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Oakland Raiders 2009 Preview
Published: July 3, 2009
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And again, it wasn’t for their successes on the field, but rather their ageless owner and his usual entertaining moments.
The main topic at hand was the job status of coach Lane Kiffin, who Davis generally despised and attempted to get rid of in a variance of methods one would expect to see on a re-run of Seinfeld.
Ultimately, the coach was fired, a press conference was issued from the mysterious Davis himself, and even more people began to wonder out loud just what direction this once proud franchise was taking under his watch.
The enigmatic Raiders started the season in much the same manner they had started the past several seasons. Blowing games in the waning minutes of the game, like they did against Buffalo and San Diego, or flat getting blown out, like they did in the opening game against Denver and contests against New Orleans and Baltimore.
Despite the drama that never disappointed the casual onlooking fan, the Raiders did for the first time since the Jon Gruden years, show signs of progress as a team under Cable.
In the last three games of the year, Russell would throw for six touchdowns to only two interceptions. However in the other 12 games he would start in 2008, Russell would only account for a very pedestrian seven touchdown passes with six interceptions.
The young Raider quarterback may have been restrained by his coaching staff because of the lack of weapons the team would have at wide receiver.
Needless to say, without tight end Zach Miller (778 yards), the Raiders passing game would be one of the worst offensive units in recent memory. Which in a way makes what they did rushing the football so impressive.
With all their struggles on offense, it should be no surprise that the Raiders defense was on the field way too much and as a result, would break down over the course of a 60 minute ball game. Nmandi Asomugha continued to showcase himself as the leagues premier shutdown corner, but the rest of the Raider defense was marginal at best in 2008. The defense would wind up finishing the year 27th overall, giving up 24 points a contest. And while the Asomugha lead secondary would finish 10th overall against the pass, teams would have little reason to throw the ball against the Raiders as their run defense ranked 31st overall in the league last year with only the 0-16 Lions claiming a worse effort at defending the run.
2009 Free Agency Additions:
FB Lorenzo Neal (Baltimore)
DE Greg Ellis (Dallas)
OT Khalif Barnes (Jacksonville)
QB Jeff Garcia (Tampa Bay)
S Keith Davis (Dallas)
WR Will Franklin (Detroit)
RB Gary Russell (Cincinnati)
OT Erik Pears (Denver)
DT Ryan Boschetti (Washington)
G Marcus Johnson (Minnesota)
QB Charlie Frye (Seattle)
QB Bruce Gradkowski (Cleveland)
2009 Trade Acquisitions:
None
2009 Offseason Departures:
S Gibril Wilson (Miami)
C Jake Grove (Miami)
WR Ronald Curry (Detroit)
S Rashad Baker (Philadelphia)
FB Justin Griffith (Seattle)
LB Robert Thomas (Washington)
WR Ashley Lelie (Unsigned)
OT Kwame Harris (Unsigned)
QB Marques Tuiasosopo (Unsigned)
DE Greg Spires (Unsigned)
2009 NFL Draft:
1-7. Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
2-47. Michael Mitchell, SS, Ohio
3-71. Matt Shaughnessy, DE, Wisconsin
4-124. Louis Murphy, WR, Florida
4-126. Slade Norris, OLB, Oregon State
6-199. Stryker Sulak, DE, Missouri
6-202. Brandon Myers, TE, Iowa
2009 Outlook:
Amazingly enough, Tom Cable was retained by Al Davis, maybe more or less because no one else wanted the job and Al just gave up, nonetheless Cable inherits the daunting task of trying to turn around a franchise that has finished with no more than 5 wins in a season
since they were decimated by the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl.
In an effort to jump start a cumbersome passing attack, the Raiders used their first round draft pick on wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, a pick that was criticized heavily by roughly everyone but Raider fans themselves. Heyward-Bey will definitely give the Raiders a target that has speed to burn, but he is still an incredibly raw player and when the only other wide receivers added to the worst passing offense in the league were Louis Murphy, a fourth round selection out of Florida, and Will Franklin, a free agent acquisition from the 0-16 Lions – well, it’s hard to really peg what exactly the Raiders would like to do here. It should be noted tight end Zach Miller is quietly establishing himself as one of the more underrated players at that position, and could very well be the only reliable passing target the Raiders have on the roster.
Jamarcus Russell should remain the starting quarterback for now, but will be pushed in camp and the preseason by veteran Jeff Garcia, formerly of the Buccaneers. Russell or Garcia will likely lean heavily on the rushing attack of Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden, and Michael Bush yet again. The rushing attack could even be more formidable with the addition of blocker Lorenzo Neal. In addition to signing Neal, the Raiders also let Kwame Harris go unsigned in free agency and will replace him with former Jags left tackle Khalif Barnes.
Defensively, as mentioned previously, the Raiders strength is in their secondary where Nmandi Asomugha and Chris Johnson are a very effective tandem. The Raiders also signed Keith Davis and used their 47th overall selection on Michael Mitchell out of Ohio to fill the vacated hole left behind by cap-causality Gibril Wilson.
However, the Raiders weakness defending the run could be a major issue yet again. The $67.5 million dollar combo of Tommy Kelly and Terdell Sands has been nothing short of a disaster and the Raiders did not really address this in the offseason.
The linebacking corps will be lead once again by underrated standout Kirk Morrison. Thomas Howard, Jon Alston and rookie Slade Norris round out the rest of the Raiders linebacking crew.
2009 Schedule:
| Mon 9/14 | San Diego |
| Sun 9/20 | at Kansas City |
| Sun 9/27 | Denver |
| Sun 10/4 | at Houston |
| Sun 10/11 | at NY Giants |
| Sun 10/18 | Philadelphia |
| Sun 10/25 | NY Jets |
| Sun 11/1 | at San Diego |
| bye | |
| Sun 11/15 | Kansas City |
| Sun 11/22 | Cincinnati |
| Thu 11/26 | at Dallas |
| Sun 12/6 | at Pittsburgh |
| Sun 12/13 | Washington |
| Sun 12/20 | at Denver |
| Sun 12/27 | at Cleveland |
| Sun 1/3 | Baltimore |
2009 Prediction:
And while there is some undeniable talent on the Raiders roster, there are some undeniable holes as well. Nmandi Asomugha is the best cornerback in the NFL by a pretty significant margin, Darren McFadden should be a fine running back, and Kirk Morrison is still one of the leagues best kept secrets on defense—but the rest of this franchise seems to be in a free fall.
Luckily for them, the Raiders play in one of the worst divisions in football, but they still drew a very difficult schedule which includes matchups against six playoff teams.
Look for yet another long season in the Bay Area, and for the Raiders six year streak of failing to win over five games hit year number seven.
Predicted Finish: 3-13, 4th AFC West
Jacksonville Jaguars 2009 Preview
Published: July 3, 2009
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Then the Jags would come screaming back to Earth.
Injury after injury would plague the Jags offensive line, the defense would regress, and the lack of a decent wide receiving threat would begin to take its toll on a promising season.
For the Jacksonville Jaguars, if you wanted to sum up their 2008 season, the word you would use is “disappointment”.
And why not? After being within a touchdown of the undefeated Patriots late in the Divisional Round it seemed like the Jags were the team that was about to make the leap. David Garrard almost refused to turn the ball over in 2007, only throwing 3 picks during the year while completing 64% of his passes.
But those numbers also would come with the benefit of strong outputs of the Jags dynamic duo at running back in Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, as each back would account for over 1200 yards of total offense.
2008 was a different story for Jacksonville. Fred Taylor looked like his older self, only rushing for 556 yards and a single touchdown behind a decimated offensive line that saw both starting guards Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams go down with season ending injuries, starting center Brad Meester miss the first six games of the season and tragically lost backup tackle Richard Collier after Collier was the victim of a shooting incident that left him paralyzed from the waist down with his left leg amputated.
Maurice Jones-Drew for all intents and purposes had a pretty solid year, but was also not the same explosive all-purpose back we had become accustomed to seeing, in large part because of the injury problems on the Jags line.
Despite all the injuries on offense, the Jags defense may have been the most disappointing element of their 2008 season. In 2007 the Jags defense was a solid 15th overall against the pass, but in 2008 they were only 24th in pass defense—surrendering just under 225 yards a game through the air.
Rashean Mathis had another fine season for the Jags, recording 4 interceptions, but the rest of the secondary was gouged and gouged repeatedly as of the 39 touchdowns scored against the Jacksonville defense a season ago—25 of those came through the air.
What all of this led to was a very up and down Jacksonville team to start the season, as they opened the year 4-5 and wound up losing six of their last seven contests to close the season 5-11, leaving the Jags as the only AFC South team with a losing record.
That record could be deceiving though as a wounded and overall banged up Jaguars team would lose six of those 11 contests by 7 points or less.
Which ironically was the difference in wins and losses from the 2007 season.
T Tra Thomas (Philadelphia)
S Marlon McCree (Denver)
S Sean Considine (Philadelphia)
QB Todd Bouman (Baltimore)
OT Khalif Barnes (Oakland)
LB Mike Peterson (Atlanta)
S Gerald Sensabaugh (Dallas)
CB Drayton Florence (Buffalo)
DE Paul Spicer (New Orleans)
TE George Wrighster (New York Giants)
S Pierson Prioleau (New Orleans)
G Tuten Reyes (New York Giants)
WR Matt Jones (Cut)
WR Reggie Williams (Unsigned)
WR Jerry Porter (Cut)
2-39. Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
3-72. Terrance Knighton, DT, Temple
3-73. Derek Cox, CB, William & Mary
4-107. Mike Thomas, WR/KR, Arizona
5-144. Jarett Dillard, WR, Rice
6-180. Zach Miller, TE, Nebraska-Omaha
7-250. Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty
7-253. Tiquan Underwood, WR, Rutgers
But the new rags won’t be the only new addition to this Jacksonville team. After injuries decimated the Jaguar offensive line in 2008, Jags GM Gene Smith made it a point to make sure that doesn’t duplicate itself again in 2009.
At running back, Maurice Jones-Drew will now be the main guy as longtime Jag Fred Taylor left in free agency for the Patriots. Jones-Drew will be joined in the backfield by Greg Jones.
At wide receiver, perhaps the Jaguars biggest weakness a season ago, the Jags completely overhauled the depth chart at this position. Gone are first round busts Matt Jones and Reggie Williams and free agent disaster Jerry Porter. Torry Holt was signed to fill one vacated spot, but Jacksonville still looks dangerously thin at the position.
Defensively, the Jaguars will look very similar to what they did last season. They did however add two veteran safeties to their roster via free agency in Marlon McCree and Sean Considine.
| Sun 9/13 | at Indianapolis |
| Sun 9/20 | Arizona |
| Sun 9/27 | at Houston |
| Sun 10/4 | Tennessee |
| Sun 10/11 | at Seattle |
| Sun 10/18 | St. Louis |
| bye | |
| Sun 11/1 | at Tennessee |
| Sun 11/8 | Kansas City |
| Sun 11/15 | at NY Jets |
| Sun 11/22 | Buffalo |
| Sun 11/29 | at San Francisco |
| Sun 12/6 | Houston |
| Sun 12/13 | Miami |
| Thu 12/17 | Indianapolis |
| Sun 12/27 | at New England |
| Sun 1/3 | at Cleveland |
| Sun 12/13 | at Minnesota |
| Sun 12/20 | at San Diego |
| Sun 12/27 | Kansas City |
| Sun 1/3 | at NY Jets |
2009 Prediction:
The good news is, this is a team that should not duplicate it’s 5-11 record from a year ago. It should not be understated how hard injuries hit the Jacksonville offensive line, causing the Jags to almost instantaneously lose their biggest strengths as a whole.
The bad news is, while this team will improve, there are still some undeniable weaknesses on the roster that I believe they failed to address completely, particularly at wide receiver.
It also doesn’t help that the Jags play in the strongest division in the AFC, and arguably the strongest division in all of football, a division that could very well field three playoff teams in 2009.
One of those three could be the Jaguars if they strike gold in the passing game and turn it around on defense.
Realistically speaking though, one of those three playoff teams will not be the Jacksonville Jaguars, as the weaknesses in the passing game will be too much to overcome in this strong AFC South
Predicted Finish: 7-9, 4th AFC South
Kansas City Chiefs 2009 Preview
Published: July 3, 2009
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The Kansas City Chiefs entered last season as the youngest team in the National Football League and showcased this youth and inexperience with a flurry of close games that they could not quite finish.
During the beginning portion of the season however, the Chiefs were abysmal. Many pundits thought they, and not the Lions and Rams, were the worst team in the league. Behind the potent combination of Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard the Chiefs started the season 1-5 with their lone win coming against division rival Denver.
It was then that they decided the season was obviously not going to end in a postseason run and the keys were turned over to young Tyler Thigpen, a quarterback that excelled in a spread offense but struggled mightily under center.
To Thigpen’s credit, following his first action against Atlanta, the young signal caller showed a lot of progress the rest of the way and at the least made the Chiefs a difficult game on the schedule for many playoff contenders.
However, thanks in large part to a defense that was historically bad at rushing the passer—as a unit they managed only 10 sacks for the entire season—the Chiefs finished the 2008 season 2-14, with Thigpen going 1-10 as a starter.
But this 2-14 squad showed quite a bit of promise for the future as well. Young wide receiver Dwayne Bowe continued to shine on a mediocre offense, catching 86 balls for 1022 yards with seven touchdowns. And Jamaal Charles, the teams third round pick in 2008, showed flashes of his gamebreaking abilities as he averaged over five yards a carry in his rookie year.
The 2008 season ended the Herm Edwards and Carl Peterson era, and would pave the road for a familiar name to take over the front office when the so called architect of the Patriots dynasty, Scott Pioli, would take over as Chiefs GM.
2009 Free Agency Additions:
WR Bobby Engram (Seattle)
TE Tony Curtis (Dallas)
TE Sean Ryan (San Francisco)
G Mike Goff (San Diego)
C Eric Ghiaciuc (Cincinnati)
DE/OLB Darrell Robertson (New England)
ILB Zach Thomas (Dallas)
ILB Corey Mays (Cincinnati)
ILB Monty Beisel (Arizona)
CB Travis Daniels (Cleveland)
2009 Trade Acquistions:
QB Matt Cassel (New England)
LB Mike Vrabel (New England)
2009 Offseason Departures:
QB Damon Huard (San Francisco)
WR Will Franklin (Detroit)
TE Tony Gonzalez (Traded to Atlanta)
G Adrian Jones (Houston)
DE Jason Babin (Unsigned)
DE Brian Johnston (Detroit)
OLB Rocky Boiman (Unsigned)
OLB Donnie Edwards (Cut)
ILB Pat Thomas (Buffalo)
CB Patrick Surtain (Cut)
CB David Macklin (Cut)
S Oliver Celestin (Unsigned)
2009 NFL Draft:
1-3. Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
3-67. Alex Magee, DE/DT, Purdue
4-102. Donald Washington, CB, Ohio State
5-139. Colin Brown, OT, Missouri
6-175. Quinten Lawrence, WR, McNeese State
7-212. Javarris Williams, RB, Tennessee State
7-237. Jake O’Connell, TE, Miami of Ohio
7-256. Ryan Succop, K, South Carolina
2009 Outlook:
The Chiefs will kick off the 2009 season with a new quarterback under center, a new coaching staff on the sidelines, and for the first time in 12 years—no Tony Gonzalez playing tight end.
Former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley comes over to Kansas City after new GM Scott Pioli was unable to successfully lure former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan to the City of Fountains. However, unlike his last coaching job, Haley will not have the luxury of having two franchise caliber wide receivers in his offense along with a former Super Bowl MVP at quarterback.
Instead, Haley will inherit a younger offense with new quarterback Matt Cassel running the show. Cassel, as many will remember, stepped into the limelight after Tom Brady’s season was ironically abruptly ended in a Season Opening contest against the Chiefs. The former backup to Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer at USC would go on to lead the Patriots to victory that Sunday, and take his Patriots to an 11-5 record in 2008, only to fall short of the playoffs due to tiebreakers.
Cassel will have some weapons at his disposal however. Dependable veteran wide receiver Bobby Engram comes over to Kansas City to pair up with the young tandem of Dwayne Bowe and midseason surprise Mark Bradley, and will likely become Cassel’s favorite target on third down – a down Engram excels at converting. The Chiefs will also have a stable of running backs to use, with former All-Pro Larry Johnson teaming up with young talents Kolby Smith, Jamaal Charles, and rookie Javarris Williams.
Free agent additions Mike Goff and Eric Ghiaciuc will attempt to help stabilize a young Chiefs offensive line headlined by their young tackle Branden Albert.
Defensively, Clancy Pendergast will take the reins and like Haley he comes to Kansas City fresh off a stint with the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals. All eyes will be on the Chiefs defense and their 3rd overall pick Tyson Jackson. Jackson was considered the premier 3-4 bookend in the 2009 draft, and the Chiefs thought highly enough of him to pass on the consensus top defensive player in the draft Aaron Curry, along with other players that would have helped the Chiefs immensely. Jackson will team up with 2008 first round pick Glenn Dorsey to try and kickstart a defense that was generally miserable in all aspects of the game a year ago – most notably in the pass rushing department where the Chiefs averaged under a half sack a game in 2008.
The Chiefs also added a veteran presence in their linebacking corps by acquiring Mike Vrabel in the same deal that netted them Matt Cassel, along with signing longtime veteran linebacker Zach Thomas to man the middle of the D. They will pair up with Derrick Johnson, an underrated playmaker on the outside.
The Chiefs secondary is probably the weak spot of the defense, and they will need big years from both of their safeties Jarrad Page and Bernard Pollard if they are to improve on this side of the ball. The play of young corners Brandon Flowers and rookie Donald Washington will also have a sizable impact on what this young Kansas City team can accomplish in 2009.
2009 Schedule:
| Date | Opponent |
| 09/13/09 | at Baltimore Ravens |
| 09/20/09 | Oakland Raiders |
| 09/27/09 | at Philadelphia Eagles |
| 10/04/09 | New York Giants |
| 10/11/09 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 10/18/09 | at Washington Redskins |
| 10/25/09 | San Diego Chargers |
| 11/01/09 | Bye |
| 11/08/09 | at Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 11/15/09 | at Oakland Raiders |
| 11/22/09 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 11/29/09 | at San Diego Chargers |
| 12/06/09 | Denver Broncos |
| 12/13/09 | Buffalo Bills |
| 12/20/09 | Cleveland Browns |
| 12/27/09 | at Cincinnati Bengals |
| 01/03/10 | at Denver Broncos |
2009 Prediction:
Unlike many of the bottom feeders in the NFL a year ago, the Chiefs have a lot of pieces in place to begin a turnaround. A weak division paired with a favorable inter-conference schedule could give this young Chiefs team a world of confidence if they start the season off hot.
It likely will all come down to the play of new starter Matt Cassel, and whether or not he is able to continue his good play from a year ago. If Cassel can give the Chiefs their first reliable quarterback in several years—do not be surprised if the Chiefs win eight or nine games and steal the AFC West. However, realistically, that’s a mighty big if and this seems like a team that is still a year away from making a splash in the AFC.
Still, this is a team that should improve greatly from its 2008 display.
Predicted Finish: 6-10, 2nd AFC West
Cleveland Browns 2009 Preview
Published: July 3, 2009
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The Cleveland Browns entered the 2008 season with many believing they were about to make the leap from the pretenders to the contenders. They proved those same people wrong.
The quick fall back to reality for the Browns arose when incumbent starting quarterback Derek Anderson greatly regressed from his play in 2007, eventually leading to a quarterback controversy to bloom with backup Brady Quinn. And the rest of the Browns offense seemed to follow the route of Anderson. Jamal Lewis was a shell of his former self and Braylon Edwards seemingly killed as many drives with drops, as he would catch touchdowns on the year. Kellen Winslow would see his statistics take an enormous dive, as he would only account for 428 yards and three touchdowns in an injury riddled season after posting career highs in those categories just a year ago.
And really, that was the dichotomy of the Browns season in a nutshell. In 2007 the Browns finished 10-6 and were on the brink of a postseason berth, in 2008, the Browns would finish a terrible 4-12 with less than stellar seasons from almost every player that stepped up only nine months earlier.
This was not better shown in Cleveland, than on the defensive side of the football. With an offense unable to consistently sustain drives, the Romeo Crennel Browns had even more difficulty getting opposing offenses to stop sustaining drives. The Browns finished 27th in Total Defense in 2008—which actually was an improvement from their 30th overall ranking in 2007—but teams would convert 46% of their 3rd down plays against them (only Indianapolis and Kansas City fared worse with 47%)
With Crennel being a defensive minded coach, the struggles on that side of the ball would ultimately be his downfall as the Browns finished the season losing 8 of their final 9 games.
Crennel would soon be fired in favor of another former Patriots defensive coach, one Eric Mangini.
2009 Free Agency Additions:
CB Rod Hood, (Arizona)
LB Eric Barton, (New York Jets)
DE C.J. Mosley, (New York Jets)
OT John St. Clair, (Chicago)
OT Pork Chop Womack, (Seattle)
TE Robert Royal, (Buffalo)
CB Corey Ivy, (Baltimore)
S Hank Poteat, (New York Jets)
LB David Bowens, (New York Jets)
T George Foster, (Detroit)
LB Bo Ruud, (New England)
WR David Patten, (New Orleans)
WR Mike Furrey, (Detroit)
RB Noah Herron, (New York Jets)
2009 Trade Acquistions:
DE Kenyon Coleman (New York Jets)
QB Brett Ratliff (New York Jets)
S Abram Elam (New York Jets)
2009 Offseason Departures:
TE Kellen Winslow (Traded to Tampa Bay)
S Sean Jones (Philadelphia)
LB Andra Davis (Denver)
T Kevin Shaffer (Chicago)
G Seth McKinney (Buffalo)
CB Travis Daniels (Kansas City)
RB Jason Wright (Arizona)
TE Darnell Dinkins (New Orleans)
QB Bruce Gradkowski (Oakland)
RB Allen Patrick (NY Giants)
DE Antwan Peek (Cut)
QB Ken Dorsey (Cut)
CB Terry Cousin (Cut)
2009 NFL Draft:
1-21. Alex Mack, C, California
2-36. Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State
2-50. Mohamed Massaquoi, WR, Georgia
2-52. David Veikune, DE/OLB, Hawaii
4-104. Kaluka Maiava, LB, USC
6-177. Don Carey, CB, Norfolk State
6-191. Coye Francies, CB, San Jose State
6-195. James Davis, RB, Clemson
2009 Outlook:
The Browns will usher in a new coaching staff of sorts when former Jets head man Eric Mangini comes to Cleveland to take over for Romeo Crennel. With Mangini’s arrival comes uncertainty at many positions—most notably quarterback. Mangini is expected to eventually name Brady Quinn as his starting quarterback, but will leave the competition unsettled all the way through preseason.
Whoever winds up winning the starting quarterback job will have a couple of young wide receivers to throw the ball to with the rookie tandem of Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi. They of course will team with Braylon Edwards in an effort to revamp a wide receiving corps that saw Joe Jurevicius be released due to nagging injuries and Donte Stallworth commit vehicular homicide while intoxicated (allegedly). Tight end Robert Royal comes over to Cleveland after the Browns traded Kellen Winslow to Tampa Bay.
Should the Browns hope to rebound after a tumultuous 2008 campaign however, they will need to see immense improvement from their offensive and defensive lines. Joe Thomas may be the best left tackle in football now, but he did not much help a year ago. Cleveland’s first round pick Alex Mack should start from day one and give the Browns the same presence they had hoped to get from free agent LaCharles Bentley some three years ago. The Browns lost tackle Kevin Shaffer to free agency but replaced him with two veteran back-up type players in John St. Clair and Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack. While those two players are not the most glamorous of signings, they should add depth to a unit that desperately needed that for the past couple of years.
Defensively, the Browns seemingly did little if anything to shore up a unit that has been nothing short of terrible the past two seasons. Mangini was able to bring over several former Jets with Eric Barton, CJ Mosley, and Abram Elam being the most notable. However, the Browns did little to shore up needs on their front seven and could very well struggle mightily on this side of the ball yet again.
2009 Schedule:
| Date | Opponent |
| Sunday, September 13 | vs MINNESOTA VIKINGS |
| Sunday, September 20 | @ Denver Broncos |
| Sunday, September 27 | @ Baltimore Ravens |
| Sunday, October 4 | vs CINCINNATI BENGALS |
| Sunday, October 11 | @ Buffalo Bills |
| Sunday, October 18 | @ Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Sunday, October 25 | vs GREEN BAY PACKERS |
| Sunday, November 1 | @ Chicago Bears |
| Monday, November 16 | vs BALTIMORE RAVENS |
| Sunday, November 22 | @ Detroit Lions |
| Sunday, November 29 | @ Cincinnati Bengals |
| Sunday, December 6 | vs SAN DIEGO CHARGERS |
| Thursday, December 10 | vs PITTSBURGH STEELERS |
| Sunday, December 20 | @ Kansas City Chiefs |
| Sunday, December 27 | vs OAKLAND RAIDERS |
| Sunday, January 3 | vs JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS |
2009 Prediction:
In an obvious rebuilding year as Eric Mangini begins to cut ties with several players from the Romeo Crennel era while replacing them with his own guys, the Browns will likely struggle—especially given the division they play in and the schedule they have drawn in 2009.
That said, the Browns do have some talent on offense—enough where they should be able to hang in quite a few games. The best case scenario for Cleveland appears to be seven or eight wins, but because of the turnover on the roster and the lack of adding true impact players to a defense that desperately needed that. The Browns will likely fall short of this scenario.
Final Prediction: 5-11, 3rd AFC North
St. Louis Rams 2009 Preview
Published: July 3, 2009
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2008 Summary:
The 2008 season is one many Rams fans would soon like to forget.
Coach Scott Linehan was fired midway through the year after pretty much causing every veteran to hate him, and interim head coach Jim Haslett soon showed the world that he still was not a good coach after the Rams somehow shockingly won back to back games against NFC East contenders Washington and Dallas in October—only to drop the next 10 games to finish a dismal 2-14.
In fact, life in Rams country has not been pleasant since their 8-8 record in 2006. If you take the past two seasons, the Rams have gone 5-27, which would give the Rams the worst two year stretch in the NFL.
Like you would expect out of most teams that went 2-14, the Rams were mired by injuries across the board to key players. Orlando Pace, Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, and Torry Holt all played much of the season injured, and only Holt played all 16 games a year ago. The constant turnover on offense led to the once proud unit slugging to a 27th overall ranking in 2008, made even worse when you take into consideration the Rams 31st overall scoring offense (14.5 PPG).
Defensively, the Rams were just as awful. As a unit they surrendered nearly 30 points a game, surrendered nearly nine yards per pass, and about five yards per carry (only the Lions had worse averages in 2008).
First round pick Chris Long had a very quiet season, and really disappeared in the second half of the year when he would not register a single sack after registering four sacks during his first seven games.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Rams—a team in an obvious transitional period. Rookie WR Donnie Avery had a fantastic first season for the Rams, catching 53 passes for 674 yards and three touchdowns, and franchise safety Oshiomogho Atogwe had a great year on a terrible defense as he picked off five passes, forced six fumbles, and was second on the team in tackles with 85.
2009 Free Agency Additions:
QB Kyle Boller (Baltimore)
TE Billy Bajema (San Francisco)
C Jason Brown (Baltimore)
FB Mike Karney (New Orleans)
S James Butler (New York Giants)
2009 Trade Acquistions:
WR Laurent Robinson (Atlanta)
DT Orien Harris (Cincinnati)
2009 Offseason Departures:
WR Torry Holt (Jacksonville)
OT Orlando Pace (Chicago)
LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (Chicago)
OT Brandon Gorin (Denver)
FB Dan Kreider (Arizona)
TE Anthony Becht (Arizona)
C Nick Leckey (New Orleans)
C Brett Romberg (Atlanta)
QB Trent Green (Cut)
WR Drew Bennett (Cut)
S Corey Chavous (Cut)
2009 NFL Draft:
1-2. Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
2-35. James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State
3-66. Bradley Fletcher, CB, Iowa
4-103. Dorell Scott, DT, Clemson
5-160. Brooks Foster, WR, North Carolina
6-196. Keith Null, QB, West Texas A&M
7-211. Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, Texas
2009 Outlook:
New coach Steve Spagnuolo comes to the Gateway City after being more well known for devising the defensive scheme to defeat the Patriots in Super Bowl XL as defensive coordinator in New York. Spagnuolo will have his hands full with a defensive unit short on talent across the board. That said, there are pieces in place at Spagnuolo’s disposal, including 2008 first round pick Chris Long and 2009 second round pick James Laurinaitis.
For the Rams defense to be respectable in 2009 however, they will have to get Oshiomogho Atogwe to report to Training Camp on time, as he is far and away the most talented player the Rams have on that side of the ball.
Offensively, the Rams figure to go to a more run-oriented offense, and will need Steven Jackson to stay healthy to have any shot at turning it around here. This offseason the Rams finally spent a lot of money to repair an offensive line that’s been pieced together with aging veterans and out of position younger players for the past several years. Promising young center Jason Brown comes to St. Louis from Baltimore and figures to anchor the Rams line with Orlando Pace’s heir apparent, Jason Smith protecting Marc Bulger’s blindside. And with that said, Bulger’s health will be another major factor to the Rams success, as the last two years of Bulger’s play have seemingly regressed greatly thanks to a lack of protection and an inability to stay on the field. The aforementioned Donnie Avery will play a big role on the Rams offense, with the departures of longtime icon Torry Holt, and free agent bust Drew Bennett.
The Rams pending change in ownership could also be a black cloud that hangs over the season, especially if things go sour in a hurry.
2009 Schedule:
| Sept. 13 | at Seattle Seahawks (FOX) |
| Sept. 20 | at Washington Redskins (FOX) |
| Sept. 27 | GREEN BAY PACKERS (FOX) |
| Oct. 4 | at San Francisco 49ers (FOX) |
| Oct. 11 | MINNESOTA VIKINGS (FOX) |
| Oct. 18 | at Jacksonville Jaguars (FOX) |
| Oct. 25 | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (CBS) |
| Nov. 1 | at Detroit Lions (FOX) |
| Nov. 8 | BYE |
| Nov. 15 | NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (FOX) |
| Nov. 22 | ARIZONA CARDINALS (FOX) |
| Nov. 29 | SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (FOX) |
| Dec. 6 | at Chicago Bears (FOX) |
| Dec. 13 | at Tennessee (FOX) |
| Dec. 20 | HOUSTON TEXANS (CBS) |
| Dec. 27 | at Arizona Cardinals (FOX) |
| Jan. 3 | SAN FRANCISCO (FOX) |
2009 Prediction:
New Rams Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo may go down being the best new coaching hire out of this class, but even he will have difficulty making the Rams a contender. However, unlike Detroit, the Rams do play in a relatively weak division and if many things break their way they could conceivably sneak in the back door and win the division, leaving the Rams best case scenario as a shocking 8-8 record.
However, that’s very unlikely, and another rough season appears to be in the future for the Rams.
Predicted Finish: 4-12, 4th NFC West
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Hassellbeck – VSN Writer
www.virtualsportsnetwork.com
10 Interesting Facts From The 2008-09 NFL Season
Published: June 28, 2009
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The 2008-09 NFL Season brought many surprises, great games, and excitement to fans. With all of the excitement, it’s sometimes hard to overlook certain things.
Here is a list (in no certain order) of 10 very interesting occurrences from the season. Enjoy!
September 7, 2008
Two rookie coach-quarterback combos (Baltimore Ravens with John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco, Atlanta Falcons with Mike Smith and Matt Ryan) win in Week One—something that has never happened once since the NFL/AFL merger.
September 21, 2008
In the Chief’s third game of the season, they started their third different quarterback and lost for the third time.
September 28, 2008
Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski attempted a 76-yard field goal. He didn’t make it.
October 5, 2008
The Colts embarrass the Texans by becoming the first team ever to trail by at least 17 points in the final five minutes and win in regulation.
October 26, 2008
During the first halftime speech of his NFL coaching career, Mike Singletary dropped his pants and pointed to his posterior to illustrate what he thought of his 49er’s performance so far. He then went on to rant for more than three minutes before hoisting them back up.
November 2, 2008
The Raiders gained minus two yards of total offense in the first half against the Falcons—the first time since 1992 a team finished with less than zero yards of offense before halftime.
November 30, 2008
Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams became the first player ever to record four one-yard rushing touchdowns in a game.
December 28, 2008
In a win over the Buffalo Bills, New England punts on third down on back-to-back possessions, equaling the total number of third-down boots by all NFL teams combined since 1991.
December 28, 2008
Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant has an 80-yard run called back in his final game of the year when replay showed that his knee was down 21 yards into the play, depriving him of a $1.35 million incentive bonus for reaching 1,250 yards. Ouch.
December 28, 2008
The Detroit Lions—the only undefeated team in preseason—become the first to finish a 0-16 regular season.
Almost On the List
September 28, 2008
The jets outgun the Cardinals 56-35 despite a scoreless first quarter.
October 12, 2008
On their 334th play of the season, the Redskins committed their first turnover. On their next possession they coughed it up again.
December 31, 2008
Former NFL Comeback Player of the Year Chad Pennington wins the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award again.
These are from the Athlon Sports Preview Magazine. I highly suggest you go pick it up to read the ENTIRE list!
———————————————————————————–
Rush – VSN Writer
www.virtualsportsnetwork.com/forum
Join up to our site and drop by the NFL Forum for news, discussion, etc.
10 Interesting Facts From The 2008-09 NFL Season
Published: June 28, 2009
No Comments
The 2008-09 NFL Season brought many surprises, great games, and excitement to fans. With all of the excitement, it’s sometimes hard to overlook certain things.
Here is a list (in no certain order) of 10 very interesting occurrences from the season. Enjoy!
September 7, 2008
Two rookie coach-quarterback combos (Baltimore Ravens with John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco, Atlanta Falcons with Mike Smith and Matt Ryan) win in Week One—something that has never happened once since the NFL/AFL merger.
September 21, 2008
In the Chief’s third game of the season, they started their third different quarterback and lost for the third time.
September 28, 2008
Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski attempted a 76-yard field goal. He didn’t make it.
October 5, 2008
The Colts embarrass the Texans by becoming the first team ever to trail by at least 17 points in the final five minutes and win in regulation.
October 26, 2008
During the first halftime speech of his NFL coaching career, Mike Singletary dropped his pants and pointed to his posterior to illustrate what he thought of his 49er’s performance so far. He then went on to rant for more than three minutes before hoisting them back up.
November 2, 2008
The Raiders gained minus two yards of total offense in the first half against the Falcons—the first time since 1992 a team finished with less than zero yards of offense before halftime.
November 30, 2008
Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams became the first player ever to record four one-yard rushing touchdowns in a game.
December 28, 2008
In a win over the Buffalo Bills, New England punts on third down on back-to-back possessions, equaling the total number of third-down boots by all NFL teams combined since 1991.
December 28, 2008
Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant has an 80-yard run called back in his final game of the year when replay showed that his knee was down 21 yards into the play, depriving him of a $1.35 million incentive bonus for reaching 1,250 yards. Ouch.
December 28, 2008
The Detroit Lions—the only undefeated team in preseason—become the first to finish a 0-16 regular season.
Almost On the List
September 28, 2008
The jets outgun the Cardinals 56-35 despite a scoreless first quarter.
October 12, 2008
On their 334th play of the season, the Redskins committed their first turnover. On their next possession they coughed it up again.
December 31, 2008
Former NFL Comeback Player of the Year Chad Pennington wins the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award again.
These are from the Athlon Sports Preview Magazine. I highly suggest you go pick it up to read the ENTIRE list!
———————————————————————————–
Rush – VSN Writer
www.virtualsportsnetwork.com/forum
Join up to our site and drop by the NFL Forum for news, discussion, etc.
Some Things Just Aren’t Right!:Sammy Sosa Bad, Donte Stallworth Shameful
Published: June 17, 2009
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Today I open the sports page and two things simply hit me hard.
The first was the story on Donte Stallworth and the second was a story on Sammy Sosa. On the surface they may not seem like earth shattering pieces, but as I thought more about these two athletes I began to realize that these stories really were bothering me.
I see Donte Stallworth will probably spend about a month behind bars. From what I read, he was intoxicated. His Bentley hit the deceased and Stallworth got out, called the authorities and did all the “right” things.
Correct me here if I am wrong.
He was a drunk driver who hit a pedestrian with his car! The man died due to his drunken negligence. That is a crime no matter how you spin it. It is what it is; Stallworth has minimal jail time and an undisclosed settlement with the victim’s family.
Here’s what bothers me. Michael Vick just spent about two years behind bars. He killed no one with his car. Nobody was shot by this man. Mr. Vick ran a dog fighting operation. Dogs were killed, not people! And this man did quite a bit more time than Mr. Stallworth will.
Is human life worth less than that of our canine counterparts? So it seems.
How can we as a society punish a man for killing canines, yet barely punish another for taking the life of another person? I am very perplexed.
Next I read about how Sammy Sosa lied about “being on the juice.” No joke!
Who didn’t he lie to? Now, he’s worried about getting into the Hall. Give me a break.
In 1998 Sosa and Mark McGwire set the National League on fire as they launched baseballs out of parks at an alarming pace. Sosa hit 66 home runs and McGwire poked 70 dingers that year. Those two alone brought fans back to the stands to help bring baseball back after some lean years.
But both were “juicers.” Both used performance enhancing drugs to help them attain the remarkable home run totals.
Sosa and McGuire were not the only cheaters of their era though. Jose Conseco has written two books about the goings on of the time. Roger Clemens has been accused of using illegal substances. The all-time home run king Barry Bonds too is a supposed abuser.
Do yourself a favor. Take a look at a photo of any of these players in there rookie seasons and then again 10 to 15 years later. The difference is remarkable.
Are these players cheaters? I think so.
They took illegal drugs to enhance their performances. Compare any of these players to Hank Aaron and it’s embarrassing. Aaron hit 715 big flies on his own!
Do these players deserve the Hall of Fame? They all will be considered.
They have gained their “Hall of Fame” numbers by using illegal substances. Is it fair?
Here is what I think is very unfair. Pete Rose has never used an illegal substance, yet he will probably never be on any ballot.
The major league leader in hits admittedly bet on his team to win. Rose admitted he initially lied in the Dowd Report. He has never cheated anyone at any time.
His “crime” was betting on baseball. He did not bet against his team. He bet on his team to win. He didn’t fix games. He didn’t do anything that was deemed underhanded.
He simply went against the code of baseball; “Thou shalt not bet on baseball.”
You can take drugs to hit the ball farther, but you cannot bet on your team to win if you want to get into the Hall of Fame. I don’t understand!
Reading the paper in the morning usually is a time of relaxation. This morning I think it just upset me.
I would greatly appreciate comments!!!
Tyrd Ferguson – VSN Writer
Virtualsportsnetwork.com
The Miami Dolphins’ Almost Un-Perfect Season
Published: May 26, 2009
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I still remember that terrifying thought running through my mind that season. A thought that I hoped I would never have to face the reality of. My beloved Miami Dolphins, whom I have shared difficult and great times throughout my years, were on the verge of going the unprecedented 0-16 with only two games remaining.
With injuries piling up and IR moves on the rise as the season progressed, could this team muster up the energy and will power to finally win a game?
To understand this terrible ending of a season that was supposed to be great, you have to look back at the 2006 off season moves that set the stage for the following year.
The Miami Dolphins owner at the time, Wayne Huizenga, changes up his coaching staff for the better…or so he thought. Not only did he feel some staff needed to be changed, but his brand new head football coach resigned to coach at the college level..again.
Now in the market for another new Head Coach, Huizenga called upon an experienced offensive coordinator with the San Diego Chargers. His hopes of improving on a 6-10 season laid in the hands if Cam Cameron. He spent five years with the Chargers and almost all of those years his team was atop the league in offensive production.
Cam Cameron had a terrible first draft in my opinion, hell in ALL Dolphins fans opinions, which slated the Dolphins for the 1-15 2007 season. With Brady Quinn on the board it was a no brainer. Grab your franchise quarterback and don’t look back.
“With the ninth pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select: Ted Ginn Jr, out of Ohio State.” Wow. Did this just happen? A Wide Receiver. This helps the offense of the Mighty Phins out very nicely! A huge up-roar ensued by Dolphins fans all over, but everyone still had hope for this Offensive genius. He has to know what he is doing, right?
In the second Round he went ahead and picked John Beck. A long armed QB who no one really heard of really. He did excellent at BYU, but scouts didn’t know how he’d pan out.
After a couple of trades/signings/retirements blah blah blah…the season was upon us. To 2007…A fresh new year with a fresh new coach and a fresh new started Quarterba…wait I mean a fresh new Wide Recie…wait he didn’t even start. What the hell is going on here? Oh and who is the Quarterback of this team you may ask. Well that would be John Beck, Trent Green, Cleo Lemon, and Casey Bramlet. The rookie John Beck did not get the nod for starting QB.
Instead, the old man Trent Green held those reigns. Green was knocked out with a knee in game five and was subsequently put on the IR list and was declared out for season. Cleo Lemon and John Beck battled vigorously all season long trying to pull this doomed team out of the pit. Neither never showed any good, above average or even average performances. Sure the injuries did not help matters, or even the defense. But they kept fighting and fighting. Alas, it was all for nothing..
With 0-16 hanging over my head I gotta tell you, I don’t think I could do it. That many people rooting for you to fail has got to kill a man. The rookie will be a man and step it up right? Wrong. The nobody, Cleo Lemon, stood up and took on the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens were already having a tough season, but a win over the Dolphins looked immanent. That was until the game went to overtime with the score of 16-16.
As the OT started up the Dolphins were just looking to get down the field and try to get in field goal range. A tough feat for anyone to do in the NFL. With an abysmal offense all season long (and some flat out stupid games. Six losses in 2007 with the margin of three points or less), that’s got to be down right impossible.
As Cleo Lemon took the first snap he looked inside to Greg Camarillo who shed a tackled and ran all the way down to for a touchdown sealing their first and only win of the 2007 season.
Now it is 2009 and I can not be more happy with this team. With the hirings of Tony Sporano and Bill Parcells on staff, I’m looking forward to hopefully some more 11-5, AFC East Champions, seasons. Two years later…I won’t say that terrible season still hurts, but I will say it is damn sure going away. I love the Miami Dolphins and hope for the best in this upcoming 2009 NFL season.
Do us proud Phins.
Rylo, VSN Writer
From Neckbeard To Jay Cutsizzle, Transitioning Away From Mediocrity
Published: May 26, 2009
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To categorize past Chicago Bears quarterbacks as mediocre would be a severe understatement. Since Jim McMahon walked off into the sunset, establishing the quarterback position has proven difficult for Chicago.
Watching Jay Cutler in favor of Kyle “Neckbeard” Orton this upcoming season has put my nerves at ease. Acquiring Jay Cutler from Denver in a trade this offseason is Chicago’s first step in transitioning away from mediocrity
After the planets aligned, the Bears were able to trade for Pro-Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler. In exchange, Chicago had to give up a couple of draft picks and a homeless guy who occasionally stepped in to hand the ball off to Matt Forte.
Jay Cutler will be the first true QB the Bears have had on their roster since Jim McMahon. I will give Bear fans a spoiler alert, I am going to list some former Bear quarterbacks, if you wish to look away from the screen, please do so now.
Rick Mirer. Jim Kramer. Steve Stenstrom. Moses Moreno. Shane Mathews. Cade McNown. Chris Chandler. Henry Burris. Kordell Stewart. Rex Grossman. Johnathon Quinn. Craig Krenzel. Chad Hutchinson. Brian Griese. Kyle Orton. Oh dear lord… Rex Grossman again.
A strong negative stigma has been attached to the quarterback position in Chicago for many years. Many less than stellar performances, bobbled snaps, errant passes, and interceptions have long frustrated Bear fans. After a brief flash of success in 1995 which included a trip to the Pro Bowl, Eric Kramer’s talent seemed to fizzle out.
Fast forward to September 2006, Rex Grossman is named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month. For the first time in many years, we had some hope. Rex Grossman seemed to be coming into his own, however, down the stretch his play would become highly questionable.
The Bears defense led them to the Super Bowl against the Indianapolis Colts. Rex Grossman decided that he would hand over the game to the Colts as if it were a plate of cookies to a new neighbor.
In his defense, Grossman boasts one very important statistic for Bear fans to remember. He was the first quarterback for Chicago to start all 16 games. The last quarterback to do that was Eric Kramer in 2006.
Inconsistency seemed to be Rex’s middle name. Actually, upon further research it is Daniel. Thank Google for that seemingly unimportant piece of information.
I am not going to lie, I became a fan of Kyle “Neckbeard” Orton this past season. He showed me more than any recent Chicago quarterback has.
For once we had a quarterback competent enough to actually make reads and throw the intermediate pass. He put up good stats that included nearly 3,000 yards passing, 58% completion percentage, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Orton led them to a 9-7 record and just missed out on the playoffs. He was starting to show glimpses of becoming a leader but was a couple of steps away still. I was content with Orton.
I was only content because I knew Jerry Angelo and the front office wouldn’t bring anybody good in. After signings in the past that included Chad Hutchinson, Jonathan Quinn, and Brian Griese, I had to be a Neckbeard fan.
It was very uncharacteristic of the Bears to make a big move in the offseason. Acquiring Jay Cutler, makes me smile ear to ear to this very day. He threw for 4,500+ yards and 25 touchdowns, and he is going to be playing for my Bears?
I know he had a rough finish to last year with Denver down the stretch. However, he had no defense, and Denver had to pull guys off the street to carry the ball. I am not sure what list would be longer, the Broncos’ injured reserve list, or the swine flu scares at your local hospital.
Signing offensive linemen Orlando Pace, Kevin Schaffer, and Frank Omiyale definitely makes Cutler’s signing that much more sweet. Improving our offense line has been a very important task for us this offseason. First round pick last year, Chris Williams from Vanderbilt, should be healthy and ready to take the field.
Another area for improvement that wasn’t properly addressed was wide receiver. Chicago’s WR corps includes Devin Hester, Rashied Davis, Jauqin Iglesias, and Earl Bennett. Cutler doesn’t have a plethora of options to throw to.
Tight ends Desmond Clark and Greg Olson will more then likely be his security blanket. Forte will be reliable coming out of the backfield since he led the team in receptions last season with 63. He can credit captain check down, aka Kyle Orton for those catches.
I am just one of many Chicago fans expecting Jay Cutler to be the next Dan Marino. Maybe our expectations are a little high. Maybe he will just be another name on the long list of atrocious Bear quarterbacks.
Cutler isn’t going to have Brandon Marshall in Denver anymore, so he’ll have to make the best of his options. In workouts, the Bears wide receivers noticed how hard he throws the ball and have needed some time getting used to just how much velocity he throws with. Once they get the timing and chemistry going, this could be the start of something very nice in the windy city.
I am very optimistic about this upcoming season. Jay Cutsizzle will be coming to a highlight reel near you!
For any Denver fans that made it past the injured reserve joke, enjoy Kyle Orton in Denver. Make sure to keep a half-full bottle of Jack Daniels in the locker room at all times or things may get ugly!
Rush – VSN Writer
www.virtualsportsnetwork.com
