2007 NFL Thread

[Kaleb]

After 'The Hit,' Ravens, Steelers set to clash again


OWINGS MILLS -- The bullying hit is now a memory as Baltimore Ravens linebacker Bart Scott's helmet is no longer attached to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's chest plate.

One year after Scott buried an unsuspecting Roethlisberger with a tackle whose decibels nearly equaled the pain it produced, the Ravens and the Steelers are about to battle again for bragging rights and supremacy in the AFC North.

Can the Ravens (4-3) recapture the intimidation factor against the Steelers (5-2) on Monday night at Heinz Field based on last season's dominance? Or is Scott's dream shot, along with a combined 58-7 margin of victory in two Baltimore wins, completely irrelevant to this year's series between the hated rivals?

"That's gone," Scott said Tuesday afternoon in the Ravens' locker room. "We all get hits, it doesn't follow us. Ben's a great competitor, and I doubt it's lingering on his mind.

"It's the most perfect, square hit I've been able to ever get, to be able to unload on somebody and his body was totally loose. It put a stamp on my season, that I had arrived in the NFL. That was last year, though. If I lived for yesterday, you would get rid of me."

Aside from Scott's oft-replayed sack that ultimately landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the Ravens generated 13 other sacks of Roethlisberger in the two games: a 27-0 shutout in Baltimore and a 31-7 rout in Pittsburgh.

Pro Bowl running back Willie Parker was halted in his tracks by the Ravens' stingy defense, gaining a combined 53 rushing yards on 23 carries. In his 14 other games, Parker dashed for 1,443 yards.

The Steelers only lost two games in the second half of last season, both against the Ravens.

"Man, they roughed us up a lot," Roethlisberger told Pittsburgh reporters this week. "They're a great football team, offensively and defensively."

Pittsburgh managed to gain just 172 yards of total offense, including 21 rushing yards, in the first meeting as Baltimore piled up three turnovers and registered nine sacks to tie the most allowed in a game by the Steelers in franchise history.

Then, the Ravens' offense extinguished the Steelers' playoff hopes with 359 yards of total offense as quarterback Steve McNair put on a rare display of deep passing.

"They want to come back and redeem themselves in front of their crowd after losing to us twice," Scott said. "It's going to be a great challenge."

A year later, it's the Ravens who look vulnerable.

Their four wins have come against teams with a combined record of 6-24. They have yet to play an entire game against a starting quarterback who began the season under center.

Running roughshod over the Steelers last season feels like old news to the Ravens, who are probably hoping that Pittsburgh isn't looking to exact a measure of revenge.

"That's a lifetime ago," Ravens coach Brian Billick said twice for emphasis. "It's a whole new ballgame, and they know that."[/b]

Owning a one-game edge in the division, the Steelers have been established widely as nine-point favorites for Monday night's nationally-televised clash.

The Steelers dispatched the Cincinnati Bengals 31-17 on Sunday, easily handling a team that handed the Ravens a 27-20 loss to open the season.

The Steelers feature the NFL's top-ranked defense just ahead of the Ravens' second-ranked unit, allowing a league-low 256.9 yards per game and 17.0 points per contest. Parker is the third-ranked runner in the NFL with 639 yards.

And Roethlisberger has completed 64.1 percent of his throws for 1,533 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions for a 102.2 quarterback rating, distributing the football democratically to wide receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes and tight end Heath Miller.

"The Steelers are probably the best team we've faced yet," cornerback Samari Rolle said. "Roethlisberger is looking like he did when he was a rookie and they were 15-1."

In particular, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Roethlisberger has been at the center of that resurgence, making plays with his arm and his surprisingly nimble feet.

Last season, Roethlisberger was recuperating from a motorcycle crash, an emergency appendectomy and a pair of concussions.

Because of the big Ohio native's ability to improvise, it's critical that the Ravens at least pressure him even if they're not able to knock him out of the game.

"If we can get to him early, maybe that will be on his mind," Scott said. "Until we do that and establish ourselves, last year means nothing.

"A hit last year doesn't affect this year. The key will be getting to him again. Hopefully, I've got another hit in me just like that one from last year."

By Aaron Wilson

[Memphis Slim]

Originally Posted by cyborg ninja 14

Headlining msn.com

THIS IS GREAT!

[Excel]

belichick is 10x as humble as dungy

[Fran]

Excel, umm, been meaning to tell you this, but...
The Red Sox won the Series in 2004. Technically, the curse was broken back then.

[Memphis Slim]

November 2, 2007

A judge who sentenced Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid's sons to jail yesterday likened the coach's home to “a drug emporium” and questioned whether his adult sons should live there.

“There isn't any structure there that this court can depend upon,” Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill said before sentencing 22-year-old Britt Reid to up to 23 months in jail plus probation.
“I'm saying this is a family in crisis,” O'Neill said.
Earlier in the day, O'Neill sentenced 24-year-old Garrett Reid, a drug addict and dealer who said he got a thrill out of selling drugs in “the 'hood,” to up to 23 months in jail for smashing into another motorist's car while high on heroin.
Both Reids can apply for a special drug court program that would require them to report to authorities regularly, undergo rigorous drug testing and hold down jobs. Garrett Reid's addiction persists, according to authorities, who found 89 prescription drug pills in Reid's jail cell yesterday morning. They believe he smuggled them in his rectum when he was jailed earlier this week.

Two of Andy Reid's sons were involved in two separate incidents Tuesday, and one of them was taken to a local hospital for a blood test after police found drug paraphernalia in his possession, according to investigators.

Police said Britt Reid was involved in some sort of dispute with another driver in West Conshohocken Tuesday morning.

The man, a local carpenter, told police that he and a man in his 20s with reddish hair, driving a black SUV, exchanged curse words and hand gestures as they jockeyed for position on an area road Tuesday. When the two stopped at a red light, the carpenter said the man got out of his SUV, threatened him verbally and flashed a gun at him before fleeing, according to police.
Following the incident, investigators filed warrants for the Reid home and SUV.
A source tells NBC 10 News that investigators recovered two weapons; one from the SUV and a platinum handgun from the Reid home. The source also said that police recovered drugs from the SUV.
In a separate incident, a second son of Reid's, 24-year-old Garrett Reid, was found to have drug paraphernalia -- but not drugs -- on him after he was involved in a car crash Tuesday afternoon.
A 55-year-old woman, injured in the crash, was released from the hospital Wednesday.
Police did not receive the blood test results yet and did not immediately file any charges.
__________________________________________________ __________


Should Andy Reid quit his coaching to pay more attention to his family??

[Fran]

QUIT COPYING AND PASTING ARTICLES! GOD!

I don't want to lower my monthly bills, jackass.

[The Watchman]

Dear Brodie: The Pack are the real deal again mother****er, let us rejoice.

[BlackLantern]

No, Andy Reid should beat his kids with a Louisville Slugger and keep coaching...

[Memphis Slim]

Originally Posted by Excel

belichick is 10x as humble as dungy

[Silver Knight]

Originally Posted by farmerfran

QUIT COPYING AND PASTING ARTICLES! GOD!

I don't want to lower my monthly bills, jackass.

Dude, relax.

[Alex The Great]

The Colts must decide......wether to embrace the Darkness (the Pats) or be...consumed by it....(they lose)

had to say it

[Memphis Slim]

Originally Posted by Psycho Symbiote

The Colts must decide......wether to embrace the Darkness (the Pats) or be...consumed by it....(they lose)

had to say it

COME DUNGY!! WE CAN RULE THE NFL GALAXY AS FATHER AND SON!!!!!!!

[Alex The Great]

Originally Posted by Memphis Slim

COME DUNGY!! WE CAN RULE THE NFL GALAXY AS FATHER AND SON!!!!!!!

bwahahahahaah

[Memphis Slim]

[Fran]

wow

[Jerry!]

Anyone else having the posts in all the threads look all stretched out and at the bottom have all those little green dots in line going across?

[Alex The Great]

Originally Posted by Patent Pending

Anyone else having the posts in all the threads look all stretched out and at the bottom have all those little green dots in line going across?

not me....

[Memphis Slim]

nope.

[Mee]

Originally Posted by The Watchman

Dear Brodie: The Pack are the real deal again mother****er, let us rejoice.

Having no running game will hurt em eventually. Then again, having no run D was suposed to hurt the Colts. :shrug:

[Excel]

Originally Posted by farmerfran

Excel, umm, been meaning to tell you this, but...
The Red Sox won the Series in 2004. Technically, the curse was broken back then.

but now we know it wasnt a fluke

[BlackLantern]

I never considered it a "fluke"......they beat the Yanks 4 straight and won the world series.....thats not a "fluke" by any terms...

[Alex The Great]

thee thread thou named NFL Thread!!!!

[BlackLantern]

Originally Posted by Psycho Symbiote

thee thread thou named NFL Thread!!!!

settle down, we've got people posting pics of darth vader and jar jar in here......

[Milkman95]

Let's go Patriots, I'm sick of Manning.

Let's see how many more commercials and product placements he can put his face on. Ridiculous, get off my TV Peyton!

[BlackLantern]

blame all the companies for wanting Peyton as their pitchman...I enjoy his commercials....