NFL Pre-Season Power Rankings (one team at a time)
5. Baltimore Ravens: Every year I think to myself that the Ravens are too old to stay healthy enough to win and every time I do they prove me wrong. They're like the fifty year old bare knuckle brawlers that just won't go down. Well, I’m going the other way this season. Brian Billick somehow gets the most from his back ups when stars like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed go down. The problem is, those backups become too good to stay backups and find work as big time free agents for other teams. I don’t know why but Billick reminds me of Bill Murray from Kingpin.
This year they brought in slasher Willis Mcgahee to compliment their increasingly improved passing game. McNair has shown what he’s capable of when he stays healthy. He wont dazzle you, he’ll just beat you and that’s all Billick cares about. Todd Heap is a top 3 tight end. Desmond Mason also drinks from the fountain of youth Baltimore must have flowing in their locker room. Mark Clayton is a capable receiver and though the line isn’t the tops in the league anymore it still has Ogden and is smash mouth enough to get it done. This offense isn’t a sports car, it’s more of a reliable Volvo that simply does what it has to in order to win games.
The calling card to the Ravens has obviously always been its defense. No need to go on about the many stars this defense boasts every year. It’s the depth that most impresses me. Ozzie Newsome knows how to draft on defense. Even losing Thomas to New England the team finds new comers who make us forget who they lost. Take Prescott Burgess for instance. I liked Burgess in the Michigan games I caught last year. He seems fast and he hits hard. Antwan Barnes I know less of but the fact remains Baltimore loves to draft LB’s and almost all of them turn out to be contributors.
It’s also good to see them draft offensive lineman high in the draft. A team that prides itself on smash mouth football knows that starters in the trenches are one play away from being sidelined from too much smashing. I feel many teams over look quality offensive line depth for sexier picks in skilled positions. Grubbs will be an eventual solid starter that can make life easier for McGahee between the tackles. Yamon Figures was considered a reach, but the guy is lightning fast and is a definite return threat. The Bears Devon Hester has shown the world the impact a good return guy can have for a team. Particularly a team that wins with field position battles.
The biggest concern will always be health with such a veteran team. McNair has had his problems and Ogden had to be lured away from retirement. Ray Lewis and Chris McAlister aren’t spring chickens and even Ed Reed has had to be forced from plenty of games. If the injury bug bites this team more than usual, the solid depth will be tested more than ever and could be a major problem in a very tough division. All things considered this is a team who knows exactly what it takes to win. A nasty defense has traditionally proven to take teams farther in the playoffs than a dynamic offense with the glaring exception of the Colts last season. Many pundits, including myself, have gone against this team time and again and ended up eating their words at the end of the day. If they can stay healthy, there’s no reason to think we wont see the Ravens in January.
top 5 recap: New England Patriots Indianapolis Colts San Diego Chargers Chicago Bears Baltimore Ravens
Thursday, August 30, 2007
State of the Bengals Address
State of the Bengals Address
All is not well in Tiger Town. There isn’t a reason to panic per se, but a feeling of concern is definitely in order. Marvin continues to dish out the same rhetoric about needing to do better and make plays when it counts and coaching up the youngsters and blah, blah, blah. This is year five of his regime and his supposed genius for defense seems to have become worse over time. Call it stubbornness if you will but it’s clear Marvin will continue to run the team his way. What isn’t as clear is if that way actually works. Saying things like we’re not as bad as we were before he showed up doesn’t work anymore. The grace period given to Lewis has been more than fair to expect positive results.
Let’s not beat Marv up too badly here. We certainly aren’t a bad team destined for a lottery pick. The man hasn’t had a losing season here and even managed to make the playoffs once. But the fact remains that his troops have wilted under pressure time and again when it matters most. Even when Carson went down in the playoff game the Bengals had a halftime lead and blew it.
Alas, there are some bright spots going into this regular season. We do have a powerful offense, powerful enough to win games on their own. Indy won the Super Bowl with the worst ranked defense last year, and our team looks like the Colts junior. Bookends Levi and Willie are coming along nicely and change-of-pace back Chris Perry seems like he too will make an early regular season appearance. Chris Henry, as dumb as he is, has shown his big play ability in the preseason and will give the uber talented receiving corps a boost half way through the season.
But like always, it’s the defense that keeps us up at night worrying. Bresnahan and Marvin’s insistence on soft zone coverage platooned by a young unproven secondary makes us Bengal fans question the coaching philosophy. What I do understand is Lewis’ desire to bring in corners and safeties who can tackle. He has drafted guys who will allow receivers to make catches in front of them and come up to promptly bring them down. Within zone coverage this thinking does work. The problem is that these youngsters have traditionally allowed too much space between them and the receiver they’re covering to prevent first downs. The coaches’ perpetual phobia of allowing a big play has resulted in allowing a series of smaller plays with the same outcome. It’s as if Bresnahan and Lewis expect opposing offenses to stop themselves via bad throws or dropped passes. That kind approach may make sense in board rooms and film sessions but in reality we’ve seen the way offenses take what they need in crucial situations that result in Bengal losses.
Deltha O’Neil is a man with a lot to prove. On cloud nine one season and deep space the next, this veteran will be a significant determinant of the approaching season. For a position with a limited shelf-life, he is by all standards experienced bordering on old. He has two young, hungry corners prepared to not only take his starting job but eliminate any good reason the Bengals should keep him around at all. The man certainly has good ball skills and a good knowledge of opposing receiver routes but speed kills in this business and he hasn’t looked all that fast since 05’. He should be a positive veteran leader to the up and coming corners Joseph and Leon Hall. He should start this season with the mental preparation of them both soon taking over his role on this team. He should recognize that this is the twilight of his career, at least as a Bengal. Yet he hasn’t really demonstrated such a team mentality. He has grumbled about being overlooked of a contract extension. It’s been speculated of him not giving his best effort to the team because of it. He’s been in and out of Marvin’s doghouse the past year and a half and the message was made clear to him in the previous two first-round draft picks. If you can’t perform the way you did in 05’, we are prepared to move on without you. It would behoove him to listen to that message. Even if his future doesn’t lie within the Bengals plans, a good showing on the field coupled with a positive team mentality can only help his cause landing with another team. He’ll never see the kind of money he could have earned after his 10 interceptions in 05’ but there are plenty of teams still looking to bolster their secondary with a solid veteran (see New England). Whatever the case, the Bengals need successful defensive back play where ever they can find it. Hopefully Deltha can get on track.
The Baltimore opener looms much larger than when the schedule was first released. That was before Joey Harrington did his best Dan Marino imitation slicing up the Bengal secondary. A rookie backup safety blowing a coverage and missing a tackle in the preseason certainly isn’t the end of the world. After all, that’s what the preseason is for. But the general feeling that the Bengals D cant stop anyone smells like last year when the defense failed time and again to procure a playoff spot. Perhaps that isn’t fair. It was Shayne Graham’s leg that logistically kept us away from a wild card spot, twice. But those of us who watched every game last season knows that even a slightly better defense would have easily put us in. Going into the off-season every pundit in the world mentioned the need to improve that unit. I liked that we shed some dead weight in the form of slow, overpaid defenders. And realistically there weren’t many attractive free agents to bolster the defense. The last thing this team needs is to overpay a veteran at the end of his effective career. Marv grabbed a key defensive upgrade for the future in Leon Hall and has groomed Ahmad Brooks as a versatile linebacker/defensive end. Maybe it’s unrealistic to expect a complete facelift of a struggling unit in just one off-season, but the fact remains that Marvin has had five drafts to get better and I just don’t see it coming together that way. Some of it has been bad luck with injuries and suspensions. Some of it has just been misses (Ratliff, Askew, Rucker, Miller, ect.).
Preseason games matter little. We did beat the Ravens 13-6 last season in a defensive slugfest on a national broadcast last year. We are somewhat healthy at the start of this season. We do have more consistency in our coaching staff than most of the league. We are in the papers less for off-field issues these days. We do still have a top 3 quarterback and loads of weapons at his disposal. All is not lost, but there is still reason for concern. Here’s to hope.
Mojokong – keeping my fingers crossed.
All is not well in Tiger Town. There isn’t a reason to panic per se, but a feeling of concern is definitely in order. Marvin continues to dish out the same rhetoric about needing to do better and make plays when it counts and coaching up the youngsters and blah, blah, blah. This is year five of his regime and his supposed genius for defense seems to have become worse over time. Call it stubbornness if you will but it’s clear Marvin will continue to run the team his way. What isn’t as clear is if that way actually works. Saying things like we’re not as bad as we were before he showed up doesn’t work anymore. The grace period given to Lewis has been more than fair to expect positive results.
Let’s not beat Marv up too badly here. We certainly aren’t a bad team destined for a lottery pick. The man hasn’t had a losing season here and even managed to make the playoffs once. But the fact remains that his troops have wilted under pressure time and again when it matters most. Even when Carson went down in the playoff game the Bengals had a halftime lead and blew it.
Alas, there are some bright spots going into this regular season. We do have a powerful offense, powerful enough to win games on their own. Indy won the Super Bowl with the worst ranked defense last year, and our team looks like the Colts junior. Bookends Levi and Willie are coming along nicely and change-of-pace back Chris Perry seems like he too will make an early regular season appearance. Chris Henry, as dumb as he is, has shown his big play ability in the preseason and will give the uber talented receiving corps a boost half way through the season.
But like always, it’s the defense that keeps us up at night worrying. Bresnahan and Marvin’s insistence on soft zone coverage platooned by a young unproven secondary makes us Bengal fans question the coaching philosophy. What I do understand is Lewis’ desire to bring in corners and safeties who can tackle. He has drafted guys who will allow receivers to make catches in front of them and come up to promptly bring them down. Within zone coverage this thinking does work. The problem is that these youngsters have traditionally allowed too much space between them and the receiver they’re covering to prevent first downs. The coaches’ perpetual phobia of allowing a big play has resulted in allowing a series of smaller plays with the same outcome. It’s as if Bresnahan and Lewis expect opposing offenses to stop themselves via bad throws or dropped passes. That kind approach may make sense in board rooms and film sessions but in reality we’ve seen the way offenses take what they need in crucial situations that result in Bengal losses.
Deltha O’Neil is a man with a lot to prove. On cloud nine one season and deep space the next, this veteran will be a significant determinant of the approaching season. For a position with a limited shelf-life, he is by all standards experienced bordering on old. He has two young, hungry corners prepared to not only take his starting job but eliminate any good reason the Bengals should keep him around at all. The man certainly has good ball skills and a good knowledge of opposing receiver routes but speed kills in this business and he hasn’t looked all that fast since 05’. He should be a positive veteran leader to the up and coming corners Joseph and Leon Hall. He should start this season with the mental preparation of them both soon taking over his role on this team. He should recognize that this is the twilight of his career, at least as a Bengal. Yet he hasn’t really demonstrated such a team mentality. He has grumbled about being overlooked of a contract extension. It’s been speculated of him not giving his best effort to the team because of it. He’s been in and out of Marvin’s doghouse the past year and a half and the message was made clear to him in the previous two first-round draft picks. If you can’t perform the way you did in 05’, we are prepared to move on without you. It would behoove him to listen to that message. Even if his future doesn’t lie within the Bengals plans, a good showing on the field coupled with a positive team mentality can only help his cause landing with another team. He’ll never see the kind of money he could have earned after his 10 interceptions in 05’ but there are plenty of teams still looking to bolster their secondary with a solid veteran (see New England). Whatever the case, the Bengals need successful defensive back play where ever they can find it. Hopefully Deltha can get on track.
The Baltimore opener looms much larger than when the schedule was first released. That was before Joey Harrington did his best Dan Marino imitation slicing up the Bengal secondary. A rookie backup safety blowing a coverage and missing a tackle in the preseason certainly isn’t the end of the world. After all, that’s what the preseason is for. But the general feeling that the Bengals D cant stop anyone smells like last year when the defense failed time and again to procure a playoff spot. Perhaps that isn’t fair. It was Shayne Graham’s leg that logistically kept us away from a wild card spot, twice. But those of us who watched every game last season knows that even a slightly better defense would have easily put us in. Going into the off-season every pundit in the world mentioned the need to improve that unit. I liked that we shed some dead weight in the form of slow, overpaid defenders. And realistically there weren’t many attractive free agents to bolster the defense. The last thing this team needs is to overpay a veteran at the end of his effective career. Marv grabbed a key defensive upgrade for the future in Leon Hall and has groomed Ahmad Brooks as a versatile linebacker/defensive end. Maybe it’s unrealistic to expect a complete facelift of a struggling unit in just one off-season, but the fact remains that Marvin has had five drafts to get better and I just don’t see it coming together that way. Some of it has been bad luck with injuries and suspensions. Some of it has just been misses (Ratliff, Askew, Rucker, Miller, ect.).
Preseason games matter little. We did beat the Ravens 13-6 last season in a defensive slugfest on a national broadcast last year. We are somewhat healthy at the start of this season. We do have more consistency in our coaching staff than most of the league. We are in the papers less for off-field issues these days. We do still have a top 3 quarterback and loads of weapons at his disposal. All is not lost, but there is still reason for concern. Here’s to hope.
Mojokong – keeping my fingers crossed.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Bears Not Grossed Out Yet
NFL Power Rankings (one team at a time)
4. Chicago Bears: It seems that nobody likes Rex Grossman. One could scour the internet for hours looking for nice things said about him and still come up short. Yet the fact remains is that he did lead his team to the Super Bowl last year and could definitely do it again. Sure, he wasn’t the most instrumental piece to Chicago’s success last season and he never looked all that in control in the huddle, but he could have blown it a lot worse and not beat the Saints in the conference championship. He will always be grouped in the Trent Dilfer/Brad Johnson category of average quarterbacks with tremendous defenses that carry a team into a Super Bowl. Historians will agree that Grossman had a fairly easy job in handing off to their two-headed running back monster and watching the defense score points in nearly every game. Occasionally he did throw a good deep ball to Muhammad, but the jury is still very much out for Sexy Rexy.
This season Rex has one less premier back to hand off to. Jones jetted to New York so now the emotional Cedric Benson gets to carry the load. The guy reminds me of Corey Dillon in the way they both carry the ball with such anger and ferocity. Benson needs to be successful to take the pressure off of Grossman. The receivers outside of Muhammad are pretty average in my opinion. Berrian has shown some ability but the back ups to the starting two are really random and the Bears don’t want to have to rely on those guys. The line is pretty much the same as last year and will pride themselves on run blocking again this year. I thought the Bears would go after Eric Steinbach in the off-season more than they did. He could have filled one of the tackle spots well in that smash mouth offense.
Defensively this team is hard as nails. They have their core returning with the addition of Denard Walker at DT filling in for the often-troubled gunrunner Tank Williams. Devin Hester probably wont return 7 or 8 kicks back for TD’s, but the guy is rated a 100 in speed in Madden ’08. He’s exciting. Convincing Lance Briggs to play this year was a huge break for this team. As good as Urlacher is, Briggs makes his job loads easier than it would be without him. Ogunleye is still a beast and I predict Mark Anderson will have a big sack total this year. Tillman and Vasher will add to sack totals by their superb coverage ability.
The Bears are clearly a good team, but playing in the NFC is just easier these days. In the AFC they might be a wild card contender. Their division is soft, Lovie Smith knows how to get the most from his team, and their stadium is awesome (I know that has little to do with wins but I like it anyway). I’m sure we’ll here more calls for Brian Griese throughout the year as soon as Rex throws an inexplicable pick and the Chicago media will question the entire organization for not benching him for it. The defense will likely bail out the offensive turnovers plenty of times this year, and they’ll need more special teams fireworks. But Lovie knows what he’s doing and I don’t see why they wont be back in the NFC title game.
Next: Baltimore Ravens
4. Chicago Bears: It seems that nobody likes Rex Grossman. One could scour the internet for hours looking for nice things said about him and still come up short. Yet the fact remains is that he did lead his team to the Super Bowl last year and could definitely do it again. Sure, he wasn’t the most instrumental piece to Chicago’s success last season and he never looked all that in control in the huddle, but he could have blown it a lot worse and not beat the Saints in the conference championship. He will always be grouped in the Trent Dilfer/Brad Johnson category of average quarterbacks with tremendous defenses that carry a team into a Super Bowl. Historians will agree that Grossman had a fairly easy job in handing off to their two-headed running back monster and watching the defense score points in nearly every game. Occasionally he did throw a good deep ball to Muhammad, but the jury is still very much out for Sexy Rexy.
This season Rex has one less premier back to hand off to. Jones jetted to New York so now the emotional Cedric Benson gets to carry the load. The guy reminds me of Corey Dillon in the way they both carry the ball with such anger and ferocity. Benson needs to be successful to take the pressure off of Grossman. The receivers outside of Muhammad are pretty average in my opinion. Berrian has shown some ability but the back ups to the starting two are really random and the Bears don’t want to have to rely on those guys. The line is pretty much the same as last year and will pride themselves on run blocking again this year. I thought the Bears would go after Eric Steinbach in the off-season more than they did. He could have filled one of the tackle spots well in that smash mouth offense.
Defensively this team is hard as nails. They have their core returning with the addition of Denard Walker at DT filling in for the often-troubled gunrunner Tank Williams. Devin Hester probably wont return 7 or 8 kicks back for TD’s, but the guy is rated a 100 in speed in Madden ’08. He’s exciting. Convincing Lance Briggs to play this year was a huge break for this team. As good as Urlacher is, Briggs makes his job loads easier than it would be without him. Ogunleye is still a beast and I predict Mark Anderson will have a big sack total this year. Tillman and Vasher will add to sack totals by their superb coverage ability.
The Bears are clearly a good team, but playing in the NFC is just easier these days. In the AFC they might be a wild card contender. Their division is soft, Lovie Smith knows how to get the most from his team, and their stadium is awesome (I know that has little to do with wins but I like it anyway). I’m sure we’ll here more calls for Brian Griese throughout the year as soon as Rex throws an inexplicable pick and the Chicago media will question the entire organization for not benching him for it. The defense will likely bail out the offensive turnovers plenty of times this year, and they’ll need more special teams fireworks. But Lovie knows what he’s doing and I don’t see why they wont be back in the NFC title game.
Next: Baltimore Ravens
Friday, August 10, 2007
Cruel Irony - Rookie RB tears ACL (and game observations)
Observations from Week 1 Pre-Season
Damn, it happened again. A rookie running back gets carted off the field with a feared season ending knee injury. A curse looms above the Cincinnati skyline prepared to doom the careers of Bengal draft picks. Kenny Irons, the latest victim, lasted four carries before being smote (or is it smitten?). He and Chris Perry can drink away their miseries together. Then again, I wouldn’t want to encourage any Bengal to go out drinking these days. With those two out, and Kenny Watson not a real every down kind of back, look for the Bengals to pursue a free agent running back, like, I don’t know…Corey Dillon? Fat chance. Even though it would be fun to speculate, Ol’ Sour Puss didn’t want to share carries with the best team in football so I doubt he’d want to do the same here.
Carson looked fine, Doug Johnson not so much, and Jeff Rowe had a great two-minute drill at the end.
Rudi is Rudi, Quincy Wilson is the exact same kind of runner as Rudi, and Kenny Watson is an older third-down back. Irons out.
Chad still can't, and never will be able to take a hit, but the guy is a cheetah. Chris Henry could be a top 5 receiver if he made better decisions, yet he too doesn’t bounce right up from tackles. Housh is on of the best guys across the middle. Brazelle is fast and jukie but dropped a couple. Skyler Green looks okay as a return guy but also dropped a couple. No Tab Perry or Antonio Chatman.
Tight Ends are really random and insignificant. Reggie Kelly could block till he’s 60.
Line was young last night. First team seemed okay. No Willie or Levi.
I was impressed with our defensive tackle rotation. New guys Michael Myers and Kendrick Allen made plays. Pekoe is a giant. Toeing ran an interception back, that’s always fun for a big guy.
Ahmad Brooks seriously has the tools to be a force. Last night he was running with Tatum Bell stride-for-stride. The guy is like 265! Hartwell looks like he takes good angles to the ball carrier. If he stays healthy, he’ll help that young line backing corps immensely.
Leon Hall couldn’t cover Calvin Johnson but he kept Johnson in front of him like he’s coached too. We saw the same instruction given to Joseph last preseason. Don’t give up the big plays is Marvin Motto #31. Hall did show some tackling ability. Something Bengal corners have been poor at the last few years. Speaking of tackling new safety draft picks Marvin White and Nuke look like some hitters. They too gave up a lot of passes over 15 yards in that classic soft zone coverage Marvin insists on, but they did pop people to limit YAC. Brandon Williams also made some big hits.
Special teams were fine with a couple of late rookie mistakes. Sugar Shayne Golden Graham had better get the bad juju out now in the preseason because we fans will not have our hopes dashed by a Ron Howard look alike kicker. He was 3 for 4 but missed the big one. Brad St. Louis is also not exempt from any lynch mobs. He was one job to do, do it.
Mojokong – Cursed!!!
Damn, it happened again. A rookie running back gets carted off the field with a feared season ending knee injury. A curse looms above the Cincinnati skyline prepared to doom the careers of Bengal draft picks. Kenny Irons, the latest victim, lasted four carries before being smote (or is it smitten?). He and Chris Perry can drink away their miseries together. Then again, I wouldn’t want to encourage any Bengal to go out drinking these days. With those two out, and Kenny Watson not a real every down kind of back, look for the Bengals to pursue a free agent running back, like, I don’t know…Corey Dillon? Fat chance. Even though it would be fun to speculate, Ol’ Sour Puss didn’t want to share carries with the best team in football so I doubt he’d want to do the same here.
Carson looked fine, Doug Johnson not so much, and Jeff Rowe had a great two-minute drill at the end.
Rudi is Rudi, Quincy Wilson is the exact same kind of runner as Rudi, and Kenny Watson is an older third-down back. Irons out.
Chad still can't, and never will be able to take a hit, but the guy is a cheetah. Chris Henry could be a top 5 receiver if he made better decisions, yet he too doesn’t bounce right up from tackles. Housh is on of the best guys across the middle. Brazelle is fast and jukie but dropped a couple. Skyler Green looks okay as a return guy but also dropped a couple. No Tab Perry or Antonio Chatman.
Tight Ends are really random and insignificant. Reggie Kelly could block till he’s 60.
Line was young last night. First team seemed okay. No Willie or Levi.
I was impressed with our defensive tackle rotation. New guys Michael Myers and Kendrick Allen made plays. Pekoe is a giant. Toeing ran an interception back, that’s always fun for a big guy.
Ahmad Brooks seriously has the tools to be a force. Last night he was running with Tatum Bell stride-for-stride. The guy is like 265! Hartwell looks like he takes good angles to the ball carrier. If he stays healthy, he’ll help that young line backing corps immensely.
Leon Hall couldn’t cover Calvin Johnson but he kept Johnson in front of him like he’s coached too. We saw the same instruction given to Joseph last preseason. Don’t give up the big plays is Marvin Motto #31. Hall did show some tackling ability. Something Bengal corners have been poor at the last few years. Speaking of tackling new safety draft picks Marvin White and Nuke look like some hitters. They too gave up a lot of passes over 15 yards in that classic soft zone coverage Marvin insists on, but they did pop people to limit YAC. Brandon Williams also made some big hits.
Special teams were fine with a couple of late rookie mistakes. Sugar Shayne Golden Graham had better get the bad juju out now in the preseason because we fans will not have our hopes dashed by a Ron Howard look alike kicker. He was 3 for 4 but missed the big one. Brad St. Louis is also not exempt from any lynch mobs. He was one job to do, do it.
Mojokong – Cursed!!!
You Stay Classy San Diego
NFL Pre-Season Power Rankings (one team at a time)
3. San Diego Chargers: If it weren’t for the coaching change in the off-season, this would be my number two team in the power rankings. I still think firing Schottenheimer was a mistake. How can such a productive season be construed as a failure, particularly with a first year quarterback? Either way he’s out and the franchise starts fresh with the mediocre Norv Turner. While he may be an offensive mastermind, his previous head coaching stints have been less than stellar.
The only real soft spot on this team is the receiving corps. With Eric Parker injured, first round pick Craig Davis will get a lot of attention in the pre-season. They lack that big play threat in the passing game, but having LT makes up for a lot of things. Their o-line is somehow underrated, and Phillip Rivers shows me no reason why he wouldn’t have a solid year again this year. Gates is the best TE in the league and I think Michael Turner could be the best back-up running back in the NFL. He’s also a really good return man.
One of the big question marks is can d-coordinator Ted Cotrell fit the 3-4 mold? They lost their two inside backers Edwards and Godfrey and are relying on backups to fill in. They have three huge front lineman who are built to stop the run and have maybe the best outside linebacking corps in the league. The secondary is getting better every year as well.
This team has all the makings. They have a tough schedule and likely wont win as many games as last season but they will almost definitely reserve themselves a spot in January. If everything comes together for them they may win it all.
Next: Chicago Bears
3. San Diego Chargers: If it weren’t for the coaching change in the off-season, this would be my number two team in the power rankings. I still think firing Schottenheimer was a mistake. How can such a productive season be construed as a failure, particularly with a first year quarterback? Either way he’s out and the franchise starts fresh with the mediocre Norv Turner. While he may be an offensive mastermind, his previous head coaching stints have been less than stellar.
The only real soft spot on this team is the receiving corps. With Eric Parker injured, first round pick Craig Davis will get a lot of attention in the pre-season. They lack that big play threat in the passing game, but having LT makes up for a lot of things. Their o-line is somehow underrated, and Phillip Rivers shows me no reason why he wouldn’t have a solid year again this year. Gates is the best TE in the league and I think Michael Turner could be the best back-up running back in the NFL. He’s also a really good return man.
One of the big question marks is can d-coordinator Ted Cotrell fit the 3-4 mold? They lost their two inside backers Edwards and Godfrey and are relying on backups to fill in. They have three huge front lineman who are built to stop the run and have maybe the best outside linebacking corps in the league. The secondary is getting better every year as well.
This team has all the makings. They have a tough schedule and likely wont win as many games as last season but they will almost definitely reserve themselves a spot in January. If everything comes together for them they may win it all.
Next: Chicago Bears
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Manning must play defense too.
by Mojokong
NFL Pre-Season Power Rankings (one at a time)
2. Indianapolis Colts: The more I think about this team the more I don’t think they should be number two in my power rankings. They did win the super bowl and they have most of that team back so I guess it’s not that much of a stretch but the Colts seem less explosive coming into this season.
Concerns on offense are minimal. The offense is always the Rolls Royce of the league and it shouldn’t be much different this season. Not having a solid second RB like Dominic Rhodes might become a factor especially if Addai ends up on the DL at all. Drafting the speed burner Gonzalez as their 3 rd WR makes a lot of sense to be that Brandon Stokely, down field threat the Colts like having in the slot. The line always protects their franchise arm and Addai is a strong runner who hits the holes quickly. Dallas Clark has the best mustache in the NFL when he grows it out. Who ever heard of a cop as a TE? He looks like a Reno 911 character.
Defensively they have some glaring issues. With the recent release of Corey Simon and the torn patella tendon of Booger McFarland leaves this team with a thin rotation at a pivotal run-stopping position. Cato June’s departure leaves Gary Brackett as the only decent LB they have. Both corners are gone from last year. Marlin Jackson, who I have always liked, could step in and be pretty good. 3rd round pick Hughes may see more playing time than most rookie corners due to the lack of depth at that spot.
Overall, there is lot to worry about for this Colt defense. I see a plenty of gashing runs up the middle and veteran receivers toasting their young corners. It’s a good thing Peyton can score in the upper 20’s a game to protect slim leads that the defense won’t always ensure. The Colts are not a young team really and injuries could be more significant to this season than for most other teams. Having said all that, Peyton is good enough to win Super Bowls alone so we’ll give them the 2 spot for now, but they have a lot to prove to me.
NFL Pre-Season Power Rankings (one at a time)
2. Indianapolis Colts: The more I think about this team the more I don’t think they should be number two in my power rankings. They did win the super bowl and they have most of that team back so I guess it’s not that much of a stretch but the Colts seem less explosive coming into this season.
Concerns on offense are minimal. The offense is always the Rolls Royce of the league and it shouldn’t be much different this season. Not having a solid second RB like Dominic Rhodes might become a factor especially if Addai ends up on the DL at all. Drafting the speed burner Gonzalez as their 3 rd WR makes a lot of sense to be that Brandon Stokely, down field threat the Colts like having in the slot. The line always protects their franchise arm and Addai is a strong runner who hits the holes quickly. Dallas Clark has the best mustache in the NFL when he grows it out. Who ever heard of a cop as a TE? He looks like a Reno 911 character.
Defensively they have some glaring issues. With the recent release of Corey Simon and the torn patella tendon of Booger McFarland leaves this team with a thin rotation at a pivotal run-stopping position. Cato June’s departure leaves Gary Brackett as the only decent LB they have. Both corners are gone from last year. Marlin Jackson, who I have always liked, could step in and be pretty good. 3rd round pick Hughes may see more playing time than most rookie corners due to the lack of depth at that spot.
Overall, there is lot to worry about for this Colt defense. I see a plenty of gashing runs up the middle and veteran receivers toasting their young corners. It’s a good thing Peyton can score in the upper 20’s a game to protect slim leads that the defense won’t always ensure. The Colts are not a young team really and injuries could be more significant to this season than for most other teams. Having said all that, Peyton is good enough to win Super Bowls alone so we’ll give them the 2 spot for now, but they have a lot to prove to me.
Brady and Belches Top Rankin'
by Mojokong
NFL Pre-Season Power Rankings (one at a time)
1. New England Patriots: I’ve learned my lesson betting against this team. Last year I thought they were too old to make another run in the playoffs. Then I bet against them versus San Diego and lost (and of course lost again betting them to beat the Colts the next week – I’m not a very good gambler). They've caused me too much hard drinking and too many profanity-laced tirades to keep going against.
Belichick and Brady lead an organization that to me looks a lot like the old 49ers teams of the 80’s, with even less talent. New England wins with back-ups to star players more than any one in the league and their game plans are often times impeccable. The Belichick model of how to run an NFL franchise is by far the most successful in today’s game and is emulated by damn near every other coach in football. Frankly, I don’t know how the guy keeps it up every year. I think he keeps Yoda around as a consultant.
This season the Pats are loaded with new free agents. Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, Wes Welker, Kelley Washington, Dante Stallworth, and um...Kyle Brady. Their top 2 picks, Brandon Meriweather and Kareem Brown, make a lot of sense when you look at their depth chart. With so many additions at receiver, Brady will finally have the kind of weapons that other top QB’s have enjoyed having at their disposal. Maroney will carry a full-time load this year and should blossom even more without the rain cloud Corey Dillon hovering around.
The only real concern for this team is their secondary versus top notch passing offenses. Samuel is really good, but on the other side is Ellis Hobbs backed up by Tori James (ick). Harrison is always a beast against the run but his speed in pass coverage, like all humans except for Daryl Green, declines every year. The Pats likely hope that Meriweather will be ready to replace Eugene Wilson sooner than later, but knowing the genius of Belches he wont rush any player into the game if he isn’t all the way certain that he’s the best guy at that spot.
I’m not going to go too far out on the limb this year and say that the Patriots win the Super Bowl. I know that’s a boring pick but I get the sexy picks wrong every year.
Up next: Indianapolis Colts
NFL Pre-Season Power Rankings (one at a time)
1. New England Patriots: I’ve learned my lesson betting against this team. Last year I thought they were too old to make another run in the playoffs. Then I bet against them versus San Diego and lost (and of course lost again betting them to beat the Colts the next week – I’m not a very good gambler). They've caused me too much hard drinking and too many profanity-laced tirades to keep going against.
Belichick and Brady lead an organization that to me looks a lot like the old 49ers teams of the 80’s, with even less talent. New England wins with back-ups to star players more than any one in the league and their game plans are often times impeccable. The Belichick model of how to run an NFL franchise is by far the most successful in today’s game and is emulated by damn near every other coach in football. Frankly, I don’t know how the guy keeps it up every year. I think he keeps Yoda around as a consultant.
This season the Pats are loaded with new free agents. Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, Wes Welker, Kelley Washington, Dante Stallworth, and um...Kyle Brady. Their top 2 picks, Brandon Meriweather and Kareem Brown, make a lot of sense when you look at their depth chart. With so many additions at receiver, Brady will finally have the kind of weapons that other top QB’s have enjoyed having at their disposal. Maroney will carry a full-time load this year and should blossom even more without the rain cloud Corey Dillon hovering around.
The only real concern for this team is their secondary versus top notch passing offenses. Samuel is really good, but on the other side is Ellis Hobbs backed up by Tori James (ick). Harrison is always a beast against the run but his speed in pass coverage, like all humans except for Daryl Green, declines every year. The Pats likely hope that Meriweather will be ready to replace Eugene Wilson sooner than later, but knowing the genius of Belches he wont rush any player into the game if he isn’t all the way certain that he’s the best guy at that spot.
I’m not going to go too far out on the limb this year and say that the Patriots win the Super Bowl. I know that’s a boring pick but I get the sexy picks wrong every year.
Up next: Indianapolis Colts
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Least Likeable NFL Quarterback
Who’s the least likable NFL quarterback?
1. Michael Vick: dog fighting, hepatits C, Ron Mexico, general stupidity
2. Tom Brady: Republican douche bag dork.
3. Eli Manning: Bitched about playing in SD
4. Ben Rothlisburger: Bitches about OTHER teams playing dirty.
5. Dante Culpepper: Always sneering, is his own agent.
6. J.P. Losman: a bad Adam Sandler character who sees himself as gangsta.
7. Brady Quinn: too many drunk dancing pictures at random events.
8. Tony Romo: Found at a roadside carnival. Small hands, smells like cabbage.
9. Brett Farve: needs to draw attention to himself every off-season with hints at retirement.
10. Joey Harrington: not a lovable loser, just a loser.
Honorable Mention: Chad Pennington, Rex Grossman, Trent Green, Jon Kitna.
1. Michael Vick: dog fighting, hepatits C, Ron Mexico, general stupidity
2. Tom Brady: Republican douche bag dork.
3. Eli Manning: Bitched about playing in SD
4. Ben Rothlisburger: Bitches about OTHER teams playing dirty.
5. Dante Culpepper: Always sneering, is his own agent.
6. J.P. Losman: a bad Adam Sandler character who sees himself as gangsta.
7. Brady Quinn: too many drunk dancing pictures at random events.
8. Tony Romo: Found at a roadside carnival. Small hands, smells like cabbage.
9. Brett Farve: needs to draw attention to himself every off-season with hints at retirement.
10. Joey Harrington: not a lovable loser, just a loser.
Honorable Mention: Chad Pennington, Rex Grossman, Trent Green, Jon Kitna.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Shake n Bake
Not trading Adam Dunn indicates the Reds are down for beer league softball. I've heard the arguments about not being able to replace his offense and how the team has been building around him but the guy is just not a baseball player. No need to get into strike out numbers, they're staggering. The most staggering in baseball history actually. What chafes me is the called third strikes. He walks a lot because he's overly selective at the plate. Just put the ball in play, Shake n Bake. His fielding is worse than Manny's. As the great Lonnie Wheeler pointed out, he runs the outfield like Ryan Freel is on his back. So true. This guy doesn't know where the wall is in the outfield and is still working on grasping the meaning of hustle.
I wished he would have driven his suped-up John Deer and his 13 million dollar option on outta here. A rebuilding effort needs to be initiated and the answer damn sure don't lie in the hands of ol' Shake n Bake. Pitching, defense, and smart baserunning win games in a little shoebox of a ball park like GAB. Wayne Krivsky has been good with his deals, but this non-deal is going to come back to hurt us. Dunn would have been worth any pitching prospect. Just get him out of here. We could have packaged someone like David Weathers or Scott Hatteberg to sweeten the deal. What we have simply isn't working. Change is necessary now. The Reds have some studs in their system who will soon be MLB ready. Not just solid prospects either. I'm talking about 3 top 20 minor league players. Jay Bruce, Joey Votto and of course Homer Bailey.
Griff isn't allowed to leave until he hits 600 HR's. Then we'll move him too or he'll just walk away to another team once his contract expires after next season. Arroyo has lost his stuff and would have been another guy to move. He may leave in the winter meetings. Let's hope so. I hate that guy. Taking local acoustic gigs away from struggling Cincinnati musicians. Focus on baseball first you mullet.
Mojokong - sick of it all
I wished he would have driven his suped-up John Deer and his 13 million dollar option on outta here. A rebuilding effort needs to be initiated and the answer damn sure don't lie in the hands of ol' Shake n Bake. Pitching, defense, and smart baserunning win games in a little shoebox of a ball park like GAB. Wayne Krivsky has been good with his deals, but this non-deal is going to come back to hurt us. Dunn would have been worth any pitching prospect. Just get him out of here. We could have packaged someone like David Weathers or Scott Hatteberg to sweeten the deal. What we have simply isn't working. Change is necessary now. The Reds have some studs in their system who will soon be MLB ready. Not just solid prospects either. I'm talking about 3 top 20 minor league players. Jay Bruce, Joey Votto and of course Homer Bailey.
Griff isn't allowed to leave until he hits 600 HR's. Then we'll move him too or he'll just walk away to another team once his contract expires after next season. Arroyo has lost his stuff and would have been another guy to move. He may leave in the winter meetings. Let's hope so. I hate that guy. Taking local acoustic gigs away from struggling Cincinnati musicians. Focus on baseball first you mullet.
Mojokong - sick of it all
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
2007 Season Preview
Bengals 2007 Training Camp Preview
August 1, 2007
It’s time we rid ourselves of that awful taste lingering from last season. The taste of missed kicks, arrests and Steeler fans talking more of that crap. It’s time to give up on the Reds for the year (which happened in late may this season). It’s time we read every shred of information that comes out of Georgetown and continue to pressure Time Warner Cable with threats and angry letters to provide us with the NFL network, dammit. Have you SEEN that channel? If you sometimes enjoy socializing and leaving your house then don’t get NFL Network. It’s outrageous. Anyway.
It wasn’t a glamorous off-season for the Bengals in 07. The emphasis seemed to be about getting rid of who we didn’t need rather than pursuing overpriced players in a thin free agent market. Brian Simmons, Kasevaharn, Sam Adams, Eric Stienbach, Tony Stewart, Tori James (thank God), Kelley Washington. That’s a lot of guys to lose without getting much in the off season to replace them with. It shows how Marvin, more than ever, relies on his backups to step up and become solid starters. While new defensive tackles Michael Myers and Kendrick Allen will help fill a deep rotation at a position that has proven to be dented every year with injuries, they aren’t likely to even be starters.
Neither is Ed Hartwell. His health and longevity are concerns for a 29 year old middle linebacker with previously major surgeries. He was signed very late in the free agent period, proof that most other teams weren’t willing to run the risk on him. I sensed once Marvin suspected Odell was a longshot to return, he needed a MLB that wasn’t a mental project to bring along slowly. He needed someone who could figure his system out fast and help the youngsters come along as well. I wouldn’t have complained too much about Joey Porter, but he hasn’t been the player we was three years ago and he was going to be overpaid no matter who signed him. Plus he’s a huge douche who had his boys jump our left tackle in Vegas a few months ago. I really dislike that guy.
We did add Leon Hall who I considered the best corner in college during the season last year. Sure Jarret beat him pretty good in the Rose Bowl, and then his combine numbers weren’t dynamite, but I saw him cover and tackle well in the games I watched. When you consider that he’s Tori James’ replacement, he looks even better.
Kenny Irons is a smart pick. It’s a tough fact to face, but Chris Perry isn’t coming back. I liked Perry a lot. I have his jersey. But the guy’s cursed. It just happens sometimes. Rudi has put a bunch of milage on those knees of his. He’s a consistent steam-roller but everybody breaks down eventually. You just never know when he’ll throw a rod in his engine. Irons is a polished SEC running back who isn’t dazzling but like Rudi, he’s consistent and a hard runner.
A lot of people like Marvin White. He’s one of those guys who can play either safety spot and is apparently a weight room madman. Kasevaharn had a big year but we Bengal fans know he can only bring so much to the table. White is an immediate upgrade from Kase this year. Dexter Jackson is no spring chicken and will likely need less snaps every year. This pick is one of those “Marvin knows what he’s doing” picks.
So we can go into ‘07 as a younger, faster team, particularly on defense. It’s a trend Marv has implemented more every year. It’s a bummer about Odell and Pollack. Those two set this defense back three years from becoming the force it could have been. Yet there’s a lot of hope about Ahmad Brooks becoming a certified beast at MLB. He’s at 270 lbs. and runs a 4.6. Think of a faster Jeremiah Trotter plugging RB’s at the line of scrimmage.
Deltha has a lot to prove this year. That San Diego game still sticks out in my mind as the downfall of Deltha. I don’t even remember the guys name that roasted him in the second half and allowed the biggest meltdown in recent memory. Joseph could become a big time corner this year but I thought Madieu would be a pro-bowler by now so I’ll wait and see on Joseph. The guy has what it takes though, that’s for sure. Madieu is capable of big things this year too. He’s gonna be relied upon more as the secondary becomes younger and the veterans back there seem really old compared to last year. Dexter Jackson needs to stay healthy or he’s not worth having around. Look for Peko to improve. We’ll look at Frostee Rucker for essentially the first time. I’m not putting much faith in players like EJ Henderson and Earl Everett. Fans and team websites like getting all excited for these kind of guys when all they do is linger on the practice squad all year. If we get killed by injuries in the linebacking corps than maybe they play but otherwise they’re still undrafted free-agents.
Offensively we look like last year. Our line is less veteran but maybe that means it can stay healthier. Resigning Stacy Andrews was a good idea. We need as many huge bodies as we can get and the guy has shown some promise at guard and tackle. We get a bunch of receivers back from injury. Tab Perry, Chatman, and Bennie Brazelle return to help with Henry missing 8 games. We have only one serviceable TE and our undrafted back-ups keep being carted off training camp in stretchers. We should have thought about drafting somebody at that spot. Lets hope the big three stay healthy and we’ve seen life without Housh and it’s not pretty. Injuries are the only thing that can stop this offense (and at this point suspensions). I’m concerned about Willie and Levi staying healthy. They both seem so delicate these days. Whitworth is the new Stienbach and that suits me just fine. Did you see the $ Cleveland dished out for that guy? Sure he’s stayed healthy but damn. Eight years?
Memo to Shayne Graham: Miss another clutch kick to keep us from the playoffs, and this city will string you up on fountain square. I’m just sayin’.
I like that the Bengals aren’t getting the Super Bowl talk like last year. This team has a fragile psyche. So do the fans and the local media. We were bad for so long that we still aren’t sure how to react to success. This year it feels like guys are less in the camera and more in the playbooks. Marvin seems a bit more under control right now and we still have most of our coaches back. I would have liked Bratkowski to have found another job, but at least he knows the players and the system. I’m gonna wait for season predictions until closer to opening night, but I like our chances of making the playoffs and winning a game.
Mojokong - Head down. Keep shoveling.
August 1, 2007
It’s time we rid ourselves of that awful taste lingering from last season. The taste of missed kicks, arrests and Steeler fans talking more of that crap. It’s time to give up on the Reds for the year (which happened in late may this season). It’s time we read every shred of information that comes out of Georgetown and continue to pressure Time Warner Cable with threats and angry letters to provide us with the NFL network, dammit. Have you SEEN that channel? If you sometimes enjoy socializing and leaving your house then don’t get NFL Network. It’s outrageous. Anyway.
It wasn’t a glamorous off-season for the Bengals in 07. The emphasis seemed to be about getting rid of who we didn’t need rather than pursuing overpriced players in a thin free agent market. Brian Simmons, Kasevaharn, Sam Adams, Eric Stienbach, Tony Stewart, Tori James (thank God), Kelley Washington. That’s a lot of guys to lose without getting much in the off season to replace them with. It shows how Marvin, more than ever, relies on his backups to step up and become solid starters. While new defensive tackles Michael Myers and Kendrick Allen will help fill a deep rotation at a position that has proven to be dented every year with injuries, they aren’t likely to even be starters.
Neither is Ed Hartwell. His health and longevity are concerns for a 29 year old middle linebacker with previously major surgeries. He was signed very late in the free agent period, proof that most other teams weren’t willing to run the risk on him. I sensed once Marvin suspected Odell was a longshot to return, he needed a MLB that wasn’t a mental project to bring along slowly. He needed someone who could figure his system out fast and help the youngsters come along as well. I wouldn’t have complained too much about Joey Porter, but he hasn’t been the player we was three years ago and he was going to be overpaid no matter who signed him. Plus he’s a huge douche who had his boys jump our left tackle in Vegas a few months ago. I really dislike that guy.
We did add Leon Hall who I considered the best corner in college during the season last year. Sure Jarret beat him pretty good in the Rose Bowl, and then his combine numbers weren’t dynamite, but I saw him cover and tackle well in the games I watched. When you consider that he’s Tori James’ replacement, he looks even better.
Kenny Irons is a smart pick. It’s a tough fact to face, but Chris Perry isn’t coming back. I liked Perry a lot. I have his jersey. But the guy’s cursed. It just happens sometimes. Rudi has put a bunch of milage on those knees of his. He’s a consistent steam-roller but everybody breaks down eventually. You just never know when he’ll throw a rod in his engine. Irons is a polished SEC running back who isn’t dazzling but like Rudi, he’s consistent and a hard runner.
A lot of people like Marvin White. He’s one of those guys who can play either safety spot and is apparently a weight room madman. Kasevaharn had a big year but we Bengal fans know he can only bring so much to the table. White is an immediate upgrade from Kase this year. Dexter Jackson is no spring chicken and will likely need less snaps every year. This pick is one of those “Marvin knows what he’s doing” picks.
So we can go into ‘07 as a younger, faster team, particularly on defense. It’s a trend Marv has implemented more every year. It’s a bummer about Odell and Pollack. Those two set this defense back three years from becoming the force it could have been. Yet there’s a lot of hope about Ahmad Brooks becoming a certified beast at MLB. He’s at 270 lbs. and runs a 4.6. Think of a faster Jeremiah Trotter plugging RB’s at the line of scrimmage.
Deltha has a lot to prove this year. That San Diego game still sticks out in my mind as the downfall of Deltha. I don’t even remember the guys name that roasted him in the second half and allowed the biggest meltdown in recent memory. Joseph could become a big time corner this year but I thought Madieu would be a pro-bowler by now so I’ll wait and see on Joseph. The guy has what it takes though, that’s for sure. Madieu is capable of big things this year too. He’s gonna be relied upon more as the secondary becomes younger and the veterans back there seem really old compared to last year. Dexter Jackson needs to stay healthy or he’s not worth having around. Look for Peko to improve. We’ll look at Frostee Rucker for essentially the first time. I’m not putting much faith in players like EJ Henderson and Earl Everett. Fans and team websites like getting all excited for these kind of guys when all they do is linger on the practice squad all year. If we get killed by injuries in the linebacking corps than maybe they play but otherwise they’re still undrafted free-agents.
Offensively we look like last year. Our line is less veteran but maybe that means it can stay healthier. Resigning Stacy Andrews was a good idea. We need as many huge bodies as we can get and the guy has shown some promise at guard and tackle. We get a bunch of receivers back from injury. Tab Perry, Chatman, and Bennie Brazelle return to help with Henry missing 8 games. We have only one serviceable TE and our undrafted back-ups keep being carted off training camp in stretchers. We should have thought about drafting somebody at that spot. Lets hope the big three stay healthy and we’ve seen life without Housh and it’s not pretty. Injuries are the only thing that can stop this offense (and at this point suspensions). I’m concerned about Willie and Levi staying healthy. They both seem so delicate these days. Whitworth is the new Stienbach and that suits me just fine. Did you see the $ Cleveland dished out for that guy? Sure he’s stayed healthy but damn. Eight years?
Memo to Shayne Graham: Miss another clutch kick to keep us from the playoffs, and this city will string you up on fountain square. I’m just sayin’.
I like that the Bengals aren’t getting the Super Bowl talk like last year. This team has a fragile psyche. So do the fans and the local media. We were bad for so long that we still aren’t sure how to react to success. This year it feels like guys are less in the camera and more in the playbooks. Marvin seems a bit more under control right now and we still have most of our coaches back. I would have liked Bratkowski to have found another job, but at least he knows the players and the system. I’m gonna wait for season predictions until closer to opening night, but I like our chances of making the playoffs and winning a game.
Mojokong - Head down. Keep shoveling.
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