Raiders Attack Rich Gannon Instead Of The Broncos

As an Al Davis staff member, imagine getting an order to collect video, audio and text clips of all things perceived as negative said about the Raiders.  This is the exact same sort of tactics used by the former communist secret police.  It’s called a dossier.

No one is allowed to speak ill of the regime lest they face serious consequences.

A Rich Gannon dossier must exist front and center on Raiders senior executive John Herrera’s desk because he is able to rattle off all kinds of statements to try and paint Gannon as a villain.  Not just a villain mind you, Herrera wouldn’t stop there.  Herrera would have us believe Rich Gannon should be shamed in Raiders lore for a lost Super Bowl.

Thank you John Herrera for once again showing you are insecure and immature.  Or maybe you are really just a good solider thinking you are saying what the boss wants you to say.  Though, you lack the fortitude to admit that and instead, choose to end an interview abruptly rather than confront the main issue at hand.

In the mind of the Raiders front office, the most important issue is getting their side of the story out.  That is the mistake Al Davis has believed to be the way to go about solving every problem prior to a lawsuit.

Anything that does not fall in lock step with that side of the story is labeled as hateful or damaging to the organization.

What John Herrera and Al Davis have failed to learn in their many years of experience is their methods have always failed to win fan sentiment.  Most of us think both of those guys are insensitive and out of line.  If you don’t see that then look at this latest episode and try and come up with a rationale for it that really makes sense.

Unless you just don’t like Gannon in which case, it all makes perfect, legitimate sense.

Let’s put this latest episode of Raiders vs Gannon on the back burner since it most likely will go away and rightfully so.  It’s a disgrace for the Raiders front office to openly discredit the deeds of Rich Gannon and treat him as some wayward journeyman.

The Raiders did not make Gannon great.  Gannon made Gannon great and he got beat in the Super Bowl by the man who helped him become great, Jon Gruden.  This is ancient history now and for Herrera and/or Al Davis to not acknowledge that is pathetic.

But onto team matters, today ‘s game against the Bronco’s was awful.  It was awful because of the stifling heat. It was awful from the very start when it was plain as day there was no energy on defense.  There is no excuse for how soft the defense played.  The goal line stand in the first quarter was nice but it never should have come to that.

So in essence, the team took one step forward in Game One against the Chargers but two steps back by Game Three against Denver.

Also setting the tone was Jamarcus Russell throwing an interception in the first quarter.

Let’s just admit this Raider fans,  Jawalrus isn’t getting it.  He’s had enough time to develop his skills set.  Aside from a few pretty good moments in this career thus far, his consistency is just not there.  This year, he should be showing a lot better polish under the tutelage of Paul Hackett.

I won’t say JR’s a bust but his play is barely marginal.  My opinion has always been JR is not about the game.  He is about the coin.  His heart is not into being a pro football player.

This is where Al Davis has made the majority of his mistakes.  He still believes players want to be Raiders and this will bring out greatness in them.  He genuinely lives by that sentiment.

One would think a guy as smart as Al would come to his senses by now and see the light through the trees.  Players these days want the coin, not the greatness.  It doesn’t matter what they say.  The bottom line speaks for itself.

Al has invested too heavily into marginal players and now the franchise is paying the price.  JR’s arm is great but he doesn’t have the intangibles or the will to take the team on his back as every QB leader must do.

Are we going to see anything from DHB or is he just running in circles out there?

As for Darren McFadden, when your best offensive weapon fumbles three times it’s pretty much over.

Not that it would have mattered but the Raiders had chances to score more points today but they beat themselves.

 

 

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Singletary’s Singular Vision Of “Show Me” Is Working

Today, after suffering more than I would have suffered had my wisdom teeth been pulled out by pliers without the benefit of pain relief by a blind dentist, I nearly had a cardiac when I heard the whimpering of pathetic-sounding 49ers fans.

They were on the radio telling the world who should have played this position, who shouldn’t have played that position, questioning timeouts, play-calling, etc.

I have this to say to them:

Woulda.

Coulda.

Shoulda.

Oh, one other thing: It’s a team sport.

You win and lose as a team, coaches, fans, players, cheerleaders, and crybaby fans and all.

As Coach Mike Singletary says, there are positives and negatives on every play.

I choose to focus on the positive that I saw displayed by a young, energetic, never-say-die 49ers team today.

I’ll take a hard-earned loss and the plentiful positives.

As for the negatives?

Well, if I had all the answers, I’d be the coach, now wouldn’t I?

So, whiney Niner fans, please chill.

We’re in first place.

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Who’s To Blame In Washington?

This one was supposed to be easy. This one was supposed to make the team 2-1 and be a tune up for Dallas, New Orleans and San Diego further down the slate.

It wasn’t supposed to go like this.

When the Washington Redskins lost to the Detroit Lions this afternoon, it marked the beginning of the end of not only the 2009 season, but the Jim Zorn era in Washington.

Is this Jim Zorn’s fault? Is it Jason Campbell’s?

No. Well, not really.

It all starts at the top.

Flashback to January 2008

When Coach Gibbs decided to return to the Redskins in 2004 after a 12 year layoff, the Hall of Fame coach had one goal in mind: to bring the team back to its winning ways, and put them in the perennial hunt for the Super Bowl championship.

Gibbs resigned after four mediocre and difficult seasons, but with two trips to the playoffs under his belt.

When Gibbs left, he left the following:

Defensive Coordinator/Head Coach in Waiting Gregg Williams.
Williams signed on with the team after a failed stint in Buffalo with the idea of learning how to be a Head Coach from the best in Gibbs. Williams worked a thousand hours a week, was incredibly aggressive, and continues to be one of the best defensive minds in football.

Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach Al Saunders (and his 700 page playbook).
Saunders had the most complicated system in the NFL when he was with the Redskins. In fact, he brought in his own backup quarterback in Todd Collins to help teach Washington’s young starter Jason Campbell how to run the system.

Collins claimed at the time that it took two full seasons before a player became comfortable with the offense. He backed it up, taking over for the injured Campbell late in the 2007 season and leading the team to the playoffs despite deteriorating arm strength and mobility. Collins showed the world just a glimpse of what Washington would be capable of once the entire 700 pages were in.

The best all-around RB in the league and an offensive line built to run.
Clinton Portis can run, catch, block, and play all three downs with no question. While there were and are better pure runners in the league, there are very few that can do everything at an all-star level.

The offensive line featured five huge, strong, and gritty blockers who may not have been the most athletic, but they consistently bulldozed their way downfield and were solid if unspectacular pass-blockers as well.

A young quarterback with all the tools and two years in the same system.
Jason Campbell is strong, agile, smart, and cool under pressure. He’s got great character and leads by example. Those are the tangibles and intangibles. Campbell also had begun to pick up the incredibly complicated offensive system and showed good signs of improvement before he was hurt.

With the running game and the consistency on the offensive line, his third year in Saunders’ system was his chance to break out and take his place among the great NFL QB’s.

A deep and talented defense.
While the defense did have its holes (no dominant pass-rusher and the gaping void left by the death of Sean Taylor), it was among the deeper and overall talented units in the league. Williams had honed a system of accountability, aggressiveness, and intelligence that permeated across the entire group.

The team was only a couple of players away and had one of the better coaching staffs in the league. Gibbs had realized his goal; he had brought the team to the precipice of greatness.

So what happened?

Enter Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerato.

When Gibbs left the team, his stated reasons of health and lack of family time made sense, but for some reason felt completely hollow.

Given how quickly Snyder re-inserted himself into the day-to-day operations of the team, you had the feeling that he had been held at bay by Gibbs for the last four years and Gibbs was simply tired of constantly explaining himself to his inexperienced boss.

Williams, Saunders Fired

First, there was that strange coaching search. Everyone inside and outside the beltway was surprised that no press release was issued regarding Williams’ promotion minutes after Gibbs’ resignation.

Williams was interviewed four times over the course of a few days. By the third, fans began to sense something was amiss; it was clear that Snyder and Cerato had spent most every day of the last four years with Williams; why the need for the multiple interviews?

It was then announced that Williams had been fired. Not simply passed over for the Head Coach position, but fired.

Passing on Williams was strange enough, but usually it would be up to the new head man to decide who should stay and who should go. You can probably count on one hand how often an owner has fired an individual coach over the last several years.

The Redskins, of course, not only fired Williams but promptly followed that up by firing Saunders as well.

There were never any official reasons given for the firings, and never even an unofficial one for Saunders. Snyder, however, let it be known through his hatchet-man/stooge/puppet/overall lackey Karl Swanson (official title: Vice President) that Williams had somehow degraded Gibbs in one of his interviews, therefore he had been passed over.

(Williams’ response: “I’m rubber, you’re glue. Whatever you say, bounces off of me and sticks back to you”)

Team Announces West Coast Offense

Shortly after the two play-callers were let go (but the rest of the staff was not), Snyder and Cerato announced that the team would be featuring a West Coast offense in 2008.

Really guys?

Saunders’ offense featured a power running game which was used to set up a read-heavy vertical passing game with speedy receivers who gain yards after the catch.

A traditional West Coast offense features athletic offensive linemen, a pass-catching running back, big receivers who go over the middle, and a quarterback schooled in timing and footwork.

On paper, this made no sense.

In reality, it made even less. How could a team announce an offensive system with (a) incorrect personnel, (b) no Head Coach, (c) no Offensive Coordinator?

Then things got even weirder, as one of those three were resolved.

Zorn Hired, the First Time

Jim Zorn was named Offensive Coordinator in mid-January 2008.

Never mind that the team had no Head Coach, and never mind that the Head Coach typically picks the systems that he wants to install and hired the coaches he needs to make that happen.

Snyder and Cerato had no business interviewing, let alone hiring, an offensive coordinator. Cerato had never coached in the NFL and Snyder hadn’t ever coached a down of pee-wee flag football. But these two now had themselves an offensive coordinator.

Two Weeks Pass…

The team seemed poised to name retread Jim Fassel (he who had recently been passed over for the Stanford job) head coach, but somewhere along the line that all fell apart. Fassel eventually would find his way to the UFL.

No real reports were issued during this period of confusion. Coaches were supposedly brought in and out with the usual suspects rumors to have floated through the Snyder compound in Potomac (where Snyder reportedly once billed former Ravens owner Art Modell for lunch), but none were ever confirmed.

And the Head Coach is…ZORN!

Zorn was eventually named Head Coach of the Washington Redskins.

At the press conference, a tired Joe Gibbs stepped to the podium to offer his endorsement and congratulations to Zorn, but even the affable Gibbs failed to summon a smile. He simply looked tired and disappointed.

Cerato and Snyder lavished praise on Zorn, saying how he was the right guy all along and speaking volumes about his offensive mind and how he was an oft-overlooked diamond in the rough.

No one bought it, and the perennial winner of the Most Exciting Team in March award went underground for the next several months, avoiding even their routine Washington Post puff pieces. We’ve all seen the results since.

A Letter to Redskins Nation

We of the Redskins nation buy all of our own hype every year. Every year we spend hours upon hours discussing why this year is the year, why last year couldn’t possibly have been the year, and start booking our trips to the Super Bowl during training camp in July.

Given this comedy of errors, we’re the ones to blame for the team perennially failing to meet our expectations. Snyder and Cerato can’t even conduct a decent coaching search; how can we believe that they could possibly run a team? How can fans continue to buy tickets and jerseys for this mess?

FedEx Field is a shrine to expanding Snyder’s vast fortunes, not to a commitment to excellence.

Until that changes, it doesn’t matter who is the head coach, who calls the plays, what the system is, or who the quarterback is.

Dan Snyder, it’s time to step up and take some accountability. This is YOUR fault.

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Chicago Bears Report Card: Week Three @ Seattle Seahawks

Wow… that was the definition of an ugly win.

In fact, I will just come out and say it; the Bears did not deserve to win.

Their defense, while it forced turnovers, was pretty miserable most of the game. They made Seneca Wallace look pro bowl like and Julius Jones shredded through tacklers like it was nothing.

But they won. And a win is a win, whether it is ugly or pretty and I will take it. So lets get to the grades:

 

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Jay Cutler

Maybe a little generous considering that the offense did basically nothing the entire first half, but he led another comeback victory for the second consecutive week. He finished 21/27 for 247 yards three touchdowns and one interception… Not numbers to yawn at.

Cutler has continued to look calm and collected although a few of his passes seem to sail on him. The interception he threw was just out of the reach of Johnny Knox and a few others to the flat seemed to make the receivers jump up for it, as opposed to hitting them in the numbers where they can continue running up field.

Nit picky, but that’s me. I have my pet peeves and this one of them. Overall, I liked his performance today.

Grade: A-

 

Running backs: Matt Forte (small addition from A.P. and Garrett Wolfe)

At some point, the Bears are going to have to address the complete lack of a run game. Matt Forte had 21 carries for 66 and six receptions for 40 yards. While it was good to seem him become involved in the passing attack, the 3.1 yards per carry needs to get better.

The grade is a little harsh, but that is just because the Seahawks defense was dominated by Stephen Jackson and Frank Gore in the previous two weeks.

At this juncture, I am not sure if it is the offensive line or Forte himself but something has got to kick in soon because the Bears cannot expect to keep winning this way.

Grade: D+

 

Wide receivers: Earl Bennett, Devin Hester and Johnny Knox

Look at these numbers:

Bennett – six receptions for 80 yards plus a two point conversion
Hester – five receptions for 76 yards and one TD
Knox – one reception for seven yards and a TD

That is pretty good all things considered. They didn’t have many, if any, drops and made plays when Cutler got them the ball. They are by no means in the ranks of the best receiving corps but if this is a sign for things to come, than I really like the future.

In my opinion, these three will prove in the future that Chicago is no longer the place where “receivers go to die”.

p.s. How is life treating you over there in Carolina Muhsin Muhammad? You enjoy being 0-2? That’s what I thought.

Grade: B+

 

Tight Ends: Greg Olsen

Finally, Greg Olsen looked like what everyone thought he would look like coming out of training camp. He has a couple nice catches and a touchdown all though his grade is docked because he was beaten by Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry who stripped the ball from Jay Cutler.

Kellen Davis did not receive much attention after last week’s break out game.

Grade: B+

 

Offensive line:

This group just hasn’t impressed me overall. The run game finished with a combined total of 86 yards rushing and Cutler was sacked twice.

Although, I will give credit to this unit. Their grade is boosted by the fact that there are less penalties on the line than last year.

I recall only three false starts for the Bears the entire game. Twice on Chris Williams and once on Frank Omiyale, but considering that Qwest Field is the loudest stadium in the NFL, I consider that an achievement.

Grade: C+

 

DEFENSE

Cornerbacks: Charles Tillman and Zachary Bowman

This too may seem a little harsh considering that no receiver scored a touchdown and Tillman stripped the ball from T.J. Houshmanzedah. But Nate Burlson had 108 yards receiving and there were players open on nearly every play.

And what really ticks me off… On the Julius Jones touchdown reception, Charles Tillman had the opportunity to make the tackle. But instead of wrapping up and bringing down, he tried to rip the ball loose. Unfortunately, he failed and Jones scampered the remaining 20 yards for the score.

I like his attempt at forcing turnovers, but not if they negative result is allowing touchdowns, that in my mind is totally unacceptable. I know thats the player he is and in works sometimes, the second half strip being a good example, but I penalize him for allowing that score.

Bowman played well once the receiver made the catch as he led the team in tackles with eight.

Grade: C

 

Safeties: Kevin Payne, Al Afalava and Danieal Manning

I put three in here because each of them seem to see a lot of playing time. While I still blame some of the holes in coverage on this unit, they get this high of grade because Al Afalava is turning into a defensive steal in the sixth round.

Manning had seven tackles in the game and Payne recorded three plus a batted ball, but they always seemed to be just a second late on getting to the receivers.

Grade: C+

 

Linebackers: Lance Briggs, Nick Roach, Hunter Hillenmeyer and Jamar Williams

I put all four in here because Hunter left the game with a rib injury in the second half.

While I wasn’t impressed by them in the first half, Lance Briggs is the player of the game in my mind. He finished with six tackles, one pass defended, one interception and a sack. I think he likes his captain status.

Nick Roach played very well when he was forced to play middle linebacker once Hillenmeyer left and Jamar Williams stepped in nicely for Roach when he moved over.

Julius Jones was still open to much but I thought they covered Seahawks tight end John Carlson fairly well as he only had three catches for 28 yards.

Grade: B+

 

Defensive line:

They generated some pressure on Seneca Wallace and got to him twice, once each by Anthony Adams and Mark Anderson but where not as disruptive as needed if this defense is to succeed.

The Seahawks finished the game with over 100 yards rushing combined (Jones had 98 yards himself) and Wallace, who finished with 26/44 for 261 yards, generally had enough time to find an open receiver.

Grade: C+

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter: Brad Maynard

He shanked a kick early but of his four punts, two ended up inside the 20, including a 66 yard BOMB that was downed around the six yard line.

Grade: B

 

Kicker: Robbie Gould

He hit one of two field goals. The miss came when his 53 yard kick fell a little short. His kickoffs generally made it to the goal line but his only touchback came when he kicked off from the 45 yard line following a penalty on one of the touchdowns.

Grade: B-

 

Returner: Johnny Knox/Devin Hester

Knox returned the opening kick off of the game back for 53 yards. The rest of his return’s were only average. Hester’s only return netted nine yards.

Grade: B

 

COACHING: Lovie Smith and Ron Turner

I think that these two did not have their team ready for the second week in a row. Turner called just an OK game, with some moments where you just had to sit there and wonder what the hell he was thinking.

And Lovie… whatever Lovie is currently doing with the defensive scheme, it needs to be adjusted. He blitzed more effectively in the second half which is what he needs to do if the defensive line is not generating enough pass rush.

But I will say this, one of my biggest problems the last few years has been the lack of halftime adjustments.

It always seemed that the opposing team would come out and dominate the third quarter because Lovie and the rest of the staff failed to make the necessary changes needed.

But that no longer seems to be the case. In the third quarter, the Bears forced two turnovers with a missed field goal sandwiched inbetween and outscored Seattle 10-0.

So I will say it, touche Lovie… Now get these guys prepared for the first quarter of the games.

Grade: B-

 

Overall Grade: C+

It was an ugly win, but at the end of the day, the Bears are still 2-1.

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Detroit Lions Win! What Does It Mean?

The Detroit Lions have finally managed to break the NFL’s second longest losing streak in league history. Now that the euphoria has settled, we can now reflect on what this victory means.

It means the Lions, the modern example of futility, will not break the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ record losing streak.

It means Matthew Stafford will not have to look over his shoulder for fear of being replaced by Daunte Culpepper simply to break a losing streak.

It means the page has turned from a horrible 2008 season.

It means, for a week at least, the Washington Redskins can be the punch line.

It means the Lions can play the rest of the season for the future, not for the past.

The Lions may have a long way to go before reaching respectability, but at least they can look at the standings and find some other teams with a worse record than themselves. Sunday provided a chance to celebrate; the rest of the season will provide a chance to build a culture where victory is expected.

The win doesn’t mean the Lions have turned a corner, it doesn’t mean Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand are the front office combination to bring the Lions to prominence, but it does mean the nightmare is over and Lions fans can start to dream again.

 

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NFL Quick Hits (Sep. 27)

Frank Gore Expected Out For “at least” Two Weeks

NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora is reporting that Gore will miss about two weeks with what seems to be a high ankle sprain.

There are conflicting reports, but the fact that Gore only had one carry in a very close and heated battle with the Vikings, shows he was hurt fairly badly.

This benefits rookie Glen Coffee immensely, as he has soft match-ups against the Rams and Falcons coming up. Coffee had a horrible rush average, but did find his way to 50+ yards rushing against a tough Minnesota front-line.

Chad Pennington Misses Half of Sunday’s Action With Shoulder Injury

Not much is known specifically about the injury, but it did force trainers to cut Pennington’s jersey just to take a good look at it. Pennington was also seen inspecting and flexing his wrist while exiting the field.

It’s never a good sign when trainers have to use scissors to remoe a jersey, simply to look at an injury.

Chad Henne stepped in and performed well enough to suggest a controversy if Pennington is even slightly less-than-ready for next week’s action.

Donovan McNabb Expected Back After Bye Week

Kevin Kolb has been playing well, and the Eagles got past the Chiefs (quite handily) without McNabb, Brian Westbrook, and Kevin Curtis.

Sure, it was only the Chiefs, but Kolb moved the ball with ease, while DeSean Jackson was more explosive than he had been all season.

LeSean McCoy also filled in nicely for Westbrook, giving Andy Reid and the coaching staff extra confidence that McNabb can take all the time he needs to rest.

Jim Zorn Still Redskins Head Coach, For Now

Zorn’s Redskins are 1-2, with their only win being a less-than-impressive 9-7 victory over the St. Louis Rams. And their latest loss? A 19-14 defeat by the hands of the formerly hapless Detroit Lions.

Their offense is virtually non-existent, and even when it’s working, it’s fairly predictable.

Zorn and the Redskins have a match-up with Tampa Bay next week that looks like a win on paper. And if Zorn want to keep his job, it better be one.

Terrell Owens Held Catch-less For First Time Since 1997

This is bigger than T.O. or anyone in Buffalo will let on.

Remember when Jerry Rice went an entire game without a catch for the first time in over 10 years? Yeah, he was with the Raiders, regressed the rest of the way in his final season with them, and was out of football by the end of the next year.

Owens may not be too far off. With regressing hands (if you can imagine that) and an inability to effectively beat double teams, Owens value is dropping on a run-first team.

Byron Leftwich to Remain Starter

It’s still his job, if only by default.

Josh Johnson didn’t look too much better, and Raheem Morris still isn’t about to throw Josh Freeman into the fire.

After seeing how awful his offense with a veteran under center, Morris would be smart to stick with his guns. Freeman’s career would be over before it even started.

Leftwich, on the other hand, would have a hard time not rebounding from a horrible showing with a relatively friendly match-up with the Redskins in week four.

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Broncos 23, Raiders 3: Denver Dominates in Oakland Once Again

For the second consecutive year, the Denver Broncos went into the hostile environment of their bitter rivals the Oakland Raiders and absolutely dominated from start to finish, and they did it with power football all the way to a 23-3 victory

 

Quick Hits

• The Broncos ran for a season high 215 rushing yards while holding their third straight opponent under 100 yards (95).
• Denver committed its first turnover of the season on a fumble in the third quarter by running back Correll Buckhalter.
• Kyle Orton continues to play smart football, going three games as a Bronco without throwing an interception.
• Brandon Marshall had his first touchdown of the season.
• Knowshon Moreno scored his first rushing touchdown in the NFL.
• The Broncos’ defense has decreased in points allowed with each game, holding Cincinnati to seven, Cleveland to six, and Oakland to a mere three points.
• Renaldo Hill and Andre’ Goodman, both acquired this offseason from Miami, had their first interceptions as members of the Broncos.
• Elvis Dumervil had two more sacks, increasing his season total to six.
• Bronco punter Brett Kern did not see the field until the fourth quarter.  Denver’s offense controlled the game with nearly 13 more minutes of offensive possession.

 

Scoring Recap

First Quarter

The Broncos drove the ball right down the field on their first drive and failed to convert on a fourth-and-goal from the one yard line.

On their next possession, they did much of the same, driving the ball down the field and this time, they were able to capitalize.  More specifically, Kyle Orton threw a short pass across the middle to Brandon Marshall for a touchdown.

Denver capped off the scoring in the first quarter with a 48 yard field goal from Matt Prater, increasing their lead to 10-0.

Second Quarter

The Raiders started the scoring in the second quarter, much to the dismay of Denver fans who saw a forced fumble by Mario Haggan that could have been recovered by Elvis Dumervil turn into a 3rd-and-16 for the Raiders, and Zach Miller caught his longest pass of the day to put Oakland back in field goal range. 

Sebastian Janikowski connected from 48 yards to put the Raiders on the board, and cut the lead to 10-3.

After an impressive 11 play, 76 yard drive, the Broncos were forced to settle for a Matt Prater field goal, but they took a 13-3 lead into the locker room.

Third Quarter

The third quarter was fairly quiet for both sides, but Knowshon Moreno was able to cap off an eight play, 80 yard Denver drive with his first touchdown in the NFL.

Fourth Quarter

The Broncos had arguably their best drive of the season, lasting 16 plays and 88 yards but they were only able to get three points out of it, increasing their lead to what would eventually be the final score at 23-3.

 

Analysis

Although not impressive offensively, this was probably the best Bronco performance of the 2009 season.  Their defense was suffocating, allowing a season low 137 total yardage and three points. 

The Bronco offense was not staggering by any means, but they kept their defense fresh, and made only one mistake all game, their first of the season.

In my preview to this game, I discussed that the biggest key to the Broncos winning this game was establishing a dominant run game while also stopping the run.  They did just that, and not only were they able to control the ball for over 36 minutes, they out-gained the Raiders 215-95 on the ground.

The Broncos also forced three fumbles of Raider starting running back Darren McFadden, who was held to a mere 45 yards.

My second key to victory for the Broncos was defending JaMarcus Russell and forcing him to win the game for Oakland.  Well, in stopping the running game, they forced the issue with Russell, and he was not able to capitalize. 

He threw two interceptions in the early stages of the game, and was sacked three times.  He completed only 12 of his 21 passes for a laughable 61 yards. 

My third key to the game was Kyle Orton’s efficiency, and his smart play continued in a big way.  Orton threw a touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall, and even without leading receiver Brandon Stokley, he seemed to have a firm grasp on the timing with his receivers, especially Marshall and Jabar Gaffney, who combined for nine receptions.

Orton also continued to benefit from great pass protection, avoiding a sack for the second straight week, and also continuing his interception-free streak.

The Broncos established a run game early, and Orton was only asked to throw the ball 23 times.

Denver held Oakland to nine first down plays, and only one appearance in the red zone which was the result of a Correll Buckhalter fumble, and the Raiders fumbled the ball away anyways.

Buckhalter had his most impressive game as a Bronco, leading the rushing attack with 108 yards on only 14 attempts.  He continues to provide the Broncos with excellent speed off the edge, and he is one of the more underrated offseason additions to any team so far.

Defensively, the Broncos were also very impressive, forcing three turnovers while committing their first of the season, increasing their turnover margin to +6.

Elvis Dumervil earned his fifth and sixth sacks of the season, all of which have come in the second half of games.  He has made a very smooth transition to the new 3-4 defense being implemented by Mike Nolan.

Another player making a seamless transition is middle linebacker D.J. Williams, who continues to be around the ball on every play.  He made a couple of great tackles on screen passes today, and led the team with seven tackles.

As an overall unit, the Broncos have not allowed a touchdown in eight quarters of play.  With Dallas coming into town next weekend, they will surely be tested a bit more than they have been so far this year defensively, but this unit has proven that it is capable of breaking the 2006 team’s record of most quarters without allowing a touchdown. 

The Broncos still sit alone on top of the AFC West, now with a record of 3-0 as the Chargers improved to 2-1 with their victory over Miami, Oakland moving to 1-2 with the loss to Denver, and Kansas City in last place with a record of 0-3.

Denver was expected by many fans to begin the season 3-0, but they could not have expected it to be behind the play of their resurgent, No. 1 defense.  Now they head into an eight game stretch where they will play Dallas, New England, San Diego, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Washington, and the New York Giants.

If their defense continues to play as they have, the Broncos and their fans have no reason to believe they cannot handle that competition, and maybe even vault into the AFC elite by winning games.

The Broncos were called the “worst 2-0 team ever” by one analyst, and John Clayton predicted they would win three games.  Sorry John, it just does not seem like this team is going to go on a 13 game losing streak anytime soon.

Denver is well coached, disciplined, smart, and they play smash mouth football by controlling the clock and making timely defensive stops.  This game against Oakland is not going to silence the Bronco haters by any means, but a win at home against the Dallas Cowboys next week could go a long way.

The Broncos remain one of six undefeated teams in the NFL with this big road victory, and are doing it with a whole new brand of football.

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Houston Texans Defense Needs Mental Practice

When Gary Kubiak took over as coach of the Texans in 2006, his mission was to change the mindset of a losing team.

The Texans were coming off a thoroughly embarrassing 2-14 campaign and the players were understandably lacking confidence. 

In his first preseason as head coach, Kubiak and the Texans went 3-1.  While preseason games rarely matter, Kubiak made them matter that year. 

He celebrated the victories as a way to get the players to understand that winning feels good and they really can win in the NFL.

Slowly the culture within the Texans locker room started to change from “we hope we can win” to “we know we can win.”

With that culture change came a change in expectations for both player and fan.

With Sunday’s 31-24 loss to the Jaguars, Kubiak may be faced with yet another coaching challenge that has nothing to do with X’s and O’s.

While two plays stand out from this game (Kevin Walter’s phantom pass interference that cost the team a touchdown and Chris Brown’s subsequent goal-line fumble) the main culprit was again a defense more porous than a colander. 

The Texans’ defense gave up its fourth running touchdown of over 35 yards this season, and the post game quotes suggest that the issues may be mental more than tactical.

“We had some missed tackles in there,” said DeMeco Ryans. “They broke another long run on us. (Defensive coordinator) Frank (Bush) is putting us in great situations; he’s making great calls. We just have to play the defense as well as we can play.”

Mario Williams followed by saying, “We were out of gap, once again. Every time we sit here and give up big yardage like that, it’s us. It’s nothing they did at all. We had a guy right there and we were just completely out of gap.”

Even defensive coordinator Frank Bush chimed in saying, “sometimes guys are a little bit over-zealous; guys try too hard. Other times, guys make mistakes.”

These mental errors are the same errors the team made last week in Tennessee and in week one against the Jets.

On Maurice Jones-Drew’s 61-yard touchdown scamper, the Texans had eight in the box and safety John Busing over compensated on an inside move and broke contain.  This opened the outside lane for Jones-Drew and at the race was on.

The Texans lost that race.

Anyone who has ever played any level of organized sports, from a local beer league softball team to professional sports, can attest that people play better when they are relaxed and comfortable.

The current Texans defense is anything but relaxed and comfortable and their play is tentative and uncertain.

The players seem to be trying so hard to change this that they are not playing disciplined and not trusting their teammates to make the play.  This makes them more tense and more uncertain.

It is not too late to change this trend, but Kubiak must act now before it is too late to save this season, and possibly his job.

With as potent an offense as the Texans possess, they do not need a top flight defense…merely one that can occasionally keep the opposition in check. 

While the team needs an infusion of talent at defensive tackle, cornerback, and safety, there should be enough skill at linebacker and defensive end that a well designed scheme should allow them to be at least average.

In order to become so, however, Kubiak must take a page from his own coaching history and start by changing the mindset. 

This defense does not seem to have faith in themselves and in their ability.  Until they do, the team will not be able to achieve the higher expectations that Kubiak has instilled.

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Baltimore Ravens’ 3-0 Start Sets up Showdown in Foxborough

Now, that’s more like it.

Despite beginning the season with two solid victories and showing more offensive prowess than Baltimore had seen in years, there were still voices of concern.

The defense, which had been the linchpin of one of the more successful NFL franchises of the 21st century, was ranked a mediocre 17th, the secondary was giving up too many big plays, and they were missing Rex Ryan more than they thought they would.

One 34-3 demolition of the Cleveland Browns later, and that No.1 position on ESPN’s power rankings makes that much more sense.

“The old coaching adage is, ‘It’s never as good as it looks. It’s never as bad as it looks.’ And last week, as bad as some things looked, they weren’t that bad,” said head coach John Harbaugh, referring to the criticism his team received after last year’s close win against the San Diego Chargers. “That’s what we try to convey. Yet, we still had to get better.”

“This week, as good as some of those numbers are going to look, it’s not as good as it looks. There [are] a lot of little things in there that we have to improve on.”

Cleveland never had a chance in this one, one of the biggest mismatches of Week Three.

Quarterback Joe Flacco continued his non-sophomore slump, compiling 342 yards of offense and a touchdown.Running back Willis McGahee went into the end zone untouched—twice. Ray Rice registered the first NFL touchdown of his career while wide receiver Derrick Mason made the 800th reception of his.

But after giving too many big plays to the likes of Brodie Croyle and Philip Rivers, the defense embarrassed not one, but two of Cleveland’s quarterbacks.

Brady Quinn couldn’t complete a pass—unless it was less than five yards. After Quinn was benched, Derek Anderson successfully completed a few passes—to the initially maligned Ravens’ defensive backs. Domonique Foxworth, Dawan Landry, and Ed Reed each picked off a Cleveland pass in the rout.

This was the type of win a Super Bowl contender should and expects to have against a lowly opponent. It’s even better when it’s a divisional opponent. Harbaugh instilled the idea in his players’ heads that the Browns could upset them on Sunday, and the Ravens made every effort to make sure that was never a possibility.

Now, it’s on to New England. Despite taking down the Atlanta Falcons, their defense is still attempting to forge an identity, and quarterback Tom Brady still doesn’t look like himself after missing last season. But the running game is sound, their top receiver is still Randy Moss, and their head coach is still one of the smartest men in the NFL.

It will be the next big test for a team with championship aspirations. And if the Ravens can beat Tom Brady and Bill Belichick on their home turf, it just might put those laments about the defense to rest for good.

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Gutsy Win Could Have Long-Term Ramifications For Bengals

Make no mistake about, Cincinnati had no business winning this one. But it wasn’t the fact that the Bengals beat the Steelers Sunday, but how they won that could have long-term effects on the team’s season.

Out-muscled, out-played and out-coached for nearly three quarters, the Bengals were left for dead late in the third quarter, trailing 20-9.

But much like it did last week against Chicago, Pittsburgh let Cincinnati up off the mat and the Bengals took advantage, scoring two TDs and making a huge defensive stand to win the game.

It’s not just the type of win that Cincy would not have pulled out last season; it’s the type of win that the Bengals would not have pulled out against the Steelers ever.

Pittsburgh has been called a lot of things by the pundits and the fans — bully, big brother, tormentor — and all of those things were true for three quarters.

There were the Steelers holding Cincinnati to minus-10 (minus-10!) yards in the first quarter. There was the supposedly porous Pittsburgh offensive line holding the Bengal rushers at bay. And there was that Pittsburgh toughness, delivering hits and getting big yards.

Despite all of that, the lead was only 20-9, when by all rights, it should have been 34-3.

Maybe it was the fact that despite getting pushed all over the field, the Bengals were still in the game that kept them riled up. And maybe, this Steeler team just lacks that ability to put teams away.

Whatever the reason, the fourth quarter belonged to the Bengals. And because Cincinnati’s defense did a good enough job of bending, but not breaking (not to mention scoring a touchdown of its own), the team was in a position to win the game.

Pulling within five on Cedric Benson’s electrifying touchdown run, the Bengal defense stiffened and kept the Steelers from doing what they love to do — killing time in the fourth quarter with the run.

Carson Palmer took over from there showing why he still has the ability to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Palmer drove the Bengals down the field, converted two gutsy fourth-quarter plays (getting a boost from Brian Leonard along the way), and hit Andre Caldwell for the game-winner.

It was the third-straight game that Palmer has taken over the game in the fourth quarter and by all rights, the Bengals should be 3-0 on the season. But the bigger story is the fact that Cincinnati seems to get stronger as the game wears on, a sign that this Bengal team is planning on sticking around all season.

The team still has some wrinkles it needs to iron out.

In each of the three games, Cincy has started off incredibly slow, needing big second halves just to have a chance to win. The defense has forced only two turnovers in three games; and Palmer is still making too many mistakes; while the the kicking game has looked down-right awful at times.

But those mistakes don’t seem as big, after you beat your division tormentor at home for the first time in eight years. And teams that overcome mistakes to post wins, tend to win championships at the end of the season.

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