Joe's 2012 Gameday Preview: Wildcard Saturday posted by Joe Anello

It’s time. Time for the select few to battle out for the most coveted prize in the NFL: the Lombardi Trophy. The playoffs begin today with the Wildcard round. I’m so excited I can’t even finish this introduction! Let’s just get right to these games, shall we?

As has become tradition in the NFL, the opening game of the Wildcard round is sorta… crappy. The Bengals are a slightly above average team that defied their lowly preseason expectations. Andy Dalton started strong as a rookie, but his production has certainly fallen off in recent weeks. A.J. Green will be healthy enough to make a difference, but I don’t think Dalton has enough developed talent around him to light up the scoreboard. Cedric Benson is a workhorse running back, but he’s never been explosive. Cincy’s offense is decent, but I’d give the edge to Houston’s defense in that match-up. They’re fast and aggressive and can slow down the Bengals enough to give their own rookie quarterback a chance.

Speaking of, we’ve got freaking T.J. Yates starting a playoff game with FREAKING Jake Delhomme backing him up. So if Yates’ shoulder isn’t completely healthy or hinders his play, the Interception Machine will be coming on the field. The thought alone gets me all excited. For the rest of Houston’s offense, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson will both be healthy (ish) for the first time in forever, giving Yates a full complement of weaponry at his disposal. After the Cincy defense gave up two giant runs to Ray Rice last week, Foster will be licking his chops. They won’t be a juggernaut, but that offense should be able to get 21-24 on the Bengals’ D, which will be enough to get the win.

The Final Drive: Week 17, 2011-12 posted by Joe Anello

The 2011 NFL regular season ended with a bang with some great finishes and superb drama on Sunday. Records were set by a back-up QB, a team captain was benched for “quitting” and a fat-handed QB lost missed out on the post-season. The Final Drive must begin!

This makes me beyond furious. Mike McCarthy takes out his MVP quarterback and starts a fourth year back-up with one career start in Matt Flynn, and f*cking records are broken. Six touchdowns? 480 yards? Who wouldn’t want to be Matt Flynn right now? That guy is about to make BANK as a free agent. Blow me Green Bay. Take your awesome quarterback development and blow me.

(6-10) Miami Dolphins 19
(8-8) New York Jets 17
Mark Sanchez: 3 interceptions. Santonio Holmes: benched and called out as a whiny quitter by his teammates.  (Seriously. Worst team captain ever.) Bart Scott: flips off a photographer and refuses to talk to the media (For once). Finally seeing theses loathsome Jets miss the playoffs is SO satisfying to me. Take it Rex Ryan. Take it hard.

I don’t give a crap about the result of this game. What I do care about is DeSean Jackson deciding to actually play like he means it and be remorseful for his completely idiotic actions this season in the last game of the year. I’d be surprised (not stunned though) if the Eagles kept Jackson around. Maybe franchise him and get him on a one-year deal, but you would have thought he’d have been on better behavior once he showed up to 2011.

The Opening Drive: Week 17, 2011-12 posted by Joe Anello

I’ll bet you thought week 17 in the NFL was meaningless! Well I call shenanigans on that premise entirely, as I’m ready to touch on ELEVEN games going on New Year’s Day. How’s THAT for an Opening Drive?

 

(10-5) Detroit Lions at
(14-1) Green Bay Packers

We pretty much know the story here. Detroit wants like hell to avoid losing and dropping to the sixth seed in the NFC, because that would mean a trip to New Orleans in the wild card round and a quick trip back home after a swift kick in the ass from Drew Brees and company. Green Bay has absolutely nothing to play for, so they’ll likely sit Rodgers and any banged up skill players early. Lions should win this one.

St. Louis is primed to snatch the number one draft pick away from Indy with another loss, meaning they’ll be the subject of so many “Should they draft Andrew Luck or trade (incumbent starter)” questions throughout the offseason. Seriously though, getting the number one pick twice in a span of only three seasons? Ouch.

There’s some mild playoff implications for the Jets here if they win and get a whole bunch of other (better) teams to lose on Sunday. Unfortunately, they probably won’t get past the whole “winning” thing on their own. Miami is one of those better teams.

The Final Drive: Week 14, 2011 posted by Joe Anello

Heart attacks were felt across the nation on Sunday (especially by me), leading to plenty of hospitalizations. While you’re incapacitated, why not get the full scoop on week 14’s heart-stopping action?

So maybe the Texans aren’t absolutely screwed with T.J. Yates at quarterback. Who knew? They probably won’t make a lot of noise in the playoffs depending on the seeding, but they should stay competitive. Unfortunately for Cincy, there may be too many “respectable losses” on their record.

If the Titans weren’t in the middle of a playoff chase, I’d say it was time to start Jake Locker. Though with Hasselbeck’s injury, it might happen anyway. Kudos to the Saints for not falling into the “Trap of the Week.”

Oh Tony Sparano, we hardly knew ye. Wait, I did. You were a mediocre coach. Its obvious management was waiting for him to lose just ONE more game after that streak of wins they went on. Dropping one to the Eagles wasn’t going to cut it.

Sparano wasn’t the only coach let go today, as Todd Haley was relieved of his duties in Arizona following this shellacking. When you make Mark Sanchez look good… nothing good can follow. The Jets inch closer to the playoffs with a surprisingly lop-sided win.

The Opening Drive: Week 13, 2011 posted by Joe Anello

The weeks are rushing by in the NFL with the playoff picture beginning to take shape. Two 11-game streaks could push their way to 12 and an NFC contender tries to get by without one of their biggest stars.

(6-5) Tennessee Titans at
(5-6) Buffalo Bills

I gotta say, the only reason I’m putting this one on here is that the Titans could actually sneak their way into contention for a wildcard slot if the Jets and Bengals lose. That shouldn’t be a tremendous feat against the Bills, who are stumbling mightily.

This is crazy. A 20.5 point line for a professional game? That just proves how utterly hopeless the Colts have been this season. I don’t expect it to be close… but that’s a very large number. Very. Large. Still, with Dan Orlovsky starting for Indy it could be a safe bet.

The Bengals have had two shots to make statements against the Ravens and Steelers but have failed to deliver. Round two against the AFC Champs takes place on Sunday as the Bengals try to hang onto their playoff hopes. Look for things to be different this time around as Andy Dalton should hopefully have A.J. Green for the entire game.

Uh… who’s Houston starting at quarterback again? T.J. Yates? …It would be REALLY hard for me not to take Atlanta here. I’m not saying Yates is awful, but first starts are hardly ever stand-out performances. The Falcons are quietly winning but need a noisemaker for anyone to start taking them seriously.

Joe's 2011 Thursday Night Preview: Raiders at Chargers posted by Joe Anello

Thursday Night Football is back! And they’ve got an AFC West match-up on tap for us tonight. It could be sloppy, but it should be more than entertaining as the Raiders make the short trip to take on the Chargers with first place in the division on the line. Welcome back Thursday Night Football… we missed you.

(4-4) Oakland Raiders at
(4-4) San Diego Chargers

So I say this game could be sloppy for two reasons: Philip Rivers and Carson Palmer. Rivers leads the league with 14 interceptions on the year, single-handedly bringing the Chargers down from a division-leading 4-1 to a middle of the pack 4-4. While San Diego’s defense is still playing at a relatively high level, they can’t defend against pick-sixes. Without Malcom Floyd, the Chargers will rely heavily on Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates to stretch the field. (Duh.)

In his six quarters as a Raider, Carson Palmer has six interceptions and has struggled to show any arm strength. Without Darren McFadden in the backfield, the Raiders will have to rely on Palmer’s still-unproven arm to get points on the board. It could be a big night for tight end Kevin Boss if Palmer can’t get anything down-field. Defensively, the Raider front-four are going to get after Philip Rivers as if their playoff lives depended on it. (They might.)

Enjoy the game everyone!

Joe's 2011 Midseason Musings posted by Joe Anello

It’s the mid-way point of the NFL season this week, which of course means plenty of pontificating and meaningless award giving. I want in on the fun so here are the 2011 Midseason Musings!

Offensive Rookie of the (Half) Year: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

It’s easy to say Cam Newton since he has some wicked stat lines, but Dalton’s getting it done for a 6-2 that NO ONE thought would be a contender.  He’s up over 60% in completions and has twelve scores and only seven picks on the season. Thanks to fellow rookie A.J. Green, Dalton has the trappings of a bona fide Rookie of the Year.
Honorable Mention: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Defensive Rookie of the (Half) Year: Aldon Smith, San Francisco 49ers

Yeah baby. He’s racked up 6.5 sacks and on a 7-1 team with a bruising defense. For all the talk of how raw he was going to be, he’s certainly bypassed the potential phase of his career. (At least in his first eight games.)
Honorable Mention: Von Miller, Denver Broncos

 

Biggest Surprise: Cincinnati Bengals

Yeah… I pretty much whiffed completely on this one in my preseason predictions. They may not be a legitimate AFC player, but they’re not the bottom-feeder many of us thought they’d be. Andy Dalton’s playing nearly mistake-free football with a great crop of wide-outs and the addition of Nate Clements to the defense has panned out thus far.

Breaking Down the Palmer Deal: Who comes out on top? posted by Joe Anello

I originally mean to write this as a recap of the trade deadline deals, but since the only other Tuesday deal was just revoked because of Jerome Harrison’s brain tumor (how crazy was that), I can focus up on the big news of the day. Tuesday the Cincinnati Bengals finally traded disgruntled quarterback Carson Palmer. The deal? Palmer goes to Oakland, who sends back a first round draft pick in 2012 and a conditional second round pick in 2013 that could turn into a first rounder if the Raiders make it to the AFC title game in the next two years. A king’s ransom for an aging quarterback? Or a crafty move to save a season? Let’s break down this deal!

For as old, stubborn and curmudgeonly as Bengals owner Mike Brown is, you can say this: He made the right move. There was no possible way this deal would have come along this offseason, when Palmer was an afterthought at 32. He waited until a team was ripe with desperation and offered up the farm for a player that would never play for him again. Now he possibly has TWO number one draft picks coming back for Palmer, which apparently is the going rate for franchise quarterbacks. (See the Jay Cutler trade.)

They’ll be winners if Palmer gets anywhere near his former glory and gets them into the playoffs. They’ll be epic fails for years if he continues to decline as he has the fast three seasons following his slew of injuries. Once one of the top three quarterbacks in the NFL, Palmer has deteriorated in skill and probably isn’t worth this hefty price. That apparently didn’t matter to head coach Hue Jackson, who worked with Palmer before at USC and Cincy. Jackson’s been given the key to the car, let’s just hope he hasn’t traded his reliable pewter Corolla for a 90’s era Camaro with a busted axle, torn leather seats and a bullet hole in the engine block.  (Best analogy I had.)

Joe's 2011 NFL Season Preview: The AFC North posted by Joe Anello

Likely the roughest division in the NFL, the AFC North has long been the stomping ground for Big Ben and the Steelers. Last season the Ravens fell short of dethroning the eventual AFC Champs and are looking to finally make it over that yellow and black speed-bump. Cincinnati  has overhauled key positions and look to rebuild while the Browns are slowly regaining traction in the division. The AFC North takes center stage!

Pittsburgh Steelers

After dropping a heartbreaker to the Packers, Ben Roethlisberger got himself married and refocused towards becoming a better quarterback. Early study of his footwork would even suggest he’s done so. At first thought during this offseason, I wasn’t sure the Steelers had the firepower to hold onto the North. Now that I’ve re-examined their roster, I’m sure that they’ll be just fine. Ben’s group of young receivers have plenty of explosion after you get past Hines Ward, whose production is sure to drop off. Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders can rip the top off any defense. Rashard Mendenhall is always a tough runner, but he’ll need better cohesiveness from his offensive line. Maurkice Pouncey is a quality center, but left tackle Jonathan Scott has a lot to prove while protecting the franchise QB. Always at the top of the league, the Steeler defense should be no different this season, at least when it comes to defending the run. Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, and Brett Keisel are heavy-hitters up front, but the Pittsburgh linebackers hit even harder. Between LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons and the sack-happy James Harrison, I’m not sure who’s more intimidating. I still get concerned with their corner depth and their ability to keep up with teams that like to spread to 4-wide though. Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu are two safeties at the top of their game, each with the ability to lay the wood and defend in pass coverage. It’s an easy prediction to say they’ll get right back on top.

Belichick Gambles Again, Dealing for Haynesworth, Ochocinco posted by Randolph Charlotin

It’s about time we stop thinking of Bill Belichick as boring. We have to get out of our heads that the Patriots head coach is as bland as the gray hooded sweatshirt he’s famous for. Just because he’s monotonous and personality-free during press conferences doesn’t mean Belichick doesn’t have an edgy side.

Maybe Belichick likes his small coffee with FIVE sugars. I heard he jaywalks WITH the police around.

Thursday morning started with reports that Belichick pulled the trigger on a deal for troublesome Washington DT Albert Haynesworth. As the day wound down Belichick struck again, swinging a deal for diva WR Chad Ochocinco of Cincinnati.

All off-season a pass rusher and a downfield threat were regarded New England’s glaring weaknesses. With all the names as suggested solutions, Belichick again went in a different direction.

The bigger gamble is Haynesworth. His behavior with the Redskins as he feuded with Washington head coach Mike Shanahan led to Albert being suspended for the last four games of 2010. Before even playing a down for a two-time Super Bowl-winning coach, Haynesworth set the tone for an acrimonious relationship by saying he didn’t want to play in a 3-4 defense.

Haynesworth made his announcement after receiving a $21 million bonus, leading to suggestions that Albert was an only for the money player. In two years with the Redskins Haynesworth confirmed that sentiment as his performance didn’t match the $100-million dollar contract he received from the ‘Skins.

 No one would think Belichick would have any interest in a player with a long list of off the field issues and isn’t a fully dedicated professional. All eyes will be on Fat Albert’s arrival after failing Shanahan’s physical for the first 10 days of training camp last year.

Texans throttle Bengals in playoff debut (AP)

[read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Ravens get No. 2 seed, Bengals wild card (AP)

[read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports