Merry Christmas Eve and happy Week 16 in the NFL! I was under the impression that this was the last week of the regular season, but as luck would have it, there is one more so I will save my retrospective post on how far we have come for next week. This week it is all about who is in and who is out and as much as that may sound just like something Heidi Klum might say I was hard pressed to find one runway or sassy designer on my TV this past Sunday...sometimes things sound the same but aren't the same at all. In fact, I only wish trying to figure out who was in and out of the playoffs was as easy as Michael Kors saying yes or no. Instead we are dealing with math and the combinations of so many scenarios that make me want to bury my head in my pillow. Anyone who thinks that guys who are into sports are dumb is unbelievably wrong. It takes an very sharp analytical brain to figure this mess out. Those of you who know me know that anything to do with analytics, statistics, or anything else in the neighborhood basically drives me to drink, so here is my very dumbed down run down of who is in and who is out. On a side note I am thinking of writing to the NFL and suggest they adopt the Project Runway model of selection for next year's playoffs, I think it would make things easier for everyone.
I'm sorry Steelers that means you're out. Auf wiedersehen.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers are out. They were knocked out of playoff contention by the Cincinnati Bengals who kicked a field goal with 4 seconds remaining in the game for the win. Cincinnati sacked Roethlisberger 4 times and Pittsburgh was only able to complete 2 of 14 3rd downs. So the "used-to-be" terrible Bengals are on their way to the post season and the 2-time Super Bowl champ, Ben Roethlisberger, is on his way home to his newborn baby.
- Not only are the Ravens in the playoffs but they are the Champions of the AFC North and they got there by beating the New York Giants 14-33. The Giants still have a chance but losing against the Ravens didn't help their cause. They will need to win next week against the Eagles and then will need some other teams to help them out as well in order to make it to the post-season. Not what you would expect from the defending Super Bowl Champs or a Manning brother. Aside: Apparently Eli's big brother, Peyton Manning, gave his brother some game notes on the Ravens after he played and beat them last week with his team the Broncos. Either Eli didn't listen, or Peyton played a pretty mean Christmas joke on his little brother because Eli looked like he didn't know where he was on Sunday night.
You're in Baltimore, Eli and they are KILLING you!
- The Indianapolis Colts are in and in a big way. Rookie QB, Andrew Luck, broke Cam Newton's rookie passing yards record and led his team to a 20-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Not only do the colts have life in the playoffs but they will take to the field with their head coach, Chuck Pagano, back by their side. Pagano was diagnosed with cancer early in the season and has missed much of the season while undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Pagano is now in remission and you have to think that having their healthy coach back on the sidelines will fuel the Colts' fire going into the playoffs.
- The Seahawks are in as they continue their hot streak of completely killing their opposition. The Seahawks have not lost at home yet this season, and as the rain poured down in Seattle they kept the streak alive with a 13-42 win over the San Francisco 49'ers, who are thought by many to be the best team in the NFL right now. Rookie QB, Russell Wilson, threw for 171 yards and 4 touchdowns. "Impress Him" Fact: Seattle has outscored its last 3 opponents 150-30. That is incredible. If I were an NFC team I would be praying that Seattle does not win home field advantage in the playoffs.
As the Wise Man, Tim McGraw, once said "Bring on the Rain".
- The Miami and Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints both pulled off respectable victories against the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys respectively. But wins by the Bengals and the Vikings put both teams out of playoff contention. The Cowboys HAVE to win their game against the Redskins next week in order to make it to the playoffs.
- The Green Bay Packers are in and with the 49'ers loss may have a chance to win the No. 2 seed in the playoffs with a win over the Minnesota Vikings next week. What's the big deal about being the No. 2 seed? I'm glad you asked. The No. 2 seed gets a bye the first round of the playoffs. And in case you were wondering, the No. 1 seed gets a bye AND home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
While the AFC is pretty much decided the NFC will be figured out next week. So until then here is wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!
We are a nation in mourning. All of our flags are at half staff and players and coaches in the NFL are writing the names of slain children on their hats, shoes and helmets.I know that there are mixed feelings about whether or not the Sandy Hook Elementary killings should spur a political debate on gun control, but I am sure we all wish that that pyscho wasn't able to get his hands on two guns. What can you do in the face of tragedy but pick yourself up and find a way to move on. If nothing, football provides the briefest respite from an unfathomable act and Week 15 did not disappoint when we needed some entertainment the most.
- The (not so) mighty New York Giants lost 0-34 to the Atlanta Falcons. That's right, Eli Manning and the Giants scored zero points. Nothing. Nada. Goose Egg. Their first shut out since 1996. The Falcons have only lost 2 games all season (tied for the best record in the NFL) but have still not earned the respect they think they deserve. That chip on their shoulder seemed to work in their favor today. Asante Samuel intercepted Eli Manning twice and quarterback, Matt Ryan threw for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns. Not only did the Falcons shut the Giants out but it is the first time they have beat the Giants since 2004. The Falcons now sit on top of the NFC South and will have a bye the first round of the playoffs.
Victor Cruz wrote the name of one of the SHES victims on his shoes
- Rookie QB, Russell Wilson rushed for 3 touchdowns in the Seattle Seahawks 50-17 routing of the Buffalo Bills. This a week after the Seahawks shut out the Arizona Cardinals 58-0. Russell Wilson may have played 3rd fiddle to fellow rookie QBs, RG3 and Andrew Luck. But I think it is safe to say that everyone will be talking about him in the morning.
- While we are on the subject of shutouts the New Orleans Saints had one of their own, shutting out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0-41. The Saints have been the center of a lot of talk this week. Paul Tagliabue, the former commissioner of the NFL, vacated the suspensions of four players. Suspensions that were handed down by current commissioner, Roger Goodell. Tagliabue basically said that players follow the directions of their coaches for fear of getting cut or benched. So the onus of the Bounty Gate scandal falls more on the coaches than it does the players. Needless to say, the Saints felt the slightest bit vindicated this week and it showed. Drew Brees overcame a 2-week rut to throw for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns. "Impress Him" Fact: The Saints still have a snowballs chance in New Orleans of making the playoffs if they win out but all of the other teams will have to lose their last 2 games. Not likely, but stranger things have happened to this team this year including their first shut-out game since 1995.
- Unfortunately for Jay Cutler, Clay Matthews was back on defense for the Green Bay Packers after missing 4 games due to a hamstring injury. You may remember that when these 2 teams met earlier this season Clay Matthews sacked Jay Cutler 3.5 times so I am guessing that Jay was hoping to catch a little break this time around. No such luck. Clay was back and looking for Jay and found him for 2 sacks in the Packers 21-13 win over NFC North rivals, the Chicago Bears. Aaron Rodgers was looking (and playing) good with 291 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Chicago continues to struggle losing 5 of their last 6 games. The bad news for all of us is that the Bears are in danger of not making the playoffs which means Jay Cutler will have extra time on his hands to make more babies with Kristen Cavallari, and no one wants that. "Impress Him" Fact: Want to really turn some heads? Tell your co-workers/husband/boyfriend that the Bears just don't have any play-makers beyond Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall. On another note I just tried to google images of Jay Cutler with Kristen and his baby and there are none. There aren't even any of just him and the baby. Is Jay Cutler a dead beat dad? Incidentally, there are several pictures of Jay Cutler's head on a poor baby's body and also several of him with a pacifier in his mouth...if that tells you anything.
I don't know where Jay is, but please don't fumble that baby
- You have to give the Dallas Cowboys this, they will not go away. In fact, they are tied for 1st place in the NFC East. This team simply refuses to give up as was evident in their overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of course, the Steelers helped out a little. A fumbled kickoff return led to the tie-ing touchdown for the Cowboys. And then Brandon Carr intercepted Roethlisberger's first pass in overtime and ran it 36 yards to the 1st yard line, setting up an easy field goal for Dan Bailey who was happy to play the hero for the second week in a row. The Steelers are one game behind the Cincinnati Bengals for a wild card spot in the playoffs. They face the Bengals in a "must win" game next week.
- Imagine you had all of the ligaments in your knee torn and reconstructed. Now imagine that 9 months later you were running down a field while giant men tried everything in their power to knock you down. And now imagine that none of that mattered because you are some kind of super human and instead of slowing down you are going to have the best season as a running back of your career and possibly of anybody's career if things keep going the way they are going. If you can imagine all of that then you will know what it is like to be Adrian Peterson. In the Minnesota Vikings' game against the St. Louis Rams Peterson ran for a season-best 212 yards giving him 1812 yards for the season...294 yards shy of the single season record set by Eric Dickerson in 1984. Oh and the Vikings beat the Rams 36-22.
- When I played tennis in high school, I always had to play against a girl who I had been playing with since I was 6 years old. I would always be pretty antsy before the match and would start off petty shaky and would get in a hole. Once I was in this hole I would kind of give up because I really liked Marcie and didn't care if she beat me, I was hungry, and I was ready to get home and see what the gang from West Beverly High was up to...oh and I probably had homework or something. And it would be at the moment that I had accepted defeat that I would start playing my best game and the match would drag out for a third set. That seems to be what is happening with the Carolina Panthers the last 2 weeks. Last week they decidedly took out the Atlanta Falcons and this week it was the San Diego Chargers' turn to be humiliated by a team who had only won 4 games coming into Sunday's game. In fact, it was the first time that the Panthers have won consecutive games since last December. Mike Tolbert, a former Charger, had 2 touchdowns against his old team and Cam Newton threw for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Panthers' 31-7 defeat of the San Diego Chargers. Of course, the Panthers are playing for nothing but pride right now but they are playing like the team everyone expected them to be at the beginning of the season. Hopefully, they can remember what worked come September.
This week I thought I would change it up with GQ Cam.
- The San Francisco 49'ers took on the New England Patriots last night in what looked like the most miserable conditions ever...cold, rainy, sleet. Barf. You would think that the Patriots would be used to this kind of weather, but it was the 49'ers who looked right at home. In fact, the Patriots have not lost on their home field in December in a decade. A decade! The 49'ers were up 31-3 when the Patriots decided to make it interesting and come back to tie the game in the 4th quarter. But this was San Francisco's game to win and they clinched the win with a 38 yard touchdown pass from Colin Kaepernick to Michael Crabtree. The 49'ers won 41-34 and are headed to the post season with some good momentum.
That does it for the big news out of Week 15. Remember to hold your little ones tight this week and every week.
Whoever decided to schedule a Downton Abbey marathon on a Sunday when the know I am supposed to be watching football is on my list...the bad one. I know that Public Television is funded by viewers like me but you mean to tell me they couldn't do the marathon today when they know I am off work? Selfish. The good news is that, thanks to carefully observing my husband's technique, I have become a master of the remote control. I am now able to keep up with 3 football games AND the lives of post World War I English aristocrats. It's not easy, but no sacrifice is. Now on to the 14th Sunday of this NFL season.
I am so in love with this show, hopefully someone is donating money to keep it going.
-It was another emotional week in the NFL, this time for the Dallas Cowboys. Early Saturday morning a practice-squad linebacker for the Cowboys, Jerry Brown, dies in a one-car accident. His roommate and best friend, Josh Brent, was driving the car and has been arrested for intoxication manslaughter. Just like the Kansas City Chiefs were playing for much more than a W last week, this week the Cowboys were playing for their own fallen teammate. Dan Bailey kicked a game winning 40-yard field goal as time expired and the Cowboys beat the Cincinnati Bengals 19-20.
- The Panthers may be in last place, but they have not given up. That much was certain when they took on the Atlanta Falcons who are tied for the best record in the NFL with the Houston Texans. I was at the game when these two teams played the first time and the Falcons came back to win the game and I would have said that this game would go much the same way if not worse for the Panthers. But we have all learned over the course of this football season that I really have no idea what I am talking about. Cam Newton was like a man on fire. Not only did he throw for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns, but he also led the team in rushing with 116 rushing yards including one 72-yard run that ended in a somersault into the end-zone. The Panthers won 20-30 and I have another all-to-rare excuse to google images of Cam Newton.
That, my friends, is how you score a touchdown. Nevermind that they are last in the league.
- The Washington Redskins pulled of an overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens. What's more impressive is that they pulled the win off with back-up quarterback, Kirk Cousins, leading the team in place of RG3 who went down with a sprained knee during the last drive of the fourth quarter. "Impress Him" Face: Kirk Cousins is also a rookie who has played in ONE GAME this season. The Redskins were down by 8 points when Cousins threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon and then ran the ball in himself for a 2 point conversion to tie the game and send it into overtime. The Redskins won 28-31 and while RG3 did not tear his ACL, the Redskins are still waiting to see who their starting QB will be next week.
- The Seattle Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals 0-58. I don't really know if I need to say anything else about that.
- It was all about Adrian Peterson when the Minnesota Vikings took on the Chicago Bears. Peterson rushed for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Vikings 14-21 win over the Bears. "Impress Him" Fact: Peterson has 7 straight games with 100+ rushing yards. He has 1600 rushing yards this season with 3 games to play, putting him closer to the goal of a 2000 yard season. Oh and remember that he basically just had his whole knee reconstructed before this season. Man or robot? You decide. The Bears, who were already without linebacker, Brian Urlacher, also lost Jay Cutler in the fourth quarter with a neck injury.
There are your highlights from Sunday #14! There are 2 regular season Sunday's to go and then the Playoffs start and basically everything that happened the 16 weeks before doesn't matter. Of course, Downton Abbey will also have it's season 3 premier during these "playoffs".... so when you make your donation to PBS (I would donate, but my husband hid my credit card) could you please ask them to start playing Downton Abbey on Saturdays, when I don't have anything to do? That would be great.
When I started this blog I promised that the NFL was the best Reality TV there was. Unfortunately it got a little too real this weekend.On Saturday morning Javon Belcher, a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, shot and killed his 22-year old girlfriend. He then drove to Arrowhead Stadium, thanked his head coach, Romeo Crennel and Chiefs' General Manager Scott Pioli, for everything they had done for him and then shot himself in front of them in the stadium parking lot just as the police arrived. To make this story even more tragic, Belcher and his girlfriend were parents to a 3-month old baby girl who is now left without parents. Despite this unthinkable tragedy for the Chiefs, the team collectively decided that it would still play their Sunday afternoon game against the Carolina Panthers. Remember earlier in the season when Ravens' wide receiver, Torrey Smith, lost his brother in a motorcycle accident but still played that night and had one of the best games of his career? Well, the Kansas City Chiefs drew the same kind of strength on Sunday, beating the Panthers 21-27. Not that the Panthers tried to make it easy for them. Cam Newton threw for 232 yards and 3 touchdowns. Chiefs' QB, Brady Quinn, threw for 201 yards and his first 2 touchdown passes in 2 years! After the game Chiefs and Panthers could be seen hugging, crying, and praying together. Even as I type this I am tearing up, not only because what happened on Saturday is such a senseless tragedy that has left a 3-month old an orphan for no reason, but also because there is something about seeing a team pull together in the face of the unthinkable and seeing their opponents offer their love and support. Needless to say this has also fanned the flames of the gun-control debate and Bob Costas was quick to offer his opinions during half time of Sunday Night Football.
A group of Chiefs and Panthers pray together after the game
- On to a less upsetting game, the San Francisco 49'ers against the St. Louis Rams. Leading up to this game it was all about the quarterbacks. You might remember that starting QB for the 49'ers, Alex Smith, was knocked out a game with a concussion. The back-up, Collin Kaepernick, proved to have a "hot hand" and was kept as the starter even after Alex Smith was cleared to play. Kaepernick was the starter again this week against the Rams, a team that the 49'ers tied with a few weeks ago. "Impress Him" Fact: The tie between these 2 teams was the first tie in 4 NFL seasons. It looked like this game was headed for the same result when the teams were still tied up with less than 30 seconds left in overtime until Greg Zuerlin kicked a 54-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining to give the Rams the 16-13 win over the 49'ers. Kaeperick threw for 208 yards, no touchdowns, and also gave up a safety which game the Rams 2 points. But 49'ers Head Coach, Jim Harbaugh is sticking by his new guy and says that Kaepernick will get his 4th straight start next week against the Miami Dolphins. "Impress Him" Fact: Alex Smith has done nothing wrong to lose his starting job, except get a concussion 3 weeks ago. In fact he was leading the NFL with completing 70% of his passes for 1731 yards. Harbaugh is taking a gamble with this switch, and the pressure is on for Kaepernick to get the 49'ers to the playoffs.
- Well the New York Jets won one. But it wasn't with Mark Sanchez, he got benched. And it wasn't with Tim Tebow, he is "hurt". And it wasn't by much, they won against the Arizona Cardinals, 7-6 with 3rd string quarterback, Greg McElroy, playing quarterback. McElroy went in after Sanchez was benched late in the 3rd quarter led the jets down the field for their one and only touchdown early in the fourth. The Jets need to win all of their next games to have a shot in hell of going to the playoffs...maybe ole whats-his-face is the guy to get it done.
- I feel like I haven't talked about the Dallas Cowboys for a few weeks, mostly because I am growing tired of that pitiful look on Tony Romo's face. But last night they faced off against the Philadelphia Eagles and pulled off a much needed 33-38 win. Romo competed 22 of 27 passes for 303 yards and three second-half touchdowns. To add a cherry on top of the win, Romo's 23-yard pass to Dez Bryant broke Troy Aikman's franchise record of 165 touchdown passes. Nick Foles, the QB who replaced Michael Vick for the Philadelphia Eagles threw for 251 yards and a touchdown. But it wasn't enough and the Eagles went on to their 8th straight loss.
word on the street is that these two have been on the outs all season
It's been kind of a rough Week 13, I hope that Kansas City and the families of Javon Belcher and his girlfriend find a way to heal, move forward, and more than anything figure out the best plan for Baby Zoey. From what I can tell about how these teams operate, they will have all the support they need.
Saints fans call themselves "Who Dat Nation". After last night's rematch against the Atlanta Falcons they might want to change their name to "What Happened Nation". You may remember that just a few short weeks ago, the embattled New Orleans Saints handed the Falcons their first loss of the season. A win made much sweeter by the fact that these 2 NFC South rivals HATE each other. The Falcons are in a comfortable position to make it to the playoffs being tied for the best record in the NFL with the Houston Texans. But Drew Brees and the Saints needed this win to even stay part of the Post Season conversation. To say that Brees blew it would be an understatement as well as a clever play on words and the Falcons walked away with a BIG 13-23 win. Here are the highlights...or lo-lights whichever you prefer.
I can't help but love New Orleans and all their weird ways
- The Saints should have known that things were not going to go well for them on Thursday night when they landed at the Atlanta airport and their team bus was egged. Seriously, Atlanta...what are you 12 years old?
- The first drive started off with the Falcons scoring a quick touchdown...it took them just about 4 minutes to put 7 points on the board after an impressive drive led by running back, Michael Turner, who had 83 yards rushing and the opening touchdown. Drew Brees had his chance on the next drive and it looked like he was going to turn nothing into something when he threw a 38 yard bomb for a big 3rd down conversion. But on the very next play, he threw his first of 5 interceptions of the night. I feel like I need to say that again. DREW BREES THREW 5 INTERCEPTIONS LAST NIGHT! Not only was that a career high for him (i would hope so) but last night's game also ended Drew Brees' streak of 54 consecutive games with a touchdown pass, an NFL record that he set earlier this season.
- Despite the interceptions, the Saints had multiple chances to win this game. I mean, they only lost by 10 despite giving the ball back to the Falcons like it was a bomb or something. At the end of the second quarter the Saints drove to the red zone but were unable to put ANY points on the board when Brees had an incomplete pass to Sproles with 12 seconds remaining and did not have enough time to get the last play off before time ran out. The usually reliable, wide receiver, Lance Moore, also dropped a ball in the endzone during the 3rd quarter.
- The 3rd quarter actually looked like it belonged to the Saints. The Falcons had yet to convert a third down the entire game and with less than 4 minutes left in the game, they had gone 5 consecutive possessions without a 1st down. At this point in the game the Saints had run 58 offensive plays, wearing out the Falcons' defense. "Impress Him" Fact: The average number of plays run by an offense in a football game is around 63, which is why the Falcons defense was understandably worn out. But at the end of the 3rd quarter Brees threw his 3rd interception of the night and the Saints never quite reclaimed the momentum.
- There was one glimmer of hope towards the end of the 4th quarter. Michael Turner fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Saints and even run down for a touchdown. But the touchdown was called back because the refs said there was contact made with the runner, but it was still Saints ball. "Impress Him" Fact: In the NFL a runner has to be "down by contact" to be considered down. Which means that unlike in college football, if a player gets possession of the ball and falls down but is not touched by an opposing player, the play is still alive and he is allowed to get up and continue forward progress. After recovering the fumble, the Saints still had a chance, that is before Drew Brees threw his 5th interception. Oh wait! the Falcons were offsides, the interception doesn't count, it's still Saints ball, they have another chance! Or Drew Brees can now throw his 5th official interception of the night.
- You'll notice that I have not even mentioned Matt Ryan yet. That's because the Falcons owe this win to their defense. For as well as they played on defense they did little on offense after the first quarter. Matt Ryan completed just 18 of 33 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown pass. But as Matty Ice (yes, that is seriously his nickname) has said all season, it doesn't have to be a pretty win, just a win, and the Falcons go on to an 11-1 record.
Matty Ice with some Natty Ice...get it.
What a game to kick off Week 13! The next 3 weeks will be filled with teams trying to claw their way into the playoffs and then it starts all over again. Let me know what you think on Twitter @gridiron4girls or on my Facebook Page. Happy Friday!!
Welcome to Week 12 and the official start to the Holiday Season! I don't know about all of you but this time of year is the only thing that helps me get through the cold days....even though its only 60 degrees here, but you know what I mean. The Holidays kicked off in the NFL on Thanksgiving Day with 3 games. The NFL also seems to be in the Holiday spirit with one team winning for a sick little boy, one Quarterback growing hair for a cause, and a cheerleader losing some hair for a cause. Since I was too full to recap on Friday, let's start with what the office will be buzzing about from the Thursday games.
- Yet again the New York Jets are the "butt" of countless jokes....this time literally. The Jets had to know it was not going to be their night against their arch-rivals, the New England Patriots when their QB, Mark Sanchez literally ran into the fanny of his offensive lineman, causing him to fall backwards and fumble the ball which was picked up by a Patriot and run into the end-zone for a touchdown. To add insult to injury, the Jets' returner, Joe Mcknight, fumbled the kickoff on the very next play, it was picked up by Julian Edelman who ran it in 22 yards for yet another touchdown caused by a Jets' turnover. In the end the Jets were humiliated 49-19. The fans were calling for Tebow, but it was found out later that he had a rib injury. If you have a second check out Mark Sanchez's fumble below...trust me it's worth it.
- The guys in your life might be getting a little technical this morning if they are talking about the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions game. Turns out the Lions lost this one, 34-31, because of a mistake made by their Head Coach, Jim Schwartz. By NFL rule, all scoring plays are reviewed by the officials. So when Houston's Jim Forsett scored an 81 yard touchdown the officials would have automatically reviewed the play to ensure that the score was, in fact, legit. During this review they would have seen that Forsett's knee and elbow were clearly down before he made the long run down the field and that their was no touchdown. However, Jim Schwartz made the mistake of throwing the challenge flag before the officials could review the play. Again, by NFL rule, throwing the challenge flag on a scoring play is considered unsportsmanlike conduct, carries a 15 yard penalty, and negates the official review. Needless to say, the Lions could have won this one in regulation, instead, it went to overtime and the Texans walked away with another close win, beating the Lions 34-31. Does anyone else find it impossible to hear the name Schwartz without thinking of Spaceballs?
May the Schwartz be with you
- RG3 and the Washington Redskins did not do Tony Romo any Thanksgiving favors when they traveled to Dallas on Thursday. RG3 threw for 311 yards and 4 touchdowns in their 38-31 win over the Cowboys. 28 of those points came in the 2nd quarter, the first 28-point quarter the Redskins have had in 13 years. Tony Romo made an honest effort at a comeback and had a career-high day with 411 yards and 3 second-half touchdowns. But a hot Romo never seems to be enough for the poor Cowboys this year. "Impress Him" Fact: Tony Romo lost for the first time in 6 consecutive Thanksgiving Day starts. It is Romo's 3rd loss in 3 career 400 yard games and the Cowboys first loss to the Redskins in 7 Thanksgiving Day games. - Now onto Sunday! Let's start at the end with the absolute smashing of the Green Bay Packers against the New York Giants on Sunday night. The Giants were coming off a bye week and a 2 game slump, while the Packers were hot on a 5 game winning streak. But apparently, there was a sweet little boy at the game who's Make-A-Wish wish was for the Giants to play like the Super Bowl champs they are...so that is what they did, killing Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, 10-38. The Packers were missing key players on Defense including, Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson. They were also missing receiver, Greg Jennings on offense. The Packers' offensive line didn't do Aaron Rodgers (or his moustache) any favors either, he was sacked 5 times by the Giants and was under pressure all night. Eli Manning had 249 yards and 3 touchdowns. "Impress Him" Fact: The win gives the Giants a 2 game lead in the NFC East, while the loss knocks Green Bay out of a tie for first place in the NFC North.
The Movember Moustache is not working on or off the field, Aaron.
- The San Francisco 49'ers were also in the business of ending winning streaks with their 31-21 win over the New Orleans Saints. What's most impressive about this win? Well, they got it done with back-up QB Collin Kaepernick, in his second start for the 49'ers even after starting QB, Alex Smith was determined to be healthy enough to play on Sunday. Kaepernick threw for 231 yards and a touchdown. The 49'ers defense played a big part in their win, running two interceptions back for touchdowns, and sacking QB, Drew Brees, 5 times. They also held a New Orleans team who had rushed for 140 or more yards in previous games to just 59 rushing yards on Sunday. San Francisco Head Coach, Jim Harbaugh, said that he started Collin Kaepernick to preserve the health of Alex Smith, but he did not say who would start next week against the St. Louis Rams. Could there be some QB drama in San Francisco...I hope so, that is what makes this game so interesting.
Who will be the guy in SF? That's Kaepernick on the left in case were wondering
- The Atlanta Falcons were also in the business of bringing down winning streaks with a close 24-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who were on a 4-game roll. With just over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Falcons were down 17-23. But Atlanta QB, Matt Ryan, is no stranger to game-winning drives and he put together a 6-play, 64 yard drive that ended with a touchdown run from Michael Turner to give the Falcons the 1-point lead. The Bucs had a chance to pull off the win, but missed a field goal. The hot rookie of the moment, Doug Martin, was also held to just 50 rushing yards for the Bucs. The Falcons can't relax for long though, they host the New Orleans Saints next week, the very same Saints who handed them their first loss of the season just a few weeks ago.
- A cheerleader for the Indianapolis Colts, Megan Meadors, accepted a challenge by the Colts' mascot, Blue. Blue asked the cheerleaders if they would shave their heads if he managed to raise $10,000 for leukemia research in the name of Colt's head coach, Chuck Pagano, who is currently undergoing treatment for leukemia. Meadors accepted the challenge, raised over $22,000, and let blue shave her head on the sidelines. This is the kind of story that gives me goosebumps.
How can Blue see what he's doing? Good for you, Megan!
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is as excited about the Holiday season as I am! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @gridiron4girls and like Gridiron For Girls on Facebook!
I had a major reality check yesterday when one of my very best guy friends...who is a total guys' guy texted me and asked me if I was watching the AMA's and then started giving me his opinion on Pit Bull (he loves him), Justin Bieber (he called him a bad word) and Christina Aguilera (she intimidates him with her makeup). I didn't even know the AMAs were happening last night! I was knee deep in the Steelers game and was missing out! Luckily my bud kept the updates coming but my once scarily up to date knowledge of everything pop culture is slowly fading away in the name of football. Though I have to say that I am more than willing to miss anything that has to do with Justin Bieber, what is the deal with that kid? I guess my point is that this Thanksgiving week, I am thankful that while I am delving into the male world of football, I have friends out there who are keeping an eye on Hollywood for me. I am a lucky girl indeed. Now on to Week 11!
- Colts and Patriots. Patriots and Colts. It's a rivalry that was made famous by the match-up by elite QB's Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. But this year everything was different. Peyton Manning has moved on to be a Bronco and Indianapolis' rookie quarterback, Andrew Luck, made his first trip to face Tom Brady and the new England Patriots in what should be known as The Goober Bowl. Rookie Goob, Luck, started off okay and at the half the score was tied 24-17. But that's when Luck literally ran out of luck. Goober #2, Tom Brady, threw for 331 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Patriots went on to score 2 more touchdowns on interception returns and a touchdown on a punt return. When it was all said and done, the rookie and the Indianapolis Colts lost to the 3-time Super Bowl champ and the New England Patriots 24-59. The news isn't all good for the Patriots. The lost Rob Gronkowski, one of their most valuable tight-ends, when he broke his forearm trying to block an extra point. Why he was trying to block an extra point when they were up over 30 points and there was less than 4:00 left in the game is a question that I am sure will haunt Bill Belichick for a few days."Impress Him" Facts: Andrew Luck was the #1 pick in the last NFL draft, one of his interceptions today was picked off by Alfonzo Dennard, the last pick in the the last NFL draft. Luck may have lost this game but he did throw for 334 yards, his 5th game with 300+ passing yards which breaks the rookie record set by Peyton Manning, not bad for a Goob.
Poor Andrew...no matter what he does...Goob.
- I have no idea why the Pittsburgh Steelers insist on dressing up like overgrown yellow-jackets, but it is not working for them. Not in the fashion department. Not in the football department. The Steelers were missing starting Bumblebee Quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, for their Sunday night game against AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. Apparently Ben had a shoulder injury but the more worrisome injury was a dislocated rib that, if moved the wrong way, could puncture an artery. Yikes. The back-up quarterback was Byron Leftwich, who has played in exactly 2 games this season including last night. To his credit he threw for 201 yards, but spent a lot of time pulling himself off the ground. Not that the Ravens looked much better. QB, Joe Flacco, completed 20 out of 32 passes for 164 yards and the offense really couldn't get a whole lot going against the NFL's #1 defense. Their points came when Jacoby Jones returned a punt for a touchdown and Justin Tucker kicked 2 field goals to give the Ravens the 13-10 win and their third straight win against the Steelers.
HELP! I am being chased by a swarm of giant bees!!!
- The Green Bay Packers may have lost 3 of their first 5 games but with yesterday's win over the Detroit Lions they are on a 5 game winning streak and a half-game away from taking first place in the NFC North; as Wide Receiver, Donald Driver (and Stella), put it, "We got our groove back." They got it back just in time too, Aaron Rodgers threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb with 1:55 left in the game to help pull out the 24-20 win over the Lions. The Lions had all kind of problems. Quarterback, Matt Stafford threw 2 interceptions and lost a fumble. To make matters worse, receivers coach, Shawn Jefferson, was seen yelling at the Lions' Offensive coordinator late in the game. It's never a good sign when the coaching staff is visibly at each others throats. Aside: I just realized that I have been spelling "Green Bay" wrong all year. That's what I get for thinking that I am smarter than spell check. My B.
- The Houston Texans held on to their one loss record with a come-from-behind win in overtime against the Jacksonville Jaguars. And they couldn't have done it without Wide Receiver, Andre Johnson. Johnson had 14 receptions for 273 yards and a touchdown. Matt Schaub was no slouch either, he completed a 43 passes (a franchise record) for 527 yards, tying him for 2nd most in NFL history. (Warren Moon also threw for 527 yards in 1990). Schaub threw 2 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter that tied the game up 34-34 and sent it to overtime. During overtime the Jags and the Texans traded field goals before Andre Johnson sealed the win with a 48 yard touchdown. The Jaguars played most of the game with their back-up QB, Chad Henne, after their starter, Blaine Gabbert, left in the first quarter with an elbow injury. Henne had a big day himself, with 354 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wide Receiver, Justin Blackmon, also had a big day or the Jaguars with 236 receiving yards. It was the first time in NFL history that 2 opposing players had 200+ receiving yards in the same game. But in the end it wasn't enough and the Texans won the game 37-43. "Impress Him" Fact: The Jaguars have lost 3 road games in overtime this year. This is the first overtime win for the Texans in their home stadium.
- I hate Philip Rivers. Which is why I really enjoyed watching the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers game. Broncos Linebacker, Von Miller, not only sacked Rivers 3 times but he also forced 2 fumbles and had some pretty impressive celebration dances. Peyton Manning also did his part with 270 passing yards for 3 touchdowns. Not bad for a guy who sat out all last season. The Broncos walked away with a 23-30 win and I get to post this picture.
Frankly, it's an insult to Miss Piggy.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! I for one am Thankful for my family, my friends, and for all you who read this blog and are so kind and supportive, LOOOOOOVE YALL!!
It's Week 10 and things are starting to get interesting out in NFL land. The New Orleans Saints defeated the unbeaten Atlanta Falcons 31-27. To make things even more interesting the two teams used their post-game interviews to sling passive aggressive shots at each other that would make the meanest of high school Mean Girls proud. First, Falcons Wide Receiver, Roddy White, said something to effect of that the Falcons gave the Saints that win and the Saints didn't really do anything to earn it. That would be a little more convincing coming from a guy who didn't stop short on a run, causing him to miss a pass that would have won the game. The Saints then answered by way of Linebacker, Curtis Lofton (who used to play with the Falcons), by saying that he didn't really consider the Falcons rivals because the Saints have won 11 of their past 13 meetings. Both of these Mean Girls have solid points. The Falcons had plenty of chances to win this game and just could not finish, giving steam to the critics out there who say that they are overrated. Nonetheless, these two teams play again in a few weeks and it will be interesting to see what happens.
Has Regina George been schooling the NFL in the Art of Mean?
- It was actually raining cats and dogs when the Houston Texans traveled to Chicago to take on the Bears, throwing in an added element to what was already going to be an interesting game. "Impress Him" Fact: Going into Sunday's game the Bears led the league in takeaways and the Texans led the lead in fewest turnovers. But the Texans managed to turn the tables on a team who forced 4 fumbles last week (all by one Charles "Peanut" Tillman). The Bears turned the ball over 4 times and QB, Jay Cutler was knocked out with a concussion late in the second quarter. (Aside: One of my friends believes that Jay Cutler was not really concussed and shouldn't have left the game. It is my belief that Jay Cutler was simply tired of being in the cold rain wand wanted to get home to Kristin to watch reruns of The Hills. End of Aside.) It was a sloppy 13-6 win for the Texans. Schaub had just 95 passing yards and an interception, but it is a win nonetheless and the Texans are now tied with the Falcons for the best record in the NFL.
Jay Cutler: Baby, you promise you think I'm cuter than Brody? Promise?!
Quick Notes:
- Jay Cutler wasn't the only one with a headache, Michael Vick (Eagles) and Alex Smith (49'ers) also left their games with concussions on Sunday.
- They might be Giants but they are still human. Eli Manning and the Giants got their fannies kicked by the Cincinnati Bengals 13-31.
- The St. Louis Rams and the San Francisco 49'ers recorded the first tie game of the season with a 24-24 score at the end of overtime.
What do you think? Can NFL players be just as bad as Mean Girls? And can anyone name 3 songs from the band They Might Be Giants? If not, you are seriously missing out.
You know when you are watching The Bachelorette and at the beginning almost all of the guys seem like a catch? They are all pretty good looking, relatively successful, and putting their best foot forward in order to get the girl. But after a the first 4-5 weeks you start to realize that there are about 3 guys who will dominate the show, about 6 guys who will intrigue the girl enough to keep them around, and the rest will spend their time lounging by the pool drinking margaritas and picking out their outfit for the rose ceremony. The NFL is a lot like The Bachelorette. Some teams are rising to the top, some are just on the fringe of making a big move, and some are just falling away. The upside of the NFL vs. The Bachelorette?Just as many cute guys but you don't have to watch them go on weird group dates, listen to their mom's talk about how special they are, or listen to the songs they wrote to try and land a record deal impress the girl.
- The Carolina Panthers are by no means the cream of the crop this season. But there is a key component of the team that makes me keep them around. That key component has been sucking it up lately so I have been too depressed to write about it. But this week he was back to his old self and I am happy to have a reason to search for pictures of him again. I, of course, am talking about my imaginary best friend, Cam Newton, and he couldn't have gotten his mojo back for a better game.The comparisons between Cam Newton and RG3 have been going on all season, so it was inevitable that all the talk before this game would be centered around last year's Rookie of the Year vs. This year's possible Rookie of the Year when the Carolina Panthers took on the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Aside: There might be a reason why girls shouldn't watch football. As a breed we can be a dangerous combination of emotional and unforgiving especially when we feel like one of our people has been attacked. So when I saw an interview where RG3 said that he would rather be compared to quarterback like Aaron Rodgers instead of Cam Newton because Rodgers had been winning, I naturally saw red and now hate RG3. Rational? Of course not....but it's my right and privilege as a female to decide not to like someone for no reason at all, a character flaw that can get exhausting while watch a highly competitive and ego-charged sport. End of Aside. The Panther defense made life difficult for that little punk, RG3 by sacking him 4 times and holding him to only 53 rushing yards. Cam Newton completed 13 of 23 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 37 yards and had a rushing touchdown of his own. The 21-13 win over the Redskins breaks a 5 game losing streak for the Panthers. Weird Fact: While the win is good news for the Panthers it might be bad news for Obama because of a phenomenon known as the Redskins Rule. As far as superstitions go, this one is pretty specific, click the link to read all of its intricacies. It should be noted that the Redskins have not won the game before election day since 1992.
Good to have you and your smile back, Friend!
- It was a battle between rookie quarterbacks when Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins traveled to Indianapolis to take on Andrew Luck and the Colts. Both quarterbacks had impressive showings. Tannehill comleted 22 of 38 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown just a week after injuring his knee. Andrew Luck not only had an impressive game, he broke the aformentioned Cam Newton's single passing game record for a rookie with 433 passing yards and two touchdowns. A feat that was probably made even sweeter by the fact that Chuck Pagano, the Indianapolis Head Coach who has been out battling Leukemia, was in the coaches box for the first time since his diagnosis. The QBs traded scores back and forth but in the end it was Luck who led the Colts to the 20-23 win over the Dolphins in a pretty clean game that included 0 turnovers. "Impress Him" Facts: Going into Sunday's game the Dolphins were the best in the NFL when it came to stopping 3rd down conversions. That is until Andrew Luck converted 13 of 19 3rd down attempts. Luck also became the second QB in NFL history to have 4 games with 300+ passing yards in his rookie season. Who is the other one you ask? That would be Peyton Manning, the very same former Colts QB whose very large shoes Andrew Luck is trying to fill.
He may break records, but Luck's "coolness" factor needs some work
- Unless you live on Mars or just genuinely don't care about anyone else, you know that the northeast just got the poo kicked out of them by Superstorm Sandy. So the atmosphere in New Jersey was understandably emotional for the New York Giants vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game. Eli Manning and the Giants tried to provide a few hours of relief to those affected by the storm, but alas even the Great Eli Manning isnt immune to the weather and the Steelers pulled off a sloppy 24-20 win to break the Giants 4-game winning streak. At first, it seemed like the Steelers and maybe even the officials were going to throw the Giants a bone and just let them have the win. The Steelers inexpicably called a fake field goal attempt in the fourth quarter that would have tied the game but instead cost them a yard; and the officials made some very weird calls against the Steelers that cost Pittsburgh 11 points. But the Steelers are not quitters and walked away with the win with the help of running back, Isaac Redman who had 147 rushing yards and the game winning touchdown. Don't forget to text "redcross" to 90999 to donate $10 to the storm's relief efforts, some people have just lost everything. "Impress Him" Fact: Both Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger were drafted in the first round of the 2004 draft. Eli was the Number One pick and was picked by the San Diego Chargers. Well little Eli didnt want to play in San Diego and made it very clear that he would not go. Meanwhile, Big Ben was all set to be picked by the Giants, until he heard it announced that the Giants were going tpo pick Philip Rivers and then trade with the Chargers to get Eli. Lucky for Ben, he was picked by the Steelers and as we know 8 years later, both quarterbacks are still with the teams who they started with. The 2004 draft is the only draft to produce 2 quarterbacks both with multiple Super Bowl wins.
Let's get this straight. He was picked #1, is an instant millionaire, and no one wants to smile?
- If you follow this blog at all you know that the Dallas Cowboys are a marked team this year. If QB, Tony Romo, has a bad game they lose. If Romo has a good game...they lose. There doesnt seem anything they can do to finish games. So when they went to the Georgia Dome to take on the undefeated Atlanta Falcons we had to know that even though they looked better than the Falcons in the first half...they would inevitably...let's say it together...Lose. During the first half of this game the Falcons seemed to be struggling. running back, Michael Turner couldnt get anything going (he had only 18 yards in the first half) and kicker, Matt Bryant missed 2 field goals. But something changed with Turner in the second half when he broke off a 43 yard run with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. Turner finished the game with 102 yards and a touchdown. "Impress Him" Fact: The Falcons are 16-3 when Turner has a 100+yard rushing game. Turner's burst of energy seemed contagious as the Falcons' receivers, Julio Jones and Roddy White also had 100+ yard receiving. In the end the Falcons pulled off another squeaker to beat the Cowboys 13-19 and remain the NFL's only undefeated team and the Cowboys need to win at least 6 of their next 8 games to even have a shot at the playoffs. "Impress Him" Fact: New Orleans Head Coach, Sean Payton, has been suspended for the season. Before being suspended Payton signed a multi million dollar contract with the Saints which the NFL voided this weekend. That means that the Super Bowl winning, Payton can go wherever he wants once his suspension is over and rumor has it that Cowboys' owner and all around moneybags, Jerry Jones, will come knocking. Quick Notes: - Quarterbacks weren't the only rookies having a big day on Sunday. Tampa Bay Bucanneer, Doug Martin, rushed for a franchise record 251 yards and 4 touchdowns, tying the record for most rushing touchdowns in a game. Only Adrian Peterson and Demarco Murray had more yards in their rookie seasons. Tampa Bay beat the Oakland Raiders 42-32.
- Speaking of Minnesota Viking, Adrian Peterson, he had his best first half ever with 144 rushing yards, his most ever in the first half. The Vikings lost to the Seattle Seahawks 20-30.
What do you think, does my Bachelorette comparison hold any water at all? And speaking of that weirdly addicting show will you watch The Bachelor even if this doofus is playing the part of Mr. Wonderful?
Seriously, ABC? Did Jake Pavelka say no and this is as close as you could get? Gross.
Well we have made it past the halfway mark of the regular season. I'll admit, I got into a little mid-season slump brought on by travel and illness and an uncontrolable urge to watch regular TV shows but I feel my strength coming back just in time to kick off Week 9 with the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Diego Chargers. Before I get on with the recap I have to take a second and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my husband. I don't know what I would do without him. Y'all should thank him to, because without him I would have never gotten the idea for this blog...we owe a lot to this handsome, funny, smart guy.
not bad for 34 years old.
- Before last night the San Diego Chargers had gone 6 straight quarters without a touchdown. That all changed on their opening drive when he threw a 14 yard TD pass to Antonio Gates.
- The Chargers were coming off 3 straight wins to the Saints, the Broncos, and a 7-6 loss to the Browns last week. Many fans were calling for Head Coach, Norv Turner, to be fired. No seriously, at half time they unrolled a banner that said "Mr. Spanos, please fire A.J. and Norv".
- Chargers jerkface quarterback, Phillip Rivers, bounced back last night by completing 18 of 20 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. "Impress Him" Fact: This is only the 6th time in NFL history that a QB had completed 90% or more of his passes (minimum of 20 attempts). Rivers tied the great Steve Young on that list.
it is so hard for me to happy for this jackass
- The Kansas City Chiefs is a team I have not talked much about this season. And here is why: with their 4 turnovers last night they have accumulated an NFL-high of 29 total turnovers that have led to 104 points. That is bad. Real bad.
- Chiefs QB Matt Cassell threw for 181 yards but had a fumble and an interception that both led to Chargers' touchdowns.
The Chargers killed the Chiefs 13-31 and Norv Turner is off the hot seat, for the next week and a half at least. The Chiefs on the other hand move to 1-7. From what my sources (aka my hubs) tell me the next few weeks start to get really intense as games start to decide who makes it to the post season so I will be buckling down and paying some real attention to these games, which means that I may not beat my Bejeweled high score until after the Super Bowl. It's all about sacrifices, people.
After spending a weekend back in college I have learned a few things, unfortunately I can't remember any of them right now because trying to relive 4 years of college in 3 days can make things a little fuzzy. The good news is we made it back in one piece and in time to recover on the couch with week 8 of the NFL.
- Eli Manning and the New Your Giants pulled off a win against the Dallas Cowboys making them 4-0 when they play the Cowboys in Dallas. The Giants seemed to be on their way to a blow out when they were up 23-0 in the 2nd quarter, due mostly to turnovers by the Dallas Cowboys. But Tony Romo was not going down without a fight and the Cowboys rallied to take the lead 23-24. But we all know by now that Eli Manning is never done and he managed to lead the Giants down the field twice for field goals to make it 29-24. Romo had one last chance and it looked like he had it when he threw what looked like a touchdown pass to Dex Bryant with 44 seconds remaining in the game. However, when the officials took a look at the play they saw that Bryant's had went out of bounds making the pass incomplete. The Cowboys still had 3 more chances to pull off the win but Romo was not able to make it happen. Tony Romo threw for a career high 437 yards with three receivers having 100+ yard days. "Impress Him" Fact: Jason Witten broke his own Cowboys record with 18 catches for 167 yards. That is the most receptions by a tight end in NFL history.In the end, the Cowboys will blame the loss on turnovers, 4 interceptions thrown by Romo and 2 lost fumbles.
so so close but no cigar for Dez Bryant and the Cowboys
-While the Pittsburg Steelers may have looked like a bunch of grown men in bumble bee costumes on Sunday, their throwback uniforms seemed to give them the edge the needed to beat RG3 and the Washington Redskins. The Steelers specialize in shutting down rookie quarterbacks, they are 14-1 against rookies since 2004, and today was no different. The Steelers defense managed to hold RG3 to just 177 passing yards and 8 rushing yards. Big Ben Roethlisberger threw for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns to get the 12-27 win over the Redskins.
I would not want this kid trick or treating in my neighborhood
- The Atlanta Falcons are still undefeated after beating the Philadelphia Eagles 30-17. This is the second time that Michael Vick has started against his former team since returning to the NFL in 2009 after spending 16 months in jail on dog-fighting charges. The only good news for Vick today was that he didnt turn the ball over once, which has been an issue for him this season. On the other hand, Matt Ryan completed 22 of 29 passes for 262 yards and 3 TDs for the Atlanta Falcons who are 7-0 for the first time in Franchise history. Meanwhile, the Eagles were booed off their own home field and head coach, Andy Reid should probably be polishing up the old resume.
I feel like I can actually hear him screaming in this picture
All in all it was a pretty uneventful Sunday...or maybe I was just zoned out after my weekend in Sewanee. Check back in tomorrow when I recap the MNF game between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49'ers.
This week I have been a bad little blogger. I skipped re-capping Monday night's game, mostly because it was a snoozer (the Chicago Bears beat the Detroit Lions 13-7) and I will likely not be able to recap tonight's game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Minnesota Vikings...but I have a good excuse! I am heading up to Sewanee, TN for my 10 year college reunion. For those of you who don't know anything about Sewanee, it is literally on top of a mountain called the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee...somewhere in between Nashville and Chattanooga. Aside: While Sewanee does not make many (or any) ESPN headlines these days, it was once quite the football powerhouse. Sewanee was actually a founding member of the SEC and in 1899 the football team shutout 5 southern teams (Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, LSU, and Ole Miss) in 6 days...making it one of the most accomplished football teams in history. When I was a student in Sewanee I don't think that wireless internet existed; while I am sure that technology has made itself up The Mountain, I don't think I will be looking for it this weekend. So instead of a recap of tonight's game tomorrow, how about a preview of it tonight?
"...and on the 7th day the rested"; the legendary 1899 Sewanee Football team, intimidating aren't they?
-The Minnestoa Vikings are looking to their star running back, Adrian Peterson, to get them the 5th straight home win tonight against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It would be their first 5-0 home start since 2009. The Vikings will also need wide receiver, Percy Harvin to step up during this game. QB, Christian Ponder has completed 53 passes to Harvin despite the Vikings being at the bottom of the barrel in the league when it comes to the passing game. 'Impress Him" Facts: The Vikings are ranked 27th out of 32 teams in passing yards per game. They are averaging 203.4 passing yards per game. Perterson is just 10 months removed from major knee surgery but is tied for 3rd place with 652 rushing yards.
- On the flip side, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost 9 straight on the road. However, they are third in the league when it comes to rush defense...which could come in handy against the Vikings who have been relying heavily on their running game. Tampa Bay is only allowing an average of 3.1 rushing yards per game
What's the bottom line? Tampa Bay is terrible on the road but talented when it comes to stopping the run. If they can shake off their jitters and just do what they do best, they are going to force Minnesota to try to throw the ball, and that is where the Vikings run into trouble.
Now I may have left you high a dry this week, but don't worry, I will be back online in time for Sunday Football. I hope everyone has a great weekend, I know I will...I mean, how could I not??
not a bad place to spend the weekend...or 4 years.
For the past 6 weeks I have listened to my husband cuss, yell and gesture emphatically at the television and the computer because the players on his fantasy team were not performing as they should...I mean at times I actually felt bad for them...and then I remembered that I am 32 years old and understand that the people in the TV can't hear us. Today, something changed. It was like he thought that since intimidation and foul language weren't working, he would just try to ask them nicely. So I sat mesmerized by my smart, rational husband talking sweetly to Eli Manning asking him to "pretty please throw the ball to Hakeem Nicks" and then, on the next play, he did! I don't know how my hubby's fantasy team is fairing this year but I hope that he will remember the effectiveness of the kinder, gentler approach the next time I come home with a new pair of shoes.
I will risk life and limb to figure out how to walk in these.
- Sunday's game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans was a match-up between the only 2 teams in the AFC with winning records. All week the Baltimore Ravens have been telling themselves and everyone else that they will find a way to win without Ray Lewis playing on defense. On Sunday the Ravens did get some good news when they learned that Terrell Suggs, 2011 Defensive Player of the Year, would be active for their game against the Houston Texans after being out with an injury all season. But that was where the good news ended for the Ravens. The Texans were out for blood after an embarrassing loss to the Greenbay Packers last week and came out strong to kill the Ravens, 43-13, setting a franchise record for most points in a game. "Impress Him" Fact: Before today's game the Ravens were 5-0 against the Texans. Matt Schaub passed for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns while Arian Foster did his part with 98 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not only were the Ravens missing Ray Lewis and Ledarius Webb from their defense but Ed Reed also left the game with a chest injury. "Impress Him" Fact: While Ray Lewis is a terrifying character he is also the emotional center of not only the Baltimore Ravens (a team he has been with since the team's creation in 1996) but also possibly the entire NFL. Few other players in the league command the universal respect around the League that Ray Lewis does. Many are wondering if this triceps injury will be the end of his career.
Only Ray Lewis can make gripping a patch of turf look intimidating... well, the flames and arms don't hurt
- Drew Brees certainly seems to have gotten his mojo back for the New Orleans Saints. After throwing an early interception Brees bounced back to throw for 313 yards and 4 touchdowns IN THE FIRST HALF, extending his record holding streak to 49 consecutive games with a touchdown pass.While that is an impressive performance, New Orleans still had to overcome the shoddy play of their defense to pull off the 35-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who happened to be wearing their throwback uniforms that are called the "Creamsicles" because of their orange creamsicle color. Seriously. Josh Freeman, quarterback for the Bucs, had an impressive day himself, throwing for 420 yards and 3 touchdowns to give the Bucs an early 21-7 lead. But Drew Brees is sick of losing and the Saints walked away with their 2nd win a row.
Sometimes, when you are calling yourselves "Creamsicles", it's hard to win football games.
- If there is one team that the Football Gods hate more than the Dallas Cowboys, it is the Carolina Panthers, so lucky for the Cowboys that they were on the road in Charlotte on Sunday to take on those very Panthers. Cam Newton and the Panthers were down 14-16 late in the 4th quarter but seemed to be driving down the field when those Football Gods decided to start throwing their tricks out there. First, on a 4th and 1 play, Cam Newton completed a pass for a 1st down...but the play was called dead because the officials ruled that the Cowboys had called a timeout. On the next play a Dallas defender collided with a Panthers receiver before the ball got there, which should have been a pass interference call, but no flag was thrown and the Cowboys got the ball back and kicked a field goal to give them a 19-14 lead. The Panthers were unable to get into field goal range and they walked away with their 4th straight loss. "Impress Him" Fact: Cowboys' kicker, Dan Bailey, missed a field goal to lose last week's heart-breaker against the Ravens. He made up for it today with 4 made field goals to win the game.
Maybe this week they will give you a ride home, Dan.
- I have been to see exactly 3 scary movies in my entire life. The first was Screamthe summer before my senior year of high school. I made it past the opening scene before I dragged my friend out of there and made her drive me around listening to the Spice Girls to get the images out of my head (before you say it, I know that Scream is not a real scary movie but how was I supposed to know that when drew Barrymore is getting stabbed over her her popcorn?!). The second was The Blair Witch Project when I was a sophomore in college. While I did somehow make it through the whole movie, I was not able to form a complete sentence for the rest of the night. The last scary movie I saw was the first Saw when I was in my first year of grad school. I was told by my best friend that we were going to have dinner and go see Ray; instead we had a bottle (or 2) of wine on his porch and he took me to see Saw, and even though we are still friends, I have never completely forgiven him for putting me through that, I can't even watch the previews that come on for all the hundreds of Saw's that have come since. The purpose of this trip down memory lane is that I have seen (just) enough scary movies to know that it is never over when you think it is, the bad guy always lunges for you one last time and that's exactly what happened when RG3 and the Washington Redskins took on Eli Manning and the New York Giants. With about 90 seconds left on the clock RG3 put together a 77 yards drive that was capped off with a 30 yard touchdown throw to Santana Moss to put the Redskins up 23-20. But the celebration didn't last long...no seriously it didn't last long at all; 19 seconds later Eli Manning threw a 77 yard pass to Victor Cruz for a touchdown and the Giants beat the Redskins, 23-27, their 3rd straight win. RG3 continues his bid for rookie of the year with 258 passing yards and 2 touchdowns; he also put up 89 rushing yards. Eli Manning overcame 2 interceptions to pass for 337 yards and the long touchdown to Victor Cruz.
Why do people pay good money to watch this guy torment people??
Quick Notes:
- Aaron Rodgers continues to look good for the Greenbay Packers...he's playing pretty good football too (badum bum). Rodgers completed 30 of 37 passes for 342 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Packers 30-20 win over the St. Louis Rams. At least one of my QB crushes is bouncing back (sorry, Cam!).
- Going into Week 7 all 4 teams in the AFC East were tied for first place (or last place, depending on how you want to look at it). The Jets, Dolphins, Patriots, and Bills all went into this week with 3-3 records. After Sunday's games, the New England Patriots move to the top of the division with the 26-29 overtime win over the New York Jets. The heartbreaking part of this loss for the Jets is that they were driving down the field getting in good position to at least tie the Patriots with a field goal when Mark Sanchez fumbled the ball in overtime, and the Patriots recovered giving them the automatic win.
Sometimes Tom makes it too easy for me. I hope Gisele has some baggies.
- Lucky for the Minnesota Vikings that they have Adrian Peterson on their team. The Vikings QB, Christian Ponder, completed 8 of only 17 passes for 58 yards against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. But who needs a pass game when Adrian Peterson is on your team and can rush for a season-high 153 yards and a touchdown. The Vikings also got some help from their defense who sacked Cardinals back-up QB, John Skelton, 7 times. The Vikings squeaked out an ugly 14-21 win over the Cards.
- Here's a team I don't talk about a lot but I am obsessed with that new show, Nashville so I am going to start paying attention to the Tennessee Titans. The Titans pulled off a 34-35 victory over the Buffalo Bills. They have been waiting all season for Chris Johnson to show up and today he did with 195 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns during a crazy first quarter when the 2 teams scored 3 touchdowns in 30 seconds.Titans QB, matt Hasselbeck secured the win with a 15 yard TD pass with a minute left. Aside: If yall haven't been watching Nashville you are CRAY CRAY!! It is so good for so many reasons one of which is Connie Britton's hair. It comes on Wednesdays at 10pm on ABC, you can thank me later.
Before you judge, just watch one episode. And no, that is not an Olsen Twin.
There you have it, a rundown of the 7th Sunday of the 2012 season. Only 9 more regular season Sundays to go and then it really gets interesting!
