Why the New Orleans Saints Won’t Make the Superbowl

First, my congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for a well played season; and I’m sure there fans are excited, however, the hype and excitement that was the Saints’ season is about to close in January.

Although they have an explosive passing attack and the cannon-armed quarterback in Drew Brees, the Saints are a team that are dangerously close to falling short and here’s why.

Looking back at the Saints schedule, the opponent’s records combined were 97-127, 30 games under .500.

Early in Week Two, the Saints faced an early season Eagles team that has since revitalized itself and proven to be a competitor. 

Although the victory was dominating (the Saints won 48-22) the Eagles are not the same team they showed to be in September.

They played the New England Patriots, whom are not the same Patriots from years past, and decidedly beat them 38-17.

Despite an impressive victory, they nearly lost the next two games against Atlanta and Washington—the evidence that the offense wasn’t as consistent as they were early in the season.

And lastly, they played the Dallas Cowboys who were on the rebound and heating up at the right time, and lost…at home.

The rest of the schedule provided an array of teams that were either squeaking into the playoffs or jockeying for draft position.

The Saints’ season consisted of feasting on teams the likes of, Detroit (2-14), Buffalo (6-10), St. Louis (1-15), Tampa Bay (3-13), Washington (4-12), and Carolina (8-8). 

Together these opponents compiled a record of (24-72).

These teams provided the Saints with eight easy victories—pretty hard not to make the playoffs with that considered.

In the games against competitive teams, and those jockeying for playoff positions, the Saints’ average margin of victory was 15, not quite the dominating margin stats and records would lead you to believe.

Consider that in weeks 10 and 13, the saints barely escaped St. Louis and Washington with victories averaging a margin of four points with the two opponents going 5-27 combined.

From week 10 onward the Saints were not the steamroller that they were in the first half of the season as they won by an average of 12.6 points before dropping the last three games, in which Brees and co. played against Dallas and Tampa Bay.

Outside of the numbers, this team has become more exposed to defensive coordinators and seems to have become tunnel visioned on their game day approach.

It seems that if you examine the schedule, the Saints let their guard down against teams they feel are not on their level.  They can’t afford that in the second season.

At this point in time the NFC is wide open for any of the playoff teams to seriously make a run to the Superbowl. 

Instead of the NFC being a two-horse race between the Vikings and the Saints, teams like Green Bay and Dallas are knocking at the door and would be a legitimate adversary for the Saints.

The Saints also have some issues that need addressing, namely defense.

We all know the Saints can score, they rank number one in total offensive yards per game.

However, on the defensive side of the ball, the Saints rank 25th overall.  Specifically, 21st against the run and 26th against the pass.

The teams in the NFC playoff race consist of teams whom rank in the top 10 against the run and pass, with the exception of Arizona contending from the weak West division.

Green Bay ranks first against the run, averaging 83.3 yards per game, followed by the Vikings in second, Dallas in fourth, and Philadelphia in ninth.

The Saints cannot afford to become a pass only team against any of the above mentioned.  The ability to run must be established because without that, Drew Brees becomes average.

Simply put, I just don’t see the dots connecting for New Orleans.

The schedule they had due to the past two seasons being under .500 has given them a false sense of security, and that will cost them in the playoffs.

 

 

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Solution for Josh Cribbs and Cleveland Browns: Dump Derek Anderson’s Contract

So two-time Pro Bowler Josh Cribbs is “insulted” because the Cleveland Browns only offered him a new deal which would pay him $1.4 million per year.

Is this a salary increase for Cribbs ? Indeed.

Are the Browns offering enough for their best player, and the best returner in the NFL’s history? Not a chance.

Will the Browns make another contract offer? Hopefully.

Is Cribbs overreacting with his many tweets via Twitter regarding this situation? Absolutely.

Are Cribbs’ agents dirtbags ? No comment from this journalist, so you decide.

Will negotiations continue? Probably.

Will Cribbs get traded? Hopefully not, or the Browns’ fan base will probably burn part of Berea , OH (which is where the Browns’ headquarters is) to the ground in disgust.

So the Browns have burnt a bridge, and supposedly they stand behind their offer, and it’s a take it or leave it type of offer.

One would think that the Browns should have plenty of salary left over, especially after dumping the big contracts of Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards in the past year.

Why can’t they offer Cribbs more money?

It is most likely that this is the first offer in the negotiation process and another offer will be made once president Mike Holmgren takes care of other important issues; like filing the rest of the front office and getting a scouting team assembled to begin assessing talent for the draft in April.

If there is another offer down the road, Cribbs needs to chill out with his Twitter account. He needs to shut his ridiculously overreacting agents up, before Browns management has a change of heart and just grants Cribbs and his agents their wish; a trade.

Cribbs is the heart and soul of the Browns and the face of the franchise currently, but if he does not quiet down, then he will cause more damage and be deemed a liability by the Browns. If the Browns are willing to part with him, why would they want to trade for him and deal with all the outside chatter by him and his agents?

Hey Cribbs , here’s some advice, be quiet and be the professional all Browns fans know you are, and this situation will clear itself up.

Also, get new agents, because your agents are a really bad influence on you.

Finally, a message to the Browns; how about cutting Derek Anderson, and once you don’t have to pay him $8 million in 2010, give Cribbs some of that money because he deserves it more than Anderson does at this point in their respective careers.

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Ravens’ Historic Playoff Run Last Year Gives Baltimore Hope for Super Bowl Push

As the 2010 NFL playoffs roll around, one team often gets hot at the right time during the postseason and, in many cases, has taken the success to a Super Bowl run.

Last season, the Baltimore Ravens faced those odds after facing quite a bit of adversity.

First off, nobody went out on a limb to say rookie quarterback Joe Flacco could make enough clutch plays on offense to put the team over the top.

To top it off, the Ravens defense was thought to have lost its luster, with many of the veterans aging fast, and could not keep up speed with the rest of the league.

But what nobody can take away from a team is its confidence, the same confidence that drove the Ravens into the playoffs and to find success in the AFC.

With a dominating defense, along with enough offensive magic, the Ravens pulled out wins over the Dolphins and the top-seeded Titans before falling short to rival Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game.

Baltimore has been in this wild card position enough to not show any fear or doubt in the team. Entering the postseason as a wild card team, Baltimore rode the momentum when they captured their first Super Bowl title.

Why can’t the Ravens contend for a spot in Miami this year? Whether the fanbases around the country want to admit it, the Ravens inspire fear, not joy, in their opponent. You can’t say enough about veterans Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, who have been there and done that.

The offense has continued to grow with Flacco at quarterback, especially with the emergence of Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice, who had 2,000-plus yards from scrimmage.

Though this season’s record is a step back from last year’s regular season, six of the losses have come to playoff teams, five of them by 10 points or less. Baltimore has proved they can compete with the best the league has to offer, but turnovers and penalties have cost them.

Yet no team should doubt the Ravens’ strength when they play to their potential (fewer than eight penalties a game) and can run the ball effectively like they have the past month with the three-back tandem.

Most importantly, you still need to consider the defense, which was off to a rocky start but finished in the top five in total defense once more.

As the 2010 postseason begins in Foxborough, the Baltimore Ravens realize it is a new season, a fresh start in order. The team knows the damage they can make in the playoffs and have no doubts in their mind they can take another run to the Lombardi trophy.

 

Matt Miselis is a Baltimore Ravens Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. Feel free to shoot him an email at miselism29@hotmail.com .

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Mike Blewitt’s NFL Power Rankings: End Of Season Edition

Since each NFL season carries with it the weight of expectations and the ultimate stark realities for every team and their fans, I tried something a little bit different for the final edition of NFL Power Rankings for the 2009 season.

With the end of the holiday season and the end of the NFL season running parallel to one another, I decided to get some of my friends, colleagues, and readers involved in the assessment of their respective team’s season. It’s a ranking by the people, for the people, if you will.

Also, I did not try to justify any non-playoff team being better than one who actually made “the tournament”—you’re either good enough or you’re not (I’m looking at you Steelers, Texans, and Falcons). On that note, I wish you all a Happy New Year, thanks for reading, and one last time…let’s navigate all the way from No. 1 to No. 32…

 

1.   San Diego Chargers (13-3) : Ten wins to close out the year and a red-hot offense has San Diego ranked at the top of the list. My preseason pick for the AFC Super Bowl rep looks to be in great shape all around but “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” A well-earned bye week awaits the Bolts.

2.   Indianapolis Colts (14-2) : All one can say is “I hope they know what they’re doing.” They bailed on the 19-0 campaign only to insert starters in horrible conditions for personal milestones—seems counter intuitive. A loss in their first game of the playoffs will bring the entire organization into question but we have a week to wait on that debate.

3.   New Orleans Saints (13-3) : From 13-0 to 13-3 is not the way to close things out but the Saints don’t appear to be concerned about it. They earned home-field advantage throughout and will await some legit potential opponents for next week. The league’s No. 1 offense should be fine in the comfort of the Superdome.

4.   Minnesota Vikings (12-4) : The Vikings pounded the Giants into the next decade and earned a week off. Similar to the Saints, the Vikes will enjoy the comfort of dome and weather has been eliminated as a factor in the NFC playoffs altogether. Can Favre pull off another title and walk into the sunset? And then come back again?

5.   Dallas Cowboys (11-5) : Big D posted consecutive shutouts for first time in franchise history and grabbed the NFC East title, but this ranking is based on how I think they stack up. ML from Boston: “I came away satisfied from the season but not feeling Dallas has played their best yet—too many penalties and poor tackling.” For his sake, let’s hope he’s right. And, would Wade survive a first round loss to Philly?

6.   Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) : Despite getting shellacked in Dallas on Sunday, MM likes his team to come back and beat Dallas this week but concedes, “the defense will not get them to the Super Bowl…and anything short of that is a disappointment.” Andy Reid has never lost a first-round playoff game and if he does this week, there will be no calls for his head given the contract extension he just signed.

7.   Green Bay Packers (11-5) : The Packer bandwagon is pretty full at this stage. The sixth-ranked offense and the second-ranked defense reside in Green Bay, and QB Aaron Rodgers looks the part of a seasoned veteran, except he has no postseason experience. Arizona may not be bad place for this team to start even thought the smackdown last week was against backups.

8.   Arizona Cardinals (10-6) : The Cardinals are not an easy team to figure out. Last year, they shocked the football world and nearly won the Super Bowl after a 9-7 season so given their explosive nature on offense, it would not be wise to count them out. Looking towards 2010, a lot will depend on Kurt Warner and/or Matt Leinart’s future.

9.   New England Patriots (10-6) : A meaningless game in Houston resulted in a loss on the scoreboard and the loss of go-to WR Wes Welker who is out for the playoffs after wrecking his knee. With Tom Brady rumored to be ailing as well, the Pats’ playoff expectations have taken a hit in the public’s eyes. Even die-hard New England fan RS admits “this team seems destined for a second round playoff loss at San Diego.”

10. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) : The AFC North champs did very little against the Jets last Sunday so that they could prepare for, um, the Jets on Sunday. Hosting a playoff game in Cincinnati will be a solid home-field advantage, but if they don’t stop the rushing attack early, they will be home early. Overall, Marvin Lewis finally has his team built the way he wants moving into the new decade.

11. New York Jets (9-7) : Living in NY, I am surrounded by slightly euphoric Jets fans this week who are dreaming of a Super Bowl appearance. DA is “very happy with Rex Ryan as he learned…and got better.” LJ adds “Sanchez’s regression was a bit alarming but I think there’s a reason to be optimistic for the future.” It seems most Jets fans would love a win this week in Cincy but are realistic about not advancing after that…for now… 

12. Baltimore Ravens (9-7) : The Ravens did what they needed to do in Oakland by running all over The Black Hole. They make the third playoff appearance in four years and will head to New England to try to advance. Joe Flacco’s less than stellar play (9TDs and 7 INTs in his last nine games) has some worried and a banged-up Ed Reed further hurts their chances to advance but with the way the Pats look, they may just steal one before bowing out.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) : MO agreed that watching the Steelers blow five fourth quarter leads was excruciating but “it might have been worse watching the Jets win two games that the other teams just handed to them.” Even with the Polamalu injury and winning out tough games against Green Bay, Baltimore, and Miami, there are no excuses for the Steelers dropping earlier games to the Chiefs and Raiders. Getting healthy, building some depth through the draft, and revamping special teams is likely to be the approach to get back to the playoffs in 2010.

14. Tennessee Titans (8-8) : Closing the season on an 8-2 run ranks them right up there at the top of the league in those last 10 games. Unfortunately, there are those pesky six losses to open the season that did not vanish from the record. But, the Vince Young Era has officially resumed and they will go into 2010 with a clear picture of who is leading them; Chris Johnson will be tearing up opposing defenses as well.

15. Atlanta Falcons (9-7) : A win over the Bucs secured consecutive winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. Unfortunately, the Falcons were the only NFC team with a winning record to miss the “second season” but DH from Atlanta is less worried about “not meeting lofty expectations” for 2009 than he is about QB “Matt Ryan not progressing from his rookie year.”

16. Houston Texans (9-7) : The Texans beat the Pats to secure their first-ever winning season but the celebration was tempered after being eliminated from the playoffs on tiebreakers. Matt Schaub led Gary Kubiak’s explosive offense very well, and the defense has plenty of talent but poor special teams play led to some close losses that find them on the outside looking in yet again.

17. Carolina Panthers (8-8) : John Fox teams never quit; you have to give him credit for that. Saddled with an aging, expensive QB in Jake Delhomme the team struggled until he was injured. Backup Matt Moore won four of the last five games to get them back to .500 which gave all the doubters “evidence” to call for Delhomme’s pink slip. Changes will be made to the roster but expect the Panthers to challenge for the playoffs in 2010.

18. San Francisco 49ers (8-8) : The Niners throttled the Rams to close out the season winning three of their last four to finish a respectable 8-8 but clearly, the expectations are higher in San Fran. Mike Singletary: “In order to make wise decisions, we have to evaluate closely what we need to do. We’re going to take our time and be thorough.” So far, the special teams coach has been axed and while Alex Smith remains the top guy for now, the QB question will rage on throughout the offseason.  

19. Denver Broncos (8-8): The most hot-and-cold team in the NFL this year along with the Giants, the Broncos 6-0 start did not hold up when they lost their last four games to miss the important January games. Rookie head coach Josh McDaniels will have to deal with more drama regarding star wideout Brandon Marshall which is likely to end up in a trade around draft time. To an extent, I feel like they overachieved based on expectation but the perception is that they choked big time in ‘09.

20. Miami Dolphins (7-9) : Miami’s playoff hopes were officially dashed with a loss to the Steelers. KK from NYC thought his Dolphins had “hope and promise with a young, flourishing QB, but momentum was lost when Ronnie Brown went down.” Never lacking confidence in his beloved Fish he “guaranteed an AFC East title” in 2010.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-9) : The Jags stood at 7-5 and controlled their own destiny to the playoffs only to drop their last four and end the season with a loud thud in Cleveland. Head coach Jack Del Rio is likely to stick, as he is owed $15 million over three years and rumors of the team being for sale swirl constantly these days. Del Rio tagging his QB David Garrard as “middle-tier” this week is accurate but a strange motivational tool when there is no football for such a long period after that commentary.

22. Chicago Bears (7-9) : While the Bears ended the season on a positive note by winning their last two, KL from Los Angeles summed up ‘09 by saying “this season got intercepted by another errant Cutler throw.” Ouch. The guillotine fell hard in Chicago already as six coaches were let go this week.

23. New York Giants (8-8) : The Giants uncharacteristically mailed in the last two games, getting blown out and costing people jobs, namely defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan. AJ from PA sees a glaring “need for personnel changes” and “wouldn’t be surprised to see as many as 10 new starters,” which is a long way from where the expectations were going into the season.

24. Cleveland Browns (5-11) : Jerome Harrison put the team on his back in this last month to close out 2009 on a positive note. TR says the Browns were “disappointing in every aspect” but admits that you “can’t sleep” on their first four-game winning streak since 1994. The Mangini-hating also seems to have quieted with the wins and the arrival of football guru Mike Holmgren. Promise in Cleveland? Always…

25. Oakland Raiders (5-11) : When a team is 5-10 and down eight points with three minutes to go in its final game, is punting and playing the field position/timeouts strategy really the way to go? Live a little, Tom Cable, it’s not like your job hung in the balance during the loss to the Ravens. Or maybe it did, I don’t know, but I’m not about to try to get into Al Davis’ head—I may never come back. Cable throwing JaMarcus Russell under the bus will not help save his gig since Al is apparently still a fan—we’ll know more next week regarding this soap opera.

26. Buffalo Bills (6-10) : The Bills beat up on the fake Colts in the snow and then fired the entire coaching staff following a very disappointing year that saw them finish in last place in the AFC East for the second year in a row. Interim head coach Perry Fewell will interview for the head job there but he is unlikely to land it as they look for someone with a strong resume to come in and turn this around. Bill Cowher will provide writers like me with a lot of puns, so, there’s that…

27. Kansas City Chiefs (4-12) : The Chiefs surprisingly stomped the Broncos right out of the playoffs with a resounding win at Denver. KC was a sneaky sleeper pick for many before the year but after ranking 25th in offense and 30th in defense, it appears the rebuild will continue onward towards 2010.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13) : After the Bucs dropped the finale to Atlanta, RH wondered “Does the ship have a rudder?” which indicts everyone from the Glazers down through rookie Head Coach Raheem Morris. While Morris was officially retained, wholesale changes will need to be made to the roster and among the coaching staff. Josh Freeman has shown potential, but we all know that’s a long way from being any good at the QB position in this league.

29. Washington Redskins (4-12) : Jim Zorn was our first postseason coaching casualty as new GM Bruce Allen made his first major move after a disastrous season. The ‘Skins lost 18 of their last 24 games under Zorn and have more roster issues now than when he first came on board. Kevin H. from D.C.: “Poor coaching and bad players…you get what you see.” I think Kevin will feel just fine with new coach Mike Shanahan but will Jason Campbell be around for 2010?

30. Detroit Lions (2-14) : Everyone expected a long road ahead for the Lions and two separate six-game losing streaks locked up the No. 2 pick in the draft. Building blocks like QB Matt Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson on offense are bright spots for 2010.

31. Seattle Seahawks (5-11) : There’s nothing worse than watching a team quit like the Seahawks did this season. They didn’t make it too tough for the Titans’ Chris Johnson to break the NFL yards-from-scrimmage record but they have made it tough for their fans to have faith in the direction of the team. What can Jim Mora, Jr. say to defend himself, that “we played like diddley-poo?”?

32. St. Louis Rams (1-15) : CG said about his beloved Rams: “With so many holes and so few current players showing much, it is hard not to see this as a three-plus year project back to respectability.” It may not be the sexiest No. 1 overall pick ever but everyone’s guess is that it will be Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh since he will be a stable building block in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense for years to come. With that, the Rams are officially on the clock…

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Top Five Reasons Why the New York Jets Won’t Win the Wild Card Round

This is a tough one for me to admit but the truth is the truth.

The New York Jets could actually lose their re-match in the coming Wild Card round against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Fair is fair. I recently wrote about the top five reasons why the Jets will win the Wild Card round and now feel compelled to be “objective” enough to list the reasons why they won’t.

Like it or not, Jets fans need to recognize that winning this game is not written in stone.

Real Jets fans know wholeheartedly that their beloved Jets losing an important game like this is far from unlikely.

For Jets fans, being surprised to see this team totally blow an important game is a little like being surprised to find out Perez Hilton or Elton John is gay.

It’s like, “Where have you been hiding?!?”

So, while it greatly pains me, here are the top five reasons why the Jet faithful should be slightly worried.

 

The Sanchez Question

Our highly touted rookie QB has been almost as much misery as he has been joy for this team.

When this young man is clicking on all cylinders, watch out!

We’ve all seen the flashes of brilliance which draw us to him like moths to a flame.

However there is that other side of Sanchez, the dark side that is a veritable turnover machine.

Sanchez had an AFC leading 20 interceptions in his debut season to go along with nine lost fumbles.

The Bengals have a solid pass defense that was ranked sixth in the league. Bengal’s corners Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph have six INTs each and are sure to be salivating at a chance to snag a Sanchez lame duck pass.

Cincinnati Bengal’s head coach Marvin Lewis, once the defensive coordinator for both the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins, has amassed a 36-6-1 record when they win the turnover battle and are 7-35 when they don’t.

Winning the turnover battle is mandatory for the Jets or they will lose.

The Jets also need to avoid falling behind to this team, which would force them to put the game on the arm of Sanchez.

That is a situation that could, and likely would, spell disaster for the Jets.

Which Sanchez shows up for Saturday’s game may just be the most pivotal factor in this entire game.

 

The Bengals Run Defense

This one is bound to be hard to hear and swallow for the Jets faithful, especially in light of the fact that our beloved Jets come into the post season touting the leagues best defense over all.

Hold on to your butts but Cincinnati has a better run defense than we do.

Yeah, I couldn’t quite believe it either, but it’s true…sort of.

The Jets ended the season with the leagues 8th best run defense while the Bengals ended with the 7th best run defense.

Thankfully, the difference between 7th and 8th is an extremely tiny one. The Jets averaged 98.6 rushing yards allowed per game on defense compared to the Bengals 98.3 average.

One would think that these two stats prove this area will be a wash for both teams but I beg to differ.

Should the 7th ranked run defense play to its’ potential, the single biggest asset the Jets have could be rendered useless.

Let’s not shrug off the fact that Domata Peko, arguably their best run stuffer, will be back on the field come game day.

Should the Bengals manage to disturb or even shut down our run game, it’s good night Irene for the Jets.

It is absolutely essential for the Jets to establish the run game early on.

Without that amazing running game in sync and clicking, we are faced with the prospect of depending on our rookie QB Mark Sanchez to win the game for us and that is just not bloody likely.

The best news the Jets face here is that strong side linebacker Rey Maualuga, the closest they have to an impact player, is on IR.

 

Head Coach “Brago-saurus” Rex Ryan

Love him or hate him, New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is a colorful character and a defensive genius.

While this is far from Ryan’s first trip to the post season, Rex was on the 2000 Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens coaching staff, it is his first as the captain of the ship.

Going into his first post season as a head coach, Ryan’s own inexperience could ultimately be a factor that plays against the Jets.

It’s a game of inches which means even the tiniest sideline decision from Ryan could make or break this team on game day.

Don’t forget Ryan is also trying to buck history as no rookie head coach has ever made it to the big game…never mind winning it.

 

The Final Two Minutes

Here is another point no Jets fan wants to hear.

The Jets defense tends to forget that an NFL game consists of 60 minutes, not 58.

Our vaulted defense cost us three in the win column with late-game failures against the Dolphins, Jaguars, and Falcons.

Despite a litany of rookie mistakes by the young Mark Sanchez, the bottom line in each of those games was that we were winning and it was our defenses inability to make one more stop in the final minutes that cost us dearly.

The loss to Atlanta really stands out. Everyone admitted that they knew exactly which play Atlanta was going to run, they knew it was going to Gonzalez and yet…

The return of Bengals RB Cedric Benson will come into play here.

Benson gives the Bengals offense a little more balance, helping to prolong drives. Benson has run for a team record six 100-yard games this year and, if he proves to be a factor, could wear our defensive stars down.

Should the game come down to a final defensive stand, will the Bengals be facing the number 1 defense in the league or the defense that gave away three games in the final moments?

 

The Mental Game

By nearly all accounts, the Bengals state of mind is being called into question.

Can they over come the beat down suffered at the hands of these same Jets?

Has the tragic loss of WR Chris Henry deflated them?

Honestly, I don’t believe that the Bengals will over come the mental aspect of all those factors, especially having lost the last three out of four games to end the season.

There is, however, a flip side to this you must consider.

With all the negative attention, this team has quite a lot to prove to itself, its’ fans, the media, and the football world at large.

This team could very well show up with a very large chip on their shoulders, channeling all their energy, focus, and emotions into a supreme effort against the Jets. It’s one of the intangibles of the game that may come out to bite us.

On the flip-side, you have to worry about over-confidence.

An over-confident Jets team could spell disaster for our playoff run as well.

Over-confident players tend to over look their opponents and despite all the negatives faced by the Bengals, they are a professional, playoff football team.

Overlook them at your own peril.

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Raiders Reload Musket: Al Davis Continues to Make His Team Irrelevant

Al Davis is staring down the barrel of another offseason that begins with the organization at square one.

The previous five offseasons that have come since the firing of Bill Callahan have amounted to nothing of significance.

The Oakland Raiders have managed to make no improvement over seven years of attempted reloading. I say reload because Davis does not rebuild. He does not have the patience for it.

It should be painfully obvious to him now that the fans have no patience for the continually bad product that he puts onto the field each year. Attendance is down, support is down, and confidence is nonexistent.

A Raider Nation that had previously returned each year with enough of an appetite to gut the buffet of sub-mediocrity that Davis cooked up has reached its fill this year. Raiders home attendance dropped from an average of 57,850 down to 44,284 disappointed fans per game. The fans have spoken, and they hope that Davis had his hearing aid turned up.

Only a few days into the new offseason, and things are already looking bleak. It would have been a refreshing change to see the kind of swift action that took place in Washington D.C.

One day after season’s end, the administrative powers that steer the Redskins had dumped the kindly Jim Zorn. Day two saw the addition of Mike Shanahan, and bright and early on day three, he was marched in front of the media to be introduced as the new head coach.

This is not the first stroke of football genius to occur in the capital. In mid-December, Dan Snyder realized his limitations and brought on Bruce Allen as general manager.

Snyder, like Davis, has been a maverick insistent on running his team with his own hands. However, the consistently bad performance of his team forced him to swallow some of his pride and bring in some help.

Al Davis must follow suit and learn to adapt. He must realize that his usual approach does not work. Davis needs to focus on adding new weapons in the front office.

There are those willing to help. Take Rich Gannon, for example. The former field general of the Silver and Black (and the last one of note) has recently reached out to Davis. Gannon has attempted to close the rift that opened when he spoke out against the organization and that opened wider when Davis sought to ban him from an Oakland game.

“I picked up the phone and I reached out to Al Davis. So I called Mr. Davis, I have not spoken with him yet, but I’m happy to help out in any way I can. I’d love to help JaMarcus Russell if he wants help. I’d love to help Tom Cable and that organization. It’s important,” Gannon said on his Sirius NFL Radio show Wednesday.

Imagine the possibilities if Davis took a look at the man in the mirror and decided to make that change. Instead, a quick rebuff from Raiders spokesman John Herrera essentially spat in the face of Gannon and his good intentions.

“When he goes on a radio show offering Mr. Davis help, Tom Cable help, the Raiders help, maybe it’s Rich that needs the help,” Herrera said in response.

Al Davis will never end the dysfunction. Things will never be as they should in Oakland. However, his rebellious antics used to help his team win.

In an alternate reality, where Davis’ insanity brings success to Oakland, here’s how things could go this offseason:

1. Davis delivers a roundhouse kick to Dan Snyder’s face and forces him to surrender the rights to Bruce Allen. Davis then appoints Allen as his GM.

2. Allen brings back Jon Gruden, and together they assemble a new coaching staff. Davis awards Gruden with a contract that gives him the freedom he needs to correct the ship. 

3. John Madden is brought into the front office to keep Davis company. He helps ease Davis into the role of the silent owner by keeping him distracted with tales of the good ol’ days. 

4. JaMarcus is canned. Richard Seymour, Sebastian Janikowski, and Bruce Gradkowski are re-signed. 

5. The 2010 draft addresses needs, and no picks are wasted on physical specimens without ball skills. 

6. Allen and Gruden scour free agency for hard-working role players and forego the big names that come with even bigger baggage. 

7. Raider Nation returns in droves to the Coliseum to support a functional team.

I would even settle for retaining Tom Cable, hiring a new offensive coordinator, and No. 4 from above.

However, these last few years have taught me better, and I see things turning out much worse for the once great franchise. It is more likely for Davis to fire Cable and replace him with any poor sap foolish enough to take the job, keep JaMarcus on as the starter, continue to call his own shots, and produce another pile of excrement to dump onto the field in 2010.

Al Davis is a rebel. He will continue to combat modern organizations carrying only his rusty musket.

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Josh Cribbs Formally Requests Trade

The agent for Browns WR/KR, Josh Cribbs, has confirmed his client’s desire to be traded.

Under new direction (Mike Holmgren), the Brown’s front office has reportedly offered Josh Cribbs a feeble raise to just $1.4 million per year, which Cribbs and his agent apparently scoffed at.

“If they had offered even something like $2.5 million per season we could have worked with them,” Cribbs’ agent, J.R. Rickert said.

Cribbs amassed more than 2,000 total yards for Cleveland in 2009, while returning three kicks for touchdowns, and bringing a punt back the distance as well.

Cribbs became more involved in the offense than in the past, also, as he racked up 381 yards on the ground out of Cleveland’s version of the Wildcat, while adding 135 yards through the air, along with two more total touchdowns.

No longer a one-dimensional threat, Cribbs appears to be well worth the money he and his agent are asking for, and they are intent on getting it.

Rotoworld.com suggest the Miami Dolphins as an initial trading partner, as the two teams were reportedly discussing a potential trade before the trade deadline earlier this season.

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2010 NFL Power Rankings: Playoff Edition

You can never learn anything if you don’t retrace your steps.

That’s why, instead of merely assessing each team’s standing in the rankings for the final Power Rankings of the season, this writer is looking back to Week One, both to judge the teams that failed us, as well as the writer’s original thoughts on the team.

The original 2009 Week One NFL Power Rankings can be found here.

Take a look at where each team was and then take a look at where it finished on the season.

 

1. Indianapolis Colts (14-2)

They only lost because they sat their starters. They don’t drop from the top spot. Not a chance.

2. San Diego Chargers (13-3)

Make it 11 straight wins. Is it just me, or is this the 2008 Colts all over again?

3. Minnesota Vikings (12-4)

The Vikings finished on a terrific note and showed that they impose their will on others on both sides of the ball when they’re clicking. The week off should do them some good.

4. Dallas Cowboys (11-5)

They get Philly for the second straight week. Ouch. Good thing it’s at home.

5. New Orleans Saints (13-3)

Three straight losses to end the season? Yikes. They’ll need every bit of that first round bye to remember what it was like to win a game.

6. Green Bay Packers (11-5)

They’re a hot team with seven wins in their last eight games. But do you think their inexperience will show against a Cardinals team that was in the Super Bowl last year? I do.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)

There’s no denying their solid defense and explosive offense, but something isn’t right about this team. They can’t be too confident about going back to Dallas, the same place they just got shut out of in Week 17.

8. New England Patriots (10-6)

Losing Wes Welker sums up this entire season. This team has either disappointed or simply been underwhelming all season long. Still, with Tom Brady and Randy Moss, you just can’t count them out.

9. Arizona Cardinals (10-6)

Why do I get the feeling that Ken Whisenhunt didn’t try too hard against the Packers in Week 17?

10. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6)

Is there even an inkling of a chance that the Jets blow them out of the water this week? Nah.

11. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)

If you take a close look at every game they’ve played, this team could easily be 15-1 if things went a little bit differently. The Patriots should be at least a little afraid.

12. New York Jets (9-7)

Mark Sanchez endured a trying rookie season. Now it’s over. His second season starts in the playoffs, and we’re about to find out if he learned anything in those previous 17 weeks.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)

It was a nice run, but as the old adage says: Too little, too late.

14. Houston Texans (9-7)

Congratulations to Gary Kubiak for getting Houston its first winning season, and for keeping his job. For now.

15. Atlanta Falcons (9-7)

They closed out the season in strong fashion, reminding next year’s competition that if it weren’t for some injuries and the fact that they faced the Saints twice, they could be in the playoffs.

16. Carolina Panthers (8-8)

John Fox and his staff are back for at least one more year after a strong finish. Just cross your fingers that he’s sticking with the impressive Matt Moore and not Jake Delhomme.

17. Tennessee Titans (8-8)

After starting 0-6, reaching 8-8 is like getting to the Super Bowl. Vince Young has fought his way back to the top. Now let’s just see if he can hold on in 2010.

18. San Francisco 49ers (8-8)

They finished the season strong and know now that Alex Smith is their guy. Whether he can get them to the playoffs, however, is a whole different debate.

19. Miami Dolphins (7-9)

It’s never easy when you play in the AFC. Injuries and inconsistency killed Miami down the stretch, but they still showed they can play with just about anybody. They’ll be back in the hunt for their division next season.

20. Chicago Bears (7-9)

It was nice to see Jay Cutler and the offense play like they did in the past two weeks. Now, if he could only get some real weapons.

21. Denver Broncos (8-8)

Two four-game losing streaks show how inconsistent this team really is. But don’t lay it all on Josh McDaniels. The rookie head coach turned a lot of heads with his strong philosophy.

22. New York Giants (8-8)

Tom Coughlin has to be on the hot seat once again after a collapse like that.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-9)

The Jags lose four straight to drop out of the playoff race, and Jack Del Rio gets his job? I’ve never seen a coach do so little to earn so much.

24. Buffalo Bills (6-10)

Perry Fewell and the rest of the coaching staff are gone. It’s time for a complete overhaul on the offensive side of the ball.

25. Cleveland Browns (5-11)

Was a four-game winning streak enough to save Eric Mangini’s job? It probably shouldn’t be. The addition of Mike Holmgren shows this team is finally serious about winning.

26. Oakland Raiders (5-11)

The big question mark continues to be at quarterback. Does Al Davis dare draft another passer in the first round?

27. Kansas City Chiefs (4-12)

They ended the season on a high note with an impressive offensive performance. That Jamaal Charles is something special.

28. Seattle Seahawks (5-11)

Matt Hasselbeck can’t get it done anymore. If this team wants to win in the next two to three years, they need to move in another direction at quarterback.

29. Washington Redskins (4-12)

Firing Jim Zorn was the right move. So was bringing in Mike Shanahan. Two good moves in a row for the Redskins? This is unheard of.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13)

Raheem Morris was retained for good reason. He developed a young team into a competitive bunch and turned a young quarterback into a solid performer. They’ll be better next season.

31. Detroit Lions (2-14)

They won two more game than they did last season. Getting that winning feeling was step one. Now it’s all about the development of Matthew Stafford.

32. St. Louis Rams (1-15)

They need a quarterback badly. Steven Jackson can’t keep doing it on his own.

 

For more NFL news and articles, go here.

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Packers-Cardinals: NFC Wild Card Game at a Glance

When the Green Bay Packers (11-5) take the field in Glendale to face the Arizona Cardinals (10-6) on Sunday, it will mark the 73rd meeting of these two franchises.

This rivalry, one of the oldest in the NFL, began back in 1921 when the Cardinals were in Chicago. That game ended in a 3-3 tie.

From that first meeting in 1921 through last week’s Packer victory over the Cardinals in week 17 of the 2009 season, the Packers own an all time 45-23-4 edge in the series. The Packers are 27-9 at home and 18-14-4 as the visiting team.

The teams have only met in the playoffs once before, following the strike shortened 1982 season when the Cardinals were in St. Louis. The Packers won that first round playoff game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, 41-16. The 41 points scored in that game is a Packers franchise playoff record.

This will be Green Bay’s 25th playoff appearance and the Cardinals’ eighth playoff appearance in franchise history. The Packers have won 12 NFL titles while the Cardinals have won two.

The Packers have reached the playoffs as a Wild Card team four times prior to this season in 1993, 1994, 1998, and 2001. The Packers are 3-1 in Wild Card games.

Summary:
Packers vs. Cardinals – University of Phoenix Stadium
Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010  

Kickoff:
3:40 p.m. CST

Television:
FOX Sports -Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, Pam Oliver, Chris Myers

Line:
Arizona   -1 1/2

Prediction:
Green Bay – 28
Arizona – 23

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Eagles VS. Cowboys Wild Card Defensive Preview

I would have done a defensive recap for the game last Sunday, but there was no defense played. So I’ve decided to do a defensive preview for  Philly today, and an offensive preview for them tomorrow. Although you all know I am an Eagles fan, I am going to be as unbiased as possible, also at the end of this article I will answer a few of the questions you asked me via email. So, let’s begin:

Sean McDermott called, by my count, 3 blitzes in the first half. Each of these 3 blitzes were against the pass, and each of them were effective. However, to all of you that asked me “why didn’t McDermott blitz more often?” it is because of the Cowboys running the draw play, and screens, which effectively nullify any hopes of a positive outcome for the blitzing team. But I have already explained this in an earlier article, so I won’t worry about doing it again.

The most obvious thing that needs to be done is putting pressure on Romo, and that comes from putting pressure on the offensive line.

You can read the rest of this article here.

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