Mike Holmgren To Keep Eric Mangini and Staff

According to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren will keep head coach Eric Mangini and his coaching staff for the 2010 regular season.

Holmgren and Mangini have met several times this week so that Holmgren could get a feel for where the coach was with his process of rebuilding the team and if Mangini would be able to not only work with Holmgren’s vision for the future of the Browns, but if Mangini would also be able to work under Holmgren and another boss, which is a general manager to be named soon.

Also, Holmgren gave Mangini a set of questions to ponder before their meeting so that Mangini would not be surprised by on-the-spot questions that Holmgren would ask.

Obviously, both men have found a mutual liking for each other since Mangini will get another season as head coach, but Mangini also made it a point and told the media that he was more concerned for his other coaches since they all had families that relocated to the Cleveland area too.

It was very noble of Mangini, and it looks like Holmgren has bought into whatever Mangini said during their meetings because as of right now, the rest of Mangini’s staff will be intact too.

Many Browns fans wanted offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to get replaced, but that appears not to happen now.

On a lighter note, Browns fans favored defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and his ability to use backups and waiver wire pickups to keep the defense competitive and help hold opposing teams offenses in check during the season ending four-game winning streak.

Now that Holmgren has made this difficult decision, he now needs to focus on a general manager and he just interviewed Eagles GM Tom Heckert on Wednesday, but Holmgren also needs to hire a scouting staff very soon. Lastly, he needs to tend to Pro Bowler Josh Cribbs’ contract issues, which are still continuing after a slap-in-the-face offer was made to him on Wednesday.

Holmgren still has a lot on his plate, but after watching his first press conference as the Browns’ new president, he seems more than confident to get the job done.

And done right.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper )

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Should Green Bay Packers Fans Root for Dallas or Philly?

Let’s assume for the sake of argument that the Green Bay Packers are going to beat the Arizona Cardinals and move into the second round of the playoffs. Who would they rather play next?

The two choices are the arch-rival Minnesota Vikings and the explosive New Orleans Saints.

Unfortunately, the next opponent will be decided by the outcome of the Wildcard game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. And should the Packers win in Round 2, the matchup in Dallas will have further implications for the NFC Championship game.

So who do we Packers faithful root for? Let’s take a look at our options.

Dallas Cowboys (Third Seed)

As of right now, the Cowboys have become the clear favorites to win this week. They embarrassed the Eagles last Sunday by shutting them out in a 24-0 win. Philadelphia also has to chew on the fact that Dallas beat them on their home turf earlier in the regular season, which gives them even less chance of winning in the brand-spankin’ new Cowboys Stadium.

So we’ll take the Cowboys winning as the most likely scenario.

If both Dallas and Green Bay win this week, then the Packers will travel to the Louisiana Superdome to take on the Saints, while the Cowboys will face the Vikings in the Metrodome.

The first thing we want to ask is: “Can the Packers beat the Saints?”

Well, if you had asked anyone this question early on in the season, the answer probably would have been a resounding “NO!” But when the Saints gave up their perfect record to the Dallas Cowboys and started resting their starters, both their momentum and mystique were lost.

Additionally, if the Packers beat the Cardinals, then they will have proved they are a force to be reckoned with. And if they beat Arizona by a wide margin, then they could very well be unstoppable.

This, of course, is the point at which Saints fans will remind the Packers fans what happened on Monday Night Football, November 24, 2008, when New Orleans crushed the Packers by a score of 51-29.

If you remember that game, then I’m sure you’ve been trying hard to suppress it.

The Saints’ offense not only dominated the Green Bay Packers defense, moving the ball at will, but their defense picked off Rodgers three times and forced two fumbles.

It is a whole new year, and the Packers have what appears to be a whole new team, but I’m sure that every player in green and gold who played in the Superdome last year remembers the bitter taste in their mouth when leaving that night.

Perhaps in Round Two of the playoffs, Green Bay will exact it’s revenge against Drew Brees and company on a wave of recent success. That possibility is not that far off, and if it does happen, the NFC Championship game could be one to remember.

Because if the Packers come out of New Orleans victorious, and the Vikings defeat the Cowboys (the most likely scenario), then the NFC Championship game at the Metrodome will become the hands-down Game of the Year, and certainly more exciting than the Super Bowl.

In determining the ultimate bragging rights, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers would have a third shot to redeem themselves against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings.

And fans on both sides would relish this opportunity.

Philadelphia Eagles (Sixth Seed)

Let’s not rule out the Eagles, though. If hell freezes over…I mean, if they find their pride and get revenge on the Cowboys, then it will force the Packers and Vikings into their final showdown in Round Two.

While this game would undoubtedly be memorable, the glory of the NFC Championship title would be lost.

Both teams could end up watching the Super Bowl on high definition in the frozen tundra instead of traveling down to sunny Miami to compete for the Lombardi Trophy. The matchup would no longer be an all-or-nothing affair.

However, if you’re one of those fans who would rather play it safe, then the second week of the playoffs would probably give the Packers the best chance of beating Minnesota.

The Vikings would be coming back to their first game after a questionable December run and a bye week. It could easily take them part of the first half of the game to shake off some rust and catch their stride.

And the Packers could take advantage of this.

They would have both momentum and confidence in knowing that their team has improved leaps and bounds since their last meeting with the Vikings. Plus, that chip on their shoulder could prove to be a big motivator.

Let’s say—again, for the sake of argument—that Green Bay gets their revenge on Minnesota. Who do they meet up with in the NFC Championship game?

Well, I don’t know anyone outside of Philadelphia that wouldn’t pick the Saints to win in a Round Two matchup against the Eagles. Sure, anything can happen, especially if the Eagles were able to make it this far, but let’s be realistic.

The Green Bay Packers would again be fighting to avenge themselves and would be the true underdogs: a Wildcard team playing the No. 1 seed for the NFC Championship title.

Who to Root For?

Now that we understand the implications of this weekend’s outcome, it all comes down to this: who do Packers fans root for?

Personally, if I could decide which team wins this week, I would choose the Dallas Cowboys. 

Sure, there is the off-chance that the Eagles could make it to the NFC Championships, giving the Packers homefield advantage, but I just don’t see both Wildcard teams making it that far.

Should Green Bay make it to the NFC Championship game, then they will most likely play both Minnesota and New Orleans on the way. The only question is which round will they play them in?

We could be satisfied playing the Vikings in Round Two, and it probably would be the best time to beat them if the Packers are going to.

But let’s live a little. Let’s add some fireworks to the playoffs.

If the Packers and Vikings meet again, it should be for the title of NFC Champions. Bragging rights will be secured until next season, and the last chapter of the Brett Favre Saga will be a wild one.

The only way for that to happen, though, is if the Cowboys win on Saturday.

(Oh, and the Packers need to win, too.)

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Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys: Wild Card Weekend

The Dallas Cowboys host the Eagles once again, this time on Saturday night of Wild Card Weekend.

The Eagles have to return to the place where they were routed just six days before and this time they’re mad.

Quarterback Donovan McNabb said last week’s game was a “humbling experience.” He’ll be trying to make this weekend a fantastic experience, but his receivers can’t fail him this time around.

Brenk Celek was the only reliable (and open) receiver for McNabb last week with seven catches for 96 yards. Jeremy Maclin didn’t look like himself and was hearing footsteps all game long. Jason Avant had just one catch, but isn’t counted on to do much in the Eagles offense anyway.

DeSean Jackson had one nice catch for 32 yards, but the Eagles turned the ball over on the next play when McNabb overthrew Jackson when he was wide open with nothing but the end zone near him. I expected the Eagles to make Jackson a big part of their offense, but they used him on just one end around and threw to him just eight times

The Eagles’ running game was abandoned in the second half since they were down so much. The running game wasn’t working much in the first half, though, as the Cowboys’ bigger and faster defense took control of the Eagles’ running, giving up just 37 yards on ten carries.

This time the Eagles need to get the ball moving with the run. If they make themselves one-dimensional again, the Cowboys front seven will tee off on McNabb and the Eagles wakened offensive line.

Michael Vick may be a factor in the run game this week. He was dressed last week but didn’t play. This week expect to see him in a wildcat play or two. He might even end up throwing to Jackson. Also expect Leonard Weaver to get more carries.

Defensively, I expect a completely different approach from the Eagles. In the first matchup they blitzed almost 60 percent of the time. Last week they barely blitzed in the first half and didn’t get to Romo in the second half. This week they’ll blitz relentlessly, hoping to throw Romo off.

However, the most important thing the Eagles’ defense must do is stop the run. The Eagles’ linebackers couldn’t catch up to Felix Jones and couldn’t bring down Marion Barber. Will Witherspoon, Jeremiah Trotter, and Moise Fokou need to get the Cowboys’ backs before they hit the secondary.

Asante Samuel killed the Eagles trying to jump routes all game, but don’t expect him to change his style. Instead, expect him to try to do it more, especially if the Eagles blitz more. He wants to avenge last week’s game.

The Cowboys host the Eagles once again and they want a repeat performance.

The Cowboys need to sustain long drives again this week in order to be successful. They also have to convert third downs. They were just 5-13 on third down conversions. They have to do better than that this week.

Tony Romo had a great game last week picking the Eagles apart when they blitzed or played in a zone. He has kept his turnovers down throughout the season and made plays when the Cowboys needed them. 

Romo might be throwing to Roy Williams in the rematch. Last week, the Eagles decided to cover Roy Williams and leave Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton open. This week, they’ll force Romo to throw to Williams, who’s humbled himself in recent weeks and says he ready to make the big plays.

Williams hasn’t caught a pass in seven straight quarters so it’s anyone guess how he’ll react when he’s able to make a catch. Austin, Crayton, and tight end Jason Witten will still receive the majority of throws, especially if the Eagles blitz and don’t get to Romo.

Felix Jones and Marion Barber will get a lot of carries. Last week they had 29 carries for 182 yards. If the Eagles give up that much again they’re going to lose. Expect to see Barber early and Jones in the second half a lot on misdirections and pitches.

Marc Colombo could be a big factor. He’s bigger than backup Doug Free who’s played great since Colombo broke his fibula against Green Bay. Colombo is expected to start this week, but if the Cowboys have trouble running early, coach Wade Phillips could go back to Free, who sprung Jones for a TD last week.

The Cowboys defense hasn’t give up more than 20 points since their loss to the Giants in week 13 and the Giants are the only team to score more than 21 points in a game on Dallas. 

The key to this game is the defense keeping the Eagles from sustaining long drives. They held McNabb and his offense to just three third down conversions last week. That type of performance needs to be repeated.

Expect the front four to give McNabb problems again. They’ll bring pressure on third downs, but on first and second they’ll drop the linebackers back. Jay Ratliff had a great game last week with a fumble recovery but didn’t get to McNabb; I expect him to have at least one sack this week. DeMarcus Ware will also want in on the sack party this week.

Keith Brooking and Bradie James did a great job of containing the run and making solid tackles. Bobby Carpenter is having a good season but needs to stay with Brent Celek this week; last week he was burned twice by Celek for big gains.

The secondary’s job is to keep DeSean Jackson in front of them. Jackson got behind Terence Newman once, who covered him most of the game, but McNabb overthrew him. Newman can’t let that happen again.

Mike Jenkins did a fine job last week and almost had an interception on an under-thrown deep ball. Orlando Scandrick also did a good job but needs to stop missing tackles across the middle. He also got hit with a penalty last week.

This game will be a lot closer than the last game. The Eagles don’t want to get embarrassed again on the road and will be ready to play. The Cowboys are riding their momentum into this game and know they have to do something special this season.

The Eagles will try to throw curve balls to the Cowboys on both sides of the ball, but their overall philosophies will stay the same, look for the big play on offense and bring pressure on defense. The Cowboys will take a while to get adjusted, but once they do, they won’t have a problem getting down the field.

The Eagles will come out to play but in the second half the Cowboys will take the game over with their running attack and McNabb will be constantly pressured trying to get the Eagles back in the game late.

Cowboys 24-20.

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The Highs and Lows of Michigan Wolverines Football Recruiting

Don’t you just love this time of year? No, not for the national championship game tonight or the NFL playoffs. It’s the final month of recruiting for the 2010 class.

All the ranked un-committed high school football players are getting more attention than Paris Hilton at a Star Trek convention. Coaches are calling them and trying to get them to take official visits where they can serve them the local “kool-aide” and trying to get them to sign on February 3.

They put in their heads the dream of the NFL, playing as a freshman, and being a champion and holding that crystal trophy someday. It’s like Christmas in January for these kids. It’s also like a rollercoaster if you follow it closely.

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Is Mike Shanahan the Answer for the Washington Redskins?

Norv Turner couldn’t do it. The guy that originally brought Washington two titles, Joe Gibbs, couldn’t get it done in his second try, either.

Few truly believed Jim Zorn, who had zero previous head coaching experience, was ready, so after all the Washington Redskins franchise has been through in the past 15-plus years, what makes anyone think Mike Shanahan will be any different?

The former Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos head coach brings in a proven offensive philosophy, one that helped him achieve a career record of 146-95 (8-5 in the postseason), as well as two Lombardi Trophies.

But the question is, in a city where money has attempted to buy everything (and everyone), what is there to make this time any different?

Before you rush to judgment that this is just another attempt at “buying” Washington success, take a look at the pieces to the puzzle.

The Redskins acquired Albert Haynesworth via free agency last offseason, and then watched their defense finish 16th against the run. Not spectacular, but considering Haynesworth and other players missed several games with injuries, it’s respectable.

The defense picked up the offense’s slack for most of the season, finishing 18th in points allowed, ninth in passing yards allowed, and 10th in total yards allowed.

Clearly the personnel is there on the field for the Redskins to continue, and possibly even improve, on their defensive rankings.

However, the Achilles heel for Washington all season (and all through Zorn’s tenure) was the inconsistency and predictability of a stale offense.

Zorn’s lack of creativity (or too much of it) on offense hindered the growth of Jason Campbell, and in turn affected a once promising rushing attack.

The Redskins finished 16th in passing yards (their only positive), as Campbell took off after Zorn was stripped of play-calling duties. Their rush attack was fairly dormant the entire season as well, finishing just 27th in the league, while ranking 22nd overall on offense as a team.

And in points scored? A dismal 26th.

Needless to say, Washington was a team with a solid defense that was victim of poor play-calling and decision-making.

In comes Shanahan, the proposed offensive guru who made Jay Cutler into a 4,500-plus yard passing quarterback, made Jake Plummer look like an elite passer, and helped an aging John Elway win two Super Bowls before his retirement.

But can he help Washington?

The answer is yes, and possibly a lot quicker than people think.

Shanahan is a quarterback guru. That doesn’t mean Jason Campbell can look forward to a bright future. He simply isn’t Shanahan’s guy.

But Campbell will immediately find more success than he ever had under Zorn or Gibbs, while Shanahan brings in his own guy through the 2010 NFL Draft and grooms him behind Campbell.

And as for that powerful and extremely effective zone-blocking scheme that Shanahan made so popular while in Denver, you can safely assume it will be back.

Whether or not former Denver back Clinton Portis is around to reap the benefits is another discussion on its own.

But if history is honest, then Shanahan coming on is the missing link that is keeping this team from being competitive.

For more NFL news and articles, go here .

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2010 NFL Mock Draft: Whose Stock is Rising and Whose is Dropping?

One of the most fun parts of the run-up to April’s NFL Draft is watching the “stock” of prospects as it rise and falls between the end of the college football regular season and the draft. Between bowl games, all-star games, and the NFL Combine, players positions will move up and down the board in a miniature version of Wall Street. Let the fun begin.

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Memo to Rex Ryan: Shut Up and Just Coach!

“This is tough, because we’re obviously out of the playoffs. We thought we had a great chance to make it to the playoffs. This is hugely disappointing.” – Rex Ryan following the Jets Week 15 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Rex Ryan has been a walking sound byte since becoming head coach of the New York Jets. He has not been afraid to talk a big game, and his players have been more then willing to follow suit.

Of course, Ryan and the Jets only tend to run their mouths when they are on winning streaks.

The trash talk was very loud in East Rutherford, New Jersey when the Jets started the season with their quick 3-0 start. Of course all that fire and venom quickly dissipated when the team began to struggle with rookie Mark Sanchez under center.

The Jets had an up and down season with their rookie head coach and quarterback, but were able to right the ship and had some fortunate breaks to qualify for the postseason.

With the playoffs just around the corner, and the Jets on a modest two-game winning streak, Ryan felt it was appropriate to cause a stir when he proclaimed that the Jets should be favorites to win.

By win, Ryan does not mean just upset the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend; Ryan feels that his Jets should be the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

“I wasn’t aware of that, but to me we should be the favorites, so that’s fine.”

When asked to clarify this comment Ryan followed with this;

“I mean in the whole tournament.”

Now, of course any fan would want the coach and the players to be confident that the team will perform well during the playoffs, but this is bordering on the insanity.

First, it was only two short weeks ago that Ryan had publicly threw in the towel and told the fans that the Jets would not make the playoffs.

Now, he has the gall to say with a straight face that the Jets should be favored to win the Super Bowl.

The Jets should be commended for being able to rally from that awful home loss to the Falcons and win their last two games to qualify for the postseason.

Having said that, the team was fortunate to draw the Colts and the Bengals when both teams were resting the majority of their starters.

There is no denying the Jets do have some momentum as they head into their game against the Bengals, and personally I would not be the least bit surprised if they won that game.

However, from an unbiased opinion, the Jets are the fourth best team, in the AFC!

While the Jets do own a victory over the Colts, let’s not kid ourselves; that was against the JV Colts. If Peyton and the starters were playing that entire game I think we know how that game would turn out.

The San Diego Chargers are the hottest team in football, and might be the most complete team. Now I understand the Jets have the number one ranked defense, but I just don’t see how they can cover all of the Chargers tall and athletic receivers.

Yes, these aren’t the Patriots of 2007; and yes they did lose Wes Welker for the playoffs. However, Bill Belichick is one of the greatest coaches of all time and has one of the best quarterbacks of this generation, I still give the Pats the edge if the two teams were to square off.

In all honesty, I don’t think the Jets could beat any of the NFC playoff teams; save for maybe the Jekyll and Hyde Arizona Cardinals.

The Jets do have some talent, and with the number one running game and number one defense in football, the team could win a game or two along the way.

However, to say that the team should be the favorite to win the Super Bowl is more absurd then Tom Brady winning Comeback Player of the Year.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I sure can’t wait to hear what Rex has to say after the Jets lose.

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Charged Up | Which Playoff Matchup Benefits Chargers The Most?

As I watched Jim Zorn’s Washington Redskins lose to the Chargers JV squad on Sunday, I couldn’t help thinking about what must’ve been going through ol’ Jim’s head.

Across the field, on the opposing sideline, stood Norv Turner, whose team’s (as well his own) reputation is starting to grow on both sides of the Mississippi.

Norv was once in Jim’s shoes, fired by impetuous ‘Skins owner Daniel Snyder, disregarded in most NFL circles as nothing more than a good offensive mind who nevertheless wasn’t fit to run a team as a head coach.

Jim was probably thinking, “yeah, I can see how that could be me…wait, how long did it take Norv to land that cushy job and finally be respected by his peers? Crap.”

Speaking of Snyder, I don’t know if he was present at the game on Sunday, or if he was tempted to buy Legoland or Sea World in the event he came to San Diego, but I wonder if he’s a little bitter at the Chargers for turning two of his former hires into playoff coaches.

Marty Schottenheimer was dissed after just one season in D.C., then turned the Bolts around and led them to the post-season twice in five years.

At that point, I’m guessing Snyder was more concerned that the Chargers would follow Marty up with Steve Spurrier and Fun N’ Gun their way to the Lombardi trophy than them hiring, oh, I don’t know, Norv Turner?

Technically, Charged Up as an entity has never been guilty of Norv bashing, although the writer behind the column definitely has .

Still, it was hard to argue with me then, and, despite the stellar run in 2009, I think most football fans can agree that until the Chargers and Turner (and A.J. Smith) deliver a Super Bowl championship, a humble attitude is the right one.

After all, Norv isn’t running the ball up the middle on every first-and-10 anymore.

On January 17th at the Q, the Chargers could face anyone except the Colts (duh) or the Ravens, due to Baltimore’s No. 6 seed.

With that in mind, Turner, Ron Rivera, and the boys are no doubt preparing for either the Jets’ stingy D, the Bengals’ tail-spinning but talented club, or the Patriots’ wealth of playoff experience.

Here’s what to expect from either one of those clubs and why that match-up could be potentially favorable or dangerous for the Chargers.

New England

The sun seems to be setting on football’s latest dynasty, and coming into the playoffs this season, they’re aging, banged up, and seemingly out-gunned by most of the other contenders—oh, sorry…this is what I wrote back in 2006.

They’re dangerous. They always are. You don’t think Belichick has tricks under his sleeve? The only player that can truly cripple the Patriots by not being there is Tom Brady.

Not Wes Welker. Not Richard Seymour. Not Randy Moss. It’s Brady.

The Bolts turned the ball over four times in their 2006-07 playoff game against the Patriots and then weren’t able to get it into the end zone in the 2007-08 AFC Championship game.

Luckily for San Diego, there won’t be much of a pass rush against Philip Rivers, and Tom Brady won’t have much of a running game to set up the long ball.

Air Norvelous can dictate the pace of the game through Rivers, Vicent Jackson, and Antonio Gates, leading to a Charger victory.

Cincinnati

Again, they’re dangerous, they’re emotional, and I don’t think that 37-0 loss to the Jets was completely caused by, say, a New York manhandling of Marvin Lewis’ boys.

Antonio Cromartie was burned by Chad Ochocinco earlier this season for a long TD pass.

Don’t let that happen again.

The Bengals have shied away from the run, but if they decide to establish it against San Diego in the playoffs, it could be a weapon.

Their solid defense didn’t match well against the Chargers potent passing attack, and San Diego’s four-headed monster (admittedly, more Elmo than Frankenstein) in LT, Sproles, Tolbert, and Hester were effective on the ground.

Get them off the field quickly, and kill them through the air.

New York Jets

An intriguing probability, to say the least.

The Jets boast the best defense in the league, although their penchant for stopping the run doesn’t really apply against the Chargers. The better question is, do they have good jumpers?

Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd’s 6’5″, Antonio Gates’ 6’4″, and Legedu Naanee’s 6’2″ statures create match-up problems for anybody. No one’s been close to stopping them so far.

The Chargers aren’t as explosive on defense as Gang Green are, but Mark Sanchez usually generates enough defensive highlights for the opposing team.

And that’s where the crux of the battle would lie: the turnover battle.

Go ahead and pad your stats, Cro.

All leading to a Chargers win and an AFC Championship berth either in Indianapolis or here at home, right? Like everyone at Charger Park (and everyone in Norman Lear’s famed sitcom), take it one day at a time.

Meanwhile, around the league…

Rick Reilly wrote a column praising Norv Turner. He doesn’t work for Sports Illustrated anymore, right? No long-standing association with the Madden cover? Phew.

Charlie Weis took Kansas City’s offensive coordinator job. So, praised offensive coordinator at New England leads to head coach job at Notre Dame leads to offensive coordinator job at Kansas City leads to quarterbacks coach at Anchorage High in Alaska?

Tom Brady won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award.

Aww.

What a heartwarming story, with the scrappy, three-time Super Bowl winning, Gisele Bundchen marrying, Entourage cameo-having, advertisement and cover boy modeling, sure-fire Hall of Famer entering underdog at the center of it.

Aww.

Mike Shanahan became coach of the Washington Redskins. Immediately after I read about it, a pop-up ad featuring the Budweiser Clydesdales went up on my screen.

Later on in the day, I saw Sarah Jessica Parker’s poster for that movie with Hugh Grant.

A rare horse-face trifecta.

Speaking of Hugh, he was quoted as saying that Sarah eats “like a horse.”

I’m starting to warm up to British humor.

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Oakland Raiders: From Whence We’ve Come

A Historical Graph of Oakland Raiders’ History is worth a thousand words.

During the first of the year, many of us reflect on our past experiences, and we made some assessments about our progress over the year, and over a decade.

Since the 2009 season for the Oakland Raiders had its ups and downs, this aricle gives a pictoral account of the Raiders performance, in part. We have entered a new decade and we need to constantly do “self-studies.”

Consider these graphs either the spine or the skeleton of the complex organization callled the Oakland Raiders.

One thing is certain, however, is that adjustment to the structure (or spine) of a situation ofen promotes healing and growth.

For example, the Oakland Raiders franchise is 50 years old. It started in 1960. During the early years, we see a definite upward movement of performance on the graph.

From 1960 to 1977 (and to present) there are only 11 ties.

1. Two ties occurred in 1964 and 1971.

2. In 1967 and 1976, the Oakland Raiders loss only one game during each of those seasons.

3 In 1965, and 1966, the performance overall was similar..

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Is Clemson Running Back CJ Spiller the Next Chris Johnson?

Last week, the comparison to who could become the next Chris Johnson of the Titans was Ole Miss’ running back Dexter McCluster, but now it is time to take a look at a running back who may be a better comparison in Clemson back CJ Spiller.

If you didn’t get a chance to read to McCluster comparison, then click here .

Since coming to Clemson Spiller has to spilt carries with former running back James Davis (who is now with the Cleveland Browns) for his first three years, but the best decision that Spiller could have made was resisting the urge to go into the NFL after his junior year and go back to Clemson for his senior year.

He easily increased his stock to a projected mid-first-round pick because their are many NFL teams that see what Johnson has done for the Titans in his first to seasons and are now taking notice on any running back with similar attributes.

Spiller fits the mold of a Johnson clone with his size (he is 5’11” 195-pounds compared to Johnson who is 5’11” 200-pounds) which is nearly an exact match, his speed, his soft hands, and elusiveness.

The moment of truth in this comparison between the two backs will be when Spiller performs at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February.

When Johnson was there he tied the fastest mark for the 40-yard dash when he ran a 4.24.

It has been reported by one of Spiller’s coaches that he once ran the 40 in 4.12 seconds, but there are other reports that say Spiller runs it closer to the high 4.3’s.

Regardless, of what Spiller really runs if he can indeed come closer to Johnson’s record of 4.24, then look for Spiller to shoot up into the top 10 picks of the draft come April.

Teams that could have interest in Spiller in the top 10 are: Lions, Bucs, Redskins, Seahawks, and the Browns, but really any of the top 10 teams could take Spiller because it is too hard to pass up on his talent.

Is Spiller the next Johnson?

You decide, but there is a strong indication that he could just be the next superstar running back in the NFL.

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