SB Nation - Marshall Faulk

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Pining For #53 Edition

August West — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:21:21 -0000

So do we give it to the fast guy or the faster guy?

It makes me sick to my stomach thinking about the fact that even if we make it to the playoffs, Bulluck won't be out there. I can't even think about the idea that we may have seen the last of him as a Titans right now.

Much as I suspected, Jamie Winborn will mostly play special teams on Sunday, though he could contribute at linebacker if required. He'll probably get more run there next week, as it's almost impossible to pick-up an NFL system on this short of a week. Collin Allred will start along with Tulloch, and Keglar will be the first man off the bench. I'm still expecting to see more Vinny Fuller than usual though.

Here's the token Chris Johnson profile from a San Diego beat writer, but I did especially like this passage:

"A lot of guys come up to me right after the game and mention that," said Johnson yesterday via phone from Nashville. "They say they (weren’t) gonna let me break off any runs, not gonna let me beat them, that they were gonna make somebody else beat them."

So how’s that working out?

Follow us through the jump....

Sam Farmer of the LA Times looks at CJ's pursuit of the yards from scrimmage record, and talks to Marshall Faulk about our man.

5 Things Jim Wyatt wrote about the Titans.

Terry McCormick takes a look at the updated Titans playoff picture.

Mike Lombardi takes a look at the controversy over the timeouts at the end of regulation last week, and comes away appreciating both points of view. He makes another good point that I hadn't thought of either (but completely agree with): Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter is a deadly long-range kicker, so a big play by the 'phins was even more of a danger.

Nope, still not saying anything good about the guy.

Share in the Festivus spirit by sending me some links to good Titans stories from around the web! mcmaugustwest@gmail.com

Great Colts of the Decade: Assistant Coach

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:21:17 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

about 1 month ago: FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2009, file photo, Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, second from left, and quarterback Peyton Manning (18) talk with the officials during an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Indianapolis. The Colts are 7-0 for the fourth time in five years, extending their franchise-record winning streak to 16. Caldwell is the first rookie coach since the 1970 merger to open his career with seven straight wins. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

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Obviously, if we did a poll of best coach of the decade, Tony Dungy would (and should) will it unanimously. I say this not to slight or disrespect Jim Mora, who coached the Colts from 1998-2001. While we oftentimes laugh and chuckle at Jim Mora's now famous "PLAYOFFS!" line from 2001, the fact of the matter is he was one of the most important coaches this franchise has ever had.

Prior to Mora, under both the Lindy Infante and Ted Marchabroda coaching tenures, it was evident that effort and dedication to the team were not high priorities of all the players on the roster. We would see players dog it Randy Moss-style on a consistent basis, but not see any accountability.

That changed with Jim Mora.

The tone and attitude of the team changed dramatically from 1998-2001. Gone were lazy players who only worked for their paycheck. Gone was inconsistent effort and a lack of accountability. There was no better example of Mora's emphasis on accountability than the benching of Marshall Faulk in 1998.

Mired in a terrible season featuring a then-rookie Peyton Manning, Jim Mora had serious discipline issues occurring within a very fractured Colts team that year. No one player optimized this than Marshall Faulk, a guy who would routinely call out players to the media without having seemingly any accountability for himself. One day, Faulk showed up 5 minutes late to a meeting. He was pulled aside by Mora, who informed him he was going to be fined for being late and would be benched to start the game that week. Faulk was livid, but the message was loud and clear.

No one is above the team. Players made sure to show up on time to meetings in the future. Team focus and accountability stopped being internal issues with the Colts organization.

While Tony Dungy is very much a first ballot Hall of Famer, and arguably the greatest overall NFL coach of this decade (aka, he won games without needing to cheat), Dungy is always quick to point out that (unlike his tenure with the Buccaneers) the Colts team he inherited in 2002 did not lack focus or desire to win. And Dungy attributed that to the coaching of Jim Mora.

We do indeed love ya, Jim. Thanks for helping make our team a winner.

So, while we will not vote on coach of the decade (because it is so obviously Tony Dungy), we give a shout out to Jim Mora, who is also responsible for many of the assistant coaches were are voting on in this category: Best Assistant Coach of the Decade.

The Colts have had remarkable consistency in their assistant coaches this decade. Coaches like Howard Mudd and Tom Moore have been assistants with this team since 1998, brought in by then-head coach Jim Mora. Other assistants, like John Teerlick and Mike Murphy, have been coaching in Indy since 2002, helping to turn a porous defense into a contender. There are also assistants like Ron Meeks, who was partly responsible for Indy's defensive turn around. Players like Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne thrived under Clyde Christenson's coaching. Peyton Manning won three MVPs with now-current Colts head coach Jim Caldwell as his QB coach. The best running backs coach this league has ever seen might be Gene Huey. He has turned Marshall Faulk and Edgerrin James into stars, and took players like Dominic Rhodes and turned them into 1,000 yard rushers.

Bottom line is this voting will be tough. Indy has a stable of great assistant coaches.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:03:21 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

27 days ago: Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno (27) has his hand examined during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Giants in Denver, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. Denver won 26-6. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

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Happy Wednesday, and welcome to a day-late, dollar-short version of ST&NO. First of all, big up TJ for working hard to bring in his outstanding The Dude Abides... Stats That Don't Lie in a day early. I am a bit healthier on Tuesday as I write this, and I am going to see what I can get cranked out in one day, with moderate sneezing, and a heavy Day 1 of close workload in that pesky day job. I didn't take notes, and I didn't remember to record the Broncos game, so I am without a lot of detail this week, and will need to speak more generally than usual. No time to waste, so let's not waste any time. Ready..... BEGIN!!!

1. So I mentioned that I would be in the Constitution State, and that I'd be playing in a football game with my friend Tony, a diehard Giants fan. The morning game was fun, but I ended up pretty sore, for those who asked. It's tough playing once a year at the most.

As for the night game, well, my mom is not what you'd call a high-tech person. Every time I visit, without fail, there's some junk Coby brand DVD player she wants me to plug into some junk/old TV set without RCA inputs. (You have to drop like $40 on an RF modulator to run through coax, which is about 2.5 times the price of the DVD player.) The "how" of plugging in a DVD player is too daunting for my mom to even give it a try for herself. In her main TV-watching area, she has a 21ish-inch Symphonic brand LCD flat screen that I am sure came from Wal-Mart. Her equipment is garbage, but it works for her I guess. Law & Order SVU looks fine on it. (I don't mean to make fun of my mother; she just doesn't share my priorities, or general attitude toward spending a few extra bucks for quality gear.) It turned out to be moot anyway, because NFL Network is on a premium tier she doesn't subscribe to.

So, what to do? Well, Tony was still around. I asked if he wanted to go to a bar for the game, but he ended up inviting me to his parents' house to watch, which was cool. His dad, also Tony, is also a big Giants fan. I usually watch football alone, because I don't consider it to be a social activity. It's really kind of become my job, and I do best when I can take notes, and pause and rewind, and focus on being analytical. I will talk to my brother Chris sometimes during games, but that's annoying, because my DirecTV feed is always 2-3 seconds behind his, so he knows what happened before I do.

Last Thursday, I sat in the living room with Tony and Tony. Tony Version 2.0's mother, and his girlfriend Ana, were there for most of the first half. I like them both very much, but having women around for a Broncos game was a whole other level of different for me. Like, I don't think it has happened since I was married, and that ended Halloween 2007.

But I digest. (I just had a sandwich from Tomayydo Tomahhdo for lunch. It was excellent, as always.) Back to the lecture at hand. I'm watching this game with two Giants fans and their women, and I got it in my mind that I was going to be really respectful of the Giants one way or the other. It turned out I had to do so in the one way, and not the other, which made me happy. For me, it's easier to be gracious in victory than in defeat.

The Broncos dominated the Giants, and in my opinion, played their best all-around game of the season. Kyle Orton threw one bad ball that he'd like to have back. The Giants got one receiver wide open on a well-conceived rub play where Alphonso Smith and Andre' Goodman ran into each other. The line had those 3 stupid scoring-area false starts, and gave up one sack, on the opening play of the game, and it came from the free rusher on a blitz (which puts it on coverage and Orton). Other than those few plays, and a sense that Correll Buckhalter went down a little too easily a couple of times, I wouldn't change much of anything.

McGeorge asked after the San Diego game if I still stood by my 11-5 prediction. I wanted to see how the Broncos did against New York, but after that, I sure do. The Giants game showed the exact formula that the Broncos can use to beat just about anybody. On defense, it was coverage, pressure, and gap control. On offense, it was sharp routes, great catches and good throws, combined with hard running and excellent run blocking. If the Broncos play like that, they will crush the Raiders and Chiefs, and end up with a minimum of 10 wins. They match up pretty well with both the Colts and the Eagles, too, and I think they can win 1 out of those 2 games. Here is my rationale for saying they match up well.

Indianapolis - The Colts are not a complete team, but nobody really is in the salary cap era. What the Colts are is a team which is constructed around the idea that their QB is going to give them leads, and that their defense will therefore need to protect leads. What does that mean? Well, they value zone coverage and pressure from their DEs. If you make them defend both the pass and the run on any given snap, you can score on them without a lot of trouble. Because the Colts can't stop even an average running game with 7 men, their SS Melvin Bullitt runs down into the box very frequently, and the Colts are therefore susceptible to being beaten over the top on play action, if you can run against them. It was no accident how the Texans got out to a big lead Sunday. They ran and threw, and had the Colts defense off balance early. The Colts rookie CBs couldn't handle Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter, and I'm here to tell you, they have nothing for Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal either. The Texans can't handle Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, and the Broncos can, assuming Ryan Harris is fully back by then. The Broncos can block the Colts DEs, beat their CBs, and move their front seven in the running game.

Remember this point. Just because the Colts are 3^rd in scoring defense (just behind Cincinnati and Dallas, and just ahead of Denver) doesn't mean they have a good defense. They really don't. They have a defense which is equipped to take care of leads by making teams gain yards in smallish chunks, and by sacking QBs with edge pressure. That, combined with Peyton Manning's constant use of the whole play clock leads to low-scoring days by opposing offenses

The trick, of course, is defending the Colts, and that's where the Broncos have historically struggled. This Broncos team, however, is better equipped than any in recent memory to have some success. The Colts do best when they can run the ball, and I like the Broncos' chances to stop their running game with 7 ½ men (meaning Brian Dawkins is starting in a cover-2 shell, but keying run first). By stopping the Colts run, you take away their play action stuff, which makes Peyton Manning beat you with perfect throws, and his receivers beat you with perfect routes. Which, of course, they can do, but it's a harder go than the other way. I like the secondary matchups pretty well for the Broncos, from Champ Bailey against Reggie Wayne, Andre' Goodman against Pierre Garcon, Ty Law or Alphonso Smith against Austin Collie, and either Law or Josh Barrett against Dallas Clark. The Clark matchup is key against the Colts, and I like Law and Barrett, depending on down and distance, better than anybody else's sub-package guys in the NFL for covering a big-time TE.

I'm not saying the game will be a runaway Broncos win, just that I can easily make a case for them TO win, and that I think they CAN win. What do you think?

Philadelphia - This is a game the Broncos SHOULD win. The Eagles are a lot like the Giants, from both schematic and personnel perspectives. From the angle of attacking Philly's defense, you can outside zone them to death, like the Broncos did so well against the Giants. That's because their LBs tend to be bigger, slower guys who struggle a bit to cover the lateral width of the field. Will Witherspoon is an exception to that archetype, but Chris Gocong, Joe Mays, and Moise Fokou are vertical players.

You have to block the Eagles' blitz packages, and it really helps to stay on schedule against them. That's a bit easier than it is against a Baltimore or Pittsburgh, because you can run the ball. (They're currently ranked 8^th against the run, but trust me, you can gash them if you try a little.) In the passing game, you'd like to exploit Asante Samuel, who bites on a ton of double moves. Yes, he's a ball-hawk, but he doesn't shut anybody down. He can catch extremely well, and he's an excellent tackler, but he's just an okay coverage player. Sheldon Brown is kind of the opposite; better in coverage, but lesser as a ball-hawk and tackler. Where you can kill the Eagles is from the slot, and with TEs, especially if you block their blitz packages.

Offensively, the Eagles are a big-play offense, and the Broncos have been as good as anybody in the NFL at limiting big plays. Brent Celek got paid Tuesday, and he deserved it. He's a very good receiving TE. The Eagles don't have a big, physical #1 type WR, but they have two speedsters outside with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. The guy I think is dangerous is Jason Avant, who is much stronger and more physical than the average slot receiver, and he's a tough matchup for the average thin/quick nickel CB. Of course, Alphonso Smith and Ty Law are both thicker/stronger players, so it's less of an issue. I don't fear the Eagles running game, because if you stop it early, they quit going to it.

This game can go either way, obviously, but the Broncos are well-equipped to get a good road win in Philadelphia. I feel pretty good about both games, actually. So, yeah. I still like the 11-5 prediction.

2. Information From My Eyes - Other Games:

a. Richard Seymour is still playing at a high level in Oakland, despite his fairly modest statistics this season. I watched him defeat the left side of the Cowboys offensive line several times on Thanksgiving Day. Seymour's contract is up after this season, and you have to think he'd rather not re-up with the Raiders. Of course, given the price Al Davis paid, he probably gets franchised. If he somehow isn't, I'd sure like to see him in Denver. Forget all this nonsense about building exclusively through the draft; as we've all hopefully realized this season, a team should take any approach available to it, in order to acquire the most good players possible.

b. Anthony Spencer had the best game I have ever seen him have for the Cowboys. Some Dallas fans took exception with my calling Spencer "just a guy" in Week 3, and if he keeps playing like he did last Thursday, I'll have to rethink my evaluation.

c. I have been a fan of the Cowboys' passing scheme for several years now, going back to the end of the Parcells regime. In 2007, when I started to make it my business to watch teams other than the Broncos closely, Jason Garrett was the young, hot name as the Offensive Coordinator, and Jerry Jones paid him a lot of money not to leave for jobs in Baltimore and Atlanta after the 2007 season.

When Tony Sparano left to become the Dolphins Head Coach last season, it came to light that Garrett hadn't been the primary playcaller in 2007, and that he'd be doing it for the first time in 2008 with Sparano's departure. The Cowboys took a noticeable step back last season, and some of the bloom came off the Garrett rose, even as he interviewed for Head Coaching jobs with the Broncos, Lions, and Rams, and seemed to initially be the favorite for the Rams job. There was speculation that Jones would love to be out from under Garrett's $3-million contract.

Well, the point of the history lesson is that the scheme and execution look much better in Dallas lately than they have since Sparano left. I don't know if this makes Garrett a Head Coach, but it makes him a guy who appears to have grown into his job. The Cowboys' passing scheme is very vertical, and it does a good job of getting the ball in the hands of its playmakers. Some will say they don't get Roy Williams involved enough, but those people believe more in Williams than I do. I think he is what he looks like; a lazy player, who has below average hands, lacks quickness out of his breaks, and rounds off his routes. If there's no salary cap for the Cowboys to take a prorated hit against, I guarantee that he gets released in the offseason, and has to beg for a 1 year, $1-million contract to compete for a backup role somewhere.

d. Charles Woodson is playing the best football of his career right now, which I have mentioned several times this season. He had a big stat game Thursday on national TV, and now everybody is on the bandwagon with me. I actually thought it may have only been the 3rd- or 4th-best game I have seen him play this season. To me, he's the no-question Defensive Player of the Year so far.

e. The Packers defense has really gotten their act together lately, and are a big key to the push they seem to be making. I am pretty comfortable projecting that the Packers will be in the postseason as a Wild Card at this point.

f. Jim Leonhard of the Jets is a tremendously underrated player, and I left him out of my Good AFC Safeties list last week, kind of by accident. He is always around the football, and I've been a big fan of his game going all the way back to his days at Wisconsin. The Broncos offered him more money than the Jets this offseason, but he chose to follow Rex Ryan. It seems like it was a good decision for him, anyway.

g. I watched the Short Cut of the Jets-Panthers game, and I agree with Doug Lee that Mark Sanchez's 13-of-17 stat line was very misleading. He had happy feet, and he looked really confused a lot of the time.

h. I've seen a few people starting to use the line which goes "If Alex Smith plays like he did Sunday, the Niners might not replace him in the draft." Really, he has played pretty well for six games, better than ever before in his career. I think the decision would already be made, if it was up to me. You have a guy who is proving he can play, and he's improving even as teams get some film on him. That rollout and throw to Frank Gore for the second TD was a thing of beauty, as Smith waited till the last possible second, and threw the ball to the only spot he could put it. I'd be looking to improve the offensive line, and counting on having a Top-10 offense next season, with Smith, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, and Vernon Davis. Joe Staley is a solid LT when he's healthy, but General Manager Scot McCloughan really would do well to replace the other 4 starters up front. Sunday's game was the first time in 18 games that the 49ers didn't give up a single sack.

i. I tend to like a lot of University of Florida guys, but Ray McDonald is really coming into his own in a specialist role for the 49ers. He looked unblockable at times Sunday. McDonald usually plays in passing situations at DE. According to ESPN, he didn't record a tackle, but he did recover a fumble. I'm telling you, though, he was defeating some blocks Sunday, and bringing a lot of pressure.

3. There are two kinds of name-droppers, and I am the second kind. It's not like I am extremely famous (yet) with my writing for this site, but when you think about it, I'm known by more people than probably 98% of the population. I'm definitely more famous than any of my friends and family, and in the course of telling my stories, I find it adds rhetorical flourish to mention them sometimes, and it's also fun to share my little bit of light with them. I tell people, if they want to make ST&NO, they should do something interesting with me.

The first kind of name-dropper is the one who tries to stand in other people's light. Our dear friend Jay Glazer is the quintessential example of this kind. Check this douchebaggery, from Tuesday night:

First of all, it's Too $hort, not two-short. And, you know what? That's all I have on that topic. I like making fun of Glazer, but whatever, you know? Fish in a barrel.

I am now going to name-drop a person who is as famous as I am. I met Doug Lee for lunch in Manhattan on Saturday. Yes, THE Doug Lee. Friggin Horse Tracks Doug Lee, people! Doug is a cool guy, and he suggested a great burger spot on the Upper East Side.

The lunch conversation was very interesting, the food was terrific, and it was great to meet Doug, but the hijinks ensued when I left to get back on the road back to Cleveland. I had parked on E 71st Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue (for 14 bucks for 2 1/2 hours.) I came out heading south on 2nd Ave, thinking my GPS would send me back to the FDR, and the Triboro bridge, back up to catch the George Washington Bridge.

Well, it took about 2 minutes for my boy Tom Tom to reacquire a signal, and by then I had gone south 10-15 blocks on 2nd. Tom Tom then wanted me to go to the Lincoln Tunnel, the entrance for which is in the 30s, off 9th Avenue, so significantly south and west of where I started out. It's an unquestionably stupid way to go, driving over the river and through the woods in Manhattan, even on a Saturday afternoon, especially considering the Lincoln Tunnel spits you out on the New Jersey Turnpike, heading toward the world-renowned hell-hole of Newark.. (Home of wred-mann.)

Where's the payoff pitch? Here it goes. I was sitting at a traffic light at E 43rd St and 2nd Avenue, and this Puerto Rican guy (with a flag on his shirt, incidentally), knocked on my window. I looked at him like, WTF? But I lowered the window, and he told my right rear tire area looked like it was on fire, and was smoking like crazy. A woman walking behind him told me the same thing, so I pulled over on 43rd and troubleshot it with my dad on the phone for awhile, before deducing that the emergency brake had probably stayed clamped to the rotor, and was causing sparks and smoke. I watched it, with my mirror pointed down, but eventually I was comfortable enough to go through the tunnel, and eventually through Newark, and back to I-80. The moral of the story is if somebody knocks on your window, he may be trying to be helpful, so you shouldn't look cross-eyed at him, as a matter of instinct. Also, sometimes, Tom Tom messing up is a blessing in disguise. If I had gone FDR to the Triboro, to the GW, It would have been all highway, with nobody walking down the sidewalk to knock.

4. One of the hazards of relying on "insiders" for information is that it comes with agendas and spin. Pro Football Weekly is a (Bill Williamson Memorial) decent site, but they rely tremendously on anonymous insider commentary. They've been talking to somebody who seems incentivized to cast Raheem Morris as woefully inept. Check this out:

Talk of the Buccaneers giving head coach Raheem Morris another offseason to turn the team around is fading fast, as his latest bold decision was another admission of failure in a season marked with disappointment. Morris seized defensive coordinator duties from Jim Bates on Nov. 24 and demoted Bates to what is being described as an advisory role, although it's not clear just what kind of involvement or authority, if any, Bates will have for the rest of his time with the organization.

Morris made a couple of mistakes in hiring his staff, but they were the kind of mistakes a first-timer can make, especially one who gets a Head Coaching job a month after most of the movement was over. There's this persistent meme that relieving Jeff Jagodzinski and Jim Bates of their duties somehow shows Morris to be weak. I say it's the other way around. He realized that he had made mistakes, and he let sunk costs be sunk costs, and made the moves that he felt gave his team the best chance to win.

Morris's team is 1-10, but the Bucs have improved as the season has gone on, and it would be asinine to fire him after a season which was a declared rebuilding year, where a coach who they knew was probably hired a year too early learned the ropes.

There are a lot of haters in the world, and I relate pretty closely to Morris. I have always been an overachiever, who has consistently beaten out older, more experienced professional competition for promotions and recognition. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I have a pretty good deal of talent, and a strong work ethic. The majority of my critics have only been moderately talented people, with medium work ethics. Let's face it, there are a lot of people in the center of the bell curve. I am in the center of the bell curve in certain ways, and so is everybody. I am not, though, as an accountant, and Raheem Morris is not as a football coach.

So, some 25-year career assistant who has been hired and fired 15 times is jealous of Morris and his early success. He spouts off to Dan Parr at PFW, and Parr writes that article above. The same thing was going on with Josh McDaniels, with the questioning of his ability, and Josh only got clear of it by winning. Morris will, too.

Even a guy like Marshall Faulk was hating on Morris on Sunday morning, intimating that all the young coach knew how to call was Tampa-2. Well, for 7 end-of-game goal-to-go plays, he called press man-to-man, and his guys covered well. On 4th down, Roddy White made a great play, and won the game for the Falcons. Really, if Connor Barth had hit the 51-yard field goal he attempted, they would have only been playing for a tie. I saw somewhere Morris was criticized for kicking the field goal rather than punting. Really? The point is don't listen to these idiots. I'd be very surprised if the Glazer family is.

5. I have a couple of quick college thoughts.

a. The Head Coaching job at Notre Dame is not a good one. I could usually take or leave SI.com's Stewart Mandel, but he has it exactly right. The expectations there are entirely unreasonable, given the constraints they face. If I were Cincinnati's Brian Kelly, there is no way in hell I'd take that job. At Cincinnati, he has a program whose credibility is on the rise, and who will soon be taken more seriously in the National Championship picture. At Notre Dame, there's just faded mystique.

b. I am a Florida fan, and I think it is unlikely that Tim Tebow wins the Heisman Trophy. I am actually pretty excited for the prospect of the lesser Colt McCoy winning, because history will be repeating itself. I am projecting a win against Alabama, and a Texas win against Nebraska, neither of which is a foregone conclusion, but let's say it happens like that. Tebow will lead Florida into a National Championship game against a guy he lost the Heisman to. I would be really bullish for Florida's 3rd title in 4 years, even more than I already am.

c. Speaking of the Heisman, I think it's ridiculous how it's turned into nothing more than a tool for media conjecture. Frankly, it follows along the same line of thinking that dominates professional football writing, that all of the best players are QBs and RBs, joined by the occasional WR. It's a total farce.

That's all I have this week. I will be back next Tuesday for more of a full-figured ST&NO. Have a great week, and Go Broncos!

The Linc - The soothsaying Eagles equipment manager

JasonB — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:00:20 -0000

by Mel Evans - AP

View full size photo »

Celek Should Play vs. Falcons, Jackson a Maybe
The Eagles should have tight end Brent Celek next Sunday against Atlanta. Whether receiver DeSean Jackson or linebacker Akeem Jordan will be able to play is uncertain.

Eagles' Samuel knew he'd get two interceptions vs. Redskins | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/30/2009
Ed Miller told Asante Samuel that Samuel would have a big day against the Redskins. Two interceptions, Miller predicted. Miller is an equipment assistant for the Eagles. A slim fellow, quick to smile, he is unwavering in his support for the players. And uncanny in his prognostications, it seems.

Buckley's breakthrough comes when needed most | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/30/2009
"It meant a lot," Buckley said. "If the coaches believe in you enough to keep you down in on the goal line . . . I had to look up and help them out and get it in there."

Eagles' stretch run is easier than Cowboys' - NFC East Blog - ESPN
The Cowboys (8-3) and Eagles (7-4) both have tough schedules the rest of the way, but it looks like Dallas' path is a little rockier. The Cowboys' final five opponents have a combined record of 34-20, while the Eagles' opponents are 32-23.

Much more after the jump

Vick gives anti-dogfighting message at old school | Philly | 11/30/2009
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick advised students at his old middle school Monday to avoid the kind of bad decisions that landed him in federal prison for dogfighting.

Jackson update; Westbrook to be re-checked | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/30/2009
"We’ll just see how he does over the next few days," Reid said, adding that the Eagles will do everything that the league wants them to do in terms of concussion treatment or diagnosis. "I know a lot is being said about concussions," Reid said. "We are as conscious as they come with concussions. We are going to do everything within our power to get [Jackson] the proper treatment and diagnosis. To compare to Brian’s, are we going to be more cautious? No. We’re always cautious. We’re going to do what we do." "That hit was more of the shoulder," Reid said. "It really wasn’t on the head."

Advanced NFL Stats: Andy Reid: Hero
Reid was my goat of the year for 2008 for the season's single worst 4th down decision, but today he's my hero of the day (or at least for the 1st quarter of the 1 pm games).

Breaking news: Eli has 'stress reaction' in foot - Big Blue View
Compensating for the plantar fasciitis he battled for much of this season, New York quarterback Eli Manning has developed a stress reaction in his right foot that could be even more problematic for the Giants, according to sources close to the situation.

D.C. Sports Bog - Marshall Faulk calls out Albert Haynesworth
"The thing is, any time that you're the Washington Redskins and you come in as a free agent, and guess what, you miss the Dallas game and now you're about to miss the Philadelphia Eagles game?" Faulk began. "You can't miss games in the NFC East when they pay you $100 million. You've got to tape it up. You've got to tape it up and go, my friend. You have to tape it up and go. These are the games that they signed you for, and it just surprises me that whatever the injury is, you have to at least try to go. Unless, like we said, it's a head injury, and we know it's not a head injury."

Colts clinch AFC South; big media makes a frowny face

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:52:11 -0000

More photos » by Dave Einsel - AP

25 days ago: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne scores touchdown during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in Houston. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Browse more photos »

By now, you have finished reading much of the established media's Monday narrative about the Colts division-clinching, come-from-behind win over the Texans. The narrative goes something like this: Yeah, the Colts won, but really they should have lost. The Texans, Ravens, Patriots, and 49ers all had those games "virtually" won, but the Colts got lucky and ended up winning in the end. But forget that the Colts are 11-0 and have set an NFL record by winning five straight 4th quarter comeback wins. Did you see the comeback by Vince Young and the Titans? OH WOW! Talk about clutch! The Titans, and Vince Young, are just winners, baby!

Yeah, I just felt hot vomit shoot up my throat as well.

The knock on the then 6-0 Colts heading into Week Eight was that they were undefeated because they hadn't played anyone. Indeed, Yahoo!'s supposedly intrepid sage of all things football (Jason Cole) stated in a video interview that the Colts were due to lose a game to the Patriots or Ravens because both teams play 3-4 defenses, and the Colts struggle on offense against 3-4 defenses.

Cue the facepalm.

Well, after the Colts scored 21 fourth quarter points to beat the Patriots, made several impressive defensive stands to top the Ravens, and swept the Texans again this season (this time overcoming a 17-0 first half deficit), Jason Cole felt the need to try and face what little face he has left. You see, when big media people are shown up to be totally and completely wrong in their assessments, their best comeback mechanism is to demean and dismiss the team that proved them wrong.

Thus, Jason Cole's article is morning bashing a team that is currently 11-0, and has done so by beating some of the best teams in the NFL... on the road no less. Or, you get Vic Carucci's article from a few weeks ago, which pretty much flat out states that the Colts are "lucky" they are undefeated.

Indeed, even some in the blog world seemed a bit upset that the Colts are continuing their ride through the AFC. The Big Lead, which is run by a woefully football ignorant Jets fan, picked the Texans to upset the Colts yesterday. Nice pick there, Jason. Love your blog, man... but, you don't know squat about football.

The bottom line in all this is that a lot of people, and I mean a lot, predicted that the Colts would regress in 2009. With the Titans coming off their first AFC South title in six years, and with the Texans and Jaguars looking so promising after making several off-season moves, this was the year the Colts would finally fall. We all recall Marshall Faulk on NFL Network doing his AFC South preview back in early September saying the Colts window to win the AFC was "closed."

Now that they've all been proven wrong, again, my advice for all Colts fans is to sit back, relax, and enjoy watching these fools flip, flop, and slop all over the place as they look to salvage whatever semblance of credibility they have left. While you are relaxing and watching this circus of incompetence, take the time to enjoy a friendly game of bingo (Big tip to szquirrel). Most in the media circus will do what Cole did: Acknowledge the accomplishment, ignore their previous comments, and point out that the Colts have lost in the playoffs the last two years.

Highlight the negatives to drown out the positives.

Yes, it is a sad, petty media world we live in. But, people don't like being wrong. The reality is that the Colts are the first team in the 2009 season to clinch a playoff birth. They have won the AFC South by Week Twelve despite playing one of the more difficult schedules in the NFL. They have won 20 regular season games in a row, one short of tying the NFL record held by the Patriots. They have won five straight game by coming back in the fourth quarter and winning each game by less than 10 points (also, an NFL record). Their quarterback is the unquestioned MVP, especially when you look at the cupcake schedule Brett Favre and the Vikings have played.

That's reality.

And what Sunday's game showcased is that the Colts are not just good, they simply do not quit at any point during a football game. Why this wonderful trait is not being celebrated by big media instead of propping up this tired, silly buffoon who once quit on his own team DURING A GAME, I don't know.

By the way, Indy's record against 3-4 defenses the last two season is 10-1, with wins over the Patriots (twice), Ravens (twice), Steelers (in Pittsburgh), and Chargers (in San Diego). Peyton Manning has thrown for 3,140 yards, 22 touchdowns, and only 8 INTs against teams who run base 3-4 defenses.

Dear Yahoo! Sports, Jason Cole does not know anything about football. This guy is stealing money from you.

Knowshon Moreno & The Tiki Barber Slip 'N Slide Index

TJ Johnson — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:30:11 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

27 days ago: Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno, right, runs before a tackle by New York Giants safety Michael Johnson, left, during the first quarter of an NFL football game in Denver, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

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Is Knowshon Moreno prone to fumbling?

This is a question I've been asked many times in the last several weeks. Given that the Broncos invested the 12th overall pick in this year's draft on Moreno, it's an important question. Moreno--barring injury--is going to be this franchise's primary running back for several years to come. You want this guy dropping jockstraps and jaws, not footballs.

So where does Moreno stack up? Does he fumble more than the league average? More than other rookies? More than other great Broncos running backs?

We can answer all of these questions with a handy little contraption called the Tiki Barber Slip 'N Slide Index.

Tiki Barber, for those that may not remember, was known as a fine running back for the New York Giants until his early retirement after the 2006 season. But he was also known for a few other things. First, he liked to criticize his former teammates and coaches--Eli Manning, specifically. Second, the Giants won the Super Bowl the year after he left. Third, and most important for our purposes, Barber was well-known for having trouble holding onto the football. In fact, his problems were so severe that during one 4-year stretch between 2000-2003, Barber put the ball on the ground 35 times. He was truly the Slip 'N Slide of NFL running backs. So this Index is named in honor of him.

The Tiki Barber Slip 'N Slide Index is simply the number of fumbles as a percentage of total carries. It's quite easy to follow. However, there are two things you´ll want to know about this index. First, we use Fumbles as opposed to Fumbles Lost, because it's a better predictor of a tendency towards fumbling, since recovering fumbles is almost completely random. And second, we are presenting the stat as a ratio instead of a number so that we can compare running backs with more carries to running backs with less. Just as it's silly to say one quarterback has more touchdowns than another because they have more attempts, it's both incorrect and insidious to suggest another running back fumbles more often if they have more carries. Thus, the stat has to be a ratio.

Let's walk through a simple example using the man himself, Tiki Barber:

Career Carries: 2,217

Career Fumbles: 53

Career Fumbles Lost: 22

Tiki Barber Slip 'N Slide Index: 2.39% (53/2,217)

Frequency: Every 42 carries

So Barber fumbled the ball in his career 2.39% of the time, or on average, every 42 times he carried the ball. This may not seem like a lot, but it really is, as we will soon see. Lucky for Barber, he fixed his fumbling problem late in his career. During the bad four-year stretch mentioned earlier, this ratio was a whopping 3.64%. This was every 27 carries.

Now we can perform the same calculation with Knowshon Moreno. Keep in mind that this is a relatively small sample size, but it's not so small that we can't compare it to other running backs. Again, this is the reason for the ratio. Here is the up-to-date statistics for Moreno through Week 12.

Total Carries: 161

Total Fumbles: 4

Fumbles Lost: 4

Tiki Barber Slip 'N Slide Index: 2.48%

Frequency of Fumbles: 40 carries

League Averages

One way to judge Moreno is to compare him to the rest of the league. Here are the league averages over the last two seasons, along with 2009 (through Week 11). I restricted my analysis to those players with a minimum of 100 carries.

The League Index varies between 1.16% and 1.39%. Given Moreno´s Index of 2.48%, we can reasonably conclude he´s turning the ball over more often than he should be--when judged against the league.

Rookie Averages

But don't all rookies struggle with the learning curve of the NFL? The kinds of carries that they get in space during their college careers simply don't exist in the NFL. Therefore, wouldn't it make sense that running backs fumble more often during their rookie season?

We can answer that question as well. Here are the Indexes for the rookie seasons of running backs with at least 100 carries from 2004 until 2009 (excluding Moreno,of course) :

It appears that, on average, rookie running backs tend to fumble at the same rate as the rest of the running backs in the league. Certainly, there are some interesting rookie exceptions like Darren McFadden, Adrian Peterson, and Beanie Wells, but most rookies seem to do a decent job. From this list, we can maintain with confidence that Moreno has been fumbling at a rate higher than the average rookie. However, there certainly have been rookies who have fumbled more in the past several years.

Lessons from Davis, Portis, and The Marine

Despite Moreno's numbers, one shouldn't be overly concerned. That's because we are probably judging him a little too early. His current number of carries (161) averages out to approximately 14.6 carries per game. If he keeps up this pace, he'll have 234 total carries for the season. If he doesn't fumble during this time, his Index will drop from 2.48% to 1.71%. Even if Moreno fumbles once during this stretch, the Index will drop to 2.14%. Neither is perfect, but manageable.

But more important than this is what we can learn from former successful Broncos running backs of the recent past. Here are the TBSNS Indexes of the rookie seasons of Terrell Davis, Clinton Portis, and Mike Anderson when compared to their entire careers.

For all three, their fumble stats tended to drop as they continued through their careers. In fact, these Broncos greats aren't uncommon. I found the same trend with others like Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, Brian Westbrook, Jamal Lewis, and Fred Taylor. After their rookie seasons, they tended to fumble less often, eventually fumbling at rates closer to the league averages we've seen.

So if we looked at Terrell Davis during his rookie year, we might say he had a tendency to fumble more often than he should. But by the end of his career, there was no such worry. The same was true of Clinton Portis. Mike Anderson didn't fumble as often as Davis and Portis, but the trend was still there.

In other words, Moreno has time to regress to the mean. Or better.

And, like Barber, he's got coaching. In Barber's case, Tom Coughlin taught him to hold the ball with his arm higher and tighter in a curl position. This made his arm stronger and his fumbles disappeared almost overnight. For Moreno, things aren't nearly as dramatic (he had no fumbling history in college), but if a problem does develop, it can be fixed by Bobby Turner and Josh McDaniels.

We all saw the other night against New York how special a runner Moreno can be (for a fine analysis of Moreno's yards/carry and comparisons to other backs, check out legendarywalton's excellent post here). A runner like this doesn't come around every year. And Russ Hochstein's knee won't be waiting for him after every goal-line run.

Go Broncos!!

Bill Polian lays the kibosh on any lingering Joseph Addai hate

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:19:01 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

about 1 month ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai carries the ball in the first half as Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Trevor Pryce reaches for him during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Several weeks ago, I wrote this little comment about current Colts running back and fan whipping boy Joseph Addai:

This is a post saying that much of the "Addai sucks and we need to get rid of him" rhetoric simply does not hold water anymore. Joseph Addai is a fine running back when he is healthy. No, he is not Adrian Peterson. Then again, Joseph Addai hasn't fumbled the ball 15 times in two years like Adrian Peterson has (most in the NFL). So, maybe not being AP is a good thing.

Addai is a solid, tough, multi-talented back. All he needs now is some better blocking up front and everything will be OK.

During this past off-season, no Colts player was as bashed and berated as Addai. Fans seemed to blame him, and him alone, for the team losing the Chargers in the playoffs. I was one who did not buy into the hate, but I was willing to let Addai prove his detractors wrong by playing better in 2009. For me, Addai has done so, playing brilliantly so far despite the fact that his yard per rush numbers are low (3.5 a carry).

Last night on the Bill Polian Show, the Colts president seemed to agree with my assessment of Addai, ending any and speculation that "Addai is the problem." From John Oehser:

"The statistics aren't there, but he's having a terrific year," Polian said Monday on his weekly radio show on Hank 97.1 FM in Indianapolis.
Polian said Addai's value to the Colts extends far beyond statistics, and into the intricacies of a complex offense.

"People say, 'Well, Joseph has slowed down,' or, 'Joseph isn't what he used to be,''' Polian said of Addai, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2006 and 2007 and made the Pro Bowl in the latter year. "Try picking up five blitzes a game on [Ravens MLB] Ray Lewis and see how much you have left in your legs. It's very difficult to do and that's a critical part of our offense.

"We block with the running back a lot of times. That's what allows [Colts quarterback] Peyton [Manning] to hit those big plays to the running backs and tight ends. Joseph does a magnificent job of it."

But Polian said Addai's value isn't just in blitz pickup. Polian said while Addai has yet to have a 100-yard game this season, he is running well within the parameters of the Colts' offense.

"Joseph is running as well as he ever has run in some holes that are not very big," Polian said. "When a linebacker has to take on a running back in a two-foot area, the advantage is to the linebacker. When he has to take on a running back in a six-foot area, the advantage is to the running back. Joseph has been running in a lot of two-foot areas. He has done a heck of a job banging in there, finishing runs. He really has done a remarkable job.

"He's averaging 3.5 yards per carry, which is not great, but his runs have been significant. They've resulted in touchdowns. He's running hard. He's moving the chains. . . . The bottom line is Joseph has been running great, as has [rookie running back] Donald Brown. Donald needs to get a few more carries as time goes by."

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, if you still feel that Joseph Addai is not a quality NFL running back, please know right now that your opinion is no longer an informed opinion. When the best player personnel man in the business sings Addai's praises, it means Addai is good. And as we know, Polian is not one to sugar coat a player who "stinks." He was quick to blast Mike Pollak a few weeks ago for his terrible performance against the Texans, if you all remember.

So, for all of you bashing and berating Addai this past off-season, it's time to own up and give the man his due. These words by Polian pretty much make it a lock that Addai will be re-signed. While rookie Donald Brown provides a wonderful spark of speed, quickness, and a WOW! factor at running back we haven't seen in Indy since Marshall Faulk, it is Addai who is getting the tough yards. it is Addai running hard to seal wins in the fourth quarter, like the Patriots win. It is Addai scoring red zone TDs. It is Addai making key receptions and blocks to keep the chains moving.

No player is above criticism. But, what fans were laying on Addai this off-season and part of the regular season went beyond criticism and into the realm of hate. I can understand bashing a player like Mike Vanderjagt, Gilbert Gardner, or even Corey Simon. But Joseph Addai? No. The hate ends now. Addai is playing some good football for the Colts, and if you don't see it then you don't know football.

From here on out, check your Addai hate at the door, please.

Another Possible Ron Turner Replacement

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:00:32 -0000

My plan was to have this post up on Thursday, but after another tough loss, with another bunch of questionable calls by Ron Turner, and after seeing the regression of a Pro Bowl quarterback, I had to chime in early. The Bears offense is in desperate need of a coach that can coach.

Last week I speculated the Bears could hire Charlie Weis as offensive coordinator if the Fighting Irish let him go. After losing again this weekend that possibility is gaining momentum. I honestly think Weis would be a great fit as the OC in Chicago, but it's still a far fetched idea. After the jump let's look at another possible replacement for Turner...

Since Lovie Smith isn't going anywhere and he has final say so in regards to his staff, I thought the next best place to look for a replacement for Turner is in Smith's past. Mike Martz is widely regarded as a great offensive mind (and a slightly warped mind); his "Greatest Show On Turf" Rams offenses won a Super Bowl with him as the OC and were NFC Champs in 2001 with him as the head coach and Lovie as his defensive coordinator. Martz and Smith are good friends, yes even with Martz's critical words about Cutler a while back, and don't forget it was Martz that was highly complimentary of Smith while he was pursuing a head coaching job.

Can a Mike Martz offense work in Chicago? Martz likes to use 4 and sometimes 5 wide receiver sets to spread out a defense. His takes part of his philosophy from coaching legends Sid Gillman and Don Coryell (Wiki-links provided), and is without a doubt a pass first coach. But don't forget what incredible numbers running back Marshall Faulk put up in his offense, if he has the talent he'll use it.. Martz will stretch a defense vertically as well as horizontally so a solid pass blocking line is critical. As is solid footing, something that was again called into question Sunday night.

* Allow me to go on a tangent for a sec... It's time to install Field Turf at Soldier Field. With the Tampa 2 style of defense that values speed first and foremost it's a wonder Field Turf hasn't been installed. And now with an offense that looks like it'll get away from the running mentality. Is there a better time to go artificial than the 2010 season? OK, back to Martz...

With the potential for bad weather in Chicago, I'm not sure a pass oriented offense will ever work. Definitely not on natural grass, but with the investment you just made in Jay Cutler, you have to make him the focal point of the offense. Then again, a pass happy offense worked in Buffalo to the tune of four straight AFC titles, Brett Favre made a name for himself winning games on the frozen tundra, and I'll even throw in the Patriots outstanding cold weather play with Tom Brady under center. Finding the right compliment to a passing game in Chicago for those December/January games could be done, but could they be done with Martz as OC?

A Mike Martz offense hasn't in the past asked the QB to roll or bootleg much, two things we all want to see more from Cutler, but instead is a timing offense that requires the QB to hit his spots on the field. Cutler has the arm strength and accuracy to succeed in any offense and I think Martz is smart enough to tailor some stuff to his personnel.

With so many players running around it puts the receivers in position for a lot of yards after the catch, something Devin Hester should excel at. His offenses haven't utilized the tight end much, but Greg Olsen is athletic enough to be used all over the field, and could find a place in the offense.

When Martz was OC in San Francisco for his one season in 2008 he guided their offense to their best output in five years. When in Detroit he coordinated Jon Kitna to a 4,000 yard season in 2006 even though the Lions only won 3 games, and in '07 Kitna again surpassed 4,000 yards and the Lions improved to 7 wins. Martz wasn't brought back in '08 and the Lions failed to win a game and their offensive numbers plummeted.

Martz is admittedly a little odd, a little egocentric, and sometimes hard to get a long with, but his friendship with Lovie and his familiarity with Rod Marinelli, not to mention his strong desire to get back into the NFL, and I think Mike Martz would be a good fit in Chicago.

Broncos Thoughts and Musings - Giants Week

Emmett Smith — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

about 1 month ago: Denver Broncos' Kyle Orton (8) looks at the scoreboard during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Denver. The Chargers defeated the Broncos 32-3. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

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Friday, ten days ago, an upstart proved that they are serious about taking down a champion. The Denver Nuggets invited the LA Lakers into the Can and requested that they bring their lunch. They promptly took their lunch, ate it in front of them and gave back the bag, filled with wrappings and trash. The final score was 105-79 and it wasn't even that close. It was the kind of statement that puts a conference on notice - we're here, we're serious, and the road to the Finals is going to run through the Rockies. Deal with it.

What was most interesting to me was not just the extent of the victory, but how it was achieved. There are lessons here that every team needs to learn if they want to become serious contenders for titles and honors, and that includes the Denver Broncos. The Nuggets brought together a cohesive strategy and a handful of tactics in a way that bears on every effort in every sport. Even on the NFL...

Let's set the stage. Here are the principles they used to take down the LA Lakers:

Find the master. Every team has a guy that can kill you, and generally, he's their star, their Big Ben Roethlisberger, their Philip Rivers. If you're playing the Giants, it's Eli Manning. You have to find him and shut him down. In this case, the Lakers were without Pau Gasol, but they still have the man who brought them the Trophy last season - Kobe Bryant. He's been as welcome in Colorado as your funny uncle at a kindergarten pageant, but he's one of the best in the world. The Nuggets countered him with a can-you-believe-it performance for Arron Afflalo who Kobe wore like Spandex throughout the night. Bryant still managed to score a dozen in the first half, but was held without a point in the second half and was never a factor at all after the halftime break. Bryant can also kill you with assists and king-making, but that night he was confounded at every turn.

Stop the apprentice. All good teams have at least one serious playmaking relationship. If X isn't working, Y will bail you out. With Pau Gasol out, the Lakers counted on the play of rising star Andrew Bynum. Young by any standard, Bynum already has the potential to be a 20-point, 20-rebound player, night after night, to wear out good defenses and change games. Nene Hilario showed the young man the advantages of leverage and speed over weight and height. Interestingly, from a less-aware viewpoint, Nene didn't have a great night, scoring 13 and only bringing in 6 rebounds plus 4 assists. It's a measure of the job he did that he only had 2 personal fouls. This is a classic example of the weaknesses of stats, though, as Nene's constant harassment of Bynum drove the player out of his element and out of his mind. Bynum still achieved 19 points and 15 rebounds, but he never managed to get the right plays at the right times and his efforts went for naught. By the way, if you're playing the NY-G's, it's the running game.

Defense wins championships. A few short years ago, Carmelo Anthony was starting to look like he could fall into an afterthought of history. Coming in third in the 2004 Draft behind LeBron James and a future stiff, Melo was being referred to as one of the best pure scorers in the game, but a player who was incomplete at best - lacking focus, defense and the ability to change a game by making your entire team better. That's a rare and key skill. Michael Jordan used to be able to go 3-for-20 on a bad night but achieve 10 assists and still ruin the game for the opposing squad. Melo couldn't take his eye off the stat lines long enough be that kind of player. But when he worked with the USA Basketball squad and saw, firsthand, how things were different for Kobe and LeBron, Melo vowed to make the changes in his game to close the gap. At this point, he's matured into the true leader of the team for the first time in his career. His assists are up, his defense has become highly effective and all three steals that he snared against LA broke their back at key moments. It didn't hurt that his scoring has also matured. Anthony now plays inside out, driving to the basket with more authority than ever before and creating space for his teammates. His outside game is as good as ever and the result is a player who looks, acts and plays like a champion. That gold medal that the USA team brought home has had an effect on Carmelo that can't be described, and can't be missed when he plays. Averaging 30 points a game has become an after-effect of his game, rather than its purpose.

Depth, Depth, Depth. The Nuggets picked up Afflalo in the offseason to replace Dante Jones, a tenacious defender with problems scoring consistently. Many fans booed the decision and asked just how the Nuggets were going to replace Jones' scrappy skills. Those questions aren't being asked any longer. The acquisition of Ty Lawson, who will become a star in his own right, and the return of JR Smith to the lineup has permitted the gold rock team to play two powerful lines in multiple combinations. In any sport, the guys who get headlines are essential, but the guys who fill out the team win for you when things are tough.

As an additional point, Kenyon Martin has begun to remind me of Dennis Rodman, crazy tats and all, even if he doesn't have Rodman's Op-Art coifs. He's got the same kind of toughness, that won't-give-an-inch meanness that often determines champion squads. He's not as crazy as Rodman and dresses better, if less flamboyantly, but there is an elusive sameness to their approach to the game. K-mart isn't a superstar - he's the kind of player that makes superstars possible. Not to mention trophies....That kind of in-your-face, no-one-likes-us attitude has always had a place in my heart. There's another team in Denver that needs to remember this. The Broncos had players standing on the sidelines who weren't personally affronted by how badly they were playing. That's going to lead to some offseason firings, and it should. If you aren't infuriated by losing badly, you don't belong in the NFL. Some men are going to lose their jobs.

The Lakers had obtained Ron Artest for many reasons, but one was certainly to take Carmelo out of his game. It was a fond, faint hope on Friday. By also taking Bynum out of the game, the Nugs shut down the Lakers fall-back position. Sure, great teams find ways to win. The Lakers should have been able to find a guy to step up and pull them back into it, but the Nuggets were just too deep, too strong, and too incendiary on this night. Emotion can never be discounted, and on this night it was all on the side of the home team. But, that ability to be emotionally invested in winning had its roots in a long period of trial and error, effort and failure, learning and application of the principles of winning.

The whole LA/Denver game reminded me of the 2001 SB between the Greatest Show on Turf and the upstart New England Patriots. The Rams had destroyed New England in their regular-season matchup. Bill Belichick and his comrade, Ernie Adams, had worn out their eyes ripping apart film for a single weakness, and they found it in an unusual place - Marshall Faulk. By taking out a different piece of the attack than just the primary - whether Kobe (you attack Bynum) or Kurt Warner in this case - the Pats were able to disrupt an offense and steal a Super Bowl Championship that few believed they could win by applying that same principle. Those same Patriots were expert at execution, too and they wouldn't have won without it. What bothers me the most is that I can't even pick out who the Broncos were supposedly keying on. The lack of effort was that pronounced.

The last score off the Lakers for Denver was from 5'11 point guard Ty Lawson slashing through three Lakers and throwing down a resounding dunk on the 7'+ DJ Mbenga. It put the exclamation point on the evening and clinched the Nuggets' level of domination. But that domination had a price that also plays into this - for years, the Lakers have owned the Nuggets. The Nugs have had to change, grow, experiment, develop, and constantly train in order to reach a level that will permit them to contend for the Championship. It's been a hard road, and they aren't there quite yet, but later this year, they could be.

Carmelo is a very different player this season and he's a perfect example of what I'm talking about. He's gone from a 19-year old who carried too much baby fat and a huge smile into the NFL and grew into a hard-bodied, seasoned player with an attitude and massive shoulders. The smile is much more reserved and the baby fat is long gone - Carmelo now travels with a personal trainer everywhere he goes and his physique has undergone a transformation rarely seen since the comics turned a scientist big and green. His attitude has evolved from a young man who expected things to be easy to a mature competitor who expects to have to prove himself, night in and night out. Since Melo accused the team of giving up in the 2008 playoff series against LA, he's changed everything in his life. His attitude, diet, workouts, approach to the game, and his ways of leading his team have all come far.

To me, that fits in perfectly to what the Broncos and their fans are experiencing. This isn't an easy time. Victory will come back, and it will, amid constant striving, repeated failures, and ceaseless effort and introspection. It isn't easy; it isn't won by getting teams on an off-day or off-night. You win it by playing better than the other guy. Right now, we're not doing it.

We need guys reading that above list and applying it. They need to find the QB, stop the guy he gets the ball to, and play defense. It's not obscure. They need to find their leaders - to play tougher and start playing smarter as well as more disciplined ball. Perhaps, almost certainly, some of the player material for that is going to come in the offseason, because some of this is, to be honest, personnel. I'm not going to point fingers at anyone today because I don't see it as being helpful. Too many guys are making too many different mistakes. I think that McDaniels and company did everything that they could in one offseason, and I think that it's going to require some player upgrades. Right now, this is still a team that has to play perfectly if they want to win. They don't have the depth yet to afford them mistakes, and some of those same personnel that were playing smart are making a lot of mistakes. It's still a long way from here to where we will need to be to contend. That's a tough one, but it's how I see it. When I listened to Brandon Marshall talking about guys on the sideline who weren't upset by the game, it shocked me.

Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to be hitting the film and looking at exactly who is standing out. I doubt that it will be hard to figure out, to be honest. There are plenty of reasons that we've been losing, and I think that it's worth taking a little time and talking about who they are. At the same time, I expect to find, simply, a pattern. Guys out of position. Guys getting ridden out of plays. Sloppy play. I already know that I've seen an incredible breakdown in tackling, that most basic of all arts. My own experience is that correlations matter, but that they also are made up of a lot of specific plays and because of that, I'd expect to see a lot of guys making errors and missing tackles. We aren't getting turnovers. We're playing like a different group. And the worst part is, it's a lot of guys.

I do understand that this squad hasn't played together long, but I also believe that the leadership that was present at the beginning of the year isn't reaching some people. It's all the cliches, over again, because they aren't really aren't cliches at all, but simply facts. If you don't do the fundamentals and bring your best game, this league will chew you up and spit you out. You can't loosen your focus. Discipline, on the field, is obviously not sufficient, and it's too many guys contributing errors for this team to withstand.

I've never thought that I had the answers when this kind of thing hits a squad. There isn't anything here that the same group of guys hasn't done right, six times already. I expected to suffer some problems this season, and I'm not shocked or horrified to see this one up close. I don't like it any more than anyone else, but right now I'll see what the film has to say. I'm downloading the play-by-plays and warming up the Rewind. The only way out is through.

If we stop shooting ourselves in the foot, this is a pretty good, although not-yet-great Broncos club. But, that outcome, the ability to reach inside and win, is the sum of a lot of little, smarter decisions. They have to look in a lot of mirrors and start talking to each other right. If they do, We could start winning again. To be honest, there is still only one game on the schedule that I doubt that we can be in if we get back to playing smart, and that's Indy.

Even there, it's still a ways away, and this is the NFL. These same guys can start playing like everyone hates them again, and if they do, maybe we'll pull out some wins. Some other teams can stumble. But could Indy?

He chuckles fiendishly as he rattles his keyboard....

Surely you jest. They've been well coached, well staffed, and for long enough to put things together. That's still in the future, for Denver. We haven't earned it yet.

Here's hoping that we will.

Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams: Know Thy Enemy Edition

Pyromnc — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:30:11 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

about 1 month ago: St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson celebrates his two-yard touchdown run during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

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For the St. Louis Rams, they have had a very rough past few seasons. They have managed to win just 6 games out of their last 41, currently making them one of the worst teams in the NFL. Part of this is because of the youth movement that has been brought upon their roster. No longer are the days of Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Marshall Faulk tearing up the field. Those jobs now belong to running back Steven Jackson and wide receiver Donnie Avery. Avery, a second year player, still has a lot to prove at his position but Jackson is just starting to hit his prime.

Jackson was drafted in the first round six years ago to come in and start the process of replacing Marshall Faulk, who was at the end of his career. In Faulk's final season he would mentor Jackson and try to mold him into a quality running back in the NFL. Faulk did that job very well as Jackson turned into one of the more prolific running backs in the NFL. Since becoming the starter he has had four straight seasons of 1,000 rushing yards and 250 receiving yards and is well on his way to making that five straight barring some sort of injury. Even though he has had a nice career thus far, it has been a different story against the Arizona Cardinals.

Against Arizona, Jackson has not been as good as he has been against some of the other teams. In eight games against them he has rushed for just 442 yards on 125 carries (3.5 yards per carry) and 1 touchdown. In the passing game he has received 164 yards on 22 catches and 1 touchdown. That's an average of just 55.3 yards rushing and 20.5 yards receiving in each game. Those are not very good numbers considering he is their most dangerous weapon on offense.

Arizona as a team has shut down Jackson most of the time but the player to look out for is inside linebacker Gerald Hayes. Hayes is expected to be back from a back injury that has forced him to miss two games these past two weeks, which is bad news for Jackson as he owned him in their last meeting. In the last game, Hayes helped hold Jackson to a total of 66 yards on 22 touches (3 yards per touch) and he forced 2 fumbles (both recovered by Arizona). This will undoubtedly be the match up to watch for in this game. Can Hayes and the rest of the Arizona defense continue to stop Jackson on Sunday?

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Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams: Know Thy Enemy Edition