Jan

31

Marvin’s On Field Actions Speak Louder Than Words

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Four days away from the big game, and the two teams have gone through the circus otherwise known as “media day.” The big news from Tuesday seemed to be the lengthy interview that was given by normally silent Colts wide out Marvin Harrison. Marvin spent an hour at the podium on Tuesday, and actually was more open about a lot of this feelings than at any other point in his career. He stated that passing Jerry Rice’s records were “not important to me.”

Marvin also explained how he does not like to celebrate after his touchdowns, which to date number 122. “Everyone has their style of play and their style of celebration,” he explained. “I don’t think it’s hurt me any. I’d definitely like to know, who’s won more games between me and the receivers who do the antics and tactics and things? I’d definitely like to know that. I know I have more catches than them.”

He did celebrate once this season, that being after a TD catch against the Pats. His big celebration was spiking the ball, and it came up and hit one of the Pats players. “It wasn’t taunting,” he said, “the ball hit one of their guys by accident. I’m not out there to embarrass anyone or harm anyone. My teammates love it. But I don’t have much of that left. Only on special occasions.”

Harrison is one player that is going to have to have a good game vs the Bears in order for the Colts to win. He can stretch a defense and make the tough catches. He truly is the go-to guy for Peyton Manning when things get tough, and he and Manning have a relationship much like Rice did with Joe Montana and then Steve Young. Despite his quiet demeanor, he actually is one of the nice guys in the game, he just does not do interviews or brag about himself all that much. I personally would take 1 Harrison over 10 Terrell Owens’ anyday of the week.

You can bet that with the Bears coming after Manning on Sunday that Harrison will be looked at early and often. He had 95 catches this past season for 1366 yards and 12 TD’s. He had six games over 100 yards, and in eight games caught at least seven passes. If the Colts are going to win, you can bet that the quiet off the field Marvin is going to make some noise on the field with a big play or at least a few big catches to help out the Colts offense when they need it.

Jan

30

Race Getting too Much Focus Already in Miami

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The lull is over and the NFL is back at full speed ahead as we now have just less than a week till Super Bowl XLI. The teams have arrived, and today is the all important media day that will have goofs from MTV and Comedy Central asking questions along with real beat writers from NFL teams across the country. Never have I seen anything like Media Day for the Super Bowl, its truly a sight to behold.

There is also quite a few things happening off the field, some good, and some not so good. One thing that is going to be focused in on this week, and I think its so overblown that I am already tired of hearing about it – is the fact that this is the first Super Bowl with an African American coach, and not only that, but this game will have two African American coaches. First of all, I realize that its a barrier that we have crossed, but truthfully, does it change the game and how its played at all? These two coaches, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, are two of the best coaches in the game, no matter what the color of their skin is, and the fact that their race is going to get so much hype this week really is just another example of how this country needs to move on and get over race as a whole.

I think its a tremendous feat for both these God fearing men, but knowing how they live their lives and how they have conducted themselves as men of character, I am sure that by the end of the day they are also going to be sick of hearing about being the first two African American head coaches to be in a Super Bowl. Let it go, move on, and let these two men get their teams set for what should be a classic battle on Sunday for a world championship.

Speaking on the whole black coach thing, I was sickened last week with an article that was written in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on Tuesday by columnist Ron Cook. The article, which I have included the link to here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07023/756022-87.stm, is entitled – Were others ‘ruled’ out by Rooney. It goes on to speculate that the reason the Steelers hired Mike Tomlin, their first black head coach in team history, was because their owner basically started a rule that made teams interview a minority when they had a head coaching position open. The article reads – “What if he (Tomlin) got the job because Steelers owner Dan Rooney cares just a little more about his NFL legacy than about his franchise? What if Tomlin got the job, at least in part, because of the Rooney Rule? Would that be disturbing?”

What is disturbing is thinking that the Steelers, one of the leagues most valued franchises, would have hired someone based on color and not on coaching ability. Dan Rooney is not going to undermine his organization simply to hire a black coach because he came up with the rule to interview a minority when a head coaching position was open. Its just another sad example of a columnist trying to sell newspapers and stir the pot simply because he likely thought that Russ Grimm should have gotten the call as the next Steelers head coach. I will admit that I thought Grimm should have gotten the job, but that’s based on what I had read and heard, not because he is white and Tomlin is black. Just bad journalism on Cook’s part.

So now the Bowl is nearing, and there is going to be plenty of sidebars and stories as there always is on the game, the players, and the things that go along with making the Super Bowl just that – the Super Bowl. I just hope that after today we no longer have to read about skin color, and just about what is going to take place on the field in Miami this weekend.

Jan

25

Thursday NFL News and Notes

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This is usually the week of nothing around the National Football League for the most part. That week of the lull before the week of the build up to Super Bowl XLI which will start in earnest on Monday with everyone and their mothers brother reporting live from Miami for the entire week. With that, there was some interesting stuff that hit the wires between Tuesday and Wednesday, including:

T.O. speaking out about Bill Parcells retiring from the Cowboys – Mr. Team Player did not exactly shed a tear upon hearing the news that the Tuna was walking away from coaching. The most interesting quote that surfaced had Owens stating “I still think he is a great guy. But he is like my grandmother. You love the person, but they are stuck in their old-school ways. You can’t move them from their way of thought.” And we wonder why Owens is known as a mouthy, self-centered, loner who never gets along with anyone?

Jeff Garcia claims he’ll test the free agent market – While this is not exactly breaking news, it does put Garcia at the top of the list along with Damon Huard for the two best quarterbacks that will be on the market. Garcia, at 36 years old, will likely be able to land a 2 or 3-year deal somewhere where he may be the starter. In the eight games that he played in while Donovan McNabb was hurt, Garcia posted a QB rating of 95.8.

The Cowboys coaching search begins – Jerry Jones will have a lot of money and a good job to throw out at someone, but so far the names that are popping up as the next possible Cowboys head coach are not all that impressive. They include mostly current Cowboy assistants Tony Sparano, Todd Haley and Todd Bowles. One guy that I think would be an interesting prospect would be former Rams coach Mike Martz, who would love to have an offense with a passing game with players like Tony Romo, Owens and Terry Glenn.

NFL and players union reach agreement on tougher drug testing – The game of football and the NFL cannot find itself in the same boat as Major League Baseball, and that is exactly why this is great news for the league. Players that cheat should be held accountable, and this new set of stiffer rules will do just that. I love the part that first time offenders will forfeit a portion of their signing bonus money. I still say if you hit a player in the pocketbook, it will mean just about more than anything else.

 

 

 

 

Jan

24

McNabb Feels Shunned by Eagles; Reid

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So after two straight seasons of his year ending early with an injury, Eagles QB Donovan McNabb is reportedly upset with the organization. Reports state that McNabb is bummed that the team would not let him fly with the Eagles on a plane to the Divisional Playoff game at New Orleans two weeks ago. The team policy, put in place by head coach Andy Reid, is that no player on IR is allowed to fly with the team to away games. But of course McNabb thinks since he’s well..McNabb, that the rule should have been flexed for him.

The reports also say that Donovan’s feelings may be hurt since he feels others want backup Jeff Garcia, who spared the Eagles late second half run, to be the starter next season. He’s also peeved about the way the media reacted towards his mother – Wilma (no, not the one in the Chunky Soup commerical, that was an actress), after she came out and said that wathching the Eagles without her son was “bittersweet.” No offense Wilma – but why do we care what you think?

Donovan had better watch what he says when he does talk, and better choose his words carefully. Despite having a great season in 2006 after missing a bulk of 2005, McNabb only had the Eagles at 5-5 before he got hurt for good. The team then with Jeff Garcia at the helm, went 6-2 and even won a home playoff game against the rival Giants.

McNabb is still a playmaker when healthy, but the problem is he has not played in a full season in over two years. His injury last year capped what was an awful year for the Eagles after a Super Bowl performance in 2004, and this past year Garcia was the golden boy after McNabb again went down with an injury. It’s life in the NFL when a backup QB comes in, plays well, and then the fans clamor for him to be the starter.

Eagles coach Andy Reid says that all is well with the QB and the team, and that “he knows what’s the truth and what isn’t the truth.” I would again state though that if McNabb thinks he is untouchable and can come out and spout about anything he wants once he gets a mic in front of him, he had better be careful. Being damaged goods is one thing, but being damaged goods with a bad attitude is something not a lot of teams in the NFL want to deal with. Advice to McNabb – let your play on the field speak for itself, and get over the complex of not being loved by your team and fans.

Jan

23

Following the NFL Offseason Movement of Coaches

Filed Under NFL, Oakland Raiders | 2 Comments

With the conclusion of the NFL season you can always expect change, and while this offseason has not been as active as last as far as the number of head coaches either getting fired or retiring, there has been some movement as of late. Monday two coaches became head coaches for the first time, as the Steelers in a shock gave Mike Tomlin the head position of the black and gold. Last evening in Oakland, USC assistant Lane Kiffin became the head coach of the Raiders. Below is a list of coaching changes as of Monday, and some comments on the decisions of each team.

Arizona Cardinals - Fired Dennis Green January 1st. Hired Ken Whisenhunt on January 14th. Whisenhunt was a coach in demand, and with his skills of running an offense, he should be able to turn the Cards around. He has been enhancing his play calling and skills in Pittsburgh the past few seasons, and this hire was a solid one for a Cardinals team that really needs to improve.

Atlanta Falcons – Fired Jim Mora Jr. January 1st. Hired Bobby Petrino on January 7th. A somewhat strange hiring of Petrino, a coach who was 12-1 this past year in Louisville with the 5th ranked team in the country. Despite that, not many thought he was ready for a head coaching position in the NFL, but he must have shown Falcons owner Arthur Blank that he has what it takes. His biggest priority will be to get Michael Vick to be a week in and week out solid NFL QB, and get the Falcons back to the form of three seasons ago when they played in the NFC Title game.

Dallas Cowboys - Bill Parcells retired January 22nd. Many are surprised at the decision of Parcells, who was in the office working hard on the teams offseason each day after their playoff loss to the Seahawks on January 5th. You really can’t blame Parcells for not wanting to put up with another season of the media circus that is Terrell Owens and day in and day out questions about the wacky wide out. Jerry Jones will make a name hire, and pull out the pocketbook to do it.

Miami Dolphins – Nick Saban resigned January 3rd. Hired Cam Cameron January 19th. The Chargers offensive coordinator takes the job in Miami to try and add some life to a team that each year seems to go through the motions and never really take any major steps forward. He is a worthy hire, and he will be counted on to figure out what to do with a Dolphins offense that was awful the first half of the season. He’ll find out quick the difference between LaDainian Tomlinson and Ronnie Brown.

Oakland Raiders – Fired Art Shell January 4th. Hired Lane Kiffin January 22nd. An odd hiring to say the least, but what did you expect from Al Davis? One USC offensive assistant turns down the position, so let’s offer it to another? The 31-year old Kiffin had better rent during the season in Oakland, because itchy trigger finger Davis has fired three coaches in the last four years – Bill Callahan, Norv Turner and Shell. Kiffin will be counted on to jumpstart an offense that was one of the worst in the league in many years last season in Oakland.

Pittsburgh Steelers – Bill Cowher resigned January 5th. Hired Mike Tomlin January 22nd. As one article stated, the Steelers hire coaches about as often as the Catholic Church changes Pope’s. That’s why seeing Tomlin on the sideline will be strange for the first half of 2007, no matter who good or bad the Steelers are. He was a longshot when he was interviewed, but then quickly gained the respect of the Rooney’s and director of football operations Kevin Colbert. Tomlin inherits a team that won the Super Bowl 11 months ago, and has already placed lofty goals upon himself and the Steelers in 2007. Will those goals be met? Only time will tell.

Jan

22

Some More Conference Title Game Thoughts

Filed Under Indianapolis Colts, NFL, New England Patriots | 2 Comments

Now that we all have had close to a day to digest the two conference title games as well as a busy Monday with a few coaching moves, here are some observations to chew on:

I don’t want to harp too much and take credit away from the Colts offense, but have you ever seen a Bill Belichick defense fold as quickly as it did Sunday in the Dome? I think I can say for the first time in a long time that Belichick was clearly outcoached in that game, and Tony Dungy and the Colts get major props for possibly the best comeback I have ever seen.

Speaking of which – is the magic starting to fade on the playoff flower of the Patriots? They have dropped two of their last four playoff games, both on the road. I really didn’t expect Tom Brady to pull it off in the last minute yesterday, and I think that all the steam was out of the Pats after the TD to make it 38-34. I think the Pats problem is that they are not getting the one or two seeds like they had in the past. Maybe they need to refocus more in the regular season instead of just thinking they can “hit the switch” come playoff time. Clearly they were tired in that second half Sunday night, and that was likely a direct result of already having to play two road games.

Maybe the biggest unnoticed play Sunday was the tackle on kick returner Ellis Hobbs that made the Pats start from their own 20-yard line on their final drive. Hobbs had some great returns Sunday, and a return to at least the 35 or 40 would have helped the Pats a great deal.

Maybe now we know why wide out Reche Caldwell was not the most sought after reciever this past offseason. After rubbing it into his old team a week ago with a few big plays, Sunday he may have had the two biggest drops ever in a conference title game. The 2nd one in which he was wide open when the Colts forgot to cover him and he just dropped it was out and out sad. Maybe next time he has a big day he’ll be a little more humble.

Looking back on the Saints-Bears game, I think that the Saints really let this one slip away down 16-14 and marching into Bears territory for a go-ahead score. On the edge of field goal range, they threw the ball three times, twice deep, from the 30, and then on 4th down had Billy Cundiff try a 47-yard field goal. Hindsight being what it is, a run should have been called on first or second down to try and make the field goal closer, and if Sean Peyton was bent on throwing three times, then on 4th and 10 he should have punted. Two series later Drew Brees was slapped with a saefty for grounding in the end zone, and the Bears offense hit a stride that saw them put the game away with a TD throw on the next series.

Reggie Bush is going to be an outstanding player for years to come if he stays healthy, but Sunday as he was finishing off an 88-yard TD catch and run, his antics of waving back at the Bears defense could not have made that unit happy. Bush came across pretty mild mannered and humble his first year in the league, but that display not only dropped that humbleness down a notch, but you know it could not have sat well with the Bears D, who from that point did not allow a single Saints point.

The field in Chicago was a joke Sunday, and you could plainly see huge chunks of turf coming up well throughout the game. I am not some advocate of not having good old fashioned mud and slop every once in awhile, but the condition of that turf did no favors to either team. You can bet that the playing field in Miami will be tons better for the Super Bowl on February 4th.

Jan

22

Tuna Swims Away as the Coach of the Cowboys

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In the end Bill Parcells will be remembered as a solid coach that will one day be a Hall of Fame coach who was always fun to watch. But, while Parcells rides off in the sunset, leaving the Dallas Cowboys without winning a playoff game, his overall tenure in Dallas will be recalled with failure. That failure was not all his fault, after all, he never wanted the day in and day out distraction of Terrell Owens, that was owner Jerry Jones. He wasn’t the guy who dropped a simple snap that would have led to a game leading kick in the last minute in Seattle three weeks ago, that was Tony Romo. In the end, there was a lot going against Parcells that led him not to succeed in Dallas.

Instead of being remembered like Jimmy Johnson or Tom Laundry, he will go down in Cowboys history more like Dave Campo or Chan Gailey. Does he deserve that fate? No, but that is the fate and the cards that he has been dealt. It all ended with a simple e-mail Monday morning, ending what has been overall a storied career that ended on a down note. “I am retiring from coaching football. I want to thank Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones for their tremendous support over the last four years,” the statement continued. “Also, the players, my coaching staff and others in the support group who have done so much to help. Dallas is a great city and the Cowboys are an integral part of it. I am hopeful that they are able to go forward from here.”

Seems like such a simple way for a coach with so much fire, emotion and personality to leave the game. Overall the career ends with a mark of 183-138-1. He ended up 34-32 in Dallas, but did his career overall with a pair of Super Bowls, which is enough to get him into the Hall of Fame. Jerry Jones will have money thrown all over the place looking for the best coach, which should not be hard to find considering the position that will be offered. As for Parcells, it was a down end to what was an up career for one of the games most colorful coaches.

Jan

22

Colts Comeback Belongs To Peyton and the Offense

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The NFL viewers had become so accustomed over the years to seeing Peyton Manning with that look of bewilderment on his face each and every time he faced the Pats, nothing Sunday seemed different once the scoreboard read 21-3 in the second quarter. How many of us out there thought – “here we go again.” I can’t believe that for a second Manning didn’t say the same thing to himself. What was different this time though, was instead of going into that confused shell he had in years past in the big game, Manning responded like a Hall of Famer that he will one day be, and led the Colts back in what will likely go down as the greatest AFC Championship game of all-time.

Manning’s numbers were gaudy, as he was 27-for-47 for 349 yards and a score, but those numbers even fail in comparison to the leadership and poise that he showed in leading the Colts on a furious comeback that saw the game tied up 11 minutes into the third quarter. It seemed like with each pass, Manning and the Colts offense gained more and more confidence, which is something you never thought you’d see after he threw a pick that was returned for a score that made it 21-3 with 9:25 left in the second quarter.

But props to Peyton and the Colts. They fed off the crowds energy, and everytime it looked like a rally would fall short, the team came up with a big play to keep a drive going. The biggest part of their game plan seemed to want to exploit the Pats middle of the secondary, using tight end Dallas Clark. Clark, who had 367 yards the entire season catching the ball, caught 6 passes for 137 yards, averaging 22.8 yards per catch. They had to have seen a soft spot in that area of the Pats D this past week in film, and totally used it to their advantage.

While the Colts offense was shifting into high gear, the defense had plenty of time to rest, be fresh, and make plays when Tom Brady and New England had the ball. At one point in the game, over 30 offensive plays, the Colts ran 29 and the Pats 1. No team can get in sync with that type of disparity in plays run. When the Pats did have the ball, they seemed rushed, confused, and the huge drops in the second half pointed the way that the Colts defense and the crowd clearly was in New England’s head.

The final drive of the game for the Colts was the same type of drive they had last year vs the Steelers in the AFC Divisional playoff game. They were down by 3 at 21-18, and needed to drive for either a game-winning score or a tying field goal. They hit some pass plays, and got a shot at the end zone that fell incomplete. Instead of going back to that, they settled for a third down pass play that fell incomplete, and then a shot to tie the game. We all know what happened. But Sunday, that fortune was turned around. This time they sealed the deal, and scored the touchdown that put them ahead to stay with 1 minute left.

As for Manning, much has been said throughout his career about not winning the big game. Sunday was the biggest win of his career, and it came against his arch-rival. “I don’t get into monkeys and vindication,” he said. “I don’t play that card. I know how hard I worked this season, I know how hard I worked this week.” Now they have a shot at greatness, and with Manning at the helm, that shot seems well within their range.

Jan

22

Sight Not Often Seen: Pats Blow Big Lead and AFC Title

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The headlines in the various Boston papers read as follows: “Indianapolis Jolt” (Boston Globe), “No Lucky Horseshoe” (Boston Herald), “Heartbreaker in Indy” (The Republican). They the game stories seemed to have the same tone – they all talk about “what if” for a Patriots team that had overcome the odds, come so far, and seemed to have everything in front of them as they built a huge lead Sunday, only to see it slip away. This was not the Pats team that we were all use to seeing. A Pats team in the past up 21-6 at the half may have bent a bit, but for sure they would not have broken. That’s what made Sunday’s eventual 38-34 loss to the Colts so tough for Patriots fans to watch. Has reality set in? Are the Pats on their way down? Or was Sunday just a bump in the road that will be overcome with some tweaking of a roster that has played so well together over the decade?

Those are the tough questions that will have to be answered over the next month or so as the Patriots have to decide where to go from here. Sunday they played a first half that seemed like a clinic, only to be treated like patients by Dr.Manning and co. in the second half. The defensive letdown is possibly the most alarming aspect of the loss Sunday. They battled the Colts wide outs tough in the first half, knocking down passes, bumping them at the line, and frustrating Peyton Manning into mistakes that included a int return for a score.

Then, almost out of nowhere, Manning started finding guys wide open. Corners like Ellis Hobbs, Ray Mickens, Assante Samuel, and Chad Scott went from ball hawkers making plays to guys that seemed to forget how to cover and tackle all in the span of a halftime. Then there was the breakdowns in the secondary that seemed to allow tight end Dallas Clark to be open each and everytime Manning looked for him. Clark had six catches for 137 yards, his long being a 52-yarder that set up one of the Colts many scores. Why an adjustment was not made to cover him better was mind boggling as you watched him run down the middle of the field wide open just about every play.

The Pats breakdown was complete once Tom Brady, Mr. Comeback, ran out of magic. With the Colts up 38-34 with less than :30 left, Brady fired his last shot, and it was picked off, ending a possible miracle comeback from a team and a quarterback that had so many over the years. It was stunning to watch, and made you wonder just where the Pats go from here. That’s two losses in the last four playoff games for New England, a team that was adding Super Bowl trophy’s at a record pace. Now the cold harsh truth sets in – they had this one in the bag – what happened?

To blame the Pats and not give the Colts their proper amount of credit would be a disservice to Indy. They played about as well on offense as you could play for the final 32 minutes. Manning was as good as he has ever been, and his wide outs and Clark played equally as good. It was just bizarre to see based on what we all had watched the first 28 minutes as the Pats led 21-3. Now for both teams, its the agony of defeat to a Pats team that will start the long offseason of looking for answers, while the triumph of victory to the Colts – who have one Bear to hunt to capture their first Super Bowl title for Manning, Tony Dungy and co.

 

Jan

21

NFC Champion Bears Do It Their Way

Filed Under NFL, New Orleans Saints | 2 Comments

In the end, the Chicago Bears did it their way.  A tough defense, a error free game from their QB, and a bunch of turnovers that paved the way for the Bears to make it all the way to Miami.  39-14, and they did it in the muck of Chicago with a team that all year was told that they couldn’t go the distance.  Give Lovie Smith credit for hanging with a QB that had a lot of ups and downs, and for his game plan on Sunday which included running the ball early and often, and making life a living nightmare for Saints QB Drew Brees.

The Bears used a punishing ground game that totalled 196 yards on 46 carries, a 4.3 yards per carry average.  Rex Grossman was not superman, but he did not have to be playing under center for the Bears.  He was just 11-for-26 for 144 yards and a TD.  What Grossman did though was make smart decisions all day, throwing the ball away instead of forcing it into double or even triple coverages.  He did not have to be fantastic, but did make one fantastic play that turned into a 33-yard TD to Bernard Berrian.

The game plan against the scary Saints offense was clear from the start.  Play physical against the wide outs, force Drew Brees to move either up or out of the pocket, and when either Deuce McAllister or Reggie Bush touched the ball, make em feel a hit.  By the start of the 4th quarter, you could see that the Saints, huddled up on their bench, no longer wanted to be a part of a zelous crowd at Solider Field.

If the Bears play the type of defense they played Sunday in two weeks, they will be very tough, maybe almost impossible to beat.  On this day, they answered all the questions that lingered for the last few weeks, and answered them with authority.  They never wavered in their quest to get to Miami, and now can state the fact – they are the best team in the NFC.  Can they win it all? Based on the way they played in the NFC Championship game, I wouldn’t bet against them.

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