SB Nation - Sam Baker

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Atlanta Falcons Pass Offense

John B — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:14:54 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Chris Redman could be pressed into action for the Falcons once again.

This is a tough spot for the Falcons. They might have their backup quarterback start against the league's top rated pass defense. They might have a starter who has missed two games and was limited in practice this week trying to shake off the rust against the league's top rated pass defense. Either way, the Jets have to like this matchup. Matt Ryan is certainly more of a playmaker, but he's turned it over 14 times in 11 starts. That's not a good sign against an opportunistic defense.

Roddy White leads the Falcons with 915 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. He'll draw Darrelle Revis, who will probably hold him well short of his averages. Tony Gonzalez leads the Falcons with 75 receptions, emerging as a security blanket for Ryan and Chris Redman. With Revis on White and Lito Sheppard having an edge against Michael Jenkins, the Jets will be able to mix up their looks on Gonzalez a lot. The Falcons don't have many weapons in the passing game beyond those three. Their fourth leading receiver averages under 2 catches per game.

I do not think the Falcons will focus on the pass. There are too many issues at the quarterback position, and this defense is too good. Also adding to the trouble is the offensive line. Left tackle Sam Baker was limited this week by an elbow injury. Center Todd McClure was battling a knee injury. Both are probably going to play, but they will be likely less than 100%. Right guard Harvey Dahl missed last week's game with an ankle injury. You can be sure with all of this news, the Jets won't hesistate to attack Atlanta.

Talking Saints With Canal Street Chronicles: The Sequel

Dave the Falconer — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:00:29 -0000

by Bill Haber - AP

Happ-i-ness? What's that? (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

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Grizzled veterans of this site will remember earlier in aught-nine, when I talked to Saintsational of Canal Street Chronicles about Chinese food and hubris. That feature now makes its triumphant return, with my black-and-gold friend and I riffing on snow, fortune cookies and his overwhelming urge to marry another man. No, seriously.

Follow along after the jump, and you might just learn something.

Saintsational: Alright. Let's get this started.

Dave the Falconer: Indeed.

Saintsational: I'm sure you want to ask me what it's like being the fan of such an awesome team.

Dave the Falconer: Well, first I'd have to ask why you switched to being a Falcons fan. Seems pretty disloyal to me. But for the sake of humoring you, what's it like to be a Saints fan right now?

Saintsational: Well, the Saints are kind of a big deal right now. Seriously though, I can't really say enough. It's hard to express in words.. This is something we've all been waiting for years to happen. I told you earlier that it's like everyone in the city drops ecstacy on Sunday and the high lasts all week.

Dave the Falconer: I certainly am envious of the success this season.

Saintsational: Did you see Drew on Jay Leno earlier tonight?

Dave the Falconer: No, I was busy driving through what we New Englanders like to call "a minor inconvenience."

Saintsational: Inconvenience? Is that traffic? Or snow?

Dave the Falconer: Big ol' snowstorm.

Saintsational: Oh, well, your loss dude.

Dave the Falconer: Is Drew a rock star-type figure in New Orleans at this point?

Saintsational: I don't know about rock star. Maybe more like Tiger Woods before his multiple extramarital affairs.

Dave the Falconer: So a cello star, maybe?

Saintsational: I will say this...we're having an election for mayor here in New Orleans next year. If he ran, he would win. Hands down. Wouldn't even need a run-off.

Dave the Falconer: He's probably also most qualified.

Saintsational: Haha. I'm laughing because it's true. I'm also crying...because it's true.

Dave the Falconer: You should probably see a therapist.

Saintsational: Drew's not as popular in New Orleans as Michael Vick is in Atlanta apparently. What's up with that?

Dave the Falconer: That's a cheap shot, my friend.

Saintsational: Door was open. Wiiiiiiiiiiiide open.

Dave the Falconer: There's still a large and vocal contingent of fans who I would say are equally or more attached to Vick than they are to the Falcons. You saw the results last Sunday.

Saintsational: Why? Matt Ryan is pretty darn good.

Dave the Falconer: I'm not licensed to psychoanalyze an entire fan base. So I'll just say...

Dave the Falconer: Hey! Look over there! :O

Saintsational: Where? I don't see anything...

Saintsational: Oh well, let's move on. Are the Saints going to have the good fortune of not seeing Matt Ryan on Sunday? Please answer Magic-8 ball style.

Dave the Falconer: Outlook hazy. Try again.

Saintsational: Damnit. I hate these things...Are the Saints going to have the good fortune of not seeing Matt Ryan on Sunday?

Dave the Falconer: Outlook good. Instead, you'll face off against the awesome might of Chris Redman.

Saintsational: Seriously? No Matt Ryan?

Dave the Falconer: Seriously. The coaching staff is saying they won't play Ryan without injured linemen Sam Baker and Harvey Dahl. Something about not getting him killed. I'm a bit hazy on the details.

Saintsational: Really? That's pretty interesting. It's funny, because that means they don't give a flying you know what about Redman. That must make him feel good.

Dave the Falconer: He used to sell insurance. I'm presuming he has some.

Saintsational: Ha! Alright, more injury questions. What about Turner? Please answer this one fortune cookie style.

Dave the Falconer: Michael Turner are find true love only in playing field. Lucky Numbers: 4 775 33 666. Learn To Speak Chinese: *&@#*$& is Boat.

Saintsational: You've outdone yourself with that one. So you think he'll play?

Dave the Falconer: Actually, I'm doubtful he will. Damn fortune cookie format. I think the coaching staff has to take it easy on him, especially because Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood are good options.

Dave the Falconer: I noticed that Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell and Reggie Bush were all limited in practice. Who among them will play this weekend? Please answer as if you were Alex Trebek.

Saintsational: To be sure, the answer we were looking for was, "They will all probably dress this Sunday." We would have also accepted, "The Roaring Twenties will roar on."

Dave the Falconer: Haha. We would also have accepted "Potent Potables."

Saintsational: The Penis Mightier for $27,000, Trebek!

Dave the Falconer: I'll take The Rapist for $200. That's therapist, Mr. Connery!

Saintsational: Ohhhh, that's good stuff.

Dave the Falconer: Almost as good as the game that will be played this Sunday! Speaking of which...How does Robert Meachem keep scoring? It seems as though Marques Colston is the target on a lot of tough passes, but Meachem finds his way into the end zone frequently. How do we stop him?

Saintsational: You can't stop him. You can only hope to contain him. I love Robert Meachem.

Dave the Falconer: If you love him so much, why don't you marry him? Aside from the fact that it's not legal in Louisiana?

Saintsational: I would. Dave, if loving Robert Meachem is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Dave the Falconer: This took an unexpected turn.

Saintsational: Seriously, everybody has a man-thing for Drew but I think Robert Meachem is winning some admirers.Seriously, though, it's like Payton said a couple of weeks ago...he just has a knack for making things happen and Payton has resigned himself to incorporating Meachem more. If he's available in your fantasy league, pick him up. And with Colston in the mix as well, it's tough for teams to cover. Not only that, there's Devery Henderson and Jeremy Shockey to account for. Meachem has been the beneficiary of all that depth lately.

Dave the Falconer: He's been stealing touchdowns from Colston for me. So I think they should call him Robber Filchem. That's just me, though.

Saintsational: My favorite nickname for him is Pontchartrain Meach. That's a reference to old school New Orleans.

Dave the Falconer: Whoa...Whoa.

Saintsational: I was going to ask you before...how do you expect the Falcons to be able to beat the Saints without Ryan and Turner?

Dave the Falconer: Simple. Run the ball frequently. Wear down your defense. And count on Redman to deliver short passes that carve up your secondary. Either that or bar the door out of the locker room.

Saintsational: We're talking about Chris Redman?

Dave the Falconer: Yup.

Dave the Falconer: Or as I like to call him...Cristobal Rojohombre.

Saintsational: Ha. That's funny 'cause it's a different language.

Dave the Falconer: I knew you'd get it.

Saintsational: Over on The Falcoholic you've got this game listed as a "Season Definer" and list it as "Serious Business." Are you still hopeful for a playoff berth?

Dave the Falconer: I'm hopeful. But I don't think it's particularly realistic at this point. A winning season is still within our grasp, however.

Dave the Falconer: What do you think of the possibility of an undefeated season? Should the Saints go for it? And I just died a little inside typing that.

Saintsational: Yes, I think they should go for it. And they will go for it. Payton has said so and Brees has said so. They are going for it and I couldn't be happier. It's getting really exciting. Now that it's so close and a real possibility, I really want them to get it. That's why last weeks game was such a heartpounder. Every game they win makes that first eventual loss that much worse.

Dave the Falconer: It should be a good game, then. We played you guys reasonably tough earlier in the season.

Saintsational: Yeah, I'm definitely concerned. Mainly because of the Saints defense.

Dave the Falconer: Why, does your defense have more problems than a mathematician's diary? More "Ohnos" than Yoko's family?

Saintsational: Last week against the Redskins they looked like last years defense.. I'm affraid it's getting slightly overlooked because of all the success of the team but with starting cornerbacks Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter out for a little bit, their absence is becoming evident. I'm hoping Greer returns this week. But they won't get very far looking like they did last week. That's why I am glad Redman is getting the start.

Dave the Falconer: Oh yeah? Well.... >:-(

Saintsational: With all of the Falcons injuries, has any player stepped up and surprised fans? Any insider fantasy tips?

Dave the Falconer: Gonzo's always a good choice. And so is Roddy White. Beyond that, there aren't any surprises that are worthwhile from a fantasy perspective. We all love Eric "Special" Weems. He's a great kick returner.

Saintsational: No players that have stepped up and surprised?

Dave the Falconer: Not in recent weeks. Did you see the Eagles game?

Dave the Falconer: Yeesh.

Saintsational: Yeah, that's true. Sorry, you're still sensitive.

Dave the Falconer: I'm a Falcons fan. I was born sensitive.

Saintsational: Tell Saints fans something surprising/interesting about the Falcons that we probably don't know.

Dave the Falconer: Our points for and points against averages are both 23.3, and we're 6-6. So if nothing else, we're remarkably consistent.

Dave the Falconer: Same question, but for the Saints.

Saintsational: Sean Payton and Drew Brees are members of the same fraternity.

Saintsational: I guess we'll end it as we usually do...with a prediction. This will not count toward your three predictions in our weekly prediction contest this friday.

Dave the Falconer: Gosh darnit. I predict (foolishly) a 27-24 Falcons win. Based on nothing but gumption. You?

Saintsational: I think it will be close but the Saints will be on top. Let's go with 35-32 Saints.

A Very Falcoholic Discussion: The Great Injury Conundrum

Dave the Falconer — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:00:28 -0000

by John Bazemore - AP

This photo has nothing to do with the post, but lookit! He's in the air! Whoa! (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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I put up my Christmas tree at about midnight, a mere two hours after I had gotten out of work. Putting up a Christmas tree, I've found, is a lot like being a sports fan. It's a lot of work and a lot of anguish, and hopefully the end result is something you can enjoy and be proud of. Thankfully, rooting for the Falcons on Sunday doesn't usually require the use of a hacksaw, and the end result doesn't usually leave me with my hands and arms covered in sap.

Usually.

But that tangent aside, you're here for the discussion. As you know, we've got an extremely difficult game with the New Orleans Saints on tap, a game that would be even more difficult to win if we don't get Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Michael Jenkins, Harvey Dahl, Sam Baker, Todd McClure, Chris Houston, Tommy Nobis, Gerald Ford and Flipper the dolphin back by Sunday. That's what lit the extremely dim bulb in my head this morning.

Basically, I want to know how many players we'd have to get back from injury to win this game. Maybe you think we can win it with everyone gone, or maybe you think every single person has to be back and turned into a steam-powered automaton to pull it off. Whatever your thoughts, discuss 'em here and we'll get this ball rolling.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles Open Thread

Dave the Falconer — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:00:16 -0000

by John Amis - AP

Jerious Norwood figures to be a big factor Sunday with numerous offensive stars out of the game. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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The door hinges on this one like a season. Wait, I got that wrong.

For those of you who want nothing more than to see the Falcons get to nine wins this season, this is an important game. For those of you who have your hearts set on a playoff berth, this is critical. Either way, a win against the Eagles would go a long way toward achieving the goal you hold most dear.

It'll be an uphill challenge, as we've noted repeatedly this week. Teams missing their top quarterback and running back, potentially their second best receiver and a couple o' offensive linemen don't regularly win games in this league. Let's hope the Falcons buck that trend.

Onward and upward, then!

Who? Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. EST

Where? Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Weather? It's snowing up here in New Hampshire as I type this, but somehow I don't think you'll get much weather at all at the stadium. Call me crazy.

Injuries? Matt Ryan is out and Michael Turner is questionable, despite the fact that he's virtually a lock not to play. Sam Baker and Harvey Dahl are both questionable, but Dahl didn't practice Friday and who knows with Baker. Roddy White, Curtis Lofton and Brian Finneran are all expected to play, but Michael Jenkins is questionable in the truest sense of the word. If he doesn't play, the Falcons have once again brought Troy Bergeron back onto the active roster.

The Iggles are missing WR DeSean Jackson, RB Brian Westbrook, WR Kevin Curtis, and LB Akeem Jordan, and have a host of probables and questionables. Those are some serious weapons, as well, so their offense doesn't figure to be quite as potent as usual.

Odds? Philly over Atlanta 5.5, O/U 43.5

Foe? Go visit our friends over at Bleeding Green Nation for all things Eagles.

GO FALCONS! Let's pluck these Eagles!

Falcons And Bucs Recap: The Pit And The Pendulum

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:00:15 -0000

by John Bazemore - AP

Victory is sweet, no matter how sour the path to get there may be. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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The Atlanta Falcons were going to lose to the Tampa Bay Bucs.

You could see it in the way they were playing. You could hear it in the comments offered up by readers of this very site, readers who have learned over time that the Falcons have historically found a way to lose the games they're supposed to win. It was apparent from a series of increasingly despondent text messages tlozwarlock and I sent back and forth. It was especially apparent after Jason Elam missed another field goal, the final twist of the knife after a day of injuries and ineptitude.

But let us not forget that the Falcons didn't lose this game. It wasn't an inspiring win, the kind you're going to tell your grandkids while you bounce them on your bionic knee in your floating space condominium after the Great Mars Wars of 2073. This was just a win, an ugly win, that moved us to 6-5. It doesn't speak well to the future of this team, necessarily, but it's still a damn win. At the end of the day, we're one step closer to throwing off the shackles of our losing reputation, and that's the greatest victory of all.

So I urge you to keep some perspective today, especially after I finish telling you how badly the Falcons stunk on Sunday, with a little praise mixed in. There's the pit we've just come out of, and the pendulum which could swing back the other way at any moment. Makes it tough to plan out the next few weeks, doesn't it? You can find that after the jump, of course.

HIGHLIGHTS

Chris Redman? More like Chris Reliable! Am I right?

Redman put the Falcons on his back. He doesn't have the arm Matt Ryan does or the long-term potential, but he played an efficient game of football, avoided costly turnovers and made throws when he absolutely had to. That touchdown strike to Roddy White was a thing of beauty. Given the circumstances and the fact that two-fifths of the starting offensive line had to leave the game, Redman played a terrific game. He had some miscues, but I find it difficult to aim too much criticism his way when he did everything he could to earn the W. Huge credit to Redman.
Give huge props to the receiving corps, as well. Tony Gonzalez and Michael Jenkins were open often and made nice catches, and Roddy White sealed the win with a great catch in the end zone. Down to Marty Booker and Eric Weems behind them, the big three in our passing game stepped up their game and made things happen, and that goes hand-in-hand with Redman's performance. Awfully proud of them.
Welcome back, Jerious Norwood. With a touchdown catch and a couple of nice runs, Norwood looked weapons-grade again and made a dent in the Bucs defense. Glad he's healthy, because we're going to need him.
The USS Babineaux fired some serious fumble missiles at Josh Freeman, as did the SS Chevis Jackson. Babineaux continues to be the best the offensive line has to offer and Jackson delivered a pair of punishing hits yesterday, giving him the appearance of our most physical cornerback. Really, though, the team needs to figure out some way to help Babineaux out more so he can rush. He's got the nose for it.
Michael Koenen can boot it. That kid's got more leg than a chorus line.
Jason Elam did hit two field goals and both of his extra points, but....

LOWLIGHTS

...he also missed another field goal. There's a reasonable argument to be made that the change in long snappers has caused Elam some problems, and there have been bad snaps on a couple of his field goals. Still, he's converting field goals at well under the league average rate and that missed field goal Sunday could very well have cost the Falcons the game. If the coaching staff has any trust in him left, it had to have been struck with a heavy hammer yesterday.
There are no words that can properly express how angry I was with the decision to play Michael Turner before he got injured, and the fact that he got injured again—same ankle, mind you, regardless of which part of the ankle—made me apoplectic. There was no need to trot him out there when he would've benefitted from another week of rest, no matter how much of a warrior he is, and aside from one admittedly very nice run he had zero luck moving the ball down the field. I know he probably wanted to play and the Falcons are treating each week like it's the playoffs, but playing Turner against the Bucs cost us far more than it helped us. Still pretty pissed off about that one.
The injuries in general hurt a lot. Matt Ryan's loss didn't end up being as terrible as it might have been, but we need him down the line. Sam Baker and Harvey Dahl are critical pieces of in pass protection and absolutely must get healthy or we're boned. This has been a problem all year and it actually got worse in a hurry Sunday.
Jason Snelling. Four carries isn't nearly enough to get a good rhythm going, but he also managed to fumble the ball at a very, very bad time and lose it. That will hurt the coaching staff's confidence any day of the week.
I happen to think that Josh Freeman is a promising young quarterback with a very bright future in the NFL. I do. That doesn't lessen the sting of allowing him to put up his best game as a pro, a game which saw him pass for 250 yards and two touchdowns without a single pick. John Abraham can point the finger all he likes, but outside of a few hurries later in the game, the line got little to no pressure on the quarterback today and Freeman had more time than a clock factory. And the secondary? Let's just say inserting Chris Owens into the lineup didn't cure all of those very noticeable woes.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: You could make an argument for either the wide receivers and Gonzo or Redman, but I'm going with Rojohombre. Just an inspired performance from the backup.

Game Theme Song: This one because it's semi-relaxing and hey, we could all stand to find a little beauty after Sunday's game.

One Thing To Take Away: There are 100 ways to win and lose the game of football, and the Falcons experimented with a lot of them. It's going to be awfully tough to beat a team like the Eagles if we can't get our act together.

Next Week: Speaking of the Philadelphia Eagles, they're up next. Dealing them a defeat would significantly bolster our playoff hopes, so go do some scouting over at Bleeding Green Nation.

Final Word: Whoa.

Al Davis' Day of Reckoning Has Come:

saint — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:28:29 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

"Hey Mo!" (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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On a day when the Oakland Raiders were begining to show the signs of their earlier heritage, the thing that stood out the most was a wide receiver, drafted number 7 over-all, who was selected over numerous more talented AND proven guys by an old man who has lost his mind.

There have been signs all around us, but, when Heyward-Bey let that last pass bounce off of his chest and into the Chief's arms it became clear to me that Al Davis', losing his mind, has really cost this team too much this time.

Instead of keeping the second rounder last year, it was shipped off to Atlanta for 'Angelo Hall. The one who left the "D" somewhere between Atlanta and Oakland.

Wouldn't you just know that DeSean Jackson was available when that pick was made and the Falcons ended up getting a bookend O-Lineman, Sam Baker.

What did the Raiders get? 8 Million dollars of NOTHING but Burnt Toast that smelled like the "Scrip Club" while the Falcons and Eagles have "Landed", pardon the pun, Huge pieces to their franchises.

Then, this season the Raiders drafted the laughing stock rookie wide-out of All-Time, and that was before he'd even attempted to catch a pass in the OTA's...He's gotten worse.

I mean, before the season started, you still had hope that MAYBE the Old Man had outfoxed the entire League by finding the next Cliff Branch and Jack Tatum. Perhaps the old man had one more one finger salute for the "Liars" and was two fisting the "Professional Liars"!

Now, all we see is a franchise being run into the ground with the same gusto with which it became a symbol of the NFL.

When you get the chance to draft the Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Macklin or Percy Harvin's of the World, you do not take a project with hands of stone. You just don't. THEN, when you realize he can't catch, at the very least, you let a veteran, like ummm, I don't know...Javon Walker maybe!?!?...step in until the kid calms down a bit.

That is unless you just really DON'T see it. And at this point, I don't think that Mr. Davis does see reality any more. I bet, after hearing him speak, that he is still wondering WHY Cliff Branch missed that last pass.

I have often wrote, "Today is the DAY", before Raider games, and for me, yesterday was the day that I lost faith in AL's ability to run things. I'd questioned it, and have been in doubt about it for a while. Now I KNOW, it is time to get someone in here to run things. It has to be someone that Al trusts and it has to be soon, otherwise his great legacy will be forever tarnished.

Yesterday was a day of reckoning for you Mr. Davis. You have either lost your touch or have lost touch with reality. You choose.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

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

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah, during the game:

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Information from My Eyes, Steelers at Broncos.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Navy ship built with WTC steel to go into service

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ted: What kind of ship is it?

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

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

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

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

5. What's New In Cleveland Update:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Retired for John Elway.

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

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

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

Saturday News And Notes: Tackling The Washington Redskins

Dave the Falconer — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:30:23 -0000

by Bill Feig - AP

Don't expect Matt Ryan and the Falcons to overlook at the Redskins. (AP Photo/Bill Feig, File)

View full size photo »

There's a danger with a game like this.

The Washington Redskins have been no one's idea of a great or even good team this season. Their fans are dealing with tragic missteps at every level of the organization with the impassiveness of true stoics, but it's clear that this is a team that's a mess. In a lot of ways, they may seem like the perfect opponent for the Falcons, who are reeling a bit after two tough losses against quality teams the last couple of weeks. Though I wouldn't dare suggest that Mike Smith & Co. would bring an unprepared team against Washington, it's still a very real danger that this team, coming off a bye week and with a lot to prove, could come out of the gate strong against the Falcons.

It's often said that good teams win the games they're supposed to, and a punishing effort this weekend would put us at 5-3 and firmly in that warm and cozy bracket. This is a game we definitely should win, but desperate teams can do interesting things. Hopefully the Falcons swing the hammer early on Sunday.

How about some links, gang?

Despite being banged up, both Sam Baker and Roddy White are expected to play this weekend. With all the negative injury news we've gotten over the last couple of weeks, this is like a fresh breath of air carrying a $100 bill your way.
To absolutely no one's surprise, Jerious Norwood isn't playing. If he's listed as questionable again this week, I'm going to laugh out loud. Jason Snelling is still a bit of a question mark.
Oh, heavens to Betsy, Harvey Dahl and Tyson Clabo are physical players! I hope Albert Haynesworth doesn't get the vapors from their rudeness. That would be horrid!

Seriously, though, it's just before the game trash talk. Nobody likes the way Big Mean and Clabo play the game of football, but it sure as hell works. Haynesworth will be a guy to watch this weekend, because he's still a force to be reckoned with.
Here's kind of an unofficial keys to the game list for the Redskins, courtesy of Hogs Haven. The likeliest might be that Fred Davis, who is taking over for injured tight end Chris Cooley, will blow up. The Falcons will have to keep an eye on him.
This Matt Ryan thing is getting out of hand. He's been far from perfect this season and I'd like to see him make better throws, but I'm not exactly worried about his future in the league because of a middling half-season. It's really too bad that we've all gotten into the habit of expecting instant results and changing our minds on the fly (myself included), because we all end up yo-yoing on some of these guys.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:30:25 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

about 1 month ago: Baltimore Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb, left, carries the ball for a touchdown as Denver Broncos safety David Bruton pursues during the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Happy Tuesday, friends, if you can manage one. Welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Well, this was bound to happen, right? Since Sunday afternoon, I have been thinking about what the right tone is to take with this week's ST&NO. I still haven't decided, and it's Monday at 5 PM as I write this paragraph. I guess I am just going to go with it, and play it like it feels. We had an ugly loss, and to top it off, there were only 4 late games, and no Sunday night game, so I didn't see a lot of live football, at all. We'll make do, because that's all we can do. Out of the echo chamber, and into the fire y'all. Ready.... BEGIN!!!!

1. The two plays which set the tone for yesterday's game happened at the beginning of each half. On the Broncos' first play from scrimmage, Jarret Johnson came in untouched and unrecognized off the defense's left side, and creamed Kyle Orton for a big loss. As I watched the play happen, I couldn't help but think that the Broncos may not be well-prepared if they weren't expecting a lot of blitzing.

As the second half got underway, Lardarius Webb took the opening kickoff back 95 yards for a TD. That took a manageable 6-0 halftime deficit to 13-0, and essentially dictated that the Broncos start playing come-from-behind football. You see the picture of this play, and I used it because it sticks in my craw (whatever a craw is), and I want it stick in yours, too. I guarantee it bothers the coaches and players. You can't have that happen and expect to win.

The final score, 30-7, sounds like a blowout, but this game wasn't really that. This game swung on field position, and third-down performance, which was directly driven by down-and-distance situations. The Ravens made key plays on 3rd down, and the Broncos missed opportunities to make those plays.

There's an offensive concept called staying on schedule, and it means that from first and 10, you get to 2nd and 6, and then to 3rd and 2. All your down-and-distance situations are manageable if you stay on schedule. It's a really good thing to do every game, but it's absolutely imperative against a team like Baltimore, which can bring a bunch of overload pressure and force a QB to either throw way short of the first down or eat the ball.

Actually, the Broncos did a great job throughout the game with first-down defense, and getting Baltimore off schedule themselves. The Ravens, though, led by Joe Flacco, made enough plays to negate those early-down advantages.

The world didn't end, and all we can hope is that some lessons are learned from the experience by the players and coaches, and that those lessons are applied to future situations. Sometimes a loss is a growth opportunity, and I think that there is a solid reson to think that this loss was one of those.

2. Information From My Eyes. Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens:

a. I thought Mitch Berger was awul on Sunday, despite Josh McDaniels' charitable comments about his performance. Hang time is fine, but I want changes in field position. The Broncos lost the field position game the whole first half, in large part because of bad punting.

b. I disliked the offensive game plan and the play calling. The 3rd-and-5 sweep for Correll Buckhalter on the second series is an example. I thought there were too many screens against a team which clearly came to stop the screen. I wanted to see more use of Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal agains the Baltimore CBs, and I am perplexed as to why we didn't get more of that.

c. I was really pleased with the way that Mario Haggan was consistently setting the edge in this game. He has a physical style of play which is perfect for the position he plays. It's pretty shocking that he was basically a special teamer only in Buffalo, because he's a top-notch 3-4 OLB.

d. I don't blame Knowshon Moreno very much for the fumble (this time). That play was doomed from the start, with Jarret Johnson forcing a high throw and tough catch, and Moreno turning right into a thumping from Ed Reed.

e. Andra Davis is playing at a Pro Bowl level this season, when he is on the field. He plays downhill all the time and has a great sense of timing with the snap count. The great thing about him is that he seems to be cool with coming off the field on 3rd downs, and letting Wesley Woodyard play the long-yardage situations, which Woodyard's much better suited for.

f. There was a lot of dancing by Brandon Marshall on his four catches. I'd like to see him get upfield quicker after the catch. I'd also like to see him use his physicality to get open on some downfield stuff.

g. I was tired by 10:30 Monday night, when I re-watched this game, so I didn't tally anything, but anecdotally, the screen game was a complete disaster on offense for the Broncos.

h. Kyle Orton had two easy interceptions dropped in this game. One was on a play where he got crushed and the ball came out weakly, and the other was a terrible decision, with Jarret Johnson sitting in an underneath zone, and Dawan Landry right behind him. Orton needs to play better than he did Sunday, like the rest of the offense.

i. With the score 16-7 early in the 4th quarter, the Broncos had Baltimore in a 3rd and 12 near midfield. On consecutive plays, Elvis Dumervil and Darrell Reid jumped offsides. On the resulting 3rd and 2, Flacco escaped pressure and made a downfield throw to Derrick Mason. This basically ended the game, because soon after, Mason scored to make the score 23-7.

j. Renaldo Hill looked out of position on the aforementioned Mason TD. Andre' Goodman had outside leverage on the play, with good coverage, really, but Hill never got over the top to help him. He may have seen something that kept him in the shallow middle; but it was a bust, clear as day, because Brian Dawkins played the coverage like he had a deep half on the other side. Credit Flacco for seeing the blown coverage and making a perfect throw.

k. From the Ravens' side, I liked their use of the no-huddle stuff, and their attempts to vary tempo. The Broncos substitute very liberally, and are one of the most package-intensive defenses in the NFL. By having to hesitate on substituting at times, they assumed a disadvantaged position against the Ravens. Really, I think that the lack of freshness of some players, who had larger than usual workloads, is a lot of what got them in the 4th quarter.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games:

a. As I mentioned, I didn't see a lot of other live games, since most ran at the same time as the Broncos game. To make up for that, I recorded some Short Cuts Sunday night, and hurried home from Day 1 of month-end close Monday to watch them. I started with the Jets and Dolphins, and my first (Nearsighted) Observation is that the Jets played a dominant game on defense, which surprised me a little. I thought they'd miss Kris Jenkins a lot more than they seemed to, especially with all the Wildcat stuff going on. The Jets held the Dolphins to 104 total yards, 52 each passing and rushing.

b. It's really something to score 30 points with 104 yards of offense. Jason Taylor got a fumble recovery for a TD and Ted Ginn returned two kickoffs. I have highlighted Ginn's lack of suddenness before - but let me tell you, when he gets going, he's as fast as anybody in the NFL. He outran players who had good angles on both TD returns. He may never be a top WR, but he's elite as a kickoff returner.

c. I think Thomas Jones is the most underrated player in the NFL. He started slow in the NFL, largely due to his being drafted by a horrible Arizona Cardinals team, but once he got it going in Tampa Bay, he's been a consistently productive player. He's on pace for 1,400 yards and 14 TDs this season, and is a big part of the Jets' success on offense.

d. The most overrated player has to be Jason Peters, just ahead of Alan Faneca and Flozell Adams. The bloom is mostly off the Faneca and Adams roses, at this point, but Peters still gets a lot of love from the MSM. I have just seen him get beat too many times the last two years, and the jury is in for me. He looks like he'd make a good Right Tackle, but on the left side, he gets beaten constantly by quick pass rushers. Osi Umenyiora owned him several times on Sunday.

e. DeSean Jackson is already a great player, and he's improving. He needs to be played physically, because if you let him run free through a defense, he's going to shred you. He's not really a true number-one receiver, who's going to defeat double coverage, but he's a dynamic outside guy.

f. The Eagles have a pretty fearsome passing game, when their line isn't getting Donovan McNabb sacked. Jeremy Maclin is having a solid rookie year, but I'm especially impressed with Brent Celek, who does a great job of catching the ball in traffic. He's now on pace for over 1,000 receiving yards this season. Celek isn't much of a blocker, really, but he even had a good hold that didn't get called on Sunday, helping spring Leonard Weaver's long TD run.

g. ST&NO favorite Alex Smith had a pretty nice game on Sunday against Indianapolis. He looks really comfortable in the shotgun, and led a great hurry-up TD drive at the end of the first half. For his part, Smith looked good for most of the game. The 49ers offense just repeatedly found ways to take bad penalties or give up sacks, (especially in the second half, after Joe Staley got hurt), which kept stopping the offense. Smith is showing a good rapport with Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree, who looks like the real deal, already, two weeks into his career.

h. Peyton Manning was a little off on Sunday with his deep ball. That happens so infrequently that I thought it was worth highlighting.

i. I still can't figure out why the Colts cut Ed Johnson a couple weeks ago. They're very vulnerable to the inside running game without him. The Colts brass said the release was performance-related, but I don't buy that for a second. Johnson was definitely their best DT.

j. Very interesting news Monday evening that the Chargers had released Chris Chambers. He has been struggling to get the separation he used to get, but waiving him seems like a pretty extreme measure. You can't tell me that he couldn't beat nickel or dime CBs against most teams. I'd be very surprised if he isn't on a new team very quickly.

k. The Raiders had a legitimate shot to drive to a tying TD and 2-point conversion in the final minutes of Sunday's game against the Chargers. Then, something completely emblematic of the Raiders happened. Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey lined up on the offense's right side, and both ran vertical routes against man coverage. The inside receiver released outside of the DB covering him, and the outside receiver released inside. They bumped into each other, and both fell down. JaMarcus Russell had nowhere to throw the ball and got sacked, despite a 7-step drop and max protection on the play. The game was functionally over at that point.

l. Aaron Rodgers got beaten up mercilessly again on Sunday, particularly early in the game. I actually thought T.J. Lang was generally pretty solid at LT, but Jared Allen still got 3 sacks. He now has 7.5 sacks in 2 games against Green Bay this year, which is like giving him a handicap in the sack race with Elvis Dumervil.

m. I really thought that Arizona had gotten their act together, but they got hammered by Carolina on Sunday. They went into the game with the number-one run defense in the NFL, and then got run over by DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. I think it was an aberration, but that remains to be seen.

n. I've never liked Matt Ryan's arm much, and Monday night reinforced that feeling for me. Because the Falcons have a below-average line in pass protection, they max-protect a lot, leaving few receivers in the pattern. If the coverage is tight, as it was Monday, Ryan always seems to struggle to make throws to beat the coverage. He's really not too dissimilar to Kyle Orton in that way, though Orton throws the ball with more velocity. Ryan needs to have a lot of options, where he can pick a guy who is open. For that reason, Atlanta needs to focus on building their offensive line. Sam Baker, particularly, isn't good enough at LT, and would make a better LG. Baker got annihilated by Will Smith throughout Monday night's game.

o. My man Thomas DeCoud was at it again for the Falcons on Monday night. He had a sack that forced a TD in the first quarter. This guy is a big-time young player.

p. Jeff Triplette is the worst referee in the NFL, and it's not even close. He just couldn't figure out the clock on Monday night, and he has no command with the crowd. It always seems like he lets them rattle him. When you're a referee, a sheepish smile is a bad thing. You need to command the stadium, like Ed Hochuli and Mike Carey do. Gene Steratore is a good younger referee, too.

r. Marques Colston is having a fantastic year for the Saints. Prior to this year, I've always thought of him as a fairly-average starting WR who has benfitted from strong QB play, and a friendly system. I really see him winning a lot of one-on-one battles with his physicality now. He was targeted 6 times Monday night, and made 6 catches for 85 yards and a TD. He really battled for the ball on a few of those catches, including the TD.

4. Between The Lines, Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens

a. The Broncos had a very bad day in protection, and there's no way to sugarcoat that. The Ravens blitzed more often than what it seemed the Broncos were prepared for. Ryan Clady got beaten twice, which is twice more than usual, and got Orton hit. He was otherwise his normal self. The rag-doll was Ben Hamilton. I am getting tired of writing that every week, but if he's going to get his butt kicked, I'll keep writing it. Old friend Trevor Pryce destroyed Hamilton all game. Casey Wiegmann had his worst game of the year too, with Kelly Gregg beating him more often than not. I was pleased with Chris Kuper's play against Haloti Ngata, and I thought Tyler Polumbus did a very nice job filling in for Ryan Harris. The Broncos got Orton sacked twice (once by a DB) and pressured many more times than that. The passing game was a clear win for the Ravens defensive line.

b. The running aspect was actually better for the Broncos. They picked up a couple of 3rd and shorts, which was nice for a change, and generally held the line of scrimmage, and got a bit of surge against an excellent group for Baltimore. The only notable running play which was blown up was the 3rd-and-5 sweep. I liked the work of Clady and Kuper, and everybody was actually pretty solid in the running game. The Broncos only ran for 3.5 yards per carry - but against Baltimore, that's pretty solid. This was a draw, but one the Broncos would have been happy with if they'd protected better.

c. The Broncos did a good job pressuring Flacco throughout the game, and were beaten by some great throws and poise. These things happen. Jared Gaither held Elvis Dumervil repeatedly, but he didn't get penalized, so kudos to him, if he likes granola bars. Ben Grubbs and Michael Oher, the two best players on the Baltimore line, had good days, and the two weakest, Matt Birk and Chris Chester, didn't so much. A lot of the Broncos' pressure came from the Back 8, which is typical of them. The Ravens allowed a lot of pressure, but much like Ben Roethlisberger, Flacco showed a really good ability to evade the pressure, and make plays in spite of it.

d. The Broncos defense won big in the running game, until the last 10 minutes of the game, when it seemed like they wore down. The Broncos had 10 tackles for loss, which is the kind of performance that typically wins games. Unfortunately, Flacco's big plays negated a lot of this good work. When you consider it separately though, the Broncos won this battle for most of the game. Notable Broncos were Ronald Fields, Kenny Peterson, and Marcus Thomas. Ryan McBean got some penetration too, and Le Kevin Smith made a good play, also.

e. Overall, you have to give an edge to Baltimore, for how well they pressured Kyle Orton. It was the primary reason the Broncos never got untracked on offense. The Broncos did a more-than-respectable job in the other phases, though.

5. Word broke on Monday that the Browns had fired General Manager George Kokinis. I really can't imagine why they'd want to do that. Reportedly, Randy Lerner is displeased that Kokinis didn't take an active role in speaking to the media and communicating to the outside world. If that's really the problem, then I think it's clear that Lerner doesn't get professional football. During the season, the GM needs to be quiet and let the Head Coach be the voice of the team. This is the way it works everywhere, even a place like Baltimore, where GM Ozzie Newsome is the top football guy in the organization. That's where Kokinis came from.

Here in Cleveland, the Browns organization is really far too worried about public opinion. Remember how the Broncos organization ignored the DP message boards all offseason, and then the booing at the scrimmage? You have to do that, or you'll never get going in a coherent direction. I don't know if the Mangini plan is the right one, but it seems that Randy Lerner just canceled it before it even had half a season to work. Rumor has it that Lerner is trying to bring in Ernie Accorsi to join Bernie Kosar as a consultant. As respected as Accorsi is, this sounds like Lerner already blew the situation.

Phil Savage, who is still being paid for the next 3 1/2 years, had some interesting comments this past week. He said that the previous regime left this one with two quarterbacks, and that both of them look ruined at this point. The Browns will almost certainly be in the drafting-a-QB business again this coming spring, and that typically signals another full deep dive into rebuilding. While they're at it, they need a right side of the offensive line, two RBs, a WR, and a TE. Then they can turn their attention to the defense, which is currently solid enough to be part of a .500 team.

The team, led by Lerner, needs to definitively figure out what they want to be. They need to then formulate a plan to become that, and start executing the plan. Most importantly, though, they have to try to clearly articulate that plan to their stakeholders, and then prepare to stick to that plan, no matter what Joe in Berea, or Stanislaus in West Park have to say on the radio. You have to build your program, and winning will follow. As we all know, winning is the great deodorant.

More month-end closing activities are ahead for me this week. It seems like just last week I was closing September and complaining here about how busy I am. Now, it returns. The good news is that I will have a full Sunday of game-watching and channel-flipping next weekend, so expect a more-robust set of games which I'll be commenting on. Have a great week, friends, and remember to visit MileHighReport.com every day, for all your Broncos news and analysis.

Rodney Hudson Majors in Recreation, Leisure and Putting a Hole in Somebody

John Morgan — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:02:42 -0000

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When your line is this bad, you'll argue anything to stay out from under center.

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It's the bye week and that has inspired laziness in me. I have three plans for this weekend: sit in my underwear, watch football and drink. I love the Seahawks, but the up and down can be tiring. I go into the bye week happy to have a week off and exit ravenous for Seahawks football. Nothing inspires like a hollow, but nevertheless piquant Monday after the bye hangover. God bless ritual.

So I am sitting here eying a copy of 'Confessions' I just found again and thinking about the lineup for Saturday and Sunday. In the spirit of taking it easy, here is the first in an annotated viewer's guide for a weekend off, starting today, not coincidentally.

The Guard that Completes the Seahawks: Tim Ruskell has become too easy. His process is so transparent that Doug and I both accidentally arrived at Seattle signing Jason Campbell without ever discussing it. Campbell doesn't get a chance to checkdown until Monday, but today, this very day, a player will play that Seattle will target if he declares.

Given the dire state of Florida State football, Rodney Hudson should and I assume will declare. Why should you care about Hudson? Because he is to the Alex Gibbs system what Steve Hutchinson was to the Mike Holmgren system. Ok, that's a stretch, but not as much as you might think. 6'2", 285 pound guards have not qualified as first round talent in over 10 years. The last slight mauler to attract first round attention was Pete Kendall in 1996.

The Dennis Erickson era is not remembered fondly by Seahawks fans and rightly. Erickson was neither exciting, new nor successful, has since coached a division rival, and a few Pac-10 foes (depending on your allegiance). Kendall was something he did right. Late first round picks sometimes produce Ray Lewis or Randy Moss, but with their talent you get the person, and it's a trade off that makes even the best case scenario a bit of a headache. More frequently, a late first round talent is a nine-tenths players. A player that looks like an NFL player and plays like an NFL players but has some nagging weakness that pushes him down.

Hudson is a converted left tackle that moves like a running back. I dare say I am as excited for Hudson as am I for any guard I have seen in the last three years. I had my thing for Justin Blalock, but I liked Blalock as a project. I had my thing for Sam Baker, but I liked Baker as a plug and play left tackle. I had my thing for Duke Robinson, but I say, if anyone has ever completely failed the pre-draft process worse than Robinson, his name is Maurice Clarett.

Hudson isn't about potential or pipe dreams or why the crap not use your fifth round pick to select him, he is about starting next year and completing Seattle's offensive line.

Here's why:

My preliminary scouting sees a short, but wide-framed guard-tackle tweener that will fill out gradually as he ages but never be big. He isn't shaped like a can like Mansfield Wrotto, but like a tight end. What excited me though, aside from the fact that he is a legitimate Ruskell target and was born by Alex Gibbbs in a laboratory, is this relatively little dude has judo strength. It's all quick unassuming movements and flying defenders. He moves, cuts, finishes and has the foot speed to lead a screen halfway down the field. He is nasty, not Incognito nasty, but Aaron Curry nasty. He drops foes and breaks bones and apologizes and offers a hand afterward.

You'll read a lot about Hudson needing to add weight, but what he needs is the right system. His weight and the league's perception of guards should push him into the second round. That has me excited. Maybe you will be too after watching him tonight. And if you do watch for Hudson, watch NC outside linebacker Bruce Carter. It is unlikely Carter declares this year, but he provides something as a cover linebacker that is deeply underappreciated in this league. He did this to our beloved quarterback of the future.

Nice throw, Mike.

The game starts at 4:30 Pacific on ESPN. I think Tim Ruskell does for the offensive line this offseason what he did for the wide receiver, tight end, running back and linebacker positions in offseasons past.