It’s easy to sit here and play armchair Pro Bowl GM, and while indeed all of us have the ability to influence the player selections, that doesn’t mean as a collective group that we get it right. So as always, there were a few players, even after injury substitutions were announced, who are home this weekend instead of playing in the Pro Bowl in Miami—players who truly deserved a spot on the NFC or AFC roster. Here are a few glaring omissions as we see it:

Cedric Benson, RB, Cincinnati Bengals—For as good as the Bengals’ defense was in 2009, they won all those games early in the season in part because their running game was downright dominant. And a big reason for that was Benson, whose 96.2 yards per game was second only to Tennessee’s Chris Johnson. Benson, who just turned 27 in December, has been injury prone most of his young career, but this was by far his best season, and he even led the NFL in rushing for a bit before Johnson caught fire. Of course, Benson’s six touchdowns are probably what kept him out of the Pro Bowl (Maurice Jones-Drew had 15 and Johnson 14), but there is no question about how valuable he was to the Bengals, helping them to exceed all expectations.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers—With all due respect to every other QB in the AFC, how do David Garrard and Vince Young get in ahead of Big Ben? I can sort of understand Young, who took the Titans on his back and may have even warranted MVP consideration. But Garrard? Roethlisberger had 4328 yards, 26 TDs and 12 picks, while Garrard threw for 3597 with 15 TD throws and 10 interceptions. Of course, Ben also dealt with concussions, so I can understand an injury keeping him out, but he’s not listed with the injured players selected, so that means more people than not left him off the roster. Does that make sense to anyone?

Brent Celek, TE, Philadelphia Eagles—This one was purely a numbers game, because you absolutely can’t argue with Jason Witten and Vernon Davis getting in ahead of Celek. But that’s not his fault. Look, I’m a Giants fan so it’s not easy for me to admit this, but I love this kid as a football player. He’s tough, makes big catches with consistency, and is always open for Donovan McNabb in the end zone. He’ll also take a defender’s head off if they get in his path. Of course, Celek’s numbers were stellar too–he caught 76 passes for just under 1000 yards (971) with 8 scores. They should have allowed an extra NFC tight end just this once.

Andre Carter, DE, Washington Redskins—I get why Jared Allen and Trent Cole made the Pro Bowl roster, but I don’t get how Andre Carter missed out while Julius Peppers got in. Peppers has the name recognition, but Carter led all defensive ends in solo tackles (48) and had twenty more total tackles than Peppers (62 to 42). He had 11 sacks to Peppers’ 10.5, sure, but when you look at the whole picture, somebody blew an assignment. And the thing is, everyone talks about Albert Haynesworth, but Carter never gets the credit he deserves, not even on his own team.

James Laurinaitis, LB, St. Louis Rams—I get why Jon Beason is the top dog at ILB for the NFC, and I also get why London Fletcher finally made the roster when Jonathan Vilma’s Saints reached the Super Bowl. I’m just not sure why rookie Laurinaitis didn’t make it in ahead of Vilma. Laurinaitis led all rookies in solo tackles with 107 (Vilma had 87), and in the NFL he trailed only Patrick Willis, Beason and Kirk Morrison in that department. Laurinaitis also had 2 sacks and 2 interceptions. This kid was a beast in the middle on a team that won only 1 game in 2009, and short of having to pay dues, I’m not exactly sure how he was left off the Pro Bowl roster.

Do you know why the Saints are currently 13-0 right now? No, it’s not because of their high-powered offense, Drew Brees or their remade defense. It’s not because of their outstanding receiving corps, Darren Sharper’s playmaking ability or a trio of running backs.

Actually, it’s because of all those things. But one thing that seems to be taking a backseat in the Saints’ run at perfection is their coaching staff, and I’m not only referring to coach of the year candidate Sean Payton either.

There were two plays in the Saints’ 26-23 victory over the Falcons in Week 14 that had more to do with coaching and less to do with the players on the field.

The first play came early in the third quarter when the Saints were up 16-9. The Falcons had been getting pressure on Brees by sending multiple defenders throughout the game, and with the Saints facing a 3rd and 19 from Atlanta’s 21-yard line, the Falcons decided to blitz a bevy of players in order to disrupt the play. But the Falcons played right into Payton’s play call, because Reggie Bush took a 21-yard screen pass into the end zone untouched.

The Saints have picked up 20-plus yard first downs threw the air before. Payton could have called a seven-step drop for Brees and allowed him to chuck it down field, which would have likely failed because the Falcons sent the house. Instead, Payton guessed right, knew the Falcons would blitz heavy and therefore the screen was a perfect play call.

The second play clinched the game for the Saints. The Falcons had dinked and dunked New Orleans all game by slipping running back Jason Snelling out of the backfield and underneath the Saints’ coverage. So when facing a 4th and 2 at the Saints’ 46 yard line with under a minute to play, Chris Redman eyed Snelling out of the backfield on a short passing play – a similar play that Atlanta had just picked up 18 yards on.

But instead of dropping his linebackers to help protect the middle of the field or shoot out to the gaps, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams kept his ‘backers in and keyed on Snelling. As a result, Jonathan Vilma dropped Snelling for just a one-yard gain and the Saints held on for the win.

Those two plays are just two small examples of the many great calls Payton and his coaching staff had made this season. Granted, Payton also gambled and failed on a fake field goal late in the game that could have cost the Saints in the end. But more times than not, Payton’s decision-making has been damn near perfect.

And soon, maybe the Saints will be too.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/12/13/coaching-staff-not-getting-enough-credit-for-saints%e2%80%99-run-at-perfection/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/03/matty-ice-is-still-learning/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/03/matty-ice-is-still-learning/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:59:30 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=28126

With how exceptionally well he played as a rookie last year, it’s easy to forget that Matt Ryan only has 24 career starts under his belt.

Ryan did some great things in the Falcons’ 35-27 loss to the Saints on Monday night, most notably throwing a 68-yard rainbow to Roddy White to cut New Orleans’ lead to 28-21 early in the third quarter. He also found White and Tony Gonzalez on some key third downs to keep the chains moving and leave the Saints’ dynamic offense on the sidelines for most of the second half.

But he also made some mistakes that second year quarterbacks are unfortunately prone to making. Things like zeroing in on Gonzalez or forcing a pass into a well covered White late in the first half that led to a huge defensive touchdown for the Saints. He also looked rushed in the pocket at times and took a couple of unnecessary sacks because he didn’t go through all of his progressions. For a young man who has built the reputation of having ice water in his veins, “Matty Ice” looked uneasy several times when the Falcons needed a big play in the passing game.

Atlanta got a tremendous effort out of Michael Turner tonight, who rushed for 151 yards on 20 carries with one touchdown. With how well he ran, Ryan should have had more big play opportunities in the passing game. But it seemed like most of his throws were to covered receivers that couldn’t do much with the pass after the reception (save for White’s 68-yard touchdown, of course), which means he wasn’t hitting receivers on time or in stride.

Give credit to the Saints’ defense, because there were several times when the coverage was outstanding and Ryan had to eat the ball. The interception he threw in the fourth quarter was just a great play by linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who tipped the pass that was picked by Tracy Porter to kill a potential scoring drive. Defensive end Will Smith also owned left tackle Sam Baker, so Ryan was under constant duress.

But I think when Ryan looks back at the film from tonight, he’ll see that he had more opportunities to make plays and was either too quick to make up his mind or wasn’t patient enough to let the play develop. From what everyone says, his work ethic rivals that of Drew Brees and Peyton Manning and he wants to become great. He’ll get there – he certainly has all the intangibles. But if the Falcons are going to make the playoffs again this year, Ryan is going to need to learn from a game like this and move forward in his development.

NFL preseason action continues tonight with four games on the schedule. Below are six quick-hit thoughts and things to watch for during tonight’s slate of games.

1. Are the reports true about Palmer?
All indications from Bengals camp is that Carson Palmer is in the best shape of his career after missing virtually the entire 2008 season with a right elbow injury. Palmer is expected to get 12-15 snaps tonight when the Bengals travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. Just as the Patriots were hoping for a strong showing from Tom Brady last night (he threw for 100 yards and 2 TDs, by the way), Cincinnati is hoping that Palmer flashes the arm strength that once made him the top overall pick. Another thing to keep an eye on is how the young Cincinnati offensive line looks in protecting Palmer. The Bengals have a physical unit in Andrew Whitworth, Anthony Collins, Kyle Cook, Nate Livings and Bobbie Williams, but they’re an inexperienced unit on a whole and Cincy would love to see some cohesion from the group tonight.

2. The starting quarterback battle for the Vikings begins tonight.
Head coach Brad Childress reported that Sage Rosenfels will get the start Friday night against the Colts, which isn’t a huge surprise considering Tarvaris Jackson missed some time in camp with a sprained knee. Still, Rosenfels getting the starting nod tonight may be an indication that he’s pulled ahead in the race for the Vikes’ starting quarterback job. Rosenfels doesn’t have a high ceiling in terms of potential, but he’s steady and could be a good game manager for a Minnesota team that is expected to keep the ball on the ground a lot with Adrian Peterson. While Jackson will certainly get his opportunity to start in preseason, a strong first impression tonight would go a long way for Rosenfels.

3. It’ll be a light debut for Sanchez.
Mark Sanchez is expected to play in the Jets’ preseason opener against the Rams, but with O-linemen Nick Mangold, Damien Woody and Alan Faneca all sidelined with various injuries, New York isn’t going to risk playing their rookie quarterback extensively on Friday night. Instead, Erik Ainge will probably get the bulk of the work, while Kellen Clemens (who is competing with Sanchez for the starting job) will also see some action as well. Sanchez reportedly has a decent lead over Clemens in the starting quarterback race, which is even more reason for the Jets not to risk a potential injury in their first preseason game.

4. Keep an eye on Moreno.
Former Georgia Bulldog Knowshon Moreno has turned heads so far in Broncos camp and will get the start tonight against the 49ers. While he wasn’t the most explosive running back prospect in April’s draft, Moreno has excellent vision and could turn out to be a future NFL star. These aren’t your father’s Denver Broncos, where Mike Shanahan used a slew of backs to get the job done in his rushing offense. With Josh McDaniels now in charge, if Moreno dazzles in preseason, he’ll win Denver’s starting running back job and receive the bulk of the carries this season. He’ll benefit from running behind one of the best offensive lines in football and could be in for a big season. Outside of Sanchez and maybe the Vikings’ Percy Harvin, Moreno is easily the most intriguing rookie to watch tonight.

5. Will this be the year that the Saints put it all together defensively?
While the threat of losing defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant for four games at the start of the season is a major concern, the Saints defense finally has the makings of a productive unit thanks to a couple of key offeason moves. New Orleans signed veterans Paul Spicer, Darren Sharper and Jabari Greer this winter, and also re-signed Jonathan Vilma and selected cornerback Malcolm Jenkins in the first round of April’s draft. Those moves, coupled with the ongoing development of young players like Sedrick Ellis and Tracy Porter, have seemingly set the Saints’ defense up for a good season. And with the offense expected to once again be highly explosive, New Orleans could be a sleeper Super Bowl contender if the defense is finally up for the challenge.

6. It’s now or never for Alex Smith
Some within the Niners organization still have high hopes for former first overall pick Alex Smith. But others believe that Smith will never be able to make the throws necessary in the passing game in order to take the next step as a pro quarterback. With Shaun Hill breathing down his neck, this appears to be Smith’s last chance to prove he isn’t a bust. He’ll need a solid preseason to stave off Hill and ensure he’s a starter this season. Of course, it would help if he had first round pick Michael Crabtree to throw to in the passing game, but the receiver and his agent are entrenched in an ongoing battle with the team over his contract and it’s uncertain when he’ll sign. Either way, Smith will have no excuses this preseason – he must shine.

Friday night’s NFL preseason lineup (all times EST):
Rams at Jets, 7:00PM NFL Network
Vikings at Colts, 7:30PM
Bengals at Saints, 8:00PM
Broncos at 49ers, 10:00PM NFL Network

- The Colts officially released wide receiver Marvin Harrison. Apparently owner Jim Irsay tried to get Harrison to retire, but the wideout wants to keep playing. The Titans, Giants and Eagles could be possible landing spots for the 36-year old.

- All charges from Jonathan Vilma’s January arrest in Miami have been dropped. This is great news for Vilma, who is set to become a free agent on Friday.

- Free agent center Jeff Saturday (Colts) apparently wants to play for the Steelers and is willing to move to guard in order to make it happen.

- After watching game film from last year, Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner attributes quarterback Kyle Orton’s struggles to the ankle injury he suffered midseason. Turenr claims that the injury threw off Orton’s mechanics.

Below are five of the best acquisitions from the 2008 NFL offseason, as well as five of the worst. Granted, these moves might look differently at the end of the season or in a year or two, but for now, these are the best of the best and the worst of the worst from the 2008 offseason.

Five Best Offseason Acquisitions:

1. Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons handed “The Burner” a six-year, $34.5 million contract in early March and while some pundits loved the move, others thought it was too much for the unproven Turner, who had spent his entire career backing up LaDainian Tomlinson. But the signing has paid huge dividends for a Falcons team that ranks second in the league in rushing thanks to his bruising running style. He’s formed a nice “Thunder and Lighting” combo with Jerious Norwood and more importantly, has taken a lot of pressure off rookie Matt Ryan by demanding opponents to focus on taking away the run. He hasn’t fared well against top defenses this season, which is a concern, but outside of that he’s been everything Atlanta had hoped for. He has rushed for 890 yards on 203 carries and has scored seven times.

2. Asante Samuel, CB, Philadelphia Eagles
There was a lot of talk last offseason that Samuel would never live up to the hype that surrounded him in New England. But through 10 games this season, it’s hard to argue that the former Patriot hasn’t lived up to his big play billing. Samuel has recorded three interceptions on the year and has fit into Jim Johnson’s defense better than most expected. He’s not a shutdown corner, but he plays well in zone and rarely gets burned deep. He has also helped the Eagles rank sixth in the league in pass defense and ninth overall in yardage allowed. He was pricey at just over $57 million for six years, but so far Samuel has been worth the money.

3. Brett Favre, QB, New York Jets
Brett has looked absolutely brutal at times this year, but what he’s meant to the Jets’ organization far exceeds his penchant for turning the ball over…and over, and over, and over, and…He’s given the team a bona fide playmaker at quarterback and while his horrible decision making was obviously earlier in the year as he learned the playbook, he has been hot of late leading the J.E.T.S. to five wins in the past six games. He’s also tied with Kurt Warner for the fourth-most touchdowns (16) and more importantly, his teammates have responded to his energy. They believe that they can win on Sundays and their quarterback won’t hold them back. No offense to Chad Pennington who is playing very well in Miami, but Favre has lifted the Jets this year and might just take them to a playoff berth if they can get past New England.

4. Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings
Allen has been everything the Vikings wanted since they parted with a first round pick to acquire him from Kansas City. He’s been a monster along Minnesota’s stout defensive line and has brought the true pass-rushing threat that the team has been dying for. He already has nine sacks on the season, including two multi-sack games against the Bears and Texans. Better yet, he’s stayed out of trouble off the field and has been a great motivator for a Vikings team that has leapt back into the playoff chase in the NFC.

5. Alan Faneca, OG, New York Jets
The Steelers didn’t want to pay huge money to an aging guard who could be on the downside of his career. But Faneca has spearheaded a Jets’ rushing attack that ranks ninth in the league and that, for the most part, has kept Brett Favre’s uniform relatively clean. Faneca might be 31, but his level of play hasn’t dropped off in the slightest and he continues to play at a high level. He has also motivated younger teammates D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold – two players that went through a sophomore slump, but who are now playing well again.

Other worthy candidates: Shaun Rogers, DT, Cleveland; Benard Berrian, WR, Minnesota; Jonathan Vilma, LB, New Orleans; Justin Smith, LB/DE Cincinnati; Calvin Pace, LB, NY Jets.

Five Worst Offseason Acquisitions:

1. DeAngelo Hall, CB, Oakland Raiders
There’s no question that Hall was the biggest offseason bust this year, if not in the history of the NFL. The Raiders traded away multiple draft picks (including a second round pick this year) to acquire Hall from Atlanta, then handed him a seven-year, $70 million contract with $24.5 million in guarantees. What Oakland got out of Hall was eight games of lousy play before they eventually decided to waive him. The Raiders wanted someone to play opposite of Nnamdi Asomugha that could hold his own in man-to-man coverage. But Hall excelled in Atlanta playing in a zone scheme that allowed him to freelance. He’s a self-proclaimed “shutdown” corner, but the fact of the matter is that he’s one of the most overrated players in the entire league. That said, it’s still amazing that the Raiders waived him after only eight games. It just goes to show you how bad he really was.

2. Derek Anderson, QB, Cleveland Browns
Anderson wasn’t technically an acquisition since he never left the Browns, but he fits under the “offseason moves” category that I’m referring to. The Browns honored Anderson’s terrific 2008 season by giving him a three-year, $24 million contract in the offseason. But inconsistent play and a few hundred dropped passes by Braylon Edwards doomed Anderson to the bench as he was replaced in Week 10 by second year quarterback Brady Quinn. Romeo Crennel gave Anderson every opportunity to hang on to his job, but in the end he didn’t do enough to remain the starter. Again, it wasn’t all his fault as Edwards has taken a major step back after finally turning in a good season last year and Kellen Winslow Jr. has missed time once again due to injury. It’s hard to fault the Browns for re-signing Anderson in the offseason with how well he played last year and given Quinn’s inexperience, but the team will likely part ways with him next offseason without getting any compensation. That’s a tough pill to swallow considering at one point they were hoping to land multiple draft picks for him.

3. Adam “Pacman” Jones, CB, Dallas Cowboys
It hardly cost the Cowboys anything to acquire Pacman from Tennessee but they still got what they deserved. They used him as their sideshow clown in their freak circus this offseason during the taping of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” and therefore shouldn’t have been surprised when he eventually screwed up again and wound up in Roger Goodell’s doghouse. Again, it didn’t cost Dallas much to take a shot on Jones turning his career around, but ultimately it was a decision Jerry Jones is probably regretting, as his team has turned dysfunctional over the past month.

4. Alge Crumpler, TE, Tennessee Titans
The Falcons parted ways with Crumpler this offseason despite his vast leadership and popularity among teammates and fans. But clearly they knew what they were doing because Crumpler has failed to make a dent in the Titans’ offense, and has taken a backseat to Bo Scaife in the process. Highly regarded as the best free agent tight this summer, Crump was supposed to be completely healthy after struggling with knee and back problems over the past couple of years. But he has just 16 catches this year for 169 yards and one touchdown. Tennessee didn’t sign him to a huge contract (5 years, $5.25 million), but still, one would have thought Crumpler would have made more of an impact at this point in the season.

5. Randall Gay, CB, New Orleans Saints
This wasn’t a huge signing in the offseason, but it was one that was supposed to make an impact. The Saints have been searching for a cornerback to play opposite Mike McKenize for years and thought they finally found a solid player in the former New England Patriot. But Gay has been limited to this season due to a nagging hamstring injury and has yet to record an interception. Worse yet, New Orleans ranks near the bottom of the league in passing yards allowed and just lost McKenize for the season due to a knee injury. Maybe Gay will step up, but at this point, he’s largely been a bust since the Saints signed him to a three-year, $13.55 million contract.

This comes from nothing anyone said privately or publicly, but from the occurrences of the past few days and from the statement released by General Manager Phil Savage that was so cold it had icicles dripping from it.

This clearly is one angry GM.

Savage has always been restrained with announcements and news. That he was blunt and direct in the statement about Winslow speaks volumes.

Savage called Winslow’s comments ”unwarranted, inappropriate, and unnecessarily disparaging to our organization.” He said the comments ”brought unjustified negative attention to our organization, and violated the team-first concept of our football squad.”

…But Winslow undercut Crennel twice — first after the game on Sunday, then Monday morning when he had more to say after meeting with Crennel on the team plane Sunday night.

Winslow cares about the team. But he also believes that he is better than most anyone and that is why he expects the ball.

This time, though, he put himself ahead of the team. After a tough loss, he made it about himself. If his coach is not on board with the suspension — and does anyone expect Crennel to say anything today except ”we’ve moved on”? — Winslow need only realize he is the one who put his coach in this position.

McManamon goes on to note that the Browns were in no hurry to re-do Winslow’s contract this offseason and they even went as far to draft a tight end (Martin Rucker) in this year’s draft.

If the Browns do part was with Winslow, it would be another first rounder from the 2004 draft that a team has sent packing. The Lions recently traded WR Roy Williams to the Cowboys and released RB Kevin Jones, the Falcons dealt CB DeAngelo Hall to the Raiders this offseason and the Jets sent LB Jonathan Vilma to the Saints before the start o of the year. Interesting.