SB Nation - Connor Barth

BUCCANEER DOMINATION

Niko Houllis — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:16:29 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Dedication to the running game opened up passing options for Josh Freeman, including two screen pass TD passes.

No more blaming the Chest bumping. You were throwing yourself off the couch too.

No more blaming the play calling. Greg Olsen stuck with the run regardless of the result. Couldn't gain yardage with the run game? No problem, bring in Denmar Dotson as a Tight End. Still cant run the ball? How about running from the Power i Formation? In a play John McKay would be proud of, the Bucs lined up with two blocking backs and a tailback behind Freeman, and stuck with the run, actually getting some big ones with their stubborness, and allowed Freeman to throw against a weak Seahawk pass defense that actually was not aware of what was going to hit them.

After a sloppy first half in which both teams missed easy Field Goal attempts; Seattle with a fumbled snap, Bucs with ABD; Another Barth Doink, the Bucs came out with a few adjustments made. Connor Barth, after missing his first 38 yarder, nailed the next three in a row as the Bucs exploded with 24 consecutive unanswered points to defeat the Seattle Seahawks 24-7 and drop one spot in the Ndomekong Suh race.

It could have been worse but the Cleveland Browns did their part by winning today, still Tampa Bay now slides down into a tie with Detroit and due to our difficult schedule, loses out on a tiebreaker. Also costly was an injury to Tanard Jackson which is undetermined, and Chris Hovan also went down late in the second half.

This after an inspired defense played the way the Bucs of old always did; bend but dont break. Seahawk leading rushers averaged over 5 yards per carry, but in the second half, the Bucs defense was having nothing to do with it. Still, with the defense playing better as of late, the big shock of the day was the second half domination of the offense, led by the beleaguered running attack of Derrick Ward and Cadillac Williams, as well as never say quit QB Josh Freeman. The Bucs offense came out in the second half and set up some nice Freeman completions before two screen pass TDs gave the Bucs their first multi-TD lead at the start of the 4th quarter all year.

In doing so, the Bucs broke or tied some impressive records:

Kellen Winslow Jr set a record with the most receptions for a Bucs Tight End in a season.

For only the 4th time in the regular season, and the 5th all time including the Superbowl, the Bucs won a game on the West Coast. The last time was 10 years ago, when Shawn King took over for an injured Trent Dilfer in 1999.

Up next, the Bucs play at New Orleans who is reeling after a first loss in 2009 to the Dallas Cowboys, and then will finish off the 2009 season at home against the Atlanta Falcons.

Bucs shoot blanks, go down fighting 16-6

Niko Houllis — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:48:24 -0000

Antonio Bryant was a Freeman favorite; in between the 20s.

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Bucs fans were taken on a wild ride today, as they lost to the Carolina Panthers by only ten points, but left many of their own on the field as two missed Field Goals and 5 interceptions spelled doom for the Pewter Pirates in Carolina.

Call it progress on an small level. The Bucs gave up 158 yards of rushing to Carolina, which was better than the 267 earlier this year, which was better than the 299 at the end of last season. In the 3rd and 4th quarter, the Bucs actually took yardage away from the Panthers totals. The offense meanwhile went almost 500 yards today, but no one on the team should be happy as the maturation process of Josh Freeman entered another chapter with 5 interceptions registered to the rookie signal caller. Most of them costly, Freeman will undoubtedly learn from his mistakes, but the timing of them couldn't have been any worse for Bucs fans who watched Connor Barth doink one kick of off the left goalpost, and push another right of the next. He made his first two kicks today, but that is all the Bucs offense had to show for its 1st place Red Zone ranking prior to this game. Every time the Bucs drove the Ball into enemy territory though, they came up empty. They ran the ball, they threw the ball, but in the end It didnt matter if it was a running play or a pass, the result was basically the same. Lots of movement in between the 20s to the tune of 469 yards of offense, but no scoring.

Some Bucs Shots...

Kellen Winslow was basically a soldier MIA, yet ended up with 69 yards with a handful of catches with a few late 4th qtr appearances.
Cadillac Williams almost finished with 100 yards, going 92 yards on 17 plays for a 5.4 avg.
Derrick Ward had a few good runs as a Buc, averaging 6.4 ypc with 32 yards on 5 carries.
Antonio Bryant in keeping up with last years showing in Carolina, caught 5 balls for 115 yards.
Bucs are now 1-15 in the 16 complete games since the last loss at Carolina on MNF, the worst stretch since 1977.

But the only news that really is news, the throwing of young Josh Freeman with his 24 of 44 for 321 yards but the handful of picks he would love to shake off as soon as possible.

On the other side of the ball, the defense was gashed early with sloppy tackling reminicent of previous Bucs/Panthers contests, and the score got to a 10-0 deficit in a hurry. But the Bucs took over the game and put two FGs on the board before all the misfires occured.

The 5 Things the Bucs need for a happy 2010

Niko Houllis — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:50:52 -0000

What the Bucs need to do to have a better 2010...

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In no particular order, here are five things the Bucs need to do to insure a happy Buccaneers 2010 season; with an extra point after the jump.

Continue to show improvement in play- The Bucs have been blown out by double digits in 5 of the first 7 games. In the last four? The Bucs lost one big, but won one, and lost the other two by a combined 5 points!.... in the last minute of each game! Josh Freeman is outplaying the other two big named rookie quarterbacks, as Josh is now 69 out of 125 (55.2%) for 793 yards 7 TDs and 5 Ints. His 76.5 QB Rating is higher than the 62.4 for Stafford or 62.1 for Sanchez. Both of those QBs have thrown for less completion %, and have a higher interception rate too.
Maintain continuity- Many fans want to see Bill Cowher coach this Bucs team. Yet Cowher's success comes from his ownership giving him 15 plus years to run the team, and not let him go at the first sign of a poor record or poor showings. The Quick Pull that fans want to do with Raheem is exactly the thing that would have ruined Cowher. Redskins QB Campbell is a fine example of what happens to a QB who gets a new Coordinator each year. Closer to home Bucs Shawn King had a new coordinator each year, Shula in '99, Les Steckle, Clyde Christianson, Jon Gruden was no. 4 in 4 years. Keep Raheem Morris, Greg Olsen, and remove the Bates defensive coaches so everyone is on the same page. We are seeing this improvement we have been looking for all year. If it continues, this offseason isnt the time to do it.s
Import more defensive talent, starting with the Defensive Line- Now that its obvious the Bucs return to the Tampa Two is a little more long term, the restocking of the Bucs defense is now on a lesser scale. Before the season is over, the defensive coaches need to assess if anyone on the roster is capable of taking over the undertackle 3 technique. If not, then this is a critical position on the roster that must be addressed in the NFL Draft, and Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh is a popular choice for that particular need. The secondary will need some attention too, as Ronde Barber is not getting younger, and Sabby Piscitelli needs to be assessed if he is the man to take the free safety position for the Bucs.
Punting is fundamental- Its not FUN though for Bucs fans, watching Dirk Johnson punt that is. The Bucs 'for real' punter Josh Bidwell's condition must be assertained to determine if his season ending injury is going to hamper his efforts in 2010. The last thing a struggling defense needs is a poor punter. Connor Barth seems to be the real deal in the place kicking department. When he misses, he misses by feet, not stadiums. Matt Bryant was similar.
Find a franchise running back- Take a moment to get your breath back after reading this one...and tell everyone which of the three running backs is a real, bonafide franchise back, that can be relied upon in a pinch. Cadillac? Love the whole story, its a great one, but he is 90% of what he was. A franchise back can break a 45 yard TD. Which one of our Backs do you see doing that? Derrick Ward has been a disapointment, but will be given another chance next year. Earnest Graham may be the real deal, but we need an LT, a Bettis, an........Alstott, to go with our Freeman.

OK OK, Extra Point- It may not sound popular. But number 5 + 1; Re-sign Antonio Bryant- Forget the injury. They happen. Its not a career bug, but it was bad enough that it affected most of he season. Not really his fault. What did he do with it? Did he cause a disruption in the lockeroom? Wasnt that the worry after all about AB? Not that he could do the job, but that he wouldnt turn into a head case. Two seasons now, and the worse we have is Bryant saying throw the ball more please. Tell me he is wrong first before you let him go, because you can bet there will be a line at the Free Agency window if he is not given a long term contract. Also...start Sammy Stroughter and Maurice Stovall so 1) Sammy can show he is a serious #2 guy, or 3) Stovall can finally show us he is more than a special team star.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

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

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

25 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!

Bucs New (Old) Defense excels, falls short in final seconds; 20-17

Niko Houllis — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:35:04 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Major pressure from the Bucs Defensive line knocked QB Matt Ryan out of the game early, and resulted in 6 sacks on the day.

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Chris Redman woke up this morning expecting to watch Matt Ryan lead the Falcons to a 6-5 mark over an easy Tampa Bay team. Instead, Redman led the rally himself with a fantastic 2:00 drive that overcame an inspired, and productive Tampa Bay defense that turned the play calling over to Head Coach Raheem Morris. Going back to the famous Tampa Two, the Bucs pressured the Falcons all game long, including initial pressure that knocked Matt Ryan from the game in the first quarter. All told, the Bucs dropped the quarterback 6 times, equaling their best mark of the year set vs the Packers in Tampa.

Josh Freeman had a solid game going 19 of 28 for 238 yards and 2 TDs without a turnover. But Redman was equally as efficient going 23 of 41 for 243 yards and also 2 scores. But the Bucs effort was mostly on the defensive side, holding the Falcons to under 300 total yards, and a season best 75 total net rushing yards.

In the end, Connor Barth missed the goalposts by a foot or two on a FG attempt that would have given the Bucs 20 points that Atlanta could have only tied the game with. Instead, the Falcons scored on 4th down, sending the Bucs to 1-10, their worst record since the 1976 0-14 season.

Next week, the Bucs host the N Y Jets, who may be without Rookie sensation Mark Sanchez who was injured today.

Bucs / Falcons game stats

Closing the Book on Week 10: A Clear-Headed Look Back

Craig T — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:58:25 -0000

More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

about 1 month ago: Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Connor Barth (10) kicks a field goal against the Miami Dolphins during the second quarter of NFL football action in Miami, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Hans Deryk)

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After going through what we in the legal field call a "cooling off period", its a little bit easier to get over the BS officiating at the end of the first half and the sting of the late-game defensive collapse. Emotions aside, as usual, there are some things to take away from Sunday's game that left me nodding my head and grinning. Likewise, there are some things to look at that had me ready to chuck something at the TV. With a cooler head, let's take a look at some of those things.

3 things to take with us into Week 11:

1. Connor Barth. Need I say more? The cat booted THREE field goals of 50+ yards and launched some deep kickoffs, putting 2 of 3 second-half KO's from the 30 yd line into the end zone. His FG's carried straight through the middle of the uprights into the net, with plenty of leg to spare. Also, after kicking off from the 15 on the final drive after Winslow's boneheaded penalty, he punched a hard, knuckling line drive that streaked past Ginn, pinning the Dolphins inside the 20 with just over one minute to play. Game ball, sir, because Sunday you were the spark that set up...

2. A solid game by the Buccaneer special teams. The Buccaneers succeeded on one of the main factors I identified as a key coming into Sunday's game: contain Ted Ginn, Jr. On the strength of the deep kicks from Barth, the success the Buccaneers had in getting penetration in the initial Dolphin wedge, and the discipline to stay in their assigned lanes, the Buccaneer kick coverage team was as sound Sunday as in any game they played this year for certain. Miami averaged 18 yards per KO return and returned 3 punts for a total of 3 yards. Conversely, our weapon X, Clifton Smith, continued to provide a spark for the offense, finding a crease and returning a kick for 36 yards. He averaged 28.5 YPRet. Edge to our disciplined Buccaneer special teams unit.

3. Maybe, just maybe, this offensive scheme has some promise with Josh Freeman leading the way. Two weeks, two herculean comebacks by the rookie and a suddenly resurgent Buccaneer offense that has found a growing heartbeat in Olson's shotgun, multiple WR 60/40 pass/run offense. The offensive line (now even better with the return of Arron Sears) has actually done a pretty nice job protecting Josh Freeman, who has made plays mainly with his arm, but has also shown the ability to tuck and run... pretty darn well, actually... certainly better than I gave him credit for in my draft preview back in March. At one point, I recall him fighting through what appeared to be a sure sack and picking up positive yardage in a very Jared Lorenzen-like manner. Freeman gave double-digit targets to Kellen Winslow, who just can't be covered by anyone right now except good cover CBs and FSs. So far (and yes, it's early), you just have that feeling that when Freeman drops back and he has time, he's going to find an open receiver and make a play. We'll see what happens in the coming weeks, and it's of course possible he puts up a stinker, but his poise and level of play gives you a heckuva lot more confidence that he's got what it takes to succeed in this league than any other young quarterback this team has tried out in recent years.

3 things to leave behind at Landshark Stadium:

1. The continuing mental mistakes. As Paul aptly noted in his well-written piece today, good teams make plays and find ways to win games, and bad teams make mistakes and cost themselves chances to win games. The defensive breakdown on the final drive is obvious, but there were other mistakes during the game that contributed to the loss. FOUR fumbles by QB Josh Freeman, one of which was lost, another of which killed a potential TD drive in which Bucs had to settle for a long FG. Kellen Winslow had a big drop that hit him in the hands in the 2nd half, stalling a drive. He also had a selfish, look-at-me penalty after Caddy's go-ahead TD, setting the Bucs back to the 15 yard line. Think of your team, Soldja, and check yourself. Party on the sidelines after the extra point, guy. No, it may not have ultimately mattered in the end, but it could have if not for Barth's pick-me-up on the kickoff. Mo Stovall dropped a huge pass inside the Fins' 10 yard line, killing a drive late in the 4th quarter.

2. An anemic rush from the front 7. And I say "rush" to identify not just rushing on passing downs, but run blitzing off the edges on obvious rushing downs. As UNFNole and Buc Wild discussed before the game, the advantage gained through the extra blocker by the Dolphins' wildcat formation is suspect in some degree to a pass rush off the edge. My problem was not per se with the passing down situations, because I thought the secondary had a solid game, limiting the opportunities for passes over 15 yards by the pedestrian Dolphin receivers. Henne only completed 17 of 31 passes for a paltry 5.5 yards per attempt, the same ypc as the Dolphin rushing attack. It would have been even less if the defense had not gone into 'ole! mode on the final drive. As such, I don't think the lack of pass rush killed them as much today as it might when facing a much more potent passing attack.

Pretty conservative plan, alot of 4 and 5 man rushes. Not gonna get away with that next week against a strong Saints offense and all-world QB like Brees. Gonna have to take some chances.

3. More suspect tackling. This might upset me the most. This wasn't Week-2-in-Buffalo-debacle bad, but still... Forget the fact the Dolphins ran for 199 yards at a hearty 5.5 ypc gallop. The Buccaneer defense whiffed on some tackles that just simply had to be made. Good defenses have defenders who make plays in the open field when it counts. Unfortunately, the Buccaneer defense has some players who can't get it done play in and play out. Sabby not only lost his jock on Miami's first drive of the game, allowing Ronnie Brown to scamper from Dolphin territory into the Buccaneer red zone, but he took a terrible angle on the play. Instead of breaking down and at least forcing the outside-running Brown to cut it back towards the line of scrimmage and fellow defenders, he froze and let Brown get outside and into the open field. With the game in the balance, Ricky Williams ran right through an arm tackle from 300+ lb DT Ryan Sims on the final drive that sent the Dolphins from the fringe of field goal range to chip shot territory. Those two plays were game-changing plays at two important points of the game that set the Bucs back. No doubt there were more, but those two stuck out to me.

Chime in kiddos. What else did you guys and gals take as a positive from this game? What else do you want to leave behind at Landshark Stadium?

Dolphins release four more

Matty I — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:32:43 -0000

With just two weeks to go before the regular season begins, the Dolphins continue to trim their roster. On Saturday, they announced the release of four more players.

The four who were waived are Anthony Armstrong, Connor Barth, Louis Ellis, and Joe Kowalewski.

Armstrong was a popular player entering camp. A number of Dolphin fans were hoping for big things out of the former Arena League player after impressive performances at OTAs and minicamp. But he was disappointing in training camp and invisible during the preseason - outside of a couple drops, of course.

But this doesn't necessarily mean Brandon London is now guaranteed a roster spot. If the Dolphins are to keep six receivers, then London is on the team. But we have no idea if the Dolphins plan to keep six receivers - which is not common around the league. The Dolphins could decide to keep a fourth running back - Lex Hilliard - instead of a sixth receiver. They could also decide to keep an extra linebacker rather than a sixth receiver. Lots of options here and by no means is London a safe bet at this point.

But Dan Carpenter - or DC$ - is a lock. Barth's release should come as no surprise following Carpenter's solid preseason. He hasn't missed a FG through three preseason games and is 2/2 from 40+ yards. But it will be interesting to see how this regime handles DC$ if he gets off to a shaky start in the regular season.

Be sure to vote on our latest Chad Henne poll.

The Kansas City Chiefs Lead the League In...

Chris Thorman — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:59:01 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

4 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley, center, works with the offense during NFL football training camp in River Falls, Wis., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Roster transactions! Yes!

The Kansas City Chiefs have fourteen total roster transactions since the general start of training camp in the NFL, the last day in July. That number includes trading, cutting and waiving players and does not include draft pick signings.

An excellent article by Yahoo Sports Charles Robinson brought this stat to my attention in his article yesterday.

Enter Haley and general manager Scott Pioli, two men who have seemingly gone to work on the franchise’s psyche with a blowtorch and a chainsaw. With that in mind, you need only look at the Chiefs for one afternoon to realize that the blood-letting has just begun. And by the time it’s over, there may not be a player on the roster who hasn’t had the buttons inside his head re-programmed – if he can survive long enough.

Robinson goes on:

That latter point is significant. Since the start of training camp on July 31, the Chiefs have made more roster moves than any other team – signing, cutting or trading 14 players. And that’s a tally that doesn’t include the inking of draft picks. While at their training site in River Falls, Wis., the Chiefs released five players. The previous regime had cut three players while in River Falls … in three years.

It really is a startling difference once you sit down and think about it. Fourteen players over just three in three years by the previous staff? Talk about contrasting styles.

We know that the news can come at quite a rapid pace around here sometimes so I've summed up all of those fourteen roster transactions after the jump. By next Tuesday, the team will have to trim down to 75 players so there will be more cutting and signing coming soon.

After the jump, check out the Kansas City Chiefs training camp roster transactions.

July 28th - K Connor Barth waived

And the Ryan Succop era (however long it may last) began with the release of Barth.

Total transactions: 1

August 3rd - Claimed LB Vince Redd off of waivers

A 6'6", 260 pound outside linebacker, Redd saw limited action in five games with the Patriots last season. He was signed as an undrafted free agent on May 2, 2008 and appeared in five of the team's final six games accumulating two tackles.

Redd was waived on August 24th after being suspended for four games by the NFL. Ephedra containing Sudafed is reportedly to blame.

Total transactions:3

August 4th - Chiefs sign veteran WR Amani Toomer

However you look at it, it's fairly clear to me that the Chiefs would point to option one. After listening to fomer Giants GM Ernie Accorsi on 610 Sports, I'm definitely on board with this signing. He's in the same veteran mold as Mike Vrabel and Zach Thomas and embodies the high character players the Chiefs have targeted.

TE Tony Curtis was released to make room for Toomer on the roster.

Total transactions:5

August 5th - QB Ingle Martin cut

My initial speculation on the waiving of Ingle Martin was that it was to make room on the roster for DE Tyson Jackson. Not so as you'll find out next.

Total transactions:6

August 5th - Chiefs sign former Patriot QB Matt Gutierrez

Yep, another New England QB. Guttierrez is looking to beat out Tyler Thigpen for the third string spot and so far, he's doing just that.

Total transactions:7

August 13th - Chiefs swap snappers

The Chiefs released long snapper Tanner Purdum in exchange for now second time Chief Thomas Gafford.

Total transactions: 9

August 17th - Chiefs sign WR Ashley Lelie; Release WR Jeff Webb

Former Bronco and journeyman Lelie took three year Chief Jeff Webb's spot on the team and so far in limited action has done more than I ever remember Webb doing. We'll see if Lelie makes the final 53.

Total transactions:11

August 24th - Chiefs trade for G Andy Alleman

This is the second time since Pioli's hiring on January 13th that he has made a trade with his father-in-law, Bill Parcells. The Chiefs traded up to acquire TE Jake O'Connell on the second day of the draft.

Total transactions:12

August 24th - G/T Ikechuku Ndukwe also included in the trade

And the Chiefs weren't done on the 24th, adding another guard from the Dolphins in the trade and releasing G Brian De La Puente to make room on the roster.

Total transactions:14

Poll

Have the Chiefs made....

Too many roster moves

15 votes

About the right amount

162 votes

Not enough moves

337 votes

Not sure yet

153 votes

667 votes | Poll has closed

Ground attack leads Dolphins over Panthers

Matty I — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:15:08 -0000

More photos » by Alan Diaz - AP

Miami Dolphins running back Lex Hilliard, foreground, runs for yardage in the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers in Miami, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009. The Dolphins defeated the Panthers 27-17. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz).

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Every year when the preseason comes around, I always make it a point not to overreact regardless of what happens. It's important not to get too excited over good performances and not to panic too much over poor performances. With that said, though, it's hard not to get a least a little excited after watching the Dolphins' first-team offense and defense basically man-handle a very good Panthers team. And that's just what the Dolphins did - they completely out-played the Panthers' starters, even if the score didn't really show it. But in the preseason, it's more about the performance itself rather than the result.

DOLPHINS WIN THE BATTLE IN THE TRENCHES
There's no doubt that top story from Saturday's win over the Panthers was how physically dominant the Dolphins were up front in the trenches. The offensive line, a unit that struggled to open up holes in the preseason opener against Jacksonville, repeatedly created running lanes for Miami's backs to run through.

Donald Thomas had a very strong game getting the start at right guard. He looked as strong and powerful as ever and always made sure to finish his blocks. Jake Grove and Justin Smiley bounced back with solid games as well. But it's important to note that the Panthers' defensive line is nowhere near as talented as Jacksonville's. But either way, it's great to see the big guys up front pushing around the opposition. We rarely saw that last season.

Even more impressive than the offensive line, in my opinion, was the play of Miami's starting front seven. They were active all night and swarmed the ball carrier every play. Outside of one run, the unit limited one of the league's best running backs, DeAngelo Williams, to just 15 yards rushing on 7 carries. And on that one long TD run, Williams had to break three or four tackles and should have been dropped for no gain. I'm sure Tony Sparano will chew out those players who missed the tackle on that play when the team gathers for film review - including Jason Ferguson, Yeremiah Bell, Akin Ayodele, and Gibril Wilson, who all had shots at him.

One thing I wanted to highlight, too, was Jason Taylor's ability to set the edge against the run and force the runner to turn back inside. That's something the strong side outside linebacker has to be able to do - and is something Matt Roth was very good at last year. But many, including myself, questioned JT's ability to man the strong side because we weren't sure if he could set the edge. But that worry got eased a little bit on Saturday night.

The second-team defense also played well against the run - and backup NT Paul Soliai was a major reason why. Upon watching the game for a second time, I really noticed how improved Soliai seems. He looks lighter on his feet and stronger than ever. He rarely ever got pushed back at the line of scrimmage and even took up two blockers on more than one occasion. Maybe Soliai is a long-term solution at nose tackle after all.

The bottom line of Saturday's game, though, is simple. The Dolphins ran the ball (5 yards per carry) and stopped the run (3.8 ypc against and 5 tackles for loss). That's how you win football games, both in the preseason and regular season.

VONTAE DAVIS BOUNCES BACK
Less than a week after struggling against the Jaguars in his professional debut, Vontae Davis had an opportunity to start Saturday's game thanks to Sean Smith's illness. He definitely looked more comfortable out there. He made plays defending the run and showed the ability to close on the receiver quickly. But Davis wasn't tested much in coverage. There were only two times that I noticed Vontae being thrown at. One was on a slant that was completed for a gain of 7 or 8 yards. Davis had good coverage but couldn't make a play on the ball.

But the other time Davis was targeted was on a pass into the corner of the endzone. The ball fell incomplete because the quarterback was under immense pressure. But while Davis had good coverage, he didn't even attempt to turn around and look for the ball. If that pass isn't severely under-thrown, you can make a case that Vontae gets called for pass interference. He didn't try to locate the ball at all, instead face-guarding the intended receiver.

Other than a handful of plays, though, it was impossible to see how Davis performed because of the camera angle of the broadcast. But I did notice that the Dolphins were using a lot of man coverage, especially early on in the game. And the fact that Davis was rarely thrown at leads me to believe he was solid in coverage for most of the night.

TALKING CHADS
Chad Pennington was his classic self. He was accurate with his passes and made the plays that needed to be made. And his stat line would even be better if Davone Bess didn't drop an absolutely beautiful throw to from CP that would have went for a gain of 20+ yards. All in all, a typical Pennington performance - which did include an underthrow to Patrick Cobbs that, if thrown long enough, results in a touchdown. But you can't have everything.

As for Chad Henne, some Dolphin fans seem to think he played brilliantly on Saturday night. But I guess they were watching a different game than I was. I saw a botched snap, another fumble, and three poorly thrown balls. I also noticed that he is still locking onto his receiver - though he didn't do that as much as he did last week. Did Henne look better than the first game? Yes. But I'm still waiting to see Henne do something in a game that warrants all the attention most Dolphin fans want to give him.

QUICK HITS
Various thoughts from Saturday's game:

I know we were all rooting for Chris Williams to make the team. But he's just not ready to handle all of Miami's returns. He's definitely a practice squad candidate, though.
It seems like the Lex Hilliard bandwagon is getting fired up now. And there is a lot to like about the young back. But is there enough to like to keep him on the 53-man roster as a 4th back? He certainly is big, powerful, and explosive through the hole. Maybe if he can play special teams, he'll find a way onto the roster.
Ronnie Brown looked to be in mid-season form last night. He was decisive and quick to hit the hole. He put a nifty little move on the safety, too, on his TD reception.
The Dolphins were able to get a lot of pressure on the quarterback all game long. That's two games in a row with semi-consistent pressure on the opposing QB. A sign of things to come? Hopefully.
I was very underwhelmed by the performance of the team's safeties. Why did Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell allow Carolina's tight ends to get open so easily? Those two guys need to play better in coverage. Otherwise Tony Gonzalez, Dallas Clark, and Antonio Gates are going to have big games in weeks one through three.
Updating the kicker competition. Dan Carpenter nailed his 41 yard FG attempt. Connor Barth made his 21 yard attempt. Each also had three kickoffs. Carpenter averaged 68 yards per kickoff, with one kick being fielded six yards deep into the endzone. Barth averaged just 62 yards and his best kick was fielded at the three yard line. Winner on Saturday night? DC$
I love Brandon Fields and his booming punts. But they don't have nearly the impact if you allow 50+ yard punt returns. The Dolphins got to get that cleaned up.
Another dropped pass for Anthony Armstrong. I get the feeling his bubble is bursting.
The Dolphins are emphasizing 3rd down efficiency this year. And even though it's the preseason, it's great to see the Dolphins convert 42% of their 3rd downs while holding their opponent to just 18%.

Defense leads the way as Dolphins win preseason opener

Matty I — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:59:46 -0000

More photos » by J Pat Carter - AP

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I know it's only the preseason, but it's always good to get a win. On Monday night, that's just what the Dolphins did, knocking off the Jaguars 12-9. And before I get into all of my initial thoughts on the game, I just got to point out that Jack Del Rio did a very classy move by not kicking the field goal on fourth and goal late in the 4th quarter. Nobody wants to see a player get hurt in overtime of a preseason game. So I'm very glad he decided to go for it - and nice job by Courtney Bryan to break up the pass in the corner of the endzone.

Now then, onto some thoughts from Miami's win - both good and bad. But keep in mind that the first preseason game is essentially just a glorified scrimmage.

THE DEFENSE SHINES
Here's a key stat. The first-team defense played together for the entire first quarter of Monday's game. The Jaguars ran 11 plays against Miami's first-team defense. The Dolphins surrendered just 28 yards of offense on those 11 plays and only one first down - forcing two three-and-outs. Now that is impressive.

During those three series, they tallied one sack and pressured Jaguars QB David Garrard a couple of other times. On one play, Channing Crowder blitzed and basically drove the running back picking up the blitz into Garrard's face, forcing an incomplete pass. But a major reason for the defense's success - including Jason Ferguson's sack (which was more or less a coverage sack) was rookie Sean Smith's performance. On the particular play that resulted in the sack, Smith did an excellent job keeping Torry Holt - Garrard's primary target on that play - inside of him when Torry was trying to get to the outside. That's a veteran move by a rookie against a veteran receiver.

Speaking of Smith, he also made a terrific interception in the third quarter of a Todd Bouman pass in the endzone. The big question scouts had about Sean entering the draft was how he would be tackling players at the next level. Some said he was scared of contact. But Smith did not shy away from contact on the only tackle opportunity he had, making the tackle. All in all, Smith was probably the player of the game for the Dolphins.

Getting back to the first-team defense, there's a lot of concern about how the defensive line would shape up. Would they be able to effectively limit the opponent's ground game? Keeping in mind that Jacksonville's offensive line is probably an average unit at best, the Dolphins answered that question with a resounding "yes" on Monday night. They held the Jaguars to 10 yards on 3 rushes. A small sample size, of course - but a good sign, nonetheless.

Nate Jones also deserves a mention, too. He was very good at blitzing from the nickel corner spot last year. On Monday, Jones showed he still has a knack for getting to the QB as a blitzer, forcing an incomplete pass on 3rd down to end a drive when he got to Garrard.

OFFENSE PRODUCES MIXED RESULTS
The offense on Monday night was really a mixed bag. There were good moments. There were bad moments. And all in all, I don't think it was really a positive night for the offense.

Heading the list of issues was the offensive line. In pass protection, the first-team line performed very well. But we all have been expecting that the Dolphins would be able to run the ball between the tackles in 2009 thanks to the acquisition of Jake Grove and the return of Justin Smiley and Donald Thomas to the field after season-ending injuries in 2008. But this unit failed to produce on Monday against the formidable Jaguars defensive front.

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for just 41 yards rushing on 14 carries - a measly 2.9 yards per carry average. Brown and Williams rarely had any kind of lane ot run through. On one play, Jake Long even got beat badly - resulting in a loss for Williams. I also noticed Vernon Carey getting beat a couple of times on rushing attempts. This was not the kind of effort I was hoping to see out of this unit and I'll be anxiously awaiting Saturday night for the next preseason game to see if the unit improves over yesterday's performance.

As far as the battle for the starting right guard job goes, neither Shawn Murphy nor Donald Thomas (who rotated in and out) really stood out. Just from watching the broadcast, I may have been slightly more impressed by Thomas because he seemed to get more push. But the competition is probably still wide open and likely far from over.

On the plus side, Ted Ginn Jr. looked very good out there on Monday. He ran some crisp routes - especially on a third-and-one play against Pro Bowl corner Rashean Mathis, running a terrific post and making an exceptional catch. All told, Ginn looked confident and produced - tallying 2 receptions for 26 yards, one rush for 14 yards on an end-around, and drawing a 30+ yard pass interference call on a long pass attempt down the left sideline from Chad Pennington. He also had a 15 yard reception called back due to holding - meaning the Dolphins called Ginn's number five times in one quarter. Not bad for a guy many fans wanted to write off. Hopefully this early success translates to the regular season.

As for the quarterbacks, neither Chad Pennington nor Chad Henne played very well. But neither played bad, either. Pennington made a couple of nice passes, especially his pass to Ginn on 3rd-and-one for 15 yards. But he was far from classic CP. Meanwhile, Henne made a couple of notable plays. His 20 yard strike to Brian Hartline comes to mind right away. On that same drive, he made a beautiful pass to Ricky Williams on a wheel route in the endzone that hit Ricky in the hands. But he was unable to haul it in - which doesn't happen often to Williams. He also connected with Ernest Wilford for a 33 yard touchdown. It wasn't the throw, though, that impressed me on that play. You or I could have made the throw. It's the fact that Henne was under immense pressure and had three defenders bearing down on him. He stood in the pocket, kept his eyes down the field, and found an open man. Good stuff.

Of course, Henne was also intercepted on a pass that he had no business making. But it's the preseason and he's young - so let's not get crazy.

QUICK HITS
Some quick thoughts on Monday's preseason opener:

Cameron Wake can rush the passer. We don't know what else he can do at this point, but he showed great burst and strength when rushing off the edge.
Patrick Turner led the team in receptions, catching three balls. He showed good hands but failed to bring in a pass in which he was surrounded by Jacksonville defenders. And that's what I'm hoping to see from Turner - the ability to make tough catches in traffic.
Eric Green really struggled. He was targeted numerous times and actually allowed three straight completions at one point. He's losing ground in the battle at cornerback right now.
Vontae Davis didn't perform much better. He was called for three penalties in the game - two were on special teams and the other was a pass interference call. You can bet the coaches will rip into him a bit for those. He also allowed himself to be blocked by a receiver on that screen pass that the Jaguars ran that would have been a TD if not for a holding call. Davis was being manhandled in the endzone by Tiquan Underwood, a 178 pound rookie from Rutgers. Vontae has to learn to shed that block and make a play.
Brandon London and Anthony Armstrong had quiet nights while Chris Williams made some plays as the return man. Could Williams actually make the roster as the team's 6th receiver? Possibly. He averaged 31 yards on 4 kickoff returns but wasn't as comfortable handling punt returns.
We got our first taste of Pat White and it was a solid debut. He made a few plays with his legs. He completed only 2 of 7 passes - but was a victim of some drops, including one that resulted in an interception. But I'm not quite sure why so many are raving over White's debut. I didn't see anything spectacular yet.
Seven penalties are too many - especially when some of them are committed in the redzone.
Here are the numbers for the kicking competition. Dan Carpenter drilled a 48 yard field goal. However, he slipped on an extra point attempt off the wet infield dirt. Connor Barth connected on his field goal attempt from 27. On kickoffs, Carp averaged 67 yards per kick on three kicks. Barth kicked one for 65 yards. Just for point of reference, a 65 yard kick is fielded at the 5 yard line; a 67 yard kick is fielded at the 3. Carpenter was the only one to reach the endzone, with his opening kick going 4 yards deep in the endzone.

So that's all for my initial reaction to Miami's preseason opener. We'll definitely talk more about this game as the week goes on. All told, though, it was football - and we can all agree that that's a positive.