Tag: Maurice Jones-Drew (Page 5 of 6)

      NFL Week 8 MVP Power Rankings

      November 8, 2009 /

      The race for MVP rages on at the midway point of the season, and it’s loaded with QBs, for good reason. Brees, Manning and Favre have a combined record of 21-1 and show no signs of slowing down. So we’ll give them their due, for now. Things are going to get mighty interesting, though, in the coming weeks as races get tighter and become closer to being decided, including this race for NFL MVP…..

      1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—Their games are getting tighter, but it’s not like the Saints just beat a bad Falcons team on Monday night. That was a tough divisional match up and the Saints just keep, you know, marching…oh, forget it.

      2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—No TDs against the Niners, but Manning still had a Week 8 best of 347 yards. Plus, the Colts remain undefeated.

      3. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings—Okay, forget that one blemish against Pittsburgh. After another strong showing against his former team, Favre has now thrown for 1925 yards with 16 TDs and just 3 picks. And his team is 7-1. Raise your hand if you expected that kind of success.

      4. Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings—Three more sacks against the Packers. Jon Gruden talked about Allen having a “motor that never stops,” and that’s pretty spot on. Allen is not just playing like defensive player of the year, he’s making a strong case for MVP.

      5. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals—Sorry Cedric, but while you were on bye, Favre and Allen terrorized the Packers, and Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew racked up a bunch of yards and TDs. We’ll hold you a spot, but let’s see how you do against the Ravens this week.

      Honorable Mention–Elvis Dumervil, Broncos; Andre Johnson, Texans, Tom Brady, Patriots; Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, Chris Johnson, Titans; Reggie Wayne, Colts; Matt Schaub, Texans

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, NFL

      Jones-Drew furious with Jaguars

      October 15, 2009 /

      According to a report by ESPN.com, Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew is furious about the team’s play-calling, its lack of offensive identity and its constant shuffling of offensive linemen.

      In a 15-minute session with reporters Wednesday, Jones-Drew ripped several aspects of his team. He even called himself the second-highest paid “decoy” in the league, behind New Orleans running back Reggie Bush.

      “I don’t like to be embarrassed, so I do get upset about it,” Jones-Drew said. “You lead by actions. You can only say so much. You can talk to somebody until you’re blue in the face and they’re not going to do anything. But if you go out there and show why you’re upset and you try to do something to correct your mistakes, then they’ll pay attention.”

      “It just seems like now if we don’t get 30 yards [rushing], we just go away from it,” said Jones-Drew, whose 75 carries are far less than Garrard’s 169 passes. “I’ve never been a part of a team like that.”

      Jones-Drew goes on to talk about the offensive line being an issue because it’s constantly being reshuffled and never has an opportunity to gel.

      I can almost write a script about what happens next. At some point before Sunday’s game against the Rams, Jones-Drew will apologize and say that he was ‘frustrated’ and ‘just wants to win.’ Then Jacksonville will go out and destroy a hapless Rams team on Sunday and winning will act like a cure-all.

      Rants like these by frustrated players have a way of blowing over quickly. Nobody wants to lose 41-0 like the Jags did last week in Seattle, so players vent. Jacksonville does have a ton of issues, but for the most part the team has been competitive and guys like Jones-Drew are going to have to be patient as the young offensive line gains experience.

      NFL

      2009 fantasy football is coming soon—a look back at 2008 RBs

      June 13, 2009 /

      So you still want to draft a running back with your number one pick after we crunched the numbers to find that quarterbacks have become equally or more valuable in fantasy football? Well, I can’t blame anyone that goes the traditional route here, especially with guys like Michael Turner and Adrian Peterson looking like legitimate #1 picks. Here are last season’s Top 10 running backs in fantasy points, keeping in mind that this is based on my league, and stats vary from league to league:

      1. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers—I know some players take a few years to develop, but I live in Tennessee and saw Williams play on TV a lot when he was with Memphis. I drafted him in 2006 because I knew what not everyone knew—his upside was tremendous. Of course, he had 501 yards and a TD that year. But once DeShaun Foster was gone, Williams exploded, and last year racked up 1639 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns. Potential realized, and there’s more where that came from despite Jonathan Stewart sharing the load.

      2. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons—Turner “The Burner” finally got out from under LT’s shadow in San Diego and showed with his new team that he can be a #1 RB—in a big, big way. In fact, Turner out-rushed LT by almost 600 yards. Take that, AJ Smith.

      3. Thomas Jones, New York Jets—Jones had a big year, with 1519 total yards and 15 scores. But something tells me to expect a substantial drop-off this year. I mean, this is the same guy who scored 1 rushing TD in 2007.

      4. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears—A rookie in 2008, Forte was a pleasant surprise and was basically the Bears’ entire offense. Now they have Jay Cutler at QB, which could mean just a bit less focus on the running game. Still, it’s the Bears, and plus Forte is just as valuable a receiver as he is a runner. Don’t expect a re-run of 2008 (1715 yards and 12 total touchdowns) but don’t expect a crappy season either.

      5. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings—He may be frequently injured but AP is about as explosive as any player in the NFL. In fact, he may be what everyone expected Reggie Bush to be. Who? Yeah, I know. Anyway, Peterson had 1885 all-purpose yards but only 10 TDs. This season, I’m looking for 2400 yards from scrimmage and 15-20 scores. I can feel it.

      6. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles—Off-season surgery is either going to hamper Westbrook or make him better. I’ll still take a Brian Westbrook at 70% than, say, a Willis McGahee at 100%. When Westbook is on the field (1338 total yards, 54 catches, 14 total TDs in ‘08), he’s fantasy money.

      7. Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants—Jacobs seemed to perform best when he shared carries with Derrick Ward, who is now in Tampa. Jacobs will still share carries, but with Ahmad Bradshaw. Jacobs had his second straight 1000-yard season (Ward also topped 1000 yards) with 15 touchdowns, and there is no reason to believe he’ll fall short of that in ’09. Well, unless the injury bug bites again.

      8. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers—I’m still sick about drafting LT #1 last season in my league. I know that having the top pick doesn’t happen too often, and this guy just killed my season and probably everyone else’s that picked him first or second.
      I mean, 1536 yards from scrimmage and 12 scores is not bad, but consider LT’s 2006 season—2323 overall yards and 31 TDs. Last year, LT was more like Thomas Jones in a good year.

      9. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars—Streaky yes, but a solid player who can run and catch passes effectively. MJD had 824 rushing yards, and 62 receptions for 565 with 14 total touchdowns. With Fred Taylor in New England, expect those numbers to jump this season.

      10. LenDale White, Tennessee Titans—This guy was the touchdown bogart for Chris Johnson, with only 773 yards but 15 scores. Should we expect an encore? It’s hard to say, but Jeff Fisher is definitely a creature of habit.

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

      Jaguars sign Jones-Drew to new four-year contract

      April 15, 2009 /

      Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew signed a new four-year, $32.8 million contract to become one of the heist paid backs in the NFL.

      The contract is believed to top the six-year, $49.1 million deal signed by Clinton Portis of the Redskins in 2006. Steven Jackson of the Rams is the highest paid running back. He signed a five-year, 48.5 million deal last season. Larry Johnson of the Chiefs is next. He has five-year, $43.14 million contract.

      Jones-Drew was entering the final year of his contract and was scheduled to make $535,000.
      With the release of Fred Taylor, Jones-Drew, who averaged 4.8 yards a carry during his career, becomes the team’s feature back. He had 941 yards as a rookie and last season gained 824 yards on 197 carries and rushed for 12 touchdowns.

      Jones-Drew has 34 touchdowns during his three-year career.

      Jones-Drew totaled 1,389 yards from scrimmage last year and added 14 touchdowns. With Fred Taylor now in New England, if Jones-Drew can stay healthy he could approach 1,700 to 1,800 total yards and another 15-20 scores. That’s certainly worth what the Jags just paid him.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Offseason Blueprint: Jacksonville Jaguars

      February 21, 2009 /

      Notable Free Agents: Mike Peterson, LB; Brad Meester, C; Khalif Barnes, OT; Reggie Williams, WR; Chris Naeole, G; Joe Zelenka, TE.

      Projected 2009 Cap Space: $15,500,000

      Draft Order: 8

      Top Needs: OL, CB, LB, WR, RB.

      Offseason Outlook: Let the cleansing process begin. The Jaguars have already released long-time veteran running back Fred Taylor, 2008 free agent bust Jerry Porter and disappointing cornerback Drayton Florence. There’s also little to no chance the team makes a play to re-sign middle linebacker Mike Patterson, who was at odds with head coach Jack Del Rio for the better part of the ‘08 season.

      The team also made Gene Smith in charge of personnel decisions and Del Rio is expected to take over the defensive playcalls next year, which should turn out to be two sound moves.

      In terms of personnel, the team needs to address the offensive line first and foremost and then go from there. The O-line was ransacked with injuries last season, not to mention heartbreak when Richard Collier suffered 14 gunshot wounds in early September, which left him paralyzed from the waist down.

      The Jags don’t have to reinvent the wheel because they’re already got the makings of a competitive team. But they need to regroup and rebuild through the draft and a good start would be to get their hands on one of the top offensive tackle prospects that will be available in the top 10.

      Even though his talent is unquestioned, Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith is proving with each passing day that he may be too much of a risk to be taken with the No. 8 overall pick. But Virginia’s Eugene Monrore, Baylor’s Jason Smith or Ole Miss’s Michael Oher could be available and could replace Khalif Barnes at left tackle, who is expected to depart via free agency.

      Even if Jacksonville fills its need for a left tackle in the draft, don’t expect the team to stop there in terms of the offensive line. If they fail to re-sign Brad Meester, center will become a concern and overall depth along the entire offensive line will need to be addressed after the injuries piled up last season.

      If the Jags address the left tackle position in the draft, they could turn their attention to their depleted secondary. As previously noted, the team released Florence after a poor 2008 in which he was benched for Brian Williams, who had to switch from safety. Gerald Sensabaugh (who filled in for Williams when he shifted to corner) isn’t expected back, which means Williams could switch back to safety if Jacksonville can address the cornerback position in free agency. Leigh Bodden (Lions), Domonique Foxworth (Falcons) and Chris McAlister (Ravens) are the top free agent corners.

      The Jags could add some depth at linebacker after Patterson jets via free agency, but the starting three is set with middle linebacker Daryl Smith being accompanied by Justin Durant and Clint Ingram on the outsides.

      Finally, in their ongoing search for productive wideouts, the Jags will look to add at least two receivers this offseason to compete with Matt Jones, Dennis Northcutt and Mike Walker. Reggie Williams isn’t expected to be brought back after years of underachieving.

      The Jags could also could look to bring in a running back to pair with Maurice Jones-Drew, but don’t expect it to be a high priority with the offensive line and secondary holes needing to be addressed first.

      NFL

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