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Kravitz is a mediocre man who has done poorly, and now it's time for him to go

By Deshawn Zombie | January 5, 2009 | 18 to 88

In his time in Indianapolis, Bob Kravitz has written his fair share of stupid articles. Today, is his crowning achievement. For reasons known only to himself, he tries to run the greatest coach who will ever coach in Indianapolis out of town.In fairness, we'll examine his arguments.1. The Colts have gone as far as they can go with Dungy and his staff. Very true, Bob. They won the Super Bowl. They've won 12 games 6 years in a row. That's about as far as any team can go.2. There's a nagging sense the Colts should have won more than one Super Bowl. I suppose this is technically correct. They did have the best team in 2005. Of course, you could argue they didn't in 2006 (when they won from the three seed) or 2007 (after Freeney went down) and they were a giant mirage in 2008 when Dungy's coaching, Manning's...

Read more | 19 Comments | Tags: Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, NFL

NFL Top Ten: Best 2009 Teams not in the 2008 Playoffs

By Greg Trippiedi | January 3, 2009 | MVN Outsider

There will be a bunch of teams in the tournament next year that aren't right now. Seven teams in the 2008 playoffs were not there in 2007. Which non-playoff teams have the best chance of making it next year? MVN's NFL Top Ten investigates:10. Dallas CowboysDallas has a lot of problems that will prevent them from significantly improving in the offseason, but you have to look at the roster right now as one that can compete for a playoff spot. Who knows whether they can improve on offense in 2009? The offensive line and the protection schemes have serious issues, and it's possible the two best receivers on the team don't even start, but Tony Romo is going to continue to be Tony Romo, and the team will have a three headed rushing attack it can lean on next year. The defense can be the type of defense it showed...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFL, Washington Redskins

Patriots in demand: Pioli and McDaniels finding opportunities

By | January 2, 2009 | The Patriot Act

Although the recent news about vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli interviewing for the Cleveland Browns and the interest from the Browns to also interview offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is not new, other teams have also shown interest.Pioli has drawn interest from the Kansas City Chiefs to become their next gerneral manger and is scheduled to interview with them soon. While McDaniels may be interviewing for the head coaching job with the Denver Broncos.Both Pioli and McDaniels have been sought after for positions with other NFL teams in the past. What makes this interesting is the recent success of going to the AFC Championship in 2006, Super Bowl in 2007 and now having finished 11-5 and missing the playoffs for 2008.The decision for McDaniels may be a 'no brainer' as it was for Eric Mangini - go and get the big bucks with what knowledge you have or wait...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Bill Belichick, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Josh McDaniels, Kansas City Chiefs, Kevin O'Connell, Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez, New England Patriots, Scott Pioli, Tom Brady

2008 Boxing Year In Review: When Good Isn't Good Enough

By Tim Starks | December 31, 2008 | The Queensberry Rules

If boxing's powers-that-be wanted to tread water in 2008 after a comeback year in 2007, well then, mission accomplished....

Read more | 6 Comments | Tags: Boxing, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Cowboys, Mixed Martial Arts, New England Patriots

Patriots may take time to rest, but have to make the donuts soon enough

By | December 30, 2008 | The Patriot Act

The New England Patriots are out of the playoffs and can take great pride in the effort they delivered during the 2008 season.Coach Bill Belichick was correct when he recently suggested the team has chance to rest."I think one thing that we all need, and probably deserve around here, is a little bit of rest. Again, a lot of our players, in the last couple of years, went from the end of the season, to rehabbing an injury, to jumping into the offseason program, to getting back on that treadmill again."I think that maybe this year is an opportunity for some of those guys to take it at a little bit of a different pace, and that would include the coaching staff as well. Our guys around here work hard, put in a lot of hours, they're very dedicated. So I think it will be a useful break and you...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Adalius Thomas, Bill Belichick, Matt Cassel, New England Patriots, Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Tom Brady

Evaluating Possible Trading Partners For a Franchised matt Cassel

By Jeffrey Mann | December 29, 2008 | Community

Unlike Most NFL seasons, this seasons' worst teams (with the exception of the Lions) are not in need of a quarterback. This unfortunately has left New England with fewer choices of trading partners should they choose to franchise Matt Cassel....

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, nfl, Tampa bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans

Cable guy impresses, but is it enough? Only Al knows

By Rob Calonge | December 29, 2008 | Thoughts from the Dark Side

Rumors swirl about big Al's next move, but the fact remains that even HE may not know what it is yet. (Photo by Candy Padilla)

At first glance, a 4-8 record as head coach of the Raiders, wouldn't seem to be enough for Tom Cable to get the 'interim' label removed from his official title. In fact, in this space we've done our share of discounting him as a viable candidate in the official Oakland Raiders coaching search. I would've named it the 'annual' coaching search, but it's more a bi-annual event than anything else. Coach Cable was quick to point out, when asked about his status, the team played .500 football over the last six games. Armed with that and the fact that he led the team for 12 games, that would mean that the team went 1-5 his first six games. This begs the question, if Cable is named the head man, what team will show up on game day?

Read more | 7 Comments | Tags: AFC, AFC West, Al Davis, Andrew Walter, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Callahan, Broncos, Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, Chargers, Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Dolphins, Falcons, Houston Texans, JaMarcus Russell, Jets, Jim Fassel, Jon Gruden, Justin Fargas, Kansas City Chiefs, Kevin Gilbride, Kirk Morrison, LaMont Jordan, Marques Tuiasosopo, Miami Dolphins, Mike Shanahan, Mike White, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Panthers, Patriots, Raider Nation, Raiders, Randy Moss, Ravens, Rob Ryan, Robert Gallery, Saints, San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Texans, Tom Cable

Patriots beat Buffalo Bills, miss playoffs

By Beth | December 29, 2008 | The Patriot Act

Before their fate was decided at the hands of their sworn enemies, the New York Jets, the Patriots played a memorable season finale against the upstate New York team, in a stadium that had become a wind tunnel. Gusts were reported in the Buffalo area up to 60 mph--before the game both goalposts were bent over at odd angles. During the game, at least one of them would bend back again, requiring a crew to reposition it before a field goal could be attempted. Later in the game the wind would calm down, but during the first half only one field goal was successful, by Stephen Gostkowski late in the first quarter. Two more would be attempted, but they were no match for the wind. Buffalo stepped up first, with a 47-yard attempt that quickly went awry. The swirling gale forced the ball to the left, then reversed direction, pushing...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Bill Belichick, Brett Favre, Buffalo Bills, Eric Mangini, Fred Jackson, LaMont Jordan, Matt Cassel, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Sammy Morris, Stephen Gostkowski, Tom Brady

NFL Top Ten: Best 2009 Teams not in the 2008 Playoffs

By Greg Trippiedi | January 3, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Top Ten: Best Games from the 2008 Season

By Greg Trippiedi | December 27, 2008 | MVN Outsider

The regular season may not be over just yet, but it has already produced plenty of classic games. I had the pleasure of picking ten games that might show up again on NFL Classics in the future. All games had to be heavily competitive to be considered, but bonuses were given to games with great storylines, great endings, and really critical results. Here are the top ten games from the first 16 weeks of the regular season:Number 10 (October 26)Giants defeat Steelers 21-14At the time of this game, whether or not the NFC had overtaken the AFC was very much in the air. The Eagles had taken care of the Steelers at home earlier this season, but the Steelers were hosting the Giants in this one. The Giants controlled much of the action in the first half, but the Steelers came out and scored in the second half, and led...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Top Ten

Fantasy Football: Breakout Stars of 2008

By Brad Berreman | December 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Since many fantasy football leagues will end for this season with tonight's game, I will give you my top ten breakout players for 2008. These players were probably a bargain on draft day in most leagues, whether traditional draft or auction style, or could have been had early in the season on the waiver wire and ultimately paid nice dividends. Note: All stats are through Week 16, except for Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers, who has yet to play his Week 16 game. 1. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons- Turner got a chance to start for the Falcons this year after spending his first few NFL seasons in San Diego behind LaDainian Tomlinson, and became a star. He has 1,491 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, both good for second in the NFL. Turner has been an important player in the Falcons' turnaround this season, and was probably a key catalyst to at least a few...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Aaron Rodgers, Antonio Bryant, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, DeAngelo Williams, Fantasy, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Outsider, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Kurt Warner, Matt Cassel, Michael Tuurner, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Philip Rivers, Roddy White, San Diego Chargers, Steve Slaton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thomas Jones

NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Pennsylvania teams eventually rise to top

By Greg Trippiedi | December 18, 2008 | MVN Outsider

1. Tennessee Titans (12-2) The Titans hold the top spot at least one more week through the loss, but they will have to beat Pittsburgh at home without Albert Haynesworth and Kyle VandenBosch to hold it any further. Good luck guys.2. Philadelphia Eagles (8-5-1)The Eagles jump up to number two this week behind the strength of a third consecutive win, and the Steelers knocking off the Ravens, who beat the Eagles back when this was a team in turmoil. 3. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) Do the Steelers have the greatest defense of all time? Only a championship would validate this. The offense apparently isn't going to assist them until the final two minutes of every game.4. Baltimore Ravens (9-5) The Ravens aren't going to fall too far, falling victim to the "Tuck Rule curse". They should have taken care of business in Pittsburgh, and then it wouldn't have come down to...Read more

Read more | 4 Comments | Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, power poll, Tennessee Titans

Notable pro-bowl snubs; 2008 Edition

By Greg Trippiedi | December 17, 2008 | MVN Outsider

It's because of the way that the pro bowl selection process works that makes snubs inevitable. The fans get one third of the vote. The players get one third of the vote. And the coaches get one third of the vote. Herein lies the problem: no one knows anything. The coaches and players are too busy watching film on their opponents to be able to accurately grade players on teams they don't play. Same with the players. And don't get me started on the fans: who if they would have had their way would have sent Redskins K Shaun Suisham to Honolulu, and he's one of the larger reasons the Redskins have lost 5 out of their last 6 games.With all that out of the way, the selection trio from hell actually did a relatively good job this year. But they still inexcusably omitted some overqualified players in order to...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Pro Bowl, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Snubs, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins

The NFL third-quarter review

By Andrew Strickert | December 4, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Three quarters of the NFL regular season have been played and we head into what should be an exciting fourth quarter. Nineteen teams are in strong contention for postseason play. The Giants, Titans, Cardinals and Broncos each have three-game leads in their divisions and are on the verge of clinching. They'll be jockeying for position in the home stretch for the best seedings. The other four division races are a lot closer. The Steelers, Jets and Vikings each have one-game leads and the NFC South is extremely close. The Panthers and Bucs are tied with 9-3 records and will face each other Monday night, with the Falcons on their heels and only a game behind them at 8-4. Here's a look at the current standings, remaining schedules and the remaining strengths of schedule. AFC division leaders: Tennessee Titans (11-1) Browns, Texans, Steelers, Colts 26-22 (.542) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3) Cowboys, Ravens,...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins

Pregame Hype: Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals most likely to succeed

By Anthony Brown | November 30, 2008 | MVN Outsider

In a surprise to no one, the Tennessee Titans (11-1) and the Arizona Cardinals (7-5) are the teams most likely to make the playoffs according to projections run by AccuScore.com.AccuScore is a sports forecasting company runs 10,000 simulations, play by play, of upcoming NFL games to assess the likely outcome of the contest. Yes, they are sports geeks who aim to project the probability of a player's fantasy performance and to handicap games. They do the math so you don't have to.After running simulations of all remaining games for all NFL teams, AccuScore ranked the conference teams most likely to make the NFL playoffs.The top six AFC teams most likely to make it and their probability:Tennessee Titans -- 99.5%Indianapolis Colts -- 82.4%New York Jets -- 75.8%Pittsburgh Steelers -- 74.6%New England Patriots -- 67.3%Baltimore Ravens -- 54.4%The top six most likely NFC teams and their probability:Arizona Cardinals -- 100%New York Giants...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, NFL, San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans

NFL Week 13 preview: Predictions and burning questions

By Anthony Hall | November 29, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Every weekend, MVN Outsider's five NFL writers look into their crystal balls and pick the outcomes of the week's games. After twelve weeks of predictions, here's how the standings look:Patrick Patterson: 10-6 last week, 113-63 overall Anthony Brown: 10-6 last week, 108-68 overallAnthony Hall: 11-5 last week, 108-68 overall Andrew Strickert: 9-7 last week, 107-69 overall Greg Trippiedi: 7-9 last week, 102-74 overallAnd here are their predictions for Week 13 of the NFL season: Finally, we'll leave you with a few burning questions for the week:Derek Anderson gets a second chance as Cleveland's starter with Brady Quinn out for the year. Is he up to the task against Indianapolis?Can Matt Cassel keep it up against Pittsburgh's league-leading defense?Who takes control of the NFC North on Sunday night: Minnesota or Chicago?How terrible will the ratings be for the awful Monday Night Football matchup between the Jags and Texans?...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers

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