By Anthony Vertucci,

Granted I am far from an expert on football, but even a novice can see things are looking grim for Big Blue.  Their crushing 26-6 loss to the Denver Broncos on Thanksgiving was likely the final dagger in their 2009 season.  From here on in their season is only going to get tougher, and barring an unforeseeable turnaround they are poised to miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2004 season.  Or are they?

After starting the year 5-0 the Giants have looked downright awful, losing five of their next six to fall to third in their division and seventh in the NFC.  Now they have a legitimate shot to make the playoffs, that is at least until you examine their remaining schedule.  Three of their final five games are against teams with winning records, and none of which they will win.  Lets break it down.

Next week the Giants draw the Dallas Cowboys, a team the G Men were able to oust 33-31 in Week 2 in Dallas nonetheless.  However this was a different Giants team.  They have lost their swagger, they have lost their confidence, and they will lose on Sunday.

Then the Giants will play the Eagles in Week 14, who dominated New York 40-17 on November 1.  While I think this contest will be much tighter than their last meeting, especially with the home field advantage, but the Eagles are soaring at 7-4 and have a good chance of beating out Dallas to win the NFC  East.  Yes the Eagles have only won one more game than the Giants, but I still think New York has yet to recover mentally from their mid-season four game losing streak.

Washington and Carolina pose the smallest threat to the Giants, and consecutive victories over the two 4-7 teams would assure New York of a .500 season, but would still leave them short of the playoffs.  I am fairly confident they will win over the Redskins and Panthers, but in their final game of the season the Giants WILL be crushed by Favre and the 10-1 Minnesota Vikings.

Even if the Giants do beat Washington and Carolina, and are able to pull off one win over either Minnesota, Dallas or Philly, they will will only be at 9-7 and still might miss the playoffs.  In the highly competitive NFC a team might have to win 9 or 10 games to be guaranteed a playoff spot, and I just can’t see the Giants winning three more games.  Even going 8-8 could potentially qualify the Giants for a playoff berth, edging out or tying Atlanta, and since they already hold the tie-breaker over the Falcons this is a very realistic possibility.  However backing into the playoffs is not what any Giants fan anticipated after such an impressive start.

Not to be a Negative Nancy, but even if the Giants manage to make the playoffs, they will face another first round exit in Wild Card Weekend, leaving this New Yorker already longing for baseball’s 2010 Spring Training.

Per: msn.foxsports.com

NFL Week 12: What we learned:

The Colts are the Chuck Norris of the NFL Colts 35, Texans 27: Can you say “intimidation”? Yes, we thought you could. Colts give up first 17 points of game to Texans. Colts begin to rally. Texans fold up like a beach chair. “That’s a good team over there, but we’re the Colts,” linebacker Chris Session says.

Ha ha Double Kisses!

It’s the final weekend before the stretch run… time to decide the Wild Card, Division, and Home Field races in the months of December and January. Remember this recap and these records by the end of the season. Which team collapsed? What team marched down the field and won at the final second? Finally, who won the Sunday Night Classic? Let the recap begin….

Tampa Bay 17, Atlanta 20- With their season on the line, and two of their key players gone from the game due to injury, the Atlanta Falcons found a way to save their season. On 4th & Goal from the 5, Chris Redman, filling in for Matt Ryan (who left the game with a toe injury), threw a five yard touchdown pass to Roddy White for the go-ahead touchdown, and the Falcons avoided a major upset at home to the Buccaneers. Rookie QB Josh Freeman had a decent game, going 20-29 for 250 yards and two touchdowns, and the Buccaneers defense played very well until the final drive. But the questionable offensive playcalling led to a missed 51 yard field goal by Connor Barth, and the game winning drive. The win puts Atlanta a game behind Green Bay and Philadelphia and still in the hunt for the playoffs, and a remote chance to win the NFC South. Tough loss for the Buccaneers as they still get used to Raheem Morris. Buccaneers (1-10), Falcons (6-5)

Miami 14, Buffalo 31- Fred Jackson ran for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and Terrell Owens scored on a 51 yard touchdown reception and the Buffalo Bills dominated the fourth quarter and gave the interim head coach Perry Fewell his first win at the NFL level over the Dolphins. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a solid game, going 17-26 for 246 yards and a couple of touchdowns (one pass, one rush). The Bills generated 336 yards of total offense, and for the second straight game, they reached 300+ total yards. The loss was a blow to the Dolphins, who got back into the playoff picture 10 days ago against the Panthers. Dolphins (5-6), Bills (4-7)

Cleveland 7, Cincinnati 16- In a hard-fought game between in-state rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals used a stingy defense and timely plays on offense to knock off the Browns to sweep the AFC North and beat all three division rivals twice. Shayne Graham kicked three field goals (37, 53, and 28) and Carson Palmer threw a touchdown pass to J.P Foschi. Larry Johnson came in the game for an injured Cedric Benson and a slowed up Bernard Scott (who had a minor injury to his knee) and ran 22 times for 107 yards. It was the most significant time he has received since coming over from Kansas City. Brady Quinn went back to the quarterback we have seen all year that he’s played by going 15-34 for 100 yards, far from the 4 TD 300+ effort he had against Detroit. (Then again…) The Browns’ 10th loss of the season is their eight in the past 11 years since rejoining the NFL in 1999. Browns (1-10), Bengals (8-3)

Indianapolis 35, Houston 27- This can be looked at two different ways: One way is that Indianapolis knows how to come back, and the other way is that Houston melted down… again. For the fifth straight game, the Colts have overcome a deficit to win the game, and for the second time in two years in Houston, the Texans had a double-digit lead squandered. Trailing 20-7 at halftime, Indianapolis scored 28 second half points, including 21 in the third quarter, and beat the Texans for the 15th time in 16 games all-time. Peyton Manning overcame his two first half interceptions and threw two touchdowns in the second half, including the go-ahead pass to Dallas Clark with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. On the next Texans drive, Matt Schaub threw an interception to Clint Session for a 26 yard touchdown return to ice the game for Indianapolis, who goes to 11-0 and in the process, wins the AFC South for the sixth time in the past seven years. Colts (11-0), Texans (5-6)

Carolina 6, NY Jets 17- Darrelle Revis took back a bizarre interception from Jake Delhomme which bounced off the foot of Steve Smith for 67 yards, and Thomas Jones ran for a touchdown, and the Jets kept their playoff hopes alive with a huge victory over the Panthers, who were trying to keep their own hopes alive. Delhomme threw four interceptions in the game, which was turned into 14 points, and with the running game not as effective as it has been the past few weeks, the Panthers were in clear trouble. Mark Sanchez went 13-17 for 154 yards, with an interception, but looked the best he has been in the tough stretch the Jets had in the past few weeks. Big momentum for them going into their rivalry game against the Bills in Toronto on Thursday night. Panthers (4-7), Jets (5-6)

Washington 24, Philadelphia 27- Donovan McNabb threw for 265 yards and a touchdown, David Akers kicked four field goals, including the game winning 32 yarder, and the Eagles won over the Redskins for the second time this season, sweeping the series. The Skins fought for most of the game, leading 24-16, when McNabb marched his team down the field and the drive went 90 yards, capped off by a 1 yd TD run by Eldra Buckley. After tying the game with a two point conversion, McNabb led the Eagles again down the field which led to the go-ahead field goal. The rallied from behind for the second straight week, keeping pace with the Green Bay Packers for the NFC Wild Card, and staying a game behind Dallas for first place in the more-important NFC East. The loss eliminates Washington from playoff contention. Redskins (3-8), Eagles (7-4)

Seattle 27, St. Louis 17- Justin Forsett continues to be effective at running back for the Seattle Seahawks, running for 130 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns and Josh Wilson took back an interception from Kyle Boller 65 yards and the Seahawks picked up their first road win of the season, and kept the Rams winless at home. The win also gave Seattle their 10th straight victory over St. Louis. Matt Hasselbeck did not have the best days statistics-wise, going 14-25 for 102 yards, but since Forsett was effective on the ground, there was not a need to rely too much on the passing game. Steven Jackson ran for 89 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown, and Kyle Boller, starting for an injured Marc Bulger, threw for 282 yards on 28-46 passing. The Rams are tied with the Buccaneers and Browns for the worst record in the NFL. Seahawks (4-7), Rams (1-10)

Kansas City 14, San Diego 43- Phillip Rivers went 21-28 for 317 yards and two touchdowns, LaDainian Tomlinson ran for two touchdowns, and Antonio Gates caught two touchdowns, and the San Diego Chargers defense forced the Kansas City Chiefs into four turnovers and the offense turned into 28 points which made all of the difference. Matt Cassel was 19-31 for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Chargers defense also forced three fumbles, but lost Shawne Merriman in the game due to a foot injury. The Chargers have won six straight and remain in first place in the AFC West over the Denver Broncos. Chiefs (3-8), Chargers (8-3).

Jacksonville 3, San Francisco 20- Alex Smith went 27-41 for 232 yards and threw two touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49er defense forced Jacksonville QB David Garrard to fumble the ball twice in the redzone and the 49ers kept their playoff hopes alive with a Singeltary-style victory with great defense and timely offense. The loss was bad for Jacksonville, as they fall out of the lead for the AFC Wild Card, and handed the AFC South division crown to Indianapolis. Maurice Jones-Drew became the second player in Jaguars’ history with 1000 yards for the season (joining Fred Taylor) with 75 yards on the day. Garrard threw for 307 yards on 25-36 passing, but the missed opportunities didn’t just come on the fumble, but also on special teams as kicker Josh Scobee missed on a 40 yard field goal wide left in the second quarter and a 21 yard field goal off the left upright in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville is 0-2 on the West Coast this season (they lost to Seattle 41-0) Jaguars (6-5), 49ers (5-6)

Chicago 10, Minnesota 36- Brett Favre is getting better and better as the season goes on. Favre wen 32-48 for 392 yards and three touchdowns, and Adrian Peterson ran for another touchdown along with 85 yards rushing, and the Minnesota Vikings steamrolled the Bears to keep pace with the New Orleans Saints for the home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Ryan Longwell kicked three field goals for the Vikings as well. The Vikings defense was not bad either, as Jay Cutler was forced into throwing two interceptions and was sacked four times to go along with it. The loss is another blow to Chicago’s playoff hopes as they are not eliminated, but in trouble. Bears (4-7), Vikings (10-1)

Arizona 17, Tennessee 20- In What was the game of the day, and what will be known as “The March”, Vince Young marched his Tennessee Titans 99 yards from one end of the field to the other, on 18 plays, which included three fourth-down conversions, and took 2:37 off the clock. On the final play of the game and time expiring, Young found Kenny Britt in the back of the endzone for the game-winning 10 yard touchdown and the Titans won their fifth straight game after starting 0-6, and putting them right back in the playoff hunt. Young went 27-43 for 387 yards, with that touchdown, outdueling Matt Leinart for the second time the two have met (2006 Rose Bowl in which Young scored the GW TD with his legs). Leinart went 21-31 for 220 yards and no touchdowns. Chris Johnson has to be in serious discussion for MVP, rushing for 154 yards on 18 carries, including a 85 yard touchdown run, giving him six straight games with 125+ rushing yards, joining Earl Campbell and Eric Dickerson. Cardinals QB Kurt Warner missed the game due to sensitivity in his eyes from his injury last week at St. Louis. He may be ready for the Sunday night game against Minnesota. Cardinals (7-4), Titans (5-6)

Pittsburgh 17, Baltimore 20 (F/OT)- Dennis Dixon made his first NFL start, and played very well, going 12-26 for 145 yards and a TD, along with a rushing touchdown, but it was a costly interception to Paul Kreuger in overtime which set up Billy Cundiff’s game-winning 29 yard field goal to give the Ravens the victory and move into the final Wild Card spot over Pittsburgh and Jacksonville. Dixon started the game due to Ben Roethlisberger’s ill effects from his concussion last week against Kansas City and backup Charlie Batch fracturing his wrist in the same game, threw his first career NFL touchdown on a 33 yd TD pass to Santonio Holmes, and made plays with his legs on the 24 yard TD run. Joe Flacco had a good game, going 23-35 for 289 yards and a touchdown of his own to Derrick Mason. With five games left, the banged up Super Bowl champs are on the outside looking in, and are in a little jam going into crunchtime. Steelers (6-5), Ravens (6-5)

Be back next week with the Sunday Slate, but be on the lookout for the Monday Night Recap from the Bayou, as the New England Patriots take on the New Orleans Saints.

12:11 am: What am I doing up?  Drinking Michelob Amber Bock, eating my boogers as I pick them, and wanting to talk to you guys.  What’s up?

12:14 am: Oh yeah, I forgot I don’t have any readers.  It’s sad .  It’s so sad it makes me want to drink the rest of the beer I was already drinking.

12:15 am: Actually, Ruby read my blog.  She seems to be a sweetheart with a noxious dog.  And she writes well and is funny.  If anybody ever reads this, go read her too.

12: 21 am: Palindrome time, cha cha cha!

12:32 am: I’m bored and can think of nothing to do.  Maybe this is why I created the blog?  Nay, this is why porn was created.  I’m not going to get weird right now or anything, though- not after we just had that ackward moment where I tried talking to you about porn.

12:42 am: Adult Swim will have to suffice.  I swear I saw a former residence of mine on the intro credits to Assy McGee the other night, making complete sense with where it was in relation to Williams Street.

12:58 am: The commercials for KGB have got me thinking the number you text your question about if Clea DuVall is a lesbian or not is really a depository for the dumbest, most inane questions asked.  I think they give you the answer to your inquiry but use the data of how stupid you are for something else.

1:06 am: I think I’m high, but I don’t recall smoking pot recently.  Maybe I forget because I’m high?  Weird.

1:16 am: Going on the field today at The Dome was cool.  The cheerleaders being all around was enjoyable, and I was surprised by how the grass felt like crappy Christmas tinsel stuff.

1:29 am: In exactly 2 months from today I will celebrate 2 years celibate.  Why?  It started because ladies are trouble, and are really whackadoo in the brain.  Now I’m not sure why, but I think it’s because I’m lazy.  I’d want sandwiches and silence far too often for anything fruitful to blossom.

1:30 am: But I also think I should go meet someone and get back in the groove of things because I function very well when I have a chick around to kick me in the nethers when needed, and when I have someone to treat well and appreciate and such.  Ehh, I have two months to figure out what I’m doing.  I don’t want to get to that milestone unless I decide to let it happen.

1:49 am: As a child I used to think about the world being made of broccoli and having to eat all of it for some weird reason, because it was my favorite food.  I still do because it’s still my favorite food.  Broccoli is tops.  I doubt it’s a normal thing to ruminate on these things, but whatever.

2:00 am: I think that if Gaia were a real, corporeal person-god her pubic hair would be broccoli.  I’m serious, and am willing to discuss differing ideas on the subject.

2:07 am: King Of The Hill is so absurd.  Peggy should have been locked up in an asylum instead of being allowed to associate with the sane folk.

2:09 am: Actually, I think people have said that about me before.  The jury is still out on if it is correct or not.

2:22 am: Palindrome time! Again.  Not as exciting this time.

2:26 am: I’m going beddy-bye I love you, check under my bed for monsters please, thank you goodnight

Last season the Tennessee Titans had a 13-3 regular season record, which landed them the top seed in the AFC for the playoffs.

This season, Kerry Collins starts 0-6, including a 59-0 beat down of the hands of a snowy Foxboro Patriots team.

Bud Adams says, Insert Vince Young, before he sent the Bills the flock of birds.

Since the insertion of Vince Young as starting quarterback, the Titans are 5-0.  The Titans have been the hottest team in the NFL, and have been playing even better than the Colts and Saints at times.

The Titans have had an easier schedule, which is part of the reason for the sudden turn of events in Nashville.  Beating teams of the likes of Jacksonville, San Fransisco, Buffalo, Houston, and finally the Arizona Cardinals.

However, the Titans won their fifth with magic and flair.  They defeated the Cardinals in the final seconds with a fourth down touchdown pass by Vince Young through traffic to win the game.  Also converting two other fourth downs on the drive.

Young has improved exponentially as what he was just a season ago.  Young threw for just under 400 yards in the Titans most recent victory, including the aforementioned game winning touchdown pass to Nate Washington.

The biggest reason to the success of the Titans belongs to the legs of Chris Johnson.

In their five game winning streak Johnson has accumulated: 228, 135, 132, 151, and 154 rushing yards.

Johnson is on pace for a 2,000 yard season which is unheard of in today’s era of a two-back systems.  Johnson is a legit MVP candidate and is off to a more impressive start than Adrien Peterson has had in their respected careers.

Bottom line, the Titans will go as far as Johnson’s legs will take him.  Three touchdown runs of 85 yards or more this season is a bit insane.  Young’s improvements are progressing and are evident week in week out are only helping their cause.   I see this team getting to .500 and possibly nine wins and on the outside of the playoffs.

as usual, we headed to las vegas for thanksgiving with the family. aunty and uncle couldn’t join us this year since they are saving their time for what i understand is for their trip to europe next year. i hope they along with rie’s parents can join us next year!

drew, mom, dad, rie and i met up on wednesday and spent time together until sunday. the weekend was of course filled with turkey, dim sum, craps, blackjack and wine. oh and a lot of sleep too!

neither dad or i fared well in the gambling category. two NFL bets for losses. the first having the giants lose to denver. the second where matt ryan’s toe pulls him out of the game to break our four parlay teaser bet. at both blackjack and craps, the cards and dice fell unkindly. on the flip side, rie and mom did well on the blackjack tables. especially with rie’s ‘beginner luck’ status, she made around $75. not to shabby for only learning how to play a few days ago!

but of course the weekend never falls short for the pleasure of feeding our stomachs. dim sum and wine. turkey and wine. sushi and beer. pizza and wine. we live to eat…no eating to live in this family!

and so here i am laying in bed writing this entry putting the weekend to a close. mom, dad and rie are still in las vegas enjoying the sights, the thrill of gambling and planning to visit just yet another restaurant to fill their stomachs. mom and dad will leave on tuesday and rie will be there for the rest of the week for a work conference.

i hope you all enjoyed the thanksgiving weekend as much as we did!

Paul Kruger, LB/DE, Ravens. Image from baltimoreravens.com.

Thank you Steelers monkey for getting off our back. Get on back to the zoo now please!

FINALLY, the Ravens have won against the Steelers, after getting beat down 3 times last year. I really don’t care who was or was not on the field (because we were missing a key player too), we needed this win for confidence purposes. A few observations:

1. Dennis Dixon: All jokes aside, major props to Dennis Dixon. He played exceptionally well, but for the one interception. He looked sharper than many starters around the league and I hope he gets a chance to start somewhere.
2. Ravens fans: I wonder why us Ravens fans have been clamoring for the rookies to have more involvement on defense all year?? Maybe because they’re fresher, faster, and hungrier than many of the vets.
3. Lardarius Webb: WOW! Clearly *Webby* is the starting corner of our future. He was ALL over the place tonight. Incredible job.
4. Paul Kruger: WOW! WOW! Kruger’s overtime interception saved the game…no, the season. Kruger’s play was the definition of making the most of an opportunity. And that this tremendous play happened on national TV is unbelievable. Fantastic job.
5. Billy Cundiff: I don’t know why you were available so late in the season, but I am so thankful you were. When you walk on the field, you exude a confidence that is soothing. Great job on the game-tying and game-winning field goals.

GO RAVENS!!!!

 The most important of all the lessons was the one Without Prejudice.  A white couple took in an Afro-American boy into their home. Many other people have taken into their homes children and adult of other races, cultures and ethnic groups, but few get such recognition.  People quietly do their part in changing the world. They look in the mirror and know it starts with them – then they make the world a better place.

click for more:  http://hubpages.com/_1jlqz2sadegzu/hub/Blind-Side-The-Story-Lessons-Learned

I have seen my share of out-of-place things, but Prince at a Vikings’ game is one that I would have never expected. Does Prince even care about football? From the look he is wearing on his face, the answer to that question is ”no.” I wonder what he is thinking at this particular moment. What do you guys think?

You MUST obey this system! Once again, my GFS told me to buy 3 points on the Spurs-Sixers game to make it -7.5, and the Spurs won by 8. It’s amazing how many calls I have seen like this.

Unfortunately, the system can’t call them all.  I don’t blame it for missing the Timberwolves game as they were 0-12 ATS in their last 12 games, with a differential of -14.7.  But lets not dwell on that too much.

I still had a winning record today in NBA. I went 4-1 ATS, 4-1 SU, and 3-2 O/U. Another solid night for professional hoops.

I went 4-3 ATS in the NFL in an up-and-down day. The good news is I went 7-0 straight up on my picks! And as for O/U, I was also 4-3, for a combined 15-6.   Some of my teams looked good while other picks were disastrous.

Bret Favre looked like his natural self against a flat Bears team.  Favre threw for 392 yards and 3 TDs (surpassing the 500 career TD mark) as Minnesota put up the most offensive yards the Bears have allow since 1982.

The Seahawks also looked strong against their NFC West rival, adding another chapter to their bipolar season.  This team is tough to bet on because they’re either winning by 20 or losing by 20, and you never know which way it’s going to be.  Apparently, they are mathematically still in contention for a wild card slot, although a lot has to go their way to make it happen.  Winning games is definitely a start though.

Falcons lost QB Matt Ryan early in the game, which really hurt them.  Once Turner left in the third quarter, any shot at the Falcons covering their spread was lost. These are the games you just gotta take.

Losing Westbrook has been a huge hit to the Eagles, both offensively and defensively. After only allowing 1 team in their first 7 games to score more than 20 points, the Eagles have now let the last 4 teams score at least 20.  Losing their running game means more passing and thus less time the offense is on the field.  Naturally, that keeps the defense out there longer, making them wear out more easily.

The run proved to be effective against the Browns for Cincinnati. I can’t blame them for abandoning the pass and just grinding out a low scoring game against a terrible offense. One thing to remember whenanalyzing potential plays is newcomers.  The addition of Larry Johnson helped keep this a low scoring game, allowing them to pick up first downs run down the clock. I’m not saying I could have seen this coming but it’s something to keep in your mind when assessing similar games in the future.

All of those losses today were due to unforeseen circumstances and not due to a fault in my system. I probably could have been smarter about the Eagles game and just not played it but I stand by the other two picks.

By Ben Linton

This is becoming a monotonous theme of the Washington Redskins’ season. This time, Washington blew another 4th quarter lead to a divisonal opponent, as the Philidelphia Eagles clipped the Skins 27-24 at Lincoln Financial Field. Although they were without stars Albert Hanyesworth, DeAngelo Hall, Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, and Chris Cooley, it was the way that the Redskins lost that really hurt. To give such a good effort and come up short can really kill a team’s morale. Here’s the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from Week 12.

Good:

1. For the second straight game, Washington was great on third down efficiency, converting 8 of 17 attempts. This is odd because usual these are passing situations when the offensive line can’t block, but somehow the Skins continue to get it done. The Redskins were only sacked twice this game, compared to five the last meeting.

2. DeSean Jackson has torched Washington this year for 3 touchdowns. But a big hit on him by London Fletcher gave him a concussion to put him out of the game. Although you never want to condone injuring another player, thats one way to take the opponents best player out of the game.

Bad:

1. Jason Campbell’s two interceptions two Asante Samuel were huge momentum swingers and led to 6 Philly points. To beat a good team like the Eagles, you can’t turn the ball over.

Ugly:

1. Once again the Skins failed to close out another game in the 4th quarter. They lead 24-16 with 11:42 remaining, but could not hold on. This was the 5th time the Redskins lost a game when leading in the 4th quarter. Not clutch.

Next Up: The undefeated New Orleans Saints at FedEx Field, a game that I am going to. Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Did you get to see the Tennesses Titans game? Wow!! Did you notice how calm Vince Young was in the heat of battle-he mastered his emotions and he played fantastically.
The essence of success is mastering our emotions!

That is the essence of Full Throttle:http://tinyurl.com/yla9tk2
www.drgreggsteinberg.com

The Bengals should definitely crush the Browns today.  Carson Palmer,  the defense and the running backs have to be ready to play at Paul Brown Stadium.

Palmer and Chad Ochocinco are going to steal the show today on offense.  Palmer has been doing great using his feet so far this season and today I want to see him running when he is open.  I would also like to see Palmer throwing the ball to the tight ends on the short routes.  If Palmer comes out hot and ends hot the game will be a blowout.

The Bengals defense has to put pressure on Brady Quinn.  The Browns quarterback should be sacked a number of times and hit even more.  The Bengals defensive backs are going to have at least two picks and a bunch of knocked down passes.  The defense has to play well after the Raiders game ended in a loss last week.

I would love to see Marvin Lewis use Larry Johnson to mix up the offense.  I also really hope Cedric Benson will be able to play today.  But if Benson is not ready to come back, Bernard Scott will run all over the Browns defense.

In the AFC North today, The Steelers play the Ravens.  The Ravens should win because the Steelers have to use  Dennis Dixon, their third string quarterback.  Roethlisberger has a concussion and their second string quarterback, Charlie Batch,  broke his wrist after four plays last week.  If the Steelers lose to the Ravens tonight and the Bengal win today the Bengals will be up on the Steelers by two games for the division battle.

Go Bengals!  Who Dey!!

Just because they have only one loss, a lot of people are sleeping on the Minnesota Vikings! Brett Farve is making a statement with his new team and his teammates are helping as well. Brett Farve threw for 393 yards passing with 3 touchdowns. WR Percy Harvin is also having a good year as he had 101 receiving yards and 1 touchdown. The Vikings won the game 36-10 and the Vikings are now 10-1.

~Signing Off~
AGE

Minutes after Hines Ward questioned whether or not Ben Roethlisberger should have played tonight, the NFL seemed to go on the defensive.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tweeted that the NFL has made steps to help players prevent and treat concussions.

NFL Spokesman Greg Aiello tweeted that the NFL is taking concussions seriously and trying to help past and present players.

“Despite what u may hear, NFL has taken many + (positive) steps prior to this fall on concussions and retired players,” tweeted Aiello.

Concussions have become a very hot topic in NFL circles after former players have suffered long-term, debilitating effects from numerous concussions. One of many examples is former Eagle Andrew Waters who took his own life after suffering from dementia at a relatively young age.

Aiello is correct in that the NFL has taken steps in recent months. The league formed a concussion committee and has worked on the issue with the NFLPA. In addition, just last week, commissioner Roger Goodell announced that each team will work with independent neurologists when dealing with concussions.

While steps are being made, more needs to be done. Former players such as Bill Romanowski, who suffered 10 documented concussions are trying to work to help find solutions and protect current and future NFL stars.

In recent weeks Roethlisberger and the Eagles Brian Westbrook and DeSean Jackson have suffered concussions.

Fact: Concussions are brain injuries.

Fact: Long term effects from numerous concussions seem to cause dementia and other medical issues.

Fact:  NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said last Sunday that independent neurologists will begin working with teams to help players recovering from concussions.

Fact: Ben Roethlisberger was not cleared by a neurologist to play tonight and suffered headaches most of the week.

Opinion: Hines Ward implied that Big Ben should have played tonight against the Baltimore Ravens.

Hines Ward thinks Ben Roethlisberger should have played despite a concussion.

Hines said tonight’s game is a playoff game, and he is right. He also said the locker room was split, 50-50, on whether or not their stud QB should have suited up.

The decision is not Hines. Granted, he said he lied numerous times to trainers so he could play when he shouldn’t have been out there. When it comes to concussions and brain injuries, lying just to get on the field is not the smartest thing.

If you don’t believe your Daily Philadelphian, you don’t need to take our word for it. Instead, hear it from a man who suffered 10 documented concussions — Bill Romanowski. Then, tell us whether you think Big Ben should be out there trying to avoid Ray Lewis and Ed Reed tonight.

Awesome NFL films sound footage from the recent Lions last-second victory over the Browns. Mic right in the helmet. Rookie Matthew Stafford completes the last play with a separated shoulder. Pretty badass.

Tap here to begin writing… I guess that’s appropriate when you’re tap, tap, tapping you way through a sentence on an iPhone. I’ll get back on the computer soon enough, but the game is on and it is easier to go this way than type, run back to the TV and repeat. Modern convenience right there.

•••

There’s been several incarnations of this blog, the first one dating back to 2004 and I’ve been playing off and on with this format ever since. The first one is/was at JoeUser, which actually did quite well when I had the time and the muse to write to it. Unfortunately, the lack of time and muse dropped me off the radar and off the site. More on JoeUser in a bit. We moved over to Blogger, then picked off a few at MySpace and others, and the same thing happened – time was scarce and the muse was few and far between. I’ve started and restarted the Blogger site so many times, I even got bored and uninspired bringing it back up again. It is a chronic writer’s block in a casual sense – I write for a living and one of the things I don’t want to do when I come home or on a day off is sit down and write some more. Well, I should. I know that now. The more you write, the better you get. The better you get, the more quality comes through when you have to step up and put down the main story. And that’s why I’m back on the grid, back to give this another try. But with a twist…

WordPress allowed me the chance to bring what I’ve done on the Blogger site over here and begin anew. Also, the iPhone app will be a big addition as well. I’ll use that to splice in some smaller items, something to expand on when 140 characters on Twitter just doesn’t cut it and I can’t get to the site (like at work). And, I’ve plugged in the JoeUser site – the original. The WordPress blog – http://andnow42.wordpress.com – will be the main conduit, with the JoeUser site – http://andnow-rb.joeuser.com – as the supplimentary outlet. There may be some original stuff on JoeUser, but that’ll depend. Right now, you’ll see the archives of what I’ve written on the Blogger site. You’ll have to go visit the JoeUser blog to see the old stuff. As for what I’ll write about, I’m not going to limit myself anymore. Most of the time, I would hold off on writing about something or another, because it might reflect upon me in a certain way. No more. This is supposed to be fun and good for my writing fingers. I’m going to treat it that way. I’m not going to take myself seriously and you, the reader, shouldn’t take this seriously either. You have enough to worry about.

•••

A Sound season in the MLS for the Northwest: When Real Salt Lake defender Robbie Russell’s penalty kick beat L.A. Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders to end the 2009 MLS Cup in Seattle, it put a dramatic capper on the season that was successful for the new MLS champions, Real Salt Lake, but for the league’s newest club, the Seattle Sounders FC. The Sounders broke attendance records all season and played an attacking style of soccer that galvanized a region that was aching for a winner. The Northwest showed its day-glo colors in support of the Sounders, whose fairy tale season ended in Houston in the MLS Western Conference semifinals. With the Seattle Mariners playing well, but still short on talent to get into the postseason and the current Seattle Seahawks limping toward the finish line, the Sounders FC came along at the right time. Now, for the 2010 season and with the majority of the club roster intact, the Sounders need to find a proven goal-scoring forward to power the offense. Freddie Ljungberg and Steve Zakuani in midfield, Freddie Montero up front in support and a solid defense, led by Lacey goalkeeper Kasey Keller, make Seattle a threat next season. There were too many 1-0 wins and losses this season for the die-hard supporter groups to live with.

Here’s a video of the final PKs in the MLS Cup, along with the beginning of the celebration.

•••

Copy-cat league: The talking heads on TV pound into your head that the NFL is a copy-cat league – If coaches find one thing that works well, they’ll copy it for the next season until the innovation becomes commonplace. In a begrudging way, they’re right. However, one way the league is a copy-cat is in building or rebuilding teams. The NFC West is an example of this. Currently, the Arizona Cardinals are the leaders of the NFC West, with a trip to last year’s Super Bowl in the vault. The Cardinals borrowed some of the successes the Seattle Seahawks used when the Hawks were running over their division rivals – solidify the defense, lock down the best offensive line you can buy, keep your key players in the fold and play to your strengths. Seattle, behind a Hall-of-Fame caliber offensive line, ran Shaun Alexander and the rest of the Hawks to Detroit in 2005. Seattle’s strength was its balanced offense, with a lock-down defense and a true home-field advantage. Arizona, behind Kurt Warner and his Hall-of-Fame caliber wide receivers, played to its strengths and rolled to the NFC title last year. The division is theirs until someone steps up and takes it from them. Someone like the San Francisco 49ers, which is where Seattle got its rebuilding philosophy from. Mike Holmgren knew what he was doing there. The Niners have gone back to their playbook – strength (running game and offensive line), defense (led by Patrick Willis) and players (Gore, Willis, Davis) – to regain some of their lost footing. Coach Mike Singletary changed the atmosphere of the team, which used to be a championship one, and is probably one or two years away from bringing the division title back to the Baghdad By The Bay. Seattle will get to see what San Francisco has done up close on Sunday at Qwest Field. The Seahawks currently are where the Niners used to be under Mike Nolan – injured, aging and rudderless. A few changes and some patience will bring Seattle back around, including a new GM and probably a new coach (sorry Jim Mora). Of course, if those changes aren’t made, it’ll find itself like the team it just defeated, the St. Louis Rams. The Rams have been rudderless and without direction for most of the 2000s, believing that injuries and some bad luck sent them to the bottom of the division and the entire league. The choice is simple for Seattle – copy what San Francisco is doing, which it used to do very, very well in order to overtake the Niners and the Cardinals or stay the course and become a copy of the Rams. This season is lost – time to look at 2010.

•••

Corner kicks: The usual complaints about the length of the MLB baseball season are legitimate, especially when the dead cold of winter strikes the players in the World Series. In 3 1/2 months, pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. However, the rest of the major league sports in the U.S. aren’t that much better in length. Measured between the championship-clinching game and the start of the preseason and/or regular season, the MLS will have a four-month break between the MLS Cup and the Opening Match (Philadelphia Union at Seattle Sounders FC). The NHL had just under four months break between Pittsburgh’s Stanley Cup triumph and the start of the 2009-10 season. The NBA had an identical span, starting on Oct. 1 just like the NHL and the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Title on June 14, two days later than the end of the Stanley Cup Finals. The NFL has the longest break, more than five months between the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the Arizona Cardinals on Feb. 1 and the start of the preseason on Aug. 13, six months if you go to the start of the regular season on Sept. 10. Baseball used to have more than 5 1/2 months between each season, but with commissioner Bud Selig giving FOX Sports the right to schedule the postseason, what used to be the October Classic is now the November Event. … More than two weeks after France’s disgraceful victory over Ireland in the UEFA World Cup playoff match in Paris, the vitriol from Irish fans has died down a bit. Only a bit. The event may give credence to the establishment of some form of instant replay, if the two governing bodies – UEFA and FIFA – see the errors of their ways, but it has also given a nickname for France’s Thierry Henry that he may never live down – “The Hand of Frog”, a tip-of-the-cap to the handball from Argentina’s Diego Maradona that gave Argentina the victory over England in the 1986 World Cup. Ouch. … In more somber news, the ambush on four Lakewood Police Officers made the international wires, first off on BBC News. I got a text from a friend in England who asked me if I was near what happened. I was nowhere near, but it did strike me that he knew about it out there. Maybe it was the circumstances – four officers sitting down for coffee, going over their laptops, when a gunman or gunmen came in firing. All four died, with the Police talking to a “person of interest” as of 9:45 p.m. Sunday. Honestly, if you didn’t know where this took place, you’d think the Middle East or a war-torn country. But Parkland/Tacoma? Fuck. This is the BBC link to the story – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8385421.stm – and the latest from the Tacoma News-Tribune – http://www.thenewstribune.com/topstory/story/973573.html -. An editorial – http://blog.thenewstribune.com/opinion/2009/11/29/a-crime-and-a-loss-beyond-expression/… I hate to end on a down note, but I don’t know of another way to end it. So, quietly, I’ll step away. Thanks for reading. See ya next time….

]]> http://sprungonsports.com/2009/11/29/nfl-two-for-the-road-with-jason-brand/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:25:02 +0000 Jason Brand http://sprungonsports.com/2009/11/29/nfl-two-for-the-road-with-jason-brand/ http://truefunksoldier.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/purple-reign-vikes-36-bears-10/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:12:35 +0000 C. http://truefunksoldier.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/purple-reign-vikes-36-bears-10/

The Vikings did it again today, snuffing out the Chicago Bears 36-10 at home.  They improve to 10-1.

Favre was 32 of 48 for 392 yards and 3 TD.  Percy Harvin continued his Rookie of the Year campaign with 6 catches for 101 yards and 1 TD; he also had 2 rushes for 45 yards.  Jared Allen had a sack and a pick.

The only area of concern for Minnesota was the ball security of Adrian Peterson, who coughed the ball up twice in 25 carries for 85 yards and 1 score.  ”All Day” needs to do whatever it takes to start protecting the rock.

For me, the most exciting part of the game had absolutely nothing to do with what was happening on the field.  Rather, I got giddy when I saw that Prince was in attendance!  How cool is that?  I mean, I knew he was a casual fan of his hometown teams, but I never expected to see him attending a game…let alone a football game!  Basketball is known to be his sport of choice.

Go Vikings!

Green Bay 34, Detroit 12
Dallas 24, Oakland 7
Denver 26, NY Giants 6
Atlanta 20, Tampa Bay 17
Buffalo 31, Miami 14
Philadelphia 27, Washington 24
Seattle 27, St. Louis 17
NY Jets 17, Carolina 6
Cincinnati 16, Cleveland 7
San Diego 43, Kansas City 14
San Francisco 20, Jacksonville 3
Minnesota 36, Chicago 10
Tennessee 20, Chicago 17
Indianapolis 35, Houston 27
Pittsburgh at Baltimore (ESPN às 23h00)

* SEGUNDA-FEIRA, 30 de novembro
New England at New Orleans (ESPN às 23h30)

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