SB Nation - Kellen Winslow

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pass Offense

John B — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:03:42 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Rookie quarterback melts down. That was the story last week for Tampa. We know how they feel. In his first four starts, though, Josh Freeman had looked pretty good for a rookie with a 7 to 5 touchdown to interception ratio. Accuracy had been something of an issue as it is with many rookies. However, Freeman offered a glimpse of what he may become two weeks ago with a 20 for 29 250 yard game against Atlanta. You may remember I was against taking Freeman in the Draft last April because he threw a ton of interceptions in college and seemed to have a high bust factor. He's given the Bucs room for cautious optimism this year.

I tend to think a second straight rough week is more likely than a bounce back this week. This is a really good Jets defense that will throw looks at him he has never seen. He's also going to have to do without his top wide receiver in any likely scenario. Our friends at Buc Em seem to think Antonio Bryant will be able to hold his own against Revis. I respectfully disagree with our friends. As they point out, Revis shut down Andre Johnson and Randy Moss. Is there anything Bryant can do that Moss or Johnson can't do better? I don't think so. I understand the pass rush does aid corners, but the reverse is also true. Part of the reasons the Jets have had so impressive rushing the passer has been that the coverage has held when blitzes have been picked up, which gives rushers extra time to get to the quarterback.

The Bucs will probably have Freeman focus on Kellen Winslow to make his throws safe. Winslow is Tampa's leading receiver with 58 receptions and 633 yards. This could be a game for Kerry Rhodes to reassert himself. I'm not sure I like the matchup between Winslow and Eric Smith. Winslow's way more athletic.

Beyond that, it's not clear what Tampa has in the passing game. Both Michael Clayton and Sammie Stroughter are battling injuries and quite possibly could miss the game, which would leave Maurice Stovall and his 18 receptions in the starting lineup. With Revis on Bryant, the Jets can scheme their coverage around Winslow because Lito Sheppard should be able to handle his assignment without much help.

Another problem will be protection. Tampa Bay's tackles, Jeremy Trueblood and Donald Penn, and center Jeff Faine are all in the top seven at their position in terms of pressures allowed. This could force the rookie to make a lot of mistakes. Guard Davin Joseph in in the top five while Jeremy Zuttah is in the top fifteen. It's a young line that is still a work in progress.

Bolts & Dolts: Chargers at Browns

John (obviousman) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:00:27 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

8 days ago: San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) breaks the tackle of Cleveland Browns safety Abram Elam in the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Cleveland. Gates made eight catches for 167 yards in San Diego's 30-23 win. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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Has everyone calmed down from yesterday? Is everyone willing to admit that maybe that soft zone defense we saw in the fourth quarter, and on the Browns' first drive, was done as a way to manage the game instead of dominating it? That's what I believe anyways.

For anyone who thinks the Chargers "played down" to their opponents, there's this. The Chargers scored 27 unanswered points. That's more points than Cleveland scored all game. If you take the score of the 2nd and 3rd quarters, the score is 17-0 Chargers. If you take the score of the first 3 quarters, it's 27-7.

My philosophy is this. That first drive was a test. Kindof a "Let's see if they can throw on this" and they could. Then it was scrapped and the defense started stopping the Browns on every drive, and the offense started putting up points. With a 20 point lead heading into the fourth quarter, as many backups as possible came in and the message became "Avoid Injury". Coach Rivera figured that even if he played zone, avoiding giving up big plays and allowing short passes underneath, the Browns would take so much time that they'd never be able to catch up. And he was right.

Onto Bolts and Dolts.

Bolts

Offense

Antonio Gates - 8 catches, 167 yds. Gatesy goes first, even before the QB, because that was the best game I've ever seen from him. Outside of the game where Kellen Winslow took over the world, I think that's the best game I've ever seen from a TE ever. Not only was he everywhere, catching everything and making the Browns look foolish, but he also bailed out Philip Rivers (who threw to him in double-coverage a couple of times) with some amazing catches that just shouldn't have happened.

Philip Rivers - 18/25, 373 yds, 2 TD. Finishing the game with a QB rating over 140 will get you a Bolt every time. This wasn't the easy game for him that everybody thought it would be either. Cleveland brought pressure, even sacking him once, and seemed to play very well on his star WRs. Finding the mismatches with Gates, Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert was the work of a smart, veteran QB.

LaDainian Tomlinson - 20 carries, 64 rush yds, 1 rush TD, 1 catch, 21 rec yds. Somebody said that LT didn't even get 3 yards per carry in this game, but they're mistaken. 3.2 yards per carry as a matter of fact. Here's what I saw from LT yesterday: smart, patient running mixed with good pass-blocking. That play at the end of the first half, where he could've went upfield but instead stepped out of bounds to stop the clock and give the offense another shot at the endzone, showed no ego and was a play that a younger RB probably doesn't make.

Anyways, all of those things above make LT an "Almost Bolt". Saluting Jim Brown, after the things Brown said about LT in his preseason interview with Adrian Peterson, makes him incredibly classy and gets him a Bolt. Also, standing on the sidelines next to Norv and talking about the offense helps his standing as well.

Legedu Naanee/Mike Tolbert. In my Larry English rant earlier this week, I was saying that playoff and Super Bowl teams need to get contributions from their rookies. Well, getting contributions from their young projects is just as good.

Naanee didn't get many chances to catch the ball in Cleveland, no chances at all actually. However, when his number was called to catch the ball and then throw a spiral downfield to a wide open Tomlinson he did so and made it look very easy. A key play, because you could argue that Nate Kaeding wouldn't have hit the end-of-the-half FG without it.

Mike Tolbert's play was great. His speed, with his body size, is just so unexpected. He was the check-down receiver and got the ball because Cleveland brought a bunch of blitzers. Luckily, he also had a bunch of blockers in front of him (including Vincent Jackson, who almost killed somebody on the play). That had nothing to do with the right playcall, and everything to do with the Chargers players making plays.

Defense

Shaun Phillips - 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 defended pass. The boy from Philly has been playing out of his mind lately. This game was no exception. I love that his new move, when he gets to the QB, is to grab their throwing arm while hitting them. It's caused so many fumbles, and they're all game-changers. He probably has no chance of getting there, but Shaun deserves a Pro Bowl nod this season.

Special Teams

Nate Kaeding - 3/3 FGs, 3/3 XPs. The only kicker that's having a year as good or better than Nate's this season is David Akers in Philadelphia. Those should be your Pro Bowl starters, without any question. Nate has become automatic from about 48 yards and in this season.

Dolts

Offense

There were no offensive Dolts this week.

Defense

There were no defensive Dolts this week.

Almost Bolts

Darren Sproles - Sproles played a very good game on offense, running the ball effectively and making the most of his screen passes. That would've been enough for a Bolt, but again we have the same issues as weeks past. I know Darren is a bright guy, but it seems like when the ball is in the air on kickoff or punts he becomes an idiot.

First, there was the kickoff return where he grabbed the ball and jumped out of bounds. I don't know why he felt the need to grab the ball and jump out of bounds, instead of simply letting the ball go out of bounds and taking the field at the 40, but he did. I guess you could argue he wanted to make sure the Browns didn't get to it, but it really didn't seem like any of them were near the ball to me. Just a dumb play.

Second, and stop me if this sounds familiar, another play where Sproles refuses to call fair-catch and gets absolutely hammered by Josh Cribbs the second he touches the ball. I'll give him credit, he seems to do a good job of holding onto the ball in this situation, but one of these days he's going to fumble it in a big spot or get injured that way. FAIR CATCH THE BALL. We would much rather have a safe catch than a 1 yard loss and a heart attack.

At this point, if Sproles was taken off returns for a while, I would be happy about it.

Brandon Siler - He was strong against the run and effective against the pass as well. If Stephen Cooper wasn't the captain and wasn't calling the plays, he would've lost his job to Siler by now.

Vincent Jackson - Made a big catch with guys draped all over him. Made a big block to spring Tolbert's TD. The defense is sending more and more coverage at him, and it's just making him work harder. That's a great sign.

Almost Dolts

Kevin Ellison - The leading tackler for the Chargers was also the guy who couldn't cover Evan Moore at all. Every time Brady Quinn saw that matchup, he attacked.

Bucs shoot blanks, go down fighting 16-6

Niko Houllis — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:48:24 -0000

Antonio Bryant was a Freeman favorite; in between the 20s.

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Bucs fans were taken on a wild ride today, as they lost to the Carolina Panthers by only ten points, but left many of their own on the field as two missed Field Goals and 5 interceptions spelled doom for the Pewter Pirates in Carolina.

Call it progress on an small level. The Bucs gave up 158 yards of rushing to Carolina, which was better than the 267 earlier this year, which was better than the 299 at the end of last season. In the 3rd and 4th quarter, the Bucs actually took yardage away from the Panthers totals. The offense meanwhile went almost 500 yards today, but no one on the team should be happy as the maturation process of Josh Freeman entered another chapter with 5 interceptions registered to the rookie signal caller. Most of them costly, Freeman will undoubtedly learn from his mistakes, but the timing of them couldn't have been any worse for Bucs fans who watched Connor Barth doink one kick of off the left goalpost, and push another right of the next. He made his first two kicks today, but that is all the Bucs offense had to show for its 1st place Red Zone ranking prior to this game. Every time the Bucs drove the Ball into enemy territory though, they came up empty. They ran the ball, they threw the ball, but in the end It didnt matter if it was a running play or a pass, the result was basically the same. Lots of movement in between the 20s to the tune of 469 yards of offense, but no scoring.

Some Bucs Shots...

Kellen Winslow was basically a soldier MIA, yet ended up with 69 yards with a handful of catches with a few late 4th qtr appearances.
Cadillac Williams almost finished with 100 yards, going 92 yards on 17 plays for a 5.4 avg.
Derrick Ward had a few good runs as a Buc, averaging 6.4 ypc with 32 yards on 5 carries.
Antonio Bryant in keeping up with last years showing in Carolina, caught 5 balls for 115 yards.
Bucs are now 1-15 in the 16 complete games since the last loss at Carolina on MNF, the worst stretch since 1977.

But the only news that really is news, the throwing of young Josh Freeman with his 24 of 44 for 321 yards but the handful of picks he would love to shake off as soon as possible.

On the other side of the ball, the defense was gashed early with sloppy tackling reminicent of previous Bucs/Panthers contests, and the score got to a 10-0 deficit in a hurry. But the Bucs took over the game and put two FGs on the board before all the misfires occured.

Week 12 Snapshot Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons

Craig T — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:45:54 -0000

vs.

(Limited web connectivity this week at the in-laws beach house, gang, so I can't do my usual research and review. Consider this the cliff's notes version.)

Overview: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers invade the Georgia Dome Sunday to take on the enigmatic Atlanta Falcons, who sit at 5-5 and on the edge of the playoff bubble. As the college basketball analysts say, this could be a bubble game for the Falcons to get back in wild card contention. A win would put them at 6-5 and keeping pace with Green Bay for a wild card spot. A loss would probably burst their bubble. The Falcons come into Sunday's game on the heels of a hard-fought 34-31 OT loss to the Giants in the Meadowlands. As most teams have done this season, the struggling NY offense found its groove against the beleaguered Falcon secondary, which ranks 29th in the NFL in YPGA through the air. Meanwhile, the Bucs come into Sunday's tilt in total upheaval mode...coming off an embarassing home thrashing at the hands of the undefeated Saints, which exhibited the warts of breaking in a young QB, led to the removal of Jim Bates as defensive coordinator, and led to a return to the Tampa 2 defense from Jim Bates' ineffective 2-gap scheme.

The Buccaneers will win IF....

Their offense can sustain drives and keep the defense off the field. Sounds like your typical cliche, but the Bucs are going to have to show that offensive continuity from the 2nd half of the Miami game if they want to stay on the field with the Falcons, who will get their points. As the Giants showed last week, the Buccaneers can have some opportunities in the passing game. The Falcons may not be as aggressive as their aviary brethren Philadelphia, but they'll take some chances and blitz some, leaving man coverage opportunities if Freeman can get some time. The Buccaneers again should come out in one-back and shotgun spread sets, setting up one-on-one opportunities. Kellen Winslow vs. any Falcon is a mismatch, and Antonio Bryant should have some opportunities deep against CB Chris Houston. Can Josh Freeman bounce back from his first truly rough game and show the short-term memory of a successful NFL QB? I think he can and he'll go for over 200 yards and 2 scores. However, can he avoid the misfires and misreads that have killed drives over the past couple of games?

The Falcons will win IF... they have continued success running the football out of their power sets. The Falcons like to run the ball between the tackles with their big interior trio of lineman leading the way - Harvey Dahl, Justin Blalock, and Todd McClure. Although RB Michael Turner is a game-time decision and will be limited in touches and ability due to a high-ankle sprain, the Falcons are in good hands with Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood running the ball. Snelling went for 76 yds on the ground and two scores against the Giants' big front four despite the Falcons being in passing mode the entire game. Even though the Falcons boast a solid passing attack with Matt Ryan, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons love to line up in 2-TE, 2-back formations and just pound you into submission. When you bring up your LBs and SS into the box or run blitz, Ryan will play fake and either hit Roddy White in single coverage, find Tony Gonzalez sprinting up the seam, hit FB Ovie Mughelli on a streak out of the backfield in the space where the WR/CB just cleared out, or hit the tailback. The Falcons can do so much out of that formation. Switching back to the one-gap Tampa 2, the Buccaneer defensive linemen will have to be a step quicker off the ball and try to get into the backfield, disrupt the running game at the point of attack, and set up more obvious passing downs. As we know, the Tampa 2 requires big, fast, and strong defensive tackles that can fire in between the offensive linemen and collapse the pocket themselves. Do the Bucs have that in Ryan Sims and Chris Hovan? Hovan fits the scheme a lot more than Sims in my opinion, but Hovan couldn't cut in Monte's scheme at the end of the year. Was it because of fatigue/injury or has he lost a step? If it's the latter, he's going to have a hard time Sunday and the rest of the season. Roy Miller has shown surprising explosiveness and it wouldn't shock me if he worked his way into the starting lineup alongside Hovan by the end of the season. As for Sunday, it appears to be, on paper, an advantage for the Falcon offensive line against the Buccaneer front 7.

Prediction: Falcons 27, Buccaneers 17. The Atlanta running backs will find some running room early, setting up some mid-range play-action passes to Tony Gonzalez and the Atlanta WRs. Josh Freeman and the Buccaneer passing game will get going after a slow start, but the worn-down Buccaneer defense will be on the field too long in the 2nd half, as the Falcons control the time of possession in the fourth quarter with a time-consuming drive to put away the game late.

Mining your way to fantasy gold - Week 12 Weekend Edition

Andrew Davidson — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:00:14 -0000

by Jim Prisching - AP

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Well, to say the least, the Thursday Turkey Day games were rather disappointing. For those of you stuffed out of your waist bands, there's no doubting you feel asleep during the later games. The good news? The fantasy performers were alive and well all day long, well, except Eli Manning and the Giants. Green Bay's Defense was the stud of the day, and Charles Woodson owners in IDP leagues enjoyed a pretty big performance (6 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 Def TD). Now that the sloppy Thanksgiving games are out of the way, it's time to focus on this Sunday's slate. Those of you looking for fantasy match-ups in the Saskatchewan Rough-Riders and Montreal Alouettes Grey Cup battle, you're at the wrong blog.

The Sleepers

Kellen Winslow TE TB @ ATL - Tampa Bay's TE is handling a knee-injury, but should be good to go by Sunday. The Falcons typically allow pretty good TE production, and Winslow should add another 5+ reception game to his season total (5). The Falcons have allowed 16 PaTDs on the season, giving the Soldier a good chance at crossing the stripe for six. Winslow is a very good start in fantasy leagues this weekend, plug him into your lineup. Week 12 fantasy forecast: 6 catches, 75 yards, 1 TD

CAR Team DEF @ NYJ - I like the Panthers here because they match-up well against the Jets. Both teams are heavy-run teams, and both teams will be grinding away for yards most of the afternoon. The Panthers run D is suspect, ranked 26th in the NFL, but their pass D is formidable, ranking 4th. Mark "Dirty" Sanchez has thrown just as many INTs at home as he has on the road (8). The Jets are struggling as of late, losing 3 straight; while the Panthers fall victim to the inconsistency bug. This game has defensive struggle written all over it, and I'm leaning on the Panthers, because Jake Delhomme has thrown just one INT in four games and Sanchez has thrown 6 in his past two. Week 12 fantasy forecast: 13 points allowed, 3 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 FR

After the jump, the QBs, WRs, and RBs to start or sit this weekend...

QB to Start

Matt Ryan ATL vs. TB - Ryan hasn't had the greatest season so far, but turned it around last weekend against the Giants. The Falcons comeback came up short in OT, but Ryan threw for 268 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs. With the 1-9 Bucs coming to town, Ryan has a favourable match-up for the second week in a row; Tampa has allowed 22 PaTDs so for this season. The Bucs have a poor run defense, but I still expect the Falcons QB to put up respectable fantasy numbers. Feel no fear, and start Matty Ice. Week 12 fantasy forecast: 220 pass yards, 2 PaTDs, 0 INTs

QB to Sit

Joe Flacco BAL vs. PIT - Flacco hasn't thrown a TD pass in 3 straight games and has only thrown for 200+ once in that span (256 last week). After blazing onto the fantasy scene earlier in the season (Three 300-yards games, 11 TDs in first 6 games), the Ravens signal caller has cooled off (just 1 PaTD in past 4, 0 300-yard games). The Steelers may be down Troy Polamalu, but the 12th ranked Pass D should hold up ok without him. Keep Flacco on the bench, Pittsburgh has allowed just 11 PaTDs this season. Week 12 fantasy forecast: 200 pass yards, 1 PaTD, 2 INTs

WR to Start

Michael Crabtree SF vs. JAX - This is a bad idea, by naming Crabtree as the WR to start I've likely jinxed the poor guy into a goose-egg this Sunday. After all, I did say I wouldn't be relying on Crab in my fantasy sit/starts for the rest of the season. However, with the Jags pass "defense" coming to town, and Crabtree's first NFL TD out of the way, it's hard not to see this favourable match-up without bias. The Jaguars have the 25th ranked pass defense, and have also allowed 17 PaTDs. It's time to put Crabtree in your starting lineup. Week 12 fantasy forecast: 6 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD

WR to Sit

DeSean Jackson PHI vs. WAS - The last time Jackson faced the Redskins, all he did was score on a 67-yard rushing TD on top of his 69 yards receiving (1 TD). In other words, I might be foolish to suggest sitting Jackson against Washington, but foolish is my middle name (well one of my many middle names). I'm standing by the Redskins #1 ranked pass defense, and I expect Jackson to be kept in check. However, the speedster is a threat to score even if he gets just one touch, but I'll bet against that threat this week (Washington has allowed 10 PaTDs). Week 12 fantasy forecast: 2 catches, 60 yards, 0 TDs; 1 rush, 15 yards

RB to Start

Justin Forsett SEA @ STL - In Julius Jones' absence, Justin Forsett has been a pretty formidable fantasy performer. Over the past two games, Forsett has had 238 total yards and 2 TDs (123 rush yards @ ARI, 80 receiving last week @ MIN). Jones is still a bit banged up, so Forsett will be a pretty good start with or without Jones playing. The Seahawks should be leaning on the former 7th round pick to see what they have moving forward. Start Forsett against a weak Rams D, who ranked 28th in the NFL vs. the run while allowing 14 rush TDs. Week 12 forecast: 80 yards rushing, 1 TD; 4 catches, 35 yards

RB to Sit

Joseph Addai IND @ HOU - Similar to DeSean Jackson vs. Washington, the last time Addai faced the Texans he scored 1 rushing TD and also caught 1 TD. The Colts RB has been on fire the past 3 games, scoring a total of 5 TDs. Also making this "sit" recommendation sketchy, Houston is ranked 22nd against the run, and have given up 13 rush TDs. However, I think all good things must come to an end, and I think the Texans will keep Addai out of the end zone, ending his 3-game LT-like TD streak. Week 12 forecast: 60 yards rushing, 0 TDs; 3 catches, 30 yards, 0 TDs

That's all there is for this weekend's fantasy forecast, all stats from Yahoo! and NFL Team Rankings. Be sure to check out the poll and make your selection for top fantasy performer. As usual, if you have any specific sit/start questions, don't be shy in the comments below. For those watching the Grey Cup, I'll take the Rough-Riders to beat the Alouettes, 35-31.

Poll

Who will be the top fantasy performer this weekend?

Kellen Winslow TE - TB @ ATL

1 votes

Carolina Team DEF @ NYJ

3 votes

Matt Ryan QB - ATL vs. TB

23 votes

Michael Crabtree WR - SF vs. JAX

97 votes

Justin Forsett RB - SEA @ STL

24 votes

One of the guys you're telling me to bench dummy

18 votes

166 votes | Poll has closed

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades @ Bucs

saints-nation — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:00:24 -0000

by Chris O'Meara - AP

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Below are the grades for the defense and special teams @ Tampa Bay. Some terrific play all around.

Saints vs Buccaneers coverage

Saints vs Buccaneers recap

Saints vs Buccaneers boxscore

Will Smith: B+ (2.83) Smith finished with 3 tackles and a sack. He did a reasonably good job of putting pressure on Josh Freeman, and was able to waltz in untouched for an easy sack on a missed blocking assignment. It was nice to see Smith help against the run on a number of occasions, too.

Charles Grant: C (2.37) Grant finished with just 2 tackles, and he knocked Freeman down once on a pass rush. His pass rushing was mediocre, and his run defense was mediocre... so he gets a mediocre grade to go with his mediocre GPA.

Bobby McCray: D+ (1.89) What happened to this guy? He was a very solid pass rusher last year, but his reps get lessened each week mostly due to his complete lack of production. At one point in training camp they were talking about installing packages that would include McCray blitzing from the linebacker slot. Whatever happened to that? No tackles for McCray in this game despite a decent number of snaps. He was complete neutralized on pass downs, too.

Anthony Hargrove: B- (2.44) Just one tackle for Hargrove, but he did a good job getting push on passing plays up the middle, and he recovered a CRUCIAL fumble that broke Tampa Bay's back.

Remi Ayodele: B (2.19) Ayodele plugged up the middle much better than usual and forced the Tampa backs to often bounce their runs outside, allowing the Saints' linebackers to make plays. He finished with 3 tackles and also showed more effort than what I've seen in the past. The main problem I've had with Ayodele is he has a lazy streak where he won't play to the whistle, but I didn't see that in this game.

Scott Fujita: A- (2.72) Fujita is back and playing at a high level. This was arguably his best game of the season. He was making terrific reads and had a very impressive play getting in the backfield and hitting the Bucs' runner for a loss. His tackles were sure and he showed no ill effects from the calf injury that slowed him down. His biggest play was a blitz off the backside where he sacked Freeman and knocked the ball loose, leading to Hargrove's big recovery. Nice to see Fujita making plays, he's been missed. He was a major reason the Bucs struggled to move the ball after that first drive.

Scott Shanle: C+ (2.77) Quiet day for Shanle, who really didn't do much until the second half. There were no major mistakes, but some of the bigger runs early in the game were plays going right at him where he didn't absorb the blocks very well.He was solid in coverage and ended with 2 tackles.

Jonathan Vilma: A- (3.00) Vilma was all over the field, looked fast and was steady. He finished with 6 tackles, a defended pass, a knockdown on a blitz, and an interception. When he gets a clean look at stopping a rusher he almost always makes the play. I don't think he's playing at quite the level he was a season ago, but he clearly makes everyone around him better. Nice to see him get that pick, he made a fantastic catch covering a tough customer in Kellen Winslow Jr.

Randall Gay: C (2.59) Gay was pretty solid in coverage before leaving early with a tweaked hamstring. From what I've heard it sounds unlikely he'll be back in time for the Monday Night game.

Malcolm Jenkins: A- (3.07) Jenkins made a terrific interception, the first of his career, going to the ground to come up with a low pass. He benefited from Antonio Bryant slipping, but still jumped the route well and showed terrific hands. He led the team with 7 tackles on the day and 2 defended passes. He held a very good receiver in Antonio Bryant to just 3 catches. Bryant did have a 21 yard reception against Jenkins at one point, but the coverage was picture perfect and Bryant just made a ridiculous catch on his outside shoulder - not much you can blame the rookie for there. He really stepped in and did not miss a beat.

Roman Harper: B (3.23) Harper dropped an easy interception, jumping a route well but failing to come up with the catch. If there's one thing I've learned from watching Harper all the years is the guy has the worst set of hands I've almost ever seen. He finished with just 3 tackles, but was sent blitzing a number of times. He was able to register a half sack, and he also knocked Freeman to the ground two other times.

Darren Sharper: B- (3.15) Sharper was fine. No real chances to get a pick this time. The few times he was in a good position, the ball by Freeman was so poorly thrown that Sharper had no chance. He finished with 5 tackles and was especially helpful against the run. His grade suffers because of yet another personal foul 15 yard penalty. He's had at least 4 or 5 this year. It was a blatant facemask penalty, and there really was no need for him to do that.

Jo-Lonn Dunbar: C+ (2.73) Dunbar finished with 3 tackles and played in spot duty late in the game at linebacker. He was aggressive and did ok. He over-pursued twice but with the game so far out of reach it's hard to grade him. I'll give him some love for doing a great job on special teams, though.

DeMario Pressley: B- (2.78) This guy deserves to start alongside Sedrick Ellis. There, I said it. I know there's a love affair going on with just about any avid Saints watcher and Anthony Hargrove, and the coaching staff seems enamored with Ayodele, but Pressley has been the tackle performing most consistently. I see him sometimes get pushed off the line of scrimmage, but once when that happen he bounced back up the middle and ended up making the tackle. Even when he's beat he plays to the whistle and shows terrific effort. He finished with 3 tackles and did a decent job rushing the passer.

Pierson Prioleau: B- (2.67) He finished with 3 tackles and did a fairly good job in coverage. With the Saints depleted at corner thanks to the injuries to Torrence and Gay, he stepped in and helped hold down the fort.

Usama Young: B (3.17) Young also lent a helping hand at corner with the Saints shorthanded by injury. He was pretty good, especially helping in run support. He finished with 2 tackles. His grade gets a boost, too, from 2 spectacular special teams plays. First he forced a deep punt to be fair caught inside the 20 with terrific downfield coverage, then he dove on a ball and downed it at the 1 yard line after another great punt by Morstead.

Leigh Torrence: C (2.00) Torrence was placed on IR, I'm told, and that's too bad. The guy was finally getting some playing time. Sure, he wasn't the best corner but you can't argue with the guy's toughness. He separated his shoulder and came back in the game to play and make a tackle due to the Saints' injury problems. He finished with 4 tackles and teamed up with Harper to get the other half of a sack on Freeman. He was also responsible for the touchdown pass to Michael Clayton, though, and I feel like his coverage was spotty enough that a better quarterback could have made him pay. I'm surprised as far as he was playing off receivers that Freeman didn't take advantage of the short routes in front of him.

John Carney: A- (2.77) Carney did his job, so it's hard to give him a worse grade. He hit a big 38 yard field goal to break a 7-7 tie, and at the time it was important. He also hit all 5 of his extra points, but once again got one or two barely inside the upright.

Thomas Morstead: A+ (3.03) He was booming the ball all day long. I tip my cap to you, Mr. Morstead, and I can't tell you how glad I am the Saints kept you over Glenn Pakulak. He was, in a word, fantastic. Every kickoff he booted went into the end zone, and as the game progressed they kept getting deeper and deeper (I believe his last 3 were touchbacks). Clifton Smith is known for being one of the most dangerous returners in the NFC, and Morstead completely neutralized him. He also blasted 4 punts for a 48.8 average, and pinned two inside the 20 (one of those at the 1). He only had one of his punts returned for 11 yards, so he ends up with an extremely impressive net average of a little over 46 yards. Without question his best game as a Saint.

Courtney Roby: B+ (2.93) Roby was pretty good returning kickoffs. No standout plays but he returned 2 kicks for a 25.5 average. His coverage skills, however, are what earned him his grade this time. The play that Usama Young made at the one was only thanks to a great athletic and head's up play by Roby, as he dove into the end zone and tipped the ball back into the field. For some reason the Bucs challenged that play, too, which had to be one of the dumbest challenges of all time.

My Defensive Player of the Game: Malcolm Jenkins
My Special Teams Player of the Game: Thomas Morstead

Poll

Who Was Your Defensive Player of the Game?

Malcolm Jenkins

200 votes

Scott Fujita

113 votes

Jonathan Vilma

111 votes

Chris Reis (didn't play enough to get a grade, but I'll give him props for his pick)

17 votes

441 votes | Poll has closed

BFTB Interviews Hall of Fame TE Kellen Winslow

John (obviousman) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:43:54 -0000

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On Thursday, I had a chance to interview Kellen Winslow. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995, he is without a doubt one of the greatest players to ever play in San Diego. Depending on who you're talking to, he's the best or 2nd best TE the Chargers have ever had. Besides that info, and seeing a handful of highlights, I didn't know too much about Mr. Winslow. For instance, did you know he's the Athletic Director of Central State University in Ohio? Me neither.

The best thing I found out about Kellen during our 15 minutes conversation is that he's got a tremendous sense of humor. It may not come across in the text below, but most of these answers were said while he was chuckling. He couldn't have been nicer or easier to interview. Now, onto the Q&A......

What are your feelings heading into this week's Broncos/Chargers game?

If I remember the Broncos....they were one of the luckiest teams we ever played against, besides the Raiders. if ever the ball was on the ground it seemed to bounce their way. And not just a bounce and then they fall on it, it would bounce right up to them so that they could run with the ball. It could be that they were that good at getting turnovers, I don't know. But every time i think about a game against the Broncos I think about the ball bouncing their way.

You don't think about playing at Mile High Stadium and trying to catch your breath?

Oh, that. (laughs) You know, you learn to deal with that because it's about keeping yourself hydrated and taking in fluids before the game. You learn playing there, and we played there every year, after a couple times you say "Okay, this is what I have to do."

Who do you think is the best Tight End in the NFL Today?

Oh, wow. Who's the best athletic Tight End or most productive? It's hard to say who's the best based on a lot of things. I like this kid in Tampa.

The best overall though? Really, there's no such thing. There's no such thing as the best overall because one week a guy will have a good game based on what the defense is doing and next week another guy will, based on what the defense is doing. When they finish with their careers, that's when you can really rank them. I try to stay away from individual honors so much, in terms of purely stats, because you're only as good as the people around you. I would not have had the career I had if not for playing with Dan Fouts, Russ Washington, Ed White, Charlie Joiner, John Jefferson, Wes Chandler, etc. because they provided the environment for me to do what I did. And if I had not played in that organization with that coaching staff, you wouldn't be talking to Kellen Winslow about his Hall of Fame career.

Who's the best? That's a very difficult, very subjective thing to say. Who's the most productive? The stats say that every year.

So if it's better to rank the TEs once their careers are over, is there somebody that you have in mind as the best TE of all time....excluding yourself?

John Mackey. I didn't even have to hesitate, John Mackey.

Wow, not really a name I was expecting.

Well, most of the time people think about numbers. And when you talk about a guy who was a game-changer, who was versatile. He was a blocker. He could've been the original H-Back, they just didn't call him that.

Tell me what you're doing with Van Heusen and the Hall of Fame Fan's Vote.

Van Heusen has partnered with Hall of Fame Enterprises to try to get the fans more involved in the Hall of Fame voting process. So now fans can voice their opinion, with their votes, about who they think should be eligible or should be inducted into this year's Hall of Fame class. It's something that the Hall has taken a look at, and has realized that the fans have really been isolated from this process and have not been able to voice their opinion. So now this gives the fans a vehicle, a format, a platform if you will, to voice their opinion.

I don't think there's any question that the players leading the vote, such as Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Cris Carter, are first-ballot Hall of Famers. I think the great thing about the fan vote is that it can show support for some of the players that have been eligible for a few years and haven't gotten in, such as Ray Guy or other players in that same situation. Are there any players or coaches in that situation that you think belong in the Hall of Fame?

From a player's perspective, Ray Guy. Without a doubt. He meets all of the criteria of being in the Hall of Fame. Impact player, changed the game. He changed the way you have to handle punt returns and changed the way you had to think about the game in terms of field position. Definitely Ray Guy.

From a coach's perspective, Don Coryell. It is such a no-brainer. Don Coryell, again, meets the same criteria. He changed the game of football. He was an impact coach. Joe Gibbs, Bill Walsh...they all come off of that Don Coryell coaching tree.

If you're looking at Don Coryell's offense, the one that you were a part of, and comparing it to the Chargers' current offense...do you think one is better than the other?

It's the same thing. It's just different terminology, it's the same thing. It's based on the same premise. Spread the field, find the mismatches and take advantage of the mismatches. Put together personnel that gives you that mismatch.

The only difference, in our offense against the current Chargers offense, is that we didn't do as many personnel changes. For example, in my early days with the Chargers, we would start the game with two Tight Ends, two Wide Receivers and one Running Back. And from that personnel, we would run every formation that we wanted to without changing personnel. We could go to three wide, we could go to single-back, we could go to two Tight Ends, we could go to a flank position where two Tight Ends are on the same side and one's off the ball.

We just ran everything we wanted to run from that situation, which made it very difficult for defenses to say "Okay, what are they going to do now? How do we shift personnel?" They had to go out and draft for that very specific need of "How do you stop the San Diego Chargers?" Most teams, when they bring in two Tight Ends you know they're going with a two Tight End formation. When they want to switch to three wide, you would know they were going to three wide because they'd bring in another Wide Receiver. When they want to go to an I-formation, you'd see the Fulback come in.

What do you think of Norv Turner as a Head Coach?

I like Norv, I really do. If the job is to win the Super Bowl, and it is, I think the Chargers have the talent and the organization to get it done. The ball just has to bounce the right way for them to get things done. The fact that they get off to a slow start doesn't bother me at all.

What do you miss most about playing?

My teammates, without a doubt. There's something special about being part of a team and the camaraderie that you share with them. Without a doubt, I miss my teammates.

Should the San Diego Chargers retire #80?

(laughs) Now why would they do that?

Well, you're one of the few members of the Chargers who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1 of only 10, and that's counting Unitas, Deacon Jones and John Mackey), you're in the Chargers Hall of Fame and they retired Lance Alworth's number. I, honestly, don't see a reason why not.

How many numbers do they have retired?

There's only two or three, it's not a lot. (There's two, #14 and #19)

I'm going to reserve comment on that one. They can if they want to......

I'll say it, I believe they should.

Thank you, I appreciate that

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Game Preview

Saintsational — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:15:20 -0000

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (9-0) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1-8)

SERIES

	SAINTS	BUCCANEERS
SERIES LEADER	20-14
STREAKS		3 of past 4
COACHES VS. OPP.	Payton: 3-3	Morris: 0-0
LAST WEEK	W 28-23 at Rams	L 25-23 at Dolphins
LAST GAME	11/30/08: Saints 20 at Buccaneers 23. Tampa Bay K Matt Bryant kicks game-winning 37-yard FG with 1:55 remaining. Buccaneers defense registers 2 INTs in final minutes of win.
LAST GAME AT SITE	11/30/08
BROADCAST	FOX (1:00 PM ET): Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan. SIRIUS: 126 (NO), 158 (TB). XM: 103 (NO).

STATS

PASSING	Brees: 199-291-2,559 (1C)-19 (1C)-9-104.6 (2L)	Freeman (R): 32-63-417-4-2-79.9
RUSHING	P. Thomas: 94-492-5.2-5	Williams: 106-418-3.9-3
RECEIVING	Colston: 39-613-15.7-6	Winslow (TE): 42-454-10.8-5
OFFENSE	426.1 (1L)	276.3
TAKE/GIVE	+6 (3C)	0
DEFENSE	343.0	379.2
SACKS	Smith: 7.5 (T3C)	Wilkerson: 5.5
INTs	Sharper: 7 (1C)	Talib: 5 (T3L)
PUNTING	Morstead (R): 43.0	D. Johnson: 41.4
KICKING	Carney: 73 (40/42 PAT; 11/14 FG)	Barth: 17 (5/5 PAT; 4/5 FG)

NOTES

SAINTS: Are 9-0 for 1st time in team history. Average 36.8 points per game, most in NFL...QB DREW BREES aims for 4th in row vs. division with 300+ yards. In past 3 vs. division, has 1,024 yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs & 104.1 rating. Since joining NO in 2006, leads NFL with 16,469 pass yards. Has 2,636 yards (329.5 per game), 24 TDs, 7 INTs & 118.9 rating in past 8 vs. NFC...RB-PR REGGIE BUSH had rush & rec. TD last week. Has 2 TDs vs. TB (65-yard PR-TD & 42-yard rec. TD). Has 30 career TDs (17 rush, 9 rec, 4 PR) & is only Saint to score via rush, rec. & PR. RB PIERRE THOMAS aims for 4th in row vs. division with rush TD. Had 20-yard TD catch in last meeting...WR MARQUES COLSTON had 6 catches for 106 yards in last meeting. Has 10 TDs in past 12. WR ROBERT MEACHEM aims for 3rd in row with TD. TE JEREMY SHOCKEY has 458 receptions since 2002, 3rd most in NFL by TE. KR COURTNEY ROBY had 97-yard KR-TD last week, his 1st TD since 2005...DE WILL SMITH has 5 sacks in past 3 & aims for 4th in row with sack. S DARREN SHARPER has INT in 2 of past 3 vs. TB, incl. 88-yard INT-TD. LB JONATHAN VILMA had sack in last meeting...

BUCCANEERS: QB JOSH FREEMAN has 4 TDs in 1st 2 NFL starts...Team is 10-0 when RB CADILLAC WILLIAMS has 22+ carries. Has 3 rush TDs in past 2 meetings. Rushed for TD last week. RB-KR CLIFTON SMITH is 2nd in NFL with 30.1 KR avg...WR ANTONIO BRYANT has rec. TD in 2 of past 3 vs. NO (48 & 39 yards). Has 19 catches for 345 yards (115 per game) & 3 TDs in past 3 division games. WR MAURICE STOVALL had 33-yard TD reception last week. TE KELLEN WINSLOW had 7 catches for 102 yards last week, 2nd 100-yard game of season. Since 2006, ranks 3rd among TEs with 256 catches. WR SAMMIE STROUGHTER is tied for 3rd among NFC rookies with 15 1st down receptions...Defense has 198 INTs since 2000, 2nd most in NFL. S TANARD JACKSON has 3 INTs in past 4, incl. 2 INT-TDs. CB RONDE BARBER has posted 3 INTs in game 2 times, both vs. NO. Has 13 career return TDs. Is 1 of 4 players all-time with 20+ sacks (24) & 30+ INTs (37). CB AQIB TALIB has 5 INTs in past 6. LB QUINCY BLACK had 1st career INT last week...K CONNOR BARTH became 4th player in NFL history with 3 50+ yard FGs in game last week.

Closing the Book on Week 10: A Clear-Headed Look Back

Craig T — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:58:25 -0000

More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

29 days ago: Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Connor Barth (10) kicks a field goal against the Miami Dolphins during the second quarter of NFL football action in Miami, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Hans Deryk)

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After going through what we in the legal field call a "cooling off period", its a little bit easier to get over the BS officiating at the end of the first half and the sting of the late-game defensive collapse. Emotions aside, as usual, there are some things to take away from Sunday's game that left me nodding my head and grinning. Likewise, there are some things to look at that had me ready to chuck something at the TV. With a cooler head, let's take a look at some of those things.

3 things to take with us into Week 11:

1. Connor Barth. Need I say more? The cat booted THREE field goals of 50+ yards and launched some deep kickoffs, putting 2 of 3 second-half KO's from the 30 yd line into the end zone. His FG's carried straight through the middle of the uprights into the net, with plenty of leg to spare. Also, after kicking off from the 15 on the final drive after Winslow's boneheaded penalty, he punched a hard, knuckling line drive that streaked past Ginn, pinning the Dolphins inside the 20 with just over one minute to play. Game ball, sir, because Sunday you were the spark that set up...

2. A solid game by the Buccaneer special teams. The Buccaneers succeeded on one of the main factors I identified as a key coming into Sunday's game: contain Ted Ginn, Jr. On the strength of the deep kicks from Barth, the success the Buccaneers had in getting penetration in the initial Dolphin wedge, and the discipline to stay in their assigned lanes, the Buccaneer kick coverage team was as sound Sunday as in any game they played this year for certain. Miami averaged 18 yards per KO return and returned 3 punts for a total of 3 yards. Conversely, our weapon X, Clifton Smith, continued to provide a spark for the offense, finding a crease and returning a kick for 36 yards. He averaged 28.5 YPRet. Edge to our disciplined Buccaneer special teams unit.

3. Maybe, just maybe, this offensive scheme has some promise with Josh Freeman leading the way. Two weeks, two herculean comebacks by the rookie and a suddenly resurgent Buccaneer offense that has found a growing heartbeat in Olson's shotgun, multiple WR 60/40 pass/run offense. The offensive line (now even better with the return of Arron Sears) has actually done a pretty nice job protecting Josh Freeman, who has made plays mainly with his arm, but has also shown the ability to tuck and run... pretty darn well, actually... certainly better than I gave him credit for in my draft preview back in March. At one point, I recall him fighting through what appeared to be a sure sack and picking up positive yardage in a very Jared Lorenzen-like manner. Freeman gave double-digit targets to Kellen Winslow, who just can't be covered by anyone right now except good cover CBs and FSs. So far (and yes, it's early), you just have that feeling that when Freeman drops back and he has time, he's going to find an open receiver and make a play. We'll see what happens in the coming weeks, and it's of course possible he puts up a stinker, but his poise and level of play gives you a heckuva lot more confidence that he's got what it takes to succeed in this league than any other young quarterback this team has tried out in recent years.

3 things to leave behind at Landshark Stadium:

1. The continuing mental mistakes. As Paul aptly noted in his well-written piece today, good teams make plays and find ways to win games, and bad teams make mistakes and cost themselves chances to win games. The defensive breakdown on the final drive is obvious, but there were other mistakes during the game that contributed to the loss. FOUR fumbles by QB Josh Freeman, one of which was lost, another of which killed a potential TD drive in which Bucs had to settle for a long FG. Kellen Winslow had a big drop that hit him in the hands in the 2nd half, stalling a drive. He also had a selfish, look-at-me penalty after Caddy's go-ahead TD, setting the Bucs back to the 15 yard line. Think of your team, Soldja, and check yourself. Party on the sidelines after the extra point, guy. No, it may not have ultimately mattered in the end, but it could have if not for Barth's pick-me-up on the kickoff. Mo Stovall dropped a huge pass inside the Fins' 10 yard line, killing a drive late in the 4th quarter.

2. An anemic rush from the front 7. And I say "rush" to identify not just rushing on passing downs, but run blitzing off the edges on obvious rushing downs. As UNFNole and Buc Wild discussed before the game, the advantage gained through the extra blocker by the Dolphins' wildcat formation is suspect in some degree to a pass rush off the edge. My problem was not per se with the passing down situations, because I thought the secondary had a solid game, limiting the opportunities for passes over 15 yards by the pedestrian Dolphin receivers. Henne only completed 17 of 31 passes for a paltry 5.5 yards per attempt, the same ypc as the Dolphin rushing attack. It would have been even less if the defense had not gone into 'ole! mode on the final drive. As such, I don't think the lack of pass rush killed them as much today as it might when facing a much more potent passing attack.

Pretty conservative plan, alot of 4 and 5 man rushes. Not gonna get away with that next week against a strong Saints offense and all-world QB like Brees. Gonna have to take some chances.

3. More suspect tackling. This might upset me the most. This wasn't Week-2-in-Buffalo-debacle bad, but still... Forget the fact the Dolphins ran for 199 yards at a hearty 5.5 ypc gallop. The Buccaneer defense whiffed on some tackles that just simply had to be made. Good defenses have defenders who make plays in the open field when it counts. Unfortunately, the Buccaneer defense has some players who can't get it done play in and play out. Sabby not only lost his jock on Miami's first drive of the game, allowing Ronnie Brown to scamper from Dolphin territory into the Buccaneer red zone, but he took a terrible angle on the play. Instead of breaking down and at least forcing the outside-running Brown to cut it back towards the line of scrimmage and fellow defenders, he froze and let Brown get outside and into the open field. With the game in the balance, Ricky Williams ran right through an arm tackle from 300+ lb DT Ryan Sims on the final drive that sent the Dolphins from the fringe of field goal range to chip shot territory. Those two plays were game-changing plays at two important points of the game that set the Bucs back. No doubt there were more, but those two stuck out to me.

Chime in kiddos. What else did you guys and gals take as a positive from this game? What else do you want to leave behind at Landshark Stadium?

The more things change (Offense), the more they stay the same (Defense)

Niko Houllis — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:55:02 -0000

More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

2 fourth quarter comebacks in as many weeks for Mr. Freeman gives Bucs fans a reason for optimism.

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Two weeks in a row now, Josh Freeman has led the Bucs from behind in the 4th quarter; this time down 22-13 in the 4th qtr behind the excellent kicking of Conor Barth, and timely interception of Quincy Black. If anything, the Bucs may have scored too early after Blacks interception when Cadillac Williams stretches into the endzone for the go-ahead touchdown.

The first sign of a problem was a 15 yard, enforced on the kickoff penalty on Kellen Winslow, but the Bucs covered the return team and kept Miami pinned deep in their end of the field. The defense once again has failed this team as they allowed the Dolphins to drive down the field in under two minutes.

While there may be no pressure to win right now, the Bucs still fought for 60 minutes and showed us some signs to be optimistic about this team's future.

If anything, the play of the game may have been the end of the 1st half atrocity perpetrated by the officials when they ruled Michael Clayton had fumbled a caught ball when replays clearly showed the ball was caught and the play was dead. This resulted in 10 Miami point the Bucs had to fight back from.

Yet the defense did show some fight, but holding MIami to 5 of 14 third down conversions was little consolation to giving up 199 yards on the ground, something the Dolphins clearly went to on the final drive.

And so the season goes on, Tampa Bay is developing an offense which just needs to show up a little earlier, and a kicker which is a position that has sorely been missed in 2009 until today. The defense however is still simply undermanned. Defensive Tackles, Ends and a few guys in the secondary are going to be needed if this thing will be turned around next season. Today, we saw a little bit of the foundation the future will be built on.