Blogger Blitz: Different vibe for Eagles' D

If you turn the ball over nine times in your first two games but win them both, your defense must be doing something right. Such is the case with the Philadelphia Eagles, whose defense is playing at a much higher level than it was at this time last season. Whether it's the addition of DeMeco Ryans at middle linebacker or the depth and energy brought in by all of the rookies who are seeing significant time, the Eagles' defense has a different feel about it this year. In this week's Blogger Blitz video, I talk about how different it felt in the Eagles' locker room Sunday, with players talking about specific defensive schemes and the success they did or didn't have with them as opposed to saying things like, "We need somebody to step up."

For example, an energized cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said the plan the Eagles made last week was for him to cover Baltimore receiver Anquan Boldin and for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to cover Torrey Smith, who's a faster straight-line runner while Boldin is a little more shifty. The Eagles settled on those matchups but also decided that, when Boldin went inside, they'd leave him to rookie Brandon Boykin because they wanted to keep Boykin on the slot receiver. Now, that did leave Asomugha on Jacoby Jones, who beat him for a touchdown and nearly beat him for another. And that's something to watch going forward -- whether high-end speed guys are tough matchups for Asomugha at this stage in his career. But I don't recall one time last season when an Eagles defensive player talked so enthusiastically about the way he was working and planning in conjunction with his coaches and teammates in advance of the game. Not to say it wasn't happening, but everyone seems more engaged this season.

Because Asomugha is my example, of course I think it's possible that new secondary coach Todd Bowles is a part of this new vibe. And certainly, everybody has to be more comfortable in Juan Castillo's second season as defensive coordinator, if only because that seems less weird this season. It's a combination of many factors that has the Eagles playing very tight defense so far, and if the offense ever gets its ball-security act together, the Eagles could be one of the better teams in the league.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63560/blogger-blitz-different-vibe-for-eagles-d
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08.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Don't blink if you want to see Randy Moss

Randy Moss has several "returns" to the Metrodome in his career, including the 2006 preseason while with the Oakland Raiders and after being re-acquired by the Minnesota Vikings in 2010. Here's some advice for Vikings fans who want to see Moss on the field Sunday: Pay attention.

Yes, Moss' latest homecoming is notable mostly for the part-time role he has assumed for the San Francisco 49ers. Moss is in essence sharing the 49ers' No. 3 receiver role with Kyle Williams, behind starters Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham, and has been on the field for only 37 of the 49ers' 130 offensive snaps (28.5 percent) over the first two games. Quarterback Alex Smith has targeted Moss on only five of his 57 pass attempts, completing all five for 61 yards and a touchdown. (Statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.)

Randy Moss

#84 WR
San Francisco 49ers

2012 STATS

• Rec5
• Yds61
• TD1
• Avg12.2
• Long20
• YAC0

Moss, 35, didn't play last season and hasn't been a downfield threat since averaging 15.2 yards on 83 catches for the New England Patriots in 2009. The 49ers aren't really a downfield offense, preferring to utilize their physical line to run the ball while Smith attacks mid-range openings. But if the 49ers thought Moss could routinely stretch the defense downfield, it stands to reason they would use him that way -- as a decoy if nothing else.

Speaking to Bay-area reporters this week, Moss said "I am not" concerned about playing time and noted "it's really not up to me." He added: "I just come out here and practice every day. When called upon I try to make a play."

We've learned over the years that Moss is a special athlete and football player. There is no sense writing him off now, or ever. But if he has reached his physical limit, kudos to the 49ers for recognizing it and finding a reasonable way for him to contribute rather than mis-cast him in a role he played 10 years ago. And for two games, at least, Moss deserves credit for accepting the 49ers' plan.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63561/dont-blink-if-you-want-to-see-randy-moss
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After missing first-down pass, Jags run it

Pretend for a second you are a run-first offense.

But you throw on first down.

And the pass in incomplete.

Do you go back to what you do best? Or do you throw again?

Run it, odds are you wind up in third-and-long, the most predictable passing situation there is. So I like your chances of extending a drive a lot better if you throw it on second down.

So far, the Jaguars disagree.

In fact, through two games, they are the only team in the NFL that, after throwing incomplete on first down, has run it on second down every time.

Five-for-five.

The Redskins have done it five times in six chances (83.3 percent). Four other teams have done it at least three-quarters of the time -- the Chargers (75 percent), the Jets and Steelers (71.4 percent and the Vikings (66.7 percent).

The numbers are courtesy of Elias, via ESPN Stats & Information. No, they are not a giant sample size. But after watching the Jaguars' aproach against the Texans Sunday, I wanted to take a look. And I don't like the small trend.

It seems pretty stubborn, and really sends your offense a signal with that first-down throw: Miss, and it's a two-down series, and the first of those two is going to be a run.

The rest of the AFC South does a better job here:

• Indianapolis, four of nine for 44.4 percent
• Houston, one of six for 16.1 percent
• Tennessee, one of six for 16.1 percent

Even if you've got Arian Foster or Maurice Jones-Drew, a second-and-10 run isn't likely to land you in a good spot to have your best chance at a new set of downs.

And those unpredictable Jaguars might want to throw on their next second-and-10, just to catch a defense by surprise.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63557/after-missing-first-down-pass-jags-run-it
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Schefter: Harrison unlikely to play Sunday

The Steelers will likely be without linebacker James Harrison for a third straight game, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Losing Harrison unquestionably hurts the defense. But it has yet to severely impact the results of games.

Since the start of the 2011 season, the Steelers have done just as well with Harrison (8-3 record) as without him (5-2 record). In a stat that will shock most, Pittsburgh averages slightly more sacks without Harrison. The Steelers have recorded 17 sacks in seven games without Harrison and 22 with him. LaMarr Woodley has sacked the quarterback 8.5 times in the seven games that Harrison has missed.

Where the Steelers really feel the loss of Harrison is in keeping offenses off the scoreboard. In the 11 games with Harrison since the start of 2011, the Steelers have limited teams to 12.7 points including two shutouts. Without Harrison, Pittsburgh has given up 18.2 points.

Harrison hasn't played since a playoff loss in Denver nine months ago. He was sidelined all of training camp with a knee injury, and had arthroscopic surgery on Aug. 15. There's a possibility that he could be available after next week's bye.

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, who is dealing with a strained right calf, could also miss Sunday's game at Oakland. He was sidelined in Sunday's 27-10 win over the New York Jets.

Chris Carter, a fifth-round pick in 2011, is expected to start in place of Harrison once again. Backup safety Ryan Mundy would make his third start of the season after replacing Ryan Clark in the season opener and Polamalu last Sunday.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63569/schefter-harrison-unlikely-to-play-sunday
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Ravens not looking for revenge vs. Pats

Heading into Sunday night's game against the New England Patriots -- a rematch of last season's crushing AFC Championship Game loss -- the Ravens have the R-word on their minds. But it's not revenge. It's about rebounding from last Sunday's one-point loss to Philadelphia.

The Ravens know they can't do anything Sunday to get even with the Patriots. A trip to the Super Bowl was on the line in January. This time, the winner gets to move on with a 2-1 record. Not exactly high stakes.

"I don't think the last game we played against them has anything to do with this game," quarterback Joe Flacco said.

The players who would need to redeem themselves the most aren't around anymore. Lee Evans, who failed to catch the winning touchdown, is out of football. Billy Cundiff, who missed the tying field goal, is playing 45 minutes down the road Sunday for the Redskins.

Consecutive Wins
Following Losses

(Longest current streaks)

Team	No.
Ravens	13
Falcons	10
Steelers	10

Inside linebacker Ray Lewis said this week's game hasn't stirred up any memories from the AFC title game.

"It's always hard to think like that when you have a totally different makeup as a team," he said. "So, we are looking at this game as a totally different game."

The Ravens have been able to move on from tough playoff losses. They've returned to the postseason every year under coach John Harbaugh.

It's the same way with Baltimore in the regular season. The Ravens have won 13 games following losses, the longest current streak in the NFL.

"We've been a pretty good team since I've been here, and good teams are able to put their past losses in the background and forget about it and move on to the next one," Flacco said. "I think that has a lot to do with winning that next game, just being able to forget about it and still go play your best game that next week."

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63549/ravens-not-looking-for-revenge-vs-pats
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07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

The bleaker, the better for these Giants

So let's see. Here's a partial list of the New York Giants who didn't make the trip to Carolina for tonight's game against the Panthers: Their starting running back, their starting right tackle and two of their top three wide receivers, one of whom was just named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Yeah, it looks as though the Giants have things set up just the way they like them.

Desperate.

You don't think the Giants can beat Cam Newton & Co. tonight without Hakeem Nicks, Ahmad Bradshaw, David Diehl and Domenik Hixon and with all of the problems they already had before this rash of bad injury news? Well, then you haven't been paying very close attention. These Giants seem to thrive when things look the bleakest, when their chances look the worst. Of course they'd rather have all of those guys healthy and ready to play, but with this group sometimes it takes a run of bad fortune to one part of their roster to bring out the best in the rest of it.

And there's plenty of latent stuff here. The Giants' vaunted pass rush has been quiet in the first two games. They have just four sacks, and only one of those from a defensive end. Jason Pierre-Paul has played like a maniac, but they continue to wait for Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora to contribute on the other side. Cornerback Corey Webster, the star of the secondary last season, has been ordinary while the Giants have shuffled replacements around at the other cornerback spot to overcome injuries there. The running game continues to plod, even as the offensive line believes itself to be capable of bigger things. And even with Nicks out, they still have Victor Cruz, who showed once again last week that he's always an 80-yard touchdown just waiting to flip the switch from potential to kinetic.

The Giants are more than capable of winning tonight's game in spite of their problems, because many of the solutions to those problems can be found if the players they do have simply play better. In microcosm, Sunday's game offered the perfect example. Quarterback Eli Manning, their roster's rock, threw three interceptions in the first half only to come alive in the second and lead the Giants to 25 fourth-quarter points and a comeback victory over the Buccaneers.

"A lesser group of men," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Sunday afternoon, "would have had trouble."

But this group of Giants doesn't get down or upset when things aren't going their way. They've seen it too many times, have seen it turn out OK too many times, to disbelieve. This game tonight can't help but remind you of Week 9 of last season, when they went to New England without Nicks, Bradshaw and center David Baas and managed a comeback victory over the Patriots. They weren't supposed to win that day either. They were supposed to be outmanned. They were down by three points and on their own 20-yard line with 1:21 left in the game. But Manning just marched down the field, finding Ramses Barden and Jake Ballard for key catches, and won them the game with a touchdown.

Of course, then they lost five of their next six games to drop to 7-7, fell behind the Jets in Week 15, fell behind the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game and fell behind the Patriots in the Super Bowl. These Giants either don't like to make it easy or don't know how. They don't seem to play as well as they can until they absolutely have to.

When they have to, though, they've consistently shown a champion's ability to do just that. And there's no way anybody in their locker room tonight will be hanging their heads about the list of key guys who didn't make the trip. These Giants greet their troubles with a collective shrug. It's a Thursday game, so Nicks' sore foot didn't have time to feel all the way better after he played 73 snaps and caught 10 passes for 199 yards on it Sunday. These things happen. On the flip side, he gets nine days between this game and his next one, so maybe that'll take care of the problem once and for all.

Would they prefer to have him? Of course. But spending the night thinking like that isn't going to help them beat the Panthers. The Giants have a coaching staff that excels at keeping them focused on the important things, the present things, the things they can control. They have a quarterback for whom no deficit is too intimidating, for whom no set of circumstances is dire enough to cost him his cool. They will lean on those things, and on the depth they have on their roster (unproven though much of it may be), and if they win this game tonight in Carolina without 27 percent of their starting offense, it's not going to surprise them and it shouldn't surprise anyone else.

This is simply the way the Giants roll. If things weren't tough, or bleak, or desperate, I'm not sure they'd know what to do with themselves. Just when it looks as though they can't possibly win, that's when they have you right where they want you.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63556/the-bleaker-the-better-for-these-giants
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06.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

NFL32: Can Cutler lead Bears to victory?

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20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63551/nfl32-can-cutler-lead-bears-to-victory
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So, Peyton, about that arm strength?

Backup quarterback Brock Osweiler caused a bit of a stir in Denver when he said he was warming up late against Atlanta on Monday night because it would have been him, not Peyton Manning, who would have thrown the Hail Mary if the Broncos had been in the situation to throw one in the final seconds of the 27-21 loss in Atlanta.

Manning, who has never been known for having a huge gun, was asked about his arm strength Wednesday. His answer: "I am what I am. It is what it is. Whatever. Whichever expression is appropriate for that. I don't really know what to tell you."

I have a feeling Manning may tire of questions about his arm strength after every interception or Denver loss. But he'd better get used to it. I don't see the questions ending.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63550/so-peyton-about-that-arm-strength
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Four thoughts on Golden Tate's $21K fine

September, 19, 2012

Sep 19

5:47

PM ET

What comes to mind after the NFL levied a $21,000 fine against Seattle Seahawks receiver Golden Tate:

• No surprise: The rules are relatively clear if you've got enough time to study them and keep pace with periodic changes to them. I'll admit to needing a refresher periodically. In this case, Tate was delivering a blindside block on Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee. That qualified Lee for protections covering defenseless players. In general, those protections prohibit the blocker from hitting the defenseless player in the head/neck area. They also prohibit the blocker from using his own head to hit the defenseless player anywhere. In my view, Tate did lower his head so that his helmet impacted Lee. He also might have hit Lee in the neck area. Easy call for the league.
• Lee uninjured: Lee got back up pretty quickly and returned to the game following an examination. That was the most important detail relating to this play.
• Chunk of change: Tate was scheduled to earn $540,000 in salary this season. The $21,000 represents about 1.2 percent of his career earnings through Week 1. That amount is also the minimum fine for first-time violators of NFL policies on blindside blocks, hitting defenseless players and impermissible use of the helmet.
• Tate's return big: This play involving Tate has overshadowed the difference he makes for Seattle on offense. The team needs a big season from him. The receiver position hasn't worked out the way Seattle would have drawn it up. Sidney Rice has had injury problems. Kris Durham never developed. Ricardo Lockette has not taken the next step. The more Seattle has to rely on receivers such as Mike Williams (since released) and Braylon Edwards, the clearer it is that the Seahawks need to address that position in the offseason. With Tate back from a knee injury Sunday, Edwards played sparingly. Tate caught three passes for 38 yards.

• NFC West Blogger
• Joined ESPN in 2007
• Lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63544/four-thoughts-on-golden-tates-21k-fine
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Little-known linebacker impressing Colts

Looking for one, great unexpected surprise out of the AFC South?

His name is Jerrell Freeman.

He's played two games as an inside linebacker for the Colts, called into duty because of Pat Angerer's training camp foot injury.

The Colts have credited Freeman with 44 tackles -- 22 solo and 22 assists. He's also got a sack, an interception for a TD, a forced fumble and a pass defensed.

"He's exceeded all of our expectations," coach Chuck Pagano told Indianapolis reporters this week. "That's because of the work he's put in and the time he's put in. He's playing a ton of plays and you could see at the end of the game, he didn't have obviously the same speed and burst that he had at the start but you know 70, 72 plays into it, really pleased with Jerrell and where he's come.

"After losing Pat and having him step up and fill in, he's done a remarkable job and you can see his progress and you can see him getting better with each series in each game."

Freeman represents the ends to which general manager Ryan Grigson has gone in hunting for personnel to fill out a thin roster.

The linebacker played at Mary Hardin-Baylor and was an undrafted free agent with the Titans who didn't make the team. He spent 2009, 2010 and 2011 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

"Defense is, I don't want to say it's complicated but it's one where you have to get a feel for a lot of things," Freeman said. "When you get in there and you get enough reps, you start to get a feel for other players, feel for the call, where things are going to pop, what to do with your feet, being patient, all stuff like that. You get more comfortable as the weeks go on."

Sunday, the Colts will seek to stop Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew. If they are effective at it, Freeman's sure to be a central figure.

If Angerer is on track to return in the schedule the team spelled out when he fractured his foot, he'll be back soon -- probably after the bye for a Week 5 game against Green Bay. What happens then?

Maybe Pagano will look to pair Angerer and Freeman while shrinking the role of Kavell Conner, the other inside linebacker.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63545/little-known-linebacker-impressing-colts
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Rodgers: 'I never want to show up a guy'

I've done my best to avoid comparing the pair of quarterback-teammate confrontations in last Thursday night's game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. As ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi discussed in a post over the weekend, there were some fundamental differences between the admonishment that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers directed toward receiver James Jones and the rebuke of Bears left tackle J'Marcus Webb by quarterback Jay Cutler.

In essence, Bruschi said it is acceptable in NFL circles to get after a teammate for making a mental mistake, as Rodgers did when Jones didn't run the route he anticipated on a fourth-quarter interception. On the other hand, according to Bruschi, Cutler was wrong to criticize Webb simply because he had been beat physically.

My sense is that showing up teammates during a game, for any reason, never leads to anything good. Tuesday, I said my piece on Cutler, and on Wednesday we should probably note and comment on what Rodgers said in retrospect as well.

Speaking on his ESPN 540 radio show in Milwaukee on Wednesday afternoon, Rodgers confirmed he apologized to Jones and made clear he wished the incident hadn't occurred at all.

"That was something I apologized for because I never want to show up a guy on the field like that," Rodgers said. "… It's the competitor coming out, which is not an excuse for it. … It's not something I enjoy doing. There are times where it definitely comes back the other way. You know how that feels. Almost to a man, there is always a moment of apology and getting back on the same page and realizing that as frustrating as the moment can be, the emotion shown is never really worth it."

In the end, these incidents have generated discussion about the leadership qualities of both players. My feeling is that both Rodgers and Cutler have been in their roles long enough. Most observers have already decided if they are good leaders, one way or the other.

If nothing else, though, we can crystallize the difference in their respective approaches.

Cutler was equal parts contrite and defiant this week. He said he regretted bumping Webb but not getting after him verbally. He wouldn't say if he apologized and disputed the suggestion that he had lost his composure.

Rodgers, on the other hand, pointed out that football is an emotional game but said there is an important line to avoid: "You never want to make someone look bad out there by showing them up too much," he said.

I fall closer to Rodgers' point of view. These things happen at times but they are rarely for the better. I don't think Cutler's rebuke had any chance of making Webb play better Thursday night. At the same time, I appreciate that Cutler didn't spew the politically correct answer when he clearly doesn't believe it.

Both quarterbacks are fiery competitors, however, so it would be foolish to think they won't find themselves in another glass case of emotion again. At least we'll know where each of them stand on the issue ahead of time.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63542/rodgers-i-never-want-to-show-up-a-guy
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Panthers need to let Cam Newton run

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin spouted off about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers breaking an unwritten rule Sunday. As Thursday night's game between the Giants and Carolina Panthers approaches, Coughlin should know he's going to see another unwritten rule broken by an NFC South team.

The old adage about not having your quarterback run goes out the window with the Panthers, because they have something rare. They have Cam Newton.

Robert Griffin III, Michael Vick and Tim Tebow all have run versions of the read-option offense, but nobody does it better than Newton, and it shouldn't be just a fad or a gimmick that's used occasionally.

The Panthers need to use the read-option often. They did on Sunday. In a victory against New Orleans, Carolina had 41 rushing plays that went for 219 yards. Of those plays, 23 were designed options, and they resulted in 143 yards and a touchdown. Newton rushed for a career-high 71 yards on 13 carries.

That came only a week after the Panthers ran just one option play and rushed for only 10 yards in a loss to Tampa Bay.

Let's hope Carolina's coaching staff has learned a lesson from those two games. Newton also is a good passer, and the Panthers can't abandon that. But they need a healthy dose of the running game in their offense, and they need Newton to be a big part of that.

Some may say 13 runs by a quarterback are way too many. And for a lot of quarterbacks, that's true. It's often a formula for disaster to have a quarterback running in the open field. Take a big hit from a linebacker, and the quarterback's season could be over.

But that's not much of a concern with Newton because he's as big or bigger than most linebackers. He's 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds. At times in the past, Carolina's coaching staff has talked about possibly limiting Newton's carries. It sounds as if the staff is starting to realize that's not a good idea.

"He gets hit, but not big," coach Ron Rivera said. "And I think there's a difference in that, as well. And a lot of the runs that we have are calculated. He's reading for the most part as to whether or not it's a good idea to hand it off or keep it."

It's good to hear that Rivera realizes that. The chances of Newton getting hurt on a running play are minimal because of his size and strength. I think there's a much better chance of Newton getting hurt if he sits back in the pocket too long and gets blindsided by a large defensive lineman while standing still.

"I'm a football player at the end of the day," Newton said. "If they want me to run, I'll run. If they want me to throw, I'll throw. If they want me to block, I'll block. If they want me to go get some water to better the team, I'm going to do it."

The Panthers need to let Newton run because it causes major problems for opponents, and it also sets up the passing game nicely.

The read-option concept is simple. The quarterback goes up to the line of scrimmage and reads the defensive ends and the outside linebackers. He then takes the snap and goes to one side or the other with a tailback behind him. Depending on how the ends and linebackers react, the quarterback has the option of keeping the ball or pitching it to a running back.

It may not be conventional in the NFL, but even Coughlin, who is all about convention, isn't going to take Rivera to task for running his quarterback. Instead, Coughlin is bracing himself and trying to figure out ways to help his defense get ready for Carolina's read-option.

"Not only are they looking to read certain individuals in a defensive front, they're also setting up other things by his reaction not just simply if you keep, pull or pitch," Coughlin said. "All of that comes to prevail, and when you have a couple of obvious runners with the ability of (DeAngelo) Williams and (Jonathan) Stewart, it even puts more pressure on you because you're not going to arm tackle those guys. They're both fast and they're both capable of going the distance."

Newton's teammates know his running ability is an asset, and they're in favor of using it.

"If he wants to do it, then let him run the ball," veteran left tackle Jordan Gross said. "Because he's a big, strong guy and he's one of the best goal-line backs in the league, too."

Newton rushed for 14 touchdowns last season as a rookie. That's an NFL record for a quarterback. The Panthers are 6-3 when Newton rushes for at least 50 yards.

It's pretty obvious that when Newton is running, the Panthers have a better chance to win. So don't worry about convention. Let him run a lot.

Not even Coughlin, who was furious that Tampa Bay's defensive players still were going hard when the Giants were in their victory formation Sunday, can question going against this unwritten rule.

In Carolina, the rule is the Panthers are a better team when Newton is running.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63524/panthers-need-to-let-cam-newton-run
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A coach's dilemma: To run (mouth) or pass

Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton worked as a secondary coach in Pittsburgh for years before finally getting a chance to advance.

Horton wants people to know he was ready for the job long ago, that he did not suddenly materialize as worthy for the promotion.

Now, after his Cardinals shocked New England in Week 2, Horton wants people to know he was ready for the Patriots, too. His comments on the Doug & Wofl show on Arizona Sports 620 radio invite closer examination. First, though, the comments via Arizona Sports:

"We knew that whenever [Aaron] Hernandez was in tight, it was going to be a run, so we had a run check. But when he got hurt, it screwed that up because they went to three wide receivers. What they did, and we figured out real quick was, whenever Tom Brady was under the center, they were going to run the ball and whenever he was in the shotgun, they were going to pass the ball. We told our players, 'Hey, make the run check if Tom Brady's under the center. If he's in the gun, go to the pass check.'

"They handled it beautifully, and so we had dual calls that basically what we were telling them is, we know when they're going to run and pass, so our players put us in the best position to win the game and they did a flawless job of managing the game of getting inside New England's head."

Could it really be that simple? Could the Patriots really be so predictable? Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com breaks out some of the numbers.

The key question is whether or not the Patriots were additionally likely to pass when under shotgun. They were.

I've put together a chart showing the Patriots' shotgun and conventional play selection on first and second downs, figuring third-down plays tend to be passes anyway. The chart excludes spike plays.

Week 2: Pats Offense on Early Downs

Stat	Shotgun	Under center
Plays	35	27
Dropbacks	28	12
Percent	80.0	44.4
Runs	7	15
Percent	20.0	55.6

The Patriots passed 80 percent of the time from the shotgun formation and 44 percent of the time from under center on these early downs. The percentages were 75 percent from shotgun and 41 percent from under center for every other NFL team in Week 2, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

From that, we can say the run-pass disparity by formation was roughly the same for the Patriots as for other teams. The shotgun is a passing formation by definition. The plan Horton put together obviously went much deeper. He obviously had a great feel for the Patriots' offense. Good for him, but only to an extent.

Beating the Patriots should be enough for a coordinator to be secure in his position and worthiness for the job. What Horton said on the radio comes off as self-serving.

Those comments were consistent with the unapologetic attitude Horton has brought to the job. That attitude can be an asset for Horton's defense. But there are times when a coordinator can be best served sounding like a coordinator, not like a frustrated position coach.

Horton has done a fantastic job with the Cardinals' defense. He should be in line for a head coaching position if the trend continues. Of course, the team owners responsible for hiring head coaches are presumably watching how Horton handles himself in all areas, not just on the field. Do they hear a head coach when they listen to comments such as these?

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63536/a-coachs-dilemma-to-run-mouth-or-pass
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13.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dolphins downplay Tony Sparano's return

DAVIE, Fla. -- Tony Sparano led the Miami Dolphins for the past four seasons. But according to the Dolphins, they have moved on and they hope Sparano, the Jets' offensive coordinator, has done the same.

"I think it's probably a little bigger for him than it probably is for us," Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline said. "I always thought highly of him, don't get me wrong. But at this point, I think we have so much we're trying to do here, the last thing we're trying to think about is somebody that's gone."

Sparano's return to Miami is one of several interesting storylines for Sunday's AFC East game between the Dolphins (1-1) and Jets (1-1). Both teams are trying to get above .500 and get at least a share of first place in the division.

Sparano was fired in the middle of last season after three underachieving years. Jets head coach Rex Ryan quickly picked Sparano up in the offseason and put him in charge of the offense.

What is ironic is Ryan and Sparano didn't get along as opposing coaches. But things have been fine now that both are working toward the same goal.

"My big thing is he thought he was tougher than me," Ryan said of Sparano on Wednesday's conference call. "He thought his team was tougher than mine and I thought my team was tougher and I was tougher than him. But I always respected him and I recognized him as being an outstanding football coach."

Does Sparano have an advantage over Miami? Sparano has coached many of the Dolphins' players. At the same time, Miami has implemented a new West Coast offense and a 4-3 defense this year.

"He has really unlimited knowledge about personnel," Dolphins guard Richie Incognito said. "But as far as scheme and what we're doing, it's totally different. So it gets caught in the wash. This is a totally different team."

Dolphins rookie head coach Joe Philbin, Sparano's replacement, shrugged at the Sparano question this week. To Philbin, Sparano's return is a non-story. The Dolphins are just trying to win another game.

"Those of us that's been in the league for a while understand coaches move, players move," Philbin said. "That's just the natural evolution of the game. I think it probably is too much made of it."

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63538/dolphins-downplay-tony-sparanos-return
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Inside Slant: Needless risk to Stafford

I took the role of Tom Coughlin in this week's Inside Slant podcast, while partner Mike Sando got all revolutionary in the Greg Schiano sense of the word. Our wide-ranging discussion not only hit the concept of NFL protocol, but it also included how best to approach two-point conversions and how the heck the Philadelphia Eagles are 2-0.

From an NFC North perspective, we noted how Sunday night's game at Candlestick Park provided a stark example of the elevated risk to player safety as long as the NFL uses replacement officials.

You might recall that Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked twice on one play because referee Matt Nicks didn't notice that Stafford's knee clearly hit the ground after getting hit by the San Francisco 49ers' Aldon Smith.

With no whistle blown, Stafford popped back up in one of those chaotic and unnatural situations that leaves a quarterback vulnerable to an unexpected hit. Ultimately, he was dragged down for a second time by the 49ers' Ray McDonald.

The Lions challenged the play and got back the additional yardage they lost between the first and second hits. But a referee is expected to protect the quarterback, not expose him to additional and unnecessary contact.

Related: I also jumped on ESPN Radio earlier Wednesday to wrap up a week's worth of discussion about Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63528/inside-slant-needless-risk-to-stafford
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Linebacker losses killing Jaguars

The Jaguars spoke today of staying the course, and it's not like there is a choice.

They were hurt last season, and they are hurt again already, and the injuries are largely at two positions. When you have several injuries at the same spot -- for Jacksonville, on the offensive line and at linebacker -- odds are you don't have the depth to maintain a standard there.

Then the question becomes, can you survive it?

So far the Jaguars haven't. Tackling and protection/run blocking have been big issues through two losses, because they are down two of the three guys they expected to start at linebacker, and at least two of the five they would like to be starting on the offensive line.

I've written a lot about my thinking that the Jaguars didn't do enough for their offensive line depth during the offseason. I know they lost Jason Spitz and John Estes to camp injuries. But they seem to be the only people around that think Guy Whimper is a competent third tackle.

Let's talk defense here, though.

Linebacker is a spot where many teams don't spent too much money. In a 4-3, you need pass-rushers and cover guys. On the level between them, have one fast sideline-to-sideline guy who can be a physical tackler, another who might be a lesser version of that, and a guy who can play well on run downs who won't be part of the nickel.

Jacksonville went against that thinking. With Daryl Smith, a very good outside guy, already on board, the Jags spent big dollars in the 2011 free-agent market for Paul Posluszny and Clint Session.

It's a great group, but it has not played together since Nov. 20, 2011 and has played just half of 18 possible regular-season game together.

Sunday in Indianapolis, the Jaguars will be without Session and Smith again. Neither has played this season, with Session's career seemingly in jeopardy as he deals with post-concussion issues on PUP, and Smith out again with a groin issue.

Russell Allen and Kyle Bosworth are OK as fourth and fifth guys. Move them up two slots apiece, and you've got issues.

And the Jaguars have issues.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63529/linebacker-losses-killing-jaguars
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Rex: Media won't dictate Tebow time

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Another day, another round of questions about Tim Tebow's lack of involvement in the Jets' offense.

This time, Rex Ryan didn't get annoyed with the questions, but he made it clear he's not going to bow to media pressure to play Tebow in the Wildcat.

"We control it," Ryan said. "The media's not gonna drive it and the opponent, they're not going to have any idea what we're going to do with them. I'm certainly not going to let them know, 'Hey, by the way, Tebow is going to play 50 snaps this week.'

"I'm never going to give you a legitimate answer. I know the answer, but I'm not going to give it to you."

In the first two games, Tebow was an afterthought. Out of 114 plays on offense, he appeared in only 12 -- 11 at quarterback, once as an H-Back. In Sunday's loss to the Steelers, he didn't get in the game until the third quarter -- and he was three plays and out.

"When you look at this past game, we only had those three Wildcat plays, but, really, the Wildcat is a personnel grouping," Ryan said. "And sometimes you want to go with that personnel grouping and sometimes you don't."

Ryan may have tipped his hand by admitting that running back Joe McKnight will have an expanded role this week against the Dolphins. McKnight often is used in the Wildcat package, sometimes in motion across the formation. He played only one snap against the Steelers.

Of course, an expanded role could mean only two or three snaps. Ryan, who has become more secretive than ever, was cagey with regard to how much McKnight will play.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63526/rex-media-wont-dictate-tebow-time
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11.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bengals' Adam Jones wins AFC award

The Bengals' Adam Jones was named AFC special teams player of the week after he returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in Cincinnati's 34-27 win against the Cleveland Browns. He also returned one kickoff for 31 yards. Jones has three career punt returns for touchdowns that have covered at least 80 yards. There are three other active players who have accomplished that feat: Devin Hester (five), Patrick Peterson (four) and Nate Burleson (three).

This marks the second time in Jones' six-year career that he has won the AFC special teams player of the week award. He previously won the award in 2005 (Week 14) with the Tennessee Titans.

Dolphins running back Reggie Bush won the offensive player of the week award. He beat out four nominees from the AFC North: Browns running back Trent Richardson, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, and Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden.

Texans defensive end J.J. Watt won the defensive player of the week award. Cleveland linebacker D'Qwell Jackson was a nominee after recording five tackles, three sacks and one interception against the Bengals.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63525/bengals-adam-jones-wins-afc-award
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Jones brothers take center stage

The marks on their faces tell the story.

Chandler, Jon and Arthur Jones are a tight-nit group that loves to compete. Being the second best was not an option for these three brothers, and often that led to various family scuffles as young children.

"We used to fight all the time," said Jon Jones, now the UFC light heavyweight champion. "But it wasn't because we hated each other. It was because we love each other and we're best friends. That's what best friends do -- we beat each other up over everything. But after we were done beating each other up, still bleeding, we were playing video games 25 minutes later.

"If you look at all of our faces, we got black scars and black lines all over, and that's from our fingernails. We used to scratch and beat into each other's skin."

That ultra-competitiveness in the Jones household has bred two NFL players and one of the most dominant champions in Mixed Martial Arts history. This trio will take center stage this weekend when rookie Chandler and the New England Patriots (1-1) play against his older brother Arthur and the Baltimore Ravens (1-1) for the first time Sunday night. Jon will defend his title Saturday at UFC 152 against contender Vitor Belfort.

This is a huge showcase for the Jones brothers, who have combined hard work, dedication and freakish athleticism to make a mark in their respective sports. This is the first time this trio will compete on the same weekend as professional athletes.

Jones Brothers Survey

We asked each Jones brother five quick questions:

Who is the funniest Jones brother?

Arthur Jones: "Chandler."

Jon Jones: "Chandler."

Chandler Jones: "All of us."

Who is the most athletically gifted?

Arthur Jones: "Chandler."

Jon Jones: "Chandler."

Chandler Jones: "That's a great question. We all have our different professions."

Who eats the most?

Arthur Jones: "Probably me."

Jon Jones: "Arthur."

Chandler Jones: "Arthur."

Who is the most competitive?

Arthur Jones: "I would say me, but Jon will probably say himself."

Jon Jones: "I am."

Chandler Jones: "We are all very competitive."

Who wins: Patriots or Ravens?

Arthur Jones: "Hands down, Ravens."

Jon Jones: "I just want to see great defense."

Chandler Jones: "Patriots, of course."

Sept. 22-23 is as much a family celebration for the Jones brothers as it is a competition.

"Everything goes to my parents and the way they raised us," Chandler said this week. "They raised us, [protected us], and all of our successes I owe to God and my parents."

Arthur, 26, is the oldest brother and is described as the leader of the group. He was a fifth-round draft pick of the Ravens in 2010.

Jon, 25, is the middle brother and probably the most competitive. He was on the same wrestling team as Arthur in high school, and that path led him to MMA. Jones became the UFC's youngest world champion last year and is arguably the pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport.

Chandler, 22, is the youngest but also has been described as the most athletic. A first-round pick of the Patriots this year, Chandler is making an immediate impact. He has 10 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles in his first two games. Usually, rookies do not get much playing time under Patriots coach Bill Belichick. But Chandler is making a strong impression.

"Chandler is a guy who's kind of like a baby giraffe: He came out wobbly but he's full of potential," Arthur said. "I don't think he's scratched the surface of what he can do yet. I think he can be one of the elite, great players and can play for a long time."

Jon will be the table-setter for the family. Jones will have his 18th professional fight Saturday in Toronto and fourth straight title defense at UFC 152.

In the past two years, Jon has been MMA's fastest-rising star. He is 16-1, with his only loss being a disqualification in 2009.

"I definitely plan on setting the tone and just putting on a great performance, but I'm sure my brothers won't play differently depending on my outcome," Jon said. "They're planning on me doing well, and they're going to play hard either way. I'm just interested to see who has the better game [Sunday]."

Arthur trained with Jon last offseason in Albuquerque, N.M. Arthur and Chandler will be anxiously watching their middle brother fight Saturday from their respective hotels in Baltimore, while they put the finishing touches on preparations for their game.

"For me, it's nothing like it," Arthur said of watching Jon in the Octagon. "Even if I wasn't in his training camp, I know how hard and how prepared he is for each fight. It's just you see your brother out there and you can't help him, and you get that feeling. But fighters fight for themselves. It's just a weird feeling. I get butterflies."

After the fight, Jon will catch a flight from Toronto to Baltimore Sunday morning. Jon and the family will go to M&T Bank Stadium together Sunday night to watch Arthur and Chandler play.

The Patriots-Ravens matchup is a rematch of last January's thrilling AFC Championship Game. The Patriots won following a missed field at the end of regulation to advance to the Super Bowl. Both teams are title contenders again this season and have a lot on the line after Week 2 losses. The loser will be in a surprising 1-2 hole.

This will be a special weekend the Jones brothers will never forget. But the bad news for the Jones family is at least one brother has to lose.

MMA is unpredictable, but Jon will go in Saturday night as a huge favorite. He is expected to defend his title in dominant fashion. But either Chandler's Patriots or Arthur's Ravens is guaranteed to come up short Sunday night.

"I feel bad for the loser," Jon said of his brothers. "Because there is going to be some bragging."

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63519/jones-brothers-take-center-stage
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09.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mike Sando's MVP Watch

The Manning brothers, Peyton and Eli, accounted for six of the 28 interceptions NFL quarterbacks threw in Week 2.

They also accounted for 9.5 percent of all passing yardage.

Eli's fourth-quarter recovery and 510-yard passing performance against Tampa Bay returned him to the MVP Watch list after a week away.

Peyton gets the week off after his three first-quarter interceptions doomed Denver to defeat at Atlanta, site of the Broncos' lone indoor game this season. Those questioning Peyton Manning's throwing velocity on deeper passes should watch to see how cold-weather games affect his 36-year-old arm later in the season.

Our top two players on the MVP Watch list have yet to suffer a turnover this season. Atlanta's Matt Ryan and San Francisco's Alex Smith have combined for nine touchdown passes while completing 70 percent of their throws.

Smith has not thrown many longer passes, ranking 31st out of 34 qualifying quarterbacks with only five attempts traveling 15-plus yards past the line of scrimmage. That feeds perceptions of Smith as Most Valuable Game Manager (MVGM). But when the 49ers have needed Smith to make critical plays, he has delivered.

The 49ers' clinching 12-play, 79-yard touchdown drive against Detroit on Sunday night provided the latest example. Smith completed 6 of 7 passes for 76 yards on the drive. That included a 7-yard pass on third-and-7, a 16-yarder on third-and-14, an 11-yarder on third-and-9 and a 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Vernon Davis.

Longstanding perceptions of Smith are appearing increasingly outdated.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63521/mike-sandos-mvp-watch-54
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Richardson hammers defenders, criticism

Teams shouldn't spend a top-five pick on a running back in this pass-happy age of football. Two knee surgeries in less than a year reveal that Trent Richardson is damaged goods. Even Jim Brown, the greatest runner in Browns and perhaps NFL history, took at shot at Richardson, labeling the first-round pick as "ordinary."

Two weeks into the regular season, all of this criticism seems laughable. While it's correct not to make any sweeping conclusions after a couple of games, no one can consider the Browns' drafting of Richardson a mistake at this point. His power, speed and jaw-dropping moves in the open field proves he's the key piece in turning around the NFL's worst offense over the past decade.

Richardson's attitude is the perfect jolt to a Browns franchise that has accepted last place as a way of life since returning to the league in 1999. He runs angry. Knocking off the helmet of would-be tackler Kurt Coleman in the season opener -- it flew five yards after the crushing collision -- is a great example of that. He gets ticked off. Delivering a breakout game following Rey Maualuga's lukewarm assessment of him is another warning that you don't want to challenge him.

Richardson is a violent right hook for the usually punchless Browns, who have ranked 28th or worse in offense nine times in the previous 13 years. Relying on a running back like Peyton Hillis, who missed a game because of strep throat, wasn't going to cut it. Drafting a hard-nosed playmaker like Richardson is Cleveland's best hope to change its culture of losing, even if it has yet to provide immediate results for the winless Browns (0-2).

For entertainment purposes alone, Richardson made a Browns game worth watching Sunday. Richardson totaled 109 yards rushing and 36 yards receiving against the Bengals on Sunday. Those numbers don't illustrate how impressive Richardson looked. On his 32-yard touchdown run, he took a delayed handoff and raced to the end zone without being touched. On what will go down as a 23-yard touchdown reception, Richardson caught a short pass before running through two tackles and spinning out of another to reach the end zone.

"He's a special player," Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden said. "He's a difference-maker."

Richardson became first NFL rookie to record 100 yards rushing, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the same game since Samkon Gado seven years ago. He also scored two 20-yard-plus touchdowns for a team that had seven of them all of last season.

"I think I was just more comfortable with myself that, 'Hey, I'm still able to run like I used to' and do it much better," Richardson said of his improvement from Week 1. "In my head, [I was thinking] 'I've got to run much stronger because these guys are much stronger than the guys in college.' Hopefully I'll come out stronger next week."

Five months ago, everyone christened Andrew Luck as the next great franchise quarterback and applauded the Redskins for moving up to take Robert Griffin III. The Browns received mixed reviews when they jumped one spot up to make sure they landed Richardson.

Teams have gotten burned in the past by taking a running back that high. Before Richardson, there were five running backs selected in the top five over the previous 10 drafts: Cadillac Williams (2005), Cedric Benson (2005), Ronnie Brown (2005), Reggie Bush (2006) and Darren McFadden (2008). Only Brown has reached the Pro Bowl and only McFadden is still with the team that drafted him.

Richardson's stock didn't rise when a second procedure on his left knee in less than a year sidelined him for the entire preseason. In his NFL debut, he managed 39 yards, which prompted Bengals linebacker Maualuga to say "he didn't do nothing spectacular." Maualuga was wrong. Exactly one month after knee surgery, no matter if it's minor or not, Richardson carried the ball 19 times. In terms of toughness, that is spectacular.

Richardson can be a top-five running back in the NFL as early as next season. That isn't to say he's the next Adrian Peterson right now.

"I still think he can do some things better when he doesn't have the football, which means we probably ought to give him the ball every time he's in there," coach Pat Shurmur said.

Richardson still has a ways to go before he convinces everyone about his talent. Jim Brown, who was critical of Richardson after the Browns drafted him, told The Plain Dealer that he was impressed with Richardson's performance against the Bengals. But he stopped short of fully endorsing the former Alabama star.

"Richardson has to show he can consistently carry a team," Brown told the paper. "The Browns have had some players that looked like they could, and it didn't work out. (Peyton) Hillis had a lot of talent."

Brown is right in that respect. It doesn't matter how many 1,000-yard seasons Richardson records. He was drafted to turn around a franchise that regularly loses over 10 games a season and hasn't won a playoff game since 1994. Losing hasn't been easy on Richardson, who went 36-4 in three seasons at Alabama and won two national championships.

"At some point we have to put up more points than the other team is putting up," Richardson said. "If they score on special teams, we have to come back and score. We did a good job (offensively), but I think we can do an even better job. When we start winning, it's going to be much better."

Based on the first couple weeks of the season, Richardson is at his best when faced with a challenge.

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63509/richardson-hammers-defenders-criticism
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Freeman to Jackson working nicely

It's early yet, but Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman is looking a lot more like the quarterback he was in 2010 than the one that struggled in 2011.

Part of the reason is he's having success throwing downfield. Freeman has completed 8 of 14 passes of 15 yards or more and is averaging 15.9 yards per attempt in those situations. He also has two touchdowns, one interception and a 99.8 Total QBR in those situations.

Last season, Freeman completed just 37.9 percent of passes in those situations. He averaged 9.5 yards per attempt with three interceptions, seven touchdowns and a 73.3 Total QBR.

The pickup of free-agent receiver Vincent Jackson might be a big part of the reason for Freeman's improvement. Jackson is tied for the league lead with six receptions on passes that traveled 15 yards or more.

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63516/freeman-to-jackson-working-nicely
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The passion of J'Marcus Webb

As we move past the weeklong discussion on the Chicago Bears and the behavior of their quarterback, I think the last point (for now) should focus on the recipient of Jay Cutler's ire: Left tackle J'Marcus Webb. What did we learn about Webb, who might be the most scrutinized Bears player since the start of training camp, and what can we conclude moving forward? As we discussed last month, Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice set up a competition at left tackle that seemed primarily focused on elevating Webb's intensity. If you've spoken with Webb before, you know he has a laid-back personality. You might also find his Twitter feed a bit eccentric, as he demonstrated by posting a poem during the preseason.

You wonder if those character traits were part of what enraged Cutler after a series of sacks in Thursday night's game at Lambeau Field. When you watch the broadcast replay, you see Webb smiling after Cutler shoved him.

During his Tuesday appearance on ESPN 1000, Cutler was asked if he was looking for a reaction from Webb and if he would have been happier if he had pushed back.

"Sure," Cutler said. "Anything really to let me know that, 'Hey, I'm [ticked] off that I got beat. I'm going to try to rectify it and try to get us back in this ballgame.'"

Cutler acknowledged he shouldn't have shoved Webb but said he didn't regret lashing out verbally.

Everyone wears their disappointment differently, so it wouldn't be fair to conclude that Webb didn't understand the gravity of his individual defeats Thursday night simply because he didn't appear enraged on the sideline. But I can understand why a fiery personality like Cutler would be quickly frustrated when he doesn't see similar passion in others.

Webb won't become a better player if he forces himself to be more passionate on the field. But are his teammates convinced he is passionate about being a good player? It's a question worth monitoring.

On his Facebook account, Webb said in part: "I don't want the fans, media, or any of our teammates to become distracted with the interaction on the sidelines. We will handle any disagreements as a team. The concern I have remains the same: to protect our quarterback and win. This is my focus and no one needs to identify this for me or question my desire to win. We win together and we lose together."

Moving on ...

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63517/the-passion-of-jmarcus-webb
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Peyton Manning, the outsider

While he continues to knock off the rust from missing all of last season, Peyton Manning should do this: Stay to the outside.

Manning is excelling outside of the painted numbers in the first two games of the season, but he is struggling in the middle of the field.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Manning has completed 82.9 percent of his passes outside the painted numbers. It is the best in the NFL. The average is 48.8 percent. However, inside the numbers, Manning is completing a league-worst 50 percent of his attempts. The league average is 66.4 percent.

Manning is having great success in the area where most quarterbacks struggle and he is scuffling where most quarterbacks are excelling. What should Manning do? Keep working the middle of the field. As he gets more comfortable, his success in the middle of the field will come.

However, Manning will be challenged Sunday against Houston. The Texans are allowing a league-low 39.3 percent of passes to be completed outside the numbers this season. So, Manning is going to have to try to get something going in the middle of the field.

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63507/peyton-manning-the-outsider
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Are Browns a 'trap game' for Bills?

The Buffalo Bills are riding high after their 35-17 drubbing of the Kansas City Chiefs. Buffalo also has its biggest home game of the season against the rival New England Patriots coming up Sept. 30.

Does that make Sunday's sandwich game against the lowly Cleveland Browns (0-2) a trap for the Bills (1-1)? These are the kind of sneaky-but-dangerous matchups that can make a difference in whether Buffalo is a pretender or a contender.

"You put [the win] behind you and move on to the Browns. That is the nature of the NFL," Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick told reporters. "You saw when we went out there (that) we did not carry what happened the week before with us in terms of hanging our heads or being discouraged. We went out there facing a new opponent with a new week and we played well. That is what you have to do in this league."

It's easy for Buffalo to get up for a home opener. It's also easy to gear up for a game against the reigning AFC East champs -- a New England team Buffalo has been chasing the past dozen years.

But it's not easy to get motivated for a road game against Cleveland. As a former Browns reporter, I can firmly say this will be a test of Buffalo's maturity level. The Browns are not very good, but they are not a soft team. They will fight hard for four quarters at home. We saw that in Cleveland's 17-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1.

This is a Bills team with talent. They are my sleeper pick for 2012, but I'm still leery of what to expect week to week. This is a team still learning how to win and do it consistently.

If the Bills are legit, they will not overlook the Browns this weekend. This is a bigger game than what's on the surface. Buffalo does not want to go into Week 4 against the Patriots with a 1-2 record.

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63506/are-browns-a-trap-game-for-bills
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All-NFC East Team: Week 2 Update

Eli Manning made it tough. I'm not going to deny that. His performance in the fourth quarter in Sunday's comeback victory against Tampa Bay was nearly enough to get him the starting quarterback spot on this week's edition of the All-Division Team. His yardage total of 510 for the game was the ninth-highest in league history, and is only 16 yards short of Robert Griffin III's two-game yardage total so far. When I sat down to make this week's team, I did so on the assumption that Manning would regain his 2011 season-ending spot as the quarterback.

But then I remembered the disclaimer that nobody reads: This All-Division Team is not simply a roundup of the best performances of the past week. It's an assessment of overall season performance to date. Griffin has a higher completion percentage, fewer interceptions and -- yes, this matters -- is the division's fourth-leading rusher with 124 yards on 20 carries. Manning has proven more over his career, obviously, and yes he's being asked to do more in the passing game than Griffin is in Washington. But it's not as though Griffin's being asked to play like Alex Smith. He's made big plays and protected the ball, and in the end this week's spot goes to the guy who's played eight good quarters so far this season, as opposed to one astoundingly brilliant one.

One of the results of this, I found when I tallied things up at the end, is what I believe to be a first. The Redskins have the most players (eight) on this week's All-NFC East team. The Giants and Eagles each have seven, and the Cowboys only have five for some reason, including their punter. Odd, since the Cowboys' Week 1 game was perhaps the best all-around game played by anyone in the division to this point. Strange how these things shake out sometimes.

Anyway here is the rest of the team, and then the explanations after:

Quarterback: Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins (Last week: Griffin)

Running back: LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles (DeMarco Murray)

Wide receiver: Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, New York Giants (Kevin Ogletree and Jeremy Maclin)

Tight end: Brent Celek, Eagles (Martellus Bennett)

Fullback: Darrel Young, Washington Redskins (Young)

Left tackle: Trent Williams, Redskins (Williams)

Left guard: Evan Mathis, Eagles (Mathis)

Center: Will Montgomery, Redskins (Jason Kelce)

Right guard: Chris Snee, Giants (Snee)

Right tackle: Todd Herremans, Eagles (Herremans)

Defensive end: Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants; Jason Hatcher, Cowboys (Pierre-Paul, Hatcher)

Defensive tackle: Fletcher Cox, Eagles; Rocky Bernard, Giants (Bernard, Cox)

Outside linebacker: Ryan Kerrigan, Redskins; DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys (Kerrigan, Ware)

Inside linebacker: DeMeco Ryans, Eagles; Sean Lee, Cowboys (Ryans, Lee)

Cornerback: Josh Wilson, Redskins; Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Eagles (Wilson, Rodgers-Cromartie)

Safety: Kenny Phillips, Giants; Gerald Sensabaugh, Cowboys (Kurt Coleman, Antrel Rolle)

Kicker: Billy Cundiff, Redskins (Cundiff)

Punter: Chris Jones, Cowboys (Chas Henry)

Kick returner: David Wilson, Giants (Brandon Banks)

Punt returner: Brandon Banks, Redskins (Banks)

• Pierre-Paul is a slam-dunk at one of the defensive end spots. He's a nightmare for opposing defenses, and Tampa Bay was clearly focused on his side almost all game. He needs help from his teammates on the other side, who have yet to do anything. For the second week in a row, I went with a 3-4 end along with Pierre-Paul, which was a little bit tougher this week given the way Jason Babin and Trent Cole played Sunday. But I really think Hatcher is bringing something special to the Cowboys' defensive front, and that he showed as much as anyone on the defense this week coming off his huge Week 1. The guy who nearly bumped him out, actually, was another 3-4 end -- Washington's Stephen Bowen, which would have made nine Redskins! Bowen is worthy of consideration. I think Hatcher's played a tick better.
• And truth be told, it could have been 10 Redskins, as I very nearly gave the second outside linebacker spot to Brian Orakpo over Ware, who was invisible this week. But this is an all-year team, and sadly, Orakpo won't be making it this year, as this turns out to have been his last chance. He's out for the season with a chest muscle injury.
• Cornerback is a place where Cowboys fans will complain, and I hear you. Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne have played very well. But I think Wilson and Rodgers-Cromartie, when you go back and watch the tape, are playing at a remarkably high level right now. In last season's cornerback competition on this weekly exercise, Dallas' guys would have been winning easily. This year the competition is tougher.
• Switched up the safeties. Nate Allen of the Eagles came close to snagging Sensabaugh's spot, especially with Sensabaugh getting hurt. Phillips is the division's best safety and one of the best in the league.
• I didn't think I'd put Mathis back in at left guard because of the penalties, and Nate Livings is the No. 2 guy on my list here. But what Mathis does in the run game is just ridiculous, and it keeps him at the very top.
• Almost kept Bennett in at tight end because of the job he's doing as a blocker, but Celek is the third-leading receiver in the division right now, behind the Giants' studs.
• Trent Williams is making it easy at his spot, as he's always had the ability to do. He's fun to watch.

Okay, that's it from me. Your thoughts?

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63513/all-nfc-east-team-week-2-update
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07.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Batdowns revisited: Where Wilson stands

An NFL quarterback standing three feet tall would surely be at heightened risk for having passes batted down.

Russell Wilson stands much taller than that, ESPN's Trey Wingo notes during a height-related conversation with Tim Hasselbeck and Jerry Rice in the video above. And in looking at stats for batted passes, provided courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information, it's clear factors beyond height influence the numbers.

Drew Brees, roughly an inch taller than the nearly 5-foot-11 Wilson, had only seven passes batted down in 657 attempts last season. Six other quarterbacks had at least twice as many even though each attempted at least 100 fewer passes. The towering Joe Flacco had seven of his 542 passes batted.

Thirty-six of the 44 quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts last season suffered a higher percentage of batted passes than Brees suffered while topping 5,000 yards passing. Arizona's Kevin Kolb topped the list with 10 of his 253 attempts (4.0 percent) batted down. San Francisco's Alex Smith was 12th at 2.7 percent (12 of 445). He's had none batted so far this season despite standing the same height.

Brees has had five batted down this season already. That probably has more to do with being under siege than being under prototypical height. The Saints are struggling.

Hasselbeck suggested to Wingo and Rice that Wilson has a higher release point than some taller quarterbacks. Another ESPN analyst, Trent Dilfer, has pointed to a quick release, not height, as key to getting passes over opposing linemen.

The chart ranks NFL quarterbacks through Week 2 by percentage of attempts batted by opposing defenses. The sample size remains small this early in the season. I'll revisit the numbers as the season progresses.

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63510/batdowns-revisited-where-wilson-stands
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Rough start for AFC North defenses

The AFC North is a division known for its defenses. Last year, all four teams finished in the top 10 in defense and there was a point during the season when they held the top four spots.

The 2012 season has been a complete turnaround so far. Three teams -- the Ravens, Browns and Bengals -- rank in the bottom six in defense. They're all giving up more than 400 yards per game. The Steelers, who had the top-ranked defense a year ago, are currently at No. 7.

There hasn't been a major turnover in starting lineups. Each team that has dropped in the defensive rankings didn't return two starters: Bengals (defensive end Frostee Rucker, safety Chris Crocker), Browns (defensive end Jayme Mitchell and safety Mike Adams) and Ravens (defensive end Cory Redding and linebacker Jarret Johnson).

What has really hurt these defenses has been injuries. Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is out indefinitely with an Achilles injury for the Ravens. For the Browns, outside linebacker Chris Gocong (Achilles) is out for the season and defensive tackle Phil Taylor (torn pectoral muscle) will miss at least the first six games. And the Bengals have been without defensive end Carlos Dunlap (knee) for two games and won't have outside linebacker Thomas Howard (knee), last year's leading tackler, for the rest of the season.

The Steelers, whose defense hasn't plummeted like the rest of the AFC North, had two former defensive players of the year (James Harrison and Troy Polamalu) on the sideline Sunday.

The loss of those starters has impacted the statistics and the results of games. The Ravens' defense, which has gone from No. 3 to No. 27, gave up the winning touchdown to Michael Vick with 1:55 remaining last Sunday. The Bengals' defense, which has fallen from No. 7 to No. 30, has allowed its first two opponents to gain more than 400 yards for the second time since 1981, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. And the Browns' defense, which has dropped from No. 10 to No. 29, surrendered the winning touchdown pass from Vick with 1:18 left in the season opener.

I thought this was going to be a tougher year for defenses in this division just based on the schedule. Unlike last year, when they faced mediocre offenses in the NFC West and AFC South, the AFC North defenses are lining up against Vick, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Tony Romo. But no one predicted such a rough start for a division that prides itself on dominating defenses.

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63511/rough-start-for-afc-north-defenses
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Bradshaw a question mark for Thursday

Wondering whether New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw will play Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers? Yeah, well, I can't help you much there. Giants coach Tom Coughlin was deliberately vague on Bradshaw after Tuesday's practice (in which Bradshaw did not participate), saying only the word "neck" with regard to the running back's injury and "we are" when asked if he was holding out hope that Bradshaw might play. That said, though, if you'll allow me a bit of speculation, I would be surprised to see Bradshaw on Thursday night. With only three days off between games this week, and with Bradshaw unable to participate in the one real practice, it's hard to imagine he'll have time to recover. That could mean more of Andre Brown, who as Coughlin points out performed well in relief of Bradshaw on Sunday:

"I thought Andre did a nice job," Coughlin said. "He certainly was the focal point once Ahmad came out of the game. David (Wilson) has his plays and certainly will get some more time as well."

Not a lot there for you fantasy football players, though if you have a piece of the Giants' running game on your fantasy team you haven't been paying very close attention over the past couple of seasons. The Giants need to find something in the run game. Carolina's defense offers an opportunity to do that. If Bradshaw can't answer the bell and Brown and/or Wilson were to perform well, that might portend a change in the way the run game operates going forward.

Affecting this situation as well is the status of right tackle David Diehl, who left Sunday's game with a knee injury and also did not practice Tuesday. Diehl's "unlikely" to play, according to Ohm, which likely would mean Will Beatty gets the start at either right or left tackle (with Sean Locklear at the other). Wide receiver Domenik Hixon missed practice while recovering from his concussion, and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks sat out to rest his foot injury, but that was a planned rest day and Nicks is expected to play.

Short week might be biting the Giants this time around, as it's possible any of the injured guys might be ready to play come Sunday. But the upside is that they'll have nine full days to recover between their Week 3 and Week 4 games.

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63505/bradshaw-a-question-mark-for-thursday
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Giants correctly blame league for ref mess

It took a while, but it seems people are finally starting to figure out what's at the root of the NFL officiating fiasco -- and who's to blame. Several New York Giants players spoke out Tuesday, and they pointed the finger squarely where it belongs -- at commissioner Roger Goodell and the league's owners, who have locked out the real officials and don't appear to care how bad the replacements are. Per the New York Daily News:

"I am not necessarily mad at the replacement officials," said Giants defensive end Justin Tuck. "I am more upset with the NFL for not handling this and taking care of this in due time."

"There's no doubt the integrity of the game has been compromised not having the regular officials out there," added Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka. "We've got to get that taken care of."

Good for these guys. I'm so sick of people saying and writing things like, "It doesn't matter whose fault this is, it just has to be resolved." Anybody's who's said or written that is an enabler, plain and simple, making it easier for the league and the owners to get away with their new favorite labor-dispute technique, the lockout. This is 100 percent the NFL's fault. Just as the players weren't last summer, the officials aren't on strike. They are locked out. The league will not budge until it gets everything it wants, and in the meantime the product is suffering. Everyone agrees that the product is suffering -- coaches, players, fans, analysts. Everyone but the league, whose official statements continue to portray everything as fine and the replacement officials as improving in spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The problem is, from the league's standpoint, everything is fine. If quality of the product were the concern, the league would already have moved to settle with the officials and done so in time for the start of the regular season. But quality of the product is not the league's concern. Size of audience is the league's only concern. And as long as ratings keep skyrocketing and people keep turning out for the games, frothing at the mouth in anticipation of them and climbing all over each other to break them all down, the NFL has no incentive to change anything it's doing. Long games? Bungled spots? Officials unafraid to proclaim themselves fans of one of the teams? Who cares? You're all still watching. You're all still willingly forking over your money. Why should the league move to do anything at all?

"I think all the success that this league is having, you don't want this to be a damper," Tuck said. "I think the replacement referee situation can start to put a damper on the league in some way. You don't want that to happen."

Problem is, unless this becomes a damper, nothing will get done. Unless this really begins to have a deleterious effect on the league's lifeblood -- TV ratings and the advertising dollars that go with them -- the owners will have no incentive to get it resolved. They'll just wait for the officials to cave in and give them what they want, and they'll march smugly into the future, assured that they were completely justified in locking out their employees and refusing to negotiate seriously.

It was so refreshing to hear Steve Young on "Monday Night Football" go off on his "They don't care" rant about the league, because I really don't think people understand what this is about. The NFL could afford to pay its officials any amount of money it wanted to. It could afford to fund pensions for the officials and their kids and their dogs and cats and fish. The NFL has more money than any of us will ever be able to conceive, and if it cared to put the best possible product on its fields and your TV screens, it would simply have solved this by now. But it does not. The league and the owners care more about getting it the way they want it -- the best possible deal that lines their pockets to the maximum extent possible. And they don't care whether you like the way they do it or not. They know, no matter how upset you may get about it, that you're not going anywhere. And until they're scared you are, they're not going to change the way they behave. Not one tiny little bit.

You want this officials' dispute resolved? It's pretty simple. Stop putting up with it. Stay home this week. Keep your TV turned off. Hit them in the wallets, because that's the only place these guys feel anything. If you're not prepared to do that, then no amount of hand wringing is going to help. It doesn't matter to the NFL that the replacement officials have made the game harder to watch. It will only matter if people actually stop watching.

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63504/giants-correctly-blame-league-for-ref-mess
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13.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jay Cutler leaves us questioning reality

We learned everything we needed to know Tuesday about Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. During an appearance on ESPN 1000 , Cutler was asked if there was one throw he wished he could take back from his disastrous performance in last Thursday's 23-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Cutler's response revealed a capacity for compartmentalizing that should be the envy of anyone with aspirations for emotional and social detachment.

After pausing for a moment, Cutler chose a pass that receiver Brandon Marshall dropped in the end zone early in the third quarter as the Bears trailed 13-0.

"I wish I had that one back," Cutler said. "The picks? You can have those. The one I would take back was the one to Brandon off his hands. … I put it up probably just a half count quicker than I wanted to. Felt a little bit of pressure and put it up. 'B' will tell you it was a catchable ball. But I could have made it 10 times easier for him, just putting it up a little to the left and holding him up a little bit. He crushed the guy on his route, and that could have made it easier on him. … That could have changed the complexion of the game."

The picks? You can have those.

Here you have a quarterback who turned in one of the worst performances in the past 10 years of NFL play, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, glossing over his four interceptions as if they were merely a function of the game flow. Instead, Cutler suggested his biggest regret was not fine-tuning a still-catchable touchdown pass that would have still left the Bears facing a second-half deficit.

Tuesday was Cutler's first public appearance since a postgame interview Thursday night, and to me it confirmed a remarkable world view that aligns independently from ordinary human nature. Cutler can toss aside a four-interception, seven-sack performance and self-criticize a nuanced improvement to a play he had already done his job on. He can suggest that "your opinion does not matter to us" when it's negative or critical, as he did Tuesday, but claim "it really meant a lot" when several fans approached him over the weekend to offer encouragement.

And, perhaps most amazing of all, Cutler can insist with an apparently straight face that he did not lose his composure at any point during what sure appeared to be a wild, but not atypical performance. That assessment apparently covered his sideline confrontation with left tackle J'Marcus Webb. Indeed, Cutler repeatedly blamed the media for escalating the issue "bigger than all of us expected" and adding: "That's what you have to expect from the media."

Cutler added: "Oh, I think I had my composure. I think I had my composure the whole game. Under the circumstances, we moved the ball well at times. Obviously some mistakes on my part and other guys derailed us at times. Penalties, interceptions, stuff like that. But I had my composure. I knew what I was doing. We were calling the plays and everything was going smoothly."

If what we saw Thursday night was composed, I would hate to see Cutler when he is upset.

Let's be clear. As we discussed last week, I was far less concerned with the Cutler-Webb issue than with the way Cutler's emotions appeared to impact his play. (For the record, Cutler acknowledged he shouldn't have bumped Webb during the discussion but said he doesn't regret screaming at him. He also said he has spoken with the Bears' "powers that be" and the offensive line individually and that everything is "behind us." He wouldn't say if he apologized to Webb.)

Cutler aggressively fought back Tuesday against suggestions that anyone "on the outside" could know definitively what was happening on the field or during the Bears' offensive decision-making process. But it's hard for me to conclude that Cutler was under control after watching the way he frenetically bounced around the pocket, how he repeatedly threw into coverage and how he unloaded on Webb so quickly in a long season. It seemed he was playing "screw-it" football, so frustrated with how things were going that he compounded the situation with poor throws and technique.

In truth, the alternative is worse. If Cutler was composed and under control, as he said he was, and still threw four interceptions and took seven sacks -- the first time a quarterback had done so in 10 years of NFL games -- isn't that a worse indictment of his performance?

Regardless, if we didn't know before, we know now: Packers defensive back Charles Woodson was right to note that he saw the "same-old Jay" Thursday night. Based on what I heard Tuesday, the Jay Cutler we have always seen is the one we always will see -- for both the good and the bad.

He can make exemplary throws with his arm and extraordinary leaps in his mind. He can convince himself that a perfect throw can overcome a series of mistakes and that his negatives are exaggerated by the media. And he will fail to recognize the impact of his emotions on the way he plays. It's gotten him this far, after all, and if you entered this season hoping for a different approach, well, you were out of your mind.

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/63503/jay-cutler-leaves-us-questioning-reality
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