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NFL Football Players Draft Injuries Rookies Season SuperbowlPublished: July 21, 2009
Last season saw the success of two franchises that had struggled in 2007, the Atlanta Falcons and the Baltimore Ravens. The two teams ended their the 2008 seasons with an 11-5 record and came in second in their respective divisions.
Both teams earned a berth to the playoffs.
Both teams were also led by rookie head coaches.
Now in their second years, Falcons’ head coach Mike Smith and Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh are headed in the right direction, and both can easily follow up last year’s success with yet another run at the postseason.
This season, many owners and general managers have taken a liking to the idea of fresh minds in the locker room—young blood motivating young blood.
Let’s take a look into all the new first-time head coaches that are being handed the reins of their respective teams and see how each hope to fare.
Just for the sake of discussion, I will be mentioning each coach’s win-loss average between their former team and their new team. The new coaches were all coordinators and played a heavy hand in the records of their team.
In the simplest of worlds, it would be apparent that the former team’s win-loss record combined with the win-loss record of the coach’s new team would indicate how successful the new team would be.
Since it’s obviously not so simple, I will follow each commentary with my prediction on how each coach will perform.
Without further ado, here are my thoughts.
Jim Caldwell (Indianapolis Colts)
As Caldwell’s team was the Colts last year, I am skipping the averages for him.
Caldwell has the enviable task of taking over a high-octane defense predicated on speed.
Oh, and he gets Peyton Manning. How could I almost forget?
After a shaky start to the 2008 season left the Colts with more questions than answers, Manning helped the team rise from the ashes to go on a nine-game winning streak and post a 12-4 record.
But how will the team respond now that holy man Tony Dungy has left the office?
Caldwell has been in the team’s coaching system for several years. He’s been the quarterbacks’ coach since his arrival in 2002, and was the assistant coach last season. So, there’s not much that he needs to learn in terms of the team and the systems he’ll be running on offense.
One has to wonder though, if the offensive-minded Caldwell will know how to run the Colts’ defense. The Tampa-2 scheme isn’t the easiest one to coach, especially to a defense as unique as the Colts, which is almost entirely predicated on speed.
My Prediction: While there may be another shaky start in the future for the Colts, I wouldn’t expect them to flounder any further than they did last year before getting in a rhythm and winning some ball games.
Can they overcome the loss of so many key coordinators, though? The very worst I expect from the Colts this coming season is 10-6. However, their ceiling isn’t as high as usual because of so many key departures, so at best I’d give them 12-4.
Average that out to 11-5, and there’s my prediction.
Todd Haley (Kansas City Chiefs)
From the Parcells coaching tree comes the offensive mastermind behind the Arizona Cardinals’ explosive attack last season.
He definitely got his coaching style from the Big Tuna—Haley’s disciples in Kansas City are already groaning about tough practices. Of course, any practice will seem tough when you’re used to Herm Edwards being the coach of brotherly love.
The Chiefs picked up former lifelong pine-rider Matt Cassel to do the job for them in Kansas City after last season’s impressive showing garnered him a franchise tag from his former team, the New England Patriots.
Although Haley doesn’t have the same plethora of offensive weapons at his disposal as he did in Arizona (and likewise can be said for Cassel and New England). On paper, this seems like a match made in heaven. The two can put their heads together to come up with some original ideas for what has been a lackluster offensive attack for the past few seasons.
As with Caldwell, it remains to be seen whether Haley’s mindset is in the right place to help run the defense. But the exodus of former Arizona coordinators also brought defensive-minded Clancy Pendergast to the fold, so the two are each working with someone they know and trust.
Needless to say, NFL fans will have their eye on the Chiefs this season.
My Prediction: As with any team that’s as abominable as the Chiefs were last season, it’s not always a given that there will be improvements. The performance of Matt Cassel is still a question mark, as he will be without several key weapons.
However, Todd Haley is a good coach with the right work-hard mentality for this team. I could see the Chiefs improving to 6-10 this season, but not too far beyond that. The rebuilding process of this team remains a work in progress.
Rex Ryan (New York Jets)
The former Baltimore Ravens coordinator used a stingy defense to help lead his team to an 11-5 record, and takes the reigns of a 9-7 team to bring his average to 10-6.
This guy’s got “New Yorker” written all over him.
The way he’s been talking, he clearly doesn’t care what other people think about him.
He also has a borderline-cocky confidence in his squad that has already instilled new hope for Jets fans whose trials and tribulations with the ho-hum Eric Mangini got them nowhere.
He’s seemingly reveled in ruffling feathers, but has the squad to back up his talk. Defensive All-Stars like Darrelle Revis, Kris Jenkins, Kerry Rhodes, Bart Scott, and even Vernon Gholston (who has caught flack as a “workout wonder”) all fit the hard-nosed mentality of the man who led one of the AFC North’s top defenses for nearly a decade.
With the Patriots and the ash-arisen Miami Dolphins providing plenty of competition, things won’t be easy for Rex Ryan, but you can guarantee that they’ll be interesting.
My Prediction: Rex Ryan has the right mentality for this team, which has been built to succeed on defense and in the running game. I could easily see the Jets posting a 10-6 record, scoring one more win than last season, and fighting for a Wild Card spot in the playoffs.
Josh McDaniels (Denver Broncos)
McDaniels’ record between his former team, the New England Patriots, and his new team, the Denver Broncos, stands at 10-6.
His past experience may not matter in the least, though. It’s safe to say that McDaniels may not have picked up the coaching prowess from Bill Belichick.
With such a powerful offense last season, it looked as though the cupboards had been left fully stocked with the proverbial “groceries” necessary for an offensive powerhouse.
McDaniels came in, and nearly turned the entire place upside down. Though he left the strongest point of the team—the offensive line—intact, the shipment of Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler didn’t come without its fair share of controversy.
Now, with his “franchise” quarterback in Kyle Orton and a future All-Star in Knowshon Moreno, the Broncos’ offense will be under some adjustments, but could still prevail through the eye of the storm.
My Prediction: McDaniels is an offense guy, so it’s not surprising that he didn’t make any drastic changes to a defense that was dismal in every phase of the game last year. I would expect more of the same from the Broncos—a lot of points on both sides of the ball.
I foresee them either holding steady at 8-8, or dropping off slightly to 7-9 this coming year. McDaniels’ offense isn’t easy to grasp, and their defense hasn’t improved at all.
Steve Spagnuolo (St. Louis Rams)
Spagnuolo’s average win-loss record from his former team and his new team is 7-9. An NFC-best 12-4 record for the New York Giants is hampered by the 2-14 record of the second-worst team in the league, the St. Louis Rams.
Spagnuolo is a defensive-minded coach who comes into St. Louis with barely any defensive talent.
They have last year’s first-round pick, defensive end Chris Long. He only racked up four sacks last season, but Spagnuolo has experience in developing his pass rushers—look no further than Osi Umenyiora for a pass rushing product of Spagnuolo.
He also has something he lacked in New York—a consistent over-the-top coverage safety. OJ Atogwe has certainly established himself as a threat in the passing game, as noted in my breakdown of the NFC West’s top defensive players.
The former defensive coordinator brings his 4-3 “fire blitz” package to the Rams, who have been dull on defense to say the least. If Spagnuolo’s blitz packages can put enough pressure on the quarterback, Atogwe could even improve on his performances from the past three seasons.
A frenzy of improvement across the board isn’t out of the question for the Rams. It would be hard to do much worse, right?
My Prediction: Spagnuolo’s presence alone will improve the much-maligned defense, and with his strength on defense, he’ll want to pound the ball on offense. This formula has been the model of success for countless franchises over the years.
I’m going to be very bold here and say that the Rams could surprise people with a 9-7 record. They have scattered talent on offense, and Spagnuolo will know how to maximize his talent on defense.
Regardless of their record, expect a great deal of improvement from the Rams this year.
Raheem Morris (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
It’s tough to say that any coach is an improvement over Jon Gruden, whose history for building championship teams is well documented.
Morris’ task is enviable, however, as he is handed quite the talented troop of players. His giant leap through the ranks of the coaching system should serve as a testament to the Glazer’s confidence in him as a leader.
He coached the secondary for two seasons before his promotion. They weren’t that impressive in 2007, collecting only 16 interceptions in a season that the second most interceptions league-wide this decade (534—the most was 538 in 2003). Last season, though, they collected 22 interceptions, good for the fifth ranking in the league in that category.
The Buccaneers drafted quarterback Josh Freeman, marking the first time they’ve drafted a quarterback in the first round since 1994, when they selected Trent Dilfer with the sixth overall pick.
Morris’ defensive mentality will be implemented to Monte Kiffin’s years-old scheme, which has proven successful for the Bucs since its inception. Although I expect to see a bit more of the same, the defense will definitely have Morris’ own personal twist to it, which may or may not be a good thing.
It will be interesting to see how Morris picks up from where Gruden left off, but the pieces are certainly in place for him to be a success.
My Prediction: With this being a huge step up for Morris, and likewise Josh Freeman’s first year, it’s tough to say where the Bucs will land with any sort of certainty, especially considering their December skid last year.
Expect 8-8 from the team that has failed to show much consistency over the past four years.
Jim Schwartz (Detroit Lions)
The Titans’ league-leading 13-3 record was aided by the defensive genius of Schwartz, but the dismal 0-16 record of his new team drags his rounded average down to 7-9.
The sad bit of it is, even if Jim Schwartz leads the Lions to an 8-8 record this coming season, he could be up for Coach of the Year.
And there’s only one direction you can go from the ground—up.
With all that being said, there are just too many factors to Schwartz’s success to weigh them all together. The production he gets from the quarterback will be vital, as always, but the defense will have to ramp things up a bit. Under the tutelage of Schwartz, that seems more likelihood than just a possibility.
The selection of Brandon Pettigrew gives the Lions a tight end who is exceptional both as a pass-catcher and a run-blocker, both of which will be perfect for an offense that plans to be predicated on the run while incumbent franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford gets his legs under him from under center.
Of course, there is the looming presence of Megatron—Calvin Johnson, whose statistical production failed to decline at all last season, despite three different starting quarterbacks over the course of the season.
The presence of Johnson could put a damper on my “run-first” theory, but that may not be such a bad thing for Detroit, whose success on offense was largely predicated on the production of Johnson last season.
But this man is all about the defense, and he could maximize the Lions who are already built on a 4-3 scheme, which is what he built in Tennessee.
Dewayne White was the only excelling player on the defensive line last season. Cory Redding is capable of production, but simply failed to do anything.
The linebackers he has, which are extremely important in a 4-3 defense, all look to be efficient in all phases of the game. With returning youngster Ernie Sims, and the additions of veterans Julian Peterson (OLB, Seattle Seahawks) and Larry Foote (MLB, Pittsburgh Steelers) figure to pose a threat all season long if they can avoid injuries.
My Prediction: Although the Lions have floundered in futility for years on end, the Millen era is gone, and the Schwartz era has been ushered in. With that comes a fresh mentality of hard-nosed defense.
The Lions will improve this season (thank you, Captain Obvious) and should end up with a 6-10 record at the very least. A lot of their losses last season were by seven points or less, and I would not be surprised to see them break even at 8-8,
But, hey, if the 1-15 Dolphins can improve to 11-5 in just one season, nothing’s impossible.
Published: July 21, 2009
Since writing this article about the Detroit Lions a while back, I have been wondering about the masses of yearly changes the NFL undergoes offseason upon offseason. By this point in the close season, most rosters (apart from whichever one Brett Favre is declaring interest in) are settled and draft picks are beginning to get signed up. New coaches, regimes, players and stadiums have come and gone, but every year around the June-July media deadzone, pundits gather around and begin to posture about the upcoming season.
The first question that most ask is: can the current Super Bowl champs repeat? We at PaP, ever the supporters of the little guy, chose to postulate about the league’s worst team first, but the question mark over the Pittsburgh Steelers’ chances of repeating interests us as well.
Pittsburgh is an organization with a rich history of winning and one which, if not for the meteoric rise of Tom Brady in 2001, could possibly have been remembered as the dynasty of the 2000s. They’ve won two Super Bowls in the last five years under two different coaches and have established a roster continuity which only New England can rival.
It would seem likely then, that the Steelers have as good a shot as any team in the last 20 years to repeat as Super Bowl winners. Were they to do so, they would earn that elusive ‘dynasty’ title which so few teams acquire and even fewer re-acquire years down the road.
So how do the Steelers hope to go about winning the Big Dance all over again? Well, here’s a three-step recipe for how to do it. Mike Tomlin, if you’re reading, you’re welcome.
Step One: Beat the Ravens
The Steelers are in a division which they and the Ravens have dominated (aside from Cleveland’s freak ten-win season in 2007) for a number of years. The Bengals and Browns have been horrible (and I mean Nightmare-on-Elm-Street-sequels horrible) at stopping the run for a long time, and thus the power offenses of Baltimore and Pittsburgh have enjoyed a comfortable dominance over them of late. Thus the lesson becomes: beat the Ravens and you’ll usually beat the division.
Pittsburgh swept their divisional games last year, beating their bitter rival Ravens thrice as the season progressed through January and guess what? They won the division and the Vince Lombardi trophy. They’ve only lost six divisional games since their Super Bowl-winning season of 2005, but four of these have been against Baltimore, so it’s not an easy task.
Step Two: DON’T Rest Your Starters in Week 17
OK, so assuming the Steelers have beaten the Ravens twice and have the division locked by Week 15, the temptation for Mike Tomlin might be to rest his starters and let them be fresh for the playoffs. Seems a sensible plan, but it’s a really crappy one too.
Although it’s not a strategy that Tomlin has followed before. In Week 17 last year, despite a mortal lock on a playoff spot, he played all his starters and went on to win the Super Bowl. By contrast, the 13-2 Titans (much to your author’s chagrin) sat everyone in week 17 and got shellacked by the Colts’ second-stringers before going on to commit horrible rookie errors in the playoffs and losing to the Ravens (although the play clock had definitely run out).
Even if Tomlin chooses to rest his stars in Week 16, he should put them back on for Week 17, because even if they stink up the joint, it should motivate them to perform in crunch time. However, given the young coach’s history, he won’t rest anyone and this is a good idea.
Step Three: Don’t Let New England Intimidate You
Given the Steelers’ recent pedigree, it’s hard to believe that the Patriots, who haven’t won a championship since 2004, are still believed by many to be the favorite in the AFC as the dreamy Tom Brady returns. Despite their five-year title “drought” (if it can be so called), they’ve still got one of the best coaches in league history and a future Hall-of-Fame QB at the helm, so they’re obviously still a danger.
IF (and it’s a big IF) these two teams were to meet in the playoffs, say, in the AFC title game as many predict, it would be easy to get intimidated by the gaudy offense and staunch defense that New England brings to the table. The key to this possible matchup is determination, which Pittsburgh has in spades. Maniacally pressure Tom Terrific, baffle them with defensive tomfoolery/wizardry, and pound the clock into the ground. If the Steelers can stand toe-to-toe with the Patriots and win, they should be able to do it with any NFC team.
So can they do it?
The answer to this question seems to be a resounding ‘yes’. Barring horrible injuries or an inter-dimensional portal over Heinz Field, the Steelers have a good shot at repeating as NFL champions in ’09. Unfortunately, unless anyone is in possession of a DeLorean (or indeed Grays Sports Almanac), the only way to know if the Steelers will do what they definitely are capable of is to wait til February.
Originally posted at playactionpost.com
Published: July 21, 2009
Philadelphia fans have been begging for an elite wide receiver for years. The only legitimate WR McNabb has played with was Terrell Owens. McNabb just makes it work, though. His days of being a dual-threat QB are behind him, but McNabb has turned in two of his top three completion percentages the past two seasons.
He hasn’t been an elite fantasy QB the past few seasons, but he did set a career high last year with 3916 yards. The Eagles added a couple of young threats in the draft in WR Jeremy Maclin and RB LeSean McCoy. Both should prove to be good fits in this system. Kevin Curtis injury issues should be behind him.
DeSean Jackson should be even better in his sophomore season. Brent Celek could develop into a top 10-12 tight end.
The wild card of the bunch is Brian Westbrook’s health. Although McCoy has similar traits, Westbrook has been one of the more slippery backs the past few years. He makes the offense go. If he can remain healthy, McNabb should have another solid year.
There aren’t many soft games on the Eagles schedule. New Orleans in Week Two and Kansas City in Week Three are about it. Their fantasy playoff schedule is the NY Giants, San Francisco Giants, and Denver Broncos.
The Giants one is a road game where the other two are home games meaning all three have the potential for inclement weather. I would probably wait until the sixth round to take McNabb, depending upon how many comparable QBs are remaining. My prediction for McNabb is 3,500 yards and 20 passing TDs to go with 200 rushing yards and two TDs.
Originally posted at LestersLegends.com.
Published: July 21, 2009
Whoa, daddy. That’s an extreme closeup. It’s Michael Vick, by the way. I figure it’s an appropriate photo because it represents how under the microscope this guy has been for the last few years.
As of yesterday, he’s a free man. We know what it means to offshore sportsbook players. They’ll start wondering where he plays, if anywhere, in 2009. I couldn’t help but wonder about his potential impact compared to what Brett Favre may or may not do in Minnesota. Who would have the better season?
For analytical purposes, let’s say Matthew Stafford is too raw to start in Detroit and the Lions make a desperation play for Vick. Who would make a bigger splash—old Favre on a good Minnesota team or well-rested Vick throwing to Megatron in Detroit?
BRETT FAVRE (Age 39)
Supposedly, we’ll know by Friday whether or not he plays. Even though he’s tarnished the crap out of his legacy, he should still be an upgrade over Tarvaris Jackson. He can throw the deep ball and we know Bernard Berrian can catch it. That big-play potential would make teams think twice about throwing eight-man fronts at Adrian Peterson.
It’s also quite possible that 2009 Favre would be more like 2007 Favre than the 2008 one. He’s reportedly training hard this offseason—you know, buying into that whole “exercise” craze again. He did that prior to his magical 2007, but sat on his behind before 2008. What a difference we saw!
Obviously, given Favre’s age, his skill could drop off the face of the earth at any moment. He also may not gel too well with his teammates after his offseason prima donna act.
MICHAEL VICK (Age 29)
The dog slayer had football betting experts, er, salivating over his talent for the first few years of his career. Blessed with a cannon arm and unprecedented speed and elusiveness at the quarterback position, he’s a human highlight reel. Any accuracy issues in Detroit would likely be remedied by Calvin Johnson, since, you know, he could catch a hot stick of butter with two fingers and three defenders draped on his back.
However, I think Favre has the edge. Vick is 10 years younger than Favre but may actually be rustier. Though Jets fans would disagree, Favre played NFL football last season. Vick spent the last two seasons in the slammer. Don’t you think it will take time for him to adjust to getting hit, reading defenses and so on?
Also, remember that Brett Favre is perhaps the most durable quarterback in NFL history, whereas Vick was always an injury waiting to happen.
Sorry, Michael, but old man Favre has you beat.
Published: July 21, 2009
The Green Bay Packers, and many of their fans, will enter preseason with a myriad of questions, most of which will need time to answer.
These and many other questions are looming everyday around the organization; they serve as reminders to what is to come this season. But one question seems to be cast to the wayside, perhaps for the best.
This is an unavoidable question for the Packers, but it’s one that is a win-win no matter the outcome.
If you remember last year, Jones battled a nagging knee injury nearly all year long that began in preseason; this happening to a guy who previously was never injured.
Jones did play 10 games, and in that time, he racked up 274 yards on 20 catches. The year before, he set the record for best pass-catching by a rookie with 676 yards on 47 grabs.
Of the 20 catches Jones made last year, half of them came in the last four games which led everyone to believe the knee was getting better—the Packer faithful and brass were seeing shades of the 2007 rookie from San Jose State that quickly became their new slot receiver.
But in the mix and playing when Jones could not was Kansas State’s own Jordy Nelson, who even started two games.
Nelson played in all 16 games and in that time garnered 366 yards on 33 touches. He caught nearly every ball thrown to him.
Nelson was the only rookie last year to play in all 16 games. He added to his receiving numbers by also returning punts and in doing so earned 208 yards on 11 returns.
Nelson was sharp, he ran his route very well, and he learned the offense incredibly quick. All of these statistics impressed the Packers’ coaching staff.
So here is the 2009-10 season and the Packers find themselves having to choose from two very good receivers. Both are big targets, with Nelson at 6’3” 217 pounds and Jones at 6’1” 218 pounds.
Nelson has more speed, can run the lateral routes, and uses his speed to create separation while relying on his sure hands to make each possession worthwhile. He is also a proven punt returner.
Jones is a solid target over the middle on the slant routes and had a solid year in 2007, showcasing his sure hands. He can take the hits, and has good YAC averages. Last year, he had a case of dropping passes, but you can chalk a lot of that up to his knee problem that never really went away.
For the organization, having to make a decision on these two really won’t be a good thing or a bad thing though.
If you go with Jones and he stays healthy, the likely choice, your fourth receiver becomes Nelson which is basically just another starter. If you go with Nelson, the same thing applies and nothing really changes.
Add in Ruvell Martin and Jermichael Finley, you have yourself a pretty deep-receiving corp to rely on.
With five solid wide receivers, a team at that point has an immeasurable amount of options in a formation. They have the ability to substitute more, preserving the longevity of each player, and can create all sorts of mix-matches and problems for defensive coordinators.
In all likelihood, considering Jones’ rookie performance and hot start to last year’s camp before the injury against Denver, it appears that he is the front runner, but that doesn’t mean Nelson won’t legitimately beat him out.
Either way, when it is all said and done, the Packers will have the best receiving-corps depth in all of football.
So where does the Packer community stand? Voice your opinion and let everyone know your thoughts on “The Battle for No. 3.”
Published: July 21, 2009
$9,957,000.
Seems like a lot of money, doesn’t it?
Most people would be happy earning it in one year.
Not Dunta Robinson.
It’s not the money that’s the issue; rather, it’s the reason why he is making that money this season.
“…I was told I wouldn’t get (franchise) tagged,” said Robinson back in February. “That’s dishonest, and I’m mad about it.”
It’s now July, and as preseason nears, Dunta’s anger still has not subsided.
It’s time to end it.
Both sides need to compromise and make a deal before the preseason starts.
Both sides have said the right things, Robinson saying that he wants to retire a Houston Texan, and the Texans saying that they didn’t want to apply the franchise tag, but felt they had to.
Enough of the “he said, they said” business.
The only business that needs to be done is getting Dunta Robinson on the field, while providing tranquility for the team and satisfaction for Robinson.
A way to provide that? Give Robinson some money.
Of course, not $9,957,000. Give him more years, and less money.
Even he has said that’s what he wants.
So, c’mon Houston.
End Dunta’s Inferno with a heavenly solution.
Published: July 21, 2009
The White Sox are now another victim of accusations of racism. They needed to make room for a player on their roster, so they sent Carlos Quinten down. Just an ordinary move to acquire another player, right?
Well, who knew a big race card would be played, accusing the White Sox field manager Ozzie Guillen and their GM of being racists for sending a non-white player down to a different level.
Oh, the emails Guillen received! If a team sends a player down who is hitting just over .230 and only has hit two homers on the year, it is probably because he is hitting just over .230 and only has hit two homers on the year. If they had a big bat who was hitting .350 with 25 homers, maybe we’d have a questionable decision here.
That isn’t the case, though. Humor me a second here while I discuss Michael Vick, setting aside the off-the-field issues, as the bush has been beaten around enough. I believe he should come back in to the league.
He’s not a good quarterback though. Me saying this has nothing to do with racism. Just look at the numbers. He has a 75.7 career quarterback rating, and has never had 3,000 passing yards in a season. He is more built to be a safety or a wide receiver.
The same lies with Vince Young. He has shown over his playing time that he is not good enough to be a starting quarterback anywhere, except maybe San Francisco. Yes, we all loved his intricate story of where he came from, what he went through, and that big win over USC. Those days are of the past. This is the NFL now.
I can say the same about white players like Brett Favre. Favre was very exciting at times, but he just isn’t that good of a quarterback anymore. Yes he threw more touchdowns then any player in the history of the sport, but he also threw more interceptions than any player. If you look at him over the past few years he has been mediocre at best. Saying there is no racism in sports would be a mistake, a pure lie. Though it remains seriously overdone.
Published: July 21, 2009
Michael Vick was released from Federal prison yesterday (July 20, 2009) in Hampton, VA after serving a 19 month sentence on convicted dogfighting charges in 2007. Although Vick plans to play professional football, he probably won’t be playing in the NFL for the 2009-2010 season.
Reporters say NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will most likely make Vick prove himself even more by showing to the league and America that his time in prison was justified by creditable, and honorable actions relating to animal rights after his sentence.
Although Vick may not play in the NFL next season or the CFL (since suspensions in the NFL also rolls over to the CFL), there is a good chance of him playing in the newly anticipated UFL (United Football League; backed by names such as Mark Cuban and numerous other investors) that starts in September, 2009. UFL President Michael Huyghue said:
“The chances of a UFL team signing Michael Vick to play the 2009 season are 98 percent. Michael’s not going to be able to walk right back into the NFL, he’s going to need some kind of buffer before he signs in the NFL, and we’ll be able to provide that for him.” (quote taken from deadspin.com)
Not only would the UFL benefit from revenue with more publicity from Vick fans and the sports nation; but it would also help Vick prove to the naysayers about his athletic shape, and arm accuracy coming out of prison since he has not played a professional football game since December 31, 2006.
Published: July 21, 2009
Tony Romo seems to be in the headlines quite a bit.
Whether he’s breaking up with Jessica Simpson, finishing second in a golf tournament, or watching his favorite ex-wide receiver’s new reality show, Romo has kept his name out there.
In the fantasy world, it’s his game we’re worried about.
The Cowboys are hoping it’s addition by subtraction with Terrell Owens moving on to Buffalo, and Roy Williams will get the opportunity to be the No. 1 wide receiver with an actual quarterback.
Jason Witten, Romo’s favorite target (much to T.O.’s dismay), is ready for another big year, and Patrick Crayton and Miles Austin are also decent options at wideout.
Plus, the Cowboys have a trio of solid backs in Marion Barber III, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice.
With Jessica out of the picture, perhaps Romo will spend a little less time tending to her needs…not that I blame him.
Playing in the NFC East, Romo naturally has some tough matchups on his hands. In addition to the pair of games against the Giants, Eagles, and Redskins, he will face the Panthers, Packers, and Chargers, who I expect to improve dramatically, and the Raiders, who are tough against the pass.
The only easy games appear to be Weeks 4 and 5 against Denver and Kansas City and Week 15 against New Orleans.
Fortunately for Romo and his fantasy owners, the Cowboys should have enough firepower for him to put up numbers, regardless of the matchup.
I’m not thrilled with his playoff matchups against San Diego, New Orleans, and Washington, but that’s not enough to dissuade me from taking him in the fifth or sixth round.
I think he’ll come in somewhere in between his amazing 2007 season and his somewhat disappointing 2008 season, with 3800 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Oh, and he’ll probably add another hot, blonde singer as a girlfriend before the season starts.
Originally published at LestersLegends.com.
Published: July 21, 2009
Well, judging by the lack of comments for my “It’s A Conspiracy, I Tell You! AFC East Edition” slideshow a few weeks ago, I was bound and determined NOT to post another “It’s A Conspiracy, I Tell You!” piece. Guess it wasn’t funny enough…but heck, what’s not to laugh at with Rex Ryan’s look of irony or players bowing to Tony “Soprano” Sparano?
Maybe I just did the wrong division. The thing is, being a Fins fan I tend to follow what’s happening in the AFC East.
But then, Big Ben of Steeler Super Bowl victory fame seems to have gotten himself into a jam when he was at Lake Tahoe’s Harruh’s Casino and meeting up with Andrea McNulty, who has now accused him of “sexual assault.”
As they used to say about Namath, “Say It Ain’t So,” Ben!
I mean, with that gorgeous Super Bowl Ring of yours, you don’t need that floozy!
And what were you doing in that den of iniquity, anyway?
Well, I got a hold of Andrea herself. “Fact is, Benny Boy was betting all that Super Bowl money of his on whether I would give him a blow job!”
Instead, she ruefully admitted, “He gave me one…right up the old sex assault alley!”
So then, I asked her, “Why didn’t you file a police report?” Because I can’t find a sports site anywhere where it can be verified that she filed a police report before filing sex assault charges on the Steeler Quarterback.
“Because,” she responded, “then I’d have to admit the real reason I charged him with sex assault is because I’m a Cardinals fanatic and I want to hurt the Steelers real bad by messing around with Big Ben!”
And then, other wierd happening started to happen inside a division, the AFC North, that I ordinarily couldn’t care less about.