SB Nation - Cato June

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 12/23

MattRichWarren — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:41:44 -0000

Wilson: Bills work out Cato June | National Football Post
"The Buffalo Bills tried out veteran linebacker Cato June on Tuesday, according to a league source. June was recently cut by the Chicago Bears following a brief stint."

POLLOCK: So what’s next as Bills’ season winds to finish? | Olean Times Herald
"There was an unmistakable downcast mood in the lockerroom following Sunday’s 17-10 loss to New England at "The Ralph." It started with interim coach Perry Fewell. Normally, a bundle of enthusiasm and humor, he seemed very much a beaten man in the interview room. He spoke uncharacteristically softly and seemed both frustrated and discouraged. Most of all, it appeared the reality of his situation had finally sunk in."

Byrd has good shot at Pro Bowl - BuffaloBills.com
"It’d be a blessing and a cool thing, but I don’t know," said Byrd of possibly being an AFC rep for Pro Bowl. "I hear a lot of the vets tell me that it’s hard to go if you’re not on a winning team and I understand that. I’m just going to take it for what it is. It’d be a blessing and an honor."

QB Carousel
WGR 550 SportsRadio - Report: Edwards and McGee to the IR
"Trent Edwards will finish the year with 1,167 yards passing, six touchdowns, seven interceptions and 22 sacks in parts of eight games [if he is indeed done for the season]. For his career, he's thrown one more interception (25) than touchdown (24)."

Hamdan or Brohm? – Inside The Bills
"If it comes down to a decision between Hamdan or Brohm because Fitzpatrick and Edwards are not available, I’d expect to see Brohm start. After all this coaching staff waived Hamdan to acquire Brohm. But if the staff is concerned about having to water down the offense too much to accommodate Brohm, I wouldn’t rule out Hamdan."

NFL.com Blogs " Bills likely will turn to Brohm to start vs. Falcons
"Brian Brohm likely will be the Bills’ starting quarterback in Sunday’s game against the Falcons, according to a league source," reports Jason La Canfora.

Other Bills News
Long, Faneca, Wilfork win Pro Bowl vote - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Jairus Byrd finished 5th in Pro Bowl voting at free safety in the AFC despite being on the ballot for all of a month. He's the only Bills player in the top 5 at any position.Other Pro Bowl candidates besides Byrd – Inside The Bills
"While Jairus Byrd is absolutely a prime candidate for AFC Pro Bowl honors, there are a few other Bills players with some statistics that put them in the Pro Bowl conversation as well." Chris Brown mentions and rationalizes Brian Moorman, Aaron Schobel, Marcus Stroud, and Kyle Williams.

With McGee out, Corner’s role increases – Inside The Bills
"Corner is expected to replace McGee at left cornerback, in the team’s base defense. It’s believed in nickel packages that Corner will move inside to the slot and Ashton Youboty will come on the field to play on the outside. Still another option is to have Donte Whitner play in the slot and leave Corner outside."

McGee to I-R; Bills re-sign Hamdan - BuffaloBills.com
"McGee became the 17th player to go on Buffalo’s injured reserve list tying the team high set in 2007."

A Very Falcoholic Discussion: Beating The Buffalo Bills - The Falcoholic
The Falcoholic asks readers readers to brainstorm ways to beat the Buffalo Bills, who are heading to the Georgia Dome Sunday for a game against the 7-7 Atlanta Falcons.

Dolphins susceptible to backbreakers - AFC East Blog - ESPN
The Buffalo Bills are tied for 22nd in big plays recorded and are tied for 21st in big plays allowed. A big play is defined as a run of at least 20 yards or a reception of at least 30 yards.

Week 16 power rankings: AFC East - AFC East Blog - ESPN
The Bills have dropped one spot to 26. Every voter ranked them 25 or 26.

How I See It: AFC East Stock Watch - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"Stock Rising - Fred Jackson, Bills running back: Jackson, the supposed backup to Pro Bowler Marshawn Lynch, is 189 yards from the coveted 1,000-yard milestone. Not bad for an undrafted Division III player who came up through the arena bush leagues. Jackson rushed 15 times for 80 yards against the Patriots. He also caught four passes for 32 yards and returned four kickoffs for 108 yards."

Troopers make 7 arrests following Bills game : The Buffalo News
"A State Police saturation detail following the Buffalo Bills home game Sunday afternoon netted seven arrests, including four for driving while intoxicated, one for driving while ability impaired and two for marijuana possession."

Monday Morning Quarterback - Peter King - SI.com
- I know this about the Bills: If there's not a new quarterback under center in 2010, the locals are going to tear the stadium down.
- Clay Matthews ... Brian Cushing, Brian Orakpo ... Jairus Byrd ... James Laurinaitis ... I mean, how do you pick a defensive rookie of the year this season?

Monday Morning Quarterback, Tuesday Edition - Peter King - SI.com
"The game with the most compelling playoff implications, or the game with the most compelling story (for instance, the Colts going for a 16-0 season) would be the [flex] choice of the league."

AFC East Huddle - ESPN Video - ESPN
John Clayton gives you the latest news around the AFC East

Letters to the editor | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle
I see where the Buffalo Bills have signed a new player, "Richie Incognito." This sounds like the new version of Abbott and Costello's Who's on First? I can hear it now:
"Who's playing right guard?"
"He's Incognito."
"Why, is he wanted for something?"

2010 NFL Draft
Bills in line for top 10 draft pick : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"The Buffalo Bills are in position for a rare "reward" when the NFL Draft comes in April. The team is in line for a top 10 pick, something that has come along just twice in the past 10 years, despite the team failing to reach the postseason in the same time frame."

ESPN’s McShay on the QB class – Inside The Bills
Here's what Todd McShay had to say about the top quarterbacks in the draft.

ESPN’s McShay likes OT class – Inside The Bills
Here's what Todd McShay had to say about the top tackles in the draft.

Bills Tweets
Twitter / Adam Caplan
Hamdan has a broadcasting career ahead of him when he's done playing, speaks very well.

Twitter / Sal Maiorana
Phew! The Bills re-signed Gibran Hamdan. All is well. Wouldn't it be so Bills-like if they started him instead of Brohm if Fitz can't play?

Twitter / Adam Caplan
Lions waived veteran C Melvin Fowler.

Great Colts of the Decade: Linebacker

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:15:19 -0000

The philosophy of Bill Polian and the front office is to have a revolving door at linebacker. Because of the existing salary cap, emphasis and investment in certain key positions is vital to maintaining the core of your team. For a Tampa-2 style defense, safety and defensive line are much more important than linebacker. Thus, players like Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney, and even Anthony McFarland were considerably invested in (aka, paid more money) over Colts linebackers.

Still, despite the revolving door, some very impressive linebackers have made their way through the Colts over the last decade. Many of these players played well in Indy, and then went on to play even better at other destinations. However, the focus here is on players who played well while in Indy. This includes a player like Marcus Washington, who went on to play in Pro Bowls for the Redskins. However, before his Redskins days, Washington was a vital player in Indy's AFC Championship run in 2003. Polian still refers to Washington, and later David Thornton, as linebackers that "got away."

Then there are the "solid" players; guys who gave consistent effort and dedication for long stretches. Players like Gary Brackett, Rob Morris, and Thornton fit this. Big play guys, like Cato June, were less consistent, but were often part of several HUGE plays that helped win football games for the Colts. I've also included Clint Session because he has been very impressive in his three years, moving from back-up to starter very quickly.

Whatever your criteria, the voting is below. Use the comments to write-in anyone who think was slighted.

Poll

Greatest Colts linebacker from 2000-2009

The 2000's: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team of the Decade

Niko Houllis — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:00:27 -0000

by Chris O'Meara - AP

The one position I don't have to do any thinking about.

View full size photo »

As we come up on the last week of the year, it is also fitting to remember, this is the last week of the decade, one in which we won a SuperBowl. Only two NFC teams won a Superbowl in the 2000s, New York GIants and your Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So in doing this Team of the 2000s, I decided not to just pick the best player to played at any time during the decade, I will pick one of those guys if they were that much better than the others, But if someone played a position for most of the middle of the decade, even though not as good as a guy from 2000-2002, Ill go with the longer term guy most of the time. Keeping in mind "Teams of" can be subjective, so feel free to throw in your choices or correct me where you see fit.

Here you go guys...the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team of the 2000's Decade:

Quarterback: Brad Joshnson- He played from 2001 through 2003, and for those three seasons, he completed a high percentage of his passes, was very accurate, and won a Superbowl for us. Jeff Garcia and Brian Griese had good years in the decade too. In a position that has been so volatile, the guy who plays three years dominates the decade.

FullBack: Mike Alstott- For his last 3 seasons, Mike Alstott was truely a blocker, and still toted the ball with good numbers. But no matter what, no. 40 made the Fullback position famous here in Tampa Bay, and the A train is probably the most popular Buc ever. BJ Askew is a good runner up, as is Jameel Cook.

Tailback: Warrick Dunn- Just goes to show you the lack of a dominant rusher here, when a guy who played in the first two years of the decade and came back for his final year ever takes this one, but I just cant give it to Cadillac even though his 2005 year was the best of the decade. Michael Pittman was solid but saved his best for the Superbowl.

Wide Receiver- Joey Galloway- What can you say? 3 consecutive 1000 yard seasons? Thats never happened before in Bucs history. Joey Galloway was Tampa Bays DEEP threat after his first injury plagued 2004 season, and MADE defensive coordinators plan for him in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Wide Receiver- Keyshawn Johnson- He was the dominant WR on the team from 2000 until he was let go after the 2003 season. He made the tough catches over and across the middle, and was the receiver the Bucs needed to catch the attention of defensive coordinators and players. Antonio Bryant is the default franchise receiver, and Joe Keenan McCardell would have taken this one if not for his 2 year only status as WR.

Tight End- Ken Dilger 2002-2004- With all due respect to Jeremy Stevens who I think is the Best overall Tight End we had this decade, Dilger gave the Bucs a legit weapon when we went from Dave Moore after the 2001 season. Alex Smith was a little disappointing, but again, not exactly a spot on the team that was really dominated.

Left Tackle- Donald Penn 2007- Current - I mean who else am I going to pick? Kenyatta Walker? Penn has shut down some great right ends , he will be fine there for some time, as long as the Bucs are smart enough to lock him in.

Left Guard- Dan Buenning- 2005-2006- Dan was injured in the last preseason game of 2006 and believe it or not, is the biggest cause of the poor start of that year. Cadillac Williams made a great percentage of his yards running left in 2005 behind Buenning and Anthony Davis. Aaron Sears should dominate for another decade if his comeback is successful. Special Note for Kerry Jenkins who was brought in and did well during the Superbowl year.

Center- Jeff Faine- 2008-Pres: Will more respects to Jeff Christy who Centered for the first three years, Faine in two seasons has dominated the spot that calls the protections for the QB. In between (03-07) the position was a serious weak spot.

Right Guard- Davin Joeseph 2006 Pres- Joeseph is kind of having a down year, but who isn't this season right? Davin is probably on the verge of a probowl year, or several years, but lets not forget Cosey Colman who played adequately for many seasons.

Right Tackle- Jeremy Trueblood- 2006-Pres- Trueblood and Joeseph came as bookends in 2006, and got the start when Kenyata Walker got hurt. This side of the line does not have a very dominant tackle this decade.

Place Kicker: Matt Bryant- 2005-2008- Gramatica just had too many of his best years before the decade, while Bryant had one of the best kicking years ever last season, and lets never forget the 62 yarder vs the Eagles in 2006. Very Accurate.

Punter: Josh Bidwell- 2004-Present- No other player really dominates the decade like Josh Bidwell, and in a way that is a shame that a Punter holds that honor! While Tupa punted well during the Superbowl, Bidwell came here via Free Agency from the Green Bay Packers after surviving testicular cancer.

Left Defensive End- Greg Spires- 2002-2006: The Crane he was called, Spires dominated the left side with his pressure on the QB and his attacking of the run. Marcus Jones and Chidi Ahanato were bit players until Mr. Spires came to town. SInce he left, only Kevin Carter has any kind of year there. Its a big need heading into 2010 and beyond, as is every spot on the line now.

Nose Guard- Chris Hovan- Booger McFarland was my first choice, but his time is kind of split in During Sapp and after Sapp years, when he had to play undertackle. So I take Hovan's 2005- Present years as the best Nose Guard years of the decade. This is probably Roy Millers spot to lose next decade.

UnderTackle- Warren Sapp 2000-2003: He was so good, that no matter what, he is the guy for this list. Tampa Bay is STILL trying to replace him. Chadrick Darby, Booger McFarland, Ellis Wyms, and Jovan Haye have tried. What can I say. If you don't like my pick, Suh me!

Right Defensive End- Gaines Adams- OK , just seeing if your paying attention! Simeon Rice just dominated this spot since getting him in 2001 until his shoulder gave out in 2006. Even then, he had his last monster game in week 3 vs Carolina when he tried to will the Bucs to a win.

Strong Side Linebacker- Ryan Nece- He was the Sam Backer in 03, 05 and 06. The Bucs had the no.1 defense in 2005, so you could give an argument that Nece has as much playmaking ability than Cato June there. In not for time involved, Ian Gold and Alshermond Singlton would get the nod, with Singlton coming in as the best Sam Linebacker of the decade, but were going to go with Nece, who as you probably know is long time 49er safety Ronnie Lott's son.

Middle Linebacker- Shelton Quarles- 2002-2006: Little known fact, Jon Gruden was the one who recommended to Monte Kiffin that Sam linebacker Shelton Quarles in 2001 would make a great Mike linebacker, and so he did. Barrett Ruud at times appears to be the guy...Im guessing we will find out, as he has put in as much time as Quarles did now. But Quarles played it almost as well as that Nickerson guy in the 90s.

Weak Side Linebacker- Derrick Double Nickle Brooks- 2000-2008!: Well pretty much...but there is no way you could make any effort to pick Geno Hayes over Derrick Brooks, so this is the second easiest position to pick. Brooks defined the Will linebacker in the Tampa Two.

Strong Safety- John Lynch-2000-20003: Lynch has one year less than Jermain Philips, so its a no brainer here. John Lynch could have played more as it turns out, but Phlip did a great job taking over. Lynch was the cornerstone of the Tampa Two, the Safety that snuck in the box and laid the wood on ...well, anyone.

Weak Safety- Tanard Jackson- 2008-Pres: People forget how often Dexter Jackson got burned in 2001. He had a great game in the Superbowl with his two picks, but both picks resulted in a total of 3 points. Rice or Pittman should have been MVP in my book. Jackson played well when we returned in 2005 and the defense went to NO. 1 again.

Corner no. 1- Brian Kelly-2002-2007- BK never had the public's full support like corner no. 2 did. I think its because the public perception of him is his outstretched arms while Ricky Proel catches the TD against us in the Rams NFC Championship game. But Brian Kelly was a great corner, and Aqib Talib is filling the number in properly.

Corner no. 2- Ronde Barber- The Whole Freaking Decade!: Nothing needs to be said here. Even when people call him out for a few bad plays, he makes 2 for each bad one. He even did well in a new defense. Ronde Barber will forever be remembered for his run down the Vet in Philadelphia to put the Bucs in the Superbowl.

Head Coach: I wont even touch this one. Tony Dungy is a B+ Coach and an A+ Man. Jon Gruden invoked energy into a tiring franchise that needed the juice he brought...on top of replacing HALF of the offense. He did NOT win the Superbowl with Dungy's team, but he could not have won the Superbowl without Dungy either.

I hope you enjoyed this article. I had fun remembering all the players Ive enjoyed rooting for during this up, down, up and now down decade. lets hope the next ten years are fondly remembered too. Feel Free to drop in with your opinions on the players I've listed, or maybe, if I forgot one?

Bears Updates: Briggs, Hester, and June

Dane Noble — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:16:42 -0000

While feathers are flying all over the internet (including here at WCG) about the most recent loss for the Chicago Bears, we thought it might be a good idea to poke around and see if there are any updates from Halas Hall today.

First, it looks like Devin Hester will still be sidelined when practice resumes Wednesday, but it is unclear how serious his calf injury really is. More to come on this as we get it.

Also, with Lance Briggs back, the Bears released Cato June, the linebacker whom they had only recently signed. To take the place of June on the 53 man roster, the Bears promoted OT James Marten from the practice squad.

Taking Inventory: Bears Have a Mess to Clean Up

Dane Noble — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:27:12 -0000

More photos » by Anonymous - AP

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Now that the 2009 season is dwindling down towards an unsuccessful campaign, it's time to start looking at what we have in house that would be beneficial to carry over into 2010. We know that we have a lot of holes to fill, and that we will have to hit the next free agency period pretty hard, but it makes sense to first see who needs to weeded out of our current roster.

Brad Biggs does a good job of compiling some names of who will be RFAs and UFAs, and who he thinks might be worth bringing back in 2010.

Who does he think the Bears might bring back?

LB Nick Roach

From Biggs:

Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, who leads the team with six sacks, is in the final year of his contract, and Angelo hasn't ruled out bringing him back. He's the only starter among six unrestricted free agents -- a list that includes Josh Bullocks, Cato June, Darrell McClover, Adrian Peterson and Pisa Tinoisamoa.

Strong-side linebacker Nick Roach will be a restricted free agent. Defensive end Mark Anderson, nickel back Danieal Manning and reserve linebacker Jamar Williams, members of the 2006 draft class, will be unrestricted if there is an extension of the collective-bargaining agreement before March. If not, they'll be restricted free agents heading into an uncapped year, and that will give the Bears the chance to control their rights.

From a defensive standpoint, we saw that Rod Marinelli seemingly made an impact at the beginning of the season with the pass rush, but in the latter weeks of the season has become ineffective. Is this a byproduct of the lack of talent on the DL?

Perhaps Marinelli just needs a full year under his belt before seeing the kind of improvements we hoped for, but we certainly have some personnel issues regardless.

As far as the linebackers go, seeing Urlacher, Pisa, and Briggs go down certainly hurt us, but having Jamar and Nick step up has been a good thing.

Looking at Biggs' information, who do you think would be expendable, and who should we bring back?

QuickHits: Updates From BearsLand

Dane Noble — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:51:13 -0000

The team officially placed Pisa Tinoisamoa on IR today, clearing the path for Cato June. June will wear Pisa's old number.

LB Kevin Malast is brought back to the team on the practice squad. Another LB... how significant is Lance Briggs' injury anyhow?

Brad Biggs tweets that Sunday will see Chris Williams at LT and Kevin Shaffer at RT. Frank Omiyale will play LG.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Indianapolis Colts: A Prospector's Guide

Fooch — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:37 -0000

Well, as some of you pointed out, we've truly come full circle. Alex Smith makes his first start in two years, but more interesting is the fact that he made his first career start in the last matchup between these two teams. Smith was 9/23 for 74 yards, 0 TDs and 4 interceptions in that start. Let's hope for something just a little bit better than that.

The 49ers travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts in what will be the 42nd meeting between the two teams, dating back to 1953. The last time San Francisco traveled to Indianapolis was in 2001, when they defeated the Colts, 40-21. QB Alex Smith made his first NFL start the last time the two teams squared off in San Francisco, in 2005.

The 49ers look to snap a two-game losing streak after falling to the Texans, 24-21, in Houston last week. After trailing 21-0 heading into the second half, Smith entered the game and sparked the 49ers offense in what was his first action in 28 regular season games. He completed 15 of 22 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, all of which were
caught by TE Vernon Davis, who set a career-high with the three scores and became the first 49ers tight end to record 3 receiving scores in a game. Davis now leads the NFL in touchdown receptions with six.

The 49ers have a perfect 3-0 record against division opponents this season and enter this week’s game having won 8 of its past 13 contests, dating back to 2008.

49ers-Colts Connections
Coaching Connections
• 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye coached alongside Colts defensive line coach John Teerlinck with the Los Angeles Rams in 1991.
• Colts Senior OL Coach Howard Mudd was OL Coach for San Francisco in 1977 while Raye was WR coach. Mudd played for San Francisco from 1964-69.
• Special Teams Coordinator Ray Rychleski served as the position coach for TE Vernon Davis at Maryland (2003-05).

Players
FORMER COLTS - Offensive line coach Chris Foerster served as tight ends coach for the Colts from 2002-03 ... Secondary coach Vance Joseph played with the Colts during the 1996 season ... Director of college scouting David McCloughan was drafted in 1991 by the Colts with the 69th pick overall in the NFL Draft ... Director of Pro Personnel Tom Gamble was a college scout for the Colts from 1998 - 2004.

FORMER 49ERS - Colts DB Terrail Lambert spent training camp with San Francisco after being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009.

INDIANA TIES – 49ers WR coach Jerry Sullivan served in the same capacity at the Indiana University in 1983 ... 49ers tight ends coach Pete Hoener was an offensive coordinator at Indiana State from 1978 –1984. Hoener also served as offensive line coach at Purdue University from 1989 – 1991 ... 49ers QB Nate Davis played at Ball State in Muncie, IN.
from 2006-08.

CALIFORNIA TIES – Colts DB T.J. Rushing played for Stanford University from 2002–05.

TARHEEL BRED – 49ers CB Dre’ Bly played and Colts C Jeff Saturday were teammates for two seasons at the University of North Carolina (1996-97).

TROJAN TIES - 49ers G Chilo Rachal and Colts DT Fili Voala were teammates at Southern California from 2005-07.

PANTHER PRIDE - 49ers LB Scott McKillop played with Colts LB Clint Session at Pittsburgh from 2004-06.

Series Highlights
Matchups: 41
Series Record: Colts lead series 23-18
49ers Away Record vs. Colts: Colts Lead Series 1
First Meeting: 11/29/53, 49ers win, 38-21
Last Meeting: 10/9/05, Colts win, 28-3
Current Streak: Lost 1
Longest 49ers Win Streak: 5 (10/26/69-9/10/89)
Longest Colts Win Streak: 13 (11/4/62-10/13/68)
Most 49ers Points: 45 (12/13/53), 45-14, at San Francisco
Most Colts Points: 45 (11/22/59), 45-14, at Baltimore
49ers Shutouts: None
Colts Shutouts: None

INDIANAPOLIS 28, SAN FRANCISCO 3
At San Francisco, CA, October 9, 2005

The San Francisco 49ers stayed on par with Indianapolis for three quarters of the game before a 14-point 4th quarter pulled the Colts to a 28-3 victory. Rookie QB Alex Smith made his first start, finishing with 9 completions and 4 INTs. He was also sacked 5 times and lost a fumble on one of the sacks in the 4th quarter. The first of his three 1st half INTs was returned 24 yds. for a TD by LB Cato June early in the 2nd quarter. Head Coach Mike Nolan did credit Smith’s mobility as a factor in the 49ers ability to open up the running game. RB Kevan Barlow paced the 49ers with 99 of the team’s 133 yds. on the ground.

Indianapolis took its first possession and marched 72 yds. in 7 plays before RB Dominic Rhodes scored on a 6-yd. run for a 7-0 lead. The Colts had a chance to go up 14-0 early in the 2nd quarter, but LB Jeff Ulbrich forced Rhodes to fumble at the 1-yd. line. The ball rolled into the end zone where S Mike Adams recovered for a touchback. Smith was intercepted on the 49ers next three series, including June’s 24-yd. TD return. Down 14-0 with just over two minutes to play in the 1st half, LB Derek Smith intercepted a QB Peyton Manning pass to give the 49ers a first down at the Indianapolis 47-yd. line. The 49ers scoring threat ended when Smith was intercepted by the Colts when he attempted to hit WR Arnaz Battle at the Colts 15-yd. line.

The 49ers tried to swing the momentum in the 2nd half with a successful onsides kick that was recovered by RB Terry Jackson at the San Francisco 41-yd. line. A 2-yd. run by RB Frank Gore on a 4th-and-1 play from the 50-yd. line, combined with a 20-yd. run by Barlow, helped set up a 30-yd. FG by K Joe Nedney for the 49ers only points of the day. The 49ers failed to convert their second attempt at an onsides kick on the kickoff following the FG, allowing the Colts a first down at the San Francisco 39-yd. line. CB Bruce Thornton stayed step-in-step with WR Marvin Harrison on the next play and intercepted a pass in the end zone to prevent a TD. Alex Smith threw his 4th INT of the game on the next series after the 49ers reached the Indianapolis 37-yd. line. The Colts scored 14 points in the 4th quarter to put the game out of reach. RB Edgerrin James scored on a 4-yd. run to start the 4th quarter, and then Manning connected with WR Troy Walters on an 18-yd. TD pass to make it 28-3.

2009 Statistics

49ERS (rank)		COLTS (rank)
3-3 (2nd NFCW)	Record	6-0 (1st AFCS)
22.2 (t-17th)	Points per game	29.8 (2nd)
272.0 (29th)	Total Offense	402.5 (4th)
98.3 (22nd)	Rushing Offense	91.7 (27th)
173.7 (24th)	Passing Offense	310.8 (1st)
29:32 (18th)	Possession Avg	28:57 (22nd)
20.3 (15th)	Points allowed/gm	12.8 (2nd)
291.7 (14th)	Total Defense	324.8 (9th)
88.8 (6th)	Rushing Defense	111.8 (19th)
179.8 (21st)	Passing Defense	236.0 (6th)
13 (t-20th)	Sacks	16 (t-8th)
47.6 (5th)	Punting Avg (Gross)	44.5 (17th)
+4 (t-8th)	Turnover Differential	+4 (t-7th)

Leroy Hill to Miss Two Weeks with Strain

John Morgan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:45:02 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

Will Herring has bulked up a little, but his tackles are still mostly sideways safety tackles and not bury the shoulder linebacker tackles.

Browse more photos »

Coach Mora announced on ESPN 710 that Leroy Hill will miss the next two weeks with a strain in his groin or abdominal area. Will Herring will fill in during Hill's absence. Herring is a good cover linebacker and a little age and a lot of conditioning have allowed him to bulk up his safety frame into a respectable, Tampa 2-style linebacker frame. Think Cato June. Herring will need assistance to sustain tackles, but if Sunday was the standard, swarming to the ball is creed, not suggestion.

During the same press conference, Mora announced Derek Walker has been released to make room for D.D. Lewis.

bfd's First Take at the 53-Man Roster

bigfatdrunk — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:31:53 -0000

Great discussion last week on the possible composition of the 53-man roster started by Texans-Brocos. Here's my take with a little bit of background.

Last year, the Texans' opening roster consisted of:

2 QBs
3 RBs
1 FB
5 WRs
3 TEs
5 OTs
5 Gs (1 C/G)
1 C
3 Special Teamers (P, K, LS)
6 DEs
5 DTs
6 LBs
4 CBs
5 Ss

I think it's reasonable to believe the 2009 roster will be similarly composed. After last night's game, here's my guess as to how the 53-man is shaping up:

2 QBs: Matt Schaub and Dan Orlovsky
3 RBs: Steve Slaton, Chris Brown, Ryan Moats (depending on his injury)
1 FB: Vonta "Human Coke Machine" Leach
5 WRs: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Andre Davis, David Anderson, Jacoby Jones (almost by default)
3 TEs: Owen Daniels, James Casey, Anthony Hill (no Joel Dreessen, which is our loss)
4 OTs: Duane Brown, Cliff Washburn, Eric Winston, Rashad Butler
5 OGs: Antoine Caldwell, Chester Pitts, Kasey Studdard, Mike Brisiel, Chris White. Last year, there were 5 OTs and 4 OGs.
1 C: Chris Myers (depending on his health, obviously)
3 Special Teamers: P - Matt Turk, K - Kris Brown, LS - Clark Harris
5 DEs: Antonio Smith, Mario Williams, Connor Barwin, Tim Bulman, Jesse Nading
5 DTs: Amobi Okoye, DelJuan Robinson, Frank Okam, Shaun Cody, Jeff Zgonina (no Travis Johnson)
6 LBs: Zac Diles, Xavier Adibi, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, Buster Davis (depending on Cato June's health), Kevin Bentley
5 CBs: Jacques Reeves, Fred Bennett, Brice McCain, Glover Quin, Antwaun Molden (no Dunta Robinson...just in case)
4 Ss: Dominique Barber, Eugene Wilson, Nick Ferguson, John Busing

Several differences from last year, though nothing crazy. Last year, we carried 6 DEs and 5 DTs, whereas I have us carrying 5 DEs this year. Sadly, I still have us carrying Jeff Zgonina as I just don't see anybody on the roster otherwise. There's the difference in OGs and OTs, and I have us keeping 5 CBs and 4 Ss, where that was swapped last year.

Also, and I doubt you noticed, but I have listed only 52 players for 2009. If Dunta signs, I do believe we'll keep 6 CBs on the roster as I believe the Texans, rightly so, would be afraid to release either McCain or Molden, who are the two I believe to be most on the bubble. I also believe that one of the CBs will be in line for a position change to S.

One guy who really intrigues me is Glenn Martinez, as he was the most "on" last night. He can return punts and kickoffs and looks like an excellent gunner on special teams. As I said in the game thread, he reminds me of Steve Tasker in the way he plays. There's a chance he overtakes Jones, but because we're carrying extra CBs, it'll make it tougher for Martinez to win a job.

What do y'all think?

Should Texans Fans Enjoy The Fights?

Jake — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:12:11 -0000

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The big news from the joint practice between Houston and New Orleans today was the multiple skirmishes that erupted between the two squads. John McClain counted 6 different bouts between the hometown Texans and the visiting Saints. Gary Kubiak resisted the bait to endorse the fighting, repeatedly stating that he would prefer composure to any team combativeness, but how should you feel as a fan of the boys in Steel Blue?

My first reaction to the news was immediate concern that Texan players were subject to injuries. There have already been too many medical setbacks thus far in training camp. Unfortunately the injury bug did bite the team today when Cato June broke his arm, although he did not suffer the injury in one of the intersquad fights. After it was clear that there were no long standing effects from the violence, I didn't quite know how to react.

The Raiders have always shown a renegade spirit, but that nastiness hasn't translated to very much on the field success of late. In fact, that renegade spirit may or may not have cost their head coach a suspension and some cash after he apparently broke the jaw of an unruly assistant. Still, a "punch you in the mouth" mentality is exaclty what you hope for out of your football team, especially the defensive squad.

After several years of a lackluster defense, everyone knows that that the D has to step up and try to match Matt Schaub's offense for the franchise's first playoff birth. So when I saw the video of the defense's unanimous leader DeMeco Ryans slamming the loudmouthed Jeremy Shockey, it brought a smirk to my face. The smirk grew into a full blown ear to ear smile when I saw a sea of the aforementioned Steel Blue pour on the two engaged players.

Despite the Texans being a Cinderella pick for the playoffs in 2009, the defense is still regularly criticized for their lack of talent. Sometimes though, energy can augment talent for success on the field. Every year there is a gutsy, underdog group that proves the experts wrong by winning games on seemingly emotion alone. I'm not saying that a couple of squabbles in August means that the Texans defense will be that group in 2009, but I certainly see it as a step in the right direction.

What about you BRB? Do you think that the fights are a positive sign, or an insignificant event in the preseason?