SB Nation - Jason Jones

Tennessee Titans Place Defensive Tackle Jason Jones on IR

Jimmy — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:01:31 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

Unfortunately this is a move that we have seen coming for about a week. The Titans went ahead and made it official today by placing DT Jason Jones on injured reserve according to @titansradio.

Jones has showed flashes of being really good when he has been out there, but he has been hampered by injuries in both of his seasons with the Titans. He is supposed to have shoulder surgery today, so hopefully he will be ready to go when the OTAs start this spring.

The only bright spot here is that 2009 2nd round pick Sen'Derrick Marks should be able to get plenty of reps down the stretch.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Shorter Than Most, Longer Than Some Edition

August West — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:18:42 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

You know it's a bad day when even the Big Marine, Ahmard Hall, lets ya down :-(

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I can't remember the last time Fisher just lit-up some NFL refs, but that's certainly what happened yesterday... this is about as close to a tirade against the zebras as you'll see:

Officials made things even tougher on the Titans, according to Fisher. He said receiver Kenny Britt was interfered with in the end zone on a fourth down and Washington was held on a play that would have resulted in a first-and-goal. He questioned a holding call against guard Eugene Amano on second-and-goal at the 1.

"I am not sitting here pointing a finger at things that were called and not called,'' Fisher said. "I will say I was very disappointed in a number of things that were called incorrectly or not called. But we have to overcome those.''

I'm still stunned at the no-call with Britt in the endzone. I was livid at the time and just at a loss now: I mean when a defender palms a WR in the face while he has his back to the ball--which is already in the air--how can that no be a penalty you could call from the press box? Never mind when it happens wight in front of you?

Apparently Vince Young did get a knee contusion on Sunday, though Fisher said it's not serious and won't cause him to miss any playing time.

In other injury news, Jared Cook will see a neurologist after he received a concussion covering a kick-off on Sunday. Meanwhile Jason Jones could he headed to see a specialist for his lingering shoulder problems, and could end-up on the IR if he doesn't show some improvement quickly.

Teresa Walker of the AP evaluates where Vince Young is in his comeback/ressurection/absolvement of our sins, and likes the progress so far.

With one streak over, it's time for our guys to concentrate on starting another wining streak.

Despite the loss on Sunday, Chris Johnson remains fourth on the PFT MVP list.

In PLEASE DO THIS CUS IT'LL ACCELERATE YOUR RATE OF SUCK news around the AFC South, Florida Governor Charlie Crist is encouraging the Jacksonville Jaguars to draft the positionless Tim Tebow in April, if for no other reason than to sell tickets in a stadium that has been blacked-out repeatedly over the past few years...

Every time you read a great Titans story and don't share the link via Fanshots or by emailing me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com, another writer calls Stephen Jackson the best running back in the NFL; is that what you want!!!????!!??!!?!

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: All The Titans News You Need To Drive Off A Bridge Edition

August West — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:53:39 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

Congratulations on continuing to deactivate our co-leader in interceptions against the best passing offenses in the league because you're loyal to the worst CB in the NFL. That's swell.

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Peter King takes is easy on us, and he's right that we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that we lost to an 11-0 division rival on the raod. I'm not going to kill our guys for that, but it's the hole we're in, and it still sucks losing to the most boring franchise in NFL history. Watching the Colts go 16-1 will be almost as good as the Pats going 18-1.

There would be no miracles or marches this time, as the Colts executed their game plan to perfection on both sides of the ball yesterday... which may be the best indicator of all that it's still the regular season.

For all of the people who made dumb mistakes that cost us that game (Brown, Washington, Fisher, etc.), you certainly can't complain about the job Cortland Finnegan did. He held Reddie Wayne to 4 catches for 44 yards and blanketed one of the league's most polished receivers all day.

Follow us through the jump for more cheapshots as I work through a combination of bile and disdain...

The Colts straight baited Tony Brown just before the half, obviously worrying that they couldn't get into field goal range without tripping over their own dresses on their own merits, but Brown still has to know when to back downand recognize that they're playing him for the retaliation penalty.

Nate Washington KILLED us in the first quarter with that drop: good teams don't let those opportunities slip away during a playoff run. This team is built to play from ahead, and 7 easy points right there keeps it even...

David Climer complains about the FGs, but in all honesty, if we make both FGs the two times we go for it on fourth down, we'd have been in a one possession game during that on-side kick.

Don Banks says we didn't capitalize on our chances (after incorrectly stating that VY had two INTs).

MJD asks a good question: where did the option go? Anyone else feeling like the play calling has been much more generic and predictable over the past few weeks? Does 'Dinger feel like he used up his bullets already? If he still had some left, these last two games were the time to use them...

Bonus Analysis: So for all of those linked articles diagnosing what went wrong, how come none of them point out the terrible D-line play much at all? Tony Brown was the only lineman we had to got penetration all day... when you take away a 100% Jason Jones and Jacob Ford this unit looks real mediocre real quick.

The Tennessee Titans Defensive Line At Week 11: Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of a dumpster fire

August West — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:53:12 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

CJ may carry the flag, but the defensive line carries the torch on this team.

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On the way to 13 wins and the AFC's top seed in the 2008 playoffs, one unit truly defined the Tennessee Titans: (usually after that colon I'd write 'the defensive line' like it held some sort of impact or suspense, but come on, you read the title of the post). Last year's defensive line was a nearly mythical beast -- like half Deacon Jones, half El Chupacabra, and half Manbearpig -- that relentlessly harassed offenses and disrupted any game plan that couldn't be executed in 2.3 seconds. Mothers of quarterbacks and offensive linemen cried when they would discover heir husky pride and joys would have to face Big Albert and the gang the next week. It was defense so good it bordered on sexy sometimes.

Well, that collection of talent was squandered in the playoffs, and the most dynamic talent on the line cashed in on a rebuilt image for a pile of monopoly money soaking in the Potomac Basin. With Albert gone and coordinator Jim Schwartz headed to Detroit there was much speculation as to how, yet little doubt if, the defensive line could come close to making the impact they had the year before. Sure Albert is gone, we said, but this unit was always a big rotation and that depth would be the key. Jason Jones grew into a beast at the end of last season, and the ends will be better than ever!

Cut to week 6 of 2009 and we’re all feeling a little foolish after an 0-6 start and an especially emasculating 0-59 loss to the Patriots...

The D-line struggled with a pile of injuries (Jones, Ford) and disappearing acts by veterans so beloved they had nicknames (Boom King, The Freak). Efforts to blitz and use the safeties aggressively, combined with injuries to Cortland Finnegan and Vincent Fuller, resulted in a line that couldn’t penetrate and a secondary that couldn’t cover.

Looking at the last three games, however, one that same defensive line has combined with a healthy secondary to give us a glimpse of the defense we expected at the beginning of the year. Where as a few weeks ago Tony Brown looked like the only D-lineman who did a lick of work in the off-season, we’re now looking at massive strides being made by MCM favorite Jacob Ford, self-made starter William Hayes, rookie Sen’Derrick Marks and a healthy Jason Jones. The deep rotation is also benefiting from improved play by Boom King and newcomer Jovan Haye, along with the reliable (if unspectacular) contributions of Dave Ball and Kevin Vickerson.

What has this improved play wrought? Do 10 sacks in 3 games sound better 11 in 6 games? You bet it does. Well, how about forcing 8 turnovers in 3 games (most due to pressure) after we only got 8 in the previous 6?

What about a sack rate that’s better than the vaunted Colts D-line? I mean hell, that’s all their DE’s do is play the pass.

We have the best RB in the league right now, and Vince Young is a walking headline no matter what he does, but anyone who overlooks the improvement Chuck Cecil and Jim Washburn have gotten out of the line does so at their own peril. The pressure has helped cover for our horrendous safety play, and they don’t waste their opportunities when Cecil dials-up the blitz.

Are they back to where they were in 2008? Of course not; the 2008 defensive line was a rare collection of talent, but this group is showing signs of turning into something special all the same.

So lets debate Vince Young over 600 comments in a troll call, and lets vote Chris Johnson into the Pro Bowl until he gets more votes than most presidents. But just remember: it’s going to be the success or failure of Tony Brown, Williams Hayes, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Jason Jones and Jacob Ford that decide if we’re watching a miracle or just a nifty turnaround.

The Return of Vince Young: Ready your barf bags

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:23:46 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

2 months ago: Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, center, and quarterback Kerry Collins (5) leave the field after their 59-0 loss to the New England Patriots in a NFL football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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There's a pretty big blog out there called The Big Lead, and its head writer is a good guy by the name of Jason McIntyre. Jason really is the model for independent bloggers, building his site up from nothing and into a huge traffic hog. Jason has also managed to do this while not becoming an obnoxious douche, like, say, Mike Florio.

However, despite Jason really showing all of us how to do it right when it comes to sports blogging, the guy does not know jack-friggin-squat about NFL football.

Just look at last year, where Jason boldly predicted the Colts would not make the playoffs. After Indy's 3-4 start, Jason was feeling pretty good about himself. After Indy reeled off 9 in a row and clinched a playoff berth (while the New England Patriots sat at home and wondered "What happened?"), Jason did what any self-important blogger does: Blame someone else (namely, former-Texans QB Sage Rosenfels).

Did I mention Jason is a Jets fan? I think that fact alone explains his attitude and knowledge about football.

Anyway, the reason I'm raggin' on Jason by bringing up his (lack of) football knowledge is that once again he is getting all self-important when talking about the NFL. And, like with his "bold" predictions last year, Jason is wrong.

This time, it involves the Titans and Vince Young. After the news broke about Vince Young returning to the starting QB role, Jason seemed to do a little happy dance in his office, located somewhere in the Tri-State New York area. The reason for Jason's euphoria is he stated back in August that Vince would indeed win his job back.

With the Titans starting the 2009 season 0-6 and their chances of making the playoffs pretty much nil, moron owner Bud Adams made some strong suggestions that veteran QB Kerry Collins be benched in favor of Vince Young. You all remember that, back in Week One of last year, Vince Young quit on his team during a game. It was very public display of adult pouting that distanced Vince from his Titans teammates. But, rather than panic, Kerry Collins entered the game and helped the Titans win that game and 12 more in 2008.

Now, with Kerry Collins benched and Vince Young is back as the starter, Jason somehow thinks the time is now for Vince to prove he can play in this league. Thing is, most of us AFC South fans already know Vince cannot play in this league. Jeff Fisher knows Vince can't play in this league. That's why he resisted Adam's "order" to start Vince. The woeful body of work Vince has compiled over the last three years more than tells the story of this over-rated, pampered brat who never should have been drafted by the Titans in the first place.

And if anyone out there still thinks that Vince can somehow salvage his career by playing well over these next few games, those people are suckers.

Here's Jason's take on the QB change:

Enigmatic Texas legend Vince Young will start at QB Sunday against Jacksonville. Did Jeff Fisher cave to pressure from his owner? Fisher will talk about the decision at 3 pm. Either way, we're thrilled to have been right about this back in August. Is anyone really surprised ancient Kerry Collins crumbled? He was serviceable last year and the Titans' defense (plus Chris Johnson) carried Tennessee to the playoffs. Anyone could see the significant dropoff coming. Young has to be the starter for at least the next three games. The rest of this lost season would probably be best. If he's awful, and doesn't appear to have a future with the team, obviously think QB in the draft.

And it's here where I point out that Jason really needs to go back and re-watch the Titans from years 2006-2008. We already know Vince Young stinks. We don't need three games to prove what three years have already shown. Vince Young is lazy, apathetic, entitled, and pampered. When things don't go the way he likes them to, he storms off the field, hides from the media, and seemingly threatens suicide.

A smart coach like Jeff Fisher knows this, which is why he resisted starting Vince again. But when the meddling hand of Bud Adams entered the equation, effectively chopping off Fisher's nuts, the writing was on the wall that Vince would return. Remember, Jeff Fisher did not want to draft Vince Young in 2006, but Bud Adams did. However, last year's success was a direct result of Vince Young getting benched and Kerry Collins assuming the job fulltime. So, in a not-so-subtle way, Fisher showed Bud Adams up for the ignorant fool he is.

Sorry, but to toot our own horn here a little bit, we have been saying Collins was better for some time now, and if you actually, you know, WATCH Titans games you know that blaming Kerry Collins for their 0-6 start is not an accurate assessment.

Vince Young's career in Tennessee is over. Everyone knows it. Everyone also knows that Vince Young's football career is likely over. He is simply not a motivated guy looking to improve himself as a player. We're in year four and Vince still can't read a defense, and a QB who can't read a defense is like a running back with no feet.

I feel a bit sorry for Kerry Collins and Jeff Fisher. Despite Jason's silly assessment (that Collins is a "fossil," and thus the reason the Titans are 0-6), Tennessee's wretched pass defense is the main reason they are sans a win. They are ranked dead last in the league, having surrendered 1,864 yards and 19 TDs. QBs are also completing 73% of their passes on them. I don't care if Joe Montana is your QB; in the modern NFL, if you are unable to stop the pass, you will lose a lot of football games.

I know that kind of analysis isn't as "sexy" as saying "BENCH THE QUARTERBACK!" but it's the truth.

Also, I am aware that Tony Dungy said Vince should play a few weeks ago on NBC. Again, Dungy is not at practice every day the way Jeff Fisher is. If Vince were indeed a better player at QB over Collins, Fisher would have started him. However, it was not the QB that has fumbled easy receptions (like Alge Crumpler against the Colts) or started fights after plays had ended (like Jason Jones against the Texans in Week Two) or surrendered 19 passing TDs in six games. The Titans just aren't a good football team, and changing the QB won't alter that very real, very stark fact.

The simple truth is nothing Vince Young does over these next three games should change anyone's assessment of him. If it does, then I have some junk bonds I'd like to sell them real cheap, if they are interested.

Far too early to slap Maybin with 'bust' label

Brian Galliford — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:45:24 -0000

In the NFL, there's very little room for such novelties as patience and perspective. Aaron Maybin is 21 years old. He entered the 2009 NFL Draft after his sophomore year in college, one in which he led the Big 10 with 12 sacks at Penn State. Throughout the entire pre-draft process, Maybin was labeled with such words as "light," "raw," and "weak" - labels that, for whatever reason, still surprise people when applied to him to this day.

Maybin has now appeared in seven regular season games with the Buffalo Bills. Playing perhaps the most difficult position on an NFL defense aside from cornerback, Maybin's statistical impact has been minimal - he has just four tackles in a rotational role. Naturally, when a first-round pick fails to produce immediately, the "b word" gets floated out there. Sal Maiorana of the Democrat and Chronicle is the first person of prominence that I've heard utter - or in this case, tweet - the "b word" in regards to Maybin.

Sal (and anyone else who's ready to apply the "b word" label as well): don't jump the gun on this kid. Consider the facts.

DE isn't generally an early-impact position
One of the big arguments for the Bills not to draft a defensive end this past April was that, for a team in need of instant impact from its early-round picks, a rookie DE wouldn't produce the way we'd need our first-rounder to produce. That argument was based on the rookie production of the much-heralded 2008 rookie defensive end class. Three ends were drafted in the Top 10 in 2008, and seven in total were taken in the first two rounds. Exactly zero of these players were high-impact, game-changing forces as rookies (and many of them have yet to ascend to that level in their second seasons):

Round-Pick-Player-Team-Stats
1-2: Chris Long, St. Louis Rams - 40 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 1 FF
1-6: Vernon Gholston, New York Jets - 13 tackles
1-8: Derrick Harvey, Jacksonville Jaguars - 19 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT, 2 PD
1-28: Lawrence Jackson, Seattle Seahawks - 29 tackles, 2.0 sacks
2-50: Calais Campbell, Arizona Cardinals - 29 tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD
2-52: Quentin Groves, Jacksonville Jaguars - 13 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 PD
2-54: Jason Jones, Tennessee Titans - 31 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 3 FF, 2 PD

It's worth mentioning, also, that it's traditionally much easier for rookie pass rushers to make an impact in a 3-4 defense than it is to do so in a 4-3, where their responsibilities are more diversified. The only 3-4 player above is Gholston, whose rookie season, statistically and behind the scenes, was terrible under Eric Mangini. Jones, meanwhile, made the switch to DT in Tennessee's system, and his production can, in part, be explained by lining up next to Albert Haynesworth.

Otherwise, this group was highly average. In most cases, you're looking at Chris Kelsay or Ryan Denney numbers. For as much talent as this group has - and this year's group is more talented, by the way - the numbers are well below what we might call "average to above average" NFL defensive end production. It's the nature of the position to start your career slowly when you're a pass rusher, and particularly if you're playing in a 4-3, as most of the above players do.

Round-Pick-Player-Team-Stats
1-11: Aaron Maybin, Buffalo Bills - 4 tackles
1-13: Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins - 22 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 PD
1-16: Larry English, San Diego Chargers - 10 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 1 FF, 1 PD
1-18: Robert Ayers, Denver Broncos - 7 tackles
2-43: Everette Brown, Carolina Panthers - 7 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 FF
2-46: Connor Barwin, Houston Texans - 7 tackles, 1.0 sack, 2 PD
2-52: David Veikune, Cleveland Browns - N/A
2-57: Paul Kruger, Baltimore Ravens - 1 tackle
2-63: Cody Brown, Arizona Cardinals - N/A

Again, the 3-4 vs. 4-3 principle applies. Of the first-round picks, English and Ayers play in 3-4 schemes. Orakpo, who played end at Texas, is now Washington's strong-side linebacker, and they use him in a hybrid LB/DE role out of their 4-3 alignment - which means he's doing much of his rushing from a standing position. Maybin is the only first-round rookie end to be used in a traditional 4-3 manner, and that's pretty easy to glean just by his stat line.

Situations can't define busts after seven games
All of that might come across as excuse-making for Maybin - and it's exactly what I'm doing. I'm making excuses for him. The expectation was unreasonably high to begin with, considering his pre-draft hype, and it grew to unmanageable proportions when it became apparent how Buffalo planned to use him after a lengthy training camp holdout (don't forget about that, either).

A small part of me likes the fact that Buffalo refuses to move him all over the field. It's the part of me that understands that Maybin's got the talent to be one of the best at the end position that likes the fact that the Bills are playing him exclusively at that position. All of his reps are taken there, and each week, he looks a little better than the last rushing the passer. His legs are fresh, and with any luck, he'll start making impact plays over the second half of the season.

But the biggest part of me (no anatomy jokes of any kind, please) is a bit perplexed by this decision as well. Buffalo's coaching staff, if they weren't in win-now mode before the season, is definitely at that level now. I find it difficult to fathom that they wouldn't try to find more ways to get Maybin onto the field and into advantageous situations. He's too good an athlete to limit to rotational end work, is he not? Everything that made him a top prospect - that lightning-quick first step, his being a tremendous worker and highly motivated, and with tons of potential - still applies. It's on the coaching staff (much more than it's on Maybin, by the way) for his paltry stat line.

Don't forget about Aaron Schobel, Kelsay and Denney, either. Whether you like them as players or not, these are veterans that have the nuances of the position down. All three have played well this season. That makes it more difficult to get Maybin onto the field - again, unless you start to put more on his plate schematically.

Considering his age, his level of development, the position he plays, and how the Bills are using him, it's literally unfathomable to me how anyone can be surprised about the lack of production we've seen from Maybin. I don't like making excuses for players unless they're valid, but I'll make any excuse for a player being labeled a bust after seven professional games. He's 21. We know his game needs polish. Give him time - the kid's still got the talent and the drive. Screw the "bust" label and apply a little patience for once, folks.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Chris Park - AP

2 months ago: Denver Broncos tight end Tony Scheffler dances through the end zone after his 19-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter of the NFL football game Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 in San Diego. Scheffler had six receptions for 101 yards. The Broncos won 34-23 over the Chargers. (AP Photo/Chris Park)

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Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. I had a fairly selfish weekend, leaving Cleveland on Friday and traveling to South Bend, Indiana, for the Notre Dame-USC game on Saturday afternoon. My friend Ramona has a brother who is a graduate student at Notre Dame, and he was able to get us pretty good tickets. I didn't get home until about 5 PM on Sunday, so I missed all of the early NFL games, and only got to see the second quarter on of a few late ones. I recorded the Short Cuts of the 3 most interesting early games, with a plan of watching them Monday evening, after work and before the Broncos-Chargers game. I apologize if this is a slightly thinner ST&NO than usual, but I don't ever want to be the guy who comments on football I didn't see, scanning the box scores for some stats which may or may not be meaningful. You know who I mean, all of them. Without further ado, let's get this thing moving, ST&NO style. Ready..... BEGIN!!!

1. So, I am writing this at 12:16 AM ET on Tuesday morning, with the rest of the column basically already in the can. Such is life when you have a Tuesday morning time slot, and a back-and-forth, hotly contested Monday night game. I've only gotten to see the game once, obviously, and we're in a compressed time situation, but I'm going to try hard to manage the clock well, and come with some thunder on the short track.

This is a great feeling, isn't it? Frankly, even if I had a lot of time to write, there isn't much to say that I haven't been saying all season. I've covered most "isn't this great" angles, right? It kind of makes writing a column like this difficult, when it comes to finding new material for the Donny Deutsch Big Idea. I can't even really play the disrespect card anymore.

Luckily, I have two weeks to think of new ideas, until the Broncos take on the Baltimore Ravens. I have a feeling that I'll be talking about the 7-0 Broncos after that game, because the Ravens can't defend the Broncos, and the Broncos defense actually matches up very favorably with the Baltimore offense. Until then, let's enjoy this win, this place in the standings, and the feeling we're all feeling right now. I remember this feeling, from the late 1990s. It's the one where your team is a legitimate contender to win the Super Bowl.

ZOMG! That was a new angle in Donny Deutschland, and it just kind of slipped out, didn't it? I knew something was right on the tip of my tongue (err... fingertips). But, yes, I said it, and yes, I mean it. Let's forget about Kool-Aid, and start thinking about Lombardi Trophies. Remember, I'm the crazy man who had the Broncos on 11-5 before the season started, which would now only require playing .500 football the rest of the way. Consider this an enhancement to my original forecast.

2. Information From My Eyes, Broncos at Chargers:

a. The Broncos initially really missed Brian Dawkins when he went out in the second quarter, but they eventually settled down and performed respectably on the back end, until he returned.

b. On the huge Elvis Dumervil strip/sack late in the 3rd quarter, the play was supposed to go to Antonio Gates, who was split out wide to the left, and running a vertical route, which I expect would have been a back-shoulder fade on the sideline. Josh Barrett had him man-to-man, and engaged him with great position and technique off the line. Philip Rivers had to hold the ball on his 3-step drop, and that was what caused the sack. Barrett is the best Safety I have seen in the NFL at covering the top TEs man-to-man.

c. While I am at it, Barrett had Gates blanketed on Dumervil's second sack too, (with Dawkins over the top, for good measure), early in the 4th quarter, and it was clear he was again Rivers' first read on the play. If Barrett could do nothing else well, he'd be worth having around to cover guys like Gates in obvious passing situations, like that 3rd-and-14 was.

d. They got to that 3rd-and-14 by finally blowing up a screen pass. The linemen disengaged, and slid laterally like they knew the screen was coming, and Mario Haggan tackled LaDanian Tomlinson for the 4-yard loss. This was an enormous play.

e. The right side of the Chargers line, Louis Vazquez and Jeromey Clary, aren't nearly good enough to be starters on a winning team. Clary gave up two sacks, and Vazquez got pushed around a LOT by Marcus Thomas and Ronald Fields. I actually thought their replacement Center, Scott Mruczkowski, played very well in the game, considering the low expectations I had for him from seeing the last few games.

f. The Broncos consistently got pressure in the second half, and mixed it with terrific coverage in the back end. This has been a recurring theme this season. Robert Ayers was a beast, and would have gotten about 3 sacks against lesser QBs than Rivers.

g. Only getting to see the game once, in live action, I can't really do much of a Between The Lines feature, but the Broncos offensive line was dominant in pass protection. The only sack they gave up was for 2 yards, and it was well blocked, with Orton running into the sack after a long time holding the ball.

h. Darcel McBath did a great job filling in for Brian Dawkins, and made every key special teams tackle.

i. The Broncos would not be 6-0 without Kyle Orton as their QB. With the exception of the bonehead sack he took late in Week 1, he has completely avoided making the game-losing plays that all post-Elway QBs have made for the Broncos.

j. Did anybody notice that Darren Sproles did absolutely nothing for the Chargers on offense? That was a big key to the game.

k. I already mentioned the overall protection, but Ryan Clady owned Shawne Merriman, and the lights stayed on all night. I loved Keyshawn Johnson and Cris Carter mocking Merriman's stupid dance on ESPN, too. Rare value from the Worldwide Leader.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games:

a. I remember that last season when the Broncos went into the Meadowlands and beat the Jets, Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post was positively ebullient in his praise of Jay Cutler. Not everybody likes Lombardi, but I consider him to be very rare, as a guy who primarily shares his thoughts about football in the written space, and actually knows what he is talking about. (Most former participants who know interesting things can't write, and most writers don't know anything beyond the surface level).

Anyway, Lombardi was excited by the way Cutler threw the ball on a really cold and windy day. We know about Cutler's exceptional arm strength, and Lombardi's point was that on a bad-weather day like you get in New York, that characteristic was extremely valuable, and the difference between winning and losing.

If I were Mike Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan, I'd be more than a little worried about Mark Sanchez. He looked terrible Sunday, on every throw he attempted. The five interceptions and 14 other incompletions were mostly not a function of bad decisions, they were a function of the mind being willing, and the body not being able. I know how to dunk a basketball, but I can't jump close to high enough to do it on a 10-foot rim. Sanchez lacked the zip to get his ball downfield effectively, and the weather was only pretty bad, not as bad as it can get in northern New Jersey. Sanchez did tell the CBS announcer crew that he had never played or practiced in temperatures below about 55 degrees, so I don't want to go overboard on making pronouncements yet, with just a one-game sample size. This is a big deal, though, and it will bear watching as the season goes on.

b. He never has the stats to back this up, but stats are merely convenient indicators; Lee Evans is one of the five best WRs in the NFL. If he ever had a good QB throwing him the ball, and an offensive scheme which featured his talents, the stats would be there, believe me.

c. I was asked recently by a reader if I still thought that Bills rookie LG Andy Levitre looked like he couldn't play in the NFL. The answer is, at least in the second half and overtime on Sunday, he looked league-average. When I originally criticized Levitre's play, he got dominated in the preseason by Tennessee's Tony Brown and Jason Jones, who are both Pro Bowl-caliber DTs. Kris Jenkins had already gotten hurt by the time I was watching Sunday, but Levitre was a slight positive in the run game, and a slight negative in pass protection. I still do doubt if he can anchor effectively against a good bull rush.

d. Wow, the Tennessee Titans had an unspeakably terrible Sunday. The Patriots completed 38 out of 45 throws, and the Titans completed 2 of 14. Those two completions were a 15-yard gain by their FB Ahmard Hall, and a 22-yard loss by WR Nate Washington, for a net of (-7) passing yards.

Those stats tell the story of the Titans this season. They were outstanding in coverage the past few years, and they're terrible this year, due to some injuries and shocking regressions by a couple players like Michael Griffin and Cortland Finnegan (who is currently hurt.) They also got good play from Kerry Collins in 2008, and they've gotten extremely lousy play from him this year. He's getting pretty solid protection, but he isn't hitting open men (when men do manage to get open). I don't think Vince Young is the answer, but it's time to make him the starter for the rest of the season, to see for sure.

e. Former first-rounder Jamaal Anderson looked much better for the Falcons at DT than he ever has at DE. He was part of a sack of Jay Cutler late in the 4th quarter, after only having 2 in 2-plus years as an end. He lacked the suddenness to beat a Tackle, but really got off the ball well against the Bears' Guards. He also was in coverage in the zone blitz the Falcons ran on 4th down, and caused Cutler's throw to be offline. The Falcons may be on to something.

f. ST&NO Favorite Thomas DeCoud has been playing at a Pro Bowl level for the Falcons all season, and he intercepted Cutler twice on Sunday night. He gets no recognition yet, but he is very instinctive and has a great feel for zone coverage.

g. Cutler still throws the pass to the seam better than any QB in the NFL, and makes big plays on the run. He's exactly the same player he was in Denver last season, and I mean that exactly how it sounds. The Bears got exactly the guy they saw on film, and I hope that's what they were expecting, because if it was, you'd have to expect that they're happy. I can be happy that they're happy, right? ;)

h. I am shocked that the Raiders beat the Eagles. I didn't watch a lot of the game, because it was my local FOX late game, and crap-tastic WJW FOX 8 had a really annoying sound problem going on. Looking at the stat sheet, it jumps out that the Eagles only ran the ball 14 times, and they were fairly successful in those carries, averaging 4.8 yards. Periodically, Andy Reid's Eagles teams have gotten really unbalanced and pass-happy, and it's a recipe for getting beat, over the years. With Sunday's injury to Jason Peters, coupled with the pre-existing absence of Shawn Andrews, it's hard to imagine why you'd think you can be successful protecting Donovan McNabb, when there is no threat of the run.

i. I have alway liked Sidney Rice, dating back to his days at the University of South Carolina. He's big, physical, and fluid. Brett Favre is turning him into a possible Pro Bowl player this season, and it seems they have a great deal of chemistry. He has 23 catches for 409 yards so far this season, and his impact is growing each week.

j. I actually thought that Michael Oher did a pretty credible job against Jared Allen Sunday, for his second start at LT. The sack Allen got came when Oher and the LG were releasing to the outside, like the play was supposed to be a screen, and since nobody went out to the left to receive a pass, I can only imagine that there was a communication breakdown somewhere on that play. When it came to man-to-man blocking, Oher did pretty well, and wasn't beaten like a red-headed step-child, as Allen claimed on Monday.

k. Anybody believe me yet that Joe Flacco is a true franchise QB? He got hit a lot, but made a lot of big-time throws on Sunday, and he had his team in position to win the game (again).

l. Steve Hutchinson blew up Haloti Ngata several times on Sunday, and as good as he has been in his career, I was surprised to see him win that matchup so convincingly.

m. I hated the Giants defensive game plan on Sunday. They need to be rushing 5 men, because that's how they do their business every week. They seemed like they wanted to sit back and try to play coverage, and it didn't work at all. The Giants really miss Kenny Phillips, who is a good young safety; they were particularly vulnerable in the middle of the field against the Saints.

n. The key to the Saints' offensive success is their ability to run the football. The success they've had in that area this year is the big difference from last season. The perception seems to exist that they're a spread-out, 5-wide kind of team, but they're not. They run frequently and well, and make big yards off their play-action stuff. If the Broncos happen to see them in a Super Bowl setting, the order of the day will be neutralizing the run.

o. Remember 2 weeks ago, when I said that the Steelers' success in running the ball was a function of San Diego's interior weakness, rather than their own strength? Look no further than Sunday's game against Cleveland for proof of that. Shaun Rogers did a great job inside for the Browns, and if you take away 21 yards gained on an end-around by Mike Wallace, the Steelers had 119 rushing yards on 35 carries, a 3.4-yard average. Remember, aside from Rogers, the Browns are very non-descript up front. The Broncos averaged 5 yards against them in Week 2, for purposes of comparison.

p. Ben Roethlisberger was lights-out on Sunday, and Hines Ward played very well again. I've never been Ward's biggest fan, and I considered him to be fading as a playmaker at the end of last season. He's looked rejuvenated this whole season, though.

4. I had some technical problems with Lighting Up The Scoreboard this week, and I ran out of time before I had to leave for Indiana on Friday. I wanted to incorporate some of the graphics I had created for it into today's ST&NO, and talk about a couple things the Broncos showed against New England.

The Trap - A Different Take on an Age-Old Play

This is a standard HB trap play, a traditional staple of the running game at every level of football. There is such a thing as a Tackle trap, but usually the backside guard is going to pull, and hit the NT or DT who was allowed to come across the line. The pulling player's block serves to push the defensive lineman toward the sideline, and the RB runs behind that block, where the play-side players are out hitting somebody on the second level.

For the record, this play works better, from an angles perspective, against a 4-3 look, because instead of a zero-technique NT, you have a three-technique DT right where you want your puller to meet him. The NT's presence makes the angle more difficult. This is the quintessential man-blocked play, so Broncos fans haven't seen a lot of it over the last 15 years.

Last week against New England, the Broncos brought in Russ Hochstein as an extra TE and pulled him. The play looked like this, and I am now showing it against San Diego's base 3-4 look:

This has a slightly different objective, which is to entice the five-technique DE, Luis Castillo (93), across the line, rather than the NT. Both Daniel Graham (89) and Ryan Clady (78) briefly engage Castillo, before releasing to the second level to hit both play-side linebackers. Castillo processes the events as being a misread zone-tandem block, where both O-Linemen thought they needed to get off the initial block to the second level. He crosses the line of scrimmage, looking for a big play, and is hit by Hochstein, who is pulling from the backside. Knowshon Moreno's angle is less severe, and he can run in the B gap, where Ben Hamilton and Casey Wiegmann have doubled the NT.

Of course, I drew and wrote all this up before the Monday Night game, and never saw this get employed against the Chargers, but we should expect to see it again this season. It worked really well a few times against New England. I am sure that, along with the Wild Horses stuff, the Broncos didn't think they needed to use it to run effectively against the Chargers.

5. Enjoyable/Aggravating Travel Note of The Week:

Here's a thought that I think I thunk. Does Enjoyable/Aggravating mean Enjoyable AND Aggravating? Enjoyable OR Aggravating? How about Enjoyable AND/OR Aggravating? That slash leaves a lot to the imagination.

Anyway, on the heels of my Notre Dame trip, I have a wedding to go to next weekend in Dallas. I leave Cleveland Thursday evening, (already wearing my drinking shoes as I deplane, at the groom's request), and return Monday afternoon. Scott, the groom, is the tattooed guy who was enlisted in the Army once, and eventually became an officer. He's now a Blackhawk pilot, and his wife is an Apache pilot, and both just returned from a year in Iraq. Scott is my fraternity brother (we're members of Tau Kappa Epsilon - Any other Tekes out there?) and it will be good to see him and some other guys who are coming in.

This is germane to ST&NO, because I get to write about whatever I feel like, and also because it affects near-term programming. (And also, also because it allowed me to introduce some snark about Peter King, which is always fun, and good for a cheap laugh or two.) Being on the bye week anyway, expect an abbreviated ST&NO next Tuesday, probably limited to some game observations that I am hopefully able to pick up on before the wedding on Sunday night. Obviously, Lighting Up The Scoreboard won't appear this Saturday, but expect it to be back on Saturday, October 31st, in advance of the Ravens game.

6. While we're snarking it up about MMQB, y'all know I am a helpful guy, right? Well, maybe you don't know, but you could guess. Anyway, I am one of these people who gets annoyed when people misuse words, like H-Back or factoid. Ahh, yes, factoid.

Peter King insists on calling a section of his MMQB column "Factoid Of The Week Which May Only Interest Me." I sent him a message once, long before I ever had a competing column, to helpfully let him know that he was misusing the word "factoid." See what a swell guy I am?

From our friends at Webster.com:

Main Entry: fac·toid

Pronunciation: \ˈfak-ˌtȯid\

Function: noun

Date: 1973

1 : an invented fact believed to be true because of its appearance in print

2 : a briefly stated and usually trivial fact

I actually like the Wiktionary.org definition better:

factoid (plural factoids)

An inaccurate statement or statistic believed to be true because of broad repetition, especially if cited in the media.

Usage Problem. A small insignificant fact, but still interesting. (Note: Refer above to the meaning of the suffix. It's ironic that the very definition of factoid has itself come to be a factoid.)

So, for ignoring my helpful advice a couple years ago, Peter gets an ESPN-style C'MON, MAN. By the way, his column yesterday was Bill Williamson Memorial Decent. He is still buying into this silly meme that the Broncos have an impossible schedule, which bugs me.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. As a follow-up to last week's column, I give credit to Rick Reilly for manning up for his clownishness with all that Boy Blunder stuff. I thought he would stay unaccountable for it, but he surprised me.

9. Expect the Broncos not to do anything at the trade deadline. It's not like anybody is giving away a bigger/better Offensive Guard, and if they were, the Packers, Steelers, or Chargers would almost certainly outbid the Broncos for him. They're desperate for offensive line help, and for the Broncos, it would just be kind of nice to get bigger and stronger at LG.

That's all I have for this week, friends. Have a great one, and look for ST&NO again next Tuesday morning, where my next trick will be to make y'all think you're getting a football column, and instead, probably bring you A Wedding Story, like you were watching (a funny, masculine, fraternity guy version of) Lifetime. If you need me before that, get at me on Twitter at @TedBartlett905.

Poll

OK, I said it, and I want to know what the community thinks, in simple poll form. Is this team a legitimate Super Bowl contender?

Umm, yes. I've been waiting here for you with a cold glass of Kool-Aid, and you're late to the party.

339 votes

My expectations were a little more tempered, but I'd have to say yes, based on the evidence.

1008 votes

I have moved from the 7-9 crowd to the 11-5 crowd, but I think they're one and done. Later for the Super Bowl.

286 votes

I still think the big, bad schedule will keep the Broncos out of the playoffs.

7 votes

I am one of the few Chargers fans who cares enough to come mess up this poll.

9 votes

1649 votes | Poll has closed

Week 5: Thursday Injury Report

shake n bake — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:00:52 -0000

One new addition to the Colts report, plus good news and bad news about Colts defensive stars.

Joseph Addai was limited in practice today due to a hand injury. Dwight Freeney was back practicing fully after missing practice all last week and getting yesterday off. Bob Sanders sat out today after getting limited work in the last two days. Anthony Gonzalez, Kelvin Hayden, Marlin Jackson and Charlie Johnson missed a second day of practice.

Colts.com link

On the Titans side Nick Harper returned to practice and Keith Bulluck moved from limited to full participation. Jason Jones, Vincent Fuller and Colin Allred remained out. Cortland Finnegan and Stanford Kegler remained limited.

TitansOnline link

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Walked Upon The Edge Of No Escape, And Laughed I've Lost Control Edition

August West — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:52:12 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

Talk to the hand because the hand is stuck in an outdated cliche meant to project sassiness.

Browse more photos »

(Site note: I'm closing on my house and moving today and tomorrow, so I won't be doing the links tomorrow morning. Rest assured that Smash will deliver some great links, however, and we'll go ahead and do the Friday Jam today... in case you didn't get that from the title of the post!)

As we posted yesterday, Cortland Finnegan practiced yesterday and announced that he expects to play on Sunday night. If terrible news, Jason Jones is still out and not practicing with a shoulder injury. His poor health has really been a disappointment as he was expected to help fill the void left by Albert.

You know what our secondary has looked like so far this year? Ian Curtis' jerky, flailing epilepsy fueled dancing for the Joy Division... here's She's Lost Control.

Kerry Collins doesn't really mind the fact that the overwhelming majority of fans think Vince Young should get a shot, and for his part, VY is saying all the right things:

"I am not interested in those questions right now, because that is not what I am looking for us to do, to lose to get back in the game,'' Young said. "That is like saying you have no respect for your teammates. I have a lot of respect for my teammates and have their back 100 percent. If one guy is struggling, we are all struggling, and we need to put the pieces together to get everything right.''

Follow us through the jump to find out who sees a new maturity in VY so far this year...

Jim Wyatt detected a new-found maturity in Young's handling of the media as they did all they could to prod him into making a headline for them. He makes a good point that sometimes Vince would stir things up on accident, but he's even cutting down on those mistakes.

One of the most infuriating things we keep doing this year is going 3-and-out on offense way too much. You combine those wit the turnovers and there's no way we can win without major improvement.

Given how Tony Brown has stepped up, it's no surprise that he's getting fines from the NFL... problem is he won't open the package they sent him. I'm still dying to see what he and Jones would look like on the line at the same time for a few games stretch.

Peyton Manning got a note from Fran Tarkenton, and of course he just couldn't help telling the media exactly how humble he is.

If there's anything you would like to share with the MCM community, please take advantage of the comments, fanshots and fanposts to do so! Or, you can always email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com.

Week 5: Wednesday Injury Report

shake n bake — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:55:06 -0000

Gary Brackett was back at full participation in practice and Bob Sanders saw limited reps, but Hayden and Gonzalez remain sidelined and were joined by Charlie Johnson (knee) and Marlin Jackson (knee). Dwight Freeney got the day off leaving his health a mystery for now. Both Hayden and Marlin sitting is concerning. Hayden had hoped that last week would be the last he would need to miss for the hamstring issues he's had, but he stressed the importance of being back full time rather than bouncing between playing at partial speed and sitting out injured all year.

Colts.com link

On the Titans side CB Nick Harper sat out, while Cortland Finnegan was limited. Both starting OLB Keith Bulluck and his backup Stanford Kegler were limited. Rotation DT Jason Jones missed practice as did backups Colin Allred and Vincent Fuller.

TitansOnline.com link