Amy Trask has resigned as CEO of the Oakland Raiders.

It is another Sunday! It is also Mother’s Day. So a happy mother’s day to all those moms out there.

In Oakland, one of the big stories Saturday was the announcement of Amy Trask, CEO of the Raiders, resigning.

Additionally, the Silver Lining has posted a full recap of all the Raiders draft picks.

Jack Del Rio is apparently still catching flack for the Broncos playoff game against Baltimore in January. But Del Rio is focusing on the future, according to the Denver Post. Probably for the best, right?

Sad news out of Pittsburgh as former Steelers defensive player and hall of famer Jack Butler passed away at the age of 85. Butler played nine seasons in the NFL and was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year.

Another former pro football player passed away this week as former New York Jets wide receiver George Sauer died Tuesday at the age of 69.

If you’re looking for an interesting read, the Herald Bulletin of Anderson, Ind. has a story on Jerome Kelley and his time working at the Indianapolis Colts rookie camp.

Speaking of rookie camp, the man known as “Kickalicious,” Havard Rugland, is taking part in camp with the Detroit Lions.

In Chicago, Bears Head Coach Marc Tressman is using a helmet cam for quarterbacks. Who knows, maybe we can see some of that footage someday…

Another rookie camp story takes place in Carolina as Eric Breitenstein took part at rookie camp this week, according to the State.

I don’t know if you’re a rugby fan, but if you are, well the NFL looks to be doing some partnerships with a professional rugby league in an effort to create a league in the United States, according to the Guardian.

Finally, if you’re looking for a shopping item for this edition, well you can purchase some NFL Rush Zone books for 99 cents. Ya know, if you’re interested in that thing.

Enjoy the day!

Look at that ball go (via YouTube)

We’re getting closer and closer to one of the key offseason moments for the NFL, which is of course the NFL Draft. We’re about 10 days away, to be exact. I guess people like that sort of thing.

It’s been a relatively quiet weekend for the NFL, especially when you keep in mind all the crazy shenanigans going on in baseball and golf.

One of the big stories this weekend though is the Seattle Seahawks signing Antoine Winfield. Winfield chose the Seahawks over the Vikings.

Over at Halftime Voodoo, the Aerys New Orleans Saints site, they have the latest on all the free agency news and notes for the team.

For an update on the Flacco/Unitas news we had last Sunday, The Purple Nest offers their latest reaction to the story.

Once again, there is still talk about the whole Tony Romo with the Cowboys contract…thingy…This time though, Brett Favre had a couple of comments about Romo’s situation in Dallas. I won’t spoil the story, but I will say this…THANK YOU, FAVRE! (I don’t know what to do with myself anymore)

With the Draft less than two weeks away, there will be no shortage of features on potential players. The always excellent Judy Battista of the New York Times has a profile on Princeton draft prospect Mike Catapano.

Meanwhile, signs are slowly starting to point towards the Eagles having interest in West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, this according to NJ.com. Philadelphia has the fourth overall pick.

Elsewhere, it looks like Detroit will try to fill the void left by Jason Hanson with….a Norweigan YouTube kicking sensation or something enthusiast. Havard Rugland signed a contract with the Lions. You can see the video here (screencap posted above). I’ll try not to let my Norweigan bias affect how I write stories next season.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the story on a former UW-Milwaukee basketball player and his attempt to transition to the gridiron. Demetrius Harris, the leading rebounder for UW-Milwaukee, is being evaluated for the tight end position, according to the Journal Sentinel.

In Virginia, the Boys and Girls Club of Central Virginia held a fundraising effort Saturday. The most notable people featured at the event were FOX NFL studio analysts Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long.

In the Pacific Time Zone, more specifically California, legislators are considering digital billboards for Los Angeles, which would include ads for beer and gambling, according to the Los Angeles Times. The digital billboards would be allowed near stadiums and arenas, including the future football stadium site.

Finally, our shopping item of the day comes from Amazon. For less than $7, you can purchase this Dallas Cowboys…Stop sign…Yes, a stop sign.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Well, as you’re probably aware, the 2012 NFL regular season is over. The playoffs start this weekend and we’ll be crowning a Super Bowl champion in a month. Twelve teams will be playing for the right to hoist the Lombardi trophy. The rest of the league won’t be doing much for the playoffs, therefore that makes them losers. There’s a lot of losers to choose from, but I can only go with five.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14 record)- Kansas City could easily be in first, but the Jags had a rough patch to close out the season. There’s a lot of questions about where Jacksonville will go for the quarterback position. Maybe they go with Chad Henne, maybe they bring in that Jets quarterback people like talking about so much, who knows! Mike Mularkey will likely stay on as head coach, but general manager Gene Smith was fired Monday. Improving will definitely be a tough task for Jacksonville as they have to deal with a strong Houston team, as well as an improved Colts team. If that’s not enough, even the Titans are getting their act together.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (2-14 record)- Head Coach Romeo Crennel was fired Monday, but it looks like Scott Pioli is safe…at least right now. Maybe the Chiefs bring in Andy Reid, maybe they bring in Kirk Ferentz (or not.) But hey, the Chiefs will get the #1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft. Maybe they can put that pick to good use.

3. Detroit Lions (4-12 record)- The Lions went from being 4-4 in early November to…well 4-12. Everything fell apart for the Lions. Despite the bad season, both Coach Jim Schwartz and General Manager Martin Mayhew will be back for the 2013 season. Of course, one sports editorial from a daily Michigan newspaper in Midland is calling for Schwartz to be ousted. I’d like to think this is Schwartz’s response.

4. Arizona Cardinals (5-11 record)- The Cardinals win the fourth spot because they scored fewer points in the season than the Oakland Raiders. Arizona did clean house Monday when they fired GM Rod Graves and Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt. Arizona is in the Andy Reid sweepstakes, so maybe they can get him. Maybe Reid and Kevin Kolb can reunite and hang out together and stuff.

5. New York Jets (6-10 record)- Gee…I wonder why…Need more be said?

That’s it for this season of the Loser Rankings. Maybe you enjoyed it, maybe not.

After two straight weeks of just going with one loser for the week, we’re back to the list of five.

It is interesting though. Two weeks ago, I picked the Eagles and they won their next game. The same can be said about Arizona, who I picked last week and beat the crap out a team.

Here are the rankings though.

1. Detroit Lions (4-10 record) – A case could be made for either Jacksonville and Kansas City, but the fact is, Detroit hasn’t won since before Election Day. Fact: The Lions are that team that lost to the Cardinals. Another fact: The Lions are one of two teams that hasn’t won a game in the division. If they lose to the Bears next week, they’ll go 0-6 in the division.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10 record) – The Jags win out because they’ve lost three straight. Jacksonville is coming off a tough loss to Miami and it won’t get better this week when they play a New England team that will probably be seeking to destroy things following the loss to San Francisco.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (2-10 record) – It has been a rough couple of weeks in Kansas City. This past Sunday, they were shutout by the Oakland Raiders. Also, the Raiders didn’t score a touchdown. The Chiefs are the other team that has not won a division game this season. Kansas City gets an Indianapolis team looking to get into the playoffs.

4. San Diego Chargers (5-9 record) – The Chargers … Norv Turner …. Need I say more?

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8 record) – You wouldn’t think a 6-8 team would be on the list, but they get on there when they lose four straight. The Bucs get the Rams and the Falcons the last two weeks of the season. There is a possibility that this team finishes 6-10.

Follow Romo on Twitter, @Oh_No_Romo

Andrew Luck led the Indianapolis Colts to a 35-33 victory over the Detroit Lions with some last minutes heroics.

Donnie Avery (11) ran in the game winning TD pass from Andrew Luck (12) as time expired. (Screen Cap)

Luck moved up in the middle and connected with a wide-open Donnie Avery on a 14-yard touchdown as time expired.

Despite three interceptions, Luck was stellar again as he was 24 of 54 passing for 391 yards and four touchdown passes. Avery had two TDs, including the game winner. Luck also connected with Coby Fleener and LaVon Brazill. Vick Ballard also ran in an 11-yard TD for the Colts.

The Colts, 8-4, are in AFC Wild Card contention with the victory. They look to continue their winning ways next Sunday as they take on the Tennessee Titans in Indy.

The Houston Texans got their game to overtime and once again, won. The Texans won their first ever Thanksgiving Day game over the Detroit Lions 34-31.

Shayne Graham makes a 32-yard field goal. (Screen Cap)

Texans Kicker Shayne Graham knocked down a 32-yard field goal to win the game with 2:21 left in OT.

The Texans were also the beneficiaries of a controversial action by Detroit Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz. According to NFL.com:

Schwartz threw a challenge flag when Houston’s Justin Forsett scored on an 81-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Replays showed Forsett was down near midfield, but Schwartz negated the automatic review by challenging the play and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Something tells me a call like this won’t happen again!

Matthew Schaub was 29 of 48 passing for 315 yards and a touchdown. The TD pass was caught by Owen Daniels. Daniels had four receptions for 20 yards. Arian Foster carried the ball 20 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Forsett had the one controversial TD run, and also had five carries for 87 yards.

Shayne Graham made a 45 yard field goal during the third quarter.

The win moved the Texans to 10-1. Next up will be the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Dec. 2.

Follow Miranda on Twitter, @missmiranda. 

It’s a new week and a new set of rankings. I won’t waste your time too much, so here we go.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5 record)- The Jaguars remain the worst scoring team in the NFL as we approach the halfway point of the season. The Jags lost to the Raiders Sunday thanks to a late field goal. Jacksonville lost more than a game Sunday, they also lost star running back Maurice Jones-Drew for a couple of weeks due to a Lis Franc injury in his foot. MJD injured his foot in Sunday’s loss. If that’s not enough, the Jags might also be without Blaine Gabbert, who was injured in the Raiders game. The Jags head North to Green Bay this week.

2. Cleveland Browns (1-6 record)- It is tough putting this team on this list because they’re much better than their record suggests. Brandon Weeden keeps getting better and better. They lost a close one to the Colts on Sunday. They’ve had a few close ones this year. They easily could be 3-4, instead of 1-6. Unfortunately they’re not 3-4, therefore they have to be on the list. Browns play the Chargers Sunday.

3. Carolina Panthers (1-5 record)- This was a team that was also in a close game Sunday, but ended up losing. Cam and company lost to the Cowboys 19-14. The Panthers play Chicago and Washington on the road in consecutive weeks. Carolina could be 1-7 if they’re not careful.

4. Detroit Lions (2-4 record)- What is going on in Detroit? They’re 2-4 and they’re coming off a rough 13-7 loss to Chicago on Monday night. When they win, it is by awesome methods. When they lose, well it looks bad. Detroit has lost four of five. If they lose to Seattle, they might have a problem or two. With as close as the top 3 are already, Detroit could fall out of the picture if they’re not careful.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4 record)- More or less, the Bucs are a victim of close divisions. They’re third in the division thanks to the loss to the Saints Sunday. Tampa is also a team that has lost four of five games though. They play early this week against Minnesota. Another loss this week could keep the Bucs on the list.

Thanks!

Follow Romo on Twitter, @Oh_No_Romo

(Photos via Wikipedia)

The football world lost another legend Wednesday morning when former Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras passed away at age 77 in his home in Los Angeles.

Karras played 12 seasons in the NFL for the Detroit Lions. With the Lions, Karras was a four-time Pro Bowler and was named an All-Pro by various media outlets during his career.

Karras was suspended for the 1963 season, following a gambling investigation by the NFL. Packers great Paul Hornung was suspended along with Karras.

Away from football, Karras had a memorable career. He played himself in the movie adaptation of George Plimpton’s book “Paper Lion.”

Many more will remember his role as Mongo in the Mel Brooks comedy western “Blazing Saddles.”

Karras also starred in the TV-sitcom Webster, along with Emmanuel Lewis and his real-life wife Susan Clark. Karras didn’t leave football entirely as he worked in commentary for Monday Night Football.

Reportedly, Karras had been suffering from kidney failure for the past couple of days. In April, it was announced Karras was joining other former players in a lawsuit against the NFL. The lawsuit was over head injuries. Also during that time, Karras’ wife said he was suffering from dementia.

Despite his many accolades in football, Karras does not have a bust in Canton. He is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. Karras played his collegiate career at the University of Iowa.

Whether you saw him line up against offensive linemen during the ’60s, or saw him knock out a horse with one punch, or even if you’re still trying to say George Papadopoulos five times fast, Karras has left his mark on history.

Welcome to the first edition of the Loser Rankings. For those unfamiliar with the rankings, it is quite simple to learn. It is like the power rankings, but instead of the best teams, I focus on the worst teams in the league. Each week, I choose five teams.

Those teams with the fewest wins will obviously get top priority. If your team is winless, chances are, they will make it on this list. But I’ll also factor in net points, blowouts, losing streaks, maybe even a team with a bad string of luck as of late. Speaking of bad luck…

1. New Orleans Saints (0-4 record)

It hasn’t been a fun start to the New Orleans Saints season. They had a tough loss this past weekend in Green Bay.

To be honest, I could have started this last week and put the Saints at No. 1 just because of their meltdown loss at home to Kansas City.

To be fair, the offense has been good and by offense I mean Drew Brees, who leads the league in passing.

The defense has been terrible though. They’re giving up 32.5 points per game, fourth highest in the league.

They will need to get it together this week. They play San Diego in front of a national television audience. The last thing the Saints want is to enter the bye week with a 0-5 record. » Continue reading “The Loser Rankings: First Aerys Edition”

Everything in the first two weeks of the NFL season that made the San Francisco 49ers look like the best team in the league, failed them in Sunday’s stunning domination in Minnesota.

Christian Ponder dives for yardage during the Minnesota Vikings 24-13 victory over the San Francisco 49ers (Vikings.com)

The 24-13 loss to Christian Ponder and the Vikings exposed a San Francisco team that none of us had seen to this point in 2012.

• A run defense allowing a meager 63.7 yards through the first two victories at Green Bay and over Detroit — Both pass-dominant offenses — gave up 146 yards to Adrian Peterson (25 carries, 86 yards) and the Vikings.
• Quarterback Alex Smith, who masterfully directed a fourth-quarter drive to put away the Week 2 win over the Lions, had none of that second-half magic against the Vikings, missing on both of his third-down attempts, throwing his first interception in a franchise record 249 games, and falling victim to a Jared Allen sack-fumble to clinch the game.
• A defense that had withstood the offensive attack of the Packers and Lions, couldn’t contain Ponder and the Vikings as Minnesota compiled 344 yards, converted 7 of 14 third downs, turned a fourth-and-goal gamble into the game’s first touchdown and owned time of possession in every quarter.

That fourth-and-goal gamble was as much an exclamation point on a statement drive that set the tone for the game.

Minnesota took the opening kickoff and Ponder marched them 82 yards in 16 plays for the score, eating up 7:40 of the clock and putting the Niners’ defense on notice that this would be a long day. In the drive, the Vikings faced only three third downs. Peterson converted the first on a 3-yard run on third-and-1 from the Niners 21, Ponder connected with Rudolph for 11 yards on third-and-10 from the SF 18, and then Peterson was stopped for no gain on third-and-goal from the 1. Rather than kick the field goal, Vikings coach Leslie Frazier made the call and Ponder found Rudolph in the end zone. » Continue reading “49ers Exposed In Loss To Vikings”