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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Week 13 in the NFL saw a variety of last second comebacks, including more “Jebus and Teebs” magic and a scare for the undefeated champs. Need to know more? Welcome to The Final Drive.

(7-5) Denver Broncos 35
(2-10) Minnesota Vikings 32

This is really starting to piss me off. Can’t SOMEONE knock this guy off the horse for ONE week? To be honest, this was probably Tebow’s best statistical game. He did complete 10 of his 15 passes. However, you can thank the defense for a timely turnover and Matt Prater for two clutch field goals. They are the real heroes.

I told you 20.5 points was too large a line! It was just begging to be betted on. Indianapolis played its best game in some time, out-gaining New England and controlling the ball. Unfortunately their two turnovers cost them this one, making their 21 fourth quarter points too little, too late.

Ow. That kinda hurt. After riding high with those “moral victories,” those pesky Bengals finally got put down by the cream of the AFC North. They might still get in for a wild card spot, but I don’t see them making much noise yet.

What a fantastic freaking game this was. Defenses were scarce aside from a few key plays, leaving these quarterbacks plenty of opportunities to light up the scoreboards. I don’t think I want to see what Tom Coughlin’s face looked like this morning. I swear that old man is so mad all the time his face probably takes 2-3 days to un-furiate.

Joe's 2011 NFL Season Preview: The NFC West posted by Joe Anello

There’s no way around it. This division sucks. Quarterback questions abound for three of its four teams and 9-7 will likely win it all. The final division preview starts now!

After winning the division with a super-crappy record, the Seattle Seahawks stunned the Saints, advancing past the Wildcard round. This year will not be a repeat of that performance. Tarvaris Jackson takes over at quarterback, already putting the Seahawks in a hole. Whether he’s familiar with Darell Bevel l’s offense or not, Jackson is not an NFL-level QB. He’s still got Sidney Rice to throw to, taking advantage of Rice’s wide catching radius. After adding Rice, the Seattle receivers are deep, with Mike Williams and Golden Tate amongst the crop. Seattle’s young offensive line isn’t quite ready to become an elite unit, but they’ll show flashes thanks to new line coach Tom Cable and a left side of Russell Okung and Robert Gallery. The Seahawk defense is… decent. Signing defensive tackle Brandon Mebane was a great move, giving them a run-stuffer up the middle. Behind the line, the linebackers are alright and the secondary is so-so aside from safety Earl Thomas, whose ball-hawking has to pick up in his second year.
2010 Record: 7-9
2011 Prediction: 6-10

Adorable.

St. Louis Rams

Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 8 posted by Joe Anello

The only thing more frightening than the onslaught of awful Halloween costumes I saw over the weekend is the NFL schedule for week eight. I had to struggle to find five games worth discussing. Jacksonville-Dallas? Ew. Redskins-Lions? Gross. Bills-Chiefs? Really? Here are the games I'll be paying attention to this weekend.

(4-3) Green Bay Packers at
(5-1) New York Jets

Coming off their bye week, these loud-mouthed Jets will be welcoming back All-Pro corner Darelle Revis to their secondary just in time to take on Aaron Rodgers and the pass-happy Packers. Rex Ryan will need to let Mark Sanchez off the leash again this week if they're going to match points with Green Bay. Still, I'll give the Jets the edge the edge in this marquee match-up

(5-2) Tennessee Titans at
(2-5) San Diego Chargers

Don't ask me why I've still got games involving the Chargers and Vikings in the Opening Drive this week. The schedule is that weak. I expect Tennessee to run all over the San Diego defense, giving Vince Young a smooth transition back into the starting line-up. San Diego's already out of the hunt as far as I'm concerned and I don't see them going on a tear like they have in years past. They just don't have the talent.

(2-4) Minnesota Vikings at
(5-1) New England Patriots

News Flash: Brett Favre WILL start in New England today. As if there was any doubt. If it gets out of hand (which it very easily could), he'll sit eventually. New England has been getting timely turnovers and great special teams play the past few weeks, putting their opponents in early holes. While they're getting healthier (except Favre, natch) problems will arise in Minnesota if they drop to 2-5. Just wait for it.

Bears' offense can't finish against the Cardinals posted by Joe Anello

Well, if this third preseason game was any indication of how the regular season will look, Bears fans are in for a bumpy ride. The Bears' offensive woes continued against the Cardinals as the first-team unit failed to score any points. Here are my notes from Saturday night's 14-9 loss to the Cardinals.

 
Getty Images

-Mike Martz's offense couldn't finish off drives. Too many times the Bears made it into the red zone or enemy territory and failed to put points on the board. While they did show some flashes on a deep pass to Johnny Knox and screen passes to Matt Forte and Chester Taylor, it wasn't enough. For every one or two good plays, Chicago consistently followed-up with a poor one. They never appeared to be completely in-sync, ensuring some long film sessions during this short turn-around before Thursday's final preseason game.

-Chicago's run-blocking did improve over the course of the game, opening up holes for Chester Taylor, who gave plenty of justification for his offseason signing. Unfortunately, the line did little to improve its pass protection troubles, giving up four sacks on Cutler on the night. Unacceptable.

-Dave Toub needs to whip his special teams unit into shape. A blocked field goal and another miss by Robbie Gould left six points on the board, which can't happen during the regular season if the Bears expect to win. Add these troubles to the snapping issues and punt snafus over the past few weeks and you can't feel great about the third phase.

Joe's Preseason Preview: Cardinals at Bears posted by Joe Anello

Tonight the Chicago Bears take on the Arizona Cardinals in what will really be their final tune-up before their regular season opens up on September 12th. The third preseason game is always the outing in which you can place the most weight on how the team will perform in later weeks, as the starters will play into the third quarter and the coaches usually attempt to make a gameplan. Here's what I'll be watching for later tonight after I get back from being social and rev up my DVR.

Running back battle?

No, not between Matt Forte and Chester Taylor. That was never in question. The real competition tonight and next week is between Kahlil Bell and Garrett Wolfe for the third running back slot. Wolfe has always been an ace on special teams, but his production on offense hasn't proven worth his third-round selection. He's in real danger of losing his job to Bell and finishing his tenure with the Bears. We've even heard that GM Jerry Angelo has talked to a few teams about gauging their trade interest in Wolfe. Unless he shows something special, Wolfe looks to be on the way out and Bell on the way up.

Offensive line, still. 

What everyone is worried about when it comes to the first-team offense is obviously the pass protection. Early results make it seem that Cutler is in for another rough year. Rookie guard Lance Louis missed a few practices this week, unfortunate as he's the one who needs the most reps. Chris Williams will have to prove he's a true left tackle in this league after being abused one-on-one last week by Kamerion Wimbley last week. We should see more actual protection schemes this week so Mike Tice can evaluate how this line looks in real-game situations. 

Joe's NFL 2010 Season Preview: NFC West posted by Joe Anello

We're another weekend closer to the NFL kicking off for real! After my last look at the AFC South, this time around I'll be examining the teams in the NFC West, a division that is always up for grabs. (Unless you're the Rams.)

St. Louis Rams

When talking about the lowly Rams, number one overall pick Sam Bradford has to be first on your mind, and for good reason. After signing the most lucrative contract ever ($50 million guaranteed), expectations for Bradford will be similarly through the roof. The problem? He's still behind a porous offensive line that gave up four sacks on him during their first preseason game. Not exactly the best start. Right tackle Jason Smith (2nd year) starts at right tackle while rookie Rodger Saffold will be protecting Bradford from the left side. Young much? Piling on further pressure to Bradford is running back Steven Jackson, who, while still incredibly tough, isn't getting any younger. With only a few years left of Jackson in his prime, the Rams have to make these years count. Want even more problems? The Rams' wide receivers are hot garbage. While Bradford will probably start day one, I would be slower on the trigger. Unfortunately, the Rams don't have my patience or any slack at this point. 

Do I really need to discuss the Rams defense now? Ugh. They have solid performers in each defensive unit, but the Rams are a long way from intimidating anyone. Chris Long is developing on the line at his end spot, but losing DT Chris Hovan for the year won't help matters. Leonard Little, last year's leading sack-man for the Rams, is still undecided about returning for his 13th season. The linebackers are anchored by Na'il Diggs who is a solid 'backer at best. Free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe is one of the better on the NFL, but even he couldn't find any other takers during the offseason. (To be fair, St. Louis would have matched any offer made on him anyway.) Three solid/decent players an NFL defense does not make.

Nobody played the QB position better than Kurt Warner posted by Colin Linneweber

Legendary St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner retired last week after 12 improbable seasons in the NFL.

Warner, a two-time AP NFL MVP and five-time Pro Bowl selection, walked away from the gridiron, and $11.5 million, while he was still playing at an elite level.

“I’m excited about what’s next,” said Warner, 38, a two-time First-Team All-Pro and the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV. “Before I was always excited about next season.”

With a genuine Cinderella tale like Warner, there really is no way to even guesstimate “what’s next” for him.

Despite the fact that he wasn’t even afforded the opportunity to make his first professional start until he was 28 years of age, Kurt Warner is absolutely one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL.

Warner attended, and played football for, the University of Northern Iowa near his hometown of Cedar Rapids.

Needless to mention, the Panthers are not exactly a football powerhouse in the Midwest.

Still, Warner rode the pine as a third-string signal-caller until his senior year.

When finally granted his opportunity to perform, Warner excelled and was rightfully named the Gateway Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Predictability, nary an NFL team was interested in selecting Warner with a draft pick out of college.

Instead, Warner signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers in 1994.

The Packers released Warner before the regular season began, and the immensely gifted passer was then relegated to stocking shelves at a local Hy-Vee grocery store for a paltry $5.50 an hour.

Reggie Bush goes off as Saints crush Cardinals 45-14 posted by Joe Anello

After Tim Hightower took the opening hand-off 70 yards for a touchdown, all I could think of was how awful the Saints fans would feel if their team lost in their playoff opener. Luckily for them Reggie Bush showed up with his bird-killing cleats on, leading the Saints to a 45-14 thrashing of the Arizona Cardinals to kick-off the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

Responding to the quick score, the New Orleans Saints proved why they were the number one seed on the NFC by scoring touchdowns on three straight possessions to give them a 21-7 lead before the end of the first quarter. Bush lowered the hammer on two early carries to set the tone early: these Saints would not be denied. A Beanie Wells score early in the second brought the Cardinals back into striking distance, but that would be the last time the Cardinals would hit the scoreboard. Their two turnovers killed drives and gave the Saints 14 points.

Even though Drew Brees had a stellar performance, completing 23/32 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns, it was Bush who stole the spotlight. His early physical play set up his lateral moves as the game continued, especially on a 46-yard run where he stopped and started no less than three times before breaking it past the Cardinal secondary. An 83-yard punt return in the third gave Bush his second TD and his most significant games as a pro. It could not have come at a better time. 

Joe's Opening Drive: Divisional Saturday posted by Joe Anello

In case you haven't heard, we're knee-deep in the NFL playoffs. Today kicks-off the best weekend of football all year. Eight teams remain in the Super Bowl hunt, with the top seeds in each conference joining in on the action. Let's not waste any time, here's the Opening Drive for Divisional Saturday in the NFL!

Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints
4:30PM ET FOX 

After last Sunday night's shoot-out in the desert, the Cardinals head to the Superdome, ready to repeat last year's post-season success. Quarterback Kurt Warner has a knack for playing his best football in the playoffs and last week was no exception. He is expected to be without receiver Anquan Boldin for the second straight week, but that will be a game-time decision. He'll still have Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston on the outside, so he'll be just fine. Arizona shocked Green Bay with their commitment to the running game last week, gaining over 150 yards on the ground. Concerns arise when discussing their defense, but as we saw in overtime last week, they can make plays when they need them. Darnell Dockett, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Adrian Wilson all have thr ability to affect the outcome.

In New Orleans, they haven't seen a meaningful game in a month since they suffered their first loss of the season to the Cowboys. Followed up by a shocking loss to Tampa Bay and a give-in to Carolina, Drew Brees and the Saints may have significant rust to shake off to start this one. On the plus side, running back Pierre Thomas and tight end Jeremy Shockey will be back from injury, giving Brees his full complement of weapons. Defensively, the Saints lagged in the final stretch of the regular season, but still ended up leading the league with a whopping 39 takeaways. Resigning Deuce McAllister for the post-season won't do much more than provide some inspiration and crowd fervor. 

Not-so-special special teams can lose an NFL game (AP)

If it's true, as the saying goes, that "defense wins championships," the NFL's conference title games offered ample evidence that special teams can lose them. "You're going to need special teams. A kick will win a game more often than a run or pass will win the game, and a special teams tackle can make a big difference," former Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals... [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Not-so-special special teams can losean NFL game (AP)

If it's true, as the saying goes, that "defense wins championships," the NFL's conference title games offered ample evidence that special teams can lose them. "You're going to need special teams. A kick will win a game more often than a run or pass will win the game, and a special teams tackle can make a big difference," former Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals... [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

NFP Friday Forecast (The National Football Post)

Week 17 Arizona Cardinals Seahawks at Cardinals by Jess Root of Revenge of the Birds Impact Injuries: Kevin... [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports