Andrew Kipp's Sports Blog

Steelers go out of Their Way to Ensure Loss to Inferior Chiefs

If I were to describe the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers in one sentence I would say this: A team with tremendous talent on both sides of the ball, that consistently shoots itself in the foot at the worst possible moments of games.  Sunday's loss to the 2-7 Kansas City Chiefs was a microcosm of the Steeler's season thus far.

The Steelers took a 17-7 lead going into the half thanks to Roethlisberger' TD passes to Hines Ward and Heath Miller.  The Chiefs only touchdown of the half came on a 97 yard kickoff return for a touchdown by RB Jamaal Charles.  It was the fourth kickoff return for a touchdown allowed by the Steelers this season. It proved to be the difference in the game, just as the Bengal's Bernard Scott's return against the Steelers was the difference two weeks ago.  I literally sat down at the sports bar down the street and watched Charles race into the endzone. It was a terrible start, and turned what could have otherwise been an easy victory, into a dogfight. 

The Steelers got the ball to start the second half and appeared to be marching for another touchdown before mr. reliable Heath Miller failed to haul in a pass from Roethlisberger.  The ball bounced off of Miller's hands and was intercepted by Chief's rookie defensive end Andy Studebacker at the Chief's 38 yard line. Kansas City took advantage of the momentum changing INT and promptly drove down the field on a drive capped off by a 21 yard touchdown pass from Matt Cassell to wide receiver Leonard Pope.

If Miller catches the pass the Steelers probably take the ball into the endzone putting the game out of reach at 24-7 midway through the 3rd quarter. Instead, the game sat at 17-14, and Kansas City had all of the momentum. 

The teams exchanged punts on their respective drives following the KC touchdown.  The Steelers got the ball back with 7:32 remaining in the 3rd quarter and went on a 79 yard drive that ate up almost 6 minutes.  But it was all for nought.  On first and 10 from the KC 10 yard line Roethlisberger was hit as he threw a pass intended for Hines Ward in the back of the endzone.  The pass was sent off target as Big Ben was hit and was intercepted by Andy Studebacker.  Studebacker returned his second interception of the day 94 yards to the Steeler's 8 yard line before Rashard Mendenhall took him to the ground. Mendenhall was the only Steeler who didn't give up on the play and showed tremendous speed running Studebacker down.

Once again, the Steelers had a chance to put the game out of reach at 24-14 going into the final quarter. But, like they have done so many times this season, they turned the ball over and lost all of the momentum.  Studebacker's INT was the definition of deflating, and was more than the Steelers could overcome.

Mendenhall's touchdown saving tackle forced the Chiefs to kick a game tieing field goal by Ryan Succop (pronounced "suck-up"). 

Three minutes into the fourth quarter Steeler's linebacker Lawrence Timmons sacked  and stripped Matt Cassell.  The Steelers capitalized on the turnover. Big Ben hit Rashard Mendenhall on an 8 yard touchdown strike putting the Steelers ahead 24-17.  It was now up to the Steelers defense to shutdown Matt Cassell and company, and seal the victory, but they couldn't.

Matt Cassell led the Chiefs on a 90 yard touchdown drive which ended in a 2 yard shovel pass to Jamal Charles putting the game at 24-24 with 2 minutes and change remaining.  The Steelers were forced to punt on their next drive and the Chiefs decided to take a knee with 22 seconds remaining sending the game into overtime. 

The Steelers won the coin toss and elected to receive.  Once again, with a chance to win the game, disaster struck on 2nd and 3 from the Chiefs 49 yard line.  Roethlisberger attempted to run for a first down and was kneed in the head by Chief's linebacker Derek Johnson.  The blow gave Roethlisberger a mild concussion and he was replaced by 95 year old 2nd string quarterback Charlie Batch.  Batch broke his wrist on his second pass attempt and the Steelers were forced to punt when Mewelde Moore failed to run for a first down on 3rd and 3 from the Chief's 35 yard line.  Moore lost 3 yards on the play pushing the Steelers out of field goal range.

On the Chiefs next possession Cassell hit Chris Chambers on a short pass which turned into a 61 yard gain.  It appeared that several Steelers including last year's defensive MVP James Harrison gave up on the play, when it appeared Chambers was going to run out of bounds.  Safety Ryan Clark didn't give up on the play, but wiffed on an attempted tackle, allowing Chambers to set up Suckup for a chip shot game winning field goal. Game over. Chiefs 27 Steelers 24.

GAME STATS

GAME HIGHLIGHTS  

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) lies on the ground after being sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Andy Studebaker (96) during overtime of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won the game 27-24. Roethlisberger was injured on the play. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel).

STEELER MISTAKES IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

-Roethlisberger INT in the endzone to Studebacker

-Mike Wallace fumble fighting for extra yards in Chief's territory

-Heath Miller drop which led to INT by Studebacker

-Jamal Charles 97 yard kickoff return for TD

-Mewelde Moore losing 3 yards on 3rd and 2 in OT

-Defense letting Chiefs drive 90 yards in 4th quarter for game-tieing TD

Not to mention Roethlisberger suffering a concussion on the potential game-winning drive in OT.

The Steelers now probably have to win out to have any shot of winning the AFC North or making the playoffs as a wildcard team.

AFC NORTH STANDINGS

TEAM	W	L	T	PF	PA
Cincinnati	7	3	0	215	167
Pittsburgh	6	4	0	231	184
Baltimore	5	5	0	237	171
Cleveland	1	9	0	115	263

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE

1. Colts (10-0)

2. Patriots (7-3)

3. Bengals (7-3)

4. Chargers (7-3)

5. Broncos (7-4)

6. Steelers (6-4)

A must win divisional game against the 5-5 Baltimore Ravens looms.  The Steelers head to Baltimore for a Sunday Night Football showdown with 3rd-year pro Dennis Dixon as their backup QB. Dixon has 1 career attempt in the NFL.  The Steelers signed ex-Pitt Panther QB Tyler Palko from the Canadian Football League to fill in at the 3rd QB spot.  They have left a roster spot open for Batch who suffered a broken wrist against the Chiefs. Batch is expected to miss at least 2-4 weeks following surgery. 

Not Those Same Old Bungles

I couldn't believe my eyes on Sunday afternoon. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Steelers 18-12 IN Pittsburgh, marking the first time since 1998 that the Bengals have swept the season series. Yes, these are the same Cincinnati Bengals that finished 4-11-1 last season. Yes, this is the same Pittsburgh Steeler team that won the Super Bowl last season. Sunday's result just goes to show how quickly things can change in the National Football League in just one season.

The win puts Cincinnati (7-2) in the driver's seat in the AFC North. Their remaining schedule looks like this: @Oakland, Cleveland, Detroit, @Minnesota, @San Diego, Kansas City, @NY Jets. They should beat Oakland, Cleveland, Detroit, KC, and NY, meaning they will probably finish at 12-4 IF they lose to Minnesota and San Diego. 

    The loss puts the Steelers at 6-3, and if they have any hope of winning the AFC North they realistically need to win at least 6 of their remaining 7 games. The Steelers remaining schedule looks like this: @Kansas City, @Baltimore, Oakland, @Cleveland, Green Bay, Baltimore, @Miami. The Steelers should beat KC, Oakland, Cleveland, and Green Bay.  Its always a war when Baltimore and Pittsburgh meet, and a road game at Miami could be a tough way to end the season.  If the Steelers win the games they should win, they will finish 10-6. However, I think they will split with Baltimore and beat Miami, leaving them with a 12-4 record, and a wild card spot.

GAME STATS

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

    If the season ended today the AFC Playoff scenario would look like this:

6. San Diego

5. Pittsburgh

4. New England

3. Denver

2. Cincinnati

1. Indianapolis

    Sunday's game was a defensive struggle. The only touchdown of the game came in the first quarter on a 96 yard kickoff return by Bengal's rookie RB Bernard Scott, who replaced an injured Cedric Benson at RB in the second quarter. The Bengals botched the extra point, and thus, the return was the difference in the game; beyond frustrating for the Steelers defense to say the least.  The Steelers defense played at a championship level all day allowing the Bengals a measly 218 total yards of offense (61 rushing) and 12 points off of four Shayne Graham field goals. 

    Unfortunately the Bengals defense proved just as stout, allowing the Steelers offense only 226 total yards and four field goals by Jeff Reed. You might say the Bengals beat the Steelers at their own game.  The Steelers finished 3/15 on third down, and their red zone offense was aenemic.  They failed to score touchdowns on drives in which they penetrated to the Bengal's 10, 5, 8, and 11 yard lines (17 red zone plays). Poor third-down conversion rate + poor red zone efficiency + poor special teams play= disaster, no matter how well your defense plays.

    The Steelers, despite their futile offensive performance, did get the ball back with a little under two minutes left, but four consecutive Roethlisberger incompletions later and the game was over.

Cincinnati Bengals guard Bobbie Williams celebrates as he leaves the field after his team defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. The Bengals won 18-12. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

EMPTY BACKFIELD FORMATION

I think a big reason why Ben Roethlisberger was sacked four times and put under relentless pressure by the Cincinnati front seven was offensive coordinator Bruce Arian's empty backfield formations.  Using an empty backfield, whether it be on first, second, or third down, basically tells the defense you're going to pass the ball.  Once Cinci saw the empty backfield they brought blitzers from everywhere, throwing more guys at Big Ben than the Steelers o-line could manage to block. Why not at least put Mendenhall or Moore in the backfield and have the threat of a run or at play action?

PASS HAPPY OFFENSE

The Steelers offense threw the ball 40 times on Sunday and ran the ball just 18 times.  You'd think with a pass to run ratio like this that the Steelers were playing from behind the entire game. However, this was not the case. The game was very close with only 3 points separating the teams the majority of the way. I'd like to see Arians make a more concerted effort to run the football in games like this.  Rashard Mendenhall only had 13 carries, while Moore and Parker combined for 3 more. 

POLAMALU INJURED AGAIN

Troy Polamalu re-aggravated a left knee injury after playing just one series. Polamalu will not play against Kansas City this Sunday, and it is unclear if he will be ready to go against Baltimore in two weeks.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Bengal's rookie RB Bernard Scott's 96 yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter.

PLAYER(S) OF THE GAME

Bengals - Bernard Scott (replaced injured Cedric Benson in 2nd quarter) 96 yard kickoff return for TD, 13 carries for 33 yards, 1 catch for 21 yards.

Steelers - WR Santonio Holmes: 7 catches for 88 yards. OLB Lamarr Woodley 3 tackles 1.0 sack.

The Steelers travel to Kansas City to take on the 2-7 Chiefs this Sunday. Look for them to take out some anger on Matt Cassell and co.

Ferguson Suspended

From the Irish Examiner this morning...

MANCHESTER UNITED manager Alex Ferguson will serve a touchline ban in his side’s matches at home to Everton and away at Portsmouth after being punished for his comments about referee Alan Wiley.
The Scot’s punishment – which also includes a further two-match ban suspended until the end of the 2010/11 season and a £20,000 (€22,300) fine – was imposed after he claimed the official was "just wasn’t fit enough" to take charge of United’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland last month.

Ferguson admitted a charge of improper conduct relating to his comments.

Peter Griffiths QC, who chaired the FA regulatory commission which handed out the punishment, said Ferguson’s reputation meant he had to take more care when going public with criticism.

"Each member of the commission recognised Alex Ferguson’s achievements and stature within the game," he said.

"Having said that, it was made clear that with such stature comes increased responsibilities. The commission considered his admitted remarks, in the context in which they were made, were not just improper but were grossly improper and wholly inappropriate."

Alan Leighton, national secretary of officials’ union Prospect, is disappointed by the ruling and believes the authorities missed an opportunity to make a statement to back up the FA’s Respect campaign.

"From our point of view it is disappointing. The FA had a chance to make a point and they flunked it," he said. "To question the fitness of referee is to question his ability to do the job and his integrity. We don’t think this is sending the right message out to other managers.’’

Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/ferguson-hit-with-two-match-suspension-105490.html#ixzz0WiPwNSTl

Chelsea Beat Bitter Rival Manchester United 1-0

    Chelsea defeated arch rival Manchester United 1-0 on Sunday morning at Stamford Bridge.  Chelsea center back John Terry broke the deadlock in the 76' minute with a header from a Frank Lampard free-kick from the left wing. 

    The Chelsea goal was shrouded in cotroversy as Didier Drogba appeared to take out United's last defender who was unable to stop the ball from entering the corner of the net.  Nonetheless, the poor officiating went both ways and in the end it seems like the goal was poetic jusice for Chelsea who saw Drogba receive a yellow card for being cleated in the chest by United center back Johnny Evans. 

    Evans and the rest of the United played an ugly game, seeming to want to disrupt Chelsea by any means necessary, while hoping to pounce on a lucky break in order to score.  Both Johnny Evans and United midfielder Darren Fletcher played wildly out of control, fouling Chelsea players left and right.  Both players received yellow cards.  Evans was not punished for his vicious cleating of Drogba.  Fletcher, who received a yellow after a studs up challenge, incessantly whined to the official throughout the entire match.

    Even more whiney than Fletcher was United manager Alex Ferguson, who is notorious for slamming officials after United losses.  Here is what the boy who cried wolf, ahum, I mean Alex Ferguson had to say following Sunday's match:

"Clearly Darren Fletcher has won the ball," said Ferguson. "He's never touched Ashley Cole who just jumped up in the air, and then Drogba has pulled Brown to the ground at the goal. The referee's position to make a decision there was absolutely ridiculous. He can't see it. There was a Chelsea player standing right in front of him and he doesn't even move."It was a bad decision, but what can you do? You lose faith in the refereeing sometimes. That's the way the players are talking in there. It was a bad one. That goal should not have been allowed. We've dominated the game and had great chances to win the match. And that's our fault. Some of the football we played getting up to the box, and some of the chances in and around the box, was excellent and we should have finished it off. But you do need a break. We never got the break we needed."

    Yes Sir Alex, Fletcher did win the ball, after mugging Cole.  As for your team dominating the game...Chelsea outshot your team 18-12, outpossessed your team 53%-47%, and in the end, beat you fair and square. Please do everyone a favor and shut your old face. Your complaining isn't doing anyone any good, and is only damaging your already suspect reputation.

 

A familiar sight. Alex Ferguson bitching at the refs on Sunday.

    Ok, enough about the whiney, cheap, lucky piece of crap team that lost on Sunday. Whats important in the end is that the victory now puts Chelsea 5 points ahead of surging Arsenal at the top of the EPL Table.  Chelsea have yet to concede a goal at home this season. Their overall record in all competitions this year now sits at 13-1-2.  They will play host to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday November 21st (my birthday, woot!). 

Steelers Show Broncos What a Complete Football Team Looks Like

STEELERS DEFEAT BRONCOS 28-10

    The Steelers took it to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football scoring 21 points in the second half on way to a 28-10 win. The victory moved the Steelers (6-2) into a first-place tie with the Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) in the AFC North.  The Broncos now sit at 6-2 after suffering their second consecutive to AFC North opponents.  The Steelers play host to the Bengals next Sunday at 1 pm, while the Broncos travel to the nation's capital to take on the lowly Washington Redskins.

Denver Broncos Brandon Marshall (15) tackles Pittsburgh Steelers' Troy Polamalu after Polamalu intercepted a pass by Kyle Orton in the fourth quarter of the NFL football game in Denver on Monday, Nov. 9, 2009. The Steelers won 28-10. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

GAME STATS

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

STEELER D STILL TOPS IN NFL

    The Steelers D' proved they are still one of the best in the league on Monday night.  They held the Denver offense to 3 points and 27 total rushing yards. The Steelers D' held rookie RB Knowshon Moreno to 3 yards on 5 carries. Terrel Buckhalter carried 9 times for 24 yards.  Brett Kiesel recorded 2 sacks and knocked down a pass by Kyle Orton on a crucial 3rd down in the fourth quarter.  Safety Tyrone Carter snagged two picks and returned one for a TD filling in for starter Ryan Clark (sickle-cell). Troy Polamalu had the Steeler's other INT. 

    Keep in mind the Steelers D managed to do all of this on the road, and against a 6-1 opponent, without starters Aaron Smith (shoulder), Lawrence Timmons (ankle), and Ryan Clark (sickle-cell), and second string defensive end Travis Kirschke (back).

    THE D IS DEEP

    The Steelers D didn't miss a beat without Timmons, Clark, Smith, and Kirschke. LB Keyaron Fox filled in for Timmons and led the team with 6 tackles. Fox is considered the best special teams player in the league by his teammates, and certainly proved he can start in the NFL.  If Fox wasn't on the Steelers, aka Linebacker University, he'd be starting somewhere.

    As I mentioned earlier, Tyrone Carter had 2 INT's in place of Clark, returning one for a TD. Nick Eason and rookie first-round draft pick Ziggy Hood rotated at end in place of Smith/Kircshke and helped stuff the Denver rushing attack and harrass Kyle Orton.  Timmons and Clark should both be ready to go against Cinci on Sunday.

BALANCED ASSAULT

    The Steelers offense achieved almost perfect balance on Monday night tallying 233 yards through the air and 173 on the ground.  Roethlisberger and the offense looked confused in the first half scoring 0 points. The Steelers only points in the first half came off of Carter's INT.  The Broncos showed Roethlisberger a lot of different fronts and continually brought more blitzers than the Steelers could handle.  Yet Mendenhall was still gaining decent yardage on first down runs. The Steelers ran into trouble when they abandonded the run, putting Roethlisberger in the shotgun on second and third down.  Had they been a little more determined to establish the run, they could have made the Broncos ease up on their blitzing, and allowed Big Ben more time to look down field for Wallace and Holmes.

    At half-time the Steelers coaching staff made all the right adjustments.  The offense came out in the third quarter and pounded the rock with Mendenhall, who ended the game with 155 yards on 22 carries.  The Broncos had to respect the run, and as a result, Wallace, Holmes, and Ward got open down field.  Big Ben hit Hines Ward on a slant-route for a 3 yard TD completion at the end of a 4 play 80 yard drive.  He then hit Mike Wallace on 25 yard TD early in the fourth-quarter, putting the game on ice.  Another three yard TD pass to Ward was icing on the cake for Pittsburgh.

The Broncos D were forced to put more men in the box after Mendenhall broke off big runs of 28 and 36 yards.  Mendenhall's 36 yard run came on a 2nd and 18 play.  

MVP

    Rashard Mendenhall gets my vote for the MVP of the game. Mendenhall broke off 3 runs of over 20 yards on his way to 155 yards rushing on just 22 carries.  Keep in mind Mendenhall's 155 yards came against the number one ranked D in the league coming into the game.

    Mendenhall once again showed why the Steelers made him their first-round choice in 2008 putting his perfect combination of size and speed on display.  The second year RB also had one reception for 9 yards. I'd like to see Ben look for Mendenhall in the flat more, and I'd like to see offensive coordinator Bruce Arians dial up a screen pass for Mendenhall here and there.  It seems like great things happen when the ball is in this guy's hands.

BRONCOS OFFENSE BEING EXPOSED

    After two consecutive losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh, its obvious the Broncos offense is struggling to make big plays.  Once the Steelers realized Orton doesn't have the ability to throw the ball deep, they played more aggressive, pressuring Orton into ill-advised throws.  Woodley, Harrison, and Kiesel put the heat on Orton, while William Gay, Ike Taylor, Tyrone Carter, and Troy P began breaking on the short routes to Marshall and Royal.  The Broncos couldn't run at all against the Steelers, and when you can't run or threaten with deep passes against the Steelers, you're going to have a long night, or in this case, a long second half.

PLAY OF THE GAME

    In my opinion the play of the game came in the fourth quarter on Mendenhall's 36 yard run on 2nd and 18.  Mendehall's scamper on 2nd and 18 came directly after he was stuffed for -8 on first and 10, deep in Steelers territory with his team up 21-10.  The run allowed the Steelers to kill the clock, preventing any chance of a Denver comeback.

    HARRISON LEVELS BUCKHALTER

    Perhaps my favorite play of the night occurred after the game was already in hand.  With less than a minute remaining, and Denver desperately trying to make the game respectable, Orton threw a short pass over the middle to RB Terrell Buckhalter who turned up field before being absolutely crushed by James Harrison.  Buckhalter didn't fall backwards, instead he actually went straight up into the air, spinning like a ballerina before falling to the turf. I'll try to get a video of the hit up as soon as it becomes available.

Here is a little highlight reel of some big hits by #92...

   

   

 

A Case for Michael Essien

"Michael Essien might be the best overall player on Chelsea," said Leif Kothe as we sat in front of my 46 inch flat screen LCD, staring in disbelief at the replay of Michael Essien's 35 yard rocket vs. Blackburn. I heard what Leif said, and I couldn't disagree, but the words didn't really sink in until today.

    At 26, Michael Kojo Essien is in the prime of his career.  The Ghanaian international was signed away from Lyon by Chelsea for 24.4 million pounds in 2005, and has been a fixture in Chelsea's midfield ever since. 

    There aren't any weaknesses in Essien's game. He is big (5 ft. 10, 187 lbs.), more importantly strong, and deceptively fast. He is versatile and can play any one of the four positions in Chelsea's diamond midfield, which consists of a rotation betwen Deco, Lampard, Ballack, Essien, and Obi Mikel.

    Essien has 12 goals in 111 appearances for Chelsea. A fair amount considering his holding/defensive role in most games. But what is truly impressive is the magnitude of most of Essien's goals, almost all of which are worth their weight in gold.  His dramatic equalising goal against Arsenal was voted as Chelsea Goal of the Season for 2006–07. On August 13, 2007 Essien scored a game-winner vs. Birmingham City.  The victory set an English Premier League record for most consecutive unbeaten league matches at home.  His vital away goal vs. Juventus in the 08/09 Champion's League allowed Chelsea to advance past the round of 16 on aggregate 3-2.  But most will agree that Essien's most spectacular goal came against Barcelona in the 08/09 Champion's League semi-finals (see bottom of article for video).

    Essien's exceptional play hasn't gone unnoticed.  He was twice nominated for FIFA World Player of the Year (2006/2007 - 2007/2008), finished 3rd in African Footballer of the Year voting in 2006, and was voted Chelsea player of the year in 06/07.

    Essien's size, strength and speed make him a nightmare for opposing midfielders.  His ability to run up and down the length of the field for 90 minutes, and his strength on the ball, make him a very rare talent.  His defensive capabilities allow fellow Midfielder's Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack to get forward and participate in the attack, and his ability to score in clutch situations makes an already potent Chelsea attack even more formidable.  For all these reasons and more I think its safe to say that in 2009, Michael Essien is Chelsea's best overall player.

Essien's volley against Barcelona in the second leg of the 08/09 Champion's League Semi-Final electrified the crowd at Stamford Bridge.  A goal in stoppage time by Barcelona's Andres Iniesta made the goal all for naught.

2009/2010 English Premiership Table
			Overall							Home						Away
RK		TEAM	P	W	D	L	GS	GA		W	D	L	GS	GA		W	D	L	GS	GA		GD	Pts
1		Chelsea	10	8	0	2	24	8		5	0	0	15	1		3	0	2	9	7		16	24
2		Manchester United	10	7	1	2	21	11		4	1	0	11	7		3	0	2	10	4		10	22
3		Arsenal	9	6	1	2	29	13		4	0	0	17	4		2	1	2	12	9		16	19
4		Tottenham Hotspur	10	6	1	3	21	14		3	0	2	10	6		3	1	1	11	8		7	19
5		Liverpool	10	6	0	4	24	13		4	0	1	17	4		2	0	3	7	9		11	18
6		Manchester City	9	5	3	1	18	11		3	1	0	10	5		2	2	1	8	6		7	18
7		Aston Villa	9	5	2	2	13	8		3	1	1	7	4		2	1	1	6	4		5	17
8		Sunderland	10	5	1	4	18	15		4	0	1	13	7		1	1	3	5	8		3	16
9		Stoke City	10	4	3	3	9	11		3	0	2	6	5		1	3	1	3	6		-2	15
10		Wigan Athletic	10	4	1	5	12	17		2	1	2	5	8		2	0	3	7	9		-5	13
11		Burnley	10	4	0	6	10	22		4	0	1	8	5		0	0	5	2	17		-12	12
12		Bolton Wanderers	9	3	2	4	14	15		1	2	2	8	9		2	0	2	6	6		-1	11
13		Fulham	9	3	2	4	10	12		2	0	2	4	4		1	2	2	6	8		-2	11
14		Everton	9	3	2	4	12	15		2	2	1	8	9		1	0	3	4	6		-3	11
15		Birmingham	10	3	1	6	8	12		2	1	2	4	4		1	0	4	4	8		-4	10
16		Blackburn Rovers	9	3	1	5	11	22		3	1	1	8	6		0	0	4	3	16		-11	10
17		Wolverhampton Wanderers	10	2	3	5	9	16		1	2	2	4	6		1	1	3	5	10		-7	9
18		Hull City	10	2	2	6	8	22		2	1	2	4	7		0	1	4	4	15		-14	8
19		West Ham United	9	1	3	5	11	15		0	2	2	7	9		1	1	3	4	6		-4	6
20		Portsmouth	10	1	1	8	5	15		0	0	5	3	8		1	1	3	2	7		-10	4

Chelsea Blank Blackburn 5-0, Take Sole Possession of First Place in EPL

    Chelsea beat down Blackburn 5-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to bring their record to 8-0-2, and took back sole possession of first place in the English Premier League. Chelsea currently sits 2 pts. above Manchester United, and 5 points ahead of fellow London sides Arsenal and Tottenham.  The scoring summary was as follows: Givet (own goal) 20, Lampard 48, Essien 52, Lampard (penalty) 59, and Drogba 64.

    The Chelsea victory was made certain when Michael Essien found himself alone near midfield and ripped a curling/dipping shot past Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson from 35 yards.  After this goal the Chelsea players looked like sharks with blood in the water and poor Blackburn didn't stand a chance. 

    Perhaps the most encouraging thing Chelsea can take away from this bludgening was their improvement both finishing set pieces and defending against them.  They allowed Blackburn 0 goals, and practically 0 opportunites after allowing Aston Villa to score twice on set pieces last Saturday.  Didier Drogba's header goal in the 64 minute came off a Lampard corner kick. Also of note, Joe Cole, returning from injury, made his first start since January vs. Manchester United and played well.

    The win makes it 2-0 for Chelsea in their last two contests domestically and in Europe combined.  In those two matches they outscored their opponents 9-0.  

 

'Super Frankie' buries a penalty kick in the midst of Chelsea's romp over Blackburn on Saturday.

Still my favorite goal of all time. enjoy...

Chelsea Rebound from EPL Loss to Aston Villa, Crush Atletico Madrid in Champions League Match

    Chelsea rebounded from a 2-1 English Premier League loss at Aston Villa to crush Spanish Primera side Atletico Madrid 4-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.  The victory improves Chelsea's Champions League record to 3-0-0, and they remain at the top of Group D with 9 points. 

Group D Standings:

Group D	Pld	Pts
Chelsea	3	9
Porto	3	6
APOEL	3	1
Atlético	3	1

    The Blues got two goals from Ivorian striker Soloman Kalou, who started in place of suspended fellow countryman Didier Drogba.  Frank Lampard tucked away Chelsea's third goal in the 69' minute with a a perfectly placed near-post shot from 20 yards.  Florent Malouda's dangerous inswinging free kick resulted in an own goal header by Atletico's Perea in the 90' minute.

Chelsea play host to Blackburn today at 12:30 ET.

Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou celebrate. Photograph: Kieran Doherty/Reuters