A FEW NOTES BEFORE SATURDAY KICKOFF
I told you recently of UCLA's interest in Boise State coach Chris Petersen. He told the Bruins he wasn't interested. Then it was Penn State that came calling, Petersen gave them the same answer, a polite "no thank you." Well the folks trying desperately to rebuild the football program & repair the university's credibility aren't taking no for an answer. Someone high up in the athletic department has flown all the way out to Boise twice in the past two weeks in an attempt to change Petersen's mind. He said after Thursday night's 56-24 victory in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl he wasn't interested in leaving Boise right now, what with the move to the Big East & all. I doubt Petersen will be coaching at Boise in 5-years, but the monumental task that awaits the next coach at Penn State seems like a pretty bad spot for a coach with a 73-6 record. He can go a lot of places, why would he want to replace an iconic coach & rebuild a devastated football program?
I mentioned the number of bowl-bound teams that have suspended a total of 37 players for a variety of transgressions. That was Wednesday, today is Saturday & the adjusted number for suspended players now stands at 43. The biggest name of the newest suspensions is Illinois RB Jason Ford, the team's leading rusher. He was ruled academically ineligible, at least it wasn't a legal issue.
Some of the Houston Texan defenders are very quietly saying they need defensive coordinator Wade Phillips back right now, They say Phillips' replacement, Reggie Herring, doesn't have a clue when it comes to a defensive gameplan. Since Phillips underwent kidney & gall bladder surgery two weeks ago, the Texans have blown two 4th quarter leads to Carolina & Indianapolis. Houston is probably not going to earn a first round bye in the playoffs so Phillips' return is crucial for Wildcard weekend.
The Ryan twins, Rex(HC of the Jets) & Rob(DC of the Cowboys) constantly boast of their defensive genius. But one team neither of them can stop is Andy Reid's Eagles. Philadelphia has pounded the two Ryan defenses this season, 45-19 vs. the Jets & 34-7 vs. the Cowboys. Since Philly has hardly been a picture of consistency, beating these two teams by such a huge margin should concern the Cowboys today. They host the Eagles in a crucial NFC East showdown. I picked Philly in this game for several reason, but one is certainly their record against the Ryan's this year.
The Raiders come to Arrowhead today, desperately trying to remain relevant in discussions about playoff spots. Once again they'll be without some of their most important playmakers. RB Darren McFraggile(foot), WR Jacoby Ford(foot), S Michael Huff(hamstring) & DT John Henderson(knee) will all miss today's game.
San Diego might be without leading receiver Vincent Jackson as the Chargers cling to slim playoff hopes in Detroit. His groin injury has prevented Jackson from practicing all week. Bears RB Marion Barber will miss tomorrow night's game at Green Bay, the Bears will be down to 3rd string RB Kahlil Bell, an undrafted rookie. Charlie batch will start for the Pittsburgh Steelers in place of Ban Roethlisberger. Dennis Dixon will serve as Batch's backup today against the Rams.
Today's games feature four early starts that will impact the playoff situation. Denver at Buffalo, Oakland at Kansas City Arizona at Cincinnati & New York vs. New York. The late starts feature San Diego at Detroit, Philadelphia at Dallas & San Francisco at Seattle. We should know a lot more about who's in, who's out & who still has a shot for next week.
Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of the longest pro football game ever played. It was the playoff game between the Miami Dolphins & Kansas City Chiefs the went well into a sixth period before the Dolphins prevailed. I was at that game & tomorrow, I will relive a few of the highlights & lowlights of Christmas Day, 1971 right here on this page. Also celebrating the memory, the NFL Network will air a 1-hour special Christmas Day at 5PM entitled "The Longest Game Ever."
I'll have my regular recap of all 13 games played this afternoon sometime late this evening. If you're not back here until Monday or Tuesday, let me wish all of you & your families a very Merry Christmas. Please be safe out there when traveling so you can enjoy the love of family & friends at Christmas time. See you when you get back.
I mentioned the number of bowl-bound teams that have suspended a total of 37 players for a variety of transgressions. That was Wednesday, today is Saturday & the adjusted number for suspended players now stands at 43. The biggest name of the newest suspensions is Illinois RB Jason Ford, the team's leading rusher. He was ruled academically ineligible, at least it wasn't a legal issue.
Some of the Houston Texan defenders are very quietly saying they need defensive coordinator Wade Phillips back right now, They say Phillips' replacement, Reggie Herring, doesn't have a clue when it comes to a defensive gameplan. Since Phillips underwent kidney & gall bladder surgery two weeks ago, the Texans have blown two 4th quarter leads to Carolina & Indianapolis. Houston is probably not going to earn a first round bye in the playoffs so Phillips' return is crucial for Wildcard weekend.
The Ryan twins, Rex(HC of the Jets) & Rob(DC of the Cowboys) constantly boast of their defensive genius. But one team neither of them can stop is Andy Reid's Eagles. Philadelphia has pounded the two Ryan defenses this season, 45-19 vs. the Jets & 34-7 vs. the Cowboys. Since Philly has hardly been a picture of consistency, beating these two teams by such a huge margin should concern the Cowboys today. They host the Eagles in a crucial NFC East showdown. I picked Philly in this game for several reason, but one is certainly their record against the Ryan's this year.
The Raiders come to Arrowhead today, desperately trying to remain relevant in discussions about playoff spots. Once again they'll be without some of their most important playmakers. RB Darren McFraggile(foot), WR Jacoby Ford(foot), S Michael Huff(hamstring) & DT John Henderson(knee) will all miss today's game.
San Diego might be without leading receiver Vincent Jackson as the Chargers cling to slim playoff hopes in Detroit. His groin injury has prevented Jackson from practicing all week. Bears RB Marion Barber will miss tomorrow night's game at Green Bay, the Bears will be down to 3rd string RB Kahlil Bell, an undrafted rookie. Charlie batch will start for the Pittsburgh Steelers in place of Ban Roethlisberger. Dennis Dixon will serve as Batch's backup today against the Rams.
Today's games feature four early starts that will impact the playoff situation. Denver at Buffalo, Oakland at Kansas City Arizona at Cincinnati & New York vs. New York. The late starts feature San Diego at Detroit, Philadelphia at Dallas & San Francisco at Seattle. We should know a lot more about who's in, who's out & who still has a shot for next week.
Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of the longest pro football game ever played. It was the playoff game between the Miami Dolphins & Kansas City Chiefs the went well into a sixth period before the Dolphins prevailed. I was at that game & tomorrow, I will relive a few of the highlights & lowlights of Christmas Day, 1971 right here on this page. Also celebrating the memory, the NFL Network will air a 1-hour special Christmas Day at 5PM entitled "The Longest Game Ever."
I'll have my regular recap of all 13 games played this afternoon sometime late this evening. If you're not back here until Monday or Tuesday, let me wish all of you & your families a very Merry Christmas. Please be safe out there when traveling so you can enjoy the love of family & friends at Christmas time. See you when you get back.
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