TITANS CRUISE, PUP LIST GUYS RETURN, MANY INJURIES & KNEEJERK REACTION ISN'T WHAT THE NFL NEEDS
My question is, how on earth did the Jaguars beat Indianapolis? Last night I watched some of the most uninspired football of the year. I saw nothing from Jacksonville that made me believe they can contend for anything other than last place in the AFC South. Tennessee played a very workmanlike game, their defense was relentless. Even tho Vince Young went out with a knee injury, the Titans never missed a beat as backup Kerry Collins entered the game leading 7-0 & by games' end it was 30-3. Collins is on the short list of "Best Backup Quarterbacks." The Titans should remain in the playoff hunt deep into December.
Some very important players will return to practice tomorrow. Those placed on the PUP list(physically unable to perform) become eligible on Wednesday. The list includes a couple of all-pro safeties, Baltimore's Ed Reed & New Orleans' Darren Sharper. The Saints also welcome back LB Clint Ingram. The injury-ravaged Green Bay Packers get a pair of starters back, cornerback Al Harris & safety Atari Bigby. Rookie running back James Starks will also become eligible(pay attention J. Cooney).
The infirmary report from the NFL is extensive. San Diego kicker Nate Keading is doubtful for Sunday's game with New England because of a recurring groin injury. Look for the Chargers to bring in another kicker for the time being. The Raiders QB situation is a mess, Bruce Gradkowski is recovering from a dislocated shoulder two weeks ago, Jason Campbell said today he sustained a torn meniscus Sunday, so 3rd stringer Kyle Boller will most likely get the start at Denver. Atlanta has already ruled out two starting defenders, OLB Sean Weatherspoon with a knee sprain & cornerback Dunta Robinson from a concussion sustained in a horrific collision with Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson. Jackson is also listed as doubtful from that collision. The Packers didn't need anymore injury problems but they're there anyway. OLB Brady Pippinga injured his left knee & will require arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus tear. He was replacing Clay Mathews who's out with a hamstring pull. ILB Brandon Chillar also sustained a knee injury & he's was playing for Nick Barnett who's out for the season. The Packers are a mess.
On the college front, Arizona will be without starting QB Nick Foles for possibly three weeks with a knee sprain. Both Ryan Mallett(Arkansas) & Taylor Potts(Texas Tech) suffered concussions on Saturday. The quarterbacks expect to play this weekend, Mallett has already returned to practice. Mizzou defensive end Aldon Smith said today he is 110% sure he will play Saturday night in their nationally televised game with Oklahoma. His coach, Gary Pinkel, hasn't finalized anything regarding Smith's return.
The weather forecast for Mizzou's homecoming isn't too promising right now, rain Friday, rain Saturday & rain Saturday evening. I hope those Weather Channel people are wrong, we know Tiger fans coming from as far as Las Vegas for this game. By the way, this Mizzou team isn't what you've seen the last few years from Gary Pinkel, they don't go out knowing they have to out-score their opponent in a shootout. The Tigers are ranked 2nd in the nation in scoring defense, they average only 10.8 points surrendered per game. They fly to the ball & tackle very well. The return of DE Smith would be huge, he's one of the nations' best pass rushers.
In the other battle of unbeatens, LSU travels to Auburn this Saturday. I've said all season LSU is bogus, now we'll see. Les Myles' team is currently ranked 113th(of 120) in passing offense. The Bayou Bengals offense is pretty sad but they can play defense with the best of them. Their ability to stop Auburn QB Cam Newton will be the single biggest key to the game.
We've seen some dreadful special teams play this season in the NFL, I have one for you that might be the worst. When New York Jet placekicker Nick Folk lined up for a 56-yard field goal attempt the Broncos were at a distinct disadvantage.....they only had NINE GUYS ON THE FIELD! Nine? Exactly how does that happen? The Jets put 3-points on the board with Folk's kick..
Anyone out there know which defensive tackle leads the NFL in quarterback sacks? Answer below.
I had another sub-par weekend with my selections in the "Office Pool Picks." I had 8 up & 6 down & once again the pros in Las Vegas had an equally so-so performance. The top-10 picks in the Las Vegas Hilton Supercontest went 5-4-1. The number one selected side was the Baltimore Ravens, who pushed. Atlanta, Houston, Tampa Bay & Oakland were the losers.
The NFL has announced they will now suspend any player who commits "a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit." There were a number of very violent hits on Sunday, but only one fell into that category in my opinion. New England's Brandon Meriweather launched himself headfirst into Baltimore tight end Todd Heap. Meriweather was penalized for the hit. In the other cases, no flags were thrown, which was correct. Violent hits & deliberately launching yourself like a missile at your opponent are two distinctly different things. The NFL is afraid of televising someone's death. They own the televised sports market by a long shot, but a couple of crippling injuries or the horror of a player actually dying could damage the cash cow. These helmet-to-helmet shots have to be stopped & suspensions are the only way players will quit using the crown of their helmet as a weapon. But I want to make two points. First, if the knee jerk reaction of the league sticks to helmet-to-helmet hits, fine, good, about time. But if any vicious hit that occurs brings a suspension, they might as well make it flag football. Not all hits are delivered with the intent of knocking someone unconscious. Not all vicious hits are delivered by defensive players. How many times do you see running backs lower their head like a battering ram when they contact a defensive back downfield. The worst part of these proposed rule changes is the league is now asking referees to make judgment calls when they have done everything in their power to lessen the number of judgment calls required by game officials. This is the epitome of a "slippery slope." It could forever change the game. Something else the NFL must be conscious of is parents forbidding their kids from playing football. Many parents already fear injury from this sport. Equipment must be improved. Rules regarding pads need to be be revised & enforced. Metal knee braces on all linemen should be mandatory during practices & the preseason. Helmets need to be fitted better, they shouldn't fly off so easily. If they are loose, your head bangs around inside that helmet which sort of negates much of the intended benefit. If the league is serious about playing an 18-game regular season, they need to protect both their players & their image. I'm not "piling on" football as a dangerous sport. Almost every sport has inherent danger. It's just that football's violence is televised every weekend for millions to see, often times the injury is sustained by someone we recognize, "oh yeah, he plays for Cincinnati." When four people drown over Labor Day weekend here at the lake I live on, no one outside of the area ever hears about it, there's no television. When Dale Earnhardt was killed at Daytonna, NASCAR underwent extensive safety reforms, the same in drag racing, in fact it literally changed the sport forever. Please don't tell me how safe soccer is. It's the number one source of head injuries among young women & girls. Think soccer players don't suffer torn ACL's & broken ankles? Think again. Baseball, basketball, hockey, surfing, skateboarding, skydiving, etc. etc. etc. Let's hope Roger Goodell, who has been a brilliant commissioner so far IMO, doesn't wreck the game we love so much.
The defensive tackle with the most sacks so far in this NFL season? Rookie Ndamakong Suh of the Detroit Lions. Suh has 4.5 sacks, 21 tackles & an interception.
Some very important players will return to practice tomorrow. Those placed on the PUP list(physically unable to perform) become eligible on Wednesday. The list includes a couple of all-pro safeties, Baltimore's Ed Reed & New Orleans' Darren Sharper. The Saints also welcome back LB Clint Ingram. The injury-ravaged Green Bay Packers get a pair of starters back, cornerback Al Harris & safety Atari Bigby. Rookie running back James Starks will also become eligible(pay attention J. Cooney).
The infirmary report from the NFL is extensive. San Diego kicker Nate Keading is doubtful for Sunday's game with New England because of a recurring groin injury. Look for the Chargers to bring in another kicker for the time being. The Raiders QB situation is a mess, Bruce Gradkowski is recovering from a dislocated shoulder two weeks ago, Jason Campbell said today he sustained a torn meniscus Sunday, so 3rd stringer Kyle Boller will most likely get the start at Denver. Atlanta has already ruled out two starting defenders, OLB Sean Weatherspoon with a knee sprain & cornerback Dunta Robinson from a concussion sustained in a horrific collision with Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson. Jackson is also listed as doubtful from that collision. The Packers didn't need anymore injury problems but they're there anyway. OLB Brady Pippinga injured his left knee & will require arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus tear. He was replacing Clay Mathews who's out with a hamstring pull. ILB Brandon Chillar also sustained a knee injury & he's was playing for Nick Barnett who's out for the season. The Packers are a mess.
On the college front, Arizona will be without starting QB Nick Foles for possibly three weeks with a knee sprain. Both Ryan Mallett(Arkansas) & Taylor Potts(Texas Tech) suffered concussions on Saturday. The quarterbacks expect to play this weekend, Mallett has already returned to practice. Mizzou defensive end Aldon Smith said today he is 110% sure he will play Saturday night in their nationally televised game with Oklahoma. His coach, Gary Pinkel, hasn't finalized anything regarding Smith's return.
The weather forecast for Mizzou's homecoming isn't too promising right now, rain Friday, rain Saturday & rain Saturday evening. I hope those Weather Channel people are wrong, we know Tiger fans coming from as far as Las Vegas for this game. By the way, this Mizzou team isn't what you've seen the last few years from Gary Pinkel, they don't go out knowing they have to out-score their opponent in a shootout. The Tigers are ranked 2nd in the nation in scoring defense, they average only 10.8 points surrendered per game. They fly to the ball & tackle very well. The return of DE Smith would be huge, he's one of the nations' best pass rushers.
In the other battle of unbeatens, LSU travels to Auburn this Saturday. I've said all season LSU is bogus, now we'll see. Les Myles' team is currently ranked 113th(of 120) in passing offense. The Bayou Bengals offense is pretty sad but they can play defense with the best of them. Their ability to stop Auburn QB Cam Newton will be the single biggest key to the game.
We've seen some dreadful special teams play this season in the NFL, I have one for you that might be the worst. When New York Jet placekicker Nick Folk lined up for a 56-yard field goal attempt the Broncos were at a distinct disadvantage.....they only had NINE GUYS ON THE FIELD! Nine? Exactly how does that happen? The Jets put 3-points on the board with Folk's kick..
Anyone out there know which defensive tackle leads the NFL in quarterback sacks? Answer below.
I had another sub-par weekend with my selections in the "Office Pool Picks." I had 8 up & 6 down & once again the pros in Las Vegas had an equally so-so performance. The top-10 picks in the Las Vegas Hilton Supercontest went 5-4-1. The number one selected side was the Baltimore Ravens, who pushed. Atlanta, Houston, Tampa Bay & Oakland were the losers.
The NFL has announced they will now suspend any player who commits "a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit." There were a number of very violent hits on Sunday, but only one fell into that category in my opinion. New England's Brandon Meriweather launched himself headfirst into Baltimore tight end Todd Heap. Meriweather was penalized for the hit. In the other cases, no flags were thrown, which was correct. Violent hits & deliberately launching yourself like a missile at your opponent are two distinctly different things. The NFL is afraid of televising someone's death. They own the televised sports market by a long shot, but a couple of crippling injuries or the horror of a player actually dying could damage the cash cow. These helmet-to-helmet shots have to be stopped & suspensions are the only way players will quit using the crown of their helmet as a weapon. But I want to make two points. First, if the knee jerk reaction of the league sticks to helmet-to-helmet hits, fine, good, about time. But if any vicious hit that occurs brings a suspension, they might as well make it flag football. Not all hits are delivered with the intent of knocking someone unconscious. Not all vicious hits are delivered by defensive players. How many times do you see running backs lower their head like a battering ram when they contact a defensive back downfield. The worst part of these proposed rule changes is the league is now asking referees to make judgment calls when they have done everything in their power to lessen the number of judgment calls required by game officials. This is the epitome of a "slippery slope." It could forever change the game. Something else the NFL must be conscious of is parents forbidding their kids from playing football. Many parents already fear injury from this sport. Equipment must be improved. Rules regarding pads need to be be revised & enforced. Metal knee braces on all linemen should be mandatory during practices & the preseason. Helmets need to be fitted better, they shouldn't fly off so easily. If they are loose, your head bangs around inside that helmet which sort of negates much of the intended benefit. If the league is serious about playing an 18-game regular season, they need to protect both their players & their image. I'm not "piling on" football as a dangerous sport. Almost every sport has inherent danger. It's just that football's violence is televised every weekend for millions to see, often times the injury is sustained by someone we recognize, "oh yeah, he plays for Cincinnati." When four people drown over Labor Day weekend here at the lake I live on, no one outside of the area ever hears about it, there's no television. When Dale Earnhardt was killed at Daytonna, NASCAR underwent extensive safety reforms, the same in drag racing, in fact it literally changed the sport forever. Please don't tell me how safe soccer is. It's the number one source of head injuries among young women & girls. Think soccer players don't suffer torn ACL's & broken ankles? Think again. Baseball, basketball, hockey, surfing, skateboarding, skydiving, etc. etc. etc. Let's hope Roger Goodell, who has been a brilliant commissioner so far IMO, doesn't wreck the game we love so much.
The defensive tackle with the most sacks so far in this NFL season? Rookie Ndamakong Suh of the Detroit Lions. Suh has 4.5 sacks, 21 tackles & an interception.
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