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Pro Sports Wrap - Sports Personality of the Day:Tony Romo

A.J. Smith on hot seat

December 4th 2011 15:16
I wrote up a player profile on Nnamdi Asomugha a few days ago, and Nnamdi might be suffering from a concussion that was sustained in the second quarter of Thursday's game. The Eagles are hoping that he will recover before the team takes on the Miami Dolphins next week. Asomugha landed awkwardly and hit Seahawks wide receiver Mike Williams with his head, and Nnamdi is already suffering from a knee injury.


The healing process is moving ahead for Peyton Manning, and Dr. Robert Watkins said the surgery was a success; Manning will be able to increase the length and intensity of his workouts. The Colts have been vague about their plans for the future concerning Manning and a certain draft-bound quarterback.

Chargers GM A.J. Smith's job security is quite low right now, and he will likely be fired along with head coach Norv Turner. In fact, the Chargers will almost certainly fire their head coach who has been notorious for leading underperforming squads. The Chargers haven't quite made a decision on Smith's future, but there is more of a chance that he will be fired than the chances of him sticking around with the team in the future.


Cedric Benson's foot injury has been keeping him out of practice, but he is expected to play against the Steelers. Losing the consistent back would hurt the team, and Benson's style of running is a good counter-attack against the Steelers stout defense. The injury does not seem to be serious, so consider Benson to be good to go today.

Mike Martz used to work at Arizona State as their quarterbacks coach, receivers coach, and offensive coordinator before working with the Rams. Dennis Erickson was deservedly fired, and Martz's contract will run out after this season. Martz has expressed interested in a reunion with the team, and he actually turned down an extension from the Bears in the offseason.

There are rumblings that Rob Ryan will have head coaching offers next offseason, but Ryan will wisely remain focused on what he can control; this season. The Cowboys are currently the leaders in the NFC East, but it is true that Ryan will be a big candidate for a head coach position soon. He has been linked with a move to the Jaguars already, and Ryan has stated that he is prepared for the duties of being a head coach.

Before the Houston Texans went ahead and signed veteran Jake Delhomme, they expressed interest in former Jags quarterback David Garrard. However, it should be noted that pretty much every team who endured an injury to their starting quarterback contacted Garrard. But Garrard is still out with a back injury, and he is still a few weeks away from being fully healthy; he'll have to wait until the offseason until a team will sign him.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been awful on defense this season, and most of that has to do with their inability to tackle. Although safety Tanard Jackson's horrible technique has been the biggest culprit, the fact that the linebackers are playing as poorly as they are means that this is going to be a position of need next offseason. Mason Foster was a good find in the draft, but the overrated Quincy Black's ill-advised, hefty contract is starting to look that much worse. Black has been nothing short of poor this season, and fellow outside linebacker Geno Hayes has taken a step back in 2011.

Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is one of the best in the business, and teams with head coaching vacancies should definitely take a good look at Koetter. The Jaguars are in turmoil right now, but Koetter says that he isn't feeling the heat. It's obvious that the Jags aren't going to do anything with Koetter, because Blaine Gabbert's struggles- and I emphasize the word "struggles"- aren't his fault in the least.
GM and HC feeling the heat
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Larry Brooks was a little-known 14th round pick by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1972 NFL Draft. Brooks was a Little All-American in 1971, but his impact on sports in Virginia wasn't; he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. Coming out of a small school didn't help Brooks much, but he was starting for the Rams in the second half of his rookie season. He started with legends Merlin Olsen, Jack Youngblood, and Coy Bacon.

In 1973, he was firmly entrenched as a starter after being moved from right defensive tackle to left defensive tackle. Brooks had nine sacks in '73 and had the most tackles of any defensive lineman on the team with 76. He really broke out in his first full season, and the Rams defense wasn't to be messed with. They were a force to be reckoned with against the run, and they never allowed 300 yards during any game that season.

A year later, the Rams were unquestionably the best defensive team and were easily the best team in run defense. The Rams also led the NFC with 44 sacks, and a quarter of those were provided by Larry Brooks. He also recorded 73 tackles, and the trio of Brooks, Youngblood, and Fred Dryer were unstoppable.

Although his season was cut short by a knee injury, Brooks still managed to put down the QB five times in 1975. The Rams almost set the NFL record for least points allowed, and they were still stout against the run. However, Brooks presence would have helped when they got drubbed 37-7 by the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship.

Jack Youngblood and Larry Brooks both recorded 14.5 sacks to lead the Rams in 1976, and Brooks started a streak of five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. They were the only years in which the fans voted him in, but five is a nice string of appearances. Brooks managed to lead all Rams defensive linemen with 74 tackles, and he actually had 13 tackles for loss as well. The menacing Rams run defense was once again the best in the NFC, and Brooks had a lot to do with that.

In 1977, Brooks only had 6.5 sacks but still led all of the D-Linemen with healthy 71 tackles. The Los Angeles Rams Alumni even named him the team's best defensive lineman. The first time that the Associated Press named Brooks to an All-Pro team was in 1978 when he was a Second-team All-Pro. Although he missed a couple of games and the NFC Championship with a knee injury (again), Brooks still led the Rams with eight sacks and had a nasty 80 tackles. The Rams led the league in total defense but had a "down" year as they were "only" second in the NFC in sacks.

The L.A. Rams led the NFC with a hefty 52 sacks in 1979, and Larry Brooks accounted for six of those quarterback take-downs. However, his 99 tackles were even more impressive and he also tipped four passes. The AP gave him his first appearance as a First-team All-Pro that season, and he played through Super Bowl XIV with an injured ankle. This was obviously overshadowed (for good reason) by Jack Youngblood playing through a broken leg. The Rams did end up losing to the Steelers 31-19, but the game was closer than the score indicates.

1980 was the last year in which Brooks was a Pro Bowler, and it was also his last full season before a third knee injury in the middle of 1981 which ruined his career. In 1980, the Rams started using a rotation, so Brooks's 54 tackles were good enough to lead the team. He also had 8.5 sacks and the team had 56 total to lead the NFC. Brooks retired after playing in 131 games and starting in 122 of them during 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. No. 90 was named to 19 end of season award teams during his career, and the Virginia native is ranked as one of the top 500 players in NFL history in Pro-Football Reference's Fan EloRater (which you should check out if you like voting on NFL players and are a history buff).

From 1983-1990, Larry Brooks was the Rams defensive line coach. He then worked as a line coach for the Packers, Seahawks, Bears, Lions, and Cardinals.

Brooks was a player who is overshadowed right now because he played with legends. He was a great defensive tackle who deserves more recognition when one looks back and talks about some of the greatest defensive players in Rams history. He's no Hall of Famer, but you don't have to be a legend to be a star football player. And let's not forget, these numbers aren't official, but they are still amazing for a defensive tackle.
Played with Bacon in his rookie year
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I continue my recent string of Jaguars-themed Historical Player Profiles with their former star quarterback; Mark Brunell. The now-bankrupt backup Jets quarterback is probably shaking his head at the team's most recent loss. The lefty has lost most of his former glory, so I'm just going to focus on his notable seasons with the Jags and Washington Redskins.

Brunell is currently in his 17th season, and the three time Pro Bowler was a 5th round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. The Seahawks made a mistake in taking highly-regarded Notre Dame product Rick Mirer instead of waiting for Brunell to tumble. The Packers already had their answer in Brett Favre, and Brunell and the Jaguars struck gold when he was traded for a 3rd and fifth rounder.

The greatest quarterback in team history, Brunell would be named to the '96,'97, and '99 Pro Bowls. He was simply sensational in 1996, as he led the league in passing yards (4,367) and also led the NFL with 7.8 yards per attempt. This was made all the more impressive when you consider he was sacked a league-leading 50 times. It was the best season of his career, and he even had a league-leading three fourth quarter comebacks to show for it. Despite the 63.4 completion percentage, Brunell did throw 20 picks that year.

A season later, Mark Brunell still made the Pro Bowl- and was the game's MVP- on the strength of just seven interceptions. He also averaged 7.6 air yards per attempt and had a 91.2 QB Rating.

A devout Christian who is known as one of the nicest players and best mentors in the league, Mark Brunell threw for under 3,000 yards in 1998 but came back in 1999 with 3,060 yards and another Pro Bowl appearance (the last one of his career). Only two percent of his passes were picked off, and Brunell had another solid season.

Two interesting statistical streaks emerge when looking at Brunell's career, and these are his six straight seasons of at least 200 passing yards per game (1996-2001) and his streak of eight consecutive seasons with a QB Rating of at least 82.0 (1995-2002). Brunell has a career AV of 120, a QB Rating of 84.0, 6.9 yards per attempt, and 22 game-winning drives. Pro-Football Reference's Fan EloRater has him as the 374th best player in NFL history as of November 9th.

Known as a good scrambler, Mark Brunell was dealt to the Washington Redskins after the 2003 season when Byron Leftwich was named the Jaguars new starting quarterback.

However, Brunell got off to an awful start with his new team in 2004. In 2005, he turned up the heat to the tune of an 85.9 QB Rating and was third in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award voting. He came up big with two key touchdown passes in an MNF game against the 'Skins most hated rivals; the Dallas Cowboys. His two bombs to the elite Santana Moss in the final four minutes gave them an incredible 14-13 victory. Although they were knocked out in the playoffs, they were able to take down the Tampa Bay Bucs in the Wild Card game.

Brunell set the record for the most consecutive complete passes in a game (22) in a game against the Houston Texans in 2006. However, eight weeks later, David Carr tied that record. What makes this all the more interesting is the fact that those 22 passes were his first attempts of the game.

That game was the only high point of a poor season for Brunell, as he was surprisingly benched in favor of first round pick Jason Campbell. Although Campbell would go on to have a decent career- up until his unfortunate injury this season- many people believed that this was an imprudent move and that the usually classless Redskins made Mark Brunell their scapegoat.

The Whataburger owner and Madoff/Dykstra investor signed on with the New Orleans Saints to back up superstar QB and franchise savior Drew Brees. This turned out to be a great move for the holder, as he won a Super Bowl ring thanks to the prolific play of Brees under center in 2009. The former Ed Block Courage Award winner and "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year did play a role as one of the main advisers to Drew Brees that season.

Mark Brunell signed a two-year deal with the New York Jets in 2010 to back up and mentor Mark Sanchez. Although a solid backup, Brunell was released after the 2010 season and was forced to take a reduced pay cut. He did, and Brunell has filed for bankruptcy since; mainly thanks to some ill-advised investments. It is a somewhat sad story, but at least he has that ring and those 11 Whataburgers won't be closing either.

Although Mark Brunell wasn't a great quarterback by any measure, he was a solid player and is a great person. Everybody will tell you that he is one of the best mentors around, and he is a very religious person whose attitude made him an ideal leader. The problem is that his life has been ridden with bad-luck, and it has costed him what would have certainly been a better career. However, Brunell was able to win a Super Bowl with the Saints and has had a nice 17-year career thus far.
108 AY/A-plus for his career



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11/2011 Cornerback Rankings

November 12th 2011 15:43
1. Darrelle Revis- Revis is easily the best cornerback in the NFL right now, and he breaks up almost as many passes as receptions allowed.

2. Nnamdi Asomugha- Despite a poor 2011, I still believe in his ability as a pure cover guy. However, Nnamdi is awful in run support and can't tackle.

3. Champ Bailey- I bet this guy could still be a premier cover corner into his late 30's.

4. Tramon Williams- He was so beast last season that only a "decent" 2011 doesn't detract from how great he was in coverage in 2010.

5. Brandon Flowers- Flowers shows us that you don't need height to be an elite corner.

6. Charles Woodson- Has had a poor season this year against the run and as a pass rusher, but he's starting to come around. Woodson is still playing solid- as always- in coverage.

7. Ike Taylor- Only Darrelle Revis has been better in coverage statistically, but stats don't tell the whole story. However, this physical corner has still been very good in 2011.

8. Asante Samuel- Samuel can't play the run or tackle at all, but he is still a top corner in this league.

9. Antoine Winfield- He can do it all, and his top ten ranking is a result from some really good pass rushing- for a corner- and run stopping.

10. Jonathan Joseph- Joseph was one of the best free agent signings, and he is having a shutdown year and playing at the high level he did in 2009.

11. Carlos Rogers- Have you seen him this year? The best signing of 2011.

12. Leon Hall- I miss it when he and Joseph ruled the world in 2009.

13. Jabari Greer- When will he ever have an injury-free season?

14. Joe Haden- Haden is proving that he was the better rookie from last year's class.

15. Brent Grimes- You don't need to be tall to be an effective corner.

16. Charles Tillman- But this guy disagrees.

17. Chris Gamble- Has been one of the best corners this season.

18. Devin McCourty- I'm going to patiently wait for a bounce-back, but he won't move into the top 15 until he shows he can be consistently good beyond his rookie year.

19. Antonio Cromartie- He gets beat, but he's still a good corner.

20. Cortland Finnegan- He's starting to turn it up again this season.

21. Vontae Davis- He's having a down year, and this is the reason why he isn't in the top 20. But look for him to start climbing up in the future and possibly getting into the top ten one day.

22. Josh Wilson- Wilson was a terrific signing for the Washington Redskins, even though he has been a little bit disappointing this season after a really good year that went under the radar in 2010 with the Ravens.

23. Corey Webster- I miss his 2008 greatness, but he's still a solid player.

24. Aqib Talib- A great talent when he is at his best, but that's usually tough to come by.

25. Chris Houston- He's having a a breakout year and is one of the main reasons why the Lions are where they are at.

26. Ladarius Webb- Has taken the place of Wilson to become the Ravens best corner.

27. Alterraun Verner- Makes up one of the best trios in the NFL with Finnegan and Jason McCourty, and Verner is a 2010 rookie corner who is largely overshadowed by Haden and McCourty.

28. Captain Munnerlyn- Underrated speed demon who can definitely hold down the fort.

29. Chris Culliver- An extremely underrated rookie corner who combines with Rogers to make one of the better cornerback duos in the league.

30. Stanford Routt- Nnamdi's replacement is overpaid but is still decent.

31. Seth Smith- He is in the midst of an awful year, but Smith is still one of the better corners in the league.

32. Brandon Carr- Might be a little low, but it's because he doesn't really blow me away and is more of a solid player.

33. Chris Carr- Another solid corner who needs some more playing time.

34. Quentin Jammer- Physical corner who has been a little disappointing this year, but not as much as last year's breakout Antoine Cason.

35. Ron Bartell- Easily the best cornerback on the Rams roster.

36. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie- Loads of talent, but really nothing to show for it because he plays like he doesn't care.

37. Sheldon Brown- Doesn't give up many catches, but they end up being big plays when he does.

38. Leigh Bodden- I will never get why the Patriots released him, because he's an underrated player who is one of the best players in zone coverage; he was in the midst of a solid season amidst poor play from most of the other corners (McCourty).

39. Jason McCourty- Don't sleep on the "other" McCourty.

39. Terrence McGee- It's sad to see a perennially underrated corner going on the decline "thanks" to age and injury.

40. Sam Shields- He really impressed me last season and is one of the better slot corners in the league.

41. Patrick Robinson- Watch for him to shoot up the rankings soon, but I'm not totally sold on him yet.

42. Richard Marshall- He doesn't give up that many catches, but- despite his speed- gets a burned way too much.

43. Chris Cook- The off the field trouble mars some talent that isn't talked about quite enough.

44. Tracy Porter- Everybody remembers him for being a Super Bowl hero, but he has been struggling of late. However, Porter is still a decent corner who can make plays when needed.

45. Mike Jenkins- Jenkins is one of the most talented corners in the league, but he gets burned a lot.

46. Richard Sherman- I'm really starting to believe in this rookie, and he is an underrated player who is easily the Seahawks best corner.

47. Rashean Mathis- The veteran has really improved from an awful 2010 season.

48. Antoine Cason- I really can't take him seriously after what has happened this season, but he is another guy who is primed to move on up.

49. Nate Clements- Plays the run as well as any corner in the league, and he isn't terrible in coverage either.

50. Derek Cox- He has the potential to really shoot up this list with some more improved play.
His 2008 season was a wonder to behold
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11/2011 Inside Linebacker Rankings

November 11th 2011 08:14
I have compiled a list of the top 15 3-4 inside linebackers in the NFL.

1. Patrick Willis- The dude can do everything at a high-level and is one of the best players against the run. Willis also more than holds his own in coverage, and he can even bring the heat up the middle; easily the best linebacker in football


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When these two AFC North heavyweights met in the first week of the season, I was way off in the Ravens surprised and unrepeatable drubbing of the Steelers. Since then, the Ravens are coming off of a devastating loss and a game that was much closer than it should have been. And this was to a team that the Steelers easily handled the week before. Last Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger put in an absolutely dominating performance to shred the Patriots and cement the team's status as contenders.

The Steelers have one of the worst lines in the NFL, but they showed signs of life against the Pats. Although their opponent's interior pass rush played well, the rest of the guys weren't quite as effective going after the quarterback. Still, right tackle Marcus Gilbert absolutely dominated, and I don't recall him ever putting his quarterback under pressure. He was also a force in run blocking, but that may be due to a very favorable matchup against the mightily struggling Rob Ninkovich. Right guard Ramon Foster wasn't quite as good in run blocking, but I also believe that he didn't give up pressure at all and was a key cog in a surprisingly stable right side


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10/2011 RB Rankings

October 25th 2011 14:59
1. Adrian Peterson- And you thought I was going to put DeMarco Murray here. Seriously though, there is no back out there better than Peterson. He's everything you want in a pure rusher with his versatility in that he can blow by you, juke you out, and run you down 'till you fall flat on your face (the song is Madden 2003's "Suck It Up").

2. Jamaal Charles- The ACL tear sucks, and Charles is a monster who averaged only about six yards per carry last year


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10/2011 WR Rankings

October 21st 2011 15:20
1. Larry Fitzgerald- When will this guy get a quarterback again? Is uncoverable when he actually has good receivers around him as well. This is how Steve Smith used to feel before Cam Newton came around, except Smith still doesn't have all that good wideouts around him quite yet.

2. Andre Johnson- Statistically the best, but the game goes beyond stats. He isn't quite at Fitzgerald's level, but the distance between them is almost negligible


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Last year, one of the dumbest Pro Bowl vote-ins of all-time was made. Yet another overhyped rookie, Maurkice Pouncey, was voted as a Pro Bowl starter. The Steelers center may be a lovable figure, but he's actually a poor player. He's among the most overrated players in the game, as he is one of the worst centers in pass protection. The whole Steelers offensive line stinks, but Pouncey isn't the odd man out on the line. While he isn't all that bad of a run blocker, his pass protection is detrimental to the team. I wish fans would start watching the games more closely instead of hopping onto some bandwagon.

However, Maurkice's brother Mike has been far better so far in his early NFL career. Although he did struggle last game against a very tough opponent in the running game (Sione Pouha), he was once again lights-out as a pass protector. Mike Pouncey has already been arguably the best rookie thus far, but he hasn't had the same hype as his twin brother did last year. In fact, the newest Pouncey to the league had more attention as a draft pick. Guys, it's time to give the elder Pouncey his due. Defensive tackles will tell you that he is already a force in the Dolphins interior


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1. LB James Harrison- Does everything well.
2. S Troy Polamalu- Hey there, thanks for reading.
3. QB Ben Roethlisberger- Where would this offense be without him? Yeah, that was a rhetorical question buddy


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Ah, it's finally October and the sporting world is buzzing. The players and owners are still talking instead of balling over in the NBA, the MLB playoffs are here, the Canadians are worrying about the Canucks and Leafs, and the NFL season is as crazy and messed up as ever. To keep this constant amid all this turnover, I'd like to take a breather and briefly look at a former Steelers' career.

The Detroit Lions took Tom Tracy in the 5th round (50th overall), and that just goes to show how many teams there were in 1956. The running back did nothing in his first two seasons, and "The Bomb" signed on with the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the next 5 and 1/4 seasons, Tracy would play Pro Bowl football in the city of Pittsburgh


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2011 Week 4 Preview: Jets and Ravens

October 2nd 2011 13:29
This right here is definitely the game of the week, and it features Rex Ryan, Bart Scott, and Jim Leonhard going at it against their former team. This is a matchup between two contenders who have quite a bit to prove heading into this matchup. The Ravens need to show that they are indeed for real, and the Jets really have to show that they aren't all mouth after getting run all over by Darren McFadden.

In big injury news, Nick Mangold is listed as questionable for this game, and this actually does mean quite a bit. Not only is he one of the best centers in the game, but his replacement Colin Baxter is one of the worst run-blocking offensive linemen in the league. He gets pushed around like crazy, and that more than "makes up for" his great work in pass protection. It's known fact that run blocking is far more important for centers than pass protection, and Baxter has proven to be a liability on the line overall


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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


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9/2011 WR Rankings

September 24th 2011 13:50
1. Larry Fitzgerald
2. Andre Johnson
3. Calvin Johnson


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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


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I like to try to come up with questions that I don't currently have an answer for, and then I just start investigating and trying to come up with an answer. With all the great passing performances going on right now, you could argue that having a shutdown corner like Revis makes all the difference in the world. You, in a sense, take out the opposing quarterback's best weapon and are able to handcuff about 70 yards or so from an offense.

There is actually another question that I need to tackle first: who is the best shutdown corner in the game? Although quarterbacks are less likely to throw it at Nnamdi Asomugha, Revis is younger and is a slightly better corner overall. And oh by the way, he offers far more than Nnamdi in run support. It actually doesn't matter as to which corner you prefer, because either way, Nnamdi or Revis could be the best player in the league


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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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9/2011 Team Scope: Cincinnati Bengals

September 1st 2011 15:01
The Cincinnati Bengals are a mess, and they're only going to win a couple of games this season. What I say is now well-known fact, but I must say it anyway to properly start this team preview. Soon, I will break down their roster, and you will see why they are such a mess.

Andy Dalton looks like a solid West Coast quarterback, but the personnel around him aren't suited for the type of offense that Dalton is. While new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is bringing in the WCO, receivers A.J. Green and Jerome Simpson are vertical threats. Green's enormous talent is being wasted in this system, but there really is no other way. The benefactor will be slot receiver Jordan Shipley, who will continue his solid play from last year. I think 70 catches are more than just a possibility


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I honestly think that Kyle Williams is the best defensive tackle in the game, and he is one of the the most underrated players in football. He's the Bills' best player, and they rewarded him by giving Williams a 6-year extension worth 39 million. Even though it is technically a reward, the deal is very cheap for the Bills. Williams is one of the best defensive players in the game, and to lock him up over the span of 6 seasons for 6.5 million per season is a terrific move.

"Meatball" was absolutely monstrous last season, and he should have been the Defensive Player of the Year. Of course, nobody gives that award to defensive tackles, but Williams should have at least been on the Pro Bowl squad. Even though the players around him are terrible, that doesn't mean that Williams shouldn't get recognized for the work he does. If you go back to the Bills' very interesting game against the Steelers, Kyle Williams was murdering Maurkice Pouncey. He showed all that he is capable of by consistently disrupting plays in the backfield, blowing up rushing lanes, drawing double-teams, collapsing the pocket, and pressuring the quarterback. Trust me, this guy more than deserved this pay check


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