Ed Reed, the best football player to ever come out of the River Parishes, returned to the NFL in grand fashion this past weekend.
The six-time NFL Pro-Bowler had missed the first six games of the 2010 season due to rehab on a surgically repaired hip, but he made his presence felt in a big way in the Baltimore Ravens 37-34 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills.
The former Destrehan High School standout defender had recorded 46 pass interceptions since entering the league in 2002, and he added two more to that total against the Bills.
Reed also recorded four tackles and he forced a fumble against Buffalo.
The two-interception game is the ninth in Reed’s career and he tied New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper for the only active players to attain that total.
Baltimore Ravens perennial All-Pro middle linebacker Ray Lewis says it is great to have Reed back on the field.
“He’s a great player, a team leader and someone I look to when we need a big play,” Lewis said. “I can’t tell you how important it is to have him back in the lineup. He is one of the all-time greats and he proved just how smart and talented he was today. Ed Reed is a special individual.”
Trick and Defeat
This coming Sunday night is going to be Halloween, but you wouldn’t have known it when you watched both LSU and the New Orleans Saints play this past weekend.
There was no trick or treat in the football bag, but more of a version of trick and defeat.
Saturday afternoon Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton came dressed up like Superman and when he opened up the jersey we all saw he had the red “S” underneath it.
Newton moved himself to the head of the Heisman Trophy award voting after rushing for 217 yards on 28 carries and scoring two touchdowns. He also completed 10 of his 16 passes for 86 yards against one of the top defenses in college football.
In the 24-17 victory over LSU “Superman in Cleats” led an Auburn attack that registered 440 yards rushing, the most rushing yardage given up by an LSU team since Texas A&M rushed for 417 yards in 1974.
While Newton came to the football party dressed as Superman the Auburn Tigers also had someone in a “Batman” costume.
Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley swooped down on Tiger ballcarriers from sideline to sideline throughout the contest. The 6-4, 290-pound junior defensive tackle recorded six tackles, three and a half tackles for loss and two and a half quarterback sacks against LSU.
And then as usual the trick was saved for the end. With LSU desperately trying to piece together a game-tying touchdown, they had a crucial third down dropped pass from Terrance Toliver. On fourth down and six the Tigers again had a meltdown in the final minutes of the game.
Following a timeout, the Tigers looked totally confused from an alignment and personnel standout. With no one open quarterback Jarrett Lee was only able to pick up two yards to end the Tigers chance to put the game in overtime.
That was Trick and Defeat Part I.
Sunday afternoon the New Orleans Saints were a 14-point favorite over the Cleveland Browns.
After putting together the best game of the 2010 season against Tampa Bay, it was another pre-Halloween nightmare scene.
With nothing to lose the Browns pulled out all the stops to defeat the Saints and they were successful in doing so 30-17.
The Browns orchestrated a lateral off of a punt received by Joshua Cribbs and his pass to Eric Wright netted the Browns 69 yards on a punt return.
Moments after the lateral pass, Browns punter Reggie Hodges raced 68 yards downfield on a fake punt and run.
And with the Saints getting some momentum in the fourth quarter it was Browns running back Peyton Hillis throwing a halfback pass to quarterback Colt McCoy for 13 yards to net the Browns a crucial third down conversion.
Brees had trouble finding open receivers all game long and he threw four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns by David Bowens.
And it was former Saints linebacker Scott Fujita, now with the Cleveland Browns, who wore the Riddler costume. Fujita, who seemingly had all the answers to the Saints questions on offense, recorded 11 tackles, one quarterback sack and one pass interception.
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