What Lamar Miller’s Injury means for the Dolphin run game posted by Dolphins Fan

If you thought the Miami Dolphins were in dire straits at the running back position when they lost Knowshon Moreno with a season ending injury, things got even worse when Lamar Miller left the San Diego game with an injury.

This is a make or break moment for the Dolphins as they will have to dig deep into their roster for production on the ground.

Miami has struggled this year but the one lone bright spot has been their run game, averaging almost 130 yards a game. It was a constant, and a point of stability for an otherwise struggling offense. Moreno and Miller work a great one, two duo.

Miller was having a breakout season, setting a career high in rushing touchdowns when he got his third in Week 6 against the Packers. He averaged more than five yards per carry in three of the first four games and ran for a career-best 108 yards on 15 carries in Week 3 against the Chiefs. 

The fourth round pick was on pace for 200 carries and more than 1,000 yards, both of which would be career highs. But now with both of these work horses out, the odds of maintaining that level of production is quite unlikely.

 So now the offense falls on the arm of quarterback, Ryan Tannehill. He hasn’t been electric but now he will to step up. If there was ever a moment to solidify oneself as the framchise quarterback for this team, the quarterback to build a team around for years and years to come, this is that moment.

If Tannehill can navigate the rest of this season relatively unscathed, he will get amazing on the job training in shouldering an entire offense. He will build the confidence of his teammates that

How Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith’s Cockiness has elevated his game. posted by Chiefs Fan

In week nine, against the Buffalo Bills, Chief’s corner back Sean Smith was lined up against Stevie Johnson on their one yard line.

Ball snapped, Johnson beat Smith over the middle but the quarterback mis-threw and Smith took it 99 yards for a score, with a nice high step celebration as he crossed the goal-line.

Cockiness is nothing new to Smith and that one play demonstrated everything about him, speed, talent, and yes confidence.

Smith’s hero is Deion Sanders, he even changed his number to 21, the same as his idol.

Now Smith is not alone in his swagger as he puts it. There’s a new breed of corners that have risen in the NFL, much in the vein of the former all-pro Sanders. With the game now becoming so pass friendly, interference being called quicker than a play can even begin, a new class of corners have not backed down from this, but instead, embraced it.

They pride themselves on being able to ‘play on an island’ , going toe-to-toe with the NFL’s elite receivers.

Sure their aggressive play and cockiness will lead to lapses that cost teams big plays and touchdowns, but you cannot avoid touchdowns in today’s game. There’s going to be high scores and there’s going to be big pass plays, but that should not cause a defense to play timid. Smith understands this, that it is a mindset that is more important than cautiously not letting anything get over his head. It’s that same mindset that made Sanders such a threat over 15 years ago. That same mindset that causes quarterbacks and coaches to throw away from a certain corner’s side of the field. And it’s that mindset that adds an unquantifiable element to any defense.

The Kansas City Chiefs Report Card For 2014 posted by Chiefs Fan

The Kansas City Chiefs posted a good 11-5 record last season and they look forward to building from that mark. Their offense is one of the best in the league, as they averaged close to 28 points a game.  This is remarkable because their quarterback Alex Smith was not in his best last season, failing to connect downfield most of the time.

Their offense would be tested this year as they’ll have to take on the dominant defenses of the NFC West, as well as other top teams like the Steelers and Patriots. For the team to survive, Smith has to do a better job this time.

The Chiefs offense may be affected by the departure of Dexter McCluster, a top wide receiver who has since left for the Titans. They still have Dwayne Bowe in the roster, but he’s not exactly the most efficient of receivers. Bowe has reportedly been working with a personal trainer and nutritionist for the first time in his career and that should help him play better. If not, Smith will have to make do with unknowns Travis Kelce and Donnie Avery.

Smith will continue to look for Jamaal Charles, who doubled his catches last year. He’s still young at 28, and should be more effective this year.

The Chiefs defense should be better this year if they hope to reach farther in the playoffs. They signed Vance Walker away from Oakland to help the defense. He’ll start along Dontari Poe and Allen Bailey. The team is optimistic that third-year pass-rusher Justin Houston will be healthy this year. The Chiefs also drafted Dee Ford with the 23rd overall pick with the belief that he’ll add up to their pass-rushing rotation.

Free Agency 2013: Day One Recap posted by Joe Anello

NFL Free Agency started with a flurry this afternoon, with deals being announced by the minute shortly after the clock struck 4PM ET. I’m here to take a look at some of the bigger deals of the day and offer a quick take. First though, I want to cover a few of the moves made on Monday, before free agency.

(Note: I’m only going to discuss ACTUAL roster movements. While a running back visiting a crappy team *cough*ReggieBush*cough* might be newsworthy, I ain’t got time to talk about every little flight here.)

(Second note: for those of you looking for my take on the Chicago Bears’ moves, check out my earlier post here.)

Minnesota Vikings trade WR Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks

The Vikings received first and seventh round picks in the 2013 draft and a third round pick in the 2014 draft.

The Seahawks received Harvin and signed him to a six-year, $67 million dollar deal. ($25.5 guaranteed.)

Minnesota obviously wanted to get Harvin out of their hair. Despite Harvin’s interviews to the contrary, he and head coach Leslie Frasier did NOT get along. But what player won’t love Pete Carroll? An A-HOLE, that’s who. Props to Minnesota for getting a decent bounty for Harvin, but that 25th overall pick might not be a game-breaker. Still, they’re better off. For Seattle, this deal signifies how close they think they are to a title. They’re putting all of their chips in the Harvin basket now, as they released return man Leon Washington as a result of this trade.

The Opening Drive: Week 17, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

This is it everyone. The final week of the 2012 NFL season. Only a few months ago we were trying to figure out if the Cardinals were for real and if Peyton Manning would ever fully recover. (No and Yes, are those answers, by the way.) Now, in the final slate of games, we will discover who will make it into the playoffs and the bottom feeders’ order in the April draft. Let’s get into the games with The Opening Drive!

(10-5) Baltimore Ravens at

(9-6) Cincinnati Bengals

Baltimore could maybe get to a three seed with a win here, but the Bengals can’t change their slot at all. Honestly, both teams aren’t going to care about winning this game. The Ravens want to play the Colts in round one of the playoffs, I’m sure. That means they need to stay in the four spot. In the three, they’ll just see the Bengals for a second straight week. Cincy just has to get ready for the Patriots. Ugh.

(12-3) Houston Texans at

(10-5) Indianapolis Colts

Let’s see how strong #ChuckStrong really is! Now he’s back on the sidelines and the Texans are in town and looking to grab home field throughout the AFC playoffs. I don’t think the Colts are good enough to hang with Houston unless the Texans get really dumb and don’t pound the rock with Arian Foster. Houston should seal up the one seed here. Something else to watch for? See if J.J. Watt can break the single-season sack record.

The Final Drive: Week 13, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

Week 13 of the NFL put a lot of races in the proper perspective. Teams began to clinch playoff spots/division titles and can now aim for loftier goals. Other teams had their struggles, including one squad that faced the unimaginable. It’s time for The Final Drive.

(11-1) Atlanta Falcons 23

(5-7) New Orleans Saints 13

Can we all just stop thinking the Saints are making the playoffs? Because it’s REALLY not happening. This may not have been the throat-stomping win for Atlanta that everyone wanted, but it was a solid victory that can only build on their confidence as they streak toward the number one seed in the NFC.

(8-4) Indianapolis Colts 35

(4-8) Detroit Lions 33

Luck does it again. I’m not a huge fan of all the interceptions he’s thrown, but he’s brought his team back all year long and has them primed for a playoff spot. It’s extraordinarily impressive. And he’s just going to get better. For Detroit, this is just another crushing loss in a season of disappointments. Put them out of their misery.

(8-4) Green Bay Packers 23

(6-6) Minnesota Vikings 14

Even when Adrian Peterson goes off for 210 yards on only 21 carries, Aaron Rodgers refuses to let his team lose. It’s pretty stunning what he can do sometimes. The Packers dominated time of possession, keeping Peterson on the sideline for almost two-thirds of the game. That’s the way to win.

The Final Drive: Week 10, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

Week ten had all sorts of crazy happenings take place, including a blow-out of the Super Bowl champs, an unbeaten falling, and a god damn tie. Let’s start The Final Drive!

(6-3) Indianapolis Colts 27

(1-8) Jacksonville Jaguars 10

Jags suck.

(4-5) Cincinnati Bengals 31

(6-4) New York Giants 13

Cincy NEEDED this win. They had to put a stop to that four game losing streak they were on. At least now they can pretend to be in the wild card hunt for another week. The Giants just got manhandled. They couldn’t put pressure on Andy Dalton, who lit up a soft secondary for four TD’s. Now NY gets a bye week so Eli Manning can rest. They should rebound to regain a hold on the division.

(4-6) Tennessee Titans 37

(4-5) Miami Dolphins 3

This is a second straight loss for the Dolphins, following their shortfall versus the Colts. What makes this loss especially tough is that they were completely dominated by a team NO ONE CAN FIGURE OUT. The Titans played stellar defense, taking it away four times and shutting down Reggie Bush. Tennessee won’t be going to the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play spoiler.

(6-4) Minnesota Vikings 34

(4-5) Detroit Lions 24

Megatron’s 207 yards receiving couldn’t make up for Adrian Peterson’s continued domination. And if Christian Ponder plays like that the Vikings are really hard to beat. Back to Peterson for a second though. Are we sure he’s not on something? This is a freakish recovery from a hellacious injury that normally puts guys on the sideline for a year in rehab and then it takes nearly another full year to get back to normal. He did it in eight months. I might be calling shenanigans.

The Opening Drive: Week 10, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

Capped by what can only be called “putrid” primetime contests, week 10 of the NFL season isn’t actually all that bad! We have some very interesting divisional match-ups, including a “losing coach gets fired” match in the NFC East and a possible trap for our lone undefeated squad. Let’s hop into The Opening Drive!

(5-3) Indianapolis Colts at

(1-7) Jacksonville Jaguars

Gross NFL Network. Gross. Indianapolis is a winning team, sure. But they’re not good enough to make this game overly enjoyable. Well, unless you like watching bad football. Like this guy. Jacksonville will entertain me all night long.

(6-3) New York Giants at

(3-5) Cincinnati Bengals

The Giants are apparently “slumping” after losing to the Steelers, so of course they’ll probably come out this week and expose the Bengals as pretenders. Hakeem Nicks says he’s going to play, so Eli will likely bust out of the passing rut he’s in. Cincy hasn’t proven that they can beat the good teams, only that they can hang with them. That shouldn’t change on Sunday.

(4-4) Detroit Lions at

(5-4) Minnesota Vikings

Early this year we thought the Vikings were for real and that the Lions were terrible. A handful of bad Christian Ponder performances in Minnesota and special teams adjustments in Detroit have since leveled the playing field. A win Sunday can put one of these teams in the clustered mix for a possible wildcard spot. (Because let’s face it, neither of them are winning the division.) I like the Lions’ one-dimensional offense over the Vikings’ one-dimensional offense.

The Final Drive: Week 9, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

At the mid-way point of the NFL season, the parity we saw so much of early on has eroded to leave us with clearer races and obvious contenders. Let’s run through all of the best action from week nine!

(4-4) San Diego Chargers 31

(1-7) Kansas City Chiefs 13

Ohhhh Norv. You just barely saved your ass. BARELY. If you hadn’t been playing the worst team in football, this could have been a pressure-filled situation. Instead, you get to limp along for another week. In KC, Romeo Crenel gave up the defensive play-calling duties after another horrendous effort. They also cut starting corner Stanford Routt, whom they just signed to a decently-sized contract in the offseason.

(5-3) Denver Broncos 31

(3-5) Cincinnati Bengals 23

Peyton Manning almost lost this game with his two interceptions. Then he came back to win this game with his two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. And you know why he can pull off these comebacks? One word: Protection. Manning didn’t get sacked once against the Bengals, meaning he can wait to find the open receiver. (Also, he gets rid of the ball pretty quickly, which is always nice.)

(6-3) Green Bay Packers 31

(4-5) Arizona Cardinals 17

You know how I know John Skelton isn’t a good “game-manager?” Because he’s thrown an interception in twelve straight games. MIC DROP.

The Opening Drive: Week 9, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

Can you believe it? We’re already at the halfway point of the NFL season! I’m in shock. And in tears. Let’s just get right to The Opening Drive before I have a breakdown.

(1-6) Kansas City Chiefs at

(3-4) San Diego Chargers

Would THIS be the loss that gets Norv Turner fired? I mean, Cleveland had offensive problems, but the Chiefs haven’t led a game for a single SNAP this year. If they get ahead or even beat the Chargers on the national spotlight? Norv has to go. Like, now.

(4-3) Denver Broncos at

(3-4) Cincinnati Bengals

After laying the wood to the Saints Sunday night, the Broncos have a real chance to making headway in the AFC. Standing in their way are the struggling Bengals, who have yet to be all that impressive. Denver’s defense should match up very well with CIncy’s offense.

(4-4) Arizona Cardinals at

(5-3) Green Bay Packers

One team in this game can’t score points. You can figure out who.

(4-3) Miami Dolphins at

(4-3) Indianapolis Colts

This is actually a REALLY intriguing match-up of two rookie quarterbacks. While everyone is (rightfully) heralding Andrew Luck, some are overlooking the job that Ryan Tannehill is doing for the Dolphins. Miami has a real chance to exit this game as a legitimate playoff contender. Which obviously squashes my preseason predictions. Whoops.

(3-4) Buffalo Bills at

Raiders sign cornerback David Amerson to 4-year extension (Yahoo Sports)

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No long-term deal for Chiefs' Berry, who'll play under tag (Yahoo Sports)

The Kansas City Chiefs and Eric Berry failed to reach an agreement on a long-term deal, meaning the safety will play this season under the value of his franchise tag, worth $10.8 million. Chiefs general manager John Dorsey announced in a statement Friday that the team and Berry were unable to sign a new contract by the NFL's 4 p.m. EDT deadline. Berry was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year last season after being diagnosed in November 2014 with Hodgkin's lymphoma. [read full article]

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Family sues Kansas City Chiefs over fan's beating death (Yahoo Sports)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The family of a Missouri man fatally beaten in 2013 outside of Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is suing the NFL franchise. [read full article]

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