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Pro Sports Wrap - Sports Personality of the Day:Kris Versteeg

Chiefs - Pro Sports Wrap

10/2011 Player Profile: Ray Rice

October 15th 2011 17:01
When talking about elite running backs, it is imperative to mention the name "Ray Rice". He is the focal point of a contender's offense, and I honestly hope that you don't think Joe Flacco is the team's best offensive player. That honor goes to Rice, or the very underrated Marshal Yanda. In any case, Rice is one of the best and most versatile backs in the NFL right now, and he currently has a 52.9 RB Efficiency score.

According to Advanced NFL Stats, Rice currently has the 6th highest EPA among running backs this season (13th last season), and his DYAR (provided by Football Outsider's) was 13th in the NFL last season. However, Rice is a better player than the statistics indicate, because we haven't taken into account that he is one of the best receiving running backs in the league.


A dual threat, Ray Rice is a more than capable aerial threat and has the uncanny ability to move the chains by both running the football and catching passes from Flacco. This versatility separates him from other running backs around the league, and it vaults him into the elite class of the best ten players at his position. There aren't many running backs who are the offense's main attacking outlet anymore.

While he is not quite as good as guys like MJD, AP, and JC, Ray Rice is still one of the best running backs in the game today due to his ability to make an impact in more than one way. He was disappointing last season after a monstrous 2009 campaign, in which only CJ2K had a better season, but he has played well thus far in 2011.
Rutgers seems like a past life
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9/2011 Historical Player Profile: Otis Taylor

September 28th 2011 15:15
And on I march with these historical player profiles, while listening to Nirvana of course. Is Dave Grohl not the best rock personality in recent history? While that would be a very entertaining topic to discuss, my "job" here is sports analysis. It's an equally fruitless activity in the eyes of the equally ignorant public, but why listen to the ignorant who have not reaped the rewards of sports? I mean, every diehard sports fan admits that they have learned a lot about life with sports as a medium. Life is like Shawn and sports are like Gus, Gus translates the incoherent nonsense Shawn says. Likewise, sports help translate the craziness and seeming randomness of everyday life. Alright, I'm gonna stop being philosophical- and not get religious- and hit up this HPP.


Before I start this post, I want to go off on another monologue (an aside would be if I was talking to myself, but I'm not Jack White). Why is Dwight Howard's nickname D12? Like, how does that make sense at all? I hate it when people make basketball player's nicknames out of their initial and jersey number. AK47 is cool, but D12 is as ludicrous as the rapper. The guys who made up this nickname are popping too many purple pills and seeing too many purple hills.

Otis Taylor may never have shown his All-Pro talent had legendary scout Lloyd Wells not spotted him and signed him on to the Chiefs. In his first full season, Taylor broke out in a big way. He was a Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro after hauling in eight touchdown catches for 1,297 yards and a league-leading 22.4 yards per catch. According to Pro Football Reference, his AV of 20 in 1966 was the best in the NFL

The way Otay went to the Chiefs is also interesting, because he was originally under the control of Eagles scouts. In the famous baby-sitting incident, Taylor snuck out of his hotel room and met up with Wells and the Chiefs scouts.

Len Dawson and Otis Taylor had an incredible rapport that is akin to what Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison had a few years back. At 6-3, Taylor was an incredible talent in the middle of the field and could beat you deep. Many agree that Otay revolutionized the wide receiver position and should be in the Hall of Fame. Without a doubt, however, Taylor is the best receiver in Chiefs history. He is deserving of a place in the Hall of Fame, even if he played before the AFL-NFL merger.

In 1967, his 11 touchdown catches were the highest in the league. Taylor was also a Pro Bowler in the years 1971 and 1972, as he caught seven touchdown passes with a league-high 1,110 yards in 1971. He was also a First-Team All-Pro in '71, and he wore the number 89 for the Chiefs for 11 seasons from 1965-1975.

In Super Bowl IV (the last before the merger), the Chiefs upset the Vikings 32-7 when the Vikes were supposedly the greatest team ever before that game. In that game, Otis Taylor caught a pass from Len Dawson and ran it the rest of the way for a 46 yards touchdown. He also had one of his signature stiff-arms on that highlight play.

However, Taylor was not just a great pass-catcher, he was also a formidable blocker. For a guy of his height, it's not exactly hard to see why. But more importantly, however, he was an elusive receiver who could get a ton of yards after the catch. Taylor was also athletic enough to make unheard of one-handed grabs.

"Otis made my job easy,"Len Dawson said. "If you got the pass to Otis, you knew he'd catch it."

A season after their Super Bowl victory, Otay had one of those games that a player just wishes it never happened. The Chiefs were beating their hated rivals- the Raiders- 17-14. It looked like a sure victory after Len Dawson's scramble led to a first down, but defensive end Ben Davidson pretty much jumped into Dawson's helmet while the star QB was already on the ground. As you now know, Taylor was great friends with Dawson and did what any good friend does; take action.

Needless to say, the ramifications of this incident led to an outcome that wasn't very positive from a Chiefs perspective. Taylor came at Davidson, and the benches cleared like it was a baseball game (or a Suns-Spurs game). Both penalties basically turned the first down into nothingness- under the awful rules at the time- and the Raiders would go on to register a comeback victory. What makes this worse is that the Raiders went into the playoffs, and the Chiefs were stuck at home because of a head-scratching rule that is- thankfully- not in place today.

So you can plainly see that Otis Taylor was a pretty damn good football player. I mean, he was one of the best players in football when he was playing, and he made the wide receiver position the marquee position that it is today. He was the guy who started the highlight-reel plays, and Otay is also the best wideout in Chiefs history. Taylor was slighted from the Hall of Fame, and that's because of the statistics. For his era, Taylor was as elite as a wide receiver as you can get.

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9/2011 WR Rankings

September 24th 2011 13:50
1. Larry Fitzgerald
2. Andre Johnson
3. Calvin Johnson
4. Reggie Wayne
5. Steve Smith CAR
6. Roddy White
7. Greg Jennings
8. Brandon Marshall
9. Kenny Britt
10. Mike Wallace
11. Miles Austin
12. Santonio Holmes
13. Marques Colston
14. Jeremy Maclin
15. DeSean Jackson
16. Vincent Jackson
17. Anquan Boldin
18. Mike Williams TB
19. Steve Smith PHI
20. Hakeem Nicks
21. Lance Moore
22. Sidney Rice
23. Santana Moss
24. Brandon Lloyd
25. Dwayne Bowe
26. Braylon Edwards
27. Johnny Knox
28. Dez Bryant
29. Wes Welker
30. Austin Collie
31. Mario Manningham
32. Steve Johnson
33. Earl Bennett
34. AJ Green
35. Percy Harvin
36. Jordy Nelson
37. Malcolm Floyd
38. Pierre Garcon
39. Nate Washington
40. Davone Bess
41. Hines Ward
42. Robert Meachem
43. Mike Thomas
44. Donald Driver
45. Lee Evans
46. Julio Jones
47. James Jones
48. Antonio Brown
49. Jordan Shipley
50. Derrick Mason
Musgrave must use him more


Week 3 Picks

Bengals over 49ers
Panthers over Jaguars
Lions over Vikings
Titans over Broncos
Browns over Dolphins
Eagles over Giants
Saints over Texans
Patriots over Bills
Ravens over Rams
Jets over Raiders
Chargers over Chiefs
Packers over Bears
Cardinals over Seahawks
Falcons over Bucs
Steelers over Colts
Redskins over Cowboys (To make this more interesting)
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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL Rankings, WRs, Wes Welker, Santonio Holmes, Derrick Mason, Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, Steve Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon, Andre Johnson, Mike Thomas, Kenny Britt, Nate Washington, Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, Antonio Brown, Jordan Shipley, A.J. Green, Anquan Boldin, Lee Evans, Vincent Jackson, Malcolm Floyd, Dwayne Bowe, Brandon Lloyd DEN, Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, Steve Smith PHI, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Santana Moss, Steve Smith, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Robert Meachem, Mike Williams TB, Roddy White, Julio Jones, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, Calvin Johnson, Johnny Knox, Earl Bennett, Percy Harvin, Bill Musgrave, Braylon Edwards, Larry Fitzgerald, Sidney Rice
   


9/2011 Player Profile: James Harrison

September 23rd 2011 15:17
I really don't want to address any of the off-the-field stuff in these profiles, because they are strictly about the game. James Harrison is one of those guys who says things that are filled with controversy. We all know that Harrison is one of the best five pass rushers in the game, but his ability on the field goes far beyond pressuring the quarterback and mauling tackles league-wide.

As far as 3-4 outside linebackers go, James Harrison is the best of the bunch. While it can be argued that DeMarcus Ware and Clay Matthews are better pass rushers, neither of those guys bring Harrison's run defense to the table. He's also pretty good in coverage for a guy who is mostly asked to rush the passer. For as prolific of a pass rusher as Clay Matthews is, he is very mediocre at stopping the run. Last season showcased his tremendous ability to get to the quarterback, but he was a huge disappointment in run defense.

Even though Troy Polamalu is a very important player, I don't think he's quite as good as Harrison. Troy struggles in coverage at times and isn't as talented as Harrison. Also, the arrow is pointing downwards for Polamalu, but Harrison obviously isn't that much better than him. The difference between them can be best measured by looking at Thomas Jones's rushing average. I honestly thought that Harrison was snubbed last year when Polamalu won the award. The voters overrated Polamalu's not-so-great 2010 season, while also neglecting to give the appropriate attention to Harrison's demolition of offensive tackles.

What really helps Harrison as a player- besides his versatility- is that he is a sure-handed tackler. I have rarely season him botch a tackle, and while everyone makes mistakes, Harrison is one of the few linebackers in the NFL who almost never messes up. He's not quite as good as the Spikes in this department, but it's yet another reason why Harrison is such a talent.

I value consistency over highlight-reel plays when evaluating players, and it says a lot about a linebacker when they fit both categories. Week in and week out, James Harrison puts forth a performance worthy of an MVP candidate. There are a few games- such as the game against the Dolphins last year- when he loses his matchup, but those games are few and far between. And of course, we all enjoy watching him deliver a big blow, a beautiful move to get by a lineman, or a sack on the QB.

There's no doubt that James Harrison makes his fair-share of dirty plays, but I am not really focused on that when evaluating a player. I put that in the behavior category, but I don't take the time to go in-depth on those in my player profiles. I obviously address them as they are important, but these posts are mainly about a player's skill-level.

To be honest, I don't really believe in "the clutch" like others do. I recognize that being able to make plays in crunch time is important, but the difference in a "clutch" play and a "normal" play is minuscule. However, those of you who do like clutch pass rushers, Harrison is one of the best of them. While Cliff Avril is probably a better 3rd and 4th down rusher, Harrison isn't that far behind if he is indeed number two.

So far in 2011, Harrison has continued is dominance of the unfortunate offensive tackles who are forced to match up against him. He absolutely demolished the Seattle Seahawks last week, and he is off to a similar Defensive Player of the Year- type season. The penalties won't go away, but that is a really minor complaint at this point.

Not only is James Harrison one of the best pass rushers in the game, but he is also the best linebacker in the NFL right now. He very well could be one of the best ten players in the entire league, and he is certainly an impact-player in every sense of the word.
Best LB in NFL
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2011 Week 1 Preview: Ravens and Steelers

September 8th 2011 15:12
I have another week 1 game preview for you precious few faithful readers of this blog. It involves another tantalizing matchup between two Super Bowl contenders who just happen to be perhaps the biggest rivals in the NFL. This game already has division championship and bye week implications, because a Steelers- or Ravens- win would put the other team in a hole early on.

From a schematic standpoint, signing Bryant McKinnie and Lee Evans were two of the best offensive additions that they could have made in the offseason. Even though I think Jared Gaither is the better player, McKinnie is a solid left tackle when he keeps his weight in check. Derrick Mason, as old as he is, is an underrated player who is one of the better possession receivers in the league. That being said, the Ravens didn't need another possession receiver- they have Anquan Boldin. No, they needed to get a deep threat, and they got their man


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2011 NFL Kick-off preview

September 7th 2011 16:40
As I sit here in my comfortable abode on an all too crappy netbook typing this post out while blaring Tool, my mind is busy contemplating the rigorous ahead of us (NFL fans). The parity in the NFL makes predicting a difficult task, but I do know one thing for sure; this is going to be one hell of a season. Don't believe me? Well, why don't you just take a look at the season's first game between the Packers and Saints? I don't need to tell you how great these two teams are, and just how great these two teams will be in February. Oh wait...this is the NFL, where crazy happens.

The Eagles, Falcons, Saints, and Packers are the NFC's undisputed Big Four heading into the season. They have very little questions surrounding their teams, and these are the guys who you put your sports' dignity on the line when you make your predictions. But with a full season looming ahead, injuries, poor execution, and the usual unexpected twists and turns that happen during 16 weeks of football will make the guessing game an even more difficult affair. For now, I'll just stick to one game and break down how I think things will end up between the Packers and Saints
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8/2011 QB Rankings

August 24th 2011 14:50
1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Peyton Manning
3. Tom Brady


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New Running Back Stat 2010 Full Rankings

August 11th 2011 13:38
To qualify a running back must have at least 100 carries. Thanks guys for your feedback, and feel free to comment and criticize. Do you think I should give an extra bonus to the guys with more carries? It seems as if the players in the 100-199 range have the advantage, but this is- after all- and efficiency stat. (The groupings should not be interpreted as tiers, as they are only used to make it look less messy)


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Breakthrough: A New Running Back Stat

August 9th 2011 14:08
I have finally formulated a decent looking total efficiency statistic to evaluate running backs. There is a huge craze over quarterback stats, but I decided to come up with a simple, yet efficient running back stat. It isn't great, but I think it is better than what we've had. It isn't objective only because of the way I account for the run blocking variable.

Yards per carry is the single most important statistic for a running back, and it's efficiency in its simplest point. However, running backs who carry the rock more tend to have lower yards per carry totals. Also, backs with poor lines- in terms of run blocking- in front of them take hits in that department. YPC also doesn't take into account fumbles or touchdowns either. Although both of those factors aren't as important as once thought, they are necessary to come up with a running back stat that can actually work


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2011 NFL Draft Rankings

May 7th 2011 11:25
This post overviews all of the five parts and ranks which teams did the best and worst in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Great


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2011 NFL Draft Team Grades Part 2

May 3rd 2011 14:29
Detroit Lions B minus- Nick Fairley slipped, and the Lions knew that his value at the 13th pick was too good to pass up on. While he doesn't fill a need- the Lions are already beastly at D-Tackle with Suh, Corey Williams, and Sammie Lee Hill- Fairley was far too talented to not pick. Titus Young will definitely help out Matthew Stafford because Detroit's third receiver last year- Bryant Johnson- was horrendous. Mikel LeShoure will spell the end of Kevin Smith in Detroit.

Green Bay Packers B minus- Derek Sherrod was needed to bulk up the tackles, and Randall Cobb was a nice selection at the end of the second round. He's a playmaking receiver that will most likely replace James Jones. Cobb will probably handle returns, and he will also make an impact in the passing game because the Packers love their four receiver sets.To me, Davon House was the best pick the Packers made. Although they are already stocked at corner, House was a steal as a compensatory pick in the fourth round. House fits what Dom Capers does defensively, and he is another one of those really good press corners. D.J. Williams was a solid 5th round choice at tight end


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2011 Pre-Draft Team Needs List

April 28th 2011 14:18
Patriots- O-Line Depth, Pass Rusher, Vertical Wide Receiver, depth RB, Safety
Jets- Pass rusher, offensive line
Dolphins- RB, Guard, QB


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2011 Second Round Mock Draft

April 25th 2011 14:31
33. New England Patriots- RB Mikel LeShoure
34. Buffalo Bills- QB Christian Ponder
35. Cincinnati Bengals- QB Ryan Mallett


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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Bills, Colts, Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Steelers, Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Chargers, Chiefs, Broncos, Raiders, Eagles, New York Giants, Cowboys, Redskins, Saints, Bucs, Falcons, Packers, Lions, Bears, Vikings, 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Andy Dalton Draft, Christian Ponder Draft, Mike LeShoure Draft, Ryan Mallett Draft, Kyle Rudolph Draft, Torrey Smith Draft, Justin Houston Draft, Brooks Read Draft, Aaron Williams Draft, Brandon Harris Draft, Ras-I Dowling Draft, Martez Wilson Draft, Jon Baldwin Draft, Marvin Austin Draft, Randall Cobb Draft, James Carpenter Draft, Rahim Moore Draft, Bruce Carter Draft, Benjamin Ijalana Draft, Davon House Draft, Stephen Paea Draft, Orlando Franklin Draft, Titus Young Draft, Ryan Williams Draft, Rodney Hudson Draft, Jerrel Jernigan Draft, Christian Ballard Draft, Jarvis Jenkins Draft, Chimdi Chekwa Draft, DeMarco Murray Draft, Curtis Brown Draft, Edmond Gates Draft
   


2011 First Round Mock Draft

April 24th 2011 12:48
1. Carolina Panthers- DT Marcell Dareus
2. Denver Broncos- CB Patrick Peterson
3. Buffalo Bills- LB Von Miller


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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Bills, Colts, Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Steelers, Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Chargers, Chiefs, Broncos, Eagles, New York Giants, Cowboys, Redskins, Panthers, Saints, Bucs, Falcons, Packers, Lions, Bears, Vikings, 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, NFL Draft, Blaine Gabbert Draft, Nicky Fairley Draft, Von Miller Draft, AJ Green Draft, Patrick Peterson Draft, Robert Quinn Draft, Da'Quan Bowers Draft, Marcell Dareus Draft, Julio Jones Draft, Prince Amukamara Draft, Cameron Jordan Draft, Anthony Castonzo Draft, Aldon Smith Draft, Tyron Smith Draft, Jake Locker Draft, Mark Ingram Draft, Cam Newton Draft, J.J. Watt Draft, Ryan Kerrigan Draft, Adrian Clayborn Draft, Corey Liuget Draft, Gabe Carimi Draft, Mike Pouncey Draft, Cameron Heyward Draft, Nate Solder Draft, Jimmy Smith Draft, Phil Taylor Draft, Derek Sherrod Draft, Muhammad Wilkerson Draft, Akeem Ayers Draft, Danny Watkins Draft, Jabaal Sheard Draft
   


3/2011: NFL Safety Rankings

March 10th 2011 15:58
1. Troy Polamalu- Do I even have to explain his impact?
2. Quintin Mikell- He is one of the most underrated players in the league. Mikell doesn't get appreciated much, and he is the best coverage safety in the league who also plays some nice run support D. Reed gets the picks, but Mikell is the true star in coverage.
3. Ed Reed- A pick machine


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2/2011 Top 75 Wide Receiver Rankings

February 26th 2011 14:29
1. Larry Fitzgerald- Still put up big numbers with nightmare QB carousel. Can catch absolutely anything. Has height, leadership, and athleticism.
2. Andre Johnson- Speed, height, and athleticism. Nuff said.
3. Brandon Marshall- If only he was reunited with Cutler


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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, NFL Rankings, WRs, Wes Welker, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards NYJ, Jerricho Cotchery NYJ, Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, Brian Hartline, Lee Evans BUF, Steve Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon, Anthony Gonzalez, Peyton Manning, Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Jacoby Jones, Mike Sims-Walker JAX, Mike Thomas, Kenny Britt, Nate Washington, Randy Moss, Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, Chad Ochocinco CIN, Jordan Shipley, Anquan Boldin, TJ Houshmanzadeh BAL, Vincent Jackson, Patrick Crayton, Malcolm Floyd, Philip Rivers, Dwayne Bowe, Brandon Lloyd DEN, DeMaryius Thomas, Jacoby Ford, Chaz Schilens, Eagles, Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, New York Giants, Steve Smith NYG, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Roy Williams DAL, Santana Moss, Panthers, Steve Smith, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem, Bucs, Mike Williams TB, Roddy White, Harry Douglas, Mike Jenkins ATL, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, Johnny Knox, Earl Bennett, Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Jay Cutler, Sidney Rice MIN, Greg Camarillo, Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, Early Doucet, Danny Amendola, Seahawks, SEA Mike Williams, Ben Obomanu
   




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