Aug

31

Mangini Needs to Make Quinn the Starting QB in Cleveland

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Quinn
Make no mistake about it in Cleveland – the quarterback job to start this season belongs to former number one pick Brady Quinn.

That’s not to say that Eric Mangini might still not throw a total curve ball into the mix and decide to go with Derek Anderson as the starter opening day vs the Vikings, but in my mind, the time is now to see Quinn in action.

The numbers for the two QB’s through three preseason games are pretty even:

Quinn:

21-for-31 for 225 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He has a QB rating of 86.1.

Anderson:

15-for-26 for 207 yards 0 TD’s and 2 INT’s. He has a QB rating of 51.3.

Neither player has lit the world on fire, to me Quinn has shown just a bit more poise and needs the chance to grow into a starting QB in this league. I’m not the only one that think it’s Quinn’s job at this point.

“It’s Brady Quinn’s job,” former Ravens coach Brian Billick said. “I think they have seen enough of Derek Anderson. This team needs to know who its quarterback is, and I don’t think they know who that is yet.”

If you don’t go with Quinn at the start of the season, when do you? You can’t keep this young talent on the bench forever. It’s Brady’s time. You still have Anderson to go to if things get really bad, but right now, Mangini has to give the ball to Quinn to start the 09 season.

Aug

31

The Ripple Effect of the Signing of First Round Bengals Pick Andre Smith

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Andre Smith
Right now about the only person that is not excited to have first-round draft pick Andre Smith signed and at practice is his flabby stunt-double – Gus Parrish.

In training camp, Parrish sat in Smith’s seat in the meeting rooms, took Smith’s reps in practice and played the role of him in the rookie talent-show, imitating Smith’s shirtless, floppy, 40-yard dash run at the Scouting Combine. But with the real thing in town, Gus’ chances of not making the final cut become much more likely.

Parrish was a long-shot anyway, but Smith is here to stay for at least four years, or until the Bengals organization folds, whichever comes first. The 330 pound, baby-faced mastodon, labeled a powerful, run-blocking mauler, will find a place along the starting line someday, but how soon and on which side is up to the Bengals brain-trust.

O-line coach, Paul Alexander has already made it clear that Smith won’t be handed a starting job right away. The promising play of right tackle Anthony Collins has taken some of the urgency out of Smith’s development, and Whitworth got the nod as the starting left tackle before training camp even began. How fast Smith catches up is anyone’s guess, but at some point this season he’ll be a valuable substitute or possible starter once injuries begin to pile up.

When he does eventually start, Smith will likely take over for Collins on the right side, keeping the rest of the line in their starting spots. When the Bengals first drafted Smith, I thought it made the most sense to put him on the right side, with Whitworth at left guard and Collins at left tackle. Now that the Bengals have prepared and practiced with Whitworth at left tackle, Smith should stay on the right side when he does crack the line-up so as to not disrupt the cohesion between the rest of the line.

Collins knows that Smith is after his job and will have to continue playing well to fight off that pressure. He proved himself a capable starting tackle late last season, and Marvin Lewis has said some positive things about Collins to the media this preseason. Even if Collins does lose his starting job to Smith this season, he would become a quality backup with starts at both ends of the line.

Any way you work it out, having Smith adds beef and talent to the most vulnerable aspect of the team. The offensive line needed to be addressed more than anything else this off-season and the Bengals have finally landed their future centerpiece in the rotund, shapeless, sagging form of Andre Smith.

Aug

31

Undersized Seahawks Rookie DE Reed Causing Big Problems for QB’s

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The Seahawks 7th round draft choice out of Oregon, Nick Reed, has appeared to have beaten the odds and played his way onto Seattle’s 53-man roster. The “undersized” (6 foot 1, 247 pound) right defensive end is frustrating opposing offenses with numerous big plays and creating some good problems for Seattle’s defensive coaches.

Despite setting a school record 29.5 career sacks at Oregon (4th most in PAC-10 history), Reed was overlooked in the draft primarily because teams felt he was not big or strong enough to be effective in the NFL. Seahawk fans should count themselves lucky that GM Tim Ruskell has a penchant for undersized defensive players, because it looks like he has found a gem in Reed, who nearly went undrafted.

At 6′1” Reed does look very small when he takes the field against 6′5” 300-pound offensive tackles, and ‘Hawk fans will notice #98 when he comes on. But the story of this preseason has been the dominant play of the second string defensive line, and Reed in particular. He seems to be everywhere this preseason, making big play after big play for the Seahawks.

He’s got 4 sacks in 3 games. He forced a fumble that was recovered by the defense. He read the QB’s eyes and dropped back in coverage to intercept a screen pass. In the KC game he beat 6′6” 320-pound Barry Richardson on consecutive plays, once to the outside and then once to the inside. The first play resulted in a sack, and the second forced a bad throw that was picked off by OLB Will Herring. He has even blocked a punt and looked good on special teams units.

This is not a fluke, and Reed is not merely an “effort” player. On the field he is not the scrappy underdog, he’s the snarling pit bull. His technique and instincts have allowed him to blow by left tackles repeatedly and make plays in the backfield, using spin-and-rip moves to neutralize his opponents’ significant size advantage. He has arrived with force when he reached the ball carrier and delivered punishing hits as well. Do not adjust your TV sets, Nick Reed is for real.

Nick Reed was not supposed to make this team, and he has forced himself onto an already crowded Seahawk defensive line. This makes the job of Seattle’s defensive coaches a little more difficult. The ‘Hawks normally carried nine defensive linemen while Mike Holmgren was coach. While Jim Mora may have different ideas about his roster, it is unlikely he will choose to carry more than nine defensive linemen.

Defensive tackles Brandon Mebane, Colin Cole, and Red Bryant will make the team and be in the center of Seattle’s run defense. Veteran defensive ends Patrick Kerney, Darryl Tapp, and LDE/DT Corey Redding are also locks to make the team. Last year’s first round pick, DE Lawrence Jackson, will also probably make it as the team waits on his potential.

Reed has joined this group and will make the 53-man roster, and that means the Seahawks probably have only one spot left to spend on the defensive line. That leaves veteran three-technique DT Craig Terrill competing against 2007 4th round choice DE Baraka Atkins and undrafted free agent DE/DT Michael Bennett for this final place on the roster.

It might be tempting to keep Terrill and cut the two younger players, but Atkins and Bennett have both looked very impressive in preseason competition and have not made this an easy choice. There is an outside chance that Mora will carry 10 defensive linemen, but it is unlikely that the team will sacrifice depth at other positions so that they can carry a 6th defensive end.

This will be one of the last remaining dramas to be played out in the final game of the Seahawks preseason, when they face their former arch-rivals, the Oakland Raiders, on Thursday, Sept. 3rd at10pm Eastern, 7pm Pacific.

Aug

31

Steelers Starting RG Stapleton Out for the Season

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Stapleton
Last week the Steelers were told that right guard Darnell Stapleton would be back and ready to go for the season. Let’s just say those plans have changed. Drastically.

Monday the Steelers put their starting right guard from a season ago on the injured reserve list with a knee injury and along with that of course he will miss the season.

Stapleton first injured his left knee during the first week of training camp and had arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage. It seemed that his recovery was going along OK, and even he said that he felt he would be back for the opener vs the Titans.

Today thought, coach Mike Tomlin lowered the boom, saying that Stapleton might need more surgery and he’s done for 2009. With Stapleton out, Trai Essex will begin the season at right guard.

The Steelers also cut wide receivers Martin Nance and Steven Black, safety Derrick Richardson and center Alex Stepanovich.

Aug

31

NFLPS: Monday Night Football Betting Preview

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Even the most casual of NFL fans will probably have their TV tuned to ESPN tonight for the preseason clash between the Vikings and Texans, if for no other reason than to see the strange sight of quarterback Brett Favre wearing #4 in purple. Favre and his new teammates take another step towards the regular season when they visit Houston as a 3-1/2 point underdog. Most bettors, nearly 80% of them at Sportsbook.com, give the 40-year old QB the edge against the spread.

Minnesota’s newest quarterback played only briefly last week and reports are he will see considerable action on this televised contest. The worldwide leader in sports newest NFL reporter Adam Shefter has reported there is a “schism” in the Vikings locker room concerning what teammates think about the veteran quarterback, compared to those already on hand. Upon further review, those close to the team have found this not to be the case, with a few dissenting voices, but hardly the next Civil War to start in Minnesota.

The Vikings have won and covered both their preseason encounters and will have to settle on a backup quarterback. Sage Rosenfels missed last week with an ankle and Tarvaris Jackson, thought to be the goner when the Wrangler jeans pitchman was signed, took full advantage of the situation, completing 12 of 15 passes against Kansas City for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sportsbook.com has the Vikings as three-point road underdogs, with a total of 38.5.

Houston hasn’t had the drama seen in the Twin Cities, but there was a many long face after the Texans were blasted by 38-14 by New Orleans as three-point home favorites last week. The Houston defense was scorched for 420 yards by the Saints and some members of the defensive line are on the firing line. In particular, starting defensive tackle Amobi Okoye has come under scrutiny. Now in his third season, the Nigerian hasn’t progressed as some would like to see for the 10th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. A solid game against a good Minnesota offensive line would help quell dissatisfaction.

Quarterback Matt Schaub leads what should be a potent Houston attack, with numerous weapons like Andre Johnson, Steve Slaton, Owen Daniels and Kevin Walter. The Texans are 6-4 and 4-3-3 ATS playing at home in August football since 2004 and have covered their last three Week 3 assignments.

Minnesota is 24-13-1 ATS in their last 38 underdog roles and 16-5 ATS when they score 22 to 28 points in the preseason. From a situational perspective, the Vikings could be in a hole, since they are 0-7 ATS on the road versus an opponent coming off a double-digit loss..

Make Sportsbook.com the place for you NFL action this season. With generous promotions like the $100,000 Perfect Parlay and Reduced Juice Fridays, it is no wonder Everybody Bets on football at Sportsbook.com.

Aug

31

Patriots Veteran Linebacker Bruschi to Announce Retirement Today

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Bruschi Retirement Football
Patriots veteran linebacker Tedy Bruschi has reportedly had enough. After 13 seasons which included a comeback from a stroke, the heart and soul of the Pats is retiring today, as the team has announced a 10:45 press conference this morning to make the official announcement.

Bruschi was a part of all three Super Bowl-winning Patriots teams. The last championship Super Bowl was February 6th, 2005, against the Eagles. Ten days later he was hospitalized after experiencing numbness in his left arm and left leg and blurry vision and was diagnosed with a mild stroke, but came back an amazing 8 months later.

The 36-year-old inside linebacker played sparingly in the Patriots’ three exhibition games, and while he said he was okay being a backup, it was evident that he still had that fire to want to be a starter, but the body didn’t respond.

Bruschi made one Pro Bowl in the 2004 season when he was second on the team with 128 tackles. He also had a sack and an interception in that year’s Super Bowl win over the Eagles. He has played in 189 regular-season games, more than any linebacker in club history. His 631 total tackles over the past six seasons are the most on the team in that period.

Aug

30

Lions Quarterback Battle Rolls On After 18-17 Win

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Lions
If there was something I like about preseason, it would have to be the third preseason game. The Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts Saturday night 18-17 thanks in large part to consistent quarterback play from all three Lions QBs.

Daunte Culpepper got the start going 7/12 for 67 yards including a touchdown pass to new Lion wideout Bryant Johnson. Calving and Bryant, along with rookie first round pick Brandon Pettigrew all three made their first appearance for the new year. Culpepper for the most part, as he has in all of preseason, played it safe and looked like a veteran limiting mistakes and taking what the defense gave him.

Thanks in large part to feature back Kevin Smith, the Lions got things going early and often leading to strong drives.

Matthew Stafford, the rookie out of Georgia and the top overall pick in this years draft, bounced back pretty well from last week’s dismal start in Cleveland. He stepped in early second quarter and got right to work.

Stafford’s day started with a nice first drive including a terrific rope launcher to wideout Calvin Johnson which received a Lions Roar from the crowd. Brandon Pettigrew also made a few catches for a total of 24 yards. He looked fit and showed why he was a highly drafted player.

His huge frame almost mistaked my eyes for Calvin Johnson but he got downfield fairly well and what impressed me the most was his blocking. He helped open up some pretty big holes early and often against that first unit banged up Colts defense.

stafford finished an impressive 13/19 for 160 yards including a 37 yard bomb to Calvin and a 40-yard throw to rookie wideout Derrick Williams. He also threw a pick which wasn’t his fault. New Lion Bryant Johnson failed to adjust to the ball on a hail mary type heave late in the first half and NO it was not returned for six.

The defense also played fairly well. The run defense was excellent as the Colts were held to just 50 yards on 19 carries. Kevin Smith had 50 yards alone on just eight carries. The Lions pass defense also performed better then most thougth with the absence of starters Philip Buchanon and Anthony Henry due to injury.

No one really stood out on that defense but some notables were veteran linebacker Julian Peterson being everywhere for much of the first half. He finished with six tackles and helped on a couple more. DeAndre Levy, rookie third round pick out of Wisconsin, also showed flashes of why he was so highly drafted.

Levy’s four tackles was second on the team behind Peterson’s six. Larry Foote did have a sack on a well executed blitz which we should see more of come seasons start.

Marquand Manuel had the lone pick off of Curtis Painter which was also the receivers fault after a big hit and the ball popped loose right into the waiting hands of Manuel.

Overall, the Lions performed better then expected from all three phases of the game. The highlight of the special teams game was a stick up hit by seventh round draft pick Zach Follett which pleased the crowd.

The consistency on the offensive line has to be by far the biggest surprise so far this preseason. A crew that was looked down upon for decades now finally showed some promise, despite a couple of dumb penalties for personal foul and tripping. Those things should get fixed but the offensive line actually looked like a strength for the most part of that game.

The Lions allowed one sack which was on a beat up play where rookie back and first game hero Aaron Brown missed his assignment on a blitz pickup. But for the most part, the first unite O-Line looked dare I say, Great!

Aug

30

Chiefs QB Cassel Could Miss Season Opener w/ Knee Injury

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The news for new Chiefs QB Matt Cassel could be bad, as reports say that he could miss the teams season opener after injuring his knee in Saturday’s preseason game against Seattle.

Yahoo! is reporting that Cassel strained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, an injury that could sideline him two-to-four weeks. With the season opener two weeks away, Cassel could end up missing more than just that first game.

If Cassel cannot go, Tyler Thigpen would likely assume the starting role at QB. Cassel apparently also sustained an ankle injury in the game, but it’s believed to be less serious than the MCL sprain.

Aug

30

Bengals and First-Round Pick Andre Smith Finally Come to Terms

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andre smith
The Bengals are reporting that first round pick OT Andre Smith has finally agreed to terms on a contract.

The sixth overall choice in April’s draft is reportedly getting as much as 42 million on what’s been described as an exceptionally complex contract.

The complexity grew out of the need to bridge a wide gap in philosophy between the team and Smith’s agent Alvin Keels. While Keels insisted on a slotted deal between five and seven, taking advantage of the ridiculous deal the Raiders gave WR Darius Hayward-Bey, the Bengals wanted to provide a contract more in line with the moderate increases found in the rest of the first round.

Much of the national media was alerted to the developments via Chad Ochocinco’s twitter page, in which he announced the signing last night, and even published a photo of him with Smith.

Keels and Bengals Vice President Katie Blackburn met at Paul Brown Stadium last Sunday and again yesterday. Once it became clear that a deal was within reach, and they met again today to finalize the deal. Smith signed and was able to get his jiggly physique on the field in time for the afternoon practice.

The Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting the deal is for 4 years, with 21 million guaranteed and up to 26 million with escalators and incentives. The team retains an option in 2010 that can push the contract to 6 years and 42 million, with a possible 50 million total with escalators and incentives.

Thus, the holdout ends at 30 days, good for fourth longest of the list of all-too-numerous first round contract stalemates in Mike Brown’s tenure as GM. Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports that Keels enlisted the help of Cincinnati-based agent Jim Gould to complete the deal. Gould’s experience with the Bengals organization and the Browns and Blackburns no doubt helped. Gould worked with the Bengal brass on Peter Warrick’s rookie deal, as well as Dan “Big Daddy” Wilkinson’s contract restructuring that allowed the team to send him to Washington in 1998.

As for the impact this will have on the starting offensive line, and the roster in general, the team isn’t saying at this point. League rules provide them with a two week roster exemption if they choose to use it. However, the exemption only applies if he does not participate in Thursday’s preseason game, and the team may feel he needs the game experience. No matter what, he’s clearly behind the other linemen and will need to catch up. “I’m not afraid to put rookies in there, but this guy is so far behind” offensive line coach Paul Alexander was quoted as saying, “He’s got so much work to do…it’s going to be an intense year for him.”

Aug

30

Browns Have DE Corey Williams on the Trading Block?

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Are the Browns looking to move DE Corey Williams, who was brought in last year for a second round draft pick?  Today’s Boston Globe reports that the team doesn’t seem to have much interest in keeping him around, and could move him by the start of the season:

The Browns are interested in trading defensive end Corey Williams, who doesn’t seem to fit in the two-gap style preferred by Eric Mangini. There were rumors earlier this preseason that the Panthers could be interested in Williams after they lost Ma’ake Kemoeatu for the season early in camp.

It seems that Williams has never been able to live up to the hype of the player the Browns thought they were getting. Last season in 16 games he had 50 tackles and just half a sack. It’s hard to believe at this point they would actually be able to get much for Williams based on what he’s shown in Cleveland to this point.

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