Week 9 -Returning home to host the Oakland Raiders (1-6) with bragging rights on the line in what's likely to be the last installment of the Battle of the Bay before the silver and black pack their bags and relocate to Las Vegas in 2020, Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers (1-7) liked their chances of pulling out the rare win and ending their six-game losing-skid on Thursday night. But a game-time decision at the quarterback position would force coach Shanahan to start his third-string quarterback who had never stepped onto an NFL field outside of the preseason. With C.J. Beathard nursing an injured wrist, waiting in the wings would be Nick Mullens who would get the starting nod to make his NFL debut about an hour before kickoff. With little known about Mullens and very few giving him a chance coming into the game, the undrafted QB in his second-year out of Southern Mississippi would be the talk of the town by games end.
Following an opening-drive field goal by the Raiders, Mullens would answer back with a perfect drive on San Francisco's first possession by going 3-for-3 thru the air and capping things off with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon who had returned to action after missing last week's game with a knee injury. In his second year with the team, the touchdown reception would be Garcon's first in a Niners uniform after being dangled on the trading block before the NFL trade deadline just two days earlier. But things wouldn't end there for Mullens who's spectacular night would just be getting started as he orchestrated yet another impressive drive on San Francisco's second possession. Facing third & goal from the 4-yard line, Mullens remained calm before throwing a strike to Kendrick Bourne in the end zone. The 49ers nearly struck for a third touchdown just before the half, but a drop by rookie receiver Richie James Jr. who hauled in a 53-yard reception just three-plays earlier, forced them to settle for a field goal. By halftime, Mullens had already hit eight different receivers in the passing game and the Niners had jumped out to a 17-3 lead.
Having made a bad habit out of blowing second half leads in games this season against the Chargers, Packers and Cardinals, Mullens and company would refuse to take their foot off the gas pedal in this one as they showed no mercy on each of their first two possessions of the third quarter. George Kittle who's been one of if not the best tight-end in the league this year, flexed his muscles yet again by hauling in four catches for 108-yards on Thursday, none bigger than the one-handed grab he snagged and took 71-yards before being brought down. Mullens would reward him for his efforts just two-plays later with an easy touchdown. The Niners' scoring barrage would get its biggest touchdown of the night one-drive later as running back Raheem Mostert used a down-field block from 2018 first-round pick Mike McGlinchey to his advantage for a 52-yard touchdown, putting a dagger in the heart of a Raiders run defense that ranks last in the league and was coming off a BYE. Mostert would lead all rushers with 86-yards on just 7 carries, but would unfortunately suffer a gruesome arm injury that would end his season. All the Raiders would have to show for in the second half was a missed field goal attempt that would clink off the right upright as the Niners stormed away with a 34-3 victory.
With the win, San Francisco snaps its six-game losing-streak and improves to 2-7 on the year. Meanwhile, the team across the bay who in their first season (again) under head coach Jon Gruden, falls to 1-7 on the season, their third worst start in franchise history thru their first 8 games. Raiders quarterback David Carr who was sacked a total of seven times on Thursday, was held to only 171-yards passing on 16-of-21 attempts. As for Nick Mullens, the Southern Mississippi kid who wears his No. 4 jersey in honor of fellow Southern Miss. alum Brett Favre and who's school records he broke for both career passing yards and career passing touchdowns, the new kid on the block threw for 262-yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-22 pass attempts. Mullens would one-up his idol once more by logging a 151.9 passer rating in his first career start compared to the 144.6 rating put up in Favre's debut. Mullens' passer rating would be the highest in an NFL debut since 1990 with a minimum of 20 pass attempts and would earn him a phone call from the man himself as Favre called and congratulated Mullens following the game for his performance and first career victory.
Week 10 Preview -Playing host to the lowly New York Giants (1-7) on Monday Night Football before heading into their Week 11 BYE, the 49ers could very well be riding a two-game winning-streak when we see them again in Week 12. The lone team the Niners were able to beat a season ago with somebody not named Garoppolo under center, San Francisco will likely make it back-to-back victories against the G-Men. However, the Giants will be coming off a BYE and are likely to unleash rookie sensation Saquon Barkley who will have fresh legs and will look to make the Niners' win-streak a short-lived one. And again we might not know until kickoff who coach Shanahan elects to go with at the QB position as he refused to commit to Mullens even after he became the first Niners QB to throw for 250+ yards with at least 3 TD's and no interceptions since Colin Kaepernick did it in Week 6 of 2014. Not to mention Beathard's only career victory came against these Giants a year ago. While I'd like to think Mullens earned the right to start for a second consecutive game, I expect the Niners to pull off their second straight win regardless of who's at the helm come Monday.
Week 8 -With the San Francisco 49ers hitting the road to visit the division rival Arizona Cardinals in the desert, the contest between the two 1-6 teams would be as winnable a game the Niners would see away from home this season. But having lost eleven straight games in the month of October and riding a seven-game losing-streak to the Redbirds, nothing would be easy, nor guaranteed for Kyle Shanahan's group. Looking to avenge a Week 5 loss at home in which the 49ers obliterated the Cardinals in almost every major statistical category and yet still suffered defeat, San Francisco would need to play a much cleaner game as the turnover department was the lone outlier in that contest, 5-0 in favor of Arizona.
Not only would the 49ers manage their first turnover-free game of the season, but they would also force a pair of turnovers to go along with a safety. By halftime, the 49ers took a 5-3 lead into the locker room in what resembled more of a baseball score, highlighted by a pair of field goals and a safety cashed in by the San Francisco defense. Collecting only their second interception of the season, Niners defensive back Jaquiski Tartt jumped in front of a pass intended for Arizona's Christian Kirk to come up with the rare pick that put his team in field goal range. After throwing for a career-high 349 yards in the earlier meeting between these two teams, quarterback C.J. Beathard had a more modest performance thru the air in the rematch, throwing for only 190 yards on Sunday. Receiver Marquise Goodwin would provide the only fireworks for the San Francisco offense as he caught a pass and turned on the afterburners to blow by Patrick Peterson for a 55-yard touchdown. Following another Robbie Gould field goal, the 49ers took a 15-3 lead into the fourth quarter and appeared to be on their way to a second win of the season. But rookie quarterback Josh Rosen and long-time Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald would have other plans.
Having been a thorn in the side of the 49ers since being drafted in 2004, Fitzgerald has had plenty of memorable games throughout his illustrious career which will ultimately send him to Canton, Ohio one day. Sunday was another one of those games as the Cardinals lifer who tallied 102 yards on 8 receptions, caught a pass for the 219th straight game to inch his team closer in the early part of the fourth quarter as he hauled in a 13-yard score that landed him seventh on the NFL's all-time touchdowns list. Now trailing 15-10, the work of Rosen & Fitzgerald would be far from over, but would hit a bit of a speed-bump on their next possession as Cardinals tight-end Jermaine Gresham fumbled the ball after crossing midfield. The turnover would give the 49ers a golden opportunity to potentially score and put the game out of reach for good, but instead had virtually no effect as San Francisco suffered a costly sack that would put the ball back in Rosen's hands with just over two minutes remaining. After watching Aaron Rodgers work his magic just two weeks earlier to help Green Bay pull off the comeback victory that would hand the Niners a crushing loss, Rosen would pull a similar stunt.
Streaking past a defender in the back of the end zone, Rosen found a wide-open Christian Kirk for the go-ahead touchdown. Electing to go for the two-point conversion to make it a 3-point lead, Rosen and Fitzgerald would hookup once more to make it an 18-15 Arizona advantage with only 39 seconds remaining in regulation. With the tables suddenly turned and what was once a 12-point lead now squandered, Beathard and company would need to pull off some late-game heroics of their own to avoid another heartbreaking loss. After making it across midfield with one timeout and seven seconds remaining, the Niners were in need of a quick pass and a gain of 8-yards or so to give their kicker a shot at tying it. Unfortunately, things would end before Gould would be given that opportunity as an errant snap sailed over the head of Beathard, icing the game and handing San Francisco their 12th straight loss in the month of October, their eighth consecutive loss against Arizona and their sixth straight loss overall. Rosen who's only two career victories have come against San Francisco, became the first rookie QB to overcome a 12+ point deficit in the fourth quarter by throwing multiple TD passes since Andrew Luck in 2012. He would finish the game with 252 yards to go along with his pair of touchdowns and one interception.
Neither team's rushing attack would prove to be much of a factor on Sunday as Cardinals running back David Johnson rushed for a game-high 59 yards on 16 carries and remains without a single 100-yard rushing performance this season, failing to rush for more than 71 yards in a game all year. San Francisco's Matt Breida also logged 16 carries but only managed 42 yards on the ground in what was a game-time decision for the 49er running back. Kendrick Bourne would lead all 49ers receivers with 7 receptions for 71 yards. While Richard Sherman would collect his first quarterback sack since 2012 in what was a three sack performance by San Francisco's defense, the 49ers offensive-line allowed four sacks on Sunday which now ties them with the Cleveland Browns for allowing the most sacks this season with 31.
Week 9 Preview - The 49ers (1-7) will have to put their latest loss behind them quickly as they get set to host their Bay Area rival on Thursday Night Football when the 1-6 Raiders make the short trip from Oakland to Levi's Stadium. Coming off a 42-28 loss at home to the Colts in which the Raiders also blew a late lead by allowing 21 unanswered-points in the fourth quarter, the two struggling franchises will square off in what will likely be the last Battle of the Bay before the Raiders relocate to Las Vegas after next season. Playing without their first-string running back in Marshawn Lynch who is dealing with a groin injury that could keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season, what better way to bid their cross-bay rival a final farewell than to hand them their fourth straight loss of the season and seventh overall. With San Francisco having the third easiest strength of schedule the rest of the season, their best chance at stringing a winning streak together will be these next two weeks before heading into the Week 11 BYE. Whether those games will be played with C.J. Beathard under center for the 49ers or Nick Mullens is anyone's guess at this point as Shanahan might be considering a change at the QB position.
Although the San Francisco 49ers haven't played a single down since their season-finale win over the division rival Rams on New Year's Eve, the Niners have added yet another tally in the win column and are now 6-0 since the start of the Jimmy Garoppolo era after a different kind of victory in Indianapolis on Friday. With the 2018 regular season expected to feature the final installment of the Battle of the Bay between the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders, unless of course the two were to miraculously meet in the Super Bowl before the Black Hole packs its bags and departs to its new home in Las Vegas come 2020, the two teams met at the NFL Combine for a tiebreaking coin toss that would determine the draft order for the two Bay Area franchises who fell short of the playoffs and finished tied in 2017 with an overall record of 6-10.
Streamed live as fans of the two teams anxiously awaited for the outcome of the coin flip which was done by Rod Woodson who played for both franchises during his Hall of Fame career, the tandem of Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie and newly named head coach Jon Gruden were on hand to represent the silver and black, while Niners GM John Lynch who once upon a time played for coach Gruden's Super Bowl-winning Buccaneers team in 2003, rode solo to represent for his squad. The Niners who have needs at several positions, won the toss and will select 9th overall, one spot ahead of the Raiders at pick No. 10. Most Mock Draft's heading into April's Draft have had the winning team of the coin toss taking either Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds or Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, and the losing team taking whichever player is still available out of the two at No. 10. Unless of course either player is selected earlier or if either team was to trade down or out of their original spot.
Oddly enough, it would mark the second time a coin toss involving these two franchises would take place to determine draft order, as the 49ers once again reigned victorious against the Raiders for the 6th overall pick back in 2006 which the 49ers would use to select Maryland tight-end Vernon Davis. And while San Francisco has a 2-0 advantage over Oakland in all-time draft order coin tosses, it's the Raiders who currently own a 7-6 advantage over their Bay Area counterparts in regular season match-ups. That's something John Lynch and company hope to change by evening the score when the two teams meet as the NFC West squares off against the AFC West this season. But back to the Draft which will commence on April 26, San Francisco will look to fill whatever holes they're unable to address on the free-agent market as the 49ers front-office is expected to be very active and aggressive in luring top free-agent talent with close to $70 Million available in cap space, even after signing QB Jimmy Garoppolo to a new deal.
Though the 49ers would love to have either one of the following three fall players to them at No. 9 -- Penn State RB Saquon Barkley, N.C. State DE Bradley Chubb and Notre Dame OG Quenton Nelson, the likelihood of any of those three names still being on the board come San Francisco's pick, is unlikely, assuming they don't trade down. Each player would fill a void in a different area as bringing in Barkley would address the uncertainty of free-agent Carlos Hyde, Chubb would give the Niners the edge-rusher they've so desperately needed since Aldon Smith was cut, and Nelson would help keep their investment in Jimmy G on his feet. Then again the two guys they're projected to take at No. 9 also solve needs as Edmunds eases the burden at linebacker in case the situation regarding Reuben Foster gets worse, stemming form his two arrests last month, and Ward would supply the Niner defense with a shutdown corner they've been in search of for years. But after Lynch won over fans and took Draft night by storm a season ago by trading out of the second overall pick to move one spot back with the Chicago Bears, still getting the guy they wanted all along in Solomon Thomas and then trading back into the first round to select Reuben Foster, I know better than to assume anything with this front-office and John Lynch at the helm.
Hoping one day it'll be an important piece of 49ers history as the team still seeks its sixth Super Bowl title and first since the 1994 season, the coin which was used for the toss will be added to the 49ers Museum at Levi's Stadium.
The entertainment capital of the world just got a whole lot more entertaining. If you haven't heard by now, the Oakland Raiders are the latest NFL franchise to get the green light to relocate after 31 of 32 team owners approved the move. And when they leave Oakland for their new home which most likely won't be until the 2020 season when the construction of their new $1.7 Billion dollar domed stadium is expected to be complete, they'll be playing where no NFL team has ever played before -- Las Vegas. It's been a long time coming for Vegas to be taken seriously by the NFL even if the possibility of the Raiders coming to town has only been in the news for a few blinks of the eye after Raiders owner Mark Davis was given the shaft by Commissioner Roger Goodell when he tried moving the team to Los Angeles a little over a year ago. After those hopes went up in flames in favor of the Rams relocating to L.A. instead, Davis had his sights set on the glitz and glamour of Sin City. All the NFL needed to make the lofty dreams of relocating the Raiders (or any other franchise for that matter) to Las Vegas a reality was an organization to take the risk which in this case proved to be the NHL. And now just nine months after Sin City was approved for its NHL team -- the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas will be awarded its second professional sports franchise.
It's hard to believe that after being deprived of a single professional sports team for so long, Vegas will now have two at the drop of a hat. But with the issue of gambling no longer a blockade and now archaic as its ever been at least in regards to a pro sports franchise, Vegas is no longer looked upon as being that forbidden destination for an NFL team. Or in Disney terms, Vegas is no longer that dark place on the map like in the Lion King that Mufasa tabs as off limits for Simba to step foot on although he would later do so anyways. Players living in Vegas and playing for the Raiders will now have to follow strict guidelines that prohibits them from sports betting. And though this is nothing new, now calling the world capital of gambling home could be a bit more enticing seeing as their new facility will be next door to a casino. Similar to how those playing for teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, two places that in recent years legalized the use of marijuana, have to avoid using the drug.
Relocation is something Raiders fans know all too well after then team owner Al Davis moved the team from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1982 only to head back to Oakland some 13 years later. But at least then the Raiders were some 370 miles away from their birthplace and still in the state of California. Now they're taking on an entirely new image by moving out of state, albeit only a state away. Still, it's worth seeing if the fan base which is among the most loyal fan bases in all of football is willing to follow them on their latest and perhaps their most disappointing business endeavor, especially considering few teams in all of sports mean more to their community than what the Raiders mean to the city of Oakland. With a deal already in place to move the Golden State Warriors who are currently next door neighbors to the Raiders at Oracle Arena across the bay to San Francisco, Oakland sports fans will soon be left with only the MLB's Oakland Athletics. But with the A's still playing ball within the crumbling walls of the Oakland Coliseum which is said to have had pluming issues for years now and is the only remaining MLB team that still shares a home with an NFL team, who's to say the Athletics won't be next to pack up their bags and leave? Or perhaps the city of Oakland can take note of the A's being their last hope and somehow work a deal to at least keep one of their beloved franchises in the East Bay.
What's also unfortunate for Oakland Raiders fans is the timing of the relocation. For the first time in over a decade, the Raiders are relevant again and are coming off a rejuvenating 12-4 season in 2016 and making the playoffs for the first time since 2002. With a promising crop of talent led by QB Derek Carr, WR Amari Cooper and reigning Defensive MVP Khalil Mack under the tutelage of head coach Jack Del Rio, the Raiders are finally on the right path of competing for a Super Bowl. Sadly, if and when that title comes, it'll most likely be while calling Vegas home and not Oakland. Then again had Carr not suffered a season ending leg injury in the second to last week of the season, they could've been a real threat to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC. In what will be the NFL's third relocation in the last 14 months, the Raiders will now leave the 6th biggest media market in the country for the 40th, joining the Rams' decision to flee St. Louis for L.A. last season and the Chargers' decision to leave San Diego for L.A.in January. This many moves in such little time is never a good thing for a league but after living in Vegas for three quarters of my life, I have a hard time seeing an NFL team NOT succeeding here. In my personal experience I've learned that Vegas is a city that thrives on whats new and whats in, so if you're a Vegas local and weren't a football fan already, chances are it won't be long before you see the light.
Battle of the Bay - After being humiliated in their own home on Thanksgiving in a loss at the hands of bitter rival Seattle, the 7-5 49ers took a trip across the bay to face the 1-11 Oakland Raiders who were coming off of a 52-0 shellacking versus the St. Louis Rams. Entering the game, San Francisco was set to square off with a dismal Raiders team which owns the worst record in the league and has been the laughing stock of the NFL for the greater part of the last decade. With every game being a must-win for the 49ers who entered Sunday's game trailing several teams in the Wild Card race, Jim Harbaugh's club could ill-afford another loss, let alone one to the worst team in the league. But even Oakland's struggles wouldn't be enough to help pull Colin Kaepernick and the declining 49er offense from out of the pits as the team hit rock bottom.
Kaepernick would be intercepted on the first play of the game to put his team in an early hole as Oakland capitalized with a 57-yard chip-shot field goal from kicker Sebastian Janikowski. The 49er offense would get it together two drives later as Kaepernick found fullback Bruce Miller for a go-ahead 8 yard touchdown, but it would be the lone bright spot on the day for the San Francisco offense. The lead wouldn't last for long, however, as Raiders rookie QB Derek Carr answered with his first of three touchdown passes on the afternoon. Then, for the first time in what seemed like practically the entire season, Kaepernick used his legs to put the team in scoring position as the 49ers tied the game on a Phil Dawson field goal just before the half. After forcing a three and out on Oakland's first possession of the second half, San Francisco had a chance to put up more than a field goal but the 49er offense would sputter in the red zone like they've done so often this year and was forced to settle for three.
Trailing 13-10, Derek Carr would orchestrate back to back touchdown scoring drives to pull Oakland ahead as the 49ers found themselves trailing by double-digits with just over 10 minutes to play. With their backs against the wall, San Francisco would dig themselves an even deeper hole as Phil Dawson missed wide-left on a 47-yard field goal attempt that would've brought the Niners within 8-points. Kaepernick would get one final chance to inch his team closer in hopes of pulling off the comeback but would be intercepted for the second time, sealing Oakland's second victory of season, 24-13, and putting San Francisco on the brink of playoff elimination for the first time under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
While the 49ers struggled through the air, totaling only 174 yards from Kaepernick, they had success when rushing the ball. The only problem being they didn't run the ball enough for whatever reason. On just 12 carries, Niners running back Frank Gore tallied 63 yards compared to the 76 yards Oakland's Latavius Murray rushed for on 23 carries. But the story of the game would be the quarterback position as Derek Carr had arguably his best performance as a pro, outplaying his counterpart Colin Kaepernick by throwing for 254 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero turnovers compared to Kaepernick's 174 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Carr was also only sacked once for 9 yards opposed to the five times Kaepernick went down for a loss of 23 yards. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 7-6 on the year. Sadly, the standings wasn't the only area the team took a loss in as San Francisco's already depleted o-line took another hit as rookie center Marcus Martin left Sunday's game with a knee injury. His status on whether or not he'll be back when the 49ers hit the field in Week 15 is not yet known.
Week 15 Preview: Though the 49ers still have slim chance of making the playoffs this season, they'll have to win out if they plan to keep coach Harbaugh's streak of consecutive trips to the title game alive. A task that'll be none too easily to accomplish given San Francisco's remaining schedule. And their Week 15 visit in Seattle will be their toughest task yet as the 49ers take the field on the road against the Seahawks (9-4) for the first time since losing the NFC Championship game last January. A 49er win would not only do wonders for San Francisco's dwindling playoff hopes, but it would also put a dent in Seattle's bid to win the NFC Western Division as they still trail the Arizona Cardinals by a game. But in order to do that, they'd have to put up more of a fight than the pathetic 19-3 showing that took place just a couple weeks ago on Thanksgiving.
Coming into Week 5, the 49ers were still on standby for their first win of the season. And with a game against their bay area rivals -- the Oakland Raiders, both bragging rights and San Francisco's Playoff hopes were on the line. While the 49ers were coming off of a 3-point loss at home to the Vick-less Philadelphia Eagles, the Raiders were fresh off their first defeat of the division rival San Diego Chargers in over seven years. But a different Oakland team would show up on the road, not far from home.
Out of the gates, the Raiders showed an early sense of aggressiveness and trickery by utilizing a flea-flicker on the very first play from scrimmage and a reverse only a drive later. All of this would come while outplaying the 49ers on offense, 14-minutes to 3. Fortunately for the San Francisco defense, they were able to hold the Raider offense to a minimum of two field-goals. As the rain began to fall, so did the players as the game turned into a sloppy penalty-filled affair. OLB Manny Lawson then intercepted a pass from Raiders QB Jason Campbell, as Alex Smith began to do his normal race against the clock. After leading the offense all the way down the field before running out of time, the 49ers would have to settle for a field-goal as the first half concluded with a score of 6-3, Oakland. After half-time, the 49er offense would begin to show some signs of life. Although it wasn't pretty having compiled over 143 yards worth of penalties, Smith managed to connect for two touchdown passes in the second half, despite letting a lot of opportunities slip past him. Michael Crabtree would be the recipient of the first grab, by hauling in a go-ahead 32-yard TD reception before the end of the 3rd quarter. Then came Smith's favorite target Vernon Davis who sealed the deal on a late 4th quarter touchdown set up by running-back Frank Gore who finished the game with 149 rushing yards. While the 49ers put to rest any thought of going win-less all year long, they also put to rest any hope of Raider fans eying their first back-to-back wins since 2008, by keeping Jason Campbell under 100 yards passing.
Week 7 Preview - One of the biggest factors in the 49ers finally getting a win is the fact that Alex Smith had his first turnover-free game of the season. If Alex Smith and the 49er offense can avoid any confrontation with error for a second straight week in Carolina next Sunday, they should be in line for consecutive wins that will make 49ers owner Jed York's comments of, "We will win the division" look a little more believable.
Goodbye Russell, Hello Campbell - Continuing a busy NFL offseason that has consisted of blockbuster trades, surprising draft choices, interesting controversies, head shrugging suspensions, mind boggling scandals (see Big Ben's Big Mistake) and the constant Brett Favre talks and never ending updates that have become a daily thing by now, comes another batch of goodies. From Big Ben returning to camp and being allowed to resume in team activities, to the Oakland Raiders releasing their 2007 number 1 overall pick -- JaMarcus Russell. Less than two weeks before Russell's release, the Raiders acquired QB Jason Campbell from the Washington Redskins in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. This of coarse coming weeks after Washington welcomed former Eagles QB Donovan McNabb. Alongside Ryan Leaf, Russell will go down as one of the biggest busts in NFL history.
Cincy takes a Gamble - Also making headway, is the Cincinnati Bengals who signed CB Adam 'Pac-Man' Jones to a 2-year contract. Like Russell, a lot was expected from Jones when being drafted in 2005 by the Tennessee Titans as the first defensive player in the Draft and sixth player overall in the first round. But after countless incidents and suspensions, Jones' presence on the field is yet to be seen. In fact, Jones has made a bigger impact in the wrestling ring than he has on the football field. In 2007, Jones saw a brief stint on TNA Wrestling and was even a Tag Team Champion at one time before retiring from the sport. The Bengals however, are no strangers for signing players who are linked to controversy and known for having issues both on and off the field, as the team saw a total of nine separate player arrests in nine months back in 2007.
Damaged Goods - Making some of the bigger news thus far in the offseason, was the trade between the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins (see Welcome to Miami). While the Dolphins dealt two draft picks to get the highly talented WR Brandon Marshall, they were unaware of the news they would receive soon after. Just weeks before the start of NFL OTA's, the Dolphins were looking forward to seeing their new star wide-out. Instead, they got word that Marshall would be out until training camp while recovering from hip surgery. Surgery the team knew nothing about when they made a trade for him just a month earlier. And it didn't help that Marshall himself didn't mention anything about undergoing surgery either. The real question is, did Denver know they were trading away damaged goods? Let's hope the Dolphins held onto their receipt...
One Night Stand - What's worse than waking up with herpes the next morning after a one night stand you ask? Well nothing really, but this is pretty close. Prior to Superbowl XLIV last Sunday, former NFL defensive tackle Warren Sapp was arrested and charged with domestic battery for allegedly chocking a women in his hotel. After a night of partying at the hotel, the victim asked Sapp for his room key when she grew tired. According to her, Sapp woke her up and the two began to argue. The argument then escalated to Sapp grabbing the woman by her neck and tossing her onto a couch, with a swollen knee and bruised back to show for.
As usual, Sapp's side of the story told a different tale. Sapp told investigators he asked the victim to leave hours earlier and she refused. He also went on to say that the woman had fallen off a couch when he tried helping her up, which led to her injuries. Sapp, who played 12 years in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from (1995-2003) and most recently with the Oakland Raiders (2004-07) was currently working as an analyst on NFL Network and was scheduled to help provide coverage for the big game on Sunday. But following the arrest, an NFL spokesman said the Florida native would not appear.
As dominant of a player Sapp was during his playing career, his extreme behavior has often gotten the better half of him and has resulted in trouble from time to time. & His size advantage doesn't seem to help his cause whether or not all allegations of this recent incident are true. However, the intimidating Sapp hasn't always been known for his bad guy image. In fact, he's also been known for having some fun, being a guest/participant on both Dancing with the Stars and Nick Cannon's Wild 'N Out. But with the recent incident in the news, it'll be interesting to see whether or not it'll cost him his job as an NFL analyst. Sapp played a vital role in the Buccaneers defense and helped contribute to their first Superbowl tittle in Bucs franchise history in 2002. The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1999), is a 7-time Pro-Bowler.
After last weeks upset loss the Oakland Raiders gave the Philadelphia Eagles at McAfee Stadium, Raiders Defensive end Richard Seymour made a bold statement by saying the Raiders are making the playoffs this season. As soon as I heard those words come out of Seymour's mouth I was expecting the Raiders to duplicate last week's performance and give the New York Jets a run for their money. Instead New York snapped a 3-game losing skid and handed the Raiders their 5th loss of the season, by a score of 38-0. How bad was it? Aside from the lopsided score, Mark Sanchez had enough time to sit on the sideline and eat a hot dog.
If the game's going that bad & there's enough time for the opposing quarterback to kick back and eat a hot dog instead of watch the game, then you know there's something wrong. Sanchez later apologized and said he "wasn't feeling well." I'm sure the veteran Seymour didn't approve of it. & If Seymour plans on living up to his word, his team will have to step it up with a tough remaining schedule. Week 8 @ San Diego, Week 9 BYE, Week 10 vs. Kansas City, Week 11 vs. Cincinnati, Week 12 @ Dallas, Week 13 @ Pittsburgh, Week 14 vs. Washington, Week 15 @ Denver, Week 16 @ Cleveland, & Week 17 vs. Baltimore.
Did it happen or not? That's the question being asked in Oakland, after reports were made about Raiders head coach Tom Cable supposedly punching and breaking the jaw of defensive assistant Randy Hanson. The incident that no one seems to know much about caused injuries that ended up being treated at a hospital a few days ago. What's said to have been a heated argument, turned violent as punches were thrown. However Cable denies any such acts went down, but the marks on Hanson's face tell otherwise. It's all being investigated, so we'll just have to wait to see what happens. The whole thing to me sounds a bit confusing, but now I'm beginning to think the problems on the field aren't the only problems this team has.
Most Raider fans are known for being grimy and thug-like, but their coaches too? The team has been a mess for the past few seasons, so let's just see if things continue to go downhill from here on. Will an incident like this one help amp up Al Davis and the Raider Nation, or will it backfire in the end? Looks like we'll have to wait and find out how it all unfolds come game time. The Battle of the Bay begins this Saturday, in what has become a traditional preseason rivalry match-up between the Oakland Raiders and their cross town rivals--the San Francisco 49ers. Although it's only preseason, this is usually a fun one to watch, as both teams will face each other for bragging rights. Let's Go Niners!
