Chicago Bears to Retire Mike Ditka’s Number

The Chicago Bears are finally retiring Mike Ditka’s number during halftime during the Monday Night Football game December 9 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Mike Ditka has a storied career with the Bears as a player and a coach. He is the only player and coach for the same team to win a Superbowl as both.

You can read the full story here.

Washington Redskin’s Garcon to Miss OTAs

The Washington Redskin’s Pierre Garcon missed having foot surgery last season but ended up having surgery for a torn labrum. He will miss the entire offseason program but is expected to be back for training camp.

You can read more here.

Rams QB Bradford to Raise Money for OKC Tornado Victims

St. Louis Rams QB and Oklahoma City native Sam Bradford announce he will help raise money for tornado victims through #STL4OKC. Bradford made a visit to Moore, OK shortly after this disaster struck and shared his thoughts on the devastation with “NFL Total Access”:

“Just watching it happen live and knowing what it was doing and the devastation it was causing and to actually see the aftermath pictures and just the complete destruction of Moore. It was just really hard to see something like that when it hits so close to home.”

A site was set up at Busch Stadium Thursday night to collect donations from fans who attended the soccer match. Bradford will help deliver anything collected to Oklahoma on Saturday.

You can read more here.

It’s Monday! Ye….Yuck!

Here are some news and notes from around the NFL for you to peruse and snicker at while you enjoy that pastry and lovely cup of coffee!

First off, Jim Irsay was a tweeting fool on Saturday and Sunday. See …

You can check out the whole Tweet log here … The Colts owner was a wee bit pumped! And by a wee bit, I mean a whole lot!

The seemingly braggish tweets led many to wonder who exactly Jim and the Colts were targeting. One thing is for sure, it’s probably not Victor Cruz. I, for one, am certainly looking forward to finding out what the big catch is for Indy. Do you have any thoughts on who it could be? Comment below!

In other NFL news:

* Our favorite Twitter troll, Mike Florio from ProFootballTalk.com had some jaw-dropping news to tell the Dallas Morning News sports blog about Tony Romo. The blogger was asked why Romo’s contract hasn’t been extended this off-season. “Because he royally sucked and, again, couldn’t get the Cowboys to the playoffs” wasn’t the answer … the correct answer mind you … given.

Per Troll-io: “Next year, if he becomes a franchise quarterback if they use the franchise tag, they will have to tender him a 1-year deal in the amount of $21.6 million. If you’re the agent for Tony Romo, you say ok we’ll do a long-term deal, but we have to use these numbers. $16.8 million this year, $20.16 million next year and then the following year it goes up another 20 percent to $24 or 25 million. You’re looking at at least $60 million over three years if they want to lock Tony Romo up.”

… $60 million over three years for Romo? My goodness. I’m speechless.

Seriously. Is Romo really worth that much money? Be honest!

* St. Louis media outlets reported late Sunday evening free agent Offensive Lineman Jake Long signed a four-year deal with the Rams for $36 million. Here’s a tweet from 101 ESPN in St. Louis. Here’s a post on NFL.com from Albert Breer regarding the signing. For more on the Rams signing Long, please check out The Pigskin Arch!

* Several rules changes could be made this week at the NFL Annual Meeting in Arizona this week. One such proposed change would make it illegal for a runner to lead with the crown of his helmet when outside of the tackle box. The rule comes under the safety umbrella of trying to keep all players from initiating contact with the helmet — a practice already outlawed for defenders.

Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte? Not happy about it. Nope. Not at all.

For Funsies!

The awesome folks at NFL Memes did this…

Enjoy your Monday!

Have anything to suggest for the Blitz? Drop us a comment or Tweet me @missmiranda!

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn’t get past their own mistakes, falling to the St. Louis Rams 28-13 this Sunday.

Maybe there is something in the water? For the second game in a row, the Bucs committed five turnovers. That’s another four interceptions on QB Josh Freeman for the second straight game. Freeman was 30 of 54 for 372 yards and a touchdown. The Bucs even out-gained the Rams 429 yards to 285, but couldn’t overcome the turnovers. Despite his eight turnovers in two games, Freeman had only been picked off three times in the previous eight games. Freeman has now thrown for 3,843 yards this season, a Bucs single-season record.

The Bucs rushing/receiving trio also had a pretty good day, despite the loss. Mike Williams had seven catches for 132 yards, including a 61-yard reception for a touchdown. Wide receiver Vincent Jackson had seven receptions for 108 yards. Rookie running back Doug Martin had eighteen receptions for 62 yards.

Doug Martin

This was the Bucs fifth straight loss. Tampa Bay (6-9) faces the Atlanta Falcons in their final game of the season next week.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Casey Hayward

The Offensive Rookie of the Year predictions were much easier to break down when Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are both rookie quarterbacks this year.  However, I’m having a much harder time deciding between who is worthy of Defensive Rookie of the Year.  All of my below candidates have been outstanding this season and are worthy of mention.  Here is my breakdown of “Who should win”, “Who will win”, and “Honorable mention”.

Who should win:

Bobby Wagner – MLB – Seattle Seahawks
Wagner has quickly become a leader of one of the more surprising dominant defenses in the NFL this season.  Wagner has 109 tackles (67 solo), two sacks, four passes defensed, and three interceptions for a total of 55 yards (18.3 average).  His longest returned interception was for 45 yards.  Wagner has been a big part of why the Seahawks have been a surprise this season aside from teammate Russell Wilson, which is why I believe he deserves the award.

Who will win:

Casey Hayward – CB – Green Bay Packers
Similar to the Luck and RGIII race, both Wagner and Hawayrd are incredibly talented and both deserve the award, but Hayward has been flashier that could turn the heads of voters.  Hayward has 45 tackles, 18 passes defensed, one forced fumble, and five interceptions which he’s returned for a total of 57 yards (11.4 average).  The Packers did a great job of finding this guy after the first round.  He’s been a great asset to a defense that has struggled for the most part this season.

Honorable mentions:

Chandler Jones – DE – New England Patriots
The Patriotes front seven has gone from dismal last year, to super quality this year.  Jones is the difference.  He has the athletic nature not far off from players like J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans and Jason Pierre-Paul of the New York Giants.  Jones has 36 tackles, six sacks, three passes defensed, and three forced fumbles.   It’s players like him, Watt, and Pierre-Paul that are changing the way defensive ends play football.  All are a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.  Jones doesn’t stand out against the two rookies above, but next year could be a monster year for him.  It seems to be the trend as Watt and Pierre-Paul also exploded onto the NFL scene in both of their second years.

Janoris Jenkins – CB – St. Louis Rams
Jenkins fell late in the draft due to questions of character, but the Rams have done a great job with him and have really utilized his athleticism and talent.  He’s shown flashes of dominance, but has made too many mistakes along the way which could keep him from winning the award.  Jenkins has 58 tackles (49 solo), 13 passes defensed, and three interceptions for 109 yards (36.3 average).  His longest return was for 39 yards.

Check back tomorrow for my Comeback Player of the Year predictions

You can follow Kelsey O’Donnell on Twitter @KelsODonnell

It looks like the longest playoff drought in the NFL will continue on at least one more season. With the Buffalo Bills 15-12 loss to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, they are but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

The recap, in picture form:

How the Bills started the game

How the Bills ended the game

Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was strong until he threw an interception in his final drive, going 23 of 27 for 225 yards and a touchdown. Fitzpatrick could have used a little more help from his scraggly offensive line, as he was sacked five times. Running duo Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller were less stellar, carrying for 14 and 37 yards receptively. Jackson also had his career-worst fourth fumble.

The Bills run defense was a little more successful, allowing less than 90 rushing yards for their fourth straight game. Buffalo’s pass defense was also pretty successful in the first half, with a few sacks and a forced fumble on Rams QB Sam Bradford.  Unfortunately, the Bills defense couldn’t stop Bradford’s 13-yard touchdown with 48 seconds left in the game, which gave the win to St. Louis.

The 5-8 Bills square-off against the Seahawks next Sunday.

Joe Tufaro is our resident referee in training. Today he is answering an array of questions about games from Week 10. If you have a question about a call you see in a game or any past games, please comment below or Tweet Miranda, @missmiranda. Enjoy! 

There seemed to be some confusion, even with some of the players, in the San Fran and STL game regarding overtime rules. Explain overtime and why the game ended in a tie rather than going into a second OT or a sudden death situation.

The fact that players don’t know the rules of the game they play for a living is really amazing to me.

It begins at the high school level, unfortunately.  We asked a coach once of he had a rule book in his office, or if he used it to teach his kids. He said he thought he had one once, but wasn’t sure.

Great answer coach!

The NFL instituted the rule a few years back, and then modified it this year.  If the first score of overtime is not a TD, then the other team will have a chance to possess the ball.

During the pre-overtime meeting the referee states that this is a sudden death playoff, with the above exception, that will last up to 15 minutes.  I guess he could say if no one scores by then the game would be declared a tie.  I guess when you tell your kids to look both ways before crossing the street, you could add if a car is coming don’t walk in front of it.   » Continue reading “The Official’s Mailbag: OT Rules And More”

Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan

We’ve just about at the mid-point of the 2012 NFL season. With Week 8 kicking off tonight, it’s time to break down the quarterbacks in the league and see where they rank power-wise.

1. Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons
As a rule of thumb, until you’ve been beaten, you’re the best. Ryan and the Falcons are 6-0 (the only undefeated team left), coming off a bye-week, and are preparing for the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. in the first six weeks he’s completed 160 passes in 236 attempts for 1,756 yards with a 67.8 completion percentage. He’s thrown 14 touchdowns and ran in a touchdown himself. Ryan is connecting well with Julio Jones and is utilizing his tight end Tony Gonzalez better than ever. Ryan, though, has already been sacked 13 times for a loss of 107 yards and has thrown six interceptions. A little better movement in the pocket, and no one is going to stop this guy. The Falcons are going to eventually lose a game, but it won’t come this week.

2. Eli Manning – New York Giants
Sometimes he has great games and sometimes he has not so great games. However, at the end of the day, Manning finds a way to win. Manning is one of those quarterbacks that will continue to prove that games are never over until the clock reads 00:00 and will set the team up for either a field goal or a touchdown to tie or take the lead. So far this season he is 169-for-265 for 2,109 yards with a 63.8 completion percentage. He’s also been sacked only five times for 40 yards. Manning has a way of staying calm in the pocket and finding his receivers for big yards. He’s coming off a fourth quarter comeback against the Washington Redskins where he threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz with under two minutes left in the game. There’s no stopping him when there are less than two minutes remaining.

3. Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers
It’s been a season of ups and downs for the Packers, but they are 4-3 and the last two weeks for Rodgers have been powerful ones. He handed the Houston Texans their first loss of the season when he threw six touchdowns on the night. His offensive line does have to get better though as he’s already been sacked 26 times for a loss of 142 yards. He’s been sacked five times in the last two weeks, but still managed to throw nine touchdowns for 680 yards. He is coming off an MVP season and if Packers can protect Rodgers better, he will be one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the league. Sorry, Rob Parker, but Rodgers is not the best quarterback in the league this year. » Continue reading “2012 Mid-Season Quarterback Power Rankings”

They hype machine promoted Thursday night’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks as a showcase for the resurgent NFC West Division.

Ray McDonald lost his helmet on this play and can only watch as the rest of the 49ers defense stops Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch. (sfgate.com)

The Niners, Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals entered Week 7 play at 4-2 with the St. Louis Rams just a tick back at 3-3. Combined, they are 12-6 against the rest of the NFL.

This is a division resurrected through exceptional defenses, outstanding running games and measured quarterback play.

What San Francisco’s 13-6 victory over the Seattle proved to us was just how much the superiority of these defenses can render the offenses comically powerless.

While the 49ers were piling up big statistics against the dregs of the AFC, they have been fully exposed in losses to the NFC’s Vikings, Giants and now Seahawks for just how subpar their offense can be.

If not for Frank Gore’s 182 yards rushing and receiving, the 49ers would be left with simply Alex Smith. His 14-of-23 passing performance for a measly 140 yards (89 yards without Gore), is magnified by a miserable red-zone interception thrown directly at Seattle cornerback Brandon Browner standing just inside the goal line.

A 49ers offense that was in full gear in rolling for 621 yards two weeks ago against Buffalo, managed just 18 first downs and 313 yards. Perennial Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis, limited to a quiet three-catch game in Sunday’s thumping by the Giants, had zero catches and zero targets against the Seahawks. That’s ZERO as in NONE, NADA, NULL. » Continue reading “Defense rules as 49ers beat Seahawks”

The Miami Dolphins didn’t look as good as they did last week, but they still managed to hold on and win 17-14 against the St. Louis Rams.

Sam Bradford faces Miami’s defense

Dolphins rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill had no turnovers and scored two touchdowns, one on a 29-yard pass to Marlon Moore, the other from a 1-yard pass to Anthony Fasano. Even though his offense was out-gained 492 yards to 192 and was plagued by penalties, Tannehill completed 21 of 29 for 185 yards and the win.

The Dolphins defense suffered setbacks in over-ruled plays, losing two possible turnover calls. Despite their problems with the block, they held Sam Bradford’s offense to just one touchdown and were aided by three missed field goals from the Rams.

The 3-3 Dolphins have a bye next week.

Posterior dislocation of the clavicular head…quite close to the blood vessels and the trachea (www.radiographics.rsna.org)

Most NFL fans know that St. Louis Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola left last Thursday night’s game against the Arizona Cardinals (which the Rams won, handing the Cardinals their first loss) with a right clavicular (collarbone) injury. After being evaluated in the locker room, he returned to the sideline in street clothes, right arm in a sling, to support his team for the remainder of the game.  We know that the left arm was working fine, as evidenced by his frustrated helmet toss on the way in to be treated.

In a surprising twist, Jay Glazer reported during Fox’s pregame show that Amendola’s injury was potentially life-threatening.  On his twitter timeline, Glazer commended that Rams medical staff for correcting the problem immediately.

So what really happened to the wide receiver? » Continue reading “House Calls: Could Danny Amendola Really Have Died?”