SportsNation Blog Archives
San Diego Chargers
- Vote: Was Norv Turner's team a bigger underachiever than Wade Phillips' team?
- Chat: NFC East blogger Matt Mosley, 12 ET | Scouts Inc.'s Gary Horton, 2 ET
Imagine what kind of extension Norv Turner would have earned if Nate Kaeding could make a kick in the postseason. Between Turner's extension through 2013 and reports the Cowboys will bring Wade Phillips back in 2010, albeit without an extension, some of the juiciest potential offseason drama in the NFL turned out to have a shorter run than "Eastwick" did. Even the Bills found a coach. At least we still have Al Davis?
No two playoff coaches hit lower lows in SportsNation's approval ratings this season than Turner and Phillips. For that matter, not even Kansas City's Todd Haley or St. Louis' Steve Spagnuolo sank as low as Turner and Phillips. So does either team have a coach who can win a Super Bowl, or just a coach who is good enough not to get fired?
Andy (Denver)
What is the likelihood that either of the losing coaches from [Sunday], Norv Turner or Wade Phillips, loses their job?
Jeremy Green
I don't think either one loses their job ... I think Wade has done a very good job with Dallas this season and they care close. Norv I think deserves to lose his job but won't because he keeps putting himself in position to be a contender. Norv is on the hot seat for 2010 though. Full transcript
“Dallas may continue to post 10 win seasons and get into the playoffs, but if they think Wade Phillips is going to take them to the promise land that's just not gonna happen. Wade's a good coach, but that's as far as it goes.
” -- xrobologyx
“Norv Turner is not a good head coach, period. He inherited a Super Bowl team from Marty Schottenheimer and the weakest division in football. The Chargers should not have had to rely on a kicker at home against the Jets.
” -- TorreroX
- Rank 'Em: Playoff Power Rankings | Quarterbacks | Coaches
- Vote: Cardinals-Saints | Ravens-Colts | Cowboys-Vikings | Jets-Chargers
- SN previews: Cardinals-Saints | Ravens-Colts | Cowboys-Vikings | Jets-Chargers
- Blog chats: AFC North | AFC South | AFC West | NFC East | NFC North | NFC West
- Weekly chatters: Chris Mortensen | Matt Williamson | Mel Kiper | KC Joyner | Lomas Brown | Gary Horton | Jeremy Green | Len Pasquarelli | Drew Bennett
- More chats: Browns' Josh Cribbs | ESPN Dallas' Ed Werder | ESPN Dallas' Calvin Watkins
Last week was a nice pigskin appetizer, thanks mostly to the Packers and Cardinals filling our need for drama, but it doesn't get any better than the second weekend of the NFL playoffs (all right, at least until next weekend). Last week's predictions didn't go so well, but that's not dimming SportsNation's enthusiasm.
- 59 percent of SN plans to watch all four games, and 89 percent will watch at least two.
- Will SN watch anything but football? Not in the West or South.
When not busy talking about Lane Kiffin, SportsNation bloggers have counted down the hours to kickoff by enumerating the ways teams can win -- or lose -- the games this weekend.
- "As a Jets fan, I hope they win, but I'm afraid the Jets season will come to an end on Sunday. However, if they do indeed lose on Sunday, Jets fans shouldn't be disappointed. This was a very successful year considering how their year ended last year. Secondly, Jets fans should be happy because the future of this team with Rex Ryan looks bright." -- Read Goldbrick4's full post.
- "Ray Rice is going to pound and the Colts D can only hope to contain him. Their best hope is trying to contain Rice and make Flacco throw, but I don't see that happening. The Ravens D will have the same gameplan as before, and it worked since only allowing the Colts to score 17. I don't think Manning will choke, but I think he'll come up short." -- Read Feldman9000's full post.
- "Finally, since the teams from a talent and style standpoint are relatively evenly matched, the difference may come at the end of the game where the desire of the QB to win the game may be the key factor. Who wants it more? Secondly, the experience in big games may on the face lead people to think Favre has the edge because he will be less mistake prone, but Favre throughout his career has made some big plays for the opposing team. So, in fact, Romo may be a safer bet at the end." -- Read RJSuncoast's full post.
It has been a long -- and yes, strange -- trip for the Chargers and Jets en route to Sunday's playoff game at Qualcomm Stadium. At various points this season, both teams were ranked in the bottom half of the league in SportsNation's Power Rankings. In fact, of the eight remaining teams, none ranked lower at any point this season than both the Chargers (who bottomed out at No. 19) and the Jets (who sank as low as No. 23)
Caleb (Los Angeles)
Matt I know you weren't impressed with Shonn Greene coming out of Iowa, but any Hawkeyes fan could have told you he was going to be an awesome running back in the pros. Best example is the Purdue game, throws a spin move on a safety then outraces the secondary for an eighty yard touchdown, then blows up the same safety at the line of scrimmage and runs in for TD number 2. What game tape were you watching?
Matt Williamson
I really worried about his speed and ability to get to the corner at this level-as compared to other top draft pick RBs. That isn't to say that I thought he couldn't play at this level, but I didn't see early round skills-he did go in Round 3 by the way. He has proven me wrong. No question about it. Big fan of his now and think he is the future of the Jets' running game. Great balance and power. Better burst than I remember. This isn't a knock in him at all, but I also think he is a fresher football player right now than T Jones or really anyone else on the field-as he was used very little the first half of the season. Full transcript
Frank (Denver)
Who do you like Jets-Chargers?
Lomas Brown
The Chargers do have a powerful offense. But I like some of the matchups the Jets can create - like Revis on Jackson; David Harris on Gates. With them having the No. 1 defense, I wouldn't be worried about LT and Sproles. The key again will be Mark Sanchez. Can he come out and have another game where he was almost perfect? Will he be able to make the big throw? Full transcript
“Jets fan right here.. not tough at all to admit really.. i mean that is not as hard as admitting to being the fan of a program without a single Super Bowl victory.. Chargers are good, no the Chargers are great.. but since when did every unintelligent weekend warrior become an avid Charger fan?
” -- ChilamBilam12
“I'm confused, if no one can stop the Jets from running, and no one can score on their defense, how did they lose 7 games? Must be some error in the standings or something. we've been hearing all year long how we can't do this and that. How we were gonna lose in Denver, Dallas, NYG, TEN, etc. We'll see Sunday. Try rooting for a football team that plays in the same state as you..
” -- ili_bolts_ili
- Rank 'Em: Playoff Power Rankings | Quarterbacks | Coaches
- Vote: Jets-Bengals | Eagles-Cowboys | Ravens-Patriots | Packers-Cardinals
- Blogger chats: Playoff extravaganza | AFC West | AFC South | NFC West
- Weekly chatters: Chris Mortensen | Matt Williamson | Mel Kiper | KC Joyner | Drew Bennett | Gary Horton | Tedy Bruschi | Lomas Brown
- Local team chats: ESPN Boston | ESPN Dallas' Calvin Watkins | ESPN Dallas' Ed Werder
The NFL playoffs are finally here, and even if there are certain encounters (Jets-Bengals II) that SportsNation isn't giddy about, the weekend itself is about as good as it gets.
- 52 percent of SN prefers wild-card weekend to the opening weekend of March Madness.
- 57 percent of SN said the wild-card games are a bigger deal than BCS title game.
But with a rookie coach for the Jets, a guy in Dallas famously looking for his first playoff win with the team and nary a Super Bowl ring amongst the bunch that doesn't belong to Bill Belichick, are the coaches the wild cards in the weekend of wild-card games? Check out the highs and lows of how the eight coaches in action this weekend fared this season.
- Vote: Power Rankings | MVP Watch | Running backs | Coaches | Pick 'Em | Spread
- NFC blogger chats: NFC East | NFC North | NFC West
- AFC blogger chats: AFC South | AFC North | AFC West
- Weekly chatters: Chris Mortensen | Matt Williamson | Mel Kiper | KC Joyner
- Local team chats: ESPN Boston | ESPN Chicago | ESPN Dallas
Maybe it's people finally coming around on Andre Johnson as the league's best receiver (or at least good argument fodder against Larry Fitzgerald). Maybe it's fans of every other AFC playoff participant channeling Machiavelli. But at least within the confines of Week 17 and the wild-card race, the Houston Texans are more "America's Team" than that other team.
That SportsNation appears to be rooting for the Texans against the Patriots and against the playoff odds this weekend is a little surprising, considering the team hasn't exactly been highly regarded this season. As you can see, SportsNation ranked it last among the five main wild-card contenders (sorry, Dolphins and Jaguars) at just about every stop.
So what needs to happen for the Texans to claim their first playoff berth? Just beat the Patriots and get help with two wins from the Chiefs, Raiders and what's likely to be the Bengals' second string. Uh-oh. Assuming a win against the Patriots, here are the scenarios.1. Jets lose or tie against Bengals AND Ravens lose or tie against Raiders
2. Jets lose or tie against Bengals AND Broncos lose or tie against Chiefs
3. Ravens lose or tie against Raiders AND Broncos lose or tie against Chiefs
- Vote: Broncos v. Eagles | Jets v. Colts | Ravens v. Steelers | Chargers v. Titans
- Pick 'Em: Straight up | Against the spread
- Rankings: AFC Playoff Race | MVPs | Power
- Weekly chatters: Chris Mortensen | Gary Horton | Matt Williamson | Drew Bennett
- Divisional chats: NFC North | NFC West | AFC North | AFC West | AFC South
Just in case the playoff races weren't generating enough story lines, the NFL has blessed us this holiday week with several side dishes to munch on. Brett Favre and Brad Childress aired out some grievances which led us to ask you which one has more power on the Vikings. Mike Holgren took a job as the main man in Cleveland but fans are wondering if Seattle might have been a better opportunity. The Saints lost and pretty much every former player on ESPN's payroll is laughing at SportsNation's belief that a loss can be a good thing. And there were at least a few folks in Montana who didn't completely dismiss the Redskins' botched fake field goal as the worst play they have ever seen.
- Vote: Cowboys-Saints | Power Rankings | MVP Watch | Coaches | Pick 'Em | Spread
- NFC blogger chats: NFC East | NFC South | NFC North | NFC West
- AFC blogger chats: AFC East | AFC South | AFC North | AFC West
- Weekly chatters: Chris Mortensen | Matt Williamson | Mel Kiper | KC Joyner
- Local team chats: ESPN Boston | ESPN Chicago | ESPN Dallas
Your move, Mr. Brees. Peyton Manning used his national (sort of) stage to full advantage Thursday night, leading the Colts to yet another come-from-behind win in the fourth quarter with a memorable long touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne. Now it's Drew Brees' turn to keep his team marching toward perfection on a national (sort of) stage Saturday night.
Unlike the Heisman race, which seemed in search of a favorite all season, the MVP chase in the NFL has been a two-man duel since early in October.
On the flip side, Wade Phillips and the Cowboys might not be so thrilled about having Saturday's spotlight all to themselves. Phillips matched a season low last week with a 14 percent approval rating from SportsNation, and a loss in New Orleans won't improve matters.
- "If Dallas loses out, I don't see how Wade Phillips keeps his job. Unfortunately, I see Dallas losing out. New Orleans, I see winning out. This is their only test left. Roy Williams is giving instigation to a team that doesn't need to be instigated. I use to think Roy Williams was a class act until this season. The Saints are going to do everything in their power to finish 16-0. ... DAL 16 NO 32." -- Read Feldman9000's full post.
- Vote on games: Broncos-Colts | Bengals-Vikings | Eagles-Giants | Chargers-Cowboys
- More votes: Power Rankings | MVP Watch | Coaches | Pick 'Em | Spread
- Blogger chats: NFC East | NFC South | NFC West | AFC South | AFC West
- Weekly chatters: Chris Mortensen | Matt Williamson | Mel Kiper | KC Joyner
- Local team chats: ESPN Boston | ESPN Chicago | ESPN Dallas
SportsNation has been consistent in picking the NFC East as the best division in the league throughout the season, most recently in early October, early November and right now. Picking which team is the best within the division? Well, that's a different story. All three key players in the drama (sorry, Jim Zorn) have been ranked ahead of their rivals at some point this season. And things could take another turn for the confused this weekend, with the possibility for anything from a three-way tie atop the division to a solo lead for either the Eagles or Cowboys.
- Vote: Pick winners | Vs. spread | Titans-Colts | Cardinals-Vikings
- Your rankings: Power Rankings | MVP Watch | Coaches
- Blogger chats: NFC East | NFC North | NFC West | AFC South | AFC North | AFC West
- Weekly chatters: Len Pasquarelli | Chris Mortensen | Matt Williamson | KC Joyner
- More guests: Cowboys' Deon Anderson | Patriots' Junior Seau | Mel Kiper
- Local team chats: ESPN Boston | ESPN Chicago | ESPN Dallas
Peyton Manning and the Colts have registered some impressive victories over some excellent teams but they will meet a Titans squad on Sunday that is hotter than anything they have seen all season. Quarterback Vince Young and running back Chris Johnson have hogged the highlight reels of late on their way to a five-game winning streak but not all of SportsNation is buying into the Titans' hype. One person that is . . .
- "This is a whole new Titans squad. They are completely different than the first time these two met this season. Hard to believe one person can make that much of a difference. Vince Young is looking better than he ever has. The Colts, however, are still undefeated and have managed this tougher schedule quite well. But personally this is going to be the upset of the week and I think the Colts will actually lose one more before season's end, kind of like Denver did in 1998." Read all of Feldman9000's Week 13 picks.
- Vote: Pick winners | Vs. spread | Steelers-Broncos | Patriots-Saints
- Your rankings: Power Rankings | MVP Watch | Coaches
- Weekly chatters: Drew Bennett | Gary Horton | Chris Mortensen | Matt Williamson
- More guests: Fox NFL analyst Jimmy Johnson | Former NFL quarterback Bobby Hebert
- Local team chat: ESPN Chicago
Tony Romo stayed a perfect 4-0 in Thanksgiving Day games as the Cowboys exploded for 24 points after scoring only a single touchdown against the fading Redskins in the final minutes of Week 11. While Dallas leaves its fans on the edge of their seats week after week, the perfect 10-0 Saints seem to just steamroll over every team in their path. Our NFL analysts Marcellus Wiley and Tedy Bruschi are split on who they think will win Monday night in the Superdome, while SportsNation is clear that they believe the Saints will win and keep pace with the undefeated Colts.
- "The Colts got so lucky that the Ravens didn't execute on the Colts' mistakes. The Colts will and should be looking for redemption and the Cowboys aren't going to have a chance getting to the second round of the playoffs if they can barely beat WASHINGTON 7-6. Romo and the Cowboys are going to fluke." Read 1830Robert's full post.
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