Tom Brady: NFL’s Best?

Tom Brady is currently a four-time Pro Bowler, NFL MVP, three-time Super Bowl Champion, two-time Super Bowl MVP, and holds the record for the most touchdowns thrown in a season at 50. Some might say this man is immortal.

During the first game of the 2008 season, the New England Patriots opened up against the Kansas City Chiefs, and Brady suffered a blow to his left knee which resulted in a season ending ACL and MCL injury. Matt Cassel entered the game and led the team to an impressive 11-5 record.

But let’s jump back to the 2001 season. Drew Bledsoe gets seriously hurt by a Mo Lewis crushing hit, and Tom Brady walks in and leads the team to an 11-5 season and a Super Bowl upset win against the, “Greatest Show on Turf”, the St. Louis Rams.

From that point on Brady had risen into a superstar and led his team to back-to-back Super Bowl ins from ’03-’04.

Now here is the big question, is Tom Brady the best quarterback of our decade and the best the NFL has to offer? Who is there to compete with him? Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger? In my opinion, those are the only two quarterbacks who can even be brought up in this discussion. Sorry to the other non-invitees.

Isn’t football all about winning? I believe so. Every quarterback’s objective is to be a field manager and led to the team to a victory. Brady, Manning, and Roethlisberger are very good at doing that. But how often have Manning and Roethlisberger executed the objective that well to lead their team to a title appearance?

Manning has once, and Roethlisberger has twice. Tom Brady has done it four times this decade alone, and has won three of those title appearances. So wouldn’t that make him the more efficient quarterback? I guess so. You can always factor in the team surrounding the player, but it’s safe to say that Manning and Roethlisberger have had either good weapons or a great defense around them.

Brady’s only had a great defense around him in the ’01, ’03, and ’04 Super Bowls, but he had, I guess you can say, average at best weapons on offense with a decent running game. But Brady made those weapons rise from average to great. When those players left New England, for example, Deion Branch and David Givens, they didn’t fare too well away from the arm of Brady.

Manning has had led probably the most efficient and explosive offenses of our decade on a consistent basis, but with All-Pro talent in the likes of Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James, Brandon Stokley, and Dallas Clark. Roethlisberger has had a pretty good running game (Bettis, Staley, and Parker), and above average receivers, and he’s always had a “steel curtain” defense. But Manning and Roethlisberger combined Super Bowl wins only match Brady’s amount at three.

In order to be a great, or even an elite quarterback, you have to put up some pretty big numbers, right? Manning has always been known for great offensive numbers, so you would think he leads in almost every category. Well you’re right, he does. Manning has a career 94.7 QB Rating, and Brady has a 92.9 and Roethlisberger has a 89.4, all very solid and respectable ratings. But this is expected out of Manning, as he has always had a stacked offense attack, as I mentioned before.

The 2007 season was the first season that Brady actually had some pretty good receivers around him, and like Manning, Brady put up a record-breaking season with 50 touchdown passes and an amazing 117.2 QB Rating. Manning’s career high is a 121.1, which was posted in the ’04 season.

By now you all can probably see that these quarterbacks all possess great attributes, but in the NFL, which is a business, winning is everything. Brady has proved to be a winner; he has been called a winner by NFL analyst after analyst. He has had three Super Bowl game winning drives, and he has done that with all clutch, but average receivers.

Deciding who is the better NFL quarterback cannot be decided by the numbers, but to me, it is decided by what each player is given around them, and you should all notice that Brady makes players great.

Tom Brady is the best the NFL has to offer and I believe that he will prove all people wrong who doubt him about his recovering left knee. This season will be a huge comeback season for Brady, and I am expecting a season much like the ’07 one.

 

You can read more and follow Tony Santorsa’s work at www.BostonsSportsHub.blogspot.com and you can also follow his work and opinions on Twitter.com; follow him @ TonySantorsa.

Bleacher Report: Do Away With Team/division Rankings

I have been known for voicing my opinion in articles about non sports related topics such as my farewell article with my reasons for leaving, my article Writer or Fan, which got great reviews and more.

Now I have decided to voice my opinion yet again on a Bleacher report related topic only. The topic of the Bleacher Report team/division/league/sport/city rankings and that they need to be done away with for many reason.

This is a topic that has been eating away at me and now I have had enough with it.

Now there are many reasons why I feel that they should be done away with and I’m going to list those reasons.

One, Bleacher Report as I understand it is a sports reporting site that has tons of talented writers, some that are arrogant and some that just comment but either way they contribute to B/R for good or bad.

As I recall I don’t see that ESPN has writer rankings for their writers or that they say “I am the No. 1 Seattle Seahawks, Boston Red Sox etc writer”  and B/R puts out probably 3-4 times the articles that ESPN does.

So there is no point for team rankings when the point of this site is for fans, journalists and a combination of both to either share their side of a sports topic or report about sports.

Two, Bleacher Report is a site for either aspiring journalists to get their foot in the door or for big writers that also want to contribute their articles to B/R as well as their sites.

So I don’t see where rankings that are based on the amount of the articles put out as it involves either people sharing their sports opinions, or young journalists getting their foot in the door.

Three, for the people who decide that their rankings put them above people or that they try to use their “ranking status” as a “in your face, I’m better than you because I have a higher rank than you” type of thing.

I mean really for pete’s sake, not only are the rankings based on quantity over quality but the fact that certain people on this site take advantage, example of two and have BS tagging on their articles to raise their rankings.

I will recall one example of an unnamed writer. It was an article about the Chicago Bears and Jay Cutler. The title of the article and the information in the article would show that the article was a Chicago Bears article, which would make it an NFC North article and because it is old news it would be either an opinion article or a history article.

Instead the writer tagged it as a NFC North, West, South, AFC West, AFC North, Breaking news article to attract more views due to the false tagging.

So what is the point of flaunting rankings which everyone already knows are based on quantity on your BIO and then to have your article have BS tags. It doesn’t make sense and it’s one reason why B/R should get rid of the the entire rankings.

Fourth and final, I would like to show an example of a B/R BIO that consists of all these reasons. I will just show the part about their rankings which is pretty much their whole BIO.

Member for three months

110,000 reads as of July 9th
No. 24 NFL Writer
No. 41 MLB Writer
No. 1 Seattle Seahawks Writer
No. 1 Seattle Mariners Writer
No. 1 NFC West Writer
No. 1 AL West Writer
No. 1 Seattle Writer
No. 1 Free Agency Writer
No. 1 NFL Free Agency Writer
No. 1 NFL Draft Writer
No. 2 NFC North Writer
No. 2 NBA Northwest Writer
No. 2 NBA Southeast Writer
No. 3 NBA Pacific Writer
No. 3 NBA Atlantic Writer
No. 3 Utah Jazz Writer
No. 4 Minnesota Timberwolves Writer
No. 4 New York Knicks Writer
No. 4 Philadelphia 76er’s Writer
No. 5 NBA Southwest Writer
No. 5 NBA Central Writer
No. 5 Football Writer
No. 5 AFC North Writer
No. 5 NFC North Writer
No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies Writer
No. 5 Portland Trail Blazers Writer

20,000+ Read Article
Fox, Yahoo, USA Today, AOL, Sporting news, Topix, Ballhype, Ultimate Football Network, NFL Sports Channel, Seattle Times, and countless other publications all love my stuff. CBS is no longer allowed to publish my content.

Now what is a BIO.   Well, in our bios, I and a lot of other B/R writers share their previous and current writing websites and experiences. They list sometimes why they joined B/R or sometimes they really have a BIO like a resume listing everything about sports, jobs, teams they like etc.

That is what a BIO is. Not something where you flaunt your rankings, which as everyone knows, are based on the amount you put not, not the quality. Someone can write 100-200 articles and have tons of No 1 rankings.

Just because they load up on articles, it doesn’t mean that they are close to good.

This site is about journalists, aspiring journalists, fans, etc. to come together and share their opinions on sports topics or share their opinions in general about sports.

Not a place to copy from ESPN, change it a little, get tons of hits to make your self full of your self.

I thought I would share my opinion and see what other writers think about the B/R rankings and the fact that B/R needs to do away with them.

Now, I have no problem with the community leaders because they are great for B/R. I myself am in the process of becoming the Seahawks community leader.

Let your voice be heard

Beyond The Playing Field: Some Most Caring People In Pro Sports

Why is it that we always hear the bad news about pro athletes? McNair was shot, having an affair, drunk. Vick killed some dogs, Stallworth killed a human being, Pacman can’t stay out of fights, Kobe raped someone, better yet newest news Big Ben raped someone(or not?).

Anyways point I am trying to make here is we hear too much news about all the bad stuff going on. So I would like to highlight some athletes who make a positive impact, on and off the field or court.

This list is in no specific order of most caring, or giving in any way. I will probably leave some people out so feel free to comment and throw some names out.

Bringing the Sack Back: What Buffalo Needs to Contend

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In the past three years under Dick Jauron, the Bills have struggled to get to the opposing QB. It’s no big secret. From 2006 to 2008 they have only managed to bring the QB down 90 times, and every year the sack total went down.

Now there could be a few reasons for the sack total decrease. 

Maybe it’s the scheme that Jauron runs. Most of the time he relies on the front four to put pressure on the QB, while he occasionally sends a LB or a DB on a blitz. Either way, the play-calling has been predictable.

It’s time to take the training wheels off. The players in the system, although young, have the experience that’s needed. It’s time to start putting more on players’ plates. Get innovative. 

Jauron reportedly acknowledges this by mentioning running some 3-4 looks this season to Pat Kirwan of NFL.com. 

What could a 3-4 defense do to help sack totals? 

Well for starters rookie Aaron Maybin would surely benefit on passing downs. If asked to hold the point of attack or take on behemoth blockers, the coaching staff would be setting Maybin up to fail. He’s simply not big or strong enough to do those things yet. 

By putting Maybin in as a rush LB this allows the coaching staff to take advantage of his lightning quick first step without taking on the big uglies.

Imagine Spencer Johnson and Marcus Stroud on the ends eating up blockers while Aaron Schobel and Aaron Maybin just come with the heat. On obvious passing downs this could prove to be quite effective.

The only reason the Bills can’t run the 3-4 full time is because they have no true NT that can eat up blocks in the middle. A man who plays NT takes a special type of talent and rare size.

Another reason the sack total could be on the decline might be the fact that the top three pass rushers are fighting a losing battle in age. Aaron Schobel turns 32 this season, Chris Kelsay will be 30, and Ryan Denney is already 32.

While they are all solid veterans, Schobel is the only proven sack artist. Kelsay and Denney are great point-of-attack holders and sound against the run, but offer next to nothing in a 3-4 scheme as both rely on power to get to the QB, not speed.

Simply put they are solid 4-3 DE’s, but would not be big enough to be solid 3-4 DE’s.

Schobel has a lot to prove himself, seeing as he is three years removed from his 14.5 sack season. He is coming back from his Lisfranc foot injury and only time will tell how effective he can be. 

Another thing the coaching staff needs to do is get LB’s and DB’s more involved in blitz packages. Kawika Mitchell performs well when asked to blitz. Last year he tied for tops on the team with four sacks. 

Getting guys like Paul Posluszny, Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty, Reggie Corner and Brian Scott to run blitzes from all different angles of the field could prove beneficial to Buffalo’s success on thwarting offenses.

Scott and Whitner both bring the speed to where if they were coming off the blind side the opposing QB would never know what hit him. 

Posluszny could run delayed blitzes and whether its Youboty or Corner at NB using them in certain passing situations to be an extra blitzer could prove to be beneficial.

All in all this pass rush isn’t ready to dominate like the New York Giants just yet. Those guys are positively stacked with young solid players like Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka. 

If Buffalo could get close to 40 sacks and bring solid pressure next season that would positively affect so many facets of the defense. Turnovers would be generated whether it be forced fumbles or interceptions. 

Not sure Buffalo is completely done rebuilding the D-Line just yet, with so many things they have left to do. They could still stand to draft future replacements at DE or rush LB’s next year. They could also stand to get a behemoth NT. 

Let’s just hope for a winning season and maybe some playoff action. Jauron has built a solid core and it would be shame to watch him have to walk away from it. 

 

So there is just one request, please Buffalo please, bring the sack back.

 

Optimism Running High for Joe Flacco, with or Without Derrick Mason

The newest Reebok Fantasy Files commercial features Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco at a skeet shooting range. As the the discs are shot up in the air, the young quarterback substitutes the shotgun for his gun of an arm, breaking two clay discs with his pinpoint spirals.

As the spot ends, Flacco looks directly into the camera and speaks in his typical cool demeanor what Baltimore fans are all hoping holds true in 2009.

“Last year was just the beginning.”

Ravens fans and NFL fans in general are likely to be impressed with the feat, and even more impressed to see it’s a Baltimore quarterback gaining some attention for once. But the optimism Charm City had for 2009 took a significant hit when veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason announced his intention to retire, not more than two weeks before training camp was scheduled to begin.

That doesn’t mean hopes have diminished for the season.

A second year under offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s system, an improved offensive line, and Flacco’s individual talent and improvement could lead to big things for the former Blue Hen.

“I think as a football player, he’s really going to take a giant leap forward,” said Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post. Lombardi spoke of Hall-of-Fame head coach Bill Walsh’s assertion that quarterbacks often make drastic improvements in their sophomore seasons.

Still, 1,000-yard receivers are hard to come by in the NFL. Mason was Flacco’s security blanket in 2008, registering 80 receptions for 1,037 yards, well ahead of the rest of Baltimore’s receiving corps. The 35-year-old’s season could be considered even more gutsy considering he played with an injured shoulder for the latter half of the season.

Mason has yet to file his retirement papers with the NFL, and Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh told reporters he was scheduled to meet with the receiver in the coming week, but the Ravens have already taken steps to fill the potential void, confirming they intend to hold a tryout with four veteran wideouts, including D.J. Hacket, formerly of the Carolina Panthers.

Flacco, meanwhile, will have the likes of Mark Clayton, Demetrius Williams, and Marcus Smith to throw to. Though their names don’t inspire confidence in most, the Ravens coaching staff has faith that the trio has the potential to step up and produce.

That’s the magic word for the Ravens’ offense in the season of the decade: potential. Flacco made history in his first season in the pros, becoming the first rookie quarterback to win two playoff games.

If Mason’s absence sticks, it will be a blow, but not as crushing as it may seem. With their first young promising signal-caller in franchise history, Baltimore isn’t about to lose sight of the prize because of one player’s decision.

Jets Should Take A Flyer On Michael Vick

If Jets owner Woody Johnson keeps his word, then you’ll never see Michael Vick in a New York Jets uniform, unless you have Photoshop.

 

Asked about Vick, the infamous former dogfighter whose 23 months of confinement ended Monday, Johnson said, “We’ve got Kellen Clemens and now we have this young Mark Sanchez, and I think we are good on quarterbacks.”

 

That’s what every NFL team owner will say about Vick…in July.

 

Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons All-Pro, has yet to sit down with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and apologize for lying to Goodell’s face three years ago about his involvement in an odious dogfighting enterprise.

 

Vick, 29, has yet to hold his first post-incarceration news conference where he expresses sincere remorse for his crimes and announces his intention to use his money and name recognition to become an animal rights advocate.

 

Assuming he does that (and if he doesn’t, there’s no point in discussing a Vick comeback), then he deserves a second chance to play in the NFL.

 

And the Jets should give strong consideration to signing him.

 

No, I’m not suggesting the Jets turn Coach Rex Ryan’s first training camp into a media circus by signing Vick in the next couple of weeks. I don’t believe any NFL team will do that.

 

But, eventually, an NFL team will sign Vick. And the attention-grabbers from PETA (who even criticized President Obama last month for killing a fly during a TV interview) will be enraged enough to picket that team’s headquarters.

 

Then, all the heat will dissipate as assuredly as humid July days give way to crisp autumn Sundays, and Vick will wear an NFL jersey again.

 

As Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery put it, “He is a talented player, so someone will give him a shot.”

 

The Jets shouldn’t be afraid to give Vick a shot. Not as an impediment to Sanchez, their quarterback to the future. But Vick would have value as an insurance policy and impact player off the bench.

 

Offensive innovation has not been the Jets’ strong suit in recent years. The team simply has not put enough playmakers on the field.

 

So even though Vick would bring more baggage than a 747, the man has made plays in the NFL, and he will again.

 

Brad Smith would not be nearly as potent a weapon in a Jets’ Wildcat package as Vick would be. Vick would give the Jets an even better run-pass option in the Wildcat than Pat White will for the Miami Dolphins this year.

 

And, remember, NFL starting quarterbacks get hurt. Often. The New England Patriots lost Tom Brady for the season in Week One last year.

 

Be honest: If the man Woody Johnson calls “this young Mark Sanchez” misses games because of injury, or proves he’s not quite ready to take the reins in the September 13 opener at Houston, are you confident that Kellen Clemens or Erik Ainge can take the Jets anywhere?

 

Vick has not played in an NFL game since December 31, 2006. But, again, somebody will sign him, because he has had success playing a position where the number of true impact players are few.

 

“The backup quarterbacks in the NFL are terrible,” former All-Pro receiver Cris Carter said Monday on ESPN. “He should play in the NFL again.”

 

True. And the Jets should be willing to take a flyer on Vick.

 

Don’t Rock the Boat and Ditch the Hangover Already!

While everyone in the media continues to act typical towards the Raiders by rocking the boat with criticism, it is important to make note of a few things.

No. 1: The Raiders roster has to go from 84 to 80 before July 29th, the start of training camp.

You could say, “but why cut Frantz Joseph, that is a speed thing, he deserves to put on pads.”

Let me just say that anyone who reads my articles consistently knows I am a huge Joseph supporter. Just imagine what the guy could’ve done playing behind BJ Raji and Ron Brace if he’d been able to go to Boston College.

Because Joseph is such a loyal son to his mom, he may be finding it difficult to juggle both of his emotional obligations. It may be hard to focus on the game and also feel like he is on top of his mother’s condition 3000 miles away.

Unfortunately, that is life and it is what it is.

Perhaps Joseph didn’t really show what he had in the tank. Maybe his head was not in Oakland, perhaps it was in Florida. We do not know…we are not in his head.

Maybe he is hoping to sign tenure with the Dolphins—who could use a MLB, they just love Channing Crowder so much.

Jacksonville is in Florida and they like defense, maybe that could work out for him.

As is Tampa Bay, who just lost Derrick Brooks and is looking for a replacement (and several other things).

Bottom line is, what Oakland did was novel. They cut him before training camp, so he could try and get on another squad before the season gets in full swing.

They gave him a place to be amongst professional athletes, get a feel for how the pro game is (careful Elkins), and a place to work out this offseason free of charge. Well done Al and Tom.

Stryker Sulak is a little bit of a different story. He didn’t really make any noise in college. We might have thought for a second or two that they had dug up Trevor Scott part two. Obviously not the case. I heard he had issues with what they wanted to pay him.

Come again? You’re a sixth rounder…no pick-your-pay at that level.

You know they were negotiating too, because they signed their other sixth round pick the next day.

Nice name, good sized guy, but Cable’s thing is if you don’t want to be here, then get out.

There is really no room at a crowded defensive end position anyway. If Burgess was gone, maybe…but he’s not…yet. We all know about Mizzou’s defense, lol.

Keith Davis is a shocker even to me. We need safety help badly. The rumor mill is cooking and it smells like Michael Huff could get cut on the 53-man cut if he doesn’t earn a starting role.

David Nixon is a name I like to bring up here. There are a lot of potential LB’s here, and with Nixon’s size, 6’3″ 225 lbs, and his speed, which I believe was in the 4.5-40 range, he could be a fit at strong safety.

Davis just ran his mouth too much, stating that he was, in part, responsible for the Greg Ellis signing. Saying that Jeff Garcia gave the team a better shot to win right now.

Stirring the locker room, another thing Tom Cable didn’t want to do. Davis should just SHHHH and be quiet on his next team, and maybe he can make it to training camp.

So, you see Raiders and Raiderettes, don’t fret: The sky is not falling.

We are just cleaning up aisle six. We will clean up aisle five before the start of training camp. It will likely include a wide receiver or two, and a quarterback or two, and perhaps the extra punter?

During and after training camp and preseason, we will be cleaning up aisles four, three, and two as well. This will likely include more players that you have a fondness for, while excluding players that are locks.

Eventually, everything will be in aisle one, and we will be able to see it all clearly. It will all line up straight.

Raider Nation, don’t get your panties all bunched up yet…these guys probably weren’t going to see the field much anyway. I know your friends in the media just want to always blow things out of proportion, but really put your game faces on.

Remember JaMarcus Russell, Darren McFadden, Zach Miller, Thomas Howard, Kirk Morrison, Nnamdi Asomugha and all the other sure fire starters are still here.

Ditch the hangover, and let’s start drinking again!

Do The Bears Have A John Elway? I THINK NOT!

Steve Watson, Butch Johnson, Vance Johnson, Clint Sampson, Mark Jackson, Steve Sewell, Rick Nattiel, and Mike Young.

Anyone recognize those names?

I knew one, Butch Johnson, because he had been a receiver who caught a touchdown in Super Bowl XII for the Dallas Cowboys.

The other guys were simply names to me. Just names.

Do you know who they are? If you do, pat yourself on the back because these men were the wide receivers that John Elway had throughout his career before 1994.

These were the guys that actually had close to 500 yards receiving or more in a season. None of them ever made it to the Pro Bowl with Elway (Watson made it once in 1981), none will ever be given a thought towards the Hall of Fame, and only two ever had a 1,000 yard receiving season.

There you have it folks. You are looking at the weapons that John Elway had throughout his career in the 80s when he took the Broncos to the three Super Bowls in four years.

After further research, I found out that in the 80s, John Elway was the only offensive Pro Bowler the team had except for Sammy Winder, a running back who made the Pro Bowl in 84 and 86 and left guard Keith Bishop, who made it in 86 and 87.

When you look at John Elway’s numbers throughout his early career, they are not flashy, but rather pedestrian.

1986:   

• 280/504, 55.6% completion, 3,485 yards passing, 19 touchdowns, 13 interceptions.
• Leading receiver, Mark Jackson, with 738 yards.
• Second leading receiver, Steve Watson, with 699 yards.
• QB rating was 79.0 and win-loss record was 11-5.

1987:

• 224/410 54.6% completion, 3,198 yards passing, 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions.
• Leading receiver, Vance Johnson, with 684 yards.
• Second Leading receiver, Rick Nattiel, with 630 yards.
• QB rating was 83.4 and win-loss record was 8-3-1.

1989: 

• 223/416, 53.6% completion, 3,051 yards passing, 18 touchdowns, 18 interceptions.
• Leading receiver, Vance Johnson, with 1,095 yards.
• Second leading receiver, Mark Jackson, with 446 yards.
• QB rating was 73.7 and win-loss record was 10-5.

Those three years above are the years that John Elway took the Broncos to the Super Bowl and lost. He led them to victories they were not supposed to get.

This is why John Elway is a legend. He took a team, that had no real offensive fixture and he became the core of its power. This is why he has 47 fourth quarter comebacks, he took a team that was not supposed to win and made miracles on a regular basis.

Looking at these statistics, looking at these supporting casts and realizing that he took them to the Super Bowl three times, it just leaves me speechless with amazement.

This is what legends are made of. To take something that is scraped from the barrel and make it top quality. That is what John Elway did.

Now, lets go on to our Mr. Cutler. The former Denver Broncos quarterback who was traded to the Chicago Bears.

Whiny, arrogant, and has said he has a better arm than John Elway.

Who is he kidding? Is he really that stupid? Or does he think we are?

Do we dare compare? Yes, we do.

Jay Cutler has played two full seasons in the NFL, 2007 and 2008, and he has made one Pro Bowl selection and has a QB record of 17-20

Geez! I am impressed. Yessir, I am very impressed with a losing quarterback record.

Of course, I’m going to give him some slack for the defense. The defense with Elway was very good, top 10 in those Super Bowl years, while Cutler’s defense has been less than helpful.

And, he did lose like what? 12 running backs last year to injuries.

Well, he can’t blame them now if he screws up. He is now with the Chicago Bears because of a major dispute between him and Bronco’s management.

So, I have a few words for the new quarterback of the Windy City.

You are responsible for the offense. The Broncos in 2008 were ranked 2nd in total offensive yards, yet 16th in scoring. What does that tell me?

It tells me that you didn’t find a way like Elway did. It tells me that you didn’t become a leader like Elway was and find a way to get that ball into the endzone.

Don’t blame the rushing attack fully. The Broncos still had 1,862 yards rushing with 15 touchdowns to be ranked 12th in total yards and 14th in touchdowns.

That isn’t elite, but it isn’t like you were the Cardinals who were 32nd in rushing, and yet they made to the Super Bowl.

If they can make it to the Super Bowl with that rushing attack, and that inconsistent defense, you certainly are capable of making playoffs in a division that had two teams with a combined total of six wins.

I’m not going to say you aren’t good Jay. On the contrary, you are very good, but you are not John Elway. John Elway would not let a bad defense stop him from leading his men down the field.

John Elway would not have let himself be beaten as badly as you were in the regular season finale against the Chargers that decided the playoff spot.

John Elway would have taken those two great receivers you had named Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall and found a way. The two guys that had a total of 2,245 yards receiving.

If you want to be better than John Elway then do what he could not. Win the Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears as they are now!

This Chicago Bears team reminds me of Elway’s team.

Great defense, good special teams, good running back, and average to sub-average receivers.

The Bears leading receiver was Devin Hester, who was inconsistent, with 665 yards.

There is also tight end Greg Olsen, who had 574 yards.

Matt Forte (running back) and Rashied Davis with 477 and 445 yards respectively.

Desmond Clark (tight end) and Brandon Lloyd with 367 and 364 yards respectively.

Should I go on?

Elway got a team like this to the Super Bowl three times and was blown out in all three.

Show me you can do better. Show me you can take my father’s old team (He was born in Chicago) and restore their former glory. Be the top quarterback the Bears haven’t had since Sid Luckman, who played in the 1940s.

If you can do that, not only will you be cemented as a legend in Chicago, but you will be a legend to me and that is something that does not happen easily.

I’m waiting Jay.

Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis Concerned No One Is Feeling Him (Satire)

Only a few short weeks before the Baltimore Ravens open their training camp for the 2009 season, All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis has gone on record as saying he has serious doubts that anyone on the team is feeling him.

“Nobody, man,” said the perennial Pro Bowler to a Baltimore radio show host when asked who he thought might be feeling him. “Usually by this time of year, everybody’s feeling Ray, you know what I’m saying? It’s time to crank it up, you know what I mean?”

“But so far, I got nothing. Nobody’s feeling me, man.”

“Nobody.” 

When asked why he thought that was, Lewis was introspective.

“I don’t know, man. These young guys … Shoot, when I was a young player in this league, I couldn’t wait to be feeling some of the older guys. I felt Rod Woodson. I felt Bennie Thompson. Hell, I even felt Dilfer once or twice.”

“But these new guys, they don’t care about feeling the veterans who ask them if they’re being felt.”

“It’s just a shame.”

Second-year quarterback Joe Flacco seemed to take Lewis’ comments in stride.

“Look, I’m feeling Ray, and I’m sure most of the team is feeling him, as well. But I just think it’s too early to worry about who’s feeling who right now.”

“It’s a long season, and quite frankly, there will be plenty of time to feel each other as the year goes on.”

Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome seemed to put it all in perspective.

“Ray’s always been eager to get felt. It’s one of the things that makes him such a fierce competitor, and one of the reasons why he’s been a leader on our team.”

“But no matter what else you hear, I can tell you this for a fact: Whether it’s on the practice field, during the game, or in the showers after the game, there is not one player in this league who wants to be felt more than Ray Lewis.”

The NFL: Where Second, and Third, Chances Are Commonplace

Lost behind the biggest NFL headline of this week, the end of Michael Vick’s prison sentence and home confinement, was this little nugget:

Chris Henry is still in the NFL, still a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, and, apparently, doing very well and staying out of trouble.

I was shocked when I read the news the first time, so I found another source. And sure enough, the 26-year-old is behaving well both on and off the field and receiving praise from teammates, including respected quarterback Carson Palmer.

In case you don’t know Henry—or, smartly, chose to expunge any thoughts of him from your brain—he’s a young, talented wide receiver out of West Virginia University. He was also one of the dumbest, most immature professional athletes in this country.

I thought he’d never change.

His rap sheet reads like this (it’ll take a minute):

—Dec. 2005: Pulled over for speeding. Marijuana found. Driving without valid license or insurance.

—Jan. 2006: Arrested for multiple gun charges, including concealment and aggravated assault.

—May 2006: Investigated for an alleged sex crime that occurred in a Kentucky hotel room, but no charges were filed.

—June 2006: Pulled over and had a blood-alcohol content level above the legal limit.

—Oct. 2006: Suspended two games by the NFL for violating its personal conduct and substance abuse policies.

—Jan. 2007: Pleaded guilty to providing minors with alcohol during a 2006 incident.

—April 2007: Suspended eight games by the NFL for violating its personal conduct policy and is given a warning that more problems could end his career in the league.

—Nov. 2007: Allegedly assaulted a valet.

—March 2008: Allegedly punched a man and threw a beer bottle through the man’s car window. He was waived by the Bengals a day after the arrest.

Got all that?

Granted, many of the incidents above don’t exactly make Henry the worst person in society. If I had a dime for every fraternity brother who has hooked up minors with booze, I’d be retired and living in an O.C.-like mansion.

Still, during a two-year period, Henry showed no signs of learning his lessons and being a law-abiding citizen. He continued to take his life of fame and money for granted and think he was above the law.

And he came pretty close to misbehaving his way out of the NFL.

But Bengals management has a history of taking in players with character issues, and that’s what it did again before last season, re-signing Henry in a move that I called ludicrous at the time.

How could the team know he’d get his act together?

That, however, is exactly what’s happened over the past year. Now who knows for sure what will become of Henry, but judging from what others are saying and just not him, he’s finally turned that corner and could be a productive citizen.

On about his eighth chance, give or take.

Now, of course, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s focus is on Vick and whether he should reinstate the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback who ran a dogfighting ring and helped in the killings of underperforming dogs.

I really don’t know what Goodell will do. I guess it depends on whether he thinks 23 months of prison and home confinement changed Vick into a morally positive man.

I also don’t know if that’s the case. I’d have an extremely hard time forgiving someone for such acts, and I can’t even imagine what would push someone to do something so heinous for two years.

What I do know is the NFL is good at giving second chances.

Just look at Henry’s case. He’s not one of the most talented players in the league and he’s never had close to the fame that Vick had when he was the star of the Falcons and was making Nike commercials in his spare time.

But he was never suspended indefinitely from the league, and the Bengals gave him that extra chance that might just have awakened him to how close he came to being ignored by the entire league.

Vick’s crimes, obviously, are much worse than anything Henry did. Henry didn’t kill anything and didn’t badly hurt anyone (although he endangered others by driving recklessly).

But if Vick is truly repentant and ready to be an honest man of integrity, someone who will genuinely speak out against acts such as the ones he committed, why shouldn’t he deserve a second chance in the league?

I won’t criticize Goodell either way. He’s the person who will sit across from Vick and look into the man’s eyes.

And I won’t criticize any of the 32 teams that pass on signing Vick if he is, indeed, reinstated. I don’t care how badly a team needs a quarterback—why would management put itself through the PR nightmare of signing the guy?

I surmise one of the morals of Vick’s story, at the moment, is that the more famous you are, the harder it is to bounce back after a dreadful crime. If a lesser-known player had committed the terrible acts, he probably wouldn’t have gotten so much negative publicity.

But if I were Vick right now, I’d look at players like Henry and Leonard Little—he crashed into and killed a woman while driving drunk in 1998 and then drove while intoxicated, and speeding, again in 2004, yet he’s continued to play for the St. Louis Rams and hasn’t had any more off-the-field problems—and be confident about getting another chance in the league.

Just not now.

As has been reported, his best chance this fall might be in the new UFL, whose coaches have shown interest. Playing in the four-team league would obviously be six steps down from the NFL, but it’d be a good start for a reconciled Michael Vick.

And maybe, in a year or two, I’ll look at Vick, in an NFL uniform, and see another young man who benefited greatly from getting another chance, or two—deserved or not—in life and on the football field.

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