Houston Texans http://mvn.com/nfl/texans/ Houston Texans community of blogs, video and audio en Copyright 2009 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Fang's Bites: ESPY's moronic entertainment for brain-dead.

]]> http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/06/fangs-bites-espys-moronic-entertainment-for-brain-dead-1.html http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/06/fangs-bites-espys-moronic-entertainment-for-brain-dead-1.html College Basketball College Football KEN FANG "Fang's Bites" MLB NASCAR NBA NCAA NFL NHL 0-16 49ers 76ers a's agent al amateur American Anaheim andy angeles angels announcers Antonio Arizona association Astros athletics Atlanta audio auto avalanche awards back bad Baltimore baseball basketball bay bears Bengals Berliner bettman bills bites blackhawks blazers blog blue blues bobcats boston braves brewers broadcasting broncos browns bruins buccaneers bucks buffalo bullet bulls Calgary calls Canadian canadiens canucks cap.agent capitals car cardinals cards Carolina cavaliers cbc Celtics center central championship chargers charlotte Chicago chiefs Cincinnati city Cleveland clippers coach cold college Colorado colts Columbus commissioner company conference contract corner cornerback court cowboys coyotes cubs cup dallas david davis day deals defensive Denver Detroit devils diamondbacks diego dodgers dolphins down draft ducks eagles east eastern ed Edmonton end England espm espn espy.espys extension falcons fang fantasy flames florida flyers football forward foul Francisco free fsv fullback gary giants golden golf good goodell grading green group guard hard hardcourt hawks head heat hockey Houston hurricanes Indiana Indianapolis Indians indy is islanders it jackets Jacksonville jaguars Jason jays jazz jersey jets jose Kansas ken kicker kings knicks la la.los.angeles lakers leafs league leagues left lightning like linebacker lions los louis lpga magic major manager maple mariners marlins matt mavericks media Memphis mens mets Miami mighty millen Milwaukee Minnesota minnesots mlb montreal most motorsports mvn nascar Nashville national nationals nba ncaa negotiations nets network new nfl nhl nig northwest nuggets ny Oakland oilers Oklahoma orioles Orlando Orleans Ottawa pacers pacific packers padres panthers patriots penguins peters pga Philadelphia Phillies phoenix pirates pistons Pittsburgh placekicker playoffs point Portland post predators professional punter quarterback racing raiders rams rangers raptors rating ravens rays receiver red redbirds reds redskins ref referee reid restricted right rock rockets rockies roger rookie roster roundball royals running sabers sacramento safety saint saints salary san seahawks season seattle senators sharks shooting side small soccer southeast southwest sox special speeding sports st. st.louis Stanley stars state steelers stern stone strong suns swap tackle tampa teams technical telling Tennessee Texans texas thrashers thunder tigers tight timberwolves titans Toronto trades trail tv twins unrestricted up utah valuable Vancouver ventures versus Video Vikings warriors Washington weak west western westner whistle white wide wild wings winless wizards womens wood Yankees york Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:14:02 -0500 Minnesota Vikings: Don't Get Brett Favre, Tarvaris Jackson Is The Answer
Brett Favre is surely going to be the on the Minnesota Vikings roster, now that he is gotten surgery on his throwing shoulder and a Vikings assistant will be coming to Favre to do some workouts with him to help his shoulder.

So, you get it: Favre will obviously be on the Vikings roster, no doubt.

I don't know what's next for Favre after he leaves Minnesota, because he will after one year and go on to these teams.

So here's my question to all of you fans for the NFL team in the purple uniform: why would you want a losing-his-luster quarterback like Brett Favre for one year, when you can get an improving quarterback like Tarvaris Jackson for many years to come?

Why Brad Childress, why?

Have you seen what Favre has done with the Jets. When the Jets were at an 8-3 record last year, they went 1-4 after that. In that span of five games in which Favre didn't play well, you could see him just throwing the ball up in the air.

It turned out he didn't look like having fun, not one single bit. He was just playing with negative attitude. And you know the saying in sports that you have to bring "ten percent effort and ninety percent attitude?"

Well, Favre was zero percent in both of those categories, to be honest.

There's no point of having Brett Favre. Sure, he will be pretty good but he might be ruining his legacy if he comes to Minnesota. He's already a Hall-of-Famer, what's the point of keep playing.

I know, Joe Gibbs did that when he was a coach, but that's coaching man! That's coaching!

Brett Favre might as well play for all 32 NFL teams. But there is some good bringing Favre to Minnesota. A good writer on this site (one of my favorites), James Williamson, has said something that was very interesting if Favre came to Minnesota.

Williamson observed that Favre will be the first ever quarterback in NFL history to beat all 32 NFL teams!

Pretty sweet, huh?

But seriously, that's not the point!

Now you'll see Sage Rosenfels swapping faces. If you don't get what I am saying, please take a look.

But also, what's the point having Rosenfels, too?

You all remember his helicopter hurdle against the Indianapolis Colts last year that cost Houston the win (And Schaub's smiling face. His face when Rosenfels fumbled is priceless!).

And Rosenfels second battle against the Colts when he costs Houston a win (again) when he was looking for a receiver and then just decided to throw right at Colts' safety, Melvin Bullit.

Rosenfels will create a problem in Minnesota, I guarantee it (don't go Joe Namath now!). But here is what the Vikings should do:

USE TARVARIS JACKSON!!!!

That's right. Use T-Jax. Tarvaris will be the man for Minnesota, he will. Well, that's what I think. Sure, he wasn't successful in his first two years, having a total of eleven touchdowns and 16 touchdowns.

But in his third year, after being on the bench, learning from a veteran in Gus Frerotte who became the starter. But then, Frerotte got injured and then here came Jackson who everyone doubted.

In one game in which I believe was against the Arizona Cardinals, Jackson had a spectacular game by throwing for four touchdowns while having 163 yards and an amazing 135.5 quarterback rating.

He also had a great game before that, throwing for 105 yards with one touchdown for a 143.8 quarterback rating.

Solid, huh?

In his last four games of the 2008 season, Jackson's lowest quarterback rating was 88.5 in that four-game span. Here's what his total was during those four games:

740 passing yards, eight touchdowns and one interception for a 116.5 quarterback rating.

Now those are very good stats. You can't disagree there. And all of that happen after being benched from learning from Frerotte.

Jackson had 1,056 passing yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions for a 95.4 quarterback rating.

Jackson is a solid quarterback.

But he needed to be benched so he could learn better and not take so much criticism. With the 2008 season closing, the Vikes looked like they couldn't make the playoffs with Frerotte out and T-Jax in.

They did, though.

Sure, Jackson didn't win his first playoff game but not everyone does when they go for the first time. The only person I know has done that is probably Tom Brady, no one else. Peyton Manning didn't get it.

Not everyone gets their first playoff win. People expect too much out of Tarvaris Jackson. You have to give him time, this kid has a future. And with the pick of Percy Harvin, the Jackson can have more helpful guys to throw to.

And Jackson is ready now. I observed something. Here's what happened in the first three games Jackson played in, before being benched from the veteran of Gus Frerotte:

316 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception for a 77.4 quarterback rating.

Now if you scroll up, you'll see a major difference between when he started his first three games without learning from a veteran quarterback and the stats after he was benched by a veteran quarterback.

Big ass difference.

Jackson is ready and could be a star from years to come. No Rosenfels or Favre.

Tarvaris Jackson is here to stay.

So Vikings fans, what would you have: An old quarterback who will only stay with the team for one year and will only come to the Vikings to bring revenge on his old team or bring in a quarterback who is detirmened and will be a great quarterback for years to come?

You decide, and the time is...now!

]]> http://mvn.com/coltscouchcrew/2009/06/minnesota-vikings-dont-get-brett-favre-tarvaris-jackson-is-the-answer.html http://mvn.com/coltscouchcrew/2009/06/minnesota-vikings-dont-get-brett-favre-tarvaris-jackson-is-the-answer.html Brad Childress Brett Favre Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Minnesota Vikings New York Jets NFL NFL Playoffs Percy Harvin Sage Rosenfels Tarvaris Jackson Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:03:08 +0000 2009 USC Preview: Linebackers - Replacing Legends Football is almost here! Now we are less than two months removed from the beginning of Fall Camp for college football.

In the mean time, I am missing USC Football.

So, for the next few weeks, I am going to begin my USC Football preview for 2009. Position by position.

Check back daily to see updates for previews of the other positions.

------------

In 2008, the USC Football team was loaded at the linebacker position. Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga, Clay Matthews, Jr., and Kaluka Maiava were all drafted in the first four rounds of this year's NFL Draft.

Two were drafted in the first round.

Another was the 2008 college football defensive player of the year.

The three linebackers that will replace these guys have a whopping total of zero starts in collegiate football.

I think it's safe to say it may be a challenge for the linebacker corps to follow up with what has been such a deep position for the past six years or so.

But wait until you see the guys who are projected to step in and replace them.

The first is outside linebacker, Michael Morgan. Morgan is the backbone of what has been called one of the fastest groups of linebackers in USC's prestigious history. Running a 4.3 40-yard dash in the spring's workouts show that speed at its finest. He has the speed to combat a Javhid Best sprinting down the sideline.

Another linebacker, who is replacing Maualuga, Chris Galippo is quickly evolving into the leader of this year's crew. Playing the Mike backer position, Galippo has a lot of size and speed to play the position very well. He considers himself a good "sideline-to-sideline player" who always continues the play until the whistle.

chris galippo.png

                       Chris Galippo and Former LB Clay Matthews, Jr. (Flickr.com)

The third, Malcolm Smith is becoming the scariest and most feared of the linebackers. And someone who has the goods to succeed. When looking at it, Smith seems to bring a little from both Morgan and Galippo into himself. He has the strength and power to make devastating tackles, but also brings a ton of speed to the table, contributing to the aforementioned speed of the Trojan linebackers.

While the new crew may not be as explosive as last year's, these USC linebackers will remain one of the top classes in college football for another year.

Although a young class, with no collegiate starts, each of these three have had substantial playing time, coming in on back-up and mop-up duty situations all last season, as well as being major contributors on special teams.

They are ready to embrace the new challenge

I think it's safe to say it may be a challenge for the linebacker corps to replace legends.

But I also think it's safe to say the projected starting linebackers have what it takes to become one of the best corps in the nations.

Reserve Linebackers: Luther Brown, Jordan Campbell, Ross Cumming, Dan Deckas, Nick Garratt, Uona, Kaveinga,

Recruits: Marquis Simmons, Frankie Telfort

]]> http://mvn.com/thepurpletrojan/2009/06/usc-linebackers-replacing-legends.html http://mvn.com/thepurpletrojan/2009/06/usc-linebackers-replacing-legends.html Bengals Blog Cleveland Browns Green Bay Packers Houston Texans NFL USC USC Football Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:25:00 -0800 The 18 Best Indianapolis Colts Games of All Time (Updated) Most Important Wins list.  Check there first before you write us. We understand that this list is weighted heavily in favor of the Manning era, but let's face it, that is how it should be.

 1. New England Patriots 2007 Playoffs Colts 38 Patriots 34
A tremendous game that will go down for all time as one of the great NFL games, let alone Colts games. This is simply the greatest game in Indy Colts history. From Manning putting up 32 in the second half to Brady's INT to Marlin Jackson, no Colts fan will ever forget where they were when the boys in blue sealed the deal and headed on to the Super Bowl
Hero: Peyton Manning. This game was a referendum on him as a player, and he came through in the biggest of ways.
Factoid: Demond called, dejected, at halftime from the Dome and wanted to know if he should leave and come home. Deshawn wisely urged him to stay for at least one drive into the 2nd half.

 2. At Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2003 Colts 38 Buccaneers 35 (OT)
 I suppose almost everyone at least threatened to turn this one off at some point during the night. The Colts trailed 21-0 at the half and by 21 at 35-14 with just 5:09 left to go in the game. Then something weird started to happen. Brad Pyatt ripped off a long kickoff return. The Colts pounded it in for a quick score. An onside kick actually worked. Manning hit Harrison on 4th down for another score. Tampa ran an offensive possession as if they were on crack, garnering a bizarre personal foul call to stop the clock before the two minute warning. Then, with the game on the line, Manning and Harrison hooked up yet again for 52 yards to set up a short TD run. The Horse survived an OT possession by the Bucs, and then Manning went to work carving them up on 3rd down, moving the ball into Vanderjagt field goal range. Like most big kicks he had with the Colts, Vandy shanked it. However, the officials stepped in with a 'leaping' penalty on the Bucs to give Vandy a second try. This time he slammed it off the upright and home for one of the most improbable comebacks of all time.
Heroes: Manning and Harrison. Harrison was called out by a 'miked up' Keyshawn Johnson in the first half. By the end of the game, Keyshawn was on the bench nursing a hammy and Marvin was triumphant with 176 yards rec and 2 scores. Manning was as clutch as they come down the stretch and seemed to be willing the team to victory.
 Factoid: The game was Dungy's return to Tampa and his birthday. It was also nearly ruined by my visiting mother-in-law who proclaimed the 'Colts will come back'. It was sort of one of those Pollyanna-ish expressions by non-fans that drive the die-hards crazy. Then when they did come back, she said the next day, "Well, I knew they would". I wanted to die.

3. San Diego Chargers 2004 Colts 34 Chargers 31 (OT)
Played the day after Christmas in 2004, this game had plenty of significance and drama. The Colts and Chargers were playing to settle the 3 seed in the AFC playoffs, and Peyton Manning was stuck on 47 touchdown passes, one short of the single season mark held by Dan Marino. The Chargers started strong and Manning threw a pick near the goal line. When LT scored to put the Chargers up 15 early in the fourth, things looked bleak. Dom Rhodes answered the bell and ran back the ensuing kickoff for an 88 yard touchdown. The teams traded empty possessions (including a missed FG by Vandy), and Indy took over with 3:42 to play and three timeouts. Faced with a 4 and 4 almost immediately, Manning then took off his blue and white jersey to reveal that he is in fact Superman. He waved the punt unit off the field and promptly converted the 4th down with a pass to Reggie Wayne. He marched the team down field finally hitting Brandon Stokely for the record breaking pass on a post route the two made up at the line of scrimmage. Still down two, the Colts tied the game on a conversion by Edge, and when they won the toss in OT, everyone in the building knew the Chargers would never see the ball. A scant four plays later, Vanderjagt converted the game winner.
Hero: Duh. Manning owned that game. The pass to Wayne on 4th down was ballsy, and the strike to Stokely was amazing. I leaped in the air as the ball left Manning's hand, because everyone in the Dome could see Stokely was totally uncovered.
Factoid: I attended this game with my parents-in-law. My father-in-law is a huge Chargers fan and drove me a little crazy that day. He cheered every random play (All Right! Gain of 4!). This made the comeback all the sweeter.

4. At Dallas Cowboys 1996 Colts 25 Cowboys 24
The '96 Colts were a seriously great team who were destroyed by injuries. Their amazing come-from-behind-on-the-road-vs-the-defending-Super-Bowl-Champions-and-apparently-a-ton-of-hyphens was truly one of the great games in franchise history. The Harbaugh-led Colts started the game with a long crushing drive that lasted nearly 11 minutes, but ended with a field goal thanks to a horrible offensive pass interference call on Ken Dilger. The Cowboys then ripped off 21 straight points and the Colts were given up for dead. Harbaugh led a pair of field goal producing drives that pulled Indy to 21-9 at the half. The Colts put together a pair of touch downs to pull ahead 22-21. Dallas got a long field goal to go up 24-22 with 13 odd minutes left in the 4th quarter. Carey Blanchard banged home the eventual game winner with 51 seconds left, but that left almost enough time for Hall of Famer Troy Aikman to bring back Dallas. They made it to the Indy 40 and tried a 57 yard field goal to win it at the gun. Chris Boniol's try was dead on, but hit the cross bar and bounced harmlessly away. The Colts had pulled a major stunner, and looked prime to roll early in '96.
Hero: Blanchard. He hit 4 field goals including the game winner. He accounted for 13 of the 25 Colt points.
 Factoid: Even though I attended college only two hours from Indianapolis, there were no Colts fans on campus. As I watched the game in the commons with other students, there were more Dallas fans than Colts fans. This is one of the single biggest changes over the past 10 years. Colts fans can be found in all corners of Indiana now.

5.  At Houston Texans 2008 Colts 31  Texans 27
On some very rare occasions, one game can become a microcosm of the larger state of the team.  This was the case early in 2008.  The Colts were struggling early in the season, coming off their by at 1-2.  Injuries were mounting, and it was becoming clear to everyone that perhaps the 2008 weren't going to be the juggernaut we all foresaw.  Facing a backup QB in Sage Rosenfels, the Colts squandered an early 10-0 lead, and rolled over, playing dead for more than two quarters.  With just over 8 minutes to go in the game, Houston's Steve Slaton scored from a yard out (after busting a demoralizing 41 yard run a few plays earlier).  The Colts were dead at 27-10 with 8 minutes to play.  Then one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history began.  Manning capped what seemed like a cosmetic drive with a fourth down TD to Rookie Tom Santi, but with just 4 minutes on the clock, the Colts were still down 10 and didn't recover the onside kick.  On third down, as he dove toward the sticks for the first down that would have ended the game, Sage Rosenfels was hit by Freeney and Brock.  The ball came loose and Gary Brackett returned it 68 yards for a score.  On the Texans next possession, Robert Mathis played the role of Superman, and executed one of the most amazing strip sacks in Colts history.  The Colts quickly took the ball 20 yards for their TD in just 2:10, as Manning hit Wayne for acrobatic score just before the two minute warning.  Melvin Bullitt then sealed the game with pick.  The Colts had won, and the 2008 season was back on.
Hero:  Freeney and Mathis.  Though Brock was originally credited with the first forced fumble, replays would show it was Freeney who knocked it loose.  Along with Manning, these two players time and again lifted the 2008 Colts to improbable wins.
Factoid: Angry and frustrated by the obvious flaws with the team, I posted a game recap declaring the season "Done" at the five minute mark.  It was quickly replaced with a picture of Reggie Miller. 

 6. At Denver Broncos 2002 Colts 23 Broncos 20 (OT)
This game was always ignored by those who questioned the Colts ability to win on the road in bad weather. On a snowy Sunday night in November, the Colts and Broncos played a classic back and forth game that marked one of the last times that Mike Vanderjagt was clutch. Denver jumped to 13-3 lead in the 3rd quarter, but the Colts responded with a pair of lightning quick touchdown drives. After another Denver score midway through the fourth put the Colts down three, they failed on a couple of attempts to even up the game. When Manning and the offense took over at the 20 with 1:40 to play, they still needed a field goal. Manning worked the ball down field, to put the team in range for a 54 yard try with just seconds on the clock. Vandy came out onto the snow covered field and buried the tying kick. The Colts won the toss in OT and marched down field stalling out around the 34. Vanderjagt came on again and 51 yards later, he delivered the Colts an incredible OT win.
Hero: Mike Vanderjagt. He's an ass, but on that night he was great. He hit 3 FGs, including 2 from beyond 50 yards to tie and win the game. For a kicker, it doesn't get better than that. Factoid: Dungy was originally going to punt in OT, but Justin Snow convinced him to let Vandy try again. In this game (the 11th of the season), Harrison went over 100 catches for the year. He would later go on to break the record for most receptions in a season.

 7. At Miami Dolphins 1999 Colts 37 Dolphins 34
After the debacle that was the first Dolphins/Colts game of the season, the Colts were hungry for revenge and their first division title since 1987. The Colts jumped out to an early 17-3 lead thanks in part to an insane run by Edgerrin James. The Dolphins battled back and the game was largely back and forth all day with the Colts staying just a step ahead. With just seconds to go, Marino put the Fins in position for a Mare field goal to tie the game. Manning got the ball with 29 seconds to play and two time outs. After a couple of quick strikes and timeouts, Vanderjagt banged home a massive 53 yarder at the gun to win the game. This game featured a young Manning out dueling an aging Marino and was an instant classic
Hero: Edge was sick in the first half of this game. He finished with 131 yards rushing and 2 TDs. Manning's drive was clutch as was Vandy's kick.
Factoid: Chad Cota made a rare play in this game when he recovered a fumble. Realizing that he was surrounded only by Colts, he stood up, and walked untouched 20 yards into the end zone for a first quarter TD.

 8. Green Bay Packers 1997 Colts 41 Packers 38
During one of the worst Colts seasons ever (one so bad that it sewed up the number 1 pick and Peyton Manning), an 0-10 Colts team faced off against the defending champion Green Bay Packers. The crowd was at least 40% Packer fans, and the game seemed to start according to script. The Pack was up 14-3 when Paul Justin, a forgotten connector between the Harbaugh and Manning eras, drove the Horse down field for a score. Then things got crazy. A pair of Favre turnovers (fumble and INT) were both returned for scores, the second on a nifty lateral from Blackman to Classic Colt Jason Belser. The Colts inexplicably led 24-14. The Pack roared back with two straight touchdowns to make the score 28-24. A Blanchard FG made the score 28-27 AT THE HALF. The Colts and Packers traded FGs into the early fourth quarter, before a Lamont Warren touchdown and a 2 point conversion with just over 6 minutes to go gave the Colts a 7 point lead. Favre responded very quickly to tie the game. Justin then moved the Colts downfield and picked up a key first down to Dilger at the one yard line with 1:22 left. The Colts then smartly killed the clock and Blanchard banged home the game winning FG as time expired. The devastated Packer fans left the dome with chants of, "If you can't beat us, you'll never win the Super Bowl!" ringing in their cheese coated ears.
Hero: Paul Justin 24 of 30 for 340 with a TD and a 2 pt conversion. Totally unexpected, but he had the best day of his career.
Factoid: This was the Colts third consecutive win over the defending Super Bowl champs (49ers, Cowboys, Packers). The Packers wouldn't lose again until the Super Bowl. Mike Holmgren decided to let Terrell Davis walk into the end zone for the go ahead touch down because he was afraid the Broncos would run out the clock like Indy did. Also, I brought a friend from college to this game who was a guy who sort of lived a charmed life. He seemed to skate by on luck. All the guys at school became convinced that the Colts would win just because he went to the game. Sure enough, his presence touched off the upset of the year.

 9. At Denver Broncos 2006 Colts 34 Broncos 31
Last team with the ball wins sounds like a cliché, but it summed up so many games the 2006 Colts played. This late afternoon classic was no exception. The Broncos had the lead at the half, 14-6. The Colts went on a long drive to start the second half, and then converted a short field after recovering a Jake Plummer fumble for a 20-14 lead. The infamous run defense then almost took over for the Colts. They gave up a rushing score at the end of the 3rd quarter and trailed again 21-20. Vinatieri nailed a long FG, but the Broncos rammed the ball down the field for a 28-23 lead with less than 7 to play. Manning and Wayne responded by completely abusing a young Denver corner and with 3:56 to play, the Colts took a 31-28 lead after a 2 point conversion. Gilbert Gardner struck back by abandoning his hole and letting Denver rip off a 48 yard run. Fortunately, the defense stiffened, and Denver settled for a long field goal and a tie with just 1:49 to play. 1:49 is waaaay to long to give #18 however, and unfortunately for the Denver, Darrent Williams was still on the field. Manning calmly moved the Colts down field to set up a game winning field goal try from Adam Vinatieri with just two seconds on the clock. By the time the dust had settled, the Colts were 7-0 for the second straight season.
Hero: Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning. Manning was unstoppable and Denver knew it. Wayne finished with 10 catches for 138 and 3 scores. The third touchdown to Wayne was a thing of beauty.
Factoid: Heading into the game the Denver defense had been nearly impenetrable allowing only 44 points through 6 games. Denver had specifically designed their defense to beat Manning and the Colts.

10. At Kansas City Chiefs 2004 Playoffs Colts 38 Chiefs 31
This classic matchup in the AFC divisional round pitted two blistering offenses against each other. The Colts marched into Arrowhead as underdogs, but were carrying momentum from their blowout of the Denver Broncos a week prior (Manning's first playoff win). Very little defense was played all day as each team mounted long drive after long drive. Priest Holmes was his usual dominating self as he ran for 176 yards and two scores. Despite his best efforts the Colts were in control most of the game, and a 19 yard touchdown pass to a young Reggie Wayne put the Colts up 14 points near the end of the third quarter. Dante Hall answered right back with a 92 yard kickoff return for a score. The teams would trade touchdowns in the fourth quarter and the Colts were able to hang on for a breathtaking win.
Hero: Peyton Manning was nearly flawless as he threw for 304 yds and 3 touchdowns. This game will go down as one of his most impressive playoff performance given the hostile crowd of nearly 80,000.
Factoid: This game lived up to its billing on its way to becoming the first NFL playoff game that featured no punts.

11. At Pittsburgh 2008  Colts 24 Steelers 20
The Colts were in real danger of not making the playoffs in 2008 thanks to injuries at almost every key position. Entering at just 4-4, the Colts trailed by a 17-7 score before rallying thanks to gritty play by Manning and a pair of timely picks from Ratliff and Tim Jennings. With 3:04 to play, Manning hit Dom Rhodes out of the backfield for the go ahead score. The Colts had come from behind to win in Pittsburgh for the first time in 40 years. The Steelers would later go on to win the Super Bowl. Manning threw for 3 TDs and no picks against the best passing defense in the league.
Hero:  Manning, Tim Jennings, and Eric Foster.  Foster made back to back plays on the goal line to stone the Steelers on 3rd/4th and goal from the 1.  Jennings late pick of Roethlisberger was a big time play and gave the Colts the ball down three.  Finally, Manning played a brilliant game against a brutal defense.
Factoid: This was the first Colts win in Pittsburgh in 40 years.  To pull it off, the Colts had to: 1. Out rush the Steelers  2. Come up with a goal line stand. 3. Overcome a 10 point deficit.  This was one of the most unlikely wins of all time.

12. At Minnesota 2008  Colts 18 Vikings 15
Fighting a battered psyche following an opening game home lose to the Bears and a rash of injuries on both sides of the ball, Indy found itself down 15-0 late in the third quarter on the road to Minnesota.  At this point, Peyton Manning connected with Anthony Gonzalez on third and six.  Gonzo scampered 58 yards before leaving Colts fans with their hearts in their throats as he lateraled to Reggie Wayne, who took it to the one yard line.  The short TD run and a Manning to Wayne TD followed by a two point conversion by Dominic Rhodes tied the game.  With time winding down, Indy's D for only the second time all day, forced the Vikings into a three and out.  When the Colts got the ball, Manning literally drilled a pass by a Viking defender's ear to Wayne on third and eight.  This play set up Adam Vinatieri's game winning 47 yard FG with 3 seconds left (made all the more nerve wracking for Colts fans, because he had missed earlier from 30 yds).
Hero:  Peyton Manning  This is the kind of game that Manning haters never seem to notice or appreciate.  The Colts couldn't rush the ball at all (19 carries for 25 yards) making them totally one dimensional.  Playing virtually on one leg after missing all of the pre-season with a knee injury, and with Jeff Saturday, Dallas Clark and Tony Ugoh not available, Manning stood up to a relentless Vikings pass rush to help deliver this win.  It is an overused cliché, but 18 really did will this victory.
Factoid:  Being outnumbered roughly 15 to one by Viking fans in the Florida bar I was watching this game at, I wisely kept my mouth shut, even during the Colts frantic comeback.  However, my involuntary scream of "YES" with an accompanying fist pump following the dramatic Manning to Wayne pass, quickly dispersed the despondent purple clad crowd, even before AV's Game winner.
 
Submitted by: Doug England

13.  Buffalo Bills 1988 Colts 17 Bills 14
Going into the last game of the 1988 season, the Colts desperately needed a win and a Cleveland loss to make the playoffs. A quarterback controversy had been brewing all year between Jack Trudeau and Gary Hogeboom, and in the last game of the season, one faction had its revenge. With the Colts trailing 14-3 in the fourth quarter, Trudeau got hurt and Hogeboom replaced him. He threw two touchdown passes to seal up a comeback win. Simultaneously, Houston was beating Cleveland in Cleveland 23-7. The playoffs seemed assured. Unfortunately, as we filed out of the dome the crowd was informed that the Oilers had collapsed and Cleveland won 28-23 scoring the last 21 points of the game. We were all depressed, but the game itself was great.
Hero: Gary Hogeboom. His late game drives gave the Colts a chance.
Factoid: My dad claimed this was the only time in his life that he rooted for a player to get injured. Starting in the 3rd quarter, he shouted "get hurt! Get hurt!" every time Trudeau dropped back to pass. He claimed an injury was our only chance. He was right.

14 At Miami Dolphins 1995  Colts 27 Dolphins 24 (OT)
A Captain Comeback classic, the Colts trailed 24-3 at the half.  Harbaugh rallied the team with three second half touchdown passes (two in the fourth quarter).  He hit Aaron Bailey with 1:17 to play to tie the game and force the OT. The Colts roared back to steal the win in OT on a chip shot by Blanchard.  Still looking for more info on this game.
Hero:  Harbaugh.  He won the starting job with a similar miracle comeback a couple of weeks before against the Jets, and quickly established himself as the leader of the team with this clutch win.
Factoid: Blanchard hit his second GW FG of the season.  He would hit another the next week, and total four different game winners on the season.

15.  Washington Redskins 1990 Colts 35 Redskins 28
This game was played on a Saturday night, three days before Christmas, because Christmas Eve was a Monday. In Jeff George's Rookie year, the Colts had a rough back and fourth game with the Skins.  The Colts took an early lead, but Washington closed the gap thanks to two long field goals by Chip Lohmiller; the second was a 56 yarder as the half expired that clanged off the crossbar and went through.  The Skins opened a 25-14 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Colts roared back on the strength of 21 points in the fourth.  Jeff George started the rally with two TD passes sandwiched around a FG for Washington.  Then, with just minutes remaining and the score tied, Alan Grant picked off a Mark Rypien pass taking it 25 yards for the game winning TD.
Hero:  George. The rookie had 252 yards and 3 TDs to move the Colts to 7-8 on the year, and keep hopes of a .500 rookie season alive.
Factoid:  The Colts passed out weird masks of the MNF announcers.  This was meant to mimic the prank they pulled during the Halloween Massacre.  Instead it just came out creepy as I was given a Dan Dierdorf mask, with dog ears and an elf hat. It made absolutely no sense.  This game made the list especially because at 14 years old, I declared it to be the best game I had ever seen live.

16.  At San Diego 2008  Colts 23 Chargers 20
The Colts season had already begun to turn the corner thanks to hard fought wins in the previous three weeks, but few wins in 2008 were as difficult or dramatic as the Sunday night game against the Chargers. The Colts had built a modest cushion of 20-10, but the defense flagged late and the Chargers came back. With time running out, and overtime a near certainty, Manning rallied the Colts for a final drive. Taking the ball with just 1:26 on the clock, 18 positioned the Horse at the San Diego 48 with :26 seconds left. Facing a fourth and 1, Tony Dungy went for it, and 18 hooked up with 88 who broke free down to the San Diego 34. Adam Vinatieri got redemption for missing a game winner the year before and drilled the 51 figgie to give Indy a huge win.
Hero:  Robert Mathis, Dungy, Vinatieri.  With the Chargers driving early in the second half, Mathis had a brilliant sack strip of Rivers to change the momentum of the game.  Dungy deserves credit for his ballsy fourth down attempt, and finally Adam Vinatieri drained the game winner.
Factoid:  The officials almost blew the game.  With 26 seconds left, the clock was temporarily stopped for a measurement.  Dungy's decision to go for it hinged on the officials running the clock (per the rules) once the ball was spotted.  That would have forced Norv Turner to call a time out, or give the Colts a chance to run a play with only about :10 on the clock (and a time out).  A running clock greatly reduced the risk to the Colts of giving the ball back to the Chargers with time for them to throw for a FG.  Instead, the officials mistakenly didn't wind the clock, and Manning snapped the ball with :26 instead of :10 left.  Fortunately, he hit Harrison for a huge first down, and they quick snapped Addai for a yard before stopping the clock in time for AV to hit the FG.  

17. San Francisco 49ers 1995 Colts 18 49ers 17
 The defending champion 49ers came to down, and showed little respect for the Colts.  Leading 7-6 late in the first half, the 49ers eschewed a field goal that would have put them up 4 points at the half.  Instead, the Colts stopped the fourth down play, and ensured that a back and fourth game would ensue.  The Colts gave up the lead on a 51 yard field goal, but Captain Comeback, Jim Harbaugh was just coming into his own.  He drove the Colts downfield, where Carey Blanchard buried a 41 yard field goal.  The 49ers had a chance to win the game with 41 seconds left, but Doug Brien missed a 46 yarder, and the Colts hung on. "HE MISSED IT! HE MISSED IT! HE MISSED IT! HE MISSED IT!" was the call from Bob Lamey.
Hero:  Blanchard.  He hit four field goals and propelled the Colts to huge upset win.
Factoid: The Colts had 6 sacks in the game, including two by one of the most hated Colts ever, Trev Alberts.  This would mark the first of three straight years in which the Colts would knock off the defending Super Bowl champion.

18.  At New York Jets 2006 Colts 31 Jets 28

Riding high after conquering the "Manning Bowl" and two division opponents, the Colts headed to the Meadowlands to face Chad Pennington and the Jets. A promising 7-0 start was soon wasted as the Jets rode a rare onside kick and the Colts' horrific run defense to a 21-17 lead with 7:55 remaining in the game. Then, as he often does, Peyton Manning took over the game with a spectacular 12 play, 68 yard drive that was so efficient that it only required two 3rd down conversions; a 10 yard pass to Dallas Clark on 3rd and 6 from the Colts' 48 and a 2 yard TD pass to lesser-known Colt Bryan Fletcher. The Colts led 24-21 with 2:34 remaining and victory seemed assured. Then, as often happened in 2006, the special teams royally screwed up. The one good kickoff that day by Martin Gramatica was returned 103 yards for a touchdown by Justin Miller. Just seconds after leading his team 68 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, 18 had to do it again. No problem. Peyton delivered again with an equally impressive 61 yard drive that included a sick 19 yard pass to Marvin on 3rd and 6 that Peyton threaded after avoiding the rush, starting to run, and then somehow seeing 88 get open at the sideline during all of this. Peyton then finished the drive by running it in himself from the 1 yard line and put an exclamation mark on it by getting up and spiking the ball in a rare show of pure emotion. The Jets' last gasp with 8 seconds left proved futile as their multi-lateral final play finally ended near the Colts 30 with Jason David intercepting one of the laterals.  

Hero: Peyton Manning. When the pressure was on him the most, Manning was at his best, completing 11/14 passes for 96 yards over the final 2 drives as he single-handedly willed his team to victory...twice.

Factoid: This was Reggie Wayne's first game after his brother, Rashad, was killed in a traffic accident. Dungy and the team told Reggie that he didn't have to play in the Jets game, that he could come back when he was ready, but Reggie was adamant that playing and helping out his teammates was what his brother would want him to do. His numbers during the game were modest (4 catches for 74 yards), but the courage he showed playing in a football game a little less than a week after was brother died was admirable.

Submitted by Cass

Honorable Mention
At Jacksonville Colts 31 Jags 24
Peyton plays a perfect game, and seals up the MVP award on quasi-national TV.  Garrard throws a late pick 6, and the Colts complete a 14 point comeback.

At Miami 1992 Colts 31 Dolphins 20
A back and forth game ends on Steve Entman's 90 yard Int return to end the game.  Dan Marino was driving for the winning score when the rookie #1 pick took it the distance to seal the game.

Have another game in mind or a memory of one of these? Send your comments to: 18to88@gmail.com ]]> http://18to88.com/2009/06/the-ten-best-indianapolis-colts-games-of-all-time.html http://18to88.com/2009/06/the-ten-best-indianapolis-colts-games-of-all-time.html Fixtures Greatest Games Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts NFL Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:30:00 -0500 Now Playing Exclusively on "Stone Cold Sports"

]]> http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/06/now-playing-exclusively-on-stone-cold-sports.html http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/06/now-playing-exclusively-on-stone-cold-sports.html Now Playing on "Stone Cold Sports" 0-16 49ers 76ers a's agent al amateur American Anaheim andy angeles angels announcers Antonio Arizona association Astros athletics Atlanta audio auto avalanche back bad Baltimore baseball basketball bay bears Bengals Berliner bettman bills blackhawks blazers blog blue blues bobcats boston braves brewers broadcasting broncos browns bruins buccaneers bucks buffalo bullet bulls Calgary calls Canadian canadiens canucks cap.agent capitals car cardinals cards Carolina cavaliers cbc Celtics center central championship chargers charlotte Chicago chiefs Cincinnati city Cleveland clippers coach cold college Colorado colts Columbus commissioner company conference contract corner cornerback court cowboys coyotes cubs cup dallas david davis day deals defensive Denver Detroit devils diamondbacks diego dodgers dolphins down draft ducks eagles east eastern ed Edmonton end England espn extension falcons fantasy flames florida flyers football forward foul Francisco free fsv fullback gary giants golden golf good goodell grading green group guard hard hardcourt hawks head heat hockey Houston hurricanes Indiana Indianapolis Indians indy is islanders it jackets Jacksonville jaguars Jason jays jazz jersey jets jose Kansas kicker kings knicks la la.los.angeles lakers leafs league leagues left lightning like linebacker lions los louis lpga magic major manager maple mariners marlins matt mavericks media Memphis mens mets Miami mighty millen Milwaukee Minnesota minnesots mlb montreal most motorsports mvn nascar Nashville national nationals nba ncaa negotiations nets network new nfl nhl nig northwest nuggets ny Oakland oilers Oklahoma orioles Orlando Orleans Ottawa pacers pacific packers padres panthers patriots penguins peters pga Philadelphia Phillies phoenix pirates pistons Pittsburgh placekicker playoffs point Portland post predators professional punter quarterback racing raiders rams rangers raptors rating ravens rays receiver red redbirds reds redskins ref referee reid restricted right rock rockets rockies roger rookie roster roundball royals running sabers sacramento safety saint saints salary san seahawks season seattle senators sharks shooting side small soccer southeast southwest sox special speeding sports st. st.louis Stanley stars state steelers stern stone strong suns swap tackle tampa teams technical telling Tennessee Texans texas thrashers thunder tigers tight timberwolves titans Toronto trades trail tv twins unrestricted up utah valuable Vancouver ventures versus Video Vikings warriors Washington weak west western westner whistle white wide wild wings winless wizards womens wood Yankees york Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:49:37 -0500 Dave Zirin: NFL Using New Orleans for Super Bowl Profit

]]> http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/06/dave-zirin-nfl-using-new-orleans-for-super-bowl-profit.html http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/06/dave-zirin-nfl-using-new-orleans-for-super-bowl-profit.html DAVE ZIRIN "The Edge of Sports" NFL 0-16 49ers agent al andy Arizona Atlanta audio back Baltimore bay bears Bengals Berliner bills broncos browns buccaneers buffalo bullet cap.agent cardinals Carolina center chargers Chicago chiefs Cincinnati city Cleveland coach cold colts commissioner conference contract corner cornerback cowboys dallas dave davis day deals defensive Denver Detroit diego dolphins down eagles eastern ed end England extension falcons football Francisco free fullback game giants goodell grading green group guard head Houston hurricane Indianapolis Jacksonville jaguars Jason jets Kansas Katrina kicker last league left linebacker lions Louisiana matt media Miami millen Minnesota most mvn national negotiations network new nfl Oakland Orleans packers panthers patriots peters Philadelphia Pittsburgh placekicker playoffs profit punter quarterback raiders rams rating ravens receiver redskins reid restricted right roger rookie running safety saints salary san seahawks seattle side special speeding sports st.louis steelers stone strong superdome swap tackle tampa teams Tennessee Texans tight titans trades unrestricted up valuable video Vikings Washington weak western wide winless york zirin Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:01:45 -0500 NFL Crystal Ball: Texans, finally, will head to Postseason
Yes, the 2009 Houston Texans are that good.  I'm not willing to predict that they will win the AFC South next year, only that I expect them to be right in the mix at the end of it.  I am predicting that the Texans will make the playoffs next year.

Undoubtedly, the team enters the season with more upside--a higher ceiling, so to speak--than any other team in the division.  Of course, that was true of the Texans the last two seasons, and they never quite reached their ultimate potential.  By 2008, they had become the dreaded trendy media darlings, not unlike the Dolphins in 06, the Cards in 05, or the Cowboys in 07.  And they responded with an incredibly disappointing 0-4 start, although, in hindsight those losses (Steelers, Titans, Colts, Jaguars) do not look as bad.

The effects of Hurricane Ike certainly affected the Texans early on in the year.  Certainly, they were too talented to be 0-4, even against a brutal schedule, and to begin 0-3 in their division.  But things may have been different if their bye week hadn't been moved up to Week 2, and the team displaced from it's normal practice schedule.  Not to make excuses for poor play, but just to point out that these things can ruin a season before it gets started.

Then there's the obvious fact that the team will be even better this year.  The offense has been superlative-worthy.  The Texans gambled on QB Matt Schaub in 2007 just two months before the Vick-Dog Fighting scandal broke.  Some analysts speculated that the Texans overpaid for an unproven quarterback at the time, but in hindsight, it's clear that Schaub would not have been available if they had waited.  Schaub had limited NFL action at the time of the deal, but he had already taken the Falcons offense to heights that Michael Vick could not reach in his three years with the team.  He accomplished this spread over the three years he was with the Falcons, and combined with a solid collegiate career and fourth round draft status, that mitigated a lot of the risk to the Texans.  Two years later, it appears Houston got the best of that deal.

The offense in place around him is excellent, particularly the receivers: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, David Anderson, and Owen Daniels.  RB Steve Slaton is a young top prospect in the game, although I worry about the Texans abusing his workload, if a suitable No. 2 does not develop.  The offensive line is the best, and deepest it has ever been since the Texans have existed, and it's built around RT Eric Winston.  And that's just one side of the ball.

The defense has been the achillies heel of the Texans since people started predicting them to win the division back in 2004.  Every year, their inability to keep their opponents out of the end zone results in wasted seasons.  But, for the first time, the talent that they have accumulated on defense appears to have matured.  The defensive discussion begins with two names: DE Mario Williams, and CB Dunta Robinson.  They are the superstars here.  Williams has recognition around the league (2 pro bowls in his three seasons) as one of the best pass rushers in the game, but the Texans have truly put their money where their mouth is on Robinson, slapping the Franchise tag on him despite an ACL injury in 2007 that compromised his 2008 season.  With those two at full strength, you'd be foolish to expect teh same old Texans defense.  But the rest of the group will determine how far this team will go in the playoffs.

DT Amobi Okoye, the 10th pick in the 2007 draft, is entering his age-22 season.  He's been around long enough where most scouts expect the young kid to have a break out performance this season. MLB Demeco Ryans has been the steadying force in the Texans defense since 2006, and free agent acquisition DE Antonio Smith seems like the perfect compliment to Williams, and instantly fixes the team's biggest defensive hole in the front seven.  The depth they have in the secondary is something to write home about, as plenty of resources have gone into improving that position over the last three years.  Rookie LB Brian Cushing was taken to be the final piece to a puzzle, a game-ready linebacker from USC who's hard-hitting attitude embodies the type of defense the Texans want to be.

There are concerns about the viability of the safety position, and always about Schaub's health, but compared to past years, the concerns appear to be minor.  The difference between an elite team and just a good one might be the breakout of that one, unexpected young talent.  DT Travis Johnson is on his last opportunity with the team, and possibly in the league.  Perhaps he, or last years first round pick LT Duane Brown can be this guy.  For the Texans, it makes all the difference.

Ultimately, how far the Texans go depends a lot on teams like the Colts and the Titans.  If they set the bar high at 12 wins in the AFC South, I think the Texans will likely have to settle for a wild card.  If the bar is set at 9 or 10 wins, I think this team is plenty good to take the AFC South.  Either way, 2009 should be the first trip to the NFL postseason for the no-longer-fledgling Houston Texans.
]]> http://mvn.com/outsider/2009/05/nfl-crystal-ball-texans-finally-will-head-to-postseason.html http://mvn.com/outsider/2009/05/nfl-crystal-ball-texans-finally-will-head-to-postseason.html NFL Houston Texans Predictions Fri, 29 May 2009 12:40:00 -0500 Jonah Freedman: NFL Best & Worst Owners

]]> http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/05/jonah-freedman-nfl-best-worst-owners.html http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/05/jonah-freedman-nfl-best-worst-owners.html NFL Sports Illustrated "Best & Worst Owners 2009" 0-16 2009 49ers agent al analyst andy Arizona Armando Atlanta audio back Baltimore bay bears beat Bengals Berliner bills broadcast broncos browns buccaneers buffalo bullet cap.agent cardinals Carolina center chargers Chicago chiefs choosing Cincinnati city Cleveland coach cold collegiate athletic association colts columnist commissioner contract corner cornerback cowboys dallas davis day deals defensive Denver Detroit diego dolphins down draft eagles ed end England espn extension falcons fanatics fans fifth first football fourth Francisco free freedman fullback giants goodell grading green group guard head herald high Houston illustrated Indianapolis Jacksonville jaguars Jason jets jonah Kansas kicker kiper league left linebacker lions magazine matt media mel Miami millen Minnesota most mvn national ncaa negotiations network new nfl Oakland Orleans packers panthers patriots peters Philadelphia picks Pittsburgh placekicker player presentation publication punter quarterback raiders rams rating ravens receiver redskins reid reporter restricted right roger rookie round running safety saints salary salguero san school seahawks seattle second selection side site sixth special speeding sports st.louis steelers stone strong Sunday swap tackle tampa teams Tennessee Texans third tight titans trades trophy unrestricted up valuable video Vikings Washington weak web wide winless writer york Thu, 21 May 2009 23:49:01 -0500 NFL Top 10: Breakout Candidates in 2009
1) Have access to inside information that the rest of your league does not have,

2) Search to acquire players that are undervalued by the rest of the league, or

3) Draft players with high upside who are likely to "break out" during the next season.

The final strategy would be considered the most dangerous.  Our MVN Outsider fantasy experts will vouch for this: if you load up your roster with high-upside unproven talent, you risk having a bottom of the barrel fantasy team if your players underachieve your expectations for them.

NFL Owners and General Managers have similar interests in identifying breakout candidates.  Obviously, trading is not as prevalent in the NFL as it is in, say, Major League Baseball, but the NFL is a league predicated on having talent.  Where is the talent going to come from?  Is it in house, or does it need to be brought into the franchise from the outside?  It's always expensive to try to acquire talent, but a breakout candidate can make a team a serious contender with simple coaching and proper handling of the talent.  Mishandling can stunt the development of young players, and set a team back.

I'm going to omit offensive lineman from this list because of the inherent difficulty that comes with measuring a breakout absent statistics.  I will also not put any rookies on this list, for obvious reasons.

So with that disclaimer out there, NFL Outsider takes this look at the NFL's top breakout candidates in 2009.

10.  Matt Leinart, QB, Cardinals
Leinart is an interesting selection to breakout because he's not even expected to start at Quarterback for the Cardinals in 2009.  But one glance at Kurt Warner's birthdate shows that it's very likely that Matt Leinart will find himself behind Center for the Cardinals at some point next season.  Looking at the offense around him, I have a hard time seeing him ever reliquishing the position.  So whether he earns the job by outplaying Warner in a platoon that Ken Whisenhunt might use, or by injury, I think Leinart's outstanding work as Arizona's starting QB begins when he first hits the field this year.

9.  Keith Rivers, LB, Bengals
Rivers fractured his pelvis in October after he was blindsided by Steelers WR Hines Ward on a devistating block, but he had been so good in only a handful of games that he finished second in the defensive rookie of the year voting.  Under defensive coordinator Don Zimmer, the Bengals made their first real jump forward defensively in the Marvin Lewis era, and Rivers will be the key piece for further development of the unit.

8.  Leodis McKelvin, CB, Bills
McKelvin has already proven himself to be quite an athlete for the Bills, but if you are looking at a player who might all of a sudden be at the top of the league in interceptions, it's McKelvin who will have the right blend of oppertunity and skills to record 6 or 7 picks this year.  It doesn't hurt that he's a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the football.

7.  DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles
DeSean Jackson garnered plenty of media coverage last season for a rookie second round draft pick, and not always for the best reasons.  One of the reasons I feel that Jeremy Maclin doesn't have a clear path to the starting lineup is his skill set is very similar to that of Jackson, and I think Jackson is on the verge of being a number one receiver in the NFL.  I think the biggest difference between Maclin and Jackson is that Jackson can run every route an NFL receiver needs to run, and that's also why I believe he'll arrive sooner rather than later.

6.  Matt Schaub, QB, Texans
Schaub's breakout isn't as contingent on him improving as a quarterback as much as it is about staying on the field and leading the Texans to the playoffs.  Schaub has the pieces in place, and he clearly has the game, and 2009 will be the year that it all comes together for him.

5.  Miles Austin, WR, Cowboys
I think it's safe to say that Terrell Owens wasn't released so that Patrick Crayton could get more reps.  The trade for Roy Williams isn't going to net a number one receiver, but the release of Owens just might.  That's because while Williams is a known quantity in the NFL, it's Austin who rocks all the potential to improve the Dallas passing offense this year.  He's got the skill set of a number one receiver, a mix between Greg Jennings and Lavarneus Coles.

4.  Jerious Norwood, RB, Falcons
Norwood is a yard per carry beast, but his carries in three years in the league have been limited, first by Warrick Dunn, and now by Michael Turner.  But Turner led the NFL in carries last year, and probably can't be used again in the same manner.  What that means is that Norwood will be a more integral part of Matt Ryan's offensive unit, and possibly could supplant Michael Turner as the starter.  Scouts have expressed concerns about his ability to handle a full time workload, which is fine since Turner is there, but the Falcons need to use Norwood less in kick returns and more as a featured back this year.

3.  Lawrence Timmons, LB, Steelers
The Steelers released veteran LB Larry Foote because they just couldn't justify stashing Timmons away on the bench for a third season.  The Steelers think that he can be better than James Harrison.  Harrison may end up being a one year wonder, relatively speaking, but Timmons was a first round draft pick who hasn't disappointed in practice.  He was reportedly a bit slow to pick up the complicated defense, but he's every bit as skilled as he was on draft day, and takes his act to the field this season.

2.  Pierre Thomas, RB, Saints
No one player in the NFL benefitted more from the NFL draft than the formerly undrafted Pierre Thomas, when his team the Saints did not draft a running back.  He's earned it though.  Thomas is now for all intents and purposes a starting running back in the NFL because the Saints love him.  He figures to get more carries than fourth year back Reggie Bush, who has been best used as a receiver anyway.  Thomas can go between the tackles, around the ends, and next year, don't be surprised if he heads to the end zone 8+ times in 2009.

1.  Jason Campbell, QB, Redskins
Some have questioned the effectiveness of Campbell's delivery in terms of being able to adjust to the west coast offense, but no one can question his mental makeup and character.  The Redskins attempted to directly replace him with Jay Cutler once, and then draft his successor in Mark Sanchez.  Well, now that Campbell can go to sleep at night knowing that his successor isn't on the roster, look for his gradually increasing statistics to turn into a great leap into the top ten QBs this year.  Campbell has only improved his fundamentals since coming into the league, and as they say, hard work pays off in the end.  Campbell's hard work and dedication to his team could result in a monster statistical season, and a playoff birth.  Then he can stay or leave on his own terms.
]]> http://mvn.com/outsider/2009/05/nfl-top-10-breakout-candidates-in-2009.html http://mvn.com/outsider/2009/05/nfl-top-10-breakout-candidates-in-2009.html NFL Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Buffalo Bills Cincinnati Bengals Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Houston Texans Jason Campbell New Orleans Saints NFL Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers Washington Redskins Mon, 04 May 2009 21:05:11 -0500 2009 NFL Draft Recap Show - Grades of All 32 Teams NFLDraft101.com's Chris Maier and Dan Wernery recap the 2009 NFL Draft in this special 2 hour NFL Draft recap edition of the Blitz.

During the show we discuss the big stories from the draft including the Mark Sanchez Trade and the ESPN and NFLN Draft coverage.  We then breakdown the drafts of all 32 teams (division by division) and give our grades.

At the end we recap with our Winners and Losers.

Show Timeline:
Stories of the Draft: 0:00
AFC Draft Recap and Grades: 18:20
NFC Draft Recap and Grades: 68:35

Lastly, after four years and 150+ shows The Blitz is going to take a vacation for the summer to recharge our batteries and reformat the show.  It has been great talking with our fans during the past 4 seasons and we look forward to re-launching a show in the fall. 

Feel free to send any questions or comments to me at cmaier@nfldraft101.com.
]]> http://mvn.com/theblitz/2009/05/2009-nfl-draft-recap-show---grades-of-all-32-teams.html http://mvn.com/theblitz/2009/05/2009-nfl-draft-recap-show---grades-of-all-32-teams.html 2009 NFL Draft NFL Draft NFL Podcast 2009 NFL Draft Audio Cincinnati Bengals Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Houston Texans Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New York Giants New York Jets NFL NFL Draft NFL Podcast Oakland Raiders Pittsburgh Steelers Seattle Seahawks St. Louis Rams Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Mon, 04 May 2009 16:51:20 +0000 Eyeing the opposition: The Texans' draft from a Titans perspective 2008 record: 8-8
 
Needs: OLB, RB, CB, WR
 
2009 top draft picks:
Rd 1 - OLB Brian Cushing
Rd 2 - DE Connor Barwin
Rd 3 - OL Antoine Caldwell
Rd 4 - CB Glover Quin, TE Anthony Hill
 
Despite not filling two positions of need, the Texans appear to have the best draft in the AFC South, getting good value while filling some other needs, Well-respected draft guru Rick Gosselin gave them his only A+ in his rating of all 32 NFL teams. It bodes well for Texans fans, who may soon see a franchise-first winning season.
]]> http://mvn.com/totaltitans/2009/05/eyeing-the-opposition-the-texans-draft-from-a-titans-perspective.html http://mvn.com/totaltitans/2009/05/eyeing-the-opposition-the-texans-draft-from-a-titans-perspective.html 2009 Draft Alex Gibbs Anthony Hill Antoine Caldwell Brian Cushing Connor Barwin DeMeco Ryans Gary Kubiak Glover Quin Houston Texans Mario Williams Rick Smith Tennessee Titans Titans Sat, 02 May 2009 15:00:19 -0600 Five Questions: Talking Draft Winners, Heyward-Bey, Stafford and More Who emerged from last weekend as a "winner" of the NFL Draft?  Which first round quarterback (Stafford, Sanchez, Freeman) will have the best career in the NFL?  And what on earth were the Oakland Raiders thinking?  The NFL Draft left behind a plethora of unanswered questions, so to talk more about the weekend in football, we sat down with NFL blogger Reid Kerr of NFL Examiner, who was tracking the draft every step of the way with his Official Unofficial 2009 NFL Draft Timeline.  Here's what Reid had to say about the draft in the latest installment of NFL Outsider's "Five Questions" series:

1. Give us a team and a player that you think have emerged from the weekend as "draft winners."

Both of my main winners came through predraft trades. I think the Falcons adding Tony Gonzalez for a second round pick was a great move. The Eagles had a nice combo of adding Jason Peters, then getting some excitement from some skill position guys with Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy. As far as their picks, the Texans had a good solid draft, if unspectacular.

2. Do you see any conceivable explanation for why the Raiders opted for Heyward-Bey over Crabtree, or was that simply one of those befuddling Al Davis moments not worth trying to rationalize?

Al Davis is absolutely enamored with speed. He doesn't seem to factor in anything else, such as stats, colleges, or positions. If there's a punter in next year's draft who runs a 4.2, Davis would draft him in the first round. And judging from the way his drafts go, Davis would probably be picking him first overall.
 
3. Aside from the selection of Heyward-Bey, give us another decision in the first round that you view as questionable.

It's pretty funny that you put it in a way that just casually acknowledges that everyone thinks Al Davis's draft was insane. Barring the Cowboys not having a first-round pick in the Roy Williams trade, the big first-round disappointment for me was seeing Denver pick Knowshon Moreno after signing three running backs in the offseason. They had big defensive needs and didn't manage their early picks well. Trading Jay Cutler will hang over this team all season until either the draft picks turn out, or there's another management change.
 
4. Did the Lions make the right call by selecting Stafford with the first overall pick?

No. I'd go so far as to say that the Lions didn't help themselves in 2009 at all on the first day. Long term, maybe, although I still don't see Stafford as the miracle second coming of Bobby Layne. Detroit had a lot of needs, and I just don't see their three Saturday picks as having too much effect on getting them back from 0-16. When you're that bad, you need tentpole guys, and they just didn't get them.
 
5. And on that note, which first-round quarterback do you think will have the most success among Stafford, Freeman and Sanchez?

Sanchez, definitely. The Jets have quality players who can protect him while he's learning. He hasn't had a ton of starts, but he's played in LA. He's mature enough to handle the media and pressure, and he'll be in the right situation.

Thanks to Reid of NFL Examiner for taking part in NFL Outsider's "Five Questions" series! ]]> http://mvn.com/outsider/2009/04/five-questions-talking-draft-winners-heyward-bey-stafford-and-more.html http://mvn.com/outsider/2009/04/five-questions-talking-draft-winners-heyward-bey-stafford-and-more.html NFL Atlanta Falcons Detroit Lions Houston Texans New York Jets NFL NFL Draft Oakland Raiders Philadelphia Eagles Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:51:29 -0500 Dan Shonka: Stafford & Sanchez Going in Very Different Directions

]]> http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/04/dan-shonka-stafford-sanchez-going-in-very-different-directions.html http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/04/dan-shonka-stafford-sanchez-going-in-very-different-directions.html NFL OURLADS NFL Draft/Depth Chart Analysis 0-16 2009 49ers agent al analyst andy Arizona Armando Atlanta audio back Baltimore bay bears beat Bengals Berliner bills broadcast broncos browns buccaneers buffalo bulldogs bullet cap.agent cardinals Carolina center chargers Chicago chiefs choosing Cincinnati city Cleveland coach cold collegiate athletic association colts columnist commissioner contract corner cornerback cowboys dallas davis day deals defensive Denver Detroit diego dolphins down draft eagles ed end England espn extension falcons fanatics fans fifth first football fourth Francisco free fullback georgia giants goodell grading green group guard head herald high Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville jaguars Jason jets Kansas kicker kipper league left linebacker lions mark sanchez matt matthew stafford media mel Miami millen Minnesota most mvn national ncaa negotiations network new nfl Oakland Orleans packers panthers patriots peters Philadelphia picks Pittsburgh placekicker player presentation punter quarterback raiders rams rating ravens receiver redskins reid reporter restricted right roger rookie round running safety saints salary salguero san school seahawks seattle second selection side site sixth southern cal special speeding sports st.louis steelers stone strong Sunday swap tackle tampa teams Tennessee Texans third tight titans trades trojans trophy unrestricted up valuable video Vikings Washington weak web wide winless york Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:28:30 -0500 Dan Shonka: Draft Proves How Pathetic Raiders Really Are

]]> http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/04/dan-shonka-draft-proves-how-pathetic-raiders-really-are.html http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/04/dan-shonka-draft-proves-how-pathetic-raiders-really-are.html NFL OURLADS NFL Draft/Depth Chart Analysis 0-16 2009 49ers agent al analyst andy Arizona Armando Atlanta audio back Baltimore bay bears beat Bengals Berliner bills broadcast broncos browns buccaneers buffalo bullet cap.agent cardinals Carolina center chargers Chicago chiefs choosing Cincinnati city Cleveland coach cold collegiate athletic association colts columnist commissioner contract corner cornerback cowboys dallas dan shonka davis day deals defensive Denver Detroit diego dolphins down draft eagles ed end England espn extension falcons fanatics fans fifth first football fourth Francisco free fullback giants goodell grading green group guard head herald high Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville jaguars Jason jets Kansas kicker kipper league left linebacker lions matt media mel Miami millen Minnesota most mvn national ncaa negotiations network new nfl Oakland Orleans ourlads packers panthers patriots peters Philadelphia picks Pittsburgh placekicker player presentation punter quarterback raiders rams rating ravens receiver redskins reid reporter restricted right roger rookie round running safety saints salary salguero san school seahawks seattle second selection side site sixth special speeding sports st.louis steelers stone strong Sunday swap tackle tampa teams Tennessee Texans third tight titans trades trophy unrestricted up valuable video Vikings Washington weak web wide winless york Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:20:37 -0500 Dan Shonka: Big Winners from the 2009 Draft

]]> http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/04/dan-shonka-big-winners-from-the-2009-draft.html http://stonecoldsports.com/2009/04/dan-shonka-big-winners-from-the-2009-draft.html NFL OURLADS NFL Draft/Depth Chart Analysis 0-16 2009 49ers agent al analyst andy Arizona Armando Atlanta audio back Baltimore bay bears beat Bengals Berliner bills broadcast broncos browns buccaneers buffalo bullet cap.agent cardinals Carolina center chargers Chicago chiefs choosing Cincinnati city Cleveland coach cold collegiate athletic association colts columnist commissioner contract corner cornerback cowboys dallas dan shonka davis day deals defensive Denver Detroit diego dolphins down draft eagles ed end England espn extension falcons fanatics fans fifth first football fourth Francisco free fullback giants goodell grading green group guard head herald high Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville jaguars Jason jets Kansas kicker kipper league left linebacker lions matt media mel Miami millen Minnesota most mvn national ncaa negotiations network new nfl Oakland Orleans ourlads packers panthers patriots peters Philadelphia picks Pittsburgh placekicker player presentation punter quarterback raiders rams rating ravens receiver redskins reid reporter restricted right roger rookie round running safety saints salary salguero san school seahawks seattle second selection side site sixth special speeding sports st.louis steelers stone strong Sunday swap tackle tampa teams Tennessee Texans third tight titans trades trophy unrestricted up valuable video Vikings Washington weak web wide winless york Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:10:10 -0500