Revenge tour should motivate USC

Coaches and athletes are vindictive. You know it. I know it. It's the nature of competition to hold grudges against those who beat you. When athletes and coaches say last year's game doesn't matter, or they're not interested in revenge for some slight -- real or imagined -- reporters should be allowed to slap them on their foreheads for being so disingenuous.

I, for one, would enjoy that, though there are several players -- Vontaze Burfict, David DeCastro, to name a couple -- for whom I'd take a pass on the forehead slap, even if it were officially sanctioned.

We bring this up because USC's second-half schedule is so rife with revenge scenarios that it feels like Charles Bronson should take over for Matt Barkley at quarterback.

And it's already off to a good start for the 6-1 Trojans. Notre Dame? Check. The Trojans took revenge for their 20-16 loss last year, which ended an eight-game winning streak in the rivalry series, with a 31-17 pounding of the Fighting Irish last Saturday inside a Notre Dame Stadium brimming with 80,000 stunned fans.

That, however, is just the beginning. USC's "Revenge 2011?" tour continues Saturday with a visit from Stanford.

The Cardinal have won two in a row against USC. Last year, they broke the Trojans hearts, 37-35, with a game-winning field goal with four seconds left. And the year before, you might recall, was the "What's your deal?" game, with former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh running up the score in a 55-21 victory, including going for two when the game was well in hand. Further, the Trojans fifth-year seniors will remember the 24-23 loss in 2007 when Stanford was a 41-point underdog and USC was expected to be in the national title hunt.

Further, Barkley has been fairly honest about how he's competitive with Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. This will be his last shot at him as the Trojans quarterback.

So, yes, the Trojans should have some feelings about the Cardinal.

Then, after playing Colorado, USC plays Washington, Oregon and UCLA on consecutive weekends.

USC has lost two in a row to Washington since former Trojans offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian took over in 2009. Sarkisian and USC coach Lane Kiffin are good buddies, which means Kiffin wants to beat him almost as much as he'd like to beat, say, Urban Meyer, who is not a good pal.

As for the Oregon, Chip Kelly's Ducks have whipped USC in consecutive games by 27 and 21 points. The Ducks also have displaced the Trojans as the Pac-12's preeminent power.

And, finally, USC could hammer the final nail into embattled UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel's coffin on Nov. 26. That's the sort of thing Trojans live for, right?

The big question for USC in the preseason was how would it maintain consistent motivation with no chance to play in the postseason due to NCAA sanctions. Well, they seemed to have saved their best football for the last two weeks, whipping California 30-9 the Thursday before the Notre Dame trip.

That maligned USC defense? It gave up just one touchdown apiece to Cal and Notre Dame. The vaunted Irish offense had just 267 yards and only 41 yards rushing.

The questionable running game? USC rushed for 219 yards at Notre Dame.

Sloppy play? USC had just two penalties and no turnovers against the Irish.

It would appear the Trojans are finding their rhythm under Kiffin. There's also good reason to believe they will be plenty motivated down the stretch, even without the postseason.

What does that mean?

Probably this: Be wary of the Trojans.

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Redskins WR Moss on if QB Grossman should keep his job: “No question”

Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss made it crystal clear who he wants under center throwing him the football.

Moss, when asked if quarterback Rex Grossman should keep his starting gig after a shaky four-interception performance against the Eagles on Sunday, said: “You just can’t give up on somebody because they had a bad outing.”

The former Hurricane standout also said there’s “no question” that Grossman should remain the team’s starting signal caller, despite being benched for John Beck in the fourth quarter.

The Redskins, who lost to the Eagles 20-13 in Week six, travel to Carolina to face the 1-4 Cam Newton-lead Panthers next week.

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Should postgame handshakes continue?

A heated verbal and physical exchange from Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz and San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh made headlines after Sunday's NFL action, and brings up an intriguing question: Should coaches be required to shake hands?

Texas coach Mack Brown said he'd like to see the NCAA or the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) look at the issue.

"I’ve been a proponent of not shaking hands after a game for a long time. Some guys don’t like each other," Brown said. "After a game, some guy may have run up a score, some guy gets beat on a last second, no, I have felt a long time, those TV cameras love it because they run right in the face hoping somebody’s going to mess it up."

On Saturday, Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and Vanderbilt coach James Franklin got into a verbal confrontation after Georgia's 33-28 win.

Last week, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel also abbreviated a conversation with Kansas State coach Bill Snyder after a 24-17 Missouri loss, spawning some discussion about whether Pinkel's decorum was questionable.

"I’ve always tried to walk over, say good game, good luck and get out of there as fast as I can because it’s really sensitive," Brown said. "We want great sportsmanship, but I think you’re better off calling on Monday and saying good game than in the heat of the moment because coaches are so competitive. Our jobs are on the line and when you’re standing there and you’re in the position to win the game and lose late, or if somebody scores 80 on you’re not very happy about that and you don’t want to go over and tell him good job."

Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville, though, says the custom is necessary, and not just for coaches.

"I think it’s important that the players see it and the fans see it. You’ve coached an emotional game. I think it’s important for players to shake hands, I think it’s important for coaches to shake hands, and it’s really embarrassing to see something like that happen in our sport," Tuberville said. "It shouldn’t happen like that. It’s not called for, because it’s all about sportsmanship and teaching younger kids that see this on TV see it happen. It’s embarrassing in this profession to see something like that happen."

What do you think? Vote in our poll.

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Who should fill in for Andre Johnson?

Texans coach Gary Kubiak assured fantasy enthusiasts when he said that WR Dre Johnson was going to miss “some time.” And by assuring us, I mean he could not have been more vague. The translation, of course is, “Fantasy enthusiasts are (expletive).”

Chad only does this in warmups, so drop him from your roster. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Oh well, hopefully Dre will start tweeting out MRI photos like his teammate Arian Foster did.

The biggest question is who should you add on your fantasy team to take over that space. The key is to divorce yourself from the familiar names. Remember that scene in “The Office” when Michael Scott says that the first thing he does when he goes to New York is to get a real New York slice of pizza? The comedic drop is that Michael is running into a Sbarro. The truth in that joke is that sometimes people like to rely on the familiar instead of trying the exotic.

The same holds true with your fantasy football team. Start breaking away from familiar and go with some other names that can help out your fantasy team. For instance, Eric Decker is owned in 41.8 percent of NFL.com fantasy leagues. By comparison, Chad Ochocinco is owned in 76 percent of leagues. Austin Collie and Mike Sims-Walker are owned in 67 percent of leagues. The biggest difference in those four players? Decker is the only one who will get your fantasy points this season.

Don’t be afraid to cut the cord and make a move on the waiver wire this week.

Now who has questions?

I’m in a bind with my team. I have a group of solid, if unspectacular WR (Nicks, Maclin, Holmes, S. Rice, L Moore) and Gore, Ray Rice, and McGahee. Unfortunately, I have the frustrating Eli Manning…. I don’t want to trade Ray Rice, but I need to find the best combo of Gore and a WR to trade for a QB upgrade. Help?!? — Reader Matt P. (via text message)

Thanks to John Harbaugh pulling that Kendall Hunter stunt, you really miss a chance to flip Gore when his value should be high. Try to package Gore and Maclin for a quarterback and see who bites. I don’t think you are completely horrible at running back with Rice and McGahee (if he remains the starter).

I have Matt Stafford sitting on my bench because I have Drew Brees…. Do you have enough confidence in Stafford at this point to move Brees to get a great RB or WR or is the market hot enough for Stafford to get that game changing RB/WR? — Jenny Rose (via email)

I would have confidence in both quarterbacks, so I would definitely flip either player for an elite receiver. If you have to part with Brees, so be it, because Stafford is playing at a high level right now. There are injury concerns, but every quarterback can get hurt.

So I have 3 decent quarterbacks (Manning, Hasselbeck, and Grossman) Should I trade someone? (I need a good #2 RB) — Spencer Murray

You do have a log-jam of decent quarterbacks. Manning and Hasselbeck should be your main rotation. Not sure what the trade market is going to yield for Rex Grossman, but I would advise you to grab Stevan Ridley off the wire, and he could be a good RB2 for you later in the season.

You can receive daily fantasy advice from Rank via Twitter or via Facebook. Be sure to catch the latest on the Dave Dameshek Football Program.

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Playbook mailbag: Should Patriots be concerned?

Every week, our cyber sack of mail gets heavier. More questions come in, and the quality isn’t deluded one bit.
Heading into Week 4 of our WRWW (War Room Wisdom Wednesday) mailbag, we have received inquiries from coast to coast – and some from overseas.

What went wrong for the Patriots this past Sunday in Buffalo? Should the Patriots be concerned — @ gus_vaz

Nobody on the Patriots defensive line can get to the quarterback, and that exposes some of their problems in the secondary. New England’s corners cannot cover man-to-man – and not for the eons of time opposing quarterbacks have to sit in the pocket and dissect the Patriots’ secondary.

We wouldn’t be too concerned about Tom Brady, though. He isn’t going to be throwing interceptions off of defensive tackle’s helmets on a weekly basis.

What’s up with Frank Gore? He’s been less than amazing so far and now he has an ankle injury? — @redaeRS

The main issue doesn’t rest with Gore. Sure, he’s older. But it could be Grandma Gore back there and the results wouldn’t be any worse, because the offensive line isn’t blocking. It shows they have a new center (Jonathan Goodwin for David Baas) and 2010 rookies Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis haven’t taken that next step.

On top of that, the 49ers aren’t much of a threat in the pass game and opposing defenses stack the box. Last week, nine of Gore’s 17 carries were versus an eight-man front. On those nine carries, he averaged 1.3 yards per carry.

What are the Bills doing differently than last season? A lot of their pieces are still the same. — @i_klek_tik

Offensively, the pieces haven’t changed, and continuity is a positive. Last year was Chan Gailey’s first with the Bills and it takes a while to implement a system. This year, you are seeing an offensive line that works in tandem, running backs who burst through running lanes and a quarterback who understands where his wide receivers will be.

Defensively, Buffalo improved its front seven dramatically, pairing Marcell Dareus with Kyle Williams, creating a ripple effect from the front line back to the linebackers. The defensive line is eating up blocks in the run game and getting a more consistent rush versus the pass. The secondary could be a little more consistent, however.

Is Jahvid Best more suited to be a third-down running back? Is the Lion’s running game their weakest link? — @D_DreadKBM

Detroit drafted Mikel LeShoure hoping he could be a more traditional, every-down back for this offense. But he got hurt. So, yes, in an ideal world, Best is a change-of-pace back in a pass-heavy offense for the Lions. They aren’t a power running team in the first place, they don’t use a fullback, and they love to spread it out with tight ends and wide receivers and let their offensive weapons stretch the field.

It’s not that Best isn’t talented enough to be a three-down back. He can be used in a variety of ways in the run and pass game. But he isn’t built for more than 15 touches a Sunday at this level. Best isn’t a “between-the-tackles” kind of guy and that limits him a bit.

Can the Ravens overpower the Jets like they did the Rams? — @ravensNcanes96

On defense, Baltimore is more than capable of pushing around a depleted Jets offensive line. But we aren’t so sure they can have the same kind of production offensively against the Jets defense.

You never know what you are going to get week-to-week with Bryant “Mount” McKinnie (or how much he is going to weigh). The Ravens also plugged ex-Cowboy Andre Gurode at left guard. And while Torrey Smith impressed with his speed last week, let’s wait for a repeat performance before declaring him a true threat.

The Ravens wideouts will be tested by the Jets’ more athletic corners, who play a lot of man coverage, something Baltimore struggled against versus the Titans in Week 2.

The last 10 Games, is it safe to say the Raiders have had a high powered-offense? Thirty points a game. — @ _Mr_Potts

Because of Al Davis, the Raiders will always have the biggest and fastest players. And for the first time in a while, these specimens have talent. Darren McFadden is living up to his potential and Denarius Moore has made a huge impact in his rookie season.

The Raiders’ offense centers around the ground game. Their offensive line has been outstanding in opening up running lanes. And in Jason Campbell, the Raiders have a steady quarterback who consciously takes care of the ball. This Raiders offense is clicking on all cylinders.

Keep the questions coming by e-mail at playbook@nfl.com or with #askplaybook on Twitter. There is a chance they could be answered — on-air — by Joe Theismann, Sterling Sharpe, Brian Baldinger or Matt Millen. And the debate is always brewing on Twitter @NFLN_Playbook.

“Playbook” — the ultimate football Xs and Os show — airs Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Check the NFL Network broadcast schedule for further details. Follow “Playbook” on Twitter @NFLN_Playbook.

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Should Panthers draft a QB?

Published: January 20th, 2011 | Tags: Carolina Panthers, 2011 NFL Draft, Jamie Dukes, NFL Total Access, Trent Green

The Panthers are on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Should they draft a quarterback? NFL Network analysts Jamie Dukes and Trent Green agree the Panthers would be better off going a different direction.

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Cutler should have been given benefit of the doubt

If anyone should be given the benefit of the doubt about playing through adversity of a physical nature, it should be Jay Cutler.

Cutler is a guy who battles Type 1 diabetes and takes insulin shots every single day. He even played the entire 2007 season without knowing he suffered from it, losing 33 pounds in the process. No one gave him the benefit of the doubt then, and it turned out he was playing with a lifelong disease that many of us have little idea of what it entails. Cutler fought, played through it and came back to have a Pro Bowl season in 2008.

I think a lot of us don’t know Cutler because he doesn’t often let us in to who he is as a person. If you want to criticize him for that, then go ahead. But when you don’t have enough information about someone, you can’t fairly critique or understand them.

I’ve sat and talked to Cutler about his diabetes, and he shared with me what he went through. If anyone would take the time with Cutler, they would understand he’s a very bright young man, he’s not aloof, and he does care about his teammates, winning and playing at a high level.

He’s tremendously tough, tremendously bright and tremendously talented.

How many games has he missed in his career due to injury? One. What prerequisite do we have to gauge that he somehow tapped out against the Packers? In his five NFL seasons, we haven’t seen anything to suggest that. So when he does leave a game, how does the snap judgement swing to the extreme that he’s not tough enough?

Everything we do know about Cutler suggests that he is plenty tough.

The response to Cutler should have been the opposite. I’m not here to tell fans how to respond. But those of us who are working in the media, especially former players, we’re supposed to know better. It’s a critical error not to know the facts or to not use a historical context to fairly judge Cutler. No one wanted to take the time to do that. Instead, they wanted to jump on a set, clip a microphone on and get to talking. Of all people, we should know better.

As for the current players who took shots at Cutler, they are over-reacting just like fans, making the exact same mistake they often criticize the media of making. Maybe it’s where social networking comes into play. Who wants to take the time to wait for his test results to come back before weighing in? No one wanted to wait to see if Cutler was really hurt or to what extent he was hurt.

There are some who have been spending time talking about Cutler’s body language on the sideline. Well, what did it say? How was it translated? That’s a subjective matter that any two people can read very differently. If you can read his body language and come away with an accurate depiction of how Cutler really felt, you should have a different job. No one should be pontificating based on what they thought Cutler’s body language said, as if they were going to be accurate. I think it’s careless. You’re taking that critique to a place where it’s based on frivolous information that doesn’t hold any substance.

It’s amazing how reactionary the Cutler story became, and how quickly it happened. We’re all so quick to judge. Who can get their reaction out the quickest, and the strongest, with the most impact?

Why let the facts get in the way of a good story, soundbite or Twitter update?

Maybe it’s just me.

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A Litter of Steelers Should Make the Pro Bowl

Tuesday night in a show on NFL Network, the league will disclose who has been selected to make the Pro Bowl for both the AFC and the NFC. The Steleers, winners of 11 games and with a win Sunday the #2 seed in the conference and the AFC North Champs, should have a number of players on that roster.

Here’s a look at the players that deserve to be at least in strong consideration for the AFC Pro Bowl this season.

Troy Polamalu, Safety - The heart and soul of the defense, Polamalu has been a huge difference maker, and the Steelers may not be in position to be the #2 seed if it were not for his game-saving play on Joe Flacco against the Ravens a few weeks back. He has 62 tackles, six interceptions and one sack. When he’s healthy, the Steelers D is as good as any in the league. A shoe-in for sure to make the team.

James Harrison, Linebacker - Like him or not, Harrison is another difference maker, and when he’s playing at a high level (which is just about every week), he’s another Steeler defender that is tough to stop. He has 94 tackles, 11 sacks and two interceptions this season, and come the postseason his play will go a long way in determining how far the Steelers go. Will be interesting based on the fines the league has handed him if his peers vote him in.

Mike Wallace, Wide Receiver – The 2nd year wide out has officially taken over as the teams #1 receiver, and his big play ability has been a huge spark to the Steelers offense. He has 53 receptions for 1,152 yards and nine touchdowns, and this season he and Ben Roethlisberger have hooked up for five touchdowns of 40+ yards. He might get overlooked by the players, but trust me, his time to play in this game will come at the latest next season.

Rashard Mendenhall, Running Back – While everyone says the Steelers can’t run and the O-line is crap, all Mendy has done is run for 1,237 yards and 11 touchdowns, and his big games in weeks one and three vs the Falcons and Bucs helped the team while Roethlisberger was suspended. He had a huge game in the OT win over the Bills, and a 99-yard game in the near win over the Jets, a team many don’t have success running against. Another big piece to the playoff puzzle, Mendy deserves a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Maurkice Pouncey, Center – And to think that some in Steeler Nation didn’t like this pick with the 18th overall choice in April’s draft. All Pouncey has done in the past 9 months was push undersized center Justin Hartwig out the door, play every game as the teams starting center without missing much time, and help the team rank 10th in rushing with 121.6 yards per game and a 4.1 yards per carry average. In the mold of Mike Webster and Dirt Dawson, Pouncey is going to be the rock at center for this team for a long time to come barring injury.

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Wallace is confident vs. Revis, should you be too?

Published: December 15th, 2010 | Tags: Mike Wallace, Andre Johnson, Brandon Lloyd, Chad Ochocinco, Darrelle Revis, Hakeem Nicks, Kenny Britt, Kyle Orton, Pittsburgh Steelers, robert meachem, Sidney Rice

You really have to appreciate the moxie of Steelers WR Mike Wallace who called Jets CB Darrelle Revis “just another guy.”

Well, at least he did not call him a slouch.

But good for Wallace. Why should a receiver just lay down and concede because he is being covered by Revis? He’s not a machine, he’s a man, he’s a man. Revis bleeds!

But “Rocky IV” quotes aside, Wallace is still a pretty good play here against the Jets as a low-end No. 2 receiver, and a solid No. 3. The Jets seem more myth than reality right now. Or maybe you missed the Patriots’ pummeling on Monday night a few weeks ago. The Jets rank 14th in fantasy points allowed to receivers in 2010.

Wallace does not need a huge number of targets to put up good fantasy numbers. Wallace is a threat to take the ball to the end zone at any opportunity, so you want him in your lineup. As all of the NFL.com fantasy staff has talked about in recent weeks, you do not want to get too cute with your matchups in the playoffs. You don’t want to look at a guy like Robert Meachem and think, oh great matchup, and start him over a guy like Wallace.

If you are enjoying an embarrassment of riches at receiver with a solid crop that includes Texans WR Andre Johnson, Giants WR Hakeem Nicks, and Titans WR Kenny Britt then you might be better off sitting Wallace this week. But not everybody is that stacked at receiver.

Wallace is certainly a better option than guys such as Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco, Broncos WR Brandon Lloyd (who has fallen off the fantasy radar along with QB Kyle Orton), and Vikings WR Sidney Rice. (You can get more examples in the comments or via Twitter.)

Trust your stars, and show the confidence that Wallace is exuding.

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Even if active, Cassel, Favre should be benched

Published: December 9th, 2010 | Tags: Brett Favre, Brodie Croyle, Matt Cassel, Percy Harvin, Todd Haley

Chiefs coach Todd Haley said that Matt Cassel, who had an appendectomy on Wednesday, missed practice on Thursday but has not yet been ruled out for Week 14.

“Some guys have had the procedure and been out for awhile, some guys have come back quickly,” Haley said. “We have to wait. I really don’t have anything to give.”

Cassel has been one of the hotter quarterbacks in fantasy football in recent weeks, but coming off this procedure — coupled with a tough matchup against the Chargers — makes him a major risk even if he is active.

The bigger concern for fantasy owners is how Cassel’s potential absence would hurt the value of Dwayne Bowe, who is currently the highest-scoring wide receiver in fantasy football. Obviously, he’ll lose some of his appeal with backup quarterback Brodie Croyle under center. But unless you’re deep at wideout, Bowe is still a tough player to bench.

In Minnesota, Brett Favre was held out of practice due to his bum shoulder. Whether he returns in time to face the Giants on Sunday remains to be seen, but he shouldn’t be starting in the fantasy postseason regardless.

His teammate, Percy Harvin, was also held out of drills as he continues to deal with the effects of migraine headaches. Like Favre, he could be a game-time decision. But unlike the old gunslinger, Harvin should be active in fantasy leagues if he is able to suit up.

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Mayock: Vikings should release Favre

Published: November 23rd, 2010 | Tags: Brad Childress, Brett Favre, Joe Webb, Leslie Frazier, Mike Mayock, Minnesota Vikings, Tarvaris Jackson, Vic Carucci

Leslie Frazier left little doubt when he was introduced as the interim coach of the Vikings this week that Brett Favre is his guy.

Maybe he should have included the phrase ”for better or worse.”

While benching Favre is unfathomable for some, many on the outside are clamoring for the Vikings, at 3-7 and with little reasonable hope for the playoffs, to turn the page from No. 4. There was some reason to believe that process would be expedited with Frazier at the helm, but for now the Vikings’ plan doesn’t include an extended look at whether Tarvaris Jackson or Joe Webb are the future.

NFL.com senior columnist Vic Carucci has called out that it’s time for Favre to step aside, and NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock is also now on the record that it’s time for the Vikings to cut ties with Favre. Right now.

“At this point, you fired your coach,” Mayock said. “It would be a crime if you don’t find out in the remainder of the season whether or not either one of your backup quarterbacks can play.

“If I was there, I’d like to see a uniform situation within the organization where the owner, the new head coach and head of personnel Rick Spielman sit down and say, ‘It’s time to release Favre. We need to get a clean look at these two young quarterbacks, and find out if either of them is our quarterback of the future.’ If that’s the case, then you know what you have to do in the draft.”

Maybe the Vikings’ brass has already made up their collective minds on Jackson and Webb. A school of thought also exists that had Frazier been the one to bench Favre, he would have lost the credibility and respect that Brad Childress seemed to lack in a locker room that was pro-Favre.

Nevertheless, Mayock is the latest to make a compelling point that it’s in the Vikings’ best interest to move ahead. By no stretch of the imagination does this story feel like it’s over.

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Orton owners should worry about Tebow

Published: November 23rd, 2010 | Tags: Denver Broncos, Jon Kitna, Josh Freeman, Josh McDaniels, Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow was a mild irritant for fantasy owners when he started sneaking a touchdown — or four — away from the other Broncos you actually had on your team. But Tebow could develop into a full-blown fantasy rash if the Broncos continue to falter down the stretch.

Many of you Kyle Orton owners will shudder to even think about this topic. But at some point — when the season is lost in Denver — it seems inevitable that Tebow will get some starts. But just how soon will that happen?

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels would not take the bait from reporters Tuesday when asked this very question, according to  the Denver Post.

“I don’t know,” McDaniels said. ”Not willing to go there. That’s not the case right now, so we’ll think about that when that happens.”

McDaniels is right, mathematically. But a huge home loss to the Raiders and the drubbing in San Diego Monday night should be a final alarm for fantasy enthusiasts who own Orton, who ranks fourth among quarterbacks on NFL.com.

Do not hit the snooze button to get some extra sleep on this one. Grab another quarterback for the stretch drive, stat.

Fantasy editor Michael Fabiano already did the heavy lifting, but there are a few names to consider, starting with Buccaneers QB Josh Freeman and Cowboys QB Jon Kitna. Freeman has one of the best schedules down the stretch. This is also true of the Broncos, which would be awesome if Orton is still starting.

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Schaub should be avoided in Week 11

Published: November 18th, 2010 | | Tags: Matt Schaub, Gary Kubiak

Nick Scurfield of the Texans official website reports that Matt Schaub (knee) returned to practice on Thursday and is expected to start against the Jets.

He was in the hospital on Wednesday due to a bursa sac issue in his right knee.

“It was good to have him back,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “He took probably about half the reps today, feeling a lot better, and we’re heading in the right direction. Like I said, we expected him to get out last night, and he did. Everything that we thought would happen today happened.”

Schaub is coming off a solid game against the Jaguars, but this week’s matchup against the Jets is far more formidable — their defense has given up 13 or fewer fantasy points to two of the last three quarterbacks they have faced, one of which was Aaron Rodgers.

What’s more, Schaub was held to a mere 166 passing yards with no touchdowns and one interception in his last start against the Men in Green.

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Should the Giants even show up to play Sunday night?

That’s the attitude I’m seeing all over the place. Why should the Giants show up?

DeSean Jackson ran a 2.2 40 yard dash and has never missed a catchable ball. And that’s before he takes a reverse 95 yards for a TD and after he returns three punts for touchdowns.

LeSean McCoy is the second coming of Brian Westbrook, but faster, and stronger, and better looking.

Maclin is better than Hakeem Nicks and is slightly slower than DeSean Jackson, but still the third fastest player in the league.

And then there is Michael Vick.

He Throws the ball 95 yards with precision…and that’s what he can do right handed. He’s the fastest player in the league. He breaks down every scheme and he averaged 4 touchdowns a game. He’s Steve Young plus Joe Montana plus Barry Sanders. Michael Vick hasnt’ thrown an INT since 2006. He’s the N.F.L. M.V.P and the most dangerous player to ever play in the N.F.L.

And that’s just on offense.

On Defense Trent Cole is unblockable for the Giants, Asante Samuel will have four pick sixes and the Eagles should route the Giants 45-17 (with 17 points coming for the Giants in the fourth Quarter).

That’s what I’ve heard this week from all of the pundits around the league. This is terrible news for the Giants fans who are going to lose twice more to the Eagles, at least once to Washingon and also to the packers. Meaning at best the Giants can finish the season 9-7 if they can squeak out a win in Minnesota.

Chicken Little has given up because the sky has already collapsed on the Giants season this year.

Oh, Boy.  I dont’ think I should watch this weekend.

Right?

Well, maybe not. I think the Giants can win this game, despite the fact that they haven’t beaten the Eagles in four games (originally I wrote years on accident, but it kind of seems that way too doesn’t it?) and here are some keys to victory.

The Giants Offense

Don’t turn the ball over and show up somewhat healthy to the game.

The Giants will be without all of their linemen and are down to two viable Wide Receivers (even though both are very talented they are still young and prone to mistakes that cost the Giants, but then they make a play that makes you forget that they are both still young pups).

The key is to run precise routes, don’t drop the ball, avoid stupid penalties and for the love of god don’t throw any Interceptions.

Asante Samuel does have Eli Manning’s number picking him off two of the last three games, but Samuel has never had to cover Hakeem Nicks with the Giants. Eli has to be aware of Samuels ability to jump routes and take the ball away.

But this doesn’t take a rocket sceintist to figure out so I’m not breaking any ground with my “avoid penalties and don’t turn the ball over” Spiel.

#2 Play Keep Away

The Eagles are a very fast-quick strike team, but they are also a smaller weaker team. They are smallish at all positions across the board. Trent Cole and Brandon Graham are smaller defensive ends. Ernie Sims is smaller. Mike Patterson isn’t the biggest guy. This team can be beaten up.

Right now the Eagles are giving up 104 yards rushing per game, but what is more telling is the 4.1 yards per rush per game which is tied for 17th in the league, which is not great.

Part of Playing Keep Away is Brandon Jacobs. I think of all the games the Giants have played this year, this game is the most important to get Brandon Jacobs invovled early and often.
Last year when Jacobs wasn’t that good he rushed for 146 yards between the two games on 35 carries which is over 4.1 yards per carry (season avearge was 3.7 YPC), in 2008 Jacobs ran for 5.5 yards per carry with two touchdowns over two games (a total of 32 carries for 178 yards: that season he avearged 5 yards per carry).

The last two season Jacobs best efforts have come against Eagles teams. He’s bigger then most of their linebackers and some of their defensive linemen. He’s a tone setter. Bradshaw is better than Jacobs, but in this game I’m not sure that Jacobs isn’t the better running back to establish a tone.

A mix of short and long passing plays

The Eagles this season on defense have been susceptible to big games by opposing Wide Receivers, even if they didn’t have great Quarterbacks. Vs the Titans (Kerry Collins, I think in that game) Kenny Britt had 225 yards receiving.

Vs the 49ers (their QB’s suck) Michael Crabtree had 105 yards receiving, Jahvid Best had 154 yards receiving vs the Eagles, and Gregg Jennings had 85 yards.

What does this show?

Well Crabtree, Jennings, Best are all players that are on teams that deploy a lot of short passes with yards after the catch potential. Jennings goes deep sometimes, but generally it’s a lot of slants and quick routes.

Kenny Britt had deep pass plays open all day.

Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham EXCEL at Yards after the catch and deep patterns. And Bradshaw has been very effective the last couple of weeks playing the Jahvid Best role.

Their are passing plays to be made against the Eagles, a combination that wears down the defense is the best.

Max Protect

Nate Allen is a young player who can get picked on from time to time (even though he has shown a penchant for getting at the ball). And the Eagles love to blitz.

Their cornerbacks can be beaten by double moves and the Giants offensive line has had injury problems.

I think the Giants should run a lot of big formations with their blocking tight end or just using Bear Pascoe a lot. I know they like to spread it out a lot, but they don’t have the weapons for that this week. They are limited and I think Nicks, Manningham, and Boss can be used effeciently even if they keep 7 into block often. (11-QB and 3 WR=7!)

Boss and Beckum!

I think the Giants drafted Beckum for games in the winter and for games vs the Eagles. He is a good pass catcher underneath and I think, again to play the time of possession game the Giants need to use a lot of Boss and Beckum underneath. The Eagles, like the Giants, have traditionally struggled against tight ends the Giants have two that can catch the ball…let them!

On Defense

Pray for Swine Flu and or terrible weather

The Eagles do have good weapons on offense and fast ones. The Giants aren’t a fast defense, perse.

Communicate and force turnovers

The Eagles have been proficient at avoiding turnovers this year. I think Vick is due for a two INT game eventually, so let’s hope that happens vs the Giants.

I don’t care if they luck into them or whatever. Just DON”T DROP ANY POTENTIAL INTERCEPTIONS. This is not a team you want to give second chances too.

Use Antrel Rolle as the “Spy” and Cover McCoy’s short routes.

I would NOT recommend this for many teams because you can become very vulnerable if you bring up your safety to spy on Vick and/or McCoy.

However, the Giants have a HUGE luxury in that Deon Grant can play the safety role. Grant is not as fast as Rolle and I think Grant is less likely to cheat up which Rolle does at times (even though he’s great in run support).

Vick will out run every linebacker ever. Rolle at least stands a chance on some plays, plus he can be up there to support the run and play the screen pass.

Essentially I want to swap what Deon Grant and Rolle have been doing all season.

Use Linval Joseph or just regain that interior push

I’m a little worried about Osi’ gap integrity, but I’m more worried about a lack of collapsing the pocket. I know people don’t want Vick outside the box, but I’m not sure that’s really the best way to contain him. If he can step up in the pocket in the middle of the field and choose to run whatever way he pleases that could be real troulbe.

If the Giants can collapse the pocket and force Vick to one side of the field (the side with the “spy”) there’s possibly a better chance to stop him.

Get Chippy

To be honest early in the game I would not mind the Giants laying some seriously low blow hard hits…whether or not they are late. This Eagles offense is soft and finese. Vick has sore Ribs and quick feet. If the Giants have to cheap shot him to make sure his feet start to feel a little heavier and is ribs start aching more I’d be for it. Now, obviously Couhlin won’t really pursue that, but as a fan I say I won’t mind if it happens.

I think the Giants need to beat the speed out of the Eagles.

Knock around the WR

Avant has some size, DeSean Jackson and Maclin don’t. They are speed players. The Giants need to beat them down early to make sure they don’t feel like playing anymore. Press coverage, make sure you hit them before they get out of bounds.

Trip DeSean Jackson if you get beat deep and make him eat some dirt. I don’t care. I dont’ want to see him doing that stupid backward dance into the endzone with no one near him.

Exotic Schemes?

Wish I had more tape on Vick. But he’s never been considered the “brightest bulb” or whatever cliche you would like to use to mean intelligent Quarterback. Maybe the key is to give him exotic schemes and hope to confuse him into running. I don’t want to see big pass plays down the field I’d prefer to see long sustaining drives.

Bring the Intensity

Self-Explnatory.

On Special Teams.

Pray.

Seriously.

That’s it.

Pray.

Anyone else have suggestions because quite honestly I’m just hoping to enjoy a good close game (of course with a Giants win). Because the Giants were struggling to beat the Eagles before Vick…Now….we’ll have to wait and see.

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Should the Vikings bench Favre?

Published: November 15th, 2010 | | Tags: Brad Childress, Brett Favre, Charles Davis, Minnesota Vikings

Should the Vikings cut their losses and bench Brett Favre? NFL Network analyst Charles Davis says that because of the marriage between Favre and coach Brad Childress, it won’t reach that point in Minnesota.

Posted in: NFL Network  

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Kirwan: Haley should have known better

Published: November 15th, 2010 | | Tags: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Josh McDaniels, Todd Haley

NFL.com analyst Pat Kirwan easily could have let Chiefs coach Todd Haley off the hook when he was asked in his Monday chat about Haley’s reaction following Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos. The questioner, Tom from Scotland, likely didn’t know that Kirwan and Haley have been friends for nearly 20 years.

Still, Kirwan did not give the second-year coach a pass for refusing to shake hands with Denver coach Josh McDaniels after the 49-29 shellacking.

“Todd Haley was an intern when I was at the Jets,” Kirwan wrote. “He’s a fiery young guy who’s doing a terrific job coaching the team. But that was a tactical error and he will regret it — whether he says so or not.”

(In fact, he did say so a few hours after Kirwan’s chat – apologizing for his actions in a Monday press conference. “I let the emotions of the situation get to me too much,” Haley said.)

But Kirwan’s point had nothing to do with whether or not the Broncos should have had their starters going in the third quarter with such a big lead. It was all about setting a good example. “Josh won the game and deserved the handshake,” Kirwan noted. “There are high school coaches watching these games, and before long, they’ll be doing those things. A lot is at stake for Todd and he shouldn’t have done it.”

For the complete chat, click here.

Posted in: Around The Web  

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NFL should say “sorry” to Eagles for bad calls

No matter what the outcome of a game is, I hate to blame the officiating. They’re humans and they make mistakes. However, the officiating in the Eagles and Colts match-up has to be some of the worst I’ve seen in a long time.

The Eagles racked up a total of total of 14 penalties against the Colts, and the team is solely responsible for a lot of them. However, there were instances where the refs got calls wrong. Not just wrong, but there were instances during the game in which I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

The first major call I disagree with was the call on the hit by Quintin Mikell on Austin Collie. I don’t understand how he was classified as a defenseless receiver. Is he supposed to get a free ride because he’s catching a ball down the middle of the field? Can a safety not make a play the way that Mikell and Nate Allen did? Mikell lead with his shoulder on the play, just as you are supposed to. Allen may have had helmet to helmet contact, but it only came as a result of the way Collie’s body was deflected into him.

I think the refs got this one wrong, but the NFL has a chance to get it right. The play will be reviewed by the NFL for possible fines. If any are given, that is an absolute joke. The NFL will also have the ability to review the play and determine if they think the referees got it right. If not, the play should be used as an example as a hit that doesn’t require a flag to be thrown.

I thought that was bad, but I think the call on Trent Cole in the fourth quarter was even worse. As Cole came flying around the edge to try and make a play on Peyton Manning, he didn’t have a good enough angle to get a full hit on Manning. As his momentum carried him past the quarterback, his hand hit Manning in his helmet. It wasn’t a very hard knock to the head, but apparently it was enough to receive a personal foul call.

The worst part of the penalty was that it was fourth down and the Eagles should have received the ball, pretty much ending the game. However, the penalty allowed the game to continue and the Colts took advantage, closing the gap.

There has always been a focus in the NFL on protecting the quarterback, but this call was a bit much. Cole’s actions were not intentional, and as he held his arm out with his momentum carrying him beyond Manning, his hand happened to find the back of the quarterbacks’ helmet. This was a huge call to get wrong and gave the Colts a chance to win the football game.

We’ve been seeing this stuff for a while now. This is the game of football. You don’t want to see players get hurt and I understand that they’re trying to protect everyone. However, the physical part of this game is what draws everyone to it and the players know what they’re getting into.

The NFL is taking a lot away from this game right now and the Eagles felt the wrong end of the stick on Sunday.

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Monday Nightmare: That TD should have been Ben’s

Published: November 9th, 2010 | | Tags: Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger, Terrell Owens, Antwaan Randle El, Mike Wallace, Monday nightmare

No Monday night lead ever feels safe, even when you are up by 49 points (standard scoring), going against only Bengals WR Terrell Owens. It’s kind of like when Skylab was falling. Sure you were pretty confident that a piece was not going to come busting through the roof of your bedroom ceiling. Yet, you still pulled your Rams sleeping blanket over your covers for some extra padding just in case.

What, that was just me?

Needless to say that Owens did not come close (28 points) to closing the gap. And his huge night, that was all for naught for my pal Frank H., was more a punch in the gut than anything else.

A couple of NFL.com users had a couple of bad nights, and shared their stories @nflfantasy.

@Artysmokes needed a big night from Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, but had to be bummed when Antwaan Randle El tossed a touchdown bomb to Mike Wallace. Isn’t that the worst?

He obviously was not alone. How many of you needed another Big Ben touchdown toss? That is a tough way to go down.

But our grand-prize winner goes to @kristiniverson who lost to her boyfriend and had her five-game winning streak snapped.

So we know you have your stories. Trust me, it will feel better when you get it out. This is your chance to vent.

Take a seat on the couch, the doctor is in.

Posted in: Fantasy  

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