SB Nation - Shawn Andrews

The Linc - McNabb's a dad again

JasonB — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:00:15 -0000

Some Things I'm Thankful For - Yardbarker
Donovan McNabb and his wife Raquel welcomed their 4th child into the world last Friday night.

Interesting Debate: Is it the O-Line or Campbell? - Hogs Haven
A more detailed discussion about if Campbell or the Oline is to blame. What's disconcerting is the Redskins NFC East foes have the 3 best defensive lines in the league and Dan Snyder personally went to recruit McCoy and Clausen last week.

Eagles Notes: Eagles' Andrews seeks second opinion | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/28/2009
Shawn Andrews is scheduled to receive a second opinion on his back from a Dallas doctor, coach Andy Reid said yesterday. The Eagles offensive lineman, though, is still scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday, according to a league source.

Redskins Insider - Eagles defense thrives under McDermott
The Eagles' defense has continued to thrive under McDermott, who has held many assistant positions since joining the organization in 1998. McDermott has retained many of the attacking, blitzing principles Johnson utilized in his scheme that helped to elevate Philadelphia among the league's elite defensively during his nine-year tenure.

More after the jump

Redskins Insider - Eagles' defense presents a challenge for Redskins
The Philadelphia Eagles are tied for third (with Pittsburgh) in the NFL in sacks and rank fourth in interceptions. That means that, obviously, pass protection and ball security will be two important keys Sunday when the Redskins face the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins' offense, and its offensive line in particular, face another challenging situation.

Redskins Insider - Hall will miss Sunday's game; Rogers to start
Top cornerback DeAngelo Hall (knee) has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles and the recently benched Carlos Rogers will start for Hall at Lincoln Financial Field, Coach Jim Zorn said after practice today at Redskins Park.

Trotter another worry for Eagles | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/28/2009
It probably wasn't the turkey. Thursday night, after he had his Thanksgiving feast, Jeremiah Trotter awoke with a sting that shot down his left leg. Joe Mays split time at middle linebacker with Trotter in the last game, but he may get his first start. 1 of 5 View images Eagles 24, Bears 20 Chargers 31, Eagles 23 Cowboys 20, Eagles 16 "I never felt that before in my life," the Eagles linebacker said yesterday. "It scared me a little bit. . . . I couldn't sleep."

Winston Justice talks about his new deal

JasonB — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:20 -0000

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Yesterday afternoon, Winston Justice took the stage at the NovaCare complex with GM Tom Heckert to meet the media and talk about his new contract. He spoke about why his play seems to have improved so dramatically this season.

"I just really wanted to make a change," Justice said of his decision to change his off-season schedule. "I really wanted to make a commitment to my work because I really feel that I was put there for a reason. I think that was biggest difference this year is that I really made a dedication to my trade.

"I thought I improved in every aspect, but I also need to improve in every aspect of my game still ... I think my goal is not to be a good or reliable guy, but my goal is to be a great tackle. I think I have a lot more steps for me to take for that."

Tom Heckert said that the team never lost faith in Justice.

"I know everybody talks about the Giants game, but we see him every day in practice," Heckert said. "You look throughout the league and the top left tackles, top right tackles, they get beat. It happens in the NFL. There was never a point where we said this guy can't play. We saw enough on tape in college and enough on tape in practices, in the preseason that we had faith in Winston. I think I mentioned last year, he had to come out and if he got the opportunity to play he had to prove that he could do it and line up against the top guys and be productive and he's done that this year."

According to Les Bowen, Heckert indicated that the new deal meant that the team does see Justice as the long term starter at right tackle. He also refused to answer any questions about Shawn Andrews, saying the "question isn't even relevant right now."

Eagles sign Winston Justice to 4 year extension

JasonB — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:04:30 -0000

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With the Eagles offense line in constant flux this year, one of the few constants has come from probably the most surprising place. Once written off as a second round bust, Winston Justice took over the starting RT job when Shawn Andrews was unable to start the season and has spent the season changing the minds of fans and generally redeeming himself. Today, the Eagles rewarded him with a 4 year extension.

The Eagles have signed right tackle Winston Justice to a four-year contract extension through 2013. Justice's rookie contract was due to expire at season's end.

It's interesting that the contract came just a few days after what Philly.com called his "best performance of the season."

I don't know what got in to Justice, but he was an absolute beast in the run game. By far his best performance of the season in that area, and I don't even think it's close. Great block on Vick’s 34-yard run and several others, including McCoy's 3rd-and-1 conversion in the third. Not just adequate. He was taking guys to the ground. In the pass game, he was solid as usual. Really one of the great stories on this team this season.

One has to wonder what this means about the Eagles' future expectations of Shawn Andrews. If they've decided Winston Justice is their guy at RT, Peters is the guy LT, Herremans is entrenched at LG... Shawn Andrews doesn't play center... So it appears if he does get another shot next year it's at RG or nothing. With Stacy Andrews due a large amount of guarantees if he's on the team next year, it looks like it will be one Andrews or the other. Or neither I guess...

Regardless, today isn't about Shawn Andrews. It's about Winston Justice. What a great story of redemption, hard work, self belief, perseverance. He still has learning to do and will get better, but so far I'm very impressed with what he's accomplished this year. Congratulations.

State of the AFC West Week 9

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:15:45 -0000

Well well well, here we are after week 9, a week I'd been looking forward to for awhile. I had a crazy day on Sunday which of course had a perfect ending. Last night's game was the proverbial "icing on the cake". The Chargers are now 1 game back at the halfway point of the season with 8 games to go. The Broncos still have the advantage with the 1 game lead and a win over the Chargers as a potential tiebreaker. As far as the schedules, of the 8 games remaining, 3 are easy division games (2 KC 1 OAK), but 4 are against tough teams (SD, NYG, INDY, PHI) and their game this week at Washington. On the other hand, the Chargers get the Browns and Titans, don't have to play Indy, but they only play the Chiefs one more time. As far as momentum, it is clearly on the side of the Chargers who have capped their three game winning streak with an emotional win at the Meadowlands. The Broncos on the other hand are riding a two-game losing streak that included two disappointing second halves. Oakland and KC are still out of the picture.

Jump the break for individual teams.

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	2	150	124
San Diego	5	3	206	179
Oakland	2	6	78	201
Kansas City	1	7	126	205

(updated 11.10.2009 at 1:30 AM PST)

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders had a quiet bye week getting healthy and trying not to lose any football games. Running back Darren McFadden, wide receiver Chaz Schilens, left guard Robert Gallery and right tackle Cornell Green returned to practice Monday and are expected to play against the Kansas City Chiefs this week. So that's good news. Although Tom Cable won't be charged criminally, the NFL is evaluating the situation and sending out people to determine if Cable should attend anger management classes. The National League of Women (NOW) and other women's rights groups are calling for Cable's job. The Raiders next division match-up is this week's pillow-fight of the week in Oakland. Let the battle to determine the most dysfunctional team begin, too bad nobody will see it because it will likely be blacked out.

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	11/09/2009
Tony Stewart	chest	11/09/2009
Gerard Warren	toe	11/09/2009
Jon Alston	shoulder	11/09/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	11/09/2009
Robert Gallery	fibula	11/09/2009
Tommy Kelly	elbow	11/09/2009
Chris Johnson	groin	11/09/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009
Oren O'Neal	ankle	10/14/2009

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs played a close game against the Jaguars which inevitably ended in another loss. As the Chiefs march toward another top 5 draft pick, the big story is still the rapid fall of Larry Johnson which ended in his release from the Chiefs. Although they will probably end up paying him a lot of money since I doubt anyone will pick him up, this gives Jamaal Charles more opportunity to play and gets rid of a clubhouse cancer. Chris Chambers seem to have rejuvenated their offense, at least for the moment, with two TD passes. The addition seems to have helped the Chiefs and the Chargers at the same time, and Chris will probably be happier too. As already mentioned, the Chiefs next division game is at Oakland which I'm sure will be terribly exciting.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jon McGraw	thigh	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jarrad Page	calf	11/04/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

Denver Broncos: Will the real Broncos please stand up? Are they the 6-0 team or the 0-2 team? Are they the second-half juggernaut or the second-half duds? Is Kyle Orton the QB who threw one INT in 7 games or 3 INT's in one game? Are they a punishing opponents on the lines or the team that didn't get ONE rushing first-down against the Steelers? The answer is probably somewhere close to the middle. Teams are starting to key on the Broncos weakness and adjusting their game-plans as such. Kyle Orton looks nervous as opposed to the pillar of strength he looked like earlier in the season. Either way, the Broncos are much better than everyone thought but they still aren't an elite team. The Steelers were clearly the superior team last night, even at Mile High. The Broncos have lost some momentum going forward but they are still healthy and still have the advantage over the Chargers. Now is the time for Josh McDaniels to adjust to the adjustments that other teams are making. Going forward, we will see if the Broncos and McDaniels are studs or duds. The game at Washington this weekend may tell us a lot about the Broncos. Their next division match-up looks to be a huge game with playoff implications at Mile High against the Chargers.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryan McBean	knee	11/10/2009
Peyton Hillis	other-excused	11/10/2009
David Bruton	groin	11/10/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009
J'Vonne Parker	knee	08/08/2009

San Diego Super Chargers: The Bolts are flying high after an emotional victory at the Meadowlands and gaining the momentum in the AFC West race if not the advantage. They are finally getting healthy, emotionally and physically, as well and it looks like All-Pro center Nick Hardwick will make his return to Qualcomm Stadium this weekend against the Eagles. The Chargers are still a little banged up at the linebacker position; SP95 was injured in the Giants game and Kevin Burnett and Tim Dobbins are still ailing. It looks like Phillips and Burnett will play this weekend while Dobbins will sit. LB Jyles Tucker is also most likely out this weekend. It looks like the Eagles are having the same problem the Chargers were earlier in the season: inability to keep anyone healthy. If Westbrook is out and the Eagles must depend on the passing game, the Chargers could win big with improved pass rush from Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips. The Chargers are also only 2-2 this season and they need to improve their play at home. The game is already sold out so we know it will be loud this weekend. Our next division match-up is Week 11 at Mile High Stadium.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tim Dobbins	knee	11/09/2009
Nick Hardwick	ankle	11/09/2009
Kevin Burnett	ankle	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryon Bingham	arm	09/05/2009
Jamal Williams	triceps	09/19/2009
Antwan Applewhite	hamstring	10/20/2009
Brandon Hughes	knee	09/02/2009

Philadelphia Eagles Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Max Jean-Gilles	shoulder	11/09/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Victor Abiamiri	knee	11/09/2009
Chris Gocong	other-excused	11/09/2009
Akeem Jordan	knee	11/10/2009
Brian Westbrook	ankle	11/09/2009
Quintin Demps	ankle	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Shawn Andrews	back	09/15/2009
Stewart Bradley	knee	09/01/2009
Omar Gaither	foot	10/22/2009
Cornelius Ingram	knee	09/01/2009
Fenuki Tupou	chest	09/05/2009

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Chris Park - AP

2 months ago: Denver Broncos tight end Tony Scheffler dances through the end zone after his 19-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter of the NFL football game Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 in San Diego. Scheffler had six receptions for 101 yards. The Broncos won 34-23 over the Chargers. (AP Photo/Chris Park)

Browse more photos »

Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. I had a fairly selfish weekend, leaving Cleveland on Friday and traveling to South Bend, Indiana, for the Notre Dame-USC game on Saturday afternoon. My friend Ramona has a brother who is a graduate student at Notre Dame, and he was able to get us pretty good tickets. I didn't get home until about 5 PM on Sunday, so I missed all of the early NFL games, and only got to see the second quarter on of a few late ones. I recorded the Short Cuts of the 3 most interesting early games, with a plan of watching them Monday evening, after work and before the Broncos-Chargers game. I apologize if this is a slightly thinner ST&NO than usual, but I don't ever want to be the guy who comments on football I didn't see, scanning the box scores for some stats which may or may not be meaningful. You know who I mean, all of them. Without further ado, let's get this thing moving, ST&NO style. Ready..... BEGIN!!!

1. So, I am writing this at 12:16 AM ET on Tuesday morning, with the rest of the column basically already in the can. Such is life when you have a Tuesday morning time slot, and a back-and-forth, hotly contested Monday night game. I've only gotten to see the game once, obviously, and we're in a compressed time situation, but I'm going to try hard to manage the clock well, and come with some thunder on the short track.

This is a great feeling, isn't it? Frankly, even if I had a lot of time to write, there isn't much to say that I haven't been saying all season. I've covered most "isn't this great" angles, right? It kind of makes writing a column like this difficult, when it comes to finding new material for the Donny Deutsch Big Idea. I can't even really play the disrespect card anymore.

Luckily, I have two weeks to think of new ideas, until the Broncos take on the Baltimore Ravens. I have a feeling that I'll be talking about the 7-0 Broncos after that game, because the Ravens can't defend the Broncos, and the Broncos defense actually matches up very favorably with the Baltimore offense. Until then, let's enjoy this win, this place in the standings, and the feeling we're all feeling right now. I remember this feeling, from the late 1990s. It's the one where your team is a legitimate contender to win the Super Bowl.

ZOMG! That was a new angle in Donny Deutschland, and it just kind of slipped out, didn't it? I knew something was right on the tip of my tongue (err... fingertips). But, yes, I said it, and yes, I mean it. Let's forget about Kool-Aid, and start thinking about Lombardi Trophies. Remember, I'm the crazy man who had the Broncos on 11-5 before the season started, which would now only require playing .500 football the rest of the way. Consider this an enhancement to my original forecast.

2. Information From My Eyes, Broncos at Chargers:

a. The Broncos initially really missed Brian Dawkins when he went out in the second quarter, but they eventually settled down and performed respectably on the back end, until he returned.

b. On the huge Elvis Dumervil strip/sack late in the 3rd quarter, the play was supposed to go to Antonio Gates, who was split out wide to the left, and running a vertical route, which I expect would have been a back-shoulder fade on the sideline. Josh Barrett had him man-to-man, and engaged him with great position and technique off the line. Philip Rivers had to hold the ball on his 3-step drop, and that was what caused the sack. Barrett is the best Safety I have seen in the NFL at covering the top TEs man-to-man.

c. While I am at it, Barrett had Gates blanketed on Dumervil's second sack too, (with Dawkins over the top, for good measure), early in the 4th quarter, and it was clear he was again Rivers' first read on the play. If Barrett could do nothing else well, he'd be worth having around to cover guys like Gates in obvious passing situations, like that 3rd-and-14 was.

d. They got to that 3rd-and-14 by finally blowing up a screen pass. The linemen disengaged, and slid laterally like they knew the screen was coming, and Mario Haggan tackled LaDanian Tomlinson for the 4-yard loss. This was an enormous play.

e. The right side of the Chargers line, Louis Vazquez and Jeromey Clary, aren't nearly good enough to be starters on a winning team. Clary gave up two sacks, and Vazquez got pushed around a LOT by Marcus Thomas and Ronald Fields. I actually thought their replacement Center, Scott Mruczkowski, played very well in the game, considering the low expectations I had for him from seeing the last few games.

f. The Broncos consistently got pressure in the second half, and mixed it with terrific coverage in the back end. This has been a recurring theme this season. Robert Ayers was a beast, and would have gotten about 3 sacks against lesser QBs than Rivers.

g. Only getting to see the game once, in live action, I can't really do much of a Between The Lines feature, but the Broncos offensive line was dominant in pass protection. The only sack they gave up was for 2 yards, and it was well blocked, with Orton running into the sack after a long time holding the ball.

h. Darcel McBath did a great job filling in for Brian Dawkins, and made every key special teams tackle.

i. The Broncos would not be 6-0 without Kyle Orton as their QB. With the exception of the bonehead sack he took late in Week 1, he has completely avoided making the game-losing plays that all post-Elway QBs have made for the Broncos.

j. Did anybody notice that Darren Sproles did absolutely nothing for the Chargers on offense? That was a big key to the game.

k. I already mentioned the overall protection, but Ryan Clady owned Shawne Merriman, and the lights stayed on all night. I loved Keyshawn Johnson and Cris Carter mocking Merriman's stupid dance on ESPN, too. Rare value from the Worldwide Leader.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games:

a. I remember that last season when the Broncos went into the Meadowlands and beat the Jets, Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post was positively ebullient in his praise of Jay Cutler. Not everybody likes Lombardi, but I consider him to be very rare, as a guy who primarily shares his thoughts about football in the written space, and actually knows what he is talking about. (Most former participants who know interesting things can't write, and most writers don't know anything beyond the surface level).

Anyway, Lombardi was excited by the way Cutler threw the ball on a really cold and windy day. We know about Cutler's exceptional arm strength, and Lombardi's point was that on a bad-weather day like you get in New York, that characteristic was extremely valuable, and the difference between winning and losing.

If I were Mike Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan, I'd be more than a little worried about Mark Sanchez. He looked terrible Sunday, on every throw he attempted. The five interceptions and 14 other incompletions were mostly not a function of bad decisions, they were a function of the mind being willing, and the body not being able. I know how to dunk a basketball, but I can't jump close to high enough to do it on a 10-foot rim. Sanchez lacked the zip to get his ball downfield effectively, and the weather was only pretty bad, not as bad as it can get in northern New Jersey. Sanchez did tell the CBS announcer crew that he had never played or practiced in temperatures below about 55 degrees, so I don't want to go overboard on making pronouncements yet, with just a one-game sample size. This is a big deal, though, and it will bear watching as the season goes on.

b. He never has the stats to back this up, but stats are merely convenient indicators; Lee Evans is one of the five best WRs in the NFL. If he ever had a good QB throwing him the ball, and an offensive scheme which featured his talents, the stats would be there, believe me.

c. I was asked recently by a reader if I still thought that Bills rookie LG Andy Levitre looked like he couldn't play in the NFL. The answer is, at least in the second half and overtime on Sunday, he looked league-average. When I originally criticized Levitre's play, he got dominated in the preseason by Tennessee's Tony Brown and Jason Jones, who are both Pro Bowl-caliber DTs. Kris Jenkins had already gotten hurt by the time I was watching Sunday, but Levitre was a slight positive in the run game, and a slight negative in pass protection. I still do doubt if he can anchor effectively against a good bull rush.

d. Wow, the Tennessee Titans had an unspeakably terrible Sunday. The Patriots completed 38 out of 45 throws, and the Titans completed 2 of 14. Those two completions were a 15-yard gain by their FB Ahmard Hall, and a 22-yard loss by WR Nate Washington, for a net of (-7) passing yards.

Those stats tell the story of the Titans this season. They were outstanding in coverage the past few years, and they're terrible this year, due to some injuries and shocking regressions by a couple players like Michael Griffin and Cortland Finnegan (who is currently hurt.) They also got good play from Kerry Collins in 2008, and they've gotten extremely lousy play from him this year. He's getting pretty solid protection, but he isn't hitting open men (when men do manage to get open). I don't think Vince Young is the answer, but it's time to make him the starter for the rest of the season, to see for sure.

e. Former first-rounder Jamaal Anderson looked much better for the Falcons at DT than he ever has at DE. He was part of a sack of Jay Cutler late in the 4th quarter, after only having 2 in 2-plus years as an end. He lacked the suddenness to beat a Tackle, but really got off the ball well against the Bears' Guards. He also was in coverage in the zone blitz the Falcons ran on 4th down, and caused Cutler's throw to be offline. The Falcons may be on to something.

f. ST&NO Favorite Thomas DeCoud has been playing at a Pro Bowl level for the Falcons all season, and he intercepted Cutler twice on Sunday night. He gets no recognition yet, but he is very instinctive and has a great feel for zone coverage.

g. Cutler still throws the pass to the seam better than any QB in the NFL, and makes big plays on the run. He's exactly the same player he was in Denver last season, and I mean that exactly how it sounds. The Bears got exactly the guy they saw on film, and I hope that's what they were expecting, because if it was, you'd have to expect that they're happy. I can be happy that they're happy, right? ;)

h. I am shocked that the Raiders beat the Eagles. I didn't watch a lot of the game, because it was my local FOX late game, and crap-tastic WJW FOX 8 had a really annoying sound problem going on. Looking at the stat sheet, it jumps out that the Eagles only ran the ball 14 times, and they were fairly successful in those carries, averaging 4.8 yards. Periodically, Andy Reid's Eagles teams have gotten really unbalanced and pass-happy, and it's a recipe for getting beat, over the years. With Sunday's injury to Jason Peters, coupled with the pre-existing absence of Shawn Andrews, it's hard to imagine why you'd think you can be successful protecting Donovan McNabb, when there is no threat of the run.

i. I have alway liked Sidney Rice, dating back to his days at the University of South Carolina. He's big, physical, and fluid. Brett Favre is turning him into a possible Pro Bowl player this season, and it seems they have a great deal of chemistry. He has 23 catches for 409 yards so far this season, and his impact is growing each week.

j. I actually thought that Michael Oher did a pretty credible job against Jared Allen Sunday, for his second start at LT. The sack Allen got came when Oher and the LG were releasing to the outside, like the play was supposed to be a screen, and since nobody went out to the left to receive a pass, I can only imagine that there was a communication breakdown somewhere on that play. When it came to man-to-man blocking, Oher did pretty well, and wasn't beaten like a red-headed step-child, as Allen claimed on Monday.

k. Anybody believe me yet that Joe Flacco is a true franchise QB? He got hit a lot, but made a lot of big-time throws on Sunday, and he had his team in position to win the game (again).

l. Steve Hutchinson blew up Haloti Ngata several times on Sunday, and as good as he has been in his career, I was surprised to see him win that matchup so convincingly.

m. I hated the Giants defensive game plan on Sunday. They need to be rushing 5 men, because that's how they do their business every week. They seemed like they wanted to sit back and try to play coverage, and it didn't work at all. The Giants really miss Kenny Phillips, who is a good young safety; they were particularly vulnerable in the middle of the field against the Saints.

n. The key to the Saints' offensive success is their ability to run the football. The success they've had in that area this year is the big difference from last season. The perception seems to exist that they're a spread-out, 5-wide kind of team, but they're not. They run frequently and well, and make big yards off their play-action stuff. If the Broncos happen to see them in a Super Bowl setting, the order of the day will be neutralizing the run.

o. Remember 2 weeks ago, when I said that the Steelers' success in running the ball was a function of San Diego's interior weakness, rather than their own strength? Look no further than Sunday's game against Cleveland for proof of that. Shaun Rogers did a great job inside for the Browns, and if you take away 21 yards gained on an end-around by Mike Wallace, the Steelers had 119 rushing yards on 35 carries, a 3.4-yard average. Remember, aside from Rogers, the Browns are very non-descript up front. The Broncos averaged 5 yards against them in Week 2, for purposes of comparison.

p. Ben Roethlisberger was lights-out on Sunday, and Hines Ward played very well again. I've never been Ward's biggest fan, and I considered him to be fading as a playmaker at the end of last season. He's looked rejuvenated this whole season, though.

4. I had some technical problems with Lighting Up The Scoreboard this week, and I ran out of time before I had to leave for Indiana on Friday. I wanted to incorporate some of the graphics I had created for it into today's ST&NO, and talk about a couple things the Broncos showed against New England.

The Trap - A Different Take on an Age-Old Play

This is a standard HB trap play, a traditional staple of the running game at every level of football. There is such a thing as a Tackle trap, but usually the backside guard is going to pull, and hit the NT or DT who was allowed to come across the line. The pulling player's block serves to push the defensive lineman toward the sideline, and the RB runs behind that block, where the play-side players are out hitting somebody on the second level.

For the record, this play works better, from an angles perspective, against a 4-3 look, because instead of a zero-technique NT, you have a three-technique DT right where you want your puller to meet him. The NT's presence makes the angle more difficult. This is the quintessential man-blocked play, so Broncos fans haven't seen a lot of it over the last 15 years.

Last week against New England, the Broncos brought in Russ Hochstein as an extra TE and pulled him. The play looked like this, and I am now showing it against San Diego's base 3-4 look:

This has a slightly different objective, which is to entice the five-technique DE, Luis Castillo (93), across the line, rather than the NT. Both Daniel Graham (89) and Ryan Clady (78) briefly engage Castillo, before releasing to the second level to hit both play-side linebackers. Castillo processes the events as being a misread zone-tandem block, where both O-Linemen thought they needed to get off the initial block to the second level. He crosses the line of scrimmage, looking for a big play, and is hit by Hochstein, who is pulling from the backside. Knowshon Moreno's angle is less severe, and he can run in the B gap, where Ben Hamilton and Casey Wiegmann have doubled the NT.

Of course, I drew and wrote all this up before the Monday Night game, and never saw this get employed against the Chargers, but we should expect to see it again this season. It worked really well a few times against New England. I am sure that, along with the Wild Horses stuff, the Broncos didn't think they needed to use it to run effectively against the Chargers.

5. Enjoyable/Aggravating Travel Note of The Week:

Here's a thought that I think I thunk. Does Enjoyable/Aggravating mean Enjoyable AND Aggravating? Enjoyable OR Aggravating? How about Enjoyable AND/OR Aggravating? That slash leaves a lot to the imagination.

Anyway, on the heels of my Notre Dame trip, I have a wedding to go to next weekend in Dallas. I leave Cleveland Thursday evening, (already wearing my drinking shoes as I deplane, at the groom's request), and return Monday afternoon. Scott, the groom, is the tattooed guy who was enlisted in the Army once, and eventually became an officer. He's now a Blackhawk pilot, and his wife is an Apache pilot, and both just returned from a year in Iraq. Scott is my fraternity brother (we're members of Tau Kappa Epsilon - Any other Tekes out there?) and it will be good to see him and some other guys who are coming in.

This is germane to ST&NO, because I get to write about whatever I feel like, and also because it affects near-term programming. (And also, also because it allowed me to introduce some snark about Peter King, which is always fun, and good for a cheap laugh or two.) Being on the bye week anyway, expect an abbreviated ST&NO next Tuesday, probably limited to some game observations that I am hopefully able to pick up on before the wedding on Sunday night. Obviously, Lighting Up The Scoreboard won't appear this Saturday, but expect it to be back on Saturday, October 31st, in advance of the Ravens game.

6. While we're snarking it up about MMQB, y'all know I am a helpful guy, right? Well, maybe you don't know, but you could guess. Anyway, I am one of these people who gets annoyed when people misuse words, like H-Back or factoid. Ahh, yes, factoid.

Peter King insists on calling a section of his MMQB column "Factoid Of The Week Which May Only Interest Me." I sent him a message once, long before I ever had a competing column, to helpfully let him know that he was misusing the word "factoid." See what a swell guy I am?

From our friends at Webster.com:

Main Entry: fac·toid

Pronunciation: \ˈfak-ˌtȯid\

Function: noun

Date: 1973

1 : an invented fact believed to be true because of its appearance in print

2 : a briefly stated and usually trivial fact

I actually like the Wiktionary.org definition better:

factoid (plural factoids)

An inaccurate statement or statistic believed to be true because of broad repetition, especially if cited in the media.

Usage Problem. A small insignificant fact, but still interesting. (Note: Refer above to the meaning of the suffix. It's ironic that the very definition of factoid has itself come to be a factoid.)

So, for ignoring my helpful advice a couple years ago, Peter gets an ESPN-style C'MON, MAN. By the way, his column yesterday was Bill Williamson Memorial Decent. He is still buying into this silly meme that the Broncos have an impossible schedule, which bugs me.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. As a follow-up to last week's column, I give credit to Rick Reilly for manning up for his clownishness with all that Boy Blunder stuff. I thought he would stay unaccountable for it, but he surprised me.

9. Expect the Broncos not to do anything at the trade deadline. It's not like anybody is giving away a bigger/better Offensive Guard, and if they were, the Packers, Steelers, or Chargers would almost certainly outbid the Broncos for him. They're desperate for offensive line help, and for the Broncos, it would just be kind of nice to get bigger and stronger at LG.

That's all I have for this week, friends. Have a great one, and look for ST&NO again next Tuesday morning, where my next trick will be to make y'all think you're getting a football column, and instead, probably bring you A Wedding Story, like you were watching (a funny, masculine, fraternity guy version of) Lifetime. If you need me before that, get at me on Twitter at @TedBartlett905.

Poll

OK, I said it, and I want to know what the community thinks, in simple poll form. Is this team a legitimate Super Bowl contender?

Umm, yes. I've been waiting here for you with a cold glass of Kool-Aid, and you're late to the party.

339 votes

My expectations were a little more tempered, but I'd have to say yes, based on the evidence.

1008 votes

I have moved from the 7-9 crowd to the 11-5 crowd, but I think they're one and done. Later for the Super Bowl.

286 votes

I still think the big, bad schedule will keep the Broncos out of the playoffs.

7 votes

I am one of the few Chargers fans who cares enough to come mess up this poll.

9 votes

1649 votes | Poll has closed

The Linc - Wildcat, Mike Vick, Wildcat, Mike Vick, Wildcat....

JasonB — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:32:12 -0000

What will Vick's Wildcat package look like? - NFC East - ESPN
Peter King of SI.com has already reported that the Eagles have a 10-play package for Vick.

Breaking Down the Birds' Use of the Wildcat
Andy Reid loves to tinker. He enjoys working with old cars, taking them apart and putting them back together. He does the same thing with his football team, which is why he loves the Wildcat offense. It’s the ultimate tinker toy.

The700Level.com - Philly Sports & Minutiae: Michael Vick Can See the Blitz Coming
Received this photo and email in my inbox this morning: We sat in one of the luxury suites yesterday at the Eagles game. When I got there I looked to the box to our left and there was Michael Vick....

Now Chiefs Defense Prepares for Eagles, Michael Vick - Arrowhead Pride
Now Chiefs Defense Prepares for Eagles, Michael Vick

Shawn Andrews on his way to LA | Philadelphia Daily News | 09/22/2009
Shawn Andrews is on his way to Los Angeles, presumably to have his injured back re-examined by Dr. Robert Watkins.

More after the jump including strippers at the new Cowboys stadium, NFL struggling in Jacksonville, and Kolb's status.

The new Cowboys stadium actually features 'cage dancers' - Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
It appears that Jerry Jones did indeed think of everything.

NFL has no business being in Jacksonville - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
It was a fine afternoon for football Sunday in Jacksonville and 46,520 fans (actually, probably less) showed up to rattle around the city’s Municipal Stadium for the Jaguars’ home opener. The stadium, which hasn’t had a name-rights deal in two years, can seat over 76,000. The Jags long ago gave up on that number, and in an effort to avoid television blackouts they covered up sections to cut capacity to 66,066. They still didn’t come close to selling out.

Kolb to Remain Eagles' Starter if McNabb Can't Go - washingtonpost.com
Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid reiterated Monday what he'd indicated following Sunday's loss to the New Orleans Saints: Kevin Kolb will remain the team's starter at quarterback this weekend if Donovan McNabb again is unable to play because of a fractured rib.

The Linc - Will Brees do his best Warner impression?

JasonB — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 04:55:34 -0000

More photos » by Barbara Johnston - AP

3 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks Jeff Garcia (9) and Kevin Kolb (4) chat during practice at the team's NFL football training facility in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Barbara Johnston)

Browse more photos »

Eagles Hoping Brees Doesn't Emulate Warner
This Sunday, we’ll see just how much the Eagles have learned from their NFC Championship loss to Arizona. That afternoon the savvy Kurt Warner defused their blitz by making quick decisions and accurate passes. Warner winged darts through the Eagles’ D, completing 14 of 17 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns to lift the Cardinals to a 24-6 halftime lead.

NFC East: Final Word - NFC East - ESPN
Why am I the only guy in the country who thinks Kevin Kolb will play well against the Saints? It's not like the Saints have a juggernaut defense. - Matt Mosely

NFL Football Betting, Bet on NFL Odds, Lines at Bodog Sportsbook
Kevin Kolb - Total Passing Yards Week 2 vs. the New Orleans Saints Over/Under 165.5

Les Bowen: Eagles' Cole faces more difficult test this week vs. Saints | Philadelphia Daily News | 09/18/2009
THE LIST OF things the Carolina Panthers weren't prepared to do in last Sunday's opener - along with taking care of that slippery ball, and tackling DeSean Jackson - included figuring out the game of "Where's Waldo?" that new Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott was playing with Trent Cole.

More after the jump including an update on Cornelius Griffin, Saints' coordinators, Stacy Andrews on Shawn Andrews, and more

Expectations for Maclin; Saints' coordinator knows Birds | Philadelphia Daily News | 09/18/2009
Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg didn’t want to venture a guess as to how many snaps from scrimmage wideout Jeremy Maclin got at Carolina in his NFL debut. No passes were thrown to Maclin. "He got some plays," Mornhinweg said. "Now, every game will be different, but hopefully, as we go over a big space of time, that will keep picking up just a little bit for him."

New Orleans Saints @ Philadelphia Eagles: Interview with the Enemy - Canal Street Chronicles
New Orleans Saints @ Philadelphia Eagles: Interview with the Enemy

Second knee surgery doesn't surprise Eagles rookie Ingram | Philadelphia Daily News | 09/18/2009
ou can add Cornelius Ingram to the list of people who weren't surprised the Eagles' rookie tight end needed a second ACL repair. "No, not really, sad to say," Ingram, a fifth-round pick from Florida, said yesterday.

PhillyBurbs.com: Stacy Andrews defends brother
Despite speculation, the elder Andrews said Shawn is genuinely injured and wants to play.

Shawn Andrews comments on his YouTube channel

JasonB — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:09:15 -0000

Shawn Andrews is once again sparring with the throngs of Youtube trolls that follow his official channel. This was the first we've heard from Andrews since the news broke that he was placed on IR.

Lol.. You guys are harsh. I won't let what you guys say offend/control me.. I hope you guys never experience what I have. It's not my fault my back is jacked right now. It's fine that you guys don't care about my health tha is fine. I hustle for my family man. I appreciate your concerted efforts to berate me, but @ the end of the day we are all human. GOD Bless each of you guys, and may he remove all the negative energy from you guys..;)

Of course, the trolls are responding with some truly disgusting, racist, homophobic, & profanity ridden rants. Pretty much the norm for an un-moderated internet community.

Shawn Andrews done for the year, for good?

JasonB — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:20:28 -0000

More photos » by Anonymous - AP

Browse more photos »

Some might say this was inevitable, but at least until last week we were trying to hold out hope that two time pro bowler Shawn Andrews would be able to play this year. He missed almost all of last year with a combination of depression and back troubles, the latter of which he had surgery to correct. The back troubles continued this summer and held him out of training camp and the entire preseason. In the final week or so of camp, Andrews received medial clearance to begin light practice and spoke about how much better his back felt... but then of course it tightened up, the pain returned, and he was ruled out of last weeks' game.

Now, he's been ruled out for the rest of the season.

So much for waiting around to see when Shawn Andrews is healthy enough to play. The Eagles placed Andrews on Injured Reserve, ending his 2009 season. It also likely raises question marks about Andrews and his future in the game.

When even the Eagles' website is questioning the likelihood of a guy playing again, you know it's serious. It seems now that Andrews' career may very well go the way of Corey Simon, who was another supremely talented player that could never overcome chronic injuries and other issues.

More after the jump.

The need to make some sort of roster move was due to the signing of Jeff Garcia. To add Garcia to the 53 man roster, the Eagles had to make room. Rather than trade or cut someone, they decided to put Andrews on IR rather than keep hoping that his back will magically feel better as he takes up a roster spot.

This of course means that Winston Justice will remain as the starting RT for the remainder of the year. Currently, there is no backup listed at the position. Eventually, the Eagles are probably going to have to part ways with a WR if they plan to bring in another tackle. As of this moment, Mike McGlynn is probably the backup RT which is the position he played in college.

Credit to Eaglesgrl5 in the fanposts

Gameday Lincs - Eagles at Panthers

JasonB — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Matt Rourke - AP

Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook looks on during practice at the team's NFL football training facility in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. The Eagles open the season on the road against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 13. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Browse more photos »

Who's picking the Eagles? | Philly | 09/12/2009
A overview of a number of national pundits making picks on the Eagles/Panthers game.

Didinger's Eagles-Panthers Scouting Report
Breaking down Sunday’s game between the Eagles and the Carolina Panthers.

The Canadian Press: Michael Vick will get taste of Eagles road trip with game at Carolina
"This gives him an opportunity when he steps back in to be familiar with how we do things," Reid said Friday. "It gives him an opportunity to go through the whole travelling process and the meetings, and I think that's important for where he's at right now."

Opposition spotlight: Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles won at the beginning of the century's first decade, and after a late=season push to the NFC Championship Game last January, they're poised to win at its end.

There's a Panthers Season Opener Here? On Sunday? - Cat Scratch Reader
There seems to be a lack of buzz in Charlotte about the Panthers and the start of the NFL season.

More after the jump including the enigmas, Peppers and Andrews, and a note about the Eagles' special teams.

About the special teams | Philadelphia Daily News | 09/12/2009
DeSean Jackson will be the punt returner and Ellis Hobbs and Quintin Demps both could potentially see time returning kicks, although Hobbs seems like the likely favorite.

Which Julius Peppers will Eagles face? | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/12/2009
Julius Peppers: Enigma. The story continues for the Carolina Panthers.

Philadelphia Eagles' Shawn Andrews will miss opener; Michael Vick traveling - ESPN
Shawn Andrews has more free time to wear sunglasses and tape his wacky, musical YouTube videos.

Chiefs Still $7 Million Short of Salary Cap Minimum - Arrowhead Pride
Here's an interesting situation, the Chiefs need to spend another $7 million just to reach the salary cap minimum. I think they have until.. now? If they don't, they have to split the $7 mil amongst every player who attended training camp for them.