Target These Players for the Fantasy Football Playoffs

In continuation of trade deadline advice week here at The Hazean, today’s fantasy football trade feature focuses on a few players with tasty playoff schedules.

In case you were wondering, yesterday’s feature highlighted eight handcuffs fantasy owners should target via the waiver wire or trade market this week.

For those of you in the thick of the playoff race, looking too far ahead could be costly. Each regular season weekend from now until the start of the fantasy playoffs should be the most important item on a fantasy owner’s agenda.

But getting a feel for which players have the best matchups come fantasy playoff time is never a bad idea. Especially if you are considering swinging a deal that could help you down the road.

Before making a deal, assess your chances of making the playoffs. If you have a few players with great matchups the next few weeks whom others are targeting in a trade, decide if you can get into the playoffs despite losing these players. And if so, make sure you get one or a few guys with great fantasy playoff schedules in return.

The players listed below have the tastiest of fantasy football playoff matchups based on the amount of fantasy points given up by the opposing defenses in the past few weeks.

The matchups for each of the players listed below are for a standard fantasy playoff schedule, Weeks 14 through 16. If you need Week 17 matchup advice, check the handy Fantasy Strength of Schedule tool provided by FFToday .

 

Quarterbacks

Kurt Warner, Cardinals
@ 49ers, @ Lions, vs. Rams

Matt Schaub, Texans
vs. Seahawks, @ Rams, @ Dolphins

Risky Pick: Vince Young, Titans
vs. Rams, vs. Dolphins, vs. Chargers

 

Running Backs

Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers
@ Browns, vs. Packers, vs. Ravens

Thomas Jones, Jets
@ Buccaneers, vs. Falcons, @ Colts

Risky Pick: Michael Turner, Falcons
v. Saints, @ Jets, v. Bills

 

Wide Receivers

Marques Colston, Saints
@ Falcons, vs. Cowboys, vs. Buccaneers

Jerricho Cotchery/Braylon Edwards, Jets
@ Buccaneers, vs. Falcons, @ Colts

Risky Pick: Greg Jennings, Packers
@ Bears, @ Steelers, v. Seahawks

 

Tight Ends

Greg Olsen, Bears
v. Packers, @ Ravens, vs. Vikings

Heath Miller, Steelers
@ Browns, vs. Packers, vs. Ravens

Risky Pick: Brandon Pettigrew, Lions
@ Ravens, vs. Cardinals, @ 49ers

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Browns Players, Coaches Have Much To Prove In Season’s Second Half

Jerry Glanville was famous for once saying to a referee, “This is the NFL, which stands for Not For Long.”

 

This popular quote that has fit the league’s cut-throat business will be ringing loud and clear for the remaining eight games in Cleveland, Ohio.

 

Several coaches and players on the Cleveland Browns will be under heavy scrutiny for the remainder of the season. The first half of Eric Mangini’s inaugural year as head coach could not have gone any worse as the team has scored five offensive touchdowns and 78 total points.

 

The New Orleans Saints’ defense has accounted for six touchdowns and Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes in the snow and sleet in one quarter against the Titans.

 

Not that Browns fans, coaches, or players had to be reminded of those two mind-numbing statistics.

 

As the team turns to the next page of the season, these coaches and players need to show owner Randy Lerner and the fans that they’re in this for the long haul:

 

 

Coaches: Eric Mangini and Brian Daboll

 

Mangini is quite possibly the most unpopular sports figure in the city of Cleveland and in the state of Ohio. He brought over four defensive starters from the New York Jets and the run defense is second to last in the NFL, surrendering 170.5 yards per game.

 

Eric Barton is out for the season with a neck injury and Abram Elam has been non-existent through eight games. Mangini needs to start winning some games or he could be on his way out at season’s end.

 

With the exception of the Cincinnati game, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s playcalling has been suspect at best. It will be interesting to see if the playcalling will continue to be conservative with Quinn back under center.

 

Not all the blame can be put on Daboll, with the team starting two rookie wide receivers and a 30-year old running back. The offensive line’s right side has been less than average as well.

 

With nothing to lose at 1-7, Daboll needs to show some creativity and more aggressiveness with his playcalling.

 

 

Players: Brady Quinn, Brian Robiskie, and David Veikune

 

Brady Quinn will have one more chance to prove to this coaching staff that he is a starting quarterback in this league. Mangini has been encouraged by Quinn’s work ethic and positive attitude since his benching, so maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Quinn needs to play the final eight games, no exceptions. Derek Anderson is nothing more than a backup quarterback, but Quinn remains an unknown. He has started five games in two and a half seasons. He’s completed 59 percent of his passes for 409 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions this season.

 

During his three-year career, he has played in eight games (half a season) and thrown for 972 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.

 

Tight end Steve Heiden’s health could be a key factor in how successful or unsuccessful Quinn is.

 

The Colts didn’t give up on Peyton Manning after his rookie-record 28 interceptions. Give the kid a better supporting cast and a full season before making an accurate assessment on him.

 

The rookie wide receiver from Ohio State has been possibly the most disappointing player so far this season. A sure-handed kid, whose father is a wide receivers coach with the Atlanta Falcons, has one catch for 23 yards. He needs show something positive offensively, or the “bust” label could begin to be associated with this once-promising prospect.

 

Clay Matthews Jr. has four sacks and a forced fumble and Rey Maualuga has 36 tackles and a sack with the first-place Cincinnati Bengals. David Veikune needs to start making plays and having a positive impact on the run defense.

 

Mangini didn’t think highly enough of either Matthews or Maualuga so he spent a second round pick on a defensive end from Hawaii. The USC linebacker that Mangini did select, Kaluka Maiava, has 20 tackles and a pass defended, but has lost his starting job to David Bowens.

 

At 1-7 and possibly a worst showing than the 1999 expansion team, this team has nowhere to go but up. The coaches and players will be playing for their jobs and the fans have lost patience.

 

Not a good combination. A far cry from the two AFC powerhouses that registered the game of the season last night in Indianapolis.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Browns Players, Coaches Have Much To Prove In Season’s Second Half

Jerry Glanville was famous for once saying to a referee, “This is the NFL, which stands for Not For Long.”

 

This popular quote that has fit the league’s cut-throat business will be ringing loud and clear for the remaining eight games in Cleveland, Ohio.

 

Several coaches and players on the Cleveland Browns will be under heavy scrutiny for the remainder of the season. The first half of Eric Mangini’s inaugural year as head coach could not have gone any worse as the team has scored five offensive touchdowns and 78 total points.

 

The New Orleans Saints’ defense has accounted for six touchdowns and Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes in the snow and sleet in one quarter against the Titans.

 

Not that Browns fans, coaches, or players had to be reminded of those two mind-numbing statistics.

 

As the team turns to the next page of the season, these coaches and players need to show owner Randy Lerner and the fans that they’re in this for the long haul:

 

 

Coaches: Eric Mangini and Brian Daboll

 

Mangini is quite possibly the most unpopular sports figure in the city of Cleveland and in the state of Ohio. He brought over four defensive starters from the New York Jets and the run defense is second to last in the NFL, surrendering 170.5 yards per game.

 

Eric Barton is out for the season with a neck injury and Abram Elam has been non-existent through eight games. Mangini needs to start winning some games or he could be on his way out at season’s end.

 

With the exception of the Cincinnati game, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s playcalling has been suspect at best. It will be interesting to see if the playcalling will continue to be conservative with Quinn back under center.

 

Not all the blame can be put on Daboll, with the team starting two rookie wide receivers and a 30-year old running back. The offensive line’s right side has been less than average as well.

 

With nothing to lose at 1-7, Daboll needs to show some creativity and more aggressiveness with his playcalling.

 

 

Players: Brady Quinn, Brian Robiskie, and David Veikune

 

Brady Quinn will have one more chance to prove to this coaching staff that he is a starting quarterback in this league. Mangini has been encouraged by Quinn’s work ethic and positive attitude since his benching, so maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Quinn needs to play the final eight games, no exceptions. Derek Anderson is nothing more than a backup quarterback, but Quinn remains an unknown. He has started five games in two and a half seasons. He’s completed 59 percent of his passes for 409 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions this season.

 

During his three-year career, he has played in eight games (half a season) and thrown for 972 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.

 

Tight end Steve Heiden’s health could be a key factor in how successful or unsuccessful Quinn is.

 

The Colts didn’t give up on Peyton Manning after his rookie-record 28 interceptions. Give the kid a better supporting cast and a full season before making an accurate assessment on him.

 

The rookie wide receiver from Ohio State has been possibly the most disappointing player so far this season. A sure-handed kid, whose father is a wide receivers coach with the Atlanta Falcons, has one catch for 23 yards. He needs show something positive offensively, or the “bust” label could begin to be associated with this once-promising prospect.

 

Clay Matthews Jr. has four sacks and a forced fumble and Rey Maualuga has 36 tackles and a sack with the first-place Cincinnati Bengals. David Veikune needs to start making plays and having a positive impact on the run defense.

 

Mangini didn’t think highly enough of either Matthews or Maualuga so he spent a second round pick on a defensive end from Hawaii. The USC linebacker that Mangini did select, Kaluka Maiava, has 20 tackles and a pass defended, but has lost his starting job to David Bowens.

 

At 1-7 and possibly a worst showing than the 1999 expansion team, this team has nowhere to go but up. The coaches and players will be playing for their jobs and the fans have lost patience.

 

Not a good combination. A far cry from the two AFC powerhouses that registered the game of the season last night in Indianapolis.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Gridoron Greats Has Done More for Ex-NFL Players than the NFLPA

NFL or college football fans know football is a violent game, a perfect example of this happened not in the NFL, less than a week ago! Jahvid Best reminds us just how dangerous playing football is. Here’s a clip of what happened to Best .

There’s nothing like watching on TV, and seeing a crowd in such jubilation after watching a great touchdown run by Best, and then the sudden realization that Best hasn’t gotten up, or moved. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like watching the play happen while in the stands, because after that the crowd went silent.

All thoughts were on that of Best. Oregon State, the team California was playing at the time, went down to their knees, and as a group said a prayer for Best.

Even with that, Best remained on the ground for 13 minutes before being carted off the field and taken to the hospital. Thankfully, Best didn’t break any bones and only suffered a concussion. He is currently resting at home, ruled out for the next game, and possibly the season.

Just recently on Sunday, Tennessee Titans receiver Justin Gage suffered some fractures to his back. None of the fractures were too serious, meaning that he wasn’t paralyzed, or needing emergency surgery. Just recently, though, he was declared that he may miss the Titans game on Sunday.

Regardless of what sport, there’s no player that’s going to be 100 percent healthy, we get that these players will play injured. Yet, in the NFL more than any other major sport in the United States, has the most serious injuries.

In the NFL you will find players with concussions, torn muscles, broken bones, sprains, and it could include multiple injuries as well. 

I wrote an article on Bleacher Report titled The NFL Where Neglecting Ex-Players Happens , which is essentially about a number of NFL players who have suffered long lasting injuries and side effects all in part to the violence of playing a game they gave their heart and soul for.

It explains further just how badly the NFL Players Association has treated these players. Including the denial of disability claims by certain players, and the actual percentage of disability payments made, which is just three percent.

That means 97 percent of the NFL players that look to get disability because they are not able to work thanks to the injuries suffered while playing, do not get any disability. These players must wait until they are 55 years of age to even get their pension.

Further research shows that NFL players lifespan goes till 55 years, so it’s perfect. By the time they can get their pension they are approaching the actual life span of a NFL player.

When I was reading an article, I came across a foundation that was formed to help these players in need. This group is called the Gridiron Greats, and its purpose is to help, financially, these ex-players, because the NFLPA isn’t doing anything to help these players.

As the example of Brian DeMarco in the article that I wrote when he was helped by the foundation, he and his wife had only 75 cents to their name, and absolutely no food in the house.

The foundation has a website, Gridiron Greats, where you can learn more about the foundation.

Here’s a quote from the website itself, “The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund provides hands-on assistance and financial aid to help retired NFL players deal with some of the hardships they may encounter after football.  Many of these players lack funds, disability coverage or pension benefits. Thus the GGAF focuses on the humanitarian side of these players, treating them with dignity, and addressing the post-football related issues in their lives.”

I think the quote itself is a shot at the NFL and its lack of any kind of assistance to its former players for the most part.

Also, on the site you will find its mission statement which states “The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund’s mission is to assist retired NFL players, who are in dire health and financial distress by providing a means to regain a semblance of dignity and quality of life that every human being deserves. The Fund will support grant applicants through a series of conventional and non conventional fund raising efforts while calling attention to those in need through partnership programs, licensing efforts and public relations events with the set goal of expanding the Funds assets through partnerships with the National Football League and the National Football League Players Association and Alumni”. 

Although, I think it’s the stories section on the website that gets me the most, and what this organization does for these individuals.

Here are some examples in which the Gridiron Greats foundation has assisted: The helping of former Chicago Bear William Perry with assistance fighting his Guillan-Barry Syndrome; helped a former Green Bay Packer after losing his wife; a former Jackonsville Jaguar received aid for food, living expenses, medicine, health care, and even arranged from a donor a car for him for basic transportation; and the last example is that of a former Bear and New Orlean Saints player who suffers from diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, hypertension, chronic hypertension, and severe neuropathy. He was only given $88 a month from the NFL as his pension, so the foundation gave him funds for basic needs.

Again, if you want to find more of their stories here’s the link to the site . The board of directors is served by big names in NFL history, including the aforementioned Ditka, but also Greg Brown who was not a football player but is the CEO of Motorola, Jimmy Johnson, Marv Levy, Matt Birk, Gayle Sayers, and Kyle Turley.

Again it’s just sad how the NFLPA has turned its back on the players that made it great. Thankfully there’s a foundation like this for these players that are severely in need.

There are plenty of people who believe that NFL athletes are overpaid, based on a select few players, that don’t acknowledge the fact that the contracts of NFL players are not guaranteed, only a certain percentage is.

Let’s say a player buys a nice house, a couple cars, and decide to have kids. That money goes pretty fast, and they depend on that contract. If the player gets seriously injured there’s no more contract, and then there’s no more money coming into afford what they used to have.

Furthermore, there was a recent article about former NFL players going bankrupt. It’s easy to understand why if after they retire and they can no longer to afford their lifestyle, and if there’s any injuries that are going to be long term, then getting treatment for those injuries is going to take a lot of money as well.

I know if I had the money I’d definitely donate money to Gridiron Greats, and for those who are thinking of purchasing a ticket to see a game why not instead donate some money to this great cause and watch the game on TV?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Tecmo Super Bowl’s 32 Greatest Players

Tecmo Super Bowl.

While today’s gamers worry about the stats on their Dez Bryant CAPs or their pretty custom tri-core PowerPC processor Xbox 360 that runs at 3.2GHz, we old fogies had it a bit different. We had to worry about stopping Bo Jackson with the Colts defense, or holding the Joe Montana to Jerry Rice connection from single handedly making us cry like little babies, all the while doing it with 8-bit graphics. Ah, those were the days.

To honor the NFL hitting the halfway point of the season, I put a list together of the 32 greatest players in Tecmo Super Bowl. You may disagree with my list, you may disagree with my observations, but you can’t disagree that Tecmo Super Bowl is the greatest football game of all time.

Begin Slideshow

Step Up or Get Out: Denver’s Key Players at Washington

Is it me, or is this year’s team starting to remind anyone else a little bit of the 2006 Denver Broncos?

Personally, I hate to make comparisons to old teams. What happened three years ago should have no relevance to what’s going to happen for the rest of this season. Still, the two teams are a little too similar to ignore.

That team, as you may remember, was famous for not allowing a single touchdown through their first 11 quarters of play and did not surrender more than 20 points in a game until their loss at home to the Indianapolis Colts in Week Eight. The offense wasn’t scoring as many points as Mike Shannahan would have liked and he eventually benched Jake Plummer in favor of rookie quarterback Jay Cutler.

Until their last two games, the 2009 Broncos had not given up more than 25 points in a game nor had they been outscored in the second half. Or lost a game at all. The offense, though mostly efficient and turnover free, has struggled to put points on the board. Some in the media are already calling for Chris Simms to replace Kyle Orton at quarterback despite the fact that Orton has been a good fit for Josh McDaniels’ offense.

After ending the first half of 2006 at 6-2, the Broncos slumped badly in the second half of the season and finished with a record of 9-7. The team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and it was the beginning of the end for Mike Shannahan in Denver.

After ending the first half of 2009 at 6-2, the Broncos…?

That part of this article, or season, has yet to be written for the Broncos. It starts this Sunday at Washington, where Josh McDaniels and co. desperately need a win to avoid going into their key Week 11 matchup with San Diego on a three-game losing streak.

Here are three players that need to play well for the Broncos to win in our nation’s capital.

QB Kyle Orton: If you read my column from earlier this week, you know my feelings about Orton’s play as of late. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in the last two games and has looked frighteningly inconsistent passing the ball. Based on what he’s done, it’s hard to be too tough on Orton, but it’s obvious that something is off.

For those of you who think the Broncos would be better off with Jay Cutler (five int’s last night) or Chris Simms under center, you are mistaken. A switch to Simms would only be detrimental to the progress this team has made and barring an injury or a simply awful performance by Orton, McDaniels wouldn’t make that change anyway. So what then?

We’ve seen that Orton has a hard time getting the passing game going when the running game is faltering as well, so Denver needs to get back to what they do best. And speaking of running the ball…

RB’s Correll Buckhalter/Knowshon Moreno: Most people thought that under Josh McDaniels, the Broncos would deviate from the running game that they had relied on for years and move towards a more passing-oriented offense. This supports my belief that most people know nothing about football. Wait a minute, I was one of those people!

However, this much I do know. This season, when the Broncos run the ball well, they win. When they don’t…well, you saw what happened in the last two games. And I don’t know about you, but I say it’s time for the No. 12 pick in the draft to earn his paycheck. Moreno has been solid, but the Broncos expected him to be more than just solid when they drafted him.

CB Champ Bailey: In all likelihood, Jason Campbell won’t even look Champ’s way. Most quarterbacks don’t. However, Ben Roethlisberger did, and he and Santonio Holmes found unlikely success as they burned Bailey on more than one play.

It hurts to see that happen to your team’s best player, but even Champ has his moments of mortality. He’ll probably bounce back this week and assume his usual duties of shutting down half of the field. I don’t want to be greedy, but it’s been awhile since No. 24 has had a pick-six.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

San Diego Chargers: Where Undrafted Players Shine

I was watching the Dolphins play the Patriots on Sunday and the final play of the game really caught my attention. Greg Camarillo, a former undrafted practice-squad player with the Chargers who is now a starter in Miami, made an amazing one-handed catch as time ran out on a 27-17 New England victory.

That play got me thinking about how many undrafted NFL standouts have gotten their first opportunity at glory with the Chargers. The results are quite amazing.

Along with Camarillo, who caught everything in sight during a dominant performance in the Chargers’ 2007 training camp but fell victim to the Chargers’ depth at wide receiver, New England’s slot-receiver extraordinaire Wes Welker also got his first opportunity out of college in San Diego.

Most people know the story at this point of Steelers linebacker James Harrison, an undrafted player who became the Defensive Player of the Year last season and registered the longest play in Super Bowl history in the Steelers’ victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.

But right now, the Chargers are setting the bar quite high in getting contributions from undrafted talent.

This season, the Chargers feature five regular starters – TE Antonio Gates, G Kris Dielman, LB Stephen Cooper, DE Jacques Cesaire, and DT Ogemdi Nwagbuo – who entered the NFL as undrafted free agents.

Additionally, the Chargers found undrafted gems in key role players FB Mike Tolbert (who was a starter as a rookie), WR Malcolm Floyd (who just ascended to a starting role last week), OLB Jyles Tucker, OLB Antwan Applewhite and CB/S Steve Gregory along with special teams ace and team captain Kassim Osgood.

These 11 players have combined to represent the Chargers in nine Pro Bowls, which is astounding considering every single one was bypassed multiple times by every single team in the NFL.

While many people (myself definitely included ) have begun to question A.J. Smith’s talent evaluation ability when it comes to the NFL Draft, this could be his ace in the hole when answering his detractors. He has found studs in the refuse of the NFL’s undrafted free agent pool and has turned afterthoughts into starters, Pro Bowlers, and even a possible Hall of Famer.

Every football player wants to get his shot to play professional football; when it comes to the NFL, it seems to me that San Diego is the true land of opportunity.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

This One Is On The Players…

For seven games we in the local media have had a lot of fun—and a lot of easy columns—at Jimmy Raye’s expense.

We’ve ridiculed the 49ers ancient offensive coordinator for his conservative game plans, his over-reliance on the two back offense, his reluctance to put his quarterbacks in the shotgun, and for his stubborn refusal to admit that the team cannot run, not even a little bit, against eight man fronts.

Not to say we’ve been using Raye as a scapegoat or anything, but if “Pin the tail on Jimmy Raye” was a carnival attraction for San Francisco fans and sportswriters, we’d all be even poorer than we already are, and Raye would be one seriously sore fella by now.

That’s why it’s so important to understand that Sunday’s disappointing 34-27 home loss to the previously 1-6 Tennessee Titans had absolutely nothing to do with Raye and even less with his boss, head coach Mike Singletary.

The game plans were sound, the execution was not.

Or to put it another way, “It’s the players, stupid.”

It’s fashionable across the league for coaches to publicly take the blame for losses. Philadelphia’s Andy Reid, to cite one example, has a stock answer after setback, where he says, “This one’s on me, I have to put the players in better position to make plays.”

Singletary, however, does not believe in this approach.

“We have to play smarter, we have to execute better,” he said.

And since Singletary doesn’t play anymore, by “we” he means “they.”

Indeed Singletary and Raye finally arrived at the same conclusion that the rest of us had made by mid-September, that fullback Moran Norris is the football equivalent of the Grim Reaper.

Norris was only on the field for seven snaps on Sunday as the 49ers stuck mostly with the two tight end package with Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker, or a three receiver look that started off with Michael Crabtree, Isaac Bruce, Josh Morgan, and ended with Crabtree, Jason Hill, and Brandon Jones.

Quarterback Alex Smith dropped back 51 times, often out of the shotgun, and the team only had 18 designed running plays.

It was a game plan built to take advantage of the worst pass defense in the league and as both Singletary and the players would say afterward, it was mostly successful.

Then again, coaches and players gushing about yardage after committing four costly turnovers (which the Titans gleefully turned into 24 points) gives off that, “well aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, what’d you think of the play?” vibe.

Smith again brought back the memories of “Bad Alex” with his second half performance, in which he had a third quarter fumble and two killer interceptions on consecutive series in the fourth quarter.

Once again Smith – who had a first half interception as well—showed that hasn’t progressed to the point where the team can count on him to be an asset.

He stared down his receivers, held the ball too long on some of his drops, forced the ball into coverage numerous times, and just wasn’t very accurate on throws that weren’t check downs.

Smith was solely to blame for at least two of his interceptions and was partially responsible for all four turnovers.

“They gave a lot of looks,” he said. “They play a lot of different coverages. You’re going to see an assortment of pressures and coverages and all kinds of stuff, things that are unorthodox and that not a lot of other teams do. They’re unique.”

The first six teams on the Titans schedule certainly didn’t find Tennessee’s secondary all that flummoxing, so you have to wonder how much Smith’s head will be spinning when he plays someone of note.

Of course the defense bears some responsibility in this affair as well. They never came close to confusing the utterly-confusable Vince Young, and their heralded run defense wasn’t nearly as stout enough to stop the speedy Chris Johnson.

Give both Johnson and his offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger a lot of credit. They quickly surmised that running up the middle against the 49ers trio of nosetackle Aubrayo Franklin and inside ‘backers Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes was going to be rough sledding, so they made the adjustment to attack the edges.

Lo and behold, they found outside linebackers Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson far more accommodating and by the time he was done, Johnson had rampaged the Niners to the tune of 135 yards (and two scores) on the ground and another 25 from three receptions.

When staked with a 20-17 lead after a 15 play, 9:45 scoring drive that culminated with kicker Joe Nedney’s 25-yard go ahead field goal, the defense couldn’t make it hold up, quickly surrendering the lead for good on the Titans’ own eight play march down the field.

Tennessee’s drive was highlighted by two big plays, a 41-yard burst by Johnson down the left sideline and a 33-yard leaping grab by receiver Justin Gage, but they didn’t take the lead for good until Johnson out-raced Haralson to the pylon on a 4th-and-inches play from the two.

“I don’t want to say anything until I watch film as to why he got loose,” said Willis afterward, “but I know that he can run. If you give him what he’s looking for, which is the edge, he can turn and run like there’s no tomorrow.”

The Titans outsmarted, outhustled, outran and outhit the 49ers (something like a dozen guys showed up on the postgame injury report) and most of all the team was just outplayed, in all three phases.

Even their punt returner, the aforementioned Jones, was terrible.

A promising 3-1 start has withered away to 3-5 at mid-season and before they have a chance to blink the Niners have to face the equally downtrodden Chicago Bears Thursday at the ‘Stick. 

With such a short turnaround there won’t be much time for either team to put together too comprehensive of a game plan, so once again, it’ll be the players who decide it.

We’ve all seen how that’s working out.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Detroit Lions: Right Players, Wrong Timing

Oh, what it’s like to be a Lions fan.

What a maddening thing when you live in a world of high draft picks and low scores.  When management consistently misses on can’t-miss prospects and possible late-round gems turn out to be polished coal.

One gambling man would figure with just the numbers and law of averages, this team would strike gold at some point.

We did.  Too bad it was almost 20 years ago, and even then we couldn’t get the return on investment that was expected. 

Finally, after eight years of trying make sugar from well, you know, we are finally back to where we began at the turn of the century: rebuilding once again.

But we all know that.  So let’s have some fun with it.

Let’s say for example, we take the current coaching staff and plug in former players either drafted or signed during the last 10 years. 

We will not include everyone, but some players who were expected to make comet-size impacts which sounded more like bubble wrap. 

For the sake of time restraints and too much required research, we will leave out special teams except for kickers, punters and returners.

Let’s start with the money makers, the offense. 

At quarterback, I would have to start with Stafford.  He has played as well as any quarterback we have had under the Millen era.

Sure, Kitna was a good leader and had good stats.  He even led the team to a 7-9 record in 2007 (nevermind the 6-2 start). 

But the numbers, as good as they were, had more to do with sheer numbers. The Mike Martz-led offense threw what seemed like 75 percent of the time.  That is why Stafford gets the nod.

At running back, I would go with a two-back system.  Unfortunately, I only have two real options here: Kevin Smith and Kevin Jones.

The funny thing is this they are pretty much the same back.  But K. Jones ran for over 1,000 yards his rookie year while K. Smith got pretty close as a part-time starter. 

No other back this decade even came close.  Aw, hell, I don’t even remember another back.  Sadness.

Next, is the one unit where minimal changes would be made.  I would gladly like to see the 2007 receiving corps on the 2009 roster.  I can see Stafford developing nicely with Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson and Mike Furrey as his targets. 

I understand people have their issues with Williams but he is a threat a defense couldn’t overlook, especially opposite Calvin Johnson. 

No defense in football would stack the box with those two lined-up with Stafford’s cannon.  The running game, slot receiver, and tight ends would have career numbers.

The offensive line has been pretty consistent.  No matter who lines up, the results always seem to be the same, so I will leave them to your imagination.  Lets move to the defense.

The linebacking group would remain the same as the 2009 group because they have to be the most impressive has any group this decade.  But the secondary would have a couple players recently release manning the corner spots. 

I would not complain with Dre Bly and Leigh Bodden in Gunther Cunningham’s scheme.  Backing those two up at safety would be Louis Delmas and former second-round pick Gerald Alexander, who was also recently shipped out. 

All those players made plays, but with the exception of Delmas, were stuck in Marinelli’s Cover Two system.

On the defensive line, the first thing I would do is bring back Shaun Rogers.  He was another player drafted for the wrong reasons.  The team wanted a small quick front but drafted a 330-plus pound space eater. 

The perfect player under current head coach Jim Schwartz, who takes size over speed. 

Coach Schwartz already mentioned earlier the team is trying to get two huge tackles to anchor the line and they aren’t quite there yet. 

With Big Baby back back in the middle lined up with fourth round pick Sammie Hill, you’re looking at one-on-one blocking for every one on the line or one less option in the passing game because either the tight end or back would have to help block. 

The defensive ends have been pretty unproductive this decade so this year’s version would have to do; preferably DeWayne White and Cliff Avril, at least until Jason Hunter returns.  He was pretty impressive before going out with an injury. 

Jason Hanson is the kicker, enough said.  Even if was not the only kicker for the last 19 years, but his performance would give him the nod anyway. 

The same can be said about Nick Harris.  The only problem is they practice their craft way too often.  I wish Nick Harris was used as often as the Statue of Liberty play, but what can you do?

The one bright spot on the Lions team has always been kick and punt returns until the last 2-3 years.  If I could bring anyone back, it would be Eddie Drummond.  For along time, he was the Lions’ offense and was another good player on a bad team.

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Titans Players, Past and Present, Try to Reverse “Terrible” Curse

I hate to say I told you so, but…actually, I lie. I really don’t mind at all saying I told you so.

Athletes, especially professional athletes, are superstitious.

The Tenessee Titans are winless since Dec. 21, 2008, in a slide that has even the most well-informed pundit completely bamboozled. On a team that returned 20-of-22 starters from their 13-3 season a year ago, any number of things have gone wrong to turn a preseason favorite into a winless cellar-dweller.

They even added talent on both sides of the ball that was supposed to help them get over the hump, all to no avail. Not only are they losing games—badly, to say the least—they are losing players left and right to injury.

Now, I’m not the first to make mention of the curse of the Terrible Towel—those with short memory spans will note that the Titans’ losing streak began the week after LenDale White, Keith Bulluck, and other Titans stomped, kicked, spit on, and otherwise defaced the Pittsburgh Steelers’ well-known fan symbol, and have to this point been completely unapologetic.

I was but one voice in a cacophony of voices, both serious and jesting, that pointed out the connection between The Stomp and The Slide.

It would seem, however, that attitudes are beginning to change, at least publicly.

At the urging of former player and teammate Brad Hopkins, long a fan favorite in Nashville, both Keith Bulluck and LenDale White magnanimously autographed a Myron Cope “Official Terrible Towel” and shipped it via overnight delivery to the Allegehany Valley School in Pittsburgh, the organization that benefits from the sale of the towels.

No word, of course, on whether it is the actual towel that was stomped, or a stand-in.

Either way, it is quite a gesture from both Bulluck and White, both of whom have downplayed their actions until this event.

According to Thom Abraham, who hosts a sports talk show with Hopkins on a Nashville radio station, Bulluck even asked how he could do more to contribute to the organization.

“The players were happy to do it, especially for the charity,” Abraham was quoted as saying.

Said Hopkins, “We can’t figure out what is wrong with this organization, so we figure it had to be the towel.”

I told you so. There, I said it.

Realistically this is wishful thinking, of course, but at this point the Titans will likely take anything they can get—within reason—to turn this season around.

For example,  Jeff Fisher made the expected announcement of the switch to Vince Young after Thursday’s practice, citing that it was an “organizational decision” with the team being at 0-6.

“We wouldn’t be having this conversation if we were 3-3,” Fisher said.

Ironically, Jacksonville is the last team that Young started against before being booed by Nashville fans over interceptions, and sustaining an injury to his knee that got him pulled from action. Kerry Collins has started all but one game since then.

It is also ironic, or at least highly coincidental, that Bulluck and White decided to try and ward off The Curse on the same day that Young was announced as the starter.

So the question is this: If the Titans win this week, who gets the credit?

Vince Young for his stellar play in providing the spark the Titans have been looking for?

Or Keith Bulluck and LenDale White, for the acceptance of their misdeed and attempt to atone for it?

I ask you, Titans fans…how superstitious are you ?

Oh, yeah: I told you so.

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