Bad Choices Make Bad Football Teams: The Eric Mangini Edition

There’s been a lot of complaining over Eric Mangini the last few weeks. And why shouldn’t there be? Each game we look a little bit worse, this isn’t progress, it’s a disaster.

It’s not that we don’t have the ability or talent to win, Mangini just isn’t allowing the talent to play due to his pre-existing player loyalties. There’s a reason the Jets didn’t want these guys in the first place, and it seems he’s a lot more like Romeo Crennel than we were all told.

The simple fact is Mangini can’t evaluate talent. He’s playing Bowens, Poteat, Elam, and Barton over Hall, Francies, Maiava, Veikune. He trades one of our biggest receiving threats in Kellen Winslow to bring in Robert Royal, then released Martin Rucker even after realizing Royal can’t catch.

He hired Brian Daboll to call plays when he’s never done it before, instead of a proven OC like Chan Gailey. He waits til hours before the first regular season game to name a quarterback, then when he does, he sticks with him for ten quarters. He fines players over a three dollar bottle of water.

Bad choices, bad calls, bad talent evaluation in all aspects. For example…

In the 2009 draft we could have had: Mark Sanchez, Rey Maualuga(or Alphonso Smith), Phil Loadholt, LeSean McCoy, Kaluka Maiava, Coye Francies, Julian Edelman, James Davis.

What we got: Alex Mack, Brian Robiskie, Mohammed Massaquoi, David Veikune, Kaluka Maiava, Don Carey, Coye Francies, James Davis.

You may be thinking hindsight is 20/20, and you’re right. But Sanchez, Maualuga, and Loadholt were all linked to us in the top Mock Drafts in the country. And everyone in Ohio knew of Julian Edelman (Star Quarterback at Kent State), he was compared often to Josh Cribbs. It’s not like any of these guys were flying under the radar, it was just bad drafting.

We could have an LB corp of Wimbley, Jackson, Maualuga, Maiava. Or if you don’t like Maualuga, a CB corp of Eric Wright, Alphonso Smith, Coye Francies. We could have Sanchez handing off to McCoy and Davis. Slants coming out of the backfield to Cribbs and Edelman, and deep routes to Edwards and Furrey.

Whatever you want, but the point stands. Mangini can’t evaluate talent. And apparentally neither can Randy Lerner. Lerner wanted a guy who knew how to win and could turn around an organization, so he brings in a man with a lifetime losing record. Makes sense.

The hiring of Mangini also cost us Scott Pioli. He’s cost us enough, don’t let this mistake spiral down any further.

Fire him and call Jim Harbaugh. Raven’s coach John Harbaugh’s brother, the head coach of Stanford. He’s from a family of winners and has taken a terrible team up the ranks to the verge of cracking the top 25 in the nation. If not for Rex Ryan, he would be coaching the New York Jets right now. Let’s not make the mistake of not hiring him again next season.

The Mangini disciplinarian regime needs to end. Mistakes happen Lerner, now admit it and make it right.

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Mr. Lerner, End the Charade: Line Up the Candidates

We’re rebuilding again, right? That’s what we’ve all been told…but where’s the building? The train-wreck of Eric Mangini needs to end. We gave Brady Quinn three games, and he’s shown more talent than Mangini has, so I see no reason to not end this madness now, before the season is completely down the drain.

Randy Lerner needs to take an active interest in the team and see that this Belichick-tree disciplinarian was a mistake.

A team’s identity can’t be built through punishing players into submission. The reason a team works so well together is the meshing of personalities, teamwork, and mutual respect. Treating them like children instead of grown men, I imagine, makes it very hard to go out on the field and be aggressive.

My recommendation is to relieve Mangini of his duties and promote defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for the rest of the season. Perhaps he will follow in the footsteps of his brother Rex, since he has the same fiery attitude and toughness.

My top choice next year is Stanford football’s Jim Harbaugh. Yes, the brother of our AFC North rival, Baltimore’s John Harbaugh. A former NFL quarterback, he would have plenty of advice to give to our young quarterbacks, whomever they may be next year. Coaching runs in the blood of the Harbaugh family, his father, brother, and brother-in-law are also successful coaches.

Jim was responsible for arguably the biggest upset in college history: beating USC 24-23 after being a 41-point underdog. The man can coach. To add to the positives, Harbaugh was an assistant coach in charge of scouting for eight seasons at WKU. He was responsible for bringing in 17 players on the 2002 championship winning team there.

He’s aggressive, he can coach, he can draft, he can mentor, and he can play. The Jets gave him an interview before hiring Rex Ryan; it’s only a matter of time before he makes an impact on the league. I just hope it’s with Cleveland.

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NFL Week Two: Previews and Predictions

While it may be premature to say that Week Two holds a lot of pivotal games, it definitely sets the tone for the rest of the season. The butterflies of Week One are out of the way, now it’s time to play some football.

My call for game of the week will be New England at New York Jets, should be a huge battle, don’t miss out. Here are my predictions for the NFL’s Week Two.

First up is:

 

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City should have Matt Cassel back this week, and last week took it to Baltimore before Flacco’s last minute touchdown put the game out of reach.

Mark Bradley had a big game last week, but against Asomugha, they’re going to need a comeback performance from receiver Dwayne Bowe.

Oakland has been notoriously bad for the past few seasons, but their defense seems to have shown a spark of hard-hitting life with the addition of Richard Seymour.

Russell managed the offense fairly well last week, opting for short passes and screens most of the game, but still showcasing that rocket arm that scouts went crazy over.

They’ve showed signs of improvement, Russell must continue to improve this week, and McFadden and Bush will only get better as the season progresses.

Prediction: Kansas City 27, Oakland 24

 

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans

Tennessee lost last week in an overtime defensive battle with the defending Super Bowl champions. The defense, even without Haynesworth, has showed they can still take it to the limits with the NFL’s best.

Having arguably one of the best receiver corps in the league, Kerry Collins looked less than impressive last week. I’d expect him to bounce back this week against Houston.

Houston was a hot pick in the offseason to make the playoffs this year, but showed very few signs of that in last week’s game against the Jets.

Throwing an interception and putting two fumbles on the ground isn’t going to get it done, and need to do a better job on turnovers this week if they expect to take down the Titans.

Cushing had a solid game in the tackle department and will have to again vs. Johnson and White.

Prediction: Tennessee 28, Houston 17

 

New England Patriots at New York Jets

This could be the game of the week very easily. New England last week played a less than stellar contest against the Buffalo Bills.

At the end of the day, Tom Brady is still Tom Brady, but with the entire year off and injury, he’s just now getting back into his rhythm.

Their defense, even against a rookie line in Buffalo, looked lost defensively, which should be expected after rebuilding in the off-season.

The Patriots have been the model of consistency the last few years, but after losing the experience of Bruschi, Vrabel, Seymour, Hobbs, Seau, and Harrison, you have to wonder if the Patriots haven’t rolled the dice too much this year.

On the other side, sits a fired-up head coach with something to prove, Rex Ryan. The former defensive coordinator from Baltimore has fired up his team and made them into a physical, aggressive unit.

New York was an average team last year, but has looked great this year, earning whispers of a possible division title under rookie Mark Sanchez.

Thomas Jones averaged over five yards a carry, and has looked every bit the Pro Bowler. If New York doesn’t turn the ball over, they very well could upset the New England Patriots.

Prediction: New York 23, New England 20

 

Cincinnati Bengals at Green Bay Packers

After last season’s defensive catastrophe, Green Bay’s defense has been completely rebuilt from the ground up, moving from the 4-3 to the 3-4 under one of the best 3-4 coordinators in the game, Dom Capers.

Green Bay’s two sacks and four INTs last week has shown that they’ve made the jump to become a defensive force in the NFC.

Aaron Rodgers continues to excel in the passing game after the departure of Brett Favre, connecting with Greg Jennings and Donald Driver week in and week out.

The ground game needs to get moving early to open up the passing lanes against Cincinnati’s secondary. If Ryan Grant can bring himself back to the 2007 level he was playing at, Green Bay could be looking at a playoff slot this season.

Cincinnati has made improvements on the defensive side of the ball this off-season, drafting USC’s head-hunting linebacker Rey Maualuga and bringing in Tank Johnson and Roy Williams.

The defense looked solid last week in their loss against Denver giving up only 12 points, including an unlikely miracle catch on a tipped ball that made the highlights of every sports show around the country.

Carson Palmer showed some rust after missing last season and most of the preseason, connecting with Ochocinco for 89 yards but surrendering two INT’s. Palmer and Chad need to be in sync with each other this game if they expect to pass on Al Harris and this Green Bay defense.

Prediction: Green Bay 20, Cincinnati 13

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

Minnesota struggled last week in the first half against the Cleveland Browns, but that’s as long as it lasted. In the second half, Adrian Peterson showed why he remains the best running back in the league, putting up 180 yards on 25 attempts, and 3 touchdowns.

Brett Favre did nothing spectacular, but he doesn’t have to with this offense that only got better with the addition of Percy Harvin.

The defense on the other hand, continues to be a force, especially on the line where the Williams Wall and Jared Allen make every quarterback dread Sunday afternoon.

Detroit has shown vast improvement this season under rookie Matthew Stafford. Unfortunately when your secondary accounts for 24 tackles in a game, you can’t expect to pull off many wins.

Detroit will need a big game out of playmakers Ernie Sims and Calvin Johnson to stay competitive against Minnesota’s high powered offense and defense.

Prediction: Minnesota 37, Detroit 16

 

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles

Injuries have been absolutely killer for Philadelphia this year, starting the season as a favorite to win the Super Bowl, and now suffering the loss of starting quarterback Donovan McNabb.

All is not lost, if they can keep it together this week against New Orleans, Michael Vick joins the team in Week 3. Vick should do an adequate job keeping the Eagles above water until McNabb’s mid-season return.

This week will be a big challenge for Philadelphia, Kolb looked unimpressive in his first start, fumbling the ball on two occasions.

Jackson and Avant were non-factors last game, and their offensive charge was led by their running backs Westbrook and McCoy.

The defense will keep Brees’ production to a minimum, but Kolb needs to find a way to move the chains this week.

Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense had their way with Detroit last week. Brees hit eight different receivers for 358 yards and 6 touchdowns.

The running game featured Bell rushing for 143 yard. With so many different weapons, including Colston, Henderson, Bush, Shockey, and Bell, it’s going to be a tall order shutting them down.

Prediction: New Orleans 32, Philadelphia 21

 

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

The surprise story of last year was Matt Ryan, and the new security blanket of the second-year quarterback, is veteran Tony Gonzalez. While assumed to be past his prime, Gonzalez remains one of the best tight ends in the league.

Last game, his consistency and sure hands helped him and Ryan connect five times and 73 yards for a touchdown; while Norwood, Jenkins, and White combined for 132 yards over Miami.

Atlanta’s defense features a dominant linebacker corps comprised of Curtis Lofton, Stephen Nicholas, and Mike Peterson that will make it very hard on the Panthers running back duo of Williams and Stewart to get much of anything going.

Jake Delhomme, on the other hand, has been the victim of much controversy with analysts lately, wondering if he still has what it takes to lead the Panthers to the playoffs again.

Last game he threw up four interceptions, fumbled the ball, and looked like a shell of the quarterback he once was.

Delhomme needs to figure out his consistency problems in a hurry before he goes head on with this Atlanta defense or it won’t matter how quick Steve Smith is.

Prediction: Atlanta 24, Carolina 10

 

St. Louis Rams at Washington Redskins

Despite the loss to the New York Giants last week, Washington remains arguably the most improved defense in the NFC. With the signings of Haynesworth and Orakpo, this Redskins team gained some much needed muscle. Jason Campbell will be looking this game to put up big numbers against an over-matched Rams defense, attempting to prove that Washington made a mistake trying to bring in another quarterback in the offseason.

Under Spagnuolo, St. Louis’s defense is improving slowly but surely. Seems like a stretch to say since the Rams gave up 28 unanswered points last week, but a lot of the times Seattle was working on a short field. The Rams need to find a way to produce on offense. When your quarterback is completely less than 50% of his passes, and the opposing defense without two of its star defenders, limits you to 77 yards rushing, you know you have a problem on your hands. Bulger hasn’t put up more touchdowns than turnovers in a season since 2006, if the Rams want to keep it close they need to win the turnover battle.

Prediction: Washington 31, St. Louis 6

Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville was held to only field goals last week by a very improved Colts defense. Jones-Drew running for 97 yards is only a testament to how solid he’s looked this preseason and opening game. Don’t expect Arizona to be able to shut down Garrard like the Colts did, with Holt now having a game under his belt, look for him to step up and catch 6-8 passes while Jones-Drew breaks 100.

Arizona is feeling the effects of the dreaded Super Bowl loser’s hangover, losing 20-16 last week to a fired-up 49ers squad. Kurt Warner looks flustered, throwing 44 times while fumbling once, and giving up 2 picks. With Boldin telling the media he feels a lot better this week than last game, him and Fitzgerald should both have higher numbers this week. Also expect Steve Breaston to add a much needed boost. If Wells and Hightower can find a rhythm on the ground, Arizona should steal a victory here.

Prediction: Arizona 21, Jacksonville 20

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco shocked everyone last week in their defeat of the defending NFC champion Cardinals. Despite a non- existent running game displayed by Gore, Shaun Hill controlled the game very well, and hit 6 different receivers for 209 yards. Issac Bruce broke away for a 50 yard catch and showed why he’s been one of the best receivers in the NFL over the span of his career. With Shaun Hill stepping up, it really makes you wonder what could happen if Crabtree wasn’t still holding out.

Expect Gore to find his legs against an injured Seattle front seven but to be held considerably under 100 yards.

Seattle linebackers are badly banged up with LB Leroy Hill out 2-6 weeks, and Lofa Tatupu questionable with a hamstring injury. Rookie Aaron Curry is going to step up early and throw down a big game against an optimistic 49ers offense Sunday afternoon. Houshmandzadeh is probable for Sunday, so expect a variety of slants to him, Burleson, and Carlson to keep the Niners on their toes all afternoon.

Prediction: Seattle 24, San Francisco 20

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills

With all the questions of the rookie offensive line being a big problem for Buffalo this year, they sure didn’t act like it Monday against the New England Patriots. In a near-upset, Buffalo took it to New England right up until the end, where a costly fumble effectively ended their hopes.

After T.O.’s comments in the media, look for Buffalo to come out throwing. Look for either Owens or Evans to become Trent’s number one receiver this week, after Fred Jackson led in rushing and receiving against New England. Also, expect McKelvin to hold on to the ball extra tight this week after two fumbles last game.

Tampa Bay’s offseason shakeup didn’t quite get the job done last week. Their biggest offseason acquisition was Kellen Winslow, and he proved to not be as big a factor as their other two. Byron Leftwich and Derrick Ward. Leftwich played a solid game connecting 25 times on 41 passes, with no picks and 276 yards. Derrick Ward, and especially Cadillac Williams, had a fantastic day on the ground, giving the offense a badly needed jump-start.

Expect Cadillac to have another big game, and Leftwich to connect with Clayton, Stevens, and Winslow for over 200 yards.

Prediction: Buffalo 20, Tampa Bay 17

Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos

To say Denver has had Cleveland’s number since their return to the league would be an understatement, but this isn’t Shanahan’s Broncos. The transition from Shanahan to McDaniels has been anything but a smooth one. Injuries have plagued the players picked up for Cutler so far, Knowshon Moreno(knee) and Kyle Orton(finger). Both are listed as probably but Moreno has yet to show his talent at the NFL level thus far. Orton fits well in the Denver system of game management, he had a solid game last week, but struggled finding the end zone against Cincinatti’s improved defense.

Marshall and Royal were non-factors last week, but against a rebuilding Browns team Royal should find his way to the endzone this week. Buckhalter and Moreno should have an easier time running the ball this week, but expect them to be held under 100 yards.

Cleveland played the first half of last week’s game like a playoff contender, but what happened in the second half showed why they were 4-12 last year. Cleveland struggled to shut down Adrian Peterson last game, but most teams typically do. Against Buckhalter and an injured Moreno they should find more success. Rookie quarterbacks seem to find great success in their fifth start, judging by the numbers over the years, but whether or not that trend continue falls on Brady Quinn.

Your tight end and running back cannot lead your team in receiving if you expect to win, Cribbs and Furrey will have to step up, and Edwards needs to be the playmaker he was two years ago. Expect Quinn to have a decent game, Jerome Harrison to see more touches, and for Cribbs to be the top receiver.

Prediction: Cleveland 23, Denver 20

Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers

After avoiding embarrassment in Oakland last week, San Diego will go into Sunday’s game without LT. Meaning Darren Sproles should have a big game against a bruised up Ravens defense, using his quickness to create a lot of mismatches. “Rivers to Gates” will likely be the phrase most heard Sunday, since not many teams want to throw near Ed Reed deep. San Diego will need a much better performance than last week as a whole to take down Baltimore.

Baltimore comes into the game with two of its star defensemen nursing concussions, Ed Reed and Terrel Suggs. Both practiced Thursday and are expected to go, but whether it will effect their aggression on the field remains to be seen.

Ray Rice had a tremendous game against Kansas City, averaging almost 6 yards a run, but will have his hands full against the Chargers linebackers. Expect a solid game, but he won’t break 100 yards again. Whereas Joe Flacco continues to prove his critics wrong and there’s no reason to think he won’t have a big game against San Diego’s secondary. This game will be largely decided on the turnover battle.

Prediction: Baltimore 28, San Diego 24

Pittsburgh Steelers at Chicago Bears

Despite the loss of Troy Polamalu and Brian Urlacher, two of the best defensemen in the NFL, this game should still be a solid defensive battle.

What else is there to say about the defending Super Bowl champions? The Steelers running game isn’t what it used to be, but they have two serviceable backs in Willie Parker and Mendenhall, and the offense is still led by Pro Bowler Ben Roethlisberger. And after last weeks season opener with Tennessee they proved they can always find a way to win.

The Bears have a mountain in front of them to climb Sunday, and if Cutler doesn’t perform better than last week, Pittsburgh’s going to start looking like Mount Everest. Last week, Cutler threw 4 picks in a opening loss to division rival the Green Bay Packers, while the wide receivers proved to be as problematic as everyone feared. Devin Hester had 4 catches for 90 yards, showing he can hang with the receivers of the NFL. But Matt Forte will need to double his production of last week to compete with Pittsburgh.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 30, Chicago 20

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

The theory “addition by subtraction” proved to be true for the Dallas Cowboys in their home opener. After struggling last year to form any team chemistry, the Cowboys released Terrell Owens, in an attempt to build locker room morale. It appears its worked, as Tony Romo led the charge against Tampa Bay putting up 34 points, 3 touchdowns, and hitting 6 different receivers for 353 yards. The combination of Felix Jones and Marion Barber put up 100 yards between the two, and Patrick Crayton outperformed number one receiver, Roy Williams, with 135 yards. Dallas seems to be doing everything right, but the defense of the Giants isn’t anything to be taken lightly.

With the return of Osi Umenyiora, the New York defense improved dramatically, prompting Justin Tuck to have a big game last week as well. Tuck had two sacks, Osi had one, and the Giants made Jason Campbell and the Redskins day pretty rough. Getting to Tony Romo will be a bit tougher, the Cowboys line isn’t quite what it used to be, but they protect their leader adequately.

After becoming the highest paid quarterback in the NFL, Manning has a lot to prove. Although he has a Super Bowl ring, he has yet to become a Top 5 quarterback, in some cases not even a Top 10. Eli has a solid cast around him, but no legitimate playmakers. The Giants hope number one draft pick Hakeem Nicks turns out to be just that, a playmaker, and replacement for recently released Plaxico Burress. Nicks brought in two catches for 18 yards last week, and expect him to build on it this week in his progression. If the offensive line can keep Demarcus Ware at bay, which will be no easy feat, the Giants should be able to move the chains.

Prediction: New York 29, Dallas 23

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins

Indianapolis may not have the offensive power they used to, but the new look of their defense appears to be dominate this year, giving up only 12 points to the Jaguars, and didn’t even do it with Bob Sanders. When Bob returns, the Colts will be among the league’s elite defenses, if they aren’t already. The defense will see multiple looks against the Miami Dolphins and their wildcat offense.

Last week wasn’t a very strong showing by Miami against the Falcons, but that happens when you lose 3 fumbles and throw an interception. If Miami wants to shut down the high-powered Colts led by Peyton Manning, they’ll have to eliminate the turnovers. Ted Ginn will have to be more of a playmaker, and Pennington will have to handle the ball more consistently. Expect to see a few more Wildcat formations this week from Pat White.

Prediction: Indianapolis 20, Miami 13

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Rounding Out The Browns’ 53-Man Roster: 4 New Pickups

The 53 man roster cuts have come and gone. All the worries of the big-name cuts went unfounded, and the surprises were minimal. With very little solid talent unloaded, Cleveland had a great weekend, picking up a couple of late-round draft players in the free agent pool.

New to the roster are four new pickups:

RB Cedric Peerman (Baltimore)

A 2009 sixth-round pick out of Virginia, Peerman was selected by the Baltimore Ravens. On the Cleveland Browns, he will be the fourth back on the depth chart, contributing mainly on special teams.

As a kick returner in college, he posted a 26.5 yard average on 40 attempts. With the addition of Peerman, expect Cribbs to focus more on receiving as the number two option, leaving return duties to Gerard Lawson and Cedric Peerman.

OL Phil Trautwein (St. Louis)

A promising 6’6, 310 pound lineman out of Florida. Trautwein was an All-SEC first team tackle and was projected to be a second-day pick. Likely because of injury concerns, he went undrafted and was picked up by the Rams.

Phil falls into Mangini’s philosophy of smart football players, appearing on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. If he can stay healthy, he could challenge John St. Clair for playing time next season.

DB Marquis Floyd (Seattle)

Thin at the nickelback slot, Floyd is mainly a depth pickup. A graduate of West Georgia, he led the team in interceptions but went undrafted. After spending the last 4 seasons in the AFL as a receiver and cornerback, Floyd has developed a nose for the ball and great hands.

After releasing Corey Ivy at the cut deadline, the Browns will likely use him as next on the depth chart after Hank Poteat.

DB DeAngelo Smith (Dallas)

Even after releasing late-round cornerback Don Carey earlier in the preseason, the Browns still end up with a second late-round back to develop with Coye Francies.

A former Cincinatti Bearcat, Smith was part of one of the best tandems in the country, alongside Mike Mickens. Aggressive and hard-working, DeAngelo has played some safety and returned kicks. With Cleveland he will likely see some work on special teams this year.

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Emanuel Cook: The Answer To Cleveland’s Dilemma?

Emanuel Cook has drawn comparisons to Troy Polamalu and Bob Sanders.

Now that I have your attention, Cook is a physical, hard-hitting safety out of South Carolina. He’s undersized for the position but more than makes up for it with his nose for the ball and aggression. The New York Jets took a chance on him, but are staffed well at the position, so Cook missed the 53 man roster cut Saturday.

After being told he’d have success in the NFL draft, Emanuel Cook declared for the draft early as a junior. Originally thought to be a third round pick, he plummeted down the draft boards after a below average combine result.

The low result of a 4.65 dash time stemmed from working out at the media fiasco “Prime U” hosted by Deion Sanders, instead of training hard at home.

Emanuel posted 226 career tackles and had All-SEC honors all three seasons with the Gamecocks. One thing the NFL can’t teach you is how to tackle, and very few safeties have that natural ability like Cook does.

Which brings me to Cleveland. Dangerously under-matched at the safety position, the depth chart of the Cleveland Browns features Brodney Pool, in his final contract year, and Abe Elam, a career backup that’s been getting beat all preseason. Nick Sorenson and Mike Adams, both unproven, are their backups.

Sitting idle in the free agent pool, Emanuel Cook’s aggressive play is worth more than a second look. Take a shot Mangini, there’s a diamond in the rough waiting.

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Cleveland’s Elephant in the Corner

The last thing anyone needs is another Cleveland quarterback article.

Having said that, it takes the wind out of your comment sails doesn’t it?

Moving on.

The phrase moving on, is the theme of the 2009 Cleveland Browns this season. After coming in, Eric Mangini started cleaning house. Trading away the often injured, attitude plagued superstar, Kellen Winslow for a second and fifth round pick. Drafting a replacement center, Alex Mack, for the aging Hank Fraley.

Drafting a replacement for thirty year old Jamal Lewis, in the form of James Davis. And releasing Shaun Smith, the man who caused so much drama in the locker room.

We keep moving on, but what we’ve yet to move on from, is 2007 Pro Bowler Derek Anderson.

I’m not saying Derek Anderson is a poor quarterback, he just isn’t in the right system. Anderson’s play-calling and decision-making are better suited for a west coast offense, a series of slants and long ball options. Somewhere in the NFC West perhaps, where the defenses are a lot more weak.

In the AFC North, the black and blue division known for their hard hitting lines and even harder hitting secondaries, these kind of decisions just aren’t possible. The North boasts some of the best safeties in the league in players like Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed, and Roy Williams. This just isn’t the division you can thread the needle 30 yards down field on into double coverage.

Which leads me to Brady Quinn. Is he Joe Montana, no, and he probably never will be. Sure, he’s from the same system and alma mater, although that’s where the similarities end. Brady Quinn may never be an elite passer, but that’s not what we need, not in the North.

Quinn commands a great huddle presence, has the leadership ability to play when behind, doesn’t turn the ball over, and makes smart plays.

He doesn’t have the big arm, but this isn’t Green Bay and it isn’t Denver. This is Cleveland, in the North division. Here, with the exception of Carson Palmer, quarterbacks are simply expected to move the chains and avoid turnovers, while the defense smashes the opposition’s offense into picks, fumbles, and punts.

Players great at moving the chains, were and are Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, Neil O’ Donnell, Trent Dilfer, and Jon Kitna. With the exception of Ben, probably not a hall of famer in the bunch, but they moved the chains and got their teams to the playoffs and Superbowl.

This brings us to the elephant in the corner, defense. It’s easy to say the quarterback is the missing piece, the reason Cleveland remains in the cellar year after year. This isn’t the case.

Historically all great teams have a great defense, the ’76 Steelers, the ’85 Bears, the ’00 Ravens, the ’71 Vikings, the list goes on and on. If they expect to win and become competitors, it comes down to defense. Like every great war, it has to start in the trenches.

The middle isn’t the problem, Shaun Rogers is potentially the best in the game at nose tackle. He’s backed by top 15 NFL leading tacklers D’Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton, very little will get through this season. The starting young corners, McDonald and Wright have been causing turnovers all preseason and are tight in coverage.

The edges, pass rushers, and safeties are where the work needs to be put in. If any success is to happen, the defensive ends need to become dominant, the outside linebackers need to constantly get into the backfield, and the secondary needs to be lock-down and threatening.

The potential shown by the new rookie class is a step in the right direction. David Veikune, Kaluka Maiava, and Coye Francies are hard hitting bruisers, and will be impact players in the coming years. Maiava is already a threat on special teams, Veikune is always on the play, and Francies has been almost lights out at corner this preseason.

The work needs to continue to be done, building through the draft and avoiding the temptations of free agency. This off-season was solid, but for now Wimbley, Hall, Williams, Coleman, Elam, and Pool need to step up.

If they don’t, it doesn’t matter how well Quinn, Anderson, Ratliff, or Bartel does. If the chains are going to be moved, it has to start with the defense and special teams first.

Optimism In Defeat: Cleveland at Green Bay

How quick the optimism has come and gone for Cleveland fans after the 17-0 shut out at Lambeau Field Saturday night. While to the untrained eye it may look like the Browns are doomed for another poor season, I beg to differ. Now that the dust has settled, for as many negatives that came out of the game against the Packers, there were quite a few positives to look at.

Assuming most people want the bad news first, here’s the negatives:

1. Derek Anderson: In a pathetic display of any lack of NFL ability, Derek went 0-2 with an interception, and was a miracle the other one wasn’t picked. Anderson looked flustered, shaky, and downright ridiculous trying to lead the offense down the field.

2. Braylon Edwards: I don’t feel I even need to explain this one. Edwards had two big time errors, both at the expense of QB Brady Quinn in the end-zone. In the story of his career, Edwards dropped a touchdown pass that was right in his hands. On the very next play, Braylon ran a lackluster route and made no attempt to breakup the interception in front of him, or attempt a tackle after the fact.

3. Jamal Lewis: The 29 year old legs of Jamal Lewis, again, just weren’t cutting it. After blaming last season on the injuries, it may be time to retire Lewis as the starting back. The role of a Jerome Bettis style back still finds him useful, but after witnessing the stutter-steps and hesitancy, it appears the days of starting are dwindling.

4. Offensive Line: The line continues to plague Cleveland. While the left side held strong, the play of the right side and center was largely ineffective. The official sack number was 3, but the hurries, knockdowns, and pressure allowed was atrocious. There was no push given to allow for adequate time for the quarterbacks or for space for the running backs to move.

5. Starting Secondary: With the exception of Eric Wright, who’s coverage was spot-on all day, the starting secondary was awful. Abe Elam got beat a handful of times and got caught playing up too far while surrendering a touchdown by Rodgers over his head. Corey Ivy was inconsistent and cost them a penalty on a big 4th and 6 play, resulting in a first down. Lastly, Brodney Pool and Brandon McDonald both gave up steady receptions.

It definitely looked bad on paper, there’s no positive way to say the score Packers 17, Browns 0. But there was a lot of potential displayed on the field, mostly in the youth and inexperienced players admittedly. As far as the positives go, here’s a quick rundown.

1. Mike Furrey: After missing last season with an injury looked to have solid route running and steady hands. The comparisons to Joe Jurevicious have already been made, and by no means should that be taken negatively. He has experienced 1,000 yard seasons before in his career, and if he stays healthy this year, should put up good numbers in a slot position.

2. Josh Cribbs: On a quest to prove to the critics that he can indeed become a go-to receiver, Cribbs put together a solid preseason game and has looked sharp in practices. After being counted out as the #2 receiver this year opposite of Edwards, he looks to be ahead of the young receivers for the open slot.

3, Brady Quinn: Quinn showed poise and confidence and marched the offense down the field in both series, while going 7-11 with 68 yards. He did however fall short of scoring on both drives, due to a penalty on Hank Fraley and a dropped ball by Braylon Edwards.

4. Rookie Progress: Three players stepped up huge for the defense against Green Bay.
CB Coye Francies, LB David Veikune, and LB Marcus Benard.
-Francies had a brutal hit on a running back breaking for a hole in the line, showed great pass coverage, speed, and also came up with an interception.
-Veikune was always in the right place, and always around the ball. Mangini was right when he said he always has his motor running, wrapped up his tackles, and also came up with a pick.
-Benard is a surprise player all the way. Taking advantage of his opportunities, he came up with 5 solo tackles, and assisted on another. He very well may be on the 53 man roster if he keeps it up.

5. Surprise Standouts:
-Jerome Harrison is really turning into an all around player. In addition to his quickness and speed, he showed toughness and solid quarterback protection, picking up oncoming blitzes against Green Bay to give our passers the extra needed time.
-Aaron Walker has never been one to be a scoring threat, neither with the Rams or Browns. In practices and preseason however, he showed good skills, catching 3 balls for 48 yards Saturday and breaking up a would be interception from Brett Ratliff.
-Alex Hall is the likely candidate to take the outside line backer position from veteran David Bowens. While he may not start, he continues to put up impressive games and shows quickness off the edge and great pressure on the quarterbacks.

As you can see, it hasn’t been all bad. Yes, we are without an offensive touchdown in seven games. But the improvement is on its way, the penalties are down, and there’s no quit on this team. Call it optimism if you must, but I fully expect it to all come together by the beginning of the season. Next up, Detroit.

Ten Reasons Why the Pittsburgh Steelers Will Not Repeat as Super Bowl Champions

After a great run in the 2008-2009 season and their sixth NFL title, Pittsburgh is finally on the decline. Failing to add depth to a team comprised of aging veteran leadership, effectively hanging their franchise quarterback out to dry by failing to add protection, and the vast improvement of the AFC leads me to the prediction that Pittsburgh’s time at the top is over.

Here are the top 10 reasons why.

 

1. Improved Division and Conference

The main reason I say Pittsburgh will not repeat has to be this one: the improvement of the conference and division. In the conference, Tom Brady has returned to the Patriots, while the Colts are healthy and have a new weapon in Donald Brown. The Jets’ new defense has turned them into contenders, and the Dolphins are coming off a playoff year.

In the division, the Bengals are no longer a joke, healthy with the best offense and defense they’ve had in years. The Ravens will continue to compete with Derrick Mason returning and Joe Flacco more experienced. Cleveland under new management has improved on both sides of the ball, and last year the Browns were only beaten by four points in the first meeting between the two.

2. Lack of Offensive Line

Steelers QBs were sacked 49 times last year, resulting in 15 interceptions and another Big Ben injury courtesy of the Cleveland Browns. If they want to have success with fewer WR options, the line is going to need drastic improvement.

3. Receiving Corps

There is no depth on the roster in the WR position, and considering they do not have solid options at the No. 3 and 4 slots, this could be disastrous with Hines Ward’s injury issues. Santonio Holmes will need to step up this season with the departure of Nate Washington, and the Steelers will also need a big return from newly added Shaun McDonald.

4. Secondary

The secondary, with the loss of Bryant McFadden this year, has only declined. Now relying on players such as Deshea Townsend, William Gay, Ike Taylor, and Keiwan Ratliff to fill in the gaps.

At safety, Ryan Clark will be in the free safety role, while the Flyin’ Hawaiian will be back at the strong safety position. With little depth on the team, the big question is, can Troy Polamalu stay healthy this season finally and be a shutdown back again like he was in 2004 and 2005?

5. Thin at Running Back

Willie Parker has yet to turn into the superstar back like they’ve invested in him. He’s been plagued with injuries and inconsistency and has started 16 games in a season only once before. Rashard Mendenhall, the No. 2 back, was inactive all season after being injured by Ray Lewis. He’s likely to experience some rust this season.

Frank Summers was drafted to be a short-yardage back in the vein of Jerome Bettis, but with the often injured starting backs, he may see even more action this season.

6. Mediocre Draft

The big pickup was Evander “Ziggy” Hood, a defensive tackle out of Missouri, who was tagged as lacking explosiveness and quickness. Hood was more of a luxury pick than a necessity pick, such as the mediocre offensive line, which the Steelers did little to address.

One of the only players they picked up was at the tackle position, a third round pick out of Wisconsin named Kraig Urbik with bad footwork and balance issues. They also picked up a center in A.Q. Shipley in the seventh round; scouts say he lacks the size to be a premier player in the league.

7. Key Offseason Losses

Suitable replacements still have not filled the depth of Pittsburgh. Any injuries could be catastrophic this season for them with the offseason losses of CB Bryant McFadden, WR Nate Washington, ILB Larry Foote, QB Byron Leftwich, and S Anthony Smith.

8. Aging Defense

With Clark, Casey Hampton, James Farrior, James Harrison, and Townsend well into their 30s, the aches and pains are piling up. The Steelers need to start offsetting their age with young, fast players that are hungry and explosive before they go the way of the Dallas Cowboys.

Let’s face it, it takes longer to recover the older you get. With all the young, smashmouth players coming into the league, this defense is in for its share of bruises this year.

9. Rape Distraction

Whether it happened or not, the accusations will keep coming all season from opposing fans and media. Ben Roethlisberger has never faced a character accusation like it before, there’s no telling how heavily it will weigh on his mind and play. Don’t say I didn’t tell you so when Ben throws a pick after the chants of “Ra-pist” start in Baltimore.

10. The Departure of Dan Rooney

For the first time in nearly four decades, the team isn’t being steered by Rooney, after he was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. The Steelers haven’t won a championship without his guidance and direction, and I see no reason for that to change now.

Mangini By The Numbers: What To Expect This Season (Offense)

Whenever there’s a new coach in town, the fans and media can’t help but speculate how he will change the shape of the team. Will the offense be led by an aerial attack, a smashmouth ground game, or a balance between the two? The mainstream media has reported it both ways, on one hand, saying Eric Mangini is a tough coach that brings a hard hitting running game. On the other hand, they’ve said he favors a pass heavy attack with a range of deep routes.

So which is it?

Cleveland is the second stop for Mangini, his first stop as head coach was with the New York Jets from 2006-2008. In his three seasons with New York, he led the team to a 23-25 record and a playoff birth. While obviously it’s not an amazing record, for a rookie coach, it’s to be expected. Entering his fourth season, with three years of experience under his belt, he looks to take on the daunting task of leading the legendary Browns from shambles back to NFL glory.

Let’s try and figure out how it will be done.

In 2006, the offense was led by Chad Pennington and used a three running back system led by Washington with 151 attempts, Barlow with 131 attempts, Houston with 113 attempts, and a mix of receivers rushing for 59 attempts. They totaled 491 attempts, while the mix of quarterbacks passed for 488 attempts. So 2006 resulted in Mangini’s system almost completely balanced, with Rushing close to 51 percent of the time.

In 2007, the offense was led by Chad Pennington again and used a two back system led dominately by Thomas Jones with 310 attempts, Leon Washington bumping down to only 71 attempts, and the receivers combining for a mere 16. The whole season they amassed 512 passing attempts while rushing for 446 attempts. So 2007 was obviously a big swing to the aerial attack now that Pennington was more comfortable throwing.

In 2008, the offense was led by Brett Favre and used the same two backs, this time Jones carrying 290 times, while Washington picked up 76 attempts, and the receivers getting 32 chances. The “Brett Favre Experiment” complicates the numbers a little since obviously Brett was given more room to make decisions on his own, throwing 529 times, and leaving 422 to the rushing department. So 2008 was a huge difference to the pass, but is the air really Mangini’s preference or Brett Favre’s?

What can we conclude about what to expect in 2009? It relies heavily on the quarterback chosen.

While the numbers don’t mean a whole lot, it does point to the fact that when Mangini has a stronger armed, confident quarterback under center, he definitely likes to air it out and see what happens. With a younger, passive, inexperienced quarterback though, it appears balanced on the ground as well as in the air.

If Derek Anderson is chosen I think we can expect a year more like 2007 with more of an emphasis on the pass, since he has a stronger arm and can get the ball downfield in a hurry.

If Brady Quinn is chosen I think we can expect more a year like 2006 with a balanced attack, a three back system, and a combination of jack option plays, since Quinn is still new to the NFL.

I would say by the news coming out of Berea, Mangini is leaning towards Quinn. Which means we will make the most of our three running back’s varying styles, and use Cribbs and Massaquoi in a multitude of jack option handoffs and schemes, much like he did in 2006 with the Jets. 

 

Worst To First: Chicago’s Receivers The Surprise of the North?

After reading all the negativity regarding the Chicago Bears receiving core I sat in bewilderment, and wondered where it was all coming from.

Even as a die-hard Cleveland fan with no ties to Chicago positive or negative, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by all the talk surrounding the Bears’ this season…so what is it?

Is it divisional rivals with false hopes of the Bears falling apart, and snatching up two easy division wins?

Is it jealous Broncos fans who, whether they admit it or not, got the short end of the stick in the Orton-Cutler trade?

Whatever the case may be, the Bears are far from falling apart. Urlacher, Harris, and Briggs will be back as strong as ever leading a bruising Chicago defense, and with the addition of Jay Cutler, their offense finally has the point-man they’ve been missing for the last two decades.

The key issue keeps coming back to the wide receivers.

With even Donald Driver of the Green Bay Packers making jokes of their offensive capabilities, perhaps it’s simply a matter of experience. Sure, they aren’t the most experienced group in the NFL, but the potential to become a great core is definitely there.

1. Devin Hester had 51 receptions for 665 yards last season. Although everyone says he will never be a number one receiver in the league, his numbers last year were decent for a position changing player.

With more experience under his belt, and a quarterback with the ability to thread the needle down-field, Hester will easily break 1000 yards this season.

2. Rasheed Davis had 35 receptions for 445 yards last season. Not to knock Kyle Orton at all, but Davis will benefit greatly this year from Cutler’s passing ability. What Davis lacks in yards after the initial catch, his sure-handed receiving will make him a great short yardage option.
 
3. Juaquin Iglesias, out of Oklahoma, led his team in receptions the past 2 seasons. He has great hands, quickness, and toughness. Also he is great for yards after the catch.

4. Johnny Knox, out of Abilene Christian, if lined up with Devin Hester can speed down the field and leave a lot of secondaries reeling to catch up. If Knox hits the weight room hard and packs some muscle on, he could become a solid deep threat for Cutler.

5. Derek Kinder, out of Pittsburgh, was a top prospect in 2007 before a season-ending ACL injury. If healthy he could be a solid 3rd or 4th option.

I think it’s a matter of time before the Bears’ youth steps up and shows what they can do. This could very well be one of the fastest groups they’ve ever had, and with the arm strength of Jay Cutler at the helm, the Bears could be looking to the postseason again.

 

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