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Where’s the respect!?
So who are the real heroes from this past holiday weekend of NFL play? Not so much Tim Tebow or Arian Foster or the Harbaugh brothers.
Try Plaxico Burress and Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Those two were the targets of the biggest, most tasteless public displays of disrespect on an NFL field in recent memory—and they each handled the acts with more grace than the perpetrators deserved.
You’d think that a grown man who plays this sport for a living would not have to be reminded that dribbling another man’s head on the turf and stomping on his arm crosses the line. Or that making fun of someone getting shot and going to prison is in the same category.
But you’d be wrong, because the Lions’ Ndamukong Suh and the Bills’ Stevie Johnson, respectively, weren’t aware of this before the weekend’s games.
So off they went, Suh losing all of his composure on Thanksgiving Day against the Packers, and Johnson losing any aura of maturity Sunday afternoon against the Jets.
But they did worse than just make fools of themselves—especially after, naturally, their teams lost. They violated what once was a serious, if not sacred, code among players: play hard, play to win, play all-out, but don’t threaten another player’s livelihood. Respect another combatant in battle (and knowing what we know now about the long-term effects of this game, that’s no longer too harsh a characterization) as you’d want that combatant to respect you. As players whose chosen profession exacts a terrifying toll, they’re all in this together.
Seahawks sign new player: Get his name and number on any of your favorite Seahawks gear at Onthefield.com
The Seattle Seahawks have signed tackle Allen Barbre and placed tackle James Carpenter on injured reserve, the team announced today.
Barbre has played in 28 career games (seven starts), including three last season with the Seahawks. He most recently spent time with the Miami Dolphins before being released on September 6, 2011. Barbre (pronounced BAR-ber) was Green Bay’s fourth-round selection (119th overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft from Missouri Southern.
Carpenter was Seattle’s first-round draft choice (25th overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft and started nine games this season (8-right tackle, 1-left guard).
Customize your favorite NFL Gear at Onthefield.com! Bring in your favorite old “Hawks” shirt and we can put any name and number you want on it…get the new guy’s name and number or even your own name and favorite number!
Happy Har-Bowl-Giving
For the moment the plan is to make a quick appearance, take some pictures and shake some hands, and then scurry to a place where the television cameras can’t possibly get close enough to capture human emotion.
Of course, plans in the Harbaugh family have been known to go awry, particularly during the Thanksgiving holiday when football has always – always – trumped all. There were many a turkey dinner when one of the boys would call dibs on the wishbone and the other would snatch it, or one would insist on licking the last drop of creamed corn from the bowl and the other would steal it away, and about the only thing that could quiet the ruckus was a game of catch on the outside lawn in NFL Gear.
“Eating was always a competitive sport. Fun, messy, loud—I’m sure you can imagine. Our Thanksgivings were probably like every American household when the kids were growing up, with everyone eating until they’re stuffed and the night ending with football, either watching or playing it in our favorite NFL Gear from Onthefield.com,” Jackie Harbaugh was saying earlier this week.
The basics haven’t changed—there will be a roasted bird, a pigskin, some squabbles—but never has a Harbaugh Thanksgiving featured trimmings quite like this. Because as anyone worth their Madden NFL 12 surely knows, history will be made Thursday night when John and Jim Harbaugh become the first brothers to face each other as NFL head coaches.
— No turkeys on the field this Thanksgiving: Check Thursday’s NFL previews: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions, 12:30 p.m. ET | Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys, 4:15 p.m. ET | San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens, 8:20 p.m. ET
The NFC West Seems To Always Find Its Way…
The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers are a combined 17-1 this NFL season. It’s been 14 years since they were the 1-2 punch at the top of the NFL. In 1997, both teams finished 13-3, with the Packers winning the NFL conference title game at San Francisco.
The quarterbacks for those teams then were Brett Favre, a future Hall of Famer, and Steve Young, who’s already in Canton. Now they’re the two quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft, the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers (No. 24) and the Niners’ Alex Smith (No. 1). Not surprisingly, Rodgers and Smith are tied for throwing the fewest interceptions (three) among regular starters this NFL season.
At this point, it would be a major upset if the Packers and 49ers weren’t the NFC’s top seeds. That puts the pair ahead of all the league’s other teams in this week’s power rankings:
1. Green Bay Packers (last week: 1)
Top receiver: WR Greg Jennings
Based on their combination of speed and strength, it’s really difficult for teams to limit the damage of both Jennings and Jordy Nelson as Rodgers’ best big-play threats.
2. San Francisco 49ers (2)
Top receiver: TE Vernon Davis
After a few off games as Smith’s most reliable target, Davis came through with a key touchdown in the big Week 10 win over the New York Giants.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (4)
Top receiver: WR Mike Wallace
Wallace has gone from a blinding speedster who stretches the field to a tough matchup all over the field, and it’s opened up for routes for the team’s other wideouts.
4. New England Patriots (7)
Top receiver: WR Wes Welker
Welker is the top receiver in the NFL this season, with 72 receptions for 1,006 yards. Calling him just a great slot/possession guy anymore would be an insult.
NFL’s Dirtiest Players
With half the season finished, Sporting News’ network of NFL correspondents asked 111 players from 31 teams everything you want to know about what has happened—and will happen—in 2011.
As always in our midseason poll, players were not allowed to name their team, teammates or head coach for any of their answers.
Who is the dirtiest player in the NFL?
Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh—36
Pittsburgh Steelers LB James Harrison—9
VIDEO: Harrison’s words of wisdom for Suh
Tennessee Titans CB Cortland Finnegan—8
Atlanta Falcons OT Tyson Clabo—7
Pittsburgh Steelers WR Hines Ward—6
A race for 2nd best team in the NFL and the week 6 awards
And then there was one. Not surprisingly, there’s only one NFL team standing without a defeat this NFL season, and even less shocking, it’s the defending NFL Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.
After the Saints (4-2) and Lions (5-1) were upset Sunday, the 49ers (5-1) [from the NFC WEST WOOOOO HOOOOOO!] have rocketed to the No. 2 spot behind the Packers in the NFC. Looking at the entire league, however, the AFC’s Baltimore Ravens have emerged as the Packers’ biggest threat to a second title.
It’s not hard to make a case for the Ravens (4-1) as second best after their 29-14 home win over Houston. The Ravens’ obvious signature strength is the playmakers at each level of their defense—Haloti Ngata, Ray Lewis, Jarret Johnson, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed. They got three sacks from that group Sunday while also slowing down a prolific Texans run offense. The Ravens’ offense can control the ball with Ray Rice and the running game, and it is complemented nicely by timely big pass plays from Joe Flacco.
South of Green Bay, Baltimore is the league’s most complete team and already has big wins over last year’s two AFC finalists, the Steelers and Jets. If the season ended today, the Ravens’ defense vs. Aaron Rodgers would make for a highly competitive Super Bowl in Indianapolis.
There are two more AFC teams to consider, of course: New England and Pittsburgh. Unlike the Packers or Saints, they are teams with quarterbacks who have won multiple Super Bowls, and both Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger are back to their gritty winning ways. Consider that Brady, in an “off” game, lifted his Patriots over the Cowboys late, and Roethlisberger has been unfazed by a foot injury the past two weeks.
LeBron in NFL…Seahawks coach Pete Carrol and him have been tweeting back and forth about the idea
Miami Heat forward LeBron James has had social media all a-Twitter the past two days stirring up the idea that he might have interest in playing for an NFL team during the NBA lockout. James even exchanged Tweets with Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, declaring he would be “a touchdown maker.”
Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez knows a little something about scoring touchdowns—among currently active NFL players, he leads everyone with 92. As Gonzalez also is a former college basketball star at the University of California, he also knows a lot about making the successful transition from the hardwood to the gridiron.
Although Gonzalez doesn’t know James personally, he has an idea of just how much it would take for James to have a chance to succeed in NFL football.
LeBron James as a tight end? It’s something to think about. (AP Photo)
“From what I heard, he wants to be a playmaker and wants to catch the ball,” Gonzalez told Sporting News. “He’d probably be a tight end. He’s 6-8, 260. I would think he’d be a tight end.”
When looking at current NFL players at that position, James’ frame compares favorably to the Buffalo Bills’ Scott Chandler (6-7, 263), who has four touchdown catches this season. Back in the 1970s and ’80s, Harold Carmichael produced 79 career touchdowns as a 6-8, 225-pound wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Considering Gonzalez, at 6-5, 251, has survived the rough and tumble of the NFL for 14-plus seasons to keep performing at high level at age 35, he notes it takes much more than size and fluidity to last in the league at his position.
“One thing that people need to know absolutely is that it doesn’t matter how athletic you are,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t care about that. It’s a mentality that you need for pro football.
Some fantasy football tips for week 4: Get your favorite player’s college jersey custom at Onthefield.com
A look at top fantasy pickups for NFL Week 4:
Quarterback
Eli Manning, New York Giants: Manning has moments when he looks elite like in Week 3 when he threw for four touchdown passes against the Philadelphia Eagles. Expect him to keep the momentum going in Week 4 at Arizona. The Cardinals have allowed an average of 275 passing yards this season.
Running Back
Tim Hightower, Washington Redskins: Hightower has rookie Roy Helu hot on his heels, but for now Hightower is the Redskins’ main runner. That bodes well entering a matchup with the St. Louis Rams, who are last in the NFL in run defense and are giving up 174.3 rushing yards per game.
Wide Receiver
Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints: Moore finally looked 100 percent healthy last week when he had nine receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Houston Texans. This week’s matchup is perfect because the Jacksonville Jaguars focused on stopping the run in the early going. Plus, the Jags’ pass rush isn’t strong enough to slow down Drew Brees and Co.
2-Team Fantasy Options
5-Star NFL Players
LeSean McCoy, RB, Eagles. Never mind that the Giants are allowing 6.5 rushing yards per game. McCoy is averaging 110 yards on the ground. And don’t forget about his receiving ability. McCoy stays in your lineup regardless of opponent. If Vick doesn’t play, expect even more work for McCoy.
DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles. Jackson took a backseat to Jeremy Maclin last week while dealing with a minor forearm injury. Even when Jackson returned, he couldn’t get much going with Mike Kafka at QB. Vick is expected to play this week, which is good news for Jackson, so keep him locked in as a WR1 for now. If Vick is out, downgrade Jackson to WR2 status, but he’s still worth starting because it only takes one play for him to strike big.
Eagles defense/special teams. Although the “Dream Team” is allowing 24 points per game, this unit has also racked up nine sacks with three takeaways with a fumble return for a TD. The Eagles are putting a lot of pressure on opposing QBs and forcing them to make mistakes. That’s bad news for Eli Manning, who doesn’t need any help making mistakes. Expect a few big plays from the Eagles D/ST this week.
4-Star NFL Players
Hakeem Nicks, WR, Giants. Nicks shook off a knee injury last week and, although he caught just three passes for 15 yards and a TD, the receiver said he came out of the game feeling good. This week he’ll face off with Nnamdi Asomugha and probably a few other Eagles defenders as they try to contain him with bracket coverage. It’s a tough matchup for Nicks, but he’s virtually matchup-proof. Whenever he’s on the field, start him.
Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Giants. Bradshaw saw 15 carries for 59 yards last week, while adding five catches for 45 yards. Meanwhile, Brandon Jacobs rotated in to steal 16 carries for 50 yards and a touchdown. That’s going to be par for the course with Bradshaw and Jacobs. Although the Eagles present a tough matchup on paper, they’ve actually allowed 146 yards per game on the ground so far. That’s a green light for Bradshaw, who’s still an RB1 even with Jacobs in the mix.
Aikmen’s take on some NFL topics
Welcome to “Hot Reads,” a weekly video breakdown of the latest news, trends and biggest matchups around the NFL, with Hall of Fame quarterback and FOX analyst Troy Aikman.
In Week 3, Troy and Sporting News host Tom van der Voort also preview the Packers-Bears matchup at Soldier Field, where Aikman will be calling the game on FOX.
This week’s “Hot Reads” highlights:
– How the Bears can keep Jay Cutler upright despite an injury-riddled offensive line.
– Why there’s cause for concern with the Packers.
– Troy’s firsthand experience in dealing with concussions, and what Michael Vick faces in trying to come back from a head injury.
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