BOISE ROLLS WITH MOORE, CHIEFS EXTEND FLOWERS' CONTRACT BUT CONTINUE STRANGE MOVES & A LOOK AT SATURDAY SHOWDOWNS
The Toledo Rockets pushed Ohio State to the final :16 of the 4th quarter last week before giving up the ball on downs inside the Buckeye 15-yard line. Tonight they hosted Boise State, there was very little suspense, the Broncos won 40-15. Boise QB Kellen Moore continued his superior play completing 32 of 42 for 455-yards & 5 touchdowns. Moore lost both of his record-setting wideouts, Titus Young & Austin Pettis to the NFL, where both were 3rd round picks, yet Moore continues to put up frightening numbers. Boise racked up 610 total yards to 349 for Toledo. Running back Doug Martin ran for 70-yards & caught 5 passes for 122-yards & a score. The Bronco defense came up with two big turnovers in the redzone to kill Toledo drives. Their defensive line plays excellent football week after week, defensing the run, they give up zip between the tackles & collapse the pocket, cutting down the throwing lanes. Not the greatest athletes, but more fundamentally sound than any line I've seen so far this season. Honestly, I don't know if they deserve their #4 ranking in the polls, but the Broncos are certainly better than at least half of the top-25, maybe more.
Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore
Don't look now, but the Iowa State Cyclones are 3-0 for the first time since......well, a long time. Yes, each game came right down to the last play, but the bottom line is 3rd year coach Paul Rhoads has his team believing they can beat anybody & so far, it's working. The Cyclones traveled to Connecticut to play the Huskies & it was a thriller with 4-scond half lead changes before ISU prevailed 24-20. Iowa State QB Steele Jantz had a nightmare 1st quarter going 0-4 with three interceptions. On the road, this is often insurmountable, but Jantz hung in, even shaking off a lower leg injury sustained on the last play of the half. By games end he had completed 18 of 29 for 200-yards & a touchdown. Wide receiver Josh Lentz threw a 40-yard touchdown on a reverse. Fellow wideout Darius Reynolds caught 2 scoring passes including the game winner when he juked one defender & then hurdled two others on his way to the endzone. They play Texas next, on October 1st, a team they upset last season, so who knows 4-0 is a possibility.
The Chiefs did a good thing on Friday, they gave cornerback Brandon Flowers a 5-year contract extension. The deal is worth $50 million with $22 guaranteed. This is good use of their abundant salary cap room. I hope Dwayne Bowe & Brandon Carr also receive new deals before the end of the season. But they continue musical chairs at the tight end position. I told you yesterday about Kyle Nelson & his strange 5-day tenure with the Chiefs. Now they've brought back Anthony Becht & waived TE Jake O'Connell. Once starter Tony Moeaki went on I.R. you could throw the other tight ends in a hat & pick one, they're all about the same. But the Chiefs continue to shuffle the deck with little hope of improving production at the position. There's a good chance the Chiefs won't realize 40 catches from all the tight ends on the roster, which is sad, it lessens the options for Matt Cassel. When you face a defensive front like we'll see on Sunday, a big, dependable tight end can be a quarterback's best friend.
On the NFL injury front, Texans running back Arian Foster will play Sunday, but his carries may be limited to protect his strained hamstring. Cowboy wide receiver Dez Bryant will be a game-time decision after not practicing on Thursday or Friday with a quad injury. Rams RB Steven Jackson will not play Sunday because of a quad injury. Oakland has already ruled out starting WR's Jacoby Ford & Louis Murphy. Darius Heyward-Bey may also sit when the Raiders travel to Buffalo leaving them woefully thin at WR. Run, run, run might be the order of the day for Oakland. John Fox said WR Brandon Lloyd appears well enough to go Sunday for Denver. But CB Champ Bailey, DE Elvis Dumervil & RB Knowshon Moreno are still questionable for the Broncos home game with Cincinnati.
One of the Raiders issued a warning to the Bills on Friday. Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly said of Buffalo "they have to deal with us now & we ain't the Chiefs." That's bulletin board material for two teams, Buffalo & Kansas City. Trouble is, I don't know that the Chiefs can do anything about it.
Also in Raider news, placekicker Sebastian Janikowski, he of the record-tying 63-yard field goal Monday night, was charged on Friday for an incident that occurred in 2010. He is accused of misdemeanor battery & false imprisonment by a woman from his past. This marks the 3rd time he has been arrested since signing with the Raiders out of Florida State, where he was arrested 4 times. Apparently "Sea Bass" is in the wrong place at the wrong time a lot. All of his arrests are centered around large consumptions of beer & an inability to get to 1st base with the ladies.
How do the girls resist?
We have a few interesting games today, the headliner is #1 Oklahoma at #5 Florida State. OU pounded the Seminoles 47-17 last season in Norman. This year's nationally televised showdown is set for Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. I think this works against FSU because of their inexperience at quarterback. E.J. Manuel Jr. hasn't been in this type of big game, he's facing a very complicated defensive scheme that camouflages their coverages extremely well. The Sooner defense is extremely athletic & fast. Florida State has a very competent receiver corps & a dependable offensive line, but it's Manuel's inexperience that will be their downfall tomorrow night in this primetime ABC broadcast. Sorry Eddie.
In the "Ineligible Bowl" we feature two of the most written about programs in college football, Ohio State & the "U", Miami. These two have had numerous player suspensions since last fall & some are still being enforced. With Miami QB Jacory Harris' return, I like Miami quite a bit in this matchup also in primetime, this one on ESPN. I didn't see anything about Ohio State that made me think they could travel to Miami & win this game, they just don't scare me. I like the Hurricanes by more than a touchdown.
I fear the Missouri State bears may absorb their worst all-time defeat when they travel to Eugene to play the Oregon Ducks. Bears' fans better prepare for a 76-3 final because it could happen. Sorry babe.
Mizzou takes on the Leathernecks from Western Illinois & I don't see much to worry about, Tigers by at least 17 points. Sorry Joe.
Kansas travels to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech, a team they upset last season just one week after losing to Division I-AA South Dakota State. The Yellow Jackets will be ready this time, Tech by 17.
One more item I'd like to bring up, fan behavior & violence. After reading the harrowing account from a Mizzou fan who traveled to Tempe last Friday night, I began to wonder if our civilization is near collapse. We have a horrible economy, 1,500 or so intrepid Tiger fans travel all the way to Tempe Arizona to spend a lot of money in your local economy & they are brutalized in a way I found particularly disturbing. What made me react to this, it wasn't a singular complaint, there were numerous letters written to Missouri-based newspapers. From the time they were in line for parking until they returned to their hotels, many Tiger fans felt threatened. The Tigers were never ahead in this game so I believe most of this abuse came from ASU fans. People....it's a football game, not a gang turf issue. Act like a human being, show some sportsmanship, some class, a little dignity. What followed these letters were more letters, this time from Iowa fans who were treated in the same fashion when they traveled to Tucson to watch their Hawkeyes lose to the University of Arizona. But both of these letters were backed up with accompanying cell phone videos. The "so-called Wildcat fans" caught on video ought to be behind bars. To be fair, they were not students. The Iowa fans were threatened over & over. Two 40ish women constantly cursed & screamed at a small band of Iowa supporters & their husbands backed them with more of the same. It was horrific, if I had to listen to such language, first I'd call security & second I'd leave there & never spend another dollar in the Grand Canyon State.
The Iowa fans sent the videos to the university as well as the Chamber of Commerce. Not what they had in mind I'm guessing when they invited fans from Iowa or Missouri to come out for some sun, fun, golf & a football game. What is wrong with people? Sunday night, during a week long remembrance of 9/11, a 59-year old man got into MetLife Stadium in New Jersey with a taser. Worse yet, he used it during a fight that he instigated, zapping two people. With all the heightened security, how does a person get into an NFL game with a freakin' taser? Why does anyone feel the need to go to an NFL game with a freakin' taser? Because of this, the NFL announced Friday the TSA-like patdowns will commence this Sunday, you know, where they make it their business to reach out & touch your bidness? Swell. Too bad they can't pat down someone's mouth to see if they're liable to start threatening anybody not wearing a similar jersey or cap. Grow up people, if you want to be treated with respect, act like a human being & not some gangster-wannabe or street thug. Otherwise football stadiums will be just another place where some guy in uniform gets to touch your junk.
Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore
Don't look now, but the Iowa State Cyclones are 3-0 for the first time since......well, a long time. Yes, each game came right down to the last play, but the bottom line is 3rd year coach Paul Rhoads has his team believing they can beat anybody & so far, it's working. The Cyclones traveled to Connecticut to play the Huskies & it was a thriller with 4-scond half lead changes before ISU prevailed 24-20. Iowa State QB Steele Jantz had a nightmare 1st quarter going 0-4 with three interceptions. On the road, this is often insurmountable, but Jantz hung in, even shaking off a lower leg injury sustained on the last play of the half. By games end he had completed 18 of 29 for 200-yards & a touchdown. Wide receiver Josh Lentz threw a 40-yard touchdown on a reverse. Fellow wideout Darius Reynolds caught 2 scoring passes including the game winner when he juked one defender & then hurdled two others on his way to the endzone. They play Texas next, on October 1st, a team they upset last season, so who knows 4-0 is a possibility.
The Chiefs did a good thing on Friday, they gave cornerback Brandon Flowers a 5-year contract extension. The deal is worth $50 million with $22 guaranteed. This is good use of their abundant salary cap room. I hope Dwayne Bowe & Brandon Carr also receive new deals before the end of the season. But they continue musical chairs at the tight end position. I told you yesterday about Kyle Nelson & his strange 5-day tenure with the Chiefs. Now they've brought back Anthony Becht & waived TE Jake O'Connell. Once starter Tony Moeaki went on I.R. you could throw the other tight ends in a hat & pick one, they're all about the same. But the Chiefs continue to shuffle the deck with little hope of improving production at the position. There's a good chance the Chiefs won't realize 40 catches from all the tight ends on the roster, which is sad, it lessens the options for Matt Cassel. When you face a defensive front like we'll see on Sunday, a big, dependable tight end can be a quarterback's best friend.
On the NFL injury front, Texans running back Arian Foster will play Sunday, but his carries may be limited to protect his strained hamstring. Cowboy wide receiver Dez Bryant will be a game-time decision after not practicing on Thursday or Friday with a quad injury. Rams RB Steven Jackson will not play Sunday because of a quad injury. Oakland has already ruled out starting WR's Jacoby Ford & Louis Murphy. Darius Heyward-Bey may also sit when the Raiders travel to Buffalo leaving them woefully thin at WR. Run, run, run might be the order of the day for Oakland. John Fox said WR Brandon Lloyd appears well enough to go Sunday for Denver. But CB Champ Bailey, DE Elvis Dumervil & RB Knowshon Moreno are still questionable for the Broncos home game with Cincinnati.
One of the Raiders issued a warning to the Bills on Friday. Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly said of Buffalo "they have to deal with us now & we ain't the Chiefs." That's bulletin board material for two teams, Buffalo & Kansas City. Trouble is, I don't know that the Chiefs can do anything about it.
Also in Raider news, placekicker Sebastian Janikowski, he of the record-tying 63-yard field goal Monday night, was charged on Friday for an incident that occurred in 2010. He is accused of misdemeanor battery & false imprisonment by a woman from his past. This marks the 3rd time he has been arrested since signing with the Raiders out of Florida State, where he was arrested 4 times. Apparently "Sea Bass" is in the wrong place at the wrong time a lot. All of his arrests are centered around large consumptions of beer & an inability to get to 1st base with the ladies.
How do the girls resist?
We have a few interesting games today, the headliner is #1 Oklahoma at #5 Florida State. OU pounded the Seminoles 47-17 last season in Norman. This year's nationally televised showdown is set for Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. I think this works against FSU because of their inexperience at quarterback. E.J. Manuel Jr. hasn't been in this type of big game, he's facing a very complicated defensive scheme that camouflages their coverages extremely well. The Sooner defense is extremely athletic & fast. Florida State has a very competent receiver corps & a dependable offensive line, but it's Manuel's inexperience that will be their downfall tomorrow night in this primetime ABC broadcast. Sorry Eddie.
In the "Ineligible Bowl" we feature two of the most written about programs in college football, Ohio State & the "U", Miami. These two have had numerous player suspensions since last fall & some are still being enforced. With Miami QB Jacory Harris' return, I like Miami quite a bit in this matchup also in primetime, this one on ESPN. I didn't see anything about Ohio State that made me think they could travel to Miami & win this game, they just don't scare me. I like the Hurricanes by more than a touchdown.
I fear the Missouri State bears may absorb their worst all-time defeat when they travel to Eugene to play the Oregon Ducks. Bears' fans better prepare for a 76-3 final because it could happen. Sorry babe.
Mizzou takes on the Leathernecks from Western Illinois & I don't see much to worry about, Tigers by at least 17 points. Sorry Joe.
Kansas travels to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech, a team they upset last season just one week after losing to Division I-AA South Dakota State. The Yellow Jackets will be ready this time, Tech by 17.
One more item I'd like to bring up, fan behavior & violence. After reading the harrowing account from a Mizzou fan who traveled to Tempe last Friday night, I began to wonder if our civilization is near collapse. We have a horrible economy, 1,500 or so intrepid Tiger fans travel all the way to Tempe Arizona to spend a lot of money in your local economy & they are brutalized in a way I found particularly disturbing. What made me react to this, it wasn't a singular complaint, there were numerous letters written to Missouri-based newspapers. From the time they were in line for parking until they returned to their hotels, many Tiger fans felt threatened. The Tigers were never ahead in this game so I believe most of this abuse came from ASU fans. People....it's a football game, not a gang turf issue. Act like a human being, show some sportsmanship, some class, a little dignity. What followed these letters were more letters, this time from Iowa fans who were treated in the same fashion when they traveled to Tucson to watch their Hawkeyes lose to the University of Arizona. But both of these letters were backed up with accompanying cell phone videos. The "so-called Wildcat fans" caught on video ought to be behind bars. To be fair, they were not students. The Iowa fans were threatened over & over. Two 40ish women constantly cursed & screamed at a small band of Iowa supporters & their husbands backed them with more of the same. It was horrific, if I had to listen to such language, first I'd call security & second I'd leave there & never spend another dollar in the Grand Canyon State.
The Iowa fans sent the videos to the university as well as the Chamber of Commerce. Not what they had in mind I'm guessing when they invited fans from Iowa or Missouri to come out for some sun, fun, golf & a football game. What is wrong with people? Sunday night, during a week long remembrance of 9/11, a 59-year old man got into MetLife Stadium in New Jersey with a taser. Worse yet, he used it during a fight that he instigated, zapping two people. With all the heightened security, how does a person get into an NFL game with a freakin' taser? Why does anyone feel the need to go to an NFL game with a freakin' taser? Because of this, the NFL announced Friday the TSA-like patdowns will commence this Sunday, you know, where they make it their business to reach out & touch your bidness? Swell. Too bad they can't pat down someone's mouth to see if they're liable to start threatening anybody not wearing a similar jersey or cap. Grow up people, if you want to be treated with respect, act like a human being & not some gangster-wannabe or street thug. Otherwise football stadiums will be just another place where some guy in uniform gets to touch your junk.
Learned not to drink a Mountain Dew while reading this blog. I had Dew coming out my nose when I read the part about the "pat downs." That shit was funny. Good job dude.
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Your right, if I have to get frisked out at Arrowhead in order to watch a losing team, I may have to reevaluate the NFL experience.
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For todays Chiefs game I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Haley has to go.
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