30 Dec 10 Game 76: Portland Trail Blazers 92, Denver Nuggets 109

Doug Pensinger/Getty ImagesThe playoffs are right around the corner and one possible match-up was on display Thursday night in the Mile High City, as the Portland Trail Blazers took on the Denver Nuggets. Although the Blazers gave much lip service to taking this game seriously, they played off tonight, matching the eerily low energy from the crowd and perhaps allowing the low intensity atmosphere to sap any motivation they may have had.The Denver Nuggets have the third best home record in the NBA, yet their home crowd is unnaturally subdued and was rarely louder than the PA system. Regardless of the Nuggets' home record and subdued fans, the Blazers needed to show they can compete with the best in the West. Tonight they did not do that.The final score was 109 to 92 in favor of the Nuggets, and the game was never really close. The Blazers gained a lead a handful of times early in the first half but were unable to sustain sufficient momentum in the third quarter and eventually lost any chance of Miami Dolphins jersey
winning by the start of the fourth. The Blazers played sloppy with 11 turnovers and the Nuggets capitalized, scoring 18 fast break points.As the Blazers have finally solidified a spot in the playoffs, many fans (including myself) consider the rest of the season as a sort of "practice run" for the post season. Games such as tonight's are not, in my eyes, so important to actually win, rather they are a good indicator of how well (or not-so-well) certain players perform and how well the team executes on offense and defense.For example, tonight Brandon Roy, who has struggled against the Nuggets in previous games, needed to show that his bad shooting in the two team's last meeting was a fluke. He did not do that. In fact, he was completely shut down again, going 3 for 13 from the field and finishing with just 14 points.Indeed, Roy was literally a non threat, as from the outset of the game he was immediately double teamed. He struggled to find his shot early (0-6 to start the game) and by the time he developed some rhythm, it was far too late to make a difference. What is more, Roy had an uncharacteristic two turnovers, which were the result of a careless mistake and the other, a mental lapse.Another non threat for the Blazers tonight was LaMarcus Aldridge, who despite great play of late, struggled to hit in the first quarter and then kept right on script the rest of the game. Aldridge played solid defense overall (per usual), yet was ineffective in help defense on Nene and very mediocre on the boards. Aldridge finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover and 4(!) blocked shots.All was not bad in this game for the Blazers however, as it is now apparent that the one player who will excel in a playoff match-up against Denver (or anyone for that matter) is Andre Miller. He finished with 24 points and one assist, often times leading the offense and single handedly keeping the Blazers within striking distance.It is clear that his extensive experience will be an absolute benefit for the Blazers this post-season. All of the "Blake v. Miller" arguments were for naught as Blake was eventually traded, but ask yourself this, was Blake (then our "Veteran point guard") ever able to do what Andre did tonight? Could he drive and get to the basket at will? Was he able to run out and lead the fast break for an easy two? No, No and No.Andre Miller's worth to this basketball team cannot any longer be disputed and I hope all Blakey lovers have finally mopped up their tears . Recognize, Miller's specific skill set that was displayed so perfectly tonight, will do the Blazers very well in the play offs and I cannot wait to watch.One catch with Andre Miller however was his low assist number. As the offense was stagnant and Brandon Roy, among others, couldn't hit a shot, it was clear Miller's ability to score was a bright spot. But at what point does Miller need to create more offense and help facilitate others to score? I think Roy's off shooting and the team's general issues Minnesota Vikings
tonight with scoring aren't Millers' fault, but in general our point guard should have more assists. Just a thought.Other notables for the Blazers include the bench. There, I said it. After throwing up 478 attempts, the bench got 24 points, with 17 (!) coming from Martel Webster alone. Congratulations. Oh yeah, J.R. Smith did go off tonight, but hey, the Blazers' bench is now actually scoring. Baby steps.As I noted above, the Denver Nuggets "home court advantage" most certainly has much more to do with the high altitude than the hostile atmosphere present at almost every other Western Conference, playoff team arena. It is bizarre how quiet their crowd is.Oh well, the Nuggets looked sluggish themselves and Carmelo Anthony had an uncharacteristically off night (way to capitalize Blazers), yet they pulled through and got the win, one they much needed.Just a couple weeks ago, the Nuggets sat at No. 2 in the West, yet a recent rough patch has left them at 5th place coming into tonight's game. They have struggled of late because they miss two important people: their coach, George Karl, and Kenyon Martin, who has been out with a left knee injury. Indeed, the Nuggets have been thrown some serious obstacles (Blazer fans know this adversity very well) and are coping fairly reasonably in many respects, despite their less than stellar record of late.Tonight, the Nuggets' top scorer was Carmelo Anthony (despite early foul trouble), who had 25 points off 10 for 21 shooting. As a team, the Nuggets outscored the Blazers in the paint 52 to 36 (Yikes Blazers) and shot 49.4 percent.Nene had 22 points and grabbed 5 rebounds while flipping 5 assists. He played perhaps his best game of the season in that he ran and moved well and he played solid interior defense all night long, making life difficult for Aldridge and to some extent, Marcus Camby. Of all players tonight, Nene impressed me the most, particularly on the offensive end.Other notable players for the Nuggets included Chauncy Billups, who had 21 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. He only shot 2 for 8 from the three point line, however he caught fire in the third quarter and led the Nuggets into the fourth quarter where they were finally able to pull away for the victory.J.R. Smith, the Nuggets' dynamic sixth man, was semi on fire tonight, going just 2 for 10 from the three point line (who does that remind you of?? I'll give you a hint, it starts with the letter "M"), but finishing with a respectable and important 15 points. New England Patriots jersey
Tonight's game revealed that neither the Nuggets nor the Blazers are 100% and neither team seems poised to make a serious run in the Playoffs right now. Year long adversity (the Blazers) and recent struggles (the Nuggets) have done much to degrade the efficacy of each team, yet the beauty is that the playoffs aren't a sum of the whole season.Once you're in, the regular season records and individual player accomplishments are out the window. As one of those guys said on the TNT half time show, the playoffs are all about match-ups and if Brandon Roy could figure out how to deal with the pressure on defense, I think the Nuggets pose a favorable match-up for the Blazers.Next up, the Blazers take on the Sacramento Kings at Arco Arena. Without offending any King fans, this should be an easy and solid win for the Blazers.

29 Dec 10 LeBron's Goals Are Bigger Than Just The Regular Season

Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesCleveland Cavalier's coach Mike Brown watched Antawn Jamison's left elbow collide directly with Chris Bosh's face April 6, and his subsequent decision to avoid a similar catastrophe has created a firestorm of controversy.LeBron James has sat the 3 games his Reebok Chicago Bears #54 Brian Urlacher Realtree camo Jersey
Cavaliers have played since the gruesome Bosh injury. Fans who have attended these games sans the King feel ripped off and misled, many analysts have been very critical of LeBron sitting, including one specifically who has ordered LeBron to refund fans and has claimed he will no longer vote for LeBron as league MVP.To me, this is no different than the Indianapolis Colts resting Peyton Manning at the conclusion of his regular season. Perhaps more than any other NBA franchise, the Cleveland Cavaliers' success in the postseason is paramount. Their entire future hinges on these playoffs. Whether or not LeBron James remains a Cavalier, whether or not Shaquille O'Neal will return, whether or not Mike Brown will retain his post as Cavalier's head coach. The Cavalier's title hopes rest squarely on the 25 year old's shoulders, and everyone knows it. With just one inadvertent elbow, or a simple tweak of the knee or ankle and championship aspirations leave as quick as a LeBron coast to coast dunk.The city of Cleveland's Reebok Chicago Bears #6 Jay Cutler Realtree camo Jersey
sports heartache's have been well documented. Potentially joining "The Drive", and "The Fumble", would have been "The Sprain" or something of the sort. Brandon Roy can attest to sustaining a serious injury in the last game or two of the regular season. Fans can complain that they didn't get an adequate return on the games LeBron missed, but it'll be water under the bridge if he can deliver a title to championship starved Cleveland.

28 Dec 10 Pat Riley Upstages NBA Playoffs: Say Bye Spoelstra, Hello Dynasty

Eliot J. Schechter/Getty ImagesThe Free Agent Bonanza of 2010 hasn even begun but it the biggest news there is right now.The Boston Celtics are currently playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Two of their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals matchup, and the Phoenix Suns will be taking on the San Antonio Spurs in Game One of their Western Conference Semi-Finals matchup. Both series look to be incredible, knock-down, drag-out affairs that could go seven games.Yet, both have been upstaged tonight by a story coming out of Miami.Apparently Reebok Denver Broncos #15 Tim Tebow Realtree camo Jersey
Pat Riley, yes the Pat Riley, the President of the Miami Heat, has re-upped his contract. What more important than that (for that alone would be nothing but a minor blip on the radar), is the fact Riley won rule out coaching the Heat next season.Now, before anyone gets the wrong idea, Riles did couch the amazing news in the form of the following statement, Ill do whatever is in the best interest of building the team here. Period. Whatever it takes, OK? Ill let you fill in the blanks. If some free agent were to say I will come here but you must do this, well, hell, if that happens that day, then I might have to give it some thought.Some thought?You can bet that thought process would take less time than a little. Riley would be telling that potential free agent (you can pencil in LeBron James or Chris Bosh name here), that hell be the one taking the reins and coaching the team as soon as they asked.In fact, you can bet your bottom dollar Riley isn even planning on waiting for a free agent to ask. He gonna be using that as a selling point in trying to entice LeBron or Bosh right from the start.Coach Spo, you might as well start packing your bags and brushing up that resume, buddy.We all know all too well what happened the last time Riley built a championship team. He first elevated his former assistant, Stan Van Gundy, to be the Head Coach, then quietly booted him out the door (read Van Gundy resigned for family reasonslol) as soon as he felt the team was ready to really make a title run in 2006.So, with Spo he obviously not gonna wait a full year after he built the team. For unlike the 2005 team he built with Shaq and Wade, I think Riley pretty confident the team he gonna build over the summer is gonna contend for a title this coming year.In fact, I have a feeling he already got LeBron signed on, and knows for a fact there not a team in the NBA that will challenge a squad hell build with James and Wade on the team.So, again, coach Spoelstra, you best get ready to find new employment, because Riley is takin over, rover.Spoelstra is quoted as saying Riley talk of building a dynasty, I think that why we all love working for Pat. He thinks big, he really does. You have to embrace that when you work for him. I think it an exciting mentality. Reebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
Everything he does, he thinking about how to direct this team to a championship and that really galvanizes everybody here that working in this building.I couldn agree with you more, Eric. Only thing is, I don think youll be working in that building much longer. Unless, of course, you can handle being demoted so Riley can feed his ego.Ill be the first to admit Ive never thought Riley was a great in-game coach. In fact, Ive written numerous times about just that. However, Eric Spoelstra is his protg, and is in the exact same basic mold. I was actually contemplating doing an article on that, saying that I felt Spoelstra wasn the one to lead the Heat to a title.Well, apparently Pat Riley feels the same way, and is laying the foundation to oust his two-year experiment and return to coaching.Will this guarantee us a title? If President Pat Riley is capable of landing LeBron James or Chris Bosh, along with another All-Star to pair with D-Wade, I think it just might, no matter my feelings of Riles ability to coach Xs and Os. He a master motivator, and with that amount of talent, that about all hed need to be.So, get ready for the wild offseason ahead, folks. These playoffs are only the preliminaries to the real championship run. The run that will determine who will be hoisting the championship trophy for Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
the next five to seven years.My money on Riley and the Heat enticing LeBron James to join D-Wade in South Beach to build a dynasty for the ages (you can read what moves I believe Riley should make to build that dynasty here), and now we know who will be coaching those great teams, Pat Riley himself.Game On!Quotes taken from Yahoo! Sports article "Riley Gets Extension from Heat, Eyes Future" by Tim Reynolds

27 Dec 10 Celtics in Good Form Heading Home, Will Seek Sweep Of Magic

Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesDon't make Paul Pierce angry. You won't like him when he's angry.Dwight Howard shouldtake heed of thiswarning entering Game 3 in Boston. Howard made the mistake of committing a flagrant foul and throwing Pierce to the ground with just over four minutes Reebok Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald Realtree camo Jersey
left in the second quarter. Pierce was not happy about the hard foul, and made it known by ringing off seven straight points, giving the Celtics an end-of-the-half boost. He finished with 28 points.Rajon Rondo continued his playoff streak with 25 points and eight assists, and the Celtics once again got solid play on both ends of the court from key bench players Rasheed Wallace, Tony Allen, and Glen Davis. Orlando got 16 points off the bench from JJ Redick, but little help came from their other reserves Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat, and Jason Williams. Reebok Baltimore Ravens #5 Joe Flacco Realtree camo Jersey
Silent again was Rashard Lewis, who finished with just five points on 2 of 6 shooting.Despite a man-child performance from Dwight Howard in the form of 30 points and eight rebounds and crucial late buckets from Vince Carter and Jameer Nelson, the Magic were unable to overcome the small Boston lead and lost Game 1 after Carter missed two free throws with 32 seconds left that would have pulled the Magic to within one.The series now heads back to Boston for Games 3 and 4 and a potential sweep for the 17-time champion Celtics. A feisty TD Garden crowd always gives their team a leg-up at home, and the Celtics will look to capitalize on the good energy and send the Magic home with their season wrapped up.In a post game interview after Game 2, Paul Pierce looked Reebok Baltimore Ravens #27 Ray Rice Realtree camo Jersey
directly into the camera, predicted a series sweep at home, and made every Celtics fan (including myself) giddy with Finals excitement.I don't usually condone brash playoff predictions, but from the mouth of Pierce, I can't help but agree.The Truth will set us free.

26 Dec 10 Game 5: Was It Fixed?

Doug Benc/Getty ImagesFixed. It a word that seldom comes off of my tongue. But after the recent Celtics game and 5 losses my tongue has become loose. At the start of the game, Howard drove to the basket for a dunk as Pierce stepped in front to take the charge and he did - except there was no call. The San Diego Chargers jersey
whistles seemed to never blow, never blowunless a player in Green was nearby. A whopping 7 technicals were handed out over the course of one game with a majority of them being handed to the C. Perkins was thrown out of the game last night for a cheap foul. Now, I don know what he was saying, or even if he said anything but that T did not need to be thrown. Now Perk is a talker, everyone knows that. But youre going to throw him out of the game for walking away? This makes no sense at any angle you look at it. It reminds me of the ejection Artest got after getting in Kobe face in last seasons playoffs. No, Im not saying Perkins was going to fight but the ref threw him out and called the foul because of his history. You can always escape it, even in the NBA. How a situation is handled the first time is how similar situations are handled throughout the player whole career. They are labeled. It not right but it happens. Had that been Ray Allen arguing a call then walking away we probably wouldn have seen this. Especially if it was a star player like a Dwight Howard who argues calls just as much as Perkins. This is just horrible. I know this is quite a throwback but it sort of reminds me of the Lakers Kings Series. Something about this game just doesn feel right. It feels... well, fixed.Now in no way I am I saying that the whole game wasn the Celtic fault, you have to put points on the board, play defense and play smart. But this T changed the whole game and maybe the series. The Celtic weren allowed to play a physical game, but the Magic sure were. On Howard first attempt Pierce planted his feet and drew a charge. But it wasn called. I sat up and looked for the foul butnothing was called. Then Glenn Davis receives an elbow to his face courtesy of Dwight Howard that gave him a concussion, nearly knocking him out. Now, yes it was an accident, but so is Nelson supposedly tripping on a pick and roll. If youre going to call one call, call them all. Did they do this?No.This game smells fishy to anybody who watched it or heard about it. Ive never seen such bad officiating in my entire short 17 year old life. I would almost like to play that game over, but we all know that is impossible. So now they have to move on, potentially down two big men. And to think that it all started with one ejection from the game. This brings that us against the world attitude back into Glenn Rivers hands. So now we need to see the grit that this team possesses and they will have to San Francisco 49ers jersey
grind one out. If not, I believe they lose the series. The one sided play in Orlando was horrendous and may happen again if there is a return for game 7 so why chance it? I don want to step on anybody toes about these issues but it is how I feel. In a world now where basketball is based more around money and profit it not too hard to believe. Im mean, 3 series sweeps in one of the more competitive rounds can be too great financially. And then your money train that is LeBron James is thrown out by a group of men thought to be too old. Let face it, the Celtics were the spoilers this year and after one a deciding game now, they maybe foiled. So the refs made sure it wasn close at all. They put players into foul trouble and therefore stopping aggression against defense and offence, so now there is and will be another game played. This makes the NBA look horrible and greedy. The 22 no shooting fouls on only key players does look strange. The only thing I wonder is who is behind this operation if there is one? Stern? The refs? Ive talked to fans from other teams and even people who just watch these playoff games for sport. No one understands what happened in that game. I have yet to talk to a Magic fan yet but Im sure some will disclose what happened. It sucks for them because their team actually played a pretty good game. The Magic shot their threes for the most part and played pretty good defense. Some shots were opened, though, by the calls. But either way it will be overshadowed by this because it did aid them even if they didn want it. What I say when I talk with my friends is bunch of ifs. My dad had a poem called If he was taught to recite in college (any member of the Omega Phi Psi fraternity should know what Im talking about). The poem basically explains that ifs get you nowhere; you have to do. So now it is time for the Boston Celtics to ante up. The Celtics have to move on and use this experience as the flame to light their match so that they can start playing with the pride Seattle Seahawks jersey
and skill we all know they have. To any one in the organization who reads this, know Im behind my team 100% for better or worse. Im also sure Im not the only fan that feels that way. So when the lights come down at the end of the series, Celtics know that we have your backs even if others don.

25 Dec 10 Phoenix Suns: Why Steve Nash Is the Game's Most Underrated Player

Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesSteve Nash of the Phoenix Suns seldom gets the credit and recognition that he deserves. The Canadian star doesn't want it either, though. He's really taken off during his time with the Suns and now is looking for the ultimate elusive achievement: an NBA championship. Detroit Lions
Nash has evolved into one of the best in the game since coming to Phoenix. Now in his seventh year in Phoenix, Nash still has "it." That "it" is the thing that not all NBA stars possess nowadays. "It" being the selflessness of Nash. Nash has averaged a double-double in each of his seasons except one while in Phoenix, all of which were by way of points and assists.The Suns have counted on Nash to lead them and now look to win an NBA championship with him as their leader. They've supplied him with role players and scorers to help his cause, but Phoenix can't seem to escape the West.Despite some "dogfights" with the Los Angeles Lakers in recent years, they just can't win out and represent the West. With Nash as their leader, anything is possible, even an NBA championship.Steve Nash isGreen Bay Packers jersey
the best player in the NBA year-in and year-out as far as I'm concerned. He does nothing but make all others around him better and is the ultimate team leader. In his back-to-back MVP years, he really delivered for the Suns and changed the model of the NBA star. Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesNash became a star in his own way in those seasons and helped transition the league in terms of their star players. Today, the NBA and its fans still wish to see the high-flying show-boaters, we all do. But their appreciation for selfless players like Nash is coming to light now.It's no secret that Nash could win MVP every year. If the MVP voters took the acronym literally, he would. Which player is most valuable in the league? That would be Nash just about every single NBA season. He really is one-of-a-kind in this Houston Texans jersey
era and has transformed into a wizard on the court. That being said, Nash is clearly the game's most underrated player. His ability to make all of his teammates better is remarkable. Even without stars like Amar'e Stoudemire, Nash still finds ways to get it done for the Suns.

24 Dec 10 2010-11 NBA Predictions: Who Should The Sacramento Kings Start at Small Forward?

Donte Greene, Sacramento Kings ForwardJed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesPaul Westphal has been the recipient of a substantial amount of criticism for his musical chairs starting lineups. A year ago, players and fans alike grew very irritated at the constantly fluctuating starting unit. But in defense of Miami Dolphins jersey
Westphal, his lineups were as inconsistent as the players featured in them. In 2009-10, no position saw more instability than small forward.Desmond Mason, Andres Nocioni, Francisco Garcia, Dominic McGuire each held the distinction at different times, but the brunt of the starts went to either Omri Casspi or Donte Greene. The roster for 2010-11 has been pared considerably. Gone are Mason, Nocioni and McGuire. Garcia remains, but most within the organization feel he is more productive at shooting guard. Leaving the battle in familiar hands, Casspi and Greene. The coaching staff's conundrum is how remarkably similar the two players are. Both are 22 years old, both have prototypical NBA small forward bodies (Greene 6'11", 226 lbs.; Casspi 6'9", 225 lbs.), both boast very solid three point shooting (Greene .377, Casspi .369), neither are strong free throw shooters (Greene .643, Casspi .672) and both compete hard on the defensive end. The situation the Kings find themselves in is an unusual one. Typically the competition for a starting spot is between an incumbent seasoned veteran and the young, up and coming stud. With these two, this is a couple of youngsters who see the prize and their only competition is each other. And it's going to be this way as long as these two don the purple. There are 14 teams in the Western Conference jockeying to dethrone the LA Lakers from their perch of dominance. Nobody in the league has more size to alter shots and snag rebounds than the Lakers, Minnesota Vikings
but Sacramento did a lot this off-season to address those shortcomings. The point is this: Paul Westphal wants a giant starting five as well, in order to adequately compete with the Lakers, Celtics, and the Magic in the front court. Therefore, I believe the attribute that will earn Donte Greene the job is his 6'11" frame. When Samuel Dalembert returns from his strained groin in four to six weeks, the Kings will have the 6'11" Dalembert, 6'11" DeMarcus Cousins, 6'11" Jason Thompson, 6'11" Donte Greene, 7' Hassan Whiteside and the 6'9" Carl Landry. Compare that size and length to last year, where our last line of defense was provided by Spencer Hawes. Yikes. The prudent move here for the Kings is to name Donte Greene the starting small forward, do so quickly, and keep it that way. His confidence, consistency, and chemistry with the guys will grow immensely. With this defined role, Greene will no doubt become a better player on the road as well (a major bug-a-boo for him in his first two years in the league). TheNew England Patriots jersey
sky is the limit for the Baltimore native. Donte improved in almost every category from his rookie to sophomore year, why can't he make a similar jump from year two to three? With his unique combination of size and skills, it's not a stretch to think Donte could become a Tayshaun Prince, Rashard Lewis, or Jeff Green caliber player in this league. As far as Omri, the role of designated sixth man off the bench is nothing to be embarrassed about. If Casspi embraced the opportunity to provide that spark the way many others do in the NBA, it would give some identity to a bench unit that has been among the NBA's most anemic in recent seasons. Both would still get solid minutes, it seems like a win-win proposition. Beno Udrih, Tyreke Evans, Donte Greene, Carl Landry, DeMarcus Cousins. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

23 Dec 10ESPN Analysts Offend With Commentary Over Kobe Bryant Video Game Ad

Kobe Bryant appears for a few seconds in a Call of Duty commercial. Big deal.Skip Baylessand Bomani Jonesare apparently so upset over a video game commercial that they forget to talk about it instead of sports. NBA superstar Kobe Bryant makes a brief cameo in a television commercial for the Reebok Baltimore Ravens #52 Ray Lewis Realtree camo Jersey
current No. 1 video game, Call of Duty: Black Ops. In the commercial, Bryant is seen for a couple of seconds shooting off a rifle. Apparently, that is enough for ESPN analyststo get up in arms. "Well, I'm offended by it and I'm pretty sure a bunch of NBA fans will be offended by it," Skip Bayless ranted on ESPN programming yesterday. I've had one direct encounter with Bayless in my life. As a high school senior in 1994, I attended a journalism workshop where Bayless, then with the Dallas Morning News, was a speaker. I thought I could never hear him say something as nuts as what he said that day, when he told a room full of high school students nearing graduation that if they had learned to throw a ball they could have made far more money in the real world. It took a while, but here it is. Bayless states that Bryant should be punished by the NBA for appearing in this commercial, as we have real soldiers in real wars right now. Skip Bayless failed to research the video game industry before his outspoken opinionsAllen Kee/Getty Images"Does Kobe Bryant really need this money, this badly?” saidBayless. “Doesn’t he have a couple of daughters, last time I checked? He is smiling while wielding an assault rifle in combat, while we have troops overseas at this moment, doing the same thing for real.” Bayless then continues, showing he knows nothing of who is really out there playing and buying this game. "[NBA Commissioner Stern] can’t stop kids from buying video games,” Baylesssaid. “But he can stop his most popular player from participating with an assault rifle.” As a sportswriter that has also been a die-hard video gamer for 29 years, I feel Mr. Bayless needs a Reebok Chicago Bears #54 Brian Urlacher Realtree camo Jersey
little education on this subject. Apparently, Bayless is unaware that this is a Rated M title. It is not made for kids nor do major retailers sell it to kids. Video games are not for kids in this day and age anyway. According to independent organizations that analyze the industry, the average age of a video gamer is 34-35 years of age. Minors and children make up only 24 pdercent of the industry sales, the smallest of the demographics. Even better, 67 percent of US households own video game consoles, which makes it at least as popular as any sport. More people are likely going to play Black Ops today than will watch Bayless on television in a month. Bayless and Jones should speak on Kobe's shooting of a basketball insteadJonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesI would be curious if Bayless did any research on this topic before he began. Would he be as up in arms if Kobe appeared as a soldier in a movie or television show? It's fiction. It's not real. I would also be curious ifJones and Bayless would have taken issue with it if, instead of Kobe Bryant, it was Steve Nash or Dirk Nowitzki shooting off a grenade launcher.Jones compared the appearance to Allen Iverson's rap album, further lending to the idea. As an avid ESPN fan and video gamer I am offended and disappointed Reebok Chicago Bears #6 Jay Cutler Realtree camo Jersey
at this condescending and poorly researched segment. Three major sports are in season right now. Baseball players are in negotiations with teams. Why are Jones and Bayless giving us a preachy and potentially racially profiled commentary about a topic they prove to know nothing about?

Should LeBron Dunk NBA For The Work Force?

Elsa/Getty ImagesSATIRE — LeBron James' upbringing in the impoverishedneighborhoods of Akron, Ohio, is well-documented. And his triumph over adversity is admirable. But has LeBron, 25, ever really worked in his life? Before signing on to become the first billionaire athlete, Reebok New England Patriots #12 Tom Brady Realtree camo Jersey
perhaps King James should take a year sabbatical and get out and experience the jobs the hard-working serfs of his kingdom do everyday. Perhaps LeBron should become… Host of the Tonight Show Stock boy at a paint store Russian Spy Pizza delivery boy Tar ball collector Justin Bieber’s hair stylist Arizona Border Patrol agent NBA referee Tent-pitcher for a party-rental supply company Ohio Congressman Middle school social studies teacher Mall Santa Claus Tiger Woods' black-book editor Mayor of the park Coach of a youth swim Reebok New Orleans Saints #9 Drew Brees Realtree camo Jersey
team Census taker Claims clerk in Delta’s lost baggage office Sandwich artist Columnist for BleacherReport.com Manatee herder Short-order cook at a deli Zamboni driver Lawyer for Takeru Kobayashi Sports editor for a hyper-local daily newspaper Weight room security guard Upright bass player in a jazz band Unemployed just like the rest of us… *Every job I’ve ever had is on this list

Jayson Werth: Philadelphia Phillies Loss Is Washington Nationals Gain

Doug Pensinger/Getty ImagesJayson Werth officially left the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday when he signed a massive seven-year, $126 million contract with the Washington Nationals. Some are questioning whether or not this was “Werth” it for the Nats. Aside from Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth is the best outfielder on the market. More importantly, Werth will help shape the winning culture that Washington Nationals' management is trying to build. The Nationals lost Adam Dunn, as expected, to the Chicago White Sox. This didn’t sit well with the Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
Nationals' players, though. Ryan Zimmerman recently spoke out against letting one of the top free agents walk. Washington needed to fill the big void he left. Werth will be able to do just that. Werth is a very good outfielder, but more importantly, a great hitter. Last season, he hit .296 with 27 HRs, 85 RBIs and 106 runs scored. He also had 46 doubles and 13 stolen bases. Werth will be able to make sure pitchers can’t simply pitch around Ryan Zimmerman, one of the game’s best third basemen. Perhaps the gaudy deal was too much. Really though, this is what the Nationals need to do. Washington has been a laughing stock for years now. They were a "bottom of the barrel" team. Now, their future is as bright as arguably any team in the majors. This team has reinforcements on the way. With Jordan Zimmermann returning late last year from injury, along with Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg on board, the Nationals have one of the best young cores in baseball. Although Stephen Strasburg will miss the entire Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
2011 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, we have seen players come back from the surgery and regain their superstar form. This was a move the Nationals had to make. They could not let themselves stay at the bottom of the MLB forever. The Nationals are positioning themselves for a run at the NL East crown. Jayson Werth is just another important piece to their puzzle.

20 Dec 10 Cam Newton Situation With NCAA Gives Ebay a Great Opportunity

Get the latest news for Cam Newton, Auburn and the SEC Championship Game at SECMatchups.comThe NCAA has given ebay.com a great new opportunity. The NCAA has given permission for parents to auction the services of their elite athletes off to schools as long as the kid does football jersey not know what is happening.Over the last three days there have been only two sports stories making headlines. One involves Auburn QB Cam Newton and the other about some guy returning for a basketball game in Cleveland.Newton is the beyond talented quarterback from Auburn who had his eligibility restored by the NCAA before Minnesota Vikings jersey the headlines declaring he was ineligible could even be printed.Here are the basics of the case. Cecil Newton, Cam’s dad, worked with Kenny Rogers to shop his son’s football services around in exchange for cash. Mississippi State reported the actions by the pair to the SEC according to league rules and Newton later signed with Auburn.Now comes the penalty phase of the case. Auburn will limit the access Cecil Newton has to the athletic program at Auburn and Mississippi State will disassociate Pittsburgh Steelers jersey itself from Rogers. Cam…well, he can get ready to take his game into the Georgia Dome this weekend. Case closed.So that is where ebay.com gets a new business category. If you have a child who is a talented high school athlete it is time to take their talents to the online auction service. There coaches from around the nation can find out what your price is and make arrangements to meet with you in private to iron out the details.There is just one catch. Make sure you don’t tell your kid what your ebay password is. All that matters is that they don’t know what is going on.

19 Dec 10 Atlanta Falcons Will Beat Out the New Orleans Saints to the NFC South Title

Matt Ryan's last second winning TD pass to against the Ravens tells you it's Atlanta's year.Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesThe Atlanta Falcons' come-from-behind victory in the final seconds last Thursday over the Baltimore Ravens told you all you need to know.Lady Luck is smiling on these Dirty Birds in 2010 and they won't lose more than two games the rest of the way. By season's end they will have knocked the New Orleans Saints off their perch in the NFC South.It's Matt Ryan's year.Just like the Gambler, he's made a living out of Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
reading people's faces and knowing what their cards are by the way they hold their eyes.Ryan knows when to hold 'em and knows when to fold 'em. Knows when to walk away and knows when to run.He stared down one of the best defenses in football, led by Ray Lewis, with the slyest poker face in the building.Atlanta has a one-game lead over theSaints with two gamesremaining against the woeful Carolina Panthers.Kind of like "Tiger in his prime" with a two-shot lead in the clubhouse at Augusta National.The Falcons' sternest test besides a December 27th matchup with the Saints is a November 28th game against the Packers. Both contests will be at the Georgia Dome, giving Atlanta a reasonable shot at running the table.Will the Saints win the division or make the playoffs as a wild card?Will the Saints win the division or make the playoffs as a wild card?division winners52.9%wild card37.6%saints don't make playoffs9.5%Total votes: 263The Saints have games remaining at Dallas (no gimme after the Cowboys' Reebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
performance on Sunday), at Baltimoreon December 19th and at Atlanta on December 27th.Atlanta's biggest challenges are all at home. The Saints' toughest foes are all road contests.There is always a chance that the Falcons could turn in some New York Giants-like clunker performances but it's unlikely. Barring the unforeseen, the Falcons will finish 13-3 or 12-4, forcing theSaints to run the table.Atlanta gained the upper hand in September in a 27-24 win and has never looked back.The Falcons outplayed the Saints that day in the Superdome but the Saints could have stolen it had Garrett Hartley made a 29-yard field goal in overtime.Hartley missed and the Saints have been playing catch up ever since.Losing an NFC game to the lowly Arizona Cardinals did nothing to help their cause.Tough OddsSince the wild-card system began in 1970, onlynine wild-card teams have advanced all the way to the Super Bowl. Of those, five won the Super Bowl. Only three of those wild-card teams—the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
Steelers and New York Giants—won three games on the road to make it to the Super Bowl. (Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame)Yeah, the odds are long for a wild-card's determined run-from-behind.But this is New Orleans—home to the International Shrine of St. Jude, the patron Saint of Hopeless Cases, located not far from Marie Laveau's tomb.And you just never know what will happen in a city where the Ghosts race toward the light.

18 Dec 10 NFL Week 10 Report Cards: Pittsburgh Steelers Fall Out of the Elite After Poor Showing

Jared Wickerham/Getty ImagesHow painful was that Sunday night game to watch as a Steeler fan. All the hallmarks of "Steeler Football" were sorely lacking in this one. Unable to establish a consistent running game, our Steeler D lit up for 39 points and unbelievably they didn't give up more.New England had its way with the Steelers. Being such a key prime-time matchup between two AFC heavyweights, the Steelers may have proven tonight they belong back in the middleweight division.Here's how I viewed the unit performances:Quarterback: BBen Roethlisberger threw for 387 yards, three touchdowns and a costly pick-six. If only the defense had made some plays, maybe this could have been a big Steeler victory.Running Back: CDespite the lack of an Reebok Denver Broncos #15 Tim Tebow Realtree camo Jersey
offensive line tonight, the running game made some plays. Unfortunately the Steelers fell behind and had to abandon the running game.Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: COnce Hines Ward left the game after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit (that was not flagged by the way), the wide receivers seemed to forget how to catch passes or run routes until the game was out of reach. Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders started making some big catches late in this game. If only they had helped convert some of those red-zone opportunities early, this game could have turned out differently.Offensive Line: DUnable to clear running lanes and provide passing protection for Ben Roethlisberger, this line clearly misses Max Starks, Chris Kemoeatu and Willie Colon. The line was pathetic tonight. Trai Essex needs to be flipping burgers somewhere. The only reason they didn't get an F is because somehow, some way, Roethlisberger managed to throw for almost 400 yards.Defensive Front Seven: FThey failed to generate pressure on Tom Brady, getting ZERO sacks. If you can't do that, then what happened to the secondary is what occurs. And BenJarvus Green-Ellis had 87 yards and could have had more if the Patriotsactually tried to run the clock out.Secondary: FDoReebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
I really need to explain this one? William Gay was played like a harp all night long. Absolutely horrible display by this unit. A rookie tight end had three touchdowns against Gay. If I could give them more than a fail, I would. At this point, surely some of the backups can play better than William Gay.Special Teams: FIf you can't even make a 26-yard field goal, you deserve a failing grade. Granted Emmanuel Sanders had some decent returns and Dan Sepulveda was alright, but Jeff Reed has possibly worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh. Short kickoffs and missed field goals aren't going to do anything to boost your job security. There were several opportunities to try and recover an onside kick, but they could not do it.Coaching: FThere were no defensive adjustments to the Patriots' line of attack, Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
and there was the matter of giving up 39 points from the best scoring defense in the league. New England gave the rest of the league a big blueprint on how to defeat Pittsburgh. This was the same Patriots team that got crushed last week by Cleveland. Twice this season the Steelers have lost to teams that got spanked by Cleveland. That's clearly a coaching fail.This article is also featured on"The Voice Says..."

17 Dec 10 Pittsburgh Steelers Back on Track After Beating Oakland Raiders, Refs

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16 Dec 10 San Diego Chargers Kill Denver Broncos Season and Put Their Future in Doubt

Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesDon't look now, but the Broncos are going to be playoff no-shows for the fifth straight year.Forget the holiday season. I'm ready for the end of the season.But alas, we cannot escape our realities. Whatever hope the win against the Chiefs last Sunday brought to the Broncos Reebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
was just as quickly doused by the Chargers, who last night enjoyed putting the Broncos in their place as much as ever. For the record, that would be last place in the AFC West.Make excuses for the Broncos if you'd like. If you want to talk about injuries, maybe you didn't notice that the Chargers were without Antonio Gates, Legedu Naanee and Ryan Mathews, to name a few. Perhaps you'd say that the Broncos suffer from inexperience, particularly on the offensive line. While that may be true, what happened to the progress they made last week against the Chiefs?Last but not least, you could say that Kyle Orton can't do it on his own. No offense against Orton, but Phillip Rivers is in the MVP race, possibly even the favorite to win, because he can and does do it on his own and largely has all season.The truth, dear friends, is that the team Josh McDaniels has put together is not a team lacking in desire, but one that is severely lacking in talent. If the Broncos didn't know that until now, the Chargers were more than happy to remind them once again.If it wasn't Darren Sproles and Patrick Crayton burning Brian Dawkins, it was the Chargers' floundering special teams unit making a game changing third down conversion. If it wasn't Shaun Phillips harassing Orton in the backfield, it was Reebok Oakland Raiders #21 Nnamdi Asomugha Realtree camo Jersey
the Chargers' defense stuffing Knowshon Moreno for a minimal gain.I've seen this same movie for five years now, and for every embarrassing loss they suffer to the Chargers, it seems like the Broncos drift farther and farther away from contention. The only difference this time is that the Broncos were already going nowhere before the Chargers even touched them.Josh McDaniels' should be commended for his development of Kyle Orton, but many of his personnel decisions are killing the team. While Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas have the potential to be good players, they are doing little to help the Broncos win games now. Many of the picks from last year's draft or some of Shanahan's drafts are either marginally productive or are helping other teams.While there won't be a new head coach in 2011, If the Broncos' continue down the path they are headed it will only end up with McDaniels on the unemployment line, so changes need to be made sooner rather than later.Quarterback play isn't the issue and Orton is one of Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers #86 Hines Ward Realtree camo Jersey
the only players preventing the Broncos from entirely imploding, but if Tebow really is the messiah he's hyped up to be, perhaps he really is McDaniels' only salvation. Or maybe this entire team was doomed from the start.I don't have the answers. If Josh McDaniels doesn't either, he better find them fast.

Rams vs. Broncos: Sam Bradford on Fire in First Road Win For St. Louis

Justin Edmonds/Getty ImagesTalk about split personalities. Just when I'm ready to write the season off for the St. Louis Rams they turn it around, then blow it again, then turn it around, and now they'll likely blow it again. The Rams lead the NFC West, can you believe that? Their 5-6 record is the same as the Seahawks, but the Rams hold the tiebreaker edge because of a head-to-head win earlier in the season. Seattle will have a shot at redemption down the road in Week 17.Anyways, getting back to the game.The Rams looked down right awful on defense in the first quarter of the 36-33 win. Denver drove the field with ease to open the game, rolling 80 yards on seven plays. The drive went 80 yards on seven plays. Not one single player made a play of Steelers 6 Super Bowl Champions jersey
any significance for the Rams on said drive. Kyle Orton and Knowshown Moreno combined for four plays of 10 yards or more.After Sam Bradford and the Rams went three-and-out on their first drive, Denver drove the field but were only able to kick a field-goal; a field goal that put the Rams in a 10-0 hole before they knew what hit 'em.What happened next completely shocked me. The Rams fought adversity and came back behind the fearless leadership of one very wealthy quarterback in Sam Bradford. Late in the first, Sam drove the Rams 80 yards in just under six minutes. It was masterful, he was 5-6 on the drive--completing passes to five different receivers. So much for needing a Larry Fitzgerald the team. I kid--I kid.How many win does it take to win the NFC West? And no this isn't a joke.How many win does it take to win the NFC West? And no this isn't a joke.61.8%715.8%863.2%917.1%102.2%Total votes: 228The Rams went on a 33-3 tear after they went down 10-0 in the first quarter. Denver was able to stop Steven Jackson from breaking the big one, but weren't as successful with Bradford. The kid threw three touchdowns passes to two tight-ends. Michael Hoomanawanui and Billy Bajema were the recipients of Bradford's career high of three touchdown passes. Since Week 6, Bradford has thrown 11 touchdowns to only one interception. Can you say: ROOKIE OF THE YEAR?Knowing how much the Rams like to blow late leads, I wasn't at all surprised by the fact that Denver turned around it around and went on a 20-3 scoring spree in the fourth quarter. Once again, Steve Spagnuolo and Pat Shurmur went into total shutdown mode with the lead in the final frame. The wonderful stench of their first road win since Week 8 of last season must have overwhelmed the two baboons so much that they almost let it slip away.Aren't you starting to wonder what goes on in their heads when the game is on the line? The Rams predictably turn into Steelers 36 Bettis Jersey
a prevent team on both sides of the ball. And the funny part of it all is that they didn't do either very well. Shurmur turns into a play-calling prude in an attempt to limit opportunities for rookie-Bradford mistakes.Rams' fourth quarter drives:8 plays/ 53 yards/ 4:04 elapsed/ field goalJustin Edmonds/Getty Images3 plays/ 4 yards/ 1:27 elapsed/ punt3 plays/ 3 yards/ :14 elapsed/ punt3 plays/ 4 yards/ 1:29 elapsed/ punt1 play/ -1 yards/ :22 elapsed/ QB kneelTotal: 18 plays/ 63 yards/ 7:36 elapsed/ 3 pointsWhen I realized the following stat, I threw up in my mouth a little bit.Of the 17 total plays, only three were gains of 6 yards or more and thirteen plays went for five yards or less (+1FG).As for the defense? They crapped their prevent pants too. The goal of the prevent is to prevent big plays, not allow seven plays of 10 yards or more in a shade over seven minutes of action when everything is supposed to be kept in the middle of the field. The injury excuse can only hold up for so long before it starts getting old. And let me tell you--it's getting old. Bartell and Atogwe are supposed to be the anchors of the secondary but their lack of consistency is astounding.I'm not sure what the answer is for the secondary at this point. The best thing to hope for down the stretch will be weak passing offenses. If Troy Smith and Kyle Orton can put up 350 yards in the air, what do you think is going to happen if the Rams meet up with Mike Vick or Eli Manning in the playoffs? Vick would make the Rams' look like the Redskins all over again.In the end, it 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
was a nice win. Bradford had a career game--going over 300 yards passing for the first time in his NFL life. The Rams were able to get their first win on the road. And best of all, thanks to a Seattle loss, they are the new leaders of the NFC West. Like I said, all-in-all it was a good day for the Rams.Next up: at ArizonaThe Rams have a chance to avenge their first loss of the season.Follow me on Twitter: BearConsults + RamsReportQuestions? Comments? Concerns? Share 'em below in the comments section.What did you think of the offensive balance from Pat Shurmur? Can the Rams beat Arizona on the road? Let's discuss! Happy holidays.

Fantasy Football Week 13 Rankings: The Most In-Depth QB Analysis in the Industry

Week 13 QB Player Rankings1. Aaron Rodgers (vs. SF)If he’s not passing it in, he’s running it in. He’s one of the best QBs in the game, both in real life and in the fantasy world and he rarely lets you down. In fact, he’s only had one game with less than 12 fantasy points this season (against the Jets) and none less than 17.2 at home. The Pack will have to throw it against the Niners, which can only mean good things for Aaron "it out" Rodgers owners this weekend.2. Michael Vick (vs. Hou)You might actually want to Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
consider Vick the 1A this week next to Rodgers. A matchup against the weakest defense in the league could mean another four TD passes and two more rushing for the old jailbird in Week 12, so saddle up this Thursday night…it could be a real fun game to watch.3. Drew Brees (at Cin)Believe it or not, Brees is now tied for the league lead in passing TDs with 23 and is just 48 yards behind Kyle Orton for the NFL's best in that category as well. The guy has been outstanding since his sluggish start, and even though last week was the first time since Week 4 that he threw for less than two TDs, he still made up for it with 352 passing yards on the day.4. Kyle Orton (at KC)It doesn’t really matter if the Donkeys are winning or losing, Orton will put up some pretty awesome fantasy numbers for you no matter the final score. The best part about Orton’s game at this point, however, is that awful Denver defense. The more points they allow (last in the league at 29.4/game), the more points Orton has to get. The Chiefs happen to be the fourth-highest scoring offense in the league…WOOHOO!!!5. Peyton Manning (vs. Dal)Manning should be able to have his way with this Dallas pass D, regardless of which receivers are healthy or not. Over the last six games, the Cowboys have given up an average of 311.5 passing yards and 2.7 TDs to opposing QBs, numbers that Manning shouldn’t have a problem reaching this weekend.6. Philip Rivers (vs. Oak)Rivers could have a field day in this one…or the Chargers could do what they did last week and dominate the game on defense and simply run the clock out with Tolbert the whole game. I’m betting on a slight mixture here, so look for around 250-275 yards and a TD or two. I realize Rivers went off (in a loss) against these same Raiders earlier in the year, but this is a different, smarter San Diego squad now.7. Jay Cutler (at Det)Cutler keeps finding a way to keep him within the good graces of the fantasy overlords. Every time you write him off, he ends up throwing four TDs out of nowhere while showing the discipline enough to be able to handle whatever defenses throw at him. Normally I would say this is the “let-down” game for the cocky kid, but against the Lions, it just can’t happen. In fact, in three games as a Bear, Cutler has averaged 263 yards and 3.3 TDs against these Lions while Chicago has put up almost 35 points a game. Sounds pretty good to me.8. Tom Brady (vs. NYJ)Brady is one of the best big-game players of our generation, so I expect nothing less than a stellar performance out of him in this one. My guess is that he’ll at least surpass the numbers he put up in the first game between these two (248 yards, two TDs).9. Eli Manning (vs. Was)Even after losing his WR1, WR2, WR4 and WR5, Eli found a way to put up his seventh straight multi-TD game last week. The Redskins pass defense is really, really bad, football jerseys
so it wouldn’t surprise me to see his streak continue. Don’t expect a ton of yards though as the Giants may run the ball all day long.10. Mark Sanchez (at NE)Sanchez went for 220 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in their first meeting back in Week 2, a performance that also happened to be Sanchez’s first three-TD game of his career. New England’s pass D is among the worst in the league, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see about the same stats in this Monday Night showdown.11. Matt Cassel (vs. Den)Cassel is actually becoming somewhat dependable as a fantasy QB, though I’m not sure if it’s because he’s gotten better as a player or because Dwayne Bowe has become a monster. Whatever the case, he now has TD passes in seven straight games with multiple scores in six of them. He also only has four INTs on the year, if that matters in your league.12. Ryan Fitzpatrick (at Min)Fitzy continues to put together some nice fantasy games, and if Stevie J had caught that overtime bomb in the end zone against the Steelers, last week’s line would have looked even better. Playing in a dome against a middling Vikings defense should give Ryan an opportunity to continue the trend this Sunday.13. Joe Flacco (vs. Pit)Flacco has been one of the more consistent fantasy producers in the league lately as he has either put up 300-plus yards or passed for multiple touchdowns in each of his last six games. The only way you’re going to beat the Steelers is through the air, so expect Joe Cool to be tossing the pill around quite a bit this Sunday night.14. David Garrard (at Ten)Garrard is another nice surprise this year in the world of fantasy football, and though he might not win you your week, he’s been doing well enough to keep you afloat if your normal starters went down to injury. He’s thrown for two or more TDs in five of the last seven games, so if you’re up for playing the odds, this won’t be too bad of a week to do so against a middling Tennessee pass defense.15. Matt Schaub (at Phi)If Asante Samuel was going to be out of the lineup again for the Eagles, I’d put Schaub higher than this. That said, Schaub’s best games so far this year have come on the road, so combine that with the likelihood of Philly going up early and you could see Matty tossing the pill all over the place in this game.16. Matt Ryan (at TB)Ryan’s Week 9 performance Cowboys jersey
against the Bucs was good enough for a Falcons victory, but not quite enough to win a week for fantasy owners. Tampa actually has a pretty good pass defense, so with their rush "D" lacking as it is, expect Atlanta to grind this one out on the ground. If the matchup is tight, which it looks like it could be, Ryan might be needed to toss up a touchdown or two.Analysis brought to you bypyromaniac.com.Week 13 rankings for RBs, WRs and TEs.There are no teams with QBs on a bye this week.

Fantasy Football: Is Peyton Manning Worth Starting Anymore?

Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesPeyton Manning has thrown 11 interceptions in the last three weeks, all games the Indianapolis Colts lost.That statement is strange for two reasons. First of all, Manning has been one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, how could he throw 11 interceptions in cheap nfl jerseys
three games? Also, since when have the Colts had three-game losing streaks?The Colts have been a mess this season, though they are still very much alive in the AFC South. They find themselves just a game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars with four games left on the schedule, including one against the Jags.But, does Peyton Manning have any fantasy value for the rest of this year? Let's take a look at a couple factors playing into the decision to start or sit Manning.InjuriesThe Indianapolis Colts have suffered more than their fair share of injuries on both sides of the ball this season, but the offense has been hurt particularly badly by their losses.First off, nearly everyone who has lined up as tailback for the Colts this year has missed time with injury, including Joseph Addai, Donald Brown and Mike Hart. The Colts are down to playing rookie Javarris James in the backfield.Then, there's the receiving corps. Manning has been without Anthony Gonzalez, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie for periods of time throughout this year.Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesGarcon has returned and Collie might return soon, but Gonzalez is done for the year.Also done for the year is valuable tight end Dallas Clark. Clark has been Manning's go-to guy since the retirement of nfl jerseys
Marvin Harrison.Manning is down to a receiving corps that features new tight end Jacob Tamme and receiver Blair White.Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon are healthy now, but defenses are able to key on them and make Manning throw to the other receivers.ScheduleThe Colts remaining schedule looks like this: at Tennessee, vs. Jacksonville, at Oakland and vs. Tennessee.I like that schedule for Peyton Manning. The Titans have the 23rd and the Jaguars have the 27th ranked pass defense in the NFL this season.Those teams are going to have problems against Peyton Manning as they have no stars to stop him and force him to throw more interceptions.Start or Sit?Start Manning. He's fine. He'll recover and get the Colts to the playoffs somehow, some way.Will the Colts make the playoffs?Will the Colts make the playoffs?Yes70.4%No24.1%Put in Curtis Painter!5.6%Total votes: 54He'll pick apart his remaining division opponents and put up 300+ yards in every remaining game.He'll start to gel even more with Tamme football jerseys
and White. He'll get Collie back, who was having a very strong year before injury problems hit.He's been thoroughly embarrassed the past two weeks, having four interceptions returned for touchdowns. He'll make smarter decisions and watch even more tape than he already does.Therefore, if Manning is on your bench, you'll end up regretting it.

Pittsburgh Steelers "have to bounce back against 9-4 Jacksonville Jaguars"

As Cousin Eddie says in "Vegas Vacation," "I haven't seen a beating like that since someone stuffed a banana down my pants and set a monkey loose." The New England Patriots rode the momentum caused from two big plays largely at the expense of brash Pittsburgh Steelers safety Anthony 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
Smith all the way to a 34-13 victory in Week 14. But did it really matter? In the big picture, no. Consider that Pittsburgh mauled the Patriots 34-20 at Heinz Field in October 2004, snapping New England's 21-game winning streak. The next January, the Pats fought back to hand the Steelers a 41-27 loss at Foxborough in the AFC championship game. To get that revenge, the Patriots needed to rebound from the loss. They finished 14-2, and they were all but unstoppable en route to their third Super Bowl title. The Steelers (9-4) have three games to play, starting with the AFC's fifth seed, Jacksonville, this weekend. They have a one-game lead over Cleveland in the AFC North title race (two if you include the tiebreaker), and with San Diego trailing by a game for the pivotal third seed in the conference, this is Pittsburgh's biggest contest of the year.The 9-4 Jaguars have a similar makeup as the Steelers; they're tough defensively, and their strong running game is balanced out by an efficient quarterback. David Garrard, who took the job from former first-round draft pick Byron Leftwich in the summer, has only one interception in 10 starts. Going into Week 15, both Garrard (103.3) and the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger (101.4) are top five in the league in passer rating, and each is on pace to have franchise-record-setting seasons for their respective teams. The former AFC Central rivals are familiar with each other, despite the story of the game changing drastically each time they play. This makes for a more compelling game than the media-hyped Week 14 matchup between Pittsburgh and the Patriots. The Steelers cannot afford to lose another game with the charging Browns staying in their rear-view mirror, and the Jaguars want to extend Steelers 43 Polamalu jersey
their winning streak over Pittsburgh to three games. While beating the undefeated Patriots would have gone a long way in terms of building confidence for the Steelers, the key to their regular season is how they fare over these next three weeks, and it starts with the hard-to-beat Jags.Neal Coolong is the author of Die Hard Steel for the Sports Cartel Network, and is a contributor to Steel City Insider.

San Francisco 49ers Alex Smith Tim Rattay Mike Nolan

I have two new mantras. The first: "This is still so much better than Tim Rattay". The second: "This is still so much better than Dennis Erickson". In Alex Smith's debut to the NFL, he showed a number of things that lead me to believe he can have success in the NFL. Despite throwing fourinterceptions, Smith showed poise and confidence each time he stepped into the huddle.Smith has the size, arm, and athletic ability to be a quarterback in this league. He is clearly working at a much slower pace than the speed of the NFL. This of course is not surprising as it is what most rookies have to work the hardest to overcome. That will be no different for Smith, and I expect that as he gets more comfortable with the speed of the game, he will become a legitimate NFL quarterback.Smith puts the ball where it should be when throwing to receivers, and he is not scared by defensive pressure. Both of which were two common complaints with Tim Rattay. Smith could also really benefit from an offensive line that gives 6 Super Bowl Champions jersey black jersey
him at least three seconds to throw the ball.Mike Nolan may not have fully grown into his role as a head coach yet, but he is still so much better than former head coach Dennis Erickson ever was. Nolan has command over his team, and has them disciplined. He had his banged up squad compete for most of the game against one of the league's best teams, even with a rookie quarterback. Slowly, this team is making progress, even if at times it is taking a step backwards before two forwards. I do not agree with every move Nolan has made so far this season, but even still the San Francisco 49ers show far more promise under his guidance than they ever did under Dennis Erickson.

San Francisco 49ers "Injury to Kwame Harris opens door for Joe Staley"

Expectations were high when the San FranciscoDallas Cowboys jersey
49ers selected offensive tackle Kwame Harris with the 26th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. After four tumultuous seasons, the former Stanford star may be on his way out the door. Harris has been unable to participate in the team's OTA' for the last week because of back spasms. Head coach Mike Nolan indicated that Harris should be healthy by Opening Day, however. His injury paved the way for rookie first-round pick Joe Staley to work with the starting unit. "It's helped Staley get more reps and has given us a chance to get a better look at the backups," said Nolan. When asked to rate Staley's performance, Nolan kept it short but sweet. "He's done well."This latest turn of events bode well for the 49ers and their fans. Staley should capitalize on this opportunity and establish himself as the starter at right tackle. The team sacrificed a lot to acquire Staley -- a former Central Michigan standout -- with the 28th overall pick of this year's draft, giving up a 2008 first-rounder and a fourth-round choice in last April's draft to the New England Patriots. This bold draft-day move demonstrates the team's lack of confidence in Harris, whose playing time has reached escalators in his contract that voided the final two years of his deal and increased his 2007 base salary to over $2 million. That's a stroke of good luck for the Niners. The team should try to trade him, if anyone will take him. Harris' trade value declines daily, and the addition of Staley only weakens the 49ers' 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
leverage.Any way you slice it, this will likely be Harris' last season in San Francisco. Moving forward, the 49ers should expect Staley to anchor their offensive line for the years to come. The odds are high that his reign will begin sooner than later.

Dallas Cowboys Bye Week Commentary

Although it's early in the season, the bye week is always a good time to evaluate how a team progressing.The Dallas Cowboys suffered a brutal loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season opener but bounced back against their division rival Washington Redskins in a game the Cowboys had to have. All in all, it looks like Dallas is starting to come together. So, without further ado, let's get to the grades: Offense:Quarterback: Drew Bledsoe made some huge mistakes against the Jaguars. But as bad as Bledsoe played against Jacksonville, he was that 6 Sanchez Green Jersey
good against the Redskins with no help from his receivers, who had a plethora of dropped balls. Grade: B -Running backs: You really couldn't ask for more from Julius Jones and Marion Barber -- they are averaging 4.5 and 4.7 yards per carry, respectively. Each has hit pay dirt once. The only negative was a Jones lost fumble against the Redskins. Grade: A- Wide receivers: Terry Glenn has been tremendous. Terrell Owens was outstanding in the Jacksonville game but faltered against Washington because he broke a bone in his hand. We should see more of Patrick Crayton and possibly Sam Hurd in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans. Grade: B- Tight ends: Jason Witten has been his usual consistent self with the exception of an uncharacteristic dropped pass against Washington. After being invisible against the Jags, Anthony Fasano made a nice contribution with three catches for 39 yards against the Redskins. Grade: C+Offensive line: I have to admit, this new O-Line has played much better than expected, only giving up three sacks in two games to a pair of strong defenses. The unit has also created a lot of running room for Jones and Barber. The most encouraging sign is that Flozell Adams resembled his old self against Washington. Grade: BDefense:Defensive line: Jason Ferguson has been effective at the nose with eight tackles in two games. Marcus Spears has also played well. Although Byron Leftwich had all day to throw, the D-line put some serious pressure on Mark Brunell, and has held both opposing rushing attacks to under 100 yards. Grade: BLinebackers: The quartet of Greg Ellis, Bradie James, DeMarcus Ware and Akin Ayodele has played so well that not only has first-round pick Bobby Carpenter been relegated to the bench, but nobody seems to care. Grade: A-Secondary: Considering the defensive backfield has rookie Pat Watkins starting at free safety, it could be much worse. They got lit up against Jacksonville's tall receivers, but played a great game against the Skins - especially Roy Williams and Terence Newman. Grade: B-Special TeamsKicking: Shaun Suisham has kicked off well but missed a chip shot field goal against Jacksonville. Mike Vanderjagt was finally allowed to kick against Washington and connected on a huge 49-yard field goal late in the game. Mat McBriar leads the NFL, averaging 50.8 yards per punt and ranks fourth with a 41-yard net average. Grade: B+Kick coverage & return team: Dallas is floundering with a 20.8-yard average per kick return and 8.8 yards per punt return. The lowest point was when the kickoff coverage team gave up a 100-yard touchdown to the Redskins' Rock Cartwright. Grade: DOverall, the Dallas Cowboys are 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
headed in the right direction. With the distractions and growing pains of integrating new players into the mix in the rearview mirror, there's no reason they shouldn't win the NFC East. They have the talent; they have the coach. Now they just have to do it. Get the best Dallas Cowboys insight . (4)

Dallas Cowboys Drew Bledsoe Week 1 Woes

As always, after the first week of NFL action, fans across America are flooding talk radio stations and want changes - and I mean big changes. If it were up to the fans, 16 teams would be starting new quarterbacks, firing the head coach or trading half the team away. Thankfully, sanity ultimately rules the day. When the Dallas 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
Cowboys' schedule came out last April, who didn't think the opening game against the Jacksonville Jaguars wouldn't be extraordinarily difficult? In case anybody forgot, the Jaguars were 12-4 last year in the superior AFC. They have a good offense and a monster defense. As a matter of fact, if they were in the NFC, the Jags would arguably be the best team in the conference. So what was surprising was not that the Cowboys blew a 10-0 lead, but that they were up 10-0 in the first place; and that only a poorly thrown Drew Bledsoe pass prevented them from taking a commanding 17-point lead. Which brings us to the subject of the day: After Bledsoe's subpar performance, should he be replaced by Tony Romo? Bill Parcells told the media in no uncertain terms yesterday that Bledsoe is still the starter - and rightly so. Better than anybody, Parcells knows that even though it's only 16 games, it's a long season. His 1986 New York Giants Super Bowl championship team lost their opening game to the Dallas Cowboys; a game in which Phil Simms didn't play particularly well. Tuna didn't panic then and he's not panicking now.Sure Bledsoe made some terrible throws that arguably cost the Cowboys the win. But you have to put his performance into perspective. To start, this is the first time this offensive unit was on the field together for any length of time. And the rest of the offense was hardly mistake free. The offensive line was shaky, Jason Witten was called for offensive pass interference that took a touchdown off the board; and, according to Parcells, the running backs weren't waiting long enough for the correct blocking schemes to develop before they made their cuts. So don't panic, Cowboy fans.This is not to say that if Bledsoe keeps making 6 Sanchez White Jersey
unforced errors, we won't see Romo. We will and we should. Tuna has implied as much. But considering the quality of the opponent, the hostile territory and the fact that the offense has barely played together, fans need to cut Bledsoe some slack. "You've got take a lot of things and put them in the right perspective." said Parcells. He couldn't be more right.Get the best Dallas Cowboys insight . (15)

Dallas Cowboys Drew Bledsoe Week 1 Woes

As always, after the first week of NFL action, fans across America are flooding talk radio stations and want changes - and I mean big changes. If it were up to the fans, 16 teams would be starting new quarterbacks, firing the head coach or trading half the team away. Thankfully, sanity ultimately rules the day. When the Dallas 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
Cowboys' schedule came out last April, who didn't think the opening game against the Jacksonville Jaguars wouldn't be extraordinarily difficult? In case anybody forgot, the Jaguars were 12-4 last year in the superior AFC. They have a good offense and a monster defense. As a matter of fact, if they were in the NFC, the Jags would arguably be the best team in the conference. So what was surprising was not that the Cowboys blew a 10-0 lead, but that they were up 10-0 in the first place; and that only a poorly thrown Drew Bledsoe pass prevented them from taking a commanding 17-point lead. Which brings us to the subject of the day: After Bledsoe's subpar performance, should he be replaced by Tony Romo? Bill Parcells told the media in no uncertain terms yesterday that Bledsoe is still the starter - and rightly so. Better than anybody, Parcells knows that even though it's only 16 games, it's a long season. His 1986 New York Giants Super Bowl championship team lost their opening game to the Dallas Cowboys; a game in which Phil Simms didn't play particularly well. Tuna didn't panic then and he's not panicking now.Sure Bledsoe made some terrible throws that arguably cost the Cowboys the win. But you have to put his performance into perspective. To start, this is the first time this offensive unit was on the field together for any length of time. And the rest of the offense was hardly mistake free. The offensive line was shaky, Jason Witten was called for offensive pass interference that took a touchdown off the board; and, according to Parcells, the running backs weren't waiting long enough for the correct blocking schemes to develop before they made their cuts. So don't panic, Cowboy fans.This is not to say that if Bledsoe keeps making 6 Sanchez White Jersey
unforced errors, we won't see Romo. We will and we should. Tuna has implied as much. But considering the quality of the opponent, the hostile territory and the fact that the offense has barely played together, fans need to cut Bledsoe some slack. "You've got take a lot of things and put them in the right perspective." said Parcells. He couldn't be more right.Get the best Dallas Cowboys insight . (15)

Commentary San Francisco 49ers Stuart Schweigert LaMont Jordan

The Raiders' Stuart Schweigert is on pace for 144 tackles this season.As a free safety -- the deepest line of defense."There's too many missed tackles," Schweigert said after the team's fourth loss. "The running back is going down the field and I have to make the tackle eight yards downfield. You Jets 6 Sanchez Jersey
can't have that...You can't have your free safety leading the team in tackles."In a 20-34 Bay Area-stomping, the San Francisco 49ers rushed 41 times for 165 yards, an average of four yards per carry. Individually, 23-year-old Frank Gore posted career-high numbers, rushing for 134 yards on 27 carries.For the second consecutive week, Oakland collapsed in the game's final two quarters, failing to hold on to a 13-7 halftime lead. Mistakes were the instant remedy to the 49ers scoring dilemma; Andrew Walter and Marques Tuiasosopo combined for four interceptions -- the first four of the 49ers season -- while a backward pass went for a 12-yard touchdown return by defensive end Marvin Fowler."Yes, we made mistakes, and yes, I'm disappointed," head coach Art Shell said after the game. "No, I did not expect to be at this particular point in the season. I expected to be competing much better in our division. We've just got to keep on working, our guys have got to get better and understand there are things that need to be taken care of."Shell, after failing to utilize his red flag last week in a loss to Cleveland, finally gave it a shot on Sunday -- on the wrong play. The coach failed to contest a John Madsen first-down grab and a third-quarter Arnaz Battle touchdown reception; however, he paused the game to take a second look at the Walter-to-Jordan backwards blunder.Jordan, who failed to react to the trickling live ball, said after the game, "No disrespect to them, but we have better players than they do...We should have won, but obviously didn't."The 230-pounder, on the day, rushed 12 times for 71 yards; although 20 of his yards came with under 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Backing Jordan up, 26-year-old halfback Justin Fargas posted another impressive outing, rushing for 63 yards on just eight carries, good for almost eight yards per carry."It was a tale of two halves for us," said Andrew Walter, who was irrationally yanked with just over ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. "The first half we moved the ball well and had a rhythm. The second half we fell out of synch...It seems like right now in my career I trade one good play for one bad play. That's no way to get it done."In his 4 Brett Favre White jersey
second career start, the 6-foot-6 quarterback completed 14-of-23 attempts for 164 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.Rookie Melvin Oliver, who picked Walter's fourth-quarter fumble pass, commented after the game, "Our defensive line coach always tells me that if the ball is on the ground, pick it up."Jot that down on the clipboard, Art Shell.Want to be in an upcoming article? Visit RaidersLive.com to submit your questions and comments for the Oct. 20 mailbag. (24)

Fantasy Football Commentary

For a day or so, fans and media alike agreed that the league's most pitiful franchise was, for a brief moment, not the . But the Cardinals' monumental Monday night collapse is fraught with hidden positives (the emergence of Matt Leinart, the fact that Arizona played to within inches of beating the almighty Bears, etc...), and let 10 Santonio Holmes black jersey
us not forget that they, unlike the Raiders, have tasted victory in 2006.Now that we've cleared that up, let's get back to the point of the matter. Among the various shortcomings that have plagued Oakland, one that is often overlooked is its complete and utter lack of fantasy football viability. The Raiders started the season with three legitimate fantasy difference makers, but now one is shelved with an injury and the other two are barely starting material. Let's take a closer look at these three unmitigated fantasy busts:RB LaMont Jordan - Two, three, 19, eight, five. Those are the weekly point outputs for Jordan thus far in '06. That's not good when you're considered a first-round prospect on most fantasy boards. However, most Raider fans don't care about his fantasy production; instead, they are more concerned with the fact that their "franchise" running back has only one touchdown on the season and is essentially a non-factor in the passing game after being touted as a dangerous weapon out of the backfield.WR Randy Moss - Arguably the league's most talented wideout, Moss has actually been performing at a decent clip over the past few weeks. He's averaging nearly 10 points per game over the past two weeks and has scored a touchdown in two of his last three outings. Still, he must continue to perform at this level, and throw in a couple of breakout performances, in order to justify his lofty fantasy draft status. Unfortunately, most Raider fans are convinced that his inconsistent effort and lackadaisical approach will keep him from manifesting such things. QB Aaron Brooks - Hahahahaha! If you drafted Aaron Brooks, you're an idiot. But seriously, Brooks was taken in most fantasy leagues, and responded with a collective zero 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
points through the first two weeks of the season. Brooks is still recovering from a shoulder injury which has forced him to miss three games, but he could be ready to return in Week 7 against the Cardinals. Anybody want to put money on whether Brooks will become a fantasy blue-chipper in the second half of the season? Senior writer Anthony Carroll will return with his column on Thursday.Get more fantasy angles (and other assorted insights) at (14)

PFT's Lane Kiffin rumors just don't add up

Rumors surrounding the are always controversial, touchy areas.Gossip from Adam Schefter, for example, the Bronco-loving "rumor monger," is usually spot on. Think Art Shell being fired. On the other hand, from Nancy Gay, the San Francisco (...49ers) Chronicle writer, the gossip is particularly harsh, but frequently wrong. Think Warren Sapp being cut.This time, though, ProFootballTalk.com -- or PFT for short -- has taken a stab at taking a stab at the Raiders.The online Web site, boasting the slogan "The best pro Jets 6 Sanchez AFL50th jersey
football scoop on the Internet," has reported that first-year head coach Lane Kiffin is irate over the team's recently announced roster cuts.Keep in mind, the site's slogan is not: "The most correct pro football scoop on the Internet."The first paragraph of the 200-word report reads: "A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that Raiders coach Lane Kiffin is fuming about the final round of roster cuts in Oakland. Though we don't know of any specific moves about which Kiffin is particularly upset, we're told that the bulk of the moves is evidence that owner Al Davis still has a significant amount of influence over the football operation."In all, 20 players were cut from Oakland's roster on Saturday, ranging from rookies to veterans, from starters to backups.Among the debatable cuts are third-round defensive end Quentin Moses, rookie safety Eric Frampton, second-year offensive lineman Kevin Boothe as well as veterans Donovin Darius and Zack Crockett.It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the team let go of some high-end rookies. Just two weeks ago, the 32-year-old coach made clear that any player on the roster was fair game, including all rookies."Understand that no one is on scholarship here," Kiffin said. "It comes from the college mentality that once you have a scholarship it can't be taken away for football reasons, it's different in the NFL and you've got to earn it."Based on the team's four preseason outings, neither Moses nor Frampton "earned it."Moses, with just four tackles and sack, was greatly outperformed by fifth-round rookie DE Jay Richardson, who registered 11 tackles and a sack. As luck would have it, Richardson made the team. Meanwhile, Frampton, with just four tackles, was outshined by 26-year-old safety Hiram Eugene, who recorded six tackles, an interception and a defensive TD. Again, Kiffin found a spot for Eugene on the final roster.As for second-year guard Kevin Boothe, who started 14 games in 2006, Kiffin already defended that release, saying the 315-pounder wasn't a "system fit."Now to the vets.Strong safety Donovin Darius, who was signed in mid-July, simply couldn't find time to get healthy. Unsurprisingly, Kiffin has a big problem with players who can't, well, play.As for fullback Zack Crockett, who has spent his last eight seasons in Oakland, he was simply forced out by younger talent. The 34-year-old was cut in favor of a better lead blocker in Justin Griffith and fresher legs in sixth-round rookie Oren O'Neal. Last offseason, Crockett was on the brink of being cut under the leadership of Shell, but he managed to extend his Raider career by a season.Beneath each roster move, then, is a reasonable, almost obvious explanation. 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
That's no fun to report, though. Speculating the imminent firing of Kiffin, who is yet to coach an NFL regular-season game, is much more intriguing."In our view," the PFT blurb continues, "the mere fact that he didn't shrug in response to moves dictated from above tell us that Lane is his own man. It might get him fired from his current job, but it could help him land his next job."Of course, let's not forget the clinching proof demonstrating that Al Davis in fact did not have the final say in Saturday's cuts.Alvis Whitted is no longer an Oakland Raider.

"Line enters the 'no-sack' zone"

Maybe it wasn't the players who made the ' 2006 offensive line so bad. Maybe it was the system.Or so it might seem after a couple of 2007 preseason games. Playing a half against both Arizona and San Francisco, the first-string Raider line allowed no sacks. None.This must have been a Dallas Cowboys jersey
revelation to QB Andrew Walter, who was decked 46 times last season. Against San Francisco, Walter went 17 straight plays in a vertical position. At this rate, his laundry bill should be cut in half.Overall, the Raiders allowed 72 sacks last season, worst in the NFL. And one of the reasons that the offense has been clicking in August, despite the absence of holdout QB JaMarcus Russell, is because new line coach Tom Cable's zone blocking system has apparently taken root.Last year, the Raider linemen mostly tried to take on the opposition one-on-one at a time. The problem with this approach is that all five blockers have to succeed on every snap, or leaks occur.Zone blocking, on the other hand, is more of a communal effort. Blockers work in tandem and follow the direction of the play. After all, if a sweep is going to the left, there's really not much need for the right tackle to engage his man.This system also involves intricate blocking angles, quickness and, yes, cut blocking. It also helps that guard Cooper Carlisle, picked up as a free agent, played the zone blocking system with Denver last season. Thus, he is able to demonstrate in the trenches what Cable draws out on the chalkboard.So far, the first-string line has been composed of tackles Barry Sims and Cornell Green and guards Carlisle and Robert Gallery working in tandem with a two-headed center, Jake Grove and Jeremy Newberry. All of them, so far, have been doing their jobs."I believe in the scheme," Carlisle told the San Jose Mercury-News4 Brett Favre White jersey
. "It gives you an opportunity to succeed on every play. It definitely was a factor in my signing with the Raiders."Zone blocking works equally well in protecting the passer and creating holes for running backs -- or so say its adherents.And if they want to point to a success story, the numbers in Oakland don't lie. At least so far.