San Diego Chargers Boltbits: Why I Hate Norv Turner

 

The head coach of the San Diego Chargers, Norv Turner, has had a peculiar career with the team.  He has led San Diego to three playoff victories in two years while overcoming inopportune injuries to core players (Philip Rivers, Ladainian Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates have all both missed games and played hobbled across the last two postseasons).  As a Charger he has never lost in December.

Yet he has also helmed a team that has repeatedly underwhelmed in the face of high expectations to start each year.  The 2008 Chargers won the AFC West despite a 4-8 start and 8-8 record thanks to a monumental collapse by the Denver Broncos to close the year.  The team has favored for deep playoff runs every year since before he took over, yet has never been to a super bowl.

Taking the team to a 2-3 start this year coupled with another hot start by the Denver Broncos, calls for Turner’s head reached crescendo level.  With a milquetoast personality that makes him easy to attack, and the circumstances surrounding his arrival Turner, has had a hard time winning fans over in Chargertown.

On the heels of losing their first playoff game in the second round, Marty Schottenheimer’s 14-2 San Diego Chargers were looking to rebound from yet another disappointing playoffs.  The team had been putting up consistently good regular seasons for three years, but had failed to translate it into any playoff results.

It briefly appeared San Diego would retain Schottenheimer for one more year, but following both coordinators leaving for head coaching jobs(Cam Cameron for a disastrous year with Miami, Wade Phillips for an ongoing roller coaster with Dallas) Schottenheimer was sent packing by general manager AJ Smith with whom the relationship had always been testy.

The move was not extremely popular.  Had he been let go immediately following the playoffs, the sting of that upset would have been fresh enough for fans to be more accepting.  Instead time enough had been given not to heal the wound, but at least for it to become bandaged.  The offseason head coaching spree had already seen the bulk of top candidates finding their homes and pickings seemed modest.

Instead of pursuing a hot up and comer, AJ Smith signed coaching veteran Norv Turner.  Turner was a highly successful offensive coordinator who had yet to have success at the top level in stints with Oakland and (Washington?).  The signing of Turner was immediately pounced upon.  His past resume at the head coaching level was not compelling and the man he was replacing was still fairly popular both among fans and within the Chargers organization.

He took a 14-2 Chargers team to an 11-5 record, but managed something in his first playoff game that Schottenheimer had been unable to, a postseason victory.  The Chargers were eliminated by the eventual AFC Superbowl representative in both of Norv Turner’s postseasons, first to the New England Patriots and then to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The result was given mixed reviews, especially 2008’s loss in which the team showed a vulnerability to physical teams, being out-muscled by Pittsburgh to end its mediocre year.

With the team seeming to have peaked or started a downturn, it was easy to want to lump blame onto Turner.  He was not a particularly popular pick to begin with, had posted a consistent decline in the team’s win-loss column, and gone 10-11 during the 2008 to early 2009 seasons.  A website dedicated to firing Turner cropped up and “Norv-hate” was at an all time high.

What was not considered was a team adjusting to major injuries (an out one year ineffective the next Shawne Merriman, no Jamal Williams in 2009, no Nick Hardwick for 17 of the last 24 games, etc.) and finding its own way.  Support from Chargers management was written away as AJ Smith enjoying his opportunity to be the dominant personality.

After all of this something happened.  The team discovered its identity, finally finding the balance between supporting a high-powered air assault with a solid-enough ground attack, using hard hitting safeties to harass opposing quarterbacks in lieu of a strong front seven pass rush, and through it all putting up twenty plus points every night.

The 11-3 Chargers now look their most dangerous since that 14-2 year.  The difference however, is that the team is also more grounded.  They have a history to turn to whenever the playoffs are discussed, a history that gives the team a chip on its shoulder instead of an overconfident swagger. 

They may have ascended to third in the bulk of NFL power rankings (such as foxsports.com, espn.com), but play and perform as if they were a plucky fourth seed looking to topple the other giants of the league.  That blend, as well as the array of developed weapons (in years past a stalled Tomlinson meant a catatonic offense), makes this a strong, solid team looking forward to a great postseason run.

With all this, why do I hate Norv Turner?  Because he is doing a great job of proving people wrong.  Disliking his first hire, questioning his remaining with the team after 2008 and early into 2009, he is on pace to translate this year into one of the team’s best regular seasons. 

No matter what has been thrown at him, he has adapted.  He has lead the team past debilitating injuries, the fall from prominence of the team’s hall of fame offensive leader, and a front seven unable to consistently put up the numbers expected of it.  Norv has managed to do something in this streak that he had been unable to through his first two years and five games as a head coach.  He has earned my trust in his stewardship over the team. 

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WTF Franchise-Tagged Defensive End Julius Peppers?

If you spend about fifteen minutes in a room with 50 Carolina Panthers fans, you might feel like there’s not a more polarizing team currently playing in the NFL.

No true Panther fan has been at a loss for storylines this season.

There was the ever-present quarterback controversy (Delhomme or anyone else), the massive injury list, another season with outspoken Steve Smith, the inability of the team to develop young wide receivers, draft decisions, defensive and offensive game plans and formations, the future of coach John Fox and General Manager Marty Hurney, the departure of owner Jerry Richardson’s two sons, the inevitable “rebuilding” process that is bound to happen sooner rather than later, and of course, the million-dollar-a-game Julius Peppers.

Along with all of these storylines, there is scarcely one overriding opinion on any of them, except that once again the Panthers underperformed after overachieving a year before, and once again John Fox cannot earn two winning seasons in a row.

But after last night’s Vikings/Panthers game—thankfully for once—the major story-lines have to deal with performances: Matt Moore’s, Steve Smith’s and Julius Peppers’.

For Peppers, last night’s performance was of the mold expected out of an elite defensive lineman, one being paid $16 million a year. It wasn’t the statistic line (1 tackle, 1 sack), but the pressure placed on Brett Favre throughout the game.

If someone was to go back and watch the tape of the game, Peppers was placed on an island. The defensive front was aligned in an asymmetrical 4-3 formation with all of the emphasis placed on the left of the defense and Peppers alone outside right, one against however many the Vikings put up against him.

It didn’t matter. There was no stopping Peppers, not with a double team, not even when starting left tackle Bryant McKinnie was benched for reserve lineman Artis Hicks. Peppers had his way.

McKinnie claimed it was “an off day,” but unfortunately for McKinnie, it was actually an “on-day” for Peppers, one of very few lately for the defensive lineman.

And that’s the problem with Julius Peppers, it appears he has an “off” and “on” switch somewhere inside of himself, and it is as if he is the only able to turn it from off to on.

Before last night’s game, anyone could have argued that Peppers’ broken hand had affected his recent play, but clearly, it didn’t stop him from performing, so it can’t be used as an excuse.

But this year, Peppers has lodged two games where he has not recorded a tackle or a sack. Twice, there has been a zero logged in every category on his stat sheet. Should a million-dollar-a-game NFL player ever garner such results?

During the past off-season, Peppers wanted a trade. He wanted a trade to a top-tier team, and he felt he deserved top dollar for his services. The Panthers felt the same way, franchising him which forces two first round draft picks from any team involved in a trade.

However, any recent observer of Peppers can claim that more often than not he does not show up when it counts. Even though Peppers had a career year with 14.5 sacks in 2008, not one came when the team needed it. Never did he have a game changer. In last year’s playoff run, Peppers never showed up, especially not in the blowout against the Arizona Cardinals.

Peppers’ 2008 season was the definition of a player playing for a new contract.

He can claim it’s the defensive alignment, or the lack of other elite players on the line which allows opposing teams to double team him, but is this true? In too many losing games this year, Peppers has been the victim of single blocking schemes, and still his performances are inconsistent.

Even though the team plays in a 4-3 (not the 3-4 Peppers covets), a talented linebacking crew along with a fluid front four with added playmakers, like draft pick Everette Brown, have helped to tweak the defensive line to favor Peppers, and yet…Peppers flounders.

He sucks up cap space, he’s insolent and disrespectful to the franchise that has catered to him throughout his career (I only say this as he went to the media to try and force a trade as well as holdout until the very last minute as far as this year’s preseason was concerned, and would only entertain a trade to certain terms, thereby limiting Carolina’s opportunities to get a strong return on a trade), and he is distant with the media (unless he’s trying to move teams).

Performances like last night against the Vikings only lead to more confusion with Peppers. If he can dominate a game against a playoff caliber team with such ease, then why isn’t the season riddled with such displays? If so many analysts and fans can see when he is “on” and when he has switched “off,” then why switch off?

It doesn’t just affect a team he is unhappy with, it affects his market and trade value come next season.

Right now would be the perfect time for Peppers to reach out to the media and the fans and explain his situation and point of view.

It won’t happen as that’s not Julius Peppers, but there has to be a better explanation than the belief that Peppers is a self-centered, selfish, me-first type of athlete that squanders his exceptional talent and ruins his legacy because he is not happy.

Whether Peppers returns next year (highly unlikely at $20 million), he is franchised and traded to another team, or waived (who knows? It’s probably in Carolina’s best interest), he’ll continue to be viewed as a player that doesn’t play hard every down and every game, that once he gets his money, doesn’t earn it and takes it straight to the bank.

What team is going to want him? What elite team will pay market value for a player that may or may not show up? Personally, I feel most teams that need that last impact will look elsewhere.

It leaves the Panthers with few choices. And it leaves Peppers with little likelihood of getting paid as much as he did this year, and there’s a good chance he won’t be playing for that Superbowl contender he wants.

All it does is leave Panthers fans without an explanation from one of the most talented defensive ends of all time after they have given their support, love and tears to a player that promised that he was no longer disgruntled and would play his heart out all season long.

Like most events in life, Panthers fans shouldn’t expect one.

Instead, come next year, they should just move on and spend their time rooting for players that will give it all in every game, in every year of their contract—that is, as long as the owner, general manager, and coach allow as much instead of agreeing to franchise crippling contracts with athletes that have demonstrated questionable production rates (to be fair to Julius Peppers, he isn’t the only one).

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Ben Roethlisberger: Truly One Of the Best Of His Time

Ben Roethlisberger may be the player in the NFL with the widest gap in popularity. There are those worship him. Then there are those who post comments on Bleacher Report saying he sucks and shouldn’t be in the NFL.

I am somewhere in the middle, though much more heavily leaning toward the “he is amazing” side. I can understand why some might not love his style of play. But saying he is not even a good QB is just ignorant of the facts. I am definitely not saying anyone is ignorant, just that you might not know everything there is to know.

First of all, Ben has a career QB rating of 91.5, and that’s good enough for top ten all time of every QB to play the game of football in the NFL. He’s one of only ten quarterbacks to ever to throw for 500 yards in a game. He won rookie of the year and went 13-0 his first year in the league, and then won two Super Bowls in his first five years in the league.

He’s one of the only people to have thrown a perfect game quarterback ratings-wise, and he managed to do it three times in his short career, more than anyone else except Peyton Manning.

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Saints-Cowboys: Cowboys Win Leaves Colts as Last Undefeated

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An All “Two” Perfect NFL Season

Sad to say, but this interesting NFL season is coming to a close. A few years removed from the Patriots perfect season that ended with a loss to the New York Football Giants, we have not one, but two perfect teams en route to the playoffs. I thought everyone said that an undefeated season would not happen for a long time or, perhaps, ever again. How incredibly awesome would it be to have a Superbowl with TWO undefeated teams? It could very well be the most viewed TV event ever. We have to wait and see…

The two New York football franchises got off to blazing starts. That includes the Jets and their Rookie Coach and QB. Their dominant defense even held the explosive New England offense to under 10 points. However, he past four or five weeks have been a seminar of what NOT to do at the QB position, as Rookie Mark Sanchez completed most of his passes to the opposing team. Welcome to New York, kid. You’ll get it together. Just be patient. Learn to let the game come to you rather than forcing yourself into it.

Eli and company are probably the most frustrating team to watch. The Giants’ Steve Smith was leading all wide receivers in the league in catches, yards, and TDs at one point, even though the G Men can’t score in the Red Zone. Brandon Jacobs hasn’t been able to save this. This team has become erratic, and they’re losing games they should win or were ahead in.

The defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers will not be defending their title since the Cleveland Browns—yes the Browns—knocked them out of the picture. The Lions, Raiders, and Bills are still garbage. The Bills picked up Terrell Owens, hoping to have a threat at WR, but have gotten very little out of him. Once a premiere receiver, Owens is a ghost of his former self. I imagine that being a locker room cancer has nothing to do with it.

Peyton Manning and the Colts are undefeated, but had a couple nail biters during the season. However, the Colts are looking poised and comfortable as the season winds to an end. This is an accomplishment since the Colts had major changes in personnel from field to office. Peyton is the backbone of the team—calm, cool, collected. You know, like Brady USED to be.

Speaking of Brady, can he be put in a plastic bubble or something? Maybe he needs the red jersey from practice. Defenders aren’t allowed to fall or be pushed in his direction without yellow flags flying everywhere. It’s FOOTBALL!!! If he didn’t want to be hit or sacked, he should have played baseball or golf. Numerous times bad calls have bailed Brady out of bad spots. Enough is enough!!! Does anyone else enjoy the look of frustration and helplessness on Bill Beli-Cheat, er, sorry, Belichick’s face?

New Orleans Saints are the OTHER, yes the OTHER undefeated team. Drew Brees and company have demoralized most of their opponents and are on cruise control for the playoffs. This offense is awe inspiring, and Brees is firing laser beams for TDs, making it look effortless. Even Reggie Bush is contributing. This team could be the favorites even if they face Indy in the Superbowl. They are that good.

Brett Favre is looking incredible. The Vikings did very well for themselves by grabbing him from the Jets. If he would’ve stayed in New York, would they be in the playoffs? Sanchez would have benefited by having the “Old Gunslinger” as a mentor. He seems to have a gunslinger mentality too.

With what appears to be 80% of the league fighting for a wild card, it’s anybody’s game. Maybe one of my New York teams can squeak in, even if the result is a knockout in the first round. That’s the beauty of football. Last year’s winners can be this year’s losers, and vice versa.

Good luck and good health to the players as this season draws to it’s conclusion. Here’s to TWO perfect teams on a collision course with destiny. Who will be the last team standing? Is this the year the 1972 Miami Dolphins are joined by another perfect team WITH a championship? Not the close call that New England failed to deliver…

I know one thing: It’s gonna be a hell of a ride…

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Chiefs-Browns: Key Match-Ups, and The Road to a KC Victory

Week 15 kicks off as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Cleveland Browns, as they prepare to not only reel in a fourth victory, but to hopefully build for the future of a franchise that has a combined 9-36 over the last three seasons.

Key Match-ups

Josh Cribbs vs. Chiefs special teams

Cleveland’s do-it-all man, Josh Cribbs was a huge part of the Browns 13-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Thursday, as he rushed for 87 yards on just eight carries, Cribbs not only helps in the running game, but he is also their main Kick/Punt returner, as he has put up nearly 2,000 all purpose yards this season, also catching passes in a receiver role.

Earlier this week, Cleveland coach Mark Mangini suggested that he could possibly use Cribbs in more of a runningback role this week, after he has consistently made plays out of the backfield this season.

His role as punt returner will be tested this week as he will be facing a Chiefs special teams that has been one of the best in league. Punter Dustin Colquitt has helped by putting up a 45 yard average off 81 Punts, also with a 41.1 yard net average, putting his punt coverage unit in the top five of the league.

Cleveland Pass Rush Vs. Chiefs O-line

The Chiefs have given up a second worst, 42 sacks this season, ranked only behind Green Bay. While the Cleveland Browns, after sacking Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger eight times, now ranks in the top 10 with 32 sacks on the season, tied with the undefeated Indianapolis Colts.

The fact is, when Chiefs Quarterback Matt Cassel is pressured, it makes his job more difficult to find open receivers and to not make mistakes with the football. When Cassel is pressured, he has a horrid 52.5 QB rating, which is not even acceptable. Yet when Cassel is protected well, he brings his QB rating up to decent 80.5 QB rating.

Cleveland’s pass rush has been one of their only bright spots in a season filled with disappointment. It will be difficult for the Chiefs to decide who to key on in pass protection during this game, as the Browns best pass rusher has only 6.5 sacks on the season. This means the Browns come from all angles to attack the quarterback, not just one guy making all the plays. In fact, at least one sack has come from every position on the defense, that includes the Safety and Cornerback positions.

Jamaal Charles Vs. Cleveland’s rush defense

The Cleveland Browns are one of the leagues worst against the run. Allowing a total of 1,927 rushing yards to be racked up so far this season.

It all started in week one as Cleveland allowed Vikings runningback Adrian Peterson to stiff arm, juke, and power is way to 180 yards rushing, giving him by far his best performance of the season.

In week four, the Browns managed to hold power back Cedric Benson to just 74 yards rushing on 18 attempts, and zero touchdowns to add to it.

Cleveland was able to stuff Pittsburgh’s, Rashard Mendenhall for only 62 yards rushing off 17 attempts in week six.

Then in week 7, Packers runningback Ryan Grant was able to put up over 140 yards rushing off 27 touches, as he helped Green Bay win a slaughter of a game 31-3.

The fact is that Clevelands rush defense has been wildly inconsistent throughout all 13 games so far. Yet they haven’t quite seen a runningback like Jamaal Charles yet, a quick, home run hitter, who also has enough power and grit to pick up extra yards after contact.

Although Charles managed to rack up 143 rushing yards last week against the leagues worst rush defense, Buffalo, Kansas City still managed to lose 16-10. The difference in this weeks game is that Cleveland has shown that once they are beaten by a runningback, they have a tendency to lose big. Whether or not Charles has a solid game could determine the outcome.

This is a must win game for both teams, no, not because either team has a shot at the playoffs, but because these are teams that need something to boost their confidence and have something to look forward to heading into next year. Cleveland is a team that seems to be headed into the wrong direction as they have only won two games this season, but could be starting a series of wins after knocking off the defending Superbowl Champions.

The Chiefs are a team that has also beaten the Superbowl Champs, yet after being crushed by San Diego and Denver at home, they have shown little hope for improvement as the season has continued.

Chiefs, 17, Browns, 14 (OT)

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Minnesota Clinches Playoff Spot: Favre Reminiscent of 2007

Please, don’t fear the end of season “Favre Slide.”

Minnesota is in the playoffs and if there is a time Favre is needed, it’s in the playoffs. All he needs is support from the rest of the Vikings.

In a season shaping up to be much like 2007, for Favre at least, the “Favre Slide” is the last thing they should be worried about.

I was interested to see the differences in the last two seasons compared with this one to prove that he is not in an end of season slide. The research ended up showing me a different story.

First off, Favre is having a very similar season to his season with Green Bay in 2007.

Good thing is, this Vikings team is better than the ’07 Packers team. Bad thing is, a lot of people expect the Vikes to be in NFC championship game this year, while the Packers were a surprise to everyone—as were the Giants.

On a side note here: you may say it was Favre that lost that game for them, not the team. Yes, it was Favre who threw the overtime interception to set the Giants’ game-winning field goal, but if you say that this one play was solely responsible for the loss you would be wrong.

1. The defense that kept Eli Manning from throwing a single touchdown also allowed Eli to throw for 254 yards and on two occasions, in regulation, he put the Giants kicker, Lawrence Tynes, in position for two field goals.

2. That same defense allowed 134 yards rushing and two TDs from the Giants’ rushing attack.

3. The Packs’ running game was all but nonexistent—26 yards and no TDs on 13 carries for a horrible 2.0 yards per carry is hardly any effort.

4. Favre had 236 yards, two touchdowns, and only one interception going into overtime. He had a decent game the first three quarters. He even led the Pack on a 49-yard drive that had two turnovers in one play—an interception and then a fumble. With a stroke of luck, Favre was able to put them in position for the game tying field goal early in the fourth quarter. Before that possession, Favre who had two touchdowns and was virtually keeping them in the game single-handedly.

So, in analysis of this game, we find that if Favre has no support, then he’s makes stupid plays. This game may have never even got to overtime if he had the supporting cast around him that he needed. Now when he struggles with the right support, that is on him.

There are many similarities between this season and the ’07 season, as far as Favre’s play heading into the final five games.

By Week 13 in 2007, Favre had racked up 3,356 yards, completed 68 per cent of his passes with 22 TDs and eight INTs. This season, he has 2,874 yards, has completed 69 per cent of his passes with 24 TDs and three INTs.

Now the obvious difference is the interceptions with everything else being very close.

Both teams through 11 games were 10-1. Difference here is the Packers were surprisingly good. The Vikings, on the other hand, were predicted as the division favorites.

Of course, this was a prediction made after, again after, the signing of Favre. Before the signing of Favre, the Packers were the favorite. Wow didn’t know one guy could make such an impact, yet supposedly play so bad.

Now the Vikes have gone through the first two games of the annual “Favre Slide” and for the most part have got mediocre Favre, not bad Favre.

He isn’t starting to slide. He’s been a victim of little to no support against Arizona, again forcing him into stupid plays.

Plus, the Bengals and Cardinals are teams with, at worst, decent defenses and teams that are fighting to secure playoff spots.

So, I looked at the past two seasons in comparison to this year to refute the “Favre Slide” is happening again. I wasn’t able to prove or disprove that, but uncovered some interesting facts that may at least justify his poor play in ’07 and ’08.

This year, he has totaled 467 yards, a 62.6 per cent passing percentage, three TDs, three INTs, and has been sacked five times in the first two of the “Fatal Five.” Last year, Favre totaled 384 yards, 58 per cent, zero TDs, two INTs, and was sacked five times.

Now he had ample run support last year in those two games, 242 yards and four TDs, one scored by Favre himself.

The difference is…

1. In these two games, the Jets allowed 859 total yards and 58 points—the Vikes have allowed 608 yards and 40 points. Almost 300 yards less and 18 points less. That in itself could account for the difference in record, 0-2 last year and 1-1 this year. It’s hard for anyone to win games when the defense allows so many yards and so many points.

2. The Jets were 8-3 going into Week 12, leading the division by one game over the Patriots, who were 7-4, while the Bills and the Fins were tied at 6-5. This was a tight race at this point.

Ultimately, through the last five games, the race remained tight and culminated in a game between the New York and Miami to decide which of the two would go to the playoffs. Of course, the Jets lost and the Fins captured the AFC East.

The Viking, this year, were 10-1 and just two wins away from clinching the division. Now they are one win away from clinching the division and have already clinched a playoff spot. So last year there was less room for error, thus increasing the pressure to win.

3. Favre was injured. Trying to overcome that injury in a pressure-packed situation could have been half the problem.

The argument is pointless to most of the haters, but I say this to prove a point that it probably affects Favre’s poor play.

Now, when throwing in 2007’s Week 13 and 14 performances, there are few differences compared to this year. Favre did have worse stats, 322 yards, 54 per cent passing, 2 TDs, three INTs and was sacked once, but the result was the same.

There is one blaring point to be made that everyone has missed. How? I don’t know. To judge his performance based on his stats in these two games in 2007 would be unfair.

Point in case: In Week 13, when the Packers played in Dallas, Favre was injured in the second quarter (for a recap of the game click here) and was taken out with 10 minutes to play in the second quarter after only recording 56 yards, no TDs and two INTs.

1. If Favre doesn’t get injured, he would have had more yards and possibly more TDs. Despite a failed comeback attempt by Rodgers, the Packers’ backup had 201 yards, one TD and no INTs, and a decent run game that produced 124 yards and 2 touchdowns. This just shows that really it wasn’t Favre that lost this game for them; it was again the defense, which was also a definite problem for them last year and was a problem early on this year.

2. With an injury in 2007 against the Cowboys, the first of the “Fatal Five,” and an injury last year late in the season, it is possible the poor play is due to injuries. One would have to look into the two seasons prior to 2007 to make that determination for all four seasons, but it is safe to say that the elbow injury in the Dallas game could have been part of what was hampering his play at the end of the season.

Why no one has brought this up is beyond me.

His stats have been brought up to prove that he has had trouble late in the season the past four years, but to be completely fair we also need to look at all the things that go into helping a quarterback be successful. Pressures from the playoff race, injuries, support from the run game and most importantly the defense taking some pressure off by shutting down the opposing offense.

Think about it, the defense is the biggest reason for the slump. If it is not at least partially to blame for increased pressure on Favre and the losses suffered, then shouldn’t Peyton Manning and the Colts have like two or three more Super Bowl rings?

Seriously, Manning is the guy right now, aside from Drew Brees and Tom Brady, who every quarterback in the league is measured up to and has been for quite some time. So offense really has never been a problem for Indy.

But how many times did the Colts make it to the playoffs and lose because they could not stop the other team defensively before they actually got to the Super Bowl?

What was different about that Super Bowl season?

They’ve lost in the playoffs six times before getting to the Super Bowl and winning since Manning was a rookie. That’s six out seven years.

The reason: the defense.

The playoff blowout against the Jets, in the AFC Wild Card game, is one where we can honestly say the offense was horrible, but 41-0 doesn’t scream great defense either.

In 2006, the year they won the Super Bowl they only allowed 16.2 points a game in the postseason, including the championship game, and scored an astonishing 26.5 points a game.

So even with the best of the best quarterbacks, if your defense doesn’t step up you are not going to look so hot.

For the Vikings, this year all seems well. The defense got back in stride after a letdown of a game in Arizona, Favre is healthy, and the run game will hopefully continue the stellar play it had in last week’s game. If this all pans out and Favre still continues his slide, then the haters will be right.

Well only partially has he already accomplished what he said he was going to do—make the playoffs.

If the run game is bad, or the defense is horrible, or Favre suffers an injury there is no argument. Yeah maybe if he does slide again it will still be ultimately his fault, but having to carry a team once again is definitely not going to help things. Plus, it isn’t what he was hired to do, as so many of you have pointed out throughout the season.

I hope for him that the rest of the season is good and it does mirror his 2007 season as far as wins and losses, not losing in the NFC Championship game. The only way he can get from underneath the scrutiny is to actually win the Super Bowl, so that is the mountain he has to climb. He’s over half way there.

Of course, being a Packers fan as well, I’d rather see the Vikings do exactly the same as the 2007 Packers, except it would be the Packers ruining their season in the NFC Championship game and then going on to win the Superbowl.

Still, it would be a good alternative to see Favre hoist the Lombardi trophy, one more time before he finally does ride off into the sunset.

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What Ails the Dalls Cowboys

I am as frustrated as any other true life-long Cowboy fans.  Over the past four decades, starting with Craig Morton and the improbable Superbowl loss to the Baltimore Colts, I have learned to grin and bear it as well as take the Abe Lincoln approach to criticizing—sleep on it first!

Having done the above, I will pose some key issues as follows:

1.  How do you motivate a starting team of mostly multi-millionaires?

2.  Who is the undeniable team leader now (ie, who bears any resemblance to Roger Staubach, Cliff Harris, Randy White, and Michael Irvin—their looks can kill)?

3.  Does this above-average team resemble those of the Danny White era, playoff capable but not champions?

4.  When was the last time the Boys had a talented athletic offensive line, particularly built mostly with draftees?  Are less-then-nimble 330 pounders best suited to protect the QB against today’s fleet edge-rushers like a DeMarcus Ware or to react effectively to pass and run blitzes up the middle?

5.  Do the Cowboys still believe a strong running game and a stout defense is the only winning ticket in late-season crunch-time games?  Would a max-protection aerial circus outperform score-wise and psychology-wise?  Time to try?

6.  Does it seem Tony Romo’s best years were when he was allowed to scramble and improvise?  Is he looking more and more like Craig Morton?  How many times has he been hit or sacked this year (fumbles down, but interceptions up and surprising/uplifting big-plays way down)?

7.  This team does not have a shut-down secondary, so where is Wade’s famous attacking defense?  Any consistent pressure on Rivers last Sunday?

8.  Who is the “Marine Drill Sergeant” that instills discipline and proper on-the-field execution (the Boys certainly need one; cases in point—false starts, 3rd-down catches short of 1st-down yardage, poor tackling, out-flanked kick-off and punt coverages)?

I can go on, but that would be nitpicking.  The above can be succinctly summarized as inadequate leadership and discipline (players and coaches), not challenging the conventional wisdom, and not helping your players succeed by tuning your strategy and plays to your key personnel’s skill sets.

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Cleveland Browns Draft; Improve the Defense And Depth, Obtain More Picks

If the draft started today, the Cleveland Browns would be drafting third overall. Losing the opportunity to draft Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh is a hefty price to pay for beating the Superbowl reigning Pittsburgh Steelers.

Nonetheless it was worth it and now we probably won’t get Suh. I’m assuming that the Tampa Bay Buccanneers would take Suh, followed by the St. Louis Rams selecting Notre Dame’s QB Jimmy Clausen.

Now, sitting at third overall with the player they wanted gone, they have their options. Tennessee safety Eric Berry, Oklahoma States OT Russell Okung, and many quarterbacks. Here is where it starts to resemble last season.

The Browns trade down just like last year!!!!

Cleveland Browns get:
– Seattle Seahawks first-round pick (12 overall)
– Seattle Seahawks second-round pick (44 overall)
-CB Kelly Jennings

Seattle Seahawks get:
– Cleveland Browns first-round pick (3 overall)

Both team get what they want. Seattle is looking for a quarterback to take over the ‘Hawks in the future. They get that quarterback with this pick. The Browns want draft picks and defensive help. They add an additional pick and a CB to help their secondary.

It’s a win win scenario. Nine picks later and the Browns are sitting at 12 overall. Here they have their options again. OT Trent Williams, RB CJ Spiller, and OLB Sergio Kindle are great picks…

The Browns trade down again!!!!

The Cleveland Browns get:
– New York Jets first-round pick (17 overall)
– FS Kerry Rhodes

The New York Jets get:
– Cleveland Browns first-round pick (12 overall)

In this instance, the Jets trade up for one reason, and that’s to snatch up CB Joe Haden before the Falcons do. Rhodes wants out of New York also.

Cleveland, with Brodney Pool’s concussions and Abram Elam’s inconsistent play, need a veteran safety. The five year vet is a ballhawk and doesn’t miss many tackles. He is also capable of getting a sack.

Now, when the trading down seems all said and done, HEY TRADE DOWN ONCE AGAIN!!!!

No I’m just kidding, they finally stop and make their selection. With the 17th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns select Florida’s linebacker Brandon Spikes.

Before you make an opinion, look at what the Browns have done so far. They added a starting CB in Kelly Jennings, a starting FS in Kerry Rhodes, and an additional second-round pick (44 overall).

And on top of that, they add a promising middle linebacker to go along with D’Qwell Jackson and the Browns desperate defense. So…They add three starters on defense and a draft pick in two trades? Good day so far.

Now they play the waiting game until their next pick at 35 overall. With that pick, they find the best available defensive lineman. At this point in the draft, Aurthur Jones could still be on the board. They take him!

A while of waiting and now they are picking at 44 overall. Already adding a player at every area on defense (DL, LB, CB, and S), the Browns go offensive.

RT John St. Clair has really hurt the Browns offensive game this year, whether it be his drive ending penalties or giving up the sack. Basically, he needs replaced. Here the Browns find LSU’s OT Ciron Black.

Black has a big frame at 6’5″ and 314 lbs. He helps the offensive line establish a running game which all in all helps out Brady Quinn’s production level.

Now, the Browns started out with two draft picks in the first two rounds (3-and-35 overall). Now, at the cost of trading down, they now have five starters (three rookies), four at defense.

With nine draft picks in the next five rounds, the Browns team would be upgraded to a huge extent. The Browns could center in at other needs later on in the draft. They could draft a CB and a SS in the third-round to further improve their defense.

From there, they could go for an OLB, a TE, a RB, and a QB to strengthen the team’s overall depth.

Of course this is all how I would like the draft to go, but I don’t think anyone would be upset with the results. If anything, they would praise the new General Manager for this.

The Browns defensive depth chart after this draft:

DE- Aurthur Jones, Robaire Smith
NT- Sean Rogers, ahtyba Rubin, CJ Mosley
DE- Kenyon Coleman, Corey Williams
OLB- Kamerion Wimbley, Jason Trusnik
ILB- D’Qwell Jackson, Kaluka Miaiva
ILB- Brandon Spikes, Eric Barton
OLB- Matt Roth, David Bowens
CB1- Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, Coy Francies
CB2- Joe Haden, drafted player, Hank Poteat
FS- Kerry Rhodes, Abram Elam
SS- Brodney Pool, drafted player

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Will Kicking Be New Orleans Saints’ Achilles Heel?

As the Saints escape yet another close call in their quest for perfection, one weakness remains brutally apparent. Their kicking game is “no good”.

With the league’s best offense it’s easy to overlook a mediocre kicking team, but history indicates that at some point Sean Payton will find himself relying on an untested kicking unit.

So far this year he has coddled them, attempting only a handful of field goals over 40 yards, of which only two have been successful.

Kicker Garrett Hartley, activated last week to replace a struggling John Carney, has gone six of seven on field goals so far this year, but he is unproven on the big stage and has yet to make a field goal of over 50 yards.

One can point out his career 17/18 mark, but that stat is a bit misleading as only four of them have been over 40 yards.

Also the mental aspect of kicking is immeasurable. It’s hard to say how someone will respond to the pressure of a game winning kick in a playoff game.

It became clear in Washington that Payton doesn’t trust his kicker. Repeatedly he inched closer, visibly uneasy about attempting even a short field goal.

He confirmed this in Atlanta by attempted a fake field goal from the Atlanta 20-yard line on 4th-and-7, when leading by three.

After months of practice and hundreds of meaningful plays, it’s a common theme to see kickers determining the outcome of a season.

Saints fans know this from personal experience. It wasn’t too long ago that the River City Miracle went from play of the decade to cruelest joke of the century, eliminating them from playoff contention. In only two games, Hartley has already missed an extra point.

In Superbowl XXV Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard field goal that would have given the Bills their first win ever. Instead it was wide right, costing them the first of four consecutive Super Bowls. Only one time has Hartley connected from that long in his career.

Most recently, in Superbowl XLI, the undefeated Patriots held a 7-3 lead on 4th-and-13 from the Giants’ 31. They opted to go for it rather than attempt a 48-yard field goal with unproven second year pro, Steven Gostkowski.

Had they retained Adam Vinetieri it’s likely they would have opted to kick. The decision would wind up to haunt them as they lost 17-14, ruining their bid for perfection.

With the playoffs approaching, the Saint are going to find themselves in some close games. Only time will tell if a kicker determines their fate.

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