Yardbarker: Kevin Faulk

Pats Over Come Early Deficit Beat Niners 30-21

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:57:41 -0500

The New England Patriots for the first time in franchise history defeated the San Francisco 49ers Sunday at Candlestick Park 30-21. The victory now puts the Patriots at 3-1 at the quarter mark of the NFL season, and gets them back in the winning column after losing to the Miami Dolphins two weeks ago at home. New England quarterback Matt CasselA stillA showed inconsistencies, as he threw two interceptions, however he was good enough to get the win. Cassel went 22/32A from behind center, throwing for 259 yards, and got 1A touchdown as he connected with wide receiver Randy Moss for a 66 yard reception in the first quarter. The Patriots improved their running game against San Francisco as they basically played "running back by committee." Sammy Morris rushed for 63 yards while the veteran Kevin Faulk acquired 32 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. Laurence MaroneyA back inA action for New England gained 26 yards in the game. NinersA quarterback J. T. O'Sullivan showed talent, but made someA costly mistakes, as he threw for three touchdowns, but sullied his performance with three picks.A A San FranciscoA took the early lead as O'Sullivan threw a 16 yard pass to Frank Gore with 9:05 remaining in the first quarter. After kicker Joe Nedney put the ball though the uprights it was 7-0. New England responded with the Cassel to Moss blast with 7:44 left in the period. Pats kicker Stephen Gostkowski tied the score at 7-7.A With 5:31 left in the first quarter O'Sullivan hit Issac Bruce with a 6 yard pass, after the extra point, it was SanA Francisco 14 New England 7. Momentum swung toward the Patriots in the second quarter, as Gostkowski kicked a 35 yard field goal with 5:37 remaining in the period making it a 14-10 contest. Faulk scored with just 9 seconds remaining in the half as he sprinted across the goal line for a 2 yard TD. After Gostkowski kicked the extra point, New England would walk in to their locker room with their first lead of the day as, they were ahead 17-14. Faulk got his second 2 yard touchdown of the afternoon, with 5:30 left on the clockA in the third. Gostkowski's kick was good making it a 10 point advantage with the Patriots leading 24-14. That was the only scoring for either team in the period. Bruce got his second TD of the game in the fourth but it came in between two field goals by Gostkowski. The Patriots will remain in California for the week as they will play in San Diego against the Chargers next Sunday night. San Francisco, now sitting at 2-3 after theA loss host the Philadelphia Eagles next week. A(c) Copyright 2008 thesackattack.net

Pats Over Come Early Deficit Beat Niners 30-21

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:14:01 -0500

Football Friday: Redemption is a dish best served "gold"

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:30:33 -0500

Okay that title is a little lame, but if you read Eric Wibur's Prediction Roundup, there's one common theme throughout: The Patriots were embarrassed by the Dolphins and the 49ers are gonna pay for it this week. The Patriots defense was ranked in the Top 5 or better coming into this season, and...

Click the link to read more...

Top 11 Current NFL Careers Tht History Won't Be Overly Kind To

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:23:52 -0500

by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool

Following in the proud footsteps of Shawn Alexander, Travis Henry and Michael Vick, what current stars are going to be dismissed out of hand once they are out of the league? Well, I'm betting you won't be telling your grandkids what it was like to watch...

11. Jeremy Shockey. Earned his ring in the press box, couldn't stay healthy, and Giant Fan isn't exactly sitting shiva for him. So overrated he was underrated, but will be known more for clubhouse lawyer antics than anything else.

10. Chad Johnson. The numbers are actually really good -- nearly 8,500 yards and 50 touchdowns as I write this -- and he's been extremely durable. But Ocho Dinko won't be remembered for anything but the antics, and since his teams are nearly 100% playoff-free, he'll have no response to the legion charges of Team Cancer.

Honestly, the best thing that could happen to him is a season-ending injury, a release from Stalag Bengal, and a stirring comeback for some destination team. If he plays out his career in Porkopolis, he'll be Andre Reed... only, well, less clutch.

9. Edge James. The career numbers are going to be very good, but he's going to be seen as someone who wasn't able to show up in big games, and it's telling that the Colts only broke through and got their Super Bowl when he was exiled to Arizona. A shame, because he probably deserves better.

8. Adrian Peterson. A harsh thing to say about Purple Jesus, but I can't shake the feeling that he's Eddie George II, and no one's talking about Eddie George I, really. Let's just say that I don't think much of his chances at long-term health, or from his organization giving him a good passing attack to keep the hits down.

7. Willis McGahee. Let's see, he's already hated in one town (Buffalo), and well on his way to losing the gig in Charm City. I bet he gets there with speed -- more than he shows on the field, really. Besides, Laron McClain is going to be the most-loved back in that town soon, if he isn't already.

6. Lawrence Maroney. Can't stay healthy, infuriated any number of fantasy owners, doesn't have a ring (and doesn't look like he'll get one this year either), and kind of a head case. When you remember this era of Patriots football, your mind's eye will have Kevin Faulk or Corey Dillon in it.

5. Carson Palmer. Boy, that playoff year was a long time ago, wasn't it? Palmer's never been the same since, and the Bengals have lost their way , especially in regards to how to construct an offensive line, or that infamous skill players aren't always, well, good skill players. Unless you are able to father quarterbacks that have much better careers than yours, being a star quarterback for a terrible franchise isn't exactly a legacy position...

4. Derek Anderson. Can you say flash in the pan? Browns Fan sure can, and they are more than ready to turn the page on a guy that probably won't have the starting gig in November, or ever again. In retrospect, everyone should have seen this coming, given that he couldn't take the job in training camp in 2007 from, um, Charlie Frye. Yeesh.

3. Roy Williams. The only defensive player on this list gets here simply from the honor of having horse collar tackles named after him, but as the Cowboys transition away from an erratic slow quasi linebacker at safety to a guy that stinks a lot less. they'll little note, nor long remember him. One more piece of proof that the Pro Bowl isn't the only criteria you should use to rate a player.

2. Randy Moss. No rings. Going on three towns that he quit on. An overwhelming sense of underachievement, despite huge numbers. Utter disappearance when the games mattered most. Lots of off-field nonsense early in a career usually means, well, off-field nonsense later in the career, too.

I'm not saying he's not going to the Hall, or that he wasn't great. I am saying that you won't see people wearing his jersey five years after he retires.

1. Terrell Owens. Let's see, numerous quarterbacks thrown under the bus -- check. Multiple cities who wanted to love him and just got burned, bingo. Teary post-game interviews that strained any level of credibility and multiple media members getting sucked into his periodic Nice Guy moments, only to feel used later? Oh, mais oui.

The 150+ touchdowns means he's going to the Hall of Fame no matter what, really... but will any team let him wear their jersey when he's inducted, and will the crowd be there to do anything but boo? Man, that'd be awesome...

Fantasy Football Week 3 Start Em & Sit Em

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:25:49 -0500

Whether you're 2-0, 1-1, or 0-2, you need to remember that there's a lot of fantasy football still to be played. I mean, I don't know about your league's, but the ones I'm a part of dont' hand out a trophy after just two weeks of play. Nope, you're in it for the long haul, whether you like it or not. As such, 15 more weeks of crucial line-up decisions need to be made, but as always, we are here to help you through it. So, take a gander at the Week 3 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em report below. -------------------- QUARTERBACKS - START 'EM JT O'Sullivan (San Francisco 49ers) vs. Detroit After week one, it looked like the San Francisco 49ers made a mistake going with O'Sullivan as their starting QB this year, but O'Sullivan rebounded nicely from his 195 yard and 3 turnover debut, torching the Seahawks for 321 yards and a TD in week 2. Perhaps, JT will be Mike Martz's latest and greatest project, following in the steps of Kurt Warner or Jon Kitna, though it is still too early to tell. However, one thing is for certain, we love O'Sullivan in week 3 against the Lions. Not only do the Lions rank 25th against the pass this season, but you know Martz is going to want to score an absurd amount of points against his former employee, thereby letting O'Sullivan loose. -------------------- To read more, click the LINK below...

Clement's Weekly Picks and Prognostications...Week 3

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:44:51 -0500

Back again with your weekly check-up!!!
Now bend over and cough...

NFL Picks: 4-5 [The horrid call in the Chargers/Broncos game pushes me under .500.]
Upset Specials: 1-1 [Of course it was easy to pick against the Bungles, but I told you to double-up and cash in. Boo ya!]

...all spreads are courtesy of Yahoo! Sports…

Dallas @ Green Bay (+3)
Starting off with a road dog? You know it! Dallas needed to pull out that victory last weekend to hold serve at home. While Rodgers has looked better than Romo, Barber III will be begging for the ball and the injury to Charles Woodson could be a problem. Dallas wins, even if it's by a push.

Carolina @ Minnesota (-3 ½)
Note: Here is my rough draft on Tuesday of this pick. I stand by it more than ever. Especially since I've been saying it for MONTHS. Yes, months.
Another road dog? Nope. Minnesota can't face 3-0, even though Detroit would always be worse in the NFC North. Tarvaris Jackson might lose this job if he starts off too poorly (yes, even to Frerotte). A Pete should run wild in the dome again and even though Steve Smith is back, the Panthers will struggle mightily to run the ball against the Vikes front 7. Vikes win, barely.

New Orleans @ Denver (-5.5)
New Orleans has a terrible secondary. Enter Brandon Marshall, Jay Cutler, and the NFL (and fantasy's) highest-profile offense to date. Things won't stop in Mile High. Broncos roll as the Saints start to creep back into 'Aint form.

Cleveland @ Baltimore (-2)
Cleveland needs it too much; despite how rested B-More is. Joe Flacco can manage a game, but the aging Raven D and a still hobbled-McGahee won't be enough to overcome the stench of road desperation from the Browns.

Upset Special #1
Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia (+3)
Sorry Pay, I'm picking the Stillers. Gut shot: Pay is too, I bet. Both teams went primetime, yet looked quite different. The Steelers are now my AFC frontrunners, largely because I think this team is built to perform on the road. Yes, even in it's home state.

Upset Special #2
NY Jets @ San Diego (-9)
I'm not supposed to pick Jet games. Screw it. San Diego will win; however, 9 points is just too many to leave out there. Even with the vanilla offense the Jets are mired in through 2 weeks.

3 Must Starts and Must Sits

START

…Last Week…
LJ sucks, Alge Crumpler was useless beyond belief, and Patrick Crayton was invisible despite his team scoring 41 points. I reached and I SUCKED.

…This Week…
Justin Gage loves Kerry Collins and vice-versa, Darren Sproles is gonna put up a Kevin Faulk-type performance on Monday Night (with better fantasy points too!), and Issac Bruce is a fun spot-start here. ***Bonus Pick*** Tennessee's D is gonna vault them to 3-0 with a defensive TD (or two!).

SIT

…Last Week…
Devrey Henderson wasn't a factor at any point, LJ Smith remains an enigma, and Pierre Thomas had a TD and nothing else. He was mediocre in TD-only leagues at best as a start. 3 for 3 redeems a horrific begin to fantasy advice this week (aka "Start").

…This Week…
DeSean Jackson won't go 3 straight weeks for 100 yards (he won't even break 50), Larry Johnson is done, baby, done, and Mark Clayton is never a sleeper wideout. No Raven ever is.

Think you can do better?
You're probably right.

Until next week…

5 Keyz: Week 3 Pats vs. Dolphins

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:41:07 -0500

When the 2008 Patriots schedule came out I was somewhat bummed that there weren't many regular season games that got me excited. Part of what made 2007 was laying the smack down upon so many good teams. But now that we have Matt Cassel behind center it's somewhat of a relief to see the 0-2 Dolphins

Week 3 Waiver Suggestions

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:32:31 -0500

The second week of the season is often one of the last weeks in which you can find a sleeper without it being because of an injury to the starter at his position. Here are our waiver suggestions for this week by position.

New England Patriots beat New York Jets ESPN The Blitz

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:14:21 -0500

New England Patriots beat New York Jets ESPN The Blitz

Bostonian Of The Week

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:46:43 -0500

Each week we'll pick a Bostonian who has made news (good or bad) during the week. Illustrator Mike Briggs will provide a caricature of the week's winner or loser. This weeks Bostonian of the Week is Tom Brady. It seemed too hot for football season to be starting, but it was. The fans were

NFL News and Fantasy Football Views - Week 2

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:54:31 -0500

You know what Bruno Boys Nation, we waited months for Week 1 to come and as soon as it did, it seemed like it was over with a snap of the fingers! Although the games flew by that doesn't mean that there wasn't much going on in the NFL. As a matter of fact this Week 1 created many topics to discuss, amongst them being Tom Brady's injury, Donovan McNabb's stellar week, the Jacksonville Jaguars depleted offensive line, and Michael Turner's scorcher against our hapless Detroit Lions. So nestle snugly into your computer chair, close the doors, and turn off the phones! It is time once again for another edition of Newz and Viewz from two whacky, insane, Detroit Lions fans, Bruno Boys Larry and Bruno Boys Ziza! ------------------------ NFL Newz: Tom Brady left the game Sunday with a knee injury which will require surgery and keep him out for the rest of the season. Bruno Boys Ziza Viewz: This is not only a major blow to the New England Patriots, this is a major blow to the fantasy football world... To read more, click the link...

Let's Meet The Man Replacing "The Man"...Matt Cassel

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:15:07 -0500

When Tom Brady went down, my hopes and dreams for the Patriots winning the Super Bowl pretty much went down the drain. While I think they can still be decent without TB, we are stuck with an unknown Matt Cassel. Well here's a few things we know about Cassel... -He backed up Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC -He started one game in college, as a tight end -He was on a 1994 Little League World Series team -He loves getting drunk and performing Backstreet Boys songs -The man can dance 1st video to see the drunk karaoke 2nd to see Cassel beat WR Kelley Washington at Kevin Faulk's charity softball game

Fantasy Football Week 1 Waiver Wire

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:14:41 -0500

One of the greatest days of the sports calendar is the first day of regular season NFL games and yesterday's games did not disappoint. We saw huge days by up and coming players like Michael Turner and Anthony Fasano, poor performances from guys like Carson Palmer, and injuries to others like Tom Brady. So, after the first week, perhaps that fantasy roster of yours isn't looking too good. But that's why we're here with the first installment of the weekly waiver wire. This weekly list not only helps fill holes in your roster, it can help you find valuable starters available as free agents right now in your league. Last year's week 1 waiver wire picks included fantasy studs David Garrard, Jay Cutler, Wes Welker, Mason Crosby and the Green Bay Packers DEF/ST. Players included on the "watch list" are players that may not warrant a pick up right away, but are guys to keep your eyes on. Also, with two Monday Night Football games there will be a special edition Tuesday Morning Waiver Wire on players involved in those games, so be sure to check back to www.brunoboys.net for the most up to date waiver wire candidates. So without further ado, here is the Week 1 Waiver Wire. Enjoy. To read who you should grab on the waiver wire, click the link.

Pats Roster Catch-Up

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:48:25 -0500

There's never a dull moment for Patriots fans and the past few days have been no exception. Most teams cut their roster down to 52 players at the deadline and that's it, they're ready to go for the season.But not the Pats. They got their roster down to 53 (Kevin Faulk not counting because of his one week suspension) on Saturday, but continued to make a number of moves over the long weekend. While most teams are solely focused on their week one game, the Patriots are still working on making their roster as strong as it can possibly be from their best player all the way down to their practice squad players. This is why the Patriots win as much as they do. Just look at the flurry of activity done after the roster had supposedly already been set:Chad Jackson cut. John Lynch cut. Signed CB Deltha O'Neal. Steven Spach cut. Claimed a tackle and a tight end off waivers from other teams. Placed waiver claims on at least three offensive lineman (who ended up going to other teams).Just another few days at the office for the Pats.So what can we gather from all the moves made over the long weekend?Chad "The Chad" Jackson can in fact now be labeled a bust. From the sound of it, John Lynch will likely be back with the team after week one. It is widely rumored that he was released so that the Pats would not have to guarantee his full salary, a concession that veterans get if they are on the roster for week one.Deltha O'Neal is a quality pickup. He was bumped to third on the Bengals cornerback depth chart last year, but he's been to two Pro Bowls and, at 31, should still have something left in the tank. This guarantees we won't live or die based on how a rookie cornerback performs.The Pats are still working to add to their offensive line depth, especially at the Guard position. Expect there to be at least another move made in this area in the next couple of days.Overall it's business as usual for the boys in blue, and that's what makes them so much fun to follow even when they haven't played a meaningful game since February.

Reports Say Jordan Making a Push to be the Pats Number Two Back

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:35:16 -0500

The Pats backup RB job may be leaning towards former Jets and Raiders RB LaMont Jordan, who has been impressive since joining the team. ProFootballWeekly is reporting that Jordan is making a strong bid to be the number two, and with the injury record for Laurence Maroney, he's one play away from being the feature back. The team will need Jordan in week one, as they will be without RB Kevin Faulk, who will serve a one-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. Don't forget that Jordan got off to a hot start with the Raiders in 2007 before falling out of favor with the coaching staff.