Aug

31

2006 AFC West Preview

Filed Under Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers | Leave a Comment

The Broncos Jake PlummerIn staying with our look at the upcoming NFL season, today I preview the AFC West, highlighted by some very solid teams that make this division look like a dogfight:

Denver – Prediction for 2006 11-5: The Broncos came basically out of nowhere last season to win 13 games, and getting a chance to host the AFC title game before laying an egg and falling behind 24-3 before eventually losing to the champion Steelers. Mike Shanahan is one of the best coaches in football, and even with a revolving door at running back, his team always runs the ball well. Jake Plummer (3366 yards, 18 TD’s in 2005) really came into his own last year, and the teams risk of playing a wealth of former Cleveland Browns linemen on the D-line paid off. This season the Broncos will once again be the class of the division, with a huge advantage playing at home, the team should win 7-8 games at Invesco. On the road the team has marquee games at playoff foes from 2005 – New England and Pittsburgh. Nevertheless, with three of their first four games against St.Louis, KC, new England and Baltimore, the Broncos will get off to a fast start and never look back.

Kansas City – Prediction for 2006 9-7: This is a really tough team to figure out. I had them pegged to win the division until the start of camp and then the preseason, where my opinion about what this team will be, changed. Herman Edwards comes in as coach, and while he had some success in New York, his coaching style will take some time to get use to. Larry Johnson will be the workhorse on offense, and Trent Green will be counted on to make plays in the passing game. Edwards has reportedly pushed his team very hard in camp, and one has to wonder what effect that will have come December. This team was in position for a playoff run in 2005, when they lost back to back December games at Dallas and the Giants that knocked them out of the race. Edwards still needs to shore up a defense that allowed 98 yards a game on the ground, and that may be a year away from happening.

San Diego – Prediction for 2006 8-8: The Chargers went from 4-12 in 2003, to 12-4 in 2004, to 9-7 last season, meaning that where they go this season is anyones guess. I’ll guess 8-8, not a bad year, just not a real good year either. A new regime is in town with Philip Rivers at quarterback, and he is bound to have some growing pains in his first full year behind center. LaDainian Tomlinson is still one of the top three backs in the game, and the offense will need every bit of his 1462 yards that he had a year ago. Antonio Gates will also help Rivers when he gets in a jam, and the offensive line is pretty solid. On defense, the team allowed over 220 yards per game a year ago through the air, a number that will have to be improved on if the team wants to move forward in 2006. A fast start with games at Oakland, vs Tennessee and at Baltimore will help Rivers gain some confidence and move the Chargers in the right direction would help a great deal. If not, it will be a roller coaster of a season for Marty and the Thunderbolts.

Oakland – Prediction for 2006 6-10: Sorry Raider Nation, this is going to be another long year for Al Davis and fans in the Black Hole. The Raiders went out and nabbed Art Shell back to be their head coach, snagged Aaron Brooks as a possible starter at QB, and have gone 4-0 in the preseason. So what’s the problem? Well, for one, this team has been unable to regain the offensive firepower it showed back in 2002 when it scored a NFL high 450 points and went 11-5 and made it to the Super Bowl. They also still have a severe lack of discipline, as each year, no matter the players or coach, they lead the league in penalties. From going 33-15 in 2000 through 2002, the Raiders have fallen on hard times, going 13-35 since then. This year will be about trying to build for the future for Shell and the black and silver, and with it will come another tough year for the faithful in Oakland.

 

Aug

30

2006 NFC West Preview

Filed Under Arizona Cardinals, NFL, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams | Leave a Comment

Matt Hasslebeck Today is the first in my [tag]NFL Division previews[/tag], and today we will be taking a short but complete look at the NFC West and making predictions on how the West will be won:

[tag]Seattle[/tag] – Precdiction for 2006 11-5: The Seahwks are still having nightmares about early Feburary in Detroit, where they clearly had the Steelers on the ropes and were doing everything right in Super Bowl XL. Instead, they have to live with it everyday that they had the game in hand, only to have mistakes and penalties keep them from winning their first Super Bowl. In 2006, the Hawks will again be very solid all the way around. In the last three seasons they have won 13, 9 and 10 games, and been to the playoffs those three years. They averaged 370 yards a game a year ago, and with Matt Hasselbeck and [tag]Shaun Alexander[/tag], you can look for close to a repeat performance. The wide outs may be a little weak, but they still found a way to get it done in 05, and should again this year. The defense is lead by a group of young, agressive players, and should again have a solid year. The division is tougher with [tag]Arizona[/tag] and St.Louis getting better, but the Hawks should still win the division and host at least one playoff game at noisy Qwest Field.

Arizona – Prediction for 2006 10-6: This is one of the more up and coming teams in the NFC and in the NFL. The big question about Arizona is [tag]Kurt Warner[/tag], and if he does not come through, will Matt Leinart be ready to take the regins? They seemed primed to have a big year in 2005, but actually took a step backwards and went 5-11 after going 6-10 in 2004. A new stadium, [tag]Edgerrin James[/tag], and some stud wide outs will give Arizona its most exciting team in franchise history. It’ll be up to Denny Green to right the wrongs on defense, and get this team ready for a playoff run in December.

[tag]St.Louis[/tag] – Prediction for 2006 7-9: The Rams had a good run before last season, winning 20 games in two years before last years 6-10 season. They have a new look with new coach Scott Linehan, and will look to run the ball more on offense to take the pressure off of Marc Bulger. Steven Jackson may have a monster year in this offense, and should easily surpass his 1046 yard effort from a year ago. Torry Holt and Issac Bruce need to stay healthy, and the defense cannot allow 27 points a game like it did a year ago if they want to improve. I don’t see them getting all that much better record wise in 2006, but give Linehan a year to make some moves, and this team might be ready to challenge for a NFC West title again in 2007.

[tag]San Francisco[/tag] – Prediciton for 2006 4-12: Sorry 49′ers fans, but things are not going to get much better in 2006 then they did in 05. The 9′ers have won just 6 games in two seasons, and Mike Nolan has the task of trying to continue to turn this team in the right direction and relive the days of even 2001 (12-4) and 2002 (10-6). San Francisco scored just 15 points a game last season, and are despertly hoping that [tag]Alex Smith[/tag] starts to show signs of improvement. So far, he has had an up and down preseason. Last year he threw just one TD and 11 picks, and had a QB rating of 40.8. Trent Dilfer may see some serious time as backup to Smith if the 2nd year back struggles again. Frank Gore will now be the full-time feature back with Kevan Barlow in New York, and he needs to continue his trend of a high average per carry (4.8 in 2005). The defense allowed close to 400 yards per game, and Nolan’s biggest task along with making Smith a better QB will be to get the defense on the right track. Have patience 49′ers fans…things will get better sooner than later. Just not in 2006.

Aug

29

Palmer Passes Test – To Start In Week One

Filed Under Cincinnati Bengals, NFL | Leave a Comment

Carson PalmerIt was the return that all of Cincinnati had been waiting for, and for Carson Palmer, the franchise quarterback passed all the tests with flying colors. Palmer impressed so much that on Tuesday head coach Marvin Lewis put all the doubters to rest – Palmer will start week one at Kansas City. “And now we can move on and quit writing about it. It’s over now. He’ll start in Kansas City,” Lewis said Tuesday. Indeed, Palmer looked as good as ever against a weak Green Bay team, throwing three touchdowns and leading the Bengals to an easy 48-17 win. Palmer looked awesome, going 9-for-14 for 140 yards, and more importantly, he did not show any ill effects of a knee injury that at one point looked as if it may ruin his promising career.
“He’s our leader, and he’s back. That’s got to make any Bengals fan feel real happy,” Willie Anderson said after the game. “I felt good,” Palmer said. “It feels like it’s just football now.” For the Bengals, the fans were clad all in their number 9 jerseys, and for each and every fan out there was happy as a clam that their quarterback was back at the helm. Now, with Palmer back and looking great, the Bengals suddenly look like the team that went 11-5 and won the AFC North. A team that with Palmer that is close to 100 percent has all the opportunity and all the talent in the world behind it. With a solid running game with Rudi Johnson, and Chad Johnson, the Bengals are again on their way to being one of the best in the AFC.

As for Palmer, he is not entirely out of the woods yet. Looking good in a preseason game vs the Packers is not like looking good in a high charged game against a team like the Pats or Steelers, two teams he will have to face early on this season if he stays healthy. For now, Palmer has passed test one, and here is to hoping that he stays healthy, and continues to make plays for the tiger striped Bengals.

Aug

29

Redskins Searching For Answers

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Joe Gibbs and co. looking for answersAre the Washington Redskins one of those 2006 teams that is on pace to take a step back from where they were a year ago?  They could be.  The Redskins last season played with guts and heart down the stretch, and found themselves backing into the playoffs, and even into the second round after a win in Tampa Bay.  Things didn’t go their way in Seattle on that rainy Saturday afternoon, but it looked heading into the offseason that the future was bright in DC.  Now, things don’t look so clear.  After a 41-0 preseason drubbing on Saturday in New England, the Skins are 0-3 in the preseason, and have been outscored 87-17.

While the preseason is what it is, the Skins have not even looked close to ready to play a regular season game, and both the offense and defense look totally out of sync.  What is also concerning is the injury to team MVP Clinton Portis, and what lingering effect it will have on the offense heading into the regular season.  As for the confidence of the team heading into the last preseason game, that also has to be questioned.  “It stinks. We are in bad moods. It is not OK.” new WR Brandon Lloyd said. “We will go through the film in detail. We will get screamed at, and we will probably be in full pads next week. It is serious. Losing is a big deal.”

Losing is really a big deal if the Skins cannot get out of this fog and into regular season playing mode come September 11th in the first Monday Night game of the year against the Vikings.  Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs will not tolerate a lackluster effort, like the kind he has been getting in the preseason, and a couple of early losses could send this team into a tailspin.  Mark Brunell will be 36 on September 17th, and his best days are behind him.  Even with that, he is being counted on to lead this offense, and will have to even improve upon his 3050 yards a year ago and 23 TD’s.  So far in 11 possessions this preseason, he has yet to lead a scoring drive. 

The team brought in Lloyd, along with Steelers WR/PR Antwaan Randle El to add a new dimension to the offense.  So far, it has not clicked.  Saturday in New England the team gained just 154 yards, and gave up 464.  Ouch.  With the MNF opener vs Minnesota looming, along with a road game on Sunday night in week two in Dallas, the Skins are a team that cannot afford to get off to a slow start.

“If we don’t take care of the little things, this thing is going to snowball,” Redskins defensive tackle Joe Salave’a said after the loss Saturday.  You can bet the snowball will gain plenty of steam if the Skins don’t right the wrongs – in a hurry.                          

Aug

29

Favre’s Downward Spiral Continues

Filed Under Green Bay Packers, NFL | Leave a Comment

Brett gives up another TD the other way!It did not take long on Monday night for the viewing public to come to the conclusion that preseason or not, Brett Favre is a shell of the quarterback that he was even 2-3 years ago. That conclusion came after watching just the first few minutes of Cincinnati’s 48-17 bashing of the Packers in the return of Carson Palmer to the Bengals lineup. What was more evident about this game though, was that Favre seems more than ever to be going through the motions, and if the Packers have any hopes of a winning or even a mediocre season, it might be time for Favre to start to think about taking a seat. Mind you that will never happen, but in a world where youth rules, Favre should do the right thing and think about the future of the franchise of the team that he so dearly loves. He has to know that right now, at the level he and the team is playing at, the time may be right to start thinking about handing the reigns over to last years first round pick Aaron Rodgers. Though Rodgers was just 2-of-6 for 7 yards on Monday night, clearly he is the future behind center.

Favre’s night consisted of a fumble on the teams first series that was returned for a TD, a pick that led to a field goal, a couple of batted balls, and he was sacked three times. Granted not everything was his fault, but the fumble came as the ball slipped from his throwing hand after not getting touched, and the pick came when, per usual, he tried to force the ball in what appeared to be triple coverage. Favre is known as a “gunslinger,” and right now, it looks as if the old Cowboy should put his guns away, because all that he looks like he’ll do this season is shoot himself in the foot. Give it 2-3 weeks when the Packers are off to a bad start, and Favre will hear the whispers, as if he doesn’t already, that the time for the end may be coming. Brett finished the night 12-for-25, 162 yards with the TD and INT. But make no mistake about it, the old vet is forcing the matter coming back this season, and with it he is putting the Packers behind the curve for allowing Rodgers time to get ready to take his rightful place as the new Packers signal caller.

 

Aug

28

Anyone Got An Alarm Clock For Poor T.O.?

Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, NFL | Leave a Comment

T.O. Needs One..NOW!!Now you have got to be kidding me.  Terrell Owens is playing the “I overslept” card on the public when it comes to why he recently missed a meeting and was fined $9500.  Owens spoke for the first time Monday about the incident, as per usual, refused to take any blame about it.   “I think everybody has overslept, you know, once or twice in their life,” Owens said. “It was not something I purposely tried to do. It’s something that I will try to make more of an effort, a better effort, to get here on time. Other than that, it’s really not a big issue.”  Not a big issue, unless you are Terrell Owens and is known for being the biggest knucklehead in all of the NFL.

Of course leave it to team owner Jerry Jones, the man who insisted that the team go out and get Owens, to come in the pick up the pieces.   “From my standpoint, it’s all good,” Jones said. “Apart from him not being on the field and getting repetitions, has it in any way affected relationships on this team, teammates on this team, relationships between me and Bill, me and the coaching staff, Terrell and Bill, Terrell and the coaching staff? Zero impact there.”

Thanks Jerry, thanks for coming in and making the save once again for the player that you are going to have to be the mouthpiece for each and every time that he messes up.  You can tell the damage control that was being done in Big D, as today on the Dan Patrick show former troublemaker himself Michael Irvin was speaking on behalf of Owens, saying that the media was blowing the whole situation out of proportion.  This coming from a player that had to make more than one public apology for his actions when he was a player.

Back to Owens.  He was again not on the practice field on Monday, missing his 20th practice with a tender hamstring.  He won’t play Thursday against the Vikings, and the opener vs the Jags looks in doubt.  Let’s see now if the poor injured Owens and his coach, and the team owner can all have a cup of tea and get along.  I for some odd reason think this is unlikely to happen.

Aug

28

Raiders Sign George. Yes, Jeff George. No This is Not A Misprint.

Filed Under NFL, Oakland Raiders | Leave a Comment

If it was April 1st, I would have thought that the Raiders were playing a joke on the general public.  Instead, its August 28th, and the Raiders are not playing a joke, instead they did something Monday that almost no one could have ever seen coming.  They signed a quarterback who has not taken an NFL snap in five seasons.  Yes folks, the Radiers have signed wild child Jeff George.  the last time we saw Jeff, he was sitting on the sidelines in Chicago, signed as insurance, but never seeing any playing time.  In fact, the last time that Jeff saw any live action, it was back in the 2000 season, when he played for the Redskins.

So why would the Raiders make such a head scratching move with less than two weeks to go before the start of the season?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Is he going to possibly challenge for the back up job with Andrew Walter and Marques Tuiasosopo?  Does Art Shell actually believe that George can challenge Aaron Brooks for the starting job?  Is anyone not seeing the logic in this move?  It would be different if George was a good locker room guy, but let’s not forget this is the player who has a 46-78 career record as a starter and has never lasted longer than four years with any one team.  The Raiders are in a sad state of affairs if they have to go out with less than two weeks before their season opener with the Chargers and make a move like this.

George was on the field for the afternoon practice for the Raiders, throwing passes all over the place.  How that is going to translate when it comes to taking the field in the final preseason game, or even in a regular season game, remains to be seen.

Aug

28

Some Random AFC Thoughts

Filed Under Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans | Leave a Comment

Eric Moulds of the TexansWith the season less now than two weeks away, here are some random thoughts about some of the storylines in the AFC:

* The Houston Texans are doomed for another long season. The team went in a totally different direction and didn’t address the offseason needs for playmakers on offense. David Carr will continue to have to run for his life behind a weak offensive line, and the defense will not be able to keep them in games week after week.

* The Titans are not happy with Billy Volek, and still want to season Vince Young before throwing him into the fire. That’s exactly why the team is talking in depth to former Giants, Panthers and Raiders QB Kerry Collins. Collins is the best QB on the market, and could steer the ship for awhile in Tennessee until Young is ready.

* Tonight could be the most over hyped preseason game in NFL history as Carson Palmer makes his return for the Bengals against the Packers. Look for Palmer to play all of 1-2 series, and if he can take a hit or two, it will be worth it for the coaches and team to see how he responds. If he gets hurt, you can pack Marvin Lewis’ bags out of town for playing the teams franchise QB in a preseason game.

* The Browns have been encouraged by the returns of TE Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards. Combine that with the solid play of QB Charlie Frye, and Browns fans feel they have something in 2006 to look forward to. But, before you get ahead of yourselves, just remember you have Ross Tucker as your starting center, and Frye is still going to make his share of mistakes as a full-time signal caller.

* Look for the Dolphins to look at Browns RB Lee Suggs carefully as the preseason draws to a close. They are looking for a backup to Ronnie Brown, and Suggs has already been traded once this offseason, only to be returned to Cleveland after a failed physical. If Suggs can show he’s 100 percent against the Bears Thursday, the Dolphins may make an offer.

* One player that will benefit greatly if Deion Branch is not in New England is Wide out Bam Childress. I remember covering Childress in high school, and he was a player that you knew if given the chance can make some plays. Now with a full year under his belt and an offseason and preseason working with Tom Brady, he may get a chance to be a big part of the Pats offense.

* The Colts can quickly put last seasons collapse in the playoffs behind them with a quick start. This seasons schedule points to that, as the first five games before their bye have them playing at the Giants, home vs Houston, home vs Jacksonville, at the Jets and home vs Tennessee. Can you say 5-0, or at worst, 4-1?

Aug

28

Jets QB “Competition” A Laughing Matter

Filed Under NFL, New York Jets | Leave a Comment

While Jets Nation sits back and waits for new hotshot coach Eric Mangini to finally make a choice as his starting quarterback, no one should belive for a second that it will not be veteran Chad Pennington. Mangini for some unknown reason on Sunday declared that he was still unsure of who his starter will be at quarterback when the Jets take the field opening day in Tennessee. Why? Pennington, in watching the game against the Giants over the weekend, clearly looked like the best quarterback option that the Jets currently have. He was sharp with some passes, and while he did not lead the Jets on a scoring drive, he clearly has the confidence to lead the team into what is going to be a rocky 2006. Pennington has yet to lead the Jets on a scoring drive in 10 preseason possessions, and has a QB rating of 60.8, but trust me, he still is heads and shoulders above any other thrower on the roster.

Mangini is acting like he is making a choice between Ken O’Brien, Joe Namath, and Boomer Esiason, and not Pennington, Brooks Bollinger, Patrick Ramsey and Kellen Clemens. Pennington went 11-for-20 for 125 yards in Friday’s loss to the Giants. He made several throws he said showed improvement over his performance in the preseason opener, when he went 9-for-14 for 54 yards. Again, not staggering numbers, but for where this organization is at, going with the vet is clearly the best decision. So what happens if Pennington comes out opening day and stinks up the joint? You pull him. No harm, no foul. Everyone knows that the Jets are a team that could be one of the very worst in the AFC this season, and playing Pennington is the safe bet.

As for Mangini, waiting on making this decision is not a good start to a coaching career that he hopes won’t be one of the shorter ones in New York history. No one would blame him for making the choice of Pennington, simply out of default. But by putting the media and the fans on notice by making them wait, he looks more foolish than smart. I don’t know, maybe he’s waiting for a phone call back from Browning Nagle to see if he’s available for a series in the teams last preseason game.  

 

 

Aug

27

More Trouble For Robinson And Owens

Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, NFL | 1 Comment

It’s not much or a surprise that two of the NFL bad boys both got in trouble recently just one day apart. First in Minnesota, the Vikings decided to simply cut their losses and decided that the season would be less trouble if they let go of repeat trouble maker Koren Robinson. Robinson fell off the bandwagon again, and got charged with drunkin driving as well as fleeing police back on August 16th. It was not the first time that Robinson was in trouble, and it was the latest in a long line of alcohol problems, including pleading guilty to DUI while with the Seattle Seahawks in 2005 and was suspended for four games in 2004 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Vikings are somewhat thin at the wide out spot, so this cut shows how bad the team wants to shed its image after the “Love Boat” incident in 2005, and wants to be known as a team that stands for intergity. So far, in making this move, as tough as it possibly was, it was the right move at the right time. Get on with the preseason now, and get ready for the season without Robinson instead of just sitting back and waiting. For Robinson, he will likely get another shot somewhere, sometime. But now, his lack of judgement has cost him yet again.

In Dallas, the saga continues, and the ugly story of Terrell Owens and what is going to be the blowup of the year with the Cowboys continues as well. The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Owens drew a $9,500 fine for missing a team meeting and being late to an offensive meeting. Let the games begin. Does anyone inside or out of the Cowboys orgainzation even come close to thinking that this will be the last incident of dicpline with Owens? Not even close. Jerry Jones’ pet wide out had better get his act together, becuase as stated here plenty of times before, Bill Parcells simply will not put up with Owens’ antics. Parcells rather play less talented players, then play a player like Owens that is in constant disrespect of his authority. Owens has missed 19 of 31 practices since the start of training camp, and in a year that the Cowboys are supposed to contend for the NFC East, his lack of being on the field has been the top story. Ouch. For Owens, his talent, for now, will outweigh his problems with Parcells and being late for meetings and what not. Give it some time though, and Jerry Jones will be eating his decision to pursue the hot headed wide out in the first place.

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