Things To Look For Before The Season Begins: Part Three

This will be a four part series of things to look for in the final weeks of the 2009 Steelers’ preseason. This series will look at remaining position battles, injury updates and prognoses, play calling and coaching, and will preview the season prior to the Sept. 10 opener against the Tennessee Titans.

The Steelers have played two preseason games thus far, winning at home in the Super Bowl rematch against the Cardinals and dropping the game at FexEx Field against the Redskins last Saturday. While the road for the seventh Super Bowl title is well under way, the Steelers have several questions that need answers soon. Some of those answers are:

Coaching and Play calling

Mike Tomlin became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl last season. However, unlike the last Super Bowl win, Tomlin will not let this team rest on their laurels and get content. While the team returns 20 of 22 starters, there are a few questions that need answering, mostly on offense.

Defense: The defense led by future Hall of Famer and current defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, returns nine of the eleven starters from the Super Bowl XLIII team for 2009.

However, at a closer look, the two departed players, CB Bryant McFadden (gone to Arizona as a free agent) and LB Larry Foote (gone to Detroit after being released in the spring) will not be missed as much.

William Gay filled in well and held his own while McFadden spent what seemed to be his annual time on the injury report. Even after McFadden came back, Gay and McFadden split time on the field, with Gay coming in every third defensive series.

Obviously the Steelers found McFadden to be expendable (his injury history had to raise a few flags too) and Gay will enter his contract year as the starter.

Larry Foote has been a dependable starter for the Steelers since 2004. However, with 2007 first round pick Lawrence Timmons showing flashes of brilliance and uncanny athletic ability last season, Foote knew his days as a starter in Pittsburgh were numbered.

With Foote now in Detroit, Timmons will be the starter alongside inside linebacker James Farrior and will also be used as an outside rusher on third downs. Timmons, 23 years old, has the makings of the next great Steelers linebacker.

The defensive coaching is probably the best in the league. Linebacker coach Keith Butler and defensive line coach John Mitchell both could be defensive coordinators for nearly any other teams in the league. I think Butler could become the heir apparent to the Steelers’ defensive coordinator position whenever LeBeau decides to retire, which I hope is not anytime soon.

What makes the Steelers defense even more amazining is that the Steelers field only three first round picks (Casey Hampton in 2001, Troy Polamalu in 2003, and Timmons in 2007. Farrior was a Jets’ first rounder in 1997), one second round pick (LaMarr Woodley in 2007), and the rest of the starters being late round picks or undrafted free agents (James Harrison being the most prominent).

LeBeau’s schemes have revolutionized the game, causing mass confusion with blitz looks pre-snap and sending any combination of four rushers to the passer. Polamalu, the ultimate wild card, can take over games with his coverage skills, he had seven interceptions last season, and his play near the line of scrimmage is good as well.

If I had to criticize the defense for anything, it is that I wish cornerback Ike Taylor would intercept the ball more whenever a quarterback throws his way. Other than that, I along with many in the Steeler Nation have little to complain about LeBeau’s players and schemes.

Offense: The offense last season, at times, was just horrible. The play calling and the personnel moves were questionable. It makes many wonder why does QB Ben Roethlisberger do so much better when he is running the hurry-up no-huddle. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians not calling the plays is a good reason why.

The Steelers won the Super Bowl last season despite a less than average offensive line and horrible play calling by Arians. I have never been a fan of Arians and probably never will, but he is not giving me much to cheer about. While I do not want to see the Steelers go to the hurry up no-huddle full time, I like it much better when Arians is not involved.

Arians and OL coach Larry Zierlein both kept their jobs likely because of the Super Bowl win, but both need to be on the hot seat this year. I do miss former Hog and OL coach Russ Grimm and all that he brought to the team, but he has not been in Pittsburgh in two years.

Zierlein is more of a teacher than Grimm was and perhaps the Steelers’ offensive linemen are better off with Zierlein. However, the number of sacks and hits allowed on Roethlisberger and the alarmingly bad short yardage rushing last season has to raise some eyebrows.

I realize  Roethlisberger is the king of the scramble drill and he does hold onto the ball a long time, thus picking up unnecessary sacks, but at times the offensive line just looks overmatched. The Cardinals’ Darnell Dockett, a good player but not the best defensive tackle in the league, looked like the next coming of Joe Greene in the Super Bowl, picking up three sacks. That is inexcusable.

Another quibble with the offensive line is the use of personnel. Why is Willie Colon still being used as a right tackle (RT) when he obviously is overmatched against many defensive ends? Colon should be used as right guard and new right guard (RG) Trai Essex should be moved to RT, which is his more natural position anyway.

At RG, Colon’s short arms and lack of athleticism would be hidden and not exposed as much as it was at RT. At RG, I think Colon could be a potential Pro Bowl alternate and definitely a dependable starter. Also at RG, it is less likely that Colon will get called for illegal formation which he got called for countless times last season.

Back to Arians. One thing I saw this preseason that worries me is the abandoning of the running game when the first team is on the field. Why? This is preseason, where the records do not count. Why not work out the kinks of the running game, which disappeared at times last season?

I hope that against the Bills this Saturday, the first team offense attempts more runs than passes. We all know that Roethlisberger can get it done when needed, why not try to see what Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall, and the offensive line can do and not show the entire play book during preseason?

Special Teams: The special teams coverage last season was probably the best I have seen in about 20 years. While the punting was bad due to Daniel Sepulveda being on injured reserve (IR), Paul Ernster and Mitch Berger often kicked like they belonged on IR.

The kickoff coverage was also good, led by rookie Patrick Bailey and veteran Anthony Madison. I hope that both coverage units can have stellar years again and not give up any momentum breaking returns as they have done in years before.

The only real issue with the special teams last season was the lack of a threat to take it deep every time the defense forced a punt. Outside of Santonio Holmes‘ return against the Chargers in the AFC Divisional round, the Steelers did not have too many exciting returns.

This season, former Canadian Football League (CFL) return specialist Stefan Logan and rookie blazer Mike Wallace will be threats to take one to the house every time they go back to receive a kick or a punt. They both have the speed and moves, especially Logan.

I hope rookie Joe Burnett does not get a chance to do either after seeing him fumble three times on returns. All Burnett did was bring back memories of Ricardo Colclough, never a good move. Logan, with another solid game, might lock down a roster spot if he had not done so already.

Next time, the 53 man roster and the practice squad will be previewed.

 

All Eyes on the Dolphin’s Recievers Tonight

All eyes will be on the Miami wide receivers tonight as they battle the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ted Ginn is clearly the number one guy, and he is a major fantasy sleeper. Remember you read that here frist. He is going to tear it up this year.

The Dolphins have a ton of depth at the wide receiver spot, but nobody knows who the number two and three guys will be.

I say Greg Camarillo is still the main man behind Ginn. Coach Sparano has barely played Camarillo in the first two games against Jacksonville and Carolina. I don’t know if he will play that much tonight. It doesn’t matter. Sparano is hiding him from the rest of the league, hoping they will think his knee is still injured.

But Camarillo was incredibly smooth, quick, and efficient in the offseason, and I say he will be fine. Anyway, Sparano is trying to see what he has in the other guys.

Despite a recent case of the drops, Davone Bess is going to be all over the field this year. He is quick, but not fast. He is one of the hardest receivers in the league to cover, but he isn’t going to break away for a lot of touchdowns. His slants and underneath routes will remain effective.

This game against Tampa is really about a couple of battles. Patrick Turner against Brian Hartline, and Brandon London against Anthony Armstrong.

Sparano is in love with Hartline and he has a shot to not only beat Turner, but to pass Bess or Camarillo if I am wrong about them. Turner must have big numbers tonight. He has all the skills in the world and had a great run at mini-camp. Turner needs to turn that into game day proficiency tonight.

The London-Armstrong battle comes down to who is better on special teams. Pure and simple. So those guys will be going nuts on coverage tonight.

Cowboys-49ers: Breaking Down the Best 12 Games in the NFL’s Best Rivalry

In the NFL, the third week of the preseason is where the starters play the most. The first two weeks are used to weed out the fringe players, the guys in camp to help fill out squads, while the last exhibition is for the extra guys trying to make earn a spot on the end of the roster.

 

Teams also do not want to get their starters injured the final week*, so as to go into a new season already hurting.

 

* However, in 1999, the Rams played starter Trent Green in the final preseason game and he suffered a season-ending knee injury. If not for that hit by Rodney Harrison, backup Rams quarterback Kurt Warner might not have received his opportunity to play.

 

So, it is this week of preseason games where we will see more of Peyton and Eli Manning, more of Tom Brady, more Tony Romo and more of Shaun Hill.

 

Shaun who? Shaun Hill, the starting QB for the San Francisco 49ers, who play the Dallas Cowboys this week at the new, star-less Cowboys Stadium, also known as Jerry Jones Field.

 

While not having the major impact on a football as many prior games, the Niner-Boy game this Saturday night conjures up images of prior battles. These games which included QB names like Eddie LeBaron, Don Meredith, John Brodie, Roger Staubach, Craig Morton, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Danny White, and Troy Aikman.

 

In the 40th year of Cowboy football (Dallas began playing in the NFL in 1960), even guys like Elvis Grbac and Bernie Kosar have played significant roles in key games of this long rivalry series.

 

The teams have played 32 games, with the 49ers holding a slight 16-15-1 advantage. The tie was on Thanksgiving Day in 1969, the last tie in Cowboys history. But while the Niners own the overall advantage, the Cowboys have won more of the important contests.

 

The Cowboys and 49ers met in the playoffs seven times, with an amazing six of those games for the conference championship, the Cowboys winning four of those contests. After five of those conference title games, the winner has advanced to win the Super Bowl.

 

While the Cowboys have played the Los Angeles Rams (remember when they were on the West Coast?) more often in the playoffs, those games were confined from 1973 through 1985, completely within the Tom Landry era.

 

No football rivalry since 1960 has encompassed such passion over a multi-decade span as the one between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. NFC title games were settled during the early 1970s, early 1980s and early to mid-1990s.

 

In 1975, the Cowboys—coming off of a terrible 1974 campaign where they missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade—drafted 12 players who found their way on the opening day roster. These guys were known as the “Dirty Dozen.”

 

To honor that group of Cowboys players, here is a run-down of the top dozen games in the long-running Dallas-San Francisco rivalry:

 

 

12) September 25, 2005 @ the ‘Stick – Dallas 34, San Francisco 31

 

Why is this early season game on the list, especially when neither team was playoff-bound? I was there.

 

When the 2005 schedule came out, I noticed the Cowboys were playing three of their first four games on the West Coast. Opening at San Diego, then home, then at San Francisco and at Oakland. Two games in the Bay Area in back-to-back weeks? I knew the ‘Boys would stay out there and I was going out, too.

 

I am there. So my odyssey began to obtain tickets, book flights and arrange for hotels and stay the week in San Francisco at Napa Valley.

 

The game was meaningless compared to the experience, but the Cowboys did come back from a 31-19 fourth quarter deficit to win 34-31.

 

On Wednesday after the game, on my way up to Napa Valley, I stopped with my girlfriend at the time for lunch at a small seafood place in Sausalito, a nice town built into the side of the mountain across the bay from the city. You need to take the Golden Gate Bride to get there.

 

After ordering lunch, in walked Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. I mentioned to the waiter who he was and said that I wanted to buy his table a bottle of wine. After just perusing the menu and ordering a bottle for my table, I had noticed no bottles were higher than $55.

 

Surprisingly, Jones accepted my offer, raised his hand and waved. A few minutes later he got up, came over to my table, and sat down for about five minutes to talk football. He said how happy he was to see Cowboy fans from New Jersey supporting the team on the road.

 

On our way out, Jones again motioned us over and we sat with him at his table for another five minutes talking about the upcoming Oakland Raider game.

 

Not much here game-wise, but the experience (and weeklong trip to the San Francisco area) was worth a spot on the list.

 

 

11) November 20, 1960  @ the Cotton Bowl –  San Francisco 26, Dallas 14

 

It was the inaugural season for the Cowboys*, and going into this contest the ‘Boys were 0-8. They held only one brief one-point fourth quarter lead in week five against the St. Louis Cardinals. However, after a long 76-yard TD throw from Eddie LeBaron to Frank Clarke with 5:45 remaining in the game, the Cowboys took a five-point lead in the fourth quarter. Plus, they had the momentum.

 

*The original thought for the team name was the Steers.

 

That momentum lasted all of a few minutes as the 49ers pounded the air on the ensuing drive, eventually scoring on a draw play for the go-ahead TD. The Cowboys fumbled the NEXT TWO kickoffs to allow the 49ers to build on their lead and 17 overall points.

 

And thus, the 1960 San Francisco 49ers did not become the first team to lose to the expansion Cowboys.

 

The Niners were lead by John Brodie and 172 yards on the ground, while the Cowboys received TD passes form both LeBaron and rookie QB Don Meredith.

 

This game marked the first time that head coach Tom Landry alternated his quarterbacks every play, calling the play on the sideline and sending the QB in with the new play. Landry also performed this unusual trait with Roger Staubach and Craig Morton some years later.

 

 

10) November 7, 1965  @ the Cotton Bowl –  Dallas Cowboys 39, San Francisco 31

 

This game holds no special meaning and, as one of the best offenses in the game, the 49ers dominated the offensive stats. They totaled 411 total yards and 26 first downs, compared to Dallas’ nine.

 

So how did Dallas chalk up 39 points? Future Hall of Famer (and at that time, kickoff return man extraordinaire) Mel Renfro ran the opening kick back 100 yards for a TD and, within one minute of game clock, the Cowboys turned two turnovers in the second quarter into defensive touchdowns.

 

A fumble recovery from defensive end George Andrie (a very underrated player) was immediately backed up by a 17-yard interception return for a touchdown by Hall of Famer Bob Lilly. It was to be Lilly’s only INT of his career.

 

Although the 49ers moved the ball at will, the Cowboy defense caused five turnovers.

 

 

9) December 12, 1977 @ the ‘Stick – Dallas 42, San Francisco 35

 

This is the highest-scoring game in the rivalry, and what is amazing is both teams combined for 750 total yards and six scoring plays of over 20 yards. Ironically, with so many points, not one turnover was recorded.

 

The game started off quietly enough with each team getting a one-yard touchdown run. But then the fireworks began. Veteran Jim Plunkett threw four TDs, with scoring strikes of 10, 27, 1 and 47 yards. Two of their TDs were set up by first downs on fake punts.

 

Coming off some recent injuries, Cowboy QB Roger Staubach threw TDs of 36 and 22 yards while rookie Tony Dorsett scored on TD runs of 20 and 22 yards.

 

 

8) January 3, 1971 @ Kezar Stadium – Dallas 17, San Francisco 10

 

The game is the first of six NFC title games on the list, but it is by far the most boring. With a suffocating defense and typical Cowboy strong running game, after an opening-drive field goal by Bruce Gossett the 49ers were never really in the game until the end.

 

The fourth-quarter TD by San Francisco stopped a string of 23 straight quarters the Cowboys held their opponents’ offenses without a TD.

 

Dallas rushed for 229 yards on 51 attempts—becoming a tougher team than the late 1960s squads—while the defense harried Brodie all afternoon.

 

The last game ever at Kezar Stadium did not go well for San Francisco, and the Cowboys headed to their first Super Bowl appearance.

 

 

7) November 12, 1995 @ Texas Stadium – San Francisco 38, Dallas 20

 

The game was a mismatch, on paper and on the field. The 8-1 Cowboys hosted the defending Super Bowl Champion 49ers, who were 5-4 and coming off two embarrassing home losses to New Orleans and Carolina.

 

The 49ers combined for 14 points in those two games, riding QB Elvis Grbac into the game. Grbac took over for an injured Steve Young several weeks earlier.

 

But when the second play from scrimmage went 81 yards to Jerry Rice for a TD, the real mismatch was on. George Seifert of the 49ers completely outcoached Dallas’ Barry Switzer, putting Rice as the slot receiver all afternoon and taking him away from new Cowboy cornerback (and former 49er) Deion Sanders.

 

In the slot, Rice was matched up against Cowboys linebackers all day, eventually grabbing five catches for 161 yards.

 

It also didn’t help Dallas that QB Troy Aikman was knocked from the game with his own injury. And the game began similar to the NFC title game (#5 on this list) ten months earlier: Quick scores for the ‘Niners and early turnovers for the Cowboys.

 

As a Cowboy fan, the worst part about the game for me was that I was there with my dad to witness the carnage first hand.

 

However, the Cowboys would regroup and win their fifth Super Bowl title.

 

 

6) January 2, 1972 @ Texas Stadium – Dallas 14, San Francisco 3

 

Almost a year to the day both teams competed for the NFC title, but this time the game was held in Dallas. Similar to how Game no. 8 above was played, once again the Dallas defense and rushing attack manhandled the overmatched 49ers.

 

It was the second straight season in which Tom Landry beat his former assistant Dick Nolan with the Super Bowl on the line.

 

Both teams employed the 4-3 flex defense, a Landry innovation which drops back certain members of the defensive front line, confusing offensive linemen and the quarterback. Kind of like a zone scheme up front.

 

The Cowboy rushing attack didn’t  get going until later in the game, but Staubach’s scrambles helped the Cowboys extend drives, wear out the 49er defense and help the Cowboys win.

 

The Cowboys, easily the best team in football that season, went on the beat the Miami Dolphins for their first Super Bowl win.

 

 

5) January 15, 1995 @ the ‘Stick – San Francisco 38, Dallas 28

 

Before the pizza guy even arrived at my friend’s house, the 49ers were leading 21-0. Committing three turnovers in the first five minutes, the Cowboys dug themselves into a deep enough hole they weren’t able to escape from.

 

Even after clawing back to within 10 points late in the first half, Dallas made a ton of coaching mistakes, culminating in a late TD pass from Steve Young to Jerry Rice.

 

The game within a game was between 49er cornerback Deion Sanders and Dallas wide receiver Michael Irvin. When behind, Aikman continuously worked Irvin on short patterns, trying to set up Sanders for the big play.

 

With the Cowboys down 38-28 with about five minutes to go, Aikman had Irvin open for a TD, but Sanders bumped well before the ball arrived (no interference call was made), and the Cowboys’ last chance died. After a few bad coaching decisions during the game, head coach Barry Switzer further made a fool of himself by getting a 15-yard penalty following the non-call.

 

One decision Switzer made which constantly killed the Cowboys was leaving rookie right tackle Larry Allen in the game with a leg injury, one which obviously hurt his ability to block oncoming rushers. San Francisco defenders were in Aikman’s face all day, especially late when Dallas was trying to mount a comeback.

 

 

4) January 23, 1994 @ Texas Stadium – Dallas 38, San Francisco 21

 

A year after upsetting the 49ers on their own turf, the Cowboys went to their second straight Super Bowl by beating the Niners at the comfy confines of Texas Stadium.

 

The game is known by the Jimmy Johnson pledge, “the Dallas Cowboys will win the game!” Johnson was on his way home the Thursday night before the game, and called into a local radio show proclaiming the Cowboys would win that upcoming Sunday.

 

The team seemed to accept the challenge as Troy Aikman helped the team to 251 first-half yards and a 28-7 lead. Even after Aikman left the game with a concussion, veteran backup and former University of Miami QB Bernie Kosar led the Cowboys on two scoring drives in the second half. The big play for Kosar came on a 3rd-and-9 with the Cowboys up 28-14, when he hit Michael Irvin for a 12-yard gain.

 

Said Johnson afterwards, “that was as big a play as any in the game,” 

 

The Cowboy game plan was to isolate running back Emmitt Smith on the slower 49er linebackers, and the plan worked. Smith caught seven passes for 85 yards and a TD.

 

 

3) January 17, 1993 @ the ‘Stick – Dallas 30, San Francisco 20

 

What resonates most about this game is a little-known event late in the fourth quarter that makes head coach Jimmy Johnson one of the best football coaches ever.

 

He had a great amount of confidence in his players and took very big chances.

 

In the slop of the ‘Stick, Emmitt Smith churned his legs for 114 yards and a TD on 24 carries. But when it mattered most, and when everybody though Emmitt was getting called upon, Johnson threw a curveball to the 49er defense and won the game for the Cowboys.

 

Johnson’s first gamble came with the Cowboys up 11 and facing a 4th-and-goal on the 49ers’ one-yard line. An easy field goal would give Dallas a two-touchdown lead and a likely victory. But Johnson wanted the jugular, and when Smith was stopped by the tough Niner defense, Steve Young marched his offense to a quick TD to make it a 24-20 game with over four minutes to play.

 

Everyone expected the Cowboys to milk the clock, but San Francisco had begun to stop Emmitt. That is when Johnson grabbed the headphones and barked up to offensive coordinator Norv Turner in the Cowboys booth, “Norv, get me a ^*$@*#& first down right now!”

 

Tuner called a quick pass for Irvin, but Aikman read man-to-man on Cowboy wideout Alvin Harper, who took the skinny post pass and rambled 70 yards to inside the 49er ten-yard-line.

 

“They took control in the second half,” said 49ers coach George Seifert. “They made good calls in key situations. A lot of people would have been conservative, but they took chances and it worked for them.”

 

Johnson had confidence in his people and it paid off. There was a changing of the guard, and after the game in the locker room Johnson uttered the famous line, “How ’bout them Cowboys?”

 

And on that day a new mini-dynasty was born.

 

 

2) December 23, 1972 @ the ‘Stick – Dallas 30, San Francisco 28

 

It was simply the greatest Dallas Cowboy non-Super Bowl victory in their 40-year-history.

 

Down 28-13 with 1:48 left in the third quarter, head coach Tom Landry changed his approach* and substituted Roger Staubach in the game to replace the Cowboy starter, Craig Morton.

 

*If Landry had done the same thing two years prior in Super Bowl V, the Cowboys probably would not have lost the 16-13 game to the Baltimore Colts, and would have won two consecutive Super Bowls. Morton was miserable all day, throwing three interceptions.

 

A third Toni Fritsch field goal had Dallas within 12, but with 1:53 left in the game Staubach began to get hot. A short 49ers punt gave the Cowboys the ball on their own 45, and four quick passes later Staubach had his team in the end zone.

 

Now, luck had to play its part. The Niners could not hold on to the Cowboys’ onside kick and Staubach made quick work of a tired Niners secondary.

 

A short nine-yard pass to backup Ron Sellers gave Dallas the comeback victory.

 

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they ran into a buzz saw the following week, getting whooped by the Washington Redskins.

 

It was a second coming out party for Staubach, who—after leading the Cowboys to their first Super bowl win a year earlier—had missed most of the 1972 season with a separated shoulder.

 

Staubach took his opportunity and ran with it, and would not relinquish his grip on the most glamorous position in sports until his retirement after the 1979 season.  

 

 

1) January 10, 1982 @ the ‘Stick – San Francisco 28, Dallas 27

 

My friends would not remove the “Walter Iooss, Jr.” Sports Illustrated cover from the wall of their recreation room for more than a decade. There it was, thumbtacked to the high wall, immediately visible when you walked halfway down the stairs.

 

The cover showed Dwight Clark leaping high in the air, ball in his fingertips, as my favorite Cowboy player that season, rookie Everson Walls—a 12th-round draft pick that year—watched helplessly.

 

The game was spectacular throughout, with the lead changing six times.

 

San Francisco took an early 7-0 lead on an eight-yard TD pass from Joe Montana to Freddie Solomon just 4:19 into the game. During the regular season, the 49ers staked their claim as the NFC’s best team as they walloped the defending NFC champion Cowboys, 45-14.

 

It appeared that another rout was just beginning.

 

But the Cowboys played better than the previous meeting, forcing the 49ers into six turnovers while committing three of their own.

 

The back-and-forth game took an upward turn when Montana and the Niners took possession of the ball on their own 11-yard line with 4:54 left. After an incomplete pass, the Cowboys defense was looking for more passes with their nickel package on the field. Fourty-niner Head Coach Bill Walsh crossed them up by running three straight times, gaining 31 yards.

 

A nice mixture of runs and passes, including a double reverse to Solomon for 14 yards, got the ball down to the Dallas six. On that third-and-3, Montana and Clark made history.

 

Interestingly, “The Catch” play to Clark was the same play as that first touchdown to Solomon in the first quarter, but the Cowboys had Solomon covered (Clark was the secondary receiver).

 

Montana knew where Clark was supposed to be and threw it to a location—the perfect location.

 

What many people forget is that there was still 51 seconds left and the Cowboys only needed a field goal to win. The first play from scrimmage was a 31-yard completion to Drew Pearson, who would have run for a go-ahead touchdown (or at a minimum run into field goal range), but was hauled down at the 49er 45-yard line on a horse collar-style tackle by 49er safety Eric Wright.

 

On the next play, quarterback Danny White—seeing a wide-open Tony Hill along the sidelines—readied himself to pass but was struck from behind, fumbling the ball. It was pounced upon by 49er Jim Stuckey and a new NFC Champion was crowned.

 

Similar to what happened to former Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach over a decade earlier versus the 49ers, Joe Montana had his coming out party in that 1981 NFC title game against the Cowboys, and his party would last for another decade.

 

San Francisco would go on to win the Super Bowl that season, the first of five that proud and distinguished franchise would earn.

 

Montana would go 5-0 in his 49er career against the Dallas Cowboys, going a combined 106-161 (66%) for 1,400 yards, 12 TDs and six interceptions. Three of those INTs came in that greatest game played between the two franchises.

 

 

Facing each other six times for a conference championship is the most ever between two teams, and since the Cowboys came into the league in 1960, both teams have combined to form the best rivalry in the NFL.

 

So when you sit down to watch the Cowboys-49ers game Saturday night, you might be watching the precursor to another chapter in the 40-year-old rivalry.

 

The best rivalry in the NFL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seattle Seahawks: Weighing the Branch

The Seattle Seahawks have done a lot this season with player personnel movement with a very limited salary cap space.

The Seahawks managed to bring in 23 new players and only lose four.

A lot of those players came with reasonably sized contracts a la TJ Houshmandzadeh (five years, $40 million with $15 million guaranteed), Colin Cole (five years, $21 million with $5 million guaranteed), and Aaron Curry (six years, $60 million with $34 million guaranteed).

The Seahawks went with a lot of one-year contracts this offseason, including the signings of CB Ken Lucas ($1.3 million), DE Cory Redding ($2 million), FB Justin Griffith (league minimum), and CB Travis Fischer.

Then, of course, you have all of the undrafted free agent signings and the rookie signings.

Four days ago the Seahawks signed running back Edgerrin James to a one-year, $2 million contract. In doing so, they cut ties with RB T.J Duckett, saving about $2 million in cap space.

Now the Seahawks have Deion Branch who, in reality, is one of the nicest and funniest guys I’ve had the honor to meet. But when you don’t produce or if you’re not healthy, you’re living on borrowed time.

Not only that, but Branch’s contract isn’t the best it could be.

Branch accounts for $7.5 million against the cap this season. If the Seahawks were to release him he would account for only $6.4 million, giving the Hawks a total savings of $1.1 million.

There are a lot of Seahawks fans out there who think Branch needs to go. While I might agree with that idea, it does raise a question as to which is more valuable this season.

Is Deion Branch—who is still a great slot WR—or $1.1 million?

Knowing the Seahawks, unless they are planning to sign a WR like Marvin Harrison—which actually would make the Seahawks worse—I don’t see the Seahawks front office choosing a paltry $1.1 million over a healthy Deion Branch.

JaMarcus Russell: “We’re On Our Way”

Talk about a big quarterback. Fellow Raider Jeff Garcia called him, “the biggest one I’ve ever seen.”

JaMarcus Russell is listed at 6’6″ and 260 pounds. In reality, he is probably like 270-275, but he is on the hush regarding his weight.

It’s not a beer belly, he is an athlete. It’s just the way his momma raised him—around these parts, we call it the cornbread diet.

Shaun Phillips, the San Diego Chargers linebacker, tried to pull him down last year in this picture and got nothing but a large portion of JaMarcus’ jersey.

JaMarcus has been on point this week in practice, prompting Raiders’ reporter Jerry McDonald to give the Raiders’ offense a “passing grade” on their last padded practice in Napa, Calif. It was their longest practice of the year, lasting two and a half hours.

McDonald said: “JaMarcus Russell was extremely accurate.”

Far be it from me to say, but how do you like that, nay-sayers?

Jerry also said: “The JaMarcus Russell over the last two days bears no resemblance to the Russell who left footballs strewn all over the field during OTAs and minicamps, or even the Russell of last week who kept finding Nate Clements instead of his own teammates.

“There was Russell hitting lobbing a completion to Michael Bush against Napoleon Harris, Russell finding Louis Murphy wide open over the middle, or throwing a dart into the corner of the end zone to Darrius Heyward-Bey against Justin Miller.”

JaMarcus Russell wouldn’t take full credit, giving props to his teammates for his performance. “You have guys that are attacking the ball and making the catch look easy,” Russell said. “We’re getting there. It’s a process and we’re going through it together. It’s not like its one person’s job. Everybody’s job has to be done in order to get there. We’re on our way.”

On your way…Well that, sir, is an unfinished sentence. You are on your way to what, chemistry? Perhaps synchronization?

Russell failed to drive the offense down the field in a non-contact two-minute drill today, but did hit a nice pass to tight end Zach Miller—a thirty-yard gainer—that took the team to the fifty yard line.

In the simulation, the score was 10-7 with 1:32 left in the fourth quarter. After the Miller pass, JaMarcus had two incomplete tosses and a third-down run of five yards. Not for nothing, but I’d say from the opponents’ 45-yard line, with the right wind, Sebastian Janikowski could probably clear the crossbar by ten yards or so.

So, I’ll leave it to you, the readers of this article. Leave what to you? I’m so glad you asked.

I’ll leave this: In the offseason, and even now, most of the criticism of JaMarcus Russell—the talented, cannon-armed quarterback of the Oakland Raiders—regarded his issues with accuracy. So, if JaMarcus has fixed or even improved his accuracy woes, what does that mean?

I’d say that 6-of-9 in the first game and 7-of-11 in the second game show a tremendous transformation from the JaMarcus Russell we saw at the beginning of last season.

Especially when you factor in that, for the second game, his “go-to guy” Chaz Schilens was out with a broken foot.

JaMarcus is making great reads and hitting his targets accurately. There have been some throws this preseason that made me say “wow!” out loud because they had so much zip on them.  Very nice, tight spirals, and thrown where you want to see them if you are Oakland quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett.

I’m just saying is all, if JaMarcus Russell “needs to get better,” what happens if he does—rapidly?

Vote and you tell me what you think.

The Dallas Cowboys: Everything Is Quieter In Texas, They Let Play Do The Talking

The Dallas Cowboys are notorious for making noise during the preseason.

The 2007 preseason talk featured new faces at premier positions, as Tony Romo took over at quarterback while head coach Wade Phillips tried to make the Cowboys into a more laidback team.

In 2008, the preseason was focused on whether Dallas could rebound after a disappointing playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

But contrary to past history, the Cowboys’ preseason has been relatively quiet, which is a big surprise to most people.

Despite hearing crickets in Big D, there are a few big surprises still happening with the Cowboys.

 

Romo-Williams Connection

People have been questioning all offseason whether or not Roy Williams can replace disgruntled wide receiver Terrell Owens as the top wideout in Dallas.

After two preseason games, the former Detroit Lions receiver seems to be the man for the job, as he has caught six passes, five of which came in the Cowboys’ 30-10 win over the Tennessee Titans on Friday. Williams finished the game with 36 receiving yards.

Williams’ performance can be credited to the hard work he and Romo have put in this offseason to develop team chemistry, a bond that Phillips said takes time to develop, according to a DallasCowboys.com report.

“Tony is throwing the ball before Roy cuts. It’s happened a few times already,” Phillips said in the story. “That’s a good sign. You don’t see that all the time. That’s real timing there.”

In the same article, Williams said he hopes him and Romo can fuse together just as well as the quarterback does with Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten.

“Yesterday, he threw a ball that was on time and right at the landmark where it was supposed to be,” Williams said. “I think that’s the second or third time that’s ever happened where I was in the right spot and the ball was in the right spot and it just clicked and looked real pretty on film. We want to get to that 100 percent of the time.”

 

Breaking into the Huddle

Coming into the preseason, Sam Hurd seemed to be an afterthought in the Cowboys’ playbook.

With an offense featuring playmakers such as Witten, Williams, Marion Barber, and Miles Austin, no wonder Dallas listed him as the fourth wide receiver on its depth chart.

Despite the crowded talent, Hurd has kept working hard to break into the huddle.

In fact, the fourth-year pass catcher showcased his hard work on the field, hauling in six receptions for a team-leading 96 yards in two preseason games. Hurd’s six catches are tied for the top mark on the Cowboys’ reception list.

Even though Hurd may have played against backup defenses, he still has a shot at being the third wide receiver on the team, as Austin hasn’t recorded a catch in the first two games.

 

Not So Special Teams

In the first two games, Dallas has put together only five touchdown drives in 23 possessions.

In those 23 drives, the average starting position for the Cowboys was on the 23 yard line.

This mediocre placement can be attributed to a couple of lapses on Dallas’ special teams.

The Cowboys’ punt returners have bobbled two punts and fumbled another in five attempts. Also, the coverage team hasn’t made enough key blocks to let Austin or Felix Jones sprint down the field.

Even when the Cowboys have good field position, their kicker Nick Folk has not come through for them, going 0-for-2 in field goal attempts.  

The Jumbo 12th Man

Another huge surprise in Dallas doesn’t involve a bench player or a group of fans causing problems for the Cowboys’ opponents.

Rather, it’s the stadium’s new JumboTron.

The 60-yard digital scoreboard, a part of the new $1.15 billion stadium, may be too low to the field, after Titans reserve punter A.J. Trapasso hit the bottom of it in the third quarter.

The giant scoreboard, which is 90 feet above the playing surface, drew some criticism not only from Titans players and coaches, but also from league officials, according to a USAToday.com report.

“It’s an issue, yeah,” said Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, who is also co-chairman of the NFL’s competition committee. “So something has to get worked out. It can become a problem.”

The committee met on Tuesday to discuss the scoreboard issue, but no decision has been made about moving the structure.

However, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones felt the issue wasn’t a big deal.

“I’m not worried about it,” Jones said in the article. “…The real world is if you look at the thousands of punts in the NFL and the trajectory of the punts, where they are on the field, and where they’re going, and the fact they like to kick to the sidelines, you don’t have any issue with this board.”

Even though some people think it is too low, the NFL approved the huge structure before the stadium was built. In addition, the NFL’s minimum height requirement for any object above the playing field is 85 feet.

New York Jets’ Health Improving as 2009 Season Looms Large

There was good news today during the last open practice to the media, as the Jets walking wounded finally climbed off the stretcher and back into the lineup, ready to take on the Giants this Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

For the first time this preseason, and for the majority of camp, the Jets will be able to field their full first team defense, and the majority of their first team offense with only one player sidelined.

Shonn Greene will not participate in the final two preseason games after suffering a rib injury after falling awkwardly on the ball during the Jets second pre-season game on the road in Baltimore.

Although nothing is broken, there is some damage and the Jets won’t risk aggravating the injury by sending him out in a meaningless preseason game.  With his spot on the roster guaranteed, there is little point to play this any other way.

There will, however, be two familiar faces on Saturday as Darrelle Revis and Kris Jenkins made their preseason debuts.

Both have been slowed by injuries over the past two weeks, but both today took part in full practice workouts for the second day running with no ailments to their niggling injuries to report.

Both will be key members of a defense that, according to Ryan, will be one of the best in the league, and with the personal they have, there is no reason to suggest otherwise.

There have been several complaints over the preseason about Dwight Lowery and his troubles, having been beat on numerous occasions.  Revis back in the lineup will mean that the opposition QB will not be able to pick on any corner.  Not only is this going to be beneficial as a whole, but we should be able to get a better read on new corner Lito Shepphard.

Over the first two preseason games, the majority of passes have been aimed at the opposite side of the field to where Lito was lining up, and expectantly so.  However, with a top five cornerback in the league coming back, this is a luxury that opponents will no longer be extended.

The Jets defense lived and died with Jenkins last season, and it was no coincidence that when Jenkins started to tire, so did the entire defence.  Mangini overused Jenkins to the extent that he was worn into the ground come Week 12.  With Sione Pouha and Howard Green now in New York and being used, Jenkins should be fresher for longer.

Donald Strickland also returned to practice for the second straight day, Strickland one of a handful of Jets who recorded a sack in the first pre-season game against the St Louis Rams.

Other notes from camp include:

* Vernon Gholston will start in place of OLB Calvin Pace on opening day in Houston despite being non- existent thus far in the two pre-season games.  He will be getting more reps with the first team during practice and in the remaining games, and perhaps that can kickstart his season.

* Jay Feeley is fully recovered from the groin injury that kept him out of the Baltimore game and he will return on Saturday to take care of the kickoff and place-kicking duties.

* Chris Pizzoti, more commonly known around the Jets HQ as “Harvard,” will get the first series of the second half against the Giants.  Ryan had tried to get Pizzoti in during the first game against the Rams and the second game against the Ravens, but was unsuccessful. Of course, Pizzoti was released and re-signed in between the two games.

Why Favre Will Fail in Minnesota

“Brett Favre signs with the Minnesota Vikings.” Once I heard this I smiled and got ready to hear the predictions and the new expectations made for the Vikings. Many fans have immediately jumped onto the Vikings bandwagon, claiming they will win the NFC North. Some even said they will win the Super Bowl this year.

Now truth is they do have a solid chance at making it to the playoffs. All Favre is really going to have to do is hand it off to Adrian Peterson, right? Yes, everyone knows Favre is an upgrade over Tavaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte, the two quarterbacks that the Vikings managed to win 10 games with in 2008.

Minnesota Viking Fans, I have a question. Do you truthfully feel Favre is a liability at quarterback? Can anyone honestly believe that Brett Favre is the answer to the Vikings Super Bowl run this year? This is the man who couldn’t manage to take the New York Jets to the Super Bowl or even the playoffs and he has every single thing in Minnesota that he had in New York.

“Oh, but he has Adrian Peterson and a great offensive line in front of him this year.” He had the same exact thing with him in New York. Let’s not forget that Thomas Jones led the AFC in rushing yards with 1,312 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns, out scoring Adrian Peterson in less touches. Thomas Jones has also proven to be a better receiving back with 36 receptions and a pair of receiving touchdowns. Thomas Jones only fumbled the ball twice versus Adrian Peterson’s nine fumbles in 2008.

Favre also had better receivers in New York than he has in Minnesota with Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery, who by themselves managed to out score Minnesota’s top three receivers in Bernard Berrian, Bobby Wade, and Sidney Rice 12-11. 

Now here comes the funny part. Even with all this in 2008, Favre managed to lead the league in interceptions and only managed an 81.0 quarterback rating. Although Favre started the season out flaming hot, he started to decline late in the season. If Favre throws as many interceptions as he did in 2008 in 2009 and Adrian Peterson fumbles nine or more times, that is a lot of turnovers. If these turnovers seem to happen in the first four games of the season the Vikings could be in some trouble. Without Kevin Williams and Pat Williams you might just see teams run it down Minnesota’s throats.

Now this is my first “Favre to Vikings” article and I know I’m going to get some comments and get “bashed” for saying that Minnesota won’t be as amazing as everyone makes them seem, but I really don’t care. If Adrian Peterson fumbles as much as he did in 2008 and Favre leads the league in interceptions, that means a lot of drives ending and a whole lot more chances for an opposing offense to score.

Floyd Little Could Finally Be Heading to Canton

“The Franchise,” Floyd Little, lived up to his nickname over the course of his career producing big numbers as one of the premier running backs in football.

During Little’s days in Syracuse and then with the Denver Broncos, he compiled an impressive resume. He was a three time all-American, a Player of the Year, sixth overall draft pick, five time Pro Bowler, and later a College Football Hall of Famer.

Little’s likeness even made an appearance in the film, “The Express,” in a scene depicting how Syracuse legend Ernie Davis helped recruit Little to his Alma mater.

Something has been missing on Little’s impressive list of accolades though. That something is a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

It appears that he is finally about to see that change though.

Floyd Little, along with former Lions great Dick LeBeau, was nominated as a senior candidate to enter the Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

“My wife and I just looked at one another, and we both saw tears in our eyes,” Little said after hearing the news. “We talked about how my son Marc wrote a letter to The Denver Post 25 years ago, explaining my disappointment (with not being elected) and to ask, ‘Why?’ So after 25 years, it’s hard to believe this is happening.”

Like any other nominee, Little still needs to receive an 80 percent positive vote for inclusion, but history suggests he stands a very good chance. Since 1996, 16 of the 18 senior candidates nominated have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Little was one of the first great all-purpose backs in the NFL. When he retired from the league in 1975, after playing his entire career with the Broncos, Little had amassed 6,323 yards and 43 touchdowns on the ground as well as 2,418 yards and nine touchdowns receiving. Including punt and kickoff returns, he finished his career with over 12,000 all-purpose yards.

When his career ended, Little was seventh all-time in rushing yards behind Jim Brown, Jim Taylor, Joe Perry, O.J. Simpson, Leroy Kelly, and John Henry Johnson; all of whom are already included in the hall.

With his induction seeming almost inevitable now, Little should become the seventh inductee to the hall with ties to Syracuse, including his former teammate Larry Csonka. Syracuse is currently one of only nine schools to have at least six alumni in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It’s all up to the voters now, but the hard part may be done. Little, for what it’s worth, appears to be optimistic, “Hopefully the next step is easy and we can all celebrate together in Canton.”

Philadelphia Eagles Preseason Full of Surprises, Both Good and Bad

Perhaps more so than any other team, the Philadelphia Eagles have experienced multiple unforeseen happenings throughout the 2009 NFL preseason. A full range of situations has arisen throughout July and August, including player signings, coaching changes, season-ending injuries, and cut-throat position battles.

For a team many expect to compete for the Super Bowl, dealing with constant media-inducing frenzies, fan outcry, and off-the-field issues would, on the surface, appear to have a detrimental effect as the season sets to kick off in just a few weeks.

However, not all of the preseason’s surprises have been negative. Even those events harmful to Philadelphia have seemed to have brought the team closer together and forced them to work harder to achieve their ultimate goal.

Clearly, this Philadelphia Eagles team has experienced unanticipated and even downright startling turns of events this summer. How they continue to respond to these revelations will dictate their success in 2009.

Without further ado, here are the top Philadelphia Eagles preseason surprises in 2009.

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