SB Nation User Blog: KA1Z3R

List of Songs that Summarize my Feelings of the Portland Game

KA1Z3R — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:56:05 -0000

Two reasons I'm doing this:

1. I'm bored with my Raiders and my Vikings both not playing today.

2. Because I love spreading my musical wonderment on here.

So without further ado, my soundtrack to the Portland game:

Spirit Crusher by Death

Reason why: This game crushed my spirit. I didn't expect a win, but I also didn't expect to lose by that vast a margin.

Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar

Reason why: Seems pretty obvious. The game broke my heart. Plus I'll use any excuse to listen to Pat's magical voice.

That's Life by Frank Sinatra

Reason why: The Spurs kept picking themselves up to get back in the race. But when nothing was shaking, they rolled up in a big ball and died. (that goes with the lyrics to the song)

Scream by Misfits

Reason why: Cause I needed a song to rock out my frustrations to. What better than the greatest punk rock band ever?

Pretty Fly for a White Guy by The Offspring

Reason why: I needed a good laugh, this song definitely delivers.

Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue

Reason why: Because the Spurs return to home sweet homecourt for three games, where hopefully we can get our swagger back with Parker out.

We're Gonna Miss you Carla by Scrubs

Reason why: Cause this summarizes my feelings towards Parker being absent. Just replace Carla with Parker and long year with a week. Every other lyric is perfect though.

I'm Dominican by Scrubs

Reason why: Reminds me of this big back-and-forth I had with a friend during the game who insisted Manu Ginobili was Spanish. I said the words "for the last time he's Argentinian" in the exact same way Carla says "for the last time I'm Dominican" and my friends and I started laughing at that.

Guy Love by Scrubs

Reason why: Explains my man crush on Manu. Plus I now have Scrubs on the brain.

Okay, I think that's enough epic music for one day. I leave you with a pic that depicts what our defense needs to do to the Raptors tomorrow.

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Think of it as an overly buff Manu......with a very well defined and surprisingly rugged 5 o' clock shadow.

Poll

Are you a Scrubs fan?

A Few Thoughts from the Game

KA1Z3R — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:23:02 -0000

I apologize if i accidentally say that which has already been stated, but these are things I feel I must speak of.

First off, it's a great sign of what may be to come when the Spurs beat a better team than the Lakers beat on their opening night, and by a far better margin. And we didn't even have a ring ceremony for some extra momentum. (and by ring ceremony I mean Kobe high-fiveing old Lakers for about 30 minutes)

Second off, I can't see the Hornets meeting anybody's expectations. From what I saw, they look like they might not even make playoffs. Without Chris Paul they're nothing. Of course i may be getting ahead of myself, after all it's only game 1. But I think we could see the ~~Suns or~~ Thunder taking their spot in the playoffs.

For those who said Finley's got nothing left, I say ha! 10 points in 21 minutes including 2 of 4 from 3-point range. Finely deserves his starting spot, especially after a very iffy performance by Mason. Plus he's also got the versatility to play the 2 and 3 spots and some savvy defense. Though not flashy whatsoever, Finley is solid and looks like he could be a key player and depth guy this year.

Blair is a beast, we all know that, but Duncan's starting to fall off the map. 9 and 12, no blocks, very un-Duncanlike numbers. He didn't show much on defense either but he was solid enough. Perhaps it's just because the year's only started, maybe it's his knee, I don't know. But whatever it is, it scares me.

Final Thoughts:

Manu is back, though is shooting stroke is still sloppy and inconsistent. Look forward to seeing him back into form throughout the year.

TP is like god now. Like god. We all know that title still belongs to Manu.

RJ was disappointing, but he seems a little uneasy when he's out there shooting, hurried. I'm sure he'll gte a lot better as the year goes on.

I'm so stoked that McDyess has turned out to be the player that I've wanted in San Antonio for years. Very nice shooting stroke, great D, he is who I thought he was. I like him much better than Rasheed.

Thanks for readin ya'll.

2010 Offseason

KA1Z3R — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:54:56 -0000

I figure since the season has died, been gutted, flushed down the drain, then eaten by a sewer gator, i may as well get into speculation as to what the 2010 offseason should be for the Raiders.

Three plans come to mind for what Oakland should do and could realistically do:

Start from the ground up again. Bring in a new rookie QB and trade away a lot of the talent for as many draft picks as possible. Sort of like how KC, Cincy, and Denver have rebuilt.
Build the team to accommodate Russell's ineptitude to possibly salvage him. The most likely scenario though the least preferred by me. Receiver can't be drafted with so many young guys trying to develop, so look for the lines to be rebuilt. This is only a bad scenario because Russell still starts.
A combination of one and two. Trade some guys for draft picks but not all of our talent. New QB and attempts at rebuilding the lines.

Ahead is what I think should be done with in realistic boundaries for Al Davis.

WARNING: IF YOU DON'T LIKE "RUSSELL BASHING" THIS IS NOT THE POST FOR YOU

First off, Russell needs to either get a LOT better or be released. Too inaccurate, holds onto the ball way too long, doesn't know how to checkdown, doesn't care to try, doesn't care about the fans or the team, doesn't work on his faults, fumbles far too often, can't evade pressure.

But he can heave it deep so he's clearly a miracle and the rest of the team is the problem (sarcasm)

I know you'll say Davis will never release Russell, but he just might. Davis hates to be proven wrong, but he hates losing a lot more. Plus, with no cap next year, there'd be no penalty for releasing him. So if you're gonna do it, next season is the time.

Now we all know I want either Colt McCoy in the first or Ricky Stanzi in the second, but the possibility of Jason Campbell in Oakland, though unlikely; is very intriguing.

I'll get back to Colt and Ricky in a minute, but let's look at Jason Campbell.

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Campbell may very well not be returning to Washington following this year. He's been inconsistent at times and has definitely struggled. Plus, with this extremely stacked QB class coming, Washington may be chomping at the bit for one of these physical specimens. So then why get Campbell is he was so inconsistent in Washington?

Because he's a free agent and not a draft pick. Getting Campbell allows for our picks to be focused on the O-Line, D-Line, and linebackers. And though he's been inconsistent, he's been a lot better than Russell. He has a strong arm, but actually has some accuracy. Campbell has played behind banged up and bad O-Lines but he always manages to evade pressure and make a decent throw. Oh yeah, he also cares and works unlike Russell.

I won't say he'd do much better than Russell in these circumstances, but Campbell has proven a much more solid QB than Russell has at any point in his career.

With Campbell, this team could in theory recreate an 07 type Redskins playoff team. Strong running game, a decent enough O-Line, great defense (when motivated), and playmakers at receiver (assuming they develop somewhat). There's even the great tight end underneath in Miller who's much like Cooley. Of players would need to be added and whatnot, but we'll get to that later.

Now let's look at a McCoy/Stanzi team.

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Over time, I've actually decided I'd like to have Stanzi more than McCoy. Mainly because he's projected to be in the second round, allowing us to draft Suh or a great OT in the first. Also, Stanzi is used to be playing with a below par receiving corps and has managed to be successful despite it.

Anywho, both quarterbacks have proven hard workers in college and can clearly lead a football team. Both have the speed to avoid pressure, or make plays with their feet. Both have very strong arms, though both are also pinpoint accurate unlike Russell. Fast, strong armed, sounds like Al Davis quarterback to me. Except these two make sense.

There might be some problems integrating McCoy to a pro-style offense, though Texas runs pro-style a lot of the time with spread mixed in as well. Stanzi plays in a pure pro-style set so no problem there. These guys are adept at making very smart throws and adjust to defenses very calmly and fluidly.

If you're to draft either of these guys, you must build up the offensive line. Defensive draft picks will fall by the wayside as picks toward the right side of the O-Line become top priority. Nothing worse than a rookie used to having a lot of time to throw in college, getting a lot less time in the pros.

From there you do whatever it takes to get the run game back to what it once was. This follows the pattern of the Ravens as we have a McGahee type power back (Bush) and a Rice type scat back (McFadden), and if all goes to plan the line should be great in the run game and at least decent in the passing game. Run the ball whilst McCoy and Stanzi make the occasional play in the passing game to keep the defense honest. Just a 5 or 7 yard scramble by these guys is enough to make the defense back off a bit.

Receiver development is still the make-or-break thing here. Needs on the defense at linebacker and NT would have to be free agent issues as you need to do whatever it takes to get the offensive line built up for the young guns.

But if Davis does what I fear and tries again with Russell, the plan shouldn't be much different. Build the O-Line, but use that first round pick on Suh, that one Alabama linebacker, or Brandon Spikes. Then build the O-Line accordingly. Defense will once again be the focus of free agency.

You still face receiver development problems, and the major problem of Russell not getting any better at all.

In all of these, talent must be retained and not traded away. Just keep building up the team and trade only guys like Fargas, Warren, Huff (yes Huff), Routt, Green, Carlisle, and even Satele. If you start from ground up, everyone should be up for grabs except Schilens, Murphy, Henderson, Gallery, Bush, McFadden, Howard, Miller, and Nnamdi.

No matter what QB situation you go with, the defense does not need the amount of work the offense does. A big 320 or 330 pound NT beside Kelly, and either an OLB or MLB (depending on where you put Morrison) are the only major needs. Yes cornerback depth is an issue, but not as big as the aforementioned. Stopping the run is still the key, from there the pass defense should come along.

The big thing is blitzing though. It seems as if blitzing dropped off the map versus NY. Blitzing works, and this team needs a D-coordinator with the stones to keep blitzing no matter what Davis says. i thought this was Marshall but it appears I was wrong.

This defense plays great ball when it's got good morale (early on in games, all of Philly and SD games). But you have to get an offense together that can keep this team's heads held high. With the malcontent of Warren most likely out the door next year, morale might be easier to come by.

The keys to success with the team next year:

Get the O-Line built up on the right side where consistency is an issue.
Use more power running than speed running. Pound the ball and grind it out, then worry about the big sweeps and pitches.
Play-action. No matter who's quarterback, the receivers won't develop into superstars. At best they should be just about average next year, so play-action Miller and the fullbacks will be key.
Manage the game with the passing game, don't rely on it. As previously stated, the receiver development is questionable. Only when running fails or when a big play is needed to make the defense back off the run should you pass.
Blitz on defense more frequently.

All this depends on Al Davis so all of the above might end up a pipe-dream, but in a murky 2009, all we have are dreams and aspirations of a brighter 2010.

KA1Z3R's Previews and Predictions: Week 7

KA1Z3R — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:53:53 -0000

In last week's post I was 7-7. I guess i was looking for upsets in all the wrong places. But this week I look to improve from a lowly 7-7 and hope to give you guys some more tips on who to start in your fantasy leagues and who to maybe pick in Pigskin Pick Em' on ESPN.

Read on to see who I have winning the marquee matchups such as Minnesota versus Pittsburgh, Bengals versus Bears, Falcons versus Cowboys, and even the Monday night match of Philly versus Washington.

Colts vs. Rams

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The Rams are coming off a very upsetting 20-23 overtime loss to the Jaguars while the undefeated Colts aee coming off a bye week feeling fresh and ready for football.

The Colts will undoubtedly be just about impossible to stop on offense as they're the #5 scoring offense and going up against the 30th scoring defense. The most disheartening stat, #1 pass offense versus 26th. pass defense. Wayne and Manning will be a lot harder to disrupt than Garrard and Mike Sims-Walker. Don't expect that Rams D to get 2 picks this week like it did last week. Unless the Rams can manage to get a ton of pressure on Peyton, this offense is going to be too tough for the Rams to handle.

As if things weren't bad enough, the Rams offense will be facing the #2 scoring defense and 7th. overall defense. Once again, if the Rams want any hope of winning, it's going to have be in the form of Steven Jackson and the running game, ranked a surprisingly low 20th. They shouldn't try to pass at all until they get that running game established because that 8th. ranked Colts pass D is dangerous, especially with the pass rush they'll be bringing on a still young Rams offensive line.

With Colts all rested up and the Rams reeling, expect a Titan-style blowout this week.

Winner: Colts

Vikings vs. Steelers

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Two teams that are so very alike in their styles of play will be facing off in one of Sunday's marquee matchups. The Steelers have reclaimed their first place spot in the division and will look to hold on to it, while the Vikings appear to be starting to run away with their division.

Pittsburgh's offense had troubles with fumbles last week against lowly Cleveland, but once again the passing game came alive. After an embarrassing performance by Minnesota's pass defense last week, expect that 3rd ranked Steelers passing game to get rolling early and often. If I'm Pittsburgh, I see no reason to run on the 9th. ranked Vikings run D when I can pass on their 23rd ranked pass defense.

When Minnesota has the ball, look for them to play the same football that's got them 6-0. Run the ball as early and as often as possible. Doesn't matter if they're facing the 2nd best run defense, that won't stop them from pounding it with AP and Chester Taylor. However, look for the pass attempt number to keep steadily increasing for Minnesota. Brett Favre is finally looking like he no longer just manages the Minnesota offense, he gives them balance. A deep ball to Berrian or Harvin is a possibility on any given play, and creates a constant never-ending fear of a deep play-action pass on defense. I don't think the Pittsburgh corners or pass rush will fare well against this Minnesota team, which means the run D might in turn struggle more.

This is no doubt the game of the week. Both teams' defenses will be struggling with the incredible balance of the opposing offenses, but I think Minnesota brings more balance on offense and that pass rush incredibly tough for this struggling Pittsburgh O-Line to handle.

Winner: Minnesota

Patriots vs. Buccaneers

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After a record-breaking victory last week, New England will be looking to post big numbers once more on a crumbling Bucs team.

For all the credit that Brady and Moss get on a week-to-week basis, this New England running game is lacking some much-deserved credit. For a team so hellbent on passing, their running game is a profound 16th and has looked better and better each week. Though their stable is banged up with Taylor and Morris still injured, Maroney and Faulk are still dynamic in their own right. Though their primary concern is New England's 5th. ranked pass offense, the Bucs can't simply drop everybody back or else Maroney or Faulk could get some huge yardage. Especially with the Bucs being 30th in run D.

While New England will most likely be passing like crazy on the bucs surprisingly good 9th. pass D, the Bucs won't be passing much at all. This 23rd ranked pass offense won't be getting much yardage on the Pats 5th. ranked pass D. Though those numbers might be a bit inflated due to an atrociously drop-heavy game by the Titans last week. If tampa is to have any hope, they must consume clock and run the ball on this 18th. ranked New England run D.From there, you might be able to set up play action if New England's blitzes don't throw off Josh Johnson.

New England is very balanced on both sides of the ball, while Tampa is one-dimensional in both. New England should pick up an easy win.

Winner: New England

49ers vs. Texans

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San Francisco looks like it could be a great team this year, but Houston upset a great team last week in Cincy, and could very well do it again.

Houston finally got the running game going, sorta, but it'll be much harder to do that this week with the 7th. ranked run D and Pat Willis coming to town. Though they don't want to become one-dimensional, the Texans will want to pass early and often as their 4th. ranked pass offense should fare incredibly well on the Niners 19th. ranked pass D. Especially Owen Daniels. Daniels is officially one of the premiere tight ends of the league and will be playing a slower LB unit and a group of very below average safeties. Look for a monstrous day out of Schaub and Daniels.

While Houston might find themselves having a great day on offense, there could be mixed results for the Niners. Houston has their moments on defense, as do the niners on offense. 19th. rush offense versus 22nd run D, 29th. pass offense versus 18th. pass D. But it's tough to gauge how San Francisco's offense will be with Crabtree starting and with the triumphant return of an elite running back in Frank Gore. My guess, Gore will bring back a great running attack which will open up the play action and passing game. Meaning, this offense will look much better than it has the past couple weeks.

Houston would be my pick, IF it wasn't for the return of Gore and the possibility that Crabtree might actually be pretty good.

Winner: 49ers

Bills vs. Panthers

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Two of the league's worst will square off in what should actually be a pretty good game.

Fred Jackson is slowly becoming one of my favorite running backs in the league. He doesn't have elite speed, elusiveness, toughness, etc. But he does everything well. He's got power to him, but he's also elusive and has some burst to him. He's a also a great pass catcher and blocker. Blocking is what the Bills will need as their O-Line is still giving up pressure. Can't say I like their odds versus Peppers on the outside. But Jackson and this 6th. ranked rushing offense should have no trouble against Carolina's lowly 29th. rush D. Jackson and Lynch will both have great games this week because Carolina doesn't dare stack the run with Owens and Evans on the outside.

Carolina is finally getting their run game rolling as they're now ranked 9th. Expect that number to go up as they face the 32nd ranked run defense this week. Stewart and Williams will both be getting nice numbers for sure. Though ranked 11th. in pass D, they can't bring anybody extra up to the line either with Smith and Muhammed out there at wide receiver for Carolina.

Don't start either of these defenses on your fantasy league, but make sure to start any of the four primary running backs. This will be a run fest. Whichever team's running game proves more dominant will be the victor. With superior backs, I have to pick Carolina.

Winner: Panthers

Jets vs. Raiders

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The Raiders are coming off a major upset over the Eagles, but the Jets are looking to stay in th playoff battle after dropping 2 straight.

Oakland did a great job disrupting the 12th. ranked Eagles pass D, and if they stick with this new-look scheme, they should do the same against the shaky rookie Sanchez. But the real issue for the Raider D, is this #2 ranked Jets ground game. Not good for the 28th. ranked run D. Oakland's got to shut down the Jets ground game from the get-go and force the Jets to pass against a dangerous pass rush and opportunistic secondary. Easier said than done.

After finally getting their ground game going again, Oakland will look to follow the same gameplan this week against the Kris Jenkins-less Jets. Already a disappointing 19th. against the run, the Jets will be struggling more-so against the run without their dominant DT, who pretty much made the D-Line great. Bart Scott is majorly underachieving and the rest of the Jets D is suited to be pass rushers than run stoppers. From there, expect lots of passing to Gary Russell and Zach Miller on underneath play-action plays to possibly open things up for the healthy Schilens. But with guys like Kerry Rhodes and Darrelle Revis on this Jets 8th. ranked pass D, expect some struggles.

If Oakland wins, it'll be because of great defense once again. But I think the Jets running game will be too much for Oakland to handle, though an upset may be in the works.

Winner: Jets

Falcons vs. Cowboys

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The Falcons struggled to pull one out versus Chicago last week, and will be facing another brick wall in the form of Dallas this week.

The Bears brought pressure to Matt Ryan frequently last week, so expect Dallas to do the same. After a pretty slow start to their pass rush, Dallas now posts 10 sacks and DeMarcus Ware has started to really get going. But the with their 28th. pass defense going up against a Falcons passing game loaded with weapons, this doesn't appear to be a favorable matchup. The Falcons have struggled to get a run game going though, but Dallas won't give them many problems with a very average 16th. ranked run D. Ryan should have a good game against a very weak Cowboys secondary.

While the Falcons will be passing, the Cowboys will be running as their 3rd. ranked rushing attack with Marion Barber and Felix Jones goes up against the 21st Falcons run D. Though they can just as easily pass the ball with their 10th. ranked passing game facing a lowly 21st. Falcons pass defense which won't be bringing and pressure whatsoever. The Cowboys should be bringing a very balanced offense which can fall back on a strong running game if need-be.

This should be a high-scoring game where whoever's D manages to force a turnover or two will be the victor. With a very weak defense, I can't see the Falcons doing this. I'm picking an upset here by the Cowboys.

Winner: Cowboys

Bears vs. Bengals

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Both teams are trying to get back into their respective division races, as the Bears and Bengals face-off in an important game for both teams.

If the Bears want any chance, they have to establish the run, something they still have yet to do all year. Not even against the lowly Falcons run D. It won't be easier by any means this week with the 11th. ranked rush D up against them. Though they'd much rather not, Chicago's going to have to rely on their passing game to win. Not necessarily a bad idea. A 17th. passing offense with some big play threats going up against the 28th. pass D. If the Bears can keep the Bengals pass rush off Cutler, their passing game might be able to open up the run game.

The Bengals, however, should not try to make their main focus the passing game. Chicago did a nice job against Matt Ryan and the Falcons, who are much better than this 20th. ranked Bengals pass offense unit. With crafty blitzes and an opportunistic secondary, the Bears are going to be a very tough unit to face. The Bengals need to establish the running game, much easier said than done when facing the 6th. ranked run defense. Cincy is going to be struggling to move the ball, but they seem to be able to make big plays when it counts. They'll have to hope that trend continues against this monstrous Bears defense.

Neither team should expect to light up the scoreboard, but Cincy's defense is weaker and their offense is running right into a brick wall. Chicago stays relevant.

Winner: Chicago

Saints vs. Miami

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Miami is trying to get back into the division race while New Orleans is looking to put away the division very early on.

I'm not lying when I say this Saints offense might be better than the 07 Patriots. Most teams' primary focus is Drew Brees and the passing game, but this Saints running game is ranked 4th. You can't stack the run either because Brees, Colston, and Shockey will be making big plays. I don't really know what kind of defense would be able to stop this team. But if Miami and their 3rd ranked run D can neutralize the run, they might have a chance with Joey Porter coming on blitzes. I thought the Giants could do the same, but notice how that turned out.

Things aren't much better for Miami on offense either. Though their 1st. ranked rushing offense is the equivalent to a many teams' passing attacks, they'll be facing stiff opposition in the form of the 5th. ranked Saints run D. Though it is the 26th. pass offense versus the 13th. ranked pass D, I advise Miami to come out passing. They have to loosen up this Saints D is they want any hope of their running game to get rolling. It's the only way that I see them winning is to play a very balanced game.

I honestly think the Saints are better this year than the Patriots of 07 were. They're just so perfect at every single aspect of football. Look for that to continue this week.

Winner: Saints

Unfortunately I find myself at a time constraint and will not be previewing the Giants-Cardinals game or the Philly-Washington game. I apologize, but i did pick both.

Giants versus Cardinals Winner: Giants

Eagles versus Redskins Winner: Eagles

KA1Z3R's Previews and Predictions: Week 6

KA1Z3R — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:40:18 -0000

I remember doing predictions and stuff for Week 1 action on Sunday before the Raiders-Chargers Monday Night match, and I'm back to do it again.

Read ahead for who I have winning the big matchups like Baltimore vs. Minnesota and the Giants versus the Saints. Plus who I think will have big games and who you might want starting on your fantasy football teams.

Houston vs. Cincy

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This looks to be one of the marquee matchups of the week, though many will overlook this game purely because it's a 4-1 team (Cincy) versus a 2-3 team (Houston). But despite their record, Houston is a tough team that's been in each game till the very last second (with the exception of the Jets game)

With the 12th. ranked offense (30th. rushing, 5th. passing) the Texans will have their hands full with the Bengals tough defense, which ranks 11th. in fewest points allowed. With the Texans struggling to run and the Bengals biting down on the run, Houston's going to have get something going in the running game or the opportunistic Bengals secondary will be all over their passing game. Not good when the Bengals are one of the top pressuring teams with 14 sacks in only 5 games.

Meanwhile the Texans D will have to bring their A-game against a very balanced Bengals offense. While Houston is ranked 14th. against the pass, they're a dismal 26th. against the run. Not something you want when playing a surprisingly good Bengals running attack (11th.)

Houston's offense can pull the upset if they can get Steve Slaton going early and often. But I think Schaub will be laying on the ground far too often for this offense to get rolling, allowing Cincy to get the win.

Winner: Bengals

Detroit vs. Green Bay

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An NFC North division battle between a Packers team hoping to get back into the division race and the Lions who are hoping to be competitive.

With Stafford and possibly Calvin Johnson out, this Lions offense will be relying on Kevin Smith all game long. Not necessarily a bad thing with the packers being the 20th. ranked rushing defense. But can Culpepper bring some balance to this team on offense so that Kevin Smith can get going without Calvin Johnson? the 16th. ranked passing offense versus the 15th. ranked pass defense brings forth an interesting battle.

On the flipside, the Packers are hoping they can finally get their running game going. Ranked 22nd, they might be able to get some holes opened up against the 21st ranked Lions run defense. But with those Lions linebackers, Ryan Grant might find himself struggling to get through those holes. The Packers would like not to rely on their 12th. ranked pass offense, but against the 26th. pass defense, it might be their best course of action. If Rodgers can stay off the turf, look for him to have a good game.

Statistically, this should be a close game, but I can't see the Lions managing to stop that Packers passing game.

Winner: Packers

Baltimore vs. Minnesota

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Ray Rice is becoming quite the playmaker, but can he get it rolling against the 10th. ranked Vikings run D? Baltimore will have to hope so as they try to reclaim the top spot in the division and hold off the Steelers.

Rice and the 7th. ranked Baltimore running game will have to pray that the Vikings don't play their A-game. Look for the Ravens to try to open up their 10th ranked passing game to victimize the 16th. ranked Minnesota pass defense. Easier said than done with Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, and Pat Williams on the opposing D-Line. But if they can give Flacco time to work, he should find Mason and Heap open frequently.

On the flip side, the Vikings will be struggling to run against the 4th. ranked Ravens run defense, especially with their run game having struggled a bit versus St. Louis last week. Though Baltimore has the 25th. ranked pass D, I don't like Favre's chances versus the likes of Fabian Washington and Ed Reed, especially with the heavy pressure the Ravens will bring to that weak right side of Minnesota's O-Line.

Baltimore will be playing with a purpose, but something tells me that the offense will sputter with Rice struggling to get any running lanes. This will be a great defensive game where one turnover will probably be the deciding factor.

Winner: Minnesota

New York Giants vs. New Orleans

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The big battle, two undefeated teams enter, one will emerge victorious. If there's one team that I think will have a chance to beat New Orleans, it's the Giants. But with a banged up secondary, can they pull it off?

Brees and the passing game actually shouldn't be getting the most praise on offense. That honor belongs to Mike Bell and the Saints running backs who rank as a very startling 2nd in rushing yards only behind the Dolphins. The Giants actually have the best pass d in the league, but their primary focus has to be watching the run. The Saints will look to break the banged up New York secondary wide-open with a big pass play, but they'll need to get the ground game going first. If New York can somehow slow down th Saints running game, expect a lot of pressure on Brees.

On the flip side, the Giants 9th. ranked passing offense will have to be careful against a turnover-happy New Orleans D which ranks 9th. against the pass. Bradshaw and Jacobs will see the ball more than the Giants receiving corps as the Giants 4th. ranked offense will try to set the tempo against a sturdy 7th. ranked Saints run defense. The Giants always seem to get big rushing numbers no matter what team they play, and I expect this to be no different. If they can get the play-action going, they might be the more exciting offense this game.

The smart money says to pick New Orleans, but they've looked a little shaky at times while the Giants have been picture-perfect.

Winner: Giants

Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh

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The Steelers are looking to get ahead of Baltimore in the division and will most likely do so against the lowly Browns.

With a struggling passing game (26th.) the Browns will be looking for their 8th. ranked running game to give their offense life. Easier said than done when playing the Steelers. Even without Polamalu, this defense is absolutely suffocating. But if Jamal Lewis can get a couple of good runs in, Cleveland's play-action attack might be able to get something going.

Pittsburgh has been trying to get Mendenhall and parker to create a dominant running attack. What better time to do that than when going up against the 32nd ranked rush defense. if you have either back on your fantasy team, start them because Pittsburgh has no reason to air it out at all this game. They'll probably open up the running playbook to see what they can do on the ground all game long.

I can't see Cleveland winning this game in any way possible. But you never know in the NFL.

Winner: Pittsburgh

Carolina vs. Tampa Bay

via images.dailyradar.com

via www.exposay.com

If you like running backs, this is your game. Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams, Cadillac Williams, Earnest Graham, Derrick Ward; all will be getting plenty of carries in a game of NFC South cellar dwellers.

It's not that these teams are good running teams (Carolina=23rd Tampa=26th), but their passing games are so bad that its their only choice. Delhomme throws too many bad passes and interceptions and no Tampa QB has looked good this year. it also doesn't hurt that both teams rank near the bottom in rushing defense.

I think we'll see Tampa have the better running game though. Not because they have more talented backs which in my opinion they don't, but because their passing game is potentially the more dangerous. With Kellen Winslow, Antonio Bryant, and the receiving ability of the backs; one good pass could equal a quick TD and a big momentum shift. This threat will open up the running game for Tampa. Delhomme meanwhile is so turnover prone that I can't see this being the case for Carolina. It'll be hard to do though against the 2nd best pass D that Carolina boasts.

In the end, i think a Delhomme turnover and a quick Tampa TD will grant Tampa the upset.

Winner: Tampa Bay

Kansas City vs. Washington

via www.footballbabble.com

via www.quotationspage.com

This looks to be another running back battle as these two struggling passing games face off in Washington. The better running game to me will decide the victor.

Both teams are in the 20's in running offense and running defense, but I have to put my money on the Washington running game. With the Skins, there's the threat of a good passing game with Chris Cooley and Santana Moss which might make the Chiefs back off Portis a bit. The Chiefs however don't pose this threat. Not only because of how inept the passing game has been, but because Washington locks down on the passing game so well, ranking 3rd in this category.

The Chiefs will keep it close as they always seem to do, but players like Cooley and Portis make the Redskins offense too much for KC to handle. If you have the Redskins defense on your fantasy team, make sure to start them as this will be a lowing-scoring and low-yardage game for KC.

Winner: Redskins

St. Louis vs. Jacksonville

via imgs.sfgate.com

via precioustimeny.com

Jacksonville is easily the best 2-3 team out there. They completely revamped their offensive line and finally got a decent passing game going. Along the way they even managed to work in an option-type offense with David Garrard. Meanwhile St. Louis has gotten their running attack going again, but that's about all they've managed to do.

Jacksonville and Maurice Jones-Drew should have a walk in the park against this St. Louis defense which is 22nd in total defense and 23rd in rush defense. Jones-Drew is doing surprisingly well as one of the few truly every down backs. But what I expect is to see Jacksonville put this pass offense on display. Ranked 19th, Garrard is getting a great chemistry going with a little known receiver named Mike Sims-Walker and a greatly known fossil named Torry Holt. The Rams will need to hope for a miracle against such a balanced offense.

When the Rams have the ball, they'll have one hting in mind. Run the ball and never stop running. While the O-Line appears to be getting better, it's still giving up a lot of pressure and there's not much at receiver other than Donnie Avery. Avery should see quite a few receptions though against this 30th. ranked Jags pass defense. Watch for a lot of play-action from St. Louis.

I expect Jacksonville's offense to keep rolling as they're slowly becoming one of the better looking teams in the league. But if St. Louis can get their pass attack going, this could be an interesting game.

Winner: Jacksonville

Arizona vs. Seattle

via imgs.sfgate.com

via photos.upi.com

Two teams trying to stay in the division race, the still pass-happy Cardinals and the still injury-ridden Seahawks will be playing with a purpose.

The Seahawks have tried hard to get their running game going this year, but I doubt we'll see much of it as the Cards rank a startling 1st. in run defense. Though that could be because teams have no need to run on the 32nd. ranked pass defense. If the Hawks want to win, they should follow that same plan. Ranked 12th. in pass offense, Seattle has no shortage of weapons. From Housh, to John Carlson, even the backs can catch; whoever's out there at QB will have weapons to work with.

The Cardinals meanwhile are a team of contrasts. 1st. run D, 32nd pass D; 3rd pass offense, 31st run offense. They might want to try to run this game as they're facing the 8th. ranked pass defense. If not, Trufant and the rest of Seattle's secondary can expect a couple picks their way. The Cardinals need to either have a great day passing or get a balanced offense going, or else this will be a very tough game for them to win. And i doubt they want to rely on that defense to win.

My brain says to pick Seattle, but my gut says to pick Arizona. They're less banged up and much more offensively stable.

Winner: Arizona

Philadelphia vs. Oakland

via cache.daylife.com

via imgs.sfgate.com

Two teams at entirely opposite ends of the spectrum. The Eagles are looking like a truly dominant team in the NFL, while the Raiders are ranked 32nd in every single power raking I can find.

Oakland's trying to get a passing game going, this is not the game to be trying to do that in. With the 4th. ranked pass defense and the 8th. most sacks despite an early bye week, expect a lot of turnovers from Russell. Don't expect the running game of Oakland to work very well either as the Eagles are 13th. in that category and can load up 8 in the box all day with their elite secondary. Unless McNabb tells Russell the coverage schemes the Eagles will be running, this offense is going to get next to nothing.

The Eagles on the other hand can expect a lot of success offensively. The 15th. rushing offense will face off against the 30th. run defense so expect big numbers from Westbrook and McCoy. Oakland can't afford to stack the box much either. With DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, the Eagles can rip off a big pass play any time they drop back to throw the ball. Oakland's only hope on defense is to pressure McNabb into making some bad passes, easier said than done.

Two of the best looking teams in the NFL in a row offers no break for Oakland who's just wishing for their bye week to get here.

Winner: Eagles

Tennessee vs. New England

via titansized.com

via i.cdn.turner.com

The Titans have been a prime example of how the results of one season don't necessarily hold true to the next. From best record last year to winless, they're just hoping that they can get their first win. If only they didn't have to play New England.

Get ready for a big-game offensively for New England. Ranking 6th. in pass offense, they'll be getting plenty of yards on the Titans 31st. pass D. Which will then open things up for a surprisingly good Pats running game. it'll have to if they want to run on the Titans 3rd. ranked run defense. If you have Brady, Moss, or Welker, you must start them on your fantasy team.

Meanwhile, the Titans will be trying to get their dynamic duo at running back to roll on a tough 11th. ranked Pats run defense. From there they'll try to spark some life into their 20th. ranked pass offense against the 11th. ranked Patriots. I expect a fairly balanced attack from the Titans to keep New England guessing. Jeff Fisher is a wily one, i think he'll manage to get some good pass plays going for Kerry Collins. It'll be interesting to see if Chris Johnson can finally get jump started.

In the end, New England is looking far too balanced on offense and defense for the one-sided smashmouth Titans. Be glad you're off next week Tennessee.

Winner: New England

Buffalo vs. New York Jets

via www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

via www.profootballcentral.com

The Jets look like one of the top teams in the league right now despite that close loss to Miami. Meanwhile the Bills seem to already be done with T.O. as many have said he's on the trade block.

With guys like Lee Evans, Terrell Owens, and Roscoe Parrish, you'd have to expect the Bills to be a top-10 pass offense. Instead they find themselves at 18th, probably due to a completely reworked O-Line which features a lot of average or out-of-place starters. When the Bills face off against this Jets 7th ranked pass D, expect a lot of sacks and bad throws. Keep an eye out for Darrell Revis in the Jets secondary, he's really becoming a top-10 corner. If the Bills want to open up the passing game, they'll have to run as effectively as they have in weeks past with Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch. While the Jets with Kris Jenkins and Bart Scott hoped to be better than 19th in run D, they're still a tough unit.

The Jets will be relying on their own running back tandem of Leon Washington and Thomas Jones to get yardage as they rank 9th. in that category and are playing the 31st. run defense. Expect plenty of yards for both guys because this Jets running attack is dynamic game-in and game-out. Once Buffalo starts loading up on the run, look for Sanchez and Braylon Edwards to work on their chemistry. But I look for Cotchery to have the better game because Edwards will most likely be doubled all game. Plus there's Leon Washington and Dustin Keller underneath. If Buffalo doesn't stop the run, their defense will have to hope for a couple bad throws by Sanchez.

The Jets are starting to look a lot like last year's Ravens. With Edwards and Sanchez now being together for two weeks, look for him to catch quite a few. It looks like the Bills will continue to fall further and further.

Winner: Jets

Chicago vs. Atlanta

via blogs.suntimes.com

via z.about.com

The Bears are looking to leap over Minnesota in the division, but a tough game against the dynamic Falcons stands in their way; the Falcons themselves are trying to leap over an undefeated division foe as well.

Even without Urlacher, the Bears 9th. ranked run defense will be looking to shut down Michael Turner and force the Falcons to win via their passing game. But so far, Tony Gonzales and Roddy White have seemed unstoppable, so you have to wonder if their 18th. ranked pass D will fare any better. The Falcons are going to play a balanced game offensively to keep the savvy Bears guessing. They just have to hope Turner and Norwood can slip through for yards and that Ryan won't be feeling too much pressure from Bear blitzes.

With Matt Forte, you'd have to think the Bears would better than the 27th. rushing offense. They'll be trying to get those numbers up against the 24th. Falcons run D. However, to do that Cutler will have to air it out against this 20th. ranked Falcons pass D so that the run game can be opened up. It'll be interesting to see if this undersized and underperforming Falcons D can hold up against the big and tough smashmouth Bears offense.

I think that we'll see both teams come out and try to run an even mix of run and pass plays, but I think the Bears will pull an upset. Look for them to shut down Turner and be bringing the heat on Ryan all day.

Winner: Bears

Denver vs. San Diego

via cache.daylife.com

via cdn3.sbnation.com

Two division foes on the opposite end of most people's expectations. The Broncos were thought to be cellar dwellers, but are now undefeated. The Chargers were supposedly going to run away with the division, now they find themselves trailing way behind Denver.

With Tomlinson and Sproles playing incredibly underwhelming football, don't look for this 32nd ranked rushing attack to be used very much. SD will try to win through the air with their 2nd ranked pass offense. From there, a couple big runs from Sproles might keep Denver playing honest. But I don't expect to see that. Denver went from incredibly awful defense, to an amazing 2nd overall defense; 6th in the run, 5th. in the pass. After managing to knock off a very balanced New England offense, a one dimensional Chargers offense could be in a lot of trouble.

Expect this role of opposites to continue as the Chargers rank 26th. in total defense while Denver ranks 6th in total offense. While SD will struggle to move the ball, Denver should do it with ease; especially on the ground. 27th. run D versus 6th. rushing offense. Moreno is looking like a pretty good running back, and his numbers should go up plenty against this SD defense, who might be too preoccupied with Stokley and Marshall to notice Moreno running it. Orton might struggle a bit against the 10th. ranked SD pass D as they'll be bringing pressure all game long. But orton has been pretty much perfect so far this season. With their running game rolling, there's no reason to think this will change.

SD is sinking to mediocrity and Denver is rising to greatness. Unless this SD pass attack really comes alive, I can't see this even being close.

Winner: Denver

Hope you enjoyed my previews and predictions, and I look forward to seeing you next week as i do the same for Week 7.

What the Raiders Need to Do Next Part 2

KA1Z3R — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:09:50 -0000

For those of you who read a rather popular post of mine titled "My Thoughts on What the Raiders Need to do Next," I must inform you, I held back on my rantings and ravings. Now why did I hold back?

I hoped that maybe I was just being harsh and impatient and that we would see the same Raiders team we saw against San Diego.
I figured that much of our offensive woes could be worked on since we were playing the worst defense in the league

But when we lose 29-6 to the WORST DEFENSE IN THE ENTIRE NFL and only manage 165 TOTAL NET YARDAGE, I had to physically strain to keep from vomiting in astonishment and I swear that's not a joke. And I stumbled about in sheer awe questioning, what happened to the team we witnessed in Week 1 that nearly defeated the head-honcho of the division and is there anything that can bring that team back from the grave?

Below is my three-step plan for how to bring this abomination called an offense back from the grave.

KA1Z3R's Three-Step Success Plan:

Bare with me here, bench Russell and start Gradkowski.
Run Michael Bush a lot more
Fire Cable, or revoke his role as the primary playcaller

Reasoning for Step #1:

For those of you still praying for Russell to finally those glimpses of his potential we saw against Houston and last year and Tampa Bay, it's not going to happen any time soon. Why? He simply doesn't care. He doesn't look like he's honestly trying out there, he's clearly not taking extra time to work on his game, and he's definitely not watching any film.

My honest belief of what he does after a lackadaisical practice (and this is not meant to be a Russell fat joke) is go to the nearest McDonald's, pickup up some Big Macs and a large fry, go home, lay on the couch and eat while watching movies on his elephant sized TV and deluxe leather couch.

If you know that no matter what you do right or wrong, you'll get payed 10 or 20 million dollars by the end of the year and get to keep your job and all of its benefits, would you do any different? Since you can't dock his pay, then bench him. Maybe not having his face on TV will get him to care. At the very least, he won't be out there leading those amazing three-play, zero yard drives.

Let's face it, yes Gradkowski is kinda suckish, but did he not come in and complete 2 of 2 passes for 17 yards? Not much, but by Russell standards that's amazing. Gradkowski on those passes showed a lot more poise, a lot better mechanics, and a lot better accuracy than Russell has on any two passes this season.

Gradkowski is also motivated. Give him the starting job and he'd fight to keep it, because at the first sign of a lack in ability would have you back on the bench. Plus I think Gradkowski would be happy just to play. He knows he's not going to be babied along like Russell has been.

If anything, he'd keep us relevant until either Russell decides to give a damn or the draft rolls around and we can draft a QB.

Reasoning for Step #2:

As god awful as the running game has been, Bush is actually still averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Which means he's probably, you know, THE BEST BACK ON THE TEAM. And you only give him, let me see, THREE CARRIES?! Are you kidding me? Even then he got 10 yards.

A lot better than 2 yard average, which is exaggerated by a 13 yard carry to run out the clock to halftime. Other than that it was consistent 1 yard gains. Meanwhile, Bush consistently gets you 3 or 4 yards a carry? Does Al Davis/Tom Cable think that is golf and that the lower number is better? if that's the case, then Davis thinks we're 3-1 instead of 1-3, probably explains the lack of adaptation to each loss.

Then there's McFadden, let's face it. Unless it's a 10+ yard gain, he's either getting only 1 or 2 yards, or negative yards. I'm sure if you know, MICHAEL BUSH, was in there wearing down the defense, Mcfadden might actually be doing really well.

I think what's going on in Davis's mind is that Fargas will always play like he did in 07 against Miami, and McFadden will always play like he did in 08 against Kansas City. Meanwhile, that Tampa Bay game is a huge blank in the memory banks of Al Davis. Does he not want to admit that his fourth-round pick in Micahel Bush is actually a lot better than his first-round choice McFadden?

That would explain the other fourth-round vs. first-round battle in Heyward-Bey over Louis Murphy.

If anyone here can convince me the logic behind running Darren Mcfadden and Justin Fargas so much over Michael Bush, I will gladly revoke my powers as author on this site because if anyone is truly that great at convincing people, then I'm not worthy of this job. However, I highly doubt any of you can.

Reasoning for Step #3:

I have a question, did someone give Tom Cable a set of contact lenses that switch the colors black and silver to gold and black? Because he's calling plays like he's the coach for the New Orleans Saints.

Oh wait, even the Saints run the ball consistently.

Seriously, 22 rushing attempts, 33 passing attempts. Did he all-of-a-sudden forget we had a terrific zone blocking line along with forgetting about Michael Bush? 22 attempts is pathetic for what should be a top-5 rushing offense. For those about to say that it's because the passing game needs to get going to relieve pressure form the runnnig game, did we not have the 30th or 32nd pass offense last year as well?

We're not running the ball enough, we're not mixing up the run plays, we're not using the backs properly, we're not using the right backs.

Then there's the passing game itself, where Cable seems to think that this team can go deep with success every play. What happened to dumping it off and mixing up short and intermediate passes like we did in preseason? If I remember correctly, wasn't that fairly successful?

Instead he thinks we have Drew Brees at quarterback throwing to Steve Smith and Roddy White. Wake up, you're not the coach of the NFC Pro Bowl team.

Clearly, Cable is not any of the following:

a good talent evaluator
a good playcaller
a good coach

For the love of God, fire him. Fire him and never look back. And then, if no one wants to be the coach of the Raiders, promote John Marshall to the head coach, because the defense is the one good thing we have left.

And now we move on to the defense. I'm not going to sit here and say they played a great game by any means, and I won't make any excuses like that they played against a top-5 offense, have no offense to give them a break, and about as motivation as the so-called "leader" of the team, JaMarcus Russell. But if one of those things would change, it would be a HUGE help.

But let's take a look at the defensive roster itself:

Tommy Kelly- racked up 13 tackles and has been a good source of pass rush and has shown flashes of brilliance in the running game
Gerard Warren- see Tommy Kelly but minus the 13 tackles and replace it with 4 tackles and 1 sack
Richard Seymour- one great game against SD and he's kinda vanished. But when you're one of the most dominate players in the league, there's a lot of games where you're going to vanish just because of how much attention you attract.
Greg Ellis- 4 sacks on the year. I rest my case.
Ricky Brown- terrible in coverage, poor play recognition, poor tackling. The one thing he has going for him, he gets in the way of the running back and occasionally covers a fullback pretty well.
Kirk Morrison- plain and simple, he needs to be moved outside where he's actually perfectly sized top play, can better utilize his speed, and like Maualuga in Cincy; he'd only have to react to one half of the field. He's a really good player, he's just out-of-place.
Thomas Howard- one of the very best OLB's in the league. Absolutely top-notch in coverage, and extremely aggressive against the run. Howard is a top-10 outside linebacker in my honest opinion, he just needs a better supporting cast around him at linebacker.
Nnamdi Asmougha- best corner in the league. plain and simple. This has not changed one bit this year.
Chris Johnson- very fast, plays very tight man coverage. He even makes some plays in the running game and is a sure-tackler for a cornerback. He and Nnamdi are a truly great corner tandem.
Michael Huff- 3 interceptions in 4 games. He's really elevated his play this year, but poor tackling to me keeps him from being a truly complete safety. But as coverage specialist, he's great.
Tyvon Branch- The strong safety Oakland has craved for so very long. He is fast, a very sure tackler, plays extremely tight man coverage, and is one of the few guys who I consistently see playing with a purpose.

I can say, with confidence, this defense finally has more than 2 or 3 solid players. With the exception of Brown, this defense is actually a very solid group. So why are they struggling other than the lack of any offense? A couple guys are out of place.

Morrison needs moved as mentioned above, a quality middle linebacker then needs to be picked up, and the one I've said over and over again:

This team needs a nose tackle. Run blitzing is needed of course, but having two pass rush specialists starting at DT, run blitzing can't help that. Warren is nothing more than a pass rush specialist, and a great one at that, to me. But where is the guy who's going to take two blockers head-on, clog the holes, and open up opportunities for Kelly, Ellis, Seymour, and the linebackers in the running game? Nobody on this team can fill that role and until it is filled, expect backs to consistently get at the very least, two or three yards on 98% of the carries against the Raiders.

My final words: Until this team learns how to win, and then subsequently wins some games, I'm not rooting for the Raiders this year. I'm tired of defending my team and tired of feeling ashamed of this team. I can say, that I'm officially no longer proud to be a Raiders fan.

For the foreseeable future, I root for the following team:

via web.mac.com

Poll

Should Russell be benched?

yes

1101 votes

no

162 votes

1263 votes | Poll has closed

Know Your Community: Silver and Black Pride

KA1Z3R — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:03:49 -0000

Inspired by a comment I made with mikesd in my previous article that stated how it seems like a few of us regulars really know each other really well, I've decided to post a thread for us to get to know each other a little better on here.

For me, Silver and Black Pride has really had a community feel to it. A group of tight-knit fans. But we've really had a surge in membership on here and a lot of new usernames and default pics have been showing up in comments these days.

So to help us learn more about you new guys, or just for us S&BP vets to better learn about each other, type a summary of who you are, where you're from, your favorite thing about being a fan, a bio if you will.

Read on to learn a little bit about me to help you get your bio organized.

via trac54.stumpnet.net

Yeah, I'm so epic that I wear a mask

Name: Walker

Age: 14, 15 in a month and 10 days

Location: West Virginia

Occupation: High School Student by day, Silver and Black Pride author and sportswriter by night

My best feature: My full beard at age 14, knowledge of sports, and writing skills

My worst feature: That I'm so awesome that everyone feels like a lesser being in my presence

Music Interests: Metal and old-school hip-hop. List of top-30 bands will be listed further below

Relationship Status: Single for the moment.

Race: White. I'm mainly German and Swedish, but my great great aunt was pure-blooded Cherokee so I do have a lot of Native American in me. Though I can't tan worth a damn. lol

Favorite Movies: V for Vendetta (from the picture and signature), Shawshank Redemption, Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, Gran Torino, Dawn of the Dead, Clerks II, We Were Soldiers, Transformers (original cartoon movie)

Favorite TV Shows: Plain and simple, Scrubs. Scrubs is the greatest show on the face of the Earth.

via cdimg3.crunchyroll.com

Dr. Cox, the most awesome character on any show or movie ever

Favorite Player on the Raiders: Zach Miller.

Favorite Teams from Other Sports:

NBA: San Antonio Spurs
MLB: Oakland Athletics/Cleveland Indians
NHL: San Jose Sharks
NCAA: Notre Dame Fighting Irish/West Virginia Mountaineers

Greatest Moment on S&BP: Being made an official author on the site. My dream is to be a professional sports writer, hopefully for ESPN. Being made an author on here really made me feel like a true professional.

Now then, on to my list of top-30 bands. Music is above all else in my life, even above sports, family, and friends. Music keeps me sane and happy. Music to me makes life worth living. And here's the top-30 bands that make me feel this way more than any other. Listed in order of fave to least fave amongst my top-30 favorites. So being 30 is still a great band for me.

Top-30 bands

1. Iron Maiden

2. Dimmu Borgir

3. KRS-One

4. Atmosphere

5. Motorhead

6. Run-DMC

7. Lamb of God

8. Reign of Ash

9. Dio

10. Cradle of Filth

11. Kataklysm

12. Pantera

13. Gojira

14. Megadeth

15. Slayer

16. Helmet

17. Motley Crue

18. Van Halen

19. Job for a Cowboy

20. Judas Priest

21. Misfits

22. Mastodon

23. Tool

24. Enslaved

25. Metallica

26. Nas

27. Amon Amarth

28. Cool Kids

29. Mad Lion

30. Colin Hay

Hope to get plenty of responses from my fellow bloggers.

For those of us seeking entertainment till the start of the season

KA1Z3R — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:48:12 -0000

The great KA1Z3R has come to soothe the cries of those who crave entertainment in these few days before the birth of another hope filled Spurs basketball season.

Though I suppose these are really just some time killers, but I hope they help to quell some of the boredom.

The Amazing Story of Tarboy

Though this is from Newgrounds (aka the largest collection of animations, videos, flash games, and artwork on the internet) it is not an inappropriate video by any means. It's "T" rated for extremely mild violence. This is a video that I've watched 12 times over (it's only maybe 5 or 6 minutes long) and it's still the greatest amateur flash vid ever. It really looks like it was made by professionals for a major movie company.

If you live your life without ever watching this, then you have lived a very sad life.

Crush the Castle

Highly addictive game about destroying castle's with your catapult. Each castle presents a unique style and startegy to destroy it within the allotted amount of shots. It's a very simple physics system which allows for so many complicated castles. You can even build your own and play around with it. A sequel is in the works and the Players Pack is also available on Armor Games and Newgrounds which is just a set of about 20 or so player created castles. Needless to say, mine suck compared to theirs.

The Amazing Music of Atmosphere

Though I love metal and old-school hip-hop and despise modern rap with a passion, Atmosphere is simply mind-blowing. I love a lot of music, but Atmosphere is simply beyond all music on this Earth. This is quite simply the music of God, if God was a rapper. And no it's not about big-butted women or drugs, but about one man's life of hardships and of how the world really is.

Recommended songs:

Dreamer

Sunshine

In Her Music Box

Yesterday

Next time killer, The comedy stylings of Lewis Black. The funniest comedian ALIVE. RIP George Carlin, you'll always be #1. He's not a redneck dumbass like Larry the Cableguy, a redneck dumbass like Jeff Foxworthy; he's a very political man who will preach about just how stupid people today are.

Watch all six videos, and if you like him on Broadway, check out his "red, white, and screwed" tour vids.

WARNING: AMAZING AMOUNTS OF SWEARING

My Myspace

Take a look at the profile and read my stuff, tells all about my epicness. Plus read my blog if you're really THAT bored. Which if you are, that's very sad.

Gamer Tonight Series

For all the vid game guys and gals out there, you'll find this a pretty funny series. It makes fun of all the genres of gaming and their various generic fans in the form of an interview show. From Fighter Gamer fan Ryuken Hadoken (awesome name), to Monster Trainer (Pokemon) June Snatchem, to Music Gamer (Guitar Hero, DDR) Rob Harley, the comical host Richard Farkas covers them all. A very cute and funny series. Also check out the Game-O-Verse series on there. It's a pretty clever series.

Well I hope that kills about..........2 hours of your waiting time. Now then, I'm off to ~~listen to Atmosphere and watch Gamer Tonight~~ hang with my clearly existent and not made-up girlfriend. =D

My Thoughts on What the Raiders Need to Do

KA1Z3R — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:49:00 -0000

It's no secret the Raiders are in a complete tailspin right now. Don't argue otherwise, after a great game against SD, the Raiders have given up over 140 yards rushing to the Chiefs and over 200 to the Broncos. Which shows Marshall's offseason plan of working on discipline has fallen apart and that it's not just discipline but the personnel. Basically what ever Raiders fan has been saying since 2003.

The passing game, I can't really say anything since Schilens is a big difference maker in the passing game because he's a comfort zone on the scale of Miller for Russell. But in all honesty, Russell should be comfortable with guys like Murphy and DHB after a whole offseason working with them.

Running game? Not enough of it and misuse of the backs' respective talents. Also, the lack of a passing game is ruining what should be a top-5 rushing attack.

Pass D, this falls on run D. When you're first and second instincts are to rush to the line to tackle a back, of course you're going to slip in coverage. In no way is this a personnel problem, other than that there should be some better nickel and dime corners, but I won't dwell on that.

So how do I think the Raiders can remedy their ailments, read on to find out.

Passing Game

Like I said, we'll wait to see how this looks when Russell gets Schilens back this week. Until then, this can still be worked on. All it comes down to is Russell, if he really cared about winning then he'd have taken time from his apparently busy day to work with the receivers after practice and on off-days.

After all, this is what successful QB's do. You think Rodgers magically got amazing with his receivers overnight? He had to work on it, he had to get his timing down.

Now let's stop right there, what exactly do people mean when they say timing? It simply means learning where the receiver will be at what point on every single play. Sticking with the Green Bay example, Jennings is clearly a faster receiver at this point than Driver. So he'll be farther in his route than Driver will be at, say, 5 seconds into the play. Learning the speed, agility, and acceleration abilities of your receivers is a big factor.

Another part of timing is knowing where to throw it to each receiver. Unless it's a curl or screen, you always throw the ball in front of where the receiver is, aka where he's going to be instead of where he is. However, you have to know how fast the receiver will be running to know how far ahead of them to throw. Throw it to far ahead and they won't catch up to it, throw it behind and they'll have to somehow stop and go back to it.

I've read plenty of articles about guys like Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, etc who's receivers have talked of how those QB's have pulled them and the other receivers aside to work on extra passing practice and to watch film on how each guy runs and moves.

If Russell wants to be successful, he has to be willing to work at it. His mechanics and footwork are problems, but timing to me is the one thing he should be good at by now.

If he isn't willing to work at it, then he clearly needs to be off this team. To anybody who says that's too harsh or I'm Russell bashing, I have to restrain myself from buying a plane ticket, going to where you live, and screaming in your face.

Plain and simple, if Russell isn't motivated enough to work on his craft, to work with receivers, and basically do some work for once, then bench him for the year and draft a QB next year. This is the plan I'd like. He's gotten much worse this year despite having much better receivers and pass protection. So it's not anybody at WR or on the O-Line (not even Green who is actually a great blocker this year) it's just Russell.

Cable (cough I mean Davis) clearly doesn't want to admit that Russell is quite plainly, a lazy pouty kid and therefore refuses to bench him. Gradkowski is actually motivated and has his mechanics figured out. Timing will come when he actually starts.

I've defended Russell for too long, but until he gets his act together, if he ever does, I'm hoping for Gradkowski to start and for this guy to be our first round pick next year:

via media.collegepublisher.com

Running Game

I'd like to see how the running game plays out when, which means if, the passing game gets put together. Till then, this facet of the offense can be worked on.

For one thing, don't just mix up your running backs, mix up your running plays. Instead of changing it every drive, change it with each couple plays. Then again, a couple plays is usually the extent of a Raiders drive.

What I mean though is, pound it up the middle, then go off tackle to the left side, try to pound it between the left guard and center, then go for a sweep to the right when the D is focused on that left side, maybe even misdirection it to the left on that sweep play. Just because you've dumbed the passing game down for Russell, doesn't mean he isn't capable of handing it off on a misdirection or throwing a pitch.

After all, Russell isn't this man:

via www.judiciaryreport.com

Just because you're unable to mix up the passing game, doesn't mean this should simplify the running game. If you watch the great running teams in this league like the Ravens or the Giants, they're constantly diversifying their running attacks. The O-Line is blocking very well and the backs can run very well. Just a simple matter of fixing up your playcalling.

Speaking of those backs, let's talk about how to properly use McFadden and Bush since it makes Cable cry to actually have to think.

via assets.espn.go.com

McFadden is a speed guy, and though he should definitely be developed to be able to do so, he's not a guy you should be using to pound it up the middle every play. We'll get to that runner in a minute.

Use McFadden's speed to execute plays you couldn't execute with Bush. Hand it off to him in the shotgun; the defense will be spread out and McFadden has the speed to get out of the backfield before the defense gets there. Run stretch plays with him. You have athletic O-Linemen who can move to wherever the run is going to create a path for Mcfadden to blast it outside and turn the corner. Same goes for sweep plays, especially since O'Neal is your lead blocker.

The only time I'd use Mcfadden to go up the middle is if you have three or four WR's on the field to spread the defense out and leave room in the middle for Mcfadden to burst through. Actually, if you've been running all these stretches and pitches, the defense should already be spread out to watch the sides, thus allowing you to keep a lead blocker for the middle runs.

Mcfadden needs to work on tough running and holding onto the ball, but he's a hard working guy so I'm not worried about that.

via imgs.sfgate.com

First of all, you should actually run this guy. More so than McFadden. Bush is a much tougher runner, can pound it up the middle like Cable likes to do, and he's actually pretty fast.

And like I said, he can pound it up the middle. If Cable is so in love with running up the middle, at least use the guy who's 245 pounds and stronger than most linebackers not named Ray Lewis. Plus he can do a lot of the off-tackle running I mentioned earlier. Give him some chances on those runs in between the guard and tackle because Bush is capable of getting out of the backfield decently quickly. Bush can easily find the holes, fire through them, and keep pushing forward.

In a league where it's all about the fight for every inch, you should the put the guy in who fight for every foot.

An interesting theory I've come up with when looking over a lot of film of teams running the ball, I came about something rather interesting. The Giants run Brandon Jacobs from the shotgun frequently.

Why are we not doing this with Bush? He's a tough runner much like Jacobs, and he's actually quite a bit faster. If Jacobs can get out of the shotgun backfield before the defense gets there, what's stopping Bush from doing it even better?

Play to the strengths of your backs, and experiment with stuff like Bush from the shotgun or McFadden in short-yardage when it's during a reasonable point in the game.

Running Defense

I love defense, I love it so much that people have told me that I would be a great defensive coordinator, and this is at age 14 close to 15. And if there's one thing I focus on more than anything else, it's the run defense.

Kinda makes you wonder why I root for a team that does so horribly at what I love most.

And though I probably could be a good D-coordinator, even I couldn't make this team a top-20 run defense in the state it's in.

Two reasons why:

Personnel
Lack of an offense to offer a break for the defense

But we're here to focus on #1 more than #2. Kirk Morrison is not a good middle linebacker by any means. He's not strong enough, he doesn't fill the gaps well enough, he doesn't see the field well enough. Put him outside where he only has to watch half the field and where is speed is better suited for outside runs, after all it work for Oakland's very own Thomas Howard. aka the only linebacker I'd keep at his current role on this team if I coached it.

Kelly and Warren have definitely gotten better thanks to Ellis and Seymour, but neither is the nose tackle this team sorely lacks. Look at Minnesota, 3-0 and they have two of the best nose tackles in the league starting.

Brown, I honestly don't know why he's not more successful. He's fast, the same size as Morrison (actually a little heavier I believe), so it must be the same problem Morrison has. He doesn't fill gaps and doesn't do a good job seeing the field.

Ellis and Seymour are perfectly fine, as are the safeties and corners. Especially since Asomugha and Chris Johnson who are two of the finest tacklers at the cornerback position that I've seen all year.

So what to do? Get a nose tackle, hopefully via the draft, and change Warren to a pass rush specialist. Why not Kelly? Kelly's actually been pretty okay for me. He's better than Warren's been and I wouldn't risk taking him off the field if the defense decides to pull a fast one and throw the ball.

Now what exactly do I mean by nose tackle?

Take a good long look at the following pictures:

via blogs.suntimes.com

via i123.photobucket.com

via i.cdn.turner.com

What you just saw are three of the finest examples of nose tackles in the league, Pat Williams of the Vikings, Casey Hampton of the Steelers, and Haloti Ngata of the Ravens. What stands out other than that these guys are incredibly great players?

They're big yes. But if you look at the size of the shoulders, arms, thighs, and though none of the pictures shows it, the legs, you have to be a muscle man. It's not as simple as getting a 350 pound guy, you need a DT who is strong and capable of throwing the athletic freaks that are the guards and centers of the NFL, to the ground. Nose tackles are guys that can clog the holes, and move O-Linemen so that other holes disappear.

Another thing, and this is Cable's most tired excuse, pad level. He's said it a thousand times, but it's true. You have to be low. DT's have to be low enough that when the ball is snapped they can get under the pads of the O-Linemen and make it harder for them to not only block you, but to push forward. It's easier to push when you're bent down, than it is to be standing upright.

How low are we talking? Take it away my man Ngata.

via masnsports.com

Though admittedly, even he could get a lower if he used a four-point stance. But for DT's that like to get some extra burst on the snap, that's the perfect stance.

In regards to the linebackers, Morrison must be moved to the outside after this season or do some serious bulking up and work on his ability to scan the field and react accordingly. But if the latter doesn't happen, it's time to draft a middle linebacker. if the latter happens but the former doesn't, draft a better outside linebacker than Brown. if you have that much trouble reading and reacting to only half the field then you're not going to get better any time soon.

The proper middle linebacker has to be big (about 250 or 240 if the linebacker can react and tackle quickly), have the strength of a defensive end in a 3-4 (meaning a 265 to 275 pound man), and be able to play the middle zone. Morrison fits the last part of that perfectly and is great in man coverage, but his reaction skills and strength are the issue. So what's the ideal middle linebacker look like?

via www.everyjoe.com

via i.cdn.turner.com

via www.getsportsinfo.com

EJ Henderson of the Vikings, James Farrior of the Steelers, and Antonio Pierce of the Giants. All are guys who can get through the holes on the O-Line to make the tackles, won't get held up for very long; if at all; by fullbacks, and are fast enough to play the middle zone and even play some man. Notice here, big shoulders, well built abdominals, and bulky legs.

All I can suggest for the linebackers is simply wait till next year and hope you can draft someone like Brandon Spikes or a guy that fits the mold of these three players.

So in all reality, the run defense is so broken this year, that it can't really be fixed until next year.

Pass Defense

Really, there's nothing wrong here. The run defense just makes these guys so hesitant to move away from the line of scrimmage that it makes them slow to react to the pass. The pass defense will return to its proper top-10 position once the run defense can stop giving up nearly 200 yards to the likes of Correl Buckhalter.

Now then, I beg and plead to you, the readers of this post, to ask Tyvon Branch to read this article, print out two or three copies, and give one to each of Tom Cable, Al Davis, and JaMarcus Russell. I can guarantee that all of these will translate to success, because it's worked for teams like Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Giants, Jets, etc. Plain and simple, these things work and have worked for just about every team in the league.

If these things don't happen, at least we'll be assured a chance at Brandon Spikes or Colt McCoy. At this point, I feel confident in saying that 3-13 is an incredibly likely record for this year.

Final Note: I ask that anybody that reads and agrees with this rec's this post. The more recs that it gets, maybe the more Tyvon Branch will see how mad we fans are and be more convinced to print this for Cable and Davis.

Wishful thinking I know, but at this point, wishing is all I can do for this team.

Grading the Raiders: Week 1

KA1Z3R — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:49:44 -0000

After a heart breaking loss against SD on Monday, a lot has been learned of what kind of team the raiders will be this year. And I must say, the future looks bright. In a game that put as at 8th. in the league in rushing, 8th. in total offense, and 19th in total defense and a truly amazing 12th. in rushing yards allowed with only 77, a lot of players played truly outstanding football.

After the jump, I'll grade aspects of the team and players themselves. And I'll even give out a couple awards.

Raiders rushing offense: As previously stated, the Raiders are currently the 8th. best rushing offense in the league, even with the Raiders straying from the run in the second half. Interestingly, there was a nearly dead even split in carries between Bush and Mcfadden. It really gave our rushing attack a personality. 17 carries and 68 yards for McFadden, 12 carries, 55 yards and 1 touchdown for Bush. Even Higgins went for 19 yards on a perfectly executed reverse.

The key thing though, the Chargers were the 11th. ranked rush D last year and still have nearly all the same personnel and even got Burnett and Merriman, even when this team put 8 in the box the Raiders would run and get good yardage. I think it's safe to say that this team, with a physical run blocking O-Line and two dynamic running backs, is a top-5 rushing attack, if would only run the ball more. Mcfadden should have 20 touches, even Bush should have. The pass game was stagnant and even though it was starting to stall in the second half, the run game was still getting positive yardage consistently. Something that rarely happened with Fargas starting.

Grade: A+

Raiders passing offense: This pass offense, instead of picking up where it left off last year, has went back to playing like it did around the time of last year's Jets game. It picked up first downs in the first half, got a couple big plays every now and then, but wasn't consistent. Consistency starts with Russell who seems to think that he'll be sacked any second, though the O-Line was blocking very well for a pass rush as highly touted as the Chargers'.

Russell needs to slow down, get his feet set right, and make nice and calm throws. However, 5 targets to Higgins for no receptions is pretty ghastly on his part. San Diego's secondary is healthy this year unlike it was last year and is good, but those receivers need to get better separation. Luckily, they'll be able to work on that with teams like Denver and KC, who weren't exactly stunning keeping receivers from separating.

How insanely awesome is Zach Miller? 6 receptions for 96 yards and no drops that I can recall. Even in a game where the passing game struggled quite a bit, Miller nearly pulls off a 100 yard game. This not only speaks of his receiving skills, but the O-Line's blocking. I barely ever recall Miller staying in to block very often. The line kept Russell's jersey clean except for 1 sack by Nwagbuo.

Murphy's great rookie debut and Miller's ever impressive play keeps the passing game from being a total failure.

Grade: B-

Raiders rushing D: What can be said of the run D other than that it was phenomenal. And against the highly touted Tomlinson-Sproles tandem. 12th. best in the league against what was supposedly one of the better ground attacks in the league. Reason why, inspired play by a young D which was just out there having fun.

Seymour and Scott's high levels of enthusiasm, Branch's intensity and ability to burst right up to the line, Howard's speed finally being put to use properly, there was just so much right with this group. Marshall's talk of working on proper gap management and being in the right place is really paying dividends. The Raiders played extremely physical football and were flat out violent in the run game.

Grade: A+

Raiders pass D: Other than the last couple drives in the fourth and that one TD pass to Gates for a TD, I was very impressed by the pass D. Jackson and Chambers especially were shut down for the most part, thouh Nnamdi gave up a TD. Don't worry though, Nnamdi is still the best. But when you go and play your heart out for 3 minutes or so and then only get about two minutes worth of rest, you can't really be expected to keep playing at the same level all game long.

Chris Johnson, though he had a couple miscues against Naanee, I think is going to be a good corner this year. He made some good plays and held up very well in coverage. And even Huff was impressive. Good tackling, a fumble recovery, and an interception. Huff basically played the best game of his career. Might we see him make a couple starts at FS if this continues?

Pass rush was phenomenal, and with only a four man rush. Though that four man rush was the equivalent of a six man rush. Seymour, Kelly, Warren, Ellis, Scott, Shauguhnessy, Bryant, they all did tremendous in both run situations and pass downs. If they can keep playing like this, games against Pittsburgh, Washington, and Houston just got a whole lot easier.

Grade: A-

Special Teams: Not much to say here other than our return game needs some more umph to it, and we're going to have to pray every time we kick the ball off.

Grade: C

Overall team grade: B+

Player Awards:

Offensive standout player: Mario Henderson. Though we expected him to play good ball this year, 0 sacks given up and barely gave up any pressure against people like Phillips, Merriman, and even Castillo on occasion. This was game that would rest on his and Gallery's shoulders. Gallery was impressive as well, but Henderson was absolutely dominating. He's as good as it gets at left tackle.

Defensive standout player: Tyvon Branch. I could've easily picked Huff, Seymour, Ellis, or Chris Johnson, but Branch made me feel a whole lot better about the safety position this year. Great in coverage against arguably one of the best tight ends in the league, very solid tackling both in the secondary and even at the line of scrimmage. Branch is the strong safety we've been craving for a long time. Faster and more dynamic than what Gibril Wilson was in the running game, and better in coverage than Huff ever was. If he can continue this throughout the course of the year, he can expect more of these awards to come his way.

Most disappointing player: Kirk Morrison. I could have said Russell, or Green, or Heyward-Bey. But really they met my low expectations. Morrison however was not showing up at all. Only two tackles for a middle linebacker, the guy who's supposed to be all over the field on defense? i know his elbow is still injured, but that doesn't stop him from moving around to get in guy's ways. He wasn't playing at full speed, and for a defense that was so electric, he seemed fairly lax. I'm going to pin it as an off-night and look for more from him next week.

Role Model: Thomas Howard. He set the tone for the defense on Monday. Howard was all over the field and had a monster game with 7 tackles, 2 assists, and a pass defense. He was jazzed up and you could just feel his positive energy being spread throughout the defense. He was jumping around, smiling, celebrating with teammates; if anybody came away from that game happy it had to be him. I really hope to see much of the same from him next week.

Rookie of the Game award: Matt Shaughnessy. Two times he flushed Rivers from the pocket, two times he forced bad passes, and he wasn't too shabby against the run either. I know you all expected this to go to Louis Murphy, but Shaughnessy to me was just going to be a backup guy who wouldn't even be part of the rotation. Now, I want him to see the field frequently. Great pass rush, especially for the #4 DE, and unlike previous Raider D-Line rotations, was not a pushover against the run. He actually filled his gaps rather well. Maybe instead of Richardson and Scott as the DE's of the future, we might see Shaughnessy and Scott.

MVP: Richard Seymour. Only here two days and he gets two sacks, plays the run very well, was always forcing pressure non-stop, and really played like a leader on the defense. Imagine how he'll play when he really gets to know the team and gets fully immersed in the scheme and playbook. I expect to be putting his name by the MVP award a lot this year.

Well that wraps things up here. Look for another edition of Grading the Raiders next week after the KC game.