29
Nov
2010
VIDEO: Derek Anderson unleashes in postgame press conference
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson blew his top Monday night, unloading an emotional tirade on Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic during a postgame press conference following the team’s 27-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Anderson’s rant was in response to Somers’ questioning about footage from the Monday Night Football broadcast, which showed Anderson laughing with guard Deuce Lutui while the 49ers sailed to victory.
ESPN’s Jon Gruden was critical of Anderson’s loose demeanor, as shown below:
Somers began by asking Anderson about his conversation with Lutui.
“I don’t mean this to be sarcastic or pointed,” he said, “but that went out on Monday night television, and a lot of fans are talking about it right now as a big problem with this team. Can you put into context what was going on at that moment, and what caused you to–”
So what exactly were they smiling about? (Image via CBSNews.com)
Anderson stopped Somers: “What Deuce and I talk about is nobody else’s business.”
“But why was something funny when you’re down 18 points in the fourth quarter?” Somers asked.
“It wasn’t funny. I wasn’t laughing about anything,” Anderson said.
Somers pressed: “But the cameras showed you laughing.”
Anderson again cut Somers off, becoming emotional.
“I’m not laughing about anything … You think this is funny? I take this (expletive) serious. Real serious,” Anderson said. “I put my heart and soul into this (expletive) every single week. I’m just telling you, right now, what I do every single week. Every single week, I put my freaking heart and soul into this. I study my ass off.
“I don’t go out there and laugh. It’s not funny. Nothing’s funny to me. I don’t want to go out there and get embarrassed on Monday Night Football in front of everybody.”
The back and forth continued until Anderson marched out of the room.
31
Oct
2010
LeGarrette Blount bursts onto NFL scene; no punches thrown (VIDEO)
(AP Photo via Univision)
Tampa Bay rookie RB LeGarrette Blount made his first impression on our national consciousness in September of 2009. While still a member of the Oregon Ducks, Blount punched a helmetless Boise State player during post-game handshakes and generally behaved like a lunatic in the aftermath. The talented Blount was suspended from the team, and his reputation as a hothead followed him to the NFL, where he went undrafted in April.
The Titans signed Blount as a free agent, but old habits die hard, and LeGarrette was seen unleashing a punch on his own teammate during training camp. Tennessee waived Blount after the pre-season, and he was scooped up by Tampa Bay where Head Coach Raheem Morris has been intrigued by his rare combination of size and speed. During the first half of the season, Blount has gradually earned a larger role in the Bucs offense, and today he was given center stage for the first time against Arizona.
Blount delivered in a big way, carrying 22 times for 120 yards and 2 TDs and helping Tampa Bay rally for 38-35 win over the Cardinals. And while no punches were thrown, his physical running style was consistently felt by the Arizona defense. Watch here as Blount hurdles a defender en route to a spectacular 48-yard gain in the 4th quarter, which sealed the win for the Bucs:
26
Sep
2010
Janikowski misses 3 Field Goals as Raiders fall to Cardinals (VIDEO)
Janikowski in his post-miss squat (AP Photo/Matt York)
Don’t you just love it when a 60-minute football game comes down to the leg of a kicker? I know I sure do! And boy, Oakland fans must have just been loving life today during the big Raiders/Cardinals showdown in the desert. [end sarcasm]
It was a hard-fought (but mistake-filled) contest between the two clubs, with Cardinals QB Derek Anderson throwing 2 touchdowns, and Raiders RB Darren McFadden rushing for over 100 yards and a score. But it all came down to the closing seconds, with Arizona leading 24-23 and Oakland driving for a game-winning score.
With :04 remaining, Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski – who had already missed 2 field goal attempts earlier in the day – lined up for a 32-yard try and a shot at redemption:
WATCH THE VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
4
Sep
2010
It’s final cutdown day in the NFL! Leinart, Houshmandzadeh among the casualties
"The Turk" is going to have a busy day
Yep, it’s cutdown day. For the uninitiated, today is the day that each NFL squad must trim their roster down to 53 players for the start of the season. Coaches and GMs around the league are faced with the difficult decision of which players to hang on to, and which to release. And those in the latter category will be getting a visit from the director of player personnel (aka “The Turk”), asking for their playbook and telling them they need to visit with the coach.
The deadline for roster cuts it 6pm ET today, so we’ll try to keep track of the most notable moves from across the league. And since a bunch of cuts were made yesterday, there are already some recognizable names on the casualty list. Undoubtedly some of these players will be targeted as free agent pick-ups before the season starts, so keep an eye out for guys who still may have some tread on their tires, or could potentially do better in a different situation.
UPDATE: So far the list of players now without a home includes Cardinals QB Matt Leinart, Seahawks WR TJ Houshmandzadeh, Redskins RB Willie Parker, Seahawks QB JP Losman, Bengals WR Matt Jones, Bucs WR Mark Clayton, Ravens QB Troy Smith, Titans QB Chris Simms and a former Rhodes Scholar, Titans S Myron Rolle.
The Matt Leinart era is over in the desert (Image: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
END OF DAY UPDATE: NFL.com has the complete list of cuts, ESPN.com has team-by-team analysis, and CBS Sportsline’s Clark Judge has a good wrap-up of today’s winners & losers.
CONTINUE AFTER THE JUMP FOR THE FULL LIST OF NOTABLE CUTS
6
Mar
2010
Giants Sign Antrel Rolle to 5-year, $37 million deal
Antrel Rolle is a Giant
The New York Football Giants made an aggressive entry into free agency on Friday with the signing of Cardinals S Antrel Rolle, making him the highest-paid safety in the game.
The 27-year-old Rolle fills a HUGE position of need for the Giants, who lost Kenny Phillips to injury last season and were abused in the defensive secondary down the stretch. Rolle – who had 4 interceptions last year – was widely regarded as the best available safety in FA, and GM Jerry Reese wasn’t going to let him leave the Meadowlands with out a deal. Even if it meant overpaying a bit. The Giants are hopeful that Rolle will team with Phillips (his fellow U of Miami alum) to make one of the best safety tandems in the league.
“The best in the league, hands down,” Rolle said on a conference call with reporters this morning. “Without a doubt. … I mean, The sky’s the limit for us. We’re definitely going to go out and make things happen.”
“I was extremely excited when this opportunity presented itself,” Rolle said. “Being back there with a fellow University of Miami guy, and a guy I know that his potential going to be maximized. My potential is going to be maximized with him. We’re going to be a dynamic duo.”
Of course, that largely depends on how well Phillips recovers from his knee injury. Even though the Giants say KP is ahead of schedule, his status for 2010 is still unclear, making the Rolle signing even more crucial for the Giants.
Rolle, who started his career at CB, is a bona fide play maker with 4 career TDs and a knack for gaining big yardage once he gets his hands on the ball … something the Giants secondary is desperately in need of.
WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF ANTREL ROLLE AFTER THE JUMP
16
Jan
2010
VIDEO: Reggie Bush leads Saints over Cardinals
Reggie Bush finally became the playmaker everyone expected him to be when he came to the NFL from USC today, scoring 2 TDs (1 rushing, 1 via punt return) and leading the New Orleans Saints to an impressive 45-14 playoff win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The first, and most impressive, of Bush’s scores came late in the 1st quarter, back when the game was actually still competitive. Watch as Reggie manages to break a tackle before putting on an amazing juke that sends defenders flying to break free for a 46-yd TD:
CONTINUE AFTER THE JUMP FOR VIDEO OF REGGIE BUSH’S 86-YARD PUNT RETURN FOR TD
14
Jan
2010
VIDEO: Dom Capers caught napping in coaches’ box
The Green Bay Packers defense looked like they were sleepwalking on Sunday night, giving up 51 points and 531 yards to the Arizona Cardinals en route to an overtime loss and early exit from the playoffs. Receivers were running free all night long, and Kurt Warner had all sorts of time to sit back and pick apart the Green Bay defense, who looked lost out there at times. It was a far cry from the unit that ranked 2nd in the league in total defense during the regular season.
But as this video proves, it all starts at the top. Packers Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers was apparently knocking back the Ambien prior to the game, and was caught dozing off in the coaches box at the end of the third quarter. It’s kind of tough to call a defensive gameplan and instill fire in your players while drifting in and out of dreamland, huh?:
Fortunately we had that insanely witty narration, so I don’t have to even bother trying to say anything funny here. I mean, that guy nailed it!
10
Jan
2010
Cardinals survive shootout to defeat Packers in OT, 51-45
Aaron Rodgers fumbles the game away in OT (Photo: ESPN.com, AP/Matt York)
Wild finish in the desert tonight, as the Arizona Cardinals survived a furious comeback by the Green Bay Packers (and a potentially soul-crushing miss by K Neil Rackers), to win a 51-45 shootout in OT .
In the most entertaining game of the weekend (unless, of course, you like defense), both offenses ran wild, combining for 96 points, 13 TDs, over 1,000 yards and 62 first downs. Kurt Warner was nearly unstoppable, going 29-33 for 379 yards and 5 TDs. Think about that. Warner had more TDs than incomplete passes. Pretty impressive. But QB Aaron Rodgers (4 TDs passing, 1 TD rushing) wouldn’t go down with out a fight, leading the Packers back to tie the game at the end of regulation.
The Packers won the coin toss in overtime, but the Cardinals defense – who had been invisible in the 2nd half – came up with the game-winning TD on this sack by CB Michael Adams and 17-YD fumble return by LB Karlos Dansby:
Apparently the refs decided that in OT, you can rip the QBs facemask off without a penalty. NFL FanHouse has more on the resulting officiating controversy.
CONTINUE READING AND WATCH THE RACKERS MISS AFTER THE JUMP
29
Nov
2009
VIDEO: Vince Young defeats Matt Leinart once again
In the most exciting ball game of the afternoon, Vince Young delivered the Tennessee Titans a victory over Matt Leinart (starting in place of an injured Kurt Warner) and the Arizona Cardinals. Young led the Titans on an impressive 18-play, 99-yd drive to score the go-ahead TD. The drive ended with this last-second 10-yd strike to rookie Kenny Britt:
You may recall Young’s last-minute Rose Bowl-winning drive against Leinart when the two were in college at Texas and USC, respectively. That ending looked a little something like this:
So, I guess you could say that Jeff Fisher’s decision to bench Kerry Collins in favor of Vince Young was a good one, huh?
CONTINUE AFTER THE JUMP FOR COMPLETE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GAME-WINNING DRIVE
13
Sep
2009
Week 1 NFL Live Blog: Late Games
A classic NFC East rivalry resumes this afternoon at the Meadowlands
The early round of games are just finishing up, where we saw Adrian Peterson run wild for 180 yards and 3 TDs, Drew Brees throw for 6 TDs, Donovan McNabb leaving the game with broken ribs, and an absolutely CRAZY finish in Cincinatti, with the Broncos beating the Bengals on a last second 87-yd tipped-ball TD by Brandon Stokley.
There are only 3 late games this afternoon, with the Giants/Redskins the clear marquee match-up. Let’s face it, the 2 lame NFC West showdowns – Cardinals/49ers and Seahawks/Rams - are background noise to this old-school rivalry. Everyone wonders if the Giants can replace Plaxico Burress, and the Redskins hope Albert Haynesworth can help them slow down the NY running game.
We’ll continue to follow the action, and post our wildly insightful/humorous thoughts in the comments.
