NFL Divisional Playoffs Sunday Live Blog

Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens  1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)

New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers  4:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)

NFL Divisional Playoffs Schedule

And you thought Tebow-mania was bad last week?  Now just wait for the hype as this weekend, and then imagine what it will be if the Broncos somehow win.  Likely the biggest blowout of the weekend aside, there are three other interesting games this weekend, including the great offense of the Saints versus the great defense of the 49ers.  This should be a fun weekend of football and live-blogging.

Saturday, January 14

#3 New Orleans Saints vs. #2 San Francisco 49ers  4:30 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)
#4 Denver Broncos vs. #1 New England Patriots  8:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, SR: Steve Tasker)

Sunday, January 15

#3 Houston Texans vs. #2 Baltimore Ravens  1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
#4 New York Giants vs. #1 Green Bay Packers  4:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)

NFL Wild Card Saturday Live Blog

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans  4:30 (NBC - Tom Hammond and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)

Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints  8:00 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

NFL Wild Card Weekend Schedule

The NFL Playoffs are back, and I guess it will be more relaxing because the Eagles are not playing.  Also, more depressing.  Anyway, here is the schedule with announcers.  No surprises, but I post this anyway because I like having this handy resource available.

Saturday, January 7

# 6 Cincinnati Bengals vs. #3 Houston Texans  4:30 (NBC - Tom Hammond and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)
# 6 Detroit Lions vs. #3 New Orleans Saints  8:00 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

Sunday, January 8

#5 Atlanta Falcons vs. #4 New York Giants  1:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)
#5 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. #4 Denver Broncos  4:30 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)

Eagles Week 13 Recap: Cheek-y

Big win for the Eagles, now on to the bullets!

• On a key 3rd down with the Keagles up by 3 in the 3rd quarter, Vick found Brent Celek on a pass with Celek 5 yards short of the marker.  However, how he was being brought to the ground, he rolled over the defender, reached out, and by the time his left butt cheek hit the ground, he had gotten a first down.  Joe Theismann, in his infinite wisdom, encouraged to us to watch Brent Celek's left cheek (even though it is where the ball is when Celek's cheek hits the ground that counts; another thing: unless it is Riley Cooper and his infinite dreaminess we are talking about, I'd rather not watch a football player's butt cheeks).  Matt Millen then retorted by calling it a "one cheek sneak."  If you combine the 2 idiots' comments, a left cheek sneak set up the Eagles game-clinching touchdown, a short pass to Owen Schmitt.
• Brent Celek had a very interesting game today.  The left cheek sneak may have been the biggest play in the game, but Celek dropped a sure-fire touchdown pass in the 2nd quarter in addition to committing a key penalty.  That being said, at least Celek is making some plays now, something he had not been doing earlier in the season.  Unfortunately for Celek, is blocking is very suspect, so when he is not making plays in the receiving game, he is pretty much useless.  2009 was a great year for Celek.  2010....not so much.
• There is no way around it, the Eagles defense was terrible tonight.  The scoreboard says only 24 points, but it felt so much worse.  In part, that may be because the Texans had 2 long sustained drives for touchdowns in the 3rd quarter to take a 24-20 lead over the Eagles after the Eagles jumped out 17-3 early in the game.  But regardless, the Texans offense seemed to have their way with the Eagles secondary.  Dimitri Patterson who had been solid the past few games did not have one of his better performances.  The combination of Joselio Hanson and Trevard Lindley on the other side was once again gruesome to watch.  Asante Samuel can't return soon enough.  The good news is that despite not playing tonight, he did practice a bit this week, so December 12 at Dallas looks like a good possibility for Samuel to play.
• The bright spot for the Eagles defense is that Arian Foster, who averages 5.1 yards a carry was held to 3.9 yards a carry this game.  Stewart Bradley was one of the few bright spots for the Eagles defensively in his tackling of Foster.
• Opposing QBs have a QB rating of under 30 when throwing to a receiver that Asante Samuel is covering.  Think I am over-exaggerating the impact Samuel has on this Eagles secondary?  Think again.
• The Eagles just finished a stretch of 4 games in 17 days, a stretch of games where they went 3-1.  Given that their opponents during said stretch was the Redskins, Giants, Bears, and Texans, 3-1 is quite good.
• Michael Vick is a freakin' warrior.  He took shot after shot after shot after shot in this game, often coming up slowly or limping, and still hung in there and made plays.  The guy is good, the guy is tough, and the guy is a changed man, both on the field and off the field.  
• It seems like every week some network has an "exclusive" interview with Michael Vick.  At what point are these interviews no longer exclusive, and just flat out redundant? 
• Michael Vick on the set of NFL Network after the game:  "Coming to Philly has changed my entire life. I hate to even think about leaving here. Hopefully things will get worked out. When time is right hopefully I stay here."  At the very least, it seems like almost a sure thing that the Eagles will give him the franchise tag, if not a long-term deal.  The Kevin Kolb era will have to commence elsewhere.  Minnesota or Arizona, maybe?  Both will need a QB.  Badly.
• Kevin Kolb is under contract for next season, so if he goes anywhere, it will have to be via trade.  That being said, Michael Vick is injury prone just by the way he plays the game and having Kolb on the sidelines is good re-assurance in case something happens.  That being said, I am not sure if that is the ideal situation for Kolb, a guy who seems ready to be a starting QB in this league.  As valuable as he can be to the Eagles as a back-up, I think they might be able to capitalize on a desperate team and get a 2nd rounder or even a 1st rounder for Kolb.  I'd approve of that deal in a heartbeat.
• LeSean McCoy had a hell of a game.  12 rushes for 44 yards, but more importantly, 8 catches for 86 yards.  The Texans tried to employ a similar scheme to what the Bears ran last week by keeping their safeties deep.  One difference:  The Bears have the talent to be able to effectively employ that scheme.  The Texans do not.  The Eagles knew that coming in, and screened the high hell out of the Texans with McCoy being the big recipient of those screens.
• For reasons I will never understand, the Eagles lined up Chad Hall, a wide receiver out of the Air Force, a running back in the 1st quarter for a play and in the wildcat down at the goalline in the 1st quarter.  For the first one, I am yet to figure out what Chad Hall brings to the table that Jerome Harrison and Eldra Buckley do not, you know, the 2nd and 3rd string running backs for the Eagles.  Secondly, the wildcat?  Hasn't that been ineffective enough for Reid the past year and a half?  Unsurprisingly, that Chad Hall wildcat play ran deep in the redzone on 2nd and goal did not pan out and Hall, who took the ball up the middle, was stopped short of the goalline.
• The Eagles will have 9 days to rest up and prepare for their Sunday Night Football meeting at Dallas.  Despite its apparent lob-sidedness, NBC and the NFL sees the Eagles against their biggest rival, and in turn, sees ratings.  Look at the highest rated games this season.  5 of the top 15 highest rated games on all networks are Eagles games, with #1 being last Sunday's Eagles-Bears game.  It's not 13-1 vs. 2-12.  NBC and the NFL sees Eagles vs. Cowboys, the Eagles good ratings this year, and are sticking with the tentatively scheduled game of Eagles vs. Cowboys.
• Lastly, the win probability graph. (advancednflstats.com)

2010 NFL Season Week 13 Thursday Night Football Live Blog

NFL Week 13 Schedule

Theismann and Millen are coming to Philadelphia. Can't you tell that I am giddy beyond belief about this? (note: Author is not giddy beyond belief about this; he would prefer to be hunted by a wildebeest than have to endure the torture his ears will be forced to endure this Thursday). (all times ET; games I get are in bold)

Thursday Night Football

Houston Texans vs. Philadelphia Eagles 8:20 (NFL Network - Bob Papa, Matt Millen, and Joe Theismann)

Map of who gets what CBS game.

Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins 1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Rich Gannon)
Buffalo Bills vs. Minnesota Vikings 1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans 1:00 (CBS - Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker)

Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers 4:05 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Dan Fouts)

Map of who gets what Fox early game.

Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants 1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers 1:00 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick)
Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions 1:00 (Fox - Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan)
New Orleans Saints vs. Cincinnati Bengals 1:00 (Fox - Ron Pitts and John Lynch)

Map of who gets what Fox late game.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Indianapolis Colts 4:15 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman)
Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4:15 (Fox - Dick Stockton, Charles Davis, and Jim Mora, Jr.)
St. Louis Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals 4:15 (Fox - Chris Myers and Kurt Warner)
Carolina Panthers vs. Seattle Seahawks 4:15 (Fox - Chris Rose and Ross Tucker)

Sunday Night Football

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens 8:20 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth)

Monday Night Football

New York Jets vs. New England Patriots 8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden)

Dan Dierdorf Does Not Enjoy Streaking Fans

This video is all sorts of funny for so many reasons.



I now eagerly anticipate everyone saying that all New York fans are crazy drunks, just like Philly fans. After all, the same was true about Philadelphia fans once they had idiots running onto the field at Citizens Bank Park. New York Jets fans are going to get the same treatment because of this one dumb drunken idiot, no?

Jags Win On Amazing Last Second Hail Mary; Gus Johnson Loses His Mind Screaming.

Remember when Gus got the amazing hail mary finish last year? Yeah. Good times. If I'm a Bills or a Bengals fan, I'm buying a defibrillator for next week.

2010 NFL Season Week 5 Live Blog/2010 MLB Playoffs Day 5 Live Blog

Game 4: Rays @ Rangers 1:07 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Marc Fein)

Game 3: Giants @ Braves 4:37 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Tom Verducci)

Game 3: Phillies @ Reds 8:07 (TBS - Brian Anderson and Joe Simpson, SR: David Aldridge)

LIVE BLOG OVER HERE

2009 NFL Preview: Houston Texans

By 49er16:

It seems like analysts have talked about the Houston Texans as a sleeper team for 15 years and they have still never made the playoffs. And once again I will ask, are the Houston Texans a sleeper team?

The talent is there for Houston. They have a top-5 receiver, a young and dangerous defense, and a steady quarterback. There is just too much talent for the Texans not compete for the division title. If they don't make the playoffs, head coach Gary Kubiak could be out of a job by the end of the season.

Quarterback: Injuries have derailed Matt Schuab's tenure as the Texans starting quarterback. Schuab has missed five games in the last two years. And to make things worse, the Texans back quarterbacks are the greatness in Dan Orlovsky and Rex Grossman. Of course Sage Rosenfels wasn't much better last season.

Offense: If Schuab stays healthy and the offensive line continues their improvement, then Houston could have one of the best offenses in the NFL. Andre Johnson is one of the best receivers in the league. Johnson lead the league last year in receptions and receiving yards. Also Kevin Walter emerged as a reliable number two receiver. Tight End Owen Daniels earned a pro bowl trip last season. Steve Slaton emerged as the number one running back. Their offensive success will all depend on Schuab's health.

Remember When?: Remember when everyone made fun of the Texans for drafting Mario Williams in front of Vince Young and Reggie Bush? Yeah, how has that whole thing worked out? Williams earned his first pro bowl trip while compiling 12 sacks last season. And how did Young and Bush do last season?

Defense: The defense should be vastly improved this season under new coordinator Frank Bush. Bush plans to make the defense more aggressive. Health though is a question right now. First round pick Brian Cushing and Jacques Reeves have both been hurt so far in training camp. If the Texans can get healthy, they should be improved on defense.

Schedule: The Texans have one of the easier early schedules in the league, which is a good thing for a team trying to recover from training camp injuries. And besides their usual road trips to Tennessee and Indianapolis and a trip to Miami, Houston doesn't have a tough road schedule. All their tough games are at home.

Video: Texans receiver David Anderson does his best Ron Jaworski impression.



Prediction: 9-7, 3rd AFC South. I don't trust Matt Schuab's ability to stay healthy for the entire season. And with Orlovsky and Grossman as the backup, the Texans will struggle on offense. Also the defense has already been hit by injuries. The secondary also lacks depth and has been hit by injuries. The Texans will have a winning record, but they won't be playoff bound.