Peyton’s Legacy
By Christian Pierre-Louis
Almost two years ago, Peyton Manning came to Denver, not knowing how his tale would continue. Now he prepares to take over the Big Apple, one win away from winning that elusive second Lombardi Trophy. When Manning sat out the 2011 season because of a neck injury, he had plenty of time to contemplate life without football. Manning; the No. 1 high school recruit in the nation, the Heisman favorite as a Tennessee senior and No. 1 overall pick in 1998, was suddenly an underdog for the first time, really ever.
Prior to Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, Manning had received an assault of criticism on whether he would be able to lead the Broncos to a victory over the Patriots. During his career, the rivalry between Manning and the Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, has been the source of many memorable moments in the NFL. However, Manning was able to overcome the harsh skepticism, and lead the Broncos to a 26-16 victory over the New England Patriots.
Peyton Manning hopes to win a second Super Bowl (via SportsPickle)
From the beginning of the game, the Broncos dominated the Patriots in every aspect, and in the end, the best team came out on top. The game started with Manning and the Broncos taking an early lead, and once they had it, there was no looking back. Manning had his way with the New England defense, toying with them at the line of scrimmage and his surgical precision was too much for Bill Belichick’s team to handle. The Broncos as a team controlled the ball for close to 36 minutes, whereas the Patriots only had possession of the ball for 24.
The defense for the Broncos also played exceptionally well, managing to stop the Patriots’ ability to score a touchdown for the first three quarters of the game. It was only in the fourth quarter of the game that a comeback sparked by Brady seemed possible, however, the performance of the Broncos during the first three quarters had separated them so far that lead prevented this from happening. Patriots coach Bill Belichick expressed his disappointment with his statement following the game, “I wish we could’ve done a little better today, especially me.”
Although the game was won by the Broncos as a team, Peyton Manning has received the majority of the attention following the Broncos win. With this win, Manning is looking at his third Super Bowl appearance, and an opportunity for a second Super Bowl victory. In addition, with this win Manning has ensured that his legacy continues into the Super Bowl. Manning could be the first quarterback to have won a Super Bowl with two different teams if the Broncos win the Super Bowl. Following the game, the Broncos waited patiently to hear the news of whether they would be playing the San Francisco 49ers or the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
So it’s a Seattle-Denver Super Bowl, one full of intrigue and new story lines, seeing that almost every player in the game will be new to the Super Bowl stage. Every player but one. Peyton Manning is back for his third Big One, and the pressure is all on him to cap this underdog chapter in the Book of Manning and silence all his critics once and for all.
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Christian Pierre-Louis is a journalism major at Seton Hall University. He is a HUGE fan of the, LA Lakers, NY Giants, and NY Yankees. He is also an assistant sports producer at Seton Hall’s radio station WSOU 89.5 FM. You can follow him on twitter at @CPL_78.
Vikings Hire Zimmer
By Nick Vespasiano
Mike Zimmer was hired on Wednesday to be the ninth head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. The first time head coach was the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator since 2008 after holding the same position with the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. The hire came just over two weeks after Leslie Frazier was let go by the team.
Personality wise, Zimmer’s blunt honesty sharply contrasts Leslie Frazier’s passivity. When addressing the media, Leslie was often painfully vague or sounded like he was just repeating what general manager Rick Spielman wanted him to say. Vikings management was not willing to give up on Christian Ponder despite his lack of talent and Leslie stood by as we lost game after game. Zimmer is not that kind of coach. He will not be Spielman’s “yes man” like Frazier was for three seasons. Had he been head coach of the Vikings during the Christian Ponder era, Zimmer would have put up more of a fight when Spielman insisted Ponder be the starter.
One thing Zimmer and the former Vikings head coach have in common is they are defensive minds. Excluding a dismal 2010 season, in his six years in Cincinnati, the Bengals yards, touchdowns, and points allowed per drive and sack totals trended from the bottom half of the league to the top ten. Last season the Vikings ranked 31st in yards allowed and last in points allowed. Zimmer’s defenses in Cincinnati featured very few Pro-Bowlers, but the Vikings hope he can improve their defense that lacks top talent.
Mike Zimmer will take over as the ninth head coach in Vikings history (Via The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)
Zimmer has proven he can revamp a defense but the Vikings have issues offensively as well. This new coaching staff will have to find a quarterback that can consistently give the team a chance to win. If that doesn’t happen, the team likely won’t win many games and Zimmer will be fired in a few years just like Leslie Frazier. The Vikings’ offensive success will depend on not only on acquiring a quarterback either in free agency or the draft but also on hiring the right assistant coaches. While the draft is not until April, assistant coaches are being hired right now. The Vikings hired Norv Turner yesterday to replace Bill Musgrave as offensive coordinator. As the Cleveland Browns’ offensive coordinator last season, his offense had the 11th ranked passing game in the league despite an offensive depth chart worse than the Vikings’. While the offense will run through Adrian Peterson, Turner can help utilize weapons like Cordarrelle Patterson and Greg Jennings.
There are still many unknowns. There are still open assistant coach positions, free agency, and the upcoming draft. The roster and coaching staff are still incomplete but the Vikings seem to be moving in the right direction.
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Nick Vespasiano is a senior English major at St. Olaf College and aspiring sports writer. He was raised in Minnesota, favorite teams are the Vikings, Wild, and Twins. Favorite athletes are Randy Moss and Jaromír Jágr.
Broadway Johnny?
By Brett Malamud
Finally the time has come and the wait is over. After making his mark in the NCAA, Johnny Manziel has declared himself eligible for this year’s NFL draft. The Heisman winner is a projected top-ten pick with many even placing him in the top-five. While Manziel is a scrambling quarterback, he averaged 317 passing yards per game for a total of 4117 yards. This is 408 yards more than he threw for last season, a season in which he won the Heisman Trophy. In improving his passing game, Manziel had to take a step back in tucking the football and running. He rushed for only 53% of what he had rushed in 2012. However in the end, the touchdown totals remain to be consistent. Manziel finished with 47 touchdowns in 2012 and 46 touchdowns in 2013. Not too shabby when you consider the fact that Manziel threw for more yards than Andrew Luck did in any of his seasons at Stanford.
Manziel does have his problems though. He has been in the news for his behavioral issues. He was arrested back in 2012 for getting in a late night fight and possessing a fake ID. The issues continued even after he won the Heisman Trophy. He overslept while attending the Manning Passing Academy. He was kicked out of a University of Texas fraternity party. He also voiced his displeasure with Texas A&M by tweeting that he “can’t wait to leave College Station” after he received a parking ticket. His taunting on the field became quite the story during the 2013 season, and was regularly featured on ESPN. But the most notable issue came in early August 2013. The NCAA began investigating whether Manziel accepted payments from autographs that he had signed in January 2013. While it is widely believed that he did accept the money, the NCAA could not find any evidence and suspended him for only the first half of the season opener against Rice.
Johnny Manziel will enter the 2014 NFL draft as one of the top quarterbacks available (via Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Right now if you look at the NFL draft order, Houston has the first pick. The Texans need a quarterback and are expected to draft Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater. The St. Louis Rams have the second pick and while it seems that they might need a quarterback, they have showed no indication that they want to dump Sam Bradford. The third and fourth picks belong to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns respectfully. Both teams need a quarterback. The Oakland Raiders sit in the five spot and the Vikings sit at the eight spot. It’s possible that they could each want to draft a QB as well. UCF quarterback Blake Bortles is on the board as well but it’ll be interesting to see which QB gets drafted first.
An interesting pick for Manziel though could be the New York Jets. The Jets currently hold the 18th pick. Now I’m not saying that Manziel is going to slip to the 18th pick. We did see Brady Quinn slip to the 22nd pick back in 2007, after being projected to go in the top ten. Manziel is not likely to slip based on the amount of teams needing quarterbacks. Therefore, only way the Jets can get Manziel will be by trading up picks to draft him. I think that a run at Manziel could be what the Jets need. Now I know some people look and they’ll say, “why would they do that?” Well, they’ve done it before. Back in 2009, the Jets traded up to the fifth pick to select USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. Now I know that didn’t turn out to be such a great decision now that Sanchez has lost the starting position, but Manziel is a bigger threat than Sanchez ever was. The Jets current starting quarterback, Geno Smith, had the lowest QB rating in the entire league. General Manager John Idzik stated at the end of their week 17 game that they will “look at quarterbacks” in the offseason. It is this statement that shows that Idzik doesn’t believe that Smith is “the guy.” If the Jets want to get their hands on a reliable quarterback for years to come, they must trade up and select Johnny Manziel.
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Brett Malamud is a Computer Science Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
Mariota Will Return to Oregon, 2014 Heisman Impact
By Nick Vespasiano
Yesterday, Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota elected to return to Eugene next season. The redshirt sophomore was considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2014 NFL draft. He entered the 2013 season a Heisman hopeful but saw it slip away with losses to Stanford and Arizona.
Despite being out of the Heisman race for 2013, Mariota has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 3,412 yards, 30 touchdowns and four picks. He also has 582 yards on the ground and nine scores. Those are Heisman numbers but his team’s two losses are keeping him out of contention.
Marcus Mariota will return next season to the Oregon Ducks (Via ESPN)
This decision comes as a surprise to me. Running back De’Anthony Thomas is likely entering the draft, number one receiver Josh Huff is a senior, and last season Chip Kelly abruptly bolted for the Philadelphia Eagles. Mariota could be vying for a better draft position. The upcoming NFL draft will feature quarterbacks like Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, Clemson’s Tajh Boyd, Alabama’s A.J, McCarron, and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel. Despite the competition he would have faced in the next draft, he was widely considered a potential first round pick. Perhaps he’s just loyal to his Ducks.
Mariota should be an early Heisman favorite yet again heading into the 2014 season. Other players who are ineligible for the 2013 draft with legitimate 2014 Heisman ambitions include Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, Georgia running back Todd Gurley, Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon, and my favorite, UCLA linebacker/running back Myles Jack.
Draft eligible but returning next season is Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty who should be on the short pre-season Heisman list. UCLA’s star quarterback Brett Hundley and Ohio State’s Braxton Miller have yet to make decisions on next year’s draft.
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Nick Vespasiano is a senior English major at St. Olaf College and aspiring sports writer. He was raised in Minnesota, favorite teams are the Vikings, Wild, and Twins. Favorite athletes are Randy Moss and Jaromír Jágr.
Thursday Night Football Preview: Saints vs Falcons
By Matthew Wieselthier
Before the season, this game was circled on the calendar as a game that could decide the NFC South. The Saints heading to the Georgia Dome to face the Falcons was to be a top game of the season. However, the Falcons have looked terrible. They’ve been bruised up at the WR position with Roddy White being on and off the field and Julio Jones being on the IR. The RB position has been inconsistent with no option looking great and maybe could there be regrets on losing Michael Turner. Whatever the case may be, the RB turntable of Stephen Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Jason Snelling has been far from good. And now, a Super Bowl favorite has turned into the laughing stock of the NFL.
Sean Payton is back on the sidelines and the Saints are back to their winning ways (Via SI)
The Saints are one year since “Bountygate” and cannot be more thankful. At this point in the season last year, they were 5-6 and missing Sean Payton, who was suspended due to the bounty problems of the past. This season, they got their head coach back and have been successful ever since. The Saints are 8-2 and are on top of the NFC South. They are averaging 28.8 points per game, which is good for 2nd in the league. Drew Brees has the 4th best passer rating in the NFL (106.7) and the defense is 5th best in the league, giving up 18.8 points per game.
In this preseason-hyped game that has turned sour, the Saints should be able to march into the Georgia Dome and take the win with ease.
Prediction: Saints 31- Falcons 17
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Matthew Wieselthier is the Sports Director at WPOB 88.5 FM, Plainview. He is also the PA announcer at all sporting events at POBJFKHS. You can follow him on twitter at @wieselsports66.
NFL Predictions Week 11
By Matthew Wieselthier
Sunday:
1:00 PM ET
Jets 24, Bills 13
The Jets are arguably the most surprising team this season. After being projected as one of the worst, the Jets are in playoff contention, and there is one big reason why. The “Sons of Anarchy.” The defensive line for the Jets, comprised of Muhammad Wilkerson, Damon Harrison, and Sheldon Richardson, has tortured quarterbacks and offensives in general with the pressure they’ve put on QBs. The offense should also get a lot stronger this week with WR Santonio Holmes and TEs Jeff Cumberland and Kellen Winslow returning from injuries (suspension for Winslow).
Buccaneers 28, Falcons 24
The Buccaneers may have looked bad most of the year, but the past few weeks, they have started to look like a decent team. The Falcons, on the other hand, are the most disappointing team this season, going from Super Bowl favorites to the favorites for a top 5 draft pick. The Buccaneers have looked like a good team since Mike Glennon took over at QB. The one thing they needed was a W. They got that last Monday versus the Dolphins, and the momentum should continue into this week.
Lions 31, Steelers 16
The Lions have looked very strong the past few weeks. We can say this over and over again. Matthew Stafford has looked very strong, a big thanks to WR Calvin Johnson. The Lions new two-headed rushing attack of Reggie Bush and Joique Bell has been stellar. If anything goes wrong with the Lions offense against the tough Steelers defense, the terrible Steelers offense should help them out. There has been no running game from the Steelers and QB Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t looked great either. The Lions should have ease in taking this game.
Calvin Johnson is active this week and should continue to impress (Via Thoughts of a Jeanius)
Eagles 34, Redskins 31
The Eagles are on a nice hot streak. Nick Foles has looked great in the past few weeks and so has LeSean McCoy in the running game. Meanwhile, the Redskins are exactly where they were last year. 3-6 last season, the Redskins racked up a 7 game winning streak to win the NFC East title. The Redskins are once again 3-6 and things are once again looking gloom. A miracle happens once, not twice, and not this year.
Cardinals 28, Jaguars 14
The Cardinals are another team in the running for most surprising team this season. Their most surprising player is RB Andre Ellington, who is averaging 7.2 yards per carry, is still sharing time with Rashard Mendenhall, but still taking advantage of his time and showing why he deserves to be seriously considered as a decent RB in the league. The Jaguars are still one of the worst teams in the NFL despite upsetting the Titans last week. Don’t expect that fact to change against a tough NFC opponent.
Texans 37, Raiders 17
Isn’t it about time that Case Keenum got his first victory as a starting QB in the NFL? He has played fantastic since getting the job, holding a 105.1 passer rating and throwing 7 TDs with no interceptions. The Raiders have their own QB issues. Starting QB Terrelle Pryor is out with a knee injury, prompting the first start in the career of Matt McGloin. This is a very interesting matchup of previously undrafted QBs starting against one another.
Bears 23, Ravens 10
The Bears have a nice situation in which they can trust their backup QB when Jay Cutler gets injured. Josh McCown has been quite successful this year, throwing for a 60% completion percentage and a 103.2 passer rating. The Ravens still don’t look that great and against a tough Bears defense, that fact shouldn’t change.
Browns 27, Bengals 23
The Browns haven’t played two games against the Bengals in a season since 2002. That fact may change with the way both teams have been performing recently. Since putting on an offensive show versus the Jets in Week 8, the Bengals have dropped two straight games against teams they should have dominated (Dolphins and Ravens). Now they play another division rival and need things to change before their bye week with a struggling Andy Dalton. The Browns have a chance to shock everyone with a win this week. They are in second place in the AFC North and have a chance to be one game back after this week. QB Jason Campbell has been very successful since taking over in the Cleveland QB debacle.
4:00 PM ET
Chargers 32, Dolphins 17
The Chargers are another team on the rise and surprise this season. QB Philip Rivers is having a comeback season with 18 TDs to 7 interceptions and a 105.9 passer rating and looking like the Rivers of old back when the Chargers were a regular playoff favorite. The Dolphins also looked like they were on the rise until they lost to the previously winless Buccaneers on Monday Night, not even showing up in the first half and looking dreadful all night.
Giants 24, Packers 13
The Giants may be the luckiest team in the league at the moment. After starting off 0-6, the Giants have taken down 3 straight either bad or injury riddled teams. This week, they get another injured and limping team with the Cheese heads. The Packers not only lost QB Aaron Rodgers, they lost their backup QB Seneca Wallace to injury last week. Scott Tolzein is making his first career start and he won’t have the Packers best check down target/tight end Jermichael Finley, who had spinal fusion surgery since being put on the IR, possibly ending his career. The Giants are getting very lucky. Don’t expect that to last much longer though.
Seattle 38, Vikings 14
The Seahawks were looking like they were on the decline, playing close games against not great opponents, headlined by having to squeak out an OT win versus the Buccaneers. They finally came back last week in an absolute destruction of the upsetting Falcons. Expect that to continue because the Seahawks are a top team with a top defense and a solid offensive attack against a horrible Vikings team who have not much upside.
49ers 27, Saints 25
The 49ers are very strong and arguably still underrated after losing such a tight game against the Panthers last week. QB Colin Kaepernick is back to being a top QB after a weak start to the season. The defense is also very strong, as shown last week when they held a strong Panthers offense to only 10 points. The Saints are very strong too, but tough defenses haven’t had that much trouble in stopping them. That fact should stay the same this week.
8:30 PM ET
Broncos 20, Chiefs 14
The two top teams in the NFL going against each other on Sunday Night. What more can anyone ask for? The Chiefs and their top defense in the NFL are going face to face with the Broncos’ top offense. The Chiefs are arguably the worst 9-0 team ever, that being that they haven’t played anyone with a winning record. But at the same time, the Broncos have only played one team with a winning record in their only loss of the season to the Colts. Peyton Manning is still the best QB in the league and that should propel the Broncos to victory in this AFC West showdown.
Monday:
8:30 PM ET
Panthers 35, Patriots 24
The Panthers are arguably the hottest team in the NFL right now. They have the 2nd best defense and their offense is just getting better and better. The Patriots are still the walking wounded on the defensive side and Tom Brady has looked awful this entire season. Don’t bet against the hot streak. Carolina should be able to bring home the W in this week ending primetime showdown.
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Matthew Wieselthier is the Sports Director at WPOB 88.5 FM, Plainview. He is also the PA announcer at all sporting events at POBJFKHS. You can follow him on twitter at @wieselsports66.
NFL Predictions Week 10
By Matthew Wieselthier
Sunday:
1:00 PM ET:
Eagles 35, Packers 27
Nick Foles just threw seven touchdowns. If any player is looking like they are on fire right now, it has to be the man who just threw SEVEN TOUCHDOWNS. The Eagles need to continue their push for a playoff spot in the weak NFC East. The Packers, now missing Aaron Rodgers for multiple weeks, now have an offense that is going to seem like a shell of what it was just a week before. Yes, they didn’t look terrible when playing the Bears defense. However, when a defense has a week to prepare for the Eddie Lacy running show, it shouldn’t be too hard to stop.
Titans 34, Jaguars 10
The Jaguars are simply the worst team in the NFL. They had their best week of the season so far in Week 9 where they did not lose thanks to a bye. Now they have to face a determined Titans team, with a decent passing game with Jake Locker and a rejuvenated rushing attack with Chris Johnson. Not much needs to be said when it comes to playing the Jaguars. Just mark the game as a W on the calendar and start preparing for next week.
Steelers 28, Bills 24
The Bills finally have their starting quarterback back. First round pick EJ Manuel is in the lineup this week after suffering a sprained right knee. However, the result of the game will not have much difference than most of their games this year. The Steelers are still a tough defense, and should be expected to pull out a win in this matchup of hopeless teams.
Giants 27, Raiders 13
The Raiders will only be able to present a big problem if they do what most teams in the beginning of the season did to Eli Manning: interception after interception. However, Eli hasn’t looked as much like that during their two-game winning streak and the offense seems somewhat rejuvenated ever since signing Madden 12 cover man, Peyton Hillis. The Giants are also the 9th best running defense. That is helpful against a Raiders team, where all they seem to be able to do is run the ball, especially with their best rusher, QB Terrelle Pryor.
Eli Manning and the Giants host the Raiders this weekend (Via Sabo)
Colts 27, Rams 14
The Rams defense is really tough. They held the Seahawks to 14 points and barely let the Titans get the win last week. They can make the pocket a living hell for Andrew Luck and running the ball a disaster for Trent Richardson and the rest of the company of the Colts running backs. The thing is that Andrew Luck is much better than the QBs that the Rams stopped over the last two weeks. The Rams also have the issue of having an unclear offensive strategy. Their running game has looked great with RBs Zac Stacy and Daryl Richardson. However, the passing attack has been weak and there is a lack of confidence in it with backup QB Kellen Clemens at the wheel. Expect that to continue this week.
Seahawks 41, Falcons 10
The Falcons just continue to look like a shell of the team that won the NFC in the regular season just under 12 months ago. And the Seahawks have taken that spot with pride. Seattle may have had issues with the winless Buccaneers, but that should go away after some preparation for a Falcons team that just can’t play a good football game anymore. The Seahawks should be able to get back to dominating their opponents and take care of the Falcons without a scratch on them.
Bengals 23, Ravens 14
The Bengals are one of those confusing teams. After going out and scoring 49 against one of the top defenses in the league (the Jets), they then have issues and lose to the Dolphins. However, the Ravens still don’t look great and still are not the team of last year. Plain and simple in this AFC North matchup, the Bengals have the top spot and will show why with a win this week.
Lions 27, Bears 24
The Lions have looked great this year on offense. Not surprisingly, the connection between QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson Jr. has looked terrific, but also the performance of their running backs. The one-two punch of Reggie Bush and Joique Bell has looked spectacular this season. Jay Cutler is expected to return but how game ready is he? This will be a toughly fought game, but expect the healthy to defeat the injured.
4:00 PM ET:
Panthers 17, 49ers 14
This has a chance to be the best matchup of the week. Here are two of the hottest teams in the NFL going head to head in a matchup with big playoff implications. Both mobile quarterbacks, Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick, have finally gotten back to their level of play in the beginning of their careers. Both defenses have been holding their opponents to under 20 points in their last two games. This is the game to have your TVs set tuned into in a matchup of possible future Wild Card teams that may even play each other later in the playoffs.
Texans 24, Cardinals 14
Someone tell the Cardinals that they are supposed to be bad. That they shouldn’t be .500 on the season and crushing Atlanta. Led by RB Andre Ellington, the Cardinals have looked much better than they should have been this season. But to that same fact, why is this undrafted rookie for the Texans, QB Case Keenum, doing so well? Also, despite their record, the Texans have the best total defense in the NFL. The Texans are prime for a comeback game after…well their terrible season.
Broncos 34, Chargers 28
Why did the NFL have to put this game on at the same time as the Panthers-49ers game? Another great matchup is going on with the Broncos, who look almost indestructible, going against what might be the biggest surprise team of the year, the Chargers. Philip Rivers is having a comeback year for the century, playing like a top five quarterback. However, he is up against the best QB this season, Peyton Manning. This should be a great scoring matchup in which we see these two QBs show us why they are among the best in the league.
8:30 PM ET:
Cowboys 28, Saints 24
The Cowboys are much better than their record shows. They have a top 5 QB this season in Tony Romo, a strong defense, and a chance to take a huge step above everyone else in their division. On the other side, the Saints just got beat by the Jets in a game they should have had little trouble with. Expect the passing attack of the Cowboys to do much better than Geno Smith did last week and Demarco Murray to have a good game against a weak Saints rushing defense.
Monday:
8:30 PM ET
Buccaneers 27, Dolphins 13
All the talk about this game has been about the Dolphins. Not the game itself, but instead the terrible locker room bullying situation in Miami. However, let’s relate that to the game. The two players who aren’t on the field for the Dolphins this week, Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin, were starting offensive lineman. This will make life a living hell in the pocket for QB Ryan Tannehill this week, missing 40% of his usual line. The Buccaneers are also looking for that precious first win of the year. They almost got that last week against the Seahawks. Expect them to carry over that momentum into this inner state game. Also, don’t forget that QB Mike Glennon hasn’t looked all that terrible since taking over. He has five more TDs than INTs and 60.3-completion percentage.
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Matthew Wieselthier is the Sports Director at WPOB 88.5 FM, Plainview. He is also the PA announcer at all sporting events at POBJFKHS. You can follow him on twitter at @wieselsports66.
Fantasy Football Love/Hate Week 10
By Brett Malamud
Right off the bat, if your fantasy team had to go up against Robert Griffin III like mine did last night, I’m sorry. RG3 torched the Vikings defense for a total of 27 fantasy points in ESPN Standard Leagues. My other fantasy team had to face Adrian Peterson, who rushed for two touchdowns and scored 19 fantasy points in ESPN Standard Leagues. It’s pretty safe to say that I was a bit unhappy while watching the game from a fantasy football perspective. However, it’s not always about who starts, but rather who finishes. Before we get to it, a quick shout out to Mr. Roto, Matthew Berry, who has been doing Love/Hate for years. On that note here are my Love/Hates for week 10 in the NFL:
Quarterbacks I Love in Week 10
Jake Locker vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Why would you think of starting this inconsistent quarterback, you ask? Well, the Jaguars defense has allowed double digits to quarterbacks in every single week.
Jay Cutler vs. Detroit Lions: While the Lions defense has allowed double digits to quarterbacks in every single week except for week one, that’s not the reason I would start Cutler. I believe that the Bears’ receivers performed well over the last few weeks without their fearless leader and with Cutler back, they’ll excel even more.
Philip Rivers vs. Denver Broncos: Rivers has been on fire for the entire season and has done very well for my fantasy team. I am expecting a big game out of him against a team that has a weak pass rush that allowed more than 300 yards to Chad Henne.
Quarterbacks I Hate in Week 10
Andy Dalton at Baltimore Ravens: Here’s a guy that was on my team and was traded in a blockbuster deal for Peyton Manning. Looking back, I was pretty happy that I got the top scoring fantasy player in the NFL. But Dalton did have a streak of his own over the last few weeks. However, the red headed Dalton struggled last week against the Miami Dolphins. Look for Dalton to struggle in a loud M&T Bank Stadium, where the Ravens have been red hot on defense.
Matt Ryan vs. Seattle Seahawks: Ah yes, Matty Ice. It’s fair to say that Matty Ice has gone ice cold, throwing seven interceptions in his last two games. It’ll definitely be tough for him to go up against the second best defense in the NFL.
Case Keenum at Arizona Cardinals: The streak has got to end, right?
Running Backs I Love in Week 10
Reggie Bush at Chicago Bears: Fans in Detroit have been voicing their pleasure at Lions home games with chants of “Reg-gie! Reg-gie!” Expect this to continue against a shaky Bears defense.
Reggie Bush has been a great fit in Detroit’s offense (Via USA Today Sports)
Eddie Lacy vs. Philadelphia Eagles: He’s scored double-digit points in each of the last four weeks, and without Aaron Rodgers on the field, expect him to do it again.
Zac Stacy at Indianapolis Colts: While Stacy is questionable at the moment, he should keep up his streak as well in this upcoming game if he plays.
Running Backs I Hate in Week 10
BenJarvus Green-Ellis at Baltimore Ravens: Giovani Bernard got the red zone carries and cashed in. That’s all that needs to be said.
Rashad Jennings at New York Giants: The 28 year old got his shot when Darren McFadden went down with injury. But don’t expect greatness against a team that has done nothing better than stopping the run.
DeAngelo Williams at San Francisco 49ers: The return of Jonathan Stewart has taken away many carries from Williams and so he’s not such a great option at the moment.
Wide Receivers I Love in Week 10
Keenan Allen vs. Denver Broncos: In what has been one of the biggest surprises of the season, Allen has helped make the Chargers offense electric. He’ll continue again this week.
Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall vs. Detroit Lions: See Jay Cutler
Hakeem Nicks vs. Oakland Raiders: Nick Foles did throw seven touchdowns against this defense last week. I believe Nicks is due for a big game.
Wide Receivers I Hate in Week 10
Cecil Shorts at Tennessee Titans: There will be more coverage on Shorts this weekend, as Justin Blackmon is suspended.
Mike Wallace at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Going up against Darrelle Revis on Monday Night Football is not a favorable matchup for Wallace, who hasn’t scored since week two.
Marvin Jones at Baltimore Ravens: If Dalton struggles, so will Jones. I mean, you can’t throw it to yourself, right Hakeem Nicks?
Tight Ends I Love in Week 10
Antonio Gates vs. Denver Broncos: Gates is ranked the number two wide receiver by Matthew Berry this week. Expect Rivers to find him for a TD or two.
Garrett Graham at Arizona Cardinals: The Arizona defense has not been able to contain tight ends this year and so Graham could make for an interesting play.
Jason Witten at New Orleans Saints: Witten is coming off of a great week against Minnesota last week. This one is expected to be a shootout, so expect Witten to be heavily involved.
Tight Ends I Hate in Week 10
Jared Cook at Indianapolis Colts: Cook had a good week last week, but it was his first since week one. The Colts are in the top 10 against tight ends this year so it’s not really a good play.
Defenses I Love in Week 10
Tennesee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: They are playing the Jaguars so…
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills: With EJ Manuel first coming back from injury, don’t expect a great game from him.
Defenses I Hate in Week 10
Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions: The Bears just haven’t been themselves this season and now they have to play a scary Lions team.
Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints: Sunday Night Football. Superdome. Drew Brees. Doesn’t look so good for the Cowboys defense.
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Brett Malamud is a Computer Science Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
NFL Power Rankings Week 10
By Matthew Wieselthier
The KC Chiefs top our list this week solely on their defense. If they keep it up, they can make a deep run this season.
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Denver Broncos
- Indianapolis Colts
- Seattle Seahawks
- San Francisco 49ers
- New Orleans Saints
- New England Patriots
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Detroit Lions
- Carolina Panthers
- Chicago Bears
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Jets
- Green Bay Packers
- San Diego Chargers
- Arizona Cardinals
- Cleveland Browns
- Tennessee Titans
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Miami Dolphins
- Washington Redskins
- St. Louis Rams
- Baltimore Ravens
- New York Giants
- Houston Texans
- Buffalo Bills
- Oakland Raiders
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Minnesota Vikings
- Jacksonville Jaguars
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Matthew Wieselthier is the Sports Director at WPOB 88.5 FM, Plainview. He is also the PA announcer at all sporting events at POBJFKHS. You can follow him on twitter at @wieselsports66.
The Ultimate Guide for Following Sports on Twitter
By Greg Kantor
Twitter is a social networking website that allows you to create posts in the form of ‘tweets’. These tweets are short bursts (140 or less characters) of information that can literally be about anything. With regards to sports, Twitter has completely revolutionized sports reporting: breaking news about every major sport is posted instantly, and often before other media outlets (ESPN, newspapers, blogs etc.) can get the information out to the public.
Obviously, Twitter is an amazing tool for all types of sports fans, but the key is knowing how to get the most out of your Twitter account, and that’s where this guide will come in. This guide will give you the best sports accounts to follow and general tips to enhance your overall experience.
Must-Follow Accounts For Sports Fans
Disclaimer: the accounts are listed in no particular order.
Non-Athletes:
- Elias Sports Bureau (@EliasSports): Your go-to account for all the interesting and weird statistics about any sport
- Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell): ESPN sports business reporter; provides a fantastic look at sports from an unique angle
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter): ESPN NFL insider; reports exclusively on breaking news and rumors about all NFL teams
- Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN): ESPN the Magazine senior baseball writer; more than just news and rumors, Buster posts a daily insider blog that is free for all to read
- ESPN Stats and Info (@ESPNStatsInfo): ESPN’s twist on the Elias account; tends to tweet more general statistics
- Deadspin (@Deadspin): sports news, but often with a lot of humor
- Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay): owner of the Indianapolis Colts; gives insight into the life of an owner, but with a comedic twist
- Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie): TSN hockey insider; tweets breaking news and rumors about the NHL
- MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors): official account for their website (MlbTradeRumors.com); reports on all types of baseball information, not just trades
- Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA): NBA columnist for Yahoo; tweets breaking news and rumors about the NBA
- Chris Mortensen (@mortreport): ESPN senior NFL analyst; tweets breaking news and rumors about the NFL
- Onion Sports Network (@OnionSports): a satirical look at all things sports from The Onion
- Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS): CBSsports.com baseball writer; tweets breaking news and rumors about the MLB
- Jay Horwitz (@Jay_HorwitzPR): Public Relations Director for the Mets; behind the scenes look at the life of a PR guy; expert at butt-tweeting (follow to find out..)
- Erin Andrews (@ErinAndrews): Fox Sports Broadcaster; tweets all things college football, including interviews with top athletes
- J.A. Adande (@jadande): ESPN NBA writer; tweets exclusively about the NBA, but also responds to fans
- FanGraphs Baseball (@fangraphs): the best account for sabermetrics and the MLB (think: Moneyball)
- Eric Stangel (@EricStangel): Executive Producer/Writer for The Late Show; tweets about sports humorously, as well as the perils of rooting for the Chargers
- Peter King (@SI_PeterKing): SI senior writer; tweet about breaking news and rumors in the NFL
- Robert Raiola, CPA (@SportsTaxMan): gives an interesting look at sports, strictly from a monetary standpoint (salaries, taxes etc.)
(Staff addition: We of course cannot forget one of the funniest team accounts out there. The marketing guys over at the Los Angeles Kings organization have had some pretty good tweets over the years on their account (@LAKings). The funniest one perhaps came at the end game five of the 2013 Western Conference Finals. After losing in double overtime to the Chicago Blackhawks and officially being eliminated, the guys who run the Kings twitter account went straight to punchlines. The best being towards the then-recently eliminated Pittsburgh Penguins)
Athletes:
- Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco): former MLB player; now tweets about his crazy life post-baseball
- Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32): pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks; constantly provides great, funny tweets about the life of a MLB player
- Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson): former boxer;tweets about his family and post-boxing endeavors
- Chad Johnson (@Ochocinco): wide receiver in the NFL, currently a free agent; tweets about his life outside of football; always interacts with fans
- Kevin Love (@kevinlove): power forward/center for the Minnesota Timberwolves; behind the scenes look at the life of an NBA player
- Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0): left winger for the Phoenix Coyotes; always tweets about his life and consistently interacts with fans
- LeBron James (@KingJames): forward for the Miami Heat; everyone knows about LeBron on the court, but his Twitter account gives us a fantastic glimpse into his family life
- Roberto Luongo (?) (@strombone1): goalie for the Vancouver Canucks (possibly); this account probably belongs to Luongo (the tweets from inside the locker room/teammates attest to that assumption), but the anonymity of the account allows Luongo to tweet freely and give opinions about everything.
- Metta World Peace (@MettaWorldPeace): forward for the New York Knicks; gives his fans a sneak peek into the life of one of the most enigmatic players ever to don a NBA uniform
- Brandon Phillips (@DatDudeBP): second basemen for the Cincinnati Reds; tweets about the life of a MLB player and consistently connects with fans Read More…
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