Bucs QB Quandry Still Stormy

The thunderheads rolled in like an ominous precursor to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers home schedule. Between the raindrops the inadequacy of the Tampa Bay starting back quarterback situation came to light for the entire nation to see.

Byron Leftwich was too inaccurate. Luke McCown was too indecisive. Josh Freeman was both. Inept QB play wasted another solid showing of the Bucs underrated young defense that held the defending AFC East champion Miami Dolphins to 10 points and pitched four straight three-and-outs against Miami’s starters.

The defense would go on to limit Miami to 252 total yards, force three turnovers, and register five sacks.

Coupled with the running game that churned up 127 yards against a stingy Dolphin run defense (including 54 yards on eight carries by Carnell “Cadillac” Williams), the Bucs moved between the twenties through out the first half.

Unfortunately, accuracy was not Byron Leftwich’s strong suit. While he completed nine passes on 17 attempts for 101 yards, he missed wide open receivers down field that could have been big time plays. He also fumbled once in the red zone after holding the ball for too long.

Leftwich would leave the game after leading the Buccaneers to a 6-0 edge.

Luke McCown would take over midway through the second quarter – working the Bucs down to the Miami 35. He would then take consecutive sacks and the Bucs would find themselves out of field goal range.

In McCown’s defense, head coach Raheem Morris made the curious decision to put him behind the Bucs second and third string offensive lineman against Miami’s first team defense.

The results were as expected, not pretty. McCown would go 5-for-11 for just 38 yards.

McCown also had to sit with the rest of his teammates during a 45-minute lightning delay.

After getting a field goal right before halftime, Miami Head Coach Tony Sparano—perhaps not happy with his offense’s performance – kept starting Quarterback Chad Pennington and Miami’s number one offense to start the third quarter.

It allowed the Dolphins to work their way down the field on a five play 72-yard drive that was capped off by Chad Pennington some how avoiding a vicious Buccaneer pass rush to find a wide open Anthony Fasano in the end zone for the game’s only touchdown.

Miami led 10-6. McCown gave way to Tampa Bay number one draft pick Josh Freeman for the rest of the way.

Freeman wasn’t bad; he was just victimized by poor protection and penalties from his offensive line that resulted in no points in six possessions.

The Bucs were undisciplined in this one. 13 drive-killing penalties for 85 yards continuously plagued the team throughout the soggy contest.

So the Dolphins won the game, despite being outplayed most of the way by the young Bucs.

What was learned by Coach Morris? No matter whom he chooses quarterback is going to be a major problem for the Buccaneers. Leftwich may be the best of the bunch but that’s not saying much.

If the Bucs truly want to bring Josh Freeman along slowly, Leftwich must be the choice. There’s really no point to McCown. He needs reps at quarterback. If you’re going to give a quarterback on the job training, it might as well be Josh Freeman.

Lord knows he needs it.

While there’s certainly encouraging signs in the defense and the running game the ultimate downfall this season for the Buccaneers is going to be the quarterback situation.

The Bucs QB will likely have to only throw the ball 20-25 times a game. If Leftwich is the man, that translates to about nine completions.

Scary, isn’t it?

Breaking News: Denver Broncos Suspend Brandon Marshall

The Denver Broncos continue to face turmoil this off season in 2009. With the falling out of Jay Cutler and a new head coach, there has been a bit of a split within the organization which wants to move on under new staff.

Receiver Brandon Marshall, who has requested a trade for months now, has been a distraction for the Broncos. Marshall has missed the first two preseason games, and was demoted to the scout team just a short time ago.

However, the feud took a turn for the worst in the past couple of days, and Denver has had enough.

According to a recent report, the Denver Broncos have suspended Brandon Marshall for the rest of the preseason, and possibly part of the regular season.

ESPN has learned that a video was shown at Broncos camp  where Marshall was “walking when the rest of the team was running during warm ups, insolently punting the ball away instead of handing it to a ball boy and swatting away a pass that was thrown to him.”

While Marshall claims it wasn’t intentional, his desire for a trade has been known for quite some time, yet the Broncos have not found anything on the market worthy for him.

This suspension will make the trade market for Marshall drop very quickly, as it seems to be more unlikely that Marshall will find a new home this season.

 

Matt Miselis is an NFL writer for BleacherReport.com

NFL Team Previews: Buffalo Bills

Pigskin Heaven’s Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Buffalo Bills. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

 

What’s New?

You have to look no farther than “No. 81” to find an answer to that question.

It’s safe to say that Buffalo stunned the NFL community with the signing of oft-troubled wideout Terrell Owens, though you can’t deny being enticed by what he can bring to an offense.

Slightly less publicized are the signings of Dominic Rhodes and Drayton Florence.

Angelo Crowell was the only Bills’ free agent of not to not stay in Buffalo, and the J.P. Losman era has officially run into an iceberg, as Losman is out of Buffalo, and out of the NFL.

The Bills were movers in the draft, and helped themselves early, picking up Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin and Louisville center Eric Wood in the first round, the former of which may have been picked too high, and the latter cost them former franchise tackle Jason Peters.

 

Three Burning Questions

Can Terrell Owens co-exist with a fairly young, fairly inexperienced Quarterback?

Owens found Romo in Dallas at a point when Tony had about as much NFL experience as Trent Edwards does now.

While he didn’t finish off Romo, it certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort. Edwards is a smart guy, but will he be head-strong enough to deflect any attacks that may come from his receiver?

Is the offensive line ready to leap towards the front of the pack?

Last year, the one area I criticized the most while doing the Buffalo preview was the offensive line.

This year, the cornerstone of that line is missing. Yet, this year, I say the Bills are both better and better off without Peters.

They addressed the line early in the draft, in somewhat unconventional ways, drafting  Wood in the first round, and then nabbing a guard, Andy Levitre, in the second. They also added Geof Hangartner and Seth McKinney.

This line is not likely to be in the league’s top 10 this season, but they’re on the right track.

Is the defense ready to step up against the likes of New England?

Last year, they added run-stuffing tackle John Henderson. This year, they drafted a pass-rusher in Maybin.

The have the likes of Paul Posluzny and Keith Ellison roaming the middle and a solid secondary that includes Terrence McGee, Donte Whitner and Leodis McKelvin.

Last season Buffalo ranked 14th in total defense and scoring defense, and I think they can improve on that this year, threatening to make the top 10 in either category.

With New England on the schedule twice, as well as the likes of New Orleans, Cleveland, Houston and Indianapolis, the defense better be ready for the challenge.

 

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

 

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha’s articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

What Baltimore Ravens Fans Shouldn’t Do

Do I like the Washington football team? Absolutely not. Do I love the Ravens? With all of my heart.

But I don’t endorse this. Not one bit.

I assume this video was taken at Fed Ex Field in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which Washington won in convincing fashion. The fact that this guy is making a clown out of himself when 1. Washington won, 2. The Ravens already handled Washington just a week prior shows the lowest form of Ravens fan you can be.

You sir, are a douche. And the hope is that the 300 or so people who read this blog daily out of the Baltimore area may catch you in the streets, and mock you heartily.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns vs. Tennessee Titans Preseason Preview: Key Battles To Watch

The third preseason game is traditionally the “dress rehearsal” for a team’s starters, followed by the fourth preseason game, which is the last chance for younger players and rookies to catch the eyes of coaches with the hope of earning a roster spot before the final cut.

 

For the Browns, their biggest battle seems far from being one, and that is their quarterback competition.

 

Other teams, like the New York Jets, that had quarterback competitions have already moved on and named their regular season starters (the Jets said Mark Sanchez is their man).

 

The Titans will be playing their fourth and final preseason game, so it is not known if they will be playing their starters for very long, but it will still be a battle.

 

The following are a few key battles to watch for in Saturday’s game.

 

 

 

Derek Anderson vs. Brady Quinn

 

You already know know this story. Moving on…

 

 

 

The Browns starting offensive line vs. the Titans starting defensive line

 

Eric Mangini has been moving the Browns’ offensive linemen around (with the exception of LT Joe Thomas) to see how versatile his guys are, but he has yet to find his core starters.

 

Against the Titans, the starting offensive line may be the opening day line, so pay attention to who the starters are. The Browns line needs to be cautious, though, because even though Albert Haynesworth is not with the Titans anymore, they still have one of the best defensive lines in the game.

 

Hopefully, the Browns line can get a big push against the Titans and not only open up holes for the backs, but protect their quarterbacks.

 

 

 

Browns defensive line minus Shaun Rogers vs. getting getting pressure on the Titans quarterbacks

 

Mangini has said that he doesn’t need to see Rogers play in the preseason because he knows what Rogers brings to the table.

 

That is fine, since Browns fans would rather see a fresh and uninjured Rogers start the regular season, but he is the key to the pass rush attack for the team.

 

Without Rogers, the Browns have been having trouble getting consistent pressure on the quarterbacks in their first two preseason games by only getting one sack so far.

 

Rogers is such a dominating force on the line that he usually gets double- and triple-teamed by the opposition, which frees up the linebackers to get into the pocket and cause destruction.

 

The Browns need to find a way to get to other teams’ quarterbacks without Rogers against the Titans, and, in order to do that, don’t be surprised to see more blitzes and perhaps a few more all-out nine-man blitzes.

 

 

 

Abram Elam vs. himself

 

Elam came to Cleveland with many predicting he would become a possible breakout player in 2009, but, after two preseason games, Elam has made two crucial mental errors.

 

First versus the Packers, when he let Donald Driver behind him for a 50-plus-yard score, and the second against the Lions on a holding call during the opening kickoff, when Josh Cribbs took it to the house for a 95-yard touchdown.

 

Yes, it is preseason, so these mental errors have time to be corrected, but with the regard that Mangini has in Elam, it is time to step up and play like a starting safety.

 

 

 

Josh Cribbs vs. the Titans special teams and defensive backs

 

Cribbs was electric against the Lions, and all Browns fans want more!

 

Cribbs has improved by leaps and bounds in his transition to becoming a receiving weapon on offense. Even though this has been three years in the making, fans are finally seeing the true talent that Cribbs has unfold in front of their eyes.

It is a beautiful thing to watch, and what’s insane is that he is only getting better at what he does.

 

Whether the Browns win or lose, most Cleveland fans will tell you that as long as the games are competitive and entertaining, that’s all they can really ask for in a preseason game.

---

Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper: An Unofficial Cleveland Browns News Source.

2010 NFL Draft: Players Kansas City Chiefs Should Target (Day Two)

A few days ago, I wrote an article about the players the KC Chiefs should look at in the first few rounds of the draft. Now I’m going to look at some players the Chiefs should target in the last half of the draft.

Even though offensive linemen should be a priority in this draft, I left them out in my list to target in the first three rounds of the draft.

I feel this can be a very high impact draft. By this, I mean players of high impact positions are plentiful this year. Because of this, NT, WR, and TE were the targeted positions in rounds one through three.

Additionally, unless drafting a franchise left tackle, the value is not there for drafting any other position on the offensive line that high in the draft. Most starting interior linemen in the NFL weren’t picked in rounds one and two, rather, they were drafted in the mid rounds or free agents. Same goes for most right tackles in the league.

 

Chris Scott

Scott is the kind of player I love on the offensive line. First, he is massive—6’5″ and 346 lbs. Second, he plays with a nasty streak. National Football Post’s college scout Wes Bunting says he has a “nasty punch on contact” and “he fights and scraps for every inch and usually gets his man on the ground.”

The right tackle I want on my team is exactly that—he should be a road-grader who packs a punch and can push the pile in the running game. He obviously cannot be a liability in the passing game, but should be more suited for the run.

From what I’ve read, Scott will need minor work with his hand placement, but when he does get good hand placement he doesn’t let go, and usually wins the battle.

Scott is continuing to improve after starting 26 straight games so far, and head coach Lane Kiffen called him the most improved player this spring.

Scott can expect to be drafted between rounds three and five.

Damion McIntosh clearly is not even an average starting right tackle in the NFL, and is more suited for back-up duty. With that being said, starting in the third round, the Chiefs need to start looking for a quality RT, and Scott is just the guy we’re looking for.

 

J.D. Walton

Another lineman that plays with a mean streak, this Baylor center learned a lot from No. 2 overall pick Jason Smith over the past few years. He was selected for honorable mention All-Big 12 last year, and is on the Rimmington Award preseason Watch List.

At 6’3″ and 305 lbs., he is the prototypical height and weight for an NFL center, and while strong enough to hold his own at the point of attack, isn’t so strong that he can overwhelm the big 3-4 nose tackles by himself. This isn’t that big of a problem, as most NFL centers can’t manhandle good 3-4NTs.

Walton has good hand placement in pass protection and can both mirror defensive linemen, and withstand a bull rush.

As a fairly athletic center, he is able to chip at the line and move up to latch onto a linebacker on run plays.

The Chiefs haven’t had a good center since Casey Wiegmann, and haven’t had a great one for even longer. Niswanger may be the future at the position, but he hasn’t shown signs of it yet.

With another year of playing center under Niswanger’s belt, the coaching staff will be able to fully evaluate him and decide whether we need to draft one this upcoming April. If they decide we need to, this is our guy.

 

Carl Ihenacho

While Ihenacho is not the most highly touted prospect from San Jose State this year, fellow defensive end Justin Cole is, I think he has the chance to wind up the best after he has a few years to develop in the league.

At only 6’3″ and 248lbs., he is too light to play defensive end in the NFL, and is a perfect candidate to make the switch to outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. He’s quick, has decent enough strait-line speed (will run around the 4.6-4.7 range) and just simply is a gifted pass rusher. Last year he had 18.5 tackles for loss on top of seven sacks.

Remember what made the defensive end from Penn State, Aaron Maybin, such an intriguing prospect? It was his killer first step. Ihenacho has the same gift, and is very adept at timing the snap count, which only aids his quick first movements.

The second thing that makes him such a good pass rusher, other than his first step, is his short area change of direction skills. He can deke and fake and dip under the offensive lineman to get around the corner.

The Chiefs currently have nobody who can rush the passer like this guy can. We will see what Tamba Hali can do this upcoming season, but Mike Vrabel will need a replacement soon anyway, and we might as well start grooming one now.

Not sure exactly when Ihenacho will be available, it will greatly depend on how he does this year, but look for him teams to start looking at him around the fourth round.

Jared Allen and Brandon Marshall Deliver Some Entertaining NFL Preseason Goodies

A couple of Friday morning quick-hitters for you.

First off all, something that made me laugh out loud this morning while SportsCenter was running in the background as I got ready for work.

In case you didn’t hear the latest world-stopping controversy out of Minnesota, there were reports that surfaced yesterday about a “schism” in the Vikings locker room regarding the players’ support for Brett Favre.

While Favre played his I’m-just-a-simpleton-from-Mississippi card and explained that he didn’t know what “schism” meant, his new teammate Jared Allen was much more hilariously eloquent in describing how big, complicated, six-letter words are so foreign to NFL locker rooms:

Jared Allen’s comments on “schism,” via The Big Lead:

“I don’t think anyone on this team knows what schism means, let alone use it in a sentence form. At first I thought schism was an STD, and I was like WHOA we practice abstinence here!”

The video of him delivering the line was even funnier. He had just gotten done at practice, was all sweaty, and looked directly into the camera when he delivered the line. I wonder how long he’d been saving it, or how many of his teammates he tested it out on before running over to officially deliver it to the world.

I don’t really care one way or the other; it’s the funniest (and certainly the most ironic) line from an NFL player we’ll hear all year.

And here’s an early nominee for funniest message board post discussing this situation, from BoxDen.com: “he’s No. 69 for a reason abstinence my ass.”

And for anyone else who is still wondering what a “schism” actually is, here is the dictionary definition…and then here is a video that defines it even better in lovely, melodic tones as only Tool could define it.

Speaking of weird videos, did you all see Brandon Marshall at Broncos practice yesterday? Kudos to whoever described him as acting like an ass clown, because that’s about the most apt way to describe it.

Acting like a petulant child is definitely the way to go when you want to get traded and get a new contract.

Umm…not (actually, this is the NFL we’re talking about, so maybe Marshall is on to something).

Marshall was, of course, in full damage control mode this morning, but there is a good chance that this video will stick with him for the rest of his career, like TO doing push-ups in his driveway (and TO has only gotten two fat new contracts since that display…so take that Brandon Marshall! Wait a minute…).

I wonder what Josh McDaniels is thinking right about now. What’s the over-under on how many games the Broncos win this year? 3.5? I might be tempted to take the under.

Enjoy your Friday, everyone. Be back later if anything hot comes up and will definitely have a link post up this afternoon.

Washington Redskins Teammates Cooling on Jason Campbell?

Jason Campbell’s teammates are treading a very thin line between blatantly distancing themselves from the quarterback, or extremely lacking savvy when it comes to media questions about the quarterback.

Take today’s Washington Post article about Campbell ignoring the critics. The headline makes you think that teammates will come out and talk about his strong camp, or chide fans and media on their misinterpretation of his lowly preseason numbers.

Instead, you get comments like this.

“If he was smart—and I’m pretty sure he is—he wouldn’t even listen to it. They can’t throw the ball for Jason. They can’t catch the ball for Jason. All they can do is say what he needs to do more of.

Half of them can’t do what he does or haven’t done what he does. I just feel like you have to take it like, ‘They’re doing their job, so let me do my job.’” – Santana Moss

“Some people wanted him gone; some people are happy he’s here. Jason just has to go out and do what he can. He’s got to keep a level head and not get too high, not get too low. He’s still got to lead this team at quarterback. You got guys who are busting their butt to keep him here.” – Clinton Portis

And what about this jewel from Chris Cooley in a discussion on D.C.’s most beloved athlete?

“This is the first year anyone’s cared about hockey,” Cooley disagreed. “It’d be me or you. And if a quarterback came here and played, it’s 100 percent the quarterback.”

To his credit, Cooley is probably too simple to realize he made a backhanded comment at his teammate, so he can partially slide for that one.

But it is interesting of Campbell’s Pro Bowl-caliber, high-profile teammates, none of them have taken the step to say, verbatim, “Jason Campbell is our quarterback. He is our best quarterback, and gives us the best chance to win. I look forward to playing—and winning—with Jason Campbell.”

No, they aren’t required to say anything. But who knows what wonders it would do for the talk radio circuit, the fan reaction, and most importantly, Campbell’s confidence? What wonders could this team accomplish if Jason Campbell’s teammates were bright enough to live off of the fence in the most important season in the quarterback’s career?

Or maybe they are that bright…

Daily Haze: Michael Vick’s Return and More

The return of Michael Vick officially got kicked off last night in Philly.  Of course, the Philly fans went wild when Vick stepped onto the field for the second play of the game.  He finished the night going 4-4 for 19 yards, and one rushing yard. 

He won’t be shooting up any draft boards with that performance, but I think that he’ll get draft in most leagues now as a late mid-round flier.

Here are today’s great reads:

Baby T.O…er…Brandon Marshall puts in a lackluster performance at Wednesday’s practice, a no-show for Thursday’s practice, and now he is saying that he wants a fresh start in Denver.  In this case, I think that actions speak louder than words.  [ABC News Denver & ESPN]

Each year, certain first round picks will have a fall from grace and underperform.  That is just the nature of the beast.  So which 2008 studs will be 2009 duds?  Here is a list of the top 20 players and their chances of falling out of the top 20 for next year. [Fantasy Football Librarian]

The hype machine on Ray Rice is reaching unstoppable proportions.  Is it all unjustifiable hype, or is there a reason that Rice is flying up everybody’s cheatsheets? [Pancake Blocks]

Got a pressing fantasy football question and need an answer now? Or just want to chat about all the recent developments in the sports’ world? Head over to The Hazean’s fantasy football forumsfor all that and more. Also remember to check out The Hazean’s fantasy rankings and mock draft database.

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Fantasy Scouting Report: Maurice Jones-Drew

Maurice Jones-Drew   

Jacksonville Jaguars   

Age:  24   

Height:  5’7’’   

Weight:  208lbs   

Bye:  7

 

Why We Like Him:  MJD finally steps into the starting role after spending the first three years of his career in Fred Taylor’s shadow.  Despite splitting carries and running behind an awful Jacksonville offensive line, Jones-Drew managed to finish the 2008 season as a top ten fantasy running back. 

 

A shifty runner who is dangerous in open space, MJD’s talent lies in his ability to make plays in the Jaguars’ passing game.  He led all running backs last season in receiving yards (565), finished second in receptions (62) and third in targets (75). 

 

The Jaguars’ bulked up their offensive line on draft weekend by using their first two picks on offensive tackles Eugene Monroe (Virginia) and Eben Britton (Arizona).

 

Why We Don’t Like Him:  Can he handle the workload?  Jones-Drew has terrorized defenses the last three seasons in his complementary role, but now that he is “the man” in Jacksonville, fantasy owners need to know if he can live up to expectations. 

A red flag we noticed while studying film was MJD’s fourth quarter production. 

 

He averaged only 3.6 yards per carry in the fourth quarter last season, his lowest total for any quarter (4.0 first, 4.6 second, 4.2 third).  If he struggled down the stretch in a committee arrangement last year, he may have some trouble getting it done on his own.

 

Fantasy Outlook:  The Jaguars offense should find more success moving the football in 2009 and MJD should be a big part of it.  The upgrades on the offensive line as well as the addition of free agent wide receiver Torry Holt will take some of the pressure off of quarterback David Garrard’s shoulders and allow him more flexibility in the passing game. 

 

Think of MJD as a Brian Westbrook-type running back on a less-impressive offense.  Consider him a top-five draft pick, but be sure to check back with us as we monitor his second half production early in the season.

 

If you like this scouting report, click HERE for more!

Hit me up on Twitter:  @JoeFortenbaugh

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