Dec

31

Decision on the Fate of 49′ers Nolan Delayed

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Nolan 

It appears that 49′ers head coach Mike Nolan should not be resting too easy tonight, as on Monday the owner of the Niners, John York, didn’t exactly give up the fate of the coach staying around too much longer. Sunday in Cleveland Nolan and his team wrapped up another losing season, and after the game Nolan didn’t talk at all about his future as the Niners head coach, only that he wanted to meet with York and go from there.

Monday York said that he would need more time to think about the future of Nolan and the coaching staff, basically meaning that he and the staff will likely be fired on New Year’s Day. Nolan and the York’s (John and Jed) spent Monday afternoon talking about what needs to be done to turn the 49′ers back into the proud team that once dominated the league. “We met for some time today, and we’re going to meet again tomorrow,” John York said from the wheel of his car, giving no timetable for a decision on Nolan’s fate. “There’s no point in talking about this until we finish.”

Nolan is 16-32 in his three seasons as Niners head coach. Could Nolan’s former boss in Baltimore be in the mix somehow? Brian Billick was fired on Monday as coach of the Ravens, and now that York is well aware of that, his options to give Billick a long look could be there if he in the end decides to let Nolan go.

Bottom line is that the 9′ers were supposed to be an up and coming team this season, and they fell flat. Nolan has had numerous issues with franchise QB Alex Smith, and along with the fact the team has not been in the playoffs since 2002, which was also the last time they had a winning season, Nolan could easily be shown the door and a new regime be brought in.

Dec

31

NFL Odds Wild Card Weekend - January 5th & 6th

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Date & Time Favorite Line Underdog Total
1/5 4:30 ET At Seattle -3.5 Washington 40
1/5 8:00 ET Jacksonville -1.5 At Pittsburgh 39
1/6 1:00 ET At Tampa Bay -3 NY Giants 39.5
1/6 4:30 ET At San Diego -9 Tennessee 40.5

Dec

31

Plenty of Work to Do in Atlanta This Offseason

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Marty in the ATL?

It’s no secret that the Atlanta Falcons are going to go up and down the organization and make some heavy changes now that the 2007 season is over.  With it they team will be looking at hiring a new head coach after the Bobby Petrino fiasco, and will look at plenty of guys out there that can start to turn the franchise back in the right direction.  So who is on the teams list to talk to?  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has already started throwing some names out there, and below is a quick look at some of them.

Marty Schottenheimer - My personal choice.  He ended his tenure in San Diego as about as high as any coach could, even with the loss to the Pats in the playoffs last season.  He still has the fire and the desire to coach, and brings that type of leadership that the team really needs.

Rex Ryan - The Ravens defensive coordinator has struggled just like the Ravens have this year, but he is highly regarded and should at least get an interview.  In the past when the Ravens have played well, he has gotten a lot of credit for how the defense has played, and it looks like he may be ready to take the next step into being a head coach.

Mike Singletary - The 49′ers assistant head coach is going to get plenty of consideration for every coaching spot that becomes open, and why not?  He has shown that he has what it takes to be a great player in this league, and there is no doubt that many feel he would be a great head coach as well.  He will bring an instant buzz to a team that needs it.

“This offseason there’s definitely going to be a lot of changes made,” said cornerback DeAngelo Hall. “Change is difficult. It’s hard to win when there are a lot of changes because there’s a lot of different philosophies and mind-sets. One coach trained you to do things one way; another coach wants to train you to do things a different way. It’s going to be interesting to see who we bring in here to try to get this team back to playoff football.”

Dec

31

Billick Fired After Nine Years In Baltimore

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Billick

The Ravens have had the first shocker of the offseason, as head coach Brian Billick was fired on Monday after a 5-11 season.  Billick was fired after the team failed to follow up on a 13-3 season, and in fact took huge steps backwards this past year which included a franchise record nine-game losing streak which was finally snapped in a meaningless game Sunday vs the Steelers at home.  Billick had been saying for weeks that he felt he would be back, but in the end, the fact the team was going nowhere and he was not getting anything out of his players had to play a part in him being canned.

“This is the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make,” owner Steven Bisciotti said.  Billick went 85-67 in nine seasons with the Ravens, including winning the Super Bowl back in 2001.  “I’m not saying I agree with it,” kicker Matt Stover said to the AP, “but sometimes things have to change.”  This is a good move for the Ravens, as the players in Baltimore have obviously moved on and tuned out Billick, who was hired as the teams second head coach back in January of 1999.

“I am where every other owner in the NFL has been before, it’s for the most part a very difficult decision.  We came to the conclusion it was in our best interest and the Ravens best interest,” Bisciotti said.  The Ravens were hit hard with the injury bug as well this season, losing big time players like Steve McNair, Chris McCallister, Todd Heap, Trevor Pryce, Samari Rolle and others.  This is a move in the right direction for a team that simply needs to get younger, and get a new voice.  Vote of confidence or not.

Dec

31

2008 NFL Draft Order

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National Football League
As is stands right now, unless deals are made between now and Draft Day, this is the official 2008 NFL Draft order:

1 Miami Dolphins
2 St. Louis Rams
3 Atlanta Falcons #
4 Oakland Raiders #
5 Kansas City Chiefs #
6 New York Jets
7 New England Patriots (formerly San Francisco 49ers)
8 Baltimore Ravens
9 Cincinnati Bengals
10 New Orleans Saints
11 Buffalo Bills
12 Denver Broncos
13 Carolina Panthers
14 Chicago Bears
15 Detroit Lions
16 Arizona Cardinals
17 Minnesota Vikings
18 Houston Texans
19 Philadelphia Eagles
20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers *
21 Washington Redskins *
22 Cleveland Browns
23 Seattle Seahawks *
24 Pittsburgh Steelers *
25 Tennessee Titans *
26 New York Giants *
27 San Diego Chargers *
28 Jacksonville Jaguars *
29 Green Bay Packers *
30 Dallas Cowboys *
31 Indianapolis Colts *
32 New England Patriots *

* — Subject to playoffs
# — Subject to coin flip

There’s plenty of provisions as to how the draft order came out this way. Read below for detailed explanations.

Priority of playoff clubs within a tied segment is based on their advancement in the playoffs, but they do not drop out of their tied segment unless they participate in the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl champion will select 32nd and the runner-up 31st.

Atlanta, Kansas City, and Oakland had the same strength-of-schedule. Since Kansas City finished third in the AFC West and the Raiders fourth (the tie was broken on the basis of the Chiefs’ 3-11 record in common games while the Raiders were 2-12), the Raiders will draft ahead of the Chiefs. Atlanta and Oakland will flip a coin for the third position; if Atlanta wins, the Falcons will draft third, the Raiders fourth, and the Chiefs fifth. If the Raiders win the coin flip, they will draft third, and the Falcons and Chiefs will flip a coin to determine the fourth and fifth positions.

Though Buffalo and Denver had the same strength-of-schedule, their tie for the 11th and 12th positions was broken by the conference tiebreaker. Since the Broncos defeated the Bills in head-to-head competition, Buffalo is given priority in the draft order and will select in the 11th position, with Denver in the 12th position.

Though Chicago and Detroit had the same strength-of-schedule, their tie for the 14th and 15th positions was broken by the divisional tiebreaker. Since the Lions defeated the Bears twice in head-to-head competition, Chicago is given priority in the draft order and will select in the 14th position, with Detroit in the 15th position.

Since Cleveland is not in the playoffs, the Browns have priority in the draft ahead of playoff teams with the same record.

Clubs involved in two-club ties will alternate positions from round-to-round. In ties that involve three or more clubs, the club at the top of a tied segment in a given round will move to the bottom of the segment for the next round, while all other clubs in the segment move up one position. This rotation continues throughout the draft.

Dec

31

The Shakeup in Miami Starts as Mueller and Two Others Fired

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Parcells at the game SundayLet the shakeup in Miami begin.  As reported yesterday here, the Dolphins today did what was expected, as new Executive VP of Football Operations Bill Parcells said “so long” to Fins GM Randy Mueller as well as Assistant director of player personnel Mike Baugh and college scouting coordinator Rick Thompson.  Right now it’s not known, but don’t be surprised if head coach Cam Cameron is also axed by Parcells this week as well.

Sunday the Fins wrapped up their worst season in the history of the franchise, as they lost to the Bengals to finish the season at 1-15.  Mueller was the GM for three seasons, and in that time the team was unsuccessful, going 16-32 in three seasons, with the only winning season coming in 2005 when they were 9-7.

The team has not been to the playoffs since 2001, when they lost a home wild card game to the Ravens 20-3.  There has been much speculation about who Parcells would be bringing in to be the teams GM and possible coach, with one name for coach being tossed around of that being Browns head coach Romeo Crennel.  Last week Crennel was asked about the rumor, and of course he denied any interest, saying he had not heard about it and was staying in Cleveland.

“We appreciate the contributions that Randy, Mike and Rick made to the organization and want to wish them well, both personally and professionally, in the future,” said Dolphins President Bryan Wiedmeier on the teams official website.

Dec

31

Free Agent Running Back Breakdown and Anaylsis

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Barber

Michael Turner UFA San Diego Chargers
Marion Barber RFA Dallas Cowboys
Jamal Lewis UFA Cleveland Browns
Julius Jones UFA Dallas Cowboys
Justin Fargas UFA Oakland Raiders
Derrick Ward RFA New York Giants
Vernand Morency RFA Green Bay Packers
Chris Brrown UFA Tennessee Titans
Cedric Cobbs RFA Denver Broncos
T.J. Duckett UFA Detroit Lions
Noah Herron RFA Green Bay Packers
Maurice Hicks UFA San Francisco 49ers
Travis Minor UFA St. Louis Rams
Mewelde Moore UFA Minnesota Vikings
Artose Pinner UFA Minnesota Vikings
Musa Smith UFA Baltimore Ravens
Tyson Thompson RFA Dallas Cowboys
LaBrandon Toefield UFA Jacksonville Jaguars

UFA - Unrestricted Free Agent
RFA - Restricted Free Agent

Teams that Will be Looking at Running Backs

1. Detroit
2. Chicago
3. Atlanta
4. Oakland
5. Houston
6. Denver
7. Cincinnati

In breaking down this list, the one name that interests me the most is Justin Fargas, who had a breakout season with the Raiders and should be a guy who could make some solid money on the open market. How about Fargas to a team like the Lions, who will need a back? Michael Turner is finally going to get his shot, and should leave the Chargers for a shot to be a starter somewhere. Jamal Lewis should resign with the Browns, as they like him and he likes them, so look for that to get done. The Cowboys situation is interesting, as it looks as if Wade Phillips and company favors Marion Barber for the long haul, and I would not be surprised to see them not even make an offer to Julius Jones, who will be free to go, and try to get a long-term deal done with Barber.

Dec

31

Elam Kicks Winning FG In Overtime, Broncos Nip Vikings 22-19

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Minnesota Vikings special teams players Dwight Smith, front, and Cedric Griffin (23) look back to watch the ball go through the uprights as Denver Broncos kicker Jason Elam (1) celebrates kicking the winning field goal in the Broncos
The Minnesota Vikings needed a little help if they were to visit the postseason; specifically, they needed the Washington Redskins and their opponent, the Denver Broncos, to lose Sunday. As luck would have it, neither team would cooperate. Broncos kicker Jason Elam kicked a 30-yard field goal in overtime, sending Minnesota home disappointed 22-19.

The first quarter was scoreless; but business began to pick up early in the second quarter. Just nine seconds into the 2nd quarter, Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell connected on a 22-yard field goal, opening the scoring. But Denver quarterback Jay Cutler would throw a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter - one to Brandon Marshall for 15 yards, and one to tight end Tony Scheffler for 2 yards, giving Denver a 14-3 lead going into halftime.

Elam would add a 43-yard FG, lengthening the Broncos’ lead to 17-3; early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos would record a safety. While scoring a safety is not that unusual, the manner that it was scored was. Vikings offensive tackle Ryan Cook was whistled for a facemask on Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil in the end zone, thus awarding Denver a safety; that would make the score 19-3. But Minnesota would roar back. Two clutch TD passes from Minnesota QB Tarvaris Jackson to WR Bobby Wade - 3 minutes apart - would tie the game (2-point conversions for both TD’s were successful). In overtime, it took Denver only 52 seconds to drive down the field to set up the winning FG by Elam.

Denver’s Cutler had a good outing, going 26-of-37 for 246 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Selvin Young led all Broncos’ rushers with 87 yards on 22 carries; WR Brandon Marshall had a good day, leading all Broncos receivers with 10 catches for 114 yards and a TD, while Scheffler added 7 receptions for 52 yards and a score. Minnesota’s Jackson had a mediocre game, going 16-of-31 for 175 yards and 2 TD’s; Chester Taylor led the Vikings’ rushing attack with 83 yards on only 10 carries, while Adrian Peterson added only 36 yards. Wade led the Vikings receiving corps with 5 receptions for 92 yards and a pair of TD’s.

The Broncos’ (7-9) win was a high note on what was otherwise a disappointing season in many respects; the death of 2 of their players (Darrent Williams and Damien Nash), lots of injuries, inconsistency on both sides of the ball and the inability to grasp onto the defensive scheme that new defensive coordinator Jim Bates put into place put a very small learning curve into this season. And more than likely, there will be changes. Expect WR Rod Smith to retire as he is expected to have surgery performed on his chronically ailing hip (hip replacement is probably the surgery they do); there’s also the decision as to whether safety John Lynch retires, as well.

Minnesota (8-8), largely ignored as playoff contenders, nearly pulled it off. They have a somewhat solid foundation going into next year; however, there may be a question at QB, as head coach Brad Childress has as of late been non-committal as to what their plans at the position will be. Jackson has shown flashes of the QB that he can become, but at the same time, was maddeningly incosistent. So QB is a position worth watching as the draft arrives.

Dec

31

Cardinals Hit .500, Thrash Rams 48-19

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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, right, catches a touchdown pass against St. Louis Rams cornerback Fakhir Brown, left, in the second quarter of their game, played Sunday afternoon. Arizona destroyed St. Louis 48-19.
Technically, this was a meaningless game in the sense that neither the Arizona Cardinals or St. Louis Rams were going to see the postseason. But in some respects, the Cardinals had something to play for. They had the chance to finish at .500 for the first time since 1998, when they went 9-7. And of course they wanted to finish the season on a high note, as well. Mission accomplished as every aspect of the Cardinals team got involved in the scoring as they mauled the Rams 48-19 Sunday at Glendale.

Both teams traded field goals in the first quarter, then the Rams decided to gamble early; on fourth-and-4, St. Louis failed to convert, giving the ball to Arizona. The Cards then proceeded to drive 57 yards, capping the drive with running back Edgerrin James running into the end zone from 2 yards out, giving Arizona a 10-7 lead with 7:45 left in the first half. On the 2nd play from scrimmage, Rams quarterback Marc Bulger threw an interception to Cards cornerback Antrel Rolle. Rolle returned the pick-6 47 yards for the score, upping Arizona’s lead to 17-7.

About 5 1/2 minutes later, Cards QB Kurt Warner would throw a TD pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, increasing even further the Arizona lead 24-3. A late first-half 42-yard field goal by Rams kicker Jeff Wilkins narrowed the Cards’ first-half lead to 24-6, a lead that Arizona would have no difficulty hanging on to. Warner had a productive outing, going 23-of-39 for 300 yards with 3 touchdown passes and 2 interceptions. James led all Cards’ rushers with 102 yards on 24 carries and a score; he would also catch 3 passes for 34 yards. Fitzgerald had an outstanding season-ending effort, catching 11 passes for 171 yards and 2 TD’s, while WR Anquan Boldin caught 4 for 56 and a score.

The Rams managed to scrounge up 234 yards of total offense, led by Bulger, who went 13-of-25 for 176 yards with a TD and 2 INT’s; RB Stephen Jackson led the Rams’ rushing attack (or lack thereof) with 18 carries for 55 yards. WR Torry Holt led the Rams receivers with 7 receptions for 93 yards, while tight end Joe Klopfenstein caught a ball for 36 yards and a score. Some milestones were recorded along the way, as well. As previously noted, the Cards hit the .500 mark for the first time since 1998, when they were 9-7 and made the playoffs. The Rams’ Holt also became the 19th player in league history to have at least 800 receptions in a career.

The Cardinals, barring a meltdown at the 2008 NFL draft, should have a solid foundation going into next season. The offense is in place, perhaps with the exception of determining who the starting QB will be next season. The defense, especially their secondary is gradually improving; that should make things very interesting next season in the NFC West. The Rams (3-13), in short, are in disarray and have lots of work to do to become relevant next year.

Dec

30

McNabb, Westbrook Lead Eagles Past Bills 17-9

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook runs for a 19-yard gain against the Buffalo Bills in the first half of their game, played on Sunday. Philadelphia beat Buffalo 17-9.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback stepped off the field - perhaps for the last time - after giving the Eagles fans something to celebrate on Sunday afternoon. He and running back Brian Westbrook led the Eagles to an impressive win over the Buffalo Bills 17-9 at Philadelphia. Not only did Westbrook lead their team to victiry, he also set some milestones, as well.

Westbrook by gaining 10 yards on his first carry, set an Eagles franchise record for total yards from scrimmage, eclipsing former Eagles great Wilbert Montgomery who had 2,006 total yards back in 1979. In addition, his 3rd reception of the game surpassed the old team record for receptions in a season, held by wide receiver Irving Fryar in 1996. Fryar had 88 receptions during that season. To illustrate how valuable Westbrook was, he finished with 1,333 rushing yards and 90 receptions for 771 yards.

The scoring commenced with Philadelphia’s McNabb throwing a short, 2-yard TD pass to tight end Brent Celek, giving the Eagles an early 7-0 lead. Both teams exchanged field goals - a 29-yarder by Buffalo kicker Rian Lindell and a 38-yard FG by Philadelphia kicker David Akers - which would give the Eagles a halftime 10-3 lead. After a 23-yard FG by the Bills’ Lindell with 5:52 to go in the 3rd quarter, a touchdown oddity would occur; specifically, the Eagles’ McNabb threw a pass to WR Reggie Brown which took Brown to the Buffalo 1, where he fumbled the ball. The ball found its way into the end zone, to be recovered by WR Kevin Curtis for the score, making the score 17-6 Philly. A late 3rd quarter FG by Buffalo’s Lindell would cap the scoring.

McNabb had a good outing, going 29-of-41 for 345 yards with a TD and INT. The Eagles’ rushing attack was weak, as their leading rusher was Westbrook with 42 yards on 7 carries; he also added 4 receptions for 57 yards. Reggie Brown led all Eagles receivers with 5 catches for 83 yards, while Greg Lewis added 2 catches for 66 yards. Curtis pitched in with 62 yards on 7 receptions. Buffalo QB Trent Edwards had a rotten outing, going 16-of-30 for 133 yards; RB Marshawn Lynch led all Bills’ rushers with an impressive 22 carries for 105 yards. TE Robert Royal led all Buffalo receivers with 3 catches for 31 yards.

While Buffalo (7-9) did indeed lose the game, missing the playoffs for the 8th straight year, they have the building blocks for a team that’s on the rise. The Bills have their key players under contract and head coach Dick Jauron should return for 2008. Philadelphia (8-8) peaked at the wrong time. Probably the biggest question that lingers during the offseason is whether McNabb remains an Eagle. Other than that, they simply need to re-vamp their roster.

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