SB Nation - Steve Smith

Jets Flight Connections 121609

dvdvil — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:00:41 -0000

Jets great Joe Klecko says CB Darrelle Revis is the Jets' MVP this year.

He is probably better than Charles Woodson.

He is so good that he's still affecting Randy Moss.

As expected, fantasy footballers are not recommending Falcons WR Roddy White this week.

Darrelle and the defense are the best in the league.

Theweekender.com says good things about Revis and RB Thomas Jones.

Against the next three teams with high scoring ability, running the ball may not be enough.

The Jets are favored by six against Atlanta, who is dealing with injuries and police trouble.

CBSsports.com debates whether the Jets will make the playoffs.

More connections after the jump.

If you still don't know, here are the teams vying for post-season berths in the AFC.

I know we started 4-6, but in 2002, the Jets went from 2-5 to winning in the playoffs.

There is some talk about our need to get younger guys on the O-line for the future. Here is another one who got away.

Speaking of young O-linemen, Ryan McKee was signed by the Rams, just in case you were wondering.

Speaking of signings, the Jets added RB Chauncey Washington yesterday.

He and The Sanchize were on the same team in college.

He will wear #32.

He will be active for three weeks.

He might see action in special teams.

Or, his acquisition may simply be a message to RB Shonn Greene, who did some good off the field yesterday.

C Nick Mangold was at a charity event for Montefiore Medical Center.

WR Jerricho Cotchery helped with a project for teenagers, along with Giants WR Steve Smith.

QB Mark Sanchez is also promoting a good cause.

And the Jets have a benefit for Jersey Cares this Sunday at the Meadowlands.

Your daily Pro Bowl reminder: you can vote as many times as you want for Revis, Jones, Mangold, LB David Harris, K Jay Feely and other deserving Jets. You have until Dec. 21.

Lastly, Darrelle Revis talks about how practicing against WR Braylon Edwards helps his game:

Carolina Panthers’ Hump Day Prognostication (Minnesota Vikings edition)

James The Aussie — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:01:01 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

4 days ago: Minnesota Vikings' Brett Favre (4) hugs Adrian Peterson (28) after Peterson's touchdown run during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, in Minneapolis. The Vikings won 30-10. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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Good morning Panther faithful and happy hump day! Twelve lords a leapin'? Not quite. This is the current number of Carolina Panthers on injured reserve. It's been a horrible 2009 campaign for injuries, but it could be worse; both the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have 18 players on the IR. After the loss Jeff Otah yesterday the injury ravaged Carolina Panthers (5-8) host the dynamic Minnesota Vikings (11-2) in the last of the Panthers' nationally televised games on Sunday night.

Though not officially announced at the time of this article it appears Matt Moore will be making his third start in a row under center for the beleaguered Carolina Panthers offense. So what does this week hold for the Cats? Find out:

After the jump...

Minnesota run offense vs. Carolina run defense

There's this guy who dons the purple every week. He's pretty good from what I hear... what is his name? Oh yeah, Adrian Peterson. If you aren't aware of Peterson's exploits you've been living under a rock for the last two NFL seasons. Peterson is easily one of the top 5 running backs in the NFL, and some want to anoint him as the next Walter Payton. I'm not willing to go quite that far, but Peterson is an outstanding running back.

Meanwhile, the Panthers' run defense is far from stellar allowing 137.3 yards on the ground each week (26^th in the NFL). If the Panthers want to make some plays in this area they will have to force Peterson to fumble, which isn't a wholly difficult prospect as he's put the ball on the turf 6 times thus far in 2009.

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota pass offense vs. Carolina pass defense

In times of yore purple was reserved as a color for kings... so how fitting the Mississippi Methuselah wears the color for the season likely to be his swansong. Brett Favre has found the fountain of youth in Minnesota turning in a MVP caliber season. Thus far Favre has over 3,000 yards, 27 TDs, only 6 INTs while posting a QB rating of 106. A good reason for this resurgence is a veritable smorgasbord of effective wide receivers. Led by a product of the Carolina's- Sidney Rice, the Vikings also have rookie Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian rounding out their receiving corps. Couple this with Visanthe Shiancoe at TE and the Vikings are very deadly ranked 11^th in the NFL in passing.

Meanwhile the Carolina Panthers' 6^th ranked pass defense has been a bright spot in an otherwise dark season. We've seen the NFL's best and brightest and held the vast majority of passing defenses below their season averages. It would be nice to still have Thomas Davis to keep opposing tight ends honest, but all in all I think the pass D can step up again.

Edge: Carolina Panthers

KEY MATCHUP: Carolina run offense vs. Minnesota run defense

The Carolina Panthers' run offense is a wounded animal at this point. With injuries to both Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah, the normally calm edges do not provide safe harbor for Double Trouble. In the latter part of 2009 the Carolina Panthers' depth on the offensive line has been tested, and been found wanting for the most part. That being said, both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have big play potential every time they touch the ball. The Panthers still hold strong at 4^th in the NFL in rushing, despite slightly weakened performances the last two weeks.

Conversely, the Minnesota Vikings are boasting a very stout run defense. They have an extremely efficient group of LBs led by Chad Greenway who leads the team in tackles. Their run defense is currently ranked 4^th in the NFL and this battle of the number 4's proves to be the most intriguing aspect of Sunday night's game.

Edge: Push

Carolina pass offense vs. Minnesota pass defense

As we embark on week three of the Matt Moore experiment it's starting to look a little more like a 4^th grade science fair project than a Nobel Prize winner. Moore has been efficient, but not dynamic. After facing two fairly weak pass defenses in his first two outings he's up against a rough defense this week. If Moore and the Panthers' 28^th ranked pass offense hope to make any dents in the Vikings' armor he needs to get Steve Smith involved early, and often. Relying on the outlets again this week is not going to move the chains efficiently, especially when the run offense is in for a fight.

The Vikings' pass defense is ranked 11^th in the NFL for good reason. The Vikings don't have any true ball hawks in the secondary (only nabbing 6 interceptions this season) but while they lack in this area they more than make up for in coverage. It will be a rough week for Moore.

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Special Teams

Special teams have been drastically improved since the early weeks of 2009, but they're far from a strong point. The Panthers only average 19.9 yards per kickoff to the Vikings' 24.4 and the Panthers are allowing almost 11 yards per punt return to the Vikings' 9.1.

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Coaching

Each week this proves to be the hardest aspect to prognosticate. The Panthers' coaching has been so up and down in 2009 it's near impossible to guess what will happen on Sundays. We still need to run the ball more and be more inventive on the offensive end; conversely the defensive coaching has been outstanding. Ron Meeks was a real find for the defense.

The Vikings are getting it done on both sides of the ball. The Panthers are getting it done on one side of the ball. This alone makes it a clear choice.

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Final Summary

The Panthers are playing for pride, and to dampen some of the boundless excitement in the camp of San Francisco 49ers fans who await our 2010 1^st round pick. Carolina is evaluating the talent and depth they have to better prepare them for a 2010 campaign. I know there is a convoluted scenario that shows how we can make the playoffs, but it would require a Christmas miracle of Charlie Brown proportions to make that a reality.

Meanwhile the Vikings are playing to retain the 1^st round bye. The Vikings are a very, very good football team, but most people who read this article on a regular basis know I just can't pick against my Panthers... so my heavily biased prediction is:

Carolina Panthers 27 - Minnesota Vikings 24

Panthers Fold Against Patriots 20-10

Jaxon — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:26:46 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

4 days ago: Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Moore (3) is sacked by New England Patriots defensive end Derrick Burgess (53) during the second half of an NFL football game in the rain in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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If you are searching for answers as to why the Panthers lost to the Patriots today you can't blame the defense. They held a potent Patriots offense to 20 points while creating 3 turnovers and denying 8 of 11 3rd down conversions. No, if you are looking for answers look at the offense

Back-up QB Matt Moore didn't have a bad day statistically speaking: 15 for 30 197 yards and a TD. But outside of a bomb to Steve Smith he misfired repeatedly throughout the day. In many cases he had a receiver wide open yet overthrew the player, sometimes badly. I'm not pinning this loss on Moore I'm just saying if he could have hit some of those passes he missed in the first half the Panthers might have made this more of a game. As it was the Panthers stayed close but it was only a matter of time before the Patriot offense got untracked.

The running game seemed to be effective at times but was mostly shackled by a lack of touches with only 20 carries between Williams and Stewart. Combine that with the 30 passes for Matt Moore and you have a team that lost in TOP. So if you want to throw a dart at the Panthers defense it has to be the run defense. They got gashed for 180+ yards that allowed the Patriots to control the ball.

The notable Panther performances are after the jump...

LB Dan Conner has 5 tackles and three assists and recovered a fumble in his first start at SLB.
LB Jon Beason led the team with 9 tackles
WR Steve Smith put up 83 yards and a TD on only two receptions. How did Smith not get more catches?
FS Chalres Godfrey chipped in 5 tackles, 3 assists and a FF
RB DeAngelo Williams had 82 yards on 13 carries (6+ yards per carry)
DE Everette Brown had a critical roughing the kicker call that prevented a possible Panthers game tying scoring drive. What were the chances of that really happening given how the offense was playing? One in ten at best.

Let's hear it Panther fans. Should Moore continue to start? What if Jake can start next week, put him back in? The Panthers are still not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs believe it or not.

Panther Paw Prints: Friday Edition

Jaxon — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:22:21 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

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We've got a full basket of warm and fluffy Paw Prints today Panther fans. Let's get started.

I've spent a little time over on the SBN patriots site Pats Pulpit and must admit I'm finding the Patriots 'Late-Gate' controversy both amusing and a bit of deja vue: :

Late-Gate: Adalius Thomas Sounds Off; Personifies Why Guaranteed Contracts are a Bad Idea - Pats Pulpit
Adalius Thomas was the first of the infamous four late Patriots to talk to the media about yesterday's disciplinary measure taken by the head coach. He was clearly agitated by it and professed to be "dumbfounded" at the heavy consequence of being nine minutes late on a snowy New England morning. As he said separately to Albert Breer, "I mean, I could've been in a ditch. They really don't give a damn. Hey, as long as you aren't in that meeting, they really don't give a (bleep)."

Does anyone else see similarity in Thomas comments and those of Kris Jenkins a couple years back? We might have some disgruntled and therefore distracted players opposite us on Sunday. We need whatever advantage we can get, no matter how slight. Steve Smith tries to weigh in on it but his internal muzzle keeps it bland:

Panthers' Fox, Smith weigh in; other Pats notes
"It depends on the state of the team," Smith said. "If it’s a team that maybe hasn’t done as well as they think they should have, and you kind of do something a little outrageous, and they say, 'Oh, that’s what sparked it, and that was great.' And then if it goes the opposite direction, you have people that are going to say it wasn’t very good. I think it really just depends on the outcome."

Pictured: Patriots WR Wes Welker practices picking himself up off the turf in preparation for a visit from the Panthers!

So how spoiled are Patriots fans? They have the #2 offense in the NFL for Yards per game yet you still see headlines like this:

Patriots Offense Still Searching for Answers Through 12 Games - New England Patriots - NESN.com
The most logical place to look is the sideline. Quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien is calling the offensive plays, and he seems to be suffering to find a rhythm in his first year with that responsibility. It's a transition year for the Patriots in that sense, as Josh McDaniels held that job from 2006-08 before departing last offseason to become Denver's head coach.

If Jeff Davidson could only crack the top 10 we would be ecstatic. So would Steve Smith, who is doing his best to keep from voicing his opinion about the Panthers offense:

Darin Gantt's Panthers Blog | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
"It’s not too hard for me to say we are a running team first. That’s what we try to be. That’s what we are. We have two good running backs — three, four good running backs — and that’s what we do. But at the end of the day, run first or whatever you want to do, when we really need a big play downfield, in a hurry, they have to go to 89. So I don’t worry about it too much. I just keep coming back for some reason."

I imagine it has something to do with the dollar bills. Speaking of dollar bills, DE Tyler Brayton has been worth every dollar bill thrown his way. Did anyone really expect him to lead the d-line in tackles this season?

Brayton's found a quieter home with the Panthers | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
"I would love to stay here," he said. "I think my heart would be broken if they didn't want me to come back or if whatever happened. I know this is still a business. I completely understand that. I feel like I have a lot of unfinished business here. I feel like God wants me to be here. "I just feel strongly about the men who are in this locker room, the men who are leading us on the field. I just feel like there's a lot of unfinished business left here for myself."

I couldn't agree more Tyler, there is some serious unfinished business in Charlotte. DT Maake Kemeatu says he will be 100% come training camp next year [must resist urge to joke about making it through one practice]

ProFootballWeekly.com - Panthers DT Kemoeatu says he will be 100 percent by training camp
Taking this year off has put another 3-5 years on my career," he said. "... Most football players, they take a couple months off or some just a couple of weeks (when they get hurt), and they're back at it again. Their body never gets to fully recover." Kemoeatu's contract has a provision in it that will make him a free agent after the 2010 season if his $9.3 million option bonus for 2010 is declined in March. It's expected that the team will decline that option, but could it decide to part ways with Kemoeatu this offseason instead? "Could they (cut him)? Might they? Yeah, anybody might," said Vierra. "It's a 30-year-old guy with a torn Achilles. Is it a concern? Anybody would be dishonest if they said it's not some concern. Will he play again? I'm not concerned about that. I know he'll play again."

How much again? $9.3M! I'm guessing an extension will be in the offing that kicks some of that money down the road. Unlike 2009 the Panthers will have a ton of options at DT come 2010.

I distinctly remember remarking last season how lucky we were to have the same defensive starters for the first 14 games. This 2009 season shows why we were 'lucky'. We will start our 13th straight different line-up on D versus the Patriots.

Despite massive shuffling, defense has persevered for Panthers | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
"You've got to keep rolling and just have guys come in and catch up with the system," Lewis said. "That's the only way you can do it. You can't alter your playbook for certain offenses just because you may be short a guy here and a guy there. You need to get those guys caught up to speed and try to get them on the level with everybody else."

I want to say new DL coach Brian Baker has done a good job with his adjustments but I'm just not convinced yet.

What I will say is that if the Patriots run the ball more than they pass it Sunday, at least in the first half, then the Panthers have a shot.

Focus on Carolina: Panthers @ Patriots - Pats Pulpit
Bill, if you're listening, DO NOT ABANDON THE RUN GAME. Pound the rock and pound it hard. Send Laurence Maroney in as point and keep the ball on the ground. Carolina has a very good passing D and it simply doesn't make sense to try and exploit something that may give us trouble, especially when it hasn't been one of our strong suits of late.

In this scenario the Panthers should be able to keep the game close and hope that just a couple big plays will squeak out a victory.

Oh, and if you haven't already done it check out the Blogger Q&A link over on the Pulpit. Q&A threads are usually interesting and this one is no exception. I'll give you a hint, they are not happy sitting at 7-5.

Keys to Victory: Buffalo Bills vs New York Jets

Kurupt — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

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The New York Jets and Buffalo Bills travel up to the Great White North tonight to square off in a not-so-key AFC East divisional battle. It's a home game for the Bills, but the atmosphere isn't expected to resemble that of Ralph Wilson Stadium in any way. Both teams are coming off of strong defensive performances and look to continue their success in the Rogers Centre.

Mark Sanchez is battling a minor knee injury, but is expected to play, while the Bills will be going with Ryan Fitzpatrick's hot hand again. In the teams' first meeting, Thomas Jones ran for 210 yards, while Sanchez threw an absurd five interceptions. Fitzpatrick came off the bench for a concussed Trent Edwards and connected with Lee Evans for the game-tying touchdown; Rian Lindell hit a 47-yard field goal in overtime to win it. It was an ugly game, and the good people of Toronto are hoping for a more explosive affair this time around.

What do the Bills need to do to give their pseudo-home fans reason to celebrate? We've got six key factors for you after the jump that, if met, will make Buffalo's job infinitely easier this evening.

Ride Fred Jackson: With Jackson getting the start last week against Miami and picking up the majority of the touches out of the backfield, the Bills' offense looked better than it has since very early in the season (coincidentally with Jackson as the starter then). It's pretty evident that behind this patchwork offensive line, Jackson's talents are better suited to picking up chunks of yards than those of Marshawn Lynch. Perry Fewell seems more comfortable with Jackson, and that needs to continue this week. With Jackson netting 73 yards rushing on 15 carries, the Bills finished with 129 total yards on the ground. In the first matchup, the team rushed for 142 yards against the Jets. With an emphasis on Jackson, establishing the run and going against a Jets run defense without their best player in Kris Jenkins, the Bills could very well have one of their better rushing games of the season. Jackson was also more involved in the passing game last week (five receptions for 43 yards), so look for more of that this week. The Bills will probably go as Jackson goes in this one.

Hit some big plays: The vaunted Fitzpatrick-to-Terrell Owens connection has combined for 14 receptions, 293 yards and two touchdowns the past two weeks. Under Fewell, there has been a strong push to get the ball into T.O.'s mitts. It has worked as the Bills had hoped it would when Owens was signed earlier this year. Look for the Bills to try hitting some deep balls with Owens again this week, especially if the running game is keeping the Jets' safeties honest.

Take advantage of Lito Sheppard: Darrelle Revis might be the best cornerback in football right now. He has shut down some of the best receivers in the NFL all season, including Andre Johnson, Randy Moss (twice), Marques Colston, Steve Smith and that T.O. guy. Those five big-time receivers combined for just 19 receptions, 144 yards and one touchdown in six games against Revis. He's as good as it gets. Opposite Revis, however, is the mediocre Sheppard, a guy the Bills really need to target in the passing game this week. Evans beat him for the touchdown in the first game. Expect the Bills to work Sheppard's side with both Owens and Evans this week. If they can take advantage of the opportunities, those big plays could be there.

Pressure Sanchez: We all saw first hand how bad Sanchez can be when he feels some pressure and is forced to make plays down the field. With Jerricho Cotchery playing this week and the controlled indoor conditions, it won't be as easy to force Sanchez into mistakes. Therefore, he needs to feel the pressure. Buffalo's defense seemed to get after Chad Henne a lot better in the fourth quarter last week, leading to three poorly thrown interceptions. Sanchez is obviously mistake prone; it's up to the defense to force him to make them again this time around.

Key on Thomas Jones: Jones had the two longest runs of his career in the first game... on consecutive carries. The Bills' rush defense was terrible that day, allowing well over 300 yards on the ground. Jones will be the centerpiece again this week, and he's having a terrific season. After witnessing Sanchez implode against the Bills in the Meadowlands, don't expect the Jets to rely on him too much if they don't have to. The Bills will need to keep Jones under wraps and prevent him from moving the chains. Do that, and we might get to see some Sanchez turnovers again.

Keep up the intensity and confidence: The Bills have looked like a different team under Fewell. His energy and controlling presence on the sidelines have really given a spark to his players. In what is expected to be a sterile environment in Toronto, Bills players will again need to dig deep and continue playing tough, confident ball. If they come out flat and play without any passion, this could be one boring game.

*******

It's kind of cool getting a Bills game in prime time on a Thursday, isn't it? The Bills could move to 3-2 in the division with a sweep of the Jets in front of a "nation television audience." My advice to you all is to get through the work day as soon as possible, grab some Labatt's and plant yourself on the couch to root for the Bills on foreign soil. Go Bills, eh?

Mike Holmgren's Greatest Managerial Achievement

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

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Even in red, a Seahawk.

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

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

Well, not quite.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Horse Tracks 11/30/09 - Broncos return to practice today; Chargers pummel Chiefs to remain 1 game ahead of Denver

Douglas A. Lee — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:30:10 -0000

DPP - Broncos need Orton to stay healthy - Mike Klis
"The Broncos resume practice today in preparation for their game Sunday at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium. Injuries to watch are Marcus Thomas (shoulder), Wesley Woodyard (neck), Ty Law (hamstring), Eddie Royal (thigh) and Knowshon Moreno (wrist)."

DPP - Analysis: Broncos have rotten record in December games played in Kansas City - Jeff Legwold
"The Broncos are 1-16 in December games in Kansas City."

DPP - Q&A: Does Brandon Marshall still want out? - Jeff Legwold
"My contract is over in a month and a half, so I'll be able to accomplish the things I want to accomplish. There will be a team out there willing to trade for anybody, I mean anybody, who has accomplished the things that I've accomplished." Wow. Missed that one....

ESPN - Phillips apologizes to McDaniels - Bill WIlliamson

DB - The "D’s" back in Defense - Mark Cooper

AP - Broncos coach McDaniels airs his grievances

NFL Results

NFL - Kansas City Chiefs 14 at San Diego Chargers 43

NFL - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 at Atlanta Falcons 20

NFL - Miami Dolphins 14 at Buffalo Bills 31

NFL - Washington Redskins 24 at Philadelphia Eagles 27

NFL - Seattle Seahawks 27 at St. Louis Rams 17

NFL - Carolina Panthers 6 at New York Jets 17

NFL - Cleveland Browns 7 at Cincinnati Bengals 16

NFL - Indianapolis Colts 35 at Houston Texans 27

NFL - Jacksonville Jaguars 3 at San Francisco 49ers 20

NFL - Chicago Bears 10 at Minnesota Vikings 36

NFL - Arizona Cardinals 17 at Tennessee Titans 20

NFL - Pittsburgh Steelers 17 at Baltimore Ravens 20

AFC West News

SDUT - Prelude to 'month of perfection' - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Rivers considers heave his highlight

SDUT - Tomlinson keeps movin' up, passing Allen and James

SDUT - Despite injuries, defense thrives - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Chargers Top 50 honored in various ways - Tod Leonard

SDUT - Facing losers, it's time to prey - Nick Canepa

SDUT - Gates learned through pain - Tim Sullivan

KCS - Chiefs get zapped by Chargers 43-14 - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs show their immaturity in loss - Jason Whitlock

KCS - Chargers burn Chiefs secondary with big plays - Kent Babb

KCS - Chiefs receiver Chambers proves something to his former team - Kent Babb

KCS - Charles makes good plays — and a bad one - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs blitz | Niswanger has bad day snapping the ball - Adam Teicher & Kent Babb

KCS - Chiefs notes | Haley may rethink future holiday breaks - Kent Babb

KCS - Grading the Chiefs - Adam Teicher

NFL News

NFL - Report: Browns' Rogers out for season with left leg injury

NFL - Source: Giants' Manning developed stress reaction in injured foot

NFL - Eagles WR Jackson suffers concussion in win over Redskins

NFL - Falcons QB Ryan, RB Turner exit game vs. Bucs with injuries

Concussions

NFL - Report: Goodell will expand restrictions concerning head trauma

NYT - As Signs of Concern Spread, N.F.L. Revisits Concussions - Greg Bishop

FH - Merril Hoge: Concussion Nearly Killed Me In Locker Room - Will Brinson

FH - Steelers at Odds Following OT Loss - Thomas George

NFL Opinion

PFW - Speculation increases about 'rock star' coaches

NFL - Forget Brady, Brees, and Manning; Favre is the league's MVP - Vic Carucci

CBS - Week 12 Judgements: Titans feeling Young at heart - Clark Judge

SI - Ray Rice, Kenny Britt, Dennis Dixon in spotlight of Week 12 in the NFL - Peter King

Y! - Rally shows QB Young in a different light - Charles Robinson

ESPN - Last Call: Wrapping up Week 12 - John Clayton

FOX - NFC East coming down to Eagles and Cowboys - Jimmy Johnson

NFL - Separating the contenders (Titans) from the pretenders (Cowboys) - Jason La Canfora
"Winning at Arrowhead will be tough, and even though they stopped their skid by beating the Giants, they might not win again until they host the Chiefs in the season finale, matching last year's collapse." Here's La Canfora doing his best John Clayton impression. Isn't La Canfora a reporter of news, not a football analyst?!?! When did he get into the predicting business?

NYT - For Saints’ Drew Brees, Stature Doesn’t Dictate Success - Judy Battista

PFW - Saints got steal in free agent Sharper - Mike Wilkening

NFP - Are Kubiak’s days in Houston numbered? - Dave Miller

SI - Kubiak must go, the amazing Colts, coaching blunders - Don Banks
"You can add another notch to Darrelle Revis's belt. The Jets' shutdown cornerback -- and we don't toss that label around lightly -- not only limited Carolina receiver Steve Smith to one catch for 5 yards, he picked off Delhomme twice, returning the first one 67 yards for a touchdown. Why does anyone throw in Revis's direction these days?

I don't quite get the intricacies of the Jets' new color-coded offensive system that is designed to help rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez better protect the football, but something worked against Carolina. Sanchez threw just one interception in completing 13 of 17 for 154 yards and no touchdowns. Given that he's been a turnover machine in recent weeks, that's progress."

I don't mean to pick on Banks (really, I like him), but as I went to the Jets game yesterday, it's quite obvious to me that Banks didn't see any of the game and is writing his observations off the box score. Revis' first INT came when a Delhomme pass bounced literally five yards in the air off Steve Smith's back foot. Totally bizarre, and Revis was not covering Smith, nor anywhere remotely close to the guy. Revis' second INT came when he was beaten down the sideline by Smith, but Delhomme severely underthrew him. Yes, Revis made a nice play and was in the right place to make it, but he was chasing Smith down the sideline at that point. Terrible throw by Delhomme, but by no means a bad decision.

As for Sanchez, the guy looked absolutely terrible yesterday. I'm shocked that he only had 4 incompletions, as many of his throws were at the feet of receivers. Meanwhile, Sanchez looked frantic in the pocket and displayed happy feet even when given adequate protection. His INT was a terrible one, coming as the Jets were trying to simply protect the lead and waste some 4th-quarter clock. Again, I don't mean to pick on Banks...but this is some shoddy writing....

Jets 17 Panthers 6: Finally Back on Track

John B — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:30:15 -0000

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The Jets scored a win today, 17-6 over Carolina at the Meadowlands. New York is now 5-6. You had to like the fight this team showed after absorbing a butt kicking at New England last week. Is it too late to save the season? Perhaps, but the Jets at the very least can build some momentum and feel good about themselves heading into the offseason with a strong finish. This was a great start.

More after the jump.

The Good:

Darrelle Revis: I'm not really sure you can say much more about this guy. Steve Smith has incredible talent. He had 2 catches for 2 yards because Revis was covering him most of the day. It's just a given at this point that the Jets can take your top receiver completely away from you. Revis showed good awareness when the ball took a lucky hop to him on the first interception and found the endzone on the return. The second interception showed his elite catch up speed an ball skills. It all depends on whether the voters are paying attention, but I could see a Defensive Player of the Year Award for Mr. Revis in the not too distant future.

Kerry Rhodes: Let's give the coaching staff some credit on this one. Rhodes had been disappointing this year before this game. He looked like a new man out there as if a fire had been lit under him. He had a pair of interceptions. He drew an offensive interference call. He did well as a blitzer. We all expected to see him make a major jump this year. It didn't happen until now. Maybe this will be a turning point in a disappointing year like Dustin Keller's game against the Dolphins before the bye.

Eric Smith: You'd have to imagine he goes back to a reserve role next week after the game Rhodes played, but Smith was good in coverage and registered 8 tackles to lead the team with Jim Leonhard.

Jim Leonhard: Once again, 8 tackles. The safeties played big role in holding Carolina's dynamic running duo, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to a combined 75 yards on 25 carries.

David Harris: He was good against the run. He was good in coverage. He was good as a blitzer. What more can you ask from a starting linebacker? He had 7 tackles and a sack.

Mark Sanchez: Bad throw on the interception, but otherwise you had to like what you saw out of Mark. He made smart decisions, protecting the ball. He didn't try to do too much. It seems like he realized he's got a great defense and doesn't need to try and force impossible plays to win games. I know a lot of you wanted to see more progress out of Sanchez. I think we got that today. He was very efficient, and I can't think of a play he left on the field.

Defensive Line: Nobody really stood out, but these guys held their own in their matchups against a really good run blocking team. It's impressive the way this defense stepped up.

Dustin Keller Minus the Fumble: 4 catches for 68 yards. He was getting open over the middle a lot. It really feels like he's turning the corner.

The Bad:

Lack of Correcting Offensive Mistakes: The only thing I'm really going to complain about today seems to have occurred in preparation. There seems to be a lack of fundamentals from the offensive skill players. Against the Jaguars, Braylon Edwards had a killer fumble. That's the kind of thing the staff needs to catch on film and correct. Today when he ran in open field, he palmed the ball, leaving it exposed. Mark Sanchez has been leading head first into defenders since training camp. He did it against the Titans on a touchdown. Today he did it again (and this doesn't even touch on the play he didn't slide when he got hurt). Shonn Greene fumbled for the second time in four games after not fumbling at all in college. Dustin Keller cost the Jets an easy touchdown by not protecting the ball. I know it's speculative. I know the blame ultimately falls on the players. Maybe the staff has tried to correct these things. I'm still perturbed by the lack of fundamentals.

The Jets should celebrate. For the first time in a while, they have something to feel good about. They just can't celebrate too long. A short week, a trip to a foreign country, and an opponent coming off a big win today await.

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Carolina Panthers Pass Offense

John B — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:02:32 -0000

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There are a lot of similarities between the Jets and the Panthers. One of them is both teams have talented quarterbacks capable of taking over a game or losing it by constantly throwing it to the opposition. It's been more of the latter this year for Carolina. Jake Delhomme has only 8 touchdown passes against 14 interceptions on top of his all time horrific Playoff start last year against the Cardinals. His passer rating right now stands at 66.

Steve Smith will draw Darrelle Revis. Smith is one of the top deep threats in the game and owns great speed. He leads the Panthers with 45 receptions, 599 yards, and 4 touchdowns. With Donald Strickland and Dwight Lowery out, Lito Sheppard will rejoin the starting lineup. He'll spend much of his day covering Muhsin Muhammad. This seems like a decent matchup for Lito. Muhammad is not a deep threat. He does a lot of his work underneath, runs good routes, and battles. I like the matchup between the starters.

The Panthers are a better running team than passing team, but there are some areas they can try to exploit the Jets if they are willing to open up their playbook a bit. Then again, that requires putting it into Delhomme's hands instead of their excellent running backs. In any event, Drew Coleman will be the nickel. Coleman is coming off one of worst performances in NFL history against Wes Welker (and that is not hyperbole). In four years, Drew hasn't really developed any cover skills or shown he should be on the field in anything other than extreme passing subpackages. Carolina's third receiver, Jersey product Dwayne Jarrett, has only 10 receptions on the year, but the Panthers could look to exploit this matchup. We could also see them target tight ends Jeff King and Dante Rosario, who split time. They have combined for 31 catches.

The key will be bringing pressure and forcing Delhomme to make decisions quicker than he wants. This is how opponents approch New York's mistake prone quarterback. It's how the Jets should go after Carolina's. The Panthers are playing without Pro Bowl tackle Jordan Gross, who is on IR with an injured ankle. Travelle Wharton will start in his place. He had some struggles against the Dolphins last week. The overload blitzes this week could go primarily to his side.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:20 -0000

Happy Tuesday, friends. It's a short week, with another game on Thursday night, so there's no time to mope or feel sorry for ourselves. In their scheduling wisdom, the NFL took away our right to do so - and I, for one, am glad. The Giants can be beaten, with sound play, but we'll get to that eventually. For now we'll put this week to bed and move on quickly. Ready.... BEGIN!!!!

1. I am approaching one full year as a staff contributor to MHR, having joined at the beginning of December 2008. It's been quite an interesting year, and my relationship to the team has kind of changed in an unexpected way during that time.

I first discovered MHR in April 2008, right before the draft. It, and SBNation, have come a long way since then, but the basics were the same; MHR is a respectful, knowledgeable community which discussed all things about their team. I was inspired to join such a community, and I started posting some FanPosts (which were still called Diaries only a year and a half ago).

Unlike a lot of staff members, I wasn't asked to fill a specific role, so I had to figure out what mine would be. I had always done some around the league stuff, but I wanted to find a delivery formula that would work well on a Broncos site. I debuted ST&NO on January 12, 2009, with the following opening:

As we enter the re-loading season, I felt like I needed to establish a fun new recurring feature. HT has MHR University, and Broncobear has the always excellent Tales from the Sunny Side. Styg is heading up some great draft coverage, which has a fun name, which you'll be hearing about very soon. Nick has some statistical analysis pieces which will be coming, and Zappa will continue to be Zappa, intermittently unleashing jolts of Broncos fan brilliance. And the Guru, when we form like Voltron, the Guru is the head.

So where does that leave me? Well, I was thinking a couple days ago, as I listened to Enter The Wu-Tang and shoveled a foot of snow, that two things I can consistently provide are shallow thoughts, and nearsighted observations. Since this is a Broncos blog, I'll focus on our team, but I'll also include some league-wide thoughts, for keeping-up-with- the-Jones purposes. Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. What else could be needed on top of that? Maybe just some more cowbell.... Did anybody bring a cowbell?

Well, ST&NO has grown, and I have too. As I was sitting on my couch Sunday, watching the debacle against the Chargers, I realized that I wasn't yelling and cursing as much as normal. I didn't get that excited, and I have to say, upon some reflection, that I have been less excitable about the Broncos this season than ever. For the first 6 games, I had a hard time finding new ways to express my pleasure with the situation, and for the last 4, I have had trouble doing the opposite thing.

All I can figure is that my role in writing for this site has subtly and gradually forced me to become more of an objective analyst, and less of a passionate fan. I think the change largely has to do with my relationship with and attitude toward reporters.

I like to beat up on NFL reporters, because I think that most of them only have a surface-level knowledge of what is going on in a football game. The Broncos have a couple of good reporters, in Lindsay Jones and Jeff Legwold, and I never take any shots at them. I actually have tended toward staying away from taking deserved shots at the Denver-area Woody Paige bloviator class, because I don't want to spend the site's goodwill with the Denver media; it's John's to spend, not mine, after all. (Woody going after Kyle at BroncoTalk made me briefly lift my moratorium in the comments section of Horse Tracks the other day.)

Here's a summary of my general attitude toward football reporting. I think there is relatively little value in the reporting of news, at the national level. When Lindsay Jones reports on what happened at the facility every day, there is value in that. When Chris Mortensen hears 10 minutes before Jay Glazer that Chris Simms will start, who cares? Everybody was going to find out soon enough anyway, so what's the difference who had it first?

The real value, to me, is in the analysis, which is why I devote my time and effort to being a good analyst. While I am not a journalist, I do admire the journalistic principle of objectivity, and I think that in reconciling my criticism of national NFL reporters with my long-held policy of non-hypocrisy, I have become more objective. If I am going to beat them up for not knowing the technical aspects of the game as well as me, I can't be less objective than them. Something like that.

I remember last spring sitting in a bar with some co-workers for a happy hour, and seeing Woody's face come on Around The Horn. I told this girl I work with, Trudy, that I competed with him in the marketplace of ideas, and that I kicked his butt, on the merits. Well, I really don't think of Woody as my competition anymore, for a lot of obvious reasons. (Like, for example, he can't compete with me.) Due to the established nature of my content, I feel like I am competing with national guys, like Peter King and Gregg Easterbrook, even if this platform is Broncos-specific.

So, the point of this is that I was struggling with what to say in a general way about Sunday's game, when I don't have the deep feelings that most of you do, and that I would have had a year ago. I feel like I imagine Tom Jackson to feel; I'm very disappointed at the result for my affiliated team, but at the end of the day, I have the rest of the football landscape to worry about, too, and I have to get on with the business of being an objective analyst. I am still coming to grips with this change, and I am not really sure what the ancillary implications are for me. This may be one of these existential crises like we're seeing with Team Edward or Team Jacob. (I have a lot of 20-something women among my Facebook friends, so, trust me, I know.) See here for a funny breakdown of that Twilight sitch-ee-ation.

(Big up my man Justin Dazet for finding that. Justin writes a blog that gets into gaming and other stuff, and a San Diego area column on Geek Culture. Check him out if you're into that sort of thing.)

Momentarily, I will get back to the business of breaking down the game details, like I always do, but I thought I should at least explain why there was no impassioned, emotional screed today about the Broncos.

2. Information From My Eyes - Chargers at Broncos

a. First things first. I am going to tell you why Kyle Orton didn't start the game. He couldn't take snaps from under center and drop back effectively. It's that simple. The injury that he has prevented it. If you can only play in the shotgun, your running game is severely limited, from the perspective of the direction you can run. Josh McDaniels said this without really getting detailed, but this is what he meant.

Orton took a few snaps under center, but he really labored with his footwork, and it hindered the timing of the running game, and the Broncos could only really run to the A and B gaps. When the QB is playing slow, it makes the whole offense play slow, unfortunately.

b. The Broncos came out running the ball like they meant business. They could do that with Chris Simms under center, but Simms obviously never held his end of the bargain as a passer. When Orton came into the game, it wasn't conducive to running the ball, and neither was Orton's ability to retreat from center.

c. Knowshon Moreno scored a Touchdown, and ~~Ron~~ Nuclear Winter's crew blew the call. When I saw who the referee was, right after kickoff, I tweeted;

I am sure Moreno's play was a TD by virtue of relative positioning. To wit, Russ Hochstein's knee was across the goal line, and if his knee caused the fumble, which it clearly did, then the ball had to be across the goal line. That play was an absolute killer, because with a TD at the end of the half, the Broncos are right back in the game at 13-7. The energy of the game had momentarily shifted to the Broncos, and just like that, it was gone.

d. I was very disappointed with the defensive scheme, as I have been the last several weeks. The Broncos have really changed from an aggressive defense to one which is reading and reacting, and I don't like it at all. In the game at San Diego, the Broncos had great success pressuring the A gaps, and I saw very little effort to do that Sunday. They also got Elvis Dumervil in favorable matchups against the terrible Jeromey Clary, and again, there was none of that. Clary was even injured, and they didn't seem like they wanted to go after him. The Broncos need to get back to what made them tough on defense.

e. A little noticed good thing about Sunday was kickoff and punt coverage. The Broncos never let Darren Sproles hurt them in the return game, and both Josh Barrett and David Bruton made outstanding plays in downfield coverage.

f. The Chargers defensive backs got away with playing through the bodies of Denver receivers several times. The Broncos were a lot sloppier than San Diego, but not to the point where the penalty disparity should have been as wide as it was. It seems to me that teams which have "physical" labels like San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore get away with mugging a lot of WRs, and not just with crappy officiating crews like Nuclear Winter. It's like how you might call a foul playing an indoor basketball game at the Y, but you wouldn't call the same thing playing streetball.

g. Speaking of penalties, I want to know what the unsportsmanlike conduct was against Marcus Thomas and Ronald Fields on those two kicking plays. It seemed to me that they just hit the long snapper, though it was hard to tell from the TV angles on the recorded Short Cut. Those seemed like Nuclear Winter ticky-tack calls.

h. Andre' Goodman had a hard time dealing with the size of Malcolm Floyd on Sunday. Chris Chambers has done very well in Kansas City, but Floyd is a much tougher matchup for a guy like Goodman.

i. I put a great deal of the Broncos' recent offensive struggles on the absence of Ryan Harris. They haven't been able to protect nearly as well as they did in the first six games. That's not exactly meant to be an indictment of Tyler Polumbus, who is fine as a backup OT and special teams player. It's just recognizing the fact that Harris is one of the best RTs in the game. The timing of the offensive struggles aren't coincidental. It looks like Harris is still hurt, but let's hope he can play on the other side of the Giants game.

j. Again, the gap discipline took a vacation in the second half of the football game. Peter King thinks the defense of the first six games was a mirage, which is dramatically oversimplifying the case. They have still been quick and active for big stretches during the losing streak. It's just been less common to see them sustain it for 60 minutes lately. D.J. Williams (again) and Andra Davis both had pretty bad days in the gap discipline department.

k. I was fine with the onsides kick call, even if it didn't work. It was a good situation for it, because the Broncos were going to lose anyway without a big play.

3. Information From My Eyes - Other Games

a. Again, Thursday seems like it was a long time ago. I was very impressed with the play of Ricky Williams in the absence of Ronnie Brown. I haven't liked the play of Williams so much, maybe ever. The Dolphins didn't do much of their Wild Cute Marine Mammal stuff, but they ran very well from traditional formations, against a Carolina defense which is usually stout against the run. The direct snap stuff is good because of Brown, who has a rare instinctiveness for the options it provides. The Dolphins were smart to go back to the handoff game with Williams.

b. I still don't like Chad Henne's tattoo, but he had a very steady game. He's improving as a player every week, and I give the Dolphins a lot of credit for taking it slow with him, and developing him in an intelligent way. Tony Sparano doesn't receive a lot of acclaim, but I have been very impressed with the coaching job his staff has done for two years now.

c. The Dolphins have started ST&NO Favorite Sean Smith at RCB all season, and are now starting Vontae Davis at LCB. They have done a great job, and they really more than held their own against Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith last Thursday. Both guys are very talented, but again, it's a testament to the coaching they are getting from Todd Bowles, the Dolphins Assistant Head Coach and Secondary coach. I fully expect Bowles to get a head coaching job this offseason, even though nobody in the reporter-o-sphere is talking about him.

d. I criticized Joey Porter's play last week, but the benching seems to have motivated him. He was dominant, with two sacks and two other tackles for losses. It helped that Jordan Gross was hurt, but Porter looked much better than I have seen him this season, regardless of the matchup.

e. I watched a great deal of the Green Bay-San Francisco game, and I came away thinking that Aaron Rodgers has it better than Alex Smith from a protection standpoint, which isn't saying much at all, obviously. San Francisco has a pretty good LT in Joe Staley, but he's been hurt for a few weeks now. Smith couldn't do anything at all for most of the game Sunday, because he was getting hit the second he got to the top of his drops.

In the second half, with the score getting lopsided, the Niners smartened up and just put Smith in the shotgun, where he is most comfortable. He responded with 3 TD passes and made the game look like it was closer than it was. I continue to think that Smith is more than good enough to win with, if he gets protection. When you evaluate what he does in a vacuum, he's doing the right things way more often than not.

f. I have heard a lot of criticism of Aaron Rodgers lately, but he continues to look like a top-notch passer to me. He is gaining 8.2 yards per pass attempt, with 19 TDs and 5 INTs this season. He has also run for more yards than any QB in the NFL, and 3 TDs. I also tend to think you have to evaluate Rodgers in a vacuum, and other than holding the ball a little too long sometimes, he doesn't do much wrong. The last couple weeks, he's been getting the ball out quicker, too.

g. The loss of Al Harris is really going to hurt the Packers badly. It severely limits their ability to use Charles Woodson in the wide variety of roles that they liked to use him in. Woodson has often covered TEs and is a great blitzer. He's played as well as any defensive player in the NFL this season, and now the Packers may need to use him more on the outside.

I actually think the loss of Aaron Kampman is pretty negligible for them, despite his big name. He hasn't adjusted well to playing OLB, and his tallness has hurt him. By coming from a standup position, Kampman hasn't gotten the leverage he used to play with. He needs to move on to a 4-3 team where he can play on the strongside again. He's about the best in the NFL at that, after Mario Williams.

h. I can't believe the Jaguars are 6-4, but they are. When they win, they have been getting good play from David Garrard and Mike Sims-Walker, which they did on Sunday against Buffalo. Garrard is an interesting guy, because he seems young, but he isn't. He's actually 31, and he's probably reached the prime of his career. He's good enough to take a team to the playoffs, obviously, but do you build around him? I kind of feel the same way about Garrard as I did about Jake Plummer at the end of 2005, though I think Garrard is a little better player than Plummer was.

i. A guy who has been an outstanding player for a few years, without getting any credit, is Kyle Williams for the Bills. He was dominant on Sunday. Williams is kind of a short, stout DT, who does a great job getting penetration from a 3-technique position. He's never been a big sack guy, but his ability to shoot gaps has disrupted a lot of running games.

j. It's funny how many ST&NO favorites become really good players in the NFL. Percy Harvin hasn't gotten a lot of credit, because the media is busy loving on Brett Favre, but he's become a good NFL receiver quickly. A lot of Mel Kiper's said Harvin didn't run a lot of routes at Florida, but he was always open when he did. It was clear to me that he'd be able to separate with quickness as he learned NFL technique. His technique is improving quickly, and he's a handful. Along with Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian, he's part of a really dangerous receiving corps. I can't think of a lot of groups I'd take over them, actually.

k. Joseph Addai has never been a favorite of mine, but he's playing better than ever lately. I still think that Donald Brown is going to be the better player, but Addai seems to have found some confidence and toughness that I never perceived in him.

l. The AFC has had a lot of outstanding safety play this season, but if I had to pick two starters for the Pro Bowl, they'd be Melvin Bullitt and Bernard Pollard. Bullitt got some notice for stopping the 4th and 2 last week, but he has been terrific in replacing Bob Sanders. Tampa 2-teams need a quick safety who can get from a cover-2 shell to the box very quickly, and Bullitt has done it as well as Sanders ever did.

Pollard was cut by Kansas City, and I just didn't get it. Maybe Scott Pioli was paying him back for last season's hit on Tom Brady? Pollard has been spectacular at times for the Texans, and has really been the star on the back end that they've never had. (No, Dunta Robinson is not a star; he's only paid like one.)

Brian Dawkins, Ed Reed, Jairus Byrd, Antoine Bethea, Kerry Rhodes, Brandon Meriweather, and Reggie Nelson would be battling it out for the last Pro Bowl spot, but I am sure about the top 2, as of today.

m. Laurence Maroney is doing a decent job of re-establishing his reputation as a solid RB. He has had the knock of not being particularly tough, kind of like Addai, but Maroney has been picking up a lot of tough yards lately. Take away the goal-line fumble against he Colts, and he's been really good.

n. Mark Sanchez looked confused almost the whole game on Sunday, against a New England team that knows how to confuse a QB. Sanchez is a classic example of what happens when teams get some film on you and know what you're going to do. I don't think it's time to bench him, like the average Peter King is calling for, but it would definitely behoove the Jets to figure out what Sanchez is comfortable doing, and sticking to only that stuff.

o. I can tell you right now, the Lions had a fantastic draft in 2009. Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, and Louis Delmas all look like future Pro Bowlers. MHR favorite Sammie Lee Hill has been a solid starter at DT, and DeAndre Levy has been solid starting at WLB, since Ernie Sims as lost for the season, too. The guy I might like best, actually, is sixth-rounder Aaron Brown, a RB from TCU. He caught a TD pass on Sunday, but where he looked really dangerous was on kickoff returns. He's very explosive looking. I think Derrick Williams will eventually be a useful player too, and that makes 7 hits in one draft class. It's exactly the kind of performance that their opponents from Sunday (the Browns) need.

p. Speaking of he Browns, I have some thoughts. It sucks to lose like that, on an untimed down, but if I was a Browns fan, I would feel a lot better than I did a week ago. Brady Quinn had his best day as a pro, with 4 TD passes, and a 5th one dropped. Sure, he wasn't pressured a lot, when Detroit didn't blitz, but he looked like he was in command, and the offensive game plan looked like Brian Daboll trusted Quinn, finally. Mohamed Massaquoi and Chansi Stuckey did a very nice job making plays down the field.

I mentioned that the Browns need a good draft; they have 11 picks as of right now, and they need to hit on the majority of them. If I were their new football czar, I wouldn't draft a QB in the first round. I would give Quinn a full year with better talent (and coaching), and see what I have. My target would be Russell Okung, an OT from Oklahoma State, who I'd play on the right side. The Browns' current right side is flat-out awful. I'd be bringing in 2 good RBs, since they have zero right now. They need a Correll Buckhalter-type of free agent, and a second-round pick like a Jonathan Dwyer from Georgia Tech. One of their 3rd-round picks would go for a TE who can catch, like Ed Dickson from Oregon. With 2 new RBs, a TE, and a RT, all of a sudden, you have a solid group of players on offense.

Offense has to be the priority, because their 5 TDs on Sunday matched their previous total in 9 games. They aren't really that far away from being league-average, and I only used 3 of 11 picks in this hypothetical situation. The Browns could be 8-8 or 9-7 next season, if they make the most of their offseason opportunities. I can see it now; Todd Bowles wins coach of the year for them, after going from 2-14 to 9-7.

q. The Texans just continue to lose heartbreakers. Matt Schaub made plays, again, and gave his team a chance to win, again. And then Kris Brown blew it, again. I feel really bad for guys like Schaub, Andre Johnson and Mario Williams, who bring it every week. I'd hate to see these circumstances cost Gary Kubiak his job, but they just might.

r. I was going to talk about how everybody needs to slow down on the Vince Young hype train, but he justified the hype Monday night. Repeatedly, he picked up 3rd downs with his legs, and his throwing was pretty good too. He particularly threw a pretty ball that Nate Washington didn't come down with. He looked like he did at the University of Texas. You heard it here first; the Titans are going to beat San Diego by 2 TDs in a few weeks.

s. Trent Dilfer is a really terrible analyst, and I don't get the Steve Levy and Matt Winer combination with him. Usually, there's one anchor type to serve up softballs to the analyst. It's a weird setup. Back to Dilfer, I think the guy is just about always wrong.

t. Right after I typed that, ESPN went back to the Stuart Scott-Matt Millen-Steve Young set, and they proceeded to blame Matt Schaub for Kris Brown's missed field goal. Epic FAIL. All the guy could do was what he did. He moved his team down the field in 45 seconds, and set them up with a shot at a makeable kick. How in the world does that fall on the QB that they lost the game? That is just too idiotic for words

4. As promised, here is the rationale for why the Broncos can win on Thursday night. The Giants are extremely susceptible to getting beaten down the field, since they lost their starting Free Safety, Kenny Phillips. They are getting Aaron Ross back into the swing of things at CB, but he hadn't played all season, prior to this past Sunday.

With their shakiness on the back end, the Giants have blitzed a bit less than in past years, particularly in the A gaps. Tyler Polumbus will need some help on Justin Tuck, when they're matched up, but I expect the Broncos to be able to protect Kyle Orton reasonably well.

The Giants, meanwhile, aren't getting much from their running game lately. I also believe that their WRs don't pose a huge threat against Champ Bailey and Andre' Goodman. David Diehl will almost certainly struggle against Elvis Dumervil, because he's a natural LG playing LT. I feel pretty good about the defensive matchup, really.

This game is no lock, obviously, but it's one which the Broncos can win if they execute, stop taking bad penalties, and take care of the football. John Bena had it exactly right Sunday night. The Broncos can't beat good teams if they make mistakes, and the Giants are a good team. A victory is very plausible, though, if they do what they need to do.

5. I have cited several reasons lately for cutting ST&NO a little short, and I have another one. I got a bit sidetracked from writing, because of some big news in my family, which led to some calling, texting, and emailing, but not much writing.

On Monday night, my brother Chris911's wife Ana gave birth to their first child, Elizabeth Danielle Bartlett, at 7:36 Pacific Time, in Los Angeles, CA. Elizabeth weighed 5 pounds, 12.5 ounces, and was 17 1/4 inches long. Mother and baby are doing well. It occurred to me that I was in a good position to write the first birth announcement. Please join me in congratulating Chris and Ana on the birth of the newest little Broncos fan.

Since I am decidedly not in the having kids business, I took some time to live vicariously through them, and try to feel their excitement. Now, I am going to get back to living vicariously though myself, though. Y'all know how I do...

6. I am hitting the road for Connecticut on Tuesday, right after this story posts, to go eat some turkey, take a hellified tryptophan nap, and find a bar with NFL Network. My main reason for going, though, is to play in the 38th Annual Erb-Orsini Bowl in my hometown of Norwich, CT. I am only 32, so it predates me, but I have played in a number of them over the years. I said I would try to go back east for it last year, but it was snowing all across Pennsylvania, and I decided at the last minute to stay in Cleveland. I wasn't feeling 600 miles of driving in snow. This year, I wanted to show up and play, and the weather is cooperative. I have too much work to do to take the time, but I am going to work on Wednesday from a Tim Horton's restaurant.

The Erb-Orsini Bowl is a touch game, but it's been pretty physical and competitive in the past. The picture below is from the 2004 game. I am on the left. On the right is my brother John. He laid out for a pass early in the game, and was shaken up. His shoulder hurt, and he said that he didn't want to catch any more passes, and that he'd just stay in and pass-block, so he did just that. Thirty-six hours later, after not saying anything more about the topic, he decided to go to the hospital. Turned out, he had broken his shoulder. It's kind of the Bartlett way to suffer in silence, really, which is owed to being half Irish.

The keeper of the flame is the guy in the midde, my long-time friend Tony Orsini. Tony, as it happens, is a huge Giants fan. He's such a huge fan, actually, that he and his dad spent thousands of dollars to go to Arizona and get tickets for Super Bowl XLII against the mighty Patriots. Against that 16-0 team, i would have never spent that kind of coin, but he did, and he was rewarded. (To me, when I heard about it, it sounded like that time in 7th grade when I bet Pete Lacombe 5 bucks that Denver would beat San Francisco, straight-up, in Super Bowl XXIV, even though my allowance was $2 per week at that time. That was an all-time dumb call.)

On Thursday morning, I am hoping for a good Erb-Orsini Bowl, where I make some big plays, and on Thursday night, for our Broncos to beat Tony's Giants. Do any of y'all have good Turkey Bowls to play in? Let's hear some tangential Thanksgiving football stories. You might as well get with me on this meandering, because you never know where we might end up when the carousel stops.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. The Buffalo coaching search is interesting. We know they've reached out to Mike Shanahan, and word materialized Monday night/Tuesday morning that Bill Cowher was contacted, and that he declined to be considered. Ralph Wilson is 91, and he wants to win now. Unfortunately for Buffalo, he is relatively cash-poor, and the team probably doesn't stay in his family when he dies, due to estate taxation. If it leaves his family, it almost certainly leaves Buffalo, which is a rapidly declining city.

If I were a coach looking for work, I would consider Buffalo unattractive for those reasons, as well as for the fact that they don't have a QB or any real quality on the O-Line. They have 2 good RBs, the fantastic Lee Evans, some good CBs and a good young safety in Jairus Byrd and pass rusher in Aaron Maybin. Paul Posluszny is solid, and Kyle Williams is very good, as I mentioned. The cupboard is not totally empty talent-wise, but it's a serious personnel challenge in a boring, economically depressed cold-weather town. The only thing they have on Cleveland, in terms of attracting free agents, is marginally better-looking uniforms. I expect that the Bills end up hiring a first time Head Coach, after being spurned by Shanahan and others.

That's all I have for this week, friends. I am off to get on the road for the East Coast. I won't see any comments until 10 or 11 hours from now, but I will check them out when I get where I am going, and will answer the ones that need answering. Have a great week, a great holiday, and a great Football Thursday. Go Broncos!