Detroit Lions’ Home Opener Not Sold Out: Can You Blame the Fans?

In the “Extra Points” section of the Detroit Free Press, I came across this information:

The Lions aren’t saying exactly how many, but there are seats available for Sunday’s game.

If the game isn’t sold out by 1 p.m. Thursday, it will be the first local TV blackout of the season.

In an effort to prod sales, the Lions have offered $78 tickets to Ford employees for just $30.

Cash for clunkers?

Being a big fan of the Lions for so many years, my first reaction to this was to be mad at the fans. But then reality set in. 

Lions fans have endured mediocre teams for decades.

Lions fans have endured the fiasco known as the Matt Millen era, which in my opinion should be renamed the second Dark Ages.

Lions fans have endured William Clay Ford, Sr. for 45 years and his continuous non-involvement and non-accountability for the team’s failures.

Lions fans endured perhaps their most humiliating event, the 0-16 season of 2008, which could be the third Dark Ages.

The Lions had numerous blackouts last year, which we all hoped would send a strong message to Mr. Ford: Your product sucks, and you need to fix it. But many of us had been saying that for years.

They didn’t do themselves any favors by losing 45-27 last week. The defense was the main scapegoat in allowing Drew Brees to throw touchdowns at will and Mike Bell to run for a career-high 143 yards.

It’s not going to get any easier with the Vikings and the Adrian Peterson/Brett Favre show coming to town either.

I can’t blame the Detroit fans for not showing up. Being a native Detroiter, I can relate to what the economic status is in the area. But I find that the Detroit fans don’t mind spending their hard-earned money provided that what they are paying for is worth it.

For the last decade, the Lions have been shaming the fans. They are presenting a Ford Pinto in a Lincoln Continental body. Still, if it looks like crap and smells like crap, then it’s still pretty much crap, right?

So I don’t blame the fans for not shelling out the big bucks for a crappy team. Despite all of the changes, most of which I support and will continue to support, the Lions are still a crappy team. 

Sure, they showed some fire and heart in the New Orleans game. But that doesn’t put butts in the seats. Start winning some games and the fans will come back. Have a winning streak and they will go nuts. Get to the playoffs and Ford Field will become a madhouse.

But let’s start small…just get the first win.

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Donovan McNabb Is Down, Philly’s Love for A.J. Feeley Just Downright Disgusting

Philadelphia Eagles fans look at A.J. Feeley as rationally as many look at their exes. The way Jennifer Aniston sometimes still talks about Brad Pitt? That’s the way many Eagles fans goofily pine for Feeley.

 

But in Aniston’s defense, at least Pitt is a legitimate star. A.J. never has and never will be anything worth searching out in a quarterback.

 

A.J. Feeley is a scrub with a hot wife who plays an obscure sport. That’s it. His legend only exists in the minds of a certain segment of Eagles fans.

 

The segment that knows absolutely nothing about football but cannot stop screaming for anyone but Donovan McNabb.

 

When Andy Reid and Joe Banner orchestrated the uncharacteristically bold signing of Michael Vick, it looked like the team would finally be free of Feeley fever (and you really have to sick in the head to catch this, a sane man would take swine flu instead any day of the week).

 

One of the great underrated side effects of the Vick signing is that it essentially forced the Eagles to jettison Feeley.

 

Then, McNabb decided not to slide in Carolina Sunday and like a bad horror movie villain (or a Jehovah’s Witness at your door), the specter of A.J. suddenly returned.

 

Acting with all the sense of a fool cold-calling an ex who never was very good for them while they were together, the Eagles brain trust once again reached out to Feeley and tried to bring him back.

 

Thankfully for Reid and Banner’s sake, Feeley turned them down to sign with Carolina.

 

This brings Jeff Garcia back instead, but amazingly, it still hasn’t completely quelled all the Feeley frenzy in Philadelphia. There are actually grown men declaring that the Eagles will rue the day they let A.J. go.

 

You know, the 32-year-old with a career 69.6 quarterback ranking, the rare athlete who manages to make the Philadelphia 76ers’ $11 million-a-year, no-shot center Sam Dalembert look underrated by comparison. At least Dalembert actually plays.

 

Feeley never has. He’s made 15 career starts in nine NFL seasons. He makes Scott Mitchell, Rob Johnson, and Matt Cassel all look they carried Joe Montana’s resume into their silly, senseless contracts by comparison.

 

Yet, the anxiousness over A.J. runs unabated. It’s all largely based on that 4-1 record the Eagles managed while Feeley stepped in as a emergency starter in the 2002 season.

 

A year later, McNabb heard those ridiculous “We want A.J.! We want A.J.!” chants during a Patriots pasting.

 

It’s now six years removed from that…and still, there are Philly fans who remain almost as obsessed with Feeley as that stalker he once had. You think the most embarrassing thing about Philadelphia fans is the fact they once booed Santa Claus?

 

Please. That’s nothing compared to Eagles fans’ perplexing pattern of fixating on no-factor losers like A.J. Feeley and Freddie Mitchell. Only in Philadelphia, would a Feeley find devotees. Do you think anyone in Miami is pining for a return of A.J. ball?

 

But in Philadelphia, he’s a hero with no skills.

 

Just remember one thing. Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme could probably throw three interceptions in a junior high school game at the moment. And he’s still better right now than Feeley will ever be.

 

There are a number of things to be concerned with as McNabb tries on flak jackets and Kevin Kolb works on his next excuse. But losing A.J. Feeley isn’t one of them.

 

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Do All Bear Fans A Favor Tony Dungy, Mike Martz, and Jim Mora- Shut-Up.

OK, I get it- Tony Dungy is an amazing coach.

Not only that, but he is a great, stand-up guy who believes in second chances. I wouldn’t be surprised if he can also walk on water.

He won a Super Bowl and so did Mike Martz as an offensive coordinator. Jim Mora Sr. has also been a coach for longer than I have been alive.

All that aside, I am tired of hearing from these men.

Dungy came out in June and openly questioned Jay Cutler. He talked about his immaturity and lack of leadership. Fine, I could deal with that. Cutler whined his way out of Denver, so he deserved to be criticized to some extent.

But now I turn on NFL.com and have to listen to Mike Martz and Jim Mora bash Cutler for a “poor” post game interview.

The Sun Times ran a good article here that breaks down exactly what they said.

But seriously, I did not hear anything wrong with Cutler’s post game talk. In fact, I kind of liked what I heard. Sure, I wish he had shown more anger about his sub-par performance, but I liked the fact that he clearly isn’t going to dwell on what happened last game.

Several times throughout the course of Rex Grossman’s roller coaster career in Chicago, he would have a bad game and the media would just blast him relentlessly and it was obvious that Rex would take it to heart. He would go out the next game and overcompensate for the past mistakes (which often led to more mistakes).

But not Jay.

Believe me when I say this, I was disgusted with Cutler’s performance this past weekend. I thought it was abysmal and nearly vomit inducing. But you know what, I like his attitude. I like the fact he is looking forward to next week already. I just hope that means he will do the same after he has a good game (which will happen).

And while we are on the subject of maturity, I will be even more honest. I don’t care if Cutler seems “immature” during post game interviews. I could care less that he isn’t Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. All I care about, is if he can go out there and play well for the Bears week in and week out.

And these coaches that are ripping him- do we need to look at their own resumes? I mean first off, Tony Dungy is talking a lot about being mature and a leader, while he’s been lobbying for a convicted felon to be reinstated.

Let me say, I am all for second chances and I wish Michael Vick the best of luck (except on November 22) for the remainder of his career. But he was the main man in Atlanta. He was their No. 1 pick; the face of the franchise and he blew it, both for himself and the franchise as a whole.

Yet Dungy goes out there and questions Cutler’s maturity?

Next is Mike Martz. Do I even need to discuss Mike Martz? I mean this man had one good coaching year and has plain stunk it up when he didn’t have a Pro Bowl caliber QB/RB/WR. And the only reason he mentions Jay Cutler, is so he can back up his good buddy and former fellow assistant coach Lovie Smith.

Finally, Jim Mora. It is actually rather amusing to hear Mora say, “When I saw that post game press conference last night, I thought he looked completely immature.”

I’m sorry Jim, I forgot that your definition of a “mature” press conference needs to include profanity laced rants about how everyone played like “horseshit” (as he has done in the past).

Listen, could Jay have handled it better? I guess so. But I, as a Bears fan, was glad to see him shaking off the loss already.

I don’t care if my QB is voted the most popular or the nicest. Jim McMahon wasn’t exactly a poster child for the Nobel Peace Prize and he still ended up doing pretty well.

So as long as Cutler comes back this week and shows improvement, then that is all I care about.

Of course, if he wins and then doesn’t sound like he was REALLY happy to win, I am sure we will hear about it from our panel of perfect ex-coaches on next week’s show.

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True Value: Richard Seymour Among Most Underrated Players In The Game

Since the New England Patriots upset the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl following the 2001 season, the team has been known mostly for its defense.

While the last few seasons have seen the Patriots reach lofty heights with their offense, many NFL observers and casual fans alike look at the “dynasty” years as ones built on a stout and sturdy defense.

Still, the New England defense has hardly been as dominant in the past few seasons as it was during the beginning of the decade.

From 2003 onward, the defense was built on a foundation of Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, and Richard Seymour.

Now, in 2009, all three are gone.

The departure of Harrison and Bruschi was an inevitable consequence of time—age eventually catches up to us all.

But with Seymour, a three-time All Pro defensive end and perhaps the best 3-4 two-gap run stopper of the last decade, the choice was voluntary.

There’s a reason fans and players alike are rarely privy to the inner conversations held between front office personnel, coaches, agents, and owners.

All but the most naive of us know that this is purely a business. But when you really take emotion out of the equation—when you’re staring at the pure gears-and-cogs of the operation—it really leaves you feeling cold.

Listening to Raiders owner Al Davis discuss the genesis of the trade, how the conversations between the two clubs evolved to the point that Seymour’s name became involved, you truly get the fact that no matter how many times we’re reminded that this is a business, the truly hard decisions never get any easier with time.

I don’t know Richard Seymour from Adam, but I know football and I know it takes a hell of a lot of gumption to trade a 29-year-old three-time All Pro.

Most players go their entire career and never become a first-team All-Pro. Many fans ignore the distinction, thinking it to be an honor on par with the Pro Bowl.

To put this in perspective, Joe Montana only made first-team three times in his career—and all three came after he turned 31.

Dan Marino got it done earlier in his career, but even he only made three, as well. Gino Marchetti made seven in his career in the more physical pre-merger era and all seven came after his 30th birthday.

Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers, players many Patriots fans would probably kill to call their own because of the gaudy sack numbers, haven’t made three.

I know the reasons behind the trade, and I agree with the move in terms of what the Patriots could gain long-term, but I think many pundits around the league have sold short the caliber player that Seymour is.

Yes, he’ll be 30 this year and there’s a better chance he’ll become Mark Gastineau in his 30s than Bruce Smith.

Yes, it would cost an arm and a leg to re-sign the big man after this season and he missed seven games in 2007. True, the Patriots might play more 4-3 this year given the lack of linebacker depth.

Yes, you could argue that his pass-rushing has dropped off in recent years. (9.5 sacks combined from 2005-2007, although he had eight last year)

But what isn’t up for debate is the fact that he’s an absolutely phenomenal two-gap 3-4 defender at the five-technique who can cover the gaps between two players while engaging the left tackle while still compressing the pocket.

Now, for those whom I just completely lost with that last sentence, I’ll explain. The “five-technique” is where the defensive player lines up relative to the offensive line. It’s a numbering system that starts nose to nose with the center (the zero) and moves outward. (one is between center/guard, two is over guard, etc.)

In the 3-4 because you have only three down linemen against five offensive linemen (plus tight ends), you need some of the biggest, nastiest, most athletic players on the planet to succeed.

“Two-gap” refers to the gaps between the offensive linemen. They’re usually lettered and begin between the center/guard, then the guard/tackle, etc.

A two-gap five-technique defensive end lines up between the left tackle and the tight end, engages his man, and is responsible for the running lanes both to his right and to his left.

It’s a huge responsibility that rarely lends itself to huge sack numbers or a lot of face time on television.

From that position, seven sacks or more in a season is phenomenal. But what’s more important is your ability to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback.

By consistently becoming a nuisance to the quarterback, rather than just a boom-or-bust bull rusher, you are forcing offensive lines to account for you at all times—and necessarily lose focus on what the rest of your defense is doing.

Of course, in the 4-3 that position is gone. The techniques are the same, but where your players are best suited to line up is entirely different because you need to do different things with only three linebackers behind you.

But Seymour, by virtue of his mammoth size and athleticism, can line up just about anywhere on a 4-3 line as well.

He’s not big enough to play two gaps inside (you usually need someone 340 pounds and up) as a defensive tackle, but his size is perfect for attacking a single gap inside with a license to rush the quarterback ourely and to be mindful of only one rushing lane.

As a defensive end, he maybe lacks the elite speed of some of the great end rushers like Freeney and Simeon Rice, but he’s a bigger force outside who all but automatically seals the edge and provides solid pass rush from the position.

For you East Coasters who braved a few extra cups of coffee on Tuesday to stay up and watch the Oakland-San Diego game, you saw this in effect as Seymour managed two sacks against a rather good offensive line (San Diego allowed just 25 sacks in 2008) while lining up everywhere. 

Beyond that, he was constantly putting his man on roller skates and driving through San Diego’s line to force Rivers into quick throws he wouldn’t have otherwise made and couldn’t step into. 

Contrast that to the earlier game, where New England put pressure on Trent Edwards but failed to contain running back Fred Jackson on even inside runs, and things begin to look dicey for the New England side of the trade.

Most of the yards Jackson picked up were to the outside, true, taking advantage of MLB Gary Guyton’s inexperience in identifying screens and swing plays early, but as I said when the Seymour trade went down, you can’t trade a guy like Richard Seymour and call your defense better.

Tully Banta-Cain acquitted himself beautifully against the Bills, but Trent Edwards was very efficient throughout the game against the New England pass rush. The Bills ultimately surrendered four sacks, but two came on the final drive as Buffalo scrambled to pull back the lead they lost so late.

In truth, this New England defense hasn’t been tested yet. The true test will be this week against the Jets, when they’ll already be without their best linebacker Jerod Mayo.

The Jets are a bit of an unknown quantity right now. They have the potential to be very good on defense, especially once Calvin Pace (four-game suspension) and Shaun Ellis (back this week after a one-gamer) return.

On offense, however, it could go either way. As a running attack, though, they’re among the best in the league.

They have a veteran offensive line that is playing very well, a bruising, underrated running back in Thomas Jones who has serious depth behind him in Leon Washington and Shonn Greene, and a rookie quarterback who the Patriots must pressure into surrendering turnovers.

Whether manning his usual post at the five in a 3-4 or moving all along the line as a single-gap 4-3 rusher, these are the kinds of weekends where a player of Seymour’s stature shines.

This Sunday, he’ll just be shining for a different team.

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Why the Washington Redskins Lost To the New York Giants

I’m not going to get too wee-weed up (love that Obama term) over the Redskins’ performance at the Meadowlands Sunday, especially since no one predicted a win anyway.

This glass is half full. Jason Campbell threw for more yards (211) than the Redskins gained in total offense in last year’s opening game (209), offsetting the decline in the rushing game.

Washington held  the Giants to a field goal in the second half and was effective against the Giants running game.

Antwaan Randle El was impressive playing from the slot, his natural position. He should match up well against most nickel backs and linebackers.

But a loss is a loss. This game was not a good loss like Oakland’s close loss against San Diego Monday night. But there’s time to make corrections. Washington has people who can do it and a soft schedule ahead.

The most interesting read from the game by NJ.com’s Mike Garafolo. NJ.com is Giants-centric, but Garafolo had a few game balls for Redskin players.

“DT Albert Haynesworth. He’s the real deal, people. And how about the ‘Skins lining him up at DE on passing downs a few times? If you’re Giants LT David Diehl, I’d say it’s pretty safe you can assume a bull rush.

“LB London Fletcher. One of the most underappreciated players in the league. And, like Haynesworth, one of the rare cases of money well spent by Washington.” 

Garafolo panned both LaRon Landry’s and DeAngelo Hall’s performance on the big play by Giants receiver Mario Manningham.

Manninghan’s rookie year was a bigger disappointment than Malcolm Kelly’s and he showed nothing during preseason. So I was surprised, make that shocked, by his run after the catch on that play. Is he that good, or did he just made our secondary look stupid? Time will tell on both counts.

Of all the critiques of Washington’s play, here is the most damning: They bored us.

The Real Reason The Redskins Lost to the Giants

The New York Giants have a superior front office!

They don’t turn over coaches. They didn’t fire Tom Coughlin when things were tough. They worked with him and went to the Super Bowl.

The Redskins fumbled their coach hire—of the Giants defensive coordinator no less—and end up pitting someone coaching his 17th game against someone coaching his 209th.

The Giants have roster resilience. They lost Plaxico Burress and Osi Umenyiora and still made the 2008 playoffs.

You won’t see them trade valuable draft picks in a panic for a T.J. Duckett or Jason Taylor when they have bench strength can and do step up. The Giants have faith in their back-ups, so they keep their draft picks. Washington, not so much.

Washington has good players, too. They must be good. We bring back after we let them go. If Derrick Dockery, Fred Smoot and Renaldo Wynn are good enough to bring back, they are good enough to have kept in the first place.

Tell me again why Ryan Clark is good enough to play for the Super Bowl Steelers, but not as good as Adam Archuleta.

The Redskin ownership sabotage their own odd aproach with their panic deals (must…resist…Burress…reference).

If Washington kept the picks that were wasted on Duckett and Taylor, they would have had enough to waste the picks on deals for Jay Cutler, or Mark Sanchez, or even for Chad Ochocinco. (Ugh)

Why trust the Snyder brain trust’s evaluation of Jason Campbell. Aren’t these the guys who let Brad Johnson and Stephen Davis walk away for Jeff George and Trung Canidate?

If they think Jason Campbell is bad, he must really be good.

You won’t see New York make cavalier changes of offensive schemes as the Skins did when they switched from the Coryell Downfield System to the West Coast Offense, thereby setting the clock back three to five seasons before a big payoff.

The Giants are New York’s team, but it’s the Redskins who build rosters like a Broadway cast, with a few headliners and all those anonymous little people in the chorus.

You’d buy an overpriced ticket and go see a Broadway show because it’s a one-time event. This is football. We’re sign on for the long term quest for a title. It’s those anonymous, front line people in the chorus who make the hits.

Superior front offices always lead to superior on-field performance.

Rant over. I feel so much better.

This story also posted to http://redskinshogheaven.com.

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The Facts About the Oakland Raiders’ Blown Call

Like the rest of the Raider Nation I was shocked Monday night when the officials, in their ridiculous orange striped uniforms, inexplicably chose to review Louis Murphy’s 19 yard touchdown reception with less than two minutes remaining in the first half, and then overturn the call and negated the touchdown.

This was a pivitol point in the game since the Raiders had to settle for a field goal, and the invigorated Chargers drove for their own field goal as time expired in the half. But emotions aside, let’s examine the facts involved.

 

Facts: What Happened

 

The facts on this play as I see it, after looking at multiple slow motion replays:

Murphy leapt in the air and grabbed the ball with both hands, well within the boundaries of the end zone. 

He shifted the ball to his right hand and wedged it against his chest as he came down to the ground.

He landed on his left foot, then his right foot as his left foot remained in contact with the ground. At this time there was no indication that the ball was slipping from his grasp, and not grasped firmly in his possession.

As Murphy went to the ground (in contact with the defensive back), his right elbow struck the ground with the ball still between his hand, arm and chest. The ball appeared to contact the ground about the same time as his elbow, certainly not before.

While rolling across the ground, the ball eventually slipped from his grasp a little.  

The play was called a touchdown and then the officiating crew decided to review the call. 

The officials overturned the touchdown reception, saying the receiver lost possession as he went to the ground.     

In the second half ESPN showed a view of the play, showing Murphy’s back, that they indicated was used by the referee to overturn the call. It did not show the ball prior to Murphy’s feet contacting the ground.

Facts: The Rules

 

In examining the Digest of Rules of the National Football League, one entry applies, as follows: 

 

“A forward pass is complete when a receiver clearly possesses the pass and touches the ground with both feet inbounds while in possession of the ball.“

 

Since the NFL does not post the complete 2009 NFL rule book on its website, an online copy of the 2008 NFL rulebook was found that indicates the following:

 

Possession. To gain possession of a loose ball (3-2-3) that has been caught, intercepted, or recovered, a player must have complete control of the ball and have both feet completely on the ground inbounds or any other part of his body, other than his hands, on the ground inbounds.

If the player loses the ball while simultaneously touching both feet or any other part of his body to the ground or if there is any doubt that the acts were simultaneous, there is no possession. This rule applies in the field of play and in the end zone. The terms catch, intercept, recover, advance, and fumble denote player possession (as distinguished from touching or muffing).

Note 1: A player who goes to the ground in the process of attempting to secure possession of a loose ball (with or without contact by a defender) must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, there is no possession.

If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, it is a catch, interception, or recovery.

Note 3: If a player has control of the ball, a slight movement of the ball will not be considered loss of possession. He must lose control of the ball in order to rule that there has been a loss of possession.

 

Reviews by Referee. All Replay Reviews will be conducted by the Referee on a field-level monitor after consultation with the other covering official(s), prior to review. A decision will be reversed only when the Referee has indisputable visual evidence available to him that warrants the change.

 

Conclusion

 

Based on the facts, and not emotions, it is apparent that the play was a touchdown, for the following reasons.

 

When Murphy came down in the end zone with both feet on the ground and in possession of the ball, it’s a touchdown. He did not need to go to the ground and still possess this ball. This just isn’t in the rules.

 

There was no view of the play on ESPN, including the view that the replay booth said was used to overturn the touchdown, that showed the ball was not in Murphy’s possession when his feet came down. Therefore there was not indisputable visual evidence that warrants overturning the call on the field.

 

Was I surprised at the call? Not really, the Raiders have been getting the short end of the stick when it comes to officiating crew calls ever since the holy roller.  

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Oakland Raiders and Raider Nation: Not Blind, For Now We See

You take a test. It takes so long for your professor to return your papers.

You ponder how you compare with the class mean, median and mode. Are your grades better than others? You ask yourself, “Is the grade for the Oakland Raiders better than that of the Kansas City Chiefs, if we compare historical data?”

Two teams are scheduled to play NFL football on Sept. 20. How do they compare in certain categories?

The chart above shows the Oakland Raiders are a formidable force in NFL football. Historical data has been charted to help you see clearly.

In terms of the number of League Championships, Oakland leads four to three.

In the category of AFL Championships Kansas City Chiefs leads three to one.

Three Super Bowls belong to the Oakland Raiders, while Kansas City has only one.

There is no comparison of the Oakland Raiders with Kansas City in the category of Conference Championships. Kansas City has not won a Conference Championship, and as you know, you do not divide by zero.

Again, Oakland dominates in the category of Divisional Championships, with 15 wins compared to Kansas City’s seven wins. The ratio for the dominance of the Oakland Raiders is 2.14 which is 214 percent. The strength of Oakland in this category is twice that of Kansas City.

Finally, Oakland has gone to the Playoffs a total of 21 times, while Kansas City has been present only 15 times. Again, the Oakland Raiders strength is measured by a ratio of 1.4 or 140 percent.

Now all of this means that we are not blind, but we see clearly many of our strengths.

And a classical response in some communities would be, “No weapon formed against us shall prosper.”

To paraphrase this word of wisdom and to put it in the context of this discussion, we say:

No team that comes against us will be victorious, if there is consistency, validity, and integrity in judging what we know, see and believe about the strength embodied in the 2009 Oakland Raiders, coached by Tom Cable.

We are not blind for now we see clearly what our potential is, and what our strengths are.

We may have been temporarily blind, once, but now we see, clearly!

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Seattle Seahawks Pursuing CB Ty Law, Others?

The swan song for every Seattle sports team is injuries. Most predominantly the Seattle Seahawks. Yet again bitten by the injury bug in 2009 but so far it hasn’t effected them.

CB Marcus Trufant, who was placed on the PUP list before the regular season is expected back in five weeks. Recently signed CB Travis Fisher is nursing a strained hamstring and is questionable for the Seahawks week two game in San Francisco.

As of now the Seahawks are going with three main corner backs. Ken Lucas, Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson.

This passed Sunday they fared well against a week St Louis Rams offense but were exposed by wide receiver Laurent Robinson.

This week they don’t have to worry to much in San Francisco with the 49ers offense either. They will focus more on running back Frank Gore.

But as the season goes on the Seahawks will need to be more bulked up in the secondary that is looking to improve from last season.

The Seahawks have already signed backup safety Lawyer Milloy after releasing Brian Russell and making Jordan Babineaux the starting free safety.

With Trufant out for a while and games coming up with Chicago, Indy, Jacksonville and Arizona coming up in the next 4-6 weeks.

So how do the Seahawks plan to address their need at corner back? Well there are a few ways they can go about this.

One, the have already brought in free agent corner back Eric Green for a workout today and at this point in his career is what the Seahawks need and that’s a nickle backup.

Two, they could could go after great veteran corner back and former Patriot and Jet Ty Law who is currently leaning towards returning to the NFL and I would imagine as a backup.

He has already ruled out KC, Oakland, and Detroit.

Seattle would be a great destination for Law for two reason. He would be a great backup and at this point in his career that’s what he wants to be.

Two is that the Seahawks are a winning team and are the favorites by many to win the NFC West again and that would certainly appeal to Ty Law.

The only other option, which doesn’t seem to be a huge possibility is trading for a corner back but with no real talented CB’s on the market there is no reason to pursue a trade.

It will be down to Ty Law vs Eric Green because I don’t see the Seahawks having to sign to CB’s and release two players probably at WR and DL.

We’ll have to wait and see what transpires.

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Raiders-Chargers: Oakland Impresses in Debut, but Lets San Diego Slip Away

The Raiders displayed an intensity and moxie in their season-opening game against the San Diego Chargers on Monday night that has been unseen in Oakland in recent years.

The running game was dominant in the first half, as the Raiders’ offensive line imposed its will on the Chargers’ defensive front.

JaMarcus Russell, who couldn’t hit a receiver for much of the game, came back from a brief stint on the sidelines after hyper-extending his knee to lead the offense to a late scoring drive capped off by a huge 4th-and-15, 57-yard touchdown strike to rookie wide receiver Louis Murphy.

The defensive front provided adequate pressure despite rushing only four defenders for most of the game, the secondary had a number of pass break-ups despite being tested in exclusive man-to-man coverage, and the coaching staff’s play calling showed that they’ve got enormous confidence in their young team.

But despite all of that, the Raiders fell yet again in a season opener, 24-20.

For 57 minutes and 37 seconds, the Raiders were the aggressors.

For 57 minutes and 37 seconds, the Raiders had the game won.

For 57 minutes and 37 seconds, it looked like the Raiders would begin the season with a victory and avoid the same fate of the Buffalo Bills, who in their bid to upset the New England Patriots in the preceding Monday night game, faltered in the waning minutes.

But for all of their effort in the first 57 minutes and 37 seconds, the Raiders folded under pressure and looked more like the team of the past six seasons in the last two minutes and 23 seconds.

It’s a painfully amusing reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in the NFL. With one heroic last drive led by Philip Rivers and Darren Sproles, the Chargers showed why they are the team to beat in the AFC West, driving 89 yards on nine plays to lead their team to victory and shatter the early hopes of Raider Nation.

Give the Chargers credit: These are the types of games that teams of their caliber must win. Despite being outplayed for most of the game, the Chargers kept it close and gave themselves a shot to win.

It’s the type of performance the young Raiders can learn a lesson from and take with them into the next week. Veteran teams can stave off impending doom by making timely plays in dramatic fashion.

Young teams like the Raiders learn these lessons in time. And like what happened on Monday night, the NFL’s school of hard knocks is often a painful education in the necessity to play from start to finish.

Of the last nine plays on the Chargers’ game-winning drive, five were completed in the middle of the field for an average of 11.8 yards.

As Raiders rookie head coach Tom Cable expressed in Tuesday’s media conference, “It’s almost like we got into prevent mode rather than just continuing to play defense.”

What is it that they say about prevent defenses? Prevent defenses don’t prevent anything but winning.

The Raiders stopped being aggressive when it mattered most and let a win slip away. The play-calling was certainly questionable given the circumstances: a three-point lead with less than 2:30 to play and a defense on the field that had shut down the Chargers’ potent offense for much of the game.

So why defensive coordinator John Marshall opted to drop his linebackers in prevent is beyond logical convention. ESPN highlighted the open middle zone on a 2nd-and-10 pass play to Sproles that went for nine yards. The secondary did its part in covering the outside and deep zones, but the entire middle of the field was left open for Rivers to play pitch-and-catch with his receivers.

Cable went on to say that his staff had definitely learned something from that last drive, commenting, “If we learned anything as coaches, there’s a better mix (of defensive play-calling) than being one-dimensional.”

For many Raider fans, the postgame conversations and debates might best be summarized as “would’ve, should’ve, could’ve.”

The Raiders would’ve, should’ve, and could’ve won had it not been for the officials taking back Murphy’s second quarter touchdown catch. On the play, Russell threw a high strike to Murphy, who came down with the ball, but officials ruled he didn’t have possession when he fell to the ground.

A questionable call that might have some cynical Raider fans thinking this was a way officials were trying to make it up to the Chargers for last year’s Ed Hochuli debacle and another example of the league sticking it to its most dysfunctional organization.

Regardless, “would’ve, should’ve, could’ve” doesn’t equate to 1-0, and when it comes down to it, the Raiders had the lead late in the game, but couldn’t seal the deal in the final two minutes and 23 seconds.

As encouraging as the Raiders played, Monday night’s loss was a stinging reminder of how much further this team has to go in returning to championship form. Any team can compete for 58 minutes (just ask the Bills).

But when the game is on the line and situations call for players to step up, it’s the truly great players and teams (Peyton Manning in Indianapolis and Tom Brady in New England) that are able to pull through and define themselves as winners.

Russell and Oakland might have a ways to go, but considering the tumult of the past six seasons, Monday night’s debut was an encouraging sign of a renewed and invigorated Raiders squad.

Russell was inconsistent, but showed toughness in coming back from an injury (albeit minor) and was unfazed when facing a critical 4th-and-15 situation.

Darren McFadden was his shifty self, but displayed impressive power en route to 68 yards on 17 carries.

Michael Bush played well in a backup role (12 carries for 55 yards), Murphy was impressive in his NFL debut, and Zach Miller showed why he should be considered one of the NFL’s top tight ends.

Although the defense let down when it mattered most, for 57 minutes and 37 seconds, they played an inspired brand of football.

For the first time since 2002, the Raiders were praised more than ridiculed on a nationally televised broadcast. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and current ESPN analyst Steve Young said of the Raiders’ pass defense, “I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I am with the Raiders’ coverage.”

Fellow personality Mike Golic remarked, “Oakland is dominating this game. They’re playing inspired.”

Pretty high praise for a team that lost the game.

But the one thing these Raiders can’t afford to do is let up. Coach Cable was happy with how his team played, but made it known that no matter how good the Raiders looked in defeat, any result other than a win isn’t going to cut it.

The Raiders face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week Two and have a chance to show the nation that their debut performance wasn’t a fluke. Hopefully, this time around, the team will come to play from start to finish.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

A New Direction For Buffalo Bills Fans

I previously wrote the 10 worst moments of the decade, and after the Patriots loss I was going to go on and write the 100 worst of the decade. The Pats loss shockingly would not make the top 10 most painful moments, which I hope gives an idea to fans of other teams how bad the decade has been.

The idea was to write all of the bad things as a séance, to get them out in the air and clear the soul, but just writing the list brought back too many bad memories. As Bills fans, we are addicted to the negative, because we expect it as this point like a junkie expects his next fix.

Most Bills fans knew the Bills were going to blow the 24-13 lead and lose. That’s no way to be a fan of a sport that should be an escape. I’m going to go in a different direction for this article and write the positives and try to change my view of Bills games.

 

1. New England had to make an 11 point comeback 

The last time I checked before the game, New England was an 11 point favorite. At home, with Brady returning, the Patriots almost pulled an absolute choke in their season opener. Everyone picked the Patriots to win the division, and after week 1, that prediction looks a bit scary.

Good teams sometimes get lucky, and New England is good, but they aren’t that good. The running game fell apart, Brady threw 53 times, and that new defense appeared very shaky. If Brady has to throw a lot every game, he will eventually get hurt. Jerrod Mayo got injured, and New England has plenty of depth issues on defense, and offense.

Their new acquisitions in Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway looked old, and the Bills gave the footprint on how to stop the Patriots from scoring, before the Bills fell apart. The AFC East is a lot more open than it appeared before the season.

2. The Bills have the running back for the no-huddle

Discussions of the no-huddle made people laugh because when the Bills did it in the 90’s, they had the weapons. This Bills team looks to have very good receivers but questions everywhere else.

After last night, Fred Jackson looks perfect for the no-huddle. He catches the ball very well out of the backfield and he hits holes and always moves forward, and can run the ball out of the shotgun.

He has a style similar to Thurman Thomas, which is what is absolutely needed for this offense to succeed. Lynch can be a change-up, but Jackson fits perfectly as the feature back.

3. The Bills secondary looked pretty good

Yes Brady completed 39 passes and Moss and Welker both had 12 catches, but for the most part the secondary did exactly what they wanted to do. The secondary allowed few big plays, executed very good tackling, and provided great run support.

McKelvin had a terrible game and had a big missed tackle on Kevin Faulk on New England’s first TD drive. The two late touchdowns are because Keith Ellison still struggles in coverage.

With a pass happy team like the Pats, the Bills corners and safeties kept the action in front of them. If the front 7 does a bit more in future games, the defense can definitely compete against a good amount of NFL offenses.

4. No more Monday night games this year

Only one Thursday night game on the NFL Network, and no more ESPN games. The pain of a close Monday Night Football game will not happen for the rest of this season. Get the pain out of the way.

 

5. They are not the worst team in football

Going into week 1, the fear existed that the Bills may be one of the worst teams in the NFL. They didn’t look like it against the Pats. The Bengals, Browns, Broncos, Texans, Lions, Cardinals, Rams, Bucs and Panthers all looked worse in week 1.

With all of the turmoil of the last 2 weeks with cuts and Schonert’s firing, that’s a pretty positive note for this point in the season.

 

6. Edwards looked comfortable 

The Patriots have defensive flaws, but still have always given the Bills fits. Edwards looked very composed in an offense that has been in flux and was terrible in the preseason.

He made the plays necessary to win the game, the Bills special teams and defense let him down. He also was playing better as the game went along. The Bills need very quarterback play to compete, and at least he looks like he can achieve that level.

 

7. The schedule is pretty nice 

Division games at Miami and New York will be tough, but at least the Bills showed they can compete with the big dog in the division. New Orleans looks to be an offensive powerhouse but their defense is still questionable.

The rest of the first half of the schedule is Tampa, Cleveland, Houston and at Carolina. I know the Bills find ways to lose games they should win, but some of these teams are also very talented at losing. There are some wins in this mix.

 

8. Seven more games with the old jerseys 

I don’t think many Bills fans would mind if the throwback AFL jerseys became permanent. We get half of the season with them this year, which should make any Bills fan clamoring for the destruction of the CFL style junk thrilled.

 

9. Blackouts 

One of the biggest fears of Bills fans is that the team is eventually going to move to Toronto, or somewhere else. With the problems around the NFL in terms of selling out games, the Bills aren’t No. 1 on the list to move anymore.

Jacksonville is in deep trouble, San Diego isn’t far behind, and the viability of St Louis and other franchises which will probably have 4, 5 or 6 blackouts make Buffalo and their sold out stadium an asset.

No matter what Jerry Jones may think the league to be successful needs as many fiscally successful teams as possible. Once Ralph Wilson dies, someone will buy the team, look for a new market and a handout for a publicly financed stadium, and will get few if any offers. Blackouts are the Bills best friend.

 

10. Weird History 

The Patriots game felt like Friday the 13th Part VI. A horror movie where the ending is basically known. An interesting tidbit though about the Bills under Jauron. Not always, but a lot of times after painful losses, they win the next week.

The Cleveland MNF loss and the JP Losman fumble game last year, the Dallas MNF two years ago, and the road losses to Miami and Indy in 2006, all led to wins the next win.

With Tampa coming into town this week, they look beatable. 1-1 wouldn’t be so bad and would be tied for second in the division. It’s going to take awhile to bred positivity as a Bills fan. I’m taking baby steps now.

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