Kerry Collins: Old Dog Still Has Tricks

Collins may be the third oldest starting QB in the league, but he showed that he can still compete in last nights game against the Steelers.

Though the Titans lost in OT, Collins looked just as good as the guy who led them to the best record in the NFL last season, 13-3.

Whether he was throwing it to the good looking first, first round pick out of Rutgers, Kenny Brit, TE Bo Scaife, or the Titans’ leading receiver from 2008, Justin Gage, he certainly still has accuracy and some mustard on his passes.

He was sacked only once having the veteran savvy to throw it away in the face of the pass rush if unable to dump it off, while his counter-part Roethlisberger went down four times.

He took his team down the field in only three plays to answer the late second quarter TD by Big Ben and the Steelers.

If not for a fumble by the aforementioned Scaife, and a missed field goal attempt by the usually infallible Rob Bironas, along with another attempt that was blocked by the Pittsburgh defence, Kerry Collins in all likelihood would have lead his team to an opening season win against the Super Bowl Champs.

Tennessee can keep Vince Young on the bench for another year and have Collins lead them back to another playoff berth, which seems imminent.

They might not be perfect, but Remember The Titans!

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Locked in on Lambeau: One Bear To Watch Sunday Night

It’s been a long time coming Bears fans.

All the analysis, combine statistics, OTAs, and anticipation for this season has finally come to fruition and the new season is upon us. For Chicago, it’s a season rife with optimism and verve.

But don’t worry. I won’t bore you with another article highlighting the importance of Sunday night’s showdown in Green Bay. I’m not going to compare Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers and predict which signal-caller will perform better.

I won’t even talk about which defense needs to make more of a statement either. At this point, those tired, worn-out stories and debates yield only a hearty yawn from me.

I expect Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Lance Briggs, Robbie Gould, and Brad Maynard to deliver solid performances this week and throughout the season, so they aren’t really of great concern to me.

No, when I sit down to watch our beloved Monsters of the Midway on Sunday night, I’ll be watching one more than any other: Orlando Pace.

Pace’s signing with the Bears got somewhat lost in all of the hoopla surrounding the Cutler trade, but after the dust settled, most people both inside and outside of the organization seemed to believe Pace would upgrade the offensive line and be able to protect Cutler’s blind side, while also providing veteran leadership to the younger players.

Additionally, much was made of his probable future-Hall of Fame status.

Yawn.

As cute as this sentiment is, watching the former St. Louis star get manhandled by Denver’s Elvis Dumervil in the third preseason game did nothing to quell my suspicions that Pace may be too far past his prime to be considered a viable left tackle for a quarterback of Cutler’s caliber.

At least not if Ron Turner wants to keep the star quarterback out of Chicago-area intensive care units. 

Dumervil’s dominance of Pace exposed a major flaw in the Bears’ offensive metamorphosis this offseason: If Pace can’t take care of business against the likes of Dumervil, how will he fare against James Harrison and the rest of the Steelers defense?

How can he possibly come out on top against Jared Allen twice this year?

Sunday Night figures to be a coming out party of sorts for Dom Capers’ blitz-happy defense. The Packers have no reason to hold back at all when it comes to pressuring Cutler, but the silver lining seems to be that besides Aaron Kampman, Pace shouldn’t have to line up across from any elite pass-rushers. 

The Packers defense should be a good litmus test for how the Bears will perform against some of the potent 3-4 defenses they will face later on this season.

For Pace, it may be just another game in the twilight years of an illustrious career, but for long-suffering Bears fans, it’s more than just another season-opener.

It’s the first time most Bears fans have seen a star quarterback under center for their team, and to have his first game end in a loss to the Packers on national television is about as bad as it can get for us Bears fans.

If the Bears win, hardly anyone in the media will make note of how well Pace blocked. If they lose, he may be asked to shoulder the blame.

That’s the nature of being an offensive lineman, and Pace is no stranger to it. But he will need to play better than anything he has shown us since coming to Chicago in order to keep Cutler on his feet and off his back.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Madden Curse Strikes Again: Cover Boy Troy Polamalu Out Three To Six Weeks

As with every year, the player who graces the cover of the EA Sports’ Madden football game has been injured.

Its latest victim—Troy Polamalu.

Late in the first half of the Pittsburgh Steelers-Tennessee Titans season opener, Polamalu, who was having an All-Pro first half, sprained his MCL in his left knee on a blocked field goal attempt.

Alge Crumpler rolled up on Polamalu’s left knee as Polamalu tried to pick up the live ball and advance it.

The Steelers went on to win the game in overtime 13-10.

In his postgame press conference, according to profootballtalk.com, Mike Tomlin stated that the injury would keep Polamalu out of the lineup for three to six weeks. When asked if the injury could be more severe than they believe, Tomlin responded by saying, “I’m sure it’s possible, but we don’t have any concrete evidence it’s worse than that.”

At the earliest, Polamalu could be back for the Oct. 11 game at the Detroit Lions, and at the latest (hopefully) the Nov. 9 game at the Denver Broncos.

Beware Larry Fitzgerald.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

It Is Time To Realize These Aren’t Your Parents’ Pittsburgh Steelers

Being born in Pittsburgh, I was also born into Steeler Nation. As I grew up, I watched Chuck Noll as he produced the finest dynasty ever in the NFL. He did so, but stacking a defense with power hitters, smart players, and physical specimens that battered people because they enjoyed it.

Adding to the punishing defense, there was the pounding running game. Franco Harris and Rocky Blier would amaze fans with the ability to run around people, or through them if need be.

As time went on, and the NFL rules changed, Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, and John Stallworth also took time in the lime light, but make no mistake about it, the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to run the ball and pound you with defense.

It was the blueprint for the dynasty, and it was the way the Steelers were.

But, as life changes, so does the NFL. No longer can a team win, with only being able to dominate on defense (OK, the 2000 Ravens were the exception to the rule), and no longer can a team run the ball over and over and over, and expect to be successful.

Some teams don’t even need to have a running game to be successful. Look at the Greatest show on turf of the late 90’s, and the Arizona Cardinals from last year.

It has been a slow transition for the Steelers, but the days of Chuck Noll are fading from the rear view mirror, and the days of Mike Tomlin are officially here.

One thing that Mike Tomlin and Chuck Noll have in common, is the devastating defense. The 2008 Steelers are the first team to remind me of the original Steel Curtain. Ranking first overall, first against the pass, second against the run, first in points against, and leading almost every other category that is important That remains the staple of the Steelers.

But, you can not leave a defense on the field for 60 minutes.

In their opening game against the Tennessee Titans, the Steelers rushing game was non existent. The Steelers rushed for 36 yards on 23 carries, for an average of 1.6 yard per carry.

If this was a one game situation, you could chalk it up to a great defensive effort by the Titans (which, not to take away from the Titans, it was.). But the Steelers finished the 2008 season ranked 23rd in the NFL.

The Steelers are no longer the power running team they used to be. In the days of Jerome Bettis, Barry Foster, Bam Morris, and Franco Harris, Pittsburgh rushed to set up the pass.

Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall are never going to be in the class of the above mentioned men. They just don’t have what it takes to play “Steeler football.”

Thursday night against the Titans, it was Ben Roethlisberger that led the team to victory, and it was on the strength of his arm and the accuracy of his passes.

Over the course of the offseason, there were many debates about who the best quarterback in the NFL was. After Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, who deservedly were one and two on every list, there were many people that put Roethlisberger anywhere from 10-18.

It is because the Steelers have always relied on the running game, and always neglected the pass.

Lets look at Bens stat line for the game against the Titans.

33 of 43, 363 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT (One was a Hail Mary at the end of the first half).

This is the kind of numbers Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning put up. If Ben Roethlisberger is able to perform like this, then the Steelers need to stop living in the past, and move into the future.

Ben Roethlisberger, at 27-years old, has the ability to do what Tom Brady has done. Ben Roethlisberger, like on the final drive of Super Bowl XLIII, put the Steelers on his back, and won the game for them twice tonight (twice because the Hines Ward fumble would have been the first).

The offensive line that so many people were up in arms about, did a fantastic job for most of the night protecting Ben on pass plays. You can not fault the line when the running backs do not pick up the blitz, or Ben scrambles 19 yards backwards.

I watched the NFL Networks presentation of America’s Game, the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers, and in it, Mike Tomlin calls Ben Roethlisberger a gunslinger. Some times he gets shot. And that is true.

Roethlisberger takes more sacks than anyone in football. Watching the game tonight, I noticed that every time someone was near Kerry Collins, he launched the ball to the equipment manager, for either team. I even saw that Dennis Dixon caught one of his passes.

Ben Roethlisberger is not that way. He fights for everything he can get. Does he take sacks because of it, absolutely. But how many times does he make plays that end up being big for the Steelers? More often than not.

Steeler Nation, it is time to stop wishing for the past to again be the present. It is time for the Steelers to evolve into the dynasty they could be. That will not happen with Willie Parker leading the charge, and it certainly will not happen with Rashard Mendenhall.

The man to lead the Steelers to the promised land again, is Big Ben Roethlisberger.

Does anyone wonder why the Steelers struggle so bad until they go to the no huddle offense? Then whey they go to the no huddle they are so successful?

Because in the no huddle, Roethlisberger is the man that calls the plays. The reason the no huddle works is because Roethlisberger understands his team, and the players, and the defense.

The fact is, everyone reading this is in one of two camps. They will either insist that the Steelers run the ball until it is successful, or the ones that realize that what the Steelers have in Roethlisberger is some thing special. Something that does not happen very often in the NFL.

We can either evolve or stay the same. Evolving means putting Ben in the position to get the stats he is capable of getting, or hand cuff him and expect miracles every time. We all need to remember, this Steelers team could be special, and long as we don’t expect them to be our parents Steelers.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Ben Roethlisberger Leads the Charge as Pittsburgh Steelers Win Season Opener

After watching the 2009 NFL Season Opener, I am still exasperated. What a game, and what a way for the NFL to welcome its fans back to football season. There were several things that both coaches will be happy with coming away from this game, as well as several things that they will be screaming about and trying to fix moving forward.

Welcome back to football as the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Tennessee Titans 13-10 in OT.

As usual, I will focus on the Steelers and will be back Monday night to analyze the play of the rest of the AFC North. Also, due to requests from friends, coworkers, and family, I will begin reporting on the NFC North as well starting soon (which also works out as the inter-conference battle takes place this year).

Shameless plug out of the way, let’s get to some football!

Obviously, the major highlight for the Steelers was the play of Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben was 33 of 43 for 363 yards. This is significant for several reasons. The first is that Roethlisberger has clearly shown that off-field drama (lawsuit claiming sexual misconduct, for anyone who has been living under a rock) has not been a distraction for him and that his is ready to go.

Another reason that factors in is that Big Ben has demonstrated that he can carry the weight of the team on his shoulders even when the running game cannot get going (an issue to be addressed later on).

Also, while less important or relevant to the season, Roethlisberger has, as of tonight, passed Kordell Stewart and moved into second all-time passing yards for the Steelers franchise (10 guesses who No. 1 is…). While all this may seem trivial, it is a huge step in the right direction for a team trying to defend its Super Bowl title.

The Steelers may have had faith in Roethlisberger before, but he came out and justified that faith Thursday night. This means that the Steeler team can keep its head in the game, even through adversity in the run game which can be devastating to morale.

A few observations about the Steelers notables:

Stefan Logan looked pretty sharp tonight against a Titans team who is well known for great Special Teams plays (also read—who doesn’t allow opponents to have good ST play). The offensive line got off to a rough start and never seemed to find a groove for opening up the run game. They did find their niche in the second half for pass protection though.

Coach Mike Tomlin has to be happy about that, even if he is miffed about the former becoming a problem like it was last season.

Rookie production for a fairly deep team (in most areas, as no team has the depth they wish they had in all areas) has got to be making offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and Coach Tomlin very happy—specifically the playmaking ability shown by rookie WR Mike Wallace, whose quick thinking turned a potential throw away/sack into a 22-yard completion to set up the winning field goal.

Additionally, the defense played very well, if a bit rusty. The defense gave up only three points in the second half, and also had a blocked field goal attempt.

Speaking of which, let’s hit some of the low points for the evening. Pittsburgh has got to be holding its breath and saying some silent prayers for the quick recovery of Pro Bowl Safety Troy Polamalu, who suffered a MCL sprain in his left knee on the field goal block.

Coach Tomlin reported that this type of injury usually sidelines a player for three to six weeks, but would not speculate on the specific prognosis of Polamalu. Obviously, his absence will be felt by the Steelers’ defense.

Also, as mentioned earlier, the offensive line seemed to be non-existent in opening up the run game. The Steelers managed to accrue a massive 28 yards rushing on the night. While credit is due to the Titans’ defense in stuffing the run, the Steelers O-line needs to take responsibility for this and work hard on making tonight seem more like a fluke and less like a trend.

In a rare, almost rookie-like mistake, Pro-Bowl WR Hines Ward made a spectacular catch over the middle at the Tennessee 30, and after being hit at the four, tried to plow ahead for more yardage. This caused a fumble near the end of regulation that could have spelled disaster, yet with little time remaining on the clock, Tennessee ran the time out and took their chances in Overtime. They lost the coin toss and never saw the ball again.

Overall, the Steelers put on an impressive performance Thursday night against a very good Titans team. The Steelers have shown the league that no matter the adversity that they face, they are defending Super Bowl Champions for a reason and do not intend to back down.

While they have their work cut out for them, confidence should be riding high in Pittsburgh tonight, and will carry on as they prepare to head to Chicago next week.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Pittsburgh Steelers Ground Game Faces Uphill Climb After Win Against Titans

The biggest weakness of the Pittsburgh Steelers entering the 2008 offseason was believed to be the offensive line. After the Steelers management made no real effort to improve the unit, many believed the Steelers were in for a long year.

It is debatable that the reason for the Steelers rushing game finishing 23rd, was that the offensive line was just not able to do their job.  Starting out the 2009 season, the real culprit reared it head, and the true identity of the weakness is no longer a secret.

The running game of the Pittsburgh Steelers, if you want to call it that, was non existent in the season opening game Thursday on NBC. Starter Willie Parker carried the ball 13 times for 19 yards. To make matters worse, one of those carries was for eight yards. His average minus his long run was less than one yard per carry.

Former first round pick Rashard Mendenhall had four carries for six yards, with a long of three, meaning other than his long, he averaged one yard per carry as well.

In the fourth quarter of the game, when the Steelers went to the “Lightning” package (no huddle offense), Mewelde Moore was the only running back on the field, and he managed eight yards on five carries. After his long of four yards, he also averaged one yard per carry.

Frank Summers started his first game at full back, and to say he did not play well, would be a compliment. On two separate third and one situations, the Tank plowed over nothing but himself, missing two critical blocks, that cost the Steelers two first downs.

A cold hard reality now face the Steelers, what happens next?

“Fast” Willie Parker looked anything but fast. Every time he touched the ball, he seemed to run directly into the defense of the Titans.

Not taking anything away from the Titans, their defense played a fantastic game, but “Fast” Willie did not look very fast. Nearing the dreaded age of 30, Willie Parker can no longer rely on his speed to just out run everyone on the field.

Playing in his contract year, Parker needs to show that he still has what it takes to be the feature back in the NFL. If tonight is any indication of how the year will go, Parker could be in his last year in the NFL.

Rashard Mendenhall, who was the Steelers 2008 first round pick, has done less than Parker. A players first year with the Steelers, they normally do not get a lot of quality playing time. Mendenhall was lost for the season five games into his rookie year.

In the preseason, while Parker was nursing injuries, Mendenhall got the start, and his chance to show that he was ready to take over the featured back role. What he showed, was he was afraid of getting injured again.

Every time Mendenhall was about to get hit, he seemed to duck, or fall, or run out of bounds. That is not what Steelers running back do.

The Steelers have a long history of having punishing running backs. From Franco Harris, Barry Foster, Bam Morris, and Jerome Bettis, the Steelers have big backs to pound of defenses, to wear them out, and win at the end.

Rashard Mendenhall is not the typical Steelers big back.

Mewelde Moore was brought to Pittsburgh to be a third down back. That is his role, that is his job. Catching passes out of the back field is where Moore excels, and when he is asked to do that, and only that, he does it well.

But, Moore is not a starter. He is not a runner that scares defensive coordinators, at least not rushing the ball.

If Moore is asked to carry the ball, he will never last an entire season, and the Steelers ground game will get no better.

Where do we go from here?

The Steelers next game is in Chicago, against the Bears. The Bears are another team that prides themselves on punishing people with their defense, as were the Titans.

So, what does Pittsburgh do about their ground game? Simple, start from scratch.

The Steelers identity is no longer the power running game, and punishing defense. The defense is still punishing, but the ground game is just not there.

It is time to cut the trends, realize that these Steelers are not your parents Steelers, and start from scratch.

Right now, there is a man that played with the Steelers this preseason, his name is Isaac Redman, and he is currently on the practice squad. He needs to be signed to the active roster immediately.

Is he the next Jerome Bettis? Doubtful. Could he do worse than Parker and Mendenhall? How much worse than one yard per carry could he be?

Redman was signed this offseason as an undrafted free agent. During the preseason, he carried the ball 37 times for 145 yards (3.9 per carry), and three touch downs. What was most impressive, his touch down run against the Carolina Panthers came with the Steelers second team in the game, and the Panthers first team defense.

On the run, Redman piled into the Panthers secondary, broke four tackles, and plowed his way into the end zone. One of those broken tackles was Julius Peppers.

Redman also scored in practice three times out of six, during the Steelers goal line drill, pitting first team offense against first team defense. If he can pound it in the end zone against the Steelers defense, then he can do it against anyone.

Justin Vincent is in his second go around with the Steelers, and like Redman, is also on the practice squad. Vincent did no where near as well in the preseason as Redman did, but the heart and determination he displayed, should at least get him a shot. Vincent could spell Redman, or play if Redman is injured.

I will be the first person to tell you that I am not sold on starting a rookie, and having even one in the back field makes me nervous. But at this point, what do the Steelers have to lose?

As long as the only options the Steelers have are “Slow” Willie Parker, and Rashard “Don’t hit me” Mendenhall, I will take a running back that is not afraid to stick his neck out, and get the job done. Even if he is a rookie.

There is an old saying, those that do not learn from their mistakes, are bound to repeat them. The mistake the Steelers made this off season (and it is the only one I have noticed), was not bringing in someone that could push Mendenhall and Parker for playing time.

Keeping them could be a mistake that eventually costs the Steelers, Lombardi number seven.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Titans Show They Won’t Back Down in 2009

In a game where both teams typically are known for their ability to run the ball, Thursday’s game between Tennessee and Pittsburgh ended up being decided in the air.

The Titans stifled the Steelers’ rushing attack, allowing just 36 yards on 23 attempts. Yet, Tennessee did not fare much better, picking up 86 yards on 25 carries.

Chris Johnson and LenDale White, also known as “Slash and Dash,” were unable to get any rhythm going offensively against the Steelers defense.

Johnson finished with 57 yards on 15 carries, 32 yards of which came on an early play when he reversed field and turned the corner before being knocked out of bounds by Troy Polamalu. Take away that run and Johnson averaged just 1.7 yards per carry, slightly better than the Steelers’ team average of 1.6 per carry.

White, who looked faster after losing 40 pounds this offseason, took the ball just eight times but picked up 28 yards, an average of 3.5 yards per carry. 

So what does all this mean for the Tennessee offense?

In the short term, it means a 13-10 overtime loss. As far as the rest of the season is concerned, however, it means the Titans rushing attack is good, but still not good enough to overcome the vaunted Steelers run defense.

Jeff Fisher and the Titans certainly should not be discouraged by the results they saw Thursday out of the backfield. And there are two reasons in particular that they should like what they saw.

First, Johnson looked as quick and confident as ever, especially on a 32-yard scamper that started left and finished on the right side of the field. Sure, his running style may not have worked the rest of the game against the Steelers D, but he showed flashes of what could be an excellent second season.

As long as Johnson can run as well as he did in his rookie campaign, the Titans’ offense should be much improved from 2008.

Second, White looked faster. That’s not to say he’s going to outrun Johnson in the 40-yard dash, but he certainly looked a few steps quicker after losing the weight.

If White can be faster and quicker through the hole this season while still maintaining his strong running style, he will improve the Titans’ already impressive running game. And though he took just eight carries to Johnson’s 15, if he keeps it up he should see his percentage of the workload increase.

So, it looks like the Titans still have an excellent one-two punch while improving in the pass game with the addition of Nate Washington and rookie Kenny Britt. If that’s the case, and it certainly appeared that way Thursday night against the class of the AFC, Tennessee should have little trouble putting together a second consecutive 10-win season.

Fortunately for the Titans, they get a couple extra days to prepare for a home game against the Texans next Sunday at LP Field. 

In its first matchup with Houston last season, Tennessee rushed for 158 yards with Johnson’s 74 yards on 16 carries leading the way for the Titans. White also rushed for 49 yards on 16 carries while reaching the end zone twice in the game.

With the way the Titans looked Thursday night, it would be safe to bet on a similar performance to last season’s first game against the Texans. Johnson and White should get a more evenly split percentage of the carries with White taking the ball more often in short yardage situations.

What Tennessee needs to improve, however, is its blocking up front. Certainly much of the blame should go to the Steelers’ strong defensive line, but the Titans’ offensive line struggled to create holes for either back.

Houston’s D line should not pose nearly as much a threat in Week Two, so the Tennessee rushing attack should be back in full force. 

The Texans finished 23rd in the NFL in rush defense last season, despite relatively strong performances against the Titans.

And if Houston’s four preseason games are any indication—the Texans allowed more than four yards per carry in each game and more than six per game versus the Saints and Vikings—their run defense may even be worse in 2009.

So, with what appears to be a much-improved passing attack in 2009—especially downfield with Washington and Britt — the Titans should use a balanced attack to take care of the Texans in Nashville next week.

Of course, a heavy dose of Slash and Dash would not be bad either.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Ten Random 2009-2010 NFL Player Awards

I’ve had enough of the same old individual awards the NFL hands out year after year. It’s time to spice things up.. Here are my suggestions: some of these spiffy new trophies could be given out in the pre-season, as a morale booster of sorts for the players. Others would be given after the season ends, to validate a player’s hard work. Either way, football will never be the same. Read on to find out all about it…

Begin Slideshow

Crabtree, Seymour Are First Humans To Dislike San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco’s reputation as the only city on the planet that nobody dislikes was officially called into question this afternoon, effectively ending a 160-year streak of general popularity.

Former Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree, and recently-acquired Oakland Raiders DE Richard Seymour have both expressed passive-aggressive disdain for the city by the bay, thus obviating its reputation for unquestioned likability.

“He just doesn’t want to be here,” explained former 49er great Steve Young, when asked to comment on Crabtree’s refusal to sign a contract.

If true, Michael Crabtree will be the first person — ever — to hate on San Francisco. Not to be outdone by its more famous cross-bay neighbor, Oakland has responded in kind by unleashing Richard Seymour into the primadona cadre.

Insiders report that both Crabtree and Seymour are committed to their disdain, and Crabtree’s agent has reported that the college standout will not be moved by the following Bay Area virtues:

 

• Fantastic weather that is totally devoid of snow and hail, with perhaps fifteen rainy days a year, and nothing but sunshine  thereafter.

• A laid-back attitude in which B.S. is cut out of the equation, and good ideas help drive an innovation economy.

• The best burritos on earth. Even better than in Mexico.

• Hot European tourists who come here in hopes of discovering a ‘Free Love’ culture that hasn’t existed in forty years. 

• Beaches, Wine Country, and Tahoe — all within a four hour drive of eachother. Like seriously. God put all those awesome things in one place. And to think that he didn’t give any of Russia’s eight timezones jack-sh*t. 

• Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, the Olympic Club, and a ton of other great golf-courses for when you retire rich — and, yes, Mr. Crabtree, $20 million is considered rich. 

• Nerds from Stanford and Berkely who invent awesome stuff for us to use, then crawl back into their caves.

• … and much, much, more!

Michael Crabtree has already gone on the record to say that, in an ideal situation, he would have been drafted higher. More specifically, he wishes that he could live in one of the following cities: Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City, Cincinnati, or Jacksonville.

Should Crabtree fail to sign with the 49ers, and re-enter the draft en route to an eventual third round selection, it will stand as evidence that, for the first time ever, somebody showed up in San Francisco and determined that they hated it there.

Football analysts continue to speculate that there is no way Michael Crabtree has partied at the bar Medjool in San Francisco’s Mission District, or else he would be “completely sold” on the city. If true, then it is also highly unlikely that he has eaten at either El Ferolito or Taqueria Cancun, further erasing hopes of getting the sophomore standout addicted to his currently-temporary home.

“At this point, we have to assume that he hasn’t rented a lakeside house in Tahoe,” explained John Gruden, “because anybody who does that could never hate on Cali.”

Gruden also pointed out that Crabtree’s current net worth of zero dollars would make it difficult to afford a boat.

Famed NFL coach John Madden, himself a California transplant, added that he “feels bad for anybody who hates getting laid,” noting that San Francisco’s many liberal girls have convinced themselves that sluttiness is better referred to as “open mindedness” or “empowerment.”

Those with knowledge of the conflict have set Saturday as the unofficial deadline for Crabtree to get his shit together and sign the damn contract.

Should he choose to forgoe a contract, Crabtree will force thousands of San Francisco yuppies to exclaim, “What? Is he serious? I mean, seriously?! No… No way…”

 

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Ladell Betts: Overrated Or Over-Hated?

Redskins pre-season talk has focused on Marcus Mason and Anthony Aldridge, both of whom fought an uphill battle trying to make the Redskins final roster; Mason, after three years, finally secured an unlikely spot despite concerns he’s too same-ish to the other tailbacks on the team.

Discussion has also centered around Clinton Portis because of concern that he’s on his last legs and because, well, he’s Clinton Portis. He’s the face of the franchise.

Finally, a few people have been wondering if Rock Cartwright is really worth a spot on the roster just for being in the top half of the NFL in return yards when he doesn’t do much on offense. He’s a role model and work ethic leader, so he was a lock to make the team.

But what about that other tailback on the roster, No. 2 tailback Ladell Betts?

He just turned thirty a few days ago, so now is as good a time as any to look back at Betts’ career, evaluate his performance, and perhaps decide what the team can do to improve his production.

The No. 1 criticism against Betts is that his production has trailed off considerably since 2006, when he rushed for 1,154 yards and signed a juicy 5-year contract. It seems as if he’s coasting, collecting pay stubs while Portis takes the vast majority of rushing attempts and hits from locomotive linebackers.

Certainly, 2006 was by far his best year. He averaged an excellent 4.7 yards/carry, a number that obliterates the merely-average 3.6 and 3.4 in seasons since then. In fact, his performance in 2006 had most people labelling him a starter-quality back. He certainly could have found a job as the number one and made slightly more money.

While that raises warning flags, it’s far from proof he’s a coaster. It’s not just his unexpected re-sign in Washington in 2006 but his less dynamic performance since then that have critics condemning him for playing for the paycheck and not the Lombardi Trophy.

In the two seasons since then, Betts has rushed for 541 yards, less than half the production than he had in 2006 alone. After four trips to the end zone in ’06, he’s had just one per year since then.

People read too much into just these numbers, though. Although this doesn’t quite explain his Herculean 4.7 yards/carry, a number nearly as good as Adrian Peterson had in 2008, I think that Betts benefited from one of the Redskins best offensive lines of the past decade.

It’s strange to think the Redskins could have had a loaded line in ’06. After all, the team tied worst record of the Daniel Snyder era with a pathetic 5-11 final mark. The offense was strangely productive, though. The team ranked in the top half of the league in yards per game, especially impressive when you consider that Jason Campbell played seven games as an unpolished rookie.

I give a lot of credit to that line, which not only gave Betts and Portis (4.1 yards/attempt) room to run, but gave Campbell and Brunell loads of time in the pocket. Campbell’s 3.3 sack percentage and Brunell’s 4.4 sack percentage were by far the lowest numbers of their careers. When Campbell played, the line allowed only seven sacks in seven games.

So, Betts’ numbers were inflated by a very good O-line in 2006 and have fallen with a line that has shown signs of age since. In that way, Betts’ prospects don’t look especially promising in 2009. He’ll be looking for blocks from a line that’s crumbling from age and lack of prospects.

But to be fair to Betts, he hasn’t been asked to step up to a starter role since 2006 when Portis battled injuries. When Portis is out there, fighting off any sort of aches and bruises and delivering punishing blocks, the Redskins don’t particularly need Betts to do much besides convert the occasional first down.

I think it’s fair to say that Betts ought to be playing better than he has been the past two years. Whether it’s just a stroke of bad luck and bad blocks, an inability to develop rhythm, or perhaps even the sense of entitlement fans accuse him of having, he’s not earning his contract just yet. But fans shouldn’t expect him to return to his tremendous efficiency of 2006 until the front office and coaching builds an offensive line that will allow him to do so.

Every part of a football game can be better understood by looking at the battle in the trenches, and the performance of Ladell Betts is no different.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010