Bengals / Lions Observations: - Rudi and T.J. both out of
the lineup...not happy about that. As Dave Lapham said on the
broadcast, you ideally need at least 2 games to get ready for any
season. One to get used to "football speed" and another to shake off
the rust. By that mentality, they'll both need to be ready to play next
Saturday.
- Considering the Bengals don't have a full-fledged number 3
receiver and don't have T.J. in the lineup yet, it wasn't exactly
comforting to see Chad Johnson head to the locker room early in the
first quarter after getting hit on a would-be catch. Yikes.
- The first team offense looked simply anemic in the first
half...but in fairness...they were without Chad (who left early with an
injury) and T.J. (who was scratched). Even still, you have to wonder
how ready they will be if they can't get their regular 1st team on the
field for more than a preseason game or two. Not very promising.
- Anyone else start tallying up the dropped passes?
- 24.5: That'd be Carson's QB rating through about a quarter and
half before getting relieved by Ryan Fitzpatrick. I'm gonna take the
preseason games with a grain of salt...but you have to hope when given
both top WR's, that Carson will give us a reason to relax when thinking
about the offense of this team.
- Despite all the negative feelings about Sunday's offensive
performance, Chris Perry still showed signs of solidity. He was bowling
over people...which is a credit to both Perry and the offensive line.
If anything positive can be taken from this game...it'd be the
Perry/O-Line Combo.
***************************
Please don't tell me you're this stupid... Lance predicted
it....and he was right. It didn't take long for several callers on the
postgame show last night to make the claim that maybe Carson's best
days are past him and the Bengals should consider making Fitzpatrick a
possible starter. Are you freaking kidding me? Even if you ignore the
fact that Carson didn't have any of his starting wide receivers (after
Chad went down with an injury) and no Rudi...he had a bad PRESEASON
game. Listen...even with an awfully bad season last year, he still
managed to finish 5th among all QB's in passing yards and was in the
Top 10 for passing TD's....on a 7-9 team! I wouldn't have even taken
the time to post anything had I heard this crap from one or two
callers....but there were several. Spare me.
Volquez returns to form Enquirer.com A
revived Edinson Volquez pitched seven shutout innings and traded
up-and-in fastballs with counterpart Kyle Lohse today, leading the Reds
to a 7-3 victory that ended the St. Louis Cardinals' four-game winning
streak.
***************************
Reds couldn't afford a walk-off by Alonso Enquirer.com - Paul Daugherty Yonder
Alonso spent Friday afternoon watching a movie called "88 Minutes."
It's about a shrink who works with the FBI in profiling serial killers.
Eventually, the good head doctor becomes a target, and is informed he
has 88 minutes to live. As his own clock ticked Friday, Alonso saw the
quasi-parallel, and found it amusing. The Reds signed their first-round
draft pick and Alex Rodriguez protégé with about 20 minutes to spare.
Without a deal by midnight Friday, Alonso would have been headed back
to the University of Miami, or to New York, to live with A-Rod. Not
exactly homicidal choices.
***************************
Tell me you saw it..... I'll always remember where I
was....a condo in Tennessee visiting my family....late Saturday night
when Michael Phelps made Olympic history. If you missed it, you were
among the few. overnight ratings for NBC were just ridiculous...for obvious reasons. I'm not even an Olympics type of guy, but it was really cool to see Phelps do what he did.
Also, as Bob Costas pointed out, it was fitting that Phelps set the
new Olympic record with 8 Gold Medals in a single Olympic Games...which
started on 8/8/08. Pretty funny stuff.
***************************
Michael Phelps saves the Olympic Games ESPN According
to archaeologists and historians, mankind has been working at this
organized sports business since roughly 4000 B.C. Some think the
Chinese might have started the whole thing. Sunday morning in the
putative birthplace of sports, we saw the endeavor elevated to a new
plane by Michael Phelps. We witnessed the apotheosis of the athlete --
6,000 years in the making; 30 minutes, 51.68 seconds in the perfecting.
That's the combined length of time Phelps swam to win his
Olympic-record eight gold medals, to set seven world records, to swim
five lifetime-best individual times, to endure two great escapes, and
to become the singular competitor in species history. Over nine days
and 17 swims, he was in the water for roughly the length of a sitcom.
It turned out to be the greatest TV many Americans have ever witnessed.
***************************
Jim Tressel pleased with young players Columbus Dispatch If
there is a textbook on how to bring along a young phenom, Ohio State
coach Jim Tressel apparently hasn't read it. Chapter 1: Shield the kid
from unrealistic expectations. Don't put any more pressure on him than
already exists. Yesterday, Tressel had a perfect chance to frame the
outlook this season for freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, to put a
box around Pryor's potential and try to control the mania surrounding
him. Instead, after a long jersey scrimmage that was closed to the
public and media, Tressel did not hide his pleasure with his five-star
recruit.
Peyton Manning injury update ESPN Manning (knee) could be ready to return to practice in about two weeks
and remains on schedule in his recovery from surgery to remove an
infected bursa sac in his left knee, head coach Tony Dungy told the
Indianapolis Star. "Tom Santi is about ready to come back to practice,
so I imagine Peyton will be two weeks behind him," Dungy said. Santi
had an infected bursa sac removed two weeks before Manning.
******************
Joey Galloway missing more time The Buccaneers will break camp on Thursday without Galloway (groin)
taking part in any contact or offensive drills, the St. Petersburg
Times reports. Galloway put on shoulder pads and ran routes on the side on Wednesday,
catching passes from also-injured Jeff Garcia (groin), so he is
progressing. However, Galloway appears unlikely to play in Sunday's
Buccaneers-Patriots game, and the Bucs are trying to get him ready for
the team's game against the Jaguars on August 23.
******************
Lots of pressure on rookie RB Matt Forte CBS Sports Forte, who was drafted in
the second round out of Tulane, became the starter for the Bears when
Benson was released. In his first preseason game against Kansas City,
he had seven carries for 25 yards and caught three passes for 10 yards
in limited action. His main competition for playing time this year will come from veteran Kevin Jones,
who was signed just before training camp but is coming off a torn ACL
with Detroit last season. Jones could be limited early in the year and
might not be ready for the start of the season. Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe also will get some carries. But Forte has a chance to make plenty of plays, which is why Fantasy
owners are excited. He is currently being drafted No. 75 overall,
according to his average draft position on CBSSports.com, and should be
considered a No. 3 Fantasy running back this year.
******************
TE Kellen Winslow a solid choice despite bruises Winslow, who returned to team drills this week, is
expected to play in the Browns' second preseason game against the
Giants on Monday, the Associated Press reports. Winslow has been dealing with aches and pains (including a bum knee)
for some time now, but he has managed to play in all 16 games in each
of the last two seasons, in spite of it.
******************
Thursday's Sleeper Pick James Hardy, WR - Buffalo When Buffalo went shopping for
a receiver in the 2008 draft, they went for size more than anything
else since their receiving corps is overloaded with smallish speedy
guys. They landed the tallest receiver in the draft in Hardy, a
6-foot-5 behemoth from Indiana who made a collegiate career out of
catching touchdowns. Hardy has good speed to go along with his size,
but his awesome vertical ability and solid hands make him a candidate
to get involved early on in the Bills' offense. Even though rookie
receivers tend to struggle in the NFL, he should land a role and be
capable of decent production with upside to start in deeper Fantasy
leagues.
******************
Need a DE in your league? Jason Taylor is a safe bet Redskins DE Jason Taylor,
who participated in every phase of practice Wednesday, played down his
plantar fasciitis, which flared up this week. He said he played with
the injury throughout the 2006 season, when he was the NFL's defensive
player of the year, and in 2007, and said it is something he has
learned to overcome. "It's all right," Taylor said of his foot in the Washington Post.
"It's one of those things you've just got to manage and take care of.
It's going to be sore. It's football, baby. You're going to be sore and
beat up."
Bottom Line: Taylor will be fine for the start of the season and remains a No. 1 DL
in IDP leagues. As long as he can play through the injury, which it
appears he can, continue to draft him as one of the top players at his
position.
******************
Lavernius Coles .might not be elite...but he'll help you're team I know I've selected Coles in several of my drafts as a backup wideout. Hopefully, Coles won't let the absence of Pennington bother him too
much and will benefit from the better Favre's passes. Coles is a great
possession receiver and should get back to being a quality Fantasy
option with Favre under center. But Coles is coming off an
injury-plagued 2007 and has been slowed in training camp with leg
problems. He's also never reached double digits in touchdowns before.
Go into 2008 with Coles as a low-end No. 2 Fantasy option worth a draft
pick around Round 7 or 8 in all leagues.
******************
Don't let the quotes fool you...Roy Williams is primed for a big year Lions coach Rod Marinelli likes what he sees from WR Roy Williams during training camp, reports the Detroit Free Press.
"Roy has had a tremendous camp," Marinelli said. Williams also said he
is doing well, and he is not focused on his future, just the present.
"People ask me if I'm expecting to have a great year because it's my
contract year," he says. "Hey, I don't worry about that. I just want to
win, and after this season, we'll see what happens — if they want to
franchise me or re-sign me or let me go free. But if you win, it makes
it easy."
Bottom Line: Because Williams is playing for a new contract in 2008 he should be
motivated to put up incredible stats. Though he'll be sharing the field
with Calvin Johnson and in an offense that wants to run the ball,
Williams will still get his stats. Consider him a No. 2 Fantasy WR
worth a pick between Rounds 4 and 5 in your draft.
Rudi Johnson likely to play on Sunday....needs to prove I talked with C. Trent today and he told me not only did Rudi practice, but looked very solid. According to Marvin Lewis, he'll likely be back on the game-field on Sunday against the Lions. Since Rudi Johnson has only been selected around the number 55 pick overall in most drafts, this weekend will be a good gauge for fantasy owners like you...as to whether or not to select him higher or lower. Just like Chris Perry did last week, Rudi will have plenty to prove at PBS on Sunday.
Bottom Line: If you're drafting today (or even before Sunday), I'd still plan on taking Rudi as a solid number 3 RB. If you have a pair of better rushers already on your roster....or plan to draft a couple early, than Rudi will be a fine choice.
******************
Marques Colston could be a number 1 receiver...for the Saints and for you The New Orleans Times Picayune reports Saints coach Sean Payton expects WR Marques Colston to play Saturday in the second preseason game against Houston. This is good news for Fantasy owners who are counting on Colston. He
has a chance to be a No. 1 Fantasy WR this year and should continue to
develop as one of the best players at his position. Plan on drafting
him in Round 3.
Reins loosened on tight ends Enquirer.com In the hyper-competitive NFL, where diagrams of X's and O's are guarded
as carefully as troop movements on a military map, coaches never want
to tip their hand for the regular season during a preseason game -
especially the first one. Don't put it on film. But the Bengals could not conceal Monday night at Green Bay what they hope to do this season with Ben Utecht. In
limited first-half play, the former Indianapolis Colts tight end had
four receptions for 34 yards, including a 14-yard catch and run for a
touchdown. In layman's terms, the Utecht Plan goes something like
this: Double-team wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh
on the outside, peek in the backfield to see what Chris Perry is doing,
and Utecht will hurt you in the middle.
Chad speaks C. Trent With his arms thrown over the shoulders of several children, Bengals
receiver Chad Johnson held a bizarre court with several reporters,
breaking his silence with the local media after being threatened with a
fine from the NFL. Johnson said both the NFL and the Bengals had
threatened to fine him, but a source said there was no threat of a fine
from the team.
*****************
Mauk suing the NCAA Enquirer.com As Dennis Janson reported last night on Channel 9, former UC quarterback Ben Mauk has been a granted temporary restraining order by Hardin County (Ohio) Common Pleas Court. According to the order, the NCAA “is hereby restrained from preventing (Mauk) from practicing, participating and playing football for the University of Cincinnati.”
Name: Brianna Barcelo School: Arizona State University Birth Date: March 17, 1987 Hometown: Chandler, Ariz. Year: Junior (I will be a senior in the fall) Major: Secondary Education
1. I love (ASU), but I almost went to: San Diego State University (it's close to home but close to the beach!)
2. My favorite class is: Geography (so I can learn about all the places I want to go).
3. Movies I can't live without: Knocked Up, Juno, Forever After
4. Music I can't live without: Country
5. TV shows I can't live without:Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Survivor, and Rock of Love with Bret Michaels
6. What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you during a game? At the U of A football game, one of their fans threw and full soda on me and I was soaked the rest of the game.
7. My favorite sport is: I love to watch football!
8. My favorite professional sports teams are: The Phoenix Suns and I'm a closet Arizona Cardinals fan.
9. My one Guilty Pleasure is: Caramel Frappaccino's from Starbucks.
10. My best physical feature: My eye lashes.
11. Strange and unusual fact about me: I was born on St. Patrick's Day.
12. My friends would be surprised to know that I: Pay for everything myself
13. Favorite Foods: Anything from Oregano's Pizzeria.
14. Five People I'd Like To Have Dinner With (Living or Dead): Oprah, Matt Leinart, Shaquille O'Neal, Pat Tillman, Marilyn Monroe.
15. Three People who annoy me: Flavor Flav, Andy Dick, Roseanne.
16. Next Risk I Want To Take: I plan on backpacking Europe next summer.
17. If your life had a theme song, what would it be? I'm in a Hurry (and don't know why) by Alabama.
18. What reality show would you do best on and why?Survivor. I am a total outdoors kind of girl.
19. If I won the lottery, the first thing I'd buy is: Porsche Carrera GT
20. Describe the worst date you ever went on: A
friend set me up on a date and we went to Olive Garden. During dinner
we had absolutely nothing in common, when it came time to pay the bill,
he said "You owe $15." We were supposed to go to a movie after, but I
made him take me home.
*****************
"Redeem team" rolls on AP The U.S. Olympic team stopped the pick-and-rolls – and just about everything else Greece tried. These Americans that looked so lost two years at the world
championship when this team was being formed appear to have found their
Olympic defensive way. Batting away balls or swatting shots on
seemingly every possession late in the second quarter, the Americans
broke open a close game and went on to a 92-69 victory today to clinch
a spot in the medal round.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 04:15 PM EST [General]
Ronnie Brown: Overrated or Underrated ESPN If you can convince yourself he'll be healthy, Brown is the kind of guy who can make a fantasy season, because if he gets 300 carries (it would be the first time in his career), he'll be a stud, and deserves to be an early second-rounder. And I suppose that the Dolphins signed Chad Pennington helps a little, since teams absolutely didn't respect Miami's passing game last year (though it's unclear at this point whether Pennington or Chad Henne will start to begin the year). But if you decide to draft Brown, you should definitely overpay to get Williams as a handcuff, and you might also consider rookie Jalen Parmele as a very-late-round gambit: a player who could be an adequate fill-in if both the injury-prone men ahead of him miss time.
*******************
Can Rudi rebound? Even as a Bengals fan...you have to realize that Rudi Johnson is who he is....a solid number 3 RB. Fantasy owners aren't paying close attention to Johnson, as he's been
taken on average as the 26th running back in ESPN live drafts so far
this summer. That makes him an RB3/solid flex option for most teams and
a pretty low-risk fantasy option. You're not relying on him to carry
your team, but he can be a good complementary piece, especially given
the right matchups.
*******************
No biggie....Favre feels tired.... Not that you headed to your draft board thinking Brett Favre was going to be among your top choices at QB...but if you had considered him as a backup...I'd still be careful. Favre said his arm felt "fatigued" after Wednesday morning's practice, the Associated Press reports. "My arm's kind of dragging a little bit today," said Favre. "It's not
really sore, but just fatigued. To be honest with you, I'm surprised
that, I don't want to say I feel good, that I've been able to make it
through every practice so far." Favre will probably take it easy on the
snaps in preparation for his preseason start on Saturday.
*******************
Good for the Bengals...possibly bad for fantasy owners Steelers DB Troy Polamalu (hamstring) remains on the PUP list and won't play Thursday against the Bills. The popular IDP pick underwent knee surgery in the offseason and has
been hampered since the beginning of training camp with a hamstring
pull. Polamalu missed five games last year and is at constant risk for
injury, having already endured five concussions since he started
playing football. He's a huge part of the Steelers' defense but how
often he plays remains to be seen.
Bottom Line: You're taking a risk (if you draft DB's in your league) by selecting Polamalu....not because he's ineffective...but instead, he's a big injury list. Draft with care...but only if you have other solid starters at that position.
*******************
Wednesday's Sleeper Pick Dennis Northcutt, WR - Jacksonville A Fantasy afterthought for much
of his career, Northcutt surprised many folks last season by amassing
601 receiving yards and four touchdowns with the Jaguars. The team
tried to improve its receiving corps this offseason with Jerry Porter, but he suffered a torn hamstring and is now a question mark to produce big stats in 2008. Troy Williamson was also acquired, but he's been a bust since entering the league. Veteran Jaguars receiver Matt Jones
was also busted for drug possession and isn't a lock to make the final
roster. Considering that starting quarterback David Garrard
leaned heavily on Northcutt last season en route to the playoffs, it
wouldn't surprise me if he did it again in 2008, making Northcutt a
decent reserve option you can steal very late in drafts.
*******************
Could Julius Jones be a fantasy bust?? ESPN On paper, it would appear good for Julius Jones that he escaped the goal-line shadow of Marion Barber
in Dallas and got a four-year deal in the Pacific Northwest, but I
remain awfully skeptical about his ability to be a big-time lead
running back. I don't think the Seahawks have the kind of offensive
line, or weapons at wide receiver now that Bobby Engram
is gone, to scare opposing defenses into fearing the run. And there's
the other problem of Jones sharing carries with others. Add it all up
and I don't expect much from the Seattle running game, which is a
problem since Julius Jones is ranked as a top-30 running back in many drafts.
*******************
Drafting stragegies for TE's CBS Sports Because no Fantasy owner should
draft more tight ends than they need to start, and no Fantasy owner
should take one with a pick in the first three rounds, coming up with a
strategy for drafting them isn't as important as figuring out what you
want to do with them.
*******************
By this account....you better pick up Peyton Manning early CBS Sports get ready Fantasy owners,
because Manning is going back to No. 1 on the quarterback rankings by
the end of the season. His knee will be healthy, and he will pass Brady
in production and hold off Romo and any other challengers to the
throne. To do that, Manning will have to overcome Brady's brilliance. Last
year, Brady passed for 4,806 yards, 50 touchdowns and just eight
interceptions. He also ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 03:21 PM EST [General]
Bengals interested in Chris Henry? Dayton Daily News NFL Network’s Adam Schefter is reporting the Bengals are having discussions
with Henry’s agent, Marvin Frazier, about bringing back the fourth-year veteran
who is currently under a four-game suspension by the NFL.
******************
Now you can text the JERK line In 2008, fans can text as well as call the Bengals’ 381-JERK
hotline to reach game day security. The hotline will be manned during the entire
time the stadium is open for a Bengals game.
******************
Remember that bogus conduct policy...it will likely affect the lots you park in From the Bengals The parking lots controlled by the Club for game days include Lots 1, A, B, C,
D, E, PBS East (U) and the Freedom Center. Other lots around the stadium develop
their own conduct policies. The enhanced code of conduct is intended to address unruly fan behavior that detracts from the game day experience. Any fan, whether in the stadium or the Club-controlled parking lots, risks penalties by violating the code’s provisions. Penalties include ejection without refund, loss of parking passes and/or loss of season tickets.
******************
Reds get Owings in Dunn deal Enquirer.com Right-hander Micah Owings is one of the players to be named later in
the deal that sent Adam Dunn to the Diamondbacks on Monday. It's unclear if Owings has yet to be placed on waivers. He will have to
clear waivers if he is to be traded before the end of the season. It's possible that Owings has been placed on waivers already and was
claimed by another team, at which point the Diamondbacks would have
pulled him back off waivers. That would mean he would not be able to be
traded until the season is over.
******************
Phelps sets world record ESPN For Michael Phelps, it's not enough to just set a new standard. He has to demolish the old one. Winningest
Olympian ever? He's two golds past that already and not finished yet,
just over halfway to his goal of breaking Mark Spitz's record seven in
a single Olympics.
