Time Outs Just before the Snap Have Got To Go

In last night’s Sunday Night Game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, like every other game that comes down to a field goal, Wade Phillips waited until the last possible second to use a time out in order to freeze Giant’s kicker Lawrence Tynes. 

Now I’m not against freezing the kicker, even though I don’t really think it works, but what I am against is waiting until that last possible second. Why? Because the play still gets ran.  The players don’t hear that whistle and they go about the play as if nothing has happened.

This means you have men upwards of 200 pounds rushing in trying to block a field goal attempt. When you run a play like this at the end of a game, especially one as emotionally charged as the stadium opener in Dallas (well Arlington), you’ve got guys giving their all to block that kick.

If someone gets hurt on a play, well that’s football, but if someone gets hurt for no reason, as in what could have happened when the time out was called just before the snap, well that is close to being unsporting.

The freezing part was moot because Tynes made both kicks (in fact the practice seemed to help because the second try looked much better than the first), but what would Wade Philips have felt if a guy like DeMarcus Ware or Terrence Newman had been hurt on either play?

For every play you run in a game, as emotionally and physically charged as football, you run the risk of injury, so why up those risks with useless plays that don’t count?

I don’t think they should out law freezing the kicker, but there should be something done about last second time outs from the sideline. Sadly, like all obvious rule changes, nothing will happen until a star gets hurt…which is very unfortunate.

Until next time Loyal Reader, take care.

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Oakland Raiders and Raider Nation: We Prepare, We Get Better

It’s time to start looking at profiles of strengths and weaknesses. It is time to get ready for next week.

Wake up, clear your head and start preparing, early.

Parallel to what you must do to prepare, some of us in the Raider Nation are already getting ready for victory, again, and again, and again.

Our way of demonstrating that we are in a state of expectation is the building of our Raider Tailgate Cyber-Party.

YOU MUST ADD TO THE MENU. WE LIKE DIVERSITY AND VARIETY.

Here is our menu, in part, for Sept. 27.  Again, we invite you to add to it. Write your menu in the comment section.

Go Raiders!

Raider Tailgate Cyber-Party for Game Three, Oakland vs. Broncos, Sept 27

1. Bret’s FRENCH FRIED ONION RING CASSEROLE

FRENCH FRIED ONION RING CASSEROLE

1 lb. ground beef
1 can French fried onions
1 (1 oz.) pkg. onion gravy mix
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 c. water
1/3 c. uncooked rice
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen peas
1 can water chestnuts (optional)

Brown ground beef and pour off drippings. Blend in gravy mix, garlic salt, water and rice. Bring to boil. Then reduce heat and cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in thawed peas and water chestnuts. Continue to simmer until rice is tender. Stir in onions. Serve with soy sauce.

2. Leroy’s Veggies

I like a pepper medley: two large green bell peppers, two large red bell peppers, one large yellow bell pepper. Maybe a large poblano and a couple of cubenellos. Just core them, slice them and grill them in a large aluminum pan, coated with oil (I prefer olive oil). Make sure you grill them till those lovely black blisters begin to appear!

I also like to slice a fresh pineapple and about a pound of fresh strawberries and put them on a platter for game day. ALWAYS a big hit; who said we have to grill everything?!?! 🙂

3. Raider Card Addict’s Crab Pasta

Might toss out a small recipe, simple to make but you can tweak it as needed.
Crab Pasta
2 packages of crab or imitation crab
2 packages of pasta, your choice
1 jar of Heliman’s Mayo
seasoning
Cook pasta, until soft, drain and put in separate bowl
Crab flakes work best, add to bowl with mayo, mix
Some people recommend lemon for seasoning, or pepper, again it’s up to the cook.
Serves out well

4. Raider Smoked Nachos

Cooked ground beef in pan on outdoor pit.
cut green, red, and yellow peppers
seasoned to taste
arranged in a pan with lime flavored nacho chips.
layered with meat, peppers, three cheeses of your choice
Closed the pit and let it smoke until the chips are light brown.
picante sauce, sour cream, and guacamole as you desire.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD TO THE MENU. ADD YOUR RECIPE

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Detroit Last Won When Hillary Clinton Was Running, Team Missed Memo About Change

The Detroit Lions have been kings of the incompletion.

Not talking about passing here; talking about overall performance.

On select Sundays, the Lions will play perhaps 15, 20 minutes of decent football. On special occasions, they might squeeze out 30 minutes. Things could even get dicey and they might tease you with 45 minutes, just to mess with your mind.

Two years ago, the Lions were also kings of the incomplete season.

They sprinted out to a 6-2 start and folks who should know better started to talk about the playoffs.

Their hideous won/loss record in the 21st century has been pocked with weekly displays of incomplete football games.

Maybe they’ll fall behind in monstrous fashion (often in the opening few minutes), only to put together 15, 20 minutes of acceptable football before collapsing again into a heap.

The Lions have many other variations of this theme; but they switch it up, though…you have to give them that.

Sunday at Ford Field, in the home opener, the Lions gave us a rather simple, meat-and-potatoes version of their incomplete performance displays.

This version against the Minnesota Vikings wasn’t very creative, but it was no less an example of the Lions’ propensity not to put it all together.

The version was this: play 30 “not bad” minutes of football, then slide into oblivion for the second 30.

It was another example of halftime vexing the Lions and reviving their opponents. New coach Jim Schwartz and his crack staff have proven to be just as feeble as their predecessors in matching wits with their counterparts during intermission.

The Lions jogged into the locker room at the half, holding a precarious yet well-earned 10-7 lead. The seven points by the Vikings weren’t gotten until the waning moments of the second quarter.

The Lions had established a bit of a running game, and were keeping Brett Favre and his offense in check.

Matthew Stafford had thrown his first career NFL TD pass. The Vikings looked out of sorts.

Fast forward to the final few minutes of the fourth quarter, and there were the all-too-familiar, telltale signs of another Lions game.

The other team on the sidelines, laughing, joking, relaxed. Relieved even. A safe 27-13 lead in their vest pockets as the clock ticks away.

The Lions hanging and shaking their heads on the bench, and wearing that look of defeat.

It may as well be their official look, like how The Joker’s garish white makeup with the blood-red and green accents is synonymous with him.

Defeat isn’t just makeup on the Lions’ faces, though…it’s now embedded into their skin, like tattoos.

The Vikings played with their dinner for the first 30 minutes of Sunday’s game, then returned from another of those infusing halftimes and started devouring hungrily.

Lions rookie QB Matthew Stafford was sacked right out of the gate in the third quarter, and the rout was on…despite the scoreboard showing the Lions with a three-point lead.

The Vikings made those adjustments that every NFL team supposedly makes at the break, and the Lions were ill-prepared for them. Again.

Turnovers, those guaranteed haunters, did the Lions in. They made three of them, which the Vikings turned into 14 points.

Fourteen points also happened to be the Vikes’ margin of victory. Fancy that.

About Stafford: the kid is hellbent on learning the hard way, which all kid QBs do. Matthew’s favorite seems to be the forced pass that turns into an easy interception. That mistake du jour might as well be on the rookie QB’s “Greatest Hits” album.

In the fourth quarter, the Lions were down just ten, 20-10, and were beginning to twitch. They made a couple of first downs. The crowd was being reintroduced into the game.

Then Stafford struck again, throwing a groaner of a pick that Favre and Co. turned into a touchdown and an insurmountable 27-10 advantage.

So that’s 19 losses in a row, if you’re scoring at home. The last time the Lions won a game was two Christmases and two Pistons coaches ago.

Hillary Clinton was the front runner to be the Democratic nominee for president. No one had heard of Susan Boyle, Jon and Kate Gosselin, or Twitter. Everyone still used MySpace instead of Facebook.

But the Lions were playing incomplete football games back then, and beyond. And very much so, today.

Nice to know that there are still things in this world on which you can count, isn’t it?

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Monday Morning Rehab

Oh boy.

The change from summer to fall—which officially happens tomorrow—also usually signals the beginning of flu season for much of the nation. Flu shots have been advertised heavily at my office the last week or so.

Similarly, the switch from preseason football to regular season football ushers in the injury bug in a big way.

Big fantasy football names went down this week across the league, regardless of position. One first-rounder did not even suit up to play in week two. Another former first rounder could not get off the ground in week two and eventually succumbed to an injury of his own.

Tis’ the season, the season for football injuries.

 

Marion Barber [RB, Cowboys]

From ProFootballTalk:

Barber was seen sitting on the sideline sitting on his helmet while the Giants drove down the field for the game-winning field goal.  Seemed encouraging.

Barber pulled up lame on this way to the end zone last night and did not return to the game. Felix Jones punched in what would have been a touchdown for Barber.

This could give Jones a chance to start next week, depending on the severity of the injury. Expect more news of Barber’s condition sometime later today.

 

LaDainian Tomlinson [RB, Chargers]

From RotoWorld:

Tomlinson (ankle) was declared out on Friday. Darren Sproles will get the bulk of the work, with Michael Bennett sprinkled in.

Perhaps the Chargers could have used Tomlinson for at least one play.

Late in the game with San Diego driving in Baltimore territory, Darren Sproles was stuffed by Ray Lewis on a 4th-and-2 to end the game. You know the ball would have been in LT2’s hands had he played. And I like Tomlinson’s chances at short-yardage situations much more than Sproles’.

Expect Tomlinson to return next week if he can get some practice in this week.

 

Frank Gore [RB, 49ers]

From ProFootballTalk:

Unfortunately, the inconvenient truth for Gore is that he usually doesn’t hold up for an entire season.  Gore sprained his ankle during Sunday’s game, but it doesn’t sound serious.

Gore said he was “fine” after the game, the injury isn’t expected to threaten his status for next week.

Gore had a monster day, but it would not have been complete without some kind of injury. His fantasy owners have come to expect that at this point.

The good news is this does not sound serious. He should be good-to-go for practice by the end of the week and ready for fantasy lineups next weekend.

By the way, the 49ers look for real in the NFC West.

 

Brian Westbrook [RB, Eagles]

From RotoWorld:

Westbrook came off the field in the fourth quarter, got the ankle looked at and went back on the field. But after one catch, he left again. The severity is unknown, but this is the same ankle that he had surgery on in June.

For the second week in a row, the Saints’ defense rendered an opposing running back virtually ineffective.

Last weekend it was Kevin Smith, this weekend it was Westbrook. Trend?

Not only did the Saints keep Westbrook in check most of the day, he also injured his ankle at some point during the contest. There naturally is some concern here being that (A) it is the same ankle he had surgery on this offseason and (B) he is Brian Westbrook.

I would not be surprised to see a “Q” next to his name when injury reports come out later this week.

 

Mike Bell [RB, Saints]

From ProFootballTalk:

But their euphoria will be tempered by news that their newfound workhorse tailback, Mike Bell, is believed to have an MCL sprain, per Adam Caplan of Scout.com.

Caplan says an MRI is coming tomorrow.

This could end Bell’s run as the starter in New Orleans, at least for a few weeks.

Pierre Thomas played in limited action yesterday but Bell again did most of the work. Reggie Bush and Thomas would fill in during Bell’s absence, which was the original plan for the Saints’ backfield to begin with.

 

Matt Hasselbeck [QB, Seahawks]

From ProFootballTalk:

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Seattle’s quarterback is out of a San Francisco area hospital.  Testing indicated that he suffered no internal damage to his kidneys, liver, or lungs.  Hasselbeck suffered no internal bleeding.  That’s the good news.

The biggest question mark surrounding the Seahawks’ offense this offseason was whether or not Hasselbeck would be able to stay healthy this season.

The question has been answered just two weeks into the season.

There is a good chance Hasselbeck misses next weekend’s game. Seneca Wallace would be in line to start at quarterback and is capable of some nice fantasy stat lines. Those in deeper leagues with Hasselbeck on the roster should consider Wallace.

 

Lance Moore [WR, Saints]

From RotoWorld:

Lance Moore left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury and will not return.

I watched the entirety of the Saints-Eagles game (Who dat?!?) and do not even remember seeing Moore on the field. Apparently, however, he played long enough to get hurt.

No matter for the Saints’ offense. Fantasy owners likely used a WR3 spot on Moore during drafts, so there could be some frustration there. However, the good thing is most owners are not relying on Moore for production at this point.

 

Anthony Gonzalez [WR, Colts]

From ProFootballTalk:

Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez is reportedly targeting a Week Seven return to the lineup from a knee injury.  Colts coach Jim Caldwell said the injury could force Gonzalez out of the lineup for up to eight weeks, but Gonzalez is hoping to return sooner.

This news is no consolation to Gonzalez’s owners, but at least he avoided a season-ending injury.

Pay close attention to the battle between Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie tonight for the WR2 duties vacated by AGonzo. Either or both of those guys could be worthwhile adds in deeper fantasy leagues if they establish a connection with Peyton Manning

 

Donovan McNabb [QB, Eagles]

From RotoWorld:

According to FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer, Donovan McNabb is aiming to return from his cracked rib in Week 3.

McNabb could potentially return for the Eagles week three game but Philly may opt to start Kevin Kolb again.

With a bye in week four, another week off would give McNabb three weeks of rest following the week one injury.

Kolb threw effectively for much of the day against New Orleans in week two and Michael Vick is due to be eligible next weekend. That should give Philadelphia enough muscle at the quarterback position to win a game in McNabb’s absence.

 

Wes Welker [WR, Patriots]

From ProFootballTalk:

Via the team’s twitter feed comes news that wide receiver Wes Welker is on the inactive list for the game. The move is a big surprise because the team left three other players who were listed as questionable in New England, as reported by Tom Curran, before heading to New Jersey on Saturday night. That indicated Welker would play, but now the Patriots will likely have to lean more heavily on Joey Galloway.

Julian Edelman stepped into Welker’s role seamlessly in the loss to the Jets. It appears the Patriots have struck gold on another previously relatively-unknown football talent.

Welker owners may be slightly discouraged to start the year. He was basically a game-time decision in week one and now misses the second game of the season. The Pats had him sit out most of the preseason slate due to a mysterious injury and now Edelman steps in and performs just as well as Welker.

That could prompt the Pats to keep Welker on the shelf until he is fully healthy from whatever injury it is that ails him.

 

Jerious Norwood [RB, Falcons]

From RotoWorld:

Jerious Norwood left Sunday’s game in the second quarter with a head injury.

Little has been said about Norwood following the head injury, but he was ruled out shortly after leaving the game.

Head injuries can be pretty serious. Expect some type of update today on Norwood’s condition, which likely was a concussion although it has not been deemed that as of yet.

 

Willie Parker [RB, Steelers]

From ProFootballTalk:

At a time when Steelers tailback Willie Parker is catching a lot of criticism for a subpar performance during the regular-season opener, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Parker injured his hamstring during pregame warmups, and that he was operating at only 85 percent against the Titans.

So at what point does Fast Willie Parker lose that very nickname?

I would say it has already happened.

Sure he probably is pretty fast all alone in space. But he has been unable to get to space during the first two weeks of the season and could be little more than a service-able, veteran running back. The breakaway speed certainly would be hampered by a hamstring issue.

 

The MMR will continue to run every Monday morning as scheduled during the regular season. If you have an injury update or want an update on a certain player, please leave a note in the comments.

Thank you for reading the latest post from The Hazean. Please visit our website for more great fantasy content!

   

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Even With Braylon Edwards and Jamal Lewis Going Right, Cleveland’s Upside Down

The Cleveland Browns are a team that many had already written off after the Vikings game in Week One.

The deceiving part was their decent play in the first half against the Vikings (and Broncos) which looks like it was more of the Vikings trying to find their groove rather than the Browns playing good football.

The picture above kind of says it all, the Browns are completely upside down right now.

I have tried to be very positive all training camp, preseason, and after Week One, but with a disastrous four quarters against the Broncos, I find myself looking at a Browns team that has more negatives than positives right now.

Here are the few positives.

 

Joe Thomas is the best player on the entire team.

First he shut down the Vikings pass rushing specialist in Jared Allen, then he was solid against the Broncos on Sunday, by not letting a single defender through to get to quarterback Brady Quinn.

 

Jamal Lewis still has gas, but he is not used properly.

Lewis’ gas will run out quickly this year is the Browns keep sending him into the middle and right side of the line which cannot open up holes for him.

Here’s an idea, send Lewis and the other running backs to the left side of the line (you know where Thomas blocks) and perhaps the Browns will have a running attack.

Lewis has a burst that hasn’t been seen since 2007 and he can still power through defenders, even with three or four guys hanging off of him.

What happened to Mangini saying that he wants to be a run-first style of grind it out offense?

There has been next to no commitment to the running game in the first half of both games while the Browns were still competing in both games.

 

Braylon Edwards can play when he wants to.

Edwards had six catches for 92 yards and he did not drop a pass.

Not much more needs to be said than the fact Edwards did not drop a pass.

 

Now on to the negatives…

 

Brady Quinn is not a decisive quarterback.

This goes back into accounts of training camp practices, and can now be seen in games, but Quinn cannot pull the trigger and throw the ball down the field.

How many times did Quinn just stand in the pocket and pump his arm like he was about to throw, but then pull it back and just settle for a dump off pass to a tight end or running back.

Also, Quinn needs to throw the ball to a player who is past the first down markers, not to a players who is five yards short of the first down especially on third down plays.

Most of the drop backs were either three of five step drop, but Quinn still could not let the ball go, if Quinn is going to succeed at the NFL level, then he will need to learn to just throw that ball so that his receivers have a chance to make plays, too.

He may not be solely to blame, because Quinn does not call the plays, but that leads to…

 

…Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll is a horrible play-caller after two games.

Where’s the screens that were so successful in the preseason?

Why are running plays not run to the left side (strongest side) of the offensive line?

Why are third and long plays, that are called, not putting receivers past the first down markers?

If the play-calling was this bad against a below average Broncos defense, then what’s going to happen against the top tier Ravens defense in week three?

 

The right side of the offensive line is really bad.

Mangini wanted to beef up the right side by adding John St. Clair and “Porkchop” Womack, but either those two are not on the same level or those two are just really bad offensive lineman.

The Broncos defensive line tore into the Browns right side play after play and it got to the point where the Browns had to pull Womack and put Hank Fraley in at guard, but that was too little too late.

 

Josh Cribbs is not a No. 2 caliber wide receiver right now, and where are the rookies?

Cribbs asset to the 2009 Browns should be more on special teams and as a No. 3 or No. 4 receiver.

He seems like he cannot get open when he is covered by good cornerbacks and is he cannot, then that will put more pressure on Edwards on the other side of the field.

A No. 2 receiver should compliment the No. 1 receiver on a football team and right now Cribbs does not do that for Edwards.

This past draft, the Browns spent two second round picks on wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi, but they are buried in the depth chart right now.

Maybe it is time to get both of them more playing time which may not only help Quinn, but it may also give the Browns a little advantage because the opposing defensive backs have never played against them before.

Also, regarding rookies in general, I find it ironic that Mangini is not playing any of his rookies (except Alex Mack), just like former coach Romeo Crennel.

Other teams play their rookies and sometimes those rookies actually contribute to their team, but if you don’t play them, then they cannot contribute…play them already.

 

Defensive tackling is worse than it has been in a long time.

First the Browns can’t tackle Adrian Peterson, which is understood because he is one of the hardest players to tackling in the NFL, but then they cannot tackle Cornell Buckhalter…that’s how you know there’s a problem with tackling.

 

Where are the halftime adjustments?

With two games in the books, the Browns can play a decent first half (and they have in both games), but the problem is with the coaching staff’s adjustments (of lack thereof) during halftime.

The Browns have imploded in the second half of both games.

Is it lack of talent? Or is it lack of coaching?

Let that debate begin with comments please.

 

This looks to be a very long season unless something can change soon, but let me know what that something is.

 

(Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper)

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Week Two: Get ‘Em or Don’t Sweat ‘Em

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Walker Sports College Football Poll: USC Takes a Tumble

 
Week three of the college football season saw plenty of top 25 action and a few upsets. With all that action, you know there was some shifting going on in the Walker-Sports College Football Poll.

1. Florida Gators

To be frankly honest, Florida did not look all that great against Tennessee, but they managed to get the win, keeping them perfect and keeping them atop the poll.

2. Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns accomplished something special in this week’s poll. They leap-frogged Penn State for the second spot. Playing legitimate teams is worth something.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

The Nittany Lions won again this past weekend, but they slipped in the rankings. That’s what happens when you play Akron, Syracuse, and Temple. Penn State needs to get into their Big 10 schedule.

4. Ole Miss Rebels

Chalk up another win for this team. The QB is legit but I’m not sold on the team as a whole.

5. Cal Bears

This is the best Cal team in years. However, I’d like their overall chances a lot more if Washington hadn’t knocked off USC this weekend. I don’t see the Trojans dropping two conference games.

6. Boise State Broncos

With BYU being embarrassed this weekend, the Broncos just improved their chance to be a BCS buster once again.

7. Alabama Crimson Tide

The schedule is about to kick into high gear for ‘Bama when they enter the SEC schedule next week. It will be interesting.

8. LSU Tigers

This is the other talented team in the SEC West looking to reclaim some of their greatness of just a few years ago. I expect big things from the Tigers.

9. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes have shaken off the affects of the loss to USC. While I’m not crazy about this squad they still have what it takes to make a play for the Big 10 Championship.

10. Oklahoma Sooners

Still relevant, but they need to get healthy soon. Miami will be a hell of a test for the boys.

11. Virginia Tech Hokies

Knocking off Nebraska gave this team some legitimacy. However after watching Miami and Florida State, the Hokies are the third best team in the ACC at best.

12. TCU Horned Frogs

I like this team’s chances to win the Mountain West. They are good, and the defense is flat out amazing.

13. USC Trojans

Once again the Trojans manage to choke against a weak Pac-10 opponent.

14. Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Cowboys are still hoping to stay relevant in the Big 12, and I believe they can.

15. Cincinnati Bearcats

The only team from the Big East in the poll, and that will remain the case for the rest of the year.

16. Georgia Bulldogs

I’m not sure exactly how they fit in with all the talent in the SEC but for now the Bulldogs have a home on the Walker Sports poll.

17. Miami Hurricanes

The Canes are on the comeback trail. The ACC and the rest of the country should be on notice.

18. North Carolina Tar Heels

Butch Davis is doing his best to put this program on the map.

19. Florida State Seminoles

Miami is on the way back, and so are the FSU Noles. It would be great to see Bobby Bowden go out on a high note.

20. BYU Cougars

Apparently I over calculated how talented the Cougars are. BYU proved they are a good mid-major team.

21. Kansas Jayhawks

Nebraska dropping a game this weekend at the very least makes the Jayhawks look stronger. The key for them will be solidifying their defense.

22. Michigan Wolverines

Rich Rodriguez is putting this program back on track. The Wolverines won’t climb too high in this poll but Rome wasn’t built in a day either.

23. Oregon State Beavers

Washington stole their roll as the PAC 10 giant killers, but they are still a force.

24. Washington Huskies

Knock off a top five team and you get noticed.

25. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Tough loss to Virginia Tech, but I like this team.

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Film Study: Pittsburgh Steelers’ Defense Struggles without Troy Polamalu

After one week without the heart of their defense, the Pittsburgh Steelers are certainly feeling like they might be in some hot water until Troy Polamalu returns.

That’s not to say that Tyrone Carter doesn’t fill in admirably for Polamalu.  Carter just doesn’t have the unbelievable versatility that Troy does.  He also doesn’t strike fear into offensive players.

In fact, the Steelers’ defense hasn’t scared anyone that much since Polamalu was taken off the field in week one after trying to recover a blocked field goal.

While the rush defense has not seemed to suffer (43 yards allowed against Chicago), the pass defense has gotten considerably less frightening.

Jay Cutler put up 236 passing yards and two touchdowns Sunday.  Cutler had little trouble finding receivers open in the secondary.  He also didn’t throw an interception after throwing four against the Packers in week one.

Polamalu might not have changed any of that.  But it’s a sure bet he would have at least made Cutler think twice before throwing long to an inexperienced crop of young receivers.

While the Steelers pressured Cutler often, particularly in the second half, they continually failed to sack him and often lost containment, allowing him to make plays outside the pocket.

Polamalu would have changed that.  The greatest asset Troy has is his ability to be everywhere at once.  He can get anywhere on the field in moments.  Were Cutler to escape the brutal rush of James Harrison, Lamarr Woodley, or James Farrior, he would almost surely have had to contend with Polamalu somewhere on the field.

As strong safeties go, Polamalu is an excellent pass rusher.  He creates havoc in the backfield by dropping back a step or two before charging forward and either over or through linemen and backs.  His instincts are unmatched.

The Steelers’ defense gets no break, facing the potent Cincinnati offense next week and then taking on Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers.  They could also potentially face the Vikings and Adrian Peterson before getting Polamalu back (he’s expected to miss three to six weeks, making the game against Minnesota the sixth week he’ll be out).

So with the problem identified, where’s the solution?

The best thing the Steelers can do for the next two to five weeks is to bring creative blitzes from other players.  William Gay is fast at cornerback, so he is probably as good a choice as any to run some of the exotic Dick LeBeau blitzes. 

The Steelers should also see to it that Tyrone Carter gets help, particularly on deep routes. 

There’s no way to really disguise the hole in their defense, but the worst thing that could happen is for the team to stray from its identity while its star safety is sidelined.  Pittsburgh has blitz packages involving any one of their players, so the key is to find out which players can create havoc through zone blitzes and faking drops into coverage.

I’d be interested to see a little of Ryan Mundy, too.  He’s never going to be a top safety, but his speed may make him a better option than Carter in some obvious passing situations and for some blitz packages.  The key would be to not allow his involvement to become predictable.

One thing is for sure, LeBeau, his defense, and all of the Steelers will breathe a sigh of relief when they see No. 43 back on the field.

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Detroit Lions Have Record Losing Streak In Their Sights

Man this is getting repetitive isn’t it? After writing about Lions losses for 16 games last year, I thought it couldn’t get any worse.

Sure, they could keep losing, but there would be no intrigue left. The nation watched last season as the Lions stumbled to the NFL’s first and only 0-16 record.

Now they continue to lose, but no one cares anymore. They already accomplished the most dubious feat in the NFL, what more can they do to prove how bad they are?

Allow me to explain.

You may have heard of the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers—the expansion team that went 0-14 and up until last season, held the title of worst team in NFL history.

I’m here to say, they still hold that title…for now. In 1977, fresh off an 0-14 season, Tampa Bay lost their first 12 games before finishing 2-12. That means they lost 26 games in a row, the longest losing streak in NFL history.

Well guess what? Detroit has lost 19 games in a row.

They are seven losses away from tying that record. Anyone think it won’t happen? Can anyone really say for sure that the Lions will win a game this season?

I can say I think they’ll win at some point this year, but you should probably ignore my thoughts. They are the psychotic ponderings of a delusional Lions fan.

The Lions can’t pass, and can’t run either. Schwartz is afraid to let Stafford air it out, because of the risk of turnovers. He’s still thrown five interceptions in his first two starts.

The Lions have one legitimate receiver. One. The rest may have been solid options elsewhere with an experienced quarterback throwing to them, but not here.

Stafford is a rookie with a big arm, but he makes very poor decisions and his accuracy is awful at this point. He may challenge Peyton Manning’s record for interceptions by a rookie quarterback.

Teams will stack the box on Kevin Smith. The Vikings did. Smith performed as admirably as possible, running hard all game, but it still wasn’t enough.

The entire secondary from 2008 was cut or traded, and new players filled in. Yet, Detroit still likely has the worst secondary in the NFL. You can’t go from horrible to pro-bowl talent in one offseason.

That the Lions led against Minnesota 10-0 at one point is nothing short of a miracle, but in the second half the stars dis-aligned, the Vikings cruised, and all was right with the world again.

I don’t need to write stats, I don’t need to say which Lions played well and which ones played like pylons. All you really need to know is the Lions lost. Again.

Cut and paste, rinse and repeat. It’s like Detroit is in the fifth circle of hell and this is their ironic punishment for all eternity.

0-19? Hah! Just you wait, the Lions will show you.

They’re going to be the best damn worst team they can be.

 

 

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Roethlisberger, Steelers’ Offense Still Listed as Questionable

After Week One, it is easy to dismiss something out of the ordinary, good or bad, as nothing more than a blip on the radar.

After Week Two, trends start to emerge. That’s not to say that these trends couldn’t be changed after four or even six weeks. But, for now, we have two regular season weeks worth of film to look at.

So how exactly are Ben Roethlisberger and his offense doing?

 

Roethlisberger

In my position preview on the Steelers’ quarterbacks, I listed several potential weaknesses for Ben’s play. One of my chief concerns was Roethlisberger’s tendency last season toward forcing the ball into tight spots, leading to interceptions.

After two games, Roethlisberger has three interceptions. We can throw out one because it was a hail mary at the end of the first half of the Steelers’ Week One matchup with Tennessee.

Of the remaining two interceptions, one is a perfect example of throwing into coverage while the other is part of another alarming trend that must be corrected soon.

In Week One, Roethlisberger tried to force a throw to rookie wideout Mike Wallace that sailed. Wallace was well covered, with no less than three defensive backs in range to close on the ball. One of them took the ball away.

Yesterday against Chicago, Roethlisberger once again targeted Wallace. This time, however, Ben underthrew his target and the pass was intercepted.

Now, neither time was Ben throwing badly into coverage. The first pass would likely have fallen incomplete had it not been overthrown. The second one would have been a touchdown had Ben not been short.

But that doesn’t mean that Roethlisberger hasn’t thrown into coverage. He’s just been incredibly lucky.

I will say that, so far, his decision making has been more sound. What alarms me most about his performance through two weeks is that he has often looked like he was having trouble on timing. He’s been short, wide, long, or low on several pass attempts. This has led to a couple of missed opportunities that would have put the Steelers solidly ahead in both contests.

The other negative to Ben’s game that I highlighted in the preview was his desire to hold onto the ball and try to make plays using his escapability.

This hasn’t changed. What has changed, at least between Weeks One and Two, is that his offensive line and running backs stepped up to the plate and took the heat off of him.

 

Offense

The Steelers’ offense played well enough as a unit to win one of their two games. The problem is that they still lost the game they played well enough to win.

When the Steelers give him protection and a rushing attack, Ben is almost unbeatable.  Sunday afternoon, we got a glimpse of just how good this offense will be once everyone starts clicking.

Against what is arguably one of the NFL’s top defenses, Pittsburgh’s offensive line pushed back the Bears onslaught and kept Roethlisberger upright most of the day. They also managed to open holes for a revived stable of backs, helping the Steelers improve markedly on Week One’s awful rushing total (36 net yards rushing).

It’s still early, and after two very different performances, it is hard to conclude much about how the offensive line is going to perform over a 16-game schedule. What they did prove, however, is that they certainly have the potential to be an effective unit.

There will be no more excuses after the way they handled Chicago’s front seven.

 

Putting It All Together

So what do the Steelers need to work on in advance of their meeting with division rival Cincinnati?

1. Roethlisberger

Roethlisberger needs to keep making good decisions with the football. He hasn’t thrown a pass yet that left me wondering if his head was in the game.

He does need to sort out the timing issues, particularly with speedy Mike Wallace. I believe that this issue, at least as far as Wallace goes, is due to a lack of chemistry (Wallace is a rookie) more than either player making bad choices.

Ben does overthrow other receivers, however. That needs to stop. He should be more than comfortable with Santonio Holmes, yet Holmes has several times had to either come back for a pass or try to run under a deep ball. Hopefully, that is something that can be corrected by another week of reps for the two stars.

Other than that, Ben’s game has been pretty sound so far. He still needs to recognize when he can’t do anything with the ball and learn to throw it into the stands. That, however, seems like it will always be a part of Ben’s game.

And that’s also where the offensive line and running backs come in.

2. Offensive Line/Running Backs

If Roethlisberger is going to be sacked at least once per game (as he has in both contests) due to his desire to hang onto the ball, then the offensive line needs to minimize its mistakes.

In Week One, the line looked porous, allowing Tennessee to sack Roethlisberger four times and causing several plays, particularly running plays, to be broken up in the backfield.

That has to end.

For its part, the offensive line stepped up in Week Two. There will be no more excuses now that it has shown it can be effective against a good defense.

The running backs also stepped up in Week Two, breaking big gains several times and helping the Steelers execute screen and play action passes with a higher degree of success.

As with the line, there are no excuses now.

 

How ‘Bout The Bengals?

You don’t have to look far to find two players on the Bengals defense to worry about. 

Antwan Odom and Rey Maualuga are major concerns for Pittsburgh’s line.

Odom sacked Aaron Rodgers five times and Maualuga forced to fumbles and added a sack of his own yesterday against Green Bay. Odom now has seven sacks in two games. 

It would appear, at least for now, that the Bengals are improved from last year’s dismal incarnation. Defensively, they seem much more sound.

For the Steelers, the line will have to block Odom and Maualuga as well as the Bengals’ other pass rush threats.

Cincinnati hasn’t forced many interceptions, but they do have the potential to with cornerbacks Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph in the secondary.

The bigger concern for Pittsburgh is that Cincinnati was particularly stout against the Packers’ rushing attack Sunday. The Packers have had similar issues with the running game, so it will bear watching as to how well Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall do on the ground.

Beating the Bengals will likely be more of a defensive issue, as the Steelers’ offense matches up well, particularly in the passing game, with what Cincinnati brings defensively.

 

Grading

Roethlisberger: B

Ben gets a solid B for his two performances. There haven’t been any mind-numbing mistakes, but there also haven’t been a lot of big plays early in games.

Roethlisberger gets some points for his game-winning drive against Tennessee, but loses a couple for overthrowing open receivers.

He has been solid and somewhat spectacular. He just has to iron out a wrinkle or two before he gets the A.

Offensive Line/Running Backs: C

I’m not giving these guys a C because they haven’t played well. They played great against the Bears and that is a tough task. 

But they did play awful football in Week One and that can’t be discounted. They get a C because, in short, we haven’t seen enough to give them anything other than a middle grade.

They can, however, bump it up with a good showing against Cincinnati.

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