40 Acres Sports

Former Longhorns [tag]TJ Ford[/tag] and [tag]Kevin Durant[/tag] matched up Monday night and both had big games. Ford’s Pacers pulled out the win thanks in big part to his 11 fourth quarter points. TJ finished the game close to a triple double with 24 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. Durant kept the Thunder in it by leading all scorers with 37 points and chipping in eight rebounds.

Watch the highlights:

Video removed by ESPN! Bah.

Former Texas reliever [tag]Huston Street[/tag] has reportedly been traded from the Oakland A’s to the Colorado Rockies in a deal for slugger Matt Holliday (who also happens to be the son of former Texas pitching coach Tom Holliday.) The deal hasn’t been finalized but appears imminent.

The 2005 AL Rookie of the Year saved 18 games for Oakland last season but had none in the final two months of the season as rookie sidearmer Brad Ziegler came on. Colorado is expected to lose close Brian Fuentes to free agency opening a spot at the end of games for the former Horn. Despite being headed to the thin air of Colorado, the chance to be the number one guy in the bullpen makes this a opportunity for Street.

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Ricky Williams rushed for a season-high 105 yards

The former Longhorns were led by [tag]Ricky Williams[/tag] and [tag]Bo Scaife[/tag] this week. The group in Tennessee keep on winning while the guys in Kansas City, Detroit, and Oakland are already looking forward to the offseason.

[tag]Tarell Brown[/tag] – Brown played a good game at cornerback against one of the best receiving core in the NFL on Monday night against the Cardinals. Brown played on nickel situations, which there were plenty of. He finished with tackles on the night.

[tag]Jamaal Charles[/tag] – Last week the rookie running back posted his first career 100 yard game and this week Charles got rewarded with the start. Unlike last week Charles was never able to get anything going after being injured on his first carry. He was able to come back into the game, but remained largely ineffective. Charles has suffered through ankle injuries before, so hope it is an isolated incident. He gained only eight yards on three carries in the game.

[tag]Phil Dawson[/tag] – Dawson had another good game going three for three with a long of 52. He was also perfect on his extra points. The veteran is now 17 of 19 on the year.

[tag]Cedric Griffin[/tag] – Cedric has become a consistent player in this league. He plays with an attitude and is becoming a better tackler. Griffin has a great player opposite him to learn from in Antoine Winfield. Griffin finished with three tackles against the Packers.

[tag]Michael Griffin[/tag] – The Titans keep winning and Griffin keeps playing well. He ended up with five tackles on the night, but was all over the field on defense and in special teams in the win over the Bears. Tennessee remains the only undefeated team left in the NFL and they’re doing it with solid defense.

[tag]Ahmard Hall[/tag] – The fullback and ex-Marine didn’t have his best ball game even though his team won. Hall fumbled a carry on the goal line that would have put the Titans on the board first. The Tennessee run game was not up to their standards but they still came away with the victory.

[tag]Michael Huff[/tag] – Huff didn’t get many chances in the game against Carolina because both passing offenses were inept. The former Thorpe award winner only registered one tackle on the game that saw Steve Smith only catch one pass and Jake Delhomme only completed seven total.

[tag]Quentin Jammer[/tag] – Jammer’s Chargers squeaked by the Chiefs on Sunday to save their season. Jammer has come into his own on the season. Teams are avoiding his side when they can, but the physical corner still recorded three pass defenses and four tackles. Jammer is playing the best out of all the corners from Texas in the NFL.

[tag]Frank Okam[/tag] – The big rookie got some playing time in the blowout loss to the Ravens. He didn’t disappoint, recording three tackles in the game. Okam had only made one tackle on the season prior to this game. If Okam stays in shape he should become a player in the NFL.

[tag]Cory Redding[/tag] – The Lions are awful. That may not do it justice. Redding has been a bright spot on the team when he has been healthy. On Sunday the defensive tackle was credited with three tackles. Did I mention the Lions are awful?

[tag]Brian Robison[/tag] – Robison got some playing time and rewarded the team with a sack. He is in a tough spot backing up Jared Allen, but Robison has shown flashes and should start to produce once his opportunities increase.

[tag]Shaun Rogers[/tag] – I’ve never seen more people assigned to one nose tackle in my life. There were times when Denver triple teamed Rogers with a running back coming in to chip him on his way out of the backfield. Rogers still recorded two tackles on the game, but his main contribution was freeing up other defenders. The Browns gave another game away on Thursday night.

[tag]Aaron Ross[/tag] – Ross gave up a touchdown in the win against the Eagles but played pretty good after it. His future wife, Sonya Richards, gave the Texas football team a pep talk before the game against Baylor this past weekend too. Ross finished with two tackles and one pass breakup.

[tag]Bo Scaife[/tag] – Scaife had a huge game for the Titans with 10 catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. When Tennessee picked up Alge Crumpler many thought Scaife’s roll would be reduced, but it has been the opposite. Even with Vince Young on the bench, the Titans have looked for Scaife on third down and near the goal line. That is the biggest sign of what the Titan staff thinks of the former Texas tight end.

[tag]Nathan Vasher[/tag] – It is clear watching Vasher on Sunday that he is not 100 percent yet. He gave up an easy touchdown on a simple slant patter early in the loss against the Titans. When he is healthy Vasher is one of the more dangerous corners in the league, but when he is hobbled he is no better than average.

[tag]Ricky Williams[/tag] – Ricky recorded his first 100 yard game since his return to the NFL. He gained half of it on one touchdown run of 51 yards. He finished with 105 yards on 12 carries. The Heisman voter carried the ball one less time this week than his last two weeks combined.

Jamaal Charles had a big game for the Chiefs

It was a good week for Texas running backs and for the former Horns that play for the Tennessee Titans. This week’s group was led by Cedric Benson on offense and the continued dominance of Shaun Rogers on defense.

[tag]Cedric Benson[/tag] – Benson had his first 100 yard game as a Bengal this week against the Jaguars. It looks like Cedric is playing motivated football since his return after being cut by the Bears for charges that were eventually dropped. Benson had 104 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.

[tag]Justin Blalock[/tag] – The Falcons keep winning and their offense keeps on putting up points. Atlanta beat up the Raiders in every phase of the game on Sunday. The offensive line play is allowing rookie quarterback Matt Ryan to have a big year.

[tag]Jamaal Charles[/tag] – The rookie running back had his best game of his young career as he went over the century mark on the ground for the first time. Charles got his chance because Larry Johnson is still suspended by the team and backup Kolby Smith went down with an injury. The speedster didn’t disappoint gaining 106 yards on 18 carries.

[tag]Leonard Davis[/tag] – The Cowboys keep stinking it up and a lot of it has to do with the play of the offensive line. Dallas has suffered injuries no doubt, but the running game is hurting and the quarterbacks have had no time to throw.

[tag]Phil Dawson[/tag] – The best kicker in recent Longhorn history went two for two with a long of 52 yards in a Cleveland loss.

[tag]Cedric Griffin[/tag] – Cedric Griffin had a decent day against the Texans recording four tackles. Houston struggled to get their offense going on the day as the secondary for the Vikings did a decent job.

[tag]Michael Griffin[/tag] – The Tennessee Titans are the best team in football right now, and they’re led by a group of former Longhorns. Griffin is the current standout of those former Horns because of his steady play in the back of the Titan defense. Griffin had six tackles in the overtime win over the Packers.

[tag]Ahmard Hall[/tag] – The Titan offense is not explosive in the passing game, but they get it done in the running game behind the lead blocking of the former Marine. Hall has become one of the premier true fullbacks in the NFL. He was even given a carry that he took for three yards.

[tag]Casey Hampton[/tag] – Hampton had a big game in the middle Monday night in a win over the Redskins. The big man has struggled with injuries and did have to come out of the game on occasion.

[tag]Michael Huff[/tag] – It wasn’t a good day for the Raiders or Michael Huff. The Falcons did whatever they wanted to do on Sunday through the air and on the ground. Huff finished with three tackles on the day.

[tag]Derrick Johnson[/tag] – It was a slow day for DJ as he finished the game with only four tackles. It appeared the Chiefs were going to win a game, but as bad teams are knows to do they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

[tag]Cory Redding[/tag] – The Lions are awful. They are the Los Angeles Clippers of the NFL. After controlling the game against the Bears they managed to give it away at the end. I feel so bad for Redding who finished with four tackles and a sack in the loss.

[tag]Brian Robison[/tag] – Robison recorded two tackles in the win over the Texans. He continues to only get snaps when the starters need a break.

[tag]Shaun Rogers[/tag] – Rogers is a monster. He has been dominating teams lately including nine tackles and a sack in the loss to Baltimore. Rogers will end up in Hawaii at the end of this season.

[tag]Bo Scaife[/tag] – Another Longhorn on the only undefeated team in the NFL. Scaife has become one of the most consistent targets in the league finishing the game against the Packers with four receptions for 26 yards in a game where first downs were few and far between.

[tag]David Thomas[/tag] – Thomas got the start against the Colts on Sunday night. He finished the game with three receptions for 29 yards in the loss.

[tag]Ricky Williams[/tag] – The former Heisman winner finished with 16 yards for the third straight week. Ronnie Brown has become the clear go to back in Miami with Ricky getting touches when the Dolphins go to their “Wild Cat” formation. He has made an impact in the passing game as he made his third catch for over 20 yards in two games.

[tag]Roy Williams[/tag] – Williams has not made the impact some thought he would coming to the Cowboys in a mid season trade. If anything the lack of production for Roy shows why there are so little trades made in pro football. In the loss, he caught one ball for 28 yards.

Shaun Rogers had his best game as a Brown

Roy Williams caught his first touchdown with Dallas and Shaun Rogers had a huge game for Cleveland. Read below to see how all the former Horns did this week:

[tag]Tarell Brown[/tag] – Brown had a quiet night in a loss to the Seahawks. Brown had two tackles in the game.

[tag]Cedric Benson[/tag] – The Bengals are awful, but Benson has been a bright spot in his short time there. Benson ran the ball well in the first half before being taken out of the game plan because of the deficit his team faced. He finished the game with 13 carries for 49 yards and two receptions for 20 yards.

[tag]Jamaal Charles[/tag] – Charles had his best rushing day of his young career on Sunday averaging nine yards on five carries including a long thirty yard run. Starting running back Larry Johnson continues to miss time because of off the field issues, so the rookie’s role should continue to grow.

[tag]Leonard Davis[/tag] – The Cowboys got back on the win column, but it had little to do with the play of the offense. Dallas has suffered a lot of injuries but the play of the offensive line has to be disappointing.

[tag]Phil Dawson[/tag] – Dawson continues to play well going three for three with a long of 42 in the Cleveland win of Jacksonville.

[tag]Michael Griffin[/tag] – The Titans made a statement on Monday night in a win over the Colts. Griffin was all over the field finishing the game with eight tackles.

[tag]Ahmard Hall[/tag] – The Titan running game changes focal points throughout the game with the combination of Chris Johnson and Lendale White, but the one constant is the consistent blocking ability of Ahmard Hall. Hall played well again as the Titans remain undefeated.

[tag]Casey Hampton[/tag] – Hampton got back in the stat column after struggling with injuries throughout the year. The big defensive tackle recorded six tackles while controlling the middle of the line.

[tag]Michael Huff[/tag] – The Raiders and Michael Huff continue to struggle. The former Thorpe Award winner was credited with two tackles and no pass breakups in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

[tag]Quentin Jammer[/tag] – Jammer went all the way to London to get hurt. He finished the game with six tackles before he left the game with a minor leg injury. The game was not good for either team’s secondary. Jammer gets a week off to heal up.

[tag]Derrick Johnson[/tag] – DJ had a chance to be a hero against Brett Favre and the Jets but he dropped a potential interception that hit him right in the numbers. He finished with six tackles in the loss.

[tag]Cory Redding[/tag] – Redding recorded five tackles and a half sack in another Detroit loss. I feel bad for anyone playing in Detroit, Roy Williams got out, now we need Redding to follow.

[tag]Shaun Rogers[/tag] – Rogers was dominant for the second straight week. When Rogers plays all out he could be the best interior lineman in the game. In the win against the Jaguars the nose tackle recorded nine tackles and a sack.

[tag]Bo Scaife[/tag] – The Titans are the best team in the league right now and everywhere you look a former Longhorn standout is making a contribution. Scaife looks to be the best tight end on the squad even with the addition of Alge Crumpler. On Monday night Scaife had five catches for 44 yards.

[tag]David Thomas[/tag] – Thomas caught a ball after going a week without one. The Patriots won the game and Thomas is one of many tight ends New England uses.

[tag]Ricky Williams[/tag] – Williams scored a touchdown but was held to 16 yards on seven carries in the upset win over the Bills. He did have a 47 yard reception in the game but gave a fumble that set up a score for Buffalo.

[tag]Roy Williams[/tag] – Roy Williams scored his first touchdown as a Cowboy on a two yard fade in what ended up being the only touchdown of the game. Williams wasted no time pleasing his Texas fans by putting up a “Hook em’ Horns” sign in the air for the world to see.

[tag]Vince Young[/tag] – Vince Young remains the man on the Titan sideline

Roy Williams reps the Horns

Texas Ex and new Cowboy [tag]Roy Williams[/tag] is still learning the offense and not playing a ton, but in today’s Cowboys’ game against Tampa Bay he caught the game’s only touchdown with just two seconds remaining in the first half. Roy ran a fade and made a nice catch on a pass from backup QB Brad Johnson. In contrast to his teammate Terrell Owens, Roy celebrated by simply putting his right arm up and flashing the Hook ‘Em hand signal.

This is the same way both he and [tag]Limas Sweed[/tag] celebrated TDs while on campus so it’s great to see Roy still proud of being a Longhorn. He had his ups and downs in Detroit but he’s a great Longhorn and I’ll be rooting hard for the Cowboys as long as he’s on the team.

View the photo at left larger and also an alternate angle.

Update: Video of the play added. (via)

How far can Kevin Durant take the Thunder?

Last week, Texas quarterback [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and then avoided the jinx when he went out and walloped the Missouri Tigers. The NBA preview edition is out and on the one of the regional covers of the magazine is former Longhorn basketball star [tag]Kevin Durant[/tag].

No big article on Durant or the OKC Thunder but he is of course the main feature on the team preview. Another form Horn [tag]LaMarcus Aldridge[/tag] is also the focus of the Blazers’ preview, but of course the overrated Greg Oden gets an eight-page story. Whoever the real star is, the experts expect another big improvement this season for Portland.

Click on the thumbnail on the left to view a larger version.

Roy Williams saw limited action in his Cowboy debut

[tag]Tarell Brown[/tag] – Tarell had a decent day at nickel back for the San Francisco 49ers. He ended the day with four tackles and no pass breakups.

[tag]Cedric Benson[/tag] – Benson got his first start since he left the Chicago Bears. He had a solid day, carrying the ball 14 times for 52 yards. Benson recorded his first reception of the year but has failed to reach the end zone. The highlight of the day came when he blew up Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.

[tag]Jamaal Charles[/tag] – With starting running back Larry Johnson “suspended” by his team Jamaal received more playing time but the rookie running back and his team failed to get anything going against the Titans. Charles finished with three carries for 17 yards and four receptions for 26. He may be the starter next week.

[tag]Tim Crowder[/tag] – Crowder provided pressure that forced an interception by Matt Cassell on Monday Night Football, but his team got crushed on national TV. Crowder has yet to record any stats but continues to get snaps in a backup role.

[tag]Leonard Davis[/tag] – The Cowboys are hitting rock bottom and the offensive line has had a lot to do with it. Tony Romo is out because of a pinkie injury he suffered because pressure had gotten to him. New quarterback Brad Johnson had little time to do anything in the loss to the Rams.

[tag]Phil Dawson[/tag] – Dawson made one of the two field goals he attempted in the loss to the Redskins. He is nine for 11 on the season.

[tag]Derrick Dockery[/tag] – Buffalo has become one of the better teams in the league because of a strong running game. Dockery is earning his huge contract with big play up front.

[tag]Cedric Griffin[/tag] – It was a tough day for the Vikings defense. The group gave up 48 points in a loss to the Bears. Opposing teams continue to attack Griffin in order to avoid Antoine Winfield’s side of the field. Griffin had nine tackles and a pass breakup in the game.

[tag]Michael Griffin[/tag] – Michael Griffin recorded seven tackles in his team’s destruction of the Chiefs. Griffin is becoming one of the better players on arguably the best defense in the league. It is only a matter of time before he is a Pro-Bowl type player.

[tag]Ahmard Hall[/tag] – The Titans are one of the only teams left that use a true fullback and it is because of how well Hall has played. The tailbacks he leads the way for combined for over 300 yards in the game on Sunday. The Titans gave him a carry towards the end of the game which he got six yards on.

[tag]Michael Huff[/tag] – Huff had two tackles and two pass breakups in the overtime win over the Jets. The Raiders defense played much better this week than they did last week against the Saints.

[tag]Quentin Jammer[/tag] – The Bills avoided Jammer’s side of the field for most of the day. Lee Evans did make an incredible catch over Jammer for a touchdown. After a rough start to his career, Jammer is becoming one of the better corners in the league.

[tag]Derrick Johnson[/tag] – It was a bad day for D.J. and his defense. The Chiefs gave up over 300 yards rushing to the Titans. Johnson continues to struggle taking on blocks in the run game. He is great in space, but gets manhandled too often in the trenches. He finished the game with six tackles.

[tag]Cory Redding[/tag] – Redding has been banged up all year, but is without question the leader for the Lion defensive front. That may not be a good thing. He recorded five tackles and a sack in the loss to the Texans.

[tag]Shaun Rogers[/tag] – When Rogers is healthy and into the game there may not be a better player at defensive tackle. The big man had seven tackles and a sack in a defensively dominated game.

[tag]Bo Scaife[/tag] – Scaife is still putting up numbers with Vince Young on the sideline as the backup. The Titans did not have to pass much in the blow out win but Scaife finished with three catches for 48 yards.

[tag]David Thomas[/tag] – Thomas didn’t record any receptions but continues to get playing time as the second or third tight end and on special teams for the Patriots.

[tag]Nathan Vasher[/tag] – Vasher missed another game with an injury.

[tag]Ricky Williams[/tag] – The Heisman Trophy winner had his least productive day of the year. He only carried the ball four times for 16 yards with no receptions. The Ravens did a great job stopping the run and it forced the Dolphins out of their game plan. Ronnie Brown is the clear number one in Miami.

[tag]Roy Williams[/tag] – Roy Williams thought he was making a huge step up by being traded from the Lions to the Cowboys. Not so fast. The Cowboys played horrible and Roy never got involved in the game recording no catches.

Former Texas running back [tag]Jamaal Charles[/tag] may get his first NFL start this Sunday for the Kansas City Chiefs when they face off against the Tennessee Titans. The Chiefs have suspended Pro Bowl RB Larry Johnson after being charged with assault earlier in the week for a February incident in which he allegedly shoved a woman at a nightclub. Either Charles or Kolby Smith will get the start in his place.

Officially, Johnson was “deactivated” and not suspended by the team:

Running back Larry Johnson will not be active this week when the Chiefs meet the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. Johnson has not been “suspended,” head coach Herm Edwards said today, and his deactivation is not related in any way to Johnson’s pending court case. He won’t be active for the game because “he broke team rules and the consequences are he won’t play this weekend,” Edwards made clear.

“Larry Johnson is not suspended,” Edwards said, “for if you know suspension he can’t be at the facility and he can’t practice. Larry practiced yesterday, he practiced today.” Edwards said Johnson will return to the field next week.

Charles hasn’t gotten a ton of carries this season (21 for 98 yards) but he is averaging a healthy 4.7 yards per carry and has also caught 12 passes for 68 yards. Possibly getting your first start (and for sure getting a bunch of carries) against a tough Titans’ defense isn’t ideal, but it is a good chance for Jamaal to show he should be getting more than six touches per game. The Titans and Chiefs play Sunday at noon on CBS, but the game is not being shown on TV in this area.

Roy Williams is the newest Dallas Cowboy

Former Texas Longhorns wide receiver [tag]Roy Williams[/tag] was traded just before today’s NFL trading deadline from the woeful Detroit Lions to the Dallas Cowboys. Williams is in a contract year and had been pretty vocal about wanting a new contract and not being happy in Detroit. To get Williams the Cowboys gave up their first-round pick, third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick in the 2009 draft. In addition to Williams, Dallas also gets a seventh-round pick in the same draft.

Roy will be the number two receiver for the Cowboys and will prevent most teams from double teaming Terrell Owens, or else risk being burned by the dynamic Williams. At only 26 he also gives the Cowboys a number one caliber player when Owens is no longer one of the league’s top players.

He has elite talent but so far this season had caught only 17 passes for 232 yards and one touchdown from two different awful Lions’ quarterbacks. Getting out of the bad situation he was in in Detroit will hopefully give him a fresh start and renewed energy for the game. New focus and a much better guy throwing him the ball (at least when Tony Romo returns) could mean a good finish to this season and even bigger things for Williams in the future. This could be the perfect scenario for Williams and his fans.

Also: Listen to Roy discuss being traded to the Cowboys.