SB Nation - Brent Celek

49ers-Eagles: Final Injury Report

Fooch — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:00:28 -0000

The 49ers had their last bit of practice today and I believe are heading off to Philly at some point today. I'd think leaving today could help with that early Sunday start, but we'll see. After the jump I've posted what was a very brief post-game press transcript. Staley will definitely be starting on Sunday, and Arnaz Battle will be returning punts, so we'll all get to collectively hold our breath for small chunks of Sunday's game.

49ers
Out
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)

Doubtful
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)

Questionable
T Barry Sims (knee)
TE Delanie Walker (ankle)

Probable
LB Ahmad Brooks (foot)
S Dashon Goldson (chest)
RB Frank Gore (toe)
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
RB Moran Norris (toe)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
T Joe Staley (knee)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Eagles
Out
WR Jeremy Maclin (foot)
RB Brian Westbrook (concussion)

Questionable
TE Brent Celek (back, thumb)

Probable
DE Victor Abiamiri (knee)
WR Jason Avant (hamstring)
C Nick Cole (knee)
DE Trent Cole (hamstring)
WR Kevin Curtis (knee)
LB Akeem Jordan (knee)
DT Mike Patterson (wrist)
RB Leonard Weaver (hamstring)

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Practice - December 18, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"We had a good week this week, a couple of days of good practice. It is more about getting mental work this time of year. We are trying to get our guys healthy, fresh and ready for the game. As far as [T Joe] Staley is concerned, we are glad to have him back. He will start. [T Barry] Sims will back up."

On what he saw in Staley this week:

"Actually, even the last couple of weeks, he has been talking about how good he was feeling. Of course I keep a rapport with the trainer, Fergie [Jeff Ferguson], and Fergie kept giving me updates here and there and said he was doing great. He possibly could have gone last week, but I wanted to give him another week simply because we just really wanted to make sure he was ready and didn't want to take any steps backwards because he has been doing so well. He has looked great. He looked good last week in the things he did and I am very excited to see how he does."

On how well Sims filled in for Staley:

"Outstanding. I don't think anyone really knew what to expect. Last year, he played some right tackle and did a good job last year, but I think this year he exceeded that by far. He held up and just did a really nice job."

On who will return punts Sunday:

"[WR] Arnaz [Battle]."

On whether taking Wednesday off had the desired effect on the players:

"You really won't know that until Sunday, but I think so. I believe so."

49ers-Eagles Thursday Injury Report/Coordinator Transcripts

Fooch — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:41:51 -0000

The 49ers had their normal Thursday practice session and I believe will be heading out to Philly tomorrow. In the meantime, the practice reports would seem to indicate that Joe Staley will be back in his spot at left tackle on Sunday against the Eagles. Barry Sims banged up his knee on Monday and has been out since then (even though today is technically the only practice of the week). With Sims looking likely to be on the shelf on Sunday, the return of Staley turns into a pretty important storyline. The team has done a solid job keeping Alex Smith on his feet, and a nice chunk of that has been due to the impressive play of Barry Sims off the bench. The question now is how injecting Staley into the lineup might affect that.

49ers
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)

Did not Participate in Practice
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
T Barry Sims (knee)
TE Delanie Walker (ankle)

Limited Participation in Practice
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Full Participation in Practice
LB Ahmad Brooks (foot)
S Dashon Goldson (chest)
RB Frank Gore (toe)
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
RB Moran Norris (toe)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
T Joe Staley (knee)

Eagles
Did not Participate in Practice
WR Jeremy Maclin (foot)

Limited Participation in Practice
TE Brent Celek (back, thumb)
RB Brian Westbrook (concussion)

Full Participation in Practice
DE Victor Abiamiri (knee)
WR Jason Avant (hamstring)
C Nick Cole (knee)
DE Trent Cole (hamstring)
WR Kevin Curtis (knee)
LB Akeem Jordan (knee)
DT Mike Patterson (wrist)
RB Leonard Weaver (hamstring)

After the jump check out OC Jimmy Raye and DC Greg Manusky's transcripts from after practice today.

Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky
Post-Walk Thru - December 17, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On the Eagles use of screen passes:

"I think with the athletes that they have across the board with the wide receivers and the running backs, it is part of their game and we have to play the call and defeat blocks and feel the screen and get to them."

On why the team has struggled against the screen this year:

"Maybe situations, also the linemen have to feel it. I think the screen game is a team thing from a defensive standpoint where you have to hustle to the ball and make plays. That is what we have to try to focus on and get it done in practice."

On defending WR DeSean Jackson:

"You just have to make sure you have somebody on top of him. He has great speed, a vertical threat. He catches the ball very well and the quarterback throws to him. Basically, that is what you have to do."

On what he meant by "have somebody on top of him":

"Have a safety on top of him."

On S Dashon Goldson's range:

"He has some range. That's why we drafted him where we did. He did a good job last week making plays on the deep balls and also coming up and filling in in the run game. He has had some good games in the last couple of weeks, so that's good."

On CB Shawntae Spencer's season:

"That's why we made our decision early on after camp was over to make him the starter. At first we were a little bit tentative because we didn't know where he would be, but it has worked out for us with him coming back from that injury."

On Spencer's speed now compared to before his injury:

"Like I said during training camp, he is very clean. He had a clean training camp and he has been playing well the last couple of weeks. That's what he is."

On whether this is Spencer's best season:

"So far, yeah. I think so for the years I have been around. I don't know about the years prior to when I was here, but he is playing very consistent and steady football, which we like."

On whether Spencer is a leader in the secondary:

"I think all those guys take the lead. Shawntae does his job and he does it well. He is a professional at it and it is good to see that things are working out for him."

On whether Spencer has stepped up more since CB Nate Clements became injured:

"Yeah, he goes out there and does his job. He's not a big talker, at least I don't hear him out on the field talking. He matches up against some good wide receivers and he goes out there and plays week-in and week-out and he has had a fine season thus far."

On whether LB Ahmad Brooks has Lawrence Taylor-type ability:

"He has ability. I played against LT, never offensively, but he had some moves. Ahmad is a good, talented player. He has a lot of physical talent, and if we can just hone those skills like we did last week and keep getting better each and every game and each and every practice, the sky is the limit for the guy."

On why he moved Brooks to the outside linebacker position:

"I think during training camp and OTAs, particularly last year during the season and stuff, his ability to come off the edge and rush in the scout team stuff and against our tackles we saw something there. We made the decision this past offseason to move him strictly to that position and it has benefitted him."

On what Brooks needs to become an every-down player:

"Reps. That is the most important thing, seeing the picture over and over and over again. For players that haven't played outside or played inside and are trying to make that conversion at times is hard. For him, it is always a process. Even for guys coming out of college who are defensive linemen who get to stand up and pass rush, it takes them a little bit of time to figure it out and the body leans and everything and get those pass-sets and feel where the set-point is. His progress is good."

On what he meant by "body lean":

"Feeling the offensive body lean, if he is over-set and you are under-set."

On the hostile environment in Philadelphia:

"We have to play the game. We get paid to play, and same thing with the players, they have to go out there and perform. Even though we are going back east, there are always obstacles and things in your way, I think we just have to keep on focusing on us and just play the game."

On whether this is the most diverse offense he has faced this year:

"Yeah, they have some different people that they put in in different packages. We will have a plan for them."

On why the turnovers have come in bunches this year:

"It is kind of like a feeding frenzy sometimes. When one guy gets one you feel... I remember when I played when I used to get one, it just kind of builds on itself. I think that is what happens, so hopefully we will get one early in Philly."

Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye
Post-Walk Thru - December 17, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On the difference between QB Alex Smith dropping back and being in the shotgun:

"I think we're over-analyzing this thing way, way, way too - we're just playing football. We're just playing football. This isn't an exact science, and Alex's progress has been very good from the time that I arrived here back in February and to the time he's been able to get on the field and play. The problem, I guess, that I have with qualifying that is I don't have the previous history that you all observed from before. I didn't go study that and don't know the nuances of what took place, but he has been effective under, as he was in Houston, threw three touchdown passes in the second half of that game, and he's been effective from the gun. But, as it goes forward, the mixture of that as the offense finds its level of consistency repetitively, I think the way he's playing and the way the people around him are playing and the continuity continues, I think that will be a good fit."

On whether he's seen enough of Smith to determine if he's the 49ers starter for 2010:

"When you say ‘our,' are you including me? I think you can only judge that by how he has played to this point, and if he continues to win games, which I think he will, and I think he will continue to improve as he gets more familiar with playing the game itself within the constraints of the offense. I would think, for this organization, that he would be their quarterback in 2010, yes."

On whether he is planning on coming back in 2010:

"I don't think that question was about me. I think it was about Alex Smith in 2010."

On whether he's planning on being a part of the decision making process for Smith in 2010:

"Yes."

On whether the type of run-pass ratio from Monday Night Football is the type of balance he was hoping for:

"In terms of the quantity of run selection and pass selection it was, if you take the last three kneel downs out of it. I would like to lean a little bit - I think the balance would not be 50-50. I'd like to lean a little bit more toward the pass. I think we're in pretty good shape when we're in the plus 28-, 32-run category - when we get to that point. The numbers favor us if we're in the plus 28-32 run ratio to pass attempts. I think that favors us, and if we take care of the ball in that process, I think it breeds very well for us."

On whether the range was 28-32 runs:

"Yes."

On the desire to run 60 percent of the time at the start of the season and now looking for 60 percent pass:

"You've got to understand, guys, that when we started we had a different group of people than when we started. To me the balance, the 65-35, or the 60-40 balance is where you'd like to be, and with the change in quarterback and the addition of [WR Michael] Crabtree and the emergence of [TE Vernon] Davis and the development of [WR] Josh Morgan, I think it tilts the scale just a little bit the other way. That is the proportion of balance that you're striving for, and if it happens to be 60-40 run, I think that would be OK. If it happened to be 60-40 pass, ideally 65, if it was 55-45, those numbers would be in an ideal situation, though I don't think, other than last week, that would be possible to achieve on a weekly basis based on the defense that you play."

On whether the flexibility in offensive styles is a benefit because defenses must prepare for various looks:

"If it causes the defenses that we're going to play more preparation time because of all of the packages that we're in and the problems that we present, then it's a real benefit to us, provided we're efficient in them. We've done a pretty good job in 11 personnel, 12 personnel, and as we've gone forward, 22 group has kind of moved ahead of the 21 group - but that has been dictated by the defense that we're playing. All of the things that we have available to us in those personnel groups means that it's something they can't hone in on and get really specifically good at, so that's a positive for offense and allows us to stay in attack mode."

On his personnel group philosophy on first and second down:

"I don't know the reference to last year, what that means. We would like, from the quarterback standpoint, the feeling as we practice and prepare the plan, the feeling of being able to put him in the things in that particular package that have run-down and pass-down features to it, without people running in and out of the huddle constantly helps him settle and anticipate the call of what we practiced and what we anticipate seeing by down and distance, and hopefully, those things are fluid enough that we can do them as well out of 11 as out of 12 or 22 and 21. The thing that has been a little bit what you haven't seen and the thing that has hurt us a little bit in terms of being able to do that and maintain the fluidity of that is we lost [RB] Michael Robinson, who is kind of a back hybrid like [TE] Delanie Walker is a tight end hybrid guy. We haven't had that available to us because of injury, but that allows you - the 21 package - to be as fluid as the other packages if he's available because he has pass receiving skill, run blocking skills and can line up in the backfield. So, the personnel groups that we play through and out of, as I said way back early on in the spring, is that you'd like to have offensively the things that you're doing by the people in the game, the ability for the personnel on the group and the plays to be able to take care of the contingencies of the defense, and then they have to defend all of those things and matchup the personnel that's in the game. That would be ideal. It doesn't happen very much, but that's ideally what you're looking for."

On whether the QB Alex Smith's hard count is a part of the offense:

"That's a big part of the offense. We practice that. It got us there in the end on the one play in the four-minute deal where the right tackle hitched. It is a part of what we do, the cadence and when we start it. We have mandatory cadence sessions in practices where we use the hard count and we have the clown cadence. I don't want to tell everything that we do to the people that we play, but that is a part of what we do."

On FB Moran Norris' strong play on Monday night gives him more confidence to go with the 22 package:

"Yes it does, he played well. The 22 is a little bit heavier package, so he plays the same position in 21. But, 22 is a little bit heavier package. We think of it as a little bit heavier of a package. The thing you have to understand is that [RB] Frank [Gore], the runner has a real feeling of security when [No.] 44 is in the game as a lead blocker, different than some of the other personnel groups that we have. When he plays well, that helps all of us, in particular the guy that is important is that it helps [No.] 21."

Keeping an Eye on the Other Beasts in the East

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:47:59 -0000

More photos » by Seth Wenig - AP

A Giant collapse? Eli Manning will watch the Giants' playoff hopes slip away if they don't defeat the Redskins on MNF.

Browse more photos »

With the Eagles atop the division, they've got a leg up on the rest of the Beasts in the current playoff picture.

Eagles clinch playoff berth with 1) PHI win + NYG loss, or 2) PHI win + DAL win.

Obviously, of the top three Beasts, the Giants need the most help. Having been swept by the Eagles, along with having a poor 5-4 conference record, New York's best chances are highly dependent upon Dallas losses.

The Cowboys sit in the middle. Being swept by the Giants keeps a fire lit under their behinds; yet, they still have a chance to sweep the division leading Eagles. Week 17 will be of utmost importance.

The Redskins, who have been playing well lately, are in danger of being swept by the division. Perhaps their 0-4 NFC East record will spurn them towards upsetting the Giants on Monday night at FedEx Field.

More Beasts in the East after the jump.

Washington Redskins (4-9)

Last game: 34-14 Win @ Oakland

Next up: Home vs. New York Giants

Big news in Washington. After VP/GM Vinny Cerrato's resignation, owner Daniel Snyder has hired Bruce Allen as his replacement.

Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins, has announced that proven long-time NFL executive Bruce Allen has been tapped to be the Executive Vice President/General Manager of the franchise. Daniel Snyder made the announcement just hours after accepting the resignation of Vinny Cerrato. Cerrato served in many capacities for the franchise over the last ten years, most recently as executive vice president of football operations.

"Bruce Allen is the personification of an NFL winner," Snyder said. "Our fans know his heritage; we know his abilities. He is the right person to lead our club."

Although the Redskins are not contending for a playoff position, they will still strive for a win against the rival Giants.

"I don’t want to look at it as a spoiler role for our football team. What I want to do is just win because we’ve earned it," Redskins coach Jim Zorn said on a conference call with New Jersey/New York media Wednesday.

"If we can earn the win, I want it to be more for us than winning it for somebody else. "What’s exciting about this game is it is a division opponent, it has a lot of meaning just because it is a division opponent, and it’s a Monday night game. We hope we can stay on track. That’s what we are looking forward to, anyway."

It does not sound as if Clinton Portis expects to be wearing the same jersey colors in 2010.

"I can't sit and tell you I want my career to be over here, but at the same time, you got to understand the business side of things," Portis said in a nearly 10-minute interview with a small group of reporters Tuesday at FedEx Field.

"I've been here for six years, and we went to the playoffs twice. I think Mr. [Daniel] Snyder [the team's owner], with the pressure that's on him with the organization, [is] probably going to have to make changes. For everything that [goes] on, I'm to blame, so why wouldn't I be the change?"

Rookie Brian Orakpo has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance (six tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble) against the Raiders.

New York Giants (7-6)

Last game: 45-38 Home Loss vs Philadelphia

Next up:@ Washington

The Giants are depending upon a Cowboys' collapse to get in the playoffs. Eli said so himself.

Eli Manning nearly snickered when asked about the Giants salvaging the season and not having a chance to control their own postseason destiny.

"We all know who Dallas plays and they've got a tough schedule," he said. "We are in the mind-set that if we win these three games, we think we will make the playoffs."

The Giants' troubles on defense have some pointing fingers at first-year coordinator, Bill Sheridan.

New York's defense, which was the NFL's best during the team's 5-0 start, has been uncharacteristically soft since, although coach Tom Coughlin gave first-year defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan a vote of confidence this week.

"I let him know my support for him and I also let him know it has to be better," Coughlin said. "We've got to do a better job. We're here for one reason. The inconsistency part of it is disturbing, let's face it. Six big play passes and three big play runs (against Philadelphia). You're not going to beat anybody like that."

The Redskins, on the other hand, have been a resurgent team of late.

"I'd love to be the Grinch on their Christmas," rookie linebacker Brian Orakpo said Monday. "That's what we're aiming for. Obviously we're not going to make the playoffs, but we would ruin some other people's seasons."

The Cowboys and Eagles each needed winning scores in the final three minutes to beat Washington, and the Saints only stayed unbeaten after a dramatic comeback in a 33-30 overtime victory two weeks ago.

The Redskins responded by blowing out lowly Oakland 34-13 on Sunday, as Jason Campbell threw two touchdown passes to emerging tight end Fred Davis while Quinton Ganther filled in for injured running backs Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts by rushing for two scores.

Here is the NFL Game Center for MNF's Giants @ Redskins matchup.

Philadelphia Eagles (9-4)

Last game: 45-38 Win @ New York Giants

Next up:Home vs San Francisco

Said simply, DeSean Jackson is a playmaker. Here's what he said about his electrifying punt return against the Giants.

What started as a return up the middle ended with his streaking up the left sideline.

"I caught the ball, went to the right a couple of steps and I didn't see nothing was going on that way, so I turned around and came left with it," he says of a decision that had to be made instantly. "They did a great job of sealing the sideline off for me."

His feel for open space, and his tremendous acceleration, served him well. He was left with only punter Jeff Feagles to beat.

"It's just a rule to me, I try not to get tackled by the kicker," he says.

Jackson was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Donovan McNabb compares and contrasts the T.O. days with this season's offense.

"With T.O. brought a lot of attention to our offense," McNabb said, when comparing the two offenses. "I think for rolling the coverages and being able to move (Owens) around because of his size, it still created mismatches which led now to (Brian) Westbrook having so many catches and so many yards; L.J. Smith, so many catches and so many yards; and then even Correll Buckhalter, I mean, coming in an spelling for Westbrook and picking up big yards ... Todd Pinkston I believe at that time led the league in catches over 20 yards."

"I think the difference for this year, obviously there's a different height situation with DeSean and T.O., but still the same explosiveness. We have Maclin, who is a bigger receiver, still being able to make plays on the other side. Brent Celek, who I think is having a Pro Bowl year. Leonard Weaver, having a Pro Bowl year. Our offensive line, the chemistry is where we need it to be. They seem to be getting that experience and they're playing well. So, there are some comparisons but there are also some differences."

I found this interesting tidbit of information when researching what losing Brian Westbrook has meant to the Eagles. To sum up the author's words, Westbrook was indeed important, but RBs are replaceable.

Aaron Schatz, president of Football Outsiders and the point man for this type of statistical analysis, calls it the "Mike Shanahan corollary," after the former Broncos head coach who produced five different 1,000-yard rushers in one eight-year stretch. The corollary isn't about just one coach, though; it's the whole league.

Over the last three seasons, eight featured running backs have gone down to injury, and in each case their understudies have actually outperformed them. If anything, you should be surprised Weaver and McCoy have been so unproductive.

In a lot of ways, this makes sense. Most carries are much more about the offensive line than they are the RBs. If your offensive line gets a 5-yard push, the back gets 5 yards. If the line gets you 2, he'll get 2. Lest you think I'm cherry-picking data, consider this: Adrian Peterson, the consensus best tailback in football, averages 4.5 yards per carry. The combined average of every other Viking to take a handoff? 4.4.

You see? Flozell Adams isn't the only Beast in the East who fights with the Giants. Eagles' DE Trent Cole got into a huge brawl Sunday night, but will not be suspended for his involvement.

Cole apologized for his actions and said that he will accept whatever repercussions are placed upon him by the league. After Darren Howard forced a fumble on a sack of Eli Manning with less than 30 seconds to go in the game, Trent Cole was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty and disqualified from the game for throwing two punches at Giants' offensive lineman Shaun O' Hara.

Cole was fined $15,000.

The team moved TE Martin Rucker up from its practice squad. The move may or may not have something to do with Brent Celek's back injury.

Rucker is an accomplished receiver, as evidenced by his 203 career receptions at the University of Missouri, most ever by a Big 12 tight end. But Reid said that because Rucker worked in the spread offense in college, his blocking needed work when he reached the NFL – and still does, the coach added.

Some injury notes:

Maclin (foot) and Celek (sore back) were the only two players to miss Wednesday's practice. According to head coach Andy Reid, Celek is expected to play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers (6-7). Westbrook (concussion) ran with the scout team. He hasn't been ruled out of Sunday's game, but may not play.

You saw how hard the 49ers fought on Monday night. By beating the division leading Cardinals, they've got some hope for the playoffs. Hopefully, they'll play just as tough against Philly.

The 6-7 Niners don't even have to win out, nor do they need for the 8-5 Cardinals to lose out. They just need to win two of their last three if the Cardinals lose all three, or to win out and hope for the Cardinals to lose at least two of three. If the two finish with the same record, the 49ers win the division outright based on beating Arizona twice.

Yes, the Niners can still win the division with an 8-8 record. But they cannot win the division if the Cardinals win all three remaining games.

If you missed the Monday night game, this is what the 49ers did to the Cardinals' offense.

The 49ers forced the Cardinals into seven turnovers, sacked Kurt Warner four times and allowed only 245 yards in total offense. Along with that, free safety Dashon Goldson played the best game of his professional life and could be a star in the making while outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, with three sacks, showed the kind of edge pass-rushing ability that all coaches crave. San Francisco is now tied for seventh in sacks with 34.

NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Frank Gore, gashed the Cards' defense. Do it again, Gore!

His 167 rushing yards helped propel the 49ers to a 24-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Gore totaled 104 yards on the ground in the first half on 13 carries and scored the team's last touchdown to seal the victory.

Here's the NFL Game Center for the 49ers @ Eagles matchup.

49ers-Eagles: Can the 49ers even hope to contain DeSean Jackson?

Fooch — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:06:34 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

Browse more photos »

On Tuesday, Frank Gore was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week following an impressive 167 yard, 1 TD performance in the 49ers win over the Arizona Cardinals. As was briefly mentioned, some folks were surprised to not see DeSean Jackson's name on the award given his incredible performance against the Giants on Sunday Night Football. Well, Jackson ended up being named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his punt return touchdown.

As much as I loved Frank Gore's performance, if there were an award for overall player of the week, DeSean Jackson would have had as strong a case as any player with his punt return TD, along with his 178 receiving yards and receiving touchdown. I'd say that's a rather adequate performance, wouldn't you?

The 2009 Eagles have put together some impressive offensive performances at times and have a host of intriguing weapons with which the 49ers will have to contend. At this point, the biggest threats are in the passing game. It sounds like Brian Westbrook will likely be out again this week, leaving the remaining Philly running backs who have been rather inconsistent at times, and downright awful the last couple weeks.

When looking at the Eagles passing game, Donovan McNabb is guiding things and Brent Celek is certainly a very solid tight end. However, at this point DeSean Jackson is the guy who probably scares me the most. Given his career at Cal that's not exactly shocking, but it's still the biggest issue to be addressed at this point. Jackson can certainly be contained, but it takes a whole lot of work on a whole lot of fronts. After all, he's continued to impress as a punt returner, and has blown past cornerbacks with ease much of the 2009 season.

After the jump we look at DeSean Jackson the punt returner, and DeSean Jackson the wide receiver.

DeSean Jackson - Punt Returner
As solid as Jackson can be as a wide receiver, the punt return game is where he is often his most dangerous. To date Jackson is averaging 17.7 yards per punt return. In 10 of 13 games he's had at least one 20+ yard punt return. Generally punt returning can be boom or bust for most teams. And yet I consider myself surprised when Jackson doesn't have a big return in a game, even if he doesn't take it the house.

Of course, this plays somewhat into the 49ers wheelhouse given the fact that they have one of the best in the business in Andy Lee. Lee gets an impressive combination of distance and hang time that usually allows him to avoid over-kicking the punt return coverage. Lee is 2nd in the NFL in net punt yards, and the 49ers are 14th in the league in punt return average at 8.3 yards. While that is not fantastic, it's still solid enough. The 49ers will be facing their toughest test of the season in Jackson. When a team faces a great punt returner, the team will aim for shorter punts out of bounds rather than give up the big return. I'd imagine initially the 49ers are going to be willing to play with fire and see if Andy Lee and his punt coverage team can contain the best returner in the game right now.

DeSean Jackson - Wide Receiver
Jackson was certainly a solid receiver in college, but I always thought he did most of his damage as a return man. I was able to pull up his ESPN college stats page, and it's an intriguing group of numbers. His final season saw an increase his receptions, but a sizable decrease in yards per catch. I recall some complaints about his receiving skills his final season, but nothing of the sort regarding his punt return skills.

However, since taking his game to the NFL, I wonder if he's starting to turn into a better receiver? His yards per catch this season surpasses his best year in college and it seems like we're always treated to footage of him having to slow down after burning a receiver after Donovan McNabb seems to underthrow the speedy receiver. Whatever the case may be, I feel more impressed with him as a receiver in the NFL than I did when he was a receiver at Cal. Maybe at Cal he felt he didn't need to bring his A-game every week, or maybe there's some other reason. Either way, he's impressing.

Of course, that means somebody on the 49ers will get the pleasure of covering Jackson on Sunday. This past week saw the 49ers do a masterful job against the dynamic Arizona receiving duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. I'm guessing at this point we'll see Shawntae Spencer covering Jackson. The Eagles will be without Jeremy Maclin this Sunday, but could have Kevin Curtis in the lineup. It sounds like the top 3 receivers for Philly will be Jackson, Reggie Brown and Jason Avant. It's a bit of speculation, but I suppose the matchups would be Spencer/Jackson, Bly/R. Brown and T. Brown/Avant.

When you've become the #1 corner, as it appears is the case with Spencer, you're going to face a team's #1 guy most every week. Spencer did a good job last week, although he certainly had to benefit from the beating Kurt Warner took for much of the game. It'll be interesting to see if he can keep up with speedy Jackson all game long.

DeSean Jackson can certainly be contained. He's had his share of poor performances, but right now he's playing well, and just as importantly, his quarterback also seems to be playing fairly well. During this 4-game winning streak, Donovan McNabb has put up very solid numbers, even if they don't blow you away at first sight. The question now is if the 49ers can slow down what has been a rather prolific scoring team. If they're going to do this, it will likely require finding a way to shut down both DeSean Jacksons.

49ers-Eagles Wednesday Injury Report

Fooch — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:18 -0000

The 49ers actually gave the team an extra day off this week and did not practice today. The schedule is thrown a bit out of whack due to the Monday Night game, but part of the reason for the day off is the team is a bit banged up following the victory. Even though the 49ers didn't practice, they have provide a practice report, so we have basically a projection for what would have happened had they practiced. Tomorrow will probably give us a better idea of things when we get a real practice report after a full day of practice.

Also, we don't have any coach transcripts today, but Maiocco has posted some comments about his conference call earlier today with Eagles coach Andy Reid, and Eagles QB Donovan McNabb.

49ers
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)

Did not Participate in Practice
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
S Dashon Goldson (chest)
TE Delanie Walker (ankle)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)
T Barry Sims (knee)

Limited Participation in Practice
LB Ahmad Brooks (foot)
RB Frank Gore (toe)
FB Moran Norris (toe)

Full Participation in Practice
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
OT Joe Staley (knee)

Eagles
Did not Participate in Practice
TE Brent Celek (back, thumb)
WR Jeremy Maclin (foot)

Limited Participation in Practice
DE Trent Cole (hamstring)
RB Brian Westbrook (concussion)

Full Participation in Practice
DE Victor Abiamiri (knee)
WR Jason Avant (hamstring)
C Nick Cole (knee)
WR Kevin Curtis (knee)
LB Akeem Jordan (knee)
DT Mike Patterson (wrist)
RB Leonard Weaver (hamstring)
LB Tracy White (shoulder)

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

10 days ago: Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, left, avoids the tackle of Indianapolis Colts linebacker Gary Brackett in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. Marshall had 21 receptions for 200 yards in the game. The Colts defeated the Broncos 28-16. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Browse more photos »

Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Christmas is coming - and I, for one, am hoping for a much more joyous holiday season than I experienced last December. All I got for Christmas last year was the Broncos' historic collapse, and all I had to give was the one scenario that could possibly be worse than the season-ending Chargers game (it involved hypothetically cutting an apple, slipping, and stabbing myself in the groin WHILE watching that game).

I'm not much for moral victories, but today in Donny Deutschland, I will talk about why I feel better about Sunday's loss than I have about any Broncos loss in years. There's no time to waste, so let's not waste any time. Out of the echo chamber, and into the fire, y'all. Ready..... BEGIN!!!

1. I learned on Sunday that what I suspected was the case, was in fact, the case. That is, the Broncos can play with Indianapolis, at Indianapolis. It happened a little differently than I thought it would, but the Broncos competed, and got back in the game after getting down in really ugly fashion. Consider these statistics, as I pretend that I care about statistics for a moment. The Broncos outgained Indianapolis 357-312. They held the ball for 31:27, versus the Colts' 28:33. They won the turnover battle 3-1. The Broncos advanced into Colts territory on 8 of 12 posessions. These measures would tend to indicate victory, but in this case, the Broncos fell a little short.

For next time, we can internalize a few thoughts:

a. The Broncos have the players and schemes to cover the Colts receivers, pressure Peyton Manning, and generally disrupt their offense.

b. The Broncos have the players and schemes to move the ball at will against the Colts defense.

c. As a fan base, we all mistakenly thought to ourselves "Here we go again" when the Colts got up 21-0 after four possessions. We can take this game as a lesson that the past doesn't indicate the future. Those Broncos teams which got their doors blown off by the Colts passing game are definitely not these Broncos.

One general concern is that the Broncos could have run the ball better, and will need to next time. I felt the run scheme was too zone-heavy and horizontal, and it played into the Colts' plan to run-blitz the gaps. A smaller, faster team needs to be man-blocked with a vertical scheme. Those are guys you don't necessarily want moving laterally, because they're comfortable doing so.

The other concern is that at money time, Dallas Clark needed more and better attention. Josh Barrett needed to be on the field manning him up, because he's the best guy in the NFL at covering TEs man-to-man.

All in all, I am proud of the way the Broncos stayed in the game, despite some reasons that lesser men would take to quit. This was really a game which turned on a few plays, and I am pleased to know that the Broncos can compete with Indianapolis, unlike in past years. This week, it's the Raiders, and luckily, JaMarcus Russell will be under center again. Expect Elvis Dumervil to get some shots at him. The Broncos can take care of business at home, and position themselves well to make the postseason. Happy Raiders Week, friends.

2. Information From My Eyes, Broncos at Colts:

a. Andre' Goodman got beat on a crossing route by Pierre Garcon on the first offensive play of the game, and in the moment, I wondered if there was a major speed mismatch. Goodman settled down to play Garcon spectacularly the rest of the game, breaking up four well-thrown balls. Goodman has been terrific all year, but I'd call this his best game as a Bronco.

b. When the Broncos drafted Darcel McBath, I'd never heard of him. I'm very impressed with his play as a rookie, though, and he had a fantastic game Sunday. He separated Dallas Clark from the ball on a 3rd down, and also baited Peyton Manning into his third interception. It's a real bummer that he broke his forearm and is gone for the season, but he showed well when he got the opportunities. I look for him to make a serious run at Renaldo Hill's starting job next season.

c. I really "misunderestimated" the Colts' DTs, Daniel Muir and Antonio Johnson. They both played fantastic, and drove the Broncos' interior players backward consistently.

d. Ryan Clady didn't play very well in the running game, which was a departure from what we've been seeing lately. He got pushed backward several times when he lost leverage, and he misread a few run blitzes, and didn't hit the right guy. He's young and growing, and we can only hope he learns from this game.

e. Brandon Marshall was spectacular, of course. It's obvious that Kyle Orton really trusts him to make plays at this point. I wish he trusted Eddie Royal a little more, though. The truth is, though, Royal hasn't come up with some plays when he's had chances to do so.

f. I was happy to see Jabar Gaffney back in the mix this week. He's a pro's pro, and the Broncos offense is better when he is involved.

g. I was pleased with what I saw from Robert Ayers and Elvis Dumervil, despite the Broncos' lack of sacks. Both played well against the run, and generated pressure against Manning.

h. Peyton Hillis isn't a very good lead blocker, and I think a key part of the trouble the running game had was with the loss of Spencer Larsen. Larsen has been knocking heads the last two weeks, and he wasn't there this time, obviously.

Hillis is a good RB, but he's a true HB, not a FB. The truth is, he is where he should be on the depth chart; the third RB for the Broncos. Zappa said that some DP posters were calling for Knowshon Moreno to be benched, and Hillis to get the starting job. That's not going to happen, and frankly, it's asinine. Hillis could get more opportunity to make plays, but he deserves to be behind Moreno and Correll Buckhalter. There's no question in my mind of that.

i. The Colts' last drive was enabled by missed tackles by Vonnie Holliday (first play of the series) and Mario Haggan (3rd down inside the Broncos 10).

j. Oh, Dallas Clark. Ty Law did a good job on him, but he often was assigned to cover Austin Collie. Wesley Woodyard is a good zone player, but he can't cover a Clark in man-to-man. That 4th-and-4 was badly schemed, because Brian Dawkins shouldn't be manned up on Clark, either.

Finally, at the end of the game, the approach should have been to look at the formation. The power was left, and the only receiving threat was Clark, playing with his hand down on the right side. You need somebody to drive him straight into the ground, so he can't get out in the pattern. That's how I would coach that situation, anyway. Tackle him when he pretends to block, without getting called for holding.

k. D.J. Williams had a very good game, except for the one stupid penalty. Darrell Reid got (another) one of those too, while we're at it.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games

a. I thought Thursday's Browns-Steelers game was pretty riveting, and I almost wish I went (but not quite). Several of my friends tried to get me to go, because everybody in the world was trying to dump their tickets. It was 12 degrees, with 50 mph winds, and felt negative-7 in Cleveland that night. That's a recipe for freezing your hind-parts off, as Omar would say.

The Browns are changing for the better, and I wonder if it saves Eric Mangini's job. They're doing some very interesting things, like using Mike Furrey at FS. He's played both ways in his career, but has been more of a WR in the NFL, and caught 98 passes for the Lions in 2006, which was second in the NFL.

He did some nice things at Safety in the game, and it reminded me of Troy Brown playing defense for the Patriots, though, as I mentioned, Furrey has played defense at the professional level. You have to be impressed with a player doing what it takes to help his team win.

b. A guy who I have always liked, who the Browns found for free is Matt Roth. He got on the wrong side of Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano in Miami, and they put him on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list, and then waived him in November. The Browns smartly claimed him, and he's played very well for the Browns thus far. The Sam position in a 3-4 is pretty hard to fill, because it's a unique skill set. Lamarr Woodley and Mario Haggan are both very good at it, and Adalius Thomas used to be, but like RT on offense, there are a lot more average 3-4 Sams than there are good ones. Roth is a good one, because he sets the edge well, and generates a good pass rush when he's called upon to do so. Finding a guy like him in-season is what a bad team has to do.

c. Two unheralded guys who the Browns have discovered on offense are RB Chris Jennings and TE Evan Moore. Jennings won a Grey Cup recently with the Montreal Alouettes, and looked like the best back on the Browns roster last Thursday. He ran with power and explosion against an excellent run defense.

I meant to mention Moore last week and forgot; but I know a football player when I see one, and he's a player. He was a big WR at Stanford for 4 years, and also played basketball for his first 2 years. His fluidity, body control, and overall athleticism jump off the screen, and really remind me of Antonio Gates. I don't know if he's as fast as Gates, but he looks to me like he could definitely be a Brent Celek-caliber receiving TE. He's been key to Brady Quinn's recent improvement, because Quinn does his best throwing work inside the numbers.

Jennings and Moore are two players who the Browns can be very excited about, as they figure out what their program is during the offseason. Like Roth, they came with no significant cost. Now the Browns just need to nail their offseason.

d. I had a friend who is a Steelers fan ask me what was wrong with his team, and I think I may have disappointed him by not having a real definitive answer ready. It's kind of a tough question to answer, really, because Mike Tomlin had it exactly right when he said it was a function of struggles in all three phases of the game.

The defense really misses Troy Polamalu, who I think might be the most irreplaceable defensive player in the NFL. No safety plays with the speed of Polamalu, and the Steelers are much more conservative in their blitz packages without him. Their CBs are also playing pretty poorly over the last five games. On offense, I think the Steelers play-calling has been suspect. Rashard Mendenhall has emerged as a good RB, and the Steelers seem reluctant to commit to letting him run. I'm not surprised at the rumblings Sunday that some offensive coaches are likely going to get whacked after the season.

e. Now, on to why the Browns won Thursday. There were two reasons. One reason is that Joshua Cribbs is a great football player, and he carried his team on offense and special teams. The other is that the Browns covered the Steelers' receivers at a shockingly high level. ST&NO Favorite Brandon McDonald was fantastic. He might have had the best coverage game I have seen from a CB this year (although Andre' Goodman was awesome on Sunday, too). Eric Wright was strong on the other side too, though he gave up a few completions to Santonio Holmes. As has often been the case with the Broncos this season, the coverage allowed the pressure to get to Ben Roethlisberger, who was sacked 8 times.

f. It was another annoying weekend when almost every game was early, including the Broncos. I had the Chicago-Green Bay game on at the same time as the Broncos game,. and as I watched some of it, I was struck by the fact that neither team showed me anything that I didn't already know about them. Aaron Rodgers continued his recent run of getting sacked less, and the Packers defense was strong again. The Bears had some flashes, but self-destructed at key times.

The only real takeaway from this, to me, is another reminder why I don't really like fantasy football. The number one player in the Official MHR League this year has been my QB, Rodgers. In real football terms, he played fine on Sunday. He completed 16 of 24 throws for 180 yards, and lost a fumble on a blind-side sack. His team won the game, so no worries, right? Well, in fantasy terms, he tanked. Not only that, I am playing Zappa in the playoffs this week, and he has Ryan Grant, who had a monster game with 137 yards and 2 TDs, because the Bears were playing coverage to prevent big plays in the passing game.

g. Speaking of guys who tanked on my fantasy team, Randy Moss, this skunky, warm Miller High Life is for you. One catch for 16 yards, and a lost fumble? Really? He really looked like he wasn't trying hard, too; it was a total flashback to the Oakland days. Good thing I had Brandon Marshall and the Eagles (TD scoring) defense.

h. I think the Patriots are in trouble, and that their culture needs an adjustment. I read Bill Belichick's sending tardy players home as a clear indication of that. Adalius Thomas lipped off in the media, and got benched for it, and Randy Moss did it with his play somewhat on Sunday. I wouldn't be shocked if both are gone after this season. Thomas is gone for sure, and Moss is a possibility. The Patriots have a lot of draft assets with which to restock the WR position, and they're pretty solid at LB anyway, with guys like Tully Banta-Cain and Rob Ninkovich making positive contributions.

It was pretty interesting how Tom Brady and Bill Belichick came to Moss's aid on Monday, after he clearly was dogging some pass routes. Michael Lombardi had a good point on NFL Network that Moss has done that his whole career, and that the Patriots probably weren't too alarmed by it. I think it's pretty bad, personally.

i. Scary moment in Arlington, Texas, when DeMarcus Ware was carted off the field with a neck injury. The Chargers had a false start, and then went right down the field in two plays to score the deciding TD afterward. Reports on Monday were that Ware would miss the next two weeks, which would really handicap the Dallas defense. Most casual fans think of Ware as just a pass rusher, but he is a rare player who stars against the run, and in zone coverage too.

j. I alluded to this thought last week, but it was well-articulated by Michael Lombardi last night; Dallas's struggles have nothing to do with what month it is. The same can be said of the Chargers and their success in the month of December. If you're playing in a lot of places where there's bad weather, then maybe the month is a semi-meaningful data point, but neither Dallas nor San Diego particularly qualifies. I know somebody is going to say that a game in December is a pressure game, but even that's not true a lot of times. San Diego has tended to be healthy in December, and Dallas has tended to be banged up. San Diego has tended to play weak late-season schedules, and Dallas has tended to play difficult ones. Don't get caught up in things which Peter King would incorrectly call a factoid.

k. That Radio Shack commercial with the sleeping scruffy dude saying "Dance, Sugar Plum Fairies" is bizarre. It makes no sense at all to me, and I can't imagine how it would make anybody want to shop at Radio Shack, or buy that craptastic phone from Sprint.

l. NBC lucked out with a great game on Sunday night between the Eagles and Giants. Neither defense looked particularly good, but both offenses lit it up. The difference in the game was a defensive TD from Sheldon Brown, and a punt-return TD from DeSean Jackson. Those plays also provided the difference in the Shallow Thoughts team beating Zappa's Sactown Beavers in the playoffs.

m. I would never let Jackson get off the line of scrimmage without getting hit. Teams just insist on letting this guy run free through their secondary, and he kills them. Little, fast guys like him must be re-routed off the line, and then you want over/under coverage on him after that. He's not the typical big, physical number-1 WR like Brandon Marshall, but he does need double-team attention, or at least Cover-3 behind him, so he can be hit at the line with confidence.

n. Brandon Jacobs, to me, is like a 98-mph fastball that's a little too straight, and rarely misses bats. Jacobs has been running harder lately than he was early in the season, but he doesn't make anybody miss. He takes so many hits, and this year, he's going down more easily than he used to. I think the Giants offense is better when Ahmad Bradshaw is getting more carries than Jacobs at this point, even as Jacobs has been better lately.

o. Speaking of the Giants, I want to share some ST&NO light with a Giants fan, because I've coincidentally been listening to his music as I wrote this part of the column. If you like hip hop, you ought to check out Nickel at his website www.SpotMeANickel.com. He's got a couple albums worth of MP3s available for free download there. I went to high school with the guy at Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, CT, and it's cool to see him doing well, and making good music.

p. As always, I watched 5 games on Monday night, and the one I learned the most from was the New Orleans-Atlanta game. Very simply, New Orleans deserved to lose the game, and I haven't seen or heard anybody acknowledge that. I take that as a reaffirmation that my effort is worth the time.

Brent Grimes got called for two horrible pass-interference penalties, on plays where he reached around his man to play the ball. Those two plays directly led to 14 points being scored, and the Saints won by 3. The officials bogusly penalized ST&NO Favorite Thomas DeCoud on an even better play in the fourth quarter too, but Garrett Hartley subsequently missed a Field Goal, so it didn't affect the scoreboard. The Saints are a very good team, and they don't need any bonus help, but apparently you can't breathe on their receivers. It reminded me of the 2006 NBA Finals, when Dwyane Wade got "fouled" practically every time he touched the ball, and it disgusted me just as much to watch.

q. Jonathan Vilma deserves credit for sealing the win for New Orleans. He intercepted Chris Redman with 3 minutes to go in the game. Then, after the Saints arrogantly tried a fake field goal, rather than taking the points and going up 6, Vilma tackled the formidable Jason Snelling cold in the open field, a yard short of the first down on 4th and 2. He made the plays that were there to be made.

r. While I'm on the topic of the Saints, here's an E! True Hollywood Story for you. Or maybe it's a Letterman-style Top 2 list. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Top 2 Things Ted Bartlett Currently Doesn't Give A Damn About (And Al Roker's Forecast Calls For No Change:)

1. Whether or not the Colts or Saints go 16-0, and on a related note, whether or not they rest their starters.

2. Who wins the NFL MVP Award.

Going 16-0 doesn't matter to anything. All it would do is create something which Peter King would someday mistakenly call a factoid (even though it's actually a fact). The only thing that matters is going 3-0 (or 4-0) in the Playoffs. Plus, the whole thing puts Mercury Morris back in the spotlight, and he's a jerk who doesn't deserve it.

As for the MVP Award, really, who cares? I may start caring if somebody other than a QB or RB can win, other than the rare Lawrence Taylor in 1986. (Since the AP award began in 1957, only DT Alan Page, K Mark Moseley, and Taylor have won the award from positions other than QB or RB. Taylor is the only winner for the Pro Football Writers Association award, which began in 1975. This is an absolute farce.)

Remember ST&NO Rule #1: If reporters vote for it, and decide it, it's usually not particularly worth paying attention to. That includes any and all power rankings, the NFL All-Pro team, all season-ending awards in all sports, and membership in all Halls of Fame. Reporters often mean well, and they add some value to the overall football discourse, but the value they add ends when they're not asking questions, finding things out, and reporting those things. When you ask them to judge something, most can't get past the very obvious, or what other people tell them, and nearly all are biased by what they consider to be the most interesting story. While that's understandable, given the fact that they're in the interesting story business, it's also self-serving, and represents noise rather than a reflection of truth.

s. The more I watch Chad Henne, the more I like his mechanics, all the way through the process of playing QB. I most especially like the way he carries out his fakes after he hands off the ball. You can tell that he's very well coached, both at the collegiate level and the professional level.

t. Speaking of good coaching, if Head Coaching jobs were being handed out based only upon excellence as a coordinator, Mike Mularkey would be looking pretty good for a shot at another job. People who know things about offense, and pay attention, know that Mularkey has been getting a lot of production out of some pretty marginal talent the last two seasons. It's equal parts scheme, knowing the capabilities of his players, and getting his guys to execute, but Atlanta's offense overachieves. Remember - Mularkey didn't get fired in Buffalo; he resigned in 2006 because he didn't see eye-to-eye with the recently hired Marv Levy. He's up there with Houston's Kyle Shanahan on offense, and the Broncos' Mike Nolan, Cincinnati's Mike Zimmer, and Arizona's Bill Davis on defense as guys who I think are adding a great deal of value to their sides of the ball.

u. I tend to dislike University of Texas players, because they have a well-known reputation for being coddled in Austin, and often coming into the NFL as soft players. A limitation of making evaluations from a distance is that you sometimes have to rely on information which may or may not be meaningful, such as the fact that coaches are prohibited from cursing at players at UT. That's pretty absurd in my opinion, like the urban legend about stress cards in basic training.

I didn't take to Brian Orakpo much coming out of college, partially due to the UT factor. Turns out, he's very good, and he's brought a lot to the table for Oakland. He has had a very good rookie season, but he was dominant on Sunday against the Raiders' bad offensive line and indecisive JaMarcus Russell. I still prefer Knowshon Moreno to Orakpo for the long haul, and I still think the Redskins should have taken Michael Oher (after the Packers should have taken Michael Oher). Orakpo was a good choice though, and is a good player, so I missed on that one.

v. I said a couple weeks ago that I was pretty sure that the Chiefs didn't regret acquiring Matt Cassel, and he's proceeded to have the two worst games of his career the last two weeks. His ability is very clear, so I still don't think they regret it, but he needs to step it up, and buy Todd Haley and Scott Pioli some cover. Kansas City has an aggressive local sports media, led by Adam Teicher and Jason Whitlock. Whitlock has already renamed Pioli as Scott Egoli, so it would be mighty helpful to this regime if they and Cassel could finish the season stronger than they've been showing, and feel like there's something to build on.

w. A vital part of a 3-step drop passing play is that the outside blocker on the throw side (usually the Tackle) needs to cut the Defensive End and get him on the ground. The 49ers RT, Adam Snyder, failed to cut Darnell Dockett twice in the first half Monday night, resulting in an Interception by Dockett, and another deflection by Dockett, which Alex Smith caught himself, and promptly was tackled for a 6-yard loss. Neither play was Smith's fault; his job is to get to the top of his drop, and let the ball go. Snyder's job is to clear the throwing lane.

x. Speaking of guys clearly not doing their jobs (and jumping back to the Dallas game because of the topic), Tony Dungy was right on when he was asked if coaching was the problem in Dallas. He said that he knows Terence Newman has been coached to jam a WR and re-route him in Cover-2, and that coaching definitely wasn't the problem on the big Vincent Jackson 39-yard catch on 3rd and 12 (right after the aforementioned Ware injury).

That was the key play of the game, and Newman didn't make it. As the play happened live, I yelled out "Where's the f$%^&* jam, 41?" I was glad Dungy called him out, although I bet he wasn't moved to profanity like I was. I've always thought Newman was highly overrated, by virtue of being a Cowboy. It comes with wearing the blue star, I am afraid.

y. Usually, when a defensive lineman is drafted highly, you expect him to be a big sack guy. The Bengals once drafted Justin Smith fourth overall, in 2001. His career high in sacks, mostly as a Right DE in a 40-front, was 8.5 in his rookie season. He had 6.5, 5, 8, 6, 7.5, and 2 in his next five seasons, which are respectable numbers, but not for an open-side DE drafted that highly.

Smith signed a 6-year $45 million deal with San Francisco in 2008, and moved to 5-technique in a 30-front. It's the role he should have been playing all along, because he's always been a physical, block-defeating player more than a speed-rushing player. It's not too different than the highly drafted Derrick Harvey from the Jaguars, or Jamaal Anderson for the Falcons (who moved to DT eventually). Their skill sets are just better suited to playing with physicality than with speed. (Harvey got only his second sack of the year Sunday, and Anderson has 0.5).

Anyway, Smith was dominant on Monday night, and consistently held the point of attack, while often penetrating and disrupting the Cardinals offense. It sure seemed like he is earning his money. I was also very impressed with the pass-rushing skills of Ahmad Brooks, who used to be just a MLB.

z. Another rookie I criticized for seeming to be soft was Beanie Wells, and he continues to play like he isn't. His TD run early in the 4th quarter Monday night was a man's TD run, all second effort. He did fumble later in the 4th quarter, but it was on a kill-shot by Dashon Goldson, who had a couple of those in Monday night's game.

aa. Genetics are a funny thing. In my family, we have something called the Bartlett Calves. My dad and all his siblings have them, and all my siblings and I have them, even my 8-year old half-sister Abby. The Bartlett Calves are notable for being disproportionately muscular and large, compared to the rest of our bodies. I am 6 feet tall and weigh 235 pounds, and when flexed, my calves are 18 inches around, which is 3-4 inches bigger than the average man's calf, and an inch bigger than the average man's neck.

I bring up this genetic oddity, because it makes me feel a certain kinship with Frank Gore, who has thunder thighs like whoa. He's found out a way to make good professional use of his thighs, because they're what give him such impressive power in traffic. Mine don't really come in too useful as an accounting manager and blogger.

ab. The jury is in as far as I am concerned for San Francisco. The 49ers are on the right track, and ST&NO Favorite Alex Smith has definitely emerged as their long-term QB. They have 2 first-round picks this season, which are both going to be in the 10-15 area. They need a CB and an offensive lineman with those picks, or maybe even two offensive linemen. This team is not far at all from the playoffs, and they're not even going to miss by much this season.

ac. The Cardinals are still legitimate championship contenders, but they got their hind parts kicked Monday night. The result of the game was more a reflection of good play by the Niners than it was of bad play by the Cardinals. The bright spot for Arizona was the excellent Adrian Wilson, who baited Smith into a dumb INT, and was around the ball constantly, the whole game.

4. I couldn't agree more with TJ Johnson's piece about deferring the option yesterday, and a smart analyst got out ahead of me before I wrote about it, which happens once in awhile with a Tuesday slot. I'm always glad to see an in-house MHR guy do it. Big up TJ! If you haven't read his article, you should. So should Don Banks (and Dan Fouts.)

From Banks:

• Did I hear that right, the Broncos won the coin toss to start their game at Indy and deferred to the Colts? And Peyton Manning? Why exactly would you give Manning the chance to get the ball in his hands any more than you absolutely have to? What were you thinking, Josh McDaniels? That's a dubious, rookie-like call for the Broncos new head coach. I do believe McDaniels was guilty of overconfidence in his defense.

My two cents was going to be that each team gets the ball kicked to them to start one half, and there's no way around that fact, so if you consider just this fact, it's utterly meaningless which half a particular team gets their opportunity to receive. TJ goes much further, and finds that there is actually evidence that teams who get the ball to start the second half tend to experience more success. Very interesting stuff.

5. That first-rounder from the Bears is looking really good right now. Chicago fell to 5-8 Sunday, and I like them to finish 6-10. They play at Baltimore and home against Minnesota before finishing at Detroit. For the Broncos' playoff chances, I'd like to see the Bears beat the Ravens, but I doubt it happens. A 6-10 record is probably good for a pick in the neighborhood of 9th or 10th overall. I gave a cursory look at the remaining schedules of every team with a losing record, and this is what I came up with for season-ending records, and way-too-early possible picks.

1. St. Louis 1-15 Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma

2. Tampa Bay 1-15 Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska

3. Detroit 2-14 Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma

4. Kansas City 3-13 Eric Berry S Tennessee

5. Cleveland 4-12 Russell Okung T Oklahoma State

6. Oakland 4-12 Carlos Dunlap DE Florida

7. Buffalo 5-11 Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame

8. Washington 5-11 Trent Williams T Oklahoma

9. San Francisco ~~Carolina~~ 5-11 Joe Haden CB Florida

10. Seattle 6-10 Anthony Davis T Rutgers

11. Denver ~~Chicago~~ 6-10

12. San Francisco 7-9

13. Pittsburgh 7-9

14. Houston 8-8

15. Tennessee 8-8

With a 10th or 11th pick, you can get yourself a difference-making defensive player like a Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain, or Brandon Spikes. You could also go outside the box, and draft a guy like C.J. Spiller from Clemson, who projects as a major home-run threat, a la Chris Johnson, at the NFL level. You have to admit, he'd make a nice tandem with Knowshon Moreno. My move, though, might be to try to trade down, and enjoy some of the depth of this Draft. (I say try, because you can't always do it.) I am treading kind of lightly with this line of thinking, because I am a well-known believer that players are better than draft picks. (A player is a real asset, and a draft pick is a derivative asset; when you're needing to operate now, it's better to have a barrel of oil than a contract guaranteeing the delivery of a barrel of oil at a future date and price.)

To me, the Broncos could get back once or twice to #20 or so, and take someone like either Mike or Maurkice Pouncey from Florida, if they elect to enter the draft. (Incidentally, I think Florida is going to lose a bunch of underclassmen.) Both are 6-5 320-pound interior offensive linemen, and would fill what I think is the Broncos' biggest roster need. The overall point, though, is that it's good to be in the position the Broncos are in right now, with this pick coming in higher than their record would earn. For those who were sure the Broncos erred in trading their own pick rather than Chicago's, I'd hope they remember that you don't know how things are going to play out until they play out.

6. Bad news emerged for QB-needy teams yesterday that Washington junior Jake Locker will return for his senior season. It was not altogether unexpected, but I believe that Locker would have been the first QB selected, and maybe the number-1 overall pick. His talent as a thrower and runner is way ahead of the other guys in this class. The guy who benefits is Sam Bradford, because if he checks out healthy, his size and arm are both a bit better than Jimmy Clausen's. I, personally, am not in love with either guy. Bradford looks like a young Matt Hasselbeck to me, while a comparison for Clausen doesn't come to me so easily. Clausen is short, average athletically, looks like he needs to get a lot stronger, and has an average arm. He looks a bit like a young Drew Brees, before Drew worked so hard to become what he became. I am reluctant to make that comparison, but it's the best one I can come up with.

7. Retired for John Elway.

That's all I have for this week. We'll be back next Tuesday with more Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Until then, have a fantastic Raiders Week, and Go Broncos!

Eagles beat Giants in a shootout

JasonB — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:24:24 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

10 days ago: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson (10) backsteps his way into the end zone as New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross (31) looks on after Jackson caught a pass in the third quarter for a touchdown during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

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That has to be the game of the year from an Eagles perspective. It was everything a late season prime time NFC East showdown should have been. Lead changes, crazy bounces, controversy, big plays, some elements... truly epic. Not a great effort from the defense tonight, but these games happen every year where it seems both teams seem to stop playing D and the offenses just dominate.

Also, let me say it now... That eight minute, 91 yard TD drive in the fourth quarter has to be the drive of the year. The Eagles ran the ball down the Giants' throats and never even faced a 3rd down. The Giants would go on to score, but in reality that drive made a comeback very unlikely. They even capped the drive with an important two point conversion to really put it to bed. It's the kind of drive we've wanted to see from the Eagles for years. McNabb seems like he's on a mission to silence his critics and his performances late in games over the past month have been nothing short of spectacular.

And I think we can officially call Desean Jackson a "Giant Killer."

Tonight the Eagles and Giants combined for the most points ever in a game between the two and the Eagles became the winningest visiting team in Giants stadium history. They scored 85 points against the Giants this year, which is the most in the history of the series between the two teams.

At 9-4 the Eagles are now in sole possession of first place in the NFC East and and very close to clinching a playoff spot. They've swept the Giants and Redskins. They've a very strong conference record. It's time to get excited about this team folks. They're for real. I'm not saying they'll win it all just yet, but this is a good team and there's no doubt about that.

Headlines after the jump

Let's start with the bad

Before we start heaping tons of praise, we do have to acknowledge the flaws. The tackling tonight was absolutely atrocious. Almost every big Giants TD or gain was the result of just awful tackling particularly in the secondary. A big win papers over some of those cracks, but that's a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

And the Trent Cole penalty at the end of the game? What the hell was he thinking? The Giants are frustrated and acting like babies because they lost and there was no need to sink to their level. Point at the scoreboard and walk away. Instead Cole acted childish himself and hopefully only gets a fine and not a suspension. Absolutely unacceptable.

And now to the good.

Desean Jackson. He's good. His two big plays tonight tied him for the most 50+ yard TDs in NFL history. He's 3 games to break it, anyone think he won't? He had 6 catches for 178 yards and a TD plus a punt return for a TD tonight... We've got a #1 WR in town and we drafted him.

Big bounceback game from Brent Celek, 5 catches for 64 yards and a TD. Leonard Weaver played well again, Jason Avant didn't record a catch but had a great effort on the two point conversion, and finally... Mike Vick. I don't know if he's getting in better and better shape form playing more, or if Andy's plan to work him in is finally coming to fruition but all of a sudden Mike Vick is become an important contributor especially down in the red zone. He threw a 34 yard pass, picked up some first downs, and scored a rushing TD. Gotta give the guy credit.

Bills WR Terrell Owens Could Have a Big Day Against the Chiefs

Chris Thorman — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:15:25 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

2 months ago: Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens (81) fights for the ball with New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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Terrell Owens was the Bills' big free agent pick up this off season and he's been a consistent performer in twelve games this season. Owens has 43 receptions, 690 yards receiving and three touchdowns on the year.

His biggest game came in Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Owens caught 9 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. That includes a 98-yard touchdown catch and run.

Owens is averaging 3.5 catches and 57 yards receiving a game. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, those numbers may be much bigger tomorrow.

The Chiefs have given up some big time games to opposing wide receivers. Here are the guys who have torn up the Chiefs' defense this season:

Week 3 Philadelphia Eagles: Desean Jackson (6 catches, 149 yards) and Brent Celek (8 catches, 104 yards)
Week 4 NY Giants: Steve Smith (11 catches, 134 yards)
Week 5 Dallas Cowboys: Miles Austin (10 catches, 250 yards)
Week 7 San Diego Chargers: Vincent Jackson (5 catches, 142 yards)
Week 8 Jacksonville Jaguars: Mike Sims-Walker (6 catches, 147 yards)
Week 11 Pittsburgh Steelers: Hines Ward (10 catches, 128 yards)
Week 12 San Diego Chargers: Antonio Gates (7 catches, 118 yards)
Week 13 Denver Broncos: Brandon Marshall (7 catches, 94 yards)

That Jacksonville game was Terrell Owens only 100-yard receiving game of the season. Do you have a feeling that Owens will burn the Chiefs tomorrow too?

Poll

How many receiving yards will Terrell Owens end up with tomorrow?

It's Friday, so Ernie P. is in the house

Ed Valentine — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:00:19 -0000

Time for our weekly swap of questions with Ernie Palladino, long-time Giants beat writer and current wizard of Giants Beat. Hopefully, you will find this week's installment entertaining. And, don't forget to check my answers over at Ernie's place.

1. Where in the world is Kevin Boss?

Ernie's Answer: Well, I know he's still with the team because I saw him in the locker room Wednesday. But you'd never know it by the way they're using him on offense these days. After coming up with a big effort against Atlanta, he's virtually disappeared. One lateral and one catch against Dallas? C'mon. Personally, I don't see any reason Boss shouldn't be used in a similar fashion as Jason Witten is with Dallas. He may not be as established as Witten or any of the league's other tight ends, but Boss is a heady, smart, and reliable pass catcher. I realize they have to keep him in a lot in max protect, but there's no reason he can't chip a guy and then loop around for a safe, short throw over the middle that he can turn into an eight or 10-yard gain. The skinny post should be a staple for him. Instead, it seems like he's being used as strictly a blocker, a responsibility that should go to Darcy Johnson.

2. Do you believe losing to the Eagles the last three encounters, including the one that eliminated the Giants from the 2008 postseason, will factor into Sunday night's game?

Ernie's Answer: Oh, yeah. The players are saying no, but who really wants to go on a losing streak to a division rival. Besides, these two teams hate each other -- the Giants with their New York swagger and Philadelphia with their smaller-city inferiority complex. It is kind of interesting, though, that this whole series has been one of streaks. The Eagles have beaten the Giants the last three games. The Giants won the three games before that. The Eagles won the two before that, the Giants three before that, the Eagles four before that. Don't quite know what that says about the two teams, except that once they get that taste of beating their Turnpike rivals, it's hard to get it out of their mouths. So, yeah, the Giants are going to want to snap this thing. Besides, if they don't, it's going to make it that much harder getting a playoff spot.

3. Given the state of the secondary, how would you defend DeSean Jackson this time around?

Ernie's Answer: Take Olivia Newton-John's advice. Get physical! Put Terrell Thomas right up on his nose and let Thomas slam him with a forearm every time Jackson tries to get off the line. And it wouldn't hurt to bring a safety in there to bracket him in coverage. The guy is so fast and elusive -- Thomas said he makes himself thin -- that slowing him up at the line is about the only way to contain him. At the same time, play plenty of nickel to try to contain other folks like Jeremy Maclin and TE Brent Celek. It's also something the Giants couldn't accomplish the first time around, and that led to a 54-yard scoring pass off a busted coverage.

4. Now that the Giants have a little space between themselves and the .500 mark, what do they have to do from here to get a playoff spot?

Ernie's Answer: Well, obviously, they have to beat Philadelphia and Carolina to get to 9-7. If they beat the Eagles, they can actually give up that middle game to Washington, providing they get help from the Eagles and Cowboys the rest of the way. Everything would be so much easier if they just swept these divisional games, but you know the Giants. Nothing ever comes easy for this team. So we're looking at some nail-biting no matter how Sunday goes. Realistically, I'm not thinking about a divisional title, even though they have a tiebreaker over Dallas. But they could be in line for the sixth playoff spot. That's why it's so advantageous to have these conference games coming all in a row. They'll need tiebreakers when all this is done, and with 8-4 Green Bay ahead in the conference by a half-game, and 6-6 Atlanta a game back in conference games, it's going to be a tight fit if they all finish even. Whatever the case, the Giants haven't given themselves an easy road to the postseason. But it's doable.

(E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com)

It was Michael Vick's day in Atlanta

JasonB — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:00:23 -0000

by Dave Martin - AP

17 days ago: Michael Vick fans react as the Philadelphia Eagles prepare for their NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. It was Vick's first game in Atlanta since his conviction on dogfighting charges. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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While I think the national media is overplaying Michael VIck's actual impact on yesterday's win, it is fair to say that he turned in his best performance as an Eagle by far. That said, it wasn't as if that was a high bar to reach...

Vick was 2-2 with 48 yards passing and a TD. He also ran for 17 yards on 4 carries for another TD. He gave some credit to the tremendous support shown to him by the home crowd.

"It was as loud as it gets in the Dome," said Vick, who teared up on the bus ride over to the stadium. "I heard the chants all through the stadium and it sent chills down my spine. They were just letting me know that people still appreciate what I’ve done."

Donovan McNabb seemed as happy as anyone when Vick threw his TD pass to Brent Celek. The two embraced on the sideline

"You were seeing a guy in his element," said McNabb "I think he was just relishing the moment."

So was this a "breakout" game for Michael Vick? Are we going to start seeing him in the end zone more often or can we expect the nominal contributions he's given up until yesterday? Share your thoughts in the comments.