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Goal-Line Stand » All Tags » Sunday Preview (RSS)

  • Sunday Preview: The healthy will prevail

    With 16 weeks under our belts, injuries have once again ravaged the National Football League. We kicked things off with a bang, literally and figuratively, to Tom Brady’s knee. Since then: Carson Palmer, Matt Hasselbeck, Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Jon Kitna, Damon Huard, Aaron Schobel, Keith Rivers, Laurence Maroney, Adalius Thomas, Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Felix Jones, six Broncos running backs, Shaun McDonald, Nick Barnett, Atari Bigby, Rashean Mathis, Aaron Glenn, Reggie Bush, Rashard...

  • Sunday Preview: Losses won’t kill Giants, Panthers, Titans or Steelers

    Officially, the AFC and NFC Championship games will be held on Sunday, January 18. But the hype machine is working extra hours this week in advance of what many are calling the prequels to those big games. The Panthers and the Giants are playing for the first seed in the NFC, while the Steelers and Titans are essentially playing for the same spot in the AFC. But while some are making these games out to be make-or-break, there’s relief for the two teams that end up on the wrong end of things on Sunday...

  • Sunday Preview: Giants won’t miss Burress

    If it’s possible to go uphill after winning the Super Bowl, the New York Giants have done just that. The 2008 season has been a fairytale follow-up to their XLII upset of the New England Patriots. Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning have to think they’ve been dreaming. For Plaxico Burress, it’s been a nightmare. Burress was considered one of the most important members of the 2007 Giants. Most would bet that New York wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl without their top receiver. Which is why it’s been so surprising...

  • Sunday Preview: Falcons, Jets, Dolphins can send messages

    Last year, the Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins were bad football teams. They had a combined record of 9-39. If the Jets and Dolphins weren’t already in the same division, they all would’ve been last-place finishers. This year, it’s been a different story. 2007: Nine total wins. 2008: 19 down, with 18 games still to be played. In all likelihood, they’ll at least triple their combined win total from last year. The Jets and Dolphins have flipped the AFC East upside down, with New York...

  • Sunday Preview: Don’t forget about Clady

    Buried amid the hoopla surrounding rookies Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Chris Johnson and Jerod Mayo, Denver Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady is having a stupendous rookie season. Clady, the 12 th -overall pick out of Boise State, didn’t give up a single sack in the season’s first two months, leading an offensive line that has surrendered only seven sacks on the year. Only the Tennessee Titans have allowed fewer sacks in ’08, but the Broncos have attempted 76 more passes than Tennessee. So why does Clady...

  • Sunday Preview: 5 huge games

    Some are calling it “rivalry week” in the NFL. Five games in particular stand out in week 10. We take a closer look in the Sunday Preview. Packers @ Vikings: NFC North on the line It doesn’t feel like the Packers and Vikings have identical records. Aaron Rodgers has exceeded expectations and the Packers’ offence hasn’t missed a beat after losing Brett Favre. Despite that, Green Bay’s 4-4. The Vikings’ supposed dangerous defence has fallen flat on its face, and Minny’s “quarterback of the future”...
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  • Sunday Preview: NFC catching up to AFC

    You could argue that there’s a “stronger” conference in every professional sport. In the NHL, the Western Conference has dominated the East for years; same deal in the NBA. Teams from the western conferences have won eight of the last 11 Stanley Cups and seven of the last 10 NBA championships. The CFL would also make Lewis and Clark proud. All four teams from the West are headed to the playoffs this year, while only Montreal and Winnipeg will represent the East. The same thing happened in 2002, 2003...
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  • Sunday’s Best: NFC East is back

    It was starting to feel as though the best division in football was losing its lustre, and then we were reminded why the NFC East is so damn good. We start with that in our trip around the league. Buccaneers @ Cowboys The Cowboys’ win against Tampa might have come at a cost. Losing Tony Romo and Felix Jones hurts, but losing Jason Witten kills. Witten, who’s been the team’s offensive MVP thus far, left the game in the first half with a rib injury and didn’t return. If Witten misses time, this team...
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  • Sunday Preview: No dog days in football

    As we approach the midway point of the NFL season, we’re trying to figure out where we are in terms of the big picture. The Major League Baseball season has distinct points. April and May don’t matter, June and July are the dog days, and August and September make up the home stretch. But the NFL season is so short that there really aren’t any dog days. Instead, we jump straight from the honeymoon segment to the home stretch. Looking at schedules from seasons past, we figure that transition takes...
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  • Sunday Preview: Wildcat spreading

    If it can save the Miami Dolphins, winners of one game in 2007 and coming off a blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals, it can save anyone, right? We figured that would be the belief after the Dolphins unleashed the Wildcat offence in week 3 against the Patriots. After all, if a team that scored 24 points in its first two games and can score 83 in its next three, the change it made is probably worth patenting. The thing about the Wildcat offence is it forces defences to prepare less for your regular...

  • Sunday Preview: Backup quarterbacks playing lead roles

    With Matt Hasselbeck (knee), Carson Palmer (elbow) and Jon Kitna (back) not expected to start for their respective teams on Sunday, Charlie Frye, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Dan Orlovsky will likely make their first starts of the season. Those three will join a flock of backup quarterbacks who this year have either become permanent or temporary starters. David Carr, Kellen Clemens, Matt Flynn, Trent Green, Chad Henne, Kevin Kolb, Matt Leinart, J.P. Losman, Kevin O’Connell, Sage Rosenfels, Tyler Thigpen...

  • Sunday Preview: 3 great rivalries, 3 swing games

    Three great rivalries Titans @ Ravens If you like defence, it doesn’t get much better than this. An old AFC Central rivalry picks back up as the Titans and Ravens get together. Sure, Steve McNair, Eddie George and Brian Billick are gone, but there’s still bad blood between these two. Ray Lewis, Jeff Fisher and Keith Bulluck will tell you all about it. In fact, Fisher said it best after Tennessee’ home game last week: “We hate these guys.” Steelers @ Jaguars These two gave us one of the best football...
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  • Sunday Preview: 10 Things To Watch

    1. Week 1 upset teams go head-to-head Nobody expected the Bears or Panthers to start 2-0, but one of those lucky teams will do exactly that as Chicago and Carolina hook up after pulling out neo-upsets last week. Indianapolis was outplayed and outcoached by the Bears as they christened their stadium in front of a baffled national audience. Earlier in the day, San Diego was stunned as Jake Delhomme hit Dante Rosario for a game-winning touchdown with no time left on the clock. The winner of this one...