Bengals Thursday night game against the Rams will
be blacked out

Jake briefly touched on this earlier. Joe Reedy writes that if you live in the Cincinnati area, you won't be able to see the Bengals play Thursday night.

For the first time since 2005 fans will not to be able to watch a Bengals game live locally on TV.

Thursday’s preseason game against St. Louis at Paul Brown Stadium is not anticipated to sell out by 7:30 p.m. on Monday, meaning it would be blacked out from airing live in Cincinnati and Dayton. Since Columbus and Louisville fall out of the 75-mile radius, the game would air live there.

If you're expecting to see the game on NFL Ticket, don't read the next line on Direct TV's website. "If it is blacked out on your local broadcast station, it will also be blacked out in your area on NFL SUNDAY TICKET." However, I'm not sure if NFL Ticket actually broadcasts preseason games. Any insight? Also, as a policy of SB Nation, we do not condone the act of illegal broadcasts on the internet to be promoted here. With that said, make sure you drop by if you find a broadcast so I can tell you of this policy again. Just saying.

WDR is ecstatic that regular football fans just wanting to sit back, have a beer and watch a meaningless preseason game to relax after a tough Thursday at work, won't be able to, saying:

If there is anything more of a ripoff then watching a Bengals game that matters (i.e. Before they are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs), it is a meaningless Bengals preseason game.

God, I hope this boycott works -- if that's what is actually happening. Preseason game. Full ticket prices. Thursday night. Economy. It could be just be a matter of falling on a bad night.

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Is DeDe Dorsey edging closer towards a roster
spot

The team's backup running back competition has been somewhat interesting, if not encouraging (go back to the start of 2008 to know my definition of discouraging). First, a quick statistical rundown.

There's two questions that could be asked. Which three running backs do you think the Bengals will take? Which three running backs should the Bengals take? Are both lists the same? I've long held the belief that the Bengals will take Benson (duh), Leonard and Scott. However, you have to wonder, is Dorsey upsetting that balance?

Scouts writes that Dorsey's performance against the New England Patriots could have given him an upper-hand as the team's third-string running back. Let's look at Dorsey's performance last week. Bengals have third-and-four at their own 18 yard line in the third quarter. Dorsey picks up eight yards on a sweep to the left and a first down. Two Brian Leonard rushes and eight yards later, Dorsey picks up 45 yards. That's two rushes for 53 yards. He finishes the night with rushes of six yards and one yard, all to the left. Not bad. However, all four carries took place in the third and fourth quarters. The soonest Dorsey got the call all preseason (read, two preseason games) was with 9:58 left in the third quarter last week against the Patriots.

Scott had a much rougher night, rushing five times for six yards; all in the second quarter. I disagree with Scouts assessment until the team gives Dorsey earlier looks against stronger defenses. I don't think that the Bengals will put so much weight on one preseason game. Now if the Bengals take four running backs, then that's a different story. But you have to remember that Scott looked very impressive against the Saints, averaging 5.0 yards on six attempts. And if you saw the game, you know the kid has potential.

There's also the special teams angle that could edge Dorsey closer to making the team. With two kickoff returns for 44 yards total, Dorsey has also recorded two special teams tackles (which is actually only one more than Scott). Is special teams play enough to give Dorsey an edge?

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The Buffalo Bills lose CB Drayton Florence

The Bills will be without Drayton Florence for the next 2-5 weeks due to a sprained knee.  He was in line to be the nickel back for the Bills this season and he still might be.  Ashton Youboty, Reggie Corner and Ellis Lankster will battle to replace Florence until he is ready to return to [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.billslocker.com/2009/08/24/the-buffalo-bills-lose-cb-drayton-florence/

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Preseason Edition: All-NFC East Team (Offense)

Is McNabb the best quarterback the NFC East has to offer?


The NFC East is arguably not only the most competitive division in the NFL, but it may also be the most talented. The NFC East boasts what some still might call the most talented roster (at least on paper) in Dallas, 2008's Super Bowl champion New York Giants, a young but talented Washington team, and the always-contending Philadelphia Eagles.

So what kind of offense could the NFC East rosters put together? Let's find out.



Quarterback

Starter: Donovan McNabb (2nd: Tony Romo)

For me, and really mostly anyone besides delusional Giants fans, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo are the obvious choices here. McNabb gets the nod for obvious reasons, among them the fact that he has won in the playoffs and has taken his team to the biggest stage that the NFL has to offer, only to fall three points short of the ultimate prize.

McNabb is borderline Hall of Fame quarterback, with a Super Bowl ring (or lack thereof) being the only thing that will keep him out of Canton. By the time his career is over, he will join only three other quarterbacks to pass for over 30,000 yards, and rush for over 5,000. The other three are Steve Young, Fran Tarkenton, and the late Steve McNair.

Two of those quarterbacks (Young and Tarkenton) are in the Hall of Fame, and McNair be enshrined one day. Young is the only one of the three to have a Super Bowl ring.

Romo has the skills, but needs to start winning games for his team, rather than throwing them away. Eli Manning has proved he's capable, but is not a standout in terms of production or overall talent. Jason Campbell is still progressing and while I believe he has more upside than Manning or even Romo, must show it before he can be considered.



Running Back

Starter: Brian Westbrook (2nd: Clinton Portis)

When healthy, Brian Westbrook may be the most dangerous player in the NFL. Some may argue Adrian Peterson, but AP does not make the plays in the passing game that Westbrook can make, even though he's miles ahead as a runner.

Portis is an incredibly talented running back, but isn't as explosive as Westbrook is. I suppose they're different types of backs, and it really all depends on what you want to do with your offense, but if you're going to pass to your back at all, Westbrook is the obvious choice.

Marion Barber could make a case for this, but until he shows that he can be a game-changer and take some pressure off of Romo, he won't enter the class of Westbrook or Portis. Brandon Jacobs is a good bruising kind of back but needs a guy to take carries away from him or he'll wear himself down.



Fullback

Starter: Madison Hedgecock (2nd: Leonard Weaver)

Hedgecock is an old school kind of battering-ram fullback, which personally, I love. He's a dying breed in the NFL because while he's able to catch and run out of the backfield, it's not what he's best at doing, or what he'd rather be doing. He wants to stick his nose in there and pop a linebacker to make way for Jacobs, which is how the fullback position is played.

Weaver is part of the evolving fullback. He's a guy who can do it all out of the backfield including taking handoffs and catching over the middle or in the flats, but his blocking suffers because he focuses on these different elements. He's perfect for a west coast scheme, however, and is just what the Eagles need.

Deon Anderson is the kind of triple-threat that Weaver is, but he's not quite on the same level. Mike Sellers is surely a close third and in most any other division might be the very best fullback, but the East is stacked at the position this year. He's an incredibly underrated guy, and I may even be guilty of it now, but putting him ahead of Hedgecock or Weaver didn't seem right.



Tight End

Starter: Jason Witten (2nd: Chris Cooley)

Witten is a top five tight end in the entire NFL, so it's certainly not a surprise that he's on the top of a pretty good crop of tight ends coming out of the East. He can catch, he can block, and better than any other tight end in this division, he can run after the catch. He's a nightmare to cover, then he's a nightmare to tackle. Said simply, the man is good.

Cooley may be the most versatile of the tight ends. He is able to not only play tight end, but can line up in the backfield as a fullback, or even a tailback if necessary. He's a headache for defenses because he moves around so much and can make a catch anywhere. There's not really a specific weakness in his game, he's just not the same caliber as Witten.

Kevin Boss and Brent Celek are guys still coming into their own. Boss is a great security blanket for Manning, whereas Celek is more of a target for McNabb. Both players are very good for their teams and in a few years could be making a list like this very difficult.



Right Tackle

Starter: Shawn Andrews (2nd: Marc Colombo)

Andrews is a difficult guy to place, but when healthy he's hands down the very best. Even though he hasn't played right tackle in the NFL yet, he is making the switch this year and should be great doing it (the qualifer again being "if he's healthy). He played right tackle in college, and was a terrific right guard in the NFL, so it's not a stretch to say he should be just fine.

With Andrews out at the moment, the starter would be Marc Colombo of the Dallas Cowboys. He's a guy who's not going to make any headlines, but he does his job and he does it well. The other two teams don't have a right tackle set in stone, but guys like Kareem McKenzie could be starting for the Giants, and Stephon Heyer for the Redskins.

While both are good players, neither are going to challenge Andrews or Colombo.



Right Guard

Starter: Chris Snee (2nd: Leonard Davis)

Snee is one of the best in the game at the guard position, and is the hands-down favorite to win the spot for the All-NFC East team. Like most linemen, you don't hear a whole lot about Chris Snee, but as an Eagles fan, you know who he is every time you watch him blow up a defender.

The Cardinals must be kicking themselves for not thinking of moving Davis inside to guard and keeping him there, because the man once regarded as a bust has turned into a Pro Bowl-caliber guard for the Dallas Cowboys and only continues to get better. He's a dominating guy on the inside, and should make life easier for smaller guys like Felix Jones and Tashard Choice.

Stacy Andrews should be very good at right guard, but he's coming off a torn ACL and is moving to the inside from tackle, so we'll just have to wait and see how he does. Randy Thomas in Washington is by no means a standout, and on any of the other three teams in the division is only a backup type of player.



Center

Starter: Andre Gurode (2nd: Shaun O'Hara)

Picking a starter between these two was extremely difficult, but in the end Gurode grit and tough play wins him the starting nod over more of a technique-driven player in Shaun O'Hara.

Gurode and O'Hara run their lines very well, and a case could be made for either of these men depending upon what you're looking for out of a center. There really is not a wrong answer, and either way you're getting a Pro Bowl-caliber center.

Jamaal Jackson has been slipping over the past couple of years, or he may be in the conversation, but he'll have to have a stellar year to get back to being regarded as one of the best centers in the game again. Casey Rabach is a viable starter in Washington, but again, not much more than that.



Left Guard

Starter: Todd Herremans (2nd: Rich Seubert)

Left guard may be the weakest position of the stellar offensive linemen that the NFC East has to offer, but it seems to be clear that Herremans is the best of even a weak bunch. Seubert could have a case for the starting spot, but Herremans is younger and a better pass blocker.

Kyle Kosier and Derrick Dockery are certainly not bad players by any means, and at one point Dockery was even considered one of the best in the entire league, but after failing to live up to a huge contract in Buffalo he was released and is trying to rebuild his reputation the same place it started, in Washington.



Left Tackle

Starter: Jason Peters (2nd: Chris Samuels)

Jason Peters is the biggest name on the offensive line, and for good reason. He's one of the best left tackles in the game, and certainly the very best in the NFC East. He's got great feet, and is very good at anticipating a defensive end's movements. The Eagles just traded for him from the Buffalo Bills this past offseason, but he's already the best in the division.

Chris Samuels is another guy with pretty good feet, but on occassion he will be slow out of his stance and allow a defensive end to just run around him. The athleticism is there, so his erratic play is a mystery, and could point to a poor work ethic, but short of spending time around him and the team, there's no way to be sure.

David Diehl may be getting a challenge from rookie William Beatty as it seems as though the Giants aren't ready to cement Diehl as the starter at left tackle. However, Beatty could also be pushed over to right tackle, so it's a story worth watching. Flozell Adams is a good left tackle, but isn't on the same level as Peters, and doesn't quite beat out Samuels.



Wide Receiver

Starters: DeSean Jackson, Roy Williams (2nd: Santana Moss, Kevin Curtis)

DeSean Jackson is the best receiver in the NFC East. Even entering his second season, he has shown that he has the talent and the capabilities to be a No. 1 receiver. He'll get a great chance to put up some big numbers in Reid's offense, and could really open a lot of eyes.

Roy Williams has caught a lot of heat in Dallas and many aren't sure that he's truly a No. 1 receiver. However, looking at his body of work in Detroit, and his new-found work ethic in Dallas, he's gearing up to have a big year catching Tony Romo-thrown passes. He's still a guy that defenses always must keep an eye on, because he has the talent to explode.

Santana Moss and Kevin Curtis are both speedy guys who can be a nightmare if they get behind the coverage. Moss is the better of the two, as he is the No. 1 guy in Washington, but Curtis proved his worth after his 1,000 yard season in 2007 during his first year as an Eagle.

Rookies Jeremy Maclin and Hakeem Nicks may find their way onto this team next year, but for now they are just rookies and will need to show something first. No Giants player made it onto this receiving corps, and the reasoning is simple: they're just not that good. Steve Smith is probably the best they have to offer, and he's a No. 2 guy even on a poor team.

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Rob Myers Could Wind Up As Second Tight End

Rookie free agent Rob Myers has been a pleasant surprise.


There's a pleasant surprise in the midst of all the question marks floating around the Eagles' tight end dilemma, and that's the emergence of rookie Rob Myers out of Utah State.

Myers was brought in the day after it was confirmed that Cornelius Ingram had a torn ACL and would not be available for the entire 2009 season, and he's impressed since day one. The first impression was that he was very fast, and that impression has not faded in the least. He's got more speed than your average tight end, which could create a lot of problems for covering linebackers.

At 6'4 and 240 pounds, he's the same size as Ingram minus about five pounds, but is much faster for that missing five pounds. Myers seems to have good hands as well, hauling in four receptions in the Eagles most recent preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.

What's really working in Myers' favor is the fact that the Eagles are incredibly thin at tight end at the moment, which will give him the chance to show that they should give him a shot. The feeling is that they're tired of Schobel's lack of production, and no one is really convinced that Eugene Bright is an NFL tight end.

There was talk of the Eagles bringing in former Cowboys tight end Tony Curtis, but nothing has happened with that. A minor move like that would probably have been done by now if the Eagles were really intent on bringing him in. This could signal that Curtis is delusional and making some demands, or that the Eagles are ready to give Myers a shot to prove himself.

Even if (Tony) Curtis does find his way onto this roster, it may still be as the third tight end behind Brent Celek and Myers, which would mean an end to the Matt Schobel era in Philadelphia. Schobel seems like a good enough guy, but I'm not sure that many in Philly would shed a tear upon hearing of his departure.

Myers is about the same player as Ingram, and could be used in much of the same ways, including putting him in the slot or using him as a redzone target. The Eagles are always a mystery, but don't be surprised if Myers gets his first NFL job with the Eagles.

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Can Sanchez get it done tonight

Put simply, Mark Sanchez can win the Jets' starting quarterback derby with a strong performance against the Ravens in tonight's preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium. For Kellen Clemens, it might take an extraordinary performance to win the job, coupled...

Read The Full Article:
http://www.jetsfootballblog.com/2009/08/can-sanchez-get-it-done-tonight.html

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It is official, Michael Vick will play Thursday
Night

It is official, Michael Vick will play Thursday Night

We can officially let all of the absurd hype begin!

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Bengals Sign Defensive Tackle Langston Moore

Joe Reedy and C. Trent tweeted about 15 minutes ago that the Bengals have brought former Bengal, defensive tackle Lansgton Moore, formerly of the Detroit Lions and NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals, back to Cincinnati. Moore will likely contend for a rotational position and back up Domata Peko, Tank Johnson, and rotate in with Pat Sims. Moore played in 9 games for Detroit last year, registering 12 tackles and 1 sack.

He was the first overall pick in the sixth round of the 2003 draft by the Bengals. He spent 2003 on the practice squad before playing 15 games in 2004.

Langston Moore

#79 / Detroit Lions

Height: 6-1

Weight: 305

Born: Jul 17, 1981

College: South Carolina

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Singletary Names Shaun Hill Starter For '09
Season

As per the 49ers Official Website:

"Head coach Mike Singletary announced Monday that

Shaun Hill will be the 49ers starting quarterback when the regular season begins."

What do you all think? I'm glad, personally. I think Hill needs some confidence and I think he can do good things for this team. I just have not been impressed with Alex Smith, outside of a block and a tackle. Good news.

Fooch: Plenty more to come on this.  Guess that means we'll get upwards of 2 quarters this Saturday from Hill and the first team offense.  Alex Smith will definitely need to remain at the ready given how quickly things can change once the season starts.

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Not so great moments from the Tampa Bay game

 
 When I look over the pictures from the game, it shows me what football is like for the players.  Some of it isn't always so pretty.  I offer this simply as entertainment value and not a commentary on the game.  Enjoy!

 - Terry O'Brien 

Come on Marcedes, just once....

So Ref, it's yellow, it's in your pocket and it is what you agreed to do for the money, remember?

Go ahead David, step into the throw!

Eugene, Pashos was playing a rookie gag teaching you that blocking technique.

Big John comes busting through the line in hot pursuit of a QB sack. Well maybe a nap first.

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