Oakland Raiders Vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Quick Hits

Just a few things to get you caught up before the Raiders’ second straight divisional matchup of the year.

First off, it is all over the World Wide Web that Dwayne Bowe had an interesting conversation this week with “Bay Area reporters.”

Bowe had some interesting words for Oakland’s starting quarterback: “I told him he’s got to be more (of a leader), not screaming in guys’ faces, but going to the side, tell them what they did wrong or afterwards, stay an extra hour or focus to improve your game, and he said he’s going to start that up.”

The two were good friends at LSU, hooking up for plenty of touchdowns. He and JaMarcus Russell hold the school record for touchdown passes from one player to another. Both players were first round picks in 2007 and have remained close since.

Bowe proceeded to say that JaMarcus had to get used to the publicity of a high-profile college before he “became a more vocal leader. He called extra meetings, watched extra film at his house, stuff like that.”

Bowe zeroed in on the pressure on JaMarcus’ shoulders in Oakland: “I know what he can do. It’s just, when can he do it? And I told him, his time is running out in the NFL. I want to see now, and I want to see a year from now, feeling up to it.

“You have to take into consideration to take the show yourself, and he just feels like he’s young and he’s got a lot of older guys in front of him that’s kind of mentoring him.

“I said, You’re the quarterback on that team; you’re going to be the franchise player. You need to be the franchise. I told him, you need to take over every drill, every meeting, and just see how it goes.

“If you do it and it don’t work out well, stop. But if you do it and you’re successful, keep going. So I’m just waiting (to see) the headlines taking over Oakland.”

And see them you will, Mr. Bowe. Firsthand, no less—no newspapers required. I know you and JaMarcus are friends and all that, but you might have picked the wrong week to light a fire under the gunslinger.

Johnnie Lee Higgins, AC strain in shoulder…Nick Miller, fractured bone in shin, just above the ankle, out four to six weeks…Justin Miller, cut after final preseason game…Tyvon Branch, starting strong safety, too valuable.

Out are these four players; in is Hiram Eugene? Eugene has not returned a punt in his NFL career. Coach Tom Cable was asked if all Eugene would have to do is fair catch the ball: “Hiram’s a terrific catcher and probably the best of the group in that regard.” He also stated, “You’ve got to have your return game, and you’ve got to do your deal.”

So, a guy who has never returned a punt in his career will be trying to do a deed formerly done by punt return specialist Higgins? It leaves me to wonder, what about Louis Rankin?

But alas, the reporters in California forgot to ask the most obvious question in the universe regarding this subject. Cable also offered up Javon “four knee surgeries” Walker as a backup to Eugene if JLH can’t go in Kansas City.

Nothing but questions from my spectrum, but the reporters have more important things to cover, like the possible signing of Chris McAlister, the former Baltimore Ravens cornerback, who is expected to sign with Oakland and possibly play against the Chiefs at free safety.

McAlister is 32 years old and has been floating in free agency since February. Comcast SportsNet is reporting that the Raiders are signing McAlister. To this news, Cable said, “I don’t know anything about it.”

Defensive coordinator John Marshall said, “Who’s Chris McAlister? Yeah, I know who he is. I haven’t heard anything. He’s a great player.”

So, two of the main coaches have no idea about it, or are they just keeping one of those Raider secrets?

Time will tell. For now let’s talk about Showtime’s Inside the NFL for a minute. There is this guy who used to play for the Raiders on that show. You may have heard of him; his name is Warren Sapp. Big mouth, low production in Oakland.

While Cris Collinsworth, James Brown, and Phil Simms were spotlighting the confidence that the Raiders would gain with an effort like the one put forth Monday night, Sapp said this: “Oakland plays worse when they have confidence. Oakland plays worse when they feel good about themselves.”

Really, Warren Sapp, I don’t think you know much about this year’s team. How can you, you haven’t…but…Nnamdi said what…wait…what. Hold on a minute…

This just in: Nnamdi Asomugha agrees with Warren Sapp. Yeah, I’m puzzled too, but it appears that Nnamdi had this to say in response: “Absolutely, sometimes you go out and play a great game, whether you win or lose, and then the next week it’s like, `What happened?,’ because you’re still resting on that win or that effort.”

OK, now it makes a little bit of sense. Nnamdi is saying it like a team captain who doesn’t want his team to overlook Kansas City.

Warren is saying it begrudgingly, because fatboy is jealous of the fire that Oakland showed on Monday. He claims that Oakland’s season is already over, along with Detroit, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Cleveland.

He is jealous that he can’t be a part of this defense because he is now worthless for everything except some lame Comedy Central roast halfwitted jokes.

Well, guess what, Warren? Rich Gannon and Marty Schottenheimer both picked the Raiders over the Chiefs, so eat it…wait, you probably already did.

OK, I put my two cents in—I feel better.

Cable won’t commit to a No. 2 halfback for this weekend. Justin Fargas is done nursing his hamstring injury, and Michael Bush is still 100 percent healthy.

Wait, what?

Fargas, I know you are anxious to get out there and show Raider Nation that you still have what it takes to be elite in the NFL. However, history shows us that when you, in particular, try to come back from an injury too soon, something else typically breaks down.

What we want are four halfbacks at 100 percent. What we have is three halfbacks at 100 percent and one who just doesn’t want to lose his job. Take your time, Justin, and get healthy. We will need you in weeks five, six, seven, eight, and nine. That run is brutal. Weeks two, three, and four are just a test run.

All right Nation, I’m wrapping it up. I gave you my thoughts on things; it’s time for you to give me yours. Just click in the box below, start typing, and hit submit comment. Talk to ya soon.

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The New York Giants Are Bringing Two New Faces to Dallas

The New York Giants have an exciting week ahead of them. Not only are they getting Michael Boley back from suspension and injury, but fans can also look forward to the debut of second round draft pick Clint Sintim.

If you thought the Giants had a bevy of pass rushers before this week, just wait until you see Tony Romo running for his life on national television this Sunday.

Sintim shined in a 3-4 defense at Virginia, mainly as a pass rushing specialist. He had 11 sacks in 12 games for a total of minus 86 yards.

Not to be confused with a player who isn’t versatile, Sintim was also very solid in run defense. In his senior season he was involved in 65 runs plays, and the defense only allowed 139 yards.

That being said, at this point in his career he will more than likely be thrust into the Giants defensive line rotation on third downs; he has to adjust to the 4-3 defense before winning the starting job in the near future.

With Sintim, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and Mathias Kiwanuka manning the outsides, and sometimes the inside in certain situations, the Giants’ pass rush has to be considered one of the best in the league, if not the best.

Michael Boley was brought in to help the only documented weakness on the defense—outside linebacker. With the way Chase Blackburn played on Sunday, I’d say he isn’t the one who should be replaced, it should be Danny Clark.

I wasn’t sure why Danny Clark got the start in the first place since he lost playing time towards the end of last season and there was no mention of injury problems.

That being said, the Giants will look to keep the front seven fresh with a plethora of players. Brian Kehl, Chase Blackburn, Danny Clark, Gerris Wilkinson, and Michael Boley will all probably be rotated frequently.

I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Michael Boley come off the bench and be eased into his role, because no one will be clamoring for big changes after how the defense dominated the Redskins in Week One.

This Sunday should be a real test with the vaunted Cowboy offense taking the field. They showed the NFL they won’t miss Terrell Owens very much against the Bucs’ defense; the Giants better not be ill prepared.

Romo threw for a career high 353 yards and three touchdowns.

Safe to say he has silenced the critics, so far.

If I’m being completely unbiased, the match-up seems to favor neither team. On paper, the Giants have the edge on defense but the Cowboys have the edge on the other side.

However, identities are hard to place on NFL teams this early in the season. Let’s hope the Giants pull out yet another division win.

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Eagles QB Problem: Jeff Garcia Is The Answer

When Donovan McNabb went down with an injury in Week 1, Philadelphia Eagles fans were killed.

With big free agent signing Michael Vick not available until Week 3, the Eagles are stuck with the unproven Kevin Kolb, and the aging veteran Jeff Garcia.

Kolb is in his fourth season, and has played in eight career games. Kolb’s career passer rating is 25.0, and has 24 career completions

Garcia played for the Eagles in 2006. Garcia will provide veteran leadership in McNabb’s absence, and will allow the Eagles to use Michael Vick as a slot receiver in Wildcat formation, instead of full-time quarterback.

One downside for Garcia, is that he’s 39. he’s not as nimble as he used to be, and might take sacks more than Vick or Kolb.

Still, Garcia has had success in the Eagles, going 5-1-0 in 2006. I’d rather have the proven veteran than the unproven rookie.

As for Vick, he should appear occasionally at quarterback, but expect to see Jeff Garcia as the primary quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles until Donovan McNabb returns.

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Chicago Bears Linebackers: Need To Adjust Without Urlacher

Fans braced for the worst when word broke out after the Bears’ Week One loss to Green Bay that Brian Urlacher would have to have surgery on his wrist the following day.

Their fears were realized when following the procedure, it was announced that Urlacher’s season was finished after only one game.  Not exactly what they wanted to hear since many were also still fuming at Jay Cutler’s sub-par debut.

Those fans who quickly let their emotions get the best of them were already declaring the season over after one game.  Perhaps they forgot that football is a team sport that doesn’t revolve around one superstar athlete. They must have also forgotten that there were a lot of games left. 

Now that they have cooler heads, it’s time for them to look at who can fill the gap created by Urlacher’s absence.

To help fill that void, the Bears signed linebacker Tim Shaw, who had just been cut by Jacksonville. 

An immediate move was needed because Pisa Tinoisamoa had also suffered an injury in the Green Bay game and it wasn’t known at the time if he’d be ready for the next game against Pittsburgh.  However, Shaw is far from the cure that ails the linebacker corps.

Hunter Hillenmeyer was named to replace Urlacher up the middle for the time being after years of starting on the strong side.  When Urlacher went down with an injury in 2004, Hillenmeyer started all seven games in his place.  Five years later, he returns to the position as a more seasoned player. 

He hasn’t been selected to multiple Pro Bowls like the man he’s filling in for or fellow corps member Lance Briggs, but if he does just enough, it may not matter whether or not No. 54 is in the game.

Despite the presence of Shaw and Hillenmeyer, that doesn’t mean the Bears still aren’t looking at other linebackers who are without a team.  The most notable example is their drawing interest in Derrick Brooks, a 14-year veteran and 11-time Pro Bowl selection who knows Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo from when all three were with Tampa Bay. 

Brooks has just signed on to become an analyst for ESPN, but the Bears are one of several teams trying to pry him away from his new job in Bristol.

Although he’s been an outside linebacker during his career, Brooks has said he would have no problem moving to the middle.  He’s 36 years old and past his prime, so any team that picks him up would be taking somewhat of a risk.  As of this writing, Brooks has not signed anywhere yet.

Should any more starting linebackers be shelved at any other time this season, the Bears have other backups willing to step up. 

Nick Roach started nine games for the Bears last season, so there’s experience with him.  Jamar Williams has played most of his career on special teams and made only start on defense, but he needs to be ready in case he is called to be amongst the middle unit again.

Again, even though one of the recognizable names in football has been forced to call it a season, by no means are the Bears a dead team walking.  Of course, players have to step up when asked if the team is going to meet the high expectations of this season. 

That definitely includes the linebacker corps, which will be depended on largely for success.  It’s the time for those unknown outside of Chicago, and now, they must seize it.

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Sunday’s Game in Atlanta Is Absolutely Critical for the Carolina Panthers

Are we witnessing the beginning of the end for quarterback Jake Delhomme and Coach John Fox?  Are Carolina’s swagger and confidence becoming unglued?

One poor game may be an accident. Two very bad games in a row is a trend. Three consecutive pitiful performances is a significant problem.

If a fourth straight horrible performance by the starting quarterback is allowed, than the head coach’s decision-making, sanity, judgment, and job-security are all under the microscope.

“I’d like to erase any doubts,” stated Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme after his Week 1 loss at home to the Philadelphia Eagles. “I don’t think they have any. I really don’t think they do. But I’d like to erase them if there are any at all this weekend.”

Jake Delhomme may produce an emotional comeback performance from last week’s disaster, but it is more of an issue of competence and confidence with him.

Tony Gonzalez has strategically changed pass defense against the Falcons.

“Tony makes it pretty easy for a quarterback,” stated Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan about newly acquired tight end Tony Gonzalez. “I just try to put the ball in a spot where he can make a play on it, and he always seems to do that.”

This game is absolutely critical for the Carolina Panthers, who cannot afford another early conference loss if they want to keep their playoff potential. It will be difficult against an Atlanta defense that looked both tougher and quicker than last year in nearly shutting out the  Miami Dolphins.

Atlanta defeated Miami 19-7 for their first win of the 2009 season. QB Matt Ryan struggled early, but endured and finished with 229 yards passing and two touchdowns after completing 22 of 36 passes. 

RB Michael Turner had 22 carries for 65 yards and TE Tony Gonzalez grabbed five catches for 73 yards. Nine of the Falcons’ 19 points came off Dolphins turnovers.

In his last pair of games, Delhomme has been very sloppy and committed 12 turnovers. Jake Delhomme is a turnover machine and the Atlanta defense will have a field day.

Is there a quarterback rating below 0?

After the Philadelphia Eagles defense piled up 35 fantasy football points vs. the Panthers, fantasy football players everywhere rushed to add the Falcons defense for NFL season week 2.

Despite the dramatic number of turnovers by Jake, the Panthers offensive line shares the blame by providing very little pass protection.

Carolina lost to Philadelphia 38-10. QB Jake Delhomme pitched 7 of 17 passes for 73 yards. He threw his third interception of the game on the Panthers’ opening possession of the second half.

RB DeAngelo Williams had 14 carries for 37 yards with one TD, while catching four passes for 42 yards.

My forecast is not good for Carolina as Atlanta rolls to a 30-17 divisional win. 

Will this loss be the beginning of the end for both Jake Delhomme and Coach John Fox in Charlotte?

Stay tuned. Same Panther-time.  Same Panther-channel.

 

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Ochocinco Wild For Cheese Curds: Week Two of Our Weakly NFL Forecast

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How Stokley’s Touchdown Could Affect Cincinnati Bengals’ Playoff Hopes

After a late score by running back Cedric Benson, the Cincinnati Bengals were less than a minute away from a 7-6 victory over the Denver Broncos last weekend, sitting atop the AFC North with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens with a 1-0 record.

Instead, wide receiver Brandon Stokley caught a deflected pass for the game-winning 87-yard touchdown as time expired to seal a 12-7 win for Josh McDaniels in his coaching debut with the Broncos.

It may have only been the first week of the regular season, but it will be tough to top Stokley’s catch when considering the best play of the 2009 season. It may have only been one game, but as we learned last season, one loss can determine whether or not a team earns the rights to go to the playoffs (just ask the Jets, Bucs, Broncos, Cowboys, Patriots and Bears).

Each of the six teams listed above could have made the playoffs last season had a few games gone differently. The Jets could have made the playoffs had they beat the Dolphins in Week 17. The Broncos could have won the AFC West had they not lost their final three games of the season.

These are just two examples of how one single game can affect whether or not a team makes the playoffs or not. Hopefully, the last-second loss against the Broncos doesn’t come back to ruin the Bengals’ playoff hopes at the end of the season. 

Unfortunately, the Bengals play in the same AFC North division as the Steelers, who are reigning Super Bowl Champions, and the Ravens, whose ferocious defense helped lead them to the AFC Championship game.

The Bengals know how important each game of the regular season can be when it comes to making the playoffs. The team is already at a disadvantage for playing in a tough AFC North and can’t afford to lose any more games they should win. Last weekend’s game was the perfect example.

A victory over the Broncos last weekend would have been the perfect start for a Bengals team that is considered a possible “sleeper” team this season. With the return of quarterback Carson Palmer and a handful of weapons to throw to, the Bengals have the potential to have one of the top-10 offenses in the NFL.

Lucky for the Bengals, their strength of schedule ranks them 22nd in the NFL, with only six of their 16 games against playoff teams. Still, an advantage in the strength of schedule is only as helpful as the team wants to make it.

If the Bengals have any intention of reaching the playoffs this upcoming season, they will need to avoid last-minute collapses like last weekend against the Broncos.

Otherwise, it may be another long NFL season for the players and fans in Cincinnati.

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Pittsburgh Steelers @ Chicago Bears: A Complete Break Down and Analysis

The defending Champion Pittsburgh Steelers roll into Chicago, fresh off a win over their conference rival, the Tennessee Titans and are looking to go 2-0.

The Chicago Bears are on the opposite end of the spectrum after losing their opening game to division rival the Green Bay Packers and losing defensive captain and face of the franchise, Brian Urlacher.

Lets see who has the advantage:

 

OFFENSE

Quarterback:

Ben Roethlisberger vs Jay Cutler

Roethlisberger continues to be the king of the fourth quarter. Big Ben went 16-18 in the fourth quarter and overtime, for 171 yards. That is an 88% completion percentage in crunch time. YIKES! 

He also continues to be the hardest quarterback in the NFL to sack. He is not the most elusive, but being bigger than most linebackers that are rushing him gives him an advantage in shaking off tackles.

Jay Cutler is coming off a putrid performance against the Packers in which he threw four interceptions. The good news? He played much better in the second half of the Packer game. Bad news? He is facing a much better defense in the Steelers.

You think Cutler looked rushed most of the game last week, just wait to see how fast he has to get rid of some of these passes when the Steelers blitz.

Verdict: Cutler will do better than last week, but so might Big Ben.

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

Running backs:

Willie Parker/Rashard Mendenhall vs Matt Forte

Speaking of putrid, the total net rushing yardage from Steeler running backs last week was 33 yards (That includes eight yards from Mewelde Moore). Fast Willie Parker accumulated 19 rushing yards on 13 carries, a scant 1.5 yards per carry.

To be fair, the Titans defense is one to be reckoned with, but they did lose Albert Haynesworth in the offseason so you think that the Steelers could have mounted some sort of running game.

On the flip side, Matt Forte also had a disappointing game, rushing 25 times for 55 yards, a mere 2.5 yards per carry. And what was more, he had no receptions. This coming a season after pulling in 60. Don’t look for that to repeat itself this game (at least the receptions).

Verdict: Steelers have a one-two punch but Forte is dual threat. Plus Troy Polamalu will not be playing this game. While the Bears will be missing Urlacher, Lance Briggs is still the best linebacker on the team. Polamalu is the best player on the whole Steelers D.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

Wide Receivers:

Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward vs Devin Hester and Earl Bennett

Santonio Holmes provides the flash and Hines Ward is the most physical receiver in the NFL. Look for Big Ben to be eyeing these two all night. They combined for 234 yards and a touchdown last week against the Titans defense.

Devin Hester and Earl Bennett actually performed better than expected last game combining for 156 yards and a touchdown, although Bennett did have a drop or two.

Verdict: Still not that close.

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

Tight Ends:

Heath Miller vs Greg Olsen

Miller was a constant target for Big Ben all of last year and it didn’t look like much has changed judging from his week one performance: eight catches for 64 yards. Miller is also a decent blocking tight end which makes his dual abilities, especially in the red zone, something the Bears linebackers/free safety will have to watch.

Greg Olsen did not really show up for the Bears in week one. He ended up with one catch for a measly eight yards although he mostly drew double coverage. Look for the Bears offense to open up with some passes to both him and Forte to get Cutler in rhythm early.

Plus, if Olsen can draw double coverage from the Steelers defense, it should help open up passing lanes to the Bears wide receivers or the other tight end (in this case, Kellen Davis or Michael Gaines). And Olsen’s numbers will improve. He is to good a player to be held down for to long.

Verdict: Miller has the consistency, Olsen has the potential.

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

 

Offensive line:

Steelers O-Line vs Bears O-Line

This is where the battle will be won or lost. The Steelers offensive line has not exactly been the model of solid, although they receive the benefits of having Big Ben playing behind them. Roethlisberger was sacked a total of 46 times last season. That is in contrast to the Bears line, which allowed Kyle Orton to be sacked 27 times.

Their rushing stats are nearly identical:

• Steelers running backs last year: 409 carries for 1549 yards and 10 TD’s (Average of 3.8 yards per carry)
• Bears running backs last year: 396 carries for 1542 yards and 10 TD’s (Average of 3.9 yards per carry)

In week one of this year, neither rushing attack got off to a strong start. The Steelers accumulated 36 rush yards while the Bears 86. Roethlisberger was sacked four times and Cutler was sacked twice. But to be fair, the Titans defense is superior to the Packers defense.

Verdict: Neither was that impressive

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

Defense

Cornerbacks:

Ike Taylor and William Gay vs Charles Tillman and Zachary Bowman

Taylor is entering his fifth year as a starter for the Steelers and while he doesn’t make a ton of interceptions, his coverage skills are complimented nicely by the Steelers defensive backs.

Gay is in his first full season as a starter. He had the game sealing interception in a victory over the Ravens last year that secured the AFC North title. He is fast and quick although a little on the shorter side at only 5’10”.

Charles Tillman is still coming off back surgery he had right before training camp. He looked solid against the Packers last week and hopefully will only improve as he gets more reps.

Bowman actually played last week, but was not in during crunch time (such as the 50-plus yard TD pass to Greg Jennings) as he is still recovering from a strained hamstring. Lovie has already said Bowman will get more playing time this week and he will have his hands full with these two receivers.

Verdict: Taylor and Gay aren’t spectacular, but then Tillman and Bowman are still recovering and Bowman has only played in two career NFL games.

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

Free Safety/Strong Safety:

Tyrone Carter and Ryan Clark vs Kevin Payne and Danieal Manning

Carter is filling in for injured starter and perennial pro bowler, Troy Polamalu. And while losing Polamalu hurts, Carter is a starter quality player. He has filled in for the Steelers defensive backfield off and on for the past five seasons. There will be some drop off, but not as big of one as most Bears fans would hope.

Clark has been a consistent player during his tenure in Pittsburgh, although often overshadowed by fan favorite Polamalu, Clark has the ability to come up and make a stop and to also get back and provide over the top help for the corners.

Kevin Payne is entering his second year as the full time strong safety. His tackling has gotten better but there is still room to improve.

Manning had himself a pretty solid game last week recording a safety on Packer QB Aaron Rodgers. His speed and quickness give him the ability to never be out of a play but his instincts are still developing, especially on play action passes.

Both Tyrone Carter and Danieal Manning are on their respective teams injury reports. The Steelers have Carter on there as a non injury related, so expect him to start and play with no problems.

Manning on the other hand was limited in practice. Expect rookie Al Afalava to get some looks, as he did last week.

Verdict: Bears have the youth, Steelers have the experience…even with Polamalu.

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

Linebackers:

Lamar Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, and James Harrison vs Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer, and Nick Roach

To be fair, the Bears suffered injuries to Brian Urlacher and Pisa Tinoisamoa in the opening week. If those two were playing Sunday, I would push this, but come on, I know Lawrence Timmons hasn’t been able to practice much, but this isn’t even fair.

Urlacher is done for the season and Pisa is out for a couple weeks at least. I don’t even need to explain anymore.

Verdict: A foregone conclusion

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

Defensive Line:

Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel vs Adewale Ogunleye, Tommie Harris, Anthony Adams and Alex Brown

Smith, Hampton and Keisel are about as solid of a group ofthree defensive lineman as you can get. And really when it comes down to it, Harrison or Woodley will be coming on every play anyway (Yeah, I know, odds are several linebackers, a safety and maybe a corner will be crossing the line of scrimmage on almost every play).

And trying to run the ball against this unit is nearly impossible.

On the other side, the Bears D line showed up last week. Or at least Adewale Ogunleye did with two sacks plus he hit Rodgers on about three or four other plays. Tommie Harris looked a little sluggish but the Packers couldn’t muster much of a passing game either and the constant pressure led to some over thrown balls by the Packers QB.

Verdict: Might be generous here, but after last week and against this Steelers O-line, I know the Bears D will be getting after Roethlisberger.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS (and this is because Woodley is considered a LB, if it was a 4-3 defense with him there on an end, it would be advantage Steelers or a push at worst)

 

Special Teams

Kicker:

Jeef Reed vs Robbie Gould

Listen, both are clutch, both are experienced and while Reed might have a little longer distance, Gould has the accuracy.

Verdict: If it comes down to a final kick, don’t count on either one of them missing.

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

 

Punter:

Daniel Sepulveda vs Brad Maynard

Sepulveda sent four of his seven punts last game inside the 20 yard line. What is more, as a rookie, he punted 68 punts last season and only two of them ended as touchbacks. That is impressive.

Maynard only punted four times against the Packers but landed two of them inside the 20 yard line. Out of his own 96 punts last season (I still can’t get over that insanely high number) he had 40 of them downed inside the 20 with only five touchbacks.

Verdict: What do you think?

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

 

Returner:

Stefan Logan vs Devin Hester/Danieal Manning

Stefan Logan is a 28-year-old rookie. He took some time off after high school before eventually enrolling at South Dakota. He spent a little time in the CFL and made the Steelers roster after a fairly impressive preseason.

A track star in college, you know this man can bring the speed.

Hester has still yet to get on track returning punts since his first two years in the league, but Manning has continued to flash and speed on kickoffs.

Verdict: Logan has some potential, but Hester and Manning have both taken kicks back to the house.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

Coaching:

Mike Tomlin vs Lovie Smith

Tomlin has won a Super Bowl and coupled with Dick LeBeau, has continued making the Steelers defense one of the best, if not the best in the NFL.

While Lovie has taken the Bears to a Super Bowl, his assistant coaching hires and personal decisions have placed him on the hot seat this year.

Verdict: I like Lovie… but he is going to have to prove to me he is a better coach.

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

So in conclusion, I am still picking the Bears to win because I always pick with my heart. But if it came down to stats and logic, the Steelers would win in a waltz.

But since logic generally escapes me: Bears 23 Steelers 20

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New QB rating system has Brees, Romo, McNabb on top

Everyone from coaches to players to fantasy league geeks make a point to check out the NFL quarterback ratings each week. And more times than not, they find it difficult to tell up from down, good from bad. 

Meet the NFL passer rating system, which is the most maligned, least understood individual statistic in all of professional team sports.

“In a number of cases, I wouldn’t say the current system is an accurate reflection of a quarterback’s ability,” former Bears offensive coordinator Terry Shea told me years ago. “Look at the ratings as they exist today and you see guys at the top who don’t belong there.

“At the same time, you see guys in the middle or even near the bottom who don’t belong there, either. The system doesn’t necessarily reflect the quarterbacks who do the things that it takes to win games.”

For years, NFL quarterbacks were ranked on the basis of gross yards per pass attempt. While oh-so-simple, the system was a fairly accurate gauge of efficiency. But, quarterback being the glamour position that it always has been and will be, the league decided to take it to another level in 1973, when it concocted the QB rating system.

The complicated formula is based on a cumulative point total in four categories—completion percentage, interception percentage per attempt, touchdown percentage per attempt and average yards per attempt.

As many football people outside NFL headquarters will tell you, the system has obvious flaws. For one, it benefits quarterbacks who play it safe. Whether a quarterback completes five 2-yard passes in 10 attempts or five 20-yarders in 10 tries, he’s credited with a .500 completion percentage just the same.

Quarterbacks who played in less-sophisticated or more wide-open times are pretty much out of luck. Of the top 32 passer ratings ever, 23 were achieved after the 1975 season. Nowhere to be found are the names of Otto Graham and Johnny Unitas, two of the four quarterbacks selected to the NFL’s 75th anniversary all-time team.

From a ratings standpoint, it’s better for a quarterback to be sacked, fumble and have it returned 85 yards for a touchdown than to throw an incomplete pass. The reason is, sacks, sack yardage and fumbles are not part of the formula, but incompletions are included.

Therein lies the major problem with the system.

Nothing hurts an offense more than turnovers and plays for negative yardage. Nonetheless, the system does not reward quarterbacks who avoid losses on a consistent basis, nor does it punish those who go down often.

The main contention against the inclusion of sacks is that sacks are too dependent on the success or failure of the offensive line, an area that quarterbacks cannot control.

But while there is some truth to the theory that a quarterback is only as good as the horses in front of him, the same holds true for running backs, who are ranked solely on the basis of net yards gained.

Besides, a sack is considered to be a pass play. In that case, shouldn’t it be part of the pass formula?

Enough already. I decided it was time to scrap the current system and start over again.

The result is the Quarterback Efficiency Rating (QBER), also know as the “Dew Decimal System” for self-promotion purposes, which I believe is far more comprehensive and much easier to understand than the current model.

What I’ve done is divide the system into the three tangibles that matter most when it comes to quarterback play in the pass game—ability to move the ball, avoid turnovers and score touchdowns.

The QBER formula includes pass yards, sack yards, fumbles lost on pass plays, fumble return yards and touchdowns, interceptions, interception return yards and touchdowns, touchdown passes and touchdown runs and safeties on pass plays.

(Where is pass completion percentage? Sorry, dinkers and dunkers. The statistic didn’t make the cut because it’s based on the nature of the play call more than anything else.)

The numbers are measured against the league average per pass play (passes plus runs plus sacks) in each of the three categories. The sum is divided by three and multiplied by 100.  The average rating is 100.0, a number that makes it easier to compare a player to the league standard in the given criteria. In other words, a quarterback with a 125.0 rating is 25 percent better than average. 

Here is the QBER in Week One of the season (in order to qualify, a quarterback had to take part in at least 18 pass plays, or one-half of the league average):

1. Drew Brees                     277.1                    
2. Tony Romo                     234.4                                 
3. Donovan McNabb             184.4 
4. Brodie Coyle                   172.3
5. Trent Edwards                167.8
6. Matt Ryan                      149.5
7. Matt Hasselbeck              139.9
8. Kyle Orton                      136.9
9. Joe Flacco                      137.2
10. Byron Leftwich               126.3
11. Brett Favre                    124.9
12. Mark Sanchez                115.5
13. Aaron Rodgers                110.0
14. Kerry Collins                   107.2
15. Peyton Manning              107.0
16. Philip Rivers                   102.2
17. Tom Brady                      101.6
18. Shaun Hill                       98.7
19. Matt Bulger                     90.1
20. David Garrard                  88.7
21. Ben Roethlisberger           84.6
22. JaMarcus Russell              84.2
23. Eli Manning                      82.2
24. Kurt Warner                    80.6
25. Brady Quinn                    75.8
26. Matt Schaub                    67.5
27. Chad Pennington              61.5
28. Carson Palmer                  57.6
29. Matthew Stafford             40.8
30. Jason Campbell                 39.5
31. Jay Cutler                        24.3
32. Jake Delhomme                -86.4
  
Brees and Romo were off-the-charts good and would fare well in any system. Still, it’s hard to believe that Brees could throw six TD passes and only one interception and not be the top-rated quarterback in the league, which he is not if you’re using the old quarterback rating system.

The QBER system has him ranked No. 1.

But what about McNabb, who accounted for three TDs in only 22 pass plays? His efficiency was rewarded in the QBER formula (No. 3) but not in the NFL system (22nd), which refuses to take into account what a quarterback does with his feet in the pass game.

Really, is a 15-yard scramble any different than a 15-yard completion? Not in the QBER system.

The flip side is Brady, Campbell and Peyton Manning, who scored noticeably higher in NFL system because of their gaudy completion percentages.

The QBER system places more emphasis on yards and turnovers, where it belongs. Remember, it’s first-and-10 yards, not first-and-two completions.

Collins, Leftwich and Sanchez also fared better in the QBER system, primarily because they moved the ball fairly consistently and were guilty of few mistakes.

Fair and simple enough?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Pardon My Reach: The Top Fifteen Stiff-Armers In The NFL

Ladainian Tomlinson once said that the stiff arm was his “revenge” on the defense, his only chance at hitting back after getting hit all day.

After all, today’s running back has only so many defenses at his disposal, and the juke move, though effective, has yet to actually break someone’s ankles.

But when properly deployed, the stiff arm can be frustrating, crippling, and, for the best, lethal.

On that note, here are, in no particular order, the top fifteen current stiff armers in the NFL (with video!).

We wish all the defenders luck in finding their teeth.

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