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December 21, 2011
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The perfect season continues after a brief scare from the home team. Houston (6-0) overcame a halftime deficit to down the Baltimore Ravens (3-2) by a final score of 35-10. Trailing 10-7 at the half, a combined effort by both the offense and the defense in the third and fourth quarters were enough to seal the victory. Another solid effort was put up by the defense on the road in Baltimore. They intercepted Ravens QB Joe Flacco twice, one leading to the final touchdown scored in the waning seconds of the game. The pass rush was too much for Flacco to handle as he was sacked 8 times by the linemen and linebackers. Ray Rice was held in check by the defense with only 46-yards rushing on the afternoon. In a strategic move that has been rare for the Texans this year, the offense relied on Matt Stafford to get the job done in the second half. Even though he ran for 3 touchdowns, Arian Foster was held to only 40 yards rushing. Stafford was able to throw for 243 yards and a touchdown to keep the offense on the field. His 79-yard pass to WR Dorin Dickerson put the game out of reach at 21-10. Houston faced two injury scares during the win. Rookie standout Patrick Peterson broke his ribs in the second quarter and was forced to sit for the remainder of the game. WR Jacoby Jones also was hurt on a pass across the middle. Both are expected to play next week. The Texans stay on the road in Week 7 for a divisional clash against Chris Johnson and the 3-2 Tennessee Titans. The Titans are third in the division and are looking to make up ground on the undefeated Texans.

The perfect season continues after a brief scare from the home team. Houston (6-0) overcame a halftime deficit to down the Baltimore Ravens (3-2) by a final score of 35-10. Trailing 10-7 at the half, a combined effort by both the offense and the defense in the third and fourth quarters were enough to seal the victory.

Another solid effort was put up by the defense on the road in Baltimore. They intercepted Ravens QB Joe Flacco twice, one leading to the final touchdown scored in the waning seconds of the game. The pass rush was too much for Flacco to handle as he was sacked 8 times by the linemen and linebackers. Ray Rice was held in check by the defense with only 46-yards rushing on the afternoon.

In a strategic move that has been rare for the Texans this year, the offense relied on Matt Stafford to get the job done in the second half. Even though he ran for 3 touchdowns, Arian Foster was held to only 40 yards rushing. Stafford was able to throw for 243 yards and a touchdown to keep the offense on the field. His 79-yard pass to WR Dorin Dickerson put the game out of reach at 21-10.

Houston faced two injury scares during the win. Rookie standout Patrick Peterson broke his ribs in the second quarter and was forced to sit for the remainder of the game. WR Jacoby Jones also was hurt on a pass across the middle. Both are expected to play next week.

The Texans stay on the road in Week 7 for a divisional clash against Chris Johnson and the 3-2 Tennessee Titans. The Titans are third in the division and are looking to make up ground on the undefeated Texans.

Tags: PS3 BDot10 Madden NFL 12 dynasty Texans Flacco Stafford Dickerson

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December 18, 2011
1 note
The Houston Texans (5-0) once again defended their home field as they shut out the Oakland Raiders (2-3) 21-0. The defense stole the show in this game, holding Raiders QB Jason Campbell to just 21 yards passing and RB Darren McFadden to 54 yards rushing. The young linebackers for the Texans made a combined 15 tackles, 7 of those for negative yards. Safety Daniel Manning had himself a great game in the secondary, forcing a fumble and intercepting Campbell. The Texans offense was good enough to get the job done. The defense constantly set up the team with a short field to work with, which contributed to the lower offensive numbers usually put up by this high-powered attack. Stafford threw for 214 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He was helped out on the ground by Arian Foster, who chipped in 58 yards and a touchdown. Fullback Lawrence Fisher added his first touchdown of the year on a short 1-yard plunge. Next week, Houston travels to Baltimore in Week 6 to take on the Ravens in a battle for playoff position. It is also the last week before the trade deadline, so we’ll see if the new GM makes any moves before the week is over.

The Houston Texans (5-0) once again defended their home field as they shut out the Oakland Raiders (2-3) 21-0. The defense stole the show in this game, holding Raiders QB Jason Campbell to just 21 yards passing and RB Darren McFadden to 54 yards rushing. The young linebackers for the Texans made a combined 15 tackles, 7 of those for negative yards. Safety Daniel Manning had himself a great game in the secondary, forcing a fumble and intercepting Campbell.

The Texans offense was good enough to get the job done. The defense constantly set up the team with a short field to work with, which contributed to the lower offensive numbers usually put up by this high-powered attack. Stafford threw for 214 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He was helped out on the ground by Arian Foster, who chipped in 58 yards and a touchdown. Fullback Lawrence Fisher added his first touchdown of the year on a short 1-yard plunge.

Next week, Houston travels to Baltimore in Week 6 to take on the Ravens in a battle for playoff position. It is also the last week before the trade deadline, so we’ll see if the new GM makes any moves before the week is over.

Tags: PS3 BDot10 Madden NFL 12 dynasty Texans Week 6 Manning Stafford Foster

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December 07, 2011
5 notes

Dynasty Updates

For those of you who enjoyed reading my dynasty posts for both the Texans and the Coyotes/Tigers, I’ll be doing more of those games shortly. I’ve just been working on experience profiles for my post-graduate education next year. I have one saved up against the Raiders that should be posted rather quickly compared to the NHL one.

Tags: BDot10 PS3 dynasty Texans Coyotes Tigers

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November 27, 2011
In an attempt to prove that last week’s domination on the road in New Orleans was no fluke, the Houston Texans welcomed the Pittsburgh Steelers into Reliant Stadium. The hosts were rude to their guest as the Texans (4-0) decimated the Steelers (2-2) with a big 45-7 win. The Texans were powered by big games from seemingly everyone in their offense as they took turns scoring touchdowns against an aging Steeler secondary. Matt Stafford led the way for the Texans throwing for 280 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. He had a season high passer rating of 149.3, connecting with 5 different Texans receivers during the game. The dynamic duo of A.J. Green and Andre Johnson combined for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns. Green also achieved his first 100 yard receiving game as a pro, finishing with 110 yards on 8 touches. When the ball needed to be moved on the ground, Arian Foster was up to the task. After putting a fumble in the first quarter behind him, Foster finished the game with 111 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. He sat for the final drive of the game. He also contributed in the passing attack as he caught 2 balls for first downs to sustain some key Texans drives. The Steelers offense did not show up in Houston. Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger finished with 156 yards, with 85 coming on a play where WR Mike Wallace slipped behind the otherwise perfect Texan secondary. Big Ben’s 3 interceptions in the first half allowed Houston to build a 24-0 lead going into the break. He also fumbled twice. Houston welcomes Darren McFadden and the Oakland Raiders into Reliant Stadium as they try to continue their 4 game win streak. The Raiders (2-2) are coming off a 23-9 home win against the New England Patriots. 

In an attempt to prove that last week’s domination on the road in New Orleans was no fluke, the Houston Texans welcomed the Pittsburgh Steelers into Reliant Stadium. The hosts were rude to their guest as the Texans (4-0) decimated the Steelers (2-2) with a big 45-7 win. The Texans were powered by big games from seemingly everyone in their offense as they took turns scoring touchdowns against an aging Steeler secondary.

Matt Stafford led the way for the Texans throwing for 280 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. He had a season high passer rating of 149.3, connecting with 5 different Texans receivers during the game. The dynamic duo of A.J. Green and Andre Johnson combined for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns. Green also achieved his first 100 yard receiving game as a pro, finishing with 110 yards on 8 touches.

When the ball needed to be moved on the ground, Arian Foster was up to the task. After putting a fumble in the first quarter behind him, Foster finished the game with 111 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. He sat for the final drive of the game. He also contributed in the passing attack as he caught 2 balls for first downs to sustain some key Texans drives.

The Steelers offense did not show up in Houston. Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger finished with 156 yards, with 85 coming on a play where WR Mike Wallace slipped behind the otherwise perfect Texan secondary. Big Ben’s 3 interceptions in the first half allowed Houston to build a 24-0 lead going into the break. He also fumbled twice.

Houston welcomes Darren McFadden and the Oakland Raiders into Reliant Stadium as they try to continue their 4 game win streak. The Raiders (2-2) are coming off a 23-9 home win against the New England Patriots. 

Tags: PS3 BDot10 Madden NFL 12 dynasty Texans Week 4 Stafford Johnson Green

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November 25, 2011
Matt Stafford had his best game as a member of the Houston Texans (3-0), leading his team to a 42-10 trouncing of the New Orleans Saints (1-2) in which they never trailed.  Connecting on 18 of 29 pass attempts, Stafford threw for 329 yards and 3 touchdowns. The primary beneficiary of Stafford’s offensive output was All-Pro WR Andre Johnson, who caught 7 balls for 165, was responsible for all of Stafford’s scores, and named NFL Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. The offense looked alive for the first time this season in the opening quarter, using a spark from DE Antonio Smith. On the opening drive, Smith returned a Mark Ingram fumble to open the scoring, and the Texans never looked back. Arian Foster scored one of his two touchdowns in the opening frame, punching the ball in from 2 yards out. Stafford found Johnson streaking down the sideline on a 80 yard play-action pass with 9 seconds left in the first quarter to jump out to a 21-0 lead just 15 minutes into the game. Foster, who finished with 140 yards on 11 carries, also broke a 70 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that all but put the game out of reach for the Texans. A.J. Green made a couple of drive-sustaining catches, and finished with 3 receptions for 37 yards. The Texans defense was able to keep Drew Brees and the highly touted Saints offense in check for most of the afternoon. Brees finished with 208 yards and 2 interceptions. Mark Ingram was responsible for the Saints lone touchdown of the afternoon, but was held to a total of 25 yards rushing. Houston will return to the friendly confines of Reliant Stadium in Week 4 to do battle against the AFC North heavyweight Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1), who are coming off a 31-27 win on the road in Indianapolis.

Matt Stafford had his best game as a member of the Houston Texans (3-0), leading his team to a 42-10 trouncing of the New Orleans Saints (1-2) in which they never trailed.  Connecting on 18 of 29 pass attempts, Stafford threw for 329 yards and 3 touchdowns. The primary beneficiary of Stafford’s offensive output was All-Pro WR Andre Johnson, who caught 7 balls for 165, was responsible for all of Stafford’s scores, and named NFL Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

The offense looked alive for the first time this season in the opening quarter, using a spark from DE Antonio Smith. On the opening drive, Smith returned a Mark Ingram fumble to open the scoring, and the Texans never looked back. Arian Foster scored one of his two touchdowns in the opening frame, punching the ball in from 2 yards out. Stafford found Johnson streaking down the sideline on a 80 yard play-action pass with 9 seconds left in the first quarter to jump out to a 21-0 lead just 15 minutes into the game.

Foster, who finished with 140 yards on 11 carries, also broke a 70 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that all but put the game out of reach for the Texans. A.J. Green made a couple of drive-sustaining catches, and finished with 3 receptions for 37 yards.

The Texans defense was able to keep Drew Brees and the highly touted Saints offense in check for most of the afternoon. Brees finished with 208 yards and 2 interceptions. Mark Ingram was responsible for the Saints lone touchdown of the afternoon, but was held to a total of 25 yards rushing.

Houston will return to the friendly confines of Reliant Stadium in Week 4 to do battle against the AFC North heavyweight Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1), who are coming off a 31-27 win on the road in Indianapolis.

Tags: PS3 BDot10 Madden NFL 12 dynasty Houston Texans Week 3 Stafford Johnson Foster

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November 23, 2011
The fourth quarter was all the Houston Texans needed to beat the Miami Dolphins. Houston outscored Miami 17-6 in the final quarter, escaping Sun Life Stadium with a 24-16 win. With 2 interceptions already thrown in the game, Matt Stafford needed to make a play to keep his team in the game. He did just that. Stafford connected with Week 1 standout Jacoby Jones on a 4th & 2 play for a 59 yard touchdown pass – his only catch of the game. The Texans QB, who finished the day on the sideline after taking a vicious hit on the play from former B.C. Lions defensive end Cameron Wake, completed 14 of 23 passes for 195 yards, with 1 TD – his first as a Texan – and 2 Interceptions. To keep the struggling offense in the game, the defense was able to keep back-up quarterback Matt Moore mostly in check, completing only 37% of his passes for 118 yards. Moore threw 2 touchdown passes in the loss and was intercepted 3 times. Glover Quin Jr. had two of those picks and rookie Patrick Peterson had the other, who promptly returned it for a 20-yard touchdown giving him his second touchdown in as many games. Peterson was also named NFL Defensive Player of the Week as he made a tackle late on Reggie Bush that saved a touchdown. Veteran kicker Neil Rackers put the game out of reach late in the 4th Quarter, hitting a 52 yard field goal with one minute left in the game.  45 of Arian Foster’s 82 rushing yards helped wind down the clock on the FG drive.  Foster also had the other Texan touchdown in the first quarter. The Texans (2-0) stay on the road in Week 3, heading into the rambunctious Superdome to take on the New Orleans Saints (1-1) in their first match-up against the NFC this season.

The fourth quarter was all the Houston Texans needed to beat the Miami Dolphins. Houston outscored Miami 17-6 in the final quarter, escaping Sun Life Stadium with a 24-16 win. With 2 interceptions already thrown in the game, Matt Stafford needed to make a play to keep his team in the game. He did just that.

Stafford connected with Week 1 standout Jacoby Jones on a 4th & 2 play for a 59 yard touchdown pass – his only catch of the game. The Texans QB, who finished the day on the sideline after taking a vicious hit on the play from former B.C. Lions defensive end Cameron Wake, completed 14 of 23 passes for 195 yards, with 1 TD – his first as a Texan – and 2 Interceptions.

To keep the struggling offense in the game, the defense was able to keep back-up quarterback Matt Moore mostly in check, completing only 37% of his passes for 118 yards. Moore threw 2 touchdown passes in the loss and was intercepted 3 times. Glover Quin Jr. had two of those picks and rookie Patrick Peterson had the other, who promptly returned it for a 20-yard touchdown giving him his second touchdown in as many games. Peterson was also named NFL Defensive Player of the Week as he made a tackle late on Reggie Bush that saved a touchdown.

Veteran kicker Neil Rackers put the game out of reach late in the 4th Quarter, hitting a 52 yard field goal with one minute left in the game.  45 of Arian Foster’s 82 rushing yards helped wind down the clock on the FG drive.  Foster also had the other Texan touchdown in the first quarter.

The Texans (2-0) stay on the road in Week 3, heading into the rambunctious Superdome to take on the New Orleans Saints (1-1) in their first match-up against the NFC this season.

Tags: PS3 BDot10 Madden NFL 12 dynasty Houston Texans Week 2 Stafford Jones Peterson

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November 22, 2011
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The month of November was the tale of two halves. The early portion of the month featured a 3 game losing streak and various injuries to key players. However, by the end of the month, Hamilton found their winning ways, eventually producing a 4 game win streak at the tail end of their Eastern Conference road trip. Hamilton’s record on the season is 13-8-2 after two months, totalling 28 points and 8th in the Western Conference. However, they are only 3 points behind division leading San Jose and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. The injury bug hit the Tigers hard this month. D Kris Russell missed a couple of weeks in the middle of November. Once he returned, his defensive partner Oliver Ekman-Larsson suffered an MCL sprain and is out until early December. Another major loss is C Kyle Turris who continues to suffer from post-concussion syndrome. While he is expected to be back by mid-December, concussions are a hard injury to accurately gauge. Here are the current player stat leaders for the Hamilton Tigers: Chris Stewart in goals (12) and points (21), Keith Yandle in assists (13), Rostislav Klesla in +/- (10). Jason Labarbera saw more action in November, with both of his starts resulting in Tigers losses. Rask now has all 13 wins for Hamilton on the season with a 2.11 GAA with 4 shutouts. His save percentage is also increasing, and is now hovering around .913%. December has the Tigers playing on consecutive nights four times. This means the team will have to rely more on Labarbera’s play this month to keep them in the playoff race. As shown in the off-season, new GM Brett Smith isn’t afraid of making a roster shake-up. Expect to see another move if the team falls into another slump.

The month of November was the tale of two halves. The early portion of the month featured a 3 game losing streak and various injuries to key players. However, by the end of the month, Hamilton found their winning ways, eventually producing a 4 game win streak at the tail end of their Eastern Conference road trip. Hamilton’s record on the season is 13-8-2 after two months, totalling 28 points and 8th in the Western Conference. However, they are only 3 points behind division leading San Jose and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games.

The injury bug hit the Tigers hard this month. D Kris Russell missed a couple of weeks in the middle of November. Once he returned, his defensive partner Oliver Ekman-Larsson suffered an MCL sprain and is out until early December. Another major loss is C Kyle Turris who continues to suffer from post-concussion syndrome. While he is expected to be back by mid-December, concussions are a hard injury to accurately gauge.

Here are the current player stat leaders for the Hamilton Tigers: Chris Stewart in goals (12) and points (21), Keith Yandle in assists (13), Rostislav Klesla in +/- (10).

Jason Labarbera saw more action in November, with both of his starts resulting in Tigers losses. Rask now has all 13 wins for Hamilton on the season with a 2.11 GAA with 4 shutouts. His save percentage is also increasing, and is now hovering around .913%.

December has the Tigers playing on consecutive nights four times. This means the team will have to rely more on Labarbera’s play this month to keep them in the playoff race. As shown in the off-season, new GM Brett Smith isn’t afraid of making a roster shake-up. Expect to see another move if the team falls into another slump.

Tags: PS3 BDot10 NHL 12 dynasty Tigers November Russell Turris Stewart

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November 21, 2011
Patrick Peterson didn’t take long to make an impact for his new team in Houston. Trailing 17-14, Peterson took the opening kick-off of the second half 99-yards for the touchdown. This sparked the Texans, who looked sluggish in the first half, to a 31-24 win over the rival Indianapolis Colts in the season opener at Reliant Stadium. The offense, which was moved the ball inconsistently over the first half, was bailed out by HB Arian Foster, who was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this 148-yard, 3 touchdown game - the most spectacular one coming on an 80-yard run that put the Texans ahead for good. He also capitalized on a Colts special teams fumble, punching in a 1-yard touchdown as time expired to end the first half. Not so great in his debut was Matt Stafford, finishing 10/17 for 155 yds and an interception. Stafford never found his groove, as he missed on a couple open receivers. Jacoby Jones received the bulk of the attention, catching 5 balls for 91 yds. The Texans were unable to get much pressure on Colts QB Peyton Manning, as he completed 80% of his passes. He finished the day 16/20 for 240 yds and 2 TDs. TE Dallas Clark lit up the Texans secondary for 137 yds and a touchdown. Manning stayed on his feet for the majority of the game, as his offensive line only game up 2 sacks of the 13-year pro out of Tennessee. Houston travels to Miami in Week 2 for a late afternoon tilt against the Dolphins, who are 0-1 following a 27-3 loss to the Patriots on the Monday Night Doubleheader. The Dolphins should be without starting pivot Chad Henne, who is doubtful for the game with a broken jaw.

Patrick Peterson didn’t take long to make an impact for his new team in Houston. Trailing 17-14, Peterson took the opening kick-off of the second half 99-yards for the touchdown. This sparked the Texans, who looked sluggish in the first half, to a 31-24 win over the rival Indianapolis Colts in the season opener at Reliant Stadium.

The offense, which was moved the ball inconsistently over the first half, was bailed out by HB Arian Foster, who was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this 148-yard, 3 touchdown game - the most spectacular one coming on an 80-yard run that put the Texans ahead for good. He also capitalized on a Colts special teams fumble, punching in a 1-yard touchdown as time expired to end the first half.

Not so great in his debut was Matt Stafford, finishing 10/17 for 155 yds and an interception. Stafford never found his groove, as he missed on a couple open receivers. Jacoby Jones received the bulk of the attention, catching 5 balls for 91 yds.

The Texans were unable to get much pressure on Colts QB Peyton Manning, as he completed 80% of his passes. He finished the day 16/20 for 240 yds and 2 TDs. TE Dallas Clark lit up the Texans secondary for 137 yds and a touchdown. Manning stayed on his feet for the majority of the game, as his offensive line only game up 2 sacks of the 13-year pro out of Tennessee.

Houston travels to Miami in Week 2 for a late afternoon tilt against the Dolphins, who are 0-1 following a 27-3 loss to the Patriots on the Monday Night Doubleheader. The Dolphins should be without starting pivot Chad Henne, who is doubtful for the game with a broken jaw.

Tags: PS3 BDot10 Madden NFL 12 dynasty Texans Week 1 Peterson Foster Stafford Manning Clark

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November 20, 2011
2 notes

October

The Tigers started their existence on the road and the Sharks didn’t know what hit them. In San Jose’s home opener, the Tigers were led by Chris Stewart’s 4 goal night in a 7-3 victory over their division rivals. Hamilton finished 2-1 on the opening road trip, splitting games against Dallas and Nashville.

The home opener in Hamilton was an emotional affair from the drop of the puck. The Tigers won a very physical game over the newly formed Winnipeg Jets 3-0 with Rask’s first shutout of the season. The rest of the first home stand for the franchise did not end as well. Hamilton dropped the next two games against Chicago and Los Angeles, which started a 4 game losing streak. The Tigers found their winning ways again at home against New Jersey then throttled rival L.A. 7-0 in their last game of October.

Through the first 10 games of the season, Hamilton finished 5-4-1 and currently sits in a 3-way tie for 7th place in the Western Conference with L.A. and St. Louis. F Chris Stewart leads the club in goals (7) and points (10). D Keith Yandle leads the team with 7 assists and a +6 rating. Rask has been inconsistent to start the season. Although he has a 2.47 GAA and 2 shutouts, his save percentage is sub-.900.

Hamilton starts November on the road for a game followed by a 3-game home stand. They then hit the road for 5 games, including 4 against Eastern Conference opponents including heavyweights Philadelphia and Washington.

Tags: PS3 BDot10 NHL 12 dynasty Coyotes Tigers October Stewart Yandle Rask

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November 19, 2011
Following finishing 2-2 in the 2011 pre-season, the Houston Texans decided in order to improve in the competitive AFC South, they needed to get younger. Part of this was trading for a young franchise quarterback to lead the team for the next decade. Enter Matt Stafford. Stafford, along with Detroit’s first and third round picks in the 2012 draft, were acquired for Texans QB Schaub. The new Texans QB is 8 years younger and formed a connection with All-Pro Calvin Johnson in Detroit and is hoping to replicate that success with Houston’s own All-Pro threat, Andre Johnson. In order to smooth the transition for Stafford, Houston also acquired former Georgia Bulldog A.J. Green, a receiver drafted 4th overall by the Bengals this past draft, for Detroit’s 1st-round pick and WR Kevin Walter. Back in their lone season together at the University of Georgia in 2008, the Stafford/Green connection led to 963 yards and 8 touchdowns. The Texans weren’t done there, adding some help in the secondary by acquiring 5th overall pick Patrick Peterson from the Cardinals for Houston’s 1st-round pick and CB Jason Allen. He will start alongside standout CB Jonathan Joseph, as well as handling punt and kick return duties. In a depth move to shore up the defense, Houston signed OLB Julian Peterson and DT Pat Williams to one-year contracts. The Texans open their season at home against division rivals Indianapolis.

Following finishing 2-2 in the 2011 pre-season, the Houston Texans decided in order to improve in the competitive AFC South, they needed to get younger. Part of this was trading for a young franchise quarterback to lead the team for the next decade. Enter Matt Stafford.

Stafford, along with Detroit’s first and third round picks in the 2012 draft, were acquired for Texans QB Schaub. The new Texans QB is 8 years younger and formed a connection with All-Pro Calvin Johnson in Detroit and is hoping to replicate that success with Houston’s own All-Pro threat, Andre Johnson.

In order to smooth the transition for Stafford, Houston also acquired former Georgia Bulldog A.J. Green, a receiver drafted 4th overall by the Bengals this past draft, for Detroit’s 1st-round pick and WR Kevin Walter. Back in their lone season together at the University of Georgia in 2008, the Stafford/Green connection led to 963 yards and 8 touchdowns.

The Texans weren’t done there, adding some help in the secondary by acquiring 5th overall pick Patrick Peterson from the Cardinals for Houston’s 1st-round pick and CB Jason Allen. He will start alongside standout CB Jonathan Joseph, as well as handling punt and kick return duties.

In a depth move to shore up the defense, Houston signed OLB Julian Peterson and DT Pat Williams to one-year contracts. The Texans open their season at home against division rivals Indianapolis.

Tags: PS3 BDot10 Madden NFL 12 Dynasty Houston Texans off-season Stafford Green Peterson Williams

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November 18, 2011

The Dawning of a New Dynasty

Hockey in Southern Ontario recently received a shot in the arm. After years of declining ticket sales and ownership turmoil, the Phoenix Coyotes found new ownership this summer. The new ownership group sought to purchase the financially unstable franchise under one condition: a move out of Glendale. In a surprising vote, the Board of Governors approve the sale of the Coyotes under this condition – something Jim Balsillie was unable to secure from the league with a proposed deal to buy the Nashville Predators.

Hamilton, previously having a National Hockey League team in the early 1920s, welcomed the former Coyotes with open-arms in a newly renovated Copps Coliseum. To pay homage to the local hockey tradition, Hamilton decided to name their franchise the Tigers. The early Tigers existed from 1920-1925 when a player strike resulted in the dissolution of the franchise. While not always successful, the team finished first in the league in 1924-25, which was also their final season.

The new ownership group brought in a new General Manager to guide the team in Hamilton, with an early emphasis on getting established young players at the expense of veterans and multiple draft picks. He appears to be finished moving pieces as the pre-season begins Friday, but let’s take a look at the moves he made:

  • Trading G Mike Smith, LW Patrick O’Sullivan, and a 2012 1st Round Pick to Boston for G Tuukka Rask and RW Jordan Caron
  • Trading D Michal Rozsival, C Martin Hanzal, RW Radim Vrbata and 4 Picks to Columbus for D Kris Russell, C Jeff Carter, and C Ryan Johansen
  • Trading LW Ray Whitney, LW Raffi Torres, and 2 Picks to Minnesota for RW Cal Clutterbuck and D Jared Spurgeon
  • Trading LW Taylor Pyatt, D Derek Morris and 3 Picks to St. Louis for RW Chris Stewart and RW Ryan Reaves

There have also been a number for rumours of adding minor-league talent to fill out the depth of the organization in Portland. There have been no announcements of line combinations as the coaching staff said nothing would be finalized until opening night. The new franchise will continue to play out of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and open the season October 8, 2011 against division rival San Jose.

Tags: PS3 BDot10 NHL 12 dynasty Coyotes Tigers Off-season Rask Carter Clutterbuck

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November 18, 2011

NHL 12 Update

With the posts received, I am moving the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton. Stay tuned to my blog for further updates, including trades, injuries and stats.

Tags: PS3 BDot10 NHL 12 dynasty Phoenix Coyotes Hamilton

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November 17, 2011
Only 24 hours left to vote on my NHL 12 Dynasty team! So far, the winner is relocating the Coyotes or Islanders to Hamilton and working from there. Any other opinions? Which team should I choose?

Only 24 hours left to vote on my NHL 12 Dynasty team! So far, the winner is relocating the Coyotes or Islanders to Hamilton and working from there. Any other opinions? Which team should I choose?

Tags: PS3 BDot10 NHL 12 Dynasty team selection Coyotes Islanders

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November 16, 2011
5 notes
A couple of years ago on this blog, I did a dynasty/franchise/whatever you want to call it with the Los Angeles Kings. I’d chronicle the season month by month, including statistics, line changes, injuries, and other transactions. Seeing as I am taking a year off school, I have some extra time for those things again this year. A couple of people told me they enjoyed reading them, so I’m going to start those up again. However, this year will be different. I’ll be doing a NFL dynasty along with an NHL one. For the NFL, I’ve already selected the Houston Texans, a team that has never made they playoffs in their existence. They have a solid division in terms of video game players, so I think it would be fun. Also, I’m already using the Bills and 49ers in my online franchises. Ergo, my teams are already off the table. The problem I have is the NHL side. I don’t know which team to be. I haven’t done a GM Mode in NHL 12, so part of me wants to be my team, the Leafs. I just don’t always have the heart to make the necessary trades to make them better. This is where you guys come in. I’ll be taking suggestions for which NHL team to be. Since there is a planned PSN outage tomorrow, I’ll be starting this thing on the morning of Friday November 18, 2011. So, what team should I be?

A couple of years ago on this blog, I did a dynasty/franchise/whatever you want to call it with the Los Angeles Kings. I’d chronicle the season month by month, including statistics, line changes, injuries, and other transactions. Seeing as I am taking a year off school, I have some extra time for those things again this year. A couple of people told me they enjoyed reading them, so I’m going to start those up again.

However, this year will be different. I’ll be doing a NFL dynasty along with an NHL one. For the NFL, I’ve already selected the Houston Texans, a team that has never made they playoffs in their existence. They have a solid division in terms of video game players, so I think it would be fun. Also, I’m already using the Bills and 49ers in my online franchises. Ergo, my teams are already off the table.

The problem I have is the NHL side. I don’t know which team to be. I haven’t done a GM Mode in NHL 12, so part of me wants to be my team, the Leafs. I just don’t always have the heart to make the necessary trades to make them better.

This is where you guys come in. I’ll be taking suggestions for which NHL team to be. Since there is a planned PSN outage tomorrow, I’ll be starting this thing on the morning of Friday November 18, 2011. So, what team should I be?

Tags: NHL 12 Madden NFL 12 Maple Leafs Bills 49ers Texans dynasty 2011-2012 video games PSN PS3 BDot10