My Take: Wilson Has the Upper Hand Over Shockley

There’s nothing scientific about the following; just a gut feeling, and my own intuition.

But there’s no doubt that Chris Redman will be the Falcons’ No. 2 QB, especially after he led the team from a late fourth-quarter deficit this past Saturday night to defeat the San Diego Chargers.

That leaves the battle for the No. 3 slot, and I’m guessing it’s going to be John Parker Wilson.

D.J. Shockey is a fourth-year QB, and you don’t see many rosters with four-year men holding clipboards. I think we (and the Falcons’ coaching staff) have seen all there is to see with Shockley, and that by the end of this week, they’ll name Wilson—an undrafted free agent rookie out of Alabama—as third-string QB.

New England Patriots Cut 2008 Third-Round Pick Kevin O’Connell

A year ago, many Patriots fans were clamoring to send Matt Cassel packing, and to make Kevin O’Connell, a rookie from San Diego State University, Tom Brady’s backup.

In March, the Patriots traded Matt Cassel to Kansas City, and many Patriots fans expected O’Connell to be Brady’s understudy.

Earlier this month, the Patriots brought in Andrew Walter, recently released from the Oakland Raiders, as a backup, and waived Matt Gutierrez.

Today, the Patriots released Kevin O’Connell.

The move came as a surprise to many fans, as can be seen at this thread on PatsFans.com.

Count me among the confused, as well.

Perhaps the writing was on the wall when O’Connell threw not one but two interceptions in his second-half stint against the Washington Redskins on Friday night; in any case, reports throughout camp had him struggling at times.

On the other hand, given that O’Connell was a third-round pick, and that Bill Belichick had never cut a third-round pick before the start of his third season, many people, myself included, expected O’Connell would at least be given a second season to work things out as the scout team quarterback.

Another factor weighing into this calculation is that O’Connell had $471,000 in signing bonus that would hit the Patriots’ already relatively tight cap if they released him this off-season.

Nevertheless, the Patriots felt that, for whatever reason, O’Connell simply did not have what it takes to be a quarterback for the New England Patriots.

The surprising move leaves two quarterbacks—Walter, and UDFA rookie Brian Hoyer—behind Brady, but it also means that if, the Patriots have to turn to a backup this season, they won’t have anyone on the roster with more than a few months in the Patriots’ system.

Moreover, other than Brady, only Hoyer is signed beyond the 2009 season.

(Anyone who thinks this is reason to say, “The Patriots should have kept Cassel,” that was basically impossible after last season. They would have either had to pay too much, or, if they had had the foresight to sign him to a reasonable deal before the season had started, would almost certainly have received an offer too good to pass up.)

It remains to be seen if we will ever find out what prompted this sudden move. It also remains to be seen whether the Patriots will bring in another veteran quarterback behind Brady.

Finally, it seems that the question now is not if the Patriots will take a rookie quarterback in 2010, but when.

Unlucky 13: Who Won’t Be Making the Cut in Miami

The cut-down deadlines are looming in the not-so-distant future, and with 66 players currently on the roster Miami will have to make some tough decisions. 13 players will soon be shown the door to get down to the mandatory 53-man roster limit on Sept. 5.

But who will those players be? It’s not hard to figure out the players definitely will make the team, but which of those players on the roster bubble will avoid the axe, and which will be getting unfortunate visits from the Turk?

The following 13 players are the ones I feel will not be on the Dolphins’ active roster when the team opens up the regular season in Atlanta on Sept. 13:

Lex Hilliard

Yes, everyone’s favorite preseason star will not make the team in my view. He’s had some good moments this past month, but he’s been vastly overrated by the media and fans. People forget that all of his production has come late in preseason games when he’s facing other third- and fourth-stringers.

Yes, Hilliard’s a good special teams guy too, but we have other bubble players that are as well, and we have some (like Brandon London and Erik Walden) that are more able to contribute in other ways. Miami doesn’t often keep four tailbacks on the roster, and with three far superior ones on the team, there just isn’t enough reason to keep Hilliard around.

James Robinson

Robinson has crazy speed, but he’s very raw and doesn’t have a shot to make the Dolphins’ active roster out of the gate. He’s worth consideration for a practice squad spot, but nothing more.

John Nalbone

You don’t always see fifth-round picks cut, but they certainly aren’t locks either. Nalbone is a project after coming out of Division II Monmouth College and hasn’t done anything to separate himself from incumbent third-stringer Joey Haynos in the preseason. Haynos is a better red-zone threat at this point and a superior blocker as well, so I think Nalbone’s destined for the practice squad.

Mark Lewis

There were a couple times the beat writers singled out Lewis in training camp for fantastic blocks, but we’ve seen little of him in preseason games. The undrafted guard out of Oregon is the longest shot of any of Miami’s offensive linemen and doesn’t have a real chance to beat anyone out for a roster spot. He could be signed to the practice squad, or he could get a day job.

Nate Garner

Garner failed to get into a game last year after being claimed off waivers from the New York Jets prior to last season. He currently sits behind Vernon Carey at right tackle, though I expect the team to only keep three tackles and nine linemen total, with Garner being the odd man out. Seventh-rounder Andrew Gardner should wind up with the backup job to Jake Long, while guard Brandon Frye has tackle experience and can be able to double-up there as well.

Ryan Baker

Defensive end is perhaps the Dolphins’ deepest position on that side of the ball, making it a monumental task for Baker to work his way onto the roster. Tony McDaniel and Lionel Dotson are both better prospects and should be able to secure the fourth and fifth end spots.

Baker is a candidate for the practice squad, but with five likely on the active roster, it’s possible the team won’t feel the need to have the position represented on the developmental squad.

Rodrique Wright

A prototypical 3-4 end, Wright seemed like a steal when Miami grabbed him in the seventh round out of Texas in 2006. Since then, he’s failed to appear in a game during two of his three pro seasons and didn’t show much as a part-time starter in 2007. The Dolphins are stacked at defensive end, and there’s finally no room for Wright on the team even as a backup. He has no practice squad eligibility either, so this will likely be the end of the line for Wright in Miami.

Quentin Moses

I’m not going to lie, Moses has looked good at times this preseason. The problem for him is that the outside linebacker position in Miami is very crowded, even when you exclude the enigma that is Matt Roth.

Cameron Wake and Charlie Anderson should earn the top backup jobs, and I’m choosing to keep Erik Walden over Moses for a couple reasons. 1) Walden has had a strong preseason as well and is a stud on special teams, whereas Moses doesn’t stand out there; 2) Walden is a little younger; and 3) Moses has been around longer and has largely been a disappointment in the NFL.

I wouldn’t object if Moses made the team because the kid does have talent hidden away in there somewhere, but overall I think Walden is the more valuable player.

J. D. Folsom

Folsom has made a few plays late in the team’s preseason games, but he didn’t even get into their last game against Tampa Bay and I think he might be better suited for the practice squad at this point. William Kershaw (who might not make the team either) is a more seasoned special teams player and can likely contribute more in 2009, whereas Folsom should be able to develop on the practice squad without being snatched up by another team.

Joey Thomas

Thomas hasn’t looked bad at times in camp and the preseason, but he was always a long shot to make the team even before Eric Green was released. Nathan Jones is the superior blitzer and special teams player, while Jason Allen, bust as he may be, is a standout special teamer. The Dolphins won’t be keeping more than five corners, which once again put Thomas out of a job. He might not land anywhere else, so the Dolphins could come calling during the regular season if they need an injury replacement.

Will Billingsley

Quite possibly the longest shot of anyone still on the roster, Billingsley’s impending release is about as certain as tomorrow’s sunrise. He’s been the lowest corner on the depth chart for the entire camp (though he did move from 8th to 7th with Green’s departure) and was the quarterbacks’ whipping boy in practice all August. He could get another year on the practice squad, but I suspect the team would prefer a better prospect in that spot.

Courtney Bryan

Bryan is one of those unfortunate guys that’s had his NFL career screwed up by getting too much playing time early on. 12 appearances as a rookie in 2007 has rendered him void of practice squad eligibility, thus making it much harder for a fringe player like Bryan to continue to play pro ball because he’s either on the active roster or a free agent.

Bryan is a solid special teamer and could always end up with a job in Miami or elsewhere down the line (likely due to injury) but he doesn’t have a shot at beating Chris Clemons or Tyrone Culver for a backup safety job in 2009.

Matt Roth

No, I’m not cutting Miami’s best run-stopping outside linebacker. I am, however, placing him on the Physically-Unable-to-Perform list to start the season. (You can’t add an active player to the PUP list if he doesn’t begin camp on it, but Roth can be moved there since he began camp on the Non-Football Injury list.)

Roth’s a strong contributor when healthy and I dare say Miami needs him against the run because Joey Porter is so weak on that department, but I can’t justify giving him a roster spot after all he’s done (or not done) this preseason. I honestly don’t know what the deal is with him and his mysterious, invisible groin injury.

By placing him on the PUP list, the team gives Roth six weeks to get his act together and get healthy (if he isn’t already). If he still isn’t willing to get on the field in October, they will probably place him on injured reserve. He’s only hurting himself in a contract year if he doesn’t play.

The positive side of a Roth deactivation would be that it gives Miami another roster spot with which to play and lets them to keep one more player that normally would be cut. I’d recently predicted a final roster spot could come down to Lex Hilliard, Brandon London, Erik Walden and Quentin Moses, but Roth off the active roster has allowed me to keep both London and Walden—two very valuable special teams players.

The Lucky 53 (for now…)

I often hear disagreements when I said a certain player should be cut, but I feel that without going through the roster and picking out 53 men to make the team, you can’t really get an idea of whether or not a Hilliard or London or Moses anyone else is really worthy of a spot.

That being the case, here are the 53 players that would be making the team if the cuts go as I’ve outlined above. I encourage you to look at this roster before second guessing any of my cut decisions.

Quarterbacks (3): Chad Pennington, Chad Henne, Pat White
Running backs (4): Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Patrick Cobbs, Lousaka Polite
Wide receivers (6): Ted Ginn Jr., Davone Bess, Brian Hartline, Greg Camarillo, Patrick Turner, Brandon London
Tight ends (3): Anthony Fasano, David Martin, Joey Haynos
Offensive linemen (9): Jake Long, Justin Smiley, Jake Grove, Donald Thomas, Vernon Carey, Andrew Gardner, Brandon Frye, Joe Berger, Shawn Murphy
Defensive linemen (7): Jason Ferguson, Paul Soliai, Kendall Langford, Randy Starks, Phillip Merling, Tony McDaniel, Lionel Dotson
Outside linebackers (5): Joey Porter, Jason Taylor, Cameron Wake, Charlie Anderson, Erik Walden
Inside linebackers (4): Channing Crowder, Akin Ayodele, Reggie Torbor, William Kershaw
Cornerbacks (5): Will Allen, Sean Smith, Vontae Davis, Nathan Jones, Jason Allen
Safeties (4): Gibril Wilson, Yeremiah Bell, Tyrone Culver, Chris Clemons
Special teams (3): Dan Carpenter, Brandon Fields, John Denney

Now keep in mind, just because a player survives final cuts does not mean he will be on the roster come opening day. Every team claims a couple guys off waivers from other teams’ cuts each year, and Miami is sure to do the same. Last year, the team waived three players that survived cuts and claimed three off waivers from other teams.

If I had to highlight a few players that are most likely to be replace but a waiver claim, I would go with Brandon London, Joey Haynos, Brandon Frye and William Kershaw. These are all bottom of the roster guys that could end up being shown the door if an upgrade becomes available on the waiver wire.

 

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

Pattern Recognition, Pt. 3: Number of HOF Recipients by NFL Franchise

Too many times impressions are given, and sometimes subjectivity flavors the commentary in NFL news and other publications. My opinion is that if an attribute admits to some type of measure theory, then the researcher should attempt to measure it.

Pattern recognition, at an elementary level, is a powerful way to study an issue, situation or phenomenon. The discipline to tally the sports data, define categories for the sports data, and to aggregate the sports (NFL) data are some of the fundamental steps to this type of study.

This article is Pt. 3 and it is related to Pattern Recognition, Pt. 2: Number of HOF Recipients by NFL Franchise.

In this article the data was separated to indicate the persons who played five years of more with a team (bold), and those who played less than five years. This statement is an assumption until the HOF is contacted and clarifications are made. Refinement of this research is ongoing.

Some persons have multiplicity and show up more than once in a franchise category.

Here is the list:

George Halas is counted three times (one bold, two non-bold) with the Bears;

George Blanda is counted twice (bold and non-bold) with the Bears;

John (Paddy) Driscoll is counted twice (bold and non-bold) with the Bears;

Al Davis is counted twice (both bold and non-bold) with the Raiders;

Earl (Dutch) Clark (bold and non-bold) with the Lions;

Art Donovan (bold and non-bold) with the Colts;

and with the Redskins

Cliff Battles is counted three times (one bold, two non-bold);

Albert Glen (Turk) Edwards is counted three times (one bold, two non-bold);

George Preston Marshall is counted three times (one bold, two non-bold).

The data was gathered from an HOF web page, and no obvious legend is present to explain what the bold markings mean.

A comment by a B/R senior writer was used to define the bold markings. Obviously, this research is ongoing in order to gain clarity and a definition of the criteria by which the data is categorized.

This article is an introductory work which will become a section of a more comprehensive study. The chart in the article photo depicts a partial listing of the data. By separating the data into subcategories, an improved description is posted.

Your comments are invited.

Thanks to James Williamson for his input.

Pattern Recognition, Pt. 3: Number of HOF Recipients by NFL Franchise

Franchise		number of HOF Recipients
		total	bold	nonbold
Arizona C		16	11	5
Atlanta F.		2	0	2
Baltimore R.		1	0	1
Buffalo B.		9	8	1
Carolina Panthers		1	0	1
Chicago Bears		35	26	9
Cincinnati Bengals		2	1	1
Cleveland Browns		21	16	5
Dallas Cowboys		17	11	6
Denver Broncos		4	2	2
Detroit Lions		18	13	5
Green Bay Packers		26	21	5
Houston Texans		0	0	0
Indianapolis Colts		13	10	3
Jacksonville Jaguars		0	0	0
Kansas City Chiefs		14	9	5
Miami Dolphins		10	9	1
Minnesota Vikings		14	9	5
New England Patriots		4	4	0
New Orleans Saints		5	1	4
New York Giants		27	17	10
New York Jets		6	4	2
Oakland Raiders		20	13	7
Philadephia Eagles		17	9	8
Pittsburgh Steelers		24	18	6
San Diego Chargers		11	7	4
San Francisco 49ers		16	12	4
Seattle Seahawks		4	1	3
St. Louis Rams		23	13	10
Tampa Bay		3	1	2
Tennessee Titans		11	7	4
Washington Redskins		29	17	12

 

Jason Campbell Quiets Critics with Great Performance

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Preseason football does not count. A win in August does not hold any bearing on a loss in October. But just because it doesn’t count doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. Jason Campbell is putting the time for mistakes to good use.

In the first two preseason games, Campbell had only completed four of his 13 completions and thrown no touchdowns. Chase Daniel threw for two touchdowns in the win over the Steelers last week. With Campbell under center the starting offense scored a whopping three points in two weeks.

In those two weeks, Campbell managed to avoid pressure when it closed in on him; he made some decent reads, but didn’t hit open targets as noted by his one for seven performance against the Steelers.

Nothing Campbell has done in the first two preseason games has gone towards making a case for his role as the starting quarterback.

Then he took the field against the Patriots.

From the opening snap, Jason Campbell showed great poise and patience in the pocket and made good throws over the course of an opening drive march down the field for the first touchdown of the game.

The second quarter is where Campbell really showed what he is made of.

On another lengthy drive, Campbell hit some short passes early on before finding Chris Cooley open down field for what would become a 73 yard completion. The drive seemed destined to stall in the red zone as the offense was penalized for an illegal shift.

Jason Campbell, not one to be rattled, lined up for a third and goal and dropped back for another pass. Derrick Dorsey stepped up in the pocket and threw a tremendous block on a blitzing Patriot giving Campbell room to roll to his left and assess the receivers looking for room in the end zone.

Campbell looked at all three receivers vying for position in the end zone and didn’t see anything he liked. Linebacker Paris Lenon stepped up towards Campbell looking to put the quarterback on the ground. Campbell turned his shoulders just enough to throw a pump fake at the closing defender, which made Lenon jump in an attempt to stop the pass he surely thought was coming his way.

With the defender in the air and a clear path to the end zone, Campbell brought the ball down and ran it in himself.

Touchdown Redskins!

Preseason or not, Jason Campbell showed every reason why Redskins fans should have a little faith in him as their starting quarterback. He showed poise in the pocket, made quick reads and accurate throws. He looked down field and made some deep throws that kept a couple of drives alive and ultimately set up both touchdown drives in the first half. He didn’t throw an interception and took a big hit at the close of the first half.

Campbell was 11 of 19 for 190 yards and a rushing touchdown in the first half.

In the second half, Campbell and the starters made a single series appearance which ended in a punt. Campbell completed a couple of passes, but nothing spectacular.

Taking the first half into account, I dare you to find something wrong with his stat line. He would have had better numbers if not for a couple of drops by receivers, one by none other than Santana Moss.

There is bound to be at least one person, some sports radio DJ or football analyst that will criticize Campbell for some infinitesimal mistake or technical “hitch” despite his impressive showing. I would just like to highlight how well Campbell took advantage of the deficiencies the Patriots’ secondary.

Many of Campbell’s critics are quick to talk about how he doesn’t make decisions quick enough and he holds the ball too long, neither of which were on display in this dame.

Aside from Campbell, there were plenty of bright spots on the offensive side of the ball for Washington. Malcolm Kelly made some good catches and had some nice yards after the catch. Devin Thomas looked good returning kicks and making a couple key catches on some early drives.

The biggest thing that stood out about the offense was the use of Chris Cooley over the middle and on deep routes. Last season he caught a ton of passes but wasn’t utilized to the best of his potential. He didn’t show up in red zone situations in the game against the Patriots, but he is being used more effectively than last season.

As with any preseason game, nothing is perfect. There is plenty of room for improvement and the starters will have the remainder of the preseason to do just that. The defense was less than stellar against Tom Brady and the Patriots starters. The secondary looked bad on Randy Moss’ pair of touchdown catches inside the 30.

The defensive line put adequate pressure on Brady, with Albert Haynesworth landing a big hit on Brady which was ultimately Brady’s last snap of the game. The offensive line kept the pass rush off of Campbell’s back but didn’t open many holes for the running game.

Despite ultimately losing, the Redskins showed a little of what they can do. Jason Campbell stepped up and showed a lot of people exactly why he is and should be the starter.

Surely Todd Collins hasn’t shown he should be the starter and fan favorite Colt Brennan has thrown some costly interceptions, one of which went for a 99 yard touchdown for the Patriots. He did, however, make up for the interception with a deep strike to rookie upstart Marko Mitchell for the score.

Chase Daniel has been lights out in his appearances, but it comes against second and third stringers which is hardly the real deal for the NFL.

With only one more preseason game to go before teams are expected to cut their rosters to 53 by the start of the season, there is still so much that is unknown about this Redskins team. Fans can only wait and see what the team will offer come kickoff week one against NFC East division rival New York Giants.

Brady Quinn: Now the Decision Should be Easy

Yesterday I thought that in the Tennessee game that nothing would be resolved in the quarterback competition. The reason is that I thought that neither Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson would be able to produce much against that Titan defense. They are among the league’s best defenses and clearly outmatch the Browns offense on paper.

Fortunately,the game is not played on paper. I was pleasantly surprised to see that both Quinn and Anderson performed well against the Titans. Quinn was 11-15 for 128 yards and 1 touchdown. Anderson was 7-11 for 77 yards. Even Richard Bartel was 3-3 for 40 yards. It was a very good night for all the quarterbacks.

Since all the quarterbacks did well, Eric Mangini will still have trouble naming a starter, right? Wrong, although all have done well Quinn really outperfomed Anderson last night and has put up more consistent numbers in the Preseason.

For the whole pre season Quinn is 21-31 (67.7%) for 225 yards. He has 1 TD, 1 INT and a rating of 86.08. The offense has produced 13 points with him at the helm. We all know that his numbers should be even better if not for a dropped TD and penalties in the Detoit game.

Here is what Quinn’s stats should be, 24-34 for about 250 yards with 2 TDs and 0 INTs. That leaves very little to complain about for Quinn. He was consistent and solid throughout the whole preseason.

Although Anderson was solid last night, he has not shown the same consistency. The Green Bay game was ugly. Against Detroit he started strong but threw a bad pick at the end that gave the Lions points. His numbers for the whole pre season are 15-26 for 207 yards. He has 0 TD passes, 2 INTs and a rating of 51.28.

Even looking beyond the numbers, Quinn was just terrific on that first half drive. Mangini wants a ball control offense. Well, Quinn and the offense started deep in their own territory and moved it down the field for a score. The best part was that they took 7 minutes off the clock. You don’t get much more ball control than that.

Also, you have to remember that this wasn’t the Lions. The Titans are one of the premier defenses in the league. Granted they did lose Albert Haynesworth, but he was just one player on a really good defense. That 7 minute drive came against the ones.

His touchdown pass came when many of the twos were filtering in, but it was an impressive throw. He hit Braylon Edwards in stride with a strike.

So now I really don’t see how starting Derek Anderson is even an option. I will say that he made Quinn work for it and he will be a good back up if he is needed at any point.

Some may still feel that Anderson gives the Browns the best chance to win because he is more experienced. Generally, a more experienced guy gives a team the best chance to win. I don’t think that is the case here but I will humor myself for a minute.

The Browns could acquire Tom Brady tomorrow and they won’t win more than 8 or 9 games. The reason is that the defense is still horrible. They might(and I stress the word might) have stud linebackers in Kamerion Wimbley and D’Qwell Jackson. They don’t have a great pass rusher or a legitimate shutdown corner.

The reality is that this defense can’t stop anybody. They showed that against the Packers and last night were very lucky that it was only 7-3 at halftime. Anybody who watched the game knows that. A blocked field goal and a blown oppotunity for a touchdown kept points off the boards for the Titans.

Since this defense still has too many holes for the Browns to win, they might as well go with Quinn on offense and let him grow and develop. He will have his struggles like any other young quarterback, but if the Browns stick with him he will grow into a quality Quarterback.

Defending the Bling in the Burgh; Surprises from the preseason and how they will effect the Steelers this season

The halfway point of the NFL preseason has come and gone. For every expected occurrence this preseason there have been just as many surprises.

Michael Vick found his way back into the NFL, and with the Philadelphia Eagles of all places. Donte Stallworth spends less than a month in jail for hitting a man with his car, and finds himself suspended for the entire season without pay. Oh and how could I forget Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg in a New York nightclub. Landing him in Jail for the next two years and all but certainly ending his NFL career at the age of 32.

Surprise, surprise, surprise…

So think it not strange that the defending Super Bowl champs have had a few surprises of their own this preseason. Some for the better, some for the worse, but no matter how you look at it the surprises have made this one of the more memorable preseasons in recent memory.

Begin Slideshow

The Oakland Raiders Are Such a Mess They Make the Broncos Look Great

As game time of this monumentally over-hyped preseason game between the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears comes closer, many thoughts are flying around the minds of Broncos’ fans.

Some of their thoughts surely include hopes that Jay Cutler gets sacked or at least picked off, wondering if McDaniels will run the ball at least once from the goal line and how to feel if Cutler looks amazing and Kyle Orton struggles.

Yet for all the negative media the Broncos have received since the Josh McDaniels regime began (McJaygate, McDraftgate, and now McMarshallgate) it all pales in comparison to the black hole (all puns intended) of the AFC West the Oakland Raiders.

 

The Raiders are fresh off a 45-7 drubbing by the New Orleans Saints, in which the Saints won nearly every statistical category. 

“Guys, you can’t stay out all night, can’t expect to come in here and just turn it on,” defensive end Greg Ellis was quoted as saying. “This isn’t high school or college football.  This is the best of the best in the NFL.”

Ellis wasn’t the only one chiming in on the poor effort put forth by the Raiders, as Saints’ QB Drew Brees said, “I feel like a lot of times we were getting up to the ball, getting set and they were still trying to get lined up.”

Even Tom Cable couldn’t hold in his hurt feelings saying, “This is embarrassing to me.”

 

This isn’t the first indication of the complete disaster brewing out in Oakland, as earlier in the month Raiders’ head coach Tom Cable allegedly cold-cocked his assistant coach Randy Hanson. The head coach, who looks like an ex-WWE fighter, going all Monday Night Raw on his assistant coach during practice?

Not even Vince McMahon is diabolical enough to think a story line that juicy up. Although, Al Davis is still the man behind the curtain for the Raiders.

The aforementioned Hanson is reportedly Al Davis’ “eyes and ears” on the team, basically spying on Cable and players, looking for dissension.

Davis is so paranoid he doesn’t even trust his own head coach!

Hanson had previously not wanted to press charges for his broken jaw in order to avoid publicity but now Hanson has recently retained a lawyer and is now working with police investigators according to Pro Football Talk.

Brad Biggs of National Football Post cites an anonymous source saying “Cable knocked Hanson out of his chair and up against the wall and into a cabinet.  Cable and Hanson fell to the floor, where Hanson was choked and Cable was pulled off Hanson by the other men before Cable went after Hanson again.” Cable allegedly went on to choke Hanson saying “I am going to kill you, I am going to kill you.”

But even after this craziness went down, the Raiders players started chanting “Cable, Bumaye!” while in warm-ups the following day.

Oakland is a joke, the laughing stock of the league, and while all Raiduhs fans try to hang onto the ancient history of the Oakland/LA days of the 80s and beyond, the bottom line is that they will never be return to their former glory until Al Davis finally kicks the bucket.

Until then the NFL should declare McAfee Coliseum a disaster area.

Steelers Report Card: The ’09 Model Is Built to Last

History tells us that, if anything can sabotage the Steelers in their latest repeat attempt, then it’s most likely to be attitude and/or health problems.

So the best news to come out of their impressive 17-0 shutout of the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night is this: Complacency does not appear to be an option.

Compared to the 2006 team that fell short of expectations, this model is far more focused and together after three pre-season games.

As for health issues, well, that’s in the hands of the football gods for the most part.  But if any team can withstand a spate of injuries, then the Steelers may be the one.

They’re two-deep at most positions, and except for James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, and Hines Ward, anyone can be replaced, at least for the short term.

The good: Overdue to show some improvement, any improvement, the offensive line took a step forward. Along with center Justin Hartwig, the right side of Trai Essex and Willie Colon was consistent in the run and pass games.

In his first extended performance of the pre-season, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger showed no ill effects of a sore Achilles tendon.

The defense allowed eight first downs and 135 total yards. Led by punt returner Stefan Logan and punter Daniel Sepulveda, the special teams showed well again.

The bad: Penalties continued to be a problem, particularly those at the offensive side of the ball. One hold, one false start, and one delay of game were among the six that were accepted.

The indifferent: In an expanded role, reserve feature back Rashard Mendenhall didn’t disappoint or impress. The question remains whether he can carry a bigger load if necessary. 

 

The grades:

Offense starters

 

QB Ben Roethlisberger: B

Provided sound judgment, confident leadership . . . Completed 15-of-19 passes for 168 yards . . . Threw several balls to the wrong shoulder . . . Fumbled snap.

 

RB Carey Davis: C

Was adequate run-blocker in limited action . . . Did not carry ball from scrimmage again . . . Left game with ankle injury that did not appear to be serious.

 

RB Rashard Mendenhall: C

Forty-eight yards, 16 carries . . . Showed flashes but not enough of them . . . Lost fumble negated fast start . . . Misread hole on at least two occasions.

 

WR Limas Sweed: B

Is this guy related to Plaxico Burress or what? . . . Continued to make difficult catch, shoot himself in leg on easy one . . . Whistled for hold penalty . . . Did enough to claim No. 3 position but just barely.

 

WR Hines Ward: A

Made every play his way. . . Caught team-high five balls, three for first downs . . . Highlight was 19-yard body-bender over middle . . . Flashed trademark smile.  

 

TE Heath Miller: B

Totaled two receptions for 26 yards . . . Made one-hander in traffic . . . Capable of more in pass game . . . Consistent blocker.

 

C Justin Hartwig: B

Easily his best performance of pre-season . . . Was quicker, more active . . . Pulled out of line to make key block on touchdown . . . Is toe problem behind him?

 

G Trai Essex: B

Transplanted tackle moved well for size . . . Active in run game . . . False start was only obvious mistake.

 

G Chris Komoeatu: D

Appeared to be out of step after week layoff . . . Bull-rushed into backfield, fumble was result . . . Occasionally outquicked on pass plays.

 

T Willie Colon: B

Shows signs of consistency. . . Was strong, aggressive in run game . . . Executed kick-out block on touchdown . . . Consistent in pass protection.

 

T Max Starks: D

Performance hasn’t been commensurate with salary . . . Allowed only sack of game . . . Inconsistent in run game . . . Better suited for right side.

 

PK Piotr Czech: C

Replaced Jeff Reed (leg) . . . Made 34-yarder, missed 40-yarder . . . There’s a place for him in the league somewhere.

 

KR Mike Wallace: B

Limited to one return . . . Broke tackle on 24-yarder . . . Has speed, instincts to be factor here.

 

Defense starters

DE Brett Keisel: B

Strong at point of attack . . . Shows potential for career season . . . Memo to front office: Extend contract before start of regular season.

 

DE Aaron Smith: B

Taken out of play by hook block on outside run. . . Effective vs. run otherwise.

 

LB James Farrior: A

Had James Harrison hat trick . . . One sack, one interception, one touchdown . . . Did everything except sell pierogi’s at halftime.

 

LB James Harrison: A

Put consistent heat on quarterback . . . Pancaked receiver on dump-off pass . . . Memo to Bill Cowher: Why didn’t you play this guy earlier?

 

LB Lawrence Timmons: B

Showed improvement in run game . . . Three tackles, one assist . . . Out of position on short cross pattern . . . Left game with ankle injury that was said to be minor.

 

LB Lamarr Woodley: C

Caused wobbler on impressive bull rush . . . Pushed to side on 16-yard run . . . Needs to be more of factor in ground game.

 

CB William Gay: B

First-year starter appears to be comfortable in new role . . . Made one-on-one tackle after short pass completion.

 

CB Deshea Townsend: B

Broke up third-and-5 pass on first possession of game . . . Veteran doesn’t appear to have lost step yet.  

 

CB Ike Taylor: A

Limited No. 1 receiver Lee Evans to no catches . . . Has barely broken sweat in pre-season . . . Few balls thrown his way.

 

S Troy Polamalu: A

Shot gap to make tackle on 2-yard run . . . Only Madden Jinx stands between him and monster season.    

 

S Ryan Clark: B

Totaled two tackles . . . Played well versus run . . . Not tested in pass coverage.

 

P Daniel Sepulveda: B

Averaged 38.0 yards on three kicks, one inside 20-yard line . . . Better yet, none was returned.

 

PR Stefan Logan: A

Averaged 14.8 returns on three returns . . . Made good decisions . . . Earned roster spot.   

 

Selected reserves

QB Charlie Batch: B

Completed 7-of-9 pass attempts . . . Displayed poise, accuracy . . . If he’s not best back-up QB in league, then he’s close.

 

CB Joe Burnett: A

Blocked field-goal attempt to preserve shutout . . . Effective in pass coverage . . . Has play-maker potential . . . Earned roster spot.

 

OT Jason Capizzi: D

Adequate in pass protection, not so much in run game . . . Whistled for false start . . . Remains on the bubble.

 

LB Keyaron Fox: A

Continued to make impression with physical presence. . . Lowered boom on pass receiver . . . Got in face of quarterback on bull rush . . . Was force on special teams once again.

 

LB Arnold Harrison: B

Split one tackle, shared one sack . . . After two injury-shortened pre-seasons, his time may have arrived finally.

 

WR Shaun McDonald: B

Caught two passes in second half . . . Knows how to run routes, rarely drops ball . . . There should be no question about his status as one of top five receivers.

 

RB Mewelde Moore: C

Needed contact and got it in preseason debut . . . Touched ball three times from scrimmage . . . His value as multi-dimensional back cannot be overlooked here.

 

CB Keiwan Ratliff: B

Two tackles, one assist . . . Continued to make strong bid for spot in dime package . . . Ability to play safety is bonus.

 

RB Isaac Redman: C

Showed ability in open field on flare pass . . . Missed assignment led to botched play . . . Inability to play special teams hurts chances for roster spot.

 

A.Q. Shipley: C

Adequate in run game . . . Failed to move pile on failed fourth-and-1 run attempt . . . Is there place on roster for reserve lineman who plays one position?

 

WR Brandon Williams: C

Made unnecessary dive, dropped long ball . . . Executed deft stutter-step move on short pass. . .  Long shot to stick here.

 

LB Donovan Woods: B

Finished with three tackles, split one sack . . . Has lots of physical potential, lacks experience.

Official 2minutestomidnightgreen.com NFL Power Rankings: Week 1

Every week throughout the season, Derek Peiffer and I will be doing a run-down of the best and worst teams in the NFL in our power rankings. These are the official 2minutestomidnightgreen.com power rankings heading into Week 1 of the NFL season.

No. 1

Derek: Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: N/A)

Bob: New England Patriots (Last Week: N/A)

Derek’s take: The defending Super Bowl champions. There’s really no one else who deserves the No. 1 spot in the following season’s opening power rankings. They bring back almost the exact same team as 2008. Look for the Steelers to fight hard to defend their title.

Bob’s take: The Steelers may be the defending champs, but rankings shouldn’t be given by default. If that were the case, everyone would be ranked in exactly the same order in which they finished last year, wouldn’t they? The Patriots, with Tom Brady, are the most complete team in the entire league.

No. 2

Derek: New England Patriots (Last Week: N/A)

Bob: Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: N/A)

Derek’s take: The Matt Cassell-led Patriots missed the playoffs, but that is a misleading statement. The Pats finished the season at 11-5, but still lost out on the playoffs. Tom Brady returns and the team brought in Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway to an already fantastic offense. Look for the Patriots to be back in the playoffs in 2009.

Bob’s take: This is a difficult spot to peg because really after the Patriots, there’s not much separation between the second-best team all the way down to around the eighth-ranked team. The Steelers are a solid team, no doubt, and if they get that offensive line in order, they’ll be scary again in 2009.

No. 3

Derek: Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: N/A)

Bob: Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: N/A)

Derek’s take: If you have Peyton Manning on your roster, you’re in good shape. Even after a slow start to last season after missing majority of the off-season with a knee injury, Manning led the Colts on an eight-game win streak to end the season, and a trip to the playoffs. They would fall short to San Diego, but look for a full-season of Peyton to make it back.

Bob’s take: If it all comes together for the Eagles, they can be one of the most explosive teams in the entire league. They’re stacked on both sides of the ball and should certainly contend with the NFL’s elite. Bringing in Vick gives them an extra weapon to add to an already impressive arsenal. Grab your coffee, defensive coordinators, it’s going to be a long night.

No. 4

Derek: San Diego Chargers (Last Week: N/A)

Bob: San Diego Chargers (Last Week: N/A)

Derek’s take: After a disappointing 8-8 season had the Chargers on the verge of missing the playoffs, the team was one game away from the AFC championship. Injuries being the story of the Chargers’ 2008, they will look to stay healthy in 2009. Phillip Rivers got a new deal, and if they can stay healthy, the Chargers should be a top contender in the NFL.

Bob’s take: Top to bottom, the Chargers might have the best stockpile of talent in the entire league. That being said, I’m not a believer in Norv Turner. He hasn’t shown the capability to get a team where they need to be. His teams will never overachieve, but instead will win one or two games fewer than they should.

No. 5

Derek: Baltimore Ravens (Last Week: N/A)

Bob: New York Giants (Last Week: N/A)

Derek’s take: The team that seemingly never ages. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed have been the staples of this team forever, it seems. Bart Scott and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan are now in New York, but I think they can hold up just fine.

Young DT Haloti Ngata will anchor the defensive line, while second-year quarterback Joe Flacco looks to repeat his rookie season and lead the Ravens back to the playoffs.

Bob’s take: While I’m not a fan of this offense, the depth and talent of the defense is just too much to overlook. They’re not only good at every position on defense, but they’re deep as well, which is what a contending team needs.

If Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs can allow Manning to only throw 20-25 times a game, they’re still scary for the rest of the league.

 

No. 6

Derek: Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: N/A)

Bob: Atlanta Falcons (Last Week: N/A)

Derek’s take: The loss of Stewart Bradley will certainly hurt this defense a lot. Add in the loss of defensive leader Brian Dawkins and you would think the Eagles were doomed.

Not so fast. Second year linebacker Joe Mays should step in and help shore up the middle, while young safety Quentin Demps will provide some better coverage skills than our beloved Dawk.

Donovan McNabb will continue to be one of the better quarterbacks in this league and finally has some weapons in Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Look for Westbrook to stay healthy with the opportunity to rest up and give way to rookie LeSean McCoy.

Bob’s take: The Atlanta Falcons, though getting some respect, are extremely overlooked when it comes to talking about elite teams in not only the NFC, but the NFL.

Second-year quarterback Matt Ryan will be even better than last year, which is a scary prospect in itself. Give him an emerging Roddy White and the best tight end to ever play in Tony Gonzalez and you’ve got the makings of a championship team.

No. 7

Derek: New York Giants (Last Week: N/A)

Bob: Tennessee Titans (Last Week: N/A)

Derek’s take: The Giants may have the best defense in the NFC East, and the defending NFC East champs will need that defense to carry them. The loss of Plaxico Burress is a huge one. There aren’t many 6’6″ wide receivers with that kind of talent running around.

Brandon Jacobs is still a force at running back, and is always tough to bring down. Kenny Britt, Domenik Hixon, and Steve Smith will all need to pick up the slack left behind by Plax. Combining all three, they might come close. Still, look for the Giants to compete with the elite of the NFL.

Bob’s take: Personally, I don’t think that the Titans will miss Albert Haynesworth as much as others may think. Let’s not forget the thing that really carried this team was their running game.

Chris Johnson was phenomenal, and should only be better in his second year. LenDale White has trimmed down and will help Johnson create the best 1-2 punch in the NFL.

No. 8

Derek: Arizona Cardinals (Last Week: N/A)

Bob: Houston Texans (Last Week: N/A)

Derek’s take: They fell just a few plays short of a Super Bowl trophy. The first 9-7 team to ever make the big game returns its starting quarterback, three 1,000 yard receivers and drafted stud running back out of Ohio State, Beanie Wells.

Larry Fitzgerald will be huge once again for the Cardinals and even after the debacle that was Anquan Boldin this off-season, he’s still in Arizona. If the defense can play as well as they did last season, the offense will surely be better.

Bob’s take: No seriously, I’m not crazy. Hear me out. The Texans offense has been one of the best in the league for the past two seasons, and the only thing that’s kept them from being the best has been inopportune injuries to quarterback Matt Schaub. If he can finally stay healthy, they are the best offense in the league.

Defensively, they’re nothing to scoff at, either. With star players such as Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, and Dunta Robinson, as well as an emerging star in Amobi Okoye, this Texans defense will surprise a lot of people.

Even though I believe the Titans win the South, I think the Texans are a Wild Card team that could surprise in the playoffs. Think 2008 Cardinals.

No. 9

Derek: Atlanta Falcons (Last Week: N/A)

Bob: Arizona Cardinals (Last Week: N/A)

Derek’s take: A team that came from out of nowhere last season. Rookie Matt Ryan threw a touchdown on his first NFL pass, and you knew it was meant to be from then on.

First year starter Michael Turner proved that he is indeed worthy to return to that starting status, and Roddy White seemed to finally mature at WR and posted a break-out season.

John Abraham still anchors the defense and the Falcons are a very well-rounded team that could very well find themselves atop the entire NFC come January.

Bob’s take: While expectations in Arizona, and around the country, for the Cardinals may be a bit high, that offense is far too good to ignore. Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston make up the very best wide receiver corps in the entire league.

Let’s also not count out former third-round pick Early Doucet, who’s looking to get in on the fun.

If Beanie Wells can supply the running game that they were missing last year, and if that defense can take another step forward, the Cardinals will be a very scary team.

They’re going to score a lot of points and if that defense can hold teams under 30 points, that should be all it takes for them to win a lot of games.

No. 10

Derek: Tennessee Titans (Last Week: N/A)

Bob: Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: N/A)

Derek’s take: A gaping hole is present in the Titans defensive line, but throughout the pre-season, they seemed fine. Keith Bulluck returns to a very stout defense along with the likes of Cortland Finnegan.

Speedster Chris Johnson will look to follow up a stellar rookie season while LenDale White looks to follow up on a stellar weight loss and turn that into something positive. Kerry Collins is still the starter at quarterback and can still get it done.

The Titans may be under the radar after the loss of Haynesworth, and the heavy media exposure of the Texans inside the division.

Bob’s take: While having Peyton Manning still makes them a good team, I don’t have any faith in the Colts defense.

Bob Sanders can’t stay healthy, and the rest of the defense is very undersized and outside of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, aren’t really anything special.

If the defense can prove me wrong and play well, the Colts may just reclaim their spot on top of the AFC South.

At this point, however, I see the Colts as the AFC version of the New Orleans Saints. A lot of offense, but little defensive help makes them a 9-7 team, and third in the South.

No. 11

Derek: Chicago Bears (Last Week: N/A): Jay Cutler gives the Bears a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback. Pair that with a strong defense and you’ve gotta take a second look at Chicago this season.

Bob: Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: N/A): Brett Favre will open it up for AP, and vice versa. That defense is still scary, but they may lack the firepower to contend with the elite teams.

No. 12

Derek: New Orleans Saints (Last Week: N/A): Over 5,000 yards last season for Drew Brees, and that high-powered offense should be back in 2009. A little shaky on the defensive side, but the offense should be able to handle.

Bob: Baltimore Ravens (Last Week: N/A): Losing Ryan and Scott will hurt more than they think, but they’re still a playoff team as long as Ray Lewis anchors that defense.

No. 13

Derek: Carolina Panthers (Last Week: N/A): They have one of, if not the best running back tandem in the NFL. Delhomme is shaky, and they lost Ma’Ake Kemoeatu for the year.

Bob: Carolina Panthers (Last Week: N/A): The Panthers would be ranked higher than this, but I’m not a fan of Jake Delhomme as a quarterback. I think defenses adjust to him, but he won’t adjust to them.

No. 14

Derek: Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: N/A): The cut of T.O. is what will hurt this team the most. Romo already couldn’t win in December, now it becomes that much tougher.

Bob: Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: N/A): Trio of running backs should make for an explosive running game, but until Romo can win when it matters, it’s tough to rank them any higher than this.

No. 15

Derek: Green Bay Packers (Last Week: N/A): I’m very high on Aaron Rodgers and his ability to lead this team. The transition to the 3-4 is going quite smoothly. Look out for B.J. Raji.

Bob: Green Bay Packers (Last Week: N/A): Aaron Rodgers isn’t taking strides, he’s taking leaps. He’s quickly entering the “top 10 quarterbacks” discussion and with those receivers, they’ll be tough.

No. 16

Derek: Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: N/A): They still got the Williams Wall. They still got the best running back in the NFL, Adrian Peterson. Add in sure Hall of Famer Brett Favre, and you got a heck of a football team.

Bob: New Orleans Saints (Last Week: N/A): No. 16 makes sense for the a team with one of the best offenses, one of the worst defenses, and an 8-8 record that reflects just that.

 

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