Bleacher Report - Articles by Joe Fletcher

The 10 Biggest Sports Moments of 2008

Joe Fletcher — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:12:32 -0500

It was undeniably an incredible year in sports. 2008 provided so much of what we love in sports. Champions asserting their power, underdogs fulfilling their roles, and newcomers surprising us all. With so many moments to choose from, this was a difficult list to put together. But in the end, here is the list I found to be most memorable... Who will be #1?

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NFL Week Three Preview: San Francisco 49ers

Joe Fletcher — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:06:03 -0400

Heading into this weekend's game against the Lions (0-2), the 49ers (1-1) have to be feeling good, especially coming off an overtime victory on the road in Seattle.

There were bright spots for the Niners on both sides of the ball, but Mike Nolan certainly had his work cut out for him in practice this week. A maxim for every head coach has to be "Correct the negative, build on the positive." In that manner, let's first look at what went wrong last week.

One glaring issue for the 49ers thus far has been ball security. QB J.T. O'Sullivan has only thrown one interception, but he, RB Frank Gore, and FB Zak Keasey have combined to fumble the ball six times, losing four of them.

The defense has been great this year, but poor ball control will continually put them in difficult situations. Mike Martz and his offensive staff have to hammer this home in order to sustain longer drives and keep their defense off the field for longer stretches.

Another necessity is to get Vernon Davis more involved in the passing game. How rare is it to see a 6'3" 250 lb. TE who runs a 4.38 40-yard dash? This man is a physical specimen with good hands, and he can stretch the defense in the middle of the field.

Utilizing Davis will only create more single coverage situations for wideouts Bryant Johnson and Isaac Bruce—not to mention open up the running/screen lanes for Frank Gore and DeShaun Foster. Throw him the damn ball!

Finally, get O'Sullivan some protection! The journeyman quarterback has already been sacked 12 times this year. With RT Jonas Jennings again dealing with shoulder issues, Barry Sims will get the start this weekend. If this team wants sustained success, they best keep J.T.'s jersey a lot cleaner.

On the positive end, O'Sullivan threw for 321 yards last Sunday, ending a 60-game drought without a 49ers QB throwing for over 300 yards. Always under pressure (sacked eight times), he marched on and led the offense down the field for the game-tying field goal in regulation and the game-winner on the first series of overtime.

This brings us to Joe Nedney. After tying the game with that late field goal, he missed a game-winner as regulation expired. All the veteran kicker wanted was a chance at redemption, and when O'Sullivan and the offense put him in position, he did not let them down—nailing the 40-yarder.

The defense turned in another good performance highlighted by Patrick Willis's 86-yard interception return for a touchdown. As the offense matures, look for this unit to get even tighter and more efficient. They'll need to do a better job against the run, which will come with time.

Looking ahead to Sunday, offensive coordinator Mike Martz has to be excited to face the team that cut him loose in the offseason—especially since the Lions' defense has given up 921 total yards and 82 points in the first two weeks. He will charge O'Sullivan with picking apart the much-maligned Detroit secondary.

Frank Gore and DeShaun Foster should also be geared up for big games, as the Lions' run defense is probably worse than their pass coverage. No game in the NFL is a "gimme," but the 49ers should be heading to New Orleans on Sept. 28 as a 2-1 ball club.

My Prediction: 49ers 34, Lions 23

Return to Glory: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Will Win 11 Games This Season

Joe Fletcher — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:54:07 -0400

This past Saturday afternoon, I sat 17 rows above the student section at Notre Dame Stadium, patiently awaiting the Irish's tilt with Michigan and all the while hoping for the rain to hold off.

Almost every sports writer in the country wrote this game off as the most unanticipated and meaningless evolution of this storied rivalry. But looking down at the best student section in the country and feeling the buzz around the stadium, it felt as alive as it has ever been.

Nine minutes into the game, the Fighting Irish went up 21-0 on an electrifying 48-yd TD pass from Jimmy Claussen to Golden Tate, and the capacity crowd of 80,000+ erupted. The fight song rang out and the words seemed more prescient than ever...

"Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame,
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send a volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky."

And wake up the echoes they did. As the sky opened up, and the rain continued to escalate, so too did the noise from the Irish faithful. The Irish defense brought down the thunder on the Wolverines in the second half and when the final gun sounded, the Irish had come away with a 35-17 victory. Walking out of the stadium, the same notion seemed to dawn on everyone: The Irish have a contender.

Notre Dame takes its act on the road for the first time this year, heading to East Lansing, MI for a showdown with the Spartans of Michigan State. The feeling going into this game is simple: Beat the Spartans, and then try not to look ahead to 11/29 and USC.

Yes, the Irish have to play eight games between the Spartans and the Trojans. But looking at their schedule, one can't help but think there is a legitimate chance for the Irish to run the table to the L.A. Coliseum.

After Michigan State, the Notre Dame schedule features home games against Purdue, Stanford, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse and road games at UNC, Washington, Boston College, and Navy. The eight teams listed here boast a combined record of 7-13 through the end of Week Three. Everyone knows there are no guarantees in sports, but the Irish schedule lends favorably to a 10+ win season.

The Irish backfield is deep, featuring a great 1-2 punch in Robert Hughes and Armando Allen. Sophomore QB Jimmy Clausen has dismissed all fears about his arm-strength, and his confidence will rise as this team keeps winning.

With Golden Tate and David Grimes on the outside, the Irish WR core is effective and look for highly-touted Freshman Michael Floyd to emerge as the season progresses. The defense has been solid and they have been opportunistic—they have that game-changing potential that a true contender needs.

You either love 'em or hate 'em, but Notre Dame has made their scrum with Michigan State this Saturday a must-watch. The two teams have alternated W/L the last six years, with MSU winning 31-14 last year. And should Notre Dame prevail against the Spartans, Irish eyes will be smiling in South Bend, IN as they march toward a date with No. 1 USC on November 29th.

Breaking News: The NFL Season Will, In Fact, Continue Without Tom Brady...

Joe Fletcher — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:24:30 -0400

Week One in the NFL was filled with new beginnings, new faces, upsets, and injuries. Aaron Rodgers had a solid debut for Green Bay and Brett Favre was, well, Brett Favre in a victory for the Jets.

Matt Ryan set the table in Atlanta and then gave way to Michael "The Burner" Turner. Willie Parker ran all over the Texans, and the Bears surprised an unhealthy and out-of- sync Colts team. Finally, last years' Super Bowl champs opened with a victory while the runner-up Patriots lost their MVP for the year.

As some teams stumble into Week Two, others are rolling in with their heads held high. Let's take a quick look at the schedule for the weekend:

Green Bay @ Detroit

Aaron Rodgers will look to establish consistency and Ryan Grant hopes to heal quickly—the Lions gave up 318 yards on the ground to Atlanta last week. The Lions offense needs to abandon their new "run first" offense and utilize their big WR's if they want to sniff .500 this year.

Look for a close game early, but I expect the Packers ground attack to wear down the Lions D and give the talented group of Green Bay receivers lots of open space to run in.

Packers 31, Lions 17.

New York Giants @ St. Louis

Nothing much to note here—The Giants are missing a few pieces on D, but their running game is very strong and Plaxico Burress may be the biggest WR target in the league, and he is actually healthy for once. The Rams did nothing right last week...look for more of the same this week.

Giants 34, Rams 16.

New Orleans @ Washington

Jim Zorn doesn't have a stable offense, and Jason Campbell looks about as comfortable as Kenny Mayne on "Dancing With the Stars." They'll need more production out of Portis and Betts to stay competitive.

Despite losing Marques Colston for a month, the Saints still have an arsenal of weapons in their passing game, and the Redskins can't handle big receivers (see Plaxico). Expect Jeremy Shockey to have a good game, and look for Robert Meachem to emerge after a strong preseason.

Saints 30, Redskins 13.

Buffalo @ Jacksonville

The Underrated vs. The Over-hyped? Time will tell, but in Week One the Bills looked dominant and the Jaguars' running game was in need of some serious Viagra.

With the Brady-less Patriots suddenly vulnerable, this is a big opportunity for the Bills to legitimately establish themselves in the AFC East.

For the first time in four years the Colts actually dropped a game in September—the Jaguars musn't waste an opportunity to grab a foothold in the AFC South. Look for Jack Del Rio to have his troops fired up in what should be a close one.

Jaguars 23, Bills 20.

Tennessee @ Cincinnati

Vince Young is out with a sprained MCL and a bruised ego, so Kerry Collins will get the call—which actually might be the best thing for the Titans.

Something is rotten in Cincinnati, and it's not all "Ocho Cinco." Very few teams feature a more talented 1-2 combo at WR, and Carson Palmer should be a Top Five QB, but the Bengals' offense doesn't look motivated.

We know the Titans D is good, but watch for rookie Chris Johnson and LenDale White to reap the benefits of good field position and Kerry Collins' ability to spread out the defense.

Titans 24, Bengals 17.

Oakland @ Kansas City

The Chiefs played Patriots tough last week, but as we all know this was an MVP-less Patriots team who may have been a bit shell-shocked. The Raiders looked like a "Football Follies" highlight reel last week, and got blown out of the water by Denver.

Normally, this would be a lock to pick the Chiefs, but this has always been a pesky rivalry so this game will be closer than one might think. I give the nod to KC because Larry Johnson will make the QB issue irrelevant.

Chiefs 24, Raiders 17.

Indianapolis @ Minnesota

Peyton Manning had four days of practice with rookie center Jamey Richard (filling in for the injured Jeff Saturday) leading up to the Bear game, and it showed. Don't even think that Manning will let this team go 0-2.

Minnesota put up a good fight against Green Bay and Adrian Peterson looked good, but their passing game is atrocious. Look for Peyton to storm out of the gates, leaving the Vikings to rely on their poor passing game to get back into it...which won't happen.

Colts 27, Vikings 17.

Chicago @ Carolina

The Bears D seemed to return to 2006 form against a banged up Colts squad in Week One. Rookie RB Matt Forte had a great debut and looks to build on that 100-yard performance, but Carolina gave LaDainian Tomlinson problems last week, so we'll see how that plays out.

Carolina showed some grit coming from behind to stun the Chargers sans-Steve Smith (who they'll be without again this week), but they need to get their run game active in order to keep the chains moving and more importantly, keep their D off the field. If Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams can get their wheels turning, this one will be really close.

Bears 20, Panthers 17.

Stay tuned for part 2....