NFL FanHouse

FanHouse Preview: Cowboys at Eagles

R.J. White — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:20:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Eagles, NFC East, FanHouse Previews

When the Eagles and Cowboys step on the same field, you know you're in for a battle. This will be the 100th meeting in the series, with the Cowboys entering the fay with a 55-44 lead in the previous 99 games. The Eagles have the leg up in recent years though, culminating in a Week 17 beatdown last year that wound up earning Philly a playoff berth over Dallas. (Not that Tony Romo would have done much had he made the playoffs anyway.)

Both teams are 5-2, and with the Giants losing to both these foes in recent weeks, this game will determine who has the inside track at winning the NFC East. So if you though this would be just another regular ol' 100th meeting between hated rivals, think again.

More Coverage: Westbrook Reportedly Out for Eagles
The Once-Over: Breakdowns of All Week 9 Games

Three Key Questions:

1. Can Miles Austin be stopped?

2. Will the Eagles second line of defense at linebacker be able to contain the Dallas rushing game?

3. Can Donovan McNabb's offensive line keep the pressure off their quarterback?

Player in the Spotlight: Brian Westbrook. He's often been labeled a fragile, injury-prone player, and that stigma has come to pass this year. He received 13 carries in each of his first two games before missing Week 3. He then returned after the bye to take six carries in each of his next two games before suffering a concussion early in Week 7. He missed the Giants game last week, but looks ready to go for this important contest. Which is great for the Eagles, as he's routinely been trouble for the Cowboys, and his presence will be key to an Eagles victory.

Dallas's Path to Victory: The emergence of Austin has brought Romo's A-game back, but with the Eagles likely to take away the deep threat, this game will come down to how well he connects with tight end Jason Witten, who's having a quiet year by his standards. If those two aren't on the same page (and it's probably foolish to think Romo and Roy Williams will be clicking), then Romo will start forcing balls to Austin. If that happens, the Eagles will take full advantage. The Cowboys aren't likely to contain the Eagles' passing game, so keeping up with them will be essential to making this a game. Dallas must be able to keep the running game in play in the second half, and it'll take a few defensive stops and smart decisions by Romo to get them tere.

Philadelphia's Path to Victory: It'll be tempting to stick to the air against the Cowboys secondary, but mixing in the rushing game will be crucial to making sure the Dallas pass rush doesn't tee off on McNabb. Luckily for Philly, the ground attack came out in full force last week, rushing for 180 yards thanks to big efforts from rookie LeSean McCoy and fullback Leonard Weaver. With Westbrook back, Philly will try to run a balanced offense to slow down the rush and count on the defense to capitalize on any Romo mistakes. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott will keep the pressure on Romo and try to expedite the process.

Prediction: This game should be close at halftime, but I can see the Eagles pulling away in the third quarter and maintaining a two-score lead in the fourth quarter. Once Dallas's offense goes pass-happy, this game is over. I like the Eagles to take a one-game lead in the division, but as we see time and time again, anything and everything is in play in this matchup. Eagles 31, Cowboys 24.

FanHouse Preview: Cowboys at Eagles originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Harbaugh: Cowboys Are Everything That's Wrong With the NFL

Josh Alper — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Eagles, NFC East

On the eve of a Sunday night NFC East showdown in Philadelphia, the Cowboys have gotten some bulletin board material via a comparison of their franchise and the Eagles. Strangely enough, the inflammatory statements weren't made by anyone with current ties to the Eagles, but by Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

Harbaugh, a former Eagles assistant, was asked for a new book what made the Eagles more successful than the Cowboys over the last 10 years. Matt Mosley of ESPN.com shares the answer.

"Why is that? Because what Andy Reid and his program stand for is the opposite of what the Cowboys stand for. The Cowboys are a star system. It's all about building around individuals first and collecting talent, collecting great players. Andy has always been about building a team. And over the long haul, it's a team sport, and one of the greatest examples of that is what's happened with the Eagles and the Cowboys over the last 10 years. The Cowboys stand for everything that's wrong with the NFL."

Yee-owch. No one can accuse Harbaugh of pulling his punches, but is he right?

He's certainly right about the Eagles having a better decade than the Cowboys. It's not even particularly close. They've been to five NFC title games and a Super Bowl while the Cowboys are looking for their first playoff win since 1996. Even the most diehard Cowboys partisan would have a hard time accepting that part of the argument at face value.

Parsing further, however, doesn't do much for Harbaugh's thesis. Building a team is about collecting talent. That doesn't mean buying great players as if you're buying trading cards, but finding the line between the two is awfully difficult. Presumably one of the players that fits Harbaugh's star system dig is Terrell Owens, but he was Reid's before he was Jerry Jones's. Why does one side get credit for the move while the other gets slapped in the face for it? And where, exactly would Michael Vick fit into the reckoning?

Furthermore, the ultimate prize has eluded both the Cowboys and the Eagles. All of those trips to the playoffs have resulted in the same number of Super Bowl wins that the Cowboys have picked up in the last 10 years. Whatever missteps Jones has made in the last decade, and there are many to choose from, he's got three Lombardi Trophies to look at when another season ends in a bitter defeat.

Stockpiling talent, be it through the draft or with veteran acquisitions like Charles Haley, and developing stars certainly worked out for them in those days. The Eagles have had a very good run and Harbaugh may well be right about the reasons why, but that doesn't make the Cowboys everything that's wrong with the NFL.

The Cowboys are relatively successful on the field and fabulously successful at the box office. That doesn't superficially look like everything that's wrong with the NFL, and deeper digging doesn't do much to support the point. Does Harbaugh really think the Lions, Raiders or Redskins, to name three examples, have exemplified what's right about the NFL more than the Cowboys?

I'd guess not, because Harbaugh's a smart guy who probably went a bit too far in trying to pay Reid a compliment.

John Harbaugh: Cowboys Are Everything That's Wrong With the NFL originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Greg Blache Defends Daniel Snyder

Matt Snyder — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:10:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East

Former Redskins player John Riggins has been increasingly critical of current Redskins owner Dan Snyder over the course of the 2009 season. Most recently he took to Showtime's Inside the NFL to air his grievances against Snyder and the Redskins.

Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache, who apparently is an ardent Snyder supporter, took some serious issue with Riggins and his constant criticism. So serious an issue, in fact, that the Redskins sent out an incredibly lengthy press release courtesy of Blache early Thursday afternoon.

Some highlights:

- On why he felt compelled to defend Snyder -- "This is a man I've known for six years, since I've been here. And in the six years, I've never seen John Riggins here. I met him once at the Beach Blitz down in Virginia Beach - never seen him in the building. So, to hear such a vicious criticism of somebody I consider not just my employer, but a good friend, bothered me."

- On whether or not Snyder has a "dark heart" -- "The problem is the fans don't get to know Mr. Snyder like we do. They get an impression from things that are written and from things that people say. Let me just tell you something, for a person that's been here for six years, that's gone to him for things that I needed in my family - there's times he's come to me when he's heard about issues in my family and offered his assistance - is unsurpassed. He's one of the most generous, kind individuals you'll ever meet.

"My wife and I are involved in Hospice and there've been countless times he's come and helped us with issues and stuff with Hospice. To see that and get the feeling that that's what everyone on the outside is hearing about this person, I decided it was time to come and set the record straight. It's enough. It really is. We've had criticisms from people outside the building saying who Dan Snyder is and who is isn't. They don't know Dan Snyder and that's the problem."

- And, more on why Blache felt compelled to defend Snyder so adamantly -- "I just felt like it was time for somebody to come and throw a little truth out there. We keep hearing these other sides, these other factions, and to be quite candid, the third side - the truth - is that this person, all he wants to do is win. That's all he wants to do. He will spend his money, he will spend his time, he wants to win, he is here for the people, for the fans, for the Washington Redskins. Nobody pains more when we are unsuccessful than Dan Snyder. There is nobody that cares more about the fans than Dan Snyder. There is nobody that wants to win here, more than Dan Snyder. I just think that its time to put out there, for you guys to understand, that everything that is wrong with this organization is not Dan Snyder."

So, to sum things up, Blache really feels like Snyder -- his boss, mind you -- isn't getting a fair shake in the eyes of the fans and the general public. Hearing Riggins' constant public scrutinizing of Snyder seemed to have struck a chord with Blache, so he decided to send out an 800-word press release in defense of the maligned owner.

So, is Snyder really the humanitarian Blache makes him out to be, or is Blache just trying to ensure he keeps his job for the rest of the his life?

As with most discussions like this, the answer probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Greg Blache Defends Daniel Snyder originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday-and-Long: Don't Sleep on the Dallas Cowboys

Dan Graziano — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Steelers, NFC East, NFL Analysis

In case you hadn't noticed, sports these days are all about Goliath. In 2009, the Steelers, Lakers, North Carolina Tar Heels and now the Yankees have all won titles in their respective sports. Cinderella is yesterday's news. The teams that win these days are the teams that always win, and if you think that's boring, well, tough. You can kiss one of Derek Jeter's five World Series rings.

So with that in mind, we need to be really careful about overlooking the Dallas Cowboys.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All you ever hear about the Cowboys is what's wrong with them. Terrell Owens was a pain. Roy Williams is a loudmouth, too, and isn't good enough to replace T.O. Tony Romo's too concerned with his golf game and his high-wattage love life to ever attain his potential. The new stadium is ridiculous...

But you know what else? The Cowboys are 5-2. And if they win in Philadelphia on Sunday night, they'll be 6-2 and in first place all by themselves. Their defense is playing great. Their three-headed rushing attack (you know, the one with which they were torching the Giants in Week 2 before they inexplicably decided to start throwing the ball late?) looks healthy. Romo's found something with Miles Austin, and just when you thought it was safe to hang their plaque in the underachievers' hall of fame, here the Cowboys are, clacking helmets with the top teams in the league.

I have a couple of stats that indicate that this may not be a fluke. The first is a basic one: the Cowboys score a lot more points than they give up. Dallas ranks seventh in the NFL and fourth in the NFC in point differential (points scored minus points allowed) as shown here:

1. New Orleans +119
2. Indianapolis +106
3. New England +100
4. Philadelphia +70
5. Minnesota +70
6. Baltimore +62
7. Dallas +61

My second stat doesn't have a name that I know of, and I'm open to suggestion, but this one is intended to measure the extent to which a team controls the running game on both sides of the ball. It's another simple calculation. We take the team's average yards per rush on offense and subtract the average yards per rush it allows on defense. The principle is that if you're good at running the ball but no good at stopping it, that catches up with you eventually.

Dallas posts a score of plus-1.2 in this made-up category, averaging 5.4 yards per carry (second-highest in the league behind Tennessee and the curve-wrecking Chris Johnson) while allowing only 4.2 yards per carry to its opponents. That plus-1.2 is tied for best in the league with Tennessee (and its aforementioned curve-wrecker). And while this stat doesn't appear to be a great indicator through eight weeks of this particular season (Jacksonville is right behind at plus-1.1 while the 5-3 Texans rank last with a minus-1.4, and top teams such as New Orleans and Minnesota score plus-0.1 and 0.0 respectively), it holds up over 16 games, historically, and it bodes well for the Cowboys' chances going forward.

Now all they have to do is win in Philly on Sunday night, and this will all make tons of sense.

Special Explanatory Note of the Week

Why is Chris Johnson a curve-wrecker? Well, he leads the NFL so far this year with 10 runs of 20 or more yards. Adrian Peterson is second in that category with eight such runs. Maurice Jones-Drew and Cedric Benson have six each, and no one else has more than five.

What's more, there have been 20 runs this year of 40 or more yards, and Johnson has five of them. Jones-Drew and Frank Gore have three each, three backs have two each and no one else has more than one.

Those kinds of numbers skew an average, and Johnson is averaging 6.92 yards per carry while leading the NFL with 824 rushing yards. That average is the highest any NFL rushing leader has posted through eight weeks since the merger, well ahead of Jamal Lewis' 5.89 average through the first eight weeks of the 2003 season. If it holds up (and even if it slips a little), Johnson would become the sixth man in NFL history (and the first since 1973) to lead the league in rushing with an average of at least 6.0 yards per carry. The others:

Beattie Feathers, 1934 Chicago Bears, 1,004 total yards, 8.4 ypc
Jim Brown, 1963 Cleveland Browns, 1,863 total yards, 6.4 ypc
Barry Sanders, 1997 Detroit Lions, 2,053 total yards, 6.1 ypc
Joe Perry, 1954 San Francisco 49ers, 1,049 total yards, 6.1 ypc
O.J. Simpson, 1973 Buffalo Bills, 2,003 total yards, 6.0 ypc

Which also makes this the very rare and difficult-to-repeat "Beattie Feathers Note of the Week."

Hat-Tip of the Week: Pittsburgh Steelers

For their handling of the Ryan Clark situation. The Pittsburgh safety said Wednesday he still hasn't decided whether he'll play Monday in Denver, where the high altitude combined with his sickle-cell trait nearly killed him and forced the surgical removal of his spleen and gall bladder after he played there two years ago. The Steelers get kudos for being up-front and not playing typical NFL-team injury games with this situation, and for making sure Clark doesn't feel any pressure to play if he doesn't feel up to it. The more you see from the Steelers and the way they operate, the more you realize why they're so (a) successful and (b) respected.

Seats Over Heat -- The five NFL head coaches most likely to be the next to lose their jobs:

1. Tom Cable, Raiders. Honestly, at this point, what could they be waiting for?
2. Eric Mangini, Browns. The only thing that could save him is that the Browns always seem to do the wrong thing.
3. Dick Jauron, Bills. Can't be but one long losing streak away.
4. Jim Zorn, Redskins. Chances he's coaching the team in 2010 are the same as the chances you are.
5. Jeff Fisher, Titans. Incredible record, incredible longevity, but if they don't finish huge, this could be the end.

Three for the Road -- Road teams in the NFL this year are a combined 52-64, for a .448 winning percentage. With that in mind, here are three road teams I think will buck the trend and win this weekend:

1. Arizona at Chicago. Bears are 3-0 at home, Cardinals are 3-0 on the road. Something's got to give. I say it's the Bears' (extremely) offensive line.
2. Dallas at Philadelphia. See above. Basically, Philly is the more exciting team, Dallas is the more solidly built. I'll take the Cowboy RBs to wear down the Eagles' D in a classic.
3. Pittsburgh at Denver. No, I'm not stubborn. I admit I was wrong about the Broncos before the season. But I'm not wrong about the AFC North, and Denver showed last week it can't play there.

(Ed. note: Last week, on twitter, I picked Vikings over Packers, Rams over Lions and Giants over Eagles. So, so far on this project we're 2-1.)

It's Just a Fantasy -- Three guys I wish I had on my fantasy team this week:

1. Aaron Rodgers vs. Tampa Bay: Sweet relief! A week without facing a real pass rush!
2. Maurice Jones-Drew vs. Kansas City: Every week, I wish for MJD. But against the Chiefs? Hide the women and children.
3. Michael Crabtree vs. Tennessee. Was he a fool for his holdout? Sure. Greedy? You betcha. But they all are, and this one also happens to be a freak of nature. The bet here is he never looks back.

Traveling Man

The game I'll be covering this week is Houston at Indianapolis. A chance for the upstart Texans to pick up a statement win (not to mention a division win) against the high-flying, undefeated Colts. Can Houston adjust without Owen Daniels? Do they have anybody in the secondary who can even slow down Reggie Wayne, let alone stop him? Good questions, and I don't know the answers (though I have a hunch on the second). But let's just say I'm not expecting a 6-3 game.

Thursday-and-Long: Don't Sleep on the Dallas Cowboys originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dan Snyder 'Sorry' for Redskins' Fans

Matt Snyder — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:51:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East

In what has been an incredibly disappointing 2009 campaign, to this point, maligned Redskins owner Daniel Snyder had been noticeably quiet. This movement was pretty shocking because, in the past, Snyder has been a relatively vocal and hands-on owner. His silence opened the door for all kinds of theories as to why he wasn't talking and what he may have been planning.

Tuesday, he finally said a few words about his 2-5 'Skins, who -- in addition to having to climb out of a crater-sized hole in the NFC East -- face a much tougher schedule than they've already played. He managed to come off sounding like a caring and remorseful owner.

"I think, number one, I feel bad for the fans," Snyder said. "I feel sorry for the fans. We're very, very appreciative of our great, loyal fan base. And I'm understanding. I mean, we just feel terrible. We're disappointed and we're embarrassed. And we hope to get it going soon."

Asked how the team's struggles have impacted him personally, Snyder replied: "It hurts. I mean, it really hurts. We are really trying very, very hard. Everyone at Redskins Park--the coaches, the players, the organization--quite frankly has held up well. I think we have an opportunity the rest of the season to hopefully get it going.

"But to date we have let everyone down, including ourselves. We know that. We're just apologetic. We've blown some games that obviously we think we should have won."

I'm not sure many fans will be ready to accept Mr. Snyder's apology, judging from the ample venom we see in his direction on any Redskins' message or comment board. Though Vinny Cerrato, Jason Campbell and Jim Zorn all seem to share some of the blame among the general public, Snyder is still usually front-and-center when it comes to discussing the problems of this once-great franchise.

To Snyder's credit, in the present tense, he sounds contrite and determined to turn things around. It is possible for people to change after reflecting upon their past indiscretions. He'll have to do a lot more to prove himself, if this is indeed a new Dan Snyder, but it could be a start.

As for the 2009 team, you'll note Snyder said they hope to "get it going." Their only two wins are against two of the worst teams in football and three of their losses are against teams with losing records. The rest of the way, eight of the Redskins' nine upcoming opponents currently have a winning record.

Thus, they better have fixed a lot during the bye week.

Dan Snyder 'Sorry' for Redskins' Fans originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Football, Baseball and Brotherly Love - Philadelphia Is Sports Heaven

Dan Graziano — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, Giants, NFC East, NFL Fans

PHILADELPHIA -- Mike Alvarez is a lifelong Philadelphian with a Cole Hamels haircut and a vintage maroon Phillies cap who spent his Sunday in a parking lot. Alvarez didn't have tickets to the Eagles-Giants game in the afternoon. He didn't have tickets to the Phillies-Yankees World Series game at night. What he did have was a parking space for his truck, a seemingly bottomless supply of beer and enough slightly slurred wisdom to know that there was no place he would have rather been than this particular parking lot on this particular day, surrounded by his fellow Eagles and Phillies fans.

"They got flat-screens over there," Alvarez said, waving his beer can in the direction of a nearby RV. "Everybody's grilling food. I've made a ton of new friends. What more could you want?"

This was around 5:30 pm, an hour and a half after the Eagles had finished throttling the Giants and about three hours before Joe Blanton drilled Alex Rodriguez in the back with a first-inning fastball. It was the chilly intermission of one of the great days in Philadelphia sports history. An NFL rivalry game in the afternoon and then, across the parking lot, a World Series game under the full moon. Big, bad New York teams the opponents in both. Sure, it ended in disappointment, with the Yankees coming back to win the baseball game, 7-4, to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series. Still, for a day this city got to feel like the center of the sports universe. And the beauty part was, pretty much everybody behaved themselves.

That may be the most amazing thing about what's happened here, in a sports town famous for having booed Santa Claus and having taunted Michael Irvin as he lay injured on the artificial turf at old Veterans Stadium. Somewhere along the line, as the Eagles began consistently fielding playoff teams and the Phillies somehow turned into a mini-dynasty, Philadelphia sports fans appear to have shed some of the anger and bitterness that always defined them. Now, they find themselves able to look around on a day such as this and appreciate how special it is.

"I think the town feels like there's a lot to appreciate," said Joe Butkus, who was grilling in the drizzly morning with a mixed group of Philly and New York fans. "Look around. How can you not love this?"

Alvarez told a story of when he was a young boy at an Eagles game at the Vet. It was a cold, icy day, he said, and fans were walking the concrete ramps to the exits at the end of the game, and a woman in a Giants jersey fell and injured herself. As Alvarez tells it, the Eagles fans that day offered no sympathy -- just walked right past her and said, "That's what you get for wearing the wrong colors."

"That's what it used to be like," Alvarez said. "But we're polite now. We have that old reputation, but really, we're a lot more polite now than people say."

Of course, just as he was saying that, a guy walked by wearing a Michael Vick Eagles jersey and carrying a stuffed dog with bandages around its head and legs.

Didn't exactly help Alvarez make his point.

"You're always going to get a couple of nuts," he said.

And, of course, there were on both sides. A fan in a Yankees jersey got into a fight with two minutes left in the first half of the Giants-Eagles game, prompting loud boos and a "Yankees suck" chant from a crowd that had no reason all afternoon to be anything but deliriously happy. A guy in an Eagles jersey, lugging a cooler, tore through a crowd of anti-Vick protesters shouting obscenities and telling them to go away. And even the tamer interactions were designed to let the visitors from the Big Apple know who was boss.

"A guy with a green beard told me, 'You're in for a long day,'" said Vince Gilligo, who came from Hamilton, N.J., wearing a Giants cap.

Considering the setting and the circumstances, the proceedings leaned hard toward harmony. Gilligo was walking peacefully around the packed parking lots with his friend, Chuck Costello, who was decked out in Phillies gear. Tom Gussen and his son Maxwell parked their car early, while the lot was still somewhat empty, got out and started throwing a football around -- father in his green Stewart Bradley Eagles jersey and son in a blue Eli Manning number. Jose and Stephanie Torre, New York natives who now live in Northeast Philly, grilled side-by-side -- him in his Gaints garb and her in her Eagles wear, talking trash with smiles on their faces.

Kenny Kortright was part of a crew of Giants fans who drove in from Long Island. They were just going to the football game, not both. Kortright is a Mets fan, so this year's World Series matchup is a special sort of personal pain for him. After some soul-searching, he said he decided to root for the Yankees, because the Met fan in him sees the Phillies as "arrogant" and he likes too many of the players on the Yankees -- Teixeira, Sabathia, Jeter and Rivera to name a few.

But Kortright and his pals were in town to see the Giants, and as of 11 a.m. they were feeling pretty good about things.

"I'm gonna say 40-17, Giants crush em," Kortright seriously predicted.

And then of course the Eagles won, 40-17, dominating the visitors from the outset and turning the parking lots into a place where Eagle fans could drive by Giant fans flapping their arms out the window and taunting.

"I got the score right," Kortright said between games. "But wrong team. Very disheartening."

In a way, the lopsided football score contributed to the peace that pervaded the late-afternoon portion of the tailgate extravaganza. With an outcome so decisive, what arguments were there to have? What, exactly, was there for the Giants fans to say?

"Go Yankees?" Larry Riefenberg offered.

Oh yeah. Larry Riefenberg. Of Danbury, Conn. If there was a dude who summed up this day, it was our man Larry. He and his friends rented an RV, hired a driver and left at 6 a.m. They hit no traffic and pulled into the parking lot between Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park around 9:30. They set up their grills and their beer coolers and their washer-toss game and settled in for a tailgate with their Philly-based attorney friends, who got them the tickets. As of 11 a.m., Riefenberg and Co. only had tickets to the football game, but they were at work on making it a doubleheader. As soon as they arrived, they connected with a ticket broker and began negotiating a price on some World Series Game Four tickets.

"Got to," Riefenberg said. "How many times do the stars align to where you're going to have a football game here and a World Series game 100 yards away?"

At 5 p.m., with the sun starting to go down and the chill starting to bite, Riefenberg snapped his cell phone shut and said, "We're in. We got 'em." He and two of the other guys in the RV had scored their Series tickets. They knew they were going to the game.

They didn't know much else, though. Like, where they were going to stay after it was over. Or how they were getting home. See, the rest of the RV crew was heading home. The vehicle pulled out of the lot at 6 p.m., bound for Danbury, with three of its original passengers grinning happily as they swigged Bass Ale and marveled at their good fortune. Riefenberg's friend, Arnie, was bemoaning the fact that he was now required to spend as much ($350) on his wife's birthday (Tuesday) as he did for his ticket. And there was some chatter about those little nagging issues of how they were going to find their way back to Connecticut. But all of that was drowned out by the fact that these guys were going to the World Series, and they were fired up about it.

"How can you not?" Arnie said, open arms raised to the red brick baseball stadium across the street from the RV's spot. "I mean, it's right here!"

Right here in the sports complex section of South Philadelphia. Which, for this Sunday at least, was the sports capital of the world.

Football, Baseball and Brotherly Love - Philadelphia Is Sports Heaven originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eagles, Donovan McNabb Dismantle Struggling Giants

Matt Snyder — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, Giants, NFC East

Next week there will be a game between the two best teams in the NFC East, and it's not going to involve the defending division champion New York Giants. In beating the Giants to a pulp Sunday, 40-17, the Eagles -- and the Dallas Cowboys, who beat Seattle at home -- have sent the G-Men back to third place. New York has now lost three straight games, while the Eagles won their second in a row after an embarrassing loss in Oakland.

Leading the way for the Eagles was Donovan McNabb, who barely broke a sweat in destroying the Giants' patchwork secondary. He completed 17-of-23 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. He continues to show a strong chemistry with DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek, who combined for 11 catches, 186 yards and three scores.

More: Check Box Score | Cowboys Batter Seahawks | Rams Get It Done

Not having starting running back Brian Westbrook wasn't a problem for Philly, either, as fullback Leonard Weaver got loose for a 41-yard touchdown and shifty rookie LeSean McCoy added 82 yards and a 66-yard touchdown on 11 carries.

Eli Manning had a rough day for the Giants, completing just 20 of his 39 passes while throwing two interceptions. He was missing Mario Manningham and you have to give the Eagles' defense credit for playing a nearly flawless game against a quality opponent. Still, Manning was clearly the second-best quarterback on the field Sunday.

As I alluded to earlier, the Eagles square off against the Cowboys next week in a battle that will determine the division leader in the very competitive NFC East. The Giants will look to stop the bleeding against the Chargers at home.

So, let's see: the Eagles beat the Giants, Pearl Jam is playing The Spectrum and Game 4 of the World Series are all in one day in Philadelphia. While it may not always be sunny there, Philly is a pretty solid place to be on November 1, 2009.

Eagles, Donovan McNabb Dismantle Struggling Giants originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terrell Owens Sets Goal: To Outperform Roy Williams

Knox Bardeen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: Bills, Cowboys, AFC East, NFC East

After entering the National Football League in 1996 as a third-round selection, Terrell Owens has put up some big-time numbers in his 14-year career.

He's the NFL's active touchdown leader with 142 scores. He's second among active receivers to Isaac Bruce with 14,364 career receiving yards. He's also been a six-time Pro-Bowler. But, when asked what his goal for 2009 entailed, Owens didn't shoot for the moon like you would expect a player with his accolades to do. In fact, all Owens wants to do is outperform Dallas wide receiver Roy Williams.

Owens opened his media briefing with a laugh and said: "I've been looking at my stats compared to Roy E. Williams' stats over there in Dallas, and my goal is to have better stats than him at the end of the season."

Asked if he regrets signing with Buffalo, Owens said:

"No, not at all. Everything happens for a reason. There are times, I'm human, and it's frustrating. I never want to go back and rethink things. But that's the nature of it."

As it stands right now, Owens has 242 yards receiving on 18 catches and one touchdown. He's played in all seven of the Bills' games thus far and averages 13.4 yards per reception.

Williams, on the other hand, has only played in five of Dallas' six games and has 12 receptions for 230 yards and a touchdown. Williams averages 19.2 yards per reception.

The first glaring detail upon looking at the schedules for both teams shows that Dallas has 10 games remaining -- Buffalo only nine. If both receivers play in all of their remaining games, it would seem that Williams has an advantage. But remaining games don't paint the full picture.

By taking a look at the strength of schedule for both teams' remaining games in reference to receiving yards allowed, you'll see that Buffalo has a much easier time. In the nine games left for Buffalo, they only face three defenses in the top-10 in receiving yards allowed. The average rank of the defenses left to face is 18.4. Dallas, unfortunately for Williams in this competition he didn't ask to compete in, faces seven top-10 receiving defenses with an average rank of 8.5.

Owens definitely has an easier road to travel and should be able to easily win this "bet", even though he has one less game to play. He also probably knew that the schedule favored him before he opened his mouth. Because you wouldn't think that Terrell Owens would stir up trouble aimlessly, without thinking about the consequences of his actions -- would you?

Terrell Owens Sets Goal: To Outperform Roy Williams originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris Cooley Reportedly Out for Season

Matt Snyder — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:40:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East, NFL Injuries

After sustaining an ankle injury on the first play of the second quarter Monday night, Redskins tight end Chris Cooley will reportedly miss the remainder of 2009. The Pro Bowl tight end will finish his season with 29 catches (a career low), 332 yards and two touchdowns, as he hauled in a pair of passes for 21 yards before leaving with the injury Monday night in the Redskins' 27-17 loss to the Eagles.

Head coach Jim Zorn would not confirm that Cooley's year is over, but did note that Cooley will "be out for a while."

""He's got a break in his ankle," Zorn said. "It's on the inner side of his tibia. I haven't seen the X-rays yet, but we're quite certain it's broke or fractured in some way; we'll have a better diagnosis tomorrow."

Fantasy Football Spin: Five Replacements for Chris Cooley

Losing Cooley is a big blow to the Redskins' already maligned offense, which has struggled to score points all season and is now on its second play-caller. He will be replaced in the lineup by the young Fred Davis.

The Redskins may not lose a ton in terms of pass-catching when it comes to inserting Davis for Cooley. Davis is more athletic, and finished Monday night with the best stat-line among Redskins' receivers. He caught eight passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Jason Campbell definitely appeared to like throwing Davis' way.

On the other hand, the biggest problem for the Redskins' offense thus far this season has been blocking, and Cooley is a much more adept blocker than Davis. It will be interesting to see what the 'Skins do in running situations moving forward, because Davis can't help to clear the path very well for Clinton Portis. And, obviously, if they only play Davis in passing situations, they are tipping off the defense that they are passing. Thus, it's easy to see why the Cooley injury is such a big blow for the Redskins, who are already going through an incredibly disappointing 2009 campaign.

Washington is currently 2-5 and will have a bye in Week 8. They will travel to Atlanta to face the 4-2 Falcons in Week 9.

Chris Cooley Reportedly Out for Season originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday Night Football Live Chat: Eagles vs. Redskins

Adam Gretz — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, Redskins, NFC East

The Jim Zorn watch is officially on, and Monday night we get to watch the drama unfold as the Redskins host their NFC East rivals from Philadelphia. As always, we'll be discussing all of the action in our Monday Night Football Live Chat, and the fun starts at 8:30 PM ET, so please stop by and join us.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;altcast_code=36697eb279" &amp;gt;Monday Night Football Live Chat&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Monday Night Football Live Chat: Eagles vs. Redskins originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Henne's Challenge: Don't Get Blown Away by Brees

Thomas George — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Dolphins, Saints, AFC South, NFC East, CFL

Now that Drew Brees has revealed he would have joined the Miami Dolphins back in 2006 as a free agent had they trusted his throwing shoulder was healed, had they believed in him, here comes Brees for an encore visit on Sunday to Miami.

I think the Dolphins and quarterback Chad Henne know the score.

They know that Henne will enter into a scrap with Brees where Henne had better light it up or be lit up.

"Oh, Drew Brees is coming?" Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland joked about the hot passing hand of Brees and the 6-0 New Orleans Saints. "Chad is aware of it. Of course. But he's got enough on his plate. He has to worry about that Saints defense. It leads the league in turnovers. It leads in interceptions. That would be his concern, but I would think being the competitor he is, he is anxious to get into competition with Drew Brees. Chad is a tremendous competitor. He is not going to back down from a fight. Being a competitor is something people sometimes take for granted in this league. Everybody has to compete at this level. But the way Chad has all of his life is a rare trait."

This move by the Dolphins from Chad to Chad, from Pennington to Henne, was forced upon them when Pennington had his right (throwing) shoulder mangled at the San Diego Chargers in Week 3. Henne entered in the third quarter and by game's end had thrown a pick that was returned for a touchdown. Miami lost 23-13.

Losses to the Atlanta Falcons (19-7) and to the Indianapolis Colts (27-23) preceded that misery in San Diego where Pennington was lost for the season. Like the New England Patriots early last season when they lost quarterback Tom Brady for the year, the Dolphins scrambled. How do you reassemble an offense that is built on a quarterback who means everything to the scheme, to the franchise? How do you rekindle hope?

"Chad Henne is cool and under control, so we don't have to do a lot with him there. He doesn't let things bother him and he's that way off the field."
- Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland When the Jets spurned Pennington for Brett Favre last season and Pennington landed in Miami, the Dolphins were joyous. They found a quarterback who would lead them to the AFC East championship. They gained a franchise stabilizer and more.

"All of the things Chad Pennington brought to us were spectacular," Ireland said. "You came to know with Chad Pennington that you were going to get a game manager, that he would play smart. There are not many situations he hasn't been in. You knew he would be prepared as well as any quarterback in the league. He was outgoing and vocal. You got accuracy, ball location, not a lot of turnovers. We had to move from a 10-year vet to virtually a rookie who had played only a handful of snaps the year before."

This is where the Dolphins distinguished themselves.

They understood the importance of having a quality quarterback or two "in the hopper," as Ireland calls it.

A few months before Pennington arrived, Miami had drafted Henne from Michigan in the 2008 draft using the 57th overall pick. In this year's draft Miami selected Pat White from West Virginia using the 44th overall pick. And two days after Pennington was lost, the Dolphins traded for quarterback Tyler Thigpen, who was with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Henne is 24. White is 23. Thigpen is 25.

White is an emerging weapon in the Dolphins' Wildcat offense and rushing attack that leads the league in average yards gained per game (177).

But Henne is the axis now at quarterback.

He has beaten Buffalo (28-10) and the Jets (31-27) in his two starts. He has helped lift Miami to a 2-3 record. Beating Brees and the Saints would help Henne and the Dolphins firmly plant their feet.

This quarterback was the fourth selected in the '08 draft behind Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Brian Brohm. He can excel at deep throwing, evidenced by his 53-yard scoring bomb to receiver Ted Ginn, Jr., versus the Jets.

Henne said his offensive teammates are looking up to him in the huddle now and that he is getting comfortable with that. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said his young quarterback is handling things "very well" and that he likes to give him space, yet, visit with him often about things other than football.

Keep him rooted.

Keep him calm.

Here is what the Dolphins liked about this quarterback whom they thought had a chance to be their future who is now forced to be their present: played at a big college, lots of starts, performed in front of big crowds, had to win his starting job every year, major battles and production in bowl games, poised, level emotions, great listener.

"Chad Henne is cool and under control, so we don't have to do a lot with him there," Ireland said. "He doesn't let things bother him and he's that way off the field. Not too much rattles him. Obviously, we have a long way to go to develop this quarterback into a championship type of player with all the things it takes.

"We saw some things against the Jets that we didn't see against Buffalo. He had to run the two-minute offense. He had to come from behind. He showed some of the things -- ball location, game management, tempo, speed in and out of the huddle -- that we were looking for. The exact words we told Chad after the San Diego game was he was the next man up."

And he is the next quarterback in line opposite of the fancy Drew Brees.

The Dolphins' course is different now. But their ultimate goals remain the same with Henne.

"It's his show now," Ireland said. "He'll give us his best."

Henne's Challenge: Don't Get Blown Away by Brees originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jim Zorn Safe Until at Least After Season

Josh Alper — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East, NFL Coaching

It looks like we can call off the Jim Zorn Deathwatch. For the next couple of days anyway.

Redskins executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato said on his ESPN980 radio show Friday morning that Zorn won't be fired before the 2009 season reaches its conclusion.

"Let me start by making a few things very perfectly clear: Jim Zorn is the head coach of the Washington Redskins, and will be for the rest of this season, and hopefully into the future."

Cerrato's hardly an impartial party to this decision. When and if Zorn gets fired and when and if Daniel Snyder brings in the big-name coach everyone expects he'll bring in as a replacement, Cerrato will be the next head on the chopping block.

Think about it. Let's say Snyder is able to convince Mike Shanahan or Mike Holmgren or another of the big names to take on the Redskins job, what's the likelihood that they're going to want to work with Cerrato? They've been in charge of personnel before and if they want someone to help them with the task in D.C. it isn't likely to be the guy who has overseen the construction of this year's flailing bunch.

As for Zorn's immediate future, he's pretty much the head coach in name only at this point. Greg Blache always had the reins of the defense, and now Zorn isn't even calling the plays for the offense that he installed. That makes him responsible for buying birthday cakes around the office and overseeing fire drills, perhaps, but nothing that fits the job description of the other 31 teams around the NFL. The Redskins have already started the process of firing him, they just decided against doing it all at once.

Cerrato also downplayed the idea of any turmoil within the organization, which seems about right. Everything going on with the Redskins this season seems par for the course for the Snyder era.

Jim Zorn Safe Until at Least After Season originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jim Zorn to Give Up Play-Calling Duties

Matt Snyder — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East, NFL Coaching

Despite facing off against mostly subpar competition, the Redskins have stumbled out of the gate to a 2-4 start and are averaging just 13.3 points per game. It's pretty obvious some changes need to be made. Embattled head coach Jim Zorn changed quarterbacks -- from Jason Campbell to Todd Collins -- during Sunday's loss to the previously-winless Chiefs. That move proved futile, as they still couldn't muster more than six points (they lost 14-6).

For his next move, Zorn has, in a way, demoted himself. According to The Washington Post, Zorn will no longer be calling the offensive plays.

More Coverage: Sources Say Shanahan Turned Redskins Down

The move was actually a suggestion from executive vice president Vinny Cerrato, who informed Zorn he thought the coach had "too much on his plate." Zorn didn't argue and gladly stepped down from play-calling duties. The two will reportedly meet again Monday to decide who takes over.

If the Redskins feel he's been there long enough to fully grasp the entire offense, Sherman Lewis would be a good candidate to take over. Lewis was hired on just under two weeks ago as an offensive consultant and he is one of the innovators of the modern "west coast" offense.

Regardless of who takes over, they'll be trying to find a way to move the football with a terrible offensive line and shoddy quarterbacking.

The Redskins square off against the Eagles next Monday night.

Jim Zorn to Give Up Play-Calling Duties originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DeAngelo Hall Not Sounding Confident About Redskins Turnaround

Matt Snyder — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East

Considering the opposition, the Redskins should be in much better shape right now. They have played four really bad teams and emerged from those games with a 2-2 record -- barely scraping out victories over the still-winless Rams and Buccaneers. Obviously, this is little real reason for optimism. We can probably see through any public talk where someone says something like "things are going to be just fine, we'll get it going."

Don't count DeAngelo Hall in the camp willing to do that. He's far from confident, in fact, he doesn't think the woes are the fault of head coach Jim Zorn ... because Zorn hasn't been given a good group of players.

"I think a lot of people made the comment, '[Zorn's] not out there playing in the games.' That's the truth of the matter," Hall said. "If you want to blame someone, look at the film. Look at the guys who are out there trying to play. We haven't been doing a great job, bottom line, we haven't been doing a great job. I think the blame lies with us. I think the blame lies with us. I think we're the ones out there playing every day, practicing, trying to do the right thing, but I don't know if we've got the right personnel here to do it."

OK, DeAngelo, why you don't tell us how you really feel? So, the problem ultimately lies with general manager Vinny Cerrato and owner Dan Snyder -- at least that's what it seems like Hall is implying. It's a bit of a gutsy thing to say, considering they could cut him if they want. He wasn't done, though.

Remember, Sunday, I took the Redskins to task for not doing anything much to fix their offensive line in the offseason. Hall seemed to agree when he was asked if the line could handle more injuries.

"Nah, not at all, not at all," he said. "Chris Samuels going down was a devastating loss for us, you know, devastating. We go from having a what, four-, five-, six-time Pro Bowler in there to a guy who hardly has played in this league. Not saying anything to Batiste, he was with me in Atlanta for a little while, but that's a big drop-off, that's a big drop-off. And heading into the offseason and preseason we said we needed to address the offensive line.

"We felt like we did get better ... but that's a position where you can always get better. You can always have proven guys out there backing other guys up that have played in this league, have had starts in this league. That's something we're lacking."

Hall noted that he wasn't in panic mode just yet, but it was getting close to that point. He basically said this Sunday against Kansas City is a must-win game in order for Washington to salvage their season.

If things don't get better really soon, there's gonna be a lot more of this in store for us from the DC-area this season. The Redskins play the winless Chiefs this Sunday. If they lose that, it's gonna be an ugly week. Even if they don't, though, the schedule really firms up after that. Check it out: vs. Eagles, at Falcons, vs. Broncos, at Cowboys, at Eagles, vs. Saints, at Raiders, vs. Giants, vs. Cowboys and at San Diego. Simply put, if the Redskins keep playing like they have been, they're looking at a 4-12 season (with wins over K.C. and Oakland). If that comes to fruition, expect heads to roll. Lots of them.

DeAngelo Hall Not Sounding Confident About Redskins Turnaround originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Soft Schedule Helps Forgotten Eagles

Dave Goldberg — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:10:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, NFC East

The NFL and the networks certainly didn't intend it this way. But when they drew up the 2009 schedule, they turned the Philadelphia Eagles into an early-season afterthought, an asterisk following the Giants in the NFC East and the Giants, Saints and Vikings in the conference. Because that schedule is one reason those three teams are unbeaten.

It wasn't that way before the season.

Those folks who didn't think the Giants would win the division favored the Eagles with a few odd votes for Dallas. But the Eagles dropped off the map a bit when Donovan McNabb hurt his ribs in the opening week and the Saints then blew them out on the same Sunday that New York spoiled the opening of Jerry Jones' Dallas palace.

But that's been the only blip for Philadelphia, which, like its rival 90 miles to the north, has been cruising through the opening five weeks of the season against the softest part of their schedule. The Eagles' wins include a 38-10 opener over Carolina, now 1-3; that McNabb-less loss to the Saints; and lopsided wins over two winless teams, Kansas City and Tampa Bay, who they beat 33-14 on Sunday.

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The Giants have been getting attention because they're unbeaten and they've won two division games: the first two over the Redskins and Cowboys. But they've just finished a similar stretch to Philadelphia, running over three almost winless teams (Oakland plays like it's winless) -- Tampa Bay, Kansas City and the Raiders -- by a combined score of 95-23.

So basically, the Giants and Eagles are even -- New York next goes to New Orleans and will probably be an underdog, for no other reason than for its status as the visitor. The Eagles have their second bye -- or rather a trip to Oakland, the team that flew coast-to-coast to lose 44-7 at the Meadowlands Sunday in a game that wasn't that close.

After that, the real season starts: the Eagles are at Washington and play host to the Giants the next two weeks, while the Giants are home to Arizona before they go to Philly.

What we've really had is a five-week exhibition season in which both teams played short. Philly was allowed to get McNabb healthy by using Kevin Kolb against patsies. Ditto for New York, which has a bunch of guys banged up and a couple on injured reserve, out for the year.

But what else we've seen that makes these teams so much more threatening than Dallas and Washington is the development of young receivers that make both offenses more dynamic than they've been in a while.

For Philly, it's Jeremy Maclin, who was the 19th overall pick in this year's draft. On Sunday, he had six catches for 142 yards and two TDs. With second-year-man DeSean Jackson becoming one of the NFL's prime long-distance threats, Maclin gives the Eagles someone else for opponents to double cover.

The Giants, of course, were supposed to have no wide receivers after the release of Plaxico Burress following his gun possession arrest and the decision not to re-sign Amani Toomer. (Folks kept writing they had "lost" Toomer. No, he just got old quickly, as 35-year-old wideouts are prone to do.)

Instead they have Steve Smith, a third-year man who going into Sunday's games led the league in catches, yards and receiving touchdowns. He had three catches for 70 yards Sunday, then sat down at halftime with the Giants holding a 31-7 lead.

They also have second-year-man Mario Manningham and rookie Hakeem Nicks (29th overall), each of whom had TD catches on Sunday. Nicks, who missed two games with a foot injury, now has two TDs on seven catches and is averaging 17.2 yards per reception, a different kind of deep threat than Burress.

An aside: both Maclin and Nicks (as well as Tennessee's Kenny Britt, 31st overall, demonstrate how dysfunctional the Raiders were to use the seventh pick of the first round on Darrius Heyward-Bey. Maybe the seventh pick of the second round or much later for a guy who has more names than catches (two). (Someone else's line, by the way.)

And maybe Myles Austin (10 catches, 250 yards, two TDs) in Kansas City might give Tony Romo a real No. 1 target and allow Dallas to stay with the Giants and Eagles in their division.

More likely, the Cowboys will just be a troublemaker -- more for Philly than New York since the Giants already have won in Dallas.

In any case, when folks do rankings (a silly exercise at all times), give some love to the Eagles. Their explosive offense deserves it.

Soft Schedule Helps Forgotten Eagles originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Should Chiefs Have Gone for Two?

Matt Snyder — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, Cowboys, AFC West, NFC East, NFL Coaching

With less than 30 seconds left in a home tilt against the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs had the opportunity to win their first game of the season -- which would have also been the first win of Todd Haley's head coaching career. After a Dwayne Bowe touchdown, the Chiefs trailed by the Cowboys 20-19 with a conversion on the way. They could have converted a two-pointer and won the game. Instead, they opted to kick the extra point and tie the game.

The Chiefs eventually lost in overtime to the Cowboys, so let the second-guessing begin. Should Haley have gone for the 2-pointer and the victory?

Yes

The Chiefs are clearly the inferior team. They had allowed the Cowboys to romp for 202 yards on three second half drives, which accounted for 17 of the Cowboys' 20 points. They had no answer for Tony Romo or Miles Austin through the air and weren't exactly stuffing the run (the 'Boys averaged 5.8 yards per carry on the game). Simply put: it was pretty obvious the Chiefs' defense wasn't going to stop Dallas if they were on the field in overtime.

Thus, why not go for two? You are 0-4. It's only two yards. If, heading into the game, someone told the Chiefs you have one play to gain two yards to win the football game, don't you think they would have loved that? I guess not, because Haley didn't go for it. He took the safe way out when he should be doing everything he can to capture that elusive first victory.

No

You are at home and have all the momentum. Why chance losing the game on an unsuccessful two-point conversion when you can go for the sure thing and tie the football game? Plus, the Chiefs had just mounted their most successful drive of the game, going 74 yards in just 10 plays to tie the game. For the first time in three weeks, Bowe and Matt Cassel seemed to be on the same page.

It's easy to sit here and second guess, but what if the Chiefs had gone for two and been unsuccessful? Wouldn't everyone be crucifying them for not taking the tie and heading to overtime at home?

If the Chiefs won the toss in overtime, it seems pretty reasonable that they could have moved the ball into field goal range -- and Ryan Succop had already nailed a 47-yarder earlier in the game.

So, which was it? Vote in the poll to let us know and feel free to argue your case in the comments section.

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NFL Throwback Uniforms

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Football League (AFL), several teams have worn throwback uniforms this year. Tom Brady's New England Patriots were one of four teams in retro duds for Week 5. Click through to check out the rest.

Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Image,

NFL Throwback Uniforms

Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Image,

Denver Broncos or Wyoming Cowboys? The Broncos' AFL eyesores looked very similar to those currently worn by Wyoming of the Mountain West conference. Ugly or not, they worked -- Denver upset New England in overtime.

Barry Gutierrez, AP

At first glance, the Kansas City Chiefs' uniforms on Sunday, which they sported for an overtime loss to the Cowboys, didn't look that dissimilar from their current gear. But looks can be deceiving ...

Jamie Squire, Getty Images

... While the Chiefs got to keep their red and white on, they also wore the helmet of the Dallas Texans -- the AFL squad that moved to K.C. after 1962. It made for an odd scene with "Dallas" playing Dallas in Kansas City.

Jamie Squire, Getty Images

The Rams wore what may be the most recognizable of all the throwbacks, suiting up in their well-known yellow and blue jerseys with the ram-horn helmet. It's a look that St. Louis still has in the rotation as an alternate jersey.

Ronald Martinez, Getty Images

Should Chiefs Have Gone for Two? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Biggest Redskins Problem Not Coaching Or Quarterbacking

Matt Snyder — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:55:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East, NFL Coaching, NFL Quarterbacks

The Washington Redskins went into Carolina Sunday and came home with a 20-17 loss. You know what that means? Another week of people calling for the respective jobs of head coach Jim Zorn and quarterback Jason Campbell. It's certainly justifiable to at least question Zorn and Campbell to be the leaders of a playoff team, but there is no way either one is the biggest problem on the Redskins. That dubious distinction lays collectively with the offensive line.

And, just think, the Redskins decided to upgrade an already solid defensive front by selecting Brian Orakpo in the first round. Michael Oher went 10 picks later, and he's having a very solid rookie campaign for the Ravens as a right tackle.

Hmm ... right tackle. The same place that is currently a sieve for the Redskins. Stephon Heyer seems like a nice enough guy, but he's a pretty terrible NFL right tackle. If we can second-guess the draft pick, it's pretty clear that Oher would have fit the Redskins much better than Orakpo.

Granted, Orakpo is having a fine rookie season. He's going to be a good player and has made several good plays this season. It's just that the need to replace Heyer at right tackle was greater than the need to add another player on defense.

It's just not Heyer, though. The whole line is struggling right now. Campbell was running for his life on the majority of his drop-backs. Clinton Portis is far too talented to only average three yards per carry (19 carries for 57 yards) against a Panthers defense who ranked dead last in the NFL against the run heading into the game -- allowing an awful 5.4 yards per carry.

Mike Sellers -- who got into a little tiff with Portis this week about his lack of run blocking -- needs to bear some of the brunt as well. He's not hitting the hole as a lead blocker hard enough to clear room for Portis.

The Redskins did lose Chris Samuels to injury early in the game, which only further outlines the lack of depth the Redskins have on the line. Losing the left tackle made them even worse than usual.

The blocking was so bad the Redskins were unable to mount a legitimate touchdown drive all day. They scored a 10-yard touchdown off a Carolina turnover (a two-play, 13-yard drive) and then a one-yard touchdown after a DeAngelo Hall interception return set them up perfectly.

Regardless, everyone in the Washington area should be prepared to hear many complaints about Zorn and Campbell this coming week. They have now lost to the 1-4 Lions, the 1-3 Panthers, their rival Giants and barely squeaked out home victories against the winless Bucs and Rams. With a 5-game stretch like that, it's hardly surprising the coach and quarterback would come under intense scrutiny. Each job brings extra scrutiny. It comes with the territory.

The biggest problem on the Redskins is the terrible offensive line play. The biggest problems we'll hear about the rest of this season are the coach and quarterback.

That's not exactly fair, but life isn't always fair.

Biggest Redskins Problem Not Coaching Or Quarterbacking originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeremy Maclin Helps Make Donovan McNabb's Return Easy

Matt Snyder — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, NFC East, NFL Injuries, NFL Quarterbacks

Donovan McNabb had been watching and waiting. After sustaining a broken rib in Week 1 against Carolina, McNabb watched Kevin Kolb become the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 300 yards in each of his first two starts. In Week 4, the Eagles had a bye and McNabb had to wait one more week before returning to action.

Jeremy Maclin had been watching and waiting. The rookie first-rounder from Missouri didn't even see action with McNabb in Week 1. He caught six passes for 45 yards in the next two weeks, though the Eagles racked up over 700 yards through the air. He had to have been antsy to get into the mix, especially watching second-year wideout DeSean Jackson put up big numbers.

Watching the McNabb and Maclin duo slice through the Buccaneers' secondary with ease Sunday, ultimately earning a 33-14 win, it was apparent the two had watched and waited long enough.

On the Eagles' second play from scrimmage, McNabb hit his rookie receiver in stride for a 51-yard touchdown pass. He would close another two-play drive with just over 1:30 left in the first half on a 40-yard touchdown strike to Maclin. All in all, the 21-year-old Maclin hauled in six passes for 142 yards and the aforementioned pair of scores. It was a career day in just the third game of his career -- one in which the future looks bright enough to foresee many more days like this.

McNabb wasn't hitting just Maclin, though. He picked through the porous Buccaneers defense as if he was yawning at times, connecting on 16-of-21 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns with nary a turnover. He also gained 30 yards on the ground on just two carries. The best news of all, though, was that McNabb never looked apprehensive about taking a hit to his hurting ribcage, once again proving himself among the toughest competitors in football.

Sure, one could take the angle that the Bucs don't provide much opposition. After all, Tampa is now 0-5 and has allowed 140 points thus far. The Eagles can only play who is put in front of them, and they'll have another easy test next week when they visit the hapless Oakland Raiders, who have been outscored 96-16 the past three weeks.

A healthy and confident McNabb was firing on all cylinders with a large arsenal of weaponry, now including the explosive Maclin, who is obviously fully entrenched in the Philly game plan.

It's just good news all around Sunday in the City of Brotherly Love -- perhaps it continues later when their Phillies play in Colorado?

Jeremy Maclin Helps Make Donovan McNabb's Return Easy originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Portis, Sellers Exchange Heated Words

Matt Snyder — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:50:00 EST

Filed under: Redskins, NFC East

In news sure to cause knee-jerk reactions from many, Jason Reid of the Washington Post has confirmed that Clinton Portis and Mike Sellers got into a "heated verbal exchange" Monday at Redskins Park. Apparently, Sellers heard Portis requested Sellers be removed from Sunday's game due to his missing a few blocks on Portis runs. The two got into an argument and had to be restrained by other players and coaches. It has been emphasized there were no punches thrown.

Yawn. There is absolutely nothing wrong with two football teammates getting into a disagreement on a Monday -- especially considering how poorly the Redskins have fared offensively thus far. They play a testosterone-packed powder keg of a sport, and sometimes things don't go their way. Thus, they blow off steam. In fact, this could be construed as a good thing for the Redskins.

You know who doesn't fight? People who don't care. Obviously Portis and Sellers are both very frustrated by the early season woes of the offense and want to play better, otherwise they wouldn't get "heated" about anything. You'd much rather see this kind of intensity than apathy or complacency.

The argument, in one way, also speaks to the close nature of the two players. Think about it this way: are you more apt to get into a heated argument with your sibling or someone you barely know when you are incredibly frustrated? Head coach Jim Zorn believes as much.

"These guys love each other," he said of the two players. "They absolutely love each other. This is just how a team goes. These guys are like brothers and they care about each other. That is really between them. Seriously, it is not an issue."

Yes, the Redskins have some problems that need fixing. This isn't one of them.

They head to Carolina this weekend to face the 0-3 Panthers and will look to get the offense on track -- including those running plays where Mike Sellers lead blocks for his friend, Clinton Portis.

Portis, Sellers Exchange Heated Words originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eli Manning Practices, 'Hopeful' for Sunday's Game

Matt Snyder — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NFC East, NFL Injuries, NFL Quarterbacks

(Update, Oct. 10: The Giants did not activate backup QB Rhett Bomar off the practice squad by the Saturday afternoon deadline, meaning just Eli Manning and David Carr are active at quarterback for Sunday -- a good indication that Manning will play).

After suffering a plantar fasciitis injury last weekend against the Chiefs, it was really up in the air whether or not Eli Manning would be able to play this Sunday at home against the Oakland Raiders. After Friday's practice, though, Eli's chances of playing look pretty solid.

After practice, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin told media members that Manning did about "half" of the team activities and he was "absolutely" encouraged by what he saw from his veteran signal-caller. Whether or not Manning will play is still considered a game-time decision, but Coughlin said he was "hopeful" that No. 10 is going to be suiting up to play the Raiders.

Manning currently sports a 104.0 QB rating, having completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns, with just two interceptions. The Giants are out to a 4-0 start under his leadership and have gone 26-10 since the beginning of 2007.

Plantar fasciitis is said to be the type of injury you can play through. It's painful but doesn't overly hamper the abilities of a player. Rasheed Wallace played nearly an entire NBA season with it. Considering Manning played through a pretty painful shoulder injury in 2007, you know he can deal with the pain.

Thus, we have to conclude that, as long as no medical personnel deem him unable to perform -- an unlikely scenario -- Manning will be playing this Sunday.

Eli Manning Practices, 'Hopeful' for Sunday's Game originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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