SB Nation - New York Jets

Rules On Hiring NFL Coaches

wiltfongjr — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:44:50 -0000

With my ongoing series on possible replacements (if he's fired) for Ron Turner to coordinate the Bears offense under way, (click here for Charlie Weis and here for Mike Martz) I thought I'd throw out some hiring rules for coaches in the NFL. We are all aware of the Rooney Rule in regards to hiring Head Coaches or senior football operations positions, but there are some restrictions in hiring other members of your staff as well.

The only possible coaches that can be hired with no delay are the coaches that are currently unemployed. If you are looking to "steal" away a coach from another NFL team, there are restrictions that limit what you can do. It's not as cut and dry as locating a candidate, offering him more money, and hiring him. If the coach is under contract with another NFL team there are rules that teams must follow.

* You can't hire a coach away from another team if it's a lateral move. You can only hire a contracted coach away if he'll receive a promotion.

You can't hire one team's offensive coordinator to be your offensive coordinator. If the Bears wanted to steal away a team's offensive coordinator, then he could only be hired as Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. For those of you thinking the Bears already have an Assistant Head Coach in Rod Marinelli so they couldn't possibly go this route, you may be mistaken. The Houston Texans currently have two coaches on staff with the Assistant Head Coach title. I'm not sure how many you can have, but apparently two is allowed.

If the Bears wanted to hire away a team's contracted quarterbacks coach to run their offense, there would be nothing that could stop them, because going from a QB Coach to an Offensive Coordinator would be a step up.

For example; If Chicago had their eye on Pittsburgh Steelers QB Coach Ken Anderson, they could hire him to be their new Offensive Coordinator, but not as a QB Coach (no lateral moves). Another example; If the Bears were interested in Kyle Shanahan, current offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans, they wouldn't be able to hire him as their new OC unless they added the Assistant Head Coach title in addition to his coordinator duties. Now if either of these two have their contracts expire after the 2009 season they'd essentially be free to sign with any team for any position.

* Lateral moves are only permitted if both teams agree.

If the Bears really wanted to hire away an offensive coordinator currently under contract they could always work out compensation with that team. Either with some draft picks or some money changing hands. But with the limited supply of draft picks the Bears have next year and with everyone knowing how cheap they are, this isn't really an option.

* Hiring away a coach under contract to a college is permitted.

On the NFL end there is no rule disallowing this, however if a contracted college coach chooses to interview with an NFL team it could very well piss off the school. Former Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski interviewed with the N.Y. Jets last year and was subsequently fired by B.C. athletic director Gene DeFillippo. Hiring away a college coach that is a position coach or a coordinator usually comes with less drama, but you never know.

For example; If the Bears looked to a successful college program, like USC, and wanted to interview someone on their staff, like Jeremy Bates the Assistant Head Coach of the Offense/Quarterbacks Coach and former QB Coach of the Denver Broncos, they should probably inform the school of their intentions (to avoid drama), however there would be nothing that would stop them from making such a hire.

It's looking like a sure thing that at least one coach (possibly more) currently employed by the Bears will be out of a job. Who that is exactly... we'll have to wait and see. But one thing is for certain, the next guy better be able to get the most of of the franchise QB, otherwise this team could be set back another 5 years.

Six-Pack of Hu-Dey: Bengals rookies, offensive line and beating the rest of the schedule

Kirkendall — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:41:04 -0000

Chase Coffman's debut is more than just about being a receiving tight end.
All things considered, this year's rookie class has been a solid group of contributors to this football team. Players like Michael Johnson, Morgan Trent and Bernard Scott have improved the team's depth as backup and role players while Rey Maualuga and Kevin Huber already have a handful of starts underneath their belts. However, one high profile player who's being demanded by fans, and questioned by the media, is growing in urgency after an inconsistent run of critical errors by the Bengals tight ends in the past month.

With the Browns and Lions coming up, it makes sense to throw Chase Coffman into the fold. We're not talking as starters. We're not really talking about guys that will play half of the offensive snaps. We've read that Coffman is still struggling with his blocking technique. And if Coffman isn't going to be playing the bulk of the offensive snaps, then he'd at least have to contribute on special teams. Marvin Lewis has already said that he has to do one or the other. Block. Contribute on special teams. While the demand for Coffman is justified, loud and unified, he's going to have to do more than just catch passes in this offense.

Could Andre Smith's debut be coming after Scott Kooistra was released?
The idea is that the team's offensive line has performed far better than expectations. And quite bluntly, Smith isn't needed right now. With Anthony Collins and Dennis Roland playing right tackle, they've managed to do their job well enough to give Smith time to grow at his own rate. They did the same thing with Carson Palmer in 2003.

Here's food for thought. The Bengals released Scott Kooistra on Tuesday. He was active on game day. This could mean that Smith makes his NFL debut against the Browns in jumbo formations as the third offensive tackle?

It's the offensive line's performance that deserves the award for best team turn-around in 2009.
One of the biggest concerns coming into this season is how well would the offensive line improve. Last year's offense averaged 4.0 yards-per-play and 3.6 yards-per-rush. Bengals quarterbacks were sacked, on average, 3.2 times per game. Many, including me, criticized the offensive line. The demand to draft an offensive tackle in the first round was answered with Andre Smith.

They also promoted Kyle Cook as the starting center while electing not to sign Eric Ghiaciuc (best offseason move). After starting the final six games last year, Anthony Collins and Nate Livings impressed the coaches enough to keep them on as starters -- ironically, they've both been demoted as the year went on by Dennis Roland and Evan Mathis respectively. Andrew Whitworth moved back to his natural position at left offensive tackle.

What's the result?

They've cut the sacks allowed per game by half (1.7). Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott are averaging 4.2 and 4.3 yards-per-rush respectively and the offense's overall yards-per-play improved by 1.2 yards.

I think the defense is a great argument for best turnaround by a unit, but we had already known that they were improving at the end of last season. We had no idea what to expect with the offensive line heading into the season.

If Cedric Benson is out against the Browns, Larry Johnson's role should be expanded.
Bernard Scott has proven that once he builds endurance as a feature back, he could have even more potential; especially if he builds his strength to run between the tackles. Brian Leonard can fight for that extra yard as well as any running back on this roster. But Larry Johnson should have an expanded role against the Browns.

I understand the points that he shouldn't even be on the team. The reality is, he's here and the team should have enough confidence in his knowledge of the playbook to give him more than the two carries for five yards he rushed for against the Raiders.

Without Benson, the Bengals don't have a workhorse. And between Johnson, Scott and Leonard, the Bengals could have a three-headed beast, all of whom have different abilities and fresh legs. The stretch run is appearing to shape up nicely for the Bengals rushing offense -- especially when Benson makes his return.

The Bengals can beat the Minnesota Vikings... but the San Diego Chargers?
First things first. The Bengals have to beat teams that they should beat. If they don't, then don't be surprised if they miss the playoffs after a 7-2 start. With that thought in mind, the Bengals could be assured four wins at least, with tough games in Minnesota and in San Diego. This alone would give them double-digit wins for the first time since 2005. Provided they don't do what they did against Oakland, the Lions, Browns, Chiefs and Jets are games that the Bengals should win.

And I think Cincinnati will be tough as nails against the Vikings or Chargers. We might play down to the competition this year (like the Browns or Raiders). But we also play up to the competition. I think the Bengals chances of beating the Vikings are very good. We're a tough rush defense that can pressure the quarterback with tremendous cover cornerbacks. Offensively, we can wear down any defense, provided we do it unpredictably.

And it's not like I put the Chargers on a pedestal that I don't think they'll beat them. But we know how the Bengals do in the state of California. So I'm going on a limb. Bengals beat Vikings, but struggle against the Chargers.

The Bengals and Shayne Graham should move on after this next season.
Let me preface this. Shayne Graham has been a great person for this community. His charity has raised a lot of money and "resources to under served children and other charitable initiatives. Our mission is to lend assistance to those in need and be an organization that makes a lasting impression, empower those who want to make a difference, and strengthen communities."

And for six straight seasons with the Bengals, Graham has converted at least 83.3% of his attempted field goals.

Until this year.

This year Graham is on pace to record a career-low 70.6% of his field goals. Has already more blocks in one season (3) than he did his entire career coming into the season (2). However, it hasn't been entirely his fault. Brad St. Louis was in large part the problem with Graham's lack of success, making terrible snaps that, at the very best, caused Graham to stutter on his approach to the football.

Regardless, Graham has missed a field goal in five of ten games this season, including a missed 37-yard attempt that would have given Cincinnati a 7-point lead with 5:41 left in the third quarter. Furthermore, after Robert Geathers recovered a fumble and returned it 38 yards, Graham did convert a 25-yard attempt. However, if the missed field goal was converted, that's a 10-point lead.

I think Graham has done a lot of great things for this city and this team. But after season, with Graham hitting the free agency market, I think the Bengals should say farewell.

The Dude Abides...The Stats That Don't Lie, Week 11

TJ Johnson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:30:11 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Heeeere's Philip!!!!!

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"All stats and no play makes Jack a dull boy." --Jack Torrance

Week 11 in the NFL was a classic horror movie. There were some spine-chilling moments (Chiefs over the Steelers), terrifying screams (Ravens fans watching their red zone offense), and when the Raiders beat the Bengals, things got downright bloodcurdling.

For their part, the Denver Broncos treated their fans to a B-movie slasher flick, in which they played the victim. By the time the 4th quarter rolled around their rush defense had been so hacked to pieces, they simply tried to survive until the sequel.

Welcome again to the Stats That Don't Lie, Week 11. This is your weekly descent into statistical madness. These are the stats that give you Cabin Fever. They are the packaged little REDRUM of stats. As always, they are Turnovers, Field Position, Time of Possession, and 3rd-down efficiency.

This week, we're going to shake things up slightly. While you'll get the same summary statistics that you get each week (for those that like light reading) for all the teams and all the games, I'm going to spend a significant amount of time in this piece looking at the first half of the Denver/San Diego game in order to demonstrate some important lessons about these four statistical categories. Hopefully, this will help us understand not only the complexities of how these four statistical categories intertwine, but the actions/strategies behind these statistics.

Let's first begin, however, at the 10,000-foot level. There's no reason to sugarcoat the Broncos' misfortunes. These turnover-margin numbers over the last four games are as one-sided as a Tom Cable/Randy Hanson cage match:

Denver's turnover margin keeps getting worse each game. And every game that they've lost, they've come out of the game with a negative turnover margin. Statistically, teams that have a turnover margin of -3 (minus three) only win about 17% of the time. However, more disturbing than this individual game (or its statistic) is the trend. When Denver was winning they were not turning the ball over, to the point of being labelled a "dink and dunk" offense. Now that they are losing, they are giving the ball up in droves. So we can talk all day and night (and we will) about Simms, Orton, onside kicks, who owns whom, and whether pigs have wings. The Broncos' season stops and starts in one place: turnover margin.

It might sound like a broken record, but if Denver does one thing against the Giants that will ensure a win, it is to simply hold on to the ball. Easier said than done, of course.

Denver continues its ghastly fall in all four of the statistically categories, however - not just turnovers. Here are where they rank against all 32 teams:

Denver is 10th in Turnovers, 27th in Field Position, 22nd in Time of Possession, and 21st in 3rd downs. I'm not saying this is becoming a ghost ship just yet, but things are getting rather ghoulish. Denver is beginning to drift into the territory of the Rams, Lions, and (GASP!) Raiders with these grisly rankings.

Notice the San Diego Chargers and where they rank. After Denver backhanded the Bolts in Week 6, the Chargers ranked 6th in Turnovers, 25th in Field Position, 30th in Time of Possession, and 17th in 3rd downs. Now they are 2nd in Turnovers, 9th in Field Position, 21st in Time of Possession, and 13th in Third Downs. All of this has come on the heels of a commitment to the running game--something Denver has struggled with.

You can certainly draw your own conclusions about the other teams on the list, but if I'm picking a Super Bowl match-up today, you can go ahead and give me New England and Minnesota based upon these statistics. Perhaps I enjoy the prospect of Jared Allen talking about mullets next to Tom Brady talking about Gisele. Or perhaps I simply think the Colts' field position struggles will cost them at some point and that the Saints give the ball up too much on average.

Before moving on to the weekly rankings, I can't resist pointing out that the Bears rank second in field position. Imagine the kind of damage they could inflict on opponents if their QB didn't dispense interceptions like Pez candy.

Week-11 Summaries:

2-Turnover Rule (Explained Here)

7 teams had 0 turnovers. 5 won (71%); For the season, 53/65 (82%)
11 teams had 1 turnover. 4 won (36%); For the season, 44/87 (55%)
5 teams had 2 turnovers. 3 won (60%); For the season, 43/94 (46%)
6 teams had 3 turnovers. 4 won (67%); For the season, 12/45 (26%)
2 team had 4 turnovers. None won (0%); For the season, 4/21 (19%)
1 teams had 5+ turnovers. None won (0%); For the season, 0/8 (0%)

Week-11 Big Picture

The team that won the turnover battle won 8 of 16 games played (50%). This is the lowest percentage for turnovers I've seen all year.
In the previous category, remove the ties (1 game) and this changes to 47%
The team that won the time of possession battle won 12 of the 16 games played (75%).
The team that had better third-down efficiency won 11 of the 16 games played (69%).
The team that had better average starting field position won 9 of the 16 games played (56%). This is the lowest percentage for field position I've seen all year.
There were 5 games this week in which a team won all four categories. In 4 of the 5, the same team won on the scoreboard (80%). For the season, this stat is 52 out of 56 games. In only 2 games, however, has a team won outright in all four categories (no ties in the turnover battle) and lost.
The winning teams this week averaged 1.38 turnovers, 32:14 in time of possession, 47.42% on 3rd downs, and their average starting field position was the 30.63 yard line.

Top 5 in Week 11:

Top 5 in giveaways: 7 Teams tied with 0
Top 5 in time of possession: 1.Pittsburgh 2.Minnesota 3.Green Bay 4.New York Jets 5. Cincinnati
Top 5 in 3rd downs: 1.Minnesota 2.Jacksonville 3.Atlanta 4.Indianapolis 5.Green Bay
Top 5 in avg. starting field position: 1.New Orleans 2.San Diego 3.Oakland 4.Kansas City 5.Chicago

Running Totals, Season (through 11 weeks):

160 games have been played this season
80% were won by the team with less turnovers (counting ties as wins)
67.50% with a better time of possession
66.25% by the team who won on 3rd down
71.25% by the team that won the field-position battle.

11-week League Averages:

11-week running average/game, turnovers (all teams): 1.68

11-week running average/game, time of possession (all teams): 30:11 (thanks to numerous OT games)

11-week running average/game, 3rd down efficiency (all teams): 37.91%

11-week running average, starting field position (all teams) 29.81 yard line

The Denver/San Diego Game

Even though there were several interesting games from last week, including one where the stats did lie (Detroit/Cleveland), this is the weekly look in-depth at the Denver/San Diego game. So let's see what we can learn:

Drive 1 - Denver

Eddie Royal takes the ball from his end zone and returns it to the 26-yard line, so it's better than a touchback. Denver proceeds to line up in a series of Single-Back, 3 WR sets, varying slot-left and slot-right. They also use one shotgun formation to run for a 3rd-and-3 conversion.. They cram the ball off of the right tackle, getting huge chunks of yards until they are stopped at the San Diego 17-yard line. In the 2nd-down play that follows, Simms doesn't step up into the pocket, is stripped of the ball, and Denver commits its first turnover of the day. San Diego recovers at their own 31-yard line.

What can we learn from this drive? Denver chews up 4:25 of clock on this drive, only to have 3 to 7 points destroyed by a turnover. So even though Denver is ahead in time of possession, they are behind in the turnover battle and in field position. Here one can see that time of possession is much less important than the fact that Denver could not extend its drive and score. Even worse, the momentum has clearly shifted in San Diego's favor. Turnovers kill. Time of possession means nothing without a score.

Drive 1 - San Diego

San Diego takes over on its own 31-yard line. They use a series of their own single-back formations, I and Off-I formations to gash Denver in the running game off left end and up the middle. Denver's middle linebackers are consistently getting caught in traffic and a stupid personal foul penalty allows San Diego to score an easy touchdown.

San Diego holds onto the ball, chews up 4:37 of clock, achieves two 3rd-down conversions, and the score. So now the Chargers are leading in all four statistical categories. But the most important stat of this drive is San Diego's average yards/play: 7.1 yards.

Drive 2 - Denver

Royal takes a touchback, which is better than nothing. This drive is a disaster, however, with two penalties, and Simms looking very rusty in the shotgun formation. The drive ends in a sack and an unconverted 3rd-down opportunity. Even worse, the ineptness of the offense forces a Denver punt from its goal line.

Drive 2 - San Diego

San Diego takes over at its own 43-yard line after an excellent Mitch Berger punt. However, San Diego is benefiting from excellent field position already in this game. San Diego continues to show a variety of single-back, shotgun- , and offset-I formations. A stupid penalty from Jarvis Moss helps give San Diego another easy 3rd-down conversion, and before one can say "LT," San Diego is deep into Denver territory. Although they settle for a field goal, they've added to their lead and taken another 7:14 off the clock. If we looked at the 4 statistical categories at this moment we would see:

Turnovers: Den (1), SD (0)

Field Position: Den (23), SD (37)

Time of Possession: Den (7:15), San Diego (11:54)

3rd-Down Efficiency: Den (1/2), San Diego (3/4)

Drive 3 - Denver

The ball flies through the end zone for another touchback, so Denver gets the ball on its 20-yard line once again. Denver is victimized on this drive by a tipped pass, a penalty on Ryan Clady, and a safety blitz on third down. So Denver goes three and out. It's important to note that Denver is doing nothing whatsoever to help itself in the field position battle.

Drive 3 - San Diego

The Chargers start from their own 27-yard line. They now use a lot of play action off of their offset-I formations to march down the field with level-two out routes. They also convert a big 3rd-and-one conversion in the process with a back shoulder fade to Vincent Jackson. Denver only rushes 3 or 4 at a time, so it's easy pickings for Phil Rivers. A couple of bad calls by the Chargers sets up a long 3rd-down conversion that the Chargers can't quite pick up. The Chargers settle for another field goal while taking more time off the clock. However, the key stat for the Chargers from this drive is passing yards/play: 10 yards.

Let's face facts. This game could be 21-0 at this point.

Drive 4 - Denver

Royal takes the kickoff return to the 38-yard line. For once, Denver starts with good field position. And the Chris Simms experience is also done, as Kyle Orton jogs onto the field. Orton uses a series of max-protect shotgun and single-back formations to zip some deep balls on the left side of the field. Denver is quickly to the Chargers 4-yard line. On the next play (Single-back, slot-right formation), Moreno fumbles. Despite the fact that Moreno had actually crossed the plane, the referee rules that the fumble stands. San Diego takes over at the 20-yard line.

Denver squanders another opportunity with a penalty. Throw time of possession and 3rd downs out the window. This drive was all about the turnover. At this point in the football game, 2 turnovers have essentially cost the Broncos between 6 and 14 points.

Drive 4 - San Diego

San Diego starts at their 20-yard line and it's their goal to now kill clock and take it into the half with runs out of the offset I-formation. This is the first time San Diego has gone conservative all game. And what does it get them? Three and out. The punt is also horrible, only traveling 28 yards.

Drive 5 - Denver

Denver again gets the ball in good field position, at their 45-yard line. This is a perfect opportunity to get some points before the half. Denver comes out in the Shotgun. Orton tries to go to a deep out to Royal, but is intercepted.

Drive 5 - San Diego

San Diego takes over at their own 42-yard line. Turner again goes conservative, letting the clock hit halftime.

At halftime, when the game was effectively over, here is where both teams stood in the four statistical categories:

Turnovers: Den (3), San Diego (0)

Field Position: Den (29.60), San Diego (32.40)

Time of Possession: Den (10:43), San Diego (19:17)

3rd-down efficiency: Den (1/3), San Diego (1/3)

What does all of this teach us about how the four categories work together? There are several points to consider:

1) Turnovers depend on context and situation. As has been said many times, a Hail Mary at the end of the half is not as important as a fumble in the red zone. This game certainly illustrated that. In this case, the three Denver turnovers cost them points. They could have had (in my estimation) at worst 3 FGs, and at best 2 TDs and 1 FG. This represents between 9 and 17 points.

2) Field position is fluid. The Football Outsiders are the ones who have coined this phrase, but it's certainly true. In short, it means that your chances of scoring increase/decrease for each yard you move north or south. In this case, the Broncos gave the Chargers good field position twice in the first half, once with a turnover and once with their three-and-out drive after a touchback. And they paid for it. The Chargers put up 10 points during these opportunities. Short fields are not good, unless your team is getting them.

3) Time of Possession doesn't equal run domination. This is an important concept, and was touched upon last week in the comments to the Stats That Don't Lie by MHR members like warmick. San Diego won the time of possession in the half through through a balanced attack (14 passes, 16 rushes). Furthermore, San Diego only had four more rushing yards than Denver going into halftime. So how did they do it? They simply ran more plays and sustained their drives with scores, despite having the same number of drives as the Broncos. They did it through a steady yards per play average. In the 2nd half this became even more pronounced, as San Diego ran more often to kill the game clock. Thus, the huge time-of-possession advantage that San Diego possessed at the end of the game was also a result of them being ahead at halftime.

4) 3rd down is important...if you need it. Don't get me wrong. 3rd-down efficiency is a critical stat to measure because it means you are sustaining drives, and, hopefully, you are scoring at the end of these drives. However, if your offense sustains its drives on 1st and 2nd down, the 3rd-down-efficiency battle may not be as important. In this game, on the Chargers' third drive of the afternoon, they got a lot of big plays on 1st and 2nd down, and, as such, only faced 2 third-down conversions.

The Look Ahead

Looking ahead to New York, here is how the two teams stack up in the four statistical categories (keeping in mind these are averages/game):

Team Turnovers/Game Time of Possession Field Position 3rd-Down Efficiency

Denver 1.40 28:56 27.51 35.99%

New York 1.60 34:06 31.68 43.10%

While these statistics would indicate a Giants victory, I'm not buying it. There are several reasons I feel this way. First, there's a reason why the Giants are complaining about travelling on a short week to altitude. That's because it will have an effect. Second, Eli Manning has a gunslinger streak in him that can be coaxed out with a few blitzes (something Denver did not do against San Diego). So look for Denver to get a turnover or two. And third, losing three home games in a row is a rarity for any Bronco team. That's a horror movie no one wants to see.

Hail, Kyle Orton!!

Last stat: 2.5% (percentage chance that Brandon Marshall and Knowshon Moreno are still upset with each other)

Carolina Panthers’ Hump Day Prognostication (New York Jets edition)

James The Aussie — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:47:14 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Will Coach Rex Ryan and RB Thomas Jones be able to perfect their 'happy dance' this weekend against the Panthers? (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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Good morning Panther faithful and happy hump day! As I said in a previous post I'm not really sure if this Wednesday is technically a hump day due to the holiday, but I do know it feels like an eternity before getting to see more Panther football, and I can't wait!

Sunday's game between two 4-6 teams represents two clubs who had high expectations in 2009 but fell flat. The Panthers were heavily favored in the NFC South in the 2009 offseason. Meanwhile Jet fever started a little later, as a 3-0 start coupled with a victory over the New England Patriots started premature AFC East championship chatter and potential playoff success. Enthusiasm for both teams has since tempered with the Jets cooling off as quickly as they started, and the Panthers being completely erratic from week to week. It bodes to be an interesting game if nothing else.

How do the teams fare? Find out:

After the jump...

KEY MATCHUP: NY Jets run offense vs. Carolina run defense

Thomas Jones is a beast; there are no doubts about it. Jones represents the archetypal North- South runner who will hit your LBs in the mouth and more often than not push into your secondary. In 2009 he's averaging over 88 yards per game and 1 TD. He's a major threat.

Going into the season teams had good reason to fear the other Jets back, Leon Washington. Washington is lightning in a bottle, but since being placed on IR the Jets' Shonn Greene has shown that he can be more than a stop gap solution averaging 4.9 ypc on 44 carries. It is this tandem of Jones and Greene that has led the Jets to having the second best run offense in the NFL thus far.

Carolina's run defense is stretched about as thin as it can get at this point. Beason will still lock down the middle with aide from Hollis Thomas, but it's the edges that are hurting. The secondary will need to really help in run support, but as it stands it doesn't look great for Carolina's 26^th ranked run defense.

Edge: NY Jets

NY Jets pass offense vs. Carolina pass defense

Mark Sanchez is going to be a very, very good QB in this league, but he's not there yet. His season is representative of the Jets' as a whole, big promise early but faded in the stretch. It may surprise Panther fans, but Mark Sanchez has thrown 2 more INTs than Jake Delhomme and 100 yards less in 2009.

Jerricho Cotchery is a threat in the passing game, and Braylon Edwards needs to be accounted for, but in this matchup I like the Panthers' #5 pass defense over the Jets #28 pass offense

Edge: Carolina

Carolina run offense vs. NY Jets run defense

The Jets run defense is middle of the road, 16^th to be precise. They have some solid players on defense, but it's clear how much it hurt losing Kris Jenkins (Carolina fans should understand that loss more than most).

On the other side of the ball it will be incumbent upon John Fox and Jeff Davidson to give Double Trouble the reigns to the offense and let them run the show. There is no team in the NFL who can stop our running backs when they get the carries they need.

Edge: Carolina

Carolina pass offense vs. NY Jets pass defense

Two words, one player: Darrelle Revis. Revis may be the best young corner in the NFL (along with Oakland's Asomugha, in my mind). The young Jet has shut down almost every WR he's faced including Randy Moss twice. With only one true threat in the Carolina passing game in Steve Smith, Revis will have the ability to key in on him all day. Carolina's pass catching TEs have been more effective in recent weeks, but this is still one of the best pass defenses in the NFL we're facing.

Edge: NY Jets

Special Team

The song remains the same, much as it has most of the season. The Panthers' special teams are getting better, but they're still not good. Meanwhile, the Jets surpass us in KR and PR.

Edge: NY Jets

Coaching

What more can be said about Carolina's coaching? 2009 has been a never-ending series of pleasant surprises and crushing let downs by the coaching staff. Rex Ryan inherited a Jets team who he's trying to develop a hard nosed identity with. Meanwhile, John Fox has had years of knowing what this team's identity is and should be, then forgets it on Sunday.

In the end both teams are 4-6, there's no edge either way.

Edge: Push

Final Summary

Much like special teams, the song remains the same. Will we run the football? If we run the ball 30 times and pass 15-20 we win this game, it's as simple as that. What's not simple, however, is knowing what our coaching staff will do on Sunday. I know if Fox, Davidson and Co. choose to throw the ball 35 times we will lose this game, and lose badly.

If Carolina loses this game I see no conceivable way for them to make the playoffs, even in the less than weak NFC this season. I'd like to think the Panthers will fight to stay in the hunt, and that wills them to victory this holiday weekend.

Carolina Panthers 20 - NY Jets 14

Score Free Tickets to Jets-Bills in Toronto

John B — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:00:14 -0000

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The past few weeks, we've been asking you to travel to Toronto to see the Jets take on the Bills next week.

Now we're willing to sweeten the pot.

GGN has two free tickets to the game, and we'd like to give them away to a reader.

Send me an e-mail if you're interested in what this entails.

GGN: Mock Jets 2010 NFL Draft 1.0

David_Wyatt — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:48:18 -0000

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Got a lot of free time this morning. Most years I do my own mock 7 round drafts for the New York Jets, they always seem to spark a lot of conversation, so I thought while I have a little free time this morning, why not get my first version up for the 2010 draft.

Right now I consider us to be planning for next season, I know we can still mathematically make the post season, but let's be realistic, how many out there actually believe we will. I also obviously don't know where we will be drafting, but there is a good chance in my opinion that we will finish around 6-10 on the season, so a top 10 is possible.

Here are some of the players that I would be interested in acquiring if I were Mike Tannenbaum, as always it would be great for you guys to step in and name some alternatives and offer comments on picks you agree with and picks you think are ridiculous (there is bound to be one)

So let's get started after the Jump

First Round Selection- Eric Berry, Safety, Tennessee

I'm making this selection based on a few factors. One that Kerry Rhodes is traded. Like I commented on another thread Daniel Jeremiah a former Baltimore Ravens scout commented a few days ago that he would not be surprised to see Rhodes get traded this off-season because he was the kind of player that would annoy Rex. Low and behold a few days later we hear that Rhodes will be dropped this Sunday.

Rex Ryan's defence relies on a play making safety, so who better than a player that has been talked about as being in the same mould as Ed Reed. Difference between him being talked about in comparison to Ed Reed and Kerry Rhodes being talked about in comparison to Ed Reed is, Berry's hype is coming from scouts who know what they are talking about.

Some have suggested that their is a possibility that Berry could play corner in the NFL, mainly because his coverage skills are excellent. However with his play making ability (7 INT last season), putting him in as a free safety in a system like Rex's would be a match made in heaven. He could come in and instantly start. He has 4.4 speed and can hit like a ton of bricks.

The one thing about Berry is that he just has the football instincts. He seems to smell the play before it is even their to be made, he has excellent short area quickness, has the speed to make up ground, one scout described him as a 'physical and violent player'. It seems like the match is just too perfect.

If he drops to us, he is too good to pass up. If he starts falling, we should make every effort to move up to get him if need be, but the way our season is going, he could just be their when we select.

Second Round Selection- Arthur Jones DT, Syracuse

Now there is a strong possibility that he is long gone by the time we select in the second round, although he was initially listed as a late first round selection, he recently suffered a knee injury that may well drop his stock into the second round, which means that a team may well be able to cash in. His weight has often been an area for concern, he was listed at 293 before the season, and he has slowly been adding weight, although some question whether this will effect his quickness.

One of the main areas of Jones game that interests me is his initial quickness of the snap, he spots the gaps and hits them hard, and this has contributed to him recording 38.5 tackles for loss at Syracuse which is a school record. He does have 145 career tackles which is good for 10th all time. He could well move over to a 3-4 DE, and then move back in when we revert to a 4-3.

He will need work and his injury status does worry me a little bit, but if we can snap him up in the second round then why not take the gamble.

Third Round Selection- Traded to the Browns for Edwards

This is a conditional pick that I'm a little bit confused about, initially Schefter reported that the conditions would never be met, but then the conditions were released (don't have them on hand) that seemed very achievable. So for now, I'm going to leave this as a 3rd round selection that is traded to the Browns.

Fourth Round Selection- Ed Wang, Offensive tackle, Virginia Tech

Nearly everywhere I look I see Ed Wang projected as a fourth round selection, and for me that is an absolute steal, because he has an excellent blend of size and speed that would be valuable at the right tackle position. Damien Woody is doing a very decent job, but we need to start looking to the future, and bringing in players like Slauson in the 7th round is not going to do the job.

Wang started his career as a RT, but because he was consistently the best lineman on show, the Hokies moved him to LT to protect the QB's blind side. Virginia Tech have rushed for over 2000 yards this season, and Wang has done a excellent job of getting out creating lanes for the running backs. We are a run orientated team so he seems to fit in with what we would be trying to do.

His best performances have come in the crunch, he was excellent in the 2008 Orange Bowl, and although I didn't see the ACC Championship game, apparently he was superb there as well. Unfortunately his consistent performances are forcing him up many draft boards, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him taken in the 2nd round if he has a strong combine performance. Having him here is a reach of epic proportions, but you really never know who will fall on draft day.

Fifth Round Selection- Traded To The Browns For Braylon Edwards

See above.

Sixth Round Selection- Shay Hodge, Wide Receiver, Mississippi

It's not often you will find a 6th round selection who looks like they may have 1000+ receiving yards in his final year. Although most draft sites have him listed as a 6th/7th round selection and I'm not sure why. I have watched very little Mississippi football this season, but his name always appears on the highlights, and that may well be because of his 7 TD's this season. He has really broken through late in the season with 3 of his last 4 games going for over 100 yards. I really don't think he will be here, but if the draft guru's are right and he is a 6th round selection then I always like taking a gamble on a receiver late in the day.

Seventh Round Selection, Gerald Williams, Tennessee

In the 7th round, you really are taking a punt in the dark, I know next to nothing about Williams, but added depth on the defensive line and giving Rex a project, why not, may help to settle Berry as well.

Rex to Take More of a Role on Offense

John B — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:16 -0000

by Gail Burton - AP

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Rex Ryan is going to get more involved with the offense.

Turns out Mark Sanchez isn't the only Jets' rookie learning on the job. Rex Ryan admitted Monday he has plenty to learn, too, which is why the first-year head coach intends to get more involved in the offense.
"I'm not a defensive coordinator, slash head coach, I'm a head coach, period," Ryan said. "I need to be more of the game manager than probably what I even realized before."

Ryan is sticking with Sanchez as the Jets' starter, not wavering a day after the first-year quarterback turned over the ball five times and allowed the AFC rival Patriots to cruise to a 31-14 win. But Ryan said he would work specifically with Sanchez to emphasize the importance of ball security, and would do that by increasing his profile and involvement with the offense on game day and during the week.

While insisting he is not undermining the position of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, Ryan said he intends to stand alongside Schottenheimer and Sanchez during games to make certain Sanchez understands the game situation. In other words, reminding Sanchez that sometimes a deliberate incompletion and a punt are better than a turnover.

I would have liked to see this earlier in the year. Entering the season, one of my biggest fears was that Rex would be so focused on the defense that Brian Schottenheimer would have absolutely nobody looking over his shoulder on offense. We do have to remember that this year is a learning experience for him too, though.

One thing I would like to see is some sort of consistency in what the team asks of Sanchez. I feel like some weeks the gameplan suggests they don't have enough faith in the rookie to ask him to do anything. Other times they're asking him to make throws Peyton Manning would have a hard time of making.

What do you think Rex will bring to the offense?

A World Turned Upside Down: Week 11 in the NFL

urnext — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:16 -0000

When General Cornwallis and the British army surrendered to General Washington and the Continental army to end the Revolutionary war, the British played the song, "A World Turned Upside Down". After all, that's how the world seemed to them. How else could they explain how the rag tag continental army could defeat the greatest army in the world at that time? On Sunday, several teams probably felt the same way. How could the Bengals lose to the Raiders? How could the Steelers lose to the Chiefs? How could the Broncos go from a 3 1/2 game lead, to a 1 game deficit in only 4 weeks? And how could the Browns blow a 21 point lead and lose to the Lions? OK, maybe not the last one. This is the Browns we're talking about after all. But how did the Browns blow a 21 point lead against one of the worst teams in the NFL?

Browns 37, Lions 38

No one outside of Cleveland and Detroit had any interest in this game going into Sunday, but without a doubt, this was the best game of the week. The much maligned Browns offense finally got on track in this game, scoring more points in the first quarter (24) than they had scored in an entire game (20) on the season. And they had to feel pretty good about their chances of getting their second win with an early 24-3 lead. But Matthew Stafford and the Lions fought back. Stafford completed 26 of 43 passes for 422 yards and become the youngest QB ever to throw 5 TD's in one game. But the most important pass thrown by Stafford didn't even show up on the stat sheet. Trailing 37-31 with only seconds left in the game, Stafford threw a "Hail Mary" from mid field that landed harmlessly in the endzone. Unfortunately for the Browns, a pass interference penalty was called on Hank Poteat, so the Lions got one free untimed play from the 1 yard line. Stafford was hit hard on the "Hail Mary" throw and wasn't able to come out for the play, so the Lions sent out a cold Daunte Culpepper. Luckily, Brown's coach Eric Mangini called a time out, allowing Stafford time to get fixed up and back out on to the field. Stafford threw his 5th TD and the Lions won. Lions coach Jim Schwartz said afterwards, "It's a game that you either win or you lose." That's deep, Captain Obvious. Ever thought of putting that on a bumper sticker?

Dolphins 24, Panthers 17

Rickey "The Pineapple Express" Williams may have actually benefited from the time he spent out of the NFL. While most RB's start losing a step as they get older because of all the pounding they take, Williams seems to be going stronger than ever. With Ronnie Brown done for the season, the Dolphins turned to Williams, and he was more than ready to step up. Williams rushed for 119 yards and scored 3 TD's as the Dolphins held off the Panthers to get back into the playoff picture. Of course, the Panthers coach John Fox helped the Dolphins by turning away from their powerful running game and letting Jake Delhomme throw the ball 42 times. Delhomme may have avoided throwing an interception in the last 3 games, but if you let him throw it 42 times, I guarantee he'll find a way to lose. Delhomme completed only 19 of his 42 passes as well as throwing his 14 interception on the season early in the 3rd while in the redzone. The Panthers did cut the lead down to 17-14 late in the 4th, but a 46 yard TD run by Williams put the nail in the coffin. I would like to thank Coach Fox. I was starting to think the 49ers pick might fall out of the top 10. I feel a lot better now.

Redskins 6, Cowboys 7

Last week the Cowboys were shutout until the 4th quarter and ended up losing to the Packers 7-17. Once again the Cowboys offense did the same thing, being shutout for 3 quarters and only managing 7 points for the game. Luckily for them, they were playing the offensively challenged Redskins, so this time they came out on top 7-6. Part of the Cowboys ineffectiveness was because of an injury suffered by Tony Romo while making a tackle in the first quarter. Romo completed only 8 of his passes before finally getting on track, completing 7 passes on the final drive with the game on the line. It also helped that Shaun Suisham missed 2 FG's for the Redskins. Jason Campbell, who completed 24 of 37 passes for 256 yards said, "Other than a couple of plays, we pretty much beat them." For those who are wondering, Washington had 324 yards of total offense, Dallas had 304. Washington had 58 offensive plays, Dallas had 61. And Washington had the ball for 28:34 while Dallas had it for 31:26. Oh ya Campbell, you sure dominated them.

Steelers 24, Chiefs 27

Just how bad are things going for the Steelers right now? Well not only were the defending Super Bowl champions defeated by the lowly Chiefs, but it was Mr Irrelevant who finished them off. The last player chosen in last year's draft, Ryan "Don't call me a" Succop, kicked the game winning FG for the Chiefs, who now have won back to back games. The Steelers might have had an inkling they were in trouble this week when Jamaal Charles of the Chiefs returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a TD. It was the 4th kick return for a TD in 5 games against the Steelers and an NFL record 8th straight game the Steelers have given up a return of any kind for a TD. Ben Roethlisberger played well, throwing for 398 yards and 3 TD's, but he had to leave late in the game because of a concussion. On the other side of the ball, Matt Cassel played horribly in the first half, completing only 4 passes for 35 yards before doing a 180 in the second half and throwing for 213 yards. The win was the Chiefs first home win of the season. Not that you could tell it was a home game for the Chiefs since half the fans in the stadium were waiving terrible towels. By the way, what makes the towels so terrible? Is it the color?

Seahawks 9, Vikings 35

Brett Favre is like the Energizer Bunny. He just keeps going, and going, and going. And like the Energizer Bunny it's starting to get really annoying, but for completely different reasons. Don't misunderstand me. I'm sure Brett is a great guy. I just don't want to hear about him any more. Jim Mora said, "I saw Brett after the game and said, 'Would you retire please,'". My thoughts exactly. In the game Favre was almost perfect completing 22 of 25 passes for 213 yards and 4 TD's. The Viking fans even started chanting "MVP, MVP, MVP". Will the nightmare ever end? Matt Hasselbeck also played well, completing 19 of 26 passes for 231 yards. The problem for the Seahawks was that they only got 4 yards on the ground. That's not a typo. That's 4 total rushing yards for the entire game. Ouch! Hasselbeck said afterwards, "When they put Tarvaris Jackson in in the fourth quarter, it's almost embarrassing to be down by that much, when they're pulling their guys. It's just hard being in this situation right now. We're not used to it." Don't worry Matt. There's still 6 more games left in the season. I'm sure you'll get used to it before the season's over.

Falcons 31, Giants 34

For everyone who's competing in the prediction game here at Niners Nation, who've decided to stop picking the Giants after their 4 game losing streak, I'll just say, "Wah, wah, wahhhhh!" The Giants went an incredible 42 days without a win before sneaking by the Falcons. Of course, they almost blew it. With a 31-17 4th quarter lead, it looked like the Giants would cruise to victory, but Matt Ryan (26 of 46 for 268 yards) wouldn't give up. Ryan threw a TD pass to Eric Weems with 6:01 to play and a TD pass to Tony Gonzalez with 28 seconds left to tie the game. Luckily for the Giants, the NFL has the stupidest OT system of any major sports league. The Giants won the coin toss and instantly were 2 to 1 favorites to win the game. Eli Manning, who had a career high 384 yards passing and 3 TD's, drove the Giants into FG range and Lawrence Tynes put it in from 36 yards for the win. Afterwards, Ryan said, "We had a lot of great contributions and great efforts from a lot of guys in the second half to come back from 14 down. But with that said, there are no moral victories." You're preaching to the choir, brother.

Saints 38, Buccaneers 7

The Saints are now 10-0 for the first time in franchise history and have the Patriots coming to town next week. Of all the teams remaining on the Saints schedule, only the Patriots and Cowboys have winning records. Ramp up the hype machine! The Buccaneers actually had the early lead as rookie QB Josh Freeman (17 of 33 for 126 yards and 3 interceptions) drove them 95 yards down field for a 7-0 lead. But it was all Saints after that. The Bucs were actually trailing by only 3 just before the half, but some poor clock management allowed the Saints to get the ball back, and they quickly scored to take a 17-7 half time lead. Drew Brees was only average, completing 19 of 29 for 187 yards but the RB tandem of Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell combined to carry the ball 24 times for 167 yards and 2 TD's. Saint's coach Sean Payton said in a post game interview, "I like where we're at." Really!? I never would have guessed that.

Bills 15, Jaguars 18

The Jaguars won again on Sunday, improving to 6-4 and staying right in the thick of the playoff hunt, and once again no one in Jacksonville saw it. Unless something drastic happens, the Jaguars will be the only team in the NFL to have all 8 of their home games blacked out because they don't sell out their stadium. They even have a winning record. Then again, maybe the good citizens of Jacksonville are thinking the same thing I'm thinking. The Jaguars seem like a weak 6-4 team. How else do you explain that they barely beat a Bill's team that just fired their head coach and can't decide who they want starting at the QB position. ~~Mike~~ Ryan Fitzpatrick got the nod over Stanford alum Trent Edwards, but the end results were the same. The Bills hung around into the 4th quarter only to see the other team make the plays when it counted. The Jaguars David Garrard (21 of 30 for 215 yards) had only 3 game winning drives in 58 games before orchestrating game winning drives in back to back games. Trailing 15-12, Garrard threw a TD pass to Mike Sims-Walker with only 56 seconds remaining to take the lead. For their part, the Bills have been outscored 109-40 in the 4th quarter during the season. TO did have his best game in a Bill's uniform, catching 9 passes for 197 yards and 1 TD, but it wasn't enough to keep him from losing his jersey for the second straight game. Last week, the Titan's Chris Johnson got TO's jersey. This week it was the Jaguar's Sims-Walker who was the lucky recipient. Only 6 more jerseys to give away TO.

Bengals 17, Raiders 20

Raiders Special Teams player, Marquis Cooper, died in a tragic boating accident in the off season and the Raiders decided to dedicate this game to his memory. Fittingly, it was a special teams blunder that lost the Bengals the game. Early on it looked like it was going to be business as usual with the Bengals going out to an early 14-0 lead. But Bruce Gradkowski, who was starting his first game of the season, got the Raiders offense on track and cut the lead to 14-10 in the 3rd. With just under 2 minutes left, Gradkowski (17 of 34 for 183 yards and 2 TD's) drove the Raiders down the field and scored a game tying TD with only 33 seconds left in the game. The Bengals fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Janikowski kicked the game winner. Sam Williams said after, "He (Cooper) caused the fumble. That was unbelievable." Now I know it was an emotional win and I don't mean to make fun of peoples beliefs. But I watched the fumble several times and it looked like Brandon Myers forced the fumble.

Jets 14, Patriots 31

A lot was made of Bill Belichick's 4th and 2 call last week. Plenty of people, including myself, criticized the call. But others defended it. They used statistics taken out of context. I saw lots of comments by people who emphatically believed it was the right call. The problem is that the right call is the one that helps teams win games. If people want to say they liked the call and they hope he makes the same call again, that's fine. But to say it was the right call is ludicrous. It would be like me defending my choice to not sell my home until after the home market bubble burst. I can pull out charts and graphs and regressions and say all the stats indicated the home market would continue to go up so holding on to the home was the right call, but the bubble did burst and I lost the money. The right call is the one that improves your chances of winning. The wrong call decreases them. If the Patriots got the 1st down then it would have been the right call. But they didn't. The Patriots would have been better off if they had punted it. No one can argue with that. That means it was the wrong call. Oh ya, the Patriots also beat the Jets 31-14. Tom Brady completed 28 of 41 passes for 310 yards and Wes Welker caught 15 of those passes for 192 yards.

Eagles 24, Bears 20

Will the real Eagles please stand up. One week they look like they couldn't beat a powder puff team and lose to the Raiders. Then in the next week they look like they could beat anyone in the NFL as they destroy the Giants. In games decided by 10 or more points, the Eagles are 5-1. In games decided by 8 or less, they're 0-3. That is, they were 0-3 before sneaking by the Bears. Of course it helped that the Bears offense had forgotten how to score a TD. After 6 FG's and 2 redzone interceptions over their last 6 quarters, the Bears finally scored a TD to take a 20-17 lead. With 11 minutes left in the game it looked like they would extend that lead, but the Eagles blocked the FG attempt and Donovan McNabb drove them 62 yards for the go ahead TD with 5 minutes to play. Jay Cutler had two chances to retake the lead but his final throw ended with his league leading 18th interception. I thought Cutler was supposed to take the Bears to the next level. I wonder how many fans that were once excited about the Cutler trade, wish they had Kyle Orton and their three 1st round draft picks back?

Colts 17, Ravens 15

Until the Colts lose, I'm not going to bet against them. There have been several games when I thought the Colts win streak (now at 19 straight) would come to an end, but somehow the Colts keep pulling it out in the end. Once again on Sunday the Colts came out on the good side of a back and forth game. What helped the Colts the most was that the Ravens, just like the Bears, couldn't get into the endzone. Seven times in the game the Ravens drove to the Colt's 28 yard line or closer, including a 1st and goal from the 1, and all they got were 5 FG's. That might work against the Browns, but it's going to take more than that to get past the Colts. What had to hurt the most for the Ravens was watching their ex kicker, Matt Stover, kick the game winning FG the week after they cut their own PK for ineffectiveness. Billy Cundiff did kick 5 FG'sin his first game withthe Ravens, but it was his 1 miss that was the difference in the game. But the weirdest part of the game was when Ed Reed was fielding a punt with only 17 seconds left. Instead of holding onto the ball to give their offense one last chance, he pitched to the side where no one was actually standing. Maybe he saw something gross on the ball and he didn't want to hold it.

Cardinals 21, Rams 13

We got a brief glimpse at what life without Kurt Warner will be like for the Cardinals and it had to put a smile on the face of every 49er fan. Leading 21-3, Warner didn't play in the second half because of concussion like symptoms. It was only a precaution but why take a risk with a big lead against the Rams? Well the Rams fought back and the Cardinals did nothing with Matt Leinart leading the way. Just so you can get an idea, Warner was 15 of 19 for 203 yards and 2 TD's, while Leinart was 10 of 14 for only 74 yards and 0 TD's. Steven Jackson lead the way for the Rams with 116 yards and 1 TD and reached 1,000 yards rushing on the season, becoming the first Ram ever to run for 1,000 yards in 5 straight seasons. The Rams even had a chance to tie it late in the game. Down by 8 the Rams had a 4th and 4 from the Cardinals 7 yard line. Marc Bulger threw to Donnie Avery in the endzone but their was a lot of jockeying for position and it was incomplete. Both Avery and Bulger were visibly upset when they didn't get the pass interference penalty. Bulger said later, "We'll just go with the ref's call and hopefully next time it'll go our way." Rumor has it that Bulger found the official later and offered him a $1 bribe.

Chargers 32, Broncos 3

Seven weeks into the season everything was great in Denver. They were off to a 6-0 start with a 3 1/2 game lead in the division and all the controversy surrounding Cutler was in the past. Things sure can change in a hurry. Chris Simms got his first start since almost dying because of a spleen injury and he didn't last long. I actually feel bad for Simms. His dad is a Super Bowl winning QB and he's getting pulled for a QB playing on 1 leg. The Broncos did have a good drive early on, but a costly goal line fumble ended that. But we all knew the offense would struggle with Simms. What's more surprising is how the defense was pushed around by the Chargers. Phillip Rivers completed 17 of 22 passes for a season low 145 yards but the Broncos never came close to sacking him. He said afterwards, "I was touched one time that I remember." And he didn't have to throw much since the Chargers rushed for 203 yards even though they came into the game with one of the NFL's worst rushing attacks. So much for the magic being worked by that new defensive coordinator of theirs. What was his name again? I guess it doesn't matter. I'll think of it eventually.

49ers 24, Packers 30

SHAUN HILL MADE MIKE SINGLETARY! WHY DID HE FORGET IT? I CAN'T EVEN BUY HIS JERSEY. WHY DID THE 49ERS GET RID OF ALLEN ROSSUM? IT'S SO STUPID. HE WAS THE GREATEST RETURN MAN EVER. WORST OF ALL, THEY GOT RID OF KORY SHEETS. HE WAS OUR FUTURE. HE WOULD HAVE RAN SO FAST AND NO ONE WOULD EVER CATCH HIM. I DON'T THINK HE EVER GOT TACKLED. WHY ARE THEY TOO STUPID TO SEE THIS? WE'LL NEVER GET A WINNING TEAM UNTIL WE STOP SUPPORTING THIS LOSING ONE. FIRE EVERYONE. I DEMAND A WINNER! WE MUST ALL SHOUT IN ALL CAPS UNTIL THE 49ERS STOP MAKING STUPID PERSONNEL DECISIONS. That one was for you KSWOF.

Several major American cities want Pacquiao-Mayweather

SC — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:17:49 -0000

James Carville is attempting to make a play that would bring Pacquiao-Mayweather to New Orleans. Several American cities want the fight.

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The fight has barely started any negotiation at all and is mostly still in the press, but Bob Arum of Top Rank is fielding offer upon offer from major American cities that want to host a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Las Vegas

Go back a few days and read Brick's breakdown of why this fight needs to be in Las Vegas. Also recognize that the reasons listed point to this fight almost sure landing in Vegas. I'd say it's 95% that Sin City hosts Pacquiao-Mayweather. It's the most likely, most logical, and most profitable. Arum is also said to be working with a group willing to build a 30,000-seat outdoor stadium on the Vegas Strip:

Perhaps it's fitting that Las Vegas officials and casino magnate Steve Wynn have already contacted Arum about staging Pacquiao-Mayweather on the Strip. One possibility would be to build a temporary, 30,000-seat outdoor arena on a vacant lot at the old Frontier, where there would be room for corporate hospitality tents and a Super Bowl-like atmosphere.

New York or New Jersey

Yankee Stadium, Citi Field (home of the Mets) and Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (home of the NFL's Giants and Jets), have all been in contact. None are happening, and Arum explains why to FOX Sports:

"There's no conceivable way the fight can take place in New York City because of the tax structure."

In short, 15% of the purses would go to municipal, state and other taxes if the fight were in New York, and the Jersey taxes aren't much lighter. There is absolutely no way you convince Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao that this makes sense for them, because it doesn't make sense.

Los Angeles

The Staples Center has been in touch, reportedly. Pacquiao-Mayweather would surely obliterate the arena records set by Margarito-Mosley this past January, but they simply may not be able to afford it. In fact, it's beyond unlikely that they could outbid the casino folks in Vegas.

Dallas

Pacquiao hadn't even fought Miguel Cotto before this rumor started. The extravagant Cowboys Stadium could hold about 100,000 for boxing, and Texans have turned out in recent times, at least for Juan Diaz fights in Houston. Given that Pacquiao-Mayweather blurs most all fan lines, the fight could do very, very well, and would easily break Texas' record for live gate (which is Marquez-Diaz, by the way). But in the end, would they really make enough money? It'd be tough. But I still say you cannot count out Jerry Jones' desire for attention for himself, the Cowboys, Dallas and that damned mall stadium of his. Jerry might get reckless with the money just to have a trophy case sort of setup out in one of the halls of the stadium with lots of photos of himself standing too close to Mayweather and/or Pacquiao.

Texas also doesn't have those fight taxes.

New Orleans

James Carville -- yes, that James Carville -- is talking with Arum about bringing Pacquiao-Mayweather to The Big Easy, and sees it as a chance for poetry in violence:

"There is an incredible narrative here," Carville said. "This fight could signal a rebirth for boxing and the city of New Orleans. We could have one together."

The Superdome (home of the Saints) hosted the Leon Spinks-Muhammad Ali rematch in 1978, and capacity for that fight was 65,000. Officials say it would be about 70,000 now. Carville is speaking with the Louisiana Governor's office about getting the tax waived to try and help New Orleans' case. The Superdome was also the host for the "No Mas" Leonard-Duran fight. There's plenty of boxing history in New Orleans, but I don't think the juice is there to beat Vegas.

By the way, I went ahead and set up a coverage page to keep all of the Pacquiao-Mayweather talk together while we await what appears to be the inevitable, which is a fight made for May 1, 2010. If the date changes, I'll change the date. If it winds up not happening, the page goes away. But it's there for those interested.

New England Patriots Links 11/24/09 - Marching Onward To The Saints

Marima — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:23:29 -0000

Total Team Tackling

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Bill Belichick talks about the New Orleans Saints' offense...

It's everything. It's wherever you want to start - running backs, quarterback, tight ends, receivers, offensive line, the scheme, all the different things that they do [and] that Sean [Payton] does offensively. You've got to defend a lot of scheme, a lot of players. They score a lot on defense. They've got a whole bunch of turnovers. It seems like every game you watch they are running one or two interceptions back for a touchdown. I bet they've had two or three of them called back that they've run back for touchdowns. I don't know how many they've had, but it's a lot. Usually, you've seen one or two of those a year from a team and these guys got one every week. They are pretty dangerous. Kickoff returns for touchdowns, interception returns for touchdowns, strip sacks, and pick up and run them in for touchdowns. You've got to try not to let them score when we have the ball.

...and the Patriots defensive line.

I think those guys have been very competitive. I think they play well. And we've been able, with Vince [Wilfork], moving him from inside to outside, he certainly gives us a level of flexibility that is valuable. Myron [Pryor] can play inside as well, he gives us some snaps in there at the nose and so has Mike [Wright]. I think we've gone up against some good offensive lines, we are going up against another one this week. So we've got challenges every week, but I think those guys are working hard. They are competitive. They work well together. They have pretty good continuity. Jerod [Mayo] missed a couple games there early in the season. We've had pretty good continuity at linebacker with Gary [Guyton] and Jerod, and I think that's helped our overall run defense and the consistency of the same guys, playing behind those defensive linemen. So they get a feel for them and the defensive system with their reads and so forth. The Jets are a good running team. They lead the league in rushing. I thought we did a competitive job against them. They got some yards there at the end of the game in their two-minute drive on some hand offs, but up to that point I thought we were competitive in the running game.

TEAM TALK

Erik Scalavino saw a gritty performance by the banged-up O-Line as crucial to fending off the Jets aggressive defense.
Leigh Bodden addressed the media at his locker Monday.
Patriots Today: Pats rebound to topple the Jets. (12:53 min. video)
WEEI Patriots Monday: Tom Brady (24:20 min.), Chris Baker (9:30 min.), Leigh Bodden (8:56 min.), Vince Wilfork (13:40 min.), Ty Warren (9:55 min.), and Bill Belichick (31:10 min.).

LOCAL LINKS

Christopher Price lists his Ten Things we learned Sunday, including a team meeting that took place on the players' day off with no coaches present. Brady was impressed with the leadership displayed by the younger players who want to make themselves, and the team, better.
Jeff Howe notes the Patriots' mental stamina is the unspoken hero in their win over the Jets.
Gerry Callahan asserts the Pats have much to prove in New Orleans Monday night, and the biggest question mark is on the defense.
Karen Guregian reports Pats CB Leigh Bodden feels the Patriots D has their respect riding on the Saints game.
Shalise Manza Young says the Patriots eyes are on the Saints, not the playoffs.
Albert Breer follows Bill Belichick as he traces Wes Welker's journey to the New England Patriots and tells why he wasn't drafted.
Michael Hurley reports that when needed, Laurence Maroney is a workhorse in the Patriots backfield.
Christopher Price offers some highlights from Belichick's appearance on WEEI's Big Show.
Adam Kilgore notes Leigh Bodden is only focused on his play right now, not his contract situation.
Albert Breer looks at who's up (Welker, Bodden, Wilfork) and who's down (Connolly, Moss, Lockett) after the Patriots' big home win.
Mike Reiss looks at where the Patriots rank in key statistical categories through Week 11, with the big jump coming on third down defense after holding the Jets to 2 of 10.
Mike Reiss looks at the snaps played by Patriots defenders in the team’s 31-14 win over the Jets.
Ron Borges grades the Patriots on their week 11 effort. Let's just say their grades improved from last week.
Mike Reiss notes Saints QB Drew Brees says Monday night's game 'doesn't get any bigger than this.'
Mike Reiss reports practice squad member WR Terrence Nunn is set to sign with the Bucs.
Adam Kilgore notes Bill Belichick is 1 for 5 in winning his challenges.

NATIONAL NEWS

Mark Cannizzaro (NY Post) Ryan curses out Pats for rubbing it in. The Jets head coach felt disrespected after Brady's long ball to Moss late in the game.
George Willis (NY Post) It's about time for Rex to get four-letter furious at his own team. Rex needs to hold his own team accountable for the one-sided score.
NFL.com Deion Sanders counts down the top 10 performances from a wild Week 11. Leigh Bodden number 6, and "I love me some Wes Welker" number 2.
Mike Triplett (Times-Picayune) New Orleans Saints shift focus to New England Patriots after 38-7 win over Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Peter Finney (Times-Picayune) New England Patriots will provide New Orleans Saints supreme test.
Michael Lombardi (Nat'l Football Post) Races for the playoffs begin now so buckle up.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Cowher tells Bills no thanks for now.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Braylon Edwards still glad he's a Jet.
Don Banks (SI) Inside the NFL: Chargers leaving Broncos behind.
Jerome Bettis (SI) Bus Stops: Lions worth watching; time to bench Jay Cutler.