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Falcons - Pro Sports Wrap

9/2011 QB Rankings

September 29th 2011 18:27
1. Aaron Rodgers- The NFL's version of The Machine
2. Tom Brady- Look past the four picks; he owned the Bills
3. Drew Brees- He rips up secondaries
4. Peyton Manning- MVP
5. Philip Rivers- Repeat after me: 4,700
6. Tony Romo- Kevlar baby
7. Ben Roethlisberger- Can't believe dude got married
8. Michael Vick- He ain't whining, the complaints are legit
9. Eli Manning- Peter Keating has it right; Eli is underrated
10. Matt Ryan- Matty Ice is melting
11. Matt Schaub- This guy
12. Joe Flacco- QBR has him as the best QB, why is this a bad stat again? Oh yeah, cause Brady's been better

13. Josh Freeman- The reason why the Bucs don't suck
14. Matthew Stafford- He's fo real
15. Jay Cutler- How many hits does he have to take? Memo to Bears' line: Get your hands out of your ass and get to work!
16. Kevin Kolb- Levi Brown is his worst enemy, but at least he has a BFF in Fitzgerald
17. Ryan Fitzpatrick- Who said the smart guys can't play ball?
18. Sam Bradford- If only he had receivers....
19. Cam Newton- Disappointing against the Jags
20. Colt McCoy- West Coast we mash up!
Have you seen his line?
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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
   


2011 Week 2 Preview: Falcons and Eagles

September 16th 2011 16:54
Before I take a look at this game, I want to recall the 2004 season's NFC Championship game between these two teams. This was back when Michael Vick was the Falcons beloved franchise quarterback, and it was also the year in which Donovan McNabb roasted everybody and took the Eagles to the Super Bowl. They lost, but Andy Reid may finally be able to lay claim to a title of his own this season. The Eagles first legitimate test is an away game against Atlanta.

The reason why I mention the home and away dynamic is the fact that Matty Ice and the Atlanta offense are even better in the Georgia Dome. However, they are coming off of an embarrassing and unexpected drubbing against the Chicago Bears in the season's first week. The thing is, they really didn't play as poorly as the scoreline (30-12) would suggest. They are too talented to not bounce back, but that lackluster performance certainly hurts their stock going into this game. I mean, it's pretty difficult to be a legit Super Bowl candidate when you lose 30-12 to a team who will most likely struggle to go 8-8.

What hurt the Falcons most in that game was their offensive line, and the veteran presence of Todd McClure was sorely missed. He will most likely miss this game, and Joe Hawley is one of the last guys you want starting at center against the defensive line that they will be facing. Left guard Justin Blalock is one of the best guards out there, but interior of the line looks weak otherwise.

Speaking of which, the Eagles defensive line was absolutely dominant against the Rams. Jason Smith was consistently beaten, and backup ends Darryl Tapp and Juqua Parker showed that they are more talented than "just backups". Cullen Jenkins was a huge presence, and Trent Cole turned in yet another solid performance. Yeah, the Eagles defensive line has been as-advertised.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said about their linebackers. All of them were horrible, and Casey Matthews really needs to get some tips from his brother. The secondary has looked solid and should be able to keep the Falcons offense somewhat at bay, but I could see Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner having big days.

What I really like about the Eagles secondary is the fact that they have four good corners on their roster. We all know about Nnamdi, Samuel, and DRC; but Joselio Hanson is a good player in his own right. He is vastly underrated and is one of the better nickel backs in the league.

The Falcons were dealt a huge blow when it was announced that standout- and underrated- defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux would be out for three to five weeks with a partially torn MCL. He is a very good run-stuffer and one of the best interior pass rushers in the game. His replacement, Corey Peters, is very average and won't be capable of replacing him. This matchup looks a whole lot better from LeSean McCoy's viewpoint.

Jason Peters should be able to hold his own, but I really worry about Todd Herremans in this matchup. It's not everyday that you're asked to block two top pass rushers in Kroy Biermann and Ray Edwards, but Sunday is just one of those days where he won't want to wake up (thank you Fred Durst). I think this line should be able to get some pressure on Michael Vick, and I could see Ray Edwards ending up with a lot of pressure and multiple sacks.

Brent Grimes, Dunta Robinson, and Thomas DeCoud make up a solid secondary, but I don't see how these guys contain the Eagles offense. I can see this game being a really high scoring affair, albeit with a lot of sacks.

For the reasons listed above, I think that the Eagles have the advantage in this one. They have the better secondary and passing matchup overall, and their running game should only be slightly less productive than the Falcons' ground game.

MVP: Trent Cole

Prediction: 34 Eagles 30 Falcons
Will feast on Sam Baker
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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.

Last year, I did an opening day preview that also involved the Saints, but they were playing against a different marquee franchise; the Vikings. My preview was right on, but the Vikings' season was far from a planned occurance. They were one of the biggest disappointments in football, and they gave rise to the surprise Bears. I don't think either of these two teams will have an epic collapse, but the important thing is that this is definitely the game to be watching.

Everybody raves about the Saints offense, and that's definitely for good reason. Drew Brees is unquestionably one of the elite quarterbacks in the game right now, and he has seven legitimate receiving threats to help him out. Jon Stinchcomb was a huge liability at right tackle, and Zach Strief should be an upgrade over him. Strief is relatively unknown, and he is an underrated player who you should become familiar with soon.

As far as the other parts of the line, Jerome Bushrod is a poor left tackle who was one of the two reasons- Stinchcomb was the other- why Brees had more picks than he should have last season. The man was constantly on the run because of pressure from the outside, but the interior remained calm thanks to one of the top guard tandems in the National Football League. The veteran Olin Kreutz replaces Jonathan Goodwin at center, and there really won't be a noticeable upgrade or downgrade at the position.

Defensively, I don't think the Packers line is going to win their battle against the Saints O-Line. Clay Matthews should be able to get some pressure on Brees, but I think the Saints interior should be able to get the better of the Packers D-Line. There isn't a huge disparity between both lines, but I like the Saints just a little bit better.

While the Saints have a plethora of receiving weapons, the Packers have enough talent in their secondary to mitigate their opposition's passing attack. Great passing offenses always beat great secondaries, but I honestly don't expect this to be a game where Brees completely rips the Pack apart. What should worry Saints fans the most is if Matthews forces Brees to make bad throws downfield that can get sucked in by Nick Collins, Tramon Williams, or Charles Woodson. And heck, Sam Shields isn't a guy you want to mess with either.

People talk too much about Gregg Williams's complex blitz schemes, and they don't realize that the Saints just don't have much of a pass rush at all. Roman Harper and Cameron Jordan are their only two legit QB threats who are healthy, and Harper is a safety who won't blitz all the time. I pointed out his ability to force quarterbacks to make mistakes in last year's preview against the Vikings, and a Harper hit on Favre caused a key interception for the Saints. And really, that's all the Saints want when they blitz; they want to make the opposition give them a gift (so to speak).

However, Aaron Rodgers doesn't waiver under pressure. It's yet another reason why I believe that the-guy-who-needs-a-way-bette r-nickname-than-A-Rod is the best quarterback- nay- best player in the game today.

While I do think that the Saints secondary is a tad overrated, they're still pretty good at the back with guys like Jabari Greer and Malcolm Jenkins. However, I do think that Rodgers will rip these guys apart because there are way too many weapons to cover.

These are two great teams and picking a winner between the two of them is a daunting task, but it has to be done otherwise this whole post is pretty pointless. Aren't you glad I didn't say "moot"? Man I hate that word, and it also reminds me of Fred Smoot. If you actually know who that is, then I think you need to stop being like me and get a life.

Anyway, I see the Packers taking this game in a relatively close game. I still think the Packers are the best team in the NFL, and that has a lot to do with the fact that they have Aaron Rodgers leading this badass bunch. My final prediction is 30 Packers 21 Saints with Aaron Rodgers being the game MVP.

Other Week Predictions

Titans over Jaguars
Texans over Colts
Bengals over Browns
Chiefs over Bills
Steelers over Ravens
Falcons over Bears
Eagles over Rams
Lions over Bucs
Panthers over Cardinals
Seahawks over 49ers
Giants over Redskins
Chargers over Vikings
Cowboys over Jets
Patriots over Dolphins
Broncos over Raiders
Best player in football
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8/2011 Historical Player Profiles: Dean Hamel

August 28th 2011 13:05
I have decided to start a new blog segment where I talk a little bit about a now retired athlete who is most likely not a well-known player. There will usually be very little information regarding the player in question, but I will try and do my best to talk a little bit about him. The inaugural historical player profile will be Dean Hamel's.

Dean Hamel was born in Detroit, Michigan on July 1, 1961 and played his college ball at Tulsa. Hamel is currently working for a company speed and agility training company called "3 Up, 3 Down" after spending six seasons in the NFL for two rival franchises


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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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2011NFL Draft Team Grades Part 1

May 2nd 2011 14:20
Arizona Cardinals A minus Patrick Peterson is the third best prospect in the draft, and the Cards got a bargain with Sam Acho in the fourth round. Ryan Williams and Robert Housler were also nice additions.

Atlanta Falcons C plus The trade to get Julio Jones was steep, but it was a solid move in my opinion. The addition of Akeem Dent was pretty good, but I wish the Falcons didn't trade up to get Jacquizz Rodgers


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2011 First Round Draft Notes

April 29th 2011 15:07
I can't say that I'm happy, but I'll have to give Cam Newton a chance. I didn't want the Panthers to take him at number one, but I don't want him to bust now that he's "the guy" for my favorite team. I wish the Panthers took a Marcell Dareus or A.J. Green and give Clausen and Moore another shot. After all, it is rare that a QB does well after just one year. It takes time. Smart teams like the Bucs wait three years for their QB, and the Bucs were rewarded when Josh Freeman had the year he had last season.

Newton is one of my least favorite players already, but I can't deny his athleticism. I just wish he had better footwork and was a better person. Jake Locker deserved to be picked at number eight by the Titans. He was high on their board, fits their system well, and he wasn't a reach. There are plenty of unintelligent people that dropped Locker from the first choice over Sam Bradford the year before, to somebody values in the late teens. And why? Well, that's because suddenly mystifying accuracy problems arose. This happens when those said unintelligent "experts" read stats- meaningless in college football- like completion percentage and don't watch what actually happened. Locker's receivers were terrible, and he was almost always under pressure due to an incompetent line


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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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