Football Mythbusters: Titans, Steelers Should Both be Disappointed

MYTH:  “It was a 15-round, old-school Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight that went the distance” (Keith Bulluck, regarding the Titans’ 13-10 overtime loss to the Steelers in the season opener)

FACTS:  It was anything but.  Though it is easy to say both teams played great and were evenly matched, the game was so low-scoring and close only because of mistakes by both teams.

Though the Steelers won, they have no reason to be excited about this victory.  The loss of Troy Polamalu is reason enough for the Steelers to be unhappy about the game.  On top of that, the Super Bowl Champions did not appear remotely super.

On offense, their running game was nonexistent.  On paper, the Steelers should be expected to run the ball much better than they did last year with the return of a healthy Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall.  On the field, the Steelers ran the ball even more ineffectively than they did last year. 

Instead of using Mendenhall in a complementary role to Parker’s outside speed, the Steelers used Parker as an every-down back, and the results weren’t pretty: 19 yards on 13 carries.

Though the Steelers’ touchdown drive at the end of the second quarter made the Steelers’ passing offense look excellent, the “great” plays have to be taken in context.

Instead of pressuring Roethlisberger with an additional rusher or two, which worked to near perfection the few times the Titans actually did so, the Titans only rushed with their four defensive linemen.

The rest of the Titans’ defense went into a zone defense that was spread really widely.  These miscues in defensive play-calling gave Roethlisberger plenty of time to penetrate the spread-apart zone defense with pump fakes that the safeties fell for twice in a row.

Despite his numbers, Roethlisberger was less than stellar as a passer.  He is constantly praised for his ability to extend the play by scrambling around in the pocket.  Without a doubt, it is absolutely amazing when Roethlisberger makes a play like that. 

However, for every play like that, there are usually four to five where Roethlisberger holds onto the ball too long, trying to make a play, and instead gets sacked or turns the ball over. 

That lack of consistency makes it hard for me to buy into the idea of him as a quarterback on the level of Brady, Manning, or even Drew Brees.

Though he was incredible in spurts on Thursday night, he had some major ups and downs.  Had he displayed more consistency, this game wouldn’t have even been close.

On defense, the Steelers allowed one long run by Chris Johnson (and this was before Polamalu left the game), but otherwise did an effective job against the run.  Once again, this was the Titans’ fault.

LenDale White and Chris Johnson form the best running back tandem in the league.  With White’s brute power and Johnson’s breakaway speed, the two of them earned the nickname “Smash and Dash” as they gave defensive coordinators headaches all year.

This formula led the Titans to a league-best 13-3 record in 2008, but the Titans did not employ it against the Steelers, instead using Johnson as the primary back and only giving White eight carries. 

Unfortunately, the Titans didn’t Dash too well without any Smash to help out.  Johnson himself only got 16 carries, too, though.

It’s this simple: when White and Johnson get the ball, the Titans win.  When they don’t, the Titans lose. 

This held true even throughout the pre-season of Johnson’s rookie season.  The Titans went 3-1 in the pre-season, losing badly to the Falcons by a score of 17-3.  Lendale White sat that game out with an injury.

When the Titans started off 10-0, their dreams of an undefeated season came to an end at the hands of the New York Jets. 

At the beginning of the game, the Titans benched Lendale White for getting into an argument with running backs coach Earnest Byner after a fumble.

The Titans lost 34-13.  Twice is a coincidence.  After it happened a third time against the Steelers, you can only hope the Titans will see the pattern.

It should be noted that the trend works in reverse, too.  In the playoff loss to Baltimore, the Titans were dominating on the ground until Chris Johnson left the game with an ankle injury.  Afterwards, the offense sputtered and the Titans lost 13-10 to the Ravens. 

All off-season long, the Titans tried to downplay the loss of Albert Haynesworth, saying they were confident in their rotation at defensive tackle.  However, the Titans were unable to get anywhere near the pass rush they had in 2008 without Haynesworth.  This had almost a trickle-down effect on the rest of the defense, giving the Steelers’ receivers more time to get open.

As I mentioned before, on a few occasions, the Titans did bring additional rushers, getting excellent pressure on Roethlisberger and preventing him from making plays. 

Had the Titans’ coaching staff recognized and adapted to their inability to pressure Roethlisberger with only their defensive line, the team would’ve had a much better chance of winning the game.

Because Jeff Fisher is my absolute favorite coach in the league, I really hate to say this, but the Titans lost the opener because they were outcoached, and failed to adapt their strategies on offense and defense. 

Had the defense rushed more men, and had the offense revolved more around the Smash and Dash duo, we’d be discussing a completely different ball game.

 

Side Notes

Jay Cutler’s debut in Chicago was disastrous.  Though he had a few nice moments, all in all, he was skittish and sloppy.  It was a very disappointing start for Cutler. 

Aaron Rodgers, on the other hand, definitely made his case as the NFC North’s best starting quarterback, despite being pressured all day long by Bears DE Adewale Ogunleye. 

Ogunlye was phenomenally explosive off the line of scrimmage and dominated the entire game.  The Packers tried chipping him with backs and tight ends, but it didn’t make a difference. 

Rodgers did an excellent job considering his complete lack of time in the pocket, and delivered nicely on the game-winning touchdown. Rodgers definitely benefited greatly from learning behind Brett Favre for a few years.

Matthew Stafford played like he needed to sit back and learn, too. Three interceptions aren’t a great way to start your career.  Then again, Drew Brees had a rough start in San Diego, but eventually became one of today’s best quarterbacks.  He threw for an impressive six touchdowns against the Lions.

Speaking of quarterbacks who benefited from sitting on the bench as a rookie, Phillip Rivers led the Chargers to a game-winning touchdown against the Raiders in a matchup that was apparently a lot more even than I thought it would be. 

The Raiders showed some fight at the end of last season, including their season finale where they ruined Tampa’s playoff hopes. 

It seems like this has carried across to the 2009 season.  The Raiders didn’t get the win, but they showed some real signs of life.  They had better hope they can show some signs of life against the brutal NFC East, the AFC West’s inter-conference opponents.

Another AFC West team that surprised me was Kansas City.  Despite not having QB Matt Cassell, their offense was impressive against the defensively sound Ravens. 

Over the next couple weeks, we’ll be better able to tell if that is thanks to the Chiefs’ addition of former Arizona offensive coordinator Todd Haley, or if it is due to the Ravens’ off-season loss of defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. 

Additionally, quite a few of Ryan’s former defensive players came to play for his Jets.  With the addition of multiple talented players, and a defensive scheme that these new players are familiar with, the Jets’ defense could be much improved, while the Ravens’ defense could slump.  This could be an interesting storyline in the weeks to come.

Two key points were lost behind the story of the amazing game-winning touchdown catch by Brandon Stokley.  First of all, either the Bengals have failed to deliver on their expectations of having a high-powered offense once again, or the Broncos’ defense got a LOT better over the off-season.

Another issue is the demotion of Brandon Marshall, who did not start the game, instead substituting into the game during a few plays. 

This isn’t the pre-season.  The only way Josh McDaniels would bench a starter for any period of time is if he feels the benefits of benching him outweigh the loss of the on-field production the player brings to the table.

Look for more Brandon Marshall headlines as the year progresses.  Between this and the Cutler trade, I think Josh McDaniels wishes he were coaching the Detroit Lions instead. 

At least then he wouldn’t have to meet as high of a set of fans’ expectations.  The Broncos’ playoff hopes have sunk lower and lower after the end of the 2008 season, Denver’s first shot at football relevance since Elway retired.

Regardless of who plays quarterback in Minnesota, the Vikings are going to be carried on the back of the amazing Adrian Peterson. 

His long touchdown run against the Browns was mind-blowing: halfway through the run, he stopped, stiff-armed two defenders, and started running at full speed again. 

Browns’ coach Eric Mangini started Brady Quinn at quarterback after refusing to tell the media who was going to play quarterback for the Browns. 

Though Mangini was ridiculed throughout the media for this lack of disclosure, the reasoning behind it was sound.  He kept the starter secret so the Vikings wouldn’t know who to prepare for, and this was a good idea. 

Though Quinn’s and Derek Anderson’s playing styles may not differ as much as those of Peyton Manning and Michael Vick, there are still many subtle differences in the nuances of each quarterback’s styles of play. 

The Vikings’ personnel studying film had to watch where and how both quarterbacks liked to throw the ball in a variety of situations. 

This creates double the work for the Vikings’ defensive staff.  Though this shrewd move wasn’t enough to win the game for the Browns, it was a well thought-out plan.  I liked it.

The Texans got murdered by the Jets.  Earlier in the summer, I wrote an article saying the Lions should start Daunte Culpepper and let Matt Stafford learn, while the Jets should throw Mark Sanchez into the fire and see what he could do.  If Week 1 performances are any indicator, I was right. 

This brutal loss makes the Texans’ matchup against the Titans on Sunday even more important.  Starting off 0-2 can set an unpleasant tone to the season for the losing team.  Neither the Titans or the Texans can afford to lose this game.

The 49ers could be a dark horse pick to win the NFC West.  They’re a very physical team in the NFL’s weakest division.  Their upset of the reigning NFC Champion Cardinals could prove to be more than just a fluke. 

In a previous article, I pegged the 49ers as the NFC West’s team to beat.  I don’t know if they’ve got what it takes to make noise in the post-season against teams like Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Orleans, or the New York Giants.

Philadelphia has gone from having the most enviable quarterback situation in the league to the least enviable in a matter of seconds. 

After Donovan McNabb suffered a cracked rib against the Panthers, the Eagles had to stomach the idea of facing New Orleans without either McNabb or Michael Vick, who is not eligible to play until week 3. 

Had they left the situation at that, and chalked up the New Orleans game as a likely loss, the situation would have been bad enough, because the Eagles would have had to decide whether they had the best chance of winning starting a healthy Michael Vick or a Donovan McNabb who probably would not be up to full strength. 

The Eagles made this situation worse by signing free-agent Jeff Garcia, who was cut by Oakland due to his dissatisfaction with being JaMarcus Russell’s backup.

Though it gives the Eagles a better chance of beating New Orleans, it also creates a three-way dilemma at quarterback.  I feel the Eagles sacrificed in the long term to get better results short-term.

Due to all the news about Donovan McNabb, you might not have heard that the Panthers played in this game too.  To me, it definitely didn’t look like the reigning NFC South champions were in shape to defend their title.

The Seahawks are going to be better than they were last year if they can stay healthy.  However, don’t be fooled by their 28-0 victory over the Rams.  The Seahawks aren’t that good, the Rams are just that bad. 

Marc Bulger doesn’t have an offensive line to protect him, and he doesn’t have good receivers who can get open quickly to make up for this lack of protection.  That’s a recipe for disaster. 

The Falcons showed that they mean business, beating Miami by a score of 19-6.  Don’t be fooled if anyone says that the way Atlanta bottled up Miami’s new version of the Wildcat is proof the Wildcat is some sort of “fad.” 

Remember, this was also rookie wildcat quarterback Pat White’s very first NFL game.  The weakness was the player, not the scheme.  Give Miami some time. 

Atlanta is looking like a serious Super Bowl contender.  Trading for Tony Gonzalez was a great way to augment an already-potent offense, and Atlanta’s defense looks pretty good.  I could see this team going toe-to-toe with anybody in the league.

The Cowboys looked great without Terrell Owens.  Their running game looks great, and Tony Romo has great chemistry with his receivers. 

This sounds the exact same as the start of last season, but now the other three teams in the NFC East are even better than last year.  I just can’t envision Dallas as a force in the NFC this year just because the rebuilding Buccaneers were clearly outmatched.

If I were David Garrard, I’d be fairly insulted at the Jaguars’ 2-point conversion attempt.  Instead of selling the run and throwing a play-action pass to the flat (that play works REALLY well in short-yardage situations. 

It’s the closest thing there is in football to a guarantee that our play will work), the Jaguars tried their version of the wildcat formation, with Maurice Jones-Drew lining up in the shotgun as a receiver came in motion.

As the receiver went in front of Jones-Drew, the center snapped the ball, and Jones-Drew faked the handoff to the receiver, kept the ball, and ran up the middle.  Nobody bought the sweep, and Jones-Drew’s run was stuffed. 

Here’s why the Wildcat, a formation I’ve written about and consider a great formation to include in an offense, was the wrong call for this situation.  You’re on the two-yard line, and your running back is in the shotgun.  He has to run a full seven yards to score. 

The Wildcat is not going to be as effective for getting short yardage to get into the endzone, because at the goal line, defenses can run-blitz without as much of a threat from a mobile passer taking the snaps and stretching the field.  Also, it has been in the news since OTAs that the Jaguars were experimenting with the Wildcat. 

Also, I highly doubt that anybody in the league believed the Jaguars were only running it to “help their defense get better at defending it when the Jaguars play against Miami.”  The Colts knew it was coming, and they were as prepared for it as you can possibly be. 

Though it could have been used more effectively at other points in the game, the Jaguars did not use the formation in as opportune of a situation as they could have.

The Giants’ defense looked even better than it did during their 2007 playoff run, and their offense will always be dangerous as long as they have Brandon Jacobs and the Giants’ formidable line of maulers up front.  Kevin Boss should really help Eli Manning convert crucial third downs. 

I’m not too impressed with the Redskins for some reason.  I don’t know what it is, but something about them is underwhelming.  Can they really stand a chance in the same division as the Eagles and the Giants?

Tom Brady is back. 

He looked skittish for the first half of the Monday night game, but it was visible when he rediscovered his comfort zone.  The entire second half of the game, he was getting more and more comfortable, and by the end of the game, he looked as good as he did in 2007. 

The Patriots’ miraculous comeback against the Bills just looked too easy for Tom Brady as he threw two touchdowns in 76 seconds.  He knew exactly where to put the ball, and he delivered.   This team scares me. 

On a positive note for Bills fans, Buffalo put up an excellent fight in this game, which had a very memorable conclusion.  Overall, both teams looked really good.  Losing Jerrod Mayo will hurt the Patriots a little bit, but Bill Belichick will find a way to win without him.

 

Week 2 Picks

Atlanta beats Carolina, Minnesota beats Detroit, Green Bay beats Cincinnati,  Oakland beats Kansas City, San Francisco beats Seattle, Pittsburgh beats Chicago, Denver beats Cleveland, New York Giants beat the Cowboys.  Some harder picks: Philadelphia beats New Orleans, New England beats the New York Jets, Baltimore beats San Diego, Tennessee beats Houston.

I’ll also pick an upset that I have no factual basis for choosing, I’d just REALLY like to see it happen.  This week’s Crazy Upset Pick will be Miami beating Indianapolis.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

How to Best Use LenDale White and Chris Johnson

The 2008 season was dominated by Smash and Dash, LenDale White and Chris Johnson. The Titans’ running backs used this nickname long before Carolina’s running backs did, and it fits them better, too. White and Johnson are more of a dynamic contrast to each other.

White’s size and power made him unstoppable in goal-line situation, and Johnson’s breakaway speed put fear in defenders’ hearts every time he touched the ball.

One thing I noticed was that the two of them were rarely on the field together.

This slide show offers things you could do with a formation that featured both Johnson and White. White is on the strong side of this formation, so he can benefit from the blocking of the tight end. Johnson is on the left side of the quarterback.

I had been referring to this as a split backs formation until I found out that was the wrong name for it; since then I’ve just been calling it the Smash and Dash formation.

In a split backs formation, the running backs are placed farther behind the quarterback, and there is more distance between the two RBs. Because of that, Split Backs actually favors the pass. This formation, which is technically not Split Backs, favors the run because the running backs are closer to the line of scrimmage.

With both backs on the field, defenses are less sure of what type of play to defend against, meaning that they have to design plays to effectively contain White and Johnson at the same time. This strains the defense and opens up room for the passing game as well. In that sense, Smash and Dash are both highly relevant threats when on the field together.

What to Watch for in Tennessee Titans 2009 Training Camp

Who I want to hear a lot more about: Chris Johnson 

Not as a running back, because all this speculation about the Titans’ backfield situation bores me. Smash and Dash are still in place for at least another year. Whether Tennessee keeps LenDale White or moves on to Javon Ringer in 2010 is irrelevant right now, because it is premature to speculate about that.

I’m interested in Johnson moving out wide once in a while. Towards the end of the 2008 season, the Eagles had a play where they would have Brian Westbrook and Corell Buckhalter in the backfield at the same time. 

Westbrook would motion out wide, and defenses would focus on him at receiver. The defense would ignore Buckhalter, who’d run up the middle for a pretty good gain. 

This play could be even more successful with White and Johnson in the backfield. If Johnson motions out wide or into the slot, this could give defenses a huge problem. 

If they are in man coverage, not only does one man have to cover him, but a safety would probably have to play deep zone coverage just for the purpose of trying to stop Johnson, who is capable of outrunning the entire defense. This safety playing deep would leave more running room for White.

There’s also the advantage of a personnel mismatch. If a team has two running backs in the backfield, and then a tight end to block and two wide receivers, it looks like a running formation. For that reason, defenses are usually going to be in their base 4-3 or 3-4 packages instead of a nickel or dime.

If Johnson motions out into the slot, a team then has a very pass-heavy formation, with four players lined up in position to run deep routes. This creates a mismatch in the secondary, as there are only four defensive backs. If Johnson is covered one-on-one, he can just go deep on a streak and will have a very good chance of getting open. 

If he is double-covered by two defensive backs—you’re not going to assign a linebacker to help cover someone who runs a 4.24 in the 40-yard dash—then the tight end will probably be covered by a linebacker, which is not a favorable matchup for the defense.

Not only could the Titans stretch the defense by passing deep from this formation, the emphasis on the pass would cause the defense to create more running room for LenDale White. If the defensive backs are playing a few yards off of the line of scrimmage to prevent Johnson or the receivers from outrunning them, the Titans can hit them with short passes, or even set up a screen to Johnson.

Last year, Johnson didn’t display the greatest hands. I’ve read that he worked almost exclusively out wide during OTAs, so I’m thinking if he can improve his pass-catching, he could be a much more complete threat to defenses.

 

Who I don’t want to hear another word about: Vince Young

If he sneezes during practice, hundreds of Titans fans will be on the Internet that night discussing who said “Bless you” to him and who didn’t.

It’s this simple: He is probably one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the league right now. He’s got a big frame, great height, and phenomenal speed. 

His throwing motion is questioned, but his height makes his sidearm release almost a non-issue. He has good arm strength and accuracy and is able to fit passes through the smallest holes in coverage, but his problem is finding those holes. 

Young has nobody to blame for his lack of success but himself. He’s never going to win the starting job back through the media, so he has to stop talking and improve his game.

As I just said, Young has all the physical tools to be great. If he dedicates himself to learning the Titans’ offense and reading defenses better, he can win the starting job back. Though Kerry Collins fans point out the Titans went 13-3 without Young, they ignore that Collins had a much better team to work with than Young did in 2006 and 2007.

In 2006, Collins was 0-3, while Young was 8-5. Similarly, when Collins played against the Texans in 2007 in lieu of an injured Young, the Titans needed a record-setting eight field goals in order to win by two points. When Young returned for the second game against the Texans, the Titans won by eight.

Their stats for those games: Collins completed 25 out of 42 passes for 280 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions and a 79.5 QB Rating. Young’s rating was 99.9, as he completed 21 of 31 passes for two touchdowns and one interception.

Similarly, when they both played in 2006, Collins threw one touchdown versus six interceptions and went 0-3 as a starter. Young, a rookie, threw 12 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, won eight out of 13 games, and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Talent-wise, there is no way you can say Collins is better than Young. Ninety percent of the people who claim Collins is better weren’t saying that a year ago.

Talent isn’t keeping Young out of the starting quarterback position.

What’s keeping Young out of the starting rotation is his lack of dedication to the game.  If he truly gave 110 percent this offseason, there will be no way the Titans couldn’t eventually hand him the starting job.

Aside from studying the playbook obsessively, here’s another suggestion for Young.  It sounds crazy, but read my reasoning behind it before you dismiss it as too “out there.”

Vince Young should play a lot of Madden.

I’m not talking about playing against his buddies while eating pizza and having a good time. I’m talking about going into practice mode, playing through one play, and then watching the replay four or five times. 

Think about it: Where else can you see a play, know the exact defensive play that was called, and then see that defense on the “field?” 

If used as an actual study tool, Young’s Xbox 360 could be his best bet of regaining the starting job. This way, he can practice reading defenses on his own time, instead of just during practice, accelerating his development.

No matter what happens in practice, every move of his will be overanalyzed and repeated endlessly. For the sake of all the money the Titans invested in him, I hope he becomes the Titans’ starting quarterback eventually. 

For the sake of my sanity, I hope I don’t hear about him until then.

 

Player under the microscope: Center Leroy Harris

With Kevin Mawae still nursing an elbow injury, Harris will get a lot of time with the starting offensive line. He did a pretty good job in the Divisional round against the Ravens, but that was overshadowed by two botched snaps that led to Collins fumbles.

With Mawae getting up there in age, we will probably see Harris as a starter sooner rather than later. The coaches know this, too, so they will be paying special attention to Harris, and expectations will be high.

 

Player under the radar: Defensive Tackle Jovan Haye 

“Nobody can replace Albert Haynesworth” has become a catchphrase among writers discussing the Titans.

All offseason, we’ve been hearing about how the Titans’ defense is going to have to blitz more in order to make up for the loss. We’ve been hearing about a constant rotation at defensive tackle to try and make up for the impact Haynesworth had.

Haye must be excited. He was a good defensive tackle in Tampa, but he wasn’t a big name among football media and fans. Now he’s in Tennessee, where almost nobody expects the defensive line to be as good as it was last year. 

There is no pressure whatsoever on him, so he might just surprise a lot of people with a great year.

 

Players we’re going to miss: Brandon Jones and Chris Carr

On paper, the Titans upgraded at wide receiver this offseason. However, Kenny Britt is still a rookie and will have a tough transition to the NFL. 

Also, Titans fans acting like the team just signed Randy Moss are ignoring the fact that Nate Washington was a No. 3 receiver in Pittsburgh. 

If both Britt and Washington have a good season, the Titans’ passing game will be able to compensate for defenses that try to put eight men in the box. If either one of them struggles this year, then the Titans’ depth at receiver will be very suspect. 

Jones showed a lot of promise with the Titans, but moved on to the 49ers this offseason. Had the Titans matched the 49ers’ contract offers, they’d be even better equipped to enhance the vertical aspects of their offense.

Carr had a very solid year returning kicks and punts in 2008, and he could constantly be relied on to give the Titans’ offense great field position. With no clearly designated kick returner, the special teams unit might not be as impressive as it was last year.

Also, as a backup cornerback, he had a great game against the Jaguars. The Titans’ depth at corner has gotten very thin this offseason, and keeping Carr would have done a little bit to remedy that.

 

Player we’re not going to miss: Justin McCareins

All he did was occupy a starting spot, preventing Brandon Jones or even Lavelle Hawkins from getting valuable playing time and contributing to the offense.

 

Player we’re going to wish we had acquired in the offseason: Any of the various corners that hit the free-agent market. 

I like DeAngelo Hall, but I wouldn’t advocate giving him the money he got from the Redskins. But Dre’ Bly, Chris McAllister, Ken Lucas, or even Samari Rolle would have been nice to add. 

It seemed to me that there were a lot of free-agent corners this offseason, but the Titans only got Demarcus Faggins. Rumor has it that Texans fans are laughing at the Titans the way Titans fans laughed at the Texans for signing Chris Brown.

 

One thing you wouldn’t expect to see that you probably will see a lot of: Passing 

Though the Titans are a run-first team, and will continue to be so, they worked out of the Shotgun for a majority of OTAs. I think they feel that improving in the passing game will help augment their offense tremendously.

 

One thing you’ll expect to see a lot of, but probably won’t see: The Wildcat Formation. 

Though I believe that the Titans are going to use it early and often in the regular season, I don’t think they’ll want to display it in practices that are open to the public.

Football Mythbusters: Boldin, Brandon, Braylon, or Burress in Baltimore?

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MYTH

The sudden retirement of Derrick Mason makes it even more likely that the Baltimore Ravens will make a move for a game-breaking wide receiver to help them in 2009.

 

FACTS

Though the Ravens desperately need some help at receiver, there is nobody available for the Ravens right now.

Mason, perhaps one of the most underrated players of 2008, was a huge contributor to the Ravens’ vertical passing game in 2008. Mason had 80 receptions for 1,037 yards and five touchdowns, while Andre Johnson had 115 receptions for 1,575 yards and eight touchdowns. The Ravens threw 433 times, while the Texans threw 555. 

On average, Johnson had only 0.7 yards per catch more than Mason. Considering that the Texans throw more often than the Ravens, Johnson and Mason are very comparable.

As if those statistics weren’t enough, keep in mind he put up a lot of those numbers while nursing a shoulder injury that made it much harder to catch every single pass.

With his departure, there is no doubt that the Ravens’ passing offense will suffer. However, receivers capable of having the same impact as Mason aren’t a dime a dozen.

Who could step in and help fill Mason’s shoes?

A terribly sub-par 2008 performance aside, Cincinnati’s Chad Ochocinco could be a huge game-breaker every Sunday. 

However, he’s been requesting a trade for years, and if Cincinnati hasn’t heard a trade offer they like yet, then there’s probably little Baltimore could offer to obtain him now that receiver T.J. Houshmanzadeh is in Seattle; Ochocinco is even more crucial to the success of the one-dimensional Cincinnati offense.

Other elite receivers who will stay put because their teams need them too much include Houston’s Andre Johnson, Carolina’s Steve Smith, Detroit’s Calvin Johnson, and Indianapolis’s Reggie Wayne.

Even at the age of 36, Terrell Owens is still capable of dominating the game, but he signed with the Bills this offseason, and teams simply don’t trade players before their first season with the team has even started.

The Patriots have some of the best depth in the league at wide receiver, but none of their receivers will end up in Baltimore. They signed Joey Galloway this offseason, while Wes Welker dominates in the slot, but his size prevents him from being a true No. 1 option. There’s not even the most remote possibility that Randy Moss will ever leave the Patriots.

Though a healthy Patriots’ offense, which also added Fred Taylor this offseason, could easily threaten to demolish records they set in 2007, and doesn’t rely on any one receiver, nobody is leaving that offense for a while. 

The only other team with receiver depth that even approaches that of the Patriots is the Arizona Cardinals, who had three 1,000-yard receivers in 2008. They won’t trade away Larry Fitzgerald after his record-breaking postseason, but rumor has it that Anquan Boldin was unhappy and wanted to be traded before the draft.

Boldin is the epitome of toughness in a wide receiver. He’s big and physical, has great hands, and fights for yards after the catch. After returning from a devastating hit against the New York Jets that knocked him out, he played spectacularly with metal plates inside his head. He would be a perfect fit in Baltimore, but he’s not going anywhere either.

Fitzgerald and Boldin are both great, but they also benefit from being on the same team together. You can’t really double-team either one of them without giving more room to the other one, and attempts to shut both of them down led to the previously unheralded Steve Breaston having a 1,000-yard season.

The Cardinals have one of the best passing games in the league, but they can’t afford to let any receivers go. Until Chris “Beanie” Wells and the Cardinals’ offensive line can prove otherwise, the Cardinals’ offense has to rely on prolific passing in order to maintain a chance at postseason contention.

Another team with an unhappy receiver was the Cleveland Browns, who were allegedly looking into trading Braylon Edwards before the draft. After trading Kellen Winslow to Tampa, and seeing Donte Stallworth suspended indefinitely by Commissioner Roger Goodell, the Browns are going to rely even more on Edwards to help get the job done through the air.

It’s possible that the Ravens may not even want Edwards. Though there is no denying his ability to make big plays, he is also known for dropping too many passes, and he had a less-than-stellar year in 2008. Though part of that is due to severe instability at quarterback, the Ravens still have cause to worry that his 2007 performance was simply a one-season wonder.

Also, it’s unlikely that the Browns would trade their top receiver to a division rival, for fears that if Edwards rebounds and blossoms into a top-five NFL WR, then he will embarrass his former team twice a year for many years to come.

Another unhappy camper is Brandon Marshall, who requested a trade from the Denver Broncos due to dissatisfaction with his contract, along with concerns over an alleged misdiagnosis of a hip injury. Yet again, this is one receiver who is not going anywhere.

Josh McDaniels’s reputation as the Broncos’ head coach will forever be tied to his handling of Jay Cutler. As a result, his job stability hinges on the success of Kyle Orton, who the Broncos received in the trade for Cutler. Also, the Broncos’ management would be highly embarrassed if the quarterback they received in exchange for Cutler ended up failing in Denver.

For this reason, Orton’s success is the highest priority among everyone in Denver. That’s why the Broncos spent their first draft pick on UGA running back Knoshown Moreno as an every-down back to augment an already-potent offense, as opposed to drafting on the defensive side of the ball where the Broncos were in dire need of help. 

On a side note, this draft pick was also savvy because it prevented Moreno from falling to the rival Chargers, who would have been unable to resist him due to LaDainian Tomlinson’s recent history of injuries and ineffectiveness. 

Given that Denver desperately needs Orton to have a successful year, it makes no sense to imagine that they would trade their number one receiver away, even in exchange for a first round draft pick. If Orton doesn’t have Brandon Marshall drawing double-teams and allowing the rest of the offense to make plays, Josh McDaniels probably won’t be around in Denver to use that draft pick.

Another option that has been mentioned by fans of every team with a weak receiving corps is the addition of Plaxico Burress. Even if Burress avoids suspension and plays at an elite level, like he did with the Giants from the ’07 postseason onward, he will probably end up doing long, hard prison time for quite a while.

Burress broke the law, and deserves to be punished for that. In an earlier article, I mentioned that athletes should carry guns, and I still believe that. I also believe that Burress should have maintained the registration for the gun, which was originally licensed in Florida, and like any normal citizen found with an unlicensed handgun, his failure to maintain the registration warrants punishment.

That being said, some common sense should be applied when deciding how much punishment he should receive. A mitigating factor in deciding his punishment should be that he only hurt himself. If his mishap had injured someone else, he would deserve a harsher punishment, but he was the victim of his own crime.

That being said, I have my doubts that common sense will be used in the Burress case. New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg guaranteed that New York would prosecute Burress “To the fullest extent of the law.”

When people say that double standards are applied to athletes in the courtroom, they are usually referring to when athletes, such as Donte Stallworth, receive leniency due to their fame. In this case, the double standard went the other way for Burress.

If you or I killed somebody while driving drunk, there is no way we would receive only 30 days in jail. At the same time, if you or I accidentally shot ourselves in a night club, there is no way a mayor would go on TV and vow to throw the book at us. 

Bloomberg’s statements were a publicity move to show that celebrity status doesn’t put you above the law. However, being stricter on celebrities due to their status is just as wrong as giving them extra leniency.

Even if Burress makes a plea deal that allows him to serve less jail time, and allows him to serve it during the offseason, he still faces suspension from the league.

Goodell has made it clear time and time again that he will punish anyone whose conduct he feels is detrimental to the league’s image. 

If Goodell even lets Burress play at all, he might still bench him for the first four or eight games of the season, so the Ravens wouldn’t get a full season of contribution by signing Burress. All in all, there are too many potential headaches involved with signing Burress for it to be considered a truly feasible option.

Another name that you might hear associated with the Ravens is free agent Marvin Harrison.  However, his production has severely declined in the past couple of years and would not be capable of having the same impact Mason did. 

Also, Harrison believes he is still worthy of being paid like he is in his prime, which is why he was released from the Colts in the first place. He asked to be released by the Colts because he didn’t want to take a pay cut.

Because Harrison is unwilling to be paid an amount consistent with his expected ability to contribute to a team, it’s unlikely that he ends up with any team at all in 2009.

Seeing as there are no truly dominant receivers available right now, it seems the Ravens’ only option for now is to make do with what they have and then try to land a top-tier receiver in the offseason of 2010.

 

 

 

Football Mythbusters: Breaking Down “The Wildcat”

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MYTH: “A year from now the Wildcat will be fading away, almost gone, another toy gone to the gimmick gravesite.” (Pete Prisco, June 9, 2009)

FACT: The opposite is true.  Though the Wildcat formation lost some of its effectiveness last year when teams started run-blitzing it, it will come back stronger and be used by more teams this year.

Just to clarify, I am referring to the Wildcat formation as run by the Miami Dolphins, not just any direct snap play. 

For example, in Super Bowl XLIII, Willie Parker ran to the right on a direct snap where Roethlisberger was out wide to the left and there were three players on the right (I don’t remember if it was three WRs, or one TE and two WRs. I can’t find a video of this play anywhere to verify it either).

It was obvious before the play even started that Parker was running to the right: There’s no way a team would make their QB block during the Super Bowl, because if he had gotten hurt, it would have been disastrous.

Parker ran around for a few seconds, but was tackled for no gain. This play was destined to fail due to the obviousness of where Parker was running, and it completely lacked the versatility and creativity of the Wildcat. 

However, Madden and Michaels referred to it as the Wildcat during the game, and columnists afterward started saying that play was proof that defenses had finally figured out how to stop the Wildcat. 

That couldn’t be farther from the truth.

This picture shows the Wildcat formation as employed by the Miami Dolphins last year.

They had a receiver out wide to the left, RB Ricky Williams in the left slot, RB Ronnie Brown in the shotgun, and QB Chad Pennington out wide to the right.

Basically, there are three main options for the RB taking the snap: Hand the ball off, keep it and run with it, or pass. Before the play, the slot RB motions towards the right.

When the ball is snapped, the RB in the shotgun hands the ball off as the slot RB crosses in front of him. The slot RB runs around on the sweep to the right, and the shotgun RB runs up the middle as if he has the ball.

On the other hand, the shotgun RB could keep the ball and run up the middle, but first he has to pretend to hand the ball off to the slot RB, who runs around to the right as if he has the ball.

This helps freeze the defense: Since both the shotgun RB and the slot RB run as if they have the ball, the defense isn’t sure who really has it.

There’s also the third option of the shotgun RB throwing the ball. This is where Miami’s Wildcat offense will improve significantly this year.

The reason that Miami put a RB in the shotgun was because they didn’t have a fast QB. Eventually, Ronnie Brown’s inability to throw as well as a QB led to teams such as Baltimore run-blitzing and slowing down the Wildcat.

Now that they have a speedy QB in Pat White, if defenses run-blitz to stop the Wildcat, the Dolphins will be able to make them pay through the air.  Defenses will have to be conscious of this, leaving more running room in order to defend against the pass.

If your QB is a fast guy, such as Pat White or Vince Young (who often ran this formation in college), then you have the advantage of not having to line your QB out wide and risking injury to him.

However, if a team with a less mobile QB kept their QB out wide, they could have a fourth option in the Wildcat, where they can run this play that the Dolphins ran against the Texans. 

On this play, Ronnie Brown handed the ball off to Williams, who went to the right on the sweep.  As Williams went around to the right, he pitched the ball to Pennington, who bombed the ball deep to his tight end.

This is yet another wrinkle in the Wildcat offense, making it even harder to defend.  However, teams have to decide whether this extra wrinkle is worth subjecting their QB to hits from defenders. 

Even if teams decide not to keep a QB out wide instead utilizing another WR in his place, the Wildcat formation is still a potent weapon to include in an offensive gameplan. 

Like any formation, it shouldn’t be overused, but using it a couple of times a game can force opposing defenses to spend extra time preparing against it, giving them less time to prepare against the other aspects of the team’s offense.

With the right personnel, the Wildcat can be a highly effective weapon.  The question then arises, which teams have such personnel?

San Diego: LaDainian Tomlinson has thrown seven touchdown passes in 11 attempts throughout his career.  Put him in the shotgun, Darren Sproles in the slot, and Phillip Rives out wide to the right.  With a tight end like Antonio Gates, the Wildcat could be an incredibly dangerous weapon for San Diego.

Minnesota: Apparently they’ve been experimenting with the Wildcat, with Percy Harvin in the shotgun and Adrian Peterson in the slot.  The reasoning behind this is that Harvin took direct snaps at Florida, so he’d be a good Wildcat QB.

Due to the Vikings’ instability at QB, the Wildcat formation would be a great fit for the Vikings, and they could tweak it even better to suit their personnel.

First of all, I think they should put Peterson in the shotgun and Harvin in the slot.  Peterson is much better suited as a violent, between-the-tackles runner, and Harvin is a pure speed guy, better for running the sweep.

Vikings coaches have often said they want to put Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson on the field at the same time, because Taylor is a talented back, too.  Instead of putting a QB out wide to the right, they could use Taylor there, and occasionally give him the ball on a reverse from the sweep.

The weakness with this would be that there is no passing threat present, meaning defenses could load up the box without fearing they’d be exploited through the air.  If Tarvaris Jackson could improve his accuracy, then he could become a factor in the offense.

Eliminate the WR on the left.  Instead, line up Jackson in the shotgun, with Peterson as his RB to the right.  Send Harvin in motion to the right.  Snap the ball, and Jackson can hand it off to Peterson and send him up the middle.

If he fakes the handoff to Peterson, he can then hand it off to Harvin on the sweep while Peterson runs up the middle as if he has the ball.  Harvin can run around to the right, and he could give the ball to Taylor on a reverse.

Also, Jackson could fake the handoff to both Peterson and Harvin, and then roll out of the pocket and pass the ball.  If nobody is open, he can scramble for a few yards, as he has proven he is more than capable of doing. 

This adds yet a FOURTH possible rusher to the formation, along with a threat of passing the ball.  To me, the Vikings could have the most exciting Wildcat offense in the league if they made the modifications I listed above.

Oakland: They don’t have a strong passing game, and Darren McFadden used to line up in the shotgun in the “Wild Hog” formation at Arkansas.  They can then put one of their many RBs in the slot, allowing them to emphasize their strengths in the running game to take some pressure off of their weaker passing game.

Dallas: Felix Jones used to play at Arkansas, where they often used their “Wild Hog” formation, which is very similar to the Wildcat, so he would make an easy transition into the slot RB position in this formation.

The Cowboys are known for ignoring character issues if they think a player can help make big plays, so if they signed Matt Jones, a former “Wild Hog” QB at Arkansas who is a current free agent, they could have a potent Wildcat attack.

Atlanta: Michael Turner in the shotgun, the speedy Jerious Norwood in the slot, and Tony Gonzalez at TE so Turner can make short passes to him.  If Matt Ryan struggles (which I doubt will happen, but you never know), we could see a bit of this formation in Atlanta.

Tennessee: Vince Young ran this formation a lot in college, so he knows the offense.  Now imagine Chris Johnson in the slot.  This could make the Titans offense even more potent.

Also, this would help satisfy Vince Young’s desire to play this year, without taking away from Kerry Collins’ authority as the starter. 

When asked in an interview if he was planning to use the Wildcat with Young, Jeff Fisher smiled and said “Maybe, it’s a copycat league.” He then declared boldly, “You don’t want to open against us.”

Look for the Wildcat to play a role in the defending Super Bowl champions starting off 2009 with an 0-1 record.

New Orleans: The Saints have had a hard time utilizing Reggie Bush, who did everything in college, to his fullest potential.  Though Sean Payton said he’s against using the Wildcat because he doesn’t want to take snaps away from Drew Brees, he should rethink that commitment.

Brees is an incredible passer.  He passed for 5,069 yards in 2008, only a few yards short of breaking Dan Marino’s single-season record.  However, the Saints missed the playoffs.  The Saints’ defense was sub par, ranking 26th in points allowed and 23rd in yards allowed.

If the defense continues to play this poorly, the Saints will need to start rushing more if they want to win more than eight games.  Though their passing offense was ranked first in the league, the rushing offense was ranked 28th.

Running more often will take more time off of the clock, keeping the Saints’ defense off of the field for longer, and keeping their offense on the field.  This will give opposing teams less opportunities to score.

Putting Reggie Bush in the shotgun will allow him to run or pass once in a while, and the Saints can put either another RB or a receiver in the slot to run the sweep.  This could help give the offense some of the balance it was missing last year, giving the Saints a chance to go back to the NFC championship.

Keep an eye out for these teams, and perhaps others, too, to employ the Wildcat next year.  Without a doubt, the Wildcat is here to stay.

Football Mythbusters: What Now for Titans, Young?

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MYTH: Vince Young still has a future in Tennessee.

FACT: There is a very slim chance he plays one snap of regular-season football with the Titans ever again.

Young made all of the right moves during the offseason—until now. 

He said he was fine with being a backup and learning from Kerry Collins, yet he was still ready to play when he was needed. He showed up for all of the voluntary team activities, and even participated in a celebrity basketball game for charity.

Sure, he was onstage at a rap concert and “made it rain”—it looked more like a slight drizzle. He pulled a few bills out of his pocket and dropped them into the front row of the crowd. 

It is 100 percent ridiculous that people consider this an issue and are seriously comparing it to Pacman Jones coming into the club with a trashbag full of 80,000 one-dollar bills.

I, like a fairly decent-sized minority of NFL fans, believed the Titans were set at quarterback.  Kerry Collins was signed to a two-year deal, which gave Vince Young two years to further learn the Titans’ fairly new offense (this is only OC Mike Heimerdinger’s second year back with the Titans). 

I believed that at the end of those two years, or maybe even earlier if Collins faltered, Vince Young would be ready to step in and play. Unfortunately, Young might be a little TOO ready to do so.

He told WMAR, a radio station in Baltimore, that “I definitely want to get back out there playing ball and picking up where I left off, winning games, and having a good time with my teammates and with the fans.  At the same time, if the guys don’t want me to be in there, it’s time for me to make a career change for myself.”

This statement isn’t very different from those made by Kerry Collins, when he said he was only interested in returning to the Titans as a starter, and was willing to retire if no starting opportunities presented themselves.

“I’ve played so much in my career, and I’ve been a starter for so long. I feel like I’m a starter in this league…But if it comes down it, becoming a backup is something I’m not interested in right now.”

The major difference was that Collins was a free agent, and Young is still under contract.  Collins could have gone to any team willing to sign him, but Vince Young has to be traded.  And in the NFL trade market, perception is reality.

Due to a few overblown incidents, Vince Young’s reputation is shot.  So assuming that only teams who desperately need a quarterback will take him, where will he go?

Starting with the likeliest (in my opinion, anyway), here are some of the most probable landing spots.

 

Washington Redskins

Reasons it could happen: They’ve already tried to trade for a new quarterback twice this offseason. Is the third time the charm? 

Also, current Redskins starter Jason Campbell is very humble about the Redskins’ attempts to improve their QB corps. His attitude would fit in well in Tennessee, where he can back up Kerry Collins for two years and then be the Titans’ quarterback of the future.

Reasons it might not happen: Who’s to say Jason Campbell will be as humble if the Redskins end up trying and failing to replace him a third time? The Redskins might not be willing to take that risk.

 

Minnesota Vikings

Reasons it could happen: They’ve demonstrated an overt interest in getting better at quarterback.  Many people, myself included, believe the Vikings are a quarterback away from being perennial Super Bowl contenders. 

Adrian Peterson can also carry most of the offensive load, giving Young more room for error as he grows into a new offense. They’re experimenting with a wildcat package, where Young would fit in even better than Percy Harvin. Harvin could still be an excellent slot WR, or could fit into a smash-and-dash role with Adrian Peterson.

Reasons it might not happen: The only player they have that the Titans might want is Chester Taylor, and that’s a stretch because the Titans already have a crowded backfield. As far as draft picks go, the Titans aren’t going to get as high of a pick as they’d like, due to Young’s reputation in the media.

 

Seattle Seahawks

Reasons it could happen: Jim Mora is the new head coach in Seattle. He used to coach Michael Vick in Atlanta, and is therefore accustomed to coaching a running QB.

Matt Hasselbeck, age 34, had a horrible 2008 season, throwing five TDs and 10 INTs.

Sending Vince Young to Seattle would give Jim Mora a QB who he would best know how to utilize, without the threat of protests from PETA.

Reasons it might not happen: Do the Titans really want Hasselbeck?

 

Cleveland Browns,  San Francisco 49ers, or Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I’m not sold on any of these three locations, but their names will be brought up, so I’ll address them.

Reasons it could happen: Each team has a QB “controversy,” in the sense that they have two or more QBs who could start next year. Therefore, they might be willing to bring in Vince Young.

Reasons it might not happen: None of those three teams are willing to name an unequivocal starter at QB, and that might not go over too well with Young.

Also, I don’t see the Titans investing in Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson, Byron Leftwich, Luke McCown, Shaun Hill, or Alex Smith as their quarterback of the future.

There are two more radical solutions that the Titans might want to look into. The first solution is declaring an open QB competition. 

Make it fair, with both Collins and Young receiving 50 percent of the starters’ snaps, and during the preseason, trade away the loser of the QB battle. 

Either way, they’re depleting their depth at QB, though.

Instead of a trade, the Titans should look to maintain the status quo.  One way that nobody’s thought of doing this is by offering Young a seven-year contract extension. 

If they structure it so he is less of a salary cap burden—yet gets more money long-term—it shows him that he truly is their quarterback of the future. Then he can learn from the bench until the Titans are ready for him to start. 

This would have to be considered the most desirable solution for both the Titans and their currently angry quarterback.

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