Saints just Brees by Vikings

It wasn’t the prettiest of games played by the New Orleans Saints, but in the end they got the job done in beating the Minnesota Vikings in the season opener. Winning a close game, 14-9 compared to their thrilling overtime victory in NFC championship last year against the Vikings might have been surprising, but I’m sure they’re satisfied with the both wins rather than coming up empty handed.
Throughout game play, you could tell that Brett Favre’s ankle was bothering him as well as his timing issues with new receivers. This could have been fixed during training camp if he arrived earlier, but it’s just something the Vikings will have to deal with now that the season is underway. Favre may feel more comfortable when his favorite target, Sidney Rice returns, but Favre will have to learn to spread the ball out more instead of focusing on his primary option.
One person who did play extremely hard was Adrian Peterson who was running with revenge in his veins and blood. It was self evident that he had something to prove with his careless fumble mistakes last year and some people not calling him the best pound for pound running back anymore. Peterson ended with 87 yards on 19 carries and fought for each yard breaking tackles left and right. It’ll be interesting to see how many carries he receives once Favre receives his mojo back or if he ever does.
The Saints played how they usually played in attacking the air all throughout the game. They may have only had rushed three times in the 1st half, but pounded it down the Vikings throat in the closing minutes exposing the weak interior defense. The Saints offense was far less potent than we’ve seen them before, but they're still one of the most dangerous teams in the league with a plethora of offense options.
I don’t way too much on 1st games of the season because most teams are still building continuity and cohesiveness. The Saints could look like the best team in the NFL in the 1st half of the season and fall in the second half, so I don’t want to jump to any conclusions just yet. We’ll find out how good the defending champions are as the season goes on and if Favre can lead the Vikings to another extraordinary season.

NFL Kicks Off Tonight

The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings will open up the 2010-11 season tonight at 8:30 p.m. The Vikings are looking for revenge as the Saints edged them out last year in the NFC Championship game, 31-28.
There are lot questions concerning Brett Favre's ankle and if he'll still be able to provide the Vikings with the same magic that re-energized the whole organization last year. Questions also concern Adrian Peterson who has assured everyone that he has improved his fumbling issues that heavily impacted last year's NFC Championship.
As for the Saints, we'll find out if they're still suffering from their Superbowl hangover and how efficient Drew Brees will be who had a 70% completion rate last season.
This game will not be the same as last year with the Saints, Darren Sharper, and the Vikings, Sidney Rice, being inactive tonight.
Both teams provided us a game for the ages last year; we'll find out if they can live up to the hype once again this year.

Another Heisman bust

Only 75 people have been called the most outstanding player in all of collegiate football going back to 1935 when the Heisman trophy was established. Everyone knows how big an achievement it is to win the Heisman trophy and to enter the fraternity that has stunned and started people on the gridiron throughout college history. Unfortunately, most of these players don’t have similar success in the NFL. There have been numerous Heisman busts, Andre Ware and Eric Crouch to name a few, and now we might as well add one more to this list.
Matt Leinart, who was just recently cut by the Arizona Cardinals, signed a one-year deal with the Houston Texans hoping to reestablish his career there. Leinart did have a chance in Arizona when he was starter, but quickly became the backup when Kurt Warner joined the team. Warner was clearly the better quarterback and led the Cardinals to their 1st Superbowl appearance. You would think that it was bad enough that Matt lost his job once, but now twice to Derek Anderson who was named the starting quarterback for the Cardinals during training camp.
Leinart had a lot of going for him when entering the league having won two national championships, winning a Heisman trophy, and being drafted 10th overall, but this all became old news as the NFL and NCAA are two completely different places. In Arizona, Leinart ended up throwing for more interceptions than touchdowns, not what you would expect from a Heisman winner.
Leinart hopefully can begin a new chapter in his career with Houston and maybe move his way up the depth chart to become starter eventually. Easier said than done as he’ll have to take Matt Schaub’s spot as starter who led the league in passing last year.

Tiger makes Ryder Cup team

U.S. Ryder Cup Team

Stewart Cink
Rickie Fowler
Jim Furyk
Dustin Johnson
Zach Johnson
Matt Kuchar
Hunter Mahan
Phil Mickelson
Jeff Overton
Steve Stricker
Bubba Watson
Tiger Woods

The U.S. team will face the Europe Oct. 1-3 at Celtic Manor in Wales.

The Rain is Over

With Darrelle Revis finally ending his 36-day holdout to sign a 4-year deal for $46 millon, the New York Jets should feel confident entering this season with the return of their best player and arguably the best cornerback in the league. Being seven days away from their season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, the Jets will need Revis to matchup against Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who just recently signed to a one year deal.
The Jets have already been put under the microscope in top 5 preseason rankings and will be tested early against the Ravens who also join them amongst those ranks and are even a Superbowl favorite. I don’t think we’ll find out how well both organizations will do during this upcoming season after their Monday night game, but this game will definitely set the tone and bar high. Other than the Sunday night game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, this is the biggest game during Week 1!
There’s probably no person happier within the Jets’ organization than Rex Ryan who feels there is new energy in the building. The team understands how Darrelle is a big part of the team and extremely instrumental in them reaching the playoffs and holding up the Lombardi trophy. Not only will the Jets be tested early, but so will Revis as his 1st three weeks matchups are against Boldin, Randy Moss, and Brandon Marshall. I don’t know how successful opposing receivers will be on Revis Island this year, but if Revis plays somewhat similar to last year, wide outs are in for a world of trouble!

Underrated or Overrated

From the booing chants on draft day to being traded within his own division, #5 has never truly been accepted by the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia Eagle fans had ridiculed Donovan McNabb for his play, decision-making, swagger, intensity, effort, basically EVERYTHING. The list doesn’t stop on what Philadelphia fans thought McNabb could improve on in order to lead their organization to their 1st Super Bowl ring. I guess all of this irrelevant now, as the Eagles' wish has finally come true with the trading of McNabb to the Washington Redskins.
As McNabb starts a new chapter for the Redskins, the young gunslinger, Kevin Kolb, will take the new position under center for the Eagles and hopefully become the organization’s new leader for the young inexperienced team.
When you look at someone’s stats of having the third highest winning percentage among active quarterbacks, 2nd best touchdown to interception ratio of all-time, and least intercepted quarterback of all-time, you would think that the city appreciates this player’s contributions and respects him. Ironically, this is not the case. McNabb is hated and despised in the city of Philadelphia. I’m not saying that McNabb’s popularity and like level has to be equivalent to Brian Dawkins, but at least somewhat close. Sadly though, there is no love for him there and there never was. Fans have probably never gave the man a chance because they were blinded by the flashy and magnificent running back, Ricky Williams. Williams did have a tremendous college year for the Texas Longhorns, but did nothing in the pro’s compared to his collegiate achievements and records. This career could have been different if he played for the Eagles, but we can’t base it on that.
Donovan has poured his heart and soul out for Philadelphia and all they have done in return is turn their backs similar to the burning of the Lebron James jersey by Cleveland. McNabb has led a sub-par team to NFC Championship game on several occasions and has never been recognized for this. He’s also never been surrounded by players of his caliber to throw to. Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell aren’t the receivers you surround around a superstar quarterback if you have your eyes set on the Lombardi trophy. The only year that the Eagles surrounded with him a good wide out (Terrell Owens), they made it to the Super Bowl. Even though they lost by 3 playing a C game to the New England Patriots, it simply illustrated how good McNabb could be with some type of talent surrounded around him.
If the Eagles thought McNabb was washed up, they were highly mistaken. Donovan has been criticized by every individual since he’s entered the league and is looking to improve them all wrong once again. The Eagles may be contempt with Kolb leading their offense, but McNabb has nothing but revenge in his eyes when he plays his former team on October 3rd. I hope the Eagles are prepared to fly high on that day!

Mayweather takes shots at Pacquiao

This is just plain immaturity by Floyd Mayweather. Grow up.

West heading South

After recently being waived from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Delonte West has now been suspended without pay for 10 days after pleading guilty to a weapons charge last month. West's weapon charge took place last September in Maryland while speeding a motorcycle with the possession of a loaded shotgun and an 8½-inch Bowie knife. If Delonte signs with a team this season, his suspension would be instant with the first game of the regular season.
Delonte's career seems to be on the downhill with this recent suspension as well as the rumor of having relations with Lebron James mother, Gloria. Remind you that he's also currently jobless!

Jacked Up