Mike Reiss to Leave Globe, Join ESPNBoston

Last night, I received an email from Ian Bethune over at Sox & Dawgs with some shocking news out of The Boston Globe front.

Eagles’ Quintin Demps Is Not a Starter

I’ve stood by the fact that I don’t believe Quintin Demps should be a starter, but that he may eventually turn into a starting-caliber player. However, Thursday’s preseason game against the Jaguars has me thinking a bit differently.

Overall, Demps didn’t play a terrible game. However, one particular play really sticks out from that game, and has me 100 percent convinced that Demps is not ready to start this year, and may never be the starter that the Eagles want and expect him to be.

Without going back and looking, I don’t remember the exact situation of the play.

From what I recall, the Jaguars were headed into the redzone from about the Eagles 25 yard line (or so). David Garrard used the play-fake to freeze the linebackers and hit Marcedes Lewis about ten yards down the field on what I believe was just an out pattern.

Demps comes flying into the screen, lunges at Lewis and simply bounces off of him. That doesn’t sound so bad, but it gets a whole lot worse when you see that he bounces off because at no point does he extend his arms to wrap Lewis up, or even just simply lower his shoulder into him as Dawk would do from time to time.

Then I thought back to the NFC Championship game when he just gave a slight shoulder check to Tim Hightower on the goal line and I realized then that Demps is afraid of contact.

Now, I don’t mean that he’s going to turn and run away, but when push comes to shove, he doesn’t want to lay his body on the line to make that tackle.

He will, however, take a shot at a quarterback who’s not looking and who threw the ball several seconds before he got there. It’s cheap, and it’s cowardly. However, it seems like it’s the only time he’ll hit somebody.

As a fan, as a former player, as a coach, and as a man, it’s absolutely unthinkable that this kid has made it all the way to the ranks of being a starter in the NFL when he obviously does not like contact. What exactly are the Eagles thinking putting him out there on the field?

Not only does it put the team at risk to be playing a kid that won’t hit anybody, but it puts him at risk as well. The guys who are afraid of contact are the ones who get injured the most often. They don’t know how to give a hit, and they don’t know how to receive a hit, which of course leads to things like broken collarbones (i.e. Roy Williams) and other injuries of the like.

Now, this would not be a big deal if he were a corner, a wide receiver, or even a quarterback. I think it’s terrible that such players make up the NFL today, but it’s something that has become the norm. However, if you want to play free safety, you have better have the reckless abandon of a Banshee warrior.

Dawkins had, and has, that. It’s what made, and makes, him a great safety, and a great overall player. Demps, on the other hand, apparently learned nothing under his time with Dawkins the way that Quintin Mikell did. You can see Dawkins in the way that Mikell plays because he took that same type of mentality.

Demps is just another finesse kid that the Eagles don’t need.

What’s even more maddening is that they have a guy in Sean Jones sitting on the bench who would gladly sacrifice his body to take someone else’s head off just for the sheer joy of hearing the pop. That’s a football player, that’s what a safety must be willing to do.

If Demps wants any kind of career in the NFL, he better start learning how to play in man coverage against a receiver, because cornerback is the only position on defense where it’s acceptable (to a degree) to not want contact. Hell, Deion Sanders had about four or five tackles over his entire career, yet he’s remembered as one of the best ever.

Macho Harris isn’t afraid to hit, start him. Sean Jones isn’t afraid to hit, start him. Quintin Demps will avoid contact if at all possible, and quite frankly he’s not someone I want stepping into the shoes of Brian “Weapon X” Dawkins. Jones or Harris might suplex somebody, and at this point I’d be surprised if Demps would be man enough to give them a friendly hug.

Ride the pine, son. This is the NFL.

 

Also Check Out 2 Minutes to Midnight Green!

NFL: Look to the Backups

NFL franchises are officially back to work, their training camps in full swing.  Adversity in the form of injuries has also affected teams as it has every year; several key players have gone down with significant injuries.

When it comes to injuries in the NFL, it is identical to riding a motorcycle.  It is a known fact that if you ride one, you will go down at some point in time, and hopefully you can recover from any injuries.  Coincidentally, when it comes to injuries in the NFL, it isn’t a matter of if it happens but a matter of when.

Let’s be honest: injuries suck, but they’re part of the game and a setback that has to be overcome. It is also an opportunity for the backup player to step up and prove he can be the guy. 

Can Joe Mays be the guy in Philadelphia? Can Corey Irvin, Nick Hayden or Marlon Favorite step up in Carolina? One thing is for certain: both clubs and us fans we’ll  find out right away.

Here are a couple of guys who have made it happen before. 

1. Kurt Warner stepped in for Trent Green in 1999
2. Tom Brady stepped in for Drew Bledsoe in 2001
3. Kerry Collins stepped in for Rich Gannon in 2003
4. James Harrison stepped in for Clark Haggans in 2005

If the entire organization (owner, front office, scouting department & coaching staff) is on the same page and has properly built their team, they’ll be prepared for this scenario.  This is accomplished by drafting well with a three  to five year vision in mind and clearly defined attainable goals.

In theory, a team’s first and second round draft picks should be integral pieces to the puzzle that have the potential to be longtime fixtures for a franchise.  A team should be drafting potential starters or players that can develop into starters in every round. However, a team is actually built in rounds three through seven.  Let’s not forget selecting undrafted free agents to develop.

It has been said more than once that the best laid plans can and will go awry.  Injuries have negatively affected the outcome of the season of several teams. It brings to mind the John Madden Football curse.  I know to some people this might sound just a tad out of context, but follow me if you will, and it will make sense.

It must be stated that this isn’t a knock on John Madden Football. I absolutely love the game and have been playing it for years. Going back over the last ten years, significant player injuries and being on the cover of the game have been synonymous. NFL players were featured on the cover of the game for the first time in 1999.

• 1999 Garrison Hearst—He had an outstanding regular season, finishing third in rushing yards.  However, he suffered a broken ankle in the Divisional Playoff game against the Falcons. The severe break caused Hearst to miss two full NFL seasons. The team went 8-8 and third place in the division.

• 2000 Barry Sanders—He is pictured over Madden’s left shoulder on the cover.  Sanders abruptly retired in July before the start of the ’99 season. The team went 8-8, third place in the division.

• 2001 Eddie George—George’s curse came in ’01 in the form of him failing to break 1,000 yards rushing and the Titans going 7-9 and missing the playoffs.

• 2002 Dante Culpepper—Culpepper missed four games due to injury, threw for 1,300 fewer yards and 19 fewer TD passes than in 2000. The Vikings went 5-11, their worst record since 1984.

• 2003 Marshall Faulk—Faulk played in the same number of games, but ran for 430 yards less and had four fewer TDs than in 2001,  which was his worst season since 1996. The Rams scored only 16 more points then their 1996 team that had Tony Banks at QB and Lawrence Phillips at RB.  The team went 7-9 and finished third in the division.

• 2004 Michael Vick—Vick missed the first 11 games of the season with a broken leg. Vick’s QB rating, completion percentage and yards per attempt were all down from 2002.  (This is clearly a statistic Vince Young wasn’t aware of when he stated in a September interview with Esquire magazine that playing QB was all about your legs.)  The team went 5-11 and took fourth place in the division.

• 2005 Ray Lewis—Lewis, for the most part, avoided the curse.  His numbers were slightly down from the previous year and he missed one game.  However, he didn’t record an interception in 2004, the first time in his career.

• 2006 Donovan McNabb—After Week 9, McNabb suffered a hernia and was lost for the season. McNabb threw for more interceptions; his yards per attempt and completion percentage were down from 2004.  The Eagles finished 6-10, in last place, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

• 2007 Shaun Alexander—Alexander missed six regular season games with a broken foot.  He finished the season with 896 yards and six TDs, his lowest numbers since his rookie season.  He had a 3.6 yards per carry average—his career average was 4.4 yards per carry.  The team went 10-6, went to the playoffs, and lost in the divisional round to the Packers.

• 2008 Vince Young—Vince Young threw for 2,546 yards, nine TDs and 17 interceptions.  He did complete 62 percent of his passes and Tennessee went 10-6, losing to the Chargers in the playoffs.

• 2009 Bret Favre—Favre passed for 3,472 yards, 22 TDs and 22 interceptions.  Favre and the Jets experienced a hot start, but faded late after Favre injured his throwing arm, and the season collapsed.  Brett threw six fewer TDs and seven more INTs than in 2007. The Jets finished 9-7 after an 8-3 start and missed the playoffs, losing to the Dolphins with their former QB at the helm.

The NFL is the epitome of the next man up.  Overcoming adversity and moving on is the name of the game.  A highly important factor in answering the obvious question—can the team trust the backup and rally around him?

Brandon Marshall Suspended for the Rest of Preseason

“Wait, Coach, you mean THIS will get me suspended? I just thought I was mailing it in at Kyle Orton’s performance level…”

Yes, Brandon Marshall, that will get you suspended for the rest of the preseason. For now, Brandon Marshall’s not set to miss games once the regular season begins, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio thinks he could miss more time before this dispute is resolved.

And though Marshall’s plan likely is to be disruptive without providing full-blown cause for a conclusion that he’s acting like Terrell Owens circa 2005, what we saw in that video is, in our view, enough to justify sending him home for the first four weeks of the season, at a total salary loss of $517,000.

Marshall’s not helping his case by acting up in practice, and many teams will sit back to see if they can get Marshall at a discount rate when all of this blows up completely on Josh McDaniels and the Denver Broncos.

Surely, you don’t want this guy on any of your fantasy football rosters this year. If he gets traded, he could increase his value, but a trade looks unlikely this early in the season. I would stay away from Brandon Marshall in your upcoming fantasy football draft, but Eddie Royal may not be bad bargain. Royal is currently the Broncos’ best starting wide receiver.

As always, the comments are yours. How do you feel about Brandon Marshall?

Related Articles:

• Maybe that’s why Brandon Marshall wanted out of Denver
• Foolish Thoughts: Foolish Fantasy Football Draft Kit
• First Round Fantasy Football Draft Strategy for 2009
• Foolish Thoughts: Broncos, Bills and Bears! Bowe, my!
• Fantasy Draft Day Pick or Pass: Top 36 Wide Receivers by ADP

What Do the Pittsburgh Steeler Coaches See that Fans Don’t?

As roster cutdowns and the beginning of the regular season loom, Steeler Nation holds its collective breath: whom among the new young talent will make the roster, who will get cut, and, more importantly, how much might we come to regret any roster moves?

At this point, rampant speculation runs wild from grizzled news vets to devoted sports bloggers and even fans on Steelers forums.  “Redman is a lock for a RB spot.”  Or is it “Redman is destined for the practice squad?” 

All the rookies and some of the second- and third-year players are the subject of similar rumors.  Will rookie TE Johnson unseat McHugh for the third TE spot?  Will Logan make the team as a return man, and will he take a WR or RB spot if he does?  Practically everyone on the team, from Mike Wallace to Willie Colon, has a shot at being the No. 3 wide receiver.  If you believe everything you read on the Internet, that position battle is so wide open.

But more importantly, there are subtle messages leaking out from the Steeler organization that hint at what the real roster situation is shaping up to look like.  And that leads me to ask:  What are the coaches really seeing that fans aren’t?

Primarily, my head is spinning around the running back situation.  Obviously, Willie Parker isn’t going anywhere.  He’s earned the No. 1 spot, and the fact that he’s playing for a new contract means he’s likely to play harder than ever and have a great year, barring injuries. 

Whether he’ll be back next year probably has a lot to do with how Mendenhall looks.  Mewelde Moore is still serviceable as a situational third-down back as either a runner or receiver out of the backfield.  Cary Davis is a veteran who, although he wasn’t exceptional last year, certainly wasn’t bad either.  After that the depth chart gets downright murky for me, between Summers, Redman, Vincent and Logan.

For one thing, RB Rashard Mendenhall has been downright terrible so far in the preseason.  Granted, we haven’t seen a lot of the running game in the first two preseason games, but that in itself is somewhat worrisome.  I’m not rushing to throw the baby out with the bathwater and call Mendenhall a bust, but to me, his lackluster showing thus far means you have to start asking the hard questions about the depth chart for the long term—is he really the future franchise back?

Carey Davis returns as a part-time fullback/part-time tailback, proving he’s never going to be a feature back in this league.  Fifth-rounder Frank “The Tank” Summers is currently plagued with an injury that kept him out of the Washington game, as well as rumors that he runs too vertically and doesn’t use his size and power well to hit the hole and move the pile. 

Justin Vincent seems to be the only running back I’ve noticed handling the ball with any regularity during the preseason games, yet the absolute lack of any news about him out of camp leads me to believe that he’s not surviving the cut.  Stefan Logan was superb in Washington running back kicks, and just might take a RB spot while only featuring on special teams, but probably will never see an offensive down on the field in any capacity.  And then there’s camp phenom Isaac Redman.

The name that stands out most for me is Carey Davis.  He appears to be all but a lock at this point, leaving many fans wondering why, considering all the praise that’s been heaped upon the undrafted Isaac Redman.  Redman put up three TDs on the first-team defense in goal-line drills (need I remind anyone how awful the Steelers were in that situation last year?) in one practice.  Yet he’s not seen significant touches in live play.  Carey Davis seems to be coasting entirely on his veteran status, but is that really enough?

The hope for me is that this seeming neglect of the running game so far in the preseason is purposefully deliberate on the part of the coaches, though for the life of me, I can’t guess why they’d choose to focus on such unbalanced playcalling in favor of the passing game.  It’s nice to get Dennis Dixon some reps, but the downside of that was evidenced by the shoulder injury Dixon suffered late in the game against the Redskins. 

On the other hand, Tomlin’s message was pretty clear—they didn’t do any game-planning for the first two games, and the objective was more about taking a look at the young talent than winning meaningless games.  If that’s the case, though, why not take a longer look at the running game, especially with the fairly deep pool of talent at the position, and some hard choices to make in the very near future?

I can only conclude that the coaches are seeing things that the fans are not.  Granted, most fans weren’t there for all of training camp, and aren’t there at the closed practices.  I base my own opinions on what I’ve seen in the first two games and what I’ve read second-hand out of camp.  It just strikes me as odd that if you read between the lines, some of the highly-praised guys seem to be the ones on the verge of being cut in favor of guys that haven’t done much to impress, at least in the news.

For instance, going back to Redman, based on everything from comments from Tomlin to journalists covering training camp to reports from fans who’ve been at camp, he has been doing all the right things—getting the tough yards in short-yardage situations, catching the ball out of the backfield, blocking…

But I can’t shake the growing feeling that he’ll be relegated to the practice squad, or worse, lost to another team.

The only justification I seem to find is that, for some reason (and all apologies to Carey Davis, nothing personal against him), we can’t do without the services of Carey Davis.  I can only wonder what it is that Carey Davis is showing coaches that we fans don’t see, that makes him so indispensable, given that there hasn’t been a scrap of news out of camp this summer that Davis has been setting the practice fields on fire with his running prowess. 

I think back in horror at the thought that, had the staff had the same mindset in the approach to Willie Parker, where would we be now?  What if Cowher had said that Jerome Bettis, Duce Staley, Amos Zeroue, Verron Haynes and Dan Kreider were the five running backs for the roster, and put the unknown, undrafted Willie Parker on waivers (or never picked him up in the first place)?

Then again, I have to wonder if I’m not overreacting based on a few weeks of half-speed practices and two meaningless preseason games—a very real possibility.  I can only hope that we get to see some more of the Steeler running game against the Bills, and in the process, see a real pecking order established among the running backs.

In the end, you wish first for your team to make the best decisions for the team, then you genuinely want to see those good guys who fall victim to the necessary evil of the roster cuts go on to make it somewhere else (though not be so great that you’ll live to regret letting a future Hall of Famer get away).  When it comes down to it, I’d hope that whoever makes the roster is the best guy for the job all around.  I also hope that the decision is based on actual demonstration of ability.

A Bleacher Report: My First-Hand Look at the Jaguars in Philadelphia

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of driving seven hours through two beltways (Washington and Baltimore) to watch the Jaguars lose to the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Pleasure?” you ask.

Absolutely. For one, the fans at Lincoln Financial Field weren’t nearly as hostile as I’d been led to believe—for this exhibition game, at least. One fellow in a nearby section drew cheers as he was dragged out by stadium security, but the Eagles fans near me were downright friendly.

More importantly, though, I had the chance to see the 2009 Jaguars up close. From seat four in Section 119, Row 16—on the 45-yard line, behind Jacksonville’s bench—a few things stood out.

My most-prominent (and favorite) memory from last night’s game is of how effectively Derrick Harvey contained Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick.

On one first-quarter play, Harvey rushed into the Eagles’ backfield unblocked. He read Vick’s fake handoff and squared up to make the tackle, cornering Vick in pursuit and lunging out to trip him up.

Soon after, Harvey beat tackle Jason Peters with a rip move and confronted Vick on a shovel pass play. Vick could have ran or passed, but Harvey had both options covered, taking LeSean McCoy down as soon as he got the pitch.

After an offseason spent bulking up to anchor better against the run, those two plays in particular show that Harvey has still retained the first-step quickness to be an effective pass rusher and the agility to pursue backs in open space.

Jacksonville also attempted to make use of Harvey and Quentin Groves’ athleticism by lining them up as down linemen in a few 3-4 defensive looks.

The Jaguars tried to execute twists in those three-man fronts, with both Terrance Knighton and Derek Landri taking reps at nose tackle and slanting into the “B” gap between the offensive guard and tackle. But neither penetrated enough to give Harvey or Groves clean lanes into the “A” gap between the center and guard.

On offense, Jacksonville’s linemen also had trouble imposing their will in the trenches.

Much of the credit goes to the Eagles’ defensive line—particularly tackle Brodrick Bunkley, who played with an impressive combination of intelligence, aggression, and strength.

Bunkley crashed through the Jaguars’ line to pressure Garrard, fought against double teams to stop runs between the tackles, and jolted Jacksonville guard Vince Manuwai back on multiple occasions. Even bowling-ball back Maurice Jones-Drew couldn’t fight for many yards against Philadelphia’s starting defensive front last night.

The Jaguars’ only substantial offensive success came on a few screen plays that took advantage of the Eagles’ aggressiveness.

On their longest play of the night, David Garrard passed to Jones-Drew in the face of an all-out blitz up the middle. With an escort of blockers, Jones-Drew weaved around blocks and broke a tackle before plowing into a safety for a few extra yards to end the play.

Tackles Tra Thomas and Eugene Monroe did a good job against the Eagles’ edge rushers, and the whole line performed well on plays where they were able to block in open space. With the notable exception of Monroe, who missed almost two weeks of training camp, they looked leaner and played quicker than last year’s linemen.

New strength coach Luke Richesson’s offseason training regimen seems to have improved the conditioning of those players who participated. Considering the Jaguars’ troubles getting push on runs up the middle, though, they might should have left more of the sand in their pants.

With Manuwai still shaking off the rust from missing last season, though, and some shuffling of personnel on the right side of the line, their struggles may simply be a lack of chemistry.

Uche Nwaneri took most of the first-team reps at right guard, while Maurice Williams—last year’s opening-day starter who was lost for the season after tearing his biceps against Tennessee—played with the second team, hinting at a possible upset in that position battle.

But Nwaneri also lined up at center for one third-quarter series. Williams has also spent time snapping the ball in practice; with rookie Eben Britton able to play tackle and guard, and Thomas being considered for either tackle spot, the Jaguars clearly want to get as much utility as possible out of their depth up front.

On special teams, Josh Scobee had a good night. Most of his kickoffs had touchback distance, and his two 49-yard field goals sailed through high above the crossbar.

Really, Scobee’s kicking was symbolic of Jacksonville’s offseason thus far. The Jaguars have reshaped themselves to get leaner and meaner, and now they need to translate that physical capability into consistent execution.

From where I was sitting, I think they have the right pieces. They need only to find the right places for them to make it happen.

The Sportmeisters NFL Season Preview: NFC North

By Derek and Ryan of The Sportmeisters

With the NFL season fast approaching, Sportmeisters Derek and Ryan break out the crystal ball and forsee the future of all 32 NFL teams. Today, Derek and Ryan look at the NFC North, and discuss how they got to their respective decisions. What follows is a transcript of that discussion.

Ryan:

• Chicago Bears: 13-3
• Green Bay Packers: 9-7
• Minnesota Vikings: 7-9
• Detroit Lions: 5-11

Derek:

• Minnesota Vikings: 11-5
• Green Bay Packers: 10-6
• Chicago Bears: 10-6
• Detroit Lions: 2-14

Ryan: Derek, we definitely have some big discrepancies here in the NFC North.

Derek: Ryan, the NFC North will be extra competitive this year, as all four teams have made major upgrades. Even though Detroit is in the league, there is a strong chance for three of the four teams to be over .500.

Ryan: I don’t think its going to shape out that way, and the Brett Favre experiment will backfire, while the Jay Cutler era starts shining in Chicago.

Derek: Chicago went out and traded for their first real ‘Franchise Quarterback’ in over 20 years. Jay Cutler and a revitalized Brian Urlacher will lead the Bears, and Greg Olsen, Matt Forte, and Devin Hester will have MONSTER years.

Ryan: Absolutely, I am completely sold on the Bears in 2009, making strides reminiscent of their 2006 team, with the most complete team since 1985.

Derek: I’m going to disagree. I think they will lose key divisional games to Green Bay and Minnesota, as well as games vs. Pittsburgh, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Arizona that may hold them out of the playoffs for a third straight season.

Ryan: I’ll agree on Pittsburgh taking down Chicago, but I expect victories over the rest except for Atlanta and Minnesota.

Derek: Speaking of Minnesota, they have now gone out and signed Brett Favre to run the offense and with him at the helm, RB Adrian Peterson may see a few less eight-man fronts, or it could be the other way around and because Peterson is so good, Favre may have his receivers one on one and be able to torch the defense.

Ryan: No way Derek! Favre is going to bust completely for the Vikings. He’s still hurt, he’s missed all of the preseason, he has no respect from his team right now, how can people call this team a Super Bowl contender?

Derek: Even the great Favre won’t be able to win them all, and losses to Pittsburgh, Arizona, Carolina, Green Bay, and Chicago will make this a close race at the end of the year.

Ryan: I feel an under-performing team falls to 7-9, punctuated by losses to Green Bay, Chicago, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and the New York Giants. Then, finally, the Brett Favre era will be over.

Derek: Let’s move on to Brett Favre’s old team, the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay went out and hired a new Defensive Coordinator and will go with the 3-4 this year, moving DE Aaron Kampman to OLB. They have looked sharp so far this preseason, but not as sharp as their offense has looked.

Ryan: I LOVE the 3-4 defense Derek, and Green Bay is adjusting amazingly to it, and I think that will be a huge factor in their 2009 season, helping load some of the work off of the offense.

Derek: Being led by QB Aaron Rodgers should lead them to wins over Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, and Baltimore.

Ryan: I see one of those games as a loss, but they will still finish second in the division, fighting for the wild card.

Derek: Finally, Detroit will be at the very bottom again, but they won’t repeat their 0-16 season.

Ryan: The Lions have gone to great pains to remove the stench of last year, and behind a new Coach in Jim Schwartz, and a team filled with a lot of new blood, I think five victories is a realistic stretch.

Derek: At best, they get two wins, against St. Louis and San Francisco, as neither team has the secondary to stop Megatron, WR Calvin Johnson, and that’s better than 0-16.

Ryan: I have a little more confidence than you in Detroit, and possibly better success in picking the NFC North.

The Dallas Cowboys at 1-1: A Halfway Point to the Preseason

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The Dallas Cowboys have a .500 record going into their third game against the San Francisco 49ers and there are a number of ways to look at that. 

You can turn a blind eye to preseason games which seemingly don’t matter, you can put too much stock in these games, or you can take them for what they are: real experiences at an NFL level.  They allow the rookies real playing time and experience, while allowing the veterans to shake off the rust they have accumulated during the offseason.

During the preseason the Cowboys offensive starters have produced well and have done a good job of spreading the ball around.  The offense that begins and ends with Tony Romo and his offensive line have played well this preseason. 

The offensive line has only allowed one sack in two games. Tony Romo has played well in the short amount of time he has been on the field.  Romo is 22-of-30 for 228 yards, a touchdown, and no turnovers. The best part of those stats is the no turnovers part, which in my opinion is because the Cowboys have relied more heavily on their potent running game. 

Dallas has 54 rushing attempts to their 67 passing attempts, which isn’t quite even, but still seems better than last year when the Cowboys passed first and asked questions later. 

In utilizing the rushing attack more frequently the Cowboys should cut down on the times when Romo is in danger of throwing interceptions.  It also seems like Jason Garret is trying to find ways to use his three headed monster equally, yet diversely. 

Both Barber and Jones have scored on touchdowns on drives that Romo has engineered, and I have no doubt in my mind that if they all stay healthy they will be the most effective running back committee in the NFL.

Another large step for the Cowboys has been getting everyone in their receiving corps involved in the passing game, and it really looks like they have been working on it. 

The Romo/Williams connection looks like it has seen some work since last season, with Williams hauling in 6 catches for 48 yards.  The Cowboys quarterbacks have managed to spread the ball around to 16 different players.  The reason they have been able to do this is because they do not have a player on their team who feels the need for 20 passes thrown his way…which is a big plus. 

Romo’s chemistry with his top three receiving threats (Williams, Witten, and Crayton) looks very good, and even with the other receivers it looks decent.  This is one of the areas Romo and his second tier receivers need to work on, because when teams take the two W’s (Williams and Witten) out of games they need someone else to turn to. 

The use of running backs has also greatly factored into Dallas’ passing attack which is evidenced by Felix Jones’ 42-yard catch and run against Tennessee.  That is the kind of game-breaking threat the Cowboys need to be potent this year, and so far it’s looking good.

Compared to the Cowboys offense, the defensive side of the ball still has questions.  Consistency, injuries, and depth are all concerns that need to be answered in Big D.  The question of consistency cannot be answered in the preseason because the defensive starters are not on the field the whole game, but they have showed they can hold things down well. 

The backups on the other hand are questionable at a number of positions.  The Cowboys seemed thin at linebacker after Zach Thomas and Kevin Burnett left because of the inexperience of the Cowboys backups, and now they seem even thinner.  

The Cowboys drafted Brandon Williams and Stephen Hodge to back up Anthony Spencer and Keith Brooking and now both are injured.  Williams will most likely miss the entire season with a torn ACL and Hodge will likely miss some more of the preseason.  

The Cowboys backups need to stay healthy because if a veteran goes down not only are the backups inexperienced, but they will have health concerns as well.  The Cowboys defensive starters have played well in the preseason, but their backups were shown to be vulnerable when Oakland put up 21 points in the second half of their first preseason game.  

The Cowboys have shown they have both strong and weak points, and also their own surprises so far this preseason. 

They have showed that they have the tools to be a successful team in the league, but the question still remains: Will they be able to use those tools to compete late in the season, and hopefully the playoffs?

Fantasy Football Success: Know Your Scoring System!

Every fantasy football magazine sells you their ranking for each position. Sure, those are great and helpful. But that alone won’t get you fantasy success.  In my time in fantasy football I have realized that all you need to do is make the playoffs and anything can happen. You can gain your points on your adversaries just by knowing the scoring system.

1. The six point touchdown

There is nothing I love more than being in a fantasy league with a custom scoring system and with half the owners not knowing the scoring system. Most leagues provide  you with six points for a passing touchdown, a point for 25 yards passing, six points per rushing touchdown and ten rushing yards for a point. 

Just think before you pick here.  Last year Adrian Peterson finished with 1885 yards and 10 TDs, so that works out to 248 points for the season. Michael Turner had 1740 yards and 17 TDs, which is 276 points. DeAngelo Williams had 1636 yards and 20 TDs for 283 points. 

Now if you look at some of the quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers had 4038 yards and 28 TDs, which comes to 329 points. Philip Rivers threw for 4009 yards and 34 TDs for 364 points and Drew Brees had 5069 yards and 34 TDs for 406 points. 

Reasonable minds say you still need to take Adrian Peterson with the top pick because of his dominance and his team’s commitment to the run, but last year there were 11 QBs with more than 20 TDs, which was higher than any running back’s total.  There is a 123-point difference between Brees and Williams. That’s roughly seven or eight points a game.  So knowing your scoring system can help you gain extra points per game. 

2. The point per reception

The PPR league, which is gaining some popularity in the fantasy world, really changes around the ADP (average draft position) of players.  When you are looking to draft a running back, if its a PPR league you need to be wise. 

Turner and Peterson don’t catch the ball a lot.  Players like Chris Johnson, Darren Mcfadden and Reggie Bush all get kicks up because they catch passes like a receiver.  Receivers like Wes Welker and Eddie Royal both get a lot of receptions but don’t get a ton of TDs. 

If they average six receptions a game, then you’re going to get at least six points and the yardage. We’ll give them 50 yards a game, so that’s good for 11 points a game. 

So pay attention to the high reception guys. They can give you a few extra points here and there. Remember you get one point for the catch even if it’s a pass for zero yards or negative yards. 

3. Know your bonus points

If your league has bonus points available, then be aware of them.  If you get five points for a 50-yard field goal, two points for a certain amount of receptions per game, or if there are yardage bonuses, make sure you know about them. 

If you look back and you can get five points a game from your QB and three points from your WR/RB, then you get two points for a bonus, you have been able to find 10 extra points for the week. 

Now it won’t work out like this every weekm but one extra win a season could be all you need to scoop up a playoff birth and a possible Super Bowl Championship and fantasy immortality. Happy drafting

The Miami Dolphins’ 2009 Preseason: Analysis

With new minority interests in Miami Dolphins’ organization being spotlighted this offseason, the team added much needed depth and gets tougher with the coaching staff taking a hard line approach to the actual football played on the field.

Owner Stephen Ross understands his role and Coach Sparano understands his role as head coach.

Get the Miami Dolphins back to Number 1!

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