SB Nation - Oakland Raiders

Horse Tracks 11/11/09 - Ryan Harris likely to miss Sunday's game in Washington, possibly more

Douglas A. Lee — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:34:12 -0000

DB - Weekly Press Release Notes - Patrick Smyth

DP - Broncos Mailbag: Season-ticket holders shouldn't be traitors - Mike Klis
"This year's Denver defense will continue to keep games competitive until the Broncos get another lucky bounce or the offense gets out of its rut. "

DPP - Broncos need ground game to avoid imbalance - Anthony Cotton
"Washington ranks sixth in the NFL in total defense (286 yards per game), three spots behind the Broncos, and just one behind Pittsburgh. It is also the ninth-stingiest team to score against, allowing 19.2 points per contest."

DPP - Broncos coach McDaniels: "No shortcuts" to improving running game - Mike Klis
"Right tackle Ryan Harris is expected to miss his second consecutive game Sunday when the Broncos play at Washington. Harris suffered a dislocated right big toe — not two small toes as previously reported — Nov. 1 at Baltimore... the Broncos have 14 takeaways in eight games. They had 13 takeaways in 16 games last year. The Broncos also reached the halfway point with 26 sacks. They had 26 sacks all of last season."

DPP - Broncos must play like leader - Jeff Legwold
"The Redskins come into the game 24th in the NFL in rushing offense and are likely to be without running back Clinton Portis."

DPP - Q&A: Time for Broncos QB switch? - Jeff Legwold
"Jay Cutler couldn't win down the stretch last year without a reliable running attack that stressed the defense, and neither will Orton. Cutler threw more than 600 passes last year, went down the field as much as people seem to always want from the Broncos and put up plenty of gaudy numbers — and the Broncos didn't go to the playoffs. So it isn't how far the passes are thrown. It's when they are thrown and what else the defense thinks you can do once you break the huddle."

DPP - Analysis: Law looks fine in Denver debut - Jeff Legwold
"The Broncos have plenty of teams left on the schedule that can stress a defense with three or four wide receivers on the field, most notably the Chargers, Giants, Colts and Eagles. So working out of the nickel is going to be important."

NFP - Tavern talk: McDaniels manages the game well - Mike Lombardi
I don't know if Lombardi reads ST&NO, but he covers McD's pre-halftime clock management much in the same way Ted did several weeks ago...

DPP - Broncos undone again by run defense vs. Steelers - Jeff Legwold

LTC - Chargers climbing while Denver dives - Brian Howell

LTC - Interceptions doom Denver in loss to Steelers - Brian Howell

CSG - Lack of deep passing game keeps Broncos grounded - Frank Schwab

AP - Broncos say there's no panic after another loss - Pat Graham

KDVR - Denver Broncos still look OK even after loss to Pittsburgh Steelers - Chris Tanaka

INDT - Drew Litton: Denver Broncos No Shows

Redskins News

WP - Denver Broncos' gallop slows to a trot - Mark Maske

WP - Redskins even struggle at showing heart - Tracee Hamilton

WP - Portis unsure if he'll play Sunday - Rick Maese

WP - Sooner or later, Portis's health must be addressed - Jason Reid

WP - Campbell maintains upbeat attitude - Jason Reid & Rick Maese

WP - Mounting injuries are taking a toll - Jason Reid & Rick Maese

AFC West News

NFL - Johnson clears waivers, becomes a free agent

NFP - Diner morning news: Chiefs acted too late - Mike Lombardi

NFP - Chiefs hoping for help on L.J. contract - Andrew Brandt

KCS - Johnson tells radio show he'd like to return to Chiefs someday - Kent Babb

FH - Bernard Pollard Accuses Chiefs of Trying To Have Him Blackballed - Knox Bardeen

SDUT - Norv knows emotion - Nick Canepa

SDUT - Chargers' defensive improvement a matter of trust - Chris Jenkins

FH - As Raider Nation Turns: Latest on Cable - Chris Burke

OT - Will Oakland Raiders fans be next to step up and be heard? - Monte Poole

NFL News

NFL - Browns place LB Barton on injured reserve

NFL - Appeals court: Vick can keep $16M in roster bonuses from Falcons

CBS - Q&A: Under fire, Mangini opens up about Browns, Quinn, Belichick - Clark Judge
Well...this is a very long, but interesting read. I learned that Eric Mangini is an intelligent, well-spoken and probably good person. However, I didn't learn much about him as a coach. It was disappointing to not see any Spygate questions, or perhaps one about the $1700 water bottle fine...

NFL Opinion

USAT - Not pretty, just Ben: QB's quiet confidence powering Steelers - Jarrett Bell

SI - MMQB Mailbag: Chiefs make right call on Johnson; how to fix Bears - Peter King

NFP - Returning to Quinn provides no hope for Browns - Matt Bowen

Y! - Freeney leads rush for defensive honors - Mike Silver

NFL - With these guys, there's no such thing as a good backup plan - Vic Carucci

NFP - A win for Vick, a loss for the NFL - Robert Boland

Midseason Awards, Etc.

SI - NFL Midseason Report: 2009 - Don Banks

SI - 2009 NFL Predictions for second half of season - Jim Trotter
"It's easy to say "Told You So" after consecutive defeats, but take a look at their remaining schedule."

SI - NFL Midseason All-Pro Team, Awards - Peter King

Y! - Second-half intrigue: Boys-Saints game looms - Jason Cole
"The Broncos and coach Josh McDaniels have been a great story this season, but I just don’t trust what I’m seeing...That 6-0 start could quite easily become a 10-6 finish, if not worse."

FOX - Schein 9: Peyton heads first-half award winners

FOX - Preseason's no-brainer picks didn't pan out - Kevin Hench
"The consensus was as fast and ruthless as it was wrong. It went like this. 1) Jay Cutler was the one player on the Broncos McDaniels could not alienate. 2) Kyle Orton was a huge downgrade from Cutler. 3) McDaniels will be the latest Bill Belichick disciple to fail spectacularly. Oh-for-three."

NFL - Handing out some first-half hardware of the unusual kind - Jason La Canfora

PFW - Colts lead PFW's Midseason All-Pro team - Keith Schleiden

SN - The Designed Rush, Week 10: Time for Meaningless Midseason Awards! - Michael Tunison

Power Rankings, Etc.

NYT - Week 9 Passer Ratings: Orton Seeks His Level - Luis DeLoureiro

ESPN - NFL Power Rankings Week 10

CBS - Power Rankings: No joke -- Bengals are serious contenders - Pete Prisco

FOX - NFL Power Rankings - Adrian Hasenmayer

FH - NFL Power Rankings, Week 10: The Ugly Side of Parity - Josh Alper

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

On This Day Recap- 11/10/1996

Niko Houllis — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:36:13 -0000

The Bucs never really looked back after this; the first of what is now 6 straight home wins in Orange uniforms.

View full size photo »

We talked about this last week, what really turned around the Bucs under Dungy. This game was the second win of the season, and this game started the winning streak. While most consider that the win over San Diego was the start of it all because it ended a terrible streak of poor performances on the west coast. I tend to agree, but it all started here the week before, when Cole Ford missed a FG that would have won it for the Raiders in regulation.

The Bucs had held the last several teams to under or at 13 points, so the signs were there for a turn around. As I said, this 2009 team is not quite there defensively, we dont have all the pieces like that '96 team did.

But one way or another, the change started, On this day.

Catching Up With the Raiders: Some Raider Trivia

saint — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:48:08 -0000

Today, I decided to re-open an old idea, which is to have a trivia segment where you can answer the question, off the top of your head (No Google-Cheating), and then get the answers the next day.

1) Which team loaned the Raiders 400k in order to continue playing football? What was the owner's name?

2) What is the Current Value of the team?

3) Who is the Raider Fanchise Leader in Tackles? Sacks?

4) Who played the most seasons in an Oakland Raider Uniform?

5) How many Raiders have won the NFL MVP while playing for the organization? Names?

Horse Tracks 11/10/09 - Steelers thump Broncos, who lead Chargers by 1 game in AFC West

Douglas A. Lee — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:59:39 -0000

Good Morning, MHR Friends. Seems like deja vu all over again, huh? Keep your heads up! The Broncos are 6-2 and alone in first place this morning. Yes, it's only by a game, but you're reading it here first that they'll be up by 3 games again in two weeks' time. There is no shame in losing to the Ravens and Steelers in consecutive weeks; these two teams were the AFC finalists last year, and both get after the QB like most other teams cannot. Take a deep breath, look at the Broncos' schedule and then at that of the Dolts. Feeling better? Okay, now about last night - while there were some rough moments for them, the Broncos' D once again showed they can hang with anyone. The offense (especially the running game) and punting left a lot to be desired; but I think we'll see a dominant performance Sunday against a banged-up Redskins squad. It is NOT time to panic, Friends!

NFL - Pittsburgh Steelers 28 at Denver Broncos 10 - Box Score

NFL - Steelers 28, Broncos 10 - Video with radio calls

DB - Steelers Postgame: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - Turnovers Lead to Loss No. 2 - Gray Caldwell
"If you told us at the beginning of the season we'd be 6-2 at the halfway point, I think most of us would have been happy with it," Andre Goodman said. "The way the last two weeks have gone, losing to the same division, the same type of team -- playoff teams -- having a poor second half on the defensive side of the ball, it's a little disheartening, but we're not going to panic. We're just going to go back to work and do what we're used to doing."

DB - Losing the Game of Keep Away - Chris Gentilviso

DPP - Broncos lose second straight game - Mike Klis

DPP - Paige: Whose stadium is this, anyway?
"Sick effort, Denver. If you don't want your tickets, at least scalp them to people who bleed orange, blue, mustard and brown."

DPP - Krieger: Bullying tactics bother Broncos
"The team that outscored opponents 76-10 in the second half has been outscored 45-14 in the past two second halves."

SI - Steelers hard to beat when firing on all cylinders - Ross Tucker
"The Broncos may have lost the game, but they went toe-to-toe with the defending Super Bowl champs for 53 minutes before caving in the final minutes. The Broncos will be a factor for the rest of this season and likely in the playoffs, as well."

DB - Steelers Postgame: Orton - Broncos TV

NFLTA - Steelers vs. Broncos highlights - Video

DPP - Steelers in a rush to harass QB - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Armstrong: Broncos' offense stuck in neutral

DPP - Steelers' Carter shines at safety with Clark out

DPP - A few hurdles to jump - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Steelers 28, Broncos 10: Bests, worsts and breakdown - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Steelers offense enjoys second-half feast - Mike Chambers

DPP - NFL commissioner Goodell lauds Broncos' moves - Mike Klis

CSG - Steelers top Broncos 28-10 - Frank Schwab

CSG - Ramsey: Surprisingly, Broncos QB Orton doesn't hear a boo

CSG - Broncos notes: Orton pick proves costly - Frank Schwab

NFLPA - E. Royal Remains a Playmaker in Denver Despite Changes - Jim Flynn

CBS4 - Elway Remembers Monday Night Shootouts In Denver - Matthew Buettner

AP - Broncos Lose Second Straight, Fall To 6-2 - Arnie Stapleton

FH - Big Ben, Steelers Strike in Second Half - Nancy Gay

FH - No Ryan Clark, but Same Steel Curtain - Nancy Gay

USAT - Steelers pick on Orton, run away with 28-10 'MNF' win - Jarrett Bell

ESPN - Orton, Broncos allowing San Diego back in race - Bill Williamson

DB - Ask Matt Prater...

Steelers News

PPG - Steelers dominate Broncos, 28-10 - Ed Bouchette

PPG - Steelers' Roethlisberger changes game - Ron Cook

PPG - Gerry Dulac's Two-Minute Drill

PPG - Steelers notebook: Tomlin decides to sit Clark - Ed Bouchette

PPG - Steelers' defense leads way - Gene Collier

PTR - Big second half lifts Steelers to MNF victory - Scott Brown

PTR - Harris: In football vs. life decision, life wins

SN - Steelers aren't perfect, but they're getting closer - Dennis Dillon

SN - What We Learned: The Steelers Are Hitting Championship Form - Dennis Dillon

FOX - Steelers are regaining their Super Bowl swagger - Alex Marvez

NYT - Steelers’ Ward Helps Biracial South Korean Youths on Journey Toward Acceptance - John Branch

Redskins News

WP - Injuries compound Redskins' troubles - Rick Maese
"Running back Clinton Portis suffered a concussion in the first quarter, and Zorn said he's doubtful for this weekend's game against the Broncos. In addition, second-year safety Chris Horton is out for at least a month, and tackle Mike Williams will miss the next couple of games. "

WP - Redskins once again have trouble on the offensive line - Rick Maese

FH - Larry Johnson Released, Redskins Already Expressing Interest - Will Brinson

AFC West News

KCS - Chiefs decide to release Larry Johnson - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs turn their back on LJ, who didn't carry team's respect - Joe Posnanski

KCS - Johnson’s legacy with Chiefs not the one he wanted - Kent Babb

KCS - Johnson’s release will cost Chiefs some money - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs will probably use running-back committee to replace Johnson - Adam Teicher

KCS - Holmes left with mixed emotions after Johnson’s exit - Randy Covitz

KCS - Next stop for Johnson could be NFC East - Randy Covitz

PFW - Most likely landing spots for Larry Johnson

KCS - Here’s why one former Chief fears CTE - Pete Grathoff

SDUT - Bolts in better focus - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Phillips shrugs at piling up of sacks - Kevin Acee

SDUT - LT: ‘We finally came together’ - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Rivers scores seminal victory - Nick Canepa

OT - Oakland Raiders' Chaz Schilens eyes his 2009 debut vs. Kansas City Chiefs - Steve Corkran

NFL News

PFW - Week 10 matchup tidbits

NFL Opinion

NFP - Lovie, McCarthy are at a crossroads - Matt Bowen

NFP - The Monday tavern - Mike Lombardi

NFL - Separation among top contenders starts to crystallize - Mike Lombardi

FOX - The Day After: Biggest questions at midseason - John Czarnecki

SI - Heated rivals Patriots and Colts battle in Indianapolis Sunday - Dan Shaughnessy

NFP - Will teams copy the Yankees in 2010? - Andrew Brandt
"While most teams are looking to shed players who reach the wrong side of 30, especially at positions that require explosion and speed, the Broncos have been adding them."

CBS - Prisco Grades: Week 9

SN - NFL Power Poll: Jets move up by standing still - Clifton Brown

Poll

How many regular-season wins do you expect out of the 2009 Broncos? (Please check the schedule before you answer!)

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

AFC West Standings

John (obviousman) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:16:20 -0000

I'll be around here later, as I'm getting together a post of mid-season awards and grades for everyone. I just wanted to point out, to all of those people who didn't watch the game last night, that the Chargers are definitely in the picture for the division championship.

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 4:30 AM EST)

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/9

NJ Chiefs Fan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:56:42 -0000

via media.kansascity.com

Without knowing the facts of the game, someone would look at the final score and figure the Chiefs must have been in quite a struggle. Save for the last three minutes of the game, they would be wrong. When Jacksonville RB Maurice Jones-Drew scored with four minutes, 26 seconds to play in the game, the Jaguars led 24-6 and obviously began celebrating.

That’s when the Chiefs scored a pair of touchdowns and recovered an onside kick in the span of 91 seconds. A second onside kick was not successful and the Jags stumbled off the field with a three-point victory.

Comeback Falls Short, Chiefs Lose Again from Bob Gretz

KC Star Photo Gallery: Jaguars 24, Chiefs 21 | Sunday, Nov. 8

The Chiefs spent two weeks working on tweaking the offense, working on fine-tuning, working on improvement. The play calls and approach looked different. The result did not.

Kansas City lost again Sunday, and it did it the same old way: poor pass protection, questionable play calls, and the appearance of a disorganized unit that couldn’t adjust quickly enough. Coach Todd Haley took a magnifying glass and scalpel to his offense for two weeks. Time was supposed to help the Chiefs swerve back onto the road toward progress. But this didn’t look much like progress: a 24-21 loss to Jacksonville, a team with problems and a fan base that seems leery that improvement is taking place.

Chiefs get going too late in 24-21 loss to Jaguars from KC Star

"I expect him to make every one," said punter Dustin Colquitt, who is the holder on field goals. "But (56 yards), going into the wind? That’s a tall order."

The encouraging thing for the Chiefs is that such a task is reasonable enough for Succop to try it. In the past, when Kansas City cycled through a new kicker seemingly every few months, Colquitt said the decision would have been easy on what to do in a long-range situation.

"We would’ve had to have a short punt," Colquitt said. "You can depend on him (Succop) from just about anywhere."

That’s something the Chiefs just haven’t had. So, even in an impossible situation, Kansas City gave Succop a shot. Coach Todd Haley saw the snap and the kick. Haley thought it would be good, too.

"When it took off," Haley said, "it looked like it had a chance. But the wind caught it. That would’ve been a tremendous kick. It really got knocked down at the end. It looked like it was going to have a chance."

Succop gives Chiefs a chance on field goals from KC Star

Mike Brown did not lose this game himself; he had a lot of help from a lot of his teammates and coaches. If Brown plays this game at an All-Pro level there’s a good chance the Chiefs would have still found other ways to lose.

It’s just that right now, the margin of error for the Chiefs is so thin they can’t overcome a bad day from one of their safeties, especially when his poor play leads to a pair of scores.

Column: Mike Brown Takes The Blame from Bob Gretz

Offensively, the Chiefs continue to have their problems. The running game produced just 60 yards, they didn’t convert a third down until late in the fourth quarter and Cassel was sacked three times by what has been an anemic Jacksonville pass rush.

So anything Chambers can provide will be welcome, like what he did in the last minutes of the game.

First, was the 54-yard score, which is the longest pass play and scoring play of the season for the Chiefs. In fact, it’s the longest touchdown pass the Chiefs have thrown in five years, since RB Priest Holmes caught a 60-yard TD throw during the 2005 season from QB Trent Green.

OFFENSE: New Addition Clicks, But Too Late from Bob Gretz

It took eight games and countless wide-receiver combinations, but the Chiefs finally hit on one that worked in Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Jaguars.

The most recent additions to the group, Chris Chambers and Lance Long, led the way. Chambers, who joined the Chiefs only last week, scored two touchdowns — both in the last 3 minutes of the game.

Chambers, Long catch on quickly for Chiefs from KC Star

That’s the story of the 2009 Kansas City defense: some good things, but too many bad.

For instance, they put at a lot of pressure on Jaguars QB David Garrard throughout the game. But they were able to sack him only once.

They had a large number of negative plays, as they spent a lot of time in the backfield and forced nine minus plays for the Jaguars, including a fumble that was recovered by the Chiefs.

Yet, they gave up another handful of big plays, as Jacksonville had 10 plays of 12 yards or more, including a 61-yard touchdown pass and a 28-yard TD run. There were also plays of 45 and 33 yards.

"It appeared we were out of position on a couple of those plays," said Todd Haley. "We’re not going to win games or have chances to win many games when we’re giving up big plays and that has been the big problem on defense."

DEFENSE: Same Old Story from Bob Gretz

The Chiefs were happy enough with their running game their first time without the suspended Larry Johnson.

His main replacements, Jamaal Charles and Kolby Smith, combined to average more than 5 yards a carry.

The problem is that the Chiefs gave them the ball a total of only 10 times in a 24-21 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday. The game quickly became unbalanced for the Chiefs. They handed the ball to their running backs — including Dantrell Savage — 12 times while Matt Cassel threw 39 passes.

The Jaguars, who had been playing a 3-4 defense, surprised the Chiefs by playing mostly a 4-3.

Charles, Smith run well in limited opportunities from KC Star

Succop’s kick actually looked pretty good as it left his foot and started to rise. But right around the five-yard line, the wind knocked it down and it was short. The kick fell into the hands of Jaguars CB Rashean Mathis and that’s when the fun started.

Mathis brought the ball out of the end zone and headed right; he broke past several Chiefs, and was then in open field, chugging down the sidelines towards a possible touchdown. Finally, at the Chiefs 15-yard line, punter and holder Dustin Colquitt knocked him out of bounds. The return was 91 yards total, but ended up being just forgotten yardage.

Way downfield, the Jaguars were hit with an illegal block in the back penalty, so even had Mathis scored the TD would have been wiped out by the flag.

Colquitt would have liked to have had that information before he threw himself at Mathis.

"You’ve got to do what you have to do at the time," said Colquitt, who banged up his shoulder a bit on the play but returned in the second half.

Jaguars Change Defensive Spots & Other Notes from Bob Gretz

Consequently, what’s the point in analyzing the team? What’s there to look for that would offer any reason to have hope? You know you have severe problems when your best punter is your punter, your best tackler is your punter and your best player is your punter!
Chiefs - Jags Wrap from Upon Further Review

Jacksonville had four plays from scrimmage of more than 25 yards plus a 44-yard punt return.

"They did some things we really didn’t go over in practice," Brown said. "You prepare for things, but we hadn’t seen those things all week, so there was some miscommunication."

The plays ruined what otherwise could have been a big day for the Chiefs’ defense. Tamba Hali and Brandon Flowers were continually disruptive, and Wallace Gilberry had a third-down sack that pushed Jacksonville to the edge of field-goal position. Josh Scobee was then wide left on a 53-yard attempt.

Derrick Johnson also forced a fumble that put the Chiefs on the Jaguars’ 20, but the Chiefs settled for a field goal in that instance.

"It’s always the same thing," cornerback Brandon Carr said. "We play well and we play well but there’s always a few big plays and we let the game get away from us."

Chiefs’ defense gives up too many big plays from KC Star

Finally, some good economic news: The Kansas City Chiefs have lowered the price of their logo shot glasses to just $7.00 at the team store on their Web site. A gift that makes watching the Chiefs more tolerable - 2 ounces at a time. Chiefs garden gnomes are still $25, however.

Anyway, we think it was a sound business decision to lower the shot glass price as booze consumption is up 821% on Sundays in the greater Kansas City area this year. Or so we hear. Sunday, the Chiefs coughed up 426 yards of offense to Jacksonville, held the ball for just 23:00, didn't convert a third-down until the fourth quarter and, despite a frantic yet unfulfilled rally in the fourth, exited the game as the lone NFL team without a rushing touchdown this season. Just to update, that's 30 losses in their last 33 games and 14 of the last 16 on the road.

K.C. is at Oakland next week and with a loss to the Raiders, we just may get drunk enough with our new shot glasses to order the garden gnome. Maybe two.

Goin' Deep: Intrigue from around the National Football League from NY Daily News

The 3-4 is dead. Long live the 3-4, just not in Jacksonville.

Sunday’s it-wasn’t-as-close-as-the-final-score-would-indicate, 24-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs saw the Jaguars return to their familiar 4-3 defense, and the results were stunning.

The Chiefs were held to 60 yards rushing, a week after the Jaguars allowed a franchise-record 305 yards rushing by the Titans.

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel was sacked three times, by a team that had just five sacks through seven games.

Jaguars return to 4-3 roots from Jaguars.com

Player Tweets

almighty31 thanx to my supporters that came to duval. Valdosta state c u soon

MrKolbySmith @mrbigplay850 good luck tomorrow. Look forward to facing off with you on the 22nd. What up tho

Media and Fans

kb_kcstar Of all the reasons for the Chiefs' offense to be good, it seems that only desperation can motivate this group.

dussery: @goatboytim the chiefs tried the last three minutes of the game

BrentMichael06: @Adam_Schefter funny play Chiefs Leonard Pope gave a first down sign when he was 10yds short on 3rd down

midacoll: the chiefs stink, but you already knew that...

justd913: bummed the Eagles lost, but did the announcer HAVE to call the Chiefs bottom feeders?! Give us a damn break, we are in "rebuilding phase"

jhailos: Awesome day for the Chiefs. We play like garbage and are now tied for the worst record in football. Can we earn the #1 pick??

moneydesignz: #worldsthinnestbooks How to win a football game - by the Bucs, Raiders, Redskins, Lions, Rams, Bills, Chiefs

Washington's Signs Of Life Confiscated By Falcons In 31-17 Defeat

Sugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:30:10 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Todd Yoder provides a highlight-reel type of catch in the back of the end zone as the Redskins fought their way back into the game.

Browse more photos »

As awful as the first half was to watch, the second half was that much fun. Far be it for me to proclaim this team to be a contender, but in the second half, there was some actual football being played by the guys wearing white-on-white. It was uncanny how much more successful our offense was after the halftime break. Screen passes worked, the running game was churning up the yards, and there were no drive-killing penalties that caused me to scream.

It is easy to say the game was decided in the first half. But the truth is that when we gave the Falcons the ball back down 24-17, there was every reason to believe that a win was possible. That was the high point of the game for Redskins fans, and whether you want to call it sad or depressing, it may have been the high point of the season so far. Being in a game against a good team with the momentum going our way is a feeling we have not had around here for some time. As we find ourselves squarely in the middle of what promises to be a difficult season to stomach, this is a feeling/moment I won't take for granted.

Trying to look back at that first half and make some sense of it is like attaching a grenade to your scrotum and hoping for the best. It just didn't go well. We gave up big plays on defense, we gave up big plays on offense and we committed penalties that turned into points for them. The only thing missing from the first half was a hundred dollar bill on the night stand.

There was no reason to hope for anything different in the second half. But when our offense took the field and drove 80 yards for a score, I thought to myself, "This I can watch. If we lose, so be it, but this is actual football and this is worth staying tuned into." The subsequent stop by our defense was great and when we pulled to within a touchdown I could not have been the only one thinking the win was in our sights. Rock Cartwright and Ladell Betts were rolling. As if by magic, our offensive line opened up holes they were able to run through and we mounted honest-to-God drives.

Ultimately, once again the team did not do enough for 60 minutes to win the game. The foolish penalties from our $150+ million off-season acquisitions (Hall and Haynesworth) were gut-wrenchingly bad. Haynesworth's pair of offsides penalties were great bookends to the Falcons' opening drive that set the tone of the game early. Hall's battle royale with the entire Atlanta sideline would have been more upsetting if it wasn't so easy to see coming. It reminds me immediately of the line from last week's Parks and Recreation episode where Ron Swanson describes his relationship with his ex-wife. "We are oil an water. Or oil and TNT and C4 and a detonator and a butane torch." That sums up DeAngelo Hall's relationship with the Falcons I guess. Good thing we aren't playing the Raiders this season. Oh crap. LaRon Landry seemed to manufacture sloppiness at times, and once again, the opponent took advantage of the cushion we insist on giving every receiver in the league.

On a higher note, Jason Campbell refused to give up on the game despite being knocked out of it twice. His ability to keep soldiering up as the world crumbles around him is remarkable. The question that comes to my mind is will we ever get to really judge his football abilities behind a legitimate line for an extended period of time? You can question him on any number of fronts these days, but you can't question his toughness and you can't question his commitment to his teammates. Another bright spot on the day for me was Brian Orakpo getting to Matt Ryan. The kid proved yet again that he is an extremely capable pass rusher.

We came up short in the end but there was at least the hint of an air of respectability after that second half. Respectability doesn't get us in the playoffs, but it does make watching the games a lot more fun. I'll end with the stat breakdown below. What number stands out to you? Four 1st downs from penalties! That plus the defensive touchdown Atlanta scored stick out most for me, as I am sure they do for you guys as well. I mean, look at these numbers. We were in this game.

Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs	17	18
Passing 1st downs	11	6
Rushing 1st downs	6	8
1st downs from Penalties	0	4
3rd down efficiency	9-16	4-11
4th down efficiency	1-3	0-0
Total Plays	64	54
Total Yards	312	306
Passing	176	125
Comp-Att	19-27	17-24
Yards per pass	6.5	5.2
Rushing	136	181
Rushing Attempts	32	27
Yards per rush	4.3	6.7
Red Zone (Made-Att)	2-2	1-2
Penalties	10-88	7-54
Turnovers	1	1
Fumbles lost	0	0
Interceptions thrown	1	1
Defensive / Special Teams TDs	0	1
Possession	33:32	26:28

Poll

Which Redskin player was the brightest spot in this game for you?

Horse Tracks 11/8/09 - McBean, Harris out; Barrett & Law expected to play

Douglas A. Lee — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:41:24 -0000

DB - Week 9 - Sat: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - Week 9 - Sat: Law - Audio
Ty Law discusses his arrival and role in Denver.

DB - Laying Down The Law - Chris Gentilviso
"After limited participation in Friday’s practice, Josh Barrett (hamstring) was a full participant in Saturday’s session."

DPP - Law looking to lift value of nickel - Lindsay Jones
"Law's contract will pay him $800,000 in base salary. He received a $200,000 signing bonus and could earn an additional $400,000 in incentives."

DP - A couple more Ty Law notes - Lindsay Jones
"Law will wear jersey No. 26...On Saturday, Law wore a sleeve on wrist with the plays and defensive calls on it (like the sleeves quarterbacks sometimes wear)."

DPP - Analysis: Denver's Dumervil versatile even as helping hand - Jeff Legwold
"While it may be a little thing, the fact that Dumervil can get down, comfortably, in a three-point stance, with the proper hand down on either side of the formation likely helps him work both sides."

DPP - Denver Broncos OLB Darrell Reid always embraces change - Lindsay Jones

CSG - Law will learn on the fly for Broncos - Frank Schwab

DPP - Where QBs intersect - Mike Klis

DPP - Klis: TDs rise without wedge
Tom Jackson thinks the elimination of the wedge is behind the explosion of kick-return TDs.

DPP - Steelers haven't thrown away running game - Jeff Legwold
"Of the 10 kickoff returns for touchdowns in the NFL this season, seven have been allowed by teams that predominantly play the 3-4 defense. The Steelers have surrendered two for touchdowns, and the Broncos have allowed one...Running back Peyton Hillis was excused from practice for the second consecutive day and did not take part in the Broncos' workout Saturday. Hillis is expected to rejoin the team for Monday night's game."

DPP - Q&A: Quarterback-powered NFL wants QBs protected - Jeff Legwold

DP - Consider Buckhalter perfect for the long run - Mark Kiszla

DB - Broncos Sign Law, Waive Jack Williams - Zach Eisendrath

AP - Broncos Sign Law, Release Jack Williams - Arnie Stapleton

PPG - The Opponent: McDaniels has brought energy to the Denver Broncos - Lynn DeBruin

ESPN - McDaniels, Tomlin have taken similar paths - Bill Williamson

Steelers News

PPG - On The Steelers - Ed Bouchette

PPG - Steelers' Timmons likely to miss game - Robert Dvorchak

PTR - Younger coaches making their mark in NFL - John Harris

PTR - Timmons, Kirschke to sit out Monday's game - Mark Kaboly

PTR - Week 9: Steelers Key Matchup
Starks & Colon versus Doom

BCT - Bires: No matter what they say, Clark won't play - Mike Bires

BCT - Steelers notes: No-huddle is no-brainer - Mike Bires

AFC West News

PFW - Castillo stepping up for Chargers' D-line - AFC Whispers
"The Broncos are going to miss ORT Ryan Harris, who is expected to miss a few weeks with a foot injury, but sources say the team feels comfortable with backup Tyler Polumbus moving into the starting lineup. Harris is regarded as one of the better young right tackles in the game, but the drop-off with Polumbus, a natural left tackle, in the game isn't tremendous."

SDUT - Just don't call this defense makeshift - Chris Jenkins

SDUT - Chambers' departure ‘shocking’ to Floyd - Chris Jenkins

NFL - Chiefs activate RB Smith, release WR Engram

KCS - Chiefs-Jaguars scouting report - Adam Teicher

SFC - RAIDERS MIDSEASON REVIEW / Hard to watch, looking back on it - David White

NFL News

NFL - Saturday Injury Reports

NFL - Packers place OL Spitz on injured reserve with lower back problems

NFL - Saints DT Clancy out for season with knee injury

NFL - Jaguars place Starks on injured reserve with hamstring injury

NFL Opinion

NFP - Sunday at the Post - Mike Lombardi