NFL 2009 - All in One?

[R_of_G]

the dolphins looked, well, like i expected them to.

that defense should be ashamed of itself. the colts had the ball less than 15 minutes total and still won.

manning completed only 14 passes, for 300+ yards.

if the dolphins can't make a stop, no trick offense is going to help.

the wildcat looked pretty, and got them a lot of yards but ultimately, not nearly enough points if that's what the defense looks like.

and again, like i said last year...

when push comes to shove, it's pennington that has to make a play, and he's not capable.

 

[R_of_G]

just a quick thought on what i've already seen of today's jets/titans game.

i am so glad the jets decided to wear their throwback new york titans jerseys and forced the titans to dress in their oilers uniforms. it's of no significance to the game, but i like the statement it makes that the team that moved from houston to tennessee can call itself whatever it wants, but they are not the titans. i still don't understand why the league let them have that name.

now, on to more important matters, the jets are up 14-0 in the first quarter on two sanchez touchdowns. i guess any questions of whether or not he was nfl ready have been answered? they sure have for me.

 

[just strum]

now, on to more important matters, the jets are up 14-0 in the first quarter on two sanchez touchdowns. i guess any questions of whether or not he was nfl ready have been answered? they sure have for me.

A big article in today's paper on the results of Eric trading away the pick that would have brought Sanchez to Cleveland. I guess it would be for the best anyway, he would have no one to throw to if he was in Cleveland.

 

[R_of_G]

A big article in today's paper on the results of Eric trading away the pick that would have brought Sanchez to Cleveland. I guess it would be for the best anyway, he would have no one to throw to if he was in Cleveland.

if they had drafted him, then the question would be whether or not they'd be smart enough to play him.

i suspect they'd also have had to make at least one other deal to unload either anderson or quinn, as i refuse to believe one team would tie up as much money as they have in three qb's.

look at how much sanchez makes. as much as i love the kid and wanted the jets to get him, the price tag was very very high.

the really interesting story to me about the browns and magnini is this one...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4508545&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

there were so many people in the sports media who sought to criticize the jets for dumping mangini. all i know is that it seems wherever he goes, he achieves mediocrity at best and the players hate him. i'll take rex ryan thank you very much.

 

[just strum]

I turn on the TV with 52 seconds left i nteh 1st half and it is Ravens 20, Browns 0.

I turn it back on in the 3rd, Anderson is in and he throws an interception. I wasted last Sunday watching them against the Bronco's. I swore off any lengthy sit downs watching the NFL, but technically I'm not really watching the NFL when it comes to the Browns.

 

[R_of_G]

does anyone still question why i wanted mangini fired last year to bring in rex ryan?

look at what he's done to this team.

they might not be the "best" defense just yet, but they are the most relentless pass-rushing defense i have seen since the 70's. you cannot pass against darrelle revis and the jets secondary. it's a real pleasure to watch.

more than anything, ryan has the jets and the fans believing that this team can beat anyone.

so, now that they have downed the titans and roll to 3-0 to open the season, let me be the first to say...



this team is the real deal

learn to love it

 

[marnold]

My long 21-month nightmare is OVAH! The Lions send the Redskins (a franchise that they historically have had NO luck against) packing and pick up their first win since December 2007. Brandon Pettigrew, the Lions' other first-round pick, was seen visibly weeping as they left the field. Stafford played a pretty good game with no turnovers. You can definitely see improvement in him. Here's to hoping that by the end of the year he'll be a bona fide NFL QB. Kevin Smith was looking awesome until he hurt his shoulder (16 carries for 100 yards). Hopefully that's relatively minor.

For now I will bask in the victory. It's been awhile. Going to have me a celebratory martini and watch the night game.

 

[birv2]

Marnold, congrats on your Lions breaking the streak. I saw Jim Zorn interviewed where he said it wasn't a loss against a team that had lost 18 in a row, it was just a loss. OK.....

My Iggles thumped the hapless Chiefs today. Kevin Kolb looked pretty good. But as my son said, if the Eagles don't beat the Chiefs by 20, everyone should be fired.

Anybody who is still a Lions fan deserves major props for sticking with your team, btw.

 

[R_of_G]

yes, congrats to the lions for getting one in the win column. i've been pulling for them every week this season.

my question is how jim zorn still has a job, and i don't mean solely for losing to the lions.

for a so-called "offensive genius" the guy is the worst play caller in the league. i can't imagine redskins' management is particularly pleased with him these last few weeks/seasons.

 

[piebaldpython]

Congrats to the LIONS fans. Strum........you might just have to wait for Hell (a/k/a Lake Erie) to freeze over.....:rotflmao:

IGGLES looked good today. No self-immolation like last week against the Saints. They have a bye this coming week. Of course, all of this means squat until we play our home-and-home games against the GIANTS and COWBOYS. In fact we play them back-to-back around the end of October/beginning of Novemeber I think.

Now that the JETS look for real, it should be interesting to see what happens when a time preps for them KNOWING that they aren't a facade and must be taken seriously.

Gotta love that old fart, Farve. Almost 40 and he throws a game winning pass with 2 seconds left. :AOK:

 

[R_of_G]

next week is the biggest test yet for the jets defense as they face the saints in new orleans.

facing that offense is a challenge i am interested to see how they stack up against.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I cannot talk much about your favorite teams guys. I just don't follow them. But no love in the PNW for football this weekend. The Seahawks could not convert their field goals and dropped it to daBears. The Seahawks could be decent this year I think, if they would just execute. Grr.

 

[marnold]

Anybody who is still a Lions fan deserves major props for sticking with your team, btw.

Or a free clinical evaluation.

Probably both.

 

[just strum]

Or a free clinical evaluation.

Probably both.

Get those Super Bowl tickets baby!!!!!

Same record as the Super Bowl champs.

However, don't get too excited, the Browns are only one game behind Detroit.

That's what nice about the beginning of the season, we can all be dreamers.

Browns -vs- Lions in the Super Bowl. Put a couple dollars on that today and if it comes true, think of the guitars you will be able to buy.

 

[evenkeel]

next week is the biggest test yet for the jets defense as they face the saints in new orleans. facing that offense is a challenge i am interested to see how they stack up against.

I think a big part of any success the Jets D might have, will be the Jets O. They have got to take some pressure off the defense. The running and passing stats against Tenn were pretty feeble. R_of_G, I agree the Jets have a monster D but they can't just depend on the D. Over the course of a long season if the offense does not get a running game going, create a time of possession advantage, open the field up with passing, etc.. then they just put to much pressure on the defense.

 

[marnold]

Browns -vs- Lions in the Super Bowl. Put a couple dollars on that today and if it comes true, think of the guitars you will be able to buy.

That means that the game on November 22 at Ford Field could be a Super Bowl preview! A rematch of the 1957 NFL Championship game--back when both the Lions and Browns were perennial powerhouses, believe it or not.

 

[just strum]

That means that the game on November 22 at Ford Field could be a Super Bowl preview! A rematch of the 1957 NFL Championship game--back when both the Lions and Browns were perennial powerhouses, believe it or not.

Ah, when I was 3 years old and sitting in front of the TV set with my face painted orange and brown.

 

[R_of_G]

I think a big part of any success the Jets D might have, will be the Jets O. They have got to take some pressure off the defense. The running and passing stats against Tenn were pretty feeble. R_of_G, I agree the Jets have a monster D but they can't just depend on the D. Over the course of a long season if the offense does not get a running game going, create a time of possession advantage, open the field up with passing, etc.. then they just put to much pressure on the defense.

i agree. it all starts with the run. the run sets up the pass. the longer the offense is out there, the fresher the defense is.

that said, i have witnessed many teams with offenses that could best be described as "competent" win and/or contend for championships behind monster defenses (the 2002 bucs come to mind immediately, or the championship ravens team, et al).

while the offensive statistics were not impressive, the most important statistic is points scored. they put up more than they allowed. that's all that really matters.

admittedly, i would be thrilled to see them win 3-0 every week because i love defense. still, the offense is getting itself going.

i expect much much more from thomas jones and leon washington, and a healthy shonn greene down the road.

i think sanchez is developing quickly. he makes some mistakes, but boy can he read defenses.

jericho cotchery is proving that he is a #1 receiver (if you want a stat, here's one... cotchery currently 3rd in receiving yards).

dustin keller is looking like great pass catching tight end.

i have hope for this offense. it's at least as good as last year's baltimore offense. they got to afc championship game. i'll take that.

 

[Childbride]

ooohhh.. pie.. we're coming for you... not to get in your head or anything... but we're coming for you... boooyeah...

 

[piebaldpython]

ooohhh.. pie.. we're coming for you... not to get in your head or anything... but we're coming for you... boooyeah...

Bring it on little sister......bring it on... ....you and that geezer nekid tractor guy husband of yours.... .....in fact, ya know what.........maybe, just maybe....we'll let your fellow Texan, Kolb (our 2nd string QB), give y'all the whipping that you deserve.......:rotflmao:......we'll cut him loose for 400 yds.....maybe we'll bring Jessica Simpson too for Tony.......ya know, to help nurse (sic) him back to health after our "D" throttles him........

 

[R_of_G]

strum - what's the general consensus amongst browns fans about the qb situation and how mangini handled it?

you know i never thought quinn was nfl caliber. i'm interested to see how the browns handle having finally come to the same realization.

 

[marnold]

I think the Browns' problems go much deeper than who is behind center. I say this as someone who is intimately familiar with NFL organizational chaos.

 

[R_of_G]

no doubt about it

i too have spent my life watching a team squander developmental opportunities left and right

still, moving in a draft to take a qb in the first round and then not having that qb pan out is one of the biggest personnel failures a team can make. believe me, the jets move to take sanchez terrifies me as much as it excites me. it's worth the risk if he can play like he has so far. i never thought quinn had it.

 

[just strum]

strum - what's the general consensus amongst browns fans about the qb situation and how mangini handled it?

you know i never thought quinn was nfl caliber. i'm interested to see how the browns handle having finally come to the same realization.

First, the QB situation goes back to spring training and all the way up to the first season game (after preseason). Mangini did not name his starter until just before the game, leaving fans and the QB's in the dark. There is a big following here for Quinn, so there are a number of people that feel he should remain the starter. Anderson is know for his arm, but does get into throwing to the wrong uniform.

My take, like you I agree, Quinn is not NFL material. He's an adequate back-up at best. However, I didn't think it was fair to pull him mid game. He was the QB that prepared for the game, he should have finished it. Naming Anderson your starter after the game or on Monday would have been the way to handle it.

Now the take on Mangini, that is increasingly a case of "run his butt out of town". He doesn't seem to make firm decisions, he has alienated alll of the players (although the players tend to be overpaid prima donnas). In his defense, he has little to work with, however about 27 of those guys were brought in by him.

 

[R_of_G]

the "little to work with" thing didn't cut it in new york either.

plenty of coaches have no role in player-personnel decisions and they seem to make it work better than mangini can.

now i know he didn't draft brady quinn or derek anderson, but it seems to me he didn't have to wait until 30 seconds before the first game to name a starter. that was just poor handling of the situation.

i agree with marnold, that qb is not the sole problem of the browns. you could plug peyton manning in there right now and the browns would still be a terrible team (only now with a great qb).

however, i think the way it was handled shows, once more, that mangini may be a good coordinator (though i never really thought so) but head coaching is not his strong suit. the sooner the browns see that, the sooner you guys can build a real team.

this may be the year it benefits them to be terrible as there are at least two or three qbs in the next draft who i think are already better than quinn or anderson.

 

[just strum]

i agree with marnold, that qb is not the sole problem of the browns. you could plug peyton manning in there right now and the browns would still be a terrible team (only now with a great qb).

No doubt about it. However, again there are players on the bench that Mangenius doesn't even give a real chance.

this may be the year it benefits them to be terrible as there are at least two or three qbs in the next draft who i think are already better than quinn or anderson.

My fear is he would trade the picks away.

 

[R_of_G]

trade that high first round pick to the jets again. last time it got us sanchez. maybe this time we can get some top defensive talent. i'd always love another linebacker or two.

speaking of which, thank goodness this will be the final week of the calvin pace suspension. vernon gholston, even with coach ryan, is still useless. the guy is terrified of contact, not the best quality for an nfl linebacker/defensive lineman. as a result, david harris and bart scott are having to pick up his slack. i will be happy when pace is back in there to carry his third of the linebacking load.

 

[piebaldpython]

Well....The Jets have come down to Earth. Damn, the Saints have a voracious D.

 

[R_of_G]

Well....The Jets have come down to Earth. Damn, the Saints have a voracious D.

in some ways yes.

in some ways i would say the jets once again demonstrated that this defense is for real.

let's look a bit into the 24 points the saints scored:

7 points from sharper's interception touchdown and resulting extra point

7 points from smith's fumble recovery touchdown and resulting extra point

what that leaves is 10 saints points scored when the jets defense was on the field.

all credit in the world to the saints defense for shutting down the jets offense and generating those points, but what i see as a jets fan is a defense that created a scenario for a 10-10 game.

i expected sanchez would have his rookie mistakes. i wished they wouldn't cost us 14 points in a single game, but it happens. with good coaching, he will learn and he won't repeat these mistakes.

still, what i see is a defense that held the league's most explosive offense to 10 points. drew brees did not throw a single touchdown. darrelle revis has no shut out andre johnson, randy moss and marques colston. if there's a better shutdown cornerback in football, i'd like to see him.

the defense allowed the team to stay in the game right up to the end of the 4th quarter when they were simply too exhausted to go anymore.

so not the most pleasant day for a jets fan, but i never expected them to go 16-0. right now they still look very much like a team that can win 10-11 games. that being 1 or 2 more than last year, it's a result i will be more than happy with.

 

[marnold]

Well, looks like the Jets have themselves a #1 receiver now in Braylon Edwards. I personally think they gave up too much for him. His 2007 season was awesome, but that's been pretty much it. Since he's a former Michigan boy, I'm pulling for him, but tossing him into the Big Apple seems like a recipe for disaster. I was watching ESPN and someone commented that Rex Ryan and the winning atmosphere in N.Y. will keep him in line. My first thought was, "The Jets have a winning atmosphere?" Relative to the Browns, I suppose maybe.

Oh, and Crabtree finally signed with the 49ers. I would love to be a fly on the wall the first time he drops a catchable pass in practice. Ol' Mike is going to rip him a new one.