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BetUS.com
NFL analysts have come a long way. Lot of bookies look at analysts' advice and make their moneylines based on them. So if you are looking to bet on football this year, I wouldn't mind going with BetUS.com. They have been in business for quite some time now and can be trusted. Not many sportsbooks accept US players, but this one has kept themselves going and have been very successful. Morever, they also offer the most amount of sign-up bonuses in the industry with very fast payouts. Check em out! |
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Alkire Power Rankings
This list will be updated weekly. It is not a “Top 25”, but a power ranking of teams.
1.Florida
2.Alabama
3.Texas
4.Oregon
5.Cincinnati
6.Boise State
7.LSU
8.TCU
9.Penn State
10.Iowa
11.Georgia Tech
12.USC
13.Ohio State
14.Pittsburgh
15.Miami
16.Houston
17.Oklahoma
18.Utah
19.Notre Dame
20.Virginia Tech
21.Oklahoma State
22.Arizona
23.California
24.Wisconsin
25.South Florida
I had Florida in front all season, but when Tim Tebow turned into a regular guy I dropped them to No. 2 in the polls. After this weekend’s drubbing of Georgia I have to put the Gators back on top. I see that Alabama has been dropped to third by everyone else, but the hell with that. ‘Bama would take down the Longhorns.
Oregon moves into the Top 5 after hammering USC and yes, I put them above the Bearcats. Frankly, I almost put them ahead of Texas as Chip Kelly’s offense has been ridiculous lately.
I still think Oklahoma may be the best team out of the Top 10, but I can’t put them higher with their record being what it is.
For those that emailed me last weekend about putting Pitt too high, please email me this week with offering of crow. The Panthers are rolling, Dion Lewis deserves Heisman consideration and that match-up against Notre Dame is a big one waiting to happen.
Speaking of the Irish, their defense is starting to improve. Charlie Weis put pressure on Jon Tenuta to change personnel and it’s paying off. Jimmy Clausen is the best quarterback in the country in my opinion and Golden Tate has gone turned into a flat-out one-man show with Michael Floyd injured. Floyd will be back soon, but the Irish may have lost their best lineman in Trevor Robinson this weekend.
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Football Notes
** NFL notes are posted below **
by Tommy Lawlor
contact us at: scoutsnotebook@gmail.com
11-4-09
WEEK 9
* Northwestern DE Corey Wootton tore up his knee in the Alamo Bowl last December. He's been slow to come back from the injury this year, as you might expect. I watched him play on Saturday and that's the best I've seen him all year. Wootton (6'7, 280) looked quick and agile. He only made one play, but it was a TFL on a WR screen. The pass was thrown to the short side of the field, making it somewhat close to him, but Wootton flew out there and put the WR down with ease. That kind of athleticism combined with his size is what made Corey such an intriguing guy. Wootton showed good burst off the ball on a 3rd/2 run play. He got inside the OT and drove him back. That penetration also stuffed the FB and allowed the LBs to come in and make the tackle behind the line. In the previous game, Corey got his first sack of the year. He isn't piling up big numbers, but teams looking for an athletic LDE have to be happy to see him rounding into shape.
Hopefully NW will get to a bowl game. Wootton could be getting close to 100% by then and might be able to really help himself with a good showing. He'll also have a chance to play in an all star game and to work out at the Combine. I'm not sure what his exact value is right now, but things are looking up.
Wildcats QB Mike Kafka is an interesting guy. He is perfect for the NW spread offense. Kafka got off to a great start against Penn State before getting hurt and having to leave the game. He's accurate. He makes good reads. Kafka is a decent athlete and he's tough. I don't see pro ability, but he is a good college player.
* Auburn CB Walter McFadden had a good day in the win over Ole Miss. He had 4 solo tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1 pass break-up, and 2 INTs. He returned one of the picks 25 yards for a TD. McFadden is a quality CB prospect. He's big at 6'0, 175. He has good cover skills. One of the picks required an impressive catch. McFadden is a solid tackler and good athlete.
* LB Dekoda Watson hasn't had a great Senior year. Florida State has struggled to win games. The defense is one of the worst in all of college football (that is shocking, but true). Watson has had to deal with a groin injury that cost him one game and hampered him in others. He came up big late in the Noles win over NC State. They put him at DE on the final drive and Watson got good pressure on the QB. He is quick off the ball and looks comfortable rushing the passer. He's got 9.5 career sacks. Watson is a good LB prospect. Teams love athletic playmakers. He's 6'2, 230 and projects to WLB for most teams. He could plays SAM in some systems. Watson's value will be greatly affected by his medical reviews. He had Tommy John surgery in the offseason.
* Let's talk about the Brandon Spikes controversy. He was unbelievably dumb to shove his hand in the RB's facemask. That is one of the strangest things I've seen. I know a lot of people went nuts over it. I sort of understand that, but there's also some BS in those comments. Think about the NFL highlights we see of the Raiders from the late 60s and early 70s. Those guys tell all kinds of stories about doing dirty stuff. We laugh it off, "Oh those crazy Raiders. They were the NFL's renegade team". A kid does it in a current game and we act like he's Idi Amin, Pol Pot, or Vern Schillinger. It was a dumb, dirty move, but it doesn't mean that Spikes is a worthless scumbag that no one should ever say good things about again. Urban Meyer should have suspended him for a full game. Instead, Spikes got half a game. This incident won't dramatically affect his draft value with every team. Some may be put off, but most people will focus on his career and future.
As for the game, Spikes was in on 10 tackles. He also picked off a pass and ran it back 5 yards for a TD.
* One of my favorite guys to watch is Oregon State LB Keaton Kristick. He is a high motor guy that flies to the ball. He can hit out in space, but is also tough enough to take on RBs on inside run plays. He had a big game vs UCLA. Kristick had 7 solo tackles, a TFL, and a FF. OSU always seems to have a DE or LB who can fly around and make plays.
Junior DT Stephen Paea is a player that the average fan may not know about, but he is a force in the middle. He only lists at 6'1, 285, but plays bigger and stronger than that. He can shed blocks and is tough to move. He had his best college game on Saturday. Paea had 3 sacks and 2 FFs vs the Bruins.
BY THE NUMBERS
* Miami DL Allen Bailey is red hot right now. He's got 6 TFLS in the last two weeks (4 of them are sacks). Bailey has played both DE and DT. He is a terrific athlete for a guy his size, 6'4, 288.
* Ole Miss RB Dexter McCluster continued his hot streak. He had 22 carries for 186 yards and a TD. His long run was 79 yards. He also caught 4 passes.
* Ben Tate of Auburn was almost as good. He had 25 carries for 144 yards and a TD. His long run went for 53 yards. Tate showed good speed on the long TD.
* Auburn DE Antonio Coleman had a monster game. He had 4 TFLs (2 of them sacks) and a FF. Coleman flew off the edge and gave the OTs fits. He was very disruptive. He was also credited with 4 hurries.
* Rebels DE Greg Hardy had his best game of the year, notching 2 sacks. That gives him 5 for the year.
* Fresno State WR Seyi Ajirotutu caught 7 passes for 124 yards and a TD. That was his best game of the year. He also hadn't been in the end zone since Week 2.
* East Carolina FS Van Eskridge had 5 tackles, a pass break-up, and INT.
* Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh had 5 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the win over Baylor.
* Tim Tebow played well in the win over UGA. He threw the ball well (15-21-164-2 TDs). He also ran for 85 yards and 2 TDs. I thought a couple of the throws were solid, including one TD.
* Both Florida DEs played well. Junior Carlos Dunlap had a sack, giving him 6 on the year. Senior Jermaine Cunningham had 2.5 TFLs and a FF.
* Boise CB Kyle Wilson played his best game of the year vs SJSU. Kyle had 4 solo tackles, a TFL, and an INT that he ran back for a TD. He also had a 17-yard PR.
* Jonathan Dwyer has been red hot for Ga Tech recently. In the last 6 weeks he has 736 yards on the ground and is averaging 6.3 ypc.
* Iowa LB Pat Angerer was in on 12 tackles, had 1.5 TFLs, and forced a fumble in Iowa's comeback win on Saturday.
* Texas A&M DE Von Miller had a sack, giving him 13.5 for the year. That leads the country.
* Kansas WR Dezmon Briscoe is 3rd in the nation in receiving yards. He caught 9 passes for 110 yards and a TD vs Texas Tech. Briscoe is only a Junior, but could easily come out early.
* Junior DE Jeremy Beal had 1.5 sacks for Oklahoma on Saturday. He's got 8.5 on the season. He has 13.5 TFLs.
* Brandon Banks had a monster day for Kansas State. He caught 9 passes for 156 yards. He also returned 6 kickoffs for 195 yards. He took one 98 yards for a TD. Banks now has 4 KOR TDs this year.
* Mississippi State RB Anthony Dixon had the best game of his career. He ran 33 times for 252 yards and 2 TDs. He's now 6th in the country in rushing.
* Bulldogs ILB Jamar Chaney had a big game. He was in on 15 tackles, had 1.5 TFLs, picked off a pass, and recovered a fumble.
* Kentucky LB Sam Maxwell had 8 tackles and picked off a pass in the end zone.
* Louisiana-Monroe MLB Cardia Jackson had 12 tackles and 1.5 TFLs, but his team came up short vs Troy.
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10-31-09
Let's talk about who is up and who is down.
UP
QB Jimmy Clausen - Notre Dame --- I haven't written much about him this year, but Jimmy is having a terrific year. While other star QBs are slumping or playing a bit off, he has raised the level of his game. Jimmy has 16 TDs and only 2 INTs. He's throwing the ball very well downfield. He's accurate with his throws and generally is a good decision maker. You have to be impressed with his toughness as he plays through the pain of an injured foot. Jimmy has been the king of late game heroics this year. This is not a guy you want to get the ball late in the game with enough time to go down and score if your team is up 7 points or less. And that is one of the best compliments you can give a QB. I think Clausen has to come out this year if things stay the same. He's in the mix to be the top QB taken. That should be too much to pass up. That said, I don't see Clausen as a guy I would take in the Top 10. There's nothing special about him physically. He doesn't make "wow" throws. His numbers are impressive, but he plays mostly bad defenses. He also has some really good skill players. I never get the feeling he's carrying the team on his back the way I do with Colt McCoy or when Matt Ryan was at BC. One player that Clausen reminds me of is Rex Grossman. That isn't an insult. Rex was a stud QB in college. He didn't pan out in the NFL, but it wasn't due to lack of talent. Rex wasn't the biggest guy or the best athlete. He didn't have an explosive arm. He played in a good system and had excellent skill players around him. One big advantage Jimmy has is playing in a pro-style scheme. That will help with his adjustment to the NFL. I see Clausen as a guy that I'd consider more in the 15-25 range.
S Reshad Jones - Georgia --- Every time I watch UGA I see #9 playing well. He can cover. He has 4 pass break-ups and 1 INT. Jones can fly up in run support and he is also a big time hitter. Jones is comfortable playing in the box. He's got 26 solo tackles and 2.5 TFLs. He also has 1 FF. Jones is only a Junior, but I could easily see him coming out. He redshirted so this is his 4th year at Georgia. At 6'2, 215 he has the size that NFL teams love. He's not just an extra LB type though. He has 8 career INTs. Eric Berry and Taylor Mays are the elite guys, but Jones isn't far behind.
RB Toby Gerhart - Stanford --- I've always enjoyed watching Toby play. I never closely watched him until this year. I tended to think of him as a typical college power runner who had marginal NFL potential. Not the case at all. Gerhart is 6'1, 240. He is a tough, physical runner. What makes him special are his feet. Toby is a very nimble guy. The reason so many power guys don't project well to the pros is that they can only go N-S. They can't move laterally. They can't make defenders miss. Toby's feet allow him to make these kinds of moves. His production is up over past years. He's 143 yards shy of his career high in yards and has 4 games to go. He's only 2 TDs short of his career high. Toby is averaging more than 5 yards per carry. Toby is a Senior, but only played in 1 game as a Sophomore and could try to come back for a 5th year. I think workhorse RBs should come out early. Legs only have so many carries in them. I don't think his value will get any higher than it is now. He's probably a 3rd round type. One area I do wish I had a better feel for is how good a receiver he is. Toby only has 35 career catches. NFL teams want complete backs (run, block, and catch).
LB Navorro Bowman - Penn State --- Bowman had a bad offseason. He got into some trouble and that landed him in JoePa's doghouse. Bowman finally worked his way out of that only to suffer a groin injury that really limited him for the first 3 games. Bowman has been healthy the last 5 weeks and he is playing terrific football. He has 22 solo tackles, 9 TFLs, an INT, and he returned a fumble 91 yards for a TD. Bowman could play inside or outside in the NFL. He is an excellent tackler. Bowman wraps up and has plenty of strength/power. He's instinctive and always seems to be around the ball. Bowman fights through trash to get to the ball. He has excellent closing speed. He can attack upfield or drop back into coverage. Bowman is only a Junior, but I'll be shocked if he doesn't come out. He's more football player than college student. There may be some character questions, but the guy can flat out play. Based on talent I see him as an early 2nd round type.
DOWN
DT Marvin Austin - UNC --- I first heard of Marvin on signing day a few years back when he shocked some people and went to Carolina. He's been on the field for 2 1/2 years now, but I'm still waiting to see the guy that there was so much hype about. Let's start with the numbers. Marvin has 6 sacks and 9.5 TFLs...in his career. Most of that production came in his Freshman year. Those numbers are nothing special. How about the eyeball test? He fails there as well. Austin doesn't eat up blocks and control the middle. Florida State ran a QB sneak last week and Marvin was driven more than a yard off the ball. He doesn't push the pocket. Marvin lists at 6'3, 305, but sure looks heavier than that. He has a thick build. I would advise him to stay in school. Marvin should probably lose some weight and get down to about 300 pounds. He is a nimble guy. He ran an INT back for a TD last year. I think he'd be much more effective playing light and trying to be an athletic DT. Marvin does have a good motor. He will chase plays all over the field.
ILB Brandon Spikes - Florida --- I've been a big fan of Brandon's, but 2009 has not been good to him. He's gone from being the best ILB in the nation to not even the best in the SEC. Injuuries have slowed him. Last year Spikes was a complete LB. He made a ton of tackles, picked off 4 passes, and was a solid blitzer. He did have 3 sacks vs LSU a couple of weeks back, but other than that he's not been much of a playmaker this season. Spikes is huge at 6'3, 258. Teams will love that size and his career production. I hope he plays in the Senior Bowl. Spikes could boost his value with a good showing in Mobile. Back in August I saw him as a lock to go top 20. Now I think of him as somewhere in the 20-45 range.
MISC
* Minnesota WR Eric Decker is out for the year with a foot injury. This is a big blow to the Gophers offense. I also hate to see a Senior unable to finish out his career on the field. He could be a Top 100 pick. I'm sure the docs at the Combine will be all over him.
* Dez Bryant is done for the year. The NCAA would not shorten his suspension. This isn't good news for him. I find it hard to believe that this is all about having dinner with Deion. There must be some other stuff going on and that could hurt Bryant's draft value. Teams watched the Crabtree situation this summer and want no part of a receiver with issues. If Bryant chooses Eugene Parker as his agent that could drop him a few spots. Remember, Parker is Deion's old agent and we know that Dez has a relationship with Deion.
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older notes are archived in the forums section
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Around the NFL
** Notes **
WEEK 8
* I watched part of the Tennessee game so I could get a look at Vince Young in his return as a starter. Vince played well, sort of. The situation was perfect for him. The Titans jumped out to a quick lead. They ran the ball well. Vince was able to limit what he had to do in the pass game. The long pass play went 18 yards and that was a TE screen to Bo Scaife. He only completed 6 passes to WRs. In other words, we found out that Vince could do what he used to do...manage a game and make some plays as long as things are close.
Vince was 15 of 18 for 125 yards and a TD. He ran 12 times for 30 yards. His TD was a fade pass to Nate Washington that was well thrown. Vince executed his play fakes pretty well. He was accurate on his short passes. My concern was his ability to throw intermediate routes to WRs. He was late on an out route to Washington. Nate had to come back for the ball a few steps. You want a QB to be on time with his throws to the outside or down the field. Vince was starting for the first time in more than a year. We'll see if he improves.
* RB Chris Johnson was out of this world. He ran 24 times for 228 yards. He is one of the few RBs I've ever seen that makes his living with speed. If he gets the edge, the defense is in big trouble. All Chris needs is a small break and he turns on the jets. He had TD runs of 52 and 89 yards. No one is going to catch him from behind. A good game can skew stats at midseason, but I'm still blown away that Johnson is averaging just under 7 yards per run on the year. Unheard of. Chris is the most explosive RB I've ever seen.
* Maurice Jones-Drew had a spectacular game as well. He only had 8 carries, but ran for 177 yards. Drew doesn't have the explosive speed that Johnson does, but is fast enough to break long runs himself. Drew had TD runs of 79 and 80 yards. He broke multiple tackles on each run. I love watching Drew run. He has tremendous power and balance. He won't go down easily. Tacklers have to really work to get him on the ground.
* Speaking of tough runners...Frank Gore had a great 64-yard TD run vs the Colts. Frank hit a hole up the middle and busted through a couple of tackles. He then just kept running until he got in the end zone. Frank is like a battering ram when he lowers his head. He generates a lot of power by keeping his legs churning.
* Eric Mangini hasn't done much right in Cleveland, but he has gotten LB Kamerion Wimbley back on track. Kam had 11 sacks as a rookie in 2006. He only had 9 the next two seasons combined. This year Kam has 5 sacks in 7 games. He got one on Sunday. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is the one who has really made the difference. He's moving Wimbley around on defense. Ryan also has added some emotion to the defense. Obviously that can only go so far without talented players, but Wimbley has responded. He had a big hit on Jay Cutler on Sunday. That bloodied Jay and cost Kam a big fine from the league office.
* The Houston Texans ran an interesting play on Sunday. They ran a shovel pass (nothing new about that), but did it to WR Kevin Walter. The standard shovel pass is thrown to a RB going up the middle. Walter came in motion and got the throw and then he headed up the middle. He only got a few yards on the play, but that was an impressive twist on an old play.
* I watched some of Niners CB Shawntae Spencer on Sunday. He played well. Spencer is quick and fast. He gets a good break on the ball. Natural cover guy. Against the Colts he had 8 solo tackles and a pass break-up. I was impressed by his tackling on short throws. He wasn't giving up many RAC yards. SF had a terrific scheme put together for taking on the Colts. They varied their fronts and how many guys would rush. The DBs would move at the last minute to cause Peyton Manning to hold the ball as he had to diagnose the coverage. That led to several coverage sacks. ILB Patrick Willis was great. He covers a lot of ground and is a sure tackler. DE Justin Smith only has 1 sack this year, but he pressures the QB on a regular basis. Love watching him play. Great motor. Physical player.
* I want to talk about Brett Favre for a minute. Forget the usual crap, I want to cover an interesting angle. One thing he doesn't get enough credit for is developing WRs. Favre came to Green Bay in 1992. Sterling Sharpe was an established player. Brett helped him to become an elite player (who's career was ended by a neck injury). Robert Brooks was a rookie in '92. His numbers skyrocketed when Sharpe got hurt. Robert had more than 300 catches in his GB career. Antonio Freeman was a rookie in 1995. He caught 431 passes in his GB career and played at a Pro Bowl level for a couple of years. Bill Schroeder was a rookie in 1997. He caught 225 passes as a Packer. Donald Driver was a rookie in 1999 and played most of his career with Favre. He's now over 600 career catches. Javon Walker was a rookie in 2002 and looked like an elite player before injuries and other issues sent him elsewhere. Greg Jennings was a rookie in 2006 and played 2 years with Brett. He's developed into an elite player. James Jones had his most productive year with Favre throwing to him. Look at all those WRs who became good players. Pretty amazing.
Now Brett is in Minnesota and you see Sidney Rice playing the best ball of his young career. Percy Harvin is off to a good start in his rookie year.
What gives? I think WRs love playing with Brett. He is accurate enough to throw short, but strong enough to stretch the field and throw deep. Brett will throw into very tight spaces. He doesn't need guys to be wide open. That means that his receivers must think the ball could come to them on any play. And I mean that literally. That causes guys to run better routes and stay focused. Brett will give his guys a chance to make plays. I also think the bullet passes cause young guys to really focus on the ball. If you don't catch it, you are going to get hit upside the head with a rocketball. Your hands protect the rest of your body.
Whatever the exact reasons, you do have to give Favre credit for helping so many young WRs to develop into good players.
* Last year the Titans had 20 INTs. This year they have 6. Cortland Finnegan has been hurt a lot this year, but he picked off a ball on Sunday and returned it 35 yards. Finnegan is just a playmaker. His absence has been a big blow to the TEN defense. Newly acquired Rod Hood picked off a pass over the middle. Simple play where he became the aggressor and attacked the ball. Titans DBs need to start making plays if they want to turn this thing around.
* Panthers RBs Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have combined for almost 1,000 yards and 9 TDs so far this year. They aren't on last year's pace, but Carolina is warming up. Williams is the big play guy with speed and quickness. Stewart is the tough guy. He runs hard, has good balance, and is more nimble than you might expect.
* Texans RB Steve Slaton fumbled so Ryan Moats took over. Moats hadn't carried the ball in 3 weeks, but was ready when he got the chance to play. Ryan had 23 carries for 126 yards and 3 TDs. He also caught 2 passes for 25 yards. Moats is fast and can be very elusive. Slaton better get his act together.
* Ray Edwards is starting to emerge at LDE for the Vikings. Jared Allen is the elite edge rusher. Kevin Williams is the playmaker in the middle. Edwards helps to balance things out. He's got 3.5 sacks this year. His career high is 5 so you can see he's ahead of his normal pace. Ray is quick off the ball and looks good this year. He's playing with a lot of confidence.
ROOKIE WATCH
* Seahawks rookie LB Aaron Curry is off to a good start. He's second on the team in tackles and also has a couple of sacks. He still looks like a rookie at times. On Sunday he was sloppy in space while trying cover in space. WR Sam Hurd caught a pass on a crossing route and turned on the jets. Curry is a very good athlete, but couldn't keep up and Hurd had a 36-yard TD catch.
* Ladarius Webb ran KO back for TD in Baltimore's upset of Denver.
* Jairus Byrd is trying to lock up rookie of the year in one month of game. Byrd picked off 2 more passes on Sunday. He now has 7 for the year. Crazy stuff.
* Eagles rookie LeSean McCoy had the longest run of his career, a 66-yard TD run on 3rd/1 in the 4th quarter.
* Long KOR by Percy Harvin set up a short TD. He is explosively fast. Also strong. That makes him a big threat at all times.
* LB Clay Matthews is playing well for the Packers. He is at his best playing on the edge and attacking. Clay has 3 sacks, 4 TFLs, and 4 pass break-ups so far this year.
* Panthers DB Sherrod Martin had 2 picks vs ARZ. He was playing S due to an injury.
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WEEK 7 NOTES
* Peyton Manning has had a HOF career. He's won a Super Bowl. He's set some records and is on pace to set plenty more if he plays long enough. All that is well and good, but the NFL is a "what have you done for me lately?" league. Manning might be 33, but he is playing the best football of his career. Statistically he's on pace to have his best or second best season. You have to set them aside and really focus on the circumstances.
Peyton played his first NFL game in 1998. His best receiver was Marvin Harrison. He had TEs Ken Dilger and Marcus Pollard. His RB was some guy named Marshall Faulk. That's a pretty good surrounding cast. It got better over the years. Now, things have changed. Manning still has some good players (Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark), but he's also working with Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. He doesn't have an elite RB. His LT is Charlie Johnson.
Manning first got my attention this year against the Dolphins. He and the offense scored 27 points and were amazingly efficient in a game where the defense had trouble even slowing down the Dolphins and their ground game. I watched part of the Colts game on Sunday. Manning had a string of 300-yard passing games broken, but he led the Colts to a 42-6 win. One pass really impressed me. Manning hit TE Dallas Clark for a 27-yard TD. There were a couple of defenders in the area. Manning put the ball out in front where only Clark could get it. He put good touch on the pass. Clark had to fully extend, but was able to bring it in. Because of the coverage, that was literally the perfect throw. The defenders were in great position. They did everything right, except jump 5 feet into the air to deflect the throw.
* I'm very impressed with Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall. His rookie year ended early because of an injury. He had to fight for playing time this year, but took the coaches tough love in the right way and now looks like the real deal. Mendenhall is 225 pounds. He runs hard and has good power. He also has good feet and is able to make nimble moves. That is a tough combination for defenses to deal with. He's run for 418 yards so far and is averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Excellent start for him. He does have a couple of lost fumbles this year. That's an area of concern.
* Let's talk about another rookie from last year, Rams DE Chris Long. His career is not off to such a good start. After almost a year and a half he's got just 4 sacks. All of them came in 2008. Long is starting at RDE. He gets some pressure, but I don't see the kind of player I expected. In college he was a holy terror. Long had a great motor. He used his hands well and was quick enough to get by OTs. I'm not seeing any of this.
Chris gives good effort. He's not slacking at all, but I don't see the electric motor that I saw at UVA. He played like a man possessed. He does use his hands/arms well. I don't see a great burst. He's able to get near the QB, but never showed the burst to beat the LT and get to the QB. Huge difference. What disturbed me most was his run defense and ability to get off blocks. Dallas Clark was able to easily seal him a couple of times. That can't happen.
Long is adjusting to a new scheme. He doesn't have much presence in the middle. Adam Carriker is out for the year. These are not ideal circumstances for a young player. Don't give up on Long yet, but he's got to improve the second half of this year.
* Rams WR Danny Amendola caught my eye. He started the year on the Eagles Practice Squad. The Rams have worked him into the offense quite a bit the last few games. Danny has 13 catches in the last 3 weeks. He's lacks top end speed, but he is elusive and runs hard. Passes to him are safe and efficient. Donnie Avery is the big time playmaker, but you need someone like Amendola to help out on underneath plays. Danny is averaging 24 yards per KOR (long of 58) and is also the PR. Of course, a defense has to stop someone in order to force a punt and that just doesn't happen much in St. Louis these days.
* Dallas CB Terrence Newman is a quality cover corner, but he had an up and down day vs Atlanta. Newman broke up a pass and forced a fumble. That's the good stuff. He got beaten by Brian Finneran on a 3rd down early in the game for a catch that moved the chains. He also got beaten by Roddy White for an early TD. White had 6 catches and 50 yards in the game.
* Hollis Thomas was a UDFA in 1996. He's bounced around the league for the last few years. He joined the Carolina Panthers 3 weeks ago. They are playing him a decent amount and he is helping that defense out. He's able to play NT for them and control the middle of the line. He won't push the pocket or make a ton of plays, but he's stout and that's what they needed. Carolina is 2-1 with him in the lineup. The only loss was Sunday to BUF and the Panthers defense dominated the Bills offense for almost 3 full quarters. Thomas isn't pretty, but he is what they need. He can occupy blockers. He can shed blocks. He's also quick off the ball from time to time. Thomas used a quick burst and got his shoulder into an OL to get penetration last week and got a safety in the loss to the Bills.
* Let's talk about another old DT. Jimmy Kennedy was a bust with the Rams. He's bounced around the league, but seems to have found a home as a backup in Minnesota. He's got 3 sacks and a TFL so far. That may not sound like much, but his career high is 3 sacks. Jimmy is big and has some athleticism. Maybe being a role player on a good defense is just what he needed.
* An older guy who didn't impress me on Sunday was Orlando Pace, of the Bears. That still doesn't sound right. Pace is okay as a pass blocker. He still has okay feet and pretty good instincts. He really is struggling as a run blocker. He's too upright and gets little push. He looked really bad on a couple of plays. Bears RBs average less than 4 yards per carry for a reason.
* Washington DE Andre Carter is having a terrific year. He's got 6.5 sacks and 3 FFs. He looks as quick, strong, and agile as I can ever remember. DT Albert Haynesworth is playing well for WAS and his presence has had a huge impact on Carter. Suddenly he gets single blocking and can really attack off the edge. I am really impressed with the Skins DL.
ROOKIE WATCH
* Steelers WR Mike Wallace is off to a good start. He's got 21 catches and averages 17.5 yards per reception. He can make clutch throws. Big Ben targets him on 3rd downs and isn't afraid to go to him on scoring drives. Wallace had a TD late in the half last week. Wallace has good hands and speed. He can adjust to off target passes. They use him on End Arounds. He's got 3 runs for 40 yards so far.
* Mike Crabtree played his first NFL game on Sunday. He looked good, really good. He caught 5 passes for 56 yards and a penalty robbed him of another catch. Crabtree showed great hands. He snatched the ball cleanly and quickly. He looked polished, not like a guy who sat on the couch watching Family Ties.
* Rams OT Jason Smith has seen limited playing time this year. I only saw him play one snap at LT last week. Dwight Freeney beat him for a sack and fumble. Smith was slow off the ball and looked too mechanical as he tried to get into his pass set.
* I like what I've seen so far from Colts RB Donald Brown. He has good vision and quick feet. He also has excellent burst, speed. He looks like a really good player in the making.
* Buffalo Saftey Jairus Byrd is off to a great start. He picked 2 passes on Sunday. That gives him 5 in the last 3 games. One pass was a bad overthrow that Byrd easily picked. The other was a crossing route to Steve Smith where he tipped the ball and Byrd got it. Both plays showed great hands and awareness. Both INTs set up Bills TD and were crucial to the win. Byrd needs work as a tackler. He was called for a late hit on Smith. He also made a TD-saving tackle of Smith after a 47-yard catch and run.
* Buffalo is playing 3 rookies on the OL. Jamon Meredith is the starting RT. He has pass pro ability. Moves his feet well. Extends his arms and works to steer the defender wide. One area where he must improve is his ability to sustain blocks. Peppers ran deep, then came from behind to get to QB on a play. Meredith did the right thing by driving him wide, but has to learn not to give up on the block. NFL guys can get loose after the initial part of the play and still make something happen.
* I saw Beanie Wells for the first time. Up and down player. He had a 12-yard TD run. Used stiff arm to knock down CB and then used his speed to get into the end zone. He also made a rookie mistake by going backward on a 3rd quarter run. Lost 5 yards. He also had a fumble in the 2nd half, but it went out of bounds.
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NFL WEEK 6
* Let's talk about the Saints. QB Drew Brees is having a great year. We've come to expect big things from him so this isn't new. He is playing brilliantly right now. Brees is completing just under 70 percent of his passes. His rating is 118.4. He's on pace for huge numbers. I watched the game vs the Giants. Brees was outstanding. He made quick reads and got the ball out immediately. He executed his play fakes perfectly so that the defense got sucked in and passing lanes became wide open. Brees is deadly accurate, but will also take chances. He is willing to put the ball up and give his receivers a chance to make a play for him.
Brees has only been sacked 4 times in 5 games. Part of that is due to his ability to make good reads and get the ball out quickly. You also have to give a lot of credit to his OL. LT Jermon Bushrod impressed the heck out of me. He is Jamaal Brown's backup, but doesn't play like it. Bushrod had a real good day in pass pro. He could be aggressive because he knew Brees wouldn't hold the ball for 4 or 5 seconds. Bushrod doesn't have great feet, but he uses his hands well and really works to sustain his blocks. He wouldn't be a good fit at LT in every offense, but the Saints do a great job of scheming to protect the passer and Bushrod fits in well.
The player who impressed me the most of all was WR Marques Colston. This year he is playing lights out. He's like the low maintenance version of Plaxico Burress. Colston has made several catches over DBs. I love it when big WRs play up to their size. Colston is a deadly target this year because of his ability to locate the ball, adjust to it, and make the catch. Brees just has to get the ball close. Early in his career Colston was a workhorse, possession receiver. Lots of short, quick stuff. He now is very effective on intermediate routes. He may not have great speed, but you don't need that if you have size and know how to make catches even when tightly covered. Colston is on pace to set a career high in catches of 20 or more yards. He is the one Saint that I would scheme to stop.
In the interest of fairness I need to talk about a couple of defensive players. Safety Darren Sharper is having a great year. He's got 5 INTs and a couple of TDs. He was robbed of another pick-six vs the Giants because Jonathan Vilma hit Manning helmet-to-helmet. That is pretty amazing stuff. Sharper is a playmaker, but he has some holes in his game. He's got to be allowed to stay deep and read the QB. The Saints lined him up close to the LOS on one snap and had him drop immediately to confuse Manning. You could see that he lacks the speed to really get back in the way you want. Sharper isn't much of a factor against the run. He's only got 13 solo tackles all year long. His tackling is hit and miss when he does get around the ball, which is something that bugs me. Sharper is a good fit in Gregg Williams scheme. It also helps that the Saints play with the lead a lot and Sharper can focus on pass defense and take chances in coverage.
The other Safety is Roman Harper. He's pretty much the polar opposite of Sharper. Harper leads the Saints in tackles (28 solo). He is a good box defender. Harper has 3 TFLs. He is a good blitzer. He had a sack and FF vs the Giants. He also created an INT on another play that he blitzed by hitting Manning as he was throwing. Harper can be effective in coverage, but he isn't a strong cover guy.
* Denver QB Kyle Orton has evolved from game manager to good QB. Look at some numbers:
Games 1-3 ... 3 TDs, 0 INTs ... 56% Comp ... 663 yards
Games 4-6 ... 6 TDs, 1 INTs ... 71% Comp ... 802 yards
Kyle is starting to fully grasp the offense. He's starting to figure out how to use his weapons. It also helps that guys are starting to make plays for him. TE Tony Scheffler came up big on Monday night, catching 6 passes for 101 yards. Brandon Marshall had the late TD vs Dallas. That was a good throw, then a great run.
Orton has a good arm. He puts good velocity on throws that need it. He's accurate. We'll see if he can keep up the good play over the long term. Orton is a great fit for Josh McDaniels system. Orton is smart and he executes well. He's not a freelance type QB who will take chances and make questionable decisions.
* Texans RB Steve Slaton is having an odd year. He only has 274 yards rushing and is averaging a paltry 3 yards per carry. I haven't had a chance to watch him a lot, but I've watched parts of at least 3 games. I still see the athleticism and playmaking ability that he's shown in the past. He had a very impressive 32-yard TD vs the Raiders. Slaton was quick and elusive. He showed good burst. Last week Houston used him as a part of the passing game to try and get him out in space. Slaton had 6 catches for 102 yards and a TD. He lined up at WR and had a good gain on a quick screen. They also threw him a traditional RB screen that turned into a big gain. No Texans RB is averaging more than 3.7 ypc so I tend to think that the problems have a lot to do with the blocking.
* What is wrong with the Washington offense? It certainly doesn't lack talent. I think there are several factors. The coaching and playcalling is a problem. The team hasn't scored 30 points in a game since Jim Zorn got there. That's hard to believe. I like QB Jason Campbell, but the team's mishandling of him in the offseason killed any confidence he had in the current situation. They should have moved him and gotten someone else. They tried for Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez. That had to be tough on Campbell. He hasn't responded well. Don't bring back a QB that you showed in the offseason you didn't really want. That's just asking for trouble. Will Sherm Lewis make a difference? Maybe. I've seen a change at playcaller have big impact before. Don't expect fireworks, but there is enough talent for Washington to have a much better offense than they do. 7 offensive TDs in 6 games is pretty...offensive.
* The Jets lost DL Kris Jenkins for the year. That could be really tough on that defense. Kris is a big DT, but he also has excellent quickness and agility. He is able to explode off the ball and get into the backfield. He leads the D-line with 4 TFLs so far. Kris is also strong enough to control the point of attack and shed blockers. Defensive linemen like him are hard to find, even harder to replace. This could be a huge blow against the Jets D. They still have a lot of talent, but Jenkins is one guy they couldn't afford to lose.
ROOKIE WATCH
* Mark Sanchez had a dreadful day against Buffalo. He threw 5 INTs. That gives him 10 for the year, the same total he had in 13 games at USC last year. I'm glad Mark has struggled the last few weeks. Things came real easily for him at the beginning of the year and that wasn't good for a couple of reasons. First, it built up an annoying amount of hype. New York is the media capital of the world and Sanchez came from USC and likes the spotlight. This was going to be overwhelming to anyone other than hardcore Jets fans. I'm happy for Mark and the Jets to enjoy some success, but things were starting to get a bit out of hand. A little humble pie goes a long way, for the coach, player, and team. The second reason is about the big picture. Too much success too fast can be tough to handle. Mark needed to experience struggle to realize how far he still has to go as a player. He was only a full time starter for one season at USC. He's got a lot to learn about how to play QB as well as learning the NFL game. I think Mark will bounce back with a good showing, but it is always important to see how young players handle adversity.
* The Eagles claimed DT Antonio Dixon this summer when he was cut by Washington. Dixon had some real good moments in the preseason, but Washington thought he would safely make it to the Practice Squad. Oops. Dixon went to Philly and has gotten regular playing time for the Eagles. He's shown good potential. Dixon is 6'3, 322. He's powerful. The Eagles like to play him as a NT. Dixon is strong enough to overwhelm the C on some plays and drive the guy into the backfield. 3-4 teams that need a big, strong NT have to be kicking themselves for not claiming him. Dixon has issues with stamina and conditioning, but he is developing into a good role player. The stats sheet won't show much, but ask offensive linemen about #64 and they'll tell you that is one tough dude to block.
* Sammie Stroughter is playing WR and RS for Tampa. He missed the 2007 season at Oregon State due to personal reasons and his football future was in doubt. Sammie rejoined the program in 2008 and things were good. He was in a much better place personally and played well. The team won and that made things a lot of fun. Sammie looks like a good role player for the future. I don't know that he'll ever develop into a starting NFL receiver, but he could become a very good slot receiver. He ran back a KO 97 yards for a TD last week vs Carolina. That was great to see. Sammie got the return gig after Clifton Smith was knocked out of the game. Any more returns like that and Smith might have a tough time getting his return spot back. Sammie has 13 catches on the year. He lacks ideal speed, but is quick, elusive, and looks good in the middle of the field.
* Brian Cushing had a terrific game for the Texans last week. He was in on 9 tackles, picked off a pass and forced a pair of fumbles. That's impressive stuff. One of the FFs came when Cushing hit the ball with his knee and knocked it loose. I'll be really impressed if he can ever repeat that.
* Buffalo Safety Jairus Byrd has had some struggles in adapting to moving there from CB and playing in the NFL. He still has great ball skills. Byrd picked off a pass two weeks ago and then got 2 passes last week. 3 INTs is a very good start to a young career. Also realize that Donte Whitner has 3 career INTs. Byrd caught him in a matter of a few games. Pretty impressive.
* We all saw Brett Favre's crazy deep ball last week that set up the winning FG vs BAL. He rolled right, moved around, and then threw the ball 62 yards in the air. Did you notice that rookie RT Phil Loadholt made a key block? He blocked his guy early and then drifted right since Brett was rolling that way. Phil got a rusher out in space who was making a run at Brett. That is good awareness and footwork on the play by Mr. Loadholt.
* Panthers DE Everette Brown is having a quiet year (5 tackes, 1 sack). However, put on a Panthers game and you'll see #91 starting to figure things out. He's bringing better pressure off the edge and helping Julius Peppers out. Brown needs to make more plays, but he is starting to come alive. That's a great sign for Carolina fans.
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NFL WEEK 5
* I love the Dolphins Wildcat offense. People think of the Wildcat as a gimmicky offense, but Miami focuses on power running plays. Watching 250 pound runners get behind 260 pound fullbacks and a massive OL can get boring. The Dolphins found a way to take that basic idea and add some spice to it. I don't want to see a bunch of double reverses and trick passes. Just give me their Wildcat rushing.
I love their OL. Those guys are physical run blockers. RT Vern Carey can really cave in defenders when he down blocks. Ronnie Brown averages 6.9 ypc to the right side. Ricky Williams is even better at 7.3 ypc in that area. That isn't by accident. Carey won't ever win an athletic competition, but he can mash with the best of them. I also like what I see from RG Donald Thomas. Fullback Lousaka Polite had a great game vs the Jets. He absolutely destroyed a few guys. Watch his block on the winning TD if you get a chance.
* DeMarcus Ware finally came alive on Sunday. He showed what a complete pass rusher he is. Ware used a speed rush to get by the OT on one play. He used an inside move on another snap. He also bull rushed and was able to drive the OT back. Ware had 5 solo tackles and 2 sacks vs KC. He might have started slow this season, but Ware is still an elite pass rusher.
* Eagles TE Brent Celek is off to a great start. He's 4th in the NFL in catches among TEs. Celek has 26 grabs in only 4 games. He has good hands and excellent RAC ability. Celek had a highlight moment in the Eagles win over Tampa. He caught a pass over the middle and then turned upfield. He saw Ronde Barber coming to tackle him and Brent leapt over Barber. The play went for 38 yards, most of it due to his running. Celek is emerging into a good offensive threat and the Eagles most consistent TE since Chad Lewis.
* I was highly disappointed with Bucs WR Michael Clayton. He has 10 catches in 5 games. He has 0 TDs and 5 drops. I loved Clayton when he was coming out of LSU, but he has been a major underachiever since his rookie year. He had a quote recently that receivers needed to know that passes would still come their way after a drop or two. That isn't what you want to hear from a veteran player like him. Interesting stat...in the last 5 years he has 2 TDs. Compare that to his 5 drops in 5 games this year. Why is he still seeing regular playing time?
Young QB Josh Johnson did impress me. He's got legit NFL talent. Josh is a good athlete and has the kind of mobility that will drive defenses crazy. I was surprised at his ability to move around in the pocket without taking off downfield. That is a subtle skill that not all QBs have. He can make tough throws. He's pretty accurate. Johnson made his share of mistakes, but was under constant pressure. Josh Freeman is the future of the franchise, but some team should check into acquiring Johnson. I think he can be a starter in the league. One of the things that was most impressive was his demeanor. He stayed positive all game long. He didn't get down on his receivers despite several key drops. That kind of mental and emotional toughness is important.
* Now to the other side of things...WR Miles Austin had a career day vs KC. He caught 10 passes for 250 yards and 2 TDs, including the game winner. Austin has good size and speed. They list him at 6'3, 215. He's got a thick build and might be more than that. Austin made a couple of tough catches, having to go up for the ball. He had to take the pass away from CB on one catch. He did have a couple of mistakes. There was a pass that came his way in the end zone where the ball passed right through his hands. Gotta make that catch. There was another RZ pass where the CB was able to knock the ball loose. Austin stood out with his RAC ability in the game. He's strong enough to break tackles and has the speed to go all the way if a defender doesn't bring him down cleanly.
* SF is off to a good start this year, but they had a bad day vs the Falcons. FS Dashon Goldson was really bad. He took poor angles against the run and didn't tackle well. A couple of tackle attempts were outright embarrassing. He didn't stand out in coverage either.
I saw the most despicable play of the whole year on Sunday in the SF-ATL game. Dre Bly picked off a pass with his team trailing 35-10 in the 3rd quarter. He got the ball around his own 15 yard line. He ran upfield about 15 or so yards and then extended the ball away from his body while putting his free hand behind his head. He struck the Deion pose. He did this more than 60 yards from the end zone. Guess what? He was tackled a second later, fumbled, and the Falcons got the ball back. Football gods 1, Dre Bly 0. I wanted Mike Singletary to cut him on the spot. How do you celebrate when losing by 25? How do you celebrate when you aren't even at midfield and Roddy White is chasing you? In-freaking-sane. Keith Olbermann has a segment where he chooses the worst person in the world. I'm not sure if that is a daily or weekly award, but Bly gets it for the whole year. Not to be too much of a purist/football snob, but that bugged the hell out of me.
* Let's talk about Matt Cassel. The Chiefs traded for him and gave Matt a huge deal. He is their franchise QB. How's that working out? KC is 0-5. Matt has only thrown for more than 200 yards twice. The offense is really struggling. On the surface that doesn't look good. Not all is bad, though. KC's scoring has gone up in each of the last few weeks (10 to 14 to 16 to 20). Matt has only thrown a couple of INTs. And they have faced some tough opponents. The Eagles and Giants are two of the best defenses in the NFL. The Cowboys and Ravens don't have great numbers this year, but each unit can really pressure the QB. That's tough sledding.
Matt might not have great results right now, but I do think he will be fine at QB. He's big and tough. He can run when needed. Matt is a solid passer. He made a couple of impressive throws in the Dallas game. His pass to Bobby Wade on 3rd/14 late in the game was clutch. That gained 25 yards. Even better was Matt's TD pass on 4th/7 from the 16-yard line. That went to Wade over the middle and sent the game to overtime. Those passes are the reason you want a guy like Cassel and not some developmental project like Croyle or Thigpen.
The Chiefs OL has had issues. LT Branden Albert hurt his ankle on Sunday and had to leave the game. The running game has been pathetic. There just aren't any holes for the runners. Dwayne Bowe is the only receiver on the team who is anything close to a weapon. The other guys are all complementary type players.
I watched LB Tamba Hali to check on his adjustment to the 3-4. He played DE in college and in the NFL prior to this year. He's awkward, but shows some potential. Hali lacks explosive quickness. He does have a good motor and he'll fight to get to the QB. He shows a feel for the new scheme. I saw him adjusting the alignment of other players a few times. Hali was disciplined about controlling his gap and controlling the backside. He had a sack against Dallas. He's now got 2 on the year and has a pair of FFs as well.
* Cardinals RT Levi Brown is still an up and down player. He's just not a gifted pass blocker, which makes him an odd fit for protecting Kurt Warner. Brown gave up 19 sacks in his first 2 seasons. He's given up 3 this year in 4 starts. He's also got 4 penalties. Brown has got to do a better job in pass pro or Kurt Warner is going to get killed.
ROOKIE WATCH
* Brian Orakpo is still adjusting to playing LB. He has serious athletic ability, but that isn't enough at the NFL level. Panthers TE Jeff King beat him for a TD on Sunday. Brian is easily the better athlete of the two, but his inexperience will be exploited by veterans who know how to run routes and get open. Orakpo still knows how to rush the passer. He's got 2.5 sacks.
* Jeremy Maclin had a monster game for the Eagles. He caught 6 passes for 142 yards and 2 TDs.
* Bills Safety Jairus Byrd had his first career INT on Sunday. He's struggled somewhat this year with his move from CB to S, as well as adjusting to pro football.
* Broncos rookie RB Knowshon Moreno had his best game so far. He ran 21 times for 88 yards and caught 4 passes for 36 yards in the win over NE. Stats aside, he just looks better each week. He's running with a lot of confidence.
* LB Brian Cushing is playing well. He leads the Texans in total tackles, solo tackles, and assists. He's also got 4 TFLs and 3 PDs this year.
* Stefan Logan is the RS for Pittsburgh. He has explosive speed. He's averaging more than 26 yards per KOR, with a long of 56. His long PR is only 20 yards, but he'll break a long one sometime this year. Good find by the Steelers Personnel Dept.
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NFL WEEK 4
* DE Gaines Adams has been somewhat of a disappointment in his young career. The Bucs spent the 4th overall pick on him expecting an impact player. They haven't gotten that level of play. He had 12.5 sacks after his first 32 games. Numbers aside, he hasn't been a difference maker. Adams certainly isn't a bad player, but you want a guy taken that highly to be special.
Sunday he looked like a stud DE vs Washington. He had 4 solo tackles, a TFL, a batted pass, and a sack in the game. He looked like the guy I saw at Clemson that could do special things. There were a couple of plays where Adams just threw the TE out of his way and blew up runs. He got a TFL on one and disrupted the other. He played both LDE and RDE. He got pressure on 3rd downs. He batted the pass away on 3rd down. Top DL make their living on 3rd down. That is the money down in the NFL and Adams played accordingly on Sunday.
The question now becomes...what's next? Will Adams build on that or will he let up? The problem so many young players have is understanding that consistency is what makes guys special. You have to play the same way all the time. If you do, the results will show up. You can't have a sack every week. But you can have significant impact. Gaines was quick off the ball. He mixed in inside moves with his speed rushes. He played strong and physical. He didn't do anything that can't be repeated. Now it is up to him to play like that on a regular basis.
* Adams could learn a thing or two from Vikings DE Jared Allen. He was out of this world in the win over Green Bay on Monday night. Allen had 4.5 sacks and was disruptive virtually all game. The Packers had to devote multiple resources to him on a regular basis. They slowed him down from time to time, but he never quit. Great, great motor. And boy can he run. Adams ran in the low 4.6 range at his Combine. Allen ran 4.7. On the field and in pads Allen is the faster of the two. He plays fast. Jared isn't just a speed rusher. He uses his hands well to fight off blocks. He also has very good instincts. Sometimes he will go inside, sometimes wide. Allen just has that innate feel for where he should go on a given play.
Ben Leber is the best 4-3 SAM in the NFL. He is an outstanding run defender. He's big enough to take on blockers and hold his ground. He has solid cover skills. Leber can get after the QB and he is an outstanding tackler. He played well in the MNF game. Ben made a terrific tackle near the goal line that prevented a score. He also showed good closing speed on a play where he sacked Aaron Rodgers. I love watching Leber play. He's an old school LB.
* TE Vernon Davis was a high pick back in 2006. He's been a major disappointment to this point. He caught 9 TD passes in his first 40 games. That's way low for a guy with his athletic ability and football skills. Coach Mike Singletary went off on Vern last year and people questioned their future together. Mike never gave up on his player. He wanted the young man to respond to the situation, not run from it. And Vern has done just that. He's off to the best start of his career. He's got 17 catches and 3 TDs in 4 games. Davis is showing up big in the Red Zone. He's made clutch TD catches in each of the last two games. He's got the skill set to become an elite TE. Vern can catch the short pass and use his RAC ability to create a big play. He's got the speed to stretch the field and work the deep middle. He can also go up and get the ball. He's not the biggest TE at 6'3, but Davis can jump and he's strong enough to wrestle it away from a defender up in the air. I'm impressed so far in 2009. Just remember...be consistent.
Teammate Delanie Walker is a very interesting player. He's 6'0, 242. Reminds me a bit of Eagles FB Leonard Weaver. SF uses him as a TE. And H-back. He's also a key STer. Walker has good speed for his size. He just doesn't ideally fit any one spot on offense. He got a handoff Sunday and went for 16 yards. He's caught 2 passes this year. He has 4 tackles on STs. He is the backup KOR. I love guys like Walker that are versatile role players. You can't look at a box score and see his real value. Watch a game and see all the little things he does.
* Safety Brandon Meriweather is starting to emerge as a very good player for the Pats. He leads the team in tackles. He broke up a pair of passes on Sunday. He gets a very quick break on the ball. His ball skills need work. He could have picked one pass off, but focused on knocking the ball away. The NFL is a turnover league. Gotta come up with those picks. Last year Brandon had 4 INTs and 2 FFs, good numbers. He's got to be more of a consistent playmaker. He does have a pair of TFLs this year.
Why is Bill Belichick the best coach in the NFL? He's able to adapt his schemes to best fit his players and then he gets maximum production out of them. Bill is a 3-4 guy. He switched to the 4-3 this year because the Pats had more good DL than LBs. Rather than try to find a bunch of LBs he figured it was smarter to change defensive fronts. Sounds simple, but how often do we see coaches stick to their schemes no matter what the roster looks like?
DT Mike Wright is playing well this year. He's got 3 sacks and a FF. He's more of an effort guy than a talented playmaker, but he gets the job done. He is very effective with his bull rush. He will extend his arms into the blocker and just drive the guy backward. Wright will also fight to get off blocks when it appears the OL initially has the upper hand. He won't quit until the whistle blows.
DE Ty Warren doesn't have much in the way of numbers, but he is also playing well. He gave the Bills fits in the opener and was disruptive vs the Ravens.
* Watching Dom Capers defense on Monday night was painful. What the heck was he thinking? I'd rather get hit repeatedly with a shovel than to sit through that kind of a defensive effort. Capers is a gifted coach who has forgotten more football than I'll ever know, but his ideas against Favre were awful. The book on Brett Favre is to blitz him. A lot. Capers has Aaron Kampman, one of the league's best pass rushers at his disposal. And yet repeatedly we saw Kampman dropping back into coverage. Horrible.
Here's a simple, but brilliant idea (that obviously will never happen)...trade Aaron Kampman to the Panthers for Julius Peppers. Kampman desperately wants to be a LDE. He wants to battle OL and chase the QB. Peppers desperately wants to be a LB, where he can play in space and get after the QB. Both players and both teams would greatly benefit from such a deal.
* QB Derek Anderson made a big difference for the Browns on Sunday. He needs to be the starter. He has the arm to make all the throws. He will use the whole field. He did a good job of getting the ball to the right guys at the right times. Anderson used his TEs on 3rd downs several times. Robert Royal had a couple of key catches for him. Anderson's numbers weren't great (26-48-268, TD, INT), but the offense showed some life. CLE was bad in the 1st quarter, but then played pretty well for the next 3 quarters. They hit a wall in OT. Anderson was accurate and aggressive. He gave his receivers a chance to help him.
* Good Safety play is crucial in the NFL. I am not impressed with what I've seen this far. Ravens S Dawan Landry missed 2 tackles in the Red Zone and the Pats were able to score a TD on that drive. Where the heck were the Cowboys Safeties on Brandon Marshall's TD at the end of the Denver game? Did Green Bay even have Safeties on the field Monday night?
Titans DBs Michael Griffin and Chris Hope combined for 19 PBUs and 11 INTs last year. They made all kinds of plays and really controlled the deep middle. That isn't happening this year. They have 5 PBUs and 1 INT in 4 games. The Titans have given up more than 24 points in 3 straight games. They only allowed more than 24 once all of last year. And the Colts are up next.
Certainly the loss of Albert Haynesworth has had a dramatic impact. I guess part of the point is also that many people overrated the Titans secondary based on last year because they didn't factor in how much impact Big Al made play in and play out.
* Back to Brett Favre and the MNF game. I don't want to spend too much time on that. He was sensational. That's as good as he's played in a long time. He made some spectacular throws. The question is whether he can do that all year. Last season in Week 4 he had 6 TDs vs the Cards. He fell apart as the season wore on. It was sorta fun to see him so good, even though him in purple was very odd.
* How much do the Chargers miss NT Jamal Williams? The Steelers went through that defense with ease all game long. Steelers C Justin Hartwig is a good player, but he was blocking the NT by himself and driving the guy off the ball. That would be unthinkable vs Jamal. That kills the 3-4. You must have a NT that requires double teams. A good NT will even win his share of battles vs double teams. Williams got hurt in the opener and San Diego has given up 27 points a game since then. PIT had almost 500 yards on Sunday night. The Chargers are really hurting on defense.
* QB Tony Romo is in a rut. He looked good in the season opener, but things haven't been good since then. He's only 60-104-637 since then. He's got 1 TD and 4 INTs in that span. Dallas has scored 54 offensive points in that stretch. What is wrong?
Romo has never been a good QB in the conventional sense. He has some very unorthodox traits. In the past he's been so good that you overlooked his issues. He doesn't lack talent, but he is sloppy from a mechanics standpoint. Tony drifts when he's in the pocket, usually to the right. He doesn't always set his feet before throwing. He forces the ball into coverage more than you'd like. Too often his shoulders are square to the LOS. A QB should start with his shoulder perpendicular to the line and then open up as he goes through his throwing motion. That leads to a smooth release and accurate throw. It also helps to get good velocity on passes.
Romo still is a very dangerous QB. He can make something out of nothing. He showed this on the 4th down play at the beginning of the final drive vs Denver. Tony moved around in the pocket to buy time. Somehow he found a WR in the middle of the field. There was a lot of traffic in that area. Tony had great vision to pick him out and then throw a catchable ball to where the receiver would be. Not many guys in the league can make that play. And that is what makes Romo so valuable. He can create.
Team Stuff
* WAS is 2-2. Amazingly, they have played winless teams each week. The Giants in the opener had no choice since it was only game 1. Then it was the Rams, the Lions, and the Bucs. This week WAS faces the winless Panthers. The game after that is KC, who would need to pull off a major upset of Dallas to get their first win. WAS could play 6 games to start the year and not have faced anyone with a victory.
* DET is only 1-3, but I like what I'm seeing. That team plays hard and shows heart. They need a LT, RB, and some defensive players.
* The Titans played just well enough to lose in the first 3 games. This week they played poorly and the Jags beat them solidly. I'm shocked to see TEN at 0-4.
* Buffalo has some serious issues. I thought they would beat Chad Henne and the Dolphins. The game wasn't even close. The Bills have a bunch of injuries, but that doesn't excuse getting beaten like that by a struggling Dolphins team with a first time starter.
Special Teams
* Want to see something impressive? Watch a Bills game and check out the LS. Garrison Sanborn is in his first year on the job. He has great velocity on his snaps. The ball just explodes out of his hands.
* The Broncos have a good STs weapon in kicker Matt Prater. He really booms the ball on KOs. That leads to touchbacks and the kind of hidden yardage that can quietly impact a game.
* Josh Cribbs came alive this week on both punts and KOs. He had a PR of 50 yards and a KOR of 58 yards. The Browns needed that boost, even though it wasn't enough to lead them to a win.
Rookie Watch
* Safety Louis Delmas is starting for the Lions. He was the rookie of the month for September. He had some good moments against the Bears on Sunday. Delmas had tight coverage on Greg Olsen on a fade pass in the end zone and didn't allow the catch to be made. He also had a sack in the 2nd Qtr. The problem with playing rookies is that they make their share of mistakes. Delmas badly missed on Forte on a TD run late in half. Louis dove and didn't keep his head up. You don't tackle good NFL RBs like that. You must keep your feet and see your target.
Another Lions rookie caught my eye. Aaron Brown is seeing time at RB and KOR. He is an effective role player. Good receiver. He caught a pass on 3rd down and used his speed to get RAC yards and move the chains. He's averaging 22 yards per KOR with a long of 87. Typical rookie, though. Bobbled a KO late in the half and that put DET in bad position.
Matt Stafford is impressing me so far. He throws too many picks and takes too many sacks, but also shows signs of great talent. He makes some incredible throws. Matt hit Calvin Johnson up the left sideline late in the half for a gain of 30. Great velocity, accurate, and in rhythm. That was a pass that not many pro QBs can make. Matt also handled adversity well at times. There was a busted play where he just took off and ran for a few yards. Didn't panic. He led the Lions on 4 scoring drives of more than 74 yards last week. Sure, big plays had a hand in those, but that is still impressive.
TE Brandon Pettigrew is up and down. He dropped a TD on an intermediate pass in the Red Zone. He then caught a seam pass late in the game and got down to the 10. Pettigrew has 10 catches for 131 yards so far this year.
* Alex Mack is starting at C for the Browns. He looked pretty good vs Cincy. Mack is quick from snap to block. He's good with his hands and an active player.
* DT Roy Miller is playing well for Tampa. They are implementing a new 2-gap scheme. Miller has the upper body strength to handle that. He's also quick enough to get penetration and be disruptive. He drew a penalty on an OL when trying to get to the QB Sunday. For the year, he's got 9 solo tackles and a sack.
* I was really impressed with Browns WR Mohammed Massaquoi. I didn't think he was anything special at UGA, but it sure appears I was wrong. He had 2 catches in the first 3 games. I think Mohammed liked Derek Anderson getting the starting job. They connected for 8 grabs and 148 yards. And these weren't gift plays. Massaquoi made several catches in traffic. He aggressively went up in the air for one catch. He made a really impressive basket catch downfield that put CLE at the 1-yard line. He still lacks speed, but looks like a good player.
* The Jags surprised everyone by taking William and Mary CB Derek Cox in the middle of the draft. So far that move looks solid. Cox is starting and playing well. He has 21 tackles and 2 INTs already. He made a terrific open field tackle on Nate Washington on 3rd down. That stopped a drive and forced a FG. I wrote about Derek several times last year prior to the draft. Very underrated prospect.
* Sticking with rookie CBs...Darius Butler played well for the Pats. He broke up a couple of passes and showed good athletic ability in doing so. Really went up high to get one pass that was in the end zone.
* Dolphins CB Vontae Davis came up big vs BUF. He picked off a pass in the 1st half and ran it back for a TD to help blow the game open.
* Jeremy Jarmon, the only Supplemental pick from this summer, is playing DE and DT for WAS. He came up with a FF late in game that sealed the win for WAS.
Brian Orakpo is a LB in the base unit and moves to DE in the Nickel units. He looks good. You can see just how athletic he is. He's got 13 tackles and 2 sacks so far. I really think he would have been ideal for a 3-4 team.
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