor. From the awful personal foul call on Ray Lewis, to Ed Reed's INT being punched out and fumbled, the Ravens couldn't catch a break if they paid for it.
My biggest issue with the game was the offensive game plan of the Ravens. There was no sense of urgency, and the play calling was atrocious. Cam Cameron didn't adjust and neutralize the speed of the Colts defense, and I have no idea why. Saturday night, I was yelling, "Off with his head!", because I had an issue with majority of his play calling that night. But what's done is done...... yeah, I'm still salty. Sue me.
-Just when you think old man Favre is OLD MAN Favre, he sips on that damn Fountain of Youth again, and makes plays the same way he did 15 years ago.
Favre threw for 234 yards and 4 TDs in the Vikings 34-3 rout over the Cowboys. I don't think I've ever seen a dude so old (in football years), play so well. I stopped slurping the Favre kool aid once he went to New York, but I can't take away anything he's done this season. He's been a great addition to Minnesota.
- With most NFL games, there are upsets on the horizon. I don't think anyone saw the Jets going to San Diego and coming out with a win and advance to the AFC Championship. But that's exactly what they did. The Chargers moved the ball for majority of the game, but only scored 14 points in the game, with the Jets eventually taking the win, 17-14. Shout out to former Ravens defensive coordinator-turned-head coach Rex Ryan. He's doing big things in the Big Apple.
- 2009 Jets = 2008 Ravens in every way imaginable. Unless they win on Sunday. Then they're the 2009 Jets
-What is up with NFL kickers??? The 2009 NFL season is the official season of NFL kickers missing FGs. During the regular season, kickers made 80.5% of FG attempts, the lowest percentage since 2003. Sean Suisham and Nate Kaeding missed 4 FGs on Sunday alone. For the Cowboys, 6 points didn't mean much, but it could have maintained momentum. For Kaeding (who, by-the-way, was selected to this year's Pro Bowl), he missed 2 FGs that ultimately decided the game's outcome.
Kaeding also missed FGs in past playoff games against the Jets and the Patriots. If I'm Suisham and Kaeding's teammates, I'd be windmilling out of control until I'm over it. *in Herm Edwards's voice* You get paid to kick the ball- that's it!
*extra point* My final Ode To Rivers of the season.... I still love you!
-If you haven't checked out Showtime's Inside The NFL, there was a great remix they showed after the regular season was over. Whoever does these remixes is talented. I was amused. Enjoy!
I'm sure most of you were like me and were plastered to the TV the entire weekend, with your full attention on the NFL Playoffs. Whether it was a blowout, total domination or an OT game, all of the games were good to me. It's the playoffs, so anything that can happen, did happen. Here are my thoughts over the weekend's games:
Ocho Cinco celebrated his birthday on Sat, the same day as his playoff game against the New York Jets. That was pretty much all there was to celebrate though. The Bengals looked dazed and confused, and Palmer looked like a deer in headlights. The Jets beat the Bengals the week before to secure their playoff spot, so they had all the confidence in the world coming into Cincy's house. While Bengals RB Cedric Benson did run wild on a league-leading Jets defense with 169 yards, Gang Green simply made more plays and beat the Bengals convincingly, 24-14. There may have even been an Ocho Cinco tears sighting. But it was hard to tell.
*extra point* How does Mark Sanchez play more like a veteran than Carson Palmer on such a large stage???
Sanchez has said numerous times that Palmer was someone he looked up to, back from their days in Southern Cali when Sanchez attended Palmer's high school games. But it was Sanchez who was schooling Palmer on Saturday, passing 12/15 for 182 yards and a TD. It was kind of sad to see, the Bengals just can't get right in the playoffs.
The Cowboys.... wow!!! First off, let me congratulate you on your playoff win. It was long overdue. But good lord, who knew you were gonna come out swinging like that?! You made the Eagles look like some regular team that didn't belong in the dance. Even Roy Williams came out to play and caught some good passes, which means he was in RARE form. I'm finally a believer that the Cowboys have a serious chance of representing the NFC come February. They earned it, and Tony Romo had a very good day.
*extra point* I must say, the highlight of the night was McNabb "taunting" the Cowboys fans. I didn't find it taunting at all, I thought it was kinda funny.... But I'm not a Cowboys fan so...........
There is nothing I love more than what I saw yesterday. The Ravens treated the Patriots like they stole something, and I was like a proud mama, cheesing the entire time. They came to play and they did just that, which was one of the best games the Ravens played the entire season. Of course I wrote a column about it on Gridiron Gals, but I had to show my boys some love over here too. They beat the Darlings of the NFL, there is nothing cooler than that.
*extra point* Shout out to the Ravens fans that went to Boston. Baltimore may not be recognized as a well traveled team, but we do more than alright. Just ask Vince Wilfork.
By far the best game was the Packers-Cardinals game. It had the most offense out of all the games this weekend. The Pack were down 17 points in the 1st qtr, but found their way fighting back and staying alive in the game, eventually tying up the score 45 all and taking the game to OT. Over 1,000 yards of total offense and 96 totals points from both sides combined. The biggest thing that has me scratching my head, is the Packers were ranked #2 overall in defense prior to yesterday's game, but still managed to give up over 500 yards of offense.
So with such a high scoring, offensive game, imagine every one's surprise when the play ended because of defense. If I didn't see if for myself I, wouldn't have believed it.
Congrats to the Cardinals. That was the most exciting game of the weekend. You earned that win.
*extra point* I kinda feel bad for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers was clearly hit in the face mask which startled him and the fumble then came. I hate ticky tacky calls and giving the QBs extra leniency, but that was a blatant call that was missed. I'd bet money that if Brady or Manning were the guy behind center, three flags would have come out. The officiating this season has been horrific, and it showed again in the OT game.
*2 pt conversion* That being said.... the Packers shouldn't have let them get up 17-0 in the 1st qtr. I'm just saying........
This weekend's matchups are set and ready. The Cardinals travel to the Crescent City to play the Saints while the Ravens go to Indy to play the Colts on Saturday. On Sunday, The Cowboys head to Minnesota and the Jets will be in San Diego to face my boo Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. I doubt that any of these games will disappoint, unless your team is on the losing end when the game is over. Each team earned the right to be there, so I expect big things for the Divisional Weekend.
*extra point* I found this on Blitz Nation and I couldn't resist.... What in the world is LT doing???? And Why??????
As most of you know/heard, the Cleveland Browns traded WR Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets today. While the addition of Edwards to a 3-1 football team could mean much success down the road, I could care less about that right now. What I DO know, is that the Edwards trade adds one more piece of man candy on the J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS!
I think most of us can agree that the Jets are now the FINEST team in America. They have some of the hottest looking men suited up in gang green. What's even better is all of the fine ones are starters. Looks like I'll be cheering them on when my Ravens don't play. Jesus be a fence... I need my Martin Luther King, Jr. church fan to calm me down. These guys are F-I-N-E FINE FINE FINE!!!! Let's take a look at them:
WR Braylon Edwards. Glory Bee.......
DB Kerry Rhodes. The sexiest player on the team in my eyes!
QB Mark Sanchez. Muy Caliente!
RB Thomas Jones. Oh, So Fine (and taken, ladies!)
Even former Raven Bart Scott is easy on the eyes.. and a cool guy too!
Adding For Good Measure: DB Darrelle Revis And DE Vernon Gholston
Week Two is in the bag. And as the weeks go on, it tends to get better and better. There is never a dull moment in the NFL, so let's recap what happened yesterday:
- Another Sunday, another reason why I'm gonna have hypertension in a few years. The Ravens are gonna be the death of me. Two close games back-to-back and it was killing me to watch. My boo, Philip Rivers, made the Ravens D earn their paycheck yesterday. Rivers had a career high 436 yards passing against the Ravens' defense, but it was the lack of TD's in the redzone that allowed Baltimore to hang around and win the game. Shout out to Ray Lewis for finding the Fountain of Youth and not sharing. Dude is hella old in football years, but still got it!
*bonus* Philip Rivers, I still love you, boo!
-The Browns are sad... really sad.. I kinda feel bad for everyone involved. You know it's bad when the head coach fines a player $1700 for a bottle of water. Every body's fed up.
-If you're a Redskins fan, you CANNOT be happy that you squeaked out a win against the Rams. And don't give me that, "A win is a win" mess.. it was the RAMS!!!! That was a painful game to watch. I just thank the football gods for allowing me to see the Pats-Jets game during the same time.
-If you are a Rams fan, you have to be even more mad that you coughed up the ball inside the Redskins' 5 yard line for the possible go ahead score and the win. If it wasn't for bad luck, you guys wouldn't have any.
- I'm so glad Sexy Rexy and the Jets walked the walk. The old adage is, don't have your mouth write checks that your azz can't cash. Well, the Jets cashed in their checks, stocks, bonds, everything with that win. Congrats to Sanchez and Co. for the big win against the Pats. We know what team came to play yesterday, and it wasn't the team Brady was on.
*bonus* Bill Belichick has to be the sorest loser in the NFL. They guy has had 3 Super Bowls and a perfect regular season. But when he loses, he has the phoniest handshake ever. I'm convinced he woulda pulled a "LeBron" had Sanchez not ran him down to be a good sport.
- If you are a Packers fan, you're mad about how the game ended. But you can't be mad at Chad Ochocinco. The guy is hard to dislike, and he said that he was gonna do the Lambeau Leap in the crowd. I'm real mad that he chose a "soft" spot and found 3 Bengals fans to jump into (I'm convinced that Bengals fans don't travel, so I think those were actors that were paid to sit there in case he scored). The craziest part of the leap, is the guy in the white shirt that seems to be punching him on the back. Dude... simma down, Chad means no harm
- Can we just give Drew Brees the NFL MVP Award now??? Dude is a beast.
- Jeff Reed, there is no crying in football.
- I wrote that the Jags should move to LA during the summer, and more and more this suggestion seems to be coming true. They don't have the support from the fans and don't have a need to show up on Sundays to give them a reason to come. It's sad, really, because Maurice Jones-Drew is a great player and his talent is going to waist right now
- HELLOOOOOOOOOOO Houston, and thank you for coming out to play with us this week. Great game from the Texans.
- I think I'm gonna pick the Lions to win next Sunday... I wonder who they play??? *looks at schedule* Washington Redskins... Yup.... I think I will.
- Is it me, or are the Cowboys always "Tardy For The Party"? You know.. their own... Jerry Jones handpicked the Ravens to close out Texas Stadium, had this great post game ceremony lined up, but then allowed two of the longest run plays in stadium history, along with a loss. Then they open up that empire of a stadium with all of the trimmings (cage dancers included), and lose to the Giants in the final seconds of the game. When will America's Team keep up with JJ's extravagant activities in his stadiums??? I'm just saying...........
*bonus* If I see Jordin Sparks performs one more National Anthem at a football game, I'm gonna pull my hair out. I know work is hard to find these days, but damn... isn't there an Idol Reunion Tour you you need to be on?? Jordin Sparks, sitcho irrelevant azz down!
The 2009 NFL season slowly approaching its debut. There are a ton of things to get excited about. Will Tom Brady go back to his old form after a huge injury? Will Miami repeat last year's miracle season?? Will Detroit win ONE game this season??
With all the things we have to look forward to, one of the most important things is the run game. Defenses are bulking up their D-lines to make sure a running back won't get more than 2 yards per carry. But there are a few RB combos that can test defenses and can ultimately succeed. I've listed my 2009 RB tandems to be on the look out for.
Minnesota Vikings- Adrian Peterson/Chester Taylor
We all know that Adrian Peterson is a great talent at the RB position. That being said, knowing the life span of a RB in pro football, I wonder how many years he can be so great without breaking down too soon.
Which brings in Chester Taylor. Before there was AD (short for All Day), there was Taylor. And he was a pretty good back as the Vikings starter,before Peterson was drafted (Taylor rushed for 1,216 yards in 2006). This can be a good year for both players. While I'm sure Peterson would love to take the rushing title for a 2nd consecutive year, the best thing AD can do to stay fresh is let Taylor take a few carries while he catches a breather.
Taylor could very well be a starter on another team. Combined, they could be a huge headache for defenses.
New York Jets- Thomas Jones/ Leon Washington
This tandem is one of my favorites. Jones' rushing yards was ranked 5th overall, with a 4.5 avg in 2008. Quite impressive. Washington didn't run for a lot of yards, but had a 5.9 avg per run.
The problem is, right now both are looking for new contracts. How long both will be able to co exist together is a big question mark. But if they are able to work out their issues with the organization, this is definitely a great tandem to have.
Add draft pick Shonn Greene (Iowa), into the mix, and this could be a pain for coordinators to game plan against.
Miami Dolphins- Ronnie Brown/Ricky Williams
The Jets have a great running game but their division rivals down I-95 says they also have a great duo. While Brown's and Williams' numbers from 2008 aren't mind blowing (Brown rushed for 916 yards, Williams for 659 yards). We all know why this is a dangerous group.
The wildcat made it's comeback with these two. When the Dolphins debuted the Ronnie and Ricky show to the New England Patriots, they failed to contain the two in the formation, made popular to many by the Arkansas Razorbacks. Overall they were successful in their formations. I can only imagine what the Pats were thinking when they couldn't do anything to stop them.
I expect more surprises from this group. But I also expect them to run the ball as efficiently as they run the wildcat. Ricky Williams finally looks comfortable and Ronnie Brown has the potential to rush over 1,000+ this season.
Baltimore Ravens- Willis McGahee/Ray Rice
This is a tandem that no one really noticed last year, but I think will be a one to reckon with in 2009. McGahee's 2008 numbers weren't much to write home about (671 yds), but he had an injury plagued year last season. Ray Rice was a rookie RB out of Rutgers and usually came in for 3rd down conversions.
Last season FB LeRon McClain was the Ravens' leading rusher, with 902 yards. But with FB Lorenzo Neal signing with the Oakland Raiders this off season, McClan is expected to go back to his natural position.
This could be McGahee's final year in Baltimore. He's participated in OTAs, something he didn't do last year, and has been seen more around the Ravens facility this off season. He knows what's at stake. I fully expect him to get back into 2007 form. And with a year under Rice's belt, his sophomore season should be very successful.
Carolina Panthers- DeAngelo Williams/Jonathon Stewart
The Panthers had one of the most successful running games in 2008, and I expect to see the same in 2009. Williams was the #3 rusher in 2008, with 1,515 yds. Stewart didn't do so bad himself, rushing over 800 yds and 10 TDs.
With the struggles of QB Jake Delhomme during the 2008 playoffs, I expect to see more off the Williams-Stewart duo. This will allow Delhomme to use play action more and get the ball to one of their best offensive weapons- Steve Smith
Tennessee Titans- Chris Johnson/LenDale White
Team Smash and Dash is back for the 2009 season and with a chip on their shoulder. Chris Johnson felt slighted for not getting '08 Rookie Of The Year honors. Now he has his sights set on MVP status. The rook was 8th on 2008's top rushers list and looks to be even higher in '09.
White's bruiser style of running reminds me of Jerome Bettis in Pittsburgh. He's a TD machine. Put him inside the 20 and you're pretty much going to get 6 points. White had 15 TDs, which tied for 3rd best in 2008. They are a great compliment to one another. One is the speedy, elusive back that can make players miss tackles. The other is the bulldozer, that runs defenders over and forces his way to the end zone.
With QB Kerry Collins being one year older than last year (he will be 37 by the end of the '09 season), he'll allow his RB's to help him with his throwing game.
