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Category Archives: Detroit Lions

NFL Playoffs Divisional Round, Day 2

15 Jan

2012 NFL Playoff Bracket

Wow. It was the Vernon Davis Show in San Francisco yesterday and The Bum was out in full force last night in Foxboro. The 49ers-Saints game was a classic. The score was 20-14 and within a matter of 5 minutes there was a see-saw battle until the Niners came out victorious 36-32. Great game. Not so for the night cap. Tebow wasn’t around all night but the bigger story was the Patriots defense trading uniforms and playing as Denver. New England busted out of the gates and never looked back, on their way to a 45-10 blowout. Hopefully, both of today’s games resemble more of the first than the latter of last night’s games. Here are the match-ups.

Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 on CBS - We all know the phrase “any given Sunday”. Well, this is the exception to the rule. Houston has a rookie quarterback in TJ Yates who is coming into the lion’s den. You know Ray Lewis and Co. are chomping at the bit to get a hold of him. Yes, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels will make life a little easier for the Tar Heel but mark it down, the rookie will struggle big time. This is a big boy defense and might be Ray Lewis’ last chance to get a second ring. Another thing playing against the Texans is that this will be Baltimore’s first home playoff game since 2006. M&T Bank Stadium is going to be rocking with a chance to see their Ravens at home in the post-season. Oh yeah, and then there is history…history is on the side of Baltimore, as the Ravens are 5-0 all-time versus the Texans. This would be a totally different game with Matt Schaub playing but he’s not. Yates has done a really good job filling in for the past 7 weeks but this will be the final stop. Don’t get me wrong, these are two of the top defenses in the league this year (Baltimore 3rd in pts. and yards allowed and Houston in 4th in pts. allowed while 2nd in yards allowed). This will be an all out defensive game…think LSU-Alabama Part I. Well, I think there will be a little more scoring, but is anyone sold on Joe Flacco? I think he’s a good quarterback but I don’t know if his ceiling goes any higher. Baltimore pulls away in the end. Ravens 21 Texans 12

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers, 4:00 on FOX - Let’s be honest, outside of yesterday’s game in Foxboro-but only because of one man, this is the game everyone has been waiting for. This is old school football….or is it? Sure, we have seen many NY-GB games decide who wins/plays in the championship game. The names that have filled family’s living rooms, from Y.A. Tittle, Don Hutson, Sam Huff, Herb Adderley, Frank Gifford, Bart Starr to Lawrence Taylor, Brett Favre, Harry Carson and Reggie White. Heck, even Vince Lombardi was an offensive coordinator for the New York Football Giants under Jim Lee Howell (Tom Landry was the defensive coordinator…how sick is that?). And since we’re talking about coaches we can’t leave out Bill Parcells and Mike Holmgren. And who can forget legendary New York Giants’ QB Joe Pisarcik…I kid, I kid. These legends add an aura to this game that you just don’t get in many other match-ups. Can you imagine being in a bar watching the Saints-Lions and the dude sitting next to you saying, “Wow, this brings up memories of yore. Remember legends such as Billy Joe Hobert, Bobby Hebert, Scott Mitchell and Rusty Hilger.” I’d spit my beer out…probably all over his vintage 2002 Joey Harrington jersey! We’ve seen many mighty struggles between these two golden franchises. Most recently we saw Brett Favre try to take his Pack to the Super Bowl in what would not only be his last year as a Packer but what would become the Giants epic upset of the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. But let’s get back to this game. This match-up is between Tom Coughlin and Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning, Jason Pierre-Paul and BJ Raji. I am going to pick the upset here (don’t tell my in-laws). If New York can play man-to-man, bump-and-run defense they should be able to slow Rodgers down. Green Bay is helped out by getting Greg Jennings back. But even if this game turns into a shoot-out, I think Manning can go toe-to-toe with Green Bay. No Discount Double Check for you Mr. Rodgers. Giants 34 Packers 31

So, enjoy the games today and we’ll meet back here tomorrow to talk about what went on.

 
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Posted by on January 15, 2012 in Aaron Rodgers, Alabama, Andre Johnson, Arian Foster, Baltimore Ravens, Bart Starr, Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells, Billy Joe Hobert, BJ Raji, Bobby Hebert, Brett Favre, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Don Hutson, Eli Manning, Frank Gifford, Green Bay Packers, Greg Jennings, Harry Carson, Herb Adderley, Houston Texans, Jason Pierre-Paul, Jim Lee Howell, Joe Flacco, Joe Pisarcik, Joey Harrington, Lawrence Taylor, LSU, M&T Bank Stadium, Matt Schaub, Mike Holmgren, Mike McCarthy, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, NFL, NFL Playoffs, North Carolina, Owen Daniels, Ray Lewis, Reggie White, Rusty Hilger, Sam Huff, San Francisco 49ers, Scott Mitchell, Super Bowl, Super Bowl XLII, TJ Yates, Tom Coughlin, Tom Landry, Vernon Davis, Vince Lombardi, Y.A. Tittle

 

Revisiting the 2007 NFL Draft

12 Jan

Yesterday, I was perusing around some sports websites when I stumbled upon ESPN’s own Mel Kiper, Jr.’s piece re-grading every NFL team on the 2011 NFL Draft. First, let me say how absolutely stupid this is. How in the world are you going to judge any player on just 1 season? Especially, when all rookies didn’t even have a full training camp and pre-season. I know why they did this, it’s a little slow right now in the sports world…yes, it will pick up this weekend but how many times are you going to analyze the Divisional Round of the playoffs? So, I will spare you all from critiquing Kiper’s grades but it got me thinking…how about looking back 5 years and critiquing each team’s 1st round picks. So, let’s go back to the 2007 NFL Draft and look at how these players are doing after finishing their 5th season in the league. I’ll post the 1st 16 picks today and the other 1/2 of the 1st Round tomorrow. Here we go…

  1. Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU – Wow! What can we say about Mr. Russell?!?! To think a lot of pundits raved about Russell because of one game where he carved up one of the worst defenses to play in South Bend on his way to winning the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame. Notre Dame shouldn’t have been anywhere near a BCS bowl game that year. Hey, at least the man got paid…which he has already devoured (pun intended). F-
  2. Detroit Lions - Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech – Matt Millen can thank Oakland for this one. Millen had a thing for picking WR’s in the 1st round but this one was the only one to pan out. Megatron has been a BEAST for Motown. Great pick for Millen. A+
  3. Cleveland Browns - Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin – Another great pick! Joe Thomas has been/will be the cornerstone in Cleveland for more than a decade. If he isn’t the top Offensive Tackle in the NFL he is right up there. A+
  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson –  Really sad story. The late Adams had tons of talent that never got much of a chance to show it. He only played 2 1/2 seasons for the Bucs before being traded to the Bears in October of 2009. Unfortunately, his life was cut short in January of 2010. I can’t give out a grade on this one. N/A
  5. Arizona Cardinals - Levi Brown, OT, Penn State – While Levi Brown has not been a bad offensive lineman for the Cards, he certainly does not deserve a Top 5 pick. This was a huge reach for the Cardinals, but hey…it’s the Cardinals and they are who they are because they continue to reach. C-
  6. Washington Redskins - LaRon Landry, S, LSU – If this piece was done 2 or so years ago I would have graded this pick pretty low. Since, I am a Skins fan I have seen every game LaRon Landry has played in the pros. Landry has plenty of talent but got absolutely scorched time-after-time in his first few seasons. Since Haslett has come to town he moved Landry to SS where he belongs and Landry has been an absolute stud on the football field. The only problem is he hasn’t been on there much the past couple of seasons. C+
  7. Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma – I wish my Skins had made this pick. Peterson was a BEAST in college but prone to injuries (which shied me away from him in ’07). But from his first game on he has been nothing short of the Best Runningback in football! A+
  8. Atlanta Falcons - Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas – Eh. Not that good of a pick by the Falcons. Maybe they thought they we re-picking the “Dirty Birds” Jamaal Anderson??They released him before this season and he has been an integral part of the Indianapolis Colts’ 2-14 season this year….I kid, I kid. F
  9. Miami Dolphins - Ted Ginn, Jr, WR, Ohio State – What were they thinking?? At least the Fins only kept Ginn around for 3 years. I think the Dolphins look back at this pick and think “we should have taken Dwayne Bowe”. D
  10. Houston Texans - Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville – Okoye has been a pretty good Defensive Tackle but worth a 10th pick? Let’s just say this: Houston let him walk to Chicago before this season started. Nice player, a reach of a pick. C-
  11. San Francisco 49ers - Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss – The BEST Linebacker in the game today. Have you seen this machine play? He will end his career as one of the best Linebackers to play the game. San Fran absolutely hit it out-of-the-park with this pick. A+
  12. Buffalo Bills - Marshawn Lynch, RB, California – After shooting of the gates and posting back-to-back 1,000 yd. seasons his first 2 years. Skittles then got into various off the field problems and had a couple of injuries before being traded to Seattle. Since then he has kind of rejuvenated his career. New Orleans might be able to tell you a little more about that! B
  13. St. Louis Rams - Adam Carriker, DE/DT, Nebraska – I don’t know what St. Louis saw in Carriker by moving him to Defensive Tackle but it didn’t work. He was then traded to Washington where he was switched back to Defensive End and has been a pleasant surprise. He definitely is not a Top 15 pick though he does show flashes of that from time to time. D+ (this low because they used him as a DT)
  14. New York Jets - Darelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh – Does anyone not know about Revis Island? He is the best shutdown corner in the league. Really doesn’t need anymore explaining. A+
  15. Pittsburgh Steelers - Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State – Until 2011, Timmons had been getting better and better. Was it the contract or the short pre-season that resulted in a decent but not great season? Timmons has shown to be a very good Linebacker but I don’t know if a Top 15 pick is where he should have been drafted. Only time will tell which way this one goes. I think he’ll be a pretty good starter for another 5-10 years but nothing too special. C+
  16. Green Bay Packers – Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee – This is a very hard pick to evaluate. Harrell, who is a Free Agent right now, has been constantly hampered by injuries. This last one in 2010 was a major knee injury that looks like it might have ended his pro career. I have to give a low grade on this pick since he was coming off of a pretty big biceps tear at Tennessee but to be fair the Packers couldn’t have totally seen this coming. D-

So, there we have the first 1/2 of the 1st Round of the 2007 NFL Draft. A lot of reaches, a HUGE bust and a few future Hall-of-Famers. I hear JaMarcus Russell has been signed to a huge deal for a starring role in one of TV’s biggest shows. Good for him!

 
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Posted by on January 12, 2012 in Adam Carriker, Adrian Peterson, Amobi Okoye, Arizona Cardinals, Arkansas, Atlanta Falcons, BCS, Buffalo Bills, California, Calvin Johnson, Chicago Bears, Clemson, Cleveland Browns, Darelle Revis, Detroit Lions, Dwayne Bowe, Florida St., Gaines Adams, Georgia Tech, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jamaal Anderson, JaMarcus Russell, Jim Haslett, Joe Thomas, Jr., Justin Harrell, LaRon Landry, Lawrence Timmons, Levi Brown, Louisville, LSU, Marshawn Lynch, Matt Millen, Megatron, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Nebraska, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, NFL, NFL Draft, Notre Dame, Oakland Raiders, Ohio St., Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Patrick Willis, Penn St., Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Steelers, Revis Island, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Skittles, St. Louis Rams, Sugar Bowl, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee, Washington Redskins, Wisconsin

 

NFL Playoffs are here!!

08 Jan

Yesterday, the Texans/Bengals (some pics here) and Saints/Lions (some pics here) playoff games were played. Weird, huh? Not too long ago all four of those teams were doormats of the NFL. In fact this was the first ever playoff game (and win) for the Houston Texans franchise and the Detroit Lions were making their first trip to the playoffs since 1999! Yes, Y2K was more recent than the Lions sniffing the postseason.

Both of these Wild Card games had one thing in common: snoozefest! I contemplated watching the Republican Debate but quickly remembered that PBS was showing a special on eye gouging. I absolutely hate the route the NFL is taking. All passing, no running…all offense, no defense. Not for me! Let’s hope the Giants/Falcons game today will be a lot more pleasing to the football eye. Because we all know the Broncos/Steelers game is going to be hard to watch. Pittsburgh will be missing Rashard Mendenhall and Ryan Clark and Denver missing all semblances of an offense. Look, Tebow is a great athlete and would probably be a really good TE/H-Back/Fullback/Tailback but a Quarterback? Let’s be serious now…

Did anyone see the playoff games yesterday? I have to admit I missed all of the first one waiting for FedEx to deliver my new HD DVR. My current one completely crapped out and we lost everything that was recorded on it. So when I figured FedEx was going to do their best version of the 2011 Indianapolis Colts and not show up, I decided to bring the box we have upstairs down to watch the second game. So I watched the highlights and it was good to see Adam “Pacman” Jones playing again. Like most Cincinnati Bengals fans, I didn’t see any of their games this year. And Bengals fans(and Saints fans too) it’s time to grow up and stop the Who Dey? or Who Dat? chants because we all know every team gon’ beat dem Bengals/Saints. I guess Saints fans have a little better reason for chanting that since they do have a pretty good team these days.

So, today we have Falcons/Giants at 1 on FOX and the Steelers/Tebows Broncos at 4:30 on CBS. I have to say the NFC matchup is way more intriguing to me. I wouldn’t mind seeing either of those teams taking it up to the “Frozen Tundra” of Lambeau Field and playing the Pack next week. It should be a good game and I will predict the Giants get the W at home. In the late game, I will take the Steelers too. Big Ben>Tim Tebow. Enjoy the games today and remember to check back in tomorrow for more analysis and a look at tomorrow night’s BcS National Championship Game.

 
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Posted by on January 8, 2012 in Adam "Pacman" Jones, Atlanta Falcons, Ben Roethlisberger, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, NFL, NFL Playoffs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Reshard Mendenhall, Ryan Clark, Tim Tebow

 
 
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