Are the 4-2 Oakland Raiders ready to give the reigns of their offense to a guy who hasn't practiced or taken a snap since the 2010 NFL season?
During their 24-17 route of the Cleveland Browns last Sunday in Oakland, Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell who's been decent at times but came out guns blazing to help lead his team to a stellar 4-2 record this season was carted off the field after sustaining an injury in the first half. With backup QB Kyle Boller filling in to finish the game, it would later be learned that Campbell had suffered a broken collarbone which would require surgery, thus putting him on the shelf for what looks to be the remainder of the season.
Hoping to stay afloat in the AFC West and keep within striking distance of the 4-1 San Diego Chargers, the Raiders decided to hit the free agent market in search of someone with leadership skills to fill the void of the ailing Campbell. After contacting an uninterested David Garrard who also plans to undergo surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, the Raiders were forced to consider a trade. With just hours to spare before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, the Raiders front office got in touch with the Cincinnati Bengals who were letting the contract and career of former Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer rot on the sidelines following a trade demand that went sour.
The Raiders got their man, but at an expensive price sending a first round draft pick (2012) and a second round draft pick that could turn into a first round pick if the Palmer-led Raiders win a Playoff game to Cincy. Though Oakland gets a much needed veteran QB to help bolster their offense, the Bengals are the ones who come out winners in this deal for the sole fact that they were willing to eat the contract of Palmer, but instead score not one, but two draft picks for virtually nothing. But that's not to take away from the Raiders either if Palmer can lead them to the promise land. Many have begun to question the decision of Oakland shipping two early draft picks for a former Pro-Bowl QB who's in his 30's and appears to have already peaked, but it should prevent the team from pushing the panic button just yet.Following a press-conference, reports first had Palmer taking snaps no earlier than next week, but after his first day of practice coach Hue Jackson appears to have a change of heart. Instead of going with the more knowledgeable Boller who's in his second year with the team and is familiar with the playbook, the Raider Nation will get to see their first glimpse of the newest member to don the black and silver as soon as Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs according to sources. With little to no chemistry with his receivers just yet, I think it's safe to say we can expect a bit of rust and cobwebs from Palmer considering it was only three days ago that he was sitting on the couch at his southern California home. However, one thing is certain this season and that's that the Raiders are all in this year. And with the recent passing of Raiders owner Al Davis, what better way to pay homage to the boss than to try and win him another Super Bowl in his remembrance.
With both the ALCS and the NLCS coming to a conclusion over the weekend, the table is now set for the 2011 World Series. This year's Fall Classic will feature two very potent offenses with the Texas Rangers representing the American League for a second consecutive season and the St. Louis Cardinals representing the National League for the first time since 2006.
While the Rangers have done most of their winning at home this postseason as they finished tied for the third best record in the league (96-66) before ousting the Tampa Bay Rays and the Detroit Tigers, their National League counterparts have taken an entirely different approach. The Cardinals (90-72) meanwhile have done the exact opposite, clinching both series' while on the road. Following up on their elimination of the highly favored Philadelphia Phillies, winners of a league-best 102 games during the regular season, the Red Birds continued their dominance by knocking off the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers who claimed the best home record in all of baseball. None of that mattered, however, to one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs.
Though getting to where they're at now was no easy task, the biggest storyline and obstacle regarding their trip to the World Series would be the overcoming of an 8 1/2 game deficit as late as August 3rd in the NL Wild Card race which was held by the Atlanta Braves. The Cardinals were able to rally and capitalize on Atlanta's late-season woes, clinching a playoff spot on the final day of the season, solidifying the Braves' debacle as the biggest collapse in National League history. A task much more difficult than the one Texas faced as they basically took first place in the division and ran away with it, leaving the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim along with the rest of the division in their rear-view mirror. Something the Rangers do deserve a lot of credit for, however, is making it back to the World Series after finishing last season with their heads down.For St. Louis who will be making their 17th World Series appearance in franchise history, the ball club will be trying to win its first Commissioner's Trophy since 2006 when they triumphed the Detroit Tigers. As for Texas, the Lone Star faithful will be seeing their team in the Fall Classic for only the second time ever with last season being their first in which they lost to the San Francisco Giants. The year 2011 could be a year of firsts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area if the Rangers can win it all after watching their NBA counterparts -- the Dallas Mavericks hoist their first Championship in franchise history earlier this year when they defeated the highly favored Miami Heat. Not only am I hoping they can pull it off considering the Cardinals have won 10 World Series titles compared to Texas' zero, but I think they will, doing so in what I'm predicting will be a six-game slugfest.
Someone else who thinks Texas will win it in less than seven games is Rangers owner and president Nolan Ryan who said, "I think we'll get it done in six." Not only will his comments give his ball club a bit of confidence, but it'll also give the opposing ball club a bit of bulletin board material.
Get your sunflower seeds ready for Game 1 which can be seen at 5:05 p.m. Wednesday only on FOX as Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals takes the mound and squares off against Texas' CJ Wilson.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Better known for pillaging boats and villages back when they ruled the sea, the tables were turned on the Buccaneers this past Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers pillaged Tampa Bay by a final score of 48-3.
After squeaking past their opponent in Week 5 by overcoming a 20 point deficit to defeat Mike Vick and the struggling Eagles, the 49ers were expected to be in another close game as they welcomed the NFC South division leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The final score at the end of the game, however, would prove otherwise as it became one of the most lopsided victories for the 49ers in recent memory. San Francisco displayed stellar game play on both sides of the ball as the 49er defense forced an early three and out on Tampa Bay's opening drive. Alex Smith would pick up right where he left off in Philly as he wasted little time getting San Francisco on the board, finding Delanie Walker 26 yards out for an early touchdown.
Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman would respond by marching his team down field for a field goal, but the rest of the game for the Buccs would be better off forgotten. After recovering a Frank Gore fumble in the redzone, Freeman would give the ball right back as cornerback Carlos Rogers intercepted the ball and took it to the house 31 yards out. The 49ers wouldn't look back from there as the lead only grew larger. Coming off his first big game this season, Frank Gore continued his dominance by logging his second consecutive 100 yard game, finishing the day with 125 yards to go along with a touchdown. Receiver Ted Ginn and backup running back Kendall Hunter would add another 89 yards rushing, giving them over 200 yards on the ground alone.
49ers QB Alex Smith wouldn't have his biggest game as a quarterback, finishing with only 170 yards passing, but he would have one of his more cleaner games yet as he threw for three touchdowns and zero interceptions opposed to Freeman's zero TD's and two picks. The 49ers pulled so far ahead that coach Harbaugh decided to pull his starting quarterback midway through the fourth quarter to let rookie QB Colin Kaepernick take a few snaps. There would be some bad news, however, as a late injury sustained to wide-out Josh Morgan caused him to be carted off the field in the fourth quarter. An MRI would later confirm that Morgan who's been Smith's most dependable receiver so far this season would be out for the rest of the year with a broken ankle.
The rest of San Francisco's scoring would come from third-string RB Anthony Dixon who punched in a 1-yard touchdown and tight-end Vernon Davis who caught a pair of touchdown receptions. Kicker David Akers would tack on six more points by splitting the uprights twice to help San Francisco get to 4-1, their best start in nine years. The 45-point margin of victory was also the franchises largest since 1987 when they steamrolled the then Los Angeles Rams, 48-0.
Week 6 Preview: In Week 6 the 49ers hit the road to face one of the two lasting unbeaten teams -- the 5-0 Detroit Lions. Coming off a Monday night win against the division-rival Chicago Bears, the Lions have shown very much like the 49ers that they can get the job done both on offense led by Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson as well as on defense led by last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year Ndamukong Suh.
Prediction: 49ers win a close one by a score of 20-17.
With the NBA currently in a lockout much like the NFL was for four and a half months before finally striking a deal in late July, some players have already begun seeking work elsewhere. While free-agent Delonte West who last played for the Boston Celtics is trying his luck like many other Americans by applying at his local Home Depot, other players have already signed to play ball overseas in countries like Turkey, Italy and Greece among others. LeBron James, however, is considering an alternative route.
The Akron native has had a lot of free time on his hands this offseason which has allowed him to make use of his extended vacation. Instead of hitting the court with his Miami teammates in preparation of the upcoming season, King James has hit the Twitter feed in search of a new hobby. And though he's joked about it in the past, the rumors of the two-time league MVP trading in his sneakers for a pair of cleats are once again surfacing with the recent developments that are threatening the possibility of a 2011-2012 NBA season taking place. NBA Commissioner David Stern made what was first thought to be a fantasy among sports enthusiasts become a little more realistic this past week when he announced to the public that the first two weeks of the NBA's regular season have been cancelled due to the continued bumping of heads between the league office and the Player's Association.
Having been named first-team all-state as a wide receiver during his sophomore year in high school, James is no stranger to the game of football. And if anything could help him restore his image in the city that has despised him since ditching the state he grew up in for the sandy beaches of Florida, it's playing for the Cleveland Browns. Then again putting on a helmet and pads and taking hits on the grid iron would also be a good way to put an early end to his Hall of Fame campaign in basketball. For that very reason I would call it a long shot. Besides, I highly doubt LeBron who's arguably the most criticized player to ever step foot on the hardwood would like to add yet another thing to his resume that people can scrutinize him on.
The talk of LeBron playing football again was brought up on Tuesday when he tweeted ESPN's NFL insider John Clayton, asking him when the deadline for an NFL team to sign a free agent was. Following Clayton's response, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll jumped in the discussion and began lobbying for James by sending him a photo of a customized Seahawks jersey with his name on it. It's too bad for Carroll that James wasn't a former quarterback during his playing days as his 1-4 team could definitely use an upgrade in the QB department with both Tavaris Jackson and backup Charlie Whitehurst struggling to say the least. But if such a move were to happen it would have to be done before 4 p.m. on Tuesday which coincidentally is a key date for progress to be made regarding the NBA labor negotiations.
According to Commissioner Stern, if nothing is worked out before then it could very well threaten a slew of games scheduled to be played on Christmas which just so happens to be one of the biggest dates on the NBA calendar as watching basketball on Christmas has become just as synonymous with the holiday as opening presents. For both the sake of the fans and the sake of the league, let's hope a labor agreement can be made in the next couple of days. Since taking his talents to South Beach in July of 2010, LeBron James has been public enemy number one not only in his native state of Ohio, but in many parts of the country. And I'm sure I speak for a large group of people when I say there's nothing I'd like to see more than King James being leveled by players like Patrick Willis and Ray Lewis who are among the hardest hitters in the NFL. Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
In the midst of this recession, no city in the United States has felt the wrath of the economy collapse more than the city of Detroit. Among the worst unemployment rates in the country, there's little to cheer for in the Motor City. The sports scene, however, in Michigan's largest city has never been better. While the Detroit Red Wings are almost guaranteed to make a push for the Stanley Cup playoffs as always considering they've made a North American professional sports record 20 consecutive playoff appearances, hoisting four Stanley Cups in that span, it's the other Detroit based teams who have been creating quite the buzz.
Coming off a 3 games to 2 triumph of the New York Yankees in the ALDS, the Detroit Tigers have muscled their way into the ALCS (American League Championship Series for you noobs) to face the defending American League Champion Texas Rangers. And though they trail Texas 2 Games to 1, the series has shifted to Detroit for Games 4 and 5. The biggest surprise, however, is that of the football team -- the Detroit Lions. Having been the laughing stock of the NFL for years, the Lions have not only shocked, but have silenced the critics thus far by way of their first 5-0 record since 1956. The Lions claimed their most recent victim last night in front of a national audience on Monday Night Football, defeating the division-rival Chicago Bears by a final score of 24-13.
While the high draft picks of Matthew Stafford, Jahvid Best, Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Calvin Johnson aka Megatron among others were bound to pay off, nobody thought the Lions of all teams would be the only undefeated team in the league alongside the defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers heading into Week 6. Hoping to improve on that mark, Stafford and company will have their hands full this Sunday as they get set to host a revamped 49er squad that has also surprised and has been clicking on all cylinders since the hiring of former Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh. With both teams benefiting from a greedy defense, a low scoring affair is almost inevitable, but with both squads also among the leagues highest scoring offenses, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a high scoring game either.
Coming into the season, who would've thought the 49ers and Lions would be a combined 9-1 after the first 5 Weeks? Not I. The Lions are indeed for real, but I'm not ready to jump on the bandwagon just yet. Not because their only route to make it to the Playoffs is through the Wild Card assuming Green Bay wins the division, but for the simple fact that the Lions aren't a Playoff-ready team...yet. Keep in mind this is the same Detroit Lions franchise that finished the 2008 NFL season with an imperfect 0-16 record. And while Stafford to Johnson appears to be the reincarnation of Montana to Rice, the dynamic duo can only get them so far. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy riding the wave while it lasts. In fact I encourage it given it's somewhat of a breath of fresh air seeing someone not named Eminem or Kid Rock putting the 'D' back on the map.
Every one's favorite manager Ozzie Guillen is taking a page out of LeBron James' book by taking his talents to South Beach, but not by choice. The longtime skipper of the White Sox who spent 8 seasons at the helm on the south side of Chicago and brought the franchise its first World Series title in 88 years, was dealt to the Florida Marlins with just two games remaining on the regular season schedule. Better known for his often questionable and colorful behavior, Guillen will take over the reigns of former manager Jack McKeon who turns 81 in November and plans to retire. During his 8 year tenure with Chicago whom he also played 13 seasons for making three All-Star appearances at shortstop, Guillen finished with an overall record of 678-wins and 617-losses while winning two division titles.
Guillen's White Sox who came into the season with lofty expectations after acquiring All-Star slugger Adam Dunn via free agency, finished a disappointing 2011 campaign four games under .500 at 79-83, good enough for third in the division behind the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. That didn't stop the Marlins from finding their man, however, as the former Manager of the Year (2005) was awarded a 4-year deal with the Fish. The signing of Guillen made public on September 28, means the Marlins will have a new skipper to go along with their new state of the art stadium that is expected to open its doors on Opening Day 2012, bidding a farewell to the current Sun Life Stadium in which they shared with the NFL's Miami Dolphins. The baseball-only facility built in the Little Havana section of Miami will seat 37,000 fans comfortably and will feature something the team's been so desperately in need of -- a retractable-roof putting an end to both rain delays and the sweltering heat.
The stadium, however, won't be the only makeover the franchise will be getting in 2012 as new uniforms are also on the list to help the team make the transition to the Miami Marlins. Although a name change isn't needed as much as the one their cross-town rival Tampa Bay Rays made several years ago in 2007 when dropping the word "Devil" in Devil Rays, the team is hoping the adjustment will lead to good fortune much like it did in Tampa. Something else the new ballpark will help do is increase the amount of revenue they'll be bringing in. Having been notorious for having little money to spend during the offseason, the team's payroll is expected to jump from $58 Million to about $80 Million with the Dolphins no longer around to bully them. Looking to turn the page on a new chapter in Marlins baseball, the organization says it has plans to make a splash right away in branding a new ball club, starting off with the free agent market.
Though the best part of all will be that the new stadium is sure to attract a new audience, something their old ballpark deprived them of given it's been at the bottom of the list for years in terms of fan attendance.
Coming off an ugly yet hard fought win in Week 3 on the road against Cincinnati, instead of taking the flight back to San Francisco, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh decided to keep his squad out east as the team prepped for their next opponent in Youngstown, Ohio. A move which would later do wonders.
Heading into Sunday's match up, the 49er defense knew they had their work cut out for them facing the dangerous Mike Vick. Despite suffering from a series of concussions and a contusion to his throwing hand in the first few weeks of the season, Vick expressed how healthy he felt coming into Sunday's game saying he was 100% positive he'd start. His performance would look every bit the part as he finished the game with a career-high 416 passing yards to go along with his 75 yards rushing. A number of pivotal mistakes committed by Vick's peers, however, would lead to their demise.Heading into the locker room trailing at the half down 23-3, all Jim Harbaugh could do was hope his offense would make it to the stadium before the game had ended. Those prayers would be answered as a much more poised Alex Smith would find his groove from the third quarter on, compiling for 201 passing yards on 13-for-17 passing while leading the San Francisco offense on back-to-back touchdown drives, the first a 30-yarder to wide-receiver Josh Morgan and the second a 9-yard pass to tight-end Vernon Davis, bringing the 49ers to within a touchdown. 
With both team's quarterbacks doing their part on offense, it would be the kicking units who had some explaining to do as both David Akers and Alex Henery had a hard time splitting the uprights. Akers, who served 12 seasons in Philadelphia before signing with San Francisco in the offseason as a free agent, would convert only one of his three field goal attempts as the first missed wide right and the third was blocked. As for Henery who was brought in to replace Akers, the Philly faithful saw their rookie kicker miss two costly fourth quarter field goals, failing to make it a two possession game and keeping the Niners within striking distance. Having virtually been a non-factor on offense this season after signing a lucrative multi-year extension, 49er running back Frank Gore was subject to a possible replacement as rookie RB Kendall Hunter was doing everything right to obtain the starting role. And with coach Harbaugh deciding to go with Hunter to start the game due to a sprain to Gore's right ankle, it appeared that all Gore needed to get going was a bit of pressure. Then again the Eagles' horrid run defense helped too. After a series of runs by Hunter on San Francisco's first drive, Gore wasn't ready to give up his starting job just yet as he exploded up the gut for a 40-yard gain. The 2-time Pro Bowler out of Miami wouldn't stop there as he finished the game with 127 yards rushing and the game's go-ahead touchdown to put the Niners on top, 24-23.
Having been outscored 36-0 in the 4th quarter during their last three games (all loses), the Eagles appeared to be on their way to finally put an end to that dreadful mark until WR Jeremy Maclin was chased down and stripped from behind by 49er defensive end Justin Smith as free safety Dashon Goldson recovered the ball with just over two minutes remaining. A steady diet of run plays by Gore and Hunter would help San Francisco milk the clock and pull off the miraculous comeback that put an end to a five-game losing streak against Philadelphia. Although Alex Smith didn't dazzle like his counterpart Vick did who was picked off once, he came through big when needed and other than an early fumble was able to avoid making any costly turnovers.
Week 5 Preview: Given their week 4 success, I'd expect coach Harbaugh to utilize the home away from home method in the coming weeks when the team has back-to-back road games. As for week 5, the 3-1 49ers head back home to Candlestick Park where they'll host 3-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With a potent mixture of both passing and rushing on offense, the 49ers will once again have their hands full on defense. But with the home crowd backing them, I like San Francisco's chances of improving to 4-1. Prediction: 49ers: 27 - Buccaneers: 17.
Heading into the final weeks of September in baseball's regular season, the taste of champagne appeared to be on the tongue of the Boston Red Sox as they held a nine game lead over the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays in the AL wild card. However, their nine game cushion which appeared to be insurmountable would prove to be anything but, thanks in large part to a putrid 9-17 month of September for the Red Sox and a mere opposite 17-8 for the Rays as both teams entered the final day of the season in a deadlock for wild card supremacy. Projected by many to not only make it to and win the World Series this year, but perhaps win up to 100+ games, the Boston Red Sox saw the curtain to their 2011 campaign come to an early close on Wednesday night.With the odds stacked against them trailing the Yankees 6-0 entering the 8th inning in Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field, the Rays pulled within a run by rallying for 5 runs in the inning, capped off by a 3-run home run off the bat of Rays All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria. While fans waited anxiously in Tampa, fearing it might be the final time they saw their beloved Rays in action this season down to their last strike in the 9th, one of the most unlikeliest of hero's saved the day. With two strikes and two outs, Dan Johnson who entered Wednesday's game a proud owner of 9 hits in 83 at-bats this season including one homer, did the unthinkable by connecting for a solo home run to tie the game at 7-runs apiece. Meanwhile, the scene at Baltimore's Camden Yards didn't seem to be any more promising for the Rays as the Sox were one out away from winning in a 3-2 ballgame.
With one of the most dominant closers in all of baseball on the mound, the Orioles faced a tall order as Boston's Jonathan Papelbon struck out the first two batters he faced entering the 9th before allowing three consecutive hits including a game-winning single by Baltimore's Robert Andino to seal the win for the O's and put Boston's playoff hopes in jeopardy. With the Rays up to bat in the 12th inning, the outfield scoreboard lit up with the final score of the Boston-Baltimore game, sending the Rays faithful into a frenzy. A mere four minutes later, Evan Longoria put an exclamation point on Tampa Bay's storybook finish, hitting a line-drive solo home run down the left field line to put a damper over the city of Boston and send his team into the postseason. The only thing that would've made Tampa Bay's miraculous comeback any more dazzling than it was, is if they won it off of New York's Mariano Rivera who recently became MLB's all-time saves leader on September 13, surpassing the previous mark of 601 career saves set by Trevor Hoffman.
To sum up just how catastrophic Boston's monumental collapse is, the Red Sox became the only team in MLB history to miss the postseason after leading a division or wild card spot by as many as nine games entering the month of September, edging the Atlanta Braves' 8 1/2 game slide also set this season. So who's to blame for this record-setting debacle you ask? While many would point the blame to one individual in most cases, the truth is there's a collection of names and areas to point the finger at and they all lie within the team. To say the Red Sox starting pitching staff had a disastrous month of September would be an understatement considering the starting rotation had its worst month statistically in franchise history, posting an ERA of 7.08. The woes didn't stop there as the team combined for a league-high 26 errors, responsible for 14 unearned runs. Finally there's the lack of hitting as eight of Boston's 20 losses this month came when scoring two runs or fewer. This of coarse being the same offense that many predicted to shatter records in the run department.
Notice how I failed to mention anywhere in there the name of Red Sox skipper Terry Francona. That's because I, nor the Red Sox organization are using Tito as a scapegoat despite taking the blame for his team's historic collapse. Like any great manager would, Francona didn't shy away from admitting the team's failures were his fault, regardless if they were or not. Less than 48 hours after Wednesday's game, the 8-year relationship between Francona and the Red Sox organization came to a halt after Tito took to a press-conference where he told reporters, "It's time for a new voice here." Francona's impressive resume as head honcho of the Red Sox includes two World Series titles including the Championship in 2004 which ended an 86-year dry spell, better known as the Curse of the Bambino. Though he might not have been able to solve the ongoing issues in Boston, one thing that's certain is that he'll have no trouble finding a new job.
While at the helm in Boston, Francona led his teams to an overall record of 744-552 and is currently the only manager in MLB history to win his first 8 games in the World Series. Although it's still early to say where he'll land just yet, rumors of Francona taking the managerial job for either Chicago team (White Sox or Cubs) have surfaced. But with Francona no longer in the mix in Bean Town, it'll be interesting to see if the organization decides to give Red Sox GM Theo Epstein the axe. In some ways you could compare this Boston Red Sox squad to last year's Miami Heat granted the blockbuster acquisitions of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford came with mile high expectations. The only difference being Miami made it to the Finals and Boston didn't proclaim themselves to be 7-time champions before they could even bring home one.
Not to be forgotten are the Atlanta Braves who like Boston are in a similar black hole right now after blowing an 8 1/2 game lead to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL wild card. Luckily for them, the Red Sox are around to take the heat and absorb most of the criticism. Any other time the franchise would be getting tomahawk chopped by not only their fan base, but by the media as well.
In what will go down as one of if not the most exciting nights of regular season baseball in the game's 100+ years of existence, the question of whether or not Major League Baseball should consider implementing another wild card position for each league as talked about at the start of the season by Commissioner Bud Selig comes into play. Having been one of the game's hot topics for the past several years now, there's been mixed emotions among the fans, players and owners about changing the current landscape of the playoff format. But had there been two wild card spots on Wednesday night, those amazing games wouldn't have been as significant. In my opinion, this is a perfect example of: if it's not broken, don't fix it.
With emotions running high marking the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the twin towers, the country was in need of something to not only reflect, but also help fill the American spirit inside all of us. And what's more American than spending a Sunday afternoon watching football?Heading into Sunday's match-up between the San Francisco 49ers and the division rival Seattle Seahawks, it wasn't a marquee free-agent player everyone had their eyes on at the start of the game, but rather the newly hired head coach Jim Harbaugh. Making his NFL debut, Harbaugh who spent the last four years at Stanford would renew his beef with Seattle's Pete Carrol who made the transition back to the NFL last year after forming a dynasty at USC. With the upper-hand at the collegiate level having outdone Carrol's Trojans twice in three meetings, Harbaugh looked to add yet another tally to the win column against his counterpart.
As the game got underway, the 49ers appeared to be in the drivers seat in the early going. With neither team's run game able to find much running room and both quarterbacks held in check for the most part, it was the defense that sparkled during the first half. Alex Smith and company were able to march down field a number of times, but the 49er offense had to settle for field goals as one of San Francisco's offseason acquisitions David Akers made it a 9-0 game by splitting the uprights on three consecutive drives. However, the 49ers offense would finally reach the end-zone on their next drive as Alex Smith scampered his way across the goal-line before being met with a big hit, to put his team on top, 16-0, heading into the half.After a sluggish first half on offense, the Seahawks appeared to have made some adjustments, turning their first drive of the second half into seven points as Tavaris Jackson found receiver Golden Tate on a slant pass for an 8-yard touchdown. After exchanging punts, what was a sixteen to nothing lead at one point for the Niners would soon dwindle down to a three point game as Seattle struck by scoring 10 unanswered points. The following drive, David Akers would once again make it a two possession game, connecting for his fourth field goal of the afternoon. But a huge play from one of Harbaugh's former players at Stanford would bring the Seahawks within two points as Jackson utilized the slant once again, this time finding rookie Doug Baldwin for a 55 yard score.
With just over four minutes remaining in the game and the 49ers leading 19-17, Harbaugh's boys were in need of a shot in the arm on offense if they planned on making their coaches debut a successful one. However, the offense didn't need to take the field as Ted Ginn Jr. and the Niners' special teams stole the show. Picking the team up and putting them on his back, Ginn ran back a 102 yard kick return for a touchdown to once again put the pressure on Pete Carrol. Normally a team on the receiving end of kick returns, Seattle looked stunned and found themselves scratching their heads. Little did they know, Ginn wasn't finished. With the Seahawks forced to punt less than a minute later, the former first round pick and standout at Ohio State would put the finishing touches on the game by returning the kick 55 yards into the end-zone, sending the 49er faithful in a frenzy and putting the game out of reach, 33-17.Rundown & Week 2 Preview: Though it wasn't the prettiest performance on either side of the ball for the 49ers, Alex Smith managed to play mistake-free football, despite only throwing for 124 passing yards in a 15-for-20 effort. More importantly was that the team was able to get the Harbaugh era started on a winning note. With an idea of what his team looks like now in regular season form, the rookie head coach Harbaugh can address the areas that are in need of fixing in hopes of improving to 2-0. Week 2 won't be an easy task though as Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys pay a visit to Candlestick Park in search of their first win of the season, coming off a late-game debacle against the New York Jets.
Keys to the game: With running back Frank Gore virtually a non-factor in Sunday's win for San Francisco (59 yards rushing), I'd expect to see the Pro Bowler bounce back with a big game in what should be a nail biter.
One of the more intriguing story lines this NFL season is that of this year's number one overall draft pick and former Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. Despite his poor performance during the Panthers' preseason, Carolina head coach Ron Rivera has decided to give Newton the nod over last year's second round draft pick and fellow quarterback -- Jimmy Clausen. While starting 10 games last season for the Panthers, Clausen saw little success and was unable to spark Carolina's offense through the air as the team eventually went on to finish the season with a league-worst record of 2-14.Though the franchise is coming off a season to forget, their torrid 2010 campaign allowed them to pick first overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, a pick in which they used to snag Cam Newton who led Auburn to a National title. Hoping to make Newton their starting QB for the long-term, feeding him to the lions by having him begin his career with little to no professional experience isn't the ideal thing to do, but with Clausen and Derek Anderson behind him on the depth chart there really isn't that veteran presence around for him to learn from. With Pro Bowler's at both the wide receiver (Steve Smith) and tight-end positions (Greg Olson and Jeremy Shockey), Newton will have some weapons to target. However, the kid has a lot to improve on as his bumpy preseason performance indicated.
While his throwing accuracy has been mediocre at best, he has shown a strength when running and has grown comparisons to Mike Vick. Making Newton's job a little easier will be Carolina's dominant run game led by one of the more lethal tandems at the running back position in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Both of which will ease the workload of Newton on offense. Unfortunately for him though, he finds himself in what's become one of the more difficult divisions to win in the NFC South with the young rising talent of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who surprised everyone by finishing 10-6 last year. They've also gotta deal with the lethal Atlanta Falcons who many are predicting to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this year. And finally there's the New Orleans Saints who are only two years removed from winning their first ever Super Bowl and are looking to avenge their early exit from the Playoffs last season.Though I don't see Newton struggling as much as everyone else is predicting him to, I don't envision him making the Panthers any better than a three game improvement (5-11). While the talent level is certainly there, I expect Newton to be a long experiment until he fully develops into a successful NFL QB. Newton and the newly looked Panthers will get their first test on Sunday at 1:15 as they head to Arizona to take on the Cardinals.
