Monday Morning Rehab

Did you actually think any fantasy players would come away from week one unscathed?

Not going to happen.

Now, the good news for fantasy owners is that there has yet to be a Tom Brady circa 2008 season-ending injury during week one. Not only did Brady’s knee explode during the first week of the season, but so too did many fantasy owners’ playoff aspirations.

But there have been significant injuries to notable fantasy football contributors, of course.

Before we get to those injuries, though, I want to offer a brief apology for the tardiness of today’s Monday Morning Rehab. I am in the middle of the club men’s ultimate frisbee season (playing for the Cleveland men’s team, Lake Effect) and was out of town all weekend for a tournament in Chicago.

Until I grab a NetBook—something I hope to purchase soon—work on the road is hard to get done. Actually, it is pretty impossible.

OK, enough about that… Check this weekend’s significant injuries after the jump.

 

Matt Cassel [QB, Chiefs]

From ProFootballTalk:

Matt Cassel will not play against the Ravens today in Baltimore. Cassel tried to go before the game but was ruled out.

He told friends this week he had every intention of playing in this game so it’s likely he’s been ruled out by the medical staff thanks to the MCL he sprained in the preseason.

The Chiefs actually made a competitive game out of their week one match-up against the Ravens without Cassel’s services.

From all indications, Cassel is very close to returning and should be able to play next weekend. In his absence, the Chiefs’ passing game was pretty decent, a good sign for Cassel’s projections going forward.

 

James Davis [RB, Browns]

From RotoWorld:

Davis was active despite getting into a one-car accident Saturday, but played sparingly behind Jamal Lewis and was shaken up by a big Antoine Winfield hit late.

That Davis played at all against the Vikings is incredible in and of itself. His results, however, are probably typical of someone who was involved in a car accident the day prior to a game.

As he recovers, Davis should become more and more involved in the offense.

 

Kevin Walter [WR, Texans]

From FFToolBox:

Cassel still hasn’t fully recovered from his strained MCL, while Walter has been hampered by a hamstring injury.

The Houston offense was anemic on Sunday without Walter, though I doubt his presence would have had much of an impact on the Texans’ offensive output.

Hopefully he gets back on the field for week two to give Matt Schaub a full complement of weapons. Otherwise, the Houston fantasy bandwagon could stall very quickly.

 

Anquan Boldin [WR, Cardinals]

From RotoWorld:

He wasn’t noticeably limping, but he also never really had a chance to open up and sprint. With the Cardinals playing it cautiously, Boldin was targeted just four times compared to 13 for Larry Fitzgerald.

Boldin gave it a go but his presence was not enough to help the Cardinals overcome San Francisco in week one.

His health should continue to improve and he generally is a pretty tough football player who has been hampered by various ailments over the years. I expect Boldin to grit it out in the short term with the hamstring troubles.

 

Steve Breaston [WR, Cardinals]

From RotoWorld:

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt revealed Monday that Steve Breaston’s (knee) absence for Week 1 was unexpected.

Breaston could not go, so Jerheme Urban stepped into the Cardinals’ No. 3 wide receiver position and cleaned up with a decent stat line (5 catches for 74 yards). Those stats are Breaston’s to have upon his return.

However, that return is uncertain. Breaston may have re-aggravated a PCL sprain in his knee. Vikings’ wide receiver Sidney Rice dealt with a PCL injury all of last season that kept him on the sidelines or ineffective for most of the year. The same fate could await Breaston if the knee injury is more serious than has been let on by Cardinals.

 

Hakeem Nicks [WR, Giants]

From ProFootballTalk:

The Giants reportedly believe that rookie wideout Hakeem Nicks will only miss 2-3 weeks with his foot sprain, and that he’s likely avoided the dreaded “Lis Franc” sprain.

According to reports out of New York today, Nicks avoided the dreaded Lis Franc diagnosis and should return to game action in two-to-three weeks.

Not the best news for his fantasy value, which came into the season on the rise. Mario Manningham and Steve Smith starred for the Giants’ receiving corps in week one and could further cement their roles on the offense in the next few weeks.

 

Anthony Gonzalez [WR, Colts]

From FFToolBox:

Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez will be out for at least two weeks (and maybe as many as six) with a strained right knee ligament. Gonzalez suffered the injury after taking just two steps after a snap in the first quarter.

This could end up being the most significant injury of the weekend. And it sounds like a freak one, at that.

AGonzo’s status is unknown at the moment. Presumably, the Colts are doing more tests on the knee. But that only means they fear the worst and perhaps fantasy owners should too. News on Gonzalez’s status should come quickly.

 

Donovan McNabb [QB, Eagles]

From FFToolBox:

There are some conflicting reports as to how much time McNabb is expected to miss due to this fracture. FOX’s Jay Glazer said on his Twitter account that McNabb is out for Week 2 and then “it’s up in air.” The Philadelphia Enquirer stated McNabb is going to be doubtful for Week 2 but that head coach Andy Reid wouldn’t rule him out for next week’s game against the New Orleans Saints

The Eagles signed Jeff Garcia to bolster the quarterback position this weekend. To me, that signifies Kevin Kolb will get the start against the Saints.

But nowadays, no assumption is safe especially when it comes to coaches and injury updates. Garcia is very familiar with the Eagles offense having led Philly to the playoffs a few years ago after a McNabb season-ending injury, so he may be in town for more than just a week. However, that is hard to imagine with Michael Vick set to come off suspension after week two.

Back to McNabb, however, Thursday and Friday will be the most telling days. If he gets on the practice field at all, he may have an outside shot to play this weekend. Stay tuned.

 

Tony Romo [QB, Cowboys]

From FFToolBox:

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will undergo an MRI on Monday to see if there is any damage to his right ankle, which he injured during Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. Romo was limping on the field and after the game, but didn’t miss any snaps and still put up tremendous numbers. Romo said after the game that he expects to be fine.

The MRI seems precautionary but should be slightly worrisome to fantasy owners nonetheless.

Romo has had a string of bad luck in recent seasons, enough to keep his owners on edge with every game. He clearly is unaffected from a fantasy standpoint by the departure of Terrell Owens and should continue to be a solid QB1 going forward. That is, of course, if the ankle checks out.

 

Antonio Bryant [QB, Buccaneers]

From FFToolBox:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Bryant is still recovering from offseason knee surgery and until he is fully healthy, the team will continue to monitor Bryant’s knee on a weekly basis. Bryant is expected to play Sunday against Buffalo, but may be limited during the practice week.

Bryant was ineffective in his first action since returning from a knee injury suffered during the preseason. He has never been a consistent fantasy threat and should only be considered a WR3 at this point.

 

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

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

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Why Notre Dame Couldn’t Beat Michigan

1. Coaching

I’ve been a pretty staunch Charlie Weis supporter, right up until the Syracuse debacle of last year. And I still think with his work ethic, we could eventually win a championship if he continues to make the changes needed as he recognizes them. But Saturday’s loss can be laid at the feet of the coaching staff first and foremost.

Weis is a gambler, and frequently makes decisions that don’t make sense if you step back and look at the big picture. For a coach that comes from the NFL, he sure hasn’t learned much about winning games.

I have not heard a single rationale defense of why we were throwing a pass with the ball and the lead with two minutes left in the game. It’s just inexcusable. Good teams are able to run the ball on first and second downs, and then keep the defense guessing on 3rd-and-short as we try to move the chains and end the game.

The fact that we threw a pass on second down in that crucial situation is flat out the wrong call.

And that wasn’t his only mistake. Numerous times we had difficulties getting the play off. As the self-named offensive coordinator, it is Coach Weis’ job to make sure that the play gets in to the QB with plenty of time before the snap.

The unnecessary timeouts and delay of game penalties came back to haunt us in a game that came down to the wire.

2. The Officiating

I really hate to complain about the refs. Other than the Bush Push, which mostly upset me because of the magnitude of the game, my general position is that you play the game with the calls that are made, and that if you play well enough to win, the officiating won’t change that.

Not so on Saturday.

I watch a lot of football, pro and college, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen a game in which the officials appeared to be actually biased.

There were, by my count, five unequivocal pass interference penalties against Michigan that were not called. And they were often in critical situations that changed the game.

Especially on the ill-advised second down pass. Call that interference penalty, and the Irish win. Talk all you want about “letting the players play” but these penalties exist for a reason and you CANNOT allow a team to consistently hold one of the receiver’s arms back while the pass is in the air.

I’ve also rewatched the play where Sam Young was called for holding on Kyle Rudolph’s 79-yard catch, and there was no hold. It was a spectacular block that drove the defender into the ground.

There was also the missed call on the Armando Allen TD. I watched that play in HD on a big screen, and the sideline view of that play clearly shows that Allen did not step out. There certainly was nothing resembling indisputable evidence to overturn the call on the field.

And don’t even get me started on the two seconds run off the clock on the kickoff. And don’t give me the BS about how rare it is for a last second Hail Mary to work—I saw the Broncos pull off a stunning win on Sunday, and Green Bay also had a last minute pass play that made the difference in the game.

And with a wideout like Golden Tate—we may not have won, but we should have had the chance.

But what really pissed me off—and the reason that I think that the refs were biased—was how the refs blew Coach Weis off at the end of the game and sprinted for the tunnel, not even considering taking a second look at the clock.

If it was only one, two, or even three of those problems, I could deal with it. But what I saw out there was clearly home cooking. Notre Dame was repeatedly and systematically robbed of its advantages in this game by the refs, and it cost the Irish the game.

If this game were reffed by a truly neutral officiating crew (say, from the Big 12?) the Irish win this game handily—by as many as 20 points.

3. Fundamentals

I almost appended this to the coaching segment above, but I saw a clear lack of fundamental breakdowns by Irish players in this game. Poor tackling especially killed us, and it allowed an inferior team to hang around in a game they had no business hanging around in.

Tate Forcier, if he bulks up, will eventually be a very good quarterback for Michigan. But he’s not a superstar in the making, and certainly not a phenom.

We made him look good by taking poor angles and arm tackling. Forcier slipping from the grasp of ND defenders was not because he’s a beast who reads the defense well, it’s because the ND players who were put in the right position by the play call and didn’t have the fundamental skills to make the play.

And that, again, falls on the coaching staff. For all of the talent and experience we trotted out on the field, these players should not be making those kind of bone-headed mistakes.

A classic example was on Forcier’s TD run, where the safeties did not shuffle down the line with the ball, and Kapron Lewis-Moore over pursued, did not break down and failed to keep his hips squared to be able to make the tackle, or force Tate back inside to the defense.

4. Michigan

I wanted to put this section in to give Michigan credit.

While they got plenty of help from the refs and Notre Dame repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot (much like Michigan did for us last year), ultimately they did what they had to do to win the game.

With two minutes left in the game, they drove down the field and scored the go-ahead touchdown with little time left on the clock. They had a good game plan, and with a couple of breaks, put themselves in a position to win the game.

And they did.

Final Analysis

No excuses. We were 24 points better than Michigan, but we lost the game because we apparently still don’t know how to win.

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Jeff Garcia Returns to the City of Brotherly Love

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed Jeff Garcia to a one-year deal, league sources say.

Garcia, played with the Eagles back in 2006, starting in six games after Donovan McNabb suffered a season ending injury. He went 5-1 down the stretch to will the Eagles into the postseason, where they eventually lost a nail-biter to New Orleans in the second round.

During his improbable run, Garcia quickly became a fan favorite in Philadelphia, as well as across the NFL.

He’s spent the last two seasons in Tampa Bay, where he put up average numbers; and spent his 2009 training camp in Oakland before being released.

Garcia is familiar with the West Coast offense, and should be able to play immediately if asked to; but will he be asked to? 

The Eagles organization has continuously praised Kevin Kolb. Starting Jeff Garcia would only nullify the previous confidence that Reid has in the young QB.

Complicating the situation, the Eagles will have to cut a player to make room for Jeff Garcia. Reggie Brown is most likely to be the player cut, but the complications don’t end there. 

Once Michael Vick is eligible to play in week three, the Eagles will have to cut another player, most likely either Garcia or Kolb. It’s hard to imagine the Eagles keeping four quarterbacks on the roster.

There is still a chance that Donovan McNabb plays on Sunday, with the Garcia signing just being a necessary precaution. If McNabb is feeling well enough to play, he will wear a protective jacket over his ribs.

With Vick, McNabb, and Vick all on the same team, if McNabb doesn’t return soon, a QB controversy is on the horizon.

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Philadephia Eagles Sign Jeff Garcia; Kevin Kolb Likely to Start?

The past 24 hours have been a long day for the Philadelphia Eagles, losing starting quarterback Donovan McNabb to an injury.

The front office did not waste any time on the situation as the team prepares for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

Just some time ago, the Eagles brought back Jeff Garcia, who was released by the Oakland Raiders a few weeks ago.

If you remember, Garcia did lead the Eagles into the playoffs after McNabb went down with a season ending injury.

Though McNabb’s absence is unknown, Philadelphia wants to play it safe this week and give Donovan the rest.

The signing of Garcia does make some sense, as he should be familiar with the offense from a few seasons ago.

Yet, from what we have seen from Andy Reid, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he gave Kevin Kolb the nod to start Sunday.

Surely after Kolb’s performance it did raise some eyebrows in management to sign Garcia, but with the hopes of confidence Reid has in this young quarterback from the University Of Houston, most likely he will get the start while Garcia gets more familiarity with the offense.

This is Kolb’s chance to succeed as an Eagle, taking on a Saints defense that he, along with the rest of the offense could handle.

However, if he plays poorly against the Saints, questions are going to rise in Philly about a potential release of him.

After all, with McNabb returning in two weeks, it’s going to be a tough decision to make as to whether to hold onto four quarterbacks on the depth chart.

This could be the make or break start for Kolb as an Eagle for that matter.

 

Matt Miselis is an NFL writer for BleacherReport.com

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Redskins-Giants: Run Like the “Wind”

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For all the talk of the New York Giants having to rely heavily on their backfield as their main source of offense, it was the young corps of wide receivers that paved the way to a victory over the rival Redskins on Sunday.

Although Big Blue’s running game was solid enough to pass the century mark and help move the chains, it was not the driving force fans expected after growing accustom to last year’s effort.

While it’s only the first week, it was also the first glimpse of how Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw would perform without Derrick Ward, whose numbers from earlier in the day (62 yds, 1 TD) they were each hoping to match or better.

The season got off on a sour note, as Danny Ware—a developing talent the club was hoping would help make up for the loss of “Wind”—was injured on the very first play of the game. After being tackled 17 yards into his kick return, Ware fell awkwardly, dislocating his left elbow.

Realizing that the backfield had suddenly been reduced to a two-headed monster, the Giants resorted to passing more than rushing early on, though the duo were among the targets of those passes.

Having only caught six balls last season, Jacobs said he was determined to become more of a threat through the air.  By the end of the night, he was already one third of the way to 2008’s total, with a respectable 17 yards.

For the most part, however, the two stuck to what they do best and rushed down the field with the help of their offensive line. Late in the first quarter, some solid outside blocking helped Bradshaw gain 22 yards, while his partner followed with his own dash down the sideline on the next play.

Heading into the second frame, Jacobs managed to get into the red zone, but fell just inches short on 4th-and-1 only a few yards from the end line. Bradshaw also started to have difficulty finding space, leading to another string of passes over runs.

After one of Manning’s throws once again found the hands of Jacobs, the offense returned to him and Bradshaw, who had a nice fake to the outside before the half.

In the third quarter, Jacobs continued to gain ground on the outside, while 6’6” ‘Skin Albert Haynesworth began giving the 5’9” Bradshaw some trouble.

Luckily, the air game continued to get the job done and the defense absolutely dominated the middle portion of the match.

In the final fifteen minutes, New York continuously deployed Bradshaw in order to eat up the clock. At that point, “Fire” was warmed up and made a few notable plays, like following FB Madison Hedgecock to a nine-yard gain before eventually earning a new set of downs.

Without Ware to help distribute the workload, Jacobs spent most of the last quarter on the sidelines to avoid adding to the bumps and bruises his charging style inevitably leads to.

While Osi Umenyiora actually outscored his rushing teammates, the fact that the G-men were still able to win by more than a field goal can be viewed as a good sign. 

The 23-17 triumph over Washington proved that even when the ground game isn’t at its collective best, it doesn’t always need to be for the team to have success.

In fact, the main concern going forward isn’t the sub-par play of the backfield in Week One (the top two have proven that they’re capable of much more), but rather the durability of the group through a 16-game season.

With Ware joining rookie Andre Brown on the injury list for an indefinite amount of time and Jacobs’ penchant for injuries, another bad break could easily turn one of the team’s biggest strengths into of its biggest weaknesses.

Next Sunday, when the Giants visit another long-time rival in the brand new Cowboys Stadium, the game plan in regards to moving the ball on the ground should remain largely the same.

The offensive line has done a good job of creating space on the outside, but they need to create more holes up the middle, especially when Jacobs is on the field.

The actual number of times they’ll be looked upon for such run-blocking depends on the status of Ware.

If he’s in the lineup, the Giants should run more in Week Two; if not, they should maintain their current pass-rush ratio in order to keep Jacobs and Bradshaw as fresh as possible for the last portion of the season.

 

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Eric Mangini, Brady Quinn to Blame For Season-Opening Loss

The NFL might as well just leave the Cleveland Browns off the Week One schedule.

 

Yesterday, the Browns dropped their 10th opening season game in 11 years to the Minnesota Vikings.

 

Following a surprising 13-10 halftime lead, highlighted by a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown from Josh Cribbs, the Browns reformed to their 2008 ways in the second half.

 

They allowed 25 yards on the ground to Adrian Peterson and their run defense looked as though it was turning the corner. However, due to offensive turnovers and a tiring defense, the Browns imploded and allowed Peterson to run wild to clinch a Vikings’ win.

 

Most of these second half problems could have been avoided if Head Coach Eric Mangini would have named a starting quarterback in training camp and stuck with him. This is what happens when you split reps between quarterbacks and the rest of the offense has to adjust their games around two different throwing styles.

 

Don’t believe me? Ask San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary. He named Shaun Hill the starting quarterback during preseason and his team upset the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals, 20-16.

 

I’m not letting Brady Quinn off the hook because he deserves as much blame for this loss as Mangini.

 

Quinn and wide receiver Braylon Edwards seemed to be on two different wavelengths all afternoon and the quarterback looked undecisive at times. Even on Edwards’ lone reception, the ball didn’t appear to placed in the right spot as it was deflected by a defender and caught by the fifth-year pro.

 

Edwards and Derek Anderson seemed to have much better chemistry and now he and Quinn will have to get on the same page quickly.

 

On the touchdown pass that was negated by a penalty, the ball was thrown in a difficult place to be caught, but Edwards made a saving-grab.

 

Quinn also had difficulties with handling some snaps and that can be attributed to rotating centers. Alex Mack will improve, but this was a stiff first test going up against one of the best interior defensive lines in the NFL.

 

The Browns still have to play against some of the top defenses like Baltimore and Pittsburgh, so Quinn will hopefully learn from this opening game.

 

If anyone thought either quarterback was going to light up the Vikings defense, I would recommend you check into an insane asylum. My opening game prediction was right on the spot and I expect the Browns to perform much better against Denver next Sunday.

 

Browns fans don’t need to panic yet. Everyone knew this was a difficult matchup and the Vikings are expected to make a deep playoff run this season. If the same problems continue against the Broncos, then there may be reason for concern.

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Open Letter to Bill Belichick

Dear Mr. Belichick,

You’ve assembled yourself quite a football team.  Hall of Fame quarterback, impenetrable offensive line, scary-good corps of receivers.  And while the defense keeps turning over, they just seem to be getting better.  Barring something crazy happening this year, it’s hard not to view New England as the probable AFC representatives in this season’s Super Bowl.

That’s kind of why I’m writing to you.  I need to ask you a favor.

You have an insanely easy matchup tonight against the Buffalo Bills.  If you wanted to, you could probably outscore Buffalo by 40 points.  It’d be a great opportunity for you to make a statement and let the rest of the league know that you have your QB again, and the NFL is on notice.  Really seize the opportunity to strike fear in the hearts of your prospective opponents.

But, on behalf of Buffalo Bills fans everywhere, I have to ask you to do just the opposite of that.

Remember after Katrina hit New Orleans, how the rest of the nation stood up to help their countrymen in need?  It didn’t matter if you lived on the East or West Coast; across the nation, citizens chipped in to ease the suffering any way they could.  This could be your moment.

I don’t want to equate Western New York with a city suffering a major natural disaster.  Clearly a down-trodden, economically ruined Buffalo isn’t on par with the situation New Orleans suffered through.  Just the same, it’s a pretty sad, depressed area.  The people of Buffalo have nothing going for them outside of the laughable hope that the Bills or Sabres might finally bring home a trophy.

That surely isn’t happening this season (at least for the Bills).  But for one night, one Monday Night, you could single-handedly give the millions of die-hard Bills fans just a glimmer of hope.

I’m not asking you to throw the game, but would you mind throwing the game?

Imagine Tuesday morning in Buffalo, after the upstart Bills, lead by weak-armed Trent Edwards and lame-duck Dick Jauron knock off the mighty Patriots.  The sun would shine on the abandoned factories, Neil Diamond songs would rain from the Heavens, and Buffalonians everywhere would smile.

You have that power, Mr. Belichick.  The power to raise the spirits of half the state of New York.

Buffalo will be lucky to win six games this season.  You know this, and I know this.  The Bills are the personification of Buffalonians.  They just don’t have a whole lot going for them right now, and are just a few months away from having to trudge through another freezing, snow-laden winter.

If you have a heart, let them have tonight.  You can run the table the rest of the season.  You’re probably going to anyway.  Is that one loss really going to matter when you’re hoisting the Lombardi Trophy come February?  I doubt it.

But that one win would mean a whole lot to the people of Buffalo.

What say you, Bill?  Can you throw us a freakin’ bone?

Signed,

Buffalo Bills Fans Everywhere

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Detroit Lions—New Orleans Saints: Week One Recap

To quote long time NFL Head Coach (now in the UFL), Dennis Green: “They are what we thought they were”—a statement applicable to both teams competing week one in the Louisiana Superdome.

The Saints were what we thought they were—an offensive team that can clamp down on any team in which it sees a weakness. The Saints are known for being a passing team, but managed to run (35) one more time than they passed (34). The most stunning thing seen on Sunday however, was how much better the Saints have become, defensively. 

Don’t get me wrong, no one is going to confuse these Saints with the ’76 Steelers, but certainly the 2009 version is far and away better than the 2008 squad.

Sedrick Ellis is coming into his own as a disruptive force up front. The revamped secondary or Tracy Porter, Jabari Greer, Darren Sharper, and Roman Harper (Usama Young when healthy) could be one of the most underrated units in the league. The linebacking corps lacks overall talent but has a great playmaker in the middle in Jonathan Vilma—who never fit well in Mangini’s 3-4 defense. 

So take solace Lions fans. The boys from Motown may have lost 17 games in a row. But they lost to a very good team.

The Lions are not one of “those teams” yet. One of those teams which has been blessed by the NFL parity fairy. One of those teams who can win any game on any Sunday.

Against the 2008 New Orleans Saints defense, maybe we could have stole one. But combining the best NFL offense and a better than average defense, the Lions had no chance. Those among us who thought differently may have gotten indigestion from all that Kool-Aid and cornbread.

Don’t worry, this columnist was among them.

The Lions are a bigger tease than the 17-year-old Olsen twins.

How many among our ranks “believed” the Lions could win yesterday—only down by 11 or 14 in the second half. “We just need a lucky bounce.”

Then, they were who we thought they were.

Yes, the 2009 Lions are certainly new players and new coaches—still the same ol’ Lions. The Lions are able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at every turn.

But take heart.

There were positives in yesterday’s game.

 

Matthew Stafford, Meet Humility

Matthew Stafford is a lot of things. He is talented, composed, charming, and an all around great guy.

He is not humble.

He doesn’t have to be! He’s been the No. 1 pick in the NFL since his sophomore year in high school. He has always been the best player on his team, until now.

Stafford’s biggest vice will always be the trust his has in his arm, his hubris.

That lack of humility is the cause of throws being forced into coverage, the cause for throws way too high or too low because Stafford trusted his arm instead of sound mechanics.

To be frank, Stafford missed horribly on a number of throws. He was, possibly, worse than his numbers suggest. He also seems to have a case of “Kitna-itis,” the condition which strikes talented quarterbacks on the most crucial of drives.

The upside, Stafford is down with that sickness (ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah) at the beginning of his career, wheras Kitna was far too old to be taught new tricks.

Stafford, by all accounts, is one of the most coachable quarterbacks ever. Linehan, by many accounts, is a great quarterbacks coach.

However, this game may have been necessary in the grand scheme of Stafford’s career. This game was his Aikman moment. Troy Aikman lost in his first game, also to the Saints, 24-0. Aikman had Herschel Walker at the time.

Eventually, Aikman had to learn that the NFL is not the Pac-10, and he’s not always the best player on the field. Stafford now knows that.

How he handles that knowledge over the course of this year is more important that a 45-27 loss to a very good team.

 

Stan Kwan Slept Like a Baby Last Night

And he had sweet dreams about laughing at all of us who consistently blamed him for all of the Lions special teams woes.

I’m not making the case that Kwan is the next Frank Gansz, he’s not even the next Chuck Priefer. However, maybe he’s not as bad as we all thought.

The bottom of the Lions roster is one of the least talented groups in the league. In terms of coverage squads, Kwan doesn’t have a lot to work with. In terms of blocking during returns, he has even less.

The purge of talent that took place on this roster after numerous offensive and defensive scheme changes, is why the Lions are where they are.

Yesterday, the Lions contained Reggie Bush and sprung Dennis Northcutt and Aaron Brown on long returns.  In addition, Nick Harris and Jason Hanson were both perfect.

Don’t start singing the praises of Stan Kwan, but for once, perhaps give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Anthony Henry Might Be the Real Deal

If it weren’t for Darren Sharper, Henry would have been the best defensive back on the field in New Orleans.

The Lions picked on Eric King all night.

Eric King is who he is. As a nickleback, no one is better against the run. As a nickleback, he is decent against the pass—better in a zone. On the outside, he has some issues. He lacks polish which may come over time. Right now, this Lions team needs Philip Buchanon.

Henry on the other hand, locked up Marques Colston for much of the day, not an easy task. He had to deal with one jump ball all day and picked it off.

Not bad for a guy who was judged to be about as good as Jon Kitna.

Not everything was glass half full, there were also “teachable moments”.

 

Kevin Smith Needs Help

Blame the lack of the passing game. Blame Jeff Backus. Blame Daniel Loper. Blame Sedrick Ellis or Jonathan Vilma.

It doesn’t matter where the blame is placed, 15 carries for 20 yards and a (wide open) touchdown is a horrendous stat line.

Don’t blame Kevin Smith. He was backed up behind the line of scrimmage all day. There were no lanes. There was no daylight.

His work as a receiver shows his worth. The 52 yards he generated was a quarter of Stafford’s passing yards.

Those running lanes will not always be so clogged. The more Kevin Smith is able to break loose, the more screens and draws will be opened up. Expect a much less vanilla offense this season and Kevin Smith will be a big part of it.

Just don’t expect it against Minnesota.

 

Peterson? Peterson? Bueller? Bueller?

Where was Julian Peterson?

He had one, one solo tackle. No sacks. No pass breakups.

Where was he?

The easy answer is Gunther Cunningham. With Buchanon sidelined and facing one of the more explosive offenses he’s ever witness, Gunther coached scared. Not physically scared, but scared of missing with his blitzes.

So the Lions rushed three or four most of the day. And got torched.

On the upside, the Lions probably would have gotten torn apart either way. At least this way, future opponents still haven’t seen much of the Lions blitz package.

Fans however, are skeptical of things they haven’t seen.

Check back later this week for more articles about week one and a preview of week two against the Vikings.

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Jets-Texans: Ryan’s Defense Smothers Houston as Sanchez Shakes Jitters

Even those who fully subscribed to rookie coach Rex Ryan’s optimism and bravado were taken by surprise.

Ryan and his New York Jets had to deliver on a lot of offseason lip service, or join the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, and Chicago Bears in the Monday morning funny papers.

But the Jets avoided any such criticism and made an emphatic statement to the NFL on Sunday when they took the field at Reliant Stadium. Rex Ryan proved to be a man of his word.

Analysts and gamblers alike predicted gloom for Ryan’s debut against Houston and their high-powered offense. Yet, from the opening kickoff New York absolutely suffocated the heavily-favored Texans.

 

The Mad Scientist Didn’t Lie

New York’s variation of Baltimore’s organized chaos didn’t disappoint in their regular season debut. The Jets’ new-look defense swarmed to the ball and took every opportunity to make contact with the Texans.

Linebacker David Harris built on his strong preseason, notching 11 tackles, slamming Schaub to the ground for a sack, and introducing himself to any ball carrier in his vicinity. The expectations fans had for Harris and linebacker Bart Scott to complement one another were met from the onset.

Fans are already thinking of nicknames for the inside linebacking duo, with Assault and Battery being a personal favorite.

The Texans’ offensive line was shredded by New York as the defense registered two sacks and eight hits on Schaub. Second-year running back Steve Slaton ran for more than 1,200 yards in 2008, but was limited to a paltry 17 yards on nine carries.

All-Pro nose tackle Kris Jenkins continued his dominant ways, swatting linemen away and swallowing anyone he could behind the line of scrimmage.

Third-year cornerback Darrelle Revis limited receiver Andre Johnson, the NFL’s 2008 reception leader, to a modest four catches for 35 yards. And newly-acquired cornerback Lito Sheppard picked off Schaub on a desperation toss while under pressure.

 

It’s the Little Things That Count

Offensively, all the attention rested upon rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, his 272 passing yards, and a second quarter touchdown strike to receiver Chansi Stuckey. But the fifth-overall draft pick proved his value in another way.

The fifth-overall draft pick displayed his intangible leadership quality in the first quarter after a scuffle broke out following kicker Jay Feely’s field goal for the first points of the game. Fourth-year tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson was flagged on a personal foul triggering Sanchez to leave the sideline and lead his teammates away from the fracas.

The 22-year-old’s footwork and pocket presence impressed everyone, but if there’s anything that validates Ryan’s decision to start Sanchez, it’s that natural sense of responsibility for his team.

 

Jets’ Alpha and Omega

While Rex Ryan stands at the center of his football team, it’s evident he’s entrusted offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to do what he sees fit. And after one week of play, the decision has the makings of a great one.

Presumably handcuffed under ex-coach Eric Mangini, it was Schottenheimer who had to re-establish himself as one of the NFL’s emerging masterminds. Schottenheimer’s willingness to experiment while never straying from a struggling rush attack spoke volumes of the Jets under Mangini.

The Jets were unafraid of showing the Texans an unorthodox formation, lining right tackle Damien Woody to the left of Ferguson.

Schottenheimer also debuted his own variation of the popular Wildcat formation, dubbed Seminole in honor of running back Leon Washington and his Florida alma mater.

But it’s Schottenheimer’s ability to remain steady that helped New York put the game away.

Running back Thomas Jones could not find any openings in the Texans defense for the first three quarters of play. But the game plan never strayed from the 10-year pro, allowing Jones to put the game away in the fourth quarter on a 38-yard touchdown run—his second of the day.

Perhaps Rex Ryan is a psychic, of sorts. Or maybe he’s the confident coach New York needed to realize it’s full potential.

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NFL Week One: Better Than They Looked, Worse Than They Seem

With an exciting first week schedule almost over, there is already a lot of talk about surprises and disappointments in the NFL.  The bottom line is that it’s way to early to tell by only looking at the surface.

 

Not Nearly as Good as They Looked

New Orleans Saints

Yes.  Drew Brees was amazing.  He completed over 76 percent of his passes for six touchdowns and only one pick.  He had a quarterback rating of 137, second only to Tony Romo.  But here’s the thing…Brees did this against the Lions.  You remember these guys, right.  0-16 last year, the 32nd ranked defense. Next week will be a much better test of the Holy Ones when they meet with the Eagles defense in the Linc.

Seattle Seahawks

Pretty much the same thing on this one.  Seattle shut out a St. Louis rams team that went 2-14 last season and had the 31st ranked defense.  Are seeing the pattern?  Seattle faces a seemingly much improved San Fran squad next week, but the real challenge will come in weeks four, six, and eight when they face Indianapolis, Arizona, and Dallas.

New York Jets

To round out the overrated trifecta, the New York jets fit in perfectly.  They played the Houston Texans, who are not as bad as the Rams or Lions, are still pretty bad.  Those Jets fans out there (this is for you Greeny) who think that Mark Sanchez is the reincarnation of Poncho Villa and that the Jets are going to win more that seven or eight games this season need to hold your water. 

The next three weeks against the Patriots, Titans will show you a better picture of your team.

Honorable Mention: Philadelphia Eagles

This is just a guess, but the injury to McNabb could be big (duh!)  The biggest issue?  Michale Vick.  While Vick cannot start next week, he could start in week three, but he should not.  He is no where near ready to be a started and will not be in week three.  That leaves Kevin Kolb, whose first play with the first team offense was (again I’m guessing) his first play of yesterday’s game. 

The pundits have been yammering about trying to get A.J. Feeley back, and even if McNabb does return quickly, he’s bound to feel the effects.  The Eagles defense looked awesome yesterday, but can they do that against the rest of the league?

 

Not as Lousy as They Seemed

Arizona Cardinals

No don’t get me wrong—the Cards are not going to the Super Bowl again.  They are, more than likely, the NFL’s 2009 version of the 2009 Tampa Bay Rays.  Much hinges on Warner, who dispute his great season in ’08, still instills little confidence, especially when things go awry. 

The look on his face when he has a bad play makes me wonder if he’s looking for a rock to hide under.  The 49er team that they faced yesterday has the makings of a true dark-horse in the division.  While San Francisco is another team that won’t be in the Super Bowl, they are going to be better than many thought.

Cleveland Browns

Two words: Adrian Peterson.  Not only did the Vikings running back make the Browns look worse than what they are, he made Brett Favre look a good bit better than what he is.  The Browns did well against the pass, allowing only one touchdown from Mr. Retirement, although not getting a pick from him is not a great sign. 

As for the running game, giving up 180 yards to Adrian Peterson is not great, either.  But it certainly does not speak volumes about how they will fare against less superhuman running backs.  Also, with all the ridiculous nonsense that Eric Mangini did related to who was his starter, I think we’ll see better things out of Brady Quinn as he gets acclimated to his lead role.

Honorable Mention: Chicago Bears

Even thought Jake Cutler had four picks last night, he still almost managed to win the game.  In fact the fourth pick shouldn’t even go against him since it was the receiver’s fault by stopping on a route in a key situation. 

Having said that, Cutler needs to have much better games, but the odds are that he will.  With all the hype surrounding his move to the windy city, not to mention the idea that he has a much different (read: less talented) receiving core than he had in Denver, it’s not too surprising that there were a lot of miscues in week one. 

I would not be surprised if things got better in a hurry for the Bears.

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