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      Another reason to be down on Michael Turner this season…

      August 20, 2009 /

      I’ve already mentioned the “Curse of 370,” but Michael Turner is facing yet another challenge this season — a much tougher schedule.

      Here’s a look at Turner’s performance last year against good, mediocre and bad rush defenses:

      – In three games against top 10 rush defenses (Chicago, Philly and Minnesota), Turner averaged 20.3 carries for 60.7 yards and 0.3 TD, which translates to 8.1 fantasy points.

      – In seven games against teams ranked #11-#20 in rush defense (New Orleans x 2, Carolina x 2, Tampa Bay x 2, and San Diego), Turner averaged 23.4 carries for 92.0 yards and 1.0 TD, which equals 15.2 fantasy points.

      – In six games agains teams ranked #21 to #32 in rush defense (Denver, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City, Green Bay and Oakland), Turner averaged 25.2 carries for 145.5 yards and 1.5 TD, which is 23.5 fantasy points.

      In short, Turner killed poor rush defenses, did pretty well against mediocre defenses and struggled against good ones. That makes sense, right?

      Heading into the 2009 season, Turner’s schedule is shaping up to be tougher. He has six matchups with teams that finished in the top 10 last year, nine matchups with teams that finished #11-#20, and just one game against a team that finished #22-#32 (#22 Buffalo). On average, he’s going from a schedule that has an average rank of 19.3 against the rush to one that has an average rank of 13.6. Not good.

      So assuming that Turner has the same averages against each of the three groups, and last year’s finish is a reasonable expectation for how these defenses will fair (a big assumption, I know), then Turner would project to 358 carries for 1338 yards and 13 TD. Those are still good numbers, but a far cry from the 1699 yards and 17 TD he posted last year.

      Assuming he continues to be a non-factor in the Atlanta passing game (and with the addition of Tony Gonzalez, this is not a big assumption), and posts another six catches for 41 yards, then these rushing and receiving totals translate to 221 fantasy points (in a high performance PPR league). That would have made him RB15 last year.

      I still like Turner — hell, I have him in a keeper league, so I’m rooting for the guy — but I just don’t think he’s first round material this season in PPR leagues.

      Fantasy Football

      Burress receives two-year prison sentence for gun charges

      August 20, 2009 /

      According to the New York Times, former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty to felony weapon charges on Thursday and received a two-year prison sentence.

      Justice Michael H. Melkonian of State Supreme Court accepted the guilty plea. Under the plea agreement, along with the two-year prison sentence, Mr. Burress, 31, is to be sentenced on Sept. 22 to two years of post-release supervision.

      If the case were to go to trial and Mr. Burress were convicted of all charges — two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment — he could face 3½ to 15 years in prison. The plea agreement still needs the approval of a State Supreme Court justice.

      Given his age, this sentence could mean that his career is over. A team might give him a workout once he’s released from prison, but it’s doubtful that anyone would sign him to a contract no matter how much it was worth.

      Not to kick someone while they’re down, but it’s amazing how far Plax has fallen since helping the Giants win a Super Bowl in 2008. He has no one to blame but himself either, after trying to secure a loaded gun in the waistband of his sweatpants while out at a nightclub. How stupid could you be? Who was he trying to impress? Was he actually trying to protect himself or was carrying the gun about image? Even though he shot himself, he’s lucky that no one else was hurt or else his punishment would have been more severe.

      Either way, he has put his football career on life support. Maybe other athletes will look at this situation and realize how great of an opportunity they truly have and strive to stay out of trouble off the field. It’s highly doubtful, but one could hope.

      NFL

      Gonzo struggling to adapt in Atlanta?

      August 20, 2009 /

      In Chris Mortensen’s training camp preview of the Atlanta Falcons, Tony Gonzalez admits that he’s struggling to adapt to his new surroundings.

      “I’ll admit I’m still somewhat uncomfortable,” said Gonzalez. “I’m learning a new offense, I’m making new friends, learning a new freeway system. All the things going into switching teams, I’m going through it right now and it’s kind of tough, like being a rookie all over again.”

      Is that a good or bad thing?

      “I think it’s going to help make me a better player,” said Gonzalez.

      “You get in a whole new system, I’m blocking more at the point of attack, I have different route-running schemes and I’m working with a new quarterback. I think that helps you grow. When you’re uncomfortable like that, or taken out of your element, you either adapt to it or you don’t. When you see the talent on this team, you are motivated to adapt.”

      Gonzalez is the consummate pro, so chances are he’ll eventually settle into his new situation and be productive. And considering the amount of time he spent in Kansas City, it’s understandable that it’s taking a while to get adjusted in Atlanta.

      But considering the amount of blocking that he’s going to do in Atlanta’s offense, he might not have the kind of impact that many thought he would when the Falcons traded for him earlier this offseason. That’s not to say that he won’t be effective; he just might not tear up the stat sheet in Atlanta like he did for so many years in KC.

      That said, he’s still going to be a security blanket for quarterback Matt Ryan, especially in the red zone and on third downs.


      Gonzo was the top TE last season, but changing teams is never easy, so for that reason I believe that Jason Witten and Antonio Gates — who have had more consistency this offseason — are primed to outscore Gonzalez. Plus, the Chiefs were trailing for most of 2008, and that lends itself to catches and yards in garbage time. The Falcons should be leading games in the second half, so that means more Michael Turner and less Gonzo.

      NFL

      10 things to look forward to this college football season

      August 19, 2009 /

      Gump4Heisman has a crude but funny list of the top 10 things to look forward to as college football gets rolling…

      Here’s a bit about Kirk Herbstreit.

      Imagine showing up for work and your boss saying:

      “OK (your name), what we need you to do today is to go to a college campus full of hot p***y and be good-looking on national television. Oh, and be sure to watch plenty of football, talk about plenty of football, and hang out with plenty of uber-famous football coaches. Anyway, here’s your hotel key and a few extra copies for any big busty sluts that happen to throw themselves in the general vicinity of your c**k during the upcoming Thursday-Sunday time frame.”

      Just as a warning, there’s some strong language, so it’s not for the fainthearted.

      College Football, Humor

      Marshall admits he doesn’t know Broncos’ playbook

      August 19, 2009 /

      Brandon Marshall admitted after practice on Wednesday that he isn’t close to knowing the Broncos playbook, which changed following the hiring of new head coach Josh McDaniels.

      From the Colorado Springs Gazette:

      After basically disengaging himself from practice by standing with the defensive players on the sideline and not taking any normal repetitions during 11-on-11 drills (he said it is because he is “not close” to learning the playbook), Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall reiterated he is not happy with the team. He was asked if there were irreconcilable differences with the team.

      “Unfortunately, sometimes it gets to that point,” Marshall said. “There are trust issues on both sides. It’s understandable. We’ve got to try our best to move forward.”

      He said he was starting to work past his issues with the team, but he was upset on Friday when he said a public-relations staffer told Broncos players not to act too happy for Marshall after he was found not guilty of a misdemeanor battery charge in Atlanta.

      “I think the biggest thing was, it was really disappointing hearing that some of my teammates on one of the best days of … for the past three years, of my life, some of my teammates were coached to say ‘Don’t say you’re happy for Brandon,'” Marshall said.

      Cry me a river. Is he serious? He’s upset because a member of the Broncos’ PR staff told players not to act too happy because Marshall escaped charges for allegedly beating his girlfriend? It makes sense that the team doesn’t want its players celebrating the fact that one of their teammates beat a domestic abuse charge.

      It’s amazing how Marshall cannot understand why the Broncos don’t want to give him a contract extension. He’s missed time due to injuries and court appearances, but one would think that within that time he would have cracked open the playbook once or twice. Instead, he’s devoted his time to being pissed at the Broncos for not giving him more money. Makes sense.

      NFL

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