Do Da Dirty Bird: Shape Up, Secondary

If it wasn’t the linebackers, it was the tight ends. We had holes in our Atlanta Falcons roster, and people liked to point them out.

So how about this: We’ll add proven vets Mike Peterson and Tony Gonzalez and unleash Curtis Lofton upon the NFL world as our defensive leader. I’d say linebacker and tight end are two designations we don’t have to worry about a whole lot anymore.

You happy now?

Well, of course not. It’s now in vogue to treat the secondary as a pariah, and I guess there’s some reason for it. The Dirty Birds have yet to outgain an opponent through the air—they’ve given up 263 yards to the Lions, 204 yards to the Rams, and 320 yards to the Chargers.

Note who those first two opponents are and the exact number allowed in our most recent contest. Ugh.

I can try to explain it away. First, there’s the youth of the bunch—Erik Coleman’s the “greybeard” at 27, but honestly, it’s not like any of these guys hasn’t been playing organized ball or more than half his life.

Then there’s inconsistency. Chris Owens looked tremendous in Preseason Week One, then proceeded to give up a couple big plays with poor field awareness in Week Two. Chevis Jackson hasn’t looked himself at all. Brent Grimes has, at times, used his athleticism in the wrong way—his great speed gets him farther from the ball rather than closer—but really, considering the number of bodies, we should not be allowing several big passing plays consecutively as we did last night.

I’m a firm believer that what it comes down to with this group is confidence and chemistry. Obviously, both of these things come with experience, which really only Coleman, Von Hutchins, and Chris Houston have. I just wish we were utilizing the preseason a bit more to build up the two “big C’s.”

And here I was, lambasting the preseason as boring in yesterday’s column. In hindsight, I actually wouldn’t argue with us having a fifth exhibition game—or maybe more like a do-over of one in Detroit—to experiment with a few more looks in the defensive backfield.

Let’s get it straight: I by no means “dislike” Owens, Grimes, Eric Brock, Jamaal Fudge, or any of the other young guys who have contributed to the secondary so far. Fudge, in particular, has had two games in which he stood out, but the problem is that each one of them has had an unacceptable breakdown at one point.

I realize we aren’t going to be starting all of those guys in the regular season, but I’m a little bit concerned that the unit is going to look nearly as dull as it did last night come Sept. 13.

Here are my suggestions for next week.

• Seeing as how he’s no longer needed as a stopgap linebacker (who are you and what have you done with the “merely solid” Curtis Lofton?!) let’s see Coy Wire play much more in the secondary. It’s where he played before last season, and he is unlike pretty much anyone else currently serving at cornerback or safety in that he’s super physical. At the very least, Wire is another veteran presence to put next to the freshies.
• I know most of us came into camp believing he was definitely our nickelback, but I think it’s time we saw Von Hutchins in as one of two corners every once in a while. Once again, this is about experience over raw skill, but it’s also about giving a guy who just straight-up has not gotten enough burn more time on the field.
• Just play more aggressive at the line. Bump and do a better job marking your man, rather than being concerned about what else is going on on the field.

It’s weird that old Brent is both the best and worst when it comes to that last point. He excels at keeping up with his guy, but on one play in each of the past two games, he’s gotten caught with his pants down and looking in another direction as his receiver was targeted.

In all honesty, Coleman has been doing a bang-up job as a new leader for this group, but he’s limited by the younger fellas’ occasional absent-mindedness. It doesn’t help that William Moore hasn’t been available, of course, but like I said before, there are enough able bodies to stock this secondary.

It’s not the apocalypse; our particular struggles don’t have me mashing the panic button quite yet. We did manage to beat San Diego (which was named by the Germans…sorry, couldn’t resist) last night, and things obviously started looking up after the half.

Keep in mind some of the teams on our schedule—the Pats, Saints twice, Eagles, and Bills—and I think you might join me as I plead:

“Work out the kinks, guys!”

A Little Note About the “Colts Corner”

Greetings,

As you might have realized, I haven’t been posting at the Colts Corner in a while. I will now be posting about the Colts for the new website Fanhuddle.com. The new website at which you can see my Colts work at is www.coltscommentary.com. The site is not up yet, but it should be up during the first week of September.

You can also read articles about the NFL, UFL, CFL, AFL and more at my blog rfor6.blogspot.com, which I will update four or five times a day. I look forward to seeing Reservation For Six grow. I will continue to write at www.realbitsofpanthers.com about the Carolina Panthers.

The Colts Corner will not be shut down. It might be a while before I post articles on it again, but it will happen someday. In addition, I would like for you to e-mail me at www.nflrumors@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

I wish the Colts a great season, and I hope you are doing well.

Bryan Brackney

Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers’ Passing Game Sharp in Loss to Atlanta Falcons

It was deja-vu all over again, as they say. The San Diego Chargers found themselves in a similar position: defending a fourth-and-goal up by more than a field goal in the closing seconds of the game. 

So when the Falcons scored the game winning touchdown on a five yard pass with nine seconds to play, you couldn’t help but think about how Week One ended last season.

Losing in the final seconds to the Carolina Panthers on opening day got the Chargers’ season off to a heartbreaking start. Just the kind of start they’re hoping to avoid this year. 

The 27-24, loss to the Falcons Saturday night underscored how crucial every play is, even if it’s just the preseason. The second half collapse overshadowed an otherwise stellar performance that saw the Chargers take a 21-13, lead into the half.  

The offense was without Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson but didn’t miss a beat while the defense held it’s own despite not creating any turnovers or getting any, and I mean any, pressure on Atlanta passers. 

Having to be relatively pleased, Coach Turner pull most of the starters by halftime giving some other players a gook look. And with no injuries of note, the game has to be seen as a success. 

Having Dan Fouts in the booth for first of five nationally televised Chargers games was a nice touch. He had some sweet Chargers trivia  questions that Gumbel, whichever one it was, had no clue on. 

Here’s how I saw the Chargers grading out by position tonight: 

Quarterbacks: A

Another ridiculous performance showcasing the riches the Bolts have at the position. In the first half the Chargers were seven-for-eight on third down conversions and I’m not talking third and short situations. 

These were third and 13, third and 24, third and 17 conversions on the same drive. Too many get out of jail free cards if you ask me. There are only so many times you can pull the rabbit out of the hat. Let’s just hope they don’t think it’s always going to be this easy.

That said, There aren’t a lot of down and distances this offense can’t convert, they’re that good. Rivers and Billy Volek both averaged over 11 yards per attempt, a huge number, in another example of the down the field mentality. The two QBs also spread the ball around, connecting with nine different receivers in the first half. 

Receivers: A

Was there a catch they didn’t make? Vincent Jackson’s 32-yard, one-handed, pirouette-catch down the left sideline was masterful. He’s going to have a big year. 

Malcom Floyd had a very strong game catching everything thrown his way. Got slammed, but that’s going to happen the way he plays. 

Buster Davis also made some nice catches in what is looking like the deepest receiving corps the Chargers have had in years. 

Running Backs: B+

A very productive night for this group, who combined for 118 yards rushing on 30 carries, a touchdown and no fumbles. It was also screen pass madness out there with backs catching 11 balls for 149 yards and a touchdown.

Have the Falcons ever seen a screen pass? It didn’t look like it. 

Darren Sproles makes people miss like few others running it or catching it. I do worry about him getting overworked, but there’s no doubt he’s the best change of pace back in the NFL. 

Michael Bennett is underrated big time. Still has the speed too, taking a screen pass 48 yards to the house. It was clear in last season’s playoffs that Bennett was valuable, but I don’t think a whole lot of people saw him being this good.

Rookie Gartrell Johnson ran hard, hitting the hole with conviction. He took some shots and delivered some as well. Caught the ball well and broke off a 48 yard run late. If Johnson looks this good next week it could be interesting at the back-up running back position.

And it may be Jacob Hester who is the odd man out. He looked slow and tentative running the ball against Atlanta’s second team. He wasn’t exactly blowing people up at fullback either. 

Offensive Line: C+

After the sack-fest debacle last the line’s pass protection improved greatly. The only sack which came off a corner blitz which the Chargers had trouble with throughout the night.

Anyone think the Ravens, Dolphins, or Steelers might call a corner blitz? This unit better be ready for it all once the season starts. They are going to see some crazy defenses coming at them from all angles. 

The holes opened in the running game were gaping compared to first two games. Backs were able to get to second level of the defense due to good point of attack blocks.

Third-round pick Luis Vasquez, who struggled mightily last week, looked much improved. Had a nice block on Sproles’ TD run and really got out in front of the screen plays well. If Kynan Forney’s neck sprain doesn’t improve he may be losing the starting right guard spot. 

Alas there were just too many penalties called on everyone along the line. Of the eight penalties for 70 yards, almost all were on linemen. While it seldom made a difference, due to the offense’s ability to rip off big play after big play, it was plain sloppy.

Defensive Line: C

Ok, they get a mulligan. Luis Castillo was the only regular to start the game with Ryon Bingham, Jacques Cesaire, Vaughn Martin, and Jamal Williams not playing. Young players like Andre Coleman and Ngembi Owagbuo filled in respectably but were not a force in the run or pass game. 

Linebackers: B-

No pass rush from Shawne Merriman or Shaun Phillips. None. This is becoming a trend that could be a problem. No pressure, no mistakes, and thus, no turnovers. This defense is at its best when the linebackers are forcing offenses into things it doesn’t want to do. That’s not happening.

San Diego may have to get a lot more creative with blitzes and stunts or be prepared to win some shootouts. Matt Ryan, with the threat of Michael Turner toyed with the defense at times. And when the blitz was on, it was disguised poorly and picked up easily. 

The timing will come, hopefully, and when it does this unit has a chance to be something special.

First-round pick Larry English finally saw his first action and looked fast, nearly getting to the quarterback a couple times. English was the only Charger able to repeatedly bring pressure. He rushed from two and three point stances showing off his versatility. I’m looking forward to seeing more. 

Kevin Burnett had six tackles and exhibited more splendid physical play. It’s over for the starting spot. Tim Dobbins will be a very good back up that will make some plays but Burnett is on another level.

Secondary: B-

The battle at strong safety continues. Clinton Hart got the start and played adequately. Steve Gregory is back from a stomach virus and made a nice tackle on Michael Turner but dropped a sure interception on a night when the Chargers forced no turnovers. Not good.

USC rookie safety Kevin Ellison didn’t stand out as much as last game and looked a little lost in the second half when the Falcons were throwing at will. 

Quentin Jammer is looking as good as I’ve seen him. None of the big pass interference calls that have plagued him. Now if he can just hold onto those interceptions.

Antonio Cromartie didn’t have much to do but didn’t make any mistakes. Antoine Cason tackled pretty well and I was impressed with rookie Brandon Hughes’ physicality.

Special Teams: B

With Cletis Gordon being released last week for badly missing a special teams tackle the message was sent loud and clear: This is no joke here people.

It worked, the Bolts coverage teams were focused and didn’t give up a return longer than 27 yards.

He’ll do in a pinch I suppose, but Buster Davis is not much of a return man. 

The mercurial Nate Kaeding had a miss from 49 and a make from 37. I’m not sure how confident I’d be in his kicking with the game on the line. 

Charly Martin, mania? Sorry folks, he muffed his only chance at a kick return. Maybe next time. 

Odd Bits and More

The Falcons covered the spread of 2.5 in the nick of time. Is preseason NFL gambling as rampant as during the regular season?

The Chargers’ 50th Anniversary season DVD: History of the San Diego Chargers isn’t supposed to be premier until Sept. 9. but I’ve already got it so look for a review this week.

Does anyone know if next weekend’s final preseason game at Qualcomm is going to be blacked out? If so, it’s going to have a lot of people worried about Week Two when the Ravens come to San Diego. It’s going to be must see.

It’s currently 3:40 in the morning and no delivery places, that I know of, open in San Diego. Where’s all the late night eats in this town?

New Orleans Saints: It’s a Team Thing

What can the average fan expect with this year’s Saints team?

INTENSITY and TEAMWORK have been the words most associated with this year’s Saints.

This could be the year! Will Reggie Bush’s prediction on “Live with Regis and Kelly” actually be more than just a wish for the local fans?

As the preseason comes to a close, it sure seems that way. With 3 wins in 3 games the fans are on their feet and ready for what they have been waiting for a long long time to see.

The Saints are coming…are you ready?

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Oakland Raiders’ Letdown Is Cause for Concern

Look on the bright side, Raider Nation. Preseason records are rarely ever a good indication of a team’s future success.

Last year, the Lions went undefeated in the preseason, so you can only imagine how the Detroit faithful felt being blindsided by the worst season in NFL history.

Still, the dejected look on Tommy Kelly’s face as he walked back to the sidelines following the point after to make it 31-0 said it all.

The Raiders, a team with such vast potential, who came into the pre-season with good vibes and some nice momentum, have had their proverbial bubble burst.

This isn’t to say though that the season is lost before it has even begun. Hope springs eternal in Oakland and the Raiders have a lot to look forward to in the 2009-2010 campaign.

Given JaMarcus Russell’s improved play this offseason and a weakly perceived AFC West, it’s more than reasonable to believe that the Raiders will finish in the top half of their division.

However, it’s a bitter pill to swallow, this Silver and Black optimism. As former two-time Super Bowl winning Raiders head coach and current analyst Tom Flores expressed, Saturday afternoon’s 45-7 drubbing at the hands of the New Orleans Saints was a flat-out embarrassment.

It’s hard to point out any particular negatives in a game like this, but given their ineptitudes that began last week against the 49ers, the defense bats leadoff in what is a lineup of problematic issues and misgivings.

After allowing 275 yards rushing to the lowly San Francisco 49ers, head coach Tom Cable and defensive coordinator John Marshall made run defense a clear point of emphasis in training camp this week.

But given the 536 yards of total offense the Saints put up on Saturday, it’s safe to assume the Raiders’ defense has, instead, regressed.

Drew Brees was nearly perfect in only three offensive drives, throwing for 179 yards and three touchdowns on 14-for-17 passing.

A three-time Pro Bowl quarterback he might be, but the Raiders’ defense made Brees out to be the physical manifestation of Touchdown Jesus.

While giving credit to where it is due (great execution and perfect game planning on the Saints’ part), the Raiders were just plain awful.

First and foremost, as it was a problem last week (and last year), the Raiders’ poor tackling and inability to bring down ball carriers with initial contact are proving to be drive-savers for opposing offenses.

From first and goal of the Saints’ opening touchdown drive, fullback Heath Evans ran his way into the end zone nearly untouched.

Mind you, it was on first and goal, and Evans was met by only one Raider defender, Trevor Scott, who failed to bring him down with initial contact.

Again, in the following scoring drive, on second-and-6, Brees connected with Lance Moore on a quick slant that should have gone for only four yards, but instead, went for eight and a first down.

On that play, Moore was quickly met by Raiders cornerback Chris Johnson, but Johnson’s inability to firmly wrap up Moore led to the yards after the catch.

Poor fundamentals were a major reason why Marshall was brought in as defensive coordinator. Marshall is noted as a tough, no-nonsense disciplinarian, much like Cable, who places a high priority on solid fundamentals.

However, despite a rudimentary approach in the first week of training camp, the Raiders have failed to improve in this department.

To avoid a repeat performance, it has become gravely obvious that an emphasis on fundamentals should be a primary focus of the staff’s throughout the regular season.

The Saints benefited from a quick strike offense that provided plenty of options for Brees. Any defense would be hard pressed to stop such an attack, but you would at least like to see the Raiders to put up a better fight.

The word from camp has been that the players have been spirited and have competed well, but that attitude has failed to translate onto the field.

In any sport, the elite teams will have offenses that will misfire more times than not, but great defenses are a constant. If the Raiders intend to make the jump back into national relevance, as many around the organization believe they can, the defense must adopt a completely new mindset.

Great defense is part skill and good game planning, but it is driven to success by a sedulous approach and an aggressive attitude.

In Saturday’s performance, the Raiders were neither in both regards, and instead, seemed unprepared and conveyed a lackadaisical attitude.

The general feeling about the third game of the preseason is that it is the best measure of a team’s future success and provides a good barometer of where a team stands.

After all, the projected team starters usually play opposing starters for at least the first half, and teams prepare for their third preseason game as they would a regular season game.

Raider Nation certainly doesn’t hope Saturday’s offensive showing is any indicator of what is to come.

Given the strides JaMarcus Russell has made and how well the offense has performed, for the most part, in its first two pre-season games, Saturday wasn’t so much a foretelling as it was a momentary, albeit disastrous, letdown.

Against the Saints, Russell was pressured more than he was in the first two games, and that was made evident from the first drive when the Saints’ pass rush batted the ball out of Russell’s hand as he was rearing back to throw, resulting in a fumble.

Still, despite the added pressure, Russell played well (12 for 18 for 153 yards) and has made great strides this preseason in being asserted as the definite starter.

Russell’s good performance was lost, however, because the Raiders failed to develop any sort of consistency in their offensive drives.

Public enemies number one and two for the Raiders’ offense was untimely turnovers and penalties. By their first possession of the second quarter, the Raiders had run only six plays on offense.

Offensive drives were either cut short by turnovers or stalled by penalties that usually came with big plays.

For example, on that first possession of the second quarter, the Raiders got a big 22-yard run from Darren McFadden taken back on a holding call.

In the second half, on what was an absolutely beautiful ball delivered by Russell, Louis Murphy made the reception, turned up field for a nice gain, but promptly coughed up the ball for his second fumble.

The Raiders can be an offensive force given the usual formula of good protection and disciplined play, but Russell and company were hard pressed to do much given their inability to control the ball.

There are some who swear by a team’s time of possession, while others argue its irrelevance in a big play-driven offense, but wherever Cable stands on the issue, he certainly won’t be keen to the fact that the Saints held on to the ball almost 20 minutes more than the Raiders (39:27 to 20:33).

Penalties and turnovers never come at a good time, but this seemed especially true on Saturday. When it comes down to it, these problems, like those on defense, find their source in poor discipline and fundamentals.

Fortunately, there are still two more weeks to improve. Two more weeks to refocus back to the first week of the preseason, when fundamentals and technique constituted the daily grind.

Saturday was a serious letdown, but it is yet the pre-season. For all the poor tackling, biting on play fakes, breakdowns in pass protection, and turnovers the Raiders accounted for, 45-7 doesn’t stand in any relevant record book or count towards the Lombardi Trophy.

Losing by 38 and falling to a preseason record of 1-2 might not look pretty, but if a 4-0 preseason leading to an 0-16 regular season means anything, Raider Nation has reason to believe two weeks is enough time to refocus efforts to a successful 2009 season.

How Will the 2009 NFL Season Play Out?

The 2009 NFL regular season is quickly approaching, which means all football fans will be bombarded with predictions, prognostications, and previews. Here is my two cents on how things will shake out in both the regular and postseasons.

Playoff seedings will be in parenthesis.

AFC North

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (1): I believe that this is Pittsburgh’s division to lose. They have the best defense in the league and a sneaky-good offense that may surprise some fans this season. The team’s weaknesses last year, the offensive line and special teams, should both improve, especially with the return of Daniel Sepulveda. Considering their relatively easy schedule, Pittsburgh should be able to take the North by two or three games.
2. Baltimore Ravens (5): Traditionally with this team, the first thing that comes to mind is a great defense. That thought still remains true, but the Ravens finally seems to have a franchise quarterback. With Joe Flacco’s arrival last year, the offense was finally able to “keep up” with the defense, which made Baltimore as a whole that much scarier. With all that said, I don’t think that Baltimore has the offensive weapons to break into the NFL elite, which will lead them to a very respectable second place finish.
3. Cincinnati Bengals: This team will definitely be a better team than they were last year, but they’re still a .500 team at best. First of all they have a (presumably) healthy Carson Palmer under center. That is an immediate upgrade. Their defense was also better than average last year. Rookies Andre Smith and Rey Maualuga should also make decent impacts this season.
4. Cleveland Browns: Things can’t be going too well when there still is not an official starting quarterback in place by the third (and most important) preseason game. Brady Quinn will most likely get the nod, but it still can’t be a good sign. Regardless, I just can’t see this team winning anymore than five games. Cleveland has a young core, so their time is coming but it will not be this season. They will be the basement dwellers of the AFC North.

AFC West

1. San Diego Chargers (3): This year, it should not take a complete collapse for San Diego to take this division. They are clearly the best team in this division and it’s really not very close. Their games against the NFC East should be a good barometer as to how good they really are. They will probably cruise into the playoffs, but getting to the playoffs has not been the problem for this team in recent years. This team is playing for the one game that has eluded them time and time again.
2. Oakland Raiders: There is a big drop off from first to second in this division and Oakland is here a little bit by default, but this is not a horrible team. They have one of the best backfields in the league with Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden, and Michael Bush. These three should drive their offense. Nnamdi Asomugha will once again be the star in defense, but the key to this team’s success will lie on the shoulders of JaMarcus Russell. The former number one pick’s play has left a lot to be desired and if he does not perform, expect to see the extremely capable Jeff Garcia under center sooner rather than later.
3. Kansas City Chiefs: I like Matt Cassel. I think he can be a very good quarterback, but I don’t understand why the Chiefs paid him as handsomely as they did without him starting one game for their franchise. I don’t see his stats looking as good as they did last year simply because he does not have the weapons he had in New England. Their first 11 games are brutal with San Diego twice, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and all four NFC East teams. Kansas City will not be able to recover from a bad start.
4. Denver Broncos: Despite last season’s pathetic collapse, this team looked like it could have somewhat of a bounce back season six months ago. Since then, everything has fallen apart. They traded away their franchise quarterback and look like they have another problem on their hands in Brandon Marshall. There just seems to be too much surrounding this team for them to be successful this season, especially with how Kyle Orton has looked thus far.

AFC East

1. New England Patriots (2): Tom Brady’s return has been accompanied with “experts” predicting one- and two-loss seasons and another Lombardi Trophy for the Pats. I’m not going to go that far, but the Patriots’ success simply cannot be denied. They will be one of the top teams in the league this year. They will go deep in the playoffs. From what we’ve seen since Brady’s return, this team seems ready to right what they felt was a wrong in Super Bowl XLII. They could very well do that in Miami on Feb. 7, 2010.
2. Buffalo Bills: I had a very difficult time deciding whether or not to put Buffalo here or at number three. In the end, I decided to put Buffalo here because they should have a better offense than Miami will have. The addition of Terrell Owens should open things up a bit more for Lee Evans, who is criminally underrated. Marshawn Lynch will also benefit once he comes back from his suspension. Buffalo’s special teams is also exceptional.
3. Miami Dolphins: I feel like I am really disrespecting the Dolphins considering everything that they accomplished last season. However, I just cannot see them winning eleven games in 2009. They will have very tough games against Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Indianapolis, San Diego, Carolina, New Orleans, and Tennessee. They also will have to play six games against their overall improved division.
4. New York Jets: Mark Sanchez was recently named starting quarterback for the Jets. While that decision will eventually pay off, it will not lead to many victories this season. The Jets are clearly rebuilding after the failed Brett Favre experiment, so Jets fans should not expect too much from their team this year.

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts (4): This division race will come down to head-to-head matchups. The Colts will beat the Titans two times this year and barely edge them out to win the division crown. Will they have a deep playoff run? It all depends on how they continue to deal with all of the transition and change that has gone on in Indy this offseason. As always, the offense should lead the way for this team and make them that much more formidable.
2. Tennessee Titans (6): How good will the Titans defense be without Albert Haynesworth? My guess is still pretty damn good. Add in a steady, solid offense that now has a deep threat in Nate Washington and this team can be a serious problem if they manage to get into the playoffs.
3. Houston Texans: This third place finish is in no way indicative of how good I think this team will be this year. In my eyes, it is now clear they made the correct choice in taking Mario Williams over Reggie Bush, especially with the emergence of Steve Slaton last season. This team is moving in the right direction, but they have two pretty good teams ahead of them in their division.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars: What happened to this team? A couple of years ago, they seemed on the cusp of being an elite team, but they had an incredibly disappointing year in 2008. Their defensive line suffered key losses and as a result, the unit just is not as intimidating as it once was. Neither is the team as a whole.

AFC Wild Card Playoffs

• San Diego (3) def. Tennessee (6), 26-17: This should be a bit of a defensive battle, but San Diego has the better offense and that will help them pull away in the fourth quarter.
• Baltimore (5) def. Indianapolis (4), 23-17 (OT): Baltimore has an absolutely suffocating defense and I can’t see the Colts beating them. For the second straight year, Baltimore will go into a division winner’s place and come out with a playoff victory.

AFC Divisional Playoffs

• Pittsburgh (1) def. Baltimore (5), 21-10: Another hard-hitting, physical matchup between these two rivals that will once again end in a Pittsburgh W.
• New England (2) def. San Diego (3), 30-20: This game will be very reminiscent of San Diego’s playoff loss to Pittsburgh last postseason. They just will not be good enough.

AFC Championship Game

• Pittsburgh (1) def. New England (2), 27-21: If this game does indeed happen, it will probably determine “Team of the Decade.” Pittsburgh has been beaten twice by New England at home in the AFC Championship Game and the third time will be the charm.

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons (2): This team will be very good. Very, very good. Their offense should be one of the top units in the league. Matt Ryan played like a seasoned vet last year and with all of the options he now has, he won’t have a sophomore slump. Look for this team to possibly go very deep in the playoffs.
2. New Orleans Saints: I really like New Orleans this year. As expected, their offense will be great. Watching Drew Brees last year was just ridiculous, and undoubtedly frustrating for fans of Saints opponents. However, the defense will be the difference this year. The way they released Jason David tells me that they have confidence in their defense that could help this team take the step they seemed ready to take three years ago.
3. Carolina Panthers: They will be good but I don’t think Jake Delhomme will be able to perform well in big games. Steve Smith will be his explosive self and their ridiculous backfield will be great, but ultimately unless you played on the 2000 Ravens, the quarterback has to lead his team in big games. Delhomme will not do that this year.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: This team is rebuilding and far behind their division mates. They should be in the four to five wins range this year as they have to not only face very good teams in their own division, but also the very good teams of the NFC East.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles (3): The Eagles had a pretty good offseason. Following all of their great regular seasons with disappointing finishes, they feel like this is their year. If they can work out the kinks that showed up in Michael Vick’s debut with the Eagles, they can be very, very dangerous. What defensive coordinator wants to plan against possibly facing Vick, Donovan McNabb, and Brian Westbrook at the same time? The Eagles will come out on top of the league’s toughest division.
2. New York Giants (5): If anything holds this team back, it will be the passing game. Have their receivers developed enough over the offseason to fill the void that both Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer have left? My guess is maybe, but Eli Manning still will not have the security blanket he had with Plax. The defense will be extremely good, but they can’t do it alone.
3. Dallas Cowboys: Things have been unusually quiet in Cowboy Land (outside of the video screen controversy), which is good. The problems will start in December as usual. Dallas breaks down late in the season and Tony Romo can’t seem to make good decisions in those games. With December games against the Giants, San Diego, New Orleans, and Washington (including a January finale vs. Philly) those struggles won’t change this year.
4. Washington Redskins: They won’t be bad, but they won’t be as good as Philly, the Giants, or Dallas. I am rooting for Jason Campbell to have a good year just due to the fact that Washington tried to replace him and he handled it like a man. Haynesworth will make the defense better, but things will fall apart again for Washington.

NFC West

1. Arizona Cardinals (4): After their magical Super Bowl run, most seem to be asking if it can carry over to 2009. Simply put, yes it can. In a relatively weak (but improving) division, they should be able to get somewhere around ten wins. When they get into the playoffs, they’ve shown that anything can happen especially with their potent offense.
2. Seattle Seahawks: They got destroyed by injuries last season. That kind of bad luck can’t strike twice in two seasons, can it? As Seahawk fans knock on wood, Matt Hasselbeck continues to lick his chops at the thought of having T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a full season. This team will be dangerous.
3. San Francisco 49ers: Another much improved team that will surprise teams throughout the season. The offense will probably be a bit of a struggle again this year, especially when you consider that Michael Crabtree was probably going to have an important role in the offense. As far as the defense goes, it saw a steady improvement after Mike Singletary took over last year and a full offseason should make the defense even better.
4. St. Louis Rams: Finally, the Rams. They won’t be very good but from what I have seen, new head coach Steve Spagnuolo has installed toughness in this team that it did not previously have. Toughness and heart are always signs of a team on the rise.

NFC North

1. Minnesota Vikings (1): Despite the Vikings organization having no idea what they are doing, Minnesota will be very good. They had Super Bowl talent before Brett Favre got there and I don’t think anyone would argue that Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels are better than him. However, is Favre a better fit? That remains to be seen, but they have to at least make it to the NFC Championship Game for this whole thing to be looked at as a success.
2. Green Bay Packers (6): They will make it very difficult for the Vikings to take the division crown. This team lost so many close games last year that it’s almost impossible to think the same will happen again. Their defense should be improved and their offense will be very solid again. Much like Tennessee in the AFC, if Green Bay gets in, they will be a problem.
3. Chicago Bears: I know Chicago fans will not be happy about this, but something about this team doesn’t click for me. I have absolutely no idea what it is, so don’t ask. I like Jay Cutler. I like Greg Olsen. I like the defense. Something about this team just doesn’t seem right.
4. Detroit Lions: They won’t go winless again this year. They now have a guy they think can be their franchise quarterback. They have a dynamic receiver in Calvin Johnson. Every aspect of the team has to improve this year. They’ll be better, but nowhere near the top of the division.

NFC Wild Card Playoffs

• Philadelphia (3) def. Green Bay (6), 27-14: An entertaining high-flying game that sees the Eagles pull away in the second half.
• Arizona (4) def. N.Y. Giants (5), 33-29: Another high-flying game where the biggest factor will be the crowd at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

NFC Divisional Playoffs

• Minnesota (1) def. Arizona (4), 26-20: Back and forth battle where Minnesota will barely be able to pull out a victory.
• Philadelphia (3) def. Atlanta (2), 24-17: Another close game where Philadelphia’s defense will be the difference.

NFC Championship Game

• Philadelphia (3) def. Minnesota (1), 30-17: Philly will once again eliminate Minnesota and get back to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XLIV

• Pittsburgh def. Philadelphia, 21-14: Defensive battle that will once again see Ben Roethlisberger lead his team to a touchdown very late in the game and Philadelphia’s hopes of a championship will again be dashed.

There you have it. The Pittsburgh Steelers will defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XLIV to repeat as champs. This promises to be another great NFL season.

Oakland Gets a Wakeup Call…Is It Going To Be Enough?

From the words around the internet right now you’d think the Raiders just went 0-16.

Folks, calm down….it was one game.

For that matter, it was a preseason game, which ranks it somewhere with obscure memories of pro-bowls and that American Bowl played in Berlin.

This was a game that was set up to measure how far the team had developed, how far the team has to go and what needs help.

And contrary to the score, not everything was horrible.

JaMarcus Russell threw for over 150 yards. Both Zach Miller and Louis Murphy had over 70 yards in catches.

But the biggest problem today was Oakland self-destructed at the worst time.

Three fumbles were lost, 10 penalties for 94 yards were assessed. Although a few seem odd, such as a holding call against the Raiders, when the referee didn’t know which side of the field the Raiders were on.

We did not have a good day at third down. We managed one first down, in 10 tries. Granted, a first down should be expected from 1-3 yards away but if you are looking at a third and 14, it’s going to be tough to convert.

I’m hoping Tom Cable approaches his next meeting, quietly enters the room….and flips a table. Then, once he has everyone’s attention, he forces everyone to watch the game again and figure out how to prevent a recurrence of this game in Seattle next week.

I am still hopeful for the team…the regular season is still over two weeks away.

But time is running out.

NFC East: It’s the New York Giants’ Division

4. Washington Redskins: 9-7

The quarterback issue in D.C. isn’t pretty.

The Redskins shopped around for other quarterbacks this offseason, but they have decided to stick with Jason Campbell for the last year of his contract. 

I can’t imagine that Campbell is too happy with the Redskins’ Josh McDaniels-esque attempts this summer, and his poor preseason play has reflected that. 

Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts will provide an above average running game for Washington, which should be the biggest factor in the Redskins’ success this year. They finished eighth in rushing in 2008, and I’d expect similar numbers in 2009.

The Redskins went out at signed defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and drafted Brian Orakpo to add to an already strong defense. Washington finished fourth in the NFL in total defense last year, and after adding Haynesworth and Orakpo, it could be the best.

I’m not sure if Jim Zorn has everyone on board in Washington. Portis made that clear last season when he spoke out on the radio about how Zorn was a “genious.” If Zorn can build a stronger relationship with his players, especially Campbell, the Redskins will be a winning football team this season. 

Unfortunately, a winning record doesn’t guarantee anything in the stacked NFC East. 

 

3. Dallas Cowboys: 10-6

OK, so T.O. is gone, and I don’t know if this is a good thing for the Cowboys.

Sure, he was a constant attention whore and always found his way into the news. But when you put all of that aside, Owens is one of the best receivers in the league.

Now, Dallas has to rely on Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton. Both Crayton and Williams are good receivers, but I don’t consider them on the same tier as an Owens-type wideout.

Regardless, Tony Romo is a proven veteran, and I imagine he’ll work with what he’s given. We know that Romo can perform in the regular season, and we know that he is a leader.

The thing we’re yet to see is playoff success from Romo’s Cowboys—maybe that botched snap in 2007 will haunt him for the rest of his career.

The Cowboys’ defense is full of big playmakers. With a defensive line featuring DeMarcus Ware, and a secondary with Ken Hamlin and Terrance Newman, Dallas should be scary. 

Wade Phillips’ job depends on this season, in my opinion. When Phillips inherited this Cowboys’ team, there seemed to be no doubt that he’d have Dallas back on top for a while. Now, one might think that Dallas’ 13-3 record in Phillips’ first season could have been a product of Bill Parcells. 

I think there is a possibility that the window of opportunity could be coming to a close for the Phillips era, because just getting a winning record is never enough for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. 

 

2. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-5

After falling one game short of the Super Bowl in 2008, the Eagles will be gunning for a division title, a trip to the postseason, and the one thing this team hasn’t accomplished with Andy Reid at the helm: A world championship.

Rookie receiver Jeremy Maclin could be a sleeper for Philly this year, and I look for him to contribute to this offense. Add DeSean Jackson, who now has a very successful first year under his belt, and you have a solid corps for potentially the next five or six years. 

Keeping Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook healthy will likely determine the outcome of the Eagles’ season. Both stars have struggled with injuries over the last few years, and if they can both just make it through a whole season, the Eagles will win a lot of games.

Westbrook is fresh off of surgery on his knee, which is something that fantasy owners and Eagles fans alike should watch out for. 

Who knows what Michael Vick will bring to Philadelphia in 2009. Vick might play a little receiver, act as a decoy in the backfield, or just back up McNabb. But one thing is for sure—Philly won’t be his last stop, but rather the first step in him becoming a starter again someday. As for now, he’ll help sell tickets and he just might contribute to this Eagles team. 

Cornerback is a position that the Eagles won’t have a problem with this year, and that position could carry the defense. Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel are two corners who are always known as playmakers. Throw Quintin Mikell in there and you have yourself a secondary. ,

Don’t count the Eagles out, because even as a Wild Card, they can be scary. Take last year for example. 

 

1. New York Giants: 12-4

The Giants are going to be one of the most well-rounded teams in the NFL this year. 

They have their quarterback. Overpaid or not, Eli Manning has gotten the job done in the past, and he’s going to be keep doing it. With the departures of Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, the receivers won’t have a whole lot of experience. 

Look for Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon, and rookie Hakeem Nicks to be the top receivers for New York this year. Smith and Hixon led the Giants in receptions and yards, respectively, and they should be OK without any real superstars on the roster at receiver. 

They have their running game. The Giants’ run blocking was the best in the game in 2008, and this shouldn’t change this year.

Give a lot of this credit to Shaun O’Hara and Chris Snee, who both earned Pro Bowl honors last season. All five starters from the offensive line are returning for 2009.

Behind this offensive line is the 6’4″, 260-pound Brandon Jacobs. The bottom line is that the dude can run, and he can be difficult to stop. His sidekick is Ahmad Bradshaw, and with the departure of Derrick Ward, look for Bradshaw to get some carries. 

They have their defense. Where to begin? The Giants defense is absolutely stacked. The defensive line features Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and former Seahawk Rocky Bernard. And don’t forget about linebackers Antonio Pierce and Michael Boley either. 

They’ll have an NFC East title. On both sides of the ball, the Giants look flat-out good. The Giants will win one of the most talented divisions this year.  

My Impression of Seahawks Preseason Thus Far

Thank god that football is finally back. I was going insane without anything to really do. This is just an article that will allow me to share some of my opinions on the Hawk’s preseason so far.

Let me start off by saying that we began the preseason with a great passing game and good defense. All aspects of the team looked improved from what we first saw in San Diego when we went to Kansas…

Offensively: I was impressed by the progress made by the offensive line; although, there were a few spots that I wasn’t sure they were at their best. The offensive line looked like it was greatly improved compared to San Diego and Denver. Kansas City has a great defensive line and they didn’t touch Hasselbeck as much as they could/should have, so I say a job well done by the o-line. Julius Jones also showed some flashes of what he can do when he gets a little blocking up front, he had a few great carries for 4+ yards. In my book, any carry that provides 4+ yards is good and when Jones got some good blocking he did show what he could do.

That said, Jones seemed slow on some runs, prefering to barrel into a pile rather than make a cut and take off. Maybe this is some “monday morning quarterbacking” im doing, but on a lot of plays I saw a lane develop before Jones made a cut and He’d plow into the pile for 2-3 yards. This is not only not a very good run, but also puts him at risk for injury.

The passing game was brilliant. It did look like a couple recievers are still working on timing with Hasselbeck, but the overall was great. The first interception/throw of the game by Matt (in my opinion) looked to be more of reciever error, Branch had the opportunity to catch the ball as it flew just over his head (maybe 6 inches over his helmet) but instead the Chiefs took part in a tip drill and got the score.

Defensively: The defense was what surprised me. Their progression is obvious, the run up the middle is now stuffed… every time. Larry Johnson couldn’t manage a yard up the middle with Mebane and Cole plugging it up. I’m also excited to see the ammount of pass rush we have.

The defensive line has been great all preseason, and it would seem to me that the main wat teams will get yards against us on the ground is through sweeps and outside handoffs. The preformance by our line has made me excited for the start of the season and the new realization that the Seahawks defense is for real. Linebacker have done what is expected of them, Aaron Curry is still learning, developing through preseason play. A few times he’s been in good position but makes a bad decision and misses a tackle, this will be fixed once the adjustment to the NFL is made (I have no doubt this will be done fast).

The secondary is my biggest problem thus far, Ken Lucas looks great, He’s nearly perfect in man coverage. (My philosophy is that a corner with no stats is better than a corner with tons of deflected passes/ints. cause the corner with no stats is forcing the QB to not throw to his man). Josh Wilson is a bit annoying. He does somthing stupid, like miss a tackle or let a reciever run free, and then makes up for it by doing somthing awesome. If this kid can play consiistantly like he’s capable of, he’s going to be a great CB.

Denver Broncos: Lol, this is just here because I’d like to say thank you to Brandon Marshall. Your suspension is awesome, please though, when you return, could you make sure to injure some Broncos’ players with your antics? I’d like a higher draft pick from you guys than we already will get… I’m thinking top 10 already, a little more help from you and it could be top 5! 

New York Giants Football: Ranting and Raving in 2009

Rant: Aaron Ross

How does the boyfriend of a two-time Olympic gold medalist and numerous track and field records have hamstring problems? 

Yes, one of the fastest women on the planet, Sanya Richards, is engaged to Ross, who plays cornerback for the New York Giants.

Miss Richards might want to start training her fiance, for the world is still waiting for him to shine. However, his hamstrings will not allow him to showcase his talents and prove he is is better than Mark Collins, Phillipe Sparks, Will Peterson, and Will Allan.  

 

Rave: Giants Management and Coaching Staff

The Giants have a knack for signing cast-offs from the Jets and turning them into stars.  Yes, practice squad scrubs who can’t seem to make the “powerhouse” franchise that is the New York Jets seem to find a home with Big Blue. 

Last year, Derrick Ward became one of two running backs in the Giants’ backfield to rush over 1,000 yards, and he played his way into a nice contract with Tampa Bay.

In 2009, Danny Ware steps in as “wind” to complete the Earth, wind and fire trio of dominating backs. Ware has had a great preseason and continues to show why he belongs with the big boys.

 

Rant: Lawrence Tynes

Can some get Lawrence Tynes a clue? 

He’s the only kicker on the 80-man roster, and he should start kicking like it. 

His brother is in federal prison for 27 years on drug and witness intimidation charges stemming from his 2004 involvement in a plan to move 3,600 pounds of marijuana between Texas and Florida.

His dad is a former Navy SEAL, and his brother Jason Tynes served in the United States Army in Iraq and Kuwait. 

I get it—this guy might have a pretty warped home life. But being a kicker isn’t overly demanding. 

Training camp isn’t demanding for kickers, and neither is practice. The Giant fans aren’t asking for much. They only need the guy to do two things: Kick the freaking ball in the end zone and through the uprights.  

Why is ever year, every game, and every kick an adventure?

 

Rave:  Fred Robbins

Fred Robbins has been one of the best defensive tthe Giants have had since Keith “Hammer” Hamilton, and he probably makes the short list of top five in the last 35 years behind Rosey Grier, Jim Burt, Erik Howard and Keith Hamilton.  

When’s the last time you went to work with two broken hands? When’s the last time you heard of a defensive tackle in this era of rich, speciality, down lineman who played part-time perform with two broken hands. 

How about never. 

In 2009, Robbins had microfracture surgery, which in the real world can sideline an athlete for more than a year.

But this isn’t the real world, and Robbins is officially a super human. 

No. 98 took 10 snaps in last week’s preseason game, and he played a few series against the Jets. 

This can only be deemed as an impressive comeback by the big dog.

 

Rant: Receivers

Memo to the New York Giants wide receivers: Catch the ball.

As the Giants went head-to-head with their roommates in the New York Jets, both Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon dropped passes that should have been caught.  \

These opportunities are not missed by No. 1 receivers.

In the first quarter, Steve Smith dropped a huge pass from Eli Manning. And in the very same series after a pass interference penalty, Manning went to work with Hixon. However, the ball goes through his fingertips for an interception. 

Just this past week, as the Giants were wrapping up camp, first-round draft pick Hakeem Nicks caught the ire of Coach Coughlin by dropping a ball that should have been caught. However, he redeemed himself tonight with 144 receiving yards on six receptions with scores of 71 and 22 yards. 

These receivers are going to have some growing pains, and it’s starting to show.

 

Rave:  Defense Depth

The Giant linebackers and defensive line kept the Jets to 3.4 yards per carry and under 100 yards. Blackburn led the linebackers with six tackles, and defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka led the team with four tackles and one sack.

Once this unit is fully healthy, it will make a huge impact on any game. And despite what people are saying about the injury to Canty, players like Bernard, Tollefson, and Cofield are better than most teams back ups or situational players. 

 

Rant: Antonio Pierce

Why isn’t this guy playing? Why does Antonio Pierce look soft? 

Shouldn’t the middle linebacker for the Giants’ defense look like he could take your head off? 

It’s possible that Pierce spends hours in the gym every day, but I don’t think it’s working. That leads me to wonder if his lack of power or upper-body strength is hurting the defense. Get this guy a “cycle” or something.

I look at Kehl and Sintim and these guys look diesel. They are big, and it’s obvious they are strong. 

Can they play? Only time will tell, but they sure don’t look like they need personal trainer. 

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