Mark Sanchez threw a TD pass to Braylon Edwards before leaving in the third quarter with a knee injury as the New York Jets captured an entertaining 19-13 win over the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.
This is yet another major strike against Dave Dombrowski, General Manager of the Detroit Tigers. He has let the Tigers' starting second baseman, and 2009 Gold Glove Winner, leave town without even offering him a contract or salary arbitration. This leaves a huge hole in the middle of the Tigers defensive infield, and a hole at their #2 lineup spot. The Tigers were afraid that Polanco wanted 8 million dollars a year plus, but signed with the Phillies for far less and to serve as their everyday third baseman. The biggest mistake made here by the Tigers front office is that by offering Arbitration to Polanco the Phillies would have had to send the Tigers a first round draft pick in next year's MLB draft for signing him.
One of the many stains left on the Detroit Lions organization by the mismanagement of former General Manager Matt Millen is an ineffective Offensive Line. While Jeff Backus has carried a lot of blame throughout his career, and earlier this season, he has gone five games without giving up a sack. However Backus will always remain the first ever Millen draft pick, and the consolation prize the Lions got for losing Backus' former Michigan Teammate Steve Hutchinson. While Backus is fairing better in the new Lions offense that relies on shorter QB drop backs, and is designed around having their QB deliver the ball more quickly, Backus who has started in all 139 games since being drafted his LT position is one the Lions will have to upgrade before they can be considered a playoff team.
It seems more and more likely that the New Orleans Saints will walk away from Reggie Bush and his 8 million dollar contract in 2010. The reason is why pay a guy that much money that is not a vital part of your team, the Saints offense doesn't need Reggie Bush, and the team could reinvest those 8 million dollars into a different position of need.
The Chicago Bears are a very disappointing 4-7 and headed towards a season where they will not make the playoffs, and where they will be left to rebuild for the 2010 season. The problem with that is the Bears will not have a first round draft pick for the second year in a row, and barring a trade they will not have a second round pick either.
Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson could lose his driver's license after police clocked him driving at 109 mph - nearly twice the posted speed limit - on a suburban Minneapolis highway last weekend.
The story seems to suggest that the recession has nothing to do with sports, since a bunch of Raiders fans had enough money left over to buy a billboard in an effort to get Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis to give up the reins of his team and hire a General Manager. The Raiders are one of five NFL team's that do not employ a General Manager. Of those teams; the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Washington Redskins, and of course the Raiders, only the Patriots have managed to be successful without a GM running the show.
The Cleveland Browns have placed Jamal Lewis on their injured reserve list, ending his 2009 season, and since he was set to retire at the end of the year anyway his career is now over. If his career is over Lewis will finish with 10,643 rushing yards leaving 21st on the all time list, just 36 yards short of 20th place Ricky Waters. Since he seemed content to move towards a life away from football, this injury isn't especially sad but Lewis was without a doubt one of those special players that come along once in a generation.
Jamal Lewis has probably plowed into the line for the last time. Cleveland's punishing running back, who announced last month that he planned to retire following this season, sustained an unspecified head injury in Sunday's loss to Cincinnati, raising the possibility that he has played his last down of an illustrious NFL career.
