SB Nation - Brian Kelly

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:03:21 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

20 days ago: Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno (27) has his hand examined during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Giants in Denver, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. Denver won 26-6. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

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Happy Wednesday, and welcome to a day-late, dollar-short version of ST&NO. First of all, big up TJ for working hard to bring in his outstanding The Dude Abides... Stats That Don't Lie in a day early. I am a bit healthier on Tuesday as I write this, and I am going to see what I can get cranked out in one day, with moderate sneezing, and a heavy Day 1 of close workload in that pesky day job. I didn't take notes, and I didn't remember to record the Broncos game, so I am without a lot of detail this week, and will need to speak more generally than usual. No time to waste, so let's not waste any time. Ready..... BEGIN!!!

1. So I mentioned that I would be in the Constitution State, and that I'd be playing in a football game with my friend Tony, a diehard Giants fan. The morning game was fun, but I ended up pretty sore, for those who asked. It's tough playing once a year at the most.

As for the night game, well, my mom is not what you'd call a high-tech person. Every time I visit, without fail, there's some junk Coby brand DVD player she wants me to plug into some junk/old TV set without RCA inputs. (You have to drop like $40 on an RF modulator to run through coax, which is about 2.5 times the price of the DVD player.) The "how" of plugging in a DVD player is too daunting for my mom to even give it a try for herself. In her main TV-watching area, she has a 21ish-inch Symphonic brand LCD flat screen that I am sure came from Wal-Mart. Her equipment is garbage, but it works for her I guess. Law & Order SVU looks fine on it. (I don't mean to make fun of my mother; she just doesn't share my priorities, or general attitude toward spending a few extra bucks for quality gear.) It turned out to be moot anyway, because NFL Network is on a premium tier she doesn't subscribe to.

So, what to do? Well, Tony was still around. I asked if he wanted to go to a bar for the game, but he ended up inviting me to his parents' house to watch, which was cool. His dad, also Tony, is also a big Giants fan. I usually watch football alone, because I don't consider it to be a social activity. It's really kind of become my job, and I do best when I can take notes, and pause and rewind, and focus on being analytical. I will talk to my brother Chris sometimes during games, but that's annoying, because my DirecTV feed is always 2-3 seconds behind his, so he knows what happened before I do.

Last Thursday, I sat in the living room with Tony and Tony. Tony Version 2.0's mother, and his girlfriend Ana, were there for most of the first half. I like them both very much, but having women around for a Broncos game was a whole other level of different for me. Like, I don't think it has happened since I was married, and that ended Halloween 2007.

But I digest. (I just had a sandwich from Tomayydo Tomahhdo for lunch. It was excellent, as always.) Back to the lecture at hand. I'm watching this game with two Giants fans and their women, and I got it in my mind that I was going to be really respectful of the Giants one way or the other. It turned out I had to do so in the one way, and not the other, which made me happy. For me, it's easier to be gracious in victory than in defeat.

The Broncos dominated the Giants, and in my opinion, played their best all-around game of the season. Kyle Orton threw one bad ball that he'd like to have back. The Giants got one receiver wide open on a well-conceived rub play where Alphonso Smith and Andre' Goodman ran into each other. The line had those 3 stupid scoring-area false starts, and gave up one sack, on the opening play of the game, and it came from the free rusher on a blitz (which puts it on coverage and Orton). Other than those few plays, and a sense that Correll Buckhalter went down a little too easily a couple of times, I wouldn't change much of anything.

McGeorge asked after the San Diego game if I still stood by my 11-5 prediction. I wanted to see how the Broncos did against New York, but after that, I sure do. The Giants game showed the exact formula that the Broncos can use to beat just about anybody. On defense, it was coverage, pressure, and gap control. On offense, it was sharp routes, great catches and good throws, combined with hard running and excellent run blocking. If the Broncos play like that, they will crush the Raiders and Chiefs, and end up with a minimum of 10 wins. They match up pretty well with both the Colts and the Eagles, too, and I think they can win 1 out of those 2 games. Here is my rationale for saying they match up well.

Indianapolis - The Colts are not a complete team, but nobody really is in the salary cap era. What the Colts are is a team which is constructed around the idea that their QB is going to give them leads, and that their defense will therefore need to protect leads. What does that mean? Well, they value zone coverage and pressure from their DEs. If you make them defend both the pass and the run on any given snap, you can score on them without a lot of trouble. Because the Colts can't stop even an average running game with 7 men, their SS Melvin Bullitt runs down into the box very frequently, and the Colts are therefore susceptible to being beaten over the top on play action, if you can run against them. It was no accident how the Texans got out to a big lead Sunday. They ran and threw, and had the Colts defense off balance early. The Colts rookie CBs couldn't handle Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter, and I'm here to tell you, they have nothing for Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal either. The Texans can't handle Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, and the Broncos can, assuming Ryan Harris is fully back by then. The Broncos can block the Colts DEs, beat their CBs, and move their front seven in the running game.

Remember this point. Just because the Colts are 3^rd in scoring defense (just behind Cincinnati and Dallas, and just ahead of Denver) doesn't mean they have a good defense. They really don't. They have a defense which is equipped to take care of leads by making teams gain yards in smallish chunks, and by sacking QBs with edge pressure. That, combined with Peyton Manning's constant use of the whole play clock leads to low-scoring days by opposing offenses

The trick, of course, is defending the Colts, and that's where the Broncos have historically struggled. This Broncos team, however, is better equipped than any in recent memory to have some success. The Colts do best when they can run the ball, and I like the Broncos' chances to stop their running game with 7 ½ men (meaning Brian Dawkins is starting in a cover-2 shell, but keying run first). By stopping the Colts run, you take away their play action stuff, which makes Peyton Manning beat you with perfect throws, and his receivers beat you with perfect routes. Which, of course, they can do, but it's a harder go than the other way. I like the secondary matchups pretty well for the Broncos, from Champ Bailey against Reggie Wayne, Andre' Goodman against Pierre Garcon, Ty Law or Alphonso Smith against Austin Collie, and either Law or Josh Barrett against Dallas Clark. The Clark matchup is key against the Colts, and I like Law and Barrett, depending on down and distance, better than anybody else's sub-package guys in the NFL for covering a big-time TE.

I'm not saying the game will be a runaway Broncos win, just that I can easily make a case for them TO win, and that I think they CAN win. What do you think?

Philadelphia - This is a game the Broncos SHOULD win. The Eagles are a lot like the Giants, from both schematic and personnel perspectives. From the angle of attacking Philly's defense, you can outside zone them to death, like the Broncos did so well against the Giants. That's because their LBs tend to be bigger, slower guys who struggle a bit to cover the lateral width of the field. Will Witherspoon is an exception to that archetype, but Chris Gocong, Joe Mays, and Moise Fokou are vertical players.

You have to block the Eagles' blitz packages, and it really helps to stay on schedule against them. That's a bit easier than it is against a Baltimore or Pittsburgh, because you can run the ball. (They're currently ranked 8^th against the run, but trust me, you can gash them if you try a little.) In the passing game, you'd like to exploit Asante Samuel, who bites on a ton of double moves. Yes, he's a ball-hawk, but he doesn't shut anybody down. He can catch extremely well, and he's an excellent tackler, but he's just an okay coverage player. Sheldon Brown is kind of the opposite; better in coverage, but lesser as a ball-hawk and tackler. Where you can kill the Eagles is from the slot, and with TEs, especially if you block their blitz packages.

Offensively, the Eagles are a big-play offense, and the Broncos have been as good as anybody in the NFL at limiting big plays. Brent Celek got paid Tuesday, and he deserved it. He's a very good receiving TE. The Eagles don't have a big, physical #1 type WR, but they have two speedsters outside with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. The guy I think is dangerous is Jason Avant, who is much stronger and more physical than the average slot receiver, and he's a tough matchup for the average thin/quick nickel CB. Of course, Alphonso Smith and Ty Law are both thicker/stronger players, so it's less of an issue. I don't fear the Eagles running game, because if you stop it early, they quit going to it.

This game can go either way, obviously, but the Broncos are well-equipped to get a good road win in Philadelphia. I feel pretty good about both games, actually. So, yeah. I still like the 11-5 prediction.

2. Information From My Eyes - Other Games:

a. Richard Seymour is still playing at a high level in Oakland, despite his fairly modest statistics this season. I watched him defeat the left side of the Cowboys offensive line several times on Thanksgiving Day. Seymour's contract is up after this season, and you have to think he'd rather not re-up with the Raiders. Of course, given the price Al Davis paid, he probably gets franchised. If he somehow isn't, I'd sure like to see him in Denver. Forget all this nonsense about building exclusively through the draft; as we've all hopefully realized this season, a team should take any approach available to it, in order to acquire the most good players possible.

b. Anthony Spencer had the best game I have ever seen him have for the Cowboys. Some Dallas fans took exception with my calling Spencer "just a guy" in Week 3, and if he keeps playing like he did last Thursday, I'll have to rethink my evaluation.

c. I have been a fan of the Cowboys' passing scheme for several years now, going back to the end of the Parcells regime. In 2007, when I started to make it my business to watch teams other than the Broncos closely, Jason Garrett was the young, hot name as the Offensive Coordinator, and Jerry Jones paid him a lot of money not to leave for jobs in Baltimore and Atlanta after the 2007 season.

When Tony Sparano left to become the Dolphins Head Coach last season, it came to light that Garrett hadn't been the primary playcaller in 2007, and that he'd be doing it for the first time in 2008 with Sparano's departure. The Cowboys took a noticeable step back last season, and some of the bloom came off the Garrett rose, even as he interviewed for Head Coaching jobs with the Broncos, Lions, and Rams, and seemed to initially be the favorite for the Rams job. There was speculation that Jones would love to be out from under Garrett's $3-million contract.

Well, the point of the history lesson is that the scheme and execution look much better in Dallas lately than they have since Sparano left. I don't know if this makes Garrett a Head Coach, but it makes him a guy who appears to have grown into his job. The Cowboys' passing scheme is very vertical, and it does a good job of getting the ball in the hands of its playmakers. Some will say they don't get Roy Williams involved enough, but those people believe more in Williams than I do. I think he is what he looks like; a lazy player, who has below average hands, lacks quickness out of his breaks, and rounds off his routes. If there's no salary cap for the Cowboys to take a prorated hit against, I guarantee that he gets released in the offseason, and has to beg for a 1 year, $1-million contract to compete for a backup role somewhere.

d. Charles Woodson is playing the best football of his career right now, which I have mentioned several times this season. He had a big stat game Thursday on national TV, and now everybody is on the bandwagon with me. I actually thought it may have only been the 3rd- or 4th-best game I have seen him play this season. To me, he's the no-question Defensive Player of the Year so far.

e. The Packers defense has really gotten their act together lately, and are a big key to the push they seem to be making. I am pretty comfortable projecting that the Packers will be in the postseason as a Wild Card at this point.

f. Jim Leonhard of the Jets is a tremendously underrated player, and I left him out of my Good AFC Safeties list last week, kind of by accident. He is always around the football, and I've been a big fan of his game going all the way back to his days at Wisconsin. The Broncos offered him more money than the Jets this offseason, but he chose to follow Rex Ryan. It seems like it was a good decision for him, anyway.

g. I watched the Short Cut of the Jets-Panthers game, and I agree with Doug Lee that Mark Sanchez's 13-of-17 stat line was very misleading. He had happy feet, and he looked really confused a lot of the time.

h. I've seen a few people starting to use the line which goes "If Alex Smith plays like he did Sunday, the Niners might not replace him in the draft." Really, he has played pretty well for six games, better than ever before in his career. I think the decision would already be made, if it was up to me. You have a guy who is proving he can play, and he's improving even as teams get some film on him. That rollout and throw to Frank Gore for the second TD was a thing of beauty, as Smith waited till the last possible second, and threw the ball to the only spot he could put it. I'd be looking to improve the offensive line, and counting on having a Top-10 offense next season, with Smith, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, and Vernon Davis. Joe Staley is a solid LT when he's healthy, but General Manager Scot McCloughan really would do well to replace the other 4 starters up front. Sunday's game was the first time in 18 games that the 49ers didn't give up a single sack.

i. I tend to like a lot of University of Florida guys, but Ray McDonald is really coming into his own in a specialist role for the 49ers. He looked unblockable at times Sunday. McDonald usually plays in passing situations at DE. According to ESPN, he didn't record a tackle, but he did recover a fumble. I'm telling you, though, he was defeating some blocks Sunday, and bringing a lot of pressure.

3. There are two kinds of name-droppers, and I am the second kind. It's not like I am extremely famous (yet) with my writing for this site, but when you think about it, I'm known by more people than probably 98% of the population. I'm definitely more famous than any of my friends and family, and in the course of telling my stories, I find it adds rhetorical flourish to mention them sometimes, and it's also fun to share my little bit of light with them. I tell people, if they want to make ST&NO, they should do something interesting with me.

The first kind of name-dropper is the one who tries to stand in other people's light. Our dear friend Jay Glazer is the quintessential example of this kind. Check this douchebaggery, from Tuesday night:

First of all, it's Too $hort, not two-short. And, you know what? That's all I have on that topic. I like making fun of Glazer, but whatever, you know? Fish in a barrel.

I am now going to name-drop a person who is as famous as I am. I met Doug Lee for lunch in Manhattan on Saturday. Yes, THE Doug Lee. Friggin Horse Tracks Doug Lee, people! Doug is a cool guy, and he suggested a great burger spot on the Upper East Side.

The lunch conversation was very interesting, the food was terrific, and it was great to meet Doug, but the hijinks ensued when I left to get back on the road back to Cleveland. I had parked on E 71st Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue (for 14 bucks for 2 1/2 hours.) I came out heading south on 2nd Ave, thinking my GPS would send me back to the FDR, and the Triboro bridge, back up to catch the George Washington Bridge.

Well, it took about 2 minutes for my boy Tom Tom to reacquire a signal, and by then I had gone south 10-15 blocks on 2nd. Tom Tom then wanted me to go to the Lincoln Tunnel, the entrance for which is in the 30s, off 9th Avenue, so significantly south and west of where I started out. It's an unquestionably stupid way to go, driving over the river and through the woods in Manhattan, even on a Saturday afternoon, especially considering the Lincoln Tunnel spits you out on the New Jersey Turnpike, heading toward the world-renowned hell-hole of Newark.. (Home of wred-mann.)

Where's the payoff pitch? Here it goes. I was sitting at a traffic light at E 43rd St and 2nd Avenue, and this Puerto Rican guy (with a flag on his shirt, incidentally), knocked on my window. I looked at him like, WTF? But I lowered the window, and he told my right rear tire area looked like it was on fire, and was smoking like crazy. A woman walking behind him told me the same thing, so I pulled over on 43rd and troubleshot it with my dad on the phone for awhile, before deducing that the emergency brake had probably stayed clamped to the rotor, and was causing sparks and smoke. I watched it, with my mirror pointed down, but eventually I was comfortable enough to go through the tunnel, and eventually through Newark, and back to I-80. The moral of the story is if somebody knocks on your window, he may be trying to be helpful, so you shouldn't look cross-eyed at him, as a matter of instinct. Also, sometimes, Tom Tom messing up is a blessing in disguise. If I had gone FDR to the Triboro, to the GW, It would have been all highway, with nobody walking down the sidewalk to knock.

4. One of the hazards of relying on "insiders" for information is that it comes with agendas and spin. Pro Football Weekly is a (Bill Williamson Memorial) decent site, but they rely tremendously on anonymous insider commentary. They've been talking to somebody who seems incentivized to cast Raheem Morris as woefully inept. Check this out:

Talk of the Buccaneers giving head coach Raheem Morris another offseason to turn the team around is fading fast, as his latest bold decision was another admission of failure in a season marked with disappointment. Morris seized defensive coordinator duties from Jim Bates on Nov. 24 and demoted Bates to what is being described as an advisory role, although it's not clear just what kind of involvement or authority, if any, Bates will have for the rest of his time with the organization.

Morris made a couple of mistakes in hiring his staff, but they were the kind of mistakes a first-timer can make, especially one who gets a Head Coaching job a month after most of the movement was over. There's this persistent meme that relieving Jeff Jagodzinski and Jim Bates of their duties somehow shows Morris to be weak. I say it's the other way around. He realized that he had made mistakes, and he let sunk costs be sunk costs, and made the moves that he felt gave his team the best chance to win.

Morris's team is 1-10, but the Bucs have improved as the season has gone on, and it would be asinine to fire him after a season which was a declared rebuilding year, where a coach who they knew was probably hired a year too early learned the ropes.

There are a lot of haters in the world, and I relate pretty closely to Morris. I have always been an overachiever, who has consistently beaten out older, more experienced professional competition for promotions and recognition. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I have a pretty good deal of talent, and a strong work ethic. The majority of my critics have only been moderately talented people, with medium work ethics. Let's face it, there are a lot of people in the center of the bell curve. I am in the center of the bell curve in certain ways, and so is everybody. I am not, though, as an accountant, and Raheem Morris is not as a football coach.

So, some 25-year career assistant who has been hired and fired 15 times is jealous of Morris and his early success. He spouts off to Dan Parr at PFW, and Parr writes that article above. The same thing was going on with Josh McDaniels, with the questioning of his ability, and Josh only got clear of it by winning. Morris will, too.

Even a guy like Marshall Faulk was hating on Morris on Sunday morning, intimating that all the young coach knew how to call was Tampa-2. Well, for 7 end-of-game goal-to-go plays, he called press man-to-man, and his guys covered well. On 4th down, Roddy White made a great play, and won the game for the Falcons. Really, if Connor Barth had hit the 51-yard field goal he attempted, they would have only been playing for a tie. I saw somewhere Morris was criticized for kicking the field goal rather than punting. Really? The point is don't listen to these idiots. I'd be very surprised if the Glazer family is.

5. I have a couple of quick college thoughts.

a. The Head Coaching job at Notre Dame is not a good one. I could usually take or leave SI.com's Stewart Mandel, but he has it exactly right. The expectations there are entirely unreasonable, given the constraints they face. If I were Cincinnati's Brian Kelly, there is no way in hell I'd take that job. At Cincinnati, he has a program whose credibility is on the rise, and who will soon be taken more seriously in the National Championship picture. At Notre Dame, there's just faded mystique.

b. I am a Florida fan, and I think it is unlikely that Tim Tebow wins the Heisman Trophy. I am actually pretty excited for the prospect of the lesser Colt McCoy winning, because history will be repeating itself. I am projecting a win against Alabama, and a Texas win against Nebraska, neither of which is a foregone conclusion, but let's say it happens like that. Tebow will lead Florida into a National Championship game against a guy he lost the Heisman to. I would be really bullish for Florida's 3rd title in 4 years, even more than I already am.

c. Speaking of the Heisman, I think it's ridiculous how it's turned into nothing more than a tool for media conjecture. Frankly, it follows along the same line of thinking that dominates professional football writing, that all of the best players are QBs and RBs, joined by the occasional WR. It's a total farce.

That's all I have this week. I will be back next Tuesday for more of a full-figured ST&NO. Have a great week, and Go Broncos!

Why does the turnaround have to happen on defense?

Niko Houllis — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:30:37 -0000

by Chris O'Meara - AP

Could multiple offensive celebrations be a part of the near future for the Bucs?

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In 1996, the Bucs started to turn their fortunes around as the defense developed into the historically dominant entity it became. It didnt happen overnight..the first game was a slaughter. But it got better, and before you knew it, there were several games in a row where the defense didn't give up more than 13 points. The offense? well Trent Dilfer made it look like both sides of the ball were improving, but we know better. The optimistic Dilfer of 1996-97 gave way to the disapointing 1998 and the downright nightmare of 2009! It was so bad, even a rookie with less than adequate arm strength actually improved the position for a year or two. It wasnt until Brad Johnson playing in his slightly past prime part of his life was there to add some quality to Quarterbacking the Buccaneers.

So when we look for the team to start turning around again, why do we expect a direct repeat? Doesnt the law of averages say this franchise is due to have a powerful offense one day? Didn't we finally get a good successful coach when we looked away from the obvious choices like Jimmy Johnson, Steve Spurrier, or Bill Parcells. Instead a lesser known assistant named Tony Dungy came in and helped things turn around under his watch.

So maybe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally find an offense under a defensive Head Coach in Raheem Morris? Is it any stranger than the fact that this team has NEVER had an offense to even talk about? Twice the Bucs had a 10th ranked offense, in 1984 with James Wilder running the ball for over 1500 yards (still a Bucs record), and 2003. Thats right, 2003, under Jon Gruden, the year after the Superbowl, and the only year under Gruden in which he had a Quarterback who started every single game. That's moving the ball though, getting yards. As far as scoring, 2000 was the best season in Bucs history, with 388 points. While that is our best ever, in 2000 it wasnt more than top 5. Colts, Raiders, Broncos and Vikings all scored more points. Of course, the defense probably had a lot to do with that. The reward for scoring the most points ever in Bucs history; Offensive coordinator Les Steckle was fired, and Shawn King was rewarded......by being replaced with free agent Brad Johnson! Tampa Bay; where no good deed goes unpunished?

But that's it folks. Oh sure, the Bucs were a big play waiting to happen in the Doug Williams era, and were a good consistant running team during the Alstott & Dunn years. But this team has had defense as a main ingredient since the creation. In 1977 it was top ten, and number 1 in 1979, 2002, and 2005. We have had so many linebackers that were solid stars its not even funny. Richard Batman Wood, Cecil Johnson, Hugh Green, Scott Brantley, Eugene Marve, Winston Moss, Broderick Thomas, Jimmy Williams, Lonnie Marts, Shelton Quarles, Hardy Nickerson, Derrick Brooks, Just to name a few. What about secondary? Mark Cotney, Mike Washington, Cedric Brown, Ricky Reynolds, Mark Robinson, Harry Hamilton, Marty Carter, John Lynch, Donnie Abraham, and Brian Kelly just off the top of my head.

Try to name 10 offensive stars. You will struggle after 7, because the bottom line is we have not had a history of success on that side of the ball.

34 years is a long time..the Pittsburgh Steelers were a lousy team for 40 years before the Rooney family put the pieces together and now have more Superbowl rings than any other NFL team. The law of averages, and time, say there was no way the Bucs could have continued to have double digit losing seasons for too much longer than the 14 years it did. The Cardinals took that to the extreme, but even they went to the Superbowl last year, and are one of the better teams in the league for a change for this perenial bottom dweller.

So maybe the laws of averages have caught up to us. Maybe, Tampa Bay fans will finally be able to go to the stadium and watch a team that is able to light up the scoreboard. Yes, we are trained to cheer our teams D linemen, LInebackers and it's secondary. But I'm willing to bet Raymond James patrons wont have a problem watching an offense putting points on the board instead.

Notes and links for Ohio football; if you love Cincinnati-area football, we might have a job for you

Kirkendall — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:28:48 -0000

Even though we're a blog that specifically talks about the Cincinnati Bengals, we try our damnest to talk about other area football teams; especially the Ohio State Buckeyes and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. The truth of the matter is, when the Bengals were recording their worst season since 2002 (2-14), the University of Cincinnati was in the middle of their first BCS season since, well, the BCS started. It didn't just make the season the Bengals were having passable (if that phrase even exists); it was exciting as hell. As was the run the Buckeyes have, save for that one game during the third week of the season; I can't remember the result, or even who we played; in fact, I have no memory of September 13, 2008. If you're remotely a fan of the UC Bearcats, or have this uncontrollable instinct to simply cheer anything related to your hometown, then how are you not excited about the Bearcats? The Buckeyes. Well, we're extremely nervous. In truth, even with the Bengals and Browns, football in Ohio is the best football product in any state in the union; that includes Florida, Texas and California. I'm biased for Ohio football. I don't care. It's the best. So when we have time, or when we start feeling all Swine-Flu sick talking about the Bengals because their season turns into a wreck, we'll talk Ohio football. Now, I know readers might not care; they just want Bengals news and nothing else. I can respect that. So in our Ohio football that doesn't include the Browns posts, we'll keep it short, and anyone wanting to continue, can click on the jump.

(Note: if you have a love for Ohio football, especially the Bearcats and Cincinnati area football, drop me an email. I might have a job for you).

Now, onto links and notes.

Go Bearcats takes a look at the 12 former Bearcats on NFL rosters. They are Conner Barwin (Texans), John Bowie (Raiders), Brandon Underwood (Packers), Brent Celek (Eagles), Trent Coles (Eagles), Troy Evans (Saints), Andre Frazier (Steelers), Tyjuan Hagler (Colts), Haruki Nakamura (Ravens), Mike Wright (Patriots), Antonio Chatman (Bengals) and Kevin Huber (Bengals).

Seven former Bearcat players were released from NFL rosters this weekend: which includes Mike Mickens (Cowboys), Corey Smith (Chiefs), DeAngelo Smith (Cowboys) Digger Bujnoch (Saints), Adam Hoppel (Browns), Manalac (Bills) and Trevor Canfield (Cardinals)

However, Joe Reedy Tweets that DeAngelo Smith was claimed by the Browns.

The Bearcats season kicks Monday (Labor Day) at Rutgers at 4 PM. It will be broadcast on ESPN. Quarterback questions for Rutgers.

Brian Kelly doesn't like opening the season against a Big East team on the road.

Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard are great offensive players for the Bearcats and likely NFL prospects. However, the Bearcats also have Jeff Linkenbach, a 6'6", 311 pound left tackle.

"He had a great year last year," offensive coordinator Jeff Quinn said of Linkenbach. "Without him as our left tackle, who knows what could have been the outcome of the season?"

The Bearcats' newest defensive coordinator, Bob Diaco, is the complete opposite of Mike Zimmer. Aaron Webster, the team's free safety, says of Diaco. “He’s a real mellow person. You can tell not a lot gets to him. He’s not really flustered when there’s controversy or when adversity hits.”

UC joined IMG College and ISP Stadium Seating to provide Nippert stadium with 10,000 cushioned seats with backs.

"Over the past few seasons more and more fans have come up to us and asked if there was anything we could do about the uncomfortable red seats in Nippert. When we looking into this, the most economical and comfortable alternative was to partner with an outside vendor who could help us solve our fan's comfort issue, and do so at a reasonable price. We tested these types of seats over the last two years and decided to move forward with a mass installation for the 2009 season. ISP Stadium Seating has answered our charge and will serve our fans well this season and for many years to come."

Hopefully 2010 will be a season where seats aren't being used all that much. The seats, "black with a red c-claw on the backs", are being offered as part of a season ticket package for UCATS members.

We Will Always Have Tempe freaked out, as did we all, when the Buckeyes nearly let Navy beat them Saturday. Things don't look good for USC this Saturday.

Defensive back Anderson Russell gave up a long touchdown pass and "frequently misdiagnosed plays". However, Terrell Pryor, who wore eye black with the words "Vick", is a much improved passer over last year.

The Rivalry, Esq calls the Buckeyes performance a disappointing showing, especially when failing to establish the running game.

Navy recorded three 80-yard plus touchdown drives.

Elder, ranked fourth in the nation, beat Colerain, who is ranked 13th in the nation, 20-7. The game was sold out at the Pit, which holds over 10,000 and was broadcast live on ESPN.

The Mason Comets, my old stomping grounds, lost their first game of the season, to Centerville 14-34. That drops the Comets to 1-1. They play their first Greater Miami Conference game in two weeks.

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Friday Notes: Recapping Thursday's OTA

Sean Yuille — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:48:24 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

7 months ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, talks with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan during drills at the team's football practice facility in Allen Park, Mich., Friday, May 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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NFL.com has a minute-long video showing some highlights of Matthew Stafford from yesterday's OTA.
Stafford's performance yesterday was nothing surprising. He made some bad throws but threw the ball like a No. 1 pick at times as well. He took reps with the No. 2 group, so he didn't get to throw the ball to Calvin Johnson. Daunte Culpepper, who was "the sharpest," according to Dave Birkett, had that luxury. Drew Stanton was the QB splitting reps with Stafford in the No. 2 group, and he "had a pretty good day throwing the ball." In the end, though, Birkett came to this conclusion:

But Stafford remains the most talented. Even with the veterans, his passes seem to get on the receiver as soon as they turn around.
My guess is that once Stafford learns the ins and outs of the offense, he will get more and more of the No. 2 reps. Obviously the Lions don't want to just forget about Stanton, but I imagine by training camp Stafford will start to pick up more reps, hopefully to the point where he gets to work out with the No. 1 team every once in a while.
Rookies should expect to hear it from veterans for being a rookie; that's just part of getting acclimated to the NFL. If the rookie is the top overall pick of the draft, though, he should expect to hear about how much money he has, as was the case with Stafford on Thursday.

"A guy couldn't catch me coming out of a bootleg, and he said, 'Sorry, I was just picking up all the money falling out of your pockets,'" Stafford said, laughing. "Just funny stuff like that. But they've all been great, welcoming me."
Eric Hicks later admitted he made the comment after Jared DeVries ratted him out.
Don't expect to find Stafford in any GQ photo shoots like the one Mark Sanchez did.

"No, I haven't had any offers, but my abs aren't as cut as those of Mark Sanchez," Stafford joked after Thursday's OTA workout. "But, yeah, I saw that. I'm gonna have to give him a call about that."

Asked if he thought Sanchez's photos were airbrushed, Stafford laughed and shook his head, "I don't know. We're not THAT good of friends."
That would have been the quote of the day if Hicks hadn't used the "money falling out of your pockets" line during practice.
Newly signed offensive tackle Ephraim Salaam only participated in individual drills during the OTA on Thursday.
Jim Schwartz thinks free agent Roderick Hood "was still in the exploratory range" when he visited the Lions, so don't get your hopes up that he will end up in Detroit.
Defensive end Dewayne White missed Thursday's OTA, which was voluntary, for personal reasons. Fellow defensive lineman Grady Jackson hasn't practiced yet this offseason due to the problems with his brother, but he is now back with the team.
Safeties Stuart Schweigert and Daniel Bullocks and defensive end Jason Hunter also sat out practice on Thursday.
Louis Delmas is serving as the punt team's personal protector, which lines up basically as a fullback and barks out different things relating to blocking and blitzing.
I was pleasantly surprised to find no new FanPosts about Michael Vick considering he was released from prison earlier this week. I've reiterated before that the Lions have no interest in him, but hopefully by letting Jim Schwartz do basically the same thing, there will be little to no mention of Vick on this site in the future.
The Free Press and MLive have photo galleries from Thursday.
The 49ers signed Dre' Bly to a one-year deal, and another former Lions cornerback, Brian Kelly, was brought in for a physical.

Former Bucs/Lion CB Brian Kelly comes in for physical

Fooch — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:57:40 -0000

In the midst of Dre Bly coming in to chat with the 49ers about their open cornerback position, the 49ers have brought in former Buccaneer and Lion Brian Kelly for a physical. Kelly is an 11-year veteran who spent a vast majority of his career in Tampa Bay. He signed a 3-year deal with the Lions last offseason, but was cut before finishing the first season of the deal.

Here's what Scouts Inc has to say about Kelly:

He has good size and athleticism. He contributed mostly in a backup role this season. He doesn't have great perimeter speed to run with the top receivers in the league, but has the foot agility, quickness and short-area burst to be an effective zone or combination-scheme defender. Kelly uses his hands well in block protection and while re-routing receivers off the line of scrimmage . . . He is an excellent reactor funneling receivers while keeping body position as both a zone defender and run-support player . . . durability is a concern.

Kelly played 11 games last year, 11 the year before and 2 the year before that. Whereas Dre Bly would definitely compete for a starting position, I'd imagine Kelly would be no more than a depth option at this point in his career. He excelled in the Tampa 2, so I'm not sure how well he could perform in a different defense at this point in his career.

Also, according to Barrows, it sounds like Chris McAllister would have a tough time passing a physical at this point due to a knee injury. If the team grabbed him it wouldn't be until next month at the earliest.

Lions cut CB Brian Kelly; should the Colts sign him?

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:43:33 -0000

Could former Lions and Buccaneers CB Brian Kelly help our football team?

Brian Kelly was, at one point, one of the better corners in the NFL a few years ago. While with the Tampa Bay Bucs, he and Ronde Barber formed an outstanding CB tandem that was vital in Tampa Bay's Super Bowl run back in 2002. As a Cover-2 corner, he was as good as it gets: Sure tackler, tough, covers well in zone, ballhawk. He signed with the Lions this past off-season, but it just didn't work out. Detroit cut Kelly yesterday.

Kelly was initially drafted and coached by Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay 11 years ago. Dungy coached Kelly for four seasons before Tampa Bay fired him. With the season-ending injuries to starting CB Marlin Jackson and reserve Michael Coe, the Colts might consider bringing Kelly on board. The key is: Does he have anything left?

The pinnacle of Kelly's career was 2002, when Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl. He had 65 tackles, 8 INTs, and 13 passes defended. Some were calling him the best CB in football. In 2003 he got hurt, but bounced back for some very good seasons following. Then, he got hurt again in 2006, and has really been battling the injury bug since with knee, groin, and ankle ailments. After 2007, he signed with the Lions after buying out his own contract so he could get away from Tampa Bay.

I'll repeat that: Kelly bought out his contract with the Bucs so he could sign with the Lions. If you needed any more proof that Jon Gruden is an ass, look no further than that.

Can Brian Kelly help the Colts? Yes. Even though the Colts are posed to have the greatest regular season passing defense in modern NFL history (only 4 passing TDs allowed in 14 games... amazing), Kelly could provide a veteran presence and playmaking ability, especially in nickel packages.

The key is his health. Kelly will look to sign with a playoff team that runs a Cover 2 or Tampa 2 scheme. Teams currently fitting that bill are Indy, Minnesota, Chicago (maybe), and Tennessee.

Lions Release Brian Kelly, Sign Dexter Wynn

Sean Yuille — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:18:05 -0000

The Lions released cornerback Brian Kelly on Tuesday, despite signing him only this past March. According to Tom Kowalski, the Lions paid Kelly $4 million this season. His deal was originally set to last for three years, but he didn't even last an entire season. He had started in eight consecutive games before this past Sunday, where he did not play at all. Over the course of the season, he started in a total of ten or so games.

Kelly was brought in originally for a few reasons. He spent ten years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so he had plenty of experience in the defense the Lions run. Similarly, Rod Marinelli and some of the defensive coaches were familiar with him from their days in Tampa, which is a big reason why a few others were signed in the last couple of years. The other big reason for signing Kelly was the fact that the Lions needed help at cornerback. It was expected that Kelly would provide that help, but he had no interceptions and only a single pass break-up (via Tom Kowalski).

With such little depth at cornerback, the Lions had to sign Dexter Wynn, who apparently is a also kick returner. Here is a more detailed bio from the Lions' press release on this signing:

Wynn (5-9, 175), a fifth-year cornerback and kick returner, arrives in Detroit after previously playing for the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles. He has played in 51 career games (41 starts) and has accumulated 26 tackles (22 solo), 1.0 sack, 13 pass defenses and five fumble recoveries on defense. As a kick returner, He has 87 kickoff returns or 1,860 yards (21.4 avg.) and 67 punt returns for 575 yards (8.6 avg.). In 2006, he was claimed off waivers November 1 by the Houston Texans after being released by the Philadelphia Eagles the day before, and played for the Texans until he was released August 29, 2008. Wynn spent his first two full seasons of his career in Philadelphia after being drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Colorado State.

Cornerback Keith Smith is expected to return from injury this week, according to Dave Birkett. He and Ramzee Robinson will likely get quite a bit of playing time behind starters Travis Fisher and Leigh Bodden.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Links: Jeff Faine, Derrick Brooks, Joey Galloway, and More

The Bull Gator — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:46:16 -0000

We're aware that those of us at Buc 'Em can't do it all, so please take the time to see some of what's being talked about regarding the Bucs.

While not leading the Bucs' offensive line, center Jeff Faine involves himself in a few other business ventures.

Good article on Derrick Brooks and how he's still contributing on the field. Scroll further down the page to see what Greg White plans on changing his name to.

Wide receiver Joey Galloway didn't have a foot sprain. It was broken.

With Earnest Graham out and Cadillac Williams still questionable, Warrick Dunn will lead the Bucs' rushing attack.

Head over to the team's official site for an article about former Buc Brian Kelly.

Tuesday Notes: No Word on Jon Kitna's Health

Sean Yuille — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:35:39 -0000

The Lions aren't divulging any information about the status of Jon Kitna. He missed practice all last week and didn't even make the trip to Minnesota due to his back problems. Right now it is looking like he will miss the Texans game this upcoming Sunday, and there is some talk that he may be out even longer than another week or so.
Dan Orlovsky said this about the safety he caused on Sunday:

"When they started blowing the whistle, I was like, 'Did we false start or were they offsides or something?' " Orlovsky said. "And I looked, and I was just like, 'You're an idiot.' "
Bad play or not, Orlovsky is ready to start again if Kitna is too hurt to play this week.
Kevin Smith bruised his shoulder on the Lions' third play of Sunday's game. Smith caught a pass and tried to get to the first down marker but wound up a yard short. While trying to fight for extra yardage, he bruised his shoulder but stayed in the game and finished the first half. However, during halftime Smith tested his shoulder and didn't feel like it was strong enough for him to remain in the game, so he sat out the third and fourth quarters.
Rudi Johnson started the game for the Lions.
Brian Kelly returned to the starting lineup after not playing at all against the Bears.
The referee that upheld the Calvin Johnson fumble call in the fourth quarter had this to say about the play:

"In order to overturn any decision on the field, I have to have clear and visual evidence indisputable evidence of what I saw. From the shots that I got, his knee was on the ground as the ball was coming out. So the question is, was the ball coming out or was he firmly in control of the ball? It's impossible to tell. It's not indisputable that his knee was on the ground with control of the ball; therefore, I have to go with the call."
From the angles shown on TV, it looked pretty clear to me that Johnson's knee was down and he had control of the ball. Like I said in the game recap, he didn't lose the ball until a Vikings defender took it out of his hands, so it's not like it came loose or something like that.
Calvin Johnson didn't return after that play since he had blurry vision. He was hit in the helmet by one defender and bounced into the helmet of another, so it's no surprise that he was unable to return.
Shaun McDonald replaced Mike Furrey as the Lions' punt returner and seemed to have more success than Furrey.
As I posted in a FanShot yesterday, Leigh Bodden wants an apology for the blown pass interference call that sort of cost the Lions the game.
Chuck Darby left Sunday's game with a calf injury.
George Foster came in for Gosder Cherilus in the second half and played well. Manny Ramirez had a few good moments but was struggling for the most part, so he was replaced with Andy McCollum in the third quarter.

Friday Notes: Kitna Misses Practice Again; Lions Waive Marcus Thomas

Sean Yuille — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:00:04 -0000

Jon Kitna missed practice again on Thursday, and it is looking more and more like he won't start for the Lions on Sunday. It will probably be a game-time decision, but if Kitna doesn't play then Dan Orlovsky would likely step in to replace him, just as he did against the Bears. I would hope Orlovsky plays better if he does start, but there really is no reason to believe he will.
The Lions waived running back Marcus Thomas and signed fullback Moran Norris on Thursday. Thomas was signed after the last round of cuts back at the end of August. Before joining the Lions, Thomas was a member of the Chargers, who drafted him earlier this year. Norris, the newest member of the Lions, played for the 49ers before being released during the final round of cuts.
Detroit also signed defensive back Chris Roberson to the practice squad to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Kenneth Moore. The Panthers signed Moore earlier this week from the Detroit's practice squad, giving Roberson, a former Eastern Michigan player, the chance to join the Lions.
Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports thinks the Lions should trade Dewayne White, Brian Kelly, Roy Williams, and Cory Redding.
Speaking of Brian Kelly, he isn't happy that he didn't play at all against the Bears and said something that Jim Mora would appreciate: "I'm not playing for the playoffs. Right now, I'm playing to win a game.'' That should be the focus of every Lions player and coach. This team will not make the playoffs, so they should get their priorities in order.
Offensive coordinator Jim Colletto admitted that the Lions' offense was terrible against the Bears. What about the other games this season?
SB Nation's Week 6 power rankings are out, and unsurprisingly, the Lions came in last place.