Rutgers WR Britt will skip senior season
PISCATAWAY - Kenny Britt of Bayonne is taking his considerable talents to the next level.
Rutgers' junior wide receiver made his intentions official Saturday, announcing his decision to forgo his senior season and declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft.
The 20-year-old Britt had 87 receptions for 1,371 yards and seven touchdowns in 2008, including the eventual game-winner for the Scarlet Knights in a 29-23 victory over North Carolina State in the PapaJohns.com Bowl on Dec. 29.
"To tell you the truth, I was sitting on the fence," said Britt, who said he made the decision Friday following a two-hour meeting with family members and Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano. "It's always been a dream to go to the NFL and the gateway is open, so I feel I want to take my chances and leave early."
Projected as high as a second-round selection by some scouts, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Britt wrapped up his three-year Rutgers career with 178 catches for 3,043 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Britt, who attended Bayonne High, also was the nations second-leading receiver with an average of 114.2 yards per game, and is the all-time Big East leader in receiving yards.
Britt's 14 career 100-yard games are tied for the most in conference history with Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl wideout Larry Fitzgerald, who played at the University of Pittsburgh.
"I know every year I have gotten better, and if I had another year I could raise my level even higher," Britt said. "I did my best to help this team and they did their best to help me. This is real emotional because this is a special place with special people."
Former Rutgers running backs Brian Leonard (St. Louis Rams/52nd overall) and Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens/55th overall) each were drafted in the second round the past two years.
Rice was the first player under Schiano to leave Rutgers after his junior season.
"I have a lot of friends in the National Football League, plus my experience coaching in that league, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what this guy can do," said Schiano, who was an assistant coach with the Chicago Bears from 1996-98.
"He is one of the elite of the elite," Schiano said. "It is with mixed emotions. I'm excited for Kenny and I'm excited for what he is going to do. Although we would have loved to have him back next year, and what he would have done is scary, by the same token he is going to do great things at the next level and he will always be part of our family."
Rutgers (8-5) won its final seven games in 2008 after a 1-5 start, culminating in a fourth consecutive bowl appearance.
(c)2008 New Jersey On-Line LLC
Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid praises Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier
Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, a candidate for the Miami Dolphins' head coaching vacancy that went to Tony Sparano, got quite an endorsement from another of his former bosses.
Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid spoke highly of Frazier, who worked with Eagles defensive backs from 1999 to 2002. That was Frazier's first stint as an NFL assistant.
"He's a great football coach but probably an even better person," Reid said Monday at his press conference. "(He is a) great individual and a great family man. He has a very strong work ethic. When he was here, he was very quiet but he wanted to know everything. And the players, and this wasn't just because he was a good corner in the National Football League, but you could see that the players respected him for what he was as a person and coach.
"He deserves a head coaching shot," Reid said, "and if he got one, an owner is going to get a very solid, solid person and good football coach."
The Detroit Lions, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns currently are looking for new head coaches.
twincities.com
Watch Out AFC, Here Come The CHARGERS!
Although most football fans long ago considered the San Diego Chargers dead and buried, consider this, seven of their eight losses were by three points or less in the final minute of the game.
These losses, were all by teams with combined winning records of 77-44. Admittedly so, by the odds, the Chargers should have won at least half of these. And may even have, if officiating hadn't dictated some of these games. With a win over Denver in San Diego this weekend these 8-8 long forgotten and overlooked Chargers, may have peaked at just the right time, and may be the most dangerous opponent in the AFC. Mark my words, these Chargers are going to make an impact, and a run in the playoffs.
Copyright (c) 2008 Bleacher Report, Inc
Steelers outlast Ravens
BALTIMORE (AP) The Pittsburgh Steelers are AFC North champions, and earning the crown at the expense of the Baltimore Ravens added an extra measure of joy to the accomplishment.
Santonio Holmes caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 43 seconds left, and the Steelers clinched their second straight division title and earned a first-round bye by beating Baltimore 13-9 Sunday.
In a duel between the top two defenses in the NFL, Pittsburgh did not permit a touchdown in earning its first win in Baltimore since 2002.
As the Steelers filed into the locker room, a voice rose from the crowd of players: "We're still the No. 1 defense! We showed you boys how to play defense!"
Pittsburgh (11-3) limited the Ravens (9-5) to a season-low 202 yards. The Steelers have gone 14 straight games without yielding 300 yards, tying the 1973 Los Angeles Rams for the longest streak to start a season since the NFL merger in 1970.
Many of the players wore hats that proclaimed Pittsburgh as AFC North champions.
Pittsburgh trailed 9-6 before moving 92 yards in 13 plays to score the game's lone touchdown and take the lead for the first time. Roethlisberger went 7-for-11 for 89 yards on the drive.
"All game they didn't make plays," Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. "One drive they did."
Pittsburgh has come from behind in the fourth quarter four times this season, including last week against Dallas, when the Steelers scored 17 points in the final 8 minutes of a 20-13 win over Dallas.
"We make the plays when they count," Holmes said. "It doesn't matter how the game goes through the course of three quarters. It always comes down to playing four quarters of football."
Matt Stover kicked three field goals for the Ravens, who remain in the wild-card hunt despite being eliminated from the division race.
"We'll be fine," said rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, who went 11-for-28 for 115 yards and two interceptions.
The Steelers began their final drive at their 8 with 3:36 left. Two straight completions to Hines Ward moved the ball to the 34, and a third-and-10 completion to Nate Washington for 16 yards got Pittsburgh to midfield.
Washington caught a 24-yarder to the 14, and a 10-yard pass to Ward set up first-and-goal at the 4. After two incompletions, Roethlisberger scrambled left, then found Holmes over the middle for the winner.
The play was reviewed because it appeared that while Holmes' feet were in the end zone, the ball was not.
Later, referee Walt Coleman said, "He had two feet down. When he gained control of the ball, the ball was breaking the plane."
Said Lewis: "That didn't win or lose the game for us."
Down 9-3, the Steelers used a 30-yard pass from Roethlisberger to Ward to set up a 30-yard field goal by Jeff Reed with 9:26 to go.
Baltimore then moved to the Pittsburgh 27, but a third-down sack forced the Ravens to punt, setting up the dramatic conclusion.
"They got a big sack when they had to at the end of the game ... then took the ball down the field and scored," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "That's the way they've won games."
Baltimore used an outstanding punt and a turnover to take the 9-3 third-quarter lead. After Sam Koch punted to the Pittsburgh 1, Holmes caught a pass but fumbled when hit by Samari Rolle. Ed Reed returned the ball to the 16, setting up a 28-yard field goal.
Later in the quarter, Holmes muffed a punt. Pittsburgh's Keyaron Fox took the loose ball 18 yards to the Baltimore 33, but Roethlisberger fumbled when sacked by Terrell Suggs on third-and-1 and Brandon McKinney plucked the loose ball out of the air for the Ravens.
Tempers flared after the play, and Baltimore's Haloti Ngata received a 15-yard penalty for vigorously pulling a Pittsburgh player from the angry crowd.
No surprise, given the sentiment on both sidelines in this intense rivalry.
"This was your typical Ravens-Steelers football game," Roethlisberger said. "I've got cuts and bruises as do other guys in (our) locker room, and I'm sure they do. It was physical, low-scoring — just like everyone thought it was going to be."
Cowboys 20, Giants 8: In Irving, Texas, DeMarcus Ware added three sacks to his NFL-leading total and Dallas took down Eli Manning eight times on the way to a crucial victory over New York in a game where all eyes were otherwise on Tony Romo, Terrell Owens and Jason Witten.
The Giants (11-3) locked up the National Football Conference East title when Dallas lost last Sunday. New York has lost consecutive games for the first time since starting 0-2 last season, with both losses coming since star receiver Plaxico Burress shot himself and was lost for the season.
Colts 31, Lions 21: In Indianapolis, despite a litany of missed tackles and two lost fumbles, Peyton Manning kept Indiana (10-4) on track for a playoff run, and kept the Detroit (0-14) on track for a winless year.
The Lions, seemingly on their way to the first 0-16 season in NFL history, were victimized in the fourth quarter by Manning and the Colts.
The win was Indy's seventh straight and assured the Colts of a seventh straight season with double-digit victories. More important, it also put Indy on the cusp of earning a seventh consecutive playoff bid.
Texans 13, Titans 12: In Houston, Andre Johnson atoned for one of the worst games of his career in the Texans' first meeting with Tennessee this season with a career-high 207 yards and a touchdown to lead Houston to its fourth consecutive win.
Panthers 30, Broncos 10: In Charlotte N.C., the Panthers finished off a perfect regular season at home with a dominating performance to clinch at least a tie for the NFC South title and moving closer to their first playoff berth in three years.
Four days after it was announced Jerry Richardson needs a heart transplant, he checked out of the hospital and was in his familiar spot in his end zone suite, watching Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams power Carolina (11-3).
Vikings 35, Cardinals 14: In Glendale, Ariz., Tarvaris Jackson got another shot at starting quarterback, and boy did he make the most of it. Playing in place of injured Gus Frerotte, Jackson threw for four touchdowns and the Vikings stayed alone atop the NFC North.
Adrian Peterson rushed for 165 yards on 28 carries, his franchise record ninth 100-yard game of the season for the Vikings (9-5), who won their fourth in a row. They can clinch the division title with another victory or loss by Chicago.
Dolphins 14, 49ers 9: In Miami, the Dolphins had possession for less than 22 minutes but held the opposition without a touchdown for the third game in a row and helped their playoff chances.
The 49ers ran 79 plays to 42 for the Dolphins, but Miami tight ends scored the only touchdowns on first-half passes from Chad Pennington. He threw a 61-yarder to David Martin and a 19-yarder to rookie Joey Haynos, making the first reception of his career.
Jets 31, Bills 27: In East Rutherford, N.J., Abram Elam sacked J.P. Losman and Shaun Ellis picked up the fumble and rumbled 11 yards into the end zone with 1:54 left for the go-ahead score.
New York (9-5) will win the AFC East with victories in their final two games.
Patriots 49, Raiders 26: In Oakland, Randy Moss caught two of Matt Cassel's career-high four touchdown passes in his first game against the Raiders since his trade to New England last season.
Cassel's sterling performance just six days after the death of his father, Greg, kept the Patriots (9-5) in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC East with Miami and the Jets. Cassel left the team briefly during the week to be with his family, but looked sharp Sunday.
Falcons 13, Bucs 10 (OT): In Atlanta, Michael Turner ran for 152 yards, John Abraham had three sacks and Jason Elam kicked a 34-yard field goal in overtime.
Bengals 20, Redskins 13: In Cincinnati, the Redskins lost for the fifth time in six games, unable to keep up with one of the NFL's lowliest teams. Ryan Fitzpatrick ran for a touchdown and threw for another.
Chargers 22, Chiefs 21: In Kansas City, Philip Rivers rallied San Diego from a 21-3 third-quarter deficit, throwing two touchdown passes in the final 73 seconds.
The Chiefs (2-12), helped by a delay-of-game penalty against the Chargers, tried a 50-yard field goal on the final play, but Connor Barth's kick was wide left.
Jaguars 20, Packers 16: In Jacksonville, Fla., David Garrard threw two touchdown passes, Maurice Jones-Drew scored twice and the Jaguars snapped a four-game losing streak.
Seahawks 23, Rams 20: In St. Louis, Olindo Mare's 27-yard field goal as time expired lifted the Seahawks, who broke a six-game slide. Seattle (3-11) tied the game on T.J. Duckett's late 1-yard run
The Japan Times (c)
Holtz, Gill, Golden: Gross can't go wrong here
Syracuse, NY -- Syracuse University football fans are getting antsy. Relax. The search for a new head football coach is nearly over. AD Daryl Gross will have his man by the end of the week.
Unlike the last time Gross hired a football coach, the AD is well ahead of the curve this time. In East Carolina's Skip Holtz, Buffalo's Turner Gill and Temple's Al Golden he has three solid candidates on his list, and I don't believe he can go wrong if any one of them gets the job.
Does that mean an SU revival is guaranteed if one comes aboard? Absolutely not. But it appears that in preparing to make the most important hire of his tenure here, Gross is stacking the odds in his favor this time. Consider:
x. Each candidate has previous head-coaching experience at the I-A level, and each has experienced some degree of success. Holtz has enjoyed the most, but what Gill has accomplished at Buffalo this season is remarkable. And Golden, perhaps even more so than Gill, displayed fearlessness when he accepted the job at Temple, which has long been perceived as a no-win proposition. While the Owls went only 5-7 this season, it was their best record in 18 years. They lost in OT to UConn and Buffalo, which shows how close they were to getting over the hump with a host of young, under-the-radar players. Gill went one step further at UB, actually getting over the hump with the same kind of talent, albeit more experienced overall. The internal situation at SU after four years of losing almost demands that Gross hire a coach who is a proven team-builder, a "big picture" guy who will fight for facilities, instill discipline, hire talented assistants and demand accountability in every facet of the program. With apologies to qualified assistants who may well be superstar head coaches in waiting, Gross cannot afford to gamble again unless he has to.
x. Each candidate has decent knowledge of Eastern football in general and the recruiting landscape in the Northeast. Here, Golden is out front in my book. He has a well-earned reputation for being one of the East's best recruiters, first at Boston College and then at Virginia. The former team captain at Penn State can flat-out attract talent, and talent is a huge issue at SU right now.
x. Each has a plan and has displayed the ability to implement it. Each has hired a staff and has assistants who know the drill. Each will be able to come here and hit the ground running. There will be no learning curve involved. At least, there had better not be. SU cannot afford another learning curve.
My gut feeling is that is why Gross went so hard after Randy Edsall when the search began in earnest. Edsall, perhaps after seeing a mostly empty Dome, the talent on the Orange after his team rolled to a 39-14 victory and SU's upcoming nonconference schedules, apparently has decided to stay at UConn. So be it. Gross still has three strong candidates out there who will increase the odds of a successful turnaround on the Hill.
Holtz has more proven success, Gill has produced a magical season at Buffalo and Golden is a marvelous recruiter who is beginning to prove himself as a head coach, too. Most SU fans likely have a favorite, but Gross would do well to get any one of them.
(c)2008 Syracuse Online, LLC. All Rights Reserved
Dolphins' defense keys 16-12 victory over Rams
ST. LOUIS -- The Miami Dolphins kept the St. Louis Rams out of the end zone, even with Steven Jackson back in the lineup.
The Dolphins (7-5) made it only once themselves in a 16-12 victory Sunday. Instead, they relied on stingy play from a defense that got routed last week by the Patriots to secure their fifth victory in six games.
Miami and St. Louis had the top two picks of the draft and the Rams (2-10) are likely to get another real early pick next April after losing their sixth in a row. They ended a string of blowout losses the previous four games behind Jackson, who had 94 yards on 21 carries, but were undone by mistakes in the second half against a franchise that's quickly become competitive after going 1-15 last season.
Marc Bulger, sidelined by a concussion last week against the Bears, threw three interceptions in the second half--the clincher by Andre' Goodman at the Dolphins 5 with 35 seconds to go. Renaldo Hill's second pick of the season, and second in two games, set up Dan Carpenter's third field goal for the final score with 6:39 to go.
Against a team that has scored one touchdown the past four games, that was plenty of cushion.
The Rams got a perfect day from kicker Josh Brown, who matched his season best with four field goals in four attempts. Bulger was far from perfect, going 16-for-35 for 149 yards.
The head-to-head matchup of the first two picks, both named Long, was probably was a draw. Dolphins tackle Jake Long, the No. 1 overall selection, had a false start on the first play of the game while Rams defensive end Chris Long had one quarterback pressure.
Buoyed by Jackson's return, the Rams' 6-0 lead after the first quarter was their first lead in four games to end a horrible stretch in which they were outscored 99-6 in the first half. They had possession for more than 17 minutes and Jackson wasn't exactly eased back with 16 touches and 88 yards in the half.
But like they have all season, the Rams failed to finish drives and two of Brown's field goals in the half were chip shots, and Carpenter's 37-yarder at the end of the half put the Dolphins ahead 10-7. The Rams entered the game last in the NFL inside the 20, totaling five touchdowns in only 17 trips.
The lone TD was a 3-yard run by Ronnie Brown, who broke free from Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa early in the second quarter. Miami faced third down only once on a 12-play, 91-yard drive.
Copyright (c) 2008 - San Jose Mercury News
Panthers' loss denies 2 chance at $1M in Streak for the Cash game
Faith that the Carolina Panthers would beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday sunk the chances of two ESPN Streak for the Cash players to win the $1 million first prize.
Jordan Fulkerson of Louisville, Ky., went with the Panthers for his 25th straight win, which would have put him at the magic number to win the grand prize. Katie Kaufmann of Minneapolis also went with the Panthers for what would have been her 24th straight win with one more chance to pick a game later Sunday.
Atlanta beat Carolina 45-28.
Kaufmann could have claimed the $1 million prize if she had won the Panthers-Falcons game, then correctly picked either the Connecticut-South Florida college football game or the Indianapolis-San Diego NFL game. The tiebreaker if two players reach 25 wins on the same day is winning percentage; Kaufmann, who had lost only three times heading into the 23-game streak, would have topped Fulkerson.
The new leader is Greg Reynolds of Chico, Calif. He reached 23 straight wins when Baltimore beat Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. He has picked the Indianapolis Colts to beat the San Diego Chargers on Sunday night.
Reynolds' streak began Oct. 24 when Stardom Bound won the Juvenile Fillies in the Breeders Cup. He got a second horse racing win when Zenyatta won the Ladies Classic.
Reynolds won two games Saturday (Clemson and Boston College). He's won nine times with college football picks. He also picked up a win with Brock Lesnar over Randy Couture in MMA on Nov. 15.
He nearly lost his streak on Nov. 14 with a push (Allen Iverson had 29 points and four assists to match Kobe Bryant's 29 points).
Fulkerson got to 24 wins on Saturday when he successfully picked Boston College to beat Wake Forest. He did not pick a game in the later time slot. Kaufmann got to 23 wins when Oregon State beat Arizona in the last second on Saturday night. Neither she nor Fulkerson picked in the 1 p.m. ET NFL slot of games.
Scott Conant, who had 23 wins heading into Saturday, lost his streak when he picked Wake Forest to beat Boston College.
(c)2008 ESPN Internet Ventures.
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