Packers-Cardinals Preseason Matchup: Five Things Cheeseheads Should Watch For

The Packers will look to win their third consecutive preseason game when they take on the Arizona Cardinals tomorrow night in Tempe, Ariz.

In their first preseason game, the Packers pitched a shutout against the Cleveland Browns in a dominating defensive performance, and Aaron Rodgers threw a 52-yard touchdown to Donald Driver. The next week, the Packers took down the Buffalo Bills, 31-21 at Lambeau Field, in another impressive performance.

It has been an outstanding start for a team looking to turn a new leaf after a disappointing six-win season. The defense has been fast, the offense has been crisp, and the second- and third-team players have done excellent as well.

As well as the team played in their first two games, their first real test as a whole will come when the Packers come to Arizona to take on Kurt Warner and the Cardinals. Without further ado, here are five things to look for as the Packers enter their third preseason game.

 

1. What impact will Nick Barnett have if he takes the field for the first time this season?

The Packers’ best linebacker is expected to make his first appearance of the season against the Cardinals, and he can’t come soon enough.  Desmond Bishop is having one of the best preseasons of anyone on the team and is making a case to start this season, but if Barnett is back and healthy then he will be on the field.

After missing all of training camp and the first two preseason games recovering from ACL surgery, Barnett will get his first taste of the new 3-4 defense being instilled this season.  With the way the defense has looked thus far, the addition of Barnett can only make it stronger.

Clay Matthews III and Jeremy Thompson are out for Friday’s game, but if Barnett is able to play then it will be a step in the right direction.

 

2. Playing with the first team offense, can Tyrell Sutton continue to produce like he did against the Browns and Bills?

Mike McCarthy has said that undrafted rookie Tyrell Sutton will get reps with the first team offense on Friday, in hopes of continuing his path towards making the team this season.

Against the Browns, Sutton carried the ball 16 times for 91 yards and went for 49 yards and a touchdown against the Bills.  He has looked quick and powerful in the team’s first two games, and will look to continue that success on Friday.

The test will be much bigger as Sutton will no longer be going up against second and third team defenses, but will instead go up against a solid Cardinals run defense.

It is still a good sign that Sutton will get reps with the first team offense, who seems to have the upper hand on the third string running back spot over Deshawn Wynn and Craig Lumpkin.  Tomorrow will tell a lot about how good Sutton actually is, but management must have seen something to give him this shot.

 

3. How will the Packers’ secondary fare against the Cardinals’ passing attack?

In the first two preseason games, the Browns and Bills combined for 405 yards passing, one touchdown, and six interceptions.  It was an impressive showing by the Packers’ pass defense, and while no one is going to mistake Trent Edwards and Brady Quinn for Tom Brady, stats are stats.

However, the first big test will come when Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald take the field against Charles Woodson and co.  Anquan Boldin is not expected to play Friday due to a tweaked hamstring, but the offense is still high-powered even without him.

Steve Breaston and Early Doucet give the Cardinals one of the deepest wide receiving corps in the league and will give the Packers a big test, and Tim Hightower and Chris Wells are solid out of the backfield as well.

Al Harris, Charles Woodson, and Nick Collins will have their hands full, but if the first two weeks were any indication, they should be just fine.

 

4. With the offensive line starters set in stone, how will they look together?

After the Bills game, head coach Mike McCarthy awarded Allen Barbre, Josh Sitton, and Jason Spitz spots on the line along with Daryn Colledge and Chad Clifton.

Barbre beat out Breno Giacomini in the position battle after a dominating performance against Buffalo.  Giacomini’s whiff on a Bills defensive end that led to quarterback Matt Lynn’s injury did not help his cause either.

Spitz beat out last year’s center Scott Wells and opened up a spot for Sitton at right guard.  None of the moves made by McCarthy did not come as much of a surprise, but hopefully the chemistry will pick up as the same five guys get more and more reps with each other.

 

5. Can tight end Jermichael Finley continue his excellent play?

Finley was one of the five breakout players of the year for the Packers, and in the first two preseason games he has not disappointed.  He has been an absolute matchup problem for teams with his size and speed and has caught five passes for 64 yards.

His speed makes him too quick for most linebackers, while his size makes him too big for most safeties.  If he can be another legitimate weapon for Aaron Rodgers, the offense adds another dimension that it has not had for quite some time.

Donald Lee has done a nice job blocking in the first two games, and Finley will be an excellent compliment that will allow the Packers to use and pass out of two-tight end sets.

Fantasy Football News and Notes for Aug. 27

With fantasy football teams being drafted daily, fantasy owners are either watching the third week of preseason games to scout players we might want to draft or we are holding our breath, praying that we do not lose any players we have already drafted to injury before the regular season even starts.

Whether you are scouting players to draft or keeping an eye on ones that you have drafted, the Bruno Boys are always here to keep you up-to-date on the latest news around the NFL. As you take a break from the always updating 2009 Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets Webazine, please enjoy this week’s edition of Fantasy Football Impact: NFL News and Notes, where we will touch on Philip Rivers’ contract extension, injuries to several fantasy starters and a few rookies making headlines.

 

Rivers gets contract extension from San Diego

Philip Rivers and Eli Manning will forever be linked. The two were part of a huge draft-day trade in 2004 when the San Diego Chargers drafted Manning with the No. 1 overall pick and then traded him to the New York Giants for Rivers, who was taken with the No. 4 overall pick.

They are once again linked, as Rivers recently signed a six-year contract extension very similar to the six-year extension Manning signed with the Giants earlier this month. Rivers’ contract is worth a total of $93 million, which is slightly less then the $97 million Manning got. Rivers’ deal has $38 million guaranteed, though, while Manning’s only had $35 million guaranteed.

This is an excellent move for the Chargers, as they keep their elite-level quarterback happy. From a fantasy standpoint, this is a good thing as well. Rivers can now concentrate on improving upon his career-best numbers from 2008, when he passed for 4,009 yards with a league-high 34 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions.

Rivers is the No. 4 ranked quarterback by the Bruno Boys, and he is a high-end QB1 option in all fantasy football formats.

 

Roethlisberger returns to practice after injuring foot

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returned to practice Tuesday after a foot injury forced him to miss the team’s second preseason game against the Washington Redskins. His foot was stepped on by an offensive lineman trying to block the defending defensive player of the year James Harrison during the team’s last practice session of training camp.

During Tuesday’s practice Roethlisberger took part in individual drills most of the day before taking snaps under center during the final series of practice. He is expected to play in the Steelers’ third preseason game against the Buffalo Bills Saturday night, and it appears that Roethlisberger will be ready to start the regular season. He is ranked No. 14 in the current Bruno Boys Quarterback Rankings and fantasy owners should continue to draft him as a high-end QB2.

 

Panthers’ Williams misses practice Wednesday with sore knee

Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams missed practice on Wednesday with a sore knee. Panthers head coach John Fox would not say which knee was sore or when the pain started, but the injury does not appear to be serious. Williams rode a stationary bike during practice and was seen joking with teammates.

Keep an eye on this situation, but it appears safe to continue to draft Williams in the first round of all upcoming drafts. He had a breakout year in 2008, when he had 273 carries for 1,515 yards and 20 total touchdowns (18 rushing), and he is currently the No. 7-ranked running back by the Bruno Boys. Unless this injury ends up being worse than initially reported, Williams should make a solid RB1 in fantasy football.

 

Boldin suffers hamstring injury, misses practice

The Arizona Republic has reported that Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin strained a hamstring during practice on Tuesday. Boldin missed Wednesday’s team practice, but he has not been ruled out of the Cardinals’ third preseason game Friday. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt called it a tweak, but he did say the team would be cautious with the injury, Boldin did miss a playoff game last season with a pulled hamstring.

It sounds as if Boldin won’t play on Friday, but there doesn’t appear to be any concern about his status for the beginning of the season. Continue to draft Boldin as a low-end WR1 in upcoming drafts, he has plenty to play for this season, as he is still seeking a new contract from the Cardinals. He is the No. 10-ranked wide receiver in the Bruno Boys Cheat Sheets.

 

Owens to miss third straight preseason game with toe injury

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens will miss the team’s third straight preseason game after suffering a toe injury during the starting offense’s only series during the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 9. Owens has been working on footwork and cutting during individual drills during team practices.

Owens seems to be progressing well and it appears that the Bills are being cautious with their prized free agent signing. He is not expected to miss any regular season action at this point and he should continue to be drafted as a high-end WR2 in all formats. Owens is currently ranked No. 12 on the Bruno Boys Wide Receiver Rankings.

 

Rookie Sanchez named starter in New York

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan officially announced that rookie Mark Sanchez will be the team’s starting quarterback this season.

“I feel the best move for our franchise is to go with Mark Sanchez at quarterback,” Ryan told the Associated Press. He also added that this was solely his decision.

Sanchez was the No. 5 overall pick in this past April’s NFL draft and while struggling at times during the preseason, he has shown enough talent, poise, and leadership to beat out Kellen Clemens for the starting job. Sanchez is the 31st-ranked quarterback by the Bruno Boys and isn’t worth anything more than a late-round flier as a low-end QB2 or QB3 in upcoming drafts. He is a talented quarterback definitely worth keeping on eye on for this season and the future.

 

Crabtree still unsigned, Coffee excels in preseason

While rookie wide receiver Michael Crabtree continues his hold out, another 49er rookie has impressed coaches, fans, and fantasy football owners alike. Crabtree was expected to be one of the top rookies in the NFL this season as well as a potential fantasy football standout, but he continues to hold out, and his rookie season is already in jeopardy.

While Crabtree is wasting precious time sitting out, rookie running back Glenn Coffee has been very impressive in the 49ers’ first two preseason games. Coffee followed up his 14-carry, 67-yard performance against the Denver Broncos in Week One of the preseason with a 16-carry, 129-yard performance against the Oakland Raiders in Week Two.

While Crabtree’s fantasy football value for the 2009 season is plummeting, Coffee’s name is starting to heat up in fantasy football conversation. Don’t get carried away with Coffee’s preseason performance, though. Frank Gore is the 49ers starting running back and he is one of the league’s best, but Coffee has shown enough to earn himself a fantasy football roster spot as a RB4 or RB5. He is also a recommended handcuff for Gore owners.

Crabtree, on the other hand, is just about out of fantasy value this year; his rookie season is in serious jeopardy, and he is only worth a late-round flier in leagues with deep rosters.

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*THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN BY BRUNO BOY LARRY JOSEPH. FOR MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL INSIGHT AND ADVICE, CLICK THE LINK BELOW.*

BRUNO BOYS FANTASY FOOTBALL

Ranking The Best Active Players In The NFL By Uniform Number, 1-49

Because we are all suckers for lists like this, I wanted to try my hand at putting together the top players in the NFL by number. Here are numbers 1-49. 50-99 will be up sometime over the next couple days. I’ve been through the list pretty thoroughly, but if there’s a glaring mistake, don’t be too hard on me as I did it all manually!!

Begin Slideshow

Fantasy Football ADP Watch: Falling Running Backs

With the season rapidly approaching, Bruno Boys Nation is starving for knowledge and I (Bruno Boys Ziza) am here to oblige. Leading up to Week 1, I will be tackling the weekly running back risers and fallers for ESPN live draft ADP (Average Draft Position).

This week in the fallers, we tackle Shonn Greene (-8.4), Correll Buckhalter (-6.7), Michael Bush (-4.4), Reggie Bush (-2.1) and Darren McFadden (-1.6). I will be breaking down these players and giving the reasoning of why I believe or don’t believe that the movement is justifiable.

Shonn Greene (New York Jets) – Shonn Greene’s value has dived this week, dropping -8.4 APD spots due to both a rib injury, which has kept him off of the field as well as added suspicion that Thomas Jones and Leon Washington will be getting most of the touches because Greene may still be a little green (no pun intended).

He does have talent and could have some value if one of the two goes down with injury; however, until then he has virtually no fantasy value this season. Draft him late in drafts or in keeper/dynasty leagues.

Correll Buckhalter (Denver Broncos) – In a mild head scratcher, Correll Buckhalter of the Denver Broncos has dropped -6.7 ADP spots in ESPN drafts this past week. He is a player that was already being drafted near the end of drafts so the fall is somewhat confusing as he possesses a unique feature that you don’t find much at the end of the draft—potential value.

With Knowshon Moreno banged up and the other major competition being Lamont Jordan, Buckhalter still has a shot at being a solid RB4/RB5. If you are one that follows ADP (average draft position), don’t believe what you are seeing. His value is not dropping all of a sudden. In fact, it is on the verge of going up.

Michael Bush (Oakland Raiders) – This week Michael Bush slid -4.4 ADP spots yet still remains in the hunt for some playing time in the Oakland Raiders’ rotation. While I fully expect Darren McFadden to be the starter, Justin Fargas is dealing with a strained hamstring which should allow Bush to see more action.

If Fargas’ hammy continues to give him problems to start the season, Bush could have some fantasy value; albeit minimal at best. Bush remains a low-end pick later in your fantasy football drafts.

Reggie Bush (New Orleans Saints) – While not a huge drop, -2.1 ADP spots for Reggie Bush who is coming off the board at the 67.7 position may see his value dip more leading into the season. Bush, who already will be sharing his playing time with Pierre Thomas now has Mike Bell to contend with as well.

If the New Orleans Saints do decide to utilize three running backs throughout the season the affect could be the same as we had seen with the Baltimore Ravens last year—inconsistent weeks, a lot of disappointment and indecisiveness.

Do yourself a favor; unless Bush drops far enough in your draft to make it a no-brainer, let him be someone else’s problem.

Darren McFadden (Oakland Raiders) – Darren McFadden remains one of the more intriguing running backs heading into fantasy football drafts. You will be able to grab him at a spot that very well could be below what he will produce this year.

But, with all the crap that is once again brewing around the Oakland Raiders organization, people seem to be souring on all of their players. That is to be expected, and that is good for you if you are the one that ends up with McFadden.

I expect nothing lower than RB2 numbers from McFadden and that is the lowest of the low. He has the potential to jump into low-end RB1, high-end RB2 in deeper leagues. Don’t worry at all about the -1.6 ADP spot dip this week.

*THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN BY BRUNO BOY CHRIS ZIZA. FOR MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL INSIGHT AND ADVICE, CLICK THE LINK BELOW.*

BRUNO BOYS FANTASY FOOTBALL

Pro Football 101 Fantasy Sleepers: Tight Ends in 2009

While tight ends rarely impact your fantasy team as other positions do, they still provide a lot of valuable points and can be the difference to a win or loss. If you don’t grab one of the top guys at the position, you can still find quality later on. Here’s three fantasy sleepers to consider.

1. Brent Celek

Certainly not a household name, Celek, in his second year in the league, showed that he was quite adept at finding the soft zone in the defense. He and McNabb developed a strong rapport towards the end of the season.

It culminated in an ultra impressive NFC Championship Game where Celek reeled in 10 catches for 80 yards and two TDs.

This year, with rookie TE Cornelius Ingraham out with a torn ACL, Celek has an excellent opportunity to step up and be McNabb’s mid-range target over the middle.

He’ll most likely be available later in the draft and could end up a tremendous fantasy sleeper if he can build upon last season’s playoffs.

2. Martellus Bennett

Word out of Big D is that Bennett reminds a lot of people, in both physique and skill, of another great TE in this league: Antonio Gates. And while he’s the back-up behind this year’s top fantasy ranking TE, Jason Witten, we think the Cowboys will employ more two TE sets this year to compensate for the loss of T.O to the offense.

Roy Williams just didn’t do enough over the last ten games of the season to inspire trust that defenses will pay him the respect that a No. 1 deserves. So once they begin to focus on Witten, which could have an adverse effect on his fantasy numbers, we see Bennett taking advantage of nickel backs and LBs and Romo quickly taking advantage of this mismatch.

3. Vernon Davis

As hard as this is to say, Davis might be a valuable fantasy sleeper over the course of this season. Mike Singletary seems to have certainly reached his TE in the short time they’ve been together and so far the results seem to support it.

With the recent announcement of Shaun Hill as the starting QB, look for the veteran to use Davis as his middle target and for San Francisco to move the TE around to take advantage of his size and speed.

 

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Preseason WRs (Week Two)

The anticipation emanating throughout the country is so thick, even a psychic from a 1-900 number could sense it. The NFL season is creeping ever so languidly towards us, and in just over two weeks, the fantasy football that goes with it will be in full effect. But until then, we have to live through the exhibitions that make up the preseason.

So, we might as well make some use out of it and try to prepare evermore for the fantasy season. As such, we’ll go around last week’s games and take a peek at “the good, the bad, and the ugly” from the wide receiver position.

THE GOOD

Chris Henry (Cin) – Fantastic in the Bengals first preseason game, Henry followed with another very solid outing in their captivating, heart-stopping win over the Patriots by the score of 7-6.

Okay, that last part about the game may have been a bit of hyperbole, but the part about Henry’s strong play is not. He caught four passes for 55 yards in the contest, and in the first two preseason games, Henry has a total of 11 catches for 155 yards and two scores. Can you say sleeper?

Laurent Robinson (StL) – Robinson has entrenched himself as a starter opposite Donnie Avery in the Rams’ offense. He caught five passes for 65 yards in the team’s loss to Atlanta this week, and has 117 receiving yards this preseason.

He’s big (6-foot-2) and has excellent speed, and though the Rams’ offense is too sketchy for fantasy owners to count on Robinson on a weekly basis, there may be something there depending on the match-up.

Troy Williamson (Jax) – Maybe the former No. 7 overall pick of the Vikings and big-time bust Williamson should pretend every game he plays is of the preseason variety. Because he shined once again, with three catches for nearly 150 yards and a touchdown just one week after a four-catch, 74-yard performance.

Marques Colston (NO) – Colston had six catches for 66 yards in New Orleans’ 38-14 win last week over Houston. The fourth-year pro is one of the steadier wide outs in the league when healthy, which he is this season, and reportedly looking as good as ever.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Sea) – Another steady presence, Houshmandzadeh made just a single catch for five yards in Week 1 of the preseason, but with more playing time in Week 2, snagged five passes for 41 yards and a score.

THE BAD

Percy Harvin (Min) – Everyone seems to think Harvin is the bees’ knees (which is a wholly underutilized phrase, by the way), but the fact is he’s been highly injury-prone, and indeed missed the team’s first preseason game, though it was said to be precautionary. He came back last week, and with all that explosiveness everyone raved about, caught two passes…for nine yards.

Devin Thomas (Was) – Thomas was a disappointment last season, and he’s falling behind fellow second-year player Malcolm Kelly this preseason. Thomas had one catch for seven yards last week, and has just two receptions for 19 yards in the first two preseason games.

Devin Hester (Chi) – Hester had a so-so initial preseason contest, but still gained just 22 yards on two catches, and last week, he had two more catches, but for only 14 yards. Hopefully the Bears are saving the deep routes for the season, as it seems a waste to ignore Hester’s speed and Cutler’s big arm.

Early Doucet (Ari) – It may be unfair to put Doucet here, as he just returned from a bum shoulder, but that’s part of the problem, as the former third-round pick also battled injuries last season. Doucet had one catch for four yards last week, and needs to stay healthy and step up so he doesn’t get buried on the Cardinals deep depth chart at wide out.

Kenny Britt (Ten) – One week after a promising performance against Tampa Bay that saw Britt snare five passes for 89 yards and a touchdown, the Titans’ first-round pick produced all of one catch for zero yards against Dallas. Such is life with rookie wide outs oftentimes, and especially on a team that features the run over the pass.

THE UGLY

Brandon Marshall (Den) – Marshall is suffering from something, either a hip injury, a lack of knowledge of the playbook or both, but he didn’t even make the trip to Seattle last week for the game, and may not play this week either. Color him red, as in red flags. They’re flying all around him this preseason.

Ted Ginn Jr. (Mia) – After catching just one pass for 14 yards in Miami’s first preseason game, Ginn went out and put up a goose egg last week, failing to catch a single pass. Many fantasy owners like him as somewhat of a sleeper this season, but as a former top-10 pick going into his third year, shouldn’t he be more established?

Miles Austin (Dal) – Austin has yet to catch a single pass this preseason, having been shut out each of the first two weeks. It’s not that he’s hurt, and there’s some speculation that his lack of production is because the Cowboys don’t want to show teams what they’ll do as far as throwing the ball deep, which is where Austin is best utilized. Still, it’s a concern.

Sinorice Moss (NYG) – With the stable of high and mid-round picks at the Giants’ disposal, someone may get left out, and that someone may be Moss. He had one catch for nine yards in Week One of the preseason, and followed that up last week with another one-catch performance, this time gathering just three feet in the process. No, that was not a typo, he moved the ball three feet, as in one yard, with his catch.

Darrius Heyward-Bey (Oak) – There has been a rookie whose looked pretty good this preseason for the Raiders. His name is Louis Murphy. Heyward-Bey, the No. 7 overall pick, on the other hand, has one catch for seven yards, and that came in the first preseason game. He was shut out of the stat sheet in Week Two.

 

*THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN BY BRUNO BOY KYLE SMITH. FOR MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL INSIGHT AND ADVICE, CLICK THE LINK BELOW.*

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LeBeau’s Nomination Another Undeserved Win For Steeler Nation

I’m sure this article will not further endear me to members of the Steeler Nation, but the recent announcement by the Pro Football Hall of Fame Senior Committee of Dick Lebeau as one of their two “senior finalists” for 2010 further emphasizes why significant changes need to be made to the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection process.

Earlier this month I completed a two-month series that ran both on my sports site Sports Then and Now (even if you don’t agree with me on this article, I am sure any passionate sports fan will enjoy the site, so please check it out) and on Bleacher Report in which I looked at the best players not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

I diligently ranked my choices for the top 25 players still waiting for the Hall of Fame call at each position and then made my picks for the 25 best players overall who I believe belong in the hall.

By my estimation, Dick LeBeau is the 12th best defensive back not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He unquestionably was a solid defensive back during his 14-year career with the Detroit Lions, but he was never GREAT. And, in my humble opinion, the Hall of Fame should be about selecting the greatest players, not the ones with lots of high profile supporters.

Now during his career Dick LeBeau did play in the same defensive backfield with some great players who are in the Hall of Fame (Dick “Night Train” Lane, Yale Lary, and Lem Barney) and I would argue that their presence on the field is a major reason that LeBeau ranks seventh all-time with 62 interceptions.

Let me use the old analogy about the town with two barbers to illustrate why I am not sold on LeBeau’s greatness or Hall of Fame worthiness.

So a new guy comes to a town that has two barbers and he needs a haircut. He sees the first barber and his hair looks perfectly groomed with every hair smoothly trimmed and combed nicely into place. The second barber has a very uneven haircut with some patches noticeably longer than others and not well trimmed.

So, which barber should he choose?

Most people would probably choose the first barber because he looks good, which automatically makes you assume he is a good barber. Sort of like an NFL defensive back with a large number of interceptions.

However, in reality the better barber is the second guy, because he is the one who cut the first barbers hair and made it look so nice.

LeBeau’s NFL stats are like the looks of the first barber, they are due to the work of the second guy.  He has good numbers and therefore people just assume he is good.

However, in reality LeBeau’s high interception total is at least partly due to the fact that he spent almost his entire career playing opposite a superstar that quarterbacks knew they didn’t want to mess with.

Quarterbacks decided they would rather take their chances against LeBeau than to mess with Lane, Lary or Barney.

Now certainly 62 interceptions is a respectable total, but in the past the Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors have made it clear that interceptions alone do not warrant a spot in the hall.

Of the 20 eligible players with 54 or more interceptions, only 10 are in the Hall of Fame.

In fact, taking it a step further, the three players with 60 or more interceptions who are not in the Hall of Fame, Ken Riley (65 picks), Dick LeBeau (62) and Dave Brown (62) combined for a grand total of four Pro Bowl appearances (three by LeBeau and one by Brown) and one first team All-Pro pick (Riley in his final NFL season) during their combined total of 44 NFL seasons.

So why is Dick LeBeau now being considered for the Hall of Fame after all these years?

In my opinion, LeBeau has suddenly moved from off the list of viable candidates to the top because the Hall of Fame selectors have about as much backbone as a feather. Instead, they go wherever the wind is blowing and this year they are going toward LeBeau.

In his Hall of Fame speech, 2009 inductee Rod Woodson singled out LeBeau, who was the secondary coach and defensive coordinator for the Steelers during much of Woodson’s career, for his great service as an assistant coach and said he deserves entry into the Hall of Fame.

Now that is all well and good and maybe one day after he retires from coaching LeBeau should be considered by the Hall of Fame voters for his total 50+ years of service to the NFL. In that context, he is probably deserving of a spot in the Hall of Fame.

However, according to the rules printed on the Hall of Fame web site, coaches are not eligible for consideration until five years after they retire.

So, that means that when the full committee gathers in February to decide the 2010 inductees, technically (and I’m sure the voters always follow the rules completely; wink, wink) the only thing that Hall of Fame voters should be considering about LeBeau is his 14 years as a defensive back.

If that truly is the case, then I just don’t see how they can rightfully say LeBeau is deserving of being in the Hall of Fame solely for his accomplishments on the field.

As I mentioned earlier, LeBeau was never a first-team All-Pro and made just three Pro Bowl appearances. There are 37 defensive backs that have not been selected for the Hall of Fame who appeared in four or more Pro Bowls and most of them were first team All-Pros on multiple occasions.

As I chronicled in my rundown of the best defensive backs, players like Johnny Robinson (7 Pro Bowls, 6 first-team All-Pro selections), Steve Atwater (8 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pro), Cliff Harris (6 Pro Bowls, 3 All-Pro), Eric Allen (6 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro), and many others received far more recognition for their performance on the field than did LeBeau.

Instead of following the “flavor of the moment” and making someone like LeBeau a finalist for the Hall of Fame, the voters need to do a much better job identifying former players and contributors that are truly deserving of entry and make sure they are recognized while they can still appreciate the honor.

In recent years, I have watched the Hall of Fame select people such as George Allen, Hank Stram, Gene Hickerson, and Bob Hayes either after they had passed away or after their health had deteriorated so much that they were unable to enjoy their moment in the sun.

In each case, it had been decades since their last game as a player or coach, yet it took that long to get them inducted.

I especially feel the selection committee cheated fans out of special moments with George Allen and Hank Stram. Can you imagine the great stories that would have been shared had these two legendary coaches been selected for the Hall when they were first eligible and still healthy?

I know at age 71 LeBeau himself is not a young man, but he is still coaching and therefore should wait until after he is done coaching to rightfully be considered for his total football achievement.

One former coach who is deserving of a plaque in the Hall of Fame, yet seems to have gotten lost is the architect of the “Air Coryell” passing attack that LeBeau and other defensive coaches couldn’t stop for a decade, Don Coryell. Currently 84 years old, it would be a shame if Coryell, who last coached in the NFL in 1986, passes away before he is inducted.

Other deserving candidates including Jerry Kramer (73-years old), Johnny Robinson (will turn 71 in September) and Chuck Howley (73) should also be at the top of the list for Hall of Fame voters.

There may one day be a deserving spot for Dick LeBeau in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but the time for such selection is not now. Unless the Hall of Fame selection committee is going to formally hand over their responsibility to the Steeler Nation or Rod Woodson, they need to respect the integrity of the Hall of Fame and stop playing politics.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Preseason RBs (Week Two)

We’re half way through the preseason and as everyone knows Week Two and Week Three are prime weeks to get good looks at lot of the players you will be drafting in your fantasy football leagues.

You still have to keep in mind that it’s the preseason, but you can get a good sneak peak at what to expect with most teams playing their starters for the first half in Week Two and Week Three of the preseason…Let’s take a look at “the good, the bad and the ugly” running backs from the second week of the preseason.

THE GOOD

Michael Turner (Atlanta Falcons) – Just like in Week One, Turner the Burner was able to score and put up a 40-yard scamper. As I said last week, he needs to slow down and save those scores for when they matter on your fantasy team.

Everything seems to be good to go with Turner, and while it remains to be seen if the 370 curse will plague him this year, there’s no signs yet to pass up on this guy with your first-round pick.

James Davis (Clevland Browns) – Jamal Lewis isn’t getting any younger, and the Cleveland Browns may have found his predecessor in James Davis. Against the Detroit Lions last week, Davis rattled off 116 yards (one on an 81-yard run) on 12 carries and found the end zone. His counterpart, Lewis, also hit pay dirt, but only notched 23 yards on seven carries.

Let’s not kid ourselves; Lewis will be the featured back to start the season. But Davis is somebody to keep on your radar as a possible waiver wire pickup in case something happens to Lewis. It was an encouraging effort by Davis last week, but Lewis should still see the bulk of the carries.

Ryan Grant (Green Bay Packers) – Here’s a guy I’m sure a lot of you out there have been following closely during the offseason and training camp. Will we see the 2007 Ryan Grant or the 2008 version? In Week Two vs. the Buffalo Bills, Grant rushed for 43 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown.

An extraordinary performance? Of course not, but how many of those do you see in preseason action? At the same time, it wasn’t a poor performance either. Maybe getting into the endzone will give this guy some confidence.

Keep in mind; this is his backfield right now. You won’t be getting a stud if you draft him, but you will be getting somebody will see the bulk of the workload in arguably the NFC’s best offense.

Javon Ringer (Tennessee Titans) – Two weeks in a row now Javon Ringer has looked impressive. Last week against the Dallas Cowboys, it seemed like the Cowboys were having a real hard time bringing him down. On paper, his outing doesn’t look that great (five carries, 33 yards).

I’m a little surprised that Jeff Fisher only gave him five carries since Chris Johnson nor Lendale White weren’t getting involved much. Nevertheless, when you see Ringer busting through the line, he looks like a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, with the tandem of Johnson and White still in tact, Ringer will most likely have little draft value in 2009. You might want to take his name down for 2010, though.

Glen Coffee (San Francisco 49ers) – Talk about a guy who’s taking advantage of playing time. Preseason games or not, Glen Coffee has been very impressive for the San Francisco 49ers. He racked up 129 yards rushing on 16 attempts, including a 35-yard rush against the Oakland Raiders.

I said it last week and I’m saying it again right now—keep a close eye on him because if Frank Gore gets hurt again, I would highly consider taking the risk of picking up Coffee of the wire. Something to keep in mind for the final two preseason games is the fact that the Niners head to Dallas and San Diego.

There’s a good chance Coffee may not have as much luck against those imposing defenses, but I think he’s already left his mark for what he’s capable of. 

Matt Forte (Chicago Bears) – The New York Giants’ defense is dealing with a little bit of the injury bug right now, but still, Matt Forte put up an impressive 58 yards on nine carries with a touchdown against one of the league’s top-ranked defenses. Forte also posted a 32-yard run.

I ranked this performance in the “Good” category especially because there’s been some doubt about Forte with the minor injury at camp and the talk about the sophomore jinx. I wouldn’t worry about that minor injury now, and I especially wouldn’t worry about the supposed sophomore jinx. He’s a top-five draft pick.

THE BAD

LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles) – I thought this guy was great after Week One. After Week Two, the rookie came back down to Earth. Against the Indianapolis Colts last week, LeSean McCoy was only able to muster four yards rushing on five carries.

I don’t think five carries is really enough to judge how somebody does in a game, and that game shouldn’t take away from the role he could play in the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense. I would put McCoy in the same category as Glen Coffee.

McCoy has great potential and just needs Brian Westbrook to go down with one of his predictable injuries and he could be a nice asset to your fantasy football team as a waiver wire pickup. This guy may get drafted in deeper leagues, but in my opinion only take that chance if you drafted Westbrook earlier. 

Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams) – Donnie Avery is hurt. Marc Bulger is hurt. Steven Jackson has a history of being hurt. The St. Louis Rams just can’t keep their players off the medical tables. Jackson is healthy right now, but the lack of a decent passing attack could possibly hurt his fantasy value.

Last week against the Atlanta Falcons, Jackson tallied 10 yards on three carries. He only got the ball three times because of course the Rams can’t risk their cornerstone going down again. In the regular season, however, they will have no choice but to feed the ball to him constantly.

That sounds great, but as long as Bulger and Avery are hurt, defenses will only have to keep their eyes on Jackson. In addition, the more Jackson is forced to carry the offense, the more he’s liable to get hurt again. He’s still a first-rounder in my opinion, but Jackson owners need to cross their fingers that Avery and Bulger make speedy recoveries. 

Darren McFadden (Oakland Raiders) – Like LeSean McCoy, Darren McFadden’s another guy who impressed me in Week One, but not so much last week. McFadden rushed for five yards on four carries against the San Francisco 49ers last week.

I’m still confident that he will surpass Justin Fargas as the team’s lead back, maybe not by the season opener, but shortly thereafter. The fact that he only got four carries last week is a good sign that the Oakland Raiders want to make sure nothing happens to him because he could be in line to become the starter.

I’m curious to see how McFadden does in the last two preseason games. We’ve seen the good and the bad from him so far. I still like him as an RB2, but given the fact that the Oakland Raiders always seem to use their key players improperly, he may frustrate you this season sometimes.

THE UGLY

Jonathan Stewart (Carolina Panthers) – How could I put Jonathan Stewart in the “Ugly” column when he didn’t even play last week? Well, that’s actually exactly why I’m putting him here. Stewart’s battling an achilles injury, in case you haven’t heard, that’s probably going to keep him out of the entire preseason, but he said he’s confident that he’ll be ready for Week One.

Of course he’ll get back in the mix when he returns, but how long will it take him to get up to speed? The end result of this could potentially be John Fox giving an increased workload to DeAngelo Williams, making the Carolina Panthers’ backfield less of a 50-50 split in carries. 

LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers) – LT isn’t doing anything to change my mind about moving him higher up on my cheat sheets. Last week against the Arizona Cardinals, the former ultimate fantasy football stud posted 18 yards rushing on eight carries. Darren Sproles didn’t do any better, but Sproles isn’t LT.

A running back the caliber of LT, or the caliber that he used to be, should be able to get at least 20 yards rushing on eight carries against any defense, preseason or not. If you want LT on your team, I highly advise not putting into consideration what he’s done in the past.

You have to think about the present and what he’s capable of doing in 2009. Despite the fact that he did end up having a pretty good fantasy season in 2008, you got your warning last year that the tide may be beginning to turn.

Willie Parker (Pittsburgh Steelers) – The good news about Willie Parker’s game against the Washington Redskins last week is he scored a touchdown. The bad news is he only totaled 13 yards rushing, half of which came on one carry.

This isn’t breaking news if you’ve been doing your homework and following the articles of everyone here with the Bruno Boys, but Willie Parker is not a low-end RB2, more like an RB3. I’m not a big fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ backfield in general, except for maybe Rashard Mendenhall as a late pickup for your RB3, since he does have some sleeper value.

*THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN BY BRUNO BOY JIMBO JONES. FOR MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL INSIGHT AND ADVICE, CLICK THE LINK BELOW.*

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Why Derek Anderson Has No Chance to Win Browns QB Job

Throughout offseason training activities, minicamps and training camp, I have tried to avoid addressing the Browns’ quarterback situation as best I can.

 

Head coach Eric Mangini has stated numerous times that “no quarterback has stood out” and that he doesn’t plan on naming a starter until perhaps the morning of the season opener.

 

Today, however, I am going to make a bold statement by saying that Derek Anderson has absolutely zero chance of being named the Browns starting quarterback for 2009.

 

I believe this for a number of reasons.

 

First and foremost, there were reports that the Browns had a first round pick on the table for Brady Quinn and Mangini turned it down.

 

Now think for a moment—Mangini didn’t draft Quinn and he reportedly was offered a first round pick for him, and didn’t think it was worth it.

 

Had someone offered a first round pick for Derek Anderson, do you think Mangini would have jumped all over that? I believe so, but we will never know.

 

Second, the Browns were in position to take USC quarterback Mark Sanchez with the fifth pick in the draft and Mangini opted to trade the pick to his FORMER team, the New York Jets.

 

I don’t know what Mangini’s thoughts were on Sanchez, but when you take over a new team and have an opportunity to draft a potential franchise quarterback and opt not to, that says something.

 

Third, Mangini and former head coach Romeo Crennel have a long history with each other. They worked together for five seasons in New England and when Crennel accepted the Browns head coaching position in 2005, Mangini was his first choice as defensive coordinator. Mangini opted to stay with the Patriots under the same title.

 

Mangini also inquired Crennel about staying on with the Browns in an unspecified role, which speaks volumes about their relationship.

 

I’m sure Mangini tried to find out as much information about the players he could through Crennel. He obviously watched film from the past two seasons on top of consulting the former Browns head coach.

 

Then there is Notre Dame head coach, Charlie Weis, who was the Patriots offensive coordinator when Mangini was the secondary coach. As we all know, Weis coached Quinn for two seasons at Notre Dame and probably had a major impact on the Browns’ decision to trade for him. I would not be shocked if Mangini and Weis have had a number of conversations about the former football star from Dublin, Ohio.

 

Now I don’t know if all, or any of these conversations even occurred, but it’s ignorant to think that there was no chance of them transpiring, with the history that these coaches have with one another.

 

Possibly the biggest reason Anderson is a long shot to be the starting quarterback is due to his inconsistency. Mangini saw it in 2007, when the Browns had a chance to lock up a playoff birth against the Bengals and Anderson folded. He saw film from the Oakland and Arizona games. He watched film from 2008 as well and is probably aware that Anderson has defeated two, yes that’s two, opponents (Seahawks of 2007, Giants of 2008) that finished with a winning record in two seasons.

 

He wasn’t born yesterday folks.

 

He’s stated that once he picks a quarterback, he’s sticking with him. He tested Anderson in the Brown and White scrimmage when he turned the radio off in his helmet to see if he could improvise and call a play on his own. Anderson threw an interception on the next play.

 

Test failed.

 

In the first preseason game, Anderson threw two passes in two series and one of them was a pick, the other one was incomplete. The next game against a team that didn’t win a single contest last season, he moved the ball down the field and led them to two scores.

 

Mangini put Anderson in for the last series in the first half to see him in the two-minute offense. Instead of taking a sack to end the series and punt, Anderson threw a high pass that tipped off the hands of James Davis and right to a Detroit defender. The Lions kicked a field goal to end the half.

 

Inconsistency. Even though it is preseason, Mangini takes note of things like this; attention to detail.

 

In Quinn’s first game, he was seven of 11 for 68 yards and an interception. Braylon Edwards dropped a would-be touchdown the play before Quinn’s interception, which Packers safety Anthony Smith said he “stole away from Edwards.”

 

In the second preseason game, Quinn was three of five for 29 yards, with two completions that were negated by penalties. Without the penalties, Quinn is five of seven, making him 12 of 18 (66%) with an interception in two games, and Anderson eight of 15 (53%), with two interceptions.

 

Accuracy goes to Quinn, another characteristic to go along with consistency that Mangini is seeking.

 

So even though Mangini has not named a starter yet, he must know in the back of his mind who he’s leaning towards and who he can count on for consistency every week.

 

If the first two games are any indication, Mangini’s answer is Brady Quinn.

New York Jets Primer For The Preseason

 

With the first half of the NFL preseason behind us and two games to go, the picture and prospects for the New York Jets 2009 season are starting to come into focus. 

While the Jets have answered some questions regarding the upcoming season, there are still issues that have yet to be resolved.  With two preseason games remaining (Giants and Eagles) the jets still have time to answer some questions before the regular season opener. 

In my humble opinion, the following are the top 5 questions the Jets need to answer as the regular season approaches:

 

1) Is Sanchez the man? 

I know Rex Ryan has named him the starting quarterback and I know the team paid him big money after moving up to draft him but when push comes to shove, is Sanchez ready to produce on the field?

Sanchez started 16 games in college against PAC-10 defenses so who knows how he will handle the pressure of NFL defenses.  Watching Sanchez against the Ravens, he showed flashes of brilliance but also made rookie mistakes.  I know his TD pass to Leon Washington was sweet but I’d like to see him make that throw with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed in the game.  Sanchez is the most hyped QB the Jets have had since the days of Joe Willie.  We can only hope that he plays like Joe Willie.

 

2) Will the Jets receivers be the Achilles heel of the offense? 

Arguably the biggest question mark offensively is whether or not the Jets can replace Laveranues Coles and his play as the #1 WR.  Coles’ departure means Jerricho Cotchery (71 receptions, 5 TD) moves into the role of #1 WR.

As good as Cotchery can be, he will certainly draw double-teams unless a solid #2 WR emerges. Right now, Chansi Stuckey (32 receptions, 3 TD) looks like the best option but don’t sleep on ex-Missouri QB Brad Smith (12 receptions, 113 rushing yards) or even David Clowney (1 reception) moving up and challenging for the #2 spot.  No matter how you look at it though, Jets fans can’t feel too settled about the WR position.

 

3) Will the Jets unleash their version of the “Wildcat” offense? 

It still surprises me that the NFL has gone totally gaga for an offensive style that was being used by programs like Army and Cornell in the early 20th century but the Wildcat is the craze right now and it seems every team is working on their own version of the ramped-up single wing package. 

The Jets are no exception. 

Dave Hutchinson of the Newark Star-Ledger reported that the Jets spent the majority of their practice on Monday, August 17 working on a wildcat package that featured Leon Washington taking snaps with the first team and ex-QB Brad Smith taking snaps with the second team.  factor in the role that Thomas Jones can play in the package and you may have a chance to see one of the more dynamic versions of the Wildcat this season.

 

4) Will the real Vernon Gholston please stand up, please stand up? 

Newly acquired Bart Scott and David Harris will do a fine job at inside linebacker but the big question for the jets will be at outside linebacker.  Calvin Pace (80 tackles, 7 sacks) did a great job last season as an edge rusher, but he’ll spend the season’s first four games on the shelf after violating the NFL’s steroid policy. 

That means Bryan Thomas (57 tackles, 5.5 sacks) will occupy one OLB spot and the other spot should be taken by, you guessed it, Vernon Gholston. 

Gholston was more like “GHOSTon” during his regrettable and forgettable rookie season.  Gholston did not start a game and finished the season with five tackles. He certainly did not live up to his draft position. 

The NFL Draft has had many famous and infamous picks at #6.  Richard Seymour was a #6 pick as was Pacman Jones.  lets hope Gholston’s career trajectory begins to resemble the former rather than the latter.  If Gholston can break out this season, it will be just like getting a second #1 pick this year.

 

5) Is Rex Ryan ready to be a Head Coach? 

I know players win games but coaches matter.  Ryan has spent many years in the game but you never know how career assistant coaches will turn out when they get their first head gig.  All indications are that Ryan should be a good fit for the team and the city but only time will tell on this point.

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