"If you kick to me, you are brave." The exact words that Devin Hester said when he was playing in college for the University of Miami.
Those words still stand true in the NFL for Hester.
The second year return man has already returned 10 kickoff/punt returns for a touchdown in his first 27 games as a pro. The most kick/punt returns for a touchdown in a career is 13 by Brian Mitchell.
Apparently the Denver Broncos are brave, very brave.
The Broncos elected to punt to Hester early in the second half and Hester took it to the house.
Did the Broncos learn their lesson? Nope. They kicked off to Hester later in the second half after a Bronco touchdown and once again Hester took it right back to the end zone.
It is remarkable to watch but it is so much more fun to watch Hester when he is not playing your team.
Hester single-handily kept the Bears in the game and gave quarterback Rex Grossman a chance to cause overtime. Grossman did just that and the Bears won the game in overtime 37-34.
It is hard to say who is to blame for the Broncos kicking to Hester but if any NFL coaches out their are reading my blog I got one thing to say, don't try and be brave.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Good finish but glad it's over
Finally it has ended. Notre Dame's football season has come to a close and as weird as it sounds, Irish fans couldn't be happier.
The season didn't end so bad though. The Irish ended the season with a home win against Duke and a win at Stanford.
It is good for a group of young players to build some confidence but in all honesty, it was against Duke and Stanford. Two teams that are just not very impressive.
So what is next for this Notre Dame team? Recruit and regroup.
Head coach Charlie Weis will not make the trip home with the team because he will stay in California and try to pick high school players away from arch rival Southern California. Wouldn't that have Irish eyes smiling?
After recruiting, Weis will meet up with his buddies on the New England Patriots coaching staff to review the season and get some pointers from Patriots genius head coach Bill Belichick.
The next thing you know it's time to start spring practice.
Please Charlie, don't make us go through another season like this ever again.
Signed, Irish fans.
The season didn't end so bad though. The Irish ended the season with a home win against Duke and a win at Stanford.
It is good for a group of young players to build some confidence but in all honesty, it was against Duke and Stanford. Two teams that are just not very impressive.
So what is next for this Notre Dame team? Recruit and regroup.
Head coach Charlie Weis will not make the trip home with the team because he will stay in California and try to pick high school players away from arch rival Southern California. Wouldn't that have Irish eyes smiling?
After recruiting, Weis will meet up with his buddies on the New England Patriots coaching staff to review the season and get some pointers from Patriots genius head coach Bill Belichick.
The next thing you know it's time to start spring practice.
Please Charlie, don't make us go through another season like this ever again.
Signed, Irish fans.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
AFC West Circus: Get your tickets
Fans piled into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday to watch the 4-4 Kansas City Chiefs host the 3-5 Denver Broncos. Little did they know that not only were they getting to witness a battle between divisional rivals, they were also getting a front row seat to the circus.
Up and down and round and round the AFC West goes, who will end up on top, nobody knows.
The San Diego Chargers, after beginning the season 1-3, have found their way to the top of the division with a 5-4 record. They can thank the best field goal kicker in the NFL, Adam Vinatieri of the Indianapolis Colts, for missing a chip-shot game winning field goal in the final minute of the Chargers win over the Colts Sunday night. If Vinatieri makes the field, the AFC West has a three way tie for first place.
The Broncos defeated the Chiefs 27-11 and now both teams are sitting at 4-5. The Oakland Raiders, well, they are just being the Raiders. At the cellar of the West at 2-7.
It is the Broncos though that has stole the show so far.
One week the team comes out and competes with the 8-1 Green Bay Packers until the final minutes of the game, and should have won the game I would add, then the next week they get blown out by the now 6-3 Detroit Lions 44-7.
The Broncos beat the 7-2 Pittsburgh Steelers a week after they were embarrassed at home by the Chargers 41-3.
It is hard to say which Broncos team will take the field on Monday Night Football this week against the Tennessee Titans but I promise Bronco fans will be on the edge of their seat waiting to find out.
Even the Ringling Brothers think this will be a good circus the rest of the way.
Up and down and round and round the AFC West goes, who will end up on top, nobody knows.
The San Diego Chargers, after beginning the season 1-3, have found their way to the top of the division with a 5-4 record. They can thank the best field goal kicker in the NFL, Adam Vinatieri of the Indianapolis Colts, for missing a chip-shot game winning field goal in the final minute of the Chargers win over the Colts Sunday night. If Vinatieri makes the field, the AFC West has a three way tie for first place.
The Broncos defeated the Chiefs 27-11 and now both teams are sitting at 4-5. The Oakland Raiders, well, they are just being the Raiders. At the cellar of the West at 2-7.
It is the Broncos though that has stole the show so far.
One week the team comes out and competes with the 8-1 Green Bay Packers until the final minutes of the game, and should have won the game I would add, then the next week they get blown out by the now 6-3 Detroit Lions 44-7.
The Broncos beat the 7-2 Pittsburgh Steelers a week after they were embarrassed at home by the Chargers 41-3.
It is hard to say which Broncos team will take the field on Monday Night Football this week against the Tennessee Titans but I promise Bronco fans will be on the edge of their seat waiting to find out.
Even the Ringling Brothers think this will be a good circus the rest of the way.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Can't win on the scoreboard, but winning recruiting battle
The Notre Dame Fightin' Irish lost another game this past Saturday at home to the Air Force Academy 41-24. Some things just never change in South Bend this season.
I guess it is just time for Notre Dame faithful to look in the mirror and say, "You know what? We just suck." There is no defending the team anymore. There is no progress and once it looks like the Irish take one step forward, they take two steps back.
There is one bright spot right now and it isn't even happening between the lines. It is actually happening under Friday night lights.
Notre Dame is winning the recruiting battle as of right now. This could change by February when national signing day for high school recruits is scheduled. Recruits have until that day to decide on their college. A recruit has the freedom to commit to a college but can de-commit if they have not officially signed.
As of right now the Irish have verbal commits from two 5-star recruits and fifteen 4-star recruits. According to Rivals.com rankings, this is the most impressive recruiting class in the nation so far.
This may be shocking to many that a team with one win is winning the recruiting battle. So how is Weis doing it?
I will tell you how.
When a head coach comes into a recruits house, and he is wearing three Super Bowl rings, you might think that this guy (Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis) knows something.
Keep doing work Chuck.
I guess it is just time for Notre Dame faithful to look in the mirror and say, "You know what? We just suck." There is no defending the team anymore. There is no progress and once it looks like the Irish take one step forward, they take two steps back.
There is one bright spot right now and it isn't even happening between the lines. It is actually happening under Friday night lights.
Notre Dame is winning the recruiting battle as of right now. This could change by February when national signing day for high school recruits is scheduled. Recruits have until that day to decide on their college. A recruit has the freedom to commit to a college but can de-commit if they have not officially signed.
As of right now the Irish have verbal commits from two 5-star recruits and fifteen 4-star recruits. According to Rivals.com rankings, this is the most impressive recruiting class in the nation so far.
This may be shocking to many that a team with one win is winning the recruiting battle. So how is Weis doing it?
I will tell you how.
When a head coach comes into a recruits house, and he is wearing three Super Bowl rings, you might think that this guy (Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis) knows something.
Keep doing work Chuck.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Another blowout puts Shannahan on hot seat
Not only did the Detroit Lions embarrass the Denver Broncos Sunday afternoon 44-7, it may start rumors that Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan's coaching days in Denver are running short.
But, the talks will be between the media and fans, not the organization.
Owner Pat Bowlen thinks very highly of Shanahan and recently gave him a contract extension that will last through 2011.
Shanahan has been regarded as one of the most intelligent "X's and O's" coaches in the National Football League for years. His play calling ability has been phenomenal throughout his tenure as the Broncos head coach. What else would you expect from an apprentice of the late Bill Walsh?
The question has now shifted to Shanahan's personnel decisions in the draft and the free agent market in the off season.
There are only four players on the starting offense that were drafted by Shanahan and four on defense. Bowlen has let Shanahan take the reins on personnel decision and that has not worked in the organizations favor. Shanahan has relied on older veterans in free agency to fill in weak spots of the team. This philosophy has not particularly worked out.
If Bowlen is committed more to the Broncos winning than he is Shanahan, he may need to address this situation soon. He may not need to fire the coach but think about taking some power away from him.
But, the talks will be between the media and fans, not the organization.
Owner Pat Bowlen thinks very highly of Shanahan and recently gave him a contract extension that will last through 2011.
Shanahan has been regarded as one of the most intelligent "X's and O's" coaches in the National Football League for years. His play calling ability has been phenomenal throughout his tenure as the Broncos head coach. What else would you expect from an apprentice of the late Bill Walsh?
The question has now shifted to Shanahan's personnel decisions in the draft and the free agent market in the off season.
There are only four players on the starting offense that were drafted by Shanahan and four on defense. Bowlen has let Shanahan take the reins on personnel decision and that has not worked in the organizations favor. Shanahan has relied on older veterans in free agency to fill in weak spots of the team. This philosophy has not particularly worked out.
If Bowlen is committed more to the Broncos winning than he is Shanahan, he may need to address this situation soon. He may not need to fire the coach but think about taking some power away from him.
Echoes are in a deep sleep
'Wake up the echoes' is part of the Notre Dame fight song. There is supposed to be something special about Notre Dame, a mystique that nobody in college football has. Being a team from a catholic school, they are considered "God's team" and they are supposed to have that special something on their side.
But it isn't there. It used to be but not anymore.
Not even Navy gets weak at the knees when they play Notre Dame.
In the past decade, Notre Dame has had some close calls in their 43-game winning streak against the Midshipmen and Saturday the streak was ended.
Navy defeated the Irish 46-44 in triple overtime.
This type of thing makes me, as well as all the Notre Dame fans, think that the Irish have lost the edge.
Charlie Weis was supposed to be the savior and bring the Irish back to college football's elite. Weis made fans believe that he was doing just that in the past two seasons but not one Notre Dame coach has lost to Navy in 43 years.
Why would a high school recruit want to go to South Bend and play for a team that might only get three wins this season?
My beloved Fightin' Irish might need to take the "Fightin'" part off their name real soon.
Congratulations Navy.
But it isn't there. It used to be but not anymore.
Not even Navy gets weak at the knees when they play Notre Dame.
In the past decade, Notre Dame has had some close calls in their 43-game winning streak against the Midshipmen and Saturday the streak was ended.
Navy defeated the Irish 46-44 in triple overtime.
This type of thing makes me, as well as all the Notre Dame fans, think that the Irish have lost the edge.
Charlie Weis was supposed to be the savior and bring the Irish back to college football's elite. Weis made fans believe that he was doing just that in the past two seasons but not one Notre Dame coach has lost to Navy in 43 years.
Why would a high school recruit want to go to South Bend and play for a team that might only get three wins this season?
My beloved Fightin' Irish might need to take the "Fightin'" part off their name real soon.
Congratulations Navy.
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