Tag: Atlanta Falcons (Page 38 of 66)

      Which running backs drop the ball the most?

      July 25, 2009 /

      When it comes to fumbles, nobody drops the ball more than quarterbacks, because they handle the ball more than anyone besides the center. Brett Favre has 157 of them, which leads active players (yes, we’re considering Favre active). But many times when a QB fumbles, he can pounce right back on the ball. Running backs are a different story. The ones who fumble a lot often wind up in their coach’s doghouse because most of the time it’s because of careless ball handling. As for fantasy football, you’ll want to be careful with these guys too because they take points off your scoreboard, both by negative points for fumbles, and for lost opportunities on offense. So here is the active Top 10 in fumbles by running backs…..

      1. Edgerrin James (43)—James isn’t as bad as early in his career, like when he fumbled 8 times during his rookie year of 1999 with the Colts. But you tend to look the other way when the other numbers offset the fumbles—and James was an All Pro that year with 2139 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns.

      2. Ricky Williams (41)—Ricky definitely comes down with fumble-it is pretty often, and that has to drive Bill Parcells crazy. I wonder if it would help if Ricky thought he was carrying a bag of..…oh forget it.

      3. Jamal Lewis (39)—Lewis has improved drastically in this area, fumbling only twice last season. But he fumbled 8 times in back to back seasons in 2002 and 2003 while with Baltimore. Yikes.

      4. Ahman Green (37)—He hasn’t fumbled since 2006, but that’s only because Green has carried the ball just 144 times since then.

      5. Michael Pittman (31)—Pittman was one of like 15 running backs used by the Broncos last season.

      6. Shaun Alexander (31)—For a few years there, Alexander was putting up such ridiculous numbers that Mike Holmgren was forced to accept some drops.

      7. Warrick Dunn (26)—He’s never had more than 4 fumbles in a season, but he’s been playing for so long that he wound up on here. Dunn may be one of the most underrated RBs in the history of the NFL.

      8. Fred Taylor (26)—Taylor has fumbled less in recent years, but he’s also carried the ball less. It should be interesting to see if his career is re-ignited in a Patriots’ uniform.

      9. LaDainian Tomlinson (25)—He fumbled 8 times in his rookie year, and only 17 times since. With 2657 total carries, that’s not bad at all.

      9 (tie). Clinton Portis (25)—Portis is a solid RB, but he does have two quirks—he’s injury prone and he drops the ball a few too many times.

      Source: Pro Football Reference

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, Fantasy Football, NFL

      White seeking a new contract – Abraham too?

      July 10, 2009 /

      The Atlanta Falcons were one of the best stories in the NFL last year, as they rose from the depths of football hell and became a playoff team thanks to the roster construction of new GM Thomas Dimitroff, the guidance of new head coach Mike Smith, and the outstanding play of guys like Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Michael Turner and John Abraham.

      But Dimitroff’s job is far from over and now he has the unenviable task of trying to make some of the current players financially happy. The first being White, who enters the final year of his rookie contract, and the other is Abraham, who some believe is searching for a new deal himself.

      Dimitroff’s first priority should be White, who one would assume is seeking Greg Jennings-type money. The productive Packers’ wideout recently signed a three-year extension worth $27 million in base salary, as well as $16 million in guaranteed money. White is certainly worth that type of loot, especially considering he has emerged as one of the better receivers in the game and is clearly the Falcons’ best young playmaker.

      Chances are, Atlanta will re-sign White before the season starts. There’s no reason to play hardball with their best receiver, especially considering how productive he has been over the last three seasons. With Michael Vick’s salary completely coming off the books after the 2009 season, the Falcons should have more than enough money to throw at White.

      Abraham, however, could be a different story. When he was acquired via a trade from the Jets in 2006, he wound up signing a six-year, $45 million contract. The deal also included a $12.5 million signing bonus, but now NFL Network’s Steve Wyche is hearing “rumblings” that Abraham is seeking a new contract and while he won’t command Albert Haynesworth-type money, he might ask for what Jared Allen is making ($73.26 million over six years).

      Granted, this is just a rumor and no other media outlet has confirmed Wyche’s report. But if Abraham does want a new deal, he might not have much leverage considered he’s 31 and is already set to make $5 million in 2009. He can be a one-man wrecking crew at times and as he went, so did the Falcons’ defense last year. But he seemingly is already being paid what he’s worth, so it’ll be interesting to see how the situation plays out.

      NFL

      Was Vick overrated? Only because media made him that way.

      June 26, 2009 /

      There’s something that still chaps my hide whenever the topic of Michael Vick (the quarterback, not the dog fighter) gets brought up.

      ESPN.com is running an “All-Decade” feature this week and for one of their topics they listed the top 25 most overrated NFL players of the decade (Insider subscription required). Who is No. 2 you ask? Well the dog fighter former Falcons quarterback himself, of course.

      2. Michael Vick: Even before Vick’s sordid off-field activities came to light, he was a disappointing No. 1 overall pick. Vick was a great runner, sure, but when he dropped back to pass, he turned into Tyler Thigpen or Derek Anderson, quarterbacks who are close to Vick’s career averages of 6.7 yards per pass attempt, 1.4 touchdowns for every interception and 52.8 completion percentage. His upside at this point is “Best Wildcat Quarterback,” not best NFL quarterback.

      What I’ve always found funny is that the media was the one that built Vick into this Super Jesus Quarterback (SJQ) coming out of college, then when he never lived up to their lofty expectations, they were the first to say he was one of the most overrated signal callers ever to lace up the cleats.

      The media were the ones who said Vick would reinvent the quarterback position, find a cure for lupus and solve the world’s hunger problem. And some fans bought into that because of all the hype that surrounded him coming out of college.

      But what was he at Virginia Tech? A runner. And what was he in Atlanta? A dog fighter. A runner. So how is he overrated? Because he didn’t live up to the media’s expectations? That’s what makes him overrated?

      Why is it such a conundrum that Vick wasn’t a great passer? Frank Beamer only gave him six plays to learn at VA Tech, so it’s not like Vick was Peyton Manning (a great passer who put up great passing numbers at Tennessee) coming out of college. Dan Reeves and Jim Mora did their best to try and make Vick a quarterback, but obviously he just didn’t have it in him.

      The media saw Vick’s big arm and thought, “passer.” But the fact of the matter is that Vick was an athlete first and always. Fans are partially to blame in all of this because they hyped him up too, but they mostly loved his athletic ability and marveled at what he could do with the ball in his hands. It was the media that wanted him to reinvent the position as both a runner and a passer. Now they want to claim, “Vick wasn’t a good quarterback – he was overrated.” Really, Captain Obvious? Well you made him that way.

      You know what’s overrated? The term “overrated” in sports. A player is only overrated when the media over hypes him and he fails to live up to those expectations. So let’s relax with all the overrated talk and just enjoy the damn games for once. Either that, or let’s only talk about the players who are underrated, because at least it focuses on those who deserve more attention for what they can do on a field.

      NFL

      Ten NFL players facing make or break seasons

      June 25, 2009 /

      Training camp is still a month away but you don’t need daily reports from the grueling two-a-day sessions to see what players are going to have the heat turned up on them this season. I’ve complied a list of 10 players (in no particular order) who, not necessarily the same reasons, face make or break seasons in ’09.

      1. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys
      If Romo doesn’t get the Cowboys to the playoffs in 2009 will Jerry Jones look for other options at quarterback in 2010? No. But if you read between the lines, the Cowboys jettisoned Terrell Owens this offseason so that Romo will have every opportunity to be the team’s most influential leader and hopefully go from being a great quarterback to one of the elite. While it might not technically be a make or break season for Romo, his career is certainly at a crossroads. Romo’s numbers last year were solid – 3,448 yards, 26 TDs, 91.4 QB Rating – but his play faded over the last month of the season and the Cowboys imploded. Since then, Romo’s work ethic, offseason dedication and leadership skills have been questioned and it appears as though the QB’s career has come to a fork in the road. If he continues on the path his currently on, he might put up decent numbers and lead the Cowboys to the playoffs a couple more times before his days are done. That’s certainly not bad, but Jones and the rest of the Cowboy faithful want Romo to be extraordinary and if he completely dedicates himself to the game, maybe he can take this talented team to the next level. One thing’s for sure – with T.O. out of the way, this is now Romo’s team and it’s up to him where he and the Cowboys go from here.

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      NFL

      2009 fantasy football is coming soon—a look back at 2008 tight ends and kickers

      June 20, 2009 /

      When you are drafting your fantasy football team, you’re picking running backs, receivers and quarterbacks first. Tight ends and kickers are usually taken in the mid-late rounds because their value isn’t as high, and, especially in the case of kickers, you can still get a decent one in the draft’s final round. Here is a look back at the 2008 leaders at the two positions and how we think those numbers will project to 2009:

      TIGHT ENDS

      1. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs—During a season in which he was kind of auditioning for other teams, Gonzalez had one of his best campaigns—96 catches for 1058 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those are, like, Torry Holt numbers. Gonzo is now with the Atlanta Falcons, where he should have the opportunity to put up similar numbers in 2009.

      2. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers—Gates had a disappointing season overall, with zero 100 yard games. But he was hurt most of the year, so even when he played he was hobbling. Still, 704 yards and 8 scores is not too shabby. This season, Gates should top that by at least 50%.

      3. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts—Clark was injured to start the 2008 season, but he really came on strong toward the end of it, just like his Colts team did. Clark owners were treated to a 12-catch, 142-yard, 1 TD game in week 15, and overall he finished with 77 catches for 848 yards and 6 touchdowns. There is no good reason to expect any less in ’09.

      4. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings—Shiancoe made more headlines for inadvertently showing his bare ass on camera, but he finished the season with one huge game to pad his 2008 stats, too. That was in Week 16, known in the fantasy world as title week—so Shiancoe no doubt helped some of you win your league by catching 7 passes for 136 yards and 2 scores, giving him totals of 42-596-7 on the season. But dude is too streaky to consider drafting earlier than the 12th round or so.

      5. Anthony Fasano, Miami Dolphins—Fasano was streaky but, like Shiancoe, he had a 2-TD game in Week 16, which boosted his season value. Fasano finished with 34 catches for 454 yards and 7 TDs, but I’d be surprised if he’s even drafted by 50% of you. I mean, Jason Witten didn’t even make this list due to being hurt most of ’08.

      KICKERS

      1. Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots—The Patriots didn’t score as many TDs as they did in 2007 so Gostkowski only had 40 extra points as opposed to 74 the year before. That meant more field goal opps, and he converted 36 of 40 to lead all kickers with 148 points. He also had four field goals and five PATs in week 16 to help some win titles. With Tom Brady back, there is no reason to think Gostkowski’s numbers will dip much, but he may have more extra points in ’09.

      2. David Akers, Philadelphia Eagles—He’s had a history of injuries, but when he’s in the lineup, Akers is one of the game’s most accurate kickers. Last season he had two 4-field goal games and three 3-field goal games. The Eagles are going to put points on the board, so Akers is draft material for sure.

      3. John Carney, New York Giants—This was almost a fluke, as Carney had to fill in for the injured Lawrence Tynes. He did so well that he made the Pro Bowl, kicking 35 of 38 field goals and 38 of 38 on extra points. But with Tynes healthy, Carney is once again looking for work in ’09.

      4. Matt Bryant, Tampa Bay Bucs—Bryant had to endure the death of his infant son a few games in, but he battled admirably. However, this is the Bucs we’re talking about, and they only allowed Bryant 36 PAT chances. Overall he had 32 of 38 field goals and 35 of the 36 extra points. But guys like Bryant are valuable because they play on teams that don’t score a lot of TDs, giving them more field goal chances. He should have similar numbers this season.

      5. John Kasay, Carolina Panthers—Kasay had a 4-field goal game in week 1 and another in week 17, but only 20 field goals in the other 15 games. I’m just saying, I probably wouldn’t draft the guy.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, Fantasy Football, Happy Hour, NFL

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