West Virginia beats Marquette on Butler's jumper, undefeated Purdue awaits.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Da’Sean Butler’s long jumper from the wing with 2.3 seconds left gave No.6 West Virginia a 63-62 comeback victory over Marquette on Tuesday evening at the WVU Coliseum.

Trailing 62-57 with 41 seconds left, sophomore Kevin Jones’ offensive put-back cut West Virginia’s deficit to 62-59. Jones then fouled Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom, who missed a one-and-one free throw that Devin Ebanks rebounded and went the length of the court for an uncontested slam dunk to make it 62-61 with 18 seconds left.

West Virginia went to its full-court pressure, eventually following Jimmy Butler with 12 seconds left. Butler proceeded to miss the one-and-one opportunity to set up Da’Sean Butler’s heroics, as the Newark, N.J., native dribbled the length of the floor before nailing the game-winning jumper.

After officials reviewed the shot to make sure Butler’s foot was on the 3-point line, Marquette was forced to inbound the length of the floor. With Ebanks providing great pressure on the inbounder, Joe Mazzulla intercepted the baseball pass to secure the Mountaineer victory.

“Devin seemed like he wasn’t going to let us lose,” coach Bob Huggins said. “The play that Devin makes to get it to one, that’s a 6-foot-9 guy who they didn’t want to foul. There are not a lot of guys that have the courage to make that play. We had some guys who stepped up and some guys who didn’t step up.”

WVU’s trio of Butler, Ebanks and Jones came through once again. Aside from making the game-winning basket, Butler finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Ebanks, coming off both conference player of the week honors and Oscar Robertson national player of the weeks honors, scored 19 points with eight rebounds and four assists.

Much like he has all season, Jones took control of the paint and finished with 18 points and three rebounds. West Virginia was heavily reliant on the play of Jones on the inside blocks, often calling his number when a basket was sorely needed.

West Coast Offense and the Effect on the Browns

With the announcement of the Mike "Walrus" Holmgren in Cleveland, there's been much talk about the offense that will be run. Holmgren has always ran the Walsh West Coast Offense, while at Green Bay with Brett Favre, and Seattle with Matt Hasselbeck. What does all of this mean though? What is the West Coast Offense, and what's the difference between what we run now and what we will be running? I'm going to break down all of that in the following.

The West Coast Offense (WCO) is an offensive system loosely based on the Air Coryell system established by the Hall of Fame coach Don Coryell. Bill Walsh perfected the system that emphasizes more passing than running. Originated in the 1960's by teams like the Chargers, Raiders, and even Coryell's own Cardinals (St. Louis at the time), the Air Coryell is a system that has been greatly used by teams more and more each season. It was Bill Walsh who perfected what is now called the WCO.

What Personnel is Required for the WCO?

Quarterback- A quarterback in the WCO is supposed to be an efficient passer. A guy that can complete 62% of his passes or better, that specializes in throwing the short-intermediate routes, and can get the ball out quickly after the snap. He needs to be an accurate passer that's also very smart and can make quick reads. In the WCO, the 3 step and 5 step drops are heavily utilized in a quick striking passing game that keeps the defense on it's heels, constantly forcing them to make quick adjustments at the line. A 7-step drop is also something that has to be utilized occasionally to keep the defense honest. Faster linebackers and safeties make it nearly impossible to stick with 5-step drops for an entire game, so often hitch routes, hitch and go's along with crossing patterns are utilized in a 7-step drop. When a defense begins playing up, and compensating for the short patterns over the middle, the offense can catch the defense sleeping and hit a deep route. Scrambling ability for a quarterback is also a plus.

Runningback- A runningback in the WCO needs to be a guy that can catch the ball out of the backfield, and is more a speed runner. A guy that can also hit the hole quickly and be effective between the tackles. Pass blocking isn't as big of a need because of how quickly the QB should be getting the ball out, but it's still something that'd be a bit of a luxury.

Wide Receivers- This is a position just as important as the quarterback. Possession receivers are crucial in the WCO. The WCO requires wide receivers that can catch the ball in traffic, over the middle while having a run after catch (RAC) ability. On the other spectrum, it's crucial to have a deep ball receiver so that the defense can't creep up and shut down the short game. So speed on the outside is a big plus to keep a safety over the top of a WR, and open up the middle of the field. Finally, perfected route running. If the receivers aren't on the same page with the QB and doesn't run crisp routes, then you can kiss any sort of efficiency out the window.

Big Test for West Virginia Tonight. Countdown to Tip-Off.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia puts its undefeated record on the line tonight against Mississippi in a clash of nationally ranked teams at the WVU Coliseum. Tonight’s game is designated “Gold Rush” with fans coming to the game being encouraged to wear their gold.

West Virginia and Ole Miss have met once before in Mississippi last year when the Mountaineers pulled out an exciting 80-78 victory.

Here is tonight’s Countdown to Tipoff:

10 – Only TEN opponents have managed to shoot better than 50 percent from the floor during Bob Huggins’ 80-game tenure at West Virginia.

9 – Da’Sean Butler recently became the 16th player in school history to score more than 1,500 career points. On the other end, Butler has managed NINE double-figure rebounding games for his career, second only to Devin Ebanks’ 12 among current Mountaineer players.

8 – Sophomore forward Kevin Jones is the only Mountaineer player to score double figures in all EIGHT games so far this year. Jones is averaging 14.5 points per game while grabbing a team-best 7.3 rebounds per contest.

7 – West Virginia has won all SEVEN times it has led at halftime this season. The only time the Mountaineers have trailed at halftime this year was against Texas A&M, 34-32, in the 76 Classic

6 – Ole Miss is ranked SIXTH in the country in scoring offense averaging 85.4 points per game. The Rebels topped the 100-point mark in their last game against Centenary last Saturday.

5 – West Virginia’s recent FIVE-year run in men’s basketball has seen the Mountaineers reach the NCAA Tournament four times with three trips to the Sweet 16 or beyond. The year West Virginia didn’t make the NCAA Tournament the Mountaineers won the NIT in 2007.

4 – Ole Miss represents the FOURTH nationally ranked non-conference opponent to play at the WVU Coliseum since West Virginia joined the Big East Conference in 1996. The other ranked non-conference foes were No. 2 UCLA in 2007, No. 20 George Washington in 2004 and No. 7 Tennessee in 2000.

3 – Ole Miss is nationally ranked for the THIRD straight week. The Rebels are now 15th in the AP poll and 21st in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll.

2 – West Virginia has lost only TWICE at home to non-conference teams during the last seven years and sport an impressive 47-2 record during that span.

1 – The Rebels are making their FIRST ever appearance at the WVU Coliseum tonight.

G-o-o-o-o-o-o-o Mountaineers!

Grieving Bengals Must Shift Focus to San Diego

From Nancy Gay @ Fanhouse.com.

Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday will become more than a place where the grieving Cincinnati Bengals will challenge the San Diego Chargers for the No 2 seed in the AFC and a first-round playoff bye. The contest between two division leaders clinches, at the very least, a playoff berth for the winner.

For the Bengals, San Diego's home field will be where they test their unity and their resolve yet again.

After learning of the death of teammate Chris Henry early Thursday, after the wide receiver on Wednesday fell from the back of a moving pickup truck allegedly driven by his fianceé, Loleini Tonga, during what Charlotte, N.C. police describe as a domestic dispute, Bengals players say they are dedicating their already impressive 9-4 season to Henry and his memory.

Players will wear a commemorative No. 15 decal on their helmets, and Bengals coaches and staff will wear commemorative pins during Sunday's game. Across the NFL, teams will observe a moment of silence before they take the field for Week 15's games, as requested by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The Bengals already have experienced loss this season, and know all too well how the pattern of shock, sadness and intense grief can affect their livelihood.

In October, Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's wife Vikki, 50, was found dead at the couple's home, and the news rocked the franchise. Vikki Zimmer was a beloved figure within the team. She baked cookies for the defensive players, which her husband brought to team meetings, and she was a fixture at the Bengals' Friday practices.

Vikki Zimmer died on a Thursday; a coroner concluded she succumbed to natural causes. In the Friday practice, coach Marvin Lewis noted how distracted his players seemed and how badly the workout had gone. Mike Zimmer announced he would coach in Sunday's Week 5 game against the Ravens, but few expected the Bengals to prevail in that contest.

The Bengals. Reason to worry?

The following article is taken from Fanhouse.com and was written by Dan Graziano.

Carson Palmer threw five touchdown passes on Oct. 25, helping Bengals running back Cedric Benson dismantle the Bears in Benson's triumphant return to Chicago. It was a banner day for the Cincinnati offense, as they put 45 points on the board and went on their bye week in first place with a 5-2 record.

Since the bye...things have been different. Oh, the Bengals still win plenty. They're 9-4 overall, in first place and complete command of the AFC North. Barring an all-time collapse, they'll be in the playoffs. If they can beat the Chargers this weekend, they even have a chance at a first-round bye. But since the beating in Chicago, the Bengals are averaging just 157.7 passing yards per game, including the 91 they mustered in Sunday's loss to the Vikings. And while some of that can be explained by a shift in philosophy -- the Bengals are running the ball on about 57 percent of their plays in that stretch -- it's raised some very legitimate questions about Cincinnati's passing game and whether the Bengals are becoming too one-dimensional on offense.

"We're struggling," Palmer said Sunday in answer to a question about the passing game. "If it was just for one reason, we'd fix it."

ESPN's Chris Mortensen wondered if the reason might be the condition of Palmer's right elbow, and he asked Palmer about that Monday. But Palmer assured Mortensen that his elbow was "101 percent," which I guess means he's had an extra ligament added in there for good measure or something but apparently means we can eliminate that as a potential excuse for the Bengals' sputtering air attack.

"I'm not sure if we were really focused on getting the passing game going today," receiver Chad Ochocinco said after the Sunday game, in which he caught a touchdown pass but had just three catches for 27 yards total. "I think what we wanted to do was establish the run like we've been doing all year. We wanted to pass as needed. You know, when it's there. I'm not sure how many attempts we had (28) or how many attempts Carson tried (25), but we weren't able to run the offense the way we wanted to."

Increasingly, it does seem as if the Bengals want to operate their offense on run-first principles. In the three games prior to the Minnesota game, they called 43, 45 and 44 running plays as compared to 22, 24 and 29 passing plays. They've been leaning hard on Benson (and, when Benson was injured, on Bernard Scott and Larry Johnson), and they were even continuing to try and grind out yards on the ground in Sunday's third quarter when they were way behind and ought to have been throwing. But the absence of a downfield passing game is likely to hurt them if they can't establish it as a threat before the postseason begins.

"This was just like a playoff game, and we got a first-hand feel of what it's going to be like," Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga said. "It's a good thing that we went through this because we're going to need this tempo and this feeling for down the road."

They're also going to have to use their loss to the Vikings for its lessons. Having lost T.J. Houshmandzadeh to free agency this summer and Chris Henry to injury at midseason, the Bengals have been unable to establish any receiver other than Ochocinco as a reliable downfield target. Teams neutralize Andre Caldwell easily. Laveraneus Coles hasn't played well. The tight ends haven't been any help. When you game plan for the Bengals, you basically know all you have to do is take away Ochocinco and you've forced them into running the ball.

"I can recall Arizona getting beat extremely bad late last year in New England, and they continued to march forward and do the things they needed to do to fix whatever problems they had," Ochocinco said. "We're in a similar situation."

These Bengals have been impressive, and they're no fluke. After their crushing, last-second, season-opening loss to the Broncos, their coach, Marvin Lewis, stood in front of them and said, "Don't flinch." All year, Lewis has preached the mantra that bad things will happen but the team's success will rest on how they handle them when they do. This week's game against red-hot San Diego provides a big-time opportunity for the Bengals to deliver a counterpunch. If they can get up, brush off the Viking loss and find a way to beat the Chargers, they'll not only be in command of the AFC's No. 2 seed, they'll have proven to themselves that they're tough enough to do something with it.

But it's going to be very hard for them to do any of that if they can't figure out how to throw for 100 yards in a game.

A Day in the Life of Tiger Woods

The following was written by Norman Chad for The Washington Post. Pure comedy.

It's every man's nightmare: Pulling out of your own driveway, you hit a fire hydrant and 37 mistresses drop out of the sky. Tiger Woods's private flings have become public fodder. He is taking an "indefinite break" from golf, but he carries on. Here now, "A Day in the Life of Tiger Woods":

6:10 a.m.: Wakes up, gets dressed and goes home.

6:45: Breakfast at Perkins Restaurant. Tips waitress $250 on a $16.75 bill.

8:13: Calls Las Vegas banks, sees if anyone has tried to cash one of those oversize golf checks.

8:52: Five-year supply of Gillette razors mysteriously has been dumped into guest bathroom.

9:07: Cancels lunch date with David Duchovny.

10:28: Switches cellphone service from "family plan" to "unlimited night and weekend mistress minutes."

11:14: Takes Jesper Parnevik off Christmas card list.

11:56: Finishes monthly column for Golf Digest on unplayable lies.

12:03 p.m.: Picks up rental tux for "Cablinasian Father of the Year" banquet.

1:43: Sees if Hank Haney's got any bright ideas.

2:38: Nike calls back, tells him it will not replace the golf club.

3:00: Oprah!

4:02: On off chance he has no other plans, books New Year's Eve trip to Caesars Palace.

4:18: Faxes Dick Ebersol questions NBC can ask him during February's WGC-Match Play Championship.

4:37: Denies published report that he cheated on AT&T with T-Mobile.

5:05: Leaves Post-it note on refrigerator, asking Elin to still pick up Sunday golf shirts at cleaners.

5:22: What's a good texting translation for "prophylactics"?

5:30: Watches "Around the Horn" on mute.

6:06: Picks up snacks for book club.

6:22: Sets up TiVo to record Dr. Drew on VH1.

6:28: Orders "Porn Star Brides" from Netflix.

7:13: Shoots 61 on Wii golf.

8:44: Barkley and MJ won't answer their pagers.

9:19: Just for the heck of it, googles "sex in a church parking lot."

10:31: Sends flowers to Rachel.

10:32: Sends flowers to Jamiee.

10:33: Sends flowers to Kalika.

10:34: Sends flowers to Jamie.

10:35: Sends flowers to Mindy.

10:36: Sends flowers to Cori.

10:37: Sends flowers to Holly.

10:38: Sends flowers to Joslyn.

10:39: Buys 25,000 shares of FTD stock on Ameritrade.

11:26: Notices that Elin has "Tiger-proofed" master bedroom.

11:58: Double-checks prenup to see if it has "lothario loophole."

2:25 a.m.: E-mails Windermere Public Works and asks if it can remove that hydrant.

DB41's Early Top 60

DaBrowns41’s Top 60 2010 NFL Draft Prospects

1. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska- 6’4 300
2. Gerald McCoy*, DT, Oklahoma- 6’4 297
3. Eric Berry*, S, Tennessee- 5’11 203
4. Jimmy Clausen*, QB, Notre Dame- 6’3 224
5. Rolando McClain*, LB, Alabama- 6’4 260
6. Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State- 6’5 305
7. Joe Haden*, CB, Florida- 5’11 190
8. Derrick Morgan*, DE, Georgia Tech- 6’4 270
9. Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma- 6’5 315
10. Dez Bryant*, WR, Georgia Tech- 6’2 220
11. Jake Locker*, QB, Washington- 6’3 225
12. Brian Price*, DT, UCLA- 6’2 300
13. Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU- 6’3 257
14. Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama- 6’5 360
15. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson- 5’11 195
16. Anthony Davis*, OT, Rutgers- 6’6 325
17. Ryan Mallet*, QB, Arkansas- 6’7 240
18. Carlos Dunlap*, DE, Florida- 6’6 290
19. Bryan Baluga, OT, Iowa- 6’6 312
20. Cameron Heyward*, DE, Ohio State- 6’6 285
21. Sam Bradford*, QB, Oklahoma- 6’4 225
22. Everson Griffen*, DE, USC- 6’4 280
23. Taylor Mays, S, USC- 6’4 225
24. Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee- 6’3 325
25. Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas- 6’4 255
26. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma- 6’6 258
27. Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri- 6’2 246
28. Johnathan Dwyer*, RB, Georgia Tech- 6’0 230
29. Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan- 6’2 260
30. Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida- 6’2 250
31. Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati- 6’1 189
32. Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State- 6’5 295
33. Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida- 6’3 251
34. Jason Pierre-Paul*, DE, South Florida- 6’5 262
35. Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State- 5’11 193
36. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas- 6’2 215
37. Arrelious Benn*, WR, Illinois- 6’2 220
38. Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU- 6’3 210
39. Navorro Bowman*, LB, Penn State- 6’1 230
40. Nate Allen, S, South Florida- 6’2 205
41. Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho- 6’6 330
42. Javhid Best*, RB, California- 5’9 200
43. Golden Tate*, WR, Notre Dame- 5’11 195
44. Rickey Sapp, DE, Clemson- 6’6 240
45. Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse- 6’4 293
46. Jon Asomoah, OG, Illinois- 6’6 315
47. Eric Norwood, LB, South Carolina- 6’1 253
48. Kris O’Dowd*, C, USC- 6’5 305
49. Darrell Stuckey, S, Kansas- 6’1 205
50. Damian Williams*, WR, USC- 6’1 210
51. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida- 6’3 245
52. Anthony McCoy, TE, USC- 6’5 245
53. Charles Brown, OT, USC- 6’6 290
54. Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest- 6’0 190
55. Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky- 6’1 185
56. Bruce Carter*, LB, North Carolina- 6’2 225
57. Maurkice Pouncey, OG, Florida- 6’5 318
58. Marvin Austin*, DT, North Carolina- 6’3 305
59. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford- 6’1 235
60. Greg Hardy, DE, Ole Miss- 6’5 240

Who has never been Big 10 Coach of the Year? This guy.

The following article was written by Mark Hasty and appears on Fanhouse.com.

Jim Tressel has never been proclaimed as Big Ten Coach of the Year. Perhaps that isn't such a big deal when you consider that both John L. Smith and Ron Zook have won that particular honor, but still, it surprises me that the man whose team has dominated the conference for the better part of a decade has never been anointed as its most outstanding coach.

Tressel would probably tell you Kirk Ferentz totally deserved this year's award, which puts the trophy count at Ferentz 3, Tressel 0. No offense, coach, but you're wrong.

Five Big Ten teams finished the season with at least eight wins overall. Ohio State was one of them. It beat three of the other four (Iowa, Penn State, and Wisconsin) but didn't play the fifth, Northwestern. This happened in a year when Tressel's team was significantly less experienced and arguably less talented than usual. For most of the season Terrelle Pryor was the Buckeyes' only offensive playmaker, for instance.

That still wasn't enough to get Tressel over the hump. Maybe he has to pay for all the BCS disasters. Maybe his string of ten-win seasons is nothing more than what we all expect Ohio State to do every year. Maybe he just isn't flashy enough to draw attention to himself, though that hardly explains why the equally mellow Ferentz has won it three times. And maybe the writers who vote on these things are just bored by and with the Buckeyes. Who knows?

All I know is, if ever there was a season when Tressel should have won the award, this is it. What else does the guy have to do?

Evan Turner Perseveres Through Tough Times

The following article was written by Dana O'Neil for ESPN.com. Thanks to Dean for the heads-up.

Lost in her own grief on the night her son committed suicide, Barbara Moll reached for the ringing telephone and heard the sound of her own pain in the voice of a 16-year-old boy.


Ohio State's Evan Turner has wowed NBA scouts with his versatility and eye-popping stats (21.8 ppg, 14.8 rpg, 6.0 apg).

He was so overwrought, she could barely make out what he was saying, sobbing so hard it took her a minute to figure out who it was that was calling.

Nearly five years to the day later, Moll flips on the television and sees that same boy. He is the picture of strength and confidence, a chiseled 6-foot-7 point guard turning NBA scouts' heads and breaking college opponents' ankles.

But Moll immediately can see past the glory of today to the pain of yesterday.

Evan Turner wears No. 21 at Ohio State. It's the same number Barbara's son, John, wore in the last season of his life.

"He told me he tried to get that number in his junior year of high school when he moved up to varsity, but couldn't," Moll said. "So when I saw him at Ohio State, I knew."

In the first two weeks of the college basketball season, no one has skyrocketed out of the gate quite like Turner. Debuting with a triple-double against Alcorn State -- only the second in the history of the Buckeyes program -- he has posted a double-double in every game thereafter and is averaging an eye-popping 21.8 points, 14.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

West Virginia Throttles Portland, Wins Tourney

From Sportsnet:

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Da’Sean Butler scored 26 points to lead eighth-ranked West Virginia to an 84-66 victory over Portland in the championship game of the 76 Classic at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday night.

The tournament title was West Virginia’s first in-season tournament title since 2001 when it captured the Hispanic College Fund Classic in New Mexico.

It took a while for the Mountaineers (5-0) to get going. West Virginia was just 2 of 12 shooting at the game’s outset and didn’t get control of the game until 10:09 remaining in the first half when a Kevin Jones 3 from the corner made it 13-12.

“We just didn’t make any shots early,” said Huggins. “We had good shots early – we had as good of shots as we had the whole game and we just didn’t make any of them.”

Another Jones 3 gave West Virginia an 18-14 lead and then Butler took over. Butler’s 2 with his foot on the 3-point line on the wing gave West Virginia a 23-18 lead. Then a Butler 3 from the top of the key made the lead eight and a Devin Ebanks fall away got the lead to 10.

“(Butler) came in and made huge shots for us and really got us going,” said Huggins. “When he kind of got the lid off the basket it kind of went down a little easier for everyone else.”

Ebanks second 3 came ahead of Kramer Knudson’s dunk to give West Virginia a 31-20 advantage just ahead of the 3:44 media timeout.

West Virginia led 39-25 at halftime.

This just in: Browns can score... touchdowns?

Opening up the day this previous Sunday, I woke up a bit late, having to get ready for a Thanksgiving with a different side of the family. My other half was awake and already watching the game and said "Baby! Brady scored a touchdown!". You know... Typical chick thing because they all love Quinn's dashing good looks, along with his 12 pack abs and amazing biceps....... I should stop shouldn't I? So following that statement, I looked at her and called her a "dirty liar". I mean, that couldn't be possible couldn't? I go down for some laundry, and come back up the stairs a few minutes later hearing her screaming in excitement and said "We scored again!". I see the replay, and I rub my eyes thinking that this couldn't be true. 17 points for the Cleveland Browns and it's only halfway through the first quarter? It was true.

Cleveland opened up with a 9 play drive lasting 3.5 minutes scoring a field goal. I mean, hell, I'd have been excited if I saw that. Field goal range for the Browns. INSTANT WIN! After the ensuing kickoff, I then watch the defense give up a 63 yard pass to Calvin... I mean Bryant... No, I mean Kevin Smith... You know... The running back. Yeah... Luckily, Detroit only gets 3 points out of it.

A 13 yard kickoff return later and Brady Quinn proves to Derek Anderson and all of his haters that he, in fact, CAN throw the long ball, hitting Mohamed Massoquoi in stride for a 59 yard touchdown on the first play of the drive. Stunning, right? Following that, the Browns defense played like they did against the Ravens for a drive forcing a 3 and out, allowing Quinn and Co. to come back on the field. After a few small pickups, Quinn hits newly acquired wide receiver Chansi Stuckey down the field for a 40 yard touchdown. That's a total of two touchdowns in the game so far for the Browns offense who scored I believe all of 5 touchdowns in it's first 9 games of the season. I mean, this is some record setting stuff, right?!

Browns kick off giving the Lions the ball at the 32, when Eric Wright (Eazy-E) picks off a deep Stafford throw only to return it 47 yards giving Cleveland the ball at the Detroit 13 yard line. After an a Jeff Backus unnecessary roughness call, Cleveland starts at the Detroit 6. This couldn't end up being 3 touchdowns in one quarter of play.... could it? Indeed it was. After a Jamal Lewis 2 yard scamper, Quinn hits Joshua Cribbs for a 4 yard touchdown. So not only did the Browns get 3 touchdowns, but they got them through the air. We haven't had a QB throw 3 touchdowns in a game since November 11th.... of 2007, when Derek Anderson threw 3 touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Which ironically enough ended up having a similar outcome with the Browns defense blowing a big lead). The Browns are now leading 24-3. This is exciting stuff, right?! Well, who'd of thunk it, that the Browns defense could fail? On the next 3 Lions drives, they score touchdowns, now making it squared at 24 for the day. The Browns drive down the field and kick a field goal with 4 minutes left in the 1st half, and go into the half up 27-24. Man. What a first half for the offense. They score over half the touchdowns that they have in the previous 9 games of the season. Brady Quinn provided sparks of life for the offense, making very nice throws, while still being the victim of a few dropped touchdown catches.

NFL Players Are Getting Hooked On Fantasy Football

Caught this article in the local paper & wanted to share. Very interesting. Happy Thanksgiving, Shakers!
- DJ

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK - Fantasy and reality collided at the 1-yard line for Maurice Jones-Drew.

The Jacksonville Jaguars running back passed up a sure touchdown and took a knee before the goal line, helping seal a win against the New York Jets last Sunday. It also made thousands of frustrated fantasy football owners pound their heads against their laptops.

Jones-Drew knows how they felt. He cost himself a win in his own fantasy league.

"I was actually apologizing to myself," he said. "I have myself. It was all in fun. I know a lot of people were affected by it from what I hear."

Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould was one of them. He "owns" Jones-Drew in the NFL Players Association league, which includes seven NFL players and a fan. Gould's Team Automatic lost to Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams' Memphis MudSlingers, thanks in part to Jones-Drew's kneel-down.

"I'm just glad he apologized," a joking Gould said. "I probably would have won, so MJD's got to score an extra one for me this week."

Fantasy football leagues aren't just for fans anymore. An increasing number of NFL players are hopping on their computers and agonizing over their lineups -- should I start Tom Brady or Brett Favre?

"I got addicted," Minnesota backup running back Albert Young said.

Think your fantasy drafts are intense? Imagine what happens when a group of NFL players gets together.

"Matt Forte picked me before I had a chance to pick myself," Gould said of his Chicago teammate. "He has half the Bears team."

Adam Caplan, an NFL reporter for Scout.com, is in his sixth year co-hosting a fantasy football show on Sirius NFL Radio. He estimated that about a quarter of the 60-70 players he has interviewed over the last few years participate in fantasy leagues.

"But almost all of them know what it is," Caplan said, "because at the very least, their friends and family play."

That's something Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez can attest to, because he hears all about it every Monday.

"They've all got me," he said. "It's like, 'Did you score?' They try to sit me down like they're my coach: 'If you're not going to perform, I'm going to have to cut you. I'm going to have to sit you down this week."'

Having inside information doesn't always help, either. Earlier this season, Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck benched himself in favor of Favre, thinking the Minnesota quarterback would have a huge day against St. Louis. Well, Favre threw for 232 yards and a touchdown, while Hasselbeck had a season-high four touchdown passes against Jacksonville.

That's just bad GM work there, Matt.

"I know you can't gamble," said Pittsburgh guard Darnell Stapleton, "but I think a lot of players do it just to see how well they can do, picking their roster and picking who to start this week or next week."

And, it's difficult not to get emotionally involved. New York Jets running back Leon Washington is clogging up a bench spot on his NFLPA-leading team, Jet Lizzle. He's been on injured reserve with a broken leg for nearly a month but hasn't gotten up the nerve to cut himself.

Dallas wide receiver Roy Williams drafted himself in at least one of the three leagues he participates in and has no problem sitting in favor of Houston's Andre Johnson and Indianapolis' Reggie Wayne.

"It's hard to do, but I've got to do it," he said. "I'm trying to win."
Players generally feel there's no conflict of interest.

"I don't necessarily see a problem with NFL players being involved, because technically we're already involved," said San Diego tight end Antonio Gates, who doesn't play fantasy sports. "We're the ones out here on the field either getting points or disappointing somebody's Sunday afternoon. Whether or not we play well, win or lose, it still affects us in the real world.

"The fantasy world is just that: fantasy."

Many NFL players bench their colleagues if they're playing against them in reality. That includes fantasy football studs such as Tom Brady, Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson.

"That's just how you do it," said Jones-Drew, who lost the NFLPA league title to Cato June last year. "If I had Peyton Manning, I would have to sit him when we play them because you don't do those things. You always want the best to happen on the field. That's how it is."

Not that that stops fans from imploring NFL coaches to change their game plans to help their matchup in a given week.

"All the time, make sure I hand it to Maurice. 'He's on my team, he's my guy.' Yeah, I hear that," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "I started hearing that in the offseason, and I always told those guys, 'Your fantasies and my fantasies are different. Let's acknowledge that, all right?"'

For many NFL players, reality is more than enough to worry about.

"I see these guys every Sunday," Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis said. "I'm trying to beat them. Why would I want to sit on the computer and vote them for my team and have to root for them?"

The Big Lead Breaks Down the 2009 Heisman Race

The article below was posted on The Big Lead, one of our favorite sports blogs. They've linked to us on several occasions, and we thank them for that.

Let’s attempt to break it up this way, since we all know the key names by now: Category 1 will be guys who will get invited to New York, with a likely winner; Category 2 will be guys that deserve an invite to New York, but have no chance of getting there; Category 3 will be guys who never had a chance, but in a more fair world would deserve a look; and Category 4 would be people to keep your eye on next year. Let’s do 4 per category. Here we go now.

The Guys That Will Get Invited To New York

Tim Tebow, Florida QB: No question here. Part of CBS’ special airing before Alabama vs. Auburn this Friday is about Tebow’s legacy at Florida. When a show before a rival’s rivalry game against a different school is in part dedicated to you, that’s big-time.

Colt McCoy, Texas QB: Will get an invite to NYC, and you can argue he doesn’t deserve it, but stats are good, his team is undefeated, he represents the “aw shucks” manner of a down-home Texas boy as well as anyone, his best friend and roommate is his WR, etc, etc. Story is good, he came in second last year, this award loves QBs.

Mark Ingram, Alabama RB: Most valuable player on Bama is McClain, probably. Ingram is No. 2, but depending on game and situation, he can be No. 4. Team is loaded. He trucks guys. No Alabama player has won it (that’s a good storyline for the media).

C.J. Spiller, Clemson RB: My actual inclination is to go with Case Keenum here, because I think it’s more likely they invite a third QB than a second RB. I’m going to put Keenum in the second category. (By the way, Heisman has chosen as many as six, and as few as three, to attend in New York.) Spiller scores from all over the field, in various ways, and with Dabo Swinney at the helm, very few people thought this squad would be a tick away from a BCS automatic berth. Spiller is beast. Gerhart might be more beast, but his team has four losses.

The winner: Whoever plays better in the SEC title game between Tebow and Ingram.

Sad Day in Columbus: Stefanie Spielman Dies of Cancer

From WBNS in Columbus:

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Stefanie Spielman, whose public battle against breast cancer gripped central Ohio for more than a decade, died Thursday. She was 42.

Spielman and her husband, Chris, tirelessly raised breast cancer awareness and helped form Stefanie's Champions, raising millions of dollars for Ohio State's James Cancer Hospital.

In 1998, at 31, a biopsy confirmed her fears, that she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and the couple began their battle.

Without hesitation, Chris Spielman put his career on hold with the NFL's Buffalo Bills to be at his wife's side.

"For me, to leave (Stefanie) in Columbus and go play football in Buffalo would be against everything I stood for," Chris Spielman said.

"It meant the world to me," Stefanie Spielman said. "That's been the hardest part -- seeing him give up what he loves -- the best, for me."

The Spielmans said that they had two options when they learned about the cancer. The first was to quit. The second was to come out and fight the disease.

The couple fought with determination and a deep love.

College Football's Lost Weekend - The Big Lead

The following article was posted on The Big Lead. I find it fascinating because of the "what if" scenarios regarding a College Football Playoff. Sigh.

TCU won convincingly Saturday against Utah. It didn’t matter.


LSU survived a massive scare from Louisiana Tech. Didn’t matter - LSU can’t qualify for the BCS.

Late Friday, Cincinnati held on to beat WVU. So what?

The Rose Bowl - which will have zero impact on the National Championship - was basically decided Saturday afternoon. Ohio State will play Oregon. Whoop-de-damn-do.

The college football season has basically been reduced to two games: The SEC Championship (Florida-Alabama) and the Big 12 Championship (Texas vs. Kansas State/Nebraska) on Dec. 5. You could miss the next two weekends … and miss nothing. (What, you think Florida State is going to beat Florida? Ha.) This coming weekend, there are no games involving two Top 25 teams. Get your Christmas shopping done early. Rake leaves? Unearth a great Thanksgiving recipe that will wow the fam.

Imagine an 8-team playoff based on the current BCS rankings:

1. Florida vs. 8. LSU

4. TCU vs. 5. Cincinnati

3. Texas vs. 6. Boise State

2. Alabama vs. 7. Georgia Tech

Injury-ravaged LSU probably would be replaced by season’s end - perhaps by Ohio State (hell, maybe even Oregon or Stanford). Cincinnati could lose and be replaced by Pittsburgh (doubtful). But here’s the problem with only having 8-teams in the mix: You don’t have a rep from the Pac-10 (which has two teams capable of running the table - Oregon and Stanford), or the Big 10 (which has been mediocre at best this season). Or does that even matter, since neither league has a team that’s been dominant throughout the season?

Would a 16-team playoff - which would only take four consecutive weeks; five if you want to take Christmas week off - be more ideal?

Bengals Defensive Stars Turning Corner

By Thomas George of Fanhouse.com

CINCINNATI -- When an NFL player begins to touch the stratosphere alongside the prized peers in his craft, well, that is an elusive, special time -- a time when, instead of the player solely looking outward, others start to look his way.

A time when a player turns the corner.

For Cincinnati Bengals cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall (pictured), it is that time.

Put aside their similar size, their quick feet and hands, and their youth. For Joseph and Hall, it is playmaking that is primary. Each has become a cornerstone of the Bengals defense -- two men on football's trickiest, most demanding island who are leaving receivers hungry and thirsty.

The Bengals (6-2) lead the AFC North after these cornerbacks choked the Baltimore Ravens' receivers last Sunday -- particularly constricting shifty veteran Derrick Mason -- in a 17-7 Bengals victory. Next up for Cincinnati are the Pittsburgh Steelers' dangerous duo of Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes, along with rookie speedster Mike Wallace.

Of course, Joseph and Hall are in the spotlight, in part, because of what they have already done against this Pittsburgh group. In Week 3 on Sept. 27, Holmes was held to one catch for 18 yards and none of Pittsburgh's receivers reached the end zone in Cincinnati's 23-20 victory. Joseph added a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Bengals' upset win.

At Pittsburgh on Sunday, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis knows that, for Joseph and Hall, the results could be famine or feast.

Lewis is banking on the table his star cornerbacks have already set.

"One play, one game and everything can change, because that is the nature of the cornerback position in the NFL,'' Lewis said. "But they are playing good football. And having been a part of a championship team in this league, I can tell you that a team can't win it without exceptional cornerback play. You have to have that on the edges of your defense to be a special team. It is not an accident that we are getting that now and we are playing good defensive football.''

Joseph is 25 years old; Hall turns 25 in December. Joseph is 5-foot-11, 193 pounds, while Hall stands 5-foot-11, 199 pounds. Each cornerback has four interceptions this season. Joseph has 24 solo tackles, Hall 34.

Joseph was a first-round Bengals pick in 2006. Hall was a first-round Bengals pick in 2007.

Their lockers are side-by-side in the Bengals locker room. Their talents are complementary, too.

"Leon is a tough guy -- great speed and he fits in run support,'' Joseph said. "I spent one year in Division I ball before I got to South Carolina and then here. Leon coming from Michigan came from a bigger school and program. We both feed off each other.''

Both are excelling in man coverage, allowing Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to be more exotic with the rest of the Bengals defense. Cornerbacks who do not need a ton of over-the-top help are a defensive coach's dream.

And give the Bengals this -- they invested highly in these cornerbacks. They spent two first-round picks on two cornerbacks who are, indeed, becoming first-rate.

"We try to keep receivers off balance, keep them guessing,'' Hall said. "Johnathan is real quick. He has make-up speed he uses on receivers. People don't know how smart he is. He tells me things on the sideline I can use. He wants to be great. We both do.

"We pride ourselves on our work. We work a lot on technique. We do a whole lot of film study, probably more than the norm. It's extreme. We really try to understand what an offense is trying to do. We get along great off the field. It seems like we've played together a lot. It's gone fast.''

It is going faster. The Bengals are tied for first place in the AFC North halfway through their season, and their standout pair of cornerbacks are a key part of their hopes for the second half and beyond.

But Cincinnati has not won in Pittsburgh since 2006 -- in recent seasons, it has been Pittsburgh's Ike Taylor who has been the prominent cornerback when these teams battle. That's no longer the case.

Lewis credits the addition of free-agent safety Chris Crocker in 2008 with boosting the maturation of Joseph and Hall. Crocker spent three seasons with the Cleveland Browns, two with the Atlanta Falcons and one season with the Miami Dolphins before becoming a Bengal.

"I don't think they [Joseph and Hall] knew what hard work was until he showed up,'' Lewis said of Crocker. "He has helped make them better players. He has challenged them.''

Now Joseph and Hall challenge others.

And the league is taking notice.

"We definitely look at other corners,'' Hall said. "But we feel like we are kind of coming into our own.'

Browns Can't Afford to Draft QB

There's much speculation as to who is going in the top 5 and top 10 in the 2010 NFL Draft. As always, there are a few QB's that shoot up the draft boards because the need for QB is so high. This year, junior QB's Jimmy Clausen and Jake Locker are both being hyped up to be top 5-top 10 picks in the 2010 draft, assuming they come out because of the potential situation with the CBA, and with the weak QB draft. With the Browns looking to have a top 5 pick after starting the season 1-7, many people speculate what they need for their team.

I can tell you one thing: We can't afford to reach for a quarterback.

So our quarterback's right now haven't been able to do anything. They turn the ball over 3 times as much as they score touchdowns. Derek Anderson misses a wide open tight end that's 4 yards in front of him, on a regular basis, while throwing at players feet often.

Of course, it's not all the QB's is it. No, it's not nearly all on the QB's, and even as a Derek Anderson hater, I have to be unbiased and see how many drops this offense has, as well as how many fumbles they have. Toss in the terrible passes, and it's just a recipe for disaster. Would a great QB help this team? Sure, but not as much as you'd think. Besides, there aren't any great QB's in this draft. There are just some talented kids who are athletic and have big arms.

But no matter how athletic somebody is, and no matter how far they can throw the ball, it doesn't mean that you have to reach for them. There are so many things to judge quarterbacks on: throwing power, accuracy, touch, intelligence, as well as intangibles. You also like to see QB's have 25-30 starts in college and have a winning career if you're going to draft him in the top 10, which neither Clausen or Locker have. So what gives?

DJ's Quick Hits (World Series Edition)

Well, it looks like the Yankees are well on their way to a 27th World Series Championship...it's currently 7-3 in the bottom of the 7th, Game 6 as I type. Barring a late-inning comeback (which is highly unlikely as Mariano Rivera begins to loosen in the pen) King George will be able to die the happy, hated man he is. Love 'em or hate 'em, the Steinbrenner Yankees of the past 15 years have done everything in the power to give their fans a winning ball club. Not every fan of any team in any professional sport can say that, save maybe the fans of the Jerry Jones Cowboys or the Jerry Buss Lakers. Even though I despise the Yankees and their winter-long free-agent spending sprees, I'll admit if I owned a baseball team I'd do the very same. Alas, I make monthly payments on a goddamn Honda Civic, so we'll just spare the rest of the niceties & move on....

* For every Big Apple hotshot cover boy the Yankees have (Jeter, A-Rod) they have a Hideki Matsui & a Joba Chamberlain. Damn those dudes are f-ugly...

* Baseball managers must be the most stubborn men in sports (save a certain sweater-vested fella in C-bus). Charlie Manuel would not move the right-handed hitting Jason Werth up to hit behind Chase Utley (Ryan Howard hasn't even touched left-handed pitching vs. New York), he would not go to a 3-man rotation (Pedro again??), and Brad Lidge choked once again.

* I really struggled on a personal level with all the hype concerning the Game 6 match up of Andy Pettitte (age 37) & Pedro Martinez (age 38). The old guys out for one more fling...how much gas is left in the tank...yadda yadda. Dammit, I just turned 37 this year and I have feelings too...!

* The best thing about having Joe Buck in the booth during the MLB playoffs has meant that Thom Brennaman assumed the #1 play-by-play slot for Fox's NFL coverage. I like Thom, but only when he's NOT in the booth with Daddy/Marty.

* Who is Brett Gardner and why is he on my TV? With all that money that's the best backup centerfielder the Yanks could muster?

* When will baseball come to their senses and wrest control away from Fox & ESPN? The schedule is horrible. The Yankees have had more days off this post-season than they did the entire year! Should we call Chase Utley "Mr. November" now that he tied Reggie's single Series HR record? Would it kill them to schedule a handful of double-headers during the summer & get this thing over with before the NBA starts? Also, how is MLB going to win over the next generation of baseball fans when they should all be in bed @ what is now 11:45 p.m.?

Finally, I'll end with a non-baseball rant. Fantasy sports...whose idea was this? I've always been a big basketball fan, but never before would I as a mild-mannered chap from rural Southern Ohio have the urge to to seek out and punch Jason Richardson in the neck for throwing up a goose-egg in 20+ minutes vs. Orlando. I'm now obsessed with the assist/turnover ratio of players like Biedrens & Gallinari. Yeah I know, "...is that a vineyard?" grrrr...

(Get ready for the soundbite on Sportscenter of the annoying Michael Kay exclaiming, "Yankees win! Yankees win! Thu-u-u-u-h Yankees win!" Methuselah Rivera grounds Victorino out to second...thank God it's over.)

Jeremi's Journey

The following article was written by Geoff Hobson on Bengals. com. Good stuff.

Bengals-Ravens, 1 p.m. Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. One of those AFC North games that means everything. A win and the Bengals beat the Ravens in any tiebreaking scenario. A loss and the Bengals are back to the pack.

Heaven or hell.

This is one of the games why the Bengals last year stayed in touch with Jeremi Johnson, the one-time Pro Bowl alternate fullback that has been to both heaven and hell.

SEC Not Living Up to the Hype

The following article is by Gregg Doyel, National Columnist for CBSSports.com. God bless him.

SEC football is overrated, and this is a dangerous position for me to take. Dangerous, because CBS has a working relationship with the SEC. At its highest levels, my company pays a lot more money to broadcast SEC football than it pays to publish me. Between SEC football and myself, one of us is expendable. And it's not Tim Tebow.

That said, I can't do it. Not for a second longer. I can't carry the water for a football conference that can't carry its own jock.

No. 1? Some pollsters might think Terrence Cody's Crimson Tide and the SEC are tops, but not Gregg Doyel. (Getty Images)

SEC football 2009 is not what it once was. It's certainly not SEC football 2008, when it had the best team in the country. That team was Florida, which laid a 24-14 whupping on Oklahoma in the BCS title game.

Browns: Looking ahead to the 2010 NFL Draft

As a Browns fan, October is never too early to look at the next years NFL Draft. In the case this year, it's looking like the Browns are due for yet another top 5 pick.

So first we need to establish the needs of the Browns. We'll start with a roster analysis.

Quarterback: Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson, Brett Ratliff
Runningback: Jamal Lewis, Jerome Harrison, Chris Jennings/James Davis
Fullback: Lawrence Vickers
Wide Receiver: Mohamed Massoquoi, Brian Robiskie, Mike Furrey, Joshua Cribbs, Chansey Stuckey, Ray Ventrone
Tight End: Steve Heiden, Robert Royal, Greg Estandia
Offensive Tackle: Joe Thomas, John St. Clair, Billy Yates
Offensive Guard: Eric Steinbach, Hank Fraley, Rex Hadnot
Center: Alex Mack, Hank Fraley, Rex Hadnot
Defensive Line: Shaun Rogers (NT), Kenyon Coleman, Corey Williams, Robaire Smith, CJ Mosley, Ahtyba Rubin (NT)
Linebackers: Kamerion Wimbley, D'Qwell Jackson, Eric Barton, Alex Hall, David Bowens, David Veikune, Kaluka Maiava, Jason Trusnik, Blake Constanzo
Safeties: Abram Elam, Brodney Pool, Mike Adams, Nick Sorensen
Cornerbacks: Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, Coye Francies, Anthony Madison, Gerard Lawson, Hank Poteat
K: Phil Dawson, Billy Cundiff
P: Dave Zastudil
LS: Ryan Pontbriand

Bengal's Palmer is All the Way Back

The following article originally appeared on ESPN.com and was written by James Walker.

CINCINNATI -- Warming up on the sideline, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer threw an errant pass that slipped through the fingertips of teammate Chad Ochocinco. When the ball proceeded to hit a bystander, the receiver quickly pointed to his quarterback and said it was Palmer’s fault the unsuspecting person was plunked in the back.

That pass didn’t count, but the Chicago Bears probably wished that it had. It was the only poor throw Palmer made all evening.

When it mattered on the field Palmer was nearly perfect. He completed 20 of 24 passes for 233 yards, five touchdowns and a career-high 146.7 passer rating in Cincinnati's 45-10 blowout win over Chicago.

The Bengals haven’t looked this good in a long time, and neither has Palmer.

Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn?

Really, the only thing worth discussing with the Cleveland Browns is the quarterback situation. It seems year in and year out that there's always a "controversy" with the Browns.

1999- Tim Couch/Ty Detmer
2000- Tim Couch/Doug Pederson
2001-2003- Tim Couch/Kelly Holcomb
2004- Jeff Garcia/Luke McCown
2005- Trent Dilfer/Charlie Frye
2006- Charlie Frye
2007- Charlie Frye/Derek Anderson
2008- Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn
2009- Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson
2010- ????

You'd think that one day the Cleveland Browns would find a quarterback worth something... But then again, we are the Browns."We're not looking to move Brady Quinn." and "We get calls all the time that we listen to. Brady is a Cleveland Brown and that's not anything we're looking to do."per the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Is it time for college football fans to give Terrelle Pryor a break?

The following article was written by Kurt Mews for The Bleacher Report, a sports blog. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything he says, it’s thought provoking nonetheless. Enjoy . . .

Terrelle Pryor, the highly recruited prize QB recruit for perennial powerhouse Ohio State is supposed to be Superman and the next coming of Vince Young. Of course that's what most College football fans expected after Terrelle delayed his announcement of which college he planned to bless his skills. Most fans are impressed with Ohio State's rugged Defense anchored by their deep and talented line, already taking it to the talented USC line and typical massive Badger line. However, the offense leaves much to be desired and many believe that if The Buckeye's offense were even mediocre at best, they would of toppled USC and be the clear favorites to clinch The rather bland or weak Big Ten. Much of the blame for Ohio State's sluggish offensive performance is being laid at Terrelle Pryor's feet, or should we say arm or head. The 2008 #1 recruit is suppose to be leading an offensive 'Blitzkrieg' that is to leave fans shaking their heads much like Troy Smith's lead explosive Buckeye offense of '06. However, it's time for College football fans, specifically Ohio State fans to be a bit more objective and give him a break!! Let's take a look at some simple facts;

The Cleveland Offensive Mystery

As I sit here and think about the Cleveland Browns win over Buffalo, I wonder "How the hell did that happen?".

Our starting quarterback Derek Anderson went 2 for 17 with 23 yards and an interception, against the leagues 3rd worst pass defense. Not to mention, the Bills were missing 2 safeties and a cornerback, which should have made things easier. After this performance, by Anderson, and his ever so fantastic 3 interceptions in one half of football against Baltimore 2 weeks prior, I can only question what he's doing that is so much better than Brady Quinn.

Brady Quinn struggled in his first 2.5 games, and there is no doubt in my mind that there is a lot of improvements that need(ed) to be made. In his first start against Minnesota, he completed 21 passes out of 35 attempts for 205 yards had a touchdown, and an interception. He struggled on 3rd downs converting on just 25% of his passes, however was a victim to 6 drops in the game. 2 of the drops came on one drive by tight end Robert Royal, while he had another 3rd down drop. Joshua Cribbs had a drop on 2nd down in the 2nd quarter, and Mike Furrey had 2 drops in the game. Another problem was the running game. Jamal Lewis doesn't scare anybody. He dances to the line of scrimmage and doesn't hit the hole like 2003 Jamal Lewis does, which is expected with all of the carries he's had over his career. Minnesota's defense is 10th in the league in points against. They are very good, especially against the run. At halftime, the score was 13-10 Browns and it looked promising. Brady's one interception, it was a mis-communication with Braylon Edwards. Based on the coverage presented, Braylon ran the wrong route (one of many reasons he's a Jet now). He ran a seam despite being covered by the corner and having the safety over the top. The pass was thrown to the outside, where only Braylon could have caught it... had he ran the right route. Because the lack of first downs, however, the defense just could not hold AP any longer. He was held to 26 yards in the first half before exploding for 154 more in the 2nd half. The defense couldn't handle being on the field so much. Quinn's worst play of the game was him trying to scramble and throw on the run, in which he fumbled the ball trying to throw it, counting as a sack, and a fumble. Other than that, for his first start in 2009, against a top defense, his play wasn't as bad, given the circumstances.

Here's the Top 5 All-Time Bad NFL Football Teams. Will the '09 Browns make the cut? God I hope so.

The following list is taken from ESPN.com Page2. I fully expect to be contacted by the World Wide Leader's army of attorney's shortly. Screw 'em.

1. 1976 Buccaneers (0-14)

The Bucs' debut season was football's equivalent of the 1962 Mets -- but without the wit of Casey Stengel to make things a bit more entertaining. The Bucs were shut out five times and averaged fewer than nine points per game. Their defense was almost as futile, and the Bucs' margin of defeat was 20 points per game. Tampa Bay's quarterback, Steve Spurrier, threw only seven touchdown passes all season. His longest completion was 38 yards. The Bucs carried their losing momentum into the 1977 season, losing another 12, to begin their franchise history 26 games in the red.

"The coach (John McKay) stopped talking to us after the third game," defensive lineman Pat Toomay told the Columbus Dispatch in 2001. "During the week, he wanted nothing to do with us. I can't blame him, really. We had so many guys get injured that nobody knew who was hurt and who wasn't. By the end of the season we were getting guys out of the Canadian league and off the streets."

2. 1990 Patriots (1-15)

The Pats had the worst offense and the second-worst defense in the NFL in 1990. How bad was the Pats offense? The most points they scored in a game was 24, in the first game of the season (a 27-24 loss to the Dolphins at home). In five games, they scored a touchdown or less. Their only win came by two points. Not a single win at home.

"The Patriots have out-Murphyed the entire league put together," wrote Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan near the end of the season. "If something bad in the game of football can happen, it will not only happen to the Patriots, it will happen in a new and different way. The way things are going, they would be no better than even money in an intrasquad scrimmage. Each week we ask, 'How can things get worse?' and each week they do."

3. 1973 Oilers (1-13)

It's not easy to figure out which season was worse for the Oilers, 1972 or 1973. Two years running, Houston racked up identical 1-13 records. But we'll give the '73 squad a slight edge. They gave up 447 points, the most in the NFL, and scored only 199. Things were so bad in Houston that the most exciting development was the invention of the first flak jacket for football, to protect QB Dan Pastorini's ribs. (He set an NFL record for being sacked the most times in 1971, broke it in 1972, and broke it again in 1973.)

4. 1971 Bills (1-13)

The 1971 Buffalo lineup was remarkably balanced -- the Bills fielded the worst offense and the worst defense in the NFL. How bad was the offense? The Bills were shut out four times, with QBs Dennis Shaw and James Harris combining for 12 TD passes and 32 interceptions. O.J. Simpson, in his third NFL season, gained less than 750 yards. Meanwhile, the defense's best performance came in game three, when they held the Vikings to "only" 19 points.

5. 1981 Colts (2-14)

Head coach Mike McCormack actually thought, before the season began, that his Colts might make the 1981 playoffs. Baltimore began and ended the season with one-game winning streaks, beating the awful Patriots (who also went 2-14 in 1981) by one point in the first game and by two points in the season finale.

The 14 games in between proved problematic, though, especially for the defense, which was probably the worst in modern NFL history. The Colts gave up a record 533 points, never allowing fewer than 23 in a game. Unfortunately, the offense, ranked 26th in the league, was nearly as bad. After the final whistle, McCormack said, "We had a helluva start and a helluva finish." The next day he was fired.

So there you have it. No Bengal teams to be found. Who knew?

Chalk Talk: Perils of Fanaticism

Celine Dion said it best.

"And my heart will go on...and...on!"

You heard it thousands of times in it's Titanic heyday, and now you hear it again...in a sports blog? The world works in funny ways, and so does my mind; thus, I am using Celine Dion to make a point about what it means to be a fan.

See I was blessed. From the time I graduated from diapers to the toilet, I can remember having a passion within me for being a fan. It started with "big time wrestling." Hulk Hogan was my favorite. When The Ultimate Warrior beat him in their classic Wrestlemania VI showdown, I remember being paralyzed with shock. I had no idea how to react. The only thing that I knew was that it felt like my heart had been ripped out Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom style. I knew that I would never get over this loss, that it would stay with me and haunt my dreams for years. Silently within myself, I vowed to never again watch the WWF so that I could avoid disappointments like this. It was just too unbearable, too life altering. I couldn't stay away, though. Every time I thought I was out, they'd pullllllllll me back in.

I remember the first football game that I really cared about. The year was 1991, and the Giants and Bills were playing in the Super Bowl. It was a spectacle that I had never seen before. The country was just getting into Desert Storm, Whitney Houston sang the National Anthem, and planes flew over the field before the game. My dad being a huge Giants fan, I was naturally inclined to root for them. The game was a seesaw battle which saw lead changes and big plays, finally coming down to Scott Norwood's legendary miss to give the Giants the win. This was my first feeling of utter satisfaction with a sporting event. From there, my life forever changed.

Once you get a taste of something as sweet as a Super Bowl win, you come back for more. Suddenly, I was fanatical about all my dad's favorite teams. The aforementioned Giants, the New York Yankees, our hometown Oak Harbor Rockets, and most of all - the Michigan Wolverines. From that fateful moment where Norwood's kicked sailed wide right, my life has been littered with highs and lows dealing with sports. The 90's domination of John Cooper, Mariano Rivera's blown save against Arizona in the 01' World Series, Shawn Crable's helmet-to- helmet hit against Troy Smith in 07', and most recently the overtime thriller Michigan just played against in-state rival Michigan State.

To try and describe my emotions during this game would be like trying to describe someone high on cocaine, heroine, PCP, and methall at the same time. First, there is the anticipation leading up to the game. For any big game (say, Michigan vs. Ohio State), the week is not measured in "Mondays" and "Tuesdays"; the week is measured in "4 days until gametime" and "2 hours until gametime." When your team takes the field, there is an adrenaline rush as if you were taking the field with them. Emotions are sky high through the first stage of the game. There is the feeling out process, as you gauge how your team may fare through the game. There are certain to be a few "what the hell are we doings'?" thrown in there, along with some "Hell Yeah's!"

At halftime, you have no idea what the hell to do with yourself. Is anyone else with me in thinking that college halftimes are way too long? The NFL has it right with their ten minute intermission. Should I get something to eat? Can I really take a dump that lasts the entire halftime? Should I change seats to get some different mojo? All questions that every fan has probably thought at one point or another. Once halftime is over, it's back to the grind. With every possession in a close game, you eye the clock to see where your team stands. Every third down conversion or failure changes the game and your emotions. Want to feel like you've been kicked in the balls? Watch your team give up 4 consecutive third and longs and tell me how your doing. The 4th quarter is heart attack time. With Michigan trailing 20-6 with 6 minutes to go against MSU, even I was getting a little doubtful. Trademark phrases like "there is still meat on this bone" were turning sour - "There might only be gristle left on this bone." But then you get hope - one big play that vaults your team back into the game. Now you need some defense. Can the defense really force a 3 and out? Why am I sweating like I just filmed a porno in a sauna? When the impossible happens and your team gets the ball back, it is a whole new feeling of apprehension. Can we really drive the length of the field to tie it up? In this case, I watched a skinny freshman take his team on his shoulders and make play after play - with a few heart attack inducing moments (one bad snap turned into a 12 yard scramble and completion, one fluttering ball that managed to fall to the ground around 3 MSU players) - and lead his team to an improbably touchdown amidst a pouring rain that was surely a big middle finger from the football gods to Michigan.

I was on top of the world. The impossible had happened - Michigan had tied it up and was going to overtime. There was no way we were losing this game! Too much momentum was on our side - too much moxie was in that quarterback's heart. But then, it happened. An interception on the first drive of overtime brought that sinking feeling back to my stomach. My positive vibes went out the window as the prospects of losing again sunk back in. Then, on that fateful 3rd and 12 run, Larry Caper broke through a Troy Woolfolk tackle and scampered into the endzone for the winning 6. Those last 10 yards of his run played in my mind in slow motion for a good five minutes after that.

After that comeback, how could this team lose? Why do I do this to myself? Every fan knows that feeling. Michigan fans have felt it against OSU for years - Ohio State fans have felt it against Texas,USC, Florida, LSU. That moment where you are resigned to defeat, where your dreams of victory are officially out the window. The big celebration plans no longer seem very fun and you start to replay key moments from the game in your head. What if we didn't miss this tackle? What if this play was called? This continues for a couple hours until the shock wears off. You can finally turn on ESPN and see what the rest of the football world is up to. When those dreaded highlights come on, there is still a powerful twinge of hurt that runs through your body when you see that final score posted.

This is what being a fan is all about. The highs and the lows - the glorious victories and the gut wrenching losses. When I finally laid down to go to bed that night after the Michigan State loss, I made a mental note to put that loss to bed as well. It was time to move on - time for Iowa. Time for a primetime showcase for with our gutsy freshman quarterback and our spotty defense. My heart had finally calmed down from the days events. Would I change anything? Hell no. There is a trademark shot that ABC uses during it's games: it is of the college campus during the game. I always see people walking around and I wonder to myself, how much would it suck to be these people? To not care about sports, to not go through each Saturday with 110,000+ people on pins and needles as your team wins or loses. Some people say it's only a game, and yes, that is true. However, it is HELL of a game. One that keeps you coming back for more and more. One that has your heart racing every Saturday like Antonio Henton at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch. Like I said earlier, Celine Dion had it right.

My heart will indeed go on.

Never Run The Toss Sweep

Coach Deuce

Even In Defeat, Mangini Gets One Right

I was wrong.

It happens on occasion. My wife thinks it happens more that I do, but I digress.

Derek Anderson is a better NFL quarterback than Brady Quinn. This much was evident Sunday in the Browns’ 23-20 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Having been a Quinn advocate since the day he was drafted, this is a difficult admission for me to make, but the proof was on the field. The offense was competent…heck it was almost good at times. It was light years from what the Quinn-led offense had been able to muster during the first three weeks. The Browns’ offense actually outscored the Bengals’ 20-16. Were it not for a defensive fumble return for a touchdown (on a questionable no-call from the refs), Cleveland would be celebrating win number one of the Mangini era.

Alas, as is prone to happen at a disproportionate rate in Cleveland, heartbreak reigns again, and the Browns remain winless at 0-4.

Now with that out of the way, there are certainly some other reasons for optimism in Cleveland this season and further down the road.

It appears that a star was born in rookie Mohammed Massaquoi, who caught everything thrown his way (quite an accomplishment when Derek Anderson is your quarterback). Massaquoi caught 8 balls for 148 yards. (On a side note, this was 8 more catches and 148 more yards than Braylon Edwards had.)

On the other side of the ball, it’s amazing what a defense can do when it’s not on the field for two of the first three quarters. Cincinnati went the entire second and third quarters without gaining a single first down, leading me to wonder if the two teams had managed to magically switch uniforms at the end of the first quarter without anyone noticing. The Browns actually managed to win the time of possession battle 38:55-36:01. This can be a solid (dare I say good) defense if the offense can keep them off of the field.

Whatever excuses the Browns have been feeding Joshua Cribbs and his agent as to why they haven’t re-worked his contract need to go away now. This man needs paid. Cribbs is the only player that the Browns have that strikes fear into the hearts of the opposition. This was evident in overtime, as there wasn’t a single Bengal punt that ended up in the same zip code as Cribbs. I know he just got a new deal. I know he is already one of the highest paid special teamers in the league. He needs to be the highest. There is no special teams player in the NFL that is more important to his team than Cribbs is to the Browns, and the club should make sure he has absolutely no reason to want to leave Cleveland.

Now for the bad news. 0-9 looks like a real possibility with upcoming road games at Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Chicago, and home dates with Green Bay and Baltimore.

In the meantime, Eric Mangini has bought a reprieve from me. No one expected the Browns to be world beaters this season, but most Browns fans I know at least expected to field a competitive team on a weekly basis. The Browns finally looked like a team worthy of being called an NFL franchise Sunday, and there was certainly improvement from previous weeks. The Bengals are a miracle fluke play away from being 4-0, and the Browns gave them everything they wanted and more. Even in defeat, there were many positives to be had from this game, and as long as the Browns get better as the season goes on, I will be happy.

I had been giving serious consideration to selling my tickets to the Browns-Steelers game on December 10^th in Cleveland. What I saw Sunday gives me hope that even if the Browns don’t beat the Steelers that night, at least I won’t have to take a brown paper bag to wear over my head.