SB Nation - Ben Roethlisberger

Recounting the Decade: The Jaguars of the 2000's

Jonathan Loesche — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:54:50 -0000

Brad Messter: The only player to play all 10 seasons in Jacksonville

The Jaguars have only one game remaining in the first decade of the 21st century and I felt it was time to look back at what this decade has been for this franchise.

The Jaguars entered 2000 with a seemingly loaded team. The 1999 Jaguars went 14-2 and were one half away from going to the Super Bowl. Golden Era hallmarks like Mark Brunell, Tony Boselli, Jimmy Smith, and Keenan McCardell were still here and it seemed as though the Jaguars were on there way to another playoff appearence. However, injuries, age, and bad free agent signings took their toll on the team and it limped to a 7-9 finish.

The 2001 Jaguars began to see the affects of Salary Cap Hell become apparent, but enough pieces were still seemingly in place for one last run. Instead, the Jaguars limped to 6-10.

The 2002 team may well have been the least talented team ever fielded by any NFL franchise this decade. I'm not talking about strictly results, but in terms of the players. The affects of Salary Cap Hell were felt in full, with the most prevalent example being the Houston Texans expansion draft. The Texans needed to take Tony Boselli, Seth Payne, and Gary Walker just so the Jaguars wouldn't violate NFL salary cap rules. Even then, the Jaguars had so much "dead money" that they could only afford to sign bottom feeder free agents.

The 2002 team went 6-10 that year, losing multiple games in the final minutes. Looking back, I have to give credit to Tom Coughlin for the job he did with that team. It only committed 15 turnovers all year and played well above it's head. However, with attendance sagging and the massive salary cap mess a direct result of Coughlin's actions as GM, he would be released following the season.

In came Jack Del Rio, then a young defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers. Del Rio was coming off being in charge of the NFL's #2 unit that had led the Panthers to a surprise Super Bowl run.

The 2003 Jaguars had to deal with many of the same problems the 2002 team had. The Jaguars still had to deal with salary cap hell, but brought in several pieces that would affect the team for years to come. Mike Peterson, Byron Leftwich, and Rashean Mathis were all brought in via either free agency or the draft.

The 2004 Jaguars were finally free of the salary cap devil and the results showed on the field. The signature win of this season would be a hard fought battle in Green Bay that perhaps, more than any other, empitomized what Jack Del Rio wanted out of this team. However, the very next week was a game that symbolized the worst of Jacksonville this decade. The Jaguars lost 21-0 to the Houston Texans in front of 30,000 fans with the playoffs on the line.

The 2005 Jaguars managed to return to the playoffs for the first time since 1999. The biggest developement of this season would be the beginnings of the two year long Garrard/Leftwich conflict. Leftwich was injured in Week 12 against Arizona. David Garrard would lead the Jaguars to a 4-1 record in Leftwich's absense. However, Leftwich would be given the start against New England in the playoffs, and proceeded to lose 28-3.

The 2006 Jaguars were perhaps the real peak of the Jaguars this decade. The team was powered by a bruising running game featuring Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. The defense was a wall that couldn't be broken. However, inconsistent play at QB sealed this team's fate. After a 44-13 thrashing of Indianapolis, the Jaguars lost 3 straight to end the year thanks to David Garrard's inconsistent play.

The 2007 team was the closest the Jaguars have come to recapturing their late 90's glory days. The brusing running game returned, and David Garrard finally unseated Byron Leftwich for good. However, the defense began to decline, but it was masked by an offensive revival. The Jaguars would go 11-5 and gain the signature win of the Decade, a thrilling win at Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round.

The 2008 team had a lot in common with the 2000 team. With expectations high, years of bad free agents and bad drafting caught up with the team. I'll leave it at that.

Finally, the 2009 team reminds me alot of the 2003 team Del Rio inherited. Their is much work to be done, but you can see the future is bright for this group.

Player Of The Decade: Fred Taylor, RB

Despite some, ahem, interesting back and forths with him and Del Rio this week, Fred Taylor defined this decade for the Jaguars. Taylor rushed for 9316 yards and 42 touchdowns between 2000 and 2008.

Dud of The Decade: R. Jay Soward, WR

While Shack Harris gets the brunt of the 1st round hate, Soward is still the reigning king of Jaguar 1st round busts. Soward played just one season in Jacksonville, and even that year was filled with suspesnions, missed practices, and was just a total mess.

Best Trend: The Jaguars discovering the running game

Under Tom Coughlin, the Jaguars were never a running team. The only time the Jaguars had a threatening running game was during the 1996 playoff run with Natrone Means. Other than that, the Jaguars were never known as a physical team. That immediately changed under Jack Del Rio, first with Fred Taylor, than with Maurice Jones-Drew.

Worst Trend: The Jaguars draft really starting in the 2nd round

R.Jay Soward, Byron Leftwich, Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, and soon Reggie Nelson

All 1st round picks for the Jaguars that have failed to live up to expectations and are now gone.

Defining Moment: David Garrard's 4th down run vs Pittsburgh

Tnemom Gninifed: Losing 21-0 to the Houston Texans

Best Draft Pick: Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, UCLA

MJD has been this franchise's best pick since the last RB they picked early, Fred Taylor. He already holds the franchise single season TD record and will hold the franchise TD record before next season is finished.

Worst Draft Pick: Byron Leftwich, QB

I know most would expect R.Jay Soward here, but Leftwich's pick set off a chain reaction here. Leftwich's pick influenced the Jaguars to take Williams and Jones, along with passing up players such as Terrell Suggs and Ben Roethlisberger. Not to mention the players they did take weren't worth their weight in lead.

Best Free Agent: Mike Peterson, LB

Despite how things ended in 2008, Peterson defined the Jaguars defense under Del Rio's early years. He was tough, hard hitting, and didn't take $hit.

Worst Free Agent: Jerry Porter, WR

I was going to go with Bryce Paup, but he was signed for the 1999 season. Porter defined the 2008 Jaguars fall from grace with his me first attitude and million dollar a catch results.

Ravens/Steelers: Best Rivalry in NFL?

Bruce Raffel — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:32:47 -0000

Even if you don't root for either of these teams, when they're on the tube, football fans everywhere tune in for an example of what real, old school football is really like. Hard hitting, violent action defines this rivalry and records or stats don't matter when these two teams face each other. First off, the players seem to dislike each other as much as their fan base does, as especially evidenced by the comments in the posts on both SB Nation sites when they come up on the schedule. The Pittsburgh Steelers SB Nation site, Behind The Steel Curtain, has a huge and loyal following who travel to other teams' site as well as their fans do to opponents' stadiums around the league. Conversely, Baltimore Beatdown has a passionate following that knows their football pretty well and can talk smack with any other teams' fans in the league as well.

The fact that this game has playoff implications for both teams is a plus to the tenseness of the game, but that really doesn't matter. These two teams would probably agree to meet in a sandlot and play without pads if they could. They don't care about the weather, the stats, the cameras (well they probably do care about the cameras), they just want to get out there and hit someone. Some of the most vicious hits I've ever seen in a football game have come from these games. Who won't soon forget the hit that Bart Scott put on Ben Roethlisberger that Big Ben says was the hardest he's ever been hit. Same for the shot that Hines Ward gave to Ed Reed, Ray Lewis to Rashard Mendenhall, Limas Sweed to Corey Ivy and Ryan Clark to Willis McGahee. You could keep listing other ones that made you wince when you saw and heard them live, and that doesn't include what must be going on in the trenches and the scrums after tackles.

There are other rivalries in the NFL but most of them are based on long standing history, not the specific hard hitting action that this one thrives on. The NFC East has some good rivalries and great fans, but are they the equal of the Ravens/Steelers right now? Nothing comparable in the NFC North, despite the switching of allegiance of Brett Favre from Green Bay to Minnesota. The NFC South or West? Uhhh, no. Over in the AFC, the Raiders/Chiefs was a great one, but the key word is "was." San Diego/Denver isn't even close and nothing else there is worth mentioning. The AFC South's teams haven't been around long enough to warrant inclusion in this discussion even with the hated Indianapolis Colts there. Over in the AFC East, there are some good rivalries between the New York Jets, New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins (sorry Buffalo) but nothing to compare.

So that makes this weekend's Ravens game in Pittsburgh the best of not only the weekend, but perhaps the best of the season. Hopefully the game will live up to the hype, which it usually does, but nevertheless, it will have all the action, hitting and trash talking in advance of Sunday- and that is just with the fans!

Poll

What NFL rivalry is the best in the league right now?

Don't Forget Clay Matthews and Other News Around The NFL

Brandon — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:10:30 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

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Looking back over my two recaps of the Green Bay Packers game, I've completely neglected to mention the great LB Clay Matthews. He had almost the same stat line (7 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits) as the other rookie LB Brad Jones (5 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits), but Jones did it quietly (I don't know how it was possible, but I only remember one of his sacks). Meanwhile, Matthews destroyed Steelers LT Max Starks on a couple plays. And he should have had another sack and forced fumble except for the stupid Tuck Rule. I loved on the sidelines after the official reversed the call, you could read QB Ben Roethlisberger's lips say "wow". The officials got the call right, it's just a stupid rule. I was optimistic that Matthews could be an outside LB version of LB Nick Barnett, but he's exceeded all my high expectations.

Congratulations to Greg Bedard for finally getting back to Green Bay after a 16 hour "flight" from Pittsburgh. I usually check Greg's Twitter account every day for the most recent Packer updates, but I only got to follow his Planes, Trains, and Automobiles adventure today.

What a lousy Monday night game. Who could have guessed that the Redskins would have come out flat at the end of a lost season for a lame duck coach?

Brad Childress is an idiot. Who could have guessed that trying to bench a certain star QB under any circumstances would make him turn on him?

The entire Cincinnati Bengals team is traveling down to Louisiana tomorrow for Chris Henry's funeral.

Mike Holmgren was announced as the new President of the Cleveland Browns. I think it's a great move for the Browns. He adds a lot of great football knowledge at the top of their organization. So long as he just stays focused on his role, and lets everyone else in the organization (after he cleans house) do their job.

Ravens Peaking at Right Time

Bruce Raffel — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:24:22 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

2 days ago: Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh celebrates while walking off the field after the Ravens defeated the Chicago Bears 31-7 in an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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The Baltimore Ravens won twice in a row for the first time since opening the season with three straight. Granted it was against the weakest teams in the NFC North and both games were at home, but when you beat the teams you are supposed to by a combined score of 79-10, it still is impressive In fact, the Ravens have now moved to the league's #2 team in points allowed, giving up an average of 16 points/game, second only to the New York Jets' 15.5 However, over the teams last eight games, they've been the NFL's stingiest, allowing a paltry 11.9 points per game. At home they only gave up that same 11.9 points/game while scoring an average of just under 30 points/game (28.8), while finishing their home schedule 6-2. On the road has been a different story, though. So far the Ravens are only 2-4, averaging 20 points a game while surrendering 21.7. However, since the Bye week, they are being outscored by an average of only 14-12. The Green Bay Packers have been the only team since the Bye week, home or away, to score more than 17 points against us (27) and they put up 36 in Pittsburgh yesterday in their disappointing last second 37-36 loss

Steelers fans will say that we barely beat them in overtime with their third string QB a month ago and with Ben Roethlisberger it will be different this week in Pittsburgh. Steelers fans will say that we just beat up on terrible teams that just rolled over for us here in Baltimore But then Ravens fans will point to the Steelers loss vs Oakland in Pittsburgh, plus their losses at Cleveland and Kansas City in return, much less to a Bears team in Chicago that the Ravens just put a beatdown on yesterday.

As both teams' fans know though, it doesn't matter what the standings or records are when these two teams meet each other. It is a knock down streetfight, with pride on the line more than anything else When the Steelers beat the Ravens three times last year, that hurt much more to Baltimore fans than seeing Pittsburgh hoist the Super Bowl trophy. Regardless of where the Ravens finish this season, if they sweep the season series from the Steelers, then we will have the trash talking advantage until next year.

However, as the standings and upcoming schedule pans out, the Ravens should still be able to make the post season even if they don't go into Heinz Field and win next Sunday, as the other contenders' schedules are real tough and the tie breakers favor the Ravens in most cases once the smoke clears. Right now, the Ravens are in the 1st Wild Card slot and teams will have to leap over the Denver Broncos to get ahead of the Ravens. The Ravens finish out their regular season at the Oakland Raiders and while Oakland has not had a good season, they have beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh and just beat the Broncos in Denver yesterday. Finishing up in Oakland will be tough but if the Ravens take care of business in Pittsburgh this coming Sunday, it might not matter by the time we get to the West Coast.

On The Packers 37-36 Loss To The Steelers

Brandon — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:51 -0000

More photos » by Gene Puskar - AP

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I already ran through a brief recap of the Green Bay Packers' end of regulation loss in Pittsburgh. The more I think about the loss, the more I'm OK with it. The Steelers didn't expose any new weaknesses. It showed that they have lousy special teams (missed FG), CB Jarrett Bush can't cover anyone (in fact, we can't trust anyone in the secondary in coverage beyond the starting 4 of Williams, Bigby, Collins, and Woodson), and LB A.J. Hawk is lousy in pass coverage. None of these things are surprises. They are still the same team they were during their 5 game winning streak, and as long as QB Aaron Rodgers keeps playing great, they can beat anyone at any time.

The Packers are still in the lead for the wild card spot. Just win the next two games, and they control their own destiny.

This loss reminded me of the inexplicable November loss in 1997 against the Indianapolis Colts, when a great Packers' defense had a breakdown against a struggling offense. The Packers went on to play Denver in the Super Bowl that year, and I'm sure everyone remembers how it went. It's not a perfect comparison because the 1997 Colts were 1-10, and they probably don't remind anyone of the 2009 Steelers.

There were only 5 injuries during the game (LB Nick Barnett, RB Ryan Grant, WR Greg Jennings, LT Chad Clifton, LB Brad Jones) and all 5 returned during the game. Barnett had the scariest injury, his knee buckled under him without any contact, but he was obviously able to shake it off.

New dime CB Josh Bell, signed back on November 24th, has apparently entered the SS Derrick Martin memorial dog house of blown assignments. Unfortunately there aren't many options to turn to. Rookie CB Brandon Underwood has been battling a hip injury, and maybe (big maybe) he could play better if he can return soon. From Greg Bedard at JSOnline.com:

On the final Steelers touchdown from Ben Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace, CB Josh Bell was supposed to play underneath Wallace at all costs. Packers had three deep safeties on the play.

Ravens Take Care of Business & Bears, 31-7

Bruce Raffel — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:37:48 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

2 days ago: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco looks for a receiver during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in Baltimore. Baltimore won 31-7. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Moving one step closer to the post season, the Baltimore Ravens defense pitched a shutout against the Chicago Bears' offense, winning 31-7 and now sit firmly in the driver's seat for the Wild Card with an 8-6 record. By virtue of the Ravens competition for the Wild Card all losing this weekend, this means Baltimore now sits in the 5th seed and actually leads the Wild Card race with the Denver Broncos falling at the last minute to the Oakland Raiders The Ravens own the tie-breaker with Denver due to their 30-7 victory over the Broncos earlier this season.

With QB Joe Flacco having one of, if not the best game of his career, the Ravens only mistake all day was letting the Bears return a punt from our end zone for a TD in the first half for their only score Flacco's stats included 21 of 29 for 234 yards and four TD passes, including two to rarely used Todd Heap His QB rating for the game was a robust 1356, easily the best of his career. Compare that with Cutler's 79 B rating with three picks and that alone sets the tone for what transpired on a frigid day after a blizzard paralyzed the city and forced the Bears to arrive in Baltimore only late last night

After the game was over, the Bears probably wished they had just remained in Chicago, as they now trudge home frustrated by not only this game, but their season as a whole On the other side of the stadium, the Ravens had a bunch of help today as their playoff competition, the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and Jacksonville Jaguars all lost this weekend. Only a last second TD pass by the Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger today in their comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers prevented the Ravens from being the only team in serious playoff contention to win in week 15.

Next up for the Ravens are those same Steelers in Pittsburgh, still with playoff implications making that game a must win even more for the Steelers than for the Ravens. Baltimore can still actually make the post season if they win one of their two remaining games, either at Pittsburgh or at the Oakland Raiders If the Ravens were to do that, they would finish 9-7, and in most cases that would still get them in the playoffs, depending on what should happen with the rest of their competition However, the easiest way to ensure football in January would be to just sweep the final two games and get the #5 seed and a date with revenge on their minds at either the Cincinnati Bengals or New England Patriots. Of course there is still a chance fo rthe Ravfens to actually win the AFC North title if Cincinnati loses the rest of their games

For now, the Ravens can relish in their dominating victory over the Bears and then get right back to work gameplanning for the Pittsburgh Steelers This rivalry is one of the best in sports, as you can always bet on this being a streetfight no matter what the records are or what is on the line.

Pregame Zone Blitz: Packers at Steelers

ncoolong — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:59:04 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

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Here's another piece of mail for Mr. Ryan Clark.

Hello, Mr. Clark. I must say I'm a big fan of yours. Always have been. Definitely one of the better free agents this team has picked up in several years. While you've consistently been a great fit for our defense and an inspiration for the fans, I must say I'm somewhat disappointed with your recent tirade about the media treating you unfairly, and no one outside the team being able to understand what's going on.

I fully admit, those inside the locker room can paint a more accurate picture as to what is going on inside that locker room. Could you, maybe, help us with that, since we don't know anything? I mean, let's be honest. You guys aren't exactly playing at a high level. I watch every game twice and pour over statistics, replays and analysis. All I can come up with is the fact you guys aren't playing well. Your suggestion that I don't know anything is acceptable. So what am I missing?

If I'm not missing anything, and I'm, at best, only entitled to my opinion, I'm going to stick with "you aren't playing well."

Please prove me wrong this week. You've got a helluva task in front of you. That Packers offense is pretty potent. Feel free to make the game-winning interception (you guys haven't had a pick in like six games) or the show-stopping hit, and dance for the camera, telling me how wrong I've been.

Seems like a fair trade-off, right?

Thanks, Ryan! Good luck!

Here's what our opponents are saying.

Opponent Web Sites/Forums

Brandon with the Acme Packing Company says Green Bay and Pittsburgh are headed in two different directions than they were after Week 8.

Pittsburgh's looking to play spoiler on the Packers this week.

Green Bay has held teams under 90 net rushing yards 10 times this year.

The Green Bay Gazette has a nice look at Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers

Last Game

From the start, it felt like it'd be the same thing we had seen for the last four weeks.

It didn't fail to disappoint. Well, no more than usual, at least.

Somehow, the Browns turned into a defensive group that resembled the 1985 Bears, and Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger felt pressure the likes of which he hasn't seen all year. More missed tackles, more blown coverages, it was just a nightmarish game.

Ironically, in a season where the Steelers can't find a way to compete in the fourth quarter, the sagging AFC can't find a way to put the Steelers away. A Jacksonville loss Thursday against Indianapolis, Pittsburgh remains alive in the playoff hunt. Of course, they'll have to win their final three games, and all of them are against playoff-caliber teams.

But then again, after losses to Cleveland, Oakland and Kansas City, maybe playing a good team is exactly what the Steelers need.

Opponent Spotlight: QB Aaron Rodgers

PZB went with the draft-jilted QB last week, Brady Quinn, over a slew of other players who ended up having better games than Quinn did with his 90 yards passing. We're gonna tab another QB who suffered the "embarrassment" of sitting around at the NFL draft, taken much later than they or their agents planned.

In case you didn't hear it, and unless you live in Kreplakistan, you did, Rodgers replaced BRETT FAVRE in Green Bay. The Packers haven't really looked back since, and Rodgers is putting to rest any issues with the previous passer at Lambeau. He's at worst top 10 in every major passing category, and he's been red hot during the Packers current five-game winning streak.

In those five games, he has nine touchdowns to just two interceptions, and considering the Steelers haven't had an interception during their five-game losing streak, Rodgers should feel plenty secure throwing the football, even in the adverse weather conditions he's likely to face.

Not only that, but the Packers' offensive line, which played terribly in their first nine games (43 sacks allowed), has given up seven in their last four games. Much of that is on Rodgers' improvement in terms of pocket feel and knowing when to get rid of the ball, but their line has been beaten up, and it seems as if they've now found a combination with which they can protect their Pro Bowl passer.

In a great match-up of premier QBs, at the very least, we know who the fans like more.

Steelers Spotlight: OLB James Harrison

Conversely to the Packers ramped-up passing attack, the Steelers have fallen off a bit in terms of sacks.

This is the kind of game where Harrison will pin his ears back and get after the quarterback. He's been shut out his last three games, much of which was the result of short three-step-and-throw offenses (Baltimore and Cleveland in particular also have strong offensive tackles). Rodgers likes to get the ball down the field, and while Harrison has been as disruptive as always, to give the Steelers a chance, he's going to have to be responsible for backing the Packers up 30 yards over the course of the game.

Harrison is as relentless as anyone in the league, and the Packers' tackles, although they've ramped up their game in the past few weeks, are still among the weaker pass blockers Harrison will have seen this season. LT Chad Clifton didn't allow a sack or a pressure last week against Chicago, but gave up a few QB hits and pressures to Baltimore in Week 12. He's going to have his hands full with Harrison (in most cases, literally, because the best defense on Harrison is to hold him).

I See You

I see you, LaMarr Woodley. You've been the defensive show-stopper in the second half of the season, piling up at least one sack in each of your past five games. After a "slow" start in terms of sacks, you've jumped up to nine overall, one behind Harrison for the team lead.

Your effort has always been there, but even better, you've always kept your head up, never losing confidence or moving your eyes off your assignment each play. As Coach LeBeau always says, it's not about sacks, it's about pressure. Pressure leads to turnovers. It should, anyway. You and the rest of the defensive front seven have forced plenty of turnovers, it's just that our defensive secondary isn't catching them.

The good news is, LaMarr, we know you'll ride your current hot streak with the same even and balanced approach you were riding when you only had two sacks in the first seven games. Teams are paying less attention to you, now, and more to Harrison. This is the kind of match-up where both of you guys can get 2+ sacks.

Key Stats

Green Bay is +18 in turnover differential.
Pittsburgh is -5.
Green Bay clinches a playoff berth with a win today and a Giants loss at Washington

The Linc - Two Eagles remember Chris Henry

JasonB — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:00:19 -0000

Two Eagles knew Henry well | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/17/2009
Cornerback Geoffrey Pope and guard Stacy Andrews were both deeply saddened today by the news that Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry had died this morning after falling from the back of a pickup truck Wednesday that reportedly was being driven by his fiance Loleini Tonga. Pope and Andrews had both been teammates with Henry in Cincinnati. Pope, in fact, dressed in the locker next to Henry at the start of this season.

Winter wonderland for Eagles-49ers? | Philadelphia Daily News | 12/18/2009
Well, into every perfect last weekend to shop a few snowflakes must fall - or a few hundred trillion. The Philadelphia region and most of the Middle Atlantic states are on the cusp of one of the biggest pre-Christmas storms in local weather history. It could be right up there with the near-blizzard that struck a few days before the Eagles' 1960 NFL title victory over Green Bay. It could remind old-timers of the driving snowstorm Steve Van Buren mushed through in Shibe Park when the Birds beat the Chicago Cardinals for the 1948 title. The Eagles had to help the grounds crew shovel the field.

Phil Sheridan: One ex-player presses on for safer NFL helmets | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/18/2009
As Roger Goodell fires off memos and issues edicts - and as star players like Brian Westbrook, DeSean Jackson, Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner miss games after shots to the head - thoughts turn to a couple of safeties who were in the Eagles' 1985 training camp.

Paul Domowitch: Eagles' Weaver, Avant have stake in bargaining deal | Philadelphia Daily News | 12/18/2009
This should be a great time to be Leonard Weaver and Jason Avant. Both are having breakout years. Both are in the final years of their contracts with the Eagles. Both should be red-hot commodities in the 2010 free agent market. There's only one problem. Unless the owners and players unexpectedly shake hands on a new labor deal in the next 3 1/2 months, which is about as likely as Tiger and Elin Woods renewing their wedding vows, neither Weaver nor Avant will have enough years of service to qualify as unrestricted free agents.

Who would you take from the Philadelphia Eagles? - Niners Nation
We break down some of the Eagles that we'd be interested in having on the 49ers roster.

Chris Henry - Rest In Peace

PSTIM1 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:12:29 -0000

We at Project Franchise are saddened to learn of the death of Chris Henry, from everything we've heard he had been working hard in the last couple of years to make positive changes in his life. Does anybody have the inside scoop on what actually happened - was he pushed out of the truck? Did he jump or slip? We all know this story is far from over, however or whatever happened we wish his family, friends and Bengal Nation the best at this tragic time.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

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

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

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

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

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

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

For next time, we can internalize a few thoughts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Information From My Eyes, Broncos at Colts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Who wins the NFL MVP Award.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Banks:

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

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

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

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

2. Tampa Bay 1-15 Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska

3. Detroit 2-14 Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma

4. Kansas City 3-13 Eric Berry S Tennessee

5. Cleveland 4-12 Russell Okung T Oklahoma State

6. Oakland 4-12 Carlos Dunlap DE Florida

7. Buffalo 5-11 Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame

8. Washington 5-11 Trent Williams T Oklahoma

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

10. Seattle 6-10 Anthony Davis T Rutgers

11. Denver ~~Chicago~~ 6-10

12. San Francisco 7-9

13. Pittsburgh 7-9

14. Houston 8-8

15. Tennessee 8-8

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

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

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

7. Retired for John Elway.

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