Week 4 marked the turning point of the 2012 NFL season for a handful of teams—a bad turning point.While some teams showed that they have what it takes to compete down the stretch, others showed that they are going to be irrelevant before that grind comes.This Sunday's set of games wasn't as close as last week's, which is a sign that parity across the league is dissipating.Here are three teams that left their fans wanting more after Week 4. New York Jets: 34-0 Loss to San Francisco 49ersThe New York Jets were one of the teams that showed it will be a ...
There should be no more questions about Peyton Manning. Last week he struggled a bit in the first half against the Houston Texans, but Manning was able to make it close with a furious comeback in the second half, only to fall short with the Denver Broncos losing 31-25.Today he left no doubt as he guided his Broncos to a 37-6 win over the Oakland Raiders in Denver.To be fair, the Raiders have a depleted secondary, although Manning still looked crisp and in mid-season form. There should be no buts when talking about his performance today.Manning finished the day with ...
The best part about this game for the Oakland Raiders is that it ended. Oakland lost 37-6 and it could have easily been worse. The Raiders were dominated in nearly every aspect of the game including total yardage (503-237) and time of possession (37:25 to 22:35). Amazingly, the Raiders caused the only game's only turnover, though to be fair, Demaryius Thomas all but handed it over to Oakland's defense losing the ball while streaking towards the end zone after a perfect wide-receiver screen. Needing to rush Peyton Manning, the defense barely breathed on him, failing to record a sack.On the flip ...
Since Jose Canseco’s Independent baseball career seems to be on hiatus, rumors are running rampant that Canseco is now interested in becoming a WWE social ambassador or a TNA Superstar. It is extremely unlikely that any of this will actually happen—but what the heck, the guy sure knows how to make headlines. A couple of weeks ago, Canseco started having a Twitter battle with the Iron Shiek. After reading the transcription on Deadspin, I’m positive you will shake your head in disbelief. Since then, Canseco tried contacting the WWE on Twitter, wanting to become their social ambassador. ...
Walking the leadoff batter almost always spells trouble.Such was the case on Saturday, September 29, when Oakland Athletics starter Dan Straily walked Seattle Mariners designated hitter John Jaso to open the top of the second. Although when Justin Smoak hit a hard grounder right at Brandon Moss, the walk appeared to become harmless.Moss stepped on first for one and threw to shortstop Stephen Drew at second for two. Two outs, nobody on. The walk never occurred. The only problem is that Moss's throw was errant, and Jaso popped up from his slide and headed toward third. Yoenis Cespedes came up ...
As I first wrote back in July for Bleacher Report, the Oakland Athletics are the best show in baseball. Seriously, if the A's are playing, watch them. Win or lose, it will be a spectacular show.Take the game played today, Sept. 29. It looked like the A's were going to go quietly and let the Seattle Mariners get the best of them. Going into the bottom of the 8th inning, Seattle was up 4-1 and cruising to a win.Jason Vargas pitched seven strong innings and Seattle manager Eric Wedge handed the ball to the bullpen.Then the A's gave whichever fans ...
Andre Carter has signed with the Oakland Raiders, and it is a great acquisition for the Silver and Black.Per Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle:
The defensive end signed with the Raiders on Wednesday, potentially an answer to their pass-rushing problems. The Raiders worked out Carter twice, once in training camp. "I was ready the first workout and they saw what they needed to see," Carter said. "They were just honest with me saying, 'Hey, we're still kind of figuring out what needs to be done, but continue to stay in shape.'"
With that said, let's look at a few reasons why Carter's addition to ...
MLB contenders have just six games to play in the 2012 regular season as they jostle for the remaining playoff berths.At this late stage of the season, we determine the strength of each team's schedule by individual matchups. Between pitchers and batters, catcher and baserunners, outfielders and ballpark dimensions, etc.My focus is on the playoff chase, so let's ignore the four National League clubs that have already punched their tickets to the postseason. Also, the AL's Texas Rangers can taste the champagne with the potential to lock up a spot on Friday night.But that still leaves 10 others vying for ...
Bob Melvin may preach one game at a time to a young team yet to officially clinch a playoff spot, but someone within the system should be preemptively planning the 25-man roster just in case. At 88-68, the A's are in a good position to fight for the wild card (they're currently in second). But first, they'll need to get through the Texas Rangers (four games up in the AL West standings) and the pesky Seattle Mariners, who look to play spoiler. Oh, and they'll also need to hold off the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who are just two ...
The Oakland Raiders' defense has been, so far, a complete mystery. On paper, the defensive side is very talented. Up front, the Raiders have one of the best defensive lines. Richard Seymour is one of the best defensive players of the decade. Tommy Kelly and Matt Shaughnessy are dangerous weapons while Philip Wheeler has given the Raider Nation a lot to cheer about. The back end of the defense, however, has seen more changes than the Bay Area weather. Oh course, this means that the obvious first-round pick for the next coming season would be a defensive back. However, I ...