The Nosebleeds NFL Blog

Cam Newton Makes First Pro Bowl

2012-01-23T22:15:00.000-05:00

Cam Newton was named to his first NFL Pro Bowl today with Eli Manning needing this coming Sunday off to prepare for a slightly bigger contest. I couldn't be happier for the kid. As I watched him over the course of this season I really did feel that I was watching one of the best in the game; and you can relive a lot of the highlights with a nice 2011: Best of Cam Newton from NFL.com.

He was also the Sporting News Rookie of the Year.

Giants Going Back to the Super Bowl

2012-01-22T22:55:00.001-05:00

Wow.

An all-time classic that tops so many that have gone before it. Giants win 20-17 in overtime out in San Francisco to advance to the Super Bowl. I need to collect my thoughts before I write this.

I'm really happy for the G-Men, Eli Manning, and Tom Coughlin. As well as my wife and father in law.

Here's the gamebook for this historic instant classic.

They're at it again: Giants upend Packers 37-20 in NFC Divisional Round

2012-01-17T12:31:00.000-05:00

[Game book]

[PFT] [NY Daily News: The Blue Screen] [Deadspin] [ESPN]

To me, this felt like a foregone conclusion for most of the week. The Giants feel to me like the New York Giants of 2007 (and the 2008 postseason) that rolled through the playoffs and got hot at just the right time. Absolutely amazing performance this past Sunday that ended in a 37-20 win for my wife's Giants; and should have been a complete blow-out if not for the help of referee Bill Levy.

I thought the biggest play of this game was Hakeem Nicks' Hail Mary touchdown catch at the end of the first half to put the Giants up 20-10. That was the backbreaker.

This was one of the finest, most steady performances I've seen from Eli Manning in his entire career. In terms of the postseason, it was maybe the most complete. It was his first game over 300 yards in the postseason, and he rarely made a poor throw or decision. Manning threw three touchdown passes, the final one which was the dagger to Mario Manningham, Manning scanned the field and looked tall and comfortable in the pocket in finding Manningham for what would be the knockout punch.

Manning isn't the only story.

The Giants defensive line did a good job harassing Aaron Rodgers most of the day and didn't allow a Green Bay offense to get in rhythm. As time ticked away, you just kept saying to yourself that the Giants were playing a Hell of a game on both sides of the ball, and you continued waiting for the Packers to come storming back. The Giants made every play when there was a coinflip that could have swung things either way.

This coming Sunday will be a test, evoking memories of my first NFC Championship game that I can ever remember. It seems like it would be the year that San Francisco would sneak back into the Super Bowl with a first year head coach. It's a matter of time before that happens and I have a gut feeling that lady luck shines on the Niners this Sunday. But for the hopes of my family and the general good will I have towards Manning and the Giants, I hope we're watching them Super Bowl Sunday.

An NFL Instant Classic in San Francisco

2012-01-14T21:04:00.001-05:00

NFL moments like this, you never forget where you were. It lasts forever, for a lifetime.

Vernon Davis' catch at the goal line; in collision with Roman Harper at the exact time the ball arrived immediately reminded me of Terrell Owens catch to beat the Packers some 14 years ago in Adam Koloff's living room. Vernon Davis crying. The view of the Candlestick landscape. Oh yeah. We're going back in time for just a few moments of life that we watched so long ago.

This time it was Drew Brees (rather than Brett Favre in January 1999) who was on the other end of this. The Saints were not easy to knock out of this tournament. They wouldn't stop fighting. They wouldn't quit. They just ran out of time.

Absolutely classic. People who follow the NFL will never forget this game on NFL Divisional Round Saturday 2012.

The play [Deadspin]

A Family Affair

2012-01-14T19:35:00.000-05:00

My brother-in-law and father-in-law were featured in a post this morning in the New York Times 5th Down Blog, leading into tomorrow's Giants Packers game.

For tomorrow's game my wife is making some Chilli among other goodies and we're having our friends over who are Giants fans. This is a time of year where it's kind of great to have several different teams you pull for. Really hope to see Eli work his Lambeau Field magic. I'll be up bright and early tomorrow morning to start scribing about it.

Tim Tebow's Fire by Jon Parr

2012-01-10T14:01:00.001-05:00

Tim Tebow throws for 3:16 in thrilling OT win vs. Steelers

[Game book]

Giants dismantle Falcons on Wildcard Sunday, 24-2

2012-01-09T14:27:00.000-05:00

[Game book]

Finally, the Giants have come back to tasting postseason victory.

My wife and my father in law can rest easy, although I felt the uneasiness of the Giants crowd early yesterday afternoon as the Giants got down early 2-0 to the Falcons and had trouble establishing the offense. You could tell Tom Coughlin was thinking 'here we go again' and I even saw him mouth "what the Hell is going on out there!?!" after Eli Manning's pass under duress was ruled intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety.

It wasn't long after that that Eli became masterful. He went 23 of 32 on the day for 277 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Giants confirmed what I thought I knew; I thought they would beat Atlanta going away and they did. Two 4th and 1 stops of Matt Ryan curling into the fetal position really swung the game, and the Giants defensive line continued to swarm and make plays.

And now I think I am onto something else about the Giants. This team is a lot like the 2007 team--they're hot at the right time, unheralded, and could really be dangerous under the radar in these playoffs. I think they've got an excellent shot to beat Green Bay on Sunday night. Eli has done it before, though this time it's not going to be quite as cold.

This is one of; if not the most dangerous team in the playoffs. I'm happy for Eli and Coughlin; and I'm happy for Brandon Jacobs. While Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are new to the party, this is a lot of the same old cast of characters that went on that historic ride through the playoffs in 2007. This is going to be fun to watch.

Lions lose Bayou Shootout to Saints in Wildcard Playoffs

2012-01-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

[Game book]

In the end, a really great offensive team was damned by their defense; and all that remains from the 2011 Lions is some great memories of some entertaining football.

The Lions carried a 14-10 lead into halftime Saturday night. But bad calls by the officials doing the game along with Detroit forgetting how to cover and make crucial stops ended up being their undoing in the end.

I thought Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford were phenomenal the other night. The Lions didn't try any semblance of a run game, they lined up 5-wide many times and just chucked the ball. Megatron beat triple coverage a number of times.

Stafford tweeted the morning after the game, saying thanks to the Lions fans and that the Lions will be back.

I have to say, he's right. This team will be a force once they build a defense. They showed a lot this year and were generally a great story to get behind in 2011. They just fell short of the end goal.

M&M's Hungry Eyes Commercial During Tonight's NFL Playoff Game

2012-01-08T00:41:00.001-05:00

Thought this commercial was pretty awesome, love the 80's touch. Man, I wish the Lions had won tonight.

ESPN's Mortensen: Irsay has Colts selecting Andrew Luck #1 Overall

2012-01-07T16:23:00.000-05:00

Definitely a cool bit of news making it's way out on Wildcard Saturday while I was on the treadmill at the gym. I am assuming that this was announced on NFL Countdown's version that I missed today.

Christ Mortensen reports that Jim Irsay has already made his mind up to select Andrew Luck #1 overall in the NFL Draft upcoming in May.

Irsay is currently sifting through general manager candidates, but the report suggests the new hire won’t have much of a chance to sway Irsay on the pick or on a trade of the pick. The attractiveness of the job is, largely, that the team will be adding such a high-quality young quarterback.

This is awesome.

If you went on to do your further reading about this story, you would have read that Irsay believes there is some fate and symmetry involved here. In 1983 his papa was part of the group that selected John Elway. Some fifteen years later, he selected Peyton Manning. Now 14 years past that, Andrew Luck will find his way to Indianapolis.

Find the right coach and a solid general manager, and I think this empire can keep rolling. A fresh start in Indianapolis.

One thing to remember is that Irsay said recently that Peyton Manning would be a Colt in 2012 if he's healthy. Maybe the expectation is that Irsay doesn't think there is any way that Peyton can get back fully healthy, and thus he's decided in his mind that it's time to move on with a new franchise cornerstone.

Wildcard Saturday on the Horizon

2012-01-07T10:43:00.000-05:00

I don't know if there's a better day in the entire football season than the NFL Playoffs kicking off with Wildcard Saturday. You get a lot of days in your life in which you can choose to do amazing things, but you only get so many Wildcard Saturdays. Act appropriately.

I've made it no secret that I've been on the Detroit Lions bandwagon pretty much all season. I love the story, and I love their signature talent. That makes the Saturday night prime time television showdown between Detroit and New Orleans my crown jewel of the entire weekend.

While I'm excited for Matthew Stafford to get some postseason experience, I'm not hopeful of the end result. I think at best, you're looking at a game where the Lions could build a decent lead heading into halftime or even the 4th quarter, but the lack of running game will not allow them to put a team like New Orleans away. I cannot even imagine how much the Lions would have to score to win this game. They're all-world good through the air, but there isn't enough of a gap between New Orleans and Detroit's passing game to have this be a true advantage for the Lions.

Mostly, I'm just happy they made it to the playoffs. I'm happy I at least have one of these games to watch with my playoff horse involved. Last year's version of Wildcard Saturday night was pretty sweet.

The NFL will use the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans to wet our appetites in the early game. Should be a great game, I hope Andy Dalton and the Bengals get the win, and I believe they will.

We have the first two Lions over Saints predictions

2012-01-05T11:08:00.000-05:00

The First: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says the Lions will beat the Saints 44-41. Never know if the little shit eater is serious or not.

The Second: Evan Silva of Rotoworld, a guy who snubbed me and my radio partner for a baseball podcast about a year ago.

God, please let this miracle happen on Saturday night.

Bill Simmons on the NFL Playoffs

2012-01-04T15:23:00.000-05:00

I can't wait to get home and go for a run on the treadmill and listen to this version of the B.S. Report and see what Simmons has to say about the match-ups this weekend.

It's definitely grown on me. I like Simmons' takes on the NFL, though they're definitely not always right.

I've made it one of my habits/traditions this year to listen to the Simmons podcast (sometimes I get caught up on Colin Cowherd's shows) in the week leading up to NFL.

Cam's season ends harshly in New Orleans

2012-01-04T15:06:00.000-05:00

[Gamebook]

[NFL.com] [Inside the Panthers] [Cat Scratch Reader] [ESPN NFL Nation]

The Panthers 2011 season is over.

Things started with a bang. I was watching my boys on FOX (one of the rare times on a Sunday afternoon that I can watch Carolina on my flat screen and not the internet) and after the Saints scored quickly to make it 7-0, the Panthers answered on a beautiful drive and throw from Cam Newton to Steve Smith. It was Newton's 21st touchdown pass of the season.

Later in the afternoon, he would go over the 4,000 yard mark passing becoming the first NFL rookie in history to do so.

As the day went on and the score got out of hand, I watched less and less of this game. The season salted away, and the dream ended. The Panthers finished 6-10. They'll select in the top 10 of next year's NFL draft. We were given a wealth of unbelievable plays by Cam Newton as a rookie, and I can't wait until the Panthers kick off next season. It's going to be a wild ride. The Panthers were part of the greatest offensive turnaround in NFL history in 2011.

I went on to watch the Giants and Cowboys with my wife later on in the day, seeing her boys clinch the NFC East. But already I found myself thinking about 2012 and the new heights that the Panthers will reach as a franchise. Steve Smith already guaranteed the playoffs for Carolina. I like them to go even further than that. I think they'll contend for the NFC title next season. We'll see how my prediction ends up.

Cam Newton Mic'd Up (Christmas Eve vs. Buccaneers)

2012-01-03T10:33:00.001-05:00

An NFL Instant Classic in Lambeau

2012-01-02T13:11:00.000-05:00

[Game Book]

[PFT] [Detroit Free Press] [Milwaukee JS Packers] [Sporting News] [ESPN NFL Nation]

A special, memorable game took place today in Lambeau Field. And the team I root for found a way to lose it.

Matthew Stafford threw for 520 yards and 5 touchdown passes on 36 of 59 passing. He threw two interceptions, including the one that ended the game. This was one of the most entertaining football games I've ever watched, which was a lot because I didn't figure that we would even see the starters play a full game from Detroit or Green Bay.

Because of Matt Flynn, the Lions will have to go to New Orleans and will have trouble getting out of the Big Easy. If they had gone to anywhere but New Orleans, I could have seen them making a run that was similar to that of the Packers last season. They could have been that team in this year's playoffs and let someone else try to take care of the Saints. It's a matchup nightmare for Detroit, and they have Flynn and his record setting day to thank for it.

Flynn went 31-44 for 6 touchdowns and one interception. I'm telling you, the guy is not that special. It reminded me of that day Kelly Holcomb threw for over 400 in the playoff game in Pittsburgh. Similar type of day climate-wise. The defenses just couldn't cover yesterday. These guys could have thrown for 600 each if either coach would have pushed for it. It was just that type of day.

It was the first time in NFL history that two QB's threw for over 400 yards each and 5 TD's each. Also, Matthew Stafford became the 5th QB season in history to go over 5,000 yards.

This was a legendary day at Lambeau Field that someday, NFL Films or ESPN Classic will have a good time with. To me, I'll always remember that on New Years Day 2012, Matthew Stafford and the Lions came up just short of becoming an unstoppable force in the 2012 NFL Playoffs.

Cam Makes one Boy's Christmas

2011-12-29T15:50:00.001-05:00

"The Panthers drove down to the 8 yard line and that is when the something amazing happened. The ball was snapped and everything seemed to happen in slow motion from that point forward. Cam completed a pass to Jeremy Shockey to the left side. Shockey then broke two tackles and made his way into the endzone, scoring the final touchdown for the Panthers for the day. Stockey [sic] threw the ball down which ended up just past the end zone. I watched as Cam came in and celebrated the touchdown with Shockey. He then immediately turned to the side judge and I saw him mouth the words, "Where is the ball?". The referee pointed to the ball and Cam ran to it and picked it up. I watched as Cam looked straight up at Parker, smiled, and ran straight to him. He then handed him the ball and Parker says he said "War Eagle" as he did so. The next few minutes were such a blur but I do remember Parker running straight to me and jumping in my arms screaming that he got the ball. All of the kids in the section came running to Parker wanting to see the ball and get their pictures made with him. There were even adults that came up and wanted to touch the ball. We were all overwhelmed with excitement." [The Road Less Traveled] (also in the Charlotte Observer)

*Also Mike Florio gives Carolina and Cam Newton some credit.

Sam Mills

2011-12-29T13:18:00.000-05:00

*Also: Page 2 gives us maybe the best Cam Newton read yet.

Can't get enough Cam

2011-12-28T11:50:00.001-05:00

*Greg Cosell of NFL Films Blog talks Cam Newton. Guy studies film for a living, this is a well-written and good lead. And I'm pretty sure they did this post because I was bugging them to do something Cam Newton oriented on their Official Facebook Page.

*Cam was on Sound FX last night.

*The Panthers schedule for next season is basically set.

*The Panthers play the FOX National Game of the Week this coming Sunday against the Saints. I should liveblog it.

*Must read Cam Newton material -- ESPN the Magazine "NEXT".

Stafford snubbed from Pro Bowl

2011-12-28T11:08:00.001-05:00

Last night the 2012 Pro Bowl Rosters were announced.

Matthew Stafford's 4,518 yards and 36 TD's weren't enough to get him a call. Terry Foster says that Stafford just didn't have the right last name to make the Pro Bowl, and I tend to agree. The fact that Eli Manning is going over Stafford is pretty blasphemous. I'm not watching the damn thing anyways.

Good chance that Cam Newton will end up being there with Aaron Rodgers probably playing in the Super Bowl the week after. But Stafford will have to try and make his case next season if he wants to get in.

Just the worst snub period. But it was one you could have seen coming. UPDATE: Deadspin tells us that ESPN SportsNation agrees.

The Mark Sanchez Mess is Ridiculous

2011-12-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

If you were driving into work this morning and had ESPN radio on you probably heard Doug Gotlieb and Kordell Stewart discussing the Mark Sanchez ordeal.

Christmas morning we had this post at Pro Football Talk.

This all is just so insanely stupid. Sanchez is fine. PFT is ignorant for writing the article. The New York Media is stupid for creating this to begin with--it's just an example of what sells papers in that town and an example of why no pro athlete should crave playing in that city. The Jets are silly if they don't stand behind their guy and wait for him to develop. If they're thinking about pulling the trigger on him early after a couple AFC title game appearances, than I hope they're bad forever and stuck in purgatory.

I remember all of this happening with Eli Manning. It was eerily identical. And then the guy went out and won a Super Bowl. And everyone shut up. And now those Giant fans who thought the guy was horrible and should have been run out of town are in hiding and Eli was vindicated forever.

So tired of the QB blame game in the NFL. Sanchez is fine. Leave him alone, build a team around him, and have some stability at the position for God's sakes. The Jets as an organization are showing that they're unstable from the top down and haven't handled this like the Giants were able to with Eli in 2007 (anyone remember that game when he barely beat Rex Grossman in Chicago?).

Just some 1993 Houston Oilers Highlights

2011-12-27T15:33:00.001-05:00

Who Remembers This One?

2011-12-26T23:37:00.001-05:00

Great read over at the Detroit Free Press about that Christmas Eve Clincher.

Foreshadowing

2011-12-26T22:52:00.000-05:00

Cam Newton & Carolina Deliver on Christmas

2011-12-25T10:21:00.000-05:00

[Game Book]

ESPN NFL Nation (Cam by the Numbers) | ESPN NFL Nation | NFL.com Highlights | Cam Newton Press conference

For as long as I watch the game of football, for as long as I follow the sport; there will never be a player I enjoy watching or I am more sold on than Cam Newton. At the end of the day, this sport is meant to captivate us and entertain us, and when you watch Cam and the Carolina Panthers, you leave entertained.

I love the offense that runs through Cam--and is directed by Rob Chudzinski--because it's aggressive, creative, and it gets everyone involved. It's the little things you don't realize, like screen passes set up to the tight ends, shotgun split-I formation with Jonathan Stewart and Deangelo Williams behind Newton, and throwing it down the field to Steve Smith and Brandon Lafell.

Newton's 48 yard touchdown run in which he ran past everyone on the Buccaneers defense and ended up dragging two players into the end zone with him really was icing on the cake after Cam put on a masterful passing display. He went 12 of 17 and threw three touchdown passes before that moment.

The Panthers were scoring in a hurry yesterday, and every time they scored they decided to give the ball to a fan in the crowd as a way of honoring them for being there and supporting them on Christmas Eve. What a happy and warm place to be, down in Charlotte watching the Panthers whoop a team early in the day on Christmas Eve.

I truly believe that this team is just a few players away from being a force next year--maybe a contender to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Cam Newton might be my favorite athlete of all time. I just can't say enough about the guy, he's incredible and is just a lot of fun to follow. He's kind of been my guy since the beginning. To see his season culminate in yesterday's performance (which in my opinion was probably his finest of the year) was pretty special.

Cam Newton also broke Peyton Manning's rookie record for passing yards by a QB, probably locking up his Rookie of the Year Award.

For as long as I live, I'll never forget the 48-16 Panthers donnybrook that I watched early on Christmas eve 2011.

Detroit Lions Clinchmas on Christmas Eve

2011-12-25T10:02:00.000-05:00

[Game log]

ESPN NFL Nation | Detroit Free Press | The Lions in Winter | Detroit On Lion | SideLion Report

As the Lions superstar QB tweeted this morning, Christmas came a few hours early in Detroit.

The Lions are going back to the playoffs. Matthew Stafford went 29 of 36 for 373 yards and 3 TD's. He simply would not let this slip away from the Lions and was nearly perfect from the opening gun. The Lions offense was all over the red hot San Diego Chargers and when the Chargers tried to climb back into this one, the Lions put their stamp on the game and headed for an all-out rout.

As I was getting ready for Christmas Eve service here in Ohio yesterday, I couldn't help but think about this. In that city of ruin that was not long ago left for little hope a brighter day would lay just ahead for those that held on until Christmas Eve 2011.

I thought about all those who never left Detroit heading home to their families last night probably feeling like they're on cloud nine. The scary part is this Lions team could be a real force heading into the playoffs and I feel like they match up pretty well with any team in the NFC outside of maybe the Saints--whom they were just a few penalties away from defeating or being right with until the end.

The story of the day really was Stafford. He put this team on his back, he lifted them into the playoffs. He was absolutely unstoppable the last two weeks. And as he tweeted, he gave the entire city of Detroit an early Christmas present.

The line at Honeybaked Ham yesterday

2011-12-24T11:05:00.002-05:00

We'll be eating turkey sandwiches and Ham today as leftovers since I stood in the cold almost an hour to deliver this for my wife, sister, dad and stepmother.

NFL Gameday Morning Predictions

2011-12-24T10:31:00.000-05:00

Steve Mariucci: "Matthew Stafford will throw for 400+ yards today in Detroit and lead the Lions to their first playoff in over 10 years."

Marshall Faulk: "Cam Newton will throw for 300 and run for 100 today. It's never been done before."

Christmas Eve Cam

2011-12-24T09:06:00.003-05:00

Here's my 1:00 game today: Buccaneers at Panthers. Cam Newton is the next Michael Jordan of the entire NFL. Cannot wait to watch him in the Carolina cold.

I'm going to hop in the car and go get some Java here pretty soon. What a great day to be alive. Do something special today Cam. Something unforgettable. If he does it, we'll report back with it.

Detroit Lions Featured on ESPN's Outside the Lines

2011-12-23T23:17:00.002-05:00

This is pretty cool. And that hardass Gunther Cunningham says the Leos better clinch that shit in Motown tomorrow.

Christmas Eve Saturday Football

2011-12-23T23:06:00.001-05:00

I cannot wait until tomorrow. Week 16; Christmas Eve. So much at stake for so many teams. No work the following two days.

The last time football was on a Christmas Eve, it was 2006. I watched the Bengals bungle their way to a loss in Denver and miss out on the playoffs.

Around our place, we're going to be eating leftover Honeybaked Ham and Honeybaked Turkey sandwiches after our family dinner tonight and lounging around the house until about 5:00. My wife's Giants have a big one against the Jets tomorrow; and I'm planning on watching the Carolina Panthers during the 1:00 hour and the Detroit Lions at 4:00 until I have to go to church. We'll have two television sets going and a computer. It should be a great day.

And there's nothing better than NFL football on a Saturday; on Christmas Eve. It will be one to remember.

Colts lose out on their Luck

2011-12-23T07:53:00.000-05:00

Reggie Wayne's final game in Indianapolis will be a memorable one

I spent the evening last night watching a Christmas version of Thursday Night Football. I was hoping to see the Colts lose and lock up their #1 overall pick for Andrew Luck. Instead, just three night before Christmas we see the Colts rally and become the first 1-win team to ever beat a 10-win team this late in the season in NFL history, winning 19-16 on a catch from Dan Orlovsky to Reggie Wayne with little time left on the clock.

This is likely to be a franchise-changing victory for the Colts, and it's not the kind you want.

I look for them to win in week 17 facing a lowly Jacksonville team in Jacksonville, and visions of Luck in Indianapolis will be nothing but a memory that the media and fan base had. I feel as an NFL fan that is where he should end up--that's where he belongs--whether it's to back up Peyton Manning for a season or two or to start from day one.

But it wasn't meant to be. That's been the way this crazy season has been. Maybe, taking that into consideration; the Jaguars knock off the Colts in week 17 and we see that Luck was the Colts all along; and Wayne's last minute TD catch was just a parting holiday gift.

Barry Sanders' 2000 Yards was really 14 years ago?

2011-12-21T15:29:00.000-05:00

It was an early Sunday evening. My family had gathered at Oakhaven Golf Course for the Italian Club Christmas Party. I kept walking away from dinner to go into the bar area to try and catch history. I was also loving the Lions back then, with Barry Sanders, Herman Moore, Johnnie Morton and a bunch of guys.

I didn't have to worry about school the next day because Christmas vacation was about 3 weeks long back then. I still had my grandmother and grandfather. I was just a freshman in high school. Still a kid and the innocence of the world remained.

Outside the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit that night, the city wasn't in ruins yet. The world was still so safely entrenched in the 90's and we knew not what troubles of the present day that would lie ahead for any of us.

I can't believe it was 14 years ago today. The Lions won that night 13-10. They rode Barry Sanders and his record season right into the playoffs with that win. He had 23 carries for 184 and a touch that night.

Cam Newton Record Watch

2011-12-21T11:17:00.000-05:00

***UPDATED THROUGH WEEK 15***

-Most passing yards by a quarterback in debut game (422)
-Most passing yards by a quarterback in first two games (854)
-Most passing yards by a rookie in a game (432)
-First quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards in first career start
-First quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards in first two career starts
-Sixth quarterback to throw for 400+ yards in back to back games
-First rookie in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards in back to back games
-Fastest player to throw for 1,000 yards
-First player in NFL history with at least five rushing touchdowns and five passing touchdowns in his first five games
-First rookie in NFL history to throw for 10 touchdowns and run for 10 touchdowns in a season.
-Fourth rookie quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a season. And will probably become the first to throw for 4,000+ yards!
-Most rushing touchdowns in single season by a quarterback (13)

Set an NFL rookie record in Week 15 when he accounted for his 30th touchdown of the season.

The record for most rushing touchdowns in a rookie season is held by Eric Dickerson. Dickerson rushed for 18 touchdowns in his rookie year in 1983.
-Cam needs to average 3 Tds per game to break this record. It will be difficult.

Cam now holds the record for rushing yards by a QB in his rookie season.
Old record was 552, by Vince Young. Newton now has 609 with 2 games to go.
-At his current rate (43.5 YDS/G) he will finish with 696 yds.

He is now only 18 passing yards shy of breaking Peyton Manning's rookie record.
-At his current rate (266 YDS/G) he will finish with 4,254 yds!

Cam Newton can become the first QB in NFL history to pass for 4,000+ yards and rush for 500+ yards in a single season. He is on pace for approximately 4,300 & 700 yards.
--Consider all the great athletic QBs that have come before him, Steve Young, Frank Tarkenton, Randall Cunningham, Michael Vick. Cam Newton will be able to accomplish something that these great QBs couldn't do their whole career, he will accomplish this in his rookie year!

Rookie of the Week
-Cam has been nominated for ROTW 10 out of the 15 weeks thus far. His consecutive streak is 5 (WKS 1-5). For comparison, Dalton has been nominated 5 times so far. Cam has won it once, Dalton twice.

Franchise Records:

-He needs 714 more passing yards to break the Panthers franchise record of 4,436 yards (set by Beuerlein in 1999). Will need to throw for about 357 yds/game to break that.
-Also, the highest completion percentage by a CAR QB for a full 16 game season is 60.8% set by Steve Beuerlein in 2000. Cam is currently at 59.6% Don't know if mathematically possible.

CAM NEWTON IS ON PACE TO FINISH THE SEASON WITH 4,254 YARDS PASSING, 696 YARDS RUSHING, and ABOUT 35 TOTAL TDS!

They're Calling Sunday in Oakland "Megadrive"

2011-12-20T16:04:00.002-05:00

Read more about Megadrive via Kevin Seifert at the ESPN NFL Nation Blog here.

NFL Films Blog also breaks down film study of this past Sunday's Oakland/Detroit game.

The NFL on FOX Knew About Cam Newton by Week Two

2011-12-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

Cam Newton Commands the Huddle (And Beats Texans)

2011-12-19T14:42:00.000-05:00

The Panthers defeated the Texans 28-13 yesterday. The Panthers are going to be big time this time next year. Above was the turning point in the game. On the road, hostile environment, and Cam Newton tells his huddle that the game is theirs. It was the turning point in the game if you were watching it.

I can't wait to see what Newton does in the playoffs. I think the Panthers will be a force next year, I guarantee it; and you can dig up this post and remember where you heard it first.

-Link to the Fumbleruski play here.
-Game book here.

Matthew Stafford, Lions deliver Christmas Early

2011-12-18T20:40:00.000-05:00

I was absolutely amazed with the performance of the Detroit Lions today.

I've been watching football all my life, and Stafford reminds me a lot of early 90's Dan Marino without a running game. He reminds me a little bit of John Elway in terms of release and arm strength, but without as much mobility.

He drives 98 yards in just over two minutes with no timeouts remaining to beat the Oakland Raiders in the Black Hole (by the way, John Madden was in the house watching today).

Stafford is a special talent. Four touchdowns through the air today gave him the Lions franchise record previously held by Scott Mitchell. He went 29 of 52 for 391 yards and no interceptions. Megatron got his as well, 9 catches for 214 yards and two touchdowns including the game winner.

At the end of the game, it was a 28-27 Lions win that was saved around midfield by a Cliff Avril sack and an Ndamukong Suh blocked field goal from 65 yards out.

The Lions win coupled with losses from the Packers, Giants, and Bears basically has them in the playoffs. I am just so thrilled with my new team's performance today. Thanks for the early Christmas present--and I'll enjoy the next one--a playoff run.

Cowboys vs. Buccaneers Saturday Night Showdown

2011-12-17T14:28:00.001-05:00

This day reminds me of a day about 7 years ago to the day. It's the last Saturday to shop before the holiday gets crazy. Back in 2004, it was the final NFL Saturday Afternoon before the NFL Network conglomerate took over.

Really hoping the Buccaneers can steal one from the Cowboys tonight somehow. Back tonight with a recap if I don't get too drunk on Lady Bligh-spiked eggnog.

Also, this is fun. Keep Away from Ndamukong Suh:

The Weekend in Football

2011-12-16T15:11:00.000-05:00


What I'll be doing Sunday, sort of

The weekend before Christmas. Can anyone believe it's really here? There was going to be so much that I was going to do to enjoy this holiday season. It was going to be the best festivus leading up to the actual day, ever.

I'm actually yet to do any of it. Life just bogs you down. You get tired. There's football to watch. I did volunteer for a few hours last weekend. Tonight, my wife and our puppy are going to drive around and look at some Christmas lights. I showed up this past week to help my mother put up her Frazier Fur. And then I got the 24 hour flu and had to go curl up in the fetal position. Ugly sweater party tomorrow, of which what I drink there might make me want to curl up in the fetal position also.

This is a special weekend for NFL football. Remember when the NFL would have Saturday afternoon games this time of year before Christmas? Seemed like the New York Giants always had a home game.

This is one of those Saturday games I remember most vividly:

My Grandma was working on her Christmas spaghetti dish in her kitchen as I watched this one play out. Ah, great memories. Saturday football, I miss you. It was my favorite thing about the NFL season before corporate dollars and stadium naming rights took over. It's when the game was still innocent.

This Saturday is the trace remnants of what we have from the past. There is an NFL game, but for the past several years Saturdays in late December have belonged to the Dallas Cowboys and have been on at night on NFL Network. This Saturday night special is the Buccaneers and Cowboys. It's a game I would like to see. Unfortunately, I'll be getting toasted with eggnog mixed with well whiskey.

Here's the picks for the weekend, starting with that Dallas game.

PICKS:

Dallas (-7) at Tampa Bay
I think Dallas rolls here. I wish I could see this game. Keep your eye on Josh Freeman, trying to build momentum for next year and coming off a solid week last week. I like Freeman.

Miami at Buffalo (OFF)
Tony Sparano is now gone. Would love to know the stat of teams win/loss against the spread the week after their coach is fired. Buffalo has been bad for a while but gets a break here.

Seattle at Chicago (-3.5)
I need Chicago to lose to seal their season and let Detroit sneak into the playoffs so I have a horse for January. Chicago will win because of that.

Tennessee at Indianapolis (+6.5)
This is the week, ladies and gentleman. The Colts are going to win and get off the goose egg. Jake Locker will start for the Titans, and the Colts will find a way.

Green Bay (-14) at Kansas City
Two things you can trust in this season: Cam Newton against the spread, and these Packers covering. They've been real kind.

Cincinnati (-6) at St. Louis
Steve Spagnuolo, if you ever read this years down the line; you're one of the worst head coaches I've ever seen. You are 3 weeks away from getting shit-canned for being horrible and predictable. I feel bad for Sam Bradford. But he's made of glass and has caught the 'shitty bug' as well. Just get this season over with and pay Gruden $8 million a year or move to LA already.

New Orleans (-7) at Minnesota
Seems like easy money to me. There's some uncertainty with the QB situation now in Minnesota, Adrian Peterson will be back but not on top of his game, and New Orleans is nasty and still gets to play in a dome.

Washington (+7) at New York Giants
How many damn times have we seen it? Giants come off the huge win, to come home to the Meadowlands.... annnnnd, flat. Narrow victory Sunday for the Giants.

Carolina (+6.5) at Houston
I still love me some Cam Newton. This will be his signature win of the year. T.J. Yates throws a lot of crossing routes. How are defenses not sitting on these?

Detroit at Oakland (+1)
I'll have this on while the wife and mom are making the cookies. I'm not going to do much decorating of them this year. I want the Lions to win as much as I've wanted anyone to win this season; which is why you need you bet the farm on Oakland. I'm telling you--this is one of the biggest value bets of the entire season. That said, Go Lions.

New England (-6.5) at Denver
I don't know why everyone loves this game so much. Well, I guess I do. But Tebowmania aside, I am not buying the Broncos. I could see them getting beat by 21. We'll see how well that horse-shit offense works when you're down 20.

New York Jets (+3) at Philadelphia
I don't feel all that good about this one. Believe in the Jets until they're dead. Starting to think they've got more lives than Rasputin. That Christmas Eve game between the Jets and Giants wasn't meant to be meaningless, was it?

Cleveland (+7) at Arizona
The minute I heard Seneca Wallace was starting, I knew the Browns would straight up win. This is so typical Browns fashion. Not only will the sucky starting QB that they tried to market as the future be out for the foreseeable future (this happens every year in Cleveland), but I expect Wallace to play well enough to make the situation tougher for Colt McCoy whenever it is that he comes back. This meaningless win for the Browns helps them fully be out of position to take anyone that really helps them in next April's draft. Instead of a playmaker like Trent Richardson or even a QB or receiver, they'll go guard and linebacker or defensive end. In typical Browns fashion. Losers.

Baltimore (-2.5) at San Diego
Norv Turner's last stand. I don't know why everyone thinks this is such a huge game. Baltimore will rage. This won't end up being that close, I'm telling you. San Diego is not that good this year.

Pittsburgh (OFF) at San Francisco
Big Ben will play, he'll limp his big burly ass around; and despite being not able to walk he'll somehow beat the current #2 seed in the NFC. That's the life of being the Pittsburgh Steelers. It really gets old sitting around watching it.

Other Picks:
Colin Cowherd
Steelers (+2.5) over 49ers
Bills (+1.5) over Dolphins
Chargers (+3) over Ravens
Buccaneers (+7) over Cowboys
Broncos (+7) over Patriots

Pro Football Talk
CBS Sports: 3 of 5 pick Lions
ESPN NFL: 5 of 8 pick Lions
Walter football: Early | Late

Bathroom Reading:
Deadspin Jamboroo | NFL Films Gift Guide | NFL Films: Steelers-49ers | NY Times 5th Down Weekly Preview | Matthew Stafford Must Learn to Balance Risk | Bill Williamson on the Broncos |

Cam Newton Interviewed by ESPN the Magazine

2011-12-14T17:23:00.000-05:00

I am telling you he is still going to become the Micheal Jordan of the entire NFL. Wait until next year at this time.

Tim Tebow Song

2011-12-14T15:09:00.002-05:00

Catching Tebowmania while it lasts:

Hat tip: Shut Down Corner

Matthew Stafford on Dan Patrick Show

2011-12-14T12:16:00.000-05:00

Matthew Stafford appeared on the Dan Patrick Show yesterday. Listen here.

Some December Sam Bradford & Hodgepodge

2011-12-12T19:53:00.000-05:00

-Monday Night Football between the Seahawks and Rams. Sam Bradford expected to play. I'm excited to see what he's got tonight. I really am. It's interesting because the only thing that's guaranteed to be in place for the Rams one year from now is Bradford. Their coach, their offensive coordinator (Josh McDaniels), their home stadium, all might be different one year from today. And a year ago right now they were the young team on the rise. Football is a funny game.

-Tony Sparano was fired today, after yesterday's loss to the Eagles.

-Todd Haley was out the door too. Just call it Black Monday. This comes on the heels of a 37-10 loss to the New York Jets yesterday in New Jersey. Mark Sanchez threw two touches and had 181 yards without turning it over. The Jets are quietly making their run once again.

-Peter King slobbered all over Tim Tebow in his weekly MMQB column.

-As a Lions fan, focus shifts to the Raiders; who are fading. One of my favorite segments of the week and something I'll probably start writing something similar to in the near future from The Lions in Winter; Three Cups Deep.

-Wonderful material from NFL Films Blog: Houston's Last Playoff Win | Tebow & Cam | Week 14 Thoughts

-Grantland's NFL reads of the day: Alex Smith | The Dallas Collapse | RG3

-Get well soon, Mike Smith.

Now this is a look at a Football Player

2011-12-12T12:52:00.003-05:00

Lions narrow escape in 34-28 win over Vikings

2011-12-12T12:50:00.000-05:00

[Gamebook PDF]

[NFL.com] [MLive] [Detroit Free Press] [Stafford Postgame Press Conference]

Yesterday I spent the early 1:00 hour glued to my computer watching the Lions take on the Vikings. They jumped out to an early big lead, and the game ended with a minor Christmas Miracle sealing the victory for the Lions, though Christmas is actually still a few weeks away.

Matthew Stafford hit Titus Young and Brandon Pettigrew for scoring passes in the first half, and started out with 131 yards in the 1st quarter. Quiet day out of Megatron--and a day where Detroit failed again to establish a running game that could milk this one out--but in the end a crucial mistake by Joe Webb ended the game.

This will be known as the "Joe Webb fumble game". What actually happened is the refs missed a call on Cliff Avril, the Lions defensive end grabbed Webb's face-mask and the ball slipped loose. This twist of fate saved the season for the Lions; who would have been out of the NFC playoff chase for all intensive purposes.

That coupled with Tim Tebow beating the Bears in Denver later on in the day as I was having dinner with my wife and family members meant that the Lions would be able to slide into the 6th playoff spot in the NFC and continue to give us a great run of games down the stretch in Oakland, hosting San Diego on Christmas Eve and a New Years Day showdown against the Packers. They probably need one more win to get in if my math is correct.

Greatest period of the year for football, in my opinion. Sunday started that run with a big win up in Detroit.

The Football Gods Shine Upon the Lions

2011-12-11T21:36:00.000-05:00

The Lions held on to a 34-28 win today. They came thisclose to losing. Matthew Stafford hit Titus Young on a beauty pass, one of two scoring passes on the day for the Lions QB.

This is all great because the Tebow miracle run rolled onward and the Bears fell 13-10 in OT.

Robert Griffin III Takes Heisman Home

2011-12-11T12:46:00.000-05:00

I'm finally starting to figure out why it is that I love college football so much, besides it's something to consume your Saturdays with.

I watch NFL football every single Sunday. I spend holidays, weekend time with family talking about these guys. After a while you feel like you know some of these candid figures you see on TV every Sunday. The sport captures the emotion well of the players and coaches. You feel like you know these guys and that they are family after a while. They'll be bonded with some type of memory forever if you're the type of fan that I am. And these guys we watch on Saturday and the guys we saw up for the Heisman Trophy last night are the new additions to the family.

Robert Griffin III; the Baylor QB with a rocket arm who threw for huge yardage the day before I got married (no one had heard of him before that September 3rd day) won the 77th Heisman Trophy. Andrew Luck (who I wanted to win it) is the runner up for a second straight year to an electric, playmaking QB that helped a team without a lot of talent rise to new heights.

It's gonna be fun watching RGIII, Luck, Montee Ball, Honey Badger, and Trent Richardson for the next decade.

It's Sunday

2011-12-11T12:27:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday.

The Lions host the Minnesota Vikings. The Chiefs go to the Big Apple to play the Jets. The Falcons go to Carolina to take on Cam Newton and the Panthers. Then during the 4 o'clock hour the Raiders go to Lambeau to play on the December frozen Tundra. The Tim Tebow Show rolls on against the Bears in Denver.

Tonight my wife's Giants go to Dallas to take on the Cowboys in an enormous game.

Enjoy the best day of the week everybody.

Pre-Lunch Post

2011-12-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

-Here's some reasons to watch tonight's NFL Network game between the Browns and Steelers.

-I honestly thought about becoming a Packers share holder, just because.

There's this from an anonymous source in regards to Lions players and Jim Schwartz:

First off I will not reveal the player name, nor will i disclose where it was at. I work for a major retail store, and plenty of Detroit Lions players come in, and I have established good relationships with most of them.

Player comes in to buy a Beats by Dre headset few weeks ago on a Tuesday which is their day off, and we get in the discussion of Coach Schwartz. I asked how does it feel to play for a good coach. He said and ill quote a few things " Honestly I hate playing for him, he's a b**ch and annoying, a lot of us hate playing for him" " If Gun was the head coach we all have more respect and play harder" Talked about the team struggles " Last year it was on us that its our fault where losing(the defense), now the offense aint doing **** for us this year, and the we're (defense) holding it down" After hearing that I was kind of in shock and I asked him after the 49ers game when Schwartz got into it with Harbaugh did you want Harbaugh to lay Schwartz out, he laughed and said " Hell Yea I wish".

-Matthew Stafford is tracking big numbers this season.

-Nick Saban is a dick.

-See who Pro Football Talk picks for week 14.

-KSK Garrett/Jerry Jones.

I'm picking up some Harpoon and going to get lunch.

The Annual Browns-Steelers Christmas Massacre

2011-12-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

2005: Pittsburgh Steelers 41, Cleveland Browns 0 (Christmas Eve, in Cleveland no less).

2006: Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Cleveland Browns 7 (This was a Thursday Night)

There's a couple December examples of how I think tonight's act of NFL Network's Thursday Night Football will go.

It's going to be ugly.

I expect the Browns to cross midfield about twice, and move it inside the Pittsburgh 20 maybe once if they execute about as well as they have all season. This is not going to be a down to the wire game, and it's going to end pretty similar to last week's game against Baltimore.

It's not going to be much of a party, and the game will probably get ugly. Hard as we'll all root, unless you have some Great Lakes Christmas Ales on hand, it's really not going to be very entertaining.

Colt McCoy is slowly running out of time--at least I think. It's hard to believe at this time last year I was begging my wife for a McCoy jersey for Christmas and now he's fighting to keep the job for next year. It would take one or two really nice solid games from McCoy where he shows some big time NFL throws to probably keep the Browns from taking their starter in the draft next year. So if you're a Colt McCoy fan in Cleveland, it's a critical juncture. But most people have stopped believing in this young man by now. Or doubt has set in.

In general, we've almost made the weekend. It's December. The Browns are on TV and they're a heavy underdog. If they win tonight it will be talked about for years. It's going to be between 25 and 36 degrees tonight in Pittsburgh and clear; what's not to love about that. It's hitting weather.

Should be fun tonight, at least for a few minutes. Now I have to go find some Christmas Ales at lunch time.

The Tuesday Post

2011-12-06T15:22:00.000-05:00

-NFL Films has a tribute to Cam Newton breaking the rushing TD record for QB's.

-Colin Cowherd is an elitist who likes elitist things. Subway sandwiches. Zagat accredited restaurants. The Dallas Cowboys. New York Cocktail bars. He's talking as I write this post to Ed Werder about how wonderful it must be to cover the Dallas Cowboys.

-Keith Olbermann says Suzy Kolber caused shit at ESPN.

-The People who Hate Tim Tebow by Chuck Klosterman.

-Quick Reads from last week from our friends at Football Outsiders.

-The Power Rankings over at ESPN are out.

-Kissing Suzy Kolber with their weekly installment of banging on Peter King.

-No one will talk about Matthew Stafford's big day this past Sunday because the Lions lost. Also here's some video courtesy of SB Nation of Stafford's only TD pass the other night.

-I told everyone from the very beginning that Cam Newton was going to end up being better than Andrew Luck. Pat Yasinskas writes about things a year later.

This day in football history: McNabb shines for the Eagles

2011-12-05T14:30:00.000-05:00

This time of year will always remind me of Donovan McNabb and the Eagles a little bit. From 1999 to 2004, when this NFL Films Blog post talks about; McNabb and the Eagles won a ton of games around this time of year.

It's hard to believe that this is an example of a career winding down. A career that began when I was in high school--along with another one of my favorites Tim Couch. I spent a lot of Sundays really pulling for McNabb and the Eagles. I absolutely loved being the Eagles on old Madden video games through the Mcnabb/Duce Staley/Freddie Mitchell era.

Saints dismantle Lions on Monday Night Football

2011-12-05T14:10:00.000-05:00

[Game Book]

[Pride of Detroit] [ESPN NFL Nation] [Pro Football Talk] [NBC Sports]

The game I looked forward to for most of the week and weekend never got any closer than 24-17.

In the end, it was the stupidity and undisciplined players on the Lions who would damn their chances. Their play alone says they can hang with the Saints and anyone in the NFC. But it could be their lack of discipline that has this team at home instead of their first playoff appearance in a long time.

Matthew Stafford was pretty strong in this game. He threw for 408 yards and hit Maurice Morris on a touchdown pass to cut the deficit from 24-10 to 24-17, but that would be as close as they would get.

Nate Burleson drew 3 offensive pass interference calls last night. The game log will tell the story that the Lions were right in this one and it at least should have been closer than it was. The Lions had a field goal blocked before halftime--and the man from the Saints who blocked the field goal appeared to be offsides but wasn't flagged.

Also, immediately after halftime the Lions went out and made a statement drive. They drove inside the 5 yard line and had a 3rd down and 1 from inside the 5 when Titus Young decided to get chippy and throw a punch/push at a Saints player. Young was flagged, and the Lions went from a surging drive that would have given them a touchdown in a play or two to 3rd and 16, and kicking to be down 24-10.

At that point, you could see Lions center Dom Raiola on the sidelines getting in the face of Titus Young. It was obvious that this would cost the Lions dearly and it just wasn't going to be in the cards for them to succeed on this Sunday night.

I enjoyed this one. The Lions showed they can play with anyone. Kevin Smith and Nick Fairley are going to be good dominant forces for this team and Matthew Stafford is a star quarterback. My wife has the tree up and the house decorated so the house looks great. My puppy really behaved himself during the game.

My team just didn't win. It's going to be a heck of a run down the stretch though for the Lions.

Peyton Manning: "Bill Polian never told me he was drafting a Quarterback."

2011-12-04T12:41:00.001-05:00

On the NFL Today Show on CBS, Peyton Manning told Jim Brown and the rest in studio that Bill Polian's conversation with him about drafting a Quarterback occurred about two years ago.

Manning states that the comments were mis-interpreted. He says that these things will work themselves out but it's not a forgone conclusion that the Colts are selecting Luck or any other Quarterback in the 2011 draft.

Manning also joked about being 0-11 as an assistant coach and taking over Dan Marino's seat when 'Marino goes to take over the Dolphins next year'.

It's Sunday

2011-12-04T09:20:00.000-05:00

The Cleveland Browns play a Municipal Stadium Sunday today in Cleveland at 4:00. The Bengals and Steelers tip things off early at 1:00 for division supremacy.

The day's crown jewel for me is Lions in New Orleans taking on the Saints.

It's Sunday.

T.G.I.T Thursday Night Football

2011-12-01T14:03:00.000-05:00

We're into another December, and there's football on tonight. The Eagles and Seahawks clash in the Pacific Northwest tonight in what is being billed on the NFL Network as an elimination game.

I'm starting to love Thursdays as much as Friday's based on one short premise: you can get through one day of anything. It's ok to stay up late, have a little hangover, and generally play hurt on Thursday because you have a couple days of rest to get back to full strength on the weekend. A wise man told me once that Fridays are the best day to be hungover, because then you're not wasting your time; you're wasting "theirs" as in your company.

You might be able to tell that I'm in the beer drinking mood tonight. I went to the store to buy some Harpoon Winter Warmer--but no luck. They're all out. It sucks, but I do have a fridge full of Christmas Ale.

I love Thursday Night Football. And it should be another great night to kick off December.

Lions Good News/Bad News

2011-11-29T23:44:00.000-05:00

I cannot wait to watch Detroit and New Orleans go at it Sunday Night. Good news arrived today as Matthew Stafford is practicing without gloves.

“He didn’t have glove on?” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said with a smile when asked about it after practice. “I didn’t notice.”

Of course, they also got the verdict that Ndamukong Suh was suspended for two games, with Sunday evening's contest being one of those games.

Remembering Browns v. Bengals 2004

2011-11-29T09:49:00.000-05:00

I love NFL Films Blog for posts like this one.

I was there. It was November 28th, 2004. I had been with my girlfriend (now my wife) for all of about two months.

Kelly Holcomb threw for over 400 that day and 5 TD's. William Green amassed 75 yards. I got drunk with my friend Mike. I couldn't believe the amount of scoring we saw that day.

It's ironic that NFL Films Blog posted this because whenever I go to a Browns/Bengals tilt in Cincinnati, I often think of this day. It was one of the more memorable Browns losses since the return. It was entertaining, high-flying football. It was the last game I ever saw Butch Davis coach live (he ironically suffered panic attacks around this time).

Browns-Bengals Cincinnati Version 2011

2011-11-28T13:03:00.000-05:00

[Game Log]

[NFL.com]

I'll sum this up with something from a Browns message board I read that really resonated the most with me. I would love to take credit for it, but I simply don't have it in me.

I know it was nothing flashy, but it WAS pretty efficient and to the point. You knew when they got up, that they weren't STAYING up. The mistakes, the bad-decisions, the fear - all started to appear like clockwork. You saw that they really put their nose to the grindstone and really dedicated themselves to pulling defeat from the jaws of victory in this one. A true team effort.

The Rams game was Keystone Kops-type stuff. THIS game was like, "We are the Bizarro Green Bay Packers." Just like the Packers decide when it is time to put the other team away, the Browns decide when it is time to unravel. Just like the Packers say, "It's WINNIN' TIME!", the Browns say, "It's LOSIN' TIME!"

Other losses were flashier and more entertaining and more humorous, but I am truly impressed by the methodical nature of the unraveling in this one. It's like they said, as a team, "We're up by 10 - somethin' ain't right."

And:

You knew that, when they set their minds to it, there was no way they were going to let this loss slip through their fingers. There was no single glaring foul-up, like the quick-snap in the first Bengals game, or the bad snap in the Rams game. No - this was a methodical unraveling. This was a team that was in danger of winning and said, "Look, Guys - We are not this good. We need to start playing Browns football. We need to start going 3 and out, throwing incredibly stupid interceptions, let the opponent's skill position players embarrass us, settling for FGs instead of TDs, and find a way to lose."

And that's what they did. It was beautiful in its parsimony.

These frickin' losers. I don't feel like writing much else. Just look at the pictures I took, know that the Browns are losers and champions only at driving away lifetime loyal fans and making golden goose type of investors in sports (people love the Browns when they're good more than any other franchise in sports) go away slowly.

Honestly there's nothing to be happy about. I used to get upset about these types of losses into the middle of weeks. They would dominate my thought. I don't even care anymore nor am I surprised. They're fricking losers. Their coach Pat Shumur is a loser and a bad hire.

Way to play not to lose football there at the end of the game, Pat. And then way to attempt a 50+ yard field goal into the wind on the road instead of punting. What a bad hire.

I showed up to my Uncle Frank's house yesterday morning with my wife, Stephanie; and he had these surprises for us. We received two on-field passes for before yesterday's games to watch the Browns and Bengals warm up. It was the first time I have ever been on the field for the game.

Here's the end zone where Phil Dawson missed his field goal because of the wind and another bad snap by our champion long-snapper Ryan Pontbriand.

The 50 yard line and the watercooler and all that good stuff.

Here's a look at the replay booth on-field. This is probably as close as I'll ever get to one again in my life.

Screw the Browns. I'm off to read and write about some real football.

Yahoo's Silver: Colt McCoy Hazed by former Coaching Staff

2011-11-25T21:36:00.002-05:00

“There were times I had to pull my helmet off to call a play in the huddle,” McCoy recalled in an interview earlier this month. “Guys could hear him yelling, and they’d say, ‘Just take it off.’ People said to me, ‘Man, I ain’t never seen anything like that. Just hang in there.’” [Yahoo]

Lions - Turkey Day Recap

2011-11-25T21:30:00.000-05:00

[Game Book]

[ESPN NFL Nation - Rapid Reaction] [Pride of Detroit] [ESPN NFL Nation - Suh] [Lions Insider] [The Lions in Winter] [MLive.com] [Wall Street Journal] [NFL.com Highlights]

Maybe the best Thanksgiving I've ever had ended without any football fulfillment. But that doesn't matter. The experiences are all that matter. I kind of began to figure that the teams I wanted to win on Turkey Day wouldn't get it done for me. And sure enough, my favorite player in the game of football tossed three picks and by the time I really got to settle in and watch the Lions, the game was basically over.

The greatest part of my day, without any shadow of a doubt; was waking up early to take a walk with my wife Stephanie and my dog Bentley yesterday morning early. We went down to the beach and our puppy just ran and played and had the time of his life. This is when I realized and said to myself that I am a lucky man. This is when I felt at peace and gave thanks to the Lord about the things I was thankful in life. It was just a really pleasant beginning to what ended up being a day that I'll cherish for as long as I live.

After our relaxing walk on the beach with our pup, we headed over to my father in law's residence and had a nice couple glasses of red wine and watched the kick off of my crown jewel Thanksgiving football game of the entire weekend.

I quickly had to go to the dining room for lunch and didn't have the chance to see what seemed to appear like a pretty good first half from the Lions on my phone. Then a pick from Matthew Stafford came. Then a missed field goal. It was 7-0 at the half.

I went down to the den at my in-laws residence and kicked my feet up. My wife was not happy about it but I pretty much had her permission. Soon thereafter, Suh pulled his best Albert Haynesworth impression from his hat and was ejected. The Lions turned what would have been a 10-0 ballgame into a quick 14-0 game. It would grow to 24-0 until finally they cracked the scoreboard. My wife made me head over to her mother's side of the family's at that point down 24-8 and my belly was swelled with all the garbage I had eaten.

Basically, I didn't get the chance to watch the game. But it was still a damn good build up. And I think the Lions can play with these guys, I really do. Green Bay clearly took away the deep ball, as Stafford checked down a frustrating amount of times and I didn't see one attempt at a deep shot taken the entire game. He threw into the teeth of the 3-4 defense all day long underneath it instead of going overtop for the big play.

It was agonizing to watch, what little I did see. Aaron Rodgers again did his thing. It seemed a pedestrian game for the greatest there is; but he had his 2 TD, no turnover, 300+ yard game.

I had some of the best turkey that I've ever eaten in my life (in my opinion, anything deep fried does not count). The rest of the Thanksgiving fixins are on the plate as well. I also had a great salad bar, some crab stuffed fish of some type, and vodka penne. Later on (our second meal of the day) at my wife's mother's house I could not eat at all. I had only a few bites of marshmallow covered sweet potatoes and that was all.

My second Thanksgiving away from home in New Jersey was a terrific Thanksgiving that would have been made perfect with a Lions win (and a Dallas loss to cover my bet). But all in all I really enjoyed my day and cherish the things in my life that I should. I'm off my soap box, and I apologize for turning a football blog into a journal momentarily.

Thanksgiving Early Game Open Thread

2011-11-24T11:30:00.001-05:00

It's Thanksgiving. Went for a walk on the Jersey shore beach with my dog Bentley and now we've got the Macy's Parade on. In a little bit I'll head down to my father in-laws where hopefully I don't get in too much trouble trying to see my Lions get after the undefeated Packers.

Pics of my first plate, and maybe second to come later on. Eat til' you're sick! Happy Festivus everyone!

See you tomorrow in the Land of Turducken

2011-11-23T22:31:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving to me was always about great food, good football, my family, and relaxing in the comfort of my parents home that was heated by a woodburning stove. It's also about the start of the Christmas season. It's about John Madden (and Pat Summerall for that matter). Big performances by Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Eddie George, Marcus Allen, and a handful of others.

It envokes so many memories of my childhood. It's my favorite time of year. The football games in the front yard. The battles on Sega Genesis madden. The night before Thanksgiving trips to the bar with buddies. The Macy's day parade with my sister.

The token Christmas movie they throw on every night. My dad's oyster dressing that I'm running out of years to try.

It just means so much, man. The memories are rich and my life has been good. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. Go Lions.

Goodnight everyone. Happy Festivus.

Thanksgiving is almost here

2011-11-23T15:00:00.001-05:00

I'm in New Jersey at my wife's for the second straight Thanksgiving.

It's times like right now that I'm really happy I started a little football blog several years back. The next four days really are a celebration of food, good fortune, family, friends, and football. All things we're thankful for.

On the drive out here I pretty much had it locked on ESPN radio the entire time. The topics of domination were Urban Meyer being picked up by the Ohio State Buckeyes as their next head coach. The Columbus Dispatch confirmed--and I got a call from my dad. Really nice news on that front. In other news, we heard a lot of Jets and Mark Sanchez talk along with Tim Tebow.

For me, the biggest story in sports right now are tomorrow's three beauty football games while you're gorging yourself with food. The crown jewel of those games tomorrow is the 10-0 Green Bay Packers taking on the 7-3 Detroit Lions. I've made no secret this season that I am loving Detroit with their signature talent of Suh, Megatron and Stafford along with a lot of other really nice complimentary players. How about the game Matthew Stafford had last week?

I have had this game circled all year on my schedule. I felt that the Lions have the nastiness on defense to slow down the Packers video game passing attack and the Lions can score to keep up with anyone. The Packers don't scare me right now on defense. I'll stop short of making any type of prediction, but I'll just say that I have a feeling about this one. I have had a feeling all year about it. I think you maybe see the game of the year tomorrow after turning off the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and you tune into a classic. Remember, the Lions have been here before.

Pro Football Talk feels we'll see a hell of a game as well.

After the best game of the day, you've got a Leon Lett redux:

So many memories about those times. I was down at my late granddad's house. I remember it like it was yesterday.

I don't think this game will be that close--but with the way Miami has been playing you have to think they at least do enough to give us a good half. I don't mind this game being on during the true dinner hour because I am used to missing a lot of the Cowboys Thanksgiving game over the years.

Then to close out the night you've got the Harbaugh Bowl. My good friend Nick (huge Niners fan) is going to be actually attending this one. He said he thought about making a sign that says 'I hope J. Harbaugh wins!'. I hope he doesn't quit his day job to become a comedian.

Such a great slate to kick off the holidays--with big time college games coming Friday (LSU/Arkansas being the biggest) and then rivalry Saturday and of course a full Sunday slate.

I'll be checking in as often as possible to record and comment on observations.

Five Beers with your Thanksgiving Day Dinner

2011-11-22T13:13:00.002-05:00

Since Beer and Football go hand and hand.

Monday's Post

2011-11-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

Such a great weekend of football. Saturday night's games were absolutely unreal. I missed Robert Griffin the III lighting up Bobby Stoops and Oklahoma. But I got a good look at USC tearing up Oregon and also got to watch a lot of the Ohio State/Penn State tilt.

Finally yesterday my Brownies won and Colt Mccoy looked the part of NFL starting QB. I watched a good chunk of the Lions/Panthers game. How about Matthew Stafford? It sets up an epic Thursday of NFL football for us all. And I think I get to see the Browns play in Cincinnati on Sunday.

-SI's Peter King comes strong in Monday Morning QB, talking about these Turkey Day games of wonder:

I love Thanksgiving. Always have. It's the food mostly, and seeing family I haven't seen in a while. Football's always been a part of it, but never the central part. This year might be different. This week, I'm going to politely have to say, "Uh, I need to watch 10 hours of football on Thanksgiving.''

It's not going to work, but a fellow can try. The TV's going off at some point, and it'll be off for a couple of hours at least, as it should be. But the one thing that's happened in the last month is that every game Thursday is now incredibly relevant. This is likely the best combo platter of football games the league's ever had on Thanksgiving, and certainly the best tripleheader since the league added the night game in 2006.

I'm going to New Jersey for Thanksgiving tomorrow night. I'll be scribing from my in-laws probably most of the week with an epic Thanksgiving post detailing my picks for all three games either Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. This is like the best time of year for football.

-Stampede Blue says the Colts are GOING to draft Andrew Luck. If he goes #1 overall to the Colts and they start their re-build, I might have to travel back to Indy for his first start. It would be a cool thing to see and only a three hour drive for me. I love Indianapolis as a city.

-The Browns face a tough AFC North schedule starting now. They play a winnable game in Cincinnati on Sunday (winnable in my opinion) and then host the Steelers on Thursday Night Football.

It's Sunday

2011-11-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

The Brownies host the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Detroit Lions play host to Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. It's an old school "Bay of Pigs" rivalry between the Buccaneers and Packers during the 4:00 hour.

It's Sunday. And we're getting close to Thanksgiving. That is never a bad thing.

Saturday Post

2011-11-19T15:05:00.000-05:00

My wife is decorating the house for Christmas since we have to have them up before Thanksgiving and we're heading to New Jersey on Tuesday. The Buckeyes are getting ready to take on Penn State. Rumors surrounding the Buckeyes pursuing Urban Meyer are swirling. Though Meyer denies it. I think he's coming to Columbus and I think it's the best chance we have at restoring respectability and championship style football to the Buckeye program.

Lee Corso dropped an F-bomb this morning on Gameday. To think I missed that to go out and buy Christmas presents for my dog at Moochie & Company.

I went to get The Whore of Akron book by Scott Raab this morning but my local Barnes & Noble had sold out of it. Read a really good review of it here.

It's been a rough 24 hours for Oklahoma State and their fans. I can't believe the Cowboys lost in double overtime last night to Iowa State in Ames.

Somehow I ended up on Grantland, where they're talking about WWE Survivor Series; which takes place tomorrow night. The Rock is back.

I spent the morning playing this game--it's the first time I've played a non-sports game on my Playstation 3. It's pretty good. Definitely keeps your interests.

Of course my mind keeps drifting to tomorrow's game the Browns have with the Jaguars. We've got a home game in Cleveland and it's going to be the last chance to get a win for a while. The Jaguars defense is good, but the Browns defense isn't a pushover and we're going against a rookie QB. The Browns really are going to be desperate to get a win, at least I think.

My visit to Indianapolis

2011-11-16T13:41:00.000-05:00

This past Monday I had a chance to attend the Big-I Insurance convention in Indianapolis for my real job and it gave me a chance to see the city for the first time. As Luck would have it (no play on words there, I swear), I also had the chance to be right next to Lucas Oil Field with the all day long convention being held at a hotel next door to the stadium.

It did not take long for me to fall in love with this city. It reminded me of Columbus quite a bit, except with a pro football team at it's epicenter. It's clear to me that this franchise that is dripping with tradition is not a Pacers town, or a racing town. It's still a Colts town, even in the midst of the most disappointing season they have ever experienced.

Great times lie ahead for the Colts, and they seem to realize that. I got the chance to eat at the Colts Grille, where just the day before Reggie Wayne had mad an appearance. In talking to the manager of the Colts Grille--which has the coolest menu I've ever seen in my life--the same ownership group actually owns Eddie George '27' grill in Columbus.

I quickly saw while looking at the menu why the is the most obese city in America. A lot of the items on the menu were needlessly loaded with cheese or other various carb items. Just a great Midwestern cuisine options for the aspiring to be obese football fan. And I love it.

It was interesting to me to be able to turn on the air waves all day and hear things like fans debating whether or not to hang onto Peyton Manning once the Colts secure the #1 overall pick and take Andrew Luck. Even in the midst of a bad season, these guys have a lot of excitement on the forefront and a town that is excited about it's ownership, team, and future right now. They know they're going to be fine.

And here it is, where just the day before the Colts fell to the Jaguars 17-3.

"All the scores I’ll never settle, all the debts I can’t repay, all my ghosts await me here."

2011-11-15T20:04:00.002-05:00

[Game Log]

[Cleveland PD Ohio Sports Blog] [Plain Dealer] [WFNY] [Dawgs by Nature] [Cleveland Frowns] [NFL.com Highlights]

They did it to me again.

If Pat Shurmur lets Colt McCoy throw the ball one time from the 9 yard line at the end of the game, the Browns go up 19-13 and they win the game. Instead, they played not-to-lose football and they lost on a missed snap attempt from Ryan Pontbriand.

A few days after my birthday I had the honor of seeing Colt McCoy have what I consider to be his finest game of the 2011 season and his second finest performance as a pro (his best game as a pro was also the last game I was in Cleveland for against the Patriots).

McCoy was as advertised. He completed 20 of 27 (74%) for 218 yards. He showed a quick release. He managed the offense to four scoring drives, but just couldn't finish one with a touchdown that his team needed to win. He also added maybe the best throw of his career--a 52 yard toss to Greg Little.

I sat in Cleveland with my wife and three of my best friends and watched the Browns find a way to break hearts again. I wonder when it will ever end. We talked about the good times that lie ahead and we thought about the times that have passed us by on the very lakefront that we drank Christmas Ales, grilled, and threw the football.

There's still something magical and throwback about being in Cleveland on a Sunday. There's still something magical about watching those orange helmets in an autumn wind. I really want this kid who plays Quarterback to be the one for the Browns.

The glory days are out in front of us. They'll come to fruition someday. And when they do it's going to be a season long party for us all.

Raiders & Carson Palmer the story on Thursday Night opener

2011-11-11T10:35:00.000-05:00

Last night the Raiders beat the Chargers 24-17 on my 29th birthday in San Diego.

I have to say, Carson Palmer surprised me. His movement in the pocket, his willingness to throw the ball down the field and his accuracy when doing so. Denarius Moore had a really nice game for the Raiders and Kamerion Wimbley was an absolute force in getting to the quarterback.

The balance of power in the AFC West didn't so much shift, but I expected the Chargers to find a way to win this game and they didn't. They're not the lock pick to beat up on the other AFC West teams that they once were. The Raiders have now won three straight games over San Diego and last night they did it by pounding Micheal Bush 30 times for around 160 yards.

It was an exciting debut of Thursday Night Football.

Thursday Night Football: Raiders & Chargers kick off the slate

2011-11-10T14:32:00.000-05:00

It's my birthday. And this has always kicked off the best time of the year.

The Raiders play the Chargers tonight. And although I really have no rooting interest for either team, this is like the time of year that I really like to take in teams that I don't normally pay any attention to on Sundays during the regular season. These two teams will kick off tonight in what is an important game for both--most likely about the time that I get home from my birthday dinner.

Philip Rivers is fun to watch. The Raiders are always a storyline of some type. Carson Palmer in the silver and black. Both of these teams are desperate for a win.

I love Thursday night football because it's not quite the weekend yet but it's close enough that you can consider it that. It's safe to kick off your 'weekend' by having a few beers if you want. Or staying up just a little later watching the postgame press conferences right on NFL Network. And it's the best time of the year--a chill in the air and the leaves have all changed. It's six weeks of big time football.

And it starts tonight.

Joe Paterno agrees to step down

2011-11-09T12:51:00.000-05:00

It's really over, announced this morning one day before my 29th birthday.

It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.
My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.

I've grown up with Joe Paterno a fixture of the game I watch on Saturdays. I'm going to miss him being a part of the mystique.

Hopefully I can catch the game in Columbus a few Saturdays from now.

Heading to Cleveland Sunday for my Birthday

2011-11-08T13:27:00.000-05:00

I couldn't think of anything better to do, so Sunday we'll head up to our old stomping grounds in Cleveland to see the hapless Browns take on the Rams in C-town.

This is coming off a Browns 30-12 loss in Houston this past week. It was absolutely awful. The Browns are horrendous. The only reason to watch right now is because I like Colt McCoy and have some hopes that he can become the QB of the future for the Browns but it is becoming glaring that the Browns don't have the talent around him he will need to succeed and patience seems to be wearing thing in terms of sticking with stability at the position.

Sometimes I feel like doing this.

The NFL's Most Disliked Players & Other News of the Day

2011-11-08T13:19:00.000-05:00

Here are some must read links from today around the web involving all things football:

-The most 10 disliked players from around the NFL. [Forbes]
-Wondering what former PSU linebacker Lavar Arrington is thinking about the Jerry Sandusky mess? [College Football Talk]
-When I driving to work yesterday, I came to a reality that this is how a legend goes down. [Deadspin]
-Oliver Luck won't manipulate his son Andrew's draft stock. [PFT]
-Mark Sanchez watch, week nine. [NBC Connecticut]
-Peter King MMQB from last week. [Sports Illustrated]
-Last night's Eagles/Bears game sucked if you wanted the Iggles to get the W. [KSK]
-Steve Sarkisian thinks Matt Barkley is a better prospect than Andrew Luck. [ESPN Los Angeles]
-Still cannot believe Patrick Peterson cost me this bet Sunday. [USA Today]

It's Sunday

2011-11-06T11:45:00.000-05:00

The Browns head to Houston to take on the Texans. The Rams are in Arizona with a Questionable Sam Bradford to take on the Cardinals. The Jets and Bills meet up at Rich Stadium in Buffalo for an important AFC East showdown. The Patriots and Giants do battle in New England. It should be another terrific Sunday.

NFL Turning Point: Vikings vs. Panthers

2011-11-04T15:40:00.001-04:00

The Cam Newton timeline

2011-11-03T14:38:00.000-04:00

Great article over at the SB Nation today.

It chronicles from when I started following Cam last year in college all the way to the present day. Appearances made by the "Cammy Cam Juice" (VIDEO) and everything along the way.

PFT says Cam Newton far, far better than anyone ever thought

2011-11-02T12:02:00.000-04:00

This coming in their bye week review of the Carolina Panthers.

Promising decade ahead
Cam Newton is far better, far sooner than even Warren Moon imagined. You could argue Newton is already one of the ten best quarterbacks in football. Carolina’s offense was dead last in points, passing yards, and total yards last season. They rank 14th, 5th, and 5th respectively this year. That’s all Newton.

Newton’s rushing totals (317 yards, 7 TDs) are big as expected. But no one expected him to be such a composed pocket passer. He doesn’t look to run unless it’s necessary. He doesn’t get too flustered by blitzes. He delivers strikes with bodies around him in the pocket.

There are still some errant throws and his decision making can be improved, but that’s to be expected. The Panthers found themselves a franchise quarterback who can be one of the game’s best sooner than you think.

He's already one of the best in the NFL. Top five. The guy is unreal. I'm not sure it can be said a lot different than that.

Cam Newton: Week 8 vs. Vikings

2011-11-01T14:05:00.000-04:00

On Sunday I watched a good part of this game and had the opportunity to see Cam Newton put his team in position to win again. This Sunday--a Sunday I felt so sure about with the Panthers being only 3 and 1/2 point underdogs--the Panthers would fall short on a shanked wide-left kick by Olindo Mare.

As you will see below, Cam Newton did what Cam Newton always does. He threw aspirin tablets all around the yard all day. Check it out:

[Game Book]

Blogs:

[Pro Football Focus ] [Pro Football Talk ] [SB Nation ] [Charlotte Observer ] [San Francisco Chronicle ] [ESPN ] [Cat Scratch Reader ] [Cat Crave]

The play above was a turning point as big as any in the game.

Newton scrambled on a third down play and appeared to move the chains on a dramatic diving superman play that resembled the past week's superman dive near the goal line. Had the play stood, it would have set up Newton and the Panthers with a few more plays in a 1st & Goal to go situation to try and win the ballgame.

Instead, referee Ed Hochuli threw the yellow laundry, called a holding foul and the Panthers would not be able to convert the 1st down after throwing it short of the sticks on 3rd and 4.

That set up Mare's miss. The Panthers were 2-6 heading into their bye week and I lost my bet. On possibly the best pro day of his career--Cam Newton was not victorious. He was even better than his stats would show (rating of over 130 on the day).

It's Sunday

2011-10-30T09:58:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday once again. I've got my coffee, my chew, and my jersey hanging ready in the closet.

Today's slate has the Browns taking on the 49ers, one of the biggest games the Browns have played since 2007. They're out in San Francisco and I won't be able to get the game at my house so I'm heading to the sports bar.

The Panthers play the Vikings in Carolina. The Cowboys battle the Eagles tonight in prime time.

The Giants host the Dolphins to try to keep them in the Luck sweepstakes.

Here's some 1993 video of the season finale at the Meadowlands. You know this one. The Emmitt Smith separated shoulder game. I am pretty sure my wife was at this game just 7 years old at the time.

I hope SportsVideosGalore1 on YouTube sticks around a while. There are a ton of great videos available from the 80's and 90's when I was growing up on his channel.

Enjoy your Sunday everyone.

Browns GM Tom Heckert says Colt McCoy is his 2012 Opening Day Starter

2011-10-28T10:10:00.002-04:00

Check it out here.

Inside the NFL on Cam Newton

2011-10-27T23:28:00.001-04:00

We don't miss a thing

ESPN's First Take: Film Room Cam Newton

2011-10-27T23:18:00.001-04:00

Trent Dilfer/Colin Cowherd Transcript on Cam Newton

2011-10-27T01:34:00.002-04:00

I did a full transcript of the radio interview Dilfer did with Colin Cowherd the other day, and just wanted to share it for those who don't listen to ESPN Radio.

My favorite part: "He's just a puppy!"

Colin
Let's move onto Cam Newton. What do you see? You liked him the first workout, and I said on the air "Oh, man, Dilfer's going crazy! He's sees him in his shorts! Dilfer, settle down!" What do you see?

Trent
March, I'm out there in March I think it was for his pro media day thing. And, I watched all the film, I liked a lot of what I saw, but I wasn't sure. I mean, you just weren't sure on who the kid was, if he could really throw it, if it was a product of teams always playing him as a runner. Being around him from that day, and spending some time with him after, you knew there was something special. I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, but you knew you were around a special guy. It was obvious you were around a special athlete. As a thrower, what blew me away, and the reason I spoke so highly about what I saw, was. . .you just know when guys are born to throw a football, when it just pops off their hand.

Colin
Aaron Rodgers.

Trent
Yeah, we go, Steve Young and I, will go throw the ball on Monday nights, we're on site, and we'll throw it around with guys, and certain guys just can throw and certain guys can't. Cam Newton was born to throw. I mean, the way the ball comes off his hand is remarkable. The other thing I saw that day, and I think this is really why I'm most excited about him: any coach will tell you, to be a great player, you've got to be coachable. Not just "hey, do what I say" but you've got to be able to change, have the ability to change the next snap. So, a coach points something out, a flaw that you have, you have to have the ability on the next snap to change it. We're throwing that day, and Cam's throwing the ball, and he misses a couple high, which has always been his miss, and Warren Moon and I kinda look at each other and talk a couple of things, and Warren Moon goes up to him and says "Cam, your left shoulder's a little high," tells him about his feet, takes about forty-five seconds out of his time. Cam never misses another ball high after it. Goes to the combine, starts missing high again, we talk over the phone, he says "Yeah, I got sloppy, I know it happens, I'm going to address it, I'm going to fix it." Doesn't miss high very often anymore. The ability to change, going back to fundamentals. He's got a very sound fundamental platform, his mechanics are solid, allows him to change, and get better down-per-down basis.

Colin
(And he does so) quickly! Which is what Tebow, by the way, struggles with: bad mechanics. He's just trying to figure out the basics.

Trent
Yes, so I think that my biggest thing for Cam Newton is: please don't make the mistake, at home right now, or when you watch him, of trying to compare him to any player you've ever seen. Don't just take out the old running quarterbacks and so "oh, Cam Newton's like this guy." No, he's not. He's better. He's as good a runner as all the guys you're thinking about, and he's twice the thrower. And don't say "OK, well, is he Dan Marino, or John Elway, or Aaron Rodgers?" No, he's not. He doesn't have to be. He's a completely different person, but yet can throw. His best throws, are that of Marino, and Rodgers, and whatnot. I think he's gonna redefine the position.

Colin
Holy moly!

Trent
Because, I don't know if he'll ever be as surgical as a Brees, a Brady, a Rodgers, but he's never gonna have to be, because he's so physical, this man is so big and so strong. And he's just a puppy! He's still a puppy with big ol' paws, and he doesn't know where to put them all the time. . .

Colin
(laughs)

Trent
When he becomes a show dog, and when he grows into this body, and he puts on another ten pounds of muscle, there's no fear of being tackled in the pocket.

Colin
Oh, man, he's got none.

Trent
None. Zero. So he can hold the ball a little bit longer, like Ben Roethlisberger. Now talk about making throws: there is not a throw, that's ever been created, that he can't make. Just yesterday, he made three or four throws that (were) of a Rodgers, a Brady, a Manning. Incredible, high level of difficulty, throws he makes with ease. Talk about is he smart enough? I've been with the kid, the kid loves football. He loves studying, and he loves being challenged. When George Whitfield in San Diego got him as a personal quarterback tutor, he didn't understand that a 18 yard route took a seven step drop. I mean, that's the remedial level he was at in quarterbacking. He's now, just in what he's advanced in, in the last eight months, is remarkable. He dives into the film room, he dives into the book, he is like these guys you talk about all the time that are so invested in getting great. When we text, he texts about "I want to be like Manning, I want like Brady, I want to be like Brees, I want to be like Rodgers." He uses his physicality as a bailout, not his foundation.

Colin
Right. That was always the difference with Vince Young, just the opposite with him.

Trent
Exactly. This is a special..talk about intangibles! Right? Everyone wants to talk about the Tim Tebow magic. This dude has that too! He walks into a room, and people like, stand at attention. So, he's gonna have some rough spots. It's ridiculous to think he's not. But his ceiling for success, as I said in March when I saw him in shorts, is the highest I've ever seen, because he's gonna. . .there's so many kids he's gonna redefine the position for, there's so many kids who are in seventh, eighth grade, that are the biggest, strongest, fastest kid in their Little League program, that now can go play quarterback, because Cam Newton's made it all right now for that kid to go play quarterback. When they get developed right, they're going to change the position.

Colin
Wow.

Cam's touchdown run vs. Redskins

2011-10-24T15:03:00.001-04:00

A Transcendent Talent at Quarterback

2011-10-24T13:56:00.003-04:00

[Game Log]

[Shutdown Corner - Video 25 yard run] [ESPN] [FOX Sports] [Washington Post]

[Scott Fowler] [John Clayton] [Charlotte Observer] [PFT]

Cam Newton is absolutely unbelievable. He is the most exciting football player I've seen in watching the game for a quarter century. It's symbolic that on the first drive of the game on 3rd and Goal he decided to go Superman to try and get in the end zone. Cam didn't get in, but it was a preview about the type of athleticism that he was going to display for four quarters.

This game came down to the fact that the Redskins--while having a tough and stout defense--didn't have a play-maker under center the caliber of Newton.

I was watching the game on the computer yesterday to avoid having to go to the sports bar. Late in the game Newton seemed to arise out of a group of bodies to fire a rocket down field to Steve Smith for 36 yards in the third quarter. It was one of the most incredible throws I've seen and set up the nice 2 yard pass to Brandon LaFell for his only scoring toss of the day.

By all accounts, this was Cam Newton's best game as a pro despite not having the biggest numbers that he's ever put up. He did not turn the ball over (he's now 2-0 when he's done that) and went 18 of 23 for 256 yards, averaging 11.13 an attempt. He had 10 runs for 59 yards including the breath-taking run posted above, and another touchdown on the ground. He's got 7 rushing touchdowns thus far and should shatter the record he now shares in a tie with Mike Vick.

After the game analyst Trent Dilfer said on ESPN something along the following lines: 'There is no use trying to compare Cam Newton to other players because you won't be able to do it. Cam Newton is going to absolutely change the way the game is played'.

That's a pretty good way of describing it. I watch Cam Newton because I have never seen anything like it before. He is my favorite player in football right now and the greatest athlete I've ever see play the position.

I think Carolina has a shot at making a run at the 6th wildcard spot. I look for them to go on a tear and if they can build a defense, there isn't a team in the NFL that will want to see them on the schedule. The playmaker they have at the most important position hast them in it every single week.

And that -2.5 that Vegas had on this game was an easy taking for me. Oddsmakers really should give the kid wearing #1 more respect. And Newton wearing that iconic #1 jersey has incorporated it into his end zone celebration--has anyone noticed that when he scores he shows off the number one proudly to the crowd? Check it out next time he scores, he'll be giving you a look at least 3 or 4 times next week.

It's Sunday

2011-10-23T10:58:00.000-04:00

The Browns host the Seahawks at Cleveland Browns Stadium. I'll go on record as saying I feel like Colt McCoy is going to have a really nice performance that lasts all four quarters today. It's just a gut feeling.

The Panthers host the Redskins. They're wearing the teal blue jerseys. Is this the day that Cam Newton gets win number two--and is it the day Tim Tebow gets win number one?

The Jets host the Chargers and the Lions host the Falcons. These should be great games.

Enjoy your Sunday everyone.

Every Cam Newton play from week 6 in Atlanta

2011-10-18T01:02:00.000-04:00

Here's every Cam Newton play from the 31-17 loss in Atlanta last week.

It's Sunday

2011-10-16T11:08:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday, and there's a lot of storylines today.

The biggest maybe of which: what is Philly and Andy Reid going to do in Washington today?

Can the Browns get it done in Oakland?

We've got the Rams in Green Bay, and Lions hosting the 49ers. The Giants host the Bills. And my survivor pick, the JETS host the Dolphins on Monday Night Football tomorrow night. There's a little something for everyone this Sunday.

My Watch List

2011-10-15T16:19:00.000-04:00

Saturday
Early afternoon: #11 Michigan at #23 Michigan State
3:30: Ohio State at #16 Illinois

Sunday
1:00:
St. Louis at Green Bay
San Francisco at Detroit

4:15:
Cleveland at Oakland

The Detroit Lions Signature Talent Shines Bright

2011-10-11T20:43:00.000-04:00

Last night in the Lions 24-13 win over the Chicago Bears, I think they proved they're not only for real but they're a team built for the long haul.

The crown jewels of this entire turnaround are the wide receiver and the Quarterback; Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford. There is a third crown jewel involved in this who I think should shape in to a legendary figure in the NFL, and that's the head coach Jim Schwartz. Those are the three most important parts of the puzzle who should fasten their seat belts and be along for the ride to something great into the next generation.

This group of Lions are 5-0 for the first time since 1956, and to be honest if you look up and down the roster they haven't been this much fun since Wayne Fontes was involved. It was their first appearance on Monday Night Football in over a decade, and it gave us a good chance to get a look at this group of great young players for an extended period other than Turkey Day.

This team has compiled a stable of guys who were great college players, and they're all in one place now. Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, Brandon Pettigrew, Louis Delmas, Titus Young, Jahvid Best, Nate Burleson, Tulloch, the names seem to go on and on of guys who could play in college that the Lions have added to their roster.

I have had a gut feeling that has been growing by the week that these guys are going to go into Thanksgiving morning with only a loss or two at most and take out the loaded division rival Green Bay Packers on their home turf to signal a full force changing of the guard.

And it's a revival in a city that has been through so many recent hardships. It's fun to turn on a game at Ford Field in Detroit and see a fan base that has been through so much ineptitude and losing and Matt Millen get fired up and rack up big wins.

The Lions have the signature talent to remain at the top of the standings all season long and they're gaining an admirer in me pretty quickly. I never thought I would say that about a Detroit team, but I'm truly happy for them.

It's Sunday

2011-10-09T09:43:00.000-04:00

RIP Al Davis. You were one of the last figures left from my childhood still in today's NFL. What a run you had.

It's Sunday.

We've got the Panthers hosting the New Orleans Saints. In the late game the Jets and Patriots tilt off a pretty must-win game. Tonight the Packers and Falcons go go at it and America's sweetheart Detroit Lions play tomorrow night.

Enjoy your Sunday. You only get it once.

Cam Newton Madden 12 PS3 Cover

2011-10-05T13:59:00.000-04:00

This is sweet.

The Panthers are a blast to play with, but the game leaves something to be desired. I'm 2-1 right now with Carolina in my franchise, off a healthy 24-10 drubbing of the Jaguars last night. Newton has 7 TD and 4 INT thus far.

And no custom face scan.

Every Cam Newton play from week 4 vs. Chicago

2011-10-03T13:34:00.000-04:00

[Game Book]

Peter King's high praise of Cam Newton in MMQB

2011-10-03T10:13:00.000-04:00

Peter King had this to say about the phenom rookie in his MMQB column today:

2. Cam Newton. Phenom. I find myself reaching for ways to describe what we're seeing in Newton -- the confidence, the downfield throwing ability, the command of an offense early, the knowing when to throw and when to tuck it and run. And I find this to be a way to explain his instant impact: Newton threw for 374 yards in a loss at Chicago Sunday. Last night, it was barely a blip on the highlight shows, including our Football Night in America show on NBC, because of Newton throwing for more than 400 yards in his first two games as a pro. But 374's not bad. In John Elway's first 170 NFL games, he threw for 374 yards or more once.

Rookie of the Quarter: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina. Carolina put up 543 yards on Chicago, in Chicago, Sunday. I can't fathom these video game numbers that Newton is making possible. There has been no quarterback who has entered the league in its 92-year history and had the impact Newton has had in his rookie quarter-season. With passing games of 422, 432 and 374 so far, Newton is erasing the stigma that young quarterbacks -- even rookies without the benefit of an offseason program to learn the offense instead of having it force-fed in six weeks -- can't be ready to take the reins of a bad team in the first game of their pro careers.

The thing is, it's a passing league now. So to compare Newton to any QB in the Elway-era isn't exactly fair. That said, what Newton is doing is absolutely amazing. To think that if he continues this he's going to have a shot at not only the all-time rookie record but also Dan Marino's 5,084 (even if Tom Brady breaks it too).

The Weekend in Football

2011-09-30T21:41:00.002-04:00

Cammy Cam might steel all the Swag in the Windy City

Friday:
Planned to go to Olentangy Liberty Patriots vs. Olentangy Braves game tonight at my old stomping grounds. One of my high school classmates is getting into the Hall of Fame. Not going to happen based on the fact it's going to be 41 and raining and our puppy has been sick.

Update: Ended up sitting in the car with wife, mom, and puppy after some tailgating and talking for a while. Never made it into the stadium. Olentangy Braves up 13-0 at the half.

Don't forget about Utah State/BYU on ESPN for those of you who are way too into football.

Saturday:
Kentucky at #1 LSU

#3 Alabama at #12 Florida
UCLA at #6 Stanford
#7 Nebraska at #8 Wisconsin
#13 Clemson at #11 Virginia Tech
Auburn at #10 South Carolina
#14 Texas A&M at #18 Arkansas
Michigan State at Ohio State
Notre Dame at Purdue

Make sure to read the ultimate NCAA football blog Every Day Should Be Saturday. Lots of jibberish talk if you're late to the party, but follow it every Saturday and you'll catch on quickly.

Classic College Football YouTube of the week:

Did anyone know that Georgia Tech won the National Title in 1990? They had exactly two players drafted into the NFL. Calvin Tiggle and Jim Lavin. And neither was a skill position player. And neither was chosen higher than 174. But Bobby Ross (of San Diego Chargers fame) was their head coach, and that's a guy who just knew football. He was a great coach.

Sunday (NFL):

Is Cam Newton sticking with the #1 next season?
We asked George Whitfield Jr.--Cam's personal QB coach on twitter.

So feel good about ordering those #1 jerseys folks. I might just know what I want for my birthday from the wife now.

Your classic 1980's NFL Video of the Week:
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How about some 1988 Houston Oilers NFL Films Season highlights? Nick Saban was the secondary coach. This team beat the Browns on Christmas Eve 1988 in the Wildcard Playoffs. I was just six years old.

Bathroom Reading:
Deadspin Thursday Jamboroo
Turf Show Times - Sam Bradford vs. Redskins Linebacker London Fletcher
ESPN Ranks the Rookies
CSN Chicago - Bears/Panthers preview
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Browns' Greg Little learning what it takes to succeed
ESPN Jets Blog - Nick Mangold might play this week
Grantland - Buzz factor of NFL Franchises

Week 4 NFL Picks:
My picks in bold. On the season I'm 23-20-4 against the spread thus far this year.

Carolina (+6.5) at Chicago
Many moons ago when I was a young buck, a young African American Quarterback went into Chicago and beat a favored Bears team because his athleticism trumped everyone on the field. I knew that night as I drank about 14 Pabst Blue Ribbons that the Bears would not prevail. I won some bets. Then I went outside the dorm in college and threw up a few times and the night ended sooner than it should have. History is (kind of) going to repeat itself here. Cam Newton shocks the world Sunday and the Bears go down hard.

Buffalo (-3) at Cincinnati
People love the Bills white helmets. How long can they keep this up? I think this is an easy domino for them to knock down.

Tennessee (+1.5) at Cleveland
This is my lock of the week. I'm telling you right now there is no way Cleveland goes to 3-1 and they're terrible at home. They were meant to be a 2-2 team all along. It would be so 'Cleveland' to drop this game in front of their home fans that is exactly what will happen. Chris Johnson is about to get healthy here. I would tell him to wear an extra gold tooth just for swag on Sunday.

Detroit at Dallas (-1.5)
When I was a kid I thought these two teams uniforms looked alike. I was basing it off Madden 92 on the Sega Genesis though.

Minnesota (-1.5) at Kansas City
Minnesota murders teams in the first half and has been outscored like 340 to 3 in the second half. Two bad teams here, but Kansas City is way worse. Todd Haley is a dick too. Minnesota will win by a score at least at Arrowhead.

Washington at St. Louis (+1.5)
This is the kind of game I love to bet. St. Louis is not as bad as their record would indicate. Their coach needs a win to catch a breath and get off the hot-seat for just a second. Everyone will bet Washington. But the Redskins are on the road, coming off a short week, and why would they get up for an 0-3 non division team after a big time emotional, last-minute loss this past week on Monday Night Football? Rams get this win--and they have to get it. Feel good about this one.

Philadelphia (-8.5) at San Francisco
I wish this game would have remained 'off'. Ugh. Vick is banged up but will play, as usual. I don't like a team from the east going all the way out West and having to win by that much. But the Eagles have something to prove. This 'Dream Team' is 1-2. The Miami Heat started slow as well. Eagles stomp the Niners this Sunday, or I don't know this game at all.

New Orleans (-7) at Jacksonville
You're telling me all New Orleans has to do is go down to perfect weather Jacksonville and win by a touchdown and we're safe on this one? Did you see what New Orleans did against Houston last week?

Pittsburgh at Houston (-4)
Tough game to bet here. Pittsburgh allows people to get to the Quarterback too easily. I think it will be close, but the home team gets the win in a shootout. Someone will be a surprise .500 here and I've thought all along that Pittsburgh would be that type of team this season.

New York Giants (-1.5) at Arizona
Tom Coughlin really is Rasputin. The townspeople, they've tried to shoot him. They've tried to hang him, thrice. They've poisoned his food and water supply. They've tried publicly stoning him. Every time I think he's toast he goes out and makes me look like a fool and wins a huge game. The sumbitch has 9 lives! I don't think I should pick against Tom Coughlin for a while. Tom Coughlin is my father in law.

Atlanta (-4.5) at Seattle
Atlanta is good, and Seattle is so shitty. They might have cost themselves Andrew Luck last week, so I hope it was worth it. Normalcy gets restored this week. Atlanta needs to run the damn ball a little.

Denver at Green Bay (-13)
The money-making machine that is the Green Bay Packers rolls on this week. And we say it every week: until these guys screw you and fail to cover, ride them. They are good. They are hot. They will be the last undefeated team in football.

New England (-4.5) at Oakland
When everyone declared the Patriots Super Bowl bound I was the guy who laughed and knew it was premature. This New England team has a bad defense and they're too finesse for that type of talk. The AFC elites are built on being able to blacken someone's eye and breaking noses. Thus you see why the Raiders are having success and fucking people up. That is the mold the Raiders are built in. However, Bill Belichick's teams are so good after a loss. He has cooked up a master scheme this week following the embarrassment last week in Buffalo. The Raiders are getting closer to respectable, but New England knocks them back down to earth.

Miami at San Diego (-7.5)
It was nice knowing you, Tony Sparano. All you survivor hounds are pissed you picked San Diego last week I would imagine.

New York Jets (-3.5) at Baltimore
This one is a real beaut' on Sunday Night Football. Do you guys remember last year when Mark Sanchez couldn't make a throw to save his life in the opener and the Jets got beat in a low scoring game? The Jets can throw the ball now, and I want you to remember what the Titans did to Baltimore a few weeks ago. I think Rex Ryan is smart enough to be able to replicate some of the stuff that worked on defense by the Titans. It's payback time for the Jets.

Indianapolis at Tampa Bay (-10)
A real stinker on Monday Night Football. Everyone can relax and watch WWE Monday Night RAW and feel less badly about it. Well, lets get real, if you're watching pro wrestling, you should probably feel a little bad about it. And only tell your close friends.

Other Picks:
Kissing Suzy Kolber
Walter Football (Early/Late)
Colin Cowherd
ESPN
Sunday NFL Countdown

The Nosebleeds NFL Blog

Cam Newton Makes First Pro Bowl

Giants Going Back to the Super Bowl

They're at it again: Giants upend Packers 37-20 in NFC Divisional Round

An NFL Instant Classic in San Francisco

A Family Affair

Tim Tebow's Fire by Jon Parr

Giants dismantle Falcons on Wildcard Sunday, 24-2

Lions lose Bayou Shootout to Saints in Wildcard Playoffs

M&M's Hungry Eyes Commercial During Tonight's NFL Playoff Game

ESPN's Mortensen: Irsay has Colts selecting Andrew Luck #1 Overall

Wildcard Saturday on the Horizon

We have the first two Lions over Saints predictions

Bill Simmons on the NFL Playoffs

Cam's season ends harshly in New Orleans

Cam Newton Mic'd Up (Christmas Eve vs. Buccaneers)

An NFL Instant Classic in Lambeau

Cam Makes one Boy's Christmas

Sam Mills

Can't get enough Cam

Stafford snubbed from Pro Bowl

The Mark Sanchez Mess is Ridiculous

Just some 1993 Houston Oilers Highlights

Who Remembers This One?

Foreshadowing

Cam Newton & Carolina Deliver on Christmas

Detroit Lions Clinchmas on Christmas Eve

The line at Honeybaked Ham yesterday

NFL Gameday Morning Predictions

Christmas Eve Cam

Detroit Lions Featured on ESPN's Outside the Lines

Christmas Eve Saturday Football

Colts lose out on their Luck

Barry Sanders' 2000 Yards was really 14 years ago?

Cam Newton Record Watch

They're Calling Sunday in Oakland "Megadrive"

The NFL on FOX Knew About Cam Newton by Week Two

Cam Newton Commands the Huddle (And Beats Texans)

More Lions Links

Matthew Stafford, Lions deliver Christmas Early

Cowboys vs. Buccaneers Saturday Night Showdown

The Weekend in Football

Cam Newton Interviewed by ESPN the Magazine

Tim Tebow Song

Matthew Stafford on Dan Patrick Show

Some December Sam Bradford & Hodgepodge

Now this is a look at a Football Player

Lions narrow escape in 34-28 win over Vikings

The Football Gods Shine Upon the Lions

Robert Griffin III Takes Heisman Home

It's Sunday

Pre-Lunch Post

The Annual Browns-Steelers Christmas Massacre

The Tuesday Post

This day in football history: McNabb shines for the Eagles

Saints dismantle Lions on Monday Night Football

Peyton Manning: "Bill Polian never told me he was drafting a Quarterback."

It's Sunday

T.G.I.T Thursday Night Football

Lions Good News/Bad News

Remembering Browns v. Bengals 2004

Browns-Bengals Cincinnati Version 2011

Yahoo's Silver: Colt McCoy Hazed by former Coaching Staff

Lions - Turkey Day Recap

Thanksgiving Early Game Open Thread

See you tomorrow in the Land of Turducken

More Turkey Day Reads and such

Thanksgiving is almost here

Five Beers with your Thanksgiving Day Dinner

Monday's Post

It's Sunday

Saturday Post

My visit to Indianapolis

"All the scores I’ll never settle, all the debts I can’t repay, all my ghosts await me here."

Raiders & Carson Palmer the story on Thursday Night opener

Thursday Night Football: Raiders & Chargers kick off the slate

Joe Paterno agrees to step down

Heading to Cleveland Sunday for my Birthday

The NFL's Most Disliked Players & Other News of the Day

It's Sunday