SB Nation - Anquan Boldin

NFL Playoff Scores: Ravens Beat Texans, Giants Upset Packers

Charlie Wilmoth — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:03:37 -0000

Here are the results of Sunday's NFL playoff matchups.

First, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Houston Texans by a score 20-13, as Kris Wilson and Anquan Boldin caught touchdown passes from Joe Flacco. Arian Foster had 132 yards rushing with a touchdown for the Texans, and Andre Johnson caught eight passes for 111 yards. The Ravens' victory sets up a Ravens vs. Patriots matchup in the AFC Championship Game (3:00 on Sunday on CBS), which is pretty annoying for Steelers fans, most of whom won't feel like they can root for either team. A Broncos vs. Ravens championship game would have been worse, however, so at least that was avoided.

In the NFC, the New York Giants pulled off a shocking upset of the Green Bay Packers, 37-20, as Eli Manning went 21-of-33 with 330 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Hakeem Nicks had 165 yards receiving and two touchdowns. The Packers lost three fumbles. That means the Giants will head to San Francisco to take on the Giants next Sunday in the NFC Championship Game (6:30 PM, FOX).

For more NFL playoff action, check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Kam Chancellor Fined $20,000 For Hit On Anquan Boldin

Danny Kelly — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:41:53 -0000

Seahawks second year strong safety Kam Chancellor was fined $20,000 by the NFL for an illegal hit on Ravens' receiver Anquan Boldin last Sunday, per the excellent Brian McIntyre. Chancellor came up from his safety spot to hit Boldin on a seam route just as he was catching the football. The hit was helmet to helmet - the old 'earhole' shot - that is now illegal in the NFL as they try and diminish the prevalence of concussions.

Chancellor suffered a concussion on the play but has recovered nicely and will play on Sunday. Boldin, for his part, was seemingly unfazed as he got up and signaled to the officials for a flag. Boldin is inarguably one of the toughest players in the NFL, and once had bones in his face broken taking a hit going across the middle. Despite having multiple facial fractures repaired by seven metal plates and 40 titanium screws, not to mention a wired jaw, Boldin played three games later. This series of events, combined with Sunday's hit by Chancellor, further confirms my suspicion that he's a cyborg (legally speaking).

Also, per McIntyre,

...Chancellor is earning a $450,000 base salary, which is comprised of 17 game checks worth $26,471 in pretax income. Unless reduced on appeal, the $20,000 fine essentially means he played for free on Sunday.

Bummer.

ANIMATED: Kam Chancellor Hit On Anquan Boldin For Seahawks Vs. Ravens

Avinash Kunnath — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:26:34 -0000

Kam Chancellor of the Seattle Seahawks is probably going to regret that he went all-out for this one. He had to leave the game with a head injury because of this scary-looking hit on Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Even worse, Chancellor was charged with a 15 yard personal foul penalty for going high to the head.

Check out the hit after the jump.

To talk about the Seahawks, head to Field Gulls.

NFC West Report, Week 8: 49ers Good, Rams Surprise, Cardinals Choke, Seahawks Lose

Jess Root — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:01:30 -0000

The 2011 NFL season is essentially half over and the NFC West race is likely completely over. the San Francisco 49ers won again and hold a four-game lead over the 2-5 Seattle Seahawks. That's right, the second place team is 2-5. But thanks a shocking victory by the St. Louis Rams over the New Orleans Saints, there is now a battle for the cellar of the division.

The Arizona Cardinals melted down in glorious fashion, turning a 24-3 lead into a 30-27 loss. They only could muster 56 total yards of offense in the second half and former Cardinal Anquan Boldin torched the secondary for seven catches for over 140 yards. Arizona, for the third time this season, had the ball with the opportunity to take the lead late in the game. For the third time, they were unable to drive down the field and create points.

Seattle got drudged at home 34-12 by Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals. Pacman Jones even got in on the fun with a long punt return. In a losing effort, Tarvaris Jackson threw for a career high 323 yards, but could not score through the air..

The Rams didn't even have Sam Bradford. A.J. Feeley started for St. Louis, but it was Steven Jackson who shouldered the load. He rushed for 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Rams defense kept Drew Brees from throwing 300 yards and held the Saints to 56 yards on the ground. The Cardinals and the Rams are all set for the game that will establish the worst team in the division.

San Francisco relied on its defense and Frank Gore to beat the Cleveland Browns 20-10. It has been a winning formula this season. Alex Smith isn't screwing things up and Gore has recovered from his hip injury from a year ago, looking every bit the All-Pro back he has been. With the defense playing strong and their schedule being light, some believe that they could pull off a 14-2 season.

Will it happen? Considering the division, they just might. Anyway, here is a rundown from the SB Nation team blogs reacting to the games Sunday.

Defense Keeps Seattle in, but Offense Refuses to Score, 34-12 - Field Gulls
This game was reminiscent of the Seahawks-Niners or Seahawks-Browns games, and might be the story of the season: the defense does enough to keep us in, but the offense refuses to do enough to keep up even with these fairly mediocre offenses. And like the Niners game, the end-score really doesn't represent the difference between the two teams on the field, with 14 Bengals points coming near the end on a punt return and a pick six.

Rams Upset Saints For First Win Of The Season - Turf Show Times
Even as recently as yesterday, you would have been hard pressed to find anyone who gave the St. Louis Rams a chance against the New Orleans Saints this week, myself included. All season, the Rams have been flat and uninspired, forcing fans to slog with them through six consecutive losses, losses in which they never had a chance. And then they beat the Saints, a team coming off a 62-7 win the week before. How did they do it? If you're looking for an easy answer it's Steven Jackson.

49ers Vs. Browns: Another Solid Team Effort - Niners Nation

The San Francisco 49ers improved to 6-1 with an ugly but steady victory over the Cleveland Browns. They dominated for much of the first half and then basically just sort of did enough "not to lose" if you will. What I enjoyed once again was the team concept of the victory. The 49ers are operating as a cohesive unit and while it is not the prettiest effort at times on offense, it has gotten the job done. It remains to be seen if it will be enough to make serious noise in January, but the team has two months to get some things figured out.

Arizona Cardinals Blow Lead Yet Again, lose Vs. The Baltimore Ravens, 30-27 - Revenge of the Birds

Another blown save, another week in the world of Cardinal's football. This time, the blown save was against the Baltimore Ravens. After leading 25-6 at halftime, the Cardinals allowed the Ravens to comeback all the way, leading up to a last second, game winning FG by the Ravens Kicker Billy Cundiff.

Larry Fitzgerald TD Catch In Pro Bowl Bittersweet For Cardinals Fans

Jess Root — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:45:45 -0000

Larry Fitzgerald had a somewhat quiet Pro Bowl game Sunday. He wasn't targeted much, but was part of an NFC squad that jumped out to a 42-0 lead en route to a 55-41 victory over the AFC. He did, though, find his way t the endzone. His sole catch was a 25-yard grab from Matt Ryan to put the NFC up 35-0. It was one of his patented jump ball in the endzone scores.

Just take a look:

This touchdown grab is bittersweet for the Cardinals fans. Why? Because it shows us what could have and should have been for our team this year. Despite being the number one threat on offense, Fitz only found the endzone six times during the regular season.

Part of this was the fact that defenses could key in on him with the absence of Anquan Boldin. With only Steve Breaston as the only other real threat at receiver, it made life difficult for Fitz.

But we know the real problem. The guys throwing the football just were unable to put the ball in an area where he could make a play. Matt Ryan put the ball high and a little underthrown so that Fitzgerald could go and get it.

He had to put up with errant bullets from Derek Anderson, throws to the opposing team by Max Hall and the cold shoulder from John Skelton, who apparently preferred throwing to fellow rookie Andre Roberts.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh at some point made a blood oath to play together. With all the great players (especially quarterbacks) present on the island, we have to hope that no such deal was made with Fitz. That is, unless that oath were to bring an elite QB here to the desert. Then it wouldn't be so bad.

NFL Playoff Schedule Kicks Off Saturday With Baltimore Ravens At Pittsburgh Steelers

Shaun Al-Shatti — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 01:30:34 -0000

The divisional round of the NFL Playoff kicks into high gear this weekend. Saturday starts things off with a splash, bringing us two compelling matchups right off the bat. From the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Baltimore Ravens in a ferocious rubber match. From the NFC, the Green Bay Packers will host the Atlanta Falcons in a primetime tilt. As always, we will provide you with a full TV schedule of these events.

On CBS, at 4:30 pm ET (2:30 pm MT), the Ravens and the Steelers will face off for the third time this season. Their rivalry may be the fiercest in the NFL. Every game is a knock-down, drag-out affair that leaves the winner bloodied and battered.

All the stars will be out in full force as Baltimore's offensive weapons of Joe Flacco, Anquan Boldin, and Ray Rice will battle James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, and the stifling Steeler defense. On the other side of the ball, Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Wallace, and Rashard Mendenhall will struggle against Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, and the punishing Raven defense. It should be brutal to watch.

And without further ado, here is the full weekend playoff schedule:

Saturday:

Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (CBS, 4:30 pm ET / 2:30 pm MT)

Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons (FOX, 8:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm MT)

Sunday:

Chicago Bears vs. Seattle Seahawks (FOX, 1:00 pm ET / 11:00 am MT)

New England Patriots vs. New York Jets (CBS, 4:30 pm ET / 2:30 pm MT)

Concern For Cardinals? Unhappy Steve Breaston Channeling His Inner Anquan Boldin

Jess Root — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 20:25:40 -0000

Steve Breaston was conspicuously absent in the Arizona Cardinals 27-26 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Day. He did not have a pass thrown his way the entire game (and obviously had no catches) and was left on the sideline most of the second half, even in two-receiver sets, as the Cardinals elected to go with rookie Andre Roberts.

Since then, he has made a little noise on Twitter, giving the impression he is unhappy with things. This is something to cause concern among fans because Breaston is in the last year of his contract with the Cardinals and his status after this year is uncertain. Thus far, the Cardinals have not made a move to re-sign him beyond this year.

Take a look at some of his Twitter comments after the jump.

After the game he tweeted:

No burn...guess I get on this need for speed hot pursuit, Yikes!

25 Dec via Twitter for iPhone

This obviously was a reference to his lack of playing. No biggie, right?

After sending a tweet to teammate Jay Feely, telling him to go to bed, Feely told him he couldn't and asked what the wide receiver was doing. Breaston's respose?

@jayfeelyI'm celebrating your victory lol

26 Dec via Twitter for iPhone

Wait, the last I checked, Breaston was still a member of the Cardinals. Shouldn't he be saying "our victory?" It would seem that his lack of playing took him out of the team's picture. It could also simply be a reference to the fact that Feely was the guy who won it for the Cardinals.

Early on the 26th, he the tweeted this:

Goodmorning...all they got to do is give Stevie a chance and I'm going to do my dance :-)

26 Dec via Twitter for iPhone

This could be something innocent again. He is a poet, after all. Rhyming is what he does. It also looks like he wants more in football. His dance would come after scoring touchdowns.

Later on, he tweeted that he was going to go shoot some hoops. Kurt Warner wanted to join him. Here's what he responded:

"@kurt13warner: @SBreaston15I'm in, where you playing? And don't say UofP stadium, lol!"-> don't know about that 1 n e more..what's good?

16 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

His response to playing at the stadium was odd. I'm not interpreting body language or appearances, but rather words. This could be "I don't want to be at the stadium again. Don't like the place." It could also be, "Play at the stadium? Ha! Looks like I don't play there anymore."

Perhaps there is too much reading into this, but combined with other tweets, you can tell he is unhappy.

The most telling tweet is this:

W.W.Q.D

1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone

What would 'Q' do? If you recall, 'Q' is Anquan Boldin, the very good, but very unhappy Arizona wide receiver. With the exception of one time, when there was a mix up in communication about being left inactive when he had an injury and his status for the game was uncertain, he never complained about playing time. It was always about his contract situation.

Breaston is having a contract situation. He under contract only until the end of this year and obviously would like to have a new contract. He has also earned a new deal. He is a good enough receiver to be the number one guy on many teams. He makes a difference on this team.

When Boldin was here and missed games, he was missed, but the team did well in his absence. Before this bad year for the Cardinals, when Breaston has missed time, it was different. The offense did not run as well. This year, the offense has just been bad and the quarterback play has been abysmal, so his impact is not as noticeable.

But it is clear that for one thing or another, Breaston is not happy. It is completely understandable. He wants to stay here and does not have that security yet. Competitively, he wants to play. I see nothing wrong with that. I do question the Cardinals' use of him, though.

Ken Whisenhunt said that the decrease in playing time was the result of wanting to spell Breaston, and he noted knee soreness. I personally do not buy this. Breaston was not on the injury report and he was obviously upset with not playing. An injured player might want to play, but will understand when he sits because it is his health.

Perhaps Breaston did something or did not do something to get into Whiz' doghouse. I doubt that. Perhaps it was a way to reward Andre Roberts or to just give him more of a look during the game. I would understand that. But hiding behind some phantom soreness seems fishy.

One thing does keep me a bit more optimistic -- his tweet responding to a fan who responded to his WWQD question:

"@thor740: @SBreaston15 ..play his ass off till the end!"--> exactly

2 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

So with one game left in the season, expect Breaston's effort to be unchanged. He will play his butt off until the end.

Hopefully, the end will not be after this Sunday. Breaston should be here for years to come.

Fantasy Football Projections Week 14: Wide Receivers

Dave Halprin — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:53:57 -0000

Who is looking good at wide receiver for Week 14? We project five good ones.

Greg Jennings (@ DET) - Jennings has been smoking-hot over the last few weeks, and the Packers don't run the ball well at all. Throw in a Detroit secondary that is not very good, and you have a pass-happy Packers team. Jennings gets plenty of opportunities and converts.
Projection: 125 yds, 2 TD

Reggie Wayne (@ TEN) - Wayne is almost the last guy standing in the Colts offense. Still, he continues to get it done, partly because Peyton Manning will target him so often. Manning needs to break out of his turnover blues, and he will, and Wayne will see the benefit.
Projection: 116 yds, 2 TD

Roddy White (@ CAR) - White's been in a touchdown funk over the last three games. The usually consistent receiver hasn't scratched paydirt in that time, but this week it changes. He'll find the endzone twice on Carolina.
Projection: 101 yds, 2 TD

Anquan Boldin (vs. HOU) - Anytime we see the Texans secondary, we think fantasy points for quarterbacks and receivers. This week it's Anquan Boldin's turn.
Projection: 75 yds, 2 TD

Jeremy Maclin (vs. DAL) - Usually we go with DeSean Jackson when we choose a Philadelphia receiver, but as of late Jeremy Maclin has had the better run. The Cowboys are going to allow some touchdowns, we think Maclin gets one.
Projection: 102 yds, 1 TD

Beanie Wells Wants More Carries, Understandably So

Jess Root — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:00:58 -0000

For the second time this season, Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells has spoken to the media about his frustration with his involvement in the offense and the offensive playcalling of Coach Ken Whisenhunt in general. He did it once before the game against the New Orleans Saints and again this week before the Cardinals' Monday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Take a look at some of what he said in his radio interview on Monday:

"If I got [carries] on a consistent basis then the sky is the limit. I can be one of the elite backs in this league. I just want the football and I'm sure Tim [Hightower] does too. We want to run it collectively as a football team."

And this:

"The one thing that gets me and Tim and the other running backs in the room, you got guys around the league running the ball 30 and 35 times a game and you got us, it makes us look like we're uncapable running backs because we don't run the ball and we don't get the ball."

Beanie has a valid beef. With the retirement of Kurt Warner, the trade of Anquan Boldin, and the Pittsburgh Steeler background of Ken Whisenhunt, everyone believed that there would be a transformation from the passing attack that the Cardinals had employed in recent history to a ball control, run heavy offense.

It hasn't been that. The Cardinals have attempted less rushes than anyone in the NFL. They average just under 20 rushing attempts per game. They have 31 less rushing attempts than the next lowest team, the Dallas Cowboys (who have been criticized for their pass-happy approach). And it isn't like the passing attack has been so effective that it is the best option. The team ranks 28^th in the league in passing yards per game (191.8).

Now, there are other factors to consider. The Cardinals have been playing from behind for much of the season, so that limits the amount of running a team will do. Wells has had knee issues. Hightower has fumbled at inopportune times. According to the coaching staff, Beanie still needs to improve at pass protection and picking up the blitz.

But fans across the state know that Whisenhunt is quick to abandon the run, and inexplicably calls passing plays on 2^nd or 3^rd down and a one or two. As a team, they average over four yards a carry.

Hightower has not had more than 13 carries in a game. Wells, on the other hand, has had as many as 20 an as little as one. It is obvious that there has been no commitment to the run.

It has been painfully clear that relying on Derek Anderson and the passing game has not been the successful way to go. Unless DA has some compromising photos of his coach somewhere, it would seem logical to try something else.

But then again, maybe Whisenhunt is not the coach he led us to believe. Maybe Bill Cowher reined him in with his philosophy or maybe Whisenhunt fell in love with the way things went while Warner was here.

Whatever the reason, the current plan has not worked and he has two backs who want the ball. It would make sense to give it to them, at least to not leave any room for doubt that his plan is the best option. If it works, keep it up. If they are ineffective, well, then we all know that there is no hope.

In a league that chews up and spits out running backs, when you have two young ones who want the ball and have the potential to be a great pair of runners, you have to use them because they won't be good forever.

Give Beanie the ball!

Listen to the full interview here.

Poll

What do you think of Beanie's comments about wanting the ball more?

He's right. Give him the ball and pound it with the run!

58 votes

Whatever. It wouldn't matter anyway if they run the ball more. They would still stink.

1 votes

Beanie's gotta earn it. Show production with fewer carries and then you'll get more.

12 votes

71 votes | Poll has closed

ESPN And Yahoo Fantasy Football Projections for NFL Week 6 Really Like Anquan Boldin

John Taylor — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 15:19:20 -0000

At this point in the NFL season, you probably don't need to check fantasy football projections to figure out if you should start Chris Johnson, Frank Gore or Peyton Manning. (But just in case, YES, you should get Chris Johnson in your linenup, since the Titans are facing the Jaguars).

But there are a few other names that jump out at you from the ESPN and Yahoo! fantasy football projections that are worth looking at -- and making sure you have in your team's lineup come Sunday.

First up: Baltimore receiver Anquan Boldin, whose Ravens will be playing at New England. Yahoo! likes the matchup for Boldin, reminding us that the Patriots have a young secondary that's given up the "ninth-most fantasy points per game to WRs in their last four games." Worth noting. ESPN crunches the numbers, prediction Boldin will catch seven passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.

Another wideout jumping off the screen: Brandon Lloyd of the Denver Broncos, who will be playing host to the New York Jets. Yahoo! rates the mercurial wideout as one of the 10 best this weekend, noting the absence of Darrelle Revis. ESPN, meanwhile, ranks Lloyd behind only Reggie Wayne this weekend, predicting he'll grab six passes for 128 yards and a touchdown -- a nice little Sunday, for sure.

It's a bye week, so you might be looking for a defense; why not take a flier on the Pittsburgh Steelers unit? If they're available, jump on them; Pittsburgh is facing first-time starter Colt McCoy as the Cleveland Browns come to Heinz Field. The only other unit that charts that high, according to Yahoo!, is that of the New York Giants, who'll be facing the Lions with Shaun Hill at quarterback.