19
Dec
2010
VIDEO: DeSean Jackson completes epic comeback win over Giants
This image says it all (Photo via Reddit/r/NFL)
If you missed today’s Giants-Eagles game, aside from missing the best match-up of the week, you missed an unbelievable comeback for the ages. For Giants fans, the loss ranks right up there with the Miracle in the Meadowlands and the 2002 playoff loss to the 49ers in terms of all-time monumental collapses. Yep, this one is going to sting for a while.
The Giants dominated for most of the day and held a 31-10 lead with less than 8 minutes remaining. But the home team collapsed entirely in the final minutes and allowed the Eagles to claw their way back into the game and stun New York on the last play. The rally was largely engineered by Michael Vick, who had been contained by the Giants defense for three quarters, but came up huge once again when it mattered most. And the same could be said for WR DeSean Jackson, who was held in check for much of the the afternoon, but scored twice in the 4th quarter – once receiving and once on this incredible game winning 65-yard punt return with :00 remaining:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
16
Dec
2010
VIDEO: Michael Vick spoofs The Office in “The Showroom”
Eagles QB Michael Vick is already the comeback story of the 2010 NFL season, and now it looks like he’s mounting his comeback on Madison Avenue. This is Vick’s first commercial since his release from prison almost two years ago … and it’s nice to see that Mike held out for the right, big-time endorsement deal that could help rebuild his image. Yep, it’s Woodbury Nissan in beautiful Woodbury, NJ (located in the Philly suburbs)!
The ad itself is a pretty decent spoof of “The Office”, with Vick as the newest member of the car dealership’s staff … so there’s a subtle tip of the cap to Terry Tate, “office linebacker“ in there as well. And although the dealership’s GM was initially hesitant about casting a former dog murderer in the spot, so far the response from customers has been overwhelmingly positive.
Watch for yourself, and be on the lookout for a DeSean Jackson cameo:
Too bad they couldn’t get Tashard Choice to come in and ask for an autograph, huh? Oh, and although decent, this video still isn’t nearly as good as the Office spoof the Kansas City Chiefs did last year.
For what it’s worth, USA Today reports that Vick wasn’t paid for the gig, but “he does get the free use of a customized Nissan Armada worth $54,000″.
13
Dec
2010
Tashard Choice apologizes for Vick autograph, has poor timing
(NBC Image via Mediabistro.com)
As we all know by now, Cowboys RB Tashard Choice turned into a giddy little kid around Michael Vick last night … unfortunately for Choice, he couldn’t have picked a worse time or place for it to happen.
Following Dallas’ 30-27 loss to the Eagles on Sunday night, fans everywhere watched in disbelief as Choice pulled out a glove for Vick to autograph … in the middle of the field … moments after the game had ended … on national TV … with cameras surrounding them:
We realize that pretty much everyone is drinking the Michael Vick kool-aid right now, but this is getting a bit ridiculous! Afterward, Choice took to Twitter to defend himself, explaining that the autograph was actually for his nephew:
Listen y’all I know vick. That glove was for my nephew who is 3. Not for me.@HERO681 I don’t care abbout that we all exchange autographs. That’s so stupid for people to get mad at.
Well then I guess Tashard would consider a lot of people to be stupid, because people everywhere are upset with the guy after what he did last night. Not necessarily because he asked for Vick’s autograph, but that he did it right after a tough loss to a division rival. Regardless of who it’s for, that’s simply neither the time nor place for that sort of thing. And besides, if Choice really knows Vick as he claims, one would think he could have arranged for the autograph at some other time, right?
Today, Choice responded to the backlash, again, via his Twitter account:
If its anybody that cares about winning and the d cowboys its me. I apologize to the people it was just an innocent jesture [sic] for my nephew.
4
Dec
2010
Strahan thinks Plaxico Burress will be ‘great’ when he comes back
(Image via DayLife.com)
The fine folks over at NFL FanHouse interviewed former All-Pro DE (and current Fox NFL Analyst) Michael Strahan earlier this week at some fancy award thingy where Strahan was named best gap-toothed human alive (or something … that’s not the point). They took the opportunity to ask about Strahan’s former Giants teammate, Plaxico Burress, who is hoping to emulate the recent success of Michael Vick after his release from prison.
Burress, the talented but troubled wide receiver, has been in Ulster Correctional Facility in upstate NY for the past 15 months on weapons charges. In case you forgot, he shot himself in the leg while at a Manhattan nightclub in late November 2008. Burress is expected to be released on good behavior in June 2011, and is in talks with several teams about his services when gets out.
Strahan has been to visit Plaxico recently and said that Burress “looks great”. In fact, Strahan suggested that this time away from the game could actually be good for the 33-year-old’s football career in the long run … and that when Burress returns, Strahan thinks he will be “great”:
“(Plaxico) said that, for the first time in years, his ankles, knees, back, and everything else feels great,” Strahan said. “Sometimes a little break is good, and I think for him, he’s actually had a chance to sit back and actually reflect and really appreciate what he’s had in the past. I expect him to come back and be a great player.”
The comparisons to Vick are inevitable, who has resuscitated his career this season with the Eagles after serving 19 months on a dogfighting conviction. And Strahan believes that like Vick, Burress will emerge from this ordeal more a more focused person and player. And there’s no doubt that if he gets his priorities straightened out, Plaxico can still be a valuable asset to an NFL ball club.
It’s certainly no surprise that he’s getting a vote of confidence from Strahan, but whether Burress can actually mount a return to greatness remains to be seen.
16
Nov
2010
Watch all 6 of Michael Vick’s TDs from last night (VIDEO)
(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
The big story everybody’s talking about today is the performance of Eagles QB Michael Vick during the 59-28 beating they handed to the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football.
Already the comeback story of the year, Vick accounted for SIX TOUCHDOWNS – 4 passing, 2 on the ground – last night en route to a record-setting evening. The Eagles scored on the very first play of the game, and were up 28-0 before the end of the first quarter … the Redskins never even stood a chance. By the end of the night, Philly had set team records for total yards in a game with 592 and points in a half with 45.
In case you missed it, here are all six of Vick’s touchdowns:
With his performance, Vick became the first player in NFL history with at least 300 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game. Oh, and he hasn’t thrown an interception or lost a fumble yet this season. So I’d guess you could call his comeback an unmitigated success (thus far).
But before we start sucking each other’s Vicks here and hand the guy the MVP trophy, let’s take a step back and remind ourselves who we’re talking about here. And I’m not even thinking about the dog fighting scandal, as reprehensible as that may have been. I’m referring to the fact that Michael Vick has a history of performing great when it doesn’t matter, or when there’s very little pressure … but as soon as he gets into a must-win situation, Vick has historically had a tendency to implode. Or get injured … whichever comes first.
Of course, this might be the new, more mature Michael Vick we’re seeing here, but I’m not buying it just yet. Let’s see how he does down the stretch, and if he actually lasts the remaining 7 regular games. The win brings Philadelphia to 6-3 on the season and tied for first place in the NFC East with the NY Giants … who they will face off against this Sunday.
10
Nov
2010
ReadAndReact Mid-Season NFL Awards 2010
Even though a lot of folks were handing out midseason awards last week, this past weekend marked the official halfway point for the 2010 NFL season, with every team now having played 8 of their 16 regular season games. So we thought we’d fall in line with the rest of the sports blogosphere and give out some completely meaningless awards of our own!
So without further adieu, here they are, the 2nd annual ReadAndReact mid-season NFL Awards:
Peyton Hillis has captured the imagination of an entire city (Photo: Cleveland.com)
MVP: Peyton Hillis, CLE - Everyone in the world is picking the other Peyton for this award (YAWN), but nobody has made a bigger impact on a franchise (or a city) this year than Peyton Hillis. The 7th round draft pick out of Arkansas was traded to Cleveland for Brady Quinn and some magic beans, which might turn out to be the worst trade of Josh McDaniels career, and the best of Eric Mangini’s. Since being given the starting workload, Hillis has taken the Browns on his shoulders, leading them to 2 straight wins over the Saints and Patriots. And more importantly, he’s given the team an identity to build around, and given Browns fans something to believe in. Finally.
Offensive Player of the Year: Arian Foster, HOU – what can you say about Foster, who has busted onto the NFL scene this year and leads the league in both yards (884) and TDs (9)? So far, Foster has claimed this year’s title as the stud RB in the league … let’s see if he can keep it going for the rest of the season.
Defensive Player of the Year: Clay Matthews, GB - The 2nd year linebacker has emerged into a dominant force this year, collecting 9-1/2 sacks so far to lead the league. There isn’t another defensive player who’s had a bigger impact on his team, and Matthews should be a mainstay in GB for years to come.
Morris is already one of the best young coaches in the game (Photo: TampaBay.com)
Head Coach of the Year: Raheem Morris, TB - At age 34, Morris is the league’s youngest coach, and his Bucs team is showing that they’re willing to fight to the death for their leader. So far, Morris has turned the team around from 3-13 last year to a 5-3 start, and he’s done it without very much talent to work with (a 2nd year QB, a rookie RB and two rookie WRs). It’s probably too soon for them to put it all together for a run at the playoffs, but with Morris at the helm, the future looks bright in Tampa.
CONTINUE READING FOR THE REST OF OUR MID-SEASON AWARDS
3
Oct
2010
Michael Vick dogged by injury (VIDEO)
(AP Photo: Matt Slocum)
After being hailed as the feel-good story of the early 2010 NFL season, Eagles QB Michael Vick left today’s game against the Redskins with a rib & chest injury, and will not return. The injury came during the first quarter when Vick scrambled 23-yards, lunging for a score before being sandwiched by two Washington defenders at the goal line.
The controversial QB went to the locker room for X-rays and was replaced by Kevin Kolb, who Vick had replaced in the season opener. No word yet on the extent of the Vick’s injury, but ribs are are a bad place for a mobile QB to be hurt, and take notoriously long to heal.
Prior to the injury, Vick was 5 for 7 for 49 yards with 17 yards rushing in the game. And to his credit, the injury came on a play that only Vick could have made, as he evaded defenders en route the the end zone. To add insult to injury, the run was nullified by a holding penalty, and the Eagles offense seemed to have lost its life without Vick, losing to the Donovan McNabb-led Redskins, 17-14.
UPDATE: Jason La Canforna reports that X-Rays on Vick’s chest and ribs came back negative, but he is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the damage.
2nd UPDATE: The results of the MRI are in, and Vick officially suffered a “rib cartilage injury”. Andy Reid said “There are no broken bones, but it is up high, between the second and third ribs,” adding that the cartilage looks “cracked” and the injury is near the sternum. There is no timetable for Vick’s return, and his status has been labeled the dreaded as “week-to-week”
WATCH THE MICHAEL VICK INJURY AFTER THE JUMP
1
Oct
2010
NFL WEEK FOUR THOUGHTS AND PICKS: STEVERODGERS EDITION
Don't stare too closely at that necklace if you have sinned recently.
San Francisco @ Atlanta
Mike Singletary seems like a good coach who also happens to be wicked into God. I would find him terrifying if I played for him– especially with that super-sized piece of the true-cross necklace he wears. If I were a millionaire athlete and I had just spent the night before practice doing massive amounts of blow off a hooker’s breasts in a walk-up apartment in North Beach, would I think a biblical lightning storm would shoot out of Singletary’s cross during seven–on-seven drills and strike me dead? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t want to deal with the possibility, and I know that if I were a millionaire athlete I would be doing tons of coke off hookers’ breasts, so it must just be incredibly hard to concentrate on the other team when you spend most of your time just hoping you don’t get hit by a lighting bolt that shoots out of your coaches necklace. Falcons.
Cincinnati at Cleveland:
What I would like is for Mangini and the Townies to come out and play this game in a freak snowstorm and absolutely run the football all over the Bengals. I really would. I would revel in it, yard after yard, snow in the air, goose-bump inducing NFL Films style slow motion shots of cold breath lingering over the line, smash-mouth, Bengal-destroying kind of football. Unfortunately, it will be a beautiful fall day in Cleveland, the leaves will be gently falling from the trees by the Galleria Mall, the October breeze off the lake will give the Flats that certain unplaceable warm smell of nostalgia that brings you to a euphoric state somewhere between magic and loss, while the humble Browns fans drink their beers in front of TVs across Ohio and watch horrified as the Bengals destroy their team so soundly that Mangini will swallow his Kodiak, get the sweats and pass out on the ten yard line while he is being pelted with water bottles and seat cushions that have been lit on fire by understandably berserk fans. Bengals.
It's the lack of a good Chowfense that hurts the most
NY Jets at Buffalo:
I like that Rex Ryan had to get surgery to stop being fat. I like that instead of just not eating, he went and got something done to make his stomach smaller. I am not a dietitian but that seems extreme. Next time just order 12 Buffalo wings instead of 18, go for a walk maybe, or get some will-power, man up and practice a little Chowfense for once and don’t eat the entire pizza. Regardless, the Bills are in a bad way, so it really doesn’t matter how Rex gets beautiful, they are going to lose and afterwards their fans will shrug their way to the liquor store and proceed to get I-can’t-feel-my life-anymore blitzed in an effort to stop the pain. Also RIP Trent Edwards… we loved him here and we have no idea why. Jets.
Seattle @ St. Louis:
Pete Carroll used to coach my beloved New England Patriots when I was a kid. I thought he was a skinny Santa Claus and since I wasn’t a hardened bitter alcoholic sports writer from Boston, I could never understand why he made people so upset. He is my third favorite Pats coach behind the affable Dick McPherson and the completely non-affable Belichick. Anyway, I have to go Seattle in this game– as Carroll is always one step ahead these days, either in front of the other coach or the good people at the NCAA trying to figure out if that Jock Jams CD he got from a booster counts as a bribe. Seahawks.
Denver @ Tennessee:
McDaniel’s! Clipboard! Orton! Did you see that Laurence Maroney was traded to the Broncos? That will put a good scare into Tennessee don’t you think, with their Chris Johnson’s, and their Vince Young’s, and their Jeff Fishers fabulous mustache. Titans in this one and it won’t be pretty. Orton will have a lot to think about as he drives his Prius and listens to Rusted Root on his way to practice on Tuesday morning.
19
Sep
2010
Michael Vick throws first TD since 2006
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Michael Vick made his first start at QB since 2006 for the Philadelphia Eagles today, and is looking like the Mike Vick of old in the early going against the Lions. In the first quarter, Vick found DeSean Jackson for a 45-yard touchdown pass … his first in four years:
Vick threw for 2 TD passes in the first half, along with several crazy-athletic plays that only he could make, and the Eagles held on to beat the Lions 35-32. Vick finished the game 21 of 34 for 284 yards with two TDs, and 37 yards rushing.
And while I’m not sure you can really call this a “feel-good” story, considering the circumstances surrounding his imprisonment, it seems that Vick is at least taking his first steps toward redeeming himself with the Eagles.
WATCH VICK’S WEEK 2 HIGHLIGHTS AFTER THE JUMP
6
Dec
2009
VIDEO: Michael Vick scores first TD in over 3 years
Definitely one of the biggest story lines for this weekend was Michael Vick‘s return to Atlanta. There were a lot of Vick jerseys in the crowd (obviously worn by non-dog owners), but nobody could have predicted that Vick – who had only 6 yards passing and 65 yards rushing heading into today – would explode for 2 TDs (1 rushing & 1 passing) in the Eagles 24-7 victory over the Falcons.
Here was Vick’s first TD of the game – and his first rushing score since October 15, 2006:
After the game, Vick – who finished with 48 yards passing and 17 yards rushing – had this to say:
I don’t know … this somehow just isn’t the “feel good” story of the year.
