View from the Goal Post

Hester, gains the most by off-season moves?

2012-06-12T18:24:00.001-05:00

The Bears have made a lot of moves to improve their offensive skill positions this offseason, the position that seen the most improvement was wide receiver. The Bears added Brandon Marshall, via trade and Alshon Jeffery via the draft. All signs point to Jeffery being a very good receiver in the NFL, but none will know till they start training camp and start playing games. The Bears now have a true number one wide receiver, in Marshall. Marshall is a top ten wide receiver. While Jeffery has a ton of promise he is still an unproven rookie. The player that might benefit the most from the acquisition of these two players is Devin Hester.

When thinking, Hester benefits the most it is a little hard to comprehend because he has had enough time to show his skill set in the NFL. While Hester has had time to show his skill set, the one thing that the Bears have been lacking since he has been in town, is a number one wide receiver. The benefit of having number one receiver is the coverage will role to Marshall.

Ever since Hester was moved to wide receiver I have been unable to figure out why he was always playing an outside receiver. Hester’s best games and plays on offense have come from him playing the slot. Yet the Bears continue to line him up outside on most of his snaps.

In the 2012-13 season Mike Tice plans on Hester lining up on the outside, yet again. However this year it is much different than past seasons. The Bears have Marshall. Teams have to respect Marshall and will most likely roll coverage his way. If the Bears put Hester in the slot the safety can cheat and be able to split the difference between the Hester and Marshall. Since teams now have more to worry about then the speed of Hester. This year it makes sense to have Hester on the outside because it keeps teams honest, they can’t cheat. Cheat towards Marshall and Hester can get behind the defense with his speed. If teams cheat towards Hester (which I can never foresee happening because he is not very good at his job that being catching the ball) Marshall will win a one on one battle with cornerbacks most of the time. There is also Jeffery who will being playing in the slot roaming the middle of the field, even thought he is a rookie he will still demand respect at first because of his size. But if Jeffery struggles early, which happens with most rookie wide receivers, the Bears plans go up in smoke. But if Jeffery has some good games early the passing attack for the Bears could be very good. The passing attack would still the third best in the NFC North. However it could be a top 10 in the NFC.

Did Bears error on not drafting offensive lineman?

2012-04-30T19:13:00.000-05:00

After the NFL draft this past weekend most fans, by most I mean 99.9%, wanted the Bears to draft an offensive lineman in the first few rounds. Personally figured they would go offensive lineman in round two or three. We all knew they were going defensive line or wide receiver with the first pick, all signs pointed out to defensive end. I wish they would have drafted an offensive lineman at some point in the draft, would have preferred second or third round. I am not also up in arms about them not taking an offensive lineman at all during the draft. The Bears like who they have at the position, at least publicly. This is what Lovie Smith had to said on Saturday, "We as a coaching staff are going to try and put the players in a better position, adding Chris and Gabe to the mix. There's a period of time, as you might have forgotten, during the season, when we played pretty good ball on the offensive line."
I have heard people say that Mike Tice loves J’Marcus Webb. Webb has shown flashes of a good player since he first started playing in the NFL, but he does not give 100% effort all the time. Webb is not a star left tackle by any means. Tice also likes the group as a whole. They bears did add some depth to the position this offseason they signed G Chilo Rachal from the 49ers, who has played in all but one game since he enter the league in 2009. In 2010 the Bears had a guard playing right tackle, a center playing right guard, a guard playing center at left tackle playing guard. Only Webb was in the spot he was penciled in as to start the season. Also, they were down 2 starters from almost the start of the season.
The Bears also feel that the change in play calling will have an effect on the offensive line. Which is something that I agree with, the one thing everyone knows you get with Mike Martz is your team will give up sacks. So with Martz gone ideally there should be fewer sacks. Also, Tice will make protection calls based on what he feels the offensive line is comfortable with and can execute. Cutler will also have the ability to audible to the right play call and protection.
Also, with weapon(s) on the outside teams will not be able to load up the box and play man outside every passing situation. Teams will need to either double Marshall or roll coverage to his side. If Alshon Jeffery, Bears second round pick can produce a little bit that will also help. With Marshall and Jeffery on the outside Devin Hester moves to the slot where he has been the most productive since he joins the Bears. Hester is able to produce more in the slot because it is much harder to jam him when he is off the ball. Teams also have to respect him because he is a deep threat.
Not that an of these reasons fix the talent level of the players on the offensive line, but these do take pressure of them as a unit. I should be better in 2012 than they were in 2011.

Seahawks got a good deal with Flynn

2012-03-20T09:26:00.001-05:00

One of the most intriguing free agents this year in the NFL was quarterback Matt Flynn formerly of the Green Bay Packers. He was intriguing because there is so much that is unknown about him. It is almost like drafting a rookie quarterback, but Flynn has played sparingly in NFL games and has started two games. Flynn played very well in those two games, but it is hard to judge a player off just two games. There have been many cases of quarterbacks playing sparingly and playing well to only to falter later on in their careers.

The most recent example is Kevin Kolb, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, who is now a member of the Arizona Cardinals. In July 2011, the Cardinals gave up Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick in 2012. The Cardinals then turned around and gave Kolb a 5-year $63 million deal with $27 million guaranteed. Also, just recently they had to give Kolb a $7 million roster bonus. The Cardinals did this after seeing Kolb started only 7 games and played in a total of 19 games completing 194 passes for 2082 yards and 11 touchdowns in his four years as an Eagle. Now Kolb has only been in Arizona for a year and could have a much better year this year than he did last year. It is hard to judge a player off one year, in a new place and system, not sure he will be much better but only time will tell.

Flynn has actually played 34 games, most coming in 2009 when he played in 15 games. He has started two games over his four-year career both of which have come in the last two years, one in 2010 and 2011. Flynn has completed 82 passes for 1,015 yard and 9 touchdowns. Recently, he signed a 3-year $26 million ($10 million guaranteed) with Seattle Seahawks. By most reports of the deal it is truly a 2-year deal worth between $13.5-16 million over the course of those two years.

This is a great deal for both the Seahawks and Flynn. Seahawks are only committed for 2 years at a cheap price, if he turns into a franchise quarterback many people believe he can be for the Seahawks. It is great for Flynn because he will be a starter in one of the weakest divisions in football where he can prove that he is a starter. If he does pan out the Seahawks will most likely extend the contract in the middle of or after the 2nd year of the contract. Seahawks also got Flynn for a million dollars less then what the Cardinals gave Kolb in guaranteed money. It is somewhat ironic that Flynn chose the Seahawks because the last Green Bay backup quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck, to leave also went to the Seahawks. The Seahawks and their fans are hoping Flynn turns out to be just as good as Hasselbeck was for them.

Flynn should work out for the Seahawks, but there are just as much risk here as with drafting a quarterback in the first round, simply because so much unknown. However, instead of being tied to a first round quarterback for 4-5 years, the Seahawks are only tied for two years, but it should be much more then that as Flynn should thrive with this chance to start. This could turn out to be the best signing of the 2012 free agency period, yes even better then Mario Williams. Reason for that is franchise quarterbacks are harder to find than a pass rush specialist.

Where will Peyton land?

2012-03-18T17:30:00.000-05:00

O where O where will Peyton Manning land? At this point no one knows. Peyton is a perfectionist; most likely turning over every stone he can find to unearth information about each team, and the members of each team. There is talk of him wanting to stay in the AFC because he knows most of the players. Which makes complete sense; it is easier to adjust when there is no need to have to worry about learning a ton of new defensive players. But that is something Peyton will most likely not have a problem with, because he studies film like no other player in the NFL. So before he picks a team he will most likely know almost everything about the players on that team. So the question is where is he going to go? Peyton has narrowed it down to 3 places: Denver, Tennessee, and San Francisco. Ranking the teams in order in which could be the best fit for him, obviously this is just a complete guess but I am going to base it off the roster in which each team has and the team performance from last year.

1.) San Francisco- I believe this will be his choice they have the best roster from top to bottom then any of the teams left. They have had a great running game for years their biggest weakness has been their passing game. Their defense is very solid, better than any the Colts had with him there. This past season the 49ers lack was a passing game. This off season they looked to improve that area; they have added Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. Not sure how much Moss has left if he has anything left, but if Moss does this team will be even better than they were last year. Manningham and Moss can open up the middle of the field for Vernon Davis, who was second in receiving yards behind Michael Crabtree last season. If Crabtree can get it together, 49ers could have four good receiving options. Peyton should make them all better, with the exception of Moss. 49ers make the most sense based on the roster. Also make a ton of sense since the division is so weak, this would put them heads and shoulders above everyone else in the division. The 49ers are the only team in the NFC that Peyton is selecting from, which could be the biggest issue. Some have said that he will stay in the AFC because that will still allow for the possibility of a Manning bowl.

2.) Denver- The next best choice, they had an unbelievable season. But the question is was it just a fluke? Their defense had a great year but their offense struggled. However, they were able to win games. Tim Tebow was able to put together some good games but very streaky player to say the least. Broncos have a good running game and defense. However they lack any big time receivers, they have some young guys in Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas. Both are going to be 3^rd year receivers next season, which is typically a break out year for the position. It hard to judge their production from last year because Tim Tebow was at quarterback. They have a pretty well rounded team, adding Manning should make them the favorite in the AFC West. This is another weak division.

3.) Tennessee- The sentimental choice is the Titans. Peyton went to University of Tennessee. This would also allow him to play in the AFC south, the same division as the Colts. Titans have two good wide receivers Kenny Britt and Nate Washington. Have one of the best running backs in the NFL in Chris Johnson, who struggled last year after holding out most of training camp. Had a top 10 scoring defense last season. I think it is a good fit for Manning; not sure it is the best fit for him.

With Peyton looking for a new team it is having affects on other quarterbacks. Alex Smith, 49ers QB last year, is now looking at his options outside San Francisco, in Miami today his next stop is Seattle. If Smith would have signed the 3 year deal he was offered the 49ers would not even be in the picture at this point, but he did not sign. This gave the 49ers a chance to take a look at Manning.

There has been talk of the Broncos trading Tebow if they got Manning, not sure this will happen anymore. The most likely spot he was headed was Jacksonville but they signed Chad Henne on March 14, to a 2 year $6.75 million contract. The Broncos should hold on to Tebow and hope he can improve as an understudy of Manning’s.

The Tennessee Titans already have Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback. He would be released if the Titans were able to get Manning. Hasselbeck would most likely go to Cleveland since they run the same offense as Seattle did while he was the quarterback there. The Titans are another team that would have an understudy for Manning in Jake Locker. Who has played sparingly since he was drafted eight overall in 2011.

The Uniqueness of Baseball

2012-03-15T14:32:00.000-05:00

The game of baseball is very unique, in the fact that almost every game a person watches or goes to something happens that could not have been expected. There are plays in almost every game that have never been done before in the history of the game. This is an odd game because someone truly never knows what to expect at any game. I think that’s why so many people enjoy the game so much because there is always something new happening, which is odd for something that has been around since 1864. This play is an example of that: the score book reads 1-3-4-6 caught stealing.

The made is hard to see because you never truly see the second baseman, but the ball is only about 20 feet off the first base line. It was a perfect throw, it really could have been any better. When the play is slowed down the viewer can see the ball behind the runners back as he is sliding in to second. The ball some how goes right into the glove.

All NFC North Team- Defense

2012-01-18T17:22:00.002-06:00

Julius Pepper (CHI)

Jared Allen (MIN)

B.J. Raji (GB)

Corey Williams (DET)

DT- or 3 tech

Ndamukong Suh (DET)

Kevin Williams (MIN)

Strong-side linebacker

Clay Matthews (GB)

Chad Greenway (Min)

Middle linebacker

Brain Urlacher (CHI)

Stephen Tulloch (DET)

Weak-side Linebacker

Lance Briggs (CHI)

Desmond Bishop (GB)

These were the hardest to select because so much outside things affect their play on the field. The secondary’s of every NFC North team was very weak this year. The team ranked the highest in yards giving up was Detroit at 22; the lowest was Green Bay at 32.

Charles Woodson (GB)

Charles Tillman (CHI)

Louis Delmas (DET)

Charlie Peprah (GB)

Amari Spievey (DET)

Chris Conte (CHI)

Total by team- Det- 5 Chi-5 GB-5 Min-3

All NFC North Offensive team

2012-01-17T15:55:00.001-06:00

Based on stats for the most part. Hardest spots were o-line. The end of the year team is fairly close to my preseason picks, only 6 changes

Aaron Rodgers (GB)

Matt Stafford (Det)

Adrian Peterson (Min)

Matt Forte (Chi)

James Starks (GB)

Calvin Johnson (Det)

Jordy Nelson (GB)

Greg Jennings (GB)

Percy Harvin (Min)

Jermichael Finley (GB)

Brandon Pettigrew (Det)

Visanthe Shiancoe (Min)

Jeff Backus (Det)

Charlie Johnson (Min)

Steve Hutchinson (Min)

Rob Sims (Det)

John Sullivan (Min)

Scott Wells (GB)

Josh Sitton (GB)

Chris Spencer (Chi)

Bryan Bulaga (GB)

Gosder Cherilus (Det)

By team- GB-8 Det-6 Min-6 Chi- 2

Mr. Tebow: Love him or hate him. No middle ground allowed

2012-01-13T18:40:00.000-06:00

Tim Tebow during pregame (1-8-12) warm-ups before the Broncos 29-23
overtime win.

I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t hold back. I have to give a Tim Tebow blog another go; I started to write a blog a few weeks ago but never finished as I ran out of steam.

Tebow has captured the football world, even more the nation. We now have “Tebow time” and “Tebowing”. The TV numbers back up that he has taking the nation by storm; the Steelers Vs Broncos game on January 8, 2012 received a 25.9 rating or roughly 42.3 million people. (I don’t understand TV ratings at all, just know the bigger the number the more people that watched) Tebow gives the nation an athlete that has done nothing wrong off the field. This is great because we are finally talking about an athlete that does nothing but good things off the field instead the “bad ones” that we have become accustomed to.

Now to be honest I have never really been a fan of Tebow, because he went to Florida and I am not a big fan of Florida football. Also, because the media has latched on to him since he was a freshman at Florida. It’s not that I don’t like him; I just got sick of hearing about him nonstop. It has only gotten worst since he starting playing this year and the team went on an unbelievable run. Which now has led to a win in the playoffs, which is great for them.

The biggest problem with talking about Tebow is there is no middle ground. People who love him can’t see his play on the field, or refuse to open their eyes; only thing they see are wins. Which at the end of the day are the only thing that matters, but it does not translate in to long term success.

People who hate him don’t understand him and hate him for a variety of reasons. People for some reason are not able to separate his on field play and his off field life. Which is kind of ironic since people are able to keep players with bad reputations on field play apart for their off field problems.

We finally have an athlete by all accounts has done nothing but good things off the field and people just can’t wait to knock him. Now part of it is the media with their nonstop coverage of Tebow. Some don’t like his religious belief, which is their own choice.

I respect Tebow off the field for everything he does and continues to do. For me it’s the on field play that I cannot respect, other then the wins. Now don’t get me wrong he has gotten better most weeks he has been out there playing. Which is great for him and the Broncos. There are many quarterbacks in the NFL who have been able to win games despite their skills. Reason they have talent all around them; this is something that Tebow has. The worst two positions on the Broncos are Quarterback and receivers, receivers are young and both look like they might be good receivers in the NFL. Tebow has been getting better but he is nowhere near being a good quarterback in the NFL. This is where people who love him start to get upset. There is no way around it, his stats are terrible, if it was any other QB people would be calling for him to be replaced. People look to replace quarterbacks whose teams have had good years, but they were subpar all the time. Tebow completed just 46.5% of his passes this season for 1,729 yards. Tebow however threw for 12 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions. A good Td: Int ratio for any Qb in the NFl, there are good Qb with a lower ratio.

The best player to compare Tebow to is Mark Sanchez. Now I believe Sanchez is the better QB right now, but he is not good. To me the Jets have won in spite of Sanchez. I feel the same way about Tebow and the Broncos. The Broncos have won games that Tebow has done some great things in the fourth quarter. The Broncos defense is keeping them in games allowing for “Tebow Time”. The same thing has happened with Sanchez, who has led 11 come back wins in the fourth quarter in his 3 years in the NFL. Tebow has been apart of 7 total in two years, one last year and one in the playoffs. However pro-football-reference.com states that the “QB deserves no credit for the comeback”. Which I guess since the Steelers were the ones making the comeback it makes sense but Tebow did throw the game winning TD in overtime for the Broncos.

Can Tebow be successful in the NFL? Short-term answer yes, long term answer jury is still out. It is hard to say no to the long term because how much he has improved in such a short time period. Would I like him to be successful? Yeah why wouldn’t I he is an underdog, everyone told him he couldn’t play in the NFL. He is winning games but to be a long-term success he needs to improve a ton in the passing game. He needs to learn to make reads and trust his offensive line early in games. A lot of the plays Tebow makes are because he doesn’t see the open receivers and just takes off running. He will grow, he could be good, but he is a work in progress that still has a ton of rough edges.

Tebow lovers also need to pump the breaks when it comes to talking about him. Only thing Tebow has going for him right now are the wins. What happens once they stop coming? I have no problem with people who like him. I think they just need to realize this might not last long, unless he improves. But if he does improve there will be no need for “Tebow Time” which for now I think it should be called “Elway time” since he lead 46 fourth quarter comebacks in his day. Glad to see the magic staying in Denver, there must be something in that Rocky Mountain water.

· FYI the most come back wins ever by a QB is 51 which is held by Dan Marino followed by Elway and Peyton Manning with 46 each.

BCS: More like Show Me the Money

2011-11-29T18:17:00.001-06:00

Dear MR. NCAA,

I am sick and tired of hearing about the BCS. You make the claim that going to a playoff system would water down the regular season. You make the claim that every game means something…I will stop right there. Personally, I don’t see how a playoff system would water down the regular season. I don’t see how it is okay to have a playoff system at every other level. I guess D-IA (aka FCS)-D3 mean nothing, the only level that you don’t want watered down is D-I aka FBS. The claim that every game impacts the BCS standing is just a lie. This coming weekend (or should I say week, since the only two days teams don’t play games are Sunday and Monday, but only when there is NFL football, otherwise any day is fair game) not ONE single game will have an impact on the BCS standing. This year could turn into a mess, I for one don’t want to see and LSU-Bama rematch for the title. Why you ask? We’ve been there done that already. It’s was late in the season, if it was earlier in the year I would be all for it, but not now. So I am here today to propose a playoff system that I believe could work, it might even make more money than the current system. We all know the only thing the NCAA cares about is money. So here goes nothing.

My idea is a 16-team playoff system, starting a week after the conference championship games and ending either the first weekend in January or some time that week. This would help the teams because a month layoff hurts timing that the team develops over the year. Oh wait, you don’t care about the game you want to hear about the money. Sorry I will get to that for you, Mr. NCAA. This system would yield a total of 15 games. Each game could use a current bowl game for its title, since we don’t need any more bowl games. This is the part you will like this allows you or whoever charges the company to attach their name to a bowl more money. Which allows for a bigger TV contract since all the games are bundled together, again more money. Also, the playoff system would allow for the game to be decided on the field, and not on a computer or a coach who ranks his own team. This would also allow for all other bowl games to be played, but for the love of God stop with all the bowl games. I love football but I don’t want to see two 6-6 teams battle it out. The bowls should be a privilege not a right, and right now more than half of D-I teams make a bowl game. This is the first grade where everyone gets a ribbon for taking part.

I am open for ideas on how to come up with the 16 teams. My idea is to use the BCS standing (I know the NCAA does not want to get rid of it) that takes the top 16 teams. But like the current rules no more than 2 teams per conference, be willing to up it to 3. No more AQ, unless every conference gets one. No teams should have the right to play in the post season because they were the best in their conference at 6-6, I am looking at you UCLA, who would be the Pac-12 rep if they beat Oregon, but that’s a really big IF, but anything can happen.

So to recap

1. 16 team playoff

2. More money

3. Chance for more money

4. BCS can still be used

5. Did I say more money?

Thank You,

A concerned NCAA fan

Also a retired D3 football player (Can I get some kind of pension)

Is Devin Hester a Hall Of Famer?

2011-11-02T22:07:00.000-05:00

As of right now, I say NO. Without a doubt he is the greatest return man in the history of the game, but this does not equate to being Hall of Fame worthy. It’s hard for someone to make it as a special team player into the hall. Take a guess at how many guys that were just special team players are in the hall... if you said one you are right. The only player that was a special team’s player is Jan Stenerud; he was a place kicker who played 18 years. He scored 1,699 points, had a 66.8% success rate at kicking field goals and 96.5% on extra points.

It is hard for a special teamer into make it to the hall. For the simple fact they are on the field for so few plays a game. Last year Marc Mariani had the most Kick Returns in the NFL with 60 over a course of a season; that is an average of 3.75 times a game. Tramon Williams lead the NFL in punt returns with 41 over a course of a season; that is an average of 2.56 times a game.

Now these are both the top return guys from each category, not taking into account times when they did not return the ball. However, it gives a general idea of the number of plays that they were on the field. Taking the numbers and combining them leads to 101 plays on the field. I’ll add the top number of fair catchers on punts, which was 21 last years. So the total now stands at 122 plays in a season or 7.63 plays a game.

I understand that the number of kick/punt returns is not comparable to the number of plays on offense but it puts things into perspective.

Last year the team that ran the most plays during the course of the season was the Atlanta Falcons, who ran 1,097 plays on offense. Which comes to an average of 68.56 plays a game. Taking the team that ran the least amount of plays it comes out to 56.69 plays a game, the Titans ran the least plays a game a total 907 plays last year.

Last year in the NFL there were a total of 32,319 offense plays ran. This is an average of 1,009.97 plays a team for the year and 63.12 play a game for each team.

Now looking at the average plays per game 63.12 and the average number of kick/punt returns a game 7.63; it takes 8.27 games for a kick/punt returner to equal the number of plays that a member of the offense is on the field for a single game. So it takes almost a whole year for a kick/punt returner to play the equivalent number of plays that a member of the offense participates in during the course of two games. As a result, takes a returner eight years to participate in the same number of plays as an offensive player does in one year.

Throughout Hester’s career he has returned 128 kicks and 189 punts, in 83 total games. His combined total return is 3.8 per game, when adding his 52 fair catches it comes to 4.45 a game. Just last year Hester averaged 3.4 return-plays a game, including fair catches. He had a total of 55 returns and fair catches.

The Bears had a total of 936 plays last year on offense. That comes out to 60.19 plays a game. Hester only had 55 total returns last year, so he did not even play a full game based on the average number of plays the Bears had per game.

This year the Bears through seven games are averaging, 60.14 plays a game on offense. While Hester is averaging 4.42 returns a game. He has played one half of football so far this season, as he has been involved in 31 total plays.

I understand that Hester has an impact on the game, on more than just his returns. Some teams elect to kick the ball out of bounds on a punt instead of kicking it to him. Also, fin the battle for field position they can flip the field advantage to their respective team. A long return can spark a team even if it is not a touchdown.

Now Hester owns many records as a return man, he owns the career total kick/punt return for touchdown record for returns with 16. When all is said and done he will most likely own the record for more returns for touchdowns, this includes all type of returns (punts, kicks, missed field goals, fumbles, and interceptions).

I think for Hester to make the Hall of Fame, based just on his special team accomplishments, he needs to end his career with about 25-30 returns for touchdowns. This is going to be very hard to do, if not impossible. Another way Hester can make the Hall of Fame is if he improves himself as a wide receiver.

Now realistically Hester can improve as a wide receiver as he is still just learning to play the position. There are only a few receivers in the league that have been playing the position shorter then Hester. He is only in his fifth year playing wide receiver. Hester will never be a number one receiver however; he can be a good slot receiver. There is no other player in the league that can run with him in the open field. If you think there is watch his punt/kick returns, the cuts he makes and his vision are unbelievable.

The biggest problem is that the Bears have no receivers, so Hester is made to play on the outside. This is a problem for him because he can’t use his skill set, because he is easily jammed, due to his small stature. It is much harder to jam a slot receiver, which would allow Hester to get off the ball clean. His best game this year came when he played the slot the most against the Vikings, where he had five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown.

If Hester can somehow get to around 8,000 yards and 50 touchdowns as a receiver I think he has a great chance to make the Hall of Fame if he does not return another kick for a touchdown. However, Hester would need 5,496 more yards to get to 8,000 and 37 more touchdowns to get to 50. Can he do it? I am not sure, but I would love to see it happen.

More than just a whistle: Coaches

2011-10-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

Coaching is one of the hardest professions in the world and one that people undervalue every day. As fans we turn on the TV or attend a game, that's about all we can do as fans. Sure we can try and coach from the stands and tell everyone around us what the coaches are doing wrong, that's the easiest part of any game. Another easy spot on the team is the armchair quarterback; sure it's easy to see where the quarterback should have went with the ball on the 2nd or 3rd replay. But it's not that easy in full speed with guys flying all around.

A good coach puts everything they have into improving their team. However, when it comes down to the outcome of a single game itself, it's really not up to the coach whenever the team wins or loses. Sure a coach can make a few bad decisions during a game or at the end of a game, which many view as the calls that lost the game. However, that is not always the case. As Bob Conwell, one of my football coaches would say there are five plays that change a game. After hearing this for the first time I did not believe it, but it really does hold true. Take any football game, there are five plays with-in that game that either won or lost your team the game. Sometimes the play seems like the littlest thing at the time, but it can have a major impact on the game in the end. The game comes down to the players not the coach. The reason for this is that good players can overcome bad coaching, but good coaching can't overcome bad players.

When it comes to sports everyone wants to win, just like many other facets of life. But no one wants to win more than a coach. No one puts more work into the team or upcoming game as a coach.

Coaching can really take its toll on someone when their team isn't winning or playing well. As a society we have been taught that winning on the field is the only thing that matters. Society does not care what a coach does off the field, for their players or anyone else. The only thing people care about is what the team does on the field. But to be a good coach, they can not concern themselves with just the results on the field they also have to be concerned about the development of the players on their team. A coach plays a major role in shaping a player for the rest of their lives. Coaching is like teaching, but in a different classroom. The subject a coach teaches depends on the sport in which they coach. However, all coaches teach players life lessons that will be instilled in the players the rest of their lives.

Cubs right divison, wrong team for GM

2011-10-12T21:55:00.000-05:00

The Chicago Cubs are looking in the right division, but the wrong team for their new General Manager. The Cubs should be looking at Tampa Bay Rays Andrew Friedman; he fits Tom Ricketts baseball philosophy. On October 30, 2009 in Rickett’s first press conference as the new Cubs owner, Ricketts stated “We've realized there is no magic bullet, no one player you can sign," he said. "The only way you're going to do it is drafting and developing the right players and coaching them through the system and being consistent with how that talent comes up the system to give the general manager the flexibility to put the best team on the field.” The Cubs have already begun the process of improving their minor league system, and upgrading their international scouting. Also, they upgraded their facility in the Dominican Republic.

Theo Epstein is a good GM but I am not sure he is the right fit for the Cubs. Epstein has had what seems like an endless bank role. Now the Cubs are a big market team, but they are also a team looking to cut payroll over the next few years. However, Ricketts does not seem like he wants to spend a bunch of money on free agents. Ricketts would rather build a team from within, as he stated at his first press conference. Which has not been Epstein strong point over the years, he has been better at finding free agents and trading for players. Now yes, the Red Sox have had a pretty good farm system over the years, but most of their impact players have been brought in from the outside. The biggest reason I think Epstein is a good fit for the Cubs is because he ended the Red Sox drought.

Andrew Friedman has done the most with so little. The Rays are a small market team. The market doesn’t even seem to care about them; they can’t even sellout playoff games. Friedman has been the GM of the Rays since November 3, 2005. Before Friedman was named GM the Rays never one more then 70 games. Since then the Rays have consecutively won over 70 games the last four years. There have only been two years that the Rays did not win over 70 games and they were his first two years as GM. The Rays have been to the playoffs three times since Friedman took over, which equates to half his time as a GM. These stats are very remarkable since the Rays play in the AL East, with the Yankees and Red Sox. The Rays payroll this year was 41.053 million dollars. In comparison the Yankees payroll was 202.689 million and the Red Sox payroll was 161.762 million. The Rays could play for almost four years with their roster before they would even reach the Red Sox payroll for one year. The Cubs are looking to cut payroll, which will still be more the Friedman has ever had to spend down in Tampa. Epstein has never had a payroll under 120 million. Friedman has never had a payroll over 71 million. From my understanding the Cubs are looking to have a payroll around a 100 million. I believe that Friedman would be able to get the most out of those 100 million dollars.

The Rays minor league system has been rank in the top five for many years. This year it is ranked number three, last year it was number one. Compared to the Red Sox which is ranked fourteenth, last year it was eleventh. Ricketts is looking to build from the inside out; this is something Friedman has been able to do down in Tampa. Epstein has been better at building from the outside in, bringing in free agents and trading for prospects. If Ricketts truly believes in his statement about how he thinks a team needs to build a team to win consistently. The better fit would seem to be Friedman and not Epstein.

Neither one is a bad choice, but the one that seems to fit the Ricketts baseball philosophy is Friedman.

**This is a little late, as sources claim the Cubs have agreed to a 5 year 15-20 million dollar deal witrh Epstein**

NBA could lose big if Lockout ends season

2011-10-11T01:14:00.000-05:00

The first two weeks of the NBA season were cancelled last tonight, and it is a footnote. Reasoning it became a footnote was because there were MLB playoff games and a NFL Monday night game. Now the cancellation had been expected since late last week, but think if the NFL cancelled it first two weeks at some point, any other game would have been interrupted.

The NBA lockout is much different than the NFL lockout that happened this past summer. The biggest difference is that NBA teams are actually losing money, much of the doing of team owners. The NFL made claims that they were losing money, but it was just a ploy that the NFL owners were trying to use to get a better deal. The NBA has a full list of problems much of which will not be quick fixes, but if they want to keep the casual fan around they must get a deal done without losing any more games. NBA does not have everything going for them like the NFL does. Football is the biggest sport in this country because as a country we love violence. We also have short attention spans, games on three days a week at most is much easier to follow then having games every day of the week.

Personally I am not a really big NBA fan but I will watch it, but I won’t watch a bad basketball game. I also won’t go out of my way to watch the Bulls play, if I miss a game I miss a game no big deal. However I can’t remember the last time I missed more than a quarter of a Bears game, also will watch any game that is on. Growing up in Chicago, I was able to witness six NBA championships, the first three I really don’t remember, as I was too young. But then the Bulls went through more than a decade of bad play and knew there was no chance of them doing anything. That is one of the biggest differences between the NFL and NBA, with the NFL there is always hope for the team one roots for at the beginning of the season too come out of not where and make the playoffs. In the NBA thought for the most part at the being of the season people know what to expect from the their team. NBA is all about stars and the NFL is all about teams. In the NBA a team needs two star players or a star and a bunch of good role players. In the NFL a team needs no stars to compete; they just need guys who play.

In Chicago there is a sense of pride now in the Bulls that has been there since the championship teams. The Bulls are good again and are a very young team. They also have an elite player in Derrick Rose, but I fear that the Bulls will lose everything they have built if the season is cancelled much more than a few weeks. People will need to rediscover the team, same thing happened with hockey after they came back from their lockout after missing the entire 2004-2005 season. Same thing happened with baseball after their strike in 1994-1995. If the NBA doesn’t want to lose fans the need to come to an agreement by the end of the week at the latest. Even if it is just a year deal and they continue talks on a longer deal.

Owners and Players get warped up in talks that they forget the people who they really affect and that is the people that work in the stadiums. These people are the ones who are going to miss the money they would have earn during the season. Most players are still getting checks from their team and will continue to receive a check until the end of October. Owners are not living off money they receive from the teams many own other teams and or business, so yes they will lose money but it will not make them have to find another job.

I hope i get to see more highlights like these ones sooner than later

Like it, Love it, Steer Clear of it- Week 4

2011-10-02T11:01:00.001-05:00

Like it

Lions (+1) vs. Cowboys

I really like the Lions this year; I see them winning this game by a Field goal. Hard to trust Romo who could go down at any minute, because of his broken ribs and collapsed lung. The Lions front four can get after a QB, Suh also has a history of trying to kill a QB. The Cowboys should be able to thrown on the Lions if their offensive line can give Romo time. However, the Lions are the better team and will show that today, but winning this game.

Love it

Bills (-3) vs. Bengals

Bills haven’t lost to the Bengals in forever and I don’t see it happening this week. The Bills have an elite offense, which is also a balance offensive and their defense is better then last year. The Bengals have a top 3 defense this year but they have yet to play a good offense. The Bills should be able to impose their will on offense, and keep the Bengals in check.

Steer Clear of it

Vikings (-3) vs. Chiefs

This game scares solely because neither team has established an identity. The Vikings can’t play four quarters, the have lead every game they have been in this year only to collapse in the second half. The Chiefs have lost a few guys on both sides of the ball and it’s hard to see what they are going to be. I believe the Vikings will win the game but it’s too iffy to make that call.

Reaction to the holding call

2011-09-26T20:11:00.001-05:00

I said earlier that this Bears/Packers game reminded me of last year’s first game. The reason for that is after each game each side complained about the refs. Last year the Packer’s fans were complaining that there were too many penalties called on the Packers; there were a total of 18. This year Bears fans were the ones complaining, mainly of the holding call at the end of the game. Which it was holding, but the ref took forever to throw the flag. Also once again Fox added to the confusion, by showing relays of Cory Graham standing by himself. The holding wasn't obvious, the fact that people had to search for it proves that. Also the fact that it happened around the 50-yard line and the flag was thrown around the 18 yard line also added to the confusion. The thing I don’t like about the holding call was the situation in which it occurred, and the timing of the flag. Flag was thrown so late it is unbelievable; it was also thrown by the ref that is the furthest away from the play.

But as the video below shows it was a legit call, the hold happens at two seconds on the left side, just under the Fox Box or whatever they are calling it this year. I advise not to blink, look away, or do anything else that would distract you for the screen. Also make it a full screen before you start it or you might miss the hold. This is also the only way one can see the hold.

A hold is a hold there is nothing else that really can be said.

But now Bears fans are idiots, for being unhappy about the call. Which if the tables were turned, like they were last year, Packers fans would not be happy. We have short memories as fans; it’s all about what have you done for me lately. So before you call someone an idiot/something else think about what you were doing last year and before you get all pissed off about the holding call think about what you were say/doing last year. Because most Packers fans I know they were not happy with the officials last year, just as Bears fans are not happy this year.

More than just the holding call that played into the outcome of the game, the non-Pass Interference on Woodson is another one, which most likely saved a touchdown. But there were bad calls both ways, also many good ones. The Bears did not play a very good game at all, so before blaming the officials, blame the team for their play.
Also if there was no flag on the play, there would have been 52 seconds or so left. The Bears would have still been down three with little chance of getting the onside kick. The only people that really need to be upset about the holding call are the people that gambled on the game, as it was a 3.5 spread and the Bears would have covered.

Like it, Love it Steer Clear of it- Week 3

2011-09-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

My Picks

Like it

Chiefs vs. Chargers (-15)

I know the point spread is huge, but the Chiefs are getting worst each week it hard to put any faith in them. The Chiefs have lost their best player on each side of the ball. Chargers are a great team, and they can score. Look for this one to be over in a hurry. I would take the over also in this game, Chiefs are giving up an average of 44.5 points so far this year and they have not played a top five offense this year.

Love it

Lions (-3.5) vs. Vikings

The Lions have a good offense going against a subpar defense, although the Vikings do get defensive tackle Kevin Williams back this week we should help them out. Lions are a well-balanced offense, and should keep the Vikings guessing all day. Vikings offense has a strong running game, but a weak-passing attack. Which plays right into the Lions hands. As the lions have a strong front seven and a weak secondary. Lions should be able to score touchdowns while the Vikings will be kicking field goals all day.

Steer clear of it

Packers (-4) vs. Bears

It’s a rivalry game these are never easy to get a handle on; great example is week one between Ravens and Steelers. They tend to split the series every year. Bears seem to be one of the few teams that can slow down the Packers. The Packers are struggling with pass defensive this year. So the Bears should be able to score, if the line can hold up. I really think this game is a toss up, not because the talent levels are the same but because, the teams play each other tough. They know everything about each other.

I went 1-1 last week.

NFC North-Defensive Lineman ranking

2011-09-24T10:33:00.002-05:00

I have decided to rank defensive positions the same way that I did offensive positions. It is going to be much harder to rank teams because of the different systems, but I have decided to give it a go. The NFC North features 3 teams that play 4-3 schemes, the Bears, Lions and Vikings. The Packers are the only team that plays a 3-4 scheme.

I am going to start with Defensive lineman; this is going to be based off of the teams depth chart.

1.) Chicago Bears- I have been back and forth with this ranking, it was between the Bears and the Lions. I went with the Bears for the a few reasons they are healthy, they have depth, and are more experienced than the Lions. The Bears also have Julius Peppers, who might be the best defensive end in the NFL. He had, by his standards an offseason when it comes to sacks last year. However, a lot of things he does do not show up in the stat sheets at the end of the game. The next best athlete on the line is Henry Melton, who played part of his college career at running back. Needless to say Melton has a first quick step. This might be the biggest strength of the Bears. On the opposite side of Peppers is Israel Idonije, who is coming off his first year as a starter and a career year. The nose tackle is Anthony Adams is a space eater; he plays well against the run and provides a decent inside rush. Also, look for Amobi Okoye and Matt Toeaina to make impact at nose and the other tackle positions. Backing up Peppers and Idonije are Nick Reed, Corey Wootton, and Mario Addison. Wootton is out with a knee injury, but should be return for week two. It looks like Reed will get more time then Addison, even thought Addison is listed above Reed on the depth chart.

2.) Detroit Lions- The Lions come in at number two for one reason; there is a major lack of depth at every position. Their starting four stacks up against any team in the league, but after that they have average players. The Lions best lineman is Ndamukong Suh, who is only in his second year but is an absolute beast. He might be the strongest player in the NFL. Also, the added Nick Fairley in the first round of the NFL draft. There are still a ton questions about how he makes the transition from college to pro, as he sat out the preseason with an injury and won’t be back for awhile due to having surgery on his foot. If Fairly can make the transition quickly and have an impact, the Lions might have the best two starting interior defensive lineman in the NFL. The scariest thing about that is that Fairly is only 23 and Suh is only 24 years old. The Lions Defensive ends are Kyle Vanden Bosch and Cliff Avril both are very good players in their own right. The only down fall is that they are both not great pass rushers. The Lions best back up is nose tackle Corey Williams.

3.) Green Bay Packers- Three and four are a tossup for me both teams have two good players, but after that there is not much to be desired. The Packer’s best player is B.J. Raji who is a force in the middle, can play both the pass, and the run. He is on the field a lot for the Packers. Raji has a good first step and some good pass rushing moves. Raji is a run stopper first and foremost and at 337 pounds he is a hard guy to move off the ball. Ryan Pickett is the Packers next best lineman, and is a run stopper. Pickett lack pass rushing skills but rushing the passer is not his job in this scheme. He is there to eat up space so the linebackers can make plays. The other starter is Mike Neal, who is in his second year. Neal played very little last year, but that is understandable since he was playing behind Cullen Jenkings. Neal is not an upgrade over Jenkings, but he should play well as his replacement.

4.) Minnesota Vikings- The Viking lost two of their starting lineman from last year; they lost Pat Williams to retirement and lost Ray Edwards to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. The Vikings do however still have Jared Allen, who is one of the elite pass rushers in the league. Allen is also a great athlete, he can play the run and will drop into cover every once and a while. The Vikings next best lineman isn’t even on the field yet; Kevin Williams is severing a two game suspension. The suspension stems for a violation of the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs program. Williams failed a test back in 2008 for taking StarCaps, along with a few other players, but the case has been on appeal ever since. He will be back in week three but I’m not sure how much he has left in the tank. The Vikings have pegged Brian Robison as the replacement for Edwards. Robison has been with the Vikings for four seasons and in limited time he has 13.5 sacks, which is a low number even for a backup over that time. I don’t see him coming in and being much of a threat as a pass rusher. In the middle the Vikings will go with Letroy Guion and Remi Ayodele. Ayodele is a journeyman who has played will when given a chance. In 2009 and 2010 he had a total of 67 tackles, he is a run stuffer and that is about it. Ayodele will not provide much of a pass rush at all. Guion has seen limited action backing up the Williams wall, also expect him to drop out of the starting lineup when Williams returns. Their backups are all young and have very little experience.

All NFC North team- Offense

2011-09-19T17:53:00.000-05:00

After ranking the teams as a whole by position, I thought that it would be a good idea to build a team using the players from the NFC North. This first installment is just going to be offensive players; I will put together a defensive team once I rank the teams. Going to try and keep the team as close to 25 players, since rosters in the roster size in the NFL is 53. Three roster spots are for a long snapper, kicker and punter. That leaves 50 roster spots; cut that in half leaves me with 25 spots, for each side. There might be some guys on the team that will play a bigger role then where they are listed. For example Devin Hester is the 6^th receiver, but he is more important in return game then he would be as a receiver. Players are listed as they would be on the depth chart. So here goes nothing

Aaron Rodgers

Jay Cutler

Adrian Peterson

Matt Forte

Jahvid Best- Taking him over Ryan Grant because of his speed, and agility.

Calvin Johnson

Greg Jennings

Percy Harvin

Donald Driver

Jordy Nelson

Devin Hester- Bigger role on special teams, small package of gadget plays on offense.

Jermichael Finley

Brandon Pettigrew

Visanthe Shiancoe

Jeff Backus

Chad Clifton

Steve Hutchinson

Rob Sims

John Sullivan

Roberto Garza

Josh Sitton

Chris Williams- Moving him from the left side, didn’t really like any other of the right guards

Bryan Bulaga

Gabe Carimi- This one is more of a hunch, I think he will be a good player.

Number of players from each team: Bears-6, Lions-5, Packers-8 and Vikings-5. Shockingly it’s a fair balance team. Also only used up 24 spots so that gives me one more to use on defense, which is something I am sure I can use. Next is defensive lineman, I know that the season has started but I am going to try and get them done as soon as I can. I have been busy with work and the class I am taking. I would like to thank you for your patience as I work on getting them done also hope you enjoy reading them.

NFC North Tight End rankings

2011-09-19T16:35:00.000-05:00

These ranking are getting harder and harder, things are now turning into how teams use the players within their system. For example, the Packers use a tight end more than any other team in the division; I would hope so since they have five on their roster. The Bears very seldom use a tight end, in their offense; they are more often use as an extra blocker than anything else.

Can Scheffler and Pettigrew take advantage of the middle of the field

1.) Detroit Lions- This was not an easy decision for me to rank them as number one, but what put them over the top is the fact that they have two guys that can demand teams cover them. Those two being Tony Scheffler and Brandon Pettigrew. Both guys take space up in the middle of the field. Teams must respect both of them this provides Calvin Johnson more little freedom to move around on the outside. The Lions other tight end on the other hand is really no threat at all, at 6-6 275 Will Heller is a glorified tackle.

Can the Packers find another receiving option besides Finley

2.) Green Bay Packers- When looking at their roster it kind of mind boggling as to why they would have kept five tight ends. Even harder to believe, when looking at the fact that they are all within three inches of each other and within nine pounds. On paper they look like they would be very identical players, but this is really not the case. Jermicheal Finley, who is the best receiving tight end on the roster. Finley makes plays all over the middle of the field, he is the only real threat at the position as a receiver. The next two are Tom Crabtree and Andrew Quarless both of whom are more of the traditional tight end. They are both solid blockers. The last two are both rookies in D.J. Williams and Ryan Taylor, not sure what roles these two will play this season. I don’t see them getting much time, unless someone get hurts.

Shiancoe needs to step up to help out in the passing game?

3.) Minnesota Vikings- The Vikings has a very good tight end in Visanthe Shiancoe. He is a much better receiver than a blocker. Luckily for Shiancoe, Jimmy Kleinsasser is a much better blocker then receiver. These two really balance each other out, each is strong where the other is weak. The Vikings also drafted Kyle Rudolph and Allen Reisner in April. Rudolph should be a very good tight end in a few years, not sure how he will play this year coming off of his hamstring detachment last year. Nonetheless, he is a very good receiver, but needs to work on his blocking. Reisner is much like Kleinsasser he excels in blocking, but lacks some receiver skills. Although, Reisner is a better receiver then Kleinsasser. It looks like the Vikings might be looking to move on from Shiancoe and Kleinsasser, they already drafted two guys that will most likely replace them. This year look for Shiancoe and Rudolph to pick up the slack from the receiving corp.

4.) Chicago Bears- They are here by default because they only have one guy, Kellen Davis, that is really going to be a consistent threat However, their offense doesn’t really involve the tight end all that much. That is the reason they were able to part with Greg Olsen in the offseason, the basically gave him away. Davis is very unproven, coming into this year, he caught a total of ten balls, but he did have two very good tight ends in front of him. Davis has a lot of upsides as a receiver and a blocker. He is a big target at 6-7, 267 lbs. He might turn out be the best overall tight end in the division, but we haven’t seen enough of him yet to make that claim. Matt Spaeth is the number two guy and he really only has one job, block. He will leak out and catch some passes but it will be very little. The last guy on the depth chart is Kyle Adams who is going to fill the H-back/FB/TE role for the Bears. He is going to do a little bit of everything.

This brings offense to a close. I plan on doing defense ranks also, but have yet to decide exactly how I will do them. Since every team plays a different system it hard to claim who has better corners or safeties, because they are all asked to do different things with in the system. For example, the Packers use Charles Woodson in many different roles. Woodson has played corner, safety, nickel back, and linebacker all in one game. So trying to compare his stats to Charles Tillman of the Bears is hard because Tillman plays corner and that is it.

I would like to thank those of you who have taken the time to read any of these. Also, I would encourage you to comment on them. I like to hear what people have to say, even if you don’t agree with what I have to say. It gives me something else to look for when watching games other then the game itself.

Finally, after reading I am sure one can tell that I am a Bears fan, that why there section tends to be longer because I know much more about them then I do any other team since I follow them more closely. However, I am also a fan of the game, so I can respect people’s opinion, as long as it can be backed up. It bothers me when people form opinions based off of what other people say, but don’t know facts or can’t back it up with anything. I know everyone does it, I do it too, but I also try to bring something to help my case. I don’t just hear something once and run with it, I don’t think that it is always a good idea. So please, if you can give me some feedback.

Thanks,

John

NFC North WR rankings

2011-09-19T16:33:00.001-05:00

Wide receivers are next on my list and one of the harder spots to rank thus far. A true number one receiver is hard to find, there are only a handful in the league. I believe there is only one true number one in the NFC North and that man resides in Detroit, Calvin Johnson. He is the only receiver in the division that I believe can truly take over a game and dominate it. Greg Jennings is knocking on the door, but he is not quite there yet and I don’t think he will ever be. That’s not a knock on Jennings at all but there are just so few guys that can really be called a number one receiver.

These ranking are going to be based off of the current depth charts of each team.

Greg Jennings is the best WR in the deep group in the NFL.

1.) Green Bay Packers- Are the deepest team in the NFL when it comes to receivers. They have a star in Jennings, but after him any one of them could be number two. This is a great thing for the Packers, because no matter who they put opposite of Jennings, there is no drop off. Now each guy brings something different to the table but they are very similar receivers for the most part. After Jennings, the Packers have Donald Driver, who is about to become the all time leading Packer in receiving yards. Then Jordy Nelson, James Jones and rookie Randall Cobb. Cobb has shown everyone what he can do on opening night, he returned a kickoff 108 for a touchdown and caught a 32-yard touchdown pass.

Can anyone step up and help Johnson?

2.) Detroit Lions- Really the only reason they are number two on this list is because of Johnson, who is a top three receiver in the NFL. After him there is a major drop off, the next best guy is Nate Burleson. He put up decent numbers last year but playing on the opposite side of Johnson, his numbers should be much better since teams focus on Johnson. The rest of the receiving core contains Maurice Stovall, rookie Titus Young, Rashied Davis and Stefan Logan who is really just a return guy. Lions will lean heavily on Johnson and Burleson and hope that Young can fill the slot at some point this year.

Can Hester turn into a WR?

3.) Chicago Bears- I know, the Bears have one of the worst receiving corps in the league, blah blah blah. I do not think it is bad as everyone makes it out to be, it’s more of a high risk high reward corps in the league. The Bears have Roy Williams, Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, Earl Bennett, Dane Sanzenbacher, and Sam Hurd who should play a bigger role on special teams than the offense. Williams is the Bear’s best receiver at this point, which is really isn’t saying much but most people believe Williams dropped a lot of balls last year. This is really not the case, as Michael C. Wright of ESPN Chicago and ESPN 1000 points out, Williams did not even lead his team in drops last year Miles Austin did. Williams caught 57.8% of the balls that were thrown at him last year. Which is not a great number but looking at others in the division Jennings was not much better at 61.8%,and Johnson was lower at 56.2%. Is Williams a great receiver no, but he brings a new element to the offense and that is his size. The one thing the Bears have is speed at receiver, but the lack a big body and that is what Williams brings to the table. Hester is a work in progress one thing many people forget about him is that he is not a true receiver. He is well behind the Learning curve because of the fact he never settled on a position in college. Most receivers have been playing receiver since at least college, but Hester is only in his fifth year playing wide receiver. He is getting better each year, and could have a break out year this year. Knox busted onto the scene last year and put up great numbers, but he also cost the Bears a lot too. Knox led the league in targets that resulted in interceptions, due to him running poor or the wrong route. Knox needs to play more disciplined then he did last year. Bennett and Sanzenbacher will both play the same role, possession receivers.

Harvin is the lone bright spot

4.) Minnesota Viking- the Vikings have Percy Harvin and than a mix of castoffs. After Harvin there is nothing there is no guy the clearly stand out. Their next best receiver is Michael Jenkins who had really done a lot down in Atlanta playing with Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez. Next would be Bernard Berrian, who is a deep threat and that is really about it. The next guy is Devin Aromashodu who is a bigger body, but lacks effort at times. He was in the doghouse last year in Chicago, for not wanting to block. The last receiver is Greg Camarillio, who is a possession receiver. The Vikings are going to be feast or famine this year, if Harvin doesn’t have a good year I don’t see anyone else in this group taking over. I would expect Harvin to see a lot of double teams and teams rolling coverage to his side. Hopefully Harvin can stay healthy otherwise the Vikings will be in for a long year in the passing game. When in doubt just give the ball to Adrian Peterson.

Like it love, love it, steer clear of it

2011-09-17T09:17:00.000-05:00

My friend Sean Yerkes and I will each be pick three games a week, a game we love, a game we like, and a game we would steer clear of. We will each pick are own games, so there is a chance for 6 total games. We will also give a reason for why we think the team will win, or a reason to stay away from the game.

Sean's Picks

Like It

Packers -10 vs. Panthers

Cam Newton had an impressive start to his NFL career, throwing for 422 yards and topping the rookie record. Cam Newton may see some success, but he does not repeat his week 1 performance against the Packers. Rodgers and Co. will be just too much for the Panthers defense and I don't think the Panthers can go touchdown for touchdown with the Packers.

Match-up to watch: Packers DB vs. Steve Smith. Cam Newton's favorite target will be blanketed with plenty of good defense.

Love It

Steelers -14.5 vs. Seahawks

Steelers were taken to the woodshed last week against the division foe, Ravens. The Steelers are going to take all of last week's frustrations out on the poor and lowly, Seahawks. Seattle struggled against the 49ers and I am almost scared for them to go up against a Steelers team that is most likely pissed and looking for some kind of self-redemption.

Match-up to watch: LaMarr Woodley vs. Breno Giocomini. YIKES! An All-Pro going up against a practice squad player...Tavaris better be able to run a lot.

Steer Clear of It

Saints -7 vs. Bears

This game is going to be a lot closer than people think. Saints have a good offense and the Bears have a good defense. Saints have an average defense and the Bears have an average offense. I believe this game comes down to the wire (much like the Saints last game). Cutler has to go knick-for-knack with Brees because regardless of how good a team's defense is, Brees will find a receiver.

Match-up to watch: Any defender vs. Sproles. Sproles is a defense killer. If he is matched up against any linebacker and has an open field, the ball is going his way.

My Picks

Like It

New Orleans -7 vs. Chicago

I would normal stay away from Bears games but I don’t think the Saints will cover the 7 point spread. This should be a great game and should be close through the game. Can see either team winning the game but this game will come down to a field goal then a touchdown.

Love It

Lions -8 vs Chiefs

The Chiefs gave up 41 points to the Bills last week; I'll let that sink in for a minute. The chiefs also lost their best defensive player in Eric Berry for the season. They also only scored 7 points against a Bills defense. The Bills defense is not a top-notch defense but the Chiefs offense has not been the same since Charlie Weis announced he was leaving. Lions have a very good front seven which will put pressure on the Chiefs line. Thinking the Lions win by at least 10 points.

Steer Clear of It

Vikings -3 vs. Buccaneers
I would steer clear of anything to do with the Vikings until they decide what type of team they want to be. They kept a good offense in check last week, but McNabb only threw for 39 yards. That is just unheard of for a starting quarterback. I cannot see McNabb having such a bad day again. Also hard to get a feel for the Buccaneers team because they are young and won a bunch of games in the fourth quarter last year.

NFC North-O-line rankings

2011-09-12T15:44:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe that in this day and age there are not offensive line statistics, other than sacks given up as a team and rushing yards. However, on the other hand it is easy to believe because it is hard for someone that does not know the blocking assignments to assign blame to a player. Now teams have stats on their offensive lineman, mainly they are graded after each game. Also, it is not always the offensive lines fault, as the quarterback calls out the protection, before each snap. The QB sets the Mike (Middle linebacker) for the offensive line to block off of; usually it will be the backer that the QB thinks is blitzing. The Reason for this is because Mikes tend to be bigger linebackers and the offensive would rather have linemen block a bigger guy then have a running back block him.

These rankings are based on stats such as sacks and rushing yards, from last year.

Can Jeff Backus still play at a high level?

1.) Detroit Lions- Jim Schwartz knows how to turn a losing team into a winning team. In football everything starts and ends in the trenches, Schwartz understands this. He beefed up the line last year by adding Rob Sims from the Seahawks. The Loins return all their starters from last year left-to-right Jeff Backus, Sims, Dominic Raiola, Stephen Peterman and Gosder Cherilus. The Lions gave up the six fewest sacks last year and averaged a very respectable 4.0 yards per carry last year. The only problem with this team is keeping skill position players healthy. Last year, the Lions, were down to their third string quarterback, as Matt Stafford was lost twice last year, he only played in 3 games. Backup Shaun Hill suffered a fracture to his left forearm. The Loins also lost starting running back Jahivd Best to a turf toe injury, he played most of the year but it was obvious that his production suffered due to the toe injury. None of these injuries were the result of the play of the offensive line, but the numbers could have been much better if they were able to keep these guys healthy. The Lions offensive line is an older line with an average age of 29.4, but the oldest are in two of the most important spots center and left tackle. With Raiola being 32 and Backus being 33, there is a chance for their play to decline. The question here is: Can Raiola and Backus still play at a high level?

Can Hutchinson return to form after the injury?

2.) Minnesota Vikings- Year after year the Vikings put together one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. The Vikings will have a different look this year on the offensive line as they cut left tackle Bryant McKinnie, after he failed his physical upon his return to camp. McKinnie’s weight was reportedly around 400 pounds. I am not sure how much of a loss this is for the Vikings as McKinnie play had fallen off greatly last year. The Vikings have tabbed Charlie Johnson to replace McKinnie. Johnson has played his previous five seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, where he was a swing tackle and even played a whole season at left guard. The Vikings, Anthony Herrera at right guard is slotted to replace Ryan Cook. The Vikings offensive line looks the similar to last year with two new faces left-to-right Johnson, Steve Hutchinson, John Sullivan, Herrera and Phil Loadholt. The Vikings have some new faces on their offensive line, but I believe they will be even better than last year. McKinne’s skills were diminishing quickly, along with his ability to move. Johnson’s skill level is not as high as McKinne’s once was, but Johnson is a good player. The question here is: Can the Vikings improve without McKinne and Cook in the lineup?

Packers hoping Bulaga will continue to improve

3.) Green Bay Packers- The Packers have been playing musical chairs the past few years on their offensive line. This year there is yet another change, Left Guard will be new but it is a familiar face T.J. Lang. Lang didn’t start any games last year but he played in 12. Shockingly even with all the movement up front the Packers have still had a pretty good offensive line throughout the years. This year the Packers will lineup (Left-to-Right) Chad Clifton, Lang, Scott Well, Josh Sitton and Bryan Bulaga. The Packers were in the bottom of the NFL in sacks given up last year with 38. They should be better this year, as this unit played most of last year together with the exception of Lang. Clifton is the key to the line; if he goes down they could be in some trouble. Bulaga is a very promising Right Tackle and played very well last year as a rookie.

Bears are hoping Carimi can play at the level he did in college

4.) Chicago Bears- The Bears revamped their offensive line since last year, only Chris Williams is in the same position. However, only Olin Kreutz is gone, which personally I think is a good thing. Olin was a great player, but he has lost his ability to pay at a high level. He is still a good player, but he is not someone that is going to be able to move the pile, or the line of scrimmage. I did not like how the Bears treated Olin, only giving him an hour to decide what he wanted to do. Olin is a proud person and a family man. He asked for more time to discuss it with his family, the Bears were not willing to give him any more time. So Olin choose to walk, which I believe was the best thing for both sides. This year the Bears will line up left-to-right: J’Marcus Webb, Williams, Roberto Garza, Lance Louis and rookie Gabe Carimi. Webb played in 14 games last year, also started 12 at right tackle for the Bears. Webb has shown flashes of being a very good offensive lineman, but he has also struggled at times. With Webb it usually is more of a lack of effort or bad technique that leads him to get beat. If he can be more consistent with both of those, I believe he has a chance to be a good player for a long time. Williams was a bust at left tackle, he has moved inside to left guard. Williams started out last year at left tackle, but after pulling his hamstring, which lead to him missing time he was moved inside. Last year, was not a good year for Williams as he got beat early and often. This is going to happen to someone who is playing a position they have never played before. Williams thus far looks more comfortable this year than last, one just has to hope that he can play better than he did a year ago. Garza is also playing a different position then he did last year. Garza is lining up at center this year rather than his normal spot, right guard. This is a good decision early on, as the Bears run a very complex offense and the center is the most important position on the field. So going with someone who knows the calls and has experience playing in the offense. This year more than any other because of the lack of the off-season due to the lockout. The Bears did sign Chris Spencer to replace Olin, but I believe the Bears are going to wait till later in the season to work Spencer in to the starting lineup. However, he will be the first one in the game if someone gets hurt or if the line begins to falter. Louis to me is a mystery because I have seen very little of him. He was supposed to be a starter last year, but he got banged up early and lost the job. However, he did start four games last year. Carimi is a rookie right tackle and he looks like he might be a good one. Carimi won just about every award that an offensive lineman can win in college. He looked good all preseason, struggled early in his first real game. But once he settled down he did turned in a high-quality performance. The Bears revamped line should be better than last year line. This year’s version is much bigger and is more athletic then they were a year ago. There will be many growing pains with this line however as they are very young, but they have a much better upside. They will struggle early but I think they will settle down later in the season and turn in some very good performances by years end.

NFC North Running Back Rankings...

2011-08-09T17:41:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the delay, my summer class has consumed my life this past week.

Running backs in the NFL are a dime a dozen, because there are so many factors that come into play for a productive running back. The system in which a running back plays in plays a major role to their successes as a player. For example, the Denver Broncos, under Mike Shanahan, used a zone-blocking scheme. This blocking scheme is as simple as it sounds each man has a zone to block instead of a man. During this time Shanahan was using late round draft pick and undrafted free agents but no matter who was plugged in at running back they were gain at least 1,000 every season. The reason for this was that Shanahan knew the type of back he was looking for which was a patient/slasher type running back. Guys who fit this type are Chris Johnson, Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, Jamaal Charles and two Hall of Fame backs Barry Sanders and Walter Payton. A great an example of a running back coming out of nowhere was Adrian Foster, who was an undrafted free agent. Last year, Foster led the NFL in rushing with 1,616 yards; he fits the system in which Houston runs. For a running back to be good, they just need to play within the system. Not looking to completely devalue running backs, but the exceptional ones are rare.

The two running back system is becoming a commonplace in the modern day NFL. This is a good thing for the players because it prolongs their careers, as there is less ware and tear on their bodies. Teams tend to look for two different types of backs, a slasher and a downhill runner. Downhill guys are more short yardage as they are looking to run someone over rather then make them miss like a slasher. The reason teams look for two different guys is because it ‘changes the pace of the game’; in the sense this is true. The slasher is looking to hit a home run every time he touched the ball, but the downhill guy is looking to get a few yards and inflect pain on the defense.

These rankings are going to be based off the two back system, since every team in the NFC North uses a two back system. Please keep in mind that these are as of the day posted so if the team cuts a guy or signs a guy it will not be reflected in the rankings. Even thought this late in free agency there are not many guys left that will change the rankings.

Peterson might be the only bright spot for the Vikings this year

1.) Minnesota Vikings- This was another easy one; Adrian Peterson is a top five running back. In his four years in the NFL Peterson has averaged 4.8 yards a carry, 13 touchdowns a year, and 1445.5 yards a season. He set a career low for rushing yards last year with 1,298 yards, he also missed one game. The Vikings also have a promising back in Toby Gerhart. He only had 81 carries last year but he averaged 4 yards a carry. The biggest question mark here is can the aging offensive line continue to open up holes for these backs. Another question to throw around is does McNabb still have the ability to throw the deep ball to make teams respect his passing or will there be eight guys in the box most of the year?

Can Forte improve on last season?

2.) Chicago Bears- The Bears have a top ten running back in Matt Forte. He had a great rebound last year after being unhealthy most of the 2009 season. He was fifthteenth in the league with 1,069 yards. That is a very respectable number since he was running behind what can be consider the worst offensive line in the NFL. Forte was also only the second Bear in franchise history to have at least 1,000 rushing and 500 receiving, the other was Walter Payton. The Bears backups are . Now I am going to talk about both guys because I am unsure whether they will both be on the opening day roster or not. I cannot see the Bears keeping two running backs who do not play special teams. Taylor was with the Bears last year and was a major disappointment; only gaining 267 yards on 112 carries for an average of 2.4 yards. Taylor was the third down/ short yardage back, he failed miserably at that last year but not all of it falls on him. The Bears offensive line was terrible, in all types of short yardage situations last year. Barber played for the Cowboys last year as their short yardage back. He faired a little better then Taylor but not much better, Barber set career lows in every offensive category. The Bears running backs are loaded with talent only question is can they live up to their potential?

Can Grant return to form?

3.) Green Bay Packers - Hard team to judge because their starter, Ryan Grant, was hurt in the first game last year. Grant has had three productive years, but it is hard to tell how he will come back from his ankle injury. If he can return to form, the Packers will have a lethal running game to join their lethal passing. The passing game will really help the running game, as teams will try to stop the passing game, which will leave a ton of room for the running backs. James Starks should be the backup running back this year came on strong late last year after he returned from an injury. His coming out party was the Packers first playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles in which he gained 123 on 23 carries for an average of 5.3. Starks has a load of talent, but his biggest issue will be his health, he missed his senior year at Buffalo because of a shoulder injury and did not play until week 13 last year because of another injury. The Packers are also one of the few teams that will run the ball with their fullback, John Kuhn. Kuhn is their short yardage back and is very productive in that role. The questions here are; how does Grant come back from the ankle injury and can Starks play the whole year?

Can Best stay healthy?

4.) *Detroit Lions- The theme with this team so far has been health. Jahivd Best is their starting running back and as a rookie last year, he had his coming out party in week two against the Philadelphia Eagles. During this game he had 78 rushing yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns had 154 yards receiving and a touchdown. Best got hurt in the following week and was not the same the rest of the year. As the turf toe injury lingered all season. If Best can stay healthy all season, he could have a big year. The Lions drafted Mikel Leshoure in the second round of the 2011 draft; he will fill the third down/short yardage back role. These backs complement each other very well, Best is the fast/nimble/slasher and Leshoure is the downhill/run-you-over back. This could be a great tandem for years to come. Look for the Lions to run the ball a ton this year. Question here is can Best stay healthy all year?

*Will update in due time once they figure out who the new back up is with Leshoure out for the year. I know they signed Mike Bell (former Broncos/Texan/Saint/Eagle/Brown) and Jerome Harrison (Former Brown/Eagle) today but hard to tell if they will have any impact as of now

NFC North QB Rankings

2011-07-31T22:13:00.000-05:00

With the pointless lockout finally over, we can get back to things that really matter, the game. One quick thing on the lockout, I think BOTH sides lost. There is so much more they could have gotten out of the Lockout. (Maybe I will write a blog about this later).

Let’s move on to things we as fans care about, since there has only been about a week since the lockout has lifted, there has been a lot of movement among players. Teams have signed a lot of guys in a short period, for example the Chicago Bears have signed 48 players in 4 days. That is a lot of change in such a short period of time. The first group that I am going to rank is quarterback, what I consider 1B when it comes importance on the offensive side of the ball. (The Offensive lineman inside of me will not let the QB ahead of the center, which I consider the most important position on offense or 1A.) Here goes nothing:

1.) Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers after Super Bowl XLV.

There is no question about this position; Aaron Rodgers is a clear cut top five NFL Quarterback. He ranked in the top ten any statically category that matters. He is the only quarterback in the division with a Super Bowl Ring and was also named the MVP of Super Bowl XLV. Now he does have some help when it comes to achieving this ranking, as a group he has the best supportive cast. His coach, Mike McCarthy is the only offensive minded coach in the division. Scary thing is he is still improving.

2.) Chicago Bears

Jay Cutler will need to step up and lead the Bears in 2011

Jay Cutler is the clear cut number two quarterback in the division. However he has enough talent to leap frog Rodgers as the number one QB in the division. Cutler’s biggest problem is his arm strength because it forces him to make dumb plays. He tries to make throws that should not be made but with his arm he can make them, but not all of them. These poor throws lead to interceptions. Another issue is his supporting cast is not very good; team led the league in sacks given up with a total of 56. Cutler has also been through a few coaching changes his also hurts a quarterbacks development. It will be interesting to see Cutler develop this season, this is a make or break year for him. Does he want to be elite or an average quarterback? The bears have upgraded some of the talent around Cutler, as a bears fan I hope it is enough to put him over the top.

This is where things get a little dicey; I feel either team could be three or four. So I am going to based this of talent I thing both players have left.

3.) Detroit Lions

Can Matthew Stafford stay healthy?

Last year the Lions could not keep any of their three quarterbacks healthy, which is not a good sign. However, their starter is Matthew Stafford, his biggest problem is staying healthy. He has been in the league for two years and has had season ending injuries in both years. Last year, Stafford was hurt in week one returned during week eight, but then was hurt again during week nine and was done for the year. However, Stafford does have some toughness about him. He threw a touchdown his rookie year minutes after separating his shoulder. Stafford has talent only question is can he stay on the field? This leads me to talk about his backup Shaun Hill, who is a very serviceable quarterback in the NFL. Hill is going on his tenth year in the league; he has started 26 games and played in 30 games. Although he is not a starter, he is the best backup in the division. Normally that would not matter in rankings but since Stafford is injury prone, Hill is a factor in these rankings.

4.) Minnesota Vikings

How much is left in the tank?

About two years ago I would have ranked them much higher if they would have acquired Donovan McNabb then, but they got McNabb this year. McNabb is clearly on the downswing of his career. He has been traded twice in as many years. Last year McNabb was with the Washington Redskins and for the first time in his career threw more interceptions then touchdowns. He was benched in favor of Rex Grossman, in the final three games of the year. Also, was McNabb was benched during a two-minute drill, in favor of Grossman. Now I am not a Grossman hater, but he is not a top 32 quarterback in the NFL. So with McNabb getting benched in favor of Grossman, this leads me to think that McNabb is no longer an elite player in the NFL. McNabb however is just a man holding the spot warm for the rookie Christian Ponder. I think the Vikings made the right move getting McNabb, because it will be hard for any rookie to come in and start with the offseason in which the NFL just went through with the lockout. Question here is: Ponder the answer at QB and can McNabb do enough?