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Cardinals Defeat Rams 48-19; Avoid Losing Record for First Time Since 1998

DanPosted Dec 31st 2007 8:09AM by Dan (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Rams, NFC West, Phoenix, St. Louis



The Arizona Cardinals ended their season in style last night, defeating the St. Louis Rams by a score of 48-19. It was their most well-rounded and lopsided victory of the season, and it was intended to send a message -- a message of hope to Cardinals fans.

One of the most famous phrases in Phoenix is "there's always next season." Well, for the first time since 1998, that phrase may actually hold some water. It's clear that Coach Ken Whisenhunt has a plan and by winning the final two games, it's obvious that the players are buying into that plan.

Lost in all the excitement was Kurt Warner, who went 23/39 for 300 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He played what very well could be his final game as an NFL quarterback. With Matt Leinart sure to return and take over next year, and unless Warner finds himself starting on another team, it could be all over for the former MVP. And if it is, you have to tip your cap to him. He had an absolutely fantastic season after starting as the number two quarterback, and is one of the major reasons Arizona finished the way they did.

Meanwhile, for St. Louis, things finished on about as sour a note as possible. They were manhandled by Arizona en route to a 3-13 record; their worst since John Robinson's final year -- 1991.

There is a silver lining for the Rams, however. Despite how bad things looked this year, there is a lot of talent on this team. And with a relatively high draft pick coming up, St. Louis will most certainly add to a growing crop of talent. You may have to take it on faith, but this season was just a hiccup. The Rams will be back next year.

Funny, You'd Think Eight Combined Wins Would Make for a Good Football Game

Josh AlperPosted Dec 30th 2007 11:59PM by Josh Alper (author feed)
Filed under: Chiefs, Jets, New York, Kansas City

There wasn't any beer on sale at the Meadowlands during today's overtime Jets win. That meant 65 minutes of the Herman Edwards Bowl had to be witnessed stone cold sober by the hardy souls who braved a rainy, miserable day in New York just to watch their team try to win a meaningless game.

That's just not right. It took me a fifth of scotch, two 40s of OE and a polo mallet just to make it to halftime. By the time Mike Nugent made two field goals, one was negated by penalty, to win the game 13-10 in the extra period I was on a morphine drip, scraping every drop of Sterno out of a can and grinding up bumblebees to snort.

God knows I wasn't playing this one naked. There were 18 punts, 35 incomplete passes, 13 penalties and the teams combined to convert 6-of-32 third downs. There weren't even any turnovers to make things interesting, just inept offenses running a few plays before sending a guy in to punt. That 18 number doesn't even include a roughing the kicker penalty or Jon McGraw's fake of a K.C. punt. That means there were 20 times teams were in a punt formation. Not that I was counting or anything.
Continue Reading Funny, You'd Think Eight Combined Wins Would Make for a Good Football Game

Steelers Rest Everyone, Lose to Ravens and Finish Fourth in AFC

Josh AlperPosted Dec 30th 2007 11:30PM by Josh Alper (author feed)
Filed under: Ravens, Steelers, AFC North, Baltimore, Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't act as if finishing fourth in the AFC bothered them in the least. That could turn out to be a curious decision after their B team failed to beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The game leaves them hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars, the same team that smacked them in the mouth at Heinz Field a few weeks ago.

Things went wrong for Pittsburgh right from the get go. Willie Reid, subbing for injured returner Allan Rossum, coughed up the opening kickoff and set up a Musa Smith touchdown run. With Charlie Batch offering the defense little worry, the Ravens keyed on Najeh Davenport and slowed the offense down to a crawl for most of the first half. Batch was intercepted once and his biggest play came courtesy of a pass interference on Corey Ivy. The Ravens led 20-7 at the half and appeared to be in charge of the game.

They appeared to be pulling a Billick, as its come to be known this season, by losing that control late. Batch found Santonio Holmes and Cedrick Wilson for touchdowns to cut the margin to six but when David Pittman picked him off for the second time late in the fourth, a return date with the Jags was in place.
Continue Reading Steelers Rest Everyone, Lose to Ravens and Finish Fourth in AFC

Tarvaris Jackson Can't Save the Vikings and a Long Year Finally Ends in Denver

Josh AlperPosted Dec 30th 2007 10:45PM by Josh Alper (author feed)
Filed under: Broncos, Vikings, Denver, Minnesota


If you didn't know any better, you would have thought the Broncos were the team with a shot at the playoffs and the Vikings were playing out the string of a bitter season. After all, it's usually teams that have already mentally quit on the season who make monumental blunders to cost their teams a game and that's just what Minnesota did in the first half of the 22-19 overtime loss in Denver this afternoon.

Their first drive was an excellent combination of Chester Taylor running and Tarvaris Jackson passing that got the ball inside the Bronco five-yard line. Taylor took the ball for an apparent touchdown but, after a review, he couldn't hold the ball long enough to break the plane and the Vikes got no points. Then, in the second quarter, Jackson found Troy Williamson with a perfect parabola only to see the ball bounce off his shoulder pads as if he were a six-year old playing catch for the first time. Williamson would have had a sure six but Taylor fumbled again two plays later.

The Vikings made other mistakes later and, for most of the game, looked like a team that didn't show up. That reflects badly on Brad Childress but, just when all hope seemed lost, there was at least one reason to smile through a playoff-less January.
Continue Reading Tarvaris Jackson Can't Save the Vikings and a Long Year Finally Ends in Denver

Bengals Beat Up on Dolphins to End Hopeless Seasons for Both

Sportz AssassinPosted Dec 30th 2007 10:02PM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: Bengals, Dolphins, AFC East, AFC North, Miami, Cincinnati

Cincinnati beat Miami, 38-25, to end seasons that both franchise would love to forget.

For Miami, they end a 1-15 season that saw things happen so badly that it damn near became hilarious. For a quick recap, just check this out, which was a list compiled in October! The funniest thing about this loss was that Bill Parcell sat in the press box and watched it as if he was the Super Nanny watching an idiot couple's kids.

As for the Bengals, well, they regressed from last season by one game in the standings column. Still, this was about as ugly a season as there could be. For one: there is now hope in the Nati that the Bengals will be competitive. Instead, it was a team hit by injuries, suspensions and selfish play. It was the year that the Greater Cincinnati area pretty much lost all faith in coach Marvin Lewis.

Cincy ended the season winning five of eight. In that stretch, they beat the NFL's worst team (Miami), second worst team (St. Louis) and the only team that Miami beat this year (Baltimore). They can take pride in the fact that TJ Houshmandzadeh tied Wes Welker for the NFL leader in receptions. On the throw that would have given him the outright title, TJ dropped it.

It's been that kind of season.

As for 2008, who knows. Parcells is likely to implode the Dolphins and start from scratch. It won't get that drastic in Cincy, but with twelve unrestricted free agents, there will be quite a few changes coming.

Redskins' Chris Samuels on Win Over Dallas: 'We Won By 21'

Sportz AssassinPosted Dec 30th 2007 9:44PM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: Cowboys, Redskins, NFC East, Dallas, Washington, DC

The Washington Redskins beat the Dallas Cowboys, 27-6, to clinch the final spot in the NFC playoffs. Interesting score, eh Chris Samuels?

"I was on the sideline and guys were talking about the score, and then it hit me -- we won by 21," veteran left tackle Chris Samuels said. "I came in the locker room and I yelled it out, and immediately I just kind of broke down in tears. Because I miss Sean, you know."


It's cliche to say you go out and win for a fallen teammate, but it seems since Sean Taylor's funeral the team has been on a mission. Four games, four wins. And playing with a ton of confidence.

The Redskins dominated this game in pretty much every facet:

  • 1st downs: Skins 22, Cowboys 7
  • Yards: Skins 354, Cowboys 147
  • Third downs: Skins 9-of-15, Cowboys 0-of-11
  • Rushing yards: Skins 131, Cowboys 1


Continue Reading Redskins' Chris Samuels on Win Over Dallas: 'We Won By 21'

Falcons 44, Seahawks 41: Thank God It's Over

JJ CooperPosted Dec 30th 2007 8:20PM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Falcons, Seahawks, Atlanta, Seattle

The NFL requires that all teams play 16 games, which is about the only reason anyone in their right mind would care about Sunday's Falcons-Seahawks game. Seattle already had wrapped up its spot in the playoffs, and was going into the game knowing that this would be a chance to get the backups some playing time.

As for the Falcons, if you could euthanize a football team they would have been dead a long, long time ago.

But since they required that the two teams play, we got a surprisingly entertaining, if terribly played game. Chris Myers and Jason Seehorn can know by being assigned to call this game that there football announcing skills won't be required come playoff time. The unlucky Falcons fans stuck with tickets to this stinker knew that they weren't going to have much luck giving them away for free, and a good portion of the Falcons team could come into the game knowing that they will likely be no longer in Atlanta when 2008 rolls around.
Continue Reading Falcons 44, Seahawks 41: Thank God It's Over

Bears 33, Saints 25: Where Was This for Games 1-14?

Josh AlperPosted Dec 30th 2007 4:30PM by Josh Alper (author feed)
Filed under: Bears, Saints, Chicago, New Orleans


Normally two consecutive comfortable victories would fill a team with good feelings. For the Chicago Bears, though, it is more likely to raise questions. There's no shortage of queries. For starters, where was the defensive effort that led to five turnovers, four sacks and a safety during the rest of a desultory season? Why was the offense so conservative all year before taking the wraps off in Week 17?

Two questions focus on two of the team's best players in particular. During the first half of the season, when Brian Urlacher was struggling with a back injury, why didn't they give him some time off? He finally seemed healthy over the last month of the season and the proof was in his play. Two sacks and three interceptions, including one today, in his final three weeks. He dominated the Saints in the second half, seemingly in on every hit, and looked every inch the player of his reputation. How much of a difference would it have made if Urlacher was healthier earlier in the season?

The other question is one that's been asked since the earliest days of the season. Why wasn't Devin Hester a bigger part of the offense?
Continue Reading Bears 33, Saints 25: Where Was This for Games 1-14?

Panthers 31, Bucs 23: Matt Moore Wins Battle of the Backup Quarterbacks

David J. WarnerPosted Dec 30th 2007 4:10PM by David J. Warner (author feed)
Filed under: Buccaneers, Panthers, NFC South, Charlotte, Carolina, Tampa Bay

Click here for final game stats from AOL Sports.

Here's all you really need to know about this game -- Luke McCown and Matt Moore earned the right to keep their jobs in 2008.

Sure, they're still backups. Jeff Garcia will probably be the Buccaneers' starter until he can't walk anymore, and Jake Delhomme's elbow should be healthy again by the start of the Panthers' next training camp. If either of those guys gets hurt in 2008, though, McCown and Moore are ready, and they proved that today.

McCown arguably had the better day, completing 19 of 25 for 219 yards and 2 touchdowns until a late interception by Richard Marshall late in the 4th quarter. McCown found targets regularly and scrambled for first downs when nobody was open. He even finished the game as the Bucs' leading rusher, gaining 47 yards on 5 carries -- a rather scathing indictment of Michael Bennett. (15 carries, 39 yards)

Perhaps that was the big difference between McCown and Moore; Moore had help.
Continue Reading Panthers 31, Bucs 23: Matt Moore Wins Battle of the Backup Quarterbacks

Brian Westbrook Sets Multiple Franchise Records in Win Over Buffalo

Enrico CampitelliPosted Dec 30th 2007 4:04PM by Enrico Campitelli (author feed)
Filed under: Bills, Eagles, NFC East, Philadelphia, Buffalo

When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles all time great running backs, Brian Westbrook and Wilbert Montgomery are certainly at the top of the list. With his first touch today, needing only one yard, Wesbrook passed Montgomery to set a new single season franchise record for yards from scrimmage.

Coming into today, Westbrook was ahead of Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson by 119 yards for the league lead in total yards.

Brian Westbrook also set a record most casual fans may not associate with the amazing running back. With his third reception of the game, Westbrook set another Eagles single season franchise record. This time he passed wide receiver Irving Fryar's previous mark of 88 receptions in a season. That's right: a running back now holds the franchise record for receptions in a season.

It's a testament to the versatility and importance that Brian Westbrook brings to the Eagles. I wonder if he'll now ask the brass for a raise?
Continue Reading Brian Westbrook Sets Multiple Franchise Records in Win Over Buffalo
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