Rivera getting latest laugh on Bears after playoff win
The NFL's wild-card weekend was a wonderful time for defensive coordinators. Each winning team had a sound game plan contrived by a coach with an excellent reputation: Arizona's Clancy Pendergast, San Diego's Ron Rivera, Baltimore's Rex Ryan and Philadelphia's Jim Johnson.
Three of them have Chicago connections: Johnson was born in Maywood and grew up in the area; Ryan is the son of former Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan; and Rivera is a former Bears linebacker and was their defensive coordinator during the 2006 Super Bowl season.
Watching cut-away shots of Rivera on the San Diego sideline should have been difficult for Bears fans because it served as a reminder of one of the reasons the team is on the outside looking in at the playoffs for the second straight season. Would the Bears have been a playoff team with Rivera still here? There is no way of knowing for sure, but one thing is certain: The Bears haven't been a playoff team since Rivera was sent on his way and Bob Babich was promoted to defensive coordinator.
In fact, the defense has fallen from a No. 5 league ranking in 2006 to No. 28 last year and No. 21 this past season. That's not quite what the Bears had in mind when they invested more salary-cap space than any team other than Baltimore in their 2008 defense.
Babich, it would seem, has made his position untenable, yet the response so far from Halas Hall has been to send defensive backs coach Steve Wilks packing. Word is defensive line coach Brick Haley has accepted the same position with LSU and will follow Wilks out the door, albeit with a raise and arguably a better job.
Where's the accountability?
The Bears replaced Rivera when they were having success and now won't do the same with Babich despite not having success. Where is the accountability? Babich is a close friend of coach Lovie Smith and the only coach Smith brought with him from St. Louis in 2004. Babich has received two promotions, first adding the assistant head coach title to his job as linebackers coach, then to defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. He has received a bump in pay with each promotion and is believed to be the highest-paid assistant on Smith's staff.
The Bears have built their program on continuity in the starting lineup, losing only wide receiver Bernard Berrian during Smith's tenure in terms of starters they wanted to bring back. Pity they haven't been able to do the same with their coaching staff. Smith now will look for his fourth defensive line coach, presumably Rod Marinelli, and is looking for his fourth defensive backs coach.
Don't forget Rivera wanted to bring Leslie Frazier to Chicago, but the move was rejected by Smith. Frazier, another former Bears player, is now the defensive coordinator in Minnesota and will be interviewing for head-coaching jobs.
Here are a few other observations from wild-card weekend:
- You need two running backs to win. Everybody left in the playoffs has more than one player to turn to in the running game. Take the Cardinals, who failed to run the ball effectively all year. Edgerrin James, who had been talking about his final days in Arizona, got a surprise start against Atlanta and wound up outrushing Michael Turner 73-42. ''The Edge'' lost his starting job at midseason to rookie Tim Hightower and has a lot of miles on his legs, but he looked pretty fresh Saturday. Can he do it again at Carolina? It will be a huge key for the Cardinals, who always look outmatched away from home.
San Diego rolls with Sproles
- San Diego's Darren Sproles likely made himself some money in the Chargers' overtime victory against Indianapolis. A soon-to-be free agent, the 5-6 Sproles came in for LaDainian Tomlinson -- who was limited to five carries by a groin injury -- and finished with 328 all-purpose yards, including 105 rushing with two touchdowns. Tomlinson is a great player, but he has broken down at the end of the year in two straight seasons. The Chargers won without their two best players: Tomlinson and linebacker Shawn Merriman, who was lost to a knee injury early in the season.
- Two road teams won Sunday, and they had something in common -- great defense and a defensive touchdown. Asante Samuel scored on an interception return for Philadelphia, and Ed Reed did the same for Baltimore. ''Defense travels'' is the old adage of playoff football. That's why Eagles at Giants and Ravens at Steelers should be great games in next week's divisional round.
(c)Copyright 2009 Digital Chicago, Inc
Dolphins Splash into Playoffs
A number of teams - namely, the Eagles, Chargers, Ravens and Vikings - rose up and earned playoff-clinching wins on Sunday. Still others - the Raiders and Texans - denied teams a spot in the playoffs with spirited performances, and the Raiders did so in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium with a 31-24 upset of the Bucs.
But none of these teams rose from the ashes of a 1-15 season in 2007 to earn a division title and playoff berth in 2008. None plucked a quarterback off the scrap heap and rode his suspect right arm to the playoffs. None approached the 2008 season like an expansion team would, drafting an offensive lineman first overall and shopping in the free agent bargain bin.
The Miami Dolphins did all those things, and for that reason, they're our final team of the week for the 2008 season after a 24-17 win over the Jets in New York produced the most unlikely division championship in football this season.
There are a number of heroes in Miami's rags-to-riches saga, most of them recent arrivals in South Florida. Head of football operations Bill Parcells brought the winning aura and player personnel savvy that the franchise desperately needed. Head coach Tony Sparano brought the pride and passion that had eroded during years of futility. Quarterback Chad Pennington, a Jets castoff after eight seasons in New York, brought experience and a surprisingly lively arm that produced a passer rating of 97.4, second in the NFL. Over the team's 9-1 stretch run, Pennington tossed 13 TD passes and only four interceptions, including eight touchdowns and only one interception in the season's final four games.
"It's always a sweet feeling to be a champion," said Pennington, who produced his best season as a pro in 2008 and capped a season of vindication by beating the team that discarded him. "That's what we are: AFC East champions. It's a great feeling. This organization has been unbelievable. They accepted me from the get-go. This has been an unbelievable ride."
Against the Jets, Pennington was typically efficient and mistake-free, throwing for 200 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and making a final compelling case for MVP. Meanwhile, the Dolphin defense was harassing Pennington's high-profile replacement, Brett Favre, into three interceptions in what might have been his NFL swan song. A lumbering Phillip Merling returned one of those picks 25 yards for a touchdown.
Pennington was quick to downplay any element of payback in the win. "It's not a revenge factor," Pennington said. "This week, being the 17th week, it was strictly focused on winning the championship, knowing that we controlled our own destiny. It just so happened that it had to come through New York. That's the only way fate would have it."
So how did a team essentially comprised of rejects and castoffs coalesce into a division champion and post a 10-win improvement over 2007, tying the 1999 Colts for the best one-season turnaround in NFL history? An MVP-caliber season from Pennington is one obvious answer, but the real answer may lie in the team's intangibles.
"They love football," GM Jeff Ireland told ESPN about his players. "What we did when we came here was find the guys that love football. You really found that out about his team pretty early on. They want to be around football. They wanted to take ownership of something, and they absolutely did that. It's a great cast, and our coaches did a hell of a job of putting them in positions to be successful. That's why Coach Sparano is coach of the year, in my opinion."
This week, in one final bit of irony, the Dolphins will host the one team that they beat in 2007 - the Baltimore Ravens, another unlikely 2008 success story. "Around this time last year, we were going home with no return," said receiver Ted Ginn, who caught one of Pennington's TD passes on Sunday.
Even if they go home after this week, it's been the journey of a lifetime for the Dolphins.
Copyright (c)2001-2007 Athlon Sports, Inc
Detroit Lions' Biggest Game in 50 Years Is This Sunday
In the last 50 years, the Detroit Lions have never been to a Super Bowl.
They have won only one playoff game, making them 1-9 in the playoffs in the Super Bowl era.
They have not finished a season at .500 or better since 2000.
They are a game away from national recognition as the worst team in NFL history.
That makes December 28 at Lambeau Field the single most important football game for the Detroit Lions since their 1957 NFL Championship.
That's right, this is more important than the last game of the 2000 season, a 20-23 loss to the Chicago Bears delivered on the foot of Paul Edinger that could have put the Lions in the playoffs and possibly even eliminated the Matt Millen era before it began.
This is bigger than the NFC Championship game in 1991, a 10-41 rout at the hands of the Washington Redskins which would have put the Lions in their first-ever Super Bowl.
Did you know about either of those games before I mentioned them just now? If you did, you probably don't remember them as very prominent games in Lions history, and non-Lions fans, I assure you, don't remember them at all.
This game, however, will live forever throughout the annals of the NFL.
Win or lose, the Lions are going down in history on December 28.
It could, and in all likelihood will, be the kind of history none of those players, coaches or fans want to be involved with.
A historic 0-16 season.
Think about that for a minute.
Don't tell me the Lions deserve it for being the NFL's whipping boy for eight years. Don't say you want it to happen to spite Matt Millen or the team for squandering draft picks.
Really give it a minute to simmer.
The Lions have already wrapped up the top draft pick and made history by becoming the first 0-15 team in the NFL. There is no more discernible "benefit" to losing games.
While certainly there are some people on the team whose level of talent is worthy of a winless record, this is something that will stick with every one of these players and coaches for the rest of their lives.
This is not just another poor Lions season. We're talking about nationwide, worst-team-in-sports-history recognition.
This is the stuff HBO Sports does an hour-long special on. Try to imagine Calvin Johnson or Kevin Smith, maybe Ernie Sims or Leigh Bodden, talking to Bob Costas with visible disdain and distress, about how they played hard every game and would have given anything to just get one.
Anything to not be associated with 0-16.
Just one win.
It breaks your heart, doesn't it?
There is still time.
The Lions have not won at Lambeau Field since 1991, part of a 12-win season which is incidentally the same year as their only playoff win since 1957.
They also have not won a game this year. The smart money is on the Packers, for sure.
That is exactly why this game is so big.
Lose, and December 28 is a day that lives in infamy in Detroit. Jay Leno will make a crack about them Monday night, as will everybody else, and the laughing stock of the NFL will become the laughing stock of the sports world for years.
Win, however, and that all changes.
Win, and the Lions make themselves a different kind of story. They become the team that pulled it together. The team that beat the odds.
The team that wasn't any good, but put all their heart into one game, their final game, and won when nobody expected them to, in the place where they couldn't.
The team that made history by denying history.
The team that didn't go 0-16.
I cannot stress how monumental this is.
Just as the New England Patriots posted the most disastrous 18-1 season in NFL history last year, the Lions have an opportunity to post the most inspiring 1-15 season in NFL history.
It is not the Detroit Lions' offense, defense, special teams or coaching on display Sunday.
It is their heart.
Nobody on that team wants to go an entire football season without knowing what it feels like to win, but their skills are not there. The overall level of Lions' talent is not high enough to beat the Packers on the road. Only heart will do it.
So this is it. This is the game. For the 2008 Detroit Lions, the Super Bowl is in December against a sub-.500 team.
Don't believe me? Watch the body language of the Lions players on Sunday. This is all they have left. This is their last chance, and they know it.
Either the celebration with a win or the agony with a loss will reflect that of a playoff game, even if the teams in it are out of place.
This is the Lions' last game, and the result is either a complete season of futility or one shining, inspirational win against all odds.
Will they be the worst team ever?
Or the team that didn't go 0-16?
Copyright (c) 2008 Bleacher Report, Inc
The Super Bowl contenders
THE WATERCOOLER
Question: With two weeks remaining in the regular season, who are your NFC and AFC picks for the Super Bowl?
JIM THOMAS
NFC: Carolina - If the Panthers win Sunday's showdown with the New York Giants and earn home-field advantage in the playoffs, they will be tough to beat.
AFC: Indianapolis - The Colts will have to do it as a wild-card, but they keep quietly winning games and gaining momentum.
BILL COATS
NFC: Carolina - The Giants are fading in the NFC and the Panthers seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time.
AFC: Indianapolis - The Titans could be in big trouble in the AFC if DT Albert Haynesworth's knee injury is serious. And the Colts, like the Panthers, are just hitting their stride.
JEFF GORDON
NFC: Carolina - I would have gone with the New York Football Giants, but the Plaxico Incident apparently derailed that bid to repeat. They looked bad Sunday night. So I'll go with Carolina, trusting that a strong ground game and a solid "D" still counts for something.
AFC: Pittsburgh - The Steelers have won five in a row despite taking some injury hits in the ground game. Ben Roethlisberger keeps finding ways - although Sunday's game-winning "touchdown pass" looked pretty bogus on the replays. Haunting Kerry Collins flashbacks prevent me from remembering the Titans when picking favorites this year.
KATHLEEN NELSON
NFC: NY Giants - Despite a two-game losing streak, the Giants should beat Carolina on Sunday. The Panthers (3-3) aren't the greatest road team. As long as they don't face the Cowboys in the playoffs, the Giants should have an easier path to the Super Bowl than their AFC counterpart.
AFC: Pittsburgh - The Steelers have the momentum. Tennessee will have its hands full with the Steelers on Sunday. Indy's on a roll, too, and could cause problems for playoff opponents.
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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS
BERGLUND THE BEST OF ROOKIES: At least that's what Scott Cullen of TSN believes. Cullen ranks the top 50 rookies in the league and has the Blues' Patrik Berglund as No. 1. Here's what Cullen has to say about Berglund, who has nine goals, 10 assists and is plus-10 in 23 games played: "Skilled Swede has the size and skill to be a prototypical No.1 centre. (Centre, by the way, is Canadian for center.) There are four Blues players on the list. The next might surprise you, as B.J. Crombeen comes in at No. 19. Cullen says the Stars must be kicking themselves for letting Crombeen go on waivers. Check out the entire list. (And let me know what you think about No. 50 on that list.)
CADDIE SMACK: Tiger Wood's caddie Steve Williams appears to not only be carrying the bag, but carrying a grudge, too, against the world's third-ranked golfer Phil Mickelson. According to the Guardian newspaper of Britain, during an event over the weekend in New Zealand, Williams said, "I wouldn't call Mickelson a great player, 'cause I hate the [expletive]." In another paper the next day, Williams said, "I don't particularly like (Mickelson). He pays me no respect at all and hence I don't pay him any respect. It's no secret we don't get along either."
Mickelson didn't take the bait and said simply that he's glad to have a "class act" like Jim MacKay on his bag. As for Tiger, he was at home rehabbing and enjoying life. It's good to be Tiger.
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THINGS TO PONDER
AFL SHUTS IT DOWN IN 2009: The Arena Football League is expected to officially announce today that the league is shutting down for the 2009 season but hopes to return in 2010 with a new business model. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the 16-team league voted to shut down because too many big-name owners or teams in big cities say they would not return. The big-names include NFL owners include Jerry Jones (owner of the Dallas Cowboys) and Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons.)
First, I didn't realize the AFL was still in existence. Second, I was shocked to learn that the AFL has been around for 22 years. Third, I wonder if the Rams would give any thought to joining that league if it reopens in 2010.
DOPEY QUOTE OF THE DAY: According to the Associated Press, shortstop Adam Everett and the Detroit Tigers finalized a one-year contract today worth about $1 million. "We've talked about improving our defense, and we think Adam obviously does that," Tigers president Dave Dombrowski told the A.P. Alright, I have no problem with that. Everett's always been known to have a solid glove. But check out the rest of Dombrowski's statement ... "He also can help us offensively - he can get the big hit."
It's here where I must point out that Everett batted just .213 with two home runs and 20 RBIs in 48 games for the Minnesota Twins last season. And Everett, who will be 32 in February, has a recent three-year average of just .233 at the plate, with 31 RBIs and 3 homers. Exactly how is it that Everett is going to help the Tigers offensively? Sometimes I think baseball front office types just think that fans are stupid. You can check out Everett's career stats for yourself and tell me if you think I'm wrong.
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STAT OF THE DAY
762 - Career home runs hit by 44-year-old Barry Bonds, who told the L.A. media this weekend, "I'm not retiring. I'm not retiring." Perhaps league owners have already made that decision for Bonds, since no one came calling for his services this past season. Now if he could only produce the kind of offense of someone like, say, Adam Everett, perhaps he could find a place in the game.
stltoday.com
In typical fashion, defense saves day
PITTSBURGH - Plummeting temperatures, swirling winds and a frozen Heinz Field tundra are ingredients for a tasty helping of Pittsburgh Steelers football.
So to, late Sunday afternoon, were sacks, forced fumbles and drives that could have been.
Mix this together, and fans were groaning at, and then treated to, a 20-13 Steelers victory over Dallas that was in doubt until Deshea Townsend returned an interception 25 yards for the final score.
"What a beautiful game," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "And I mean that. I just told the team that. People get too preoccupied with style points, but that was a beautiful football game, because we displayed mettle.
"We hung together. Far from perfect, yes, but that's our football team. Those guys fought."
It looked as if the Steelers were fighting a losing battle. Trailing 13-3 midway through the fourth quarter, they rallied with a field goal and a pair of touchdowns.
The points came after the Cowboys defense stuffed the Steelers on third and fourth downs from the 1-yard line early in the quarter.
The winning points came with 1:40 remaining.
"I jumped into that route, but [Dallas quarterback Tony] Romo overthrew it a little bit and that helped me out," Townsend said. "There are certain areas you have to take away, and ... you can't get beat inside when you're in the slot like I was. We were in three-deep [zone], and it's easier to read the play."
After the way things have gone for him this season, with injuries and losing his starting job, inside linebacker Larry Foote believed there wasn't a better guy to make that play than Townsend.
"Our DBs have been playing on a high level all year," Foote said. "The schedule don't mean anything, because every year it's a new year. And every team is different. It doesn't matter who you play. [But] we're getting ready for next week already."
The Steelers defense harassed Romo and end LaMarr Woodley forced him to hurry the pass that Townsend picked off.
The defense had three sacks, three interceptions and three quarterback hits to go with a forced fumble and recovery. Inside linebacker James Farrior led the way with 12 tackles, including six solo stops.
"We've got 11 guys who play together, and we've got a core group of guys who have been here for several years and know this defense very well," Farrior said. "So, we're able to teach the younger guys what to do. We're hungry and real aggressive, and we just play every snap that way."
Farrior wouldn't say anything negative about the offense, even though the Steelers unit struggled more often than not against the Cowboys and really hasn't played all that well. They only ran for 70 yards with tailback Willie Parker netting 25 on 12 carries.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 17 of 33 passes for 204 yards and a short touchdown to tight end Heath Miller to tie the game with 2:04 remaining.
But, he was sacked five times, some because he didn't get rid of the ball when he had a chance. On the plus side, he did not throw an interception.
So, the defense had to carry the Steelers.
"How else would you want it? It doesn't get any better than this for us," Foote said. "We could have beaten them 50-0, but I'll take a win like this any day. ... There are three games left, and we're in the driver's seat.
"There's pressure on both us and Baltimore, and we knew coming in that they were going to be neck-and-neck with us. And we want to beat them to get a bye week in the playoffs."
(c) 2008 PennLive LLC. All Rights Reserved
Smith, Williams help Panthers top Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Wide receiver Steve Smith made one of the most dramatic catches of his career to help rescue the Carolina Panthers from defeat and propel them to a 35-31 win over Green Bay at Lambeau Field.
With Carolina trailing by 3 points and less than two minutes remaining, Jake Delhomme hurled a long pass toward Smith, who was double-covered. Smith jumped high to snatch the ball for a 54-yard completion to the Packers' 1-yard line.
With a mixture of snow and rain falling and winds gusting up to 27 mph, DeAngelo Williams scored from the 1 on the next play to give Carolina the lead and, ultimately, the victory.
The TD was Williams' fourth of the game, setting a new team single-game record. The previous high of three TDs had been accomplished nine times. All of Williams' touchdowns were on 1-yard runs.
It was a crucial win for the Panthers, who stayed even with Tampa Bay in the NFC South Division race heading into their Dec. 8 Monday Night Football showdown at Bank of America Stadium.
The Buccaneers used a late field goal to hold off New Orleans 23-20.
Carolina and Tampa Bay are tied for first place in the division with 9-3 record, but the Buccaneers hold a tiebreak edge by virtue of its win over the Panthers earlier this season in Tampa.
Sunday's game at Lambeau Field was one of the best of the NFL season.
The Panthers led 21-10 at halftime, but Green Bay scored 18 unanswered points to take a 28-21 lead.
Carolina tied the score and then Green Bay went ahead 31-28 on a 19-yard field goal by Mason Crosby with 1:57 remaining.
The Panthers twice stopped Green Bay from running plays from the 1 to force the field goal.
After Williams' touchdown put the Panthers ahead, Green Bay got the ball back with 90 seconds remaining, but linebacker Jon Beason intecepted Aaron Rodgers.
The loss dropped Green Bay to 5-7 and severely hurt their playoff hopes.
(c) Copyright 2008, The News & Observer Publishing Company
Lelie back in Denver, helps Raiders to 31-10 upset
DENVER--Ashley Lelie and the Oakland Raiders both got their revenge on the Denver Broncos.
The deep-threat receiver who forced a trade out of Denver in 2006 after a bitter holdout returned to Invesco Field on Sunday and helped lead the Raiders to a stunning 31-10 win over the Broncos by catching a touchdown pass and setting up another with a spectacular 51-yard reception.
Rookie Darren McFadden ran for two 1-yard touchdowns and the Raiders (3-8) snapped a four-game losing streak and rectified their 41-14 thrashing at the hands of the Broncos (6-5) in the opener.
In that game, the Broncos repeatedly picked on since-released cornerback DeAngelo Hall, and they went after his replacement, Chris Johnson, with very little success Sunday.
Lelie's long catch set up McFadden's first score, which broke a 10-10 tie in the third quarter and snapped a 15-quarter drought for Oakland's offense.
The Raiders hadn't scored a touchdown on offense since Oct. 26 against Baltimore.
McFadden's second 1-yard TD followed linebacker Thomas Howard's interception of Jay Cutler's pass at midfield and put the Raiders ahead 31-10.
In between, Lelie caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from JaMarcus Russell, then held his right hand to his ear to take in all the boos from the fans who once adored him.
The Raiders, who had lost seven of eight, also got a punt return for a touchdown from Johnnie Lee Higgins for the second straight week.
After Brett Kern outkicked his coverage with a 60-yard boomer just before halftime, Higgins skittered 89 yards down the Broncos sideline, picking up blocks along the way, including one near the goal line by helmetless teammate Jon Alston, who ran the last 45 yards with his helmet in his left hand.
That gave Oakland a 10-3 halftime lead.
Lelie caught 54 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns during his best NFL season with Denver in 2004, but he hasn't come close to replicating those numbers since then with the Broncos, the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco Giants or Raiders.
Coming into Sunday's game at Denver, Lelie was the Raiders' ninth-leading receiver with seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown this season.
Against his former team, he caught four passes for 92 yards.
The Broncos stumbled and fumbled their way through the first half but appeared to right themselves when they took the second-half kickoff and covered 85 yards in 13 plays for the tying score.
On fourth-and-1 from the 6, Peyton Hillis, the Broncos' new 250-pound tailback took the pitch from Cutler and followed left tackle Ryan Clady's block of Howard into the end zone.
But Russell and Lelie hooked up for 51 yards on the first play of the next drive and it was all downhill for Denver from there.
Matt Prater missed field goals of 47 and 43 yards for Denver in the first half. He was good from 44.
Denver's opening drive came to a halt when Raiders defensive tackle Terdell Sands broke up a hand off between Cutler and Hillis at the Oakland 7, and safety Gibril Wilson recovered.
Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 26-yarder for Oakland.
The stadium was mostly empty by the closing minutes, when the biggest cheers came when security personnel tackled three fans who ran onto the field. Two of them high-stepped it off the field, their hands handcuffed behind their backs.
Copyright (c) 2008 - San Jose Mercury News
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