SB Nation - Matt Ryan

Jets Flight Connections 121809

dvdvil — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:09:46 -0000

Many thanks to the Indianapolis Colts. You guys deserve to rest.

HC Rex Ryan won't say who will start at QB on Sunday, even though we all know it will be Mark Sanchez.

WR Braylon Edwards talks about former division rival Chris Henry's death.

The New York Post writes about what should be Braylon's private business.

Rex talks about CB Darrelle Revis deserving to be Defensive Player of the Year.

Read the comments on this article: some people actually think Revis gets help from the blitzes, and not the other way around.

DC Mike Pettine shares his thoughts on how the defense lures QBs towards Revis Island.

Don't forget that Lito Sheppard is a good corner, too.

And LB David "Hitman" Harris deserves to go to the Pro Bowl.

Jets Owner Woody Johnson is asking for a one-time event in 2014, a Super Bowl in the cold.

Rex and Falcons HC Mike Smith usually give each other tips on opposing teams (but probably not this week).

More connections after the jump.

The Jets defense won't be complaining if Falcons QB Matt Ryan doesn't play.

The Jets haven't done much talking lately, but letting their play speak for itself.

JetNation.com previews the game against the Falcons.

ESPN.com has AccuScore's take on the Jets' chances of winning.

Kevin Kernan compares and contrasts the two New York football head coaches.

Sanchez talks about USC teammate RB Chauncey Washington.

Former Atlanta RB Warrick Dunn will own part of the Falcons.

LB Larry to the Izzo may still play football in the future.

Don't forget to donate your old coats if you're going to the game on Sunday.

And don't forget to vote for Revis (up to #3 last time I checked), RB Thomas Jones, Hitman Harris and other deserving Jets for Pro Bowl recognition. Vote as many times as you want here until Dec. 21.

Lastly, here is video of The Sanchize practicing with the team earlier this week:

The Future of Matt Hasselbeck is the Future of the Seattle Seahawks, Pt. 3

John Morgan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:59:19 -0000

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

In which Seattle signs Jason Campbell to outperform Matt Hasselbeck and maybe he does.

Browse more photos »

I hope Mike Holmgren signs with Cleveland. I have selfish interest, namely Seattle not re-signing Holmgren, but I have more noble interests as well. Cleveland has one of the youngest, most talented offensive lines in the NFL. It starts Joe Thomas at left tackle, Eric Steinbach at left guard and Alex Mack at center. Right guard Hank Fraley and right tackle John St. Clair are interchangeable organizational soldier types. It doesn't have great skill position talent, but that's where Holmgren shines. He finds scheme appropriate players that can excel behind a dominant offensive line. Holmgren is also an expert at developing young quarterbacks.

Why start with a tangent? In this scenario, Seattle ditches Matt Hasselbeck and signs free agent Jason Campbell. Tim Ruskell is out and his departure hints at a potential rebuild, but if Seattle can win some down the stretch, and especially if Seattle can win some down the stretch because of its Ruskell built defense, the Seahawks might adapt certain Ruskell ideals even without Ruskell.

Ruskell was risk adverse. He had a narrow definition of "his guy". His aversion to risk may have served him well, but his narrow definition did not. Consider Deon Butler. Ruskell traded into the third round to select Butler because Butler was "his guy". Butler dripped Ruskell: Four-year starter at a major conference powerhouse, undersized but fast, coachable, hard working and quietly productive. Ruskell conflated "his guy" with risk aversion and overpaid for a risky player. Despite his track record and accolades, Butler could bust because he is overmatched by NFL competition.

Ruskell spent big to get his guy, but his guy was never less risky than Juaquin Iglesias, Mike Thomas, Brian Hartline, Louis Murphy, Austin Collie or Johnny Knox - the six receivers selected after Butler. And only Iglesias has underperformed Butler. Ruskell projected his internal bias on the players he drafted. It rarely conflicted with his risk aversion, but when it did, it often spelled failure.

Campbell is a prime target for any risk adverse general manager. His connections to Auburn's unbeaten season might have spoken to Ruskell's personal bias, but his standing as a young, established NFL quarterback speaks to rational roster construction. Campbell has the tools of an NFL quarterback - arm strength, size, mobility - and those tools are NFL tested. He has adapted to multiple playbooks and played near league average football on some very poorly constructed offenses. As we've seen in Chicago and Denver, the quarterback may be the center and most essential part of any NFL offense, but it is not more important than the other ten men that take the field.

This Plan Might Be Enacted Thus:

Seattle trades or cuts Hasselbeck. It wishes him well, gives lip service to rebuilding and is satisfied to see him sign with Cleveland. Hasselbeck joins muscle milk buddy Brady Quinn and assumes the Trent Dilfer role.

Walter Jones retires.

Seattle cuts Patrick Kerney, Deion Branch and Seneca Wallace.

That gives the Seahawks money to burn. Seattle signs Campbell to a frontloaded contract with a third-year buyout clause. Campbell is playing through the last year of his rookie contract and though he's rich, he's not quarterback rich. Seattle buys maneuverability and Campbell's services by stacking his 2010 salary with zeroes.

Seattle could still be a player in free agency after signing Campbell. It will attempt to fill holes and free itself to draft best available talent throughout the draft.

Signing Campbell and cutting dead weight frees Seattle to make a big splash in the NFL draft. It has money to afford another early first round prospect and the picks to trade up. It could take a centerpiece player on defense like Ndamukong Suh. By releasing Hasselbeck and signing Campbell, the burden falls off the offense. Seattle buys itself time. If Campbell struggles in Seattle's still wrecked 2010 offense, he's young and can be released. Campbell has a bad reputation. He hasn't earned Seahawks fan loyalty and we are unlikely to experience the same kind of revulsion and outrage watching him battered to bones as we do watching Hasselbeck torn asunder.

Campbell is signed as a stopgap+. The Seahawks compliment the signing with a project quarterback selected sometime in 2010's epic quarterback draft. A looming correction to the onerous rookie pay scale is encouraging players to declare, and while the draft lacks a Matt Ryan or Peyton Manning, it might be the deepest quarterback draft in modern history. Colt McCoy, Zac Robinson, Sean Canfield, Ryan Mallett, Dan LeFevour, Pat Devlin and Tony Pike will all likely fall deep into the second day. Seattle will have an established starter for 2010 to test its system and offense, and a talented young quarterback developing behind the scenes.

How it works: Seattle successfully moves into the top of the draft and selects a once in a generation defensive talent. That helps push Seattle's cheap, young and talented, but by no means dominant, defense from potential to production. The team is not a contender again in 2010, but it's close.

Campbell outperforms Hasselbeck. He's younger and healthier and continues to play like a league average quarterback. Campbell could also breakout. Seattle is set for either possibility. It builds its offense towards the future by continuing Ruskell's habit of drafting late and mid-round offensive talent and seeing who shakes out. The major rebuild will wait until next offseason. 2010 is about seeing what they have and what they need, something a diminished Hasselbeck has made difficult to impossible this season.

The young defense provides excitement and gives the team a direction and identity. Campbell's arm opens the run game and Seattle executes the grind and smother attack Jim Mora and Greg Knapp seek. The team takes a flier on another young back (or two) and someone sticks, filling out a balanced and productive if unspectacular committee of backs. It's Ground Chuck all over again.

How it fails: Seattle cuts Hasselbeck but doesn't sign Campbell, or Seattle retains Hasselbeck and projects to have one of the worst offenses in football in 2010, or Seattle signs Campbell but Campbell performs no better than Hasselbeck and Seattle's young quarterback is prematurely forced into action. The meat of this is that Seattle does not spend enough on its offense and that offense again undermines the defense.

Contrarily, the defense never steps up. It continues to stifle the run but still cannot stop the pass. Seattle's defensive savior is a rookie and like Aaron Curry, more potential than player. The defense is average, but no better and as the offense putters towards the bottom of the league, the not-good-enough defense shoulders the consequences. Seattle changes the face of its failures but not its failures and what little can be salvaged from Ruskell's roster is older, more expensive and closer to free agency. Campbell is signed to stave off a full rebuild and does. He plays two seasons of league average football and is cleared when Seattle must clean house in 2012.

Ndamukong Suh at Colt McCoy - Game Thread

John Morgan — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:03:21 -0000

More photos » by Harry Cabluck - AP

"What a bunch of sucks."

Browse more photos »

When Colt McCoy doesn't step into his throws, he lacks the arm strength to pull off Matt Ryan heroics. Ohio State achieved gut pressure and McCoy threw a fade away pick to Anderson Russell to end the half. That turned third and two on the Buckeye 15 into Buckeye ball; and three easy into zero. McCoy couldn't dodge the interior pressure and stumbled back before hucking it errant.

He has a compact snapping motion that allows him to step into a collapsing pocket and read and deliver. It generates good zip underneath and on mid- and middle-deep routes. Don't buy halfsmart criticisms of his arm strength. McCoy twice zipped the famous fifteen yard out against Ohio and with ease. He has good touch and accuracy on his deep passes, but less accuracy underneath than his career 70.6 completion percentage would suggest. Throwing short, he snaps his arm over his ear, and when he misses, it's high and low. He got ragged efforting a throw deep and just as his elbow flew out, so did the pass right and out of bounds.

That happens. McCoy is not an epic deep passer, but it's within his arsenal. He is the center and source of the Longhorn offense. Texas grinds it out with a multiple back rushing attack. It attacks through McCoy.

Colt is not tall or prototypical, and his rushing will need to become mobility and smart-scrambling in the pros, but he looks legitimate to me. He makes quick reads, quick decisions, senses pressure and is brave under fire. Whether you want McCoy or Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen or Sean Canfield or Other or Matt Hasselbeck, the more talented quarterbacks in the 2010 draft, the more valuable Seattle's three top-fifty picks. I think McCoy is a great fit for what Greg Knapp wants to do. My jaded, wounded Seahawks heart is even a little abuzz about the kid.

See what you think.

Mark Sanchez's Knee Brace: A Good Thing?

John B — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:00:18 -0000

by Jeff Roberson - AP

View full size photo »

Mark Sanchez sustained what seemed to be a knee injury in the second half against Carolina which forced him to miss a few snaps. When he came back in during the next series, he had a bulky knee brace that couldn't help but limit his mobility. Obviously we all hope Sanchez is all right. At the same time, I'm not convinced that if he needs the brace it's the worst thing in the world.

I think back to when I was in college at BC. Early in Matt Ryan's career, he didn't have a lot of patience in the pocket. He wouldn't let things develop in front of him if something wasn't open immediately. He would just take off and run. Ryan certainly has good mobility within the pocket, but he's not much of a threat running the ball. During his breakout season in 2006, he played most of the year with a broken foot. Breaking his foot eliminated any ideas he ever had about running the ball. He couldn't scramble. As a result, he had to hang in the pocket and give his receivers a chance to get open when something wasn't there right away. He became much more thorough with his progressions and began to lay the groundwork to become a top five pick.

The same thing applies to Sanchez. I love how tough he is. I love his mobility, but there are times I feel he'd be better off giving his receivers extra time instead of running himself. There are bigger plays to be made on the field. At the very least, he can minimize some of the licks he's taking when he runs it (and not leave his head exposed).

Sanchez's knee brace: blessing in disguise or obstruction? Your thoughts?

Will the '10s be a return of Quarterback prominence?

Niko Houllis — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:05:54 -0000

There were some good ones in the 90s. Great ones even; Brett Favre & Steve Young should top anyone's all time list. Troy Aikman is another, as there were a handful. There were also a lot of "Game Managers' as they like to say; Billy Joes, and Tony Banks, and a smattering of Erik Kramers. The 2000's were not much better, despite giving us maybe the greatest; Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Nope, it was the 1980s that was the Golden Age of Quarterbacks. Balls were flying due to new rules enacted in 1978 that gave the advantage to WR away from defensive backs with new pass interference penalties. And the Quarterbacks took advantage of them. The accurate winners of the 70s like Roger Staughback and Terry Bradshaw gave way to the greats of the decade of excesses. 1983 gave us half a dozen all in one draft; John Elway, Jim Kelly, Tony Eason, and Dan Marino all became stars during the decade. Add to that Jim McMahon, Joe Montana, Randall Cunningham, Danny White, Phil Simms, Joe Theismann, why I could go on forever. When you watched a football game in the 80s, Quarterbacks were the highlight of the show. In the 2000s, they 'managed the game', but a few decades before, they WERE the game.

Funny thing about twenty years, every time it comes around fads come back around too. Patterns like hair cuts, clothes styles, even music, they all work in cycles. Its starting to look like the age of the Quarterback is too.

Now its too early to anoint some of the young Quarterbacks as the next Jim Kellys or the next Dan Marinos, much less the next John Elway. But with the old adage that it takes years for QBs to develop being smashed by not one but two young guys last season, its starting to look like the Duran Duran years all over again. Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan are coming back to earth in their second seasons, but as those teams build players around their signal callers, they will continue to improve to an even higher level. Aaron Rodgers is well on his way to becoming an elite thrower for the Packers now that the community owned team is able to get over his replacing an icon.

The home of Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins are learning Chad Henne is loaded with talent as capable of leading the team when another 2000s 'manager' Chad Pennington went down with another injury.

This year, the stars developed first in New York where Mark Sanchez has wowed Jets fans even on days when he looks like a rookie. Same with us fans in Tampa Bay, watching Josh Freeman, who was held off until rookie Head Coach Raheem Morris felt he was absolutely ready. He shined against the Packers and drove the Bucs to a second 4th quarter comeback in as many weeks before succumbing to the callings of his 1st year status.

Then you have the Dan Fouts types, guys who spent the second part of their careers in the 80's, and you have guys like Drew Brees and Jay Cutler (give Cutler a few receivers in Chicago and he will be right back) who will be the feature players for many years to come into the Teens.

How much longer will Peyton Manning play? Kurt Warner? The guy who went Purple after being Green?

Will Vince Young be added to the list? Alex Smith? Matt Cassel?

What about Carson Palmer and Big Ben Roethlisberger?

Kevin Kolb was taken way after Jamarcus Russell and Brady Quinn were distant memories in the 2007 draft, but recent views of his work with the Philadelphia Eagles during Donavan McNabb's injury show he may be the real deal. Trent Edwards has shown promise with the Buffalo Bills, who will put together a new coaching staff and offensive coordinator next year to feature his talents.

In this post, Ive listed a lot of names. Some are reaches, while some are guys who will wear gold sport coats when they are done with their careers. But anyway you look at it, fans watching the NFL over the next decade will be treated to an NFL that is QB driven, and sure to raise a level of excitement unseen since the Decade of decadence.

Like Pat Benatar said; "Hit me with your best shot". That, and Hell is for game managers.

Giants vs. Falcons: 'Kudos & Wet Willies' style preview

Ed Valentine — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:15:09 -0000

OK, time to get serious. Our New York Giants need a win today against the Atlanta Falcons. In my usual, 'Kudos & Wet Willies' style here is how I see things breaking down this afternoon in the Meadowlands.

There will be lots of 'Kudos' Monday if ...

They overcome the loss of Antonio Pierce's defensive 'quarterbacking.' Say what you want about Pierce and his apparently declining physical skills, losing your defensive signal-caller and a player as smart as AP at this point in the season could be devastating. We love Chase Blackburn and he is a bettter athlete than Pierce, but I saw him get blown off the ball too many times while playing the middle during the pre-season to feel really good about him anchoring the middle. And nobody has a clue what Jonathan Goff could bring to the table.
Pressure on Matt Ryan. Without Michael Turner, the Falcons will still try to run the ball. They will likely have to rely on Ryan to make more plays, however, and the Giants have got to get pressure on him. He has been mistake-prone in recent weeks, and it sure would be nice to see the pass rush force a couple of game-changing bad throws. Hopefully, they can do it with the front four. If not, let's hope Bill Sheridan turns Clint Sintim and Michael Boley loose on some blitzes. Oh, and let's pray he forgets about that zone blitz nonsense.
The Giants handle Tony Gonzalez. Covering the tight end has not been a strong suit for the Giants, and Ryan will be looking Gonzalez way a lot. If Boley, and possibly Sintim, can neutralize him that can go a long way toward slowing the Atlanta offense.
The Giants ride Brandon Jacobs. I have said repeatedly recently that Jacobs has been under-utilized during the four-game losing streak. The Falcons are 26th in the league against the run, and there is no excuse for the Giants not to pound Jacobs 20 times or so today in what is really their biggest "must win" game of the season to date.
The Giants hit some big passing plays. That doesn't necessarily mean chucking the ball 50 yards downfield on 3rd and 2, but the Falcons have been susceptible to giving up big chunks of yardage at times. The Giants have not hit a big play in recent weeks, and they will need to today.

There will be lots of 'Wet Willies' Monday if ...

Atlanta runs the ball effectively. With Turner likely out, the Giants need to make the Falcons one-dimensional. The opportunity is there, and the front seven simply has to force the Atlanta offense to be pass-happy.
The Red/Green Zone issues continue. Both teams are 5-4. Both are imperfect. This could be a close game. Taking advantage of offensive opportunities, and a couple of big defensive stops, could make the difference.
The special teams woes continue. It seems like every week some aspect or another of the Giants special teams has broken down. Jeff Feagles has been horrible recently. The kickoff coverage has been spotty. Lawrence Tynes struggled early on. The Giants have not had a difference-making return in weeks.

Week Eleven Preview: Colts at Ravens

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:23:22 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Indianapolis Colts quarterback and supposed John Unitas clone Peyton Manning (18) uses the Vulcan head touch to sap the knowledge from Senior Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore's brain. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Browse more photos »

(Warning: This Colts v. Ravens preview is sans Mayflower trucks because, quite honestly, we've been there and done that. Most rational, civilized, well-adjusted people are over it already. Those that aren't need a life).

We made a big brew-ha-ha earlier this year about Baltimore native Barry Levinson's well produced but painfully flawed ESPN documentary titled ~~The Band That Wouldn't Let It Go~~ The Band That Wouldn't Die. The doc's story centered on the old Baltimore Colts marching band and their efforts to keep the spirit of football alive in the city of Baltimore after the Colts left town in favor of Indianapolis in March of 1984. ESPN probably should have waited until this week to air the doc, as it would have likely stirred up the fanbases in both Baltimore and Indy just in time for the now-seemingly annual Colts v. Ravens showdown.

Since 2004, the Colts have played the Ravens at least once a year. With this Sunday's game, the Colts will have played in Baltimore four times while the Ravens have traveled to Indy twice. In all the previous contests, the Colts have flat out owned the Ravens. Whether under the night lights of primetime TV, or in the pressure-packed moments of the playoffs, the Colts have consistently put their foot on the throats of the Ravens and strangled the life out of them each and every time.

Yet, despite the seemingly annual match-up, there does not seem to be any sort of animosity or hatred between the two teams. The reason for this: Peyton Manning. Baltimore fans and players seem to respect Peyton Manning more than any other QB in the league. I've heard more than a few fans from the "City of Firsts" say that Peyton Manning is as close to a clone of Johnny Unitas as they've ever seen. He even walks like unitas did, they say. There is also mutual respect from Colts players towards greats like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh (brother of former-Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh, a longtime fan favorite).

With this year's match-up, the rivalry now has the added dimension of a potent Ravens offense, led by a very impressive QB named Joe Flacco, and a Colts defense that, right now, is playing better football than the Ravens defense has this season.

John Unitas; quite simply, THE man

Image: pictopia.com

First and foremost, I'm a huge Joe Flacco fan. He's a better QB than Matt Ryan, absolutely no question about it. While Ryan is a cool customer who shows an impressive knowledge of the game of football, there is nothing Ryan does better than Flacco. In fact, from what I have seen, Flacco has a better arm and has been able to do more with less than Ryan has.

The Ravens offense is one of the best in football, averaging roughly 25 points per game behind a passing attack from Flacco that has generated 12 TDs and only 7 INTs. The Ravens also boast an impressive ground game behind (arguably) the most under-rated RB in all of football: Ray Rice. Baltimore's rushing attack averages 4.3 yards a carry and has scored 12 TDs. Just like when the Colts had to travel to Tennessee earlier this season and shut down all-world runner Chris Johnson, stopping Rice and the Ravens ground game will be top priority for the Colts defense.

Raymond Berry, one of my favorite players of all time

Image: www.profootballhof.com

What has been odd of late has been the play of Baltimore's defense. Though they are only surrendering 17 ppg (ranked 5th in the league), there have been some games this season where the Ravens D has fallen way short of the high expectations we fans set for them. They lost three in a row in October, allowing teams like the Patriots and Vikings to score seemingly at will on them. They righted their ship by defeating the then-undefeated Broncos, but have been a bit erratic ever since. The recent loss of Terrell Suggs will hurt their D, and while they certainly miss the play of departed linebacker Bart Scott (who signed with the Jets this past off-season) you absolutely cannot discount a defense with Lewsi, Reed, and all-galaxy defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who is the cousin of Colts rookie Fili Moala.

Keys to the game:

Stop the run. In the Ravens two loses to their division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore's running game was limited. While Flacco is certainly capable of flinging the football around with the best of them, if you take away the running game and force him to throw more than he is comfortable, the results are often turnovers.
Robert Mathis v. Michael Oher. Oher's story is certainly worthy of a movie, but even if he did not come from abject poverty, Oher's story as an impressive rookie is very much worthy of respect on its own. Still, with Dwight Freeney likely to get loads of attention, Mathis must beat Oher and pressure Flacco. Mathis' play Sunday night was a big difference, flustering Tom Brady and hurrying his throws. Mathis must have a similar impact against Flacco.
The Patriots focused their defense on Dallas Clark, and the Ravens might do the same. Ed Reed might glue himself to Clark in an attempt to take away Peyton's ace. The Colts must counter this by either moving Clark around (playing him outside, in the slot, or as an H-Back), dictating to the Ravens how they should cover him. Clark is currently third in the league in catches with 64 and 5th in the league in yards. Clark's a tight end, folks. I don't know if I've ever seen a tight end have these kinds of numbers.
Ray Lewis is a student of the game, and he is correct in his praise of the Colts running game. Indy has made it a point to stick with the run, especially in the fourth quarter. The results speak for themselves. For three straight games, the Colts have used good, smart, hard running to close out games in the fourth. With rookie Donald Brown back from his shoulder injury and Chad Simpson flexing his muscles a bit as a running back (36 yards on 4 carries last week), Joseph Addai might finally get some help carrying the load for this team. Also, the decision to start Kyle DeVan at right guard over Mike Pollak has made a difference. Running plays to the right are no longer the lost cause they were earlier in the year.

Gino Marchetti (89) was Dwight Freeney long before Dwight Freeney was Dwight Freeney

Image: assets.espn.go.com

Sunday's game will also feature the return of Ravens legend Matt Stover, who spent 13 seasons in Baltimore as their kicker. The Ravens let him go this past off-season, and it was a decision they now openly regret. Stover has been damn impressive filling in for an injured Adam Viantieri. Meanwhile, the Ravens cut the kicker they replaced Stover with, and are now handing the kicking job to journeyman Billy Cundiff.

After a whale of a comeback against the Patriots last week, traveling to Baltimore will prove another tough physical and mental hurdle for the Colts to overcome. They've done this kind of thing before this season, winning a thriller against the Dolphins and then going on the road to face the Cardinals, who they spanked in their house. This will be Indy's first road game in nearly a month. You could really say this is Indy's first road game in almost six weeks. Their last "road" game was at St. Louis against the Rams, where it seemed there were more Colts fans in the stands than rams fans. Indy's last true "road game" was Week Five at Nashville against the then 0-5 Titans.

This road test will likely prove a strong one for the Colts as the Ravens are a very good football team. For more insight into the game, please visit Baltimore Beatdown, SB Nation's outstanding Ravens blog.

Washington's Signs Of Life Confiscated By Falcons In 31-17 Defeat

Sugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:30:10 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Todd Yoder provides a highlight-reel type of catch in the back of the end zone as the Redskins fought their way back into the game.

Browse more photos »

As awful as the first half was to watch, the second half was that much fun. Far be it for me to proclaim this team to be a contender, but in the second half, there was some actual football being played by the guys wearing white-on-white. It was uncanny how much more successful our offense was after the halftime break. Screen passes worked, the running game was churning up the yards, and there were no drive-killing penalties that caused me to scream.

It is easy to say the game was decided in the first half. But the truth is that when we gave the Falcons the ball back down 24-17, there was every reason to believe that a win was possible. That was the high point of the game for Redskins fans, and whether you want to call it sad or depressing, it may have been the high point of the season so far. Being in a game against a good team with the momentum going our way is a feeling we have not had around here for some time. As we find ourselves squarely in the middle of what promises to be a difficult season to stomach, this is a feeling/moment I won't take for granted.

Trying to look back at that first half and make some sense of it is like attaching a grenade to your scrotum and hoping for the best. It just didn't go well. We gave up big plays on defense, we gave up big plays on offense and we committed penalties that turned into points for them. The only thing missing from the first half was a hundred dollar bill on the night stand.

There was no reason to hope for anything different in the second half. But when our offense took the field and drove 80 yards for a score, I thought to myself, "This I can watch. If we lose, so be it, but this is actual football and this is worth staying tuned into." The subsequent stop by our defense was great and when we pulled to within a touchdown I could not have been the only one thinking the win was in our sights. Rock Cartwright and Ladell Betts were rolling. As if by magic, our offensive line opened up holes they were able to run through and we mounted honest-to-God drives.

Ultimately, once again the team did not do enough for 60 minutes to win the game. The foolish penalties from our $150+ million off-season acquisitions (Hall and Haynesworth) were gut-wrenchingly bad. Haynesworth's pair of offsides penalties were great bookends to the Falcons' opening drive that set the tone of the game early. Hall's battle royale with the entire Atlanta sideline would have been more upsetting if it wasn't so easy to see coming. It reminds me immediately of the line from last week's Parks and Recreation episode where Ron Swanson describes his relationship with his ex-wife. "We are oil an water. Or oil and TNT and C4 and a detonator and a butane torch." That sums up DeAngelo Hall's relationship with the Falcons I guess. Good thing we aren't playing the Raiders this season. Oh crap. LaRon Landry seemed to manufacture sloppiness at times, and once again, the opponent took advantage of the cushion we insist on giving every receiver in the league.

On a higher note, Jason Campbell refused to give up on the game despite being knocked out of it twice. His ability to keep soldiering up as the world crumbles around him is remarkable. The question that comes to my mind is will we ever get to really judge his football abilities behind a legitimate line for an extended period of time? You can question him on any number of fronts these days, but you can't question his toughness and you can't question his commitment to his teammates. Another bright spot on the day for me was Brian Orakpo getting to Matt Ryan. The kid proved yet again that he is an extremely capable pass rusher.

We came up short in the end but there was at least the hint of an air of respectability after that second half. Respectability doesn't get us in the playoffs, but it does make watching the games a lot more fun. I'll end with the stat breakdown below. What number stands out to you? Four 1st downs from penalties! That plus the defensive touchdown Atlanta scored stick out most for me, as I am sure they do for you guys as well. I mean, look at these numbers. We were in this game.

Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs	17	18
Passing 1st downs	11	6
Rushing 1st downs	6	8
1st downs from Penalties	0	4
3rd down efficiency	9-16	4-11
4th down efficiency	1-3	0-0
Total Plays	64	54
Total Yards	312	306
Passing	176	125
Comp-Att	19-27	17-24
Yards per pass	6.5	5.2
Rushing	136	181
Rushing Attempts	32	27
Yards per rush	4.3	6.7
Red Zone (Made-Att)	2-2	1-2
Penalties	10-88	7-54
Turnovers	1	1
Fumbles lost	0	0
Interceptions thrown	1	1
Defensive / Special Teams TDs	0	1
Possession	33:32	26:28

Poll

Which Redskin player was the brightest spot in this game for you?

Brian Orakpo

244 votes

Jason Campbell

73 votes

Ladell Betts

189 votes

Rock Cartwright

24 votes

530 votes | Poll has closed

FANTASY WEEKEND REPORT by Craig T

Niko Houllis — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:00:20 -0000

Craig T's FFH (we lied about the year established. Stolen via Google search. How's that for honesty.

View full size photo »

Our good buddy Craig T has his internet down, let me guess, Brighthouse? Remember when Brighthouse tried to make everyone think the NFL Network was the bad guy? Now BH is the only one that Doesnt have it. Heck, I get NFL Network on a sprint phone for goodness sake!! " You carry 8 shopping channels, but no NFL Network!!!"

Anyways..This message brought to you by Verizon's Fios. JK, ....

Take it away Craig T...

Welcome, BucEm fans, to what will be our weekly look at some fantasy football help some of you might be musing over. With 8 weeks down and 5 to go, many of you are likely jockeying for playoff berths, so let's get down to it...

QBs TO START (excluding weekly automatic starts P. Manning, Brady, Roethlisberger, Brees, B. Favre, A. Rodgers, and K. Warner)

1. Tony Romo @ PHI. 8 TDs, 0 INTs in last 3 and seeing field as well as anyone.

2. Matt Hasselbeck vs DET. Weak SEA running game + weak DET defense = big bounceback game for Hasselbeck.

3. Donovan McNabb vs. DAL. Like Romo, also seeing field well in what should be a game filled w points.

4. Philip Rivers @ NYG. Clicking V-Jack lately and has passed for not less than 249 yds this season. NYG defense still not right.

5. Matt Schaub @ IND. First time he and Andre Johnson have been on the field together vs IND since 2007.

Sleeper: Jason Campbell @ ATL. Yes, ugh, I know, but WAS is coming off a bye and ATL can't stop anybody through the air. Look for a solid, if not great, game from Campbell Sunday.

QBs TO SIT

1. Eli Manning vs SD. He's just not trustworthy since injuring his heel.

2. Matt Ryan vs WAS. Roddy White is iffy for the game and WAS pass defense has been solid this season. If you have a 2nd option, consider it.

3. Jake Delhomme @ NO. If you were considering Jake as a bye-week replacement, dig deeper for an option, such as Alex Smith or Campbell. Delhomme vs a turnover-minded defense like NO is a nightmare.

4. Jay Cutler vs ARI. Has hit 3 PaTDs only once since week one.

5. Kyle Orton vs PIT. Steeler D boosted by return of Polamalu.

RBs TO START (excluding C. Johnson, Gore, MJ-D, Turner, LT, SJax, AP, Forte, Ronnie Brown, B. Jacobs)

1. Ryan Grant @ TB. Duh.

2. Joseph Addai vs. HOU. Comeback player of year candidate has scored in 4 straight.

3. Ray Rice @ CIN. Now the guy in BAL, should be key piece of offense in a close game.

4. Marion Barber @ PHI. With trio of RBs, no longer an auto start, but still gets majority of carries and goalline touches and should be started when DAL offense is clicking like it is.

5. Pierre Thomas vs. CAR. Still the main guy in the backfield of the most explosive offense in football.

Sleeper: Jamaal Charles @ JAX. Did you see what Johnson and Titans did to this run defense last week? Charles will get majority of carries and should have a good chance to score.

RBs TO SIT

1. LeSean McCoy vs DAL. Westbrook back and Cowboys have been strong against the run.

2. Laurence Maroney vs MIA. Sammy Morris' return clouds backfield picture and MIA also solid vs run.

3. Cadillac Williams vs GB. GB ranks near the top of the NFL in rushing YPGA. Certainly you've got a better option.

4. Rashard Mendenhall @ DEN.

Denver ranks 3rd against run and Willie Parker to get some work as well.

5. Beanie Wells @ CHI. Still splitting 50/50 w/Hightower, and appears not to be getting majority of goalline carries. Maybe a flex play, but not RB2 material.

WRs TO START (excluding R. Wayne, A. Johnson, L. Fitzgerald, M. Colston, R. Moss, W. Welker, Desean Jackson, R. White, Calvin Johnson, H. Ward, Vincent Jackson, D. Bowe, B. Marshall, Ochocinco)

1. Santana Moss @ ATL. Falcons giving up yards in droves to opposing number 1 WRs. Moss on Grimes' backup should be a mismatch.

2. Miles Austin @ PHI. Ride him til he bucks ya.

3. Nate Burleson vs DET. Hasselbeck's main target should cash in Sunday.

4. Donald Driver @ TB. Bucs' secondary will get a stiff test Sunday, and Driver has been Rodgers' go to guy. Jennings also a solid play.

5. Kevin Walter @ IND. Should have more one on one matchups than Johnson and targets should increase with loss of Owen Daniels.

Sleeper: Steve Breaston @ CHI. In line for solid number of targets with Boldin re-aggravating his ankle.

WRs TO SIT

1. Ted Ginn, Jr @ NE. Don't be fooled by his 2 KRTD performance against NYJ... He still hasn't earned his starting WR spot back yet from Hartline/Bess.

2. Roy E. Williams @ PHI. I don't care that he scored last week. He stinks and doesn't have trust of his QB.

3. Eddie Royal vs PIT. Only receiver worth trusting right now is B. Marshall. Gaffney stealing some of Royal's targets.

4. Lance Moore vs CAR. Gimpy, may be a GTD. With Meachem and Henderson likely to get targets, consider better alternatives over Moore if you can.

5. Mario Manningham vs. SD. Manning spreading around the targets and is having a tough time throwing an accurate deep ball, which hurts a big play WR like double M.

TEs TO START (excluding Witten, Gates, Clark, V. Davis, Shockey, T. Gonzalez)

1. Brent Celek vs DAL. Even though DAL has been great at holding down opposing TEs, he's too valuable to this offense lately to sit.

2. Kevin Boss vs SD. Great underneath option for Manning, who's struggling to step up and make deep throws.

3. Fred Davis @ ATL. TE is a big part of WAS passing game, and Davis has the athletic ability of a WR.

4. Donald Lee vs. TB. Rodgers looks at TE in red zone often and matchup problems exist for Buccaneers. Sub in Jermichael Finley here if he's cleared to play.

5. Heath Miller @ DEN. With Denver's defense so tough against the run and in the red zone, Big Ben's go to guy in the red zone should get some scoring looks.

Sleeper: Ben Watson vs MIA. Scored in 2 of last 3 games.

TEs TO SIT

1. Brandon Pettigrew @ SEA. If you're looking for a bye-week filler, look elsewhere. Without Stafford healthy, Pettigrew is a forgotten part of the offense.

2. Kellen Winslow vs TB. Yea yea, Freeman's gotta throw it to somebody, but who can really tell who he'll connect with? If you've got another solid option, consider it until we see how he connects with K2.

3. Bo Scaife @ SF. Niners 3-4 defense matches up their athletic LBs very well with opposing TEs.

4. Todd Heap @ CIN. Good for 3 catches, 40-50 yds, and that is all.

5. Tony Scheffler vs PIT. Except for his big game against SD a few weeks ago, has done nothing this year.

5 KICKERS TO START:

1. Shaun Suisham @ ATL

2. David Akers @ DAL

3. Nate Kaeding @ NYG

4. Kris Brown @ IND

5. Shayne Graham vs BAL

5 KICKERS TO SIT:

1. Dan Carpenter @ NE

2. Jason Elam vs WAS

3. Olindo Mare vs DET

4. Robbie Gould vs ARI

5. John Kasay @ NO

5 DEFENSES WITH GOOD MATCHUPS:

1. PIT @ DEN

2. SEA vs DET

3. NO vs CAR

4. JAX vs KC

5. SF vs TEN

5 DEFENSES WITH TOUGH MATCHUPS:

1. DAL @ PHI

2. NYG vs SD

3. PHI vs DAL

4. MIA @ NE

5. ATL vs WAS

Send This Arizona Cardinal to the Pro Bowl: Kurt Warner

Andrew602 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:21:24 -0000

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

about 1 month ago: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner (13) throws a pass during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Browse more photos »

With pro bowl balloting opening this week, going forward we'll start presenting which Cardinals should be elected to the pro bowl, or which players have a fighting chance. This week, Kurt Warner is up for consideration. After having one of his best seasons of his career last year, and the best season for a quarterback in Cardinals franchise history, Warner looked to continue his success into this year. So far, the offense hasn't been as impressive as it was throughout the playoffs, but changing offensive coordinators has that effect. At the age of 38, Warner has managed to remain in the top 10 of all major passing stats. The Cardinals have also passed their tough stretch of games on the schedule, and now take on some less-then-stellar teams - so I'd imagine Warner should pad the stats. Even with the lack of protection against tough opponents, Warner has done his job and directed the Cardinals to a 4-2 start. The numbers will come, as it's only a matter of time.

Qarterbacks	Att	Comp	%	Yards	YPA	TD	INT	Rate	YPG
Aaron Rodgers	184	121	65.8	1702	9.25	11	2	110.8	284
Drew Brees	197	132	67.0	1698	8.62	14	5	106.9	283
Brett Favre	228	157	68.9	1681	7.37	12	3	102.2	240
Kurt Warner	237	158	66.7	1672	7.06	9	6	89.1	279
Tony Romo	194	117	60.3	1652	8.52	9	4	94.7	275

Other quarterbacks to consider - Eli Manning, Jay Cutler, Matt Ryan

Judging by the stats, Warner isn't far from the quarterbacks that surround him, and if the offense can get back in sync, we should see an increase in numbers. Even if he was unable to, his numbers are by far better then other quarterbacks in the league. For right now, you'd have to imagine that Brees is a lock, and if Rodgers continues his numbers, he should make it also. Vote for Kurt Waner and other Cardinals as many times as you want.