Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory
Once again the Cleveland Browns figured out a way to lose a football game. A botched snap resulted in a missed field goal with just over 2 minutes left in the game gave the St.Louis Rams a 13-12 win over the Browns. What's really got me pissed off is that the Browns had it first and goal and refused to even attempt a pass in the end zone to score a touchdown. Contrast that with the New Orleans-Atlanta game. The Falcons trailed 23-20 with 16 seconds left in the game and had it first and goal from the 6 yard line. Matt Ryan made two passing attempts into the end zone, one that should have been caught by Roddy White and the other was just thrown away. It still left plenty of time on the clock for a Falcon field goal that sent the game into overtime.
Terry Pluto raised a great point in his article in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer: if Pat Shurmur doesn't have the confidence in Colt McCoy to try to score a touchdown then maybe McCoy isn't the guy to lead the Browns to the promise land. I've stated here before that I believe that Pat Shurmur is in over his head. In my opinion, he played not to lose as opposed to playing to win. Maybe it's the fact that his team is struggling and he wanted to play it safe. But the fact remains that the Browns lost again and it marks the third time in the last two home games that they have had a field goal attempt blocked. It didn't cost them against Seattle but it did yesterday. Which leads me to the decision to let Brad Seely go as Special Teams Coordinator. Special teams was a strong point for the Browns under Seely. Not so much anymore.
I can't see the Browns winning another game this season. Next week they have the Jaguars with Maurice Jones-Drew and I don't see a win in the cards. It's looking like season ticket holders believe the same thing as there were plenty of empty seats throughout the stadium yesterday. Maybe that's what needs to happen. In fact, wouldn't it be something if there are more Steeler fans in the stadium when they come in to play the Browns. It's really sad as a proud fan base must endure such garbage. The best we can hope for is that the Browns lose every game finishing 3-13 and the Falcons lose as many games as possible giving the Browns two decent draft picks. Same old story for us Browns fans: wait until next year.
Marlins Aggressive, Where Is Mr. Cashman???
The Florida Marlins are moving into a new stadium next year and are pushing hard to make a big splash. It is reported that the Marlins have made offers to Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle. They are currently courting Albert Pujols. My question is: where is Brian Cashman??? While the Yankees certainly would not be in on Reyes or Pujols, they certainly should be interested in Buehrle. But all we hear are platitudes about how he and Joe Girardi aren't comfortable with how the starting rotation presently looks.
In an interview, Cashman talked about possibly having to do what he did last year taking a flyer on low end free agents. While that worked out this year in the regular season do you really want to roll the dice again? Last year, Cashman sat by and waited because he wanted Cliff Lee and we know how that turned out. This year the Marlins are on the move with courting free agents. The Phillies have signed Jonathan Papelbon. In the meantime, we know nothing about what the Yankees are going to do other than hearing all kinds of happy talk from Cashman and Company. Maybe the Yankees are just waiting to see what the offers are for various free agent pitchers. Or maybe Cashman plans on doing what he did last year: bargain hunt and hope it works out. Interesting strategy for a team with the most financial resources that considers a successful season only if they win the World Series
Week 10 NFL Picks
Last week I went 2-1 upping my record to 17-12. Over the last five weeks my record is 11-4 and hopefully I can continue on this hot streak. With a difficult schedule of games, here are my picks for Week 10:
* Buffalo (+5 1/2) over Dallas: The Bills are 6-2 ATS and 2-0 as a road underdog while Dallas is 3-4-1 ATS and is 1-3 as a home favorite. The Cowboys defense is particularly tough against the pass but not so much against the run so look for Fred Jackson to have a good day. The Bills are very opportunistic on defense and should force Tony Romo into some mistakes. This game will be close and while the Cowboys may win they won't cover. Dallas 27 Buffalo 23.
* Pittsburgh (-3) over Cincinnati: The Bengals are on a roll as they have won five games in a row and are 7-1 ATS. The Steelers are coming off a tough loss to the Ravens and find themselves a half game behind Baltimore and the Bengals. A Steeler loss would be a major blow to Pittsburgh's chances to make the playoffs as they would fall to 6-4 and the Bengals would go to 7-2. Pittsburgh defense should give Cincy's rookie quarterback Andy Dalton a tough time as the Steelers rebound. Pittsburgh 24 Cincinnati 14.
* Houston (-3) over Tampa Bay: The Texans are playing great football right now and are a legitimate contender in the AFC. They rank 3rd in offense and 1st in defense in the AFC and are 6-3 ATS. Tampa Bay seems to be faltering as they are second to last in defense in the NFC. Josh Freeman has taken a step back this year and the Bucs are averaging only 96.1 yards rushing this year. The Texans are an explosive team with plenty of weapons. Houston 31 Tampa Bay 17.
Scrivens, Kessel Lead Leafs in 3-2 Shootout Win
With a goaltending controversy brewing, rookie Ben Scrivens was given the assignment Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues and the rookie took full advantage of the chance as he stopped 37 shots plus everything in the shoot out as the Maple Leafs flew home with a 3-2 win. Scrivens was outstanding in the second and third periods as the Leafs were out shot better than 3-1. He looked shaky early in the first period but settled down and was the main reason why the Leafs were able to snap their two game losing streak.
Phil Kessel scored his 12th goal of the season on the power play and with 2 minutes remaining in the third period it looked like the game winner. But the Leafs were hanging on for dear life and the Blues finally got one by Scrivens to tie the game up with 1:58 left. After a scoreless overtime period, Kessel notched the only goal in the shootout which gave the Leafs the victory after Scrivens stopped all 3 Blues shooters.
The Leafs seemed to falter late in the third period as they had a difficult time getting out of their own zone. In games on the road when they have been ahead they have been able to clamp down in the third period and not give up many scoring chances. But last night the Blues were relentless and the Leafs mounted little if any offensive push of their own.
It would seem based upon Coach Ron Wilson's decision to play Scrivens that management has lost some confidence in Jonas Gustavsson and that is certainly understandable. I would be shocked if Scrivens was not back in net tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators. From now until the end of November the Leafs have nine games to play with 5 being on the road. If James Reimer is not back by then, the Leafs will have to evaluate where they are at with their goaltenders and if they need to bring in a veteran.
James Reimer's agent has indicated that Reimer's status is improving and the Leaf netminder should be back on the ice soon. How soon is soon is anyone's guess. But the Leafs cannot afford shoddy goaltending over the next 9 games or they may be finding themselves giving away the good start that they have had up to this point. Offensively, the Leafs seemed to be back in a rut with the Kessel line being the main contributors. They have only scored 3 goals in their last 3 games and you are not going to win many with that kind of offense. The Grabovski line is getting chances but not scoring. At times I think there is a little too much passing with this trio. I also think that Clarke MacArthur's overall play has slipped since the Columbus game. He seems to be rather lazy on his defensive responsibilities. It would be nice if the third line could contribute and maybe with David Steckel at center it may create opportunities for Matt Frattin and Matthew Lombardi.
The Leaf penalty killing unit was 4 for 5 in holding off the Blues power play unit and hopefully this can continue. The power play was responsible for both of the Leafs two goals and John-Michael Liles seems to have settled in as the power play quarterback. On both goals the Leafs went to the net and they need to do more of that.
There is reason for optimism with this team when you consider that they have been without their number one goalie since October 22 and are 5-4 since then and they have been without their number one center for all but several games. While their play of late has given me cause for concern, they are holding their own considering that it appears that their goaltending will be in the hands of an undrafted rookie from Cornell. The pressure will be on such players as Phil Kessel, Dion Phaneuf, Mikhail Grabovski and John-Michael Liles to hold this thing together until Reimer gets back. This is a young team and if they can whether this adversity it will bode well for the future particularly if this team gets into the playoffs.
The puck drops sometime after 7pm on Saturday at the ACC as it is the Hall of Fame game when ex-Leafs Doug Gilmour, Eddie Belfour and Joe Nieuwendyck will be honored for their entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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Later today, Week 10 NFL picks. Been red hot as of late, 11-4 the last 5 weeks.
Goaltending A Problem As Leafs Fall 5-1
For the second game in a row the Toronto Maple Leafs received less than stellar goaltending as they lost 5-1 to the Florida Panthers. With uncertainty surrounding James Reimer's possible return, it's hard to believe that the Leafs can withstand going a month or more with Jonas Gustavsson and Ben Scrivens. 3 of the 5 goals last night had a distinct odor to them and certainly deflated a Leaf team that is having problems scoring.
The Leafs had plenty of scoring chances but Jose Theodore was solid for the Panthers. Unfortunately, the Leafs did not receive the same performance. The frustrating thing for Leaf fans is that none of us know how long James Reimer will be out but Leaf management obviously knows and they must also know that if he is out for any time beyond this month, the Leafs are in serious trouble.
Absent signing a free agent such as Marty Turco or making a trade, the only thing that the Leafs can do is tighten up defensively. I've noticed over the past couple of games that there seems to be a lot of cheating on the part of Leaf forwards. They also seem to be a little less aggressive in the other team's zone as far as driving to the net.
I have been very supportive of Brian Burke. I think he is doing everything he can to bring a winning team to Toronto. But, not having an adequate back-up goalie could end up costing this team making the playoffs particularly if Reimer is out going into December. Burke is quick to act when he realizes that things are not working out as evidenced by his trading of Kris Versteeg and Francois Beauchemin. Hopefully he has something up his sleeve otherwise Leaf Nation will quickly change their October euphoria to a December calling for Wilson's head and possibly Burke's next.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While hoping that the sun comes out so I can finish getting rid of leaves, here's what's on my mind this morning:
* It was really sad to hear of the passing of Smokin' Joe Frazier. Frazier was a huge part of the last great era of heavyweight boxing. I can remember March 8, 1971 like it was yesterday. It was billed as the Fight of the Century as the heavyweight champion Joe Frazier was going to take on Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden. Ali was stripped of the title in 1968 for refusing to go to fight in Vietnam. Frazier won the title in 1970 by defeating Jimmy Ellis at MSG with a fourth rouund knockout. This was going to be a battle and it certainly lived up to the expectations. I remember listening to Stan Barron on WBEN Radio as he read round-by-round accounts of the fight that came over the Associated Press teletype machine. Earlier that day, I had made a number of small wagers with my 9th grade classmates. They were all pulling for Ali but for me it was Smokin' Joe. Needless to say, when Ali was knocked down by Frazier with a thunderous left in the 15th Round it was clear that he was going to retain his title. Ali's jaw was broken and I'll never forget the picture of Frazier's face in Sports Illustrated badly swollen from the many punches delivered by Ali. They would fight two more times. The second time was at MSG and Ali won in a 12 round non-title fight decision. The third time was The Thrilla In Manilla and Ali was the champ. I had the opportunity to watch that fight at the Niagara Falls Convention Center via closed circuit television. Everything you read about the fight is true: it was a war. The best fight I have ever seen. In the end, Smokin' Joe's manager Eddie Futch stopped the fight in the 14th Round as Frazier's one eye was almost swollen shut. Ali has said that he was contemplating not coming out for that round. As I left the Convention Center I had a tear in my eye as these guys both gave it there all and in the end Smokin' Joe couldn't pull it off. R.I.P Smokin' Joe Frazier. You will always be remembered as one of the greatest fighters of all-time.
* The Maple Leafs are back in action tonight as they take on the Florida Panthers. The Leafs are coming off their worst game of the season as they were dominated by the Boston Bruins 7-0 for their first loss at home. The Leafs have made it a point not to lose two in a row this season so it will be interesting to see how they perform tonight. Penalty killing is still killing them and it is an area that they must improve on if they are to make the playoffs this year. It looks like Tim Connolly will be out 10-14 days with an upper body injury. Looks like Connolly hasn't shaken the injury bug that plagued him in Buffalo.
* Jonas Gustavsson will probably be in the net tonight for the Leafs as we still don't know what the status is of James Reimer. It is really frustrating that the Leaf organization has been so secretive about Reimer's injury. While they deny it is a concussion it sure seems like it is and there is no idea as to when Reimer will be back. I'm not sure how long the Leafs can go without Reimer before it starts to effect their wins and losses.
* Had the opportunity to Watch Browns Coach Pat Shurmur's press conference yesterday. Shurmur is about as accommodating as Eric Mangini yet he seems to get a pass from the Cleveland media. Several times he said that Colt McCoy is improving each game. My question would be: how and where is he improving?? He certainly is showing that he can take a pounding. I'm sorry but I don't have much confidence in Shurmur. While its definitely too early to call for his dismissal, I think that it is time to start calling into question where Mike Holmgren is leading this team.
* Isn't it interesting that perennial AFC powers, the Patriots and the Steelers, both lost games in the final minute at home. For the Patriots they have now lost two in a row and face the New York Jets on the road. The Steelers have now lost twice to the Ravens and find themselves heading to Cincinnati to face a Bengals team that is ahead of them in the standings. Many so-called experts had the Patriots or the Steelers representing the AFC in the Super Bowl. While it still could happen, they both have limited room for error.
* This afternoon Joe Paterno will hold his weekly press conference and it has the makings of being one that he has never experienced in the 40 years that he has been head coach at Penn State. The allegations of sexual abuse of young boys by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is disgusting. Many in the media are calling for Paterno to step down. Not knowing everything that happened here makes it difficult for me to have an opinion on that. But what I do have an opinion on and what is being totally missed by many is that this is just another example, albeit a disgusting and vile one, of how college football dominates major colleges to the point that administrators will do anything to make sure that no one tips over the cash cow apple cart. Major college football programs bring in millions and millions of dollars to their schools. While the actual vile acts had nothing to do with the football program directly, the cover-up certainly does.
* Buffalo sports fans never cease to amaze me. Of course the Bills bandwagon is a little lighter today after the 27-11 loss to the Jets. I wonder what the feeling is about their $9 million a year quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a nice story but let's be real folks, he's not taking the Bills to the Super Bowl. Then we venture off to Pegulaville. The natives are getting what they want in seeing their goalie saviour Jonas Enroth play and win. It's funny listening to die-hard Sabre fans calling for Miller to be traded to bring in another big time goal scorer. Funny but whatever happened to Ville Leino??? Wasn't he suppose to be a 70 point top line center???
* The college basketball season opened last night and the U.B. Bulls open their season Friday at home. I wonder if the sports geniuses at WGR 550 are aware of this. Probably not. There are more important thiings to talk about like whether or not Marie's Blue Cheese is better than Rooties.
* And finally, has anyone seen C.J.Spiller???
Browns Abysmal In 30-12 Drubbing
The score is not truly indicative of the beating that the Houston Texans administered to the Cleveland Browns yesterday at Reliant Stadium. It seems like it was 1999 as the Browns truly looked like an expansion team. The only bright spot on this team was Phil Dawson, who once again was the Browns main point scorer with two field goals. This game illustrated that the Browns need help just about everywhere.
You have to feel sorry for Colt McCoy. The kid took a beating and the play which characterized the beating was when he was hit after he threw a pass that was caught by Greg Little which set up the Browns only touchdown. McCoy was nearly drilled into the ground by a hard charging Texan defender. One has to wonder how long McCoy can take this type of physical beating. You have to wonder if this kid will regress because of the physical pounding. It kind of reminds me of Tim Couch and we know how that story turned out.
The Browns running game yesterday was a total joke. Neither guy should be playing in the NFL let alone getting major carries. The offensive line is in complete shambles. If Tony Pashos is on this team next year then there should be an investigation. I'm also getting tired of Mohammed Massaquoi. The kid is injury prone and I think as long as he is with the Browns he will never be more than a mediocre receiver. The Browns only offensive threat is Josh Cribbs and the team refuses to utilize him more by putting him in the backfield.
Defensively, the Browns were gashed on the ground as both Arian Foster and Ben Tate rushed for over 100 yards each. If TJ Ward is out for an extended period of time the Browns secondary will only get worse. Matt Schaub had all day to throw and it was a good thing that Andre Johnson didn't play because the score would have been worse.
The St.Louis Rams come to Cleveland next week and it is not a given that the Browns will win. The Rams are playing better football and Sam Bradford is back. If the Browns do not win next week, it's quite possible that they won't win another game this year. Last year 5-11 and this year 3-13. Do you call that improvement?? It's time that Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert come out and explain to the greatest fans in football what is happening to their football team. It's time that they explain what the game plan is and how they are going to right this ship. A ship that has been going in circles since 1999. Holmgren and Company came into Cleveland giving us hope. But it's tough to believe when this team continues to be an embarassment week in and week out.
Hillis Situation Push Browns Backwards
Word out of Cleveland is that the Browns are prepared to let Peyton Hillis walk at the end of this season when his contract runs out. Reportedly players are not happy with the way Hillis has handled the situation. Several weeks ago on this blog I stated that based on comments made by Pat Shurmur and Mike Holmgren that the Browns would not bring Hillis back. It looks like I was right.
Since 1999, the Browns have never had a running back that they could rely on to grind out the tough yards and possibly break one. William Green, Abdul Karim al-Jabbar, Marc Edwards, Charles Ali, Jerome Harrison and Terry Kirby are a few names that were Browns backs and from this esteemed group its easy to see why they have essentially had no running game to speak of. For a team whose history is filled with star running backs (Marion Motley, Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly, Greg Pruitt, Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner) its really a bad joke and is another example of what long suffering Browns fans have had to endure since they have come back to the NFL.
Last season, Peyton Hillis had the type of season that Browns fans were accustomed to prior to their moving to Baltimore. Hillis was a Kevin Mack-Earnest Byner type all wrapped into one. He could run hard and get the tough yards and he had the ability to break one to keep a drive going in a third and long situation. He also is a good receiver out of the backfield. Think about the Patriot game last year when the Pats scored in the fourth quarter to make the game interesting. The Browns engineered a long drive which gave the Patriots a diet of Peyton Hillis. Hillis carried the ball 10 out of 11 plays on the time consuming drive that ended with a Hillis touchdown. Fast forward to this year against the Colts when late in the fourth quarter Hillis scored a touchdown which basically put the game away for the Browns.
That Colts game was very telling because if you remember with the ball down within the five yard line earlier in the game, Hillis was taken out of the game and Montario Hardesty was stuffed 3 times. There was also a critical 4th and 1 situation in another game when Hillis was taken out and a flip hand-off to Armond Smith actually lost yards. Both situations told me, along with the above referenced comments, that Hillis's days were numbered.
Peyton Hillis was an Eric Mangini guy. Yes I know that Heckert and Holmgren were there when the Brady Quinn trade was made but it is my understanding that Mangini was the one who pushed for Hillis. Heckert traded up to draft Hardesty. To me Hardesty will constantly be a player who will be injury-proned. I also think he does not have the physical ability to be a 25-30 carry per game guy over a season. So with Hillis gone the Browns will have to try to get a running back along with looking to upgrade the offensive line, bringing in a playmaking receiver, getting defensive back and linebacker depth and if it is determined that Colt McCoy is not the guy drafting a quarterback.
This is what a long suffering fan base has to look forward to as the Browns approach today's game against the Houston Texans. While Hillis deserves to bear some responsibility here, the Browns organization deserves blame also. Once again the team goes backwards and we fans just have to endure another hopeless football season. Not sure when it ends.
Scrivens Saves As Leafs Win 4-1
Coach Ron Wilson pulled the old switcheroo on the Toronto media yesterday as all reports indicated that Jonas Gustavsson would be in the net for the Maple Leafs. All of the gameday focus was about James Reimer. But, lo and behold Jonas Gustavsson was the back-up and Ben Scrivens was the starter. Scrivens was arguably the best goalie in training camp this year and some were suggesting that Scrivens should have made the team. Well, last night Scrivens showed why some felt that way as he was solid in goal making 38 saves leading the Leafs to a 4-1 win over the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Leafs who played the night before only managed 18 shots themselves and seemed to be sluggish particularly in the third period. As a result, Scrivens had to be sharp and he made some big saves when he needed to. Scrivens was positionally sound and looked more steady in net than Gustavsson. Not sure if it's style or size but I just felt more confident with Scrivens in net than the Monster. At the very least, Scrivens' performance illustrates another area of the Leaf roster where the team has depth. With Gustavsson in the last year of his contract, the Leafs will have a decision to make as to whether or not to retain him. While it is only one game, Scrivens certainly impressed and gives the Leafs some options.
The Leaf penalty killiing unit had a good night as they killed off four penalties. Hopefully, they can build on this as they head into their game Saturday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. The Leafs were aggressive on the PK and Scrivens did come up with some big saves while the Leafs were shorthanded. Once again the Leafs received balanced scoring as Joey Crabb once again opened the scoring on a beautiful pass from Joffrey Lupul and Clarke MacArthur continued his hot streak scoring 2 goals. John-Michael Liles notched his 1st goal as a Maple Leaf early in the second period.
As Coach Ron Wilson indicated in his post-game press conference, the Leafs will need to pick up their play as they certainly were helped by some weak goaltending as Steve Mason was pulled after the 4th Leaf goal. However, the coach is also accurate in saying that the Leafs need to "make hay while the sun shines". Padding points now will help later on in the season when things are bound to get tougher. It's worth noting that the Leafs did not get their 19th point last year until December 4th. They have beaten the teams they need to beat and but for the game in Boston they have been in every game that they lost. An interesting stat that reflects this team's "never say die attitude" is the fact that the period in which the Leafs have scored the most goals has been the third period.
Saturday night the Leafs have an opportunity to avenge their loss to the Bruins. The puck drop is 7pm at the ACC.
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Later today, NFL Week 9 Picks.
Lupul Leads Leafs to 5-3 Win
Joffrey Lupul became the second Maple Leaf to score a hat trick this season as he led Toronto to a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. The Leafs were able to overcome poor penalty killing once again as the Devils first two goals were on the power play. The first power play goal was scored with 5 seconds remaining in the penalty. While it's hard to quibble with a win, the Leafs need to turn this around as they have now fallen to be the worst penalty killing unit in the league.
It seems that the time has come for Coach Ron Wilson to give Luke Schenn some time in the press box. The big young defenseman has struggled throughout the first 12 games of the season. Last year it seemed that the banishment upstairs turned Schenn's season around and with Cody Franson available it would make sense. While Jake Gardiner had a couple of defensive lapses, his offensive flair helped set up two goals and further illustrates this kid's potential.
While the first two periods was loaded with defensive lapses, the Leafs did an excellent job in the third period clamping down on the Devils with an aggressive forecheck. This gave the Leafs some scoring chances including one by Phil Kessel that was thwarted by a brilliant save by Martin Brodeur. Kessel chipped in with two assists and his line was dangerous most of the game. Once again the Leafs received scoring from 3 lines as Mikhail Grabovski scored on a nice feed from Gardiner and Joey Crabb notched his first goal since being called up from the Marlies.
The Leafs head to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets tonight at 7pm. The Blue Jackets have the worst record in the league but have been playing better as of late including a recent victory over the Red Wings. Last season when the Leafs were on their late season run, they played down to their opponents and they need to guard against that tonight. It's a game that they need to take hold of right away so as not to give the Jackets any confidence. Still not clear if James Reimer will play tonight. If he is not ready to go Jonas Gustavsson will get the start. The Monster played well last night and bounced back from the soft goal he gave up against Ottawa.
Friday morning Leafs-Jackets post and in the afternoon my weekly NFL Picks (9-3 over last 4 weeks!!)
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