Rinslet’s Neighbors

Hall of Fame GameNon-Game Note: Adam Schefter is a great choice for a sidelines reporter, he knows

nobody@vox.com(Estonianzulu) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:21:11 -0700

Non-Game Note: Adam Schefter is a great choice for a sidelines reporter, he knows the game and he knows the players and staff. He has quickly become my favorite and most trusted of NFL reporters.

Now, into the Game:

First Half

-Colts come out with an onside kick, im not sure why it seems kind of like a bizarre decision so early in the pre-season. Regardless it doesn’t work and Chris Horton makes a great play on the loose ball. Now Jason Campbell gets great field position to start the drive.
-Quick shot out to Cooley on a 1 TE, 3 WR set with a back. Nice throw, Campbell was lightning off the ball and read the defense pre-snap perfectly. Excellent job by Campbell and a very WCO type of play call as only the 5 O-linemen remained to block.
-First run of the game, why isn’t it Betts on the field? Cartwright makes the Colts d look disorganized and a two TE set lets the Redskins put a lot of meat on the field. Perfectly timed and performed run by Cartwright for a first.
-3 Wide, 2 backs, no extra blockers but non are needed deep to Randel El who just slipped through the zone for a big time touchdown in the left corner of the endzone, excellently thrown for the go ahead score.

-Decent kick coverage by the Skins, keeps the return minimal, to the 20.
-Great run defense by Springs, came out of nowhere to put the shoulder into Addai, excellent stop.
-A reminder why Addai is a big time thread, takes a dumpoff from Sorgi and breaks past and ugly low tackle by Smoot, just leapt over the corner for the first down and then some.
-Ugly Sorgi pass way too high, but Clark has the hands and brings it in for a nice gain. Clark is a very good TE, isn’t suffering from the loss of Hartstock.
-Woof, big hit by Reed Doughty but the big TE (I believe Robinson) held on to it despite the pass being really high, Sorgi’s second sailer.
-And just as soon as Doughty makes a big hit, he barfs one up whiffing on a tackle of Clark (playing as slot receiver) and streaking for the first down.
-#98 what a sack! He absolutely abused the left side of the line as Robinson failed to pick up the pressure and the DE crushed Sorgi.
-Rhodes is back, big run up the middle.
-Another TE dump pass, and man what a failed blitz by the Skins. But with that much time on that much pressure, how did Sorgi not find someone down the field for the completion? Was the coverage just that good?
-Big hit by Washington’s #62 on a run up the middle.
-This soft coverage on the TE’s by the Skins is killing me, and them. Another pass to Clark lets them get more yardage.
-Run outside by Rhodes for a big gain, well done.
-Smoot had the ball in his hands but let it drop, a pressure forced mistake as #98 was getting to Sorgi and forced him to take a risk into the endzone, still no passes to the starting receivers.
-Finally good coverage on Clark, sets up the FG.

-Another series of bad tackles by the Indy D, another big run by Cartwright, good job.
-Quick out to Moss, nice pass and catch for a first down.
-Beautifully sold Play Action pass, deep pass through a window, the safeties bought it and couldn’t readjust in time to stop the pass, great play by Mr. Campbell.
-And immediately following it, a blown PA pass lets Brock get in for the sack as Campbell fell back a little too far on the drop back and got outside his tackles. The tackles are not athletic enough to protect that far back, and the WCO doesn’t allow for too many extra blockers.
-Short run up the middle, nothing special but decent blocking by the O-line
-Soft coverage on the receivers, but Campbell plays smart and doesn’t risk a deep turnover instead settling on the short pass which doesn’t convert for a first, this was the right decision.

-Great play action by Gray, bullet to another TE.
-Rhodes continues to pound the rock, he should never have left Indy.
-The FB fell down on this play, just tripped over his own feet. Ugly, but Rhodes gets some yards anyway.
-Beautiful sailing pass to Quin Gray, even better catch by Pierre Garcon.
-Pass blocked on the line, the #98 is doing well for himself. (EDIT: #98 is Rob Jackson out of Kansas State)
-A pass into heavy coverage, a poor decision but Gray looked excellent in the pocket.
-Excellent run by Gray on the outside, and good O-line awareness to give him room to run for the first down.
-Pitch outside takes advantage of soft coverage, lets the back get a few yards before going down.
-Pressure up the middle absolutely shuts down the run. Excellent defensive play call.
-Nice catch by Gonzo and a decent run, even better hit by the corner knocks him out of bounds, great job by Leigh Torrence #29 for the Skins on the coverage.
-Bad pass, falling back and throws off his back foot by Gray, incomplete TO on downs.

-Todd Collins in, he does not look comfortable in the pocket.
-Nice run by Cartwright, he is taking advantage of his playing time. Trade bate?
-Quick out to Yoder, the guy is absolutely massive!
-Play Action off to Yoder, well called play, but Collins still looks shakey.
-False Start on a full back? Never should happen.
-Solid run up the middle, this is becoming a theme here.
-Collins, bounced around, didn’t take a shot on the pass and instead eats it and tried to put a bullet into tight coverage even as the pocket closed on him. Next time, move when the pocket collapses!
-Deep punt, lots of hangtime and an excellent stop.

-Up the gut, zero yards.
-An over throw on the rollout, however Gray looked good on the roll. I like his poise.
-Well, Jamie Richards just blew that play, snap way over the head of Gray out of bounds for a safety. Bad way to audition for a job.

-Run up the guy, decent run again.
-Poor pass by Collins, poor catch by the receiver incomplete.
-Short run, and it doesn’t matter because of a chop block penalty.
-Collins struggles to get out of the pocket again, and this time they get him for a sack, punt time. Collins is looking ugly out there.

-Great return- holding cancels it.
-Nice deep pass to Garcon, second time I’ve written his name that’s a good sign for him to be 4^th on the depth chart
-Excellent roll out, Gray looks great on his feet, solid pass into the endzone, touchdown for the Colts.

-Great coverage by the Colts, stopped the return in its tracks again. Looks like an improved special teams by Indy after all these years of struggling.
-Good pressure on the run stopped it for a short gain, well done by the Colts backups.
-Collins pass, way, way too low. But Fred Davis made it into something useful.
-Half back just sort of falls down for 7 yards, but for all that gain after the contact it was a solid run.
-A bullet to Yoder, Collins needs to step up and test the corners.
-Another run up the middle, huge hole made by the Redskins right guard, well done.
-Another solid run, broken and bad tackles
-Collins on the check down, decent decision, almost no gain.
-Collins struggles in pocket again, fumbles! Poor pass protection, but even poorer pocket awareness.
-One more run, sets up for FG which of course goes wide no good.

-A bullet into coverage by Gray, nice little gain and a good job holding on to the ball.
-Bad pass, incomplete.
-Another ugly pass incomplete, and a deep deep pass on a roll out by Gray good job moving around the pocket again. Sets up another FG

~~~

2^nd Half

-Screen run outside, nice gain by the Colts. Screens seem pretty popular in this game
-Good pass by Gray, but WR not able to bring it down, incomplete.
-Huge run by Hart, right up the middle. Guy has burning speed- Pollack @ RG led the way- took two defense on the snap and opened a huge hole which Hart hit.
-Another solid run by Hart, and another run, Helmet off! Wow this guy has legs that just don’t stop moving.
-Great blitz pickup by the Offense, Hart lays a hit on someone, but Gray makes a bad pass incomplete
-Tony Richard- holding penalty, guy is not helping his case.
-Busted play, Hart at fault? Ball just bounced off the hands of Hart, bad play, but even worse because of holding.
-Another decent Hart run, but Gray too quick on the next pass, settle for FG.

-Here comes Brennan, sets up a nice screen to Mason nice little gain.
-Run play blown up in the backfield, bad play call great defensive effort.
-Lots of air under the pass, but timed perfectly to the receiver who had a good 3 steps on his corner. An excellently timed pass but he did sort of stare the guy down.
-Timeout used? Why rookie mistake me thinks
-Nice roll out by Brennan, proving he has some mobility, perfect touch on that short pass to Davis for a decent gain.
-Back just plowed over the linebackers, excellent run for that first down.
-Brennan tries to find some room, but like Collins can’t get out of the pocket in time to avoid struggles by the tackles, sack.
-Deep, deep perfect pass right into the hands of #80 Maurice Mann. Perfect, perfect pass. But it helps that Mann got wide open.

-Courtney Roby, huge speed on that return, great job blazing through to the wedge.
-Overthrow by Lorenz
-Solid run by Chad Simpson, decent job for a solid gain.
-Great block by one of the receiver, springs Lorenz for a excellent scamper for first down. Look at the big boy run!
-Chris Horton, sack! Wow, guy has now made two huge plays.
-Deep pass, too much coverage, incomplete.

-Decent run up the middle.
-Holding, a 10 yard loss after a mediocre run up the middle.
-Deep pass, just too much however by Brennan. He had to get it over the mid zone but put too much on it for the receiver on the sidelines. Probably not a great decision by Brennan.
-Very good rocket on that pass, right through the window for a big first down.
-Dump off to the HB on the screen, decent gain.
-Brennan tosses a duck, ugly pass but it doesn’t count because of offsides.
-Play Action pass to the HB, well done, solid gain.
-Poor run off the draw from the shotgun, not a fan of that call.
-Cartwright another solid gain, slipped through the tackles for a very hard fought first down.
-Very nice short pass over the middle.
-Bad decision by the HB running side to side rather than up the middle. Can’t get the first down despite being a short yardage situation. Poor decision
-Great run off the left side on 3^rd down, good job getting into the first down.
-Marcus Mason smart move to make a man miss and to pick up a few short yards
-Another decent run by Mason
-Very good dodge in the pocket to sneak away from the pressure. Excellent job rolling out and laser into the hands of Mason! Smart decision by Brennan not to try and run beyond the line of scrimmage and a solid job by Mason to get open in the endzone. Mason was open earlier, but I think Brennan was under too much pressure to see him.

-PA to Garcon, guy is doing an excellent job this game.
-Rocket by Lorenz to Garcon
-Pump fake to the HB, that and a quick move into the pocket helped Lorenz find the receiver, solid gain.
-Thrown too hard, unable to be caught thanks to solid coverage by the ‘Skins

-Muffing a punt in the pre-season is a bad thing
-Skins come out running, surprise surprise. Though seeing this much running in the Zorn system is a good thing, as Portis and Betts need to be a big part of this offense
-Mason continues performing well.
-Brennan throws another ball too far, led Jason Goode the TE too much and falls incomplete. Cartwright up the middle, decent gain sets up the punt.

-Lorenz throws a duck. Sailed too high, one of these is going to be picked off.
-Bullet connects, but too short for the first.
-Go for it on 4^th down, but Lorenz is solid under pressure for a first down
-Way overthrown again, too high too far.
-Pass on the run to Hall, good job by the receiver holding on to it.
-Another great job by Chris Horton for the sack, guy has earned a roster spot provided he can play special teams
-Duck passed deep, intercepted by Jamie Silva, I never liked the guy in college but he got up underneath the bad pass.And a great job, cut on the route and returned it all the way.

-Solid run, and another screen.
-Short pass, yards after carry gets the first down.
-Another solid run by Hart, great job.
-Deep pass, dropped by the receiver but the ball wasn’t exactly wel thrown.
-Impressive catch by Hall, overthrown by Lorenz but brought in good job.
-Another duck overthrown.
-Dump off to Hart who burns into the secondary, but soft coverage to end the game so its not all that impressive ends game.

Redskins 30-16 Colts

Who Impressed Me:

---
Washington:

Colt Brennan- Looked very good, should become the #2 guy by the time the season starts. The WCO is perfect for his arm.

Rock Cartwright- Good job getting yardage on his play time. #3 running back though, he wont surpass either Betts or Portis.

DE Rob Jackson- Guy was a force on the right side of the D-line, if he continues to play this well he could be a backup to Taylor/Carter, guy got great leverage and really challenged the outside. Not sure about his pure speed.

CB Chris Horton- Never really saw him in coverage, but he did a great job on applying pressure on blitzes and on special teams. He will make the roster for the special teams contributions. I wonder, will they try him at safety?

Indianapolis:

Mike Hart- Solid runner, really kept his feet moving after the hit. That kind of runner will be very good in cold weather games (like games @ New England?)

Quinn Gray- Good at getting outside the pocket, very solid roll outs, kind of reminded me of a more athletic Jake Plummer. He will be the #2 guy by pre-season’s end.

Indy Corners- for an off-disregarded group these Corners really shut down the Washington receivers. The starting receivers only had 3 catches between the two of them, and the Randel El TD was just an excellent read of the zone coverage. Im not sure why they didn’t put a man on him but it might have been a blown cover.

Gijon Robinson- Caught everything that came his way, should be a decent backup and fall back target if a TE goes down. But he is just so big, I don’t know if he fits well into this offensive scheme.

Pierre Garcon: Excellent job overperforming when he was needed. I like this guy to be 4^th on the depth chart at the end of the pre-season.

---
Guys I didn’t like:
~~~

Washington:

Todd Collins: Looked uncomfortable in the new system. He should go to St. Louis and stay in Saunder’s system, otherwise this guy doesn’t have much left I think.

Todd Yoder: Huge guy, but he has like no speed. In a WCO you want a TE who can get open quickly because he’s not going to block a lot, I don’t know where he fits in behind Cooley, Davis and Goode.

Backup OT’s: They struggled against the outside rush of the Colts, the pocket collapsed from the outside too often.

Indianapolis:

Jared Lorenzen and Jim Sorgi: Neither looked as comfortable in the offense as Quinn Gray. Lorenzen just sailed his passes and that is why he was picked off. Sorgi couldn’t find anyone open past 4 yards down the field.

The Left Side of the O-line: You should never get abused by a rookie 7^th round draft pick like this left side did. Poor play.

DT’s- “Cartwright up the Middle” was written so often on my notes it was pathetic. If the Colts suffer any injuries on the front four, expect its run defense to plummet to 2005 numbers again.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Josh McCown

nobody@vox.com(Estonianzulu) — Wed, 21 May 2008 09:55:17 -0700

JoshMcCown

When the Miami Dolphins signed Josh McCown to a 2 year 6.25 Million dollar contract I just about stood up and applauded. However applauding the Dolphins would get me weird looks from my friends and associates, so I passed. Much as I really liked Cleo Lemon and thought he should have been given a chance to lead this team for a season, I could think of no better replacement than Josh McCown. I know, you must be thinking that I'm crazy given that this is the same Josh McCown who couldn't win the starting job in Arizona and who played more receiver than QB in Oakland. But I really feel McCown is one of those QB's who will have a resurgence under a new regime in Miami. And here is why...

Dennis Green

Josh McCown suffered from poor coaching in his early years in the NFL. For all that I like Dennis Green, he never really brought a young QB up and into prominence. When he was hired in Minnesota, he rotated QB's in Sean Salisbury and Rich Gannon before dropping Gannon (who would have an MVP season a decade years later) and bringing in fromer Bear Jim McMahon. After McMahon proved too old to get the job done, Green traded a pair of picks to Houston for Warren Moon. Moon's 1995 season in Minny was statistically his 2nd best season of his career, but the Vikings couldn't break over .500. Brad Johnson came next, and was the only QB on this list actually drafted by the Vikings, but even he was sent away when former Eagle, Randall Cunningham stepped in and overperformed. When Cunningham struggled, in went Jeff George, who was allowed to walk despite winning 8 games. And that leaves us with first round QB Daunte Culpepper.

The evolution of Culpepper is more difficult to track. He did step up and have an amasing 2nd season, putting in 33 touchdowns and taking the Vikings to the NFC Championship (a feat not copied until Big Ben took the Steelers to a Super Bowl in his second season). Todd Bouman and Spergon Wynn were his backups, neither are players of any note today. But how much of Culpepper's success was thanks to Green, and how much of it was thanks to one of the best receiver duo's in NFL history with Chris Carter and Randy Moss? History would say Carter-Moss. But after 2001 Green was gone, and the team went on, but in Arizona the scene repeated itself.

In Arizona, Dave McGinnis (remember him?!) was fired and replaced with Green. McGinnis had played McCown

Dave McGinnis

sparingly in his first two seasons in Arizona. Josh McCown was 'ok' in 2004, obviously not enough to impress Green, who went and signed Kurt Warner. Warner and McCown then got to play the rotating door game that was familiar to the Vikings (And is still happening in Arizona, now with Lienart-Warner.) The end result of this was McCown being useless and ending up in Detroit, where Jon Kitna was clearly the starting QB. Then we get to the Oakland year. McCown was named starting QB to protect JaMarcus Russell, and to care-take a team who lost its #1 receiver, and whose number #2 receiver wanted out as well. Despite all the problems with this Oakland team, McCown was respectable, and kept Oakland in the game for much of the season.

Sparano

Now in Miami, McCown will have a decent set of receivers (Ginn, Derek Hagan) and a solid run-game. But more important he is playing for a coach whose strength is Offensive Line, something McCown has never had. With a decent O-line built around him, a strong run game to support him, and the guiding hand of a smart front office, watch for McCown to rebound. It is clear that McCown is not the future of the Dolphins (with 2 first day QB's behind him in John Beck and Chad Henne) but I fully expect McCown to beat out Beck before the start of the season, and then be a tutor and backup for Henne. And who knows, maybe the confidence and experience of this new team will make McCown the next Sage Rosenfels, a highly touted backup.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Draft Recap- AFC

nobody@vox.com(Estonianzulu) — Thu, 15 May 2008 08:41:50 -0700

Jake Long

The Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins stepped out early with their pick of Jake Long. This one surprised me because Bill Parcells has a long history of picking defensive guys over their offensive line counterparts. This first pick may hint at how much more control Jeff Ireland (Miami GM) and head coach Tony Sporano (former O-line coach) have over this team. I was not a big fan of the Merling pick, but the D-line could use some help. Merling will provide pass rush support to a team that had 30 sacks last season (ranked 24th). The Chad Henne pick was a smart one, and I think Henne will turn out to be the best QB drafted in this class. If he can overcome the Peyton Manning syndrome (never winning the big game) he could be huge. Langford will be a solid guy in a few years, but the rest of the draft was solid depth.

Best Pick: Chad Henne

Mayor

The New England Patriots: The Patriots made the first surprise move of the draft with the Jerod Mayo pick. Mayo can play a lot of roles. which makes him a perfect fit for New England, but I worry about his experience. He did play in the SEC, but only had 24 starts. Those 24 starts were also surrounded by injuries. Despite these injuries and limited starting experience, Mayo lead the SEC in tackles. So, a potential boom or bust guy. Terrence Wheatley was a solid pickup in the 2nd round, probably the best CB available in round 2. Crable is a little one dimensional for me as is Bo Rudd (7th rounder). Kevin O'Connell will be either Mark Brunell, drafted to never be a major player.

Best Pick: Terrence Wheatley.

VernonGholston

The New York Jets: The Jets picked up DE/LB Vernon Gholston with their first pick. Gholston follows guys like Kamerion Wimbley, Anthony Spencer and other college defensive ends who were moved outside to play linebacker in the 3-4. Gholston has 3-4 experience and coverage experience, so he was a perfect fit. Dustin Keller is not good enough to be Kellen Winslow, but he's not a blocker either, a solid player but a reach in round 1. Watch for Dwight Lowrey to be the Asante Samuel for the Jets in a few years (4th rounder CB who overplays and then gets overpaid). I really liked Erik Ainge to be a top QB prospect into 2007, but it didn't come together like I thought, so he will likely be 3rd string at best.

Best Pick: Vernon Gholston

McKelvin

The Buffalo Bills: The Bills first pick was Leonidas McKelvin, who many considered the top corner in the draft. The fact that he fell to 11 was pretty surprising, and Mckelvin could prove to be a major playmaker on defense and on special teams. James Hardy was my pick for the best receiver coming out, but now with numerous legal questions on his record, this may turn out to be a huge gamble and failure on the part of the Bills. If Chris Ellis can be trained up behind Aaron Schobel, he will be a great replacement in a few years (See Darryl Tapp in Seattle). Reggie Corner and Derek Finne were solid depth picks but will not be starters barring injury. Alvin Bowen is my big surprise sleeper pick going into 08-09. Im not a big Keith Ellison fan, and the depth behind he and Crowell are not great. Bowen will be a playmaker in years to come.

Best Pick: Alvin Bowen

Flacco

The Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco- 6'7'', 236. Positives: Strong arm, good throwing motion. Negatives: Slow footwork, locks on to target
Derek Anderson- 6'6'' 242. Positives: Strong arm, quick release. Negatives: Slow footwork, locks on to target
There you have it. The Ravens traded up to get back into the first to re-draft Derek Anderson. Ray Rice is going to be a playmaker, but if he see's much time in the next few seasons. He may end up being a guy who see's more time on his second team (maybe a Turner-type guy?) than his first. Gooden is a developmental linebacker, but Zbikowski will be a solid to excellent replacement for the safety position in the future. But this team needed help now, and I'm not sure they got it, especially with questionably athletic 4th and 5th round pickers.
Best Pick: Ray Rice

Mendenhall

The Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers saw potentially the best runningback in the draft fall to them, and they took him. Mendenhall has all the physical tools to be a great back, though he is coming from a very run-friendly offense (but he is going to a run-friendly offense as well). I do not like Limas Sweed, but the Steelers did. Bruce Davis is going to be beast if he gets the chance to play, but beyond that there are a lot of questions. OT Tony Hills is a project, as is Dennis Dixon (Who will never replace Big Ben, so I really don't know why he was drafted but to be a package guy). The real question going into the offseason was offensive line, and it wasn't fixed. Big Ben was sacked, a lot, last season. So while the defense is reloaded, the offensive line is still a big question.

Best Pick: Rashard Mendenhall

Keith Rivers

The Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals, from all reports, wanted Sedric Ellis, but could not get him to fall. Instead they picked up Keith Rivers out of USC. Rivers has four years of experience, and could become the Bengals' version of Patrick Willis a big time tackler who lacks a good team around him. Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson were solid picks, but this is not a good atmosphere to drop young receivers into, especially with Chad Johnson still a question mark. Simms is a solid DT, but his on-field/off-field issues may not fit well for this team. Anthony Collins could develop to replace Eric Stienbach, but may not be ready in time to make an impact in the next few seasons. Matt Shery will be a great replacement tight end, and may turn out to be a great receiver out of that position.

Best Pick: Anthony Collins

BeauBell

The Cleveland Browns: The Browns didn't have much to work with. Brady Quinn was picked #22 overall, Corey Williams was picked in the 2nd, and Shaun Rodgers was picked in the 3rd. Beau Bell is a solid ILB, but unless someone currently on the inside can be moved out, why Bell was picked over the bigger need at OLB. Martin Rucker was a projected 2nd rounder with a lot of receiving experience but not a big-time blocker. Rucker is a perfect fit for a 2nd TE in two-TE set for the Browns. Rucker also has a great chance of replacing Winslow due to injury. Rubin is a solid 3-4 Nose Tackle, but needs refining as a 6th round pick. Hubbard could replace Wilson as the 4th receiver, and Hall is unlikely to see the field at least for a few years.

Best Pick: Ahtyba Rubin

Clady

The Denver Broncos: Ryan Clady was not my favorite offensive lineman in the draft, but he fits the scheme and has a lot of experience. Eddie Royal meanwhile will be the Hester of this draft, a huge punt returner and special teams performer. Kory Lichtensteiger was the biggest OL steal of the draft coming out of Bowling Green. Although he may sit for a while, when he gets his chance he will be a big time contributer to the Denver offensive line. Spencer Larson and Josh Barrett will serve as great depth but not make an immediate impact. The real question is what Jack Williams and Ryan Torrain were brought in to do. Both will be behind decent starters, but could see playing time in situations that call for extra speed (Williams) or power (Torrain).

Best Pick: Kory Litchtensteiger

Dorsey

The Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs are the big-time winners of this draft. Dorsey is a beast up the middle and will immediatly make the D-line better (Despite the loss of Jared Allen), and offensive guard Brandon Albert was considered one of the better linemen after the combine. Flowers can make an excellent nickle, and if he were only an inch taller he would have gone in round 1. Jamaal Charles is a speedy guy with a lot of talent who will get to spell LJ before taking over when LJ breaks. Brad Cottam has no experience, but he was drafted for the future. When Gonzo retires, Cottam will have the experience and training to replace him. DaJuan Morgan and Will Franklin were value picks who could eventually come in and make an impact (though Morgan has very little experience). It is clear the Chiefs are building for a future power team.

Best Pick: Brad Cottam

McFadden

The Oakland Raiders: McFadden may be the most athletically gifted player in the draft, but when your team was in the top 10 in rushing last season, but 31st in rush defense, you should perhaps look somewhere else. Regardless, the Raiders drafted McFadden and now have too many runningbacks. The Raiders drafted again in the 4th in order to replace the now traded Fabian Washington (who went to Baltimore). The rest of the draft was depth, but not really anything worth note. Chaz Schilens is going to be a big time player if he shapes up like I think he can. He has the size and speed to be a playmaker, if he is given the chance to develop he will become something special, a big target for J-roc.

Best Pick: Chaz Schilens

Cason

The San Diego Chargers: Antoine Cason was a solid pick for a team that has very few holes. He should come in and make a big impact on the defensive backfield, but he doesn't add much size to this secondary. Jacob Hester will be hit-or-miss, but he has the best runningback in the league to learn behind. However, he may be forced to move to Fullback, especially with the next draft pick being Marcus Thomas, who is a bigger hit-the-hole kind of runningback. I'm not a big fan of Tribble, and I felt he received a lot more credit than he probably deserved. Corey Clark is a practice squad lineman at best.

Best Pick: Antoine Cason

Chris Johnson

The Tennessee Titans: The Titans selected another runningback in the first day. Johnson now joins Chris Henry and LenDale White as runningbacks with too much time on their hands. The Titans still have no one to help Vince Young, because Lavelle Hawkins is not the receiver to bring around the Titans passing game woes. Jason Jones is a solid defensive end to replace Odom and continue to build this line. Craig Stevens is a blocking tight end, so not going to help the recieving corp at all. The rest of the draft was depth and practice squad guys.

Best Pick: Jason Jones

Mike Pollak

The Indianapolis Colts: Mike Pollak was the first by the Colts, and he will eventually take over at center for Jeff Saturday. He will be a background guy, an injury replacement player. After Pollak, the Colts went after other depth players including OLB Phillip Wheeler, who should be one of the better linebackers to come out in 2008. Jacob Tamme at tight end was brought in to be Ben Utecht 2.0. Watch out for Marcus Howard to be a big time playmaker in a few years. This draft was about replacing defensive players when they get injured or old, and not an attempt to improve an already brilliant team.

Best Pick: Marcus Howard

Derrick Harvey

The Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars moved up to draft DE/LB Derrick Harvey to be another pass rushing weapon to get after Manning, pin down Young, and torment Schaub. Then in round two the Jags went after another Defensive End in Quentin Groves, another big playmaking defensive lineman. However, they never picked up a solid DT to replace the now-gone Marcus Stroud. In round five, the Jags moved to Outside Linebacker but drafted a guy without a lot of starting experience in Thomas Williams. However I think Williams is a smart player who, with practice and experience could be an impact player. Trea Williams could be a steal that late in the draft, if he turns out. Chauncey Washington probably should have gone undrafted, and will be practice squad material at best.

Best Pick: Derrick Harvey

DuaneBrown

The Houston Texans: Duane Brown was a reach, but with the run on O-linemen I understand where they were coming with. Brown could develop into a solid tackle, but I dont know if the Texans will give him time to get to that level before he's thrown to the wolves. Antwaun Molden is similar to Brown, in that he is a skilled and athletic player but he needs some hammering. Steve Slaton is an interesting pick, and I think he will be an option for dump off's and catch and run plays out of the backfield, but I dont think he will ever be a run-up-the-middle runningback. Xavier Adibi was a huge steal and will be a major player in the NFL within 4 years. Frank Okam is solid and should contribute and the rest of the draft was depth/practice squad guys.

Best Pick: Xavier Adibi

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

10,000 B.C.

nobody@vox.com(Tracy) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:50:00 -0700

10,000 B.C.

I took my mom on a date this morning. See, the original plan was to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I even made her watch Knocked Up last night so that she would (hopefully) fall in love with the characters; or at the very least be somewhat familiar with them.

I get up early this morning to go, because duh! AMC Theatre has $5.00 movies before noon, and I decide to look up what time the movie is playing. About that time I see 10,000 B.C. is showing as well and we had been wanting to see that.

Guess where we ended up? I guess it's okay, though. I mean, no matter how close my mom and I are, there's still a little part of me that would be weirded out staring at a giant penis in my face for half a movie.

So, we watched Steven Strait and swooned over him as the chivalrous male. <3 Can I just say now that I've loved him (aka had the hots for him) since Sky High? Moving on.

10,000 B.C. is about a prehistoric man walking to the "ends of the Earth" to save the woman he loves, and other members of his clan. Don't kid yourself, though, it's ALL about the girl.

It starts out really slow and I was kicking myself for not seeing Sarah Marshall but just then it picked up and I found that I actually cared whether or not D'Leh (Strait's character) succeeded. The acting was so-so. The accents were horrid in most cases. The action scenes were pretty good and the dynamics between the characters completely won me over.

Overall - 4 squees. I can't award anything less for a movie where all the guys spend their time shirtless. =)

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

McNair

nobody@vox.com(Estonianzulu) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:42:47 -0700

McNair

In 1996, the Cleveland Browns ceased to exist. No more did my favorite team exist. For a lot of Ohio sports fans, a gap now existed. The various teams from around the region got their pull, as young people turned to the Steelers and the Bengals. For some of us, the idea of turning to the lesser Ohio team and the arch-rival Steelers was upsetting. So I was forced to turn to other teams. I enjoyed watching the Oakland Raiders, but Jeff George always made me gag just a bit. Miami was popular with a lot of people. but I never jumped on that bandwagon. That left one team that interested me above the others, the Houston Oilers. The Oilers, despite being an in-division opponent to my Browns in the AFC Central, became the team I latched on to, despite watching them move to Tennessee and becoming the Titans. While I felt slightly hypocritical for rooting for a team that relocated, I couldn't help it. The man responsible? Eddie George.

Eddie George played for The Ohio State University, and like anyone who grew up in Columbus, I was a huge fan of

Eddie George

Eddie George Runs All Over Notre Dame And Illinois

the Buckeyes. And the 1996 draft was full of top flight Buckeye talent, with three Buckeyes going in the top 15, and two more going in the top 5 in 1997 (Orlando Pace and Shawn Springs). But of all the Buckeyes, Eddie George was my favorite. I got to see him run for a slew of yards against Illinois (the second half of the video clip on the right). I cheered for him in the NFL, and it broke my heart to see him wear the Dallas Star. But because of Eddie George, I became a big fan of a young QB out of Alcorn State by the name of Steve McNair.

The McNair-George Combo became for me much like the Rice-Montana, Manning-Wayne, Aikman-Smith combo's that so wowed people in the 80's 90's and 00's. I could not think of one without the other. And watching them blaze through the late 90's was one heck of an experience. McNair as the always physical warrior, and George the plowman. They weren't the most exciting combo on the field, they could never match the Air Coryell's, the Greatest Show on Turf or the New England Spread, but the McNair-George combo got it done. And I loved it. Watching physical, smashmouth football was what I enjoyed most of all, and Steve McNair and Eddie George dolled it out. But now, with last week's retirement by the Raven (booo) Steve McNair, the duo has ended. Even in Baltimore, that despised team, I wanted George to do well. Although I wanted his team to be awful, I always hoped he would get another shot at a ring. And ever since the Titans locked McNair out of their facilities and summarily dumped the man who had given so much swet and blood for his team, I have despised Tenneessee.

So now, as McNair rides off into the sunset with 30,000+ passing yards, and over 3 thousand rushing yards, the most physical QB to have played the game will no longer grace the field. It was for the best, as he put it himself, his body couldn't take it. So I wish him the best of luck, and hope one day to see a bust of Steve McNair in the halls of Canton.

Rams SuperBowl 34 (Final minutes)

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

I Am Legend

nobody@vox.com(Tracy) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:31:42 -0700

I Am Legend (Full-Screen Edition)

Thank you, Will Smith, for a monumental waste of my life. Normally, I enjoy Will Smith's movies and he's pretty much the main reason why I wanted to see this one. My instincts were screaming at me to back away slowly, nay, to run away as fast as possible. Did I listen; you ask? Pfft... do I ever?

Sorry if I am about to ruin this for you but let me just tell you, they make a huge deal through the first half of the movie about this bond he has with Sam (his dog) and then he kills the dog. I understand the reasoning behind it but still, don't get me attached to the dog and then kill him off. That's rude.

Next, Will dies. He was being all noble (as Will Smith is apt to do) but still, really 100% necessary? He finds a cure and then blows himself up. How lovely.

Really the only parts of the movie I liked were the parts when Will sings "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley and then tells the story about him to the chick. Other than that, I'd be insanely happy to have that 2 hours of my life back to watch something worth my time.

Overall - 1 squee. It's Will Smith. <3

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Dan In Real Life

nobody@vox.com(Tracy) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:19:59 -0700

Dan in Real Life

As much as I worship and adore Dane Cook, I was just not impressed so much with this movie. I mean, it has its cute parts and all, but most movies do. I just feel that it could have been better. The storyline was pretty boring; Guys wife dies, he hasn't found anyone worth loving, guy meets girl, she's special, he falls in love, girl ends up being guys brother's girlfriend. It's one that anyone with half a brain cell could have seen coming.

All that being said, Dane Cook did his best. He's not an actor and so the fact that he could carry this off even remotely was pretty fantastic. I thought the middle daughter was overly dramatic and irritating and the girl (Dane's girlfriend/Dan's infatuation) could have been prettier (my shallowness shines through).

All in all, I give it 3 squees because Dan Cook was a hot bitch in it and he punched Dan in the face and blackened his eye. That, in itself is enough reason to rent a movie.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Draft Updates

nobody@vox.com(Estonianzulu) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:31:34 -0800

Been a while, I appologize. But lets jump right into the meat of the discussion, the NFL Draft. I'm going to avoid doing mocks, or giving generalizations, but instead I'll try to look at some of the sub top-15 prospects, and give my take on how they played, their strengths and weaknesses, and where they may end up going (and how they may end up doing). I'm going to start with one Felix Jones, runningback, Arkansas. Jones sat behind Darren McFadden on the depth chart for two seasons, but put up impressive numbers. He has had over 1,150 yards two seasons running. However, he has only carried the ball 387 times in his career. Two running backs put up the same number of rushing attempts this season in college football (Ray Rice and Kevin Smith), in fact over 120 runningbacks had more carries this season than Jones. Even in the NFL, a prototypical split-back like Julius Jones had 46 more carries this season than Jones.

Felix Jones

With that being said, Felix Jones is no slouch. His nearly 3,000 yards as a backup is impressive, and Jones also returned kicks and punts, a demanding activity. With the return success of Maurice Jones Drew (another <6'0'' <210 lbs running back), its likely that Jones will get some views in returning kicks on the next level. Jones has also shown his stride to be great, he's able to really put the speed on when he needs it and use what height he has coming out of the pile. That being said, he needs to show he get hit and come back from it. He played in the SEC, which is a bonus, but he played in the Wild Hogs formation where he wasn't even the most focused target. He bounces off tackles rather than plowing through them, and makes a better outside guy than inside guy.

Jones impressed with a solid 4.47 40' and a great 20' drill. I think Jones will be a change of pace back, and if he can prove that he can catch in the NFL, a 3rd down back. Like Reggie Bush, and Adrian Peterson, Jones runs upright a lot. He has a whole lot of power coming from his legs and can move like lightning in the open field. But in the redzone or against tough front sevens, I think he will have problems. Jones will not be drafted to be a primary back, but he will probably be drafted 2nd-3rd round, maybe the first if a team like Dallas really wants him. Dallas would be fine to pair him up with Barber, especially given Dallas' plethora of picks and lack of need. A team like St. Louis or Kansas City could use him as well, as both teams need to lighten the load on their primary runner (who is a between the tackles guy). Unfortunately for both teams, they have more important needs, and secondary runners can be found in the later rounds.

My prediction is that Jones goes to Dallas, either in the late first, or early second. He will probably play out 4 years or so in Dallas, possibly earning the starting spot. But I do not think he will be able to lead a team in carries, at least not for a long time. Whever he goes, he will add an excellent special teams boost and a great split-back situational guy.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Stunned Silence

nobody@vox.com(Estonianzulu) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:09:00 -0800

There we sat, a world of fans and football watches, casual observers and die hards alike. It was a moment of silence, a single moment in history when we knew not what to say. Tom Brady, hero of a hundred games and MVP, stepped back, and lobbed it deep. Here and now, the hail marry to end it all. It was simple, these were the Patriots. Moss was going to catch it, shake a safety and trot into the endzone. The cannons would sound, the confetti would fall and the champions would revel. It was all planned out, the hats were ready, the books printed the papers fresh off the press. It was all as was ordained. The Perfect Patriots, the champions of the world, the heroes of the NFL universe. We all were to bask in the perfection of their season. The perfect franchise, the greatest dynasty.

And then something happened, the ball fell to the ground, no flag, no mystery calls. Silence, for just a moment. New England was defeated, the monster lay slain. As one second ticked off, and then back on, the clock, the game ended. Three fourth quarter changes in the lead, one amazing helmet-pinned catch. Like the Tackle, and the Catch, this moment is forever. Eli Manning dropping back, the pressure, the pass the catch. It wasn't a touchdown, it wasn't the last play of the game, but it was symbolic of everything that happened this Sunday. It was improbable, impossible and no one believed it happened. I was on my feet, floored. And there you have it, 17-14, the Giants win. You'll hear the lamentations for a hundred years, and you'll remember that catch forever. But what does it mean?

18 and Done

No other Super Bowl, and no other team, seemed to be as ordained as this Patriots team was. From the brutal

Wilie Coyote

crushing of the Jets, and Redskins and Dolphins, to the near misses in Phily, Baltimore and New York, the Patriots were the team of the year. 15-0. 16-0. 18-0. One by one the teams fell and New England propelled itself closer to the unattainable. With Icarus like glee, this team drove onward, heedless of the sun. Even after the wings had melted, still it flew. But like the Coyote of Roadrunner fame, the bottom fell out. And there Bill Belichick was, running towards the locker room even as the ground gave way before him.

Tom Brady holds the record for most touchdowns in a season by a quarterback. He is the youngest ever back to reach four Super Bowls, and until Sunday, he was the youngest ever Quarterback to win four Super Bowls. Randy Moss stood triumphant over Jerry Rice's 22 touchdowns, cruising his way to immortality as the man who made the Patriots perfect. Even the 'scrappy-do' of the Patriots, Wes Welker, whose amazing 11 catches tied a Super Bowl record, was ordained to become great. But then it all faded away. Perhaps it was karma, because the Patriots broke the rules. Maybe it was fate, because nothing perfect was built to last, who knows. Was this the Tower of football Babel? Did the gods of football strike down those impudent men, seeking to reach the unseen heights of perfection? They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Well, perhaps the road to failure this season was paved with perfection.

Now this season stands as a lament, a forgotten song. 19-0 is gone forever. The most potent offense in the history of football, stronger than the Browns of the 50's, more powerful than the Cowboys of the 90's or the Greatest Show on Turf in St. Louis, this New England team was unstoppable. Moss was amazing, and when you shut him down, Stallworth stepped up. When neither was there, Wes Welker appeared to be a safety valve. We fans got to see one of the greatest teams in the history of sports play. Every pass was perfect, every down used and treasured. Brady's long list of accomplishments was dotted with perhaps the most perfect performance in playoff history, when against the Jaguars brutal defense he went 26 of 28 for three touchdowns and 262 yards. Lawrence Maroney appeared out of no where to give the Pats a run game, and suddenly, in the cold and in the 4th quarter and when it mattered most, the Patriots re-emerged into their traditional, no-nonsense self. And then, to finalize their season, they came up short. Perfection was just inches away, and they missed it. Back to Tantalus, stuck between the Super Bowl and perfection, both pulled away once more. Does the season end without meaning? In some ways, yes. 18-1 is nothing, not if that -1 came when it mattered most. But this season was amazing for the Patriots. let us not deny that this game was an upset. This New England team was the strongest team I have ever seen. But even the strongest team, can fail, that is why we watch the sport.

David slays Goliath

Miracle

The Band is on the Field, the Kick is Good, the game is over. Victory, over defeat. The scrappy band of nobodies upset the giants. It's so sweet it could be a movie. But what does it mean? Beyond capping a miracle 11-road win season in which the Giants, picked by certain bloggers to not even make the post season and loose their head coach in the offseason, reached the Super Bowl, this game was it. This game was the Miracle on Ice, where the West beat the East, where the Giant fell and the little team that could managed to shock the world. This is why we watch the game, to see the unbelievable, the unexpected, and the amazing. Like Iron Mike Tyson going down, and the Titans coming up short, this ending was one for a lifetime. The Giants will be remembered not just as the winners of Super Bowl XLII, but as the team that succeeded where 18 others, including themselves, had failed.

The Giants played the part of justice, blindly bringing about the end of a season of anger, frustration and hatred. The Pats ran up the score, they rubbed it in, they were cocky, superior and 'the best'. The Giants were an afterthought. Come on, the AFC Championship was the Super Bowl right? I myself considered not even turning the game on unless it came close. Boy was I wrong. The irony of all of this was, it wasn't like the Giants got lucky, or the ball bounced their way. Occasionally (like when a fumbled hand-off got flat out robbed by the Giants) luck titled for the Giants, but overall there was nothing spectacular. It was the Giants who first coughed up a turn over, and the Giants who failed twice in the redzone. It wasn't luck that let the 4-down linemen of New York abuse the Patriots O-line and for the first time since 1/2 of the Dallas game, make Tom Brady earn his plays. In the most impressive O-line, D-line battle I've ever seen, the Patriots flat out lost. The one tool that has forever been the key to the New England success, finally failed, and it failed gloriously.

The Giants defensive effort is the best I have ever seen. It was better than the 70's Steelers, who towered over lesser opponents and ground their way to 4 rings. It was better than the 85 Bears, whose defense not only stopped the Patriots, but put them in reverse. It was even better than the Ravens defense, whose supremely physical style set the standard for defenses in the modern league. The Giants, with young corners and old linebackers, managed to stop an offense that had not put up fewer that 20 points all season, and in fact had averaged 36.8 points per game. 37 points a game! And the Giants held this monster to 14. They did it by pressing the line, making (most) tackles and covering down the field. Brady got pressured, so Brady had to throw early. His receivers, so used to having the time to run routes, had to improvise, and too often it didn't work. 5 sacks and tons of hits left the Patriots breathless, and the Giants victors. So, I apologize to Tom Coughlin, who I disregarded, and Eli Manning, who I doubted. I was wrong, and never have I ever been more glad.

Really, there is only one image you need to see to remember this game forever.

The Great Escape

It was the Great Escape, and the Catch IV.
It was Giants 17, Patriots 14.

And I loved it. This is why we watch the game.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Blog Info

nobody@vox.com(elise) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:55:16 -0800

Ok, I really just created this account to comment on other Vox accounts...

I have a Minnesota Wild blog over at blogger: 18568reasonswhy.blogspot.com (in case the link doesn't work).

So come visit me over there!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend