Broncos To Stick With Tebow

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow will remain the team's starter next week against the Oakland Raiders, head coach John Fox announced on Monday.

"We've got to see if he can improve and get better in the passing game," Fox said according to The Denver Post. "We're getting to know him better and he's getting to understand the offense better with each one of those snaps."

Tebow struggled in Sunday's 45-10 loss to the Detroit Lions, completing just 18-of-39 pass attempts for 172 yards with a touchdown and an interception, which was returned 100 yards for a touchdown, as the Lions sacked him seven times for -55 yards.

On one of those sacks, in the third quarterback by Cliff Avril, Tebow fumbled, with Avril scooping up the fumble and returning it 24 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter.

After Sunday's game, Fox had been non-committal about who his starting quarterback would be just two games after replacing Kyle Orton with Tebow. Denver's No. 3 quarterback, Brady Quinn, has not played this season.

source:  Mac's Football Blog
author:  Brian McIntyre

Rob Ryan: “I got out-coached”

Remember when Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan promised to “beat the ass” of the Eagles, whom he derided as the “all-hype team“? Yeah, it didn’t quite work out that way.
After the Eagles beat the Cowboys 34-7 on Sunday night, Ryan couldn’t do much more than admit it was his defense that got its ass beat.
“It’s not the first time I’ve said something and gotten my butt kicked,” Ryan told the Dallas Morning News after the game. “I got out-coached, out-everything. It’s all on me.”
Ryan’s defense just wasn’t up to the task on Sunday night. Eagles quarterback Michael Vick completed 21 of 28 passes for 279 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Vick also ran seven times for 50 yards, and LeSean McCoy had 30 carries for 185 yards.
So Ryan’s comments are coming back to bite him, although he can take solace in the fact that owner Jerry Jones said after the game that he doesn’t have a problem with Ryan’s comments possibly being used as a motivational tool in the Eagles’ locker room.
“I don’t have that issue,” Jones said. “I just wish comments could make a difference somewhere. They don’t, anywhere.”
Ryan’s words make no difference at all when his defense plays like it did Sunday night.

source:  PFT.com
author:  Michael David Smith

The Rambling Gambler Telegram: Pick Six Week 8

As I was crunching numbers late this week (due to a glitch in one of the NFL's Gamebooks)--much to my surprise, I received a late breaking Telegram from the one and only Rambling Gambler.  Here's a valuable excerpt that includes his Week 8 Pick Six:

"Hey SHAQ,
Not getting home til late Saturday, so still can't do this weeks picks. Oddly enough, internet in Rome (at our hotel, at least) is much worse than internet in Prague... Who knew?
Anyway, here's my brief look at this week. Hope you were able to do something with last weeks since I went 4-2. Figures I'd tie my best effort on my honeymoon when I'm not paying attention, lol! Hope all is well with you."

New Orleans -14 over the Rams
 
NO -14 (Rams still down Bradford, they probably have no hope. Saints didn't look too bad last week, either).

Detroit -3 over the Broncos

Detroit -3 (Tebow-mania is getting a little excessive... Detroit was everyone's darling until they lost to the
Niners, Stafford sounds like he's good to go. Lions are a much better team).

Minnesota +3.5 over the Panthers

Minnesota +3.5 (Ponder-mania isn't excessive enough. Vikes gave GB a run for their money last week, and despite Newton having a phenomonal rookie season, the Panthers are 2-5).

Seattle +3 over the Bengals

Seattle +3 (I always hate on Seattle on the road, so its only fair I take them as a home dog. Defense has played well at times, and the Bengals probably won't blow them out. Should be an ugly game like last week, so I like the points).

San Francisco -9 over the Browns

SF -9 (Niners D is legit, Cleveland offense is not. Hillis is probably out again, Browns will be hard pressed to score, just like last week).

Pittsburgh +3 over the Pats

Pittsburgh +3 (Steelers passing D is starting to click, and they may be able to exploit the pats secondary. The D has been underwhelming, but its still Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh. Another tempting home dog).

Cowboys cut Tashard Choice to make room for Bruce Carter

DeMarco Murray’s emergence last week when he rushed for a Dallas Cowboys-record 253 yards made the decision easy today.
Running back Tashard Choice has been placed on waivers, creating a roster space for linebacker Bruce Carter, the rookie second-round draft pick from North Carolina. Carter is a talented player who likely would have been a first-round draft pick had it not been for a torn ACL. He has been on the physically unable to perform list.
Choice actually started last week against the St. Louis Rams but he carried just two times before Murray, also a rookie, erupted. Starting running back Felix Jones remains sidelined with a high ankle sprain.

source:  National Football Post
author:  Brad Biggs

Week 7 Football ERA Cumulative Results

Weekly 2011 Cumulative Football ERA Formula results are listed below with the usual cautionary disclaimer that these are NOT Power Rankings. To analyze these results, we primarily have to look at how teams change within the Rankings rather than looking at the Rankings alone as a raw result. Position is neither the best nor the sole criteria of analyzing the list as much as is observing change in the list (first derivative). In other words, how teams rise and fall from week to week during the long season is more of a primary criteria for evaluating performance.

Phi	…	9460
NO	…	9092
Hou	…	8990
Dall	…	7973
SF	…	7866
SD	…	7656
Pitt	…	7652
Was	…	7339
GB	…	7293
NYG	…	7226
Bal	…	7069
NE	…	6632
Car	…	6400
Oak	…	6283
Cleve	…	5606
Minn	…	5499
Cinn	…	5181
Det	…	5028
Jax	…	4940
Atl	…	4835
Chi	…	4206
NYJ	…	4063
Buff	…	4057
Den	…	3527
Mia	…	3453
TB	…	2605
KC	…	2596
Arz	…	2564
Sea	…	657
Tenn	…	406
StL	…	-749
Ind	…	-2241

Week Seven Football ERA Composite Scores

The Football ERA Formula outputs a result that runs on a scale from approximately 3000 points to -3000 with losing teams that are dominated getting pushed into the negative numbers by their victors.  Defensive Elements of the Formula contribute to this negative score in games constituting blowouts.  A few years back, we at RealFootballAnalysis.com developed a formula that translates the Final Game Results of The Football ERA into Composite Scores that resemble football scores as much as possible.  Here are the Week Seven Composite Scores:

NO	…	49
Ind	…	3
Hou	…	48
Tenn	…	5
Dall	…	41
StL	…	13
Cleve	…	41
Sea	…	17
Chi	…	37
TB	…	18
Atl	…	34
Det	…	23
KC	…	33
Oak	…	21
NYJ	…	33
SD	…	18
Jax	…	33
Bal	…	23
Den	…	33
Mia	…	29
Car	…	32
Was	…	24
Pitt	…	29
Arz	…	23
Minn	…	28
GB	…	27

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