*****Note: I had to change my Panthers/Vikings pick due to the injury to Peterson, and the return of Smith. The information I received on those two players was after I posted my picks on 09/16. Thanks***********
With the first week of the new season in the books, is the AFC South now up for grabs? Could we be watching the fall of a dynasty, and the emergence of a new team wanting to be crowned "King of the South"? Tough to say, especially with all the injuries that seem to be unfolding.
I know most people will disagree right off the bat, that it is way to early do answer that type of question. Well, maybe it is? But, let me point out a few reasons why I think (at this point in time) the AFC South is no longer the power house that it has been in years past, and it's wide open for whatever team wants to step up!
1. Payton Manning is not 100% and I think his knee is bothering him a lot more then what he is leading us to believe. Without any preseason games under his belt this season, his timing was off and it showed. 30/49, 257 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT's, 2 sacks. Puting pressure on Manning is going to be key for any team, and trust me they are going to be chasing him! Add to that, Addai (RB) is questionable for next week and Harrison (WR) had another fumble resulting in a TD.
2. David Garrard had a shaky game at best. Not the Garrard that we watch against the Steelers in the wildcard game. 23/35, 215 yards, 1TD, 2 INT's, 7 sacks? Jones-Drew (RB) & Taylor (RB) combined for 57 total yards. If that wasn't bad enough 3 of thier offensive linemen are going to be out for 5 weeks. It doesn't get any easier facing the Bills after the big win their coming off of.
3. Vince Young is waiting on the results of an MR done on his knee today. They have not released any other information at this point. There were however reports that Police were called to try and help locate VY when he went missing earlier today. Go figure? He was said to be "emotionally down". This doesn't seem very promising for Titans fans, who booed him off of the field anyway. He went 12/22, 110 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's, 1 sack.
4. Matt Shaub is suffering from Carr-itis. He didn't have a good opening day against a stellar Steelers defense. He seemed uncomfortable from the begining and was rushing almost everything he threw. He finished 25/33, 202 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's, 5 sacks. Green (RB) is day-to-day with an ankle injury and Slaton (RB) rushed for 43 yards on 13 carries. Without a running game, and not allowing Shaub time in the pocket, the Texans best weapons (WR) are not being utilized.
So, with that said.........We might be seeing a changing of the guard at the top spot, but only time will tell at this point!
With the start of the new season only 24 hours away, the Texans find themselves in uncharted territory. Just two years removed from a dismal 2-14 record, the Texans finished with a franchise best 8-8 last year. Most would agree that the Texans would have made it into the play-offs if injuries didn't play a key role in stopping them. They lead the league last year with 17 people on the injury list. Despite having so many people out last year, only 3 remain on the IR from last years team. Good news heading into the new season.
There are, however, a few key things the Texans are going to have to do if they want to improve from last years record and take the next step in becoming a play-off team. It's not going to be easy, but it can be done.
1. Division wins- The Texans finished 1-5 in divisional games last year. Granted the AFC South is probably the toughest division around, but you need to improve on your win/loss record within your own division. This is the overall breakdown since 2002. Colts 1/11, Jaguars 7/5, Titans 2/10
2. Stay Healthy- Schaub (QB) missed 5 games and part of two others last year. Johnson (WR) missed 7 games. Robinson (CB) missed 7 games. Green (RB) only 216 yards. Still, even with all the injuries the Texans had, they still managed to set franchise records in- points, average yards per play, touchdowns, passing touchdowns, total yards per game, kick-off returns, punt returns, and sacks. Not bad!
3. Protect the ball- We all know that turnovers kill a team, and the Texans have had problems in the past with turning the ball over.
4. Touchdowns not Field Goals- Not to take anything away from Kris Brown, who is probably the best Kicker out there, but the Texans need to score touchdowns in the red zone to compete with higher caliber offenses.
Expectations could not be higher for this team and the fans. Coach Kubiak has made some good moves, but there are still a few pieces missing from the puzzle. Dunta Robinson will be a big help on the defensive side when he returns in six weeks. Steve Slaton (RB) has shown some skills in the preseason. I think he will be a difference maker and help the running game out tremendously. Mario Williams is coming off a season high 14 sacks and should only improve on that. The addition of some new key players are going to make this a team to watch. 2 months ago I said the Texans would finish 8-8 again this year. I hope they can prove me wrong.
Oh the drama! Yes, it's happening once again. Another season in the books, but the question remains the same.........Is T-mac one and done......again?
One and done? Come on people, your not really buying into this #### are you? How could you honestly say that one person controls the destiny of an entire team? Is he a magician? I don't see T-Mac holding a crystal ball in his hand before each game! Think about it! That's like saying you will go ahead and play every game of the season 1 on 5. (T-mac vs. your team) If you lose against our five players then you don't have what it takes to win in the playoffs!
Give me a break! Anyone who says that one player is responsable for the outcome of an entire team is mad! If you have followed Basketball long enough, it goes without saying that it requires a team effort to win and to lose! If you do not have a supporting cast around you, chances are you are not going to get far in the playoffs.(umm.....first round exit) Plan and simple!
The media should give T-Mac the credit he deserves. Not dwell on the fact that he has had some early exits. Do your homework, he has been close on several occasions. If the Rockets were healthy this season it would have been an entirely different question facing T-Mac right now!
Let me begin this blog with the famous words of Michael Vick "how many times can you beat a dead dog". This is exactly how I felt about answering this week’s blog competition question. With all the media attention that has been surrounding the Cowboys since their loss Sunday, and the names Romo and Simpson circulating in blogs and chat forums like it was headline news. It’s no wonder why I (like the hundreds of other sports fans) have become tired of hearing about Romo and his “bad game”.
Anyone who knows Football will be quick to point out that the Quarterback is the main component of a team. Like the engine of a car so to speak.(I know some people will tend to differ) but if your engine is not running correctly then everything else falters. Simply put, this was the case last Sunday for the Cowboys and Romo. We are so used to the fact that as a professional team/player you are supposed to come out and play a perfect game. Somewhere along the way we have forgotten that these players are human and are entitled to make mistakes. In Romo’s case he just made one after another, after another. You can just look at his stats and agree that he had a bad game. A QB rating of 22 says it all. Throwing 17 passes and completing only 5 in the first half is horrible. Throwing 3 interceptions….well, in his case he threw 5 before and still won, so you can’t say that’s too bad for him. Even after it was all said and done he still managed to finish the game with 214 yards.
Sure Simpson was there in her pink Romo jersey smiling at the camera and pointing to the number nine on her jersey. But do I blame her for adding more pressure to Romo? Heck, no! I credit the Eagles defense for that. Do I blame the thumb injury Romo sustained in the third quarter for the outcome of the game? No, but it may have played a small part in it. So to answer the big question “Do I blame Romo for the Cowboys loss Sunday?” Damn right I do! He is the engine of that team and had a complete breakdown Sunday. From start to finish he was terrible. You can argue that it was a team effort, but if your a QB your the main focal point. Do I think he will rebound this week? Of course he will!
It’s funny now that I look back on the game most of what I remember are the comments people were making about Romo and his personal life. Sadly, I hardly remember anything else about the game except for Jessica. Have we let “Reality T.V.” become such a factor in our lives that we let it influence our decision making? Has it become second nature to us to play judge and jury and hand out verdicts before knowing the truth about a case, maybe so? Will this “bad game” affect the Cowboys future? No way! It was only their second loss of the season. Thanks to Seattle’s loss to Carolina, Dallas still gets a first round bye in the playoffs and that's huge.
We all know how Romo can bounce back from a disappointment. We just need to see how quick he can do it this time. Even though he has not practiced at all this week, the coaching staff said he would be back for Saturday’s game against the Panthers. Watch out Carolina!
The following is an alphabetical list of players mentioned in the Mitchell Report. It in no way suggests these players used performance-enhancing drugs.
Chad Allen, Rick Ankiel, David Bell, Mike Bell, Marvin Benard, Gary Bennett , Larry Bigbie, Barry Bonds, Kevin Brown (pitcher), Paul Byrd , Jose Canseco, Mark Carreon, Jason Christiansen, Howie Clark , Roger Clemens, Jack Cust, Brendan Donnelly, Chris Donnels, Lenny Dysktra, Bobby Estalella, Matt Franco, Ryan Franklin, Eric Gagne, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Jay Gibbons, Troy Glaus, Jason Grimsley, Jose Guillen, Jerry Hairston Jr., Matt Herges, Phil Hiatt, Glenallen Hill, Darren Holmes, Todd Hundley, David Justice, Chuck Knoblauch, Tim Laker, Mike Lansing, Paul Lo Duca, Nook Logan, Josias Manzanillo, Gary Matthews Jr. , Cody McKay , Kent Mercker, Bart Miadich, Hal Morris, Daniel Naulty, Denny Neagle, Jim Parque, A ndy Pettite, Adam Piatt, Todd Pratt , Stephen Randolph, Adam Riggs, Brian Roberts, John Rocker, F.P. Santangelo, Benito Santiago, Scott Schoeneweis, David Segui , Gary Sheffield, Mike Stanton, Miguel Tejada, Ismael Valdez, Mo Vaughn , Randy Velarde, Ron Villone, Fernando Vina, Rondell White, Jeff Williams, Matt Williams, Todd Williams, Steve Woodard, Kevin Young , Gregg Zaun
Okay, I get it, Micheal Vick did something wrong! We all know this already! He went to court, he turned himself in, he got sentenced, he is moving on. What is the problem! Why is it that there are still a 100 blogs being posted on Micheal Vick? It's time to accept it and move on. I know that there are people who support him and want him free, and there are people who want to see him locked up for good. I am one of many that happens to like Micheal Vick as a player. But I also still believe in something called the judicial system. It's been in place for years. We all know it, some of us even fear it. I have always been brought up with the saying " if you do the crime, then you do the time". Reguardless of how much involvement that you played in it. Even if you had the smallest part, you are going to suffer some type of repercussion. Two years might seem to long for some and not enough for others. The point is its finally over for everyone involved. Let it rest already. Find another topic to write about . Close this chapter in his life and learn to move on like he is. Is that to much to ask?
With 13 weeks of the NFL in the books, the playoff picture is just about ready to be etched in stone. Three NFC divisions have clinched, 2 of which were no surprise (Dallas in the East and Green Bay in the North) with Seattle winning the West and the NFC South still open because of Tampa Bay’s inability to beat the Texans Sunday. Now Tampa Bay will have to wait one more week since the New Orleans Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night. Don’t worry Buc’s fans Tampa will clinch next Sunday. That will leave room for only 2 more teams to hold the 5th and 6th NFC wildcard positions. Who will they be you ask?
This, in my opinion, was one of the easiest decisions I have had to make today. It was harder for me to decide if I should actually wait and post this after tonight’s game to see if the Saint’s actually do win. But then again their playing the Falcon’s and it really doesn’t matter anyway, win or loose, both teams are done for the year.
With that said my fist pick is a no-brainer. The number 5 wildcard position goes to the New York Giants. When they started 0-2 two people began to question the running game or lack there of one. Then they manage to pull off 6 straight wins which put them in a really good position. With key wins against the Redskin’s, Lion’s, Eagle’s, and the Bear’s they solidified a wildcard spot. Even though they have 2 tough games of the remaining three left, look for them to win a least one more. That is assuming the Patriot’s don’t play their starters for the last game of the season. Maybe they pull off two more wins. It will make no difference they are a lock right now anyway. To take this a step further let me say that the Giant’s looked good at times but play a little to inconsistent to make much noise in the playoffs. Look for the Giants to beat Tampa in the first round but lose to Dallas in the second.
My second pick is a little more interesting. My number 6 wildcard position goes to the Minnesota Vikings. With only a 7-6 record they have been playing a lot better in the second half of the season. They have won 4 straight and the defense has stepped up to the challenge. Adrian Peterson has proved he is the next running back to beat. He has become a strong rookie of the year candidate, already a lock and winner in my book. The Vikings are an interesting team, they have improved on both sides of the ball and proved that they are a force to be reckoned with. With 3 more games left against the Bears, Redskins, and Broncos they shouldn’t have much to worry about. If I was a Seattle or Green Bay fan I would be cautious about this team. Even though the Packers have swept the series, this is a much improved team. I think they will beat Seattle in the first round and give the Packers a run for their money in the second round.
I know that there are some Lions, Saints and Cardinals fans not liking my last pick. But unless your team goes 3 and 0 in the next 3 weeks, your not going to make it. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but facts are facts.
For all of the critics that said Roger Huerta only gained wins from fighting inexperienced fighters got proven wrong. Proven wrong in a big way! Roger "el matador" Huerta set out Saturday night to show the world he is the real deal and to gain the recognition that he deserves. Winning would mean a title shot. Something that Huerta has been in search of. Clay Guida was the only thing standing in his way. Guida on the other hand was looking for the same opportunity and would prove to be one of Huerta's toughest opponents by far.
Pound for pound this was a perfect match. The constant strikes, stamina, and relentless pressure that Huerta is used to applying was the exact same style that Guida is used to displaying. This was boiling up to be a great fight and one of the most anticipated fights for me in a long time.
When the fight started I knew that Huerta was in for a tough fight. Guida came out like the crazed man he is. Landing shots, taking Huerta down, the constant pressure. Wow! It was great! This was the same for the second round as well, except Guida was getting the better of the exchanges. He actually hurt Huerta, in my opinion, in the second round but wasn't able to finish. That was all Huerta needed. A missed opportunity would be a costly mistake by Guida. The third round started and it didn't take long for Huerta to give Guida a blow to the head that proved to be the changing point. Guida went down and Huerta was able to jump on him, get some strikes to the head, and finally over the back for a submission hold. A rear naked choke to be exact. After a hard fight Guida had no choice but to tap out. It was over!
For Huerta this was a great win. A title shot win. I hope. Huerta has always been a great fighter in my eyes. With 20 wins and only 1 defeat he deserves the recognition o####reat fighter. And to the people who had doubts, you have your proof now. Huerta deserves a title fight. Thats all he ever wanted to begin with.
When the Texans started off the season 2-0 things were looking rather good. Finally, we would have a chance in the hardest division around. The AFC South. But like every good dream you have to wake up and face reality. Injuries were the Texans reality, and they began to take place on a regular basis. What started out so promising, slowly began to fade away. What was once a dream became a nightmare that we couldn't wake up from. With each lose came another injury, and they began to pile up. Most of them at key positions.
To date the Texans have 17 people on the injured list. (9 on offense, 8 on defense) The most in the NFL, but not a record any team would want to be noted for. With that said, the Texans back-ups stepped in to fill the shoes of their fallen teamates. Through the first few games you could see the lack of experience and leadership. We were given a glimpse of the all to familiar Texans of old. Could this be a repeat of what we were used to seeing the previous years? Would we have to wait again and say to ourselves that this is a team being built from the ground up? I don't think so. The back-ups stepped up in a big, big way. They have showed a desire to win and have proven to themselves, to us, that they could do it. The dedication and the heart to win as a team was shown against Tampa Sunday.
Tampa Bay came into Houston with a chance to clinch their division.(without help) and couldn't do it. The Texan's played like they played at the begining of the season, but this time it was with most of their back-ups. This wasn't the Texans of old I was watching, but a much more improved team, that played like a team. Finally! I was the first to write the Texans season off because of all the injuries they have sustained. But when you look back at the positive things that have happened, this is one you could really build off of.
Hello all, my name is P_REZ. I have always been involved in sports. From playing, to coaching, to watching, and betting. I am a native Houstonian. Which means I take Houston sports very seriously! The Astro's, Rocket's, and Texan's (Oiler's) are my favorite Teams! I don't always agree with some of the moves they tend to make (via trades, play calling, moving a franchise) but I do support them. Make no mistake about that! I think I am pretty knowledgeable when it comes to sports. I have written a few blog's and will be writting a lot more in the future (or at least when I think certain things need to be addressed) I'll let you be the judge. So feel free to post a comment on my blog's and let me know what you think. Thanks! T/C until next time......... ..........PEA CE!
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