Football Crack & B.N.B. Powerless Rankings: September 16th, 2008

Ah, two weeks down – two to go. There’s been some underachieving, some overachieving, and some conference altering injuries. Never mind that the 2008 NFL Draft could shake out to be one of the best we’ve seen in a while, at least from an offensive skill position perspective. I know I said I was going to try and do a bottom five, top five type deal with this – but instead I’m just going to focus on the bottom ten teams. Think of it as a black abyss in regards to a team’s playoff hopes. The good news? It’s only Week 2. So there’s no reason to get all hysterical and panic – although the time to do that is drawing near.

Cue the weaklings!


Dishonorable mentions: Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers


23. Minnesota Vikings

It’s funny how a popular sleeper pick ALWAYS manages to underperform, year after year. The Cardinals in 2006, the 49ers in 2007, and now it’s shaping up to be the Vikings in 2008. What do all of these teams have in common? Ding-ding-ding! They all have/had questionable QBs under center!


24. Seattle Seahawks

One could say the Seahawks defied the odds the past few years in their quest for multiple back-to-back NFC West crowns. On the other hand, you could say that they were able to do this in large part to there being absolutely zero competition for them to topple en route to the top. Either way, despite the NFC West looking as weak as it ever has, the Seahawks appear to have finally succumbed to reality. Pretty much their entire WR corps has been injured in some way or another. Although they could still pull it off if they get some of them back soon, it’s not looking very good. So much for a Mike Holmgren feel good last hurrah story..

25. Houston Texans

Granted, the Texans only loss this far was to the powerhouse Steelers, but they still were a disappointment considering the hopes attached to them in the pre-season. With a bottom ten, especially one this early in the season, there’s always going to be some question marks in the rankings – and the Texans are perhaps the biggest one this time around. All they need to get out of the basement is to defeat the resurgent Titans this Sunday. Yeah, exactly.

26. Atlanta Falcons

Ah, how much difference a week makes. Despite looking mighty impressive in a Week One romping of the Lions, the Falcons appeared to fall back to earth in a Week Two loss to the Buccaneers. This wasn’t too surprising. They have a rookie QB and were playing the Lions, after all. More on that team with an epically horrible GM in a bit.


27. Oakland Raiders

The Raiders won this past week, however it was against the Chiefs who are arguably the worst team in the league. Any team with as many questions at head coach as the Raiders have will have a difficult time winning consistently. The defense looked loads better, but again, it was against the Chiefs. Only time will tell if their rushing attack can prove to keep them in some ball games. It can only do so much.


28. Cincinnati Bengals

Just when you think they have it all together, are healthy, and are primed for a potentially upbeat season, the Bengals offense (the very thing that kept them legit, by the way) shits the bed and plays like one of the worst units for the first two weeks. Are they trying to get Marvin Lewis fired or something? Or is it a coup d’état against fantasy football owners? I’m stumped.


29. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs were one of the teams none were too high on heading into the season, and one of their best players is now at odds with the coaching staff. Larry Johnson is right though, they need to give him at least 30 carries a game. What have they got to lose? (Hint: Absolutely nothing)


30. Detroit Lions

After an impressive first half in 2007, many thought the Lions had solved their losing woes and would actually finish with a winning record. The team has talent, there’s no doubt about that, but Matt Millen needs to go. Until he does, the shadow of all his poor decisions is going to loom over this team. What’s it going to take before he resigns? A riot?


31. Miami Dolphins

Many were optimistic about the Dolphins this year, with myself included. However, with the team’s refusal to pound the rock and no real option at QB with Chad Pennington’s inability to play competently, they’re just as bad as last year. Except this time around the defense doesn’t have Jason Taylor. Either Ronnie Brown bounces back and returns to pre-2007-injury form, or this team may end up struggling to win much more than their sole win total in 2007.


And the “winner” is…


32. St. Louis Rams

I don’t have anything nice to say about the Rams, so I’m not going to say anything at all. Except that I feel awfully bad for Marc Bulger. I don’t care what QB you put behind the Rams offensive line, they wouldn’t be effective wondering whether or not they had to go to the emergency room that night. End of story. The Rams need to get working on that sorry excuse for an O-line, because as of right now, it truly is offensive.

Very Quick Daily "Linkin' Logs" (9/16/08)

If possible, I'd love to give you my thoughts on the Cowboys-Eagles barn-burner yesterday. Unfortunately, with my computer issues yesterday (hence the no "linkin' logs" for Monday) and the general market turbulence, I'm just a bit busy. Perhaps one of my fellow BNBers can fill in the gap. A few links:

• Just before the game, A.J. Daulerio of Deadspin gave us the last gasp on his Eagledom...Deliver us five...Deliver us
• Yep, DeSean Jackson is dumb
• Philly.com points out, you can pin this loss on a lot of folks, just not Five (Honestly, the McNabb to Westbrook fumble was the dealbreaker, but an honest fan knows it shouldn't have come to that)
• First place Red Sox...Yankees fans everywhere are donning blue
• The Muscled One gets his chops busted
• A new rundown from one of my favorite bloggers from AoEH, Matt.
• And finally, via Deadspin, Blacksportsonline.com gives us the 50 Greatest Sir Charles Quotes
  

NFC West Week 2 Preview

Week 1: 3-0

Season: 3-0


San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks

Seattle swept the season series from the Niners last year by a combined score of 47-3, but that was last year. Despite losing quarterback Alex Smith for the season with a torn rotator cuff, the news is even worse for the Seahawks. Down to one healthy, experienced wide receiver heading into week one, the Hawks lost Nate Burleson on the opening drive against Buffalo with a torn ACL in his left knee. The receiving situation is so desperate, the Hawks are considering starting backup quarterback Seneca Wallace at split end. With two second year WR in line to start, and a rookie tight end as well, QB Matt Hasselbeck will need to be on his game for the Hawks to prevail.

On the other side of the ball, Niners RB Frank Gore averages more than six yards per carry during his career against Seattle, with QB J.T. O'Sullivan again being asked to manage the clock and to avoid turnovers if at all possible.
Prediction: The Hawks injuries on offense are just too much to overcome, and Hasselbeck can't do it all himself, especially considering he isn't at 100% himself. If O'Sullivan can manage to avoid multiple turnovers, and if Gore can match his career averages against Seattle, I can't see them winning.

Prediction: 49ers, 17-13.

New York Giants @ St. Louis Rams

The Rams suffered a big loss on offense last week, WR Drew Bennett will miss at least a month with a broken foot. RB Steven Jackson should be in better shape than last week, although he is still not 100% after missing training camp and the pre-season following a hold-out. The Rams offensive line is its weakest link, the Giants should have little trouble pressuring QB Marc Bulger, putting even more pressure on Jackson.

The Giants offensive line, on the other hand, is a strength, they should have no trouble driving the Rams DLine off the ball, opening large holes for the Giants backs. QB Eli Manning should be aware of a potential mismatch between 6'6" Plaxico Burress and 5'9" Rams cornerback Tye Hill.

Prediction: Giants big, 38-13.

Miami @ Arizona

Here's a stat for you, in the third quarter of last week's opener at San Francisco, the Cardinals time of possession in the third quarter was 13:17. After a shaky first half which ended in a 10 all tie, QB Kurt Warner settled in and executed Coach Ken Whisenhunt 's short pass offense to perfection. In the first half, Anquan Boldin had zero catches, Larry Fitzgerald had seven. In the second half, after a 49ers adjustment, Boldin caught eight balls, with Fitzgerald grabbing three. Expect more of the same against Miami, as their secondary lacks a dominant, shutdown cover guy, which should result in Boldin and Fitzgerald once again approaching double digit catches apiece.

Falling behind early is what the Dolphins would like to avoid, as they are a run dominant team, led by Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown. Last week against the Jets, they combined for 23 carries, the Dolphs would like to see them approach forty combined carries.

Prediction: The Cardinals, behind the ever-confident Kurt Warner and the unstoppable duo of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald win comfortably, 27-10.

Al Groh Gets What He Deserves

TGIF Daily "Linkin' Logs" (9/12/08)

"NFL rivalries come and go. Today, none is more heated than Patriots-Jets. Why? Two men: Bill Belichick and Eric Mangini"

If that isn't one of the more ridiculous things you've read in a while, then you're either a jaded AFC East fan or a total newbie to the NFL. Rivalries aren't simply born out of competitive banter, like that of Belichick spurning the Jets or Mangini spurning New England (for the Jets) or even things like Spygate. They need competition. The Colts and Patriots have become a rivalry of some proportion (I'd compare it to the rivalries of the mid-90s between the Cowboys, 49ers and Packers) because of not just some type of anomosity (though mostly press-driven) but also because every friggin' game was competitive and meant a whole lot (namely either home field/playoff seeding and/or a playoff game itself).

Since the Belichick era in New England exactly 4 of the 17 games (1 playoff game) have been settle by 6 points or less (with the best being a 1 point loss in 2000, when Drew Bledsoe was the New England QB) and more than half have been total spankings (10 points or more). Hardly a rivalry and while the heated exchange after Bill Parcells's departure in 1996 resulted in some animosity the Patriots were such a lowly team (even with a Super Bowl Birth) that no one really cared (Tuna Bowl was merely a ESPN Invention to drive ratings). Even after the Belichick spurned year in 2000, the two teams (one a playoff regular, the other a fortunate AFC Champion just once in its post-merger history) simply were not that entertaining. Boston was a baseball town and New York had...well...The Subway Series and the Giants (eventual NFC Champions in 2000).

All inter-division matchups are rivals, even more so when the two teams are competitive, but the posterchild for this is the NFC East and its been proven game in and game out to result in not only close matchups, but excellent football. So until both teams decide to be competitive or the Jets can beat the Pats (They've beaten the Patriots just twice since 2002), then don't call it a rivalry.

• Hey Rutgers, at least you still have Grease Wagons and multiple Planned Parenthood clinics.
  
• The least interesting MLB record breaking ever
• PFT brings up some valid issues regarding the rescheduling of the Ravens-Texans matchup now on Monday. I have to concur that its total horseshit that ESPN won't allow it on Direct TV's Sunday ticket. Overall, I think the NFL Broadcast rights and rules are a bucnh of B.S. but this is really over-the-top and PFT's Mike Florio brings up some really good points.
• Sam I Am Ain't leavin
• Skip to my Lou should keep skipping, not driving...while drunk
• I always thought firesales were held during the season...
  
• And finally, A.J. Daulerio, Editor of Deadspin, finally gets his big date...with Linda Cohn. Actually, props to Philly Native Daulerio who I think really came into his own as the head honcho at Deadspin (I always found Will Lietch to be a bit to pretentious...and he sorta sounded like Bill Simmons on the radio). Its actually a good read...and kinda funny. On another note, an old buddy of mine once met Linda Cohn; says she's a lot hotter in person: You decide

Want to write me hatemail? E-mail me at Justin@badnewsbloggers.com

Matt Mosley Deserves One Squarely in the Nuts

And I hope he reads this (actually, it'd be helpful). I've sent my fair share of hate mail to writers/bloggers/blowhards throughout my time on the net but Mosley strikes me as the kind of guy who simply wouldn't respond to such attacks (Note that folks like Jemele Hill or Gene Wojo...whatever actually do respond...I actually called Wojo a retard once and to his credit, he responded with class). So instead I'm giving you the "rant" on the virtues of Mosely's Cowboys blowing...err...blogging.

Look ESPN, I know they're a big name team, "America's Team" and a decent draw, but so is the rest of the NFC East. Just off the top of my head, I'm fairly confident that the Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins represent 3 of the top 5 most valuable franchises in the NFL. But to then bring in Mosely as the NFC East "Blogger" (because he's a fucking writer), a former Cowboys beatwriter, award winner for the Dallas Morning News and Baylor University (In Texas!!!). Seriously, the only way you could be more biased in hiring is if you added Dave Campo (because we know he's unemployed...oh you say he's Terrence Newman's chauffeur now?).

Since ESPN started this "blogging" endeavor, its been one Mosley horseshit Cowboy lovefest piece after another (and that was just today). Sean Salisbury hated(hates?) the Eagles, but at least he had the decency to keep picking the Panthers. Merrill Hoge does too, but Jaws is right there to twist his nuts. Mosley's got no one to keep him in check. He's like a reverse GCobb with spellcheck.

So let's ban together, Cowboy haters (lookin at you 'Skins and Vagiants fans) and stop Mosley before the poison spreads to far!

And while we're at it, Let's talk about this tidbit in Mosley's most recent piece: "I get the feeling the controversial wide receiver has moved on with his life. I'm not so sure about his former team."

Which would be real fine if Terrell Owens did just respond (talking about the past mind you): “I think the fans and just the excitement of me coming there and being there, it became too overwhelming for Donovan. Other than that, I think at one point in time I will say that we had a good relationship. I think I got too big for Philly, too big for him."

Too big for Philly? Really?

A Responsive Daily "Linkin' Logs" (9/11/08)

First of all, I'd be (probably) soulless if I didn't mention 9/11. Our hearts go out to all the victims and their families of the September 11th attacks. Certainly, the United States hasn't seen such a catastrophic attack since the days of Roosevelt and we, regardless of our thoughts on the war in Iraq or Afghanistan, support our troops in their endeavors. God Bless America. Republican, Democrat, Green, Libertarian or any independent, please remember to get out and vote if you want your voice heard.

On to less serious things, Scott M of Sox and Dawgs provided some support regarding Rodney Harrison and the Tom Brady Injury Reaction ("Kneegate"). Please note that this was taken from Reiss's Pieces, a Boston.com blog

"That reaction is normal," said Patriots safety Rodney Harrison. "Anything that happens to us people, they get excited about. Obviously, they don't care for us much around the league. But I understand it's a competitive league. Teams, as well as fans, are looking for any edge they can possibly get and if that means us losing our star quarterback, guess what, they feel like that gives them an edge. At the same time, you still gotta get it done on the field.

Harrison later added: "People sometimes lose sight that we're brothers, we're fathers, sons. They look at us like machines. A lot of times, people really don't consider that we're human-beings, we have feelings, it hurts. We go through a bunch of different things, but they get so wrapped up in the game, that it's not real life... We're sacrificing, away from our families... as a football player, you understand it's a part of the deal. You're going to get hurt playing football. It's just how you respond."

The Schadenfreude that Mike Reiss speaks of isn't really all that uncommon and is partially why I don't understand the outcry. Maybe its because, unlike some of his predecessors, Tom Brady isn't really an asshole (I don't know him personally, but he seems like a nice guy...even though he went to Michigan). Michael Irvin, Joe Theismann, Eric Lindros, and the like were treated with the same vindication amongst their hated rivals. So forgive me if you think somehow the world's really against the Patriots. NFL fans just got sick of Spygate, 19-0 (18-1!), Bill Belichick and (personally) the dirty play of one Rodney Harrison. Tom Brady is just collateral damage in the delight of each NFL fan that the Patriots got just what (every other NFL fans feels) they deserve.

As for Harrison's comments, I felt his humanizing quote certainly rings true, but, its truly the Pot and the Kettle with Harrison. He is the all time leader in Personal Foul Penalties, he once landed a devestating helmet-to-helmet hit to the greatest receiver of all time (if you don't know that is, stop reading) and he's been named the dirtiest player in the league by both players and coaches. Harrison admonishes the title, but the fact of the matter is the bulk of the players and coaches in the league see him play and watch him play and believe his garbage on the field is a travesty. When Harrison lays out an opposing player with a spear, does he think about said player's wife? I somehow doubt that. He is correct in stating that players in the NFL will get hurt, but other NFLers don't need players like Rodney Harrison eschewing them out of the NFL.

• The LastRow gives us the lowdown on the newest Cheerleader battle
• While we're bashing Boston...Jonathan Papelbon dancing videos
• Actually Beantown, this one's sort of uplifting. Northeastern University Alum Carlos Pena led the Tampa Bay Rays to victory last night, so Boston was a Winner...right?
• As I alluded to a few days ago...Kyle Kendrick is the new Adam Eaton (hey, at least Kendrick isn't making 8 mil a year)
• For the Philadelphia fan, yesterday I took part in an interview with fellow BNBer Andrew regarding the state of Philadelphia Sports...excuse my ignorance!
  
• Even New England Fans can appreciate making fun of Pete Carroll
• Tony Romo downgraded from Huge Douche to Regular Douche
• Poor Lane Kiffin, he should get the hell outta Dodge as soon as possible.
• And finally, From EC (again), The Next Jake Delhomme
  

And You Thought Bernard Pollard Was Dirty?

Its not surprising that numerous Pats fans have been crying foul over the Brady hit by Bernard Pollard. Hell, even Vince Wilfork and Randy Moss believe so.

Many Pats fans (Personally, I like to imagine the proprietors of Sox and Dawgs as a red faced bunch of pissed off Boston Irish folks punching the keyboard as they typed that) and personnel have had an opinion on the hit, but one man's opinion is clearly missing...

That of Rodney Harrison.

Numerous Google Searches for Harrison have revealed little

So where is the NFL's dirtiest player to comment on this dirty play? (Oh, you say the poll is too old? How about this Coaches Poll from earlier this summer?) I can even image good ole Bill Belichick answer it and thinking: "Yeah, Harrison...whatever." The real facts are, 18 coaches were polled and 11 said Harrison right off the bat. Second place? Roy Williams with...two votes...

So Rodney, care to weigh in on the hit? Do you think it was dirty...Well really, would you have done it? (yeah ya would, don't lie)