The 10 Most Memorable Games in the Storied Raiders-Chiefs Rivalry

Although both organizations have fallen on lean times in the past few seasons, the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs square off on Sunday as they look to rekindle what has been one of the NFL’s longest and most heated rivalries.

Since their days in the AFL, the two teams have always been division rivals and as such, have often met in some hotly contested matchups that have featured games with playoff and Super Bowl implications, memorable last minute drives, and a fair share of skirmishes.

Division rivalries are always special, and the Raiders-Chiefs rivalry is no different. Part of the reason why this rivalry is so special is because of the notoriety of each team’s fanbase: the Raider Nation owns an infamous reputation as owning the league’s most hostile fans while the always exuberant Red Sea in Kansas City makes it tough for any opposing team that travels to Arrowhead Stadium.

The 2009-2010 version of the rivalry might not come with as much fanfare, but fans in Oakland and Kansas City are certainly aware of the history and hate that go along with a Raiders-Chiefs matchup.

Both teams are coming into Sunday’s game following Week One losses, and while youth and inexperience are abound on both sides, the gravity of the game isn’t lost on any of the youngsters.

The Raiders are coming off a painful 24-20 loss to the San Diego Chargers that came on a heroic final drive by Philip Rivers, Darren Sproles and company. Despite the loss, the Raiders were in control for most of the game and are coming into Sunday’s matchup with confidence to spare.

The Chiefs, on the other hand, are happy to play in front of their home crowd following a 38-24 beating at the hands of the Ravens in Baltimore. Playing without newly acquired quarterback Matt Cassel, the Chiefs only managed 188 yards of total offense against the vaunted Ravens defense, and based on midweek reports, Cassel’s debut as a Chief for Sunday is questionable at best.

In preparation for Sunday’s heated affair, it’s only fitting that we turn back the clock, scavenge through the archives, and highlight the top ten games and moments in Raiders-Chiefs history.

There’s no bias with this top ten list. Both teams are represented well with their own great moments, and that just goes to show you how highly contested these matchups have been. Although each team can lay claim to dominating a certain decade, many of these gridiron battles haven’t come without incident, or at the very least, its fair share of memorable in-game antics or post game quotes.

For our first moment, we go all the way back to the first time these two teams met, back in…

Begin Slideshow

Jets Call Out Patriots: Good Or Bad Idea?

Japan’s great Admiral, Isoroku Yamamoto, is said to have made the statement, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve,” immediately following their attack on Pearl Harbor.

This week, the New York Jets have freely, and openly, sent a message to the New England Patriots through the media. Whether it turns out to be the same fate suffered by Yamamoto’s squad has yet to be seen, but it sure is making the game seem much more interesting now.

“It’s to the point where enough is enough,” said New York Jets free-safety Kerry Rhodes.

“You go out from the first quarter on, from the first play on, and try to embarrass them,” Rhodes said. “Not just go out there and try to win, try to embarrass them. Try to make them feel bad when they leave here. We don’t want to just beat them. We want to send a message to them, ‘We’re not backing down from you and we expect to win this game, and it’s not going to be luck, it’s not going to be a mistake.’ ”

He also said that the Jets Defense would hit Tom Brady more than six times, the number of times that Brady was hit this past Monday night by the Buffalo Bills defense.

The Rhodes comments were made a day after new Head Coach Rex Ryan talked very positive in an emphatic manner that his Jets aren’t going to be bullied around anymore by the Patriots who have put a Beat-down on the Jets eight straight games at the Meadowlands.

“Talk is cheap,” Brady said Wednesday, referring to Ryan without even knowing what Rhodes said.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichik has shown Patriots the article and left it at that. None of the players had much to say regarding Rhodes comments.

You have to like the inspiration and motivation before games, but I don’t think it turns out too well for teams that call out the Patriots. It seems to make them stronger and more focused crusading with a common goal, yet not speaking about it and as a unit.

Remember Anthony Smith? He used to play the safety for Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2007, he guaranteed a victory against the Patriots in Foxboro. Brady responded with 399 yards and four Touchdowns in the Patriots 34-13 win.

The most memorable moment, or response to bold statements, was when Brady threw one of his bombs; the final nail in the coffin.

He proceeded to run down field towards the end-zone, found Smith after he‘d been burned, and gave him some choice words not meant for reporters. Brady yelled the message out personally to Smith, as if to say, “This is how I‘ll call you out, on the field!”

I haven‘t heard much from Smith of late, but I‘m sure he‘ll think twice before making a statement against anyone, let alone the Patriots.

Perhaps this is the best way to get a team riddled with losses to change their psyche, but no one wants to be that guy that gets punked in front of millions by Brady. I guess those are the sacrifices that must be made if you’re trying to change an overall mind set. The other way sure wasn’t working.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Raiders Focus Areas: Preparing for the Kansas City Chiefs

On Monday night, the Oakland Raiders outperformed the San Diego Chargers in a number of areas, unfortunately, not in the one that counts…the final score.

 

One hates to use the term moral victory, but for the Raider Nation, the game was oh-so-sweet until the final quarter.

 

There were a number of key areas in which we outperformed the Bolts, including time of possession, total yards, rushing yards, yards per carry, and third down efficiency. We also avoided our old nemesis, and only had six penalties for 40 yards.

 

However, there were some key areas that the team needs to focus on this week prior before facing Kansas City.

 

 

Passing Game

 

Everyone has good days and bad days, and unfortunately for the Raiders, JaMarcus Russell was off his game on Monday night. This was surprising since the Raiders’ pass blocking limited the Chargers to just one sack and one hit on the quarterback.

 

It was obvious that Russell’s aim was off, as he threw way too many uncatchable balls. He wound up completing 12-of-30 passes for 208 yards, one TD (actually two, but we won’t go there again), and two interceptions. This was a dismal 40 percent completion rating, and 47.6 QB rating, well below his performance last season.

 

In 2008 he completed 53.8 percent of his passes with a 77.1 QB rating, with 13 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. And that was with a banged up wide receiver corps.

 

This week, the coaches and players are rallying around JaMarcus Russell. He needs to develop confidence in his passing and let his natural talents take over, much like he did at LSU. It’s fortunate we are playing the Kansas City Chiefs, who in Week One only had a single sack and no QB hits against the Baltimore Ravens’ Joe Flacco.

 

I anticipate the Raiders will start the game by mixing in some high percentage pass plays designed to build Russell’s confidence, and then progress to longer routes, especially if the Chiefs’ safeties begin cheating up on the line, to attempt to stop the Raiders’ ground attack.

 

 

Kickoff Coverage

 

In the first half of Monday Night Football, the Raiders’ offense and defense were dominant, and the silver and black scored a touchdown followed by a field goal. However, special teams laid an egg on both of the kickoffs following those scores, which kept the Chargers in the game.

 

In the first quarter after the Raiders went up 7-0 on Michael Bush’s four-yard run, Sebastian Janikowski then kicked the ball off to the one-yard line, only to have Darren Sproles return it 66 yards to the Oakland 33. Fortunately, LaDainian Tomlinson subsequently fumbled the ball away to Michael Huff on the Oakland nine-yard line, killing that drive.

 

Janikowski kicked a go-ahead field goal with 43 seconds remaining in the half, and then drove the ensuing kickoff to the goal line, where Sproles once again waltzed through the Oakland kickoff coverage for 59 yards to the Oakland 41, before Janikowski drove him out of bounds. The Chargers drove 12 yards and kicked a tying field goal as the second quarter expired.

 

Against the Chiefs, we can expect even more kickoffs (due to more Raider scoring), and the silver and black coverage team needs to stay in their lanes and not give up big returns. This should be an easier task since the Chargers’ longest return in Week One was to their own 26-yard line, except for a squib kick at the end of the game that they returned to their 34-yard line. 

 

 

Prevent Defense

 

Late in the game, the Raiders were unable to protect a 20-17 lead with 2:34 to play, and Phillip Rivers led the Chargers 90 yards for the winning touchdown. Rivers exploited the prevent defense with an array of short passes, including dump-off passes to Sproles that allowed him to skitter up the field for crucial first downs. During the drive, he completed passes for seven, 12, 15, 23, and 13 yards.

 

Decreasing the linebacker drops off the line would seem to be one logical solution to try and contain runners like Sproles from capitalizing on short dump-off passes, but that would compromise the downfield coverage on the tight end and wide receivers. Like many football fans, I hate prevent defenses, and hope our performance in this area improves.

 

Fortunately, the Chiefs don’t have a Phillip Rivers or a Darren Sproles.

 

 

Right Tackle Play

 

Overall the offensive line did a great job, only giving up the one sack and one QB hit, and opening running lanes for Darren McFadden and Bush. Right tackle Cornell Green played fairly well throughout the game, which was not an easy job against the very active Charger front seven.

 

Unfortunately, Green was personally responsible for half of the Raiders’ six penalties. This included a false start penalty in first quarter, and a false start and holding penalty in the last four minutes of the game. It was fortunate that none of the penalties killed big plays, but these mistakes can’t continue if the Raiders hope to succeed this season.

 

 

Conclusion

 

To be successful against the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday, and throughout the season, the Oakland Raiders need to continue the things they did well during Week One, and improve their performance in the areas noted above.

 

I am looking forward to a great game on Sunday.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Why This Week’s Raiders-Chiefs Game Is So Important

Going into Week Two, the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos both sit at 1-0, while the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs are both a little behind at 0-1.

Grudgingly, and despite it not being the cakewalk it has in the past against a what is a noticeably more aggressive and assertive Raider squad that beat them up from start to finish, the Chargers being 1-0 is not nearly as big of a surprise as the Broncos being 1-0.

The Broncos defense played much better than advertised against Cincinnati, but their offense was fairly stagnant throughout. Credit should go to an improved Bengals defense to a degree; but Denver looked out of sync often and didn’t overly impress.

The Broncos were saved by a very fortunate, very unlikely bounce at the end of the game that will go down as one of the least favorite moments of disbelief I’ve experienced in my own personal NFL history. I don’t need to explain; you know.

The Raiders smothered the Chargers on offense for most of the game, but like a scene out of a horror film slipped into the dreaded soft zone at the end of the game. San Diego took advantage of their exposed underbelly to march 89 yards in a 2:16 drive that was as gut-wrenching as it was efficient.

Darren Sproles capped the drive by punching the ball right through the end zone and the hearts of Raider Nation.

The Chiefs acquitted themselves well on the road against a very formidable Baltimore team. They moved the ball on a tough defense and hung in the game until the fourth quarter, at which point Baltimore’s home field and talent advantages asserted themselves.

It’s safe to say that the much-maligned AFC West didn’t look as terrible as expected during their first games.

With both the Raiders and the Chiefs exceeding expectations even in defeat in the first week, they will be looking at the upcoming game at Arrowhead in Kansas City as a litmus test for where they are in their development.

Both of these teams are young, but the Raiders began their rebuilding process a little before the Chiefs so they are a little ahead of the game at the moment. This game carries a tremendous amount of importance for both teams. But, with the expectations of Raider Nation raised after an inspired Monday night performance, it means that much more to Oakland.

As mentioned, each team exceeded expectations by hanging with “superior” teams until the end of the game. The Raiders actually outplayed the Chargers most of the game, and were it not for a lack of aggression on defense at the end coupled with a cold blooded Philip Rivers, would’ve had the win.

 

But how much of it is the Raiders being better than people thought, and how much of it can be attributed to it being the first week of the season, San Diego playing down to their competition, or any number of other factors?

The Raiders that came out blazing on Monday night are not the same team we’re used to seeing. The played with passion and a hungriness that’s been lacking for far too long. The jubilation and genuine enjoyment with which they played the game was entertaining to watch.

San Diego did not play down to their competition. It did not appear to me that the Chargers had superior talent at any place on the field other than quarterback. I’m not knocking JaMarcus Russell, and I’ll get to him a little later. But annoying as he is, Rivers has proven he’s an elite quarterback. J-Rock has a ways to go before he’s there.

Raider Nation has good reason to be encouraged by what we saw on Monday, as the running game got going early and often. Darren McFadden and Michael Bush both looked strong, fast, and aggressive, and only Coach Cable inexplicably straying from the run in the second half prevented D-Mac from breaking 100 yards.

That bodes very well for this Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. You see, Bush and McFadden both like playing the Chiefs.

Last season in Kansas City the two backs combined for 254 yards on 37 carries, a 6.9 yard average, and two touchdowns. Throw in Justin Fargas’ 43 yards on nine carries, and that’s a total of 297 yards on 46 carries for a 6.5 yard average. Not bad for an afternoon.

Although Fargas is back from an injury and ready for Sunday, I still fully expect Bush and McFadden to touch the ball early and often. This is an important game for the Raiders rushing attack, as they’ve shown they can carve up the Chiefs on the ground, and they need to gain yardage to help alleviate the now considerable pressure on JaMarcus Russell.

This is a very important match-up for Russell’s development. He’s taken a lot of heat for his misfires on Monday night, while not getting enough praise for gutting out an injury to throw a go-ahead touchdown pass at crunch time. If the run game is effective he shouldn’t have to throw the ball very much. But it’s important that when he does he completes more passes to his receivers, and puts the ball on target more often.

Raider Nation wants to see JaMarcus succeed, because he shows so many flashes of great talent. But the missed timings and poor throws need to be held to more of a minimum than they have been.

He did many more good things than bad on Monday, and showed the heart and leadership on the field required from a great quarterback. He was a very accurate passer in college, so he has the capability, but this game will go a long way to either alleviating or exacerbating the fears of the Raider hopeful.

 

No question after the lack of production at the wide receiver position last season carried on into Monday, it’s essential to get the kids on track. Starting two rookie wide receivers certainly help amplify Russell’s difficulties, and even cause them on occasion.

Louis Murphy has shown flashes of brilliance thus far but has also shown flashes of inexperience, running an improper route that contributed to a 1st-quarter Russell interception. Darrius Heyward-Bey, despite assuring the fans and the press he played a good game, did not have a catch and looked lost at times on the field. These guys have got to get going, and Javon Walker has to contribute. The wide receivers must acquit themselves against an often shaky KC secondary to satiate the fans.

The defense absolutely has to have amnesia and bounce back from a disappointing end to an otherwise dominating performance against San Diego. Coaches Cable and Marshall are on record saying that scaling back the aggression was a poor choice, that they called the game conservatively at the end, and that they have promised to address the issue.

I’ll believe that when we have a lead in a tight game on Sunday in the fourth quarter and we’ll still up on receivers and in the face of the offense. It’s of paramount importance that Cable and Marshall stick by their word should the situation arise again. And if the unthinkable should happen, the Coaches should be absolved of criticism as long as they stay the course.

But until we see it, we won’t believe it. And hopefully we’ll be too far ahead for it to be a concern anyhow. This team needs to learn to win, and not, as Warren Sapp astutely pointed out (surprising, I know) be afraid of success.

Most importantly, this game must go far toward rewarding the faith of Raider Nation. That team that came out and beat San Diego like it stole something was no mirage. This team is jacked up. They are more aggressive; they are better tacklers, more fundamentally sound, potentially explosive on offense, and getting better as a cohesive unit than they have been in a long time. If they play with the competitiveness showed Monday, they’ll walk away with a victory.

But if they come out flat in this game, then the dreaded “here we go again” feeling may loom and threaten to blanket what promises to be a better season than in years past. They simply cannot, in any way, afford a slip of effort or passion in this game. Fans will be devastated after the showing Monday, and belief will dissipate.

A young team will always have kinks to work out, but this game is very winnable despite being on the road, and Raider Nation expects nothing short of a W in KC on Sunday. We love the improvement shown, but without wins, it’ll be hollow at best.

It’s time for this team to take the next step in it’s growth, and right now there is no better opponent. The Raiders-Chiefs rivalry always produces intense, hard-fought games that come down to the wire, but Oakland seems improved and confident. However, both teams believe they can win this game.

Only one of them can be right, and it’s imperative it be the Raiders.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Is Donovan McNabb Going To Play in Week Two

After what seemed like a long off season, Week One of the NFL season is in the books.

Hopefully all of your hard work studying projections, player rankings, mock drafts, and cheat sheets has paid off, leading to a 1-0 record after the first week of fantasy football. Whether you won or lost your first game, you can’t get overly excited as one game does not make or break a fantasy football season.

Fantasy football is not a sprint, it’s a marathon and whether you won or lost Week One, you need to remain focused and put the best lineup together to secure a victory in Week Two. So as you ponder your best potential starting lineup for the upcoming week, the Bruno Boys will take a look at some news around the NFL and study it’s potential fantasy football impact.

Donovan McNabb Injures Ribs, Misses Practice on Wednesday

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb missed practice on Wednesday with fractured ribs, which he injured during the Eagles’ 38-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers last week. The injury happened on what appeared to be a late hit after McNabb scored on a three-yard run in the third quarter.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid has declined to rule McNabb out for this Sunday’s contest at home against the New Orleans Saints, but missing Wednesday’s practice is a pretty good sign that McNabb will rest the injury during Week Two.

Backup quarterback Kevin Kolb has taken most of the snaps at practice with the Eagles’ starting offense and he would appear to have the lead over recently signed journeyman Jeff Garcia. McNabb owners should keep an eye on this situation, if he does not practice by Friday; there is a minimal chance he will play in the Week Two contest.

Neither a healthy Kolb nor an injured McNabb are recommended starting options this week.

 

Pierre Thomas Returns to Practice on Wednesday, Could Split Carries with Mike Bell

According to New Orleans Saints’ head coach Sean Peyton, Pierre Thomas practiced in full on Wednesday and he has a chance to play in Week Two when the team travels to Philadelphia to play the Eagles. Thomas missed the Saints’ Week One victory over the Detroit Lions with a sprained MCL on his left knee.

He practiced with a brace on the injured knee and according to Peyton, he has looked good. The coach also added that he needs to get into the flow of things with the conditioning level and everything that goes with it. Peyton also said that if Thomas is able to return this week, he will likely split carries with Mike Bell.

Bell filled in admirably for Thomas Week One, gaining 143 yards on 28 carries. Keep an eye on this situation heading into Sunday, but if Thomas and Bell do split carries, they will cut into each other’s production making neither back more then a RB3 heading into a tough defensive matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week Two.

 

Tomlinson Wears Boot on His Left Foot, Misses Practice on Wednesday

San Diego Chargers’ running back LaDainian Tomlinson missed practice on Wednesday with an apparent sprained right ankle. He injured the ankle during a first quarter touchdown run on Monday night when the Chargers beat the Oakland Raiders. He continued to play off and on during the game, before the Chargers turned almost exclusively to backup Darren Sproles in the fourth quarter. Tomlinson appeared at the team’s weekly news conference with a protective boot on the injured ankle.

Tomlinson missed quite a bit of time last season with toe and groin injuries and is officially listed as questionable for the Chargers’ home opener on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. If Tomlinson is unable to go against the Ravens, the Chargers will turn to Sproles as the primary back, with San Diego’s No. 3 running back Michael Bennett also likely seeing action.

Tomlinson had 55 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown during the Chargers Week One victory, but injuries are starting to take a toll on the former Pro-Bowl running back and if he does play, he shouldn’t be considered more than a low-end RB2 this week.

Greg Jennings Limited in Practice on Wednesday with Wrist Injury

Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver Greg Jennings was limited at practice on Wednesday with an apparent wrist injury. This is a new injury, as Jennings did not appear on the injury report before the Packers Week One victory over the Chicago Bears. Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy doesn’t believe the injury will limit Jennings during the team’s Week Two matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. McCarthy added that they are just being cautious with him during practice this week.

It appears that Jennings will be ready to go this week without limitation. This is good news for the Packers and fantasy owners alike. After a slow start in Week One, Jennings finished the game with six receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown. Keep an eye on this situation, but if he does not have any setbacks consider Jennings a must-start WR1 this week at home against the Bengals.

 

Tony Romo Injures Ankle, Expects To Play without Limitation in Week Two

Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo played through the pain of an ankle injury during the team’s Week One victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to a report in the Dallas Morning News, Romo said that he is not concerned with the injury. He also added that he will tape it and not worry about it.

Romo does not expect to miss any practice time this week as he looks to build off the career high 353 passing yards with three touchdowns he posted last week. The Cowboys face a tougher defense though, as they host the New York Giants in the opening of the Cowboys’ new stadium. The Giants do possess a good pass rush and they will look to put pressure on Romo and force him to make some poor decisions.

The injury does not appear to be a concern at this time and Romo should be considered a must-start this week even against a solid defense.

Read more Fantasy Football content at WWW.BRUNOBOYS.NET

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Raiders and Raider Nation: Much Is Given, Much Is Required

Wham! Bam! An idea has popped up in my mind.

The Oakland Raiders are working hard, training, thinking, and building up their stamina.

What are some of us doing?

1. sitting in front of a television

2. sitting in front of a computer

3. lying on a couch, like a couch potato

4. eating junk food

You can add to the list.

If our team can exercise, get fit and stay fit, what about us, the Raider Nation?

I will ask of you what I ask of myself.

I started a walking program a few days before our first game. This is a part of my answer.

It is my way of demonstrating support and commitment to my favorite team. To me this program I have launched in my own household is no different than the other “walks” promoted on radio and television.

These “walks” are usually an outward demonstration of support for breast cancer survivors, infant illnesses, and so on.

Now, let’s walk for the Oakland Raiders to have more stamina and power throughout the games, even throughout the last quarter and final seconds of the game.

Based on what I saw in the first game of the season, we need that energy, strategic thinking, and stamina to forge a victory, even against unusual “odds.”

Something needs to rise up in our soul, like a mother who finds the strength to snatch her child from danger.

Something needs to rise up in us, like those mammals that strike fear in a predator, especially if the “cubs” are in danger.

Rise up, and fight to the end.

There are historical examples of men and women who lift heavy objects to rescue a loved one who is in danger; carry a heavy load when his or her body seems too frail; survive severe cold weather when lost in a winter storm; find strength to push down the pillars of opposition in order to save a nation threatened by opponents.

Those moments of triumph are possible because of a certain type of “fitness or readiness to win, at all costs.”

So, as the young men learn to get the physical, emotional, and spiritual fitness needed to assure more victories in the Raider Nation, we, too, must become active participants in a “fitness program.”

My personal plan includes walking, biking, using a fitness band, and eating healthy meals.

What is your plan? How will you demonstrate your commitment to excellence in the performance of the Oakland Raiders and in the Raider Nation?

Let’s start now, before the second game on Sept. 20.

The Oakland Raiders have given much, so much is required of us, the Raider Nation, to demonstrate our commitment to excellence.

Go Raiders!

 

 

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Redskins: Left Back in NFC East Without Right Tackle

2009 is supposed to be the year that Jason Campbell and Jim Zorn step up and take their places among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks and playcallers, respectively.

Based on what we’ve seen so far, it won’t be. But not for the reasons you might think.

No one should panic after one game, least of all often jilted Redskins fans. In 2008 the Giants wiped the Redskins all over the Meadowlands before the team reeled off a fairly impressive winning streak.

So don’t panic when the team drops another one to the Giants, and even looks a little better doing it.

But you might want to grab a seat and a paper bag for this one: the team’s best right tackle, Stephon Heyer, can’t play in the NFC East. And neither can the guys behind him.

The team either loves Heyer, hates drafting offensive linemen, and/or somehow thinks that Coach Bugel can coach up just about any guy off the street to block Osi Umenyiora.

No disrespect to Coach Bugel, who has coached up some of the best offensive linemen to grace the professional gridiron, but a group of aging linemen supplemented and backed up by other team’s castoffs just ain’t gonna cut it.

Pure math reveals the team’s flaw in building the offensive line. Five of the team’s 22 positions on the field are offensive linemen, or 23 percent of your starters. Based on this, each team should be drafting one or two offensive linemen every season.

Washington has only taking two offensive linemen in the draft in the last five years. Only one remains on the team and none of them start.

This had led us to Stephon Heyer. Heyer has won the right tackle job a few times now and in the last two years in the absence of Jon Jansen, who was hurt in 2008 and stuck in Detroit this season. Heyer isn’t the best man for the job; he’s simply the best man for the job currently on Washington’s roster.

Heyer has consistently been beat one on one by the superior defensive ends of the NFC East. On one particular key play last week in New York, Heyer faced off against Umenyiora on third and goal later in the game. Umenyiora had to take three steps forward to reach the same spot that Heyer needed to reach with one step backward.

Umenyiora won.

Okay, no problem, happens to everyone. Heyer, consistently slow off the snap, compensated by pushing Umenyiora off slightly to the right and away from the quarterback, which is what you do in that situation. The little shove gives Heyer a beat to reset and recover, again needing to shift slightly to the right before Umenyiora beats him to the edge.
Umenyiora won again.

Result: Campbell rushed the pass, no touchdown.

This play, a pretty good example of Heyer’s abilities show two things. One: he’s been taught very well. He’s got his technique down. Two: He’s too slow to pass block in the NFL.

And the team knows it.

On another play against the Giants, it was another obvious passing down from the middle of the field. The left side of the line, coupled with center Casey Rabach, set up one-on-one blocks. Guard Randy Thomas shot immediately off the line and way to the right. Seeing a gaping hole in the A-gap, the Giants shot a safety straight up the middle and straight into Campbell before he got a chance to even set up and pass.

Result: another Hunter Smith punt.

Compensating for Heyer isn’t the answer, either. The team will either be susceptible to the safety or middle linebacker blitz, or have to keep Heyer covered with a tight end on virtually any longer passing touchdowns.

Is this how the Redskins should be using Chris Cooley? If not, to send Cooley on passing routes, they will need a double tight end formation with Yoder assisting Heyer on his blocks, taking another potential receiver off the field.

Because of the lack of investment in the line, the team doesn’t have much of a choice in-house. They could promote Mike Williams, but the former first round choice hasn’t made it all the way back. He was injured a bit in training camp, and was a bit slow and stiff in the limited reps he received.

There’s always the free agent market. Veterans Jon Runyan and Langston Walker are currently available, and receiving a fair amount of looks. Runyan also has a fair amount of experience in the NFC East, having played several years for the Eagles. But how long will it take to get them up to speed and ready to take a starting position?

To get to the playoffs from the NFC East, you have to beat teams in the NFC East. Can Heyer lock down Demarcus Ware when Dallas comes to town?

Here’s the worst of it: if Heyer is the team’s fifth best lineman, what happens if one of the other starters get injured?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Terrell Owens vs. Media: Cutting Through the Buffalo Bull to Get the Real Story

It’s such a hot topic, my inner Bills fan is demanding I write about it. What am I referring to? You’ve got to know by now.

T.O.

Who else?

His recent comments have been discussed more than the Kanye West/Taylor Swift incident.

Well maybe not that much, but it sure seems like it.

It’s been sizzling on all the sports networks and media outlets. For those of you living under a rock, here’s what T.O. said: (paraphrased of course)

“We missed some chances against New England. There’s always room for improvement. Trent needs to assess what he has in front of him a little better. I like how we played until those last five minutes, and Trent did a great job of managing the game, although we could take more shots down field, utilizing Lee’s and my own abilities.”

Let’s take a closer look. 

Terrell Owens is a competitor. It’s been said that he’s the hardest working wideout in the history of the game not named Jerry Rice. Owens’ former teammates and competitors have the utmost respect for his tireless work ethic. The steadiness he’s shown as one of the league’s elite wide receivers over the past decade proves he demands a lot of himself and his teammates. 

So, when his team loses, and he feels he could have been more instrumental in victory, he has the right to be a little upset. I’m not at all saying his statements display that he’s angry, but a guy like Owens expects the best, and expects to win.

Everything is magnified in a loss. The Bills’ offense put them in great spot to pull off the upset, but a few unfortunate bounces went against Buffalo, and they lost.

What isn’t being taken away from the game is that Owens’ mere presence directly resulted in a monster statistical night by Fred Jackson and the beginning of a possible resurgence of Trent Edwards.

Yes, we know that because Brandon Meriweather was playing deep in centerfield the screen play was viable, but the Bills faced no stacked boxes.

For once.

Imagine that.

The Patriots were deathly afraid of Evans—or in this case Owens—hitting the home-run.

What am I getting at?

Well if the Bills win the game, there’s absolutely no way you hear Owens mutter a word about the lack of looks his way.

Ever think he feels partially responsible—being a seasoned veteran, and most likely a future Hall of Famer—when his team goes down? His competitive spirit isn’t allowed to take over and get upset at a loss? It happened with Jordan. It happened with Rice.

The man speaks his mind. How sick of hearing the same old “Football 101” postgame soundbytes are you? Because I’m beyond sick to my stomach.

“We played hard, but hats off to their defense.”

“We take this season game at a time, and have to get ready for next week.”

Give me a break. Give me something with substance. That’s supposed to be the point of interviews.

The point is supposed to be to get inside the head of what the athlete is thinking. Not what his publicist rehearsed with him after practice.

It sounds to many that T.O. is a self-centered, egotistical player, which he may very well be. But, he’s good. Actually he’s great.

People laugh when Chad Ochocinco says, “throw me the ball, I’m the best option we’ve got.”

But it’s true, isn’t it?

When we signed T.O. didn’t we envision him and Lee Evans tearing through opposing secondaries? Owens has yet to leave out Evans in any of this thoughts about going down field. He knows Evans is good.

I’m agreeing with Owens here, but that doesn’t mean I’m bashing offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt or Edwards. They missed a few chances against the Patriots and still had a chance to win, didn’t they?

Developing T.O. and Lee Evans can only help the team right? That’s all there is to it.

Van Pelt will scheme to get the ball to Evans and Owens more often. And believe me, it won’t just be to make Owens happy. He’s still a supreme talent, with years of experience. Van Pelt wants the ball in T.O.’s hands just as much as Owens does.

Lastly, I heard today on the radio that we, as Bills fans, are taking the side of Owens because he’s wearing a Bills uniform.

Don’t believe it.

Yet.

What he said was harmless—heck, Trent Edwards and Alex Van Pelt echoed his opinion on Media Day, Wednesday.

I just want you to be fully aware of the reality of what’s going on here. T.O. hates ESPN and they aren’t to fond of him either.

Don’t let them hypnotize you into thinking something is materializing, when it’s not. 

T.O. unquestionably has shown in the past he’s willing to throw some pretty wicked jabs at his quarterback and offense, but he hasn’t done it yet in Buffalo.

Not even close.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Steelers Sub-Par Running Game Will Open The Door For TE Heath Miller

The Pittsburgh Steelers run game has been dormant for a little over a year and the team has had to rely on its defense and Ben Roethlisberger’s arm to continue to win ball games.

And this year looks like it is going to be no different.

The Steelers runningbacks rushed for a grand total of 33 yards on 22 attempts in last Thursday’s overtime win against the Titans. That is definitely not going to cut it if Pittsburgh is going to make a serious title defense.

The team is going to have to rely on Big Ben’s passing ability for the time being until the running game works itself out.

And one of the big keys for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense is going to have to be big TE Heath Miller.

He had several good years from 2005 to 2007 with ’07 being his best season to date.

During that season alone he caught nine TD passes and had over 550 yards and 40+ catches.

And over that three-year period, Miller had 120 receptions for a total of 1418 yards and 18 TDs.

Last season was a down year in the touchdown department for Miller—he had just three—but when your QB only throws 17 TDs, you can’t expect major numbers from one of his receivers, let alone a tight end.

He still caught a career high 48 passes for 514 yards, but with his potential, he should exceed that.

A big problem with the way the Steelers’ offense operated last year was that Miller was not utilized as he much as he could’ve been. Especially down in the red zone, TEs thrive, but Heath wasn’t used there very often.

Even though the team won it’s sixth Lombardi Trophy, the offense definitely could have produced more and made it a bit easier for the defense.

Miller is going to have to be one of the major cogs in the machine that is the Steelers’ offense in order for it to be effective. And with two very young, still unproven receivers at the third and fourth spots on the depth chart, Miller’s role should be big.

If Steelers’ offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and Roethlisberger look his way as often as they need to this season, I expect Miller to reach 50, and possibly 60 receptions for well over 650, or 700 yards and around six to eight TDs.

A pretty big year for a guy like him in an offense like Pittsburgh’s.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Why Hank Baskett Should Still Be an Eagle

Hank Baskett is an Indianapolis Colt.

The only question I have is, why Hank Baskett?

Obviously, the answer is because the Eagles wanted to get Michael Vick on the practice field as soon as possible, and with seven receivers, one was the likeliest candidate to get cut.

But it shouldn’t be Hank who is gone.

And not just because his wife is the smoking hot Kendra Wilkinson.

I personally agree with Lloyd Vance’s view—it should have been Reggie Brown.

Yes, his contract extension gave him $10 million in guaranteed money, so it would be ridiculously expensive to cut him.

But as opposed to being ridiculously expensive to give him little more than a sideline seat?

While Baskett will never be an elite receiver, the truth is that Brown probably won’t, either. And Brown has clearly fallen out of favor.

Last Sunday, he was one of two receivers on the inactive list, along with sixth-round pick Brandon Gibson. However, it’s obvious Gibson fits in the team’s future plans.

Brown, meanwhile, was inactive for the biggest game he’s ever seen—last season’s NFC Championship Game.  He was injured most of last season, completely missing nine games and being almost invisible in four others. Fourteen of his 18 catches (and 210 of his 252 yards) came in three games.

Looking straight at them, Baskett’s numbers (33 catches, 440 yards, 3 TD) weren’t too much better than Brown’s last season.

However, his combination of height (6-foot-4), speed (he runs a 4.4) and big-play ability (3 of his 6 career TD went for 87 yards or longer) gave the Eagles a dimension of versatility.

Brown has never done that, even in his best season.

He’s a pure possession receiver, a No. 2 at best, who apparently wasn’t good enough to be active over Baskett for in Week One.

Yet, because he’s a former second round draft pick owed a lot of money and Baskett is an undrafted free agent acquired for peanuts (Billy McMullen), it’s Brown who’s still in green.

Never thought I’d see that in the NFL where money is simply a proposition most of the time.

Sounds a lot like Reggie Brown’s playing time, actually.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010