Baltimore Ravens | Danny Vinik

Happy New Years Eve to all of my readers. This New Years Eve has also seen a fair amount of sports news, so let’s get to it:

Ravens Fire Billick:The Baltimore Ravens fired head coach Brian Billick today, after the Ravens finished the year at 5-11. After a 13-3 season last year, the Ravens underachieved this year and Billick has taken a lot of the blame. The team even lost nine consecutive games before finishing with a 27-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday. Since the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2000, they have won only one playoff game. Less than a year ago, Billick received a contract extension through the 2010 season and stated a couple weeks ago that he would be back for 2008. Owner Steve Bisciotti had other ideas. “I just changed my mind. I can’t explain it to you. It’s the toughest decision I’ve had to make” the owner said Monday. The Ravens were a disappointment this year and someone had to take the fall. Unfortunately, it was Billick’s turn.

McGrady Out For A Few Weeks:Though it looked like the injury would only need a couple days to heal, Tracy McGrady’s left knee has not gotten any better. The Houston Rockets are coming to a tough stretch in their schedule playing at both Boston and Orlando this week. It looks like McGrady will miss those games and more as he could be out as many as three weeks. Continue reading “Daily Sports Roundup 12/31/07” →

With the 2007 NFL season kicking off on Thursday, this is the perfect time to look at the upcoming year and what fans can look forward to. The AFC Preview is today and the NFC Preview will be coming out in the next couple of days as well.

East

New England Patriots
New York Jets
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins

In the AFC East, the Patriots should win this division easily. New England upgraded its receiving core with Randy Moss and Wes Welker. The defense is healthy for the first time in years and RB Lawrence Maroney is ready for a breakout year. Also, the have Tom Brady. Expect the Pats to be playing until the very end. Besides the fact that the Pats have no glaring weaknesses, the rest of the division is not exactly overpowering. The Jets are relying on inconsistent QB Chad Pennington, and do not have a threatening running game. Their defense is better than last year, but don’t expect another magical season like last year. The Bills lost some major players in the off-season, especially running back Willis McGahee. Yes, the Bills upgraded their offensive lines to strengthen their running game. Unfortunately, the lack of a significant RB is going to leave the Bills out of the playoffs. The defense also is quite shaky, leaving more question marks in Buffalo. The Dolphins have 37-year old Trent Green as their quarterback and 30-year old Joey Porter at running back. The defense is slightly improved, and the receiving core is as well, but Green and Porter are simply too old to carry a team for an entire season. The Patriots will run away with the division with the Jets and Bills vying for a Wild Card, and the Dolphins just waiting for next year. Continue reading “2007 AFC Preview” →