Football Reporters Online

By David Levy-Fan Experience Reporter-FRO

The New York Jets controlled the big apple during the post season over the last two years. In fact, Jets fans like myself anticipated that the team would finally be the Kings of New York instead of the Giants. After all, since 2008 the Giants hadn’t come close to returning to the Super Bowl, while their former weak sisters nearly went there twice.  The Jets had control for once in New York.

But a whole new season can make a really big difference, considering where New York’s two teams are right now. Not only have the Jets free fallen into the murky abyss, they may have lost their chance to seize control of New York permanently at this rate while the Giants approach another Super Bowl.  Both teams were in control of their destiny this season.  The Giants took control while the Jets let control slide from their hands.

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By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Executive Editor-Football Reporters Online

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It was 1995, and I had just gotten back into coaching after a 7 year absence to obtain 2 graduate degrees. I had just gotten an assistant coaching position (part time) at my old High School where I played 3 seasons and started 2 of them as the teams’  Punter & Kick off man. I had wanted to be a special teams coach but the position available was to assist the Head Coach with the Offensive Line and the Tight Ends.

Because the Head Coach had been my Head Coach, he was going to teach me how to coach the Offensive Line. Not hard for him since he had been an NFL OL for 6 seasons. “Bill, I’m going to send you to a coaching clinic this spring” he told me. “You’ll get basic schemes there.” He also got me a Book of OL & DL skills.

The clinic was on a Saturday In March In a suburb of Philly but on the New Jersey side. All of the coaches speaking that day were successful NCAA and/or NFL Line coaches. A few told jokes to loosen up the crowd of mostly 20 & 30 something aged High School coaches.  Finally we had the keynote speaker, a former Nebraska Assistant who was now working at Penn State. “Wow” I thought “ this guy coaches for Jo PA, and used to work with Osborne!” I thought to myself.

After he finished his presentation he did the “Oh just one more thing” that Apple’s Steve Jobs would later become famous for. He introduced his Boss!! Out of a side room came the “Little big Man” who was larger then life to all of us in the Biz…

“I don’t have much to add to what you learned here today,” he said crisply. “But I will tell you this. Never forget who you are, and always take the time to listen to others around you, no matter if they are your student athletes or other coaches you work with. You learn just as much by listening as you do by studying.”

Afterwards we were introduced. “Oh your from the Bronx! He exclaimed. Only been up to Arthur Avenue (the Bronx’s Little Italy) a few times but great food up there” he smiled. I thanked him and his assistant for speaking to us that day. I had shook hands with a legend.

Years later the legend would become embroiled in a scandal caused by one of his trusted close friends and assistant coaches. As Educators we are taught to spot students in crisis, all kinds of crisis. In the NYC schools where I worked for more then 25 years, we constantly got training on how to spot kids in sexual crisis.

Where was this training at Penn State?  Even if the coaching staff and for that matter, the entire athletic department, had been given the proper training and follow up, would they have known about the predator in their midst? Did the coach follow his own advice years later when confronted with the issue of Jerry Sandusky’s Darkest behavior?

My one great memory of Coach Paterno was of that early spring day close to 20 years ago. It’s a shame that many others will only remember him for the events of the last several months.

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By Anthony Carillo-contributing writer-Football Reporters Online

1. Andrew Luck, Stanford,

2. Robert Griffin III, Baylor,

3. Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma St.

4. Ryan Tannehill, Texas AM

5. Nick Foles, Arizona

6. Kirk Cousins, Michigan St.

7. Ryan Lindley, San Diego St.

8. Kellen Moore, Boise St.

9. Russell Wilson, Wisconsin

10. Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois

This quarterback draft class may have set the most records over their respective careers. You have Kellen Moore breaking the record for most wins as a starting quarterback, you have Robert Griffin III becoming the first Baylor football player to win the Heisman trophy, and you have Case Keenum, who shattered pretty much every passing record in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

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By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Managing Partner/Executive Editor Football Reporters Online

(photo-Coughlin & Reese at the Met Life Stadium naming event in August 2011)

The Giants are one win away from another Super bowl appearance. Let’s let that statement sink in for a moment. The team that few if any gave a chance to in August, September, October, November & December….Is again making noise In January, much like the 2007 Giants. Or are they more like the 1990 Giants?

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Media Release-Football Reporters Online-Cottonwood Az.                                     1/17/2012

Today Football Reporters(FRO) Announces the Move of it’s headquarters from Long Island NY, to Cottonwood Arizona, in the Verde Valley region of the central part of the state. “The move came 6-12 months early, but it’s time to expand operations westward” commented Managing Partner Dr. Bill Chachkes. “While we will continue to cover east coast and mid-atlantic Football at the H.S. & college level, it’s time for us to recognize the same level of football athletes in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, & Utah, as well as coverage of the Arizona Cardinals NFL franchise & the Las Vegas Locos of the UFL. The FRO leadership team looks forward to taking on these new challenges. A quick note on the Radio broadcasts: they will continue to be broadcast on Eastern Time.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

By Rafael Garcia

Sr. Contributing Writer

Southeast Region

Baltimore 20 Houston 13

The Texans worked hard all year to achieve some goals. They wanted to win the AFC South and at the same time make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They accomplished those two goals, won a playoff game, but could not get as far as they would have hoped to get. Mistakes and a veteran defense won in the end. 

They faced a Ravens team intent on stopping the run game and put the pressure on rookie QB TJ Yates. The running game turned in a great performance with Arian Foster getting 132 yards on 27 carries. His team won that battle but could not overcome three picks by Yates when they hurt the most. Yates would finish 17-35 for 184 yards, but when his team was driving in the second half, he threw picks to Ladarius Webb and Ed Reed to seal Houston’s fate.

The Baltimore defense did not play up to their potential for three quarters. After the Ravens took a 17-3 lead they allowed the Texans to mount a comeback. A Neil Rackers field goal and a touchdown run by Foster made it 17-13. When crunch time came it was Reed and his fellow future hall-of-famer Ray Lewis that came up big. Lewis made the play,  that would set the defensive tone for the rest of the game. He would end up with a team-high seven tackles.Once again, the Baltimore defense would come through for them.

Baltimore played an ugly game as they had nine punts and just 11 first downs. After they took the 17-3 lead they only put up three points the rest of the way. On the other side of the coin, they did not commit a turnover and never committed a penalty. Not bad for winning ugly the Ravens way.

As for the Texans, it was a season of hope that fell just a bit short. They were hoping to get playoff production from a rookie quarterback. They needed Foster to get into the end zone more often, as well as not making costly mistakes. They could not put that all together, but the future looks bright.

They have the core needed to keep this thing going. They have a backfield and a

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quarterback. They have some young players on defense too. JJ Watt is going to be a monster for years to come, just to mention one. Andre Johnson has come of age and had a good game with eight catches for 111 yards. They played well enough to compete but not to get to the big one. With a healthy team and this year to build on, look for the Texans to take control of the South for the next few years.

The Ravens will move on to play the Patriots for the AFC championship next week in Foxboro. They will have to start that game like they finished this one, or they will be too far behind to catch up. Tom Brady will take advantage of ever opportunity they will give him. They will have to keep the pressure on him and jam his receivers before they get their route. They will have to find a way to limit Brady’s chances by keeping him off the field as much as they can. An ugly game will result in a horrible loss so they better come ready.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

By Rafael Garcia

Sr. Contributing Writer

Southeast Region

January 9, 2012

Houston 31 Cincinnati 10

A little more than 15 years ago the city of Houston woke to find themselves without and NFL team to call their own anymore. They had just lost the Oilers, who were moving to their new home in Nashville Tn. The wait lasted five years until they got their team back. They would have to wait to make the playoffs for a bit longer than that. Their wait was finally over this year as the team went 10-6 and won the AFC South for the first time. The only thing better at this point would be their first playoff win in franchise history.

It was the first game in NFL history that had two rookies start at quarterback, as well as the first in Reliant Stadium. They had some veterans that had been through all the losing and a head coach that was on the hot seat when the year began. What they got was the biggest win the team has ever had and now they will look to beat the Ravens of Baltimore next week.

T.J. Yates came in after taking over for an injured Matt Leinart. He put up some decent numbers but struggles to end the season. His stats would not tell the whole story as he went 11-20 for 159 yards and a 40-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson. Johnson had been hurt most of the year and was looking to have a big game. He ended up with five catches for 90 yards and that huge catch. Arian Foster remembers when he was told that he would not make it in this league. He showed how wrong they were since he came into the league. On this day he would carry his team with 24 carries for 153 yards, including the back breaker 42-yard score late in the fourth.

The Texans defense has been big all year with Wade Phillips running the show. They improved drastically this year and looked the part against the Bengals and their rookie signal caller Andy Dalton. They rushed and harassed him all day to force three picks. One of those was returned 29 yards by another rookie JJ Watt and that changed the momentum of the game. Dalton, the other rookie QB, was 27-42 for 257 yards but threw the picks that cost his team the game.

Now, it’s off to Baltimore and a game that Houston has a great chance to win. They will need to rely on Foster to set the tone for the game. If he can get off and move the ball it will give Yates time to throw. If the defense can get to Joe Flacco and keep Ray Rice in check they will move on to the AFC championship game. It has been one heck of a season when they needed it, but it gets harder from here on out. The Ravens will not go easy and if the Texans can pull that one off they will see who they play for the right to go to the big game.