SB Nation - Olindo Mare

Saturday News And Notes: Commandeering The Tampa Bay Bucs

Dave the Falconer — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:00:31 -0000

by Brian Blanco - AP

There be Bucs afoot. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

Arrr and stuff.

I apologize for the brevity of this post and previous ones, but you know how it is. Holidays and travel time tends to sap the energy and mental acuity of a man who didn't have much of either to begin with. We'll gear back up in time for the game tomorrow.

For now, let's jump into a few links regarding the Tampa Bay Bucs, The Falcoholic's official enemy.

Optimism is running high for Bucs fans. Of course, they are consulting a magic eight-ball, which should tell you something about how bizarre this NFL season has been.
This Michael Turner thing is getting a little out of hand, frankly. Jerious Norwood appears to be ready to return, Jason Snelling proved last week that he's capable of carrying the load, and yet the coaching staff continues to insist that Turner's questionable and he could play. I know our coaching staff has taken a page from the Bill Belichick handbook when it comes to injuries, but it's utterly ridiculous to trot Turner back and risk worsening his injury against one of the few t eams remaining on the schedule that we might not need him against. I assume this is an elaborate ruse, but I'll be pretty unhappy if it isn't.
I do appreciate that the team is rallying around Jason Elam. It's what professionals should do when one of their own is struggling. I also appreciate that our friend Daniel Cox over at the Atlanta Falcons Examiner points out that this isn't just a little slump Elam is having. What I'm not sure I understand is how Brandon Coutu is not a better option right now than Elam, considering the strength of his leg and the fact that he only lost his job in Seattle because Olindo Mare was possessed by the ghost of 1990 Morten Andersen. If the team is serious about keeping him, let's hope he hits those kicks coming up.
John Abraham blaming the secondary? We all know Abraham's numbers are down, but it's a little shocking to see him point the finger up the field, even if he's at least partially correct. I also really hope this article isn't correct about Chris Owens taking away snaps from Brent Grimes and Tye Hill. What is it going to take for Chris Houston to get bumped down the pecking order, exactly, especially because I don't believe Grimes and Hill have been visibly worse than him this season?

FANTASY WEEKEND REPORT by Craig T

Niko Houllis — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:00:20 -0000

Craig T's FFH (we lied about the year established. Stolen via Google search. How's that for honesty.

View full size photo »

Our good buddy Craig T has his internet down, let me guess, Brighthouse? Remember when Brighthouse tried to make everyone think the NFL Network was the bad guy? Now BH is the only one that Doesnt have it. Heck, I get NFL Network on a sprint phone for goodness sake!! " You carry 8 shopping channels, but no NFL Network!!!"

Anyways..This message brought to you by Verizon's Fios. JK, ....

Take it away Craig T...

Welcome, BucEm fans, to what will be our weekly look at some fantasy football help some of you might be musing over. With 8 weeks down and 5 to go, many of you are likely jockeying for playoff berths, so let's get down to it...

QBs TO START (excluding weekly automatic starts P. Manning, Brady, Roethlisberger, Brees, B. Favre, A. Rodgers, and K. Warner)

1. Tony Romo @ PHI. 8 TDs, 0 INTs in last 3 and seeing field as well as anyone.

2. Matt Hasselbeck vs DET. Weak SEA running game + weak DET defense = big bounceback game for Hasselbeck.

3. Donovan McNabb vs. DAL. Like Romo, also seeing field well in what should be a game filled w points.

4. Philip Rivers @ NYG. Clicking V-Jack lately and has passed for not less than 249 yds this season. NYG defense still not right.

5. Matt Schaub @ IND. First time he and Andre Johnson have been on the field together vs IND since 2007.

Sleeper: Jason Campbell @ ATL. Yes, ugh, I know, but WAS is coming off a bye and ATL can't stop anybody through the air. Look for a solid, if not great, game from Campbell Sunday.

QBs TO SIT

1. Eli Manning vs SD. He's just not trustworthy since injuring his heel.

2. Matt Ryan vs WAS. Roddy White is iffy for the game and WAS pass defense has been solid this season. If you have a 2nd option, consider it.

3. Jake Delhomme @ NO. If you were considering Jake as a bye-week replacement, dig deeper for an option, such as Alex Smith or Campbell. Delhomme vs a turnover-minded defense like NO is a nightmare.

4. Jay Cutler vs ARI. Has hit 3 PaTDs only once since week one.

5. Kyle Orton vs PIT. Steeler D boosted by return of Polamalu.

RBs TO START (excluding C. Johnson, Gore, MJ-D, Turner, LT, SJax, AP, Forte, Ronnie Brown, B. Jacobs)

1. Ryan Grant @ TB. Duh.

2. Joseph Addai vs. HOU. Comeback player of year candidate has scored in 4 straight.

3. Ray Rice @ CIN. Now the guy in BAL, should be key piece of offense in a close game.

4. Marion Barber @ PHI. With trio of RBs, no longer an auto start, but still gets majority of carries and goalline touches and should be started when DAL offense is clicking like it is.

5. Pierre Thomas vs. CAR. Still the main guy in the backfield of the most explosive offense in football.

Sleeper: Jamaal Charles @ JAX. Did you see what Johnson and Titans did to this run defense last week? Charles will get majority of carries and should have a good chance to score.

RBs TO SIT

1. LeSean McCoy vs DAL. Westbrook back and Cowboys have been strong against the run.

2. Laurence Maroney vs MIA. Sammy Morris' return clouds backfield picture and MIA also solid vs run.

3. Cadillac Williams vs GB. GB ranks near the top of the NFL in rushing YPGA. Certainly you've got a better option.

4. Rashard Mendenhall @ DEN.

Denver ranks 3rd against run and Willie Parker to get some work as well.

5. Beanie Wells @ CHI. Still splitting 50/50 w/Hightower, and appears not to be getting majority of goalline carries. Maybe a flex play, but not RB2 material.

WRs TO START (excluding R. Wayne, A. Johnson, L. Fitzgerald, M. Colston, R. Moss, W. Welker, Desean Jackson, R. White, Calvin Johnson, H. Ward, Vincent Jackson, D. Bowe, B. Marshall, Ochocinco)

1. Santana Moss @ ATL. Falcons giving up yards in droves to opposing number 1 WRs. Moss on Grimes' backup should be a mismatch.

2. Miles Austin @ PHI. Ride him til he bucks ya.

3. Nate Burleson vs DET. Hasselbeck's main target should cash in Sunday.

4. Donald Driver @ TB. Bucs' secondary will get a stiff test Sunday, and Driver has been Rodgers' go to guy. Jennings also a solid play.

5. Kevin Walter @ IND. Should have more one on one matchups than Johnson and targets should increase with loss of Owen Daniels.

Sleeper: Steve Breaston @ CHI. In line for solid number of targets with Boldin re-aggravating his ankle.

WRs TO SIT

1. Ted Ginn, Jr @ NE. Don't be fooled by his 2 KRTD performance against NYJ... He still hasn't earned his starting WR spot back yet from Hartline/Bess.

2. Roy E. Williams @ PHI. I don't care that he scored last week. He stinks and doesn't have trust of his QB.

3. Eddie Royal vs PIT. Only receiver worth trusting right now is B. Marshall. Gaffney stealing some of Royal's targets.

4. Lance Moore vs CAR. Gimpy, may be a GTD. With Meachem and Henderson likely to get targets, consider better alternatives over Moore if you can.

5. Mario Manningham vs. SD. Manning spreading around the targets and is having a tough time throwing an accurate deep ball, which hurts a big play WR like double M.

TEs TO START (excluding Witten, Gates, Clark, V. Davis, Shockey, T. Gonzalez)

1. Brent Celek vs DAL. Even though DAL has been great at holding down opposing TEs, he's too valuable to this offense lately to sit.

2. Kevin Boss vs SD. Great underneath option for Manning, who's struggling to step up and make deep throws.

3. Fred Davis @ ATL. TE is a big part of WAS passing game, and Davis has the athletic ability of a WR.

4. Donald Lee vs. TB. Rodgers looks at TE in red zone often and matchup problems exist for Buccaneers. Sub in Jermichael Finley here if he's cleared to play.

5. Heath Miller @ DEN. With Denver's defense so tough against the run and in the red zone, Big Ben's go to guy in the red zone should get some scoring looks.

Sleeper: Ben Watson vs MIA. Scored in 2 of last 3 games.

TEs TO SIT

1. Brandon Pettigrew @ SEA. If you're looking for a bye-week filler, look elsewhere. Without Stafford healthy, Pettigrew is a forgotten part of the offense.

2. Kellen Winslow vs TB. Yea yea, Freeman's gotta throw it to somebody, but who can really tell who he'll connect with? If you've got another solid option, consider it until we see how he connects with K2.

3. Bo Scaife @ SF. Niners 3-4 defense matches up their athletic LBs very well with opposing TEs.

4. Todd Heap @ CIN. Good for 3 catches, 40-50 yds, and that is all.

5. Tony Scheffler vs PIT. Except for his big game against SD a few weeks ago, has done nothing this year.

5 KICKERS TO START:

1. Shaun Suisham @ ATL

2. David Akers @ DAL

3. Nate Kaeding @ NYG

4. Kris Brown @ IND

5. Shayne Graham vs BAL

5 KICKERS TO SIT:

1. Dan Carpenter @ NE

2. Jason Elam vs WAS

3. Olindo Mare vs DET

4. Robbie Gould vs ARI

5. John Kasay @ NO

5 DEFENSES WITH GOOD MATCHUPS:

1. PIT @ DEN

2. SEA vs DET

3. NO vs CAR

4. JAX vs KC

5. SF vs TEN

5 DEFENSES WITH TOUGH MATCHUPS:

1. DAL @ PHI

2. NYG vs SD

3. PHI vs DAL

4. MIA @ NE

5. ATL vs WAS

Missed Opportunities Two and Three

John Morgan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:32:43 -0000

The drive never recovered from its first big attempt. Matt Hasselbeck targeted John Carlson and nearly threw an interception to Gerald Sensabaugh. Justin Griffith motioned out of right trips to fullback and Julius Jones picked his way up the middle for ten. Part of Griffith's value is that he guides Jones where to rush. On a previous run I didn't detail, Griffith and Jones started slight-right, but Griffith circled wide left and Jones followed. It was the right read and Jones ran for six.

Griffith was out for Jones next rush, and Jones misread his blockers and effectively tackled himself. The play was a pitch right. Seattle's blockers swooped to the right and attempted to create a long lane to the right flat. Spencer was beat back at the snap. John Owens blocked in and did his best against left defensive end Marcus Spears, but was blown back by play's end. Right tackle Ray Willis released into the right flat.

Jones picked his way towards right end, but cut in and into the teeth of Dallas' defense. He ran into Spears and struggled to get back to the line. The best explanation I can offer for Jones cutting in when the play was designed to be run right, is Jones was minimizing damage. He saw the beaten blockers and decided to avoid a costly tackle for a loss. He had space in the right flat, but didn't take it.

Then Hasselbeck threw the sure to be infamous strike that should have been a lob. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, mouthy as he is, was right. Terence Newman swatted it, Housh couldn't track the deflection and the ball fell incomplete. He was single covered and had timed his burst just enough to separate from Newman. Newman was turned and a slight step behind, but Hasselbeck threw it flat, as if Houshmandzadeh were breaking in, and Newman jumped and deflected it.

It was another opportunity lost and led to yet another lost opportunity. Strike three stopped the drive. Dallas blitzed six out of a 3-3 nickel formation. Hasselbeck sagged and sagged, drawing the defenders in. At the last moment he jumped and threw across his body. The pass was flat and slapped away by Stephen Bowen. Justin Forsett dropped his shoulders, Chris Spencer to his front, Max Unger and Rob Sims at either side; not a defender between him and the first.

Olindo Mare converted from 43 to put Seattle ahead.

David Hawthorne Finishes Drive 1-2 for 14 Yards

John Morgan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:52:28 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

Seattle started sloppy, but turned a David Hawthorne tackle for a loss and two mis-throws by Tony Romo into a punt.

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Seattle started the game strong. Olindo Mare kicked a touchback and then Seattle forced Dallas to punt after five plays for 24 yards. Justin Forsett unwisely signaled fair catch at the Seattle six, but the Seahawks drove down the field and Mare kicked a 43 yard field goal to give Seattle the early lead.

Seattle started the game sloppy. Josh Wilson covered Miles Austin on his 10 yard completion. Wilson backed off before the snap and Austin shook coverage with his cut. Austin curled back and Wilson bit deep, allowing Austin an easy reception in the right flat. On the next play, David Hawthorne read Marion Barber's rush and shot through the right ‘A' gap, but fell off the tackle and allowed Barber to break right and into the second level. Leroy Hill broke contain. Ken Lucas tackled him after 16, but Hawthorne had a chance to tackle Barber for a loss and Hawthorne's penetration gave Hill an easy cleanup tackle off right end. Hill chased the inside movement and was easily blocked out attempting to reset on the right.

Pressure forced two sloppy throws by Tony Romo and Dallas punted. First, Hawthorne atoned. Dallas attempted to set a screen on the right, but pulled their blockers too quickly and allowed Hawthorne to get underneath and clear to the ball carrier. He was again in position and again almost lost Barber on a broken tackle. Heater's mighty ankle tackle prevailed and Barber was dropped in the backfield.

The Seahawks followed with consecutive blitzes. They overloaded the offensive left. Cory Redding dropped into cover on the offensive right. The blitz was contained but the pressure nevertheless forced an inaccurate pass from Romo. Seattle challenged the ‘A' gaps on the next play. Hawthorne and Aaron Curry aligned between the defensive tackles of a wide-set four man rush. Curry blitzed and broke through with power. Hawthorne dropped left, Darryl Tapp dropped into the left flat and Jordan Babineaux struck from the right. Romo misfired.

Punt.

Saturday Sim: Cardinals - Seahawks

Andrew602 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:06:08 -0000

Last week, the Saturday Sim featured a close battle between the Cardinals and Texans, with the Cardinals barely edging out the Texans in the last minutes of the game. That did happen. In fact, the Cardinals and Texans game couldn't have been any closer. This week, the Cardinals simulation has them traveling to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. The game wasn't as close but you'll see why in a moment. It should also be mentioned that the conditions were rainy during the game.

If you aren't familiar with this segment, it should be pretty self explanatory by now. We simulate a game between the Cardinals and their opponent on the Madden video game. The quarters are 8 minutes each and the difficulty is all pro. The penalties are also turned up higher for a realistic feel. Madden's ratings and rosters are accurate, but we in no means believe this will be the actual outcome. It's just for fun.

First Quarter:

- The Cardinals receive the ball, in which Breaston returns it to the 30 yard line. On Warner's second pass, he's pick off by Josh Wilson, giving the Seahawks good field position. However, the Seahawks struggle running the ball early and are forced to settle for a field goal. Seahawks lead 3-0.
- The Cardinals begin their second drive passing the ball. Larry Fitzgerad and Anquan Boldin are at the end of a couple big first downs. Halfway down the field, Warner throws the ball to Dan Kreider, who fumbles trying to gain extra yardage. End of first quarter. Hawks lead 3-0.

Second Quarter:

- The second quarter begins with Matt Hasselbeck throwing a pick to Karlos Dansby. This drive, the Cardinals continue to throw the ball, with their running game being stifled by the Seahawks defense. Already having good field position, Warner completes a big pass to Tim Higtower, who takes the ball to the 16. After a face mask on the Seahawks, Dan Kreider redeems himself and punches the ball into the end zone. Cardinals lead 7-3.

- Feeling the momentum starting to switch, the Seahawks start their next drive airing it out. Hasselbeck completes several big passes to T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but is picked off yet again, by Gerald Hayes. Only trying to take time off the clock, the Cardinals hand off the ball to Hightower, who breaks several tackles to the outside, and takes the ball 75 yards for a Cardinals touchdown! Cardinals lead 14-3.

- On the Seahawks next drive, they are forced to play the hurry up again, with 2 minutes left in the game. While under pressure, Hasselbeck throws a pick again, this time to Karlos Dansby, his second of the half. The Cardinals run the ball but get a three and out, and punt the ball back to the Seahawks. Hasselbeck drives the Seahawks into field goal range with less then a minute left. Olindo Mare kicks a 48 yard field goal as time expires. Cardinals lead 14-6.

Third Quarter:

The third quarter turns into a defensive battle. The Seahawks look good running the ball, but can't convert for a first down. The Cardinals are able to put together a few first downs, but must settle for a field goal attempt that is missed by Neil Rackers. On the next three drives for both teams, they can't convert third downs. Both teams get 3, three and outs each. End of third quarter. Cardinals lead 14-6.

Fourth Quarter:

- The fourth quarter begins with the Seahawks having possesion of the ball. Hasselbeck looks better then he did in the first three quarters. He and Houshmandzadeh are on the same page this drive, completing several big first down passes. They drive to the 5 yard line, where Owen Schmittcatches a five yard touchdown. The Seahawks look to tie the game with a two point conversion. Deion Branch catches it over the middle, tying the game 14-14.

- The Cardinals look focused on their next drive, with Warner looking very accurate. He's using all of this targets, completing passes to Fitzgerald, Boldin, Steve Breaston, Jerheme Urban, and Hightower. At their own 45 yard line, Warner throws an outside pass to Boldin, who breaks a tackle and runs for a 55 yard touchdown. Cardinals lead 21-14.

- The Seahawks start their next drive with a balanced attack, both running and passing effectively. Hasselbeck steps back to throw, when he is hit as he passes by Calais Campbell, putting the ball in the air. Chike Okeaforgets the interception. After a few bigs gains by Hightower, Kurt Warner throws a pass to Fitzgerald, who dives into the end zone for a 10 yard score. Cardinals lead 28-14.

- With four minutes remaining, the Seahawks are still attempting to run despite being down by 14. They encounter a 4th and 4, where they decide to punt the ball away. The Cardinals get a three and out, and punt the ball back to the Seahawks. With poor protection on their last drive, the Seahawks run into a fourth down again. This time they go for it, but Hasselbeck is hit while he throws an incomplete pass. With less then two minutes remaining, the Cardinals run out the clock, while the Seahawks don't bother to use any timeouts. End of game. Cardinals win 28-14.

Final Stats

	Cardinals	Seahawks
Total Yards	363	293
Rush	124	47
Pass	239	246
First Downs	13	16
TO	2	4
3rd Down	3-8	3-9
Pen-Yards	3-35	3-21
TOP	18:32	13:28

Quarterback	Comp/Att(%)	Yards	TD	INT
Warner	18/25(72%)	239	2	1
Hasselbeck	24/38(63%)	246	1	4

Running Back	Att	Yards	Avg	TD
Hightower	16	115	7.1	1
Wells	2	10	5.0	0
Jones	17	43	2.5	0
James	1	4	4.0	0

Wide Receivers	Catches	Yards	TD	Avg
Fitzgerald	3	26	1	8.6
Boldin	4	94	1	23.5
Breaston	4	44	0	11.0
Houshmandzadeh	7	68	0	9.7
Burleson	4	40	0	10.0
Branch	4	51	0	12.7

Final Thought -While the overall outcome of this game would be nice, it's not likely. The Seahawks are more accustomed to playing in the rain and it may be the Cardinals that struggle to not turn the ball over. I also don't think that Matt Hasselbeck will throw four picks in this game. It's going to be a competitive game, and the Cardinals will need a successful running game to win. What are your thoughts on the simulation?

Olindo Mare Kicks Seattle Ahead 3 - 0

John Morgan — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:42:56 -0000

Matt Hasselbeck barely escapes pressure from his blindside and flings something halfway between a pass and a fumble. It's ruled an incomplete pass and Seattle retains the distance to set up a field goal. Mare nails it and Seattle crawls out to an early lead.

Fifty One-liners about the Second Quarter

John Morgan — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:14:35 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

Jay Cutler musters a "yeah" before calming himself with a two-hour sad nap.

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50. Seattle's offensive line struggled against a still good Bears defensive line.

49. No one struggled more than Ray Willis.

48. Willis spent much of the quarter crouching, watching his man chase Seneca Wallace.

47. Robert Mathis says "hello".

46. Seattle's two-minute drill to end the half was miserably executed.

45. It's a testament to how self-defeating the two-minute defense is that Olindo Mare got a shot.

44. Greg Knapp spaces his running back at half, full and right of center.

43. Seattle's situational pass rush line is very effective.

42. Aaron Curry blew two tackles in two plays.

41. As best as I could tell, Seneca Wallace was not using hot routes.

40. The Bears relied heavily on the blitz to protect their secondary.

39. Their secondary sucks.

38. Deion Branch was playing the Deon Butler role.

37. That role: Run deep and never get targeted.

36. Kelly Jennings hesitated to tackle Earl Bennett on a wide receiver screen.

35. That hesitation allowed Chris Williams to pull out and block Jennings.

34. The reception went for 23 yards.

33. Deon Grant fell midway through a Greg Olsen route and left him wide open, but Jordan Babineaux stopped him at the reception point with a solid open field tackle.

32. Brandon Mebane was doubled off the line but Colin Cole held his ground and tackled Matt Forte after one yard on second and two.

31. Will Herring looped around two lead blockers to get a glancing blow low on Forte.

30. It worked and Seattle's backup backers dropped Forte for a loss of two.

29. Staying uncharacteristic, Herring blew coverage on the next play.

28. He dropped and that allowed Forte to come free underneath.

27. Gang tackling forced a drive-ending fumble.

26. !

25. Cory Redding dropped into cover on a sublimely hidden strong safety blitz by Deon Grant.

24. Grant wrapped around end untouched and hit Jay Cutler as he was throwing.

23. The ball floated into the hands of the big man and Redding took a knee in the end zone to give Seattle the ball at the twenty.

22. The officials reviewed Redding's cover and ruled he actually fell attempting to jam Olsen...

21. that Olsen caught an easy touchdown pass...

20. and that Ichiro is an illegal and should be promptly deported.

19. Wallace started the two-minute drill by throwing into double cover.

18. That double cover disintegrated when two Bears smashed into each other, hurting one.

17. A stupid decision turned wonderful--T.J. Houshmandzadeh streaking uncovered with one man to beat--is undone by an overthrow...

16. Proving two mistakes beat one.

15. Dick Stockton credited Lance Briggs with the pressure.

14. The Bears rushed three, none of whom was Briggs.

13. Wallace was not under pressure.

12. John Carlson dropped a pass.

11. Chris Spencer blew a block on a sloppy screen pass attempt.

10. King creative set his tight ends wide in a four wide receiver-tight formation.

9. The wide receivers were aligned like tight ends.

8. The tight ends were supposed to block in and then run laterally into the flats.

7. Neither tight end managed to block anyone.

6. Wallace didn't look towards either in the flat.

5. The pass was tipped by Anthony Adams and fell incomplete.

4. Seattle blitzed four times.

3. Owen Schmitt dropped a pass.

2. Dick Stockton thought it was John Carlson.

1. Upon further review, all white people look alike.

Tuesdays with Saintsational: Week 3 Wrap Up

Saintsational — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:00:59 -0000

What a Differential a Year Makes

The Saints lead the entire league in a pretty cool and pretty important stat: Point Differential. A high point differential doesn't necessarily equal wins - the Saints finished last season ranked an impressive 10th - but it definitely bodes well. The five teams just below the Saints so far this year, in order, are the Ravens, Broncos, Giants, Vikings and Jets. All of those teams are also undefeated so far. Coincidence? I think not. Does that make the Saints the best of all the undefeated teams? You might be able to make that argument.

What's also funny is that the Saints have the number one offense in the league, as we all know, but it's the running game pulling all the weight. The Saints actually have the second ranked rushing attack, averaging 170.7 yards a game, and only the sixth best passing offense with 267.3 yards a game. Who would have thought?

But the most impressive numerical fact worthy of note is that the Saints are currently the owners of a top ten defense. I won't say I saw it coming. Through three weeks of the 2009 NFL season the Saints defense has given up an average of 312.3 yards per game, good enough to earn them the title of tenth best in the league. They are ranked fifth best at stopping the run, making their 22nd ranked pass defense the weak link of the unit yet again. That last stat could be deceiving, however, because the Saints took an early lead against Detroit and sat back in prevent a majority of the time.

Like many of you, all I've ever wanted to know was how good the Saints could be with an actual defense behind their powerful offense and thanks to the Gregg Williams experiment, I've finally got my answer. That's what I love most about this season. Even if it all goes to hell from this point on, Saints fans will know that much more about exactly what this team needs to win and when it's failing miserably.

And just in case you are planning on racing down to the comment section so you can tell me that they're only three games into the season and there isn't enough data yet, let me be the first to say: I am aware and I don't care. Numbers don't lie and until the Saints prove otherwise, they're a damn good football team.

Shutdown Corner

I should have included Greer's name as a candidate for player of the game against Buffalo on Sunday because I thought he did an excellent job against his old team. Like some Saints fans, I made the mistake of overlooking him. But he played a large part in shutting out Terrell Owens this weekend, the first game Owens has not caught a pass in thirteen years. That's gotta say something, certainly about Greer and even Tracy Porter, but also about the defense as a unit. Darren Sharper seems to be getting a majority of the attention as this off-seasons biggest free agent pick up, due in large part to his interceptions but like I've said before, I think Jabari Greer deserves that honor.

Pundit Poo Poo

Why are all Saints fans so concerned about what the national media guys think? I understand it's frustrating to feel like nobody gives any recognition to just how good our team is; I feel the same way. But we've all been following these guys for a long time and knew the possibilities for this season even before it began so we're not surprised, more affirmed. This just happens to be the year it looks like we actually got it right. So you can't expect every commentator from every major network or publication to start chanting "Who Dat!?" and proclaiming the Saints are a dynasty, no matter how accurate that statement may be. If I may borrow a quote from Dana Carvey doing his George W. Bush Sr. impression: "Wouldn't be prudent." So let's all chill out a little bit and let the Saints keep winning games. The praise from the big boys will come when it's truly deserved. And then you won't want it anyway.

Domecoming

Here's some uplifting news: Four out of the next five games for the Saints will be at home in the dome with a bye week stuck in the middle to rest up and get healthy. That's good, especially given that the schedule is about to get a little tougher with those games being against the Jets, Giants and Falcons as well as an important division matchup against the Panthers. The Saints will want to stockpile those wins at home while they can because then the tables will be turned and their next five will consist of four road contests.

Cause for Concern?

M-E mentioned this in a comment on another thread but I felt it was worth mentioning right here on the front page. Jammal Brown is already out for a couple more weeks and his replacement, Jermon Bushrod, continues to get nicked up. That leaves only Jon Stinchcomb and Zach Strief officially on the roster at offensive tackle and nobody technically backing them up. Shouldn't this be a concern? With the best quarterback in the league world galaxy universe, offensive tackle is not a position to be taken lightly. It's pretty damn important. What if Stinchcomb or Strief gets injured? Apparently, coach Payton is not nearly as concerned as I am.

More Mare Misfortune

It's been great to finally see the Saints attain some quality and consistency at both kicking positions this season. Lord knows it's been a long road and taken a couple of draft picks. So don't tell me listening to Jim Mora, Jr. rip Olindo Mare a new one doesn't put at least a small smile on your face and make you wish those were really Sean Payton's words two years ago. I'm a sadistic person, I know. Good luck Seattle.

BTSC Weekly NFL Musings: Week 3 Edition

Blitzburgh — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:19:02 -0000

It's widely acknowledged that Week 2 in the National Football League is the most difficult week to bet on or predict. The reason being that people too often draw far too sweeping conclusions about where they think teams are headed after just a single game. Anyway, one game's certainly not enough, and two really isn't either. But after three weeks, we can start to get an idea about the players and teams that are shaping up to have fine seasons, and vice versa. Here are some of my musings after three weeks. As always, please jump on in and share your own.

* Let's start in the NFC North - the inter-conference division that the AFC North is paired up with this year. Through three weeks, the NFC North has one of the five undefeated teams in the league (Minnesota), and two other clubs at 2-1 (Chicago, Green Bay). At 8-4, the Norris division is tied with the NFC East as the division with the best record in football. Pittsburgh still has Green Bay on the road, Detroit on the road, and Minnesota at home on tap. If they could win two out of three, I'd be pretty pleased. It wouldn't at all surprise me to see one of the two NFC Wild Cards emerge from that division. This past Sunday, the storyline was Brett Favre leading his team to a last second victory over the San Francisco 49ers in what was a hard fought and extremely tightly contested game throughout. It still baffles me why Adrian Peterson only gets 19 carries a game, but I suppose if they can keep him healthy by giving him the rock a little bit less than they might ideally like to. Congratulations as well to the Lions for getting off the snide. When we travel to play them in two weeks, it's not out of the realm of possibility that that team could make a few huge plays in the passing game; and if they get a turnover or two from the Steelers, then who knows. It seems inconceivable to even think of, but nothing at all is free and easy in this league.

*Here are my three teams from each conference that I think can win it all. Injuries to star players can of course change things - like if Peyton Manning, Big Ben, Drew Brees, etc go down. But assuming we're talking about more or less the same cast of characters we're seeing out there now, here's who I think is good enough to take home the hardware come February.

AFC: Indianapolis, Baltimore, New England, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati

NFC: New York, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Minnesota

I'd probably put them in that order as well. Some may wonder why no New York Jets? Well, they've been impressive so far, no doubt, but I just can't see a rookie leading a team to a Super Bowl in year one. Not without an amazingly dominant running game, which I don't think New York has. They'll be in a lot of games because of their defense, great coaching and a solid offensive line, but it's not there time yet. I was very impressed by Cincinnati on Sunday. They were much better in the trenches - particularly along the offensive line. They have a brusing running game that they're committed to, and if they can catch a few breaks and keep their entire defense healthy for most of the year, they could sneak in to the playoffs. From there, a talented quarterback, multiple game changers at the playmaker positions and a money field goal kicker are all great ingredients to have for a playoff run. I do wonder if they'll be able to generate enough pass pressure to disrupt the league's most efficient offenses when the stakes go up later in the year. Finally, it's a bit too early to tell with Baltimore, but they sure look outstanding through three games. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has handed over the reins to Joe Flacco in his second year and Flacco's making him and everybody else in purple look good. Let's see how they do on the road against better competition in two of the next three weeks. They travel to New England and Minnesota, and I'll be intrigued to see if their defense doesn't show a bit of vulnerability.

* Through three weeks, only four quarterbacks have thrown the football more times than Big Ben.. They are..

Name (team record)	Attempts	Completion %
Tom Brady (2-1)	142	61.3 %
Kurt Warner (1-2)	122	65.6 %
Phillip Rivers (2-1)	114	58.8 %
Ben Roethlisberger (1-2)	109	71.6 %
Byron Leftwich (0-3)	107	54.2 %
Matt Schaub (1-2)	107	64.5 %

First of all, considering how close all three the Steelers games have been, that passing attempts number should tell us something about what our 'identity' is shaping up to be - a passing first team. We can agree or disagree about whether or not that style of play best suits our personnel, but I think we can all agree that we're lucky to have such a top-notch quarterback in Roethlisberger. That's tremendous accuracy for how much he's been asked to throw the ball, and frankly, that number could be even higher if not for a few drops the past couple of weeks. Having thrown just over 36 passing attempts per game through three games, Big Ben is on pace to heave it about 575 times this year. That would be more than 100 more passing attempts than he attempted in 2006 and 2008, when he set and matched a career high with 469 attempts. Will that pace keep up? Probably not quite at that clip. But it appears to be a safe bet that he'll surpass 500 attempts on the season for the first time in his career.

* Even though I've lamented the dropoff in the play of the defense compared to last year, the Steelers are still ranked 7th in the NFL in scoring defense, ranked 6th in rushing defense, but just 15th in passing yards allowed. By Football Outsiders metrics, the Steelers were ranked 12th overall in DVOA, through the first two weeks (Week 3 has not yet been added to their calculations). That's a respectable number, but I imagine it will dip even lower after Sunday's loss to the Bengals. By their calculations, the Steelers have been quite poor against the pass, coming it at just 22nd compared to 15th by traditional yards per game statistics. That's not going to cut it over the long haul.

* Jack Del Rio may have saved his job on Sunday by beating the Houston Texans on the road 34-31. The Jaguars looked pathetic the week before against Arizona. They weren't just bad either. They looked like they weren't even playing hard and had totally given up on the game (and their coach). This is following in the wake of last year's disaster for the Jaguars when reports surfaced later in the surface about the lack of confidence and respect the team had for their head coach. Del Rio's probably gone by year's end anyway, if you ask me, unless Jacksonville somehow made an unexpected run to the playoffs. That's not likely though whatsoever. Before moving on, has there every been a quarterback less deserving of all the money he got than Jaguars signal caller David Garrard? I mean, he didn't really do all that much to deserve the mega-extension he signed in 2007 (if I recall correctly). He had won some games, protected the football nicely and allowed his two-headed running attack (MJD and Fred Taylor) do most of the heavy lifting. Anyway, since that extension, Garrard has been pretty darn average. He went 5-11 last year as a starter and threw only 15 TDs and 13 INTs. Not horrible numbers, but franchise quarterbacks are paid to lead their teams to better records than that. So far this year, Garrard's been uninspiring as well, completing under 55% of his passes.

* Everybody's loving on the New York Jets for their 3-0 start, so I'll take a rain check and not comment except to say that the I love what Rex Ryan brings as a football coach - someone who just truly LOVES everything about his job and the game. That said, I don't think they have the horses to really be a threat this year. Not enough weapons on offense or defense, even if they get really lucky injury wise. Their offensive line is quite good and they're athletic on defense, but I still think they are a player or two away from really being great in Ryan's system. It won't hurt to get Sanchez a little bit of seasoning either. Even though I don't think they can win it all this year, I do think the Jets defense will hold up pretty well and keep them in plenty of games. A 3-0 start featuring wins over Houston, New England and Tennessee is impressive, but Houston may not be as good as some thought having lost two home games already (surprise, surprise!); the Patriots were still finding their way in Week 2; and Tennessee may very well be 0-6 after three more weeks have passed. I'd just say echo what the Big Tuna once said, let's put the anointing oil away for now. For starters, let's see how that defense holds up next week at the Super Dome in New Orleans, and how Mark Sanchez does when he's forced in to his first NFL shootout potentially.

* Speaking of New Orleans, if I had to guess right now, I'd say the MVP race will come down to Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. Purple Jesus, aka Adrian Peterson will be in the running, but I wonder if he'll get enough carries to really put up a huge number and contend for individual hardware. Something tells me Brett Favre may be getting the ball put in his hands more and more as the season goes on. That'd be a mistake, but something tells me that's in store. Anyway, Manning and Brees are essentially stride for stride through three weeks and show no signs of slowing down. Saints fans should rejoice in the fact that their two Eastern seaboard road games (Philly, Buffalo) came in September rather than when the weather turns. Now all they have left in terms of road games are trips to Miami, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Washington, Atlanta, and Carolina. That's two domes and two non hostile Florida venues in addition to those home games where the Saints are extremely tough to slow down offensively.

* How quickly has LaDanian Tomlinson's career come grinding to a halt? What's the latest on his status for Sunday's game at Heinz Field?

* Do you think Byron Leftwich wishes he was backing up Big Ben in Pittsburgh rather than being pummeled around on a sorry Tampa Bay team that's looking for any reason to see what they have in rookie Josh Freeman? Poor Leftwich, he was TKO'd out of Sunday's shutout loss to the Giants and likely won't see the field again with the Buccaneers. Actually, scratch that. It's Josh Freeman. He'll forfeit his right to playing time at some point in the not too distant future. But for not anyway, Leftwich will sit, beaten up physically and mentally.

* On a somewhat similar note - poor Jake Delhomme. It's hard not to like the Louisianian. But his days may be numbered after throwing yet another devastating interception in Monday night's 21-7 loss at Dallas. Delhomme's got mental problems at this point and at 34 years of age, he may not get a chance to work through them, be it in Carolina or elsewhere. I hope that's not the case though. Seems like a good guy, whose teammates are always sticking up for. Kinda reminds me of Woody Harrelson's character, Billy Hoyle, in White Men Can't Jump. An aw shucks attitude, talented, but at the end of the day, kind of a head case that you don't really want to put your faith in.

* Fantasy Question of the Week for you - would you trade Chad Ocho Cinco for Matt Forte? Forte's value is fairly low right now after three non productive weeks. Ocho Cinco meanwhile looks to be back to his old ways, but from the looks of the Bengals' offense, it looks like they will continue to lean on the running game and distribute the ball fairly equally between their triumvirate of wide receivers - #85, Laverneus Coles and Chris Henry.

* This week's Hothead Coach of the Week is Jim Mora of the Seattle Seahawks, who called out his kicker Olindo Mare after the game publicly for missing two crucial field goal attempts in Seattle's loss to the Bears. Mora said:

"There’s no excuses for those. If you’re a kicker in the National Football League you should make those kicks – bottom line. End of story. Period. No excuses. No wind, doesn’t matter. You’ve gotta makes those kicks."

True, but what Mora failed to mention was that Mare converted on four other field goal attempts, two of which came from 46 yards out. Check out Field Gulls for more commentary on Mora's unreasonable rant, something we've never, and will never see out of head coach Mike Tomlin when things go awry.

* Tennessee is done. At 0-3, they're in a huge hole considering they haven't faced Indy yet. All three losses have come against AFC teams too, meaning it's highly unlikely they'll be able to win a tiebreaker for a Wild Card. They also play at Jacksonville, then host Indianapolis, and travel to New England before their BYE Week. 0-6 is a distinct possibility. Time to move on from Kerry Collins, that's for sure. He kept them afloat last year with some decent play, but he looks bad this year and isn't worth sticking with. Makes much more sense to play Vince Young, evaluate how he does, then decide to ride with him or trade him away for pennies on the dollar at season's end before his cap hit gets too high in the future. I also wonder if the Jeff Fisher era may be coming to an end in Nashville. He's the longest tenured coach in the league currently, and certainly deserves credit for what he's accomplished. But his brand of football isn't all that aligned with how the NFL is trending as a league. He's also never really broken through, despite hanging around .500 or better and making the playoffs plenty of times in his long career. Cowher had his flaws as a big-game single-game coach, but he was consistent like Fisher in the regular season. The difference though is Cowher won his division eight times compared to four for Fisher, and advance to six AFC Championship Games compared to just two for Fisher. He's been a very good coach. Just not that great. And his time may be coming to an end, particularly if the team opts to start fresh with Vince Young under center in 2010 and beyond.

* My Offensive Offensive Players of the Week (i.e. those guys who stunk it up): Cleveland QBs Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson (combined 17/27, 126 yards, 4 INTs in 34-3 L to Baltimore). How bad are things in Cleveland? And to think there was a quarterback 'controversy' the past two years. Neither one's good enough to lead Cleveland to victory. It's a shame for Cleveland and their fans because it looked like they were legitimately ready to turn the corner just 12 or so months ago.

Poll

Most impressive team in Week 3?

Baltimore

202 votes

Indianapolis

86 votes

New England

9 votes

New York Giants

58 votes

New York Jets

131 votes

Cincinnati Bengals

101 votes

Minnesota

22 votes

609 votes | Poll has closed

Jim Mora Exposes His Own Poor Judgment and Leadership by Ripping Olindo Mare

John Morgan — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:13:12 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Jim Mora pointed the finger at Olindo Mare. Fans can only hope his public criticism does not force a face-saving, but foolish roster move.

Browse more photos »

"There’s no excuses for those. If you’re a kicker in the National Football League you should make those kicks – bottom line. End of story. Period. No excuses. No wind, doesn’t matter. You’ve gotta makes those kicks."

Singling out Olindo Mare for criticism is not just petty, it's inaccurate. I understand Jim Mora's frustration. Playing at home with an injury depleted roster against a playoff contender, Mora probably steeled himself for the worse. Had Seattle lost a blowout, Mora might have been more patient and equitable with his criticism. Instead, Seattle lost a close game they were winning well into the second half. They lost that close game by six points, the exact value of Mare's two missed field goals. That coincidence caused Mora to rip Mare and even threaten his job.

"We'll look at changes everywhere," Mora said. "We're not going to fight our ass off and have a field-goal kicker miss two field goals. It's not going to happen."

Mike Holmgren earned the respect of his team and fans by shouldering blame and not losing his cool in front of reporters. No one confused his restraint with a lack of fire or an unwillingness to discipline his players. It was class. If Mora had been right and Mare had truly been the difference between Seattle winning or losing, centering his criticism on Mare would still have exhibited a lack of leadership.

Mora didn't just handle the loss poorly, he was wrong. Mare had six field goal attempts and converted four. No kicker is automatic. The more attempts a kicker has, the more likely they are to miss. Mare kicked three attempts from 40-49 and three from 30-39. In 2008, all NFL kickers made 89% from 30-39 and 74% from 40-49. If an average kicker attempts three from 30-39, there is a 70% chance they make all three. If an average NFL kicker attempts three from 40-49, there is a 41% chance he makes all three and only a little better than 55% chance he makes two of three. Combine the two and an average NFL kicker should make 4.89 field goals in three attempts from 30-39 and three attempts from 40-49.

Mare made four. Had he exceeded the average, he would have made five and Seattle would have lost by three. If he had nailed all six, a feat an average NFL kicker could accomplish in less than three out of ten attempts, Seattle is tied - theoretically. One can't change an event in a sequence and expect all future events to remain unchanged. Nevertheless, the two missed field goals matched the point differential, making Mare an easy target. Mora ripped Mare publicly, lost his calm and threatened Mare's job. Inadvertently, Mora took the heat off Mare and put it on himself. Mare barely underachieved in a very limited sample. He missed two kicks in a string of six the way the best and worst kickers do. Mora displayed to Seahawks fans across the world a lack of leadership, critical understanding of the game and decision making.