Talk Sports. Live Life. All opinions are my own. If you want you can agree with me. "To be the man, you gotta beat the man" - Ric Flair
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
What's Next For The 6-0 Cincinnati Bengals?
I am joined by the one and only Jeremy Rauch of Fox19Now, we talk about the success of the Cincinnati Bengals through the first six weeks of the season. Also, we talk about Andy Dalton possibly being league MVP and why he should be the front-runner right now.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Flashback Friday: Cadillac Williams
Carnell "Cadillac" Williams was drafted in the 2005 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the no.5 overall pick. Coming out of college, Williams was one half to the dynamic-duo running back committee at Auburn along with no.2 draft pick that year Ronnie Brown. In his rookie campaign, Williams rushed for more than 1,100 yards and six touchdowns. Williams helped carry the Buccaneers to the playoffs and he also won the 2005 Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Known for his bruising, physical style of play and speed to match, Williams was poised to have a great back in the league. However, after suffering a disastrous knee injury in 2006-07 season, Williams was never the same again. Williams made a full recovery in 2009 but would return to the same form. In his last two season with the Buccaneers (09-10) Williams rushed for 1,260 yards ( a little over 3 ypc) and a combined 6 rushing touchdowns. It was obvious that Williams was not the franchise back that they had drafted and his better years were behind him. Williams played one last season in the NFL after leaving Tampa Bay, joining the St. Louis Rams in 2011. In his final season he carried the ball 11 times for 87 yards and a touchdown. In his six-year career, Williams rushed for 4, 038 yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, adding 1,002 yards receiving and 4 receiving touchdowns. Cadillac Williams is a great example of how fast a great career can be cut short and or altered by an unexpected injury.
Video courtesy of Alpod on Youtube.
Video courtesy of Alpod on Youtube.
NFL: 10 Things from week 5
We've made it through five weeks of the NFL season and what a season it's been thus far. We've seen Brady be Brady 2.0; Peyton Manning doesn't seem to be the same throwing more interceptions than touchdowns on the season; Tony Romo is injured, again; The Lions still haven't found a win.
Here are 10 things that I took away from the miraculous fifth week of the NFL:
1. "Who-dey" think is going to beat them Bengals? - The Cincinnati Bengals continue to roll, staying undefeated, as they made a tremendous comeback from a 17 point deficit against the 'legion of boom' and the stout defense of the Seattle Seahawks. The Bengals (5-0) are in the driver seat of the AFC north and could be in talks for Super Bowl contenders.
2. The Patriots came off the bye looking like the Patriots - Tom Brady showed up in Dallas with a winning demeanor. With the Cowboys having Greg Hardy coming off of his four-game suspension, hoping that would a big difference, it didn't seem to make that much of a difference. Hardy got a few hits on Brady and a sack. However, Brady got the win and it did convincingly routing the 'Boys' 30-6. I always thought there was a "D" in Dallas. I guess not this week.
3. Eli did another "Eli" thing - After giving up the lead, late in the fourth quarter, the Giants found themselves almost giving the game away. On their final drive, Eli and the Giants showed a lot of toughness and determination. Prior to the final drive, Odell Beckham Jr. was injured and it was announced that he was done for the remainder of the game, after injuring himself on a touchdown celebration in the third quarter. On the final drive running back Shane Vereen caught several passes for over 50 yards; Eli Manning's pass (which was terrible) that was thought to be intercepted by Tramaine Brock was ruled an incomplete pass because the ball hit the grown; Odell Beckham Jr. returned and ended up getting a pass interference call in the end zone, setting up the Eli Manning game-winning touchdown pass to Larry Donnell. Eli is still making miracles happen in the Meadow Lands.
4. The Falcons are flying high - After trailing the entire game, the Atlanta Falcons found a way to get the game into overtime. With another great performance by running back Devonta Freeman- 27 carries 153 yards and touchdown with seven catches for 44 yards- it made it easy for the Falcons to tie the game up and take it into overtime. But, in the end, it took the Falcons defense to save the day for the high-powered offense. Cornerback Robert Alford returned an interception for a game-winning touchdown and helped the Falcons fly to 5-0.
5. Ravens fans, panic - The Baltimore Ravens are having a rough start to their season. Coming into week 5, people felt optimistic still about their season, they were 1-3 and were playing the Divisional rival Cleveland Browns at home. Josh McCown has been one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league since returning from his injury several weeks back. Josh McCown passed for over 450 yards, two touchdowns and even rushing for a touchdown and the Browns squeaked past the Ravens 33-30. Baltimore is now 1-4 and 1-2 in the division. Not all hope is lost... It's just hard to imagine they'll recover from this start.
6. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the best team in Florida - The Buccaneers are coming off of a thrilling game with the state-rival Jacksonville Jaguars, who both entered the contest with a record of 1-3. Theirs a lot of young talent on these Florida teams but none of them can just seem to put it together. The Jaguars are 1-4; The Miami Dolphins are 1-3; and the Buccaneers are now 2-3. I don't know if being the best team in Florida is saying much, but the Buccaneers, by record, hold the trophy through the first five weeks.
7. Magic of Vick in 2015 - The Pittsburgh Steelers went into San Diego needing a win badly to keep them in the race for the AFC north. The Steelers, a week prior, suffered a loss to the hands of the Baltimore Ravens and were criticized heavily for the play calling on a fourth & short situation. Who would've thought the Steelers and their coaching staff would have a chance to redeem themselves a week later... With seven seconds on the clock and the game on the line, the Steelers were on about the one-yard line and this time they give the ball to all-pro running back Le'Veon Bell on a direct snap and plowed through the defense for a touchdown to win the game.
8. The Chiefs need more help than ever and a prayer - The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a loss in week 5 to the Bears, yes. But, more importantly, they will lose their star running back Jamaal Charles for the remainder of the season, due to an ACL injury that he suffered in the first half of the game. The chiefs were the early favorites to compete with the Denver Broncos for the AFC west. Charles had 71 carries for 364 yards with four touchdowns, adding 21 receptions for 177 yards and one receiving touchdown. The Chiefs (1-4) are currently on a four-game losing streak and it doesn't look to get any easier for them down the road.
9. The Eagles could be flying... and that could spell trouble for other teams - The Philadelphia Eagles looked very good after a frustrating first quarter of football. Sam Bradford had two red zone interceptions early on and a lot of people started calling for Sanchez in the crowds. However, the Eagles found a nice balance of run-and-pass in the offense and that helped to keep Brees and the Saints offense off the field. Running Back Demarco Murray had his first respectable start for the Eagles, touching the ball over 25 times, accounting for over one-hundred yards total and a touchdown. The Eagles are now closer to the top of their division (AFC east) which has been abysmal and the total opposite of what every one expected it to be coming into the season -- It's truly anyone's division to win.
10. Someone can tell Peyton it's no longer preseason - Peyton Manning is coming off of a un-Peyton like performance. Passing for 266 yards on 22/35 passes (63 percent), Manning had no touchdowns and two interceptions against the Oakland Raiders. Now, I know that the Raiders are getting better. I understand that one-hundred percent. However, Manning has now accounted for more interceptions on the season than touchdowns through five weeks. He hasn't done that since 1998. Luckily for him, he has one of the better defenses in the league and they helped to lead them to victory. Peyton can't continue to play like this through the rest of the season. But, in his defense, the lack of a running game their is making the offense more one-dimensional.
My top five teams in the league right now are: Patriots, Falcons, Packers, Bengals, Panthers.
My top five teams on the rise: Giants, Steelers, Seahawks, Colts, Eagles
Here are 10 things that I took away from the miraculous fifth week of the NFL:
1. "Who-dey" think is going to beat them Bengals? - The Cincinnati Bengals continue to roll, staying undefeated, as they made a tremendous comeback from a 17 point deficit against the 'legion of boom' and the stout defense of the Seattle Seahawks. The Bengals (5-0) are in the driver seat of the AFC north and could be in talks for Super Bowl contenders.
2. The Patriots came off the bye looking like the Patriots - Tom Brady showed up in Dallas with a winning demeanor. With the Cowboys having Greg Hardy coming off of his four-game suspension, hoping that would a big difference, it didn't seem to make that much of a difference. Hardy got a few hits on Brady and a sack. However, Brady got the win and it did convincingly routing the 'Boys' 30-6. I always thought there was a "D" in Dallas. I guess not this week.
3. Eli did another "Eli" thing - After giving up the lead, late in the fourth quarter, the Giants found themselves almost giving the game away. On their final drive, Eli and the Giants showed a lot of toughness and determination. Prior to the final drive, Odell Beckham Jr. was injured and it was announced that he was done for the remainder of the game, after injuring himself on a touchdown celebration in the third quarter. On the final drive running back Shane Vereen caught several passes for over 50 yards; Eli Manning's pass (which was terrible) that was thought to be intercepted by Tramaine Brock was ruled an incomplete pass because the ball hit the grown; Odell Beckham Jr. returned and ended up getting a pass interference call in the end zone, setting up the Eli Manning game-winning touchdown pass to Larry Donnell. Eli is still making miracles happen in the Meadow Lands.
4. The Falcons are flying high - After trailing the entire game, the Atlanta Falcons found a way to get the game into overtime. With another great performance by running back Devonta Freeman- 27 carries 153 yards and touchdown with seven catches for 44 yards- it made it easy for the Falcons to tie the game up and take it into overtime. But, in the end, it took the Falcons defense to save the day for the high-powered offense. Cornerback Robert Alford returned an interception for a game-winning touchdown and helped the Falcons fly to 5-0.
5. Ravens fans, panic - The Baltimore Ravens are having a rough start to their season. Coming into week 5, people felt optimistic still about their season, they were 1-3 and were playing the Divisional rival Cleveland Browns at home. Josh McCown has been one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league since returning from his injury several weeks back. Josh McCown passed for over 450 yards, two touchdowns and even rushing for a touchdown and the Browns squeaked past the Ravens 33-30. Baltimore is now 1-4 and 1-2 in the division. Not all hope is lost... It's just hard to imagine they'll recover from this start.
6. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the best team in Florida - The Buccaneers are coming off of a thrilling game with the state-rival Jacksonville Jaguars, who both entered the contest with a record of 1-3. Theirs a lot of young talent on these Florida teams but none of them can just seem to put it together. The Jaguars are 1-4; The Miami Dolphins are 1-3; and the Buccaneers are now 2-3. I don't know if being the best team in Florida is saying much, but the Buccaneers, by record, hold the trophy through the first five weeks.
7. Magic of Vick in 2015 - The Pittsburgh Steelers went into San Diego needing a win badly to keep them in the race for the AFC north. The Steelers, a week prior, suffered a loss to the hands of the Baltimore Ravens and were criticized heavily for the play calling on a fourth & short situation. Who would've thought the Steelers and their coaching staff would have a chance to redeem themselves a week later... With seven seconds on the clock and the game on the line, the Steelers were on about the one-yard line and this time they give the ball to all-pro running back Le'Veon Bell on a direct snap and plowed through the defense for a touchdown to win the game.
8. The Chiefs need more help than ever and a prayer - The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a loss in week 5 to the Bears, yes. But, more importantly, they will lose their star running back Jamaal Charles for the remainder of the season, due to an ACL injury that he suffered in the first half of the game. The chiefs were the early favorites to compete with the Denver Broncos for the AFC west. Charles had 71 carries for 364 yards with four touchdowns, adding 21 receptions for 177 yards and one receiving touchdown. The Chiefs (1-4) are currently on a four-game losing streak and it doesn't look to get any easier for them down the road.
9. The Eagles could be flying... and that could spell trouble for other teams - The Philadelphia Eagles looked very good after a frustrating first quarter of football. Sam Bradford had two red zone interceptions early on and a lot of people started calling for Sanchez in the crowds. However, the Eagles found a nice balance of run-and-pass in the offense and that helped to keep Brees and the Saints offense off the field. Running Back Demarco Murray had his first respectable start for the Eagles, touching the ball over 25 times, accounting for over one-hundred yards total and a touchdown. The Eagles are now closer to the top of their division (AFC east) which has been abysmal and the total opposite of what every one expected it to be coming into the season -- It's truly anyone's division to win.
10. Someone can tell Peyton it's no longer preseason - Peyton Manning is coming off of a un-Peyton like performance. Passing for 266 yards on 22/35 passes (63 percent), Manning had no touchdowns and two interceptions against the Oakland Raiders. Now, I know that the Raiders are getting better. I understand that one-hundred percent. However, Manning has now accounted for more interceptions on the season than touchdowns through five weeks. He hasn't done that since 1998. Luckily for him, he has one of the better defenses in the league and they helped to lead them to victory. Peyton can't continue to play like this through the rest of the season. But, in his defense, the lack of a running game their is making the offense more one-dimensional.
My top five teams in the league right now are: Patriots, Falcons, Packers, Bengals, Panthers.
My top five teams on the rise: Giants, Steelers, Seahawks, Colts, Eagles
Monday, October 5, 2015
Was Joe Philbin Fully To Blame?
Friday, October 2, 2015
Are The Seahawks Putting Too Much Pressure On Russell Wilson?
The Seattle Seahawks have gotten off to a slow start in the 2015 season. As of right now, Seattle sits with two losses to just one win going into week 4. In their first two games Seattle was without one of their star safeties, Cam Chancellor, who is maybe the most athletic, hard-hitting defensive backs in the league. Russell Wilson recently received a contract extension that locks him in going into the future for this franchise. But does his contract make them overwork their young quarterback.
Russell Wilson, without doubt, is a great player and has been one of the most cautious quarterbacks in the national football league since being drafted. Wilson, through three games, has 101 passing attempts. What does that mean? Well, Wilson is currently on pace for what would be a career high 539 attempts for the season. His current career high came last season (2014) at 452 pass attempts. In the first game of the season, when the Seahawks traveled to play their division rival St.Louis Rams, Wilson set a new career high in passing attempts in a single game with 41, he was sacked six times and also added eight rushing attempts in that game. Wilson is tied for second in sacks for quarterbacks (Marcus Mariota also has been sacked 12 times), the only player sacked more times is Chiefs' quarterback Alex Smith.
The Seattle Seahawks obviously have had the keys to success over the past several years, appearing in the Super Bowl for the past two years, winning Super Bowl XLVIII, defeating Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. If Seattle wants to get their record back on the winning side, running the ball more and having Wilson pass less would probably be more beneficial. I don't think that him passing more is only hurting their record, but it's getting them away from what has made them successful over the past few years. And let's be honest, after their Super Bowl play on the one-yard line, did anyone think that this team would NOT want to run the ball more.
Coming up this week, the Seahawks look to get their records back even as they host the Detroit Lions (0-3) on Monday Night Football. Kickoff is 8:30 PM ET on ESPN.
Russell Wilson, without doubt, is a great player and has been one of the most cautious quarterbacks in the national football league since being drafted. Wilson, through three games, has 101 passing attempts. What does that mean? Well, Wilson is currently on pace for what would be a career high 539 attempts for the season. His current career high came last season (2014) at 452 pass attempts. In the first game of the season, when the Seahawks traveled to play their division rival St.Louis Rams, Wilson set a new career high in passing attempts in a single game with 41, he was sacked six times and also added eight rushing attempts in that game. Wilson is tied for second in sacks for quarterbacks (Marcus Mariota also has been sacked 12 times), the only player sacked more times is Chiefs' quarterback Alex Smith.
The Seattle Seahawks obviously have had the keys to success over the past several years, appearing in the Super Bowl for the past two years, winning Super Bowl XLVIII, defeating Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. If Seattle wants to get their record back on the winning side, running the ball more and having Wilson pass less would probably be more beneficial. I don't think that him passing more is only hurting their record, but it's getting them away from what has made them successful over the past few years. And let's be honest, after their Super Bowl play on the one-yard line, did anyone think that this team would NOT want to run the ball more.
Coming up this week, the Seahawks look to get their records back even as they host the Detroit Lions (0-3) on Monday Night Football. Kickoff is 8:30 PM ET on ESPN.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Bengals and Bearcats Breakdown with Jeremy Rauch and James Rapien
I'm joined by the lead sports anchor of Fox 19 in Cincinnati, Jeremy Rauch and James Rapien of ESPN 1530, who is also a writer for GetSportsInfo.com. We talk about what the early success of the Bengals means now and could mean later on in the season. Also, we talk a little University of Cincinnati Bearcats football action and what their season means after a rough start. Are the Bearcats in the American Athletic Conference or can they possibly move into a larger conference even if they have a down season?
We preview the upcoming Bengals/Chiefs game, look ahead on the schedule and much more.
Tom Brady Can't Be Contained
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