Bears Super Bowl Chances Hinge On O-Line Improving.

There is the old football adage, “The game is won in the trenches,” and that is most certainly the case for the 2009 Chicago Bears.

But so far, the offensive line has not lived up to expectations.

Obviously, there first two games were played against powerhouses in the Packers and Steelers, but if those games are any indication, Jay Cutler and Matt Forte could be in for a long season.

While Cutler has only been sacked three times through the first two games, he has had to scramble on many occasions and looks to be under pressure on almost every play.

In the Steelers game, Cutler threw at least seven passes off his back foot as he was moving away from the rush. The good thing is, he still has a rocket for an arm even when backpedaling.

In contrast to that, there were several times where Ben Roethlisberger had time to go through each of his reads, re-tie his shoes, text his girlfriend, and then throw a pass before he even noticed the Bears were trying to get to him.

I know that one of the perks to bringing in Cutler was his mobility to keep plays alive with his feet, but just because he has that skill doesn’t mean we have to make him use it so much.

Add to that the complete lack of a rushing game the first two weeks, and a lot of eyes now move to the newcomers on the line.

Orlando Pace is a future Hall of Famer; that said, his Hall of Fame years ended about two seasons ago. He has performed all right, but he needs to get a little more physical than he has been. He did get out in front on a play to the left side and completely blew up a corner coming in, but now he needs to do that to linebackers and defensive ends too.

Chris Williams is entering his second year, his first as a starter. While he hasn’t played poorly, on run plays he never seems to get much of a push—and that is true of all the starters, Olin Kreutz and Roberto Garza included. On run plays, they do not push the defensive line back at all.

The last lineman, and the one who has underperformed the most, is Frank Omiyale. Omiyale was brought in from the Carolina Panthers and was expected to dominate the battle for left guard. However, former starter Josh Beekman played just as well, if not better throughout training camp and the first preseason game.

Yet for some reason (cough ::$$$:: cough), Omiyale was moved into the starter’s role for the second preseason game against the Giants and has been there ever since.

While I support Omiyale and admit that his physical makeup and athletic abilities are impressive, he was absolutely dominated in the opening week by Packers defensive end Cullen Jenkins.

The most obvious occurrence was on one play during the game where Omiyale just totally whiffed on a block, allowing Jenkins to stuff Forte in the backfield for a three-yard loss. That is just completely unacceptable.

To be fair, it is not just Omiyale; the entire line has to improve. But if they don’t, we could be looking at a Caleb Hanie/Adrian Peterson offensive backfield at some point this season.

I realize that this unit is still meshing and learning, but I will make a prediction: If at least the run game doesn’t improve by Week Five, which is the Bears’ bye week, they will be looking at a .500 season, and Lovie Smith will be looking for a new job by season’s end.

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NFL Power Rankings: Bleacher Addition (Week Two)

Week two of the NFL season is in the books, and here are the power rankings thus far.

• The Jets made the biggest leap in the rankings, moving up 10 spots. The Saints broke into the top 10 with a seven spot leap
• The Titans and Packers were the biggest losers, each dropping eight spots with poor home losses.
• The Giants move into the No. 1 spot with their road victory at Dallas and the Steelers loss to Chicago.

1. Giants (2-0): Last Week’s Rank—2

The Giants got a great come from behind road victory in Dallas, Eli Manning is proving he does not need Plaxico Burress to succeed. I wouldn’t read too much into this just yet, the Giants moved up to No. 1 because of some poor performances by the previous top teams.

2. Falcons (2-0): Last Week’s Rank—3

The Falcons took care of business at home against the Panthers, they have a tough road test ahead of them at New England.

3. Colts (2-0): Last Week’s Rank—6

The Colts pulled off a crazy win at Miami on Monday Night Football in which they held the ball for less than 15 minutes, yet scored 27 points.

4. Ravens (2-0): Last Week’s Rank—10

The Ravens went on the road and pulled off the upset in San Diego. The Ravens’ look like they won’t have to rely on that defense as much; Joe Flacco has that offense clicking.

5. Steelers (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—1

The Steelers lost a tough game at Chicago, the swirling winds cost them two field goals and a victory.

6. Saints (2-0): Last Week’s Rank—13

The Saints have been able to make up for the inefficiencies on defense so far, but how long can they keep it up?

7. Jets (2-0): Last Week’s Rank—17

The Jets dominated the Patriots on defense and came away with a great win for Rex Ryan. If the defense ever lets up, they may be in trouble.

8. Vikings (2-0): Last Week’s Rank—9

The Vikings scared some people with a suspect first half, but Brett Favre led the troops past the Lions. The Vikings had the easiest first two games they could ask for, they will need to prove they can beat tough teams before they move further up.

9.  Patriots (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—4

The Patriots could not back up the trash talk on the road against the Jets, their offensive struggles are worrisome.

10. 49ers (2-0): Last Week’s Rank—14

The 49ers picked up two much needed division wins and are looking like the team to beat in the NFC West.

11. Chargers (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—5

The Chargers could not stop the Ravens, despite moving the ball with ease against the great Ravens’ defense. Philip Rivers had over 400 yards passing in the loss.

12. Eagles (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—8

The Eagles were dominated by the Saints, but when they get McNabb back they should be able to hold on to the ball longer and get the defense off the field.

13. Texans (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—16

The Texans picked up a huge bounce back win at division rival Tennessee, Steve Slaton needs to get on board if this team wants to go anywhere.

14. Cowboys (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—11

Besides being able to run the ball all over the Giants after injuring Justin Tuck, the Cowboys were terrible on both sides of the ball. Tony Romo single-handedly cost the Cowboys the game.

15. Packers (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—7

The Packers did not play well with Greg Jennings on the sidelines, this was a terrible home loss to the Bengals.

16. Bears (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—24

The Bears picked up a great win against the defending Champs, but I’m not sure they can withstand the loss of Urlacher just yet.

17. Broncos (2-0): Last Week’s Rank—19

The Broncos dominated on defense yet again, but this time the offense decided to show up. If they can produce on both sides of the ball like this then the Chargers should not feel so confident in the AFC West.

18. Redskins (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—12

The Redskins looked terrible against the Rams, but came away with the victory. Their offense has not been able to move the ball at all the first two weeks, something has to change.

19. Cardinals (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—20

The Cardinals will have to show up offensively if they want to win any games this year. The 49ers took them to school.

20. Titans (0-2): Last Week’s Rank—12

The Titans played two very good teams in the first two weeks, so it may not be time to push the panic button…yet.

21. Bills (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—21

The Bills were able to take care of business at home against the Bucs. They were clicking on both sides of the ball, but how long can it last?

22. Bengals (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—29

The Bengals picked up a solid win at Lambeau Field on Sunday, the offense is clicking but Carson Palmer needs to cut down the turnovers.

23. Seahawks (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—17

The Seahawks were destroyed by Frank Gore, and Matt Hasselbeck left the game with a fractured rib. It does not look good for the Seahawks.

24. Jaguars (0-2): Last Week’s Rank—22

The Jags really needed to bounce back with a win at home after a tough loss to the Colts, but the defense was not up to the challenge.

25. Panthers (0-2): Last Week’s Rank—23

The Panthers looked like they may start figuring out how to win again, but they fell just short against the Falcons on the road

26. Raiders (1-1): Last Week’s Rank—26.

The Raiders picked up a win against the Chiefs, but to move up any further they will have to get a win against a better team. The offense looked awful.

27. Dolphins (0-2): Last Week’s Rank—25

The Dolphins lost to the Colts despite holding the ball for more than 45 minutes, an NFL record in a loss.

28. Bucs (0-2): Last Week’s Rank—27

The Bucs fell behind big early and could not recover, the running game was not as potent against the Bills and it showed in the scoreboard.

29. Chiefs (0-2): Last Week’s Rank—28

Matt Cassel wasn’t enough to put the Chiefs past the Raiders at home, what a said day for Kansas City.

30. Browns (0-2): Last Week’s Rank—30

The Browns’ run defense was exposed by the Broncos yet again, and the Brady Quinn experiment seems to be going downhill

31. Rams (0-2): Last Week’s Rank—31

This was yet another pathetic outing by the Rams, but they were almost matched in mediocrity by the Redskins, were it not for a late turnover, the Rams would have won the game.

32. Lions (0-2): Last Week’s Rank—32

The Lions started the game up 10-0 and ended it down 27-13…with a 10-7 lead at half time it seemed we were just waiting for the Vikings to start trying and put the Lions away.

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2009 NFL Review: Week 2

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Andy Reid’s Stubbornness Holding Eagles Back

To be honest, I’m appalled.

Michael Vick was a starting QB once upon a time, he led his team to the NFC Championship game.

He is seen as a QB with a ‘twist’ and despite his lethal legs, he has a bullet of an arm and just needs to work on his accuracy.

I agree he is not yet a starter for the Eagles, but he is mighty close.

Jeff Garcia, remember him? I

hate to say it, but he really is the whore of the NFL.

He’s been on a grand total of seven NFL teams.

He was undrafted in ’94 and when he finally came into the NFL in ’98 he played for the 49ers. Then, somewhere along the way, he became an Eagle.

Garcia started after a incident I-will-not-say happened to McNabb.

Jeff donned Jaworski’s 7 and went 5-1 taking the NFC East Division championship. 

Kevin Kolb, the “next Eagles franchise QB”, has played part of a total of nine games, starting just one. He has a 50.6 rating, I think my mother could get that, and a 2-7 TD to INT ratio.

Sure he threw for a nice 350+ yards and two TDs against the Saints. But he also threw for three picks.

He missed open receivers time and time again, and he showed rookie mistakes in a game that should have been much closer.

So let’s compare these three QBs. 

You make the decision on who you would start.

Andy Reid wants to start Kolb. Why? He is stubborn.

He let go of Dawkins because Andy is stingy.

He let go of Kearse, I would have kept him even after he took a shotgun shell to the leg.

And now he is starting the QB that is easily the worst of the three he has to choose from.

Andy thinks he Kolb is the best thing since sliced bread (and McNabb), and he has stated that he thinks Kolb is the future for this franchise. 

I fully disagree.

If you look at the NFL right now, Jeff Garcia could start for about five or six teams. Michael Vick could start for the same if not more.

Yet Reid thinks Kolb is the right choice.

His stubborn demeanor is holding this franchise back, at least for the next few weeks.

Start Garcia you stubborn stubborn man.

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Jason Garrett: Too Smart For Himself Sometimes

This article is not meant to throw Jason Garrett under the bus and solely blame him for Sunday night’s loss to the New York Giants. Believe me; Sunday’s loss was primarily on Tony Romo.

He flat-out stunk.

Those three interceptions were all costly and inexcusable because his protection was good and he had time to make the proper read. Romo just made horrible passes. 

This article is also not meant to let the secondary off the hook. Almost all of the defensive backs had at least one bad play. Terence Newman was burnt and Orlando Scandrick was caught out of position several times.

I completely agree that the quarterback and secondary wasted a great performance by the offensive line, special teams, and running backs. Dallas doesn’t have to be great in all areas but they certainly cannot be horrible in any one area.

Last night they were horrible in passing and defending the pass and therefore lost a game they should have won to a bitter rival.

I spent most of my Monday talking with friends about how disgusted I was with the performance of Romo and the secondary, and quite frankly there isn’t much more I can say about how poorly they played. I won’t write about that because it would be too easy and unoriginal.

This is why I am choosing to write about Jason’s Garrett’s tendencies to get too cute. Sometimes he just does things that are silly.

He does things that remind me of the coach from “The Waterboy.” You know? The man that said: “He doesn’t fake. He thinks about faking. He pretends to fake.”

I sometimes think that Garrett makes ridiculous statements like that in his head.

Here are four series that prove that Red Ball can lose his common sense and outsmart himself. Again, this isn’t why the Cowboys lost. These play calls didn’t help by any means but I invite you to read and ponder “why?” with me.

Also look for these cute gimmicks in the weeks to come.

The First Series of the Game

Cowboys have the ball with a 3rd-and-2. Marion Barber has two touches for eight yards. Offenses should be pleased with any 3rd-and-2 situation. Most defenses would be satisfied holding a RB to two yards, but on 3rd-and-2, a two yard run is good enough to move the chains.

This is why this situation is in the offense’s advantage. Defenses still have to think run or pass, and even if they think run and have enough guys to stop it, the ball carrier may still simply fall forward for a first down.

This conventional football knowledge sometimes escapes Garrett’s mind. When he has 3rd-and-2 in the first quarter and Barber has picked up eight yards on the first two plays, Garrett does the “logical” thing and empties the backfield.

What a break for the linebackers. They simply stay in coverage knowing it’s a throw and wouldn’t you know it, Romo looks left, looks right, looks middle…no one open. Series over.

Cowboys’ Third Series of the First Quarter

They lead 7-3 thanks to a healthy dose of the MB3 Playa. The running game looks smooth so Garrett wisely decides to shelf it for a series and come out throwing on first down.

He then decides to throw a quick screen to Jason Witten on second down and of course Roy Williams nearly runs into him. Not like the play would have worked anyways. I love Witten but shaking a defender in the flat is not in his skill set.

All of a sudden it’s 3rd-and-10 and there goes the lead as Romo makes a terrible pass for a pick six. Again, just ask yourself: why doesn’t a running back get a carry somewhere in this series? 

The Cowboys’ First of Two Two-minute Drill Possessions

This one occurred with the score 14-13, and with 1:47 left in the half, ball at the Dallas 10-yard line, and most importantly three timeouts. I don’t understand the need to throw on first down here. 

At this point of the game the Cowboys had been averaging over five yards a carry. Garrett inexplicably risks a sack, safety, or fumble by having Romo drop back to pass on first down, and naturally Flozell Adams commits a tripping foul putting Dallas at the five.

They risk another pass on the replayed down but thankfully Romo connects to Roy for a nice gain and a first down out of bounds to stop the clock. Cowboys are out of the hole and still have all their timeouts. They can still afford to run the ball. In fact, it would not hurt to chew up a little clock to ensure them the final possession of the half.

Do they run it?

Nope, they keep throwing and sure enough you have another turnover. Giants ball inside the Cowboy 30. Newman gets burned and the lead is blown.

The Killer Drive

Cowboys ball near midfield. Dallas clearly has the running game firing on all cylinders. Romo has been off but the Cowboys lead 24-20 anyways. They try a play-action kill shot, which generally is not a bad idea because the running game is working and midfield is the area where you try this.

However, the running game was working too well to even think about abandoning it. Plus, Romo clearly is off so no need to give him an option to just chuck it up. He of course does this and delivers a ridiculous interception.

I want to finish this piece by pointing out something even peculiar about this play: the personnel. Here are the Cowboys’ route runners on the play: Sam Hurd, Patrick Crayton, Jason Witten, Marion Barber, and Deon Anderson! I like all of these players but are any of these guys the ones you think of when Dallas dials up a bomb?

Where is Miles Austin? Where is Felix Jones? Most importantly, where is Roy, your No. 1 receiver? This seemed like a strange personnel grouping to connect on a 50-yard pass. Again I ask…why?

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Booing: Not the Problem the Washington Redskins Should Worry About

I woke up Tuesday morning with a severe case of Peyton-envy with complications of Ronnie Brown-envy. It developed while watching the first two series of the Indianapolis Colts vs. Miami Dolphins game Monday night. That and the Cowboys vs. Giants game Monday night.

Score. Answer. Move. Counter-move. Throw. Catch. Run. Touchdown.

I wondered more than once during that game if our guys could do that?

This post won’t launch another slam of the Washington Redskins’ seeming inability to score from the red zone. There’s been enough of that lately, even from the Redskins’ own web site.

But in the sports entertainment business, the local heroes need to be entertaining at least. And when you run with the fast crowd that the Redskins do, one needs them to be competitive; to at least offer the hope of winning something.

The Redskins are 77 years old. They’ve existed longer than the District of Columbia has had home rule.

Area residents are acutely aware that most of the country does not like Washington. They really don’t like those out-of-towners on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue who they keep sending here. But, I digress.

Fans of any of the old-line NFL teams can say how much the local team means to the local community. Those other places have many more points of impression to show the world.

Official Washington has monuments, historic documents, cemeteries, and power centers. Local Washington has the Redskins.

The Capitals have just started winning and are moving up in our affection. The Nationals imitate the old Senators in a stadium D.C. built for them. The Wizards are nothing without Agent Zero. The United…well, they are part of the demographic future.

When our face of the city, already under attack because it’s, you know, red, looks inept at prices Daniel Snyder charges, fans are going to boo; and boo-hoo in our $8 beer.

Washington has had the Detroit Lions’ number since forever. After the Rams game Sunday, Detroit sports writers can write Vs. Skins, the Lions have a chance and not be hooted to shame in Detroit, or in DC.

“The Redskins are coming off a 9-7 home win over the awful St. Louis Rams. It was the inverse of a moral victory, where you lose but improved your reputation—an actual victory that is more embarrassing than gratifying. Let’s call it an amoral victory.

“The Redskins have a quarterback, Jason Campbell, who is on a perpetual hot seat. And a coach, Jim Zorn, whose seat is even hotter than Campbell’s. And a racist nickname. Hey, I’m just saying.”

Booing, by the way, does not show hate for the team or the players. The opposite of love is indifference. Indifference for the Redskins is to cease buying tickets, or to turn off the TV, or transfer loyalty to DC United.

Booing is just a wake-up call. Fan indifference is the nuclear option that should worry the chiefs at Redskin Park, where I suspect things are pretty intense right now…

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Week Two Review: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

The second week of the NFL season is in the books and the Atlanta Falcons won their second home game in as many weeks.

Those who felt the Carolina Panthers were a lay down after their dismal performance against the Philadelphia Eagles last week were in for a surprise. This was a game of two division rivals and neither backed down from the challenge.

That should be the theme of this article, to be honest: Challenges. This game featured every red flag that could be thrown. It started early in the first quarter when Panthers coach John Fox let fly the first of many challenge flags by both teams.

On 3rd-and-7 from the Carolina 48 yard line, quarterback Matt Ryan connected on a nine yard pass to Roddy White for what seemed to be a first down.

Or did he?

Coach John Fox tossed the red flag and had officials review the play, insisting that White never had possession of the ball.

After review, the officials felt White lost possession going to the ground making it an incomplete pass and fourth down. Now, in the old days of uncomplicated Football (you know, a couple of years ago) this would have been ruled a catch and maybe a fumble. It all depends on perception of if the ground caused the fumble.

White clearly caught the pass, took two steps forward, and dropped down to avoid a brutal hit from Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis. It appeared once White caught the ball he made what officials now deem as a “football move” but I digress. It wouldn’t be the only head scratching call in this game, merely the first.

Midway through the second quarter with Carolina up 10-7, the Falcons found themselves in another 3rd-and-7 situation inside the Carolina 20 yard line. Quarterback Matt Ryan dropped back and under-threw a wide open Tony Gonzalez.

Gonzalez had to make a remarkable adjustment, scooping the ball just inches from the ground to keep the drive alive. The officials called it in an incomplete pass and Falcons coach Mike Smith tossed his first challenge flag of the day.

After reviewing that play, video clearly shows Gonzalez never allowed the ball to touch the ground. Once again, the play had to be overturned and the Falcons would later score a touchdown on a screen pass to backup running back Jason Snelling.

In the third quarter, the Panthers took possession and began driving from inside their own 20 yard line. On 2nd-and-7, quarterback Jake Delhomme dropped back and found tight end Jeff King nine yards down-field for a first down.

The official that stood a mere five yards away gave the signal of a completed catch. Coach Mike Smith tossed his second challenge of the day and upon review it shows the ball hit the ground and was overturned.

That’s three quarters, three challenges, and three overturned plays. Are we sensing the trend here?

In the fourth quarter, with the Panthers down 28 to 13, they moved the ball into the Falcons’ red zone and found themselves in a 3rd-and-10 situation.

Jake Delhomme dropped back and in the face of pressure found tight end Donte Rosario up the middle; he made a leaping catch and came down only to fumble the ball trying to stretch it into the end zone. It was ruled a touchdown but Falcons coach Mike Smith had his third challenge flag ready.

As the FOX camera crew showed from many different angles, it became quite clear that Rosario never truly secured the ball. From the moment he caught it until the moment he fumbled it. The ball never stopped rotating in his hands.

After review, the official stated, and I quote, “The receiver completed the catch, performed a second act, reaching for the goal line…*pause*…penetrated the goal line. Result of the play is a touchdown.”

I’ve seen this same catch made at least five times in the past two weeks and each game it’s called differently. The NFL has really made the game far more complicated that it should be these days.

Throwback Week

The Atlanta Falcons wore the jerseys from the 1966 expansion season on Sunday. Personally, I think the red helmets look great. Somehow, the Falcons need to bring those back more often.

I’m sure all the UGA fans out there would agree. The Falcons have always had one of the top looking uniforms/logos in the NFL. I wonder why they ever got away from the red helmet look?

Stat of the Week

Quarterback Matt Ryan only threw two passes in the second half of the game. He went 0-2 in those tosses. Prior to that, he was 21-25 for 220 yards and 3 TD’s. He did throw an INT on a very poor decision and had two throw aways in that time. That’s pretty impressive for a second year player against an aggressive defense.

He Did it Again

For the second week in a row, Mike Peterson caused two fumbles. This time however, only one counted. On the first drive of the game, DeAngelo Williams took a screen pass and Peterson came in hard and blew the play up.

Coach Mike Smith reached for the challenge flag but decided against it when he realized Williams was juggling the catch when he was hit.

Special Teams Are on Fire

No one can accuse the Atlanta Falcons’ special teams unit of not producing. When news of the Harry Douglas injury was announced, the biggest concern was the return game. Douglas, who had never returned a punt before last season, won the job due to the lack of viable options.

Backup wide receiver Eric Weems has been thrust into the role and runs without abandon. After the phantom injury to Jerious Norwood, Weems took over the kickoff duty and busted loose for 41 yards.

The special teams also dug in their heels and blocked the only punt Carolina attempted in the game. Cornerback Brian Williams shot through the line and got his hand on the ball that then bounced into the arms of Mike Peterson.

The Nasty Boys at it Again

For the second week in a row, OG Harvey Dahl was called for a personal foul. I love his tenacity but we must play smarter.

Overall the offensive line never allowed Matt Ryan to be touched.

The Carolina defense does lack a solid defensive tackle but even All-Pro Julius Peppers was unable to get past Sam Baker to dirty Ryan’s jersey. This could be one of the most underrated units in the NFL today.

Hit of the Day

There were several good ones of note, but only one stands out. It stands out because I’m amazed the victim of this hit survived.

On the Falcons’ first possession, tight end Tony Gonzalez caught a Matt Ryan pass and headed upfield. Four Panther players converged on him and he wisely slid to the ground.

That was bad news for defensive back Richard Marshall: Marshall was hit simultaneously by linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis. It’s amazing he didn’t lose consciousness. Minutes later, he intercepted Matt Ryan to stop a scoring drive.

Notable Statistics

• Mike Peterson has forced fumbles in each of the first two games. It’s hard to argue that Peterson is a drastic upgrade over 11 year Falcon Keith Brooking.
• Running back Michael Turner eclipsed the 100 yard rushing mark for the first time this season and scored his first touchdown of the year.
• Both Mike Peterson and Curtis Lofton were top three in tackles for the second week in a row. The linebackers are doing their jobs this season.
• Running back Jerious Norwood left the game with an injury for the second week in a row. Last week it was leg/ankle related, this week it was head related. He’s one of the most explosive players in the game but cannot avoid being injured.
• Tight end Tony Gonzalez has caught TD passes in back to back weeks now. It’s hard to say whether Gonzalez or Peterson was the biggest offseason move at this point. Both have improved the team as a whole dramatically.
• Falcons coach Mike Smith went for it on fourth down twice on Sunday. Both times were successful.
• The Falcons had drives of 13 and 15 plays. The 13 play drive ended with the Turner fumble and the 15 play drive chewed up over seven minutes and ended with a Jason Snelling touchdown.

Oops I did it Again…

In the first quarter, linebacker Curtis Lofton had an underhand toss from Jake Delhomme hit him in the hands. That’s two weeks in a row that Lofton has dropped a sure interception. Expect the coaching staff to put him on wide receiver drills in the coming weeks.

In the third quarter the Falcons were driving in the Panthers’ red zone when Michael Turner was hit by linebacker Charles Godfrey and coughed up a fumble. That ball was recovered at the Carolina eight yard line. He later made up for it with a one yard TD run in the third quarter.

Even in Victory There Are Casualties

The Falcons’ 2009 first round pick Peria Jerry was injured and did not return. It was later determined he would be placed on injured reserve, ending his promising rookie season. You could tell a drop in productivity of the line with him absent. The Falcons will need to activate reserve tackles Trey Lewis and Vance Walker to step into the role now.

Question of the Day

What happened to the no-huddle offense? Matt Ryan may be the best QB in the NFL currently at running that offense and the Falcons never once utilized it. This is something that should be utilized during every home game. On the road, the crowd noise can cause confusion but at home I’m unsure why it was never used.

Well, a win is a win and no sense in questioning the wisdom of Mike Smith after starting the season 2-0. The Falcons have a real test coming up Sunday at Foxboro stadium against the Patriots.

GM Thomas Dimitroff will be returning for the first time since joining the Atlanta Falcons from the New England staff. It should prove to be a hard fought game. Pregame report on that soon to come…

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JaMarcus Russell: How Much Does he Miss Chaz Schilens?

There is no doubt that the loss of Chaz Schilens was a huge blow to the Oakland Raiders. But it seems as though his loss is lost when factoring in the play of the top overall pick from the 2007 NFL draft, JaMarcus Russell.

I have heard many people say that JaMarcus Russell can’t hit the broad side of a barn if it was 10 feet away. I have heard nobody say that perhaps these rookie wide receivers are not seeing the field the same way as the third year pro quarterback.

What are the odds? Well, actually, the odds are good because when things aren’t going right, you blame the coach, and you blame the quarterback. You do not blame the wide receivers, even if they are both rookies, right?

Look at people in Dallas, and for that matter across the country, who are calling for Tony Romo’s head. Is Romo throwing to rookie wideouts? No, but his team is losing, and that makes him look as bad as the signal caller.

Chaz is an impact player. His abilities are unmatched on the roster in Oakland. DHB is not someone who JaMarcus can put his full confidence in. Louis Murphy may be helped out by the fact that he attended JaMarcus’ private workout in Alabama. Still, he is new to the quarterback.

Coach Cable does not yet have full confidence in Javon Walker. Johnnie Lee Higgins was hurt last game, and was thrown to five times in the San Diego game, resulting in zero catches.

Zach Miller is a reliable pass catcher. JaMarcus Russell knows if he puts it anywhere near this guy, he is going to make a play on the ball, and will likely catch it. Zach Miller is an impact player.

Chaz Schilens made a spectacular play on a ball that was severely underthrown in the first preseason game of 2009. His play at the ball was so convincing that he garnered a pass interference call in his favor. Chaz Schilens is an impact player.

I did a breakdown in response to a comment on someone else’s article. I said if you say that the receivers dropped three balls which should’ve been caught, then JaMarcus’ stats in the San Diego game would’ve been 15-30. Those three drops are two by DHB, and one by DMC that was a little high, but should’ve been caught.

If you subtract the last interception on the Hail Mary, they would be 15-29. Now, you add the questionable Louis Murphy touchdown pass, which was thrown right on the money. 16-29.

Many people have said that the first interception of that game was a poor route ran by Louis Murphy. So, let us subtract that pass as well. 16-28, which is 57.1 percent with 227 yards and two touchdowns.

Lots of if’s, I know, but maybe it was not entirely on the quarterback. Again, if Louis ran the route wrong on that play, who is to say that more routes weren’t run wrong?

In the KC game, part of the Chiefs’ game plan was to take away Zach Miller. Miller said, “They were paying extra attention to me, a little bit of bracket coverage, making sure a guy was trying to jam me or wall me, that kind of thing. They made sure that I wasn’t too involved.”

Why? Because they know that it is crazy to start two rookie wide receivers. Nobody has ever done it before. And who takes the blame when the passing game suffers? The quarterback does.

So what happens when Schilens comes back, and the defense pays extra attention to Zach Miller?

What will happen when Louis Murphy can be the third or fourth option in the passing game instead of the first or second? What happens when the team worries about two impact players instead of one who is a tight end?

How much is the injury of Chaz Schilens affecting the passing game? I say he is the difference btween 35 percent and 60 percent completions. I say that Chaz adds a whole different element to the passing game.

I say that Chaz Schilens is a more experienced wide receiver who knows how to read coverage’s better than two rookies. He knows how to find lanes for JaMarcus to throw the ball. He knows how to re-direct his route to get in open spaces.

He knows how to get into a position to fight for the ball. JaMarcus Russell knows he can count on the big receiver. He knows if Miller is covered, then Schilens is another option…another element.

Chaz Schilens will impact the passing game tremendously. Until his return, unfortunately Raider Nation, you will have to suffer the growing pains of a developing passing game, instead of a passing game that can have an impact on a game.

The good news is that while the passing game struggles, the running game and the defense should keep us in a good position. JaMarcus has lead two consecutive touchdown drives with less than three minutes left in both of the first two games.

The last time a Raiders quarterback led a touchdown drive with less than three minutes to play was Kerry Collins in 2005. The raiders lost the game on a last second Larry Johnson touchdown run.

Before the last two games this year, it has been done that one time in the last 128 games. Take a minute to swallow that pill, and then tell me if you still think JaMarcus is a bust.

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Oakland Raiders Running Backs: Split the Carries, Carry the Weight

Darren McFadden and Michael Bush have split carries pretty even-handedly in the opening games of this season. In Sunday’s game against the Chiefs, both had 35 yards rushing—McFadden on 12 carries and Bush on nine.

The running game was especially significant in a game where JaMarcus Russell made a mere seven completions on 24 attempts—let’s try to forget for a moment the 10 consecutive misses before the closing drive.

But the numbers between the dynamic duo will have to improve in the upcoming game against a Denver defense that held Cleveland to just 54 rushing yards last Sunday in their 27-6 victory over the Browns.

If the Raiders are going to have to rely on their running game while Russell works on his accuracy, McFadden and Bush will have to significantly bump up their stats.

And there’s a great possibility that they will. Although it was short yardage, McFadden’s final leap into the endzone on a five-yard carry was clutch and it came at the very end of the game when Oakland needed it the most.

In fact, that final drive was the real—and quite possibly the ONLY—reason the Raiders were able to squeak out a win against Kansas City. Russell finally connected with his receivers and his running backs found the right seams thanks to a resilient offensive line.

But the rhythm will need to start from the second Oakland takes the field Sunday. Head coach Tom Cable should continue to split these guys evenly down the middle as they seem to match each other’s performance. But one of the two needs to push harder, stretch longer, and gain some serious yardage to encourage the other to do the same.

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Robert Henson Only Respects the Opinions of Taco Bell Employees

Robert Henson has made a big splash today with a ”tweet” from last evening.

When I first heard about this, I thought,  “Who?” Then I wondered why the guy behind Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear was so concerned about Redskins fans. Soon I learned that Henson actually plays for the ‘Skins (sort of). Here is what Henson said.

“All you fake half hearted Skins fan can .. I won’t go there but I dislike you very strongly, don’t come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!!

He continued, “No I didn’t play but I still made more than you in a year and you’d switch spots with me in a second … The question is who are you to say you know what’s best for the team and you work 9 to 5 at Mcdonalds.”

All of this because of boos? How could Henson be so naive and immature? Sixth-round draft picks who are not contributing on the field should probably not be criticizing the fans.

I would be interested to know if anyone can defend Henson on any level. I really do not understand where he is coming from. Maybe I do not understand the plight of entitled, spoiled, private school, scholarship-awarded, young football players. Is it possible Henson is misunderstood? Even if he is, I feel inclined to rip him for saying something that stupid.

Stupid doesn’t even cover it. Saying his tweets are stupid is like saying Charlie Weis could kind of use Nutri-System. Henson’s quotes were all-time. He will not be a Redskin for long.

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