Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 188 of 1503)

Vince Young: I’m an “elite quarterback in the NFL”

January 20, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and…Vince Young?

From ESPN.com:

Young says in an interview with ESPN’s Marcellus Wiley on Wednesday night that he will work to let his next team know he’s an elite quarterback who just wants to win games and be the best. Asked if he could work as a backup, Young laughed.
“I’m going to go into the organization, the team, and compete. That’s all I can do, and let them make their own decision after that,” Young said. “Definitely I am a starting quarterback, an elite quarterback in the NFL. I want to go ahead and start. But like it always is, the coaches have the last word.”

I get that Young was just trying to exude confidence in his abilities. After all, what is he going to say? That he sucks? That he has maturity issues and might be incapable of leading a NFL franchise?

That said, if he truly believes that he’s an elite NFL quarterback, then the guy is in serious need of a reality check. I could be way off in my assessment, but something tells me that he feels that he’s been wronged by Jeff Fisher and that is head coach has held him back. Maybe to some degree, he’s right. But the main reason Young is an on-again, off-again starter is because he’s a highly unstable leader. He may own a winning record but that doesn’t make him a winner.

You would never see quarterbacks like Brady, Manning, Brees, Donovan McNabb or Aaron Rodgers throw their shoulder pads into the stands while walking off the field in a hissy. None of those players would need a teammate to track them down as they headed out of the stadium in an attempt to console them after a poor performance either.

That’s because guys like Brady, Manning, Brees, McNabb and Rodgers are leaders. They set the example because they know that’s what is demanded of them. Young hasn’t grasped that yet, which is why he says that he’s an elite quarterback instead of knowing it.

Young can be a terrific player at times and I hope some day he puts it all together. But as of right now, he’s got a long way to go in order to consider himself elite.

External Sports, NFL

Tennessee Titans Vince Young

Two factors that could doom the Packers or Bears

January 20, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

As we approach kickoff for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, here are two factors (one for each team) that could potentially keep the Packers or Bears from reaching the Super Bowl.

Green Bay Packers: Special Teams
Against the Falcons last week, the Packers dominated two of the three main phases of the game (offense and defense) but lost the third (special teams). After tying the score 7-7 early in the second quarter, Eric Weems returned a 102-yard kickoff for a touchdown against Green Bay’s shaky kickoff coverage. In Week 12, it was Weems’ 40-yard kickoff return and subsequent facemask penalty on Matt Willhelm that helped put the Falcons in position to kick a game-winning field goal in the final seconds.

In the Bears’ Week 3 win over the Pack, Devin Hester returned a punt 62 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown, which gave Chicago a 14-10 lead with 14 minutes to play. If there’s one area of concern for the Packers heading into this weekend, it has to be their special teams. They’re allowing 38.9 yards per punt attempt this season, which ranks them 26th in the league in that category. Granted, they rank first in kickoff touchback percentage (4.23%), but Weems proved last week that their coverage unit is liable to give up a big play at any time. Hester is a game-changer; the Packers better be prepared.

External Sports, NFL

2011 NFL Playoffs Aaron Rodgers Chicago Bears Clay Matthews Devin Hester Eric Weems Green Bay Packers J'Marcus Webb Jay Cutler Matt Forte Mike Martz

Could Haynesworth wind up in Philadelphia next season?

January 20, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

NFC East beat writer Matt Mosley of ESPN.com threw out an interesting scenario regarding Albert Haynesworth and how he could wind up in Philadelphia next season.

Here’s why:

The Washington Redskins have said they’d be open to Albert Haynesworth returning in 2011, but no one really believes them. And that’s why it’s interesting to note that the Philadelphia Eagles just hired Haynesworth’s all-time favorite position coach.
Haynesworth became one of the best defensive tackles in the league while working with defensive line coach Jim Washburn in Tennessee. The Redskins reportedly tried to unload Haynesworth on the Eagles during the Donovan McNabb negotiation but coach Andy Reid, currently in Antigua, did not have any interest. Perhaps Washburn could change Reid’s mind about Haynesworth.
Take a look at what Haynesworth told The (Nashville) Tennessean about Washburn:
“I owe Coach Wash pretty much everything,” said Haynesworth. “If my deal was $100 million or whatever, then Washburn deserves $90 million. I have the talent, but he taught me how to let it loose. As a player, once you can get through the [expletive], get down to the core of what he is saying, the information is more valuable than gold. He’s a great coach, a great teacher. The Titans should have paid a lot of money to keep him from leaving.”

It’s important to remember that Mosley isn’t reporting news – he’s just speculating based on the relationship that Hanyesworth had with Washburn in Tennessee. But even with that in mind, I doubt the Eagles would take a risk like this.

Defensive tackle and secondary were positions of strength this year for the Eagles, while linebacker was arguably their weakest link. When opponents attacked Philadelphia on the ground, they would usually test the outside edges as opposed to going up the middle. And Philly’s linebackers had a tough time in coverage this season, particularly in the red zone and when trying to man-up with running backs. Teams also tried to attack the Eagles through the air on first down because they knew their base defense (i.e. the 4-3) would be on the field.

Would adding a talent like Hayesworth be beneficial to a team like the Eagles? Of course it would, especially if Washburn could keep him focused and motivated. But defensive tackle wasn’t an issue for the team last year and assuming they would have to part with draft picks in order to acquire the troubled DT from Washington, maybe they would be wise to take a pass.

External Sports, NFL

Albert Haynesworth Philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins

Cleveland radio host goes off on Browns

January 20, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Greg Kozarik, host of Locked and Loaded on the Cleveland.com Digital Sports Network, absolutely went off on the Browns on a recent show. It’s a must listen.

We have a couple of loyal TSR readers who are Brown fans, so I’d love to get their take on this rant. I know many fans follow the “in Holmgren we trust” mantra because what else are they going to hold onto? But is Kozarik’s view how the tortured souls in Cleveland really feel?

I like the part at the end when Kozarik mentions how he hopes the Steelers win it all. Most Cleveland fans are openly rooting against Pittsburgh but I like Kozarik’s take: maybe it’ll motivate the Browns to want to win if they have to watch the Steelers win yet another Super Bowl.

“Al Lerner himself is down in hell right now laughing with Satan, because do you know how much money he stole from Cleveland Browns fans?”

Ouch.

(Hat tip to Midwest Sports Fans and Yardbarker for the clip.)

External Sports, NFL

Al Lerner Cleveland Browns Greg Kozarik Mike Holmgren

Three keys for the Steelers to avoid another upset at the hands of the Jets

January 19, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

One factor that the Jets have to their advantage this week is that they’ve already beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh once this season (22-17 in Week 15). But things could prove to be more difficult for New York this time around.

Below are three keys for the Steelers to avoid another upset.

1. The O-line must rebound.
The play of the O-line continues to be the biggest question mark surrounding this team. Flozell Adams was sick last week with the flu and could barely stand up, which is why he struggled so much against the Ravens. Ramon Foster deserves praise for moving to tackle when Adams left the game, but he continues to be a marginal blocker. Jonathan Scott gave up a handful of pressures and a sack against Baltimore and while Maurkice Pouncey played well overall, he had trouble moving the Ravens’ big defensive tackles at the goal line. In fact, the entire Steelers’ O-line had trouble at the goal line, which includes Chris Kemoeatu (who also made some stupid decisions after the whistle had been blown). What’s interesting is that the Steelers gained 377 total yards against the Jets in Week 15, which included 146 on the ground. They also had touchdown drives of 96 and 74 yards, so they’ve already proven that they can move the ball on Rex Ryan’s stingy defense. But can the O-line elevate their game after last week’s performance? They better, because Ryan has proved over the past two weeks that he can put together some of the best defensive game plans in the NFL.

External Sports, NFL

2011 NFL Playoffs Antonio Cromartie Brad Smith Flozell Adams New York Jets Pittsburgh Steelers Troy Polamalu

Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 188 of 1503)

Vince Young: I’m an “elite quarterback in the NFL”

Two factors that could doom the Packers or Bears

Could Haynesworth wind up in Philadelphia next season?

Cleveland radio host goes off on Browns

Three keys for the Steelers to avoid another upset at the hands of the Jets

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