Jim Schwartz’s Coy Attitude on Injuries Creating a Motown Monster

Does anybody know how bad Matthew Stafford’s knee injury is?

Does anybody know when anybody on the Detroit Lions’ injury list will be available to play?

Yes. The players, the training staff, and head coach Jim Schwartz.

But nobody else.

What started as a smart tactic of withholding all but the most essential injury information to cloud opponents’ game-planning has become a behemoth of misinformation.

It seems that Schwartz’s philosophy with injury is that everybody is either out for the season or day-to-day and a game-time decision.

Of course, that’s a lie.

He knew Stafford and Calvin Johnson wouldn’t be ready to go against the Packers. He knows what each player’s injury is, the severity of it, and how long it will keep them out.

But you’ll never hear him say, “It looks like Stafford’s injury will keep him out for two or three weeks.” At best, he’ll rule a guy out of Sunday’s game on Thursday or Friday.

That was fine for a while. Lions fans would watch whoever showed up to play, anyway. Anything that might improve the Lions’ chance for a win was okay.

But now it has gotten out of hand.

To compensate for Schwartz’s lack of information, we are now seeing a flood of misinformation.

Now there are reports about Stafford possibly needing knee surgery.

And rebuttals to said report.

And speculation about the future of Stafford’s season.

And even confusion as to whether or not Stafford is practicing because of fake Twitter accounts.

If Stafford doesn’t play against the Rams after the bye, things only figure to get worse.

Next we might see a photoshopped picture of Stafford’s severed leg on the turf.

The sad thing is, fans are so in the dark about Stafford’s injury, they might believe his leg has actually fallen off.

Keeping opponents off-balance by playing the injury report close to the vest is one thing. It’s a good idea.

But this has gotten out of hand. Nobody knows whether Stafford is going to back on the field in a day or a year.

And is it worth it? Is Schwartz getting enough of a leg up on opposing coaches to justify throwing the entirety of the Lions fan base into purgatory about the players they pay to see play football?

It’s not just Stafford. I can buy that Schwartz isn’t sure about Stafford’s knee just yet.

He had complications, so they’re having Dr. James Andrews look at his MRI. I have my doubts as to whether we’ll hear anything concrete about the results, but I’ll believe he doesn’t know much right now.

But Schwartz is playing every single injury like this. Ernie Sims.  Calvin Johnson. Sammie Lee Hill.  Dewayne White. Grady Jackson. Gosder Cherlius.

All of them, the same thing. To paraphrase everything Schwartz has ever said about an injury, “We’re going to see if they can practice, and if they’re good to go, they’ll play. It’ll be a game-time decision.”

Right. A game-time decision that he has made by Thursday.

At 1-5 and coming off an embarrassing shutout loss, the Lions should have shaken any straggling asylum-dwellers of the notion that the Lions are playing for the playoffs this year.

So at the very least, maybe they can show the fans a dim glimmer of information regarding the guys on the injured list to slow this downward spiral of misinformation?

The attachment of Matthew Stafford’s leg might depend on it.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Injuries and How They Impact Sports

First of all, I would like to apologize for the long absence and explain what I’ve been doing.

I am still a kid, and I have the privilege to play junior football.  No matter what I say or do on this web site, I still like playing backyard football and watching the Hawks on the tube.  A few weeks back one play changed my entire season.

We were just coming out of halftime.  I was back to receive the kickoff.  The opponents did an onside that the first line completely ignored.  I fielded it at the 35 yard-line and realized that their was a huge gap.  I ran through it and all of a sudden I was in open field.

One man to beat! I laid a move on him and kept on running.  At the 30, the 20, the 10, it looks like he is going to take it to the house! And then suddenly, CRASH! 

I fell hard on the ground at the two-yard line; I was tackled from my toes, and I fell down defenseless against the ground. 

A jolt of pain went up and down my neck and collarbone.  I knew something wasn’t right so the coach pulled me from the game.  All the players were congratulating me as I took a knee on the sideline.  I finally walked up to the coach and told him that my collarbone area was burning.

They took a look at it and told me to take off my pads and jersey.  They taped me up and I went to the ER (emergency room).  After an hour of waiting, they finally got to me. Some service!  They took X-rays and revealed that I had broken my clavicle.

In football talk: I busted a bone.

I was shocked and horrified.  I felt like I was going to cry when they told me I would be out for the season.

Then I realized how much pain professional athletes endure throughout their lives.  I used to call them “wimps” and “cry babies,” but I have a new found respect for their strength. In the course of their careers, athletes break bones, heal them, and sometimes break them again.

Most professional athletes have long term issues that affect them for the rest of their careers and lives.

A day after my injury (it happened on a Saturday), I decided to watch the Hawks’ game against the San Francisco 49ers.  It was looking OK until disaster struck,  Matt Hasselbeck went with the QB keeper and put his body on the line to score.

Unfortunately, Patrick Willis thought otherwise and busted Hasselbeck’s rib. My knee jerk response was to say, “C’mon Matt! That’s like the third time in two years!”  But I paused, looked at my collarbone, and kept my mouth shut.

I decided to do some research on broken collarbones among professional athletes.  I realized that Adrian Peterson broke his collarbone in college and that it stopped other teams from wanting to draft him. Where others saw weakness, I now saw strength. He toughened up and kept on playing.

I wondered what it was like for Adrian Peterson to watch from the sidelines.  When I watched players on the sidelines that are injured during NFL games I say, “What a bunch of fakers, these guys are getting paid millions for nothing.”

So next time you see an NFL athlete go down with an injury, think about that time you broke a bone. 

These guys are giving every ounce of energy to help the team, and bad things can happen. Nobody is injury-prone; injuries just happen. It’s as simple as mistakes happening.

Nobody can stop them from happening, they can happen to anybody.  An injury that you see on TV or the computer may be just mean a six week absence of your quarterback to you; but to them, it’s six weeks of living in pain and wanting to play. 

Now, I too have experienced that first hand. 

Thanks for reading. 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Injuries and How They Impact Sports

First of all, I would like to apologize for the long absence and explain what I’ve been doing.

I am still a kid, and I have the privilege to play junior football.  No matter what I say or do on this web site, I still like playing backyard football and watching the Hawks on the tube.  A few weeks back one play changed my entire season.

We were just coming out of halftime.  I was back to receive the kickoff.  The opponents did an onside that the first line completely ignored.  I fielded it at the 35 yard-line and realized that their was a huge gap.  I ran through it and all of a sudden I was in open field.

One man to beat! I laid a move on him and kept on running.  At the 30, the 20, the 10, it looks like he is going to take it to the house! And then suddenly, CRASH! 

I fell hard on the ground at the two-yard line; I was tackled from my toes, and I fell down defenseless against the ground. 

A jolt of pain went up and down my neck and collarbone.  I knew something wasn’t right so the coach pulled me from the game.  All the players were congratulating me as I took a knee on the sideline.  I finally walked up to the coach and told him that my collarbone area was burning.

They took a look at it and told me to take off my pads and jersey.  They taped me up and I went to the ER (emergency room).  After an hour of waiting, they finally got to me. Some service!  They took X-rays and revealed that I had broken my clavicle.

In football talk: I busted a bone.

I was shocked and horrified.  I felt like I was going to cry when they told me I would be out for the season.

Then I realized how much pain professional athletes endure throughout their lives.  I used to call them “wimps” and “cry babies,” but I have a new found respect for their strength. In the course of their careers, athletes break bones, heal them, and sometimes break them again.

Most professional athletes have long term issues that affect them for the rest of their careers and lives.

A day after my injury (it happened on a Saturday), I decided to watch the Hawks’ game against the San Francisco 49ers.  It was looking OK until disaster struck,  Matt Hasselbeck went with the QB keeper and put his body on the line to score.

Unfortunately, Patrick Willis thought otherwise and busted Hasselbeck’s rib. My knee jerk response was to say, “C’mon Matt! That’s like the third time in two years!”  But I paused, looked at my collarbone, and kept my mouth shut.

I decided to do some research on broken collarbones among professional athletes.  I realized that Adrian Peterson broke his collarbone in college and that it stopped other teams from wanting to draft him. Where others saw weakness, I now saw strength. He toughened up and kept on playing.

I wondered what it was like for Adrian Peterson to watch from the sidelines.  When I watched players on the sidelines that are injured during NFL games I say, “What a bunch of fakers, these guys are getting paid millions for nothing.”

So next time you see an NFL athlete go down with an injury, think about that time you broke a bone. 

These guys are giving every ounce of energy to help the team, and bad things can happen. Nobody is injury-prone; injuries just happen. It’s as simple as mistakes happening.

Nobody can stop them from happening, they can happen to anybody.  An injury that you see on TV or the computer may be just mean a six week absence of your quarterback to you; but to them, it’s six weeks of living in pain and wanting to play. 

Now, I too have experienced that first hand. 

Thanks for reading. 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Injuries Update (Oct. 4th)

Wes Welker to Face Baltimore Ravens

It’s about time. Randy Moss was officially off the injury report yesterday, and now you can throw Welker back into your receiving corps mix.

Bill Belichick wouldn’t play him if he didn’t think he could do some damage, so throw him in as your WR3 and let Julian Edelman sit this week out.

 

Clinton Portis to Play, but Could Lose Carries

Despite going up against the league’s 31st ranked run defense, Portis is still no lock for fantasy success. He will be playing against Tampa Bay despite injuries to his calf and ankles, but is almost certain to lose some carries to Ladell Betts and Marcus Mason.

There is upside with the Buccaneers being so bad defensively, but if you have a safer, healthier alternative, you would be best-advised to sit Portis.

 

Tashard Choice to Handle Most of Load For Cowboys

Marion Barber is relatively healthy, but Choice is fresh off an impressive Monday night performance, and is completely healthy.

Look for Barber to wiggle his way to 10-12 carries, while Choice should get closer to 20. That is, of course, if the Denver defense turns out to be the shame everyone keeps saying it is, and Dallas finds no trouble running on them.

 

Dwayne Bowe Active Against New York Giants

Bowe was questionable all week and missed last week with a bad hamstring, but after practicing on Friday, got the “okay” to play against the Giants.

Even when completely healthy (which he isn’t), Bowe doesn’t make too sexy of a start, considering how solid the Giants’ defense is. Play him as a strong WR3 with confidence.

 

Kevin Smith Starting For Detroit

He’s still banged-up, but if you were ready to rely on Smith, he’s available to help as a capable RB2 this week against the Chicago Bears.

We strongly suggest starting a healthier, quieter play like Glen Coffee or Carnell Williams if possible, but Smith should still get the ball enough to warrant a start in most leagues this week.

The important thing is that he’s active and he’s a big part of Detroit’s offense.

For more fantasy news and advice, go to The Red Zone Report.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Steelers: Redman Promoted To Active Roster After RB Injuries Strike Again

Shades of 2008 have reared their head again. RB injuries have begun to set in with the Steelers. The oft-injured Willie Parker has turf toe and is expected not to play against the Chargers. As a result, the Steelers have promoted Isaac Redman to the active roster and released DE Nick Eason. Eason had not dressed for a game this season.

Last season was one of the most challenging seasons at RB for the Steelers in memory.  The team finished 23rd in the league in rushing. Parker only started 11 games due to injuries. 

Rashard Mendenhall missed the last 12.5 games of the season. In four games, the Steelers were forced to start Mewelde Moore (the team’s third down RB) due to being so thin at the RB position. Najeh Davenport, who’d been released prior to the 2008 season, was resigned on an emergency basis and played in four games for the Steelers. 

In contrast, 2009 has presented its own challenges at RB.

The team is currently ranked 27th in the league with 243 rushing yards after three games and a mere 3.3 yards per carry. Parker has looked slower and is now, like so often in the past, injured. 

Mendenhall, despite a single nice run this season, is inching ever closer to the infamous “BUST” label after having been drafted in the first round by the Steelers in 2008.  Mendenhall has rushed for 103 yards…in his career. Last week against Cincinnati, he suffered a benching at the hands of Tomlin for allegedly not passing a test required to play in games.

Mewelde Moore, who ran with such surprising grit last season, has eight rushes for 27 yards.

Frank Summers, drafted to be the team’s short yardage back and combination HB/FB, has been put on the IR with a mysterious back injury.

Enter Isaac Redman. 

An undrafted free agent from Bowie State that a large portion of Steelers Nation has been crying to see in a hat on Sundays.

During the preseason, Isaac Redman led the Steelers in rushing. He also led the Steelers in attempts. He showed a tremendous nose for the end zone, something we’ve not seen from our starters for some time. He was able to shed tacklers, beat off first and second contact, and stay upright. His grit and determination energized the fan base.

Unfortunately, Stefan Logan took the fifth RB roster spot, leaving no room for Redman on the roster.

Working against Redman were and are three critical things. Redman has not developed NFL-quality blocking skills or the ability to play on special teams. He’s also slow, having been clocked at 4.76 in the 40. Summers ran a 4.63, and Heath Miller a 4.79. 

Speed is not what the team needs, however, at this point. If Mendenhall and Moore can carry the load, we just may see Redman get a touch or two in short yardage situations, where hopefully that power and determination will shine through. 

And if so, perhaps, just perhaps, Redman will become this year’s Gary Russell.

 

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Injuries Update (Oct. 3rd)

Cleveland’s James Davis Out For Season

This is big, unexpected news, as the rookie looked very sharp in preseason, and was on the verge of getting more carries.

With Davis gone, however, Jerome Harrison will step-in as the full-time starter until Jamal Lewis is fully healthy, and Lewis’s age and ineffectiveness could eventually lead to Harrison becoming the feature back this season.

Harrison put on a solid show against the Ravens last week, and should be a quality Flex play this week against the Bengals.

Marion Barber Likely to Play, but Tashard Choice Expected to Start

For Jerry Jones and the rest of the Cowboys, this is their attempt at playing it safe. I’m sure they’d like to sit Barber for a second straight week, but with an untimely injury to Felix Jones as well, Barber is needed for the Cowboys’ trip to Denver.

Regardless, Choice should start the game and get the bulk of the load, and even with Barber likely to play, makes a solid RB2 play.

Willie Parker Out, Rashard Mendenhall to Start

Mendenhall was benched last week, but appears to be back on Mike Tomlin’s good side. Still, even without Parker, it’s very likely Pittsburgh uses third down back Mewelde Moore more than usual, instead of strictly going with the under-whelming Mendenhall.

The hype has been high on Mendenhall since early last season, but he has yet to prove his worth. He’ll get plenty of opportunities to show he’s worth being part of a timeshare when Parker returns.

Derrick Mason Late Addition to Injury Report For Ravens

This shouldn’t be anything to get worked-up about. Mason is an aggressive and tough receiver who sacrifices his body every game, so this is just precautionary. Besides, it’s being reported that he was only limited in practice on Friday due to an illness.

Look for Mason, who is averaging 16.1 yards per catch right now, to start this week and give you solid value as a WR3.

Wes Welker Still Questionable, Randy Moss Off of Injury Report

It looks like we’re going down to the wire with Welker’s status again. On the bright side, Moss’s back woes seem to be behind him, especially after delivering his second more-than-10-catch game of the season.

Welker looks to be in better shape this wee as he’s at least been participating in practice, albeit on a limited basis, and even practiced on Friday.

Check back here on Sunday before their noon game with Baltimore to get the final verdict. If Welker can’t go, Julian Edelman could get another shot at putting up his week two numbers.

Dwayne Bowe Still Questionable For Sunday

Not much has changed, but at least he’s practicing. Bowe was limited in practice on Friday, but the fact that he’s there and trying shows his hamstring is getting better.

Regardless of whether or not he’s ready to go, however, this would be a good week to pretend he’s still injured, as his numbers don’t project well against a stout New York Giants defense. If he starts, you could play him as a valuable WR3, but expecting anything more is a bit unrealistic.

For more fantasy news, updates, and advice, go to The Red Zone Report.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Injuries Have Detroit Lions Hurting Heading Into Chicago

Wednesday is the most important day of practice during the NFL week primarily because it reflects who is still hurting from the previous Sunday.

 

Some key players for the Detroit Lions did not participate in Wednesday’s practice.

 

Kevin Smith did not practice on Wednesday and reports are that he will be very limited in practice today and Friday. Smith, who rushed for 101 yards on 16 carries against Washington, was a pivotal part to the Lions success last week.

 

He injured his shoulder in the game and did not play in the second half. That shoulder is still causing him pain and he is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game in Chicago.

 

There is a significant drop off after Smith on the Lions running back depth chart. Veteran Maurice Morris is serviceable, but certainly not the type of back that can carry a team’s ground game.

 

Rookie Aaron Brown has speed, but has yet to show the ability to run between the tackles and create his own space.

 

I expect Smith to play, but his injury could limit his effectiveness. Smith is a power runner, and lowering a wounded shoulder into the hard-hitting Chicago Bears defense is an all-around bad idea.

 

Regardless of if Smith plays, expect to see Matthew Stafford throw a career-high number of passes.

 

Other injuries are on the defensive line, also a position with very little, if any depth. Both Sammie Hill and Dewayne White were kept out of practice today and Wednesday, and are listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game on the Lions official injury report.

 

Also on the injury report is defensive tackle Grady Jackson, who was kept out of practice today. Jackson is listed as questionable.

 

That’s three of the four starters on the defensive line, and the starting running back that are banged up. Not to mention linebacker Ernie Sims is still out and not expected to play either. Ouch.

 

It’d be a different scenario if this was the New England Patriots, were players seemingly come out of the woodworks to fill in for injured starters. But this is the Detroit Lions.

 

This is the organization were former head coach Rod Marinelli, now a defensive line coach in Chicago, once told columnist Rob Parker that if Parker went out on the street and found a couple guys to bring in for a workout, he would give them a look. Marinelli followed that challenge with “I’m serious”.

 

The Lions are depleted in talent as it is, the last thing this team needs is injuries to key players. Seriously.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Daily Haze: Season-Ending Injuries Hit the Fantasy Football World

It took three weeks, but fantasy owners now have to deal with the first season-ending injuries to fantasy-relevant players.

Not that there were few injuries to fantasy players over the course of the weekend. Frank Gore is down for at least two weeks, Donovan McNabb has missed the last two weeks, and Kevin Smith is being listed as week-to-week with a shoulder injury. Until this point, however, fantasy owners have not had to deal with the season-ending variety of injury.

Not anymore.

 

Chad Pennington, QB, Dolphins

Pennington hurt his shoulder against the Chargers on Sunday and was replaced by Chad Henne. Anytime the training staff has to cut your shoulder pads off, it is not really a great sign. The Dolphins have not officially shut Pennington down yet, but that announcement could be forthcoming.

 

Laurent Robinson, WR, Rams

Robinson was off to a great start for the first time in his career, but it all ended for the upstart Rams’ receiver in Week Three. In addition to a high ankle sprain—which generally sidelines a player for multiple weeks—Robinson also fractured a bone in his leg. He will fade into the fantasy abyss after becoming one of the hotter adds off the waiver wire through the first few weeks of the season.

 

Here are today’s great reads:

• You know who to pick up off the waiver wire this week, but what about the guys that are worthy of being cut? [Bruno Boys]
• Two players fantasy owners should be concerned about after Week Three: Darren McFadden and Eddie Royal. [National Football Post]
• Game-by-game fantasy football revelations following all of the Week Three action. [SI.com]
• Plenty of options out there on the waiver wire for fantasy owners this week. Kevin Kolb remains a hot add even with Donovan McNabb due back after the bye. [FanHouse]

Got a pressing fantasy football question and need an answer now? Or just want to chat about all the recent developments in the sports world? Head over to The Hazean’s fantasy football forums for all that and more. Also remember to check out The Hazean’s fantasy rankings and mock draft database.

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Seattle Seahawks’ Pre-Game Primer: Injuries Are a Bear

Well, almost a week later, it doesn’t look any better for the Seahawks.

As expected, they will be without quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (broken rib), tackle Sean Locklear (ankle), cornerback Josh Wilson (ankle), and linebacker Leroy Hill (groin). Linebacker Lofa Tatupu (hamstring) and fullback Justin Griffith (sprained knee) also are very unlikely to play.

Left tackle Walter Jones (knee) will be a game-time decision, and cornerback Ken Lucas (groin) and defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (calf) also are questionable.

On the bright side, receivers Deion Branch (hamstring) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (back spasms) will be ready, center Chris Spencer (quadriceps) might start, and cornerback Travis Fisher (hamstring) is finally healthy.

 

Where to start?

 

Well, the defense is in deep trouble, with as many as five starters out. The Seahawks got a taste last week of what it’s like to play without Hill and Tatupu, and the result was over 200 rushing yards by Frank Gore. David Hawthorne will start in the middle this week, flanked by Will Herring and Aaron Curry. It’s a young group that has to play much better than it did in Week 2.

With the secondary missing two corners (Wilson and Marcus Trufant) and Lucas ailing, Kelly Jennings is the top corner. He seems to have improved quite a bit this year, and he will have to show it against the speedy Devin Hester and Johnny Knox. For once, size won’t be a big disadvantage for the 5-foot-9 Jennings. Hester is only 5-11, and Knox and Earl Bennett are each 6 feet.

With all of the injuries in the back seven, the D-line has to get pressure on Chicago QB Jay Cutler, or he will pick the secondary apart. The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t get much pressure on him last week (two sacks, four total hits), and he was very good (27 of 38 for 236 yards and two touchdowns).

Lawrence Jackson has been a very pleasant surprise early this season, with three sacks in the first two games. He, Patrick Kerney, and Darryl Tapp (who was great against St. Louis in Week 1) need to get pressure on Cutler.

Matt Forte is off to a slow start this season, and the Hawks have to make sure not to let him go off the way Gore did. It is all on the guys up front this week, and having Mebane would definitely help.

Realistically, the Bears figure to score three touchdowns against Seattle’s beleaguered defense, which means the Seahawk offense has to get it going.

The Bears’ fifth-ranked defense has injury problems, too, with star linebacker Brian Urlacher out for the season and linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee) out this week. End Alex Brown (ankle) also is questionable. The Seahawks have to take advantage and get the running game going after it was held to 66 yards on 23 carries in San Francisco.

Quarterback Seneca Wallace needs to put pressure on the Bears with his athleticism, and he needs to take a few shots deep. He throws an excellent deep ball, and the Hawks need to try to loosen up the defense for the running game by hitting one or two long passes. In that respect, Deon Butler could be a big key.

Wallace has had a week to get in sync with his receivers. Coming in cold last week, he hit starters Houshmandzadeh and Nate Burleson on just three of the 10 passes he threw their way. They have to connect more than that this week.

Wallace also needs to take great advantage of tight end John Carlson, who should win most battles against Chicago’s backup linebackers and be a big offensive key.

Three & out: Q&A

Three quick questions as the Hawks enter Week 3:

Q: If Jones can’t play, are the Seahawks doomed?

A: Brandon Frye played for almost three quarters last week and looked like he held up pretty well, so they might not be doomed. The Seahawks might have to give him help at times with fullback Owen Schmitt (starting for Griffith), and Wallace might have to use his feet to buy some time on occasion. The Seahawks would be smart to roll out Wallace a lot and give him the option of pass or run. The problem would come if Frye or right tackle Ray Willis got injured. The Seahawks have gambled big time by not signing an extra tackle for depth while Locklear is out. Then again, maybe they know Jones will play and are just not saying it.

Q: Will Justin Forsett get more playing time?

A: Only if the Seahawks fall behind like they did in San Francisco. He was one of the few bright spots against the 49ers, running for 35 yards on five carries and gaining 57 yards on six catches. But for now, coach Jim Mora said, the Hawks are going to stick to the 60-30-10 percent division of time among Julius Jones, Edgerrin James and Forsett. If the running game struggles badly in the first half, though, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Seahawks open it up in the second half. The Hawks really need to win this home game, and Mora needs to do whatever it takes.

Q: Are the Seahawks really going to wear those ugly neon green jerseys?

A: It sure looks like it. Let’s just hope they don’t play as bad as they look. We’re skeptical of this look, but we’ll reserve judgment until after the game. If the Hawks win big, they can wear whatever they want. If they play like they did in San Francisco, though, Seahawk fans next week probably will be listed on the injury report as questionable with eye injuries.

GAME-DAY STATS

**Despite their poor rushing numbers in Week 2, the Seahawks are ranked 13th in rushing offense. The Bears have had a much worse time, averaging just 65 yards per game (ranked 30th).

**Both teams are among the top-10 sackers through two games. The Seahawks have seven (two off the lead), and the Bears have six.

**The Bears have the fifth-ranked defense, giving up just 176.5 passing yards and 90.5 rushing yards per game. The Seahawks are ranked 12th despite giving up 166 rushing yards per game (they have held the Rams and 49ers to under 300 yards passing total).

**The last time these teams saw each other was in 2007, when Hasselbeck threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns and Kerney had three sacks in Seattle’s 30-23 win.

**If Kerney can duplicate that feat, the Hawks have a great chance to win. His teams are 10-2 when he has at least two sacks.

**Julius Jones and James put up back-to-back big games against the Bears in 2004. In a Monday night game in November, James ran for 204 yards for the Colts; on Thanksgiving three days later, Jones went over 150 yards with two touchdowns for Dallas.

**Carlson has scored in his past four home games, with five total touchdowns in that span.

 

For more on the Seahawks, plus NFL power rankings and weekly picks, go Outside The Press Box.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Brownie Points: Excuses, Fights, Injuries, and Advice

Just a few thoughts as the Cleveland Browns prepare for their upcoming game with the Baltimore Ravens this week:

 

 

 

EXCUSES

 

Plenty of Browns fans are quick to excuse quarterback Brady Quinn’s play so far this season. Granted, he doesn’t have many starts under his belt, and I am not ready to call for him to be replaced after only two games.

 

But one excuse that has been making the rounds is that coach Eric Mangini stunted the growing process because he made Brady earn the job in the pre-season.

 

The theory is that if Brady were named the starter earlier, he could have developed better chemistry with his receivers. I say that is absolute nonsense.

 

Brady has been throwing balls to his best receiver Braylon Edwards for going on two years now. He has gotten plenty of repetitions with his receivers during off-season conditioning, OTAs, mini-camps, training camps and practices.

 

If you looked at preseason games throughout the league, starting quarterbacks and the first teamers get very few opportunities to play for fear of injury.

 

In fact, the reason that teams bring so many backup quarterbacks into camp is that there is a legitimate concern for their starting quarterbacks to suffer from “tired arm” because of the number of throws they have to make.

 

If anything stunted Brady’s growth, it occurred last pre-season when he and his agent wasted rookie practice time after holding out during contract negotiations. He really could have used that valuable time.

 

The bottom line is that Quinn is struggling because he has not caught up with the speed of the NFL…and not because he wasn’t named the starter until the week before the season started. Even practice and preseason games do not prepare young quarterbacks for the jump from college football to the professional game.

 

 

 

FIGHTS

 

The local pundits are up-in-arms about the lack of discipline in the Browns’ locker room as a result of rookie cornerback Coye Francies throwing punces at his defensive backfield mates after being doused with a bucket of ice water.

 

The bigger joke is how much everyone is making of the issue. Francies may have over-reacted, but not nearly as much as the media and the fans.

 

Practical jokes on rookies in a football locker-room are the norm and not the exception. And guess what fans? These guys are human beings, not robots. Just because the team has lost a few games, it does not mean that they have to hang their heads in the locker until they get a win.

 

The next time Joe Salesman in your office loses a client, are you going to tell him to sulk and cry about his failures until he picks up a new client?

 

And a word of warning to Francies…be wary of the Turkey Hunt during the Thanksgiving week.

 

 

 

INJURIES

 

Two players who have traditionally played well against the Ravens appear to be out this week: RB Jamal Lewis and K Phil Dawson.

 

Losing Dawson hurts because he essentially has been the Cleveland scoring offense for going on eight games.

 

And who can forget the kick that bounced over the crossbar two years ago that led to the Ravens collapse down the stretch (and helped propel the Browns to a 10-6 season)?

 

Losing Lewis is even bigger. He gets up for games against his former team. He is also one of the few guys prepared for how hard this Ravens defense hits and flies around the field.

 

This will be a “welcome to the NFL” moment for rookie RB James Davis. There is nothing he learned in college (or the pre-season) that can even remotely match the intensity he will see this week.

 

The Browns would be wise to line up Jerome Harrison in the backfield for the first few series, at least until Davis can get a feel for the flow of the game.

 

Not having guards Floyd Womack or Rex Hadnot (both listed as doubtful) is going to put even more pressure on both of these young running backs.

 

LB David Bowens and NT Shawn Rogers also showed up on the injury report as Questionable. The coaching staff better pray both can play on Sunday.

 

 

 

AND MORE

 

Memo to Browns’ Offensive Coordianator: Let’s hope Brian Daboll does not resort to a “ball control” offense to try to keep the game close. As famously put by former NFL coach Herm Edwards, “You play…to win…the game!”

 

The Browns only hope is to take advantage of the Ravens suspect cornerbacks and propensity to blitz their linebackers. The only way to counter that is to throw the football.

 

If the coaching staff is afraid to let Quinn and the receivers make plays, they might as well just not show up Sunday.

 

Memo to Browns Defensive Coordinator: Please…please…please! Do not leave Camerion Wimbley out on an island with TE Todd Heap this week! Camerion looks as though he has improved immensely since 2008, but that should not be his role on this team.

 

Good luck and Godspeed, Cleveland Browns. You are going to need it.

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