Week one answered a few questions but created even more. Week two will answer some, but will leave fans more confused then ever. Ladies and gentlemen, the 2009 NFL!
Carolina at Atlanta- Jake Delhomme is already on the hot seat and needs, at the very least, a turnover free performance. After having 11 in consecutive games, fans in Carolina are ready to put Delhomme on the chopping block. The good news is that Delhomme’s teammates still believe in him.
Left tackle Jordan Gross was the most avid, telling USA Today, “I love that guy. He was one of the main reasons I wanted to re-sign here. I love blocking for him and he’s our quarterback.”
Wasn’t a huge fan of Atlanta going into this year and I’m still not sold on Michael Turner having another great year. CAROLINA 24-21
Minnesota at Detroit- Brett Favre will once again be able to play the game manager role. The Williams’ on the Vikings D-line will stuff the run and give Matthew Stafford nightmares. Adrian Peterson will more than likely win your fantasy round this week if you got ‘em. MINNESOTA 31-17
Cincinnati at Green Bay- If the Bengals can apply pressure to Rodgers, then this game will be a lot closer than most would think. If Carson Palmer can have some time in the pocket, then he will put up plenty of points, if the receivers can catch the ball (7 drops last week.) Too many if’s. GREEN BAY 20-17
Houston at Tennessee- The Texans were the biggest disappointment in week one. An angry Titans team is not the cure. If the Texans got blown out in it’s home opener, how will they score on the road against the airtight Titans D? I don’t think Matt Schaub has the answer, in fact, he just raises more questions on if he is a legit NFL QB.
TITANS 21-10
Oakland at Kansas City- Matt Cassel will be a game time decision, but this game comes down to the wire either way. It will be decided by a play on special teams or a dumb T.O. Who is more likely to commit a dumb turnover in the fourth quarter? JaMarcus Russell. KANSAS CITY 31-28
New England at New York- The Jets are talking lots of trash and the Patriots are sitting back smiling. Tom Brady looked a lot more comfortable in the second half and that’s a bad sign for the Jets. The Jets D looked great against the Texans, but it’s too early to tell if that means anything. A rookie QB in his second game, going against a Belichick D? NEW ENGLAND 20-17
New Orleans at Philadelphia- Drew Brees is currently the best QB in the league, and Donovan McNabb ribs won’t allow him to play. The Saints offensive weapons are endless and the Eagles can’t win a shoot out with Kevin Kolb under center. NEW ORLEANS 31-17
St. Louis at Washington- Jason Campbell needs a win to get the Washington media off his back. Good thing the only scoreless team from week one comes to town. Clinton Portis will get a hundred yards and two scores… maybe by halftime. WASHINGTON 28-10
Arizona at Jacksonville- Arizona plays better on the road, and Jacksonville is not exactly a home field advantage. The Cardinals were banged up last week and Anquan Boldin looks to be feeling closer to 100 percent. The quest for Tim Tebow inches a little closer for the Jags. ARIZONA 24-20
Tampa Bay at Buffalo- After the Monday night debacle against New England, Buffalo is desperate. Trent Edwards looked like an above average NFL QB and that is great news for a QB challenged team like the Bills. BUFFALO 23-13
Pittsburgh at Chicago- If Willie Parker can’t move the chains, then the Bears have a chance. But with no Brian Urlacher, I don’t expect this to happen. Ben Roethlisberger will make more plays then the extremely overrated and whiny Jay Cutler. I would sit Matt Forte this week if he were on my fantasy team. PITTSBURGH 17-10
Cleveland at Denver- The Browns played superb for one half and still got blown away. The team’s only play-maker (Braylon Edwards) drops passes like the ball is on fire. They don’t have a running back, and their coach couldn’t decide on a QB till a few days before the season started. The D got abused by Peterson last week in Barry Sanders-like fashion.
At least the Broncos have a decent D with Champ Bailey and Elvis Dumervil.
DENVER 20-13
Baltimore at San Diego- The game of the week will come down to the running game of the Ravens. If they can grab an early lead and run Ray Rice to death, it should be a Ravens win. But if Phillip Rivers has a chance in the fourth quarter, my bet goes with the home team and the more experienced QB. BALTIMORE 22-16
Seattle at San Francisco- Frank Gore had 22 carries for 30 yards last week. No way they win if he puts up numbers like that again. The Matt Hasselback to T.J. Houshmandzadeh combination is going to do some serious damage to 49er corners. SEATTLE 27-19
New York at Dallas- This game has shoot-out written all over it. Tony Romo will be airing it out, but the O-line is a concern. He was sacked five times against a suspect Tampa D, while the Giants have the deepest D-Line in the NFL.
The Giants need a receiver to step up and take hold of the number one spot; my guess is the other Steve Smith. With all the hoopla surrounding the new Dallas stadium, the Giants come in and steal the first one. NEW YORK 34-28
Indianapolis at Miami- The Dolphins looked very vanilla against the Falcons. Chad Pennington has been the same average QB his entire NFL career. The Colts don’t have many options at receiver since Anthony Gonzalez will be out for two months. But I will take Peyton Manning and Dwight Freeney over the Fins Pennington and Joey Porter.
INDIANAPOLIS 23-16
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We all witnessed the New England Patriots have a close call last week against the Buffalo Bills that was mere minutes from leaving them with a 0-1 home start.
Tom Brady didn’t exactly look like the 16-0 regular season record-breaking QB we witnessed just two seasons ago.
Buffalo harassed him and made him make mistakes and all but won until the last five minutes of the game.
Oh, and until then Brady was outperformed by Trent Edwards.
Now that Brady and the Patriots fought through that game and left with a win, they have a new challenge in the form of brazen first-year coach Rex Ryan and his New York Jets.
Rookie QB Mark Sanchez’ debut against the Houston Texans last week was eye-popping good, as he went 18-31 with 272 yards passing and a TD, but one ugly interception.
Sanchez did the most damage on third down, going 12-15 and continuously converting to keep that Texans defense on the field, and All-Pro WR Andre Johnson off of it.
New York’s defense also played very well, pressuring Texans QB Matt Schaub down-after-down, and he ended with a 18-33, 166 yard performance and also had an interception.
Johnson was kept in-check, with just 4 receptions for 35 yards and no TD’s.
Houston, a team that some experts have finishing with a playoff berth, is no walk-over and the Jets seemingly handled them with ease.
With the Patriots coming to town this Sunday, none of what happened last week matters anymore.
You can bet that Brady and the Hoody will come into town with a gameplan that will be geared to make Sanchez and that offense make mistakes.
Costly ones.
Are Ryan and the Jets ready for the Pats?
Judging by what they’ve been saying in the media this week, I’d say so.
Jets DT Kris Jenkins has been quoted saying that this game is the Jets, “Super Bowl,” and FS Kerry Rhodes said that the Jets wanted to, “Embarrass the Pats.”
This is you guys Super Bowl? Really Jenkins? What team calls a game in week two a Super Bowl when they aren’t out of possibly making the real one?
A team with Super Bowl aspirations doesn’t need to make one game against a rival that serious. You don’t hear Tony Romo calling the Cowboys home opener against the rival New York Giants this week a Super Bowl.
When you have to come out and pump yourself up to the media and your opponent is known for their silence in these situations, it looks as though you don’t really believe you can win.
The Pats know they can win, hence the silence and lack of response.
Brady chose to be diplomatic, saying that, “talk is cheap” and that the Pats, “Feel a certain way,” and “don’t necessarily need to tell everyone about it.”
After listening to Ryan urge all fans to do everything they can to help his ballclub, apparently the Jets do.
Nonetheless, this Sunday Giants Stadium will be on fire as the fans will be locked in to send Brady and the Pats into confusion.
What can each team do to have the higher score when the clock ticks down to zero? Here are two keys to victory for each team.
New York Jets Keys To Victory
1. Pressure Tom Brady!
It’s no secret that Brady is just returning from major knee surgery and hasn’t gotten his legs completely under him yet.
Buffalo pressured him often, and stymied that Patriot offensive attack for most of the game. This week the Jets will have to be pitbulls unleashed onto the Patriots offensive line to hit Brady and hit him often.
The Giants showed in their Super Bowl XLII victory that consistent pressure on Brady can throw off his rhythm and timing with his receivers.
Ryan will have to come up with blitzing schemes that get to Brady quickly, where he can’t get the ball to the ever-dangerous Randy Moss or Wes Welker. If they don’t get to him in time, Brady will make chopped liver out of them.
2. Establish the Run Early
The biggest asset for an inexperienced QB is a potent ground attack, and Sanchez got that last week against the Texans from Leon Washington and Thomas Jones.
Jones and Washington combined for 167 yards and 2 TD’s off of 35 carries.
They will need a repeat of that performance. The Patriots have a new defense that has lost guys like Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and injured rising star LB Jerod Mayo.
Therefore, a few holes will be present for the Jets to exploit Sunday.
Jones and Washington will get their chances early, and if that offensive line of the Jets can contain Vince Wilfork and Tully Banta-Cain, the Jets will run all the way through them.
If not, watch out rookie!
New England Patriots Keys To Victory
1. Protect Tom Brady!
Just as the Jets need to pressure Brady and want to hit him much as possible, the Pats offensive line has to give him time and protect him and his reconstructed knee.
If Brady gets hit too much early, he may become slightly gun-shy and scared to follow through on his throws.
Against the Bills last week, Brady started the game squeamish on moving through his throwing motion, seemingly protecting that knee a little.
In the second half though, Brady became increasingly confident and led his team on two touchdown drives to win the game.
The Jets will be blitzing him often, and if Dan Koppen and the big guts up front can give him time with chipping help from Kevin Faulk and Laurence Maroney, Brady might light up the town in New York.
2. Force Mark Sanchez To Look Like A Rookie
Sanchez has everyone in the football world raving about his poise and great decision-making in last week’s victory over Houston.
Unfortunately, that was only one game and he has to do it again.
At some point, Sanchez will look like a rookie and make some mistakes that his team will have to back him on.
If the Pats have it their way, that time will come Sunday.
Bill Belichick is historically great at forcing opposing QB’s to make mistakes, especially rookies. Belichick will have some schemes ready for Mr. Sanchez Sunday that he’s never saw before.
If the Pats execute and pressure Sanchez by stopping the run and forcing him to pass, the young man from USC will think twice about his decision to enter the NFL at about 4:15 Sunday afternoon.
If not, the Pats could be this week’s Texans.
Prediction
Much as I like Sanchez, Ryan and the Jets, I have to go with the experienced Patriots in this one.
Sanchez will have his moments, but none solid as what we will see from the incomparable Tom Brady, as he will go over the 300-yard mark with at least two touchdowns.
The Jets will do moderately well on the ground, but not enough as Sanchez will be forced into throwing the ball over 32 times and at least one turnover.
Patriots get the win, 31-21.
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Hey sports fans, are you ready to go? Break out the wafers, throw the rag-top back and get ready for a spin with today’s SCL’s Fresh Take, a whole new twist on sports for you, the fan.
The U is back. After navigating the first half of the college football equivalent of “Murders Row,” the ‘Canes have a head full of steam charging into their next two clashes with ranked opponents Virginia Tech and Oklahoma. Lead by sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris, The U put a “beat down” on a decent Georgia Tech team and find themselves as the talk of the ACC. Third year head coach Randy Shannon has assembled a lot of young talent and surrounded that talent with exception coaching with the likes of offensive coordinator Mark Whipple. This is a good story because college football is much better when the ‘Canes are at their best. Whether you love them or hate them, when the boys from Coral Gables are good, they wear the largest bull’s-eye in D1 football.
Has Buddy Ball taken up residence on Broadway? With the arrive of Buddy’s son Rex Ryan in New York Jet green, it has the feel of Buddy Ball and Bounty Bowls all over again. As the Jets prepare for their Sunday clash with the Patriots, there is no shortage of trash talking or bulletin board material being doled out by the Jet players. Ryan has certainly brought a swagger with him to the Meadowlands and will have his team ready to play come kickoff, but with a rookie quarterback and inferior talent on the roster, look for the Pats to win this game. I love the BOLD and cocky approach of aggressive coaches. Buddy had it, Jimmy Johnson had it and it looks like Rex has it. Game on!
Did you catch the Angels and Red Sox game Wednesday night? Blue was squeezin’ the Angel pitcher in the ninth inning much to the chagrin of Angel Nation. I watched the end of the game and saw a “coke can” for a strike zone which lead Angel manager Mike Scioscia to say the count was “three and four” on the one batter. That is a strikeout plus one for you baseball novice. Umpires blow calls, but the Angels need to look at the two double plays they booted earlier in the game which largely contributed the additional game in the L column.
The MLB post season race is heating up with the best races in the American League Central and National League Wildcard. The Twins have closed the Central race to four games behind the Tigers and the Giants trail the Rockies by only 3.5. While pitching wins championships, I do enjoy watching pearls flying out of the yard and players running around the sacks. Whatever the outcome of the games, October is almost here and baseball will have its grandest stage.
The OFFICIAL opening of the new Texas Stadium is upon us. The Ring of Honor and the blue star on the 50-yard line will be the finishing touches on Jerry’s billion dollar bonanza which will debut Sunday night as the Cowboys host the New York football Giants. This stadium is JJ’s watershed moment in his twenty plus year tenure at the helm of America’s Team. Three Super Bowls do not compare as this stadium will be Jerry Jones’ legacy to the Dallas Cowboys, Cowboy Nation and the DFW metroplex. Did you catch that? I said DFW metroplex, not the city of Dallas. Why? Because Jerry originally wanted to build his masterpiece next to American Airlines Center in downtown Big D, but the mayor of Dallas balked at the notion of providing funding for the venture. I’m fine with the mayor looking out for the tax payer’s dinero, but she never gave the people of Dallas a chance to voice their opinion. She swept it under the rug and never put it to a vote. That is criminal and I hope the citizens of Dallas and Cowboy Nation let Laura Miller know that before she left office.
And that, my friends is what is HOT in sports. Join us again tomorrow for SCL’s Fresh Take.
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It’s not often you can say a game played in the second week of the NFL season could be a make-or-break game for a team or a player.
However that’s exactly the case for Jake Delhomme and the Carolina Panthers.
No matter how you look at it, the outcome of their matchup with the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome could determine their fate for 2009 and beyond.
Delhomme has what plenty of Panthers fans never wanted him to have after his opening-day performance against the Eagles, a second chance. What he does with that second chance could define his career, for better or for worse.
Delhomme has been known as a fiery, gritty player who in the past, has led his team to plenty of come-from-behind victories in the final seconds of the game, when the pressure is on him to deliver.
A lot of Panthers fans can barely remember what the old Jake looked like after his last two meaningful performances, but he has yet another chance to deliver when the odds are stacked against him and his team.
If Jake comes out and has another turnover-laden performance, it will be almost impossible to label his past few games an “aberration ” and avoid calling it a “trend.”
He very well may not get another chance after another terrible outing, and so either the A.J. Feeley or Matt Moore era will begin in Carolina, as the front office scrambles to find a solution in the search for their future starting signal-caller.
While there is always a chance the Delhomme era could end much in the same way it began, with an unheralded quarterback stepping in and leading his team deep into the playoffs, the chances of this happening are slim.
Uncertainty at the the quarterback position almost never equals success in the NFL. If Delhomme goes, that could also spell the end for head coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney, the ones responsible for granting Jake a contract extension after his playoff meltdown against the Cardinals.
Also, since Fox and Hurney have mortgaged their future for the present in the past two drafts, we could be looking at dark days ahead in Charlotte for the 2010 season unless the front office can put together a package to trade up for a first-round pick.
Of course none of this would be nearly as important if Delhomme comes out and redeems himself against the Falcons.
This doesn’t necessarily mean he would have to throw three or four touchdown passes or even come out of Atlanta with a win. He just needs to show he is capable of playing mistake-free football and not putting his defense or his team in a tough position, the way he has in his past two games.
If he can do this, it will at least be a glimmer of hope that all is not lost for the Panthers in 2009, and that Delhomme’s performances of late aren’t becoming a weekly routine.
Pretty much everyone who knows Delhomme knows that he is a great guy, one of the best in the NFL, who has never placed blame on anyone’s shoulders but his own, and never hid from criticism of the media after a terrible performance.
We hate to see something like this happen to a great teammate and a true class act. This isn’t how franchise quarterbacks are supposed to go out. You would like to think a guy who led the Panthers to the most success they’ve ever had would be able to go out on his own terms.
There’s no question that Delhomme is down right now. He has pretty much lost the trust of the majority of the Panthers’ fan base, and he has already put a damper on their high hopes for back-to-back winning seasons.
However, Delhomme has been down before, and with the trust of his teammates and coaching staff still intact, his performance against the Falcons will potentially be his greatest comeback ever.
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MYTH: “It was a 15-round, old-school Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight that went the distance” (Keith Bulluck, regarding the Titans’ 13-10 overtime loss to the Steelers in the season opener)
FACTS: It was anything but. Though it is easy to say both teams played great and were evenly matched, the game was so low-scoring and close only because of mistakes by both teams.
Though the Steelers won, they have no reason to be excited about this victory. The loss of Troy Polamalu is reason enough for the Steelers to be unhappy about the game. On top of that, the Super Bowl Champions did not appear remotely super.
On offense, their running game was nonexistent. On paper, the Steelers should be expected to run the ball much better than they did last year with the return of a healthy Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall. On the field, the Steelers ran the ball even more ineffectively than they did last year.
Instead of using Mendenhall in a complementary role to Parker’s outside speed, the Steelers used Parker as an every-down back, and the results weren’t pretty: 19 yards on 13 carries.
Though the Steelers’ touchdown drive at the end of the second quarter made the Steelers’ passing offense look excellent, the “great” plays have to be taken in context.
Instead of pressuring Roethlisberger with an additional rusher or two, which worked to near perfection the few times the Titans actually did so, the Titans only rushed with their four defensive linemen.
The rest of the Titans’ defense went into a zone defense that was spread really widely. These miscues in defensive play-calling gave Roethlisberger plenty of time to penetrate the spread-apart zone defense with pump fakes that the safeties fell for twice in a row.
Despite his numbers, Roethlisberger was less than stellar as a passer. He is constantly praised for his ability to extend the play by scrambling around in the pocket. Without a doubt, it is absolutely amazing when Roethlisberger makes a play like that.
However, for every play like that, there are usually four to five where Roethlisberger holds onto the ball too long, trying to make a play, and instead gets sacked or turns the ball over.
That lack of consistency makes it hard for me to buy into the idea of him as a quarterback on the level of Brady, Manning, or even Drew Brees.
Though he was incredible in spurts on Thursday night, he had some major ups and downs. Had he displayed more consistency, this game wouldn’t have even been close.
On defense, the Steelers allowed one long run by Chris Johnson (and this was before Polamalu left the game), but otherwise did an effective job against the run. Once again, this was the Titans’ fault.
LenDale White and Chris Johnson form the best running back tandem in the league. With White’s brute power and Johnson’s breakaway speed, the two of them earned the nickname “Smash and Dash” as they gave defensive coordinators headaches all year.
This formula led the Titans to a league-best 13-3 record in 2008, but the Titans did not employ it against the Steelers, instead using Johnson as the primary back and only giving White eight carries.
Unfortunately, the Titans didn’t Dash too well without any Smash to help out. Johnson himself only got 16 carries, too, though.
It’s this simple: when White and Johnson get the ball, the Titans win. When they don’t, the Titans lose.
This held true even throughout the pre-season of Johnson’s rookie season. The Titans went 3-1 in the pre-season, losing badly to the Falcons by a score of 17-3. Lendale White sat that game out with an injury.
When the Titans started off 10-0, their dreams of an undefeated season came to an end at the hands of the New York Jets.
At the beginning of the game, the Titans benched Lendale White for getting into an argument with running backs coach Earnest Byner after a fumble.
The Titans lost 34-13. Twice is a coincidence. After it happened a third time against the Steelers, you can only hope the Titans will see the pattern.
It should be noted that the trend works in reverse, too. In the playoff loss to Baltimore, the Titans were dominating on the ground until Chris Johnson left the game with an ankle injury. Afterwards, the offense sputtered and the Titans lost 13-10 to the Ravens.
All off-season long, the Titans tried to downplay the loss of Albert Haynesworth, saying they were confident in their rotation at defensive tackle. However, the Titans were unable to get anywhere near the pass rush they had in 2008 without Haynesworth. This had almost a trickle-down effect on the rest of the defense, giving the Steelers’ receivers more time to get open.
As I mentioned before, on a few occasions, the Titans did bring additional rushers, getting excellent pressure on Roethlisberger and preventing him from making plays.
Had the Titans’ coaching staff recognized and adapted to their inability to pressure Roethlisberger with only their defensive line, the team would’ve had a much better chance of winning the game.
Because Jeff Fisher is my absolute favorite coach in the league, I really hate to say this, but the Titans lost the opener because they were outcoached, and failed to adapt their strategies on offense and defense.
Had the defense rushed more men, and had the offense revolved more around the Smash and Dash duo, we’d be discussing a completely different ball game.
Side Notes
Jay Cutler’s debut in Chicago was disastrous. Though he had a few nice moments, all in all, he was skittish and sloppy. It was a very disappointing start for Cutler.
Aaron Rodgers, on the other hand, definitely made his case as the NFC North’s best starting quarterback, despite being pressured all day long by Bears DE Adewale Ogunleye.
Ogunlye was phenomenally explosive off the line of scrimmage and dominated the entire game. The Packers tried chipping him with backs and tight ends, but it didn’t make a difference.
Rodgers did an excellent job considering his complete lack of time in the pocket, and delivered nicely on the game-winning touchdown. Rodgers definitely benefited greatly from learning behind Brett Favre for a few years.
Matthew Stafford played like he needed to sit back and learn, too. Three interceptions aren’t a great way to start your career. Then again, Drew Brees had a rough start in San Diego, but eventually became one of today’s best quarterbacks. He threw for an impressive six touchdowns against the Lions.
Speaking of quarterbacks who benefited from sitting on the bench as a rookie, Phillip Rivers led the Chargers to a game-winning touchdown against the Raiders in a matchup that was apparently a lot more even than I thought it would be.
The Raiders showed some fight at the end of last season, including their season finale where they ruined Tampa’s playoff hopes.
It seems like this has carried across to the 2009 season. The Raiders didn’t get the win, but they showed some real signs of life. They had better hope they can show some signs of life against the brutal NFC East, the AFC West’s inter-conference opponents.
Another AFC West team that surprised me was Kansas City. Despite not having QB Matt Cassell, their offense was impressive against the defensively sound Ravens.
Over the next couple weeks, we’ll be better able to tell if that is thanks to the Chiefs’ addition of former Arizona offensive coordinator Todd Haley, or if it is due to the Ravens’ off-season loss of defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.
Additionally, quite a few of Ryan’s former defensive players came to play for his Jets. With the addition of multiple talented players, and a defensive scheme that these new players are familiar with, the Jets’ defense could be much improved, while the Ravens’ defense could slump. This could be an interesting storyline in the weeks to come.
Two key points were lost behind the story of the amazing game-winning touchdown catch by Brandon Stokley. First of all, either the Bengals have failed to deliver on their expectations of having a high-powered offense once again, or the Broncos’ defense got a LOT better over the off-season.
Another issue is the demotion of Brandon Marshall, who did not start the game, instead substituting into the game during a few plays.
This isn’t the pre-season. The only way Josh McDaniels would bench a starter for any period of time is if he feels the benefits of benching him outweigh the loss of the on-field production the player brings to the table.
Look for more Brandon Marshall headlines as the year progresses. Between this and the Cutler trade, I think Josh McDaniels wishes he were coaching the Detroit Lions instead.
At least then he wouldn’t have to meet as high of a set of fans’ expectations. The Broncos’ playoff hopes have sunk lower and lower after the end of the 2008 season, Denver’s first shot at football relevance since Elway retired.
Regardless of who plays quarterback in Minnesota, the Vikings are going to be carried on the back of the amazing Adrian Peterson.
His long touchdown run against the Browns was mind-blowing: halfway through the run, he stopped, stiff-armed two defenders, and started running at full speed again.
Browns’ coach Eric Mangini started Brady Quinn at quarterback after refusing to tell the media who was going to play quarterback for the Browns.
Though Mangini was ridiculed throughout the media for this lack of disclosure, the reasoning behind it was sound. He kept the starter secret so the Vikings wouldn’t know who to prepare for, and this was a good idea.
Though Quinn’s and Derek Anderson’s playing styles may not differ as much as those of Peyton Manning and Michael Vick, there are still many subtle differences in the nuances of each quarterback’s styles of play.
The Vikings’ personnel studying film had to watch where and how both quarterbacks liked to throw the ball in a variety of situations.
This creates double the work for the Vikings’ defensive staff. Though this shrewd move wasn’t enough to win the game for the Browns, it was a well thought-out plan. I liked it.
The Texans got murdered by the Jets. Earlier in the summer, I wrote an article saying the Lions should start Daunte Culpepper and let Matt Stafford learn, while the Jets should throw Mark Sanchez into the fire and see what he could do. If Week 1 performances are any indicator, I was right.
This brutal loss makes the Texans’ matchup against the Titans on Sunday even more important. Starting off 0-2 can set an unpleasant tone to the season for the losing team. Neither the Titans or the Texans can afford to lose this game.
The 49ers could be a dark horse pick to win the NFC West. They’re a very physical team in the NFL’s weakest division. Their upset of the reigning NFC Champion Cardinals could prove to be more than just a fluke.
In a previous article, I pegged the 49ers as the NFC West’s team to beat. I don’t know if they’ve got what it takes to make noise in the post-season against teams like Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Orleans, or the New York Giants.
Philadelphia has gone from having the most enviable quarterback situation in the league to the least enviable in a matter of seconds.
After Donovan McNabb suffered a cracked rib against the Panthers, the Eagles had to stomach the idea of facing New Orleans without either McNabb or Michael Vick, who is not eligible to play until week 3.
Had they left the situation at that, and chalked up the New Orleans game as a likely loss, the situation would have been bad enough, because the Eagles would have had to decide whether they had the best chance of winning starting a healthy Michael Vick or a Donovan McNabb who probably would not be up to full strength.
The Eagles made this situation worse by signing free-agent Jeff Garcia, who was cut by Oakland due to his dissatisfaction with being JaMarcus Russell’s backup.
Though it gives the Eagles a better chance of beating New Orleans, it also creates a three-way dilemma at quarterback. I feel the Eagles sacrificed in the long term to get better results short-term.
Due to all the news about Donovan McNabb, you might not have heard that the Panthers played in this game too. To me, it definitely didn’t look like the reigning NFC South champions were in shape to defend their title.
The Seahawks are going to be better than they were last year if they can stay healthy. However, don’t be fooled by their 28-0 victory over the Rams. The Seahawks aren’t that good, the Rams are just that bad.
Marc Bulger doesn’t have an offensive line to protect him, and he doesn’t have good receivers who can get open quickly to make up for this lack of protection. That’s a recipe for disaster.
The Falcons showed that they mean business, beating Miami by a score of 19-6. Don’t be fooled if anyone says that the way Atlanta bottled up Miami’s new version of the Wildcat is proof the Wildcat is some sort of “fad.”
Remember, this was also rookie wildcat quarterback Pat White’s very first NFL game. The weakness was the player, not the scheme. Give Miami some time.
Atlanta is looking like a serious Super Bowl contender. Trading for Tony Gonzalez was a great way to augment an already-potent offense, and Atlanta’s defense looks pretty good. I could see this team going toe-to-toe with anybody in the league.
The Cowboys looked great without Terrell Owens. Their running game looks great, and Tony Romo has great chemistry with his receivers.
This sounds the exact same as the start of last season, but now the other three teams in the NFC East are even better than last year. I just can’t envision Dallas as a force in the NFC this year just because the rebuilding Buccaneers were clearly outmatched.
If I were David Garrard, I’d be fairly insulted at the Jaguars’ 2-point conversion attempt. Instead of selling the run and throwing a play-action pass to the flat (that play works REALLY well in short-yardage situations.
It’s the closest thing there is in football to a guarantee that our play will work), the Jaguars tried their version of the wildcat formation, with Maurice Jones-Drew lining up in the shotgun as a receiver came in motion.
As the receiver went in front of Jones-Drew, the center snapped the ball, and Jones-Drew faked the handoff to the receiver, kept the ball, and ran up the middle. Nobody bought the sweep, and Jones-Drew’s run was stuffed.
Here’s why the Wildcat, a formation I’ve written about and consider a great formation to include in an offense, was the wrong call for this situation. You’re on the two-yard line, and your running back is in the shotgun. He has to run a full seven yards to score.
The Wildcat is not going to be as effective for getting short yardage to get into the endzone, because at the goal line, defenses can run-blitz without as much of a threat from a mobile passer taking the snaps and stretching the field. Also, it has been in the news since OTAs that the Jaguars were experimenting with the Wildcat.
Also, I highly doubt that anybody in the league believed the Jaguars were only running it to “help their defense get better at defending it when the Jaguars play against Miami.” The Colts knew it was coming, and they were as prepared for it as you can possibly be.
Though it could have been used more effectively at other points in the game, the Jaguars did not use the formation in as opportune of a situation as they could have.
The Giants’ defense looked even better than it did during their 2007 playoff run, and their offense will always be dangerous as long as they have Brandon Jacobs and the Giants’ formidable line of maulers up front. Kevin Boss should really help Eli Manning convert crucial third downs.
I’m not too impressed with the Redskins for some reason. I don’t know what it is, but something about them is underwhelming. Can they really stand a chance in the same division as the Eagles and the Giants?
Tom Brady is back.
He looked skittish for the first half of the Monday night game, but it was visible when he rediscovered his comfort zone. The entire second half of the game, he was getting more and more comfortable, and by the end of the game, he looked as good as he did in 2007.
The Patriots’ miraculous comeback against the Bills just looked too easy for Tom Brady as he threw two touchdowns in 76 seconds. He knew exactly where to put the ball, and he delivered. This team scares me.
On a positive note for Bills fans, Buffalo put up an excellent fight in this game, which had a very memorable conclusion. Overall, both teams looked really good. Losing Jerrod Mayo will hurt the Patriots a little bit, but Bill Belichick will find a way to win without him.
Week 2 Picks
Atlanta beats Carolina, Minnesota beats Detroit, Green Bay beats Cincinnati, Oakland beats Kansas City, San Francisco beats Seattle, Pittsburgh beats Chicago, Denver beats Cleveland, New York Giants beat the Cowboys. Some harder picks: Philadelphia beats New Orleans, New England beats the New York Jets, Baltimore beats San Diego, Tennessee beats Houston.
I’ll also pick an upset that I have no factual basis for choosing, I’d just REALLY like to see it happen. This week’s Crazy Upset Pick will be Miami beating Indianapolis.
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“See you at the cemetery.”
Sadly, those words are no longer simply metaphorical.
Monte Clark is gone—dead at 72 after a long illness—and this has been a ghastly year for sports deaths, if you’re a follower of the teams in Detroit.
The following list is only partial: George Kell; Bill Davidson; Chuck Daly; Mark Fidrych; Brad Van Pelt; John Gordy. And Ernie Harwell is likely dying.
Most tributes to Clark, the former Lions coach (1978-84), like this one from my friend Big Al, have mentioned in vivid detail the “praying hands” that Clark displayed prior to Eddie Murray’s FG try in the 1983 playoffs in San Francisco. As well they should, for that might have been one of the most iconic images in Detroit sports history, bar none.
But the opening line of this post resonated with me almost as much.
For there would have been no playoff appearance in ‘83 if the Lions hadn’t rebounded from a 1-4 start.
It was in Anaheim, after that fourth loss, when Clark—a former offensive lineman and a hulk of a man—stood before the cadre of media folks who all wanted to know the answer of the typical post-game question for the loser: “What happened out there?”
In a hushed tone, filled with gallows humor, Clark placed himself on the hot seat—practically giving himself the ziggy.
“See you at the cemetery,” he said, then stepped away from the microphones and notepads.
The inference was impossible not to understand. Monte knew that the papers on Monday morning were going to be filled with poison, so might as well do a pre-emptive strike.
Well, now we truly will see Monte at the cemetery, thanks to his passing.
Clark was the first football coach in Detroit to be given the highbrow title of Director of Football Operations, even though GM Russ Thomas was far from retirement. Monte wanted some control beyond just that of drawing up plays and game plans. He wanted some say-so in drafting, trades, and other personnel matters.
The highbrow title was mandatory if the Lions wanted Clark as their next coach. It was a distinct lack of control, working for eccentric GM Joe Thomas, that slew Clark after just one year as coach of the 49ers in 1976.
Thomas dumped Clark rather unexpectedly after that ‘76 season, and the experience stung Monte. So when the Lions came calling, looking for a coach to replace Tommy Hudspeth, Clark insisted on the broadened title and increased input, beyond that of “just” a coach.
Monte was Don Shula’s O-line coach in Miami for many years, and there are far worse folks from whom to learn your coaching chops than Mr. Shula.
The Lions started 1-6 in Monte’s first season but gathered themselves and went 6-3 the rest of the way.
Then came a fateful exhibition game at the end of the 1979 preseason.
QB Gary Danielson, who led the Lions to their fine finish the year before, went down with a serious knee injury in Baltimore. He was done for the season.
The Lions had creaky Joe Reed as their backup, and by the third game Reed was done, also by injury.
The Lions were then QB’d by rookie Jeff Komlo—he died this year, too—and the result was a horrific 2-14 season.
The Lions went through Reed, Komlo, Jerry Golsteyn, and Scott Hunter under center, but Komlo by far got the most playing time. He completed about 50 percent of his passes and threw a ton of interceptions.
But that 2-14 year enabled the Lions to draft Billy Sims with the No. 1 overall pick, and playoff contention was just around the corner.
Clark avoided the coaching cemetery in 1983 but fell victim to it one year later after a disappointing 4-11-1 record, thanks largely to losing Sims to a career-ending knee injury in October.
But yes, that image of Monte praying to the football gods prior to Murray’s 43-yard try on the final play in, of all places, San Francisco, will be burned into the minds of all Lions fans old enough to remember it when it happened.
I’m one of those, and that Dec. 31, 1983 game ruined my New Year’s celebration, as it did millions of others’.
The funny thing is, if you ask, most Lions fans will tell you that as soon as they saw Clark praying, they knew Murray was going to miss. I was one of those, too.
The Lions are the NFL’s fallen angels, and those types don’t have prayers answered.
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Taking a good look at your own performance is a part of a self-study which many corporations and organizations do on a periodic schedule.
The performance must go up, and the histograms will grow in height.
Hopefully, by producing profiles of performance, a focus on who, what, where, and how to improve will become evident.
Here are a few charts to help you visualize comparisons of players. Every tool available to us must be used to see clearly our strengths and weaknesses.
What observations can you make in this mini-analysis? All comments are good. We need a lively, honest, and transparent look at ourselves, the Oakland Raiders and the Raider Nation.
This mini-analysis is at a fundamental level so that readers from all ages, can appreciate this approach to understand our profile of strengths and areas in which we must improve. More detailed analysis will be provided in future articles.
It is imperative that we do a self-study on a regular basis. Otherwise, how will we know that we have grown or improved?
A transparent approach, and a willingness to focus and exercise the mental and physical discipline to attain victory is what we need.
We are encouraged by a display of our strengths, but we must be inspired to optimize and improve.
Yes, we are encouraged and grateful for the strengths that we have. We, however, work hard and aggressively move toward a higher level of efficiency, proficiency and competency.
We are the Raider Nation, determined and strong, fearless and forceful.
Go Raiders!
Data: Sept. 14, 2009
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NFL fanatics, guess what? The NFL season is over already. Wait, this is September right? We still have a few months left. Well, apparently the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t get the message, because they are already planning their off season.
The Jaguars’ owner Wayne Weaver apparently does not like his QB scene, because he is already planning on drafting Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow with his No. 1 pick. The Jags are now set to have a bad season according to Weaver.
At least, let’s hope they do. Because if they don’t, there is no way they will acquire Tebow in the draft. There are other teams that could use a great quarterback such as Kansas City, Houston, etc.
The Jaguars would have to lose at least 11-to-12 games, to even have a chance at a top pick.
Of course, people can see why Weaver would want a guy like Tebow. He is immensely popular, especially in the Florida area. His popularity will help the team get people in the seats.
Their attendance is terrible; toward, if not at the bottom of the league. Their team is not wonderful, but they have had good seasons in the past. Yet, their attendance records have never been the best in the league.
They do need a superstar like Tebow to come in and help. I can bet that the same stadium the Jags play in will be packed when the Gators come in there later on in the year. The reason why could be success.
See, the Jags have never been a Super Bowl contender year-after-year like the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens. Wonder why these three teams are toward the top in attendance? Success.
The Jags need that, which is also something Tebow can bring. He is a former Heisman Trophy winner, and could possibly win another one this year. Not to mention, he has won two National Titles at Florida, and once again, he could win another this year.
So, if things go to plan for Tebow, your looking at a two-time Heisman Trophy winner and three-time National Champion. Success? I think we can safely say Tebow has had that, even if he doesn’t win another Heisman or NC.
While Weaver didn’t come out and say, “Hey media, I want Tebow on my team in 2010,” his little conversation with the media pretty much said that, just with more words than needed:
“The game is such an important part of this community, and Tebow is such an iconic figure that people would legitimately think, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if he was a Jaguar,'” Weaver said. “I’d be silly to sit here and think that’s not going to be a huge thing.”
“Clearly there’s going to be a groundswell for Tebow, and we’ll have to make that evaluation, if we have a draft pick that’s going to be anywhere near him.”
Um…yeah, he should have just said, “We will draft Tebow.” It would have saved him more oxygen.
Tebow is a wonderful player, but wouldn’t you think it would be better for your team to not talk about the 2010 offseason at the beginning of the 2009 season?
Is it just me who thinks you should encourage the players you already have, then focus on the off-season, well, in the off-season? Maybe I’m a traditionalist and the times are changing.
I guess we will talk about 2014 in 2011, just to make sure we’re all ready. I guess the cool thing now is to talk about getting players to replace others, which discourage the ones already there. Because that is obviously the new way to run a successful NFL team.
Thank you Mr. Weaver.
The terrible economy may not be the cause of the low attendance, nor is it that you don’t have a superstar coach or QB, it’s the fact that the poor business and drafting skills have led your team into what could be financial ruin.
If you would have drafted better players before all of this, and have a coach in there who is a proven winner, then possibly you could have a wonderful team that could compete for the Super Bowl year in and out.
Tebow is not going to save your team. Success will change your team. So while Tebow has had success in college, I could tell you about hundreds who had success there that didn’t transition into the NFL.
Does anyone remember Ryan Leaf?
One QB will not turn your team around. While he may be able to take over a game in college, it will take time for him to do something like that at the pro level. Also, you have to have a good team around him to help him win.
Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and other superstar QB’s have had good coaching and a good team around them. Brady didn’t have superstar receivers until just a few years ago, but he had a great coach and offensive line to help him out.
Manning had the same thing, just he had Marvin Harrison to help him most of his career. Then, he came along even better, but that is also due to good coaching and a good work ethic on top of having a good team around him.
Tebow can and will be successful in the NFL, but he won’t do it right away and by himself. The Jags need to build a good team around him, but will that happen? Not to sure, especially with the current team.
If they haven’t done it before, what makes you think they will do it now? What Weaver should be doing is analyzing why they haven’t had a successful team lately, and why they haven’t had wonderful drafting choices that have led them to a Super Bowl.
Sure, there have been great additions to the team through the draft like Maurice Jones-Drew, but the departure of Fred Taylor, which I find to be a mistake, will mean that Jones-Drew will have to do more, and that will get to him eventually.
Once the Jaguars had two of the hardest backs to stop, that teams needed to fear, now they have just one small running back that can be stopped on his own.
The receivers have not been wonderful, and why has there not been a better QB drafted before? Byron Leftwich has been gone for a while hasn’t he? And seriously, David Garrard is not going to be a franchise QB.
They do need Tebow, but as I said, until they get a better team, Tebow won’t be successful and attendance will still be down. The fans want a winning team, is that so hard to figure out, Mr. Weaver?
I know Tim Tebow can divide by zero, order a Big Mac at Burger King, and he he won the Tour de France on a unicycle to prove to Lance Armstrong it wasn’t a big deal. But, he won’t save your franchise Weaver, I’m just saying.
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I’ve uncovered some guys you can plug into your lineup, if you are dealing with an injury or some tough matchups.
Trent Edwards, QB, Buffalo Bills
He didn’t take any shots deep against New England, but look for that to change against Tampa Bay. With T.O. and Lee Evans, Trent Edwards should be able to stretch the defense. He has great a safety valve in Fred Jackson, when he can’t hit his wides.
Leon Washington, RB, New York Jets
Fred Jackson was able to do some damage in the passing game last week. Look for Leon Washington to do the same as the New York Jets try to keep it simple for Mark Sanchez. Bill Belichick is known for trying to confuse young quarterbacks, though.
Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
The Oakland Raiders’ defense looked great, but playing on the road should be a little tougher. Darren Sproles may have looked better overall than LaDainian Tomlinson, but LT still ran the ball better. Larry Johnson should have some success.
Steve Smith, WR, New York Giants
I have a feeling that this game is going to be a shootout. It’s hard to predict who will score the New York Giants’ passing TD’s, but Steve Smith should get plenty of targets and have a respectable amount of receiving yards.
Nate Burleson, WR, Seattle Seahawks
T.J. Houshmandzadeh and John Carlson will garner the attention, allowing Nate Burleson to have another nice game. San Fran allowed Arizona’s No. 2 WR Jerheme Urban to go for 74 yards last week.
Todd Heap, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Tight ends pretty much had their way with San Diego last year. The trend continued this year as Zach Miller had a great game in Week One. Of course, Oakland has limited weapons, but Todd Heap is still a solid play this week. He’s coming off of a big game of his own.
Shaun Suisham, K, Washington Redskins
Shaun Suisham gets to take on St. Louis at home. St. Louis got smoked last week, but allowed just four PAT’s. I’m guessing Washington sputters a time or two in field goal range, which should lead to a multiple FG game for Suisham.
Washington Redskins D/ST
St. Louis made Seattle’s defense look like the 1986 Chicago Bears last week. Washington looks like as good of choice as any to produce fantasy points.
This story was originally published at LestersLegends.com.
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With week two of regular season practices almost wrapped up, the Cleveland Browns had many things to work on resulting from their week one loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Moving on to the Denver Broncos, the Browns and head coach Eric Mangini go up against another Bill Belichick protege in Broncos new head coach, Josh McDaniels.
The Broncos are very similar to where the Browns are right now, they are rebuilding the team and installing a new system after 13 seasons under former coach Mike Shanahan.
Last week they won their first game of the new season by sheer luck on the last play of the game, courtesy of a bounce into the hands of wide receiver Brandon Stockley who took it 87 yards for the game-winning score, versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
Last year versus Denver was the beginning of the end for the Browns in 2008. It was the game where players began saying that the team had “just given up,” but that was a different regime, and now Mangini is bringing a more disciplined team to Denver.
There are several key matchups that the Browns need to look at in order to achieve victory in the thin air of the Rocky Mountains.
CB Brandon McDonald Versus Himself From Last Year’s Game
McDonald had what was probably one of the worst games in his professional football career last year against the Broncos. He was responsible for covering then rookie wide receiver Eddie Royal, who wound up torching McDonald for two long touchdowns.
Look for McDonald to redeem himself this Sunday and not give up any long touchdown plays.
The Browns Defensive Front Seven Versus the Broncos Running Game and QB Kyle Orton Who Has a Bum Finger
Denver’s running game under former coach Shanahan was one of the best year in and year out due to a zone blocking scheme.
It didn’t matter who the runner was, because it was the scheme that made the Broncos running game a success, now McDaniels is moving away from that scheme and with the addition of rookie running back Knowshon Moreno, the Broncos are looking to develop him at their featured back for the future.
Moreno still has a lot to learn about running the ball in the NFL, and look for the Browns defense to shut down the running attack and actually hold a NFL team to under 100 total rushing yards which hasn’t happened in a long time.
Orton has an injured finger which may or may not affect his throwing, but look for the Browns defensive backs to get at least two interceptions off of him.
The defensive front seven will continue to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks and build on their impressive four-sack performance of week one.
CB Eric Wright Versus WR Brandon Marshall
After week one, Wright is quickly becoming one of the top shut down corners in the NFL. Against the Vikings, he was one-on-one with their top receiver, Bernard Berrian, and Berrian did not catch a single pass for the entire game.
Against the Broncos, Wright will face one of the top producing receivers of the NFL the past two seasons in Brandon Marshall.
Whether or not, Marshall’s heart is really in the game will be determined on gameday, since Marshall wants out of Denver in the worst way.
Wright will have his hands full Sunday, look for him to not shut down Marshall like he did with Berrian, but look for Marshall to be a non-factor in the game since the Broncos will probably focus on the McDonald-Royal matchup.
Browns Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll Versus Conservative Play-Calling
Last week Daboll was ripped by many for his conservative play-calling, but most forgot that was his first regular season game calling plays as an offensive coordinator.
With one game under his belt, look for Daboll to take a few long shots down the field as long as Brady Quinn can pull the trigger.
Daboll also has a new weapon in running back Jerome Harrison who is finally healthy and looks to contribute.
Which leads to…
…RB Harrison Will Be the Secret Weapon
Harrison has not played in a game since the first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, and has not fully participated in practices for that entire time due to an injured knee.
Practice reports have said that Harrison has quickly made strides this week and he will be getting touches in the game.
What kind of touches will Harrison get will be the real surprise!
With Harrison getting lots of hype before training camp began, it will be very exciting to see him finally utilized by Mangini (Who loved getting the ball into Leon Washington’s hands as much as possible and who Harrison has been compared to many times!)
WR Josh Cribbs Versus Denver CBs Not Named Champ Bailey
Bailey is one of the, if not the top, shut down corner in the NFL and he lines up against the opposing teams top wide receiver no matter where they line up.
Since Bailey will be blanketing Braylon Edwards, that gives Cribbs the chance to show that he is deserving of being the other starting receiver.
Cribbs will continue to grow into a starting receiver over the next several games, but what better time than now to showcase his talents and playmaking ability and take that next step into become a true all-around offensive threat against the Broncos.
Look for him to get into the open field several times and since he is so hard to tackle, look for Cribbs to get a good amount of yardage after the catch too.
Final Prediction: Browns 28 Broncos 13
With both teams rebuilding, look for the Browns to play very disciplined football, a big passing play to Cribbs, a pick-six for Wright, more pressure and sacks for the defense, a solid performance by Quinn, and avenge themselves after a disastrous second half in week one.
(Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper)
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