Together the NFL and the players’ union are donating $1 million to the American Red Cross to help with the Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts. They also will be airing ads to help promote donations. Any help is definitely welcome even if it is $1 million from an organization worth $9 billion dollar yearly. Plus let’s keep in mind people they need to spend a lot of money figuring out exactly how much football injures players for life.
-M
It’s almost Halloween and many of you are searching for a that perfect costume. To help those of you who can’t think of anything here are my suggestions.
1. Tebow Jesus. “The Savoir of the Jets”
2. Replacement Referee. “Brainless and Undead, He Can Still Blow a Whistle”
3. Peyton Manning “Even With a Cane He Can Still Whoop Your Ass”
4. Mr. T Harden “He Pities the Fool Who Can’t Play Ball”
5. Hulk Hit. “He Might Be Doping But There’s No Way to Tell for Sure”
-M
It was another glorious week in college football. And while some teams maybe showing weakness Alabama continued to dominate and had not trouble handing Missouri a crushing loss, 42-10. Other tops teams didn’t have it so easy this week.
Notre Dame vs. Stanford, 20-13
I wasn’t the only one interested in this game, it garnered the highest ratings of the day. Notre Dame pulled out the win in overtime. Although no one would argue that Notre Dame is a strong team some would argue that they won the game based on a questionable call. Notre Dame had the lead in overtime 20-13 when Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor ran the ball and stopped at the goal line then turned and fell into the end zone. The refs said that Taylor stopped short but it appeared to be a touchdown. They did review the call and it stood as a stop short. So I guess it pays to have the luck of the Irish.
Louisiana State University vs. South Carolina, 23-21
Louisiana seemed to be losing rank after last weeks loss to the Florida Gators but to prove everyone wrong they won a hard fought victory over undefeated South Carolina. The real star of the game was LSU’s Jeremy Hill who rushed for a career-best 124 yards and two TDs. This was really an offensive win for LSU who had 13 unanswered points in the second half. It also brought LSU back into the fold as being one of the teams to beat.
West Virginia vs. Texas Tech, 49-14
Just like South Carolina the undefeated rein of West Virginia came to end with their loss to Texas Tech. This was a shocking upset for West Virginia and star quarterback Geno Smith, seeing as how it’s been forever since Texas Tech was even ranked. But Texas Tech was a scoring machine scoring on the five of seven possessions in the first-half. It also proved that the bad defense on the side of West Virginia is going to be a real hurdle for the team. Smith usually scores so much that he saves the weak defense but this week it just wasn’t enough. Smith completed 29 of 55 passes for 295 yards and 1 touchdown. Smith just has to hope this trend doesn’t continue or he’ll be out of the running for the Heisman.
-M
When I said, “Don’t panic,” I was really talking to myself. As everyone knows due to obsessive talking/blogging about fantasy football, Washington Redskins’ quarterback Robert Griffin III, is my top performer. On Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons Griffin was hit hard and left the game with a mild concussion. It was unclear how serious the injury was and Griffin has been monitored closely. Griffin reportedly feels fine but still has to monitored every day until Sunday to be cleared to play. But it’s pretty likely he’ll be starting.
-M
The best part about watching NFL Football is there’s never a dull moment unless you are watching the Bears/Jaguars game which was a snooze. Aside from that there was a lot of excitement in Week 6 of the NFL. Only two teams have kept their perfect records the Falcons and Texans.
The RG3 Machine Gets Knocked Down, Again, But Worse This Time
Washington Redskins vs. Atlanta Falcons, 24-17
There is always a risk when you are running quarterback that you are going to get hit. Redskin’s quarterback Robert Griffin III is no stranger to being sacked. Despite being sacked 6 times a game there’s no stopping RG3 from running the ball. It got so bad that his mother was calling up the coach because she was worried. We all knew there would be a day when he really got hurt. After a pretty intense hit from Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon with six minutes left in the third quarter, RG3 left the field with a mild concussion. The Redskins were forced to send in rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins to finish the game. And surprisingly the game went just as any Redskins game has gone very close but not able to seal the deal.
Brady vs. Manning(The Older Manning)
New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos, 31-21
I absolutely love the marketing build-up to games with two elite quarterbacks. I always envision them butting heads on the field making intense kill faces. Then I realize this is football not basketball, they are never on the field at the same time. Instead the picture looks more like this: Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady making plays as Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning stands on the sidelines looking slightly bored.
And honestly the Patriots winning had little to do with the quarterback and more to do with the supporting cast. Manning had 31 of 44 passes complete for 345 yards and three touchdowns. Manning was sacked twice which was painful to watch knowing that he recently had his spine reattached. The Patriots set a new record with 35 first downs. Brady finished the game with 23 of 31 passes completed for 223 yards and a touchdown. So in the end Manning had a better game, he just didn’t have the better team.
Colts Win Game for Ailing Coach(Awww)
Indianapolis Colts vs. Green Bay Packers, 30-27
It doesn’t get more heart warming than the story of the Colts win. Colts’ coach Chuck Pagano was in the hospital battling for his life against leukemia but he told his team to just focus on football. Well that was some great advice because the Colts, who have been so-so, came back for a win over the Packers. Colts’ rookie quarterback Andrew Luck had a good game with 31 of 55 passing, four touchdowns(two that he ran for) and one interception. He definitely proved he was worth his first round pick. Luck had some help from veteran receiver Reggie Wayne who finished with 13 receptions for a career-high 212 yards.
The game was crazy close and the Packers might have just won if the game had gone into overtime but alas a missed 51-yard field goal by Packer Mason Crosby handed the Colts the win.
Saints Win a Game While Disgraced Coach Watches from the Wings
San Diego Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints, 31-24
So far this season the Saints have a been a team that has given other teams great games. The Saints have been challenging but just enough to push the other team to play better. Now that the Saints have won their first game of the season maybe the tides are changing. With special permission Saints’ coach Sean Payton was allowed to watch the game from the owners box. This was definitely a burst of support that helped quarterback Drew Brees who broke Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas’ record by throwing a touchdown pass in his 48th straight game.
The Chargers might have been able to secure a win if it weren’t for two turnovers in the 4th quarter. It was a burst of energy from the Saints defense that has been pretty lackluster up until now. The bright side for the Chargers is that their star running back Ryan Mathews seems to fully back. Mathews who struggled after running from an injury had a great game. Mathews had 139 yards and a touchdown.
Texans Still On Top/Jets Still Suck
Houston Texans vs. New York Jets, 23-17
I don’t think that anybody expect that the Jets would tarnish the Texans undefeated record so this game went as planned. On the bright side though the Jets didn’t suck as much as they could have. I read an article before the game that argued that the Jets should be shot like a lame horse and discontinue the season.
Shockingly unlike their game against the 49ers, the Jets managed to score. Soon to be ex-quarterback for the Jets, Mark Sanchez, fought off the Tebow chants for a sad 14-31 passes completed for 230 yards. In Sanchez’s defense even if he did throw better who would be there to catch it? He’s missing his targets to injury: Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller, and Stephen Hill. Back-up Jets’ quarterback Tim Tebow took the field but it seemed more like a move to appease the crowd than an offensive strategy.
If and when Tebow does take over as quarterback he is going to struggle with the same lack of support issues as Sanchez. Even against the Texans, Tebow threw a perfect pass only to have it dropped by wide receiver Jason Hill. On the side of the Texans running back Arian Foster proved he is the best in the league with 152 yards and a touchdown.
-M
Things already looked pretty bad for New York Jets after losing star cornerback Darrelle Revis to a torn ACL during the game against the Miami Dolphins a week ago. But now they have gotten even worse. Wide receiver Santonio Holmes who was injured during their game last Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers is going to be out for the season. Holmes injured his left foot. The irony being that both these guys where not injured through contact but just all by their lonesome selves. I would say, “Could things get any worse,” but I actually don’t think they can. The Jets had a scoreless game against the 49ers.
To add wood to the fire 49ers cornerback, Carlos Rogers, went on Sirius XM Radio on Tuesday night and said, “It kinda seemed like, after a while they just, I know, looking at their defense, they didn’t want to be out there. And after that it’s like, man, these guys don’t really want to play the game. You know, it’s pretty much over.”
In response Jets’ coach Rex Ryan said they didn’t quit they were just exhausted. I can see how losing like that might make players a hopeless and apathetic. It points to a bigger problem that the Jets are lacking confidence. I think when a team becomes lackluster their is only one thing you can do . . . start Tim Tebow. It is clear that Tebow is not going to solve the problem of losing Revis and Holmes but he may give the rest of the team a boost of energy. And if Tebow, which is likely, at least it will quiet the fans from chanting his name.
-M
It was another crazy week in college football. Let’s take a look at what happened.
West Virginia(9) vs. Baylor(25), 70-63
So what seemed likely a sleepy game actually ended up being the highest-scoring game in the history of the Big 12 conference. The star of the game was West Virginia’s quarterback Geno Smith. He had 656-yards and eight-touchdowns. It feels like they should just go ahead and give him the Heisman Trophy. This is not to say that Baylor’s quarterback didn’t give him a run for his money, Nick Florence, had 581 yards and five touchdowns. West Virginia has now moved to number 8 in the rankings. And if you are looking for an entertaining team than look no further than West Virginia.
Ohio State(14) vs. Michigan State(20), 17-16
Ohio State has started the season 5-0 but it definitely has not been smooth sailing. So it seems like nothing compared to Geno Smith but Ohio’s quarterback Braxton Miller was definitely very impressive. Miller had 315 yards and one touchdown.One of the most impressive moments was Miller’s 63-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith in the third quarter. It’s too bad Ohio State isn’t eligible for Bowl this year.
Nebraska(22) vs. Wisconsin, 30-27
Nebraska is officially the king of comebacks.Wisconsin had a 17-point lead at the end of the first half only to have it dissolved by Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez. Who had four straight scoring drives that brought home the win. Martinez ran for 107 yards and threw for 181 yards and two touchdowns. If only NFL teams could do this.
Florida State(4) vs. South Florida, 30-17
This game was surprisingly close despite the fact that Florida State should have just killed it. Florida State was having some scoring trouble. It was until the 5:09 in the third quarter that Florida State managed to get two touchdowns and a field goal. So Florida State remains on top but this game shows a some weaknesses.
-M
This morning the real referees ratified the 8-year agreement with the NFL. The measure was approved 112-5. Which is actually a bigger number than I expected seeing as how a majority of the refs will still be forced into 401(k) plans after 5 years. I guess they were really anxious to get back to work. As we speak the real refs are being flown all over the country for tomorrows games. Meanwhile the replacement refs are still receiving pay this weekend.
So for not working referees will make $3,500 and other officials $3,000. Overall it is costing the NFL $344,000 to pay for the replacement referees. Is it just me or does this seem a little unfair. The same guys who have been screwing up games all over the place are now getting paid to not work.
-M
The game turned off and everyone in the world felt a little dirty about what just happened. It was as if everyone watching had just witnessed someone killing a hooker and throwing her the river. We know it was wrong but aren’t sure if it matters because we can’t do anything now. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Green Bay Packers, 14-12. Although it is unclear whether the Seahawks deserve credit for the last-minute(literally) touchdown. Seahawks quarterback, Russel Wilson, threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate. The problem is that Tate was not the only one who caught the ball. Right there with Tate was Packers’ M.D. Jennings. It was ruled a touchdown by one replacement ref even though it’s seems pretty clear it was an interception by Jennings. Another replacement ref at the same time called a touchback. After review it was ruled that the touchdown stood.
The NFL Rules say the following: “If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control.” From the footage it’s seem pretty clear that Jennings caught the ball first than Tate had an arm on the ball. So therefore it would not be a simultaneous catch. It is definitely a shinning example of how replacement refs are not up for the job. And maybe enough to swing the lockout discussions.
Or we will just continue to watch the freak show that the replacement refs are turning football into. Never a dull moment in the NFL.
-M
The New York Jets were already struggling before being hand the a death sentence. Cornerback Darrelle Revis is going to be out for the season. Revis was injured during the Jets barely win game over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. He got hurt while trying to tack running back Daniel Thomas in the 3rd quarter. An MRI revealed on Monday that he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
So just how important is Revis to the Jets? The answer is he is pretty much essential.In 2011 Revis only allowed one touchdown pass. He shuts down the opponents wide receivers and prevents them from scoring. And I think we can all see why that would be important. Revis had to miss game 2 of the season against the Pittsburgh Steeler who surrendered 275 passing yards and two touchdowns without him. So this comes as a major blow to the Jets that is definitely going to put them at a disadvantage.
-M
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