Fourth & Forever: Previewing the Packers and Vikings game

  Fourth & Forever: Previewing the Packers and Vikings game

The Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings are headed in two different directions. The Packers are on a three game winning streak, and sit atop of the NFC North, with a record of 4-2. The Vikings are at the bottom of the division, and look to dig themselves out of a three game hole against the division rival. This Sunday night will be the first of two games between these two teams. The division is still up for grabs, while the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions, still try and find their grooves. The Bears and Packers are dealing with some key injuries, and the Lions are looking to get a grip on their defense. The division is still winnable for the men in purple, therefore the Vikings have to dust off their two last embarrassing losses and move on. The Packers are looking to get another win in the division, before their Monday night game in two weeks against the Bears.

The Vikings are in total disarray. The quarterback, the coach, and the consistent losing, I don't know where to start! Last year this team finished 10-6 and made the playoffs, this year the Vikings have started the season 1-5. Through six games, they are one lost away from matching their total number of losses last season. Starting quarterback Christian Ponder lost his title after three games. His backup Matt Cassel, lost his, after two games. The Vikings sign throw away Josh Freeman, who was released two weeks ago by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The result, Freeman threw 53 times, while all-pro running back Adrian Peterson, only carried the ball 13 times. He had only been with the team for 12 days before he made the start. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he wasn't ready, than say he is a very bad quarterback. The lost to the New York Giants was the second straight ugly game produced by the Vikings. The week before, the Carolina Panthers blew out the Vikings 35-10. No ball movement, no moving the chains, and the defense gives up more points than a pinball machine. At this point, coach Leslie Frazier is looking like he doesn't know what to do. Maybe that's why he has used three quarterbacks in six games. Its the quarterback, its the defense, its the coach, its the whoooole team! Read coaches in the hot seat!
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The Viking and Packers are always going to be linked to each other, just because the Packers like to throw away people, while the Vikings like to take them in and give them a home and feed them. Players in the past such as Darren Sharper, Ryan Longwell, and Brett Favre. This year it has been players such as linebacker Desmond Bishop and receiver Greg Jennings. "Silly Vikings, tricks are for kids." Obviously Green Bay knows what their doing. Bishop was signed and then made two starts...eventually tearing his ACL. Now he is on injury reserve, for the second year in a row. Then there is Greg Jennings crybaby self. "Oh oh  Aaron Rodgers was never a leader, oh."  It sounds like Jennings is missing that good ol Wisconsin home cooking. Not only is Jennings having a bad year, but his team is terrible. He doesn't look like a number one receiver at all. Through five games, he has 20 catches, for two hundred and eighty six yards...with a pair of touchdowns. That doesn't sign like a number one receiver, who just signed a five-year $47.5 million contract in the off-season. The money was going to be nice, but it wasn't going to be the same quarterback or coaches, helping him return to his pro-bowl years. I hope the money was worth it!

The short-handed Packers, are running out of playmakers. The Packers are going to be down two starting receivers, and their big physical tight-end, Jermichael Finley. Both Randall Cobb and James Jones, will be side-lined for Sunday nights game, due to injuries. Cobb was placed on Injury Reserve-designated to return a week ago, due to him breaking his fibula two weeks ago at Baltimore. He is out at least 6-8 weeks. Jones was also hurt in Baltimore, with a sprained PCL. He is out two to four weeks. Finely got hurt in Sundays win against the Cleveland Browns, win a contusion to his spinal cord. It has not been determined if Finely will continue his career, with such a scary injury. Nevertheless, the games have got to be played and Rodgers is soon going to be throwing it to himself.  But with the emergence of rookie running back Eddie Lacy, the Packers finally have a two dimensional game. Lacy leads the league in rushing yards over the past three weeks, with 301 and Kansas City Chiefs running backs Jamal Charles is second with 272. That's right, he has more yards than Charles. Now that is impressive for a rookie. With receiver Jordy Nelson demanding attention, defenses can no longer play two deep safeties every time, because the Pack now have an top tier power running back. I maybe getting ahead of myself, but the future looks bright for Lacy.

Regardless of the injuries racking up, the Packers are still going to be dangerous. Lacy takes pressure off of A Rod, as well as the back-ups catching the ball at the end of Rodgers passes. Back-up tight end Andrew Quarless and back-up receiver Jarrett Boykin's will have to step up to replace these playmakers. Boykin's a 6 ft. 2 undrafted second year receiver proved last week he is up for the task, catching eight passes for 103 yards, and a touchdown last week. Packers are now in first place, and will not be looking back. The Vikings are starting starter Christian Ponder against the Packers. Apparently Josh Freeman has an concussion and won't play. Sounds like the Vikings are not looking to be embarrassed again in a primetime game. Ponder gives the Vikings a better chance to win games, as long as Adrian Peterson stays healthy, this team can win. Ponder torched the Packers last year in the regular season match-up, throwing three touchdowns. That win sealed a Vikings playoff berth. They played the Packers the following week in the first round and lost that game 24-10. Ponder didn't play in that game due to an injury. I have the Packers winning this game, but not by much. Ponder has something to prove, as well as Greg Jennings. The Packers defense is banged up, so I expect AP to rebound from last weeks blunder. In the end its to much Rodgers and Lacy overpowering the Vikings.

Fourth & Forever: My 4-0 Fantasy Football Team

 Fourth & Forever: My 4-0 Fantasy Team



Toilet Bowl Trophy
Picture courtesy of WCFFL

For the 2013 NFL season, I have two fantasy teams. But today, I'm only going to talk about one. My Yahoo Wrecking Crew Fantasy Football league. The other one is hosted by ESPN, and it is a waste of time. Its free and not as competitive as my Yahoo league. Therefore I won't discuss it. The Wrecking Crew league is so amazing; not only is it competitive, but it is amongst friends. It does involve playing for money, however the most exciting thing for me are the trophies. There are three divisions with four teams each and each division winner receives a small, almost Heisman like stance trophy with their team name and division name. There is also a loser trophy, awarded to the team with the worst record. Their prize...a toilet bowl seat with wise cracks written on it from other teams. Who says grown man can't have fun? Then theirs, "Alyssa," the name of the big trophy. A football shaped, silver color trophy, attached to a wooden base, with the current champions name on the name plate. We chose, "Alyssa," in regards to Alyssa Milano. She's hot and her name fits well with the trophy. "Alyssa," is coming home with me this year.


My 2012 division trophy
picture courtesy of Johnny J.



My teams name is called," Black Sunday." No specific meaning behind the name, it just sounds intimidating. After four weeks, I am proud to say that I am in first place in the whole league and I'm undefeated. I'm not going to talk about the draft much, because its not current, but I will say I followed most general managers tactics. I drafted what was given to me. I didn't overthink it, I didn't panic, but I would say I came out with one of the deepest teams in the league. MOVING ON... I came to the draft with intentions on making picks people didn't see coming. I'm A Packers fan, and I drafted a Chicago Bears player in the second round! That player is running back Matt Forte, who is has not disappointed thus far. He has rewarded me with three touchdowns in four games. I root for him in hopes of the Bears losing. Yea a Packers fan rooting for my second round pick. I came to the draft thinking...I was going to draft with my mind and not my heart. As much as I wanted to draft Aaron Rodgers or Jordy Nelson, I knew the quarterback and receiver position was too deep to draft them early. I actually had a chance to pick A Rod, with the 10th pick, but chose LeSean McCoy instead. Four weeks later, he is leading the league in rushing yards.

After I went 3-0. I wanted to do a New York Yankee trade, and so I did. Before I discuss who I traded for and what I gave up for them, I contemplated if I wanted to go through with it. I hadn't lost a game, I had just blown somebody out by 60 points. I didn't need to make a trade, but like every GM brainstorming in the front office, I wanted to create a team that is guaranteed to go far. So I wanted to get a great player, who was struggling, in hopes that they will return to a top tier producer. That way it wouldn't cost me a lot in return. I' m not talking about quarterback Philip Rivers, but running back C.J. Spiller. He was picked in the first round, but hadn't been performing like a GM expects from a first rounder. The person who had him was 1-2 and I know they were looking for a big trade. And so I gave them one. I traded the Seattle defense and running back Le'Veon Bell, in return for C.J. Spiller. Yea I know Seattle has the best defense in the league, and I know Bell just scored two touchdowns, but I'm looking at the bigger picture...the playoff run. Defenses are expendable, because any defense can get you descent points weekly depending on match-ups. I picked up the Tennessee Titans defense, who had five sacks, five tackles for a loss, two picks, two fumble recoveries and a touchdown against the New York Jets. They got me more points then the Seahawks would have last week. Bell is coming off a serious injury, I'm not sure if he will be the answer for the 0-4 Pittsburgh Steelers. It's a gamble I hope will pay off.

I've also been doing my homework on the waiver wire. Picking up no name players who I think might make an impact in certain games. I look at their opponents weekly and I survey players; deciding on I believe fits in the lineup for the upcoming game or games. I picked up wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, before the season started. He has been in and out of my lineups, although I had him in my lineup last week, when he blew up for 127 receiving yards and a touchdown, against the Atlanta Flacons. I figured with receiver Danny Amendola and tight end Ron Grownkowski out, he was going to have a big game in a primetime match-up. I seen him in a pre-season game and he just stood out. I knew he was someone I should grab. I also had pick up Le'Veon Bell, after someone dropped him. He was supposed to be out like six weeks with an injury, but came back sooner. Instead of giving him a chance I used him in the Spiller trade.  Since I traded away the Seattle defense, and then dropped the Titans defense, I needed to pick up a sleeper defense for this week. So I picked up the Cleveland Browns defense. They play the Buffalo Bills tonight, and I'm hoping they can duplicate the stellar defense they showed last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. Surrendering only six points at the, "Dawg Pound." The Browns defense is descent and ferocious. In four games they have 14 sacks, 19 tackles for a loss and have only given up 70 points. The Bills have a banged up backfield, so I'm betting on a good day at the pound. 

 

"Alyssa"
picture courtesy of the current champion and
co-founder of Pathologicalhate.clogspot.com
Felipe Melecio

 

These are the main reasons why I'm undefeated in the Wrecking Crew Fantasy Football League. It comes down to good drafting, and taking what the draft was giving me. Thinking with my mind and not my heart. Believing the person I drafted, was going to have a good year. Regardless if I liked the team or not; I'm too busy thinking about making my pockets fatter; and of course...Alyssa. Even though its too early to say if my trade was a success or not, but I felt like I could get rid of the Seahawks defense and get the same points from sleepers on the wire. By adding C.J. Spiller, I now have a four-headed running attack. LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte, DeMarco Murray. With two running back slots and two flex slots, say hello to my four-headed horseman. The waiver wire is my friend in need. I look at throwaways and sleepers and invite them for workouts. If everything checks out ok, the contract is signed and a number is given. Welcome to the future of WCFFL...Black Sunday.

Are the 49ers Super Bowl Contenders?

  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.

Fourth & Forever: Faking Injuries to Slow Down Offenses

 Fourth & Forever: Faking Injuries to Slow Down Offenses

Earlier this week, former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher admitted, the Bears faked injuries to slow down offenses. Its not hard to see that some players do take dives to stop the clock, or to help their team catch a breather. This happens all the time and no one who isn't attending to the injured player really doesn't know if the player is actually hurt. Urlacher, who is now an analyst for Fox Sports 1 brought up the topic this week and had no problem throwing his former team under the bus. For someone to break silence and trash solidarity with the team they formerly played for is unheard of. It may seem like the eight time pro-bowler is still a little bitter at his former ball club, who have moved on without the inside linebacker. The Bears offered Urlacher a $2 million salary this past offseason. Urlacher took it as a slap in the face. Telling Urlacher to, "take this offer or leave it." So Urlacher left it and both sides ultimately went their separate ways. When a player is drafted and plays their whole career for one team and in the end, feels like the team didn't appreciate them, is when negative emotions come out. We've seen this all offseason with former Packers receiver Greg Jennings talking bad about his former club, but nothing about breaking a code of silence.

I remember when the New York Giants beat the St. Louis Rams two years ago 28-16, that was televised on ESPN. Yeah it made my stomach hurt to watch the Rams play, but what made me feel sick to my stomach, was how the Giants beat the Rams. The Rams were driving down the field on the Giants defense and was inside the 10. The Rams were in a no-huddle offense and were getting ready to hike the ball, when the Giants weren't sure what they wanted to do. They wanted to put in their-goal line defense and had two players fall down to the ground to slow down the offense. They received a free time-out by having two people fake an injury. Literally, both defensive back Deon Grant and linebacker Jacquian Williams fell to the ground at the same time. Check it out in this YouTube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV3K_ML2UsI. In the end the Rams settled for a field-goal, after the faking of the injuries allowed the Giants to use a free timeout to get certain people in the game. The Giants weren't fooling anyone, because the commentators kept showing the replay over and over. If you watched that game, you can see Rams quarterback Sam Bradford display his frustration in what was going on. I mean everyone knew.

That was the first time, I've actually seen something like that. I'm sure it happens a lot, but the Giants were one of the few teams to get caught. If a team runs a, "No huddle offense" or a, "Hurry-up," offense," that takes advantages of defenses who are winded, or for defensive coordinators who need to get the right personnel on the field. Its the reason why its starting to become popular in the NFL. Its all about exploiting the defense to score easier points. It reminds me of my last blog, when I discussed Philadelphia Eagles  head coach Chip Kelly's offense, in how they ran over 80 plays and lost the time of possession to the New England Patriots in the first preseason game. This is a developing trend in the NFL. When the Rams run the "Hurry-up," and  it are successful in going the length of the field, then you know its a new day and age. If you look at the San Francisco 49ers defense. They barely switch people in and out of the lineup. There personnel is an every-down team. The same linemen and the same linebackers, play every down. Not to many teams can do that, so faking injuries is a way to get the right people in as well as fresh legs, without having to use a timeout.

This is ruining the league. I rank this just as bad as the replacement referees. Its messing up the game. When the recent Hall of Fame inductee and ESPN commentator Chris Carter was raving about the replacement refs and how the NFL wants to protect their shield. He should add this to the list about protecting the shield. The NFL has sent out memos to teams about faking injuries, which include penalties and more severe penalties for players after the game. For me, that's not good enough. Teams and players who are caught faking injuries should know what their punishment is going to be, going into the game. Not just a warning or threat. When people flopped in the NBA, the league fined them and told them they would be fined more if they did it again. The NFL needs to set the bar higher.  The NFL needs to come out and say what would happen and not something they come up with the night before. If its an important game, someone might fake an injury, lets say in a playoff game and the team goes all the way because of it. You're telling me other teammates won't help pay the fine? There Super Bowl champs, people would help pay for it. People paid for George Zimmerman's attorneys, fans will pay for league fines. They need to discipline cheaters with yearly suspensions. HGH to the fourth power. Suspend them for a year and than see how quickly they wish to hold their ankle and then come back in two plays later. SET THE BAR! Four game suspensions for abusing the substance abuse policy is nothing. It should be eight. MLB is 50 games for a first time abuser. SET THE BAR! What's a fine these days? People lineup to pay for it.

I respect Brian Urlacher for coming out and breaking a teams code, especially if it has something to do with cheating. If a coach has signals that they give to players to cheat, I put them in the same category as former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. That's how I see a coach who dignifies cheating, regarding how big or small it is. A sin is a sin, regardless of how big or small. They should be suspended for a year, than a petty slap on the hand fine. They're cheaters who are interfering with the outcome of the game. Until the league actually sets the bar, someone is going to test that rule. Whether the refs catch it or the league, the bar needs to be set. Urlacher probably didn't agree with what was going on around him, but if you play for that team, you can't say anything. What goes on in the locker room, stays in the locker room. That's why its called a code of silence. That's why the whole Saints defense didn't get suspended because they all didn't want to participate in bounty hunts. Same with faking injuries. I'm glad to see someone finally came out and admit that they were apart of it. Memo to the NFL...SET THE BAR!

FOURTH & FOREVER: Previewing the NFC North

Johnny J

The NFC North is becoming one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. All of the teams can be playoff contenders and with each of them getting better within the past year, this division can be considered up for grabs:

• The Green Bay Packers have won the division title the last two years. Now with the help of a potential backfield, they can extend their streak to three. 
• The Minnesota Vikings made the playoffs last year for the first time since 2009. With Adrian Peterson coming off a 2,000 yard season after a serious knee injury, the Vikings are looking very promising. 
• The Detroit Lions have so much talent around them, but fell short of the playoffs. With the addition of Reggie Bush, I believe they can see the middle of January . 
• The Chicago Bears fired Lovie Smith in hopes of returning to the promise land. With an aging defense and a contract year for quarterback Jay Cutler, this is a make or break year for the Bears.

As a Packers fan, I like the way the 2010 Super Bowl Champs are headed. They extended contracts for their best players on both sides of the ball, in QB Araon Rodgers and Linebacker Clay Matthews. Right now, they are the highest-paid players at their positions. In the offseason, defensive coordinator, Dom Capers and the rest of the defensive coaches went to Texas A&M to learn how to stop the read-option. Colin Kaepernick and the San Fransico 49ers ran that very effectively against the Pack as they made their way to Super Bowl XVLll. It still makes my stomach hurt. The Packers have a team who can compete for a Super Bowl every year thanks to GM Ted Thompson.  He added two good running backs, in Alabama prospect in Eddie Lacy in the second round and UCLA's Johnathan Franklin, the future mayor of Los Angeles. Alex Green, now third year running back out of Hawaii, had a team high 464 yards and a 3.4 average. That won't do. Defenses didn't respect the running game, as they played 2-deep shell safeties, concentrating more on Rodgers and the Packers' passing game. Eddie Lacy is going to require defenses to "RESPECT HIS GANGSTA!" With the Packers switching their whole offensive line to protect Rodgers' blindside, this offense should be unstoppable.

The Vikings are constantly picking up Green Bay throwaways. They signed wide receiver and former Packer Greg Jennings and Linebacker Desmond Bishop. Both have a lot to prove after being injured in 2012. Obviously, money is more important than winning, right Jennings? The Vikings are coming off a playoff year and look to build on that success. As long as Adrian Peterson is in the back-field, they should have been trying to build a team around him. They're starting to learn, I think. It just took them about five or six years and some areas on offense can still be questioned. Coach Leslie Frazier is trusting quarterback Christian Ponder who showed some growth in his second year, throwing for almost 3,000 yards and throwing 18 touchdowns. Plus his promising tight-end, Kyle Rudolph made the Pro Bowl in 2012 and even won the game MVP, so he was able to show off his game against the very best. Now if they can just get Ponder to get him the ball. With Rudolph, Jennings, and first round pick Cordarrelle Patterson (First Team All-SEC), this offense may have a promising passing game. With this being a contract year for defensive end Jared Allen, I'm expecting another big year from him after totaling 34 sacks the past two seasons. The Viking should be smart to extend him now, before someone else comes along. At the end of the day, they are just a playoff contender and nothing else. They show a lot of promise though.

The Detroit Lions missed the playoffs last year. It's hard to believe as they're equipped with a good, young passing duo in quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Calvin Johnson.  Stafford has thrown over 10,000 yards in the past two seasons. Oh, and he has played in all 16 games the past two years as well (still, he throws like Tarzan and acts like Jane).  Johnson broke Jerry Rice's all-time record of receiving yards. He now holds the record at 1,964 yards. "Megatron" is an elite receiver as well as the the top receiver in fantasy football. He is definitely living up to being picked number two overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. Now with the addition of running back Reggie Bush, this should help keep defenses honest. As long as Kim Kardashian isn't in the building, he should be explosive. This offense is dangerous.  Bush is a three-down back. He runs, catches, and blocks. Now staying healthy, for him, is another issue, as he has battled knee, groin and fibula injuries. The only thing stopping the Lions are off-the-field issues. From possession of drugs to assault, there have been problems for the Lions, not to mention their play on the field. They also have one of the dirtiest players on the field in Ndamukong Suh. We won't talk about coach Jim Schwartz getting in the action with the controversial handshake between him and 49ers' head coach, Jim Harbaugh. Overall, this team can be a deep playoff contender, if they could only act like regular, upstanding citizens.

The Chicago Bears are looking to rebound after winning the division in 2010. They haven't made the playoffs since, which led to the firing of Lovie Smith and the hiring of new coach Marc Trestman. "In Trestman we trust." We'll see if the Bears' current practice of hiring cheap people in hopes of getting the job done actually works for them this season. If you remember, the Bears didn't even want to make the field conditions better for their own players at Solider Field. "I don't know what else to say. We complain about it all the time. I prefer playing on grass, but the Field Turf stuff is pretty awesome," said former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher. When your star player complains about field conditions, that's when you know the organization you root for is cheap. They just signed D.J. Williams for cheap after he failed a drug test, lost his starting job in Denver, and then got released. They expect this guy to replace Urlacher! (the Bears bought low on Williams if you ask me--Ed). Another one of those, "we'll see" moves. Trestman said that he may implement the read-option in the offense. That's one-way to get Cutler on the season-ending injury reserve list. Enough about the bad, here's the good. Matt Forte has to stay healthy. He is the focal point of the Bears' offense. Cutler has a great arm and his accuracy could be decent, but when you have a top five receiver in Brandon Marshall, you're going to get your numbers in a passing game. Well not in fantasy football, but you get your numbers (when it comes to Jay Cutler, not really--Ed). This is a make or break year for Cutler or he will be replaced. He has the talent around him, but the defense has to get younger. Julius Peppers, Charles Tillman, and Lance Briggs are all over 30. All I can say is this is a team fighting for the playoffs.

This season is going to be tough for the NFC North, as they play the AFC North and NFC East. The Lions have the second toughest schedule. The Packers have the sixth toughest and the Vikings have the 10th toughest. The Bears have the 16th toughest. Even though they have the easiest schedule out of the division, I really believe they are going to have a hard time winning games. I only see the Packers and Lions making the playoffs, with the Packers winning the division. Now with a running game, Rodgers should pick defenses apart. Just avoid the sacks my friend (51 in 2012). The Lions will make the Playoffs, just as long as they stay out of trouble. Suh needs to perform like he did as a rookie because he had 10 sacks, compared to just 14 the last two years. Help that offense secure wins.

Adrian "All-Day" Peterson will do his thing, but he needs help. Ponder has to be the one, to use that play-action to his advantage, because right now he doesn't get respect. If Bishop is healthy, that defense just got a whole lot better.

Finally, the Bears are very close to a rebuilding era. Cutler has to avoid being hurried out the pocket and stop throwing clumsy INTs. Forte will get his carries, just stay out of the training room during games. The defense is old, enough said. It maybe a long year for them.

More NFL content can be read here.

KAEPERNICK GOES WILD: Packers v. 49ers

The following is part of our continuing coverage of the 2012 NFL PLAYOFFS.

Johnny J

Colin Kaepernick grew up a Packers' fan; so when the date was set for the Green Bay Packers to come into Candlestick Park, Kaepernick wanted to make his presence known. He wanted to prove that he could carry his team to a playoff victory. The second year quarterback showed up Aaron Rodgers by carrying the San Francisco 49ers to a  45-31 win over Rodgers and the high-powered offense of the Packers.

"It feels good. We're one step closer to where we want to be," Kaepernick said. "I feel like I had a lot to prove. A lot of people doubted my ability to lead this team."

And lead he did; Kaepernick out-rushed the Packers team 181 yards to 104, Breaking Michael Vick's previous record of 173 set back in 2002.  Kaepernick played his first playoff game and accounted for 4 touchdowns: throwing for two and running for two, including a 57 yard touchdown scramble that left the Packers defense unsure of who actually had the ball.

Kaepernick, who took over for Alex Smith after Smith sustained a concussion  never handed back the starting role to the veteran. Instead, he was the one who continued to run the ball and hand it off to Frank Gore.

   

"The execution for the 49ers on the read option was excellent, but our issues were bigger than that," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "We did not do a very good job of keeping him in the pocket. He was able to get out of the pocket for a number of big conversions."

That is the reason why Kaepernick took over the starting job for the 49ers. When you have a quarterback that can out-run defenses, the threat becomes more of a guessing game. The defense might be leading one-way toward the running back and when the quarterback reads it, he keeps it, and just takes off running. Pro bowl linebacker Clay Matthews was caught looking confused on the field, unsure of who had the ball, and when he finally saw the ball, it was half-way down the field.

Credit head coach Jim Harbaugh for bringing his Offensive Coordinator, Greg Roman with him from Stanford. The coaching duo brought some of the college plays to the big stage. Harbaugh may lose Roman as it is rumored that he may get a head coaching job elsewhere (Roman and Alex Smith to Jacksonville?  What?--Ed).

Back in 2005, Rodgers was asked about how disappointing it was for the 49ers to pass him with the first pick. He replied, "not as disappointed as the 49ers will be that they didn't draft me."

The 49ers did not feel any remorse or regret on Saturday night. Rodgers returned to his home state

just to get out-dueled by Kaepernick. Rodgers had a good game throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns to go along with a pick, but he couldn't do it alone. He needed help from his defense whom seemed like they couldn't stop the run or the pass. In fact the Packers gave up a total of 579 yards.

 "We expected them to try to get him out on the perimeter. But we didn't expect to let him do what he did. Give him a lot of credit. He played a great game. He made a lot of great plays out there today. It was hard to swallow," said safety Charles Woodson.

When Kaepernick was in 4th grade, he wrote himself a letter stating that he would go to the pros to either play for the 49ers or the Packers. "I remember growing up watching Brett Favre every Sunday," said Kaepernick. He dind't get a chance to play against Favre, but Kaepernick beat Araon Rodgers who I believe will be a better quarterback than Brett Favre. He beat the reigning MVP at his own game: with his arm and his legs. The 49ers have beaten the Packers in the playoffs for only the second time in 6 meetings dating back to 1996.





2012 Dick Butkus Division Champ

                   

I would like to take a moment to reflect on yesterday when I received my trophy for winning my division in my Fantasy Football League. I lost in the first round of the playoffs because my first three picks were all hurt, (LeSean McCoy, Rob Gronkowski, Jordy Nelson), but I was happy to go home with something. 

It looked like a promising season, especially after our draft in August when Yahoo left a message on the league's homepage that my team, Black Sunday, was projected to win the whole thing based on my picks. It didn't happen, but I'm eager to finish off what I start next season. 

2012 Dick Butkus Division Champ!

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!

THE CURIOUS CASE OF: Lovie Smith (The Legacy)

Felipe M

What can be said about recently fired, Chicago Bears' head coach Lovie Smith that hasn't been said all ready?  The consensus seems to be that, though, he had a championship caliber defense, he failed miserably in getting his offense going. But is it really as simple as that?  

New Bears' GM, Phil Emery believes so. Emery echoed the sentiments of everybody when he stated that Coach Smith failed to build an offense. Hard to argue with a man whose former team, the Kansas City Chiefs, sent 5 players to the Pro Bowl despite having a miserable season (on and off the field)--no doubt, Emery had a hand in acquiring those players. So let's assume that Emery, indeed, has an eye for pro football talent--why did he fail miserably in acquiring help for the offensive line (the team's #1 concern since the Bears last made the Super Bowl)? Why did his draft look like former GM, Jerry Angelo conducted it (with unnamed sources stating that Emery and the Bears were indeed using Angelo's draft board to conduct the 2012 Draft)? And what kind of coach will he be looking for to replace Smith who ranks #3 in wins for this historic franchise (fans are screaming GRUDEN! COWHER! REID!)?  

The focus here will be on Smith, but the point I'm trying to make is, although many Bears' fans got their long-time wish of seeing Smith ousted from his position, this mess could have been avoided in the offseason with better personnel decisions and a direction that everybody in the organization--from the owners down to the vendors--could follow without hesitation.  Remember, this Bears' team was supposed to finish 2012 no better than 3rd place in the NFC NORTH Division.  There were no realistic Super Bowl aspirations.  Coming into kickoff 2012, this team looked old and slow on defense and very sluggish on offense. 

However, once the season got going, the Chicago Bears turned into the 2012 Chicago White Sox--a team with low expectations coming into the season who suddenly sees themselves contending for a division, only to choke it away in the end. The differences between both Chicago teams are obvious, the most important being that Smith, despite having the ability to get the most out of his players to begin the season,  had worn out his welcome after 9 seasons with the fans, media, and the team's front office; while rookie manager, Robin Ventura will not be tethered to a tight leash for a long while.  

Smith's faults are many: a pompous attitude towards media and fans that many of his players picked up on and showcased as well (Brian Urlacher being his strongest supporter and imitator); a conservative approach on offense ("we're a running team. We come running out of the bus."); terrible clock management; an inability to make halftime adjustments as mentioned before on this site; not winning in December; not being able to beat the Green Bay Packers as promised; not being able to come up with an adequate offensive line; the list goes on and on.

On the plus side, his achievements are worth mentioning one more time: 3rd place among Bears' head coaches in terms of wins; coaching a defensive squad that rivals any other great defenses in NFL history; making it to the Super Bowl; having a disciplined team; cultivating a culture where there was no finger-pointing or players blaming other players for the team's short-comings (which we have seen, in the NFL, that is a very common occurrence among most teams); the unhesitant support from his players, from both sides of the ball, through success and failures (once again, in the NFL, once players stop believing in a coach, that coach is doomed). 

Many Bears' fans were overjoy when news of Smith's firing became official, but among the NFL fans across the U.S., they were left pretty perplexed at the move by Emery. Despite the low expectations, the Bears were still a Minnesota Vikings' loss from making the playoffs. Of all the coaches that were fired on "Black Monday," Smith was the only coach who finished 2012 with a winning record. Smith's club was also the only team that finished with 10 wins and not make the playoffs. However, Emery was determined to hire his own coach to start his administration as Bears' GM and this was the perfect reason to ax Smith. Can't really blame Emery for wanting to start his career with his own, hand-picked head coach. The only reason Smith was able to start the 2012 campaign as head coach was because Bears' ownership did not want to pay millions of dollars for Smith to stay at home and collect paychecks from his former employer. 

So while Bears' fans wonder who will be the new head coach for their beloved team, we try to figure out, with each subsequent article, what really went wrong for the team and what the firing means for the future of the franchise.

Part II of the Lovie Smith saga can be read here.

Why the Green Bay Packers Scare Me

Felipe M.

The Packers go into Sunday's NFC title game as 3 point favorites. The way I have observed these two teams playing, the Packers might be able to win by at least 7. Here are some reasons why the Packers might make this Sunday another huge disappointment in Beasrs' playoff history:

• That defense is ferocious. Especially against the Bears, who last I checked, only scored one offensive TD against this team in both of their regular season games. Many experts would say that the Bears were lucky to win the first game and should have lost by more in the second game. Also, it seems that the Bears don't do very well against 3-4 base defenses where Dom Capers' complex zone-blitz schemes seem to confuse and rattle an already suspect Bears' offensive line. Plus add that Mike Martz really hates succumbing to a short pass scheme to counteract said blitzes, and Jay Cutler's stubborness and tendencies to make questionable throws and this game might get ugly really quickly.

• Let me ask you this; which coaching staff would you trust more? Lovie Smith's or Mike McCarthy? Last January, the entire city of Chicago wanted Lovie to be terminated from his head coaching position and a lot of the coaches who call the offensive and defensive plays were Lovie's desperate hires after all of his first choices snubbed his offers to coach for this team and move on to greener pastures. I personally like Lovie Smith, but he sometimes seems to be overmatched in terms of scheme and strategy, especially in the 2nd half of games.

The Bears defense has been great, but a lot of weaknesses were exposed against Seattle, mainly that Tampa 2 defensive base that Lovie continues to stubbornly use despite getting burned in games against the top-passing teams in the NFL. Lovie's 4-3, cover 2 defense works fine when all 11 players are highly talented and are in sync with each other. However, they face the hottest QB in the NFL in Aaron Rodgers and he is packed with healthy weapons at receiver and at running back. The Packers also have a porous offensive line, but the Packers have killed the Bears in the past (no matter who their QB is) with screen plays to counteract a highly aggressive, Bears' front four that is lead by Julius Peppers. Even more worrisome, the Packers no longer have to set up screen plays to mimick a lackluster running game because their running attack has been finally established at the right time with James Starks running the ball enough to keep opposing defenses honest and giving Rodgers more time in the pocket to make big plays.

So that is why the Packers scare me for this Sunday's game. I've been burned before by other Bears' teams hosting playoff games before and I have a really bad feeling about this one. Lucky for all of us, my "bad feelings" are usually valid 50% of the time. Please feel free to comfort me as I go to bed with nightmares of Aaron Rodgers mutilating the Bears' zone defense.



GO BEARS!!!!!