SB Nation - Dan Orlovsky

Take The Half-Season Poll: Most Disappointing Offensive Player For Your Houston Texans?

Tim — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:30:37 -0000

We've tackled the debate over who has been most outstanding member of the offense; time to look at the other end of the spectrum. Which offensive player on the Texans has disappointed you the most thus far? Vote in the poll below and let us know why you voted the way you did in the Comments.

Poll

Who Has Been the Most Disappointing Player on the Texans' Offense Through Nine Games?

Kevin Walter

30 votes

Chris Myers

50 votes

Kasey Studdard

6 votes

Chris White

9 votes

Chris Brown

46 votes

Steve Slaton

525 votes

Antoine Caldwell

2 votes

Dan Orlovsky

12 votes

680 votes | Poll has closed

Texans Try Some Booty

Mike Kerns — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:49:11 -0000

What to make of this one? Apparently, according to The National Football Post, Houston kicked the tires today on former USC standout QB John David Booty. He wasn't offered a contract, but it is curious. Is Orlovsky or Grossman not working out as planned? Or is Houston simply doing their due diligence?

Panther Paw Prints - Group Prayer for Jake Edition

Jaxon — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:48:25 -0000

More photos » by Rick Havner - AP

3 months ago: Carolina Panthers' Jake Delhomme, bottom, is sacked by Philadelphia Eagles' Mike Patterson (98) and Omar Gaither (96) in the third quarter during an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

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This weeks version of Paw Prints is dominated by the performance of Panthers QB Jake Delhomme. In no particular order here they are starting with prayers for a return of 'Good Jake':

Good Jake will return against Atlanta - CharlotteObserver.com
Delhomme still has courage – he just isn't throwing the ball straight. That can be fixed. The problem against Philadelphia was three-fold. Delhomme couldn't throw, his offensive linemen couldn't block and the coaching staff – which has known for years how often the Eagles blitz – couldn't coach. The staff somehow looked surprised when the Eagles kept rushing five or six men at Delhomme.

The 'couldn't coach' part concerns me as much as the Bad Jake part.

New Panther QB Jay Feeley better be a quick study:

Feeley on information overload - CharlotteObserver.com
"Obviously, there are different philosophies, the verbage, different routes, different schools of thought," Feeley said after his first practice with the team. "I'm on a little information overload right now, but it'll come as the days progress."

The falcons secondary should be prime for the picking (not for INT's that is):

Falcons secondary in flux as Panthers loom - CharlotteObserver.com
Not pleased with the play of the secondary in the preseason, the Falcons made a trade for Tye Hill and signed Brian Williams, who was released by Jacksonville. Williams had played under Falcons coach Mike Smith when Smith was the defensive coordinator for the Jaguars. He started the season opener Sunday against Miami at left cornerback. In passing situations, Williams moved inside to the slot, where Jackson played all of last season. Brent Grimes, who was starting at left cornerback, came in and played left cornerback in nickel situations.

The Panthers offensive line is taking responsibility for what was obvious to the rest of us:

O-line shoulders blame
"They ran a defense with linebackers as the defensive ends and ends as the (strong-side) and (weak-side) linebackers, and that just creates mismatches with our running backs," said Gross. "That's simple stuff we should have been fine with." "It was pretty much on us," added Kalil. "There was nothing we hadn't seen or worked against before. It was just a matter of communicating it out to everybody in a quicker fashion."

Jake is channeling QB's of the past, just not the ones we want:

Jake Delhomme: Now with back-to-back implosions! - Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
It's not that Delhomme's necessarily done; he had a decent season last year on a run-heavy team. But as two-game stretches go, this has to rank among the worst: 24 of 51 for 278 yards, one touchdown and nine picks. These are numbers we would generally attribute to Billy Joe Hobert or Dan Orlovsky(notes), not a guy who's been to a Super Bowl and two NFC Championship games.

Say it aint so, Billy Joe!....So who is the #2 QB?

Darin Gantt's Panthers Blog | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
Fox said his backup QB would be a "game-time decision" between just-acquired A.J. Feeley and Matt Moore. Feeley's getting the crash course, spending a late night Tuesday with QB coach Rip Scherer before practicing Wednesday. Moore said he's preparing as if he's the two, but that's standard for him anyway. He did talk about how much more comfortable he was now as opposed to being thrown into the deep end in 2007, when he started three games late in the year. We'll have more on that in tomorrow's Herald.

It's not going to matter who the #2 is and here is why:

The Associated Press: Panthers seek quick fix after Week 1 debacle
We know he's going to get better," Diggs said of Delhomme. "We're all going to get better. We've all made mistakes, too. Maybe not as evident, but we all had our hand in that game. "Everybody is being accountable. He's being accountable. Coaches are being accountable. So there's nothing left than to go out and really prove ourselves and get better."

Kubiak "Stopped Short" Of Declaring Matt Schaub Ready For Opener

Mike Kerns — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:40:05 -0000

Texans starting QB Matt Schaub returned to practice today. He was still wearing an ankle brace after leaving the field.

View full size photo »

It's from the good old national media, so take it for what it is worth. I am more inclined to listen to the local guys who cover the team (The Chronicle's Twitter is saying Schaub is expected to start), but thought this was worth passing along:

Texans quarterback Matt Schaub returned to practice Tuesday, though it's not clear whether he will start against the New York Jets in Sunday's season opener.

Schaub took half the snaps in practice, his first significant work since he sprained his left ankle during a Aug. 31 preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. He is listed as day-to-day.

"He took a big step forward (Tuesday)," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "He's progressing toward getting ready to go, so it's a positive move forward for him."

Kubiak stopped short of saying Schaub, who has missed five games in each of the last two seasons with injuries, would start against the Jets. The coach did announce that Rex Grossman would be Houston's No. 2 quarterback this week.

Also:

"Matt is hobbled, so they've got to be ready to go," Kubiak said. "But as I told Dan and Rex, I'm leaning toward Rex's experience and the way he handled himself, handled the team the other night. I'm kind of drawing from what I've seen him do in the past and (am) just very comfortable with him right now."

Hopefully, Kubiak is pulling a Belichick and not announcing his injuries until it is mandatory. Trying to keep your opponent guessing. If not, the Schaub haters are going to be out in full force at Reliant this Sunday...

Orlovsky Or Grossman…Not Too Hard Of A Choice

Mike Kerns — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:18:46 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Rex Grossman surprised a lot of Texans fans with his solid performance against Tampa Bay Last Friday. A Performance that has sparked a backup QB controversy amongst the Texan fanbase.

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The hot topic over the weekend between Texans fans (aside from Dunta Robinson ending his holdout) is who should be Matt Schaub’s backup once the season begins, Dan Orlovsky or Rex Grossman. Sports radio has been all over it this morning.

A few days ago, people were wondering if Rex Grossman would even make the team. But after his solid performance against Tampa Bay this past Friday, a lot of Texans fans have had more to say about Rex other than the "I’m throwing it downfield" jokes. Even though he did throw it downfield with relative ease. Now people are saying how they like Rex for his experience and are ready to ship Dan Orlovsky out of town for a new water boy.

Actually, Orlovsky was already not too highly thought of so far by Texans fans. And this was before Grossman had the stellar performance last Friday. He shows flashes of brilliance, and then does what used to make me pull my hair out about Sage Rosenfels: You just know a turnover is coming real soon.

Now, I do believe that Orlovsky has the tools to be a pretty quality backup in the future. No doubt about that. He just needs some time. It probably will take him a little bit to shake off the funk of that 0-16 Lions season in 2008. Let him learn behind Schaub and Grossman this season. I believe that would be best for him.

When/If Matt Schaub goes down this season, Grossman should get the nod in this guy's opinion. Let’s face it--the guy has been more successful than any other QB on the roster. That Bears team may have made it to the Super Bowl in spite of Rex, but he has still been to, and played in, a Super Bowl.

But, again, I am in no way trying to sell Orlovsky down the river. I just think that Grossman will be the guy to step in should Schaub go down this year. And I think he should be.

What say you?

***UPDATE***

Guess it doesn't matter now. According to Nick Scurfield's Twitter:

Kubiak just announced after practice that Rex Grossman will be the #2 quarterback vs. the Jets

Poll

If Texans QB Matt Schaub is sidelined with an injury again this season, who should line up behind center for The Texans?

Dan Orlovsky

75 votes

Rex Grossman

406 votes

481 votes | Poll has closed

Decision Day: 53-Man Roster Speculation

bigfatdrunk — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:13:47 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

3 months ago: Houston Texans' David Anderson (89) congratulates James Casey (86) after Casey's 11-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Rex Grossman during the second quarter of a preseason NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on Friday, Sept. 4, 2009, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

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With cuts due by 3pm CDT (I believe, please correct me if I'm wrong), I wanted to pontifibate one last time on the 53-man roster. It's not going to be much different than my first take.

As a refresher, here's the composition of the Texans original 53-man roster last year:

2 QBs
3 RBs
1 FB
5 WRs
3 TEs
5 OTs
5 Gs (1 C/G)
1 C
3 Special Teamers (P, K, LS)
6 DEs
5 DTs
6 LBs
4 CBs
5 Ss

Again, there's substantial reason to believe the roster will be similarly composed. So here goes:

2 QBs: Matt Schaub and Dan Orlovsky
3 RBs: Steve Slaton, Chris Brown, Arian Foster (over Ryan Moats)
1 FB: Vonta Leach
5 WRs: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Andre Davis, David Anderson, Jacoby Jones
3 TEs: Owen Daniels, James Casey, Anthony Hill
4 OTs: Duane Brown, Cliff Washburn, Eric Winston, Rashad Butler
5 OGs: Antoine Caldwell, Chester Pitts, Kasey Studdard, Mike Brisiel, Chris White. Last year, there were 5 OTs and 4 OGs.
1 C: Chris Myers
3 Special Teamers: P - Matt Turk, K - Kris Brown, LS - Clark Harris
5 DEs: Antonio Smith, Mario Williams, Connor Barwin, Tim Bulman, Jesse Nading
5 DTs: Amobi Okoye, DelJuan Robinson, Frank Okam, Shaun Cody, Jeff Zgonina
6 LBs: Zac Diles, Xavier Adibi, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, Buster Davis, Kevin Bentley
5 CBs: Jacques Reeves, Fred Bennett, Brice McCain, Glover Quin, Antwaun Molden
4 Ss: Dominique Barber, Eugene Wilson, Nick Ferguson, John Busing

Again, that leaves us with 52 of the 53 spots. I think it's going to come down to:

Rex Grossman: He'll be tough to cut after last night's performance.
Glenn Martinez: Was a fiend on special teams all preseason.
Joel Dreessen: Your basic, but very good, utility TE.

After Anthony Hill's performance last night, I believe Dreessen takes the last spot. While Casey needs some time to mature into the position, Hill is definitely not ready. Dreessen will be the steady hand.

As far as Grossman, I believe there's a chance he still makes the team over Jeff Zgonina. Kubiak hasn't shown any indication he's going to take three QBs, and after last night's game, he seemed pretty non-committal about keeping Rex. Personally, I don't believe Rex makes the team.

I'll be out of town when the cuts are made, but I'll be back this afternoon.

Predicting the Arizona Cardinals Record: Part 4

Andrew602 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:00:23 -0000

For the last three weeks, we've spent some time breaking down what the Cardinals record may be for the 2009 season. Over the weeks we looked at each game of the Arizona Cardinals schedule, and broke down each team they will play. You can see parts part 1, part 2, and part 3 right here, where you'll see that the Cardinals record at this point is 8-4. In part three, the Cardinals came out 3-1, only losing to the Titans. During this next stretch, they face 2 division opponents, and two others from the NFC North. So to finish our segment before the season begins, here is the final part of the prediction for the Cardinals 2009 record.

Week 14 - At San Francisco 49ers

Key Additions: WR Brandon Jones, CB Dre Bly, DE Demetric Evans, FB Moran Norris

Key Losses: LB Tully Banta-Cain, WR Bryant Johnson, CB Donald Strickland, QB J.T. O'Sullivan, DT Ronald Fields

Analysis: After Mike Singletary took over for the 49ers last year, he immediately made a difference, and since then, he's stamped his identity on this team. He's created a tough and smart football team over at 49er camp. Although the 49ers are one of our rivals, you have to respect what Singletary has done for them at this point.

What to watch for: In their first match up, I gave the Cardinals the win at home, as they were opening the season after their Super Bowl run against a division rival on their home field. This time, the Cardinals travel to San Francisco, where the 49ers can play very aggressive against road teams. It's also on the Monday night stage, where both teams have played very cutthroat in the past. Expect a lot of emotions to come out as this has become a great rivalry.

Key Match Up: Chris Wells vs Patrick Willis - This would be a very exciting match up on the national stage, as our bruising rookie running back takes on their Pro Bowl hard hitting linebacker.

Prediction - Loss - Last year the Cardinals barely escaped a win over the 49ers at home. This year I'd expect us to split the series, with each team winning at home.

Week 15 - At Detroit Lions

Key Additions: LB Julian Peterson, QB Matthew Stafford, LB Larry Foote, CB Phillip Buchanon, CB Anthony Henry, DT Grady Jackson, OT Jon Jansen, WR Bryant Johnson, RB Maurice Morris, WR Ronald Curry, CB Eric King

Key Losses: CB Leigh Bodden, DT Shaun Cody, DT Cory Redding, DE Corey Smith, QB Jon Kitna, QB Dan Orlovsky, WR Shaun McDonald, FB Moran Norris, G Edwin Mulitalo, S Dwight Smith, WR Travis Taylor

Analysis: There's not much to say after a team goes 0-16 during the regular season. The Lions just plain stunk last year. This year proves to be a different experience for a team that's struggled in recent years. As you can see, they've cleaned house and started fresh. It began in the off season when they hired Titans defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, as their head coach. They also took the next step in rebuilding their team, in drafting a franchise quarterback by the name of Matthew Stafford. The team can only improve from last year and anything more then 4 wins would be a success.

What to watch for: By the time the Cardinals head to Detroit at this point in the season, they will likely be vying for a playoff berth. On the other hand, the Lions may just want to play spoiler. Another thing to watch for is Calvin Johnson. He's already been regarded as one of the best wide recievers in the NFL at this point in his career. Watch to see how DRC handles himself against the tall receiver. If Stafford is in the game at this time, watch for the Cardinals defense to try and rattle the rookie QB.

Key Match Up: Adrian Wilson vs Matthew Stafford - If the rookie is starting at this point in the season, he has a big arm and likes to air it out. Expect Wilson to drop in coverage a few times but also layout Stafford a few times in the backfield.

Prediction: Win - It's simple, the Cardinals will be fighting for a playoff spot at this point in the year and the Lions will not be.

Week 16 - St. Louis Rams

Key Additions: SS James Butler, C Jason Brown, FB Mike Karney, OT Jason Smith

Key Losses: WR Torry Holt, OT Orlando Pace, QB Trent Green, S Corey Chavous

Analysis: After dusting off the cob webs and bringing in some youth, the Rams look to another challenge in '09, WIN. The last two years have been struggles for this Rams team that used to be the greatest show on turf. With Spagnola at the helm now, we may actually see a division rival actually become...a division rival.

What to watch for: The Rams come to University of Phoenix Stadium with hopes of knocking off a divisional opponent. Unfortunately, they haven't played that well there in the past, and will likely have some difficulty. The Cardinals will be ready for this game, hoping to catapult themselves into the playoffs with a win.

Key Match Up: Gerald Hayes vs Steven Jackson - Last year Hayes swarmed Jackson when the Rams came to Arizona. Will Jackson have revenge on his mind?

Prediction - Win - The Cardinals may need this win more then the Rams will at this point in the season.

Week 17 - Green Bay Packers

Key Additions: S Anthony Smith, C Duke Preston, DT B.J. Raji

Key Losses: DT Colin Cole

Analysis: The Packers had high hopes last year, after coming off an NFC Championship appearance. Unfortunately, it didn't translate into the 2008 season. While they had a good offense in '08, they suffered injuries that caused them to lack a rushing attack to go with their passing offense. The defense was the obvious weak spot, as they gave up a significant amount of points and were playing catch up most often then not. This year they bring back their explosive offense, and most are healthy. Aaron Rodgers has looked amazing at this point in the preseason, and they outscored their opponents in each game. They brought in Dom Capers and drafted DT B.J. Raji to improve their defense, and it's already showed as they've forced numerous turnovers and have limited their opponents scoring so far.

What to watch for: Watch for the Cardinals to head into this game with revenge on their minds. Even though it was only the preseason, the Packers put a shellacking on the Cardinals first team offense and defense. Expect to see fireworks in this game as the Cardinals defense would like to get after Aaron Rodgers.

Key Match Up: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie vs Packers Wide Receivers - After getting embarrassed in the preseason, we can only expect DRC to come out with something to prove in this game.

Prediction - Loss -Although the Cardinals will likely play differently this game, the Packers look to be much better in '09 and will be playing aggressively in their last game of the season, as their division will be competitive.

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Arizona Cardinals final projected record - 10-6

So after the final four games, the Cardinals finish their 2009 season at 10-6, which will likely land them with another division title and a playoff berth. Although you could easily mix and match some wins and some losses, 10-6 may still be the record, with 9-7 or 11-5 not that far out of the question. Although I'd like to see them go 16-0, I can live with the projected record if it happens. As far as anything less, the Cardinals would have to have a complete meltdown or a massive amount of injuries. What's your take on a final record of 10-6? Do you think the Cardinals would do better or worse?

Poll

How many wins will the Cardinals have in 2009?

13 or higher - Super Bowl here we come...again.

62 votes

10-12 - What hangover? We're back in the playoffs.

495 votes

7-9 - Another average season in the books

183 votes

6 or less - Same Ole Cardinals?

47 votes

787 votes | Poll has closed

Plenty Of Reasons To Watch The Final Preseason Game

Mike Kerns — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:09:03 -0000

Quarterback Rex Grossman will play for the first time since pulling his hamstring on his first play from scrimmage against Kansas City on August 15th.

View full size photo »

I am usually the type that watches the final game of the preseason for a few series and then I am done. The starters are usually rested and we watch a bunch of guys play that will probably be working at Discount Tire by that time the following week. But this year, there are certainly some things to watch for.

First off, even though his status changes every five minutes, we could finally get to see first round draft choice Brian Cushing get some playing time Friday against Tampa Bay. The news from camp today was that he was on the field in pads and taking some contact. Some are anxious to get him out there and get him some time to pick up some of the scheme. Others, including me, think we should just rest him one more game and let him loose against the Jets in week 1. No need to rush him. I would hate to see him with that nagging injury all season. Even when his history shows that the chances of that are pretty high already.

Next, apparently Rex Grossman is all better and ready to play. Sweating a roster spot there, Rexy? Well, it’s not like Dan Orlovsky has been a world beater thus far. Rex has virtually zero chance of passing Dan-O on the depth chart, but if he plays well Friday I could see us carrying three QBs for the first time under the Kubiak Era. I’m not a big Grossman fan (who is?), but he is John Elway next to Alex Brink.

Arian Foster, who many people had penciled in as Slaton’s backup from the moment he was signed as an undrafted free agent, will get lots of time on the field Friday. Gary Kubiak was quoted as saying that Foster was "on the bubble." So Foster needs to do something worthwhile against the Bucs' third stringers to make the team. Right now he has to be behind Chris Brown and Ryan Moats. As well as Steve Slaton, of course. He has been banged up almost all preseason and that hasn’t helped his case to make the squad so far. I’d like to see him make the team, but he hasn’t really shown me anything yet. I’m anxious to see if he has any of that burst left that he had the season before his injury at Tennessee.

Then there is every Texans fan's apparent man crush (you know who you are!), James Casey. With Vonta Leach resting a bruised knee, "Thor" will see time at fullback Friday. It is a great opportunity to see his versatility and I am interested to see if they try a wildcat play or two. Doubtful, but it's fun to know that they have that option. And if you can’t try it in the preseason, when can you try it?

Add to all of this that I want to see if Dan Orlovsky can keep from turning the ball over for one game and to see how Xavier Adibi responds to losing his starting job to Zac Diles, and there are plenty of things to be watching for. Besides, what else you got to do on a Friday night?

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:30:12 -0000

Happy Tuesday, friends. Welcome to the creative process for ST&NO, which I now intend to lend some insight into. If you didn't know, I am told exactly what to write by messengers of the Supreme Commander of La-La Land. It happens subliminally, in the middle of the night, by visits from Fairies, because it almost feels to me like these are my own independent thoughts. Once the season gets going, I generally wake up on Saturday, and watch some college football, and write for a while, then I watch a bunch of NFL football on Sunday (after another, longer, more intensive Fairy visit) and write a lot more. Then, on Monday, I put the finishing touches on it, and it runs Tuesday morning. Voila! From the mind of the Supreme Commander, to the voices of the Fairies, to my ears, and then my fingers, to your eyes. It's like magic.

Well, usually that's how it goes. Sometimes, it's the middle of the 4th quarter of a fairly annoying and sloppy 3rd preseason game, and this pops onto my iPhone, from John Bena, and sent to the whole creative team.

Can someone post a small game recap, along with some thoughts to use as a Post Game Discussion Thread? Please??? Just reply to this if you do it!

I see it, and I kind of groan, because I live in the eastern time zone, it's almost midnight, I have to work in the morning, and the game was annoying, as I mentioned. I'm just not really in the mood, you dig? I decide I will wait for 20 minutes, and see if anybody else will claim the responsibility. Nobody does, so I decide that I should take ownership of the job, and get it done. Dammit.

So, I know what you're thinking. How did the Kool-Aid, subliminal, happy, positive messaging get to me, considering John's very ambiguous language? I mean, hell, all the guy did was ask somebody to write a few thoughts. I could tell from his tweeting that he was personally less than thrilled with the game. I was never asleep, so the Kool-Aid Fairies couldn't have visited me, right? How could I write such a shiny, happy screed as this? Ponder that, and meanwhile, we'll get Shallow and Nearsighted (and Shiny! and Happy!) with it. Ready..... BEGIN!!!!

1. We begin with our dear friend, the Boringest Man In America.

b. Denver running back Floyd Little, on the surface, falls short. He had but one 1,000-yard rushing season, ran for just 43 touchdowns, averaged 3.9 yards-per-carry in his career and rushed for 54.0 yards per game. But he had the misfortune of playing for a team that had a winning record only twice in his career. He won the rushing title in 1972 and had more rushing yards (5,185) than any other back in football from 1968 to '73. He played behind Steve Tensi, Marlin Briscoe, Steve Ramsey and Charlie Johnson.

We talk in the Hall of Fame selection room every year about not discriminating against guys on historically bad teams, which this Denver team was. I guess when I think of jobbed guys on historically bad teams, I think of Tommy Nobis, Claude Humphrey and Cortez Kennedy. I'll need to be convinced a little more on Little.

This is really important, for a couple of reasons. First of all, King indicates that he can be convinced, so that's a starting point. Now, he thinks he knows a lot more football than he actually does, and his treatment of fan email tends to be arrogant and condescending, but this is a good example of a guy who MHR needs to be lobbying. He can be, and needs to be educated.

I can relate, because 16 months ago, I was right there with him on Little. I was new to MHR, and had a very limited reputation, and was at least somewhat the idiot who didn't like Earl Bennett or Chris Williams that much in the 2008 Draft, and who favored Ryan Clady in the first round. Anyway, I looked at Floyd's statistics, and I wasn't blown away. I had never even seen one play that Floyd participated in, because I am only 32, and not tremendously history-minded. In making a point about Jerome Bettis, who doesn't deserve to go to the HOF, but certainly will, I wrote this FanPost, which makes me cringe now. I got crushed, as you can see in the comments. Firstfan cared so much that he sent me an outstanding book, Tales From The Broncos Sideline, which Floyd wrote, with John Elway writing the foreword, and Jim Brown contributing the preface. Turns out, it's a must-read for any Broncos fan.

I offered that copy of the book up once on here, after I finished it, and got no takers. I am glad, because I am going to send it to Peter King at Sports Illustrated. He needs to read it, because it conveys the greatness of both Floyd the player and Floyd the man. Not to steal the HOF committee's thunder, but please consider writing the BMIA a respectfully-worded email, advocating for Floyd's deserved inclusion in the Hall of Fame. It's an effort that won't be wasted, because the backstory is what sells Floyd, not the stats.

I said this King business was important for a couple of reasons, and I have only given one so far. The second reason is that if Floyd doesn't make it in this year, he almost certainly never will. This is not something people are going to come around to, and if those on the veterans' committee who put up his name lose, they won't try again. Only Bob Hayes has ever fallen short from the veterans committee, and then been re-considered and eventually elected later. Hayes was part of the Cowboys hype machine, and he got a lot of support from that. There's no Broncos hype machine. We're the best thing going for that, with all the talent and determination in this community.

Floyd is up against nobody but himself, and his own qualifications. What I mean by that is, the 2010 Class is limited to 5 modern-era inductees, and 2 seniors. If both seniors candidates make it, they don't keep anybody out, who could have otherwise made it, so it's really a yes-or-no vote, unlike the dynamic which kept Shannon Sharpe out in his first year of eligibility. We all know (or should get to know) that Floyd deserves enshrinement, and we need to help him get there. King says Dick LeBeau will get some love for being widely credited with inventing the zone blitz, which King calls a significant accomplishment in the game's history. How about Floyd saving a moribund franchise that went on to play in 6 Super Bowls (winning 2 of them) and average more wins per season, with more consistency, than any team in the last 31 years? THAT is a significant accomplishment in the game's history. Floyd was, and always will be, the Franchise. For somebody to decide that Floyd Little is not a Hall of Famer is analogous to that person stating for the record that fifty years of Denver Broncos football are meaningless in NFL history. No Floyd, no Broncos.

2. Some additional thoughts on Sunday night's game, incremental to the aforementioned shiny, happy screed:

a. Chris Baker looked outstanding on a few plays, and he lost leverage on a few others, and got pushed backwards. It's a technique issue, not an ability issue, and with good coaching and hard work, he is going to be a force. I can't imagine how a guy like this can go undrafted.

b. I think the offense greatly missed Jabar Gaffney. He's a downfield threat, without being a deep threat, and with solid guys like him, you never realize how much they mean to a team until they miss some time. He was an outstanding signing, and the Broncos need him back soon.

c. The Broncos defense has certainly looked better than that of any other AFC West team this preseason, in all three games. They struggle with covering the seams, and will probably continue to do so, but they are much improved from last year, believe that. Mike Nolan is really adding value, and while this is a transitional year, the improvement is very noticeable. The defense last year struggled to get one 3-and-out per game, and the first-teamers got 5 of them in 2 1/2 quarters against the Bears Sunday night.

d. Richard Quinn can catch, and he can get downfield, so don't be the guy who trumpets the inaccurate draftnik line that he can't do either. I believe that the Broncos actually bought low on him, because he's a very smooth athlete and has excellent functional strength as a blocker.

e. The Josh Barrett upper-extremity injury could really hurt, if it keeps him out long. He's a key special-teamer.

f. I think the Broncos have 2 of the 10 best punters in the NFL on their roster. Whichever one doesn't make it will be in high demand right away. I haven't seen them in practice, but I have to think that Britton Colquitt has a slight lead over Brett Kern at this point, based on games.

g. I think Darius Walker looks better than LaMont Jordan, and that he should be the 4th RB kept. Walker's fumble was bad, but he played well both before and after it. I like his burst to the hole, and in fact, he has more burst than either Peyton Hillis or Correll Buckhalter.

3. Observations from other games:

a. The best QB in the NFC this season is going to be Aaron Rodgers, with apologies to Donovan McNabb and Drew Brees. Rodgers is a great example of arm strength not being everything. Brett Favre has a much stronger arm than Rodgers, but Rodgers still throws the hell out of the slant, and is more accurate with it than Favre ever was. Rodgers also showed good athleticism against the Cardinals, with a long run on the opening posession. Rodgers' greatest strength is his decisiveness and command of the offense. He's starting to remind me of Peyton Manning a little bit, in that way, minus the heavy use of audibles at the line.

b. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie gave up 2 TDs against Green Bay, but it doesn't change the fact that he is getting ready to throw his name into the mix as the best CB in the NFL. That dude can turn and run with anybody, and he has outstanding ball skills, among the best in the NFL. He was a top-10 CB as a rookie, and should have definitely been Defensive Rookie of the Year over Jerod Mayo, who was good, but not nearly as good as DRC.

Of the TDs DRC gave up, one was a back-shoulder throw against a TE, (any CB gets beat on that play), and the other one was a deep ball off a great play-fake from Aaron Rodgers, where DRC got sucked up on the fake, and didn't get any safety help over the top, as Jordy Nelson went 76 yards. Trust me, Rodgers-Cromartie is going to be a great player for a long time.

c. Watching the Arizona-Green Bay game, I believe that both teams are Super Bowl contenders in 2009, assuming good health. The Cardinals defense had a bad day, but they aren't a bad defense. The Cardinals have 4 elite players on defense (Darnell Dockett, Karlos Dansby, DRC, and Adrian Wilson) and they're spread out across all three levels. They will give up some yards, but I've watched them really stiffen up in the scoring area for most of the preseason, and that's what winning defenses do.

Meanwhile, the Packers look like they are taking very well to the 3-4, especially Aaron Kampman. They're really benefiting from the return of Cullen Jenkins on the defensive line. His loss to injury last season basically single-handedly wrecked their defense. Ryan Pickett has done a nice job as the starting NT, also. I like what I see of the Packers trying to strip the ball, also. Charles Woodson doesn't look like he has lost a step either, and I had been hearing rumblings (someplace where you hear rumblings) that the Packers were considering transitioning Woodson to Free Safety sooner than later.

d. For two games in a row now, Vince Young has looked like a real NFL QB. Of course, against the Browns, he fumbled at the goal line going in, and had a bad INT returned for a TD, but we're concerned with nuance here at ST&NO, and he generally threw the ball better, and showed more command than I had seen in a couple of years from him.

e. Mark Sanchez is going to look like a rookie at times, but he is going to be more good than bad, right away. The guy has a feel for the game that you can easily see.

f. Among other New York rookies, Hakeem Nicks looked really good for the first time. He's a little different than most WRs, because he's more of a stout, hard-to-tackle guy, kind of like a more talented Josh Reed. Clint Sintim continued to look really good for the Giants, too, and he may challenge for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

g. The Falcons passing game shredded the Chargers, and their average O-Line did fine in pass protection. I think the assumption that Shawne Merriman's return was going to charge up the Bolts' pass rush is in some doubt, because they haven't pressured anybody this preseason. Merriman has been getting blocked, too.

h. Everybody has been saying Brady Quinn won the job in Cleveland, and I agree. I was watching the game live, and Bernie Kosar was quite prescient, right as Quinn had the team at the line, for his eventual TD pass to Braylon Edwards. Kosar mentioned how the strong safety was creeping to the line, and Quinn saw it, and checked to a slant to Edwards, against single coverage. The read was the key thing, and the throw was good, too. The play encapsulated the reason Quinn is better than Anderson. He's slightly less talented, but he consistently produces better outcomes.

i. I heard Shaun Hill say something during the 49ers telecast that was a really good quote. He said playing QB was the hardest job in sports, with the easiset job description: WIN. That's a great description, and Hill is one of these guys who seems to give his team a chance to win when he plays.

j. Jamie Dukes and I agree on something. That's a little chilling, actually. As I watched the Bills-Steelers snooze-fest Sunday, I was thinking that the Bills profoundly erred in picking Aaron Maybin, and would have been better off taking Michael Oher (or trading up to get an even higher-rated OT). They can't block anybody, and they're going to finish in last place in the AFC East because of it. It's too bad, because they are very good at WR, in the secondary, and on special teams.

k. A guy I didn't love coming out of college was Joe Flacco, but I am 100% sure now that he's a true franchise QB. I didn't see a lot of him at Delaware, hence my initial indifference, but the guy has a great arm, good mobility, and poise that is really rare, for such a young guy. He's what Jay Cutler could have been, with a better personal makeup. I like him better than Matt Ryan too, though Ryan has a lot of redeeming qualities, himself.

l. I think Nate Davis is going to get a look as the starter at QB in San Francisco before the year is out. He's very talented, and he only fell to the 5th round because of concerns about a learning disability that he has. He looked terrific against Dallas this weekend.

m. Has Matt Cassel proven that he's a "franchise quarterback"? I watched NFL Network all day Sunday, and had to hear Steve Wyche call him that like 14 times, and it made me cringe each time. He might be a good QB, but even that's far from known at this point.

n. Contrary to the MSM nonsense you hear, the best player on the Raiders offense is JaMarcus Russell. He really seems to be feeling the game a lot better, and he's right on schedule, if you look at him in a vacuum. Unfortunately, the only other talent on the offense is TE Zach Miller, and 3 RBs (Darren McFadden, Michael Bush, and Justin Fargas). Russell needs help at WR, and I don't think Darrius Heyward-Bey has shown much yet. His O-Line is really bad too, which will hurt.

o. Donald Brown is going to be the bell-cow RB for the Colts, and Joseph Addai will be more comfortable as a complementary 1/3 kind of guy. It's actually pretty funny when Jamie Dukes calls him Pat-Pat (meaning he carries the ball once, and pats his helmet, asking out of the game). Brown got a hard-running TD this weekend, and those are the kind of plays he can make consistently.

p. I will tell you who is a dominant player, whom you may not have heard of. Tony Brown plays DT for the Titans, and wears #97. He's a penetrating, one-gap kind of player, and he's really difficult to handle, which opens up the edges for Jevon Kearse and Kyle Vanden Bosch. Brown's success in 2008 could have been semi-reasonably assumed to be largely due to Albert Haynesworth's presence, but he's looked even better so far this preseason, with no Haynesworth around.

q, Matt Schaub showed a lot by playing hurt on Monday night. He banged up his knee on a scoring drive, kept playing, and then after a Vikings TD, led the Texans about 40 yards in 27 seconds, to steal a field goal before halftime. Those are the kinds of things that wins games.

r. Dan Orlovsky has always been talented enough to be a solid starter in the NFL, and yes, him being a UConn guy is part of the reason I have paid attention to him over the years. He is now getting top-notch coaching in Houston, and you can tell that he's really improved a lot in a little time.

s. Brett Favre looked the same as he did in the first 11 games last year, and ESPN actually had a good point, that with 11 indoor games this season, he'll be greatly helped.

t. I haven't seen the Bengals once this preaseason in anything but highlights, which is a bad oversight by me. I will definitely be DVRing their game against the Bengals, even though it may not tell me much. It's kind of a problem of my own making for not thinking ahead, though.

4. I was asked by Jon Tollerud on Twitter this week (follow me, if you like my work, @TedBartlett905) for a special edition ST&NO about the Brandon Marshall situation. Well, I don't think turd behavior warrants special treatment. That's not why I didn't write one, I just didn't have time, but it's true nonetheless. In any case, I have had some time to marinate on this, and I have some thoughts. I've been having problems with the story editor locking up on me, and this is my third time writing this part, so bear with me if I seem irritable.

I was all set to say that nobody in their right mind could now empathize with #15. Then, I watched ESPN's abomination of a pregame show, and listened to Keyshawn Johnson (it figures), Cris Carter (really, Cris?) and Tom Jackson (are you &&%$#& kidding me TJ?) all beat the Pay-Marshall-Now drum.

The Broncos can't, and they won't. They can't and won't trade him either. This has to do with controlling the football team and establishing a program. Players can't get their way by throwing a hissy fit. Some will say that Jay Cutler did, but I tend to speculate that Josh McDaniels never really wanted Cutler anyway, based upon evaluations of his film, his character, and his comments to the media that he should have some say in team management, as the starting QB. If I have that right, then trading Cutler was sticking to the company line, really, more than it was acceding to the player's wishes.

I frankly don't really care about Marshall's past legal troubles. He was acquitted, and none of us can possibly know the facts, so at worst, we should call him an alleged woman abuser. (Statements that insinuate that he certainly was guilty are inappropriate in the United States, whether we like it or not.) I care that Brandon stays out of trouble in the future, and that's it.

If Marshall gets with the program, and plays well, he will get paid. It may be in Denver, it may be somewhere else, but he'll get paid, for sure. He needs to come back to Dove Valley on September 6th, go out of his way to be humble, work as hard as he can, and get with the program. If he does that, maybe 5 years from now, he can laugh at how immature he was in 2009, and how much he's grown. If he doesn't, he'll be radioactive, and nobody will want him on their team, except the usual halfway houses in Dallas, Oakland, and Cincinnati.

I found Champ Bailey's comments, as relayed by Andrea Kremer, to be very interesting. He certainly was NOT getting Marshall's back, so all this Jamie Dukes "Marshall-Is-A-Team-Leader" and Keyshawn Johnson "McDaniels is losing his locker room by messing with Marshall" stuff seems like total bunk. Brandon needs to win his teammates and coaches back, and get to playing football. Everything else will eventually work itself out.

5. I think Dish Network must think football fans are stupid. Their commercial says (paraphrasing) that DirecTV charges $300 extra for extra NFL games, and why would you pay that? You can get over 100 games on Dish, including your locals.

Wow, over 100 games huh?

That's really something there, 106 games (plus 65 preseason games on NFLN!). That's also known as the games everybody with cable gets (if you take away the 8 NFL Network games for those cable companies who don't have it), and you're even close to the rabbit-ears only set's complement of 81 games (No ESPN or NFLN.) With the digital conversion for broadcast networks, do rabbit ears still work?

I pay for DirecTV's Sunday Ticket, because I am a Broncos fan living in Cleveland. Even beyond that, there's nothing cooler than flipping through a bunch of early games, and this year, I am going to take it to another level. I am going to set up two laptops with games on, in addition to my TV, and have a third laptop to type notes on. (I own 3 of them, and have one for work too, that I can use for whatever. One of mine is too old and slow to play video very well, though.) Good damn thing I am single right now, isn't it? if I weren't, I probably would be soon enough. Some man-cave activities will be definitely going on at my house this fall. The quality and integrity of ST&NO demand that I watch as much football as I can possibly manage, after all, so it's all for you, my loyal readers, and even those who just tolerate me and my schtick. :) It's worth every dollar of the $400, including SuperFan.

6. Let's remember to professionally work on some Hall of Fame voters, even beyond Peter King, for both Floyd Little and Shannon Sharpe. It's important enough to emphasize again. If we get them in, there's already talk of an MHR gathering in Canton for the ceremony. Since John and I are both fairly local to Canton, I am sure we can get something very cool organized, and watch 1 or 2 of our guys get in. Plus, if two Broncos go in, the team will almost certainly play in the HOF game, and get an extra growth opportunity next offseason, not to mention the fact that Josh McDaniels will get to coach an NFL game at the stadium he played his high school football in.

The first round of beers is on me, if we can help pull this off, though we can't have one in the stadium. Funny how high school stadiums don't have kegerators.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. There's no live national TV coverage for the Cardinals game Thursday, for the first time this preseason, which sucks. I will be listening on 850 KOA's website, Tweeting, and maybe even participating in the game threads, since my eyes won't be as busy as usual, when they're normally getting my information for me. It will be another growth opportunity for the Broncos, which is very exciting.

That's all for this week. There won't be a Lighting Up The Scoreboard this week, since Game 4 tends to be so meaningless, but look for both ST&NO and LUTS next week, leading into the Bengals game. Until then, keep it Shallow and Nearsighted, and if anybody says you're biased, tell them the Fairies made you that way, and you can't help it.

bfd's First Take at the 53-Man Roster

bigfatdrunk — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:31:53 -0000

Great discussion last week on the possible composition of the 53-man roster started by Texans-Brocos. Here's my take with a little bit of background.

Last year, the Texans' opening roster consisted of:

2 QBs
3 RBs
1 FB
5 WRs
3 TEs
5 OTs
5 Gs (1 C/G)
1 C
3 Special Teamers (P, K, LS)
6 DEs
5 DTs
6 LBs
4 CBs
5 Ss

I think it's reasonable to believe the 2009 roster will be similarly composed. After last night's game, here's my guess as to how the 53-man is shaping up:

2 QBs: Matt Schaub and Dan Orlovsky
3 RBs: Steve Slaton, Chris Brown, Ryan Moats (depending on his injury)
1 FB: Vonta "Human Coke Machine" Leach
5 WRs: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Andre Davis, David Anderson, Jacoby Jones (almost by default)
3 TEs: Owen Daniels, James Casey, Anthony Hill (no Joel Dreessen, which is our loss)
4 OTs: Duane Brown, Cliff Washburn, Eric Winston, Rashad Butler
5 OGs: Antoine Caldwell, Chester Pitts, Kasey Studdard, Mike Brisiel, Chris White. Last year, there were 5 OTs and 4 OGs.
1 C: Chris Myers (depending on his health, obviously)
3 Special Teamers: P - Matt Turk, K - Kris Brown, LS - Clark Harris
5 DEs: Antonio Smith, Mario Williams, Connor Barwin, Tim Bulman, Jesse Nading
5 DTs: Amobi Okoye, DelJuan Robinson, Frank Okam, Shaun Cody, Jeff Zgonina (no Travis Johnson)
6 LBs: Zac Diles, Xavier Adibi, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, Buster Davis (depending on Cato June's health), Kevin Bentley
5 CBs: Jacques Reeves, Fred Bennett, Brice McCain, Glover Quin, Antwaun Molden (no Dunta Robinson...just in case)
4 Ss: Dominique Barber, Eugene Wilson, Nick Ferguson, John Busing

Several differences from last year, though nothing crazy. Last year, we carried 6 DEs and 5 DTs, whereas I have us carrying 5 DEs this year. Sadly, I still have us carrying Jeff Zgonina as I just don't see anybody on the roster otherwise. There's the difference in OGs and OTs, and I have us keeping 5 CBs and 4 Ss, where that was swapped last year.

Also, and I doubt you noticed, but I have listed only 52 players for 2009. If Dunta signs, I do believe we'll keep 6 CBs on the roster as I believe the Texans, rightly so, would be afraid to release either McCain or Molden, who are the two I believe to be most on the bubble. I also believe that one of the CBs will be in line for a position change to S.

One guy who really intrigues me is Glenn Martinez, as he was the most "on" last night. He can return punts and kickoffs and looks like an excellent gunner on special teams. As I said in the game thread, he reminds me of Steve Tasker in the way he plays. There's a chance he overtakes Jones, but because we're carrying extra CBs, it'll make it tougher for Martinez to win a job.

What do y'all think?