Wes Welker’s Knee and Patriots Playoff Hopes Have One Thing in Common

They’re shredded.

I’m not saying the Patriots can’t win the playoffs, but to do so would be a feat on par with what the 2007 Giants pulled off during their improbable run to the title.

Now, this is not a knee-jerk reaction (tell me you saw that one coming).

This is a simple fact: the Patriots, already on shaky ground to begin with entering the playoffs, now have to attempt to outscore teams without their most potent weapon.

This is for one reason and one reason only: blitz protection.

The Patriots do not have an offensive line that is so talented that it can swallow up extra pass rushers. Not many teams in the NFL do.

Most offensive lines live with the fact that if a team brings more than six rushers, there’s going to be one free guy. In an 11-on-11 sport, that means there’s an open receiver that the quarterback has to find and hit before he gets pancaked.

Teams can disguise coverages, they can use a running back or tight end to block, but generally it comes down to five or six trying to block six or seven, and it’s up to the quarterback to hit his hot read.

Wes Welker was that hot read.

Brady can get rid of the ball extremely quickly, but the issue now is that teams can blitz Brady on any and all passing downs and know that, even if Brady finds Julian Edelman, they’re going to get a nice big hit on a guy with, reportedly, three broken ribs and a broken ring finger.

Now, Belichick vehemently disputed the report today, going so far as to truly level Charlie Casserly’s reputation when asked about Brady’s ribs. The Providence Journal’s Shalise Manza Young confirmed the report, though ESPN’s Adam Schefter said his source put Brady’s broken ring finger as his biggest worry.

It’s impossible to truly know, although if Brady’s got broken ribs and the Patriots aren’t saying, that’s a big league issue. For the purposes here, we’ll just assume the ring finger is broken, and he’s banged up regardless.

Still, Baltimore’s gameplan will most likely look an awful lot like what former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan brought out in week two when the Patriots were in a similar situation: Brady looking shaky and playing hurt, the offensive line without key personnel, and no Wes Welker.

The Jets responded by doing what they’ve done most of this year. They brought bags of pressure, extra blitzers, and survived on man coverage against New England’s receiving corps.

The Ravens don’t have a Darrelle Revis to play shutdown corner on Randy Moss, but the Patriots also don’t have a potent second weapon to make the Ravens think twice about Ed Reed staying in Randy Moss’ back pocket all game.

It all comes down to what the Patriots can do without Welker. Edelman is a reasonable facsimile of the little slot man, and the yardage will certainly be there for him. The issue is whether or not those yards come in key situations, when the Ravens bring a third down blitz and the first down is what matters.

Edelman was productive against Houston and in his first start against the Jets, but productivity alone won’t be enough. He needs to get those yards at the right time for New England to succeed and keep his quarterback on his feet.

Long story short: the Ravens are going to try and hit Brady, and hard.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that Baltimore will walk away from Gillette Stadium with a victory, mind you. The issue here is that Brady will take a pounding on Sunday, win or lose.

The key to the Patriots going anywhere in the playoffs will rely entirely on their ability to keep the Ravens on their back foot.

They’re going to have to pull all the old tricks out of the bag: bubble and tight end screens, short slant routes, a lot of draw and delay run plays, and try and run the ball until the play action becomes an effective way to get Randy Moss the ball in space.

If they can do that, they can move the ball on this Ravens team, at a penalty. Depending on how serious the injuries to Brady are, he may wake up on Monday morning wishing they were staying home for the winter.

The key to the New England offense will end up being the success of their run game and their ability to utilize their tight ends.

Over the past few weeks, they’ve done that much more than in the past, working in more power running sets and passing out of two tight end formations.

They’ve also gotten the ball to their tight end much more in 2009 than in the previous two seasons. Benjamin Watson had just 22 receptions and two touchdowns in 14 games in 2008, yet managed 29 receptions for five touchdowns in just 12 games this season.

On top of that, New England has gotten the ball to veteran Chris Baker—an offseason acquisition who is a better blocker, though not quite as athletic, as Watson—on 14 pass plays this year, with two going for touchdowns.

But most important for this New England team may be their young defense. Brady can’t hang in there and keep getting hit, not if he’s carrying as many injuries as he seems to be.

Even though the offensive line is deeper than it seemed to be at the beginning of the year, it’s unlikely you’ll see the air-it-out four wide receiver sets too frequently this postseason.

It will be up to the young defenders like Brandon Meriweather, Jerod Mayo, and the more veteran guys like Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden to patch together a playoff run where they can’t expect to outscore every team 34-30.

With Welker likely out for the playoffs, Edelman perhaps not ready to be the same type of weapon, and Brady’s injury secret out, that may be their only chance in a playoff pool filled with great offensive teams.

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Did Brett Favre Really Stick it to the Green Bay Packers This Season?

Remember at the start of the regular season, the circulating story that Brett Favre really wanted to stick it to the Green Bay Packers? 

If you don’t, here is a little reminder.

Months before the regular season started, Brett Favre was set to play for the Vikings.  The contracts were signed, the deals were made, and the playbook had been exchanged into Favre’s hands. 

Packer fans booed, Viking fans cheered, and the rest of the NFL said, “Who really cares?”

That was about the extent of it.  Except for one minor fact.  Brett Favre remained spiteful about the way things were handled in his departure from Green Bay.  Stories were made, articles were written, and Brett Favre had apparently said that he would “love to stick it to the Packer nation.”

After a while this story died down, and the season began.  Week 4 was the first scheduled meeting of the Packers and Vikings, and all fans knew it would be a heated one.  The Packers barely showed up, and got beaten 23-20. 

A month later the teams went head-to-head again, and Green Bay fell in a close but ‘too little too late’-style loss 38-26 at Lambeau Field.

With all this behind us now, and knowing that Minnesota and Green Bay are in firm control of their destiny in the playoffs, did Brett Favre really stick it to the Packer nation?

Well, in a way he did.  His team that was arguably run by him, beat Green Bay twice in the season, and did it in emphatic fashion.  As impressive as that sounds, Green Bay wasn’t exactly sound offensively or defensively, as they were going through offensive line changes that seeked much-needed attention.

Still, it is no excuse.  The Vikings beat the Packers fair and square, and Favre of course came out of the Metrodome and Lambeau Field looking the better man.

What about stats though?

This is where the real story is told.

Overall team rushing, Green Bay is ranked No. 1, followed by none other than Minnesota.  Green Bay is of course ranked a high No. 2 in team defense, while Minnesota’s defense that was considered the best in the league for a period of time, has slipped off the rankings totally.

So far Brett’s promise hasn’t really lived up to expectations.  If anything, Ted Thompson and the Packers staff has stuck it to him.  Letting Brett go marked a day where Green Bay changed their organization for the future.  That future  basically turned into Aaron Rodgers, who has made a name for himself in the league within only two seasons of play.

The Packers and the Vikings could still meet up again this postseason.  Will Brett live up to his statement and ‘stick it’ to us?  I guess he could.  If that matchup does become a reality, Brett will have to rethink his gameplan though. Green Bay isn’t the walkover team that they once were at the start of the season.

 

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Mike Leach Rides Lubbock Railroad All the Way to NFL’s Oakland Raiders?

Fired Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach—who was terminated for allegedly punishing backup wide receiver Adam James for having a concussion—has been relatively quiet since giving his side of the story to ESPN’s Rece Davis. 

Things might be about to heat up as rumors are surfacing that Al Davis is considering Leach to replace head coach Tom Cable, who will apparently be fired as expected.

There is no confirmation yet for the other rumor that “sheds” have been ordered in small, medium, and Jamarcus sizes, perhaps Leach can borrow some from Lubbock.

Since Leach has said that he will always be a Raider, it does seem fitting that Leach would trade Texas Tech Red for Oakland Silver.  The new boss will likely not shy away from controversy if his history means anything. 

He also loves to innovate and the NFL hasn’t seen anything like Leach since June Jones took off for the Big Island.  With a strong-armed quarterback and the type of athletes Okland has on offense the Air Raid just might be able to drop some bombs in the Big League.  

This might get interesting, stay tuned. 

Update to a related story: In what might forever be known as the “Lubbock Railroad”, Leach and his attorney, Ted Liggett, have made it clear he intends to litigate the breach of contract dispute and possible wrongful termination.

As details emerge, the initial story—which sounded like the Blair Witch meets Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq—is beginning to look more like a minor disciplinary action taken by a coach against a young man with questionable motives, who was being used as an excuse for an administrative department at an university looking to carry out a year-long plan to rid itself of an outsider they no longer found useful. 

For starters, the “shed” Adam James—son of ESPN Analyst Craig James—was supposedly “locked” in, is factually an equipment garage that is large enough to hold two vehicles and other equipment—none of which were in the structure—and actually does not even have a lock—at the time.

Moreover, in affidavits released by the university—partly intended to offer evidence of the coaches’ “harsh” punishment—head athletic trainer Steve Pinnock makes it clear Leach did not actually choose the “shed”, only that James be secluded somewhere so that his “sensitive” eyes—at issue because James, whom Pinnock says was loafing and in violation of several team rules, wore inappropriate attire, including sunglasses to team practice—would not be bothered by sunlight.

Pinnock also says he did not agree with the use of the facility but players are sometimes placed in “training rooms” with dimmed lights.  On the second occasion, instead of the “shed” he was placed in a dark media room.

I’m not sure what architectural differences there are between a “dimmed” training room verses a “darkened” media room but when Mack Brown, Bob Stoops, Mike Gundy, and virtually any other coach that has visited Lubbock, along with the 50 or so press members that cover them use that very media room they do not complain of being tortured.

Well, they probably consider answering some of the questions torture but that’s another story.

Then there is the Blair Witch-type video released by the James family showing the young man in his street clothes supposedly “locked” in the electrical closet, which happens to be connected to the Media Room.

Again, someone is lying.  James is clearly in street clothes, yet Pinnock’s affidavit says he showed up for that practice in appropriate attire.  Moreover, Pinnock specifically told James NOT to go into the electrical closet.

So either James climbed through the ceiling tiles—if that’s even possible—and into the locker room, changed his clothes and climbed back into the Media Room and then disobeyed medical orders to take the “damaging” video or he is lying and took the video at another time in an attempt to corroborate his claims. 

Leach claims that James’ father, Craig James, is retaliating against Leach due to his displeasure with his son’s—who is so far down the depth chart that he will likely never start—lack of playing time.

His position coach Riley Skinner, who has been very critical of James’ efforts and attitude alluded to his entitlement due to his father’s position.

Speaking of his father’s position—how is a college football analyst assigned by the “leader in sports”, ESPN, to cover his own son’s college team?

The NCAA got all up in arms about former Ole Miss tackle, Michael Oher’s adoptive father, Sean Touey—an Ole Miss alum—having any contact with the program and this is OK?

What really seems to be at work—as shown by recently released emails—is that Texas Tech negotiated a long-term, heavily incentive laden contract with Mike Leach having no intent to actually fulfill the contract.

In fact, one of the emails said “when we fire him,” and “we will not have to pay his bonus”. Indeed, under the terms of the contract, had Leach been employed just one more day by Texas Tech he would be due $800,000.

Leach is still owed more than $12 million for the complete value of the contract.

It may take some time yet for all the facts to emerge but it is clear that the initial reports were far from the whole story.

Nonetheless, Texas Tech fans, such as the majority of the posters at Double T Nation , are not happy that their beloved “Captain” as the affectionately call him, has been railroaded by a corrupt administration in their view.

Jim Sowell—a former regent at Tech who was instrumental behind the scenes in the negotiation last year—said “I promise you our prospects of finding a better coach are far better than Mike’s prospects of finding a better job”.

Apparently Al Davis and the 51,000 Team Leach Pirates—A Facebook group that has been growing by thousands every day since it was established—disagree.

Photo by: Lary Dilts

 

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2010 NFL Draft Player Profile: Sam Bradford

Like most college quarterbacks with the hype of Sam Bradford , it’s not a question of “if” he’ll be drafted in the first round, more a question of “where”.

Sure, the injuries Bradford sustained this season raise some minor questions about his durability and his immediate health, but are likely temporary hindrances in what appears to be a polished and refined NFL -ready game.

After declaring for the NFL Draft, we know for sure where Bradford will be before his name is called in April. Now it’s time to start thinking about where he’ll be after an NFL team calls his name.

Here’s a look at the positives and negatives of Bradford’s game as he prepares a transition to the professional stage, followed by a few teams that should be targeting him.

 

The Good

Statistically (short of the 2009 season), there are few quarterbacks that matchup with what Bradford did from 2007-2008. Over that span, he led an elite Oklahoma offense by throwing 86 touchdowns along with nearly 8,000 passing yards. Throw in his mere eight interceptions in each of those two seasons, and Bradford was a near lock to be the top pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Of course, it’s not just all about stats with Bradford. He shows great range on all his passes, while having the accuracy and arm to make every necessary throw at the next level.

His already adequate height and frame will only get bigger and stronger, which will hopefully help him rid of any durability concerns.

The level of competition he faces was regularly at a borderline elite level, and Bradford routinely showed up in big games.

Outside of his natural feel for the game and his solid athleticism, Bradford also holds exceptional command in the huddle and is one of the more confident and decisive leaders on the field.

He isn’t a project or the type of high-profile passer that will fade into an NFL career on the sidelines. As long as his health isn’t a major question, he’s bound to have a long, successful career in the NFL.

 

The Bad

While Bradford does have everything visible to the naked eye that an NFL quarterback needs, he still hasn’t been able to shake durability issues, and for good reason.

He was perfectly healthy in his first two seasons as a starter, so this really shouldn’t be an issue, but he suffered two injuries during the 2009 season, and considering they have to do with his shoulders, it raises some question marks.

Add in the fact that these aren’t necessarily “minor” injuries and that surgery was involved, and Bradford suddenly becomes a huge risk to a lot of NFL GM’s.

On top of his injury problems, Bradford needs to prove to scouts and GM’s that his stats weren’t padded in a system that caters to quarterbacks. Bradford operated mostly out of a spread offense, which aids a quarterback’s accuracy and doesn’t always demand them to make tough reads or passes.

If Bradford can prove that he’s healthy and that he can man an NFL offense with no great difficulty, he still has a good chance at being a top five pick, and isn’t even out of the running for the top pick in the draft.

 

Possible Suitors

The real question, as stated before, is more about where he’s going, rather than his ability to play or what round he’ll be taken in.

Bradford is a first round talent and should be on the radar for any and all NFL teams that are either desperate for a passer or actively looking for an upgrade.

While the Oakland Raiders may not want to take the plunge on another quarterback in the first round, they are clearly an option, as they have a slew of backup quarterbacks who will be fighting for the starting job in 2010.

With Marc Bulger getting older and battling injuries and Keith Null and Kyle Boller being less than impressive, the St. Louis Rams have to be the favorite to steal Bradford off the board.

Of course, teams such as the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, and Buffalo Bills should all be very interested in obtaining Bradford, while the Carolina Panthers could also figure into the mix.

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The NFL’s All Decade Defensive Team: 2000-20009

Following is the definitive defensive team of the decade for the years 2000-2009.

The defense was much more difficult to choose than the offense because there are so many deserving players and statistics are not as helpful in evaluating the impact of a player on the game. For example, a shut down cornerback does not get many interceptions because nobody wants to throw the ball his way and a stout defensive tackle doesn’t get credit for the havoc he wreaks allowing other players to get to the quarterback or ball carrier.

As for the offense, in some cases I am choosing several players for a position, for example I have four defensive ends, because all deserve to make the team. But I rank them in the order I would place them from starters to backups.

In other cases I name just one set of starters if those making the cut are deemed to be clearly better than their counterparts.

I only use statistics where needed when players are fairly close and it helps differentiate between contenders for key spots.

Fact checking was done using the following: NFL.com, 2009 NFL Record and Fact Book, Pro-Football-Reference.com, and Wikipedia.com.

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Best & Worst Case Scenarios of Every NFC Playoff Team

The NFL’s second season is about to begin, and the playoff picture could be described as muddled at best.

The No.1 seeds are a combined 1-5 over the last three weeks of the season.

The Patriots and Cardinals suffered injuries to key players in the final weeks.

The Jets and Cowboys, who looked like they were falling apart in early December, are suddenly hot topics.

Which teams can win the Super Bowl? Which ones are destined to be one and done? Let’s take a look at each team and their best and worst case scenarios heading into the postseason.

This is Part One, looking at the NFC.

No. 6 seed: Philadelphia Eagles

Before their meltdown against the Cowboys in the season finale, the Eagles had won six straight games and looked to be one of the league’s better teams. That makes their Dallas debacle even stranger.

There’s no doubt the Eagles are one of those teams that can get hot on offense. Donovan McNabb has a wealth of talent to distribute the ball to, and while their defense isn’t as formidable as it usually is, it’s still a solid unit.

Worst Case Scenario: The third time isn’t the charm as the Cowboys continue to flummox the Eagles. McNabb and company leave Dallas with more questions than answers as the Cowboys repeat last week’s blowout win.

Best Case Scenario: The Eagles repeat last year’s run to the NFC Championship, ruining Dallas’ resurgence and upsetting the falling Saints before finally losing to the Vikings. Team rides the postseason wave and becomes the divisional favorites next season.

 

No. 5 seed: Green Bay Packers

The Packers have lost only once since November 8, and that was on a last second play against the Steelers. In any other year, Aaron Rodgers would be an MVP candidate. His TD to INT ratio is over 4:1, better than any Favre-led Packer team.

On defense, the Packers have allowed no more than 14 points in five of the last six games. Charles Woodson may be having his best year after snatching a career high nine interceptions.

Worst Case Scenario: Rodgers and Kurt Warner stage an epic shootout with Warner getting the last drive and the win. The Packers go home too early.

Best Case Scenario: Both the Packers and Eagles earn upsets in the first round. The Packers travel to Minnesota and win one for Packer Nation. The upstarts fall in the NFC Championship game to New Orleans, but ride the postseason run to contender status in 2010.

 

No.4 seed: Arizona Cardinals

Haven’t we seen this movie before? Just like the 2008 Cardinals, the 2009 version goes into the post season with more questions than answers.

They’ve been blown out by San Francisco and Green Bay. They had an impressive win over Minnesota. Arizona has looked brilliant and bad all in the last month of the season.

Which team will show up in the playoffs? No one knows, probably not even the Cardinals.

Worst Case Scenario: Warner comes out absolutely flat. The defense has no answer for Rodgers and the Packers. Last year’s Cinderella goes out with merely a whimper this year in a disappointing blowout in front of the home crowd.

Best Case Scenario: Cinderella gets to wear her glass slipper. After disposing of the Packers, the Cardinals’ offense outshines New Orleans and Minnesota on the way to a second consecutive Super Bowl. They luckily avoid the Colts, the one team that matches up with the Cardinals very well offensively, and instead face the Chargers. The Cardinals finish the game and Warner retires a Super Bowl champion.

 

No. 3 seed: Dallas Cowboys

Three straight wins to end the season may not be an overly impressive streak, but the Cowboys are still one of the hottest teams at the start of the playoffs. Why? Because of the statement win they had against the Saints three weeks ago.

Sure, the Saints have since faced many issues, but at the time the Saints were the measuring stick to see what type of team the Cowboys had. Since that game, the Cowboys have yet to allow a point after dismantling divisional foes Washington and Philadelphia. 

The Cowboys have always had talent on both sides of the ball, but now they seem to finally be playing like it.

Worst Case Scenario: Tony Romo struggles to get on track as the playoff savvy Eagles stage an upset. Wade Phillips is fired the next day and Cowboy fans are left to wonder if this team will ever live up to expectations.

Best Case Scenario: The Cowboys drill the Eagles and then pressure Brett Favre into throwing away the divisional round game. Jerry Jones gets to host the NFC Championship game, and the Cowboys beat the Cardinals before a record-setting crowd. At the Super Bowl, America’s Team regains its crown, beating the Colts for the title.

 

No. 2 seed: Minnesota Vikings

There’s nothing like playing a reeling Giants team to cure what ails you. Did the victory over New York fix the problems that appeared during the 1-3 run the Vikings had in the previous weeks? Or did it mask the issues that could come back an haunt this team?

On paper, this team has everything you need to win a Super Bowl. Imposing defense. Solid rushing attack. Veteran quarterback. It remains to be seen if Minnesota can put it all together and look like the team that started the season 10-1.

Worst Case Scenario: The defense can’t pressure the quarterback. Adrian Peterson’s fumble problems continue, and Favre throws a costly interception late. And it’s all against the Packers. Favre announces his retirement within weeks of the loss, and all the fans have left of this season is Brad Childress.

Best Case Scenario: The Vikings exact revenge on the Cardinals while the Saints are upended by Green Bay. In an emotional game in front of the home crowd, Favre and the Minnesota offense beat the Packers for the third time this season. Then, the Vikings win twice in Miami, once with a Super Bowl victory, and again when Favre announces he’ll return in 2010 to defend the title.

 

No. 1 seed: New Orleans Saints

After their commanding victory over the Patriots in prime time, you would have found it hard to find anyone that didn’t believe they were the best team in football. But that was way back on November 30.

Since then, the Saints have lost three straight. They’ve shown flashes of life at times in those losses, but it’s hard to ignore that the Saints’ offense isn’t as potent as it was earlier in the season.

Still, they hold the top seed and they’ll be a tough outing for anyone that has to travel to the Super Dome.

Worst Case Scenario: The Saints’ inconsistencies continue in their opening playoff game. The Cardinals are the ones to show off their offensive prowess. A miracle season ends in disaster. With the Panthers looking good at the end of the season, even the divisional title defense has question marks.

Best Case Scenario: The team that drilled the Patriots does the same to the playoff field. Drew Brees proves his name belongs with the greats as he beats Warner, Favre, and Peyton Manning as the Saints give the greatest gift to the city of New Orleans, a Super Bowl championship.

Part Two: The AFC tomorrow.

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Why the Green Bay Packers Won’t Beat the Arizona Cardinals

Before this article grabs Green Bay fans by the wrists and drags them into the depths of painful , realistic punishment, let’s adore the facts.

Green Bay just beat the Arizona Cardinals. They did so handily, 33-7, and after winning seven of their last eight games, there really isn’t much to suggest a first-round exit.

If you truly believe that, you’re either a naive Cheesehead from Wisconsin, or you simply don’t follow the NFL .

After seeing the Minnesota Vikings beat the New York Giants and end any chances of the Cardinals obtaining a first-round bye, Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt “wizened up” (pun intended) and sat all of his offensive starters after less than a quarter of play.

What transgressed was the Green Bay Packers (who left their starters in for nearly the entire game) demolishing the Cardinals.

Add the soul-pounding victory by Green Bay with its other six victories out of its last eight games, and you’ve got a confident group of players and coaches on your hands.

But, really, are they that confident?

They’re going back to the same place they just played in less than a week. Only, this time they get the real deal.

The Cardinals saw what the Packers are capable of. They saw their offense going to work, how their defense works in its 3-4, and what tendencies Mike McCarthy and co. have.

They saw it all firsthand, and with extremely good seats, because after all, they were resting on the sidelines.

We all know that history itself isn’t working with the Packers, as (don’t have exact numbers), it has been increasingly more difficult for teams to either a) beat a team three times in the same season or b) beat a team in Week 17, and then turn around and do the same in the playoffs.

Add the fact that the Packers will be facing a completely different team than they just faced, while also taking their show back on the road, and they have some sizable odds stacked against them.

And we haven’t even gotten to the strategy side of this matchup.

There’s no doubt Green Bay can move and score the ball with the best of them. But Arizona says “Ditto” to that.

And on defense, both units offer vulnerability to the air attack, as evidenced by Green Bay’s embarrassing performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Ben Roethlisberger passed for more than 500 yards and three touchdowns.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have been inconsistent on defense, allowing the Tennessee Titans to march 99 yards for a game-winning touchdown in the last November game, and then standing tall at home in a physically dominating effort against the high-powered Minnesota Vikings.

Throw in that this is Aaron Rodgers’ (MVP candidate? ) playoff debut, that Mike McCarthy hasn’t done anything in the playoffs without Brett Favre, and that the Cardinals were in the Super Bowl last year, and you’ve got yourself a scary game if you’re a Packers fan.

Regardless of either team’s inconsistencies or high-powered offenses, it all comes back to Green Bay having to return to Arizona for a second consecutive week and come out with a victory in a do-or-die setting, something that is never easy.

But last week wasn’t the first time these two teams have faced this season. Green Bay also traveled to Arizona for their third preseason game, a contest in which they prevailed, 44-37.

That game, like these other two, was also on the road, and also had very little to do with Arizona’s “real” roster.

After two games with the 10-6 NFC West champions, the Packers will finally get a crack at the real defending NFC champs.

The only problem is, they’ll wish they hadn’t.

This article and more can be found here .

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Wild Card Weekend Predictions: Pats Have Something to Prove

It’s that great time of the year again. The football playoffs! This week, there are some great match-ups in wild card weekend, and there are many teams that have a lot to prove.

Now, let’s go over the matchups.

New York Jets @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals got spanked by the Jets in the final week of the season, but they had little or nothing to play for. The Bengals rested many of their starters and should look much more fresh this weekend. The Jets roasted the Bengals with the wildcat formation, and if the Bengals can’t put a stop to that they will be in trouble. But, the Jets haven’t had to face Cedric Benson or Chad Ochocinco yet.

Prediction-35-27 Bengals

Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots

After losing to the Giants in the Superbowl two years back, the Pats have never been the same. With a season ending injury to Tom Brady, the Patriots were kept out of the playoffs. With a healthy Brady, they have been better this year and have managed to make it. The injury to Wes Welker certainly hurts, but this is a more than capable offense. Now, Baltimore is a team that heavily relies on their defense, and with Tom Brady running the show look for the Ravens to have problems.

Prediction-42-21 Patriots

Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals

After giving the Cardinals a whooping in Week 17, fans are counting on the Packers winning this one by a landslide. Let me tell you something: Don’t bet on it. This Cardinals team has been the “underdog” of the playoffs before, and last year went all the way to the Superbowl. With a healthy Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, the Cards are a very good team. The Packers have an excellent defense and a great running back in Ryan Grant, but do they have what it takes to really beat this team when it counts?

Prediction-28-24 Cardinals

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys

To me, this is the best matchup on paper, out of all of the games. The Cowboys and Eagles are division rivals, and don’t seem to like each other too much. The Eagles didn’t put up much of a fight in Week 17 against the Cowboys. In fact, they failed to score a single point. Look for the Eagles to rebound, but will it be enough?

Prediction-21-17 Cowboys

I’m sure you are all looking forward to this weekend as am I. Be sure to read my next playoff predictions for the divisional round.

 

 

 

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Going Into 2010: Cleveland’s Running Game Breakdown

The 2009 season has officially come to a close for the Cleveland Browns. After a weak start and going 1-11, Cleveland finished the regular season at 5-11, an improvement on 2008.

A lot of injuries left a lot of questions going into the next season, but one thing that isn’t a question anymore is the talent of Jerome Harrison. So where does that leave the running game for 2010?

1. Jerome Harrison

Seventy-seven carries over the course of three seasons, had been the extent of his NFL career under Romeo Crennel. The fans were restless and up in arms yelling to get the ball to Harrison more, and had hoped that Crennel’s dismissal would mean more carries. In Eric Mangini’s first season however, it appeared that he again would be overlooked.

Then it happened, James Davis went on injured reserve, then Jamal Lewis went on injured reserve. And what occurred, low and behold, was the emergence of Jerome Harrison, finally.

This season Harrison ended up picking up 194 carries for 862 yards. Garnering a 4.4 yard per carry average. With that average, a mere 33 more touches would have earned him his first ever thousand yard season. Sadly enough, in seven of those games, he received less than 10 carries, and three games he didn’t even play in.

You really have to ask the question, oh my, what could have been huh?

Assuming next year he stays the same caliber, and believe me that he’ll only get better; if he gets even just 20 touches a game with that 4.4 average, he’ll wind up with 1408 yards.

Through all the concerns that he was too small and too fragile to be a featured back in the NFL, Jerome Harrison has answered that call defiantly to close out the 2009-2010 season.

2. James Davis

At Clemson, he came back for his senior season after being rated a second round draft pick, and suffered behind a recently NFL departed offensive line. Of course, splitting carries with CJ Spiller didn’t help his cause, and he went unnoticed in the NFL draft until the sixth round.

That changed when he was drafted to Cleveland however, where he dazzled with his speed and cuts in training camp, and big things were once again anticipated for him.

All the promise, all the hope, all the excitement, blown away with one post-practice drill and a trip to Cleveland’s overloaded injured reserve list.

Prior to that, Davis carried the ball 24 times for 186 yards in the preseason, and was expected to share time with Lewis while developing this season. Unfortunately, that shoulder injury put an end to all of that, leaving simply more questions about the state of the rushing game.

3. Chris Jennings

A nice surprise from the CFL and practice squad, Jennings had an average season as the short yardage back behind Harrison. While he has been sufficient in a fill-in role, I wouldn’t expect him to be on the active roster next year.

Jennings put up 220 yards on 63 carries, and posted a mediocre 3.5 yards. It may be worthwhile keeping him around, but a demotion to the practice squad appears to be in his future. At 24 years old, he still has a lot of room to develop.

4. Free Agency

Free agency this year could bring another running back to Cleveland. Mike Holmgren doesn’t look down on signing higher-profile free agents, like Mangini does, which may be a good or bad thing. So with that bit of knowledge, three running backs jump out on the 2010 UFA list.

-LenDale White, 25, Tennessee: With Chris Johnson further establishing himself as an elite running back in the NFL, White becomes expendable, and will probably test the market as a featured back.

-Mike Bell, 27, New Orleans: Bell has a great comeback season this year replacing the role of Duece McAllister, but with Pierre Thomas to re-sign this offseason also, it’s possible Bell won’t be back next year as a Saint. Testing the waters of free agency could see him land as a starter somewhere else.
 
-Chester Taylor, 30, Minnesota: The only reason Taylor is a backup is that he has the misfortune, or fortune depending how you look at it, of being on a team with Adrian Peterson. Taylor still has a few good years left in his legs and could be great in any team’s backfield rotation.

5. Draft

In the first official mock draft with the finalized top ten draft order, Todd McShay now predicts CB Joe Haden to make his way to the shores of Lake Erie with the number seven overall pick.

Getting Joe Haden’s abilities opposite of Eric Wright would become arguably the most shut-down corner combination in football, especially given their tendencies for interceptions. In Ryan’s 46 defense, man to man cornerback coverage is vital, assuming Holmgren doesn’t turn it to a 4-3.

With Harrison’s emergence, there really is no true reason to take a running back with the first or second round pick this year. There are way too many other priorities this year to gamble on a running back that early, the secondary and offensive line need too much help.

In the later rounds though, it doesn’t seem out of the question.

-Toby Gerhart, Stanford: Expected to go in the second to third round by draft experts, if Gerhart falls to the third round he would be a steal for any team. Gerhart has great power, toughness, and intelligence.

-Montario Hardesty, Tennessee: Also projected to be a third round pick, Hardesty has great speed, power, and his spin move is unrivaled. If Gerhart isn’t available, Hardesty is the best mid-round option.

Either option would seal the running game for Cleveland in 2010.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Raiders: Arr Mateys—Is Al Davis Seeking Treasure In Mike Leach?

First Mike Leach gets fired from Texas Tech, and now he’s purportedly being sought after by Al Davis to replace Tom Cable as head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

See what happens when you lock players up in a closet, allegedly?

To get an opportunity to coach in the NFL could be the dream of any head coach.  This, however, is the Oakland Raiders we are talking about here.  This dream is more like a nightmare.

First, Lane Kiffin disagreed with Al Davis about drafting JaMarcus Russell, and now it seems that Tom Cable feels that Russell is the primary reason for the Raiders failure to reach the playoffs.

Maybe Cable wants to be put out of his misery.

I can see it now.  Here comes the 1970s overhead projector, the transparencies, and the great oratory in another classic Al Davis press conference.

“Cable, just like I told that liar Kiffin—get over it!”

Then comes the conversation Al Davis has with his new swashbuckler, Mike Leach.

Davis: Matey!  Arrr—life’s pretty good, and why wouldn’t it be?  I’m a pirate after all!

Leach: Aye!  I love pirates.  May I call you Blackbeard, sir?

Davis: Matey! You may call me Mr. Davis.  Do I have a Black Beard?

Leach: Arrrr—eleven men on the dead man’s chest!  Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

Priceless.

Seriously, would Mike Leach consider taking the job if it were offered?  He is quirky enough to consider it, and he may attempt to put Al Davis in a dark closet and forget about him.

That may be exactly what the NFL needs.

A pirate-lover as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders.  A match made in heaven?

“It’s not every day you get to make a pirate movie, you might as well go for it.”

How will this movie end?  Al Davis has threatened not to retire unless he wins two more Super Bowls or dies.

“Dead men don’t bite.”

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

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