Despite Recent Win, Dallas Cowboys’ Offense Still Struggling

A few weeks ago, the Dallas Cowboys appeared to be one of the top teams in the NFL, sitting on top of the NFC East with a comfortable lead over the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Washington Redskins. 

Despite a 7-6 win over the Redskins in Week 11, the Cowboys and the city of Dallas are wondering what has happened to the offense over the last two weeks.

After a 2-2 start, the Cowboys went on to win their next four games with key wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Eagles. In those four games, the Cowboys scored a total of 121 points, averaging 30.3 points per game.

Last week, they missed an opportunity to take a commanding lead in the NFC East by losing to the Packers 17-7, giving Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo his first loss in the month of November since 2006. The Eagles lost to the Chargers 23-21 and the Giants were on a bye week, which means the Cowboys could have been sitting on top of the NFC East with a comfortable two-game lead.

Instead, they failed to take advantage of a chance to increase their lead and struggled against a Packers’ squad desperate for a big win.

Despite Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams posting his first 100-yard game of the season against the Packers, his touchdown came with 38 seconds left in the game and was the only points scored by the team’s offense all day.

He also had a key fumble in Packers’ territory after hauling in a 42-yard reception from quarterback Tony Romo that ruined the team’s chances of putting any points on the board.

Romo finished the game against the Packers 24-for-39 for 251 yards, one touchdown, and two turnovers. While he struggled to help the Cowboys passing game find the end zone all day, the ground game failed to get anything going against the league’s fourth-ranked rush defense, rushing for 61 yards on 14 attempts.

Against the Redskins, it was a similar situation for the Cowboys as the offense struggled to get anything going; the only difference this time around was they were able to come through with the win.

Romo’s first pass of the game to a Cowboys wide receiver came on the last play of the third quarter after Miles Austin hauled in a 23-yard reception. His only touchdown of the game came on a 10-yard pass to wide receiver Patrick Crayton with 2:41 left to play in the game.

While they still managed to come through with the win this time, it’s obvious the Cowboys offense won’t get lucky each week with these type of statistics.

Over the last two games, the Cowboys have managed to score just 14 points. While the offense has struggled the last two weeks, the Cowboys still find themselves in first place of the NFC East with a 7-3 record.

However, the Cowboys offense needs to figure out why they’ve struggled the last two weeks and get out of their funk if they want to be playoff contenders, especially with the schedule they have in December.

Dan Parzych is the founder of the new NFCEastFootball.com

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Cincinnati Bengals Remember Bruce Gradkowski’s Game-Winning Drive In ’06

Despite making just 13 starts in his four-year career, Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski has recent success against the Cincinnati Bengals.

As a rookie in 2006, Gradkowski led the Bucs on a game-winning drive as he threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Clayton with 34 seconds left in the 14-13 win over the Bengals.

At first, the play was ruled incomplete as Clayton appeared to have fumbled before crossing the goal line. However, the replay showed he had control of the ball while crossing the plain, sending the Bengals to their second loss of the season. 

That season, the Bengals finished the season 8-8 and fell one-game short of a possible wild-card berth. While it’s difficult to apply the “what if” card in the NFL, the Bengals and their fans knew how different their season could have been had Gradkowski not led that game-winning drive.

Prior to the game, the Bengals were 3-1 and just one game behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. While there were a few games over the eight losses that season the team could look back and say they should have won, no loss may been more painful than the one against the Bucs.

At the time, the Bucs were winless with a 0-4 record. Gradkowski, a sixth-round pick from Toledo, was making his second career start in the NFL, replacing the injured Chris Simms at quarterback. Despite being heavy favorites, the idea of the 3-1 Bengals losing to the previously winless Bucs was heartbreaking. 

While the circumstances are different this time around, there are a few current members of the Bengals who were on the team in 2006 and still remember that game-winning drive by Gradkowski.

Gradkowski will be making his first start of the season against the Bengals after Raiders head coach Tom Cable decided to bench quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

At 7-2, the Bengals travel to Oakland as heavy favorites against the 2-7 Raiders. They are in control of their own destiny in the AFC North and look to continue their success on the road after winning their fifth straight game against the Steelers.

However, they know this time around to be extra cautious about Gradkowski at quarterback.

 

Dan Parzych is the Cincinnati Bengals Examiner for Examiner.com

He is also the founder of WhoDeyBengals.com

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NFC East Recap, Week 10: Redskins and Giants Come Through As Winners

In Week 9, the Dallas Cowboys took control of first place in the NFC East with a 20-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The team appeared to be in good shape as contenders for the division title after an impressive four-game winning streak.

One week later, it’s clear the NFC East title is still up for grabs and could be won by any team at this point.

The division may not be living up to the “NFC Beast” name from a few years ago, but it’s clear the winner of the division will most likely be determined in Week 16 or 17. Here’s a recap of all four teams from Week 10 of the 2009 NFL regular season.

 

Dallas Cowboys

Prior to Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo previously won 13 straight games in the month of November. While all good things must come to an end, he can still rally his team for next week’s matchup against the Washington Redskins.

The Cowboys failed to find the end zone against the Packers until there were 38 seconds remaining in the game. Even though wide receiver Roy Williams had the team’s only score of the day, he had a few costly plays that could have helped the Cowboys stay in the game, including a fumble after a 42-yard reception.

Instead of taking advantage of the Eagles’ loss to the Chargers, the Cowboys still remain just one game ahead in the NFC East standings.

However, give credit to the Packers, who may have needed this win more than the Cowboys. The defense stepped it up big to prevent the team from falling below .500 on the season, a place nobody expected them to be even close to in September.

Packers cornerback Charles Woodson had his best game of the season and did everything he could against the Cowboys—including a sack, an interception and two forced fumbles.

New York Giants

With a 5-4 record entering Week 10, the New York Giants could not have asked for a better time to have their bye week. Despite not even playing, the Giants may have had arguably the best week overall out of all the teams in the NFC East.

After beginning the season 5-0, the Giants have lost their last four games to the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Eagles and San Diego Chargers.

At 5-4, the Giants found themselves entering Week 10 two games behind the first-place Cowboys. With losses from the Cowboys and Eagles, the Giants now find themselves in better shape to climb back near the top of the division. Not only do they share the same record with the Eagles, but are now just one game back of the division-leading Cowboys.

Their upcoming game in Week 11 against the Atlanta Falcons may be seen as a playoff game by some considering how important the outcome is for the Giants to stay in the hunt.

This team has performed well in the second half of the season before. It shouldn’t be a surprise if they make another late-season run for the playoffs again.

 

Philadelphia Eagles

No team in the NFC East is more difficult to figure out after 10 weeks than the Philadelphia Eagles.

Some weeks, they look like a team determined to be a strong playoff contender. Other weeks, they look horrendous and struggle against teams they would beat nine times out of 10—such as the Oakland Raiders.

Last week against the Chargers, the Eagles offense failed to find the end zone until the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, their two touchdowns by wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and tight end Brent Celek were “too little, too late” considering the team was already down 28-9.

The Eagles are capable of having one of the top offenses in all of football. For some reason, they struggle to perform well on a consistent basis. Last week’s game against the Chargers was the perfect example. McNabb was forced to throw the ball 55 times in the losing effort.

Washington Redskins

Who would have thought the Washington Redskins were the only team in the NFC East to come away with a victory?

A few weeks ago, the Denver Broncos were considered one of the top teams in football with a 6-0 record. Now, they have to deal with losing to a Redskins’ team that failed to score over 17 points until Week 10 of the regular season.

It may have taken 10 weeks, but the Redskins finally managed to score more than 17 points in a game en route to their 27-17 win over the Broncos on Sunday.

With running back Clinton Portis resting on the sidelines from his concussion, Ladell Betts stepped it up, rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown.

They may be at the bottom of the NFC East standings with a 3-6 record, but the Redskins have to be satisfied that their four-game skid is finally over. With an important division game coming up against the Dallas Cowboys this week, it should be interesting to see if the Redskins can keep this “winning attitude” going.

 

Dan Parzych is the founder of the new NFCEastFootball.com

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Despite Loss to Chargers, Jason Avant Has Career Day For Eagles

There once was a wide receiver on the Philadelphia Eagles who wore No. 81 and would be unstoppable for opposing teams to defend.

While his time has come and gone in the City of Brotherly Love, the Eagles have to be satisfied with the latest performance of another wide receiver wearing the No. 81 jersey.

Before Sunday’s game against the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles WR Jason Avant had just 15 receptions for 198 yards in the eight games he’s played so far during the 2009 season. In 46 games, he’s recorded 77 receptions for 910 yards and six touchdowns.

On Sunday, Avant had the best game of his four-year career, hauling in eight receptions for 156 yards in the Eagles 31-23 loss to the Chargers.

While the Eagles may have ended up on the losing side of Sunday’s game, they have to be satisfied with the performance of Avant against the Chargers considering he’s never been the go-to guy at wide receiver.

Throughout his career, Avant has been one of those wide receivers who always seemed to be under the radar. With the Eagles, he has always played with other wide receivers ahead of him, such as Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson. Even coming into this season, rookie wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was expected to be ahead of Avant on the team’s depth chart.

But Avant has managed to establish a reputation as a key player to throw to on third down. Throughout his career, he’s moved the chains on 14 of 17 third-down passes thrown to him by Donovan McNabb.

With the emergence of Jackson and Maclin as No. 1 and No. 2 wideouts, the Eagles could have a solid trio of receivers if they can find a way to use Avant in the offense like they did against the Chargers.

With running back Brian Westbrook suffering his second concussion of the season, the Eagles may need all of the extra help they can get on offense.

Dan Parzych Is the Eagles Fan Voice for NFLTouchdown.com

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Eagles’ DeSean Jackson Using Facebook To Raise Money For Cancer Research

Philadelphia Eagles WR DeSean Jackson is the type of player who loves to give 100 percent on the field and in the community. When the Eagles travel to the west coast to take on the San Diego Chargers this Sunday, he will be giving his all on the field and  raising awareness for pancreatic cancer–at the same time.

Jackson is taking the approach most NFL players have taken this season by interacting with fans through popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter . He even has his own website DeSeanJackson10.com that is expected to launch shortly for his fans to enjoy.

Not only is Jackson using these social networking sites as a new way for him to interact with his fans, but also as a way to raise awareness for a good cause.

As part of a way to interact with his fans through Facebook, Jackson will be auctioning off his gloves from Sunday’s game against the Chargers to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Fans can bid on the gloves once the auction begins at 4:15 pm ET by visiting Jackson’s fan page on Facebook .

Last season, Jackson’s father Bill was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer while the Eagles were participating in the 2009 playoffs. After he passed away last May, Jackson decided to honor his father by dedicating the 2009 season to him. So far, he’s hauled in 26 receptions for 530 yards and six total touchdowns.

Sunday’s auction towards Pancreatic Cancer Research is just another small part of how Jackson wants to serve the memory of his father and help raise money for others who have been diagnosed. Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor of the pancreas and is the fourth leading cause of death in men and women.

For the average football fan, this is a great way not only to own a collector’s item of  one of the most explosive wide receivers in the NFL, but an opportunity to help raise money for a good cause.

If interested in participating in the auction for his game-worn gloves, be sure to check out the official DeSean Jackson fan page on Facebook once the Eagles-Chargers begins on Sunday.

Dan Parzych Is the Eagles Fan Voice for NFLTouchdown.com

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Dallas Cowboys: Despite December Struggles, Tony Romo Is Mr. November

Throughout his career, Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo has been criticized for the way he performs towards the end of the year. However, it may be time to award him the nickname of “Mr. November” with the type of play he’s established during this month in Dallas over the last four seasons.

On November 5, 2006, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo made his second career start against the Washington Redskins. He completed 24-of-36 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns in a 22-19 loss.

Why was this game so significant for the seventh-year quarterback? This was the only time in Romo’s career he lost a game during the month of November.

Despite all of the heat taken for his performance when the month of December rolls around, in which he has a combined record of 5-8 over his career, Romo has established himself as a clutch-performer in the month of November for the Cowboys.

Since losing to the Redskins in 2006, he has won 13 straight games in November, including two key victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles this season. Not only has his win streak been impressive, but his numbers at quarterback have been as well.

In the 13 wins, Romo has completed 68.2 percent of the passes he’s thrown. Overall, he’s completed 269-of-394 passes for 3,641 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions.

The Cowboys have three games remaining in the month of November with a 6-2 record and a one-game lead over the Eagles for first place in the NFC East. On Sunday, they take on the 4-4 Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, who are coming off a loss to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If Romo can lead the Cowboys to another win in the month of November by defeating the Packers, his streak will increase to 14 games. With two home matchups against the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders before December rolls around, there’s a good chance Romo’s streak can stay alive for 2010 considering both teams each have two wins so far this season.

He may not have the best reputation for being a dominant quarterback once December rolls around.

However, Romo has performed well enough over the last four seasons to earn the nickname of Mr. November in the NFL.

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Bengals Wide Receiver Chris Henry Likely Out for Season with Arm Injury

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry will likely miss the remainder of the season after fracturing his left forearm Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, according to reports from James Walker on ESPN.com.

Henry hauled in his first reception of the day early in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Ravens on a 20-yard pass from Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer. As soon as he hit the ground, he grabbed his left forearm and laid on the ground for a few minutes before being carted off the field by the team’s medical staff.

Before the play, Henry had an air cast placed on his forearm.

With Henry likely out for the remainder of the season, it will be up to the rest of the Bengals wide receivers to step it up on offense. This could mean an increased role for second-year wide receiver Andre Caldwell, who has emerged as a solid option for Palmer this season.

In the first seven games this season, Henry had 11 receptions for 216 yards and two touchdowns.

He was expected to have a breakout season after an impressive offseason, when he appeared to be more focused on turning his life around and making major contributions for the Bengals.

Dan Parzych is the founder of WhoDeyBengals.com

Questions? Comments? Email him at djp746@gmail.com

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Bengals-Ravens Week 9: Live Notes and Updates From The First Half

Today the 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals host the 4-3 Baltimore Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium. After a 17-14 win for the Bengals in Week 5, the Ravens are looking for revenge and hope to get closer to the Bengals and Steelers in the AFC North standings.

With one of the most intense matchups in Week 9, here are live notes and updates from the first half between the Bengals and Ravens.

 

14:53—Wide receiver Andre Caldwell starts the game off with a 16-yard return to the 27-yard line.

13:45—Brian Leonard shows us why Marvin Lewis loves to use him on 3rd down as he finds him for five yards to get the first down.

13:15—Cedric Benson gets his first big-run of the game as he breaks for 12 yards to enter Ravens territory.

11:43—Ravens cornerback was applying the pressure to Palmer, who nearly found wide receiver Laveranues Coles on the sideline. Unfortunately, he caught the ball out of bounds, ruining the Bengals chances of a 3rd-and-short situation.

11:25—Palmer finds wide receiver Ochocinco for the first time as he catches the ball about two yards shy of the first down but fights for the extra yardage to give the Bengals a 1st-and-10. He did say the reason why he sent the Ravens defenders deodarant this week was because he made them sweat.

10:00—Benson finds a huge hole up the middle and breaks for a 21-yard gain to get inside the Baltimore ten-yard line. With that run, Benson has already surpassed his total rushing yards from last season.

8:55—Palmer finds Caldwell in the end zone for a six-yard touchdown, his third touchdown of the season. The Bengals could not have asked for a better opening drive, taking over six minutes off the clock on 12 plays. Bengals lead 7-0.

8:48—Ravens cornerback Ladarius Webb returns the kickoff to the Baltimore 36 after a few spins to avoid Bengals defenders. Let’s see how quarterback Joe Flacco and the rest of the Ravens offense can respond down 7-0.

8:43—On the Ravens first offensive play of the day, running back Ray Rice is stopped for a loss of two yards by defensive tackle Tank Johnson. Great start for the Bengals defense.

8:11—Flacco’s streak of 14 straight completions, which is a Ravens record, comes to an end early in the game on an incomplete deep pass to wide receiver Derrick Mason.

7:16—Bengals cornerback Leon Hall nearly picks off Flacco on 3rd-and-3, but can’t hold on to the ball. The Ravens have no choice but to punt the ball, giving the Bengals the ball back with a 7-0 lead.

6:47—The Ravens show us why they lead the league in penalty yards entering this game. After a 25-yard catch by Ochocinco, Dawan Landry forced a fumble that was recoverd by the Ravens. However, Landry was penalized for a pass interference call, giving the Bengals a second chance on the drive.

6:07—Once again, Palmer uses his legs to help the Bengals gain a first down on a 3rd-and-6. Unfortunately, two penalty calls that offset will cause a replay of the down.

6:00—Ochocinco makes an unbelievable grab between two Ravens defenders for a 17-yard gain and a first down at the Baltimore 47. The very next possession, he dives for another catch for an eight-yard gain, his fourth of the first quarter. This could be another big day for No. 85.

4:31—After an incomplete pass to J.P. Foschi on 3rd-and-2, the Bengals decide to go for it on fourth down. Palmer throws it deep down the right side of the field for Ochocinco, but Fabian Washington is called for the pass interference, giving the Bengals the ball at the Ravens’ 15-yard line. What a huge play for the Bengals on fourth down.

3:35—The Bengals pull the reverse and hand the ball off to Coles. Instead of facing a 3rd-and-short, Coles breaks a tackle from Ed Reed and runs to the Ravens’ two-yard line before getting pushed out of bounds. This Bengals offense is taking complete control of the Ravens defense in the first quarter.

2:23—Benson runs up the middle for the one-yard touchdown, his sixth of the season. On the first two drives of the game, the Bengals are able to find the end zone, increasing their lead to 14-0.

2:17—The Ravens will start from inside their own ten after a holding penalty on the kickoff. On the first posession of the drive, Flacco finds Clayton down the right side of the field for a 15-yard gain.

1:15—Flacco is forced to use the Ravens second timeout of the half on a 3rd-and-5. With the way the Bengals offense is playing, the Ravens offense needs to convert on this down more than anything to get back into this game.

1:08—Flacco finds Rice for the short pass, but he is tackled a yard shy of the first down. Once again, the Ravens are forced to punt.

0:37—The Ravens catch a huge break when Bengals linebacker Brandon Johnson is called for the offside penalty on 4th-and-1, giving them a first down and a second chance on the drive. It should be interesting to see if they can take advantage of the penalty and cut the Bengals lead down.

Second Quarter

14:54—On a 3rd-and-8, Flacco is forced to throw the ball away out of bounds. So much for taking advantage of the second chance given on the drive. Once again, the Ravens are forced to punt.

14:43—Wide receiver Chris Henry hauls in his first reception of the day for 20 yards on the Bengals first play of the drive. Unfortunately, he is slow to get up and may be injured. He was carted off the field with an air cast on his arm. Hopefully he is alright.

12:43—On a 3rd-and-10, Palmer finds Coles for a 14-yard gain and a first down. The Bengals now have converted three of five third-down conversions.

11:36—Once again, Palmer uses his feet to run for the first down as he scrambles to the Baltimore 29 for a 10-yard gain. Once again, the Bengals offense is dominating the Ravens defense.

10:03—J.P Foschi hauls in a pass from Palmer and breaks a couple of tackles for a 20-yard gain. Once again, the Bengals find themselves in the Ravens’ red zone.

7:50—Coles makes a nice one handed grab on a pass from Palmer. Unfortunately, he was out of the end zone and the Bengals have to settle for a field goal from Shayne Graham, increasing their lead to 17-0.

7:30—Flacco has all of the time in the world to pass, but nobody seems to be open. Instead, he has to settle for a quick pass to Le’Ron McClain for five yards.

6:13—Once again, Flacco struggles to find a wide receiver open enough for a first down. He finds Heap on 3rd-and-5, but the Ravens are still two yards shy of the first down. Once again, they’re forced to punt for the third time this game.

4:52—Foschi is wide open on the right side of the field and hauls in another pass from Palmer for a 12-yard gain. So far, he has two receptions for 32 yards.

4:17—Another solid run by Benson, who gains 15 yards for another first down. He already has 73 yards on the ground, which is not a good sign for the Ravens defense. This shows how much the Bengals offensive line is dominating the Ravens defensive line.

3:04—Here’s a fun fact for Bengals fans: Before this punt, the Bengals managed to score on 10 straight drives with Palmer under center. Thank you, CBS for that.

2:52—Flacco goes deep on the Ravens first possession of the drive and is picked off by Hall, his fourth interception of the season. The Ravens were desperate for a score before halftime to at least make it a two-possession game. Instead, the Bengals receive another chance to increase their lead before the half ends.

1:59—The Bengals fail to take advantage of the Ravens turnover and are forced to punt. Lucky for them, rookie lineback Maualuga downs the ball at the Ravens 1, which means the Ravens will most likely just run the clock out for safety precautions. With this field position, they can’t afford another turnover.

 

As the first half comes to an end, the Bengals lead the Ravens 17-0 and have been nothing short of dominant. Here are a few quick notes from the first half:

• The Bengals already have 235 yards on offense, including 80 yards on the ground from running back Cedric Benson. The Ravens only have 44 yards on offense.
• The Bengals had the ball for 21:34 of the 30 minutes played in the first half. They are using the time of possession to wear down the Ravens defense and it’s been working.
• The Ravens failed to convert a third-down conversion while the Bengals converted five of nine.

Dan Parzych is the founder of WhoDeyBengals.com

Questions? Comments? Email him at djp746@gmail.com

 

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Bengals-Ravens: Revenge and Flacco Should Have Cincinnati Cautious

Sunday’s matchup between the 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals and the 4-3 Baltimore Ravens has the potential to be one of the best games to watch in Week 9.

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is arguably coming off one of his best performances of his career, after throwing for 233 yards and five touchdowns against the Chicago Bears. The Ravens are coming off an impressive 30-7 win against the Denver Broncos, handing them their first loss of the season and ending their three-game losing skid.

A few weeks ago, the Bengals defeated the Ravens 17-14 after for their third-straight win against a division rival, to increase their AFC North record to 3-0. This time around, the matchup should be just as intense to watch, if not better. Here are a few factors to watch for in Sunday’s game.

 

Ravens Want Revenge, But Bengals Have Won Seven of Last 10 Games

Sure, the Ravens may have swept the Bengals last season. In fact, the Ravens outscored the Bengals 51-13 in the two games they played against each other.

However, the Bengals are in a position to sweep the Ravens for the second time in three seasons. What’s even worse for the Ravens is over the last 10 matchups between the two teams, the Bengals have won seven times. 

Still, the fact that the Ravens were never losing until Palmer found wide receiver Andre Caldwell in the end zone with 22 seconds left in the game has to be frustrating. With the way Week 5 finished, why wouldn’t the Ravens be hungry for blood against the Bengals this time around?

Despite the tough loss, the Ravens still believe they should have finished on the winning end against the Bengals a few weeks ago. They know how important it is to win Sunday and stay in the hunt for the AFC North title.

With the way the first meeting went, there’s every reason in the world to believe Sunady’s matchup between the Bengals and Ravens is going to be a dogfight and come down to who performs better in the fourth quarter.

 

Joe Flacco’s Success on the Road

All the fans and analysts who said Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco would fall under the category of “sophomore slump” in his second season in the league may want to consider a second opinion.

Flacco has fallen nothing short of spectacular as the leader of the Ravens offense this season. In seven games, he’s completed 66 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,849 yards and 13 touchdowns, one shy of his total from last season.

In Week 5, Flacco struggled on offense, throwing for just 186 yards and a touchdown. He also threw two interceptions to Bengals cornerbacks Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph. However, his success on the road this season may be a reason why the Bengals defense needs to be extra cautious towards him Sunday.

In each of his three road games; against the San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, and Minnesota Vikings, Flacco has thrown for two touchdowns and is averaging 278.6 yards per game. The Bengals defense is allowing 253.4 yards per game, which ranks them 30th behind the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans.

Questions? Comments? Email djp746@gmail.com

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Philadelphia Eagles Should Keep Using Leonard Weaver in the Running Game

In last weekend’s 40-17 win against the New York Giants, one of the reasons the Philadelphia Eagles were able to find success was because of an effective running game.

The Eagles recorded their highest rushing total of the season against the Giants, with 180 yards on the ground. The main reason they were able to find such success was because of the contributions they got from everyone, considering running back Brian Westbrook was out due to a concussion he received a week earlier against the Washington Redskins.

Eagles rookie running back LeSean McCoy ran for 82 yards on 11 carries, including a 66-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. However, it was the performance by fullback Leonard Weaver that made head coach Andy Reid realize another option to use in the running game.

On the third play of the game for the Eagles, Weaver broke through the Giants defense and ran 41 yards for the first touchdown of the game. Overall, he finished with 75 yards on just eight carries—both career highs.

When the Eagles signed Weaver to a one-year deal in the offseason, they knew the type of talent he was capable of bringing to a squad that had gone a few years without a solid fullback.

He can block. He can run. He can even catch the ball. What more could the team ask for at fullback?

Before last week’s game, Weaver had only been handed the ball four times all season for a total of 16 yards. Many wondered why Reid wasn’t using him as much with the running game, considering he could be used as another weapon for the Eagles rushing attack.

After last week’s performance, Reid needs to continue to get Weaver more involved with the Eagles running game. Between him, Westbrook, McCoy, and a couple of speedy wide receivers in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, the running game has the potential to make as much of an impact on a weekly basis as they did against the Giants defense last weekend.

Dan Parzych Is the Eagles Fan Voice for NFLTouchdown.com

 

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