NFL News: Novermber 5th, 2007

Sorry I haven't been able to keep the blog going. I was not able to for the past week, and I will try harder to make posts every day from now on. Tomorrow I will give the recap of week nine NFL action. Here is today's news.

- It looks like the noise that sounded artificial in yesterday's Colts Patriots broadcast was something just created by the CBS football team, and not the Colts:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3096204

- Packers safety Nick Collins will miss at least a couple of weeks after getting a knee injury in yesterday's win against the Chiefs:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3095749

- The 49ers have put left tackle Jonas Jennings on IR with a surgery requiring ankle injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3096200

- Dolphins quarterback Cleo Lemons will remain the starter next Sunday against the Bills:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3095587

- Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry was reactivated today after completing his eight game suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3096152

- Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson just has a sore neck after being carted off the field Sunday against the Bills, and could play next Sunday against the Ravens:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3096116

- Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler just has a bruised leg suffered in yesterday's game against the Lions, but it is not known if he will play next Sunday against the Chiefs:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3096077

- The Colts practiced today for the first time on a Monday since December of last year:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3096080

- The Patriots Colts game yesterday drew the highest rating of a Sunday afternoon regular season NFL game since 1987:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3095997

- Rams defensive end Leonard Little will have season ending toe surgery:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3095968

- Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is day-to-day with a concussion suffered in yesterday's win over the Chargers, but the Vikings could still bring another quarterback in:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3095856

Week Eight Questions/Storylines

1. Can a team in the NFC prove that they are with the Cowboys in the elite category, and can a team in the AFC prove that they are in the same class as the Colts and Patriots?

2. Can the Colts and Patriots survive trap games before they play each other against the Panthers and Redskins?

3. Who will prove that they are the best team in the NFC North: The Bears or the Lions who are facing each other, or the Packers, who are facing the Broncos?

4. Can the Steelers bounce back against the Bengals on the road and prove they are among the elite?

5. Can the Saints continue their winning streak against the 49ers and prove that they are playoff contenders in the NFC?

6. How will the Giants and Dolphins react to being in London for a game, and how will the fans there be?

7. Can San Diego put all the wild fire news behind them and beat the Texans?

8. Who will win in a game containing two teams that suffered bad losses last week: the buccaneers or the jaguars?

9. Can Vince Young come back from his injury and prove that he is the quarterback that will lead the Titans to the playoffs?

10. Can the Browns show in Cleveland that their serious playoff contenders in the AFC?

NFL News: October 27th, 2007

- Previously suspended wide receiver Koren Robinson will be a game time decision Monday night against the Broncos:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3082730

- Jets linebacker Jonathon Vilma was placed on season ending IR with a knee injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3082132


- Close call for Matt Hasselbeck with a crashing podium and camera:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3082365

- New health screenings for NFL retirees:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3082801

- Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour has been inactivated from the PUP list for Sunday's game against the Redskins, playing for the first time this season with a knee injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3082717

- Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison will not play in Sunday's game against the Panthers with a knee injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3082584

- Former 49er's wide receiver Antonio Bryant filed a motion asking a federal judge to not let the NFL punish him for supposedly violating the league's substance abuse policy:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3081855

- Injury report:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3081939

Week Eight Predictions

Early Games	Question	Prediction	Why
NY Giants Miami	Can the Giants make a smooth transition overseas and beat the winless Dolphins?	27-10 Giants	The Dolphins lost their biggest offensive threat in RB Ronnie Brown; Giants will attack injured LB core of Dolphins
Pittsburgh Cincinnati	Can the Steelers bounce back from an embarrassing loss to the Broncos and beat a team on the road, showing they are in the AFC elite?	31-20 Steelers	Willie Parker will run wild against injured Bengals linebackers, and TE Heath Miller will have a big day; Kenny Watson won't be able to find any holes
Detroit Chicago	Can Brian Grisie and the Bears offense continue to play well, and can the Bears defense stop the talented Lion's offense?	24-17 Lions	Even though the Lions offense has been struggling, Jon Kitna will have a big day, and Brian Grisie will make a critical mistake at some time
Indianapolis Carolina	Can the Colts survive this somewhat trap game leading up to the showdown against the Pats?	24-9 Colts	Vinny Testeverde will be devoured by this stout Indy secondary, and Peyton and co. will have their way with the Panthers defense, even without Harrison
Cleveland St. Louis	Can the Browns continue their hot streak, and can the Rams find a way to finally win?	13-7 Rams	I think this will be a sloppy game, and the Browns will be brought down from the .500 mark
Oakland Tennessee	Can Vince Young make plays and not turn the ball over in his comeback game?	20-10 Titans	Vince Young will play okay, which is all he needs to do against the Raiders
Philadelphia Minnesota	Can go back into form after a very tough loss to the Bears, and can the Vikings actually give Adrian Peterson the ball?	17-13 Vikings	Adrian Peterson will have a big day and get more carries, and McNabb and the Eagles offense will continue to struggle
Late Games
Jacksonville Tampa Bay	Can the Jaguars and Buccaneers both bounce back after bad games?	17-6 Bucs	Quin Grey will have an awful day, and although the Bucs running game will once again be inexistent, the Bucs will win
Buffalo NY Jets	Can the Jets finally get something going and can the Bills build off their win last week against the Ravens?	21-20 Bills	The Jets offense will continue to sputter, and the Bills offense will do just enough to win
Houston San Diego	Can the Chargers get back to football after the stressful week with the fires?	34-21 Chargers	LT will have a great game, and him and Charger's offense will wear the Texan's defense down
New Orleans San Francisco	Can the Saints continue the momentum they have gotten from 2 straight wins?	24-7 Saints	Alex Smith coming back will do little to this bad 49er's offense
Washington New England	Can the Patriots survive this trap game before facing Indy?	38-13 Pats	Tom Brady and everyone else will continue to be unstoppable
Monday Night Game Green Bay Denver	Can the Packers beat a good team and can the Broncos build on last week's win?	27-21 Pack	In a very good, tight game Brett Farve will do enough to beat the broncos

NFL News: October 26th, 2007

- Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith will miss Sunday's game against the Bengals because of a left knee injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3081169

- The Eagles could be without right tackle Jon Runyan and safeties Brian Dawkins and Sean Considine for Sunday's game against the Vikings:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3081132

- The Chargers and Texans will play at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday in San Diego despite the wildfires:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3080874

- Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is still questionable for Sunday's game against the Eagles with a finger injury, but it looks like Kelly Holcomb will start in place of him:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3080927

- Titans running back Chris Brown will be a game-time decision on Sunday against the RAiders with an ankle injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3080924

- The Panthers starting quarterback Sunday will be Vinny Testverde, with David Carr having a bad back:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3080655

NFL News: October 25th, 2007

- Titans suspended cornerback Pacman Jones will wait to see if he faces charges in a strip club shooting:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3078945

- 49ers quarterback Alex Smith will start against the Saints on Sunday, coming back from a right shoulder injury:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079277

- The Vikings sign punter Chris Kluwe to a six-year extension:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079232

- Titans defensive tackle Corey Simon retires:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079160

- The Jaguars sign quarterback Todd Bouman to one-year deal to make interim starter Aaron Gray up and waive linebacker Pat Thomas:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3078629

- Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas will not play game in London on Sunday because of a car accident:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079119

- Jets linebacker Jonathon Vilma will not play in Sunday's game against the Bills; rookie David Harris is expected to start in place of him:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079077

- 3 NFL game times changed in week eleven:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3079011

- Panthers starting quarterback still not known:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3078876

- Here is the week eight injury report:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3078279

NFL Broadcasters:CBS

I'm going to be doing a 4 week series looking at the stations that deliver us great football week after week after week. This week will be CBS, then FOX next week, ESPN the next, and finally NBC.

Because I'm a Bengals fan, CBS is the place on Sunday's where I watch most of my football. I usually try to watch a couple minutes of their pre-game show, and obviously then watch the games. CBS has many good announcers, and some not so good ones. I will be grading those announcers and the people in the studio on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest. I will also look at other things in this post that deal with the NFL on CBS.

Announcers:
There are seven pairs of announcers for CBS that do NFL games on Sunday. Here are my rankings of them from best to worst, and why.
1. Greg Gumbel(play-by-play)/Dan Dierdorf: 9/10
Gumbel has always been a favorite of mine. He seems to have the right emphasis when he's calling plays, and creates interesting conversation between him and his partner Dierdorf. Dierdorf provides very good football insight while also being funny at times, making for an enjoyable broadcast. The chemistry between these two is excellent, which makes them the best on CBS.
2. Ian Eagle(play-by-play)/Solomon Wilcots: 8.5/10
Eagle calls the games with smartness and entertainment, getting the viewer excited. At times, he does get overly excited, but that is not such a big deal. Solomon Wilcox is by far my favorite football analyst. He tells things as they are, and provides great football knowledge. These two are a great pair.
3. Kevin Harlan(play-by-play)/Rich Gannon: 7/10
I am not that big of a fan of Harlan, but I can deal with him. Sometimes, he makes very odd comments and seems to be favoring a particular team. I do like Rich Gannon however. He is very smart, and his skills of communicating to the audience are getting much better.
4. Jim Nance(play-by-play)/Phil Simms:6/10
I like Jim Nance a lot in every sport he does. He gives just enough opinion and information that a play-by-play guy should give, and calls the game just as it is. But, i don't like Simms. He really isn't that smart, and he talks slowly at times, acting like the people watching are five year olds.
5. Dick Enberg(play-by-play)/Randy Cross:5.5/10
Enberg and Cross don't really fit well together. Enberg often gets excited, but his partner just sits there and waits for him to calm down. I like both of them, but they shouldn't be together.
6. Gus Johnson(play-by-play)/Steve Tasker: 4.5/10
Gus Johnson is fairly smart and knows whats going on. But he has these flashes of excitement whenever anything close to exciting happens. It gets very annoying after awhile. Tasker is descent, but he needs to talk more. It is difficult to do that when Gus is having one of his shouts of excitement.
7. Bill Macatee(play-by-play)/Steve Beuerlein: 2.5/10
By far, these guys are the worst broadcasters on CBS. They both favor one teams after five minutes is played, and only have nice things to say about them for the rest of the game. Macatee makes odd and awkward comments, and I often have a difficult time understanding him. Buerlein hardly offers anything insight that I didn't know.

Studio Team: James Brown(host), Shannon Sharpe, Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Bill Cower, Charley Casserly(GM for CBS): 8.5/10
These guys offer excellent football insight, and also fit well together, thus creating humor. James Brown has been hosting NFL shows for a long time and knows what he's doing. Shannon Sharpe brings descent insight being a former player, but mostly bring lightness and humor, which I find very enjoyable. Marino offers very good insight, but is often to serious. He has opened up considerably in the past three years, though. Esiason is basically the same as Marino. Cower is still trying to fit in, and I think that he is not yet fully connecting with the other guys. It will come with time. Cower does seem to have a bias in his opinions and picks. Casserly is pretty smart, but is not that great in front of a camera.


In-game Updates: 6/10
Many of the updates are late and dated, and I already know whats coming.
Scoreboard: 8/10
The game scoreboard is a little too small, but I am used to it. The other game scoreboard is very nice in keeping viewers alert on other games, making up for the lack of in-game updates. That score board is often wrong in game time for other games and where the teams are. The fantasy updates on it are stupid. That's what the internet is for.
Commercials: 7.5/10
CBS is probably the best in not having too many commercials. At this point, not having one every change of possession is a bonus. But, CBS has many in game ads, promoting shows on CBS.
Stats/Analysts Opinions: 8.5/10
CBS is great in giving game stats for the game that is showing. They are all relevant, and important to the game. The keys to the game, while smart, are kind of chessy for names like "The Task Force" for Steve Tasker and "The Wisdom of Solomon" for Solomon Wilcox. You get the point.
HDTV: 7/10
CBS's HD quality is very good, but not all games are offered in it like FOX. This is because they paid so much money last year for an all HD studio.
Overall Sound/Vision: 9.5/10
Sound is very good on CBS. You can hear all the whistles and players grunting and hitting clearly. The camera angles are all usually very good.



Overall Grade: 8/10


Cbs is very good at broadcasting games. Next week I will take a look at FOX.