Sportaholic Tennessee Titans vs. Carolina Panthers game review

The Titans came out and put together a masterful performance against Cam Newton and what came into this game as a top five ranked offense was totally obliterated by a nasty Tennessee defense. The Titans harassed and buried Newton to the tune of five sacks and one interception as Tennessee overpowered Carolina 30-3. The Titans caught an early break early as return man Mac Mariani broke for a 79-yard TD return. Mariani’s burst seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game as the Titans poured it on from there. They would score on their next drive as Matt Hasselbeck found Damian Williams on a short pass that Williams would turn into a 43-yard TD as he shed a couple of tacklers in his way. Williams finished with 107 yards receiving and really stepped up this game and showed that he is a guy Hasselbeck will be able to rely on in the Titans Kenny Brit less offense. The Titans players all should have gave Carolina TE Greg Olson a high five after the game as he made two disastrous plays in the first half.  He would first fumble in the red zone killing a potential scoring drive for the Panthers. Later in the first the former Miami FL standout would drop a 16-yard pass from Newton that would have likely put Carolina in field goal range but instead it kept kicker Olindo Mare out his comfort zone as he would miss a 50-yard attempt.

Maybe the most promising sign to come out this victory was the Titans run game coming to life as Chris Johnson finally had a breakthrough. Johnson had 27 carries for 130 yards and 1 TD. He made some of the explosive cuts and jukes that made him the most exciting player in the league over the last couple of seasons. The Titans offensive line looked sharp as well as their seemed to be bigger running lanes for Johnson to take advantage of. Hasselbeck would finish with 15 of 27 for 219 yards with 1 TD and 1 Int. But it was Johnson who took it to the Panthers in the second half and finished off Carolina. The defense deserves a lot of praise as well. They were aggressive in their approach as they kept a spy on the uber athletic Newton to keep him at bay and took away his big play ability. The Titans secondary did a good job making sure Newton had no targets available even when he scrambled to keep the play alive. Newton being held to 212 yards passing is something of a novelty this year after the way he shredded a few defenses this year. Damian Williams appears to be on the cusp of becoming Matt Hasselbeck’s go to receiver as their chemistry can easily be seen during the game.

The win keeps the Titans in the early playoff hunt at 5-4 and should give them a much needed momentum boost. They needed to come out and make a statement after last week’s disappointing loss to another rookie QB Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Titans came and dominated a decent opponent even if Carolina’s 2-7 record may not indicate it. It was good to see Chris Johnson finally rediscover his game again. He looked like the guy that the Titans invested $54 million dollars in. Defensive coordinator Jerry Gray stuck to his guns and trusted his guys as he unleashed an unrelenting attack that kept the Panthers offensive off balanced. The Titans travel to Atlanta next to take on an upset bunch in the Falcons. Mike Smith’s 4^th and inches decision in overtime ultimately backfired as the Falcons RB Michael Turner was stopped on the play. The New Orleans Saints would march down the field and John Kasay would cap off the victory with a 26-yard field goal. This makes for an interesting matchup next week in the Georgia Dome.  

Player of the game: Chris Johnson – As I stated above Johnson was up to his old tricks of the past few seasons. His season high of 130 yards comes at a time when the offense really needed him. He did get a few garbage time big gainers in the 4^th, but it shouldn’t diminish what he and the much maligned Titans offensive line were able to accomplish. Hopefully this is just the beginning of things to come as Johnson seems to finally have his legs and the offensive line finally played with a nasty streak that made them such a great running team in the Jeff Fisher era. Is this a revelation for the Titans running attack or is it an upward trend for them? That is something to keep an eye on in the next few upcoming games.

Game changing moment: Marc Mariani’s 79-yard punt return – Special teams plays are always great a great prescription for uncle Mo, as Mariani’s explosion was the quintessential l definition of a game breaker for Tennessee. It was the first time all year that Mariani took one to the house. The Titans saw how good he could be last year but of course with the pushback of the kickoff in effect this year, his production had been limited. This should give him and the special teams a much needed confidence boost. 

Sportaholic Tennessee Titans vs. Carolina Panthers Preview

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The Cam Newton express is up next on the Tennessee Titans docket. After losing to the Bengals and rookie QB Andy Dalton, the Titans get a crack at the #1 picked Newton and his superior athletic skill set. In other words, if the Titans thought Dalton was good, wait until they get a load of Newton. He seems to be one of those once in a generation stars who wins at every level of competition he plays in. He is able to do things most QBs should not be able to at 6”6 250 pounds. He is big enough to run over you and as the

Washington Redskins found out, and quick enough to juke you out of your shoes. The Titans will have their hands full not just with Newton but also his big time play maker at receiver, Steve Smith. Mighty Mouse has been brought back to life as Newton’s number 1 target in the Panthers offense. The Panthers are an exciting team to watch just because of these two guys.

The Titans of course are now sitting at 4-4 and if the playoffs started today they would be on the outside looking in. They have lost three of four and two of the losses have come at home. There last game against the Cincinnati Bengals was basically a sample of what the Titans have done this whole season. They have come out strong in most games, building leads in all but two games they’ve played this year only to give way eventually in the 2nd half. Dalton pickedhe Titans secondary to shreds in the second half as he brought the Bengals down from 10 points and threw 3 TDs passes to three different receivers. The Titans offensive line also had its troubles as they allowed Matt Hasselbeck take multiple sacks. Carlos Dunlap of the Bengals had two sacks and seemed to always be in Hasselbeck’s face.

The Titans also too often allowed the Bengals to convert on third down. They were 8/16 and it seemed they got every third down in the second half. The Titans did a decent job on RB Cedric Benson as he was held to just 78 yards on 20 carries. Speaking of RBs Chris Johnson showed glimpses of his old self as he had a few big gains in the first half. He gashed the Bengals for a 20, 18 and 12 yard runs in the 1st quarter. He also made a nice run after the catch on pass from Hasselbeck. Johnson faded in the 2nd half as the Bengals recognized he was getting loose and Johnson ended up finishing with 64 yards. Love him or hate him, the Titans have to continue to get Johnson involved as much as possible because when he finally does breakthrough he will add another dimension to this struggling offense.

The Panthers will present a totally different set of problems for the Titans. Newton’s scrambling ability has to have DC Jerry Gray’s attention. Newton has already broken former Titans’ Vince Young’s rookie record of rushing TDs with 7. And you also can’t sleep on Newton’s passing ability as he has already had put up two games of plus 400 yards and had another 374 yard passing game against the Chicago Bears.

Now lets breakdown the three key factors that will determine the game and make a final prediction for the Titans-Panthers clash.

1. Can the Titans control Newton’s big plays ability? As I stated above, this guy can drop an 80-yard pass or bust a 45-yard run on you at any moment. He has that big play mentality and seems to always be looking for his next opportunity. There hasn’t been a player drafted with his big play capability in my opinion since Michael Vick as they both have that combination of speed and a cannon arm. Newton has single handely transformed Carolina’s offense that finished last in terms of points and total offense last year, to a offense now that ranks fifth averaging 415.1 yards a game. Now of course when you are young player coupled with the fact that he is looking to make the over the top play, then you are going to make some over the top mistakes. Newton has thrown 11 TD passes and also 9 Ints. So his penchant seems to be big play or bust. The Titans have to take advantage of this as Newton’s feast or famine attitude can lead to big plays for the defense. On the flip side of the thinking if Newton gets into a groove early than he can unleash a barrage of explosive plays that the Titans may not be able to recover from.

2. How will Matt Hasselbeck and the Titans offense attack the Panthers porous defense? The Panthers come into this game giving up 8.35 yards per pass attempt, good for second worst in the league. They also give up 133.3 yards a game on the ground which is sixth most in the league and are tied for the most rushing TDs with 11. So that means that the Titans should have all kind of opportunities to make plays. OC Chris Palmer should have fun this week devising his offensive scheme against such a bad defense. Hasselbeck should have open passing lanes and should also look to get all his targets involved early. CJ has to find a way to get going against this defense as the odds are stacked in his favor. Everyone on the offense basically should have a big game. Tennessee has to come out and show some offensive creativity. There were too many times against the Bengals that it seemed the Titans got predictable. When your going against a team that isn’t very good on defense then you have a chance to do some things you don’t normally get to. I would love to see Johnson get a few opportunites in the wildcat offense with the ball coming directly to him. Maybe that would spark him. I also wouldn’t mind seeing Jake Locker get on the field and possibly run an option read with Johnson, similar to what Johnson and Vince Young did last year. Just a thought but a big unexpected play could spark the offense early and lead to some momentum.

3. How will the Titans respond coming off a lost? The last time the Titans lost they came out and whipped up on a winless Colts team 27-10 at home. This time they have to travel to Carolina and face a hungry team in the Panthers. Can they channel their emotions and pick up the win or will they fold down the strecth as they have seemed to do in all of their losses. The team as a whole has to right the ship because your getting to the point of the season when you either a contender or a pretender and the Titans are squarely on the bubble at 4-4. The leaders of the team have to stand up and tell their teammates the time is now to make their stance and don’t make this repeat of last year’s second half slide.

Prediction: Titans 23 Panthers 20



NOTES

TITANS: Club has won 12 of past 13 games against NFC…QB MATT HASSELBECK has 90+ passer rating in 6 of 8 games in ’11. Hasselbeck (189) needs TD pass to reach 190 career. Hasselbeck has 6 TDs vs. 3 INTs & 88 passer rating on road this season…In 12 career games vs. NFC, RB CHRIS JOHNSON averages 106.3 rush yards per game (1,275). Johnson totaled 110 scrimmage yards last week (64 rushing, 46 receiving). Johnson (4,964) needs 36 rush yards to join EDDIE GEORGE & HOFer EARL CAMPBELL as 3rd player in franchise history to reach 5,000 career…WR LAVELLE HAWKINSrecorded 1st career TD catch last week. WR DAMIAN WILLIAMS has 3 TD catches in past 5 games…TE JARED COOK is averaging 16.7 yards per catch in ’11 (19 rec., 317 yards)…CB JASON MC COURTY leads team with 67 tackles…S MICHAEL GRIFFIN has 2 INTs in past 3 games vs. NFC opponents…DT SHAUN SMITH posted 1st sack of season last week…PANTHERS: Total (415.1 yards per game) & pass (285.5) offenses rank 5th in NFL…Rookie QB CAM NEWTON has completed 40 of 58 (69 pct.) for 546 yards with 4 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 121.8 rating in past 2. Passed for 1,381 yards in Oct., most in NFL history by rookie in any month. Has 4 games with 290+ yards, tied with PEYTON MANNING (1998) for most by rookie in NFL history. Ties for 3rd in NFL with 7 rush TDs. His 7 rush TDs tie VINCE YOUNG (2006) for most in season by rookie QB since 1970…In career, when RB JONATHAN STEWART has 15+ att., team is 14-3 (.824). RB DE ANGELO WILLIAMS has 4,574 rush yards & 983 rec. yards in career. Needs 17 rec. yards to become 1st player in franchise history with 4,000+ rush yards & 1,000+ rec. yards…WR STEVE SMITH leads NFC with 918 receiving yards. Has 5 100-yard games. In past 2, has 14 catches for 243 yards (121.5 per game) & TD. In only home game vs. Ten. (10/19/03), had 10 catches for 151 yards & TD (67 yards). TE GREG OLSEN has TD catch in 4 of past 6…DE CHARLES JOHNSON has 15 sacks in past 15. Rookie DT TERRELL MC CLAIN had 1st career sack in Week 8

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 7

Another week in the books for the NFL and a few things are starting to be clear about this season. QBs rule the NFL universe as this week saw multiple QB changes, some good (Tebow’s last 5 minutes, Christian Ponder) and some not so good (Tebow’s first 3 ½ quarters, John Beck, Carson Palmer’s debut with the Raiders). This is a QB driven league so we all know that you only can go as far as your QB can lead you. Speaking of QBs, Ndaumkong Suh continues his assault on QBs The way he and Cliff Avril of the Lions twisted up Matt Ryan should have put him out the game. The Lions are fast becoming the nastiest team in the league.

Tough day for Palmer and Boller

How about that 2 minute drill by San Diego against the Jets? I will never understand what was going on in Norv Turner’s mind with that one. Plaxico finally annoucned that he out of the pen and ready for some football with his 3 TD standout game on the Chargers. I will Carson Palmer a pass on that terrible display of football we seen against the Chiefs. He was thrown out way to early but the Raiders with Kyle Boller playing so bad. What did Tim Tebow have to wait until the last minutes of the game before he found his rhythm? I mean he had everything he needed and more that game with the Dolphins holding a Florida Gator tribute. That has to be the stupidest scheduling of an event in recent memory but that’s Miami for you. I have never heard Reggie Bush get mad except for that time he found out Kim Kardishian was dating Miles Austin, but he was plenty angry with his team after that fiasco against the Broncos and Tebow.

Murray just shed the St.Louis D to pieces

How bad are things in Indianapolis right now? Peyton Manning should win MVP for NOT PLAYING at this point. Get shell-shocked 62-7 on a primetime Sunday night against the Saints. I know the offense should suffer but when Drew Brees throws more TDs then incompletions than something is terribly amiss here. I remember watching this weekend and saying to myself what wrong with Chris Johnson? The newly minted $53.5 million dollar man just can’t kick it into high gear and for intensive purposes looks like he is stuck in a rut. He picked a bad time for his game to go down as the Titans got it handed it to them by the Texans. While CJ was laying an egg in Nashville, Demarco Murray was running like his hair was on fire in Dallas. 253 is 253 yards I don't care if the Rams have the worst run defense in the league. And to think that the Dallas coaching staff is still saying that its Felix Jones job when he gets back from injury, my question is why? He is explosive when healthy but thats the thing with him, he is never healthy. If Murray follows up his record breaking game with at least half of those yards agaisnt Philly, I say he has earned a starting role.

This guy is not human.

 I am fully convinced now that Cam Newton just isn’t human. That amazing run he had against the Redskins confirmed it for me. Christian Ponder looked way better in his first start then Donovan McNabb did in his previous 6 starts so that means the writing is on the wall for McNabb. It’s sad to see his career fade out the way is. Aaron Rodgers as always was money in that game and I just can’t see him not winning the MVP this year with the way he is playing.

Now time for the rankings:

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0) – Consistency is one of the greatest attributes a QB can have and right now Aaron Rodgers in the most consistent QB in the league. Each week he seems to out do himself from the last and he is the main reason there is talk of an undefeated season in Green Bay. Now I don’t believe it will happen but that doesn’t stop the chatter. Minnesota showed some fight in this game with Ponder starting instead of McNabb but they let Rodgers and that deadly offense have the ball last in hope of stopping them and that’s just something you don’t want to count in against the Pack. Green Bay will continue to roll but someone will eventually beat them. We shall see who that team is but until further notice they remain at the top spot.

2. New Orleans Saints (5-2) – As I stated above, I understand that the absence of Peyton to Indy puts the offense at a disadvantage, everyone knows that but what is the defenses excuse? New Orleans made this a laugher early and NBC probably wouldn’t have cared if they called a mercy rule on this one. Drew Brees just keeps rolling although he wasn’t able to get over the 350 yards passing for the first time in awhile. The Saints are playing defense again with crazy man Gregg Williams mixing and matching his blitz schemes. Sean Payton didn’t even high to be in the booth for this one. I have to put the Saints at # 2 for their thrashing of the Colts.

3. New England (5-1) – The team that everyone loves to hate had a bye week so we don’t get to talk about some super human type of performance from Tom Brady and Wes Welker. Don’t you Pats haters worry to much they take on Pittsburgh this weekend which is sure to be one of the weekends top match ups

4. San Francisco (5-1) – It stills feels funny writing about the Alex Smith led 49ers. They are 5-1 and they have a chance to win their next three games against Cleveland, Washington, and the New York Giants. This team has luxury of playing in the worst division in the NFC West so they have every reason to run away with this thing. Alex Smith leading a team to a division title, that’s just a funny sentence.

5. Baltimore Ravens (5-2) – That had to be one of the worst MNF games in recent memory. The Ravens not getting a first down until the 3rd quarter was get atrocious. There is no way you can defend yourself for that kind of offensive performance. Joe Flacco has looked great in some games this year and flat out horrible in others. Ray Rice couldn’t find any running lanes and none of the Baltimore receivers could get open. Just an ugly display of football but the Ravens are known to have a let down game or two in them a year. So I will keep them in the top for now but if we get anymore performances like Monday, then there out.

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 2

Although the Monday night game was a bit of dud (Seem like the Rams forgot they were on national T.V. at moments), the 2nd week of the season was still unpredictable and no less exciting. Atlanta and Matt Ryan finally exorcised the demons of the dirty birds as they defeated the concussed Mike Vick (What a way to suffer your first concussion) and the Philadelphia Eagles in a thriller of a Sunday night game. Tom Brady was at it again winging it all over field against the Chargers, who can never seem to beat the Pats. Speaking of winging it, how about that Cam Newton? 854 yards passing in two games, who said this guy wouldn’t be an accurate thrower in the league? I’m so happy about this turn of events because I picked him up in one of fantasy leagues at the last minute to replace Peyton Manning and has he ever paid off on that investment. Tony Romo went from spineless and no chances of ever winning anything of importance to tough as nails and on his way to the top all in a span of one week after his cracked rib-punctured lung performance against San Francisco. No matter if you like him or not, you have to give him a lot of credit for coming back out and continuing to take a pounding with that injury. Yet another great weekend of games and now its time to unveil the power rankings, as a lot has changed from last week.

1. New England (2-0) – The Patriots offense is just a machine. Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck continue to invent new schemes and systems on that side of the ball and no one in league has caught up with the two. The two tight end sets are nothing new really but the Pats have two of the most versatile in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez (Who will be out for a couple of weeks with an injury) that allows them to do so many things in the passing game. 940 yards in two games is what Brady has done so far and of course he will only get better as the season goes on. Was there anything funnier than seeing big Vince Woolfork rumbling and stumbling after picking off Phillip Rivers screen pass? Not in my opinion and it goes to show how agile he is to weigh over 350 pounds. The Pats defense is improved from last year as they seem to be getting more pressure on the QB, which was one of their biggest weaknesses over the past two seasons. Where in the world of twitter is Chad Ochocinco? He hasn’t done anything of note so far with his new team and just seems to be in awe (Much to the chagrin of Tedy Bruschi). The only real question for New England is what they will do in the playoffs because they always run through the regular season.

2. Green Bay Packers (2-0) - No one on the Packers knew what to expect going against the freakishly athletic Cam Newton. I watched him all last season at Auburn and it seemed that he got better and better each game. So coming off his 422 passing yard game against the Cardinals, even I didn’t know what to expect. He was at it again yet this time on the vaunted Packers D. Charles Woodson made a couple of spectacular plays on the ball s he picked off Newton twice. Aaron Rodgers did his usual throwing for a “quite” 308 yards and 2 TDs in the victory. The Pack continued to show why they have the best aerial attack in all of football. Every one of their receivers seems to be great at getting more yards after the catch. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are just the two latest additions in the realm. The Packers seem to be giving up a lot of points these days but no one cares as long as their winning. They get key stops when they need to, but you don’t always want to put your defense in such a tough.

3. New York Jets (2-0) – Even though those NY Titans jerseys are butt ugly, the Jets are still one of the top two teams in the AFC right now. New York just demolished the down and out Jaguars (They looked so good against the Titans last week and then just laid a dud this week). The Jets defense forced 4 interceptions from Luke “Soon to be demoted” McCown as he finished 6/19 for 58 yards and a QB rating of 1.8. This was one was over before you even got comfortable to watch as the Jets pounded the Jags. Mark Sanchez had a decent game but he threw two Ints. He is always the largest question facing the Jets and has been since he was drafted by them. He holds the key to their season the Jets as always. That defense is just as good as has been every year under Sexy Rexy.

4. Baltimore Ravens (1-1) – Yes, they laid a stinker of a game in Nashville this weekend, I know but this is still a very good team. For some reason it doesn’t seem like they had the intensity that the Ravens usually play with. For starters the offense couldn’t get anything going and looked sluggish at best all game. I wrote that if Tennessee was going to win that game then they would have to be just as physical if not more than the Ravens at the point of attack and they were as Baltimore seemed disinterested in this one. Allowing Matt Hasselbeck to throw for 358 yards is another thing as he, Kenny Britt, and Nate Washington seemed to be playing pitch and catch the whole game. It’s understandable that the Ravens wouldn’t be as motivated as they were to play against their arch rival Pittsburgh but they at least have to show up and play a little inspired. I won’t get to over zealous on the victory over the Steelers and vice versa for their loss to the Titans.

5. Detroit and Buffalo (2-0) – Why not show a little love to two of the most cursed franchises in all of football? This may be the only time we get to rank and talk about the Lions and Bills so I will take full advantage of it. The Lions look for real as their offense is moving the ball effortlessly on teams. Calvin Johnson or Megatron as he likes to be called is a candidate for breakout player of the year as he and Matt Stafford have rekindled their connection from the last time Stafford was injured. That defense line is ferocious with the likes of Ndaumakong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch. And they still get Nick Fairley back later this season. They have a chance to make a decent run at the playoffs this year. The Buffalo Bills have one of the most explosive offenses in the league right now. Harvard grad Ryan Fitzpatrick leads the rag tag bunch of players on that side of the ball. Most of those guys were no names coming into league from RB Fred Jackson to WR Stevie Johnson and yet they find a way to put up points each week. When they hired old face Chan Gailey, I just shook my head and said typical Bills hire, but he has sparked and revolutionized their offense. I was thoroughly impressed with all the shifts and movement they showed against the Raiders. They will get tested early and often against the Pats next week so their stay in the top 5 may be short lived, but honestly did anyone think that the Bills would be 2-0 and more relevant than the Colts who are 0-2 at this point? Peyton Manning should win the MVP this by not playing as you can see the difference he makes on that team.

Offensive player of the week: Tom Brady – I resisted the temptation last week of giving this honor to the “Golden Boy” but I caved in this week (Jim you was right, he will get a lot this year from the looks of it.). The man is just unstoppable right now as he went 31/40 for 423 yards and 4 TDs on San Diego. He just doesn’t make mistakes and preys off of the defenses when they do. He just manipulates the pre-snap so much that teams have no choice but to wait to the last minute to show their hand. If you do show your hand as Miami repeatedly did in the first MNF game, he will throw for 517 yards on you. He is the ultimate weapon. He doesn’t care if your hurt on the opposing team as a matter of fact that gives him even more reason to go after you. Brady is cut throat and as much as I hate the Pats, I can respect that from Brady.

Defensive Player of the Week: Charles Woodson – No one should be making the type of plays that Woodson is making at age 35. He still has IT and seems to be still in his prime. As I stated above, Woodson’s first pick of Cam Newton was picture perfect as he waited until the last minute to jump the route. His playmaking ability is amazing in the secondary. He still has all the instincts of a man half his age and you have game plan around him because he will absolutely destroy your offense if you don’t. He is the leader on defense for the Packers as much as everyone has ordained Clay Matthews. Woodson in my opinion is a bona fide first ballot Hall of Famer.

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 1

Welcome to the first edition of this season’s Sportaholic NFL power rankings. So many things to address so we’re not going to waste anytime.

The NFL is now an offensive league now and that was never more evident than this past week of games. 14 QBs went over the 300 yard plateau with 3 of those going over 400 yards and of course the fitting end to the weekend saw Tom Brady’s record breaking 517 yard performance on Monday night football. QBs have been ripping defenses to shreds, while DBs are gasping for air (I’ve seen so many players getting oxygen on the sideline). This will go down as the most prolific passing week in the history of the NFL. There are a few teams who are playing defense these days. Look no further than Baltimore as they just pulverized a team that’s use to doing the pulverizing in Pittsburgh. Houston bullied on the Peyton Manning-less Colts but its hard to put much stock into that due to the situation Indy is facing. The ”Monsters of the Midway” also did a number on the Falcons, who were suppose to have a new high-flying attack. As the season plays itself out, the defenses of the league will stand up but at least for this week, the offenses outclassed the other side of the ball.

Now for the rankings:

1. Baltimore Ravens (1-0) – When you go out and just manhandle one of the most, if not the most physical team in the league then in my opinion you deserve to be at the top of the rankings. The Ravens just pushed around the Steelers in every conceivable way. Raise your hand if you thought this one would be a close game, I will wait. My point exactly, no one could have predicted that Baltimore would just blast Pittsburgh like they did. The numbers don’t lie in this game: Baltimore forced 7 turnovers, ran for 170 yards and Joe Flacco was 17-29 for 224 yards 3 TDs and a rating of 117.5. This was just the first game of the season of course so its expected that some teams will come out flat. Big Ben looked uneasy all day in the pocket and could never find his rhythm. A lot of that had to do with the constant pressure being brought on him by Terrell Suggs (3.0 sacks) and Haloti Ngata. Even the ancient warriors Ed Reed (2 Ints) and Ray Lewis (1 Int) got in on the act. Just as dominant performance as you will get in week 1. Mark November 6th on your calendar as the Ravens travel to Pittsburgh and something tells me that the Steelers won’t forget this whooping that hated rival Baltimore put on them.

2. Green Bay Packers (1-0) The pack attack looks intact as Aaron Rodgers just picked up where he left off last year. The offense is so explosive especially when you add a healthy Jermichael Finley and rookie Randall “Corn” Cobb. Rodgers, who I rate as the 2nd best QB in league with Peyton Manning out, now has full command of the offense and just too many weapons at his disposal. He just put on a clinic in the first quarter of Thursday’s night opener, hitting his first 7 targets with precision laser passes. The defense will only get better for them as well as they get back a lot of players from injury reserve on last years roster. Clay Matthews is still a beast off the edge and will have a monster season as he did last year. A lot of things to like in the land of cheese these days.

3. New England (1-0) - This spot was toss up between the Pats and the Bears. The Pats did most of their damage on offense and the Bears did theirs on defense. I will go with the Patriots off the strength of Tom ‘Golden Boy” Brady passing bonanza. Watching the game for the first few quarters, you would have actually thought that the Dolphins had a chance. But of course once Brady got going with his tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez and things got dicey for Miami. Brady threw for 517 yards and didn’t even really use Chad Ochocinco (1 catch 14 yards). Their defense gave it the old "Bend but don’t break method" and allowed Chad Henne to rack up 416 yards but most of those were garbage time stats. The rebuilt defensive line looked good as well with Albert Haynestworth just trampling rookie Mike Pouncey a few times. Vince Woolfork also looked fresh with the addition of Hayneworth taking him out the game for a few snaps. Devin McCourty is one of the more underrated corners in the league and Ras-I Dowling has the makings of a good NFL cornerback in his rookie year. The Pats will be in for a stiffer test this weekend against the Chargers but as always you know Brady and the hoodie will be ready.

4. Chicago Bears (1-0) – It’s a wonder what 1 game can do for a team. After facing all the toughness questions in the off-season due to his non-performance in the NFC championship game, Jay Cutler lit up the Falcons secondary to the tune of 312 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Bears defensive were on it as well as they recorded sacks, 2 by Julius Peppers and 2 by Henry Melton who appears to ready for his close up as the new starting DT for the Bears. Maybe the most impressive Bear of them all was Brian Urlacher as he had an interception and picked up a fumble from Matt Ryan to take it in for the score. Chicago really has no worries on defense as they are deep and talented but its usually the offense that doesn’t perform. I think this year will be different as Mike Martz’s system has been in place for a year now. Cutler seems to be comfortable but he still is getting sacked too much as he was taken down 5 times this game. Matt Forte looked the part as well as he exploded for a 56 yard scamper off a screen pass. The Bears made the defending NFC South champs look like chumps and enough can not be said for that. But they better keep Cutler clean if they want a chance to compete this year.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) – The Eagles are all about the big play and it was on full display against the Rams. Michael Vick's passing numbers were pedestrian (14 of 32 for 187 yards 2 TDs) but you just can’t prepare for what he brings to the game with his legs (8 carries 98 yards). On top of what Vick does you have Lesean McCoy (15 rushes 122 yards), and Desean Jackson (6 catches 102 yards) who can take it to the house at anytime. More importantly for the Eagles is that the defense looked good as they limited Sam Bradford to just 188 yards passing and after allowing Steven Jackson to break off an early big run they held Rams in check on the ground as well (Although Jackson left the game with a strained quad might have had a lot to do with that). The free agents showed up as well as Cullen Jenkins recorded a sack and Jason Babin’s was just a force as he had two sacks, two tackles for loss and four QB hurries. The Eagles racked up 5 sacks in total as the reliable Trent Cole also had one. The only thing that can stop the Eagles is the Eagles in my opinion.

Offensive player of the week: Cam Newton – Wow. That was the first thing that popped in my head when I saw Killer Cam’s stat line of 24 of 37 for 422 yards and 2 passing TDs. Even though Tom Brady passed himself silly against the Dolphins, I still have to go with Cam because we expect that from Brady. Newton’s outburst wasn’t expected as he just obliterated the Cardinals defense and raised his expectations ceiling. What more can you ask for from a rookie QB who didn’t have the benefits of training camps and OTAs. Newton proved that he will be a hand full as he scored with his legs as well for his 3rd touchdown. The happiest guy besides Newton in a Panthers uniform you ask? Steve Smith, who wavered from being on a team that is clearly rebuilding, Smith had 8 catches for 178 yards and caught Newton’s two touchdown passes. Newton is by far ahead of schedule, now the only question is if he can keep this up.

Defensive player of the week: Brian Urlacher - This one is really tough because so many players had great games. Brian Urlacher (1 Int and Fumble recovery for TD), Terrell Suggs (3 sacks), Jason Babin (2 sacks,) Ed Reed (2 Ints) Mario Williams (2 sacks) and Demarcus Ware (2 sacks) to name a few. But I will go with Urlacher as his Interception of Matt Ryan seemed to sink of the confidence of the entire Falcons offense. His fumble recovery for a touchdown was classic Urlacher as he seems always find the ball when there is a scrum of players searching for it. He is the soul of the Bears team and if he continues his high level of play it will simply rub off onto that entire unit, which is already pretty good by the way.

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College Football Weekend Finale Spectacular

Last week due to being under the weather, I was unable to post my usual picks for the weekend (out of all weekends to be sick, it would be on championship Saturday). But thanks to a little Nyquil and some chicken noodle soup, I am good to go now. I did get to witness the massacre that was the SEC championship game, a thriller in the last Big 12 championship game and Virginia Tech holding its annual ACC invitational.




Championship Saturday always is special as it is the last week before the bowl season. Most bowls games are set and the national championship will be Auburn vs. Oregon. That one has all the makings of one the more interesting championships match-ups we’ve had in years but more on that later. As for now, lets breakdown the championship games.

SEC Championship: Auburn 56 South Carolina 14 - This one was actually interesting until the second half, as it turned into the Cam Newton show from there. The projected Heisman winner was just sensational as he displayed his talents in the Georgia Dome. He would prove that he can do it with his arm as he finished 17/28 for 335 yards and 4 touchdowns to no interceptions. He made plays are over the field, dropping beautiful passes to various receivers including a lucky Hail Mary at the end of the first half. The Hail Mary pass seemed to shift the momentum going into the second half and poor South Carolina could do nothing but watch as Newton put a stamp on his Heisman campaign. The Tigers beat the Gamecocks in every conceivable way as they rolled up 589 yards of total offense. The game was put out of reach on a Stephen Garcia interception, as he tried to lob a screen pass but was heavily pressured and T'Sharvan Bell of Auburn took the easy pick to the house. The look on Steve Spurrier’s face was priceless. He looked like a man who had no answers. Auburn goes on to face Oregon in BCS championship game.

Big 12 Championship: Oklahoma 23 Nebraska 20 – I didn’t know much about the Sooners Travis Jackson but by the end of this one I knew he was a playmaker. Jackson had 2 fumble recoveries and an interception in the win against the Cornhuskers. Nebraska shot out to an early 17-0 lead off the strength of its power run game. Roy Helu Jr. won a footrace and bolted for a 66-yard run up the gut and the Cornhuskers tacked on a field goal. Nebraska would also pull out a trick play as the former high school QB and now RB Rex Burkhead would find Kyler Reed down the middle for a 5-yard touchdown. Don’t call it a comeback though as the Sooners would strike back with Landry Jones finding an open Kenny Stills down the middle for a 42-yard touchdown. The Boomer Sooners would add their own field goal after Jackson intercepted Taylor Martinez to tie the score at 17-10. Nebraska would have another turnover on their next possession as they fumbled and the Sooners would take advantage as Landry Jones would lead Oklahoma on a short field drive and take it in on a 1-yard touchdown run tying the score at 17 all. Nebraska would get the back with 1:26 and would be able to add on another field goal to make it 20-17 at halftime. The Sooners would be the only team to score from their as they added two more field goals in the second half. Nebraska continued to shoot themselves in the foot as Martinez fumbled on their first possession and again Jackson was spot on for clean up duty. The Cornhuskers would fumble yet again as Rex Burkhead coughed it up and guess who scooped it up? You guessed right with Jackson. Oklahoma would take it down field and kick the go ahead field goal. The Cornhuskers had so many chances to take control of this game but couldn’t hold on to the ball. It’s fitting though as the title stays in the Big 12 with the Cornhuskers going to the Big 10 next year. Oklahoma will now face Uconn in the Fiesta bowl.

ACC Championship: Virginia Tech 44 Florida State 33 – As I stated above, the annual Virginia Tech invitational was held in Charlotte, North Carolina this year instead of Florida and the result was still the same. After starting the season 0-2 as everyone knows, The Hokies ran the table and took home the ACC championship for the third time in four years. This game belonged to Tyrod Taylor. He may not be the second coming of Michael Vick as he was perceived at the beginning of his career at Tech, but the senior exposed the FSU secondary going 18/28 for 263 yards and 3 touchdowns. His top target was Danny Coale and he finished the day with 6 catches for 143 yards and 1 touchdown. If there was an excuse for FSU it was that Senior starting QB Christan Ponder was unable to go after sustaining an injury last week. E.J. Manuel filled in admirably for Ponder and made a few good plays but also some very bad ones including two interceptions, with one being returned for a touchdown. His numbers weren’t that bad as he passed for 288 yards and one touchdown, but this game belonged to the Hokies. The Seminoles had a good first year for new head coach Jimbo Fisher finishing 9-4 and headed to the Chick-Fil-A bowl. The Hokies will be on their way to the Orange to face a tough Stanford team lead by Andrew Luck.



Other notables and news:

Oregon 37 Oregon State 20 – The old civil war lived up to its billing in the first half before the Ducks pulled away in the Second. LaMichael James did what LaMichael James always does rushing for 134 yards on 28 carries. Darron Thomas looked solid going 14/24 for 145 yards and two touchdowns. The win setups the match-up everyone wants to see with Auburn. Oregon State started the year with such high hopes but won’t even be bowling this year. I’ll touch on the Auburn-Oregon game later in this column. Man I loved those Jersey's Oregon had on in this one.

SEC Power – The SEC had a total of 10 schools selected to bowl games this year. That’s remarkable when you consider there are only 12 schools in the league. The match-ups include: Music City Bowl (Tennessee vs. North Carolina), BBVA Compass Bowl (Kentucky vs. Pittsburgh), Outback Bowl (Florida vs. Penn State) Liberty Bowl (Georgia vs. UCF) Chick-fil-A Bowl (Florida State vs. South Carolina) Gator Bowl (Michigan vs. Mississppi State) Capital One Bowl (Alabama vs. Michigan State) Cotton Bowl (LSU vs. Texas A&M) Sugar Bowl (Arkansas vs. Ohio State) and of course BCS Championship Game (Auburn vs. Oregon)



Auburn vs. Oregon – These are two very similar teams from the outside looking in. Both feature a spread option attack that keeps the tempo of the game at a high pace. They both have bend but don’t break defenses. The one thing the separates the two is none other than Cam Newton. I haven’t seen Oregon (Or any team that hasn’t played Auburn for that matter) face someone with the talents of the Auburn phenom. He will present a different set of challenges for the defensively stout Ducks. He has proven that he can beat you with arm as well as feet now as well. I’m interested in the scheme Oregon DC Nick Allotti comes up with. Luckily he will until Jan 10 to figure that part out. Auburn will have a tough time containing James but they have seen similar backs in the SEC after facing the likes of Marcus Lattimore, Mark Ingram, and Trent Richardson so I think they will be able to deal with him. The game will come down to Newton in the end and I believe he will be up to the challenge.



Next week I will be predicting each bowl game on a week to week basis and that should be fun. The college football regular season has ended and it’s a bittersweet moment for me. This has been a wild and unpredictable year to say the least. From the Cam Newton Bombshell to Joe Pa winning his 400th game we saw it all. The game brings out the best and worst in people but most of the time good over runs the bad. Here is to another fine college football season, now let the bowling bonanza begin.

Cam Newton ruled eligible

The collective sigh of relief you just heard came from Auburn fans. Cam Newton has been cleared by the NCAA following their investigation. However, Cecil Newton his father was found in violation for making a money pitch for his son. This means that Cam can go ahead and get ready for his close up for the Heisman and continue to lead the Tigers to the national championship. The NCAA stated that the Elder Newton did this on his own behalf and the younger Newton did not know of the scheme. The NCAA finally got one right on this one. Cecil Newton tried to pimp his son to the highest bidder and that’s just wrong, especially for a so called man of the lord and Reverend of a church. Now I’m not out to judge the man, but some things are just inescapeable truths. We know the kid had to have known some of the things his father was doing, but at his age how could he defy his father? My dad is 60 years old and I’m still scared of him (Ok maybe not scared but I respect him to the utmost) so it had to be hard to stand up to him. Auburn was also cleared in any wrongdoing as well after the investigation. Auburn will limit Cecil Newton’s from the athletic program and Kenny Rogers, the reported agent involved, was disassociated from his alma mater Mississippi State.




The question now is where does the NCAA go from here? They stated that this is still an ongoing investigation but he is still eligible at this point. What about the escape clause they just created by letting Newton continue to play? I firmly believe that the NCAA probably knew the stakes were too high to sit the electrifying and Heisman front-runner Newton. Auburn has a history of being jobbed the NCAA so they couldn’t do it this time. But when I go back and think about the likes of A.J Green, Marcel Dareus, and Dwight Dasher, all who were suspended at the beginning of the season for way less serious infractions, I see a problem. All of these players were forced to sit out at least four games and the money they received was nothing compared to what Rev. Newton had in mine. As for Cam, he can now relax and sit back and enjoy football again. Maybe we can even get a comment out of him now after the game and not an offensive lineman. So in the short term all is well with this decision, but in the long run you can bet your bottom dollar it will have a huge effect on future rulings handed down.



Cam Newton has now effectively changed the NCAA forever. Now every time a player is involved in this type of situation he can just follow Newton’s lead on this one. I bet you if Reggie Bush knew it was that easy, he would have said the same thing. Just wait until the next time a star recruit has some type infraction. What do you suppose they will do? Just blame who ever is closest but not themselves and that should be forever known now the Cam Newton effect. Good luck trying to sort the rest of this mess out NCAA.

College Football Weekend Finale Spectacular

The Thanksgiving weekend is always one of the best gauntlets of games of the entire year. It features some of the best rivalries the sport has to offer. No matter what part of the country you’re in, there is a guaranteed match-up that will draw your attention. It could be the classics such as Michigan vs. Ohio State, Texas vs. Texas A&M. Florida vs. Florida State. USC vs. Notre Dame, Mississippi vs. Mississippi State in the Egg bowl just to name a few or named games like the backyard brawl between West Virginia and Pittsburgh, The Bedlam Battle between Oklahoma State and Oklahoma and the battle for the Palmetto state featuring South Carolina and Clemson.




As you can see, this was a mega weekend in college football. You had your upset as Nevada took down Boise State, your classic Iron Bowl as Bama let an golden opportunity slip away to ruin their arch rivals dream season, and Notre Dame finally toppled USC and gave Brian Kelly his signature win of the season.



Now lets breakdown the best games of the weekend:



Auburn 28 vs. Alabama 27– This was just an epic game. Bama really jumped out on the Tigers and could have put this one away early, if it wasn’t for some missed opportunities in the red-zone. The Crimson Tide dominated the first two quarters. They led 21-0 before Auburn had even recorded a first down. Alabama QB Greg McElroy started hot by hitting his first 12 passes including a 68-yard touchdown to Julio Jones and a 12-yard touchdown strike to Darius Hanks. Alabama had all the momentum and it looked as if they would go up 28-0 as defending Heisman winner Mark Ingram rumbled towards the end-zone after catching a short pass from McElroy. Ingram however would stumble and the hustling Antoine Carter came in from behind and stripped Ingram at the 19 yard line. The ball would roll all the way into Auburn’s end-zone and would be recovered by Demond Washington of the Tigers. Auburn would stall again on offense and Bama marched right down the field to the Tigers 4-yard line only to manage a field goal, after Trent Richardson dropped a sure handed TD pass from McElroy. Alabama would have yet another chance in the red-zone but would fumble again as Greg McElroy this time coughed up the ball after being hit by Nick Fairley, who would also recover the ball as well. The score could have been 42-0 at this point but with the miscues from the Tide it remained 24-7 going into halftime. What ever Auburn coach told his players at the half should be put on paper and framed in the halls of Auburn lore. The Tigers would storm back as Cam Newton got hot. He found an open Terrell Zachery for a 70-yard bomb touchdown pass to make it 24-14. On the Tigers third drive after halftime, Newton would lead the Tigers from their own 25 yard line to another TD as he found the end-zone on a one-yard run making it 24-21 Alabama. Bama would be forced to punt on their next possession but would get a present from Auburn as the punt was fumbled and recovered by the Crimson Tide. The turnover would lead to another field goal by the tide and made it 27-21 in favor of Alabama. Cam Newton would not let his team lose though as they got the ball at the end of the 3rd quarter and drove it down field. Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn drew up a beautiful play as he designed a tight end throwback and Phillip Lutezenkirchen delayed his route and eventually escaped out and was wide open for the go ahead score. From there Bama would challenge but never score again. The Tigers much maligned defense held serve and now with a win over South Carolina in the SEC championship game, Auburn should be playing for the national championship. This one will go down as one of the all-time classics in Iron Bowl history. Say what you want about controversial Newton, but I bet you wish he was on your team.



Nevada 34 Boise State 31 – It all came crashing down for the blue field Cinderella’s from Idaho. The Broncos were well in control of this game as they were handing it to the Wolfpack 24-7. That was until the 3rd quarter when Colin Kaepernick and the pistol offense started rolling. Nevada would go on to out rush the Broncos 238-9 in the second half, against the No.1 statically ranked run defense in the nation. The Wolfpack came back and tied the game twice, before the Broncos hit a long pass with 2 seconds left that appeared to set up the game-winning FG. But senior kicker Kyle Brotzman, who missed only three attempts all year, yanked it wide right sending it into overtime. Brotzman even got another chance to attain for the miss but pulled another try left on the first possession of overtime for the Broncos. Nevada got their chance and put it through the uprights as a local product, Anthony Martinez spoiled Boise’s perfect season. The win validated a Wolfpack squad that didn’t get much respect, even though they have been ranked much of the season. The loss for Boise now takes them out of the national title picture and relegates them to the Kraft Fight Hunger bowl. That just isn’t right. The Broncos deserve a BCS bid way more than the eventual Big East champs who will have at least four losses, but that is just how it goes for the have-nots in college football.



Notre Dame 20 USC 16 – The 8-game losing streak had to end one day didn’t it? The Irish snapped the skid to the Trojans with a stunning victory as the football gods finally shined on the Golden Domers once again. Freshmen Tommy Rees accounted for 4 turnovers but was able to lead the Irish on game-winning 77 yard drive. Former Arkansas QB Mitch Mustain got the start for the injured Matt Barkley and had a decent game, going 20/37 for 177 yards and 1 INT. The game-changing play or should we say non-play came when the usually sure-handed WR Ronald Johnson dropped a for sure TD pass for the Trojans. Even with the drop Mustain was able to convert on 4th down and get the Trojans in position to retake the lead; however he would be intercepted as he made a bad decision and Harrison Smith of the Irish clinched the game with the pick with just 36 seconds remaining. It was truly a great victory for the Irish as they season has been filled with tragedy with the death of a student videographer during a windy practice last month. The Irish finish the regular season at 7-5 and it doesn’t get much better than beating their arch rival in the Coliseum.



Other notables and notes:



Bedlam in Stillwater: Oklahoma and Oklahoma State staged a scoring spree that would drive a defensive coordinator crazy. The Sooners looked to be in control but a furious come back by the injured Justin Blackmon and Cowboys got turned this one into a barn burner. The two teams traded blows for the entire second half but it would turn out to be a Sooners victory as the Cowboys defense let the team down again and again. In one stirring sequence in the fourth quarter Oklahoma QB Landry Jones found Cameron Kinney for an 86-yard touchdown pass. Oklahoma State responded on the kick-off with Justin Gilbert taking it to the house. Jones would come right back to find James Hanna for a 76-yard bomb to make it 47-38. The Cowboys would tack on a field goal to make it 47-41 but that would be as close as they would get. The Sooners, based on BCS rankings should now take over the Big 12 south and face Nebraska in the championship game. So close but no cigar once again for Oklahoma State



Coaches Canned: Miami’s Randy Shannon was shown the door after his team limped to the finish line with a 7-5 record after expecting to compete for the ACC title. Shannon was able to recruit well and land some of the best classes the Hurricanes had seen in years but in the end it wasn’t enough to keep his job. Early rumors have Jon Gruden as the leading candidate for the job but isn’t he always the leading choice when a job opens up.



Robbie Caldwell steps down at Vandy – This one was coming a long time ago. After taking over as the season began, when long time coach Bobby Johnson stepped down, Caldwell already was in a bad position. To make things worse his team finished 2-10 and the rumors were already swirling about his job security. Caldwell did the smart thing by announcing before the Commodores last game against Wake Forest that he would resign effective immediately after the game. I haven’t heard of any early favs to land the job and it usually hard to find a good candidate to take over an academic school smack in the middle of SEC country. Only time will tell who will take over for the struggling Commodores.



TCU going to the Big East: According to sources, TCU will be headed to play with the Big East beginning after the 2011-2012 year. Yahoo sports reports that a Monday afternoon news conference will announce the decision to move to the BCS conference. This will make the Horned Frogs insiders instead of outsiders, as the Big East receives one of the six automatic bids for a BCS bowl. Good move for the Horned Frogs. Doesn’t it seem they are always one step ahead of Boise State?



Arkansas gets the best of the Mad Hatter: The pivotal play in the Arkansas vs. LSU game came when the Razorbacks appeared to be prepared to take a knee and go into halftime tied at 14-14. However with three seconds left in the half, the Razorbacks pulled off some mad hatter magic of their own as Ryan Mallett hit Cobi Hamilton over the middle, and two LSU players ran into one another and next thing you know, Hamilton is racing for an 80-yard touchdown pass and Arkansas takes a 21-14 lead going into halftime. That play would end-up shifting momentum to the Razorbacks side and they would go on to win 31-23. The win sets them up for a possible Sugar bowl appearance.