Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 222 of 1503)

      Assessing blame for Tarvaris Jackson’s lack of development

      December 16, 2010 /
      GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 14: Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson #7 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball during their NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 14, 2008 in Glendale, Arizona. The Vikings defeated the Cardinals 35-14. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

      To the 12 people that watched the Vikings-Giants game on Monday night, it was apparent that Tarvaris Jackson hasn’t grown as a quarterback. Granted, he hasn’t had much time to grow while watching Brett Favre play over the last two years, but he’s been in the league since 2006 and yet you would swear he’s still a rookie.

      The Vikings placed quarterback Jackson on injured reserve Thursday with turf toe, effectively ending his season and most likely his tenure in Minnesota. Brad Childress wanted a “diamond in the rough” when he selected Jackson with the last pick in the second round of the ‘06 NFL Draft and he got one in Jackson, although he never wound up polishing it.

      Part of the blame for that falls on Childress, who was too busy chasing Brett Favre on his ranch in Mississippi to develop the former small school product. Or maybe Childress knew that Jackson was a mistake and that’s why he took painstaking measures to ensure Lord Fave would grace Minnesota with his presence. Either way, somebody failed Jackson along the way.

      The former Alabama State product was projected to go in the later rounds of the ’06 draft but as we all know, projections mean very little. The truth is that other teams wanted Jackson that year too but the Vikings were the ones who got aggressive in the end. Hindsight is always 20/20 and while many people thought it was a reach to take Jackson in the second round, the bottom line is that Childress wasn’t the only one who saw a raw but talented athlete.

      The draft is littered with success stories about quarterbacks who weren’t taken in the top 10. Tom Brady is one – Drew Brees is another. Jackson didn’t play against top competition while at Alabama State but that’s not the only mark of a college quarterback. Given the right amount of time and coaching, there were plenty of people who thought they could turn Jackson into a bona fide NFL starter and Childress was one of them.

      Alas, it didn’t happen. Maybe Jackson just needs a change of scenery and a coach who won’t spend all of his time sucking face with a future Hall of Fame quarterback. Some players take a long time to develop and maybe that fits Jackson.

      Or maybe he’ll never develop. After all, the draft is littered with plenty of those cases, too.

      External Sports, NFL

      Inconsistency could eventually doom Chad Henne, Dolphins

      December 16, 2010 /
      EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 12: Chad Henne of the Miami Dolphins drops back to pass against the New York Jets at New Meadowlands Stadium on December 12, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

      When taking their final three matchups into account, it’s not a stretch to think the 7-6 Dolphins can still make the playoffs. They host the Bills and Lions these next two weeks before traveling to New England to play a Patriots team that may be resting starters by that point.

      But the thought of everything resting on quarterback Chad Henne’s shoulders is enough to make some fans puke and others simply shrug their shoulders and say, “Hey, if he plays like he did against the Raiders then we still have a shot!”

      The only consistent part of Henne’s game right now is inconsistency. For every 307-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Raiders, there’s a 174-yard, three-interception game against the Browns. (Or worse, a 55-yard, 5-for-18 day against the Jets.)

      While some fans want him gone next year no matter how the 2010 season plays out, the numbers suggest that he hasn’t regressed like many think. He’s thrown one more interception through 12 games this year than he did in 14 last year, but he’s also thrown one more touchdown pass in two less games as well. His completion percentage is roughly the same (60.8 last year compared to 60.5 this year), but he’s also throwing for more yards-per-pass attempt (7.0 compared to 6.4 in ’09).

      According to Pro Football Reference.com, his passing touchdown percentage, sack percentage, passer rating, yards per attempt, net yards per attempt, adjusted yards per attempt and adjusted net yards per attempt are all higher than last year, too. So while it would appear as though the on field product has been worse, it’s actually been slightly better on a whole in most categories.

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      External Sports, NFL

      Something doesn’t add up in Sal Alosi “Tripgate” scandal

      December 15, 2010 /
      FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: Head coach Rex Ryan of the New York Jets talks to his players on the bench during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Chris Chambers/Getty Images)

      The Jets are saying that Sal Alosi acted alone last Sunday when he instructed inactive players to line up along the sideline and form a human wall when Miami’s Nolan Carroll was running down field covering a punt. Alosi admitted that he acted alone as well.

      But something still doesn’t add up here. Why would Alosi, a strength and conditioning coach in charge of helping players avoid injuries on Sunday, be a ringleader of something like this? Where’s the benefit? Why would he risk his career to do something so stupid?

      Something tells me we’re not getting the whole truth here. The Jets say that Rex Ryan doesn’t coach his assistants to form human walls on the sidelines and maybe he doesn’t. But unless Alosi’s brain is the size of a walnut, I don’t see a strength and conditioning coach risking their job to do something like this.

      If Alosi did act alone, why haven’t the Jets fired him yet? I could see suspending and fining him if he had a brain fart and tripped Carroll in the spur of the moment. But if what the Jets are saying is true and Alosi actually masterminded this charade, then what’s the point in keeping him on staff? If Ryan doesn’t “coach that way” and neither do any of his top assistants (i.e. special teams coach Mike Westhoff), then why not drop this guy like a bad habit? I’m sure the New York freaking Jets can pick up the phone and have a new strength and conditioning coach hired in 25 minutes. So why retain Alosi?

      I’d be interested to see if they eventually fire him. I don’t want to see anyone lose their job but if Alosi is as dumb as he seems to be, then can him and get somebody who won’t embarrass the entire organization. It’s not like he made one mistake. A mistake would have been tripping Carroll because you got caught up in prank. But this was premeditated, which tells me either Alosi was instructed by a higher up to carry out this plan or he truly acted alone and therefore, shouldn’t keep his job. After all, I wouldn’t want my players being trained by someone as classless as this.

      External Sports, NFL

      Carlos Zambrano to be a Yankee?

      December 15, 2010 /
      June 09, 2010- Milwaukee, WI. Miller Park..Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano pitched for 5 innings giving up 3 runs off of 2 hits to the Milwaukee Brewers..Milwaukee Brewers lost to the Chicago Cubs 4-9..Mike McGinnis / CSM.

      If I’m a Yankee fan the first thing that pops into my head when I read the title of this post is: hey, at least it’s not Carl Pavano.

      That said, Carlos Zambrano a Yankee? Better yet, Carlos Zambrano in New York? Yeeee.

      Bill Madden of the New York Daily News expects the Yankees to target Zambrano via trade at some point this offseason. After losing out on Cliff Lee, the Bombers obviously need to do something and after his midseason meltdown last year in Chicago, Big Z did pitch well down the stretch.

      He would also be reunited with former Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild, who just joined the Yankees. But would Zambrano’s fiery temperament work in the Big Apple? And was his late-season success a sign that he’s returning to form or will his struggles from the first half rear their ugly heads again?

      The Yankees have to do something because their current rotation just won’t do. They’re expecting to hear from Andy Pettitte soon about whether or not he’ll come back for one more year and if I’m Brian Cashman, I’m doing everything in my power to ensure he does.

      But Carlos Zambrano? Talk about a risk/reward situation. He’s coming off a year in which his ERA (3.33) was good, but his WHIP (1.45) was bad. He also won 11 games but we’re talking about a man that was banished from the Cubs for nearly holding all of Wrigley Field hostage during a game (okay, so I may be exaggerating a little).

      Him + NY probably = disaster, although at this point what are the Yankees going to do? The Red Sox have completely retooled and the one player they put all of their efforts into signing this offseason just took less money to play for the Phillies. The Cubs would probably give Zambrano away for a bottle of hand sanitizer and a new latrine for the bathrooms at Wrigley Field, so maybe the Yankees should make a move. At this point, they may not have much of a choice.

      External Sports, MLB

      2010 NFL Week 15 Odds

      December 15, 2010 /
      PHILADELPHIA - NOVEMBER 21: Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles runs with the ball against Antrel Rolle of the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field on November 21, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

      Eagles (9-4) @ Giants (9-4), 1:00PM ET
      This game right here, is what the NFL is about. While the participants in the NFC West continue to play, “Who sucks less?” a legitimate grudge match will take place at the New Meadowlands this Sunday. The Eagles seemingly hold an advantage because they weren’t the ones who had to stay in an airport for two days only to have their game moved to an entirely different city on Monday night. But that won’t be an excuse for the Giants. This is the NFC East and these are the Philadelphia Eagles – a team the Giants should be more than familiar with by now. It’s gut-check time for Eli Manning, who leads the league in interceptions with 19. With how good the Giants’ defense and running game has been of late, there are excuses for Eli starting this weekend. He must play better. On the other side, what is Andy Reid doing to ensure that Michael Vick doesn’t take a pounding courtesy of the Giants’ nasty front seven? You know they’ll be coming after him. Buckle your chinstraps – we’ve got a war in the NFC East this Sunday.
      CURRENT ODDS: GIANTS –2.5

      Jaguars (8-5) @ Colts (7-6), 1:00PM ET
      It doesn’t get any easier for the Colts: If they lose this Sunday, they’re out of the playoffs. If they win their remaining three games, they’re in. See? Easy. The Jaguars currently own a one-game lead over the Colts in the AFC South and have already beaten Indy once this season (a wild 31-28 nail biter in Week 4). A win this weekend would mean an unexpected AFC South crown but that won’t be easy. Peyton Manning threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions last week in a win over the Titans. Prior to that game, he had thrown 11 interceptions in a three-game span but by the looks of things last week, he’s starting to figure things out. With the Jaguars’ currently sitting at 28th in the league in passing yards allowed (258.3), you know Manning will go after the Jacksonville secondary early and often. On the other side, can the Colts’ soft defense slow Maurice Jones-Drew?
      CURRENT ODDS: COLTS –4.5

      Saints (10-3) @ Ravens (9-4), 1:00PM ET
      John Harbaugh can’t feel too great about the way the Ravens’ won in Houston on Monday night. His team had a 28-7 lead early in the third quarter and then went into a coma before waking up in overtime. With Drew Brees and a red-hot Saints team coming to town, now isn’t the time for the vaunted Baltimore defense to be giving up scoring drives of 90-plus yards. If Harbaugh can’t figure out where the leaks are coming from, Brees and Sean Payton will pick them apart. The Ravens can ill-afford to suffer another loss in a tight AFC playoff race and if they have any hope of winning the AFC North, then they can’t lose this weekend. The Steelers will likely get a free win against the hapless Jets and Pittsburgh owns a one-game lead and the tiebreaker based on winning percentage in the division. Time to see what Harbaugh’s squad is made of.
      CURRENT ODDS: RAVENS –1

      Packers (8-5) @ Patriots (11-2), 8:20PM ET
      The Packers dug themselves a hole by losing to the Lions last weekend in Detroit and could be without Aaron Rodgers (concussion) this Sunday night in New England. Matt Flynn can’t beat the Patriots on his own and Tom Brady and Co. look like an unstoppable force. The odds are definitely stacked against Green Bay, which is why they need to hope the Bears lose to the Vikings on Monday night. Even if Chicago wins though, the Packers’ playoff hopes would still be alive (however slim). If the Lions can beat the Bucs (one of the teams the Packers are battling with for a Wild Card spot) earlier in the day, maybe it’ll inspire Flynn to turn in the performance of a lifetime. That seems highly unlikely at this point but hey, crazier things have happened.

      NFL Week 15 Odds:

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      External Sports, NFL

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