Resting Starters Revisited
By: Sef Gold
Only one thing can be said to all the media members who condemned the Colts for resting their starters: Don’t quit your day jobs. There is a reason why Jim Caldwell and Sean Payton are head coaches in the Super Bowl and all the others are simply spectators. In the article “Resting Starters [...]
Prelude to Official Off-Season is Full of News
By: Sef Gold
For the next six days, don’t bother entering a barbershop without an opinion on whether the Colts or Saints will be holding the Lombardi trophy. Now that Super Bowl week is here, most of the country will be debating, analyzing and predicting how the events of this Sunday’s game will play out. For [...]
A Successful Franchise Starts Off the Field
By: Sef Gold
Since the Cleveland Browns returned to the NFL, there has been more chaos than a Godzilla film. Constant personnel turnovers, multiple staph infections and poor draft choices have distanced the franchise from an elite status. If an organization does not have the proper structure, it will never improve despite coaching and player swaps.
With [...]
Take Note Ravens, in the Modern Day NFL, offense is King
by: Marco Romanell, AFCNT.com writer
There is an old adage in the NFL that says ” offense wins games, defense wins championships,” and since 1998, this has been an adage the Baltimore Ravens franchise has take to heart. Stout defense led to the Ravens hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in 2001 , but given the current state [...]
Free Agency in an Uncapped World
Speculating about the draft in January is playing pin the tail on the donkey. It’s a trendy thing to do and it gives Mel Kiper a job, but usually those who do end up looking like donkeys. Players will move up or down the “big boards” after Senior Bowls and “Pro Days” and with the [...]
Four Ways to Spruce Up the Pro Bowl
By: Sef Gold
Somebody call Sherlock Holmes. A detective must be needed to investigate the latest controversy that has major media outlets up in arms. Yes, the big commotion this week is about the Pro Bowl being moved to the week before the Super Bowl. No matter when the game is played, the Pro Bowl will [...]
Uncapped year a tease for Baltimore
This off season is going to be one of the most challenging things Ozzie Newsom has ever had to deal with. The final 8 rule and collective bargaining agreements made for the 2010 un-capped year, including this coming off season severely hinders the Baltimore Ravens from signing any key unrestricted free agents.
There is a plethora [...]
Rookie Formula Works for Second Straight Season
By: Sef Gold
Next time New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is indulging in his 7,000 calorie a day diet, he may want to consider inviting his former boss to share some flank steak. In a season where Ryan’s Jets eerily mimicked the 2008 Ravens, the blueprint has been set for how to start a [...]
Changes on the horizon, not necessarily a bad thing
by: Marco Romanell, AFCNT.com Writer
The Ravens playoff trip this season marked just the second time in team history that they have made the playoffs in back to back seasons. The other time it happened was in the 2000-2001, and 2001-2002 seasons. After that the Ravens were forced to dismantle the team, leaving virtually no carry [...]
Big-spending offseason status questonable for the ravens
After the Baltimore Ravens, dropped their divisional playoff game to the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night, many fans are wondering what is going to happen next. There are a lot of questions that will be addressed within the next month or two, leaving the quite a few players in jeopardy of staying with the team.
The [...]
Second Receiver Might Be Ravens’ Missing Piece
By: Sef Gold
When it comes to the number of movies made about the life of an NFL player, the Ravens beat every other team in the league. Unfortunately, this is not connected with winning the last game in February. In the playoffs, elite teams shine like the Lombardi trophy and any weaknesses in a squad [...]
Shift in identity
by: Marco Romanell, AFCNT.com Writer
For the last decade, the identity of the Baltimore Ravens has been stout, physical defense that instilled fear in the heart of its opponents. Despite some early season struggles, this Ravens defense was once again a major factor in the Ravens reaching the divisional round of the playoff. It may be [...]
Top 10 List for the Bengals Off Season
Everyone loves lists. They are the fodder for the ADHD world that everyone lives in today. The advent of e-mail was supposed to streamline business and personal communication for the world. Now people don’t even read their e-mails all the way through. They just want short brief bullet points to solve the world’s problems.
That doesn’t [...]
Ravens will do it again, this time against Manning and the Colts
The Ravens travel to Indianapolis as seven point underdogs to take on the top seeded Colts. Much like the previous match up against New England, the Ravens face a team that they have had little success against. The Ravens are 2-8 against the Colts all time, having lost the last seven meetings. Will the Ravens [...]
Baltimore Gets Another Opportunity At Redemption
By: Sef Gold
Flash back to 1995. Art Modell decides to pack up shop in Cleveland and make the voyage to Baltimore. Thus, the Ravens are established. Much has changed in the 14 seasons since Baltimore reclaimed a spot in the NFL, yet during the Ravens tenure, they have failed to truly get revenge on the [...]
Why Not? And I’m not Talking About the 1989 Baltimore Orioles
By: John Harvey, AFCNT.com writer
After a dominating performance in the Northeast, the Ravens will head to Indianapolis where their task only gets tougher. Once again, and rightfully so, the Ravens are not favored to win this weekend. The fact that the purple and black are once again underdogs is only one of a few key [...]
Lookout Indy, the Ravens are coming!!!
by Marco Romanell, AFCNT.com Writer
The Ravens look to shock the nation for a second consecutive week by defeating the AFC’s top seed, the Indianapolis Colts, at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night. The Ravens made a statement against the Patriots and more of the so- called “experts” are giving them a chance to win this [...]
Right on time
The Baltimore Ravens played one of their best games this past Sunday against the New England Patriots. The 33-14 victory avenged a 27-21 loss earlier in the season in which the Ravens arguably outplayed their counterpart.
The team couldn’t have picked a better time to start playing their best football. For the second consecutive year, Baltimore [...]
Disappointing End to a Great Season
On Saturday, in front of a sellout home crowd watching only the second playoff game in Cincinnati since 1990, saw the Cincinnati Bengals fall to the New York Jets by a score of 24-14. A game in which the Bengals were able to run the ball very effectively against the NFL’s number one rushing defense, [...]
At Least They Made the Playoffs
By: Sef Gold
Darrelle Revis didn’t need a phone booth or a paper bag. He didn’t even need to be in New York City. All one of the league’s best cornerbacks had to do was show up in order to take Chad “Johnson” out of Saturday’s game. The way Cincinnati played in their brief playoff appearance [...]
Ravens/ Patriots: Its anyone’s game
by: Marco Romanell, AFCNT.com Writer
The Ravens travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts to battle Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round of the AFC Playoffs Sunday at 1pm. Historically, the Ravens have advanced further in the playoffs as a Wild Card team than they have as a division winner, so they will [...]
Coach kept, Cribbs wept: Czar has work cut out for him
It seems like the Browns can’t have a day of exclusively good news. The same day Czar Holmgren decided to side with consistency and keep Eric Mangini as head coach, phenom Josh Cribbs voiced self-righteous (and legitimate) indignation at the $1.4 million-per-year reworking of his contract.
Holmgren’s First Decision Could Result in Success
By: Sef Gold
All those waiting for the smoke to rise out of the Cleveland Browns Stadium saw the color black, as there will be no new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. The first big move of the Mike Holmgren era was more of a big-blind check to see the flop. Eric Mangini and the [...]
Keep On Talking
By: John Harvey, AFCNT.com writer
Two weeks after my flop of a prediction that Frank Walker would come up big against the Pittsburgh Steelers, I am ready to once again defy the odds.
Virtually every single trend pertaining to this weekend’s divisional playoff matchup between the Patriots and Ravens points towards a New England victory. I, however, [...]
ESPN 1250’s Ken Laird Risks Reputation with Arians News
ESPN 1250’s Ken Laird Risks Reputation with Arians News
by Chaz Bolte AFCNT.com Writer
Yesterday ESPN Radio 1250 AM Pittsburgh personality Ken Laird broke the story that Steelers Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians would soon be fired. He cited inside sources that told him the personnel move was imminent. However since the news broke there have been questions [...]
A Playoff Study
By: Sef Gold
Throw out regular season records. The next five weeks determine who will be remembered as a Super Bowl Champion. The AFC North sending two teams to the post-season for a second straight year raises an important question. Which division has done the best in the playoffs during the past ten years?
Playoff Appearances
In answering [...]
Games That Matter vs. Games That Don’t
Remember 2004? The Cincinnati Bengals played a pre-season game against the New England Patriots. The Bengals were coming off of their first season under Marvin Lewis and after an 8-8 finish were ready to step up and play with the upper echelon of NFL teams.
Sure, it was a pre-season game but it was the Super [...]
The D is where it should be
After all of the fussing throughout the regular season, the Baltimore Ravens still made the playoffs. Why? Because they’re a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
This team has been through a generous amount of controversy this season, enduring a lot of criticism from fans and the media. This team has proven how strong their ability to persevere [...]
Another Unsuccessful Title Defense
By: Sef Gold
During the off-season, Hines Ward took his best shot at becoming a jeweler when he helped design the Super Bowl rings. The jewlery looked great, yet perhaps the better profession to delve in would have been a historian. Similar to their Super Bowl defense a few short years ago, the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers’ [...]
Bengals and Jets to Face Off in Jungle for a Rematch in Playoffs
Following Sunday’s 37-0 loss to the New York Jets, the Cincinnati Bengals will be opposing the Jets for a second weekend in a row in the heart of the Jungle down at Paul Brown Stadium. Kickoff for the game will be around 4:30 PM as the home team Bengals are the quick 4 1/2 point [...]