1. Alabama (5-0)
2. Oregon (5-0)
3. LSU (5-0)
4. Florida State (5-0)
5. Georgia (5-0)
6. Notre Dame (4-0)
7. South Carolina (5-0)
8. Kansas State (4-0)
9. West Virginia (4-0)
10. Texas (4-0)
Sunday, September 30, 2012
College Football Top Ten
1. Alabama (5-0)
2. Oregon (5-0)
3. LSU (5-0)
4. Florida State (5-0)
5. Georgia (5-0)
6. Notre Dame (4-0)
7. South Carolina (5-0)
8. Kansas State (4-0)
9. West Virginia (4-0)
10. Texas (4-0)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
NFL - Week Four Preview
The referees are back!
Huh?
Who would have thought the return of the official NFL refs would be cheered by football fans across this great nation of ours?
But that is the case as the "zebras" return tonight when the Baltimore Ravens play host to the woeful Cleveland Browns on the Thursday Night Football game.
The NFL owners and the locked out referees settled their differences last night and the officials are back effective immediately after getting a new eight year contract. Last year, the NFL players got a ten year deal with the league owners following a messy lock out situation.
The fact is, the NFL owners have to knock it off with the lockouts.
The game is not the owners. It is not the players. Nor is it the refs or even the fans.
But it's a little bit of each, blending together to form this game we call football, which features a new episode every week from September to early February.
With all that said, it's kickoff time for Week Four, with the Ravens and Browns going at it on NFL Network's Thursday Night Football.
(Note- Heftyinfo was going to forgo an NFL Preview this week and beyond until the referee-owners situation was resolved because of the lack of integrity of the game the scab officials was causing.)
There are some big games this weekend, even if it is early in the season, as the undefeated Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans will be in action at home. Meanwhile, the winless New Orleans Saints will travel to Green Bay to face a Packers team still steaming following the controversial loss in Seattle on Monday night.
The New York Giants face the Philadelphia Eagles in the prime time Sunday night game and the weekend will conclude with the Chicago Bears on the road against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
Here are the Heftyinfo predictions for this week following one of the worst weeks in the four years of picking NFL games on this site ... (Home teams are listed in BOLD)
Baltimore over Cleveland
Houston over Tennessee
Kansas City over San Diego
St. Louis over Seatle
New England over Buffalo
Detroit over Minnesota
Atlanta over Carolina
San Francisco over New York Jets
Arizona over Miami
Denver over Oakland
Cincinnati over Jacksonville
Green Bay over New Orleans
Tampa Bay over Washington
Philadelphia over New York Giants
Chicago over Dallas
Last Week's Record: 6-10
SEASON RECORD: 26-22
Huh?
But that is the case as the "zebras" return tonight when the Baltimore Ravens play host to the woeful Cleveland Browns on the Thursday Night Football game.
The NFL owners and the locked out referees settled their differences last night and the officials are back effective immediately after getting a new eight year contract. Last year, the NFL players got a ten year deal with the league owners following a messy lock out situation.
The fact is, the NFL owners have to knock it off with the lockouts.
The game is not the owners. It is not the players. Nor is it the refs or even the fans.
But it's a little bit of each, blending together to form this game we call football, which features a new episode every week from September to early February.
With all that said, it's kickoff time for Week Four, with the Ravens and Browns going at it on NFL Network's Thursday Night Football.
(Note- Heftyinfo was going to forgo an NFL Preview this week and beyond until the referee-owners situation was resolved because of the lack of integrity of the game the scab officials was causing.)
There are some big games this weekend, even if it is early in the season, as the undefeated Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans will be in action at home. Meanwhile, the winless New Orleans Saints will travel to Green Bay to face a Packers team still steaming following the controversial loss in Seattle on Monday night.
The New York Giants face the Philadelphia Eagles in the prime time Sunday night game and the weekend will conclude with the Chicago Bears on the road against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
Here are the Heftyinfo predictions for this week following one of the worst weeks in the four years of picking NFL games on this site ... (Home teams are listed in BOLD)
Baltimore over Cleveland
Houston over Tennessee
Kansas City over San Diego
St. Louis over Seatle
New England over Buffalo
Detroit over Minnesota
Atlanta over Carolina
San Francisco over New York Jets
Arizona over Miami
Denver over Oakland
Cincinnati over Jacksonville
Green Bay over New Orleans
Tampa Bay over Washington
Philadelphia over New York Giants
Chicago over Dallas
Last Week's Record: 6-10
SEASON RECORD: 26-22
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
NFL - Week Three Review
What a week!
The NFL's third weekend proved to be a real roller coaster ride with numerous games going down to the wire, including three overtime decisions.
The New York Jets might consider themselves to be more lucky than good following their 23-20 OT victory in Miami.
The Dolphins out thought themselves and it burned them as Jets' kicker Nick Folk had a second chance at a game winning field goal after his first attempt was blocked, but didn't count as such because the Dolphins called a timeout just prior to the snap. Folk made good on the retry from 33 yards out and the Jets won the game. However, it was a costly one for the Jets as All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis was lost for the season with a knee injury.
The Detroit Lions also were thinking too much about strategy and they also were burned as the Tennessee Titans outlasted them 44-41 in overtime.
The Titans kicked a field goal for the lead in the OT session, but the Lions drove down inside the ten-yard line and were just short of a first down. That's when on fourth and inches, they appeared to go for it rather than kick the easy field goal to keep the game going.
Head Coach Jim Schwartz explained the gaffe after the game that his team wasn't supposed to actually snap the ball, but try to draw the Titans offside. The Lions were stuffed when reserve quarterback Shaun Hill bobbled the snap and fell on the ball, short of the first down.
Prior to the OT, the Lions stormed back from 14 points behind by scoring two touchdowns in 18 seconds to tie the game, 41-41. They scored on a three-yard pass from Hill to Calvin Johnson, then recovered the onside kickoff and a "Hail Mary" pass from Hill to Titus Young worked at the end of regulation.
Tennessee QB Jake Locker threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns and the Titans returned a punt and kickoff for touchdowns as well.
The third overtime game of the day saw the Kansas City Chiefs erase an 18-point deficit in New Orleans to shock Drew Brees and the winless Saints, 27-24.
The Saints QB had three TD passes in the loss, but the Chiefs rode the running of Jamaal Charles, the Heftyinfo NFL co-Player of the Week, who had 233 yards on the ground, including a 91-yard touchdown run.
Kansas City kicker Ryan Succop made six field goals, including the game winner in OT from 31 yards to earn the Chiefs their first win of the season.
The big surprise of the day was the Minnesota Vikings winning at home against the San Francisco 49ers, 24-13 behind two TD passes from Christian Ponder and a defense that forced three turnovers and sacked 49ers' QB Alex Smith three times.
The Cincinnati Bengals knocked off the Washington Redskins, 38-31 as their defense sacked Washington QB Robert Griffin III six times and QB Andy Dalton had three touchdown passes to lead the way.
The Atlanta Falcons smoked the San Diego Chargers, 27-3 behind a stellar defensive effort that limited the Chargers to just 280 yards of total offense and no touchdowns.
Atlanta defensive back Thomas DeCoud, the Heftyinfo NFL co-Player of the Week, had two interceptions and a fumble recovery, to keep the Falcons in charge in the road win.
Falcons' QB Matt Ryan shredded the Chargers' defense for three touchdown passes and 275 yards and running back Michael Turner scored a touchdown against his former team to help improve Atlanta to 3-0 for the season.
Jacksonville got a miracle play when Cecil Shorts took a pass and raced 80 yards to paydirt to secure a 22-17 win over the host Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars surrendered the lead in the last minute of play when Indy kicker Adam Vinatieri nailed a 37-yard field goal to put the Colts ahead by one point. Jags' RB Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 177 yards and also had a 59-yard scoring run in the win.
The Chicago Bears defense dominated the St. Louis Rams, sacking QB Sam Bradford six times and also getting two interceptions, including a 45-yard touchdown return off a pick by Major Wright to pace the 23-6 win.
Buffalo beat the Cleveland Browns, 24-14 as QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for three touchdowns and the Bills' defense came up with three turnovers to keep the host Browns winless for the season.
The Houston Texans remained unbeaten with a road win against the Denver Broncos, 31-25 with QB Matt Schaub passing for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Broncos' QB Peyton Manning had 330 yards passing and two TD passes in the loss.
The Arizona Cardinals also ran their record to 3-0 with a 27-6 win against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. Cards' QB Kevin Kolb burned his former team with a pair of touchdown passes and James Sanders ran a fumble back 93 yards for a score as well. Arizona's defense sacked Eagles' QB Michael Vick five times.
Oakland stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-31 as Raiders' kicker Sebastian Janikowski drilled a game winning 43-yard field goal as time expired for the win.
The host Raiders overcame a ten-point fourth quarter deficit behind QB Carson Palmer, who led the two drives in the final minutes while throwing for a pair of touchdowns. Running back Darren McFadden went for 113 yards on the ground and had a 64-yard scoring run. Steelers' QB Ben Roethlisberger had four TD passes and 384 yards in the loss.
The New York Giants smashed the host Carolina Panthers in the Thursday Night Football game, 36-7 behind a pair of scoring runs and 113 rushing yards from Andre Brown. Giants' QB Eli Manning passed for 288 yards and a touchdown as well.
The Sunday Night Football game concluded the wild weekend with a 31-30 thriller won by the host Baltimore Ravens against the New England Patriots in a game filled with penalties and drawing the ire of Pats' Head Coach Bill Belichick, who made contact with a game official when the game ended.
The Ravens twice overcame deficits (13-0 and 30-21) as QB Joe Flacco threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns, including two to wide receiver Torrey Smith (pictured left), who had six catches for 127 yards as well while dedicating the game to his younger brother, who was killed the night before in a motorcycle accident.
Ravens' RB Ray Rice ran for 101 yards and scored a touchdown to help the win. New England QB Tom Brady threw for 335 yards and a score in the loss, which left the Patriots (1-2) with a losing record for the first time since the first week of the 2003 season.
Controversy abounded over the replacement referees during the Monday Football game as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Green Bay Packers, 14-12 on a controversial ruling that allowed Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate a touchdown on a "Hail Mary" pass from QB Russell Wilson on the final play of the game.
Two officials right on top of the play in the end zone ruled differently on the play which appeared to be an interception by Packers' defensive back M.D. Jennings. After a review, the touchdown call was allowed to stand and the Packers were stunned with the loss.
Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers, who was sacked eight times in the game, said the call "was just awful."
The New York Jets might consider themselves to be more lucky than good following their 23-20 OT victory in Miami.
The Dolphins out thought themselves and it burned them as Jets' kicker Nick Folk had a second chance at a game winning field goal after his first attempt was blocked, but didn't count as such because the Dolphins called a timeout just prior to the snap. Folk made good on the retry from 33 yards out and the Jets won the game. However, it was a costly one for the Jets as All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis was lost for the season with a knee injury.
The Detroit Lions also were thinking too much about strategy and they also were burned as the Tennessee Titans outlasted them 44-41 in overtime.
The Titans kicked a field goal for the lead in the OT session, but the Lions drove down inside the ten-yard line and were just short of a first down. That's when on fourth and inches, they appeared to go for it rather than kick the easy field goal to keep the game going.
Head Coach Jim Schwartz explained the gaffe after the game that his team wasn't supposed to actually snap the ball, but try to draw the Titans offside. The Lions were stuffed when reserve quarterback Shaun Hill bobbled the snap and fell on the ball, short of the first down.
Prior to the OT, the Lions stormed back from 14 points behind by scoring two touchdowns in 18 seconds to tie the game, 41-41. They scored on a three-yard pass from Hill to Calvin Johnson, then recovered the onside kickoff and a "Hail Mary" pass from Hill to Titus Young worked at the end of regulation.
Tennessee QB Jake Locker threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns and the Titans returned a punt and kickoff for touchdowns as well.
 |
| KC running back Jamaal Charles |
The Saints QB had three TD passes in the loss, but the Chiefs rode the running of Jamaal Charles, the Heftyinfo NFL co-Player of the Week, who had 233 yards on the ground, including a 91-yard touchdown run.
Kansas City kicker Ryan Succop made six field goals, including the game winner in OT from 31 yards to earn the Chiefs their first win of the season.
The big surprise of the day was the Minnesota Vikings winning at home against the San Francisco 49ers, 24-13 behind two TD passes from Christian Ponder and a defense that forced three turnovers and sacked 49ers' QB Alex Smith three times.
The Cincinnati Bengals knocked off the Washington Redskins, 38-31 as their defense sacked Washington QB Robert Griffin III six times and QB Andy Dalton had three touchdown passes to lead the way.
The Atlanta Falcons smoked the San Diego Chargers, 27-3 behind a stellar defensive effort that limited the Chargers to just 280 yards of total offense and no touchdowns.
 |
| Falcons' DB Thomas DeCoud had two INT and a fumble recovery in win. |
Falcons' QB Matt Ryan shredded the Chargers' defense for three touchdown passes and 275 yards and running back Michael Turner scored a touchdown against his former team to help improve Atlanta to 3-0 for the season.
Jacksonville got a miracle play when Cecil Shorts took a pass and raced 80 yards to paydirt to secure a 22-17 win over the host Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars surrendered the lead in the last minute of play when Indy kicker Adam Vinatieri nailed a 37-yard field goal to put the Colts ahead by one point. Jags' RB Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 177 yards and also had a 59-yard scoring run in the win.
The Chicago Bears defense dominated the St. Louis Rams, sacking QB Sam Bradford six times and also getting two interceptions, including a 45-yard touchdown return off a pick by Major Wright to pace the 23-6 win.
Buffalo beat the Cleveland Browns, 24-14 as QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for three touchdowns and the Bills' defense came up with three turnovers to keep the host Browns winless for the season.
The Houston Texans remained unbeaten with a road win against the Denver Broncos, 31-25 with QB Matt Schaub passing for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Broncos' QB Peyton Manning had 330 yards passing and two TD passes in the loss.
The Arizona Cardinals also ran their record to 3-0 with a 27-6 win against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. Cards' QB Kevin Kolb burned his former team with a pair of touchdown passes and James Sanders ran a fumble back 93 yards for a score as well. Arizona's defense sacked Eagles' QB Michael Vick five times.
Oakland stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-31 as Raiders' kicker Sebastian Janikowski drilled a game winning 43-yard field goal as time expired for the win.
The host Raiders overcame a ten-point fourth quarter deficit behind QB Carson Palmer, who led the two drives in the final minutes while throwing for a pair of touchdowns. Running back Darren McFadden went for 113 yards on the ground and had a 64-yard scoring run. Steelers' QB Ben Roethlisberger had four TD passes and 384 yards in the loss.
The New York Giants smashed the host Carolina Panthers in the Thursday Night Football game, 36-7 behind a pair of scoring runs and 113 rushing yards from Andre Brown. Giants' QB Eli Manning passed for 288 yards and a touchdown as well.
The Sunday Night Football game concluded the wild weekend with a 31-30 thriller won by the host Baltimore Ravens against the New England Patriots in a game filled with penalties and drawing the ire of Pats' Head Coach Bill Belichick, who made contact with a game official when the game ended.
Ravens' RB Ray Rice ran for 101 yards and scored a touchdown to help the win. New England QB Tom Brady threw for 335 yards and a score in the loss, which left the Patriots (1-2) with a losing record for the first time since the first week of the 2003 season.
Controversy abounded over the replacement referees during the Monday Football game as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Green Bay Packers, 14-12 on a controversial ruling that allowed Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate a touchdown on a "Hail Mary" pass from QB Russell Wilson on the final play of the game.
Two officials right on top of the play in the end zone ruled differently on the play which appeared to be an interception by Packers' defensive back M.D. Jennings. After a review, the touchdown call was allowed to stand and the Packers were stunned with the loss.
Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers, who was sacked eight times in the game, said the call "was just awful."
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
NFL - Week Three Preview
Just three weeks into the 2012 NFL season and there are only six unbeaten teams and also six winless teams.
Two games feature battle of the unbeatens as the Philadelphia Eagles go against the host Arizona Cardinals while the Atlanta Falcons travel to play the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.
The other undefeated teams are on the road as the Houston Texans will be at Denver to face the Broncos. The San Francisco 49ers will be in Minnesota to play the Vikings.
There is one game where winless teams go against each other when the New Orleans Saints host the Kansas City Chiefs.
The prime time game on Sunday night should be a good one with the New England Patriots going to Baltimore to face the Ravens, the team they beat in the AFC Championship Game last season.
Meanwhile, the Monday Night Football game will have the Green Bay Packers traveling out to Seattle, where the Seahawks and their vaunted "12th Man" crowd of fans awaits.
When all is said and done this weekend, there may be just one winless team and only two unbeaten teams remaining.
Stay tuned.
Here are the Heftyinfo picks for this weekend . . . (Home teams are listed in BOLD)
New York Giants over Carolina
Chicago over St. Louis
Dallas over Tampa Bay
Detroit over Tennessee
San Francisco over Minnesota
New Orleans over Kansas City
Washington over Cincinnati
Miami over New York Jets
Buffalo over Cleveland
Indianapolis over Jacksonville
Philadelphia over Arizona
San Diego over Atlanta
Pittsburgh over Oakland
Houston over Denver
Baltimore over New England
Green Bay over Seattle
Last Week's Record: 9-7
SEASON RECORD: 20-12
The other undefeated teams are on the road as the Houston Texans will be at Denver to face the Broncos. The San Francisco 49ers will be in Minnesota to play the Vikings.
There is one game where winless teams go against each other when the New Orleans Saints host the Kansas City Chiefs.
The prime time game on Sunday night should be a good one with the New England Patriots going to Baltimore to face the Ravens, the team they beat in the AFC Championship Game last season.
Meanwhile, the Monday Night Football game will have the Green Bay Packers traveling out to Seattle, where the Seahawks and their vaunted "12th Man" crowd of fans awaits.
When all is said and done this weekend, there may be just one winless team and only two unbeaten teams remaining.
Stay tuned.
Here are the Heftyinfo picks for this weekend . . . (Home teams are listed in BOLD)
New York Giants over Carolina
Chicago over St. Louis
Dallas over Tampa Bay
Detroit over Tennessee
San Francisco over Minnesota
New Orleans over Kansas City
Washington over Cincinnati
Miami over New York Jets
Buffalo over Cleveland
Indianapolis over Jacksonville
Philadelphia over Arizona
San Diego over Atlanta
Pittsburgh over Oakland
Houston over Denver
Baltimore over New England
Green Bay over Seattle
Last Week's Record: 9-7
SEASON RECORD: 20-12
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
We The People
The forty seven percent speak back to Mitt Romney, the Republican Presidential candidate.
WELL SAID Brad (Average American) Cecil
WELL SAID Brad (Average American) Cecil
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films, Dies
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| Steve Sabol 1942-2012 |
Thanks for the memories ...
Monday, September 17, 2012
NFL - Week Two Review
Upsets galore in Week Two around the NFL, where the Arizona Cardinals stunned the New England Patriots, 20-18 as Stephen Gostkowski missed a potential game winning 42-yard field goal in the final seconds.
The Cardinals defense held the high powered Pats' attack to just one touchdown and four field goals while quarterback Kevin Kolb passed for a touchdown and ran for another in the win.
The Carolina Panthers topped the struggling New Orleans Saints, 35-27 behind Cam Newton, who passed for 253 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 71 yards and scored a touchdown on the ground to pace the win. Saints QB Drew Brees threw two interceptions, one of which was taken in for a score to tie the game in the first quarter.
The Seattle Seahawks smoked the visiting Dallas Cowboys, 27-7 behind stellar defense which limited the 'Pokes to just 49 yards rushing and the running of Marshawn Lynch, who scored a touchdown and ran for 122 yards.
Philadelphia knocked off the visiting Baltimore Ravens, 24-23 on a Michael Vick one-yard touchdown run with 1:55 remaining in the game.
The Eagles came from behind after trailing 17-7 at halftime by piling up 486 yards against the vaulted Baltimore defense, including 371 passing yards by Vick.
Miami smashed the visiting Oakland Raiders, 35-13 as Reggie Bush (pictured right), the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week, ran wild, going for 172 yards rushing, and scoring two touchdowns on long scoring runs, including a 65-yard jaunt to paydirt.
The Raiders rushed for only 23 yards against the Dolphins defense while QB Carson Palmer passed for 373 yards in the loss. Miami's rookie QB Ryan Tannehill made up for a terrible debut last week by scoring a rushing touchdown and passing for another score.
The Indianapolis Colts got their first win in the Andrew Luck era as they held off the Minnesota Vikings, 23-20 on a 53-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri in the closing seconds.
The Houston Texans throttled the host Jacksonville Jaguars, 27-7 behind a ground game that went for 216 yards (Arian Foster had 110 yards and Ben Tate gained 74 yards) and saw the running tandem each score a touchdown.
The Texans defense limited Jacksonville to 117 yards in offense, including just 52 passing yards as Jags' starting QB Blaine Gabbert left the game with an injury.
Cincinnati beat the Cleveland Brown in a 34-27 shootout as QB Andy Dalton had 318 yards passing and three touchdown passes to offset (Browns' rookie QB) Brandon Weeden's 322 yard passing effort that included two touchdowns.
The Bengals also got a score on a 81-yard punt return by Adam Jones. Browns' rookie running back Trent Richardson ran for 109 yards and scored a touchdown in the loss.
The New York Giants outlasted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 41-34 as quarterback Eli Manning threw for 510 yards and three touchdowns, including a 80-yard scoring strike to Victor Cruz to make up for three first half interceptions in the come from behind win.
Tampa Bay blew a big lead as they were outscored 25-7 in the final quarter, in spite of Josh Freeman tossing two touchdown passes and wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who had 128 receiving yards and a touchdown.
The Buffalo Bills dominated the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-17 as they built a 32-point lead through three quarters. A balanced attack paced the easy win as C.J. Spiller rushed for 123 yards and scored twice while QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two TD passes.
The San Diego Chargers played solid defense, limiting Tennessee Titans' running back Chris Johnson to 17 yards on the ground and QB Philip Rivers connected with reserve tight end Dante Rosario for three touchdowns in a 38-10 blowout win over the visiting Titans.
Pittsburgh rebounded from a disappointing season opening loss with a 27-10 whipping of the visiting New York Jets. The Steelers were led by two TD passes from Ben Roethlisberger and a defensive effort that held the Jets to 219 yards in total offense.
The St. Louis Rams stormed back to beat the Washington Redskins, 31-28 at home.
The Redskins were ahead 21-6 in the second quarter before Rams' QB Sam Bradford got it rolling with three TD passes to lead the comeback win. Washington QB Robert Griffin III passed for 206 yards and also ran for 82 yards and a score in the loss.
The Green Bay Packers pounded the Chicago Bears, 23-10 in Lambeau Field as they sacked Bears' QB Jay Cutler seven times and also intercepted four passes as Cutler was visibly upset on the sidelines during the Thursday night prime time game.
The Sunday Night Football game saw the host San Francisco 49ers roll past the Detroit Lions, 27-19 as QB Alex Smith threw a pair of touchdowns to tight end Vernon Davis and running back Frank Gore also scored a touchdown while going for 89 yards on the ground. The 49ers' defense held the high octane Lions' attack to 296 yards of total offense.
The Atlanta Falcons intercepted Denver Broncos' QB Peyton Manning three times in the first half to help pave the way to a 27-21 home win on the Monday Night Football game.
Falcons' QB Matt Ryan passed for 219 yards and two touchdowns in the win as the Falcons improved to 2-0.
The Cardinals defense held the high powered Pats' attack to just one touchdown and four field goals while quarterback Kevin Kolb passed for a touchdown and ran for another in the win.
The Carolina Panthers topped the struggling New Orleans Saints, 35-27 behind Cam Newton, who passed for 253 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 71 yards and scored a touchdown on the ground to pace the win. Saints QB Drew Brees threw two interceptions, one of which was taken in for a score to tie the game in the first quarter.
The Seattle Seahawks smoked the visiting Dallas Cowboys, 27-7 behind stellar defense which limited the 'Pokes to just 49 yards rushing and the running of Marshawn Lynch, who scored a touchdown and ran for 122 yards.
Philadelphia knocked off the visiting Baltimore Ravens, 24-23 on a Michael Vick one-yard touchdown run with 1:55 remaining in the game.
The Eagles came from behind after trailing 17-7 at halftime by piling up 486 yards against the vaulted Baltimore defense, including 371 passing yards by Vick.
The Raiders rushed for only 23 yards against the Dolphins defense while QB Carson Palmer passed for 373 yards in the loss. Miami's rookie QB Ryan Tannehill made up for a terrible debut last week by scoring a rushing touchdown and passing for another score.
The Indianapolis Colts got their first win in the Andrew Luck era as they held off the Minnesota Vikings, 23-20 on a 53-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri in the closing seconds.
The Houston Texans throttled the host Jacksonville Jaguars, 27-7 behind a ground game that went for 216 yards (Arian Foster had 110 yards and Ben Tate gained 74 yards) and saw the running tandem each score a touchdown.
The Texans defense limited Jacksonville to 117 yards in offense, including just 52 passing yards as Jags' starting QB Blaine Gabbert left the game with an injury.
Cincinnati beat the Cleveland Brown in a 34-27 shootout as QB Andy Dalton had 318 yards passing and three touchdown passes to offset (Browns' rookie QB) Brandon Weeden's 322 yard passing effort that included two touchdowns.
The Bengals also got a score on a 81-yard punt return by Adam Jones. Browns' rookie running back Trent Richardson ran for 109 yards and scored a touchdown in the loss.
The New York Giants outlasted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 41-34 as quarterback Eli Manning threw for 510 yards and three touchdowns, including a 80-yard scoring strike to Victor Cruz to make up for three first half interceptions in the come from behind win.
Tampa Bay blew a big lead as they were outscored 25-7 in the final quarter, in spite of Josh Freeman tossing two touchdown passes and wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who had 128 receiving yards and a touchdown.
The Buffalo Bills dominated the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-17 as they built a 32-point lead through three quarters. A balanced attack paced the easy win as C.J. Spiller rushed for 123 yards and scored twice while QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two TD passes.
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| Chargers' TE Dante Rosario hauls in one of his three TD catches. |
Pittsburgh rebounded from a disappointing season opening loss with a 27-10 whipping of the visiting New York Jets. The Steelers were led by two TD passes from Ben Roethlisberger and a defensive effort that held the Jets to 219 yards in total offense.
The St. Louis Rams stormed back to beat the Washington Redskins, 31-28 at home.
The Redskins were ahead 21-6 in the second quarter before Rams' QB Sam Bradford got it rolling with three TD passes to lead the comeback win. Washington QB Robert Griffin III passed for 206 yards and also ran for 82 yards and a score in the loss.
The Green Bay Packers pounded the Chicago Bears, 23-10 in Lambeau Field as they sacked Bears' QB Jay Cutler seven times and also intercepted four passes as Cutler was visibly upset on the sidelines during the Thursday night prime time game.
The Sunday Night Football game saw the host San Francisco 49ers roll past the Detroit Lions, 27-19 as QB Alex Smith threw a pair of touchdowns to tight end Vernon Davis and running back Frank Gore also scored a touchdown while going for 89 yards on the ground. The 49ers' defense held the high octane Lions' attack to 296 yards of total offense.
The Atlanta Falcons intercepted Denver Broncos' QB Peyton Manning three times in the first half to help pave the way to a 27-21 home win on the Monday Night Football game.
Falcons' QB Matt Ryan passed for 219 yards and two touchdowns in the win as the Falcons improved to 2-0.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
The Way It Was
Images from the memorable 2008 Presidential Campaign between Barack Obama and John McCain, which Obama won decisively to become the 44th President of the United States.
Friday, September 14, 2012
NFL - Week Two Preview
What can RG3 do for an encore?
The Washington Redskins rookie quarterback set a record in his debut game last week at New Orleans, passing for 320 yards and two touchdowns as the 'Skins rolled, 40-32 over the Saints.
This week, Washington is at St. Louis to face the Rams, who gave the Detroit Lions a scare in week one, before falling, 27-23 in Motown.
Can the Redskins make it two in a row with Robert Griffin III (pictured right) leading the way?
As long as the offense plays the way it did against New Orleans and the defense comes up with stops against Sam Bradford and company in St. Louis, then count on a 2-0 start for the Redskins.
There are some other good match ups around the NFL this Sunday, especially Baltimore playing at Philadelphia.
The Ravens looked unstoppable with their new 'hurry up' offense (no huddle is the trendy term) against Cincinnati last Monday night while the Eagles struggled to beat the Cleveland Browns on the road.
Philly QB Michael Vick was intercepted four times in that game, but the Eagles scored late to pull out the win. Meanwhile, Ravens' QB Joe Flacco passed for 299 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the 44-13 rout of the Bengals.
The Pittsburgh Steelers look to avoid a 0-2 start when they have their home opener against the New York Jets, who scored the most points of any team last weekend, when they blasted the Buffalo Bills, 48-28 to quash the obituaries of their offense.
The Sunday Night Football game has the Detroit Lions (1-0) playing at San Francisco. The 49ers pasted the Green Bay Packers on the road, 30-22 behind solid defense and a prolific running game, led by Frank Gore.
Monday Night Football will be a good game as well with the Denver Broncos, fresh off their thumping of the Steelers (Peyton Manning looked stellar in his return to the field) last Sunday night, taking on the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome.
Atlanta QB Matt Ryan had a big game as the Falcons blasted the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-24 and will be looking to duplicate the effort at home against Denver. The Falcons are 30-5 at home with Ryan starting at quarterback since his rookie season four years ago.
So, without further adieu, here are the Heftyinfo picks for Week Two (HOME teams are listed in BOLD)
Green Bay over Chicago
Buffalo over Kansas City
New Orleans over Carolina
Cincinnati over Cleveland
Minnesota over Indianapolis
Houston over Jacksonville
Baltimore over Philadelphia
New York Giants over Tampa Bay
New England over Arizona
Washington over St. Louis
Dallas over Seattle
Oakland over Miami
Pittsburgh over New York Jets
San Diego over Tennessee
San Francisco over Detroit
Atlanta over Denver
Last Week's Record: 11-5
This week, Washington is at St. Louis to face the Rams, who gave the Detroit Lions a scare in week one, before falling, 27-23 in Motown.
Can the Redskins make it two in a row with Robert Griffin III (pictured right) leading the way?
As long as the offense plays the way it did against New Orleans and the defense comes up with stops against Sam Bradford and company in St. Louis, then count on a 2-0 start for the Redskins.
There are some other good match ups around the NFL this Sunday, especially Baltimore playing at Philadelphia.
The Ravens looked unstoppable with their new 'hurry up' offense (no huddle is the trendy term) against Cincinnati last Monday night while the Eagles struggled to beat the Cleveland Browns on the road.
Philly QB Michael Vick was intercepted four times in that game, but the Eagles scored late to pull out the win. Meanwhile, Ravens' QB Joe Flacco passed for 299 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the 44-13 rout of the Bengals.
The Pittsburgh Steelers look to avoid a 0-2 start when they have their home opener against the New York Jets, who scored the most points of any team last weekend, when they blasted the Buffalo Bills, 48-28 to quash the obituaries of their offense.
The Sunday Night Football game has the Detroit Lions (1-0) playing at San Francisco. The 49ers pasted the Green Bay Packers on the road, 30-22 behind solid defense and a prolific running game, led by Frank Gore.
Monday Night Football will be a good game as well with the Denver Broncos, fresh off their thumping of the Steelers (Peyton Manning looked stellar in his return to the field) last Sunday night, taking on the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome.
Atlanta QB Matt Ryan had a big game as the Falcons blasted the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-24 and will be looking to duplicate the effort at home against Denver. The Falcons are 30-5 at home with Ryan starting at quarterback since his rookie season four years ago.
So, without further adieu, here are the Heftyinfo picks for Week Two (HOME teams are listed in BOLD)
Green Bay over Chicago
Buffalo over Kansas City
New Orleans over Carolina
Cincinnati over Cleveland
Minnesota over Indianapolis
Houston over Jacksonville
Baltimore over Philadelphia
New York Giants over Tampa Bay
New England over Arizona
Washington over St. Louis
Dallas over Seattle
Oakland over Miami
Pittsburgh over New York Jets
San Diego over Tennessee
San Francisco over Detroit
Atlanta over Denver
Last Week's Record: 11-5
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
NFL - Thursday Night Game Preview
Thursday Night Football is back, only this season it is starting two months earlier than normal on the NFL Network.
The initial game for the 2012 season is the Chicago Bears at the Green Bay Packers in historic Lambeau Field.
The NFL's oldest rivalry in prime time.
The Bears are coming off a 41-21 win at home against the Indianapolis Colts, in which the defense intercepted Colts' rookie quarterback Andrew Luck three times. The Packers lost their opener at home, 30-22 against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Bears were swept last year by the Packers and the two teams split the regular season games in 2010 when they both made the playoffs. The Packers beat the Bears in Chicago, 21-14 for the NFC Championship and went on to win the Super Bowl two weeks later.
However, the 2012 version of this rivalry should be interesting.
The Bears feature a more potent offensive attack with the addition of wide receivers Brandon Marshall (nine catches, including a touchdown in their win on Sunday) and rookie Alshon Jeffery, who had three receptions for 80 yards, including a 42-yard scoring pass from quarterback Jay Cutler.
Cutler is surrounded with speedy wide outs and of course, running back Matt Forte', who played well in the opener, going for 80 yards on the ground and also scored on a six-yard run. Reserve back Michael Bush scored two touchdowns as well as he spelled Forte' in the red zone while gaining 42 yards rushing in the win.
The Packers struggled to get their potent offense going against one of the league's top defenses Sunday afternoon.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 303 yards, but was intercepted while throwing for two touchdowns. The Packers' running game was non existent as Cedric Benson was limited to 18 yards on just nine carries. There is the possibility that Packers' wide receiver Greg Jennings (five catches for just 34 yards) may miss this game.
On defense, the Bears came up with turnovers against Indy and also recorded three sacks. Corner man Charles Tillman left the game with a leg injury in the first half and didn't return. Tim Jennings made two picks for the Bears' defense.
Meanwhile, Green Bay allowed 377 yards to the 49ers, including 186 on the ground. The defense did get to the quarterback four times, but did not create any turnovers.
The Packers know they will have to stop the Bears' running game and also get pressure on Cutler in order to have success in this game. The Bears have to keep Rodgers in check and not allow him to roam outside and throw on the run, where he is very effective.
Special teams may play a role as well as the Packers got a touchdown from Randall Cobb via a 75-yard punt return that put them back into their game on Sunday.
The Bears have Devin Hester ... enough said.
These teams know each other so well, as Chicago Head Coach Lovie Smith often says. Green Bay's Head Coach Mike McCarthy concurs and alluded to that following the Sunday loss, stating it's a short week, so there is no need to keep talking about the first game because the Packers have a game in three days.
The Bears and the Packers at Lambeau Field under the Thursday night lights.
That is NFL football at it's best.
PREDICTION - Green Bay 31, Chicago 28 (in overtime)
(Note: The Heftyinfo NFL Preview for Week Two with game predictions will be posted on Friday.)
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Psycho GOP Candidate
Still thinking of voting for Mitt Romney this November?
Watch this clip . . . it may change your life. (Or at least your mind.)
Watch this clip . . . it may change your life. (Or at least your mind.)
Monday, September 10, 2012
NFL - Week One Review
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| Peyton Manning shined in the season debut |
Manning showed no real signs of rust at all after missing all of last season, passing for 253 yards and a pair of touchdown passes in leading the Denver Broncos to a 31-19 home victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Meanwhile, Griffin (or RG3 as he is also known) passed for an NFL rookie record 320 yards with two touchdown passes, including an 88-yard scoring strike to Pierre Garcon as the Washington Redskins stunned the host New Orleans Saints, 40-32. Griffin outshined the legendary Saints QB Drew Brees in the win.
In fact, Manning and Griffin III are the Heftyinfo NFL co-Players of the Week for their performances.
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| RG3 set a rookie passing record in the opening game |
New England won at Tennessee behind QB Tom Brady (236 yards and two TD passes) and running back Stevan Ridley, who gained 125 yards on the ground with a TD and a defensive effort that limited Titans' RB Chris Johnson to just four yards rushing in the game. The Patriots defense also scored a touchdown off a fumble return . . . Detroit overcame a sour start by QB Matthew Stafford (three picks) to rally in the closing seconds for a 27-23 home victory against St. Louis. Stafford connected with Kevin Smith on a five-yard scoring pass for the win . . . Atlanta went into Kansas City and dismantled the Chiefs, 40-24 behind QB Matt Ryan, who threw for 299 yards and three scores and ran for a touchdown as well . . . The Houston Texans cruised past visiting Miami, 30-10 as the Dolphins were limited to just 275 yards in offense, including 79 yards rushing. Texans' RB Arian Foster ran for two touchdowns while the defense sacked Miami rookie QB Ryan Tannehill three times and also intercepted three passes in the win.
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| Tony Romo |
The NFL opener last Wednesday night saw the Dallas Cowboys, behind QB Tony Romo's three touchdown passes, beat the New York Giants on the road, 24-17. Romo threw for 307 yards while running back DeMarco Murray gained 131 yards rushing and WR Kevin Ogletree hauled in eight passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Giants' QB Eli Manning was limited to 213 yards passing and one scoring pass in the loss.
The Monday Night Football games for Week One saw the Baltimore Ravens roll to an easy home win, 44-13 over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns while running back Ray Rice scored two rushing touchdowns. The Ravens defense recorded four sacks and also scored a touchdown when safety Ed Reed took an interception back 34 yards.
Out West, the San Diego Chargers scored a road victory to open the season, beating the Oakland Raiders, 22-14 behind five field goals by Nate Kaeding and a touchdown pass from QB Philip Rivers (231 pass yards) to Malcolm Floyd. Raiders' running back Darren McFadden had 13 catches in the loss.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Paul Ryan Is A Total Hypocrite
Paul Ryan, the Republican Vice Presidential running mate to Mitt Romney, makes a case for STIMULUS SPENDING in this clip from 2002, when it was okay to do so because the REPUBLICANS wanted to do it.
See for yourself...
See for yourself...
Saturday, September 8, 2012
NFL - Week One Preview
The Broncos are led by quarterback Peyton Manning, who is coming off neck surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2011 season. The Steelers were knocked out of the playoffs last year by Denver, which had Tim Tebow (now with New York Jets) playing quarterback in that game.
There are other games that should make for very interesting openers as the Atlanta Falcons travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs, which are looking to atone for an 2011 injury riddled season that saw them finish fourth in the AFC West.
The New Orleans Saints, with the 'bounty gate' suspensions being thrown out, will play host to the Washington Redskins, led by rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. Another rookie QB, Andrew Luck, the top pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, will lead his team against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
The San Francisco 49ers, a pick by many to win the Super Bowl (including right here at heftyinfo) will be in Lambeau Field to play the Green Bay Packers in what could be the best game of the opening week.
An of course, Monday Night Football will have the TWO games on opening weekend as the Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals while the nightcap game will feature San Diego going against Oakland.
The following offers a capsule form breakdown for the first week of the season.
Indianapolis at Chicago - The Bears have a revamped offense that may well outshine their aging defense. The Colts are beginning a new era with rookie QB Andrew Luck.
Philadelphia at Cleveland - Can Eagles' QB Michael Vick stay in one piece? The Browns are counting on rookies at the two most important offensive positions this year.
St. Louis at Detroit - New Head Coach (Jeff Fisher) for the Rams. The Lions are looking to move forward in 2012.
Miami at Houston - The Texans are a consensus choice to make the Super Bowl this season. Should be a yawner win for them in Week One.
Atlanta at Kansas City - The Falcons looking to make some strides this year will get a BIG test in their opener on the road. The Chiefs want to prove to many they are the real deal in 2012.
Jacksonville at Minnesota - MJD is back! (Although he may not see action in the opener) Will AP be ready for the Vikings?
Washington at New Orleans - Will the QB battle between RG3 and Drew Brees live up to the billing? Nope... Saints roll.
Buffalo at New York Jets - The Bills came unhinged after a great start last year while the Jets slid to .500 record and out of the playoffs. This should be a really good game between two teams looking to move up in the AFC East.
New England at Tennessee - Tom Brady and company facing the Titans, who always seem to be in the mix late in the season. But, it is the opening game, so take the Pats.
Seattle at Arizona - Another rookie starting QB (Seattle's Russell Wilson) goes against QB John Skelton for the Cards. Who? This game could go down to the wire between two evenly matched teams.
Carolina at Tampa Bay - Quarterback Cam Newton looking to have an encore performance this season for the Panthers. The Bucs looking to atone for a disastrous 2011 season.
San Francisco at Green Bay - The game of the day perhaps as the Packers, led by 2011 NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, will look to dismantle a top notch defense. Not gonna happen as this game will likely come down to the wire with the defenses shining.
Pittsburgh at Denver - The Steelers are always solid and their defense will get tested by future Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning in the Mile High City.
MONDAY NIGHT GAMES
Cincinnati at Baltimore - The Ravens looking to put a beat down on the Bengals in prime time.
San Diego at Oakland - These rivals may go to OT to decide this one. It could come down to which team makes less mistakes as Chargers' QB Philip Rivers and Oakland QB Carson Palmer each has thrown 20 or more interceptions in which they played full seasons.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Bravo!
Bill Clinton knocked it out of the park tonight at the Democratic National Convention and gave Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan and ALL Republicans A RED ASS!
NFL 2012 Kickoff
The Dallas Cowboys and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants will get the 2012 NFL season started tonight at The Meadowlands in New Jersey.
The Giants got hot at the right time last year and won the Super Bowl, their second title inn five seasons, beating the New England Patriots, 21-17.
Quarterback Eli Manning (pictured right) leads the Giants offense against a fierce pass rushing Dallas defense, led by DeMarcus Ware, who finished second in the NFL last season with 19 1/2 quarterback sacks.
Dallas counters with QB Tony Romo, who is coming off his best statistical season in 2011. The Cowboys, however, failed to make the playoffs and they know their collective "window of opportunity" could be closing quick in the Romo era.
The Giants swept the division series last year, including the 31-14 victory in the regular season's final game that gave them the NFC East title and the playoff appearance they parlayed into a Super Bowl title one month later.
It should be a good game to start the new season as the rest of the action takes place on Sunday and of course, on Monday night as well.
Following is the Week One picks for the games this weekend, including tonight's opener. (Home teams listed in BOLD)
New York Giants over Dallas
Chicago over Indianapolis
Philadelphia over Cleveland
New England over Tennessee
Atlanta over Kansas City
Minnesota over Jacksonville
New Orleans over Washington
New York Jets over Buffalo
Detroit over St. Louis
Houston over Miami
Green Bay over San Francisco
Arizona over Seattle
Carolina over Tampa Bay
Pittsburgh over Denver
Baltimore over Cincinnati
San Diego over Oakland
Quarterback Eli Manning (pictured right) leads the Giants offense against a fierce pass rushing Dallas defense, led by DeMarcus Ware, who finished second in the NFL last season with 19 1/2 quarterback sacks.
Dallas counters with QB Tony Romo, who is coming off his best statistical season in 2011. The Cowboys, however, failed to make the playoffs and they know their collective "window of opportunity" could be closing quick in the Romo era.
The Giants swept the division series last year, including the 31-14 victory in the regular season's final game that gave them the NFC East title and the playoff appearance they parlayed into a Super Bowl title one month later.
It should be a good game to start the new season as the rest of the action takes place on Sunday and of course, on Monday night as well.
Following is the Week One picks for the games this weekend, including tonight's opener. (Home teams listed in BOLD)
New York Giants over Dallas
Chicago over Indianapolis
Philadelphia over Cleveland
New England over Tennessee
Atlanta over Kansas City
Minnesota over Jacksonville
New Orleans over Washington
New York Jets over Buffalo
Detroit over St. Louis
Houston over Miami
Green Bay over San Francisco
Arizona over Seattle
Carolina over Tampa Bay
Pittsburgh over Denver
Baltimore over Cincinnati
San Diego over Oakland
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