The Coaching Legacy of Alonso Torres (M10)

[RayAllen20]

Bills, Panthers trying to get back on track

The Bills and Panthers both trailing in their division, will face each other this Sunday.

The Bills are coming off a blowout loss to their AFC East Rival the New York Jets. They are at 3-3, 3 games behind the undefeated New England Patriots. Carolina at 2-3, just beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and are behind the 3-2 Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.

The Last 3 weeks the Bills have got killed on the ground. Expect a repeat performance as the Panthers will 'Smash and Dash' all game long. The Bills offense will look to get back on track as they only put up 7 points last week. Coach Torres claims he will remain faithful to the running game, which has been dissapointing the last couple weeks.

The Panthers will need to cut down on turnovers from Jake Delhomme which has been killing them all year long. Their defense has been solid but it has been playing with a short field.

Prediction: Carolina Panthers 27, Buffalo Bills 20

[RayAllen20]

27 21

Carolina squeaks by Buffalo in a thriller

In a must-win game, both teams played their hearts out, but only Carolina came away with a victory.

The game started in a defensive struggle. For most of the 1st quarter the game was knotted at 0-0, until Jake Delhomme found Dwayne Jarret for a 53 yard touchdown. Because of a confusion in the secondary, Jarret was found wide open in the endzone for 6. The rest of the first half, was 3 and outs and punts. Both teams had a tough time on the ground.

In the second half, things opened up as Marshawn Lynch broke away from defenders for a 67 yard TD that brought the Bills within 3. After two changes of possesion, the Bills punted the ball away. Bills fullback McIntyre, forced a fumble on special teams, picked it up, and ran it in for six! The Bills had scored 14 unanswered to take the lead! Carolina came back pounding Buffalo's defense up the middle, on its way to a 16 play, 80 yard drive. Jonathan Stewart capped it off to make it 17-14.

The Bills turn was next as Trent Edwards did his part, leading a 73 yard drive, and finishing it with a 10 yard lob pass to Josh Reed in the back of the endzone. Once again the lead had changed and it was 21-17 at the end of the 3rd quarter. The Panthers responded with a 70 yard drive of their own, but couldn't punch it in at the end. Instead, Buffalo held their ground at the goalline, and Carolina had to settle for 3 to make it 21-20. From there, both teams couldn't put points on the board. Trent Edwards threw 2 interceptions and Jake Delhomme threw one. Once Jake Delhomme got the ball with little over 2 minutes left, he lead the Panthers on their game-winning drive. He started with a few short passes to Muhammad and Jarret, but then found Steve Smith on a deep 30 yard play. This put them in field goal range, where they continued to pound the ball and force Buffalo to give up 3 timeouts. After a big first down, Buffalo was forced to let DeAngelo purposely score, to get a chance to respond.

Now Buffalo trailed 27-21, with only 30 seconds left the Bills failed to get a first down, as they turned it over. Carolina kneed the ball to finish with the W. Carolina improved to 3-3 and Buffalo falls to 3-4.

[RayAllen20]

Around the NFL

Benson gets revenge on Bears
Cedric Benson showed his old team letting him go was a mistake, as he ran in the game-winning TD in the 4th quarter to win, 23-17.

Browns shock Green Bay
Derek Anderson matched Aaron Rodgers on Sunday throwing 2 TDs in the 24-20 win. Brian Robiskie caught the game-winning TD.

Chargers escape K.C.
In a rivalry game in the AFC West, the Chargers played sloppy, but escaped with a 32-29 victory. Phillip Rivers won the game when it counted leading his team on a game-winning drive in OT.

Rams upset Colts
Steven Jackson is lighting up teams, as he had his way with the Colts defense. The Rams also contained Peyton Manning, and even picked him off once and forced him to fumble. The finals score was 31-17.

Houston tops San Fran
Steve Slaton broke a 54 yard TD at the beginning of the final quarter to take a 14-10 lead. The score never changed after that giving Houston the W.

Polamalu's TD leads Steelers to victory
With the score tied at 16, Brett Favre heaved a deep ball to Sidney Rice, which Troy Polamalu picked off and returned for 6. The Steelers then shut down AP and the Vikings offense to hold on for the 23-16 win.

Patriots embarrass Tampa in London
At halftime it was 27-0, and the final score was 40-3. Tom Brady threw 4 TDs in the easy win.

Jets blank Oakland
Jamarcus Russel threw 4 interceptions in the loss, and 2 were returned for touchdowns in the Jets 24-0 win. The Jets offense struggled but the defense shined in the shutout.

Dolphins beat Saints
Drew Brees struggles continue, as he threw 3 interceptions in the 23-14 loss. The Wildcat had a succesful day, as Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown combined for over 150 yards rushing.

Falcons win in Dallas
Michael Turner juked out defenders all Sunday long, as his 146 yards rushing lead Atlanta to a 23-19 victory.

Giants lose 2 straight; drop one to Cardinals
Neil Rackers hit the game-winning field goal as the Cardinals defeated the Giants 20-17 in OT. The Giants had a 14-0 lead at halftime, but a big day from Anquan Boldin helped the Cardinals comeback and win.

Skins defeat Eagles 27-17
Clinton Portis couldn't be stopped on Monday Night as he ran through the Eagle defense. He ended with 120 yards and 2 TDs in the 27-17 win.

AFC East
New England Patriots 7-0
Miami Dolphins 5-1
Buffalo Bills 3-4
New York Jets 3-4

AFC South
Indianapolis Colts 4-2
Jacksonville Jaguars 4-2
Tennessee Titans 2-4
Houston Texans 2-5

AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers 6-1
Baltimore Ravens 3-3
Cincinnati Bengals 3-4
Cleveland Browns 3-4

AFC West
Denver Broncos 5-1
San Diego Chargers 3-3
Kansas City Chiefs 2-5
Oakland Raiders 0-7

NFC East
New York Giants 5-2
Philadelphia 4-2
Washington Redskins 4-3
Dallas Cowboys 3-3

NFC South
Atlanta Falcons 4-2
New Orleans Saints 3-3
Carolina Panthers 3-3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0-7

NFC North
Minnesota Vikings 4-3
Green Bay Packers 3-3
Chicago Bears 1-5
Detroit Lions 0-6

NFC West
Seattle Seahawks 5-1
St. Louis Rams 4-3
San Fransisco 3-3
Arizona Cardinals 2-4

[RayAllen20]

Buffalo and Houston look to get back in Playoff Hunt

Buffalo is struggling at 3-4, while Houston is only at 2-5. Both teams are looking to turn around their seasons, starting this Sunday.

Buffalo is coming off a blowout loss to the Jets, and a heartbreaker to Carolina. Their offense has been stellar, ranking 8th in the NFL. Their only problem is that their rushing defense is ranked last. To win this game they'll need to contain Houston's explosive weapons Matt Schaub, Steve Slaton, and Andre Johnson.

Houston beat San Fransisco last week to improve to 2-5, but are 2.5 games back of the division leading Colts and Jaguars. Today is a big day, as they need to beat the Bills. Their defense will need to contain Marshawn Lynch who is third in the NFL in rushing yards. Both defenses have big question marks, while both offenses are explosive.

Prediction: Buffalo Bills 34, Houston Texans 31

[RayAllen20]

38 21

Bills lose 3 straight; fall to Texans

The Texans traveled to Buffalo this Sunday, and knocked of the Buffalo Bills 38-21. The game was extremely tight in the 4th quarter, as the game was 21-20, in favor of the Bills. But Trent Edward's 3 picks, and Matt Schaub's 2 late TDs helped the Texans edge out a victory.

The game started with both teams having a hard time moving the ball down field. Several 3 and outs occurred, before Schaub connected with Kevin Walter on a 73 yard pass play to take a 7-0 lead. The Texans looked to take a 10-0 halftime lead, but Edwards ran the no-huddle two minute drill to perfection, capping it off with a brilliant over the shoulder catch by T.O. in the endzone. Going into halftime the game was 10-7 with the Texans in the lead.

The Bills had surprisingly shut out Andre Johnson in the first half, and he clearly wasn't going to let that repeat in the second half. He caught a 15 yard pass, and wouldn't be stopped by defenders, as he ran the rest of the way for a 68 yard TD pass. With two explosive plays, the Texans grabbed a 17-7 lead. Down by 10, the Bills needed to score, and they responded quickly. Their main deep threat Lee Evans got by the secondary, and Edwards found him for a 61 yard TD pass to get them within 3.

A field goal stretched the Texans lead to 6, 20-14. Then Marshawn Lynch joined the long touchdown party, as he gashed the Texan defense with a 57 yard run for a touchdown. The Bills had grabbed a 21-20 lead, entering the 4th quarter. Unfortunately for the Bills, the Texans took over from here. Schaub started the last quarter, with a 30 yard TD pass to Owen Daniels, and they converted the 2 point conversion to make it 28-21. Next, Trent Edwards pass was tipped and picked off in Bills territory. Steve Slaton did the rest, finding the endzone from 16 yards out. Trying to comeback, Trent Edwards make big mistakes as he threw 2 interceptions and Marshawn Lynch fumbled at the goalline, and the game ended as a 38-21 Texan victory.

Trent Edwards had a good start to this game, but the ending really cost them. Lynch played solid, rushing for 102 yards on 19 carries, but his fumble was a disaster for the Bills hopes. Matt Schaub had a terrific day throwing for 3 TDs, and Steve Slaton rushed for 122 yards on 24 carries. The Bills playoff hopes may have been destroyed with this loss, while the Texans are trying to get themselves back in the hunt.

[RayAllen20]

Around the NFL

Bears rip Browns
The Bears put on a show defensively, collecting 4 turnovers, scoring a touchdown, and only giving up 10 points, in a 20-10 victory.

Seahawks dominate Cowboys
The Cowboys woes continue, as the Seahawks come away with a 24-10 win. Tony Romo is not getting the job done, as Matt Hasselbeck's 2 TDs helped lead the Seahawks.

Detriot shocks Rams
Going 0-16 last year, and starting off this season at 0-6, the Lions seemed doomed. But the Lions came up big, knocking off a decent Rams team, 17-10. Calvin Johnson Jr.'s 135 yards receiving and a TD came up big.

Packers top Vikings in Favre's return
Brett Favre enjoyed many amazing games at Lambeau Field. This was not one of them. Favre threw 2 interceptions, and Aaron Rodgers outplayed him in the 21-7 Packer victory.

Colts crush Niners
The Colts responded well after a 2 game skid, beating up on the 49ers, 27-10. Alex Smith did not play well, and the QB controversy continues in San Fransisco.

Dolphins beat Jets
The Dolphins sweeped the Jets in their season series Sunday, with a 27-20 win. Chad Henne looked good throwing 2 TDs.

Haushka's 52 yard field wins it for Ravens
Tied at 27, Joe Flacco lead his team down the field and put his kicker in position to beat the Broncos in the last seconds. Haushka delivered, and the Ravens beat the Broncos 30-27.

Chargers cream Raiders
It seems like the Raiders will never win a game, as the Chargers destroyed them 28-3.

Titans smash Jags, 26-17
It was all Chris Johnson today, as his 154 yards rushing and 2 TDs helped the Titans top the Jaguars.

Eagles D swarms Manning in win
Eli Manning had a day to forget, as the Eagles picked him off 3 times, and returned 1 for a touchdown. Manning had the ball in Eagle territory, down by 3 with a minute to go, when Asante Samuel sealed the deal with an INT.

Cardinals bash Panthers
The Cardinals are trying to get back in the playoff race, with a 32-16 win over the Panthers. The Cardinals D produced 5 turnovers, in the win.

Brees has big day against Falcons
Drew Brees threw 3 TDs, to help lead his Saints to a 33-17 win over their rival, Atlanta Falcons.

[RayAllen20]

Bills have Bye Week 9

[RayAllen20]

Mid Season Report


Top 5 Storylines

1. Can Patriots go 19-0?

They've been here before in the 2007 season. Tom Brady has come back from his ACL injury last year, and has performed well and the Patriots are undefeated. The Brady to Moss connection is in full flight, and their run game is improving each week. The defense is young, but is still one of the better defenses in the league.

Some claim that New England has had an easy schedule so far, but they have quality wins over Baltimore, Atlanta, and Denver. Their upcoming schedule has some tough matchups such as Miami twice, Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Jacksonville. Our guess is no.

2. Can anyone stop the Wildcat?

Ronnie Brown already has 13 TDs this season, thanks to the Wildcat. He set the single game rushing record against the Bills in week 5, and also ran in for 5 TDs. Even Ricky Williams is crushing teams averaging 67 yards per game. With the innovation of the Wildcat, and many teams trying it out, it only seems that the Dolphins are the only successful team. The Dolphins are 6-1 and heading to New England next week.

3. Will the Steelers repeat?

The Steelers are flying high at 6-1, but with a tough conference, will they repeat? Contenders such as New England, Indianapolis, and Denver threaten a repeat, but this team's smash mouth style of football is hard to beat. Ben Roethlisberger isn't putting up amazing numbers, but he still finding ways to win games late. The Steelers offense in general, has struggled with not much of a running game. Yet their defense, even with Polamalu injured on and off, has held their ground and is once again the elite defense in the NFL. This team can sometimes look like a mediocre team, but when they're hot they are a team to be reckoned with. It all depends on how they are playing in the post season.

4. Are the Denver Broncos for real?

Many fans were angry at Josh McDaniels when the season started, but his team has backed him up. Kyle Orton is playing with the likes of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, so far putting up 16 TDs and only 2 interceptions. Their running game isn't anything to brag about, as the rookie Knowshon Moreno has been getting the duties. The controversial Brandon Marshall is on pace to set career highs, as he is happy in Denver now.

The main reason they are dominating now though, is their defense. Elvis Dumervil, Champ Bailey, and Brian Dawkins have given this defense new energy, and now feared amongst the league. Denver is leading the league in turnover ratio, and a top-10 overall defensive team. This team is for real and should be in the playoffs.

5. Who is the team to beat in the NFC?
Everybody is talking about the top teams in the AFC, but what about the NFC? The New York Giants started off great, but has sinced cooled off, losing 3 straight. The Minnesota Vikings haven't been consistent at all this year, with Brett Favre struggling. Atlanta and New Orleans are solid teams, but don't look like anything too special. Seattle has a top record, but it is most likely because their weak conference.

The team to beat right now is the Philadelphia Eagles! Donovan McNabb is in MVP form for the first half of the season, and the Eagles are soaring high at 5-2. They beat the New York Giants last week, thanks to a blitz-happy defense that is crushing opponents. They forced Eli Manning to throw 3 interceptions, and have the most defensive TDs this season. We like Philadelphia out of the NFC.


Note: I will be changing up the way I do Around the Leagues. I will not be recapping every game, but just looking at the week, and jotting down some important and cool stuff. I will possibly write articles on any team in the league. When the playoffs come along, I will play every game and recap all of them. Hope you like it so far!