27
Nov
2011
Nick Novak relieves himself on the sideline during Chargers-Broncos game (PIC)
From the “when you gotta go, you gotta go” department, check out San Diego K Nick Novak taking a leak on the sideline during today’s Chargers-Broncos game (VIDEO HERE):
(Image via mocksession.com)
Following this broach in etiquette, Novak went on to miss a 53-yard field goal attempt in overtime that would have won the game for his team. On the ensuing drive, Tim Tebow led the Broncos downfield for the game winning score … as we’ll be hearing about forever, as part of the ever-growing Tebow lore.
But nice effort holding up the towel there, equipment guy. You’re parents must be so proud.
1
Nov
2011
Philip Rivers fumbles game away to Chiefs (VIDEO)
Chiefs LB Andy Studebaker recovers Rivers epic blunder (Photo: Yahoo.com)
With just over a minute to play in regulation during last night’s Chargers-Chiefs game, Philip Rivers apparently got a case of the Halloween spooks.
After rallying to tie the game at 20-20, Rivers had his team deep in Chiefs territory and was planning on taking a knee to set up a game-winning field goal attempt. But as the Chargers QB stepped under center for the routine snap, something strange happened:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
9
Oct
2011
Tebow Rallies Broncos, But Falls Short Against Chargers (VIDEO)
(Photo: John Leyba, The Denver Post)
It’s finally Tim Tebow time in Denver.
The lightning rod quarterback started the 2nd half of today’s contest against the Chargers, leading the Broncos on a furious comeback attempt that only fell short when Tebow ran out of time on a last-second hail mary attempt.
Trailing by 13 points at the half, John Fox had seen enough of Kyle Orton (6/13, 34 yards, 1 INT) and decided to turn to Tebow to see if he could provide a much-needed spark for the Broncos. And the former Heisman Trophy winner was as advertised, running for one score and throwing for another as he rallied his team to within two points before missing on a wild 29-yard heave at the buzzer (VIDEO BELOW).
San Diego held on to win the game 29-24, but the Broncos may have finally turned the page on their quarterback controversy, and Tebow should be handed the reigns for the rest of the season. Tebow finished 4/10 for 79 yards and 1 TD passing, so he didn’t change anyone’s mind about his mediocre arm, but the guy is clearly a natural-born leader, gifted runner, and he has an innate ability to make things happen when the play breaks down around him. He added 38 yards and 1 rushing score on six attempts, many coming on designed QB draws.
And at 1-4 and heading into their bye week, Denver really doesn’t have anything to lose by going with and finding out whether Tebow can win in the NFL. And if not, they’ve got the pole position for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes, so it’s really a win-win here for Denver.
WATCH TEBOW’S HAIL MARY ATTEMPT AFTER THE JUMP
15
Sep
2011
Tom Brady encourages Pats fans to “get lubed up” before Sunday’s game
(photo: NYDailyNews)
From the “we couldn’t make this up if we tried” department, Mr. Perfect Tom Brady is getting a lot of flack today after encouraging Patriots fans to get drunk and loud for this Sunday’s Patriots-Chargers game. Brady was asked on Wednesday if he had a message for fans attending what some are calling an early preview of the AFC Championship game:
“Yeah, start drinking early,” Brady said with a snicker. “Get nice and rowdy. It’s a 4:15 game, a lot of time to get lubed up. Come out here, and cheer for the home team.”
The Patriots PR team almost immediately attempted to clarify Brady’s statement, claiming that “He meant ‘stay hydrated, drink a lot of water’”, which approximately zero people believe.
Clearly, alcohol is the fuel that NFL fans run on, and the majority of people planning to tailgate in Foxborough on Sunday weren’t going to do so in a sober fashion. But with the recent trend in fan-on-fan violence, this probably isn’t the best message to be sending to fans who haven’t exactly displayed a penchant for drinking responsibly, and enjoy starting fights with opposing fans.
So when a Chargers fan ends up getting shivved in the bathroom at Gillette Stadium by some hammered Pats fan because he’s wearing the wrong jersey, get ready for people to point the finger at Brady.
14
Mar
2011
TheDarkHorse’s 2011 Mock Draft – Picks 11-20
2015 just called to tell us that J.J. Watt is the steal of this draft. (Source: Madison.com)
For picks 1-5, go here.
For picks 6-10, go here.
11. Houston Texans — J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin: We get so many of these projections wrong. The “sure lock” winds up a flaming bust, and players we’re ignoring today — guys who won’t even be drafted — will light up the league. I believe we’ll look back on this 2011 NFL Draft five years from now and call J.J. Watt a top 5 pick. I loved his presence, intensity and motor at the combine. Wade Phillips‘ 3-4 defense is the perfect landing spot for Watt, and a good environment for this hard-working, self-made player. He worked himself onto Wisconsin’s roster, paying his own way at the start of his tenure — delivering Pizza Hut to save up dough. He’s no prima donna. He’s a coachable workhorse who did the requisite work at Wisconsin to make the switch from tight end to defensive lineman. Watt is the steal of this draft at No. 11. Sometime these midround picks are where you find the real gems — where less pressure is placed on the incoming player, as well. Houston and Watt are an excellent match.
12. Minnesota Vikings — Julio Jones, WR, Alabama: The Vikings have been vocal about finding a quarterback in this draft. I see a potential trade up — or down — to get their guy. There was a time when it appeared Minnesota at No. 12 could snag Auburn’s Cam Newton, but the hype machine’s in full swing and I project him to go no less than No. 1 to the Carolina Panthers. He’s the type of passer that’s going to require time to develop, coming from a spread, and Leslie Frazier would love the challenge. There are other possibilities at quarterback for the Vikings — and all of them are better than Brett Favre right now, who’s back on his farm tilling soil. It’s time for a new start in Minnesota. In this mock, with no trades — and Jake Locker a reach — I project the Vikings to jump on Jones, who had an excellent combine and would be a good-value selection here. Sidney Rice could bolt via free agency, so Jones addresses a potential need as well. We all saw what happened to Percy Harvin when Rice was out of the offense — they need a No. 1 guy in there to give the passing game a shot.
Picks 13-20 after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »
30
Nov
2010
NFL Week 13 Power Rankings (featuring the “Berserker Number”)
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Does anyone want to play the Bills right now? (Source: BuffaloNews.com)
Note: For the teams from 32-17, I’ve tagged them with my BERSERKER NUMBER (B#). Ranging from 1 to 100, it rates a team’s ability to cause havoc for teams attempting a playoff run. Young, developing squads just beginning to show power (but stuck with losing records) are helped, in my rankings, by a high B#.
For the teams from 16-1, I’ve added my DESTINY SCORE (DS). Again, 1 to 100. Here, I’m attempting to weed out teams resembling, for instance, the 1988 Chicago Bears. Teams with towering regular season records that (we all know) will not get to — back to — the Super Bowl. Teams, well, missing something special.
My (totally subjective, imperfect) Week 13 Power Rankings:
32 Carolina Panthers (1-10) (B#4)
31 Arizona Cardinals (3-8) (B#8)
30 Cincinnati Bengals (2-9) (B#14)
29 San Francisco 49ers (4-7) (B#22)
28 Denver Broncos (3-8) (B#33)
27 Detroit Lions (2-9) (B#28)
26 Buffalo Bills (2-9) (B#68)
25 Dallas Cowboys (3-8) (B#41)
24 Minnesota Vikings (4-7) (B#42)
23 Oakland Raiders (5-6) (B#52)
22 Washington Redskins (5-6) (B#43)
21 Seattle Seahawks (5-6) (B#54)
20 Cleveland Browns (4-7) (B#73)
29
Nov
2010
Peyton throws FOUR interceptions? Surely You Can’t Be Serious
I am serious. And don't call me Shirley. (Image via KissingSuzyKolber)
The San Diego Chargers took it to the Colts 36-14 last night, winning their fourth straight game and handing Indianapolis their worst home loss of the Manning era. The Chargers defense was the star of the show, picking off Peyton Manning FOUR times, including two that were returned for scores. After starting the year at 2-5, the Chargers have rebounded in a big way, and are serving notice to the rest of the AFC that they’re a force to be reckoned with coming down the stretch.
The very un-Peyton like performance was caused by the consistent pressure San Diego put on the normally unflappable QB all night long. In fact, during the game, Cris Collinsworth showed a series of highlights that saw Manning flinching before contact was even made by a defender (watch here). It was only the third time in his career that Manning has thrown 4 interceptions in a game, and he has now thrown 7 interceptions in the last two games, making it the worst stretch of his 13-year career. Could we finally be seeing that Peyton is actually human, or is this (more likely) just an aberration?
In case you missed it, the headline for this article is a tribute to one of the greatest comedic actors of our time, Leslie Nielsen, who passed away yesterday at the age of 84. His roles in Airplane and the Naked Gun series will never be forgotten … and to keep this somewhat sports related, we leave you Nielsen’s classic performance as an umpire in the Naked Gun:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
23
Nov
2010
Tuesday morning NFL notebook
Rivers fits in San Diego as well as Eli Manning ever would have. (Source: Splog.com)
¶ Chargers wide receiver Patrick Crayton dislocated his left wrist in the team’s 35-14 win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night and could miss two weeks, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. Crayton, who had three catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, benefited from the return of wideout Malcolm Floyd, who re-tweeked his hamstring, according to the newspaper. Crayton’s set for an MRI today. None of this is good news for the Chargers, trying to distance themselves from the pack in the AFC West with an irritated Colts team on tap Sunday night.
¶ NFL.com’s Adam Rank journeys to the dark side of Philip Rivers’ titanic season — namely, your fantasy team, clinging to a lead heading into Monday, only to watch Rivers carve you up like Thursday’s bird. Rank feels your pain, fantasy owners:
“One week you are Mike Eruzione celebrating the ‘Miracle on Ice’ during the opening credits of the Wide World of Sports,” Rank writes. “The next week you are that anonymous skier wiping out in a blaze of snowy glory.”
¶ Do you think our grandfathers, who fought in wars across the globe to keep us free, would smile proudly on fantasy football? It’s probably harmless, until I take it one step too far and play fantasy businessman — where I sit on the couch and get points for someone else’s productivity and ingenuity. That, sir, would be going too fa… wait, that’s the stock market — and our ancestors invented that thing. OK, we’re good… continue on.
¶ Heading into Week 12, three Browns quarterbacks have generated three wins and three ankle sprains. Eric Mangini won’t say, but possibly three high-ankle sprains (which is the equivalent of a maternity leave in this league). Colt McCoy played most of the second half against the Jaguars on a sprained left ankle that required an MRI exam Monday. Per usual, Mangenius is quiet about who will start Sunday — and this might be the VERY first time in Cleveland that the decision even matters. On the heels of the battered, laborious Quinn vs. Anderson debates — which resulted in NOTHING, zero — the emergence of McCoy is a revelation for Browns fans used to the team’s Week 16 starter being a guy who started the year as a CVS check-out clerk in central New Jersey. With that said, we might see Jake Delhomme face his old team this weekend.
Speaking of the mess in Carolina, coach John Fox hinted at a potential mistake in allowing Delhomme to leave in the offseason.
“Looking back, sitting here at 1-9, I’m not sure how many moves were right,” Fox said Monday. “And that’s not being critical of anybody other than hindsight is always 20-20. But I know Jake is happy where he is. Sometimes change is good. I don’t believe in looking back.”
Not controversial. Fox is just being real about the quarterback mess in his own backyard — something Delhomme likely couldn’t have improved on. Delhomme’s done very little in Cleveland beyond hold a clipboard and nest in the whirlpool with Big Baby.
Before the season, people talked about Fox “writing his own check” for a new coaching job — almost anywhere he wanted. That’s quieted down, but he’s one of the better coaches in the league, despite this season’s Ho Chi Minh trail-like campaign.
26
Oct
2010
Hit Of The Week: Brandon Meriweather and Todd Heap, Revisited (VIDEO)
(Photo via Boston.com)
We’ve started a new tradition here at ReadAndReact by bringing you the Hit of the Week! We’ll find the most brutal tackle (or block) from each weekend of NFL games, and present it for your viewing pleasure.
Since the NFL is so intent on removing violent collisions from the game these days, we’re going to play along and not include any hits as part of this feature that could be considered illegal (well, at least for one week). In fact, in an effort to keep this issue top of mind for everyone, today we’ve decided to revisit the two participants in last week’s “hit heard ’round the world” – Brandon Meriweather and Todd Heap – to see how they fared this time around.
Meriweather has been the primary focus of the league’s crackdown on illegal shots to the head, and was under the microscope every time he made a tackle during the Patriots 23-20 win over the Chargers. Here, Meriweather showed that he’s capable of delivering a clean hit (and perhaps even that he was heeding the league’s warnings) as he delivers a huge – but legal – shot on WR Patrick Crayton:
And the NFL should really like this next one, since it doesn’t feature any contact whatsoever! On the other hand, it raises a completely new player-safety issue that the league is going to have to deal with. Perhaps still feeling the effects from Meriweather’s shot to the head from last week, Todd Heap collapsed untouched on the field during the Ravens 23-20 OT win over the Bills :
WATCH TODD HEAP’S SCARY MOMENT AFTER THE JUMP
27
Sep
2010
VIDEO: Leon Washington returns two kicks for scores in one game
The Seattle Seahawks acquired Leon Washington from the Jets for a late round draft pick this off-season, after Washington suffered a compound fracture in his right fibula last October, requiring a metal rod to be inserted into his leg. Well, the move paid off big time for the Seahawks on Sunday, and Washington is officially back after he returned 2 second-half kickoffs for touchdowns in leading Seattle to a 27-20 win over San Diego.
The first return – of the 101-yard variety – one came on the opening kick of the second half:
But San Diego managed to tie the game at 20-20 later in the fourth quarter, when Washington received the ensuing kick at his own 1-yard line … guess what happened next:
WATCH VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
