4 posts tagged “tom”
I am sorry for the lack of posting. I have recently been dealing with personal issues, now I am dealing with laptop issues. No fun, and keep in mind, I am not getting paid for this as I am a student and a broadcaster as well and hopefully interning at Metro Sports soon.
As far as the Chiefs picking up a victory, good for them! About time! I also think Chiefs fans need to consider giving Tom Cable a thank you card. He designed two great plays, and it's only considered great if your a Chiefs fan. On 4th and 10 on a fake field goal attempt, the plan was for the holder to throw the ball backwards to a huge and slow kicker and make him get a first down. What a wonderful idea! Even better, the ball was poorly thrown causing a fumble picked up by Maurice Legget taking it back for a touchdown. On 4th and 2, the Raiders decided to go for all the marbles by throwing the ball into the endzone. The pass is over thrown, turnover on downs! The Raiders had to thank Tyler Thigpen because the only time Oakland was able to score a touchdown was by intercepting a pass from Thigpen. The interception was taken back all the way to the one yard line, setting up a one-play touchdown run.
Speaking of Tyler Thigpen, he did not play such a good game as he threw many bad passes throughout the beggining of the game. Thigpen did have a successful second half helping the Chiefs score a touchdown and get into field goal range to pick up the win. Let's hope the Chiefs can pick up some impressive wins.
Tonight's prediction:
OAK @ SD -- SD
Tom Brady goes down, but the Patriots still survive a tough one. In this blog entry, I run down the game and after that, I’ll give you my opinion on this game from top to bottom. I also have a message for Randy Moss!
Heading into this game, the Chiefs were heavy under dogs and many felt the Patriots would win and cover the point spread. That wasn’t the case early in the game as Wes Welker fumbles in the first drive of the game recovered by the Kansas City. In the second drive of the game, Brady threw a pass to Randy Moss. However, Moss trips and fumbles on his own and Kansas City took advantage of the fumble and took over again. As Brady got the pass off to Moss, safety Bernard Pollard applied pressure on Brady and knocked him down by the foot, causing an injury. Many, including Moss himself, felt Pollard’s hit was dirty. I taped the game and watched it in slow motion and I have to say, the hit looked clean. According to Yahoo.com and NFL Network, Brady is out for the season as the Patriots are bringing in some QB’s Monday for a work out. The Patriots offense also had six fumbles last year, they had two tonight.
Despite the Chiefs recovering the two fumbles, they could not score in either of the two drives as they were given a pair golden opportunities to get a head start. The Chiefs punted on 4th down as Dustin Colquitt does what he does best when he is told to punt the ball. Bernard Pollard picked up the punt at the two yard line. After two running plays for negative yardage, Matt Cassel, Brady’s replacement, comes in on 3rd down and throws a 51 yard pass to Randy Moss. Eventually, Cassel found Moss in the endzone to score the first points of the game. Moss also hit the 100 yard mark in the second quarter. After Nick Novak’s 40 yard field goal, the Chiefs were heading into halftime trailing 7-3. Dwayne Bowe had a tough time in this game as he dropped many passes including a key pass thrown to him on 3rd down and a screen pass attempt to him. The Chiefs play calling was ludicrous as it seemed the plan was run, run, pass and punt, like last year. Not to mention a lot of Larry Johnson’s run was up the middle. Anytime Johnson ran to the outside, which rarely happened, he made a lot out of that. Also in the third quarter, Brodie Croyle was taken away from the game after taking a big sack. Damon Huard was his replacement as Croyle is expected to be out 2-4 weeks.
The Patriots continued to attack the Chiefs with Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris run the ball finding the Chiefs weak spot on defense. Morris scored a touchdown on the ground extending the lead for the Patriots making it a 14-3 game. After dropping many passes, Bowe made up for his errors after a touchdown pass from Damon Huard in the following drive. Late in the fourth quarter, Stephen Gostkowski got a 37 yard field goal to extend the lead by a touchdown. The Patriots were able to get the field goal off of an interception by Huard thrown into double coverage. Huard finds former Baltimore Raven, Devard Darling for 68 yards as the Patriots stopped him at the five yard line, being his only catch the entire game. The Chiefs had 4 chances to get a touchdown. Damon Huard throws a beautiful pass to Bowe, but Bowe cannot hold on to the ball. The Chiefs run it with Johnson and for no gain which makes me want to ask, is Mike Solari still on the team? Huard throws a pass, but was incomplete as the Patriots almost intercepted it. On one final play, Huard throws right to Dwayne Bowe, but was beautifully covered by Delta O’Neal, sealing the game in Foxboro.
Offensively, the Chiefs put up a good fight (with Huard) against a very good defense. However, the play calling is still no different than last year. It felt like watching Mike Solari run the plays. I thought in the pre-season Chan Gailey proved to everyone that this is not going to look anything like Solari. Johnson and Charles did well together, but they could have been explosive together if the coaching staff was smarter. Dwayne Bowe was the weakest link as he dropped many passes as the biggest dropped pass came in the fourth quarter. I’ve always supported Damon Huard because anytime Croyle gets hurt, it seems like Huard comes in and finds the door to success. I loved Branden Albert’s blocking ability as well.
I’m not going to judge this defense so much since Brady did not play, but for a team that has Moss, Welker, Maroney and Morris, the Chiefs did great holding this team to only 17 points. How many teams did that last year? Brandon Carr and Brandon Flowers both were average in this game as both made rookie mistakes and got burned a couple times. That’s just something they will have to learn from and move on with. The same goes to Glenn Dorsey who did not have a big game.
Randy Moss was pretty upset with the hit on Brady and called it a “dirty” hit. He followed up by saying that he has NEVER been dirty. Well folks do I need remind you how dirty Moss can be? Remember the time he went out of bounds on purpose during a Vikings game? What about the time he pretended to pull his pants down and mooned the Green Bay fans in a playoff game? And if those aren’t dirty, how about the time Moss was accused of battery before the Super Bowl? That was the second time he was accused for an incident like that. Mr. Moss should think twice what he says next time. He has no room to go calling Pollard or Pollard’s hit “dirty.” I can keep going ladies and gentleman, but hopefully you get the picture.
Overall, not bad by the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that was expected to be one-sided with or without Brady. The Chiefs had four chances to score in the endzone at the end of the game on the five yard line, and could not do anything. The play calling needs to change because it’s no different than last season. This is the tenth straight loss for Herm Edwards and the Kansas City Chiefs. Will it be 11 in Oakland?
I just want to say, Christmas has arrived!
The Patriots will aim for their 20th straight win in the regular season. Their last loss in the regular season was at Miami in a 21-0 shutout. The Dolphins defense pounded Tom Brady all day as he played very poorly, which you rarely see out of the MVP. Coming off of a 16-0 season as Super Bowl runner ups after failing to go 19-0, the Patriots will come into this game with a statement to re-attempt their undefeated streak. Tom Brady has said that he will start tomorrow against the Chiefs. The Chiefs second first round pick, Branden Albert, has been practicing and will be ready to start as well.
Let’s face it as Chiefs fans. The Patriots will win the game and the main reason for that is because of the amount of inexperienced players the Chiefs have. Their will be many players starting for the first time in their career tomorrow at Foxboro. The Patriots have a strong defense and will put Brodie Croyle under a lot of pressure, unless this Chiefs offensive line can protect Croyle. If Croyle has the time and protection, then he will get the ball to Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe as Ellis Hobbs and Terrence Wheatley will have a lot to worry about. If the line can block, then that means Larry Johnson has a shot to get 100 rushing yards for the second time on opening day, his first against the Jets in 2005 with 110 yards rushing. However, my expectations are not very high for this offense line. It will be up to the offensive line if the Chiefs want to be a threat on offense.
Switching to the other side of the football, you have a young, but physical group of defenders against the number one offense. With Brandon Flowers making his debut, Tom Brady should not have a tough time getting the ball to Randy Moss. Glenn Dorsey and Tamba Hali will try to mimic the New York Giants into putting Brady under pressure. If they can do that, the Patriots offense might be in trouble. If Dorsey and Hali (and Turk McBride and Tank Tyler) continue to physically attack Brady, then there is a chance Brady might leave the game, giving the Chiefs a chance to win!
The Chiefs are 16.5 point under dogs and that should not come as a surprise to anyone. But if the Chiefs defensive line can put Brady under pressure and if the Chiefs offensive line can block, then we have ourselves a game at Gillette Stadium.
Once or twice a week, I will be discussing topics outside of Kansas City to make this blog more three-dimensional. After the pre-season in the books, it’s time to rank all 32 NFL teams heading into week one. Below the rankings, I also predict every team’s record in each division and my week one predictions.
1-Patriots: Despite losing all of their pre-season games without Brady’s presence, he will be available this week. This team also has a majority of their starters returning as they have a very easy schedule and could possibly go 16-0 again if they take advantage of this easy schedule in front of them.
2-Cowboys: This team is well prepared this season. I won’t make guarantees about them winning a Super Bowl this season, but now that Tony Romo has one full season under his belt, he and everyone else on this team will find the door to success and finally win a game in the playoffs.
3-Chargers: Despite the health situation with Merriman, he will play. The Chargers have an amazing defense and they are very good at depth. Oh, they also have LT.
4-Colts: Manning returns and hopes to get deeper in the playoffs. Several players on this team are getting old, but they have a lot of young guys they can rely on.
5-Steelers: The Steelers have all of their starting players on defense returning as they were ranked number one overall in total defense. The offense picked up two outstanding young guns and can help this team win a lot of games.
6-Jaguars: David Garrard rarely makes mistakes as he has guided his team to success since being named starting quartberack. They have a shot this season to prevent Indianapolis from winning its seventh straight consecutive divisional title.
7-Vikings: The Vikings would earn my vote for having the most productive off season out of any other team. The front office gave Tarvaris Jackson some weapons to work with. It’s up to him to lead this team to victory.
8-Browns: Outstanding offense last season as they continued to make their offense better. The defense also made some upgrades this past off season.
9-Titans: Vince Young has learned a lot now as he heads into his third year in the NFL. With the addition of Chris Johnson, Young knows he has a few weapons around him to help the Titans make a playoff run. This defense will improve a lot with the addition of Jevon Kearse if he can stay healthy.
10-Giants: If this team doesn’t lead the league in passes dropped like last season, they have a shot at being a threat offensively now that Eli Manning is more prepared after a strong finish in the second half of the season. However, the defense stepped down a notch with retirements and injuries.
11-Seahawks: Matt Hasselbeck and Mike Holmgren have created a great offense together. Hasselbeck will lead his team without Shaun Alexander heading into week one, but that won’t stop him from succeeding.
12-Saints: With Reggie Bush heading into the season in his third year and Drew Brees as QB, this team could be very explosive on offense. I love the addition of Sedrick Ellis and Randall Gay, but I still question this defense as to weather or not they can remain consistent as a team.
13-Eagles: Brian Westbrook has finally gotten attention after being one of the most underrated football players the past couple of years. Donavon McNabb can be the best QB in the NFC while playing healthy, but let’s admit it, he just can’t stay healthy. However, the light still remains bright for the Eagles when Westbrook takes over who is the best all around running back in the NFL today and could very well lead his team to the playoffs.
14-Packers: This is Aaron Rodgers’ first time starting in the regular season as he has taken leadership role on this team. Rodgers also has two rookie QB’s behind him to back him up. Young guys like Ryan Grant and Jordy Nelson will be key reserves for the Packers. This team will be tough to beat on defense.
15-Jets: The Jets just did a fantastic job building that offensive line as Brett Favre will have time to throw the ball. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington will also be more comfortable with the line unlike last year. Vernon Gholston will join Kerry Rhodes into turning this defense into a successful one.
16-Bengals: Leon Hall stepped up big time on defense to help the Bengals win some battles last season. The offense also has a lot of fire power with T.J. Hoshmanzadeh and Chad Johnson (I’m going to call him Chad Johnson…) The team also believes more in Kenny Watson after cutting Rudi Johnson as Watson averages 4.3 yards per carry.
17-Buccaneers: Interesting mix at QB as Jeff Garcia is 38 years old. Warrick Dunn and Earnest Graham will work together to build a strong 1-2 punch behind an average offensive line. This defense is also very dangerous as they are one of the top defenses overall. They know how to force turnovers and they played some tough as they have a chance to be dominant again with an easy schedule.
18-Redskins: Dan Snyder never surprises me as he hired Jim Zorn has head coach after he was originally promoted to be the offensive coordinator for the Redskins. Campbell will come back and help the Redskins make the playoffs. This defense is similar to Tampa Bay also. Kept all their players that helped the defense succeed and they added a bit more depth.
19-Texans: I picked the Texans to make the playoffs mid-way through the 2007 season. It looked good until Matt Schwab, Andre Johnson, Andre David and several other players got hurt as well. This team is capable of bouncing back defensively after Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, Morlon Greenwood and Amobi Okoye showed impressive numbers last season.
20-Panthers: With the addition of D.J. Hackett and Musin Mohammad playing along side Steve Smith and Jeff King, Jake Delhomme will have a lot of options throwing the football. He also has DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart in the backfield. Also not to mention the fact that he will have better protection too. However, the defense needs help.
21-Cardinals: Assuming Anquan Boldin stays, he will be on the opposite side of Larry Fitzgerald creating a strong force for defensive backs to play against. Kurt Warner is the better quarterback despite being 37 years old. The defense picked up two key players in the draft and will continue to be a better team against the rush.
22-Bills: Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson create a good 1-2 punch as they were both very young football players. Trent Edwards, who came off of an average rookie season as the only active rookie quarterback will be more prepared this year. Lee Evans also needs to try and stay consistent. The Bills forced a lot of turnovers on defense, but were not a very good team defensively overall. After drafting 10 players, the Bills hope they can bring in more young guys to make their team better.
23-Broncos: The Broncos know that Jay Cutler can get the job done, but not alone. They spent the entire off season bringing in players to help Jay Cutler succeed. Defensively, this is just not a strong team.
24-Rams: With a new offensive coordinator, Marc Bulger will have to learn a new, but better offense. Stephen Jackson signs a new contract after a holdout, but has little time to celebrate after missing a lot of last season’s campaign and a majority of training camp.
25-49ers: Mike Martz is going to have to work with Alex Smith, but the 49ers won’t have a lot of patience with him, so Smith will have to really step his game up before the 49ers find a replacement. I like the defense heading into this season as rookie Patrick Willis lead the league in tackles with 174. Nate Clements was average in his first year as this team also has a young defensive line.
26-Lions: Finally won seven games last year, something they have not accomplished since 2000. After being last place on defense, this team shook up their defense with the additions of Chick Darby, Jordon Dizon, Leigh Bodden , Brian Kelly, Dwight Smith, Cliff Avril, Kalvin Pearson and Andre Fluellen. Joey Berry, defensive coordinator of the Lions, has a lot of work to do. Jon Kitna may not be the answer on offense, but Kevin Smith might, with Rudi Johnson behind him.
27-Raiders: Jamarcus Russell and Darren McFadden are both key future athletes and can create the best QB/RB duo in a couple years after they get some experience under their belt. The defense has been quietly noticed the past couple of years and can make a statement with DeAngelo Hall and Gibril Wilson in the backfield.
28-Dolphins: After releasing two long time Dolphins and Pro Bowl defensive standouts, Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, Bill Parcels, Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano are rebuilding this team. Chad Pennington was brought in and has please Sparano so far. Ted Gin Jr. is going to be Chad Pennington’s favorite target as Gin Jr. is set to have a great season with an experienced QB passing to him. This team defensively is very young and has a lot of work to do.
29-Chiefs: Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards going young as they had full control of the draft, but they have too many inexperienced athletes. Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe can be successful if Brodie Croyle can get the ball to them. This might be a team that runs the ball more with Larry Johnson. The defense has a lot of work to do as Glenn Dorsey might be the key leader.
30-Bears: Devin Hester is the most electrifying player in the NFL right now, but he’s the only hope this team has. Matt Forte is going to be the key running back. Cedric Benson has been shipped out and Kyle Orton will be the starting QB, but for how long? This defense is slowly declining too.
31-Ravens: Joe Flacco is a player the Ravens seem to have a lot of faith in. Let’s just hope he will have success throwing the football to his receivers. Ray Lewis is still a beast and Ed Reed made a statement this season. But they need to try and force some turnovers.
32-Falcons: Michael Turner and Matt Ryan will try to take over this offense as they have both been given starting roles. Keith Brooking and John Abraham will give this defense life.
AFC East
Patriots (15-1) #1
Jets (10-6) #6
Dolphins (5-11)
Bills (5-11)
AFC North
Steelers (11-5) #4
Browns (9-7)
Bengals (8-8)
Ravens (2-12)
AFC South
Colts (12-4) #3
Jaguars (10-6) #5
Titans (8-8)
Texans (8-8)
AFC West
Chargers (13-3) #2
Broncos (6-10)
Raiders (5-11)
Chiefs (3-13)
NFC East
Cowboys (13-3) #1
Giants (10-6) #5
Eagles (9-7) #6
Redskins (6-10)
NFC North
Vikings (12-4) #2
Packers (8-8)
Lions (4-12)
Bears (4-12)
NFC South
Saints (11-5) #3
Panthers (8-8)
Buccaneers (7-9)
Falcons (1-15)
NFC West
Seahawks: (9-7) #4
49ers (8-8)
Cardinals (7-9)
Rams (4-12)
WAS @ NYG – NYG
DET @ ATL – DET
CIN @ BAL – CIN
NYJ @ MIA – MIA
STL @ PHI – PHI
TB @ NO – NO
KC @ NE – NE
SEA @ BUF – BUF
HOU @ PIT – PIT
JAC @ TEN – JAC
DAL @ CLE – DAL
ARI @ SF – SF
CAR @ SD – SD
CHI @ IND – IND
MIN @ GB – MIN
DEN @ OAK – DEN
