AFC North

When Baltimore Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome said the Ravens wouldn’t break the bank repeat their Super Bowl win he wasn’t lying. Thus far, the Ravens have let multiple starters and key players to their run last season go: Anquan Boldin, Dannell Ellerbe, Paul Kruger, Bernard Pollard, Cary Williams, and possibly now their most well known and beloved active veteran Ed Reed.

As I type this, Reed is back at the Houston Texans’ Reliant Stadium after spending most of yesterday with the Texans including a dinner that lasted well into the night. If he doesn’t sign with the Texans, the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts are still calling.

Yesterday, Reed told Comcast Houston the following:

“I think, as an organization, they kind of want things on their terms. Seeing how things have transpired over there right now, it’s like wow, I just kind of can’t believe how things are happening from a business standpoint when guys give you blood, sweat and tears and give you everything. And try to do the best for the team. Players definitely did that. Baltimore is a great organization over the years as we all know, and do the right things for the organization. You’ve got to respect that. Every organization does it.”

Reed is right, every organization wants things on their own terms and the Ravens’ refusal to extend Reed long before now seemed a clear sign that their commitment was waning. In fairness, Reed often publicly flip flopped on the possibility of retiring and thoroughly mishandled his off season last year. All in all, leaving the Ravens could be good for both parties despite the hurt feelings that are clear in Reed’s statement. If Reed leaves, the Ravens don’t have to face the likelihood that Reed pulls a Ray Lewis and angles to continue to play long after his effectiveness is gone and Reed gets to play for a likely contender with a great fan base the rest of his career (2  moreyears lol!).

Miami Dolphins Hard Knocks which aired over the summer gave us some of the most boring television I can remember. Certainly, it was the worst installment of Hard Knocks that I can remember. Well if you’re someone who likes to see NFL teams profiled (and I am!) the Cleveland Browns are taking a shot on what their owner calls a “softer” version of Hard Knocks  in a series that will air on the Travel Channel. 

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitch reports: 

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III calls the Travel Channel’s upcoming ‘NFL Road Tested: The Cleveland Browns’ a “soft version of Hard Knocks.” The Browns have partnered with the Travel Channel, NFL Films and RIVR Media for an eight-episode series promising an inside look at how an NFL team travels on the road during the regular season. The first episode airs Dec. 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. “It’s based a little more on the travel aspect of an NFL team, but you do see us practice and you do see time with the players and coaches,” said Haslam, who purchased the Browns for more than $1 billion in October “So I call it a softer version of Hard Knocks.”

[To finish reading this post click Read More]

(more…)

Baltimore Ravens CB Lardarius Webb is a joy to watch on the field. If you love DB play you have to be hoping he comes back and resume where he left off — at the top of the heap.

Everybody loves Ray Lewis. I love Ray Lewis. You love Ray Lewis. Well, maybe YOU don’t. But Ray Lewis is loved. So loved that the media waited until he tore his tricep and was officially out for the season to come out from under the covers and admit that he hasn’t been playing so well. 

I would never go so far as to say that losing Ray makes the Ravens defense better, but I have seen a few who written as much.  What I will say, however, is that the Ravens defense may get speedier and speed matters for a team that used to get 3 guys to the ball on many plays but now struggles just to get 1 there on time. The Ravens have struggled to rush to the QB, struggled in the middle of the field, and struggled to stop the run. This is not all Rays’ fault, obviously, but he has been the weak link on many more snaps this season. 

[To finish this post click Read More]

(more…)

Cary Williams is betting a lot on good health and great play.

Football is not a game for the faint of heart. Not only is it physically dangerous and mentally taxing, the decisions players have to make to maximize income carry a high risk. The choice Ravens CB Cary Williams has made this season is a perfect example.

Cary could have signed a longer term contract with the Ravens to stay on with that awesome secondary of Ed Reed, Lardarius Webb and Bernard Pollard. But instead he chose to play out the remainder of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent in 2013. Why? Because if he has a good season this year the market will be much kinder next year than the Ravens would have been this year.

[To read more about Cary Williams contract potential click Read More]

(more…)

via NFL.com and Pittsburgh Steelers

Update: lol @ Me posting a blog without my own thoughts. I mean it IS my blog. lol

I hate most of the yellows in the league whether it’s Steelers or Packers. So the sort of ugly yellow w/black stripes it’s over the top for me. If it were a different color (say, green) I might like it more. But the gold pants are a win for me. I hate white pants so almost any color pants is a welcome change for me. But something about this gold is kinda snazzy!!