Coach Josh McDaniels and the Denver Broncos: Another Coach Gone?

Well, the Denver Broncos attempted a comeback against the St. Louis Rams, and it was so close yet so far.  Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton threw for 3 touchdowns, 347 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Knoshown Moreno led the rushing game to the tune of 56 yards on 12 carries and 1 touchdown.  And Brandon Lloyd caught 2 touchdowns on 76 yards with Eddie Royal contributing 74 yards and 1 touchdown.  But it was not enough for the Broncos as they fell to the Rams 33-36.

Kyle Orton mentioned of the short team meeting concerning the filming of the San Francisco 49ers‘ practice in London.  It may have affected the coach more than the team.  McDaniels was fined $50,000, and video operations director Steve Scarnecchia was fired as a result.  McDaniels was obviously rattled by the incident and the fine.  Now it may cost him his job too.  With Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress and Dallas Cowboys Wade Phillips gone  from their teams, now Josh McDaniels may be facing the chopping block as well.  Even though the Broncos carry a 3-8 record, the team has attempted to fought each and every game, but with their current record, they can dismiss themselves from the playoffs and merely act as spoilers for other playoff-seeking teams, such as the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders.  However, it appears that most of these playoff-bound teams are spoiling themselves, without effort from their opponents.

Coach McDaniels should soon have a conversation with the Broncos’ upper management (if he didn’t already) and quite possibly iron-fisted Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding this videotaping scandal.  Unfortunately, I think Josh McDaniels might be fired by the close of this season. Deceiving Commissioner Goodell, whether intentional or not, is not a good way to start a negotiation.

The Chicago Bears Shut Down the Michael Vick Experience

This game was a bit unexpected, as the Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears win over the Philadelphia Eagles.  This was an experience enjoyed by the Bears defense, as they contained, sacked and harassed Eagles quarterback and Michael Vick for much of the game.  It was shocking that Jay Cutler, of all quarterbacks, in this game had a 146.2 quarterback rating with 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and 247 yards passing.  It was a tough battle, with the Bears running back Matt Forte paving the way with 117 total yards. Jay Cutler favored Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox much of the first half, and the score was a contested 21-13 Bears by halftime.  The Bears defense stepped up for their game against the Michael Vick experience.  In the closing of the first half, Julius Peppers sacked Vick on a scramble, and Chris Harris intercepted Michael Vick for the first time this season.  Vick was sacked at least once every quarter afterward, with him having a bad case of the fumbles.  Eagles tight end Brent Celek provided a good safety valve for Vick much of this game.  The Bears defense, led by stoic Brian Urlacher, was obviously getting in Vick’s head, and much like the New York Giants did previously, they contained the Michael Vick Experience.  The Bears scraped a win past the Eagles with 31-26 win, but they did bring a message — the Bears are for real and a team to contend with.  Luckily, for Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles, they face the Houston Texans next, which should be easier on Vick’s health, and it should turn into a high-scoring game. The Texans offense is just as explosive as the Eagles, but Vick won’t have to contend with a stiff defense.  After this match, however, the path to the Super Bowl for the Eagles will be tough with the New York Giants (defense) again, an inspired Dallas Cowboys team, and a revived methodical Minnesota Vikings team.

10 Most Dangerous Defensive Backs in the 2010 NFL Season So Far

Now that we’re finished visiting with our friends and families this Thanksgiving and eating tofurkey legs and ham, it’s time to wonder what an injure-prone season this has been.  I have never seen that many NFL rosters depleted, relying on third and fourth options to fill in starter roles.  Intense defensive backs of several teams should be noted. Let’s begin the list of defensive gladiators who would make even Spartacus or Leonidas smile.

James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He took out Cleveland Brown’s Mohamed Massoquoi in week 8, and was subsequently fined $75,000 and had a frank discussion with Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Asante Samuel of the Philadelphia Eagles. He has been fined $40,000 for his hit to New York Giants‘ Derek Hagan for a helmet-to-helmet hit.  Another one that will have a discussion possibly with Roger Goodell.

Kareem Moore and DeAngelo Hall of the Washington Redskins.  This tandem sandwiched Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick in week 4 of the NFL, and Vick had to leave the game with a rib injury.

Dunta Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons. He sidelined Eagles DeSean Jackson and was subsequently fined $50,000.

Osi Umenyiora of the New York Giants. He sidelined Carolina Panthers’ Matt Moore in week 1 and Chicago Bears’ Jay Cutler in week 4 with concussions.

Justin Tuck of the New York Giants.  He assisted in sidelining Jay Cutler in week 4.

Jason Pierre-Paul of the New York Giants.  He hospitalized Detroit Lions’ Zack Follett in week 6 of the NFL with a helmet-to-helmet hit.

Barry Cofield of the New York Giants. He broke Detroit Lions’ Shaun Hill’s left forearm in week 6.

Michael Boley of the New York Giants.  He broke Dallas Cowboys’ Tony Romo in week 7, and Jon Kitna had to come in to replace him.

The New York Giants defense has been decimating quarterbacks in the beginning of the season, but since Roger Goodell has begun enforcing these regulations concerning hard hits and concussions, more defensive backs have become timid or penalized tremendously.  It is better for the sport and the NFL players‘ longevity in the game. But the penalties sometimes are a bit over the top and too many.

Tennessee Titans Wide Receiver Randy Moss: Fantasy Football X-Factor

Well, Randy Moss moved from the Minnesota Vikings and potentially could have been a New England Patriot again.  Now he’s a Tennessee Titans wide receiver.  So far in two games, he’s had 1 reception for 26 yards.  Obviously he’s been serving as a decoy, and this could lead to a volatile situation going forward. Nate Washington has taken over Kenny Britt‘s position as the primary receiver.  The situation is going downhill for Randy Moss, much more quickly if he stayed with the Minnesota Vikings (and Vikings head coach Brad Childress hadn’t put him on waivers.)  Should he have stayed with Patriots, he could have remained a WR1.  With the Vikings, even with Sidney Rice, he could have remained a WR2.  Now with the Titans, he’s no better than a WR3, and at worse, he’s simply waiver fodder.  Now with rookie Rusty Smith at the helm of the Tennessee Titans, the situation has gone from dark to bleak.  A powder keg has been lit.

Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Dez Bryant: Fantasy Football X-Factor

As part of the newly inspired Dallas Cowboys offense under new head coach Jason Garrett, Dez Bryant has become the primary receiver in the offense led by quarterback Jon Kitna.  So far, in the past three games against the Green Bay Packers, the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions, he has scored a touchdown in each game, averaging 66 yards and 5 receptions per game. While he was ignored by Tony Romo in the beginning of the season, he has blossomed under Kitna.  He’s facing a moderately easy schedule going forward and should become a high-end WR2 receiver. He could become a WR1, if Kitna was a bit more consistent.

Quarterback Option: The Insurance Policy for the 2010 NFL Season

With the number of quarterbacks down due to injuries this season, this season has seen a surprising number of backup quarterbacks make their appearance.  Unlike years before, the backups of this season have demonstrated they are just as capable of their starters. Well…sometimes.

With the Cleveland Browns, under their quarterback Colt McCoy, McCoy has lost both games by less than 6 points against the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars.  He maintained an average 87.2 quarterback rating in those two games.  However, he suffered a high ankle sprain against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  McCoy has been a good “manager” in those games, relying on running back Peyton Hillis tremendously.  As a quarterback, he has been adequate, nothing more and nothing less.

With the Dallas Cowboys, under their quarterback Jon Kitna, Kitna has filled in for Tony Romo who will be out until the playoffs.  Kitna triumphed over the New York Giants and found Dez Bryant as his new primary wide receiver.  Dez Bryant was overlooked by Tony Romo in the beginning of the season.  So far, Kitna has won the past two games against the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants and has maintained an average 127 quarterback rating over those past two games. He has done well as a replacement for Tony Romo so far.

Regarding the Tennessee Titans, the Titans resorted to Kerry Collins in NFL week 6, as Vince Young was injured. Collins performed well, scoring a touchdown with tight end Bo Scaife and earning himself a 108.9 rating.  Then Collins became inconsistent gradually.  He scored three touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles, and through the next two games against the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins, he plummeted down to 52.1 rating. Collins had to leave the Dolphins game due to a calf injury.  Now rookie Rusty Smith is at the helm of the Titans and Chris Simms is his backup against the Houston Texans.  Collins was an adequate backup quarterback, and now it’s Rusty Smith’s chance to prove himself.

Lastly, with the Philadelphia Eagles, Kevin Kolb replaced Michael Vick in week 4 after he suffered a rib injury against the Washington Redskins.  He was impressive over the next couple of games against the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons. He had a 103.3 rating against the 49ers, and he dominated the Falcons with three touchdowns and an impressive 133.6 rating.  However, he fell apart against the Tennessee Titans.  He had 2 interceptions and a turnover against the Titans defense.  He plummeted to a 54.2 rating and was replaced by Michael Vick after the bye.  Kolb demonstrated early success, but he needs to improve himself to be a starter once more.

Five Things the Philadelphia Eagles Should Improve Upon:The Thanksgiving Edition

It’s Thanksgiving time, and lots of homecooking, whether turkeys, hams or something else.  Now that the Philadelphia Eagles players will be eating their turkey drumsticks this Thanksgiving, and Coach Andy Reid will have a couple of turkeys roasting at home.  It’s time we evaluate how the Eagles should improve over this holiday.

Decide what to do with Michael Vick

A decision has to be made whether to extend his contract or not.  Additionally, Vick needs to get into his head that a football game is a team sport. I think he still believes he can manage the entire game on his own, only relying on DeSean Jackson and himself to carry the Eagles team to victory.It may sound harsh, but this single partnership is affecting the entire offensive corps.

Decide what to do with Kevin Kolb

A decision has to made what to do with his backup Kevin Kolb as well.  Many teams can benefit from Kolb’s fast maturity, such as their next opponent the Chicago Bears.  Kolb himself is signficantly better than Jay Cutler, and the Bears would be the among the first to offer him a contract.

Improve the Offensive Line

The New York Giants still exposed one of the weaknesses of the offensive line — the overload blitz.  The Chicago Bears defense can operate from that blueprint, and the rest of the teams of the regular season will do the same.  Michael Vick may be the best quarterback this season, but his durability will be exposed if he is continuously knocked around by the defensive backs.

Get Brent Celek Involved More

Tight end Brent Celek demonstrated frustration whenever Michael Vick returned as quarterback, beginning early in the season.  And it continues…He had no receptions in the game against the New York Giants, and the spectacular win on Monday night against the Washington Redskins, he only had 2 receptions for 8 yards and no touchdowns. The last touchdown he had was when Kevin Kolb was under center against the San Francisco 49ers. His production has fallen tremendously since the departure of Donovan McNabb. 

Defend Against the Run Better

The Philadelphia Eagles did a great containing the New York Giants tandem of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs to 39 yards total rushing in last Sunday night’s game.  However, the Eagles defense, ranked 8th, is still not comparable to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 1st in rankings, in containing the run.  However, the Eagles are getting better. 

 

Everyone have a great holiday weekend.  And we’ll see how the Eagle face the challenge of the Chicago Bears.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears: NFL Week 12 Pre-Game Analysis

Quarterbacks:

One thing the Chicago Bears quarterbacks are known for the past five years is their durability — and their ability to get sacked.  Quarterback Jay Cutler is no different.  And, he lacks efficiency like his predecessor Rex Grossman, and his 84.2 quarterback rating shows. Cutler also has a nearly 1:1 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions.  Not a good sign.  Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was handed his first turnover last game and also blanked on touchdowns.  He has a 108.7 quarterback rating, and he faces a similar defense this time around. I expect Vick to get jolted several times in this game, but in terms of performance, Vick and the Eagles still get the edge.

Running backs:

Eagles running back LeSean McCoy has 6 touchdowns to date, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Note that he was contained in the last game by the New York Giants for three quarters.  Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte has been increasingly more productive rushing over the last couple of games, and he’s averaging 3.0 yards per carry and has 4 touchdowns to date. In the battle of the defenses, Forte loses, and the Philadelphia Eagles get the edge.

Wide Receivers:

Bears Johnny Knox is the only potent wide receiver averaging 18.2 yards per reception and 1 touchdown.  Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson is averaging 19.8 yards per reception and has 5 touchdowns to date. And his counterpart Jeremy Maclin has 7 touchdowns while averaging 15 yards per reception.  The Eagles get a large edge on this one.

Tight Ends:

Bears tight end Greg Olsen has 322 yards, 4 touchdowns and averaging 11.5 yards per reception. Eagles Brent Celek has 237 yards, 2 touchdowns and averaging 10.3 yards per reception. Jay Cutler likes leaning on Greg Olsen, and he will do so in this game.  The Bears get a large edge.

Defenses:

The Chicago Bears defense is ranked 12th in passing and 2nd in rushing to date.  The Philadelphia Eagles defense is ranked 14th in passing and 8th in rushing.  This game will lean on either defense for them to win it for them.  I view this as quite possibly a push.  Both Jay Cutler and Michael Vick will both be knocked around by both defenses, and neither quarterback does well when they’re jostled around.  And both defenses are capable of containing the running backs.As a side note: it seems as if the Bears defense plays to the quality of its opponent.

Coaches/Intangibles:

Eagles coach Andy Reid will once again favor the pass, and Bears coach Lovie Smith will favor the run.  The edge goes to the Eagles since Jay Cutler is interception-prone, and the Eagles passing game should get them the edge leading into the second or third quarter.

The Edge:

The Eagles get the edge 30-16, barring any serious injury from Michael Vick. Vick got pommeled several times in the last game against the New York Giants, and this game won’t do him any favors.  He shown frustration in the last game, and the Bears defense will give him much of the same. I also expect this may be the first game that Michael Vick gets intercepted — and returned for a touchdown. Vick had several near-interceptions last game, and with this defense, the Bears can possibly capitalize.

Fantasy Football Running Back Quick Picks for NFL Week 12

After a dominating performance by Buffalo Bills Fred Jackson against the Cincinnati Bengals, this season has twisted again, but before you count Fred Jackson as one of the top backs, be wary of the moderately tough schedule ahead for the Buffalo Bills.

The Must-Starts are changing, but some of these have caveats attached.

• Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings. Unless the Vikings decide to finish the season off strong, Peterson will be left with scraps.
• Arian Foster of the Houston Texans.
• Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans.  The Vince Young, Jeff Fisher and Randy Moss dynamics will affect his production onward.
• Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns.
• Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens offense is hitting its stride. Something that hasn’t been said in quite a while.
• Rashard Mendenhall of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Mike Tomlin really needs to focus on the run again, like the beginning of the season.
• Darren McFadden of the Oakland Raiders.

Now to the rest of the teams:

BenJarvus Green-Ellis (New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions): Easily RB1.

Javhid Best/Maurice Morris (Detroit vs. New England): RB2s at best; RB3s or flexes at worst.

Cedric Benson (Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets): Tough sledding. Solid RB2, but prepare for the worst.

LaDanian Tomlinson (New York vs. Cincinnati): Solid RB1 against this defense.

Mike Goodson/Jonathan Stewart (Carolina Panthers vs. Cleveland Browns): RB2 at best.

LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears): Low-end RB1.

Matt Forte (Chicago vs. Philadelphia): High-end RB2.

Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Giants): High-end RB2. Rush blitzing will not play in Jones-Drews’ favor.

Brandon Jackson (Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons): RB2 at best. RB3 realistically.

Michael Turner (Atlanta vs. Green Bay): RB2.

LaGarrette Blount/Cadillac Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Baltimore Ravens): Solid RB2.It will be interesting how the Buccaneers will approach this game.

Keiland Williams (Washington Redskins vs. Minnesota Vikings): RB2 at best.

Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams vs. Denver Broncos): RB1.

Knoshown Moreno (Denver vs. St. Louis): Could be a RB1.

Fred Jackson (Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers): Tough sledding. RB3.

Mike Tolbert (San Diego Chargers vs. Indianapolis Colts): Low-end RB1.

Joseph Addai/Donald Brown (San Diego vs. Indianapolis): RB3 against this defense.

Jacksonville Jaguars Quarterback David Garrard: Fantasy Football X-Factor

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard has been having an up and down season, dealing with concussions and recovering from them.  His team currently is 2nd in the AFC South and battling for a berth in the playoffs, with half the league.  Garrard is a bit of a gamble as a fantasy football quarterback whenever he plays, but rather one has to recognize where he does best.  He does best against soft secondaries, like the Indianapolis Colts and the Buffalo Bills and one important factor, he plays better at home.  David Garrard is a borderline QB1/solid QB2 until the end of the regular fantasy football season.  However, he will become a QB1 into the playoffs.  He is facing the Indianapolis Colts, the Washington Redskins and the Houston Texans in his last three games.  He was prolific against the Colts and the Texans, and Washington has a somewhat soft secondary.