Rey Maualuga: A Mock, Yet Candid, Interview

If there is one new Bengal the media or fans could interview, it would have to be Rey Maualuga.  The linebacker was great in college and might finally give the Bengals a big-time tackler they need.

Maualuga has the potential to be the steal of the 2009 draft. Will he be? Time will only tell.

Here are some questions I would ask the linebacker if given the chance:

1)  First off, Rey, how do you like the weather here in Georgetown, Ky.? The Midwest is a little different than Southern California, huh?

2)  Have you thought about talking to the people at the pro-shop about creating some stick-on Rey Maualuga tattoos?

3)  Have you had a chance to try Skyline Chili? If you have and don’t care for it, just lie. You’ll break the hearts of Bengals fans.

4)  OK, so how does it feel to be playing alongside teammate Keith Rivers again? Is it helping you transition?

5) How about playing with so many other Trojans? There is a bunch of you (four Trojans); the most from any college.

6) What are some of your own personal goals for this upcoming season?

7) Who is the one quarterback you would love to get your first career sack against?

8) How about the one receiver you would be licking your chops if he went across the middle?

9) Finish this sentence for me: “halfway through the season I am going to be…”

So those are the few questions I would ask Maualuga; some light-hearted questions and some serious. I think they would generate some good answers and give all the Bengals fans a better insight into the popular rookie linebacker.

The Buck Stops With Dick

Consider me twice bitten. I’m a Buffalo native now living in Chicago. I’ve suffered a double shot of Dick Jauron and I’m reeling.

It should be clear by now that Dick Jauron, as nice as he may be, as much as the players may like him, as intelligent as he may be, Yalie that he is, is not head coach material.

Like most Buffalo fans, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Unlike most Buffalo fans, I’d already suffered through his under-achievement in Chicago and I still gave him the benefit of the doubt.

There is only one reason I gave him this; Marv Levy.

Marv liked him. Marv hired him. I was willing to assume that Marv knew something I didn’t. Now I’m concluding that Marv was blinded by friendship.

Like the past three head coaches Buffalo has suffered through, Jauron is a notable coordinator. Like Wade Philips, Gregg Williams, and Mike Malarkey, he should have remained a coordinator. His future is as a coordinator.

In the meantime, the buck stops with Dick. What can be said of his coordinators and assistants? It flows from the head coach on down.

Bobby April is the one exception, the one bright spot on the Buffalo sidelines.  April has created and maintained the league’s best special teams.

Perhaps April should be the head coach. Special teams can win games, especially close ones, and more than a few Bills games in the Jauron era have been won by special teams.

On the other hand, more than a few have been closer than they should have been because of the coaching. More than a few have been lost because of the coaching. Conservatively, three games in ’08 could have easily been victories. The Bills would have been 10-6, in the playoffs and likely division champs.

One could argue that in 2007 the Bills lost at least three games due to coaching errors in close contests. Again, they could have been 10-6 and in the playoffs, despite a mid season injury to Trent Edwards.

Having the bi-city perspective on Dick Jauron, it is significant that the same things have been written and said about Jauron in Buffalo that were said about him in Chicago.

In both cities, he has taken talented teams into reverse. There has been a great deal of instability at key positions, especially quarterback under Jauron in Buffalo, just as in Chicago.

It’s as if he can’t make up his own mind who his starting quarterback should be and the indecision infects the quarterbacks themselves.   

Another popular complaint about Jauron is that he is dispassionate. Fans want to see him get excited about something. They want to see anger and elation. They want to see a pulse.

So the question is; is coaching a tragic flaw for the Bills in 2009?

The answer; more likely than not.

It is still possible that Jauron can find his groove and the team with him? If things go well with TO, then who knows?

Perhaps those who defend Jauron as being a victim of hauntingly similar circumstances in Chicago and Buffalo and having done well, according to his supporters, to achieve a 7-9 record the past two years given the cards he was dealt, will be proven right.

Perhaps if he’d been kept on in Chicago another year or two he would have had a break out year there. Perhaps this will be his break out year. We doubt it, but would enjoy being proven wrong.

Predicting the New York Jets 53-Man Roster: Special Teams/Practice Squad

This is the first of three articles that will break down my predictions for the Jets’ 53-man roster. First up will be the special teams and practice squad followed by the defense on Monday and the offense on Tuesday.

 

Special Teams—Jay Feely (PK), T.J. Conley or Eric Wilbur (P), and James Dearth (LS)

Jay Feely was hanging out on the free agent market when the Jets gave him a call after starting kicker Mike Nugent was hurt in the team’s first game. He signed on with the Jets on Sept. 8, 2008.

Feely did a great job in place of Nugent, going 24 for 28 in field goals and 39 for 39 in PATs. He did so well that the front office and coaching staff decided to bring him back instead of Nugent this year, and he re-signed with the team on a one-year deal.

It was also Feely’s game-winning 34-yard field goal in overtime against the Patriots that put the Jets in sole possession of first place in the AFC East for the first time since Nov. 19, 2001. 

Over the past four seasons, Feely has been very accurate with a field goal percentage of 83.3 or higher.

T.J. Conley and Eric Wilbur will compete this summer for the starting job as the Jets’ punter. The best bet would be that the loser ends up on the practice squad.

Conley went undrafted this past April despite entering the NFL Draft after spending four seasons with the Idaho Vandals in College. After leading the NCAA in punting this past season, he was named to the prestigious Walter Camp All-American Team as a First Team selection.

Wilbur was signed by the Houston Texans in 2007 after going undrafted, but didn’t make it past Aug. 8, when he was released. The Jaguars quickly scooped him up only to hold onto him for a mere twelve hours before he was released again.

The Jets signed him on Apr. 15 to compete for the starting job.

James Dearth.

He is what he is…a long snapper…and one of the best in the league.

What else do you want me to say?

 

Practice Squad

QB—Chris Pizzotti—Another camp arm for the Jets. From the sound of it, he’s giving Erik Ainge a run for his money.

Could be the Jets’ future third quarterback.

RB—Danny Woodhead—The NCAA’s All-Time leading rusher ran for 7,962 yards in his NCAA career and 9,749 all-purpose yards, good for second all-time. At 5’7″ and 195lbs., he faces an uphill battle to make it in the NFL.

FB—Brannan Southerland—Could be the Jets’ future fullback after Tony Richardson leaves/retires.

OT—Ryan McKee—A projected late-round pick, was twice named second Team All-Conference USA by the coaches.

Could be a projected offensive tackle.

WR—Marcus Henry—The Jets sixth round pick of the 2008 NFL Draft has the height to give the Jets a nice big target in the redzone, but at this point, the Jets need more than that. Perhaps an injury could move Henry to the active roster.

P—T.J. Conley/Eric Wilbur—One of these two will win the battle; the loser will be on the practice squad ready to take the other’s job away if one has any hiccups.

DE/LB—Jamaal Westerman—The local product of Rutgers could make it in the NFL in the right system as a situational pass rusher.

DE—Brian Schaefering—Another defensive end that the Jets can have available to them considering the age of their defensive line starters.

 

Next up: Defense—Monday and Offense—Tuesday

Bills’ 2009 Playbook for the Layperson: ABC’s Not X’s & O’s

The average football fan brain shuts down when the TV pundits start writing X’s and O’s on the screen, diagramming plays. Those who have actually played football may get it. The rest just wait for the announcers to switch back to English.

Therefore, I will discuss the strategy the Bills need to emphasize in the coming season in language that even the least technically savvy fan will easily comprehend.

Rather than hearkening back to plays that worked last season or specific plays that should work this coming season, we’ll talk big picture strategy.

First, coaching decisions must improve.

If Jauron wants to keep his job, he has to make better calls under pressure, needs to take more risks, and go for it on fourth down more often.

Second, use the sand lot approach.

Let the quarterback innovate, use the no-huddle at least some of the time, do some double reverses, fake field goals and punts, do an onside kick in the middle of the game sometime, put in some running plays for the quarterback and some passing plays for the running back (as passer), and be predictably unpredictable.

Third, throw to TO or fake a throw to TO.

Fourth, throw to TO or fake a throw to TO.

Fifth, on the other side of the ball, whatever you have to do, find a way to keep the pressure on the quarterback.

Sacks MUST increase dramatically.

In summary, it can be argued that the offensive line is at least slightly improved and the net effect of offseason personnel changes on the defensive side is a positive.

TO will make Edwards better, and Evans, and Reed, and anyone else on the receiving end of the football.

So…

A. Capitalize on TO.

B. Improvise always.

C. Terrorize on defense.

Nuff said.  

 

 

I’ll Never Let Go, Tom Brady: My Love Affair with the ’01 Patriots

I vividly remember the moment anytime the glorious scent of donuts strikes my nose.

I was in college and my friends and I were putting the finishing touches on a modest pregame spread to celebrate what appeared to be a mismatched Super Bowl.

The New England Patriots were playing the St. Louis Rams in the Superdome, and I couldn’t be less invested in either team. But it was the Super Bowl…and I would watch because of a strong moral obligation.

To hedge against the impending blowout, my friends and I compiled a conventional selection of game day foods with one notable exception…donuts.

Predictably, none of us minded that a friend, inexperienced with game-day cuisine, had provided one dozen deliciously glazed and glistening donuts. Sitting between wings and chips, they weren’t bad.

Just different.

We maneuvered around my cramped dorm room as the festivities began to subside and the business of player introductions loomed about. This was always my favorite part of the Super Bowl because it was one of the only times where I was able to discern genuine emotion and nervousness from the players.

The magnitude of the game was written on each individual face.

But the emotion was even more evident in light of the events of September 11th. While the usual pomp and circumstance of the game was on full display, the notion of a unified patriotism was clearly evident through all the pregame performers.

For me, the atmosphere was vaguely reminiscent to Super Bowl XXV in 1991 after Whitney Houston’s performance of the Star Spangled Banner. The stadium was full of emotion with the Gulf War weighing heavily on most American minds.

I was glad to be watching the Super Bowl and feeling proud of my country just months after finding myself in a Spanish class where our teacher inexplicably communicated to us in indecipherable Spanish that the World Trade Center was being attacked.

Released from class early, we wandered around campus oblivious to the developments but aware that something was amiss.

Even though the teams disinterested me, the merging of all these feelings, along with one of the teams being named the “Patriots,” was more than enough to gain a small notion of intrigue and persuasive rooting interest in the game.

The player introductions began, which meant the Rams would be trotting out the key components of the “Greatest Show on Turf.” One-by-one, the most impressive offense assembled in my lifetime was introduced.

When the time came for the Patriots to be introduced, something odd happened.

Instead of hearing the individual names of the offense or defense, the entire team pooled out onto the field, each individual forming one large and cohesive unit.

It was at that moment that I became a fan of the New England Patriots.

Whether it was a testament to the underdog status, the fervor of patriotism, or the team entrance onto the field, I’ll never be able to honestly say what most contributed to my conversion. But as a lifelong believer in the importance of teamwork and the solidarity of camaraderie, the Patriots’ approach spoke to me.

Their offensive strategy was as provocative as an episode of The Golden Girls, and it stood in stark contrast to the track-meet style of the Ram’s offense—but it was blue-collar and deliberate.

And it worked.

In fact, their entire roster could have been described as blue-collar and deliberate. Instead of focusing on big name free agents with equally large price tags, the Patriots plundered through other team’s scrap heaps to make shrewd signing after shrewd signing.

Cast-aways and also-rans were reborn as Patriots, mirroring the composition of our nascent nation’s militias that fought against red-coated and blue-blooded cousins from across the pond.

And though it may seem silly to put so much meaning into a game when there was a much larger undertaking going on throughout our country, the team, their name, and the mantra of the night all converged into something bigger and more profound than a sport’s championship.

Through the entirety of the game, my interest and investment in the Patriots grew rapidly. The ups-and-downs of the game gnawed at me. While I had begun the night disinterested and impartial, as the seconds ticked away I needed the Patriots to win.

There was a bigger symbolism that had to be served.

The Patriots’ vanquishing of the Rams in overtime was the subtle gesture of symbolism I needed. The nature of the upset recalled the original essence of our country and the sturdy foundation of stubbornness that it was built upon.

Even though our courtship was brief, the ’01-’02 Patriots are my favorite all-time team. I continue to root for the Patriots, not just because of the meaning I’ve attached to that night, but because (Spygate aside) they continue to be a franchise that stands apart from all the others.

Kind of like those donuts.

My REAL Interview with Edwin Williams of the Washington Redskins

 

Alphabet Soup: The Best Names From the Frozen Tundra

It’s time to look at some of the best names to play for the Green Bay Packers.

Some of these names are funny, others are not, while some are just plain strange and odd.

The careers of these guys range from one game to several years in Green Bay.

Something to note though; there is no O, U, V or X simply because no name in those lists stood out as being funny or odd to me.

So without further ado, here are some of the greatest names to ever play on the Frozen Tundra.

Dallas Cowboys Season Preview: Coaching Staff

The Dallas Cowboys haven’t changed their coaching staff much this offseason, and while there won’t be any more changes this season, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a change in the way the Cowboys play. But they better be successful since the coaching staff’s jobs are on the hot seat.

Jerry Jones finally listened to his staff and released Terrell Owens. Now, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will have the freedom to draw up plays for Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, and the others.

Tony Romo can finally  throw to the open man—instead of eyeing Owens all day.

Jason Witten will still get a ton of balls thrown to him, but watch out for Martellus Bennett, who caught 20 balls for 283 yards and four touchdowns last season. As the season went on, Garrett gained more confidence in Bennett.  So as this season progresses, and if he can put his off-the-field issues past him, he should be a strong contributor.

However, for the Cowboys to be successful they need to run the ball more—a lot more. The Cowboys were 25th in the NFL in rush attempts per game, and of the top 10 teams in that category, only the Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, and New England Patriots failed to make the playoffs.

Granted, the injuries to Felix Jones and Marion Barber didn’t help much, but it did give the Cowboys a chance to see what Tashard Choice can do on the field—and now Garrett has to be thinking about running the ball more, especially with that huge offensive line in front of them.

Garrett will also want to take some of the pressure off of the receivers, and Romo is the perfect way to do it. After being praised for the Cowboys’ explosive offense in 2007 and becoming the highest paid coordinator in the league, the Cowboys faltered in 2008. When Phillips’ job was in jeopardy, Garrett’s name didn’t come up as a possible successor, so now people are wondering if he can run a successful offense—or just a highlight one.

The Cowboys don’t have a defensive coordinator, mostly because the coordinator they had last season, Brian Stewart, wasn’t improving the defense. While Stewart was calling the plays, the Cowboys gave up 25+ points in five of the first nine weeks. After head coach Wade Phillips took over, the Cowboys gave up more than 25 twice—the last two weeks of the season.

Stewart expected the Cowboys’ front three to generate pressure themselves, and normally played zone defense behind it, which resulted in no pressure and big pass plays for the opposition. That all changed when Phillips took over the team, who brought the house constantly on third downs, resulting in a ton of sacks and DeMarcus Ware leading the NFL with 20.

Now that Phillips has taken over the main defensive responsibilities, expect the pressure to keep coming. Phillips is a very good defensive coach and has improved the unit of every team he’s been a part of—you can expect him to make the Cowboys better. 

Speaking of Phillips, this is probably his last strike with the Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones kept Phillips after the December debacle and after the Eagles ran them over, knocking them out of playoff contention. In Phillips’ first two years with the Cowboys they’ve seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows, but Jones wants consistency and winning to go hand in hand.

Phillips’ player-friendly attitude hasn’t led to much of either.

Phillips has promised to be harder on his players this season, but he’s no Bill Parcells, so yelling and screaming isn’t going to work for him. Holding his players accountable and playing those who are performing instead of those with the bigger contract is the right course for Phillips. He needs to get the Cowboys to the playoffs and win this season—just getting there isn’t enough anymore. Anything less, especially another December meltdown, will result in Phillips sitting in a pregame studio.

Why TO and Buffalo Are a Match Made in Heaven: Imagine the Interview

Conventional wisdom doesn’t play well in Buffalo. That’s why, when the rest of the world was laughing at the Bills’ decision to sign TO to a one year contract, most Buffalo fans were celebrating.

It’s true that TO has been a toxic asset for all his former teams. It could be said he’s all about himself, not a team player, divisive, uncoachable. But that was then. This is Buffalo.

Buffalo is the kind of town that sends thousands to the airport to welcome the new star on his first trip back to the Niagara Region after inking the deal. Already, TO realizes he’s not in Dallas any more, or Philly, or Miami, or…

It’s true that TO’s ego is too big to coexist with another marquee player—especially an offensive one. So Buffalo could be just what the doctor ordered.

Or the match-maker.

If it’s true that for every person on this earth, there’s at least one person out there who will be their one true love, then for every professional athlete, there’s at least one city in the league that will love them almost as much as they love themselves.

As Terrell Owens realized before getting out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport last week, at long last, he has found his true love.

All he has to do is catch the ball or distract defenders so Reed or Evans can catch it, and he’ll end up with his name on the Wall of Fame at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

That’s right. Even if his wide receiver counterparts end up catching more passes because he’s drawing double coverage, the fans will be explicit and effusive with their worship, and TO will forget he’s not getting as many balls as he wants. There’s one thing he needs more than passes—praises.   

If there is any city in the NFL where TO can last more than one season without melting down, it is Buffalo. But success for him is not a given. He will have to reciprocate the adulation or eventually the fans will turn.

If we had the opportunity, we’d ask him a few questions to determine how well he understands this.

Terrell, have you had your Buffalo Wings yet? Have you eaten Beef on Weck? (You know, Beef on Weck. Like Philly Beef with salt on the buns and horseradish where the cheese would be.)  

Terrell, have you bought a house yet? Did you know most of the guys on the Wall were owners? Not renters. Year-round residents. Many of them stayed after they played. You know, like Jim Kelly? You’ve heard of him, right?

Terrell, have you done any (brace yourself now, I realize this is strong language) introspection? Do you have any insight as to why you’ve had difficulty in all your previous stops in the NFL? Do you have any ideas about how to avoid repeating that history? 

Terrell, what do you know about Andre Reed, James Lofton, Don Beebe, Bob Chandler, J.D. Hill, Elbert Dubenion? These are the footprints you’ll be following in.

Terrell, talk to me about Trent Edwards? What do I mean? I mean tell me how things will be different with him than they were with, oh, I don’t know, Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo?

Terrell, do you ever think about Canton, Ohio? Can you reflect on what role Buffalo might play in getting you there?

Terrell, is this your last best opportunity?

As I said, a match made in heaven.  

The Mother of All Interviews: 20 Questions With Cortland Finnegan

One of the key cogs in last year’s suffocating Titan defense was cornerback Cortland Finnegan. After emerging from the depths of the 2006 draft, Finnegan has provided the Titans with a playmaking, shutdown corner and, after the most recent season, he can add “Pro-Bowler” to the long list of adjectives that describe him.

With the losses of defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, the Titans will rely even more heavily on Finnegan to emerge as a leader of the unit.

To better understand Finnegan, I’ve submitted a list of 20 questions designed to peek into the core of his soul:

1. You obviously haven’t taken the typical path to becoming a Pro-Bowler. Who was most instrumental in helping you get to where you are today?

2. What is the most underappreciated aspect of your game?

3. If a movie was to be made about your life, what actor do you believe should be  cast as you?

4. Your musical exploits for singing “Let’s Get It On” at a Karaoke Benefit for Leukemia have been uploaded to YouTube. What song would you perform at a tryout for American Idol?

5. Hypothetical #1: Let us assume that the Finnegan name will be passed on to a healthy baby boy. Being predisposed to football excellence, he pursues a career in the NFL. Would you rather him be the best kicker in the game or an average cornerback?

6. In the picture attached to this article, what exactly are you looking at? Be honest.

7. Who wins in a thumb war between you and Keith Bulluck?

8. If you could intercept any quarterback from all-time, who would you most like to victimize?

9. What are your plans for life after football?

10. Hypothetical #2: Aliens have launched an aggressive assault on planet earth with the intent to eradicate all human life. Through a miraculous chain of events, we have diplomatically convinced them to resolve our differences over control of the plant through a two-on-two basketball game to 21.  Through various methods of selection, you have been selected as one of the earthly representatives and given the authority to pick your teammate, with the only caveat being that you must pick one of the actors/actresses from the ensemble hit TV show, Friends. Whom would you choose and why?

11. Why did you choose #31?

12. What player have you styled your game most after?

13. What was your backup plan if football hadn’t worked?

14. Name one thing you would do differently in your football career from high school until now.

15. Hypothetical #3: In 5 years, time travel will not only be possible, but it will be commercialized. As such, you are invited to participate in the Laser Tag Championship of All-Time (Sponsored by Budweiser and featured on ESPN 6). Spanning recorded history, name the 3 people you would select for your team and why.

16. Which wide receiver gives you the most trouble and why?

17. If you were a wrestler, what would your ring name be?

18. You and Derrick Mason had a memorable scuffle last season. Which vengeance scenario against him would be more desirable: A throttling hit where he fumbles and a teammate takes the fumble back for a touchdown or stepping in front of him for a long and lusty interception return for a touchdown?

19. What is your favorite defensive formation to play out of?

20. Hypothetical # 4: If, in the near future, your entrance into any restaurant, business, party, etc. could be prefaced by introduction music, what song would you choose and why?

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