Here’s Chucky: Jon Gruden To Replace Tony Kornheiser on MNF

Monday Night Football may finally have the winning formula after a comic, a columnist, and Cosell.

ESPN announced today that former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden will replace Tony Kornheiser in the broadcast booth for the upcoming season of Monday Night Football beginning with the preseason in Arizona on August 13 in a Super Bowl rematch between the Cardinals and world champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Gruden, 45, joins Mike Tirico and long-time ESPN NFL analyst Ron Jaworski.

The regular season opener will be a doubleheader as the New England Patriots host division rival Buffalo at 7 pm followed by the San Diego Chargers visiting the Oakland Raiders at 10:15.

Kornheiser, who began his tenure in the booth in 2006, will remain at ESPN in his spot as co-host of Pardon the Interruption with Michael Wilbon.

With a documented history of a fear of flying, Kornheiser said to ESPN:

“I am totally grateful for the MNF opportunity that I truly enjoyed the last three seasons,” he said. “I feel we got better each year. My fear of planes is legendary and sadly true. When I looked at the upcoming schedule it was the perfect storm that would’ve frequently moved me from the bus to the air. I kept looking at the schedule the past month and wanted to find a way to quietly extricate myself.”

During his tenure as the third man in the booth, many fans criticized Kornheiser and found him to be just as bad as comedian Dennis Miller who joined ABC’s football broadcast team in 2000 with Al Michaels.

Gruden was fired by the Raiders after the 2001 season and took the Buccaneers to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII the very next season against Oakland.

The former Mike Holmgren apprentice was let go in Tampa after a 60-57 regular season record, three division titles, and one Super Bowl victory.

 

2009 New York Jets Season Preview

Brett Favre was asked to be the savior of the New York Jets heading into 2008, but instead ended up being the sacrificial lamb.

A promising 8-3 start had the Big Apple talking of the first-ever all-New York Super Bowl, but a 1-5 finish had fans of Gang Green shaking their heads, asking what happened and where everything went.

Heading into this season, the Jets open camp with new optimism, focus, and determination to finish the job and win a championship that they feel was taken from them. 

Owner Woody Johnson cleaned house and realized he has the talent to win now with one of the most physical teams in the NFL.

Hiring new head coach Rex Ryan gives the Jets an identity they have lacked for quite a while and also promises to bring a smashmouth, all-weather offense that Ryan witnessed in Baltimore with the three running back tandem of Willis McGahee, LaRon McClain, and Ray Rice.

As was the case in Baltimore, Ryan will have the choice of starting either veteran Kellen Clemens or rookie sensation Mark Sanchez, whom the Jets took with the fifth overall pick out of Southern California.  Last season, rookie Joe Flacco took the reigns of the Ravens in leading them to the AFC championship game.

With each new season comes new questions, goals, and expectations and here are a few the Jets (as well as myself and all fans) should be looking at as they look to open camp in late July:

 

Will Mark Sanchez Start Opening Day?

There is a distinct possibility this could happen if Sanchez has a productive camp and preseason.  The offense the Jets will run under Brian Schottenheimer is similar to the one run at USC with different terminology and according to interviews, Sanchez has grasped a good chunk of the playbook without problems.

 

Who Will Jets QBs Throw To?

Whether it be Sanchez, Clemens, or Erik Ainge, the Jets still lack a big-play threat at wide receiver. 

If you look at most of the AFC contenders in New England (Moss), Indianapolis (Wayne), Pittsburgh (Ward, Holmes), and San Diego (Chambers, Jackson) they all possess a receiver or two that command double teams.

If the Jets want to be taken seriously in the conversation of Super Bowl contender, they must load up on offensive weapons to create outside matchups that favor them in the passing game.

Dustin Keller has the potential to be a star at tight end (48 catches, 535 yards, 3 TD in 2008) but outside of him, New York really does not have much as Jerricho Cotchery becomes the de facto No. 1 receiver option, as Laveranues Coles signed with Cincinnati in the offseason.

 

How Will the Running Game Be Managed?

Free agent-to-be Thomas Jones led the AFC in rushing last season with 1,312 yards and a franchise-record 13 touchdowns, but it was his backfield mate Leon Washington and how he was utilized in certain situations that drew Jets fans ire in 2008.

Of Washington’s six rushing scores, three of them were over 40 yards including a memorable 61-yard scamper against then-undefeated Tennessee.

Many fans believe his speed and overall quickness was underused in the Jets offense last season and while Jones is the primary back, Washington gives New York an explosive element to their game plan that not many teams feature.

With Shonn Greene drafted in the third round, head coach Rex Ryan has his Ray Rice clone to use in certain situations and also his potential starter for 2010 should Jones move on. 

Jones will be the starter on opening day but heading into camp, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will need to devise game plans week to week to give each back his share and keep defenses guessing.

 

How Will Rex Ryan’s Defensive Philosophy Translate to the Jets?

The Jets will stay with a 3-4 scheme but it will be more in attack mode, so count on more blitzes from linebackers Calvin Pace and newly acquired Bart Scott through open holes created by Pro Bowl nose tackle Kris Jenkins and defensive end Shaun Ellis.

New York lacked a pass rush down the stretch and employing the style of defense that Rex Ryan likes to play, in addition to raiding a good chunk of his defense from Baltimore, will give offensive coordinators plenty of sleepless nights.

Given the caliber of talent in the AFC especially with the wide receivers they will face this season, pressure on the quarterback will the vital to the Jets’ success, as will physical cornerback play to fix a secondary that was flat-out dreadful, not just against the pass but against tight ends as well.

 

What Is the Realistic Record for the Jets This Season?

Considering the improvement within the AFC East and analyzing their schedule, the Jets face a daunting task of getting to the postseason with opponents riddled with physical defenses and explosive offenses. 

However, in retrospect, the Jets are indeed built to win now and they are determined to put their 2008 collapse behind them and make a deep run in January so put their over/under win total at around 10.

 

What Will Keep the Jets from Reaching the Postseason?

Even with all this new found optimism, the Jets face the same obstacles as all other NFL teams regarding health and particular matchups.

For the Jets, it goes much deeper, as they have not reached the AFC Championship Game since 1999 and have not reached the Super Bowl since Broadway Joe’s guarantee in 1968.

They can also find obstacles within their own division, more specifically their arch rival New England Patriots who are hungry to get back to the postseason with the return of former league MVP Tom Brady.

With mini-camps underway and training camp over two months away, the New York Jets head into the 2009 season with definite questions, but hope to provide answers to their critics and rabid fanbase.

In their final season at Giants Stadium, the Jets must show that they are not a pushover and are indeed focused on bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to New York.

2009 NFL Draft First Round Running Blog

Welcome to the 2009 NFL Draft everyone!

The action will be fast and furious as the chess games begin between front offices and war rooms as teams begin to build towards training camp and hopefully a successful NFL season.

I haven’t missed a draft since 1999 and being able to write about it and provide my personal opinion and analysis is something that every sports fan should have the opportunity to do.

1. Detroit Lions

Pick: Matthew Stafford/QB-Georgia

Analysis: No drama here as Stafford signed a six-year, $78 million contract ($41.7 million guaranteed) on Friday evening to become the Lions’ new franchise quarterback.

Stafford’s record deal makes him the highest paid quarterback picked first overall in NFL history. 

Announcing Stafford as the No. 1 overall pick kind of takes the anticipation out of the beginning of the draft but now the real games begin.

Lions fans will now wait a few hours for the 20th pick as they should another key need to build for Stafford’s long-term success.

Stafford will enter the season as the backup to Daunte Culpepper.

Keep refreshing this page as I will be providing breaking news on picks and trades the instant they happen.

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