Category Archives: NFL
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The tradition that is known as the NFL Draft came into existence in 1936. The first player ever taken in the NFL Draft was Running Back Jay Berwanger. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Berwanger, unfortunately he would never play a pro football game due to salary disputes with multiple teams
Since then the NFL Draft has involved thousands of players, many of which have gone on to become all time greats. Many more however went on to have careers that would earn them the dubious distinction of being called a “Draft Bust”. The most coveted position for any team is the first overall pick. The team that holds this position is usually in desperate need of a break out rookie that can turn their franchise around. There is only one chance for first overall greatness every year.
There have been only 77 men who can call themselves the first overall pick in the NFL draft. The positions picked the most may not surprise you but the positions that were picked the least might shock you.
The quarterback position has the title of the most popular first overall pick in draft history. Twenty seven QBs have been nabbed by teams with the most coveted draft spot. Ten of those twenty seven became pro bowl players, names like Eli Manning (2004), Peyton Manning (1998), Drew Bledsoe (1993) and Vinny Testaverde (1987) just to name a few. Only Troy Aikman (1989), John Elway (1983) and Terry Bradshaw (1970) had careers so great they were inducted into the Hall Of Fame.
Twenty five Running Backs have been picked first overall. Seven of them became Pro Bowlers including Bo Jackson (1986), Billy Sims (1980) and Tucker Frederickson (1965). The Running Backs hold the record of most Hall Of Fame inductees with five. Running Back Bill Dudley (1942) was the first player at any position drafted first overall to become a Hall Of Famer. The most recent Running Back to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame is Earl Campbell (1978) who was drafted by the Houston Oilers.
Defensive End’s have also been a very popular choice with eleven picked first overall. Defensive Ends Mario Williams (2006), Ed “Too Tall” Jones (1974), Dave Parks (1964) and Leon Hart (1950) were all voted to the Pro Bowl. Bruce Smith (1985) and Lee Roy Selmon (1976) were the only Defensive End’s to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame.
Positions that were drafted the least with the top pick are Defensive Tackle (4), Line Backer (3), Offensive Tackle (3), Center (2) and Wide Receiver (2). Eight different positions have all seen the top choice. Wide Receiver, Defensive Tackle and Line Backer are the only positions to never have a first overall player reach the Hall Of Fame.
A few of the players drafted in the last decade will more than likely find a home in the Hall Of Fame. As of now the first overall pick has only been a future Hall Of Famer twelve of the seventy seven times. Who knows, we might see the next great NFL player drafted with the first pick tonight in the 2013 NFL Draft.
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2 comments | tags: 1936, 1942, 1950, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1998, 1st pick, 2004, 2006, 77, best, bill dudley, billy sims, bo jackson, bruce smith, busts, dave parks, defensive, drew bledsoe, eagles, earl campbell, ed too tall jones, eli manning, first, greatest, hall of fame, hall of famer, history, in, Jay Berwanger, john elway, lee roy selmon, leon hart, mario williams, never played, offensive, overall, payton manning, pick, player, QB, quarterback, salary dispute, terry bradshaw, troy aikman, tucker frederickson, vinny testaverde, was, who | posted in NFL, sports, Sports History
The first ever NFL Draft took place in 1936. That draft only consisted of 81 players. Four of those players would become Hall Of Famers. Since then the NFL has developed the draft into a giant event. Another one of the players selected in that draft, Paul “Bear” Bryant would later give up playing football to become a coach. He would become one of the greatest college football coaches ever while at the University of Alabama. There have been many great draft classes in the years since but they all pale in comparison to one in particular.
The 1983 NFL Draft took place on Arpil 26th and 27th of that year in New York City. It included twelves rounds and 335 players were selected. Over 30 of those players selected would go to the Pro Bowl. Eric Dickerson, Jim Kelly, John Elway, Dan Marino, Bruce Matthews, Darrell Green and Richard Dent who were all selected that day would later be inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Other than all of the things I have mentioned the draft is remembered for another reason, the Quarterbacks.
This was the best draft class of quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. It also holds the record for most quarterbacks selected in the first round with six. Three of those six would make it into the Hall Of Fame. The standout quarterbacks of the class were by far John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino.
John Elway (Getty Images)
John Elway was taken with the first overall pick by the Baltimore Colts. He was eventually traded before the season to Denver due to his unwillingness to play for the Colts head coach Frank Kush. During his career he established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. When his career was over he won two Super Bowl Championships and was inducted to the Hall Of Fame in 2004.
Jim Kelly (Getty Images)
With the fourteenth overall pick the Buffalo Bills selected Jim Kelly. Kelly played the season prior in the United States Football League after leaving the University Of Miami. Of the quarterbacks drafted that day Kelly made more Super Bowl appearances than any one else. Kelly lead the Buffalo Bills to the Super Bowl from 1990 through 1993. Unfortunately the Bills never won any of those Super Bowls. Nonetheless Kelly proved himself to be a great quarterback and was Inducted to the Hall Of Fame in 2002.
Dan Marino (Getty Images)
The final legendary quarterback taken in this draft was Dan Marino. He was projected to go early in the first round but fell back on a lot of teams boards due to reports of him using marijuana in college. The Miami Dolphins were willing to take a chance on this young man with a powerful arm and selected him with the twenty seventh overall pick. Marino played 17 season but only made one trip to the Super Bowl, the Dolphins lost that game to the San Fransisco 49ers. Marino did however finish career holding almost every quarterback record that existed. He was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2005.
An interesting note about this draft is all of the first round quarterbacks went to AFC teams. Also the three half Of Fame quarterbacks all played for only one team during their NFL career.
The Draft is such an intriguing event. Full of Pro Bowlers, Busts and Hall Of Famers. There will probably never be a quarterback class this good again. Some might argue that the 2012 class will stand the test of time but until it does the 1983 Draft will remain the best ever.
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3 comments | tags: 1936, 2002, 2004, 2005, alabama, bear, best, bills, Broncos, colts, dan marino, dolphins, draft, drafted, first, first round, greatest, hall of famers, jim kelly, john elway, legends, marijuana, Miami, NFL, paul bryant, picked, pitt, players, pro bowl, quarterback, super bowl, who was the best | posted in NFL, sports, Sports History
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The Super Bowl today will be the first to take place since 2centsworthofsports.com’s inception. I can think of no better way to celebrate that fact than to make the 1st ever Super Bowl prediction on the site. So here is who we have.
The Ravens winning 37-30 over the 49ers.
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4 comments | tags: 47, baltimore ravens, prediction, san francisco 49ers. the big game, super bowl, who will win, xvii | posted in NFL, sports
Tom Brady (Photo By Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
With the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft the New England Patriots select from Michigan, quarterback Tom Brady. Those words spoken by then NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue would change the future of the the Patriots and the NFL. Tom Brady has gone on to have a great career and is considered to be one of the best quarterbacks of not only his era but in football history. Brady has led the Patriots to 5 Super Bowl appearances and 3 Championships. He is the biggest late round draft pick ever, being selected in the 6th round. But their were 6 QB’s selected before Brady. Here is a look at the six that came before Brady and the teams that missed out on greatness.
1st Round
18th Overall Pick – Chad Pennington, New York Jets
Pennington was the most hyped QB going into the draft. Pennington had a solid college career with Marshall. Pennington retired after the 2010 season. He played for the Jets the majority of his career and played his final 3 season with the Miami Dolphins. Pennington would play in 4 post seasons and had a post season record of 2 wins and 4 loses. Pennington did make history during his career, holding the record for career passing percentage among QB’s with more than 1500 pass attempts at 66.0%.
2nd Round
No Quarterbacks Drafted
3rd Round
65th Overall Pick – Giovanni Carmazzi, San Francisco 49ers
Carmazzi played at Hofstra during his college years. He would never play in a regular season NGL game. Carmazzi finished his pro football career in the CFL in 2005.
75th Over All Pick – Chris Redman, Baltimore Ravens
Redman has played for the Ravens, Patriots, Titans and most recently the Falcons before his release in August of 2012. He was lucky enough to win a Super Bowl ring as a backup to Trent Dilfer on the 2000 Ravens championship team. Redman would best be described as a career back up QB.
4th Round
No Quarterbacks Drafted
5th Round
163rd Overall Pick – Tee Martin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Tee Martin played only one game for the Steelers and never started a game in his career. He spent the 2002 season in NFL Europe playing for the Rhein Fire. In 2003 he signed with the Oakland Raiders for his final NFL season. Martin ended his professional career in 2005 as a part of the CFL. In total Martin played only 3 games in the NFL.
6th Round
168th Overall Pick – Marc Bulger, New Orleans Saints
Marc Bulger was the only Pro Bowl QB selected before Tom Brady. In the first of his two Pro Bowl appearances Bulger won the MVP award in that game. He went on a crazy ride after the draft by signing with the Saints, Falcons and the Ravens before the 2000 season began. Bulger took over at QB for the Rams when Kurt Warner retired. Bulger retired in 2010 with the Ravens.
183 Overall Pick – Spergon Wynn, Cleveland Browns
Spergon Wynn spent his career as a back up QB. He played for 2 NFL teams and 4 CFL teams. Wynn retired from football in 2006.
The list QB’s selected before Tom Brady is pretty shocking. Only one of those players made it to a Pro Bowl. The majority were career back up QB’s and none of these players are still professionally active. There was a lot of belief that Brady’s frame was not built for the NFL which was the greatest ding against him. The Patriots saw something in Brady that no other team did and they were able to reap the benefits of that faith. When Tom Brady retires he will undoubtedly head to the Hall Of Fame and the history books. While all of the others before him are just history.
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Leave a comment | tags: 2000, 49ers, 6, browns, bust, busts, cfl, chad pennington, chris redman, doubters, giovanni carmazzi, great pick, hall of fame, jets, legend, marc bulger, miss, new england patriots, NFL, nfl draft, pro bowl, qbs, quaerterback, ravens, ring, saints, selected before, spergon wynn, steelers, super bowl, tee martin, tom bady, who did they select | posted in NFL, Sports History
Walter Payton was one of the greatest running backs in the history of the National Football League. He retired after the 1987 season with the Chicago Bears. Payton finished his career with 110 rushing TD’s, 15 receiving TD’s and 16,726 rushing yards. He was also on one of the best bears teams ever, the 1985 Chicago Bears. The Bears won Super Bowl XX and cemented Payton’s place in the Hall Of Fame as a Super Bowl winner. There however is one thing missing from his career. Payton never scored during the only Super Bowl appearance and you might be suprised to find out it was no fault of his own.
Walter Payton in Superbowl XX. (Getty Images)
When the season began Head Coach Mike Ditka was very high on his 1st draft pick William “the refrigerator” Perry. Perry came into camp very unimpressive and was overweight at 380lbs. The Defensive coach Buddy Ryan was not impressed by Perry and did not want to play him. During the early part of the season Ditka got the idea to use Perry in offensive plays to block for Walter Payton. Perry sometimes even rushed with the ball himself. He was later put into the defense and played well. During the season Perry became an offensive gimmick. He was the funny fat guy that the fans cheered for. Perry almost overshadowed the rest of the team in popularity.
William Perry (Getty Images)
The Bears made it through the season with a 15-1 record. They plowed through the divisional and championship games to make it to Super Bowl XX in New Orleans. Their challengers were the Cinderella team of that season, the New England Patriots. Nobody expected the Pats to make it as far as they did. They were the underdogs going into the title game. The Bears dominated the Pats on the defensive side of the ball. The Offense of the Bears was stifled a bit, although the score tells a different story. The Patriots based their defense around stopping Walter Payton. They did just that, Payton was held to 66 yards on 22 carries. Even with the lack of success Payton was still the Bears leading rusher in the game.
Mike Ditka made two decisions during that game that haunt him to this day. On the two opportunities where the Bears were close to the goal line and a rush for the touchdown seemed the best choice, Ditka chose William Perry and Quarterback Jim McMahon to make those TD’s. The most disappointing TD for Walter Payton was the Perry rush for the TD. Perry had been primarily a defensive player and a gimmicky running back. For Payton not to be allowed to gain the glory of scoring a TD in the biggest game of his career is a complete disgrace.
Mike Ditka after Superbowl XX. (Getty Images)
Walter Payton was always a stand up man and until the day he died he never openly questioned Mike Ditka for not letting him run in a TD in the Super Bowl. Ditka has come out in recent years an said if he could do it all over again he would have opted for Payton to get the Super Bowl glory. While Ditka can own up to his mistakes he will never be able to give those moments to the great Walter Payton.
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2 comments | tags: 1st, 20, 380, champion, defense, draft, final score, gimmick, glory, hall of fame, history, jim mcmahon, lbs, mike ditka, new england patriots, New Orleans, over weight, pats, pick, pounds, refrigerator, running back, stole, superbowl, superbowl shuffle, touchdown, walter payton, why did he not score, william perry, winner, xx, yards | posted in NFL, Sports History
Many modern football fans have never even heard the name Otto Graham. Decades before Bernie Kosar was taking the Browns through many playoff runs. Otto Graham was the best quarterback not only in Cleveland but in the NFL. Years before Jim Brown dominated teams, Otto Graham was dominating the league. Graham will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. He was the 1st and possibly the biggest Cleveland sports star ever.
Otto Graham goes for a pass in Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. (Getty Images)
Otto Graham started his professional career in Cleveland during the 1946 season. At the time the Browns played in the All American Football Conference (AAFC). In that season Graham lead the Browns to their 1st Championship and the team finished with a 12-2 record. The winning did not stop there. The Browns went on to win the 1947, 1948 and 1949 AAFC Championship prior to entering the NFL in 1950. During his first 4 seasons he played in 54 games and had 86 TD’s and 10,085 yards passing in total. Many people considered the AAFC to be the minor leagues so to speak. The Browns were not expected to be as dominant in the NFL.
The critics were completely wrong with their assumption. Graham had almost the same numbers in the NFL as he did in the AAFC. Graham would play in 72 games in the NFL and have 88 TD’s and 13,499 yards passing. Graham and the Browns made the Championship game from 1950 to 1955. In total Graham led the Browns to 10 straight championship games with them winning 7 of them. The only years during this period where they did not win a championship was 1951, 1952 and 1953. Their playoff record was 9-3 during those 10 seasons.
Otto Graham retired after the 1955 season. He retired with 174 TD’s and 23,584 yards passing. In his career Graham was a 5 time Pro Bowler and was a 7 time First Team All Pro. He was one of the first inductees into the Hall Of Fame in 1965.
Otto Graham’s Plaque (Getty Images)
Otto Graham was able to accomplish something that will never happen again by leading his team to 10 straight championship games. The only other player to come close was Jim Kelly with the Buffalo Bills. The Bills made it to the Super Bowl from 1990-1994 but never won any of those games.
There are many names that are discussed when talking about who was the greatest quarterback ever. Names like Dan Marino, John Elway, Johnny Unitas and Tom Brady but none of those players achieved the success that Graham was able to do. The only argument that any one might have against Graham would be that the playoffs were shorter with less games when he played. The fact of the matter is he still won those titles and in both leagues. The only reason that most people do not consider him the best is because they don’t know anything about him or what he did during his career.
As long as the stats and film are around no one can deny his greatness. For such a short career by today’s standards he really made an impact. Otto Graham passed away in 2003. He left a legacy that will never be forgotten, he will live forever in the Hall Of Fame.
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Leave a comment | tags: 10, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1965, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2003, 7, aafc, all american football conference, bernie kosar, best, browns, buffalo bills, championship, cleveland, dan marino, died, ever, games, greatest, hall of fame, hero, jim brown, jim kelly, john elway, NFL, one of, otto graham, passed away, playoffs, quarterback, record, star, straight, the, titles, tom brady | posted in NFL, Sports History
The day is January 20th, 1985 and the location is Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. It was Super Bowl XIX and the Maimi Dolphins took on the San Fransisco 49ers. It was a battle between two Hall Of Fame quarterbacks, Dan Marino and Joe Montana. It was a very one sided game with the 49ers coming out victorious. The final score was 38-16 as seen on the scoreboard while Dan Marino jogged back to the locker room. Marino had an incredible second season and even though the Dolphins lost the big one it appeared he would be back again. As history would have it Marino and the Dolphins never made it back to the Super Bowl.
Dan Marino (Getty Images)
Dan Marino retired in 1999 after 17 seasons. Holding almost all of the records at his position, Marino was considered one of the best to ever play the game. There are many who consider Marino not to be one of the best because he never won a Super Bowl ring. Over the years the perception has been that Marino was talented enough to win a championship but never did because he never had an elite level running back.
I decided to crunch the stats and draft history to prove or disprove this theory. Here are the results I found while I plunged deep into the various statistical categories that would help me solve this mystery.
There is evidence that the Dolphins never made a play for a high level free agent running back. The Dolphins also never made a trade for a play maker at that position either. They were and are still to this day a team that is not willing to make trades of future draft picks to acquire top talent. The draft is a place where organizations can gain players that can affect their future. The Dolphins drafted Marino in 1983 when he retired in 1999 they missed numerous opportunities to achieve greatness at the running back position.
In 1983 the very draft where they acquired Dan Marino they missed out on on two pro bowl running backs. One of those running back was Roger Craig who turned out to be one of the best running backs of the 1980s. Craig was also on the 49ers team that defeated the Dolphins at Super Bowl XIX. Their draft picks only get worse from there.
The Dolphins only drafted 23 running backs of the 174 picks during the Marino era. A total of 9 of those 23 backs never played a down in the NFL. The dolphins did not draft one running back in 1994, 1995 and 1997. With the exception of the 1997 draft the Dolphins had not so great performances at the back position the previous season, Mark Higgs was the leading rusher in 1993 with just 693 yards and in 1994 Bernie Parmalee was the leader with 878 yards. The biggest blunder they made in one single draft would have to be the 1988 Draft. In that draft the Dolphins could have selected the Hall Of Fame running back Thurman Thomas but instead selected three players that would never play in the NFL. Thomas wound up as a Buffalo Bill and won 4 AFC Championships with the team from 1990-1994. In total the team missed out on 2 Hall Of Fame and 44 Pro Bowl running backs from 1983-1999.
During Marino’s time with the team they had only one season with a 1,000 yard rusher, Karim Abdul-Jabbar in 1996. If you look at all of the teams that won the Super Bowl from 1983-1999 only 3 of the 16 teams that won did not have a 1,000 yard rusher.
The Dolphins made the playoffs 10 times during Marino’s Career. They were 8-10 in all of those post season games. Some blame many of the playoff losses to playing the Bills in the winter in freezing Buffalo, NY, which they did lose there many times. The fact of the mater is if the Dolphins had at least a couple of the many running backs they passed up in the Draft history might have gone a little differently.
After looking at the stats, draft and history it leaves only one conclusion. Dan Marino was one of the best, unfortunately the Dolphins front office was not as skilled at what they did. The blame must shift to the general managers and Don Shula especially. Don Shula relied to much on Marino’s skill and talent and did not do enough to protect and enhance that talent. Marino would have had more opportunities to win he was if the opposing defenses did not know he was going to pass most of the time. They also would have been weary of a running attack if the Dolphins had one. If Marino had a top level running back he not only would have made it to more Super Bowl’s he would have won at least one Super Bowl ring.
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Leave a comment | tags: 1983, 1999, career, champion, dan marino, don shula, drafting, elite, hall of fame, high, horrible draft, joe montana, legend, level, Miami dolphins, no, not his fault, quarterback, roger craig, running back, super bowl, thurman thomas, XIX | posted in NFL, Sports History
Week 3 of the NFL season was one of the most unpredictable so far this season. It also so more controversy over the replacement referees. It was a very exciting group of games, so let’s take a look at 2centsworthofsports.com’s top 3 stories from this week in the NFL.
The Replacement Refs Blow The Game For The Packers
The replacement referees have been atrocious the season. They have missed many calls and made wrong ones as well. On Monday Night the stand in refs made the worst call of the season. In closing seconds of the final quarter with the Packers leading the Seahawks 12-7 the unthinkable happened. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson completed a pass to Wide Receiver Golden Tate for the win, or did he. What actually happened was Packers Defensive Back M.D. Jennings intercepted the pass and had it wrestled away from him by Tate while on the ground. The play was reviewed referee Wayne Elliot who stated ”the ruling on the field stands”. The Seattle faithful loved it but NFL fans everywhere were outraged. This seasons referee’s have been horrible and until the lock out ends with the veteran refs we might be seeing a lot more games end this way.
Many Strong Teams Upset By Unlikely Foes
The season has only seen a few up sets during the first two weeks of play. Week three brought with it many upsets. The lowly Jaguars defeated the Colts on the road by a score of 22-17, outscoring the Colts 19-3 in the second half. The Chiefs defeated the Saints in overtime 27-24. The Bengals beat the Redskins 38-31, with excellent play from their QB Andy Dalton who threw for over 300 yards and had 3 TD passes. The Titans stunned the Lions 44-41 in overtime. The 49ers were defeated in the Metro dome by the Vikings 24-13. The Steelers lost to the aiders 34-31, even though “Big” Ben Roethlisberger had a great game with 384 yards passing and 4 TD’s. It was a wild and crazy Sunday. Who know maybe we will see more of this as teams that have been lower level become stronger and more competitive.
Matt Schaub Takes An Illegal Hit And Losses Part Of His Ear
On Sunday afternoon the Houston Texans came into Denver to face the Broncos. What happened would be one of the most gruesome sights in recent memory. The Texans QB Matt Schaub dropped back for a pass and was tackled by two Broncos Defenders simultaneously. His helmet popped off and he immediately grabbed his ear. When he removed his hands from his head he was missing a chunk of the upper portion of his ear. Schaub showed his toughness and continued to play throwing for almost 300 yards and had 4 TD passes. The Texans won the game by a score of 31-25.
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2 comments | tags: 49ers, andy dalton, bad call, bengals, big ben, Broncos, brutal hit, call, chiefs, chunk of ear, colts, cost, ear, final seconds, game, golden tate, green bay, jags, jaguars, lions, losses, m.d. jennings, matt schaub, NFL, overtime, packers, part of, play, redskins, Russell Wilson, saints, seahwaks, seattle, steelers, stories, story, them, titans, top, upset, victory, vikings, week 3, worst call | posted in NFL, sports
The incredible action of week 1 carried into week 2 on Sunday. Week 2 brought many great match ups and answers to questions unanswered in week 1. 2centsworthofsports.com brings you the top 3 stories from the second week of the NFL.
Eli Manning Rallies His Giants Past The Buccs, Has A Career Game
Eli Manning
(Getty Images)
Eli Manning and the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants suffered a disappointing loss in week 1 to the Cowboys. Anxious to prove they could repeat as Champions, the Giants played the Buccs in week 2 in what turned out to be a crazy game. The Buccs came out strong in the 1st half leading the Giants 24-13 going into half time. The Giants came out of half time only scoring 3 points in the 3rd quarter. The 4th quarter is when the Giants picked it up a notch by scoring 25 points. The Giants defeated the Buccs 41-34. The game was one of the wildest of the first 2 weeks. Eli Manning faltered early with 3 interceptions but made up for it with 510 yards passing and throwing for 3 touchdowns. The 510 passing yards were a career record for Manning in one game. The Buccs looked really strong in this game but lost due to Eli and his comeback heroics. Eli and the Giants showed in week 2 that they are ready to attempt a repeat at the Championship this year.
Andrew Luck Wins 1st Career Game
Andrew Luck
(Getty Images)
The number 1 overall pick in April’s Draft Andrew Luck came in with high expectations. In week 1 he did not meet them, week 2 was another story. Luck helped his Indianapolis Colts win their 1st game of the season on Sunday against then Minnesota Vikings, winning by a score of 23-20. Luck was 20-31 passing with 224 yards in the air and rushed for 21 yards. Luck scored his first 2 touchdown passes of his career in this game, his first was to Dwayne Allen and his second to Reggie Wayne. More importantly Luck threw no interceptions which was a huge improvement from week 1 where he threw 3. Luck has definitely improved from week 1 and should develop into a really good NFL QB over the course of the season.
Matt Ryan And The Falcons Defeat Peyton Manning And The Broncos On Monday Night
Matt Ryan
(Getty Images)
On Monday Night the Broncos came into Atlanta to face the Falcons in Prime Time. Matt Ryan and the Falcons were victorious and made a statement. The Falcons are likely back to the form they were in a couple of years ago. Matt Ryan led his team to the win with excellent passing. Ryan had 219 yards passing and had 2 touchdowns. Manning on the other hand had a rough night, throwing only 1 TD pass and throwing for 3 interceptions. The Falcons scored quickly and went into halftime with a 20-7 lead. In the 3rd quarter the Falcons scored 7 points while the Broncos had 0. In the 4th quarter Manning tried to lead his team to the comeback victory as his brother Eli did on Sunday but could not pull it off. The Broncos were able to score only 14 points in the final quarter. The final score was 27-21 in favor of the Falcons. It was an interesting match up with and even more interesting outcome. The Falcons are going to be a strong team for their NFC foes to compete with this season.
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2 comments | tags: 1st, 2012, andrew luck, atlanta, Broncos, buccs, career, champions, colt, cowboys, defending, Denver, disappointing, eli manning, falcons, first, first td, giants, highlights, loss, matt ryan, new york, news, NFL, pass, Peyton Manning, rookie, season, stories, story, super bowl, suprise, td, top, touchdown, victory, viking, week 2, what happened, win | posted in NFL, sports
The 2012 season is out of the gates and charging hard into the Fall. As anticipated the first week of NFL action brought much excitement and enjoyment as America’s number 1 sport began its new season. There were many potential story lines heading into week 1. Here are 2centsworthofsports.com’s Top 3 stories that developed on Sunday.
RG 3 Impresses In Rookie Debut
Robert Griffin III made his highly anticipated debut on Sunday in New Orleans against the Saints. Much like Cam Newton in his rookie season last year, RG3 rose to the occasion. Griffin lead the Redskins to a win over the Saints by a score of 40-32. More impressive than the victory were Griffin’s stats. Griffin was 19-26 with 320 yards passing, 42 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. Griffin completed his first 7 passes for over 123 yards. The most exciting play came in the 1st quarter when Griffin connected with Wide Receiver Pierre Garcon for an 88 yard touchdown pass. That TD pass would be Griffins first in the NFL and is a hell of a way to start a career. A statement was made on Sunday, Griffin is as good as we thought he would be and he makes the Redskins a legitimate threat.
Peyton Manning Showed No Signs Of Rust In His Broncos Debut
One of the first major NFL stories of the past off season was where would Peyton Manning land in free agency. The answer was Denver but that left a question remaining, how would he perform? Manning sat out the entire 2011 season after having undergone neck surgery. On Sunday night in Prime Time, Manning and the Broncos hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers. Manning was back to his usual form going 19-26 with 253 yards passing and 2 touchdown passes. The Broncos beat the Steelers 31-19 in the first game of the season. Manning showed how ready he was to be back in football. It is safe to say he will continue to be one of the best QB’s in the league this season.
#1 Pick Andrew Luck Has A Rough Debut In Chicago
The first overall pick in April’s Draft, Andrew Luck took to the field with his Colts to face the Chicago Bears. Luck came out of college with the same expectations that he is NFL ready. He may very well be but Sunday did not treat Luck very well. The Colts were defeated by the Bears by a score of 41-21. Luck was 25-43 passing with 309 yards passing, 9 yards rushing, 1 touchdown and threw for 3 interceptions. The Bears defense was too much for the Colts line who just did not give Luck enough time to be comfortable. Luck’s 3 interceptions show he was not mentally ready for this game. However his other stats look promising. The problem for Luck this season will be that the Colts have not provided him with the best supporting cast. Week 2 will be a good opportunity to see how Luck can recover from a tough loss and move forward.
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5 comments | tags: 2011 season, 2012 season, 3, andrew luck, andrrew luck, bad performance, bit time, Broncos, chcago bears, colts, debut, first game, great, he do, how did, interception, interceptions, loss, neck surgery, NFL, pass, performances, Peyton Manning, pittsburgh, preformance, prime time, ready, redskins, rg3, Robert Griffin III, rookie, rushing, steelers, stories, success, suprise, td, top, touchdown, touchdowns, veteran, week 1, what happened, yards | posted in NFL, sports
