New Faces, Few Changes for the Atlanta Falcons in 2009

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After a disastrous 4-12 meltdown in 2007 which included the mid season resignation of college coaching phenom Bobby Petrino and the public criticism of the coaching staff and franchise by players De Angelo Hall and Alge Crumpler, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank immediately started the process of resurrecting his irrelevant and ailing franchise by announcing that Rich McKay would no longer be the team’s General Manager.

Blank then started an extensive yet simultaneous search for a new General Manager and Head Coach to lead his football team.

Blank first hired a General Manager, a man named Thomas Dimitroff who brought with him to Atlanta a wealth of knowledge about how to build a Super Bowl champion. 

Dimitroff served as the New England Patriots’ director of college scouting and was a key part of a front office that constructed teams that won two Super Bowl championships in his four seasons on the job. 

With a general manager in place, the franchise then pursued an extensive list of deserving candidates to fill the head coaching vacancy left by Petrino. 

The list of candidates included the likes of USC head coach Pete Carroll, current Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano, Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, current Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, current Lions head coach Jim Schwartz, Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, and current Jets head coach Rex Ryan.  

Two weeks after hiring Dimitroff, the Falcons offered the head coaching position to Mike Smith, a man with zero head coaching experience at any level of football.

So far, the hires appear to have been good moves. 

Smith, a former assistant with the Baltimore Ravens and former defensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars, overcame the imprisonment of then franchise quarterback Michael Vick shortly after his hiring and rebuilt a divided locker room and got the players to buy into the new direction and system. 

The end result was a seven-game improvement from a 4-12 record in ’07 to 11-5 and a playoff berth in ’08. 

An active off-season that included the signing of veteran linebacker Mike Peterson, a trade that netted the franchise arguably the greatest tight end in the history of the game, Tony Gonzalez, for very little in return (a second round draft pick in 2010), and a draft that almost entirely focused on the defense where five 2008 starters were subtracted has the Falcons primed to make a deep run into the playoffs in Mike Smith’s second season at the helm. 

The personnel changes will allow Smith to better carry out his defensive philosophies in 2009.  The Falcons defense was a bend-but-don’t break type of unit in 2008.  The Falcons surrendered 348.2 yards per game, ranking them 24 in the league. 

The defense did, however, show considerable bite inside the red zone and surrendered only 20.3 points per game, ranking 11th in the league.  Smith wants the Falcons defense to more closely resemble the attacking defenses he coached in Baltimore and Jacksonville though: no bending or breaking. 

From 2003-2006, Smith’s defensive units in Jacksonville ranked fourth in the league in overall defense (296.6 yds. per game), third in offensive points allowed (16.1 per game), and fifth in rushing defense (99.3 yds. per game).  

While Smith was coaching the defensive line in Baltimore, the Ravens set an NFL 16-game regular season record by only allowing 165 points during their Super Bowl winning season in 2000.   

To raise the Falcons defense to that level, the team subtracted five starters who did not fit Smth’s defensive plan and philosophy.  Defensive tackle Grady Jackson, cornerback Dominique Foxworth, safety Lawyer Milloy, and linebackers Keith Brooking and Michael Boley were all allowed to sign elsewhere during the offseason. 

The addition of athletic linebacker Mike Peterson, several key rookies, and the return of massive defensive tackle Trey Lewis will allow Mike Smith greater flexibility in molding a defense that more closely resembles the highly successful units he coached in Jacksonville and Baltimore.

Returning starter Jonathan Babineaux and first-round draft pick Peria Jerry give the Falcons two one-gap defensive tackles that can be highly disruptive and blow up plays in opposing backfields. 

The addition of the versatile Peterson and the return of Trey Lewis from injury could be highly significant as it would allow Mike Smith the option of showing opposing offenses a 3-4 look on defense with Lewis lining up as a 2-gap nose tackle and Peterson moving inside with fellow linebacker Curtis Lofton.

John Abraham and Stephen Nicholas could stand up together on the weak side.

Greater flexibility on defense allows you to show opposing teams multiple looks.  The more looks you’re capable of stopping a team with, the more confusion you can cause, which is critical for a defense that wants to attack their foes and take them off the field in a hurry, particularly one that has as many question marks in the secondary as the Atlanta Falcons.

If Lewis cannot rebound from two ACL tears to the same knee, it would eliminate some of that flexibility and force the Falcons to stick more to their base defense. 

Offensively, the Falcons will not deviate from the run-heavy attack they utilized in 2008 despite the addition of Tony Gonzalez. The run-heavy offense coordinated by Mike Mularkey will still put a priority on running the ball with star Pro Bowler Michael Turner running behind a scrappy offensive line. 

The difference this year will be the passing game will be more effective with the presence of Gonzalez, who is a good fit for this offense because he can both block and of course catch passes.   

“We have a lot of guys back from what we’ve done last year and that helps when you come into situations like this. We’re not learning a new offense, we’re just fine-tuning what we did last year,” says quarterback Matt Ryan of the 2009 Falcons offense. 

Defenses will now be forced to have second thoughts about bringing a safety into the box in order to stop the run thanks to the presence of Gonzalez.

“(Defenses) can’t bring a safety down as much,” said Turner about the impact of Gonzalez. “We can use the middle of the field more.”

Opposing defensive coordinators will be forced to choose between either loading up the box to stop the run, or committing a safety to covering Gonzalez, who is too big for most safeties and too fast for most linebackers. Against seven-man fronts, the Falcons will have an opportunity to run the football effectively. 

With eight men in the box, the Falcons will have a chance to the throw the football, and given the quality and quantity of the weapons available to them in the passing games, expect the Falcons to burn their fair share of teams who dare bring a safety into the box with a play action pass.

With Gonzalez pulling a safety out of the middle of the field to account for his threat in the passing game, it gives a slot receiver like young Harry Douglas more room to work.  Expect Ryan to send quite a few passes flying Douglas’ way this season and for the second year wideout to take advantage.

Douglas could have better numbers this year than Pro Bowler Roddy White’s partner on the outside, Michael Jenkins. 

White and Jenkins should also find that the presence of Gonzalez will make their lives easier on the outside. With a safety keeping his eye on Gonzalez and given the fact that most linebackers are unable to cover Gonzalez, White will find that he’ll be seeing one on one coverage more frequently in 2009.

White and Jenkins will both have opportunities to make plays in single coverage situations all over the field with Gonzalez around.

Even with Gonzalez, don’t expect the number of passing plays the Falcons run to go up significantly. The Falcons will not suddenly become a team that throws the ball 35-40 times a game. Expect more big plays from the offense in general this season. 

You can also expect more touchdown passes, more passing yards, and a higher quarterback rating from Matt Ryan this season, but the average of 27 times per game that Ryan threw the ball in 2008 will not change much. Mularkey and Smith want to run the ball. Only injuries to the running back position could possibly change that. 

Who Will Spell MJD at RB?

When Maurice Jones-Drew joined the Jaguars in 2006, Jacksonville suddenly had one of the best running back tandems in the NFL.

Fred Taylor and MJD would take turns wearing defenses out. When the running game was on, there wasn’t a defense in the league that could stop it.

The one game that really sticks out in my mind is the 2006 home game against Indianapolis. I’ve never seen a running attack be so effective on the NFL level.

In that 44-17 win, Jones-Drew rushed for 166 yards and two scores on just 15 carries. Taylor only toted the ball nine times but had 131 yards and a score. That performance typified how dominant the running game could be with Taylor and Jones-Drew in the backfield.

In Jones-Drew’s rookie season, Jacksonville was ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards per game with 158.8. The next year, the Jaguars were second behind only Minnesota with 149.4 yards per game.

Last year, the production dropped off dramatically. Jacksonville rushed for 110.9 yards a game. Seventeen NFL teams rushed for more yards per game than the Jaguars in 2008.

Obviously, much of that decline can be attributed to the decimated offensive line. But Jacksonville faces a new challenge this coming season, as the team released Taylor and signed MJD to a four-year, $31 million deal with $17.5 million guaranteed.

“Pocket Hercules” certainly deserved to get a pay raise. His rookie contract had him making about $500,000 a year, a bargain when you consider his production.

But with great money also comes great responsibility, and Jones-Drew will be the featured back in 2009. Even though he’s the starting RB, he can’t do it alone.

Someone will have to spell Jones-Drew every now and then, and that’s a point of concern when you look at Jacksonville’s roster.

In addition to Jones-Drew, the Jaguars have five other running backs on the roster: Kyle Bell, Rashad Jennings, Montell Owens, Chauncey Washington and Alvin Pearman.

Jennings and Bell are both rookies, while Owens and Pearman are best known for their contributions on special teams. Last season was Washington’s rookie campaign, and he didn’t see much action.

Owens got two carries last year, both of which went for touchdowns. The memorable one came on a trick play in the 30-27 overtime win against Houston.

Owens is entering his fourth year in the league, but last year was the first time he’d ever carried the ball.

Pearman didn’t carry the ball one time last year and has 58 career carries. The most carries he’s ever had in a season was his rookie campaign in 2005, when he toted the ball 39 times.

Washington, the running back out of USC, carried the ball four times for a grand total of nine yards during his rookie season.

With a lack of RB experience on the depth chart, it’s hard to project which of these backs will step up and step in to the backup role.

One possibility is to see fullback Greg Jones carry the ball more. He hasn’t had the same kind of burst since tearing his ACL in 2006. But he’s still a load to try and tackle and could give MJD a quick breather.

The word coming out of OTAs is that Jennings has been very impressive. Jaguars.com writer Vic Ketchman wrote that the rookie RB from Liberty “has been eye-popping so far this spring.”

Having had a chance to watch some film on Jennings, he looks like a tough runner with good field vision and decent speed when he gets through the hole.

It’s hard to tell how much of his ability was magnified by the fact that he played against lesser competition. But don’t be surprised if the 6-foot-1, 234-pound back emerges as the No. 2 guy.

Air Davis Returns to Oakland

Since the beginning of time (or at least since 1963), it has been well known that Al Davis loves the deep pass. He won three Super Bowls by airing it out, and he’s been trying to do it again ever since.

In 2007, he drafted quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick of the draft. With one of the strongest arms the NFL has ever seen, he is the ideal quarterback to build his team around.

This year, he drafted wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, with the seventh overall pick of the draft. With a 4.3 second time on the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, he is the ideal receiver to pair up with Russell.

Davis hopes that Heyward-Bey is the next Cliff Branch, the blazing fast receiver who was a member of all three of the Raiders’ Super Bowl champion teams.

Unfortunately, it takes more than raw athletic ability to win in the NFL.

Great coaching is as important as ever.

The Raiders hired Ted Tollner as the team’s new passing game coordinator. After two seasons of Lane Kiffin and Gregg Knapp’s conservative short passing offense, expect Ted Tollner to take more chances and let JaMarcus Russell use his incredible arm to its full potential.

Ted Tollner is an indirect disciple of Don “Air” Coryell, the mind behind the high powered San Diego Chargers offense of the 1980’s. Tollner has held many offensive coordinator and offensive assistant coach jobs since 1987. He brings a ton of experience to the team and a ton of deep passes to the play book.

The Raiders have also built a dominant running game over the past couple years. Michael Bush, Darren McFadden, and Justin Fargas make one of the best offensive backfields in the league.

Tom Cable has sculpted the offensive line into a powerful run blocking unit with his zone blocking scheme. Jim Michalczik, Cal’s former assistant head coach/offensive line coach/offensive coordinator, was brought in to be the new Raiders offensive line coach.

Two of the league’s greatest offensive line minds will combine to make the Raiders dominate the trenches on offense.

This year, expect the Oakland Raiders offense to revolve around a dominant run game that sets up the deep pass.

Let the league be warned…the last time the Raiders did that they won Super Bowl XVIII.

Somethings New and Somethings Old: Meet the Jaguars’ Coaching Staff

A 5–11 season, following a playoff run, tends to be a warning sign that a team is nearing the end of it’s relevance. Teams can either hang on, and hope for one last hurrah, or make a drastic shift to try to nip the problem in the bud before bad habits and losses become a yearly occurrence.

Thankfully, the Jags chose the latter, and after an off–season purge, they are back with a fresh new look.

The most noticeable change comes in the form of one of the coordinators. Gregg Williams, bastion of giving up the big play and defender of all things sloppy, is gone.

Apparently, when the Jags hired defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, the job description stated something the following: “at absolutely no point should our defensive line be counted upon to either sack the quarterback or to stop the run. Defensive backs should jump at the receivers’ first twitch; odds are, he’s not going to make a double move.”

Gregg Williams fulfilled that requirement, and then some. However, the drunken intern who logged into the official Jags’ defensive coordinator online application and mucked it all up eventually fessed up to the changes and was canned (it’s handled much like a wiki, you can really add whatever you want).

After management cleared up that mess, they fired Gregg Williams as well, as he had coached the Jaguars defense to some of the worst numbers in head coach, Jack Del Rio’s tenure.

Replacing Williams is ex–Cleveland Brown’s defensive coordinator, Mel Tucker.

Two, often overlooked positions, the special teams coordinator and the strength and conditioning coach, are held by shining, new faces as well.

You will get to meet each of the new guys, but you won’t get to haze them. We adhere to a strict, no hazing rule, here in Jacksonville. You’ll also get to re–meet the old guys.

After 5 months of other, useless crap getting saved on your brainputers, you’ve probably forgotten all about the Jaguars (I know I deleted 2008).

Andrew Walter Is the Odd Man Out in Oakland

It’s pretty clear by now that Andrew Walter is not part of the long-term plans of the Oakland Raiders. 

 

Being that Walter is a no-show at “voluntary” OTAs, this pretty much solidifies the theory.

 

The drafting of JaMarcus Russell, and now the signing of both a veteran in Jeff Garcia and a third stringer in Bruce Gradkowski, leads me to believe Walter will either be waived or traded. Most likely this will happen sometime during the preseason when the Raiders’ hand is forced by mandatory cuts.

 

The reason this has not happened sooner is because Al Davis cannot be bothered with working a trade for Walter and instead has let him languish on the bench—or, in this case, languish in his comfortable living room.

 

A few years ago there was talk of a trade with Jacksonville that did not materialize.

 

Instead of doing what’s right and letting the guy move on with his career, Al’s tendency is to keep a guy around but not give him playing time or give him an explanation why.  It’s his way of showing displeasure to players who he feels have not lived up to their abilities or their contract. 

 

That’s just Al. 

 

He doesn’t want a player to go to a team where he can come back and haunt the Raiders.

 

It’s an unrealistic and vindictive approach, but that is the mind of Al Davis.

 

Let’s look at how we got to this point.

 

Walter was ballyhooed as a 2005 draft pick and did very well as a rookie in preseason, even though he fought through injuries during that time.

 

He was overlooked as starter material the following season; instead, Al recruited Aaron Brooks. We all know how that turned out.

 

So the plan all along was for Walter to be used as QB depth. However, in 2006 injury to Aaron Brooks pressed Walter into full-time duty behind a shaky offensive line—not to mention, of course, the woefully inferior offensive game planning by what’s his name, the bed and breakfast guy hired by Art Shell.

 

As we all know, the results were mostly not a very good refection of Walter’s abilities or the Raiders. Not to say he was terrible as a starter, but he never really had a chance to succeed. 

 

The man was, in fact, set up to fail.

 

Let’s be honest, Andrew Walter has never had a serious opportunity to be a long-term starter in Oakland.

 

I don’t think drafting JaMarcus Russell was a good decision by the Raiders in the first place. His contract holdout only soured me, and his partially decent play last season did not impress me enough.

 

All things considered, I am not a huge Andrew Walter fan either. I think he comes across as arrogant in the interviews I have read. BUT, I do believe he would have won more games than JaMarcus did as a starter.

 

I think Walter is a smarter QB than JaMarcus Russell. He is a more accurate thrower and a much better passer in general. Andrew Walter understands game planning and reading defenses. Walter is by far a more complete QB than JaMarcus Russell.

 

The negatives with Walter are he appears to be injury prone. He also obviously has an attitude. Not showing up for voluntary workouts is not a good way to make yourself good trade bait or impress other teams.

 

Andrew Walter has tons of talent. We know this. He amassed exceptional stats with Arizona State, and despite some difficult circumstances in Oakland, he has shown he is very capable of making clutch plays.

 

I have no doubt if Walter was playing last season the Raiders would have won a lot more games. 

 

That’s just my opinion, and as usual, Al Davis has damaged his team by throwing his money at an undisciplined, lesser talent in JaMarcus Russell rather than giving the best QB they have had on the roster for a few years now another shot.

 

Who has Walter sat behind on the depth chart as a Raider?

 

The only worthy guy I can spot is Kerry Collins. He had more experience, has a bigger arm, and in the right system can be very effective. He did not do as poorly as people criticized him for when he was in Oakland, but the team lost too many games, so Collins was gone.

 

That should have been reason to promote Walter…but it never happened. 

 

He played behind:

 

Aaron Brooks? That was just an awful decision to bring him in.

 

Daunte Culpepper? Bah.

 

Josh McCown? C’mon, who’s kidding who?

 

If we forget 2006, Andrew Walter has always given the Raiders the best chance to win games. That’s the reality of the situation, but now we’ll never know.

Eleven Reasons the Dallas Cowboys Will Win the NFC East in 2009

The Dallas Cowboys can and will win the NFC East in 2009.

The statisticians and experts can sing the praises of the great moves the Eagles and Giants made during this offseason. 

Dallas hasn’t made the same great moves in free agency or drafted any impact players. However, the Cowboys have several off-the-field factors that have galvanized this team and should make them the Beast of the East this coming season.

Below you’ll find 11 reasons, in honor of Roy Williams, that tell you how and why.

 

1.  Improved chemistry—This may be the most-talked about, and talked-to-death, aspect of the upcoming season in Dallas.  However, the Cowboys could sure be helped by not dealing with T.O.’s tweets and all else that comes with the mercurial wide receiver.  

Despite being great guys, cutting loose Safety Roy Williams and Greg Ellis will rid the Cowboys of two guys constantly upset with their roles on the team.

2.  Offseason work—The Dallas media has also run stories of Tony Romo and Roy Williams working out, everyday on the ground.  Again though, you have to acknowledge the benefits of this workout chemistry and new-found timing between Romo and his new No. 1 receiver.

3.  Injuries balance out—Football Outsiders say the Cowboys were the healthiest team in the NFL from 2003-2007.  So, last year, the pendulum swung back and Dallas suffered several key injuries.  If the Cowboys return closer toward a healthy extreme, or at least to the mean, Dallas won’t suffer from key losses while playing in the toughest division in football.

4.  Tony Romo is tired—If you listen to Romo’s interviews after OTAs the last couple of days, you would notice something very different about him.  

The quarterback is tired of T.O., tired of playoff failure, tired of his own celebrity, and tired of being a great quote.  When being “just happy to be here” is no longer good enough, players develop the edge needed to advance to the next level.

5.  Improved running game—In Marion Barber III and Tashard Choice, the Cowboys have two chain-moving backs that have proven themselves against teams in tough December and January games.  

Felix Jones is a legitimate game-breaker, ready to emerge as a go-to highlight on Sportscenter this year.  The offensive line has been together for three years now, and Year Three seems to be when line continuity can make a line dominant.

6.  Two-headed tight end monster—Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett are the best tight end combination in the NFL.  Most experts consider Witten to be the most complete tight end alive, and Bennett averaged 14 yards per catch and had four touchdowns as a rookie.

7.  The best pass rush in football—Our mutual friend Bill Simmons has a theory that in this age of parody in the NFL, the team that does one thing better than anyone else does their best thing should win the Super Bowl, i.e. 2007 Giants’ pass rush.  

The Dallas Cowboys have had the best pass rush in football going back to the St. Louis game in Week Seven, when DeMarcus Ware had three sacks.  With the team breaking even along the front seven during free agency, the pass rush unit should be the story of the 2009 Cowboys.

8.  Joe DeCamillis—Before Coach Joe 2.0 turned into a Willis Reed-type story at OTAs, he had already impressed all observers with his attention to detail and passion for special teams.  After the disaster that was Bruce Read, Dallas will reap huge rewards from hiring DeCamillis to be Special Teams Moses.

9.  Media backing off?—For Tony Romo and every other guy with a star on his helmet, living in a 24 hour media circus can wear you down and hurt your on-field performance.

With T.O. in Buffalo and the collapse at the end of the last three seasons, the national (not the local) media have migrated to better stories for the time being.

10.  Demarcus Ware wants to get paid—Ware will lead the NFL in sacks again and challenge for Defensive Player of the Year, either to justify a newly-signed contract or upcoming monster contract.

11.  Careers at crossroads—Wade Phillips has never held a head coaching job longer than three years, and this is his third in Dallas.  Tony Romo has had three consecutive disastrous ends to his season.  Jerry Jones traded for a true No. 1 Receiver in Roy Williams, and so far Williams has played like No. 2.  

Considering all of these reasons and more, these players have to prove they can succeed in the spotlight of the Cowboys, or find themselves being exiled to Buffalo or Cincinnati where the lights aren’t quite so bright.

 

Updated Dolphins Depth Chart

It is amazing to me that all of the “top” web sites for the major networks have such a hard time assembling an accurate depth chart.  I just visited about five web sites trying to get an accurate picture of the future training camp battles. 

I learned one thing. 

I, as a fan, know more about team personnel than the professionals who get paid to the job.  I don’t mean to pat myself on the back, but does this bother anyone else besides me? 

I probably won’t be 100 percent accurate and will listen to any corrections if anyone has any insight to offer.

Most sites have players in wrong positions, missing players, and outdated depth charts. You would think that big name web sites would be more active and accurate when it comes to their bread and butter, but I guess they don’t consider it a priority.

I do have to give “props” to Omar Kelly, from the Sun Sentinel, who had a pretty accurate depth chart in a May article and always provides great insight on the Dolphins position battles. The story was picked up by FoxSports.com as well.  It was written about a month ago and does not include recent transactions. 

He and I do differ on certain players.

Some of the positions will change as we get a clearer picture of the team depth chart.  I will speculate to a certain degree when it comes to recent draft picks and new free agents.  I will also place players where I think they fit after the competition shakes out and based on abilities. 

Some players will alternate between positions.

(injury concerns)

 

OFFENSE:

QB: Chad Pennington, Chad Henne, and Pat White

RB: Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Patrick Cobbs, and Lex Hilliard

FB: Lousaka Polite and Chris Brown

TE: Anthony Fasano, David Martin, Joey Haynos, John Nalbone, and Jared Bronson

SE (X): Greg Camarillo, Brandon London, Patrick Turner, Ernest Wilford, and Brennan Marion

FL (Z): Ted Ginn Jr., Anthony Armstrong, Todd Lowber, and Chris Williams

Slot: Davone Bess and Brian Hartline

LT: Jake Long, Andrew Gardner, and SirVincent Rogers

LG: Justin Smiley, Andy Alleman, and J.D. Quinn

C: Jake Grove

RG: Donald Thomas, Brandon Frye, Joe Berger, and Ikechuku Ndukwe

RT: Vernon Carey, Nate Garner, and SirVincent Rogers

 

DEFENSE:

SDE: Kendall Langford, Tony McDaniel, Rodrique Wright, and Ryan Baker

NT: Jason Ferguson, Paul Soliai, Joe Cohen, and Louis Ellis

WDE: Phillip Merling, Randy Starks, and Lionel Dotson

SOLB: Matt Roth/Jason Taylor, Quentin Moses, Tearrius George, and Orion Baker

SILB: Akin Ayodele and William Kershaw

WILB: Channing Crowder, Reggie Torbor, and J.D. Folsom

WOLB: Joey Porter, Charlie Anderson, Cameron Wake, and Erik Walden

SCB: Will Allen, Sean Smith, Jason Allen, Joey Thomas, and Will Billingsley

SS: Yeremiah Bell, Tyrone Culver, and Courtney Bryan

FS: Gibril Wilson, Chris Clemons, and Ethan Kilmer

WCB: Eric Green, Vontae Davis, Nathan Jones, and Scorpio Babers

Special Teams:

P: Brandon Fields and Jy Bond

K: Dan Carpenter

LS: John Denney

PR: Brian Hartline

KR: Ted Ginn Jr.

It will be interesting to see who ends up with return duties.  I was not impressed with Davone Bess as a Punt Returner last year.  He was sure handed but offered little run after the catch ability as a wide receiver or returner. 

I also don’t know if Tony Sporano will continue to use Ginn as a Kick Returner.  He could be very dangerous with an improved blocking unit, but he may be needed more as a wide out.  I don’t see anyone else on our roster that scares anyone as a returner.  Cobbs was pretty good but does not possess the necessary speed.

Buffalo Bills Playbook = Audible 101 (T-Gun)

The 2009 Buffalo Bills are looking to bring a new offense to the field. With all of their new weapons, they are in a great position to instill the no huddle offense. Here are a couple of examples of plays used in the vintage K-Gun via 1994. I have inserted the Buffalo Bills 2009 corresponding receivers to provide illustration if the type of mismatches opposing defenses will be faced with.

Purple Pride Defined: My Journey to Becoming a Minnesota Vikings Fan

Within every fan there exists a story about the path that brought them to wear the colors of their favorite team. There are millions of NFL fans around the world, each one with a unique background.

The colors that I wear are purple and gold and that will never change

As an Atlanta native, my situation is different than most. I am constantly asked the question: “Why the Minnesota Vikings?” I usually just smile, because my connection to the Vikings is one that is not easily explained.

I was born and raised in Georgia, but I have always been a Viking. My father, Eddie Gunn, had a passion for the Vikings that may never be matched. He never lived in Minnesota, either. Born in Virginia, he saw the Vikings on television at the age of six and never looked back. Even through the heartbreak of four Super Bowl losses, my dad stuck with the Vikings.

They say the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree; this could not be more true when it came to me becoming a fan. From the age of three, I was with my father at a local sports grill watching the Vikings. I remember players like Wade Wilson, Anthony Carter, and Rich Gannon.

In the beginning, the only thing I cared about when we went to watch the games were Shirley Temples and begging for quarters so I could play in the arcade. The older I got, the more I became attached to the real reason why we were at the sports bar—to root for the Vikings.

At 12 years old, I officially joined the purple nation when we went to my first Vikings game. It was against the Atlanta Falcons and Brad Johnson led us to victory. In that same season, I saw the Vikings win their first playoff game of the 90’s; a 23-22 victory against the Giants.

Although I could recount a number of memorable games that have some type of meaning to me, it is the bond that the Vikings gave my father and I that is really behind my love for them. Every Sunday during the NFL season was about the two of us, rooting for the Vikes, together.

My life took an unfortunate turn during the 2005 season when my dad was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. The same weekend he was in the hospital after having major surgery, the Vikings were playing their biggest rival, the Green Bay Packers.

At halftime, they were down 17-0. My dad was not able to watch the game while he was in the hospital and I had to call him to tell him that things were not looking good. Everything seemed to be falling apart and for the first time I no longer cared if the Vikings won or lost.

A funny thing happened in the second half though; the Vikings scored 20 straight points to take a three point lead in the fourth quarter. Then, Brett Favre marched the Packers down field and they tied the game with under a minute left. The Vikings were able to get back into Packers territory and the game came down to a 53-yard field goal attempt by Paul Edinger.

It was in that moment, as the ball sailed perfectly through the uprights, that I knew I would be loyal to this team for the rest of my life. Even though my father passed away a year later, in 2006, I always feel close to him when I am watching the Vikings.

His loyalty and passion for the Vikings and everything else in life inspired me to never give up on anything.

It is easy for Vikings fans to wonder if the team they love so much will ever win an elusive Super Bowl trophy. My advice to them is this; if you are passionate enough for the Vikings, enjoy every single game. Celebrate every win, embrace every loss. It may be cliche, but you have to take the good with the bad.

We know what heartache feels like. The long time followers have experienced defeat in four Super Bowls. The younger generation of fans, like myself, saw a team go 15-1 during the regular season, only to lose to the Falcons in the NFC Championship in overtime at the Metrodome.

If that game wasn’t bad enough, in 2003 we were forced to watch our team’s playoff chances fizzle when Nate Poole caught a touchdown pass on the last play of the game to end the Vikings’ season.

So, yes, we know what it feels like to come just short. While it may be hard to see Steelers fans brag about their six Super Bowl rings and hear Bears fans talk about the 1985 season, just know our day will come. All the agony of defeat, all the thoughts of potential that was never quite reached, that will all be gone.

Although it is interesting to know why someone became a fan of a team, it is the reason why they stay a fan that truly tells their story. The connection that I feel to my father when I am watching the Vikings is what gets me excited for every game.

That, combined with the anticipation I feel when I think about the day they are crowned Super Bowl champions, is why I will always be a fan of the Minnesota Vikings.

Who Is John Sullivan?

Matt Birk will still be wearing purple, but it will be purple and black, not purple yellow.

So, who will be the starting center for the Minnesota Vikings?

The early front runner is John Sullivan, a second-year player out of Notre Dame. He had limited playing time in his first year with the Vikings, but impressed the coaching staff enough to let Birk sign elsewhere.

Here are a few questions I would ask Sullivan in a interview to get his story.

No. 1: What type of blocker do you consider yourself? It would be interesting to see if he thinks he is better in the run or pass game.

No. 2: You are expected to replace a former Pro Bowler and native of St. Paul in Matt Birk. What are you doing to prepare for training camp and the pressure of replacing a player like Birk? I would like to know if he is doing anything different this year than he did last, since he is entering his second training camp and season.

No. 3: Were you surprised when the Vikings took you in the sixth round with the 187th pick overall? I’m sure he heard from the Vikings leading into the draft, but there wasn’t any talk about him prior to it.

No. 4: What was it like playing for Notre Dame? This could get some great stories about the tradition and grandeur of the program.

No. 5: Was there any pressure to perform as a player at Notre Dame, like we hear about with the coaching staff? We hear all the time about current Irish coach Charlie Weis being on the hot seat, even after winning a bowl game. It would be interesting to hear if that pressure is felt by the players as well.

No. 6: While playing for the Irish you had several teammates, including Ryan Harris and Trevor Laws, that grew up in the Twin Cities. Did those guys give you advice about living in the Twin Cities, good restaurants or nightlife hot-spots to visit? It would be interesting to find out what displaced Minnesotans have to say about the cities.

No. 7: Have you been able to try any local cuisines or something you had not tried before coming to Minnesota? This could be food or entertainment. I wonder if he’s tried Lutefisk yet.

No. 8: Your brother played rugby in college at Indiana. So both of you played physical sports at a high level. What were your sibling scuffles like growing up? This could be the most interesting part of the interview. I may need to contact his brother for the truth, though.

With those questions, you would get a better understanding of who could be anchoring the Vikings’ offensive line this season.

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