After seeing the scenario unfold in August of 2008, Brett would head over to training camp and make a public display there. Out of frustration and just being pestered, Green Bay sent Favre to the New York Jets. Green Bay’s fan base was torn by the latest development, but many would find this acceptable as he would only be remembered for what he did for the Packers.
Now we sit in August 2009 and Brett is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings. What changed? He said that nothing could take away his years in Green Bay (much like a first love). Yet, it seems many Green Bay fans are hung up on this and now are trying to justify how Brett is in the wrong.
One thing we can tell after five near-retirement attempts is that Brett loves football. That can’t be refuted in the slightest.
It also helps to point out is that once you retire, you are DONE. You can’t come back when you please, yet Brett hasn’t taken a year off in-between and technically he never filed for retirement after the 2008 season with the NFLPA. With that said, he had every right to return to football where he pleased.
So he chose to sign with the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers’ long-time hated rival. Now, it seems ironic that Favre feeling left out when Rodgers was named QB, the Pack’s fan base feels as though Brett has broken a cardinal sin.
To this I have three things to say:
- Green Bay fans are showing their true colors. Yes, the guy was a legend to the franchise, but this is FOOTBALL, not a storybook. If you wanted a happy ending, you should’ve stopped watching the Packers after the 1997 season.
- Just the same for what the Packers did choosing Rodgers as its quarterback, Brett has become that for the Vikings. He’s a football player, not a messiah. To see him dressed in purple shouldn’t force you to burn all your Packer memorabilia and Favre jerseys. All that’s proving is that you’re whining about what you don’t have anymore. Suck it up.
- Okay, assuming Brett isn’t lying (I know, that’s a stretch), but assume he isn’t. What’s wrong with coming back for the love of the game and one last shot at glory? What’s wrong with going out like Elway or Bettis? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Regardless of who he’s with, he’s playing for something big. He wants to be successful. Can anyone blame him for going out on his terms?
Understand that Brett wanted common respect for 16 great years of turning Green Bay into a household name. He wanted to be released a year ago and the Pack felt that he was a threat to them so they shipped him off to New York. After a disastrous end in 2008, what did Brett do that was so wrong? He wants to play football and legitimately, the Vikings are a contender. Favre improves the team, enough said.
This article was written on behalf of many Viking writers of B/R. Please comment below with your take on the situation… unless you’re a Packer fan that has come to whine, then please leave those comments in the trash by the curb, thank you.
While many focus on the first few rounds for the final success of their fantasy season, fantasy football is won and lost, like the NFL draft, in the late rounds and on the waiver wire. Most of these guys won’t get picked in many 10-12 team leagues, but are worth keeping an eye on or taking a flyer on late in the draft. If you have any fantasy questions, visit www.NFLHouse.com or email me at EricG@nflhouse.com
Begin Slideshow
I’ll say this: The Carolina Panthers return eleven starters on offense, and look to be a dangerous juggernaut to contain. With Steve Smith, Mushin Muhammad, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, and the emergence of Mike Goodson, they could cause many a defense to suffer terrifying nightmares.
But through it all, the Panthers look to be very vulnerable on the defensive side. It is true that the Panthers return nine starters from last year’s defense, but the gaping hole at defensive tackle up front could cause problems. They should sign a free agent soon, but the best they will be to get at this point is average.
The void at DT was never more evident than the Giants game last year when the Panther—minus Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis—simply could not contain the Giants’ strong ground game.
The secondary will also be an issue. Already inexperienced Godfrey recently went down with an injury, and Jon Beason and Thomas Davis—critical cogs of this defense—are also nursing injuries.
If all goes well, they could all be back by the beginning of the season. But we can’t afford to be missing any of them for an extended period of time on an already thin defense, full of inexperienced and young players.
We all know what happened during the second half of last season. The defense, save for Beason and Peppers, completely collapsed. They gave up well over 30 points a game, but thankfully the offense turned into a machine and would put up between 28 to 35 points of their own.
The problem is offense alone will never win a championship, even if you look at the greatest offenses in NFL history. This includes the ’84 Dolphins, the ’81 Chargers, the ’87 49ers, the ’83 Redskins, the ’04 Colts, the ’07 Patriots, the ’99 Rams, ’02 Raiders and the ’98 Vikings.
Despite their deadly offenses, they had average defenses and it shows. Only one of those teams (the ’99 Rams) actually won the Super Bowl.
Now look at some of the greatest defenses in NFL history. The ’85 Bears, the ’70’s Steelers, the ’08 Steelers, the ’02 Buccanneers, the ’00 Ravens, ’69 Chiefs, ’72 Dolphins, and the ’75 Vikings. Guess what? All but one of those teams came away with a Super Bowl ring.
My point is, the Panthers may outscore teams but eventually someone will figure out that defense and we will be in real trouble.
It really is ironic. For years the cornerstone of the Panthers’ success was their vaunted defense. The team had to fiind some way to make up for the offense’s shortcomings, but now the roles have been reversed.
For any Panthers fans out there: When you say your prayers tonight, pray we score a lot of points. I mean a lot. Because if things don’t change quickly for our defense, we may need all the points we can get.
Remember Kenny Christian?
In 2002, the Bears had this former Raiders receiver in training camp and preseason making a lot of plays—so many that it was reported Christian had “all but made the team” with his performance.
Then came roster cuts and the only thing Christian had made was the waiver wire.
Keep that little bit of history in mind when assessing the Bears’ wide receiver battle, which will rage on even after the dress rehearsal in Denver.
The first roster cuts aren’t due until Tuesday, but even then, teams only need to reduce their 80-man roster to 75. Saturday, Sept. 5 is the main cutdown date. That promises to be when the Bears’ wide receiver issue is finally resolved.
Coaches do not always assess a player the way a fan does. For instance, a coach will assess a wide receiver by how well he runs a route even when the ball doesn’t come his way, or by how willing he is to block on running plays.
The Bears aren’t certain of a third receiver yet, although Brandon Rideau has been listed as such throughout camp. They haven’t even settled who gets the other receiver roster spots, and won’t until final cuts.
Devin Aromashodu is on Rideau’s heels. Veteran Rashied Davis hasn’t done anything to reduce his status in the eyes of coaches as a versatile, experienced threat and special teams player.
It would be difficult to see the Bears cutting third-round draft pick Juaquin Iglesias. If they cut fifth-round pick Johnny Knox with the idea of putting him on the practice squad, they can expect him to be claimed by someone because of his 4.3-second, 40-yard dash time.
Six receivers?
No way. The Bears will not keep six receivers on the active roster. In fact, this past week offensive coordinator Ron Turner made it clear he’s not even considering something like this.
“It’s pretty competitive right now, it really is,” Turner said. “Both starters (Devin Hester and Earl Bennett) are doing a really good job, and we’re going to be a team that’s going to play four and five receivers—not just have them on the team, they’re going to play.
“We’re going to roll a lot of guys in there and right now it’s very competitive.”
So if the Bears won’t keep a fourth and fifth receiver for the sake of having them on a roster, why would they keep a sixth receiver to do that?
They won’t. In fact, they could probably get by with four because Greg Olsen can line up in the slot or even at wide receiver.
Tough cuts are coming. Even the fourth preseason game, which is completely meaningless to most players, will be a job interview for three or four players at wide receiver.
QB Jay Cutler loves Aromashodu and Rideau because they are tall and vertical. Davis knows the offense, and the rookies have shown flashes. It once looked like versatility would be huge and the player who could learn the slot positions fastest would have great in-roads. This would have made Davis all the more likely to stay.
However, wide receivers coach Darryl Drake started laying his cards out this week, so to speak, and it seems the ability to play slot isn’t as pressing a need. “Those two guys (Davis and Bennett) have been playing it. Rideau has been playing it some,” Drake said. “We kind of have worked him in there a little ebit. Aromashodu hasn’t been doing it. It’s not that he couldn’t. We just haven’t put him in that position.”
“Right now we’re trying to let them soak in the position where they’re at.”
The Bears try to teach all their receivers each position.
“In this offense, the beauty of the offense is that everybody has to do it eventually,” Drake said. “All of those guys will be in the slot. They all have to know every position. So there is a lot more learning to it because formationally they may be put in that situation.”
“Some guys are not natural guys there. You put them there from time to time and allow them to do certain things. Some guys naturally are in there, but that’s our offense. Our offense is very interchangeable and it doesn’t matter who is where.”
It’s as clear as mud, and special teams performance from them should decide the actual fourth and fifth receiver roster spots. Even there, nothing is certain because special teams coordinator Dave Toub has been working both Aromashodu and Rideau in, when once it seemed both were nothing more than tall guys who could catch passes.
Turner came into the Denver game planning to give several different players chances to prove they can make big plays with Cutler and the first team.
“I think there are individuals maybe that you look at and say, ‘all right, we’ve got to make sure we get a good look at this guy early in the game under fire,’ and I would say probably the receivers more than anything,” Turner said. “We want to take a look at some of these guys that have done a good job for us.”
However, Kenny Christian has taught us not to read too much into those big plays until the final preseason battle is done and the cuts have been made.
And when those cuts come, things should be very interesting at the wide receiver position.
Is Jay Cutler a bad leader? Is he embroiled in a blood feud with Brian Urlacher? Did he “throw Devin Hester under the bus”? Will Sunday night’s pre-season tune-up game against Denver, be a violent grudge match, living up to the pre-game hype?
Well…No
Training camp and pre-season is hard. Hard on everybody. Rookies trying to break into the league, veterans trying to regain their form from past seasons, coaches working to put it all together into that one core, that will take a team all the way to the Big Game.
And sportswriters.
Yes, sportswriters. Poor, beleaguered wordsmiths, with the unenviable task of making two months of drills and calisthenics seem interesting. Training camp is actually pretty dull stuff, so if the media punches up all the mundane exercise with a little drama, it’s forgivable, right?
Well…No. Not really.
Take Jay Cutler, for example.
Cutler arrived in Chicago, and walked straight into a media circus. His acquisition was unparalleled in Bears’ history. A Pro-Bowl QB, who will challenge the very notion of what Chicago fans have come to expect of an offense. It was perhaps the most aggressive trade the Bears ever put together. A cause for celebration, right? You were giddy, I was giddy, the anticipation for the upcoming season was as positive as anything you could hope for, right?
Well…
Happy doesn’t sell papers. Not two days in a row. Cutler IS the story of this season’s Chicago Bears, but how many times can you say that? So what to do?
Create controversy.
Jay did leave Denver under contentious circumstances. But that’s not unusual. New brooms are designed to sweep clean, and management did make efforts to sign a different QB, and they were already thinking of trading him. I’ll bet he WAS angry. I would be. Wouldn’t you?
That doesn’t translate into being “difficult”, or a “Prima Donna”. If you want to see difficult, look no further than Cutler’s old target Brandon Marshall. That’s being difficult. With Cutler, we’ll probably never know more than half the story behind the trade. And the bottom line still is, it was one hell of a ‘get’. Bravo!
But the grind of training camp goes on, and there’s newspaper columns, and talk radio minutes to fill. Enter the Urlacher/Cutler *yawn* ‘controversy’. Did Brian call Jay the ‘P-word’? We have it on good authority, he did. An ex-Bears player, yakking it up on some sports talk radio show in Minnesota SAID so!
Stop the presses! Let’s dish!
This ‘story’, which dominated Chicago sports media for a week was a sad, Desperate Housewives, E! Channel excuse for news from camp. But it was great, because it was a welcome human-interest change of pace from stories about injured players, rookie competitions, and who-in-the-hell-are-we-using-in-the-secondary stories, right?
No. No. No.
I understand that you need to write something, I do. But all that was just a distraction. Good for writers, meaningless to fans, and really? Unnecessarily bad for a team trying to gel before the regular season.
Ditto the ‘Hester controversy’. Cutler described, in a post-game interview, why he and Hester failed to connect on a long pass attempt. When I read it, I understood the statement to mean, in part, that he (Cutler) was still trying to get a feel for his new receivers.
I guess that wasn’t a sexy enough explanation. The media grabbed hold of this shapeless lump of clay, and created another week’s worth of headlines:”Cutler Blames Hester for Overthrow!” And reams of nonsense, speculating whether Cutler could be a good leader, because he wouldn’t “accept responsibility” for his mistakes.
The only mistake Cutler made, and I hope he learned from it, is that you can’t assume, that a roomful of college-educated, professional sports writers, are going to behave like adults, if you talk to them like adults.
And the hype and drama of a QB showdown, against the teams that traded them, in the all-important third preseason game? More hype. More space-filling fluff.
This is the NFL, millions of dollars on the line every minute, even in the pre-season. The first-teams will get a bit more playing time, and the playbook gets opened a little deeper. But for all that? It’s still just running drills, a scrimmage that everyone will forget when the regular season mercifully starts in two weeks.
It can’t come soon enough.
For the love of Joe Montana, will the San Francisco 49ers please find a franchise quarterback in the foreseeable future?
That has to be one of the burning questions San Francisco fans awake to in a cold sweat in the middle of the night on more than a few occasions.
But that question was finally put to rest this week when head coach Mike Singletary named Shaun Hill the starter for the 2009 NFL season over previous No. 1 draft pick Alex Smith.
You’re not convinced that Hill is the answer to San Francisco’s quarterback question this season? I can’t imagine why you have your doubts.
Why do you question Hill’s credentials, ye of little 49er faith?
What’s that? You say he wasn’t even drafted out of college? Neither was Kurt Warner.
You say that he has only thrown 18 touchdown passes since he came into the league in 2005? You say that he doesn’t have a strong arm, and that he’s about as mobile as Brett Favre in coveralls on his Mississippi farm?
So, why exactly did Singletary choose Hill over Smith again? You could say it was because Hill has more poise than Smith, leading the 49ers to a 5-3 record after being named the starter last season. You could say it’s because Hill has completed 64 percent of his passes during his NFL career.
However, you could also say that Singletary picked Hill as the starting quarterback because there weren’t many other feasible options. Smith didn’t play last season because of injury and has been ineffective for most of his young NFL career.
The 49ers did try to woo Warner away from Arizona in the offseason, only to be spurned when he re-signed with the Cardinals.
A team with a franchise quarterback doesn’t go looking for another one during the offseason.
Whatever the reasons for Singletary’s quarterback selection, San Francisco fans will have to get used to seeing Hill behind center—at least until he has a bad game.
While that might not make fans giddy with excitement, there are other burning questions surrounding the 49ers as they enter the upcoming NFL season.
1. What is going to happen with Michael Crabtree?
Crabtree, who was almost guaranteed a starting spot in the San Francisco receiving corps this season, is still unsigned.
He has caused turmoil in the front office, and he will cause more in the locker room once he does sign.
Even if Crabtree signs in the coming days, he will definitely not be ready to play when the 49ers open the season Sept. 13 at Arizona. Crabtree will have to learn the playbook, work on his timing with Hill, and learn to adapt to life in the NFL.
If Crabtree gets his act together and signs soon, don’t expect anything significant from him until at least the third or fourth game of the season.
2. Can two of the most important 49ers—Patrick Willis and Frank Gore—stay healthy this season?
As Patrick Willis goes, so goes the San Francisco defense.
Willis injured his ankle in preseason and has missed the first two exhibition games. He is expected back at full strength by the season opener, but the 49ers can ill-afford to have Willis miss any playing time this season.
Gore has been a workhorse for the 49ers the past three seasons, carrying the ball 812 times. Singletary has to like the looks of rookie Glen Coffee, though, to give Gore a breather this season. Coffee rushed for 129 yards in the team’s second exhibition game and has looked very impressive thus far.
The 49ers need Gore to be healthy so defenses can’t key on forcing them to throw.
3. Will the loss of fullback Zak Keasey hurt the 49ers this season?
Fullbacks usually only get attention when they do something wrong, like fumble or head down the field in the wrong direction.
When San Francisco lost fullback Zak Keasey to a season-ending injury in the first exhibition game, though, it was a significant blow.
Gore is one of the best running backs in the league, but he still needs help finding holes in which to run. Moran Norris will be the starter for San Francisco at fullback this season, but Keasey was also going to see significant playing time.
If Norris gets injured, Gore could find the running lanes a little narrower this season.
Dear Mr. Marshall,
On behalf of the many fans outside (and maybe inside) the Denver area, I would like to ask you to quit behaving like an ass.
Case in point: Prior to your suspension for insubordination, there were three classless acts that sent a loud message to your teammates and the rest of the NFL teams that might have an interest in your services.
Act I: Walking in practice while the rest of your team was running. Way to show unity with the team. Your issue of being unhappy with your current contract should not carry over to what is being done on the field.
Act II: Swatting away passes rather than catching them. Yeah, that will show them you mean business. What are you, 12 years old and pissed off at your parents because they won’t let you stay up for an extra hour on a school night?
Act III: Punting a ball instead of handing it over to a ball boy. Even more childish than swatting away passes. I may have given you too much credit by asking if you were 12!
Look, I understand that you feel underappreciated and became upset when the Bronco’s traded away Jay Cutler. I don’t think any wide receiver with your talent would be happy with the wounded ducks that Kyle Orton throws.
I also understand that you feel you are underpaid compared to receivers at your level such as Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Andre Johnson, and Randy Moss. By that same token, you did sign a four-year contract and since you performed so well, your salary for 2009 went from $535,000 to $2.2 million.
And yet you pout, walk in practice, swat balls away, and punt balls down field in frustration.
Consider those wide receivers that are on the cusp of being cut by teams. They would give anything to have 1/8 of your talent to just play the game.
This is the last year of your contract. Rather than be a petulant child, suck it up, start catching passes and scoring touchdowns instead of bitching about “only” getting $2.2 million dollars. Do you not understand the gift and luck that you have that millions of Americans do not?
As a selfish child, I wouldn’t imagine that you would. After all, it is all about Brandon, isn’t it?
I submit to you, Mr. Marshall, to man-up, apologize to Coach McDaniels, to your teammates, and to the rest of the NFL. Then, get out there and practice your tail off and put up some huge numbers so that other teams will take notice come free agent time.
It’s not too late to view this as a bump in the road in your career. People screw up, but the good ones see the error of their ways and correct them.
So quit acting like a baby, apologize for your stupidity, shut up, and start playing football.
Sincerely,
A fan of the game
The third preseason game is in the books and it’s time to speculate on the makings of the final 53-man roster, which needs to be finalized by Sept. 5.
Quarterbacks (Three – Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick)
Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb will be there, but after that things could be tricky for Andy Reid.
Does he keep Michael Vick on the roster so he can practice with the team if he’s suspended for the first couple of weeks of the season, or do you keep him off the roster and have him sit out practices?
Either way, things don’t look good for A.J. Feeley’s future in Philadelphia.
My guess is Reid releases Feeley so he can find work elsewhere before it gets too late, and keeps Vick on the roster so he can continue to get reps in practice.
Running Backs (Four – Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, Leonard Weaver, Eldra Buckley)
Westbrook, McCoy, and Weaver are all obvious choices to make the team.
Lorenzo Booker has been terrible from the get go in Philly, and his preseason performance hasn’t been any better. He hasn’t shown the hands or elusive moves we all thought he’d bring from Miami when the Eagles acquired him, and he has no shot at making this team.
It comes down to Kyle Eckel and Buckley.
Reid could take Eckel as a second fullback, but Weaver’s ability to run the ball on short-yardage essentially nullifies Eckel’s role from last season. Buckley, although he looked like an undrafted rookie on Thursday, has shown some flashes of being a decent runner, and if the Eagles think he’s more of a contributor on special teams than Eckel he’ll be the choice.
Wide Receiver (Six – DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Brandon Gibson)
It pains me not to list Reggie Brown as one of the six receivers the Eagles retain, but his salary and corresponding performance just don’t add up. I’m hoping Reid and company can at least turn him into a draft pick before the season begins. So much for my prediction three years ago that he’d be a poor man’s Marvin Harrison.
Baskett stays on because of his blocking and special teams play (and his HOT wife coming to games). Gibson is a guy who may spend a lot of weeks on the inactive list on game days but has shown he could be another Avant-type possession guy down the road.
Tight Ends (Three – Brent Celek, Rob Myers, Tony Curtis)
The Matt Schobel era is mercifully over, as the oft-injured free agent signee will not be back in 2009. Curtis is a pure blocker—something the Birds haven’t bothered with at this position for a very long time.
Offensive Lineman (10 – Jason Peters, Shawn Andrews, Stacy Andrews, Todd Herremans, Jamaal Jackson, Nick Cole, Max Jean-Gilles, Mike McGlynn, King Dunlap, Winston Justice)
No real surprises here. Justice has really taken advantage of Shawn Andrews’ absence and played well at right tackle. Ditto that for Dunlap, who performed admirably while Peters was on the shelf. McGlynn is versatile enough, and Reid probably loves the guy’s tenacity. Look for one of the Birds’ two draft picks—Fenuki Tepou or Paul Fanaika to make the practice squad.
Defensive Lineman (10 – Trent Cole, Darren Howard, Victor Abiamiri, Chris Clemons, Jason Babin, Mike Patterson, Broderick Bunkley, Trevor Laws, Dan Klecko, Juqua Parker)
Parker squeaks in despite the fact he got busted for pot this preseason. He better not get comfortable though—he could be the last guy on the roster if injuries crop up during the season.
Bryan Smith hasn’t shown any of the burst they hoped for off the edge, and when you’re undersized you better be fast and/or strong (see Dwight Freeney). Smith doesn’t seem to be either.
Linebackers (Six – Joe Mays, Akeem Jordan, Chris Gocong, Omar Gaither, Moise Fokou, Matt Wilhelm, Tracy White)
Losing Stewart Bradley kills the Eagles. He was by the far the most talented player in that group, and his absence has shown during the preseason. Here’s hoping some combo of Mays, Gaither, and maybe Fokou can fill the void. Wilhelm’s hold on a roster spot is tenuous. White is there strictly for special teams—which looks real shaky already. Maybe it wasn’t just Rory Seagrest last season?
Cornerbacks (Four – Asante Samuel, Sheldon Brown, Ellis Hobbs, Joselio Hanson)
Jack Ikegwunou could be practice squad-bound, as could Dimitri Patterson. Both have potential but are caught behind a very deep and talented bunch.
Safeties (Four – Quintin Mikell, Quintin Demps, Sean Jones, Victor Harris)
Harris hasn’t set the world on fire, but his ability to play special teams and both S and CB gives him the advantage over Ikegwunou and Patterson.
Special Teams (Three – David Akers, Sav Rocca, Jon Dorenbos)
No surprises here.
The Cleveland Browns are heading in the right direction.
In their third preseason game, the Browns beat the Tennessee Titans 23-17 on a night in Cleveland Browns Stadium that was windier than the restrooms in a Chipotle restaurant. Flags whipped, jerseys shimmied, and loose napkins flew across the field for much of the game.
But even in the poor weather conditions, the offense behind both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson was solid. Quinn went 11 of 15 for 128 yards, including a nifty 20-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards in the third quarter. Anderson went 7-of-11 for 77 yards. More importantly for Derek, he had no interceptions. The QB controversy rages on.
Braylon Edwards had a very nice game, as well. Besides catching the touchdown pass, he seemed more focused against the Titans than he was all of last season. Edwards’ most eye-popping play of the game was one that didn’t show up in the stats. Running full speed and leaping, the muscled receiver made an incredible one-handed grab that was negated only when he was unable to get a second foot in bounds.
The Browns also may have caught lightning in a bottle with new recruit James Davis. The shifty back was a real spark on offense, carrying the ball five times for 28 yards. If the quick-footed rookie can learn to hit the hole decisively and quickly, he could be a very pleasant surprise for everyone on the team but aging veteran Jamal Lewis.
The defense showed some encouraging signs of improvement, also. Though the unit had some lapses which triggered blown assignments, against a very good offense they held their own and made some spectacular plays in the process.
At the end of the first half, Vince Young was behind center for the Titans and had his team on the Browns’ goal line with the chance to score. When the passing play broke down, Young tried to relive his college days and run the ball to pay-dirt himself. But the Dawgs tangled with Young before he could cross the stripe, and when the dust had settled, the pigskin was in the Browns possession with one tick left on the clock.
In the third quarter, Young returned. Backed up near his own end-zone, he again felt the defensive pressure on a broken pass play. Throwing off his back foot, he sailed a “happy birthday” ball into the grasp of an astonished Alex Hall who trotted the few yards to the end-zone for a quick pick-six. The score at that point was Browns-20, Titans-3.
But perhaps the strongest unit on the team was special teams.
Josh Cribbs continues to play with anger, as he is in the midst of a contract dispute with the team. Signed for four more years but believing he deserves a boost in salary, the kick returner has played some of his best football this preseason. It has become a cliche to say that Cribbs is a threat to go to the house every time he touches the ball.
Cribbs has also turned heads as a wide receiver this preseason. As recently as last week, Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston was on WKNR sports talk radio telling the fans that the Browns coaching staff thought Cribbs was still having trouble identifying schemes and separating at the line of scrimmage.
But against the Titans, he looked like a seasoned veteran, and an All Pro at that. Owner Randy Lerner might want to find his wallet. Cribbs’ outstanding play may force him to crack it open.
Another veteran specialist, Phil Dawson held a clinic on how to kick through the teeth of a Lake Erie gale. Against the Titans, he kicked two extra points and three field goals, his longest an oxbow 37-yarder in the third quarter. No one kicks better in the confines of Cleveland Browns Stadium than the little Texan with the big leg.
Other special teams highlights included Brandon McDonald recovering a blocked field goal, and a forced fumble against the Titans’ Mark Jones who couldn’t control a catch and was rudely dismissed from the field without the ball.
Mr. Rogers Not In Neighborhood
Shaun Rogers was once again a no show for the Titans game. Head Coach Eric Mangini and his staff have remained mum on the subject and speculation still abounds that there is more to his absence than a minor ailment.
A war of wills seems to be playing out behind the scenes in Berea, where Rogers has worn a mote into the edge of the field from running (trotting?) his punishment laps.
Here’s hoping this “urination tournament” is settled before Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line come to town.
Brian Brennan Meet Brian Brennan
Before the preseason game with the Tennessee Titans, the Browns hosted U.S. Army 1st LT. Brian Brennan, a soldier who was severely injured on May 7, 2008 from an IED attack, while leading a patrol in Afghanistan. Among the multiple injuries suffered that day, Brian lost both legs.
Former Cleveland Brown Brian Brennan, who is not related to the Brennan family, found out about Lt. Brennan’s story and that the soldier was indeed named after the former Browns wideout by his father. The two men have since formed a bond which they detailed during an interview before the television broadcast of the game.
Cleveland Browns players were impressed with Lt. Brennan’s bravery and courage.
Cleveland Browns fans are, too. Thank you, Lt. Brian Brennan.
Pigskin Heaven’s Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Detroit Lions. Click on a team to read its preview.
AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ
AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT
AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN
AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG
NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS
NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN
NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA
NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA
What’s New?
Well, after last year’s stellar season, there just wasn’t much need for change.
However, change there was. Millen and Marinelli have given way to Mayhew and Schwartz.
Also gone with Marinelli are receivers Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald, as well as linebacker Paris Lenon, cornerback Leigh Bodden, and signal caller Dan Orlovsky.
Newcomers to Detroit include several receivers, led by Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt. The secondary gets a few new players in Anthony Henry and Philip Buchanon.
The biggest additions for the Lions before draft day came at linebacker. They traded Cory Redding to the Seahawks for Julian Peterson, and also signed Steelers starter Larry Foote.
Then came the draft. Coming to terms just before draft day, the first pick was Matthew Stafford. He was joined in the first round by tight end Brandon Pettigrew, and then in the second round by Louis Delmas.
They then added yet another linebacker in DeAndre Levy, and another weapon for Stafford in Derrick Williams. The only offensive lineman drafted by Detroit came in the seventh round. At least, in my opinion, it was a good one, in Nebraska’s Lydon Murtha.
Three Burning Questions
1. Will Stafford be thrown to the lions (no pun intended) right away?
Sure, there is the success of Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco last year.
But there are also recent examples of players who had an opportunity to wait, and that seems to have worked out for the likes of Philip Rivers, Jay Cutler, and Aaron Rogers.
I’m sure the Lions won’t wait two or three seasons to play Stafford, the way San Diego and Green Bay did, but they could be wise to let Stafford stay on the sideline for at least a good part of this season.
2. Is the offensive line improved at all?
This answer is a definite maybe, and it relies on the play and the health of Jon Jansen.
If he can resemble anything close to his prime, then the line automatically improves. Gosder Cherilus played well down the stretch last season, but Jansen could push him to guard for a while.
Dominic Raiola is one of the best centers in football, and if Jeff Backus is ever given just one job to do, he’ll do it fine.
Pettigrew should actually a bigger addition to the offensive line than the receiving core, at least during the early part of his career.
3. Will the new faces of the Lions’ defense make a difference?
You have to start somewhere, right? The Lions already have a few youngsters in place, like linebackers Ernie Sims and Jordan Dizon, defensive end Cliff Avril and safety Daniel Bullocks. Delmas is likely to join that group quickly.
Now, Detroit has added a few experienced leaders in Peterson and Foote. The Lions are slowly building a competent roster. Next up for them is to find better defensive tackles.
Fantasy Forecast
Good plays: It’s surprising that he hasn’t been mentioned yet, but the only true great fantasy play for the Lions is Calvin Johnson.
If Daunte Culpepper is as healthy and as revived as reports say he is, he should have a field day throwing to Calvin, who’s as good a deep threat as Randy Moss, and an even better short to intermediate threat than he was at this point in his career.
Kevin Smith played very well near the end of last year, scoring three TD’s and gaining 291 yards in his last three games. He’ll be a good mid-round pick around the fourth or fifth round.
Avoid: Avoid the defense, it won’t be that good yet.
Avoid Jason Hansen too. He’s one of the game’s best and most consistent, but the Lions may not give him enough chances to score. If the Lions’ offense does show signs of life, he could be a very nice free agent addition. He simply doesn’t miss.
Sleeper: If you’re in a keeper league, you may want to consider a late round flier on rookie Derrick Williams, especially if you’re in a league that includes Special Teams stats.
Prognosis
For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.
This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha’s articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.
« Previous Page — Next Page »
No Comments 