It was a revelation in Oakland Sunday -- the starting quarterback struggled a bit, but didn't make dumb decisions or do more to beat his team than beat the opponent. Instead, he led his team on a late touchdown drive to tie the score, then got a break to pick up the win.
We've completed over one-fourth of the NHL season already, and while virtually nothing is totally decided, we can take time to assess where teams are as they continue the 82-game grind.
James Mirtle, now of Toronto Globe and Mail and SB Nation fame, joins us this week to discuss the state of the Maple Leafs, how the league stacks up at this early juncture, and the future of hockey in Canada. Listen after the jump.
Every Tuesday, FanHouse discusses the top NHL prospects found in college hockey.
College hockey can be a humbling experience, even for highly-touted NHL prospects. It doesn't make a kid a lesser prospect, but being 18 and having to deal with guys who are often 22-25 years old can be tough. This is true no matter how talented a kid is. For Notre Dame freshman forward Kyle Palmieri (NHL rights: Anaheim), the first part of the season has been spent adjusting, and the Fighting Irish are about to be rewarded for their patience.
While the NHL still tries to figure out a way to handle hits to the head, they are also trying to curb other dangerous hits plaguing the game.
Saturday night, we saw this kind of hit in Montreal. Georges Laraque took out the knee of Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall. Despite pleading innocence and claiming it was an accident, Laraque was suspended five games on Monday.
There was little on Sunday that matched the drama of the Cleveland-Detroit showdown. Yes, two 1-8 teams gave us a gripping game filled with highlights and lowlights from both sides.
After Matthew Stafford found Brandon Pettigrew for the game-winning touchdown on an untimed down that followed a defensive penalty, Browns coach Eric Mangini -- never one to shy away from controversy -- decided to accuse the Lions of faking injuries during the game.
When two bad teams get together, sometimes they can produce some great theater. Such was the case Sunday in Detroit, where a pair of 1-8 teams gave fans one of the day's best games.
At the end, a penalty that was called on the game's last play gave the homestanding Lions one untimed down from the Cleveland 1. They made it count, as rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford hit tight end Brandon Pettigrew for six, and a Jason Hanson extra point gave Detroit a 38-37 win.
With a 30-24 win over San Francisco Sunday at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers thrust themselves into the thick of the NFC playoff race. At 6-4, Green Bay kept pace with the New York Giants, who also won, and jumped ahead of the team the Giants beat (Atlanta).
However, it was a costly win for the Packers.
The defense may have suffered a couple of major blows with potentially serious knee injuries to outside linebacker Aaron Kampman and cornerback Al Harris.
The Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants will play a very important game Sunday afternoon. Both teams are part of a 5-4 logjam in the NFC standings. The winner of this tilt is in a very good position to make the NFC playoffs, and the Giants are in desperate need of a win after four straight losses.
The Falcons will reportedly be missing a key player in the game Sunday, as running back Michael Turner will be inactive.
Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.
Sometimes, we scour the internet looking for the best fight, only to be left underwhelmed. There are other weeks where this job couldn't possibly be any easier. The good fights jump at you, and the players involved are the guys you would expect to see in the big fights. This week's winning fight has some blood in it, so use caution as you proceed.
We still have two unbeatens in the NFL, New Orleans and Indianapolis. The Saints visit Tampa, so they shouldn't be threatened, but the Colts have a doozy of a game at Baltimore. Meanwhile, it's a clash of titans in Detroit, as the 1-8 Lions host 1-8 Cleveland. Join us at 12 PM ET to discuss all the Week 11 NFL action.
It's often said that a team with two quarterbacks really doesn't have any. With that spirit in mind, FanHouse will keep you updated weekly on NFL teams facing potential quarterback controversies.
We've completed over one-fourth of the NHL season already, and while virtually nothing is totally decided, we can take time to assess where teams are as they continue the 82-game grind.
Every Tuesday, FanHouse discusses the top NHL prospects found in college hockey.
While the NHL still tries to figure out a way to handle hits to the head, they are also trying to curb other dangerous hits plaguing the game.
There was little on Sunday that matched the drama of the Cleveland-Detroit showdown. Yes, two 1-8 teams gave us a gripping game filled with highlights and lowlights from both sides.
When two bad teams get together, sometimes they can produce some great theater. Such was the case Sunday in Detroit, where a pair of 1-8 teams gave fans one of the day's best games.
With a 30-24 win over San Francisco Sunday at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers thrust themselves into the thick of the NFC playoff race. At 6-4, Green Bay kept pace with the New York Giants, who also won, and jumped ahead of the team the Giants beat (Atlanta).
The Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants will play a very important game Sunday afternoon. Both teams are part of a 5-4 logjam in the NFC standings. The winner of this tilt is in a very good position to make the NFC playoffs, and the Giants are in desperate need of a win after four straight losses.
