Alastair's BLE Blog

2011年1月2日日曜日

By Jim Wexell

When the season started, the Steelers' odds to win the Super Bowl were 22-1 because their quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, had been suspended for the first four games.

But the Steelers survived the suspension with a 3-1 start, stayed relatively healthy, picked up steam in the second half and are now on the verge of clinching the division and a bye. They need a win Sunday over the Browns to clinch the AFC's No. 2 seed.

Even if they lose Sunday, the Steelers will enter the playoffs as a wild card with a chance to ride what fans are calling the "Stairway to Seven."

Of course, there are obstacles. Here are five:

1. Peyton Hillis — Only one time in franchise history have the tradition-rich Steelers allowed less than 3.0 yards per carry over the course of a season, and that was in 1943 when they combined with the Philadelphia Eagles to become the "Steagles." This team is allowing 3.04 per carry and a franchise-low 64.1 yards rushing per game. They need to do it one more time Sunday in Cleveland against Hillis, the Browns' powerful tailback.

2. Troy Polamalu — His availability for the regular-season finale hadn't been determined as of this writing, but the Steelers will need their star safety healthy in the playoffs. Before aggravating an ankle injury during an interception return for a touchdown against the Bengals, Polamalu was riding a streak of four consecutive game-changing plays, which coincided with the team's longest win streak this season.

3. Emmanuel Sanders — In a preseason preview on these pages, this rookie's development as the No. 3 WR was mentioned as a must if the Steelers were to ably replace Santonio Holmes. Well, Sanders' last two games have been his most productive with 132 yards on 11 catches. He has gained the trust of Roethlisberger at the right time, but, again, he's a rookie.

4. Jonathan Scott — The player most responsible for the loss to the Jets, the Steelers' left tackle was abruptly yanked from the next game for committing the same sin that allowed the Jets their safety. Scott returned to the lineup, but Max Starks' midseason injury replacement has yet to instill confidence as the key protector on Big Ben's blind side.

5. Tom Brady — The Patriots are killing everyone, but Brady in particular owns the Steelers and their cover-3 scheme with its big coverage cushions. Since he picked them apart in Week 10, the Steelers have played more press-man coverage — which will be a must when they face him next.

Jim Wexell is the publisher of SteelCityInsider.net.

Source: http://www.profootballweekly.com/2010/12/31/five-obstacles-steelers-must-overcome-to-win-super

Houston Texans Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars New Orleans Saints

2011年1月1日土曜日

Gary Brackett Fined $15,000 for Hit on Jason Campbell

Filed under: Colts, AFC South

INDIANAPOLIS - Indianapolis Colts' linebacker Gary Brackett has been fined for a second time this season.
However, he doesn't quite understand his latest infraction.

Brackett, who early was fined $10,000 for what the NFL believed an illegal hit in Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Michael Vick, learned this week he had been fined $15,000 by the NFL for a hit on Oakland Raiders' quarterback Jason Campbell in the second half this past Sunday.

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/31/colts-lb-gary-brackett-fined-15-000-for-hit-on-jason-campbell/

Joshua Cribbs USC Trojans football Colorado Buffaloes Notre Dame Fighting Irish Pittsburgh Panthers Florida State Seminoles

Ron Artest wants to play TE for the Jets

I must apologize to my readers.

Perhaps I imbibed too much eggnog last week and was enraptured by all those Burl Ives tunes, but amid all my Christmas mirth I missed one of the greatest stories of the year.

Artest

Volatile basketball star Ron Artest announced he wants to play tight end for the New York Jets.

What could go wrong?

Artest was a guest on "Pardon the Interruption" two days before Christmas. He has been making the media rounds for mental health awareness. Insert your own Jets joke here.

Maybe there's room in the organization for someone with scandal experience. Artest, a 6-foot-7 Los Angeles Lakers forward, has been involved in many wacky incidents over the years, most infamously the 2004 brawl with fans in Detroit. Artest is the subject of a Toronto art exhibit that focuses on his history of outlandish behavior.

"PTI" co-host Tony Kornheiser asked how serious Artest is about the NFL.

"It's definitely an ambition," Artest said. "I think you only live once if I'm not mistaken. I wish I lived twice. So any time I have a chance to take advantage ... still being athletic enough, when you think about my dreams as a kid -- boxing, playing football -- you think about certain things. You think 'If I had the opportunity to play, why not take advantage of it? Why let it sit on the table?

"If there's a possibility, and if I do get a chance, you won't see Ron Artest saying 'Nah, I'll pass.' You'll see Ron Artest saying 'I wan to see if I can do it.' "

Artest turned 31 in November and hails from Queens. He's a longtime Jets fan.

"If I did get the opportunity I would not have a preference for a team because I'm not good enough where I can say I want to play for a particular team," Artest said. "But in a perfect world it would be the Jets, tight end for the Jets."

Basketball players sometimes make great tight ends. San Diego Chargers star Antonio Gates played basketball -- and no football -- at Kent State. Tony Gonzalez, a future Hall of Famer with the Atlanta Falcons, played college hoops.

The Jets experimented with Cleveland State power forward J'Nathan Bullock last year, but he couldn't make the team.

Last year, I examined what kind of football player Lebron James would've been had he gone that route. James was an All-Ohio receiver as high school sophomore, and some NFL observers quoted in the story projected him as a star tight end.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/24035/ron-artest-wants-to-play-te-for-the-jets

Nate Burleson Otto Graham Paul Brown Marion Motley Jim Brown Lou Groza

Peyton Hillis Misses Practice But Eric Mangini Remains Optimistic

Filed under: Browns, NFC North

Cleveland Browns' running back Peyton Hillis missed practice again on Friday, after missing Wednesday and Thursday's practices (including Monday's outdoor workout) due to sore ribs. On the second play of the Browns matchup against the Ravens last Sunday, Hillis took a clear shot in the ribs from Baltimore's Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed as he was going down. As a result of the hit, Hillis rested this week so he can heal and be ready to face the Steelers in the Browns finale on Sunday.

However, Browns' Head Coach Eric Mangini is optimistic that his leading rushing will be ready to take on Pittsburgh.

"The only guy that is missing here today is Peyton (Hillis) but I'm still optimistic that he'll be able to play," said Mangini in his Friday's press conference. "I feel pretty good about it but we will see. We will see tomorrow where he's at and just take it from there. That's been primarily the main thing is the soreness and it gets better each day but figure another day of rest will give him the best chance to be effective on Sunday."

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/31/peyton-hillis-misses-practice-but-eric-mangini-remains-optimisti/

Peter Mayer Nate Burleson Otto Graham Paul Brown Marion Motley Jim Brown

Wring out the old year with AFC East chat

The final AFC East chat of the year is upon us.

Drop by at 3 p.m. Friday to discuss playoff scenarios, offseason needs, Pro Bowl selections and the like.

Of course, it also would be fitting to review your favorite stories and moments of 2010.

See you there.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/24046/wring-out-the-old-year-with-afc-east-chat

Eugene Sims Aldrick Robinson Tory Collins Brandon McRae Jermelle Cudjo James Farrior