Steelers will Try to Protect QB From Buccaneers D

Protect Ben Roethlisberger.

That is one of two goals the Pittsburgh Steelers should try to go for coming to their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday. What's the other one? Do not let the quarterback get maimed.

How to keep Ben Roethlisberger healthy, happy and upright the rest of the season is a job that will fall on many people, including the Pittsburgh linemen.

These days, defenses in NFL Football sacked Steelers Pro Bowl QB, Ben Roethlisberger, 36 times in the 10 games he played. That's six more times than he was sacked last season and 13 times more than he was decked as a rookie.

Quite disturbing indeed.

Only one Steelers quarterback was sacked more in a season in the previous dozen years and that was Tommy Maddox, who was sacked 41 times in 2003 (Neil O'Donnell also was sacked 41 times in 1993). Only two Steelers quarterbacks have been sacked more often since the 1970 NFL merger, Bubby Brister 45 times in 1989 and Cliff Stoudt 51 times in 1983.

Of course, that's one of those NFL Football records you don't want to be a part of.

This NFL Football season, Ben Roethlisberger has been hit with 3.6 sacks per game played, and on that rate, he would hit the team's modern-day record in the next five games, if he can last that long.

He's listed as probable this week with an injury that came when halfback Willie Parker blew a blocking assignment and linebacker Bart Scott blew into Roethlisberger, bruising his chest. Roethlisberger left for one play but returned to finish the game.

''Ben wanted to be out there,'' Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher said. ''It's one of those situations where you don't want to not be out there with the rest of your teammates who are out there fighting and battling. There's a lot to be said about that. I wasn't going to put him out there if there were risks medically. He fought through it like everybody else fought through it.''

Who will win Super Bowl XLI at Miami, Florida? Sports Interaction has the outright odds on that one.

Indianapolis Colts 7.00

Dallas Cowboys 15.00

Seattle Seahawks 11.00

Pittsburgh Steelers 11.00

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for the best odds on some of today's biggest sporting events.

Grossman and Brady Face-Off NFL Football Sunday

Tom Brady and Rex Grossman have 81 NFL Football starts at the QB position between them.

On Sunday, the Chicago Bears will visit the New England Patriots at Foxboro as Rex Grossman meets the former Superbowl MVP Tom Brady. Who will have the edge between these two awesome NFL Football quarterbacks?

If that "weak link" junk could be given a timeout, please, think how good Grossman could become by his 100th time out. Did you know Grossman is fifth in the entire 32-team NFL in touchdown passes? I didn't think so.

Grossman ranks ahead of Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Brett Favre, Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, Steve McNair, Jake Delhomme and Jake Plummer among others in touchdown throws this season.In passing yardage, Brady is 10th, Rex Grossman 11th. That's right, he is only one spot behind the Patriots quarterback, one of the best in the league. Earlier this year, Grossman said he felt as if he is being judged "pass by pass," rather than week-to-week.

He's right. Quit going into a panic every time he throws a bad ball. Rex rocks.

Grossman could have quite a bit in common with Tom Brady one of these days, even if the Florida guy and Michigan man do disagree about which of their schools should play for the national championship against Ohio State.

Can Rex Grossman lead the Bears pass the Patriots in Foxboro where Tom Brady is simple phenomenal? All Star Sportsbook has the odds.

Chicago Bears +3

New England Patriots -3

Patience of Tiki Barber TIKING AWAY with the Giants

Tiki Barber ain't happy with the New York Giants.

Tiki Barber has heard all of Tom Coughlin's reasons for why the New York Giants abandoned him and their running game in Jacksonville on NFL Monday Night Football. Yesterday, calmly but pointedly, the frustrated running back called them "a cop-out" and "a slap in the face."

"I'm not here to be a cheerleader," Tiki Barber said. "I'm not here to be someone who fades into the background. My job is to help this team win. The opportunities I get will dictate that. If it gets to a point where I feel I'm not doing anything, then generally our team is in trouble."

This wasn't the first time that Barber has complained about the Giants' penchant for abandoning the run. It was the fourth time he's done so publicly in the last 14 months, including his infamous "out-coached" outburst after the 23-0 playoff loss to Carolina.

Barber had hinted his latest rage was coming late Monday night when he said, "We didn't even try to run." The next day, Coughlin fired back, saying, "That's an easy thing to say after a game when you've only run the ball 14 times."

"We're not scared of anyone," the New York Giants franchise running back said. "We've played against the best defenses in this league and we've run the ball and done effective things against them. I think you put yourself halfway to failure when you say we can't do something because of another team's personnel. It's a slap in the face of me, it's a slap in the face of my front five guys. We don't take to that very kindly.''

"You say you have a couple of (bad) plays early on and you just can't do it anymore? That's a cop-out. The one thing you have to do as a team, whether it's passing the ball or running the ball, is establish an identity, believe in something and have faith in it, and do it over and over again - in some ways dare teams to stop you. We haven't done that. And I think that's why we've faltered the last couple of games."

The New York Giants visit the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Can the Giants bounce back with a win in Tennessee? All Star Sportsbook has the odds.

New York Giants -3

Tennessee Titans +3

NFL Thursday Night Football on Thanksgiving Day

The Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos dance on Thanksgiving night as NFL Network premieres on Thursday Night Football.

This Kansas City Chiefs – Denver Broncos game will be one of THREE NFL Football games to be played on Thursday. The Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions will kick off Thanksgiving day followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys. Too much action on a Thanksgiving holiday huh?

The first-ever Thanksgiving Game at Arrowhead Stadium will feature a pair of AFC West rivals waging a pivotal division duel in front of a national television audience as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos square off in the first-ever live regular season NFL Thursday Night Football game telecast by NFL Network.

The Chiefs and Broncos will meet in a Thanksgiving showdown for the first time since Kansas City posted a 31-17 win vs. Denver in 1969.

The Kansas City Chiefs won six of their last eight games and will be looking to pull even with the Broncos in their divisional standings. Another thing going for the Chiefs come game time is the fact that they won six of their last seven face-offs with Jake Plummer and the rest of the Broncos in Arrowhead Stadium, that includes three straight wins.

You just know that Arrowhead Stadium will be jacked up for this one come Thanksgiving night.

The Chiefs and Broncos waged an early-season slugfest at INVESCO Field where Kansas City led for much of the day before Denver eventually prevailed by a 9-6 count in overtime. The Chiefs-Broncos rivalry has always been filled with close encounters. Just one point separates the two clubs in their last four meetings with Denver holding a slim 117-116 scoring edge. In fact, 27 of the last 33 outings in this series have been won by the squad scoring last.

This will definitely be a great game on a Thanksgiving night and if I was a betting man, I would STILL put my money on the Denver Broncos just because the level of competition they faced the past few weeks. The Kansas City Chiefs are good but Herman Edwards is no Mike Shanahan.

Can the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos? Bet and play WagerTalk's NFL Football Handicapping Contest and decide for yourself. Make your picks now.

Who will win Super Bowl XLI at Miami, Florida? Sports Interaction has the outright odds on that one.

Indianapolis Colts 7.00

Dallas Cowboys 15.00

Seattle Seahawks 11.00

Pittsburgh Steelers 11.00

Bradley will be Bears Primary Receiver for now

For Bears receiver Mark Bradley, returning to the lineup has the potential to be almost as frustrating as leaving it.

That's because Bradley, who started in place of the injured Bernard Berrian last Sunday after five games on the inactive list, is suddenly back in the mix. Against the Giants he had four catches for 79 yards, including a key 29-yard touchdown pass from Rex Grossman.

But now, with Berrian questionable for the Chicago Bears this Sunday's game against the Jets with bruised ribs but likely to return to form in the coming weeks, the mix is that much more crowded.

"It goes back to just being mentally tough," said Bradley, who was halfway through a breakout performance as a rookie last season when a torn ACL sidelined him for the final nine games of the season. "When [Berrian] comes back, I'm pretty sure they're going to get him into the rotation because he has done a lot of positive things. There's an old saying that if it's not broke, don't fix it. Now it's just a point of how can you get everybody on the field at the same time?"

Bears receiver coach Darryl Drake said that won't be a problem.

"I think you have to have two [deep threats]," Drake said. "You look at us and nobody thought we would be at all productive this year, the worst group in the National Football League. Every day in camp, somebody was asking me what are we going to do at receiver? Who's going to be the guy?"

''But you always have to have guys because it's such a long season and because the game is so violent and so physical and the body takes such a toll. We may as well have as many guys as they allow us to have. We're very fortunate Mark is ready to go now."

Who will win Super Bowl XLI at Miami, Florida? Sports Interaction has the outright odds on that one.

Indianapolis Colts 7.00

Dallas Cowboys 15.00

Seattle Seahawks 11.00

Pittsburgh Steelers 11.00

When will we see the Real Daunte Culpepper?

For the sake of the Miami Dolphins, let's hope it's sooner than later.

The knife sliced into his right knee one year ago Wednesday, an anniversary Miami Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper likely would rather forget.

Now, it seems every bad dream Daunte Culpepper had at that time has returned to haunt him all season long this year. And unfortunately, the Miami Dolphins are hurting big time because of it.

The injury has not faded from his mind or his soul. Not yet, at least. And certainly not this week. ''It has been an extremely painful process both physically and emotionally since the injury,'' Daunte Culpepper once said. ''I am wishing for the absolute best for my teammates this season. I will be their biggest fan.''

''I only wish I could be with them on the field,'' he added.

The very words of Daunte Culpepper last year. Lo and behold, he's injured yet again and now, he's losing his starting job to an unheralded quarterback named Joey Harrington.

Daunte Culpepper was officially listed as ''Out'' on the team's injury report, although he did practice in pads Wednesday for the first time in more than two weeks. His rehabilitation process, however, the one designed to regain explosiveness in his knee, will keep his return on hold.

''He wants to be on the field playing,'' backup quarterback Cleo Lemon said. ''He had a lot of success with the Minnesota Vikings. He went to Pro Bowls, and he has a lot of relationships with guys still on the team. I'm sure this is a different week for him than other weeks.''

Culpepper has politely declined interview requests since he last spoke publicly Oct. 12, three days after he was benched for Joey Harrington.

Who will win Super Bowl XLI at Miami, Florida? Sports Interaction has the outright odds on that one.

Indianapolis Colts 7.00

Dallas Cowboys 15.00

Seattle Seahawks 11.00

Pittsburgh Steelers 11.00

Raiders Coach try to Shell Out Dark Cloud This Sunday

The Oakland Raiders head coach, Art Shell, still believes that their better days are still ahead of them.

This is after they blew an NFL Monday Night Football game against a Seattle Seahawks team who played without NFL Football MVP Shaun Alexander and franchise QB Matt Hasselbeck.

The casual observer looks at the Oakland Raiders and sees a team that lost six of its first eight games this NFL Football season and has the potential to lose eight more. Raiders coach Art Shell sees a team that won two games, lost six that it could have won and still has eight more winnable contests.

But don't mistake Shell for being in denial or delusional when it comes to the team he inherited on the heels of three straight losing seasons. This is a man who entered the league as an instant winner, left it a winner and returned this season with a single determination to bring back the winning ways from his past.

It hasn't happened just yet, but Shell said he intends to be here when the defeats turn to victories. Only then will his mission be complete. ''When I came back, I knew this thing wasn't going to be easy,'' Art Shell said, one day after the Raiders fell to 2-6 at the halfway mark in the season.

Against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, it won't get any easier.

The Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders occupy opposite seats in their own AFC West division. The Broncos are on top at 6-2 while the Raiders are at the bottom at 2-6.

That disappointing 2-6 mark could very well be because of Oakland's inability to protect their quarterback, Andrew Walter. Walter leads all NFL Football QBs in sacks this season, a stat no QB nor offensive lineman should be proud of.

Oh yeah, if in some way the Raiders manage to protect quarterback Andrew Walter, Randy Moss will still have Broncos corner, Champ Bailey to contend with.

Who will win this NFL Football game between the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos? All Star Sportsbook has the odds.

Oakland Raiders +9

Denver Broncos -9

49ers won't Stick to Candlestick in NFL Football

The San Francisco 49ers are moving.

Following a surprising 9-3 win over Brad Johnson and the rest of the Minnesota Vikings, the San Francisco 49ers could very well see themselves out of Candlestick Park and start a new NFL Football chapter with a state-of-the-art stadium in Santa Clara.

After years of planning for a stadium in the city that has been the franchise's home for six decades, San Francisco 49ers team owner John York officially changed his club's focus Thursday from Candlestick Point to this Silicon Valley suburb 30 miles south of San Francisco.

This is after their plan to build a stadium and retail-housing complex at Candlestick Point failed according to the San Francisco 49ers team officials.

At a press conference in Santa Clara, at a hotel next door to the proposed new site, 49ers co-owner John York said paying for transportation improvements and a new parking garage at Candlestick Point would at least double the $600 million to $800 million that the team is willing to spend on a new home.

The team said a Santa Clara stadium near the Great America amusement park could be built for that price through a ''public-private partnership'' that might include a land deal for the 49ers, but would not raise taxes for residents or tap the city's general fund.

Of course, you just know that San Francisco mayor, Gavin Newsom wasn't pleased.

''John York is obviously a very straight shooter, but in this case, respectfully, I don't think he has been,'' Newsom said. ''We were just two months ago talking about rolling it out. That's why I'm a little perplexed about the abruptness of the phone call I received last night.''

The 49ers said their proposed Santa Clara site has the advantage of good freeway access and is a 10-minute walk from a VTA light-rail stop and an ACE commuter rail station.

On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers will meet the Detroit Lions, both teams coming off upset wins over their NFL Football rivals. Will Detroit beat the 49ers or will San Francisco upset the Lions? Bet and play WagerTalk's NFL Football Handicapping Contest and decide for yourself. Make your picks now.

Who will win this NFL Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions? All Star Sportsbook has the odds.

San Francisco 49ers +6

Detroit Lions -6

Cardinals and Mountaineers meet on Black Out Thursday

Black Out Thursday. That's how the no.5 ranked Louisville Cardinals are describing their game against no.3 West Virginia Mountaineers.

Apparently, the memories of the infamous Morgantown meltdown still haunt them. On Thursday, they are encouraging their fans to wear black shirts to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium because this NCAA College Football game on Thursday gives them the chance to ''black out'' thoughts of last year's visit to Morgantown.

It remains to be seen whether they can do just that. And against the no.3 ranked NCAA College Football team in the country today, the West Virginia Mountaineers, it will be difficult.

West Virginia is focused as far as college football glory is concerned. In spite of all the controversies surrounding the West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez, they know how to win football games and with the way they're playing at this point, it will be difficult to etch a win over these guys.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are interested in signing the West Virginia coach, engineering speculations about the coach's future with the Mountaineers college football program.

''Anytime any coaches on our staff or myself get mentioned [for a job], it's very flattering,'' Rodriguez said. ''It's not something I've ever viewed as a distraction.''

''I'm focused on what we're doing right now in our season,'' he said. ''After the season I'm sure I'll sit down with our people here and discuss, with my family, if anything is interesting at that point.''

Can the Louisville Cardinals pull off an upset against West Virginia? Which school will gain the inside track to the Big East title and a potential national title game appearance?

Comparing the stats, before tomorrow night's kickoff, West Virginia has the no.1 rushing offense in the country, while Louisville's ranked seventh; total offense, almost even. The Mountaineers are fourth, and the Cardinals are second.

Overall, the West Virginia Mountaineers have the stingier defense, and the defense of the Louisville Cardinals will have to contend with a pair of rushing monsters from West Virginia, Pat White and Steve Slaton. That's why I'm picking these guys to destroy the Cardinals at home.

Can Louisville upset the Mountaineers or will West Virginia destroy the Cardinals at home? All Star Sportsbook has the odds.

Louisville Cardinals -1

West Virginia Mountaineers +1