Yardbarker: Morten Andersen

When Last They Met…

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:09:03 -0500

The Vikings and Colts meet today for the first time since 2004, when they squared off on a Monday night in November in Indy. It may shock you to learn that Peyton Manning didn't pass for over 300 yards that game - he only managed 268…with four touchdowns. The Colts jumped out to a 14-0 lead in

Create The Caption #251

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:03:44 -0500

(Usually) Everyday I'll throw out a photo from the AP or one of the bigger sites and you provide the caption. Hilarity ensues. I'm also adding a handful of links at the bottom of the page that you should check out each day.

Yesterday's Winners....

"This is an absolute disgrace. You should all be ashamed with your performance tonight. You clearly have no idea how to fight."- pickitup

"You all are a complete disgrace to Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball."- G-Money

"Ladies, we're supposed to be just like the NBA, this being the Palace and all one of you better get in those stands and punch a fan."- Frank M.

"Ladies, I said walk off the court just like Isaiah and I did after the Bulls swept us in 1991! Be a rich spoiled coward like me!"- Anon
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Are you funny enough to create a caption for this photo of OJ Mayo chatting up Kobe during a break at Team USA practice?

Daily Links:

Iraq Is Banned From The Olympics (BBC)
ESPN Personality Trivia (Simon on Sports)
You Have To Apply To Protest In China (Steady Burn)
Redskins Players Go Tubbing (DC Sports Bog)
Favre Makes A Comeback Via Madden 2009 (BMDP)
Who's Playing The Halftime Show Of The Super Bowl? (Food Court Lunch)
The MLS Has An All Star Game? (Beautiful Game)
A List Of The Best Sports Bars (Love of Sports)
Parity Isn't A Bad Thing (I'm Writing Sports)
The Cavs To Seattle? (The Money Shot)
All You Can Eat Hockey! (Small White Ball)
Morten Andersen Is Awesome (You Been Blinded)

Morten Andersen Lets His Hands Do The Talking

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:20:01 -0500

I don’t speak Danish so I can’t understand what former NFL kicker Morten Andersen is saying, but he’s holding his balls while getting his point across so it’s automatically funny. If I had to guess I’d say the NFL’s all-time leading scorer ripped a page from Shaq’s book and is going with some sort of [...]

Morten Andersen Lets His Hands Do The Talking

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:20:01 -0500

Amazing Victories in Jaguars History (#4 - #1)

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:50:38 -0500

Today we conclude with our five-part series where we identify the 20 most thrilling wins in Jaguars history. Check back every day this week as we revisit 4 amazing victories per day. Be sure to leave us comments about what you remember about those games. Enjoy! #4 | 1/15/00 vs. Miami Dolphins (Divisional Round) / 62-7: The Jaguars had the best record in the league at 14-2 in 1999, and they were awarded the #1 seed and home field advantage. The first order of business was to welcome the Miami Dolphins to Jacksonville in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. It turned into a fish fry really quick. The Jaguars led 24-0 after one quarter, 41-7 at the half, and eventually had 62 points by the end, which are the second-most points scored in NFL postseason history and the most scored in an AFC playoff game. The 55-point margin of victory is the second-largest for an NFL postseason game, second only to the Chicago Bears' 73-0 victory over the Washington Redskins in 1940. RB Fred Taylor also provided a highlight 90-yard touchdown run that remains the longest touchdown in playoff history. It was a sad exit for one of the NFL's all-time great quarterbacks as QB Dan Marino was only 11-for-25 for 95 yards. #3 | 12/28/96 vs. Buffalo Bills (Wild Card Round) / 30-27: The Jaguars had made the improbable happen by winning the last 5 regular season games and clinching a wild card berth. The first destination? A date with the Bills where Buffalo had never lost a playoff game at Rich Stadium. The Bills players did not take the Jaguars seriously. According to excerpts from "Jags to Riches" by Pete Prisco and John Oehser, RB Thurman Thomas commented, "Jacksonville who?" QB Jim Kelly said on his television show that the Bills had a huge edge over the Jaguars because they had not seen the K-Gun no-huddle offense before, even though the Ravens ran the same offense and lost twice in '96 to the Jaguars. LB Sam Rogers told the Buffalo News that the Jaguars would be shell-shocked by the Rich Stadium crowd. The Jaguars did not blink, and it was the Bills who got shell-shocked. The "no-name" Jaguars LT Tony Boselli completely shut down All-World DE Bruce Smith. RB Natrone Means pounded the rock for 31 carries and 175 rushing yards. QB Jim Kelly was knocked out of the game late, and backup QB Todd Collins was not a factor as the Jaguars upset the Bills 30-27. Jacksonville who? They knew after that December day. #2 | 1/4/97 vs. Denver Broncos (Divisional Round) / 30-27: Even with beating the Bills on the road in the Wild Card round the week before, the Jaguars did not earn many believers heading into Denver for the Divisional Round game versus the 13-3 Broncos. The Jaguars (or "JagWads" as Denver columnist Woody Paige dubbed the team) were 13.5 point underdogs to John Elway and company. It started off like maybe the Jaguars did not belong on this stage after all, as the Broncos got out to a 12-0 lead after the 1st quarter. But the Jaguars would tack on 23 unanswered points to quietly take a 23-12 lead. The Broncos were stifled by the Jaguars defense. RB Natrone Means continued his bruising running attack, carrying the rock 21 times for 140 yards. Elway refused to give up, and he pulled the Broncos to within 23-20 with about 7 minutes left in the game. The ensuing drive solidified QB Mark Brunell's nickname as "Miracle Mark" as he had a legendary 29-yard scramble deep into Broncos territory. A few plays, Brunell threaded a beautiful touchdown pass to WR Jimmy Smith to give the "JagWads" a 30-20 lead with just over 3 minutes remaining. Elway got a quick Broncos touchdown in typical two-minute fashion that has always made Elway a legend. But an onside kick was recovered by the Jaguars, and David truly slayed Goliath. The miracle train that was the '96 season kept on rolling right to the AFC Championship Game. #1 | 12/22/96 vs. Atlanta Falcons / 19-17: The 8-7 Jaguars were riding a 4-game winning streak as they prepared for the season finale with the dismal 3-12 Atlanta Falcons. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the first playoff berth in franchise history, and things started out great as Jacksonville took a 13-3 lead at halftime. The Jaguars were already getting help from Buffalo as they were rolling over Kansas City. The stars were aligning for something special. The Jaguars tacked on another field goal 16-3, and the playoff fever was starting to spread through the Jacksonville crowd. But by the end of the 3rd quarter the Falcons were making things interesting, pulling to within 16-10. K Mike Hollis would nail a 42-yard field goal off the upright to pad the lead 19-10. The Jaguars defense seemed lackadaisical as they allowed the Falcons right back into the game. Atlanta completed a 12-play, 77-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown run by RB Craig "Ironhead" Heyward. The lead suddenly was only two points with just less than 6 minutes to play, and the Jacksonville crowd was getting worried. The Jaguars' next drive stalled, and the Falcons got the ball back. Just like the previous drive, Atlanta moved with ease through the Jaguars' defense. The Falcons made it all the way down to the Jaguars' 13-yard line, called timeout with just seconds on the clock, and sent in one of the most sure-footed kickers in the history of the game: Morten Andersen. The snap was good. But Andersen planted his foot and slipped! The kick sailed wide left, and the Jaguars miraculously escaped 19-17 to begin their first trip into the playoffs.

Amazing Victories in Jaguars History (#8 - #5)

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:41:32 -0500

Today we continue with our five-part series where we identify the 20 most thrilling wins in Jaguars history. Check back every day this week as we revisit 4 amazing victories per day. Be sure to leave us comments about what you remember about those games. Enjoy! #8 | 12/10/06 vs. Indianapolis Colts / 44-17: The Jaguars stormed out of the gates and never looked back in this game in which the Colts were absolutely thumped. On the Jaguars' first possession, RB Fred Taylor ran 76 yards from the Jacksonville 6-yard to the Indianapolis 18-yard line. One play later, rookie sensation RB Maurice Jones-Drew pounded his way into the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown score. And that was only the beginning as the Jaguars ran for 375 yards on the day as a team, tying the second-most rushing yards in one game since the AFL-NFL merger. QB David Garrard did not have to do much, only passing for 76 yards. But the Jaguars shredded the Colts 44-17 on the strength of its running game and run defense. Ironically, the Jaguars would lose their next three games and miss the playoffs, while Indianapolis did not lose another game en route to the Super Bowl title. #7 | 9/22/97 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers / 29-21: The Jaguars were 2-0 as they headed into their Week 4 game against the Steelers. It was the Jaguars' first appearance on Monday night football, surely the result of their incredible run to the '96 AFC Championship Game. The big news of the game is that QB Mark Brunell was returning to the starting lineup after sustaining a knee injury in the preseason. Brunell came out slinging the ball to the tune of 303 yards and 1 touchdown. The fireworks at the end of the game provided the real drama. With :06 left in the game, the Jaguars held a slim 23-21 lead, and Pittsburgh K Norm Johnson was lining up for a 40-yard field goal. But the snap was low and it was blocked by DE Clyde Simmons. Jaguars S Chris Hudson scooped up the ball and returned it 58 yards for a game-clinching touchdown. The iconic moment was caught on tape as head coach Bill Cowher pretended to deck Hudson as he was running down the sideline to seal the 30-21 victory. #6 | 12/20/03 vs. New Orleans Saints / 20-19: The significance of this game was huge on three fronts: QB Mark Brunell's last game in a Jaguars uniform, a stellar running display by RB Fred Taylor to the tune of 194 yards on the ground, and, of course, the River City Relay. With the Jaguars leading 20-13 and :06 remaining, Saints WR Donte Stallworth caught a 42-yard pass from QB Aaron Brooks, broke a couple of tackles and threw a lateral across the field to WR Michael Lewis at the Jaguars' 33. Lewis went 7 yards and pitched it back to RB Deuce McAllister, who got 5 yards and threw across the field to WR Jerome Pathon. With the help of a good block by Brooks, Pathon ran 21 yards to the end zone for a touchdown score. The Jaguars were stunned. K John Carney lined up for the extra point attempt…..and shanked it to the right. No good! The Jaguars edged the Saints 20-19, as thoughts of the '96 game versus Atlanta ran through the minds of Jaguars fans and players familiar with the name "Morten Andersen." #5 | 1/5/08 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Wild Card Round) / 31-29: The Jaguars had just been to Pittsburgh three weeks earlier when RB Fred Taylor scorched the Steelers for 147 rushing yards and a game-clinching touchdown. It was the only regular season home loss for the Steelers. Now the Jaguars not only had to beat the Steelers again on their home turf in Pittsburgh but also beat the odds facing them: no team had ever won in Pittsburgh twice in the same season. The Jaguars thumbed their noses at history on this day, as they jumped out to a commanding 28-10 lead. Much like the game against Pittsburgh three weeks before, the Jaguars let the Steelers back into the contest in the 4th quarter, and suddenly, Pittsburgh was up 29-28. But as the San Francisco 49ers franchise has "The Catch" in their team lore, the Jaguars would have "The Run" in this Wild Card game. Facing a 4th and 2, QB David Garrard would take the snap and run a quarterback draw for 32 yards to the Pittsburgh 11-yard line. The Steelers had to use all their timeouts to stop the clock. With :40 left, K Josh Scobee booted a 25-yard field goal to give the Jaguars a 31-29 lead. On the next drive, QB Ben Roethlisberger was sacked and fumbled the ball away to Jacksonville, sealing the first playoff win since 1999 for the franchise.