Black & Gold Xs & Os: Saints Offensive Gameplan Vs. Philadelphia

Today I will give you a little preview for when the Saints have the football on Sunday against the Eagles’ defense. As I mentioned in yesterday’s defensive preview, the Saints and Eagles stylistically are very similar football teams.

They are both very aggressive and high in volume with their schemes. They both attempt to fool the other team by throwing the kitchen sink at them.  But they both love to attack and go for the jugular on a regular basis.

Eagles Defensive Personnel

The Eagles are about as talented as any team in the league defensively, especially in the front four and back four. Their linebackers though are very underrated.

On the defensive line, former Saint Darren Howard is still bringing it, and he does a really good job of occupying blockers to free up other players. On the other side, Pro Bowl Defensive End Trent Cole, who can get pressure on a quarterback all by himself, but is certainly aided by the Eagles heavy blitz scheme. Victor Abiamiri rotates in as well to provide good depth and pressure.

Mike Patterson and Broderick Bunkley start at the two defensive tackle positions. They are both a bit tough to figure out because each possesses an amazing amount of talent, but both are inconsistent. One play you see them shed a block and make a tackle in the backfield; the next they are getting pushed five yards off the ball.

Chris Gocong, Akeem Jordan, and Omar Gaither start as linebackers, while Joe Mays also sees a lot of time. They’re a group that excels at filling gaps in the running game to make tackles. And they blitz very effectively. However, they are spotty at best in coverage.

In the secondary, Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown start on opposite corners, with Quentin Mikell and rookie Macho Harris starting at the safety spots. Sean Jones, Quintin Demps, and Ellis Hobbs will all rotate in nickel and dime packages. This group again is aggressive and has good athleticism and football smarts. To consistently beat them, and the rest of this defense it will take an excellent game plan executed perfectly.

What Philly Does Schematically

I’ve already mentioned this a few times, but I feel it necessary to repeat. The Eagles like to mix things up. They like to give you a multitude of different looks in order to deceive the quarterback, and offense in general.

The Eagles base defense is a 4-3, but the way they align both their lineman and linebackers varies from play to play. Sometimes the linemen will play the most basic form of a 4-3 where the ends play over each tackle; one DT plays over the guard (3-technique), and the other DT plays inside the other guard and the center (1-technique). If the D-Line is playing this standard alignment, you can pretty much bet the house, the linebackers are moving all over the place.

Other times, they’ll put three linemen on one side of the offensive line and even throw a linebacker or two on that side, and completely overload that side. They then roll their coverage to the opposite side, in case the offense is smart enough to try to go away from it (which Carolina was not, haha).

In other forms of their 4-3 they will place the linebackers at different depths to make it look as if one is a safety, or again to try to fool the quarterback into thinking his post-snap assignment will be something different than it actually is.

Finally, the Eagles will play with a 3-down linemen look at times as well. They generally keep their three linebackers in the game and bring in an extra DB. They like to alternate their looks from this, and sometimes bring six, other times dropping all eight.

Additionally, the Eagles use the zone blitz, where they bring a backer or defensive back in place of a d-linemen, who then goes out to play the flat.

In the secondary, the Eagles like to mix things up as well. They play some Cover Two, Three, four, even six (in dime packages) where they basically create a triangle on each side to go three on two against a two by two alignment. When the Eagles choose to blitz these guys, they all do it effectively. Of course, they then roll coverage to the side they are blitzing from, keeping the integrity of their defense.

Because they blitz so much, the flats and short middle of the field are open on a majority of snaps. Beating them deep is difficult because their safeties do a pretty good job of keeping everything in front of them. However, it is possible, especially off playaction.

Saints Offensive Gameplan

First & Second Down

The Eagles will blitz at any time, but they get more exotic the more desperate the offense becomes. Because of this it is key to stay out of long yardage situations.  

Therefore, look for the Saints to come out running the football on early downs. Look for some two tight end personnel to be used in order to match numbers. Being a power back, Mike Bell is the perfect running back to face this fast aggressive unit. He will wear on them as the game goes on.

The Saints need to run right at them. The inside zone, along with off tackle runs are really good. Also, the Eagles aggressiveness lends to some Reggie Bush cutback runs against the grain of the defense (see the Panthers lone touchdown run last Sunday).

In the passing game, look for a good amount of playaction, where the fullback, or tight end, releases into the flats and picks up five or six yards. I expect to see a lot of two back stuff, but also to see the 21 (Pony) personnel (Bush and Bell/Thomas) to create mismatches on the outside.

If the Saints can guess when they’ll get a zone blitz, they can run Bush on a wheel route out of the backfield. They only have to have one receiver on that side, and that receiver should be running a deep vertical route into the middle of the field. A successful play like that should look something like Bush’s 86-yard TD in the NFC Championship Game.

The Empty Gun Formation should be successful against the Eagles as it will force a linebacker to play one-on-one against a more talented receiver. Whether that’s Shockey or Bush, it is absolutely a mismatch the Saints should win.

Third Down

Two main things I look for in third-and-long situations from the Saints offense:  draws and screens to take advantage of the Eagles blitz packages; and a Split Gun formation, where either Evans or Shockey join Brees and Bush in the backfield.

Because they are both effective receivers, they are perfect complements to Bush. Screens and misdirections become very possible. The two back alignment also helps protect Brees and give him time to scan the field.

Also, on third down, Reggie and Shockey should be able to patrol the middle of the field and rack up many catches and possibly first downs.

Another special play I would propose to Sean Payton is this:

Line up Shockey in the Ace position, behind the tackle about a yard, in a receiver stance, and place a receiver about five yards away and another on the ball another three yards out. You run a double combo route. It is a smash but also a cross post.

In other words that outside receiver, probably Lance Moore or Devery Henderson would run a post route; the number two receiver would run a five-yard hitch, and Shockey would cross the post but also go over the top of the hitch.

The safety on that side of the field will probably stay home for the post. If he evacuates, touchdown Mooore. If he stays, the smash route opens up, where Shockey is alone. This is most effective in the red zone, but could be used in the open field as well.

In short-yardage situations, the Saints will likely stick with the power running game described above, and use some playaction. A sprint-out may work since the Eagles have assigned gaps they are blitzing through.

You may also see 52 Wheel, the play that almost got Reggie killed in the playoff game a few years ago. In theory, that play works, especially on third-and-short.

I could also see a toss sweep and reverse being called, but both must be run away from the side of the blitz.

Red Zone

Lately I’ve heard broadcasters make a big deal about young QBs struggling in the red zone because space becomes so condensed. The Eagles are very good at condensing things in the red zone, in part because they’re such a quick and athletic group.

Because of this, the running game has a chance to be successful, since they are not as strong or physical as they are quick. Again, the power running game should be successful. If Payton decides to go to a power personnel group (three tight ends, two backs) playaction becomes a good option—something the Saints have long been good at under Payton.

I don’t see the fade, or any of the spread stuff the Saints do being a huge part of the goalline package this week. I think the power game is the way to go.

In fact, just in general, I think we’ll see Reggie Bush, Mike Bell, Heath Evans, and Jeremy Shockey as the offensive stars for the week. Yes, the Saints will hit some vertical plays, but that will only follow some successful running and an effective short passing game.

I have a little more confidence in the offensive gameplan today than I did a day ago, when I thought we’d be lucky to score twenty points. Even now, though I don’t expect a super high scoring game. But I do think the Saints have a chance.

Geaux Saints! 

 

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Will Vikings Be Exposed Against Dangerous Lions?

The Minnesota Vikings are playing a dangerous team in the Detroit Lions.  The Lions are dangerous because they have lost their last 18 games and are valiantly trying not to be known as the franchise with the longest losing streak in NFL history.

Last year the Lions played the Vikings extremely well.  The Lions staff in reviewing film this week will be able to motivate the team to play hard against Minnesota.  The Lions very easily could have beaten the Vikings twice last year.

In Week six last year, the Vikings squeezed by with a 12-10 win.  Minnesota took advantage of a questionable pass interference call just before the two-minute warning to kick a late game winning field goal. 

The second game was also a nail bitter.   At the 5:53 mark, former Viking Daunte Culpepper hit Calvin Johnson on a 13-yard pass to the Vikings eight yard line.  Coach Childress challenged the play resulting in the play getting reversed.  The Lions then had to settle for a field goal instead of a touchdown that would have given them the lead.

The Vikings, guarding a 17-16 lead at the 5:44 mark went on a 10 play drive culminating in a 50-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell.  The drive left the Lions with only 22 seconds to drive the entire length of the field.

The drive last season was memorable because the Vikings were somehow able to survive fumbling the ball twice yet avoid turning the ball over to the Lions. 

This week’s game against the Detroit Lions will say a lot about how serious we should take the Vikings Super Bowl aspirations.   If the 2009 Vikings come out flat against the Lions, questions will be raised about whether GM Rick Spielman has assembled a team that can get to Miami. 

Hopefully, this week all experiments with an on-side kick to start the game are over.  The Lions, similar to the Cleveland Browns, are a weak team that will have difficulty being able to sustain a long drive.   The risk of giving up a cheap field goal to the Lions on a short field and allowing their fans to get going far outweighs trying an on-side kick. 

Assuming the Vikings don’t outsmart themselves with too many trick plays, I expect that the Vikings will beat the Lions in the same way they beat the Browns. 

The Lions do not have a strong run game.  The Lions rushed the ball 20 times against the New Orleans Saints for a measly 33 yards.  Kevin Smith, the Lions leading rusher, had only 20 yards on 15 carries.  Ouch!  Expect Smith to run into additional resistance as the Vikings effectively disguise their run defense to confuse Rookie Matt Stafford.

While most fans were fixated, and rightly so, on the performance of Adrian Peterson, All-Pro Antoine Winfield played a great game that was overshadowed. Winfield smothered any attempts to throw on his side of the field. 

When the Browns did throw the ball his way, Winfield made them pay the old fashioned way.  One Brown who found out how hard Winfield tackles is Running Back James Davis.  Davis, who earlier in the week survived a car accident unscathed, left the game with a shoulder injury after smashing into Winfield.

Earlier this year, I predicted that Jared Allen could have a break-out season for sacks if he got off to a good start against the Browns and Lions.  After week one it looks like I should have identified Ray Edwards for having a big year after he put Quinn into the turf twice. Expect Allen to get a lot of attention from the Lions offensive line and for Edwards to be in Stafford’s face for most of the day. 

Unfortunately, the defensive line may not get more than one or two sacks this week.  Stafford did a good job getting the ball away quickly and avoiding the rush of the Saints last week.  Stafford was sacked only once; he did however throw three interceptions.  Cedric Griffin must be ready to pick off any errant throws as the defensive line of the Vikings will keep up the pressure this week.

While Adrian Peterson is well on his way to 2,000 yards with 180 yards last week, Vikings fans should temper their expectations for this week and be happy with a solid 100 yard effort from Peterson. 

Last year, Peterson ran for more than 150 yards in a game on three occasions.  The following week after running for more than 150 yards, Peterson failed to rush for 100 yards.

Detroit also did a good job not allowing Peterson to run wild.  Peterson gained 111 yards on 25 carries in his first game and 105 yards in 22 carries in his second game.  Peterson will likely post similar numbers unless he breaks a long 50-plus yard run.

Expect the Lions to say again to the Vikings offense in 2009 that if you are going to beat us, you are going to have to do it by passing the ball.  The Vikings should have no problem accepting the challenge.

The intriguing question this week is not whether Brett Favre throws for 3, 4 or 5 touchdowns.  The intriguing question is whether Coach Childress will continue to allow Favre to change plays at the line of scrimmage.

In a post game interview, Coach Childress acknowledged that Favre called a couple of audibles during the game and that it was likely that Favre’s action resulted in a better outcome for the Vikings.   The look on Coach Childress’ face at the post game conference however suggested that he was not completely comfortable with the idea of his veteran quarterback changing plays.

Hopefully, I misread Coach Childress.  If not, hopefully Coach Childress will get comfortable with Favre changing plays.  Favre is making $12 million dollars a year and at that salary the Vikings have to be paying him for using his knowledge of the game.

Coach Childress can always take comfort in knowing that it could be worse.  His long snapper could be calling for a fake punt on 3rd and 11 from his 26-yard line in the fourth quarter.  Chicago Bears Coach Lovie Smith must still be having nightmares.

 I expect that the Vikings long snapper will not call any fake punts on his own and that the Vikings will beat the Lions handily to put the NFC on notice that the Vikings intend to be playing for the right to go to the Super Bowl.

 

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A Look at Minnesota’s Football Ownership and Its Dedication To Success

The NFL’s 14th franchise, the Minnesota Vikings first had its roots in the AFL. The three businessmen’s attempts (Boyer, Winter and Skoglund) at bringing back professional football to the area since the Minneapolis Red Jackets were in town started with the trio being awarded a team in the upstart American Football League.

They forfeited that award 5 months later to take membership in the NFL. In turn they gave Ole Haugsrud a 10% share of the franchise to fulfill a promise the NFL made when he sold the Duluth Eskimoes back to the league in the 1920’s.

It was this ownership foundation that built the formidable defense “The Purple People Eaters”, which included Allen Page, Jim Marshall, and Carl Eller. The Viking’s front office rode this defensive line into the late 1970’s and appeared in 4 Superbowls.

The 1980’s saw Max Winter step down as team president, and pass the torch to Wheelock Whitney. The Board of Directors expanded to include Jaye Dyer (a close, personal friend of mine), Irwin Jacobs, Carl Pohlad, John Skoglund, Jack Steele, Mike Lynn, Sheldon Kaplan, and in 1989 Gerald Schwalbach replaced Max Winter.

It were these 9 board members that made the fateful decision to trade for Herschel Walker. Quite possibly the worst trade in professional sports in retrospect, it must be mentioned because it was a faithful attempt at the time. The Vikings were seen as being one great player away from contending for another Super Bowl berth, and they  handed over the future of the organization’s next 3 years of draft picks.

In 1991, the Board would see another shake up and expand its membership to 10. Roger Headrick became team president, and Dennis Green from Stanford was hired as head coach.

It was said that Denny Green spent all his money on offense, and wasted the rest on defense in his 10 seasons with Minnesota.

With pressure from the NFL to have a majority owner, the Board of Directors sold their shares to San Antonio’s used car dealer Red McCombs.

McCombs is viewed in Minnesota as stripping the coaching staff to the bare minimum, and scrimping on his franchise to save money, even refusing to maintain the Viking’s ship outside Winter Park.

In his early tenure however, Red paid Randy Moss the highest contract offered to a wide receiver, and made Daunte Culpepper the richest QB in the game at that time. 1998 was the most dynamic Vikings offense to take the field in franchise history with Cunningham, rookie Randy Moss, Chris Carter, Robert Smith and Jake Reed. That offense was responsible for scoring a then record 556 points in the regular season.

After several unsuccesful attempts at having a stadium built for him by the Minnesota voters, it was then that Red started stripping the team of its coaching staff and failing to maintain franchise structures.

While Dennis Green was busy paying for an abortion and writing a book about a hostile take over, Red would show up at training camp wearing a purple ten gallon hat and proclaim “Purple Pride”.

This was all while the fan base was being held hostage with repeated threats of moving the team to its owner’s home town, San Antonio.

The fanbase and perhaps the team’s players had grown tired of Dennis Green, and his contract was bought out. In almost a slap in the fan’s faces, Red appointed the team’s tight ends coach Mike Tice as the next headcoach. Mike was given the lowest head coaching salary in the league. Red would keep the Vikings perennially $30 million under the salary cap in his waning ownership years.

Thankfully for Minnesota and followers of the franchise, Red mercifully sold the Vikings to a group headed by Zygmunt Wilf. It was immediately clear to all, Zygi and his brother Mark would make any financial investment for the team to be competitive on the field. Mark and Zygi fired Mike Tice immediately after the 2005 season and expanded the coaching staff to a modern day professional level.

Many hurdles needed to be overcome, mainly stemming from the previous regime’s draft day and trade blunders. Before Zygi could take control, Red stuck it to the state one last time by trading Randy Moss to Oakland for three used jock straps.

The team downgraded those jocks in the 2005 draft into the form of Troy Williamson, Erasmus James, Dustin Fox, and Marcus Johnson.

Staying true to his word, Mr. Wilf unleashed his pocketbook on the NFL’s free agent market, hiding the team’s inability to draft competently prior to his formation of the “Triangle of Authority”. The TOA included Brad Childress, Rick Spielman, and Fran Foley (who would later be unceremoniously replaced by Rob Brzezinski).

One of these free agents backfired on the team when Fred Smoot funded the “Love Boat” scandal. Overall however, the Vikings aggressive free agent signings have always focused on high profile players coming into their first year unrestricted free agent eligibility. The Vikings have rivaled the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles in off-season spending since 2005.

Below is a list of current players on the Viking’s roster that were acquired via free agency. Oh and by the way, They’ve also done much better in the drafting department. Since hiring Childress and Spielman, draft picks include starters Chad Greenway, Cedric Griffin, Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, Tyrell Johnson, John Sullivan, Percy Harvin and Phil Loadholt.

Husain Abdullah 2008 Rookie FA
Jared Allen 2008 trade from K.C., 6 years $73 mil
Bernard Berrian 2008 FA from Bears 6 years $43 mil
Heath Farwell, 2005 Rookie FA, contract ext 2009 3 year $7.5 mil
Brett Favre, 2 year $24 mil
Eric Frampton signed off waivers from Detroit 2006
Erin Henderson rookie FA 2008
Anthony Herrera 2004 Rookie FA, contract extension 2007 5 years $13.75 mil
Artis Hicks traded from Philadelphia 2006
Steve Hutchinson signed the “poison pill” contract where the Vikings stole away the unquestioned NFL’s best OLG for a then record 7 year $43 million
Jimmy Kennedy resigned 2009
Chris Kluwe claimed off waivers from Seattle, signed to a 7 year $8.3 extension in 2007
Ben Leber signed a 5 year $20 million contract
Greg Lweis UFA (Patriots) 1 year contract undisclosed
Kory Lichtensteiger claimed off waivers 2009
Cullen Loeffler Rookie FA 2004
Ryan Longwell 5 years $10 mil from Green Bay
Jayme Mitchell Rookie FA 2006
Kenny Onatolu signed FA from CFL 2008
Karl Paymah 1 year $1.15, 2009 from the Broncos
Darius Reynaud Rookie FA 2008
Sage Rosenfels 3 year $9 mil 2009
Bennie Sapp FA from Chiefs 2007
Visanthe Shiancoe 5 year $18.7 million in 2007 UFA from Giants
Naufahu Tahi claimed off waviers from Bengals 2006
Chester Taylor 4 year $14 million 2006 from Baltimore
Madieu Williams 6 year $33 million 2008 from Bengals
Pat Williams signed from Buffalo in 2005 for $13 million and has since re-signed at a bargain rate $22 million through 2010
Antoine Winfield 5 year $36 mil in 2009, extending his original 6 year $34.6 mil where they sniped him from the Jets just before he signed his contract with him
Albert Young Rookie FA 2008

Zygmunt and Mark Wilf should be given their stadium in Minnesota based on their financial commitment to get a championship. There has been no other owner(s) in franchise history that has given so much to the state, in so little time.

The Wilf’s indeed should be the true heroes in Minnesota. When and if the Lombardi trophy gets hoisted in the air by Adrian Peterson, he should pass it to his employers and let them take share in the honors, because no one has made a bigger difference to the state of Minnesota and its love affair with professional football.

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Bold ‘n Determined! ‘Q’ Dismisses Excuses For Slow Offensive Start

Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin, shown last week against the 49ers, won’t sit on his laurels.

Anyone that has watched Cardinals football for the past few years, knows that WR Anquan Boldin doesn’t make excuses. He is one of the hardest working players in the NFL, a Pro Bowl receiver in a league filled with a glut of talent at the position.

They have seen his grinding, twisting, turning, churning, tackle-breaking abilities on display, and most appreciate the kind of player he is. And the kind of man he is.

Playing for a historically lousy team in the desert isn’t exactly how you want to put yourself on the football map. But Q did just that from his rookie season, on.

As a rookie, Boldin caught 101 passes for over 1330 yards and eight touchdowns. Some guys burst onto the scene with fine rookie efforts. Boldin exploded, destroying the Detroit Lions defense for 10 catches for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

He quickly became my favorite receiver in the game. Not so much because of the huge numbers he put up. But more because of how he accumulated those numbers.

Fast forward to last season. Two pro-bowls and one contract re-negotiation removed from that rookie season, Boldin is still right up there at the top. He may be one-two with fellow All-Pro Larry Fitzgerald, but none of the recent flap over his contract had deminished what the guy does on the field in my eyes.

Last season’s speedy and gutsy return from having his face blown up in the Meadowlands just added to his legacy. His tackle-breaking/staying in bounds TD against the Falcons added even more, even though you could see him pulling up 10 yards from the goalline with (you guessed it) that hamstring injury.

Many fans, egged on by a media that loves making mountains out of molehills, kind of lost favor with Q after his (actually, since fired agent Drew Rosenhause’s) threats and eventual trade demand. But knowledgele fans are well aware that without Anquan Boldin last season, there would have been no Super Bowl XLIII appearence.

Boldin hasn’t practiced in weeks. He has that nagging hamstring injury, an injury that you can’t know what it feels like unless you experience it yourself. Most of us would want crutches to walk from our car to the building. But not Q.

Most observers thought that Boldin likely wouldn’t play against San Francisco. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt is notorious for keeping guys off the field on Sunday if they can’t be on the prectice field Wednesday through Saturday. It didn’t look good.

But when Anquan Boldin got word that fellow receiver Steve Breaston wouldn’t be able to play, even though he HAD practiced all week, Q knew what he had to do. He went to coach Whiz and asked (I’m guessing rather emphaytically) to be inserted into the lineup. The ultimate ‘take one for the team’ request.

The Cardinals look at facing a similar team in Jacksonville this Sunday as they faced last week in Glendale, and are asking themselves what’s missing from last seasons magic. Yet as the players, the media, and the fans are trying to put their collective fingers on the ills of the sputtering offense, Q refuses to buy a lot of what’s being sold.

“Its not that we can’t put our finger on it. We know what it was. It’s not like it can’t be fixed,” Boldin said on Wednesday. “I don’t think we’re missing anything,” he continues. “We just need to play deciplined football.”

That the Cardinals had half a dozen penalties before the ball was snapped last week, four from the offense and from four different players, shows that Q knows what he’s talking about. He added that there were too many times it was “…just guys not paying attention.”

But when asked if injuries played a part, Boldin wouldn’t take the bait. “I told you exactly what it is,” he said. “We probably had six pre-snap penalties. That’s something we can control. It’s just guys not paying attention to detail.”

Coach Whisenhunt agrees. “If we could get a play where all 11 guys were operating the right way, that would help to start with.”

Q says he feels better this week than at the same point last week. That’s good news for the Cardinals. And not exactly what the Jaguars want to hear.

Anquan Boldin doesn’t mince words. He doesn’t say a lot, letting his game do the talking for him. But when he does speak, players listen. The sooner they listen, and take to heart what’s said, the sooner this offense will get back to it’s ‘Super Bowl’ form.

 

 

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Cincinnati Bengals Week Two Preview: Cheese Whiz

The last time I remember the Bengals playing a regular season game at Lambeau Field, Brett Favre made his Packer debut and led Green Bay to a fourth quarter comeback win.

It was early in the season, the Bengals were 2-0, the Packers were winless, Cincinnati was up 17-3 in the third quarter, the meltdown ensued and a legend was born. The Bengals lost 37 of their next 46 games after that and the Packers went on win a Super Bowl.

Fast forward 17 years and the Bengals once again will roll onto the globally-warmed tundra to reverse history and set the course for their own Super Bowl victory (stop laughing). After being sucker-punched by fate and gravity last week, the Bengals should be a surly gang of roughnecks eager to deliver some unnecessary roughness and a few personal fouls.

With that kind of practice way outside the agreed upon rules and general spirit of the game, Cincinnati will have to make due with clean, physical play that results in a tired and battered Packer team, and more importantly, a win.

On paper, the Bengals have no business winning this Sunday. The Packer defense has big names at every position and their offensive skill players are just as formidable.

Aaron Rodgers, a high caliber quarterback with a strong arm and a bad mustache, has blossomed into a top-10 player at his position. His receivers, Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, have enjoyed the seemingly limitless range on Rodgers’ throws and form one of the better receiving tandems in the NFC.

Cincinnati’s secondary will be challenged deep and must tackle receivers in open space, or they will be victimized by the big play. I would expect less safety blitzes from Roy Williams and more help in deep coverage this week because of the speed of the Green Bay receivers.

The most vulnerable attack point for Bengal defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer looks like the right tackle, Allen Barbre. After watching Barbre give up a few sacks to Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye last week, I would expect to see Zim load up that right side with blitzing linebackers like Rey Maualuga, to assist Robert Geathers in creating more pressure.

If Cincinnati is able to get sacks or even hurry Rodgers, those speedy receivers will have less time to get downfield on deep routes, and the Bengals can keep plays in front of them. Getting to the quarterback was an offseason priority that must come to fruition if this defense is going to maximize its vast potential.

The Bengals also appear to have a glaring weakness along its offensive line this week. Starting left guard Nate Livings has some kind of knee injury (Dr. Marvin Lewis described the injury as simply “a knee”), and his replacement is a person named Evan Mathis.

A few years ago, Mathis started 15 games with Carolina, but hasn’t since with the Dolphins and now with the Bengals. Mathis remains a question mark going up against a beastly 3-4 defensive end in Cullen Jenkins. I would expect Green Bay to send a variety of their six talented linebackers on blitzes up the middle, testing the pass protection of Mathis and center Kyle Cook.

Another lineman with a tough assignment will be tackle Andrew Whitworth going up against Packer sacker, Aaron Kampman. In Green Bay’s 3-4 defense, Kampman moves to outside linebacker from defensive end; a position where he collected 38 sacks in three seasons. The blocking of tight ends and running backs will also be a factor in limiting the havoc that Kampman can create.

Carson Palmer had time to throw last week and played well as a result. If the offense is going to find a rhythm and score some points this week, Palmer’s comfort in the pocket will be paramount. I expect Green Bay to blitz more than Denver did, which means more one-on-one matchups on our receivers and possibly more chances to throw down field, but only if Carson has time.

As for the running game, if Mathis and Cook are unable to hold up in the middle, I would expect more toss plays, misdirections and off-tackle runs. Cedric Benson has looked more comfortable bouncing runs to the outside than he does pounding it up the middle. I love the way he builds up steam when he turns the corner and punishes tacklers upon impact.

Complimentary back, Bernard Scott, should get a few more touches this week if the outside does prove to be a more effective running lane. His only carry last game was on a screen play that Denver sniffed out before the ball was even snapped.

Like so many other fans, I would like to see the offensive play calling catch a team off guard; nothing too fancy, just the kind of sequence that keeps defenses guessing. The game plan for last week was solid and aside from a lack of concentration, the team executed it they way they practiced it.

This week, I would expect to see a more complex game plan that is successfully ran by a team hungry to prove itself as a legitimate competitor in this league.

Green Bay is a good team which I see in the Super Bowl this year, but they’re playing the Bengals on the wrong week.

Bengals 21, Packers 17.

Mojokong—this week is more of an Upton Sinclair Jungle than a Guns N’ Roses Jungle.

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Texans-Titans: Optimism Still Remains For A Texans Fan

As a native Houstonian and former Titans (henceforth known as the Oilers, like they truly are!) fan, this week’s Texans-Oilers matchup is another blood-boiling showdown.

After last week’s performance, the Texans need to step up in a big way if they hope to achieve our first winning season and playoff berth. After seeing Dunta “D-Rob” Robinson’s “Pay Me, Rick” shoe-a-gram, the Texans still seem to lack the true desire, the will or the know-how to win.  

If they are to meet expectations, the “me-athons” must come to an end. Successful players on successful teams are those who receive the big contracts (e.g. Asante Samuels and Albert Haynesworth) rather than good players on mediocre teams (D-Rob).

Texans players (especially the D) need to realize that to be successful this year, they need to go out and play with the confidence that they can and will win any game (e.g. Patriots, Chargers and Steelers last week). Let’s take a look at each team’s chances heading into their Week Two showdown.

 

Why The Titans (Oilers) Will Win

Last week, the Texanss offense was inept against a restructured Jets defense. Granted, defenses morph faster than offenses and head coach Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme is hectic and disruptive for any offense, but the Texans (with all their offensive weapons) should not have looked that lackluster.  

This week, they face an even more grueling and battle-tested Oilers defense. In Nashville last year, the Oilers defense (mainly Haynesworth) raised havoc on Schaub and forced him to make pivotal turnovers. Don’t be shocked to see that same M.O. this week.

Offensively, the Oilers will attack one of the Texans’ biggest weaknesses: run defense. Like past Oilers teams, Coach Fisher will dole out large doses of smash-mouth, grind-it-out football. Historically, these types of games have been bad news for the Texans.

By attacking the Texans’ offense and keeping it out of sync for another week—coupled with keeping the ball on the ground and controlling the clock—the Oilers can again win another tough, hard-nosed game.

 

Why The Texans Will Win

No Albert Haynesworth and an embarrassing opening-week fiasco should be motivation enough. Schaub’s biggest boogie man is finally gone, but the heat will still come.  

Look for the Texans’ offense to snap out of their Week One slump and seek redemption against a bitter division rival. If Schaub and Andre Johnson get into a rhythm early and often this week, the pass will spread the Oilers’ stingy defense and open the run game for Steve Slaton.  

The Texans must be able to exhaust the Oilers’ defense and keep it guessing. Don’t be surprised to see backup Rex Grossman enter the game if Schaub begins to flame out (physically or mentally). Realize that, at some point this season, Grossman could snatch the starting job. Also, he never had the offensive weapons with the Bears the Texans do with Johnson, Owen Daniels and Slaton.

Defensively, the Texans have to slow down the Oilers’ run game and force Kerry Collins to beat them with his arm. Should he slip up, it would be even better if Vince Young enters the game. In order to get the O back on the field and in-sync, the Texans defense must force the Oilers into early three-and-outs.

To be successful this week and get their groove back, the offense must score a touchdown on their first possession and get points (whether seven or three) on at least two more possessions before the half.  In order to force the Oilers from their comfort zone and dictate the pace, the Texans’ offense will need to score early and often with long drives to help keep their defense off the field.

Two division rivals face off, and only one will walk out of Week Two with their first win of the 2009 NFL season.

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The Top Ten Performances from Week One

Every week, we have the studs and duds of Week One. These could be the unsung heroes, the stat producing machines, or anything in between.

While it is easy to mock the duds in their pathetic performance, let’s take a look at the studs from this week, and award them.

In this list, I have some of the leagues unsung heroes, along with the names everyone knows. I have ranked them from ten to one, so without further ado, here is number ten.

Begin Slideshow

Fantasy Risers: Promoting Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon

Their lines from Sunday aren’t going to make you fall off your chair. You won’t be racing your friends to the waiver wire.

But maybe you should be.

Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, the immediate beneficiaries of extra targets and playing time in the wake of Anthony Gonzalez’s knee injury, are worth taking a chance on.

True, it will be difficult pinpointing which of these young, talented receivers will progress the most and take advantage of their new role in the offense. But both should make big enough strides to warrant roster consideration in deep leagues.

Let’s look at the facts:

Anthony Gonzalez was the No. 2 receiver in the Colts’ pass-happy offense, which meant that these two guys were already fighting for decent action as the third and fourth receivers.

The loss of mini-Gonzo simply means that one of them is, at least for label’s sake, the team’s new No. 2, while the other is the team’s official third receiver.

However, with the chemistry Manning has with tight end Dallas Clark, we can safely assume we’ll still see Clark splitting out and lining up in the slot as he has done much of the past two years.

Regardless, both receivers will see a solid rise in production and targets (Garcon had five on Sunday, while Collie had three).

So what separates them?

Garcon is better suited to play the outside, as he has better speed and overall play-making ability.

However, Collie was more productive in college, has much better hands, and is a precise route-runner. On that same note, Collie isn’t exactly an athletic push-over, either, as he isn’t leaps and bounds below Garcon when it comes to speed and agility.

Regardless, with Collie’s strengths putting him mostly in the slot to start, his value is limited initially, as the Colts are likely to put Dallas Clark in the slot at least 50% of the time.

With the long-term view in mind, however, Collie may be the better pick-up. Manning wouldn’t mind having a second sure-handed receiver who knows how to get open, and while we may not see it happening immediately, Collie could end up having a very solid stretch up until Gonzalez’s return.

There is a strong argument to add both players, as the final answer ultimately comes down to what players are on your roster, the depth of your league, and who else is available in the free agency pool.

Still, despite the likelihood that at least one of these players will see significant improvement starting this Monday night, both players remain available in 98 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Take the early jump on the Colts receiver of your choosing, but know that one of them will surely be handing out solid fantasy production when the lights go on this coming Monday.

For all other fantasy advice and needs, go here.

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Leroy Hill’s the Latest Victim of the Seattle Seahawks’ Payday Plague

A disturbing trend has developed in Seahawk Land over the last few years, and it has continued this year. It’s the Curse of the Cash, the Bane of the Booty, the Payday Plague.

Since 2004, almost every Seahawk who has received a monster contract has missed a good chunk of time soon after.

The latest victim of the Malignance of Money jinx is linebacker Leroy Hill. In the first year of a six-year deal worth $38 million, Hill lasted less than one quarter before suffering a groin injury that figures to keep him out for the next six weeks.

Hill’s misfortune follows injuries to Grant Wistrom, Bobby Taylor, Andre Dyson, Kelly Herndon, Jamie Sharper, Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, Deion Branch, Nate Burleson, Patrick Kerney, Mike Wahle, Sean Locklear and Marcus Trufant.

In the last five years, the only guys who received contracts worth $3 million or more per year and didn’t miss significant time in the first or second year of the deal were Walter Jones, Julian Peterson, Deon Grant and Lofa Tatupu.

In 2004, the Seahawks gave Wistrom a team-record $14 million signing bonus. He missed seven games that year due to injury. The Seahawks cut him in 2007 after three mostly ineffective years and $21 million.

They also signed Taylor to a four-year deal worth about $12 million in 2004. But a knee injury limited him to nine games, and they cut him after just one season.

In 2005, the Hawks replaced Taylor and Ken Lucas with Dyson and Herndon, and that didn’t turn out much better. Dyson didn’t do much at all to live up to his five-year, $17.5 million deal. He started only 10 games and was cut after the season.

Herndon received a five-year deal worth $15 million, and he played okay until he missed the final four games with a knee injury. He returned for the playoffs, but he missed the 2006 playoffs after breaking his ankle in the season finale. The Seahawks cut him after that season.

Sharper got the same deal as Dyson but missed the second half of the Super Bowl season with a knee injury. The Hawks let him go after that.

In 2006, Alexander was coming off a 1,880-yard rushing season that earned him the NFL MVP award. The Seahawks paid him for his accomplishments, signing him to an eight-year deal worth $62 million. But he missed nine games over the next two years with a variety of ailments (wrist, ankle, knee) and the Seahawks parted ways with him last year.

The Seahawks also paid free agents Burleson and Branch in 2006. Burleson, who cost a third-round pick as a restricted free agent, received what initially was billed as a seven-year, $49 million deal. In reality, it was a five-year contract worth about $17 million.

The Hawks have gotten mixed results from that investment. Burleson struggled with injuries in 2006, catching only 18 passes. Then he had a nice 2007 season before blowing out his knee in Week One of the 2008 season.

Branch, obtained for Seattle’s 2007 first-round pick, got a much bigger payday — $39 million over six years – and has not been on the field to earn very much of it. They’ve paid him $22.5 million, but has yet to play a full season – playing in only 33 of a possible 48 games (Burleson has the same numbers).

Hasselbeck signed his six-year, $48 million contract in 2005 and then promptly led the Hawks to their best season ever. But the next season, he suffered a knee injury and missed four games. By the time he returned, there was no way to get in sync with Branch and Burleson in time for the playoffs.

Hasselbeck came back in 2007 to post his best NFL season and set several team passing records. But a back problem sidelined him for nine games in 2008, causing many to wonder whether he could regain his 2007 form for this season. So, since signing his big contract, he has played in 51 of a possible 64 games.

Even though Kerney was coming back from a chest injury in 2007, the Seahawks signed him to a six-year deal worth $37.5 million. The gamble paid off the first year, as Kerney recorded 14.5 sacks and went to the Pro Bowl. But a shoulder problem sidelined him for nine games in 2008, and it remains to be seen how much the 32-year-old defensive end has left.

Last year, the Seahawks gave Locklear a five-year deal worth $32 million, and he ended up missing the last four games with a toe injury.

Also, last year Tatupu got an eight-year extension worth $42 million and turned in his worst season, as a litany of injuries limited him. He missed only one game, but he was snakebitten all year with injuries to his knee, thumb, head and groin.

Then there was Wahle, who inked a five-year deal worth $20 million last year. After committing half a dozen or so ill-timed holding penalties in the first 10 games, Wahle ended up on injured reserve with a bad shoulder in December (probably from so many matador moves). Then he failed his physical before camp this year and retired.

The Seahawks also re-signed Marcus Trufant to a big deal in 2008 ($50 million over six years), and he played with a broken hand for most of last season. Then a mysterious back problem sidelined him throughout this year’s camp, and he’s out for at least the first six games.

Now there’s Hill’s groin injury.

Not counting recent signees Tatupu, Trufant and Hill, the 12 other aforementioned big-money, big-injury players have been paid about $148 million for playing in only 73 percent (279) of the games they were paid for (384) since signing their lucrative contracts. That breaks down to $530,000 per game played. That’s a lot of money and a lot of games missed.

The Curse of the Cash, the Bane of the Booty, the Plague of the Payday. Whatever you want to call it, having a dozen key guys miss a quarter of the games over the last five years goes a long way toward explaining why the Hawks haven’t been able to get back to the Super Bowl since 2005.

 

Money for nothin’

Wistrom $21 million for 41 games (3 years) = $512k per game

Taylor $4m for 9g (1y) = $444k/g

Dyson $3.5m for 8g (1y) = $437k/g

Herndon $6.5m for 28g (2y) = $232k/g 

Sharper $3.5m for 8g (1y) = $437k/g

Hasselbeck $35m for 51g (4y) = $686k/g

Alexander $18.5m for 23g (2y) = $804k/g

Branch $22.5m for 33g (3y) = $682k/g

Burleson $11.2m for 33g (3y) = $339k/g

Kerney $11.5m for 23g (2y) = $500k/g

Locklear $5m for 12g (1y) = $417k/g

Wahle $5.6m for 10g (1y) = $560k/g

 

For NFL power rankings and weekly picks, go Outside The Press Box.

 

 

 

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Racism in Sports: It’s Time To Change Your Team Name Washington

Our nations capital, Washington DC, has an NFL team that uses a racial slur as its team name, Redskins. 

First let’s look at the dictionary’s definition of the term.

The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary says:
Redskin – Usually offensive: American Indian

It says, “usually offensive.”  Our nations capital’s football team has a team name that is “usually offensive” according to one of our own very popular dictionaries.

Where did “Redskin” originate?

The term Redskin began hundreds of years ago, long before a football was even invented. Bounties were placed on Native people.  Bounty hunters would go out and kill as many Native American people as they could find.  They had to be able to prove that they killed as many Natives as they claimed.  They did this by cutting off scalps of Native people.  They called these, “redskins.”

Why did the Washington football team decide to use it?

The team claims that the Redskins name was chosen to honor their head coach William Henry “Lone Star” Dietz.  With Dietz running the team in 1933, the team was 5-5-2.  In Dietz’ last year (yes, he was only the head coach for 2 years with the team) the team went 6-6.  They really named their team after a non-winning head coach? Ok. Dietz was fired after two unsuccessful years but the name remained.

Is “Redskins” used as a racial slur today?

It is a fact that it was used in a bad way (proof of killing Native people) years ago.  Is it used in a bad way today? 

From ‘Suzan Harjo: Dirty Word Games’

Manley A. Begay Jr. was ”about seven or eight years” when he was hit with the R-word by a non-Indian in his own Navajo land in Arizona: ”’You dirty redskin, you stinky redskin, you dirty Indian, go back to your hogan.’

”And he kept on repeating that, you know, and yelling and screaming at me and making these racist and insulting and degrading remarks: you stinky redskin … you stupid redskin.”

Norbert S. Hill Jr., who is Oneida from Wisconsin, was called the R-word during a high school football game. ”I remember tackling … a conference top player for a two-yard loss, and he called me a ‘dirty f***ing redskin.”

William A. Means Jr. was ”applying for a job to make hay” when a ”white rancher” referred to him ”as a redskin.” Means, who is Oglala Lakota from South Dakota, then ”felt prejudice, intimidation, so I left.”

Can you think of a racial slur for another race?  Would you use that for a sports team? Would we call a sports team the Nashville N*****s?  I would hope not.

Disrespect: 

All Native mascots are wrong and disrespectful.  Stereotyping all Native people into one limited view is wrong.  It’s disrespectful to each great Native culture.  Using sacred items (even pretend) at a sporting event is wrong.  What if someone ran around with a cross and threw it at another mascot?  Would Christians object?  Sure they would.  So why don’t they object when another peoples sacred items are disrespected?  They/we should.

The Redskins unofficial mascot, Chief Zee is a prime example of the disrespectful actions brought on by using a race of people as a mascot.  This mascot’s disrespect of sacred Native items is wrong and shouldn’t be allowed. 

In many Native cultures the eagle is a sacred bird.  Chief Zee wears fake eagle feathers.  When one wears eagle feathers, they cannot touch the ground.  If they do, there is a ceremony that must be done to pick them back up again.  During one Cowboys vs Redskins game I saw Chief Zee wrestling on the ground with one of the Cowboys mascots, Crazy Ray.  That’s disrespectful.

How does this affect the children?

Portland State University Professor Dr. Cornel Pewewardy wrote, “Children’s self images are very pliable and susceptible to external forces, especially if they are steeped in violent and negative images. Unfortunately, for Indigenous Peoples many false images of ethnicity still dominate the consciousness of the American psyche.”

For Native children, the mascots that are supposed to be “honoring” the Native cultures, act like clowns.  They make fun of the Native cultures when they do silly dances and put on silly costumes that are supposed to represent Native people.  It certainly takes a shot at the pride of a Native child when your belief system and ways are belittled in such a way.

For non-Native children, they are desensitized to the discrimination against Native peoples.  They read fans carrying signs such as “Scalp the Redskins!” and “Kill the Indians!” They see fans wearing sacred (even though most are fake) Native items and then those same items being disrespected. This becomes the norm for them.

What if we were raised with a team called the “Fighting Priests” with fans that threw bibles around? It would certainly create a disrespect for Christianity and their religious items.

Any time that you have a race of people as a team name, it stereotypes those people.  The children see these stereotypes and that’s all they learn of these people.  There are actually college students out there that believe:

1. All Indian people had horses.
2. All Indian people wore headdresses.
3. Indian people put their hands to their mouths and go “woooo woooo woooo.”
4. Indian people were all warriors and did nothing else.

They grew up with teams like the “Redskins”, using what they learned from the team that is supposedly “honoring Indians,” by using the people as a team name and mascot.

Why hasn’t there been more disgust over the use of “Redskin?”

Polls have been done that say many aren’t bothered by the team name.  People that support the team keeping the name, usually Washington fans, claim it’s not a bad thing because it doesn’t bother that many people.  These people fail to take into account the hundreds of years of racial hatred towards Native people and the desensitizing of that hatred, racism, and discrimination by our society. 

A few years ago, around the time Rush Limbaugh was fired for saying Donovan McNabb is only popular because he’s black.  We as a society are very sensitive to any discrimination towards African American people.  That’s a good thing.  It isn’t the same with Native American people.

An ESPN analyst said, “Hawaiian women are a dime a dozen” and about a month later, said that anyone carrying their baby around in a papoose (he meant a cradleboard), should be shot.  A cradleboard is a tradition Native (Ojibwe) way of carrying a baby.  Nothing happened to him (at least publicly).  What if he had said that black women are a dime a dozen?

The fact is, we’ve been desensitized to racism and ethnocentrism directed towards Native people. 

We’ve had racist and ethnocentric movies about Native people thrust upon us time after time.  The hero’s in movies with Native people have almost always been white people while the bad guys have almost always been Native.

Most Americans are brought up celebrating Columbus Day and Christopher Columbus as a hero.  The truth is that Christopher Columbus and his men killed, raped and enslaved Native American People.

When describing Native American beliefs, teachers tell us the about the “myths” of Indians.  “Myth” has the connotation of being a made up story.  Would a teacher call the Bible a “myth?”  No s/he would not.  Christians would be up in arms.  We were brought up through our education being taught the “Indians” only had “myths.”

When talking about history in the Americas before Christopher Columbus, teachers have taught us using the term “pre-history.”  When one says “pre-history”, one is saying that anything that happened then, isn’t as important.  It has that connotation of being less-than.  When in fact, Native people have had a history just as long and just as important as Europe.  For example, Native agriculturalists and scientists developed such food crops as corn and potatoes.  Europe would have suffered many more famines if not for these Native crops.  Our children aren’t taught about the rich cultures and history of the various Native nations.

The discrimination against Native people is all around us.  If you are wondering why you didn’t notice it before, it’s because of being desensitized to it.

 
Conclusion:

So what we have is: 

1. A term that the dictionary calls offensive. 
2. A term that was historically used in attempted genocide, and a disgusting, racist, and offensive way. 
3. A term that is used as a racial slur today. 
4. A term that brings out disrespect of a peoples beliefs by the teams fans and mascot.
5. A term that is harmful towards children.

Given all of that, how can politicians not call for the removal of the team name?  We need to demand it of them.

We need to write letters to our representatives.

We need to send email to the Redskins front office and their owner Dan Snyder.

When talking about football and Washington’s football team, we have to avoid using “Redskins.”

When reporting that the case to get rid of the name is going to the Supreme Court, Jim Iovino at NBCWashington.com writes, “Chief Zee is free to scalp as many Cowboys as he wants—for now.”

What they said:

LA Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke said, “It’s a horrible derogatory name towards Native Americans!” and “I can’t believe it’s been allowed to go on this long.”

Writer Suzan Shown Harjo said, “The r-word is the most derogatory thing Native Peoples can be called in the English language.”

Artist Charlene Teters said, “American Indians are human beings, not mascots.”

Xavier University Professor David Rider said, “Negative images and attitudes toward American Indians have served precisely the same function: To protect the historical oppressors from a sense of guilt over the atrocities committed agianst Indians and to justify further exploitation.”

Videos on Redskins:
Savage Country: American Indian Mascots

Pensmoke on Washington Redskins

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

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