Over The Spread: Blog

Key MLB Acquisitions - Part 3

Here are some of the key acquisitions from December 9th to February 10th 2010.

December 9th

Veteran left handed pitcher Randy Wolf signed a multi year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers with an option for 2013
The New York Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson in a 3 team, seven player deal to strengthen their outfield.

December 10th

The Houston Astros signed former Philadelphia Phillies 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz to a one year contract.

December 14th

Hideki Matsui signed a one year contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

December 15th

The Chicago White Sox traded RHPs John Ely & Jon Link to the Los Angeles Angeles to acquire center fielder Juan Pierre.
The Boston Red Sox signed former Angel Ace John Lackey to a lucrative 5 year contract.
The Boston Red Sox signed free agent Mike Cameron to a two year contract.

December 16th

The Philadelphia Phillies traded left handed star Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners in a three team 8 player deal that sent two top prospects to Toronto and Roy Halladay to the Phillies.
The Philadelphia Phillies signed Roy Halladay to a 3 year, 60 million contract extension.

December 18th

The Seattle Mariners trade RHP pitcher Carlos Silva for outfielder Milton Bradley.The
Philadelphia Phillies exercised their option and signed short stop Jimmy Rollins until 2011

December 26th

The New York Mets signed free agent pitcher Kelvim Escobar to a 1 year deal.

December 29th

The New York Mets signed free agent, Jason Bay, to a 4 year contract with a 2014 option.
The San Francisco Giants sign Mark DeRosa to a 2 year contract.

December 31st

The Chicago Cubs signed free agent Marlon Byrd to a 3 year, 15 million dollar contract, in hopes of filling holes in the outfield.
The Philadelphia Phillies signed closing pitcher Danys Baez

January 5th

San Francisco Giant pitcher Randy Johnson announced his retirement after a Hall of Fame career.
The Phillies agreed to a 2 year contract with closer Danys Baez.
The New York Mets signed Jason Bay to a 4 year contract.
Troy Glaus and the Atlanta Braves agreed to terms on a 1 year contract.

January 6th

The Oakland Athletics named Steve Scarsone their new manager.

January 7th

The St. Louis Cardinals agreed to terms with outfielder Matt Holliday on a 7 year contract.
The New York Yankees resigned Sergio Mitre to a 1 year contract.
The Boston Red Sox traded first baseman Casey Kotchman to the Seattle Mariners for Bill Hall.
The Boston Red Sox signed third basemen Adrian Beltre to a 1 year deal.

January 8th

The Kansas City Royals signed Scott Podsednik to a 1 year contract.

January 10th

The Texas Rangers signed outfielder Vladimir Guerrero to a 1 year contract.

January 14th

The Colorado Rockies signed pitcher Jorge De La Rosa, Clint Barnes and Taylor Buchholz to 1 year contracts.
Melky Cabrera signs a 1 year contract with the Atlanta Braves.

January 15th

The Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to terms with OF Matt Kemp on a two-year contract and RHP Chad Billingsley on a one-year contract.

January 18th

The Florida Marlins agreed to terms with 2B Dan Uggla, RHP Anibal Sanchez and LHP Renyel Pinto on one-year contracts.

January 19th

The Texas Rangers signed RHP Colby Lewis on a two-year contract and OF Josh Hamilton and LHP Chris Ray on one-year contracts.
The Tampa Bay Rays agreed to terms with SS Jason Bartlett, RHP Matt Garza and LHP J.P. Howell on one-year contracts.
Pittsburgh resigned LHP Zach Duke to a one-year contract. Claimed OF Brandon Jones off waivers from Atlanta.
The New York Mets agreed to terms with OF Jeff Francoeur, RHP Sean Green and LHP Pedro Feliciano on one-year contracts.
The Minnesota Twins sign RHP Carl Pavano, SS J.J. Hardy, OF Delmon Young, RHP Jesse Crain, RHP Matt Guerrier, RHP Pat Neshek and LHP Francisco Liriano to one-year contracts and INF Brendan Harris on a two-year contract.
The Angels agreed to terms with 2B Howie Kendrick, C Mike Napoli, RHP Jered Weaver and OF Reggie Willits on one-year contracts.
The Chicago White Sox resign LHP John Danks on a one-year contract.
Detroit agrees to terms with RHP Jose Valverde on a two-year contract and RHP Zach Miner, LHP Bobby Seay and C Gerald Laird on one-year contracts.

January 21st

The Seattle Mariners signed RHP Felix Hernandez to a five-year contract worth 78 million dollars.
The Phillies sign RHP Joe Blanton on a three-year contract worth 24 million.
Josh Johnson signs a 4 year contract worth 39 million dollars with the Florida Marlins.

January 22nd

The Philadelphia Phillies agreed to terms with CF Shane Victorino on a three-year contract. The deal is worth 22 million.
The Los Angeles Angels signed RHP Joel Pineiro on a two-year contract.

January 25th

The Angels signed INF Maicer Izturis on a three-year contract for 10 million dollars.

January 26th

The Minnesota Twins signed Jim Thome to a 1 year contract.
The Los Angeles Dodgers resign INF Ronnie Belliard and C Brad Ausmus to one-year contracts.
Baltimore agreed to terms with INF Miguel Tejada on a one-year contract.

February 4th

The Detroit Tigers signed Ace Justin Verlander to a 5 year deal worth 80 million dollars.

The Super Saints

When you think of great teams in the NFL, past and present, the Saints never seem to come up in the conversation. Images of fans wearing brown paper bags over their heads can be remembered more easily. But not anymore. The Saints have erased all of the bad memories and now can say, that they are the best in the world. The Saints faced a ten point deficit at the hands of possibly the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Peyton Manning. The Colts seemingly had no problem walking up and down the field against the Saints' defense, and tied a Super Bowl record with a 96 yard drive for a touchdown.

But New Orleans wouldn't be denied, as they rallied back to cut the lead to 4 at half. In the second half of the game, it was all Drew Brees. He was 29 for 32 in the second half, leading his team to score 25 points against just 7 for the Colts. One of the most memorable moments must have been head coach Sean Peyton elected to try an onside kick at the start of the second half, which worked. When this game is spoke of for many years to come, and when it is replayed, that decision will be shown over and over. This was the first time the Saints had ever reached the Super Bowl, and they would walk away with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. In doing so, they beat what most people thought was the best team in the league, guided behind the MVP. But the Saints wouldn't be denied as they won 31-17, as 5 point underdogs.

For us, we stayed away from the side and once again issued the total. Last year, we issued the Over and watched Big Ben take his team down the field for a game winning score which gave us the cover. This year, we figured that the game would be played with the mindset to keep the other offense off of the field, and we were right. Peyton Manning only had 6 snaps from center in the entire 2nd quarter. 50 dimes issued on the inflated 57 total to go Under and it did. We are now 2-0 in the Super Bowl with 105 dimes of net profit with these totals.

NFL PLayoff's

At the start of the 2009/10 playoff's things didn't go too well as we issued the Cincinnati Bengals over the New York Jets. Carson Palmer couldn't find an answer for the Jets' defense as he was 18 for 36 and only threw for 146 yards. The Bengals were held under 300 total yards for the game and turned the ball over twice, compared to the Jets' who didn't have any turnovers and gained 353 total yards with Sanchez having a nice 12 for 15, 182 yard day and a touchdown.

In day two, we took it on the chin as we got swept issuing the New England Patriots who were beat up 33-14 by the Baltimore Ravens. And then watched the number 2 ranked defense get torched by Arizona, only to give us some hope when Green Bay rallied and then lost in overtime. Not the start we wanted as we ended up going 0-3 for the weekend.

Week 2 would be totally different, as we issued a 25 dime play on the New Orleans Saints who dominated Arizona by getting to Kurt Warner throughout the game. Brees threw for 247 yards and 3 touchdown passes, while Reggie Bush stepped up with 84 yards on only 5 carries. Bush finished the day with two touchdowns as he had one rushing, and one returning a punt for 83 yards. We ended the day with our first ever teaser, tapping the Saints and the Colts, who went on to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 20-3, as it was the Colts' defense that played shut down football. On Sunday, we issued the Minnesota Vikings who absolutely dismantled the Cowboys 34-3, with Brett Favre having one of his best games throwing for 4 touchdown passes. The defensive line made its point that the Cowboys will look to rebuild their offensive line in the offseason, as they sacked Tony Romo 6 times. Total turn around as we got swept the previous week, and now we sweep the board going 3-0.

The conference games came and we issued our highest rated release of the season with the Indianapolis Colts over the Jets for 65 dimes. The Jets started off the game with a 17-6 lead, after Indy failed to punch it in on two goaline situations. But Peyton Manning rallied the offense to put up 24 unanswered points, while the Colts defense shut the Jets down. Colts advanced to the Super Bowl behind a 30-17 win and cover. With only one game remaining, we are currently 4-3 in the playoff's, with 4 straight winners in a row.

Upgrades to Our Site

In our attempt to improve our site and meet the needs of our customers, we have changed some items and upgraded others on the site.

Free Pick Box: Located on the right hand side of the site, the free pick box will route all users to a page that will display the free pick. Many customers, who either do not have internet access during the day or are restricted from certain sites, can not view our free pick on You Tube. So now, there will be a free pick each day loaded on the site which can be obtained by simply clicking the box.
Myspace: We still have a Myspace account, but will no longer use a direct link to it on our site. Honestly, we do not update the Myspace page each day and it is something that most of our users, do not have. So, if you need to contact us, feel free by email and check our updates on Twitter.
New Package: We no longer will offer the Weekend Pass, and now have a 6 Month Package. Many customers have been asking for this package since the summer of last year, and although this package is not fully completed, (the day count is not updated yet), this will be ready first thing next week.
New Video Library: Now that we have a free pick link, we will use our channel to do instructional videos on how to use our site, and other videos will be informational tips and advice related to gambling. This will still take a few weeks before it is completed. The Library will now list every video on our site and no longer direct to a You Tube based shared video.
Quicker Links: Scrolling over the top navigation bar will now have quicker links to live scores, odds, injuries and weather by each sport. Before, you were directed to a page that displayed a general amount of information and another link had to be clicked to go to a certain sport. Now, the quick links are on the navigation bar by simply dragging and leaving the mouse over the link you want.
$25.00 Coupon: This will be one of the most popular add ons that we implemented on our site. Now all new users can get a one time $25.00 coupon that can be used for any package. The coupon will also be good for daily packages and if there should be a day where the daily package price is under the $25.00 coupon used, you will have a remaining balance that can be used whenever you please.

There are many other features, and when completed, notices on our Blog and Twitter will keep all informed. Thank You.

Big Dog Cashes In

Coming into Wednesday night, there were a lot of enticing games on the board. Pittsburgh and Georgetown, Iowa State and Texas Tech, Baylor and Kansas, and in the NBA the Utah Jazz took on the San Antonio Spurs. We stayed in college basketball and first took Kent State over Buffalo, and wagered to win 25 dimes. After the first half, which was close at times but Kent built a nice 10 point lead, the Golden Flashes' offense lit the board up. Kent State put up 55 second half points, while only allowing 30 and easily cruised to an 89-54 win by 35 points. All that was left was for us to hit our highest rated release of the entire college basketball season. We issued 50 dimes on Bradley over Southern Illinois. Bradley came into this matchup with a losing record at 8-9, while the Salukis' were 10-6. The start of the game was the key for the win as Bradley opened the first half with a 15-0 lead, as Southern Illinois missed their first 8 shots. Salukis responded by outscoring Bradley 18-6 to cut the lead by 3 points. In the second half of the game, Southern Illinois took their first lead 55-54, after going on a 7-0 run, but a crucial 3 point foul on Carlton Fay, sent Sam Maniscalco to the free throw line. He hit all three shots putting Bradley back on top. Fay and Freeman both missed 3 pointers for Southern Illinois and Bradley got the outright win as a 7 point dog. We capped off the night going 2-0 with an easy 35 point win with a 4 point favorite and got the outright victory with an underdog bringing in 75 dimes for the night.

Plaxico Burress Denied

Manhattan prosecutors have successfully blocked Plaxico Buress' bid for a work release. The state's Department of Corrections have denied the former Giants star's work-release application, and his sentenced will be continued, prolonging his release from prison on gun charges. Burress is serving two years for accidentally shooting himself in the thigh with his unlicensed hand gun at the Latin Quarter nightclub last year. The DA's office had opposed the application, although the state had received many letters from Buress' friends and family in support of him attaining the work-release program. Burress can re-apply for the program in July. The gun wasn’t licensed in New York or New Jersey, where Burress lived, and his Florida concealed-weapons permit had expired. He also failed to report the incident to authorities. Manhattan Chief Assistant DA Mark Dwyer had said that a quick furlough would send a bad message. The Giants released Burress in April, but the 32-year-old said he hopes to resume his NFL career after he gets out of prison.

Plaxico Burress was drafted in the first round, 8th overall, by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2000, after a successful college career at Michigan State. He had 22 receptions his rookie year and tripled that number the following year with 66 and 6 touchdowns. In 2004, he recorded his fewest amount of receptions since his rookie season with 35, and left the team for the New York Giants. In his first season with the Giants, he would catch 76 receptions and 7 touchdown passes and quickly become Eli Manning's top target. The next two years Burress caught 22 touchdown passes, and was one of the key players in the Giants winning the Super Bowl. When released, his return to the NFL, coupled with his past troubles, will be a daunting task.

Mike Shanahan

Less than 48 hours after Jim Zorn was fired as head coach of the Washington Redskins, owner Daniel Snyder inked a five year contract for Mike Shanahan. He will be the next coach in a long list of candidates that failed to deliver Snyder's promise to Redskins fans when he purchased the team to win a Super Bowl. The Redskins are 82-99 since Snyder bought the team, missing the playoffs in eight of 11 seasons. Shanahan will be Washington's seventh coach since Snyder came along in 1999 -- a stretch that has included only two playoff victories. Shanahan won the Super Bowl twice in 14 seasons with the Denver Broncos, but was fired a year ago after they missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The Broncos opted for coach Josh McDaniels, who in his first year, traded top pick Jay Cutler, and finished the season 8-8, after a solid start and missed the playoffs. Shanahan has been one of the big names surfacing the league, with Mike Holmgren and Bill Cowher. The Redskins finished the regualr season with a 4-12 record and will have a top draft pick coming into the new year. With the team in disarray and bickering among teammates, Shanahan will have his work cut out for him.

Randy Johnson Retires

Randy Johnson became the 24th pitcher in the history of baseball to win 300 games last season with the San Francisco Giants. Big Unit was also one of the key players that led the Arizona Diamondbacks to a World Series in 2001. Johnson and Curt Schilling were co-MVPs during that series, when one of the most memorable moments came when Johnson entered Game 7 in relief in the eighth inning and earned the win after being the winning pitcher in Game 6 the night before. Randy Johnson also won 5 Cy Young awards, with only Roger Clemens winning more with 6. In 22 years he pitched for Montreal, Seattle, Houston, Arizona, the Yankees and the Giants, Johnson went 303-166. His 4,875 strikeouts rank second all-time to Nolan Ryan (5,714). He also pitched 37 shutouts.

He was one of the most feared left handers, if not pitchers in the game. A fierce intensity, and a menacing stare, Big Unit will go down as one of the greatest pitchers ever to play the game. The 46 year old suffered a tear in his rotator cuff, missed the next several weeks and finished 8-6 with a 4.88 ERA for the Giants last year. The injury may be factor that led to his decision to retire. Unlike Clemens, Randy Johnson's career will be remebered without a blemish and he most likely will be a first ballot candidate for the Hall of Fame.

Key MLB Transactions - Part #2

Here are some of the key acquisitions from December 9th to January 3rd 2010.

December 9th

Veteran left handed pitcher Randy Wolf signed a multi year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers with an option for 2013
The New York Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson in a 3 team, seven player deal to strengthen their outfield.

December 10th

The Houston Astros signed former Philadelphia Phillies 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz to a one year contract.

December 14th

Hideki Matsui signed a one year contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

December 15th

The Chicago White Sox traded RHPs John Ely & Jon Link to the Los Angeles Angeles to acquire center fielder Juan Pierre.
The Boston Red Sox signed former Angel Ace John Lackey to a lucrative 5 year contract.
The Boston Red Sox signed free agent Mike Cameron to a two year contract.

December 16th

The Philadelphia Phillies traded left handed star Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners in a three team 8 player deal that sent two top prospects to Toronto and Roy Halladay to the Phillies.
The Philadelphia Phillies signed Roy Halladay to a 3 year, 60 million contract extension.

December 18th

The Seattle Mariners trade RHP pitcher Carlos Silva for outfielder Milton Bradley.The
Philadelphia Phillies exercised their option and signed short stop Jimmy Rollins until 2011

December 26th

The New York Mets signed free agent pitcher Kelvim Escobar to a 1 year deal.

December 29th

The New York Mets signed free agent, Jason Bay, to a 4 year contract with a 2014 option.
The San Francisco Giants sign Mark DeRosa to a 2 year contract.

December 31st

The Chicago Cubs signed free agent Marlon Byrd to a 3 year, 15 million dollar contract, in hopes of filling holes in the outfield.
The Philadelphia Phillies signed closing pitcher Danys Baez

2009 Year In Review

2009 started off with a really solid January, closing out the NFL playoff's and college bowls with a combined 14-4 record. We also we're heating up in the NBA, but towards the end of the month, we hit a snag in college basketball. Our troubles continued as we had our first losing month in February, primarily because of a bad streak of college basketball releases, although we did hit our 55 dime play on the Super Bowl. But March was a nice bounce back month with our NBA plays leading the way and a complete turnaround in college hoops. It continued into April as we won 398 dimes for the month and ended the college basketball season hitting just under 60%. May would be another solid month, as baseball began its season and we stayed hot in the NBA, finishing the season with a 63-29 overall record, (49-22 in 2009). June would be the first month that would see our bankroll topple 1000 dimes, and the future looked very promising with football right around the corner. But July was a losing month, as baseball began to level out, and our releases weren't hitting. August wouldn't be very productive, but September would be horrendous. The main reason our yearly figures didn't turn out the way I wanted them too, was because of the lousy start to both college football and the NFL. The year for us could be summed up into a year of two halves. The first 6 months being great and very profitable, while the last 6 months being difficult and costing us some of our bankroll. We did finish out the year winning just under 700 dimes, but the NFL proved to be tough for us this year which paled in comparison to last year's run.

Our goals for 2010, will be to win 1200 dimes of net profit for the year, while staying more balanced and disciplined, as I got away from myself at the start of the football season. 2009 was very profitable, especially because the average play I release is between 20 to 30 dimes, but it was a disappointing end to a year that seemed to be very promising.

Jack Johnson Pardon

The Justice Department's pardon attorney, Ronald L. Rodgers, said the department, as a policy, does not process pardons for dead people. But Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Rep. Peter King of New York, both Republicans, were sending a new letter to the president Wednesday, Trying once again to pardon former heavyweight champion of the wrold Jack Johnson. Both houses of Congress passed resolutions this year urging a presidential pardon for Johnson, who became the first black heavyweight champion in 1908 -- 100 years before Obama was elected the first black president.

Johnson's victory led to a search for a "Great White Hope" who could beat him. Two years later, Jim Jeffries, the American world titleholder Johnson had tried for years to fight, came out of retirement but lost in a match called "The Battle of the Century," resulting in deadly riots. In 1913, Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act, which made it illegal to transport women across state lines for immoral purposes. After his conviction, he fled the country, but agreed years later to return and serve a 10-month jail sentence.

"Mr. Johnson's conviction was motivated by nothing more than the color of his skin," McCain and King wrote. "As such, it not only injured his family, but also our nation as a whole." When he unveiled the resolution in April, McCain said he was sure that Obama "will be more than eager" to issue the pardon.

Key MLB Transactions

Here are some of the key acquisitions from December 9th to December 18th 2009.

December 9th

Veteran left handed pitcher Randy Wolf signed a multi year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers with an option for 2013
The New York Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson in a 3 team, seven player deal to strengthen their outfield.

December 10th

The Houston Astros signed former Philadelphia Phillies 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz to a one year contract.

December 14th

Hideki Matsui signed a one year contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

December 15th

The Chicago White Sox traded RHPs John Ely & Jon Link to the Los Angeles Angeles to acquire center fielder Juan Pierre.
The Boston Red Sox signed former Angel Ace John Lackey to a lucrative 5 year contract.
The Boston Red Sox signed free agent Mike Cameron to a two year contract.

December 16th

The Philadelphia Phillies traded left handed star Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners in a three team 8 player deal that sent two top prospects to Toronto and Roy Halladay to the Phillies.
The Philadelphia Phillies signed Roy Halladay to a 3 year, 60 million contract extension.

December 18th

The Seattle Mariners trade RHP pitcher Carlos Silva for outfielder Milton Bradley.The
Philadelphia Phillies exercised their option and signed short stop Jimmy Rollins until 2011

Chris Henry's Tragic End

Cincinnati Bengal receiver Chris Henry has died, one day after falling out of the back of a pickup truck in what authorities described as a domestic dispute with his fiancée. Later Thursday, police released two 911 tapes. The first was from an unidentified woman who said she was following a yellow pickup truck. A little more than a minute later, an unidentified man called 911 and said he saw a man "laying in the road" and "definitely unconscious."

Henry was rushed to the hospital Wednesday after being found on a residential road "apparently suffering life-threatening injuries," according to police. Police said a dispute began at a home about a half-mile away, and Henry jumped into the bed of the pickup truck as his fiancée was driving away from the residence.

Police said at some point when she was driving, Henry "came out of the back of the vehicle." They wouldn't identify the woman, and no charges were immediately filed. Two women from separate homes nearby said Thursday they saw the woman and the pickup at the scene when police arrived. Cheryl Hoffman said she came out with a blanket when she saw Henry wasn't wearing a shirt.

Henry and Loleini Tonga were engaged and had announced plans to be married in March, the Bengals said. The couple has been raising three children. Tonga's MySpace page identifies herself as "Mrs. C. Henry" and has a picture of her next to a person who appears to be Henry. She also has a post from Tuesday talking about buying wedding rings. A neighbor said Wednesday that the Tonga family owns the home where police say the incident began. Charlotte is home to Henry's fiancée's parents. Authorities have not announced the cause of death. Mecklenburg County medical examiner investigator Carol Cormier said they were expecting to receive the body later Thursday.

Roy Jones Jr.

Born January 16, 1969 in Pensacola Florida, Jones began boxing at an early age. In 1984 he won the United States National Junior Olympics in his weight class. Then he won two National Golden Gloves titles before ending his ameteur career with a 121-13 record. Jones won a silver medal in the 1988 Olympics, as he defeated every fighter without losing a single round, but controversy saw him lose in the gold medal match against South Korean fighter Park Si-Hun, although he destroyed him from start to finish. As a professional, Jones fought the top competition early in his career with wins over Jorge Vaca, Jorge Castro, Benard Hopkins, and a convincing win over then champion, James "Lights Out" Toney. Outside of a fight against Virgil Hill and Mike McCallum, Jones seemingly fought unfit opponents for years to come. Often criticized for fighting "Cans," and his pursuit for a secondary career in music and basketball, Jones stepped up on January 3rd, 2003 to win the Heavyweight title against John Ruiz. But as the Light Heavyweight division started to become stacked with competition, Jones lost 3 fights in a row. After winning a controversial decision against Antonio Tarver, which many ringside scored the fight for Tarver, the two fought in a rematch 6 months later. Tarver knocked out Jones in the 2nd round with a devastating right hand and shocked the world. In Roy's comeback fight, he would be knocked out again, this time in the 9th by Glen Johnson. In the third fight with Antonio Tarver, Jones would lose convincingly by a unanimous decision on October 1st, 2005. He would then put together a 3 fight win streak, one over Felix Trinidad, before being dominated by Joe Calzaghe. After a nice win over Jeff Lacy, talks between Jones and Hopkins began about a rematch. The two woud have to win their upcoming fights, with Hopkins fighting Enrique Ornelas and Jones taking on Danny Green. Hopkins dominated Ornelas in a 12 round unanimous decision, but Jones was knocked out in the first round after getting pummeled by a right hand. With the Jones loss, the rematch all but may be over, as the stock in seeing this fight has plummeted. And now one begs to ask the question, Is Roy Jones done? Roy is 5-4 in his last 9 fights with two of his wins coming by TKO, but three of his losses resulting in knockouts. Without a big payday ahead and the possible rematch of him and Hopkins losing its luster, this may be the end of Roy Jones Jr. Personally, I do think we will see him once more in a fight in his home town of Pensacola, but it won't be against Hopkins.

Roy Jones Jr. 54-6-1 (40 KO's)

Big Wins & Bigger Losses 11-30-2009

Big Wins

Denver defeats New York 26-6

The Denver Broncos ended a losing streak by defeating another team who can't quite get it together. Effective on both sides of the ball, the Broncos gained 373 totals yartds with 235 in the air and 138 on the ground. Matt Prater was a perfect 4 for 4 on field goals, while the defense held the Giants banged up running game to only 57 total yards and caused 3 turnovers.

Philadelphia defeats Washington 27-24

Trailing by as much as 8 points in the fourth quarter, Donovan McNabb led his offense down the field in route to a Eldra Buckley 1 yard touchdown run. Then they tied the game as McNabb hit McCoy with a shovel pass for the two point conversion. With only 1:48 left in regulation, David Akers made a 32 yard field goal for the win.

Indianapolis defeats Houston 35-27

The Colts' perfect season seemingly was coming to an end as the Texans were off to a quick 17-0 lead. But Peyton Manning, who was 27/35 for 244 yards and 3 touchdown passes, led his offense to outscore Houston 35-7. The running for the Colts also cam up big as they rushed for 114 yards on 23 carries. Clint Session had a key 27 yard interception return for a touchdown.

Other Notable Wins:

San Francisco over Jacksonville 20-3

Tennessee over Arizona 20-17

Baltimore over Pittsburgh 20-17

Bigger Losses

Buffalo upsets Miami

Playoff hopes for the Dolphins may have been erased on Sunday as the Bills scored 24 fourth quarter points on a game where poor coaching decisions and even worse passing plagued the Fish. After Ricky Williams was averaging over 5 yards per carry, Miami elected to throw the ball on first and goal from the three which resulted in an interception. Henne, who completed only short passes all day, was picked off 3 times and Williams was also intercepted on a trick play for a total of 4 turnovers.

Big Wins & Bigger Losses 11-28-2009

Big Wins

Alabama defeats Auburn 26-21

Trailing 14-0 early in the first quarter, Alabama’s perfect season seemed to be coming to an end. But the Crimson Tide rallied to tie the game at 14 on a 33yard pass from Greg McElroy. The Tigers answered with a 72 yard pass to Darvin Adams from Chris Todd to retake the lead 21-14. But after two Leigh Tiffin field goals, Ray Upchurch caught a 4 yard pass from McElroy, who was 21-31 for 218 yards and two touchdowns, to seal the deal, 26-21.

LSU defeats Arkansas 33-30

The Tigers got out to a 17-3 lead, and after it was cut to 4, they added another touchdown to bring their lead back to 11. But Arkansas rallied to take their first lead of the game late in the fourth quarter as Joe Adams caught a 14 yard touchdown pass from top prospect Ryan Mallett. But Josh Jasper hit a 41 yard field goal to tie the game and send it into overtime with only 4 seconds remaining. Jasper hit again from 36 in overtime, and a missed field goal to tie the game gave LSU the win.

Missouri defeats Kansas

Missouri’s comeback added to the list of teams making great comebacks for huge victories. Kansas took a 21-10 lead in the second quarter only to find themselves down 33-28 heading into the fourth. But a 74 yard Todd Reesing pass to Dezmon Briscoe, and a 39 yard field goal, gave the Jayhawks the 39-36 lead. But a crucial safety, cut the lead to 1 and gave Missouri the ball back with 2:58 left in the game. Grant Ressel then hit a 27 yard field goal as time expired to lift Missouri over Kansas 41-39.

Other Notable Wins:

Tennessee defeats Kentucky 30-24

Stanford defeats Notre Dame 45-38

BYU defeats Utah 26-23

Bigger Losses

Georgia upsets Georgia Tech 30-24

The Bulldogs gained 415 total yards against a stingy Yellow Jacket defense with the running game leading the way. Washaun Ealey carried the ball 20 times for 183 yards, while his teammate Caleb King rushed for 166 on 18 carries and two touchdowns. Georgia gained a total of 339 yards on the ground, while their defense limited Josh Nesbitt to a 6 for 12 performance for only 135 passing yards and 41 rushing yards.

N.C. State upsets North Carolina 28-27

Russell Wilson may have had his best game of his career at quarterback at the right time. He was 20 for 27 while throwing for 259 yards and 4 touchdown passes to lead his team to victory. The defense also came up big in this game as they intercepted a T. J. Yates pass with 23 seconds remaining as North Carolina was driving the ball. The Wolfpack were outgained in both passing and rushing yards, but key conversions and long touchdowns were the deciding factor.

Other Notable Losses:

West Virginia over Pittsburgh 19-16

Oklahoma over Oklahoma St. 27-0

South Carolina over Clemson 34-17

Mississippi St. over Ole Miss 41-27

Francisco Rodriguez

Francisco Rodriguez was born in Mexico, but grew up in Chicago where he became a 5 time Golden Gloves Champion. In 2004, Rodriguez advanced to the U.S. Olympic trials by outpointing opponent Teon Kennedy. Years later the two would once again meet in the ring, but this time as professionals. In the tenth round, Rodriguez was knocked out by Kennedy and never regained consciousness. He was taken to Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia where he was immediately rushed into brain surgery. And although this is another tragic story, this one seems to have somewhat of a happy ending. Rodriguez’s family donated eight of his organs, including one of his kidney’s to his own uncle who has been on the waiting list for several years. Francisco’s Brother went on to say, "My family is desperately grieving the loss of Paco, but there is some comfort knowing that he will save at least eight lives and benefit so many families. "My brother was so strong and healthy. ... His heart and lungs were in perfect condition. It would have been a terrible waste not to share his life with others. How could we not help another family?" This adds to a long list of boxers who have died due to blows suffered in the ring. And although it is the risk one takes when entering into such a profession, it is comforting to know that others will benefit from the tragic and premature loss of Francisco Rodriguez. Donations can be made to the Francisco Rodriguez Estate fund account #707331062 at any Chase Bank location.

Big Wins & Bigger Losses 11-23-2009

Big Wins

Detroit defeats Cleveland 38-37

The Detroit Lions got their second win of the season with an amazing comeback and a touchdown pass with 0 seconds on the clock. Matthew Stafford had a career game as he was 26 for 43 with 422 yards and 5 touchdown passes. Stafford hit Calvin Johnson 7 times for 161 yards and one td, as all of his touchdowns passes went to different receivers. A critical pass interference call on a Hail Mary pass, gave Detroit 1^st and goal, and Stafford came through with a 1 yard pass to rookie Brandon Pettigrew.

New York Giants defeat Atlanta 34-31

The Giants had a 17-7 lead going into the 3^rd quarter, and then had a 31-17 lead in the fourth, only to see the game tied at 31 with 28 seconds left in regulation. Eli Manning, who had 384 yards on 25 for 39 passing and 3 touchdowns, put Lawrence Tynes in range who drilled a 36 yard field goal in overtime to give the Giants a much needed win after 4 straight losses.

Indianapolis defeats Baltimore 17-15

Peyton Manning keeps his Colts team undefeated with a huge win over the Ravens on the road. Manning was 22 for 31 with 299 yards and 1 td, as he exposed a weakness in the Raven defense hitting Garcon 6 times for 108 yards. The win now has the Colts at 10-0, with an even 5-0 mark both on the road and at home.

Other Notable Wins:

Miami defeats Carolina 24-17

Green Bay defeats San Fran 30-24

New England defeats New York 31-14

Tennessee defeats Houston 20-17

Bigger Losses

Oakland upsets Cincinnati 20-17

Down 14-0 early in the second quarter, Bruce Gradkowski rallied his team for a touchdown before half time. With only 33 seconds left in the game, Gradkowski hit Louis Murphy for a 29 yard touchdown pass to tie the game. On the ensuing kickoff, Andre Caldwell fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Brandon Myers, who also caused the fumble. Janikowski then connected on a 33 yard field goal with only 15 seconds remaining in the game which gave the Raiders the win.

Kansas City upsets Pittsburgh 27-24

After a 97 yard kickoff return by Jamaal Charles on the first play of the game, Kansas City found themselves down 17-7 at half. After a touchdown pass to Leonard Pope from Matt Cassel and a 27 yard field goal, the game was tied at 17. Mendenhall gave the Steelers the lead again with an 8 yard touchdown run, but Cassel connected for the second time to ties the game at 24. In overtime Ryan Succop hit a 22 yard chip shot to give the Chiefs the stunning win.

Big Wins & Bigger Losses - 11-21-2009

Big Wins

Texas Tech defeats Oklahoma 41-13

Taylor Potts led the Red Raiders to a crucial win over the Sooners as he threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 35 of 53 passes. They got a solid rushing performance from Batch who finished with 136 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns. The Red Raiders gained 549 total yards of offense against an above average defense and limited the Sooner’s running game to only 48 total yards on the ground.

Penn State defeats Michigan State 42-14

This was a game where many experts were picking the Spartans to pull off the upset against a Penn State squad said to be overlooking this game. But nothing could be further from the truth, as the Nittany Lions held Michigan State to only 333 yards of total offense and caused two key turnovers. Darryl Clark, often criticized for his lack of passing accuracy, was 19 for 27 with 310 yards passing and 4 touchdowns.

Oregon defeats Arizona 44-41

The Ducks may have needed double overtime to get past Arizona, but they came through on a Masoli 1 yard touchdown run to end the game. Jeremiah Masoli was 26 for 47 with 3 passing touchdowns to go with his 3 rushing td’s as well. 6 total touchdowns for the Oregon quarterback who also had 284 yards passing and 61 yards rushing.

Other Notable Wins:

BYU defeats Air Force 23-13

Iowa defeats Minnesota 12-0

Ohio State defeats Michigan 21-10

Florida State defeats Maryland 29-26

Bigger Losses

Northwestern upsets Wisconsin 33-31

The surging Wildcats added another big win to their resume as they defeated #16 ranked Wisconsin. Northwestern racked up 437 yards of total offense with Mike Kafka leading the way. Kafka was 26 for 40 with 326 yards and 2 touchdown passes, while getting no help from the running game who only could muster 73 total yards. Stephan Demos, Northwestern’s field goal kicker, was also a significant part of their win as he was 4 for 4, including hitting from 45 yards in the first quarter.

Syracuse upsets Rutgers 31-13

Rutgers came into this game as a huge favorite and left getting embarrassed by the Orangemen. Syracuse was winless in Big East play before this game and outgained Rutgers by 294 total yards. The Scarlett Knights only gained 130 total yards on offense with Savage throwing for 66 yards and two interceptions.

Other Notable Losses:

Connecticut upsets Notre Dame 33-30

California upsets Stanford 34-28

Kentucky upsets Georgia 34-27

The End of the Wildcat?

Star running back Ronnie Brown, and the anchor of the Wildcat, has been placed on injured reserve and will miss the remainder of the season. The Dolphins leading rusher suffered a right foot injury on Sunday in a game against Tampa Bay. This will be the second time Brown will miss a significant amount of playing time, as he injured his knee and missed 9 games in 2007. With the passing attack not helping this offense much with Chad Henne at quarterback, the running game which has made the Wildcat famous, has been the main focus for their success. And now with Ronnie Brown out, the duel threat of him and Ricky Williams is null. Williams will have to carry the bulk of the load now, and Henne will have to be more productive if the offense is going to contend for a playoff spot. The question now will be whether or not will Miami be able to make adjustments and make the Wildcat still work, or will they rely on a more conventional approach to their offense with a straight running game and giving Henne more passing attempts. Thursday night the Dolphins will take on the surging Carolina Panthers on the road, and some of these questions will be answered.

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather

With the recent destruction of Miguel Cotto, there is no doubt that Manny Pacquiao is pound for pound the number 1 fighter in the world. The only test to his claim would be in a fight with Floyd Mayweather. A dream matchup, rivaling that of “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler, and without question out dueling De La Hoya vs. Trinidad. But will this fight ever happen? It has been long contested that Mayweather only fights opponents on his own terms and has “ducked” many of the top ranked fighters for years like Shane Mosley. Pacquiao’s head trainer Freddie Roach, in the post fight interview, has stated that he wants Mayweather. Floyd has been recently quoted as saying, "The thing is with Pacquiao I don't see any versatility as a fighter," Mayweather, the former pound-for-pound king who ended a retirement by easily outpointing Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19. "He's a good puncher but just one-dimensional. "I'm in a no-win situation. If I beat Manny Pacquiao you know what they are going to say? You are supposed to beat him, you are Floyd Mayweather, you are the bigger man.' If I knock him out they'll say, 'You're supposed to knock him out because he's been knocked out before. I'm in a no-win situation and when I beat him no one is going to be surprised because he's been beaten before. Whatever I do to Pacquiao has been done before. He's been beaten on three occasions. And if I knock him out I don't want the world shouting because he's been knocked out twice before [as a flyweight in the 1990s]," he said. Freddie Roach isn’t buying it as he responded that Mayweather’s resistance for this fight, and his demands for 65% of the revenue, is because he knows he can’t beat Pacquiao. If the fight does take place, there is no doubt it can challenge or defeat the Mayweather and De La Hoya’s 2.4 million pay per view purchase mark. Regardless if Mayweather thinks that Pacquiao is an easy fight or not doesn’t matter. The people are now demanding this fight, and if any fighter in the world wants to be “The People’s Champ,” then it is the people who should see the fight. For now, we’ll have to wait and see.

Big Wins & Bigger Losses 11-16-2009

Big Wins

Cincinnati defeats Pittsburgh 18-12

The Bengals came into this game as a 7 point underdog and came away with the outright win. Cincinnati’s defense limited Ben Roethlisberger to only 174 yards and intercepted him once, while holding Mendenhall to 36 yards rushing. In a defensive showdown, the Bengals benefitted from Benard Scott’s 96 yard kick return which was the only touchdown for either team the entire game.

San Diego defeats Philadelphia 31-23

The Chargers never trailed once in this game against the Eagles, even though they were out gained 462 yards to 331. Donovan McNabb threw for 450 yards, but Phillip Rivers had two touchdown passes against no interceptions. LaDainian Tomlinson carried the ball 24 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns.

Indianapolis defeats New England 35-34

A critical call from Bill Belichek on 4th down late in the game, costed his team the win and gave Peyton Manning another shot. The Colts scored 21 fourth quarter points behind Manning who finished the game 327 yards and 4 touchdown passes. Two of his touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter with the game winner going to Reggie Wayne with only 13 seconds left.

Other Notable Wins:
New Orleans defeats St. Louis 28-23
Miami defeats Tampa Bay 25-23
Carolina defeats Atlanta 28-19

Bigger Losses

Washington upsets Denver 27-17

The Redskins may have won this game because Kyle Orton went down to an injury and didn’t play the entire second half. Nevertheless, the Redskins took advantage of Denver’s inability to move the ball in the second half and came back after trailing to score 13 unanswered points in route to the win.

Green Bay upsets Dallas 17-7

The Packer defense came to play limiting the Cowboys to only 278 total yards of offense and causing 3 turnovers. The Packers controlled the clock for 35 minutes and 58 seconds getting a passing and rushing touchdown from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Big Wins & Bigger Losses 11-14-2009

Big Wins

Ohio State defeats Iowa

Facing the 10^th ranked team in the nation, the Buckeyes led the entire game after trailing early 3-0. Extending their lead to as much as 14 in the fourth quarter, Iowa rallied to tie the game, sending it into overtime. The first possession belonged to Hawkeyes as the defense for Ohio State stepped up big with a loss on a run play and a sack driving them out of field goal range. The next possession, Devin Barclay drilled a 39 yard field goal giving Ohio State the 27-24 win.

TCU defeats Utah 55-28

Although the line didn’t suggest that this game would be close, many thought that the Utes would be able to bring their best and keep this game competitive. No such thing happened, as the Horned Frogs mounted 549 yards of total offense with running back Ed Wesley rushing for 137 yards on only 12 carries and a touchdown. Matthew Tucker had two rushing touchdowns with quarterback Andy Dalton throwing for 207 yards and 1 TD.

Pittsburgh defeats Notre Dame

The Charlie Weis era in Notre Dame may be over as the Irish lose another critical game to the Panthers. Pittsburgh took a commanding 20-3 lead before the Fighting Irish came back to close the lead to 5. But a critical fumble, which was reviewed and overturned in the favor of Pittsburgh, ended any chances for a comeback win. Running back Dion Lewis was the star of the game rushing for 152 yards on 21 carries with one touchdown.

Other Notable Wins:

Rutgers defeats South Florida 31-0

Penn State defeats Indiana 31-20

Oregon State defeats Washington 48-21

Georgia defeats Auburn 31-24

Bigger Losses

Central Florida upsets Houston

Case Keenum couldn’t rally his troops this week for another Heisman like comeback, as the defense for UCF was up for the task. Although Keenum had another good game, the Knights were able to stuff the run, limiting Houston to only 46 rushing yards. Brett Hodges was 21 for 25, throwing for 241 yards and a TD, while the running game got a boost from Brynn Harvey’s 139 yards and 3 touchdowns against this weak defense.

Stanford upsets USC 55-21

There is no doubt now, that not only does Stanford have USC’s number, but they also are a legitimate football squad. For the 2^nd week in a row they are on our list with the win against Oregon and now against the Trojans. 469 yards of total offense with Gerhart rushing for 178 and 3 touchdowns on 29 carries. Luck threw two touchdowns and was helped by their defense who picked off Barkley 3 times and limited him to 196 yards passing.

Other Notable Losses:

California over Arizona 24-16

North Carolina over Miami 33-24

Jay Cutler & The Bears

How long ago has it been since the Bears were one of the most dominate teams in the league, with a feared defense and balanced offensive game? In 2006, Chicago was 13-3 and on top of the NFC just falling short of a Super Bowl Title to the Colts 29-17. Since then, the Bears were 7-9 in 2007, 9-7 in 2008 and 4-5 this year with their latest loss to the 49ers, which drops them under 500 the last 3 years. But after Chicago made a trade in which they acquired quarterback Jay Cutler from Denver, all hope was restored. Finally, the Bears would rise again and become a legitimate contender in the NFC North and compete with the likes of the Vikings. Right? Well, then what went wrong? Cutler isn't doing anything this year that Kyle Orton or Rex Grossman couldn't or haven't done already, as he had thrown 17 interceptions this year against 14 touchdowns. But is it entirely his fault? The Bears defense is no longer what it once was as they are ranked 20th in total yards allowed, 17th against the pass, 26th against the run, 17th in sacks, and 20th in scoring as they allow 22.3 points per game. The offensive line is well below average as Cutler has been sacked 19 times, while running back Matt Forte is only gaining 3.4 yards per carry and projected to finish under 900 yards on the ground overall. The receiving core doesn't have a lot of depth either, as they are led by former defensive star Devin Hester and second year wide out Earl Bennett. With so many issues to be resolved, and this season more than halfway over, it appears that the Bears will once again need the off season to rebuild and restructure this team. But with so many issues in both the personal and management, where would one start?

Big Wins & Bigger Losses - 11-9-2009

Big Wins

Cincinnati defeats Baltimore 17-7

Holding the Raven offense to only 215 total yards and picking off twice was one of the keys to victory for Cincinnati. The Bengals also benefitted from Carson Palmer’s performance as he threw for 224 yards and a touchdown. The running game once again came through as Cedric Benson is becoming a force in this league as he rushed for 117 yards on 34 carries and 1 touchdown. With the win the Bengals improved to 6-2 on the year.

New Orleans defeats Carolina 30-20

Trailing 17-3 before halftime, the Saints looked to be on the verge of losing their first game of the season. But Drew Brees and his potent offense rallied back as they put up 24 second half points, while the defense held the Panthers to only 3. On a day where fumbles destroyed the Panthers chances of an upset, the Saints were able to cash in on their key opportunities when needed and remain undefeated at 8-0.

Dallas defeats Philadelphia 20-16

Beating the Eagles is a tough task, especially when their home. But the Cowboys stepped up behind Tony Romo’s 21 for 34, with 307 yard passing performance, in route to a road win. The defense intercepted McNabb twice and were able to shut DeSean Jackson to just two receptions and only 9 yards on kick returns. Without the benefit on good field position, and virtually no running game, the Cowboys took advantage and outplayed the Birds at home.

Other Notable Wins:

Arizona defeats Chicago 41-21

Indianapolis defeats Houston 20-17

San Diego defeats New York 21-20

Pittsburgh defeats Denver 28-10

Bigger Losses

Tampa Bay upsets Green Bay 38-28

Winless this year while having rookie Josh Freeman at quarterback, the Bucs found themselves down 28-17 heading into the 4^th quarter. On the brink of losing yet another game, Tampa Bay managed to score two of Freeman’s 3 touchdowns passes and return an interception 35 yards for a touchdown to seal the deal. Aaron Rodgers was picked off 3 times as Tampa Bay outscored Green Bay 21-0 late in the game earning their first win of the season.

Tennessee upsets San Francisco 34-27

These two teams were heading in opposite directions as the season looked great for the 49ers as they were 3-1 at one point with their only loss being to Minnesota. Tennessee on the other hand started the season 0-6 and seemed dead to rights. But now the Titans have won their second straight game behind Vince Young, handing the 49ers their 4^th straight loss with a 34-27 road win. Alex Simth was picked off 3 times in this game, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Chris Johnson racked up 1354 yards on 25 carries and two scores.

Big Wins & Bigger Losses - 11-7-2009

Big Wins

Ohio State defeats Penn State 24-7

Going into Happy Valley as a 5 point underdog, the Buckeyes walked away with one of their biggest wins of the season. Holding Penn State to just 201 total yards of offense, while racking up 228 yards of their own on the ground, Ohio State was able to control the clock and the tempo of the game. Pryor threw 2 touchdowns and ran for 1 as his team combined for 228 yards on 49 carries. A 62 yard touchdown pass in the 3^rd quarter to DeVier Posey was a back breaker for the Nittany Lions.

Alabama defeats LSU 24-15

Trailing 15-10 as they headed into the 4^th quarter, Alabama proved its position amongst the best in the game as they scored 14 points in route to a win. 452 total yards of offense was gained against a stingy Tiger defense with McElroy leading the way passing for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns. A 73 yard pass to Julio Jones early in the 4^th quarter, with a two point conversion, was the biggest play of the day at the most critical point.

Houston defeats Tulsa 46-45

With virtually no defense, Houston is still a force because of its relentless offense attack. And for the second week in a row, late heroics lead the Cougars to a win. Down by 8 after a 1 yard touchdown run by Tulsa with only 3:28 left in the game, Houston scored a 1 yard TD of their own but failed to tie the game with a 2 point conversion. Keenum then hit two passes to give his kicker, Matt Hogan, a 51 yard try for the win. Hogan made the kick, giving his team the win with no time on the clock. Case Keenum again proves to be a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Other Notable Wins:

Purdue defeats Michigan 38-36

Baylor defeats Missouri 40-32

Clemson defeats Florida State 40-24

Cincinnati defeats Connecticut 47-45

Bigger Losses

Northwestern upsets Iowa 17-10

Trailing 10-0 in the first quarter, the Northwestern defense sacked quarterback Ricky Stanzi who fumbled the ball in the end zone which was recovered for a touchdown. Stanzi was also knocked out of the game as was starting Wildcat QB Mike Kafka. But back up Dan Persa stepped up, and behind his defense, led Northwestern to give Iowa their first loss of the season and end any long shot chance at a National Title.

Stanford upsets Oregon

Fresh off of their huge win against Southern Cal, the Ducks couldn’t get their defense to perform. Stanford racked up 505 yards of total offense with 254 yards coming on the ground led by Toby Gerhart who had 223 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. Leading by 17 at one point, Oregon mounted a nice comeback to cut the lead to 6, but a 48 yard Nate Whitaker field goal with only 11 seconds remaining in the game, sealed the deal for the Cardinals.

Nebraska upsets Oklahoma 10-3

Another stellar performance for the Sooner defense, as they held the Cornhuskers to just 180 total yards of offense. Passing for only 39 combined yards, Nebraska’s defense provided all the help needed as they picked off Landry Jones an impressive 5 times. Jones threw for 245 yards but seemed to crumple in key spots, especially in Nebraska territory. Only 7 first downs and a pitiful 1 for 14 on 3^rd down conversions and Nebraska still got the outright win.

Other Notable Losses:

Illinois upsets Minnesota 35-32

Colorado upsets Texas A & M 35-34

Navy upsets Notre Dame 23-21

Oregon State upsets California 31-14

Big Wins & Bigger Losses - 11-02-2009

Big Wins

Dallas defeats Seattle 38-17

The Cowboys are rolling now as they handed the Seahawks another loss as the offense is beginning to look sharp. With Seattle cutting the Cowboy lead to 14-10, Tony Romo led the offense to outscore the Seahawks 24-7 to close out the game. Romo was 21 for 36 with 256 yards and 3 touchdown passes. Dallas is now at the top of the NFC East with this win.

Philadelphia defeats New York 40-17

The Eagles handed the Giants their 3^rd consecutive loss as Donovan McNabb led the way with 3 touchdown passes in this game. Manning was picked off twice, as the Eagle defense was putting pressure on him the entire game. The Eagles scored 30 first half point with big plays coming from DeSean Jackson, who had a 54 yard touchdown reception, Leonard Weaver’s 41 yard TD run, and in the second half LeSean McCoy’s 66 yard run for a score.

Minnesota defeats Green Bay 38-26

Brett Favre’s return to Green Bay was successful as he threw for 244 yards and 4 touchdown passes. Although his counterpart, Aaron Rodgers also had a good game, it was Favre’s ability to pick apart the defense for big gains that became the difference. Favre is now 2-0 against his former team this year, with an earlier win in Minnesota.

Other Notable Wins:

St. Louis defeats Detroit 17-10

Baltimore defeats Denver 30-7

New Orleans defeats Atlanta 35-27

Bigger Losses

Carolina upsets Arizona 34-21

The Panthers brought their losing record into Arizona with hopes of keeping this game somewhat of a contest. Instead, their defense turned in an amazing game, as they picked off Kurt Warner 5 times in route to finishing the game with 6 turnovers. DelHomme wasn’t impressive, but the turnovers led to great field position and one defensive touchdown that got Carolina the road win.

Miami upsets New York 30-25

Ted Ginn set an NFL record as he ran two kickoff returns for touchdowns against the Jets. The first was a 100 yarder and the second was for 101. A total of 201 yards with two touchdowns in one game that helped the Dolphins get the road win against the once formidable New York Jets squad. The Jets defense did an outstanding job against the run, but the special teams let them down as Miami rolled to victory.

Tennessee defeats Jacksonville 30-13

Vince Young has made his case and most likely will start at quarterback for the rest of the season for a Titans team that finally got their first win. Young was okay hitting 15 of 18 passes for 125 yards and 1 touchdown, but helping to control the clock and not throwing an interception was one of the keys that led him and his team to victory. Garrard was picked off twice and on a day where Maurice Jones Drew carried the ball only 8 times but gained 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the Jags fell short to the then winless Tennessee Titans.