Tag Archives: 2011 Super Bowl

Colts Question At Quarterback!?

Posted by on September 26, 2011 No comments

Although it’s premature for the Indianapolis Colts to start planning a retirement party for Peyton Manning, it’s not too early for them to start putting together a succession plan for the four-time NFL Jerseys MVP quarterback.

Colts president Bill Polian told the Indianapolis Star that the team would consider taking a quarterback in the draft “in the right situation” because Manning is moving toward the twilight of his career.

“Quarterback’s an issue, probably not a front-burner issue, but an issue nonetheless because while Peyton’s not at the end of his career, it’s approaching faster than it has in the past,” Polian said.

Manning, who has one 2011 super bowl ring and made 11 Pro Bowls, hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. Remarkably, he never has missed a game because of injury. But he is 35 and has played 13 seasons.

Curtis Painter, who is Manning’s backup, has played sparingly in two seasons and hasn’t shown any flashes he could be Manning’s heir apparent. The Colts have worked out two quarterbacks, TCU’s Andy Dalton and Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick, in preparation for the draft. Both players should be available in the second round.

The Colts have the 22nd pick in the first round, but it would be surprising if they would take a quarterback that high. They haven’t drafted a quarterback in the first round since since they selected Manning jersey with the No. 1 overall pick in 1998.

Professional career

Posted by on August 16, 2011 No comments

Despite his collegiate success, some NFL teams still felt that Smith was too small and slow for the pro game.[20] He fell to the 17th pick in the first round, when he was picked by the Dallas Cowboys, who had traded up to draft him.Smith was the first player in NFL history to have five consecutive seasons with over 1,400 rushing yards. Smith, Jim Brown, and LaDainian Tomlinson are the only players with seven straight 10-touchdown seasons to start their careers. With 1,021 rushing yards in 2001, Smith became the first player in NFL history with 11 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons and the first to post 11 1,000-yard rushing seasons in a career. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing attempts with 4,409.
Smith currently holds the NFL Jerseys record in career rushing yards with 18,355, breaking the previous record held by Walter Payton, on October 27 of the 2002 NFL season. He leads all running backs with 164 career rushing touchdowns, and his 175 total touchdowns ranks him second only to Jerry Rice’s 208. The sum of his rushing yards, receiving yards (3,224) and fumble return yards (-15) give him a total of 21,564 yards from the line of scrimmage, making him one of only four players in NFL history to eclipse the 21,000-combined yards mark.
Smith also accumulated several NFL postseason records, including rushing touchdowns (19), consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (9) and 100-yard rushing games (7). His 1,586 yards rushing is also top on the NFL postseason chart, and he shares the total playoff touchdown mark of 21 with Thurman Thomas. With the Cowboys, Smith won three Super Bowl rings and rushed for over 100 yards in two of those games, Super Bowl XXVII (108 yards and a touchdown, along with 6 receptions for 27 yards), and 2011 super bowl XXVIII (132 yards and two touchdowns, along with 4 receptions for 26 yards). Smith received the Super Bowl MVP award for Super Bowl XXVIII, becoming the only Cowboys running back ever to win the award out of all their Super Bowl wins.
In his last season, Smith became the oldest player in NFL history ever to throw his first touchdown pass, throwing a 21-yard touchdown strike on a halfback option play. It was the only passing attempt of his career.
Smith is one of only five NFL players who have amassed over 10,000 career-rushing yards and 400 career receptions. Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice are the only two non-kickers to score 1000 points in a career.
[edit]Playing style
As a runner, Smith was consistently effective, though not dazzling in style. “(Smith) darted, slithered and followed his blockers, and squeezed yard after yard out of plays that didn’t have any yards in them. He didn’t look especially fast or powerful or blindingly deceptive, yet he couldn’t be stopped.”[12] Smith was noted for being a very durable back with excellent vision, tremendous leg strength, and great balance, and was known as one of the best second-effort runners ever.[21] Smith was also a reliable receiver and an excellent blocker in pass protection.[22]
During his career, he was often compared to Detriot Lions jersey Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders, as both men were extremely successful for their respective teams and combined for 8 rushing titles during the 1990s. Some give Smith the edge for his consistent “north-south” style that took full advantage of Dallas’ talented offensive line, while some think Sanders’ spectacular running style with sudden changes of direction made him a better back.[23] Observers agree, though, that both Smith and Sanders were among the greatest men to ever play the game.[24]
In 1999, while he was still playing and three years before becoming the game’s all-time rushing yardage leader, Smith was ranked number 68 on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

2011 NFL Mock Draft: San Francisco 49ers Grab Pass Rusher Robert Quinn at No. 7

Posted by on March 8, 2011 No comments

The 49ers have a new head coach in Jim Harbaugh and will look to start over after finishing a disappointing 6-10 last season. San Francisco 49ers has plenty of holes to fill, but the question is which hole will Harbaugh look to fill first?
Nick Fairley is the best player available, but the 49ers already have a pretty solid rush defense. Blaine Gabbert could be the franchise quarterback, but Harbaugh may opt to go with a veteran instead. All this suggests that San Francisco might look to trade down and get some extra picks. But if they stay at No. 7 then the pick should be North Carolina OLB/DE Robert Quinn.
Quinn is the best pass rusher available here, and there are some who think he might be the best pass rusher in the entire draft. NFL.He has the size (6’5″ and 268 pounds) to be a dominant player, and was one of the nation’s best defenders in 2009 with 11 sacks and 19 tackles for a loss. Quinn sat out all of 2010 because of a recruiting scandal, but had an unbelievable Combine and is rocketing up draft boards. He’d be a steal if he fell out of the top 10, but Harbaugh is smart enough to know talent when he sees it.2011 Super Bowl.

2011 Super Bowl XLV: Baltimore Ravens Odds

Posted by on March 1, 2011 No comments
The Baltimore Ravens could be one of the better values in 2011 Super Bowl odds as a +1400 longshots to win the world championship of pro football this season. Baltimore finished with a record of 12-4 straight up and 8-7-1 against the spread to finish in a first place tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North but the Men of Steel got the tie breaker advantage. Heading into Super Bowl XLV predictions as underdogs, Baltimore went UNDER the total in 9 of their games this season and finished the season strong with 4 consecutive straight up wins and 3 payouts in that span.
The Ravens will open playoff action in Super Bowl odds on Sunday at Kansas City in the AFC wild card round. The Ravens were 5-2-1 against the spread on the road this year with 5 of their 8 away games going UNDER the total. Defense remains the strength of Baltimore as it has been for the past decade as the Ravens rank 10th overall in the NFL for total defense and 3rd for points allowed. Quarterback Joe Flacco will lead the Ravens as longshot in 2011 Super Bowl XLV predictions after having a nice bounce back season. Flacco finished the year with a 93.6 QB rating, a 62% completion percentage which was good for 3,622 yards and a 25/10 TD/INT ratio.
The Ravens are a well balanced team despite being longshots in Super Bowl odds especially with Ray Rice rushing for 1,223 yards and 5 TD’s. Among their signature wins this year Baltimore defeated the Jets at New York, the Steelers at Pittsburgh and the reigning champion New Orleans Saints at home. The Ravens have the combination of a balanced offense with excellent rushing and a proven defense that could make them a valuable commodity at +1400 in 2011 Super Bowl XLV predictions. Baltimore is well coached and a confident team that won at New England in the playoffs last season.