Month: September 2006 (Page 23 of 30)

      Opening Night Revisited

      September 8, 2006 /

      Two things came to me while watching that game last night: one, welcome back football – my how we’ve missed you!

      And two: what a perfect trap game Vegas had for its opening night in the NFL. The Steelers at home without their quarterback against one of the media’s chic teams this season? Perfect, I can still hear Vegas counting their money.

      Lets briefly go inside the game last night since John Paulsen hit on a lot of key points in his fantasy football blog:

      -First off, for the first game of the season, I’m surprised that it wasn’t that sloppy, but I guess when two coaches like Bill Cowher and Nick Saban are running the show, they’re going to have their teams prepared mentally.

      -If I’m Miami I’m taking a good hard look at that secondary, because this is a team that faces Tom Brady twice a year and if he was watching the same game I was, he’s got to be chomping at the bit to play these guys.

      Regardless of the stats from Charlie Batch, the Dolphins’ defensive backs played passive all night and got run over a few times by Willie Parker. How do you allow Hines Ward to get open in the back of the end zone? He’s always back there when Pittsburgh gets in the red zone. Always!

      And I know Zach Thomas is a linebacker and maybe I shouldn’t lump him in with the defensive back woes, but he flat out got lost in coverage on Health Miller’s TD reception.

      – Speaking of Miller’s touchdown, I don’t want to hear Saban arguing that he threw the red flag to challenge that play – he was indecisive and hardly made an attempt to get the referee’s attention. Any time we see coaches calling for time outs in a game, we see them damn near tackle the ref – he was waiting to hear from his guys up stairs and they were slow on the trigger, case closed. Blame doesn’t fall on the ref.

      – Parker and Ronnie Brown both hit holes with a purpose last night, but lets give credit where credit is due – the Steelers run defense looked great last night.

      – I like the fact that Saban knew he had to get the ball into Chris Chambers’ hands one way or another in the second half. It was hardly a genius move to get the ball into your best receiver’s hands I know, but still, good coaches make adjustments at halftime.

      – No matter how many times I watch Troy Palomalu play, I can never get enough of his awareness. He’s always around the ball, always one step away from causing havoc and might be the smartest safety in the entire NFL.

      – Here is the only thing I’ll say about Daunte Culpepper from last night, because I think the guy will get enough abuse throughout the weekend: when you have Chambers one on one in the end zone on several occasions, you have to put it somewhere in the Pittsburgh zip code Daunte – not three rows into the stands.

      NFL

      Random thoughts from the Pittsburgh/Miami game

      September 8, 2006 /

      Al Michaels is a pro. He’s probably the best play-by-play in the business.

      Ronnie Brown looks like the real deal. His pass-catching skills have improved. That was a pretty nice snag on that first series, even if it didn’t go for a first down.

      I loved that Sprint NFL Mobile commercial with Peyton Manning in disguise. The moustache is falling of as he says, “You can watch exclusive game highlights of all your favorite players. Like Peyton Manning. That guy’s pretty good – if you like 6’5”, 230 pound quarterbacks, laser, rocket arm.” Gotta love that hair.

      Verron Haynes is the Steelers’ third down back. This will limit Parker’s pass catching opportunities.

      Miami’s ball – 3rd and 4 near midfield. Culpepper has Marty Booker wide open at the first down marker and he completely misses him. This is what worries me about Daunte – he’s got a good career completion percentage, but he’s not all that accurate of a passer. An immobile Daunte Culpepper is a very scary proposition.

      Pittsburgh’s ball 4th and 1 from Miami’s 39. I love the decision to go for it and I love the play call. If you’ve got a 4th and short inside your opponent’s 40-yard line and you’re not in field goal range, you have to go for it. I’m so tired of seeing punts in this situation that end up rolling into the endzone for a touchback. The play call was great – a little misdirection and the pitch to Parker, letting him use his 4.3 speed to outrun the Miami defense to the first down marker. It’s a much different approach than the one they used last year, but just as effective.

      Nate Washington made a great catch on that TD – he went up, made the snag and took the hit from the safety. Not a bad throw from Charlie Batch, either. It looks like Washington is going to do the kind of things that Antwaan Randle El did last season.

      10 minutes left in the first half and Chris Chambers still doesn’t have his first catch of the season. Let’s throw him a three-yard out just to get him on the board. (Can you tell I’ve got him in a league or two?)

      Wes Welker looks like a good returner – don’t be surprised if he scores a couple of TDs this season for Miami’s special teams.

      Culpepper threw a beautiful touch pass to Welker and then, on another play, the receiver took a pass and made something out of nothing. He might be this year’s Brandon Stokley, but he’s going to have a tough time getting on the field with Chambers and Booker ahead of him.

      Speaking of Chambers, he and Culpepper really looked out of synch in the first half.

      It’s good to see Sterling Sharpe working on the big stage again. He’s smart, eloquent and he knows the game.

      I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Ben Roethlisberger looks like Will Ferrell after a weekend bender in Vegas.

      If Willie Parker gets 12-13 carries per half behind that talented Steeler offensive line, he’s going to have a very productive season. He’s showing some cutback ability that he didn’t have last year.

      Hines Ward’s hammy (say that five times fast) looks fine. He’s having no trouble getting open. But he’s starting to do that Antonio Freeman backpedal when he catches the ball in the middle of the field. I’d like to see him turn up field, but he seems content to wait for the contact.

      Finally, 7:23 left in the third, and Chambers gets his first catch.

      Ronnie Brown runs like Rudi Johnson. He never seems to go down on the first hit.

      After the touchdown drive that gave the Dolphins a 17-14 lead, it sure looked like they were going to take control of the game, but back-to-back Miami penalties on the next possession helped the Steelers out of a big hole. Next thing you know, the Steelers give the ball back on the Miami goal line. Ouch.

      Batch’s third touchdown pass was another beauty to Heath Miller, who showed some surprising speed to get to the pylon. Unfortunately, Saban didn’t do a very good job of challenging the call.

      What’s Chris Collinsworth doing these days? I like it when he said he was just “running around.” He takes a lot of abuse, but I actually like Collinsworth.

      Daunte Culpepper throws his second interception is as many pass attempts. A friend of mine always says, “Daunte Culpepper wants to give you the ball.” Is there anything worse for a quarterback than to throw an interception for a touchdown and then get blocked to the turf just as the defender crosses the goal line?

      Chambers looks a lot better in the second half. Of course, five catches for 59 yards will make a lot of guys look better. I’ll take it after that goose egg in the first half.

      Well, Daunte turned the ball over and Pittsburgh won their home opener. No big shockers there.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Smith misses practice…again

      September 7, 2006 /

      Steve Smith did not practice on Thursday and is still questionable for the season opener on Sunday.

      “Right now it’s day to day, and when it comes down to Sunday it will be a gameday decision,” coach John Fox said.

      Most leagues allow for lineup changes until kickoff, even if there is a Thursday night game. In those leagues that freeze the lineup the night of the week’s first game, there is one owner struggling with a tough decision right now.

      So what to do? Well, it depends on your options. If you don’t have a decent backup to start in his spot, then it’s worth rolling the dice, hoping that Smith will start. Even if he does play, he’ll be hampered somewhat by the injury, so don’t expect his usual output. If you do have a good option on your bench, then insert him into your lineup and don’t look back.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Ranking the NFL: Top Impact Rookies

      September 7, 2006 /

      Throughout the preseason, we’ll take a look at the best – and worst – the NFL has to offer, unit by unit. Look for a new set of rankings every few days.

      It is true every year that no matter what position a rookie plays for his new NFL team, the young man will have some growing pains. Players and coaches who have played the game or have been around football long enough say that the jump from high school to college is huge, but the jump from college to the pros is colossal. That doesn’t mean that rookies can’t be successful, and a handful of first-year pros every season make that look a little bit easier than most.

      In 2005, Tampa Bay running back Carnell “Cadillac” Williams rushed for 1,178 yards and was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year. More importantly, he gave the Buccaneers a rushing attack that had been missing since their Super Bowl win in 2002. Chargers’ linebacker Shawne Merriman won Defensive Rookie of the Year, showing that he could take over games with his athleticism and fearlessness.

      Winning NFL Rookie of the Year honors are great, but who is the next Lofa Tatupu, who gave the Seahawks leadership in the middle of their defense and a guy who already commands respect from his teammates?

      Here is a list of 10 rookies that have ROY potential or who will make the biggest impact for their teams:

      1.Vernon Davis, TE
      San Francisco 49ers
      Although there have been whispers that some in the 49ers’ organization expected Davis to have picked up the offense quicker than he has to this point, he is still the most physically gifted athlete that came out of the ’06 draft. Will he help the 49ers win the NFC West? Not this season, but he could very easily win Offensive Rookie of the Year with his 4.38 speed and offensive lineman strength. Quarterback Alex Smith will probably rely on Davis to be his go-to-guy in the red zone this year and use Davis’ 6-3, 253-pound frame near the goal line.

      2. A.J. Hawk, LB
      Green Bay Packers
      No other linebacker from the 2006 draft has as much sideline-to-sideline running ability as A.J. Hawk. Hawk is extremely athletic and will soon show the same dynamic playmaking ability in Green Bay as he did for Ohio State in college. He should be great in pursuit and head coach Mike McCarthy will probably use Hawk a lot in blitz packages to take advantage of his athleticism. The Packers defense ranked seventh in the NFL last year, but lacked turnovers and big momentum-swinging plays. Watch for Hawk to fill both of those roles this season and beyond.

      3. Mike Bell, RB
      Denver Broncos
      Denver puts out 1,000-yard rushers in its zone-blocking scheme like Tom Hanks puts out Oscar performances. Six years ago the Broncos drafted an unknown running back named Mike Anderson out of the University of Utah in the sixth round. In his rookie season, Anderson rushed for 1,487-yards and convincingly won the Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. This year, head coach Mike Shanahan seemingly has found another diamond in the rough with undrafted rookie free agent Mike Bell. Bell has already been named the starter and if he holds off Tatum Bell, he too may be up for OROY honors come the end of the season.

      4. Ernie Sims, LB
      Detroit Lions
      Sims is a locomotive who could possibly knock himself out after every tackle because of how hard he hits. The former FSU product will have plenty of chances to make plays in the Lions’ defense this year because the squad might be on the field a ton while the offense tries to pick up Mike Martz’s system. Sims is fast, which is perfect for the weakside linebacker position, and he’ll get plenty of chances to blitz opposing quarterbacks this season. He’ll just need to stay concussion-free – something he wasn’t been able to do while in college.

      5. Haloti Ngata, DT
      Baltimore Ravens
      He doesn’t have the name power of a Mario Williams or A.J. Hawk, but Haloti Ngata will serve as a vital piece in the middle of the Ravens line. Ngata will allow fellow playmakers Terrell Suggs and Trevor Pryce to get to the quarterback more often, as well as keep guards off of middle linebacker Ray Lewis the way Tony Siragusa did for the Ravens during their Super Bowl run in 2000. Ngata may get overlooked this season because of the limited impact defensive tackles make in the stat book, but Lewis and the rest of the Ravens’ stout defense will surely notice his presence.

      6. DeAngelo Williams/Joseph Addai/ Lawrence Maroney
      Carolina Panthers/Indianapolis Colts/ New England Patriots
      One, if not all three, of these players may start for their respective teams this season because of who is in front of them on the depth chart. Williams has the injury-prone DeShaun Foster in front of him while Addai is battling with the unproven Dominic Rhodes and Maroney is behind an aging Corey Dillion. All three of these teams could possibly vie for a Super Bowl this season and will need a heavy run game to complement solid passing systems. The trio should all have an impact this season, but if I’m handicapping their respective situations, I think Addai will be a starter earlier this season than the other two backs. Regardless, all three runners will be the feature back for their respective teams in the near future.

      7. Mario Williams, DE
      Houston Texans
      Williams may never make Houston fans forget about Reggie Bush, but he will have an impact this season for the Texans. Williams’ physical tools are superb enough to register 10 sacks as a rookie, but the trouble is that he doesn’t have a whole lot of support from the rest of Houston’s defense. He fits the mold of Julius Peppers and he’ll give the Texans more playmaking opportunities than they’ve had in the entire history of their franchise. If the Texans can figure out a way to improve his supporting cast, watch out, because Williams will start taking over games the way Peppers does.

      8. Reggie Bush, RB
      New Orleans Saints
      He won’t start because of Deuce McAllister, but the Saints will certainly get Bush on the field. Bush may line up as a single back, as a slot receiver, or in two-back formations with McAllister and New Orleans will take advantage of his elusiveness. Bush may be too small to be a 20-25 carry guy and he may soon find out that life in the NFL is harder than it was at USC, but he will no doubt make plenty of highlight reels this season.

      9. D’Brickashaw Ferguson, OT
      New York Jets
      This guy is just an absolute monster and will give the Jets a solid left tackle for years to come. Ferguson is 6-6, 313 pounds, has great technique and strength, and demonstrates terrific feet while playing the run or pass. It’s just too bad the Jets don’t have that much offensive firepower right now in RB Kevan Barlow and QB Chad Pennington for this kid to get noticed.

      10. Kamerion Wimbley, LB
      Cleveland Browns
      Wimbley would without a doubt be ranked higher if I knew he was going to start sooner this season. He stands behind Willie McGinest and Matt Stewart on the depth chart, but will certainly start sometime this season or in the very near future. Wimbley has loads of talent and his switch from defensive end at Florida State to linebacker in Romeo Crennel’s 3-4 defense will suit him great. He’s more athletic than Stewart, but doesn’t match Stewart’s experience or sure-tackling ability. However, Wimbley should contribute big time in blitz packages this season, and watch for him to be close to five sacks at the end of the season.

      General Sports, NFL

      Gasol out for three months, NBA owners take notice

      September 7, 2006 /

      Grizzlies’ star Pau Gasol will have surgery tomorrow on the broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot, an injury he suffered during his team’s semifinal game in the FIBA World Championship. The recovery time for this type of surgery is usually three months.

      Boy, how times have changed. Back in the day, NBA owners just had to decide whether or not to let their players compete in international play for Team USA. Most owners allow their players to do so, if only to avoid seeming unpatriotic. But now, with the influx of international players into the league, owners are pressured into allowing their players play against Team USA in international competition. Talk about a quandary.

      Put yourself in Mark Cuban’s shoes. You’ve got an NBA franchise that depends heavily on the health of your star player, Dirk Nowitzki. And every other summer – either at the World Championship or the Olympics – he takes off to play an unknown number of games against great competition with national pride on the line. If he suffers an injury like Gasol’s, the Mavericks are in a bad way. No longer are they fighting for home court advantage in the playoffs, now they’re just hoping to make the playoffs.

      But Cuban allows Nowitzki to compete, probably because the Big German wants to play for his country. Or at least he says he does. If Nowitzki announced that he wasn’t playing in the World Championship, the Germans would be enraged, asking, “Who does he think he is?” (Of course, they would ask it in German.) So he says he wants to play, but is he just placating the German fans? Only Dirk knows for sure.

      Cuban wants to keep his star happy, but he’d feel a lot better if Nowitzki stayed in Dallas for the summer. It would actually be a patriotic move if he could keep Nowitzki – one of the world’s best players – out of international competition. Of course, his worldwide reputation would take a hit. He’d be viewed as an arrogant American hoping to help Team USA win by attrition.

      So it’s really a no-win situation. Cuban lets his star compete and can only pray that he doesn’t get seriously injured. Just ask Michael Heisley, the owner of the Memphis Grizzlies, if that’s a good plan.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

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