SB Nation - DeMarcus Faggins

Lions Place Demarcus Faggins on IR, Sign Jason David

Sean Yuille — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:36:30 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

about 1 month ago: Detroit Lions Demarcus Faggins (38) defends as the Green Bay Packers' Donald Driver (80) hauls in a pass during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

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Cornerback Demarcus Faggins was placed on the injured reserve on Tuesday, bringing his season to an end. Faggins, who had worked his way into the cornerback rotation, was injured in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Rams. I'm not exactly sure what he injured, but the severity of it was enough for the Lions to shut him down for the rest of the season.

To fill Faggins' spot on the roster, the Lions signed cornerback Jason David. David played the first few seasons of his career for the Colts before going to New Orleans for a couple seasons. He was waived by the Saints in August of this year, and the Lions will be the first team he has played for since then.

I hate to say this, but David will probably fit right in with the Lions' usually lackluster secondary. David has been known to give up big plays, something that really started in his first game with New Orleans, which actually was against his former team, the Colts.

In other roster news, the Lions signed running back Cedric Peerman to the practice squad last week and released Tristan Davis, who showed off his excellent speed in the final game of the 2009 preseason.

Wednesday Notes: Lions Sign Demarcus Faggins, Re-Sign John Standeford

Sean Yuille — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:46:56 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Detroit Lions wide receiver John Standeford catches a two-point conversion from quarterback Drew Stanton during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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The reason teams hold mass tryouts every once in a while was exemplified today, as the Lions signed free agent cornerback Demarcus Faggins. The Lions needed to add another corner to the team after Eric King was placed on injured reserve, and Faggins tried out with the team earlier this season. He was obviously at the top of their list of free agent corners, and he is now a member of the team. (John Niyo thinks Kevin Hobbs will become the Lions' nickel corner and Faggins will be inactive on game days for now.)
At the top of the Lions' list of free agent wide receivers must have been John Standeford, as he was re-signed by the team on Tuesday. Standeford was released during the final round of cuts before the season, but he has been brought back to add depth to the wide receiver position. What that means for the health of Calvin Johnson is beyond me, but I'm hoping the Lions just want to have depth going forward so they are never again left with only three healthy receivers during a game like they were last Sunday.
On a more positive note, Sammie Hill must be healthy again based on the fact that the Lions released Chuck Darby to make room on the roster for Standeford. Darby was brought back after Hill got banged up a few weeks ago, but the rookie must be ready to return if the Lions are willing to part with Darby.
The Lions not only signed a couple players on Tuesday, but they also held another tryout. This one only included three players: offensive tackle Levi Jones, center Melvin Fowler, and defensive back Jahi Word-Daniels.
When Ernie Sims returns to full health, he will be one of the Lions' starting linebackers.

(More after the jump)

The Lions have agreed to a deal with 97.1 The Ticket that will keep it as the team's flagship radio station for at least three more years.
Bidding on the Silverdome begins next month, and remember how I joked about how Pride of Detroit should buy it? Well...

"The Silverdome is a marquee property and in good condition, but the city can't run it properly, and it should be turned over to someone who can return it to a vibrant asset," Leeb said. "We're told there has already been considerable interest, but if the high bid is only $1, well, then that's it."
If the auctioneers happen to stumble across this post, I am officially bidding $1 (and whatever else POD readers want to throw in) for the former home of the Lions. The yearly costs of maintaining it would be a pain in the ass, but how sweet would it be to own the Silverdome? I can see it now... "Hi, my name is Sean, I own the Silverdome, err, the Seandome." Talk about a great conversation-starter.
Remember how Tom Lewand said a good way to sell tickets is by winning games? I have an even better strategy: Hope and pray that the Steelers come to Ford Field more often. At least half (probably more) of the fans at Sunday's game were waving terrible towels, and it was probably the most friendly game for an away team in the history of the NFL. I know the Steelers travel well, but as Larry Foote pointed out, quite a few of those fans didn't even come from Pittsburgh.

"I'm a little disappointed," Foote said. "On my way home on the freeway, I seen a lot of Michigan plates with a lot of Terrible Towels in the car. The people who live here and are Steeler fans, shame on you guys. You will be on our bandwagon sooner than later."

Foote smiled as he spoke. He expects the Lions to turn themselves around and win over those fans.

"These Detroiters that love Pittsburgh, they're going to have Honolulu blue on," Foote said. "People like to support a winner. I understand that. But I wanted to run some cars off the road yesterday."
He couldn't have summed up my feelings on this any better.
Quite a few players were fined because of plays that happened in the Bears-Lions game earlier this month, including Adewale Ogunleye, who got docked $7,500 for the sack that injured Matthew Stafford.
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is going to pay for two new police dogs for the city of Detroit.
Dre' Bly is not very intelligent.
I knew Owen Schmitt was crazy, but I didn't know he was quite this crazy.
How's this for a stat: All of the Redskins' first six games will end up being played against winless teams. Here's an even better stat: Not counting the Giants (the Redskins' Week 1 opponent), Washington's opponents have a combined record of 2-22, and both of those wins came against the 'Skins.

Lions Re-Sign Chuck Darby, Release Marcus McCauley, and Shake Up Practice Squad

Sean Yuille — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:25:22 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

5 months ago: Detroit Lions defensive tackle Chuck Darby reaches for a football during the NFL team's minicamp Tuesday, June 23, 2009, in Allen Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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The Lions no longer hold the top waiver priority in the league, so they have to start doing their homework to get a list of possible players that are worth signing should injuries pop up. To do that, they held a mass tryout today, bringing in a total of 11 players (including some familiar faces).

Per a league source, they were running back Aveion Cason, cornerback Travis Daniels, defensive tackle Chuck Darby, cornerback Demarcus Faggins, defensive back Isaiah Gardner, receiver Taurus Johnson, safety Stuart Schweigert, receiver Derek Stanley, running back Kenny Watson, cornerback DeAngelo Willingham, and cornerback DeAndre Wright.

The Lions ended up re-signing defensive tackle Chuck Darby and releasing cornerback Marcus McCauley. Darby was released during the final round of roster cuts, and McCauley was claimed a day later.

Tight end Carson Butler and wide receiver John Broussard, members of the practice squad, were also released. Taking their spots are wide receiver Taurus Johnson and cornerback DeAndre Wright.

Tennessee Titans Cut Four Players Including Mark Jones and Paul Williams

Jimmy — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:55:42 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Missed it by this much. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

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The Titans have already started to trim the roster down towards the required 53 with four cuts this afternoon. The number doesn't have to be 53 until tomorrow, but the Titans started today by cutting return man Mark Jones, wide receiver Paul Williams, offensive lineman Jason Murphy, and wide receiver Phillip Morris.

Obviously Jones is a bit of a surprise to me because I projected him to make the 53 man roster this morning but nothing earth shattering so far. I have no idea who they are going to use on punts considering the only three people they used in preseason to return punts were Chris Davis, Ryan Mouton, and Jones.

[UPDATE]- Scout.com is reporting Casey Cramer has been cut as well.

[UPDATE #2]- Rocky Boiman and Josh Stamer have also been cut.

[UPDATE #3]- Demarcus Faggins- HE GONE!

[UPDATE #4]- Tuff Harris and Nick Schommer gone. They are killing my 53 man.

[UPDATE #5]- Fernando Velasco out.

[UPDATE #6]- Playmaking tight end Mathew Mulligan released.

[UPDATE #7]- The most famous preseason punter in NFL history, AJ Trapasso has also been let go.

[UPDATE #8]- Shake's boy Mitch King will not be joining the 2009 fun.

[UPDATE #9]- Tanard Davis the latest casualty. We don't need no stinkin corners.

[UPDATE #10]- Cory Lekkerkerker no mas.

[UPDATE #11]- Rodney Ferguson II gone. That's 17 today. 5 more cuts to make.

[UPDATE #12]- LaJuan Ramsey and Ryan Durand cut.

Predicting the Arizona Cardinals Record: Part 3

Andrew602 — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:00:11 -0000

Last week was the second week of predicting the Arizona Cardinals record for the 2009 season. At the midway point of the season, the Cardinals look to be 5-3, which most may agree is a very respectable record, and may have them at 1st place in the division at that point. Last week's may have also been the toughest stretch of the season, and the Cardinals are projected to finish 2-2 in that span. This week, things are similar, as the Cardinals begin with 2 division rivals, followed by two competitive games.

Week 10: vs Seattle Seahawks

Key Additions: WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, DT Colin Cole, CB Ken Lucas, DT Cory Redding, LB Aaron Curry

Key Losses: LB Julian Peterson, DT Rocky Bernard, WR Bobby Engram, RB Maurice Morris

Analysis: As stated in part 2 of this segment, Seattle enjoyed a swarming amount of injuries in 2008. They lacked 2nd stringers to cover for their 1st stringers when the injury bug attacked. Seattle hopes to be fully healed in 2008, yet long time, future hall of fame offensive tackle, Walter Jones, has already had back problems this offseason, and is about to go through knee surgery which will take him out indefinitely. Seattle gets a healthy Matt Hasselbeck back at the helm of the offense, and added a wide out threat in TJ Houshmandzadeh.

What to watch for: After predicting a win for the Cardinals on the road in Seattle already, the Seahawks will be heading into this game, hoping to get their revenge. If all stars are healthy, we should be in for a good showing. At this point in the season, the Cardinals may be looking to secure a playoff birth, and getting this against a divisional opponent would be nice. Watch for a competitive game, as Hasselbeck likes to play tough against the Cardinals year in and year out.

Key Match up: Kurt Warner vs Seahawks defense - Warner will be looking to carve up the Seahawks defense, hoping to push the Cardinals into the playoff race.

Prediction: Win - If the Seahawks can't beat the Cardinals in Seattle, what makes it different in Arizona?

Week 11 - At St. Louis

Key Additions: SS James Butler, C Jason Brown, FB Mike Karney, OT Jason Smith

Key Losses: WR Torry Holt, OT Orlando Pace, QB Trent Green, S Corey Chavous

Analysis: For the last two years, the Rams have mustered together a dismal 5-27 record. Hoping to erase recent memory, the Rams hired Steve Spagnola, former defensive coordinator from the Giants, to lead their team to the promise land, and a respectable record. They've also broken away from the past, recently releasing long time veterans, Tory Holt, Orlando Pace, and Corey Chavous. The Rams goal for 2009 is to put together a tough team, that remains competitive in every game. If this is possible, we may see something different then what we've seen in years past.

What to watch for: The Rams spent a lot of money this offseason trying to revamp their offensive line that's been unable to protect the quarterback the last few years. Watch for a battle between the Cardinals defensive line and the Rams offensive line. We'll probably see a warm welcoming for Kurt Warner as usual from the St. Louis fans.

Key Match up: Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell vs Jason Smith and Jason Brown

Prediction: Win - Until they prove otherwise, the Rams defense won't be able to stop Kurt Warner and the offense.

Week 12 - At Tennessee

Key Additions: DT Jovan Haye, WR Nate Washington, CB DeMarcus Faggins, WR Kenny Britt

Key Losses: DT Albert Haynesworth, WR Brandon Jones, CB Eric King

Analysis: Last year, Tennessee began with a perfect record, establishing themselves as the best team in the league for the regular season. They lost in the playoffs against a tough Baltimore defense, and hope to build off of last year. They didn't do much this offseason to do that, as they allowed Albert Haynesworth to sign a $100 million dollar contract with the Washington Redskins. They still remain secure on defense, with a quick secondary, and a lot of experience between the linebackers and the defensive line. The big question mark is offense. Their version of smash and dash went through a divorce this offseason, and they have an aging vet at quarterback(which we all know isn't a bad thing). With a 3rd string wide receiver at best in Washington, and a rookie in Britt, their offense may be the deciding factor of how successful 2009 will be for the Titans.

What to watch for: The Cardinals will face two former Cardinals of the "not so glory days" in Dave McGinnis, the Titans linebackers coach, and defensive end Kyle Vandenbosch. Another headline I'm sure we'll hear about is the battle between the two grey beards. This should be a battle in Tennessee and a potential Super Bowl 44 match up. ; )

Key Match up: Gerald Hayes vs Chris Johnson and LenDale White - Hayes will have his hands full.

Prediction: Loss - Playing the Titans in Tennessee is never easy, and it especially won't be for the Cardinals.

Week 13 - Vs Minnesota

Key Additions: QB Brett Favre, QB Sage Rosenfels, WR Percy Harvin

Key Losses: C Matt Birk, QB Gus Frerotte, S Darren Sharper

Analysis: The Vikings ended last year on a sour note, losing to the Eagles on their home turf. Aside from that, they were one of the best rushing teams in the league, mainly due to having the best running back in the league in Adrian Peterson. They also featured a fierce defense, possessing the best defensive line in the league. The biggest problem facing the Vikings was the lack, or lack-thereof a quarterback. Tavaris Jackson was thought to be the quarterback of the future for this team, until they found out he was playing not to lose. They experimented with Gus Frerotte but he didn't perform any better. Up until this week, they thought that Sage Rosenfels was going to be the answer, until they signed Brett Favre. With Favre at the helm, they may have just became one of the biggest threats in the league. Only time will tell if this works, and we may see a repeat of what Brett did last year with the Jets.

What to watch for: The most obvious point to watch for is how competitive the Cardinals come out for this game. The Vikings came to Arizona last year and embarrassed the Cardinals, who were trying to establish themselves as one of the best teams in the league at the time. Another factor to watch for is how the defense gets after Brett Favre. He torched the Cardinals in New York last year, throwing for six touchdowns. Revenge is likely to be in the air.

Key Match up: Brett Favre vs Cardinals secondary

Prediction: Win - This game could go either way. The Vikings beat us last year in our place, but hopefully the Cardinals learn from getting too comfortable with a lead in their division.

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Arizona Cardinals record after 12 games - 8-4

The Cardinals go 3-1 in part three of predicting their record, and it could have been worse. Squeaking out a win versus the Vikings can happen, and at this point in the season, the NFC West may all be a wrap. What do you think of the record so far? How likely is it that the Cardinals get revenge on the Vikings?

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Ribonucleic Acid Freak Out Edition

August West — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:32:56 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Chris Davis dropped the ball... in life. /goes back to writing after school specials

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Chris Davis certainly didn't help himself get a roster spot by getting popped for a DUI last night around 4 a.m. The team had already left for Dallas, but Davis was staying behind due to a hamstring injury. In an incredibly weird twist, the arresting officer was the same guy who was suspended after pulling McNair over in 2003, and the same cop who pulled McNair and his killer over (she got a DUI) two days before his murder.

This is about as close as we'll get to an apology from LenDale for his fumble in the Baltimore game, and it was actually nice to read:

"I'm a humbled man," White says. "When the clock strikes triple zeroes and you have to walk off the field knowing you're one of the reasons your team lost, it hurts man."

To his credit, White didn't duck reporters afterward. He made himself available for waves of repeat questions, and came away saying the experience taught him three things.

"I think I learned how to be a football player, and I learned how to grow up," he says. "And I learned I need to hold on to the damn football."

This week's edition of the Friday Jams features my boys Clutch (who I've linked to before, but they're that good), and their binary coded masterpiece: 10001110101.

Follow us through the jump for a mountain of links...

After being told he had too many carries in college to have a long NFL career, Javon Ringer is dead-set on proving those folks wrong. Given that he's about to take a former 2nd round pick's roster spot, I'd say he's well on his way. Here's another post from the excellent blog Sparty and Friends by a Michigan State fan who is pulling for Ringer.

SI.com's John P. Lopez goes through the AFC and comes up with the player each team could least afford to lose. Ours was Boom King, but there are legit concerns about his health that he really needs to answer this year. if he's able to stay relatively healthy, then I'd expect him to have another Pro Bowl caliber year.

Tonight's game is extra exciting for a few Titans, namely former Cowboy Ryan Fowler and Texas native DeMarcus Faggins, as they'll be part of history by breaking in the new Cowboys stadium.

Stephen Tulloch is out for tonight, but plans on practicing all next and resuming his starting role against Cleveland. I hope he can get back to 100% soon, but it is nice knowing that we have reliable back-up like Fowler right there when we need him.

The ever-dligent SoCal points us towards this season preview on examiner.com.

Colin Cowherd is a definite douchecanoe, even if he did side with our boy here. You gotta love that this is cutting edge programing on ESPN. I'm just waiting for them to come up with a Chelsea Handler type show where three comedians and friggin' Erik Kuselias sit around and crack jokes in the 'Best Week Ever' vein... you know this is coming soon.

So will Dungy go out on a limb for the other Vick brother? Hell, the worst he ever did was stomp on Elvis Dumervil back in college. Marcus had the same crappy raising and influences, so where's the out cry for his 'second shot'?

I'll have to admit, when Ochocinco is in a good headspace, he can be one of the funnier players in the league.

If there's anything you would like to share with the MCM community, please take advantage of the comments, fanshots and fanposts to do so! Or, you can always email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com.

Supplemental Titans Training Camp Report For 8/11/09

August West — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:05:34 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

This image is enough to make QBs wet the bed at night.

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Let me start this by pointing out the fact that Hal has been killing the professionals when it comes to training camp practice reports. His stuff is easily better than we've gotten from local or national media on the other side of the fence. It's almost like he knows the roster, football fundamentals and pays attention the whole time (go watch a camp practice and take note of the media schmoozing... then you'll see what I mean).

I've had the last few days off work, so the soon-to-be Mrs. West and I decided to check out Tuesday's open practice session. This was my first full session this year after last week's evening practice was a bust. I was looking for Hal out there, but we must have just missed each other. I'm guessing got there on time, which means he got a better spot than mine (which was perched behind Hope Hines, at whom I was tempted to mumble insults under my breath).

Now, just to clarify, these aren't judgements made from long trends nurtured over extended evaluation throughout this camp. They're a compilation of what I already know about these guys and what I saw on this particular day.

Here are the things that stood out to me:

• Lets get this one out of the way: Vince Young looked bad. Epicly bad. He botched an option pitch, that's how bad he looked. I didn't see him even attempt a pass beyond 15 yards, and he didn't complete many that were more than 5 yards away. He looked unsure of the offense and didn't go through his progressions across the field. I never saw him scan from right to left, and I never saw him look off a DB. On at least two occasions he committed the most boneheaded thing bad QBs do: he pump faked at a receiver who was open (or at least open enough), didn't look away, then threw at the same receiver after the coverage had gotten into position. This resulted in multiple INTs. His footwork looked better than I'd seen it so far, but it still lacks consistency. He was also holding the ball for a few ticks too long.

All in all, Vince can't expect to start anytime soon with performances like that.

Follow me through the jump to find out which QB looked worse than Young yesterday...

• Vince's poor performance was one-upped by that of Patrick Ramsey. Ramsey was off the mark all day in a performance that certainly didn't inspire any confidence. The lesson I took away? Kerry better stay healthy.

• Kerry Collins looked good leading the first team offense all day. He sprayed passes all over the field with excellent zip and accuracy, and had completions to pretty much every available receiver as practice moved on. He also looked in even better shape than last year. You could tell pretty quickly that the team responds to his leadership in the two minute drill.

• During the sprints at the end of practice, LenDale made it a point to finish first when the RB group had to go. None of the backs were going 100%, so I appreciated the effort from Smash.

• The WRs were miles ahead of the atrocious display we had to watch last year. Nate Washington made some great moves after the catch, and he's definitely as quick as he is fast. Kenny Britt is bigger than I expected, caught the ball with his hands like a natural (this is much less common in rookies than most people think) and he got off the jam with ease thanks to good technique and tremendous arm strength.

• If Jared Cook can block a LB or DE for three seconds more often than not, there's no way they can keep him off the field. After being leery at first of trading a second round pick for him, I now fully endorse that move.

• The outrageous depth on the defensive line made the second team offensive line look rough at times. They did a nice job giving VY a pocket to step into, but you could quickly tell which unit was deeper when the ball wasn't in the air after four seconds. Still, for these mostly reserve O-lineman to mostly hold their own against D-lineman who will see heavy playing time was a good sign to me.

• HOF Game hero A.J. Trapasso punted during the special teams portion of practice. He showed some solid leg strength and very good hang time. He's absolutely a solid back-up plan should Craig Hentrich's back problems worsen, but he isn't beating out Craig anytime soon.

• Chris Henry is a cut man walking. He dropped a few catchable passes, missed holes and ran away from space on multiple occasions. Put it this way: the first thing I saw after I got settled in was RB coach Ernest Byner making Henry do push-ups as punishment.

• Boom King looks pissed and healthy. That makes me very, very happy.

• Stanford Keglar might end up being the steal from last year's draft. He has popped up consistently with impressive plays in various practice reports and he had some nice ones yesterday. The things he brings that I like the most are that he closes quickly, has great size and plays the pass just as sharply as he does the run. He cut his teeth on special teams last year (which is a biggie with this coaching staff) and could unseat Tulloch as the primary back-up on the weak side should KB go down.

• I felt a little better about the CB depth after watching solid, if unspectacular, play from Mouton, Faggins and Cary Williams. All I needed to see was that they had the speed and didn't look totally lost out there.

Predicting the Arizona Cardinals Record: Part 1

Andrew602 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:00:17 -0000

With the start of the 2009 preseason only less then a week away, now's a good time to break down the regular season and predict a record for 2009. Last year, many of us figured a realistic record would be 9-7 or 10-6, and their actual record fell along those lines. This year, the schedule becomes more difficult, coaching changes are made, and different personnel and schemes are brought in that can make predicting a valid schedule very frustrating. This season is sure to feature its ups and downs, upsets and surprising, and many more unknown scenarios. Let's break down the schedule and attempt to bolster a reasonable prediction for the Cardinals 2009 record. We'll do 4 weeks at a time until we have the complete 16 game record complete.

Week 1 - San Francisco 49ers

Key Additions: WR Brandon Jones, CB Dre Bly, WR Michael Crabtree

Key Losses: LB Tully Banta-Cain, WR Bryant Johnson, CB Donald Strickland, QB J.T. O'Sullivan

Analysis: When Mike Singletary took over the 49ers last year, it took a couple of games, but Singletary was able to spark a fire under the 49ers and make them one of the most competitive teams towards the end of last year. That fire is sure to continue on this season, and should create a great season opener as the Cardinals and 49ers have opened the season together the last 3 years together.

What to watch for: The most obvious things to watch for would be how Beanie Wells handles his first regular season game, as he should get a good amount of carries against a physical defense in the 49ers. We should also watch out to see if Larry Fitzgerald's momentum from the playoffs continues into this season.

Key Match Up: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie vs. Michael Crabtree

Prediction: Win - Cardinals coming off a Super Bowl run, at home, should be too much for the 49ers.

Week 2 - At Jacksonville Jaguars

Key Additions: WR Torry Holt, S Marlon McCree, OT Tra Thomas, OT Eugene Monroe

Key Losses: LB Mike Peterson, RB Fred Taylor, DE Paul Spicer, CB Drayton Florence, WR Matt Jones, WR Jerry Porter

Analysis: The Jaguars had high hopes last year after coming very close to the Super Bowl in 2007. They were also one of the very dominant rushing teams that year. Things changed last year when injury, and inconsistency at the quarterback position hit them. They lost Fred Taylor but Maurice Jones-Drew looks to lead the team in the running game. The Jaguars are still a very dangerous team and have the right tools to make week 2 a very competitive one for the Cardinals.

What to watch for: This will be the first game on the road in 2009 and as we all know, the Cardinals have never played well on the road in the past. Although they surprised us against Carolina in the playoffs, winning on the road week 2 should be a challenge. If they can overcome the road games early, it should be a good sign for the 2009 season.

Key match up: Maurice Jones-Drew vs Karlos Dansby

Prediction: Win - Too many holes on the Jaguars and virtually no chemistry will give the Cardinals the edge.

Week 3 - Indianapolis Colts

Key Additions: DT Ed Johnson, RB Donald Brown

Key Losses: WR Marvin Harrison, RB Dominic Rhodes, Tony Dungy

Analysis: The Colts took 5 games last year to get back to playoff football. Things won't be the same this year as Peyton Manning is healthy heading into the season. The loss of Harrison shouldn't have too much of an effect on the offense as the Colts have virtually been without him the last couple years. The main factor that could give the Colts problems is the loss of long time head coach, Tony Dungy. There will be an adjustment but expect their top offense and quick defense to show up when they come to University of Phoenix Stadium.

What to watch for: Peyton Manning. The entire Cardinals defense will need to be watching Manning if they have a chance at winning the game. Manning can pick any defense apart with his superb quarterback skills. If the Cardinals can stay focused and not commit any mistakes, look for the upset.

Key match up: Dwight Freeney vs Mike Gandy

Prediction: Loss - Unfortunately, banking on not committing mistakes is not smart, and the fantastic offense of the Colts will be too much for the Cardinals.

Week 5 - Houston Texans

Key Additions: DE Antonio Smith, DT Shaun Cody, LB Cato June, LB Brian Cushing

Key Losses: QB Sage Rosenfels, S Will Demps, CB DeMarcus Faggins, RB Ahman Green

Analysis: After another average season, the Texans hopes are high heading into 2009. They have continued to fit the right pieces into place for the last few years, and seem to finally have most of the puzzle complete. They've built a solid line and built everything around it. They found a steal in last years draft in Slaton, have one of the best wide receivers in the game in Andre Johnson, and if Shaub is consistent, they're offense is set. If they're defense can adapt and improve off of last year, this team will be a contender.

What to watch for: This is surely going to be a hyped match up as the top two wide receivers in the NFL meet up. Expect many breakdowns and predictions for who will have a better performance, along with who the best receiver is during the post game news.

Key match up: No brainer...Larry Fitzgerald vs Andre Johnson

Prediction: Win - The Texans are still too inexperienced and will have trouble facing the Cardinals on their home field.

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Cardinals record through Week 5 - 3-1

It's not a bad start to the season and if the Cardinals are able to pull it off, this should surely jump start them to a lead in the NFC West. The only problem with that is keeping their number one spot as the other three teams will be gunning for them. We'll break down weeks 6-9 next week but what would you think of their record so far? Could you see it going any other way?

Texans Down 'N Dirty: Insult To Injury Edition

Jake — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:41:38 -0000

Everyone knows by now that we lost two starters in yesterday's practice. Jacques Reeves will be out for 6-8 weeks with a fractured fibula, and Chris Myers will be out for an undetermined amount of time with a high ankle sprain. Most of you probably heard by now that Gary Kubiak was irate with yesterday's morning session as well. Here's the video if you need to get caught up in a hurry.

Brian Cushing has a new haircut, and he talked about it yesterday. He seems to take it all lightly and identifies that while it saves him from the heat, the best part is that veterans seem to have respected him for his willingness to cut his locks at their direction. He also mentions a little bit about Connor Barwin, who is his roommate during training camp.

The BESFs reared their ugly head yesterday with regard to the Texans a couple of times. First of all, DeMarcus Faggins claims that the Titans environment is much more laid back and therefore more conducive to winning. Because if there's one thing that Petey knows about, it's success. Speaking of success, Vince Young can't wait to play in an Oilers uniform. Actually, as much of a problem as I have with the Titans wearing these uniforms, I don't have an issue with Young being pumped about wearing them. Considering he grew up in Houston, it's pretty understandable.

After receiving a lot of criticism in the last few days around the Texans blogosphere, the Wonder Twins at the Chronicle put out pretty solid articles this morning. Richard Justice wrote a piece about Kubiak giving up play-calling duties to Kyle Shannahan. Justice had good points about the Bears game being a turning point and broke down the benefits of Kubiak not calling plays. John McClain wrote an article about Glover Quin and the recent assertion by Gil Brandt that he will be a surprise in the league this year. As BFD pointed out, McClain has a great sense of history and you can tell that he respects Brandt's opinion very much.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Kenny Britt Is Almost Healed, But Still Not Practicing Edition

August West — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:59:27 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Rookie OL Troy Kropog is lookin' svelte as hell after just a month or two on a professional diet and training regimen.

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With his career with the Titans hanging on by a thread, Chris Henry is doing what he should have done all last year: bust his hump to get on the special teams units. Not doing that last year was a big part of why he was inactive for 16 games the year after he was the team's second round draft pick. Well, that and not being as talented as several other RBs on the roster.

Fisher says Kenny Britt's hamstring is almost completely healed, and the team is now focused on getting him back into proper conditioning routine before he rejoins practice. I think that's a good idea because asking him to jump right into a full-speed regimen may just create more problems than it's worth.

Jim Wyatt has notes from yesterday's practice session, including a great moment in trash talking by our boy Keith Bulluck:

• Cornerback Nick Harper let quarterback Kerry Collins off the hook on an underthrown pass intended for receiver Nate Washington. It slipped though Harper’s hands, and he heard about it from linebacker Keith Bulluck. "Good thing you got your eyes fixed," said Bulluck, referring to Harper’s LASIK surgery in the offseason.

Follow us through the hump to find out which locker room vibe DeMarcus Faggins prefers: Houston's or ours...

The Titans' WRs say they've all improved since last year, and now they're anxious to show it to the world.

Despite distracting contract situations, Keith Bulluck and the Boom King are staying focused on their goals for this year.

The biggest off-season addition to the secondary, CB DeMarcus Faggins, discusses the difference between the vibe in the Texans' locker room and the Titans' locker room:

Right now in this locker room, it's a lot more laid back -- players, coaches, the organization. In Houston, it's a little bit tense... Coming here after the season they had last year, it's pretty laid back. There is a been-there, done-that confidence, that's a good feeling coming off 13-3... I think it's harder to play tense, it's like walking on egg shells.

Only a truly hopeless degenerate would bet on the Hall of Fame Game, but such degenerates would be smart to take the Titans -3 and the lay under... just sayin'.