SB Nation - Shaun McDonald

Predicting the Arizona Cardinals Record: Part 4

Andrew602 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:00:23 -0000

For the last three weeks, we've spent some time breaking down what the Cardinals record may be for the 2009 season. Over the weeks we looked at each game of the Arizona Cardinals schedule, and broke down each team they will play. You can see parts part 1, part 2, and part 3 right here, where you'll see that the Cardinals record at this point is 8-4. In part three, the Cardinals came out 3-1, only losing to the Titans. During this next stretch, they face 2 division opponents, and two others from the NFC North. So to finish our segment before the season begins, here is the final part of the prediction for the Cardinals 2009 record.

Week 14 - At San Francisco 49ers

Key Additions: WR Brandon Jones, CB Dre Bly, DE Demetric Evans, FB Moran Norris

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

Analysis: After Mike Singletary took over for the 49ers last year, he immediately made a difference, and since then, he's stamped his identity on this team. He's created a tough and smart football team over at 49er camp. Although the 49ers are one of our rivals, you have to respect what Singletary has done for them at this point.

What to watch for: In their first match up, I gave the Cardinals the win at home, as they were opening the season after their Super Bowl run against a division rival on their home field. This time, the Cardinals travel to San Francisco, where the 49ers can play very aggressive against road teams. It's also on the Monday night stage, where both teams have played very cutthroat in the past. Expect a lot of emotions to come out as this has become a great rivalry.

Key Match Up: Chris Wells vs Patrick Willis - This would be a very exciting match up on the national stage, as our bruising rookie running back takes on their Pro Bowl hard hitting linebacker.

Prediction - Loss - Last year the Cardinals barely escaped a win over the 49ers at home. This year I'd expect us to split the series, with each team winning at home.

Week 15 - At Detroit Lions

Key Additions: LB Julian Peterson, QB Matthew Stafford, LB Larry Foote, CB Phillip Buchanon, CB Anthony Henry, DT Grady Jackson, OT Jon Jansen, WR Bryant Johnson, RB Maurice Morris, WR Ronald Curry, CB Eric King

Key Losses: CB Leigh Bodden, DT Shaun Cody, DT Cory Redding, DE Corey Smith, QB Jon Kitna, QB Dan Orlovsky, WR Shaun McDonald, FB Moran Norris, G Edwin Mulitalo, S Dwight Smith, WR Travis Taylor

Analysis: There's not much to say after a team goes 0-16 during the regular season. The Lions just plain stunk last year. This year proves to be a different experience for a team that's struggled in recent years. As you can see, they've cleaned house and started fresh. It began in the off season when they hired Titans defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, as their head coach. They also took the next step in rebuilding their team, in drafting a franchise quarterback by the name of Matthew Stafford. The team can only improve from last year and anything more then 4 wins would be a success.

What to watch for: By the time the Cardinals head to Detroit at this point in the season, they will likely be vying for a playoff berth. On the other hand, the Lions may just want to play spoiler. Another thing to watch for is Calvin Johnson. He's already been regarded as one of the best wide recievers in the NFL at this point in his career. Watch to see how DRC handles himself against the tall receiver. If Stafford is in the game at this time, watch for the Cardinals defense to try and rattle the rookie QB.

Key Match Up: Adrian Wilson vs Matthew Stafford - If the rookie is starting at this point in the season, he has a big arm and likes to air it out. Expect Wilson to drop in coverage a few times but also layout Stafford a few times in the backfield.

Prediction: Win - It's simple, the Cardinals will be fighting for a playoff spot at this point in the year and the Lions will not be.

Week 16 - St. Louis Rams

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

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

Analysis: After dusting off the cob webs and bringing in some youth, the Rams look to another challenge in '09, WIN. The last two years have been struggles for this Rams team that used to be the greatest show on turf. With Spagnola at the helm now, we may actually see a division rival actually become...a division rival.

What to watch for: The Rams come to University of Phoenix Stadium with hopes of knocking off a divisional opponent. Unfortunately, they haven't played that well there in the past, and will likely have some difficulty. The Cardinals will be ready for this game, hoping to catapult themselves into the playoffs with a win.

Key Match Up: Gerald Hayes vs Steven Jackson - Last year Hayes swarmed Jackson when the Rams came to Arizona. Will Jackson have revenge on his mind?

Prediction - Win - The Cardinals may need this win more then the Rams will at this point in the season.

Week 17 - Green Bay Packers

Key Additions: S Anthony Smith, C Duke Preston, DT B.J. Raji

Key Losses: DT Colin Cole

Analysis: The Packers had high hopes last year, after coming off an NFC Championship appearance. Unfortunately, it didn't translate into the 2008 season. While they had a good offense in '08, they suffered injuries that caused them to lack a rushing attack to go with their passing offense. The defense was the obvious weak spot, as they gave up a significant amount of points and were playing catch up most often then not. This year they bring back their explosive offense, and most are healthy. Aaron Rodgers has looked amazing at this point in the preseason, and they outscored their opponents in each game. They brought in Dom Capers and drafted DT B.J. Raji to improve their defense, and it's already showed as they've forced numerous turnovers and have limited their opponents scoring so far.

What to watch for: Watch for the Cardinals to head into this game with revenge on their minds. Even though it was only the preseason, the Packers put a shellacking on the Cardinals first team offense and defense. Expect to see fireworks in this game as the Cardinals defense would like to get after Aaron Rodgers.

Key Match Up: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie vs Packers Wide Receivers - After getting embarrassed in the preseason, we can only expect DRC to come out with something to prove in this game.

Prediction - Loss -Although the Cardinals will likely play differently this game, the Packers look to be much better in '09 and will be playing aggressively in their last game of the season, as their division will be competitive.

------------------------------------------------------

Arizona Cardinals final projected record - 10-6

So after the final four games, the Cardinals finish their 2009 season at 10-6, which will likely land them with another division title and a playoff berth. Although you could easily mix and match some wins and some losses, 10-6 may still be the record, with 9-7 or 11-5 not that far out of the question. Although I'd like to see them go 16-0, I can live with the projected record if it happens. As far as anything less, the Cardinals would have to have a complete meltdown or a massive amount of injuries. What's your take on a final record of 10-6? Do you think the Cardinals would do better or worse?

Poll

How many wins will the Cardinals have in 2009?

13 or higher - Super Bowl here we come...again.

62 votes

10-12 - What hangover? We're back in the playoffs.

495 votes

7-9 - Another average season in the books

183 votes

6 or less - Same Ole Cardinals?

47 votes

787 votes | Poll has closed

Pittsburgh Steelers Defeat Arizona Cardinals, 20-10. Some Initial Observations From Preseason Week No. 1

Blitzburgh — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:04:19 -0000

Mike Tomlin improved to 3-0 in preseason openers as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers when his team surged late to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 20-10 in a rematch of last year's Super Bowl. It's always nice to win, no two ways about it. If nothing else, it gives lots of the younger players, many of whom we'll mention below, a chance to get in a live-game situation where they must deal with and overcome pressure. They did just that. That said, I think we all also realize that the victory means very little.

Let's still talk about a few of the notes from last night's victory.

Let's start with one of the more glaring positives - the return of punter Daniel Sepulveda. The 2007 4th round draft pick looked very solid last night, booming 6 punts for an average of 49.5 yards. He had two downed inside the 20 yard line and had a long of 53. If the Steelers can get consistently solid play from Sepulveda, particularly if the offense takes a bit of time to gel, I very much like the team's chances to avoid any big slip-ups. The defense, if healthy, should be able to hold down the fort if they're not compromised by bad field position, even if it takes a bit of time for the offense to hit its stride. Congratulations to Sepulveda on all the hard work he's put in to get himself back to this point. Fingers crossed he remains injury-free for the remainder of this year and for years to come.
Dennis Dixon also deserves kudos for his performance last night, particularly on the touchdown drive early in the 4th quarter that gave the Steelers an insurmountable 17-3 lead. The drive began at the Steelers own 20-yard line and it featured 6 pass attempts by Dixon - all completions - for 60 yards, Yes, the Cards were down to at least their 3rd string defenders. But Dixon also looked poised and confident when the team needed him to settle down, be less skittish in the pocket and lead his team down the field for points. Dixon wasn't perfect, particularly early on. He underthrew a deep ball that would have likely gone for a touchdown. And it took him a few snaps to calm down and trust his progressions ad instincts in the pocket. But that's to be expected and not at all alarming. Just so long as he made the necessary adjustments sooner rather than later. Which he did. Charlie Batch also looked just fine out there in limited action, but one has to really wonder now if Dixon might not be the better choice for the Steelers were they forced to play without Ben Roethlisberger for more than just a few series or quarters.
LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison are good at football. Good goodness. If they stay healthy all year, it will alleviate so much of the pressure off the rest of the defense and might even allow Dick LeBeau's unit to sustain an injury or two to a key player. But these two are the anchor of everything that the Steelers defense wants to do and if they're terrorizing opposing quarterbacks like they did last year, look out National Football League.
It doesn't surprise me that Lawrence Timmons was a bit hesitant and seemingly a half-step too slow on a number of plays last night. He'll be just fine. Let's just keep him healthy until when we're playing for real marbles.
Let's leave discussion(s) about the offensive line for a separate post, but I will say that nobody was really impressive last night. Certainly not Max Starks or the regular cast of characters that we should see lining up as the first unit come the regular season. But the two centers, Doug Legursky and A.Q. Shipley looked pretty decent. So did Tony Hills. This is one area where I wasn't able to get a complete grasp on, as I was tending to a few other things while watching and have not had a chance to re-watch the game. Anything in particular you saw in this department?
Was it not exciting to see Limas Sweed play with an emphatic sense of purpose last night? Wow, great stuff from the 2nd year wide receiver out of Texas, who Steelers fans all know struggled mightily during his rookie campaign. Mike Wallace also looked like stage fright won't be an issue. All of a sudden, it's possible that the Steelers wide receiving corps could be awfully dangerous if those two continue to develop nicely. Then there's Shaun McDonald, who proved to be sure-handed and reliable in the slot. The Steeers weren't great on offense last night by any means, but little of that had to do with the play of the wide receivers. Color me excited to watch this offense this year, even if the running game continues to sputter more often than not.
Finally, to close, a tip of the cap to undrafted free agent rookie Isaac Redman, who scored two touchdowns in last night's victory. The rookie out of little-known Bowie State runs like a bull in a china shop and could find himself assuming more of the redzone and short yardage duties than we ever imagined just a few weeks ago. Is it possible that the Steelers keep six or even seven running backs on their roster? I'm not sure just yet, but Redman sure does seem to be making it tough on the coaching staff to ignore his presence and ability two weeks in to the 2009 preseason.

Thoughts?

Go Steelers!

2009 Schedule Preview: Week 1 vs. the Detroit Lions

Saintsational — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:00:14 -0000

We begin now with our early look at each of the Saints 2009 opponents. These posts will offer just a brief overview of each opponents off-season moves, detailing the more important ones, and quickly discuss how each team might match up against the Saints this year. We begin at the very beginning, a very good place to start: The Detroit Lions.

Of course we all know the story of the winless Detroit Lions of last year, right? Presumptuous Saints fans will consider this a sure win and an easy start to a Superbowl season. Well guess what...it's not 2008; the Lions are banking on that. That means anything can happen. Heck, if the Lions were in the NFC South, a first place finish in the division would be a lock. Fortunately they're not, but the Lions have nowhere to go but up. A new head coach, Jim Schwartz in his first season at the position, mixed with a heavily revamped team with a lot to prove, could be a dangerous combination. Let's take a look at how far the Lions have come and what we might expect right out of the box.

Lions Offense

It's not really possible to even begin to speculate on what the Lions offense will look like next season. With rookie quarterback Matt Stafford expected to be the starter from week one, there is sure to be a learning curve and a "getting to know you" period before anything begins to really click. This should be good news for the Saints, who get to play the Lions early and before they go on any sort of Cinderalla story-like tear.

Stafford will have some decent targets to throw to in Detroit. Though the Lions enter 2009 without Shaun McDonald or Mike Furrey, the team still has an incredible receiving threat in Calvin Johnson, they've added Dennis Northcutt, Bryant Johnson and Ronald Curry through free agency and drafted tight end Brandon Pettigrew late in the first round of the draft this year.

In the running department the Lions leading rusher, Kevin Smith, returns as the inevitable starter while newly acquired Maurice Morris should take over backup duties from Rudi Johnson, who is no longer with the team. They also added fullback Terrelle Smith.

The Saints defense may very well be going through their own transition period at the time with new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams calling the shots but they should still have the advantage in this matchup.

Lions Defense

The Lions defense finished dead last in so many categories last season; there is no place for them to go but up. With improvement needed everywhere, the team has attempted to add depth at nearly every position. Detroit upgraded their line with Grady Jackson to offset the loss of Shaun Cody, added veteran linebacker Larry Foote for help in the middle and signed Phillip Buchanon and Eric King to help stop the pass. They also drafted safety Louis Delmas with their third pick in the draft.

That being said, if the Saints offense can peform at nearly the same level as last year then expect the black and gold to win this matchup hands down.

Lions 2009 Season

0-16 record

Last Meeting

December 21, 2008

Week 16 1 2 3 4 OT Final

Saints 14 14 14 0 0 42

Lions 0 7 0 0 0 7

Why the Saints can win

Because the Lions were really bad last year. Really bad.

Why the Saints can lose

Because the Lions have to win eventually.

Prediction

Saints 35 - Lions 10

Free Agent Pickups

RB Maurice Morris

WR Dennis Northcutt

WR Ronald Curry

WR Bryant Johnson

TE Will Heller

OT Daniel Loper

OT Jon Jansen

DE Jason Hunter

DT Grady Jackson

OLB Julian Peterson

ILB Larry Foote

ILB Cody Spencer

CB Phillip Buchanon

CB Eric King

CB/S Anthony Henry

S Marquand Manuel

2009 Draft Picks

QB Matt Stafford

TE Brandon Pettigrew

FS Louis Delmas

LB DeAndre Levy

WR Derrick Williams

DT Sammie Lee Hill

RB Aaron Brown

OT Lydon Murtha

OLB Zack Follett

TE Dan Gronkowski

Key losses

QB Jon Kitna

QB Dan Orlovsky

QB Drew Henson

RB Rudi Johnson

FB Moran Norris

FB Jon Bradley

WR Shaun McDonald

WR Mike Furrey

TE Dan Campbell

TE Michael Gaines

TE John Owens

OT George Foster

OT Junius Coston

OT Jon Dunn

G Edwin Mulitalo

C Andy McCollum

DE Corey Smith

DT Cory Redding

DT Shaun Cody

DT Langston Moore

OLB Ryan Nece

OLB Alex Lewis

ILB Paris Lenon

CB Leigh Bodden

CB Travis Fisher

CB Stanley Wilson

S Dwight Smith

Linkage

Pride Of Detroit

Lions vs Saints coverage

CSC: Saints @ Lions Postgame

CSC: Saints @ Lions: Who Dat Say!?

CSC: Saints @ Lions: Making the Grade

Detroit Lions 2009 Transactions

Detroit Lions 2009 Draft

Detroit Lions 2009 Free Agent Tracker

Detroit Lions 2009 Roster

Poll

What will be the outcome of the Saints week 1 match-up against the Lions?

The Saints will win handily

405 votes

The Saints will win a squeeker

97 votes

The Lions will win handily

43 votes

The Lions will win a squeeker

155 votes

700 votes | Poll has closed

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:30:17 -0000

Happy Monday, fellow MHR community members. It's time for another version of ST&NO. We're getting to the part of the offseason where I am really starting to long for the preseason to start. When you get your information from your eyes, your eyes start to miss having anything to look at. Here's hoping the next 8 weeks goes by quickly.

Today, we'll look at the AFC North, since the Broncos will play all 4 teams this season. We'll also talk about some of the few headlines around the league, and maybe talk a little Brandon Marshall. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry (if it is your wont to cry over weird things.) It will be shallow, and narrow. Ready.... BEGIN!!!

1. As previously mentioned, our around-the-league discussion turns to the AFC North this week. As I live in the first suburb west of Cleveland, I get a fair amount of exposure to the division, so, hopefully that helps me with this 8-week road show I am on. See you after the jump.

a. Pittsburgh Steelers (2008 Record 12-4, Won Super Bowl)

Smart Personnel Moves - Kraig Urbik, a 3rd round choice from Wisconsin, has a chance to start at Guard on the Steelers' terrible offensive line. He is a big, physical run-blocker, who fits the personality of the team. I think Ziggy Hood is a good 4-3 DT, but I have my doubts about him as a 5-technique DE in the Steelers' style of 3-4. Giving Kevin Colbert the benefit of the doubt, and assuming Hood's skill set translates well, he'll probably be a rotation contributor as a rookie. Shaun McDonald is an average slot WR, which is better than the Steelers have had in that role lately.

Questionable Personnel Moves - Not that Marvel Smith is a great player, because he isn't, but I don't see how you let him leave when your offensive line is already one of the worst in the NFL. Max Starks sure isn't the answer on a 1-year, $8.5 million deal. I'm also not Bryant McFadden's biggest fan, but he'll also be somewhat challenging to replace. I didn't really care for the rest of Pittsburgh's draft, but they have to hope that either Joe Burnett or Keenan Lewis can contribute at CB as rookies. I am also not sold on the full-time promotion of Lawrence Timmons or the release of Larry Foote. Truth be told, I almost never like Pittsburgh's offseasons, so take it for what it's worth.

ST&NO Outlook - The Steelers will do what they have been doing for 35 years. They'll run the ball, stop the run, and pressure opposing QBs. Their potential for improvement comes from Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed, their top 2 picks in 2008, who gave the team virtually nothing as rookies. Both are talented, and if they develop their skills, could add new dimensions to the Steelers' offense.

This team will have to keep Ben Roethlisberger healthy, which I expect they'll have some trouble doing. Their line (Did you hear? It's awful) really struggles in pass protection, and I don't expect the arrival of Urbik to substantially change that. The defense should again be good in the front 7, but I expect that a team which can pass-protect, like the Broncos, will be able to accomplish some things against their below-average secondary.

The Steelers will again be in the mix to play in another Super Bowl, but I expect them to take a half-step backwards from last season.

b. Baltimore Ravens (2008 Record 11-5, Lost in Divisional Playoffs)

Smart Personnel Moves - I like virtually their entire draft, which is typical for them. Michael Oher is a big-time talent, and I think he will eventually move Jared Gaither to RT, where he really belongs. Paul Kruger is a high-motor pass rusher, and a favorite of mine. I expect him to compete for snaps right away. Jason Phillips was an undervalued ILB from Texas Christian, and represented good value in the 5th round. I expect him to help make up for the loss of Bart Scott. On the free agency front, I liked the low-dollar signings of CB-RS Chris Carr and TE L.J. Smith, and I think both can make the team and contribute. The Ravens had to re-sign Ray Lewis, and did it eventually.

Questionable Personnel Moves - They lost the talent exchange huge in signing C Matt Birk, and letting Jason Brown leave as a UFA. Brown is a mauler, who fit the Ravens' style, and Birk is totally a finesse guy. Domonique Foxworth is a great guy, and an average CB, and there's no way he warranted a 4-year, $28 million contract. He can't replace Chris McAllister, who was cut in a somewhat weird salary dump. I also would take Jim Leonhard over Dawan Landry any day, and I think the Ravens should have tried harder to retain Leonhard.

ST&NO Outlook - I believe that the Ravens overachieved in 2008, and I expect them to take a step backwards to 8-8 or 9-7 this season. I didn't address the loss of Bart Scott in either of the two categories above, but I think it will hurt the interior of the defense. I also think the only above-average player in the secondary now is Ed Reed, and that portends for trouble. I do like the promotion of Greg Mattison to defensive coordinator. He worked as co-Defensive Coordinator at the University of Florida for 3 years, which is how I came to be familiar with him.

On offense, Joe Flacco had a very nice rookie season, and I'll be interested to see what kind of improvement he experiences in his second year. The offense isn't great, and if the defense isn't dominant, it would be hard to imagine them having a lot of comeback ability. That's the scenario which I envision for the Ravens in 2009. They'll be well-coached, but a little short on talent.

c. Cincinnati Bengals (2008 Record 4-11-1, Missed Playoffs)

Smart Personnel Moves - In the draft, I really liked the selection of TE Chase Coffman from Missouri. I think he will grow to become their best pass-catcher at TE since Dan Ross in the 1980s. On talent, you have to like T Andre Smith, ILB Rey Maualuga, and DE Michael Johnson, but all three are considered major threats to underachieve. Since we're in benefit-of-the-doubt mode, we'll just focus on the talent for now. In my opinion, Laveranues Coles is a more threatening player than the departed T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and they got him for less than Who's-your-mama cost Seattle. I liked the trade for RB Brian Leonard, which fell a little under the radar. He has some similarities to Peyton Hillis, that I think Bengals fans will enjoy. They also paid reasonable money (2 years, $7 million) for Cedric Benson, who really played pretty well for them last season.

Questionable Personnel Moves - I would have moved WR Chad Ochocinco out of town, and not thought twice about it. With the signing of Coles, and the high draft picks spent on Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell last season, Ocho isn't worth the headache that you know he is going to be. I think J.T. O'Sullivan is a big downgrade from Ryan Fitzpatrick as a backup QB, which I guess reminds you how little I think of J.T. S Roy Williams is not the answer for the Bengals secondary. He ought to just move to WLB, where he may actually be able to be a good player.

ST&NO Outlook -The Bengals are likely to struggle again in 2008. The main reason they have been so consistently bad is their cheap approach to business. Their coaches are all low-paid relative to their peers, and you don't get quality that way. The team should have fired Marvin Lewis two years ago, but money seems to have prevented that. The Bengals spend by far the least money on scouting, and they rely very heavily on The National service for their evaluations.

Offensively, the key variable is Carson Palmer. I believe that he has never been the same player since that catastrophic knee injury in the 2006 playoff game. Now, he is coming off a serious elbow injury, and he chose not to have Tommy John surgery for it. I am not terribly optimistic for him, or the Bengals' offense.

The defense will be bad against the pass, but could improve against the run, if Keith Rivers returns from injury well, and Rey Maualuga is able to help some against base personnel packages on first and second down. The Bengals need better play out of Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall at CB, as both were first-round picks.

c. Cleveland Browns (2008 Record 4-12, Missed Playoffs)

Smart Personnel Moves - Their best moves were non-moves. It was the right thing to do in holding on to Brady Quinn and Braylon Edwards. People here in Cleveland are down on Edwards, but if he plays better, that will be a distant memory. Fan attitudes in Cleveland change like the weather. I liked the acquisition of DE Kenyon Coleman, S Abram Elam, and QB Brett Ratliff in the trade for the #5 overall pick. Regular readers will note that I don't like top-10 picks, but Coleman and Elam are likely to start, and I think Ratliff will end up backing up Quinn. Brian Robiskie will be a good possession WR, even if the Browns over-drafted him. I really liked the acquisition of Mike Furrey in free agency. He is one of the best slot guys in the NFL when he is used correctly.

Questionable Personnel Moves - I didn't care for the Alex Mack pick on a couple of levels. I like Eric Wood better, but that's a difference of opinion. Really, though, the Browns needed to take Chris Wells or Donald Brown. The Browns' RB situation is abysmal, and it's hard to have an identity as a running team, without the horses to do it. Kevin Shaffer was lousy at RT, but John St. Clair is worse, so I don't see how you let Shaffer go. Sean Jones should have also been re-signed. In the draft, I was not a lover of the Mohammed Massaquoi pick. I have seen him a lot, and he is just a guy.

ST&NO Outlook - I think the Browns are on the right track, generally. If any team needs a coach to ignore the howls of the local radio idiots and their un-knowledgeable callers, it's the Browns. Eric Mangini is the embodiment of the guy who doesn't care what Mike Trivisonno thinks about anything. You hear about stuff like the rookies taking a bus trip, and coaches working until midnight, but I tend to think Mangini's prickliness is OK, because he knows how to build a program. He was on the way in New York, and he got hamstrung by the Favre expectations, and then lost his job when it didn't work out.

I am nearly certain that Brady Quinn will win the starting QB job. He is very technically sound, and he processes the game really quickly and decisively, which is the opposite of Derek Anderson. The left side of the O-Line is very good, although there are odd rumors that Eric Steinbach is out of favor, as noted in this space last week. I think that Jamal Lewis is washed-up, and that rookie James Davis may beat him out for a lot of carries.

The defense is kind of a disaster story. NT Shaun Rogers is outstanding, and I have always liked CB Brandon McDonald (who was the burnee on Eddie Royal's 93-yard TD last season.) Beyond that, I am not too fond of anybody on their defensive unit. Eric Wright has talent, and may improve, and Kamerion Wimbley could be good if he ever learned to do anything more than speed rush.

We'll see the Browns in Week 2, but they are at least one draft away from being very scary. I'd rather be them than the Bengals, though.

2. I think it is absurd that Brandon Marshall may face additional discipline if he is convicted in the Watley case, which has now been postponed until August. It seems to me that the NFL is having it two ways, and that it's unfair. Think about it like this. In the Paul Tagliabue days, the League always waited until after legal matters were resolved to levy punishments. Roger Goodell has asserted his right to rule before legal matters are finalized, and in fact, it seems that that is standard practice.

So, when Marshall was suspended last year, for getting arrested a few times, it seemed that that penalty encompassed this allegation, as well as all of Brandon's past transgressions. That the NFL is saying they can still penalize Brandon for the known allegation would not be fair. Guru said that he speculated the NFL's position to be maintenance of flexibility in the event that new allegations emerge in this trial, which would be slightly more understandable. My position is that the underlying allegation has been penalized, and that the NFL should stop saber-rattling, and do nothing further. I would say that even if we were talking about Philip Rivers.

3. Brett Favre had surgery to fix his shoulder. Good times, huh? It looks like he'll be a Viking this season. It says here that Brett will not deliver a championship for them, and that they'll struggle to even make the playoffs with him in the lineup. He is a chemistry killer at this point in his career.

4. I liked what I heard from Josh McDaniels about how he planned to use Peyton Hillis this season. I think any smart coach would look for ways to use a guy like Peyton, in both the running and passing games.

5. Coming back to Marshall, I don't think that there is very much substance to this business about him holding out for more money. It is just the kind of thing that a Pork Chop or one of his ilk will try to make a big deal about, to fill some space. While I am sure that Marshall would like more money, it's not a big deal until he starts skipping mandatory events.

6. Mike Lombardi had an interesting nugget in his Sunday at the Post column.

Word I hear out of Denver is that the Broncos are very happy with both quarterbacks. However; Kyle Orton should be the starter when the season starts. Chris Simms is getting better with each practice, speeding his game up and making decisions faster. But Orton still has the upper hand.

My goodness, two QBs who can play? Who saw that coming? How could a team be happy about Orton and Simms?

With a slow news week comes a short list. We'll see you next week, for more ST&NO. We'll talk about the AFC East, and anything that may come up this week.

Poll

Who will win the AFC North this season?

Pittsburgh Steelers

439 votes

Baltimore Ravens

100 votes

Cincinnati Bengals

15 votes

Cleveland Browns

14 votes

568 votes | Poll has closed

BTSC Steelers Daily Six Pack- The O.J. Bowl Edition

drinkyourmilkshake — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:56:33 -0000

IX- The Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers may very well be the favorites to win their respective conferences and compete for Super Bowl 2009. The Steelers are of course the defending Super Bowl champions who are returning all but three starters and the Eagles have surrounded Donavan McNabb with his best group of skill position players since the days of Terrell Owens. But this wasn't always the case; back in 1968 the Eagles and the Steelers were both 0-6 and set to meet on October 27^th. Check out this article on "The O.J. Bowl", a game that indirectly led to the Steelers selecting a somewhat unknown player from North Texas State that would anchor the Steelers defense for four Super Bowl Championships.

X- The Steelers' drafted another Defensive end in the first round this year, and are hoping his impact will be similar to "Mean" Joe Greene's. Jim Wexell reports from OTA's on the progress that Ziggy Hood is making, and according to long time NFL executive Charlie Casserly, he looks very impressive so far. Starter Casey Hampton is also impressed with Hood's abilities, especially his ability to use his hands to keep blockers off of him. The most surprising thing in the entire article was Hood's quotes on the much maligned tackle, Willie Colon.

"He was an eye opener for me, something I had to go in the film room and watch. It was rough out there. The first practice was going fine until he came along, and that really opened me up because he came right at me like a raging bull. There was nothing I could do about it."

XIII- A local Pittsburgh employee of NFL films was able to put together the highlight real from this years' 2008-2009 NFL season and it premiered at Heinz Field last Friday. The 23 minute film will also air on the NFL network in the near future. In order to tide you over until then, here is a video that 2005steelers4life posted originally in a fanpost.

XIV- Hines Ward says "We are thin at the wide receiver depth." He mentions that Limas Sweed looks much more confident as we have heard reported multiple times. He also had kind words for Mike Wallace and Shaun McDonald. Hines Ward's physical skills may be slightly on the decline, but his attitude, work-ethic, and skills as a mentor make him one of the more valuable members of the team. It will be a sad day in Pittsburgh when Hines Ward hangs up his cleats.

XL- Time to beat up on the Cleveland Browns one more time. This reason this time is new head coach, Eric Mangini's decision to "ask" his rookie players to ride 20 hours by bus on a weekend to help support his football camp. While Mangini's camp is certainly a good cause, it's not a good sign the rookie players and their agents feel they were forced into going to the "voluntary" camp.

XLIII- MMA is not something I am a regular viewer of, but I can say I will probably watch at least a few episodes of Kimbo Slice on "The Ultimate Fighter 10." Dude is a pure beast and although he has been very unimpressive so far in his previous MMA bouts it should be make for some decent T.V. Who would win in a fight James Harrison or Kimbo Slice?

OVERTIME-In the spirit of wishing the Penguins good luck tonight, I am mentioning that they play game three in Pittsburgh tonight, down 2-0 in the series. I mentioned their games in the previous two series and they pulled those out, so hopefully in the interest of brining another title to Pittsburgh, check out Pensburgh tonight for the live chat.

Thursday Notes: The Best Interview You Will Ever Listen To

Sean Yuille — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:56:25 -0000

If you haven't already, listen to Jim Schwartz's 77-minute long interview on the WRIF from yesterday morning. It is 77 minutes of pure awesome, as Schwartz talked rock and roll, the Lions, and many other things. He definitely is different than Rod Marinelli. Schwartz seems very down to earth and like someone you would want to hang out with. Although I got a kick out of Marinelli's metaphors, I'm more of a fan of Schwartz's bad ass attitude already.
Larry Foote has thought plenty about playing for the Lions throughout his career.
Foote will be No. 55, as some of you figured out yesterday.
Apparently the Cardinals and Colts both tried to sign Foote. The Cards' offer came in late Tuesday night, but Foote was already set on being a Lion.
Louis Delmas was abandoned by his parents in his sophomore year of high school and hasn't seen them since. I can't even imagine how tough that must have be for Delmas.
Scott Linehan isn't worried about Matthew Stafford's pass accuracy.
The Lions haven't expressed any interest in signing left tackle Levi Jones, who became a free agent yesterday.
Shaun McDonald is already loving his new team, the Steelers.
Vikings coach Brad Childress and Brett Favre are going to meet with each other to talk about the possibility of Favre's second unretirement in two years. Already ESPN is dedicating far too much time to this, meaning I am already sick of hearing about Favre. The whole Favre saga was beat to death a year ago, and already it feels like ESPN is doing its best to over-cover it again.
Safety Roy Williams signed with the Bengals.
According to Alex Marvez, Super Bowl LI (in 2017) may be when the game ends up in London.

Friday Notes: Lions Open Rookie Minicamp Today

Sean Yuille — Fri, 01 May 2009 05:20:53 -0000

The Lions' three-day rookie minicamp begins today. So far the team hasn't released a list of who will participate in the minicamp, but I'm sure one will be out shortly.
The Lions have promoted Sheldon White to vice president of pro personnel. He was the director of pro personnel prior to his promotion, where he was in charge of the scouts that looked at NFL players. He held that position beginning in 2000.
Charlie Sanders seems like he is going to serve as a mentor for Brandon Pettigrew. Sanders also relayed a saying that is a perfect comparison to the Lions.

"I will do it with anybody," Sanders said. "This is my home. This is my team. It might not be the best, but it is mine. Don't disrespect it. It is kind of like the old saying. 'Hey that is my wife. She might be ugly, but she is mine. Don't disrespect her.' "
Hopefully this year's draft, new front office, and new coaching staff is like a bunch of plastic surgery that will make the wife beautiful again.
Kevin Carter, a free agent defensive end who visited the Lions earlier this week, is going to make a decision about where he wants to play sometime in the near future.
The NFL Network was supposed to be removed from Comcast's lineup beginning at midnight, but apparently things are looking better in their negotiations. Comcast has decided to keep NFL Network alive on its system for now as negotiations continue. I was all set to cancel the sports tier, as the only reason I even have it is for NFL Network. Considering how quality of a channel it is, they ought to move it to the non-digital cable package. I would gladly trade one of the crappy channels I never watch for it.
Chris Spielman is a 2009 College Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Shaun McDonald signed with the Steelers.
Why did a plane fly from Minneapolis to Brett Favre's hometown?

Random Ramsdom 4/30: Former Rams edition

VanRam — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:46:56 -0000

Hey, I know that guy! Some of the more infamous one-time Rams have been making headlines, very small headlines, lately. That and

When former first round picks go bad...Lawrence Phillips heads to trial on his assualt charges. 1996 was a great draft for the Rams. The team's first three picks: Phillips #6, Eddie Kennison #18, and the great Tony Banks at #42.
One of the Rams third round picks from 2006 and known malcontent, TE Dominique Byrd, has been invited to camp by the Arizona Cardinals.
A former fourth round pick, WR Shaun McDonald, signed a contract with Pittsburgh today. After playing in Detroit that's got to be a nice change. Good for McDonald.
Grant Wistrom will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, class of 2009.
Ever see Torry Holt's finger? Check this out.

Minicamp starts tomorrow with rookies getting the chance to mingle with the team's veterans. Here's a complete schedule of the Rams offseason.

May 1-3 (rookie, voluntary minicamp);
May 19-21, May 27-29, June 1-2 (OTAs);
June 5-7 (mandatory minicamp);
June 9-11, June 15-17 (OTAs);

Chicago Bears Position Breakdowns: Wide Receiver

BearsFan1 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:00:08 -0000

The Chicago Bears' second Achilles' heel this season has been the wide receiver position, as they have had few strong receivers over the past few years.

Last season, they had brought back Marty Booker (now gone) and tried their hand with Brandon Lloyd (unrightfully gone).

The Bears still held on to Devin Hester, Earl Bennett and Rashied Davis as those who will likely be the main receivers if they decide to keep their current roster through to next season.

However, most who look at the Bears see them as a team that needs to make a move and add a receiver to become contenders next season.

So what does a look at the Bears receiving core reveal?

How are we looking now?

Devin Hester was a player who got better and better as the season progressed and as he was able to learn his position, which hurt his returning ability and, some say, his chances of ever becoming a star.

However, with the number of catches that he had, he actually had a good year. He had over 600 yards and averaged 13 yards per catch.

Although he never had one great, breakthrough game, he consistently had between 50-80 yards and was a constant threat to take a catch all the way for a touchdown, even though he only had three on the year.

Rashied Davis has been an average receiver throughout his entire time as a Bear. Although he was never great, he was never bad and he was somewhat reliable in big situations, just like his game winning catch against the Vikings a few years back.

Davis had 445 yards receiving last year despite having either one or no catches in seven games last year. He averaged just under 13 yards per catch and didn't do anything special.

Earl Bennett was looked at as a rookie who could develop into a strong receiver, but was buried under failed attempts to revive the careers of both Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd, so Bennett had no catches last season.

Possible Free Agent Acquisitions

T.J Housmandzadeh: Although I think it is unlikely that he will ultimately choose Chicago as his home, he is available and the Bears should get into the bidding.

Shaun McDonald: This is a player I like because he has been a back up his entire career to some great players (eg: Tory Holt) and could be a diamond in the rough, only a lot cheaper.

If the Bears don't get their receiver position fixed soon, they could be stuck on another season where the passing game is average at best and their offense goes nowhere, expect a move, and it could be for one of these two.

Poll

Can the Bears fix their reciever woes?

Yes

181 votes

No

178 votes

359 votes | Poll has closed

Breaking down the Bengals wide receivers

Kirkendall — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:54:24 -0000

First and foremost, I wanted to do a "Flashback" story in mid-December 2007 that referenced a post by PFT.

A league source tells us that there is growing animosity in the Bengals locker room toward receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Per the source, both are yelling "all the time" at quarterback Carson Palmer, but coach Marvin Lewis doesn't say or do anything about it. Players are also upset that the two receivers are trying to "run the team."

The situation reminds us of the latter days of the Denny Green era in Minnesota, where receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss were berating quarterback Daunte Culpepper and operating under a separate set of rules.

Now, truth be told, nothing came of it. And one has to consider that PFT is partially rumor, partially truth, all based on sources that either written in newspapers or unnamed in PFT's circle. Still, when it happened, you had to admit that there's a possibility of truth; not easily tossed aside for blind denials. Both receivers are extremely emotional, and if the team, or one of the players, isn't doing what they believe should be done to win, then you had to consider this partially true. My reason for saying partially true is because it wasn't followed up, nor confirmed.

I wrote before the 2008 NFL Draft that "A scenario does exist that the Bengals could lose their their three best wide receivers that combined for 69 receiving touchdowns since 2005 -- 80% of Palmer's 86 passing touchdowns." This was when Henry was dealing with his last (or latest) legal issue, Chad Johnson during his campaign to get traded and T.J. Houshmandzadeh the final season of his contract.

Fast forward to now. We can adjust the presumption to commit that Henry will be with the Bengals in 2009, and there's a strong argument for Johnson returning, save for Drew Rosenhaus' manipulating letter-writing skills.

All things being known, we can preview the position to look like this before free agency in two weeks.

Chad Johnson
Chris Henry
Andre Caldwell
Jerome Simpson
Antonio Chatman
Mario Urrutia
Maurice Purify

Glenn Holt is a restricted free agent, and until he's signed, you have to consider that the Bengals may not offer him a deal.

It's not the most experienced list, and there's noise that's both legit and very loud about Jerome Simpson's potential based on anti-Mike Brown arguments. Henry has the physical attributes to be a hellva receiver, but not the mental fortitude to even be the team's number two. Andre Caldwell seems likely to be the team's best option in the slot and Antonio Chatman, when (lack of) durability isn't sucking his playing time dry, has shown to be effective enough to warrant playing time. Urrutia and Purify were on the team's practice squad in 2008 and it has to be assumed, without including the unexpected, that they won't break into the 53-man roster.

In truth, it's a weaker roster without Houshmandzadeh -- that much is way too obvious. However, there's also unknowns with several guys that could surprise us in 2009. The truth of the matter is, this is the wide receiver group heading into next season.

Considering the Bengals could go after a wide receiver in the draft (not the first two rounds for sure based on deeper needs), or after free agents with a list that includes:

Bryant	Antonio	Buccaneers	UFA
Clayton	Michael	Buccaneers	UFA
Colbert	Keary	Lions	UFA
Copper	Terrance	Ravens	UFA
Engram	Bobby	Seahawks	UFA
Gaffney	Jabar	Patriots	UFA
Hall	Dante	Rams	UFA
Hankton	Cortez	Buccaneers	UFA
Henderson	Devery	Saints	UFA
Houshmandzadeh	T.J.	Bengals	UFA
Jackson	Darrell	Broncos	UFA
Jenkins	Justin	Bills	UFA
Johnson	Bryant	49ers	UFA
Jones	Brandon	Titans	UFA
Lloyd	Brandon	Bears	UFA
Looker	Dane	Rams	UFA
McCareins	Justin	Titans	UFA
McDonald	Shaun	Lions	UFA
Morant	Johnnie	Raiders	UFA
Robinson	Koren	Seahawks	UFA
Roby	Courtney	Saints	UFA
Shepherd	Edell	Broncos	UFA
Toomer	Amani	Giants	UFA
Washington	Nate	Steelers	UFA
Williams	Reggie	Jaguars	UFA
Anderson	David	Texans	RFA
Austin	Miles	Cowboys	RFA
Baskett	Hank	Eagles	RFA
Bodiford	Shaun	Packers	RFA
Floyd	Malcom	Chargers	RFA
Holt	Glenn	Bengals	RFA
Hurd	Sam	Cowboys	RFA
Moore	Lance	Saints	RFA
Webb	Jeff	Chiefs	RFA
Wright	Wallace	Jets	RFA

Are you comfortable with our roster of wide receivers as it is with a few gaps to fill? Should the Bengals address the position in the draft or free agency or both?

Week 16	1	2	3	4	OT	Final
Saints	14	14	14	0	0	42
Lions	0	7	0	0	0	7

SB Nation - Shaun McDonald

Predicting the Arizona Cardinals Record: Part 4

Week 14 - At San Francisco 49ers

Week 16 - St. Louis Rams

Week 17 - Green Bay Packers

Arizona Cardinals final projected record - 10-6

How many wins will the Cardinals have in 2009?

13 or higher - Super Bowl here we come...again.

10-12 - What hangover? We're back in the playoffs.

7-9 - Another average season in the books

6 or less - Same Ole Cardinals?

Pittsburgh Steelers Defeat Arizona Cardinals, 20-10. Some Initial Observations From Preseason Week No. 1

2009 Schedule Preview: Week 1 vs. the Detroit Lions

Lions Defense

Lions 2009 Season 0-16 record Last Meeting December 21, 2008 Week 16 1 2 3 4 OT Final Saints 14 14 14 0 0 42 Lions 0 7 0 0 0 7

Lions 2009 Season 0-16 record

Lions 2009 Season

Last Meeting

Why the Saints can win

Why the Saints can lose

Prediction

Free Agent Pickups

2009 Draft Picks

Key losses

Linkage

What will be the outcome of the Saints week 1 match-up against the Lions?

The Saints will win handily

The Saints will win a squeeker

The Lions will win handily

The Lions will win a squeeker

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Who will win the AFC North this season?

Pittsburgh Steelers

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

BTSC Steelers Daily Six Pack- The O.J. Bowl Edition

Thursday Notes: The Best Interview You Will Ever Listen To

Friday Notes: Lions Open Rookie Minicamp Today

Random Ramsdom 4/30: Former Rams edition

Chicago Bears Position Breakdowns: Wide Receiver

Can the Bears fix their reciever woes?

Yes

No

Breaking down the Bengals wide receivers

Lions 2009 Season

0-16 record

Last Meeting

December 21, 2008

Week 16 1 2 3 4 OT Final

Saints 14 14 14 0 0 42

Lions 0 7 0 0 0 7

Lions 2009 Season

0-16 record