I've made fun of the Raiders a lot, and the Browns a few times, and even the Bills. But I don't think enough has been said, anywhere, abut the sad state of the St. Louis Rams.
The Rams have come full-circle in my lifetime as a football fan. They were terrible when I was younger, then they became really good and Super Bowl champions, and now they've become terrible again. I think the biggest mistake this franchise made was making Mike Martz the head coach. He was the natural successor to Dick Vermeil as the offensive coordinator, but he was not a good head coach. Martz just didn't care enough about the small things. His teams were always undisciplined, he was careless with his use of timeouts, and he wasn't afraid to let his QB get killed if it meant getting as many receivers out into pass patterns as possible. I will say this for Martz; the man knows offense. There are rumors that the Bears are considering him for their offensive coordinator, and I'm a bit scared by that. He could definitely take Jay Cutler and turn him back into a top-flight passer.
But anways, the point is that Martz was the wrong guy to sustain the success of the Rams. After 2001, the Rams steadily declined and he was fired at midseason in 2005. But that was only the beginning of the decline for the Rams. The drafts under Martz were pretty bad. Trung Canidate, Adam Archuleta, Ryan Pickett (who became good...for the Packers), Robert Thomas, Jimmy Kennedy, Steven Jackson and Alex Barron were the first round picks under Martz. Only Jackson and Barron have lasted with the Rams, only Jackson is a true star in this league.
But the 2006 draft is where the train really went off the tracks. Tye Hill, Joe Klopfenstein, Claude Wroten, Jon Alston, Dominique Byrd (Klopfenstein and Byrd were both TEs; anytime a team takes two TEs in the first three rounds, you know it's an epic disaster), Victor Adeyanju (I don't know how to pronounce it either), Marques Hagans, Tim McGarigle, Mark Setterstrom, and Tony Palmer. Those were the draft picks for the Rams in 2006, and that was the draft that firmly set in motion three consecutive top-2 draft picks. They got literally nothing out of this draft.
And you look at the work they've done since then in the draft and that's not real inspiring either. I think they've had the right idea by investing in the lines (Adam Carriker and Chris Long on the defensive line, Jason Smith at OT), it just hasn't worked out. They haven't hit on a mid-round pick since O.J. Atogwe back in 2005. I mean...this team is bad, and it doesn't look like there's a lot of potential waiting in the wings. Donnie Avery at WR, maybe?
They also probably made a mistake by investing so heavily in Marc Bulger. I used to like Bulger a lot, and he was good at one time, but as the years have gone by, it's pretty obvious he can't stay healthy for an entire season, which is something of a prerequisite for a starting QB you're going to invest heavily in. And when he has played, Bulger hasn't been very good the past few years. Part of that is the bad supporting cast (Torry Holt went from really good to washed up faster than Jason Alexander), and part of that is that Bulger just hasn't played well. And by investing so heavily in Bulger, they've bypassed both Matt Ryan and Mark Sanchez in the past two drafts. The jury is still out on those two QBs, but I think the Rams would feel better with either of those two than they do about Bulger. And now they have the #1 pick in a draft where there probably isn't a QB worth taking #1 overall (I love Jimmy but he's probably not #1 overall material).
It's rather appalling to see the lack of talent the Rams have. None of their QBs threw more than 5 TDs last season. Donnie Avery led the team with 589 receiving yards. Their kicker (Josh Brown) made less than 80% of his kicks while playing his home games in a dome. Their leading sacker was Leonard "you're still in the league?" Little with 6.5, followed by Chris Long, followed by James "YOU'RE still in the league?" Hall. Their corners intercepted zero, count them zero, passes last season. If you were to rate the Rams on a star system like recruiting sites do, it would look something like this:
5 stars - Steven Jackson
4 stars - O.J. Atogwe, Marc Bulger (maybe), Jason Smith (purely on potential), Chris Long (same), James Lauranitis (actually had a nice rookie season), Alex Barron (maybe), Donnie Jones (actually a good punter)
3 stars - Donnie Avery, Leonard Little
2 stars or less - everyone else
That's 10 players I listed as 3 stars or better, which is absurdly low. The Raiders may be bad, but they have McFadden, Fargas, Bush, Mario Henderson, Gallery, Zach Miller, Louis Murphy, Chaz Schilens, Greg Ellis, Tommie Kelly, Kirk Morrison, Thomas Howard, Nnamdi Asomugha, Janikowski and Lechler that I would rate as 3 stars or better.
Because the Rams have had so many bad drafts in a row, it will take years for them to become a playoff team again. And while I think everyone realizes they're a bad team, it doesn't seem like they receive the same level of humiliation that teams like the Lions, Browns and Raiders do. I think it's because the Rams are simply a bad football team, whereas the Lions have been historically bad (0-16) while the Raiders have been comically bad (Al Davis, JaMarcus Russell, Darrius Heyward-Bey), and the Browns have been some mix of both. In other words, there's something fun about the badness of those teams. There hasn't been anything fun about the downfall of the Rams, though. Nothing to laugh at, nothing to be historically invested in, just a lot of bad football.
Imagine being a Rams fan right before the 2001 Super Bowl, when it looks like they're going to blow out the weak Patriots to win their 2nd Super Bowl in 3 years, and it looks like the good times will never end. Let this be a lesson; don't hand over a Super Bowl-caliber team to someone as unstable as Mike Martz. He might do something crazy like draft Trung Canidate in the first round, and set the wheels in motion for a 1-15 2009 season.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A few random complaints on a lazy Sunday night
* NFL Network is showing highlights of past Super Bowls, and right now it's the Panthers-Patriots Super Bowl from 2003. I went into that game the only person in America who firmly believed the Panthers would win (Stephen Davis, Steve Smith, Muhsin Muhammad, Jordan Gross, Julius Peppers, Kris Jenkins, Mike Rucker, Dan Morgan, Will Witherspoon, Mike Minter, John Kasay...that Panthers team had good players, and nobody seemed to realize it). Anyways, at the end of the first half, the Patriots scored a TD, and then squibbed the ensuing kickoff, which the Panthers returned to midfield. The short field allowed them to get in position for a 50-yard field goal, which Kasay hit to end the half.
My question is, why is the squib kick even a part of football strategy? I mean, okay, so you don't want to give up a long return, and this helps negate that. But how many times do you see a short squib kick that the return team brings back to midfield? All the time. It drives me, and I'm sure every other football fan, crazy. Why are we giving them such a short field? All year long I've felt that NFL teams should employ kicking the ball out of bounds, rather than squib kicking, as a strategy. Most squib kicks get returned to the 40 at least anyways, so why not just kick it out of bounds and not even risk something worse happening?
It just drives me nuts to see a team defend the opposing team's return game all game long, and then they decide to squib kick it and sacrifice a short field for the elimination (hopefully) of a long return. What are you so scared of? Kickoff returns for TDs don't happen that often; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't have a single kickoff return for TD in their history until last season, I believe. Kickoff returners flame out quicker than any other position in sports. Remember Dante Hall? That lasted half a season. Devin Hester? Daniel Manning returns kicks for the Bears now. Explosive returns just don't happen that often; the problem is, we remember them vividly when they do.
But okay, there are times when you absolutely do not want a long kickoff return against you. Why not, then, just kick it out of bounds? This absolutely eliminates the possibility of a long return, plus it eliminates the possibility of the opposing team taking the squib kick back to the 45 or 50. The squib kick just seems stupid to me, and if you really want to eliminate the long return, then don't dick around with it and just kick it out of bounds. It'll look weak and pathetic, but it is 100% effective.
* Why is that the Pro Bowl rosters aren't broken down completely by position? And by that I mean, why aren't left tackles differentiated from right tackles? Left guards from right guards, weakside linebackers from strongside linebackers, etc. Am I the only one bothered by the fact that the AFC had nothing but left tackles on their roster? Left tackles and right tackles are clearly not the same position. They're both offensive lineman, but that's about the only similarity. When teams acquire offensive tackles, they don't view the positions as being interchangeable. Korey Stringer, for instance, was a good right tackle but I don't think the Vikings ever would have considered moving him to the left side. So why can't we differentiate for the Pro Bowl? Why do Joe Thomas and Jake Long get selected as starters when they play the same position? This is stupid.
Another thing that bothered me was seeing all of the pass-rushing LBs in the Pro Bowl. I don't think a single outside linebacker in the Pro Bowl was someone with actual coverage responsibilities with his team. James Harrison, Lamarr Woodley, Brian Orakpo, DeMarcus Ware...they may be good at what they do, but OLBs have other responsibilities besides rushing the passer. I just wish if we were truly honoring the best of the best (and with the Pro Bowl we're really not, but humor me), that we'd be truly specific about it to properly honor the players. OLBs in the Pro Bowl shouldn't simply be 3-4 pass rushers, just like offensive tackles shouldn't simply be the ones who play on the left side.
And if you wanted to really get picky, it's stupid to compare Wes Welker to, say, Brandon Marshall, because Welker spends his entire time playing out of the slot, while Marshall never plays in the slot. And you know what? I do want to get that picky. Maybe I'm a nerd about this stuff, but I appreciate when players are properly honored. 3rd down backs, blocking TEs, nickel corners, slot receivers, let's compare apples to apples here.
* I never wrote about this about the time, because I'm not in baseball mode yet, but I was very happy to see Zach Grienke and his mere 16 victories win the Cy Young. Maybe, just maybe, we're finally getting past juding pitchers by wins and losses. I mean seriously, how stupid is this? Can Zach Grienke control how many runs his team scores? The AL has the DH, so you can't even say he has a slight hand in that. The Royals are terrible, it's a freaking miracle he even won 16 games, and he was defnitely the best pitcher in the AL. Good to see the baseball writers overlook wins and actually search for the truly best pitcher in the league. Nothing will ever atone for giving Bartolo Colon a Cy Young over Johan Santana, but this is a start.
And also, the further and further we get away from it, the worse and worse Justin Morneau's MVP looks. It's pretty clear that Joe Mauer is, was and will always be (at least until his bat slows down) the AL MVP. A catcher who hits like that, and is also good defensively (unlike Piazza), is so unbelievably valuable that he should just be the default choice. Victor Martinez is also a good hitting catcher, but he's not very good defensively and plays some first and DHs. Mauer is the complete package, and for the Twins to get that production from that position is incredible. As good as Morneau is, good-hitting first baseman aren't exactly hard to find. See, this is where the idea of "value" comes in. Morneau was good, but the Twins weren't (and aren't) getting that much more production out of 1B than most teams get. But they are getting an incredible amount more from the C position than most teams. And frankly, even though I pretty much hate the man, Derek Jeter would have been a better MVP choice that season. He had a really good season and did it as a SS, another position that generally doesn't provide great offensive production (as the Twins, for instance, know all about).
Does this mean that only players at a difficult defensive position who provide offense can win the MVP? Not necessarily, but I do think players at the power positions (1B, corner OF, DH) should be held to a higher standard. When Barry Bonds was OPSing about a million...okay, he's a corner OF who would move better in a wheelchair but that's insane. Justin Morneau didn't do anything special for a 1B; Jeter and Mauer were pretty rare for their positions.
* Oh, I should also mention that even though I talked about the Pro Bowl, it really is a joke. Do you realize Antoine Winfield was invited to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement? He backed out also due to injuries, but this is insane. Winfield was injured around midseason, missed about 6 games, and then when he came back was totally ineffective. Steve Smith killed him. Devin Aromashadu killed him. The Vikings had to put him in the slot and start Benny freaking Sapp just to stop the bleeding. And he got invited to the Pro Bowl. If you're going to take a Viking corner this season it's obviously Cedric Griffin, but he's not a Pro Bowl performer either.
And then the actual game...I only saw a few plays but it was embarrassing. I saw Elvis Dumervil have a chance at a free shot on Tony Romo, but he let up and simply put his hands in the air. This is football? Watching Jared Allen half-heartedly rush the passer is not something I need to see. Can we just cancel this game already?
My question is, why is the squib kick even a part of football strategy? I mean, okay, so you don't want to give up a long return, and this helps negate that. But how many times do you see a short squib kick that the return team brings back to midfield? All the time. It drives me, and I'm sure every other football fan, crazy. Why are we giving them such a short field? All year long I've felt that NFL teams should employ kicking the ball out of bounds, rather than squib kicking, as a strategy. Most squib kicks get returned to the 40 at least anyways, so why not just kick it out of bounds and not even risk something worse happening?
It just drives me nuts to see a team defend the opposing team's return game all game long, and then they decide to squib kick it and sacrifice a short field for the elimination (hopefully) of a long return. What are you so scared of? Kickoff returns for TDs don't happen that often; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't have a single kickoff return for TD in their history until last season, I believe. Kickoff returners flame out quicker than any other position in sports. Remember Dante Hall? That lasted half a season. Devin Hester? Daniel Manning returns kicks for the Bears now. Explosive returns just don't happen that often; the problem is, we remember them vividly when they do.
But okay, there are times when you absolutely do not want a long kickoff return against you. Why not, then, just kick it out of bounds? This absolutely eliminates the possibility of a long return, plus it eliminates the possibility of the opposing team taking the squib kick back to the 45 or 50. The squib kick just seems stupid to me, and if you really want to eliminate the long return, then don't dick around with it and just kick it out of bounds. It'll look weak and pathetic, but it is 100% effective.
* Why is that the Pro Bowl rosters aren't broken down completely by position? And by that I mean, why aren't left tackles differentiated from right tackles? Left guards from right guards, weakside linebackers from strongside linebackers, etc. Am I the only one bothered by the fact that the AFC had nothing but left tackles on their roster? Left tackles and right tackles are clearly not the same position. They're both offensive lineman, but that's about the only similarity. When teams acquire offensive tackles, they don't view the positions as being interchangeable. Korey Stringer, for instance, was a good right tackle but I don't think the Vikings ever would have considered moving him to the left side. So why can't we differentiate for the Pro Bowl? Why do Joe Thomas and Jake Long get selected as starters when they play the same position? This is stupid.
Another thing that bothered me was seeing all of the pass-rushing LBs in the Pro Bowl. I don't think a single outside linebacker in the Pro Bowl was someone with actual coverage responsibilities with his team. James Harrison, Lamarr Woodley, Brian Orakpo, DeMarcus Ware...they may be good at what they do, but OLBs have other responsibilities besides rushing the passer. I just wish if we were truly honoring the best of the best (and with the Pro Bowl we're really not, but humor me), that we'd be truly specific about it to properly honor the players. OLBs in the Pro Bowl shouldn't simply be 3-4 pass rushers, just like offensive tackles shouldn't simply be the ones who play on the left side.
And if you wanted to really get picky, it's stupid to compare Wes Welker to, say, Brandon Marshall, because Welker spends his entire time playing out of the slot, while Marshall never plays in the slot. And you know what? I do want to get that picky. Maybe I'm a nerd about this stuff, but I appreciate when players are properly honored. 3rd down backs, blocking TEs, nickel corners, slot receivers, let's compare apples to apples here.
* I never wrote about this about the time, because I'm not in baseball mode yet, but I was very happy to see Zach Grienke and his mere 16 victories win the Cy Young. Maybe, just maybe, we're finally getting past juding pitchers by wins and losses. I mean seriously, how stupid is this? Can Zach Grienke control how many runs his team scores? The AL has the DH, so you can't even say he has a slight hand in that. The Royals are terrible, it's a freaking miracle he even won 16 games, and he was defnitely the best pitcher in the AL. Good to see the baseball writers overlook wins and actually search for the truly best pitcher in the league. Nothing will ever atone for giving Bartolo Colon a Cy Young over Johan Santana, but this is a start.
And also, the further and further we get away from it, the worse and worse Justin Morneau's MVP looks. It's pretty clear that Joe Mauer is, was and will always be (at least until his bat slows down) the AL MVP. A catcher who hits like that, and is also good defensively (unlike Piazza), is so unbelievably valuable that he should just be the default choice. Victor Martinez is also a good hitting catcher, but he's not very good defensively and plays some first and DHs. Mauer is the complete package, and for the Twins to get that production from that position is incredible. As good as Morneau is, good-hitting first baseman aren't exactly hard to find. See, this is where the idea of "value" comes in. Morneau was good, but the Twins weren't (and aren't) getting that much more production out of 1B than most teams get. But they are getting an incredible amount more from the C position than most teams. And frankly, even though I pretty much hate the man, Derek Jeter would have been a better MVP choice that season. He had a really good season and did it as a SS, another position that generally doesn't provide great offensive production (as the Twins, for instance, know all about).
Does this mean that only players at a difficult defensive position who provide offense can win the MVP? Not necessarily, but I do think players at the power positions (1B, corner OF, DH) should be held to a higher standard. When Barry Bonds was OPSing about a million...okay, he's a corner OF who would move better in a wheelchair but that's insane. Justin Morneau didn't do anything special for a 1B; Jeter and Mauer were pretty rare for their positions.
* Oh, I should also mention that even though I talked about the Pro Bowl, it really is a joke. Do you realize Antoine Winfield was invited to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement? He backed out also due to injuries, but this is insane. Winfield was injured around midseason, missed about 6 games, and then when he came back was totally ineffective. Steve Smith killed him. Devin Aromashadu killed him. The Vikings had to put him in the slot and start Benny freaking Sapp just to stop the bleeding. And he got invited to the Pro Bowl. If you're going to take a Viking corner this season it's obviously Cedric Griffin, but he's not a Pro Bowl performer either.
And then the actual game...I only saw a few plays but it was embarrassing. I saw Elvis Dumervil have a chance at a free shot on Tony Romo, but he let up and simply put his hands in the air. This is football? Watching Jared Allen half-heartedly rush the passer is not something I need to see. Can we just cancel this game already?
Friday, January 29, 2010
Not to go all "fire joe morgan" but...
This article at si.com really drew my ire.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/stewart_mandel/01/29/tebow-tiller/index.html?eref=sircrc
First off, the headline. "Need proof Tebow can play QB in the NFL? Look at Drew Brees." That's like saying, "need proof my 1925 Ford Model-T can run? Just look at my 2009 Ford Mustang." The only thing they have in common is that they're cars, and the only thing Tebow and Brees have in common is that they're QBs. Nobody ever questioned whether Brees could throw a football accurately, but there are huge questions about whether Tebow can.
"Joe Tiller never coached a day in the NFL, but he knows a little something about NFL quarterbacks. Next Sunday, two of his former Purdue quarterbacks -- Saints star Drew Brees and Colts backup Curtis Painter -- will participate in Super Bowl XLIV. A third, Kyle Orton, has started three seasons for the Bears and Broncos."
This theme is revisited a few times in this article. "Joe Tiller groomed a couple NFL QBs so he knows what he's talking about." I liked Joe Tiller just fine, but he doesn't know anything about NFL football. And quite frankly, that's a weak list of NFL QBs. Brees is really good, but Painter is waiver-wire trash and Orton is league-average. You're not exactly gaining my trust here by bragging about a guy developing Curtis Painter.
EDIT: I just noticed how he said Painter will be "participating" in Super Bowl XLIV. I'll go ahead and let you laugh at that one.
"Brees, a two-time Heisman finalist, led the Boilermakers to their first Rose Bowl appearance in 34 years and broke the Big Ten's career passing records. A three-year starter, Brees threw for 11,792 yards, 90 touchdowns and 45 interceptions. Initially projected as a mid-first round pick, Brees slipped to the first pick of the second round in the 2001 draft. We all know how that's turned out."
The biggest problem NFL teams had with Brees was his height; NFL teams just hate short QBs. And I always love the argument, "so-and-so was devalued because of X. He overcame X and became a good player, therefore X shouldn't be devalued." There are exceptions to every rule, and while NFL scouts do miss on players from time to time, and for various odd reasons, most of the time they know what they're doing.
"Painter, a rookie this season, posted similar numbers to Brees' at Purdue (11,163 yards, 67 TDs, 46 INTs) but with far less acclaim. While Mel Kiper Jr. at one time listed him as his top senior quarterback prospect, a miserable final season sent Painter spiraling to the sixth round, where Colts President Bill Polian happily snapped him up, citing his "intelligence to come in here and handle this offense [straight] out of the collegiate level."
Following veteran Jim Sorgi's season-ending shoulder injury in December, Painter will serve as Peyton Manning's top backup in Miami.
It's a wonder Brees and Painter ever got here, what with all that wasted time in the shotgun, no?"
I am going to go ahead and pretend he didn't waste three paragraphs proclaiming the merits of CURTIS FREAKING PAINTER. If you want to gain my trust on how NFL scouts miss on QBs, harping on Painter ain't gonna cut it. I think they got it right with Painter, and frankly the Colts reached by even drafting him.
"Florida coach Meyer has not yet enjoyed the same track record with his spread-groomed QBs. His acclaimed Utah protégé, Alex Smith, has largely been a disappointment for the 49ers after going No. 1 overall in the 2006 draft. Tebow's Gator predecessor, Chris Leak, went undrafted and now plays in the CFL. Under considerable scrutiny following his star-studded Florida career, Tebow has garnered harsh reviews for his practice performances this week leading into Saturday's Senior Bowl, none more so than from ESPN's draft analyst Todd McShay."
See, Stewart, this is a point that should be swept under the nearest rug. If you want me to believe in Tebow and believe that all the scouts are wrong, mentioning Urban Meyer's terrible track record of QBs in the NFL is not something to be mentioned. I may not be that impressed with Tiller's line of Brees, Orton and Painter, but it's a helluva lot better than Alex Smith and Chris Leak.
"Brees, unlike Tebow, drew no such criticisms about his mechanics coming out of college; his main issue was his height (6-foot)."
Translation: this headline was a complete farce to get you to read my stupid article. The monkeys that Mr. Burns got to write Shakespeare ("it was the best of times, it was the blurst of times? You stupid monkey.") could have told you that Brees and Tebow have nothing in common. Thanks for wasting my time, anyways.
"He ultimately went 32nd. He's since become a four-time All-Pro."
And Peyton Manning was drafted first overall and has since become of the best QBs to ever play. What's the point again?
Tim Tebow may or may not make it in the NFL (my guess is no; that release is god-awful), but Drew Brees' success will have nothing to do with it. On the bright side, we do have an early contender for worst headline of the year.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/stewart_mandel/01/29/tebow-tiller/index.html?eref=sircrc
First off, the headline. "Need proof Tebow can play QB in the NFL? Look at Drew Brees." That's like saying, "need proof my 1925 Ford Model-T can run? Just look at my 2009 Ford Mustang." The only thing they have in common is that they're cars, and the only thing Tebow and Brees have in common is that they're QBs. Nobody ever questioned whether Brees could throw a football accurately, but there are huge questions about whether Tebow can.
"Joe Tiller never coached a day in the NFL, but he knows a little something about NFL quarterbacks. Next Sunday, two of his former Purdue quarterbacks -- Saints star Drew Brees and Colts backup Curtis Painter -- will participate in Super Bowl XLIV. A third, Kyle Orton, has started three seasons for the Bears and Broncos."
This theme is revisited a few times in this article. "Joe Tiller groomed a couple NFL QBs so he knows what he's talking about." I liked Joe Tiller just fine, but he doesn't know anything about NFL football. And quite frankly, that's a weak list of NFL QBs. Brees is really good, but Painter is waiver-wire trash and Orton is league-average. You're not exactly gaining my trust here by bragging about a guy developing Curtis Painter.
EDIT: I just noticed how he said Painter will be "participating" in Super Bowl XLIV. I'll go ahead and let you laugh at that one.
"Brees, a two-time Heisman finalist, led the Boilermakers to their first Rose Bowl appearance in 34 years and broke the Big Ten's career passing records. A three-year starter, Brees threw for 11,792 yards, 90 touchdowns and 45 interceptions. Initially projected as a mid-first round pick, Brees slipped to the first pick of the second round in the 2001 draft. We all know how that's turned out."
The biggest problem NFL teams had with Brees was his height; NFL teams just hate short QBs. And I always love the argument, "so-and-so was devalued because of X. He overcame X and became a good player, therefore X shouldn't be devalued." There are exceptions to every rule, and while NFL scouts do miss on players from time to time, and for various odd reasons, most of the time they know what they're doing.
"Painter, a rookie this season, posted similar numbers to Brees' at Purdue (11,163 yards, 67 TDs, 46 INTs) but with far less acclaim. While Mel Kiper Jr. at one time listed him as his top senior quarterback prospect, a miserable final season sent Painter spiraling to the sixth round, where Colts President Bill Polian happily snapped him up, citing his "intelligence to come in here and handle this offense [straight] out of the collegiate level."
Following veteran Jim Sorgi's season-ending shoulder injury in December, Painter will serve as Peyton Manning's top backup in Miami.
It's a wonder Brees and Painter ever got here, what with all that wasted time in the shotgun, no?"
I am going to go ahead and pretend he didn't waste three paragraphs proclaiming the merits of CURTIS FREAKING PAINTER. If you want to gain my trust on how NFL scouts miss on QBs, harping on Painter ain't gonna cut it. I think they got it right with Painter, and frankly the Colts reached by even drafting him.
"Florida coach Meyer has not yet enjoyed the same track record with his spread-groomed QBs. His acclaimed Utah protégé, Alex Smith, has largely been a disappointment for the 49ers after going No. 1 overall in the 2006 draft. Tebow's Gator predecessor, Chris Leak, went undrafted and now plays in the CFL. Under considerable scrutiny following his star-studded Florida career, Tebow has garnered harsh reviews for his practice performances this week leading into Saturday's Senior Bowl, none more so than from ESPN's draft analyst Todd McShay."
See, Stewart, this is a point that should be swept under the nearest rug. If you want me to believe in Tebow and believe that all the scouts are wrong, mentioning Urban Meyer's terrible track record of QBs in the NFL is not something to be mentioned. I may not be that impressed with Tiller's line of Brees, Orton and Painter, but it's a helluva lot better than Alex Smith and Chris Leak.
"Brees, unlike Tebow, drew no such criticisms about his mechanics coming out of college; his main issue was his height (6-foot)."
Translation: this headline was a complete farce to get you to read my stupid article. The monkeys that Mr. Burns got to write Shakespeare ("it was the best of times, it was the blurst of times? You stupid monkey.") could have told you that Brees and Tebow have nothing in common. Thanks for wasting my time, anyways.
"He ultimately went 32nd. He's since become a four-time All-Pro."
And Peyton Manning was drafted first overall and has since become of the best QBs to ever play. What's the point again?
Tim Tebow may or may not make it in the NFL (my guess is no; that release is god-awful), but Drew Brees' success will have nothing to do with it. On the bright side, we do have an early contender for worst headline of the year.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Adventures in Game Management - Conference Championship Edition
Nothing egregious took place in the AFC Championship Game, but Brad Childress put on a clinic in the NFC Championship Game. Let's go over the gory details.
1-10-NO 33 (1:06) 29-C.Taylor right guard to NO 33 for no gain (92-R.Ayodele).
2-10-NO 33 (:25) 28-A.Peterson right end to NO 33 for no gain (92-R.Ayodele, 98-S.Ellis).
The first down run wasn't a bad play call. Just a play earlier Taylor had busted off a 14 yard run, and the Saints are soft against the run, so it wasn't a bad idea to try get closer with a run, and let the clock run as well. However, the 2nd down run play was overly conservative and that was the time to put the ball in the air. A 50 yard field goal is no gimme, so this is the spot where you pull out one of your best pass plays that can get at least 5 yards to give Longwell a good shot at a field goal.
3-10-NO 33 (:19) PENALTY on MIN, Offensive 12 On-field, 5 yards, enforced at NO 33 - No Play.
Oh lordy. I mean, what the hell was going on here? Favre also tried to call timeout here, which would have been a penalty because Minnesota had already called a timeout. Whether it was truly Childress' fault or not, the confusion in the huddle here falls at his feet.
The interception that followed is all on Favre, and Childress made the right decision in letting him put the ball in the air. You have to trust your QB not to screw this play up, and unfortunately Favre did. But the overly conservative play-calling and inexcusable 12 men in the huddle is essentially what ruined Minnesota's season. Memo to coaches: don't just settle for long field goals. I know that as soon as you get within range for a 50 yarder to win the game, it's tempting to close up shop on offense and make nothing bad happens, but you leave yourself no room for error. A run for loss or a penalty pretty much takes you out of field goal range. Keep your foot on the gas until it is a sure-fire gimme field goal. A 30 yard attempt, that you can settle for. But you should at least try to push in a 50 yarder even closer. Longwell can make 50 yard field goals, but try to make it easier on him.
1-10-MIN 41 (11:52) 9-D.Brees pass incomplete short left to 85-D.Thomas. PENALTY on MIN-51-B.Leber, Defensive Pass Interference, 12 yards, enforced at MIN 41 - No Play.
I only bring this up to have it on the record that this was a complete BULLSHIT call in every form. Ben Leber didn't interfere with David Thomas (replay clearly shows Thomas falling backwards on his own), and even if he did (which he didn't) the ball was clearly uncatchable. In fact, the only reason Thomas is falling backwards is BECAUSE the pass was uncatchable. Why do we have the "uncatchable" rule if we aren't going to use it? Thank you, Pete Morelli, for helping to decide Minnesota's season on a bogus pass interference call. I hope you can sleep at night.
I beleive I also stated yesterday that Morelli officiated the Steelers-Seahawks Super Bowl, and that is untrue. He did, however, officiate the Steelers-Colts playoff game from 2005 when he overruled what sure looked like a Troy Polamalu interception, and then later in the game (maybe my favorite officiating call of all-time) called for a re-do when his crew couldn't decide if Pittsburgh's Alan Faneca jumped or if the Colts were offside on a crucial 4th down play. Better to make no call than the wrong call, right?
Also, Troy Aikman, I may agree with you that the roughing the passer call against the Saints yesterday (in which a Saints' defender, I believe Anthony Hargrove, drove Favre into the ground after he had thrown a pass) was ticky-tack, it is the rule. You can't hit QBs in the head, below the knees or drive them into the ground after they've thrown a pass. I don't like it anymore than you do, but it's the rule. And actually, the hit a couple plays later that Favre took in which he got high-lowed by a couple Saints was an even bigger roughing the passer penalty that wasn't called. I don't like these rules necessarily, but we have to abide by them. So please don't waste my time again on how an obvious violation of these rules is a bad call.
1-10-NO 33 (1:06) 29-C.Taylor right guard to NO 33 for no gain (92-R.Ayodele).
2-10-NO 33 (:25) 28-A.Peterson right end to NO 33 for no gain (92-R.Ayodele, 98-S.Ellis).
The first down run wasn't a bad play call. Just a play earlier Taylor had busted off a 14 yard run, and the Saints are soft against the run, so it wasn't a bad idea to try get closer with a run, and let the clock run as well. However, the 2nd down run play was overly conservative and that was the time to put the ball in the air. A 50 yard field goal is no gimme, so this is the spot where you pull out one of your best pass plays that can get at least 5 yards to give Longwell a good shot at a field goal.
3-10-NO 33 (:19) PENALTY on MIN, Offensive 12 On-field, 5 yards, enforced at NO 33 - No Play.
Oh lordy. I mean, what the hell was going on here? Favre also tried to call timeout here, which would have been a penalty because Minnesota had already called a timeout. Whether it was truly Childress' fault or not, the confusion in the huddle here falls at his feet.
The interception that followed is all on Favre, and Childress made the right decision in letting him put the ball in the air. You have to trust your QB not to screw this play up, and unfortunately Favre did. But the overly conservative play-calling and inexcusable 12 men in the huddle is essentially what ruined Minnesota's season. Memo to coaches: don't just settle for long field goals. I know that as soon as you get within range for a 50 yarder to win the game, it's tempting to close up shop on offense and make nothing bad happens, but you leave yourself no room for error. A run for loss or a penalty pretty much takes you out of field goal range. Keep your foot on the gas until it is a sure-fire gimme field goal. A 30 yard attempt, that you can settle for. But you should at least try to push in a 50 yarder even closer. Longwell can make 50 yard field goals, but try to make it easier on him.
1-10-MIN 41 (11:52) 9-D.Brees pass incomplete short left to 85-D.Thomas. PENALTY on MIN-51-B.Leber, Defensive Pass Interference, 12 yards, enforced at MIN 41 - No Play.
I only bring this up to have it on the record that this was a complete BULLSHIT call in every form. Ben Leber didn't interfere with David Thomas (replay clearly shows Thomas falling backwards on his own), and even if he did (which he didn't) the ball was clearly uncatchable. In fact, the only reason Thomas is falling backwards is BECAUSE the pass was uncatchable. Why do we have the "uncatchable" rule if we aren't going to use it? Thank you, Pete Morelli, for helping to decide Minnesota's season on a bogus pass interference call. I hope you can sleep at night.
I beleive I also stated yesterday that Morelli officiated the Steelers-Seahawks Super Bowl, and that is untrue. He did, however, officiate the Steelers-Colts playoff game from 2005 when he overruled what sure looked like a Troy Polamalu interception, and then later in the game (maybe my favorite officiating call of all-time) called for a re-do when his crew couldn't decide if Pittsburgh's Alan Faneca jumped or if the Colts were offside on a crucial 4th down play. Better to make no call than the wrong call, right?
Also, Troy Aikman, I may agree with you that the roughing the passer call against the Saints yesterday (in which a Saints' defender, I believe Anthony Hargrove, drove Favre into the ground after he had thrown a pass) was ticky-tack, it is the rule. You can't hit QBs in the head, below the knees or drive them into the ground after they've thrown a pass. I don't like it anymore than you do, but it's the rule. And actually, the hit a couple plays later that Favre took in which he got high-lowed by a couple Saints was an even bigger roughing the passer penalty that wasn't called. I don't like these rules necessarily, but we have to abide by them. So please don't waste my time again on how an obvious violation of these rules is a bad call.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Chalk another one up in the history books
The Vikings have an amazing amount of heart-breaking losses in their history, and today was just another addition to the list. So where does this one rank?
#1 will forever be the '98 loss to the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game. A 15-1 team losing at home in the playoffs in OT is hard to top. #2 might be the Hail Mary game from 1975 when the Vikings lost to the Cowboys. I wasn't around for it, but a lot of people swear that was Minnesota's best team and best bet to win a Super Bowl, and they lost on what was probably offensive pass interference.
I'm gonna say Super Bowl IV is #3, as the Vikings were big favorites over the Chiefs and got blown out. The AFL wasn't respected at the time, so for the Vikings to be humiliated like that must have been doubly difficult. I'll put today's game at #4, as the Vikings lose another NFC Championship Game in OT. What separates this from the Falcons game is that this one was on the road, and everyone knew going in that the Saints could win; nobody thought the Falcons would win.
#5 is the 1987 NFC Championship Game, in which the Vikings lost to the Redskins 17-10 after driving down to about the 5 yard line at the end of the game, only to have a pass at the goalline bounce of RB Darrin Nelson's hands. That Viking team wasn't as goo as the '98 or '09 version, so it gets placed lower. And finally, the #6 most heart-breaking loss in team history was the 2003 season finale in Arizona, in which Minnesota only had to beat the lowly Cardinals to win the division. They led by 11 late, but allowed a TD, then an onside kick, and then a miracle TD by Arizona in which Nate Poole got one foot inbounds but was ruled a TD by the now-defunct force out rule. That Viking team wasn't particularly good, but to have the season ended like that was devastating.
#1 will forever be the '98 loss to the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game. A 15-1 team losing at home in the playoffs in OT is hard to top. #2 might be the Hail Mary game from 1975 when the Vikings lost to the Cowboys. I wasn't around for it, but a lot of people swear that was Minnesota's best team and best bet to win a Super Bowl, and they lost on what was probably offensive pass interference.
I'm gonna say Super Bowl IV is #3, as the Vikings were big favorites over the Chiefs and got blown out. The AFL wasn't respected at the time, so for the Vikings to be humiliated like that must have been doubly difficult. I'll put today's game at #4, as the Vikings lose another NFC Championship Game in OT. What separates this from the Falcons game is that this one was on the road, and everyone knew going in that the Saints could win; nobody thought the Falcons would win.
#5 is the 1987 NFC Championship Game, in which the Vikings lost to the Redskins 17-10 after driving down to about the 5 yard line at the end of the game, only to have a pass at the goalline bounce of RB Darrin Nelson's hands. That Viking team wasn't as goo as the '98 or '09 version, so it gets placed lower. And finally, the #6 most heart-breaking loss in team history was the 2003 season finale in Arizona, in which Minnesota only had to beat the lowly Cardinals to win the division. They led by 11 late, but allowed a TD, then an onside kick, and then a miracle TD by Arizona in which Nate Poole got one foot inbounds but was ruled a TD by the now-defunct force out rule. That Viking team wasn't particularly good, but to have the season ended like that was devastating.
The only surprise is it took this long
The Minnesota Vikings, as is their history, blew a golden opportunity to make the Super Bowl today. In classic Viking fashion, they put themselves in position to win, only to have the rug pulled out from underneath them at the worst possible moment.
Favre killed the team, of course, which is what he does. He killed the Packers numerous times during the playoffs, and he did it again today to Minnesota. Considering the circumstances, his INT with 19 seconds remaining was one of the worst throws you'll ever see. It was a horrible decision at a horrible time during the biggest game of the season. He played mistake-free football all season long, which made me believe he was past the "gunslinger" bullshit. But he had to make a wild throw at the worst possible moment, and it cost Minnesota big time.
Minnesota is a better team than New Orleans; they outplayed the Saints on offense and defense, and special teams were basically a draw (a big return for the Saints, but also a fumbled punt return). If you had told me before the game that the Vikings would hold the Saints to under 300 yards of offense, I would have been ecstatic. The Saints are an explosive offense, so to hold them to that yardage total should get you the victory.
But turnovers are always the story in the postseason. When you get to this point, the teams are fairly even, so turnovers almost always win or lose the game. And it was the Vikings who put the ball on the ground an embarrassing amount of time (I won't trust Peterson again until he goes 8 games without fumbling) and throw 2 INTs while only forcing one turnover, you will lose in the playoffs. Teams that lose the turnover battle 5-1 don't win often in the regular season, and they certainly don't win in the playoffs.
The way to beat the Saints is to limit their big plays on offense, and the Vikings did that. The Saints aren't good enough defensively to win without their offense moving the ball and scoring points, but Minnesota's turnovers kept the Saints in the game, and even gave them the lead a couple of times. I couldn't have asked for a better defensive performance, and yet it still resulted in a loss. That's what hurts the most.
* I hate overtime in the NFL. A freaking coin flip is used to help determine a team's season; awesome. The Saints got the ball first and put together a mighty 10 play, 40 yard drive to win the game. 60 minutes of hard-fought football gets reduced to a freaking coin flip; I'm so glad the NFL never does anything about this travesty. And for anyone who says, well the defense needs to make a play...if getting the ball first isn't advantageous, then why does everyone outside of Marty Mornhinweg take the ball in OT? And although, yes, the defense is paid to make plays as well, it's still a joke that something advantageous like possession is determined by a coin flip. Do something, anything, to eliminate a coin from helping to decide a game.
* That pass interference on Ben Leber in overtime was a joke (it wasn't interference, and even if it was it certainly wasn't catchable), and I don't think Robert Meachem caught the ball that got the Saints in range for a 40 yard field goal. What I really love, though, is that Pete Morelli was our official today. I'm pretty sure he was the guy who refereed the Super Bowl between the Steelers and Seahawks in which the Seahawks got raped on every call. Glad to have him involved in this game.
* My initial thoughts on this year's Super Bowl is that the Colts will win, and probably by double-digits. Was anybody who watched today's game really impressed by the Saints? The Vikings fumbled a lot and Favre threw them a couple INTs; is that really the mark of a good team? They're explosive offense was held in check, which means the Colts can do the same thing. I just don't expect the Colts to hand the Saints a bunch of gifts like Minnesota did. The Saints will need to play much better, and they could certainly move the ball against the Colts, which could keep this close. I just don't know how good the Saints really are; they've had one impressive win (last week against Arizona) over the past two months, and today's game was gift-wrapped to them. I don't anticipate Peyton Manning throwing away the Colts' season like Favre did today.
Favre killed the team, of course, which is what he does. He killed the Packers numerous times during the playoffs, and he did it again today to Minnesota. Considering the circumstances, his INT with 19 seconds remaining was one of the worst throws you'll ever see. It was a horrible decision at a horrible time during the biggest game of the season. He played mistake-free football all season long, which made me believe he was past the "gunslinger" bullshit. But he had to make a wild throw at the worst possible moment, and it cost Minnesota big time.
Minnesota is a better team than New Orleans; they outplayed the Saints on offense and defense, and special teams were basically a draw (a big return for the Saints, but also a fumbled punt return). If you had told me before the game that the Vikings would hold the Saints to under 300 yards of offense, I would have been ecstatic. The Saints are an explosive offense, so to hold them to that yardage total should get you the victory.
But turnovers are always the story in the postseason. When you get to this point, the teams are fairly even, so turnovers almost always win or lose the game. And it was the Vikings who put the ball on the ground an embarrassing amount of time (I won't trust Peterson again until he goes 8 games without fumbling) and throw 2 INTs while only forcing one turnover, you will lose in the playoffs. Teams that lose the turnover battle 5-1 don't win often in the regular season, and they certainly don't win in the playoffs.
The way to beat the Saints is to limit their big plays on offense, and the Vikings did that. The Saints aren't good enough defensively to win without their offense moving the ball and scoring points, but Minnesota's turnovers kept the Saints in the game, and even gave them the lead a couple of times. I couldn't have asked for a better defensive performance, and yet it still resulted in a loss. That's what hurts the most.
* I hate overtime in the NFL. A freaking coin flip is used to help determine a team's season; awesome. The Saints got the ball first and put together a mighty 10 play, 40 yard drive to win the game. 60 minutes of hard-fought football gets reduced to a freaking coin flip; I'm so glad the NFL never does anything about this travesty. And for anyone who says, well the defense needs to make a play...if getting the ball first isn't advantageous, then why does everyone outside of Marty Mornhinweg take the ball in OT? And although, yes, the defense is paid to make plays as well, it's still a joke that something advantageous like possession is determined by a coin flip. Do something, anything, to eliminate a coin from helping to decide a game.
* That pass interference on Ben Leber in overtime was a joke (it wasn't interference, and even if it was it certainly wasn't catchable), and I don't think Robert Meachem caught the ball that got the Saints in range for a 40 yard field goal. What I really love, though, is that Pete Morelli was our official today. I'm pretty sure he was the guy who refereed the Super Bowl between the Steelers and Seahawks in which the Seahawks got raped on every call. Glad to have him involved in this game.
* My initial thoughts on this year's Super Bowl is that the Colts will win, and probably by double-digits. Was anybody who watched today's game really impressed by the Saints? The Vikings fumbled a lot and Favre threw them a couple INTs; is that really the mark of a good team? They're explosive offense was held in check, which means the Colts can do the same thing. I just don't expect the Colts to hand the Saints a bunch of gifts like Minnesota did. The Saints will need to play much better, and they could certainly move the ball against the Colts, which could keep this close. I just don't know how good the Saints really are; they've had one impressive win (last week against Arizona) over the past two months, and today's game was gift-wrapped to them. I don't anticipate Peyton Manning throwing away the Colts' season like Favre did today.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Bills cement status as 2nd worst franchise in the NFL
What a freaking joke of a franchise the Buffalo Bills have become. It wasn't that long ago that they were in 4 Super Bowls and making the playoffs every year, was it? Actually it was, because they haven't been to the playoffs since the Music City Miracle game, which followed the 1999 season. Ever since firing Wade Phillips, they've had Gregg Williams, Mike Mularkey, Dick Jauron and now Chan Gailey coach the team. I don't know about you, but one word comes to mind when I look at that list: CHEAP. It's obvious to me that Ralph Wilson just doesn't want to spend any money on his coaching staff, so he goes with the cheapest available option. Williams and Mularkey were semi-in demand at the time, but they were first-time head coaches and thus couldn't demand top dollar. Jauron and Gailey give the word re-tread a bad name; not a single other franchise in the NFL would have hired either one of them when the Bills did.
Until that crazy old man goes away (and actually, Ralph Wilson is a pretty crazy old man in his own right), Oakland will continue to be the worst-run franchise in the NFL. Any team that watches JaMarcus Russell this past season and doesn't elect to get rid of him automatically earns that distinction. But the Bills are pretty sorry in their own right. You'll notice they hardly ever have a top draft choice (except for the 4th pick in 2002, which they used on OT Mike Williams), which means they never have terrible seasons, they are just mired in mediocrity. The Bills are maybe the most anonymous team in the league, and hiring Chan Gailey won't change that. Maybe now, though, they can get a top draft pick.
* I would just like to say that anyone accusing the Vikings of running up the score on Sunday is, in essence, saying that the Dallas Cowboys are a weakling that deserves our pity. I mean, okay, against the Lions or Browns you ease up towards the end because those teams are hopeless. But Dallas is no weakling, and in fact they were still using their timeouts, so they were still playing to win. This talk is just extremely lame, and I especially love it when all week the talk was how Dallas was headed to the Super Bowl. Now they've been relegated to weakling status that can't handle another TD against them. Give me a break.
* This NFC Championship Game is going to come down to pressure on Drew Brees. If Brees is allowed time to throw the ball, I have no doubt he'll carve up Minnesota's secondary. But if the Vikings can get to Brees, they have a good chance to win. Minnesota can move the ball on the Saints' defense, and it'll be up to Minnesota's defense to win this game. It'll be important early, especially, since Brees is such a great rhythm passer and you don't want him to get into that rhythm early.
* The AFC Championship Game could be close for awhile, as the Jets have a good pass defense that can keep them in this game. But the Colts are so fast on defense that I just don't think the Jets will do a damn thing on offense. The Jets may be able to run the ball up the middle, where the Colts are soft, but I don't think Mark Sanchez is ready for the Colts' speed. Those linebackers will close on passing lanes in a hurry, and I think this is the game where Sanchez finally kills the Jets.
Until that crazy old man goes away (and actually, Ralph Wilson is a pretty crazy old man in his own right), Oakland will continue to be the worst-run franchise in the NFL. Any team that watches JaMarcus Russell this past season and doesn't elect to get rid of him automatically earns that distinction. But the Bills are pretty sorry in their own right. You'll notice they hardly ever have a top draft choice (except for the 4th pick in 2002, which they used on OT Mike Williams), which means they never have terrible seasons, they are just mired in mediocrity. The Bills are maybe the most anonymous team in the league, and hiring Chan Gailey won't change that. Maybe now, though, they can get a top draft pick.
* I would just like to say that anyone accusing the Vikings of running up the score on Sunday is, in essence, saying that the Dallas Cowboys are a weakling that deserves our pity. I mean, okay, against the Lions or Browns you ease up towards the end because those teams are hopeless. But Dallas is no weakling, and in fact they were still using their timeouts, so they were still playing to win. This talk is just extremely lame, and I especially love it when all week the talk was how Dallas was headed to the Super Bowl. Now they've been relegated to weakling status that can't handle another TD against them. Give me a break.
* This NFC Championship Game is going to come down to pressure on Drew Brees. If Brees is allowed time to throw the ball, I have no doubt he'll carve up Minnesota's secondary. But if the Vikings can get to Brees, they have a good chance to win. Minnesota can move the ball on the Saints' defense, and it'll be up to Minnesota's defense to win this game. It'll be important early, especially, since Brees is such a great rhythm passer and you don't want him to get into that rhythm early.
* The AFC Championship Game could be close for awhile, as the Jets have a good pass defense that can keep them in this game. But the Colts are so fast on defense that I just don't think the Jets will do a damn thing on offense. The Jets may be able to run the ball up the middle, where the Colts are soft, but I don't think Mark Sanchez is ready for the Colts' speed. Those linebackers will close on passing lanes in a hurry, and I think this is the game where Sanchez finally kills the Jets.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
What, me worry? (and other playoff thoughts)
* So the Vikings are one game away from the Super Bowl; this is typically about when they crush their fan's spirits. Remember '98 against Atlanta, perhaps the most crushing defeat any team has ever suffered in any sport (hyperbole, yes, but not that far off)? Remember 41-donut to the Giants? In 1987 they lost at Washington in the NFC Championship Game after driving inside the 5 to tie the game but not punching it in. I'm as guarded as anybody over the possibility of a soul-crushing defeat, but at the same time Viking fans should enjoy this time. It's not every year you make it this far in the playoffs, so enjoy it while you can.
* There's a lot to say about Dallas' performance today, but the biggest thing was their A players did not play at an A level. I felt all week that for Minnesota to even have a chance they'd have to control DeMarcus Ware, and they did. Spencer had a good game and Ratliff made a few plays, but it was nothing major. Miles Austin caught a couple passes early and then disappeared. Roy Williams will be starring in the remake of the Chevy Chase flop "Memoirs of an Invisible Man." The Cowboys had been dominating with their pass rush, and Miles Austin had been making a lot of plays, and none of it happened today. Their top players were conspicuously absent today, especially in the 2nd half when they were needed most.
* I came into today not even thinking about Wade Phillips' job security, but it has to be tenuous. There is no way Minnesota is 31 points better than Dallas, if they're better at all. It's not that Dallas lost that puts Phillips in trouble, it's how they lost.
* Speaking job security...hello Norv Turner! I try to refrain from using hyperbole to make a point (not really), but the Chargers' loss today to the Jets is one of the more unacceptable playoff losses I've seen. Nothing will match the '01 Rams losing to the Patriots, but this was bad. The Chargers are a better team than the Jets, with a much better QB. They were playing at home. How did the Chargers lose today? I understand Nate Kaeding missed 2 chip-shot field goals, but it shouldn't have come down to that. Philip Rivers vs. Mark Sanchez is a no-contest, and yet the Chargers managed to lose this one. The Chargers had over 200 yards of offense in the first half and 7 points, and that is essentially when the game was lost. When you're controlling the game, you need to capitalize on the scoreboard, and the Chargers didn't.
* If Marty Schottenheimer can get fired after a 14-2 season, then Turner can definitely be fired after a 12-4 season. Schottenheimer's Chargers lost to the Patriots and Tom Brady; Turner's Chargers lost to the Jets and Mark Sanchez. Fair is fair here, and if the standard in San Diego is Super Bowl or bust, then Turner needs to go. That's a Super Bowl-caliber roster with zero Super Bowl appearances.
* I don't have much to say about Saturday's games. The Cardinals' defense was no match for the Saints, and the Ravens did what they've done all season, which is shoot themselves in the foot at inopportune times. I came into this weekend expecting a lot of close matchups, and there was only one. Oh well, that's how it usually goes.
* Looking forward to next week, I favor a Saints-Colts Super Bowl but that could change over the week. There's no way I'd take the Jets over the Colts; Peyton Manning is too damn good to ever pick against. The Saints-Vikings is a closer matchup, but the Saints' strength is their passing game and the Vikings' weakness is their passing defense. The Vikings' defensive line will need to be superhuman again, and they won't have the advantage of the Metrodome next week.
* There's a lot to say about Dallas' performance today, but the biggest thing was their A players did not play at an A level. I felt all week that for Minnesota to even have a chance they'd have to control DeMarcus Ware, and they did. Spencer had a good game and Ratliff made a few plays, but it was nothing major. Miles Austin caught a couple passes early and then disappeared. Roy Williams will be starring in the remake of the Chevy Chase flop "Memoirs of an Invisible Man." The Cowboys had been dominating with their pass rush, and Miles Austin had been making a lot of plays, and none of it happened today. Their top players were conspicuously absent today, especially in the 2nd half when they were needed most.
* I came into today not even thinking about Wade Phillips' job security, but it has to be tenuous. There is no way Minnesota is 31 points better than Dallas, if they're better at all. It's not that Dallas lost that puts Phillips in trouble, it's how they lost.
* Speaking job security...hello Norv Turner! I try to refrain from using hyperbole to make a point (not really), but the Chargers' loss today to the Jets is one of the more unacceptable playoff losses I've seen. Nothing will match the '01 Rams losing to the Patriots, but this was bad. The Chargers are a better team than the Jets, with a much better QB. They were playing at home. How did the Chargers lose today? I understand Nate Kaeding missed 2 chip-shot field goals, but it shouldn't have come down to that. Philip Rivers vs. Mark Sanchez is a no-contest, and yet the Chargers managed to lose this one. The Chargers had over 200 yards of offense in the first half and 7 points, and that is essentially when the game was lost. When you're controlling the game, you need to capitalize on the scoreboard, and the Chargers didn't.
* If Marty Schottenheimer can get fired after a 14-2 season, then Turner can definitely be fired after a 12-4 season. Schottenheimer's Chargers lost to the Patriots and Tom Brady; Turner's Chargers lost to the Jets and Mark Sanchez. Fair is fair here, and if the standard in San Diego is Super Bowl or bust, then Turner needs to go. That's a Super Bowl-caliber roster with zero Super Bowl appearances.
* I don't have much to say about Saturday's games. The Cardinals' defense was no match for the Saints, and the Ravens did what they've done all season, which is shoot themselves in the foot at inopportune times. I came into this weekend expecting a lot of close matchups, and there was only one. Oh well, that's how it usually goes.
* Looking forward to next week, I favor a Saints-Colts Super Bowl but that could change over the week. There's no way I'd take the Jets over the Colts; Peyton Manning is too damn good to ever pick against. The Saints-Vikings is a closer matchup, but the Saints' strength is their passing game and the Vikings' weakness is their passing defense. The Vikings' defensive line will need to be superhuman again, and they won't have the advantage of the Metrodome next week.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Thoughts from this weekend
* Even more disappointing than Carson Palmer this weekend for the Bengals was their secondary. Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph should have had a field day against Sanchez, but instead he was 12 of 15 passing, and one of his incompletions was a good throw to Braylon Edwards in the end zone that was dropped (shocking, I know). The fact that Jerricho Cotchery kept making catches was extremely disappointing. And feel free to cover Dustin Keller next time.
* It's hard to believe the Cowboys could blow out the Eagles two weeks in a row, but there it is. The Eagles big play offense made one big play (Maclin's TD) and nothing else. McNabb wasn't very good, DeSean Jackson was invisible, and the myriad of weapons the Eagles supposedly had were a complete nonfactor. The only Eagle on offense who bothered to show up these past two weeks was Brent Celek.
* You really have to wonder if the Reid/McNabb combo is ever going to win a championship in Philadelphia. Two weeks ago they were in position to get a 2 seed in the NFC; now they're out of the playoffs. The Eagles have given McNabb weapons in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, and yet they still struggle to score in the playoffs. It's weird to be down on a team that is in the playoffs every year, but last year was a golden opportunity to get to the Super Bowl and they blew it against the Cardinals, and this year they again had an opportunity but fell flat two weeks in a row against Dallas.
* Dallas might be the best team in the NFC. I've been trying to find a weakness, but it's damn hard. I suppose if you block their pass rush, you can throw on their corners but Newman, Jenkins and Scandrick make a nice group of corners. Their pass rush is awesome with Ware, Ratliff and Spencer. Their offensive line is blowing shit up right now, creating holes for three different runners. Outside of Roy Williams, they have plenty of weapons in the passing game. Romo is playing really well, and Suisham even made a field goal this week. I don't know how exactly to beat this team; I suppose in a one-game situation anything can happen, but Dallas looks damn good.
* If Bill Belichik weren't Bill Belichick, you'd say the Patriots were a poorly coached team. They were completely unprepared to play today, and they have this strange infatuation with Laurence Maroney. I know they don't run the ball much, but when they do why waste carries on Maroney? Basically all of their old free agents were busts this year, from Joey Galloway to Fred Taylor to Shawn Springs. I don't know what exactly the Patriots do anymore; they aren't very good defensively anymore, Moss seems to be aging in dog years, and without Welker Brady can't complete passes to anybody. Speaking of which, Brady was really bad this week too. He's another person who would be criticized mercilessly if he wasn't who he was.
* It's fitting that a game that featured no defense ended on a defensive TD. The best part is that Rodgers himself kicked the ball in the air, which allowed Dansby to pick it up on the run. If Rodgers doesn't kick it, maybe it's ruled an incomplete pass (his arm was moving forward), or maybe Green Bay recovers the fumble. But watching that game, you just couldn't feel good about either team's chances at winning next week. Neither team could stop the other's passing game, and guess who else can throw the ball? New Orleans! The Cardinals don't stand a chance, but it was a nice win regardless.
* So Shayne Graham misses from 28 and 35, Neil Rackers misses from 34 at the end of regulation...what in the hell is going on here? Mason Crosby missed from 54, but that's understandable. Gostkowski also missed from 44 for the Patriots. Are kickers getting more questionable, or was it just a bad week? I expect this from college kickers, but these are paid professionals, and all are good kickers generally. It's a hell of a thing when you get so few chances to impact a game, and then when you do you miss it. But such is life as an NFL kicker.
* Looking foward to next week, I expect blowouts by San Diego and New Orleans. The Jets just aren't very good, and the Cardinals won't be able to stop the Saints' passing game. Dallas-Minnesota is closer, but I think any objective person would give Dallas the advantage. Minnesota HAS to control DeMarcus Ware to have a chance. Baltimore could give the Colts a run, but Joe Flacco seems to be regressing by the week (4-10, 34 yards, INT today) and I'll take Peyton Manning thank you very much. Then again, I'm the same guy who said Mark Sanchez would be a disaster and he wasn't, so what do I know.
* It's hard to believe the Cowboys could blow out the Eagles two weeks in a row, but there it is. The Eagles big play offense made one big play (Maclin's TD) and nothing else. McNabb wasn't very good, DeSean Jackson was invisible, and the myriad of weapons the Eagles supposedly had were a complete nonfactor. The only Eagle on offense who bothered to show up these past two weeks was Brent Celek.
* You really have to wonder if the Reid/McNabb combo is ever going to win a championship in Philadelphia. Two weeks ago they were in position to get a 2 seed in the NFC; now they're out of the playoffs. The Eagles have given McNabb weapons in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, and yet they still struggle to score in the playoffs. It's weird to be down on a team that is in the playoffs every year, but last year was a golden opportunity to get to the Super Bowl and they blew it against the Cardinals, and this year they again had an opportunity but fell flat two weeks in a row against Dallas.
* Dallas might be the best team in the NFC. I've been trying to find a weakness, but it's damn hard. I suppose if you block their pass rush, you can throw on their corners but Newman, Jenkins and Scandrick make a nice group of corners. Their pass rush is awesome with Ware, Ratliff and Spencer. Their offensive line is blowing shit up right now, creating holes for three different runners. Outside of Roy Williams, they have plenty of weapons in the passing game. Romo is playing really well, and Suisham even made a field goal this week. I don't know how exactly to beat this team; I suppose in a one-game situation anything can happen, but Dallas looks damn good.
* If Bill Belichik weren't Bill Belichick, you'd say the Patriots were a poorly coached team. They were completely unprepared to play today, and they have this strange infatuation with Laurence Maroney. I know they don't run the ball much, but when they do why waste carries on Maroney? Basically all of their old free agents were busts this year, from Joey Galloway to Fred Taylor to Shawn Springs. I don't know what exactly the Patriots do anymore; they aren't very good defensively anymore, Moss seems to be aging in dog years, and without Welker Brady can't complete passes to anybody. Speaking of which, Brady was really bad this week too. He's another person who would be criticized mercilessly if he wasn't who he was.
* It's fitting that a game that featured no defense ended on a defensive TD. The best part is that Rodgers himself kicked the ball in the air, which allowed Dansby to pick it up on the run. If Rodgers doesn't kick it, maybe it's ruled an incomplete pass (his arm was moving forward), or maybe Green Bay recovers the fumble. But watching that game, you just couldn't feel good about either team's chances at winning next week. Neither team could stop the other's passing game, and guess who else can throw the ball? New Orleans! The Cardinals don't stand a chance, but it was a nice win regardless.
* So Shayne Graham misses from 28 and 35, Neil Rackers misses from 34 at the end of regulation...what in the hell is going on here? Mason Crosby missed from 54, but that's understandable. Gostkowski also missed from 44 for the Patriots. Are kickers getting more questionable, or was it just a bad week? I expect this from college kickers, but these are paid professionals, and all are good kickers generally. It's a hell of a thing when you get so few chances to impact a game, and then when you do you miss it. But such is life as an NFL kicker.
* Looking foward to next week, I expect blowouts by San Diego and New Orleans. The Jets just aren't very good, and the Cardinals won't be able to stop the Saints' passing game. Dallas-Minnesota is closer, but I think any objective person would give Dallas the advantage. Minnesota HAS to control DeMarcus Ware to have a chance. Baltimore could give the Colts a run, but Joe Flacco seems to be regressing by the week (4-10, 34 yards, INT today) and I'll take Peyton Manning thank you very much. Then again, I'm the same guy who said Mark Sanchez would be a disaster and he wasn't, so what do I know.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
I'd also like to say...
That I'm saddened to hear Charlie Weis is going to Kansas City to be their offensive coordinator. Really Charlie, Kansas City? Were there no better offers? I'd love it if they dumped Cassell and traded for Brady Quinn. Hell, let's trade for Maurice Stovall and Anthony Fasano, and really get the band back together.
Seriously, though, Matt Cassell sucks. Charlie's first order of business should be to get a better QB. And feature Jamal Charles for an entire season; his production over the 2nd half of the season proves that Larry Johnson's contract was the equivalent of Gilbert Arenas' in the NBA. Just a complete disaster all around, and you knew it as soon he signed it.
Seriously, though, Matt Cassell sucks. Charlie's first order of business should be to get a better QB. And feature Jamal Charles for an entire season; his production over the 2nd half of the season proves that Larry Johnson's contract was the equivalent of Gilbert Arenas' in the NBA. Just a complete disaster all around, and you knew it as soon he signed it.
The NFL playoffs: I don't know what to think
I've been thinking about these wild card playoff games this weekend, and I have no idea who to pick to win these games. I think all four of them are a complete toss-up, and I wouldn't be surprised by any team winning.
The Bengals are severly hindered by their passing game, which features no deep threats. The Jets' defense could absolutely shut this team down. But on the Jets side you have Mark Sanchez, and if you think I'm taking a rookie QB on the road in the playoffs, think again. I'll take the Bengals, but I'm not confident. I just envision Sanchez throwing a few picks to Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall, and the Bengals eeking out a win.
This Cowboys-Eagles game has me all flustered. The Eagles are a lot better than how they played on Sunday, and I can't imagine them playing like that two weeks in a row. On the other hand, Dallas has played two very good games defensively against the Eagles, so it seems like they've got them figured out. On the other hand (I've got lots of hands, "and you're gonna need it), McNabb had one of his classically poor accuracy days, and he usually doesn't do that two weeks in a row. Plus the Cowboys now have to beat the Eagles three times in one season, which is a tall order considering the Eagles are a pretty good team. I'm taking the Cowboys on the strength of their pass rush, but I really don't know which way to go.
Ravens-Patriots has snooze fest written all over it. Get ready for lots of Ray Rice and Julian Edelman. Both teams have weak secondaries, so that kinda cancels each other out. This is the type of game where I just imagine the Patriots finding some cheap way to win, while Baltimore blows a winnable game. I'll take the Patriots, but frankly I don't care about this one.
Packers-Cardinals could potentially be a great game. These are two prolific passing attacks, and two really good QBs. The key for Arizona is going to be protecting Warner; if Clay Matthews is able to rush the passer, it's probably game over. I don't like Tramon Williams trying to cover those Cardinal receivers, but Anquan Boldin might not play so maybe that won't be such a factor. I'll take the Packers to win, but the Cardinals have the best player in this game in Larry Fitzgerald, so watch out for that.
The Bengals are severly hindered by their passing game, which features no deep threats. The Jets' defense could absolutely shut this team down. But on the Jets side you have Mark Sanchez, and if you think I'm taking a rookie QB on the road in the playoffs, think again. I'll take the Bengals, but I'm not confident. I just envision Sanchez throwing a few picks to Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall, and the Bengals eeking out a win.
This Cowboys-Eagles game has me all flustered. The Eagles are a lot better than how they played on Sunday, and I can't imagine them playing like that two weeks in a row. On the other hand, Dallas has played two very good games defensively against the Eagles, so it seems like they've got them figured out. On the other hand (I've got lots of hands, "and you're gonna need it), McNabb had one of his classically poor accuracy days, and he usually doesn't do that two weeks in a row. Plus the Cowboys now have to beat the Eagles three times in one season, which is a tall order considering the Eagles are a pretty good team. I'm taking the Cowboys on the strength of their pass rush, but I really don't know which way to go.
Ravens-Patriots has snooze fest written all over it. Get ready for lots of Ray Rice and Julian Edelman. Both teams have weak secondaries, so that kinda cancels each other out. This is the type of game where I just imagine the Patriots finding some cheap way to win, while Baltimore blows a winnable game. I'll take the Patriots, but frankly I don't care about this one.
Packers-Cardinals could potentially be a great game. These are two prolific passing attacks, and two really good QBs. The key for Arizona is going to be protecting Warner; if Clay Matthews is able to rush the passer, it's probably game over. I don't like Tramon Williams trying to cover those Cardinal receivers, but Anquan Boldin might not play so maybe that won't be such a factor. I'll take the Packers to win, but the Cardinals have the best player in this game in Larry Fitzgerald, so watch out for that.
The warped logic of the Oakland Raiders
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Wilson-Gannon-offers-to-help-Raiders.html
Good stuff there about how the Raiders don't want Gannon anywhere near their franchise. Why? Because he dared to criticize them during a game earlier this season. Here's the money quote:
"Maybe it's Rich that needs the help," Herrera said.
Umm, hmm. Seven straight 10+ loss seasons says it's not Gannon who needs help but rather the Oakland Raiders. Not in the la-la land that Al Davis has created, though. The land where everything is perenially the head coach's fault. He's considering firing Tom Cable, really? Are we gonna go through a coach a year or what?
I love this story about JaMarcus Russell leaving for Las Vegas after being excused from a team meeting. An old cliche in sports lingo is how so-and-so is the first one in and the last one out. Well, in JaMarcus' case I think it's safe to say he's the last one in and the first one out. I can still remember a quote from Scott Wright of NFL Draft Countdown, when he said he had Brady Quinn ranked ahead of Russell because with Quinn you don't have to worry about him giving it his all. That rings so true today. Quinn may be a bust as well so far in the NFL, but it's not because he hasn't worked at it. You cannot say the same for Russell.
The fact that the Raiders are even considering bringing Russell back is a flipping joke. He's Ryan Leaf without the shoving incident involving a reporter (and frankly, JaMarcus just doesn't have the fire in his belly to shove a reporter). His fumble at the Baltimore 23 with about 9 minutes left about single-handedly ended the Houston Texans' season (imagine being a Texans fan, and your season partially rides on Russell having to engineer a comeback against Baltimore). Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye, those legends of the gridiron, came in and not only outperformed Russell, but did so by an embarrassingly wide margin. Louis Murphy and Chaz Schillens (who was out for most of Russell's starts, lucky him) all of a sudden started producing. The man is the biggest bust in NFL draft history, and in Al Davis' world that means he's the QB of the future, while Gannon isn't even allowed in production meetings and Tom Cable (potentially) gets fired.
The Raiders have gone from being comically bad (like the 2-14 2006 season) to just plain sad. This was a proud franchise, and Al Davis is currently running it about as poorly as anyone has ever run a pro sports franchise. The Detroit Lions don't have seven straight seasons with 10+ losses. The Rams, the Browns, name any sad-sack franchise and they've all won more than 6 games in a season more recently than the Raiders.
Good stuff there about how the Raiders don't want Gannon anywhere near their franchise. Why? Because he dared to criticize them during a game earlier this season. Here's the money quote:
"Maybe it's Rich that needs the help," Herrera said.
Umm, hmm. Seven straight 10+ loss seasons says it's not Gannon who needs help but rather the Oakland Raiders. Not in the la-la land that Al Davis has created, though. The land where everything is perenially the head coach's fault. He's considering firing Tom Cable, really? Are we gonna go through a coach a year or what?
I love this story about JaMarcus Russell leaving for Las Vegas after being excused from a team meeting. An old cliche in sports lingo is how so-and-so is the first one in and the last one out. Well, in JaMarcus' case I think it's safe to say he's the last one in and the first one out. I can still remember a quote from Scott Wright of NFL Draft Countdown, when he said he had Brady Quinn ranked ahead of Russell because with Quinn you don't have to worry about him giving it his all. That rings so true today. Quinn may be a bust as well so far in the NFL, but it's not because he hasn't worked at it. You cannot say the same for Russell.
The fact that the Raiders are even considering bringing Russell back is a flipping joke. He's Ryan Leaf without the shoving incident involving a reporter (and frankly, JaMarcus just doesn't have the fire in his belly to shove a reporter). His fumble at the Baltimore 23 with about 9 minutes left about single-handedly ended the Houston Texans' season (imagine being a Texans fan, and your season partially rides on Russell having to engineer a comeback against Baltimore). Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye, those legends of the gridiron, came in and not only outperformed Russell, but did so by an embarrassingly wide margin. Louis Murphy and Chaz Schillens (who was out for most of Russell's starts, lucky him) all of a sudden started producing. The man is the biggest bust in NFL draft history, and in Al Davis' world that means he's the QB of the future, while Gannon isn't even allowed in production meetings and Tom Cable (potentially) gets fired.
The Raiders have gone from being comically bad (like the 2-14 2006 season) to just plain sad. This was a proud franchise, and Al Davis is currently running it about as poorly as anyone has ever run a pro sports franchise. The Detroit Lions don't have seven straight seasons with 10+ losses. The Rams, the Browns, name any sad-sack franchise and they've all won more than 6 games in a season more recently than the Raiders.
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