Oklahoma (12-1, 7-1 BIG 12) The Sooners spanked Missouri 62-21 in the Big 12 Championship Game, racking their 5th consecutive 60+ point offensive performance despite the non-throwing thumb injury to Heisman Trophy winner QB Sam Bradford and the loss for the season of star RB DeMarco Murray (179 for 1002 yards and 14 TD rushing, 31 for 395 yards and 4 TD receiving, 27.6 yards per kick return). The 6’4” 218 sophomore QB Bradford (302 of 442 for 4464 yards, 48 TD, 6 INT) has surgery following the Missouri game and has been practicing with a small cast on the thumb and hasn’t doesn’t appear to be having any problems handling the ball while few teams in the nation are as capable as Oklahoma of picking up the slack for the loss of an athlete like Murray. 5’11” 210 junior RB Chris Brown (195 for 1110 yards and 20 TD) is their OTHER 1000+ yard back while with Murray sidelined in the conference championship game, 6’0” 196 sophomore RB Mossis Madu (111 for 463 and 6 TD) complimented Brown quite well with 114 rushing yards on 15 carries while finding the endzone 3 times. Murry’s ability out of the backfield as a receiving target will be the main loss. The duties are many for the offensive line in the spread offense and this veteran (4 seniors and 1 junior, 6’5” and 311 pounds) crew has gotten better as the season progressed, allowing just 11 sacks in nearly 500 drop-backs while punching holes for 205.5 yards rushing per game at 4.8 yards per carry. Traditionally, teams protect left and run right but with behemoths the size of 6’8” 337 senior LT Phil Loadholt and 6’5” 335 senior LG Duke Robinson, “strong side” and “weak side” lose some of their meaning for defenses – especially when 6’6” 261 junior TE Jermaine Gresham (58 for 888 yards and 12 TD) operates down the field like an overgrown wide receiver. 45 rushing touchdowns and 49 passing touchdowns through 13 games eye-popping enough but the 2+ points this squad has piled up per minute of possession over the last 2 months makes this the single, most explosive offense we have seen – period – and it’s the passing game that destroys opponents. 6’5” 203 senior WR Quentin Chaney (27 for 467 yards and 2 TD), 6’0” 204 senior WR Juaquin Iglesias (69 for 1092 and 10 TD), 6’0” 183 senior WR Manuel Johnson (38 for 685 and 9 TD), and 5’11” 175 freshman slot WR Ryan Broyles (42 for 661 and 6 TD, 9.7 per punt return with TD) lead the way for a receiving attack that manages 356.5 yards per game at – get this – 9.7 yards per passing attempt! With just 7 interceptions and 2 lost fumbles all season, this is as flawless as a year any team has ever had with the ball and if Head Coach Bob Stoops (109-23 in 10th season in Norman) hadn’t called off the dogs it could have been even much more productive. The Sooners piled up 456 first-half points (allowed 150) in 2008. With games generally in hand, they added just 246 after halftime.
Big 12 Conference defenses have been knocked as being extremely generous this season and Oklahoma’s raw numbers at 24.5 points on 359.1 yards per game aren’t great but then they do have to face the explosive Big 12 offenses every weekend. For us, defense is equally about drive-ending or game-changing plays and with 42 sacks, 101 tackles for loss, 17 interceptions, and 15 forced fumbles the Sooners have more than their share. The first thing that strikes you about Stoops’ defensive front – just like with Coach Meyer’s – is their youth. With LDE Auston English (30 T, 9 TFL, 4 ½ S in 10 games) done for the season, 6’4” 249 freshman Frank Alexander (21 T, 3 ½ S) has been holding down the starting role alongside sophomores 6’4” 295 LDT Adrian Taylor (20 T, 6 ½ TFL, 4 ½ S), 6’4” 295 sophomore RDT Gerald McCoy (26 T, 10 TFL, 6 ½ S), and 6’3” 253 RDE Jeremy Beal (54 T, 14 TFL, 8 ½ S). Beal on the edge has been the most exiting play-maker but this week we’ll look for these interior linemen to make trouble for Florida’s young Pouncey Twins on the inside. The real question is does Oklahoma have the speed to play with the Gators and can they handle the option? We think yes. The Sooners face so much of the spread in conference that they routinely play with speedy 6’2” 221 freshman Austin Box (36 T, 6 ½ TFL, INT) at middle linebacker or pull the linebacker all together in favor of a 4-2-5 with 6’1” 190 junior Quentin Carter (34 T) entering the game as a third safety to the bigger 6’1” 201 senior FS Lendy Holmes (79 T, 1 ½ TFL, 5 INT) and 6’3” 230 senior SS Nic Harris (64 T, 3 TFL). Holmes is particularly motivated, feeling he let his mates down in missing the embarrassing 28-48 loss to the Mountaineers in last year’s Fiesta Bowl due to academic ineligibility. Cornerbacks Dominique Franks (39 T, 4 INT with TD, FR with TD) and Brian Jackson (67 T, 4 TFL, 2 INT) are decent, but to beat Florida stopping the run is paramount and the work from the outside linebackers will be the key. 6’2” 220 junior SLB Kennan Clayton (76 T, 10 TFL, 4 ½ S, INT) has been the strip machine with 6 forced fumbles and 6’2” 232 freshman WLB Travis Lewis (12 TFL, 3 ½ S) has been the tackle machine with a whopping 135 stops while adding 4 picks.
Florida (12-1, 7-1 SEC) The Gators have also dominated the first halves of games this season, with their dynamite defense key to their superb 321-51 edge at the breaks. Like the Sooners, Florida is young along the front wall with sophomores 6’5” 305 LDT Lawrence Marsh (25 T, 5 ½ TFL, 3 S) and 6’2” 300 RDT Terron Sanders (21 T, 4 TFL) holding the point for a crew that allows just 3.3 yards per carry (104.3 yards per game). These kids are simply beasts to move and draw blockers to free up pro-sized ends 6’3” 265 Justin Trattou (27 T, 4 TFL, 1 ½ S), 6’3” 250 Jermaine Cunningham (51 T, 10 TFL, 6 S, 2 FF) and 6’6” 290 Carlos Dunlap (35 T, 12 TFL, 9 S) to not just drop the quarterback (32 team sacks) for the loss but also create a ton of bad and rushed throws that have been snatched by the Florida defenders. The 24 interceptions racked by this crew may be the most decisive statistic for Coach Urban Meyer’s team this season, time and time again handing the offense short fields and momentum for the knockout blow. Safeties 5’9” 190 sophomore FS Ahmad Black (54 T, 6 INT), 6’0” 200 sophomore Major Wright (57 T, 3 INT), plus backup 6’3” 205 freshman SS Will Hill (45 T, 1 ½ TFL, 2 INT) have piled up 11 picks alone, making recognition of scheme by opposing triggermen positively critical. If Bradford has what it takes to play on Sunday’s, we’ll find out against these floaters. If he can consistently recognize schemes, we think there will be opportunities over the top against Florida’s modestly-sized and youthful cornerbacks. 5’10” 185 freshman Janoris Jenkins (34 T, S, 3 INT) and 5’11” 185 sophomore Joe Haden (77 T, 3 INT) have comported themselves well against the Southeastern Conference well enough but Thursday will be the first time in their careers they have faced an aerial assault like the best in the Big 12 can unleash so the front 7 simply must give these guys help with pressure early and often to keep the big plays to a minimum. Against an offensive line as dominant pass protection as Oklahoma’s can be, that means constant blitzing from the linebackers and Florida has both the quality and depth of personnel to make it happen. 6’2” 225 sophomore SLB Brandon Hicks (32 T, S), 6’3” 245 junior MLB Brandon Spikes (87 T, 8 TFL, 2 S, 4 INT), and 6’2” 232 junior WLB Ryan Stamper (35 T, 2 TFL, S) hold down the starting roles but expect multiple looks and heavy substitution by speedy backup outside linebackers A.J. Jones (33 T, 2 ½ TFL) and Dustin Doe (28 T, 2 TFL, INT) to keep the Heisman Trophy winner guessing. Only 19 touchdowns have been surrendered by this squad through 13 games.
Speaking of Heisman Trophy winners, how about the job that the 2007 winner and current 2008 Maxwell Award winner Tim Tebow (174 of 286 for 2515 yards passing) has done? Hey, the rush first and pass second quarterback has never been our bag but this kid showed us he’s more that a phenomenon of the option. The rushing ability is still there for the 6’3” 240 junior QB with 564 yards on 154 carries with 12 touchdowns via the feet but we dare anyone to cast a dismissive eye at just 2 interceptions versus 28 touchdown passes! Superb balance to varied targets 6’3” 255 sophomore TE Aaron Hernandez (29 for 324 yards and 5 TD), 5’11” 195 junior WR Percy Harvin (35 for 595 and 7 TD), 6’3” 205 senior WR Louis Murphy (36 for 611 and 6 TD), and 6’3” 215 junior WR Riley Cooper (16 for 233 and 3 TD) anywhere on the field indicates a maturity and vision that we only caught glimpses of last season. Key has been one of the best offensive lines in college football. We mentioned the 6’5” 312 sophomore Pouncey twins earlier (Maurkice at center, Mike at right guard) but we did not mention the 3 dynamite seniors that round out the squad. 6’6” 310 RT Jason Watkins is an underrated player that uses great footwork to key the technically difficult option while 6’6” 310 tackle Phil Trautwein and 6’3” 315 guard Jim Tarrt are each pro-caliber players that have keyed a rushing attack that averages a whopping 6.0 yards per carry while yielding only 16 sacks this season. OK, so the Gators can throw the ball and block but let’s get to the 600-pound gorilla in the room – Florida’s option rushing attack. Again, the option isn’t our bag but here’s one that gets us excited – that is an option that actually functions as designed with the ball distributed so well and equally that defenses must actually account for a minimum of 3 possible ball carriers on every play. Besides Tebow, who’s ball handling is as good as it gets at any level, running backs 5’9” 185 freshman Chris Rainey (83 for 655 yards and 6 TD), 5’8” 176 freshman Jeff Demps (69 for 582 and 7 TD), and 6’0” 210 sophomore Emanuel Moody (57 for 417 and TD) each average better that 7 yards per carry with the distinct possibility of a homerun in the minds of defenders before every snap. And then there’s WR Percy Harvin who time in the backfield has been just as productive as that spread out wide with 61 carries for 538 yards and 9 rushing scores. 41 total rushing touchdowns and 31 passing touchdowns while committing just 11 turnovers all season would qualify Florida as the best offense in just about any National Championship match up we’ve seen…just not this one.
FREE SELECTION: The Sooners lone blemish was their 35-45 loss to Texas in Dallas on September 11th while the Gators only setback was their 30-31 home loss to Mississippi on September 27th. The talking heads seem to think that Coach Meyer’s crew rolls but we’re not so quick to discount the best offense we have ever seen. Defensive scores (unlikely against a team that committed 9 turnovers in 13 games) and short fields have padded the Gators scoring well above where one would expect it to be for a crew that averages 442.4 yards per game. The Sooners allow few cheapies and we’ll take Oklahoma +3 to pull the minor upset.
By Nevada Sharpshooter
The Cowboys travel to Philadelphia for a matchup full of playoff implications. Here is the bottom line, if Dallas wins they are in, if the Boy’s lose they are out. Philadelphia though needs a win and help. If Philly wins, Tampa loses and Minnesota or Chicago loses, then Philly is in. Tampa, Chicago and Minnesota all play at 1 eastern time, while Philly plays at 4:15 eastern which means Philly will know if they playing for a playoff spot at kickoff time or shortly after. I cannot help but believe that if Philly knows that their season is over, that they will have the intensity to beat the Cowboys. While it is very possible that Chicago or Minnesota could lose, it is highly unlikely that Tampa will lose at home over Oakland. Assuming that Philly will be eliminated from playoff contention before thier game is underway I like the Cowboys to get the win, so take Dallas +1.5 over Philly.
By Dark Horse Sports
The NFL picked a good match-up for their lone Week 16 Saturday contest. Both Baltimore and Dallas are in the thick of their respective wildcard pictures. But Saturday’s showdown will leave one of these two teams crippled and counting on an awful lot of help to propel them into the postseason. Consider this a playoff game of its own, as both teams will be scratching and clawing in order to gain control of their wildcard hopes.
By Totals 4U
Fresno State (7-5, 5th place WAC) The Bulldogs were trailed just 13-10 at halftime to Boise State last trip out in a bid to win their final three games, but we’re stomped by the Broncos in the 2nd half to finish the regular season with a 61-10 loss. Frankly, this is the season that slipped away for Coach Pat Hill’s (92-60 in 12th season) group. Through the first month, Fresno has banked road wins over Rutgers, Toledo, and UCLA plus just missed in a 10-13 loss vs. Wisconsin who was ranked #10 in the nation at that point. From there the already mounting injuries were just too much, resulting in Coach Hill never able to start the same offensive lineup for consecutive games all year and a disappointing season for a school that had returned 51 letter winners and 16 of 24 starters. Throughout it all, 6’5” 225 senior QB Tom Brandstater (208 of 348 for 2478 yards, 17 TD, INT) has been a decent if not spectacular representative of “Quarterback U” with a 6’3” 210 junior WR Seyi Ajirotutu (44 for 714 and 5 TD) a dynamite target with NFL size. Fellow receivers Marlon Moore (20 for 233 and TD) and Chastin West (18 for 214 and TD) are decent enough but when opponents load up on Ajirotutu, it is the big senior TE 6’5” 260 Bear Pascoe (37 for 361 and 4 TD) that gets the action. Both his blocking and hands have been key to State’s success in the Red Zone where they have racked 33 TD and 11 FG in 55 trips. The Bulldog offensive line isn’t huge at 6’3 ½” and 289 pounds per man but they have come together very well along the way and have surrendered just 10 sacks over their last 9 games after giving up 6 through their first 3. With only decent talent, balance has been a hallmark of Coach Hill’s offensive approach this season with a 176.8 yards rushing per game at 4.8 yards per carry to pair with 206.5 yards passing to generate 29.2 points per contest. Junior backs 6’0” 215 Anthony Harding (129 for 702 yards and 4 TD) and 5’11” 215 Lonyae Miller (107 for 69 and 5 TD) have been evenly splitting the load after the loss of sophomore Ryan Mathews (109 for 593 and 6 TD) 5 games ago.
By Totals 4 U
Tampa Bay (9-4) The Buccaneers simply run over all night long by the Panthers Monday night by the Panthers, yielding 299 yards on the ground at 8.1 yards per carry with 4 rushing touchdowns, in a 23-38 loss that dropped them 1 game back in the NFC South. This from a team that had allowed a grand total of 1145 rush yards and only a single rush TD through their first 12 contests! Part of the debacle can be written off to injury with 6’2” 296 LDT Jovan Haye (27 T) sidelined for the game and fellow starter 6’2” 285 RDT Chris Hovan (36 T, S) not able to complete the game due to a bum knee but the truth is that sometimes when you face good teams in this league, you get knocked on your ass and we fully expect Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin’s squad to respond well. Age late in the season is a factor for the Tampa stoppers but the experience here may also help them regroup quickly. Star players LDE Kevin Carter (34 T, 4 S), WLB Derrick Brooks (56 T, INT), and RCB Rhode Barber (58 T, 2 S, 3 INT) have nearly 40 combined years in the pro pads and will have all three ranks breathing fire again come Sunday. Getting more pressure on the pocket this week (just 1 sack against Carolina) will be critical – not easy against the Falcons – and may require more creativity in Kiffin’s part. Typically, this unit doesn’t blitz that much with ends Carter and RDE Gaines Adams (31 T, 6 S, 2 INT) plus backups Greg White (25 T, 5 S) and Jimmy Wilkerson (17 T, 4 S) accounting for 19 of the team’s 26 total sacks. 6’2” 241 MLB Barrett Ruud (103 T, 3 S, 2 INT) has three but with good defensive backfield experience in guys like Barber, SS Jermaine Phillips (47 T, 3 INT), and LCB Phillip Buchanon (42 T, 2 INT) to back some risk we would like to see them send a guy like 6’1” 206 rookie nickel back Aquib Talib (18 T, 3 INT) who’s athletic ability could produce some havoc. Even after Monday night’s performance, the stats are pretty decent at 18.3 points and 293.7 yards per game allowed.
By Totals 4 U
Boston College (9-3, 5-3 ACC) The Golden Eagles held Maryland to –6 yards rushing and added some creative scoring with a fake field goal/touchdown pass by QB/WR/P/KH Billie Flutie (nephew) plus a 36-yards interception return touchdown by WLB Robert Francois to earn a chance to revenge their 16-30 loss to Tech in the 2007 Conference Championship Game. There’s not much to say about Coach Jeff Jagodzinski’s (20-6 in 2nd season at Chestnut Hill) offense other than it will bore you to death. 151.2 yards rushing per game at 4.0 yards per carry and 168.2 yards passing per game at 5.5 yards per attempt but they commit very few penalties (53 for the entire team all season) and generally work with superior field position thanks to the stoppers. For a pair of smallish true freshmen 5’8” 182 RB Josh Haden (103 for 439 yards and TD) and 5’10” 192 Montel Harris (155 for 798 and 5 TD) have been effective and 6’4” 198 freshman QB Dominique Davis (31 of 59 for 288 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT) kept the ball out of the Terrapins’ hands in his first start of the season for injured Chris Crane (broken collarbone). Boston College’s offensive line is big (6’5” 307 per man), durable (completed all 60 possible starts), and as good as ever (23 offensive linemen selected in the last 27 NFL Drafts) but if you need to take a trip to the little boy’s room on Saturday, make the run while the Eagles hold the ball.
By Totals 4 U
Oklahoma (10-1, 6-1 Big 12) The Sooners demolished the previously undefeated Red Raiders in Norman last week, piling up 625 offensive yards while keeping WR Michael Crabtree (18 TD catches in 2008) out of the end zone. Sophomore QB Sam Bradford (238 of 349 for 3710 yards, 42 T, 6 INT) has built legitimate Heisman Trophy caliber season behind an experienced line of four seniors and a junior, averaging 6’5” and 310 pounds, with a simply ridiculous assortment of weapons at his disposal. Running backs sophomore DeMarco Murray (164 for 929 yards and 13 TD), junior Chris Brown (149 for 890 and 15 TD), and sophomore Mossis Madu (95 for 349 and 3 TD) make up one of the nation’s best groups and lead a unit that grinds out 203.8 yards per game at 4.7 yards per carry with 35 touchdowns. Wide Receivers senior Quentin Chaney (22 for 393 yards and 2 TD), senior Manuel Johnson (35 for 653 and 9 TD), senior Juaquin Iglesias (52 for 881 and 7 TD), and freshman Ryan Broyles (31 for 528 and 6 TD) provide just too many quality targets for most teams to match up with down the field and with a player that possess the size/ball skills combination of 6’6” 261 junior TE Jermaine Gresham (41 for 648 and 10 TD) in the middle, defenses can only pick which poison. For the season, this crew has averaged 52.6 points (#1 NCAA) on 556.6 yards (#3 NCAA) per game and they are only getting better with 58, 62, 66, and 65 points their last four games versus Kansas State, Nebraska, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech.
By Nevada Sharpshooter
The 6-5 Broncos travel to New York to take on the 8-3 Jets. The Broncos struggled badly against a bad Oakland team last week in a 10-31 loss. Having to go without injured CB Champ Bailey the defense let the normally ineffective JaMarcus Russell connect on 10 of 11 pass attempts. Once the Raiders had the lead they just ground it out and wore out the Bronco defense. Offensively the Jay Cutler had a poor outing, failing for the first time all season to throw for a touchdown. The Jets on the otherhand were giant killers as they handed the Titans their first loss of the season. The Jets have been solid in all aspects of the game. While the attention has been on Favre, the Jet defense has been playing well all season. Add a good running attack to the mix led by Thomas Jones and you have a team that is looking to go far in the playoffs. The Jets are also riding a 5 game winning streak.
By Totals 4U
Brigham Young (10-1, 6-1 Mountain West) The Cougars ground out a tough come from behind 38-24 win at Air Force last Saturday, giving up 323 yards on the ground to the Falcons while tallying 354 yards of their own through the air to earn their 3rd-consecutice double-digit win season and now have a chance to earn Co-Conference Championship Honors over their state rivals at Rice Eccles Stadium. Anyone who says that violence is against the Mormon code just hasn’t seen this defense play ball. A NCAA-best 17 times BYU this season has turned over their opponents via the fumble with 3-4 linebackers 6’3” 233 senior SLB David Nixon (67 T, 9 ½ TFL, S, 3 INT, FR), 6’1” 232 junior ILB Matt Bauman (84 T, 8 ½ TFL, 2 S, FR), 6’2” 232 junior ILB Shawn Doman (51 T, TFL, 2 FR), and 6’3” 220 junior WLB Coleby Clawson (40 T, 9 ½ TFL, 4 S, FR) plus key rotation backups Daniel Sorenson (11 T, 3 TFL, S, INT) and Matt Ah You (35 T) extremely quick to the ball and ready to lay the licks while teammates strip. 61 team tackles for loss including 20 sacks have help opposing squads to just 18.2 points per game on 337.5 yards (130.2 rush at 3.6 per carry, 207.3 pass at 6.5 per attempt) – a feat against the wide-open Mountain West Conference – with a superior 5 man rotation up front setting the tone. 6’4” 260 junior LDE Brett Denney (25 T, 7 TFL, S, 3 FR), 6’3” 300 junior NT Russell Tialavea (16 T, 2 ½ TFL, BLK), and 6’3” 274 junior RDE Jan Jorgenson (42 T, 7 ½ TFL, 5 S, FR, BLK) – who owns conference record with 21 ½ career sacks – will get the starts this week against the Utes but you will also see all kinds of sharp play from NT Ian Dulan (18 T, 4 TFL, 3 S, FR) and freshman phenom 6’6” 237 DE Matt Putnam (21 T, 3 TFL, 2 S, INT) whom the pro scouts will be drooling over once he grows into his body. Keep your depth chart at the ready; Defensive Coordinator Jamie Hill likes to use all the toys in his toy box! And speaking of toys, check out 6’0” 210 sophomore CB Brandon Bradley (25 T, FR with 34-yards TD return) who was snubbed by his hometown Seminoles, brought his dynamite size out west, and looked pretty damn good last Saturday in his first career start. SS David Tafuna (39 T, INT), NB/S Andrew Rich (20 T, INT, FR), and CB Brandon Hayward (29 T) join him in the defensive backfield plus 5’11” 187 senior FS Kellen Fowler (58 T, FR) who pound for pound must be one of the surest tacklers in college football. Say a little pre-game prayer, bust you in the chops for 60 minutes, then say a little post-game prayer…just another Saturday in Utah.
By Dark Horse Sports
The Jets travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans in the best match-up of the week, and surprisingly so. Honestly, at the beginning of the year, did you think these two teams would be where they are today? No way.
Tennessee continues to amaze. We, like many, have picked against Tennessee much of the year. They have to lose sometime, don’t they? It turns out, no, they don’t have to lose if they continue to play consistent, good, hard-hitting, safe football.
By #1 Sports
Philadelphia (5-4-1) Eagle fans – a warm and cuddly bunch by nature – have been screaming for heads since their crew finished with a 13-13 tie on Sunday at Cincinnati in which Coach Andy Reid continued to ignore the running game (23 passes vs. 5 rushes first half) and QB Donovan McNabb (227 of 382 for 2711 yards, 14 TD, 8 INT) threw 30 incomplete passes (28 of 58 for 339 yards, TD, 3 INT) including 3 caught by Bengals plus added a lost fumble. Further fueling the fire was the fact that many Philadelphia players – not just 10-year veteran McNabb – had no idea that no second overtime was waiting after the first extra frame expired in a deadlock! OK, with many connections to pro and college players over the years we can attest that these guys know more about coverages, systems, and schemes than what 98% of the viewers think they are seeing during a play but when it comes to the more geekafied points like statistics, records, and the more esoteric rules they are clueless compared to the average Arm-Chair Charlie. Counting ourselves in the Charlie group, combined with time spent around these guys, this seemingly odd hole in their knowledge came as absolutely no surprise to us. The comparisons of football to the military have been done (ground attack, aerial assault, gridiron, scrimmage, the bomb, flanker, field general, and many more) and these players see their job as playing the game, with the best teams those that most consistently and without question execute the strategy of the coaching staff whom holds the responsibility for these finer points. Anyway, every Charlie knows you have to run the ball in this league to win championships and Philadelphia just doesn’t consistently. 95.3 yards per game on the ground ranks 25th in the NFL and with an offensive line led by 6’7” 335 LT Tra Thomas (160 career starts) and 6’7” 330 LT Jon Runyan there’s just no lack of talent or beef to pound out the yards. Sure, 3rd-year 6’3” 338 RG Max Jean-Gilles is playing for Shane Andrews (out recovering from back surgery) but with a solid 4-0 yards per rush through 11 games, play calling is the only thing stooping RB Brian Westbrook (123 for 508 and 6 TD) and RB Correll Buckhalter (57 for 233 and 2 TD). At least Reid gets this pair of superb all-around athletes the ball in the passing game (combined 53 catches for 465 yards and 3 TD) but there just is no substitute for lining up and pounding the ball for what it can yield later in the game. As one would expect, the stat sheets for most of Philly’s receivers are filled but we are impressed by the job done by backup 6’4” 255 2nd-year TE Brent Celek (17 for 239 yards) and 5’10” 175 rookie WR DeSean Jackson (42 for 652 and TD receiving, 12 for 80 and TD rushing, 10.3 per punt return and TD) who has seized a starting job over Reggie Brown (13 for 192 and TD) and others.
By Totals 4U
Baltimore (6-3) The Ravens continued their 4-game stretch of racking up big points against poor defenses (36.0 points per versus Dolphins, Raiders, Browns, and Texans) last week, crushing Houston 41-13 and now face their toughest test of the season for 6’6” 230 rookie QB Joe Flacco (151 of 243 for 1449 yards, 7 TD, 7 INT). Little could be more important to this kid’s success than his offensive line and it will be a man down this trip. Coach John Harbaugh most often uses a 6-man unbalanced line to protect Flacco (17 sacks) and bash the ball on the ground but RT Willie Anderson left in the 3rd quarter against the Texans with a ankle injury which slides 6th lineman 6’8” 330 RT Adam Terry into his slot. There’s nothing wrong with Terry – he was the protected starter before Baltimore picked up Anderson – but that likely eliminates the 6-man line or puts either 6’4” 310 UTEP rookie T/G Oniel Cousins or 6’6” 315 Weber State rookie David Hale in the game against a level of competition they have never faced. Either way, rushing the ball will primarily be the focus and Running Backs Coach Wilbert Montgomery has a dynamite trio that can all produce on the ground and sneaking out for short passed. Willis McGahee (125 for 463 yards and 5 TD rush, 14 for 113 receive), 5’8” 205 rookie Ray Rice (77 for 356 rush, 20 for 190 receive), and 6’1”250 rookie Le’Ron McClain (96 for 366 and 5 TD rush, 15 for 88 receive) rotate for an offense that grinds out the league’s 3rd-best 150.2 rush yards per game at 3.9 yards per carry. Quaterbacks Coach Hue Jackson has done a phenomenal job with not just Flacco but also Troy Smith and Todd Bouman but stretching the field just hasn’t been part of the plan. WR Mark Clayton (20 for 225 yards and TD) and WR Derrick Mason (46 for 598 and 2 TD) – who returned to the game to catch 3 balls after suffering a 1st quarter separated shoulder against the Texans – have had to share the balls with the backs while TE Todd Heap (18 for 195 and 2 TD) has been used primarily in the blocking game as a 7th lineman. It seems a waste for a talent like Heap but he did finally have his first big game of the season last week, grabbing 5 balls for 58 yards and his first 2 scores of 2008.
By Nevada Sharpshooter
The Bears travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers. The 5-4 Bears may are currently tied with the Vikings atop the NFC North with the Pack one game back at 4-5. Both teams have some injury issues. At the time I am writing this it is unclear if QB Kyle Orton will be able to play for the Bears and the Packers LB Nick Barnett is out for the season do to injury. Statiscally both of these teams appear to be average. The Bears can stop the run but struggle against the pass. Two weeks ago Chicago barely got by a horrible Lions team by a score of 27-23, before losing to a strong Tennessee team at home 21-14 last week. The Packers have lost their last two games both on the road, to Tennessee, 16-19 in OT and the Vikings last week 27-28 when they missed a 52 yard fg in the final minute. The Pack lost both games in the same fashion, they were unable to stop the running game in the 4th quarter.
By Totals 4U
Oklahoma State (8-1, 4-1 Big 12) crushed Iowa State 59-17 last week at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, racking up 682 yards of total offense including 395 yards through the air by 6’3” 210 junior QB Zac Robinson (129 of 187 for 2082 yards, 20 TD, 5 INT) who found 6’2” 215 sophomore WR Dez Bryant (60 for 1054 and 15 TD) four times for scores. As impressive as that win was, Special Teams Coordinator Joe Deforest must have some concern. His crew has been largely sharp and includes Ray Guy ward Finalist senior P Matt Fodge (43.6 yards per punt, 1 blocked) but the Cyclones’ Leonard Johnson broke the All-Time NCAA single game kick return record with 319 yards on 9 returns with runs of 48, 72, and 73 yards. Now they hit the road again for their 3rd contest in 5 weeks against the NCAA’s Top 5 (won 28-23 at Missouri, lost 24-28 at Texas). The Cowboys have remained remarkably healthy this season just losing a handful of player-games all season including none by their experienced offensive line (just 10 sacks allowed) that has powered a blistering attack of 45.3 points on 512.0 yards per game (273.6 rush and 5.7 per with 29 TD, 238.4 pass at 10.9 per attempt and 24 TD). In addition to Bryant, who also returns punts at 19.2 yards per with a pair to the house, 6’5” 178 sophomore WR Damian Davis (9 for 222 and 2 TD) and 5’10” 186 junior WR Bo Dowling (9 for 172 and 2 TD) also work through the air where State has averaged a ridiculous 16.0 yards per completion. 6’6” 255 senior TE Brandon Pettigrew (21 for 236) missed 3 games this season and was used mostly in blocking against Iowa State but will become a bigger threat again as he gets healthier. And it only gets better on the ground. 5’8” 190 sophomore RB Kendall Hunter (182 for 1220 yards and 11 TD) may be the nation’s best small back while backups Keith Tolston (76 for 565 and 8 TD) and Beau Johnson (48 for 303 and 3 TD) offer opponents simply no drop off. With the set offense to dynamic, QB Robinson (92 rushes for 341 yards and 5 TD) hasn’t needed to run as much this season but with 1332 career yards on the ground he can unleash his wheels at any time.
By Dark Horse Sports
Green Bay travels to Minnesota on Sunday in a battle of 4-4 division rivals. One team will lose, and that team will then face a potential two-game deficit to division leading Chicago and a steep uphill battle to the playoffs. These are two playoff caliber teams, Green Bay more so than Minnesota, but playing at the Metrodome could prove to be a tremendous equalizer.