SB Nation - Jacksonville Jaguars

State of the AFC West Week 9

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:15:45 -0000

Well well well, here we are after week 9, a week I'd been looking forward to for awhile. I had a crazy day on Sunday which of course had a perfect ending. Last night's game was the proverbial "icing on the cake". The Chargers are now 1 game back at the halfway point of the season with 8 games to go. The Broncos still have the advantage with the 1 game lead and a win over the Chargers as a potential tiebreaker. As far as the schedules, of the 8 games remaining, 3 are easy division games (2 KC 1 OAK), but 4 are against tough teams (SD, NYG, INDY, PHI) and their game this week at Washington. On the other hand, the Chargers get the Browns and Titans, don't have to play Indy, but they only play the Chiefs one more time. As far as momentum, it is clearly on the side of the Chargers who have capped their three game winning streak with an emotional win at the Meadowlands. The Broncos on the other hand are riding a two-game losing streak that included two disappointing second halves. Oakland and KC are still out of the picture.

Jump the break for individual teams.

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	2	150	124
San Diego	5	3	206	179
Oakland	2	6	78	201
Kansas City	1	7	126	205

(updated 11.10.2009 at 1:30 AM PST)

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders had a quiet bye week getting healthy and trying not to lose any football games. Running back Darren McFadden, wide receiver Chaz Schilens, left guard Robert Gallery and right tackle Cornell Green returned to practice Monday and are expected to play against the Kansas City Chiefs this week. So that's good news. Although Tom Cable won't be charged criminally, the NFL is evaluating the situation and sending out people to determine if Cable should attend anger management classes. The National League of Women (NOW) and other women's rights groups are calling for Cable's job. The Raiders next division match-up is this week's pillow-fight of the week in Oakland. Let the battle to determine the most dysfunctional team begin, too bad nobody will see it because it will likely be blacked out.

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	11/09/2009
Tony Stewart	chest	11/09/2009
Gerard Warren	toe	11/09/2009
Jon Alston	shoulder	11/09/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	11/09/2009
Robert Gallery	fibula	11/09/2009
Tommy Kelly	elbow	11/09/2009
Chris Johnson	groin	11/09/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009
Oren O'Neal	ankle	10/14/2009

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs played a close game against the Jaguars which inevitably ended in another loss. As the Chiefs march toward another top 5 draft pick, the big story is still the rapid fall of Larry Johnson which ended in his release from the Chiefs. Although they will probably end up paying him a lot of money since I doubt anyone will pick him up, this gives Jamaal Charles more opportunity to play and gets rid of a clubhouse cancer. Chris Chambers seem to have rejuvenated their offense, at least for the moment, with two TD passes. The addition seems to have helped the Chiefs and the Chargers at the same time, and Chris will probably be happier too. As already mentioned, the Chiefs next division game is at Oakland which I'm sure will be terribly exciting.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jon McGraw	thigh	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jarrad Page	calf	11/04/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

Denver Broncos: Will the real Broncos please stand up? Are they the 6-0 team or the 0-2 team? Are they the second-half juggernaut or the second-half duds? Is Kyle Orton the QB who threw one INT in 7 games or 3 INT's in one game? Are they a punishing opponents on the lines or the team that didn't get ONE rushing first-down against the Steelers? The answer is probably somewhere close to the middle. Teams are starting to key on the Broncos weakness and adjusting their game-plans as such. Kyle Orton looks nervous as opposed to the pillar of strength he looked like earlier in the season. Either way, the Broncos are much better than everyone thought but they still aren't an elite team. The Steelers were clearly the superior team last night, even at Mile High. The Broncos have lost some momentum going forward but they are still healthy and still have the advantage over the Chargers. Now is the time for Josh McDaniels to adjust to the adjustments that other teams are making. Going forward, we will see if the Broncos and McDaniels are studs or duds. The game at Washington this weekend may tell us a lot about the Broncos. Their next division match-up looks to be a huge game with playoff implications at Mile High against the Chargers.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryan McBean	knee	11/10/2009
Peyton Hillis	other-excused	11/10/2009
David Bruton	groin	11/10/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009
J'Vonne Parker	knee	08/08/2009

San Diego Super Chargers: The Bolts are flying high after an emotional victory at the Meadowlands and gaining the momentum in the AFC West race if not the advantage. They are finally getting healthy, emotionally and physically, as well and it looks like All-Pro center Nick Hardwick will make his return to Qualcomm Stadium this weekend against the Eagles. The Chargers are still a little banged up at the linebacker position; SP95 was injured in the Giants game and Kevin Burnett and Tim Dobbins are still ailing. It looks like Phillips and Burnett will play this weekend while Dobbins will sit. LB Jyles Tucker is also most likely out this weekend. It looks like the Eagles are having the same problem the Chargers were earlier in the season: inability to keep anyone healthy. If Westbrook is out and the Eagles must depend on the passing game, the Chargers could win big with improved pass rush from Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips. The Chargers are also only 2-2 this season and they need to improve their play at home. The game is already sold out so we know it will be loud this weekend. Our next division match-up is Week 11 at Mile High Stadium.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tim Dobbins	knee	11/09/2009
Nick Hardwick	ankle	11/09/2009
Kevin Burnett	ankle	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryon Bingham	arm	09/05/2009
Jamal Williams	triceps	09/19/2009
Antwan Applewhite	hamstring	10/20/2009
Brandon Hughes	knee	09/02/2009

Philadelphia Eagles Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Max Jean-Gilles	shoulder	11/09/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Victor Abiamiri	knee	11/09/2009
Chris Gocong	other-excused	11/09/2009
Akeem Jordan	knee	11/10/2009
Brian Westbrook	ankle	11/09/2009
Quintin Demps	ankle	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Shawn Andrews	back	09/15/2009
Stewart Bradley	knee	09/01/2009
Omar Gaither	foot	10/22/2009
Cornelius Ingram	knee	09/01/2009
Fenuki Tupou	chest	09/05/2009

The Return of the 4-3 Defense, Series by Series: First-Half

silencecs — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:57:26 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

The look on the face of Kansas City's Center says it all... The Jaguars defensive line dominated.

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Rather than just give my overall observations of the defense's play, I figured I would try something new, and go series by series on defense and give my evaluations in real-time (or real Tivo-time). This requires me watching each play numerous times, and as a result is very time-consuming, so unless the response is overwhelmingly positive, this may be the last time I do it in this style. Let me know what you think of the format in the comments, and recommend it if you like it.... Here we go...

KC first possession - Bad Podlesh punt, Chiefs take over on own 43 yard line.

Lots of movement defensively before the snap. Harvey and Groves are our every down DE's.

Cox is a tackling machine, and rarely seems to miss anything he gets his hands on.

KC is clearly targeting Groves side. Groves should've been in position to stop the short flare pass to the RB, but was out of position.

Derrick Harvey is blowing the RT off the line and is a force in the run game.

KC runs toward Groves, and he was easily pushed aside. He's not an every down DE.

KC runs a toss to Groves side, and he whiffed on the tackle in the backfield.

KC gets a field goal

Second KC possession

Incomplete pass on first down thanks to pressure by Groves. He's clearly a DPR trying to play every down.

Short slant pass, incomplete again. Harvey almost got to the QB despite the quick pass.

Henderson and Knighton are the reason KC has yet to even attempt to run up the middle. They are absolutely mauling KC's guards and Center, it's not even fair. Keep in mind, KC led the league up to this point in runs up the gut, so the fact they're shying away from it is very telling.

3rd and 10, the Jaguars return to the 3-4 defense with Groves roaming and blitzing from the LDE with his hand off the ground. Knighton drops into zone coverage, Daryl Smith blitzes and almost get to Cassel who rushes the pass, but completes it. It's clear they want to feature Daryl Smith in a pass rushing role, but I don't like switching back and forth. 5 yard gain, Reggie Nelson makes what appears to be a tackle, and by himself no less!

Jaguars did well to hold to three-and-out. Our defensive line is dominating at this point up the middle, and Harvey is owning his man, he really is playing very well, and when Del Rio said he's a force in the run, he wasn't kidding. Since blowing up the RT early on when they ran to his side, they have run exclusively to the left. Still no runs up the middle either.

KC third possession

1st down, lined up in the 4-3, very little movement before the snap. Offensive man in motion, but the defense makes no adjustment, the Jags are apparently in zone coverage. Right at the snap, Daryl and Gerald both release and hit the line's right side. KC had called a run left, to Harvey's side. Nothing doing, as Harvey easily stood his man up and assisted on the tackle . Bryan Smith (#53) was in for Groves, and boy is he fast. He was unblocked due to the overload blitz with Daryl and Gerald, and actually caught the back from behind when he hit the Jags' stout line. Our run defense is substantially better in the 4-3, and Harvey, Knighton, and Henderson are going to prove tough for any team to run against.

2nd and 8 KC is in the shotgun. KC runs a WR bubble screen. Knighton recognizes the linemen's attempt to disguise the screen immediately, and even though the play didn't go towards him, the fact he recognized it so quickly is encouraging. Bryan Smith is still in for Groves, and could have made a play had he been in better position. Clint Ingram easily shed the block of the other WR and made the tackle.

3rd and three, KC in the Shotgun. Ellison, Knighton, Harvey, and B.Smith are on the line. Run to the HB from the shotgun up the middle. barely two yards gained, and the Jaguars were clearly playing pass. Our run defense looks stout.

Three-and-out again. Nice work Team

KC's fourth possession ball on their 30 yard line. Single back set. Groves back in for B. Smith, they appear to be rotating them each series, we'll see who wins what is evidently a position battle. Ingram and Smith blitzed on that play, it was well picked up by KC, but the wide open TE dropped the pass on the drag pattern. Cox would've blown him up had he caught it though.

2nd and 10. Julius Williams is in for Harvey. KC runs at Williams side, he is blown back in a one-on-one battle. Daryl Smith was on that side as well, and was easily blocked.

3rd and 6, KC in the shotgun. John Henderson and Montavius Stanley run a stunt and Henderson should've had a sack. It was vintage Hen, as he totally tossed the offensive lineman aside and dove at Cassel's feet. Julius Williams stayed in for Harvey on that play, and brought some pressure. He is possibly our fastest DE, at least from watching today's film.

Three-and-out again. Nice work Team

Torry Holt fumbles.

Fifth KC possession at Jaguars 20. Groves is in again, and Harvey has returned. Knighton and Henderson are the DTs. KC is in the offset I-formation. KC runs towards Quentin's side, and he is easily pushed aside. KC is exposing a weakness here that is concerning... Only one DE capable of stopping the run. Gerald Alexander can hit, and made the tackle, while ringing his own bell.

1st and goal from the nine. KC runs a screen pass that fools everyone but Knighton and Durant, who both combine to make the stop. I am very impressed with Knighton and his grasp of the mental aspects of the game. That's a Temple education for you, though.

2nd and goal from the five. Single-back set. Cassel throws a rope which Reggie Nelson promptly rips out. Is this the same player we saw a week ago?!?

3rd and goal, KC in the shotgun from our 4. That should tell you how badly our line is owning theirs. KC runs out of the shotgun formation, and let me tell you, Terrence Knighton just absolutely wrecked KC's center and made the tackle. Groves was easily pushed aside. Although the ball wasn't run his way, I saw Gerald Alexander blitz to Groves side. It is so very clear that the Jaguars are having to compensate for Groves inability to hold up in the run game. A better team will exploit us, and every blitz can't come from Groves' side, it just won't work. That being said, the Jaguars held again and stopped KC from finding the endzone.

KC's sixth possession

Quick sideline pattern, but Mathis makes the tackle in bounds.

2nd and 3 - Harvey drops into Zone coverage, and sniffs out the screen, he's held by the offensive lineman, but no flag, and Harvey still makes it to the tackle after a gain of 6.

1st down and 10. KC in shotgun. B. Smith is easily blocked to the inside, Harvey is ridden down outside in what could be considered a hold, although it wasn't blatent. Cassel had a man, but overthrew him.

2nd and 10. KC in the shotgun. Harvey drives his man into Cassel, forcing him to roll-out. Cassel finds a man on the sideline who scampers up to the Jaguars 38 yard-line. It was encouraging to see Harvey overpower his man so forcefully. A solid bull-rush is a necessary component to any successful DE's repertoire.

1st and 10. KC in the shotgun. Jacksonville in the 3-4 defense. Harvey just pancaked the RT and cut inside the RB to force the early and errent throw. Derrick Harvey is looking like Reggie Hayward. He's absolutely owning on almost every play, bring pressure against the pass, and blowing up run plays. Using both speed and power, he's been stellar, and the eyes don't lie. Iwuh was in as the fourth LB in the 3-4 front.

2nd and 10. KC in the shotgun. Jaguars in the 3-4 with Groves and Harvey as the DE's. Harvey is double-teamed and Cassel rolls out and throws incomplete. Not much beef on the line of scrimmage there.

KC misses the FG, end of the half.

Notes: Where is Derek Landri?!? I haven't seen him in for one play this entire half. Derrick Harvey is clearly better with his hand on the ground in both the run and the pass. Terrence Knighton looks like a younger John Henderson, and plays with exceptional balence and intensity. Gerald Alexander is playing the SS position well, and Reggie Nelson looks like a different player. Can he continue to play this well each week?

If you like this format, please let me know and comment, because this is substantially more time consuming, and unless there is an extremely positive response, I doubt I'll do this again. Let me know your thoughts.

-Collin Streetman

Chiefs' Tyson Jackson Has Been Working With Former DE Anthony Pleasant

Joel Thorman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:32:33 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Chiefs DE Tyson Jackson has been working with former DE Anthony Pleasant. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Back in August, we told you about a few coaching interns the Kansas City Chiefs had brought on board to the team's coaching staff. One of those interns, Richie Anderson, has been elevated to a position coach. Another one, Anthony Pleasant, has apparently been working with rookie DE and third overall pick Tyson Jackson.

Jackson has been spending extra time with Pleasant before and after practice on different aspects of the life of a 3-4 defensive end.

The work is apparently helping as Jackson posted a career best seven tackles against the Jaguars last week.

Going into last week, Jackson had two tackles and one assist in the preseason and three tackles and two assists in the regular season.

Anderson is a fourteen year veteran who ended his career with the New England Patriots in 2003. He played on the defensive line, both defensive end (in a 3-4) and defensive tackle. He's appeared in 202 games so experience, particularly in the 3-4, is the biggest thing he has going for him.

He's certainly for the 'Chiefs Connection' with Scott Pioli (CLE 92-95, BAL 96, NYJ 98-99), Todd Haley (NYJ 98-99), and again Pioli (NE 01-03).

Pleasant was never a Pro Bowler but posted his third best number of sacks in his eleventh year, and first with the Patriots in 2001.

Pleasant is (was) 6'5", 280 pounds during his playing career while Jackson is similarly sized at 6'4", 290 pounds.

Lito Sheppard to Return Sunday

John B — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:37 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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Lito Sheppard says he's playing against the Jaguars on Sunday.

Lito Sheppard was especially giddy when I spoke with him. That's because the starting right cornerback proclaimed this is the week he returns to action, which coincidentally comes against the Jacksonville native's hometown team.

"I’m back; I’ll be back this week," he told me before offering up an unsolicited shout out to his old stomping grounds, "Duval County!"

Sheppard has missed five of eight games this season, including the last two against the Raiders and Dolphins after re-aggravating a quad injury suffered in the Week Two win against the Patriots. So the training staff wanted to make sure Sheppard was fully healed before he attempted to returned again.

Not exactly earth shattering news. It seemed like an extra week off would cure an injury like this. Rest is the best balm.

It will be good to get Lito back in action. Dwight Lowery has played well in his place, but all hands need to be on deck next week to try and shut down New England's high flying attack. It's good that Sheppard will get a game under his belt before then and not have to make his return in Foxborough.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

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

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

1 day 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!

Pour Some Sugar On Me - One More Year For Zorn Edition

Sugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:27 -0000

by John Amis - AP

A member of the Washington Redskins training staff whispers into Clinton Portis' earhole, "I don't know what you're doing after the game, but can we maybe go somewhere and get a cup of coffee? I can't be the only one feeling these feelings."

View full size photo »

We are now through Week 2 of the Sherm Lewis experiment. In two weeks, we have managed 17 points per game. Hmmmm...that strikes me as EERILY similar to our offensive output for the last few years. You guys mentioned it yesterday and it bears repeating--the adjustments that were made at halftime were reminiscent of the kind of adjustments that made previous teams in this town famous. Sherm Lewis put something together in the second half that resembled a legit offense. His play-calling skills are sharpening to be sure. Part of my problem with this setup though is that it adds yet another category on the Spin-the-Wheel of excuses that every TV analyst on ESPN and Fox is using for their explanation for why this team continues to struggle. So no matter how successful Sherm is, it becomes impossible to separate his role as "consultant" from the circus that is our front office. If we started winning, it would be easier to ignore that aspect. But that leads me into my other issue with this whole setup. At 2-6, is the Sherm Lewis experiment more about saving our season or saving Vinny Cerrato's job? Nobody wants this team to win more than me/us. But I am seriously conflicted with regard to my rooting for Sherm Lewis. The complexity of this soap opera is hilarious. One character in this thing though that I find myself more and more drawn to is Jim Zorn.

Partly because I believe that Jim Zorn is the kind of man that is worth giving every chance to and partly because I don't think a quality coach is going to come here with genuine intentions I just want to say that Jim Zorn should be our coach next year. First let's talk about...well, the first part. It is not Jim Zorn's fault that Dan Snyder hired a guy who may have been a little raw to be the head coach here. In fact, the one thing everyone knew was that Jim Zorn was raw. If Dan Snyder saw something in Jim Zorn that made him think Zorn could be a future successful head coach, then he simply has to be patient. You can't be right about something like that immediately every time. We have come to know since he was hired that Jim Zorn is a man of character and integrity. If Snyder learned anything from Joe Gibbs, it is that character and integrity are the most important things to build a team around. It is what a man does when things aren't going his way that you learn the most about him. To put it mildly, things aren't going his way these days. Zorn is not running from the challenge. Do any of us honestly blame Zorn for the offensive line problems? Cerrato rolled the dice big time and it cost Zorn any chance to get his offense going. Finally, we have fired coach after coach after coach. At some point it is not the coach (although at multiple points in our past...it was the coach...hehehe.)

As for my assertion that no good coach is going to come here with genuine intentions, I think what I mean is that with the amount of money it is going to cost Snyder, it will be very, very difficult to discern the true motives for anyone stepping into this situation. There are only 32 head coaching jobs in the league. One thing the Raiders have taught us is that even though there is a scarcity of opportunities, qualified candidates can and will decline to enter into a situation that seems problematic (is that putting it nicely enough?) So, here is a press conference I will not buy at all:

Mike Shanahan: "I am excited to work with Vinny Cerrato and Dan Snyder to put this franchise back on the map in the NFL. I think the way they do things here makes a lot of sense and I look forward to participating in the decision-making process."

So whether I am way off on this thing or not, one thing I think I would really like to see is Jim Zorn be given a chance to grow into his job...perhaps with a different guy pulling the strings on the personnel side.

Now on to our award-winning league notes:

Ten Yard Fight: 10 Chances To Make One Good Point

1) You don't go undefeated in this league without some close calls to some teams that have no business playing you tough. That is why you have to circle Sunday, December 6th on your calendars. The Saints travel to Washington, D.C that day, likely with a perfect record. You heard it here first: Skins over the Saints 28-27.

2) Something about Tom Brady that continues to bother me is his insistence on telling people that him and his teammates are motivated by comments made by their opponents leading up to a game. Really? You mean you otherwise wouldn't have done everything in your power to win? You mean you don't expect guys like Joey Porter to forever be running his mouth? In a game where if you give less than 100% for even a second you could end up in a hospital, I simply find it hard to believe that Tom Brady actually cares what guys like Joey Porter says. Just say what you mean...I would buy this:

Tom Brady: "Beating that son of a bitch is so satisfying, given the amount of trash that dude talks."

3) I am wrong about so much...really, I am simply wrong constantly. But not about the Bengals! I have taken so much heat from Steelers and Ravens fans in recent weeks for expressing my belief in Marvin Lewis and Carson Palmer. This week I'd like to thank Brian Leonard for always seeming to know where the 1st down marker is and for playing the way you wish everyone on your favorite team played all the time.

4) Now on to my wrongness...fine, I made the Redskins 10-6 in my preseason predictions. I guess all I can really say now is...THE SKINS ARE GONNA RATTLE OFF 8 STRAIGHT WINS!

5) Who has a better shot at the playoffs? Chicago or Green Bay? I am going with Green Bay because like an idiot, I still think that defense will come around.

6) When Kris Brown missed that field goal against the Colts, I felt like this team might actually be destined to go undefeated. The loss of Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson should be too much for the Colts to overcome--from a "going undefeated" standpoint. But one thing you always know you can count on...Peyton Manning is capable of outscoring any opponent at any time. He doesn't even need a lot of time to do it. Remember the Dolphins game? Their defense was roundly beaten, but in the 15 minutes he had, Peyton put up enough points to win.

7) Is anyone more quietly in the playoff race than the Jacksonville Jaguars? At 4-4, they are in thick of the AFC playoff race. I just don't know if I buy into that offense fully, but the Garrard/Jones-Drew/Sims-Walker battery is winning me over.

8) Watching the Giants lose is normally so much fun. But when Norv Turner is on the other sideline, some of the joy is sucked out of the experience. Who would you rather have: Eli Manning or Philip Rivers?

9) Tough loss for Mike Singletary and the 49ers. A win would have gotten them to .500. That division was squarely in their sights but now at 3-5 (after starting 3-1), they have a lot of work to do in the second half of the season. They came in with one of the stingiest run defenses in the league. Chris Johnson got his though didn't he?

10) If Matthew Stafford would have thrown only 2 or 3 interceptions, they might have won. But FIVE? I have Stafford on my fantasy team and I had to play him because mark Sanchez was on a bye (yeah, my team sucks). Every time the Lions had the ball, I would think, "OK, a chance for some points." Then the graphic would come up that it was Seattle's ball. Really? No...another pickle? You're killing me dude.

Give Me The Numbers, Stat!

In case any of you missed it on the Monday Night Football telecast, here are the last 7 first round picks by the Pittsburgh Steelers:

2003 - SS Troy Polamalu
2004 - QB Ben Roehtlisberger
2005 - TE Heath Miller
2006 - WR Santonio Holmes
2007 - LB Lawrence Timmons
2008 - RB Rashard Mendenhall
2009 - DE Ziggy Hood

It should be noted that for the most part this team picks late in the 1st round, so maybe that explains the lack of a top offensive tackle selection. Their line is certainly in good shape though.

Last week's picks: 2-2

This week's picks:

49ers over Bears

Jets over Jacksonville

Colts over Patriots

Bengals over Steelers

First Half Grades and Awards

FSBlueApocalypse — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:49:09 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

2 days ago: Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew runs for a third-quarter touchdown during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville won 24-21.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

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The Jaguars have completed the first half of their schedule and the results are a resounding...........who knows. This team has had it's share of ups and downs, though it has been entertaining the entire time. This team is in rebuilding, but that doesn't mean it has it's strengths and weaklinks.

Passing Offense: B-

The key here has been the emergence of the wide receiving corp. The Jaguars no longer have a CFL level wide receiving corp and it shows. Mike Sims-Walker has been showing why the Jaguars have been so patient with his injuries, while Torry Holt has been the best free agent pick up since Mike Peterson.David Garrard has been up and down, though that has as much to do with the play of the offensive line as himself.

First round pick Eugene Monroe is seemingly finally entrenched at the left tackle spot. As long as the coaching staff doesn't have anymore divine revelations to start Tra Thomas, I don't see Monroe leaving that spot for the next ten years. Fourth round pick Mike Thomas has certainly been the surprise of the draft class for me. He has been a nice spark plug for the offense.

Rushing Offense:A-

Maurice Jones-Drew is a feature back, enough said. MJD is on pace for a 1,500 yard 22 touchdown season that would eclipse anything Fred Taylor did statistically, which is insane. However, as Jeff Lageman mentioned, Fred was always at his best during the back half of the schedule. Will we say the same about Jones-Drew?

Rashad Jennings has been getting more action as the season has gone on, and hopefully he'll get to be a regular spell back by the end of the year. I know MJD is a monster, but why don't we give the ball to Greg Jones more in short yard situations, if for no other reason then that's one less hit MJD needs to take.

Run blocking has always been the offensive line's strength and it continues to be. 2nd round pick Eben Britton has been excellent blocking the run this season, though he's still a work in progress with pass protection. Also, the interior of the offensive line is starting to show it's age. Hopefully they'll be able to hang on for another year or two because there are only project players to be found if you want interior O-lineman in this draft.

Passing Defense:D

Well, at least the unit isn't on pace to set the record for fewest sacks in the NFL. However, this is still the weak link on the team, as evidenced by the 54 yard prayer that was given up for a touchdown that sparked the Chiefs psuedo-rally. The pass rush is still non-existent for the most part. Unless the Chiefs game was a preview of things to come, the Jaguars will still be looking for that pass rusher. Also, Reggie Nelson is still a liability. While he managed to figure out he was playing TACKLE football, I would still take a "Hole in Zone" over trusting him to make the right read.

On the other hand, Derek Cox has been progressing nicely and looks to be a cornerstone of the team for the next decade. I'm not going to blast Sean Considine and Brian Russell too much as those guys really should be special teams guys.

Rushing Defense: C+

The Jaguars rush defense has been good statistically primarily because team's realized that throwing the ball was far more effective. However, the last two weeks have been a Jekyll and Hyde show for the team. Chris Johnson had a career day in Nashville, while they buckled down against the Chiefs to only allow 60 yards rushing.

Terrance Knighton has been playing the best of the rookies and has been a true bright spot for the season. John Henderson has revived his career and is playing his best ball since 2005. Also, if this team is finally going back to the 4-3, then we'll see our linebackers playing to their strengths again.

(I'm going to save comment on the coaching for another article.)

First Half MVP: Maurice Jones-Drew

Did you think I would pick anyone else?

First Half LVP (Least Valuable Player): Reggie Nelson

Nelson is proudly continuing in the tradition of other Shack Harris first round picks, by not progressing or living up to their potential. It seems everytime the defense gives a big play over the top you can see that Reggie is out of position somewhere.

Best Moment: Week 4 vs Tennessee

Easily the best performance from all sides of the ball since 2007.

Worst Moment: Week 8 at Tennessee

I have to agree with Vic on this one. The playoffs were on the line and despite being thoroughly outplayed, it seemed MJD had delivered a knockout blow with his second long touchdown to tie the game at 13-13. Then, the extra point was blocked and the team collapsed.

Best Rookie: Terrance "Pot Roast" Knighton

Not only has he played the best of the rookies, his arrivial has resparked John Henderson.

Most Pleasant Surprise: The Jaguars no longer having a CFL level wide receiving unit

The Jaguars top three wide receivers in 2008, Matt Jones, Reggie Williams, and Jerry Porter are out of football now. Would anyone want to bet Mike Sims-Walker, Torry Holt, and Mike Thomas would be free agents for long if the Jaguars cut them tomorrow?

One thing I want to see over the next eight games: Close losses

You're probably wondering what I mean by that, but this team is going to lose a few more games this year, that is certain. However, the Jaguars have lost by an average of 18 points this season. I'm not asking this team to go in and beat New England at home in December. I would ask you make it worth my while to tune in.

-Jonathan Loesche

Poll

The team MVP is

Jaguars Return to Roots in Victory Over Chiefs: Offensive edition

silencecs — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:15:05 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Morton - AP

2 days ago: Jacksonville Jaguars running back Rashad Jennings, right, stiff-arms Kansas City Chiefs safety Mike Brown for a touchdown in first-quarter action during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

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For the first time since week one, the Jacksonville Jaguars played like, well, the Jacksonville Jaguars. We returned to our roots in a vicious beating of the Kansas City Chiefs that wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicated. Sunday, we saw what we can be, and it's a whole lot better than we thought up to this point. Today, I'll go over the offense's return to form, and tomorrow, expect my analysis of the defense's return to their roots. Let's look at why the Jaguars' offense succeeded on Sunday.

Run, and Do So Up the Middle.

Vince Manuwai showed he's almost fully recovered from his season-ending injury last year, and that he's still a great run-blocker. At the age of 30, he still has a few solid years in the tank. Uche Nwaneri played one of his most physical games of the season, and the way he pushed the pile at the goal-line was textbook Jaguar football. Brad Meester played like a man possessed in the run game. Despite being 33, the savvy veteran showed he can still bring it. Our interior line is clearly better at run-blocking than they are at protecting David.

Rookie Tackles Showing Improvement

The first and second-round picks in this year's draft are both starting for the team, and both continue to improve each week. I don't want to hear anyone say that they're not doing great, because clearly they are. Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton are outperforming both Andre Smith, and Jason Smith, and continue to improve each week. We almost never see a holding penalty, unless it is to keep Garrard from getting sacked. Last year, it was surprising if our tackles weren't penalized for holding at least twice a week. Andy Heck is one of the better assistant coaches this team has, and under his tutelage, I expect both to be excelling by week 14.

WR's Emerging

Mike Sims-Walker has shown he's a legit number one receiver, and when the team runs to set up the pass, he makes things look easy. That being said, I was more impressed with out rookie WR play. We haven't ever seen such an instant impact from late round picks. Mike Thomas is a madman when returning kicks, and Spoony has likely lost his job, even when he returns healthy. Jarrett Dillard showed the hands he displayed in college, when he literaly snatched a crucial 3rd down rocket, courtesy of Garrard. The future is going to be sooner than we expect if these players continue to progress.

Clock Management

The Jaguars' return to their historical roots of running the ball and stopping the run was beautiful to watch, and it should remind all of us WHY they go hand in hand. The Jaguars had two drives of 10 plays, and three drives of 9 plays. They ran the ball 41 times, and controlled the clock as a result. We all know the clock stops after an incomplete pass, therefore, pass-happy teams leave more clock for their opponents to score with. The Jaguars had the ball almost 13 minutes more than the Chiefs, do you think that may have had something to do with why the Chiefs defense looked so exhausted in the 4th Quarter?

When you run the ball all game long, the defense wears down. RB's like Jerome Bettis, and Marcus Allen got better as the game wore on, because the defensive players had been so beaten down all game. It's like a boxing match between two heavy-weights, you may not knock the guy out in the first round, but the accumulation of punishment leads to mistakes by your opponent, and eventually, his defeat.

Running the Ball Makes 3rd Down Manageable

The Jaguars commitment to the run enabled them to post a better than 50% conversion ratio on third-down. We saw very few third and long situations, and even when the Jaguars encountered them, David seemed to find the open man. The Jaguars employed safe, hard-nosed football, and nothing brought me more joy than to see the Jaguars run the QB sneak on second or third and short numerous times. That's the kind of conservative, clock-eating football that keeps your defense fresh, the opponent's defense tired, and the opposing offense out of rhythm. Run the ball and stop the run, and you'll win far more than you'll lose.

Well Timed Play-Action Passes and Good Route Design

I have to give props to Dirk Koetter for calling a run-first game while still utilizing the play-action pass effectively. The play that sprung Sims-Walker free was all play-design. MJD lined up on the outside as a WR, while Sims-Walker was lined up with two other wide-outs in the trips formation to the opposite side. When MJD came in motion, the whole defense took notice. Once the ball was snapped, MSW ran a simple drag pattern across the defense and was completely unaccounted for because of the confusion the design caused the Chiefs. When Dirk establishes the run first, he looks a whole lot smarter.

-Collin Streetman

Quick Bytes: 11/9/2009

FSBlueApocalypse — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:21:23 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

2 days ago: Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, right, catches a fourth-quarter pass from quarterback David Garrard, left, during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville won 24-21.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

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Jaguars Notebook: Rookies played a key role in win | Jacksonville.com

Rashad Jennings shows what Dirk Koetter was thinking when he called for Jennings to run out of the shotgun last week. In addition, Mike Thomas continues to impress as a X factor. Torry Holt get's to 900 career receptions and 11th on All Time receiving yards list.

Big numbers for Jaguars' Sims-Walker against Chiefs | Jacksonville.com
Ok, so it was just the Chiefs defense. However, Sims-Walker's 147 yards is the most by any Jags receiver since Jimmy Smith was still in his prime. He might "Need-a-Walker" but he's also the best wide receiver on this team.

Jaguars vs. Chiefs: Report Card | Jacksonville.com
Gene Frenette grades the Jaguars.

Jaguars hang on and hang in against Chiefs | Jacksonville.com
Jack Del Rio says it is time to take off following the win against the Chiefs. How about he says that after a win in New York next week?

Chiefs get going too late in 24-21 loss to Jaguars - KansasCity.com
The Kansas City Star says this was just a new way the Chiefs found to lose.

Wrap-up: Jaguars 24, Chiefs 21 - AFC South - ESPN
Paul Kuharsky look at the Jaguars-Chiefs game and is impressed the team is at .500 this late in the year.

Jaguars' defense undergoes alignment change

The Nashville Nightmare makes the Jaguars go back to the 4-3 and it had positive results.

Jaguars Growl for Food Donations

The Jaguars held their 15th annual Food Drive for 2nd Harvest Food Bank.

Kansas City@Jacksonville The view from the stadium

Tkopa — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:19:05 -0000

I saw things today I haven't seen this year, in fact I saw things I have never seen before. For me, it was a beautiful memorable day.

I saw the B2 Stealth Bomber perform the fly-over. You can see it on the horizon and you can watch it grow in size but you can't hear it. If it was night, the only way you would know it was coming was because the stars were vanishing. It is a jaw dropping experience to see it.

I saw a family stand in the endzone in the shadow of the goal post as their husband and father spoke from Iraq on the scoreboard. Then I saw him walk out on the field and a 10 year old boy run to his dad in tears and hugs. Wow

After the jump, I'll tell you what else I saw. I'll keep it short, Chris covered it nicely.

I saw really good punting. Dustin Colquitt from Kansas City put on a clinic today. One time he nailed a 70 yard punt. Mike Thomas never assumed the ball would travel that far and everytime backed up and backed up. When Podlesh had the same punt, same wind at his back, he hit a 40 yard punt. I sit in a section with long time season ticket holders and we agree, Podlesh is a high school kid. Dustin Colquitt is the son of Steeler punter Chris Colquitt. I never saw punting that good.

I saw Baby Holt catch a fantastic 40 yard third down pass. Jarrett Dillard (aka Baby Holt), doesn't get in the game very much, but you can tell David loves him. After the 70 yard punt, the Jaguars were buried deep. David went back and threw a rope, Dillard went high and grabbed it. I haven't seen that type of catch from a Jaguar since.... well, I never saw one before. This is only my fifth season with the team and I am used to the stooges era. It is clear David loves his receivers. He loves MSW and Holt and Dillard and Mike Thomas and MJD when he is out there.

I saw the Jaguars sack the quarterback. That is a rare event. In fact, I saw two in one game. That hasn't happened before that I remember. Daryl Smith took over one series and had the Chiefs facing 3rd and 17 all by himself. He then got the third down tackle and took them off the field.

I saw Rashad Jennings run for a touchdown. I saw the shotgun formation and Jennings in the backfield and said "Jennings the ball carrier, no gain on the play", then he ran it in. Everyone turned to me and laughed. I was wrong. It was a nice stiff arm he threw.

I saw Torry Holt pull that vanishing move again and go over the middle. What an incredible reciever he must have been in his prime. It is still a pleasure to watch him.

OK, game ball. It is hard to ignore Mike Simms Walker but the truth is, he wasn't covered on his touchdown and other long gain. The Kansas City secondary is really confused a lot of the time and MSW didn't do anything special for those scores. It has to be Maurice Jones Drew. His touchdown was the critical score and it was another unbelievable play. He vanishes in the pile and majically appears in the end zone. He is simply the money player and never disappoints.

Another notable performance came from Gerald Alexander. He was awake in the team meeting when they said to tackle. He hit people hard and even rang his own bell on one hit. Mike Thomas was impressive when he figured out where the punts were coming down. His reverse run was excellent. Rahean Mathis was amazing in the first half, hitting hard and enjoying himself.

David ran for his life and played escape artist today. The offensive line has moments of good playing and moments of disaster. That is the character of this team. If the Jaguars draft last year and this year had fixed the defensive and offensive line issues, this team would be a solid playoff contender. The people are not living up to their draft position. Eugene played better than Eben today, but both let David down a number of times. The problem is the guards seem to be getting old too. I am afraid we are only as good as out offensive line will let us be. Winning seven games is a good sign with Gene having another crack at rebuilding. David did pull off some serious escape moves but I wish he would throw it away. This is Kansas City we are playing, throw it away and come back on the next play. Credit to MSW for sensing when his QB is in trouble. He gets in Davids vision to make a play. This is something Marcedes never learned to do. I think the point is, no playoff run for this team until the offensive line solidifies.

The team never left me in doubt today they would win. They were the clearly better team. Sandra and I left with four minutes to go, so we didn't see the meltdown at the end. It was only a scare.

The schedule gets very interesting from here on out. I don't know what to expect, but give this team a chance to grow and fight. Remember, first a team learns to fight to the end before it learns to win. This team fought hard for 56 minutes. I enjoyed the day.

- Terry O'Brien