Todd Haley has his plate full. Luckily it's not full of leftovers. posted by Chad Martin

Todd Haley has chance this year to prove to everybody he can be a head coach in the NFL.  However the chance he took is on a team that went 2-14 last season and couldn't ever seem to find rythem offensively.  I've got to give them man credit.  He's got a lot courage and confidence in himself to take the reigns over for a team that most coaches shyed away from leading last year.  Haley was in the spotlight last year around the time that him and wide reciever had gotten into on the sideline.  Haley seemed to handle the matter with good authority and that is exactly what we need in the Chiefs organization.

Last season Todd Haley and the Cardinals offense orchestrated an attack on the Steelers that I'm not sure they were ready for.  After the outcome they couldn't quite get the job done but that offense that Arizona ran in the 4th quater was a high powered, gun slinging, pass happy squad that nearly brought down the Steel Curtain.  Granted they did have maybe the best reciever in the game on the field, Larry Fitzgerald.  But just because the Chiefs don't posses some of the high talented tools that Haley had in Arizona we still have quite a few that could get us started out on the right foot such as Dwayne Bowe, Larry Johnson, and Jamal Charles.  With Haley's "in your face" approach to the game he could kick these young players into the shape they need to be to compete at a level he had the Cardinals at last season.

Haley won't get an easy start at his new job by any means this season.  His first test will be in Baltimore against the legendary Ravens' defense. He really did take on a tough job.  But at least if he wins more than two games he'd being doing better than the horrid Herm Edwards.  The Ravens defense lost a couple of their key players this offseason Bart Scott and Chris McCallister and their mastermind behind the stout defense, Rex Ryan.  However, the Ravens' D has remained impectable over the past ten years so I wouldn't be surprised to see them just as tough as ever.  But this is the year folks, I say it every year and I not going to stop now.  With all the additions to the organization, I can't help but to my head up high with optimism for next year when we'll have an offense that isn't as slow and defense that decides to move on third down.  Yes, ladies and gentleman you may call me crazy but I don't care because if there's one thing you have to call me it's a fan. A real fan. And I hope you all are as well and will be there with me this year yelling and screaming.  Through the good times and bad.  But no matter what stay loud and proud because no matter how good they'll be this year they'll always need they're 12th man.

Why Ben Roethlisberger Will be the Next Comeback King posted by Rob Preston

During the 2008-2009 season, an encouraging pattern appeared.  The Steelers would start the game well, at some point fall behind, and in the 4th quarter, Big Ben would engineer a game winning drive.  This phenomena reared its head during the regular season, but in the biggest game of the year, Super Bowl XLIII.  Why is the leader of such a sub par offense (22nd in the league during the regular season) the engineer of so many come from behind wins? When examined, two major reasons can be found.

The biggest reason can be seen when you look at the common strategy of teams who have a lead late in the 4th quarter.  Teams always want to milk the clock by running the ball.  What do the steelers do best?  They stop the run. This gives Ben plenty of chances to have a game winning drive at the end of the quarter.  While having a chance is always nice, a clutch quarterback still needs to make the plays to win the game.  So why did the 17th ranked passing offense always seem to come through?  Ben's mastery of the no-huddle offense.

While Ben's numbers do not inspire much awe, falling below 20th in most major passing statistics, his numbers in the no-huddle are amazing. Whether it be against an elite defense like Baltimore, or on the biggest stage during Super Bowl XLIII, when Big Ben starts using the no-huddle, good things happen.  Could it be because he has less time to think and is more instinctive?  Who knows?  Who cares?  While Ben may not be the most glamorous QB in the league, he fits the Pittsburgh mantra perfectly, he takes his licks all game, and in the end he finds a way to get the job done.

BALTIMORE RAVENS posted by s.41510

WILL COACH HARBAUGH  LET UP OFF PLAYERS NECKS THIS SEASON,OR WILL HE CONTINUE TO BE THE FRANK KUSH OF THE NEW ERA. THE PLAYERS ON THIS TEAM ARE ALL VERY TALENTED AND WITH OUT A DOUBT A FEW OF THEM ARE NOT VERY RESPONSABLE. ON THE OTHER HAND THEY ARE ALL GROWN MEN AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TREAT THEM AS SUCH,BUT WE CANT. THESE GUYS MAKE MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS,BUT THAT DONT MEAN THAT THEY OWE US FANS ANYTHING. I GET SO TIRED OF SO CALLED FANS ACTING LIKE BECAUSE THEY ARE RICH THEY OWE US SOMETHING WHEN THEY DONT. IM NOT THE ONE WHO CAN LOSE MY CAREER AT THE END OF ANY SINGLE PLAY.SEE WE AS FANS ACT AS THOUGH ITS OUR MONEY,HEY MY NAME IS NOT STEVE BIS,WELL YOU KNOW.SO RAY LEWIS OWES ME NOTHING BUT A GOOD FOOTBALL GAME AND THATS IT NOTHING ELSE.WELL,EXCEPT THE $80.00 I SPENT ON DINNER AT THE FULL MOON CAFE.THAT STUFF WAS HORRIBLE LMAO.BUT OTHER THEN THAT NOTHING.SO IF HE WANTED $100,000,000.00 FOR HIS NEW CONTRACT I COULD CARE LESS GIVE IT TO HIM.BECAUSE ALL YOU OUT THERE WHO CRIED FOUL WOULDA DID THE EXACT SAME THING IF IT WAS YOU AND YOU ALL KNOW ITS TRUE. SO STOP CRYING OUT THERE EVERYTIME A PLAYER SAYS OR DO SOMETHING DUMB.WE KNOW THERE DUMB SO ARE WE SO THERE. P.E.A.C.E. HOLLA @ YOUR BOYContinue reading "BALTIMORE RAVENS"

Breaking Down the Ravens Schedule, part II posted by Brent Englar

So, ten weeks and nine games into the season, what is it fair to say we have? One probable loss (at New England), four TCOB games (i.e., no excuse for losing, not if you want to be Super Bowl champion: home against KC, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Denver), and an equivalent number of toss-ups (at Cincinnati and Cleveland ... mostly because they're division games, at Minnesota, at San Diego). Leaving us with an intriguing stretch run that features two games against the Super Bowl champions, one game against Peyton Manning and his flying circus, and one game against a team that could very well be looking for its first victory since December 2007.

WEEK 11: VS INDIANAPOLIS (2008 record: 12-4): We haven't beaten the Colts in 6 tries. Any reason to believe it'll happen this time around? For starters, it's an ordinary, Sunday-afternoon home game: no playoffs, no prime time, no special meaning for Baltimore fans to get worked up about---just two teams gunning for a victory late in the year. The Colts will be coming off their annual prime time slugfest with New England. So we might be just a little bit fresher (though we'll be coming off a Monday-nighter against Cleveland). Betting on the Ravens in this series is getting to be like betting on the Cubs to win it all ... still, we've got to get a W one of these years. Don't we?

WEEK 12: VS PITTSBURGH (2008 record: 12-4): Well, we asked for it, and we got it---a prime time game at home against the Steelers, after consecutive years under the lights in Pittsburgh. Which basically means we'd better show up and win, before Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh start seeing James Harrison and Ben Roethlisberger every time they close their eyes.

Breaking Down the Ravens Schedule, part I posted by Brent Englar

I haven't blogged since the Super Bowl, and I probably won't blog again for a while (at least not until the draft), but the 2009 schedule was just released, and it's worth taking a quick look at the way the upcoming season breaks down for the hometown team. One thing you can count on, there are games that look easy right now that will look a lot tougher when they get here, and there are games that look tough now that will end up looking much easier. The most one can do, therefore, is to say: IF LAST SEASON'S RESULTS CARRY OVER INTO NEXT SEASON ... which of course they never do.

Still, IF LAST SEASON'S RESULTS CARRY OVER INTO NEXT SEASON, here's how things look right now for the purple and black:

WEEK 1: VS CHIEFS (2008 record: 2-14): There aren't many sweeter ways to open the season than at home against the woeful Chiefs. Matt Cassel gets his first test right away, and even with our aforementioned caveat, a Chiefs win here would qualify as a major upset. Were this game in November or December I might temper my confidence (slightly), but in Week 1, for a team that last played in the AFC Championship game and blew out nearly every inferior team it played in 2008, anything less than total domination by the Ravens would be inexcusable.

WEEK 2: at San Diego (2008 record: 8-8): San Diego's no slouch, last year's .500 record notwithstanding. Presumably Shawne Merriman will be healthy, and they have the talent on both sides of the ball to win this convincingly. But the schedule-makers may have done the Ravens a big favor: In two years under Norv Turner the Chargers are 3-5 in September. They'll talk all summer about starting strong, but it remains to be seen whether they can do it.

Cleveland Browns: Molding a New Team posted by Edward Stefanyak

Well, the first wave of free agency has passed, and the Browns didn't jump in. It appears to me that the Browns don't have a lot of room under the cap to sign high-priced free agents.

Leaving: Kellen Winslow, Joe Jurevicius, Jason Wright, Audra Davis. Is Braylon Edwards next? Next year is a contract year, and it appears that Braylon doesn't want to sign with the Browns again. So, why keep him around when we could get something for him this year? I know...we don't have a lot of quality WRs on the roster. But, if we rely on Braylon's potential, we might as well trade him for draft picks. And if I remember correctly, Braylon couldn't even catch a cold last season. Is Donte Stallworth leaving? After his accident, no one knows his future. Lastly, many experts believe that one of the QBs will be traded. Well, stay tuned.

Arriving: If you don't know by now, we have signed plenty of former NY Jets. One sports writer actually called our team the Cleveland Jets. For instance, we signed David Bowens, LB; Eric Barton, LB; Hank Poteat, CB; and C.J. Mosely, DE. In addition, we signed former Raven, Corey Ivy, CB; Noah Herron, RB; and Bills, Robert Royal, TE. We even bolstered our "O" line with the Bears, John St. Clair, and Seattle's Floyd Womack. Quietly, our team is coming together. Or, is it? Shaun Rogers did not show up for a mini-camp/workouts.

Who's Left: Well, there are plenty of free agents left, and we could use the help at DB, LB, and at WR. Here are some free agents who are still available: Lawyer Milloy, S; Mike Brown, S; Mike McKenzie, CB; Rosevelt Colvin, LB; Brandon Lloyd, WR; Shaun McDonald, WR; and Michael Boulware, S. I'm sure that I missed some names, but these guys caught my eye.

The Sports Don's Sunday Musings: Volume V posted by Christian Mielcarek

OK. So I lied. In last week’s musings I apologized for a sudden lack of blogs due to an increased workload at my paid writing job and I was back, better than ever and writing incessantly. If you haven’t noticed, and I’d be disappointed if you didn’t, another seven days has gone by without a new posting. Well, now, I truly have returned. You have my word. Following this edition of The Sports Don’s Sunday Musings, make sure you tune in later in the week for a blog about the impending superstardom of the Celtics’ Rajon Rondo, a look at the post Seattle Mariner careers of Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez (at the suggestion of my buddy Taco) and whatever else my twisted sports mind can conjure. As always, thank you for your support.

To read any of my past blogs, click here.

1. The only kicker the Baltimore Ravens have ever known was released Thursday. The 41-year old Matt Stover, the lone remaining Raven from the franchise’s move from Cleveland, was informed by management it would be moving in another, and I’m assuming younger, direction. The release of Stover hasn’t left me sleepless, but it once again made it clearly evident that in the NFL’s salary cap age, very few players stay in one place for their entire career, and it’s unfortunate. I appreciate professional sports are a business, and generally, in most respectable businesses, it’s all about taking the necessary steps towards greatness and therefore making more money because of it. My gripe is that there’s something to be said about a guy who spends his entire career with the franchise you root for, makes him feel like a bigger part of your life and a permanent part of your community. He's one of you. Since the majority of my readers are supporters of the Boston sports franchises, I’ll relate this to the Patriots. As of today, ESPN lists 60 players on New England’s current roster. Of those 60, only 12 have spent their entire career with the Pats while having played more than five seasons, and there isn’t much of a guarantee all 12 will be suiting up come Week 1 of 2009. With the release of players around the NFL like Derrick Brooks (14 years with Tampa Bay), Marvin Harrison (13 with Colts) and Fred Taylor (11 with Jags) loyalty doesn’t seem to exist between management and its players without a large financial compromise by the player. I’ll admit, sometimes it is the player’s inability to realize he is not what he once were (i.e. Harrison), but my point is enjoy your favorites while they’re here, because they’ll be an expendable cap casualty before you know it.

Enough Is Enough, Already! posted by Michael Langston Moore

Haven't we all had enough of spygate, already?

I don't condone cheating, in sports or otherwise, but this is just getting ridiculous.

Doesn't Senator Specter have anything else to worry about?  While I do care about fair play in the NFL, I am much more concerned about some of the awful officiating this season than whether or not the Patriots may or may not have benefited from video taping signals.

What's lost in this "controversy" is that while the Patriots did indeed cheat, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has conceeded that opposing coaches are seen waving at the camera on these recently destroyed video tapes.  If this is indeed the case, then this means that coaches within the NFL knew that New England was video taping them.  If this was such a big deal, why wouldn't opposing teams blow the whistle on the Patriots before now?

The truth is that there is a very odd, anti-Patriots bias that has developed over the past year or so.  We know that in this country, people will build you up until you get to the top, and attempt to tear you back down.  With the Patriots, though, I don't get the hate.  It seems people loved the 2000 Baltimore Ravens more than the 2007 Patriots.  A Ravens team that, in the past decade, has been sued and lost over stealing the original helmet logo (the logo changed from the winged, shielded "B" emblem to a Raven head due to a court ruling). 

To Miss Pro Bowl: 2007-08 All-Pro Team posted by Nicholas O'Malley

    I understand that football's a rough game, I played it. But damn, can anyone that's good at it stay healthy? Take a look at the players missing this year's pro bowl, it looks like the 2015-2020 Hall of Fame inductions.

Jamal Williams-DT, San Diego Chargers
Randy Moss- WR, New England Patriots
Antonio Gates- TE, San Diego Chargers
Tom Brady- QB, New England Patriots
Brett Favre- QB, Green Bay Packers
Jonathan Ogden-OT, Baltimore Ravens
Walter Jones- OT, Seattle Seahawks
Patrick Kerney-DE, Seattle Seahawks
Lance Briggs-OLB, Chicago Bears
Tommie Harris-DT, Chicago Bears
Willie Parker-RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Ladainian Tomlinson-RB, San Diego Chargers
Jason Peters-OT, Buffalo Bills
Jason Taylor-OLB, Miami Dolphins
Troy Polamalu-S, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bob Sanders-S, Indianapolis Colts
Sean Taylor-S, Washington Redskins

Of course, there are legitimate reasons to miss the pro bowl (See: Sean Taylor, who's questionable with a mortal bullet wound), but then there's the case of Randy Moss who wasn't even listed on the Super Bowl injury report and got outplayed by 2'5" 15 pound Wes Welker.

This list of players is basically the same thing as a team in Madden 08 with fair trades turned off. You got:

- The 2 New England Patriots that broke touchdown records in their respective categories

- The league's leading rusher and 4th leading rusher (and in all honesty, he would have gotten it if not for a leg fracture)

-Two future hall of fame tackles

Always Look on the Bright Side (of the most disappointing season in Patriots history) posted by Mike Dussault

Yes I'll admit it, the 2007 New England Patriots season has to qualify as the most disappointing in team history. Back when the Pats stunk you couldn't really be disappointed, you had to expect them to end the season with a loss. I don't think the loss to the Green Bay Packers in 1996 was more than a blip on my Boston Sports Misery Index. We were just happy to not get blown out like we did against the Chicago Bears ten years earlier. But after three Super Bowls your expectations change. Especially when you're playing a team that you've already beaten in the regular season. So yes, this 2007 season goes down as a disappointment in terms of the ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl. But what positives can we take as we start to pick up the pieces and refocus on 2008?

Well first of all it's safe to say that the debate about who's better - Brady or Peyton - can be put to rest ,for now. (Perhaps we should now debate who the better Manning is, but I digress). Brady rewrote the record books this season putting up astronomical stats, something that he was never known to do. I have to say that this season makes the Patriots past Super Bowl wins look a little bit more impressive when you consider the offenses that we did it with. Of course the Pats defense was better back then. Younger, faster, hungrier and not over-confident... I'm looking at you Richard Seymour. That was the difference between two more Super Bowls most likely.

When we look back at the Patriots dynasty they've already been to 4 Super Bowls and 5 AFC Championship games in 7 seasons. As fans we've gotten to watch more huge football games than anyone else and for that we are lucky. We didn't always come out on top but we made it there and the dominance of the Patriots organization this decade is undeniable.

NFL coaches to visit US troops in Gulf (AP)

NFL coaches Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants, Jeff Fisher of the Tennessee Titans and John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens will be visiting U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf region this summer. Former coaches Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher also will be part of the latest USO tour involving NFL personnel. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports