http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/3557 Recent articles about Matt Stover en-us Stover is convinced that heA's been thinking too much instead of just booting the football. He has been errant on all of his kicks beyond 40 yards.... Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:19:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348702 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348702 Stover is convinced that heA's been thinking too much instead of just booting the football. He has been errant on all of his kicks beyond 40 yards.... Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:18:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348467 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348467 Anyone who doesn't think a kicker is an important part of a football team needs to talk the New Orleans Saints. After Reggie Bush returned two second half punts for touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night the Saints were in position to take a three-point lead with under two minutes to go. Then Martin Gramatica did the unthinkable and missed his second field goal of the game. This left the Vikings in decent field position with plenty of time to get themselves into position for a field goal and Minnesota kicker Ryan Longwell hit the game winner with 13 seconds left. This was the second time this season Gramatica missed a crucial kick that could have won the game for the Saints. If not for Gramatica the Saints could be 4-1 instead of 2-3, which they are now. Is it a surprise that the Saints have placed Gramatica on injured reserve for the remainder of the season? We think not. Kickers can be just as important to a fantasy football team. Bruno Boys Fantasy Football has preached all year not to overlook your kicker, just a few points often decide fantasy football games. As such, please enjoy the Bruno Boys Week 6 Kicker Rankings. ---------------------- 1. Nick Folk (Dallas Cowboys) @ Arizona The Cowboys and Cardinals both can score points in bunches and with both defenses allowing 20 plus points a game, we should have a shootout in the desert. Look for Nick Folk to have a big week. Point projection: 11 points ---------------------- TO FIND OUT WHERE THE REST OF THE KICKERS RANK IN WEEK 6, CLICK THE LINK Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:59:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348084 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348084 This Sunday at 1pm, the Baltimore Ravens will travel in Indianapolis to take on Peyton Manning and the Colts. See our game preview on ravens365.com Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:26:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347782 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347782 The Ravens lost another close game to another good opponent. Having lost 2 in a row and now sitting at 2-0, their season is on the brinka?? Quarterback: D+ Flacco seemed disconnected from the rest of the offense. While he never got flustered, and never got sacked, he was unable to help the offense in any meaningful [...] Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:18:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346031 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346031 Apologies on the fact that these thoughts aren't quite as quick as usuala?? it's been a long and interesting weekend, capped by a frustrating game to be sure. Brief, but still herea?? and building on what Andrew said. Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:36:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/345254 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/345254 Great fantasy football links from around the web and some picks of my own. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:26:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/344499 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/344499 It's that time againa?? lay your football expertise and reputation on the linea?? The Titans are coming to Baltimore with the same old coach, but a lot of new faces, and trying to continue their strong start to 5-0. Meanwhile, the Ravens are trying to rebound from a tough road loss to the Steelers, and [...] Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:04:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/344217 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/344217 Sometimes it takes time to make a decision. I mean, just look at the whole Matt Millen fiasco in Detroit. Lions' owner William Clay Ford, really wanted to be sure that Millen was not the guy who would lead the Lions to the promise land before parting ways. It took a 31 - 81 record and 7 years before Ford realized it, but finally the right decision has been made. You though cannot take seven years to decide on your week 4 starters and sitters, but don't worry, we'll help speed up the decision making process. All you need to do is read through the Week 4 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em report below. -------------------- QUARTERBACKS - START 'EM Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals) vs. Cleveland Ok, I guess it's only fair we give Palmer some love in the Start 'Em & Sit 'Em after bashing him the previous two weeks, but it doesn't mean we have to like it. After a miserable opening to the season in which he went for 2 and 1 fantasy points, Palmer gave all those who stuck with him something to smile about as he worked a tough Giants pass D to the tune of 286 yards and 1 TD. Perhaps the Bengals can now start righting the ship. To do so, Palmer will have to play more like he did in the Bengals first match-up with the Browns in 2007 (401 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs) than the second (115 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs). We think he falls somewhere in the middle, meaning a solid start is in store. TO FIND OUT WHO THE OTHER STARTS & SITS ARE FOR WEEK 4, CLICK THE LINK Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:06:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/339382 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/339382 What an exciting start we have had to this NFL football season. There have been many ups and downs. Quarterbacks like Jay Cutler and Phillip Rivers have come into their own right before our eyes, while Tom Brady has been lost for the season and Peyton Manning has struggled to return to form from off-season surgery. Rookies like Matt Forte, Chris Johnson, Steve Slaton, Jonathan Stewart, and Darren McFadden all have shown the potential to be stars in this league. While many fantasy football weeks, even seasons may hinge on the production of skill players like the ones mentioned above, any veteran fantasy footballer knows that it takes a complete team to win a championship. Many fantasy football games are decided by a few points, so not only do you need to make sure you start the right skill players, you better make sure you start the best possible option as kicker. That being said, please enjoy the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Week 4 Kicker Rankings! -------------------- 1. Nate Kaeding (San Diego Chargers) @ Oakland Kaeding is 5 for 5 on field goal attempts the last two weeks for a total of 24 points. Now, the Chargers head to Oakland to play a Raiders team that fell apart in the 4th quarter in a week 3 loss to the Bills. Kaeding should once again post double-digit points as the Chargers will continue to pour on the hurt on Oakland. Point Projection: 11 points -------------------- TO FIND OUT WHERE THE REST OF THE KICKERS RANK THIS WEEK, CLICK THE LINK... Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:57:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/339379 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/339379 The things change, the more they stay the same. The Baltimore Ravens used hard hitting defense and a potent ground game to pocket their second win of the season over divisional rival, the Cleveland Browns 28-10. The defense was stifling in the second half holding their opponent 22 total yards and picking off Derek Anderson twice. One by Chris McAlister led to a Le?Ron McClain score and the other by Ed Reed was taken back 32 yards for a second touchdown. The outburst led to a twenty one point third quarter that allowed the Ravens to take the lead for good. Perhaps it was the week long layoff but Baltimore started a bit sluggish as Matt Stover missed a 48 yard field goal and the Browns led at halftime 10-7. There could have been several places that the team may have drawn inspiration from to spur their comeback. Just before the half, Strong Safety Dawan Landry was attempting a tackle on Jamal Lewis and crumpled to the turf. He was taken away on a stretcher and was diagnosed with a spinal cord concussion as players huddled around in prayer hoping for good news. A CT scan at a nearby hospital indicated he would later be okay. But the real cause was plays on the field. Ray Lewis hit Kellen Winslow with a bone rattling spear tackle that caused the first interception on the third play of the third quarter. This seemed to set the tone the defense was looking for. The win for the Ravens put them at 2-0 and the unlikely leader in the AFC North. It also sets up another pivotal game as the team travels to Pittsburgh next Monday night. For the Browns, at 0-3 they still must search for answers as the hope of a promising season is starting to slip away. Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:21:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/336583 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/336583 Phew…. what a game that was!!! The atmosphere in the stadium was electric throughout… the only lag coming in the mid-second quarter, but quickly rejuvenated by a stunning start to the 3rd. Here's what I see right off the bat… Joe Flacco made a few mistakes… but he never lost his confidence and he rebounded by [...] Sun, 21 Sep 2008 20:56:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/336286 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/336286 In addition to our weekly Fantasy Reports, which can be read at www.extremeravens.com or via the message boards, OneWinningDrive is going to be giving a little fantasy breakdown for the Ravens' game each week. Between predictions and fantasy analysis, it's all good… Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:06:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/334556 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/334556 After having some time to digest the whole situation over the last few days I'm still scratching my head over the NFL's decision to postpone the game between the Texans and Ravens to November, while playing the Bye Week shuffle with both teams as well as the Bengals. First, let me start by saying that any time a natural disaster hits, football is secondary. You need to make sure that people are safe and that the venue that the players will be appearing in will be free of worry as well. With the expected power outages and helping those that chose not to evacuate the area would have plenty on its plate. That being said I'd rather take a look at the other options that could have been pursued and I can better outline my problem with the league's decision. Option #1 : The game could have been moved to Baltimore. Not a likely option. Even though there is precedent for it in 2005 when the Giants hosted the Saints for an "away" game after Hurricane Katrina and M & T is a football only venue. It doesn't seem like it would take much to do it but there was media and fan backlash over the Saints losing a home game and it didn't feel like the correct thing to do. So that's out. Option #2 : Move the game to a neutral site in Texas or the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Again there is precedence for this and it could have been possible to obtain those venues and work out a package with the Texans to recover lost revenues. This would have been in the interest of maintaining competitive balance. Isn't that what the schedule should be about? I know that in some ways it is impossible with the at-large games around the league but after a team plays it's division twice that was why the league went to a rotation. The AFC North plays the NFC East and AFC South, for example. By not choosing this option the league made it clear that they sided with Texas management who refused to give up their home game. I hate to sound cold but if your venue is unfit then the league must decide what is in the league's best interest where to hold the game. Option #3 : Switch the game to an alternate date and switch the BYE Weeks of the team's involved. This is league's option and this is why it stinks. First the competitive balance argument that I discussed. Let me start with the Ravens, by having their bye week in week two it isn't a bye week. They prepared for a game and as late as Friday still thought the game would be played Monday. They will not have an opportunity to rest and will play the next 15 weeks in a row, as well as 6 out of 8 on the road to make a difficult schedule just that much harder. Second, would this be the best decision for the players. Player rep for the Ravens, kicker Matt Stover said this, "We don't want to go to some neutral site or even cancel the game. In fact, as a player rep, I really don't want that because that would be our bye, and that's not good for us. We want to make sure, as a team, we play the game in Houston on Monday night and come back with a win." I have yet to hear any reaction from the players yet but they can't be happy. Third switching the game to Monday seemed like a good idea. But money once again rears its head as ESPN/ABC has exclusive TV rights on Monday nights. That means NFL Direct Ticket is shut out. ESPN could waive it but why would they? It seems odd that everyone who was near a television knew by Thursday that this was a dire situation with serious implications for the area. A plan should have been decided by Thursday night but the league waited for a conference call by 5 PM Saturday. I have it on good authority that Roger Goodell was not a part of that call, which means they already had a decision they just needed to cross the T's. Finally this just gives further speculation of a league bias, I don't necessarily subscribe to it but you do have to ask, would this have happened to the Dallas-Philly game? Would it happen to the Giants or Patriots? I'm not sure and I don't want to go that route with this but can anyone answer that question. So, the Ravens are left to get ready for their next divisional opponent and the two teams will meet back up in November. The deal is done and football moves on but the season is still young and I will be interested to see if this decision means anything at all as we get closer to December. Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:36:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332954 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332954 The first week of NFL and fantasy football is in the books, and boy, does it feel good to have football back. Many of us didn't move from in front of the TV or the computer all day long on Sunday. Fantasy football was finally here and no one was going to ruin it for us. Our families know by now that the opening day of the NFL is like a holiday for football fans all over the world, especially us fantasy football fanatics. With the first week in the books, it's now time to start preparing for week 2. Not only should you should be scouring your leagues waiver wire looking for the hot free agents. You need to evaluate your own players and see how they stack up this week. The best way to do this is to check in with the Bruno Boys for our Weekly Positional Rankings. Many fantasy football games come down to a few points, so you need to make sure you start the best possible player at each position and yes this includes your kicker. Please enjoy the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Week 2 Kicker Rankings! -------------------- 1. Nick Folk (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Philadelphia This has game of the week potential and it's on Monday night. The Eagles and Cowboys both had offensive explosions in week 1. This should be a high scoring affair and Folk will benefit from it, kicking his way to the top spot. Point projection: 11 points To read where the rest of the kickers rank, click the link... Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:40:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/331773 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/331773