SB Nation - Casey Hampton

Mike Holmgren's Greatest Managerial Achievement

John Morgan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:45:48 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Even in red, a Seahawk.

Mike Holmgren selected Steve Hutchinson 17^th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft, seven picks after selecting Koren Robinson and 23 picks before he selected Ken Lucas. If Robinson could have kept off the bottle, that would have been a hell of a start to a draft. He swapped first round picks with Green Bay for Matt Hasselbeck, drafted Heath Evans, Alex Bannister, and John David Booty's older brother, Josh.

Holmgren built the 2005 offense that weekend. He won the draft. In a draft that produced someday Hall of Fame candidates: Richard Seymour, Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson, Steve Hutchinson, Casey Hampton, Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne and Adrian Wilson, Holmgren won. The Panthers picked Dan Morgan, Kris Jenkins and Steve Smith with their first, second and third round selections, but still Holmgren's was better. He built the unit that would lead Seattle to its first and only Super Bowl.

Well, not quite.

The Bears cut Bobby Engram August 29 and Holmgren signed him August 31. Engram signed a two-year contract that paid him less than $500,000 annually. He was the 101^st highest paid receiver in 2001.

Engram received a 60k raise his second season and took on punt return duties to compensate. He averaged 10.7 yards per return and returned one to the house. That was the season Engram became the darling of Football Outsiders metrics. Targets to Engram ranked 26^th in total value and 13^th in value per target. He was ninth and second in 2003.

Holmgren struggled to fill out a roster and his teams were notoriously thin and talent poor defensively, but man did that man know early 21^st-century offense. He squeezed maximum value from slot receivers. Engram wasn't some schlub. He won the first ever Biletnikof trophy in 1994 and still holds most of Penn State's receiving records. Unlike Deon Butler, Engram wasn't a steady four-year starter with time to burn. Joe Paterno suspended him for the entire 1992 season after he was caught burglarizing an apartment and stealing a stereo with teammate Ricky Sayles. All charges were dropped against Engram after police determined Sayles convinced Engram the two were allowed to take the stereo.

The 1996 draft class included Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn, Eddie Kennison, Marvin Harrison, Eric Moulds, Terrell Owens, Muhsin Muhammad, Amani Toomer and Joe Horn. Engram was the eighth wide receiver selected, behind Johnson, Glenn, Kennison, Harrison, Moulds, Alex Van Dyke, Bryan Still and Muhammad. Engram never broke through with the Bears, struggling to receive for 38 year old Dave Krieg, Eric Kramer, Rick Mirer, Steve Stentstrom, Cade "AIDS" McNown and Shane Matthews, but he was good. Engram ended his career with Chicago with consecutive seasons of over 900 yards receiving before an ACL tear ended his 2000 season.

Holmgren didn't cash in a high pick or find a serviceable safety in the second, the kind of feats any GM can stumble into, he did that thing that separates the best general managers from the merely competent: found freely available talent and turned it into a long term asset.

Engram is a free agent after Kansas City cut him earlier this season. His time with the Chiefs was a tornado-obliterated double wide in a Rolls Royce career. Or maybe an efficient Elise is more Bobby's style. His short stop in the nation's dust mite might and probably will end Engram's fourteen-year career.

But maybe week 17, should the Tennessee Titans be out of it, Seattle can IR Patrick Kerney and sign Engram for one last perfectly-timed, Hasselbeck-to-Engram curl route for eight and the first.

Pregame Zone Blitz: Steelers at Chiefs

ncoolong — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:38:49 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

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Considering the Steelers' opponent this week, the hapless Kansas City Chiefs, it almost feels like a lose-lose situation. It's got letdown game written all over it. Even if the Steelers win, it will no doubt bring back the pain of a tough and rare AFC North loss to Cincinnati. PZB is going to demonstrate why this isn't a trap game and why a win is a win is a win.

Here's what our opponents are saying.

Opponent Web Sites/Forums

Arrowhead Pride points out an interesting discussion Steelers C Justin Hartwig had with 610 Sports Today in Kansas City.

The Kansas City Star's blog makes a good point about Larry Johnson ending up the winner of the feud between himself and the Chiefs.

A fan post brings up some solid analysis, but responders to it aren't optimistic about the Chiefs' chances.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley isn't at a loss for respectful words when it comes to the Steelers.

How hard can it be to simply not use a diuretic?

Last Game

After the Denver game, PZB called out the Broncos for not making enough splash plays throughout the game. It marks the last time PZB will ever do that, considering Pittsburgh's lack of explosive plays in its 18-12 loss vs. Cincinnati in Week 10.

That sounds like an excuse, though, and we don't make those.

We do know now how the Other Half lives; the other half of the league that does not have a productive quarterback under center. Clearly, Ben Roethlisberger is one of the better passers in the game, but for whatever reason, he played a substandard game against the division-leading Bengals. While he protected the ball well enough considering a pretty intense Cincinnati pass rush and excellent secondary, his accuracy was a negative factor for the first time this season.

Let's make a positive out of a negative though. We had the ball with two minutes remaining, down six, and that was after five sacks (four of them caused by outstanding coverage), a slew of tipped passes and Pittsburgh's seventh returned touchdown against this season. The Bengals even managed to botch the extra point.

PZB's hat is off to a vastly improved and legitimate Bengals team. We now focus on Kansas City.

Opponent Spotlight: QB Matt Cassel

Is there anyone else? No.

It took the Chiefs a little over 33 quarters to score a rushing touchdown in 2009. Jamaal Charles broke a 44 yard run in the second quarter of Kansas City's 16-10 win over Oakland in Week 9. Oakland has allowed the most rushing touchdowns (14) in the NFL. Kansas City is the only team to fail to score a rushing touchdown against the hapless Raiders, which they accomplished in their Week 2 loss at the hands of Oakland.

Now, with the defending Super Bowl champs and league's top-ranked rush defense coming to Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City's beleaguered rushing attack is safely considered to be non-existent this week.

Making matters worse for the Chiefs, top receiver Dwayne Bowe was suspended for four games for testing positive for a diuretic, and will not play in this game.

Cassel knows what it's like to be on the losing end of an ears-pinned-back pass rush from Pittsburgh. OLB James Harrison in particular ravaged Cassel in New England last season, forcing two second-half fumbles en route to a huge Steelers road win. In many ways, that victory propelled Pittsburgh to an eventual Super Bowl championship. Cassel remembers that thrashing, and also is aware Pittsburgh is in the rare spot of trailing another team in the AFC North. It'll be surprising to see Cassel hang onto the ball for longer than three seconds. He is an accurate passer when provided with adequate receiving support, and the match-ups in this game present a very simple and familiar game plan for Cassel; pass on the edge, get out of the pocket and try to protect the ball at all costs.

Steelers Spotlight: NT Casey Hampton

I wrote about this in Blitzburgh's Steelers Annual.

The key moment to last season was a holding call on Steelers Hampton in Week 13 at New England. Big Snack flipped his lid over the call (truthfully, it was valid), and we witnessed a rare display of animalistic emotion from one of the better nose tackles of his generation. Hampton blew up Patriots C Dan Koppen, sacking then-Patriots QB Matt Cassel.

It opened floodgates that didn't stop spilling until early February.

Hampton has that rare higher gear which can't be achieved by everyone. He has the ability to destroy an opponent's entire offensive game plan, because, frankly, you cannot plan around penetration. You can't run around it, you can't pass around it.

And you mostly can't do anything about it if you have an offensive line as inconsistent as Kansas City's.

OLB James Harrison had two sacks and two forced fumbles after Hampton roared. Lawrence Timmons had an interception return back to the Patriots' 1-yard-line after Hampton exploded.

The Steelers had one of the better defenses the league has ever seen in 2008. They realized it not long after they lost two of three to quality teams - the Giants and the Colts.

Hampton can lead by example, and he can dominate his opponent physically. This isn't a call-out to him because he's been off his game (he hasn't at all). It's a plea for him to reach for that upper gear and again become the unifier this team needs right now. Maybe this game can be the catalyst to push the Steelers over the top.

I See You

I see you, Donovan Woods. I may be getting a bit off the topic in this section, because usually, I see players from the previous game. The theme of this column this week is "moving ahead." Because of that, Donovan, you become the most important player in this game. You filled in admirably last season, jumping to and from the practice squad, the waiver wire and the active roster. That can't be easy and Steelers fans respect it.

We need you badly, Donovan. We need you to give us a sense of excitement to see the return man buried inside the 20, instead of the feeling of dread we currently have any time the ball is kicked. We need a spark, and we've all seen you provide that spark before.

I see you added to the roster and inserted immediately with the Herculean task of helping a stout defense not have to defend a short field, or stave off points allowed by other units. I see you making a few tackles, standing up, smacking some helmets and giving the Steelers defense a reason to pin their ears back and kick the tar out of Matt Cassel and the Chiefs.

Key Stats

Pittsburgh is 6^th in the NFL in scoring defense at 17.4 points per game (157 points).
Removing kick/punt returns and interception returns, Pittsburgh is allowing 12.9 points per game (116 points).
Kansas City scored its first rushing touchdown this season in a 16-10 win over Oakland in Week 10.

Quick Hitters

I am the only person who doesn't mind Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on 4^th-and-2 from inside their own territory. I've heard every reason why he shouldn't. Every one of those reasons is valid. But if I'm Belichick, I've got Tom Brady. Indy's got Peyton Manning. If I'm Belichick, I'm aware of the fact it's either going to be Peyton's day, or Tom's. I'm gonna give Tom the ball, and prepare to accept the consequences. Either way, wherever we are on the field, if No. 18 comes under center with time on the clock, this game isn't ending in my favor. Perhaps the most instructive part of this is seeing how close the Pats came to converting. Except for the fact the Colts showed how tough of a team they are by getting the season's biggest defensive play for the stop.
I am not gushing praise for Maurce Jones-Drew's "selflessness." But I'm not dogging him for not taking the points while they're there. The fact of the matter is the game of football is decided by the clock just as much as by points. A 1-point lead with no time on the clock is more important than a 6-point lead with 12 seconds left. The critics pontificate about the possibility of a field goal getting blocked, or a snap getting botched. All true. Are you going to suggest it's less likely to simply execute a 19-yard field goal as time expires than it is to stop a speed-burning kick returner with a gadget play at his disposal from breaking it for a touchdown? Sorry, I'm not buying the bravado. Let that clock run all day, MJD, and please, Mr. Mendenhall, Mr. Parker and Mr. Moore, keep your knee on the ground should you encounter this situation in the future. You shouldn't have any more faith in our kickoff coverage either.

Overcoming the "bump": How great teams keep winning despite setbacks

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:09:06 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2009, file photo, Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, left, will have to focus his team and not allow injuries to be an excuse. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

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Every NFL teams experiences a point in their season where something happens to disrupt their flow. Things are going well. The team is winning. Players are happy, flying around, looking to make plays, etc. Coaches are jovial in press conferences. Media are anointing the club, calling them "the best ever." Yippee-yippee-yay-yay!

Then, something happens.

Usually, it comes in the form of an injury. Or, sometimes, it's a team tragedy or some kind of disaster. Last season, we all saw the Houston Texans' "bump" come in the form of a hurricane that damaged their stadium, their facilities, and (for many players) their homes. The Texans never recovered from that "bump," and missed the playoffs because of a bad start.

In 2007, the our own, beloved Colts looked like they would repeat as world champions. They were 7-1 and flying high. Then, they lost Dwight Freeney for the season. They limped along for the rest of 2007, managed to finish the season 6-1 after the Freeney injury, but lost in the playoffs to the Chargers due in large part because of a lack of pass rush. In 2008, Peyton Manning's knee problems, coupled with the disasters at the defensive tackle spot, provided Indy with their "bump" very early in the NFL campaign. The team fumbled and bumbled their way through a 3-4 start. Though Indy managed to close the season on a 7-0 run, they lost in the playoffs again to the Chargers due in large part because of problems they had as a result of their "bump" early in the season (poor DT play).

Bumps for teams can sometimes be too much to handle. They can throw an entire season off track. However, it is the truly great teams that incur these bumps and, somehow, manage to win games in spite of them.

For my money, no championship team in recent memory was as injured as the 2006 Colts. They lost Brandon Stokley, Mike Doss, Corey Simon, James Mungro, and Montae Reagor for the season. Their secondary was a list of walking wounded. Bob Sanders missed virtually all the 2006 regular season (shocking, I know). Yet, despite the injuries, they persevered and won the Super Bowl.

Last season, we saw the Pittsburgh Steelers lose both their first and second round picks in the 2008 draft (Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed, respectively). They also played games in 2008 without Willie Parker, using castoff Mewelde Moore as their feature back. They lost Casey Hampton and Heath Miller for long stretches of time. Starting offensive guard Kendall Simmons was lost for the season with an Achilles injury. Steelers starters missed over 31 games in 2008 due to injuries. In Week Sixteen, they were dominated by the Tennessee Titans, and many wondered if the Steelers were as good as others said they were.

Yet, I distinctly remember seeing the Steelers hoist the Lombardi trophy this past February.

Obviously, too many injuries, or one devastating injury, can kill your football team. But just because you loose a few starters, or because some other players are down for a while, does not mean that is an excuse to lose. The great teams win despite injuries, and even though the 2009 Colts have lost some players this week, this roster is still good enough to win it all.

More importantly, with this current roster, I expect them to win it all.

I love players like Marlin Jackson and Tyjuan Hagler. But this is the NFL. Injuries happen. For eight weeks, this team has been able to get by without having a serious injury smack them upside the head. Now, they have two. We'll see how tough they are overcoming this "bump" in the coming weeks. Personally, I think they will be fine.

My Thoughts on What the Raiders Need to Do

KA1Z3R — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:41:14 -0000

It's no secret the Raiders are in a complete tailspin right now. Don't argue otherwise, after a great game against SD, the Raiders have given up over 140 yards rushing to the Chiefs and over 200 to the Broncos. Which shows Marshall's offseason plan of working on discipline has fallen apart and that it's not just discipline but the personnel. Basically what ever Raiders fan has been saying since 2003.

The passing game, I can't really say anything since Schilens is a big difference maker in the passing game because he's a comfort zone on the scale of Miller for Russell. But in all honesty, Russell should be comfortable with guys like Murphy and DHB after a whole offseason working with them.

Running game? Not enough of it and misuse of the backs' respective talents. Also, the lack of a passing game is ruining what should be a top-5 rushing attack.

Pass D, this falls on run D. When you're first and second instincts are to rush to the line to tackle a back, of course you're going to slip in coverage. In no way is this a personnel problem, other than that there should be some better nickel and dime corners, but I won't dwell on that.

So how do I think the Raiders can remedy their ailments, read on to find out.

Passing Game

Like I said, we'll wait to see how this looks when Russell gets Schilens back this week. Until then, this can still be worked on. All it comes down to is Russell, if he really cared about winning then he'd have taken time from his apparently busy day to work with the receivers after practice and on off-days.

After all, this is what successful QB's do. You think Rodgers magically got amazing with his receivers overnight? He had to work on it, he had to get his timing down.

Now let's stop right there, what exactly do people mean when they say timing? It simply means learning where the receiver will be at what point on every single play. Sticking with the Green Bay example, Jennings is clearly a faster receiver at this point than Driver. So he'll be farther in his route than Driver will be at, say, 5 seconds into the play. Learning the speed, agility, and acceleration abilities of your receivers is a big factor.

Another part of timing is knowing where to throw it to each receiver. Unless it's a curl or screen, you always throw the ball in front of where the receiver is, aka where he's going to be instead of where he is. However, you have to know how fast the receiver will be running to know how far ahead of them to throw. Throw it to far ahead and they won't catch up to it, throw it behind and they'll have to somehow stop and go back to it.

I've read plenty of articles about guys like Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, etc who's receivers have talked of how those QB's have pulled them and the other receivers aside to work on extra passing practice and to watch film on how each guy runs and moves.

If Russell wants to be successful, he has to be willing to work at it. His mechanics and footwork are problems, but timing to me is the one thing he should be good at by now.

If he isn't willing to work at it, then he clearly needs to be off this team. To anybody who says that's too harsh or I'm Russell bashing, I have to restrain myself from buying a plane ticket, going to where you live, and screaming in your face.

Plain and simple, if Russell isn't motivated enough to work on his craft, to work with receivers, and basically do some work for once, then bench him for the year and draft a QB next year. This is the plan I'd like. He's gotten much worse this year despite having much better receivers and pass protection. So it's not anybody at WR or on the O-Line (not even Green who is actually a great blocker this year) it's just Russell.

Cable (cough I mean Davis) clearly doesn't want to admit that Russell is quite plainly, a lazy pouty kid and therefore refuses to bench him. Gradkowski is actually motivated and has his mechanics figured out. Timing will come when he actually starts.

I've defended Russell for too long, but until he gets his act together, if he ever does, I'm hoping for Gradkowski to start and for this guy to be our first round pick next year:

via media.collegepublisher.com

Running Game

I'd like to see how the running game plays out when, which means if, the passing game gets put together. Till then, this facet of the offense can be worked on.

For one thing, don't just mix up your running backs, mix up your running plays. Instead of changing it every drive, change it with each couple plays. Then again, a couple plays is usually the extent of a Raiders drive.

What I mean though is, pound it up the middle, then go off tackle to the left side, try to pound it between the left guard and center, then go for a sweep to the right when the D is focused on that left side, maybe even misdirection it to the left on that sweep play. Just because you've dumbed the passing game down for Russell, doesn't mean he isn't capable of handing it off on a misdirection or throwing a pitch.

After all, Russell isn't this man:

via www.judiciaryreport.com

Just because you're unable to mix up the passing game, doesn't mean this should simplify the running game. If you watch the great running teams in this league like the Ravens or the Giants, they're constantly diversifying their running attacks. The O-Line is blocking very well and the backs can run very well. Just a simple matter of fixing up your playcalling.

Speaking of those backs, let's talk about how to properly use McFadden and Bush since it makes Cable cry to actually have to think.

via assets.espn.go.com

McFadden is a speed guy, and though he should definitely be developed to be able to do so, he's not a guy you should be using to pound it up the middle every play. We'll get to that runner in a minute.

Use McFadden's speed to execute plays you couldn't execute with Bush. Hand it off to him in the shotgun; the defense will be spread out and McFadden has the speed to get out of the backfield before the defense gets there. Run stretch plays with him. You have athletic O-Linemen who can move to wherever the run is going to create a path for Mcfadden to blast it outside and turn the corner. Same goes for sweep plays, especially since O'Neal is your lead blocker.

The only time I'd use Mcfadden to go up the middle is if you have three or four WR's on the field to spread the defense out and leave room in the middle for Mcfadden to burst through. Actually, if you've been running all these stretches and pitches, the defense should already be spread out to watch the sides, thus allowing you to keep a lead blocker for the middle runs.

Mcfadden needs to work on tough running and holding onto the ball, but he's a hard working guy so I'm not worried about that.

via imgs.sfgate.com

First of all, you should actually run this guy. More so than McFadden. Bush is a much tougher runner, can pound it up the middle like Cable likes to do, and he's actually pretty fast.

And like I said, he can pound it up the middle. If Cable is so in love with running up the middle, at least use the guy who's 245 pounds and stronger than most linebackers not named Ray Lewis. Plus he can do a lot of the off-tackle running I mentioned earlier. Give him some chances on those runs in between the guard and tackle because Bush is capable of getting out of the backfield decently quickly. Bush can easily find the holes, fire through them, and keep pushing forward.

In a league where it's all about the fight for every inch, you should the put the guy in who fight for every foot.

An interesting theory I've come up with when looking over a lot of film of teams running the ball, I came about something rather interesting. The Giants run Brandon Jacobs from the shotgun frequently.

Why are we not doing this with Bush? He's a tough runner much like Jacobs, and he's actually quite a bit faster. If Jacobs can get out of the shotgun backfield before the defense gets there, what's stopping Bush from doing it even better?

Play to the strengths of your backs, and experiment with stuff like Bush from the shotgun or McFadden in short-yardage when it's during a reasonable point in the game.

Running Defense

I love defense, I love it so much that people have told me that I would be a great defensive coordinator, and this is at age 14 close to 15. And if there's one thing I focus on more than anything else, it's the run defense.

Kinda makes you wonder why I root for a team that does so horribly at what I love most.

And though I probably could be a good D-coordinator, even I couldn't make this team a top-20 run defense in the state it's in.

Two reasons why:

Personnel
Lack of an offense to offer a break for the defense

But we're here to focus on #1 more than #2. Kirk Morrison is not a good middle linebacker by any means. He's not strong enough, he doesn't fill the gaps well enough, he doesn't see the field well enough. Put him outside where he only has to watch half the field and where is speed is better suited for outside runs, after all it work for Oakland's very own Thomas Howard. aka the only linebacker I'd keep at his current role on this team if I coached it.

Kelly and Warren have definitely gotten better thanks to Ellis and Seymour, but neither is the nose tackle this team sorely lacks. Look at Minnesota, 3-0 and they have two of the best nose tackles in the league starting.

Brown, I honestly don't know why he's not more successful. He's fast, the same size as Morrison (actually a little heavier I believe), so it must be the same problem Morrison has. He doesn't fill gaps and doesn't do a good job seeing the field.

Ellis and Seymour are perfectly fine, as are the safeties and corners. Especially since Asomugha and Chris Johnson who are two of the finest tacklers at the cornerback position that I've seen all year.

So what to do? Get a nose tackle, hopefully via the draft, and change Warren to a pass rush specialist. Why not Kelly? Kelly's actually been pretty okay for me. He's better than Warren's been and I wouldn't risk taking him off the field if the defense decides to pull a fast one and throw the ball.

Now what exactly do I mean by nose tackle?

Take a good long look at the following pictures:

via blogs.suntimes.com

via i123.photobucket.com

via i.cdn.turner.com

What you just saw are three of the finest examples of nose tackles in the league, Pat Williams of the Vikings, Casey Hampton of the Steelers, and Haloti Ngata of the Ravens. What stands out other than that these guys are incredibly great players?

They're big yes. But if you look at the size of the shoulders, arms, thighs, and though none of the pictures shows it, the legs, you have to be a muscle man. It's not as simple as getting a 350 pound guy, you need a DT who is strong and capable of throwing the athletic freaks that are the guards and centers of the NFL, to the ground. Nose tackles are guys that can clog the holes, and move O-Linemen so that other holes disappear.

Another thing, and this is Cable's most tired excuse, pad level. He's said it a thousand times, but it's true. You have to be low. DT's have to be low enough that when the ball is snapped they can get under the pads of the O-Linemen and make it harder for them to not only block you, but to push forward. It's easier to push when you're bent down, than it is to be standing upright.

How low are we talking? Take it away my man Ngata.

via masnsports.com

Though admittedly, even he could get a lower if he used a four-point stance. But for DT's that like to get some extra burst on the snap, that's the perfect stance.

In regards to the linebackers, Morrison must be moved to the outside after this season or do some serious bulking up and work on his ability to scan the field and react accordingly. But if the latter doesn't happen, it's time to draft a middle linebacker. if the latter happens but the former doesn't, draft a better outside linebacker than Brown. if you have that much trouble reading and reacting to only half the field then you're not going to get better any time soon.

The proper middle linebacker has to be big (about 250 or 240 if the linebacker can react and tackle quickly), have the strength of a defensive end in a 3-4 (meaning a 265 to 275 pound man), and be able to play the middle zone. Morrison fits the last part of that perfectly and is great in man coverage, but his reaction skills and strength are the issue. So what's the ideal middle linebacker look like?

via www.everyjoe.com

via i.cdn.turner.com

via www.getsportsinfo.com

EJ Henderson of the Vikings, James Farrior of the Steelers, and Antonio Pierce of the Giants. All are guys who can get through the holes on the O-Line to make the tackles, won't get held up for very long; if at all; by fullbacks, and are fast enough to play the middle zone and even play some man. Notice here, big shoulders, well built abdominals, and bulky legs.

All I can suggest for the linebackers is simply wait till next year and hope you can draft someone like Brandon Spikes or a guy that fits the mold of these three players.

So in all reality, the run defense is so broken this year, that it can't really be fixed until next year.

Pass Defense

Really, there's nothing wrong here. The run defense just makes these guys so hesitant to move away from the line of scrimmage that it makes them slow to react to the pass. The pass defense will return to its proper top-10 position once the run defense can stop giving up nearly 200 yards to the likes of Correl Buckhalter.

Now then, I beg and plead to you, the readers of this post, to ask Tyvon Branch to read this article, print out two or three copies, and give one to each of Tom Cable, Al Davis, and JaMarcus Russell. I can guarantee that all of these will translate to success, because it's worked for teams like Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Giants, Jets, etc. Plain and simple, these things work and have worked for just about every team in the league.

If these things don't happen, at least we'll be assured a chance at Brandon Spikes or Colt McCoy. At this point, I feel confident in saying that 3-13 is an incredibly likely record for this year.

Final Note: I ask that anybody that reads and agrees with this rec's this post. The more recs that it gets, maybe the more Tyvon Branch will see how mad we fans are and be more convinced to print this for Cable and Davis.

Wishful thinking I know, but at this point, wishing is all I can do for this team.

Under further review: When the defense stepped up, the Bengals took advantage

Kirkendall — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:59:40 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

2 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) is lifted in the air by Anthony Collins (73) after Benson scored on a 23-yard run in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Cincinnati. Cincinnati won the game 23-20. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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If you took every thing you knew about the Cincinnati Bengals, while applying every bit of team history that you've observed during the Mike Brown era, then the Bengals win over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday would seem almost foreign. For example, the team's first quarter was an alarming effort at self-destruction. Cedric Benson rushed the football four times for no-yards. Carson Palmer attempted three passes -- two to Coles, one to Henry -- falling incomplete. Kyle Cook missed a block on Casey Hampton, who sacked Palmer. Evan Mathis was called for a false start and Anthony Collins lined up off the line of scrimmage, penalizing the Bengals five yards.

Willie Parker rushed for 53 yards on nine carries while Ben Roethlisberger completed seven of nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown -- a 149.5 passer rating. By the time the first quarter ended, the Steelers had a 10-0 lead, time of possession nearing 11 minutes and seven recorded first downs. The Bengals had just over four minutes of possession, no first downs and actually lost 20 yards with only one recorded yard on offense -- which was lost on the next play.

This was the first quarter. This was why I said the Bengals had a big DOA stamped on the mid-field team logo. Even though a ten-point deficit is manageable, the score clearly didn't show the team's immense struggle on both offense and defense. Over 17 minutes had passed before Carson Palmer completed his first pass of the game. Over 17 minutes had passed before the Bengals recorded their first first down of the game. Nearly 19 minutes had passed before Cedric Benson recorded more than one yard rushing on the ground. Even though the Bengals would later punt on their fourth possession, when Phil Simms called the drive successful, based on what happened in the first quarter, he was absolutely right in his assessment.

Afterwards, the Bengals offense and defense steadily improved. After the team's fourth straight punt to start the game, the offense went three-and-out only once, punted twice, missed a field goal and scored on three of the final five possessions; two touchdowns in the final ten minutes of the game. Defensively, the Bengals went into shutdown mode in the second half, forcing a pick-six, a missed field goal and two punts. They allowed a 11-play, 85-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter. However, aside from that, with a bit of luck (dropped passes for example) the Steelers offense was largely ineffective.

When the Bengals were hit with a mountain of adversity, they climbed that mountain and won the game. It was foreign to see this after so many times witnessing the Bengals pack it in, following their collective sigh with there's always next week. This team is far different with their motivations and heart.

Did the offense line really play well? You could make the argument that the Bengals offense was as dreadful or successful as the offensive line was. On many of the early tackles by the Pittsburgh Steelers during rushing downs was a result of the line's inability to reach the second level. Pittsburgh's defensive line did a good job holding up the Bengals offensive line from getting in the linebackers way. James Farrior and Lawrence Timmons were on fire early as a result. However, I also noticed that the Bengals offensive line was often a step slow when Steelers linebackers shot through the gaps. Andrew Whitworth, who ended up playing as well as anyone on the team, still struggled with a defender making an inside move.

Aside from the sack allowed to Casey Hampton, Kyle Cook went largely unnoticed. However, after watching the game a second time, he struggled against the massive defensive tackle. So much so that the Bengals decided to only call two rushing plays up the middle, and an additional two off the right guard. Of those four rushing plays, the Bengals gained two yards. Were they trying to protect Cook by not making Hampton a factor in the game? It would be reasonable to think so. However, there really was no reason to run up the gut into the heart of the Steelers defense when the edges were wide open.

The Bengals ran behind Andrew Whitworth six times for 51 yards on Sunday; including a 23-yard touchdown run by Benson. He's not the only reason that Benson averaged 8.5 yards-per-rush when rushing off the left edges. Mathis was solid, as was Dennis Roland, Daniel Coats and J.P. Foschi. Anthony Collins' side saw a good measure of success also, with six runs gaining 23 yards, which included runs of nine and eight yards. As offensive linemen go, the team's left side of the line dominated the Steelers most of the game. Benson found holes, picking up chucks of seven yards three times, an eight-yard as well as the 23-yard touchdown run.

Furthermore, the Bengals were impressively solid defending against the nasty Pittsburgh pass rush. Hampton recorded a sack early in the game and James Harrison recorded a sack in which the Bengals didn't lose a yard when Harrison dropped Palmer at the line of scrimmage. Aside from that, Palmer was only hit two more times and remained on his feet the rest of the game. Some could argue that he panicked when he didn't need to, forcing throws before the receivers went into their breaks. When that happened, the pass visibly sailed over the receivers' heads, typically down the right sidelines. However, it's the survive to fight another day mentality. If you're uncomfortable, throw the pass away preventing a sack or an interception. After watching what happened last year, as well as the interceptions early this season, I think I'll take passes thrown away every time. Once Palmer understands that his line is holding up well, he'll develop more confidence to make plays. For the time being, it didn't hurt the team.

Palmer on third down.
Att	Comp	Pct.	Yards	TD	INT
10	3	30%	12	0	0

Palmer on fourth down.
Att	Comp	Pct.	Yards	TD	INT
2	2	100%	16	0	0

When momentum was too hard to define. Every football game is based on momentum. It's that invisible ghost that defines the game, which isn't entirely out of the hands of mere mortals. The Steelers had it early. The Bengals took it late. But when did the Bengals truly turn the tide, taking advantage of the momentum with a Paul Brown Stadium crowd that was noticeably loud? We have several instances.

We could go as far back as the 1:15 mark in the second quarter. The Steelers were leading 13-0 when Pittsburgh lined up fourth-and-four at the Bengals 35-yard line. At this point, if the Steelers take a 20 point lead into the lockerroom, the Bengals have a slight to zero chance. Ben Roethlisberger took the snap and felt immediate pressure from the Bengals' star pass rusher, Antwan Odom. Roethlisberger was forced to roll out to his left, where Jonathan Fanene, who had a tremendous game, wrapped the quarterback's legs. Ben doesn't go down easy. And he didn't here. While standing upright, rather than risking a quarterback sack, threw the football away. The Bengals offense took possession with a minute left in the half and managed a field goal. What could have become a 20-point deficit, turned into a 10-point deficit heading into the lockerroom. After stopping the Steelers on fourth down and after scoring a field goal, you have to wonder how much the players used that.

On the Steelers first possession of the second half, after hitting Heath Miller for five yards and after Hines Ward was called for his second offensive pass interference (which I simply noted as thanking the football gods for currying favor with the Bengals), Santonio Holmes sprinted off the line of scrimmage and kept going. Roethlisberger expected Holmes to run a hook-route and threw it as such. Johnathan Joseph watched Roethlisberger all the way. After allowing a second quarter 51-yard pass to Mike Wallace, Joseph tried to redeem himself all game. If it wasn't for his good hits, or sure tackles, it was the interception that Joseph returned to the endzone, giving the Bengals the first touchdown in the game.

After a long kickoff return, the Steelers start their second second-half possession on the Bengals 40-yard line. Momentum was nearly crushed when Roethlisberger hit a wide open Limas Sweed in the endzone. Sweed's natural enemy, the ground, knocked the football out of his hand, preventing the easy touchdown. On the next play, Jeff Reed missed a 52-yard field goal attempt.

Even though Sweed dropped the easy touchdown pass and Reed missed the field goal attempt, the Bengals didn't take advantage, going three-and-out; actually run-run-pass-punt. The Steelers went 75 yards on 11 plays on the ensuing drive, finishing the drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Roethlisberger. Rey Maualuga was carted off and whatever momentum the Bengals built, was dying (if not dead).

Then the Bengals performed their best fourth quarter performance since Carson Palmer engineered a 24-point fourth quarter, throwing three interceptions against the Baltimore Ravens in 2004.

Times each wide receiver was targeted

Receiver	Target	Catches	Yards	TD
Chad Ochocinco	11	5	54	0
Andre Caldwell	9	6	52	1
Laveranues Coles	7	5	34	0
Chris Henry	3	1	19	0
Brian Leonard	2	1	11	0
Cedric Benson	2	1	5	0
Daniel Coats	1	1	8	0
	35	20	183	1

Breaking down the quarters. The game was never out of reach in terms of the score. In terms of the performance, it was dreadful early. When it mattered most, Carson Palmer and Cedric Benson came through in the fourth quarter. Both scored touchdowns and recorded their strongest quarter. Furthermore, the defense rose as well, limiting Willie Parker and Ben Roethlisberger to their worst quarters in the game.

Carson Palmer

	Att	Comp	Yard	TD	INT	Rating
1st	3	0	0	0	0	39.6
2nd	13	7	81	0	0	72.9
3rd	4	3	6	0	0	77.1
4th	17	10	96	1	0	94.2
	37	20	183	1	0	76.7

Cedric Benson

	Att	Yards	Avg.	TD
1st	4	0	0	0
2nd	4	18	4.5	0
3rd	4	16	4.0	0
4th	4	42	10.5	1
	16	76	4.8	1

Ben Roethlisberger

	Att	Comp	Yard	TD	INT	Rating
1st	9	7	99	1	0	149.5
2nd	10	6	81	0	0	85.5
3rd	9	7	81	0	1	64.5
4th	3	2	15	0	0	78.5
	31	22	276	1	1	95.6

Willie Parker

	Att	Yards	Avg.	TD
1st	9	53	5.9	0
2nd	5	19	3.8	0
3rd	6	14	2.3	0
4th	5	7	1.4	0
	25	93	3.7	0

Five Questions With Battle Red Blog

John B — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:17:54 -0000

by Ed Zurga - AP

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SB Nation's Houston Texans blog, Battle Red Blog, was kind enough to do five questions with us to get ready for Sunday's opener.

1. Since the Texans came into the league, the national media has made their offensive line a focus. It seems like after all this time, they have finally found a nice mix. How do you feel about the line going into 2009?

BRB: I feel very good about the Texans' offensive line. While it seems very unlikely that all five starters will play 16 games again in 2009, Alex Gibbs' zone-blocking system has worked wonders for the running game, and pass protection has been decent to good. Depth, especially at tackle, could loom as an issue, though Duane Brown and Eric Winston are entrenched on the left and ride side, respectively. Overall, I'd say that the Texans can at least be labeled as average to slightly above-average on the OL.

The weak link, particularly against 3-4 defenses, is at center, where Chris Myers can be pushed around by larger defensive tackles (though Myers did add weight in the offseason and by no means is a bad player). If Kris Jenkins does what Casey Hampton did against Myers in Week One last year, we're in trouble.

2. What are expectations on defense with a new coordinator in place?

BRB: The primary expectation is more aggression. Frank Bush's predecessor, Richard Smith, implemented a "read-and-react" brand of defense that far too often left the Texans a step behind the opposition. Although the scheme and most of the players haven't changed demonstrably, Bush has made clear that he's going to blitz far more than the once every three games Richard Smith did. Look for much more pressure from the linebacking corps. DeMeco Ryans in particular looked to be much more of an attacker in preseason than he ever did under Smith's tutelage.

3. The Texans are a trendy sleeper pick this year. Do you think the buzz around them is justified?

BRB: Eh, I don't know. Houston was a trendy sleeper pick last year, and fat lot of good it did us then. I will say, however, that the schedule appears to line up much better this year than it did last year. The key is going to be divisional play. If the Texans can post a record of .500 or better in the AFC South, they could make some real noise.

4. Houston's top corner, Dunta Robinson, sat out camp and preseason in a contract dispute. He returned to the team this week. What are you expecting from him this Sunday?

BRB: Kubiak has been cagey about how much D-Rob will play on Sunday. He supposedly worked out like a demon during his time away, but it remains to be seen whether that'll translate to NFL-ready quickly enough to make a difference in Week One. Dunta is the team's best defensive back, so I'm sure he'll see the field quite a bit if he can convince Kubes that he's ready to go despite having no training camp/preseason game reps and only a week of practice. In any event, I wouldn't count on him playing every snap as he would've if he had been there throughout camp.

5. A year ago on offense, the Texans were one of the most productive offenses in the league in terms of yards but not in points scored. What went wrong? How can they fix this?

BRB: Great question. Fortunately, there's a simple answer. The Texans were almost without peer moving the ball between the 20s. Once they hit the red zone, however, they were horrendous. Most glaringly, Schaub and Rosenfels did a very poor job holding onto the ball in the red zone. Fumbles and picks were far too frequent an occurrence. If Schaub (or, God forbid, Grossman and/or Orlovsky) take better care of the ball once the offense hits the 20, you should see a sizable spike in the team's point total.

Arizona Cardinals Top Ten Irreplaceable Players

Hawkwind — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:03:04 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Kurt Warner and Tim Hightower are both among the top ten irreplaceable Arizona Cardinals but who else makes the cut? (AP Photo/ David Zalubowski )

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The Arizona Cardinals are on the door step of the most important season in franchise history. Just nine months removed from the their first ever Super Bowl berth the team must deal with unprecedented pressure from expectations and the pressure that comes with playing as the hunted instead of the hunter. The Cardinals will no longer fly under the radar or be an overlooked opponent. Every week the opposing team will know that the reigning NFC Champion will be on the opposite sideline and every week that opponent will bring their 'A' game because of that fact. Another major challenge for the Cardinals will be staying healthy. The Red Birds were one of the healthier teams in the league in 2008 and the "law of averages" will tell you that they'll have a hard time repeating that for a second consecutive season. With all of that in mind, we'll take a look at the most irreplaceable players on the Arizona Cardinals roster. Factoring in depth and the dropoff in performance from starter to backup will help us put them in order from ten to one.

#10 - Lyle Sendlein: Sendlein struggled mightily at times during his first year as a starter but the third year player has looked quite impressive during the preseason despite facing three dominating nose tackles in Casey Hampton, Jamal Williams and B.J. Raji. Sendlein's value not only lies in his improved play but also in the value of the depth at center. Ben Claxton is expected to be his backup but Claxton is a 29 year old player with a grand total of two games worth of experience.

#9 -Tim Hightower or Chris Wells: Hightower and Wells are 'one in the same' for this exercise because losing either one for a significant period of time would put too much pressure on the other to shoulder the load by himself. The Cardinals want to run the ball more this year and they'll need both backs healthy and productive in order for them to accomplish their goal. Jason Wright and LaRod Stephens-Howling may find their way onto the field in third down situations but either one of them getting a significant number of carries will not a be a good sign.

#8 -Gerald Hayes - Hayes doesn't get the attention or praise that he should but when he's on the field all he does it make play after play. He won't lead Sportcenter's Top 10 on Sunday nights or earn a trip to the Pro Bowl but he's one of the quiet, dedicated, reliable 'worker ants' that every winning team needs. Over the past three seasons he hasn't missed a game and has averaged 93 tackles per year. His veteran leadership combined with the fact that the Cardinals have very little depth at inside linebacker make his presence irreplaceable.

#7 -Steve Breaston - You might be wondering why a third wide receiver is irreplaceable but it's Breaston's total package that the Cards would miss. First, Breaston the only receiver who can simply run by a corner on any given play and beat a defense with the deep ball. Second and more importantly is Breaston's role on special teams. As the primary punt returner and most likely the primary kick returner, his value to the team can not be measured. If he were to go down you'd have to bump up Jerheme Urban, who's a talented receiver but not near the threat that Breaston is, to the slot receiver and you'd probably see Antrel Rolle get the first crack at punt returner.

#6 -Kurt Warner - It goes without saying that Warner is vitally important to what the Cardinals do offensively and they simply wouldn't be the same team if he were to go down. He'd be higher on this list though if Matt Leinart hadn't have had such an impressive preseason. Still though Leinart is a different type of quarterback and the offense would have to become more ground-oriented if he was the starting quarterback. Simply put, the way this team is currently constructed Kurt Warner is the guy that we need under center.

#5 -Darnell Dockett - Nine-0, as he prefers to be called now, is not only the team's best defensive lineman but he's the only one capable of shooting through the offensive line and wreaking havoc in an opponents backfield on any given play. If he were to go down, Kenny Iwebema would have to step in and they are completely different types of players. Dockett is essential to what the Cardinals hope to accomplish up front and the Cardinals need him to not only pressure the quarterback and penetrate the line of scrimmage but also to stay healthy.

#4 - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie or Bryant McFadden - The combo of DRC and McFadden are essential not so much because of their talents, although neither of them is too shabby, but instead because of the lack of quality depth behind them. If either of the Cards starting corners were to go down they'd be forced to push Ralph Brown into the starting lineup and talented but extremely raw rookie Greg Toler into the nickel slot. Brown has plenty of veteran savvy that's allowed him to survive in the NFL for nine seasons but he's not starting material at this point and Toler has proven that he's not ready for significant snaps yet either.

#3 - Mike Gandy - By now you've probably looked down this list and you're wondering (or maybe screaming) how Gandy can make the list but Larry Fitzgerald's name is no where to be found. Gandy's status as an irreplaceable player has more to do with the lack of depth behind him than the actual quality of his play. His primary backup, Elliot Vallejo, has already be injured and subsequently cut. As a result the Cards are left with shuffling their offensive line completely if Gandy goes down. Coach Whiz has said that Levi Brown would move to left tackle and either Brandon Keith or Herman Johnson would step in at RT. Either way that plays out you'd have one player taking his first ever NFL snap at LT and one guy taking his first ever starting NFL snap. Any way that you slice it, the loss of Gandy would constitute a significant drop (at two positions) off from an already not spectacular quality of play.

#2 -Adrian Wilson - This one is pretty self explanatory, no one on this roster can do what Adrian Wilson does when he's on the football field. Against the pass he's capable of covering tight ends, backs and most receivers and also know for making game changing picks. Against the run he's basically another linebacker and his speed and instincts allow him to diagnose plays in a instant. Oh and he's quite possibly the most devastating blitzer on the team as well. If A-dub went down there would be some scrambling to fill his shoes and there are several possibilities. The Cards could move Matt Ware into the starting lineup or they could move Antrel Rolle over to strong safety and insert rookie Rashad Johnson in at free safety. Neither of those scenarios is particularly favorable.

#1 - Karlos Dansby - With the lack of depth at linebacker, Dansby had to headline this list. He's the leading tackler, the defensive signal caller and he's capable of punishing an offense in every way imaginable. He's strong enough to stuff a run up the middle, quick enough to shut down an outside sweep, fluid enough to drop into coverage and explosive enough to blow by opposing offensive lineman and pressure the quarterback. If Dansby were to go down the Cards would probably move Hayes into his spot and try to fill Hayes' spot with either Ali Highsmith or undrafted rookie Reggie Walker. Needless to say the Red Birds need Dansby to be healthy and productive in 2009.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, now it's your turn. Am I crazy for not listing Fitz or Anquan Boldin? Who else did I leave off?

Amobi Okoye Criticism Is Getting Old

Jake — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:57:52 -0000

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

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Recently Texans starting defensive tackle Amobi Okoye has come under a great deal of scrutiny from sportswriters. Some are moderate in their criticism of Okoye, some have defended him using his atypical youth as the reason, and others have almost written him off as a bust. No matter what camp you belong to, it is obvious that Okoye is a pivotal player in the Texans' goal of improving the defense, especially because of the lack of talent at the defensive tackle position.

As stated, Okoye’s youth is unusual, to say the least ,for the NFL; he was drafted at 19 and is entering this season (his third) at 21. It has also turned into a divisive issue. Some claim that more slack should be given the young Nigerian while his body and mind continue to develop, while others feel that if his age was going to be a hindrance that he shouldn’t have been drafted 10th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft and paid the kind of money that comes along with such a high selection.

When it comes to assigning rationale/excuses/apologies to Okoye, why is age always the focus? I personally don’t even think that there is a problem that requires an excuse, and a bust label is simply absurd. Not because of his lack of years on this earth, but because of his years in the league.

The Texans drafted Okoye for the purpose of providing a pass rush. With his smaller frame for the position, he was viewed as a penetrating under-tackle who could collapse the pocket, not a run-stuffing specialist. As with many defensive positions, stats don’t always equate to production but the closest statistical barometer for success of an under-tackle are sacks.

Either defensive tackle specialty doesn’t come easy for the young; youthful not in age, but rather in experience. People always stipulate that it will take quarterbacks and wide receivers two to three years to acclimate to the NFL, but defensive tackles are expected to immediately contribute. This rarely happens.

Take the best defensive tackles in the game today, regardless of their specialty. Vince Wilfork, Albert Haynesworth, Jamal Williams, Casey Hampton, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Tommie Harris, Darnell Dockett, Richard Seymour, Kris Jenkins, John Henderson, Shaun Rogers and La’Roi Glover (no longer active) are the defensive tackles who have been selected to the Pro Bowl in the last three years. While the Pro Bowl is sometimes a measure of popularity as much as skill, defensive tackle isn’t exactly a position that the casual fan rushes to vote for and the list above is a who’s who of the group (if you see any glaring omissions, feel free to tell me).

Out of those 13 elite players, only four (Jenkins, Seymour, Henderson and Kevin Williams) were more productive as pass rushers in their first two seasons than Okoye was. Okoye’s 6.5 combined sacks from 2007 and 2008 are better or equal to 70% of the recent Pro Bowlers mentioned.

Another common argument used to criticize Okoye is that first round selections need to contribute immediately, no matter how old they are. Out of the 14 defensive tackles taken in the first round in the last five years, only Luis Castillo has more sacks (10.5). I know that the three taken last year haven’t had two full seasons yet, but none of them had nearly as good a rookie season as Okoye.

So why is everyone so down on Amobi? One reason is that he had a major setback last year. After tallying 5.5 sacks his rookie season, he only managed one last year and it wasn’t until Week 16 against the Raiders. Another reason is this preseason, in which he hasn’t managed a sack yet. Neither has Antonio Smith, our expensive free agent acquisition, but no one is calling for his head yet. I don’t have the exact number, but I’d be willing to say that Okoye and the rest of the first team defense haven’t played more than 6 series thus far.

I’m not saying that Amobi is a surefire future Hall of Famer, or that he will even make a Pro Bowl in his career. I do think, however, that it is ludicrous to call him anything close to a bust given what he has shown thus far. Last year was a disappointment, and I will not give the reasons why I think it happened because it would be contradictory to the beginning of this post, but it is last season plus plays this preseason that would add up to about a half of a football game worth writing him off?

Defensive tackle is an extremely difficult position to draft. Even when you draft an effective one, he doesn’t usually start producing until a few years into his career. Okoye is the youngest player ever drafted, so advocates and critics both focus on that trait as the central point of the argument. Despite that extraordinary quality though, it could be the very typical reason of lack of experience as to why he hasn’t become great. Regardless of whether you like Okoye or not, he is too young in his career to make a final determination yet.

Cardinals vs Chargers: 10 Things to Watch for

Andrew602 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:00:21 -0000

It's game day and the Arizona Cardinals are set to take on the San Diego Chargers only hours from now. The Chargers have come to Arizona, ~~hoping to establish themselves as one of the most dominant teams in the NFL in 2009~~ okay they're just hoping to take part in this preseason match up and evaluate rookies. Either way it's football action and more importantly, it's Cardinals football. So before you watch the game later today, here's 10 things to watch for during the game in no particular order...

The Cardinals return to University of Phoenix Stadium. It's been 8 long months since the Cardinals last played at home and the reunion should be great. The atmosphere should be intense as it always is. We might just get a glimpse of those banners that get hung up.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie vs Antonio Cromartie. The cousins match up against each other for the first time in their careers. Although it's only a preseason game, can we expect some family rivalry to happen? Both want to establish themselves as two of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and they're getting close.
Shawne Merriman vs Mike Gandy. As mentioned yesterday, Gandy needs to step his game up, especially against the top pass rushers in the league. Merriman also has something to prove as he missed the entire 2008 season with an injured knee. Will the Gandy that was solid all 2008 show up, or will the Gandy that got owned in the Super Bowl show up to this game?
Kurt Warner's return to being 100%. We saw last week what the recovered hip was doing to Warner. He was seen grimacing at times, and even had a limp as he walked away from an interview. The Cardinals success for 2009 is riding on Warner's hip as of now. He will likely play to the second quarter, and the Cardinals will need him to stay as healthy as possible.
Lyle Sendlein vs Jamal Williams. Lyle already faced a tough tackle in Casey Hampton last week, and things don't get much easier as he faces a huge Jamal Williams today. This is a very interesting match up to watch for, as Lyle has been regarded as too small at times.

Gerald Hayes vs LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles. In the playoffs last year, the Cardinals gave Gerald Hayes one job and one job only; mirror the running back. After re-watching last weeks game, I noticed that on every run play, Hayes had his eyes always on the running back. I'm not positive about this, but it could be a possibility that Hayes job in '09 is to mirror the running back every game. Watch for this.

How LaRod Stephens-Howling handles his second game. Much of us were anticipating LSH's first game, and although he showed some promise, he virtually did nothing. It may have been the bright lights,or that it was his first ever game, but this week, LSH gets a chance to not only run the ball, but we should see him return some kicks as well.

The battle at the tight end position. It's been an on going question mark on the offense for years, and Whiz hopes to solve it this year with the 5 tight ends that are currently on roster. All possess their own skills, but no one can multitask. Only one tight end needs to stand out to be named the starter, but which one will it be?

Chris Beanie Wells finally in action? We thought today was going to be Wells first NFL game, but after aggravating his ankle again in practice, it's now a toss up. If he does suit up, and actually play, then this has to be one of the things to watch for. It should also be interesting to see how he does against a talented defense in the Chargers.

The rookies on defense. Last week, many of us expected much more from the 4 rookies that were added to the defense through the draft. The only player that stood out was cornerback Greg Toler. When the second and third string defense hits the field, watch for Cody Brown, Rashad Johnson, Will Davis, and Toler to make any sort of impact on this game.

Well there you have it...10 things to watch for in today's game versus the Chargers. The best thing to watch for is just seeing our redbirds in action. What are you looking most forward to seeing? Is there any interesting match ups? Or are you looking forward to seeing the Chargers in action?

Pregame Zone Blitz: Cardinals at Steelers

ncoolong — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:53:44 -0000

I find myself swamped so let's turn it over to Neal to give us a little preview of tonight's preseason game between the Steelers and the Cardinals. Can you believe it? Football's back! - Blitz - (Michael B.)

Do preseason games matter? No. Are fans not anxiously awaiting kickoff for the Super Bowl XLIII Rematch Lite Thursday night in Pittsburgh? You bet.

Lots of storylines going into the game for both teams. Here's but a few for the Cardinals:

Darnell Dockett wanted an extension this off-season and didn't get it.
He's also becoming one of the league's most renowned Tweeters.
Coach Whisenhunt sounds off on the addition of former Steelers CB Bryant McFadden and how seldom-mentioned WR Jerheme Urban is doing.
Fans rave about rookie Beanie Wells, and though it's hard to fathom, how another former Steeler, Brian St. Pierre is pushing former Golden Boy Matt Leinart to the brink for the #2 gig behind Kurt Warner.

Here's the other news surrounding the Steelers and Cardinals heading in to Preseason Week No, 1:

Opponent Spotlight: DT Darnell Dockett

"I set my goal. I said wanted to be the best defensive lineman on Super Bowl day and I was." – Darnell Dockett

We last saw Dockett taking RG Darnell Stapleton and C Justin Hartwig to school in Super Bowl XLIII. The fact his off-season request for a contract extension was denied after playing the game of his career in the game of the franchise’s history can be translated into a quiet shot at the generally perceived weak links of the Steelers offensive line.

Either way, Dockett’s two sacks and general disruption led to a dangerous lack of production in the second half of the Super Bowl. It really was only until the Steelers went out of the shotgun and the Cardinals played out of the nickel. Both will be on display in the preseason opener Thursday evening in Pittsburgh.

Speaking of that…Dockett’s responsibilities out of the nickel aren’t the same as what he has out of their base 4-3, and the team flat-out does not perform with the extra defensive back on the field. The reason Tarvaris Jackson is still in the running to be a starting quarterback in the NFL is because of Arizona’s nickel defense (11-for-17, 163 yards, four touchdowns). Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was the team’s nickel back, and one of the most under-reported aspects of the Super Bowl was his responsibility behind much of Santonio Holmes’ 131 yards and Super Bowl MVP.

Don’t take the touchdown catch away from him. That’s all about ‘Tone and the most beautiful pass Ben Roethlisberger has ever thrown.

The Cardinals are at their best out of their base, and Dockett is a big reason for that. While he Tweets away despite the absence of a long-term contract, and even though this is a pre-season game, it’s a good early test (at least for a couple of plays) for the interior of the Steelers line. Focus on Dockett, and how much attention he receives.

Key Match-Up: WR Mike Wallace vs. CB Bryant McFadden

Cardinals Coach Ken Whisenhunt: "I just feel very good that we have a lot more depth at (the cornerback) position in general, not just because of 'B-Mac’ (Bryant McFadden) and Dominique (Rodgers-Cromartie), but the other guys, too. That's not something we've had in the past."

Wallace, the team’s third-round draft pick out of Mississippi, has drawn rave reviews during training camp thus far. It’s said that he’s competing for the No. 4 WR spot with veteran Shaun McDonald and second-year man Limas Sweed (with one taking the No. 3). Wallace is a compelling speed demon on the outside, and while he doesn’t possess the veteran savvy of McDonald or the fantastic size/speed combination of Sweed, he is a playmaker in every sense of the term.

McFadden signed a 2-year, $10 million contract to leave Pittsburgh for Arizona. Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt praises McFadden for his leadership ability and mental toughness. He will provide some depth on a pass defense that finished 22nd last season against the pass.

It will be interesting to see if Wallace gets any snaps with the first-team offense. But considering it’s preseason, perhaps it will be more interesting to see how the Heinz Field crowd reacts to hearing McFadden’s name again.

Last Game

"It's just another game. The Super Bowl's gone. We won it. We don't care about the rematch."
-CB Deshea Townsend

Not through any efforts to suck the marrow out of the re-match story, clearly, the pre-season opener is not the same as a Super Bowl.

It is a good opportunity to watch the game again, though.

Putting a more objective hat on during the re-watching of one of the best Super Bowls of all-time, what struck me is how razor-sharp Cardinals QB Kurt Warner really was. Yes, Larry Fitzgerald had a profound impact on the result, but Warner was the engine driving their comeback machine in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers were utterly dominant on their first possession of the game, and despite a very close overturn of a touchdown, they looked to be very much in charge early.

Even more credit to Warner, it almost seemed as if he was forced to drag his team, kicking and screaming, back into contention.

No one will ever forget the last time these two played, and no one should. It was truly a classic, and even if Thursday’s game means very little to two veteran-laden teams who prepare in the pre-season to establish depth more than anything, it envokes great memories for fans of both teams.

I See You

I see you, Ziggy Hood, for the excellent start to your career. Drafted in the first round out of Missouri, Evander-Ziggy has been noted for his work ethic after practice, in particular, working with veteran super-stud Aaron Smith after practice.

Four-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton, as outspoken as he is, mentioned how much talent Hood has, and could be playing himself into a situational role his rookie year – not something particularly common for a Steelers rookie.

Unnamed sources breathed their praise of Hood to Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell early in camp, and plenty of eyes will be on him as he takes on a second-team defensive end position in the first preseason game.

Opponent Web Sites/Forums

The East Valley Tribune is holding a forum for Cardinals fans to express their memories of Super Bowl XLIII – they’re classy and gracious, unlike certain fans of another NFC West Super Bowl Runner-up.

The Cardinals official forum voted on the battle between Matt Leinart and former Steelers QB Brian St. Pierre as the match-up they’re most excited to watch Thursday.

Coach Whisenhunt says WR Jerheme Urban is having as good a camp as anyone.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic blogs about the impact rookie Beanie Wells may have in comparison to incumbent running back Tim Hightower.

Revenge of the Birds couldn't decide on just Ten Things To Watch For Tonight so they did another ten.

Key Stats

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is 7-2 in the preseason, and 2-0 in openers.

Quick Hitters

EA Sports’ John Madden Football comes out Thursday, and probably not coincidentally, Steelers SS Troy Polamalu and Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald become the first two-player cover the game has had in its legendary existence.

C Justin Hartwig is injured, and Doug Legursky will get the nod at the first-team center job. That will give more reps to local favorite A.Q. Shipley, and perhaps a chance for newly signed Alex Stepanovich to prove his worth.

Chuck Finder of the Post-Gazette reported that actor Ving Rhames was on hand to watch some of the Steelers practices Tuesday. Nice…ya think they referred to him as Diamond Dog from Con Air? There’s a great Awful Movie – Nicholas Cage as an action hero with a southern accent.