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.
11
Sep
2009
Polamalu makes pro bowl in 1st quarter, out 3-6 weeks with Madden Curse
In case you missed it, Troy Polamalu was a one-man highlight reel in the first half of last night’s Steelers/Titans game. The Pro Bowl S was everywhere, firing into the backfield with speed and power that you just don’t see, even at the NFL level. He led both teams with 6 tackles in the first half, all the while his thick black hair floating majestically in the Pittsburgh night air.
And then there was this, ridiculous one-handed interception at the end of the 1st quarter:
With their defense picking up right where they left off, everything was looking good for the Steelers and their faithful.
But then, it happened. With about three minutes left in the half, Polamalu injured his left knee when a Titans player fell on him after the Steelers blocked a 31-yd FG attempt. Head Coach Mike Tomlin stated in his post-game press conference that Polamalu will miss 3-6 with an MCL sprain.
If I had Larry Fitzgerald on my fantasy football team, I'd be worried
In addition to being a major blow to the SB champs, Polamalu also becomes the latest victim of the Madden Curse, after gracing the cover of Madden NFL 10 with Larry Fitzgerald. I’m not normally a big believer in this sort of thing, and I thought the SportsIllustrated curse got overblown. But as Shutdown Corner points out, this is becoming a real trend. Other recent victims of the Madden curse include Michael Vick (broken leg/prison), Donavan McNabb (hernia, missed 7 games), Shaun Alexander (broken foot, 6 games), Vince Young (moron/back-up) and Brett Favre (douche bag).
The injury happened when Polamalu was attempting to pick up the ball and make yet another play for his team. He was taken to the locker room before the half, and did not return, with back-up Tyrone Carter taking his place. Tomlin said that Polamalu will undergo further tests to determine the exact extent of the injury, and couldn’t rule out the possibility that it could be worse than initially thought.
