Pavel Datsyuk finally showed up for the Detroit Red Wings(4-4-2) scoring two goals in a wild third period that saw the Wings come from behind to pick up their first road victory of the season with a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks(6-6-0).
The Canucks jumped out to a quick 2-0 start off of goals by Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler. Tomas Holmstrom would put the Wings on the board with a goal in the first period to make the score 2-1.
The Wings would be shut out by Roberto Luongo(37 saves) in the second period but they found away around him in the third period. Niklas Cronwell would tie things up for the Wings with a goal less than four minutes into the final period making it 2-2. The Canucks would pick up a power play goal to regain the lead when Mathieu Schneider put the puck past Jimmy Howard, who replaced Chris Osgood after only four shots. Then Pavel Datsyuk scored his first goal of the season that evened things up once again at 3-3. Datsyuk would score again about three minutes later to put the Wings ahead for the first time at 4-3. Sedin would score his second goal of the game to tie things back up. The Wings would go on the power play with 5:03 remaining and they would make the Canucks pay for it. Jason Williams would be the final player to score in the crazy third period that featured 6 goals including his game winner to make the score 5-4 Detroit.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Celtics spoil Shaq and Cavs home debut....
The Boston Celtics ruined what was supposed to be a big night for the city of Cleveland and their Cavaliers with the debut of Shaquille O'Neal as the Cavs lost their season and home opener 95-89. The Celtics Big 3 out shined the reigning MVP Lebron James and his new sidekick combining for 52 points and 23 rebounds compared to 48 points and 14 rebounds. Boston's new addition of Rasheed Wallace also paid dividends scoring 12 points off the bench with the Celtics bench out scoring Cleveland's 26-10. Paul Pierce finished with a team high 23 points and 11 rebounds, Ray Allen ended up with 16 points and Kevin Garnett contributed a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards in his first game since hurting his knee in March. James lead all scorers 38 points to go along with 8 assists and 4 rebounds. The Big Lazy aka Shaq had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Cavs fans shouldn't be too worried because there are a lot of new faces that are trying to get used to each other so it may take a few weeks for them to get acclimated to each other. This team may start out slow but they will pick it up and they will win the Central and be a top-3 seed in the Eastern Conference, probably behind the C's and Magic.
Cavs fans shouldn't be too worried because there are a lot of new faces that are trying to get used to each other so it may take a few weeks for them to get acclimated to each other. This team may start out slow but they will pick it up and they will win the Central and be a top-3 seed in the Eastern Conference, probably behind the C's and Magic.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Steelers hand Vikings first loss of the season 27-17...
The Pittsburgh Steelers(5-2) defense got tired of the offense showing them up and answering questions about playing terribly in the fourth quarter so they went out and won the game for the team scoring two defensive touchdowns to hand the Minnesota Vikings(6-1) their first loss of the season 27-17.
Everyone expected a defensive battle between these two titans and that's what they got as both teams were unable to effectively move the ball throughout the first quarter but the Steelers won the game of field position and they would capitalize on it. After poor punts by Minnesota the Steelers opened up shop at the Vikings 39 yard line Pittsburgh was able to put the first points on the board off of a 39-yard Jeff Reed field goal.
The Vikings would respond though with a 13 play drive that covered 76 yards and chewed up almost five and a half minutes. Adrian Peterson(18 carries 69 yards) would cap off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. The Steelers would waste little time answering Minnesota's touchdown with one of their own. Ben Roethlisberger, who had his worst game statistically this season going 14 of 26 for 174 yards, found rookie Mike Wallace(3 catches 72 yards, 2 carries 19 yards) open down field for a 40-yard scoring strike just before halftime to give the Steelers a 10-7 lead.
In the third quarter both teams would exchange field goals that would make the score 13-10 heading into the fourth quarter. The vikings would have first and goal from the one yard line but the Steel Curtain held tough and shut down AP on first down. They would then force two straight incompletions forcing them to kick a field goal. In the fourth quarter Pittsburgh's defense would prove to be great once again.
The Vikings had what they thought was going to be a soul crushing drive when they covered 89 yards on 15 plays and they used up seven and a half minutes but they ultimately came up empty handed. Brett Kiesel got pressure on Favre on third and goal and forced a fumble that was recovered by Lamar Woodley 77-yards for a huge 14 points swing and a 20-10 Steelers lead. On the ensuing kickoff Pittsburgh got burnt for the second consecutive week by giving up a kickoff return for a touchdown but this one was by rookie Percy Harvin and it covered 88-yards and the Vikings narrowed the gap 20-17. The Vikings would try to mount a comeback with a quick drive that featured big plays by Sidney Rice(11 catches for 136 yards) and AP(4 receptions 60 yards) but the biggest play would once again be made by the Steelers defense. On third down the Steelers defense put pressure on Favre (34/51 for 334 yards 0 TDs, 1 int. and 1 fumble) on a screen pass and forced him to throw an errant pass intended for Chester Taylor but Keyaron Fox stepped in front of it and returned the interception 82-yards for the game sealing touchdown. The defense would sack Favre to end the game and picking up their fourth straight win 27-17.
The offense was lacking in the game but it didn't matter because they defense was playing possessed. Rashard Mendenhall had a decent day carrying the ball 10 times for 69 yards but he fumbled for the second consecutive game. With the way he carries the ball it's no wonder he has coughed the ball up more. They have a bye week this week so hopefully he gets that corrected with a ferocious Denver defense waiting for them in the mile high city.
GO STEELERS!
Everyone expected a defensive battle between these two titans and that's what they got as both teams were unable to effectively move the ball throughout the first quarter but the Steelers won the game of field position and they would capitalize on it. After poor punts by Minnesota the Steelers opened up shop at the Vikings 39 yard line Pittsburgh was able to put the first points on the board off of a 39-yard Jeff Reed field goal.
The Vikings would respond though with a 13 play drive that covered 76 yards and chewed up almost five and a half minutes. Adrian Peterson(18 carries 69 yards) would cap off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. The Steelers would waste little time answering Minnesota's touchdown with one of their own. Ben Roethlisberger, who had his worst game statistically this season going 14 of 26 for 174 yards, found rookie Mike Wallace(3 catches 72 yards, 2 carries 19 yards) open down field for a 40-yard scoring strike just before halftime to give the Steelers a 10-7 lead.
In the third quarter both teams would exchange field goals that would make the score 13-10 heading into the fourth quarter. The vikings would have first and goal from the one yard line but the Steel Curtain held tough and shut down AP on first down. They would then force two straight incompletions forcing them to kick a field goal. In the fourth quarter Pittsburgh's defense would prove to be great once again.
The Vikings had what they thought was going to be a soul crushing drive when they covered 89 yards on 15 plays and they used up seven and a half minutes but they ultimately came up empty handed. Brett Kiesel got pressure on Favre on third and goal and forced a fumble that was recovered by Lamar Woodley 77-yards for a huge 14 points swing and a 20-10 Steelers lead. On the ensuing kickoff Pittsburgh got burnt for the second consecutive week by giving up a kickoff return for a touchdown but this one was by rookie Percy Harvin and it covered 88-yards and the Vikings narrowed the gap 20-17. The Vikings would try to mount a comeback with a quick drive that featured big plays by Sidney Rice(11 catches for 136 yards) and AP(4 receptions 60 yards) but the biggest play would once again be made by the Steelers defense. On third down the Steelers defense put pressure on Favre (34/51 for 334 yards 0 TDs, 1 int. and 1 fumble) on a screen pass and forced him to throw an errant pass intended for Chester Taylor but Keyaron Fox stepped in front of it and returned the interception 82-yards for the game sealing touchdown. The defense would sack Favre to end the game and picking up their fourth straight win 27-17.
The offense was lacking in the game but it didn't matter because they defense was playing possessed. Rashard Mendenhall had a decent day carrying the ball 10 times for 69 yards but he fumbled for the second consecutive game. With the way he carries the ball it's no wonder he has coughed the ball up more. They have a bye week this week so hopefully he gets that corrected with a ferocious Denver defense waiting for them in the mile high city.
GO STEELERS!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Yankees buy their trip to the World Series....
The Los Angeles Angels jumped out to an early 1-0 lead but the New York Yankees did not panic and came right back to win 5-2 and they advance to their first World Series in six seasons. Bobby Abreu brought home the first run of the game for Angels off of a single in the third inning possibly putting doubt in the minds of the Yankees that they would face more postseason struggles. But New York did not flinch as they responded in the fourth with a three run inning. Johnny Damon hit a single that brought home Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher then ARoid Alex Rodriguez was walked which brought home Derek Jeter for a 3-1 lead. Vladamir Guerrero would narrow the margin by hitting a single that brought home Chone Figgins to make the score 3-2. A pair of errors by the Angels and a sacrifice fly ball by Mark Teixeira resulted in the Yanks getting two more runs and then Mariano Rivera closed out the Angels with the final score being 5-2. Andy Petite got the win which was a record breaker from him as he passed John Smoltz on the all-time career postseason win list with 16. C.C. Sabathia was named the ALCS MVP going 2-0 striking out 12 batters and only giving up nine hits in 16 innings of work. The Yankees host the defending World Series Champions the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday in Game 1 of the World Series.
Yankees win best of 7 series 4-2
Yankees win best of 7 series 4-2
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Irish end losing streak with a 20-16 victory over B.C.....
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish ended their six game losing streak to the Boston College Eagles with a 20-16 victory that nearly came down to the wire.
The Irish would get on the board first with a Nick Tausch 37-yard field goal. The Eagles would respond, sort of, with a sack that resulted in a safety.
In the second quarter the Irish would pick up another field goal for a 6-2 lead. Boston College would take their first lead of the game when Dave Shinskie connected with Rich Gunnell for a seven yard touchdown pass a 9-6 lead. Just before the half Jimmy Clausen found Golden Tate for an 11-yard touchdown pass and a 13-9 halftime lead.
In the second half Boston College would score the only touchdown of the third quarter and they would take the lead on a two yard touchdown run by Montel Harris. In the fourth quarter Clausen would find Tate once again for a 36-yard touchdown pass and a 20-16 lead. The Irish defense would pick off Shinskie three times including twice in the fourth quarter. Kyle McCarthy had two interceptions including one in the final quarter with 4:23 to go but Notre Dame was unable to put the game away after going three and out. Brian Smith would finally preserve the victory for the Irish when he picked off Shinskie for the third and final time with 1:28 left in the game.
Clausen finished the game with 246 yards and two touchdowns and Tate set a career high with 11 catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Notre Dame won their first game against Boston College since the 2000 season. The Irish play Washington State next week in San Antonio in a prime time game.
GO IRISH!
The Irish would get on the board first with a Nick Tausch 37-yard field goal. The Eagles would respond, sort of, with a sack that resulted in a safety.
In the second quarter the Irish would pick up another field goal for a 6-2 lead. Boston College would take their first lead of the game when Dave Shinskie connected with Rich Gunnell for a seven yard touchdown pass a 9-6 lead. Just before the half Jimmy Clausen found Golden Tate for an 11-yard touchdown pass and a 13-9 halftime lead.
In the second half Boston College would score the only touchdown of the third quarter and they would take the lead on a two yard touchdown run by Montel Harris. In the fourth quarter Clausen would find Tate once again for a 36-yard touchdown pass and a 20-16 lead. The Irish defense would pick off Shinskie three times including twice in the fourth quarter. Kyle McCarthy had two interceptions including one in the final quarter with 4:23 to go but Notre Dame was unable to put the game away after going three and out. Brian Smith would finally preserve the victory for the Irish when he picked off Shinskie for the third and final time with 1:28 left in the game.
Clausen finished the game with 246 yards and two touchdowns and Tate set a career high with 11 catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Notre Dame won their first game against Boston College since the 2000 season. The Irish play Washington State next week in San Antonio in a prime time game.
GO IRISH!
BCS Top-25 roundup....
#1 Florida out lasted the Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road 29-19. Tim Tebow had a pedestrian day for the top ranked Gators throwing 12 of 22 for 127 yards and two interceptions but he rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. The Gators snapped a four game losing streak on the road against MSU.
#2 Alabama blocked the game winning field goal to hold off the Tennesee Volunteers 12-10. The Crimson Tide's 350 pound nose tackle Terrence Cody destroyed the middle of the Vols field goal unit and blocked the kick preserving their perfect season for another week.
#3 Texas destroyed the Missouri Tigers 41-7. Colt McCoy rebounded from an abysmal couple of weeks by throwing for 269 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jordan Shipley caught 7 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
#4 Boise State easily handled the Hawaii Warriors 54-9. Kellen Moore threw for 223 yards and 5 touchdowns. #5 Cincinnati routed Louisville 41-10 without their star quarterback Tony Pike. Sophomore Zach Collaros threw more touchdowns than incomplete passes three to two. The Bearcats are off to their best since 1954.
#6 Iowa pulled off a last second victory over Michigan State 15-13. Ricky Stanzi threw a touchdown pass Marvin McNutt as time expired to keep the Hawkeyes undefeated only moments after the Spartans scored a go ahead touchdown.
#7 USC avenged last seasons loss to the Oregon State Beavers with a 42-36 victory. True freshman Matt Barkley threw for 202 yards two touchdowns and two interceptions and senior running back Allen Bradford rushed for his first 100-yard game of the season finishing with 147 yards and two TDs.
#8 TCU routed # 16 BYU 38-7 in Utah. Andy Dalton threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns to keep the Horned Frogs BCS hopes alive. #9 LSU decimated Auburn 31-10. Jordan Jefferson tossed for 242 yards and two touchdowns for Tigers.
#10 Miami was upset by the Clemson Tigers 4-37 in overtime. Jacory Harris threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns but he also tossed three interceptions. The Hurricanes took the lead off of a Harris 69-yard touchdown pass but the Tigers responded by tying the game on a 30 yard field goal with five seconds remaining. In the overtime the Canes settled for a field goal but Clemson was able to put the ball into the end zone when quarterback Kyle Parker connected with Jacoby Ford from 26-yards out.
#11 Oregon easily handled Washington 43-19. #12 Georgia Tech routed Virginia 34-9. #13 Penn State dominated in the second half en route o a 35-10 victory the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Michigan. #15 Oklahoma State used little effort to knock off the Baylor Bears 34-7. #17 Houston continued their Cinderella season by beating Southern Methodist 38-15.
#18 Utah needed overtime to knock off Air Force 23-16. The Falcons scored the last six points on two field goals to force the overtime but the Utes would score a touchdown in the extra period to knock off the Air Force academy. #19 Ohio State overwhelmed the Minnesota Gophers 38-7. Terrelle Pryor combined for 343 yards and three touchdowns for the Buckeyes. #20 Pittsburgh knocked off the former upstart South Florida Bulls 41-14.
#22 Arizona fought off UCLA for a 27-13 victory despite turning the ball over 5 three times. The Wildcats defense dominated the game though holding the Bruins to 211 yards of total offense, 2 field goals, and the their only touchdown given up came off of a fumble returned for six points.
#23 West Virginia held off an emotional Connecticut team 28-24. The Huskies played for the first time since their teammate Jasper Howard was stabbed to death earlier this week. Noel Devine ran for 177 yards and the game winning touchdown with only a couple of minutes remaining in the game.
#24 South Carolina got all they could handle from Vanderbilt winning 14-10. Stephen Garcia tossed two touchdowns for the Gamecocks including a 43-yarder that turned out to be the game winner less than three minutes after starting the fourth quarter.
#25 Kansas got shellacked at home by the unranked Oklahoma Sooners who were without their star quarterback and tight end 35-13. Landry Jones, who was filling in for Sam Bradford, threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns and the Sooners defense picked off Todd Reesing three times as Oklahoma was able to bounce back after losing the Red River shootout.
#2 Alabama blocked the game winning field goal to hold off the Tennesee Volunteers 12-10. The Crimson Tide's 350 pound nose tackle Terrence Cody destroyed the middle of the Vols field goal unit and blocked the kick preserving their perfect season for another week.
#3 Texas destroyed the Missouri Tigers 41-7. Colt McCoy rebounded from an abysmal couple of weeks by throwing for 269 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jordan Shipley caught 7 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
#4 Boise State easily handled the Hawaii Warriors 54-9. Kellen Moore threw for 223 yards and 5 touchdowns. #5 Cincinnati routed Louisville 41-10 without their star quarterback Tony Pike. Sophomore Zach Collaros threw more touchdowns than incomplete passes three to two. The Bearcats are off to their best since 1954.
#6 Iowa pulled off a last second victory over Michigan State 15-13. Ricky Stanzi threw a touchdown pass Marvin McNutt as time expired to keep the Hawkeyes undefeated only moments after the Spartans scored a go ahead touchdown.
#7 USC avenged last seasons loss to the Oregon State Beavers with a 42-36 victory. True freshman Matt Barkley threw for 202 yards two touchdowns and two interceptions and senior running back Allen Bradford rushed for his first 100-yard game of the season finishing with 147 yards and two TDs.
#8 TCU routed # 16 BYU 38-7 in Utah. Andy Dalton threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns to keep the Horned Frogs BCS hopes alive. #9 LSU decimated Auburn 31-10. Jordan Jefferson tossed for 242 yards and two touchdowns for Tigers.
#10 Miami was upset by the Clemson Tigers 4-37 in overtime. Jacory Harris threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns but he also tossed three interceptions. The Hurricanes took the lead off of a Harris 69-yard touchdown pass but the Tigers responded by tying the game on a 30 yard field goal with five seconds remaining. In the overtime the Canes settled for a field goal but Clemson was able to put the ball into the end zone when quarterback Kyle Parker connected with Jacoby Ford from 26-yards out.
#11 Oregon easily handled Washington 43-19. #12 Georgia Tech routed Virginia 34-9. #13 Penn State dominated in the second half en route o a 35-10 victory the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Michigan. #15 Oklahoma State used little effort to knock off the Baylor Bears 34-7. #17 Houston continued their Cinderella season by beating Southern Methodist 38-15.
#18 Utah needed overtime to knock off Air Force 23-16. The Falcons scored the last six points on two field goals to force the overtime but the Utes would score a touchdown in the extra period to knock off the Air Force academy. #19 Ohio State overwhelmed the Minnesota Gophers 38-7. Terrelle Pryor combined for 343 yards and three touchdowns for the Buckeyes. #20 Pittsburgh knocked off the former upstart South Florida Bulls 41-14.
#22 Arizona fought off UCLA for a 27-13 victory despite turning the ball over 5 three times. The Wildcats defense dominated the game though holding the Bruins to 211 yards of total offense, 2 field goals, and the their only touchdown given up came off of a fumble returned for six points.
#23 West Virginia held off an emotional Connecticut team 28-24. The Huskies played for the first time since their teammate Jasper Howard was stabbed to death earlier this week. Noel Devine ran for 177 yards and the game winning touchdown with only a couple of minutes remaining in the game.
#24 South Carolina got all they could handle from Vanderbilt winning 14-10. Stephen Garcia tossed two touchdowns for the Gamecocks including a 43-yarder that turned out to be the game winner less than three minutes after starting the fourth quarter.
#25 Kansas got shellacked at home by the unranked Oklahoma Sooners who were without their star quarterback and tight end 35-13. Landry Jones, who was filling in for Sam Bradford, threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns and the Sooners defense picked off Todd Reesing three times as Oklahoma was able to bounce back after losing the Red River shootout.
Penguins finally lose 4-1 to New Jersey....
The New Jersey Devils(6-3-0) ended the Pittsburgh Penguins(9-2-0) seven game win streak with an all around offensive effort and Martin Brodeur was able to keep the powerful Pens offense in check in a 4-1 win.
The Devils jumped out to a 1-0 lead off of Mark Faser's first career goal 9:50 into the first period, Marc-Andre Fleury appeared to have stopped the shot but he accidentally batted it in for the goal. In the second period the Devils would get a power play opportunity and they would capitalize on it when Niclas Bergfors put the puck past Fleury for a 2-0 lead. Early in third period New Jersey would out distance themselves even more when Travis Zajac would rebound a missed Zach Parise shot into an open net and before the Pens realized it they were down 3-0.
Alex Goligoski would break the shut out for the Pens midway through the third period but that was the only bit of offense the Penguins were able to muster in a lackluster effort. Parise would score later in the third to make the final score 4-1. The Devils held Evgeni Malkin in check holding him to zero points on zero shots. The Penguins lost for the first time all season with Marc-Andre Fleury in net. Fleury turned aside 22 of 26 shots. The Penguins w are home for their next game against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
GO PENGUINS!
The Devils jumped out to a 1-0 lead off of Mark Faser's first career goal 9:50 into the first period, Marc-Andre Fleury appeared to have stopped the shot but he accidentally batted it in for the goal. In the second period the Devils would get a power play opportunity and they would capitalize on it when Niclas Bergfors put the puck past Fleury for a 2-0 lead. Early in third period New Jersey would out distance themselves even more when Travis Zajac would rebound a missed Zach Parise shot into an open net and before the Pens realized it they were down 3-0.
Alex Goligoski would break the shut out for the Pens midway through the third period but that was the only bit of offense the Penguins were able to muster in a lackluster effort. Parise would score later in the third to make the final score 4-1. The Devils held Evgeni Malkin in check holding him to zero points on zero shots. The Penguins lost for the first time all season with Marc-Andre Fleury in net. Fleury turned aside 22 of 26 shots. The Penguins w are home for their next game against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
GO PENGUINS!
NFL Week 7 Pick ems...
Last week I went 9-5 which seems to be the best I can do so far this season but it brought my overall record to 58-36. This week there are some tough matchups and they could go either way. The Texans-49ers matchup is intriguing because this would be the game the Texans should lose with their trend of winning every other game but they are at home. The 49ers are coming off of a bye with Michael Crabtree in the starting lineup and they still have the bitter taste of getting their butts handed to them by Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. That is just one of the conundrums that I am facing this week but I guess I need to press on anyways here are my predictions for this week....
San Francisco 49ers @ Houston Texans
Green Bay Packers @ Cleveland Browns
San Diego Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Indianapolis Colts @ St. Louis Rams
Minnesota Vikings @ Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders
Buffalo Bills @ Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals
Atlanta Falcons @ Dallas Cowboys
New Orleans Saints @ Miami Dolphins
Arizona Cardinals @ New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins
San Francisco 49ers @ Houston Texans
Green Bay Packers @ Cleveland Browns
San Diego Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Indianapolis Colts @ St. Louis Rams
Minnesota Vikings @ Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders
Buffalo Bills @ Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals
Atlanta Falcons @ Dallas Cowboys
New Orleans Saints @ Miami Dolphins
Arizona Cardinals @ New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins
Friday, October 23, 2009
Yankees rally but come up short, Angels win 7-6....
The Los Angeles Angels took an early 4-0 lead, then blew it, then gained it back and were facing bases loaded in the ninth but they ultimately made the key play to hold off the New York Yankees 7-6 and they live to fight another day.
In the first inning Torii Hunter hit a two run single, Vladamir Guerrero doubled in Hunter for a 3-0 lead and then Kendry Morales hit a single that brought home Vlad and before the Yankees knew it they were down 4-0 after the first inning.
The Yankees would rally in the seventh inning though and it all started with Mark Teixeira. Teixeira double to center field driving home Melky Cabrera, Jorge Posada, and Derek Jeter bringing the Yanks within one at 4-3. But New York was not done there as Hideki Matsui hit a single that brought home Teixeira and then Robinson Cano tripled to center bringing in ARoid Alex Rodriguez and Matsui giving the Yankees a 6-4 lead.
The Angels would not be denied though scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 7-6 lead. In the ninth inning the Yankees would have the bases loaded with Nick Swisher at bat, he worked himself into a full count, but closer Brian Fuentes got Swisher to pop out to shallow center field and just like that the Angels are back in the ALCS. Game 6 is Saturday night back in New York.
Yankees lead best of 7 series 3-2
In the first inning Torii Hunter hit a two run single, Vladamir Guerrero doubled in Hunter for a 3-0 lead and then Kendry Morales hit a single that brought home Vlad and before the Yankees knew it they were down 4-0 after the first inning.
The Yankees would rally in the seventh inning though and it all started with Mark Teixeira. Teixeira double to center field driving home Melky Cabrera, Jorge Posada, and Derek Jeter bringing the Yanks within one at 4-3. But New York was not done there as Hideki Matsui hit a single that brought home Teixeira and then Robinson Cano tripled to center bringing in ARoid Alex Rodriguez and Matsui giving the Yankees a 6-4 lead.
The Angels would not be denied though scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 7-6 lead. In the ninth inning the Yankees would have the bases loaded with Nick Swisher at bat, he worked himself into a full count, but closer Brian Fuentes got Swisher to pop out to shallow center field and just like that the Angels are back in the ALCS. Game 6 is Saturday night back in New York.
Yankees lead best of 7 series 3-2
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Week 6 NFL Power rankings....
1. New Orleans Saints (5-0) (lw #5)- The Saints absolutely dominated the Giants and their defense did something that hasn't been done yet this year, make Eli Manning look pedestrian
2. Minnesota Vikings (6-0) (lw #3)- Their continue to win but it appears teams are finding ways to lose to them now instead of the Vikes finding ways to win
3. Denver Broncos (6-0) (lw #4)- In the biggest game of their season coming off a bye week they proved this team will be around come January
4. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) (lw #1)- I don't like dropping a team just because they didn't play but the other teams body of work is more impressive right now
5. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) (lw #7)- The Falcons won a tough gritty game which is good because they can't always win with finesse
6. New York Giants (5-1) (lw #2)- It's not Eli's fault that Drew Brees torched the Giants defense but he did only throw for less than 200 yards
7. New England Patriots (4-2) (lw #9)- I'm not ready to officially declare Tom Brady back but he appears to be getting closer
8. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) (lw #6)- They were bound to slip up but at home and to the Texans? Come on Cincy you should be better than that
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) (lw #11)- The Steelers have quietly found themselves back a top the division and they have done it a new way, by passing which may be the new brand of Steeler football with Big Ben under center
10. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) (lw #17)- They proved they are still the big boys on the block in the NFC West, at least for the time being
11. Chicago Bears (3-2) (lw #10)- The offense looked confused and out of sync most of the night coming off a bye week but that shouldn't last very long
12. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) (lw #8)- Sure they picked up Will Witherspoon but he wouldn't have helped against Oakland since the Eagles threw 46 times against the league's worst run defense
13. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) (lw #14)- In a desperate plea for more offensive explosions Crabtree is now their starter despite holding out until two weeks ago
14. Green Bay Packers (3-2) (lw #16)- Shutting out this years Lions team is impressive but they still haven't solved their offensive line woes
15. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) (lw #19)- Miles Austin played his way into a role opposite Williams and a bye week should have helped this team figure who their play makers are
16. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) (lw #13)- After three straight wins this team was the Super Bowl favorite, since then they have prevented themselves from winning by making HUGE mistakes at critical times
17. San Diego Chargers (2-3) (lw # 15)- This team should be better but the front office has held it back
18. Miami Dolphins (2-3) (lw #18)- Henne had another week to pick up the nuances of the offense this team could become extremely dangerous
19. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) (lw #21)- MJD got his wish after complaining about a lack of a running game and he showed them why they should run more with 33 carries for 133 yards and 3 TDS
20. Houston Texans (3-3) (lw #22)- They continue their stretch of winning every other game but they might be able to put consecutive wins together with a home contest against the 49ers
21. New York Jets (3-3) (lw #12)- The defense is no longer dominating and teams now have tape on Sanchez which has proven to hurt him so far, they hope he can start figuring out defenses now
22. Carolina Panthers (2-3) (lw #23)- A soft rushing defense pay dividends for their offense and they get another favorable match up this week against Buffalo
23. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) (lw #20)- I figured with Hasselbeck healthy they were unbeatable at home, boy was I wrong!
24. Buffalo Bills (2-4) (lw #28)- The Bills won with defense despite a still anemic offense and Trent Edwards suffered his second concussion in as many years
25. Oakland Raiders (2-4) (lw #30)- After getting embarrassed last week they showed they still hace some pride, who would have thought?
26. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) (lw #31)- Finally got a win after playing good enough to win two weeks ago so maybe they have confidence now which what teams need sometimes to win
27. Cleveland Browns (1-5) (lw #25)- First Rolling Stones magazine and now mother nature has joined in the Browns bashing
28. Detroit Lions (1-5) (lw #24)- The bye week could not have come at a better time, they need to heal and lick their wounds
29. Washington Redskins (2-4) (lw #26)- If it wasn't for their two wins this would be the worst team in the NFL hands down
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) (lw #29)- They were close but not close enough maybe the cheap shot will wake these guys up
31. Tennessee Titans (0-6) (lw#27)- You know it's bad when Jeff Fisher makes fun of himself by wearing a Peyton Manning jersey to a charity event
32. St. Louis Rams (0-6) (lw#32)- The Rams get more competitive every week but they still don't have enough to win
2. Minnesota Vikings (6-0) (lw #3)- Their continue to win but it appears teams are finding ways to lose to them now instead of the Vikes finding ways to win
3. Denver Broncos (6-0) (lw #4)- In the biggest game of their season coming off a bye week they proved this team will be around come January
4. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) (lw #1)- I don't like dropping a team just because they didn't play but the other teams body of work is more impressive right now
5. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) (lw #7)- The Falcons won a tough gritty game which is good because they can't always win with finesse
6. New York Giants (5-1) (lw #2)- It's not Eli's fault that Drew Brees torched the Giants defense but he did only throw for less than 200 yards
7. New England Patriots (4-2) (lw #9)- I'm not ready to officially declare Tom Brady back but he appears to be getting closer
8. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) (lw #6)- They were bound to slip up but at home and to the Texans? Come on Cincy you should be better than that
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) (lw #11)- The Steelers have quietly found themselves back a top the division and they have done it a new way, by passing which may be the new brand of Steeler football with Big Ben under center
10. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) (lw #17)- They proved they are still the big boys on the block in the NFC West, at least for the time being
11. Chicago Bears (3-2) (lw #10)- The offense looked confused and out of sync most of the night coming off a bye week but that shouldn't last very long
12. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) (lw #8)- Sure they picked up Will Witherspoon but he wouldn't have helped against Oakland since the Eagles threw 46 times against the league's worst run defense
13. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) (lw #14)- In a desperate plea for more offensive explosions Crabtree is now their starter despite holding out until two weeks ago
14. Green Bay Packers (3-2) (lw #16)- Shutting out this years Lions team is impressive but they still haven't solved their offensive line woes
15. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) (lw #19)- Miles Austin played his way into a role opposite Williams and a bye week should have helped this team figure who their play makers are
16. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) (lw #13)- After three straight wins this team was the Super Bowl favorite, since then they have prevented themselves from winning by making HUGE mistakes at critical times
17. San Diego Chargers (2-3) (lw # 15)- This team should be better but the front office has held it back
18. Miami Dolphins (2-3) (lw #18)- Henne had another week to pick up the nuances of the offense this team could become extremely dangerous
19. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) (lw #21)- MJD got his wish after complaining about a lack of a running game and he showed them why they should run more with 33 carries for 133 yards and 3 TDS
20. Houston Texans (3-3) (lw #22)- They continue their stretch of winning every other game but they might be able to put consecutive wins together with a home contest against the 49ers
21. New York Jets (3-3) (lw #12)- The defense is no longer dominating and teams now have tape on Sanchez which has proven to hurt him so far, they hope he can start figuring out defenses now
22. Carolina Panthers (2-3) (lw #23)- A soft rushing defense pay dividends for their offense and they get another favorable match up this week against Buffalo
23. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) (lw #20)- I figured with Hasselbeck healthy they were unbeatable at home, boy was I wrong!
24. Buffalo Bills (2-4) (lw #28)- The Bills won with defense despite a still anemic offense and Trent Edwards suffered his second concussion in as many years
25. Oakland Raiders (2-4) (lw #30)- After getting embarrassed last week they showed they still hace some pride, who would have thought?
26. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) (lw #31)- Finally got a win after playing good enough to win two weeks ago so maybe they have confidence now which what teams need sometimes to win
27. Cleveland Browns (1-5) (lw #25)- First Rolling Stones magazine and now mother nature has joined in the Browns bashing
28. Detroit Lions (1-5) (lw #24)- The bye week could not have come at a better time, they need to heal and lick their wounds
29. Washington Redskins (2-4) (lw #26)- If it wasn't for their two wins this would be the worst team in the NFL hands down
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) (lw #29)- They were close but not close enough maybe the cheap shot will wake these guys up
31. Tennessee Titans (0-6) (lw#27)- You know it's bad when Jeff Fisher makes fun of himself by wearing a Peyton Manning jersey to a charity event
32. St. Louis Rams (0-6) (lw#32)- The Rams get more competitive every week but they still don't have enough to win
Phils return to the World Series for second consecutive year....
The Philadelphia Phillies will make a return trip to the World Series to defend their championship title after knocking off the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4. The Phils used a flurry of home runs to bat away the Dodgers and became the first team since the New York Yankees did it in 2000-2001. Jayson Werth kicked things off in the first inning hitting a three run homer giving Philadelphia a 3-1 lead. In the second Pedro Feliz hit a solo shot to further their lead 4-2. After the Phils scored two runs the old fashion way Shane Victorino hit a two run home run in the sixth to put the Phils up 8-3 and Werth hit his second homer of the game in the same inning and gave them a 9-3 lead. The Dodgers would get another run but Philadelphia canceled it out with a run of their own. Ryan Howard was named the MVP of the National League Championship Series after going five of 15 hitting two home runs, knocking in eight runs and scoring a run in each game. The Phillies now wait for the winner of the ALCS and the World Series is slated to begin Wednesday October 28th.
Phillies win best of 7 series 4-1
Phillies win best of 7 series 4-1
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Angels win, Phils take stranglehold on series....
The New York Yankees looked like they were going to coast to a 3-0 series lead in the ALCS but then the wheels fell off and the Los Angeles Angels seized the opportunity winning their first game 5-4 in 11 innings. The Yankees got home runs from Derek Jeter in the first, ARoid Alex Rodriguez in the fourth, and Johnny Damon in the fifth to jump out to a 3-0 lead but then the Angels started their comeback. Howie Kendrick hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth and then Vladamir Guerrero hit a two run shot in the sixth to tie things up. Maicer Izturis hit a sac-fly in the seventh to give LA the lead at 4-3. Jorge Posada hit a homer to tie things up in the eighth at 4. In the 11th inning Jeff Mathis doubled to center field knocking in Kendrick for the game winning run. Game 4 is tonight in Los Angeles.
Yankees lead best of 7 series 2-1
The Philadelphia Phillies took a stranglehold on the NLCS with a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ryan Howard started things off for the defending champs hitting a two run homer in the first inning. The Dodgers battled right back though by scoring two runs in the fourth and then adding a Jack Kemp homer in the fifth and Manny Ramirez scored a run in the sixth to put the Dodgers up 4-2. But like the champs that they are the Phils did not panic and they responded in a big way. In the sixth inning Chase Utley knocked in Shane Victorino to bring them closer. In the bottom of the ninth Jimmy Rollins hit double to center field that brought in the game tying and winning runs and the Phillies grabbed a 3-1 series. Game 5 is tomorrow in Philadelphia.
Phillies lead best of 7 series 3-1
Yankees lead best of 7 series 2-1
The Philadelphia Phillies took a stranglehold on the NLCS with a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ryan Howard started things off for the defending champs hitting a two run homer in the first inning. The Dodgers battled right back though by scoring two runs in the fourth and then adding a Jack Kemp homer in the fifth and Manny Ramirez scored a run in the sixth to put the Dodgers up 4-2. But like the champs that they are the Phils did not panic and they responded in a big way. In the sixth inning Chase Utley knocked in Shane Victorino to bring them closer. In the bottom of the ninth Jimmy Rollins hit double to center field that brought in the game tying and winning runs and the Phillies grabbed a 3-1 series. Game 5 is tomorrow in Philadelphia.
Phillies lead best of 7 series 3-1
Steelers dominate Browns 27-14....
The Pittsburgh Steelers(4-2) picked up their first divisional win of the season by dominating the Cleveland Browns(1-5) 27-14 at Heinz Field.
The first quarter was pretty uneventful for both teams due to drop passes and miscues. The Browns continued to struggle with Derek Anderson at quarterback although some of the struggles are with wide receivers dropping easy wide open passes. Josh Cribbs played a lot of the game out of the wildcat formation but his only miscue came when he forced a pass that was intercepted by the returning Troy Polamalu.
In the second quarter the Steelers got rolling with a 7-play 85-yard drive that was capped off when Ben Roethlisberger found Heath Miller open near the sideline of the end zone and like he so often does Ben put the ball only where Miller(5 catches 80 yards) could catch it and the Steelers had a 7-0 lead. With the touchdown catch Heath moved into second place all-time in Steelers history for touchdowns by a tight end passing Eric Green with 25 TDs for his career. The Steelers defense would continue to dominate and they got the ball back for the offense who capitalized on the opportunities that they were given. Big Ben threaded the ball between to defenders and found an open Hines Ward(8 receptions 154 yards) who scampered 52-yards into the end zone to give the Steelers a 14-0 lead.
The Browns would respond instantly mostly because the Steelers would make the ultimate mistake, they kicked the ball to Josh Cribbs. Cribbs returned the kickoff 98-yards out racing everyone on the field and scoring to bring the Browns within a score at 14-7. The Steelers would march down the field into field goal range but then something strange happened, the officials blew a call(who would've thought that?). The Steelers went for it on a fourth and inch from the Cleveland 14-yard line and Ben snuck the ball and picked up the first down, the controversy was whether he really picked up the first down. When the officials measured to see if Pittsburgh got the first or not it appear the Steelers were a few inches short but the officials gave it to them anyways. Then a few plays later Ben found an open Ward in the the corner of the end zone for a touchdown but upon further review it was determined that the ball came out at the last possible second(more on this in a moment). The Steelers would have to settle for a field goal and go into the half up 17-7.
In the third quarter the Browns came out on fire and DA found Mohamed Massaquoi(5 catches for 85 yards) for a huge 41-yard gain setting the Browns up in scoring territory. DA would complete a 1-yard pass to fullback Lawrence Vickers for the touchdown and inching Cleveland closer 17-14.
Steelers would respond like Champions do with a 6-play 79-yard drive to take a 24-14 lead. Rashard Mendenhall(16 carries for 62 yards) ran the ball in from 2 yards out to pick up his fourth touchdown in three games. The rest of the game was ugly and marred by turnovers. On third down the Browns got pressure on Big Ben and forced him to throw an errant pass that was intercepted. On the Browns ensuing drive Lawrence Timmons sacked DA and forced a fumble that was recovered by James Harrison. But on the Steelers drive Willie Parker coughed up the ball and gave it right back to the Browns. Luckily for Pittsburgh Timmons got in on Anderson again forcing another sack fumble. But the Steelers were feeling pretty gracious themselves and Mendenhall handed the ball right back to them fumbling after picking up a nice gain. The Steelers would eventually get the ball back and kick a field goal to make the final score 27-14. Ben Roethlisberger had his second career 400 yard passing game completing 23 of 35 passes for 417 yards and 2TDs.
Now on to the Ward incomplete touchdown catch, the letter of the rule was interpreted correctly and they make the right call. BUT how many times does a guy have to roll on the ground with possession of the ball before it is considered a catch. Ward caught the ball inbounds fell to the ground with possession, rolled once still had possession, rolled twice out of bounds still possessing the ball and on his final roll out of bounds the ball slipped out and touched the ground and the officials initially ruled it a catch before ultimately over turning the call. It was ridiculous he had possession when he hit the ground in bounds and he had possession when he was out of bounds so how was it not a catch. The NFL needs to change the rule because they are ruining a lot of good football games and taking away the integrity of the game.
With the Steelers win, Ravens loss at Minnesota and the Bungals losing at home to the Texans the Steelers are now tied with Cincy although the Bungals do hold the advantage right now since they won the only head-to-head matchup right now.
GO STEELERS!
The first quarter was pretty uneventful for both teams due to drop passes and miscues. The Browns continued to struggle with Derek Anderson at quarterback although some of the struggles are with wide receivers dropping easy wide open passes. Josh Cribbs played a lot of the game out of the wildcat formation but his only miscue came when he forced a pass that was intercepted by the returning Troy Polamalu.
In the second quarter the Steelers got rolling with a 7-play 85-yard drive that was capped off when Ben Roethlisberger found Heath Miller open near the sideline of the end zone and like he so often does Ben put the ball only where Miller(5 catches 80 yards) could catch it and the Steelers had a 7-0 lead. With the touchdown catch Heath moved into second place all-time in Steelers history for touchdowns by a tight end passing Eric Green with 25 TDs for his career. The Steelers defense would continue to dominate and they got the ball back for the offense who capitalized on the opportunities that they were given. Big Ben threaded the ball between to defenders and found an open Hines Ward(8 receptions 154 yards) who scampered 52-yards into the end zone to give the Steelers a 14-0 lead.
The Browns would respond instantly mostly because the Steelers would make the ultimate mistake, they kicked the ball to Josh Cribbs. Cribbs returned the kickoff 98-yards out racing everyone on the field and scoring to bring the Browns within a score at 14-7. The Steelers would march down the field into field goal range but then something strange happened, the officials blew a call(who would've thought that?). The Steelers went for it on a fourth and inch from the Cleveland 14-yard line and Ben snuck the ball and picked up the first down, the controversy was whether he really picked up the first down. When the officials measured to see if Pittsburgh got the first or not it appear the Steelers were a few inches short but the officials gave it to them anyways. Then a few plays later Ben found an open Ward in the the corner of the end zone for a touchdown but upon further review it was determined that the ball came out at the last possible second(more on this in a moment). The Steelers would have to settle for a field goal and go into the half up 17-7.
In the third quarter the Browns came out on fire and DA found Mohamed Massaquoi(5 catches for 85 yards) for a huge 41-yard gain setting the Browns up in scoring territory. DA would complete a 1-yard pass to fullback Lawrence Vickers for the touchdown and inching Cleveland closer 17-14.
Steelers would respond like Champions do with a 6-play 79-yard drive to take a 24-14 lead. Rashard Mendenhall(16 carries for 62 yards) ran the ball in from 2 yards out to pick up his fourth touchdown in three games. The rest of the game was ugly and marred by turnovers. On third down the Browns got pressure on Big Ben and forced him to throw an errant pass that was intercepted. On the Browns ensuing drive Lawrence Timmons sacked DA and forced a fumble that was recovered by James Harrison. But on the Steelers drive Willie Parker coughed up the ball and gave it right back to the Browns. Luckily for Pittsburgh Timmons got in on Anderson again forcing another sack fumble. But the Steelers were feeling pretty gracious themselves and Mendenhall handed the ball right back to them fumbling after picking up a nice gain. The Steelers would eventually get the ball back and kick a field goal to make the final score 27-14. Ben Roethlisberger had his second career 400 yard passing game completing 23 of 35 passes for 417 yards and 2TDs.
Now on to the Ward incomplete touchdown catch, the letter of the rule was interpreted correctly and they make the right call. BUT how many times does a guy have to roll on the ground with possession of the ball before it is considered a catch. Ward caught the ball inbounds fell to the ground with possession, rolled once still had possession, rolled twice out of bounds still possessing the ball and on his final roll out of bounds the ball slipped out and touched the ground and the officials initially ruled it a catch before ultimately over turning the call. It was ridiculous he had possession when he hit the ground in bounds and he had possession when he was out of bounds so how was it not a catch. The NFL needs to change the rule because they are ruining a lot of good football games and taking away the integrity of the game.
With the Steelers win, Ravens loss at Minnesota and the Bungals losing at home to the Texans the Steelers are now tied with Cincy although the Bungals do hold the advantage right now since they won the only head-to-head matchup right now.
GO STEELERS!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Playoff weekend in review....
On Friday the New York Yankees grabbed a hold of the American League Championship Series from the Los Angeles Angels by winning Game 1 with a score of 4-1. The usual choker in October C.C. Sabathia pitched a strong game going eight innings giving up the lone run and striking out seven. Then on Saturday in Game 2 the Yankees got all they could handle from the Angels winning 4-3 in 13 innings. ARoid Alex Rodriguez continued his clutch play hitting home run on an 0-2 pitch in the bottom of the 11th inning to tie the game once again for the Yankees and Melky Cabrera knocked in Jerry Hairston Jr. for the game winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning. Game 3 is this afternoon in Los Angeles.
Yankees lead best of 7 series 2-0
On Friday the Los Angeles Dodgers evened the National League Championship Series by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1. Ryan Howard hit a homer in the fourth inning but that would be all they would muster in the game. The usually reliable Chase Utley committed an error in the eighth inning that resulted in the game tying score and then Ryan Madson walked in the game winning run. On Sunday night though the Phils would get their revenge in a big way by absolutely embarrassing the Dodgers 11-0. Cliff Lee pitched a beauty of a game going eight innings striking out 10 batters and only giving up three hits. Ryan Howard hit a triple in the first inning that knocked in Shane Victorino and Chase Utley which would ultimately prove to be the winning runs. Game 4 is tonight in Philadelphia.
Phillies lead best of 7 series 2-1
Yankees lead best of 7 series 2-0
On Friday the Los Angeles Dodgers evened the National League Championship Series by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1. Ryan Howard hit a homer in the fourth inning but that would be all they would muster in the game. The usually reliable Chase Utley committed an error in the eighth inning that resulted in the game tying score and then Ryan Madson walked in the game winning run. On Sunday night though the Phils would get their revenge in a big way by absolutely embarrassing the Dodgers 11-0. Cliff Lee pitched a beauty of a game going eight innings striking out 10 batters and only giving up three hits. Ryan Howard hit a triple in the first inning that knocked in Shane Victorino and Chase Utley which would ultimately prove to be the winning runs. Game 4 is tonight in Philadelphia.
Phillies lead best of 7 series 2-1
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Week 6 Pick ems...
I called the Browns upset of the Bills but I did miss the Bengals beating the Ravens so what does that tell you? Anyway I'm 49-27 on the season so far in picking games which isn't too bad but if you're placing any money on these predictions you might want to get them elsewhere because who knows how I'll pick from week to week since I like to hold grudges against teams for pretty much any reason. So here we go....
Houston Texans @ Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
St. Louis Rams @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings
New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints
Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kansas City Chiefs @ Washington Redskins
Philadelphia Eagles @ Oakland Raiders
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans @ New England Patriots
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons
Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers
Houston Texans @ Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
St. Louis Rams @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings
New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints
Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kansas City Chiefs @ Washington Redskins
Philadelphia Eagles @ Oakland Raiders
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans @ New England Patriots
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons
Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers
Friday, October 16, 2009
#8 Cincinnati survives scare from #21 South Florida 34-17
The eighth ranked Cincinnati Bearcats(6-0) survived losing their star quarterback to knock off the upstart #21 South Florida Bulls(5-1) 34-17.
The Bearcats took an early 3-0 but the Bulls responded and took the lead off of a 28-yard B.J. Daniels touchdown pass to Jessie Hester making the score 7-3.
In the second quarter Tony Pike got the Bearcat offense rolling throwing for 2 touchdowns both to Armon Binns(2 and 8 yards respectively) and Cincinnati had a 17-7 lead. Just before the half the Bulls would hit a field goal just as time expired to make the score 17-10.
Tony Pike would injure his left wrist and not return to the game but the Cincinnati offense did not miss a beat with back up Zach Collaros in the game. Three plays after Pike went down Collaros took a QB keeper, squeezed between the middle of the defense, and took off 75-yards for a touchdown and a 24-10 lead. B.J. Daniels would score from 1-yard out for the Bulls to bring them closer at 24-17 but that's as close as it would get.
In the fourth quarter Collaros would lead the Bearcats on another scoring drive that was capped off once again by him as he ran the ball into the end zone from 2-yards out. Cincinnati would kick a field goal to round out the scoring making the final score 34-17.
The Bearcats took an early 3-0 but the Bulls responded and took the lead off of a 28-yard B.J. Daniels touchdown pass to Jessie Hester making the score 7-3.
In the second quarter Tony Pike got the Bearcat offense rolling throwing for 2 touchdowns both to Armon Binns(2 and 8 yards respectively) and Cincinnati had a 17-7 lead. Just before the half the Bulls would hit a field goal just as time expired to make the score 17-10.
Tony Pike would injure his left wrist and not return to the game but the Cincinnati offense did not miss a beat with back up Zach Collaros in the game. Three plays after Pike went down Collaros took a QB keeper, squeezed between the middle of the defense, and took off 75-yards for a touchdown and a 24-10 lead. B.J. Daniels would score from 1-yard out for the Bulls to bring them closer at 24-17 but that's as close as it would get.
In the fourth quarter Collaros would lead the Bearcats on another scoring drive that was capped off once again by him as he ran the ball into the end zone from 2-yards out. Cincinnati would kick a field goal to round out the scoring making the final score 34-17.
Phillies topple Dodgers in Game 1 of NLCS....
In Game 1 of the National League Championship series the Philadelphia Phillies bested the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-6 in L.A.
The Phillies used their power bats on the road and Brad Lidge appears to be a competent closer again as he picked up his third straight save. Carlos Ruiz hit a three run homer in the fifth that sparked the Phils to a 3-1 lead and later in the same inning Ryan Howard doubled knocking in two more runs for a 5-1 lead. The Dodgers tried rallying late but ultimately came up short losing to a score of 8-6. Game 2 is this afternoon at 4 in L.A.
Phillies lead best of 7 series 1-0
The Phillies used their power bats on the road and Brad Lidge appears to be a competent closer again as he picked up his third straight save. Carlos Ruiz hit a three run homer in the fifth that sparked the Phils to a 3-1 lead and later in the same inning Ryan Howard doubled knocking in two more runs for a 5-1 lead. The Dodgers tried rallying late but ultimately came up short losing to a score of 8-6. Game 2 is this afternoon at 4 in L.A.
Phillies lead best of 7 series 1-0
Thursday, October 15, 2009
#5Boise State squeezes past Tulsa 28-21....
The #5 Boise State Broncos(6-0) continue their push for a bid in the BCS National title by remaining undefeated after barely knocking off the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes(4-2) 28-21.
The Broncos quickly fell behind Tulsa when wildcat quarterback A.J. Whitmore connected on a big play of 53-yards with Damaris Johnson for a 7-0 lead. Boise State would respond though when Kellen Moore tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass Tommy Gallarda and the Broncos were successful on the 2-point conversion making the score 8-7. Just before the end of the first quarter Tulsa would have another opportunity to take the lead. The usual QB for the Hurricanes G.J. Kinne found Trae Johnson in the end zone from 15-yards out for a 14-8 lead.
Once again Moore and the Broncos responded when found Austin Pettis open in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown and BSU would go on top for good 15-14. Before the end of the half the Broncos extended their lead on a field goal by Kyle Brotzman making the score 18-14. in the second half the Borncos would continue to jump all over Tulsa when Moore tossed his last touchdown of the night to an open Gallarda for a 2-yard score and a 25-14 lead. Brotzman would hit another field goal to make the score 28-14.
The Golden Hurricanes were not done though as they traveled 91-yards on two plays both of which were passing plays from Kinne to Slick Shelley and the last one covered 55-yards and brought Tulsa within a touchdown at 28-21. On their next possession the Broncos defense forced their fourth three and out to preserve the win.
The Broncos quickly fell behind Tulsa when wildcat quarterback A.J. Whitmore connected on a big play of 53-yards with Damaris Johnson for a 7-0 lead. Boise State would respond though when Kellen Moore tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass Tommy Gallarda and the Broncos were successful on the 2-point conversion making the score 8-7. Just before the end of the first quarter Tulsa would have another opportunity to take the lead. The usual QB for the Hurricanes G.J. Kinne found Trae Johnson in the end zone from 15-yards out for a 14-8 lead.
Once again Moore and the Broncos responded when found Austin Pettis open in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown and BSU would go on top for good 15-14. Before the end of the half the Broncos extended their lead on a field goal by Kyle Brotzman making the score 18-14. in the second half the Borncos would continue to jump all over Tulsa when Moore tossed his last touchdown of the night to an open Gallarda for a 2-yard score and a 25-14 lead. Brotzman would hit another field goal to make the score 28-14.
The Golden Hurricanes were not done though as they traveled 91-yards on two plays both of which were passing plays from Kinne to Slick Shelley and the last one covered 55-yards and brought Tulsa within a touchdown at 28-21. On their next possession the Broncos defense forced their fourth three and out to preserve the win.
Pens squeak past Canes 3-2 in shootout....
The Pittsburgh Penguins(6-1-0) continued their hot play as of late winning a rematch of last years Eastern Conference Finals knocking off the Carolina Hurricanes(2-3-1) 3-2 in a shootout.
Michael Rupp and the Penguins set the tone early and jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Malkin(6) and Rupp(1) forced a 2-on-1 and Rupp was able to get the puck past Cam Ward for his first goal of the season. In the second period Malkin(3) continued the Pens domination taking the puck and scoring an impressive goal off of a Pascal Dupuis(1) pass giving the Pens a 2-0 lead early into the second period.
Both teams battled back and forth until the Pens finally gave up some ground and when they did the Hurricanes jumped all over them. Ray Whitney single handedly took control of the game in the third period scoring two goals, the first was only 4 minutes and 25 seconds into the period and the game tying goal came five and half minutes later, tying the game and forcing overtime.
In the extra period Malkin had a great chance at winning the game early on but he was stoned by the always reliable Ward and the game would eventually make it to a shootout. In the shootout Sidney Crosby would break the tie when he was able to put the puck past Ward. But Carolina would respond on their next try when Jussi Jokinen squirted the puck underneath Marc-Andre Fleury. Both teams were unsuccessful on their next three attempts until Chris Kunitz was able to solve the puzzle that is Cam Ward. Fleury shut down Eric Staal on the Canes final attempt to win his sixth game of the season and to remain unbeaten on the season. Fleury stopped 27 of 29 shots faced.
The Penguins have set a new franchise mark by winning their first five games on the road, their previous high was 4 straight twice in franchise history with the most recent time being two seasons ago. Crosby was held scoreless for the second consecutive game and for the fourth time in the last five games. This game was the last of a four game road trip and now the Pens will be home for the next week and a half. Up next the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
GO PENGUINS!
Michael Rupp and the Penguins set the tone early and jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Malkin(6) and Rupp(1) forced a 2-on-1 and Rupp was able to get the puck past Cam Ward for his first goal of the season. In the second period Malkin(3) continued the Pens domination taking the puck and scoring an impressive goal off of a Pascal Dupuis(1) pass giving the Pens a 2-0 lead early into the second period.
Both teams battled back and forth until the Pens finally gave up some ground and when they did the Hurricanes jumped all over them. Ray Whitney single handedly took control of the game in the third period scoring two goals, the first was only 4 minutes and 25 seconds into the period and the game tying goal came five and half minutes later, tying the game and forcing overtime.
In the extra period Malkin had a great chance at winning the game early on but he was stoned by the always reliable Ward and the game would eventually make it to a shootout. In the shootout Sidney Crosby would break the tie when he was able to put the puck past Ward. But Carolina would respond on their next try when Jussi Jokinen squirted the puck underneath Marc-Andre Fleury. Both teams were unsuccessful on their next three attempts until Chris Kunitz was able to solve the puzzle that is Cam Ward. Fleury shut down Eric Staal on the Canes final attempt to win his sixth game of the season and to remain unbeaten on the season. Fleury stopped 27 of 29 shots faced.
The Penguins have set a new franchise mark by winning their first five games on the road, their previous high was 4 straight twice in franchise history with the most recent time being two seasons ago. Crosby was held scoreless for the second consecutive game and for the fourth time in the last five games. This game was the last of a four game road trip and now the Pens will be home for the next week and a half. Up next the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
GO PENGUINS!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Week 5 NFL Power rankings....
1. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) (lw #1)- I didn't think it was possible but Peyton keeps getting better and has taken over the mantle of best QB in the NFL from Mr. Brady
2. New York Giants (5-0) (lw #2)- The Giants have coasted so far playing inferior opponents we will see how good they are after a trip to New Orleans
3. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) (lw #4)- Tough few weeks coming for the Vikings with a home against Baltimore than road games at Pittsburgh and Green Bay
4. Denver Broncos (5-0) (lw #10)- I'm not quite sold on these guys yet but hey they are winning close games which is the mark of a champion
5. New Orleans Saints (4-0) (lw #3)- We will see how good this team is after their next three games
6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) (lw #12)- Palmer is making plays when it is needed most and the last time this team started 4-1 was in 2005 when they made the playoffs
7. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) (lw #11)- The bye week did wonders for the offense as they dismantled a tough 49ers team but the have a tough stretch coming up
8. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) (lw #9)- With a healthy McNabb this team can be unstoppable
9. New England Patriots (3-2) (lw #7)- Bad news for winless Tennessee, the Pats don't lose two in a row
10. Chicago Bears (3-1) (lw #13)- The Bears need to get Matt Forte going if they want to keep up with the Vikings and the rest of the NFC for that matter
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) (lw #14)- A two game winning streak, a ressurging running game and the return of Troy Polamalu bodes well for the defending champions
12. New York Jets (3-2) (lw #5)- The once vaunted defense has been getting burned and Mark Sanchez is resembling a rookie quarterback but for the time being the Bills and Raiders should aleviate some of their pain
13. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) (lw #8)- Consecutive tough losses may hurt this teams confidence especially since Flacco hasn't looked as strong recently
14. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) (lw #6)- After their devastating home loss this team needs a bye week, maybe they can Michael Crabtree on the field in a week or two because they need more offensive weapons
15. San Diego Chargers (2-2) (lw #15)- Huge MNF game this week against the divisional leaders the Denver Broncos, the Chargers can ill afford to drop 3 full games behind them
16. Green Bay Packers (2-2) (lw #18)- Hopefully they solved their offensive line problems with their week off or this team isn't going to go anywhere
17. Arizona Cardinals (2-2) (lw #19)- The offense clicked early on but then they got complacent and struggled late which they can't do against at Seattle this week
18. Miami Dolphins (2-3) (lw #21)- Henne is looking to be the quarterback this team needs to compliment the running attack
19. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) (lw # 20)- Miles Austin may have earned himself a starting spot in the offense with his record breaking 250 yard receiving performance since he out gained Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton's season totals in one game
20. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) (lw #24)- This team is fueled by Hasselbeck and they showed it by destroying the Jaguars: up next a home game with the Cards
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) (lw #16)- St. Louis rolls into to town on Sunday but who knows what will happen with this team
22. Houston Texans (2-3) (lw #17)- Texans rallied late but came up short the way their recent trend has gone they should win but they won't, they play at Cincinnati
23. Carolina Panthers (1-3) (lw #27)- Finally got off the schneide but they didn't look impressive while doing it
24. Detroit Lions (1-4) (lw #22)- These are not the Lions of yesteryear and they are close to winning some games, they may trip some teams up come December
25. Cleveland Browns (1-4) (lw #29)- Finally won a game but they did not deserve to win with Anderson and his receivers combining for a disgusting 2 of 17 for 24 yards
26. Washington Redskins (2-3) (lw #25)- Three losses are to teams that were previously defeated....the count down begins to Jim Zorn's firing
27. Tennessee Titans (0-5) (lw #26)- The Titans have a lot of problems and quarterback just became another one, Collins looks bad and Young didn't impress in the 4th quarter
28. Buffalo Bills (1-4) (lw #23)- Rumors of T.O. being traded does not bode well for the fans of Buffalo, not that he's done much to begin with
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) (lw #28)- Different quarterback same results
30. Oakland Raiders (1-4) (lw #30)- Their head coach is probably going to be suspended, what else is their to say
31. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5) (lw #31)- Taking the Cowboys to overtime is a good thing for the Chiefs they just need to learn how to win now
32. St. Louis Rams (0-5) (lw #32)- There appears to be no end in sight to this abysmal team
2. New York Giants (5-0) (lw #2)- The Giants have coasted so far playing inferior opponents we will see how good they are after a trip to New Orleans
3. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) (lw #4)- Tough few weeks coming for the Vikings with a home against Baltimore than road games at Pittsburgh and Green Bay
4. Denver Broncos (5-0) (lw #10)- I'm not quite sold on these guys yet but hey they are winning close games which is the mark of a champion
5. New Orleans Saints (4-0) (lw #3)- We will see how good this team is after their next three games
6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) (lw #12)- Palmer is making plays when it is needed most and the last time this team started 4-1 was in 2005 when they made the playoffs
7. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) (lw #11)- The bye week did wonders for the offense as they dismantled a tough 49ers team but the have a tough stretch coming up
8. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) (lw #9)- With a healthy McNabb this team can be unstoppable
9. New England Patriots (3-2) (lw #7)- Bad news for winless Tennessee, the Pats don't lose two in a row
10. Chicago Bears (3-1) (lw #13)- The Bears need to get Matt Forte going if they want to keep up with the Vikings and the rest of the NFC for that matter
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) (lw #14)- A two game winning streak, a ressurging running game and the return of Troy Polamalu bodes well for the defending champions
12. New York Jets (3-2) (lw #5)- The once vaunted defense has been getting burned and Mark Sanchez is resembling a rookie quarterback but for the time being the Bills and Raiders should aleviate some of their pain
13. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) (lw #8)- Consecutive tough losses may hurt this teams confidence especially since Flacco hasn't looked as strong recently
14. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) (lw #6)- After their devastating home loss this team needs a bye week, maybe they can Michael Crabtree on the field in a week or two because they need more offensive weapons
15. San Diego Chargers (2-2) (lw #15)- Huge MNF game this week against the divisional leaders the Denver Broncos, the Chargers can ill afford to drop 3 full games behind them
16. Green Bay Packers (2-2) (lw #18)- Hopefully they solved their offensive line problems with their week off or this team isn't going to go anywhere
17. Arizona Cardinals (2-2) (lw #19)- The offense clicked early on but then they got complacent and struggled late which they can't do against at Seattle this week
18. Miami Dolphins (2-3) (lw #21)- Henne is looking to be the quarterback this team needs to compliment the running attack
19. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) (lw # 20)- Miles Austin may have earned himself a starting spot in the offense with his record breaking 250 yard receiving performance since he out gained Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton's season totals in one game
20. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) (lw #24)- This team is fueled by Hasselbeck and they showed it by destroying the Jaguars: up next a home game with the Cards
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) (lw #16)- St. Louis rolls into to town on Sunday but who knows what will happen with this team
22. Houston Texans (2-3) (lw #17)- Texans rallied late but came up short the way their recent trend has gone they should win but they won't, they play at Cincinnati
23. Carolina Panthers (1-3) (lw #27)- Finally got off the schneide but they didn't look impressive while doing it
24. Detroit Lions (1-4) (lw #22)- These are not the Lions of yesteryear and they are close to winning some games, they may trip some teams up come December
25. Cleveland Browns (1-4) (lw #29)- Finally won a game but they did not deserve to win with Anderson and his receivers combining for a disgusting 2 of 17 for 24 yards
26. Washington Redskins (2-3) (lw #25)- Three losses are to teams that were previously defeated....the count down begins to Jim Zorn's firing
27. Tennessee Titans (0-5) (lw #26)- The Titans have a lot of problems and quarterback just became another one, Collins looks bad and Young didn't impress in the 4th quarter
28. Buffalo Bills (1-4) (lw #23)- Rumors of T.O. being traded does not bode well for the fans of Buffalo, not that he's done much to begin with
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) (lw #28)- Different quarterback same results
30. Oakland Raiders (1-4) (lw #30)- Their head coach is probably going to be suspended, what else is their to say
31. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5) (lw #31)- Taking the Cowboys to overtime is a good thing for the Chiefs they just need to learn how to win now
32. St. Louis Rams (0-5) (lw #32)- There appears to be no end in sight to this abysmal team
Steelers lose Smith for season...
Just when the Pittsburgh Steelers thought their defensive problems were getting better with the return of Troy Polamalu they got news that Aaron Smith will be place on the injured reserve list. Smith tore his rotator cuff in his right shoulder during the Lions game and will be done for the season. Ziggy Hood, Travis Kirschke, and Nick Eason are going to be used as a group to try to replace Smith.
This is a huge blow for the Steelers defense because the last time Smith got hurt the team gave up 629 yards rushing in 4 games which included back to back loses at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars. They drafted Hood for this single reason and he looked impressive in the preseason but he hasn't done much so far during the regular season. Kirschke is a suitable replacement who has been with the team for both Super Bowl runs but he is getting old and you can't really replicate what Smith brings to the defense. The team should get an emotional lift from Polamalu's return but everyone is going to have to step up to fill the void that Smith brings to the field. I am fully confidant that the Steelers can overcome this and remain a factor in the AFC playoff picture.
GO STEELERS!
This is a huge blow for the Steelers defense because the last time Smith got hurt the team gave up 629 yards rushing in 4 games which included back to back loses at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars. They drafted Hood for this single reason and he looked impressive in the preseason but he hasn't done much so far during the regular season. Kirschke is a suitable replacement who has been with the team for both Super Bowl runs but he is getting old and you can't really replicate what Smith brings to the defense. The team should get an emotional lift from Polamalu's return but everyone is going to have to step up to fill the void that Smith brings to the field. I am fully confidant that the Steelers can overcome this and remain a factor in the AFC playoff picture.
GO STEELERS!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Penguins down the Senators 4-1...
The Pittsburgh Penguins(5-1-0) continued their dominance of the Ottawa Senators(3-2-0) with a decisive 4-1 victory in Ottawa.
The Senators opened up the scoring but that would be their only point of the game when Milan Michalek snuck the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury for a 1-0 lead and his first goal of the season.
The Penguins responded less than a minute later off of a Bill Guerin(2) goal that he rebounded in off of his own shot and into the net for a 1-1 tie. MMMMMMMMMMRRRRRRRRRRRR. KENNEDYYY Tyler Kennedy would pick up his third and fourth goals of the season in the second period to give Pittsburgh the lead for good at 2-1 and then 3-1. Jordan Staal would put his third puck of the season into the net to ultimately close out the game 4-1.
Fleury remains unbeaten on the season at 4-0 and stopped 30 of 31 shots in the game. Sidney Crosby was held scoreless for the third time in four games and Evgeni Malkin was held without a point for the second time of the young season. The Penguins are undefeated on the road so far this year and they have one more road game at Carolina before returning to the friendly confines of Mellon Arena for a five game home stand.
GO PENGUINS!
The Senators opened up the scoring but that would be their only point of the game when Milan Michalek snuck the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury for a 1-0 lead and his first goal of the season.
The Penguins responded less than a minute later off of a Bill Guerin(2) goal that he rebounded in off of his own shot and into the net for a 1-1 tie. MMMMMMMMMMRRRRRRRRRRRR. KENNEDYYY Tyler Kennedy would pick up his third and fourth goals of the season in the second period to give Pittsburgh the lead for good at 2-1 and then 3-1. Jordan Staal would put his third puck of the season into the net to ultimately close out the game 4-1.
Fleury remains unbeaten on the season at 4-0 and stopped 30 of 31 shots in the game. Sidney Crosby was held scoreless for the third time in four games and Evgeni Malkin was held without a point for the second time of the young season. The Penguins are undefeated on the road so far this year and they have one more road game at Carolina before returning to the friendly confines of Mellon Arena for a five game home stand.
GO PENGUINS!
Phils wrap up series over Rockies, headed back to NLCS....
The Philadelphia Phillies took the best shot the Colorado Rockies had but it wasn't enough as the defending World Series champions won in the Rocky Mountain state 5-4. The Phillies were down two runs in the top of the ninth but the defending champs didn't flinch and Ryan Howard would knock in the game tying runs on a double with two outs. Howard would be knocked in on the very next batter to give Philadelphia a 5-4 lead and the Brad Lidge picked up his second consecutive save. The Phillies will play the Dodgers in the NLCS starting on Thursday.
Phillies win best of 5 series 3-1
Phillies win best of 5 series 3-1
Dolphins sink Jets 31-27...
The Miami Dolphins(2-3) shocked the New York Jets(3-2) with a last second Ronnie Brown touchdown and the Dolphins now have a two game win streak with a 31-27 victory.
Ronnie Brown and the Dolphins opened up the scoring in the game and they were last ones to score when Brown lined up in the wildcat formation took the shotgun snap and ran up the gut for a 2- yard touchdown with only six seconds left. The Dolphins used their opening possession to chew up half of the first quarter while taking a 7-0 lead off of a 1-yard plunge by Brown.
The Jets would respond when the newly acquired Braylon Edwards(5 catches for 64 yards) made a routine(for him anyway since all he does is make spectacular catches but drops the easy ones) catch for his first touchdown of the season and a 7-7 tie. Mark Sanchez finished the night completing only 50% of his passes(12/24) for 172 yards and the touchdown. The Dolphins kicked a 35-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter for a 10-7 lead.
In the second quarter the Jets kicked a 40 and 43- yard field goal to go ahead before the half 13-10. In the third neither team did anything which would turn out to be the quiet before the storm.
The fourth quarter got underway with Anthony Fasano catching a 2- yard pass from Chad Henne to give give the Dolphins a 17-13 advantage. The Jets would respond two minutes later to reclaim the lead when Thomas Jones ran the ball in from 1-yard to give him his first touchdown of the game and the Jets a 20-17 lead. Tedd Ginn Jr. finally made the big play that offense has been looking for from the passing game when he out ran the New York secondary and Henne(20/26 for 241 yards and 2 TDs) put the ball on the money connecting for a 53-yard touchdown pass and the just like the Dolphins had the lead again 24-20. Five minutes later Jones(13 carries 42 yards and 2 TDs) picked up his second rushing touchdown of the night from 3-yards out and the Jets were up 27-24 with five minutes remaining. Jones would match Brown touchdown for touchdown but Brown(21 carries for 74 yards and 2 TDs) would have the last laugh as he and the Dolphins scored with only six seconds remaining and the Dolphins extended their win streak to 2 games and handed the Jets their second straight loss.
Ronnie Brown and the Dolphins opened up the scoring in the game and they were last ones to score when Brown lined up in the wildcat formation took the shotgun snap and ran up the gut for a 2- yard touchdown with only six seconds left. The Dolphins used their opening possession to chew up half of the first quarter while taking a 7-0 lead off of a 1-yard plunge by Brown.
The Jets would respond when the newly acquired Braylon Edwards(5 catches for 64 yards) made a routine(for him anyway since all he does is make spectacular catches but drops the easy ones) catch for his first touchdown of the season and a 7-7 tie. Mark Sanchez finished the night completing only 50% of his passes(12/24) for 172 yards and the touchdown. The Dolphins kicked a 35-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter for a 10-7 lead.
In the second quarter the Jets kicked a 40 and 43- yard field goal to go ahead before the half 13-10. In the third neither team did anything which would turn out to be the quiet before the storm.
The fourth quarter got underway with Anthony Fasano catching a 2- yard pass from Chad Henne to give give the Dolphins a 17-13 advantage. The Jets would respond two minutes later to reclaim the lead when Thomas Jones ran the ball in from 1-yard to give him his first touchdown of the game and the Jets a 20-17 lead. Tedd Ginn Jr. finally made the big play that offense has been looking for from the passing game when he out ran the New York secondary and Henne(20/26 for 241 yards and 2 TDs) put the ball on the money connecting for a 53-yard touchdown pass and the just like the Dolphins had the lead again 24-20. Five minutes later Jones(13 carries 42 yards and 2 TDs) picked up his second rushing touchdown of the night from 3-yards out and the Jets were up 27-24 with five minutes remaining. Jones would match Brown touchdown for touchdown but Brown(21 carries for 74 yards and 2 TDs) would have the last laugh as he and the Dolphins scored with only six seconds remaining and the Dolphins extended their win streak to 2 games and handed the Jets their second straight loss.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Yankees and Angels sweep, Phils win....
The New York Yankees and all their high priced free agents may actually be starting to pay off as the Yankees swept the tired Minnesota Twins 4-1 in the last game ever played at the Metrodome. Alex Rodriguez homered in the seventh to tie the game up at 1 and Jorge Posada took the lead with a homer in the same inning and New York never looked back. Andy Pettite picked up the win and the Yankees are heading back to the ALCS for the first time in 5 years.
Yankees swept series 3-0
The Los Angeles Angels took care of the Boston Red Sox sweeping them with a Game 3 victory of 7-6. The Angels scored three runs in the ninth off of closer Johnathan Papelbon and they got revenge over the Sox who have knocked them out of the playoffs 4 straight seasons. Vladimir Guerrero hit a single to drive in the tying and go ahead run and now the Angels will take on the Yankees in the ALCS.
Angels sweep series 3-0
After postponing the game twice due to it being too cold(they realize that October baseball in any of the cities left except for L.A. will have cold weather right?) the pansies known as the Philadelphia Phillies knocked off the other pansies the Colorado Rockies 6-5. Chase Utley, went 3-4 with a home run, lead the defending champs and Ryan Howard hit in the game winning run in in the top of the ninth then Brad Lidge held off the Rockies to extend their series lead. Game 4 is tonight back in Colorado.
Phillies lead best of 5 series 2-1
Yankees swept series 3-0
The Los Angeles Angels took care of the Boston Red Sox sweeping them with a Game 3 victory of 7-6. The Angels scored three runs in the ninth off of closer Johnathan Papelbon and they got revenge over the Sox who have knocked them out of the playoffs 4 straight seasons. Vladimir Guerrero hit a single to drive in the tying and go ahead run and now the Angels will take on the Yankees in the ALCS.
Angels sweep series 3-0
After postponing the game twice due to it being too cold(they realize that October baseball in any of the cities left except for L.A. will have cold weather right?) the pansies known as the Philadelphia Phillies knocked off the other pansies the Colorado Rockies 6-5. Chase Utley, went 3-4 with a home run, lead the defending champs and Ryan Howard hit in the game winning run in in the top of the ninth then Brad Lidge held off the Rockies to extend their series lead. Game 4 is tonight back in Colorado.
Phillies lead best of 5 series 2-1
Steelers prevail over the Lions 28-20....
The Pittsburgh Steelers(3-2) got up big early and the Detroit Lions(1-4) rallied but the Steelers ultimately prevailed 28-20 to pick up their first road win of the season.
The Lions took an early 3-0 lead off of a Jason Hanson field goal but the Steelers would respond with a touchdown. Rashard Mendenhall, who filled in for the injured Willie Parker again, rushed for his third touchdown of the season from 7-yards out for a 7-3 Steelers lead. Mendenhall would finish with 15 carries for 77 yards. The Lions answered Pittsburgh's score with another Hanson field goal at the end of the first quarter to inch the Lions within a point at 7-6.
Ben Roethlisberger took control of the game leading the Steelers on a 12-play drive that covered 75-yards and chewed up 6 minutes 46 seconds off the clock and it ended when Heath Miller( 5 receptions for 54 yards) took a screen pass 15-yards for a 14-6 lead. On Pittsburgh's next drive Roethlisberger threw a pass into coverage that was intercepted and returned 38-yards for touchdown by William James to bring the Lions within a point once again 14-13. Big Ben and the offense responded with a 6-play 52-yard drive that was capped by Hines Ward( 7 catches for 77 yards) catching a pass and fighting his way into the end zone from 17-yards out for a 21-13 halftime lead.
After the half the Steelers hit their first big passing play all season when Roethlisberger found rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace( 2 catches 52 yards) open down field for a 47-yard touchdown bomb giving the Steelers a 28-13 lead.
In the fourth quarter both teams exchanged empty drives until the Lions tried mounting a comeback on the arm of Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper completed 6 passes on their final scoring drive with the last completion spanning 25-yards and Dennis Northcutt came down with the touchdown to bring the Lions closer 28-20. But on Detroit's final drive the Blitzburgh defense sacked Culpepper on three consecutive plays and then forced an incomplete pass to end the game. The Steelers sacked Culpepper 7 times with last year's defensive MVP James Harrison accounting for 3 sacks himself.
The offense looks unstoppable when they don't beat themselves with penalties and turnovers
and if they really wanted to they could have put the game away in the fourth if they would have just handed the ball off to Mendenhall. OC Bruce Arians likes to put the game in Ben's hands now instead of using the traditional Steelers football way of running out the clock with the running game. The defense finally forced a turnover and they got after a quarterback so that's good and I think once Troy Polamalu returns next week or in two weeks the defense will be fine because he will have guys in the right position to make the plays. All in all it was a good game and the Steelers should be proud. I'll be in Pittsburgh this weekend for the game against the Browns so I can't wait.
GO STEELERS!
The Lions took an early 3-0 lead off of a Jason Hanson field goal but the Steelers would respond with a touchdown. Rashard Mendenhall, who filled in for the injured Willie Parker again, rushed for his third touchdown of the season from 7-yards out for a 7-3 Steelers lead. Mendenhall would finish with 15 carries for 77 yards. The Lions answered Pittsburgh's score with another Hanson field goal at the end of the first quarter to inch the Lions within a point at 7-6.
Ben Roethlisberger took control of the game leading the Steelers on a 12-play drive that covered 75-yards and chewed up 6 minutes 46 seconds off the clock and it ended when Heath Miller( 5 receptions for 54 yards) took a screen pass 15-yards for a 14-6 lead. On Pittsburgh's next drive Roethlisberger threw a pass into coverage that was intercepted and returned 38-yards for touchdown by William James to bring the Lions within a point once again 14-13. Big Ben and the offense responded with a 6-play 52-yard drive that was capped by Hines Ward( 7 catches for 77 yards) catching a pass and fighting his way into the end zone from 17-yards out for a 21-13 halftime lead.
After the half the Steelers hit their first big passing play all season when Roethlisberger found rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace( 2 catches 52 yards) open down field for a 47-yard touchdown bomb giving the Steelers a 28-13 lead.
In the fourth quarter both teams exchanged empty drives until the Lions tried mounting a comeback on the arm of Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper completed 6 passes on their final scoring drive with the last completion spanning 25-yards and Dennis Northcutt came down with the touchdown to bring the Lions closer 28-20. But on Detroit's final drive the Blitzburgh defense sacked Culpepper on three consecutive plays and then forced an incomplete pass to end the game. The Steelers sacked Culpepper 7 times with last year's defensive MVP James Harrison accounting for 3 sacks himself.
The offense looks unstoppable when they don't beat themselves with penalties and turnovers
and if they really wanted to they could have put the game away in the fourth if they would have just handed the ball off to Mendenhall. OC Bruce Arians likes to put the game in Ben's hands now instead of using the traditional Steelers football way of running out the clock with the running game. The defense finally forced a turnover and they got after a quarterback so that's good and I think once Troy Polamalu returns next week or in two weeks the defense will be fine because he will have guys in the right position to make the plays. All in all it was a good game and the Steelers should be proud. I'll be in Pittsburgh this weekend for the game against the Browns so I can't wait.
GO STEELERS!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Week 5 NFL Pick ems....
I'm not picking the Tennessee Titans again until they win and they play a team that they can beat. I like a big upset this week with the Cleveland Browns picking up their first win of the season at Buffalo. And I think the Chiefs could beat the Cowboys but Dallas has too much talent to lose against Kansas City. Here we go.....
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions
Cleveland Browns @ Buffalo Bills
Dallas Cowboys @ Kansas City Chiefs
Minnesota Vikings @ St. Louis Rams
Oakland Raiders @ New York Giants
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins @ Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens
Atlanta Falcons @ San Francisco 49ers
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Seattle Seahawks
Houston Texans @ Arizona Cardinals
New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos
Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions
Cleveland Browns @ Buffalo Bills
Dallas Cowboys @ Kansas City Chiefs
Minnesota Vikings @ St. Louis Rams
Oakland Raiders @ New York Giants
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins @ Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens
Atlanta Falcons @ San Francisco 49ers
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Seattle Seahawks
Houston Texans @ Arizona Cardinals
New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos
Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
Dodgers sweep Cardinals...
The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year dominating the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1. Omar Vicente(who was unemployed just 3 months ago) held the power bats of the Cardinals in check pitching 7 innings and only giving up four hits and no runs. Manny Ramirez doubled in the second to drive in a run and he picked up another RBI on a single in the seventh. After the first MANRAM RBI Adam Ethier hit a home run in the third and Rafeal Furcal drove in a run in the fourth.
Dodgers sweep series 3-0
Dodgers sweep series 3-0
Top-25 roundup....
#1 Florida went into Baton Rouge and remained unbeaten on the season with a beaten up Tim Tebow and the Gators knocking off the #4 LSU Tigers 13-3. Tebow wasn't impressive but he provided his usual leadership and gritty play while completing 11 of 16 passes for 134 yards a touchdown and an interception two weeks after suffering a concussion.
#2 Texas got an early scare from the Colorado Buffalo's trailing 14-3 but then Colt McCoy and the defense put the Longhorns where they expected to be and that's still undefeated after a 38-14 win. The special teams blocked a punt and returned it 6 yards for a touchdown to put the Longhorns up 17-14. A pick-6 and a punt return gave Texas an insurmountable lead.
#3 Alabama continues to roll after bullying #20 Ole Miss 22-3. The Crimson Tide defense intercepted Jevan Sneed 4 times and the Tide had to settle for 5 field goals but they proved to be enough. The Tide also got a 36 yard touchdown run from Mark Ingram.
#5 Virginia Tech steam rolled Boston College in continuing their domination of the conference with a 48-14 victory. Tyrod Taylor did his usual thing of scrambling and breaking tackles and then finding the open receiver connecting for two touchdowns.
Speaking on conference domination #9 Ohio State shot down the Wisconsin Badgers to a tune of 31-13. The Buckeye defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns and Ray Small returned a punt 96 yards for another defensive score.
#10 TCU remains a BCS buster after downing Air Force 20-17. TCU went up 14 points in the first half but had to hold on for the victory to remain unbeaten on the season. #11 Miami dominated Florida A&M 48-16. Jacory Harris tossed two touchdowns and the ground game accounted for three touchdwons in the easy victory.
#12 Iowa extended the Wolverines losing to 2 games but got all they could handle from Michigan in a 30-28 win. Ricky Stanzi proved to be the better quarterback on Saturday throwing for 284 yards and 2 touchdowns. #13 Oregon won 24-10 over the struggling UCLA Bruins. The Ducks exploded for 21 points in the third separating themselves and not looking back.
#14 Penn State destroys Eastern Illinois 52-3. #15 Oklahoma State struggled without star wide out Dez Bryant they ultimately prevailed 36-31. #16 Kansas went on the strong arm of Todd Reesing who tossed 4 touchdowns while leading the Jayhawks over Iowa State 41-36.
#17 Auburn got upset big time by Arkansas 44-23. Arkansas' high powered offense out gained the Tigers 495-375. #18 BYU shellacked UNLV 59-21. #19 Oklahoma got a much needed lift from the returning Sam Bradford who threw for 389 yards and a touchdown in a 33-7 win over Baylor. #22 Georgia Tech put another nail in the coffin of Bobby Bowden's coaching career winning a close contest 46-44. #25 South Carolina pulled out a tough victory over the Kentucky Wildcats and the Gamecock passing game resembled Spurrier's success from his Florida days in a 28-26 win. Kentucky scored late but failed to tie the game on the 2-point conversion and Stephen Garcia tossed 3 touchdowns and threw for 233 yards.
#2 Texas got an early scare from the Colorado Buffalo's trailing 14-3 but then Colt McCoy and the defense put the Longhorns where they expected to be and that's still undefeated after a 38-14 win. The special teams blocked a punt and returned it 6 yards for a touchdown to put the Longhorns up 17-14. A pick-6 and a punt return gave Texas an insurmountable lead.
#3 Alabama continues to roll after bullying #20 Ole Miss 22-3. The Crimson Tide defense intercepted Jevan Sneed 4 times and the Tide had to settle for 5 field goals but they proved to be enough. The Tide also got a 36 yard touchdown run from Mark Ingram.
#5 Virginia Tech steam rolled Boston College in continuing their domination of the conference with a 48-14 victory. Tyrod Taylor did his usual thing of scrambling and breaking tackles and then finding the open receiver connecting for two touchdowns.
Speaking on conference domination #9 Ohio State shot down the Wisconsin Badgers to a tune of 31-13. The Buckeye defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns and Ray Small returned a punt 96 yards for another defensive score.
#10 TCU remains a BCS buster after downing Air Force 20-17. TCU went up 14 points in the first half but had to hold on for the victory to remain unbeaten on the season. #11 Miami dominated Florida A&M 48-16. Jacory Harris tossed two touchdowns and the ground game accounted for three touchdwons in the easy victory.
#12 Iowa extended the Wolverines losing to 2 games but got all they could handle from Michigan in a 30-28 win. Ricky Stanzi proved to be the better quarterback on Saturday throwing for 284 yards and 2 touchdowns. #13 Oregon won 24-10 over the struggling UCLA Bruins. The Ducks exploded for 21 points in the third separating themselves and not looking back.
#14 Penn State destroys Eastern Illinois 52-3. #15 Oklahoma State struggled without star wide out Dez Bryant they ultimately prevailed 36-31. #16 Kansas went on the strong arm of Todd Reesing who tossed 4 touchdowns while leading the Jayhawks over Iowa State 41-36.
#17 Auburn got upset big time by Arkansas 44-23. Arkansas' high powered offense out gained the Tigers 495-375. #18 BYU shellacked UNLV 59-21. #19 Oklahoma got a much needed lift from the returning Sam Bradford who threw for 389 yards and a touchdown in a 33-7 win over Baylor. #22 Georgia Tech put another nail in the coffin of Bobby Bowden's coaching career winning a close contest 46-44. #25 South Carolina pulled out a tough victory over the Kentucky Wildcats and the Gamecock passing game resembled Spurrier's success from his Florida days in a 28-26 win. Kentucky scored late but failed to tie the game on the 2-point conversion and Stephen Garcia tossed 3 touchdowns and threw for 233 yards.
Penguins win 5-2 in Toronto....
The Pittsburgh Penguins'(4-1-0) Sidney Crosby ended his two game pointless streak a powerful two goal performance in a 5-2 victory that kept the Toronto Maple Leafs(0-3-1) winless on the season.
Matt Cooke(1) got the Penguins going early scoring 3 minutes into the game after MMMRRRRRRR. KENNEDYYYY Tyler Kennedy forced a turnover and fed the puck to Cooke who put the puck past the goalie for a 1-0 lead. The first of three goals on the power play came later in the first period when Sergei Gonchar(1) capitalized on a roughing penalty slipping the puck under the legs of the Maple Leafs goaltender.
In the second period the Leafs showed some fight scoring their first goal of the game but they quickly gave back the momentum to the Pens. Jay Rosehill scored 2 minutes into the period but 15 seconds later the Leafs were penalized for offensive holding and Crosby(3) put back an Evgeni Malkin(3) rebound and just like that Pittsburgh was up 3-1. 12 minutes later the Pens had another powerplay and they made Toronto pay for it with Crosby and Malkin(4) hooking up for Crosby's(4) second goal of the game and a 4-1 lead.
In the third period the Leafs tried getting back into the game when Niklas Hagman scored the Penguins offensive was too powerful tonight and Jordan Staal(1) answered a minute later and gave the Penguins the final score and 5-2 lead. Malkin recorded his third assist of the game on the Staal goal giving him 5 assists and 2 goals on the season. Marc-Andre Fleury stayed undefeated on the season at 4-0 while stopping 18 shots on the night. The Penguins travel to Ottawa on Monday for game 3 of the 4 game road trip.
GO PENGUINS!
Matt Cooke(1) got the Penguins going early scoring 3 minutes into the game after MMMRRRRRRR. KENNEDYYYY Tyler Kennedy forced a turnover and fed the puck to Cooke who put the puck past the goalie for a 1-0 lead. The first of three goals on the power play came later in the first period when Sergei Gonchar(1) capitalized on a roughing penalty slipping the puck under the legs of the Maple Leafs goaltender.
In the second period the Leafs showed some fight scoring their first goal of the game but they quickly gave back the momentum to the Pens. Jay Rosehill scored 2 minutes into the period but 15 seconds later the Leafs were penalized for offensive holding and Crosby(3) put back an Evgeni Malkin(3) rebound and just like that Pittsburgh was up 3-1. 12 minutes later the Pens had another powerplay and they made Toronto pay for it with Crosby and Malkin(4) hooking up for Crosby's(4) second goal of the game and a 4-1 lead.
In the third period the Leafs tried getting back into the game when Niklas Hagman scored the Penguins offensive was too powerful tonight and Jordan Staal(1) answered a minute later and gave the Penguins the final score and 5-2 lead. Malkin recorded his third assist of the game on the Staal goal giving him 5 assists and 2 goals on the season. Marc-Andre Fleury stayed undefeated on the season at 4-0 while stopping 18 shots on the night. The Penguins travel to Ottawa on Monday for game 3 of the 4 game road trip.
GO PENGUINS!
Yankees win, Red Sox lose....
The New York Yankees were taken to extra innings by the Minnesota Twins but clutch homers from Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira gave the Yankees a 2-0 series lead with a 4-3 victory Friday night. ARoid hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 3 and then offseason free agent pickup Teixeira hit a leadoff walk off homer for the win in the bottom of the 11th bringing the raucous home crowd to their feet.
Yankees lead best of 5 series 2-0
The Los Angeles Angels continue to stifle the Boston Red Sox once powerful bats with superb pitching and good defense and took a commanding 2-0 series lead with 4-1 win. Jered Weaver out dueled Josh Beckett pitching 7 and a third inning striking out 7 and giving up the only Red Sox run in the series while Beckett gave all four runs in 6 and two-thirds.
Angels lead best of 5 series 2-0
Yankees lead best of 5 series 2-0
The Los Angeles Angels continue to stifle the Boston Red Sox once powerful bats with superb pitching and good defense and took a commanding 2-0 series lead with 4-1 win. Jered Weaver out dueled Josh Beckett pitching 7 and a third inning striking out 7 and giving up the only Red Sox run in the series while Beckett gave all four runs in 6 and two-thirds.
Angels lead best of 5 series 2-0
Friday, October 9, 2009
MLB Playoff recap...
The Colorado Rockies evened things up in their first round playoff series against the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4. The Rockies took it to Cole Hamels early scoring three runs in the first five innings before he left to be with his pregnant wife. Yorvit Torrealba hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Huston Street recorded his first save of the postseason.
Best of 5 series tied at 1-1
The Los Angeles Dodgers took a commanding 2-0 series lead over the St. Louis Cardinals with a 3-2 win. Matt Holliday had a chance to seal the game for the Cards with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and all he had to do was catch a sinking line drive but instead he missed the catch and gave the Dodgers new life. The Dodgers went on to win on a pinch hit single by Mark Loretta that drove in Casey Blake to give L.A. the go ahead score.
Dodgers lead best of 5 series 2-0
The Los Angeles Angels continued the Bay area dominance with 5-0 win over the Boston Red Sox. The Angels jumped over Jon Lester including Torii Hunter who hit 3-run home run in the fifth inning giving the Angels the first runs of the game and which would turn out to be the game winner.
Angels lead best of 5 series 1-0
Best of 5 series tied at 1-1
The Los Angeles Dodgers took a commanding 2-0 series lead over the St. Louis Cardinals with a 3-2 win. Matt Holliday had a chance to seal the game for the Cards with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and all he had to do was catch a sinking line drive but instead he missed the catch and gave the Dodgers new life. The Dodgers went on to win on a pinch hit single by Mark Loretta that drove in Casey Blake to give L.A. the go ahead score.
Dodgers lead best of 5 series 2-0
The Los Angeles Angels continued the Bay area dominance with 5-0 win over the Boston Red Sox. The Angels jumped over Jon Lester including Torii Hunter who hit 3-run home run in the fifth inning giving the Angels the first runs of the game and which would turn out to be the game winner.
Angels lead best of 5 series 1-0
Penguins beat Flyers 5-4...
The Pittsburgh Penguins(3-1-0) started their four game road trip off on the right foot by knocking off the Flyers in Philadelphia(3-1-0) by a score of 5-4.
Evgeni Malkin started the scoring for the game recording his second goal of the season on a power play that was set up by Sergei Gonchar and Kris Letang only 48 seconds into the game.
The Flyers responded 11 minutes later when Daniel Briere put the puck into the net for the second time on the season and tied things up at 1.
The Penguins answered the Flyers score almost 30 seconds later when Jordan Staal had a break away that was set up by Malkin and Staal made a great move to get the puck past goalie Ray Emery.
In the second period Philadelphia would tie things up once again when Briere recorded his second goal of the game on a power play at the 2:37 mark. Jeff Carter and Kimmo Timonen were credited with the assist.
Bill Guerin would give Pittsburgh the lead for good when he took a cross ice pass from Chris Kunitz and wristed the shot past Emery for his first goal of the season. Second year defenseman Alex Goligoski would pick up his first career goal on a fluke play. A Flyers defenseman was trying to clear the puck behind his own net when the puck took a weird bounce and it deflected off of Goligoski's skate and then off of Emery into the net. Marc-Andre Fleury stoned two point blank shots on Flyer breakaways to preserve the 4-2 lead.
With 3 minutes remaining in the period Jeff Carter would lead the Flyers on another successful power play scoring on a two man advantage making the score 4-3.
Midway through the third period MMMMMMMMMRRRRRRRRRRRRR. KENNEDYYYYYY Tyler Kennedy increased Pittsburgh's lead 5-3 after he scored his second goal of the season. Jeff Carter picked up his second goal of the game scoring with only 41 seconds left but it was to little too late. Fleury stopped 30 of 34 shots en route to starting the season 3-0. Malkin recorded a goal and an assist but team Captain Sidney Crosby was held scoreless for the second straight game. Ray Emery stopped 20 of 25 shots faced. The Penguins travel to Toronto on Saturday for game two of their 4 game road trip.
GO PENGUINS!
Evgeni Malkin started the scoring for the game recording his second goal of the season on a power play that was set up by Sergei Gonchar and Kris Letang only 48 seconds into the game.
The Flyers responded 11 minutes later when Daniel Briere put the puck into the net for the second time on the season and tied things up at 1.
The Penguins answered the Flyers score almost 30 seconds later when Jordan Staal had a break away that was set up by Malkin and Staal made a great move to get the puck past goalie Ray Emery.
In the second period Philadelphia would tie things up once again when Briere recorded his second goal of the game on a power play at the 2:37 mark. Jeff Carter and Kimmo Timonen were credited with the assist.
Bill Guerin would give Pittsburgh the lead for good when he took a cross ice pass from Chris Kunitz and wristed the shot past Emery for his first goal of the season. Second year defenseman Alex Goligoski would pick up his first career goal on a fluke play. A Flyers defenseman was trying to clear the puck behind his own net when the puck took a weird bounce and it deflected off of Goligoski's skate and then off of Emery into the net. Marc-Andre Fleury stoned two point blank shots on Flyer breakaways to preserve the 4-2 lead.
With 3 minutes remaining in the period Jeff Carter would lead the Flyers on another successful power play scoring on a two man advantage making the score 4-3.
Midway through the third period MMMMMMMMMRRRRRRRRRRRRR. KENNEDYYYYYY Tyler Kennedy increased Pittsburgh's lead 5-3 after he scored his second goal of the season. Jeff Carter picked up his second goal of the game scoring with only 41 seconds left but it was to little too late. Fleury stopped 30 of 34 shots en route to starting the season 3-0. Malkin recorded a goal and an assist but team Captain Sidney Crosby was held scoreless for the second straight game. Ray Emery stopped 20 of 25 shots faced. The Penguins travel to Toronto on Saturday for game two of their 4 game road trip.
GO PENGUINS!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Oh yeah the MLB playoffs finally started....
After a 162 game regular season( I guess 163 for the Twins if you want to get technical about it) the long arduous journey to the MLB playoffs is finally here and it kicked off with three games yesterday. Somehow the Twins who played on Tuesday got screwed and had to play the very next day against the Yankees in New York. I don't think tzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... Oh sorry I fell a sleep just talking about baseball it's that boring, anyway here's what happened....
The defending World Series Champions the Philadelphia Phillies won 6-1 over the Colorado Rockies. Ace Cliff Lee pitched the entire game giving up only 6 hits and 1 earned run and striking out 5 batters.
Phillies lead best of 5 series 1-0
C.C. Sabathia finally won a meaningful game in October and the Yankees got contributions from captain Derek Jeter and well known steroid user and post season choker Alex Rodriguez during a 7-2 trouncing of the tired Minnesota Twins. Sabathia pitched 6 and two-thirds of an inning and struck out 8 batters while only giving up 1 run on 8 hits. ARoid drove in 2 runs and Jeter hit a home run in the in the first inning.
Yankees lead best of 5 series 1-0
And the Los Angeles Dodgers knocked off the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 to take the first game of the series. Albert Pujols went 0-3 with a walk and the Cardinals missed a lot of opportunities. Manny Ramirez for the Dodgers was 1-4 with a walk and Rafeal Furcal was the catalyst for the offense going 3-4 with an RBI and triple.
Dodgers lead best of 5 series 1-0
The defending World Series Champions the Philadelphia Phillies won 6-1 over the Colorado Rockies. Ace Cliff Lee pitched the entire game giving up only 6 hits and 1 earned run and striking out 5 batters.
Phillies lead best of 5 series 1-0
C.C. Sabathia finally won a meaningful game in October and the Yankees got contributions from captain Derek Jeter and well known steroid user and post season choker Alex Rodriguez during a 7-2 trouncing of the tired Minnesota Twins. Sabathia pitched 6 and two-thirds of an inning and struck out 8 batters while only giving up 1 run on 8 hits. ARoid drove in 2 runs and Jeter hit a home run in the in the first inning.
Yankees lead best of 5 series 1-0
And the Los Angeles Dodgers knocked off the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 to take the first game of the series. Albert Pujols went 0-3 with a walk and the Cardinals missed a lot of opportunities. Manny Ramirez for the Dodgers was 1-4 with a walk and Rafeal Furcal was the catalyst for the offense going 3-4 with an RBI and triple.
Dodgers lead best of 5 series 1-0
Penguins get shut out 3-0 at home by Phoenix...
The Pittsburgh Penguins returned home yesterday only to be shut out by the unexpected upstart Phoenix Coyotes 3-0.
Two of the Coyotes goals came on the power play and the last one was an empty netter when the Penguins were trying to mount a late comeback. The Penguins were lethargic and played a terrible game that was filled with a lot of mistakes and very few shots. Brent Johnson made his first start of the season over Marc-Andre Fleury, who was given the night off, and played well enough to win stopping 24 shots but the rest of the Pens were committing stupid penalties and were out of position most of the night. The Pens were unable to solve Ilya Bryzgalov who easily turned aside all 24 shots he faced. Pittsburgh's two big stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin recorded almost as many penalties(2 apiece) as shots(3 for Crosby, 2 for Malkin). The Penguins start a tough 4 game road trip on Thursday at division leader Philadelphia, then the Maple Leafs, Senators, and it ends in Carolina. With the loss the Penguins drop to 2-1-0 and are now tied for second in the division with the Rangers.
GO PENGUINS!
Two of the Coyotes goals came on the power play and the last one was an empty netter when the Penguins were trying to mount a late comeback. The Penguins were lethargic and played a terrible game that was filled with a lot of mistakes and very few shots. Brent Johnson made his first start of the season over Marc-Andre Fleury, who was given the night off, and played well enough to win stopping 24 shots but the rest of the Pens were committing stupid penalties and were out of position most of the night. The Pens were unable to solve Ilya Bryzgalov who easily turned aside all 24 shots he faced. Pittsburgh's two big stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin recorded almost as many penalties(2 apiece) as shots(3 for Crosby, 2 for Malkin). The Penguins start a tough 4 game road trip on Thursday at division leader Philadelphia, then the Maple Leafs, Senators, and it ends in Carolina. With the loss the Penguins drop to 2-1-0 and are now tied for second in the division with the Rangers.
GO PENGUINS!
Crabtree finally ends holdout...
On Wednesday Michael Crabtree finally ended his holdout that lasted into the first month of season by coming to terms with the San Francisco 49ers on a contract that is 6 years long. The signing comes one day after Crabtree and his agent met with the 49ers vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe face to face to see if they could revive the contract talks. Crabtree is expected to partake in practices the rest of the week but his game status has yet to be determined but they have a bye week next week so he will have some extra time to prepare.
I really liked Crabtree while he was in college and coming into the draft I thought he was the best player and should have been the number 1 pick and I was shocked that the Raiders passed on him for Darrius Hayward-Bey. Now I think he is a bit of a jackass for feeling like he should be paid as much or more than someone who was drafted four spots ahead of him and just now signing ruining his rookie season. Yes he was more talented then DHB but in the real world he wasn't drafted that way and he hasn't done anything yet to prove that he is better than anybody else in the NFL, in fact he has done the complete opposite by not attending the combine, not running on his pro day at Texas Tech, and now he has become the biggest diva at wide receiver in the NFL and he hasn't even put on pads yet. Hopefully this holdout was just a hiccup in the road for the very talented wide out and he learns from this and becomes what he is capable of being, a Pro Bowl caliber player.
I really liked Crabtree while he was in college and coming into the draft I thought he was the best player and should have been the number 1 pick and I was shocked that the Raiders passed on him for Darrius Hayward-Bey. Now I think he is a bit of a jackass for feeling like he should be paid as much or more than someone who was drafted four spots ahead of him and just now signing ruining his rookie season. Yes he was more talented then DHB but in the real world he wasn't drafted that way and he hasn't done anything yet to prove that he is better than anybody else in the NFL, in fact he has done the complete opposite by not attending the combine, not running on his pro day at Texas Tech, and now he has become the biggest diva at wide receiver in the NFL and he hasn't even put on pads yet. Hopefully this holdout was just a hiccup in the road for the very talented wide out and he learns from this and becomes what he is capable of being, a Pro Bowl caliber player.
Browns trade Edwards to the Jets....
The Cleveland Browns traded away their much maligned wide receiver Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets for two players and two draft picks. The Browns received receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Jason Trusnick, and a conditional third round draft pick( it can increase to a second round pick if Edwards catches a certain number of balls) and fifth round pick. On the season Edwards has 10 catches 139 yards 0 touchdowns and is coming off his game with no catches. Stuckey has 11 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown, Trusnick is a special teams ace and will be an immediate backup at linebacker in Cleveland.
This is a good move for both teams on paper. The Browns really needed to get rid of Edwards because he clearly didn't want to be there and aside from the 2007 season, where he made the Pro Bowl with 80 catches for 1,289 yards and 16 TDs, he was more of a hindrance with his poor attitude and even more poor hands. He would routinely drop key passes for touchdowns or on third downs killing drives. Plus he recently got into a fight with a friend of Lebron James, which is just one of a few off the field problems that he has had over his career.
For the Jets they hope Edwards will provide a reliable down field threat for rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. Edwards has the big play capabilities that the Jets feel they need to get their passing game going to compliment a tough aggressive defense and a solid ground game. I personally don't like Edwards that much though, I think he drops way too many balls and even when he has his good season he still hurt the a lot of times and he doesn't make very good choices off the field. Edwards gets flustered too easily and if you get physical with him he will be thrown off his game and will mope and sulk around the field until something finally goes away, essentially he rides the emotional waves too much. He is in New York now where he will fit right in a probably be welcomed with open arms.
This is a good move for both teams on paper. The Browns really needed to get rid of Edwards because he clearly didn't want to be there and aside from the 2007 season, where he made the Pro Bowl with 80 catches for 1,289 yards and 16 TDs, he was more of a hindrance with his poor attitude and even more poor hands. He would routinely drop key passes for touchdowns or on third downs killing drives. Plus he recently got into a fight with a friend of Lebron James, which is just one of a few off the field problems that he has had over his career.
For the Jets they hope Edwards will provide a reliable down field threat for rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. Edwards has the big play capabilities that the Jets feel they need to get their passing game going to compliment a tough aggressive defense and a solid ground game. I personally don't like Edwards that much though, I think he drops way too many balls and even when he has his good season he still hurt the a lot of times and he doesn't make very good choices off the field. Edwards gets flustered too easily and if you get physical with him he will be thrown off his game and will mope and sulk around the field until something finally goes away, essentially he rides the emotional waves too much. He is in New York now where he will fit right in a probably be welcomed with open arms.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
NFL Power Rankings Week 4...
1. Indianapolis Colts (4-0) (lw #2)- They have the hottest quarterback right now in the league and the longest current win streak
2. New York Giants (4-0) (lw #3)- Continue to dominate and find ways to win
3. New Orleans Saints (4-0) (lw #4)- The defense is looking good now if only the offense could keep up...wait what?
4. Minnesota Vikings (4-0) (lw #5)- Dominated the Packers at home and Favre(the wildcard for the team) is looking impressive so far
5. New York Jets (3-1) (lw #7)- Yes they lost and Sanchez looked like a rookie throwing 3 picks but they only lost by those miscues by Sanchez and the defense held Brees in check
6. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) (lw #10)- Dominated the Rams but the offense didn't look good...answer Michael Crabtree anyone?
7. New England Patriots (3-1) (lw #12)- The Pats got help from the refs but Brady is getting closer to being back up to snuff
8. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) (lw #1)- Even with the refs playing against them they still had a chance to win
9.Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) (lw #6)- A healthy McNabb should be back which means trouble for the rest of the division
10. Denver Broncos (4-0) (lw #11)- With the next 6 of 7 games we will see how good this team really is (New England, @ San Diego, @ Baltimore, Pittsburgh, San Diego, and the Giants)
11. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) (lw #8)- Coming off a bye week will help the team rebound from the lose at New England but traveling to San Francisco might hinder their progress
12. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) (lw #14)- Struggled to beat the Browns and now they travel to Baltimore for another huge divisional game with 1st place on the line
13. Chicago Bears (3-1) (lw #16)- In the second half this team showed what they are capable of, now if only they could do it for 4 quarters
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) (lw #17)- Got off the schneid finally and Polamalu should be returning in the next couple of weeks so this team will get better
15. San Diego Chargers (2-2) (lw #9)- Rallied late but came up short and they need a bye with a key game in 2 weeks against 1st place Denver
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) (lw #24)- 2 game winning streak and David Garrard has turned back the clock a few years and is looking impressive so far
17. Houston Texans (2-2) (lw #18)- This team is the hardest to figure out from week to week because they are so inconsistent on both sides of the ball right now
18. Green Bay Packers (2-2) (lw #15)- The Packers were lucky they only lost by a touchdown, if they want to compete for the division they need to protect Rodgers
19. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) (lw #22)- Coming off the bye week they welcome the Texans which should be good for them since the Texans are due for the down week coming off a victory last week
20. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) (lw #13)- Lost on a last minute touchdown and Romo has not shown the flashy plays that Cowboys fans have come to love and with no true #1 option at wide out this team will be in for a long season
21. Miami Dolphins (1-3) (lw #25)- The ball control offense finally worked and Chad Henne looked good in his first career start but now they welcome the Jets so Dolphins fans will have to wait for a possible winning streak
22. Detroit Lions (1-3) (lw #19)- One week after ending their 19 game losing streak it looks like they are going to start a new one but this team is still heading in the right direction
23. Buffalo Bills (1-3) (lw # 20)- The offense looks terrible and they entire team is inconsistent
24. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) (lw #23)- Without Hasselbeck this team is going to continue to lose
25. Washington Redskins (2-2) (lw #26)- They brought in Sherman Lewis as an offensive consultant to help with the anemic offense but the move could be to use him as a replacement if Zorn is eventually fired
26. Tennessee Titans (0-4) (lw #21)- Unlike last year they keep finding ways to lose and badly
27. Carolina Panthers (0-3) (lw #27)- Hopefully the bye week helped this team find their MOJO plus they have Washington coming in so they should be able to end their losing streak
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) (lw #29)- Made the switch at quarterback and it helped for about 5 minutes before the team realized they were the Bucs
29. Cleveland Browns (0-4) (lw #30)- The offense looked better and they were competitive for the first time all year now if only they could build off of that with an inconsistent Buffalo up next on the schedule
30. Oakland Raiders (1-3) (lw #28)- These guys are plain awful and they need to bench JaMarcus Russell
31. Kansas City Chiefs (0-4) (lw #31)- Matt Cassel isn't playing well yet and they got rid of Tyler Thigpen so unless Cassel steps up the Chiefs will be competing for the #1 pick in April
32. St. Louis Rams (0-4) (lw #32)- Shut out and they continue the longest current losing streak, watch out Tampa Bay you may have another contender for the longest losing streak ever
2. New York Giants (4-0) (lw #3)- Continue to dominate and find ways to win
3. New Orleans Saints (4-0) (lw #4)- The defense is looking good now if only the offense could keep up...wait what?
4. Minnesota Vikings (4-0) (lw #5)- Dominated the Packers at home and Favre(the wildcard for the team) is looking impressive so far
5. New York Jets (3-1) (lw #7)- Yes they lost and Sanchez looked like a rookie throwing 3 picks but they only lost by those miscues by Sanchez and the defense held Brees in check
6. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) (lw #10)- Dominated the Rams but the offense didn't look good...answer Michael Crabtree anyone?
7. New England Patriots (3-1) (lw #12)- The Pats got help from the refs but Brady is getting closer to being back up to snuff
8. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) (lw #1)- Even with the refs playing against them they still had a chance to win
9.Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) (lw #6)- A healthy McNabb should be back which means trouble for the rest of the division
10. Denver Broncos (4-0) (lw #11)- With the next 6 of 7 games we will see how good this team really is (New England, @ San Diego, @ Baltimore, Pittsburgh, San Diego, and the Giants)
11. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) (lw #8)- Coming off a bye week will help the team rebound from the lose at New England but traveling to San Francisco might hinder their progress
12. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) (lw #14)- Struggled to beat the Browns and now they travel to Baltimore for another huge divisional game with 1st place on the line
13. Chicago Bears (3-1) (lw #16)- In the second half this team showed what they are capable of, now if only they could do it for 4 quarters
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) (lw #17)- Got off the schneid finally and Polamalu should be returning in the next couple of weeks so this team will get better
15. San Diego Chargers (2-2) (lw #9)- Rallied late but came up short and they need a bye with a key game in 2 weeks against 1st place Denver
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) (lw #24)- 2 game winning streak and David Garrard has turned back the clock a few years and is looking impressive so far
17. Houston Texans (2-2) (lw #18)- This team is the hardest to figure out from week to week because they are so inconsistent on both sides of the ball right now
18. Green Bay Packers (2-2) (lw #15)- The Packers were lucky they only lost by a touchdown, if they want to compete for the division they need to protect Rodgers
19. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) (lw #22)- Coming off the bye week they welcome the Texans which should be good for them since the Texans are due for the down week coming off a victory last week
20. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) (lw #13)- Lost on a last minute touchdown and Romo has not shown the flashy plays that Cowboys fans have come to love and with no true #1 option at wide out this team will be in for a long season
21. Miami Dolphins (1-3) (lw #25)- The ball control offense finally worked and Chad Henne looked good in his first career start but now they welcome the Jets so Dolphins fans will have to wait for a possible winning streak
22. Detroit Lions (1-3) (lw #19)- One week after ending their 19 game losing streak it looks like they are going to start a new one but this team is still heading in the right direction
23. Buffalo Bills (1-3) (lw # 20)- The offense looks terrible and they entire team is inconsistent
24. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) (lw #23)- Without Hasselbeck this team is going to continue to lose
25. Washington Redskins (2-2) (lw #26)- They brought in Sherman Lewis as an offensive consultant to help with the anemic offense but the move could be to use him as a replacement if Zorn is eventually fired
26. Tennessee Titans (0-4) (lw #21)- Unlike last year they keep finding ways to lose and badly
27. Carolina Panthers (0-3) (lw #27)- Hopefully the bye week helped this team find their MOJO plus they have Washington coming in so they should be able to end their losing streak
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) (lw #29)- Made the switch at quarterback and it helped for about 5 minutes before the team realized they were the Bucs
29. Cleveland Browns (0-4) (lw #30)- The offense looked better and they were competitive for the first time all year now if only they could build off of that with an inconsistent Buffalo up next on the schedule
30. Oakland Raiders (1-3) (lw #28)- These guys are plain awful and they need to bench JaMarcus Russell
31. Kansas City Chiefs (0-4) (lw #31)- Matt Cassel isn't playing well yet and they got rid of Tyler Thigpen so unless Cassel steps up the Chiefs will be competing for the #1 pick in April
32. St. Louis Rams (0-4) (lw #32)- Shut out and they continue the longest current losing streak, watch out Tampa Bay you may have another contender for the longest losing streak ever
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