SB Nation - Justin Gage

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: He Sees You When You're Sleeping Edition

August West — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:03:51 -0000

Seeing lots of this is going to be key for getting the W this weekend.

Terry McCormick brings the chuckles in his list of gift ideas for several Titans and the franchise's extended family:

For running backs Chris Johnson and LenDale White, a new nickname set to replace "Smash and Dash."

...since a Smash and Dash breakup appears inevitable, how about "Starting and Soon Departing?"

And, finally, for owner Bud Adams, one Red Ryder BB Gun, just like Ralphie got in The Christmas Story. After all, what else would you get for a man who enjoys shooting birds so much?

Not a big fan of Christmas music, but I always thought Da Boss did a great job with Santa Claus is Coming To Town.

The AP talks to CJ's blockers about how much it would mean to them to help CJ cross the 2,000 yard mark this year.

Follow us through the jump for a little insult added in injury for an aging Titan...

There's a remote chance that Jevon Kearse's record for sacks by a rookie may fall in the next few games to University of Texas product Brian Orakpo. Orakpo has 11, giving him three more games to try and top Kearse's 14.5 from the 1999 season. As if Kearse's season hasn't been enough of a downer for him...

Paul Kuharsky takes a look at the much-improved Randy Starks, but I'd really like to know what Fisher meant here:

" I know the reasons for his inconsistencies here and it looks like he’s got it behind him," Jeff Fisher aid cryptically.

More on the Chris Johnson/Ted Ginn race, whose teammate (Joey Porter) is trying to cover for Ginn's no-show this past off-season.

H/T to oilertitan for pointing us towards Will Carrol of Football Outsiders, who takes a look at the role Vince Young might be playing in the back injuries to Justin Gage and Kenny Britt (even though Britt hasn't been on a single injury report this week?):

The injuries to Justin Gage, who has returned from a fractured vertebrae after just a couple weeks off, and to Kenny Britt, who limped out of last week with a back injury of his own, have more to do with Vince Young than with them. Young has improved in many facets of the game, but he continues to throw a high ball, one we used to call a "medicine ball" in high school. Young doesn't seem to have the vision to predict when placing the ball is going to run a wide receiver into the path of danger and often makes his receiver extend for the ball. Young, according to a couple scouts, often makes the receiver turn or spin, leaving his back exposed for a hit. It's not intentional and there was some debate about whether it's even a learnable skill, but maybe the Titans might consider a bit more padding for their receivers if things don't change. Both are expected to play this week, with some limitations.

I've always been an unabashed Rick Williams fan (we all have demons, people), so I'm excited for the success and peace the guy seems to have found in Miami. This weekend though, I hope he feels the wrath of hellfire!

Gary Estwick continues to up his game, this time coming with some out-of-the-way nuggets about the Dolphins. Here are a few choice ones:

• Miami quarterback Chad Henne is one of the worst fourth-quarter quarterbacks in the NFL. He is completing just 49 percent of his passes during that span with three touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Have love, need links! Email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: We All Knew It Should Have Been Ganther > Henry Edition

August West — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:00:12 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

How has Kevin Mawae's career lasted so long? He trains with CJ's dreads!

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Justin Gage is expected to play Sunday, though I seriously doubt you'll see him getting his normal amount of reps. He should begin to ease himself back in the line-up though, forcing the staff to make a decision soon on who will be starting opposite Kenny Britt.

The game against the Rams will pit two of the best running backs in the NFL against each other, with neither looking likely to make it to the post season by most accounts.

Kevin Mawae says he is dead-set on playing next year, even if it's not with the Titans (Mawae's contract expires at the end of the season). He says he'd love to stay, but it'll be interesting to see which way the front office goes since Leroy Harris has been the replacement in waiting for two years now.

Follow us through the jump for updates on free agency and what a former Titan is up to...

Beyond Mawae, there are several key veterans who have contracts coming up this off-season. It's impossible to predict what's going to happen since the salary cap and CBA are up in the air, but many of them are almost certainly playing their last few games in the two-toned blue.

If Chris Johnson is going to chase greatness this year, he really needs to feast on the Rams' defense this week, and as likely as that looks to happen, CJ's still not taking anything with this squad for granted.

H/T to T Coleman who made a fan shot of this link to a Sports Illustrated article on CJ, and how he defies the stereotypes surrounding small, speedy running backs.

As the Rams take the field Sunday, they'll do so without their second leading tackler, safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, who will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Also in doubt is first round tackle Jason Smith, who has been struggling with the lingering effects of a concussion for three weeks.

Congratulations to former Titan and current Redskin's RB Quinton Ganther for taking over the starting position in Washington. The RB position has been in flux there since Portis and Betts went on IR, and Ganther's good play has unseated Rock Cartwright.

Have love, need links: mcmaugustwest@gmail.com!

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: The Music City March It Is Edition

August West — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:37:14 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Lavelle Hawkins is finally celebrating something a little bigger than just seeing the field.

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PFW has an in-depth look at the Music City March (h/t WC22 and Joe Biddle), and what Vince Young had to do to make it happen:

"Well, the defensive line was spying two guys on the inside, so they wouldn’t let me do that (on the final drive)," Young said of running. "They wanted me to basically use my arm downfield. The only choice that I had was to check the ball down to our speedy guys. And they made a lot of plays.

Paul Kuharsky summarizes our up-coming schedule and breaksdown the statistical probability that we shock the world and make the playoffs (13%). The odds aren't great, but they were a lot worse five weeks ago. I just hope our guys are staying focused on the team in front of them every week, because they're the biggest obstacle to making this miracle happen.

Kenny Britt is going to get a shot at kick returner. I still don't know what their beef is with Alvin Pearman, because his contributions in the return game are worth an active roster spot on Sundays.

Follow us through the jump for more good stuff...

Dan Daly at the Washington Times delivers a good write-up of our season and the ridiculous feats Chris Johnson his pulling off this year.

Check-out this awesomeness from Paul K's blog:

ESPN Stats & Information passed on this interesting look at the probability of the Titans winning at the start of that drive and all the way along the way as calculated using this page at advancenflstats.com.

Key plays with time remaining in parenthesis:

(2:37) Start of final drive; 1st & goal at own 1-yd line -- 25%

(1:56) fourth-and-4 from own 7 -- 5%

(0:43) fourth-and-4 from ARI 44 -- 1%

(0:33) second-and-5 from ARI 26 -- 57% (first time in drive over 50%)

(0:28) third-and-5 from ARI 26 -- 40%

(0:21) first-and-goal from ARI 9 -- 69%

(0:17) second-and-goal from ARI 9 -- 19%

(0:11) third-and-goal from ARI 10 -- 11%

(0:06) fourth-and-goal from ARI 10 -- 5% (using TD pct here since we know it was last play of game)

It's looking like Justin Gage will be out at least another week, so Britt's starting job will continue to be safe.

Vince Young is so big he's getting covered by the real BBC, not just the fakey-BBC America. That's craziness.

Gary Estwick is trolling for losers on Stampede Blue? Serious facepalm.

Here's a cool little profile of a 9 year old who got sideline passes to the last game thanks to her skills in the Punt, Pass and Kick Competition.

Every time you read a great Titans-related story on the web and don't share it with the MCM community through the fanposts, fanshots or by emailing me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com Peytoon Manning makes YET ANOTHER commercial. Is that what you want?!!!!?!?!

Titans 20 Texans 17 Recap: Vince Young Reclaims Houston

Jimmy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:48:35 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

Money! (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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That was a really fun game. The transformation this team has made since the Boston Massacre is really astounding. They are playing with a fire that they really didn't in weeks 4-6. I am not sure how much of that can be attributed to Vince Young, but it is safe to say that his enthusiastic style of play is rubbing off on the guys around him. It is fun to watch.

The Titans came out of the gate hot last night forcing Houston to go three and out on the first series. The third down play was especially sweet as the front four collapsed the pocket around Matt Schaub before Tony Brown brought him down for a sack. Chatt Town Tony Brown has made himself a lot of money this year playing so well outside the shadow of #92. It is amazing that the Titans brought him in basically off the street- another in a long line of success stories under Jim Washburn.

The Titans went three and out as well on their first possession after a Lavelle Hawkins! sighting would have given them a first down but was negated because of an illegal shift. Anyone else curious why we never see Hawk returning anything. I am pretty sure he returned at least kicks in college, and if he is going to be active the might as well find a way to use him. The third down call- screen to Bo Scaife- was horrendous.

The Texans would get the first score of the game after a terrible 34 yard punt from Brett Kern gave them great field position. The play that set up the score was a Schaub 15 yard completion to Andre Johnson with our secondary chasing him Reynaldo Hill style. The touchdown came on a little underhanded toss to Slaton.

After both teams traded punts the Titans would put together a 9 play 80 yard drive that was capped off by a 13 yard pass from VY to Kenny Britt. The play was a really good read by Vince because he had Chris Johnson short but waited for Britt to come open in the end zone. Britt also had a 16 yard catch on that drive. Britt is easily the best rookie receiver the Titans have ever had, and should stay on the field even when Justin Gage comes back from his injury, but of course we know that it is impossible for a player to lose their starting job to injury, unless they are named Vince Young.

The next score came from the Texans when AJ ran right past Nick Harper (SHOCKING!) for a 12-yard TD catch. That prompted a whole host of jokes involving Harper, a vacuum, and Andre's last name in the game thread. Let me take this opportunity to thank everyone that participated in the open game thread. I don't get to be in those nearly as much as I would like, and I had an absolute blast being there last night.

The Titans would answer once again with another long drive- 75 yards this time. That drive included another catch by Britt, a 36 yard run from CJ and the first of two plays on the night that made me run around my living room in celebration when VY faked the pitched to CJ and took the ball to the one. He had been setting that up for a couple of week now and executed it to perfection. The nearly forgotten LenDale White punched it in on the next play to tie the game.

The Titans had a nice drive going coming out of the half that was halted when, in the words of gramsey, Vince went Kerry Collins and fumbled running by himself. The Texans made a couple of big plays off the fumble but were unable to capitalize when Kris Brown missed a 49 yard field goal wide right. That was a huge play in the game because the Texans get a lot of momentum if he is able to hit that kick.

The Titans came back and got a field from Rob Bironas that was set up by a 12 yard run by Vince Young. I can't remember if that was the option read or not, but the option read they ran was a thing of beauty. The Texans defensive end crashed on the fake to CJ, Vince kept the ball and got a big gain. Again, it is amazing how well he is running this offense. He is obviously putting in the time to really understand what Dinger is wanting to do, and it is paying off.

The Texans got a field goal of their own after both safeties decided to watch Johnson run by himself. Maybe Johnson has really good running form and the guys in our secondary are just trying to learn from it. That play went for 49 yards to the Titans' 8 yard line, and to the defenses credit, they were able to hold forcing the field goal.

Bironas missed a 49 yard field goal on the Titans ensuing drive, and things didn't look good for the Titans. The Texans had been hitting big plays and had good field position, but the defense stepped up. Tony Brown got another sack that forced a third and long and AJ dropped a pass going across the middle. He was being defended by Keith Bulluck on that play, and as much as we all love Bulluck, that is a HUGE mismatch. That prompted Hal to ask me why we kept having linebackers covering Johnson. Excellent question.

After trading punts again the Titans had the ball at the Texans 6 with 2:52 to play. The first play was CJ for 3 yards, but the Titans got the phantom horse collar call. Yes, it was a bad call, but they owed us one from the non-call when Vince was tripped. We all know how it played out. My only problem with the last drive was we had 1st and 10 at the Texans 40 with 1:09 left- I understand they wanted to get closer, but they should have run the ball at least once. Best case scenario CJ breaks another one to get us even closer, and worst case scenario it gets stuffed and they are forced to use one of their timeouts. I love that there was never any doubt about the Bironas field goal from the moment it left his foot.

The same cannot be said for Kris Brown's field goal that never had a shot. I was scared when we gave the ball back to the Texans after the horrible pooch kick. They had good field position, :44 seconds and two timeouts. The announcers were quick to tell us that K. Brown had been hitting them from 80 in warm-ups. I have never understood how that is relevant. The Texans hit plays of 16 and 11 before attempting the kick. I probably would have taken one more shot had I been them to try and get it closer. They didn't, K. Brown kicked it a mile to the left and I once again ran around my living room.

Winning is so much more fun. That one was especially fun with all of the crap leading up to the game. Now on to Arizona.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Vince Young Is Our Quarterback Edition

August West — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:39:31 -0000

More photos » by Dave Einsel - AP

Andre Johnson spent all night finding Nick Harper because he needed some toast to go with his eggs and bacon.

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This was my favorite quote in years (Full video at the end of this post):

Tafoya: For those people who still questioned, Vince, whether you could still play at this level in the NFL and be consistent, what's your answer to them?

VY: I love y'all too!

Paul K has these great tidbits as well:

When he was installed ahead of Kerry Collins following the Titans' 0-6 start, Young inherited a team with little more to lose. While the Texans seemed to feel the pressure as the moments that would decide the game arrived, the easy-going demeanor Young prides himself was still evident.

He put his arm around coach Jeff Fisher’s shoulder when he arrived at the sideline after failing to realize the 2:00 warning was upon the team in the first half. He patted an official on the backside after he was marked down, correctly, short of the goal line on one scamper. And he said he talked after the game amiably with Cushing, who was flagged for a late hit on Young out of bounds, telling his one-time USC rival that he should be defensive rookie of the year.

Newest VY fanboy: Paul Kuharsky... though, truth be told, if you're still hatin' on the man today then hating is something you were just born to do.

Last night might have been the most encouraging performance we've seen so far from Chris Johnson (and Mike Heimerdinger, in all honesty). Against one of the league's better run defenses, CJ was contained from breaking his signature huge plays yet managed to slash and grind his way to 151 yards while still averaging an elite 5.2 yards per carry. Getting it done in multiple was while never being stopped: just another reason CJ is the best back in the NFL right for 2010.

How far has Vince Young's passing progressed? Even Mike Florio, who got a good chunk of his NBC money for publicly hatin' on Vince, is giving the man some credit.

Follow us through the jump as the celebration continues....

This year, Nick Harper is the worst CB I've ever seen line-up in a Titans uniform, and I watched the entire Reynaldo Hill era. I watched Denard Walker too. This guy has lost it and that game would've been much less heart-attack inducing had Rod Hood started. I guess Fisher needs Bud to make that call for him as well?

Antonio Smith should have been ejected for elbowing Kevin Mawae in the kidney well away from the play last night. How friggin' stupid do you have to be to blatantly cheap-shot the president of the NFLPA? Also, how hilarious is it that the president of the player's union is getting called the dirtiest player in the league by some? How does that make one lick of sense? Are we to believe that Mawae is such a political and legal genius that players would vote for him despite being injured and hurt by him? Or are we to believe that the douchecanoe casting stones is just a petty, vindictive player who was a proven cheater on multiple occasions?

KSK knows why we won: Rob Bironas' Gunfingaz!

There still isn't a clear timetable of Justin Gage's return to the line-up. Kenny Britt has been great in Gage's absence, but getting Gage back would still be a big boost to the offense.

Looking at the AFC standing we have a long hill to climb to make a wildcard spot over the next 5 weeks, but there's one thing working greatly in our favor: the teams that are in front of are the Steelers (could be sans Big Ben for a while, already missing Troy), Broncos (slumping hard), Ravens (Flacco is regressing, D isn't what it was), Texans (can't close), the Jets (somehow Sanchez threw 2 INTs in last night's game) and the Dolphins (missing Ronnie Brown, but they're the one team in this cluster who are improving).

Send me links or don't send me links. I don't care today because WE'RE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Stumbling Around Drunk On Burgundy Wine Edition

August West — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:02:25 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

As long as you see this, you'll probably be seeing wins.

Browse more photos »

Jim Wyatt takes a long look back at the play that defined the Titans in Nashville and gave this blog its namesake.

Speaking of namesakes, here's where I got mine: Wharf Rat by the Grateful Dead!

Nick Harper was cleared for contact yesterday, but it's still unclear if he'll be active for Sunday's game since he hasn't hit anyone in a month and simply isn't as good as the guy he'll displace...

Follow us through the jump to find out about drops and more...

Paul K takes a look at the catch rates and drop rates around the league and finds that Justin Gage had the 10th worst catch rate (44.9%) among wide receivers who had been targeted at least 25 times.

This turn-around from the miserable early losses confirms that two things mean pretty much everything to a Jeff Fisher team: lots of sacks and winning the turnover battle.

David Stewart still hasn't practiced with his strained hamstring, which makes it more likely that Leroy Harris will get his second straight start at right tackle.

Gary Estwick talks to Justin Gage about his injury, and manages to not make it sound like it came from Teen People.

Having loosely watched last night's 49ers-Bears game on the NFL Network, I was struck by the unpredictability of Jay Cutler throwing 5 INTs to a team Vince Young just threw 0 INTs to the week before.

Good notes and quotes from the Titans Team Report on Yahoo!.

Chris Johnson is making Bills fans and analysts shake in their boots. I don't think CJ lights it up as much as some folks think this Sunday even if the Bills have the worst run defense in the NFL, but that's mostly just because the obvious things almost never work out in the NFL.

Every time you read a great Titans-related story on the web and don't share it with the MCM community through the fanposts, fanshots or by emailing me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com a Ravens (or Steelers) fan smiles. Is that what you want?!!!!?!?!

Bills Fantasy Friday: Week 10 Start 'Em/Sit 'Em

Kurupt — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:52:42 -0000

It seems like an eternity since they last played, but Buffalo Bills football returns this Sunday as the team travels to Nashville to take on the "surging" Tennessee Titans. The Bills last took the field in Week 8 and saw the offense put up another feeble effort as the defense finally fell apart in the fourth quarter, losing 31-10 at home to Houston.

The lack of fantasy success for Bills skills players continued, and there may be no end in sight. Trent Edwards returns from his concussion suffered way back in Week 6 with low expectations. It's been a struggle for him following a decent start to the season, as both he and the Bills' offense has become totally out of sync. The bumbling Bills will be facing a hot Tennessee offense led by the NFL's leading rusher, Chris Johnson. Things could get ugly for the Bills' run defense this week.

Let's take a look at the individual fantasy players of note for this week, after the jump.

Quarterbacks
Trent Edwards - Edwards hasn't played since being knocked out in the 2nd quarter of the Bills victory over the Jets back in Week 6. The offense was just as bad without him, and maybe worse. Don't be surprised by an early jolt of life from Edwards and the Bills offense, especially going against the league's 32nd ranked pass defense. However, with the way he's played since mid-September, it'd be hard to believe he'll have the success that other quarterbacks have seen against the Titans. Pro Bowl Cornerback Cortland Finnegan has come back the past two weeks, after a hamstring injury, to help the Titans defense allow a very respectable 181.5 passing yards per game. The Titans pass defense has also allowed just 4.4 yards per passing play the past two weeks. To me, the Titans defense, with a healthy Finnegan, is much closer to the past two weeks' performances than of the prior six. I expect Edwards to have some nice plays in his return, but struggle for the most part. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Vince Young - Young has led the Titans to both wins this season after replacing the ineffective Kerry Collins. He hasn't produced big numbers (297 total passing yards, 44 rushing yards, 2 total touchdowns), but has limited his mistakes (no interceptions, one sack taken) during this time. Young won't be much of a threat through the air, though the Titans like to go deep, but could really hurt the Bills with his legs. He's done it before. Still, I wouldn't expect much production yardage-wise, but he could find the endzone multiple times. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Running Backs
Marshawn Lynch - While the Titans pass defense has improved significantly the past two games, their run defense has taken a hit allowing 325 yards on the ground, 3 touchdowns and 9.0 yards per carry. Lynch and the Bills run offense have really struggled all season. Lynch is averaging just 43.4 yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry. Also, after 11 receptions in his first two games back from suspension, he has caught just six passes in the past three games. It's tough to recommend starting anyone on the Bills offense at this point, but in this matchup, Lynch might be the top choice. With Edwards back in the lineup, expect to see Lynch utilized in the passing game more. He's a flex option and not much more. Verdict: Start 'Em as a flex only

Fred Jackson - Jackson has just 14 carries in the past two games, and hasn't caught a pass since the Cleveland game. I wouldn't expect a huge spike in production this week, so keep him on your bench once again. He needs to be given more touches again before he is fantasy worthy. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Chris Johnson - Johnson leads the NFL in rushing with 959 yards. Johnson is averaging a ridiculous 6.7 yards per carry. Johnson has 12 rushes of over 20 yards (the Bills have four). Johnson has six rushes of over 40 yards (the Bills have one). Johnson has five 50+ yard touchdowns (the Bills have none). Simply put, he's damn good. Going against the Bills feeble rush defense, ranked 32nd in the NFL, looks like a major mismatch....and it is. I wouldn't be surprised if Johnson rushed for well over 200 yards this week, and fully expect him to have some big plays. If you have him on your fantasy team, be happy about it. If you don't, sit back and hope the Bills can miraculously shut him down. Verdict: Start 'Em

LenDale White - White has just 56 carries for 198 yards this season, and looks to be losing nearly all his touches as Johnson gets better and better. He's no longer a touchdown vulture, so he has little value to fantasy owners. Don't expect much. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Wide Receivers
Terrell Owens - As of right now (Friday morning), it's looking like Owens will be very iffy come Sunday. He is battling a hip injury that came out of nowhere on Tuesday, and is said to be "struggling" with it. It's not looking good for him this week. Knowing Owens, he's likely to try and play through the injury, but he'll probably be even more ineffective than usual. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Lee Evans - Evans saw a bit of a revival with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, but struggled in his last outing against the Texans finishing with just 2 catches for 29 yards. With Owens potential out, and Finnegan playing at a high level again, it could be another stinker for him this week. I did what I said I wouldn't do again this season and recommending starting Evans against Houston. Never again! Let him do the opposite of what I say! He should see more looks this week, but don't expect a huge game, or even a good game. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Nate Washington - Washington leads the Titans with 23 receptions, but has just 202 yards to show for it. He has a respectable 4 touchdowns on the season, but hasn't been the deep threat that Tennessee expected. Expect the Titans to throw only when they really need to, so Washington isn't much of a play this week. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Justin Gage - Gage leads the Titans with 302 receiving yards and looked good last week hauling in 4 passes for 97 yards. Young seems to like him, and the Titans will probably look to get him deep, so the potential for some big plays is there. Unless you are really desperate, look elsewhere. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Kenny Britt - Britt has just 3 catches in the last four games. I still think he's going to be a very good NFL WR, but it'll take some time (and a better QB). Keep an eye on him in the future. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Tight Ends
Shawn Nelson and Derek Fine - Nelson returns to the field this week following a concussion and subsequent migraines. Fine is still the starter. Neither have been effective this season. Fine has just three catches since week 3, and Nelson has flashed his potential only occasionally. Going forward, it'll be imperative to work Nelson into the lineup and passing game much more. Let's hope he responds with some production. Neither is fantasy relevant though. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Bo Scaife - Watching the Titans the past three or four seasons, Scaife proved to be one of Vince Young's favorite targets. He has six catches since Young returned to the lineup this year, and could be a sneaky play this week. The Bills defense has struggled against tight ends all season, so there should be opportunities for Scaife underneath. Don't be shocked if Scaife puts up nice numbers this week. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Alge Crumpler - Crumpler isn't a fantasy option anymore. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Kickers
Rian Lindell - Lindell is tied for 8th in the NFL with 13 field goals made for the season. He's been one of the few bright spots for an otherwise desolate team for fantasy purposes. Going against one of the league's most generous defenses could give Lindell more chances than usual. Still, it's tough to use the kicker for one of the worst offenses in the league. Go with a kicker from a better offense. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Rob Bironas - See Lindell, Rian. Bironas has more value because the Titans have the ability to move the ball on the ground. If the Bills can get stingy on 3rd downs in their own territory, Bironas could be a nice option this week. Again, I'd go with a kicker for a better offense, though. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Defense/Special Teams
Buffalo D/ST - The Bills defense has been quite opportunistic of late, forcing 13 turnovers and adding 6 sacks in the past three games. However, the Titans, under Vince Young, haven't turned it over and have allowed just one sack. Something has to give. If the Titans can control the ball and run wild on the Bills, as expected, sack and turnover opportunities just won't be there. But if the Bills defense can slow down Johnson and force some 3rd and longs, Young could be forced into some mistakes. I tend to believe it's more likely the former will happen. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Tennessee D/ST - The Titans D/ST has really taken a hit this season after performing as one of the better fantasy units the past few years. They are coming on though. In the past two weeks, they've forced six turnovers and accumulated eight sacks. I'd expect the sack numbers to continue. Playing at home could give them a nice boost as well. This unit makes for a good one week fill-in, if that's what you're looking for. Verdict: Start 'Em

Sleepers
Buffalo - Honestly, I don't see one. The offense has been so bad, it's hard to imagine any player making an unexpected huge contribution.

Tennessee - I'd say the Titans D/ST makes for a quality sleeper this week. It's unlikely many teams have been starting this unit this year, so they could put up an uncharacteristic total against the struggling Bills offense.

*****

It's hard to believe it's already Week 10, but here we are. It's the stretch run for fantasy leagues, so time to pull out all the stops. Make some trades to pick up players who will get you wins now, and go with the guys who have been producing this season. Good luck to all, enjoy the games and go Bills!

Horse Tracks 11/13/09 - Marshall practices, McBean limited; Harris and Barrett still out; Portis ruled out for Skins

Douglas A. Lee — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:51:59 -0000

DB - Week 10 - Thu: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - Changing of the Guard - Zach Eisendrath
"There was one change to the Broncos’ Week 10 Injury Report on Thursday. After he did not practice on Wednesday, Brandon Marshall (back) was a full participant in Thursday’s practice session."

DPP - Briefs: Defense aims to make QB a pocket passer - Jeff Legwold
"With Clinton Portis not playing Sunday because of a concussion, Ladell Betts is expected to start in the Redskins' backfield despite an ankle injury. Betts was held out of practice Wednesday and Thursday."

DPP - Rookies haven't earned rave reviews - Mike Klis
"I understand why we have that word 'rookie' attached to our names," said cornerback Alphonso Smith. " 'Rookie' to me means unaware. Ignorant in a sense, because you just don't know."

DB - Keeping The Dorm Lifestyle - Chris Gentilviso
Rookies David Bruton, Chris Baker, Darcel McBath and Alphonso Smith all live in the same apartment complex. The three DBs also study film together with Renaldo Hill on Tuesdays.

DPP - Analysis: Broncos are retooling their offensive line - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Q&A: Broncos still use zone-blocking schemes - Jeff Legwold

DB - Week 10 - Thu: Bailey - Broncos TV

DPP - O-line last frontier to see change - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Spotlight on: Broncos guard Russ Hochstein - Lindsay Jones

CSG - Broncos' lineman Hochstein excited about chance to start - Frank Schwab
"Overall, I’m just excited to get out and help my team," Hochstein said. "Whatever capacity they use me, I’m happy with."

CSG - Trade involving Broncos' Bailey, Redskins' Portis still big - Frank Schwab

LTC - Heading to D.C., Broncos’ offense stalling - Brian Howell

AP - With Guarded Optimism, Broncos Switch To Hochstein - Pat Graham

AP - No Answer For No-Huddle Puts Broncos In Bind - Pat Graham

DB - Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Honors Six
Mike Shanahan and Larry Zimmer are among those honored.

NFL Results

NFL - Chicago Bears 6 at San Francisco 49ers 10
In case you weren't watching, Cutler threw FIVE picks last night. Ugh, and I picked the Bears...

Redskins News

WP - Portis officially ruled out; Smith may go on IR (updated) - Jason Reid

WP - Redskins turn to Ladell Betts - Rick Maese

WP - Rinehart, Montgomery in 'ongoing battle' - Jason Reid

USAT - Redskins' Alexander: 'We've got to go out there and play for pride' - Sean Leahy

AFC West News

SDUT - Hardwick not practicing - Kevin Acee

KCS - Chambers, Cassel try to be on the same page - Kent Babb

KCS - Chiefs notebook: Game against Raiders will be emotional for Cassel - Adam Teicher

OT - Oakland Raiders receiver Javon Walker seeking his freedom - Steve Corkran

SFC - Lechler hopes to give Baugh's record the boot - David White

NFL News

NFL - Week 10 injuries: Gates, LT fully practice for Chargers

FH - Source: Browns Player Hurt in Extra Drill - Dan Graziano

FH - Justin Gage Has Broken Bones in Back - Chris Burke

NFL - Falcons coach Smith fined $15K for melee; two 'Skins also punished

SI - NFL reaches deal to receive NCAA game footage - Don Banks

Y! - NFL shipwrecks Captain Morgan campaign - Charles Robinson
Wow, I've gotta say - this one is pretty funny. Kudos to Captain Morgan for trying...

NFL Opinion

USAT - What if the NFL sacks the salary cap? Free agents left to wonder - Jarrett Bell

ESPN - Inspired to succeed by his late mother, Indianapolis Colts TE Dallas Clark has run an unlikely route to stardom - Jeffri Chadiha

FOX - NFL Truths: Don't believe Brady-Manning hype - Jason Whitlock

NFP - Diner morning news: Why Coughlin took the blame - Mike Lombardi

NFP - Is Eagles’ Hanson a victim of labor strife? - Andrew Brandt

Y! - Cutler doesn't dodge criticism after horrific outing - Mike Silver

SI - Cutler at center of Bears' mediocre play, crisis of confidence - Ann Killion

SN - What We Learned: Cutler is falling into Bears trap - Vinnie Iyer

SI - Jeff Fisher, John Fox among NFL coaches wrongly put on hot seat - Ross Tucker
"Well, the Broncos are 6-2 and atop the AFC West, and even though they've lost their last two games, I think it is safe to say that McDaniels was a very good hire."

SI - Everything can change in a New York minute, so don't bury Giants - Don Banks

SI - Chris Johnson better NFL running back than Adrian Peterson - Kerry J. Byrne

SI - Pittsburgh Steelers want payback vs. Cincinnati Bengals - LaMarr Woodley

Midseason Stuff and Week 9 Previews

CBS - Midseason Awards: It's Peyton -- period -- for MVP - Pete Prisco

ESPN - Offensive Midseason All-Pros - Len Pasquarelli

ESPN - Defensive Midseason All-Pros - Len Pasquarelli

NFL - First-half impact from safeties cannot be ignored - Vic Carucci

FOX - 5 Questions: Brian Billick on second-half adjustments - Brian Billick

NFP - The Player's Picks: Week 10 - Matt Bowen
"Broncos 24 Redskins 7"

SN - Week 10 picks: Patriots-Colts always an instant classic - Vinnie Iyer
"Redskins 13, Broncos 10"

ESPN - John Clayton breaks down the biggest NFL games of Week 10

SI - The Peter King Challenge
"Prediction: Denver Broncos 17, Washington Redskins 15"

NYT - Brady-Manning Is No. 2 on the QB Matchups Top 10 List - John Maxymuk

NYT - Week 10 Game Probabilities - Brian Burke

Poll

How do you think the O-Line will perform with Russ Hochstein starting?

He'll be a significant improvement over Hamilton

227 votes

Hamilton will be back starting before we know it

63 votes

McXanders will have to sign someone totally new

93 votes

383 votes | Poll has closed

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 11/13

MattRichWarren — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:22:45 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

about 1 month ago: FILE - This is an Oct. 18, 2009, file photo showing Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards (5) looking over the defense before snapping the ball during the first quarter of an NFL football game in East Rutherford, N.J. The Bills are going back to quarterback Trent Edwards, who will start against Tennessee this weekend after missing two games with a concussion. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)

View full size photo »

Van Pelt, Edwards talked about deep pass game – Inside The Bills
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt mentioned that he addressed the subject with Trent Edwards, who is re-entering the lineup this week at Tennessee.

Bills notebook: Scott returns from injury, shifts from safety to linebacker : The Buffalo News
Safety Bryan Scott has been spending most of his time in practice at outside linebacker the past two weeks. It looks like he'll get a chance to play the position in a game.

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
After his second concussion in just over a year, Bills QB Trent Edwards is wearing a different helmet this week that he hopes will offer more protection

First-half impact from safeties cannot be ignored | Vic Carucci | NFL.com
Jairus Byrd shares that he watches video of veterans safeties in addition to his game tape to try and get better. Dick Jauron, himself a former safety, describes Byrd's hand-eye coordination as "very unusual" which leads to many of his picks.

Bills' Nelson trying to catch a break : The Buffalo News
The Bills' plan for an expanded role for the tight ends got off to a promising start as they got 17 catches from the position through the first three games. However, the tight ends have just six receptions since.

BillBoard: T.O. "struggling" with hip injury
Owens has never been one to sit out of practice unless he was given the day off by his team, but head coach Dick Jauron said Thursday that Owens was just too sore to participate.

Titans run game will test Buffalo Bills | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle
Containing Chris Johnson and the Titans run game will be a tall order for the Bills last-ranked rushing defense.

Video: Bills in for a long day in Nashville - AFC East Blog - ESPN
AccuScore gives Chris Johnson a 55 percent chance to rush for 120 yards. The Titans won 65 percent of AccuScore's 10,000 simulations by an average of six points. [Sadly, I give Johnson a much higher chance.]

Third time's not the charm | WIVB.com
The voice of the Bills, John Murphy, looks at the third down woes of the offense.

Bills hope to mimic Titans' rebound off bye week - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
The Titans have won two straight coming off their bye. The Bills would like to come off their bye with a couple (or 8) wins.

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Audio Archive | Schopp & The Bulldog
John Clayton joined the show yesterday. He doesn't think the Bills should take playing time from TO among other things.

Bills Week Nine Preview: Bills at Titans | Buffalo News Video
The 3-5 Bills take on the 2-6 Titans this week. What makes this matchup interesting? Vince Young and Chris Johnson.

Question Mark: Replay officials have obligation to review 'totality' of a play : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Mark Gaughan answers questions on instant replay, "actual" playing time in a game, and Buffalo throwing the ball into the end zone.

News Staff Selections / Week 10 : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Jerry Sullivan and Allen Wilson picked the Bills this week.

Jet Away to Toronto - Gang Green Nation
Gang Green Nation is trying to help make the Toronto game a "fourth divisional home game". Ugh.

Titans Updates
Justin Gage Has Broken Bones in Back -- NFL FanHouse
Titans wide receiver Justin Gage made arguably the catch of the week but is paying for it and will miss the game against the Bills this week.

Chris Johnson better NFL running back than Adrian Peterson - Kerry J. Byrne - SI.com
Adrian Peterson is widely considered the best running back in the league. The Cold, Hard Football Facts say he's not.

Young has fit back in – Inside The Bills
Over the past two games Young has gone 27-37 (73%) for 297 yards and a TD with a 105.3 passer rating, both wins for the Titans after an 0-6 start. Naturally he’s helped tremendously by the NFL’s #2 run game and the league’s leading rusher Chris Johnson.

Titans Johnson shows speed kills | BuffaloBills.com
Dan Bates highlights Chris Johnson's speed and asks the Bills defenders how they plan to stop him.

'Music City Miracle' still makes 'em marvel | tennessean.com | The Tennessean
The Tennessean recalls the "Homerun Throwback" that knocked the Bills out of their last playoff appearance in January of 2000.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:30:23 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

about 1 month ago: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, left, tries to elude the rush of Denver Broncos' Darrell Reid (95) and a second defender during the first quarter of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 9, 2009, in Denver. (AP Photo/ David Zalubowski)

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Happy Tuesday, friends. After being up late, and watching a hard-fought game go awry, I bet you're pretty bleary-eyed, and grumpy, but let's try to make this a good day. I don't want to think that the Broncos have fallen into losing habits here, and I really don't think that's the case.

Of course, those who speak, but don't know what they're talking about, will start screaming about how the Broncos have been exposed, and they're a fraud, and every other damn thing. A few persistent issues have emerged, but they can be corrected. If anything, losing back-to-back games against good teams can teach you a great deal about your own team.

Let's reflect on this, as I know the coaching staff is, and the players are. Next week, the Broncos face the Redskins, which presents a great opportunity to get back on the winning track. After that, San Diego comes to town. The Broncos still control the AFC West, make no mistake about that.

On the other side of the jump, we'll break it all down. Ready..... BEGIN!!!!

1. It's now midseason, and the Broncos are 6-2, and in first place by a game, and having beaten San Diego on the road. Think back to August, and if I told you that's where the Broncos would be, you'd be happy to take that deal, right? It's a little less great to win the first 6 and lose the last 2, but whatever.

I mentioned some issues, and I want to talk about them briefly. I think all are fixable in the second half of the season.

a. Ben Hamilton is getting to be pretty useless, and I think it's time to see what Seth Olsen has. Hamilton has gone from being above-average before his concussion-driven missed season, to average last season, to decidedly below-average this season. Every time the Ravens and Steelers needed to get pressure on Kyle Orton, they did it over Hamilton. Every other team in the NFL has seen that, and will try to replicate that strategy.

From former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah, during the game:

I don't know what Olsen can do yet, but he's definitely bigger and stouter than Hamilton. I have to think he can anchor better than what we've seen from #50. I am pretty sure Russ Hochstein isn't the answer, but I'd like to see what Olsen looks like.

b. The Broncos need better execution overall on offense. The scheme is fine, and the players are fine, they just need to make the plays that they have a chance to make. They have had some bad penalties, some poorly-timed drops, some slip-and-falls in the running game putting them off schedule, and lately, some bad throws. Plays like Brandon Stokley coming just short of a first down, and Hamilton getting called for a (really questionable) holding penalty on a converted 4th-and-5 are what has been hurting the Broncos offense. The coaches need to send the message that if the players who are playing don't execute, they'll find somebody who will.

c. Signing Mitch Berger was a big mistake. I think it's worth working out some other punters, but really, I liked Brett Kern. If somebody better than Berger is available, I think he should be brought in. Getting a good punter needs to be a high priority in the offseason, too.

d. Interestingly, short-yardage offense has improved during the two losses, as the Broncos have shown a willingness to throw some in those situations. It is still a concern going forward, though. Olsen may help here, if he is given a shot.

e. No-huddle offenses have been problematic for the Broncos the last two weeks. They limit their ability to disguise coverages and rush packages, and they also make it hard to substitute as much as the Broncos want to. Not every team is effective in the no-huddle, but just about every team the Broncos might see in the playoffs is. They need to figure out who their best base defensive group is against the no-huddle.

I think my underlying thought right now is that the Broncos probably aren't quite ready for the Super Bowl, but they hung with a team tonight who is a real championship contender. They beat New England a couple weeks ago, who is a real championship contender. They beat Dallas and Cincinnati, who at the least are good teams. The Broncos have a ways to go, but as first halves of the season go, you have to feel pretty good about theirs. It's not time to start anything over, or blow anything up. It's time to make a few adjustments, execute better, and keep working toward winning games.

2. Information from My Eyes, Steelers at Broncos.

a. Did I mention that I think Mitch Berger sucks? Nothing has particularly changed for me on that score. John Bena coined a new term last night, Brett Kern-backers. I liked Kern, but I don't think I am a Brett Kern-backer. I am a guy who wants a consistent good performance from the Broncos punter, whoever it is.

Philosophically, not a single player or coach on this team means more to me than the team itself. I don't care who is doing it, I just want it done. As much as I love John Elway, the team always came before him to me, too. Part of his greatness, though, was that he'd never make you separate him from the team.

b. It didn't get mentioned a lot, but Tyler Polumbus struggled at RT, especially in the second half of the game. LaMarr Woodley got a lot of pressure and forced a few key throwaways. He'll be okay against most teams, but this was a tough situation for him. Ryan Harris's absence was most definitely felt.

c. I liked the work of both Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal in this game. They consistently did a good job getting open and catching the ball. Marshall had the one drop, but it was a good effort for him overall.

d. I thought D.J. Williams had his worst game of the year, by far. He was taking bad angles all night, and didn't look like he had a prayer of getting off a lot of blocks. I'm admittedly not generally his biggest fan, but he's had the best year of his career in 2009. Monday night, not so much.

e. Wesley Woodyard played a lot more snaps than he's used to, and I thought he wore down in the second half of the game. The Steelers played a tremendous amount of 3 WR sets, which kept Andra Davis on the sideline, and Woodyard in the game.

f. Kyle Orton was actually not too bad for most of the game. He had 2 bad throws, and about 3 bad decisions (one of them was picked off). He was pretty sharp the rest of the night. He needs to cut out the bad decisions, but I was generally a lot happier with his performance tonight than I was against the Ravens. (I don't care about statistics, of course.) Nobody is saying they're thrilled with his ultimate performance, of course, but there's more nuance to the situation, than just looking at the stat sheet.

g. Rashard Mendenhall was the primary reason the Steelers won the game. He got going in the second half, and it forced the Broncos to be more aggressive in the box. I used to think very little of Mendenhall, but he has improved a lot. He runs with vastly better patience and body lean than he did even just a month ago.

h. The Steelers also have themselves a find with Mike Wallace. He's very dangerous for a 3rd WR. They don't do a lot of traditional slot-type stuff, and in nickel offense, if anything, Hines Ward is their slot guy. (I think making definitive distinctions between #1, #2, and #3 WRs is silly.) Wallace has great speed, and he showed good route-running skills Monday night.

i. I liked what I saw of Ty Law in his limited action. Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins both mostly struggled in the game, neither making a great impact. Champ ought to be embarassed by letting Ward jump over him in garbage time. He knows better than that. He also got beat in man-to-man coverage several times by Santonio Holmes. Andre' Goodman was good in this game, though, even beyond his interception.

j. The Broncos use of the "mush rush" was very good in the first half, and very bad for most of the second. Robert Ayers played a key role in containing Ben Roethlisberger when he as assigned that duty, and that's what he was doing when Kenny Peterson knocked the ball free.

k. The Broncos got hosed on the Gaffney challenge, and also on the Haggan fumble recovery. Don Carey has joined my list of bad referees. I like how a return team becomes an intercepting team. I can't believe that he's related to Mike Carey, who is excellent. And he's the older brother? Wow.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games:

a. I watched a lot of the Green Bay-Tampa Bay game Sunday, for a few reasons. I haven't seen much of the Bucs this year, and I wanted to look at Josh Freeman, who I liked a lot coming out of college. He looked like a rookie at times, but he showed a lot of positives too. I thought he looked poised and confident, and I am not that surprised. I remember when he beat Texas as a freshman, and commanded the game. (My buddy lost a grand on the game, and he called me frantically looking for NFL advice for the next day, to "get back even." It was a debacle. I don't give gambling advice anymore, because of that weekend.)

Anyway, Freeman looked like a star that day in 2006, and he looked like he may be one someday in the NFL on Sunday. I think Tampa did the right thing, giving him some time to learn from the sideline, but it has to be Freeman Time the rest of the season.

b. I loved Raheem Morris's line after getting his first victory as a head coach.

Statistics are for losers, and today, we're winners.

And then, there's Chicago Bears lover/reporter/enabler/apologist Brad Biggs of National Football Post, after his beloveds got blown out again.

That's positive news? The Bears got smoked, again, Brad. Their best player, who is supposed to always play well, performed close to expectations. It's only positive news if he is on your fantasy team, which is why I don't really like fantasy football. (Well, that and the dorktastic "experts' you have to tolerate on TV.)

Cutler played alright, but he didn't do anything to elevate the play of anybody else, as usual, and the interception he threw in the 4th quarter did kill the Bears' chances of coming back.

It's amazing how the Bears team has assumed the personality of the 2008 Broncos. There's a good chance they'll get blown away on defense, and Cutler is almost definitely going to need to carry the offense. In my business, we contract with companies to take over non-core operations. We call it a lift-and-shift. You terminate your employees who work in a call center, and we'll instantly hire them. They'll work for us, and you'll pay us a fee that is less than what you pay for this operation. Meanwhile, we'll optimize, and reduce the headcount, and correspondingly, the costs.

Everybody considered Cutler's acqusition to be a lift-and-shift. The Bears got a franchise QB. Imagine what he'll do on a team that plays good defense and runs the ball. Football is such a multi-variate system, it's really amazing.

c. I would really hate to be a Bears fan. They have no high draft picks this year, and suddenly a lot of roster holes to fill. They need 3 or 4 new starters on their offensive line, to begin with. Orlando Pace is done, Josh Beekman and Roberto Garza were never starting-caliber players in the NFL, and Olin Kreutz is getting close to done. I don't care for Chris Williams, either. He's looked passable at RT, but if he was worthy of his draft slot, he would have bumped Pace, because it's clear as day that he isn't good enough. You wouldn't use a #1 on an RTO (Right Tackle Only), unless it was Jeff Otah.

They could also use some WRs, some secondary players, and a pass rusher. We're not asking for much, right?

Chicago has a cash-poor ownership group, and the cold weather and their ugly uniforms don't tend to help draw free agents. (Yes, both things matter. It's part of the problem in Cleveland too.) I just don't know how you can bring in enough players there to improve for next season.

d. On Monday I read a lot of epitaphs about the Chicago defense, which didn't get into a lot of the "why" they're so bad. As I was explaining to a friend a few days ago, a defense has to have all 11 players working well together, in order for it to be sound and effective. Because defense is fundamentally a reactive mission, there are many inter-dependencies among the three levels, and communication, like-mindedness through practice, and discipline make all the difference. That sounds simple, and it really is.

First of all, you'd better either be good against the run with 7 in the box, or have a big-time safety who can move 12 yards from a cover-2 shell to the line of scrimmage really quickly. The Bears can't stop the run with 7, so you know they'll have 8 in the box. Then, there's the passing game. When a team can't rush the passer with 4 players, they need to blitz with numbers. When they blitz with numbers, it makes it hard to play soundly in zone coverage, so you mostly have to start playing man coverage. When you play a lot of man coverage, you'd better hope you have the athletes to cover the other team's athletes - and chances are, their #3 and #4 options are better than yours. That's a simple fact of it being harder to find players with coverage skills than it is to find guys who can run a route and catch a ball, when he knows where he is supposed to go.

So you can't stop the run, you can't get pressure with 4, you can't play zone, and you can't play man. All that's left is to guess at what the offense is going to do, and play for that. The obvious problem there is what happens when you guess wrong. You get exposed, and give up huge plays. That sounds a lot like the 2008 Broncos' defense, right?

To apply this to the Bears, they used to get pressure with their front 4, but Tommie Harris is having a bad season. He was a healthy scratch for the Cincinnati game, reportedly because of some attitude issues, and they got lambasted. Then, he got ejected over some extreme foolishness 1 minute into Sunday's game. The Bears again got crushed. Harris is among the best 3-technique DTs in the NFL, when his body and attitude are right.

With no Harris, Alex Brown and Adewale Ogunleye have struggled to get any pressure, so the Bears have blitzed, ineffectively. They have all these tall, slow CBs who can't do anything except play zone coverage, and they got shredded in man-to-man on Sunday, as they did against Cincinnati. If you decide to be a cover-2 team, you'd better play a lot of cover-2, because your personnel can't hold up playing man.

If Harris can manage to get his body and mind right, and have a dominant second half, he could personally bring a soundness back to the Bears that could send them on a 6-2ish run in the second half to finish 10-6. The more likely outcome is that he continues to sulk, the Bears continue to get gashed, and they finish 7-9 at best. And the Broncos have a nice draft pick. Thanks, guys :)

e. Funny story. My brother Chris (who did join MHR as Chris911, incidentally) and I were talking on the phone the other night, like we do sometimes.

Chris: You know, Jay Cutler has a losing record in games where he throws for over 300 yards.

Ted: You know, Jay Cutler has a losing record as a starting QB in the NFL.

Yessir. I love that draft pick more and more every day.

f. Remember the spring of 2008 when many wanted Denver to become Vanderbilt West? It hasn't worked out so well for Chicago. Earl Bennett's ceiling is to be an average starter, if he puts it all together. He can't get off bump coverage right now, whatsoever. He also runs bad routes and drops the ball a lot. In other words, everything he was supposed to do well, he doesn't. Yes, I know he had 7 catches for 93 yards Sunday, but the vast majority of it was in garbage time, against soft zone coverage. (And, yes, wise guys, I know, most of the game was garbage time.)

Chris Williams, I already discussed. He has definitely been a disappointment. This year, the Bears took D.J. Moore, a CB, who is somehow not good enough to beat out any of the pu pu platter of guys who take turns opposite Charles Tillman. He has been a gameday inactive all season, and is not even a special teams contributor.

I watched the Florida-Vanderbilt game Saturday night, and was reflecting on this. Vanderbilt has no hope in the SEC. They can't recruit talent that is nearly good enough to compete, and most of their guys have tended to underachieve in the NFL. They are on my list with Texas and Ohio State of schools whose players I am naturally suspicious of, although it's all for different reasons.

I wonder if Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Stanford, Duke, Rice,and Baylor ever thought about forming a football-only, high-SATs conference. Actually, this year, Vandy would be in the bottom half of that league, too.

g. Staying with the college theme for a minute, the best all-around QB I have seen this season at any school is Cincinnati's sophomore backup, Zach Collaros. He has completed 76% of his passes for 1,229 yards, with 10 TDs and 1 interception in the 3+ games he has appeared in. He has also rushed 43 times for 281 yards, and 4 TDs, while only being sacked 10 times.

Cincinnati's original starter, senior Tony Pike, is expected to start this week, although head coach Brian Kelly did cop to it being a tough decision. Pike is likely to be drafted on Day 1 next spring. Collaros is going to contend for the Heisman Trophy next season, and he'll be a high pick too, when he decides to leave school. He's the total package, with an above-average arm, very good poise, and outstanding accuracy and athleticism. The only knock on him is that he's 6 feet tall, but he has some definite Drew Brees-like qualities as a thrower. This is a 75-yard TD run against a South Florida team with lots of athletes. The guy is real.

h. A guy I really like on an otherwise not-great unit is Atlanta Guard Harvey Dahl. He has been getting very good pad level, and driving guys, in helping Michael Turner have his best two games of the season. I beat up Sam Baker for his pass protection last week, but he did well in the running game Sunday, too. The Redskins are normally solid against the run, but Atlanta gashed them repeatedly.

i. Michael Lombardi stole my thunder, which is an occasional hazard of writing for Tuesday mornings. (The) Other smart analysts see(s) the same things and beat(s) you to talking about them sometimes. Ray Lewis definitely looks like he's doing it more on guile and want-to than skill anymore. I respect his effort greatly, and sometimes he makes a huge play, like against the Chargers, but he's clearly hit his downside. Big up Lombardi, for consistently seeing what the reporters don't see. (By the way, it's weird and unnatural to see Lombardi stand with a mic and interview players and coaches for NFL Network. Stop the madness, and be an analyst, Mike. You're better than some locker jockey.)

j. I was pretty critical of Dallas' Mike Jenkins earlier in the season, and he deserved it. Lately, though, he's been playing fantastic football. He did a great job Sunday night, and was the largest part of the Dallas secondary's outstanding effort not to give up the big plays that Philly wins with every week.

k. The Eagles are reputed to be a West Coast team, but they are not that, and never have been since Mr. Game Management, Andy Reid, came to town. Donovan McNabb isn't a West Coast QB, who does really well with timing throws. The Eagles are a vertical, downfield team, and they finally have guys in DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Brent Celek, who can get down the field and make the plays they want to make.

l. By the way, everybody knows I like Tim Tebow, but McNabb is the guy who Tebow most reminds me of. They played in similar-ish option-heavy offenses in college, and they have very similar profiles as throwers coming into the NFL. Tebow's stats are down this year, mostly due to bad pass protection, but he's throwing the ball better than ever when he gets some time.

m. The Chargers might be back. I haven't seen their LBs look as good as they did on Sunday in two years. Some of that may be due to the Giants offensive line, though, which is good in the running game, and below-average in the passing game. All this stuff about them having the best line is hogwash. (I've actually seen Michael Lombardi say that this season.) They have a natural LG, David Diehl, playing LT, and he gets owned by good pass rushers.

n. Brandon Jacobs looks really slow to the hole this season. He was never quick, but he's a different player. I have to wonder if he is hurt. Of course, I am prejudiced against tall RBs, because, definitionally, it's easier to hit them, than it is the compact guys. It's fair to say Jacobs has never been a favorite of mine.

o. I'd like to say that ST&NO favorite Alex Smith has established himself as a clear-cut solution at QB for the 49ers, but the fact is, they've lost all three games which he has played in. Two of the three interceptions he threw on Sunday were off the hands of his own players, so I don't really put those on him, personally. On the positive side, that play he made for a TD pass at the end of the first half was an All-Pro caliber play, that not many QBs could make. He kept himself alive with his feet, and made a perfect throw on the run.

This is what I know about Smith. His biggest problem is that he struggles with the mechanics of drops from under center which are more than 3 steps. It's not natural to him, and his footwork is slow, like he is thinking about it. That got him sacked on A-gap blitzes two or three times Sunday.

Smith is much more comfortable from the shotgun, and I think I would go to a medium-gun alignment with him, that is often called the Pistol. It's run a bit at some colleges, notably Nevada, and the Chiefs used it with Tyler Thigpen last season. The QB lines up 3 yards behind the center, with the RB 3 yards behind the QB. It provides better directional evenness to your running game than lining up in a full shotgun with the RB to one side or the other of the QB.

Smith can do all the things you need your QB to do; it's just a matter of putting him in position to be successful. I'll be interested to watch this game on Thursday night, against Chicago, because he could have a huge game.

p. I did like what I saw of Vince Young, again. He has played like he's fine with being part of a conservative game plan, which is what he needs. The option stuff he was running with Chris Johnson was effective, and he did hit Justin Gage deep on a couple throws. One, in particular, used all of Gage's vertical. He was actually a starter on Missouri's basketball team in his college days.

q. The Titans are suddenly playing some defense again too, especially Michael Griffin at safety. I also was impressed with William Hayes, who has taken over at LDE for Jevon Kearse, who may have finally had it, at this point. The Titans are a threat to make noise as a spoiler in the second half of the season. The return of Cortland Finnegan has helped them a lot, too. He's not the greatest cover guy, but he's a hitter, and he is always close to the ball. He compares favorably to Asante Samuel in that way.

r. The Panthers just make me shake my head sometimes. They are almost completely back to their 12-4 level from last year lately, except for their QB play. They really erred by not getting one, but John Fox and Jake Delhomme are almost married. Delhomme is going to cost Fox his job, for his sentimentality.

Remember when the Chargers whacked Marty Schottenheimer coming off the 14-2 record? It was the right move. So would cutting ties with Delhomme have been, after last season. Of course, the Chargers blew the second part by hiring Norv Turner. The Panthers will get their chance to do something in the offseason, but they have no first-round pick. If San Francisco decides Alex Smith isn't their guy, he'd be perfect for a team like Carolina, who runs the ball and attacks downfield off of play action. Marc Bulger might be a possible fit too, as the Rams will almost certainly be drafting a QB this year. The Panthers will likely need to get a retread, though.

s. The Saints deserved to get beat on Sunday, but they managed to win anyway. That's something championship teams do, is win without their best stuff.

t. The Texans are really close to being a serious playoff contender, but a Chris Brown goal-line fumble and a Kris Brown missed field goal have basically cost them two games. People haven't noticed, but Matt Schaub is putting up Pro Bowl numbers in Houston. Old friend Gary Kubiak needs to get his team to execute better in key situations.

u. I said I wasn't going to pick the addict Jaguars again, but I did on Sunday, because the Chiefs are horrible. The addicts then proceeded to almost give the game away. Shocker! ST&NO favorite Reggie Nelson had a very good game for the Jags, and so did Brandon Marshall's best friend from college, Mike Sims-Walker.

v. Matt Cassel was the bright spot for the Chiefs, again, and he continues to do pretty well with very little help. I guarantee that the Chiefs don't regret trading for him, especially at the price they paid.

4. In honor of Veterans' Day, I wanted to blaze a different path by doing something apolitical and propaganda-free. It's Tangential Story Time, in ST&NO. Yay!!!

Most regular readers are at least generally aware that I spent 4 years in the United States Navy. I don't think I have ever mentioned that going to sea is basically my family business, though. My dad was in the Navy for 14 years, and then has worked as an executive for companies which supply the Navy for the last 20+ years. His brother recently retired as a long-time civilian mariner for the Navy, and his other brother was a Marine, who rode a Navy ship or two. My youngest brother is currently employed as a Naval civilian mariner, presently working for a ship stationed in Gaeta, Italy. There's lots of salt in my family.

So, I woke up early on Sucker-Free Saturday, and a headline popped into my RSS reader that grabbed my attention.

Navy ship built with WTC steel to go into service

I clicked the link to read the article, and saw something very interesting in the first sentence.

NEW YORK — The Navy is commissioning its newest battleship with a bow forged from steel that once held up the World Trade Center.

The Navy decommissioned its last four remaining Iowa-class Battleships in the early 1990s, and I didn't think that they had any plans to bring them back, despite some misgivings from parts of the Marine Corps that current Naval Gunfire Support programs wouldn't be sufficient for a Normandy-like shore landing.

A Battleship is a specific type of ship, like in the children's game of the same name. The Iowa class had wooden decks, and three turrets with three independent 50-caliber 16-inch guns each, for a total of 9 guns. The shells were 16 inches in diameter, and weighed 2,700 pounds each. (Modern Cruisers and Destroyers have one or two (mostly two) 5-inch, 54-caliber guns each, by comparison. Those shells are 5 inches in diameter, and weigh 70 pounds.) Each Iowa-class turret took a crew of 94 men to operate, and I actually served with a guy who was working in Turret #3 on the Iowa in 1989, when Turret #2 exploded and killed 47 men.

Battleships played a large part in the Pacific theater in World War II, and somewhat minor parts in Korea, Vietnam, and the first Persian Gulf War. The primary missions of Battleships were shore bombardment, and ship-to-ship combat. The advent of precision-guided munitions (like Harpoon missiles, for ship-to-ship combat), and the reality that 5-inch, 54-caliber guns are considered by the Navy to be sufficient for Naval Gunfire Support, largely made battleships unnecessary, and the last Battleships were decommissioned not long after World War II, with a few held in reserve status. Iowa, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Missouri were each re-commissioned several times over the coming decades, with the Missouri being the last active battleship, being decommissioned for the last time in 1992. (The picture below is of the Iowa, shooting her guns to starboard.)

So, there's this new ship, called the USS New York, and the AP says it's a battleship. At first, I was skeptical, because I know that the Battleship mission is obsolete. Thinking about it, though, it is named after a state, like US battleships have historically been. I also know that the Bush Adminstration Pentagon had some meat-heads in high places of their procurement organization, who favored weapons systems with some badass factor to them, whether they were strictly necessary or not. But I would have heard about new Battleships, right? Hmmmm.

I called the guy who would know, my father Ed, who has appeared in ST&NO before, and I got my answer.

Ted: Hey, what do you know about this new ship, New York, that was partially built from World Trade Center steel?

Ed: Well, it's being commissioned this morning.

Ted: What kind of ship is it?

Ed: It's a piece-of-(bleep) LPD-17 class. A Gator Freighter. (Note: Gator Freighter is the ~~somewhat~~ very derisive name for Amphibious Navy ships which primarily carry Marines. Surface combatant guys, like me, don't think too much of Amphibs, or the people who ride them.)

Ted: Oh, OK. This AP reporter called it a battleship, and it's named after a state, which lends that some coincidental level of plausibility. I was skeptical, so I thought I'd ask somebody who knows.

Ed: <Scoffs> The media doesn't know what the hell they're talking about.

The media doesn't know what the hell they're talking about. Hmmm... Where have I heard that before?

5. What's New In Cleveland Update:

We have a great local brewery here called Great Lakes Brewing Company, that puts out this great stuff they call Christmas Ale every year, at this time. It tastes like cinnamon, but it's 7.5% alcohol by volume, so if you're like me, and you drink them like they're just expensive Bud Lights, they can really creep on you quickly.

So, I was at a the Cleveland State University bar called Becky's last Thursday, for my fraternity's monthly alumni happy hour. I was pleased to discover that they had Christmas Ale on tap, which I would later find out was running me $18 per pitcher, times 3 pitchers. Whatever. I am drinking some fine seasonal beer, and one of the guys says, "Hey, that's Mike Trivisonno right there, like 5 feet away."

Trivisonno is the local Radio Idiot, who I have disparaged on here before a few times, as being part of the Browns problems. I am not sure what he was doing at Becky's, of all places, but he was hanging out with some uglo-Americans, who may or may not have been related to him. He's holding court, and talking about the Browns, and how the city is cursed, and blah blah blah. (I hate it when people say "blah blah blah" in a conversation, but for some strange reason I just felt the strong need to type it there, like my ex-wife possessed my body momentarily, or something. Deal with it.)

It seems the work of the Radio Idiot is never finished. He bloviates even off the clock. I wonder if Rush Limbaugh does too.... That was a little deeper than a Shallow Thought. Focus.

OK, here's the deal. There's no such thing as curses. There's only confusing hope for a plan (hat tip to Michael Lombardi). That's what they do here, in all sports - even the Cavs, to some extent. (Let's face it: the Shaq acqusition is all about hope.)

Randy Lerner, by all accounts, is an OK guy, and he wants to win. He doesn't know anything about football, and I don't think he particularly wants to, either. He's actually a soccer guy, and he owns Aston Villa. He needs somebody to establish and run a program for him. It can't be a Head Coach, because he's too hands-off for that kind of arrangement. (That works fine with appropriately engaged owners like Robert Kraft, Bud Adams, and Pat Bowlen.)

He needs a Bill Parcells-type situation, which is why he is reportedly pursuing Mike Holmgren. I think Holmgren is going to end up saying he'd rather coach than head a front office, but it's a good idea to try. Whoever ends up being the head honcho is going to fire Eric Mangini, and start over from scratch, again. This is increasingly clear. The trick is going to be hiring the right honcho, for the first time since they came back into the NFL in 1999.

Ron Wolf and Ernie Accorsi aren't going to want the job, but if I were Lerner, I'd put on a full-court press to get one of them to help me find the right honcho. A guy I would make a run at is Jimmy Johnson, but only as a team president, not a coach. You hire him, tell him he only has to work 30 hours a week, some of it from Florida, and let him hire a focused GM, (maybe Chris Polian, or Marty Hurney if he is let go at Carolina?) and let them decide what to do with the coaching staff. Then, the chain of command is clear: Owner, to President, to GM, to Head Coach.

As a side note, I expect Mangini to struggle to find future work in coaching. His credibility in the NFL is shot at this point, and what college is going to hire a guy like that? Can you see him talking a kid into coming to play at State U? Absolutely not.

6. So, I know you've been wondering what a guy like me does on a Friday night. My gameplan changes every week, like any good team's (except the Colts); and this past Friday, my friend Ashley was looking for somebody to go with her to a happy hour event at the Cleveland Museum of Art. It sounded like fun, so I emailed her, and we went.

I'd like to tell you that I am a really cultured, artsy guy, but the truth is that I'm not. I'm kind of a rugged football, business, and politics guy. Somewhat embarassingly, it was the first time I had gone to the Museum in 7 1/2 years of living in Cleveland. Ashley is really smart, though, and I figured correctly that I would learn some stuff from her.

There was a Paul Gauguin exhibit, which was included in the price of admission. I looked up Gauguin on the interwebz, and learned that he was a contemporary of Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh's brother Theo was actually Gauguin's agent, and he got them to work together in 1888. They spent 9 weeks together at Van Gogh's famous Yellow House in Arles, and they quarreled constantly, because they saw the right way to paint very differently. (At the CMA, there were several examples, side-by-side, where both men painted the same thing, and they looked extremely different.) Both men had bouts of depression and suicidal tendencies. When Gauguin fled the tense situation after Van Gogh threatened him with a razor blade, Van Gogh freaked out, and went to a brothel, where he famously cut part of his ear off. They never saw each other again.

When I saw the news that the Chiefs cut Larry Johnson on Monday, the thought of his relationship with Todd Haley made me think of Gauguin and Van Gogh. Haley is a talented coach, and Johnson is a talented player. Both men have reputations for being difficult, though, and many (including me) were skeptical about the pairing when Haley was hired. Johnson's actions, around callng out Haley on Twitter and using gay slurs, were stupid. Really, it's not too different from cutting your ear off, on the foolishness scale.

Haley couldn't have Johnson play for him again, just as Gauguin couldn't return to Arles to work with Van Gogh. If you're betting on futures, take Haley's (like it would have been wise to take Gauguin.) Johnson is 30 and well-worn, old for a RB; Haley is 42, which is young for a Head Coach. Van Gogh died two years after the ear incident, while Gauguin had 13 more years, and a lot of productivity after that. Go with the guy who knew it was time to cut the cord, rather than the one who cut off his ear to spite his face.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. The worst thing about November is the jewelry commercials during football games. (Well, I guess I should be glad not to see Chevy commercials with any Mellencamp songs.) I have found the answer, friends, if you're into man-cavery like me.

If you have Sunday Ticket with SuperFan, the setup works like this. Watch games on a muted TV (or two, if you can manage it, like I do). Watch the Red Zone channel on a laptop, with SuperConnect, and listen to the sound on the laptop, preferably over some decent speakers. Red Zone has no commercials, so when they come on TV, you can just ignore the visual stimulus, and listen to the sounds of what's going on on the laptop screen. I spent the whole day Sunday with this, so I got to see a lot of football, without hearing incessantly about how you're no kind of man if you don't go to Jared, the Galleria of Jewelry, and that every kiss begins with Kay. Damn, it's great to be single. (This is Ourrrrrrr Country!!!!!)

Have a good week, and let's get ready for a Broncos victory in Washington on Sunday. No hysterics are necessary, let's just take some comfort in the fairly safe assumption that our coaching staff is driving the players to learn from and improve on their mistakes. See you next Tuesday!