Donovan McNabb Breaks a Rib In Win Over Carolina

In a smashing victory over the Carolina Panthers to start their new season, the Eagles’ quarterback, Donovan McNabb, also got smashed on a three yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

McNabb was slow getting up after the touchdown and was immediately taken to the training room. After some tests, the diagnosis is in. Donovan McNabb broke a rib in this last game.

Kevin Kolb replaced him at quarterback since Michael Vick is still ineligible until week 3. Kolb was not very effective and the Eagles did not score again after McNabb left.

The Eagles face the New Orleans Saints next week and will need an offensive attack to counter Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, and his great passing arm. Brees threw for six touchdowns today, so the Eagles need to use a decent offense to handle the Saints poor defense, and their defense needs to stop Drew Brees in order to win the football game.

The Eagles had five interceptions and a fumble recovery for a touchdown on defense as they slaughtered the Carolina Panthers 38-10 in Carolina.

Whether Donovan McNabb plays or not is a mystery because it is a broken rib, but he has played on a broken ankle before, so my money is on McNabb returning for next week.

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Armageddon Approaches For Cincinnati Bengals

It is time to panic in Cincinnati.

Go crazy. Start running around like chickens with your heads cut off. The city is going up in flames.

Week 1 of the 2009 NFL season saw the Bengals lose on a miraculous “tip-drill touchdown,” a seemingly fitting way to end a season opener in which the Bengals showed flashes of promise against an ominous background.

The Bengals offensive line gave Carson Palmer ample time to pick up 247 yards on 21 completions…against a vastly undersized and inferior Denver Bronco pass rush.

The Bengals secondary held Brandon Marshall to only 27 yards receiving…in large part because quarterback Kyle Orton struggled to throw the ball further than 20 yards down the field.

Rookie linebacker Rey Maualuga was ubiquitous throughout the second half, flying all over the field to make six tackles…the bulk of which came after five to 10 yard gains by a resurgent Bronco offense.

Cedric Benson picked up 76 yards on 21 carries…against a defense with the personnel for a 4-3 that runs a 3-4.

You get the point.

Even if Brandon Stokley had not snatched the hearts of Who Dey Nation out of thin air with 11 seconds remaining, the deficiencies displayed by the Bengals in the preseason manifested themselves in a wholly uninspiring performance from Marvin Lewis’ squad.

As the Bengals move to Green Bay in week 2, it is already do-or-die time for Mike Brown’s enterprise to retain requisite fan support to sell out another home game.

Resurgence seems fleeting. Panic seems reasonable.

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News: Donovan McNabb Breaks Ribs In Win

Quarterback Donovan McNabb left the game on Sunday after taking a shot to his lower back while rushing for a touchdown. After the game, the Eagles told the media he had broken ribs on the play.

His status moving forward has not yet been determined.

With the Eagles scoring a resounding victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, McNabb was able to miss time without much of an impact, but the idea of backup Kevin Kolb being forced into action against the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees, who threw six touchdown passes on Sunday, doesn’t bode well for Philadelphia.

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It’s Time For The Kevin Kolb Experiment To End

Somewhere, A.J. Feeley is either laughing, crying, or possibly both.

At least in this Eagles fan’s opinion, I hope he’s smiling next week over a new contract.

After two-plus years, several chances and numerous disappointments…it’s time to pull the plug on the Kevin Kolb era.

Sunday’s performance against the Panthers pretty much confirmed what many suspected last year—Kolb is just not the right fit for the Eagles’ offense.

Yes, he’s young and lacks significant game experience, but that excuse flies for only so long.

He just doesn’t have the right skill set to be the Eagles quarterback.

Kolb was 7 of 11 for 23 yards in about a quarter and a half of action, but it’s not even about the numbers per se. The Eagles were up 28 when he came in and ran the ball most of the time anyway. Instead, it’s really about his decision making, and how the tempo of the game slows way down when he’s in.

I said it’s not about the numbers, but look at the totals. He had seven completions for 23 total yards, or just over three yards per play. Even if you discount the botched play that led to a three-yard Leonard Weaver loss, that’s still only six for 26.

I don’t care if you have Barry Sanders in his prime running behind you, there’s no way you do anything positive with less than five yards per completion average.

That point, however, just sets up the second point about the tempo. Before McNabb went out, two of the Eagles’ three actual drives were very good. A two-minute drill and an athletic interception prevented scores on two of them, not anything the offense did wrong.

Then, once McNabb got hurt, it was caretaker time.  

In five full drives under Kolb, the Eagles advanced the ball more than 20 yards exactly once. That was at the end of the third quarter…on a drive that ended when Kolb was sacked and fumbled the ball.

Even that drive was all the running game, as Kolb was 3-for-3 for 9 yards total. They got 26 yards, and that was the best showing.

It’s not as if there was a ton of pressure on Kolb. The defense had the game of its life, and even though mid third-quarter is a bit early to play caretaker, he pretty much had carte blanche to do whatever he needed to do.

And he did nothing—seven completions, two fumbles, and two more balls that should have been picked off.

Not exactly a line that inspires confidence. And it’s a trend.

In 2008, Kolb was a wreck any time he wasn’t playing caretaker. He threw four picks in 34 pass attempts, and in the one game where Donovan McNabb was so bad that Andy Reid benched him, Kolb responded by going 10 of 23 for 73 yards and two picks.

Granted, it was Baltimore, but that’s his best career line.

Again, even if you have Barry Sanders running the ball and the 1985 Bears defense on the other side, that’s not going to win anything.

And it shouldn’t be enough to keep his job.

With Donovan McNabb suffering broken ribs on Sunday and Michael Vick not eligible until Week 3, the Eagles need confidence in their backup option next week. I certainly don’t have it in Kevin Kolb, and if anyone outside of Andy Reid still thinks he’s the “QB of the future,” they’re nuts.

Vick, despite two years off, is much more athletic and talented. McNabb is only 32 and still has a few good years left in him. By then, Kolb will be 30 (or close to it) and untested.

The Eagles don’t need a caretaker or even a QB of the future just yet. They need a guy who can step in and win games.

A guy like A.J. Feeley.

Remember, Feeley was only in his second year when he came off the bench in 2002 to lead the Eagles to a 4-1 down the stretch and a playoff berth.

And yes, he is also the guy who threw seven picks in a pair of tough losses to New England and Seattle in 2007, but he also kept the Birds in both of those games until the end.

Simply put, he’s a professional who knows the offense and can get the job done.

Kevin Kolb isn’t.

Hey, sometimes picks are busts. Reggie Brown was a second round pick and has been average at best.

Maybe they can catch on somewhere else together.

Either way, it’s time for the Kolb Express to leave 30th Street Station.

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New No. 1: Is Reggie Wayne the Best Fantasy Receiver?

This, and more Fantasy Football articles like it, can be found on Tab’s new home for fantasy football analysis: Top Fantasy Football.

In his first game without Marvin Harrison’s shadow hanging around the turf at Lucas Oil Arena in Indianapolis, Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne showed that he’s among fantasy football’s elite.

Against a Jacksonville team that allowed 224 passing yards per game in 2008, Wayne jumped into double-digit receptions early in the fourth quarter and was well over 150 yards with a touchdown. With Anthony Gonzalez injured, Wayne and Dallas Clark are the only consistent weapons Peyton Manning has left from 2008.

In light of Wayne’s big Sunday, is he now the top fantasy wide receiver in the NFL? To determine an answer, let’s look at the other elite receivers.

 

Larry Fitzgerald, ARI

Fitzgerald is, without a doubt, one of the top receivers in the game. He has a solid quarterback in Kurt Warner, and an offense that’s centered around throwing the ball. However, Fitzgerald has Anquan Boldin on the opposite side of the field from him and emerging Steve Breaston in the slot. Though the Cardinals will throw the ball around a lot, there are a lot of hands that want the ball in Arizona.

Wayne stands to have a better upside for the 2009 season because of the limited supporting cast in Indianapolis.

 

Randy Moss, NE

Moss could have an enormous season with the return of Tom Brady in New England. The last time they were together, both Moss and Brady set single-season records for production, and this could be another big year. But Brady also has Wes Welker to throw the ball to, and Welker’s a 100-catch guy.

Wayne doesn’t have someone to take 100 balls away from him in Indianapolis, so he should stand to put up bigger weekly numbers.

 

Andre Johnson, HOU

Johnson should have a monster year, but has a number of factors that could handcuff his production this year. Matt Schaub hasn’t been able to stay healthy in his career, and the emergence of Steve Slaton as a productive running back could lead to coach Gary Kubiak keeping the ball on the ground more often this year.

Wayne doesn’t have a confident running game on his side in Indy, and Manning has a more consistent health history than Schaub.

 

Calvin Johnson, DET

Johnson is physically as gifted as anyone in the league. Over the course of the 2009 season, he should put up monster numbers. But the reality that Detroit is starting a rookie quarterback in a division with good defenses in Chicago, Minnesota and Green Bay doesn’t help.

Wayne has a better quarterback situation than Johnson.

 

Steve Smith, CAR

Smith isn’t as big as anyone we’ve named so far, but he puts up numbers that are the opposite of his physical stature. The consideration for Smith, though, is the emergence of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart as an elite running back tandem.

Wayne has a situation that’s less likely to see as many rushes in Indianapolis.

Greg Jennings, GB

Jennings is coming off a big season, and has an emerging quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. Given the inconsistent history of Ryan Grant, the Packers might be looking to throw more times than you might imagine given the suddenly offensive NFC North. He might actually be the best bet on this list to emerge with Wayne as an elite superstar receiver.

Wayne, however, has Manning, who will get his 4,000 yards and there isn’t a catch-stealing threat as good as Donald Driver opposite Wayne in Indianapolis.

Roddy White, ATL

White has a number of factors that make it hard to imagine him replicating his 2008 production this year. First, the Falcons added Tony Gonzalez to their offensive arsenal, and he’ll quickly become Matt Ryan’s best friend inside the red zone. The other reality is that Michael Turner is going to get his touches as well, which could spread offensive touches thin.

Wayne will share catches with an elite tight end in Clark, but doesn’t have a running game on par with Turner.

Brandon Marshall, DEN

Two problems here: Kyle Orton and Josh McDaniels.

Wayne’s an adult, so there’s no worry he’ll take himself out of games by getting suspended the way Marshall did in 2008. Wayne also has a legit NFL quarterback, something Orton has yet to prove he can be.

 

Santonio Holmes, PIT

Many people would argue that Holmes wasn’t considered an elite receiver last year. But his Super Bowl performance, followed by his great start on Thursday night, have to elevate him into the conversation (nine receptions, 131 yards and a TD). Holmes is on the Steelers, though, and they traditionally do two things on offense: spread the wealth in the air and run the ball.  With Heath Miller and Hines Ward in the picture, Holmes will have to share.

Wayne is in an offense more likely to throw consistently, and has fewer surrounding weapons than Holmes.

As you can see from the comparisons to the other top-producing receivers in the NFL, Wayne has a really good chance to become the top fantasy receiver in the league in 2009.

But that’s why they play the games…

Source: Top Fantasy Football

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Five Reasons to Believe in The Miami Dolphins

The football bourgeoisie have already deigned the Miami Dolphins will finish with an average record and end up out of playoff contention. And as it is written, so shall it be, right?

A phrase comes to mind: That’s why they play the game.

It’s easy to write off a team because a certain quarterback for a certain organization has returned. The fact remains that the Miami Dolphins are the AFC East Champs until proven otherwise. Just because a bunch of pundits are hammering opinions into your brain like a drunken handyman doesn’t mean they’ll come true. I’ve got a few reasons to believe in these Fins. 

 

 

Bill Parcells

 

Has The Tuna ever steered a franchise wrong before? His Midas-touch is so effective that if I were him, I’d be afraid to go to the washroom. The fact that he resides in Miami’s front office almost makes up for the fact that Jimmy Buffet is hammered on tequila three doors down in the same office.

Let’s run through his credentials just to reassure ourselves:

-Two Super Bowls

-Three Conference Championships

-Five franchise rejuvenations

-Being the only man alive who could manage a coked-up Lawerence Taylor

-Three Murder, She Wrote marathons (I made that one up…probably)

With Parcells, you know what you’re going to get: A big, scary, old man who is the football equivalent of buying Microsoft stock in the ’80’s.

 

 

The Wildcat (or Wildpat)/ The Mind of Tony Sparano

 

Call it a gimmick, say that it’s time is up, mock Miami for resorting to such trickery; just don’t say it doesn’t work.

The Wildcat offense is the new scheme du jour in football, and the Fins are the head chef. Tony Sparano took a risk last season and it panned out, but he didn’t stop there. The drafting of Pat White means Miami have a legitimate throwing threat in the backfield to keep blitz-happy defences at bay.

People can rag on the Wildcat for being overused or ineffective but they’re wrong. Miami did what teams are supposed to do with their backs against the wall, they grew some…if I say cojones will the Estefans get angry?

The Fins have shown they have a competent coach who’s not afraid to shatter the norms of football. It’s about time.

 

 

An underrated offensive line

 

When the Dolphins spoiled all of our fun by signing Jake Long before the 2008 NFL Draft, it was about as climactic as the opening scene from Reservoir Dogs. Still, the man they call Jong (well, just me) is justifying his selection.

And like the mauling Michigan alum, the rest of the offensive line is very adept at run-blocking. Miami’s running backs were averaging 4.28 yards per carry last season, for the unenlightened, that’s a first down every three downs. 

Even more inspiring was that their Power Success rate (the percentage of runs on third or fourth down with less than two yards to go that get converted) was 76 percent, eight points better than the league average. Somewhere, Dave Wannstedt just flinched.

Chad Pennington is about as mobile as a paraplegic shopping cart (maybe I’m exagerrating a bit, sorry Chad), so it should surprise you that Miami’s offensive line only gave up 26 sacks last season. The big men in teal finished with a 5.7 percent adjusted sack rate, ranking them twelfth in the NFL.

This offensive line is legitimate and this season should cement them among the NFL elite. Probably.

 

 

Chad Pennington

 

When the Miami Dolphins picked up Chad Pennington, the rest of the league should have just arrested them there; because it was a steal! I will now punch myself in the face for making that terrible joke.

All terrible hilarity aside, Pennington was quietly one of the most effective quarterbacks in the NFL. If you believe in stats then listen to this: Pennington ranked sixth among QB’s in Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement (or DYAR for the acronym-inclined). Even though that sounds like gibberish, and it does kinda look like gibberish, it means that Pennington was behind only Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Kurt Warner, and Jay Cutler when it came to overall quarterback efficiency.

He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes (only seven INT’s), he’s very accurate (his 67.6 completion percentage was tops among QB’s) and he’s a boon to the team’s chemistry. Pennington’s fragility is the only warning sign, and Miami has yet to experience that yet.

I’ll just come out and say it: The only thing Tom Brady has over Pennington right now is a hotter girlfriend. What? Oh yeah, and maybe some Super Bowl rings, but whatever.

 

 

The defense is getting better

 

Miami’s D was average last season, opponents were gaining 329 total yards a game against the Fins; good for 15th in the NFL.

Fortunately, Miami was not idle during the offseason. Jason Taylor danced his way back into the Teal and Orange after his failed remake of a Jimmy Stewart film, “Mr. Taylor Goes to Washington.” JT is old, but if Bob Barker taught us anything it’s that old people can still tell you what the actual retail price of things are. And maybe rush the passer. I don’t know where I’m going with this.

Joey Porter is back, after a 17 1/2 sack vendetta against all things quarterback. The new addition Gibrill Wilson will team up with Yeremiah Bell to give opposing receivers no solace that the position they play is named safety. If Jason Ferguson can stay healthy this defense will thrive. IF (that’s a big if, get it?).

Well I’ve still got two hours until all of this could blow up in my face so I think I’ll spend it with the people I love (is Jack Daniel’s a real person?). It’s time for Miami to shake off it’s inferiority complex and take it’s rightful place as defenders of the AFC East crown. There’s a reason they play the game, and it’s because nothing’s for certain until the final whistle blows.

All signs are pointing to one helluva season.

 

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Worrisome Cowboy: Is Emmitt Smith Right About the Cowboys?

For the majority of Cowboys fans out there, the news that Emmitt Smith predicted seven wins for the ‘Boys came as a bit of a shock.

 

He blasted the team’s leadership, questioned whether Roy Williams can become a true No. 1 receiver, and wonder if Tony Romo has a knack for “true” leadership.

 

It’s tough to argue with a guy who has three Super Bowl rings and is the NFL’s all-time rushing leader. But come on Emmitt, seven wins? Really, that’s it?

 

I mean, we play the Raiders and the Bucs in the same season. That’s at least two wins. We were able to eek out nine wins last year and that was with Brad Johnson as our starter.

 

So let’s put Emmitt’s assertion to the test.

 

No. 1: Emmitt stated that he’s unsure if Roy can become a No. 1 receiver in the NFL.

 

I tend to agree with him, but with Roy’s size and height it’s almost impossible for him to, well, suck.

 

In Detroit and with Jon Kitna as his quarterback, Roy managed to rack up eight touchdowns and over 1100 receiving yards.

 

If he can do that in the wasteland at Ford Field, why can’t he do that in Dallas in a billion dollar stadium with a million dollar quarterback?

 

As much as I love Emmitt, he’s reaching on this one.

 

 

No. 2: Mr. Smith stated that Romo isn’t a strong enough leader in the locker room or on the field.

 

I agree 100 percent with Emmitt simply because the Cowboys struggle down the stretch. Now its not his fault entirely that the team falls apart during crunch time, but to Smith’s point, why hasn’t Romo “snatched” up an offensive lineman after a key sack?

 

Remember the playoff game against the Giants a few years ago when the offensive line all of a sudden started leaking worse than the titanic?

 

What about when he broke his pinkie against the Cardinals because he couldn’t stay upright?

 

With one of the largest offensive lines in the league, it shouldn’t be this way.

 

When Dan Marino was still in the league, there was a commercial featuring All-Pro offensive lineman Richmond Webb and he’s talking to his fellow lineman after they broke the huddle and Webb looks at the defense and says something to the effect of, “these guys want to see Dan, that’s not happening today.”

 

Point of the advertisement, no one gets to see the quarterback unless the offensive line says so.

 

I don’t get that same feeling from the ‘Boys upfront for the Cowboys. It seems as if they have Romo overbooked way too many times during the season.

 

If that continues, it’s going to be another long offseason for the Cowboys.

 

Here’s hoping that Emmitt’s prediction is at least three or four games off because if it isn’t, Bum’s son will be looking for a new job and Tony may be calling Jessica to console him.

 

-JH

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Guest Post: 2009 NFL preview from a fantasy outsider

This guest post comes to Fantasy Football Fools from Eric Amzallag of sports pick site UnlockedSports.com. Rather than stay in our fantasy bubble this season, I thought taking a look at the playoff picks from a relative fantasy outsider would be a nice jump start to the conversation—since, inevitably, my Super Bowl and playoff picks would be largely influenced by what players I have invested in this season.

I think Eric makes some interesting calls that should get us talking, but keep in mind that Eric sent these to us this offseason before much of the news had been made.

Feel free to share your own playoff predictions on this glorious Sunday of football in the comments. We’ll give greater cred to those who post before their picks destroy opponents in their opening game this week. Now on with the show…

Now that football season is quickly approaching, fans, poolers, and bettors are eager to gather as much information as they can to make some informed sports picks in the upcoming season.

Every single year, we seem to come into the NFL season with all eyes on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to win it all. There is nothing wrong with that. The Patriots always have a great team surrounding arguably the best quarterback of our time.

But times are a-changing, and this season we will see some new teams in the running for the Lombardi trophy. With a relatively painless offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be looking to repeat and have a good chance to do so.

Don’t count out these playoff contenders from the AFC:

• Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning! With Peyton behind center the Colts will always be contenders.
• Oakland Raiders: The AFC West is the worst division in football right now, and the Raiders are the only team with promise and a good, young core of players. This year will be the season they break out of the funk.
• Buffalo Bills: Although some people disagree, getting T.O. was huge for the Bills. Not only will their offense be hard to stop with two star receivers, a promising young quarterback and Marshawn Lynch in the backfield, but they are well-coached and poised to have a breakout season.

The NFC is another beast altogether. The Arizona Cardinals will be good but not as good as they were last season. The Dallas Cowboys may have dropped some baggage, but this year will be a make-or-break season for Tony Romo.

In the NFC, watch for these teams to make an impact this season:

• Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Roddy White! ‘Nuff said.
• Dallas Cowboys: Do or die! If the Cowboys are going to stay in the title contender picture they will need to come together. This season will be the one that defines them, and I think they will come through.
• San Francisco 49ers: Kind of a sleeper pick here, but I am sticking with it for one reason, Mike Singletary’s first full season.
• Chicago Bears: Although the defense was suspect last season, this year everything is going to come together for Chicago. Not only will the defense get back to its stingy ways, but with Jay Cutler in the offense, this team could be scary!

So those are Eric’s picks, made right around the time of the NFL draft this offseason. Who do you think is going to win it all this year? You can check out more from Eric and UnlockedSports.com.

As always, the comments are yours.

 

 

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Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Mano-A-Mano: Five Crucial Week One NFL Match-Ups

It’s finally here.

Thursday night may have been the first game of the 2009 NFL season, but that was like opening a single present on Christmas Eve.

My parents tried that (as in, me and my sister talked them into it) once when I was a little kid and it just didn’t feel the same.

Thursday’s game was great and everything, but there’s just something about waking up, knowing you have a full slate of games ahead of you, “adult sodas” to drink, and greasy food to eat that just makes this the best weekend of the year.

Even though it’s week one and most of us will be lost in the euphoria of football finally returning, there are significant questions to be answered by teams around the league and some really intriguing match-ups to consider.

Despite being a team game, at the highest level it just takes one play, one step, one tackle to change the course of a game, of the whole season.

It may be week one, but in three months a team may look back to one snap of the ball and realize that was the play that determined the course of the season.

With that, let’s look at five of the most crucial one-on-one matchups, the games-within-the-games that will define week one.

 

Darrelle Revis vs. Andre Johnson

The New York Jets’ Darrelle Revis has his work cut out for him. As was originally opined by M.A. Mehta of the New Jersey Star-Ledger, Revis may have to face the toughest slate of receivers any cornerback could have this season.

Revis has quietly become one of the premier cover corners in the league, displaying a polish that belies his young age.

Still, this is just some guys he’ll find staring across the line of scrimmage at him this season:

Steve Smith, Chad Ochocinco, Reggie Wayne, Roddy White, Randy Moss (twice), Terrell Owens (twice), Ted Ginn Jr. (twice), Antonio Bryant, Marques Colston, and of course Andre Johnson today.

Ouch. That looks like the PPR fantasy Hall of Fame.

Given the aggressive blitz-heavy scheme new coach Rex Ryan has installed —the Jets led the league in pre-season sacks with 20—much will depend on Revis’ ability to hang with the league’s elite pass-catchers.

It all starts today.

 

Terrell Owens vs. Leigh Bodden

Buffalo has been a doormat for New England for most of the past decade and, while they’ve had some opening day luck against the Patriots in the past, it looks like they’ll once again play Washington Generals to the New England Globetrotters offense.

But on defense, the Patriots have seen a lot of familiar faces wave goodbye and take a final drive down Route 1 out of town.

Young guns like Jerod Mayo and Brandon Meriweather will now be tasked with bringing the defense back to its former glory.

Still, the sorest spot last year for the Patriots was their much-maligned defensive backfield. With incumbent Ellis Hobbs now a Philadelphia Eagle, the Patriots will need replacements Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, and Darius Butler to pick up much of the slack.

Bodden is a bit of a journeyman despite his young age, having already played in Cleveland and Detroit.

He showed some early promise in Cleveland and New England is hoping that his poor play in Detroit was a product of his environment more than anything.

Still, he’s as close to a No. 1 corner as New England has and, while the rest of the defense will get a lot more media attention, it’ll be his ability to replicate the success of the cover corners who have worn Patriot blue in the past decade that will determine how successful New England are this season.

 

JaMarcus Russell vs Antonio Cromartie

You can pretty much replace Cromartie’s name with everyone involved with the Charger pass-defense, because they did not look good in 2008.

Still, this should be a low-hanging fruit for San Diego to tee off on.

While the Chargers boast some of the best pass-rushing talent in the league, Antonio Cromartie’s 10-interception season of 2007 seems a distant memory.

What is far easier to recall is the 2008 Chargers defense, which can only really be described as “woeful.”

Even during their most successful years, the Chargers ran with about the middle of the pack in terms of passing yardage against, but with Merriman out last year, they fell to bottom of the barrel against opposing passers.

Oakland doesn’t have a whole lot of talent around Russell, but if San Diego can’t even keep the lid on what amounts to a rather unimpressive passing attack, their title credentials will seriously be discredited this week.

I’d expect San Diego to really put the vice on the Raiders tomorrow, because that is a unit that has a lot to prove in 2009.

The hopes of the Chargers and what is a championship caliber offense are counting on it.

 

Aaron Kampman vs. Chris Williams

Aaron Kampman might be the biggest beneficiary of the Packers’ switch to a 3-4 defense.

With his pass-rushing instincts and combination of size and athleticism, he’s a guy who, like fellow 3-4 OLBs James Harrison and DeMarcus Ware, could rack up the sacks this season.

Kampman will likely man the left-outside linebacker position for most of Green Bay’s defensive downs this season, including their week one matchup against Chicago.

Chicago on the other hand, will look to show off their new franchise quarterback Jay Cutler and hopefully keep him vertical.

A 2008 first-round pick, Williams essentially gave up a sack on his first snap at left tackle last year when then-defensive-end Aaron Kampman blew right past him. Grossman snuck away, saving Williams’ blushes, but it was an inauspicious debut to say the least.

Williams will once again face Kampman tomorrow when he debuts as Chicago’s new right tackle. With the addition of Orlando Pace at left tackle, Williams will have the chance to develop his considerable talents.

He’ll also have the chance for a little payback. If he shuts down Kampman, it’ll be Aaron, not Chris, hearing the boo-birds say he’s not cut out for the position.

 

Albert Haynesworth vs. Brandon Jacobs

Having lived in Washington, D.C., the last three years, I can tell you that Skins fans are rabid supporters of their boys.

I saw the de facto memorial that the most loyal Washingtonians erected in the D.C. metro when Sean Taylor was killed in his home.

Unfortunately, they haven’t had much to cheer for the last few years. Despite solid work out of Jason Campbell who can finally run the same offense for consecutive years, an MVP-caliber season out of Clinton Portis, and the addition of Albert Haynesworth, many experts still pick either the Giants of the Eagles to come out of this division.

If the Skins had the good fortune to be located outside the Northeast Corridor, they’d probably have an easy ride to the playoffs with a defense that is still pretty fearsome.

They’re not so lucky though, and will have to earn their keep in what is still the toughest division in the conference. It’ll come hard and Haynesworth is a big part of that.

The most dominant 4-3 defensive tackle in the game today, Haynesworth has had problems staying on the field. But he’ll go up against the best rushing team in the NFL, a team he was brought in specifically to shut down.

Brandon Jacobs is probably the hardest man in the NFL to tackle. He’s got the legs of Earl Campbell and the speed to hang with a faster modern game.

He’s never going to be Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson, but he’s a punishing runner who plows into the second level. There’s nothing neat about Brandon Jacobs, nothing shifty.

He’s going to come right at you and if you don’t get out of the way voluntarily, he will remove you from his path. He’s a joy to watch as a runner.

But Haynesworth is a special talent, too, and it’ll be a treat to see the two go head-to-head on inside run after inside run on Sunday.

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Seattle Seahawks’ Pregame Primer: A Fifth Preseason Game

It’s a good thing the Seahawks get a fifth preseason game, because they have a lot of unsettled issues as the season begins.

The Hawks couldn’t have asked for a better first game than to play the St. Louis Rams at Qwest Field (unless it was the Detroit Lions, of course).

Both teams have shaky situations on the offensive line, which could affect the running games. Last September, Julius Jones ran for 140 yards and a touchdown against the Rams, who do not have DT Adam Carriker this time. This should be a good starter game for the Hawks’ revised rushing attack.

In fact, it should be a good ramp-up game all around for the Seattle offense. The Rams’ defense was almost as bad as the Seahawks’ last season, so the Seattle line should be able to get in a groove and give Matt Hasselbeck time to find T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Nate Burleson and company.

The Seahawks’ defense gets a similarly easy first matchup, as Rams quarterback Marc Bugler has a bad finger on his throwing hand and the Rams’ line is a work in progress. Steven Jackson is a beast, and he will be a good test for the Hawks’ linebackers.

And it will be interesting to see how the Rams’ inexperienced receivers fare against a thin Seattle secondary that is without Marcus Trufant and just added 35-year-old safety Lawyer Milloy.

But this game should go to Seattle. After all, the Hawks have won five of their last six home openers, Hasselbeck has beaten the Rams six straight times and two of their four wins last season came against the Rams.

 

Three & out: Q&A

Three quick questions as the Hawks enter their first game:

Q: What will old-timers Edgerrin James and Lawyer Milloy give the Hawks?

A: A little veteran savvy. James will spell Jones, getting up to 30 percent of the carries, according to coach Jim Mora. Milloy’s role for the first game is less defined, but since the Hawks have only six healthy defensive backs, he probably will be the dime DB.

Q: Will Walter Jones and Chris Spencer be back next week?

A: Odds are Jones will be and Spencer won’t. Either way, the Hawks really should invest in a veteran tackle for depth on Monday. With only two reserves, Mansfield Wrotto and new OT Brandon Frye, they really should have kept Kyle Williams on the active roster as well (instead of 11 D-linemen).

Q: Will Deion Branch ever be healthy?

A: The answer, quite obviously, is no. Whatever he gives the Hawks this season will be a bonus. And it looks like he’ll be on his way out in 2010—after getting paid over $27 million. Meanwhile, rookie Deon Butler figures to get a lot of playing time this year, along with Ben Obomanu.

 

Game-day stats

**Since realignment in 2002, the Seahawks are tied for second in the league with five playoff berths and tied for third with four division titles.

**Hasselbeck holds Seattle records for career passer rating (86.2) and 300-yard games (15), and in 2007 he set team records for attempts (562), completions (352) and passing yards (3,966). And you think Seneca Wallace or Mark Sanchez is better?

**Houshmandzadeh has caught a league-best 294 passes since 2006.

**The Seahawks will travel 29,054 miles this season—as usual, the most in the NFL. In the past two years, they have traveled over 63,000 miles, most in the league. Their shortest trip is next week, when they head to San Francisco.

**For what it’s worth, the Seahawks were one of three teams (Miami and Baltimore) to finish the preseason undefeated. That’s the first time the Seahawks have ever done that.

 

For this week’s NFL picks and power rankings, plus season previews of the AFC and NFC, go Outside The Press Box.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

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