Are the 49ers Super Bowl Contenders?
Good news! The 49ers beat the St. Louis Rams yesterday 35-11. The bad news is the 49ers looked great against a weak team, but can't produce the same outcome against playoff teams. In a weak primetime game aired on the NFL Network, the 49ers dominated the line of scrimmage. Making life miserable for Rams quarterback Sam Bradford and running back Daryl Richardson. Bradford threw 41 times and only connected on 19 of them. He was sacked five times and just seamed uncomfortable in the pocket. Richardson rushed 12 times and only racked up 16 yards. This is the 49ers defense that we all seam to recognize. To bad it came against one of the most disappointing teams in the league. Seriously its the Jacksonville Jaguars and then its the Rams. After the 49ers didn't score a single point in the first quarter, they quickly found their toughness in the way they're accustomed to. Shoving the ball down the opponents throat, with Greg Romans pistol power running calls. The only problem is the 49ers could find themselves 1-3 after four games. Losing to the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts, the 49ers were 50 yards away from losing a shootout game in week one against the Green Bay Packers. Yeah, a shootout! That's not the 49ers way of winning games, its through tough defense and power running. At least it use to be.
The 49ers are a running team. If that quickly changes to a passing team, the game could be headed for a rough outcome. The 49ers ran the ball 42 times and threw only 23 times against the Rams. That's because they won the line of scrimmage battle. They looked good against the Rams, but then again the Rams defense are giving up 30.2 points in four games, which is ranked 28th in the league. The defense is horrible, giving up 175 yards to DeMarco Murray, the week before. I wasn't mad because Murray is on my fantasy team, but Murray ran for a lot of yards against them the year before. My point is the Rams defense sucks! A week later, Frank Gore ran for 153 yards on 20 carries. That's a whopping 7.7 yards a carry. That is dominating the line of scrimmage, followed up with play-action. In the two losses, the 49ers were dominated. They only ran the ball 23 times against the Colts and 20 times against the Seahawks. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is a mobile quarterback, who has the ability to throw the ball in the pocket, but he is more effective when he is on the move. When defenses shutdown the run, his best ability is taken away from him and he is now one-dimensional. The 49ers have to be successful running the ball for him to be his best.
Secondly, the 49ers need to be able to bring their high-powered defense every game. Against the Rams they shutdown everything the offense was bringing. They took out the run game and then took out Bradford's favorite targets on the field. Throwing for only 202 yards on 41 attempts. In the lost against the Colts, the 49ers gave up 184 yard on the ground. That was unheard of at Candlestick Park. With the Colts winning the yards being produced on the ground. The 49ers are throwing more than running, which is not found in their game plans. Kaepernick isn't Joe Montana or Steve Young. So winning with his arm isn't going to always work. He is a quarterback who has the frame of a receiver and the legs of a kick returner. The read-option and pistol formation are used to complement his qualities. To keep defenses guessing is what he does best. That's what separated him from former 49er quarterback Alex Smith. Smith is one-dimensional; a passer who looks to throw 10 yards in play-action and was very successful in taking care of the ball, simply because he never threw down-field. Kaepernick has the ability to do that, but he should be looking to run first.
The reason we haven't seen Kaepernick at his best is because of the play-calling. I rarely seen the read-option being used in the 49ers games this year. Coach Jim Harbaugh is concerned of getting his quarterback hurt. He should be, especially after Packers Clay Matthews tried to take his head off out of bounce in the first week. Playing Kaepernick as a pocket quarterback is hurting the team. Taking away a mans best asset leaves him with nothing. I say, let him play his style that we are used to seeing. Having defenses look confused and lost. Teach the quarterback to get down and slide if in trouble. Not to take hits like RG3, and not to throw hits like Jay Cutler. Its a long season and most teams go as the quarterback goes...unless you're the Minnesota Vikings. If the 49ers are not going to use him for what he can do, then what's the point of having him on the team. They might as well have kept Alex Smith, if they're scared of using a mobile quarterbacks skills. The 49ers do have injuries on the offensive side, but the injuries are in the passing game. Its irrelevant to what the team needs to do. Meaning Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham are expendable. They have a veteran receiver in Anquan Boldin and a talented tight-end in Vernon Davis. They can coach-up others to catch the ball and to run routes. Big names are overrated. But they are a team who runs the ball, they don't need their best receivers to be affective. Like Sandra Bullock said in the movie The Blind Side, "Run the damn ball."
When they look bad against playoff teams, the Super Bowl looks further away in the distance. The 49ers need to change that. They need to run the ball to be effective and they need to bring that tough defense every game and they have to do it against good teams. They will have plenty of chances to redeem themselves. With matchups against the Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. They have to establish the line of scrimmage early, because once they fall behind, they seem to get out of that running funk. Once that happen, its a whole different game plan, because the opposing team has them in unfamiliar territory. I don't see the 49ers making a repeat trip to the Super Bowl, I 'm not even sure they will make the playoffs, but I do know if they don't get back to their X and O's, its going to be a long season. Running the ball, while serving up the read-option and playing hard nose defense is 49ers football 101.
Showing posts with label Colts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colts. Show all posts
Friday, September 27, 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
Fourth & Forever: Previewing the AFC South
Johnny J
In 2012, the Indianapolis Colts waived one good quarterback and drafted another. They released the then eleven-time Pro Bowler, Peyton Manning for concerns with a neck injury that required several surgeries. Thanks to a 2-14 season in 2011, the Colts drafted quarterback Andrew Luck with the number one overall pick. Thus the Luck Era has arrived: 4000 passing yards and 28 overall touchdowns in his rookie season. I'm looking for a bigger season this year, but they will have to hold off the division champs, the Houston Texans. The Texans are a strong running team that moves the ball down-field. Then we all know about J.J. Watt who does a lot more than bat balls out of the air. He is part of a good defense that just became a little tougher with the signing of safety Ed Reed. The other two teams in the division--the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars--have great running backs in Chris Johnson and Maurice-Jones Drew. But with no help around them, they may be on the outside looking in and might struggle to finish above .500--again.
We'll start off with the good in this division. Quarterback Andrew Luck is a good quarterback and its the people around him who helped this team go from 2-14 to 11-5. They finished the division 4-2 and did so with a big distraction. Their head coach, Chuck Pagano, was dealing with leukemia and was away for most of the season, but he received treatment and came back, which became a big inspiration throughout the NFL world. Now for the supporting cast: Wide receiver Reggie Wayne had an enormous year despite him getting up in age. The 34 year-old had 115 receptions and nearly 1500 yards. Its safe to say he is Luck's favorite target. His second favorite was receiver T.Y. Hilton, who had seven touchdowns. In the backfield Vick Ballard averaged 3.9 yards a carry and racked up 905 yards on the ground. The difference is he only had three total touchdowns and that just wont cut it. He's got to help Luck out with the scoring. With the release of defensive end Dwight Freeney, someone has to step us on the defensive line. I'm not talking about Robert Mathis, but the signing of Aubrayo Franklin--315 pound nose tackle, run stopper--should help out in a big way. They also signed safety LaRon Landry, a hard-hitting, throwing his body with force defensive back. He puts fear into offensive skill position players. This guy is huge for a safety. Last year as a member of the New York Jets, he had over 100 combined tackles, four forced fumbles and two picks. A major upgrade to their defense which gave up almost 400 yards a game.
The Houston Texans are looking to build off a second round loss to the New England Patriots. Going 5-1 in the AFC South is a good feeling, but not the best when you look at all the teams. Nevertheless, this team is moving in the right direction for the 2013 season. This team runs, runs, and finally comes the action, play that is. Not Kidding nor Playing, just the hype that came along with rappers Kid N Play. Then there was play-action. It's very hard to bring down a running back in Arian Foster, especially someone who averaged 4.1 yards per carry. Foster was running through holes that even Charles Barkley can run though with a donut in his hand. No wonder Foster had 17 touchdowns and almost 1700 yards on the ground. So just run, and with a mediocre quarterback in Matt Schaub, it gives their QB time to find open receivers. This guy has never had a quarterback rating over 100, but he gets the job done. They finally gave help to receiver Andre Johnson, by drafting DeAndre Hopkins, a Clemson receiver who had 18 touchdowns his junior year. He's another threat to safeties overplaying Johnson. Their defense was already good, but with a playmaker in Ed Reed, this defense has became elite. A defense who only gave up 2.4 touchdowns a game. A defense who ranked 10th in giving up 21.4 points a game. Now you pair Reed, with safety Danieal Manning and cornerback Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson, this is a top five secondary. On the front-end you have the powerful, fast-motor J.J. Watt. 75 solo tackles is nothing, but 42 tackles for loss is dynamic. In the middle you have performance enhancing hormone abuser Brian Cushing. A good linebacker, with good speed. Even after being caught, he still kept his defensive rookie of the year trophy. (Clay Matthews got robbed! (Matthews will be happy to know that the trophy stayed at USC--Ed). Overall I'm looking for the Texans to repeat as division champs and I'll say if healthy--The Super Bowl.
The Titans have constantly clashed with being an underperforming team. They replaced an established, well-known good coach in Jeff Fisher, who now is in St. Louis. Replaced by Mike Munchak, a former offensive guard drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1982. He then became an offensive assistant coach to the offensive line coach to head coach. Someone who hasn't established himself as a good coach. The results will be the years added on of not making a playoff appearance since 2008. How can you replace a legend with an offensive line coach to making the playoffs? It's simple; you can't. Usually coaches moving up get to be an offensive coordinator before making the leap. This tells me the Titans are cheap and are not looking at making the playoffs any time soon. The coach doesn't know the whole offense, so as a player why should I respect a line coach? With that said, Chris Johnson is the running back to build around. The three-time Pro Bowler, doesn't have help around him. His line is constantly in disarray. He has a quarterback in Jake Locker who is constantly struggling and they don't have a play-making receiver at all. So defenses could just stick everyone in the box, because they have no outside threat. Wide receivers Kenny Britt, Kendall Wright and Nate Washington are decent, but not outstanding. Between all three of them they had 155 receptions. The highest at 64 and that just wont cut it. With the Titans having offensive woes with their offensive line coach, the defense isn't much better. They gave up 29.4 points a game, ranked last in the league. They gave up 3.4 touchdowns a game, ranked last in the NFL. The rush defense was ranked 10th in the league. It was the secondary that was terrible. They added safety Bernard Pollard. Not a great coverage guy, but demands respect with punishing hits. They also added safety George Wilson. A leader on and off the field. He had 362 tackles, 12 interceptions and three forced fumbles in 92 games with Buffalo. The back-end has leadership and fierce hitting safeties on their side. A small defensive upgrade and definitely not playoff made.
The Jaguars are in the same predicament. A quality running back in Maurice Jones-Drew, but with no help around him they are just struggling to not be embarrassed. Coming off a 2-14 2012 season, the Jaguars are looking to just move in the winning direction. Their best player, Jones-Drew, missed 10 games last season with a foot injury and is just looking to rebound from a bad season. Jones-Drew hasn't missed more than two games since entering the league in 2006. He is the focal point of the Jaguars' offense and he will continue to be. He has run for over 1000 yards in three out of the last four seasons. It would've been 1500, if they had a good quarterback--wishful thinking--but instead they have a terrible quarterback in Blaine Gabbert. The Jaguars are holding an open competition between Gabbert and Chad Henne. They both suck, but let's say Gabbert wins the competition. This guy is scared of getting hit. He doesn't stand in the pocket to make a throw. Instead, he is already looking to start running when he's in the shotgun. He doesn't connect on 60 percent of his passes and in two years he hasn't had a quarterback rating higher than 80. Gabbert doesn't have any playmaking receivers at all. Receiver Cecil Shorts and Justin Blackmon are not good. How many people do you know who will draft a Jaguars' receiver on their fantasy football teams? The defense is terrible as well. Opponents run the ball 50 percent of the time against them, because they can't stop it. They rank 29th in points allowed at 27.8 ppg. The addition of Roy Miller should help the line. He anchored the defense for the Buccaneers last season, holding opponents to 82.5 rush yards. Now in the secondary, the Jaguars drafted safety Johnathan Cyprien. Just watching college film, this guy is all over the field, making hard hits and picking off quarterbacks. This was a great second round pick for the Jaguars. This is going to be a process, but for this upcoming season the Jaguars will come in last place again.
The AFC South is a two headed race between the Colt and the Texans. The Texans will out-last the Colts and repeat as division champs. They have too many playmakers on both sides of the ball. They also gave Andre Johnson some help by bringing in DeAndre Hopkins. But what really impresses me is the defense is getting stronger. Bringing in Ed Reed to help the young secondary is just what the doctor ordered. A leader with playmaking abilities. The Colts are going to be a playoff team, although I believe a lot needs to happen in order for me to put them over the Texans. Vick Ballard needs more touches in the red zone and someone has got to help the 34 year-old Reggie Wayne in the receiving corps. I'm not sold on what they have now. The defense needs to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks to help solidify the potential of what the secondary can do. The Titans are going to run the ball, yes I know, but the line needs to stay healthy for Chris Johnson. Also one of the receivers has to establish themselves as the leader of the pack. Right now its neck and neck. The defense is young with big expectations for being early picks. They need to show heart in their performance. With the Jaguars, it's all about MJD. They don't have a quarterback in Gabbert or Henne. They also need receivers to keep the defense honest as well. I like the moves in the defense, but I don't think one year will turn everything around. It's a process. But I expect them to win more than two games.
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In 2012, the Indianapolis Colts waived one good quarterback and drafted another. They released the then eleven-time Pro Bowler, Peyton Manning for concerns with a neck injury that required several surgeries. Thanks to a 2-14 season in 2011, the Colts drafted quarterback Andrew Luck with the number one overall pick. Thus the Luck Era has arrived: 4000 passing yards and 28 overall touchdowns in his rookie season. I'm looking for a bigger season this year, but they will have to hold off the division champs, the Houston Texans. The Texans are a strong running team that moves the ball down-field. Then we all know about J.J. Watt who does a lot more than bat balls out of the air. He is part of a good defense that just became a little tougher with the signing of safety Ed Reed. The other two teams in the division--the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars--have great running backs in Chris Johnson and Maurice-Jones Drew. But with no help around them, they may be on the outside looking in and might struggle to finish above .500--again.
We'll start off with the good in this division. Quarterback Andrew Luck is a good quarterback and its the people around him who helped this team go from 2-14 to 11-5. They finished the division 4-2 and did so with a big distraction. Their head coach, Chuck Pagano, was dealing with leukemia and was away for most of the season, but he received treatment and came back, which became a big inspiration throughout the NFL world. Now for the supporting cast: Wide receiver Reggie Wayne had an enormous year despite him getting up in age. The 34 year-old had 115 receptions and nearly 1500 yards. Its safe to say he is Luck's favorite target. His second favorite was receiver T.Y. Hilton, who had seven touchdowns. In the backfield Vick Ballard averaged 3.9 yards a carry and racked up 905 yards on the ground. The difference is he only had three total touchdowns and that just wont cut it. He's got to help Luck out with the scoring. With the release of defensive end Dwight Freeney, someone has to step us on the defensive line. I'm not talking about Robert Mathis, but the signing of Aubrayo Franklin--315 pound nose tackle, run stopper--should help out in a big way. They also signed safety LaRon Landry, a hard-hitting, throwing his body with force defensive back. He puts fear into offensive skill position players. This guy is huge for a safety. Last year as a member of the New York Jets, he had over 100 combined tackles, four forced fumbles and two picks. A major upgrade to their defense which gave up almost 400 yards a game.
The Houston Texans are looking to build off a second round loss to the New England Patriots. Going 5-1 in the AFC South is a good feeling, but not the best when you look at all the teams. Nevertheless, this team is moving in the right direction for the 2013 season. This team runs, runs, and finally comes the action, play that is. Not Kidding nor Playing, just the hype that came along with rappers Kid N Play. Then there was play-action. It's very hard to bring down a running back in Arian Foster, especially someone who averaged 4.1 yards per carry. Foster was running through holes that even Charles Barkley can run though with a donut in his hand. No wonder Foster had 17 touchdowns and almost 1700 yards on the ground. So just run, and with a mediocre quarterback in Matt Schaub, it gives their QB time to find open receivers. This guy has never had a quarterback rating over 100, but he gets the job done. They finally gave help to receiver Andre Johnson, by drafting DeAndre Hopkins, a Clemson receiver who had 18 touchdowns his junior year. He's another threat to safeties overplaying Johnson. Their defense was already good, but with a playmaker in Ed Reed, this defense has became elite. A defense who only gave up 2.4 touchdowns a game. A defense who ranked 10th in giving up 21.4 points a game. Now you pair Reed, with safety Danieal Manning and cornerback Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson, this is a top five secondary. On the front-end you have the powerful, fast-motor J.J. Watt. 75 solo tackles is nothing, but 42 tackles for loss is dynamic. In the middle you have performance enhancing hormone abuser Brian Cushing. A good linebacker, with good speed. Even after being caught, he still kept his defensive rookie of the year trophy. (Clay Matthews got robbed! (Matthews will be happy to know that the trophy stayed at USC--Ed). Overall I'm looking for the Texans to repeat as division champs and I'll say if healthy--The Super Bowl.
The Titans have constantly clashed with being an underperforming team. They replaced an established, well-known good coach in Jeff Fisher, who now is in St. Louis. Replaced by Mike Munchak, a former offensive guard drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1982. He then became an offensive assistant coach to the offensive line coach to head coach. Someone who hasn't established himself as a good coach. The results will be the years added on of not making a playoff appearance since 2008. How can you replace a legend with an offensive line coach to making the playoffs? It's simple; you can't. Usually coaches moving up get to be an offensive coordinator before making the leap. This tells me the Titans are cheap and are not looking at making the playoffs any time soon. The coach doesn't know the whole offense, so as a player why should I respect a line coach? With that said, Chris Johnson is the running back to build around. The three-time Pro Bowler, doesn't have help around him. His line is constantly in disarray. He has a quarterback in Jake Locker who is constantly struggling and they don't have a play-making receiver at all. So defenses could just stick everyone in the box, because they have no outside threat. Wide receivers Kenny Britt, Kendall Wright and Nate Washington are decent, but not outstanding. Between all three of them they had 155 receptions. The highest at 64 and that just wont cut it. With the Titans having offensive woes with their offensive line coach, the defense isn't much better. They gave up 29.4 points a game, ranked last in the league. They gave up 3.4 touchdowns a game, ranked last in the NFL. The rush defense was ranked 10th in the league. It was the secondary that was terrible. They added safety Bernard Pollard. Not a great coverage guy, but demands respect with punishing hits. They also added safety George Wilson. A leader on and off the field. He had 362 tackles, 12 interceptions and three forced fumbles in 92 games with Buffalo. The back-end has leadership and fierce hitting safeties on their side. A small defensive upgrade and definitely not playoff made.
The Jaguars are in the same predicament. A quality running back in Maurice Jones-Drew, but with no help around him they are just struggling to not be embarrassed. Coming off a 2-14 2012 season, the Jaguars are looking to just move in the winning direction. Their best player, Jones-Drew, missed 10 games last season with a foot injury and is just looking to rebound from a bad season. Jones-Drew hasn't missed more than two games since entering the league in 2006. He is the focal point of the Jaguars' offense and he will continue to be. He has run for over 1000 yards in three out of the last four seasons. It would've been 1500, if they had a good quarterback--wishful thinking--but instead they have a terrible quarterback in Blaine Gabbert. The Jaguars are holding an open competition between Gabbert and Chad Henne. They both suck, but let's say Gabbert wins the competition. This guy is scared of getting hit. He doesn't stand in the pocket to make a throw. Instead, he is already looking to start running when he's in the shotgun. He doesn't connect on 60 percent of his passes and in two years he hasn't had a quarterback rating higher than 80. Gabbert doesn't have any playmaking receivers at all. Receiver Cecil Shorts and Justin Blackmon are not good. How many people do you know who will draft a Jaguars' receiver on their fantasy football teams? The defense is terrible as well. Opponents run the ball 50 percent of the time against them, because they can't stop it. They rank 29th in points allowed at 27.8 ppg. The addition of Roy Miller should help the line. He anchored the defense for the Buccaneers last season, holding opponents to 82.5 rush yards. Now in the secondary, the Jaguars drafted safety Johnathan Cyprien. Just watching college film, this guy is all over the field, making hard hits and picking off quarterbacks. This was a great second round pick for the Jaguars. This is going to be a process, but for this upcoming season the Jaguars will come in last place again.
The AFC South is a two headed race between the Colt and the Texans. The Texans will out-last the Colts and repeat as division champs. They have too many playmakers on both sides of the ball. They also gave Andre Johnson some help by bringing in DeAndre Hopkins. But what really impresses me is the defense is getting stronger. Bringing in Ed Reed to help the young secondary is just what the doctor ordered. A leader with playmaking abilities. The Colts are going to be a playoff team, although I believe a lot needs to happen in order for me to put them over the Texans. Vick Ballard needs more touches in the red zone and someone has got to help the 34 year-old Reggie Wayne in the receiving corps. I'm not sold on what they have now. The defense needs to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks to help solidify the potential of what the secondary can do. The Titans are going to run the ball, yes I know, but the line needs to stay healthy for Chris Johnson. Also one of the receivers has to establish themselves as the leader of the pack. Right now its neck and neck. The defense is young with big expectations for being early picks. They need to show heart in their performance. With the Jaguars, it's all about MJD. They don't have a quarterback in Gabbert or Henne. They also need receivers to keep the defense honest as well. I like the moves in the defense, but I don't think one year will turn everything around. It's a process. But I expect them to win more than two games.
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Monday, January 7, 2013
2012 NFL PLAYOFFS: Random Wildcard Thoughts
Felipe M
The following are just some quick thoughts about the 2012 NFL Playoffs. Nothing too fancy:
Deja Vu?: The Cincinnati Bengals vs the Houston Texans. They played against each other last season as well. The Bengals have scored a combined 23 points. However, the Bengals' defense did make a case for being one of the game's elite as they proved why they finished the season as the #3 best defense team in terms of "weighted defense" in 2012. Unfortunately for them, Houston proved why their defense finished 5th in that same category and were able to shut the Bengals offense to 10 points.
Like a Cincinnati Ignition: This is two years straight that the Bengals made it to the playoffs, but experienced a first-year exit. But it's really hard to comprehend what's going on in Cincinnati. Growing up in the 1990s, the Bengals were a joke of a franchise that were being driven to the ground by owner Mike Brown. The 1st round busts that have been produced by the Bengals is very comical (David Klingler, Dan Wilkinson, Ki-Jana Carter anybody?). It was just expected that the "Bungles" would permanently be the worst team in the NFL!
The Curious Case of Marvin Lewis: Despite head coach Marvin Lewis constantly being on the hot seat (he is one game under .500 in Cincy), he somehow finds a way to get his team to rally. Lewis was facing death's door last year when the Bengals traded former QB starter, Carson Palmer and went ahead and inserted, then rookie, Andy Dalton. And let's not forget that defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer is one of the best in the business and credit goes to him for creating one of the best defenses in the NFL. It's very hard not to imagine the Bengals taking another step forward next season.
Thoughts Send me on a Carousel: Speaking of Lewis, he is a former defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. Last season, that spot was filled in by Chuck Pagano who is now the current Indianapolis Colts' head coach. That spot was filled by Jim Caldwell in 2011 who was inserted as the offensive coordinator in Baltimore very late in the 2012 season as he replaced Cam Cameron where he coached future NFL player, Antwaan Randle El at Indiana University. The speedy receiver played for the Pittsburgh Steelers where Bruce Arians was his Wide Receivers' coach. Bruce Arians was the Colts' interim head coach this past season while Pagano was treated for Leukemia.
You want more?
Bruce Arians was the offensive coordinator under Butch Davis and the Cleveland Browns. Davis was the Defensive Coordinator in Dallas under Barry Switzer. Mike Zimmer was a fellow coach of Davis' under Switzer and eventually became the Cowboys' D-coordinator. Currently, Zimmer holds that same position in Cincinnati....under current head coach Marvin Lewis. How you like that?
Joe Webb still sucks: That is all.
Unintentional Play off the Night: This goes to Packers' LB Clay Matthews who was making his turn against the Vikings' left tackle, Matt Kalil as he was trying to chase down Webb. Kalil did a good job of keeping Matthews off Webb, but as it was a running theme all night long, Webb was holding on to the ball for too long and eventually would try to make plays with his legs. In this instance, Webb tried to do the same thing and run away from the pressure, but he still ended up tripping over Clay Matthews. Even Matthews was surprised to see that he got credit for an "accidental" sack against the overmatched QB. He was so surprised that he didn't even bother doing his sack dance.
To Play or Not to Play: As much as I criticize Jay Cutler's performance in 2012, I will not deny his toughness. Unlike many fans in Chicago and around the nation, I thought he was wise to sit out in the 2010 NFC Championship game against the Packers. But I have seen Cutler refuse to sit out with concussion symptoms, I have seen him take a beating against defenses who look at the Bears' offensive line like it was lunch meat, and I have seen Cutler continue to get up and run the next play (assuming that the play got to him on time before having to burn another timeout). So this past weekend, we saw two Quarterbacks come into these playoffs with injuries that were severe enough to justify a move by their respective head coaches in the lineup.
One Christian Ponder was sat out at the last minute with an elbow injury. In came Joe Webb. The Packers scored 24 points against the Vikings and they never had a chance. The other was Robert Griffin III who had been dealing with an injured knee for the last few weeks or so. He wanted to play in the playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks and went on to re-injure his right knee, not just once, but twice in one game. Results of an MRI today showed that Griffin has partial tears in knee ligaments and possible surgery is being discussed.
I'm not going to delve too much into this topic, but it's funny how fans all over the NFL have mixed views on Griffin's situation, although most think that coach Mike Shanahan should have taken him out of the game, but we all know fans would've second-guessed Shanahan for taking him out after the first time his knee buckled. Tough situation either way.
The fact is, however, that the onus is and should be on the players to know if they are healthy enough to play and be man enough to say "no" when they can't. Post game on the NFL NETWORK showed Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, and Michael Irvin all agreeing with Griffin's decision to stay in the game. It was HIS choice. He was the one that got the Redskins INTO the playoffs. Finally, Griffin is the team's BEST chance to win the game. In the post-game interview, Griffin repeated the sentiments of the three Hall-of-Famers. He wanted the challenge to play on one leg and he understood the consequences if he continued to play.
Lesson learned.
And finally, we bring it back to Ray Lewis' final home game in Baltimore. Enjoy!
You want more?
Bruce Arians was the offensive coordinator under Butch Davis and the Cleveland Browns. Davis was the Defensive Coordinator in Dallas under Barry Switzer. Mike Zimmer was a fellow coach of Davis' under Switzer and eventually became the Cowboys' D-coordinator. Currently, Zimmer holds that same position in Cincinnati....under current head coach Marvin Lewis. How you like that?
Joe Webb still sucks: That is all.
To Play or Not to Play: As much as I criticize Jay Cutler's performance in 2012, I will not deny his toughness. Unlike many fans in Chicago and around the nation, I thought he was wise to sit out in the 2010 NFC Championship game against the Packers. But I have seen Cutler refuse to sit out with concussion symptoms, I have seen him take a beating against defenses who look at the Bears' offensive line like it was lunch meat, and I have seen Cutler continue to get up and run the next play (assuming that the play got to him on time before having to burn another timeout). So this past weekend, we saw two Quarterbacks come into these playoffs with injuries that were severe enough to justify a move by their respective head coaches in the lineup.
I'm not going to delve too much into this topic, but it's funny how fans all over the NFL have mixed views on Griffin's situation, although most think that coach Mike Shanahan should have taken him out of the game, but we all know fans would've second-guessed Shanahan for taking him out after the first time his knee buckled. Tough situation either way.
The fact is, however, that the onus is and should be on the players to know if they are healthy enough to play and be man enough to say "no" when they can't. Post game on the NFL NETWORK showed Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, and Michael Irvin all agreeing with Griffin's decision to stay in the game. It was HIS choice. He was the one that got the Redskins INTO the playoffs. Finally, Griffin is the team's BEST chance to win the game. In the post-game interview, Griffin repeated the sentiments of the three Hall-of-Famers. He wanted the challenge to play on one leg and he understood the consequences if he continued to play.
Lesson learned.
And finally, we bring it back to Ray Lewis' final home game in Baltimore. Enjoy!
2012 NFL PLAYOFFS: COLTS V. RAVENS--Welcome Back, Ray Lewis!
Ray Lewis played and danced in his final game at M&T Stadium with a win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Wild Card game. While I can sit here and talk about Ray's dance and how electrifying his moves were to pump up the fans, I need to add that I was hoping to see him chase Paul Rudd around the field. It didn't happen, but, regardless, the Ravens' defense welcomed their defensive coordinator of 2011, Chuck Pagano, back home. The welcome was so warm, that they beat his new team 24-9.
The middle linebacker played in his first game since tearing his triceps in mid-October. Lewis looked dominant with his robotic arm (Oh, wait... its just a harness that made Lewis appear as some sort of half-man, half-Transformer), leading the defense with 13 tackles. The defense played vintage, Ravens' football that ranked in the top ten as opposed to ranking 22nd, in terms of "weighted defense." The Ravens entered play giving up a total of 350.9 yards per game (ranked 17th) and 122.8 being rushing yards (ranked 20th). That doesn't sound like the viciously, terrifying, hard-hitting Ravens' defense that we know.
But that's what happens when your future Hall-of-Fame linebacker misses 10 games (makes me want to create a dance at work--maybe it will get my team pumped-up to reach, what should be, attainable metrics and goals). Now that he's back, I guess Ed Reed doesn't need to go out of his way to make "illegal" hits on opposing receivers in an attempt to terrorize them (I can hear him now: "Me and my wallet thanks you for coming back, Ray!").
Lewis has been the face of the Ravens' franchise for years and now, in his 17th season, he is calling it quits. He couldn't have picked a better time to make the announcement--win or go home--so why not try to ride this emotional, do-or-die, "win one for the gipper," adrenaline rush all the way to the Super Bowl? (think Ray Bourque when he played for the Colorado Avalanche--Ed).
But that's what happens when your future Hall-of-Fame linebacker misses 10 games (makes me want to create a dance at work--maybe it will get my team pumped-up to reach, what should be, attainable metrics and goals). Now that he's back, I guess Ed Reed doesn't need to go out of his way to make "illegal" hits on opposing receivers in an attempt to terrorize them (I can hear him now: "Me and my wallet thanks you for coming back, Ray!").
Lewis has been the face of the Ravens' franchise for years and now, in his 17th season, he is calling it quits. He couldn't have picked a better time to make the announcement--win or go home--so why not try to ride this emotional, do-or-die, "win one for the gipper," adrenaline rush all the way to the Super Bowl? (think Ray Bourque when he played for the Colorado Avalanche--Ed).
This game had implications on both sides. Besides Ray Lewis announcing his retirement as soon as the Ravens' season was completed,Chuck Pagano returned to Baltimore as the head coach of the Colts. It was an emotional sight to see the Ravens' defense showing their old coach support and love. Pagano coached his second game after coming back from his Leukemia treatment that forced him to miss the majority of the 2012 season. Pagano, along with offensive coordinator, Bruce Arians (who might be the Chicago Bears' coach in 2013?--Ed), revived a Colts' team that went from 2-14 last season to going 11-5 this season and making the playoffs as a 5th seed.
A lot of the reason for their success is, while they went 2-14 last season, last year's struggles helped them obtain the number 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, in which they drafted Andrew Luck--who is pretty good (a lot better than "good"--Ed). I mean I drafted him in my fantasy league and sometimes even started him over Peyton Manning, which says a lot about the rookie's ability. In his first year, he threw for 4,374 yards breaking Cam Newton's record for a rookie. Newton threw for 4,051 yards (Hey, Cam--it looks like that kid really did warm up his arm!).
In his first playoff game, Luck threw for 288 yards and an interception (and it could have been 2 INTs if Ray Lewis' robotic hands could have cradled a tipped pass in the 2nd quarter--Ed). Luck had a hard time against the Ravens' defense only connecting on 28 of his 54 pass attempts. Reggie Wayne had 9 of those catches for 114 yards. Even though the Colts lost, they have a lot to look forward to as they try and build a team around Andrew Luck.
In his first playoff game, Luck threw for 288 yards and an interception (and it could have been 2 INTs if Ray Lewis' robotic hands could have cradled a tipped pass in the 2nd quarter--Ed). Luck had a hard time against the Ravens' defense only connecting on 28 of his 54 pass attempts. Reggie Wayne had 9 of those catches for 114 yards. Even though the Colts lost, they have a lot to look forward to as they try and build a team around Andrew Luck.
Pagano took over for Jim Caldwell last season who is the new offensive coordinator for the Ravens after Cam Cameron was fired late in the season. Caldwell was hired as the quarterbacks coach (Yeah I thought it was a joke when he was hired for that position as well--"Hey Flacco let me show you how to be like Curtis Painter and Kerry Collins."). No wonder Joe Flacco is garbage: his passing completions and attempts are far apart! He reminds me of Allen Iverson's shooting numbers: 9-25 from the field, but he did score 30 points because he shot the ball 25 times (Joe Flacco is the Allen Iverson of today's NFL? Unlike Iverson, Flacco can pass the ball.--Ed). Flacco was better today though, he was 12 for 23 for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns. Ray Rice finished with 2 fumbles to go along with 70 rushing yards.
If the Ravens want to help Lewis finish his career with a Super Bowl ring, they're going to have to go through Denver and their defense ranks 2nd in total yards and 4th in points allowed. In order for that to happen, they need a combination of Ray-Ray: Ray Lewis and Ray Rice. I'm not worried about Lewis doing his part, but with Rice suddenly being a fumbles machine, I think that puts a lot on Joe "Sacko"--err-- I mean Flacco. Hey, maybe Lewis can do his dance in the locker room for motivation.
For more on the 2012 NFL Wildcard Weekend, click here.
Please welcome our newest contributor, Johnny J. Even though Johnny is one of "Chi-town's finest," he is a Green Bay Packers' fan, roots for the Detroit Red Wings, follows the Seattle Mariners, and--the biggest sin of all--he bleeds orange and blue as he cheers on the New York Knicks. Feel free to say "hi" to him on the comments section.
For more on the 2012 NFL Wildcard Weekend, click here.
Please welcome our newest contributor, Johnny J. Even though Johnny is one of "Chi-town's finest," he is a Green Bay Packers' fan, roots for the Detroit Red Wings, follows the Seattle Mariners, and--the biggest sin of all--he bleeds orange and blue as he cheers on the New York Knicks. Feel free to say "hi" to him on the comments section.
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