Luv Ya Blue Is Something You Should Do

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs come into this game missing two players that they expected to be their top offensive players this season in running back Larry Johnson and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. Johnson is now a member of the Cincinnati Bengals and Bowe is serving a four game suspension imposed by the NFL. Facing a team as defensively proficient as the Steelers, it will interesting to see where the Chiefs look for production. Do not expect much of it this week.

Steelers 38   Chiefs 13

 

Seattle Seahawks @ Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings just extended the contract of head coach Brad Childress. This is a move of good timing, because it establishes a bond and perceived future in their locker room. Seattle remains a mystery on defense, as well as inconsistent on offense. The Vikings are expected to dominate the trenches on both sides of the ball this game.

Vikings 27   Seahawks 16

 

Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys

Though perhaps the best rivalry in NFL history appears to not have as much glamour surrounding it this season, this game still has tremendous importance to both teams. Dallas needs this win to stay ahead in the NFC East, while a Redskins win would practically bring them back into the race for the divisional crown. Washington would like to start their era with a win in the Cowboys new stadium like they did with the old one.

If you would like a bit more of a look at this rivalry, look at http://bleacherreport.com/articles/294540-renewing-a-rivalries-importance

Cowboys 26   Redskins 24

 

Cleveland Browns @ Detroit Lions

Watching this game might be akin to watching two 97 lbs. weaklings missing all of their limbs in a tug-of-war battle. This is also a game where both teams may be looking for their last win of the season. However, it could be a close game that is decided on the final play.

Lions 23  Browns 14

 

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Saints are flying high right now, and their fans are experiencing a joy that has never been felt before in the franchises history. The Buccaneers are not playing well, and appear years away from rebuilding a competitive team. This could be a blow out.

Saints 45   Buccaneers 17

Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants

This is a battle of two struggling teams trying to get back on course. The Falcons lost their best player last week in running back Michael Turner, so the passing game will be very important. The return of cornerback Aaron Ross could not have come at a better time for the Giants. New York needs to run the ball to win, and the bye week was a time to rest their hobbling backfield. This game will be a good indicator to show how for real the Giants are this season.

Giants 31  Falcons 23

Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens

The Colts are resilient. They keep winning and are undefeated, which is exactly what one wants if they have championship aspirations. The Ravens have been struggling lately, and this was showed last week when the Cleveland Browns matched them stride for stride over 30 minutes. Now star defensive end Terrell Suggs is out, missing the first game in his career. A big blow, considering Baltimore needs all the pass rushers they can get against an explosive Colts offense.

Colts 27  Ravens 21

San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers

The Packers are coming off an impressive game where they defeated the favored Dallas Cowboys at home. The 49ers are coming off a less than impressive victory over the struggling Chicago Bears. The Packers stayed at home this week and should be ready to win a game they need to stay within shouting distance of the division leading Vikings.

Packers 34    49ers 24

Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Buffalo comes into this game a few days removed from firing their head coach of over three years. Jacksonville has had the same head coach for over six years. Sometimes a coaching change can inspire an underachieving team to a few victories, but Jacksonville has been showing steady improvement the past couple of weeks.

Jaguars 26   Bills 10

Arizona Cardinals @ Saint Louis Rams

Arizona has been playing much better recently, and they are undefeated on the road this year so far. The Rams best weapon is running back Steven Jackson. It may not be enough to keep pace with the Cardinals high octane offense.

Cardinals 41   Rams 17

New York Jets @ New England Patriots

The Jets have been crying the blues recently. Their season has not met their lofty expectations, but they really shouldn’t be stunned because they are starting a rookie quarterback with little playing experience even on the college level. New England will be fired up for this game after all the media bashing they took this week for last weeks loss.

Patriots 34   Jets 17

Cincinnati Bengals @ Oakland Raiders

The Bengals are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, and are coming off a game they spanked the defending champion Steelers. The Raiders offense has been so bad, they switched quarterbacks. Facing a defense like Cincinnati’s is a tough test for any quarterback, let alone a new one.

Bengals 38   Raiders 14

San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos

Game Of The Week

This is a very important matchup in the AFC West this week, and could have repercussions for the rest of the season. The Chargers have begun winning again after a slow start, while the Broncos have started to lose after a hot start. The Broncos also might have to resort to using a backup quarterback who was very ineffective during their upset loss to the Redskins last week. Denver’s defense needs to win this one.

Chargers 24   Broncos 17

 

Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears

The Eagles are teetering on dire straits right now. Their inconsistent play has them on the verge of pushing themselves out of the playoff race. Not having a running game is the worst part of their game, so Donovan McNabb needs to step up now and play the best football of his career for them to have a chance. The Bears are a mess right now. Their trench play has been poor, and their injuries have been key. The big trade for quarterback Jay Cutler has not looked good thus far either.

Eagles 27   Bears 24

Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans

This is a Monday night game worth watching. Though the fans of Houston will heartily be rooting for the Texans, they have not forgotten how the Titans left them in 1996. The Titans were called the Oilers then, and were the champions of the American Football League for the first two years of their existence. Expect the Houston fans to have a quandary when the Titans walk on the field. Will they cheer them in appreciation or boo them for leaving? Will Titans owner Bud Adams have to tape his middle fingers to his ring fingers? There are a few side stories in this one, and let us hope ESPN does not drop the ball too much on the historical significance of this game. They typically do, but this is the year the inception of the AFL is being remembered. The Oilers were a huge part of that year, as they still are in the lore of the city of Houston.

Texans 34     Titans 30

NFL Power Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints

2. Indianapolis Colts

3. Minnesota Vikings

4. Cincinnati Bengals

5. New England Patriots

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

7. San Diego Chargers

8. Dallas Cowboys

9. Baltimore Ravens

10. Houston Texans

11. Philadelphia Eagles

12. Atlanta Falcons

13. Denver Broncos

14. New York Giants

15. Green Bay Packers

16. Arizona Cardinals

17. New York Jets

18. Miami Dolphins

19. San Francisco 49ers

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

21. Seattle Seahawks

22. Tennessee Titans

23. Chicago Bears

24. Washington Redskins

25. Carolina Panthers

26. Oakland Raiders

27. Buffalo Bills

28. Detroit Lions

29. Kansas City Chiefs

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

31. Saint Louis Rams

32. Cleveland Browns

Last week I took a bath and went 7-7 . I am now 87-41 , since I did not pick on the Thursday game.

Let us keep the focus on the Houston Oilers .

Bud Adams started the franchise in 1960 with the fledgling American Football League. Adams put together an excellent team quickly, some with hard work and some with good luck.

His big move in 1960 was signing Billy Cannon away from the clutches of the NFL.

Cannon was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams with the first pick of the draft, and he was the first pick of the AFL as well.

Adams signed the LSU legend and 1959 Heisman Trophy winner on the field after LSU won the Sugar Bowl.

Future NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle was the general manager of the Rams at that time, and he tried to force Cannon to sign with his team. Adams took the NFL to court and won.

Another of the many key signings that season was of future Hall of Famer George Blanda . Blanda had washed out of the NFL and did not even play football in 1959.

He joined the Oilers and immediately became the team’s leader, helping them win the first AFL Championship when he hit Cannon for an 88-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter vs. the Los Angeles Chargers.

Blanda led the Oilers to a second consecutive championship in 1961 and was named the AFL Player of the Year.

He tied the record of seven touchdown passes in a game the next season, as the Oilers reached a third championship before losing to the Dallas Texans in the longest championship game in professional football history.

Blanda also set a record of 42 interceptions thrown in that 1962 season.

Though the Oilers would reach the AFL Championship in 1967, losing to an Oakland Raiders team that now had Blanda on their roster, the team has never won a championship game again.

Many great players played for the Oilers, and several are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Players like Blanda, Earl Campbell, Ken Houston, Elvin Bethea, Mike Munchak, Warren Moon , and Bruce Matthews are just a few players that played for the Oilers and are now enshrined in Canton.

I have also included many Oilers in my Crazy Canton Cuts series. Robert “Dr Doom” Brazile, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Curley Culp, Jim Norton , and Bob Talamin i  are Oilers whose profiles can be found on crazycantoncuts.blogspot.com . Charley Hennigan is a player I will be profiling in the future.

Despite their legacy, as well as being the first professional sports team to win a championship in Houston, the team relocated to Nashville, Tenn., before the 1997 season.

They changed their name from the Oilers to the Titans just before the 1999 season.

The timing of the name change worked out well for Adams, as his team went on to Super Bowl XXXIV but lose to the St. Louis Rams. It is the only season that the franchise has won the AFC Championship.

To learn more about the Houston Oilers, I encourage you to visit this site : http://www.remembertheafl.com/

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Crazy Canton Cuts = Ed Meador

Ed Meador
5’11” 193
Safety
Los Angeles Rams
1959 – 1970
12 Seasons
163 Games Played
46 Interceptions
18 Fumble Recoveries
10 Kicks Blocked
6 Touchdowns
6 Pro Bowls

Eddie Doyle Meador was drafted in the seventh round of the 1959 draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He was the 80th player chosen overall.

Meador went to college at Arkansas Tech University, mainly because one of his high school football coaches had went there for a job and championed Meador’s cause. He had previously been told been told by Bear Bryant of Texas A&M that he was too small to play college football.

He ended up being co-captain and played running back, defensive back, and returned kicks for the Wonder Boys. He scored 272 career points and rushing for 3,358 yards, which is still second-best in school history. He was on the Associated Press Little All-American team in 1958, and was named the Outstanding Back in the All-Star College Football Game. He was named Arkansas Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1958. Meador is a member of the Arkansas Tech Hall Of Fame, Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, Helms Athletic Foundation Sports Hall of Fame, and NAIA Collegiate Hall of Fame.

Earning a starting job right away as a cornerback, the rookie picked off three passes for a Rams team that struggled to just two wins under Hall Of Fame coach Sid Gillman. The Associated Press placed him on their All-NFL Second Team for his efforts. The Rams then replaced Gillman at coach with Hall Of Famer Bob Waterfield. Meador made his first Pro Bowl squad after getting four interceptions, one which was returned for a touchdown.

He has one interception the next season, and was named First Team All-NFL by The Sporting News. After a solo interception the following season, he had six in 1963. It was his last season as a cornerback, and he was named Second Team All-NFL by the New York Daily News and the National Enterprises Association. The Rams then moved him to the free safety position.

Though he had already established himself as one of the top defensive backs in the league, Meador quickly became a superior safety. He went to the Pro Bowl in 1964, after swiping three balls, and returning six kickoffs for 148 yards. He returned to the Pro Bowl the next year after getting two interceptions. He also ran the ball twice for 35 yards, including scampering 24 yards for a touchdown.

The Rams then hired George Allen in 1966, making it the third Hall Of Famer that coached Meador in his career. Allen soon named him co-captain of the Rams defense. Meador responded with his third straight Pro Bowl season after he had five interceptions.

In the third game of the 1967 season versus the Dallas Cowboys, he intercepted two passes attempts from Don Meredith. He took one ball 30 yards for a score and was named NFL Defensive Player of the Week. He finished the season with a career best eight interceptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Meador also completed the only passing attempt of his career for an 18 yard touchdown, and returned a career high 21 punts. He was named to the Pro Bowl for a fourth straight season.

He went to his last Pro Bowl in 1968 after getting six interceptions, and he was named First Team All-Pro. He also returned 17 punts for a career high 136 yards, and returned a kickoff 20 yards. The 1969 season was another year that he was named First Team All-Pro. He scored two touchdowns off of five interceptions that season. He also was named the NFL Players Association President that year. He was honored with the NFLPA Byron ‘Whizzer’ White Award and was named NFL Father of the Year. After getting two interceptions in 1970, he retired.

Ed Meador is a member of the 1960’s All-Decade Team, and the Rams All-Time Team. He was known by several of his teammates as the “Rams Little Assassin” because of his fierce play on the field. He was also a multi-dimensional athlete who was the holder of place kicks for the Rams. Often he would run or pass on fake field goal attempts.

He still owns five records with the Rams. He has the most interceptions with 46, fumble recoveries with 18, and kicks blocked with ten. He blocked four kicks in one year, and recovered five fumbles in one season. To say he had a nose for the football would be a huge understatement.

It is astonishing that Meador has yet to be inducted into Canton. He has gone to the same amount of Pro Bowls as 15 other defensive backs that are already inducted. He was named the Rams Defensive Back of the Year seven times in his career, which is just another example of his impact. Tackles were not a recorded statistic in his era, but he exceeded 100 tackles in several seasons. He once had 126 tackles in a 14 game season, which is an impressive rate for a free safety. He was fast, quick, tough, and smart.

For all he did on the field, he did even more off the field. He was very active in charities, especially with the Special Olympics. His leadership abilities were seen from his days in college up until the day he retired from the NFL. He had the respect of everyone who encountered him both on and off the field during his playing days. He overcame huge obstacles of being told he couldn’t play, then coming from a small college, to start in every game he played in his career. He was a iron man who missed just one game in 12 seasons.

It is time to get Eddie Meador his well deserved respect. You can do your part by visiting his website at : http://www.edmeador21.com/how%20to%20nominate.html

Notable Players Drafted In 1959 (None are a Canton Inductee Yet)

2. Dick Bass, FB, Los Angelos Rams
3. Bill Stacy, DB, Chicago Cardinals
5. Dave Baker, DB, San Francisco
6. Nick Pietrosante, FB, Detroit
15. J.D. Smith, OT, Philadelphia
17. Bob L. Harrison, LB, San Francisco
19. Mike Rabold, G, Detroit
21. Rich Petitbon, DB, Chicago Bears
22. Buddy Dial, WR, NY Giants
23. Dick Shafrath, OT, Cleveland
25. Bowd Dowler, WR, Green Bay
26. Wray Carlton, RB, Philadelphia
28. Emil Karas, LB, Washington
29. Eddie Dove, DB, San Francisco
34. Joe Morrison, RB, NY Giants
35. Fran O’Brien, OT, Cleveland
41. Monte Clark, DT, San Francisco
44. John Tracey, LB, LA Rams
47. Dave Lloyd, LB, Cleveland
49. Bob Wetoska, OT, Washington
53. John Wooten, G, Cleveland
58. Dick LeBeau, DB, Cleveland Browns
102. Bobby Joe Green, P, San Francisco
119. Bob Zeman, DB, Cleveland
123. Art Powell, WR, Philadelphia
125. Harry Jacobs, LB, Detroit
141. Mike Connelly, C, LA Rams
164. Joe Robb, DE, Chicago Bears
167. Elbert Dubenion, WR, Cleveland
173. Bruce Maher, DB, Detroit
177. Roger LeClerc, LB, Chicago Bears
209. Joe Kapp, QB, Washington
219. Alan Miller, FB, Philadelphia
223. Dave Kocourek, TE, Pittsburgh
242. Dale Memmelaar, G, Chicago Cardinals
249. Donnie Stone, RB, Chicago Bears
250. Jim Fraser, LB, Cleveland
266. Fred Glick, DB, Chicago Cardinals
313. Timmy Brown, RB, Green Bay
319. Charley Tolar, FB, Pittsburgh
331. Ron Hall, DB, Pittsburgh
353. Jim Colclough, WR, Washington

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The NFL Midseason Awards Show

As the NFL reaches the mid point of this bizarre 2009 season, we are witnessing a huge drop off of good and not as good teams. The long line of teams struggling is not a good thing for the NFL, and this will probably be brought up as the league tries to get a new collective bargaining agreement with the players before the 2010 season begins.

There has been some good news in the league, and most of that has come from excellent play on the gridiron. I decided to have an awards ceremony which I hope you enjoy.

Begin Slideshow

The Almost All-Time Tennessee Titans Defense

Before they were the Titans, they were the Houston Oilers.

Bud Adams started the franchise in 1960 with the fledgling American Football League. Adams put together an excellent team quickly, some with hard work and some with good luck.

His big move in 1960 was signing Billy Cannon away from the clutches of the NFL.

Cannon was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams with the first pick of the draft, and he was the first pick of the AFL as well.

Adams signed the LSU legend and 1959 Heisman Trophy winner on the field after LSU won the Sugar Bowl.

Future NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle was the general manager of the Rams at that time, and he tried to force Cannon to sign with his team. Adams took the NFL to court and won.

Another of the many key signings that season was of future Hall of Famer George Blanda. Blanda had washed out of the NFL and did not even play football in 1959.

He joined the Oilers and immediately became the team’s leader, helping them win the first AFL Championship when he hit Cannon for an 88-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter vs. the Los Angeles Chargers.

Blanda led the Oilers to a second consecutive championship in 1961 and was named the AFL Player of the Year.

He tied the record of seven touchdown passes in a game the next season, as the Oilers reached a third championship before losing to the Dallas Texans in the longest championship game in professional football history.

Blanda also set a record of 42 interceptions thrown in that 1962 season.

Though the Oilers would reach the AFL Championship in 1967, losing to an Oakland Raiders team that now had Blanda on their roster, the team has never won a championship game again.

Many great players played for the Oilers, and several are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Players like Blanda, Earl Campbell, Ken Houston, Elvin Bethea, Mike Munchak, Warren Moon, and Bruce Matthews are just a few players that played for the Oilers and are now enshrined in Canton.

Despite their legacy, as well as being the first professional sports team to win a championship in Houston, the team relocated to Nashville, Tenn., before the 1997 season.

They changed their name from the Oilers to the Titans just before the 1999 season.

The timing of the name change worked out well for Adams, as his team went on to Super Bowl XXXIV but lose to the St. Louis Rams. It is the only season that the franchise has won the AFC Championship.

Please remember that this team consists of players who are not, and maybe never will be, members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Begin Slideshow

The Song Remains The Same For The NFL

As another Sunday approaches for the NFL, one cannot help but recall certain themes that have transpired thus far. The days of parity appear to not be in play this season. With the St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns,Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all struggling, as well as the Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, and  Carolina Panthers all with just two wins as well, it has become a case of the have and have-nots. The list of have-nots may be the deepest in recent memory for the league. Will things change after the new collective bargaining agreement on the horizon?  That is one tune waiting to be composed.

Was anyone really shocked to see Brett Favre fumble then throw away the game for the Vikings last week? It was about time if you ask me. We are talking about the NFL’s All-Time Turnover King. No player has thrown away the ball more in history than Favre and he is just three fumbles away from tying Warren Moon for the record of most fumbles ever. With 313 interceptions, 158 fumbles, and counting, the Steelers decided to just let Brett be Brett last week. When you do that, you will win more than lose to him. Just be ready for the inevitable mistake. With a career average of 1.7 turnovers for every game he has played, it is a sound strategy.

Watching Larry Johnson bubble over with frustration, you have to wonder what is the biggest deal is. Is it his homophobic remarks, his rant on his new head coach, or his bemoaning the loss of cash? Johnson, some may say, had his mind destroyed along with his body with all those carries several years ago. Some may recall former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil calling his character into question once. Johnson, a coaches son, realizes his career is coming to an end and that he will never again command the salary he current makes. He stands to lose $600,000 this week, not exactly chump change. Though his comments were not politically correct, this still is America. Freedom of speech and expression is a right. Taking his money hurts, but watching his career end has to gouge him deeper. If he does latch on with another team next year, he will be a part-time back with a pay rate showing such a role.

On with the picks. I am now sporting an unimpressive 60-27 record after going 9-4 last week. Let us see if I can do better.

Denver Broncos @ Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are approaching this game as a must win. They are at full health again with their offensive line, which will be critical in this match up. The Broncos have been and is the surprise of the league so far with a perfect record. Both teams have had two weeks to prepare for this, so expect a hard hitting game.

Ravens 27   Broncos 21

Houston Texans @ Buffalo Bills

Houston is a team who appears to have found their groove on both sides of the ball and could go on a winning streak if they are not side tracked by injuries. Buffalo is a team still trying to find their identity.

Texans 34  Bills 17

Cleveland Browns @ Chicago Bears

Cleveland heads into the Windy City at a tumultuous time. Bears fans are unhappy with their teams inconsistent play on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Chicago expects a win over the lowly Browns and Cleveland seems to have already packed it in for the season.

Bears 31  Browns 27

Seattle Seahawks @ Dallas Cowboys

Dallas came away with an impressive victory last week that was a much needed statement game as well. This game is critical in keeping the momentum going. Seattle is missing their best linebacker and their best running back is dinged up. They will need to pass to win, which isn’t easy against the Cowboys cornerbacks.

Cowboys 38  Seahawks 27

Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets

Miami stopped the Jets winning ways just three weeks ago. After dropping another two games, the Jets won big last week. Miami came off their bye week by blowing a big lead to the Saints last week. Miami needs to run well to win, while the Jets are hurting in the middle of their defense especially. It should be another close game between these two rivals.

Jets 24  Miami 21

San Francisco 49ers @ Indianapolis Colts

The 49ers lost last week, but quarterback Alex Smith may have won the confidence of his teammates. The Colts are undefeated and getting healthy. Even if Smith repeats last week performance, it will be hard for the 49ers secondary to stop the Colts passing attack all game.

Colts 34  49ers 23

New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles

Though the Eagles won last week, they did not look much sharper than the team that lost to Oakland two weeks ago. The lack of running game has proven to be this team’s Achilles Heel for years and it has been in the spotlight even more this year. The Giants realize they need to get back on track after two weeks of consecutive losses. Expect the Giants to pound the ball on the ground, while Philly tries to exploit a suspect Giants secondary.

Giants 23  Eagles 21

Saint Louis Rams @ Detroit Lions

It is too bad these teams cannot face each other more this season; they would win more if they did. Detroit appears ready to go with Culpepper at quarterback this week and possibly the entire season. Though both teams have veteran quarterbacks, I expect this game to be won on the ground. Steven Jackson will carry the Rams to one of their few victories this week.

Rams 28  Lions 24

Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers

The Raiders have been as inconsistent as their young quarterback JaMarcus Russell. After controlling the Eagles two weeks ago, they were pulverized by the Jets last week. The Chargers are as inconsistent, mostly due to an underachieving defense and banged up offensive line. If the Bolts do not get it going this week, they may never get anywhere this year.

Chargers 48  Raiders 24

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans

The Titans are still without a win and owner Bud Adams has ordered coach Jeff Fisher to start Vince Young at quarterback over veteran Kerry Collins. Though Fisher realizes the problem isn’t just at quarterback, expect him to comply. The Jaguars handed the Titans a 20 point loss a month ago. They did it by pounding the ball down the Titan’s throats all game. Expect a similar strategy, but something tells me Fisher has a plan this time.

Titans 23  Jaguars 17

Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers

Game Of The Week

As I told you the first time these teams met a few weeks ago, this is the game to watch. Not only is it the return of a certain hypocrite to Lambeau Field for the first time as a visiting player, but both teams have developed their personalities more since the first meeting. The Packers have had trouble running the ball this year, even with Ryan Grant’s 148 yards versus Cleveland last week. The Vikings are excellent at stopping the run as well.

Expect the Packers to air it out against a depleted Vikings secondary, while the Vikings attack them with a balanced attack. Though the focus seems to be on quarterback in Minnesota, the main reason they win is by running the ball, controlling the clock, and field position. This game will be a prime example of that, assuming their quarterback doesn’t cough up the ball in victory as he did last week.

Vikings 34   Packers 31

Carolina Panthers @ Arizona Cardinals

The Panthers have been a disappointment so far. Their passing attack is nearly non- existent and their running game is not at full strength with Jon Stewart battling injuries. The Cardinals are trying to find their running game still, but they realize how good their passing game is. If the Panthers do not get to Kurt Warner, the Cardinals may score often.

Cardinals 38  Panthers 17

Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints

The Falcons are just not running the ball as well this season as opposed to last year. This causes their defense to stay on the field longer then that they would like and for their secondary to be exploited. The Saints are also trying to get their running game more consistent so they do not have to rely on Drew Brees arm so much. This is a game Brees can air it out to multiple receivers, while Atlanta will need to control the clock to keep that from happening.

Saints 41  Falcons 30

NFL Power Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints

2. Indianapolis Colts

3. Minnesota Vikings

4. Denver Broncos

5. New England Patriots

6. New York Giants

7. Cincinnati Bengals

8. Pittsburgh Steelers

9. Baltimore Ravens

10. Atlanta Falcons

11. Philadelphia Eagles

12. Houston Texans

13. Green Bay Packers

14. Dallas Cowboys

15. San Diego Chargers

16. Chicago Bears

17. Miami Dolphins

18. New York Jets

19. Arizona Cardinals

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

21. San Francisco 49ers

22. Seattle Seahawks

23. Buffalo Bills

24. Oakland Raiders

25. Carolina Panthers

26. Detroit Lions

27. Kansas City Chiefs

28. Washington Redskins

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

30. Cleveland Browns

31. Tennessee Titans

32. Saint Louis Rams

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Vinny Cerrato Has Hot Air for Sale

Is anyone buying the pile of manure Vinny Cerrato is shoveling out of Washington DC? No respectable Redskins fan is, especially those who live in the nations capitol and are used to politicians lies.

Cerrato uses his radio show (why he even has one is beyond comprehension) as a platform to explain his incompetencies.  He used it this week to make a few statements that need to be broken down.

“Jim Zorn is the head coach of the Washington Redskins and will be for the rest of this season, and hopefully into the future.”

This is clearly Vinny saying he hopes he himself has a future with the club. Though many Redskins fans have scratched their heads for years trying to figure out why Cerrato maintains a job in the NFL, Dan Snyder keeps surprising them by bringing him back yearly.

 

“The frustration is very high, everywhere around here, but the relationships internally within this organization, quite frankly, remain the same.”

That means it is business as usual for the clueless ones. Though everything crumbles around Cerrato, he remains the same obtuse dolt he always has been.

This was shown by his recent roster move of acquiring Levi Jones. Jones, whose best days were done in 2006, was a free agent all year. They pick up this has been while having dumped promising rookies from the roster the past few years. Clearly another example of Cerrato’s inability to judge talent.

“I’m in the locker room and the owners come up to me and they ask me, ‘How do we score more points?’ “We’re coming off of—against the 32nd-ranked defense — we score two field goals and have seven first downs.

“So I tell them, I recommended to them that Jim’s plate is too full. He’s the head coach, he’s the offensive coordinator, he’s the quarterbacks coach, let’s take something off the plate to help him. So they said ‘OK, go talk to him.’ “

Cerrato said he met one on one with Zorn at the stadium and suggested the switch. Zorn asked for time to think about it. When they spoke later on the phone, Cerrato said Zorn accepted. “He says ‘I’m in.”

HUH? This is the guy who hired Zorn and told Snyder that Zorn could wear all of those hats. Never mind it is the second season Zorn has held all of these jobs.

The amazing part of this b.s. fest is that Cerrato is trying to claim he JUST recognized Zorn could not cut it. Where has he been the past two seasons? Siberia? Another reason for Snyder to fire Cerrato, IF Snyder can read through that quote.

The last part of Cerrato’s load was on Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent. Largent, now a congressman, was a teammate with Zorn for the Seattle Seahawks in the 1970s to the ’80s. Many of the receptions Largent got came from Zorn’s arm.

Largent came to his friends defense, and said things for Zorn as an obvious mouthpiece. Zorn has a contract that extends into next year, and rather be fired for bad coaching so he can get paid.

Zorn stated some obvious facts about the poor leadership at the top of the Redskins organization, something that has long been stated by several Redskins legends like Sonny Jurgensen, John Riggins, Joe Theisman, and Brian Mitchell.

Largent was critical of how the Redskins hired Sherm Lewis from a bingo hall to call the plays. Cerrato labelled the comments as “off-the-wall”, and then noted how Lewis had four Super Bowl rings, while as an assistant with the 49ers, while Largent had none.

Lewis retired after 2004, but Cerrato said, “You don’t forget how to ride a bike if you hadn’t rode your bike in four years.”

Taking swipes at Largent not only shows what a bush league punk Cerrato is, but it also shows how much the man understands the game. Is Cerrato, who has Super Bowl rings as a member of the 49ers front office in the 1990s, saying he is above the Hall of Famer receiver just because Largent wasn’t as lucky as Cerrato or Lewis to play on good teams?

Shows Cerrato’s ego and IQ, if you ask me, as well as a blatant disregard to the legacy of the game. Considering on how Cerrato had to try to put a muzzle on Jurgensen recently, as well as the way he has run the club, this type of blather from Cerrato in regards to Largent comes as no surprise.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder likes to regard himself as a marketing genius. If this thought is even close to true, then Snyder must have a clue that his team is on the brink of falling from the lofty financial status he has worked so hard to build over the years. It was done in a way that Riggins has called Snyder the “Bernie Madoff of the NFL.”

Well, Snyder has made off with millions of dollars from the loyal Redskins fans over the years. Certainly it is time for this life long Redskins fan to give back to Redskins Nation. The very first move is to realize Cerrato has destroyed his team. Perhaps the theory that Cerrato did it on purpose to repay Snyder for firing him in 2001 is possible.

Even if that is untrue, and Cerrato is doing his very best, Snyder needs to realize that he is the only owner in the NFL who would employ Cerrato. No one came knocking on Vinny’s door the year he was out of a job until Snyder rehired him in 2002. There is a reason for this.

It is time for Snyder to cut the chord with his racquetball buddy Cerrato. It is time for Snyder to get a competent general manager to blow up the current roster and rebuild from scratch. It is time to stop signing has-beens, trading for has-beens, and gambling on uncertain talents. These are the moves that has destroyed the Redskins yearly from the time Snyder bought the club.

Snyder obviously is a fan of Redskins Hall of Fame coach George Allen. This can be seen by his propensity of signing aging players. The difference is that Allen was a superior evaluator of talent and knew which players could help the team and how. Snyder and Cerrato do not have this ability, and neither will ever enter Canton unless they pay for a ticket like the rest of the general public.

Now is the time for Snyder to find someone with the ability to discern NFL talent. He had that with Charley Casserly once, but fired Charley to try to make is own mark on the franchise.

Much like he did by renaming the stadium Jack Kent Cooke built, and the land that surrounds it. Snyder is intent on building his own legacy so much, he has eschewed the legacy of a proud franchise he grew up admiring.

Perhaps Snyder should swallow some ego and lean on that tradition he claims to respect so much by admitting to the fans he tried and failed his way. Now he needs to lean on the way of tradition and bring back the people who also care about the team.

Especially people who care about the teams success ahead of themselves, something Cerrato will never be willing to do.

 

 

Now on with this week’s predictions:

Green Bay Packers @ Cleveland Browns

The Browns are spiraling out of control, and seem to have no clear direction. The Packers are a team who need to win. It should be a victory in the Dawg Pound for the Pack.

Packers 31   Browns 17

 

San Francisco 49ers @ Houston Texan s

The news for the Niners is that first round draft pick Michael Crabtree will get his first NFL action in front of his home-town Houston. He will leave town with a loss against a Texans team that is jelling.

Texans 34  49ers 28

 

San Diego Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs

Bolts backers are fired up with anger with their underachieving team. The Chiefs are fresh off their first victory. I’m not saying this is an upset primed to happen, but it could be close.

Chargers 41  Chiefs 21

 

Indianapolis Colts @ Saint Louis Rams

The Rams were within minutes of procuring their first win in 16 games last year. Their reward is they now get to face a hot Colts team who will be experiencing the return of safety Bob Sanders for the first time this year.

Colts 45    Rams 24

 

New England Patriots @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

You have to feel sorry for the Bucs. Their home game will be played in England instead of Florida. Tampa Bay is not going to be very competitive this year, so they best pray for jet lag to hit the Patriots hard. New England is coming off an explosive victory last week and will look to keep their motors running.

Patriots 35   Buccaneers 20

 

Minnesota Vikings @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Brett Favre might be getting all of the press ESPN can muster, but Ben Roethlisberger is having a fantastic season thus far. The Steelers running game has been inconsistent, so Big Ben is on a pace to throw for over 5,000 yards currently.

The Vikings are hoping All-Pro cornerback Antoine Winfield will be healthy enough to play, but it looks unlikely. Factor in the Vikes having two safeties hurting as well. After watching Baltimore rack up yards last week, Roethlisberger has to be smiling.

Steelers 31  Vikings 30

 

Buffalo Bills @ Carolina Panthers

The Bills head into this game with their backup QB. The Panthers have gotten little production from their QB. This should be a smash-mouth game, where it is won in the trenches. Special teams will be a big wild card in this one.

Panthers 24   Bills  21

 

New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders

The Raiders are a week removed from an impressive defensive effort. The Jets are losing key defenders while going through the growing pains of their starting rookie quarterback. If the Raiders can establish their running game again this week, they could win another in front of their loyal fans.

Raiders 24   Jets 17

 

Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals

Da Bears and Bengals head into this game in need of a win. The key to this game will be who runs the ball best. Cedric Benson has something to prove to Chicago. The difference might come down to the Bengals ability to exploit an erratic Bears secondary.

Bengals 35   Bears 31

 

Atlanta Falcons @ Dallas Cowboys

Game of the Week

It might not even be halfway into the season, but Dallas needs this game in the worst way. They have yet to establish themselves with a statement game, and this one may determine the futures of Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett in Dallas with the Mike Shanahan rumors getting louder.

The Falcons are hurting in their secondary, so they will need to run the ball and control the clock. With the Cowboys suspect run defense, this could be the game Mike “Burner” Turner has been looking to break out in.

Falcons 38    Cowboys 34

 

New Orleans Saints @ Miami Dolphins

The Saints appear to finally have a team with the ability to win it all. This is the first time in the franchises beleaguered history, so trepidation is certainly factored in. They face a Miami team that is fresh off a bye week after winning two straight games. Miami has a young quarterback, and they love to run the football.

This will be a good test for the Saints defense, and a good measurement on how much ability the Saints have.

Saints 34   Dolphins 24

Arizona Cardinals @ New York Giants

The Cardinals are a team who needs the game bad. They have yet to really established themselves as a team who is to be reckoned with. This game is a must-win for them. The Giants are coming off a game where they were easily handled by the Saints, and need to bounce back. This could be decided in the final minutes off the foot of a placekicker.

Giants 31  Cardinals 27

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins

The Eagles are coming off a horrible loss where their offensive line was destroyed by the Raiders last week. This can not sit well with head coach Andy Reid, a former offensive line coach. Expect some improvement, because it will be needed against an excellent Redskins defense. Washington has an issue moving the ball offensively, and are in disarray.

Jim Zorn will no longer calling the plays, so there is hope for some improvement in offensive proficiency. Still, the Redskins defense will have to win this one. Considering they don’t turn the ball over much, it seems a daunting task.

Eagles 27  Redskins 14

 

 

NFL Power Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints

2. Indianapolis Colts

3. Minnesota Vikings

4. Denver Broncos

5. New England Patriots

6. New York Giants

7. Cincinnati Bengals

8. Atlanta Falcons

9. Baltimore Ravens

10. Philadelphia Eagles

11. Pittsburgh Steelers

12. Green Bay Packers

13. Houston Texans

14. San Diego Chargers

15. Chicago Bears

16. Dallas Cowboys

17. Miami Dolphins

18. New York Jets

19. Arizona Cardinals

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

21. San Francisco 49ers

22. Seattle Seahawks

23. Oakland Raiders

24. Carolina Panthers

25. Buffalo Bills

26. Detroit Lions

27. Kansas City Chiefs

28. Washington Redskins

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

30. Cleveland Browns

31. Tennessee Titans

32. Saint Louis Rams

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Vinny Cerrato Has Hot Air for Sale

Is anyone buying the pile of manure Vinny Cerrato is shoveling out of Washington DC? No respectable Redskins fan is, especially those who live in the nations capitol and are used to politicians lies.

Cerrato uses his radio show (why he even has one is beyond comprehension) as a platform to explain his incompetencies.  He used it this week to make a few statements that need to be broken down.

“Jim Zorn is the head coach of the Washington Redskins and will be for the rest of this season, and hopefully into the future.”

This is clearly Vinny saying he hopes he himself has a future with the club. Though many Redskins fans have scratched their heads for years trying to figure out why Cerrato maintains a job in the NFL, Dan Snyder keeps surprising them by bringing him back yearly.

 

“The frustration is very high, everywhere around here, but the relationships internally within this organization, quite frankly, remain the same.”

That means it is business as usual for the clueless ones. Though everything crumbles around Cerrato, he remains the same obtuse dolt he always has been.

This was shown by his recent roster move of acquiring Levi Jones. Jones, whose best days were done in 2006, was a free agent all year. They pick up this has been while having dumped promising rookies from the roster the past few years. Clearly another example of Cerrato’s inability to judge talent.

“I’m in the locker room and the owners come up to me and they ask me, ‘How do we score more points?’ “We’re coming off of—against the 32nd-ranked defense — we score two field goals and have seven first downs.

“So I tell them, I recommended to them that Jim’s plate is too full. He’s the head coach, he’s the offensive coordinator, he’s the quarterbacks coach, let’s take something off the plate to help him. So they said ‘OK, go talk to him.’ “

Cerrato said he met one on one with Zorn at the stadium and suggested the switch. Zorn asked for time to think about it. When they spoke later on the phone, Cerrato said Zorn accepted. “He says ‘I’m in.”

HUH? This is the guy who hired Zorn and told Snyder that Zorn could wear all of those hats. Never mind it is the second season Zorn has held all of these jobs.

The amazing part of this b.s. fest is that Cerrato is trying to claim he JUST recognized Zorn could not cut it. Where has he been the past two seasons? Siberia? Another reason for Snyder to fire Cerrato, IF Snyder can read through that quote.

The last part of Cerrato’s load was on Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent. Largent, now a congressman, was a teammate with Zorn for the Seattle Seahawks in the 1970s to the ’80s. Many of the receptions Largent got came from Zorn’s arm.

Largent came to his friends defense, and said things for Zorn as an obvious mouthpiece. Zorn has a contract that extends into next year, and rather be fired for bad coaching so he can get paid.

Zorn stated some obvious facts about the poor leadership at the top of the Redskins organization, something that has long been stated by several Redskins legends like Sonny Jurgensen, John Riggins, Joe Theisman, and Brian Mitchell.

Largent was critical of how the Redskins hired Sherm Lewis from a bingo hall to call the plays. Cerrato labelled the comments as “off-the-wall”, and then noted how Lewis had four Super Bowl rings, while as an assistant with the 49ers, while Largent had none.

Lewis retired after 2004, but Cerrato said, “You don’t forget how to ride a bike if you hadn’t rode your bike in four years.”

Taking swipes at Largent not only shows what a bush league punk Cerrato is, but it also shows how much the man understands the game. Is Cerrato, who has Super Bowl rings as a member of the 49ers front office in the 1990s, saying he is above the Hall of Famer receiver just because Largent wasn’t as lucky as Cerrato or Lewis to play on good teams?

Shows Cerrato’s ego and IQ, if you ask me, as well as a blatant disregard to the legacy of the game. Considering on how Cerrato had to try to put a muzzle on Jurgensen recently, as well as the way he has run the club, this type of blather from Cerrato in regards to Largent comes as no surprise.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder likes to regard himself as a marketing genius. If this thought is even close to true, then Snyder must have a clue that his team is on the brink of falling from the lofty financial status he has worked so hard to build over the years. It was done in a way that Riggins has called Snyder the “Bernie Madoff of the NFL.”

Well, Snyder has made off with millions of dollars from the loyal Redskins fans over the years. Certainly it is time for this life long Redskins fan to give back to Redskins Nation. The very first move is to realize Cerrato has destroyed his team. Perhaps the theory that Cerrato did it on purpose to repay Snyder for firing him in 2001 is possible.

Even if that is untrue, and Cerrato is doing his very best, Snyder needs to realize that he is the only owner in the NFL who would employ Cerrato. No one came knocking on Vinny’s door the year he was out of a job until Snyder rehired him in 2002. There is a reason for this.

It is time for Snyder to cut the chord with his racquetball buddy Cerrato. It is time for Snyder to get a competent general manager to blow up the current roster and rebuild from scratch. It is time to stop signing has-beens, trading for has-beens, and gambling on uncertain talents. These are the moves that has destroyed the Redskins yearly from the time Snyder bought the club.

Snyder obviously is a fan of Redskins Hall of Fame coach George Allen. This can be seen by his propensity of signing aging players. The difference is that Allen was a superior evaluator of talent and knew which players could help the team and how. Snyder and Cerrato do not have this ability, and neither will ever enter Canton unless they pay for a ticket like the rest of the general public.

Now is the time for Snyder to find someone with the ability to discern NFL talent. He had that with Charley Casserly once, but fired Charley to try to make is own mark on the franchise.

Much like he did by renaming the stadium Jack Kent Cooke built, and the land that surrounds it. Snyder is intent on building his own legacy so much, he has eschewed the legacy of a proud franchise he grew up admiring.

Perhaps Snyder should swallow some ego and lean on that tradition he claims to respect so much by admitting to the fans he tried and failed his way. Now he needs to lean on the way of tradition and bring back the people who also care about the team.

Especially people who care about the teams success ahead of themselves, something Cerrato will never be willing to do.

 

 

Now on with this week’s predictions:

Green Bay Packers @ Cleveland Browns

The Browns are spiraling out of control, and seem to have no clear direction. The Packers are a team who need to win. It should be a victory in the Dawg Pound for the Pack.

Packers 31   Browns 17

 

San Francisco 49ers @ Houston Texan s

The news for the Niners is that first round draft pick Michael Crabtree will get his first NFL action in front of his home-town Houston. He will leave town with a loss against a Texans team that is jelling.

Texans 34  49ers 28

 

San Diego Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs

Bolts backers are fired up with anger with their underachieving team. The Chiefs are fresh off their first victory. I’m not saying this is an upset primed to happen, but it could be close.

Chargers 41  Chiefs 21

 

Indianapolis Colts @ Saint Louis Rams

The Rams were within minutes of procuring their first win in 16 games last year. Their reward is they now get to face a hot Colts team who will be experiencing the return of safety Bob Sanders for the first time this year.

Colts 45    Rams 24

 

New England Patriots @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

You have to feel sorry for the Bucs. Their home game will be played in England instead of Florida. Tampa Bay is not going to be very competitive this year, so they best pray for jet lag to hit the Patriots hard. New England is coming off an explosive victory last week and will look to keep their motors running.

Patriots 35   Buccaneers 20

 

Minnesota Vikings @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Brett Favre might be getting all of the press ESPN can muster, but Ben Roethlisberger is having a fantastic season thus far. The Steelers running game has been inconsistent, so Big Ben is on a pace to throw for over 5,000 yards currently.

The Vikings are hoping All-Pro cornerback Antoine Winfield will be healthy enough to play, but it looks unlikely. Factor in the Vikes having two safeties hurting as well. After watching Baltimore rack up yards last week, Roethlisberger has to be smiling.

Steelers 31  Vikings 30

 

Buffalo Bills @ Carolina Panthers

The Bills head into this game with their backup QB. The Panthers have gotten little production from their QB. This should be a smash-mouth game, where it is won in the trenches. Special teams will be a big wild card in this one.

Panthers 24   Bills  21

 

New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders

The Raiders are a week removed from an impressive defensive effort. The Jets are losing key defenders while going through the growing pains of their starting rookie quarterback. If the Raiders can establish their running game again this week, they could win another in front of their loyal fans.

Raiders 24   Jets 17

 

Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals

Da Bears and Bengals head into this game in need of a win. The key to this game will be who runs the ball best. Cedric Benson has something to prove to Chicago. The difference might come down to the Bengals ability to exploit an erratic Bears secondary.

Bengals 35   Bears 31

 

Atlanta Falcons @ Dallas Cowboys

Game of the Week

It might not even be halfway into the season, but Dallas needs this game in the worst way. They have yet to establish themselves with a statement game, and this one may determine the futures of Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett in Dallas with the Mike Shanahan rumors getting louder.

The Falcons are hurting in their secondary, so they will need to run the ball and control the clock. With the Cowboys suspect run defense, this could be the game Mike “Burner” Turner has been looking to break out in.

Falcons 38    Cowboys 34

 

New Orleans Saints @ Miami Dolphins

The Saints appear to finally have a team with the ability to win it all. This is the first time in the franchises beleaguered history, so trepidation is certainly factored in. They face a Miami team that is fresh off a bye week after winning two straight games. Miami has a young quarterback, and they love to run the football.

This will be a good test for the Saints defense, and a good measurement on how much ability the Saints have.

Saints 34   Dolphins 24

Arizona Cardinals @ New York Giants

The Cardinals are a team who needs the game bad. They have yet to really established themselves as a team who is to be reckoned with. This game is a must-win for them. The Giants are coming off a game where they were easily handled by the Saints, and need to bounce back. This could be decided in the final minutes off the foot of a placekicker.

Giants 31  Cardinals 27

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins

The Eagles are coming off a horrible loss where their offensive line was destroyed by the Raiders last week. This can not sit well with head coach Andy Reid, a former offensive line coach. Expect some improvement, because it will be needed against an excellent Redskins defense. Washington has an issue moving the ball offensively, and are in disarray.

Jim Zorn will no longer calling the plays, so there is hope for some improvement in offensive proficiency. Still, the Redskins defense will have to win this one. Considering they don’t turn the ball over much, it seems a daunting task.

Eagles 27  Redskins 14

 

 

NFL Power Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints

2. Indianapolis Colts

3. Minnesota Vikings

4. Denver Broncos

5. New England Patriots

6. New York Giants

7. Cincinnati Bengals

8. Atlanta Falcons

9. Baltimore Ravens

10. Philadelphia Eagles

11. Pittsburgh Steelers

12. Green Bay Packers

13. Houston Texans

14. San Diego Chargers

15. Chicago Bears

16. Dallas Cowboys

17. Miami Dolphins

18. New York Jets

19. Arizona Cardinals

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

21. San Francisco 49ers

22. Seattle Seahawks

23. Oakland Raiders

24. Carolina Panthers

25. Buffalo Bills

26. Detroit Lions

27. Kansas City Chiefs

28. Washington Redskins

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

30. Cleveland Browns

31. Tennessee Titans

32. Saint Louis Rams

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

This Week in the NFL is for Breast Cancer Awareness

DETROIT LIONS at CHICAGO BEARS

Detroit broke their losing streak, and do not expect to start another one of that length this century. Chicago has been playing better than expected with an anemic running attack, and their leader on defense out for the year. Expect this to go into the fourth close before Cutler pulls it out.

BEARS 24    LIONS 14

CINCINNATI BENGALS at CLEVELAND BROWNS

Even though Eric Mangina finally put Derek Anderson back in as the starting quarterback, he may be the worst head coach in the AFC. His offensive line certainly is, and the Bengals should exploit that.

BENGALS 34    BROWNS 20

OAKLAND RAIDERS at HOUSTON TEXANS

If Houston is going to fulfill expectations of being a playoff contender this year, they must win this game. Oakland has had trouble passing the ball lately, so expect the Texans to crowd the line to stop those good Raiders running backs.

TEXANS 31   RAIDERS 17

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Without their starting quarterback, the Seahawks are not hard to stop. The Colts are always hard to stop with their quarterback.

COLTS 41   SEAHAWKS 20

TENNESSEE TITANS at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

The Jags got a taste of victory last week, while the Titans still seek their first win. Both teams will be hungry, and this game will come down to who wins in the trenches.

TITANS 23   JAGUARS 21

NEW YORK GIANTS at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

The Giants are looking good even after a few important injuries. The Chiefs have yet to find their stride on offense. Expect the Giants to ground and pound all Sunday.

GIANTS 38   CHIEFS 14

 

BALTIMORE RAVENS at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

This is a matchup of two of the elite teams in the NFL today. The Ravens have an edge defensively, and the running game. Both receiving, and blocking units are evenly matched. This might not be the last time these teams play against each other this season. Flip a coin this Sunday.

PATRIOTS 28    RAVENS 24

 

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS at WASHINGTON REDSKINS

The Bucs head into Sunday with a young, athletic, and talented Josh Johnson starting at quarterback for his first time. The Redskins are reeling, and Clinton Portis is hurt again already. Could spell doom in D.C.

REDSKINS 24   BUCCANEERS 23

 

BUFFALO BILLS at MIAMI DOLPHINS

Miami is starving for a win, and the Bills are still trying to get consistent. If Miami can run the ball, then they win. Something tells me Trent Edwards will get hot Sunday.

BILLS 27   DOLPHINS 21

 

NEW YORK JETS at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

The Jets rely on their defense to win, while the Saints rely on their offense. The Jets will not have the services of two of their top DBs, so Drew Brees should be licking his lips.

SAINTS 27   JETS 17

 

DALLAS COWBOYS at DENVER BRONCOS

Denver might be catching Dallas at a good time. The Cowboys are down to one healthy running back, and you know that Champ Bailey can cover Roy Williams. Dallas has been inconsistent versus the run, and the Broncos could use this, and the mile high air to their advantage.

BRONCOS 31  COWBOYS 27

 

SAINT LOUIS RAMS at SAN FRANCISCO 49ers

Kyle Boller will start at quarterback, and you never know which version will show in his inconsistent make up. The Niners are hurting at running back, so they will have to rely on Shaun Hill getting the ball to Vernon Dean, often.

RAMS 34   49ers 24

 

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS at PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Game of the Week

The Steelers are not happy with one win right now. Expect them and the fans to be fired up for this game. The Chargers need to run the ball to stand a chance, though their passing game always makes them dangerous. This is a big battle of two teams with Super Bowl expectations, and a good measuring stick.

STEELERS 34    CHARGERS 31

 

GREEN BAY PACKERS at MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Though the media is trying to hype this game up, the one to bookmark in this series is the game at Lambeau Field later this year. The Vikes are clicking right now on both sides of the ball.

The running game carries them to victory, as the defense gets them the ball back quickly. The Packers are not running the ball well right now, and that bodes very good for Minnesota. Ball control is the Vikings game.

VIKINGS 27   PACKERS 17

Season Record So Far : 32-15  ( Did Not Predict Opening Day Game Pitt/ Tenn)

 

NFL LUCUBRATIONS

For those of you not glued to ESPN listening to the Favre Diary, there has been a few other things going on in the NFL.

One big subject might be to hold a poll on which NFL head coach will be fired first. You could toss in a few others, but this is my five, in no particular order, who I think are on the hot seat.

1. Jim Zorn, Washington Redskins He wouldn’t even make a good offensive coordinator.

2. Eric Mangina, Cleveland Browns He, as I said the day he got the job, was a mistake to hire.

3. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars Jack is rebuilding, which takes time. Yet, he has been in Jacksonville a long time. Most coaches don’t last that long with a team these days, so he makes this list almost by default.

4. Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys Jason Garrett should go first, but Jerry Jones loves this guy enough to call him a future head coach. Let him try in the UFL before the NFL Jerry. Word is that the Boys are hot for Mike Shanahan right now.

5. John Fox, Carolina Panthers Another coach on one team a long time. His team is really not performing well right now, so perhaps his sand glass is running empty in Carolina.

You could toss in a few others, but this is my five who I think are on the hot seat.

You may have noticed I spelled Eric Mangina’s name wrong, but maybe you didn’t? This name was given to him by me when he was running the Jets. Retread hires are an unknown generally, but this one had disaster written all over it.

Mangina seems to have a predication for neglecting the trenches. This is something Cleveland does not need right now, and the top brass should accept the full brunt of the blame.

Brady Quinn was handed the starting job, and did little. Derek Anderson replaced him last week, and gave the same results. Anderson was a Pro Bowl player two years ago, which also happened to be the last time running back Jamal Lewis was effective. There happens to be a reason for this theme.

The Browns offensive line has stunk the past two years. If the team had Johnny Unitas, and Jim Brown together in their backfield now, I doubt the results would be much better. Though I never saw Quinn as an NFL talent, he certainly cannot be blamed. That applies to the season Anderson had last year.

If no one is blocking or catching with any consistency, you just will not win many games. Mangina might go into next year as coach, but if they may as well get rid of him now if he does not build their trenches in the 2010 draft.

The Tennessee Titans are without a win so far. This is not what was expected from a team that had such a long and dominant stretch last year. Though I did predict a last place finish for them this year, which many disagreed with me on, I certainly wonder what will happen to their season if they fail to win Sunday in Jacksonville.

The Titans will face the Colts and Patriots the next two weeks before facing the Jaguars again. Losing this week will give Jacksonville confidence to come into Tennessee and win again.

If the Titans are 0-6 at that point, who knows what the moral of the team will be. Jeff Fisher has perhaps his most daunting task ahead of him so far in his 17 years as head coach of the team.

DO NOT FORGET TO DONATE TOWARDS THE CURE OF BREAST CANCER THIS WEEK if you are able.

Go To : http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Crazy Canton Cuts = Don Coryell

Don Coryell
Head Coach
Saint Louis Cardinals
San Diego Chargers
1973 – 1986
14 Seasons
111 Wins
First Coach With 100 Wins In Pro And College
Only Coach To Lead NFL In Passing 6 Straight Years
5 Division Titles

Donald David Coryell played college football at the University of Washington for three years from 1949 to 1951 as a defensive back. He then went into coaching, and became a head coach at Whittier College in 1957. He succeeded George Allen, who became a Hall Of Fame coach in the NFL.

He spent three years as the head coach of the Poets. While there, he led the team to win the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles in each of his three seasons. He had a record of 21 – 5 – 1 while there, and is a member of the schools Hall Of Fame.

Coryell left Whittier after the 1959 season, and was not a head coach in 1960. He then became the head coach of San Diego State in 1961, where is teams would make a significant impact on the college football universe in his time there.

Coryell stayed with San Diego State for twelve seasons until 1972. In his 125 games there, the Aztecs won 104 of them. Attendance jumped from 8,000 spectators per game to over 41,000 per game during his tenure. Three of his teams finished their seasons undefeated, and seven of them won both the California Collegiate Athletic Conference and later the Pacific Coast Athletic Association titles.

His offensive genius also got more nationwide attention while at San Diego State. His 1969 team led the NCAA in total offense (532.2 yards per game), passing (374.2 yards per game), and scoring (46.4 points per game) in their undefeated season.

He also showed his innate ability to develop players, especially on offense. He had 54 players go to the NFL from his teams, including five players drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. Nine of his players were First Team All-Americans. In 1967, he had eight players drafted, and five went in the first two rounds.

The list of players he coached with the Aztecs included Haven Moses, Dennis Shaw, Brian Sipe, Willie Buchanon, Isaac Curtis, Don Horn, Fred Dryer, Joe Lavender, Don Shy, Claudie Minor, Tom Reynolds, Gary Garrison, Ralph Wenzel, Henry Allison, and noted actor Carl Weathers known best as Apollo Creed in the movie “Rocky”. Dryer also became an actor after his NFL career, starring in the television series “Hunter”.

Shaw led the NCAA in total offense in 1969, and would go on to become the first quarterback to win the NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year Award in 1970. Only three other quarterbacks have won that award since.

Buchanon won the 1972 NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year Award, and is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall Of Fame, and their All-Time Team..

Sipe led the NCAA in passing in 1971, while Reynolds led the NCAA in receiving. Sipe’s successor was Jesse Freitas, who was also recruited by Coryell. Freitas would lead the NCAA in passing in 1973. Sipe would later be named the MVP of the NFL in 1980.

The Coryell coaching tree from his Aztec era is very impressive as well. Joe Gibbs was a player on Coryell’s team at first, and won the teams Most Inspirational Player Award in 1963. Gibbs later became a graduate assistant, then assistant coach at San Diego State. He also was an assistant under Coryell with both the Cardinals and Chargers before becoming head coach of the Washington Redskins. Gibbs is a member of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

Another Pro Football Hall Of Fame coach, who coached under Coryell at San Diego State, was John Madden. Madden would join the Oakland Raiders in 1967, then become the youngest head coach of the league the next season at 32 years old. After a very successful stint with the Raiders, Madden became a popular NFL analyst on television and video game mogul.

Joe Gibbs coaching career was almost cut short by Madden. Gibbs was working under Madden, who was the defensive coordinator for Coryell. There was an annual spring football game approaching, and Coryell had Gibbs coach the team that would face Madden’s team in the game.

Madden approached Gibbs and asked him what plays would be run, so Madden could prepare his team. Gibbs refused to disclose the plays, so Madden asked Coryell to mediate the situation. Coryell told both Gibbs and Madden to treat it as real game, without the disclosure of plays to either side.

Gibbs team won that game. As the final gun sounded, both young coaches met at mid-field to shake hands. Madden fired Gibbs right there on the spot instead. Seeing a distraught Gibbs, Coryell then brought him over to the offensive side of the coaching staff. The rest truly is history.

 

Jim Hanifan, Ernie Zampese and Rod Dowhower also coached under Coryell at San Diego State. Zampese was a noted offensive genius who was the offensive coordinator on the 1995 World Champion Dallas Cowboys team, and is current San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner’s and former head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s mentor.

Dowhower went on to succeed Pro Football Hall Of Fame coach Bill Walsh as head coach at Stanford University in 1979. He later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 1985 to 1986. He was successful as an offensive coordinator with several teams in the NFL, including two consecutive NFC Championship appearances with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2000 and 2001.

Hanifan was a head coach with both the Saint Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons. He was also a top assistant coach for many years, and won the NFL’s Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 1977. He was one of the best offensive line coaches to ever roam a sideline, and helped develop countless All-Pro’s. He helped coach the Washington Redskins to a World Championship in 1992, and later the Saint Louis Rams to win Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999.

Coryell’s teams went to three bowl games in his tenure with San Diego State, and the school has not been back to a bowl game since 1998. His 104 victories and .840 winning percentage are the best in school history, and he is a member of the College Football Hall Of Fame, the San Diego Hall of Champions, the University of Washington Husky Hall Of Fame, and San Diego State Aztec’s Hall Of Fame.

The Saint Louis Cardinals were coming off a horrid year in 1972 that saw them score just 22 touchdowns, have 68 rushing first downs, and 2,038 passing yards. They were the third worst scoring team in the NFL. A change was needed, and they hired Coryell to be their head coach for the 1973 season.

Coryell matched the previous seasons record of 4-9-1 that year, but improved the teams scoring the eleventh overall in the league. It became evident that the Cardinals were improved under Coryell’s leadership, and that was highlighted even more the following year.

The Cardinals finished the 1974 season with a record of 10-4, which was good enough to capture the NFC East crown. It was the teams first divisional title since 1948. Though the Cardinals lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Vikings, they sent five players to the Pro Bowl. Four of those players came from the offense.

The Cardinal improved on that the next year, and went 11-3. They won the NFC East again, and are the one of only two Cardinals teams to win two consecutive division titles.

The 1947 and 1948 Chicago Cardinals team is the other, and the 1947 team is the franchises lone squad that earned a NFL Championship win. The 1925 team was handed the championship by the league, due to a controversy with the Pottsville Maroons, but did not publicly claim to be that seasons champion until 1933.

Nine Cardinals went to the Pro Bowl in that 1975 season, the most in franchise history. Seven of them were offensive players. The team lost in the first round of the playoffs again, this time to the Los Angeles Rams.

Coryell’s 1976 team sent seven players, five on offense, to the Pro Bowl. The team finished 10-4, which was good enough for second place in the NFC East, but not enough to reach the playoffs.

The Cardinals stumbled to 7-7, yet still sent seven players to the Pro Bowl. Six of the players played on the offense. It was not deemed good enough by the Cardinals ownership, so they fired Coryell.

Don Coryell’s 42 wins are the most by any coach in the Cardinals franchises history, and his five years as head coach with the team is the second most ever.

The San Diego Chargers started their 1978 season with one win in four games under head coach Tommy Protho. Not happy with these results, the Chargers then fired Protho and replaced him with Coryell. The team went 8-4 under him the rest of the way, including winning seven of their last eight games.

This was when “Air Coryell” was born as a common term, though Coryell’s years in Saint Louis also featured high powered offenses running under much of the same schemes used in San Diego.

The team improved to lead the NFL with a 12-4 record the next year, the most wins in Coryell’s career, as seven Chargers went to the Pro Bowl. Five of them were offensive players. They would would win the AFC West, their first divisional title since 1965, but ultimately lose in the first round to the Houston Oilers.

The Chargers would win the AFC West four straight years, the only time in franchise history that has been accomplished.

 

The 1980 Chargers went 11-5, but lost in the AFC Championship Game to the eventual champion Oakland Raiders by seven points. This team sent eight players to the Pro Bowl, including five on offense. It was also the first team in NFL history to have over 1,000 receiving yards in the same season.

The Chargers went 10-6 the next year, and also led the league in scoring. Five players went to the Pro Bowl, four of which played offense. They then played perhaps the greatest playoff game in NFL history against the Miami Dolphins in the first round.

The game ended up being a 41-38 overtime victory for San Diego, but it was much more than just that. It was named “The Epic In Miami”, which was played in very humid weather reaching 29.4° Celsius. Both teams smashed into each other all game, trading scores. Both teams combined to gain 1,036 yards that day, including 856 passing yards and 804 net passing yards. All are NFL records for a playoff game, as is the 79 total points. There were seven turnovers, a special teams touchdown, and five different receivers to gain over 100 yards on receptions that day.

Hall Of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow was the hero for the Chargers on that day. Despite being stricken with dehydration, cramps, a pinched nerve in his shoulder, and needing stitches for a cut to his bottom lip, Winslow blocked a game winning field goal attempt at the end of regulation. He also caught an NFL Playoffs record 13 balls that day.

The Chargers then stumbled into Cincinnati to play the Bengals. On a day where freezing weather easily was below -57° Celsius, thanks to winds of 27 miles per hour, it was dubbed the “Freezer Bowl”. The Bengals, led by 1981 NFL MVP Ken Anderson, won handily 27-7.

The 1982 season is known as the strike shortened year of the NFL. San Diego finished second in their division with a 6-3 record. Six players, including five on offense, went to the Pro Bowl. The Dolphins got revenge of the Chargers by beating them in the second round of the playoffs.

That year saw Hall Of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts and wide receiver Wes Chandler set NFL records that still stands today. Fouts averaged 320 yards passing per game, and Chandler averaged 129 receiving yards per game. The Chargers also paid back the Bengals for their loss the year before by gaining a team record 661 yards in their 50-34 victory over Cincinnati in week seven.

The next three years saw an aging Chargers team 21 games. Though the team was still extremely explosive on offense, the defense would let them down. A big part of that factor was an ownership that refused to pay their players well, which led to the departure of many key players. Hall Of Fame defensive end Fred Dean noted that his brother, a truck driver, was making much more cash than he was.

After the Chargers began the 1986 season at 1-7, Coryell was fired and replaced by protege Al Saunders. Saunders would be replaced in 1991 by Coryell disciple Dan Henning.

Coryell’s 69 wins are the second most in Chargers history behind Hall Of Fame coach Sid Gillman, and his nine seasons with the team are also the second most behind Gillman.

Don Coryell then retired from coaching, at the age of 62 years old, with 111 wins in 195 games overall. He is the first Coach With 100 Wins In pro And college football.

To try and sum up this mans career or impact on football is nearly impossible. Virtually every offense today on all levels is a variation of his system. Bill Walsh and Coryell also have several ties in football. Walsh used to rely on Isaac Curtis, a player Coryell coached in college, while Walsh was an assistant coach with the Bengals. He also coached under Protho for one year with the Chargers, the man Coryell would replace as head coach.

While Walsh is credited with the “West Coast Offense”, he started out as a student of Hall Of Fame coaches Sid Gillman, Al Davis, and Paul Brown downfield passing philosophies. It was Coryell who really started this offense, and refined it as each year passed during his coaching career.

Coryell turned around every team he coached from college to the pros immediately. Though most remember his days in San Diego, his time in Saint Louis also must be hailed.

He took a perennial loser, and made them a serious contender in an NFC East that was mostly dominated by the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins throughout the 1970’s. He made quarterback Jim Hart a much better player, and surrounded Hart with many weapons.

 

Wide receivers Mel Gray and Pat Tilley were wide receivers who excelled along with Hall Of Fame tight end Jackie Smith in Coryell’s system. Gray holds a franchise record for having at least one catch in 121 consecutive games, and is tenth in franchise history with 351 receptions. He is fourth in Cardinals history with 45 touchdown receptions, fifth in receiving yards, and averaged an outstanding 18.9 yards per reception.

Smith is still second in career receiving yards with the team, fifth in receptions and touchdowns, and averaged an excellent 16.5 yards per catch. Tilley was a fourth round find by Coryell in 1976, and ended up sixth is career receptions with the Cardinals, and third in receiving yards.

One other thing Coryell brought to the NFL was the use of the multi-purpose running back. Terry Metcalf was his first of many backs who did everything well. Metcals led the NFL in total yards with 2,462 yards, which is still the best in team history. Metcalf is currently ranked fourth in total yards in Cardinals history.

Coryell also resurrected the career of fullback Jim Otis. Otis joined the Cardinals in Coryell’s first season after spending his first three years as a back up with the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. Coryell turned Otis into a Pro Bowl player in 1975, after gaining a career best 1,076 rushing yards.

Factor in such other weapons like Ike Harris, J.V. Cain, Wayne Morris, Steve Jones, Donny Anderson, Ahmad Rashad, and Earl Thomas, and one can see all the fantastic players Coryell used to make Saint Louis a winner.

He also worked with Hanifan in making the Cardinals perhaps the best offensive line in the league during Coryell’s tenure. The line consisted of Hall Of Fame tackle Dan Dierdorf and Pro Bowl players like Tom Banks, Conrad Dobler, Ernie McMillan, and Bob Young most of the time. They gave up just 55 sacks from 1974 to 1977, including only eight in 1975. This is the second fewest allowed in NFL history, when it was surpassed by the Miami Dolphins in 1988 by one.

Though the Cardinals were an explosive offense, their defense let them down. This would be a theme throughout most of Coryell’s coaching career in the NFL. In his fourteen seasons as a coach, his offenses led the NFL in net yards gained per passing attempt five times. They finished in the top five of the NFL six more times.

His teams led the NFL in passing yards seven times, and none of his teams finished lower than seventh. They led the NFL in passing touchdowns three times, and finished in the top ten nine other times. His teams led the league in passing attempts two times, finished second five times, and was in the top ten another five times.

But Coryell also ran a balanced attack where the run was important. Twice his teams led the NFL in rushing touchdowns, and they finished in the top ten eight more times. His teams finished in the top five in yards per carry three times, twice in the top ten in rushing attempts and yards.

His teams led the NFL in total offense yards five times, and in the top ten another six times. Twice his teams led the NFL in yardage differential, which is the number of yards they outgained their opponents that year. His teams finished in the top ten an additional five times. Coryell’s teams led the league in points differential once, and finished in the top ten another six times.

Yet his defenses often finished in the middle to lower end in all categories each year. His 1979 was the best defense he ever had statistically. That defense led the NFL in defensive touchdowns and allowing the fewest rushing attempts. They also finished in the top ten in interceptions, net yards gained per pass attempt, passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, total yards allowed, and touchdowns allowed. In 1980, the Chargers led the NFL with 60 sacks.

Many Hall Of Fame players and Pro Bowlers were coached by Coryell in the NFL. The list of players inducted into Canton includes Dan Fouts, Kellen Winslow, Charlie Joiner, Dan Dierdorf, Jackie Smith, Fred Dean, and Roger Wehrli.

When Coryell hit San Diego, the spotlight on his genius was shining. He took wide receiver John Jefferson in the first round in 1978, and had him become the first player in NFL history to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. He transformed Dan Fouts into a spectacular quarterback, and saw Fouts become the second player in pro football history, and the first in NFL history, to have over 4,000 yards passing in a season. Fouts then would go on to pass for even more yards the next two seasons.

 

Besides his Chargers teams becoming the first to have three 1,000 yard receivers, their 1981 team had a 1,000 yard rusher in Chuck Muncie and two 1,000 yard receivers in Winslow and Joiner. Wes Chandler finished 43 yards short from joined them in the thousand yards club that year, an accomplishment never duplicated in league history.

After his success with Metcalf, Coryell found other versatile backs to use in San Diego. Men like Muncie, James Brooks, Earnest Jackson, Gary Anderson, Mike Thomas, Lydell Mitchell, Don Woods, Clarence Williams, and the diminutive Lionel James all excelled in his offense.

Brooks led the NFL in all purpose yards in his first two years with San Diego, and James did it once. James also had 1,027 yards receiving, which set an NFL record for yards receiving by a running back then, on 81 receptions in 1985. His 2,535 all purpose yards that year was an NFL record for fifteen seasons.

While Coryell’s critics wrongly point to his lack of championship wins, the stinginess of the owners he was employed by was a huge reason why his teams never went past a conference championship game. In San Diego, they lost Jefferson and Dean because on contract disputes. Dean left the Chargers mid-season to go to the San Francisco 49ers because of this reason. Dean was a key reason the 49ers won Super Bowl XVI that year, and was named UPI Defensive Player Of The Year.

With Dean gone, it hurt the Chargers defense immensely. The Chargers had the best defensive line in the NFL up until then, featuring Dean and Pro Bowl defensive tackles Louie Kelcher and Gary “Big Hands” Johnson. All three were drafted together in 1975, and had a strong bond that had the fans nickname them “The Bruise Brothers”.

Don Coryell changed the way football was played. It is still being played the way Coryell invented to this very day. The now all to common sight on multiple receiver sets was first started by Coryell, as are many versions of offenses being run these days. They are all spawns of his genius.

The Redskins three Super Bowls winning teams and Saint Louis Rams two Super Bowl winning teams ran offenses that were invented by Coryell. His impact on the game will reverberate for generations to come.

Winslow stated it best when he said, “For Don Coryell to not be in the Hall of Fame is a lack of knowledge of the voters. That’s the nicest way that I can put that. A lack of understanding of the legacy of the game.”

This is a despicable crime still perpetrated by the voters to this very day. It also shows that Canton MUST change their induction system. Rumors of getting retired players involved, especially those already in Canton, has been circulated for years. These are the people who truly know who belong. I have long told you about voters not even knowing what positions legends played in this series. It, as Winslow stated, truly shows a lack of knowledge. It also shows the corrupt political process involved in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

A process that has wrongly kept Don Coryell from taking his rightful place.

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Don Coryell

Don Coryell
Head Coach
Saint Louis Cardinals
San Diego Chargers
1973-1986
14 Seasons
111 Wins
First Coach With 100 Wins In Pro And College Football
Only Coach To Lead NFL In Passing 6 Straight Years
5 Division Titles

Donald David Coryell played college football at the University of Washington for three years from 1949 to 1951 as a defensive back. He then went into coaching, and became a head coach at Whittier College in 1957. He succeeded George Allen, who became a Hall Of Fame coach in the NFL.

He spent three years as the head coach of the Poets. While there, he led the team to win the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in each of his three seasons. He had a record of 21-5-1 while there, and is a member of the school’s Hall Of Fame.

Coryell left Whittier after the 1959 season and was not a head coach in 1960. He then became the head coach of San Diego State in 1961, where his teams would make a significant impact on the college football universe in his time there.

Coryell stayed with San Diego State for twelve seasons until 1972. In his 125 games there, the Aztecs won 104 of them. Attendance jumped from 8,000 spectators per game to over 41,000 per game during his tenure.

Three of his teams finished their seasons undefeated, and seven of them won both the California Collegiate Athletic Conference and later the Pacific Coast Athletic Association titles.

His offensive genius also got more nationwide attention while at San Diego State. His 1969 team led the NCAA in total offense (532.2 yards per game), passing (374.2 yards per game), and scoring (46.4 points per game) in their undefeated season.

He also showed his innate ability to develop players, especially on offense. He had 54 players go to the NFL from his teams, including five players drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. Nine of his players were First Team All-Americans. In 1967, he had eight players drafted, and five went in the first two rounds.

The list of players he coached with the Aztecs included Haven Moses, Dennis Shaw, Brian Sipe, Willie Buchanon, Isaac Curtis, Don Horn, Fred Dryer, Joe Lavender, Don Shy, Claudie Minor, Tom Reynolds, Gary Garrison, Ralph Wenzel, Henry Allison, and noted actor Carl Weathers known best as Apollo Creed in the movie “Rocky”. Dryer also became an actor after his NFL career, starring in the television series “Hunter”.

Shaw led the NCAA in total offense in 1969, and would go on to become the first quarterback to win the NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year Award in 1970. Only three other quarterbacks have won that award since.

Buchanon won the 1972 NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year Award, and is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall Of Fame, and their All-Time Team.

Sipe led the NCAA in passing in 1971, while Reynolds led the NCAA in receiving. Sipe’s successor was Jesse Freitas, who was also recruited by Coryell. Freitas would lead the NCAA in passing in 1973. Sipe would later be named the MVP of the NFL in 1980.

The Coryell coaching tree from his Aztec era is very impressive as well. Joe Gibbs was a player on Coryell’s team at first, and won the team’s Most Inspirational Player Award in 1963.

Gibbs later became a graduate assistant, then assistant coach at San Diego State. He also was an assistant under Coryell with both the Cardinals and Chargers before becoming head coach of the Washington Redskins. Gibbs is a member of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

Another Pro Football Hall Of Fame coach, who coached under Coryell at San Diego State, was John Madden. Madden would join the Oakland Raiders in 1967, then become the youngest head coach of the league the next season at 32 years old. After a very successful stint with the Raiders, Madden became a popular NFL analyst on television and video game mogul.

Joe Gibbs’ coaching career was almost cut short by Madden. Gibbs was working under Madden, who was the defensive coordinator for Coryell. There was an annual spring football game approaching, and Coryell had Gibbs coach the team that would face Madden’s team in the game.

Madden approached Gibbs and asked him what plays would be run, so Madden could prepare his team. Gibbs refused to disclose the plays, so Madden asked Coryell to mediate the situation. Coryell told both Gibbs and Madden to treat it as real game, without the disclosure of plays to either side.

Gibbs’ team won that game. As the final gun sounded, both young coaches met at mid-field to shake hands. Madden fired Gibbs right there on the spot instead. Seeing a distraught Gibbs, Coryell then brought him over to the offensive side of the coaching staff. The rest truly is history.

Jim Hanifan, Ernie Zampese and Rod Dowhower also coached under Coryell at San Diego State. Zampese was a noted offensive genius who was the offensive coordinator on the 1995 World Champion Dallas Cowboys team, and is current San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner’s and former head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s mentor.

Dowhower went on to succeed Pro Football Hall Of Fame coach Bill Walsh as head coach at Stanford University in 1979. He later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 1985 to 1986. He was successful as an offensive coordinator with several teams in the NFL, including two consecutive NFC Championship appearances with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2000 and 2001.

Hanifan was a head coach with both the Saint Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons. He was also a top assistant coach for many years, and won the NFL’s Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 1977. He was one of the best offensive line coaches to ever roam a sideline, and helped develop countless All-Pros. He helped coach the Washington Redskins to a World Championship in 1992, and later the Saint Louis Rams to win Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999.

Coryell’s teams went to three bowl games in his tenure with San Diego State, and the school has not been back to a bowl game since 1998. His 104 victories and .840 winning percentage are the best in school history, and he is a member of the College Football Hall Of Fame, the San Diego Hall of Champions, the University of Washington Husky Hall Of Fame, and San Diego State Aztecs’ Hall Of Fame.

The Saint Louis Cardinals were coming off a horrid year in 1972 that saw them score just 22 touchdowns, have 68 rushing first downs, and 2,038 passing yards. They were the third worst scoring team in the NFL. A change was needed, and they hired Coryell to be their head coach for the 1973 season.

Coryell matched the previous seasons record of 4-9-1 that year, but improved the teams’ scoring to the eleventh overall in the league. It became evident that the Cardinals were improved under Coryell’s leadership, and that was highlighted even more the following year.

The Cardinals finished the 1974 season with a record of 10-4, which was good enough to capture the NFC East crown. It was the team’s first divisional title since 1948. Though the Cardinals lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Vikings, they sent five players to the Pro Bowl. Four of those players came from the offense.

The Cardinal improved on that the next year and went 11-3. They won the NFC East again and were one of only two Cardinals teams to win two consecutive division titles.

The 1947 and 1948 Chicago Cardinals team is the other, and the 1947 team is the franchise’s lone squad that earned a NFL Championship win. The 1925 team was handed the championship by the league, due to a controversy with the Pottsville Maroons, but did not publicly claim to be that seasons champion until 1933.

Nine Cardinals went to the Pro Bowl in that 1975 season, the most in franchise history. Seven of them were offensive players. The team lost in the first round of the playoffs again, this time to the Los Angeles Rams.

Coryell’s 1976 team sent seven players, five on offense, to the Pro Bowl. The team finished 10-4, which was good enough for second place in the NFC East, but not enough to reach the playoffs.

The Cardinals stumbled to 7-7, yet still sent seven players to the Pro Bowl. Six of the players played on the offense. It was not deemed good enough by the Cardinals ownership, so they fired Coryell.

Don Coryell’s 42 wins are the most by any coach in the Cardinals franchises’ history, and his five years as head coach with the team is the second most ever.

The San Diego Chargers started their 1978 season with one win in four games under head coach Tommy Protho. Not happy with these results, the Chargers then fired Protho and replaced him with Coryell. The team went 8-4 under him the rest of the way, including winning seven of their last eight games.

This was when “Air Coryell” was born as a common term, though Coryell’s years in Saint Louis also featured high powered offenses running under much of the same schemes used in San Diego.

The team improved to lead the NFL with a 12-4 record the next year, the most wins in Coryell’s career, as seven Chargers went to the Pro Bowl. Five of them were offensive players. They would would win the AFC West, their first divisional title since 1965, but ultimately lose in the first round to the Houston Oilers.

The Chargers would win the AFC West four straight years, the only time in franchise history that has been accomplished.

The 1980 Chargers went 11-5, but lost in the AFC Championship Game to the eventual champion Oakland Raiders by seven points. This team sent eight players to the Pro Bowl, including five on offense. It was also the first team in NFL history to have over 1,000 receiving yards in the same season.

The Chargers went 10-6 the next year and also led the league in scoring. Five players went to the Pro Bowl, four of which played offense. They then played perhaps the greatest playoff game in NFL history against the Miami Dolphins in the first round.

The game ended up being a 41-38 overtime victory for San Diego, but it was much more than just that. It was named “The Epic In Miami”, which was played in very humid weather reaching 29.4° Celsius. Both teams smashed into each other all game, trading scores.

Both teams combined to gain 1,036 yards that day, including 856 passing yards and 804 net passing yards. All are NFL records for a playoff game, as is the 79 total points. There were seven turnovers, a special teams touchdown, and five different receivers to gain over 100 yards on receptions that day.

Hall Of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow was the hero for the Chargers on that day. Despite being stricken with dehydration, cramps, a pinched nerve in his shoulder, and needing stitches for a cut to his bottom lip, Winslow blocked a game-winning field goal attempt at the end of regulation. He also caught an NFL Playoffs record 13 balls that day.

The Chargers then stumbled into Cincinnati to play the Bengals. On a day where freezing weather easily was below -57° Celsius, thanks to winds of 27 miles per hour, it was dubbed the “Freezer Bowl.” The Bengals, led by 1981 NFL MVP Ken Anderson, won handily 27-7.

The 1982 season is known as the strike shortened year of the NFL. San Diego finished second in their division with a 6-3 record. Six players, including five on offense, went to the Pro Bowl. The Dolphins got revenge from the Chargers by beating them in the second round of the playoffs.

That year saw Hall Of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts and wide receiver Wes Chandler set NFL records that still stands today. Fouts averaged 320 yards passing per game, and Chandler averaged 129 receiving yards per game. The Chargers also paid back the Bengals for their loss the year before by gaining a team record 661 yards in their 50-34 victory over Cincinnati in week seven.

The next three years saw an aging Chargers team win 21 games. Though the team was still extremely explosive on offense, the defense would let them down. A big part of that factor was an ownership that refused to pay their players well, which led to the departure of many key players. Hall Of Fame defensive end Fred Dean noted that his brother, a truck driver, was making much more cash than he was.

After the Chargers began the 1986 season at 1-7, Coryell was fired and replaced by protege Al Saunders. Saunders would be replaced in 1991 by Coryell disciple Dan Henning.

Coryell’s 69 wins are the second most in Chargers history behind Hall Of Fame coach Sid Gillman, and his nine seasons with the team are also the second most behind Gillman.

Don Coryell then retired from coaching, at the age of 62, with 111 wins in 195 games overall. He is the first coach With 100 wins in pro and college football.

To try and sum up this man’s career or impact on football is nearly impossible. Virtually every offense today on all levels is a variation of his system. Bill Walsh and Coryell also have several ties in football. Walsh used to rely on Isaac Curtis, a player Coryell coached in college, while Walsh was an assistant coach with the Bengals. He also coached under Protho for one year with the Chargers, the man Coryell would replace as head coach.

While Walsh is credited with the “West Coast Offense,” he started out as a student of Hall Of Fame coaches Sid Gillman, Al Davis, and Paul Brown downfield passing philosophies. It was Coryell who really started this offense, and refined it as each year passed during his coaching career.

Coryell turned around every team he coached from college to the pros immediately. Though most remember his days in San Diego, his time in Saint Louis also must be hailed.

He took a perennial loser, and made them a serious contender in an NFC East that was mostly dominated by the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins throughout the 1970s. He made quarterback Jim Hart a much better player and surrounded Hart with many weapons.

Wide receivers Mel Gray and Pat Tilley were wide receivers who excelled along with Hall Of Fame tight end Jackie Smith in Coryell’s system. Gray holds a franchise record for having at least one catch in 121 consecutive games, and is 10th in franchise history with 351 receptions. He is fourth in Cardinals history with 45 touchdown receptions, fifth in receiving yards, and averaged an outstanding 18.9 yards per reception.

Smith is still second in career receiving yards with the team, fifth in receptions and touchdowns, and averaged an excellent 16.5 yards per catch. Tilley was a fourth round find by Coryell in 1976 and ended up sixth is career receptions with the Cardinals and third in receiving yards.

One other thing Coryell brought to the NFL was the use of the multi-purpose running back. Terry Metcalf was his first of many backs who did everything well. Metcalf led the NFL in total yards with 2,462 yards, which is still the best in team history. Metcalf is currently ranked fourth in total yards in Cardinals history.

Coryell also resurrected the career of fullback Jim Otis. Otis joined the Cardinals in Coryell’s first season after spending his first three years as a back up with the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. Coryell turned Otis into a Pro Bowl player in 1975, after gaining a career best 1,076 rushing yards.

Factor in such other weapons like Ike Harris, J.V. Cain, Wayne Morris, Steve Jones, Donny Anderson, Ahmad Rashad, and Earl Thomas, and one can see all the fantastic players Coryell used to make Saint Louis a winner.

He also worked with Hanifan in making the Cardinals perhaps the best offensive line in the league during Coryell’s tenure. The line consisted of Hall Of Fame tackle Dan Dierdorf and Pro Bowl players like Tom Banks, Conrad Dobler, Ernie McMillan, and Bob Young most of the time. They gave up just 55 sacks from 1974 to 1977, including only eight in 1975. This is the second fewest allowed in NFL history, when it was surpassed by the Miami Dolphins in 1988 by one.

Though the Cardinals were an explosive offense, their defense let them down. This would be a theme throughout most of Coryell’s coaching career in the NFL. In his fourteen seasons as a coach, his offenses led the NFL in net yards gained per passing attempt five times. They finished in the top five of the NFL six more times.

His teams led the NFL in passing yards seven times, and none of his teams finished lower than seventh. They led the NFL in passing touchdowns three times, and finished in the top 10 nine other times. His teams led the league in passing attempts two times, finished second five times, and was in the top 10 another five times.

But Coryell also ran a balanced attack where the run was important. Twice his teams led the NFL in rushing touchdowns, and they finished in the top 10 eight more times. His teams finished in the top five in yards per carry three times, twice in the top 10 in rushing attempts and yards.

His teams led the NFL in total offense yards five times, and in the top 10 another six times. Twice his teams led the NFL in yardage differential, which is the number of yards they outgained their opponents that year. His teams finished in the top 10 an additional five times. Coryell’s teams led the league in points differential once and finished in the top 10 another six times.

Yet his defenses often finished in the middle to lower end in all categories each year. His 1979 was the best defense he ever had statistically.

That defense led the NFL in defensive touchdowns and allowed the fewest rushing attempts. They also finished in the top 10 in interceptions, net yards gained per pass attempt, passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, total yards allowed, and touchdowns allowed. In 1980, the Chargers led the NFL with 60 sacks.

Many Hall Of Fame players and Pro Bowlers were coached by Coryell in the NFL. The list of players inducted into Canton includes Dan Fouts, Kellen Winslow, Charlie Joiner, Dan Dierdorf, Jackie Smith, Fred Dean, and Roger Wehrli.

When Coryell hit San Diego, the spotlight on his genius was shining. He took wide receiver John Jefferson in the first round in 1978, and had him become the first player in NFL history to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons.

He transformed Dan Fouts into a spectacular quarterback and saw Fouts become the second player in pro football history, and the first in NFL history, to have over 4,000 yards passing in a season. Fouts then would go on to pass for even more yards the next two seasons.

Besides his Chargers teams becoming the first to have three 1,000 yard receivers, their 1981 team had a 1,000 yard rusher in Chuck Muncie and two 1,000 yard receivers in Winslow and Joiner. Wes Chandler finished 43 yards short from joining them in the thousand yards club that year, an accomplishment never duplicated in league history.

After his success with Metcalf, Coryell found other versatile backs to use in San Diego. Men like Muncie, James Brooks, Earnest Jackson, Gary Anderson, Mike Thomas, Lydell Mitchell, Don Woods, Clarence Williams, and the diminutive Lionel James all excelled in his offense.

Brooks led the NFL in all purpose yards in his first two years with San Diego, and James did it once. James also had 1,027 yards receiving, which set an NFL record for yards receiving by a running back then, on 81 receptions in 1985. His 2,535 all-purpose yards that year was an NFL record for fifteen seasons.

While Coryell’s critics wrongly point to his lack of championship wins, the stinginess of the owners he was employed by was a huge reason why his teams never went past a conference championship game.

In San Diego, they lost Jefferson and Dean because of contract disputes. Dean left the Chargers midseason to go to the San Francisco 49ers because of this reason. Dean was a key reason the 49ers won Super Bowl XVI that year, and was named UPI Defensive Player Of The Year.

With Dean gone, it hurt the Chargers defense immensely. The Chargers had the best defensive line in the NFL up until then, featuring Dean and Pro Bowl defensive tackles Louie Kelcher and Gary “Big Hands” Johnson. All three were drafted together in 1975 and had a strong bond that had the fans nickname them “The Bruise Brothers.”

Don Coryell changed the way football was played. It is still being played the way Coryell invented to this very day. The now all too common sight of multiple receiver sets was first started by Coryell, as are many versions of offenses being run these days. They are all spawns of his genius.

The Redskins’ three Super Bowls winning teams and Saint Louis Rams two Super Bowl winning teams ran offenses that were invented by Coryell. His impact on the game will reverberate for generations to come.

Winslow stated it best when he said, “For Don Coryell to not be in the Hall of Fame is a lack of knowledge of the voters. That’s the nicest way that I can put that. A lack of understanding of the legacy of the game.”

This is a despicable crime still perpetrated by the voters to this very day. It also shows that Canton MUST change their induction system. Rumors of getting retired players involved, especially those already in Canton, has been circulated for years.

These are the people who truly know who belongs. I have long told you about voters not even knowing what positions legends played in this series. It, as Winslow stated, truly shows a lack of knowledge. It also shows the corrupt political process involved in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

A process that has wrongly kept Don Coryell from taking his rightful place.

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