He just wants you to know he’s still got it. He wants to prove to you that he can still make an impact on a NFL team. As it stands, nobody’s buying anything that Terrell Owens is selling. Halfway into the season, he held a workout in Calabasas, CA to prove that his most recent knee surgery was not career-ending. Read the rest of this entry »
There’s nothing better than the start of a new NFL season. Everyone’s in first place, hope springs eternal for fans the world over & it just brings a certain electricity to the air. Combined with college football, the weekends now have purpose and don’t require much planning on the entertainment front. While waiting for things to officially kick off, the Crew got together and brainstormed a few things that we thought warranted a closer look throughout the season. It’s definitely not an be-all, end-all list, but we definitely feel like they could have some impact on the league this year.
1. The Albert Haynesworth/Mike Shanahan Dynamic
We’re not Redskins fans. Yet and still, we feel somewhat sorry for their fans because this Haynesworth fellow pulled the football version of the Louisiana Purchase when he took $100M in 2009. In return, he’s given them essentially nothing except for more failed conditioning tests than sacks. He’s been everything but innocent this entire summer and, the way things are sounding, they’re going to get a lot worse before better.
2. “QB Or Not QB: That Is The Question”
So which rookie quarterback is going to be the next Peyton Manning? Or maybe the next Leinhart? With many college superstars entering the league this year, it looks like most of them will be riding the pine. This year’s class includes names like Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Jimmy Claussen, but number one draft pick Sam Braford seems to be the only one getting significant playing time under center. Unfortunately, most of that time he’ll be getting to know the league’s top tier defensive ends – on his back. While the other rooks wait to get promoted, we”ll be figuring out all the names of the new NCAA quarterbacks.
3. How Many QB’s Ndamukong Suh Will Decapitate By Season’s End
Can anyone remember the last time a defensive lineman had people this excited to watch football, let alone the Lions. Detroit likely won’t contend for the NFC Championship this season, but Ndamukong Suh will definitely be worth the price of admission. After seeing him tear Jake Delhomme’s head clean off his shoulders, best believe Jay Cutler, Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre are praying their offensive lines remain healthy. The over/under for Suh? Six. He’s definitely going to get Cutler though.
4. The Batman & Robin Show aka T.O. Joins The Cincinnati Bengals
Over the past five years, the Bengals have clawed their way from the depths of the leagues bottom feeders into a respectable franchise. Their success is due in large part to a couple of draft picks actually panning out and becoming the Midwest equivalent of the Oakland Raiders, rolling the dice and becoming a safe haven for talented, but troubled cast-offs. After Antonio Bryant didn’t work out, they decided to bring Terrell Owens on board with the blessing of both Chad Ochocinco & Carson Palmer. Now fighting for both ratings and catches, it’ll be interesting how friendly the dynamic duo will still be by season’s end, especially with Owens on field production directly affecting his bank account.
Dwight Howard‘s baby mother, Royce Reed, must really be having it tough since Dwight laid down the law last year. Because the former Magics dancer (Orlando that is lol) was caught p*ssy poppin at a pool party dance contest held by T.O. and Luda yesterday. The prize? NBA tickets. Yeah, you’d think being an NBA star’s BM would guarantee some free tickets but I guess not. Nevertheless, what’s soon to be little Braylon’s shame is our great viewing pleasure.
As an armchair judge who watched in lovely 720p HD, I’d say Royce won even though the other chick had the cheek game on smash. The popping was just far more superb. You could tell heart & soul went into each pop and the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. Heart.
The league’s perennials losers — The Lions, Raiders & Chiefs — all pulled out W’s yesterday. Everyone in Hades is today wearing snorkels and parkas.
Of the three games, the Lions may have been the most “remarkable” (used as loosely as possible). Before the first quarter was over, Detroit was down 24-3 to the Browns. The Browns. Yet, the home squad didn’t give up, battled back to take a momentary 31-27 lead in the third before falling behind 37-31. Fighting until the end, Dilla & Proof must have called in a favor because on the last drive of the game, the Lions were the beneficiaries of a rarely seen pass interference call on a Hail Mary giving them an untimed down. Matthew Stafford channeled the comeback spirit of John Elway and we now have the 2-8 Lions, two games more than they won last year.
Indianapolis remained undefeated, squeaking past the Ravens. Peyton Manning proved that it doesn’t matter what player’s plugged in at receiver, that play will become a household name the end of game. Insert tight end Tom Santi, who went from no-name to 80 yards receiving. The Ravens D gave the Colts the business the whole game, and Indy had three crucial turnovers – including two interceptions by Manning and a fumble by Santi after he suffered a shattering hit by Ray Lewis (definitely not what Santi had in mind for a birthday gift). No disrespect to the current players on the Steelers roster or the legacy of the franchise, but Ray Lewis is the walking embodiment of smash mouth football.
Other News and Notes
– There was a T.O. sighting in Jacksonville as Terrell Owens had 197 yards and a touchdown, but David Garrard & Maurice Jones-Drew kept the Bills out of the win column with a 18-15 win.
– Brett Favre had more TDs than incompletions. Think about that. Four TDs. 22 of 25 passing for a completion percentage of 88.0.
– The entire AFC North lost. All four games went down to the wire and all four teams could have stayed home, forfeited their games and everyone would’ve been none the wiser.
– The Giants got back to their winning ways over a Michael Turner-less Atlanta Falcons. In turn, they kept their playoff hopes alive. The Broncos effectively gave the division to the Chargers with their fourth straight loss.
– Next week the Pats & Saints will face off in a game with major playoff implications. On Sunday, the Saint’s had an easy time staying undefeated, going up against the Bucs and winning 38-7. Drew Brees threw for another three touchdowns and the team was 5 for 5 in the red zone. For a quick second, it seemed like the the only thing that could stop the Patriots from scoring was the time clock against the Jets. They slowed down and Mark Sanchez kept turning the ball over like it was a golden ticket with 5 (4 INTs & 1 fumble).
– The NFL has a sense of humor. How else could you explain a Detroit Lions & Oakland Raiders Thanksgiving Day game? Millions of women across the country will be dumbfounded when their husbands volunteer to help in the kitchen or make last minute store runs. EDIT: The Lions play the Packers, but it’s still the Lions.
– Since there were no standout clips available, we resort to inserting a clip of Kobe’s Horse shot against OKC.