Rogers Sportsnet and the NFL Agree On Three-Year Contract

Rogers Sportsnet has come to a three-year agreement with the National Football League, becoming the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of the NFL Network’s eight-game schedule this fall.

Rogers Sportsnet will open the 2009 NFL campaign with the defending NFC East Champion New York Giants hosting the Washington Redskins at 2 p.m. MDT/1 p.m. PDT on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 on Sportsnet West, Sportsnet HD, Sportsnet Pacific and Sportsnet Pacific HD. The NFL Network’s regular-season package will include six Thursday night broadcasts, one Saturday night game and one Friday night telecast on Christmas.

Doug Beeforth, President of Rogers Sportsnet is very pleased with upcoming NFL agreement.

“The eight-game NFL package is a great addition to our fall lineup,” he said. “We’re pleased to be the only channels in Canada where viewers can watch those games, especially the Bills vs. Jets at Rogers Centre.

“These eight-games are a great complement to our NFL Sunday afternoon package.”

According to Hans Schroeder, NFL vice president of media strategy and development, he could not be happier that every NFL fan in Canada has the opportunity to tune in every Sunday and Thursday beginning the second week of November.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Rogers Sportsnet,” he said. “We are thrilled that NFL fans in Canada can tune in to Rogers Sportsnet for NFL action every Sunday and on Thursdays beginning November 12.”

This is also year three of a five-year deal with the NFL’s cross-border agreement the Bills have with the city of Toronto and the Rogers Centre.

The schedule is to kick off on Nov. 12, when the Chicago Bears—with newly acquired Jay Cutler—square off against the San Francisco 49ers at 8 pm EST.

Find below the full schedule according to the Rogers Sportsnet website;

Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers: Thursday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. (ET)
Miami Dolphins @ Carolina Panthers: Thursday, Nov.19th at 8 p.m. (ET)
New York Giants @ Denver Broncos: Thursday, Nov. 26th at 8 p.m. (ET)
New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills (Toronto): Thursday, Dec. 3rd at 8 p.m. (ET)
Pittsburgh Steelers@ Cleveland Browns: Thursday, Dec. 10th at 8 p.m. (ET)
Indianapolis Colts@ Jacksonville Jaguars: Thursday, Dec. 17th at 8 p.m.(ET)
Dallas Cowboys @New Orleans Saints: Saturday, Dec. 19th at 8 p.m. (ET)
San Diego Chargers @ Tennessee Titans: Friday, Dec. 25th at 7:30 p.m. (ET)

 

Devon Teeple is an author for the Business of Sports Network, which includes the Biz of Baseball, the Biz of  Football, the Biz of Basketball and the Biz of Hockey.   He is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals & Gateway Grizzlies.  Devon is a former student within Sports Management Worldwide’s Baseball General Manager Class. Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective and is an intern with The Football Outsiders and contributor with the Plymouth River Eels.

Currently, Devon is a Branch Manager at a financial institution in Southern Ontario Canada.  He can be reached at thegmsperspective@gmail.com or devon@businessofsportsnetwork.com

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Pittsburgh Steelers: They’re Still Your Super Bowl Favorites

Despite coping with adversity over the years, Ben Roethlisberger replicated familiar scenes on Thursday night, starting off the 2009 season. He’s duplicating heroics, quarterbacking the Pittsburgh Steelers to late victories.

He’s a reckless daredevil who has withstood tragic scares. But most of all, Big Ben’s quarterbacking heroics has been highlighted by leading the men in French Mustard yellow to two Super Bowl titles this decade, including their historical sixth title.

On a gratifying evening, fans paid tribute to a glorious Super Bowl title, sustained over the shocking Arizona Cardinals. It’s a night that will remain indelible, and highlight reels that will be seen repeatedly.

As minutes dwindle, Roethlisberger intensifies and creates life offensively, with the ability to dominate under pressure by buckling down, utilizing a convenient play, and hurling powerful throws.

A hard driven mindset and assurance enables Big Ben to come away victorious in mere minutes.

To this day, none of us have forgotten the most sensational Super Bowl finish in history, at least in my lifetime. None of us have forgotten an eight-play, 69-yard drive, connecting with a fiery Santonio Holmes who managed to keep his toes inside the end zone and completed one of the most dramatic catches in NFL history.

Once again, the same pattern gives us reasonable belief that the Steelers are our Super Bowl favorites. After one game, the Steelers still consist of a tenacious and poised defensive unit, highlighted by the aggressiveness and incredible speed of Troy Polamalu.

By applying hard hits early on, it set a tone, though they were a bit rusty to start a quest to repeat.

Being powerhouses defensively, there are some concerns without their forceful safety, after he sprained a ligament in the second quarter; this sidelines the warrior for approximately three to six weeks.

When he made an attempt to recover the ball following a blocked field goal, Alge Crumpler awkwardly tweaked his left knee as Polamalu suffered the devastating injury. The wildest fans arguably in the league weren’t swinging the Terrible Towels, but were holding their selective breaths, worried about the Pro Bowler.

Moments later, he walked to the locker room and never returned. Keep in mind, a solid culture of which the Steelers are comprised of, signifies they are still favorites. Anything is bound to happen whenever there’s a tough-minded quarterback and wide receiver tandem.

No worries.

Minus Polamalu’s vigor, the Steelers managed to grind out a victory in their gratifying season-opener in front of passionate fans. And they capitalized, benefiting from the usual pattern, which normally is successful at the finish to engage and attract our football craziness.

Big Ben is a vital part if the Steelers are on a quest to repeat. He’s a savvy leader who stores weight on his shoulders. He’s a confident quarterback who performs more effectively under pressure, and understands what it takes to reach a crescendo.

He has all the proper ingredients containing of prowess and expertness; from experiencing glorious moments of hoisting the franchise’s six banner, popping corks off of champagne bottles, and sharing memorable times with fans when passing down the streets of Pittsburgh in celebration. 

By now, you’re getting used to Roethlisberger’s bravery and heroics. And you’re accustomed to waiting for epic finishes, a pattern the Steelers are committed to while still somehow pulling off late comebacks.

It was done again, leaving off where they finished and left us guessing as minutes dwindled. Late in the fourth quarter, the masses were expecting a game-winning pass to occur.

No.

Instead of recording their first victory of the season at the end of regulation, it took extra minutes for the Steelers to prevail. Highly targeted receiver and veteran Hines Ward caught a long-throwing pass from Roethlisberger, but botched a catch-and-run play, which wrapped up a victory.

He never secured the ball, which allowed Tennessee’s safety Michael Griffin to poke the ball out of his arms. He walked off furious and disgusted, and didn’t wear his usual smile. Witnessing Ward angry and beating himself up over a fumble was outlandish.

But on a night the Steelers didn’t display their best game, they were fortunate to come away victorious in a friendly locale. From their ineffective rush attack, and Roethlisberger’s careless lapses, the Titans were easily favored in the late quarters.

But it’s difficult underestimating the Steelers capabilities, particularly when the Titans stumbled, too. 

Arguably the best kicker in the league, Rob Bironas failed to convert on two critical field goal attempts. And just think if he would’ve converted they could’ve possibly pulled off the upset, spoiling the Steelers’ glorious opener.

Based on Roethlisberger’s pump-fakes and nifty footwork inside the pocket, it will greatly limit the sack ratio, after he took a league-leading 139 last season. That can also limit significant blows to the head, and make life easier offensively.

But amazingly, the Steelers hung on to escape with a nail-biting 13-10 victory in overtime, as fans were tense until things went final.

Thanks to Roethlisberger’s staggering stats of 33-of-43 for 363 yards and a touchdown, they didn’t have to worry much about their poor running game. Instead it took an unflappable Ben, leading a drive to set up a game-winning field goal. 

So on this night, most of the heroics came from veteran Jeff Reed. And you can credit Roethlisberger for well-driven plays. Although they were shaky, the Steelers are the team to beat and should be Super Bowl favorites.

That’s obvious.

After all, they’re your defending champs. Courtesy of classical heroics and enduring to the finish.

 

 

 

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Come To Think Of It… Chicago Sports Fans Thank God It’s Football Season

We Chicago sports fans are nuts. Crazy about our teams, passionate about winning, but appreciate hard work and a blue collar attitude most of all. So football appeals to many of us because it’s a tough sport played by tough men and there are no guaranteed contracts, or players sitting out with a broken fingernail.

Not that we don’t love our baseball teams. Oh hell yes, we certainly do. But after having the thrill of both the Cubs and Sox being in the playoffs last year (though they both laid an egg there), this season has been particularly rough.

It sure doesn’t look like either team will play postseason ball, so I say “bring on the Bears!”

Of course, it helps that we finally have an honest-to-goodness real NFL QB in Jay Cutler. But even if our defense lets us down and we don’t win the NFC North, at least we have hope right now. And, after this baseball season, it sure feels good to start with a clean slate once again.

Look, I recognize the Blackhawks had a terrific season last year and we’re excited about their chances again this year. And even the Bulls made some noise against the Celtics in one of the most evenly matched series I have ever witnessed.

But there’s something about the start of a new football season to make one’s juices start flowing again. And, judging by all the hype this preseason, if our juices were flowing any more, we’d drown in them.

Now, you can’t count on this optimism lasting forever. If we lose to the Packers Sunday night, we might be stewing in our own juices.

And that, unfortunately, is a distinct possibility. For the dreaded Packers have a mighty damn fine QB of their own in Aaron Rodgers. My heart screams Bears, but my head whispers Packers in this matchup. I hope I’m wrong.

But no matter. Right now, anything is possible and everything is right in front of us. Unlike our baseball teams, come to think of it.

 

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Oakland-San Diego: Can Oakland Change History Again?

If Tom Cable wants something to inspire his players with, maybe he should dust off the week 16 tape against the Houston Texans.

Last year, Oakland was going into their last two games and most people were wondering if the Raiders would finish with a 3-13 record. For the Raiders, playing the last game at home would put them up against a team they never had beaten in three attempts. For Oakland, the season was already gone: At 3-11, there was nothing to play for.

Nothing, that is, except pride.

Oakland, along with the loyal home crowd, would go on to shock the Texans, who were entertaining the thought of a season above .500 for the first time in their history. They had two very big pieces of offense in 2008. Steve Slaton had over 1,200 yards on the ground and 377 yards in catches. Andre Johnson would have over 1,500 yards by the end of the year.

Even the betting odds were unkind: 92 percent of the Pro-Football-Pickem group would think the Texans had an easy win.

That is why we play the games, I guess.

Oakland’s offense, which started to come to life at the end of the New England game, carried some momentum into this game with JaMarcus Russell and Chaz Schilens hooking up for a 20-yard touchdown. The Texans would respond with their own TD before the Raiders dropped two field goals.

Houston would tie the score again with field goals of their own, making it 13 all at halftime.

Oakland would then put 14 points on the board, both touchdowns from Johnnie Lee Higgins. One would come from a TD pass of 29 yards and the other from an 80-yard punt return to finish the scoring for the Raiders. The Texans would add a single field goal at the end, but the win would go to Oakland.

Some will argue that the Chargers defense is much stronger than the Texans. Others will say the Raiders offense is missing Chaz Schilens.

With a healthy Darren McFadden and the Raiders looking to change their history, this is a brand new year.

And this is why we play the games.

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Chargers Must Win the Super Bowl Or Leave Town

There is no next year.

This isn’t about building for the future.

It’s not about taking stock and assessing team depth, either. Save that for the rest of the division.

The Chargers have to step out, lay waste to the West, get to the Super Bowl, win it, and put the official seal on the franchise’s 50th anniversary season.

And they really don’t have any excuses.

Lance Alworth deserves it. Dan Fouts deserves it. The legacy of Sid Gillman deserves it. Hell, Bud Whitehead deserves it. No question the fans deserve it.

Fly under the radar? Forget about it.

The national media has latched on to the fact the Chargers are primed for a deep run through the postseason, fueled in no small part by a tremendously weak AFC West division.

But the Chargers are not simply the best of the bad. They are among the elite teams in the AFC, the conference which currently holds the balance of power in the NFL.

This is no idle musing.

From quarterback to long-snapper, the Chargers are as talented as any roster in football.

Don’t think so? Go man for man, from starter to practice squad, and ID a team that’s better.

Of course, that claim was levied last year and the team staggered to a record of 4-8 before rallying with four straight victories to claim their third straight AFC West crown.

While a .500 mark could possibly win the division by a comfortable margin, another uphill climb through the playoffs likely won’t provide any greater results than last season’s second-round exit.

Too many games and too many trips to cold weather cities.

Which means the Chargers should go all the way this season.

That’s right should, because this is the NFL where there are no guarantees.

Turning perception to reality will require an attention to a few details, none of which have been lost on a team that is fully aware their time is now and not later.

 

The Chargers cannot take a 4-8 record into Dallas on Dec. 13

A year ago, the Chargers were four games under the .500 mark. They were trailing the Broncos by three games in the division before they stepped into their 13th contest of the season by hosting the Raiders.

Losing to the Raiders is as unlikely as Republicans supporting healthcare reform, and the Chargers rolled. Not one of their next three opponents—Kansas City, Tampa Bay or Denver—was a playoff team, and the Chargers ran the table to make it back to the postseason.

This year’s finishing quartet of the regular season? Home games against the Bengals and Redskins with a Christmas Day treat in Tennessee in addition to their visit to the Cowboys’ new home. Four wins are unlikely.

So a sense of urgency in September is a no-brainer. The practice schedule is over, fellas.

The Chargers could easily open this season at 5-2 before they head back east to face the Giants in the final year of their stadium. A 6-1 mark is well within their grasp.

 

Protect Philip Rivers

Billy Volek is a nice guy, a solid backup player and one of the better second-string QBs in the NFL, but one whose role is best served wearing a ball cap.

Nothing against Volek, but this team is all about Philip Rivers.

Head coach Norv Turner can talk all day about a power running game. A healthy LaDainian Tomlinson will certainly provide a huge boost to the Chargers, but there is no more important player to this team than Rivers.

His strides in the league have been tremendous—enough to jettison Drew Brees three years ago and secure Rivers a $92-million contract extension a few weeks back that will keep him in San Diego until he is 34.

The highest-rated NFL passer last year, Rivers will take another step forward in his development and be blessed with plenty of targets. The Chargers will start a rookie at right guard in Louis Vazquez, but will rely heavily on left tackle Marcus McNeill to protect the blind side.

Lose Rivers, lose it all.

 

Turn Shaun Phillips loose

Sure, Shawne Merriman is back. Yes, he’s “Lights Out.” And he’s intimidating (just ask Tila Tequila). But returning the defense to the force it was will require more than a healthy Merriman, who may have more than a double-team to worry about.

On the other side of the field is Shaun Phillips, who led the team in 2008 with 7.5sacks but too often was used in coverage under defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell. That changed somewhat with the promotion of Ron Rivera at the midpoint of last season, and will evolve further this year as Rivera uses a more aggressive and varied scheme to get to opposing quarterbacks.

Phillips is poised for another double-digit sack season.

 

Get the ball to Vincent Jackson

LT is in the backfield and the stock of Darren Sproles is highly valued as a buy, but moving the ball through the air is central to the Chargers’ success this season.

They have their man in Rivers under center, with a range of options that includes three-time All Pro Antonio Gates at tight end and one-time Pro Bowler Chris Chambers at wide receiver. It’s the man split wide to the other side, though, who will make the biggest difference for Rivers and the Chargers.

That would be Vincent Jackson, who completed his first 1,000-yard season a year ago and snagged a career-high seven TD receptions. Look for those numbers to tick upward as Rivers looks to Jackson as the go-to big-play man for the Chargers this season.

 

Utilize LT

While Rivers has become the focal point of the offense, too many times Tomlinson has been relegated to glorified role player, and which has been especially evident in the Turner era. There is too much talent in the former MVP to decoy him or use him simply as a counter-punch.

The raps are that he’s 30 and hasn’t had an injury-free season in the last couple of years, but the man is motivated, appears healthy and is a multiple asset. There is no current player who combines as many offensive skills as Tomlinson.

 

No late fades

It was only a preseason game and the field was littered with down-the-depth-chart guys fighting for their jobs, but the Aug. 29 loss at Atlanta was hauntingly familiar.

The Chargers had outplayed the Falcons all night and were seemingly on-target for a W, but watched the opposition drive downfield and score with seconds to play. That wasn’t first-stringer Matt Ryan at the controls either, but journeyman reserve Chris Redman.

Remember the 2008 opener against Carolina? Again, it was practice, but those rehearsals should have included drills on sealing the deal.

 

It may have taken 50 years, but the Chargers’ time is now. The fans would like to keep you around.

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Week One Gameplan: Broncos Vs. Bengals

Even though this week’s game is in a city that is on the complete opposite end of the state and a four hour drive away from his hometown of Canton, Coach McDaniels gets to open up the season in his home state of Ohio.

They are pretty much known more for the television show “WKRP in Cincinnati” than for good football over the years.  The only notable player to ever wear a Bengals Uniform was Boomer Esiason who led Cincinnati to two Super Bowl losses to the 49ers in the 80’s.

The Bengals have gotten better over the past few years under the tutelage of Coach Marvin Lewis, yet they remain consistently inconsistent from year to year.

The Bengals followed up their 7-9 2007 record by finishing third in the AFC North in 2008 with a record of 4-11-1.  Nonetheless Cincinnati is not a team that you want to look past on your schedule. 

They are using the sting of their embarrassing showing last season to fuel their intensity this year.  The Bengals are a team of bad intentions who are much better than last year’s record shows and they need to be taken seriously.

 

The Bengals Offense

The Bengals are loaded at the offensive skilled positions. 

 

Quarterback  No. 9 Carson Palmer

He has a great arm and is a seasoned quarterback in the NFL.  He can be very dangerous if he has time to throw the football. 

 

Wide Receivers

No. 85 Chad OchoCinco 6’1” 192lbs

No. 85 is very talented.  Unfortunately his play has dropped off the past few years.   Whether it is double teams, chemistry, age or maybe he is just not that good, Mr. eight–five is known more for his antics on and off the field than for his play on it. 

 

No. 11 Laveranues Coles 5’11” 200lbs

Coles chose to sign with Cinci in the offseason and will fill the position opposite OchoCinco left vacant by T.J. Who’syourmama?’s departure. 

Coles has also had an inconsistent career in the NFL as a No. 1 receiver, but now that he is playing second fiddle to “the Chad” (who was once considered elite), he may see the kind of touches that Houshmandzadeh built his career on the past few years.

 

No. 15 Chris Henry 6’4” 200lbs

Henry has had a troubled career in the NFL.  He has shown flashes of great ability but has gotten in his own way by getting in trouble with the law.  Bengals fans are hoping he has turned over a new leaf this season. 

Henry turned it on in the preseason, racking up 14 catches for 224 yards and four touchdowns in four games.  This could mean he is poised to have an amazing year coming out of the slot.

 

Running Back

No. 32 Cedric Benson

Benson was supposed to be the reincarnation of Ricky Williams (the Ricky before he decided to retire from football at the height of his career so he could go smoke pot full-time). 

Unfortunately for Benson, he struggled more than he succeeded thus far in his career.  He may be finally putting things together in Cinci, but still, no one is expecting anything spectacular from him.

 

Denver’s Defensive Strategy

Cincinnati has a potent aerial arsenal at their disposal, with a capable running complement, but the Bengals do not have a very good offensive line.  Andre Smith was supposed to help make them better, but a holdout followed by a foot fracture has kept him from making any impact on the Bengals line.

Therefore the key for Denver to be successful against this passing attack will be putting pressure on the quarterback.

All three of Cinci’s receivers are known for their speed, not their route running.  So the trick is not to get beat deep.  The best way to do this is with pressure.  It takes time for receivers to get down the field no matter how fast they are. 

Palmer is a pocket passer with limited mobility and is fresh off an elbow injury last year.  If Denver can stay in Palmer’s face all day long the Bengals won’t have time to throw the deep ball. 

The beautiful thing about the 3-4 defense is that you can bring pressure from anywhere.

I look for the Denver’s front seven all to get involved in creating pressure.  D-line, outside, and inside backers should all keep the pressure coming from different places all day long. 

Champ, Goodman, Smith, Hill, and Dawkins should be able to keep OchoCinco, Coles, and Henry from getting open down field and snatch up any errant throws that come their way.

Denver’s front seven will also need to keep Cinci honest in the running game, but again Cinci’s weak O-line creates the opportunity for Denver to shut Benson down as well. 

The Bengals really don’t get too creative in their running plays and Denver will mostly see them try to pound the ball up the middle more than attempting to finesse run to the outside.

Denver has a chance to come out and make a statement defensively in this first game.  Not giving Palmer anytime to set up, make his reads, and throw the ball will go a long way to Denver getting a W this Sunday.  (Forcing a couple turnovers wouldn’t hurt either.)

 

The Bengals Defense

Cincinnati has quietly been putting together a very solid defense under Marvin Lewis.  They have yet to become one of the most feared in the league but they have been consistently getting better under his guidance. 

The Bengals run a 4-3 defense starting up front with Robert Geathers, Domata Peko, Tank Johnson, and Antwaan Odom.  These guys are big and tough will make plays on you if you’re not careful.  They also drafted rush specialist Michael Johnson out of Georgia Tech who could cause some trouble of his own on passing downs.

Dhani Jones, Rey Mauluga, and Keith Rivers make up a young but talented line-backing core for Cincinnati.  Mauluga may not start, but should at least see some time.  A top prospect who fell to Cinci in the second round, Maualuga is known to be a devastating hitter. 

Keith Rivers was a top prospect last year who would have challenged Jerod Mayo for defensive rookie of the year had he not broken his jaw in week seven. 

Cinci’s secondary got stronger with the addition of Roy Williams in the offseason.  If he can return to the form he once played with in Dallas a few years ago, this move could be huge for the Bengals. 

Leon Hall and Jonathon Joseph have developed into a pair of very good corners as well.  They will keep most offenses honest all over the field, but could be susceptible to the deep ball at times.  The Bengals do not have any notable depth to speak of beyond these two starters in the secondary.  

 

Denver’s Offensive Strategy

Denver should just play their game against Cincinnati.  McDaniel’s offense should work against anybody, with screen passes to receivers and running backs, and short passes with a healthy portion of run set up by the pass. 

Hopefully Knowshon Moreno will be mostly-to-fully ready for the game.  He only had a few runs in preseason, but they were enough to show everyone that he will be a force to be reckoned with this year.   I don’t believe the Bronco’s depth chart; I think we will see him out there on the field quite often. 

Denver also may have their full complement of receivers including perhaps Brandon Marshall.

McDaniels’ system is all about game management.  If Orton is careful with the football and does not take any chances then the Broncos should be able to systematically move the ball down the field very well. 

Denver’s offensive line is one of the best in the NFL, and seldom gives up a sack.  I saw Orton having happy feat in the pocket too many times in the preseason.  Orton needs to learn to trust in his offensive line and be comfortable in the pocket knowing he has time, then just make the smart throw with the football.

If Marshall does indeed take the field then all bets are off.  Cincinnati’s biggest weakness is in their secondary, and Marshall should draw a double team.  That should leave things open for Royal, Gaffney, and Stokley to get open. 

McDaniels needs a win to satiate the critics out there who are already calling for his job, and the Bengals are looking to set the tone for the rest of their season.

As long as Denver protects the football and doesn’t give the game away with penalties and turnovers I think Denver has a very good shot at taking down the Bengals in week one.  Both teams will be hungry, and both teams will be looking to make a statement in this first game. 

Call me a homer if you want but I give Denver the edge in this game because of Cincinnati’s weak offensive line. 

My prediction: Denver wins 23- 17.

 

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Lovie Smith Injected Life Into Packers-Bears Rivalry

When Lovie Smith arrived in Chicago as the new man in charge five seasons ago, he had a major, but specific goal, “Beat Green Bay.” 

At that time, Green Bay was the only division champion the new NFC North had known, and was a perennial winner in the previous NFC Central.  In fact, from 1995-2008, the team in green had won seven of 14 division crowns.  

In Chicago though, they’d won just one division title since a guy named Ditka left town. Even in 2001, when the Bears went 13-3, they were swept by Green Bay.

The oldest rivalry in football had lost its luster, because even if the games were close, they didn’t matter since Green Bay was going to win more games than Chicago anyway.

Within a year of making his famous anti-Packer decree, the Bears had gone from 5-11 cellar dweller to 11-5 division winner. The next season, the Bears used their pulverizing defense to dominate opponents and wound up in the Super Bowl.

Four out of the last five seasons, the NFC North division winner has come from Chicago or Green Bay.

In the 1980s, the Bears were the powerhouse and the Packers the team struggling to find a course.  In the 1990s, it was the other way around for the most part. In fact, the Packers seemed to play better at Soldier Field than anywhere else (maybe it’s karma from all those Cubs fans who invade Milwaukee for Brewers games all summer).

No football fan wants to see a rivalry game end in a blowout. Not consistently anyway.  Sure, it was great to beat the hell out of the Bears in Lambeau last year. It was just payback for the whooping they put on Green Bay in the coldest game I’ve ever been to the season before in Chicago.

Game broadcasts love to use the Brett Favre statistic about the number of QBs starting in Chicago while Favre started in Green Bay (I believe the number is somewhere around 683).  But in some ways, it is nice to finally have a foil in Jay Cutler.

Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Devin Hester, they provide a solid core for a Bears team that had been aging.  With Minnesota setting their franchise back another half decade with this Favre debacle, and the Lions being the Lions, the Packers and Bears look like they’re going to fight this thing out for the foreseeable future.

No excuses for either team now with Super Bowl expectations in both cities for as long as Cutler and Rodgers stay under center in their respective cities.

Who would have thought a man named Lovie would bring such change the Monsters of the Midway.  But he has, and Packer fans should be happy that he has.

This season the talent on the field will reflect the richness of the history between two marquee NFL franchises. If you love football, I don’t know how you could get sick of Cutler/Rodgers promos.

Sunday Night will be what Packers versus Bears is all about. And it’s due in large part to a man with a simple goal, “Beat Green Bay.”   

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PSU vs Syracuse: Football Eve Prediction

I spoke to a friend of ours who’s going to the Texas vs. Wyoming game and I asked him if he was excited about the game on Saturday.

His quote? “It’s only Wyoming”. Methinks that a Tennessee fan might have said that on the eve of the Wyoming game last year. Didn’t work too well for his team, did it?

Anyway, onto another team wearing orange: Syracuse, a basketball school with a basketball-playing quarterback who’s now anchoring the Orange team.

The guys at Black Shoe Diaries are predicting that Penn State will rack up 48 points on the Orange, while the Orange will be lucky to rack up over 10.

This may well happen, but PSU has to sort out a few things:

1) The offensive line

It was great when Darryl Clark was passing—helped by Clark’s mobility out of the pocket, but it wasn’t great for Evan Royster with the running game. Syracuse gave up 112 rushing yards against Minnesota, which tells me that they aren’t too shabby against a running game—although Duane Bennett isn’t exactly Beanie Wells. If the offensive line can get better, then Royster can scorch the Orange.

2) Clark, Clark, Clark

By all accounts, Darryl Clark had a dreadful start to the Akron game and then warmed up as things went on. Clark has to start well, and Moye et al should sort out the rest. Syracuse gave up 248 yards against the pass last week—and Clark is better than Adam Weber.

3) Stop Mike Williams

The senior wide receiver can play. The Nittany Lions have to get their secondary sorted out (Astorino, Sukay) to shut down one of the Big East’s best wide receivers. If they manage to do that, I’m not particularly worried.

Prediction: Penn State by 28

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Chicago Bears: Superbowl Contenders Or Playoff Pretenders?

A lot has been said, written, debated, and repeated about the Chicago Bears this offseason.  They traded for a marquee quarterback, they shook up the defensive coaching, and have Superbowl aspirations. 

They will get the perfect chance to show the NFL what kind of team they are when they open in Green Bay on Sunday Night Football and finally put some substance on the debate.

At least on paper, the NFC North promises to be one of the best divisions in football this season and could easily have three playoff teams playing come January.  But if the Bears want to be a part of that group and get back to the postseason after a two-year Superbowl slump, it’s not the offense that should be scrutinized.

The Bears’ shiny new Pro Bowl 4,500-yard passer has shifted a lot of the focus away from where Chicago struggled last year: defending the pass.  You can point to the defense’s time on the field when the offense couldn’t sustain a drive, but Chicago has never expected its offense to do much.

When push came to shove, the defensive line could not get a pass rush and the banged up secondary was exposed.  To make any kind of playoff run this year, the Bears must hassle the opposing quarterback.

Sunday proves to be a stout test of who the Bears will be this season.  The Green Bay Packers have a potent offense and a new and somewhat unknown defense after switching to the 3-4.  What it will come down to is the Bears’ defense vs Aaron Rodgers.

Where Jay Cutler was the headline offseason move, Rod Marinelli was perhaps a more important addition.  He had a terrible record as a head coach but was and still is one of the most respected line coaches in the NFL. 

If the Bears’ defense buys into Marinelli’s system and regain the form worthy of the Monsters of the Midway, the city of Chicago will be in for a treat.  However, if the Bears give Rodgers time to pass, it will be the second blowout loss at Lambeau in as many years.

Cutler and the Bears’ wide receiving corps is easy to focus on, but an offense is something the Bears have rarely had and don’t rely on.  If the defense can keep the game close, the upgrade at quarterback can win them the game.

Harris, Ogunleye, Anderson, Urlacher, Bowman, and Tillman will decide the fate of the Bears this season; not Hester, Bennet, Davis, Aromashodu, and Cutler.  Without a strong defense, the Chicago Bears may be better called the Chicago Chipmunks.

If the Monsters of the Midway show up on Sunday, the Bears should be Superbowl contenders.  If they can’t get off the field, they will be playoff pretenders and will be watching the playoffs at home on a flatscreen for the third straight year. 

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The Glass Half Full: An Optimists Look at Week 1 For Kansas City

 

“Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”

-Former Czechoslovakian President Vaclav Havel.

After any game there are obvious things to point to that clearly illustrate why the game’s outcome makes sense.

Chiefs fans must endure commentators’ incessant predictions that a Ravens’ victory opening week “makes sense.”  However, there are reasons why a Chiefs’ win is possible as well. 

More importantly, there is reason for a Chiefs fan to possess (what many consider misplaced) optimism.

As painful as it may be, a fan must maintain some semblance of optimism.  It’s an emotional investment in a team that can transcend the monstrous paychecks of the NFL and helps inspire a team to fight with a competitive drive that makes fans proud.

“Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A “you can do it” when things are tough.”

-Author and businessman Richard M. Devos.

This article is by no means a prediction that the Kansas City Chiefs will emerge victorious in week one.  Rather, this is a declaration that such an outcome is not an impossibility.

To the rebellious, loyal Chiefs fan, behold!

With so much attention being paid to the dilapidated offensive line, the injury to starting quarterback Matt Cassel, and the inability to get into the end zone, it is easy to overlook the improvements the team has made on defense.

The transition to the 3-4 defense already shows benefits.  The run defense has been stout. 

The team totals for Chiefs’ opponents in the preseason for rushing yards are as follows:

Texans 107 yards, 3.6 avg.  Vikings 93 yards, 3.4 avg. Seahawks 112 yards, 2.9 avg. Rams 76 yards, 2.4 avg.

With an all time NFL low of 10 sacks last season, the defense showed a more impressive pass rush blitzing out of the 3-4 this preseason. 

In four games of “vanilla” defense, the Chiefs accumulated seven sacks.  This would put the team on pace for 28 sacks in a 16-game season.  Hardly monstrous, but it moves them from 32nd ranked to tied for the 22 spot among team sack totals. 

Cornerback Brandon Flowers and safety DaJuan Morgan add an interception apiece to the defensive stats. 

What does any of this matter? 

The Baltimore Ravens are a rushing team.  Former Rutgers stand out running back Ray Rice is expected to have a breakout season, beginning with a monstrous game against the Chiefs.  Rice splits carries with last year’s starter Willis McGahee and with bruising fullback Le’ron McClain getting a few touches as well.

Should the Chiefs be able to stifle the run early, they will have a chance to win this game.

Why?

Quite simply, Joe Flacco is not a great quarterback.  Not to say he won’t be, but 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions while throwing for under 3,000 yards are not scary numbers. 

If the running game is held in check and Baltimore forced into 2nd- and 3rd-and-long, then the blitz packages should rattle the young quarterback and force some bad decisions and stir up some key turnovers. 

The struggles of the Kansas City offense are impossible to ignore.  However, the team has shown competency in moving the ball, but have simply been unable to go in for six. 

Head coach and offensive coordinator Todd Haley will find a few red zone plays catered to this matchup.

Should the team be able to force some key turnovers on the Ravens’ side of the field and capitalize, an upset could be in the works.      

If the Chiefs do pull a week one upset, these are a few likely reasons that the outcome would “make sense.”

 

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