Author: beichenberger.tsn

Jets have momentum, but Bengals have Palmer

First-round playoff games are hard enough to predict without complications like the rematch factor coming off a Week 17 meeting. Throw in the fact the New York Jets earned their playoff berth by defeating two teams — the Cincinnati Bengals, their opponent today in the NFL’s wild-card opener at Cincinnati, and the Indianapolis Colts — that already had clinched playoff berths and decided to rest key starters and logical forecasting become almost impossible.
 
After celebrating a victory to make a playoffs, the Jets go hunting Bengals again.
After celebrating a victory to make a playoffs, the Jets go hunting Bengals again.

Asked earlier this week if his team has an edge in their rematch with the Bengals, based on their 37-0 victory in the regular-season finale at Giants Stadium, Jets coach Rex Ryan shrugged and said, "I don’t know. Nobody’s been through this. … I guess you’d have to ask them or somebody a lot smarter than me. I can’t figure it out."

 
Ryan was not being totally serious. After all, this is the same guy who also said he thought the Jets should be favored to win it all. But just how unusual has this week been?
 
"We did all our preparation for the Bengals last week," Jets safety Jim Leonhard said. "So you feel like you are way ahead. But at the same time, you know this is a playoff game. So you have to go back and hit that film harder and try to find something new."
 
In a rematch in which much is uncertain, these three things are known:
 

Carson Palmer has solid numbers, but he wants a better outcome on Saturday.
Carson Palmer has solid numbers, but he wants a better outcome on Saturday.

1. The Jets have the momentum

While the AFC North champion Bengals (10-6) struggled down the stretch, losing three of their past four, the Jets won five of their past six to finish 9-7. However, the Week 16 victory at Indianapolis was tainted by coach Jim Caldwell’s decision to pull several key starters, including quarterback Peyton Manning, with his team leading in the third quarter.
 

2. The Bengals have the better quarterback

Veteran Carson Palmer has thrown 21 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions while directing a Bengals attack that relies on Cedric Benson, who sat out last week’s loss to the Jets but still rushed for 1,251 yards this season.
 
Jets rookie Mark Sanchez has been almost the exact opposite, throwing 20 interceptions and 12 touchdown passes. But after throwing 16 interceptions during the team’s 4-6 start, he has thrown only four in his past five starts while guiding an attack that relies on Thomas Jones, who rushed for a career-best 1,402 yards.
 

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3. The Jets have the better defense

Inspired by Ryan and his schematic brilliance, the Jets surrendered a league-low 236 points (14.8 per game). But they could be hampered Saturday by an ankle sprain that could slow inside linebacker and leading tackler David Harris.
 
The Bengals aren’t far behind, having yielded 291 points (18.2 per game), and they return three starters — linemen Robert Geathers and Domata Peko and safety Chris Crocker — who sat out last week’s loss. That should make them much more competitive after allowing 257 yards rushing to the Jets last week.
 
This story appears in Jan. 9’s edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today.
 
Bill Eichenberger is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at beichenberger@sportingnews.com.
First-round playoff games are hard enough to predict without complications like the rematch factor coming off a Week 17 meeting. Throw in the fact the New York Jets earned their playoff berth by defeating two teams — the Cincinnati Bengals, their opponent today in the NFL’s wild-card opener at Cincinnati, and the Indianapolis Colts — that already had clinched playoff berths and decided to rest key starters and logical forecasting become almost impossible.
 
After celebrating a victory to make a playoffs, the Jets go hunting Bengals again.
After celebrating a victory to make a playoffs, the Jets go hunting Bengals again.

Asked earlier this week if his team has an edge in their rematch with the Bengals, based on their 37-0 victory in the regular-season finale at Giants Stadium, Jets coach Rex Ryan shrugged and said, "I don’t know. Nobody’s been through this. … I guess you’d have to ask them or somebody a lot smarter than me. I can’t figure it out."

 
Ryan was not being totally serious. After all, this is the same guy who also said he thought the Jets should be favored to win it all. But just how unusual has this week been?
 
"We did all our preparation for the Bengals last week," Jets safety Jim Leonhard said. "So you feel like you are way ahead. But at the same time, you know this is a playoff game. So you have to go back and hit that film harder and try to find something new."
 
In a rematch in which much is uncertain, these three things are known:
 

Carson Palmer has solid numbers, but he wants a better outcome on Saturday.
Carson Palmer has solid numbers, but he wants a better outcome on Saturday.

1. The Jets have the momentum

While the AFC North champion Bengals (10-6) struggled down the stretch, losing three of their past four, the Jets won five of their past six to finish 9-7. However, the Week 16 victory at Indianapolis was tainted by coach Jim Caldwell’s decision to pull several key starters, including quarterback Peyton Manning, with his team leading in the third quarter.
 

2. The Bengals have the better quarterback

Veteran Carson Palmer has thrown 21 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions while directing a Bengals attack that relies on Cedric Benson, who sat out last week’s loss to the Jets but still rushed for 1,251 yards this season.
 
Jets rookie Mark Sanchez has been almost the exact opposite, throwing 20 interceptions and 12 touchdown passes. But after throwing 16 interceptions during the team’s 4-6 start, he has thrown only four in his past five starts while guiding an attack that relies on Thomas Jones, who rushed for a career-best 1,402 yards.
 

Related Links

3. The Jets have the better defense

Inspired by Ryan and his schematic brilliance, the Jets surrendered a league-low 236 points (14.8 per game). But they could be hampered Saturday by an ankle sprain that could slow inside linebacker and leading tackler David Harris.
 
The Bengals aren’t far behind, having yielded 291 points (18.2 per game), and they return three starters — linemen Robert Geathers and Domata Peko and safety Chris Crocker — who sat out last week’s loss. That should make them much more competitive after allowing 257 yards rushing to the Jets last week.
 
This story appears in Jan. 9’s edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today.
 
Bill Eichenberger is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at beichenberger@sportingnews.com.

Sore-kneed Dawson most proud of his Gold Glove defense

Bill Eichenberger

Dawson says people only see the glamorous side of baseball and he had a very painful career.
Dawson says people only see the glamorous side of baseball and he had a very painful career.

NEW YORK — The day after being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his ninth year of eligibility, Andre Dawson would have preferred not to talk about the 12 knee surgeries and the physical pain he endured during his 21-season career.

But when asked to elaborate at a news conference at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, he reluctantly painted the grim picture.

"A lot of people only see the glamour side of the game, but I had a very painful career," said Dawson, an eight-time All-Star outfielder who was selected on 420 of 539 ballots cast in voting announced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Wednesday. "I had to take medication almost daily to get through those three hours (on the field)."

Dawson said he injured his left knee playing high school football, and it left him with limited range of motion in his left leg. Eleven seasons of playing on artificial turf with the Expos only exacerbated the problem, as both knees wore down and required repeated surgery and rehabilitation.

Because of his knees, Dawson said, "I was usually the first one at the ballpark and the last one to leave. Before the game, I’d go through an ice treatment, some stretching, get both knees taped. After the game, it would be the same scenario."

Those knees prompted Dawson to become a free agent in 1987 and try to find a team that played on natural grass. He said his decision to sign with the Cubs gave him a new lease on life.

"Going to Wrigley Field, playing in the friendly confines amongst the Cub fans, that was amazing," said Dawson, who had his best season that year, winning the NL MVP Award — the first member of a last-place team to do so. "That really rejuvenated my career at a time when I was unsure about myself and whether I was going to be in the game. I owe that organization a lot for believing in me."

Dawson, who said he hasn’t decided whether his Hall of Fame bust will feature an Expos or Cubs cap, hit 438 homers in a career that spanned from 1976-96. Named the N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1977 with Montreal, Dawson stayed with the Cubs through 1992, then spent two seasons apiece with Boston and Florida. He had a .279 career average with 1,591 RBIs and 314 steals. He is one of only three players with at least 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases, joining Barry Bonds and Willie Mays.

But Dawson said he is most proud of his eight Gold Gloves. "I tried not let one phase of the game overshadow the other," he said. "But I think I am more enthusiastic about the Gold Gloves because that says that defensively you were one of the standouts."

Dawson will join former manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey, Veterans Committee selections, in this year’s Hall of Fame class. The trio will be enshrined during a ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y, on July 25.

Bill Eichenberger

Dawson says people only see the glamorous side of baseball and he had a very painful career.
Dawson says people only see the glamorous side of baseball and he had a very painful career.

NEW YORK — The day after being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his ninth year of eligibility, Andre Dawson would have preferred not to talk about the 12 knee surgeries and the physical pain he endured during his 21-season career.

But when asked to elaborate at a news conference at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, he reluctantly painted the grim picture.

"A lot of people only see the glamour side of the game, but I had a very painful career," said Dawson, an eight-time All-Star outfielder who was selected on 420 of 539 ballots cast in voting announced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Wednesday. "I had to take medication almost daily to get through those three hours (on the field)."

Dawson said he injured his left knee playing high school football, and it left him with limited range of motion in his left leg. Eleven seasons of playing on artificial turf with the Expos only exacerbated the problem, as both knees wore down and required repeated surgery and rehabilitation.

Because of his knees, Dawson said, "I was usually the first one at the ballpark and the last one to leave. Before the game, I’d go through an ice treatment, some stretching, get both knees taped. After the game, it would be the same scenario."

Those knees prompted Dawson to become a free agent in 1987 and try to find a team that played on natural grass. He said his decision to sign with the Cubs gave him a new lease on life.

"Going to Wrigley Field, playing in the friendly confines amongst the Cub fans, that was amazing," said Dawson, who had his best season that year, winning the NL MVP Award — the first member of a last-place team to do so. "That really rejuvenated my career at a time when I was unsure about myself and whether I was going to be in the game. I owe that organization a lot for believing in me."

Dawson, who said he hasn’t decided whether his Hall of Fame bust will feature an Expos or Cubs cap, hit 438 homers in a career that spanned from 1976-96. Named the N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1977 with Montreal, Dawson stayed with the Cubs through 1992, then spent two seasons apiece with Boston and Florida. He had a .279 career average with 1,591 RBIs and 314 steals. He is one of only three players with at least 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases, joining Barry Bonds and Willie Mays.

But Dawson said he is most proud of his eight Gold Gloves. "I tried not let one phase of the game overshadow the other," he said. "But I think I am more enthusiastic about the Gold Gloves because that says that defensively you were one of the standouts."

Dawson will join former manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey, Veterans Committee selections, in this year’s Hall of Fame class. The trio will be enshrined during a ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y, on July 25.