Round 1 of the NFL Draft was last night with linemen being the big thing everyone is talking about.
The first pick in the Draft was tackle Eric Fisher of Central Michigan who was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs. He was one of 3 tackles chosen within the first 4 picks of the draft. The first 7 picks were all linemen, offensive or defensive. 17 linemen in all were picked in the first round.
Ball movers like QB's and wide receivers were not as well sought in this round. Not even a running back was taken, a first since 1963.
Only one quarterback was picked last night with EJ Manuel being the lucky QB out of Florida State. Manuel went 16th overall to the Buffalo Bills. Many were speculating that if the Bills were to pick a QB, that it would've been Ryan Nassib, quarterback from Syracuse who played for Doug Marrone, now head coach of the Bills. Other teams might look at Nassib a bit differently now seeing that his old coach wouldn't pick him.
Manuel being the one quarterback picked means Geno Smith is still on the board. Despite all the praise he got leading up the draft, Smith goes home unselected in the first round. Smith and plenty of other quarterbacks are still available, waiting for teams to possibly make a rush for them to start the 2nd round.
Also still on the board is LB Manti Te'o out of Notre Dame. The great people at ESPN thought that he would be a late first rounder and would even get picked up by the Baltimore Ravens. Instead, the teams pass him up and the Ravens select Matt Elam, a safety out of Florida, as the last pick in the first round.
The Minnesota Vikings were the busiest franchise last night managing three first round draft picks. First they got DT Sharrif Floyd out of Florida at 23 overall. Then two spots later, they traded for Seattle's pick to get Xavier Rhodes, a cornerback out of Florida State. To wrap up their day, they traded for New England's spot at 29 to get Cordarrelle Patterson, a wide receiver out of Tennessee.
As for my San Francisco 49ers, they traded with Dallas to get up to the 18th pick to select Eric Reid, a safety from LSU. Not knowing a thing about him, I liked that the 49ers are picking a defensive back. Getting Reid at 18 and Nnamdi Asomugha in free agency for a year says that the 49ers are trying to fix the one hole they have in an otherwise elite defense.
The Draft continues tonight at 6:30 PM Eastern.
Showing posts with label Ravens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ravens. Show all posts
Friday, April 26, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Ravens Win at Home and Seahawks Beat Redskins and Injured RG3
The wild card round of the postseason finished earlier today in the NFL with some great games.
First, the Colts went back to Baltimore to face the Ravens in Ray Lewis' last game at home. Lewis gave the crowd some great dancing throughout and managed to go the distance with his injured arm. The defense played a solid game despite the fact that they were on the field most of the time. They held the Colts and Andrew Luck to just 3 field goals. The Ravens, meanwhile, managed a few touchdowns themselves and won it 24-9. Lewis was in on the last play of the game as Flacco and the offense kneeled it down for the victory.
The 2nd game had the Seahawks going on the road to Washington D.C. to face the Redskins. Seattle got off to a slow start while Robert Griffin III and the 'Skins offense managed to score two touchdowns on their first two possessions. After that, RG3 re-injured his leg again and that offense couldn't do a thing after that. The Seahawks then scored 24 unanswered points throughout the rest of the game. RG3 came out in the 4th quarter after a bad snap fumble lead to his leg buckling. Seahawks win 24-14 and are the only visiting team to win this weekend.
Sunday ends with Russell Wilson being the only rookie QB of the three rookie QB's in the playoffs. You know, the one least talked about during the draft, the season, and the wild card round.
First, the Colts went back to Baltimore to face the Ravens in Ray Lewis' last game at home. Lewis gave the crowd some great dancing throughout and managed to go the distance with his injured arm. The defense played a solid game despite the fact that they were on the field most of the time. They held the Colts and Andrew Luck to just 3 field goals. The Ravens, meanwhile, managed a few touchdowns themselves and won it 24-9. Lewis was in on the last play of the game as Flacco and the offense kneeled it down for the victory.
The 2nd game had the Seahawks going on the road to Washington D.C. to face the Redskins. Seattle got off to a slow start while Robert Griffin III and the 'Skins offense managed to score two touchdowns on their first two possessions. After that, RG3 re-injured his leg again and that offense couldn't do a thing after that. The Seahawks then scored 24 unanswered points throughout the rest of the game. RG3 came out in the 4th quarter after a bad snap fumble lead to his leg buckling. Seahawks win 24-14 and are the only visiting team to win this weekend.
Sunday ends with Russell Wilson being the only rookie QB of the three rookie QB's in the playoffs. You know, the one least talked about during the draft, the season, and the wild card round.
Friday, November 30, 2012
No Big Ben vs. Ravens
The Steelers woes at QB remain stagnant to put it at best. It seems that Ben Roethlisberger will not be playing Sunday's game in Baltimore due to his injured shoulder. Apparently his arm is throwing balls soft enough so that I can catch them. So Ben sits as the team will likely go with Charlie Batch, their third string starter, to see if he can win the day against the Ravens who beat the Steelers in the first meeting of these two teams 13-10 in Pittsburgh.
This is a dangerous for the Steelers. While their schedule does get easier and the likelihood of Big Ben coming back increases, they still would have zero room for error if they lose this Sunday. They would fall to 6-6 on the year and possibly fall behind the Bengals if Cincy wins their game in San Diego. Pittsburgh's schedule might favor them the rest of the way but who knows what can happen over the last few weeks of the season.
This is a dangerous for the Steelers. While their schedule does get easier and the likelihood of Big Ben coming back increases, they still would have zero room for error if they lose this Sunday. They would fall to 6-6 on the year and possibly fall behind the Bengals if Cincy wins their game in San Diego. Pittsburgh's schedule might favor them the rest of the way but who knows what can happen over the last few weeks of the season.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Ed Reed Suspended for 1 Game
In the win over the Steelers, Ravens safety Ed Reed has gotten into trouble with the league. Reed was penalized for unnecessary roughness when he had a helmet-to-helmet hit with Emmanuel Sanders of the Steelers. That wasn't the only punishment that he got. As a result of that and a couple of hits to the head he made over the last couple of seasons, Ed Reed has been suspended for one game. It will cost him $423,529 and he will miss the game vs. the Chargers this weekend.
I thought improving things in the name of player safety in the NFL was a good thing but I believe it has gone a bit too far. I started to think this way when Bounty Gate started to drag on and on but this just seems to make me think the oversight on this issue is a joke. Ed Reed did not mean to make this kind of hit on Sanders if you bother to analyze the reply. The intent is just not there. The NFL just wants to make an example out of a high profile player to legitimize the league's authority. I'm not certain that this is the case in Bounty Gate but I'm starting to believe it is.
No matter how much we moan and groan about how unfair this the Ed Reed suspension is, Roger Goodell will not undo the suspension and he will not stop making unjust suspensions or fines. He will just escalate punishments further and make new rules all in the name of safety. That's what all tyrants and dictators do.
P.S. Be sure to follow me on twitter @TheSportsKhanSF
I thought improving things in the name of player safety in the NFL was a good thing but I believe it has gone a bit too far. I started to think this way when Bounty Gate started to drag on and on but this just seems to make me think the oversight on this issue is a joke. Ed Reed did not mean to make this kind of hit on Sanders if you bother to analyze the reply. The intent is just not there. The NFL just wants to make an example out of a high profile player to legitimize the league's authority. I'm not certain that this is the case in Bounty Gate but I'm starting to believe it is.
No matter how much we moan and groan about how unfair this the Ed Reed suspension is, Roger Goodell will not undo the suspension and he will not stop making unjust suspensions or fines. He will just escalate punishments further and make new rules all in the name of safety. That's what all tyrants and dictators do.
P.S. Be sure to follow me on twitter @TheSportsKhanSF
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Upon Further Review... We're Bringing the Old Refs Back
While the 2012 NFL Season has been a fun one to watch so far, the side story of the lockout of the referees and using replacement refs has taken suddenly taken center stage due to a bad TD call at the end of the Packers-Seahawks game on Monday night. News outlets everywhere had it as lead stories grateful to be talking about something else other than the election (#isitover). Two days after the call and then denial by the NFL, the lockout ends after roughly 3 months.
The NFL and the NFLRA spent two days talking over the details and finally got a deal done. Just as the bell tolled midnight, the announcement was made that a tentative agreement was reached between the two parties. The new deal is a 8 year labor agreement includes a salary increase from an average of $149,000 a year in 2011 to $173,000 in 2013, rising to $205,000 by 2019. As for the pension plan, it seems to a compromise as the current defined benefit pension plan will remain in place for current officials through the 2016 season or until the official earns 20 years of service. The defined benefit plan will then be frozen. Then by 2017, new refs hired by the league will have a contribution program setup by the league. (very technical, click here for full scoop at ESPN)
There also seems to be some new hiring agreements like hiring some refs for full time year round service and also retaining some for development and to oversee games. The point is that an agreement was made.
Thank goodness. Now the replacements can go and we can yell and hate the regular referees again.
I will say that I am glad that the regulars are back because while they will make mistakes like the replacements do from time to time, they at least know how to keep teams from ripping each other apart like on Sunday night. These guys know how to manage the game and keep the pace moving which is something that the replacements lack.
Them coming back also bring a sense of legitimacy back to the league. While no human is perfect, the regular refs officiating is best for the integrity of the sport as it's saying that the best are there overlooking things for the league. The use of replacement officials didn't have the same PR message, especially after Monday night.
The regular refs make their return tonight at the Browns-Ravens game. It seems awfully quick to bring them back as they might be rusty but it's better than the replacements at any given time.
The NFL and the NFLRA spent two days talking over the details and finally got a deal done. Just as the bell tolled midnight, the announcement was made that a tentative agreement was reached between the two parties. The new deal is a 8 year labor agreement includes a salary increase from an average of $149,000 a year in 2011 to $173,000 in 2013, rising to $205,000 by 2019. As for the pension plan, it seems to a compromise as the current defined benefit pension plan will remain in place for current officials through the 2016 season or until the official earns 20 years of service. The defined benefit plan will then be frozen. Then by 2017, new refs hired by the league will have a contribution program setup by the league. (very technical, click here for full scoop at ESPN)
There also seems to be some new hiring agreements like hiring some refs for full time year round service and also retaining some for development and to oversee games. The point is that an agreement was made.
Thank goodness. Now the replacements can go and we can yell and hate the regular referees again.
I will say that I am glad that the regulars are back because while they will make mistakes like the replacements do from time to time, they at least know how to keep teams from ripping each other apart like on Sunday night. These guys know how to manage the game and keep the pace moving which is something that the replacements lack.
Them coming back also bring a sense of legitimacy back to the league. While no human is perfect, the regular refs officiating is best for the integrity of the sport as it's saying that the best are there overlooking things for the league. The use of replacement officials didn't have the same PR message, especially after Monday night.
The regular refs make their return tonight at the Browns-Ravens game. It seems awfully quick to bring them back as they might be rusty but it's better than the replacements at any given time.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Emotional Win for Torrey Smith and the Ravens
The Sunday Night Game between the Patriots and the Ravens was intense and not just because of the players arguing half the time on the field while the refs did nothing.
Torrey Smith, a WR for the Ravens, lost his 19 year old brother Tevin Jones who died in a motorcycle accident not 24 hours before kickoff. Torrey Smith made the decision to play the game at around 4 PM despite what had happened. A moment of silence was observed for Smith's brother before the game started.
Torrey Smith and the Ravens then went out and played a rough and tough football game against the Pats. New England would take an early lead but the Ravens fought back and by the third quarter, it had become a back and forth game. Torrey Smith rose above it all to play a career game catching 6 balls for 127 yards and 2 TDs. He played sensationally for his teammates and his brother.
The Ravens would then drive down field one last time and set themselves up for a 27 yard FG to win it as time expired. The FG by Justin Tucker was ruled good despite it going directly over the right crossbar. Bill Belichick would protest but the refs wouldn't listen. Ravens win an emotional game 31-30.
The game was exciting to watch whether you were a Ravens fan or not. Though Smith was the story to talk about, the replacement refs had there share of the news. Bad calls plagued the entire game with it mostly being missed calls in the passing defense. At one point, the crowd started to chant BS over national TV. Not like Roger Goodell cares at all.
Despite the bad calls that agitated the fans, Torrey Smith and the Ravens rose through it all. It is at these times that the word "team" means so much more.
Our thoughts and prayers to Torrey and his family.
Torrey Smith, a WR for the Ravens, lost his 19 year old brother Tevin Jones who died in a motorcycle accident not 24 hours before kickoff. Torrey Smith made the decision to play the game at around 4 PM despite what had happened. A moment of silence was observed for Smith's brother before the game started.
Torrey Smith and the Ravens then went out and played a rough and tough football game against the Pats. New England would take an early lead but the Ravens fought back and by the third quarter, it had become a back and forth game. Torrey Smith rose above it all to play a career game catching 6 balls for 127 yards and 2 TDs. He played sensationally for his teammates and his brother.
The Ravens would then drive down field one last time and set themselves up for a 27 yard FG to win it as time expired. The FG by Justin Tucker was ruled good despite it going directly over the right crossbar. Bill Belichick would protest but the refs wouldn't listen. Ravens win an emotional game 31-30.
The game was exciting to watch whether you were a Ravens fan or not. Though Smith was the story to talk about, the replacement refs had there share of the news. Bad calls plagued the entire game with it mostly being missed calls in the passing defense. At one point, the crowd started to chant BS over national TV. Not like Roger Goodell cares at all.
Despite the bad calls that agitated the fans, Torrey Smith and the Ravens rose through it all. It is at these times that the word "team" means so much more.
Our thoughts and prayers to Torrey and his family.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Pats and Cowboys Get Upset, Eagles Outfly Ravens and More
A wild Sunday of football across the NFL as there were two notable upsets.
The first one was the Cardinals going into Foxboro and getting a win over the Patriots. The Cardinals went in there and looked like the Giants... in the sense that they stifle the Pats and limit their points total. The Patriots didn't get a TD until the 4th quarter. They needed to convert the two-point conversion but failed. Luckily they got the ball back from the Cardinals by way of the fumble with about a minute to go. But then luck turns against them once more as Stephen Gostkowski misses a 42 yd FG as it sails wide left. Cardinals hold on and win it 20-18.
The other major upset was in Seattle as the Seahawks played host to them Cowboys. It was an interesting game as the Seahawks got in front early with a FG and then a TD return off a blocked punt. The Cowboys then scored their only TD of the game but then failed to do anything else. A couple more TDs from Seattle in the second half put this one away for the Seahawks 27-7. Two NFC West teams are the cause of the biggest upsets of the week.
One of the great match ups to watch on the day had the Ravens going into Philly to take on the Eagles in the battle of the birds. The Eagles ran it considerably more to help Michael Vick but he still had problems. Vick threw for 371 yards and a TD but still had 2 INTs on the day. Despite that and two more fumbles by the Eagles, they somehow win it again late 24-23. After the Eagles TD, Joe Flacco and the Ravens had one more shot within two minutes but could not convert a 4th down to keep the drive alive.
As for the other games, the Giants avoid joining the Pats and the Cowboys in the getting upset department as they hold on for a win over the Bucs 41-34. Eli Manning comes through in the clutch again leading his team to 25 4th quarter points to get them the win. Andrew Luck records his first win as an QB in the NFL as the Colts beat the Vikings 23-20. Luck went 20/31 for 224 passing yards and 2 TD passes. Adam Vinatieri made the game winning 53 yd FG with 8 seconds left. The Panthers beat the dysfunctional Saints 35-27. Maybe dysfunctional is the wrong word but what else do you call a team where half of management is suspended. Last I'll mention is that the Rams beat the Redskins 31-28. Robert Griffin III scores his first two rushing TDs of his career but picks up his first career loss along with it.
What did we learn from this Sunday? The rough lesson that we have to reminded of from time to time: that there is no such thing as a sure thing. Perhaps the one powerhouse team that looked the most consistent yesterday was the 49ers.
P.S. To see my full scoop on the 49ers beating the Lions, click here. Be sure to visit the 49ers section at prosportsblogging.com for my take on the 49ers each week before and after the games.
The first one was the Cardinals going into Foxboro and getting a win over the Patriots. The Cardinals went in there and looked like the Giants... in the sense that they stifle the Pats and limit their points total. The Patriots didn't get a TD until the 4th quarter. They needed to convert the two-point conversion but failed. Luckily they got the ball back from the Cardinals by way of the fumble with about a minute to go. But then luck turns against them once more as Stephen Gostkowski misses a 42 yd FG as it sails wide left. Cardinals hold on and win it 20-18.
The other major upset was in Seattle as the Seahawks played host to them Cowboys. It was an interesting game as the Seahawks got in front early with a FG and then a TD return off a blocked punt. The Cowboys then scored their only TD of the game but then failed to do anything else. A couple more TDs from Seattle in the second half put this one away for the Seahawks 27-7. Two NFC West teams are the cause of the biggest upsets of the week.
One of the great match ups to watch on the day had the Ravens going into Philly to take on the Eagles in the battle of the birds. The Eagles ran it considerably more to help Michael Vick but he still had problems. Vick threw for 371 yards and a TD but still had 2 INTs on the day. Despite that and two more fumbles by the Eagles, they somehow win it again late 24-23. After the Eagles TD, Joe Flacco and the Ravens had one more shot within two minutes but could not convert a 4th down to keep the drive alive.
As for the other games, the Giants avoid joining the Pats and the Cowboys in the getting upset department as they hold on for a win over the Bucs 41-34. Eli Manning comes through in the clutch again leading his team to 25 4th quarter points to get them the win. Andrew Luck records his first win as an QB in the NFL as the Colts beat the Vikings 23-20. Luck went 20/31 for 224 passing yards and 2 TD passes. Adam Vinatieri made the game winning 53 yd FG with 8 seconds left. The Panthers beat the dysfunctional Saints 35-27. Maybe dysfunctional is the wrong word but what else do you call a team where half of management is suspended. Last I'll mention is that the Rams beat the Redskins 31-28. Robert Griffin III scores his first two rushing TDs of his career but picks up his first career loss along with it.
What did we learn from this Sunday? The rough lesson that we have to reminded of from time to time: that there is no such thing as a sure thing. Perhaps the one powerhouse team that looked the most consistent yesterday was the 49ers.
P.S. To see my full scoop on the 49ers beating the Lions, click here. Be sure to visit the 49ers section at prosportsblogging.com for my take on the 49ers each week before and after the games.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
2012 AFC North Preview: I Say "Mulligan"
The AFC North is hard to call. Thank goodness the Ravens' Terrell Suggs got injured and might miss the rest of the season in order to make this decision a little easier.
This division has been known for the Steelers-Ravens rivalry over the last few years. While I can't say which of these two teams will take the division, I know it will be one these two teams. Sure, the Bengals were a surprise team getting into the playoffs under Andy Dalton but to get in again seems unlikely, especially when they didn't beat the Ravens or the Steelers once last season. As for the Browns, they are turning to a 28 year old QB rookie. Enough said.
Now who has edge between the Steelers and the Ravens? It's got to be the Steelers and just barely. Joe Flacco of the Ravens could come out of his shell and throw like an elite QB but short of that, the Steelers are my pick. They have a slightly better defense with Suggs out of the picture in Baltimore and even though Mike Wallace is coming back to the team after trying to holdout, Big Ben Roethlisberger is still the Steelers' QB and he knows how to exploit a defense. Or is it women?
This division has been known for the Steelers-Ravens rivalry over the last few years. While I can't say which of these two teams will take the division, I know it will be one these two teams. Sure, the Bengals were a surprise team getting into the playoffs under Andy Dalton but to get in again seems unlikely, especially when they didn't beat the Ravens or the Steelers once last season. As for the Browns, they are turning to a 28 year old QB rookie. Enough said.
Now who has edge between the Steelers and the Ravens? It's got to be the Steelers and just barely. Joe Flacco of the Ravens could come out of his shell and throw like an elite QB but short of that, the Steelers are my pick. They have a slightly better defense with Suggs out of the picture in Baltimore and even though Mike Wallace is coming back to the team after trying to holdout, Big Ben Roethlisberger is still the Steelers' QB and he knows how to exploit a defense. Or is it women?
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Forte and Rice Given New Deals
With the eve of NFL Training Camps and the preseason, some big contracts were not yet settled around the NFL. 2 players with two different teams got their deals done yesterday and both were RB's.
Matt Forte and Ray Rice were in the same boat as they were tagged by their respective teams (Bears and the Ravens) and they wanted long term deals. Who can blame either of them knowing that this league uses up RB's like I chow down burgers. On the eve of possibly holding out, deals have been struck for both players. Matt Forte agrees to a 4 year, $32 million contract and Ray Rice agreed to a 5 year, $40 million contract. Both players are in their mid 20's with Forte being a bit older and this is likely going to be their last big contracts for their careers.
Very important moves for both teams but the Ravens needed Ray Rice a bit more than the Bears needed Forte. While Jay Cutler and Joe Flacco are fine QB's, the Ravens depend on the run a bit more while the Bears seem to be shifting to more passing with the off season they had. Running the ball is still important to the Bears and should be to any team (except the Pats somehow) but the passing game led by Cutler will likely be something they lean on more.
With training camp around the corner, the one star player that seems to not be getting the love from his team is Wes Welker of the Patriots. Now he will play under the tag but still a disappointment he wasn't able to get a good contract from the Pats long term.
P.S. Maybe if you stopped dropping the ball during big Super Bowl moments they wouldn't hesitate to get a deal done.
Matt Forte and Ray Rice were in the same boat as they were tagged by their respective teams (Bears and the Ravens) and they wanted long term deals. Who can blame either of them knowing that this league uses up RB's like I chow down burgers. On the eve of possibly holding out, deals have been struck for both players. Matt Forte agrees to a 4 year, $32 million contract and Ray Rice agreed to a 5 year, $40 million contract. Both players are in their mid 20's with Forte being a bit older and this is likely going to be their last big contracts for their careers.
Very important moves for both teams but the Ravens needed Ray Rice a bit more than the Bears needed Forte. While Jay Cutler and Joe Flacco are fine QB's, the Ravens depend on the run a bit more while the Bears seem to be shifting to more passing with the off season they had. Running the ball is still important to the Bears and should be to any team (except the Pats somehow) but the passing game led by Cutler will likely be something they lean on more.
With training camp around the corner, the one star player that seems to not be getting the love from his team is Wes Welker of the Patriots. Now he will play under the tag but still a disappointment he wasn't able to get a good contract from the Pats long term.
P.S. Maybe if you stopped dropping the ball during big Super Bowl moments they wouldn't hesitate to get a deal done.
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