NFL 2012-13 Season in Review: The ABCs of the NFL

Baltimore Ravens Joe Flacco After the Super Bowl Win Over the San Francisco 49ers

With the Baltimore Ravens winning Super Bowl XLVII over the San Francisco 49ers 34-31, the NFL season has offiically come to an end, and Ravens Joe Flacco and Ray Lewis finally got their rings.  With it, the 2012-13 season of the NFL brought in some interesting twists and turns as the free-agency system has finally matured and transformed the NFL into a season of instability and chaos.  The inclusion of the 2011 rookies also helped as they have created a NFL, a mixture of the old guard and the new.

• A is for Andy Dalton. Cincinnati Bengals Andy Dalton may have the Donovan McNabb curse.  For the second time in the playoffs, he once again fell flat with the Houston Texans.
• Y is for Young Guns.  Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck, Washington Redskins Robert Griffin III, Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson and San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick all changed their teams for the better.  At least for this season. They all have potential to become elite quarterbacks in their own right in the future.
• A is for Adrian Peterson. Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has always been a a workhorse for the team like the St. Louis Rams Steven Jackson.  But this season he proved himself more than ever.
• P is for Peyton Manning.  Even though he’s not with the Indianapolis Colts anymore, he is still an elite quarterback who makes something out of nothing.  While he’s with the Denver Broncos, he’s going to keep the team competitive, if not better.  He’s already taken advantage of Demaryius Thomas, Denver’s equivalent to Reggie Wayne.
• R is for Rex Ryan. For the most part this season, he stayed out of the news this year. Surprisingly.  No more supposed Super Bowl parades, and the quarterback controversy between Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow was kept to a minimum.  However, there was some questionable choices during the mid-season involving his roster of injured quarterbacks.  
• R is for Read-Option. With the Wildcat formation going the way of the Tim Tebow comes the resurrection of the read-option in the NFL.  This is not a long-term gimmick for the NFL as the Super Bowl showed, but it has served well this season.
• E is for Elite. The New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers earned their spots in the playoffs. Again.  With both Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay and Tom Brady of New England, both quarterbacks are performing at a high standard.
• S is for Second Tier. The Atlanta Falcons, the Baltimore Ravens, the Houston Texans, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Seattle Seahawks all earned their spots in the playoffs this season as well.  These teams don’t have elite quarterbacks, but they are excellent as a team. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco did rise above when it counted against New England Patriots Tom Brady….
• D is for Defense. Like in previous seasons, stout defenses win games when the games remain tight. The Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers have proven that.
• F is for Fundamental. Those teams who planned ahead finally got their due — the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.
• A is for Andrew Luck.  Well, the Indianapolis Colts got their Andrew Luck, a quarterback that is decisively better in the long-term than Washington Redskins Robert Griffin III in my opinion.  However, he buckled under the Baltimore Ravens defense and rookie jitters.
• R is for Robert Griffin III. Robert Griffin III has proven himself to be Washington Redskins’ franchise quarterback.  But with him participating in the Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks with an injured knee was a bad idea transformed into a worse idea.  
• C is for Coaches. This was a dismal season to be an NFL coach. The firings of coaches from some teams, like the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs, was expected.   These teams don’t have a record of keeping coaches — and keeping their teams in competitive shape.
• H is for Harbaugh. The Harbaugh brothers are remarkably intelligent, and neither of them particularly cater the media.
• J is for Joe Flacco. Despite winning the Super Bowl, in my opinion, he is still a second-tier quarterback.  He is lucky to have a stiff defense helping him when he needs it most.

This season was indeed intriguing as the elite fell to some of the second-tier teams.  Now onto next season…

Related articles

• Niners have better chance than Ravens to be back (miamiherald.com)
• Flacco caps postseason run with MVP honors (espn.go.com)
• Ravens are Super Bowl winners, cementing place in history (baltimorebeatdown.com)
• Niners Have Better Chance Than Ravens to Be Back (abcnews.go.com)

NFC Divisional Playoffs: Top 10 Things We Learned

After the New York Giants impressive 37-20 win over the Green Bay Packers and the stunning 36-32 win by the San Francisco 49ers over the explosive offense of the New Orleans Saints, the NFC Divisional playoffs was where it was at.  The New York Giants are going to face the San Francisco 49ers at the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park.  It will be a battle of defenses as the Giants are simply red-hot and the 49ers are simply consistent.  Both Tom Coughlin and Jim Harbaugh are conservative-minded coaches, and this next game will quite possibly be decided in the trenches.

Enough about that…now to the top 10 things that we learned:

1. San Francisco 49ers Tight End Vernon Davis is Clutch.  He caught the touchdown passes from his quarterback Alex Smith when the team needed it the most.
2. New Orleans Saints Drew Brees is Still Awesome (Despite the Loss). Let’s see…462 passing yards, 4 touchdowns and a 93.5 quarterback rating is impressive in their playoff game against the 49ers.
3. New York Giants Eli Manning is Awesome.  He ended the game with 330 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, an interception and an impressive 114.5 quarterback rating.
4. Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is One Dangerous Running Threat.  Even against the Giants defense,  he accumulated 66 yards on the ground.  In fact, he more than the Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw with 63 rushing yards.
5. San Francisco Giants 49ers Running Back Frank Gore is a Beast. His 89 rushing yards marks him currently as fourth in the postseason.
6. New Orleans Saints Wide Receiver Marques Colston is a Beast.  He ended the postseason as second in receiving yards with 256.  He is one dangerous wide receiver.
7. San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Alex Smith is Impressive.  He had 299 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and a 103.2 quarterback rating in the game against the New Orleans Saints.
8. Slow and Steady Wins the Game. Conservative-minded coaches in Giants Tom Coughlin and San Francisco 49ers Jim Harbaugh ultimately won with their slow-and-steady gameplay.
9. Top-Ranked Offenses Count for Nothing. Despite having the New Orleans first-ranked offense and Green Bay Packers third-ranked offense during the regular season, they tanked when it counted.  Not good at all.
10. Defense Wins Games. Despite all these broken offensive records in the postseason, the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants defense stepped up when it counted.  It’s all a matter of timing…

New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers: NFC Divisional Playoff Post-Game Analysis

The New York Giants have won their last three games successively against the New York Jets, the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons.  They won their wild card game against the Falcons handsomely 24-2, but this isn’t the Falcons at Lambeau Field.  It is the Green Bay Packers with the first-ranked quarterback Aaron Rodgers during the regular season in terms of quarterback rating with 122.5.  The Giants ringer will have to be their spectacular wideout Victor Cruz who was ranked third in reception yards with 1,536 during the regular season.  Cruz will have to give one of his best performances this season to contend.  Will Eli Manning bring his 2007 magic to this game?  (I think we can forget Tim Tebow’s magic after yesterday’s rout by the New England Patriots.)  Or will the Green Bay Packers offensive juggernaut decimate their defense?

Now to the post-game analysis:

• After the New York Giants methodically moved down the field with Eli Manning at their helm, their series was halted as the Green Bay Packers defense locked down.  A 31-yard field goal by the Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes brings the score to 3-0 Giants with 8:37 in the first quarter.
• After Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers torched the zone coverage of the Giants, he could not make a touchdown as the Giants defense clinched down.  Their kicker Mason Crosby kicked a 47-yard field goal to tie the game 3-3 with 5:38 in the first.
• Eli Manning threw a dart to his wideout Hakeem Nicks for a 66-yard touchdown reception with 4 minutes left in the first quarter.   Nicks broke a tackle, and the Giants take the lead again 10-3.
• After a short punt by Lawrence Tynes to the Green Bay 40-yard line and a (controversial)  fumble challenge overturned, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers torched the zone coverage yet again.   He tossed an easy 8-yard touchdown reception to his fullback John Kuhn to tie the game 10-10 at the beginning of the second quarter.
• After a stunning onside kick by the Green Bay Packers and recovery by the New York Giants, kicker Lawrence Tynes field-goal is blocked at Green Bay’s 21-yard line with 12:37 in the second.
• After an interception of Eli Manning by Packers safety Morgan Burnett and a Giants fumble recovery of Packers John Kuhn on the Packers 43-yard line, Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes kicked a 23-yard field goal as the series stalled at the Packers 5-yard line with 1:56 left until halftime.
• After a Hail Mary from Green Bay Packers 37-yard line with 6 seconds left, Hakeem Nicks caught the ball for a touchdown and brings the Giants score to 20-10.  That was an amazing catch!
• After a 7-yard sack-fumble by Aaron Rodgers recovered by Giants safety Deon Grant at the Giants 3o-yard line, Eli Manning and his Giants stalled and forced to punt.
• After the 12 and 29-yard rush by Packers running back James Starks, the Packers drive stalled the Giants 17-yard line, and Mason Crosby kicked a 35-yard field goal to bring the score to 20-13 with 3:55 left in third quarter.
• Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers gets sacked for a 6-yard loss by linebacker Michael Boley and defensive end Osi Umenyiora on a 4th and 5 from Giants 39-yard line early fourth quarter.
• Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes boot a field goal from the Packers 17-yard line to bring the score to 23-13 with 7:53 left in the game.
• The Giants recovered the football from Packers running back Ryan Grant at the Packers 4-yard line.  Immediately, Eli Manning passed a 4-yard touchdown to his wideout Mario Manningham with 6:53 left in the game. The Giants are up 30-13.
• After a 16-yard rush by Aaron Rodgers and controversial roughing-the-passer call on Osi Umenyiora, Rodgers threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to his wide receiver Donald Driver with 4:52 in the game. The Packers close the score 30-20.
• With an onside recovery by the Giants Victor Cruz and a 24-yard rush by Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs sealed the game with a 14-yard touchdown rush to bring the score of 37-20 with 2:44 left in the game.
• With one last gasp from Packers Aaron Rodgers, he was intercepted by Deon Grant at the Packers 36-yard line with 1:56 left on the clock.

The first half was the half of defenses.  Neither the Green Bay Packers or the New York Giants would break, but they both shown that they can bend.  Giants quarterback Eli Manning demonstrated that he could keep up with the Packers Aaron Rodgers.  Again, like with the previous divisional playoff games, the running game was stymied for both teams although it affected the Giants more.  The Giants had a meager 37 total yards rushing into the half.  The shining star into the half was Giants wideout Hakeem Nicks with 152 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.  Lastly, the referees were giving both teams trouble as they were giving contradictory signals — again.

The second half was the tale of the New York Giants defense.  Michael Boley and Osi Umenyiora caused trouble in the backfield and pressured Aaron Rodgers persistently and consistently. The fumble recoveries by Deon Grant and Chase Blackburn critically changed the face of the game toward the Giants favor.  The Packers receivers dropping the ball, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy questionable play calls (at times) and Giants onside recoveries helped them more.  Giants coach Tom Coughlin’s old-school conservative game-plan worked well against one of the better offenses in the league and won the game 37-20.

The New York Giants will face the similarly defensive-minded Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers next in the NFC Championship game.  The New York Giants red-hot defense and the San Francisco consistent defense will come head-to-head, and both defenses can change the face of the game easily.  Both Alex Smith and Eli Manning have their work cut out for them.  In the meantime, it looks like Aaron Rodgers will continue doing more State Farm commercials with B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews in his spare time not in the playoffs. Or not.

F.Y.I.:

Detroit Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford: 2011 Year in Review and 2012 Fantasy Football Outlook

2011 Year in Review

The Detroit Lions had a great run this 2011 regular season, but the Lions could not contend with the dominating weapons of the New Orleans Saints offense and the great vision of their quarterback Drew Brees.  However, we are not here to talk about Drew Brees but to talk about the Lions veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford broke several records this season.  With his 5,000+ passing yards this season, he joined the company of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and New England Patriots quarterback  Tom Brady.  This is impressive, given some of the tougher games he had in the 2011 regular season.  And with his 41 touchdowns this regular season, he’s in the company of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.  Lastly, he was ranked fifth overall during the regular season in terms of quarterback rating with a 97.2.  He has matured and progressed since joining the Detroit Lions in 2009.

Matthew Stafford started out strong during the regular season with his first game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  In this game, he had a 118.9 quarterback rating on a whopping 305 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception.  He kept a 110+ quarterback through his next two games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings, but he slowly declined until his game with the Denver Broncos in week 8.  With the Lions defense harassing the Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow,  it was up to Matthew Stafford to ignite the offense, and he did such.  He passed for 267 yards, 3 touchdowns, no interceptions and a 130.8 quarterback rating. The next game was his worst game as he faced Chicago Bears Brian Urlacher and the tough defense.  Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had 329 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 4 interceptions and a dismal 46.3 quarterback rating.  In Stafford’s following game against the Carolina Panthers, it was an offensive shootout as the Lions won 49-35.  Stafford’s statistics benefited from this shootout as he had 335 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and a 121.9 quarterback rating.  He had great last four games with ratings of 103+ against the Minnesota Vikings, the Oakland Raiders, the San Diego Chargers and the Green Bay Packers.  Stafford had his best games the regular season against the San Diego Chargers.  In that game, with a dominating win of 38-10, he had 373 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and a stellar 137.6 quarterback rating.  All in all, Stafford had a fantastic season with ten games with at least 100+ quarterback rating.

2012 Fantasy Football Outlook

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has matured this season, and with Lions wideout Calvin Johnson at his side, he should be able to produce near those numbers this upcoming season.  However, he has demonstrated that he has difficulties with tougher defenses.  With the Lions entering the playoffs, one can expect the upcoming schedule to be tougher than this upcoming season.  He should still be capable of producing QB1 numbers, but I expect that he should become a low-end QB1 much of the 2012 regular season.  Stafford should be easily picked up within the first two rounds of the upcoming fantasy football draft, and I would heavily recommend picking him up if you can’t pick up New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees or Green Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Related articles

• Saints Brees Past Lions 45-28 (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• Saints beat Lions in wildcard game (guardian.co.uk)

The Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton Conundrum: 2011 Reality Check and 2012 Fantasy Football Outlook

2011 Reality Check

Carolina Panthers‘ recent acquisition of rookie quarterback Cam Newton went better than expected, but Newton isn’t without his flaws.  Statistically, Newton produced 4,051 total passing yards, 21 touchdowns, 17 interceptions and an 84.5 quarterback rating.  That put him in the company of veterans Philadelphia Eagles Michael Vick and Tennessee Titans Matt Hasselbeck in terms of quarterback rating.  This is impressive given that it is his first NFL season after his departure from the Auburn Tigers.  However, his consistency is the issue.  Newton started spectacularly against the Arizona Cardinals in his first game with 422 total passing yards, 2 touchdowns, an interception and an impressive 110.4 quarterback rating.  However, as he faced tougher teams in his next five games, his quarterback rating went from 72.0 against the Green Bay Packers to a dismal 44.6 quarterback rating against the Atlanta Falcons.  He did well against two hapless teams the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings for his next two games with ratings of 127.5 and 117.6.  Then he went up and down throughout the rest of the season, peaking against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 16 with 171 total passing yards, 3 touchdowns, no interceptions and a spectacular 142.4 quarterback rating.  Cam Newton may have been a fantasy beast at times, but then again, it was against weaker teams of the NFL.  He broke several records as a rookie including rushing touchdowns in the 2011 regular season and became the first player in league history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 500 yards.  However, Cam Newton’s statistics, when put in perspective, are a bit over-inflated.

With Cam Newton announcing that Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Vince Young is in the same category JaMarcus Russell, not only is it wrong, it is downright arrogant.  True, given that Newton actually started better than Vince Young and only comparable to Vince Young in his fourth season with the Tennessee Titans, Vince Young had better statistics and quarterback rating through his seasons with the Tennessee Titans than JaMarcus Russell’s three-year tenure with the Oakland Raiders.  JaMarcus Russell never got better than a 77.1 quarterback rating with 2,423 quarterback rating on 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in 2008.

2012 Fantasy Football Outlook

Cam Newton was a fantasy beast in 2011 with a commanding QB1 statistics, but I would cap him at a mid- QB2 when he matures and as the seasons become more difficult.  The Carolina Panthers season ended with a 6-10, which isn’t spectacular by any stretch of the imagination.  Mobile quarterbacks in the NFL are generally slightly above-average at best and at worst, mediocre.  Philadelphia Eagles Michael Vick was the exception to the rule during the 2010 regular season, but reality set in the 2011 regular season.  Cam Newton was the exception this season. The Carolina Panthers 2012 schedule have them against some of the tougher defenses in the league including the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks.  Newton will get a heavy dose of reality next season and going forward.  He should potentially end up at a mid-range QB2 with upside during the 2012 regular season.

Related articles

• NFL insider: Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton answers doubters with historic rookie season (mercurynews.com)

Top Ten Lessons of the 2011-12 NFL Regular Season (With a Bonus!)

Collective Bargaining Agreement and Collateral Damage.  After months of deliberation and stall tactics on the collective bargaining agreement on both sides, finally, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the team owners and the players settled on a collective bargaining agreement.  It gave some of the owners more of a salary cap, and the players more leniency when it came to practicing and injuries. The collateral damage was that there was less time to practice before the regular season, and team “leaders” leading their own practices were insufficient and laughable.  Other collateral damages included more injuries to key players this season and porous and unprepared defenses.

Jim Harbaugh + Alex Smith = San Francisco 49ers Gold. San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith finally gets a  proper coach who is more than willing to prepare him after going through several previous coaches.  Alex Smith is not an elite quarterback, but he’s far better now.  From 2010, he improved from a 82.1 quarterback rating to a 90.1 quarterback rating in 2011. Under former Stanford Cardinals head coach Jim Harbaugh, Alex Smith reduced his number of interceptions by half to five this season.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Their Dream Team. A whole lot of talent that went nowhere fast.  This Philadelphia Eagles team was supposed to easily get into the playoffs and a strong contender for the Super Bowl this season. The Eagles are still one of the top three offenses with over 6,000 total yards, but their potency couldn’t overcome their turnover deficiency and porous wide 9 defense with vulnerability against the run.

A Season Without Indianapolis Colts Quarterback Peyton Manning. The Indianapolis Colts team sorely missed their great quarterback Peyton Manning this season as their team has been in last place in their division.  Without Peyton Manning and the Colts standing in the way, the Houston Texans have finally gotten first place and clinched the AFC South.  The media and the Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Saints quarterback Drew Brees or even Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers did not have a yardstick to compare themselves this season.

The Best of the Best: New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady, Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees. Even with this strange season, some things always remain consistent — the best remained the best.  The Patriots Tom Brady, Packers Aaron Roders and Saints Drew Brees are among the top three in quarterback rating to date.  As of this week, Aaron Rodgers remains the top dog with a 122.5 quarterback rating followed by Drew Brees and Tom Brady.

Pittsburgh Steelers Defense Dominates Again.  After the fallout last year with Commissioner Roger Goodell, the Steelers defense rose to the occasion this season.  They are first in total defense.

Quarterback Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. I mentioned the Carolina Panthers as a team to watch out for defensively, but their defense is still going through some growing pains. The acquisition of Cam Newton over the pre-season has changed the team for the better offensively. Cam Newton has a solid 85.0 quarterback rating for a rookie quarterback.  Like Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, Newton has mobility but needs improvement on his passing skills.

Cleveland Browns Running Back Peyton Hillis and the Madden Curse. The Madden Curse has been persistent this season as Peyton Hillis continues to battle injuries.  Marshall Faulk had to contend with the same thing until the Curse finally took its toll.

Coaches on the Hot Seat…Again. San Diego head coach Norv Turner and Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sporano are now former head coaches.  With the looks of it, St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnulo is gone as well, and one of his potential new positions next season  might be the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles with Juan Castillo given another job (hopefully on the offensive side).

Wildcats No More.  After last season or two, the wildcat formation has all but disappeared this season.  True, there are running options with the quarterback on some teams, but it is no longer an established wildcat formation per se.

Bonus: Illegitimacy of College Bowls. The chant has long and been hard about the illegitimacy of the college bowls, but this season perhaps made the issue very apparent — not only to the teams playing but to the media and the general public as well. With Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers facing each other again, the entire BCS system is put into question, and questions will remain long after the BCS Championship has been decided.

The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles Oddsbreaker: Super Bowl or Smoke and Mirrors?

Is this the year of the Super Bowl for the Philadelphia Eagles?

With all the media hype, it appears that the Philadelphia Eagles are already carrying the Vince Lombardi Trophy even before the season has formally begun.  I wouldn’t be so quick yet to place them on a mantle quite yet.  ESPN has already held the Philadelphia Eagles to placing third overall in this upcoming season, once said and done.  Luckily, they didn’t quite adorn Eagles starting quarterback Michael Vick with garlands in his 2010 overall season performance.  His 2010 performance ranked him 18th for his performance last season with the Total Quarterback Rating (QBR) of 66.6.  He is comparable to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, New Orleans Saints Drew Brees and Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger in their 2010 regular season performances.  Surprisingly, Vince Young, his backup now, had a higher Total Quarterback Rating than Michael Vick in his 2009 performance with the Tennessee Titans.  He is ranked 12th and has a QBR of 69.2.

With this in mind, Michael Vick unfortunately collapsed last season in the Wild Card game as he could not withstand the Packers perplexing defensive packages with Clay Matthews at the helm.  The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Green Bay Packers 16-21.  He had 292 passing yards, a touchdown, an interception and a mediocre 79.9 quarterback rating.  On the bright side (sort of), he had a better performance against the Green Bay Packers in their loss of 20-27 at Lincoln Financial Field on September 12, 2010.  He had 175 passing yards, a touchdown and a 101.9 quarterback rating.  Then again, Vick was healthier at that time, and he had not yet undergone the punishing defenses later on, like the New York Giants, the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys.

This season, after their week 7 bye, the Philadelphia Eagles offense led by Michael Vick will be in one punishing gauntlet of defenses.  The Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants defenses again rear their heads, and they will have the Washington Redskins right before their bye week.  Unfortunately, I don’t believe Michael Vick can pull off that dominating performance last November 15th, but he should still be capable of winning the game.  Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman commented that his team may be a sleeper since their acquisitions of wideouts Dante Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney.  They have also acquired Tim Hightower, one of the running backs of the Arizona Cardinals.  However, that game will be highly dependent on which Rex Grossman decides to show up for that game.

After week 7, if Michael Vick (and maybe Vince Young), can survive the gauntlet of defenses, the Philadelphia Eagles will be in good playoff shape, as their last regular season game is against the Washington Redskins.  Again, like last season, I would expect that Eagles head coach Andy Reid rest his starters by first half of that game.  If Michael Vick is still in one piece, he would be resting after maybe a series or two.

I don’t doubt that the Philadelphia Eagles can make the playoffs and quite possibly clinch the NFC East with a regular season record of 11-5 or 10-6.  Again, if they face teams with stiffer defenses in the playoffs, the explosive Philadelphia Eagles offense implode, like last season.  The playoff curse might again catch up to the Philadelphia Eagles, particularly in the NFC conference playoff game.   This time, you can’t blame it on William Penn or Donovan McNabb.  It may as well rest on the shoulders of head coach Andy Reid.

Related articles

• Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Michael Vick: 2010 Year in Review and 2011 Outlook and Beyond (eagleshomefan.wordpress.com)
• The Quarterback Carousel, Part 2: Trades, Trades Everywhere…The Fantasy Football Perspective (eagleshomefan.wordpress.com)
• Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Vince Young: 2010 Year in Review and 2011 Outlook and Beyond (eagleshomefan.wordpress.com)

Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Michael Vick: 2010 Year in Review and 2011 Outlook and Beyond

2010 Year in Review

Last season, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick blossomed into an elite quarterback early, but as the Eagles offense was firing on all cylinders, the wheels gradually came off as defenses figured out how to exploit Michael Vick’s weaknesses.  Alas, we are in a brand new season with new players moving on.  Former Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb has moved onto bigger and better things with the Minnesota Vikings.  Former Philadelphia Eagles starter and backup Kevin Kolb has moved onto the Arizona Cardinals.  And current Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Michael Vick now has former Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young as his backup while one of his star wideouts DeSean Jackson is holding out for a better contract.  Then there’s the “Dream Team” media frenzy…

Rewind back to 2010, and Vick had 3,018 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and a stellar 100.2 quarterback rating. Michael Vick started strong with his games against the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars.  In the Detroit Lions game, he had 284 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and a 108.0 quarterback rating.  The game after, with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had yet another impressive showing with 291 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and a 119.2 quarterback rating.  However, that night on November 15th with the Washington Redskins was his most impressive showing.  He had 333 passing yards, 4 touchdowns and a 150.7 quarterback rating.  It was a short-lived parade as the New York Giants found a way to counter Michael Vick using ironically the Philadelphia Eagles defensive measures — constant blitzing and constant pressure.  He had 258 passing yards, no touchdowns and an average 83.0 quarterback rating in his game against the New York Giants.  Thereafter, the rest of the opposing teams caught on as the Dallas Cowboys perfected the New York Giants original formula, and the Minnesota Vikings defense had their variant on frustrating Michael Vick.  In the final regular season game against the Minnesota Vikings, he had 263 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception and a mediocre 74.1 quarterback rating.  Granted, at that time, the defenses were finally taking their toll on Michael Vick, and his physical frailty, more or less, put the tombstone on the Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers.  Vick had 292 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception and a meager 79.9 quarterback rating in that playoff game, and the Philadelphia Eagles were knocked out of playoff contention.

However, not to downplay how Micheal Vick played in 2010, he did rank fourth in quarterback rating overall with 100.2 behind Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.  His completion percentage of 62.6 ranked him 10th among quarterbacks during the 2010 regular season.

But that was then, and this is now…

2011 Outlook and Beyond

It’s funny how Fate likes to work.  Now Michael Vick has Vince Young as his backup with a one-year contract.  He was designated the franchise player before the lockout, and his contract still grants him one more season with the Philadelphia Eagles.  The questions of his health and his consistency will be pertinent this season, now more than ever.  If he can withstand the punishment after the Philadelphia Eagles bye and remain efficient and productive, he should be granted a long-term contract after this season ends.  He will be facing the Dallas Cowboys, the Chicago Bears, the New York Giants, the New England Patriots , the New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys (again) after the bye week.  Some of these defenses are physical while the others are merely fast.  Since the templates still exist for stopping Micheal Vick, he might be in for a long season.

2011 Fantasy Football Quarterback Prospect

The new ESPN quarterback ratings system potentially puts Michael Vick as an elite quarterback.  However, I would not be so quick to put Michael Vick on a pedestal quite yet.  He has demonstrated significant improvement since his seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, but then again, he’s in a much more punishing division of the NFC East.  He should still be picked up early in the draft, expecting QB1 numbers early.  After the Eagles bye week, it will be punishing although there will be a couple of weeks of reprieve in between each gauntlet.  At that time, he could potentially fall into solid QB2 to low-end QB1 numbers, if he doesn’t suffer significant injuries.  I would heartily recommend handcuffing Vince Young as your backup, if you possibly can.  Vince Young, in my honest opinion, could be the better quarterback of the two as Vince Young may be the more intelligent quarterback whereas Michael Vick may be the more instinctive.

Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Jeremy Maclin: 2010 Year in Review and 2011 Outlook and Beyond

2010 Year in Review

Philadelphia Eagles Jeremy Maclin played second string to DeSean Jackson in 2009 during the tenure of Donovan McNabb.  He’s been more than an adequate wideout for the Eagles offensive machine but had a breakout season during the 2010 regular season, excelling past his teammate DeSean Jackson in terms of touchdowns and receptions.  Maclin absolutely dominated the Atlanta Falcons during the early part of the season with 159 yards on 7 receptions and 2 touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a victory of 31-17.  On top of that, he had 22.7 yards per carry of which his longest was an 83-yard reception.  In that complete obliteration of the Washington Redskins of the score of 59-28, Maclin contributed 90 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.  The following game against the New York Giants, he dominated with 120 receiving.  Then began his fall as the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans kept him under 75 yards a game and 11.2 yards per catch. On the bright side, he did manage to score three touchdowns in those four games. However, not all this was Maclin’s doing.  At that point, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was battered as defenses caught on to his tendencies.  Vick withdrew into his former shell as a rushing quarterback as defenses blitzed consistently.  Maclin did improve somewhat when the team faced the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card game.  He had 73 receiving yards on 3 receptions and 24.3 average yards per catch.  Unfortunately, he was kept out of the endzone when the Philadelphia Eagles lost 21-16.  In 2009, he was  a low WR2 at best, but in 2010, he improved to a solid to high-end WR2/low-end WR1.  In fact, his 10 touchdowns ranked seventh among wideouts, and his 964 accumulated total receiving yards during the regular season ranked him 19th among wideouts.

2011 Outlook and Beyond

Compared to his 2009 rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles organization, Maclin had six more touchdowns and 191 more receiving yards. He improved his ranking as 54th among wideouts in touchdowns to seventh which is a great improvement.  His 773 yards during his rookie ranked him 43rd.  However, his receiving yards led him in the company of potent San Diego Chargers wideout Malcolm Floyd and Indianapolis Colts invaluable wideout Pierre Garcon during his rookie season. During his 2010 season, Maclin was in the company of breakout Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Mike Williams. Maclin has begun maturing as a wideout, but his athleticism and speed won’t break his teammate DeSean Jackson.

Jeremy Maclin still has about three years on his contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.  However, he should still have productive seasons with Michael Vick at the helm as they have some sort of chemistry.  Jeremy Maclin’s productivity will have direct impact on others, most notably tight end Brent Celek and his teammate DeSean Jackson.  Maclin is the preferred target of Vick over Celek and Jackson during the 2010 regular season.  I expect the trend to continue into the 2011 season minimally as long as Michael Vick stays around.  Maclin will remain productive and effective wideout on the fantasy football roster.

2011 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Prospect

Jeremy Maclin has shown that he has become an effective cog in the Philadelphia Eagles offensive machine, but his productivity heavily remains on the health of Michael Vick, as do the other Eagles wideouts.  I wouldn’t draft a wideout too early during the 2011 fantasy football season however.  He should remain a solid WR2 to low-end WR1 throughout the 2011 season, but there may be surprise fantasy football wideouts that you can pick off the waiver wire that might more than adequately be as productive and serve as a substitute.  Remember Denver Broncos Brandon Lloyd, Buffalo Bills Steve Johnson and Kansas City Chiefs Dwayne Bowe among others.  Most of these wideouts were not chosen first and immediately on draft day.  This has been the trend for the past three or four seasons as free agency has leveled the playing field. The 2011 fantasy football draft should be no different.

The Shortened 8: Top 10 Drafts for Fantasy Football Defenses in 2011-12

With the alterations in staff this post-season, all this is based on pure speculation and estimating how the changes in staff would change the defense.  However, with preparation for a shortened season, drafting defenses will be difficult, much less to speculate.  With these defenses training much less than previous seasons, the offenses should benefit greatly.  However, don’t count defenses out quite yet.  Some may surprise, others will simply overcome.

Must-Haves

• Chicago Bears.  They still have one of the most stifling defenses with Brian Urlacher at the helm.  And I don’t think Brian Urlacher will miss a beat this prolonged off-season.
• New York Giants. Kind of goes without saying…
• Green Bay Packers. Clay Matthews and a ground-and-pound defense.
• Baltimore Ravens.  Still has lots of talent.
• New York  Jets.  Rex Ryan’s defense is one of the best.
• Pittsburgh Steelers.  It won’t astound you with amazing numbers, but it should be consistent from the beginning through the playoffs.
• Oakland Raiders. But this is nothing more than a second-tier defense, but it will have first-tier moments.  This defense is better chosen as a roster reserve or a waiver wire pick for the playoffs generally. They have enough substance to pull you through the playoffs generally.
• San Diego Chargers.
• Minnesota Vikings.  Leslie Frazier inherited a solid defense.
• Atlanta Falcons.  Like the Raiders but generally not fantasy football playoff quality.

Avoid

• Miami Dolphins.
• Tennessee Titans.  Although they performed well the beginning of last season, then after the first few games of the regular season, they buckled under locker room politics got in the way.  And with this prolonged off-season, there would be virtually no time for off-season chemistry for any sort of improvement.
• Detroit Lions.  You’re better off betting on their offense than their defense.
• Seattle Seahawks.  Although Pete Carroll has demonstrated he has a great offensive mind, less Marshawn Lynch, this defense hasn’t been noteworthy for quite a while.
• Washington Redskins.  Their offense and defense are still in shambles.  And if Rex Grossman becomes Rex Grossman we all know from the Chicago Bears, the defense will be out on the field a lot — and become very tired.

Potential X-Factors

• Carolina Panthers.  I think Eagles head coach Andy Reid might regret letting of Sean McDermott.  Even though this will be rebuilding season for the Panthers defense, they could potentially become dangerous over the next few seasons.  They might lack the physicality of a Bears defense, but they should turn out to be fast like the Ravens defense.  They could still be worth a flier this season though.
• Philadelphia Eagles. Although they are always potentially good, they have become normalized themselves into a second-tier defense.  With coordinator Juan Castillo, I am a bit hesitant to endorse them beyond that — for now.
• St. Louis Rams. They played well at home last season.  Now they just need to play well on the road…