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by Thomas George

Filed under: Ravens, NFL Analysis

BALTIMORE — Ray Rice showed during his collegiate days at Rutgers that he was a dominant running back as he fueled the Scarlet Knights’ offense. Rice showed in his combine workouts last year that he could be a complementary NFL back — maybe a third-down wonder. Certainly, most scouts concluded, he was not big enough or fast enough to fuel an NFL offense.

So, Rice went to work as a rookie last year with 107 carries and 33 receptions in primarily a reserve role and helped lead the Ravens to the AFC championship game.

This season, he is more than a complement.

Ravens’ Ray Rice an Unexpected Star originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Dave Goldberg

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Giants, Texans, NFL Analysis

As Houston was in the process of taking a 17-0 lead over Indianapolis on Sunday, Peyton Manning sat calmly on the Colts’ bench, chatting with offensive coordinator Tom Moore. No look of panic, not even of concern. With good reason. The unbeaten Colts got 35 of the next 38 points and eventually won the game 35-27, leaving the Texans in the midst of another fold, one they couldn’t blame on Kris or Chris Brown.

“We don’t get overexcited certainly when things aren’t going the way we want them to,” Manning said after the game. “We don’t panic, we don’t yell, we don’t throw helmets. We just try to put the series behind us and move on to the next one. There was a lot of that,.”

You can say the opposite about the Texans, who are now 5-6.

Frauds Outed in El Foldo Sweepstakes originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Thomas George

Filed under: Ravens, Steelers, NFL Coaching

BALTIMORE — He lost a game 20-17 in overtime Sunday night here to the Baltimore Ravens, and then Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin lost it in his postgame comments, drilling this thought home to all: “We will unleash hell here in December because we have to. We won’t go into a shell. We’ll go into attack mode, because that’s what is required.”

Tomlin might have lost his team’s best effort, its best focus before kickoff. He has some mending to do in his locker room. He is a superior communicator who had better have a little chat across the board with his players.

This is not a united, cohesive Steelers bunch right now.

Tomlin let a situation — quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s prior concussion issues that kept him out of this game and forced second-year quarterback Dennis Dixon to make his first pro start — linger and fester to his team’s detriment. The players said they learned Saturday afternoon that Roethlisberger would not play.

Steelers at Odds Following OT Loss originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by JJ Cooper

Filed under: Steelers, AFC North

The long-term effects of NFL players who multiple concussions has been in the news constantly in recent weeks.

But Hines Ward made it clear to NBC Sports before Sunday night’s game that when it comes to a Steelers-Ravens game, he’s not so sure that Ben Roethlisberger should have been thinking about his long-term health.

Roethlisberger was not cleared by Pittsburgh’s doctors to play against Baltimore, but as Ward explains, there are ways around that.

Hines Ward Calls Out Ben Roethlisberger originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Nancy Gay

Filed under: Colts, Texans, AFC South

HOUSTON — They are the Cardiac Colts, and their 35-27 victory Sunday over the fading Texans at Reliant Stadium looked more like the usual routine than divine intervention — Indianapolis has a 15-1 series advantage over Houston, but played fourth-quarter catch-up for the fifth consecutive game.

That 17-0 hole, the two Peyton Manning first-half interceptions and the 20-7 halftime deficit against a quick strike Texans’ offense that seemed poised to snap Houston’s two-game losing streak?

No problem. All of it was summarily erased, with a staggering run of 28 unanswered points that showed why Indianapolis (11-0) remains one of the NFL’s models of consistency and poise.

Comeback Colts Capture AFC South originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Matt Snyder

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Vikings, NFC North

The Chicago Bears entered the season thinking they could compete with the Minnesota Vikings for the division title. Apparently, they were delusional. After a 36-10 Vikings thrashing of the Bears in the Metrodome, the teams are now separated by six games — after playing just 11 total.

As opposed to many weeks this year, where one side of the ball played well for Chicago, nearly everybody was bad on Sunday. Jay Cutler threw two more interceptions. Matt Forte ran for just 27 yards on eight carries. The offensive line was schooled all day as a whole, but Orlando Pace was particularly decimated by Jared Allen. Lovie Smith wasted a challenge on a clear fumble in the first half. Receivers dropped passes, defenders missed tackles and blew coverages. The Bears‘ defensive line, again, was repeatedly lined up offsides (seriously, is this Pop Warner?).

It was just a heap of ineptitude in nearly all facets. But we can’t just move along without giving the Vikings credit.

Favre, Vikings Embarrass Bears in Rout originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Matt Snyder

Filed under: Giants, NFC East, NFL Injuries, NFL Quarterbacks

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning could soon see his 2009 season in jeopardy. Apparently Manning has what is being termed as a “stress reaction” in his foot. The reaction is a problem because it has the potential to grow into a stress fracture, which would be a serious enough injury to end his season. The reaction is reportedly in the cuboid bone of Manning’s right foot.

Manning’s foot has been through a bit of trouble this year, as he’s been battling plantar fasciitis all season and he’s now beginning to show signs of being affected by the pain. For now, the Giants and Manning are doing everything they can from further injuring the foot and don’t plan on him sitting out just yet.

Eli Manning May Be Out ‘Indefinitely’ originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Chris Burke

Filed under: Bengals, Browns

It did not take very long for Cincinnati’s controversial signing of Larry Johnson to pay off.

Seeing extensive playing time with starting running back Cedric Benson injured, Johnson carried 22 times for 107 yards — the first time he’d topped the century mark since Week 16 of last season, when he was still with Kansas City — as the Bengals beat Cleveland, 17-6.

“I’m just glad they trust me to go in there, especially with the division and the playoffs on the line,” Johnson said. “I just came here for a second chance.”

Larry Johnson Has Big Day for Bengals originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Knox Bardeen

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, NFC South, NFL Injuries

ATLANTA — It had been 27 regular-season games since Falcons backup quarterback Chris Redman had thrown a pass in the NFL. But on Sunday, he was asked to keep the Atlanta Falcons in the playoff hunt and lead his team to victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after Matt Ryan left with an injury.

“As a backup in this league, it’s a very difficult position, especially the quarterback position,” Atlanta head coach Mike Smith said. “You maybe get 15 snaps during the week [of practice], and Chris, when called upon, made the most of his opportunity.”

Chris Redman Leads Atlanta to Victory originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Matt Snyder

Filed under: Jets, Panthers, AFC East, NFC South

Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez had really been struggling — along with the rest of his team — since a three-game winning streak to begin the season. The winning ways were a distant memory after a Week 11 loss in New England, though, as the Jets fell to 4-6. During that stretch, Sanchez threw 14 interceptions.

Sunday, the game plan by Rex Ryan and his coaching staff was evident: win with defense and the running game. The old-school route worked, as the Jets beat the Carolina Panthers, 17-6, in a game that was never really in doubt.

Jets Go Back to Basics, Beat Panthers originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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