Steelers: Back For Another Season

Well, fellow Steelers’ fans here we go again; another season of more of the same.

Mike Tomlin spoke of needing consistency, before Sunday’s night's game...and that is indeed a concern to me. At the end of last season's train wreck in the superbowl, there were plenty of “coaching areas of opportunity” and things that needed fixing. Our 2011 season start can be described as a lack luster preseason, and so far a lack luster start to the beginning of the regular season. The question I ask is, “what are we in store for, really”? I’d like to be optimistic and think of the Steelers’ of the 1970's (the decade of dominance); when we had championship form all the time. The modern day Steelers that "we love" have a Dr. Jackal / Mr. Hyde personality that makes them unpredictable and sometimes flat out scary. Especially the years they've come off of a championship or superbowl run. What fan in Steelers Nation can forget our glorious return to championship form in 2005-06 only to turn around the next year and have the wheel fall off at 8-8 and not even make the playoffs. The last time we got a shellacking from the Baltimore ravens. I remember being confident and saying that’s okay we'll see you again, and then got beat worse in November of that year. Only to turn around in 2009-2010 season and lay a goose egg –at the big dance. Although its recent history, it’s still fresh in my mind.

Taking a closer look at this season's start at 2-1, the wins are over marginal opponents, a Seattle club searching for an identity and the Peyton Manning-less Colts. Maybe I’d feel better if the team had bothered to show up at all, in the first game...against the ravens. As for now I will remain cautiously optimistic about the season thus far.

On the brighter side:

It does appear Ben is trying (just a little) to get rid of the ball quicker and not stay in the pocket as much, although he still has a ways to go on his attempts to release the ball in time. The secondary and the offensive line are struggling, they do look to have improved somewhat in the past two games; but they still have some work to do. With no imaginative running plays and a predictable offense, this is not the formula for a championship or superbowl. You’re not fooling anyone Bruce Arians!!

Don’t get me started on Mendenhall. The good news is, Tomlin is aware the running game must improve.

“I’ll acknowledge that we didn’t do well the other night and that we better improve in that area and improve in a hurry because we desire to be balanced offensively,” said Coach Mike Tomlin. “

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Tomlin-knows-running-game-must-improve/b312790f-6388-4d75-9dcb-812b6e5e1fb1

I love my Steelers’s, that’s why I’m so hard on them. To whom greatness is given, much is required…. So its time to step our game up, and play like the champs we are!

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One Giant Step Backwards – Eagles Lose Home Opener to New York

This past Sunday we were in good company. Not exactly the company we wanted to be in, however we shared the "L" column with a few other notable teams. Sadly, that is the most reassuring assessment I can come up with after a Sunday afternoon of football at Lincoln Financial Field and the dreadful defeat by the New York Football Giants.

It was the Eagles' home opener and when Philadelphia throws a football party, they do it right! There were official banners hanging from the city light posts. There were green, black, and silver balloons that decorated the subway entrances.  There were tents and tables of tailgaters that littered every inch of blacktop, concrete, grass, or gravel. There were thousands of happy people that anticipated the kickoff of the first home game of our Philadelphia Eagles. There was an optimism that resulted from shedding the skin of a loss last week to Atlanta.

It had been a year since the Linc was lit up in home opener liveliness. We had our Sunday best on the field after a saucy off season spending splurge. And we had our dreams of a Super season. Fans were relieved to know our QB Michael Vick had been cleared from a concussion that occurred last week, whether they agreed with him playing in this game or not. Yet this was the day we had all waited for.  It was another opportunity to show those New Yawkers how we do football in Philly, since we'd had a run on victories against them for the last several games.

Somehow, it just didn't turn out that way. Instead it turned into a surreal moment like in a horror movie in the woods by a lake. Yes, something went very wrong. Wrong to the point that it felt like Freddie had stabbed you clean through and cut out all your hope. Guess you can tell we took this loss kind of hard. We love hard in Philadelphia and we loose hard. That's why it's so much better when we win.  But when it's a loss to the Giants, or Dallas or Washington for that matter the loss feels much worse.

The Eagles got the ball first and did nothing with it. It didn't really hit me when NY scored their first touchdown about five minutes into the first quarter. I'll admit I was a little shocked to see Giants QB Eli Manning hook up with his RB Brandon Jacobs in the open field for a 40 yard touchdown right in LB Casey Matthews face. Ok, no big deal. That is until they kept scoring points and we again had to play catch up on the scoreboard. Giants scored another quick six when Manning and back up WR Victor Cruz (who?) showed up out of nowhere and became a major factor with two touchdowns in the game.

Watching the Eagles during this game was like watching a stand in actor play a well known character in a soap opera. Playing the part of the Philadelphia Eagles is Some Other Team. I want the REAL Philadelphia Eagles team to show up. I refuse to believe that's who I've seen thus far this season.

Our offense clearly wasn't perfect but they did give us something. Vick's numbers weren't terrible with 16 completions out of 23 passes for 176 yards but he's becoming a three quarter quarterback. We need four solid, productive quarters out of him. I get the notion of him being hit more than most other quarterbacks in the league, (only Jay Cutler has been hit more) but let’s check the offensive line and work to get the ball out a little quicker. And I’m not saying all those hits were clean hits. But if Vick is only going to play for 45 minutes maybe we need to borrow Mariano Rivera from the Yankees to add to his record number of saves because poor Mike Kafka is not getting it done. It was good to hear that the number two QB, Vince Young will be back this week. RB LeSean McCoy has become the star of the show. He rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown and is averaging over 100 yards a game rushing and receiving and has four touchdowns to his credit this season.

The defense on the other hand, I don't even want to talk about it. Eagles defense is 30^th in the league against the run and 24^th in the league with points allowed giving up 64 points in the first three games. In both games against Atlanta and New York we had the lead and our defense couldn’t do their part to ensure we kept it until the end of the game. First time Defensive Coordinator Juan Castillo is on the hot seat. Pro-bowl CB Nnamdi Asomugha was ineffective against their back up receiver Cruz. And Matthews, he just isn’t the answer.

And every fan in the stands questioned some of the decisions from the sidelines. None that were more pivotal than the play that turned the game in the fourth quarter.  We came from behind to lead 16-14 after an ugly goal line stand where Big Blue's defense only allowed us to score a field goal. We had less than a yard to go inside the one yard line. What, no LeSean McCoy? A failed quarterback sneak and two handoffs to FB Owen Schmidt? Seriously? Whose bright idea was that? Then you want to go for it on 4^th and 1 on the Giants 43 after they just held you to inches on the goal line leaving the opponent with great field advantage against a defense that has been STINKING up the joint? SERIOUSLY? Oh, ok.

Giants win. 29-16.

Fans started to leave the stands early after the 4^th and 1 debacle. I’ve never seen that happen. They stay to the end win or loose. No miracle this time though, just a lot of disgust at a poorly played and poorly coached game. However, Eagles fans are used to dusting themselves off and getting back in the stands with hope in their hearts once again and that will be the case for the next game against San Francisco.

Injuries may affect the upcoming game against the 49’ers. We are relieved to know Michael Vick’s hand isn’t broken. He is practicing this week and is expected to start. Jeremy Maclin has a hamstring injury and is questionable for Sunday’s contest against the 9’ers. But the biggest injury, bruised expectations can be healed and hopefully will be this week. This I know, that is something that we need for sure.

Helen “Love My Eagles” Little

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Buffalo Bills Kicker Rian Lindell Named AFC Special Teams POW

Lindell's 42-yard field goal and 4 extra points in Buffalo's win over New England helped the kicker win his 3rd AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor.

Rian Lindell's FG attempt was good with time expiring came with no pressure. Right...who the heck am I kidding. This was the Patriots....there was pressure. 

Anyhoo...he did and he's been recognized for his accomplishments. Last year, kickers weren't sh t... not any more..and definitely not in B-U-F-F-A-L-O!!

Last week Fred Jackson was named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week, who's next, Fitzy? YEAH Baby! GO BILLS!!!

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Vikings overtime loss to the Lions

I’m going to be all over this place with this week’s Vikings post. Mentally I’m drained from the history the Vikings made this past Sunday. The Vikings are the first team in NFL history to lose three games after leading at the half by double digits. It was not the record I was hoping the Vikings would break this year. Smh
McNabb is sort of taking care of the football, he misfires on every big play and in each of these 3 games one big play we would be 3-0. I think now is the time to switch to Ponder and try to salvage some respectability. The time to put Ponder in Sunday against The Chiefs! We need to find out what we have in him. Give him 13 games to get experience and then decide whether to use Webb who is also riding the pine. I think McNabb played lazy most of the 2^nd half.  I think Ponder or Webb would do better than McNabb.

Didn't Frazier learn anything from Childress' last season? Same situation last year against Miami! YOU TAKE THE POINTS! Had Childress taken those 3 points we'd have won that game as well. What game was Frazier watching? You are given a gift of a great return for a team struggling in the 2nd half. Then you go nowhere with 3 downs. Your O-line is being manhandled and you decide to go for it?!?! What did he see that made him think he had a chance in hell to make it?

Stop blitzing! Instead of playing zone D like in the first half the Vikings switch to man to man & blitz excessively in the second half. Instead of the LB or CB there to make the play they are blitzing & leave the field wide open for an easy first down. On offense they start pulling out trick plays in the 2nd half & it always backfires. Two men in motion to confuse the D? All it confuses is the Vikings. Staggering the line to give the D new looks. It's a false start or an illegal formation every time. Having Toby take the handoff instead of AP. What happened to the vaunted TE plays? Why is Kleinsasser the threat up the middle? Why not a OT? 

The Vikings ran for 132 yards total, picking up 5.7 yards per carry. But only eight of those yards came in the second half. The Vikings sacked Stafford five times, three by Allen and two by fellow defensive end Brian Robison, and held the Lions to 20 yards rushing on 19 attempts. Henderson is a solid run defender but is horrible as a pass defender.

Adrian Peterson finished with 17 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown. Percy Harvin added a 39-yard rush in the first half. Ryan Longwell was perfect on his three field goals and two extra-point attempts, but possibly could have turned the momentum of the game if given the chance to kick a field goal early in the fourth quarter when the Vikings went for it on fourth-and-1.

In ending an over-the-shoulder catch by Calvin Johnson in tight coverage by Cedric Griffin went 40 yards, and put the nail in the coffin. It set up the Lions' up with a 32-yard field goal and gave the Vikings their third straight loss 26-23 in OT to fall to 0-3.

- "O" The Touring Empress

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THE BUFFALO BILLS ARE THE ONLY UNDEFEATED TEAM IN THE AFC!!

Take that in and let it marinate... I've already pinched myself a few times...the dream is real and the nightmare has ended!

Coming into Sunday, the team veiled by obscurity was being asked, “Can they beat the Pats” and rightfully so. The Patriots have owned the Bills since 2003 and while the 1st half played out, it appeared to be much of the same. Tom Brady led his team to 21 unanswered points and I before I stepped off my stool, I said, “if we go into halftime with 7 points, this is a new game.” Well, that’s exactly what my team did. Would I prefer if they didn’t continue to dig these huge deficits? Yes, but its building character, confidence, devotion, and unity.

The 2nd half was all about the Bills. Tom Brady had his worst game this season with 4 INTs. That was huge because if you recall, the Bills’ secondary was torched last week. They heard the call and answered the challenge. Brady wanted to throw and they were ready to defend. Drayton Florence ran an INT back 27-yards for a touchdown. That sparked a rally that did not end! I'd be remissed if I didn't mention the injuries in the secondary.Watching CB Aaron Williams get carted off the field was scary. Terrence McGee is still out which leaves Justin Rogers, a 7th round pick from Richmond to heed the call against Cincinnati. Pray for him, I’m sure they’ll target his side.

What more can I say about Fred Jackson. He carried the ball 12 times for 74 yards and 1 TD but the timing of his runs were crucial…insurmountable! He’s leading the charge along with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and I can’t say it enough, PAY THE MAN.

With time expiring Rian Lindell hit the game winning field goal…my heart stopped. WE FINALLY BEAT THESE BASTARDS!! Some people would love to make excuses as to why the Pats lost, meh
Give credit, where’s credit is due. Chan Gailey coached. The players played. And the fans BILLieved!!

The Bills are 3-0 and the best is yet to come!

Check out this video…to understand where we're going, you must first, know how we feel.

Buffalo snow is WHITE, at game time we see RED and our collar IS still BLUE!! We been here all these years, through the touch downs and the tears.. with you, yes you can say, we’ll always stay RED, WHITE AND BLUE!!  I love my team and my city!! GO BILLS!!!

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Where's Ya Hot Dog Sanchez?

After the loss to the Bills week 2, I knew the Raiders would come out looking much different than they had in the 2nd half of the ball game Sunday. In my eyes the ‘Commitment to Excellence’ and ‘Just Win Baby’ are slogans for a team who has a “No Days Off” mindset and we didn’t start off that way. The Special Teams Unit didn’t have a solid 1st half. The defense was giving Sanchez easy shots at his targets and unable to stop Green or LT at one point. Campbell had too many missed opportunities with Moore that seemed to be the result of lack of communication. Deep passes, short passes and bad timing of certain routes are things that were limiting the Raiders from having an awesome 1st half of play. The Jets went up on Oakland 17-7 with a LT touchdown and Nick Folk FG. The Raiders didn’t let that 10 point deficit discourage them, especially at home. DMC, who was very explosive for Oakland, broke for a 70 yard touchdown. With the Jets unable to convert their drive into any points & a costly interception by Branch, Janikowski kicks a FG to tie the game with time expiring for the half.

I’m thinking to myself, there is no way that the score should be tied let alone Oakland having to come from behind to make it even. However that was the case. Watching at home is a completely different feeling and viewing than when you are physically there. I saw holds that did not go in our favor, there were PI and personal foul calls that were warranted and with all that we didn’t give up. The Coliseum taunted the Jets fans there wasn’t much they could say. Cromartie was being used and Rex Ryan had no answer for Mc Fadden

The start of the second half I saw Denarius Moore (the talented Rookie WR) take the field for the Raiders Special Team. I’m assuming Hue decided to make the change because Jones couldn’t make anything happen and it worked. The Raiders came out playing like they had a fire lit under a**es and with a lot more intensity this time around. The Raiders would sack Sanchez in each of their 3 possessions in the third quarter and topped it off with a Campbell fake to McFadden for 27 yards and then a reverse to Denarius Moore for a dive and stretch for the TD. I can’t do the play any justice…you had to see it for yourself. The Coliseum was rocking. The play went under review but the call on the field was upheld. The Raiders were up by 7 and when I thought the cheers couldn’t get any louder. Ole Cromartie tricks off the punt, it was touched at the Jets 13 and recovered by the RAIDERS. Hue calls in the Beast machine Michael Bush for a quick score to make it 31-17. That was 14 unanswered points for the Jets. The Raiders didn’t take their foot off the throats of NY as the defense sacked Sanchez another 3 times in the 4th quarter. Plaxico would score a TD and Raiders respond with a FG. Sanchez trying to convert of 4th and two tried to go in for a TD but Raiders held it down causing a turnover on downs. OAKLAND WINS!! The run was unstoppable and Campbell escapes excessive criticisms; I think because his not so great passing game was disguised by the win nevertheless we’ll take it.

Next week, Oakland hosts what should be a very upset Patriots team. They lost to the very same team we lost to Week 2, the Buffalo Bills. I expect the Raiders to make QB and Special Team adjustments and tighten up the CB positions and get the W. A win I think is needed as a confidence booster and to help get over that game in the snow. I hope Seymour and the Raiders DESTROY the PATS. Apply pressure and Brady can be cracked.

I wanna give a HUGE Shout out to my (O)utta (T)heir (L)eague homie for hooking me up with the tickets. It was great game!

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Sucked Into the Black Hole

How do you go out to Oakland to face a 1-1 team and slink out as ten point losers? Man...

I'm mad today. Partially because I don't think the Jets are one tenth as mad as I am and they are the ones playing the games. They got some bad breaks. I get it. Clearly the officiating crew was more interested in people knowing they were out there than calling a good game. I've seen rougher hugs than the roughing the passer call that went in Oakland's favor. Three drive extending pass interference calls against Cromartie where there was little to no contact? Does not compute. Those 14 extra points did though.

Sanchez and his early interception had me thinking this was going to be a disaster. I was right about that part, but outside of that pick, and being sacked four times (the o-line should be ashamed of themselves) he didn't play poorly. He ended the day with 389 yards on 27 of 43 completions, with two passing and two rushing touchdowns. He very nearly got the game in hand at the end, but it just wasn't enough. I am mad about that botched fourth down play though.

So where did it all go wrong? I'll start here: Darren McFadden. The defense allowed this guy to run all over them, all day long. Starting with a 74 yard touchdown run punctuated by non existent tackling and an inability to catch up. Then there was the whole, "we can't get to the quarterback" thing. Never a good look. Especially when you're playing from behind. Out of all of their points yesterday, all but six came on rushing touchdowns.

Cromartie's fumble on special teams didn't help either. Nor did the continued slow to missing running game. Improved from last week, but not by very much.

I already mentioned the twelfth man on the field in zebra stripes.

There were very few things that went right yesterday, but I was happy to see Ladainian Tomlinson and Plaxico Burress come out and play well. Also looks like Dustin Keller is finding his stride, even though he wasn't able to put any points on the board yesterday. Kerly remains impressive on pr/kr duty.

Really though, this was a bad game. No way to sugar coat it. I would like to hope that it will hang over the Jets all week and make them angry as hell, but who knows.

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Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson Named FedEx Ground Player of the Week

Congratulations to Fred Jackson for being named the FedEx Ground player of the week. The Bills RB scored two touchdowns and carried the ball 15 times for 117 yards in the win over the Oakland Raiders.
FedEx is making a $2,000 donation in Jackson's name to the local Junior Achievement area offices in Western New York. The funding is used to help U.S. small business development, by educating the next generation of entrepreneurs on how to start and grow their own businesses.
Let’s hope this is a sign of good things to come for my squad and Freddie. Without Jackson’s productivity, the Bills wouldn’t be sitting at 2-0. He’s being very verbal out his contract and I’m hoping the end is near. I need him concentrating on football and pleased about remaining a Buffalo Bill. The playoffs are on my mind and without Freddie, that ain’t happening!
Let’s Go Buffalo!!

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Eagles Drop the Ball in Atlanta - Literally!

There was so much electricity in the air before the Philadelphia-Atlanta game. It was on the big stage with everyone watching on Sunday night. Quarterbacks Michael Vick and Matt Ryan both had former allegiances with their opponent. Vick was facing his old team and Ryan was a long time Eagle fan having grown up in Philadelphia and played high school football there. This was a much anticipated game and it didn't disappoint, at least not in the beginning. It was clear that these two teams felt the pressure to get that “W”. Atlanta suffered an embarrassing loss the previous week to the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia is out to prove to everyone that they are the real deal on a quest to the top.

But the Eagles dropped the ball. Defense dropped the ball. Offense dropped the ball. Andy Reid dropped the ball on a missed challenge that resulted in a touchdown. It was clear that an unchallenged interception by a Falcons defender hit the ground before he scooped it up and turned the ball back over to Atlanta. Ryan turned that into six plus one. DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek dropped touchdowns. Michael Vick dropped the ball with fumbles that were recovered by the Falcons. When it really counted the defense couldn’t drop Michael Turner or for the life of them, get Tony Gonzalez to drop anything!

There were some bright moments during this dark defeat. The collective Philly TweerLeaders on Twitter were tweeting “we got this” and then Michael Vick goes down in a friendly fire freakish accident where he was spun crashing into one of his own teammates while in the grasp of an Atlanta defender. As quickly as you could re-tweet “we got this” it turned into “we don’t got this”! But before the wind was taken from beneath our wings we did see some great plays from our standouts like interceptions from Nnamdi Asomugha and Asante Samuel. Trent Cole was on fire with five tackles and a sack. Jeremy Maclin and Lesean McCoy had solid games with two TD’s a piece. Maclin was the go-to receiver due to extra tight coverage on DeSean Jackson. But when Maclin really needed to come up big after the Eagles defense gave away a ten point lead, you guessed it…he dropped the ball.

Game over. Falcons win 35-31.

Whereas the Falcons looked better this week than they did against the Bears, Philadelphia as a complete team with Vick in the lineup, looks like a better overall team than the Falcons. However, this loss should serve as an alarming wake up call for them to be a focused team on the field and the sidelines because that’s what it’s going to take to be a contender in February. As Michael Vick left the stadium from his injury the Georgia Dome crowd jeered. He pointed to the scoreboard and the ten point lead he helped secure. Someone could have let the Eagles defense in on this because they blew the lead in the fourth quarter while Reid instructed Vick’s backup, the third string quarterback Mike Kafka to play it safe. After outscoring Atlanta 21-0 in the third quarter, the Eagles allowed the Falcons to score fourteen unanswered points leaving us with a loss. This didn’t make us look like the better team at all, but I truly believe we are and not just because I’m an Eagles fan.

Last Sunday’s showdown was one of the most physical encounters I can recall between two teams. Aside from the scare involving Mike Vick’s injury, Macklin took a scary hit during the game too. Ironically the same player that knocked DeSean Jackson out for a chunk of the season last year hit Jeremy the same way and once again was fined by the league for the hit. Fortunately, Maclin was able to get up and get back into the game. This much I know, if these two teams cross each other’s path before the season’s end, it will not be pretty.

Speaking of not pretty, the Giants are next on the schedule. We’re getting ready for the Eagles' home opener and they have their first division rivalry with New York coming into the Linc. The Giants are rife with injuries and being forced to continuously watch the highlights from our last meeting where they blew a tremendous lead and the Birds battled back to beat them in the Meadowlands with no time left on the clock.

New York struggled in their first two games loosing one to Washington and winning the other against St. Louis. But this is a fierce competition between two teams that aren't so fond of each other and it will be a good game. There will probably be a question mark on Michael Vick's return all the way up until game day. Concussions are no joke and I'd be shocked if the Giants' defense isn't looking to try and knock him out of this game too. After faking injuries to slow down the Rams last week, there's no telling what they'd try and pull against our much speedier offense. This game will be a spectacle for sure!

And for sure, I will be there in my new Eagles gear hitting the tailgating action, making a day out of it with my gridiron girlfriend Dawn. Now that the sting of a loss is starting to numb, I look forward to getting back on the winning track. And the Giants are just the team to help with that!

Helen “Love My Eagles” Little

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The New Orleans Saints Ran the Chicago Bears Out of the Dome

Already a busy season (for me), but I haven’t forgotten about my boys in black and gold! The Saints opened the football season with a heartbreaking 34-42 loss to the Green Bay Packers—a game that had defensive coordinator Gregg Williams probably scratching his head and wondering when the defense would show up.
Week 2 told a different tale. Saints defense scrapped the Bears as if Chicago owed them rent money. Keeping pressure on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was essential in the 30-13 Saints victory, as Cutler was sacked six times and fumbled the ball once. Still, Cutler managed to complete 19 passes and one touchdown.
The Saints offense shined as well with Brees taking charge and completing 26 of 37 passes for 270 yards. Three touchdown passes were completed to wideouts Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson, and another to running back Darren Sproles.

As several Saints fans have observed, Sproles has been making a whole lotta noise since before the season began. He may be a little man (standing 5’6…he only has me by three inches!), but he has big presence, the speed and enthusiasm the Saints needed.
Although I still have love for Reggie Bush, I can say Sproles’s huge impact in such a short time makes fans forget #25 existed. Is it right? Eh, I’ll leave everyone to their own opinions. I’m just glad the front office always has something up their sleeves—their master plans almost always steer us in the right direction every season.

Overall, the Saints came in fired up and gained extra confidence being at home in the Superdome. Bears fans, commentators and coaches continue to blame the “crowd noise” as a factor that contributed to the loss. If that’s the case, every team that enters the Dome can expect to have the same problem. You never know what the Dome will be like on any given Sunday!
With a 1-1 record, the Saints are hoping to use Who Dat Nation for more encouragement and gain another W when they face off against the Houston Texans on Sept. 25 at home.

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Bucs Beat The Vikes

For the second week in a row the Vikings let a halftime lead get away from them. This time, they wasted a dominating performance in the first two quarters in falling 24-20 to the Buccaneers on Sunday, dropping them to 0-2. The Vikings are too conservative in 2nd half , they get too comfortable with the leads and we pay for it later.

The problem with the Vikings and a lot of NFL teams is that they play not to lose, instead of playing to win. They get conservative when they get a lead, and all that does is give the opponent the chance to catch up. In order for us to get back on track & win we have to be some combination of good or aggressive.

McNabb has skills and experience, but he doesn't win. At least not in recent years. He doesn't even look motivated on the field. Get it together McNabb! The Vikings had 17 first downs in the first 30 minutes to 3 for Tampa Bay.

Peterson rushed for 120 yards and 2 TD's, Harvin had 7 catches for 76 yards.

I wonder if McNabb ignoring Berrian like Favre did? If Berrian were Moss would he be double covered? Yes, so act like it!

The D-Line needs to Throw their hands up & at least pretend to try and block, intercept a pass. O-Line needs help. Loadholt is a bust, Johnson is inadequate. McNabb needs to work on his motivation as I said before.

Again we let Tampa back into the game and it’s due to a combination of big play and utilizing our secondary. The offense didn’t come back in the second half with the correct amount of intensity as in the first half. Vikes have no deep threat receiver and a a piss poor secondary. Berrian “deep threat” receiver catching only one pass?! I wonder if McNabb is ignoring Berrian like Favre did? If Berrian were Moss would he be double covered?

I want to ask Fraizer why did the Vikings had three time-outs left at the end of the game. Why did we not use 1?Frazier manages great offensive and defensive schemes in the first half but never changes them when the other team figures them out. Will the Vikings resign Pat Williams cut Tyrell Johnson, move Winfield to safety & sign Benny Sapp?


Even with the pressure on Freeman he got the Bucs to 14 points in the fourth to steal the win.
Ronde Barber was held to a 9-yard scoring run less than a minute before halftime to give the Vikings a 17-0 lead.

Blount had a 27-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter and McNabb one-hopped a throw to an open Shiancoe in the end zone, forcing the Vikes to go for a field goal.
Freeman threw a 25-yard TD pass to Benn with under 7 minutes to play. Blount finished the Vikings off with a 4-yard run with 31 seconds to play.

Next Sunday the Vikings take on the Detroit Lions, I pray to the football God that we win.


"O" The Touring Empress

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Jets Take Flight Over Jags

With the exception of the turnovers by Sanchez, the loss of Nick Mangold for the next three weeks, and the almost nonexistent run game, Sunday's contest between the Jets and Jaguars was an old fashioned, good time beatdown. Nothing like the close contest I was expecting if the Jets looked past Jacksonville the way I was afraid they would.

That Hall dude probably should have kept his mouth shut.

The Jets gave up three points on Sunday, and left Luke McCown with the worst rating of any QB that has ever faced them. Ever. Like in life. It was 1.8.

Antonio Cromartie had two picks by himself. Then one from from Eric Smith (who probably should have had three) and one from Josh Mauga just made their entire time on offense laughable.

In spite of the lopsided score, there were a few things about how the Jets played that stood out to me, and not in a good way. Ladainian Tomlinson had 6 rushes for...wait for it...wait...8 yards. The quarterback had more than that man! Shonn Greene went for 49 and a touchdown. Not the type of numbers a feature back should be putting up. Plaxico Burress was a non factor who spent most of the day blocking and batting his eyelashes. Let's not even get into Sanchez' performance. He did manage to put up two passing touchdown, but at 182 yards and two picks-this can't be how he plays week in and out if the Jets expect to win.

I wonder how much of play of the defense had to do with that Hill guy who called out Revis but didn't play due to an injury. It was more likely that they just aren't that good of a team. Maybe it was the old school Titans uniforms they seem to win in just about every time they're worn.

Either way, it's a win, and I'll take it.

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Much Improved Buffalo Bills Win Shoot Out Against the Oakland Raiders

Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills and that’s just what it took to beat the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Mental toughness. Preparation…and the 12th Man. I was at ‘The Ralph’ and it was a beautiful day for football in Western New York for the home opener. After dismantling the back sliding Chiefs a week ago, the fans were excited to see if our team was the real deal. We left BILLieving they are!
The picture wasn’t as pretty after the 1st half with the score 21-3 in favor of the Raiders. I stared at the stat board and honestly, felt relieved. Yes, the Bills were losing but the stats told a different story…one of which gave me hope. First downs, time of possession and first downs were almost equal…the Bills with a few minor adjustments could win the game. I didn’t give up hope and neither did the other 70K in attendance.


In the 3^rd quarter, RB Fred Jackson answered the call and prayers with a 42-yard run for a TD, igniting the faithful to “shout and shout loudly.” The fight being displayed by the offense was fierce!! Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 264 yards and 4 TDs and his level-headed leadership was on display throughout the back-and-forth battle. I tried to tell anybody that would listen last season…this guy is good and I’m happy to he’s on our team.

With 14 seconds left in regulation, Fitz hit WR David Nelson in the back of the end zone for the game winning touchdown. I can’t lie…I didn’t see it. I was sitting in my seat…head down, waiting for the crowd’s reaction. This game almost killed me!! When the crowd roared in approval I almost cried. These are the games the Buffalo Bills loss last year (Baltimore and Pittsburgh come to mind), close but no cigar. Well…we were smoking because they did it!

I can’t overlook the obvious. The secondary almost blew this game for us. Oakland Raiders’ WR Denarius Moore torched them, at one point, catching a TD between two Bills defenders. Newcomer Nick Barnett was my hero, after McFadden had his way in the 1^st half, Barnett plugged the holes and kept him check. Thank goodness, Shawn Merriman was being manhandled by the left guard. He’ll definitely need to figure out a way to get free.

According to a report from ESPN, wide receiver Roscoe Parrish will miss the rest of the season after suffering an ankle injury. CJ Spiller will have to step his game up and I have no doubt he will.

The Bills are 2-0 and not everybody believes they’re the real deal and guess what? So…there’s enough of us that wear our red/white/blue proudly. We believe and so does the organization. Y’all just sit back and watch. I’ll accept your congratulations as the season progresses.

Next up, the New England Patriots and Fitzpatrick said it best:

It’s a great challenge. It’s nice to go head-to-head and see where we are at. You always want to beat the best.”

My baby boy is predicting a win. Count his fingers...1, 2, THREE!! Sunday. 1 o’clock. I can’t wait!! Let’s Go Buffalo!!! 

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We Aint Playing The 3rd

The Raiders had a great 1st half. Oakland held the Bills to only 3 points in the first two quarters. The Bills were coming off a 41-7 win over the Chiefs so that said a lot for the Raiders defense. Jason Campbell looks like he is easing into being a well rounded QB. He looked a lot more comfortable than he did in game one with the passes and decisions that he made. This was a big improvement from last year and working with Hue Jackson he’ll only get better. DMC and Bush once again gave Oakland a great presence in the run game contributing two of the 3 TD scored in the 2nd… Now let us fast forward to the missing quarter.

All I could think about was that Martin episode where he let everything in his apartment fall apart because his manager was raising the rent. He kept saying “I aint paying the 5”. I felt that’s the attitude Oakland had towards the 3rd quarter. I mean, where was the defense? A 43 yard scoring run and 14 unanswered points, I couldn’t believe it. Half time was over but no one had told the Raiders Defense. Oakland went from not having ONE penalty called against them in the first half to receiving 8 by the time the game was over. Bills were on fire, there was nothing the Raiders could do to stop the momentum. The crowd was in the game. Jackson and Johnson had scored the only TDs in the 3rd and the players were in a zone. The last quarter would be much different. Oakland and Buffalo would exchange TD in the 4th quarter, making this a high intense and borderline stressful ending for Raiders and Bills fans alike.



“I cannot tell a lie” I had NO clue that Jason Campbell had an arm like that. I never watched a Redskins game lol. When he threw that 50 yard pass and Denarius Moore went up and grabbed it, I almost lost my mind. Bills get the ball back and defense stops their 3rd down. It’s 4th down in the last minute of the game. You would think Oakland, after that previous play would have the momentum to hold the line.*throws hands in the air* CHRIS JOHNSON!!! The Raiders DB allowed Bills player a 9 yard reception. 1st down Bills and that’s all I saw. All I saw. CBS did a Heidi Game move on me. I was at a home with NO Direct TV so they changed the last seconds of the game to the stupid Bolts/Pats game. I had to get my iPad and go to my NFL 2011 app and listen…

Right before the Donald Nelson TD, Chris Johnson (again) DROPPED a pass that would have sealed the deal for the Bills, giving Oakland the possession and the win. Dare I say Nnamdi would have caught that? If I could, I won’t because I can’t place the blame consecutive plays in a 4th quarter battle when the defense took off a whole quarter prior too. That was the worst 14 seconds of my life. Well, maybe not my life but my day for sure.

I told my fellow GG sister that this was going to be a great game and it was. It’s unfortunate that Oakland didn’t come out with a win. When it’s all said and done, you can’t take a minute off in this game and the Raiders learned the hard way. This was their game to give away and they did. Next up is the Jets. I’d like to see what our young WR have for this island. JC has the arm to let it fly and he has WR that can go up and get it! I have little faith in former Trojan QB and I think the Oakland defense is going to have one helluva redemption game.

Raiders to Beast

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Deja Vu Of 2010 Haunts Ravens In Loss

Ever watch your favorite team play and say to yourself, "I've seen this before!"? That's what happened to me this past Sunday afternoon. After watching the Ravens lose to a Tennessee Titans team they would typically have beaten, it all started to come back to me. This is 2010 all over again.

Let me elaborate a bit more. Week 1 of the 2010 season, the Ravens traveled to the Meadowlands to play the NY Jets, against their old defensive coordinator in Rex Ryan, along with other former Ravens such as Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard. The Ravens loved Rex, but they also wanted to show him they can still win games without them. The emotional showdown led to a 10-9 victory over the Jets. Well fought, well spent... the Ravens were 1-0.

Week 2 of the 2010 season was on the road to Cincinnati against the Bengals. The Bengals won the division the year before in 2009, but fizzled out really bad during the last month of that season, including a pitiful effort in their playoff loss to the Jets. While the Bengals had a good 2010 draft, the Ravens were still favored to win the AFC North in 2010 and wanted to go 2-0 against their division opponent. Well, the Bengals had other things in mind. Joe Flacco turned the ball over 4 times and the Ravens ultimately lost the game to an opponent many expected them to beat, 15-10, after such an emotional win the week before.

A year later, and here we go again. After totally dominating the Steelers in Week 1 with a 35-7 victory, the Ravens looked flat and lethargic against the Titans. Though the Titans were underdogs and lost to the Jags the week prior, there were concerns about this game from the start. Matt Hasselbeck is a very reliable veteran QB who gets the ball out of his hands quick (major key to the Titans win), Chris Johnson just received a huge pay day for his services in years past, and Kenny Britt proved in 2010 that he can really be a problem in this league. While CJ2k was no where to be found on Sunday, Hasselbeck and Brit did enough damage. With the Ravens lack of pass rush and injuries to the secondary, Baltimore gave up 358 passing yards. The offense wasn't much better, as Flacco threw for 2 INTS and the offensive line forgot to wake up, having Flacco hurried and hit often. The final score: 26-13.

Are there concerns after this loss? Absolutely. The Ravens need to find a way to consistently block for their QB as well as get pressure on opposing QB's. The silver lining in this is that, it's only Week 2, with 14 more games ahead to get it right, which I anticipate they will. Last year, the Ravens lost the Bengals game but finished the season with a 12-4 record. We'll see how 2011 pans out as the weeks go on.

But until then, it was deja vu all over again.

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America's Team: It's our title..and it stays with US!

There has been a lot of off season talk about whether or not the Dallas Cowboys are still America's Team. Why this is just now coming up is beyond me. If you have a problem with the title, talk to Bob Ryan; he coined it and the rest is history. Regardless of what you think about the new age Dallas Cowboys the title of America's Team was earned and with the Dallas Cowboys it will stay. God himself (the real God not Jerry Jones) is smiling as I type this post.



Five Super Bowls: You can say what you want about the last SB being in 1995 (96); but there is only one other team that has 5 Super Bowl Rings. Usually fans that say past Super Bowls don't count have teams with empty trophy cases.



Media Coverage: Put a Cowboys game on Prime Time television and your ratings will soar. This also speaks to why there are so many Cowboys (and Steelers) fans nationwide. Those were the two most visually prominent teams. But only the former is America's Team...sorry towel wavers.


Fans: We are everywhere. Even in a land where Cowboys fans are the most hated breed of football fans, we can show up at THEIR home game in droves, a sea of blue and gray running through burgundy and gold. Cowboys fans don't need to travel. We are already in your city. HOW BOUT DEM COWBOYS!




Now that I have beaten my chest...I can reflect on last season and the last game. It was hard out here for a pimp last season, but I rode it out. With all of the laughter and hatred. And even though we definitely tarnished that America's team name (worst season since 2001) We still managed to stay out of the NFC east basement. Murphy's Law was in effect and everything that could go wrong did go wrong, from the front office to the field. It happens...and it happens with every team. But when you are favored as Super Bowl contenders it kinda puts that big blinding spotlight on your entire season. Turn that light off please.



Clearly anyone who follows me on twitter (@LLCoolChels) knows that I was in the worst mood of all moods after the senseless loss to the NY Jets. We had that game in the bag. The defense that I saw in pre-season thankfully got their lives in order for this game. I was impressed at how fast these young men picked up on Hip Hop Santa's defense in such a short time. This was a case of "if---then". Sure Tony messed up. Yes and he messed up bad. But had we kicked that FG instead of going for it on 4th; Had Jason Witten pushed a little harder into the end zone, and if not for that blocked punt that I saw coming a mile away, things would be a lot diff rent going into Week 2. The Jets won because they capitalized on our fluke end game errors. Romo is again the whipping boy, but we don't need him out there with his Charlie Brown routine every again. EVER.

I hate when I have so much to say that I become incoherent. I hope this post has some direction or insight into how a very emotional yet logical fan feels.

My expectation for this season is very simple: I expect us to win more games than we did last season.




I bleed Navy Blue and I got Stars in my eyes....

P.S. Does your team have a more popular fan than this guy? If so point em out.

JayZ is a Boys FAN
Chels

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Tame the Jags

This Sunday, as the Jets host the Jacksonville Jaguars, I'll be praying that they are able to stop the run. Dallas doesn't rely on the run as much as Jacksonville does, and we really haven't seen what the run defense can do this season.

Jacksonville as a team isn't as hyped as the Cowboys were, but they did win last week, and they have a much better running game with Jones-Drew. They're not media darlings, and I'd be lying if I said I knew many on the roster outside of him, Rashean Mathis, and and Kassim Osgood.

What I do know, is that the Jets are prone to fall behind and give up points early, and have been relying on late game comebacks to win with mixed results.

I'm most reminded of last season's games against Detroit, Cleveland and Houston, where many fans thought there was going to be a wash for the Jets, only for things to go down to the wire.

Am I nervous? Of course. What Jet fan isn't? Hopefully the Jets can improve on their defense, which seemed really discombobulated last week. It would also be great if the offense didn't wait until the second half to start scoring. Otherwise, it's going to be a long afternoon.

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Buffalo Bills Stampede: Holds the Kansas City Chiefs to 7 points

What can I say about the Buffalo Bills that you haven’t heard already? They beat the Kansas City Chiefs! They scored more points than any other NFL team on Sunday (41)! QB Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 208 yards and 4 TDs! The defense held the Chiefs’ offense to a measly 7 points! Are my boys back? Yessir, please believe it and I for one couldn’t be happier!

Now that I got my emotions in check…I know it’s only week 1, but after a grueling 2010 season can you blame me? The Bills are coming of thee toughest schedule in the AFC where they finished with a 4-12 record. The Kansas City Chiefs on the other hand, won the AFC West, so of course my squad started the game as 3.5 underdogs. (Insert evil laughter)

During the preseason I only had two concerns. 1. How will the defense fair and how would Steve Johnson hold up as the #1 WR. As the game progressed my fears were laid to rest. While Fitzpatrick, Jackson and Johnson aren’t Kelly, Thomas and Reed they exceeded my expectations. RB Fred Jackson has been carrying the load for the past 2 seasons and feeling disrespected in the process. He recorded his 8th 100-yard rushing game on Sunday and the Bills better give him some money. They need him. The “Amish Rifle” aka Fitzpatrick was flawless, throwing 4 TDs and Steve Johnson had 66 yards and 1 TD. TE Scott Chandler definitely deserves an honorable mention. The Chiefs couldn’t stop him from scoring 2 touchdowns.

As for the defense they shut ish down!! The first three drives ended with punts and less than 20 yards. They intercepted Matt Cassel, stripped Jamaal Charles and keep the fans at Arrow Head in their seats and quiet! The newly signed veteran LBers: Merriman, Morris and Barnett all contributed with solo tackles. Who could have predicted this shellacking?

This win was a huge confidence booster for the only team from New York that plays in New York. I’m being realistic when I tell y’all, I’m expecting them to finish 8 – 8. Go head, write it down, and memorize it. You heard it here first!

Next up, the Oakland Raiders at “The Ralph”… they ready…and so are the fans!! Let’s Go Buffalo!!

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Vikings opener... Winless in San Diego

 The opening kick with Percy Harvin running 103 yards for his fourth career kickoff-return touchdown and gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead. Another chance of him returning another kick off like the first never happened again.


The Vikings defense kept the Chargers scoreless in the red zone. San Diego controlled the ball for almost 21 minutes compared to the Vikings' nine, tying the score 17-17 with a pair of long third-quarter drives. Mike Tolbert's  had a 19-yard touchdown reception.


Vikings leaned on superstar running back Adrian Peterson aka the $100 million man responded with 98 yards on 16 carries, averaging 6.1 yards on 16 carries. A 2-yard loss on his final carry cost AP a shot at his 25th career 100-yard game. New QB McNabb only completed seven passes for 39 yards, None of his completions were longer than 12 yards. McNabb also allowed an interception by Shaun Phillips inside the Vikings' 10-yard line, which set up San Diego's initial touchdown, and it ended with McNabb receiving a 10-yard sack...OUCH! McNabb misfired on several  plays and received another sack... do I need to say OUCH again?


Vikings defense sucked at tackling and professional play in the secondary also cost the Vikings as Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers threw for 193 of his 335 yards in the second half.
Jared Allen made sure to show up and stayed on top of the ball all  game. Allen had six combined tackles, a half sack and one QB hit, pass coverage was on point, defending Rivers pass and intercepting what was intended for TE Antonio Gates. Great job Allen!

Guess who returned after tearing two anterior cruciate ligaments in 10-month span in 2010? Cedric Griffin and he received another beat down by Vincent Jackson on a should be touchdown that Rivers overthrew. Then Griffin was flagged 15 yards for unnecessary roughness to extend San Diego's game-ending run and win.

Missed opportunities against a good opponent on their home turf. For me the game changed when, after gaining a power running first down midway through the 3rd quarter, Musgrave decided to go Wildcat. The 2 plays were unimaginative and poorly executed. Why not let McNabb go play action instead. If the Vikings offense does not control down and distance then it will be a long season. We have to learn from today and then next Sunday play another winless team, The Buccaneers in Minneapolis. The Buccaneers lost their home opener 27-20 to Detroit.



- O'neika "The Touring Empress"

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Football Is Back: Eagles Celebrate With A Win Over The Rams!

The first week of regular season football has come to an end and half of the league has a winning record. Fortunately the Eagles are on the winning side. They visited the St. Louis Rams and left with a victory.

Leading up to the first regular season game, the front office had become some busy little bees (or birds I should say) once the lockout ended. They did some major free agent shopping, rivaling a couple of gold diggers in a high end mall with Sugar Daddy's Black card. However, they scored bigger than Gucci, Louis, and YSL. They picked up Nnamdi, Vince, and DRC, just to name a few free agent surprises that had everyone talking about the Eagles. Once the news broke about Asomugha, which sounds like it could be French for kiss my a$$, that's pretty much how Philly fans were feeling. There's no joking around this season. We want a ring!

Much like a gold digger focuses on the consumption of retail trinkets, they're not the type to look to purchase a serious financial investment or two. You know, like a strong offensive line and a key linebacker on defensive, the non-sexy stuff that can make or break you and force you to look beyond the glamour. Don't get me wrong, I think we made great off season moves with the newest Birds in the nest, but we saw evidence of how we are still missing a few key items in the game against St. Louis. Although Michael Vick has strong confidence in his offensive line, I'm not so convinced. And Casey Matthews may look just like his older brother Clay who plays for Green Bay, but after one play you know he's the Eli to your Peyton.

But it sure was good to be parked in front of the TV watching football again. Ahhh, I was back to yelling at the screen, pacing on third downs, doing touchdown celebrations and crossing all ten fingers and toes in those tense moments. You know the kind I'm talking about. Ones like in the first drive of the game when Stephen Jackson scored a touchdown by running all over our shiny new defense. He left the game hurt after that one score and didn't return to the game. But by then we'd been exposed. Note to self for every team on our schedule. Eagles' defense has a hard time stopping the run.

It took the offense a minute to get it going as well. Vick hit the ground a few too many times for my taste, forcing him to scurry out of the pocket or run for his life. He's a playmaker though. But, I think the idea is to have everyone make the plays they're supposed to be making and protect the newly minted $100 million dollar QB. I'm just saying…you’ve got to protect your investment. Otherwise we may as well have Wall Street as our o-line. Then again, we've seen how well they protected our investments so maybe not.

We got it together though and Mike Vick put our first points on the board with a rushing touchdown. He ended up with 187 yards passing and just at 100 yards rushing for two passing TD’s and one on the run. Juqua Parker added a rushing touchdown of his own when he received a sack fumble that was set in motion by Darryl Tapp and ran it into the end zone. Yet it was Shady McCoy who showed off this past Sunday. He rushed for over 120 yards with one touchdown pass from Vick. Many Eagles fans were rubbing their eyes to see if it was really our team that was running the ball consistently? That’s a new concept in these parts. There was a touchdown pass as well to Desean Jackson who also added points to the board. Despite speculation that he may play a soft game because he's hoping for a contract increase, he played with ALL heart!


On the defensive side of the ball aside from Parker's points, Asante Samuel was putting forth a solid effort despite being penalized on a couple of plays. With the addition of Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie, there were rumblings that Samuel may be on the block. And I can tell you that I'm sure glad he wasn't.

It wasn’t exactly pretty but the Eagles handled the Rams by taking a win 31-13.

We have another road game before the home opener on the 25th of September. Atlanta is up next. Oh and this game is going to be a must watch Sunday night game. Michael Vick makes his first return to his former home in the Georgia Dome as the Eagles’ starting quarterback and leader of this team. The dirty blackbirds were in the NFC championship hunt last year but lost to Green Bay. Their trip through Philly last year also left them with a loss. This past Sunday they got mauled by the Bears so expect this one to be intense and personal. And I’ll be there with Al and Chris watching every second of it.

It’s good to be back to football and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you again this year. I’ll see you on the sidelines!


Helen “Love My Eagles” Little

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(Mile) High Coming Down

Hey Nation! I was all smiles Tuesday morning calling my friend Wink. He and I bet $20.00 on the Raiders game & $10.00 on the status of Arian Foster. I made some gas money off those two bets. Not only am I happy when Oakland wins and I’m even happier when the wins makes me money.

Oakland is victorious with a 23-20 win against the Denver Broncos. I was doing a semi-happy dance because people expected us to come out weak and that wasn’t the case (but this is only week 1). It seems as if Oakland is carrying around a new attitude. JC looks comfortable. I know he had me nervous and excited at the same time. He ran for a first down and I’m screaming SLIDE and a later in the game he even brought in a touchdown and I’m screaming GET IT. These are things I don’t think he would have done last year, that, including a long bomb to DHB. If that ball had of been in the inside or better yet, if DHB had some sideline awareness & ballerina game...yeah dat! LOL

DMC looked great, rushing for 150 yards. Reece added a touchdown and his power and size will be great for the Oakland offense. The Raiders defense as a whole is coming together and will have to be dealt with in upcoming games. Looking at our CBs, I can tell that Rod Woodson is over there teaching!!

I can’t lie; I had some concerns about the lack of OTA and departure of a few players and staff. I wasn’t really sure how big of a role that would have on the mindset of the players but it didn’t look like they were affected by it at all. The one thing I can talk about until I’m blue in the face is penalties. Every other play it seemed like it was a flag. This has been a long standing problem for the Raiders and I really wish they pull it together. 130+ yards were given up on those penalties. Just a mess. Denver really couldn’t do anything with us but we kept letting them back in the game. This could have easily been a blowout.

Janikowskis leg though?! I swear if he tried he could kick an 80 yard field goal. LOL

We are suiting up and ready to show out. Next stop Buffalo, do we beast or are we feast? I say we beast. This game will be a war, both of these teams look better than before.

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Ravens Have EXORCIIIIIISED The Demons!

Where do I start?? I know.... January 15th, 2011. The very moment when that dreaded 3rd and 19 took place during the 2010 Divisional Playoffs. As I sat in Heinz Field and watched it go down, I knew then the Ravens had lost all momentum in that game. Up 21-7 by halftime, the Ravens gave the game away to the Steelers with inexcusable plays and unexpected turnovers. The Steelers won, 31-24 and the psychological advantage over Baltimore continued.

Can Baltimore beat Pittsburgh? Sure they can. With Joe Flacco they had beat them before... but never when Ben Roethlisberger was behind center. And that talk became the topic of the offseason. How Joe Flacco wasn't good enough to get over the Steelers hump. Everyone chimed in about Joe Cool. Lamar Woodley said he wouldn't win a Super Bowl in his lifetime.. Ryan Clark said the Ravens-Steelers rivalry wasn't really a rivalry, since they weren't able to beat them. Even Dhani Jones came in to talk about how Flacco couldn't read defenses under pressure. And Joe heard it. He heard and read every single thing that every critic said about him.

If you think for one minute that the Ravens didn't plan to make a statement with this game, then you're wrong. In early August, about a month before the season ever started, RB Ray Rice told SI's Don Banks,

"Maybe when we beat them, we won't just beat them. A win is a win. But if we make a statement, and beat them in a way that they know they were really beaten, I think that leaves a taste.''

The Ravens went into this contest knowing that if they didn't punch them in the mouth, doubt would always linger. They had to dominate the game the full 60 mins, something they haven't been able to do in years past.


Do you want to win on opening day at home? Yes. But this was against a bitter rival.. one that talked a lot of smack during the lockout. While the Steelers re-signed majority of their players, the Ravens got younger, dumping veteran players like Todd Heap, Derrick Mason and Kelly Gregg and replaced them with Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson at TE, Lee Evans at WR and allowing NT Terrence Cody to get more involved from a year ago. The Ravens knew they had to get younger, faster and stronger to get over the hump. They did and it paid off in a way that no one saw coming..... no one except for the Ravens.

As I walked into M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, I knew little about what was going to happen. What I did know is that, it was the 10th anniversary of September 11th and the fans would be patriotic. I knew that the opening day festivities would send chills up and down my spine, because after a LONG lockout, football had finally returned unscathed. I knew that my son and I would have a great time, win or lose, because we love this game so much. But the skull dragging (s/o to Rob Long for the selective word) that took place on Sunday was an unexpected surprise that was welcomed with open arms by everyone that donned purple and black that day.

The Steelers talked the talk, but the Ravens walked the walk. Final score, 35-7. Thank you, football gods. The rivalry lives on.

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2011 - Week One in Review – Redskins vs. Giants

The Washington Redskins had their first game of the 2011 - 2012 Season on Sunday September 11^th. In front of a packed house, it was a good 28 – 14 victory for the Redskins. Although this game ended like I wanted it to, this game had an emotional start because both these cities were majorly affected by the events of September 11, 2001.

The weather - beautiful. The opponent -NFC East rival. The atmosphere - Not Normal.

• I did my usual tailgating, making my signature spicy meatballs. Of course; – Normal
• I towed a car full of Giants fans to the game. – Not Normal (PigsknLnvgLady & SportsDiva627)
• I went to my lower level seats first to get some on field warm up photos. – Normal
• I couldn’t Tweet anything because the reception at FedEx Field was very poor. – Not Normal
• When the introductions started, I stood with the crowd for the National Anthem. - Normal
• When I sat down, I was embarrassingly wiping my face. – Not Normal

When the people assigned to carry a 100 yard flag slowly entered the Giants sideline, Colin Powell was walking up the 50 yard line for the coin toss. - I felt my emotions changing.

Next, there was a moment of silence for those that lost their lives ten years ago. - Now, I was getting mushy.

The flag slowly, methodically overcame the green of the football field. - I felt my throat getting tight.

Players from both teams walked to the flag’s rim to grab hold of this sight of beauty. My nose was burning!

Recording Artist Neo began to sing the National Anthem and the flag holders rapidly made wave like motions with the flag, as if it is was blowing in the breeze. Tears fell from my eyes...

I was overcome with the meaning of this day, the meaning of our freedoms. I was ‘proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free, and I won’t forget the men who died who gave that right to me….’

This Diva is Done!

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Buccaneers Will Be Playoff Bound For 2011-12 Season

First of all, shout out to former Buccaneer Lee Roy Selmon who passed recently, may he rest in peace. I never saw him play but I know he was a significant player for the Buccaneers as well as a major figure in the Tampa area.

Once again, we start another season where control of the NFC South is up for grabs. Who knows who reign supreme at the end of the season between Atlanta, New Orleans, and Tampa. Carolina is rebuilding so unless Cam Newton just becomes a breakout player and leads his team to many victories, it is going to be the odd man out.

My prediction for the Bucs' 2011-12 season record is 11-5.
Wins: Vikings, Falcons (home), Colts, Niners, Bears, Texans, Titans,
Panthers (both games), Jaguars, Cowboys
Losses: Lions, Saints (both games), Packers, Falcons (away)

While the offense is relatively the same, the Bucs defense has a new look. Although we did not actively participate in free agency this year, with the exception of signing former Falcon punter Michael Koenen to six years for $19.5 million, our draft did focus on beefing up the front defensive line.

The team has gone younger, replacing many players that were on the team last year with drafted rookies, missing from the team are Barrett Ruud (Tennesse Titans) and Stylez G. White (free agent). New defensive ends Da'Quan Bowers from Clemson and Adrian Clayborn from Iowa (starting at right defensive end), and fellow rookie LB Mason Foster from Washington (starting at middle linebacker). Yeah, the Mason Foster that laid out Chad Johnson who subsequently offered to pay Foster's $20,000 fine.

I am optimistic about this season because my quarterback (#TOtears) is Josh Freeman and has made it clear that this is his team and that he will do whatever it takes to reserve one of the two locker rooms at the Lucas Oil Stadium come February 5, 2012.

P.S. I hope Ronde Barber does not try to persuade the Bucs to pick up his brother. We do not need any distractions.

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