The NFL season has a few weeks left and this season is filled with intrigue. Will Peyton Manning play again this season or will Brock Osweiller keep the reigns? Which teams will claim a wild card berth? Does anyone want to win the NFC East? Are the Patriots losing it/are they just bad without Rob Gronkowski? Its all set up for quite an exciting end to the season. But since we're so close to the playoffs, chatter has also started about the offseason. I've done my part in that with my last two posts about Sean Payton and Peyton Manning, but many other questions will be asked over the next few weeks and months. With the holiday season upon us, here's my Wish List for issues I hope gain national attention and will hopefully be addressed by someone, as well as my take on the issue:
What is a catch?
The NFL has addressed this issue over the past few offseasons. We've seen Calvin Johnson an Dez Bryant lose touchdowns because the catch rule makes no sense. But the NFL's solution to fixing this issue has been to make it more confusing. Anyone surprised? Bryant has recently proposed letting players have a say in developing the rule. Even though I think he's a loud-mouthed arrogant jerk, I agree with him on this point. Let the NFLPA establish a 6-member group that will have the opportunity to have a say in rule changes, and split the group with 3 offensive players and 3 defensive players. And not just for this rule change, but for all of them. Owners don't play the game and should not have sole say in the rules that govern on the field play. If Goodell truly wants to start establishing a better relationship with players then he needs to let players have some voice (from actual players, not just their union reps) in rules for the game.
Hire full time game officials:
Every week there are numerous discussions amongst pundits and fans about poor officiating throughout the NFL. Goodell has offered the proposal of switching up the officiating crews each week in an effort to limit bias and even out the amount of particular calls each crew makes. While a novel suggestion, it doesn't address the issue of NFL officials being confused about the wording of particular NFL rules. Solution? At the least, make the crew chief of each crew a full time NFL employee. This way they can spend the offseason studying the rules, consulting with league officials for clarification, and watching film to help better determine when a penalty should and should not be called. These crew chiefs could then help better train the rest of their crew on rule changes and what is/isn't a penalty. The NFL could certainly afford to do this, and it will make for a better game day product - possibly even result in fans complaining less that the officials dictated the outcome of a game. We can all hope, right?
Don't make any more rules based on what happened to one player:
I'm an advocate for player safety, but not a fan of changing rules just because one star player gets hurt. Probably the most famous of such rules is the Brady Rule which states that defensive players cannot lunge towards a QB if that defensive player is on the ground. Makes sense. We want to protect out players. But in the wake of the most recent knee injury to Gronkowski, Brady has spoken out for the need of a rule change to prevent defensive players from hitting a receiver in the legs. This has been a common tactic for defensive players over the years, especially as tackling ability as declined across the league, but the receiver is not defenseless in this case. Defensive players already cannot dive at a QBs knees nor can they dive at players who are already engaged with another player. That makes sense. Another rule change to benefit Brady is not what the league needs. Look at player safety, but make rule changes that will benefit everyones' health, not just the stat line for an already babied QB.
Adjust the rules for offseason team/player contact:
Speaking of player safety, has anyone else noticed the increasing occurrence of hamstring injuries since the NFL limited how much time teams can have players practice together at team headquarters during the offseason? This has been especially problematic for skill players. I'm not advocating for an increase in padded practices (though that would certainly help with the tackling issue in the league), but rather that teams should have more opportunities during the offseason to have players come together to work out. This way the team's medical staff can monitor the players and help them better prepare their bodies to avoid these soft tissue issues.
Stop holding communities hostage:
This of course is in regards to one or two teams moving to Los Angeles. NFL owners love threatening the communities their in to get money for stadiums from local and state governments, even though these billionaire owners can afford to build a stadium on their own. These people have shown little to no regard with tight budgets and the programs that money could be better used for. On top of that, NFL owners are reportedly seeking a $500 million relocation fee from each team that wants to move from where they are to LA. Why? Because those other owners would lose the leverage of threatening to leave their current cities for LA. This is a despicable practice and shows a lack of respect for NFL fans in each city (except Green Bay - if only each NFL team had the ownership structure of Green Bay!) - despite fans being the reason the NFL Owners have received broadcast fees in the billions of dollars. These people aren't hurting for money, and they should be willing to invest in their teams if they want to own them through stadium upkeep/building, facilities for players, and medical staff.
Actually follow the concussion protocol!:
On the subject of medical staffs - what was the point of having team and independent doctors on NFL sidelines to pull players out of games to evaluate them if those players are suspected of suffering a head injury if they're not actually going to do it? Over the past few weeks players such as Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Newton have been allowed to stay in games to finish drives before being evaluated by medical staff. This certainly helps a team succeed, but how does this help player health and safety? It doesn't. If you're going to have a procedure in place to evaluate players for possible concussions, then you better follow it. Who cares if the player doesn't want to come out?! Take away their helmet until they are properly evaluated and pull them out right after the play in question. As far as franchises who do not follow the protocol - fine them, and if you have to doc draft choices. Maybe start with losing a 4th round for a first offense that changes to a 3rd rounder for the next offense and so on. The league, players, and teams need to understand how serious the concussion issue is and do everything they can to make sure players are properly evaluated.
And finally:
Fix the arbitration process for league discipline:
Better yet - appoint someone besides Goodell to oversee fines and suspensions. Major League Baseball has Joe Torre doing this for Commissioner Rob Manfred. Who couldn't the NFL do this? Goodell has lost all credibility when it comes to fining and suspending players so they need to do something. Appointing a separate person to oversee player/team discipline probably won't happen, but the next best thing would be to appoint an independent arbitration panel to hear grievances. Follow the MLB model of a 3 person panel where one person is selected by the NFLPA, one by the league office, and a third by both parties. This would allow for appeals to be fairly and properly heard and will avoid such unnecessary fiascos like the Tom Brady trial.
This is a lengthy list, though certainly incomplete, and I greatly appreciate you staying with me through all of this. I highly doubt that any of these ideas would ever actually be considered by the NFL, but it's nice to hope that businessmen might be sensible enough to establish an actual sensible business model. But then again that's probably asking too much from owners who became this rich for following a business model that's probably not fair and sensible for all. But we are in the season of hope and goodwill, so there's that.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Friday, November 27, 2015
Peyton Manning: A Man on the Move
Peyton Manning has been losing his ability to make throws thanks to those neck surgeries a few years ago and now has seemingly lost his job to Brock Osweiler thanks to a plantar fascia tear in his foot that will take some time to heal. Not to say that Brock Osweiler is a better quarterback than Manning - Manning is one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game (see my post from 2/18/15 entitled "Tom Brady - G.O.A.T?") - but he is a much better fit for Gary Kubiak's system with his ability to run bootlegs and get out of the pocket. So, as we are prone to do with athletes, let's start the drum beating on Manning's time in Denver coming to a close and speculate on where he might play next season. Manning has said he wants to play one more year - and hopefully his health allows him to do so. So, in no particular order, here are five teams I believe would want to sign Peyton for a farewell tour.
1) Washington Redskins
Washington's quarterback situation is puzzling for a couple of reasons. For one, there's the whole RGIII fiasco. They strangely decided to exercise his fifth year player option meaning he'll make around $15 million next year if he's still on the team. That's an absurd amount of money to pay a 3rd string quarterback who's playing safety on the scout team defense. Washington does have a good tight end (if he can stay healthy) and an explosive young running back (even if they decide to let Alfred Morris walk this year). Manning won't be able to throw deep to DeSean Jackson but should be able to make throws to allow Jackson to use his speed to gain yards after the catch. But another issue? I don't think Peyton wants to play in the same division as his little brother.
2) St. Louis Rams
Yes, St. Louis traded for Nick Foles and then gave him an extension. But they already benched him. Jeff Fisher needs wins to keep his job and a year of Manning (combined with drafting a young QB to learn from him) could get him the wins he needs and the time to develop that young QB. The Rams have a stud young running back and a ferocious (or capable of being so) defense. To get Manning, though, they'll need to upgrade the pass catching options in free agency and the draft. But would Peyton want to face the Seattle defense twice a year? Super Bowl flashbacks could haunt Manning if he chose to go here.
3) Cleveland Browns
The revolving door at quarterback is going to continue for the Browns and it's been made quite obvious that Johnny Manziel has lost the trust of at least the coaching staff. Why not try to get Manning for a year while they try to develop another young quarterback? They'll need some receivers and to figure out their running back situation, but they should again have an outstanding offensive line even when Alex Mack leaves this offseason. Could Cleveland convince Manning to go against the other AFC North defenses?
4) Houston Texans
They've already cut Ryan Mallett and Bryian Hoyer is just a journeyman. They'll need a running back (highly doubtful they bring back Arian Foster with his age and all his injuries), but they do have some great talent on defense and DeAndre Hopkins could help entice Manning. Could playing his former team twice during the regular season also add some intrigue for Manning? Plus he'd be a great mentor for Tom Savage - the former 4th round pick Bill O'Brien said he'd like to develop.
5) New Orleans Saints
As I wrote last time it looks like Sean Payton will be leaving and Drew Brees (and his really big cap hit) could follow him out the door and to a new team. There's some talent on offense with Brandon Cooks and Mark Ingram, but the defense is a work in progress. Could the prodigal son of Archie Manning come for one season and bring some excitement to The Big Easy?
The Surprise Team - New York Jets
Peyton doesn't want to play in the same division as his brother, but could they share a city and a stadium? The Jets have some talent with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker (whom Manning already has worked with), and Chris Ivory at running back - plus the defense is great. After missing this season's match-up with Brady, would Peyton want to have two more potential match-ups against his most prominent foe?
1) Washington Redskins
Washington's quarterback situation is puzzling for a couple of reasons. For one, there's the whole RGIII fiasco. They strangely decided to exercise his fifth year player option meaning he'll make around $15 million next year if he's still on the team. That's an absurd amount of money to pay a 3rd string quarterback who's playing safety on the scout team defense. Washington does have a good tight end (if he can stay healthy) and an explosive young running back (even if they decide to let Alfred Morris walk this year). Manning won't be able to throw deep to DeSean Jackson but should be able to make throws to allow Jackson to use his speed to gain yards after the catch. But another issue? I don't think Peyton wants to play in the same division as his little brother.
2) St. Louis Rams
Yes, St. Louis traded for Nick Foles and then gave him an extension. But they already benched him. Jeff Fisher needs wins to keep his job and a year of Manning (combined with drafting a young QB to learn from him) could get him the wins he needs and the time to develop that young QB. The Rams have a stud young running back and a ferocious (or capable of being so) defense. To get Manning, though, they'll need to upgrade the pass catching options in free agency and the draft. But would Peyton want to face the Seattle defense twice a year? Super Bowl flashbacks could haunt Manning if he chose to go here.
3) Cleveland Browns
The revolving door at quarterback is going to continue for the Browns and it's been made quite obvious that Johnny Manziel has lost the trust of at least the coaching staff. Why not try to get Manning for a year while they try to develop another young quarterback? They'll need some receivers and to figure out their running back situation, but they should again have an outstanding offensive line even when Alex Mack leaves this offseason. Could Cleveland convince Manning to go against the other AFC North defenses?
4) Houston Texans
They've already cut Ryan Mallett and Bryian Hoyer is just a journeyman. They'll need a running back (highly doubtful they bring back Arian Foster with his age and all his injuries), but they do have some great talent on defense and DeAndre Hopkins could help entice Manning. Could playing his former team twice during the regular season also add some intrigue for Manning? Plus he'd be a great mentor for Tom Savage - the former 4th round pick Bill O'Brien said he'd like to develop.
5) New Orleans Saints
As I wrote last time it looks like Sean Payton will be leaving and Drew Brees (and his really big cap hit) could follow him out the door and to a new team. There's some talent on offense with Brandon Cooks and Mark Ingram, but the defense is a work in progress. Could the prodigal son of Archie Manning come for one season and bring some excitement to The Big Easy?
The Surprise Team - New York Jets
Peyton doesn't want to play in the same division as his brother, but could they share a city and a stadium? The Jets have some talent with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker (whom Manning already has worked with), and Chris Ivory at running back - plus the defense is great. After missing this season's match-up with Brady, would Peyton want to have two more potential match-ups against his most prominent foe?
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Sean Payton's Next Destination
Sean Payton brought hope, life, and Drew Brees to New Orleans and gave the city reason to celebrate by winning Super Bowl XLIV in 2009. But all good things must come to an end and he'll leave the Saints once this season comes to a close. There have been abundant rumors on this possibility for a few reasons. The Saints are doubtful to make the playoffs this year and are in salary cap hell. They will probably need to jettison Brees and his $30 million cap hit next year, and it's unlikely that Payton will want to stick around for another rebuilding project. The uncertainty surrounding the ownership situation doesn't help matters either. Rumors have been swirling that USC (those once mighty Trojans who have fallen on hard times since Pete Carroll left), but why would Payton want to confine himself to dealing with academic requirements and a better than the BCS but still questionable playoff system when he knows he can be a successful NFL head coach. I highly doubt he'll also want to also deal with boosters and alumni. Rather, I see five potential NFL destinations he could bring some excitement to next fall.
The Longshot
Washington Redskins
It's very likely that Jay Gruden will be fired following this season. He's benched and spoken against publicly Dan Snyder's favorite player - RGIII - and has shown he's not quite suited - not yet anyway - to running the entire operation. Snyder also has little patience with head coaches, which is why this team should be considered long shots for Payton. Could Payton work with such a meddlesome owner? Will he want too much control over the roster? It's possible he would like the idea of trying to turn Kirk Cousins into a decent NFL quarterback, and if it doesn't work after a year he can just say that he tried and go get his own QB. But there are a lot of question marks surrounding this team, especially on defense which haven't exactly been good recently in New Orleans. But the NFC East would be a lot more interesting with Chip Kelly and Payton squaring off twice a year. Ultimately I think Payton says no thanks to Snyder and goes somewhere he can work his magic in peace.
Maybe, but Not Likely
Detroit Lions
Payton could have the chance to bring the joy of a Super Bowl victory to Detroit much like he did for New Orleans, and we all know Detroit needs something to feel good about these days. He'd also have some excellent pieces on offense with Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Golden Tate. He could coach up Eric Ebron and might actually help Ameer Abdullah with his fumbling issues. But Detroit is also in salary cap hell, with Stafford and Johnson counting more than $46 million against next years cap, and Detroit also has a host of defensive issues - especially after allowing a stand out pair of defensive tackles walk in free agency. Suh wouldn't have been worth the cap hit but Nick Fairly should have been resigned. However, Detroit is clearing house and now in charge Martha Ford desperately wants the team to win. Still, this option should be low on the list.
Indianapolis Colts
Payton would work wonders with Andrew Luck under center and there's some other decent parts on offense with T.Y. Hilton, Frank Gore (still productive enough despite his age), and a pair of young tight ends. General Manager Ryan Grigson should be fired any minute now for his failure to add difference makers to the defense and for the capital offense (at least in Indiana) of having no offensive line to protect the star quarterback. However, I think it's unlikely that Chuck Pagano is also let go. Jim Irsay values loyalty and Pagano's done the best with what he's been given. If Irsay decided to simply clean house then this job would jump higher on the list, but Pagano should end up staying on in Indy.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans have already fired Ken Whisenhunt and they'll want to hire a head coach who can help develop Marcus Mariota. Interim head coach Mike Mularkey would be a decent choice to stay on as offensive coordinator once a new head coach is brought in, but I think it's more likely that the Titans will end up hiring current Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Bevell has been instrumental in the development of Russell Wilson and he'd be tutoring a similar (though certainly taller) version of him in Mariota. Plus there's little else roster wise in Tennessee to entice Payton.
The Likeliest Destination
Houston Texans
Why? Because Payton's kids go to school in the Dallas area and he's already said he enjoys being so close to them so he can go home during the week. It would be a much shorter flight from Houston to Dallas than it is from New Orleans. Bill O'Brien will be fired after the season for another unsuccessful year and for once again failing to develop a quarterback. Added note: I think it's more likely than not that O'Brien ends up getting that aforementioned USC job. Anyway, Payton would get to pick his own quarterback - possibly drafting one to develop after signing Drew Brees once the Saints cut him for salary cap purposes/to fully restart rebuilding that roster. There is talent on offense, though a new running back will be needed, and unlike every other option there's also talent on defense! Payton would jump for joy and spray the entire press room at his introductory news conference with champagne with the chance to coach a defense with JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney (assuming he can overcome his knee issues). Maybe he won't since that's probably frowned upon, but either way, Sean Payton should be the next coach of the Houston Texans.
The Longshot
Washington Redskins
It's very likely that Jay Gruden will be fired following this season. He's benched and spoken against publicly Dan Snyder's favorite player - RGIII - and has shown he's not quite suited - not yet anyway - to running the entire operation. Snyder also has little patience with head coaches, which is why this team should be considered long shots for Payton. Could Payton work with such a meddlesome owner? Will he want too much control over the roster? It's possible he would like the idea of trying to turn Kirk Cousins into a decent NFL quarterback, and if it doesn't work after a year he can just say that he tried and go get his own QB. But there are a lot of question marks surrounding this team, especially on defense which haven't exactly been good recently in New Orleans. But the NFC East would be a lot more interesting with Chip Kelly and Payton squaring off twice a year. Ultimately I think Payton says no thanks to Snyder and goes somewhere he can work his magic in peace.
Maybe, but Not Likely
Detroit Lions
Payton could have the chance to bring the joy of a Super Bowl victory to Detroit much like he did for New Orleans, and we all know Detroit needs something to feel good about these days. He'd also have some excellent pieces on offense with Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Golden Tate. He could coach up Eric Ebron and might actually help Ameer Abdullah with his fumbling issues. But Detroit is also in salary cap hell, with Stafford and Johnson counting more than $46 million against next years cap, and Detroit also has a host of defensive issues - especially after allowing a stand out pair of defensive tackles walk in free agency. Suh wouldn't have been worth the cap hit but Nick Fairly should have been resigned. However, Detroit is clearing house and now in charge Martha Ford desperately wants the team to win. Still, this option should be low on the list.
Indianapolis Colts
Payton would work wonders with Andrew Luck under center and there's some other decent parts on offense with T.Y. Hilton, Frank Gore (still productive enough despite his age), and a pair of young tight ends. General Manager Ryan Grigson should be fired any minute now for his failure to add difference makers to the defense and for the capital offense (at least in Indiana) of having no offensive line to protect the star quarterback. However, I think it's unlikely that Chuck Pagano is also let go. Jim Irsay values loyalty and Pagano's done the best with what he's been given. If Irsay decided to simply clean house then this job would jump higher on the list, but Pagano should end up staying on in Indy.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans have already fired Ken Whisenhunt and they'll want to hire a head coach who can help develop Marcus Mariota. Interim head coach Mike Mularkey would be a decent choice to stay on as offensive coordinator once a new head coach is brought in, but I think it's more likely that the Titans will end up hiring current Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Bevell has been instrumental in the development of Russell Wilson and he'd be tutoring a similar (though certainly taller) version of him in Mariota. Plus there's little else roster wise in Tennessee to entice Payton.
The Likeliest Destination
Houston Texans
Why? Because Payton's kids go to school in the Dallas area and he's already said he enjoys being so close to them so he can go home during the week. It would be a much shorter flight from Houston to Dallas than it is from New Orleans. Bill O'Brien will be fired after the season for another unsuccessful year and for once again failing to develop a quarterback. Added note: I think it's more likely than not that O'Brien ends up getting that aforementioned USC job. Anyway, Payton would get to pick his own quarterback - possibly drafting one to develop after signing Drew Brees once the Saints cut him for salary cap purposes/to fully restart rebuilding that roster. There is talent on offense, though a new running back will be needed, and unlike every other option there's also talent on defense! Payton would jump for joy and spray the entire press room at his introductory news conference with champagne with the chance to coach a defense with JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney (assuming he can overcome his knee issues). Maybe he won't since that's probably frowned upon, but either way, Sean Payton should be the next coach of the Houston Texans.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Ten Players That Deserve a Super Bowl Ring
There have been countless great players to suit up in the NFL but not all of them got to savor a Super Bowl victory. When you think of all-time greats who never won a ring the names Dan Marino, Tony Gonzalez, and Barry Sanders come to mind. A lot goes into building a team that can win a championship with luck, getting on a hot streak (hello 2007 and 2011 NY Giants), and health also playing key factors. But there are players in the NFL who wow us on seemingly a weekly basis who haven't gotten that ring yet - some have gotten close and some play on perennially bad teams. Below is a list of current NFL stars, in no particular order, that I hope get to lift the Lombardi Trophy before they call it a career - whether it's with their current team or they have to go elsewhere. I'll only be discussing players who have been in the league a while so you won't see players like Andrew Luck or AJ Green - guys who are still young and should get at least one shot at a title. Maybe I'll revisit this list in a couple of years...
Joe Thomas - OT, Cleveland Browns
Thomas is widely considered the best offensive tackle in the game today and, in my book, has a claim to be the best of all time. He is the anchor of the Browns o-line and manhandles opposing defensive players every week. He's had the misfortune of having to protect a different (though still mediocre at best) QB every season and has seen little to no talent at the skill positions around him. He's already a slam dunk hall of famer, but the man deserves a ring. I hope (and this coming from a Steelers fan) he gets that chance in Cleveland but those chances seem slim to nil until they figure out the rest of the offense - though Mike Pettine is doing a decent job of coaching up his team so far. Plus, how could you not root for a guy who was out on a lake fishing when he was selected 3rd overall in the NFL Draft? Great player, humble man, and deserves a ring.
Steve Smith, Sr - WR, Baltimore Ravens
Smith is playing in his final season having declared he will retire after this campaign and he's had a very decorated career. He holds eleven franchise records for the Carolina Panthers including most receiving yards, most all purpose yards, and most touchdowns. His best shot at a ring was in 2003 but that went out the window when the Panthers kicked the ball out of bounds on a kickoff, allowing Tom Brady to drive 20 yards to win the game on an Adam Vinatieri field goal. Carolina thought he was washed up leading to him signing with the Ravens. Sadly for Smith, the Ravens have a higher probability of getting the #1 pick in the 2016 draft than they do of making the playoffs this year. It's a horrible way to go out, but maybe the Ravens will convince him to suit up for one more year. Smith is also the last person in the NFL you want to piss off - being just as likely to punch an opposing player in the face as he is to score a touchdown. His intensity after winning a ring would also quadruple that of Richard Sherman when the Seahawks beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship game a few years ago - who wouldn't want to see that?
Jason Witten - TE, Dallas Cowboys
When you think of great tight ends you think Sterling and Shannon Sharpe, Tony Gonzalez, and Rob Gronkowski. If you don't already, you should also think of Witten. He's closing in on 1,000 receptions, has over 10,000 receiving yards, should catch his 60th TD any week now, and has only lost fumbles over the course of his entire career. Witten's played on some great offenses but the Cowboys have been held back by some unlucky bounces (think Tony Romo's botched hold on a field goal attempt in the playoffs a few years back) and by horrible defenses. Well, the defense is playing better this year but the rest of the offense needs to help keep this team afloat. He's suffering through Brandon Weeden/Matt Cassell at QB right now and hasn't had running mate Dez Bryant for a few weeks, but the NFC East is wide open so there's some hope.
Andre Johnson - WR, Indianapolis Colts
Four or five years ago Johnson was considered one of the best, if not the best, wide receivers in the game along with Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson. Despite his domination, he suffered through poor quarterback play, little to no help from other offensive players, and a lackluster defense. Now in Indianapolis he has a QB, but the Colts are a complete mess all around. The Colts were preseason favorites to go deep into the playoffs, but those chances look derailed due to poor team building. Johnson may never get a chance at a Super Bowl as his skills have eroded considerably.
Carson Palmer - QB, Arizona Cardinals & Larry Fitzgerald - WR, Arizona Cardinals
Palmer is a former #1 overall draft pick who got to play with some talent in Cincinnati, but a devastating knee injury in the playoffs led the Bengals to seek a replacement and his being traded to the Raiders. After landing in Arizona with Bruce Arians, Palmer revived hope in the desert until another knee injury ended his season. Now back fully healthy, this feels like a team that has a great shot at winning a title. Fitzgerald has been through ups and downs in Arizona and now has, in Palmer, the best QB he's played with since Kurt Warner. And I think Palmer is better than Warner. Both of these players seem rejuvenated this season, possibly knowing that their window to win is rapidly closing as they are both coming closer to the end of their careers.
Calvin Johnson - WR, Detroit Lions
Megatron was unstoppable until last year when nagging injuries and years of facing double/triple teams began taking a toll on him. He has some good help around him on offense now (Golden Tate, Eric Ebron, an actual QB in Matthew Stafford, and a running back if Ameer Abdullah can solve his fumbling issues). But Detroit doesn't know how to build a defense or a coaching staff. Let's hope that the Lions bring in an actual head coach (who can build an actual staff) so Johnson and Co. have a shot at a title while he's still in the prime of his career. Winning a Super Bowl would also be a huge boon to the city of Detroit, much like it was for New Orleans when the Saints won shortly after Hurricane Katrina.
Phillip Rivers - QB, San Diego Chargers & Antonio Gates - TE, San Diego Chargers
Rivers is a member of the famous 2004 draft class also involving Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning. And if Manning can have two rings, why can't Rivers get at least one? He's a much better QB than Eli. Rivers has put together a spectacular career, leading the Chargers to the #1 ranked offense a few times. The team has had some bad luck in the playoffs, but Mike McCoy is a good coach who's overseeing a good team. Rivers needs a game changing wide receiver, especially with Antonio Gates nearing the end of his career. Gates himself should also be mentioned amongst the best TEs in the game and is also a certain hall of famer, but he can't play forever. I think Peyton Manning will soon become a liability for the Broncos, and although this year is a long shot, the Chargers should be in a great position to win it all next year.
Adrian Peterson - RB, Minnesota Vikings
Your personal feelings and his somewhat recent legal issues aside, Peterson is the best running back of this generation. He has single handedly carried the Vikings for years and isn't showing any signs of slowing down. He has the best QB he's played with in Teddy Bridgewater, though he's still growing into the position, and Mike Zimmer can coach. With Detroit and Chicago bumbling around, the Packers are their only obstacle in the NFC North - but with Aaron Rodgers that's a mountain of an obstacle. Peterson has a great chance to jump from 22nd on the all-time NFL rushing list into the top 5 before his career is over, but at 30 (a dangerous age for running backs) who knows how many great, dominant seasons he has left? I wouldn't count him out, and if the Vikings keep building up their team like they have been the last couple of years, Peterson should get another shot at a playoff run.
This list seems pretty obvious and is very offense heavy. I had a hard time thinking of great defensive players I would want to see win a ring who haven't recently won one (Darrelle Revis for instance) or that have played more than just a few years (think JJ Watt). Barely missing the cut based on my criteria were Frank Gore, Alex Smith (would love to see him win a ring to stick it to the 49ers and Jim Harbaugh), Matt Forte, Nick Mangold (one of, if not the, best centers in the league), and Sebastian Janikowski. Could you imagine how hard Janikowski would party if he won a Super Bowl? It would be amazing! Please let me know in the comments below who you would want to see win a Super Bowl who doesn't already have one. Thanks for reading!
Joe Thomas - OT, Cleveland Browns
Thomas is widely considered the best offensive tackle in the game today and, in my book, has a claim to be the best of all time. He is the anchor of the Browns o-line and manhandles opposing defensive players every week. He's had the misfortune of having to protect a different (though still mediocre at best) QB every season and has seen little to no talent at the skill positions around him. He's already a slam dunk hall of famer, but the man deserves a ring. I hope (and this coming from a Steelers fan) he gets that chance in Cleveland but those chances seem slim to nil until they figure out the rest of the offense - though Mike Pettine is doing a decent job of coaching up his team so far. Plus, how could you not root for a guy who was out on a lake fishing when he was selected 3rd overall in the NFL Draft? Great player, humble man, and deserves a ring.
Steve Smith, Sr - WR, Baltimore Ravens
Smith is playing in his final season having declared he will retire after this campaign and he's had a very decorated career. He holds eleven franchise records for the Carolina Panthers including most receiving yards, most all purpose yards, and most touchdowns. His best shot at a ring was in 2003 but that went out the window when the Panthers kicked the ball out of bounds on a kickoff, allowing Tom Brady to drive 20 yards to win the game on an Adam Vinatieri field goal. Carolina thought he was washed up leading to him signing with the Ravens. Sadly for Smith, the Ravens have a higher probability of getting the #1 pick in the 2016 draft than they do of making the playoffs this year. It's a horrible way to go out, but maybe the Ravens will convince him to suit up for one more year. Smith is also the last person in the NFL you want to piss off - being just as likely to punch an opposing player in the face as he is to score a touchdown. His intensity after winning a ring would also quadruple that of Richard Sherman when the Seahawks beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship game a few years ago - who wouldn't want to see that?
Jason Witten - TE, Dallas Cowboys
When you think of great tight ends you think Sterling and Shannon Sharpe, Tony Gonzalez, and Rob Gronkowski. If you don't already, you should also think of Witten. He's closing in on 1,000 receptions, has over 10,000 receiving yards, should catch his 60th TD any week now, and has only lost fumbles over the course of his entire career. Witten's played on some great offenses but the Cowboys have been held back by some unlucky bounces (think Tony Romo's botched hold on a field goal attempt in the playoffs a few years back) and by horrible defenses. Well, the defense is playing better this year but the rest of the offense needs to help keep this team afloat. He's suffering through Brandon Weeden/Matt Cassell at QB right now and hasn't had running mate Dez Bryant for a few weeks, but the NFC East is wide open so there's some hope.
Andre Johnson - WR, Indianapolis Colts
Four or five years ago Johnson was considered one of the best, if not the best, wide receivers in the game along with Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson. Despite his domination, he suffered through poor quarterback play, little to no help from other offensive players, and a lackluster defense. Now in Indianapolis he has a QB, but the Colts are a complete mess all around. The Colts were preseason favorites to go deep into the playoffs, but those chances look derailed due to poor team building. Johnson may never get a chance at a Super Bowl as his skills have eroded considerably.
Carson Palmer - QB, Arizona Cardinals & Larry Fitzgerald - WR, Arizona Cardinals
Palmer is a former #1 overall draft pick who got to play with some talent in Cincinnati, but a devastating knee injury in the playoffs led the Bengals to seek a replacement and his being traded to the Raiders. After landing in Arizona with Bruce Arians, Palmer revived hope in the desert until another knee injury ended his season. Now back fully healthy, this feels like a team that has a great shot at winning a title. Fitzgerald has been through ups and downs in Arizona and now has, in Palmer, the best QB he's played with since Kurt Warner. And I think Palmer is better than Warner. Both of these players seem rejuvenated this season, possibly knowing that their window to win is rapidly closing as they are both coming closer to the end of their careers.
Calvin Johnson - WR, Detroit Lions
Megatron was unstoppable until last year when nagging injuries and years of facing double/triple teams began taking a toll on him. He has some good help around him on offense now (Golden Tate, Eric Ebron, an actual QB in Matthew Stafford, and a running back if Ameer Abdullah can solve his fumbling issues). But Detroit doesn't know how to build a defense or a coaching staff. Let's hope that the Lions bring in an actual head coach (who can build an actual staff) so Johnson and Co. have a shot at a title while he's still in the prime of his career. Winning a Super Bowl would also be a huge boon to the city of Detroit, much like it was for New Orleans when the Saints won shortly after Hurricane Katrina.
Phillip Rivers - QB, San Diego Chargers & Antonio Gates - TE, San Diego Chargers
Rivers is a member of the famous 2004 draft class also involving Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning. And if Manning can have two rings, why can't Rivers get at least one? He's a much better QB than Eli. Rivers has put together a spectacular career, leading the Chargers to the #1 ranked offense a few times. The team has had some bad luck in the playoffs, but Mike McCoy is a good coach who's overseeing a good team. Rivers needs a game changing wide receiver, especially with Antonio Gates nearing the end of his career. Gates himself should also be mentioned amongst the best TEs in the game and is also a certain hall of famer, but he can't play forever. I think Peyton Manning will soon become a liability for the Broncos, and although this year is a long shot, the Chargers should be in a great position to win it all next year.
Adrian Peterson - RB, Minnesota Vikings
Your personal feelings and his somewhat recent legal issues aside, Peterson is the best running back of this generation. He has single handedly carried the Vikings for years and isn't showing any signs of slowing down. He has the best QB he's played with in Teddy Bridgewater, though he's still growing into the position, and Mike Zimmer can coach. With Detroit and Chicago bumbling around, the Packers are their only obstacle in the NFC North - but with Aaron Rodgers that's a mountain of an obstacle. Peterson has a great chance to jump from 22nd on the all-time NFL rushing list into the top 5 before his career is over, but at 30 (a dangerous age for running backs) who knows how many great, dominant seasons he has left? I wouldn't count him out, and if the Vikings keep building up their team like they have been the last couple of years, Peterson should get another shot at a playoff run.
This list seems pretty obvious and is very offense heavy. I had a hard time thinking of great defensive players I would want to see win a ring who haven't recently won one (Darrelle Revis for instance) or that have played more than just a few years (think JJ Watt). Barely missing the cut based on my criteria were Frank Gore, Alex Smith (would love to see him win a ring to stick it to the 49ers and Jim Harbaugh), Matt Forte, Nick Mangold (one of, if not the, best centers in the league), and Sebastian Janikowski. Could you imagine how hard Janikowski would party if he won a Super Bowl? It would be amazing! Please let me know in the comments below who you would want to see win a Super Bowl who doesn't already have one. Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
A New, but Old, Tale of Cleveland Misery: Johnny Manziel
Let me start by saying that the futility in Cleveland is laughably absurd. Ray Farmer, GM of the Browns, has no idea what he's doing with the roster and may not have an idea of what NFL rules are. Farmer decided not to help his handpicked quarterback of the future, more on that in a minute, and neglected the wide receiver position in free agency and the draft. The two "notable" moves he made were giving Terrelle Pryor a tryout (since cut, still trying to catch on as a wide receiver somewhere after showing he will never be an NFL QB) and signing Dwayne Bowe. Bowe had a monster campaign in 2010 with over 1,100 yards and 15 TDs but has gotten worse each season since. Not exactly a trend that most teams would pay money for, but hey, this is the Browns. True, Travis Benjamin has been a revelation this season, but he's in his fourth year and has never produced much of anything before this year. Maybe he just needed a chance and maybe he'll burn out - who knows but my money's on the latter. Farmer, I'm sure with some input from owner Jimmy Haslam, also decided that to stop the rotating door of Cleveland QBs he would draft Johnny Manziel. He probably thought Russell Wilson is doing pretty good, and Manziel is slightly taller and slightly more athletic, so Manziel will probably pan out. He was wrong when he drafted Manziel and he's still wrong.
Mike Pettine, head coach of the Browns, isn't doing much better at trying to turn around the franchise. He's helped coach up one of the best secondaries in the NFL and inherited what should be one of the best offensive lines in football, but he's made matters worse by deciding that Josh McCown gives the team a better chance to win and hasn't put in any effort in developing Manziel as a quarterback. Yeah, Manziel didn't help himself in college and his first pro season by living up to his Johnny Football persona, but reports this year have indicated that he's now willing to put in the effort to improve himself. If the Browns actually believe that Manziel could be the future for the franchise, why do they continue to insist that a 36-year old journeyman is the better option right now? Obviously the coaching staff has zero confidence in Manziel, but the best move forward for the team would be to start him the rest of the season no matter what. He'll have good games and more than his share of bad games and moments, but he needs to play so the Browns can evaluate the position more clearly in the offseason. No matter who starts they're most likely going to be in a great position to draft a QB early in the 2016 draft anyway.
But Manziel's future in the league is not as a quarterback. If it hasn't been obvious so far, I have severe doubts that Manziel could even be a competent back up. Instead I think he could have a decent NFL future as a wide receiver. There is a lot of precedent for making such a move as several players have done it. The two most prominent being Hines Ward and Julian Edelman. Manziel will never be the quality players that Ward was and Edelman is, but plenty of other guys have made the switch and managed to stay in the league a decent amount of time. Players such as Antwaan Randle El, Denard Robinson, Joshua Cribbs, and Brad Smith have done decently enough. Terrelle Pryor is still trying to find his footing but he should be ok. Even Braxton Miller, former Ohio State quarterback, figured out his future was at another position and has made the change during his final season of NCAA eligibility.
But what receiving position would Manziel play? Well, based on his rushing ability in college and his skill set, playing the slot would be his best bet. Throw him some quick outs and slants and let him try to create plays after the catch. You could even run some reverses and have him throw from a reverse every once in awhile. The question is, would Manziel buy into this? Is he as stubborn as Tim Tebow who is out of the league (again) after refusing to make a position switch? Can he be mature enough to realize his own shortcomings and make a decision that could prolong his playing career? Or his he vying for a position alongside Tebow with the SEC-Network? Only time will tell but officials in Cleveland need to think of this and approach him about making the switch - but then again it's Cleveland.
In a perfect scenario, the coaching staff would have him make the switch now. Give him a couple or few weeks to practice his new position and keep it simple for him while he transitions. And McCown wouldn't be the one throwing him the ball. Rather, Connor Shaw should get a chance to show what he can do. Having Manziel in the slot, Shaw behind center, McCown on the bench, Benjamin on the outside, and a sure to improve (if only slightly because it can't get any worse) running game can't be any worse than what the Browns have right now....and then next April Cleveland can draft another QB to add to that famous jersey with all the Browns quarterbacks since 2002. At the very least they should just cut their loses and try to trade Manziel to a team interested in making him a receiver - Chip Kelly anyone?
Mike Pettine, head coach of the Browns, isn't doing much better at trying to turn around the franchise. He's helped coach up one of the best secondaries in the NFL and inherited what should be one of the best offensive lines in football, but he's made matters worse by deciding that Josh McCown gives the team a better chance to win and hasn't put in any effort in developing Manziel as a quarterback. Yeah, Manziel didn't help himself in college and his first pro season by living up to his Johnny Football persona, but reports this year have indicated that he's now willing to put in the effort to improve himself. If the Browns actually believe that Manziel could be the future for the franchise, why do they continue to insist that a 36-year old journeyman is the better option right now? Obviously the coaching staff has zero confidence in Manziel, but the best move forward for the team would be to start him the rest of the season no matter what. He'll have good games and more than his share of bad games and moments, but he needs to play so the Browns can evaluate the position more clearly in the offseason. No matter who starts they're most likely going to be in a great position to draft a QB early in the 2016 draft anyway.
But Manziel's future in the league is not as a quarterback. If it hasn't been obvious so far, I have severe doubts that Manziel could even be a competent back up. Instead I think he could have a decent NFL future as a wide receiver. There is a lot of precedent for making such a move as several players have done it. The two most prominent being Hines Ward and Julian Edelman. Manziel will never be the quality players that Ward was and Edelman is, but plenty of other guys have made the switch and managed to stay in the league a decent amount of time. Players such as Antwaan Randle El, Denard Robinson, Joshua Cribbs, and Brad Smith have done decently enough. Terrelle Pryor is still trying to find his footing but he should be ok. Even Braxton Miller, former Ohio State quarterback, figured out his future was at another position and has made the change during his final season of NCAA eligibility.
But what receiving position would Manziel play? Well, based on his rushing ability in college and his skill set, playing the slot would be his best bet. Throw him some quick outs and slants and let him try to create plays after the catch. You could even run some reverses and have him throw from a reverse every once in awhile. The question is, would Manziel buy into this? Is he as stubborn as Tim Tebow who is out of the league (again) after refusing to make a position switch? Can he be mature enough to realize his own shortcomings and make a decision that could prolong his playing career? Or his he vying for a position alongside Tebow with the SEC-Network? Only time will tell but officials in Cleveland need to think of this and approach him about making the switch - but then again it's Cleveland.
In a perfect scenario, the coaching staff would have him make the switch now. Give him a couple or few weeks to practice his new position and keep it simple for him while he transitions. And McCown wouldn't be the one throwing him the ball. Rather, Connor Shaw should get a chance to show what he can do. Having Manziel in the slot, Shaw behind center, McCown on the bench, Benjamin on the outside, and a sure to improve (if only slightly because it can't get any worse) running game can't be any worse than what the Browns have right now....and then next April Cleveland can draft another QB to add to that famous jersey with all the Browns quarterbacks since 2002. At the very least they should just cut their loses and try to trade Manziel to a team interested in making him a receiver - Chip Kelly anyone?
Monday, September 14, 2015
Random Thoughts: Week 1
We're through the first round of Sunday action in the NFL, and while I only watched a couple of games (thanks cable, and thanks Fox for only showing a 1pm game in New England) I have some thoughts on some players. These are just observations and opinions on my part, but I stand by them. Time will tell if I'm right or not.
- Jay Cutler is going to be fine under Adam Gase. Cutler has looked lost the last few years as he worked with head coaches and coordinators who did not work to his strengths. Enter Gase, who has realized that Cutler is effective when running bootlegs and rolling out of the pocket. Though he did throw an interception, Cutler played a pretty good game. And besides, that mistake was a result of Clay Matthews running hard to jump in front of the receiver. Cutler may end up imploding again, which would mean he's done in Chicago, but getting Alshon Jeffrey healthy will certainly help his case. Throw in an above average tight end and Forte playing for his next contract and Da Bears have some nice offensive pieces. Now if only they had a defense...
- Aaron Rodgers is going to be more than fine even without Jordy Nelson. Yeah, Nelson being out for the year hurts the offense but having James Jones, a receive Rodgers knows and trusts, will help ease that blow. They only have average, at best, tight ends, but Eddie Lacy is a beast and Devante Adams should come into his own. Don't worry about the Packers, the NFC North still runs through Green Bay...
- Peyton Manning is not fine. My only late afternoon option was watching Baltimore vs Denver and Manning looked broken all afternoon. Maybe it's the young and inexperienced (aside from Evan Matthis) offensive line, maybe it's the fact that Manning's neck is still messed up. Either way, Denver's not going to win a lot of games without scoring some offensive touchdowns. If Peyton continues his decline Denver will be competing for a top 5 draft pick, not a Super Bowl.
- Houston needs to stick with Ryan Mallet. This isn't college and you can't just rotate your quarterbacks based on situations and who's playing better. If Hoyer was bad enough to be pulled he's not good enough to keep starting. Bill O'Brien needs to stick with Mallet and let him jell with the first string offense. If he's not good enough either, well, you'll have a shot to get a new quarterback early in next year's draft.
- Losing Terrell Suggs for the year is a huge blow to Baltimore's defense. He's the new heart and soul of that unit and provides a consistent pass rush. Trading away Ngata already left a void in the leadership department, but this one is going to hurt worse. Despite having Jimmy Smith play pretty well yesterday, their secondary isn't that great and relies on the front seven generating pressure. Unless the offense starts clicking, and could be okay once their first round rookie wide receiver can play, Baltimore will be sitting home come playoff time.
- And the Steelers might be joining them in watching the playoffs if their secondary doesn't step up. The front seven is just fine, but the secondary looked completely lost and out of place in Thursday night's opener. So much for their plan of disrupting Gronkowski's routes. They seemingly didn't even know he was on the field. Quite a feat for such a large man. Secondary coach Carnell Lake needs to have his players practice better to get better techniques down. Unless they can improve, Big Ben and the offense can only take the team so far. Best case scenario is a wildcard spot. Maybe the 2016 draft will finally be the time the Steelers draft a defensive back in the first round after not having done so since moving up 2003 to get Polamalu. They won't get another player like him, no one else will ever be like him, but they need better players in the secondary.
- And finally, Eli Manning proved once again that he is not an elite quarterback. Stop saying he is just because he went #1 overall, has 2 Super Bowl rings, and has a famous last name. He's not Peyton. And he's only the third best quarterback from the first round of the 2004 draft. That's right - Roethlisberger and Rivers are much better than Eli. Eli's stat line from last night against Dallas - 20/36 for 193 yards and QB rating of 45.4. He's league average and only won those two rings because of his defense. This is finally the year, even after his new 4 year - $84 million contract extension, that people start realizing Eli is average - not elite. As a result, Tom Coughlin will be ushered into retirement and the NFC East will be a two team race between the Cowboys and Eagles.
Am I right? Am I wrong? Let me know what you think in the comments below...
- Jay Cutler is going to be fine under Adam Gase. Cutler has looked lost the last few years as he worked with head coaches and coordinators who did not work to his strengths. Enter Gase, who has realized that Cutler is effective when running bootlegs and rolling out of the pocket. Though he did throw an interception, Cutler played a pretty good game. And besides, that mistake was a result of Clay Matthews running hard to jump in front of the receiver. Cutler may end up imploding again, which would mean he's done in Chicago, but getting Alshon Jeffrey healthy will certainly help his case. Throw in an above average tight end and Forte playing for his next contract and Da Bears have some nice offensive pieces. Now if only they had a defense...
- Aaron Rodgers is going to be more than fine even without Jordy Nelson. Yeah, Nelson being out for the year hurts the offense but having James Jones, a receive Rodgers knows and trusts, will help ease that blow. They only have average, at best, tight ends, but Eddie Lacy is a beast and Devante Adams should come into his own. Don't worry about the Packers, the NFC North still runs through Green Bay...
- Peyton Manning is not fine. My only late afternoon option was watching Baltimore vs Denver and Manning looked broken all afternoon. Maybe it's the young and inexperienced (aside from Evan Matthis) offensive line, maybe it's the fact that Manning's neck is still messed up. Either way, Denver's not going to win a lot of games without scoring some offensive touchdowns. If Peyton continues his decline Denver will be competing for a top 5 draft pick, not a Super Bowl.
- Houston needs to stick with Ryan Mallet. This isn't college and you can't just rotate your quarterbacks based on situations and who's playing better. If Hoyer was bad enough to be pulled he's not good enough to keep starting. Bill O'Brien needs to stick with Mallet and let him jell with the first string offense. If he's not good enough either, well, you'll have a shot to get a new quarterback early in next year's draft.
- Losing Terrell Suggs for the year is a huge blow to Baltimore's defense. He's the new heart and soul of that unit and provides a consistent pass rush. Trading away Ngata already left a void in the leadership department, but this one is going to hurt worse. Despite having Jimmy Smith play pretty well yesterday, their secondary isn't that great and relies on the front seven generating pressure. Unless the offense starts clicking, and could be okay once their first round rookie wide receiver can play, Baltimore will be sitting home come playoff time.
- And the Steelers might be joining them in watching the playoffs if their secondary doesn't step up. The front seven is just fine, but the secondary looked completely lost and out of place in Thursday night's opener. So much for their plan of disrupting Gronkowski's routes. They seemingly didn't even know he was on the field. Quite a feat for such a large man. Secondary coach Carnell Lake needs to have his players practice better to get better techniques down. Unless they can improve, Big Ben and the offense can only take the team so far. Best case scenario is a wildcard spot. Maybe the 2016 draft will finally be the time the Steelers draft a defensive back in the first round after not having done so since moving up 2003 to get Polamalu. They won't get another player like him, no one else will ever be like him, but they need better players in the secondary.
- And finally, Eli Manning proved once again that he is not an elite quarterback. Stop saying he is just because he went #1 overall, has 2 Super Bowl rings, and has a famous last name. He's not Peyton. And he's only the third best quarterback from the first round of the 2004 draft. That's right - Roethlisberger and Rivers are much better than Eli. Eli's stat line from last night against Dallas - 20/36 for 193 yards and QB rating of 45.4. He's league average and only won those two rings because of his defense. This is finally the year, even after his new 4 year - $84 million contract extension, that people start realizing Eli is average - not elite. As a result, Tom Coughlin will be ushered into retirement and the NFC East will be a two team race between the Cowboys and Eagles.
Am I right? Am I wrong? Let me know what you think in the comments below...
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Training Camp - Fond Memories and Kick-Off to the NFL Season
NFL Training Camps are set to open in just a few days. This is an exciting part of the NFL offseason as fans get the chance to see their teams and favorite players practice. You might even get to meet a few of your favorite players. I grew up about an hour away from Pittsburgh in southwest Pennsylvania, and going to the Steelers training camps at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA (only about 30-40 minutes from where we lived) provided some of my fondest childhood memories. Below are some of my most memorable moments:
- Getting player autographs! At Steelers training camp the players leave the field by going up these long wooden stairs, walk through a roped-off section through the fans, and into the locker room. Steelers fans crowd around these ropes in the hopes of collecting as many autographs as possible. Rookies were more than delighted to sign - even more than once if you came back to them and often on the same page in my Steelers notebook. They didn't care. I didn't care. It was exciting for everyone! Though not all players would happily oblige their adoring fans...
- Speaking of some players, often star players, not signing for their fans... Kevin Greene was a jerk. In the mid-1990's, Greene appeared a few times at pro wrestling events with Hulk Hogan. Greene even kind of looked like Hulk Hogan. At training camp, Greene would walk through the fans doing Hogan's famous crowd preening moves - you know the one where he puts his hands up to ears to entice louder cheers? Greene would do these as he walked through the entire line, only signing a few autographs. I remember one fan in particular who showed up every day one summer completed decked out in Kevin Greene merchandise. Jersey, hat, steelers pants, a Kevin Greene photo in hand. He was almost always at the front of the crowd and every day would call out for an autograph from his favorite player. Greene never obliged. The next year, that same man showed up to training camp wearing plain street clothes and didn't bother trying to get autographs. A year or two later an aging Greene left for Carolina. No one seemed to mind...
- Mike Tomczak (the best back-up QB ever in the NFL) was not a jerk, but Neil O'Donnell (the man who helped the Dallas Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX by throwing two of the worst interceptions of all time) was a bigger douche than Kevin Greene. It was the summer before my fifth grade year and I had managed to find a spot in the player line right next to the locker room entrance. It was me, some kid who was maybe a year or two younger than me, and then the doors. Tomczak signed autographs for everyone. It took him forever to get into the locker room after a grueling practice session, but he didn't care. The boy next to me and I were waiting for Tomczak to finish signing our books and Neil O'Donnell was walking by. The boy next to me said, "Mr. O'Donnell, can I please get an autograph?" Tomczak looked at him and said, "Come on, Neil. Just sign a couple." O'Donnell huffed like it was the biggest burden in the world and reluctantly signed for the kid next to me. When I asked for an autograph as well O'Donnell rolled his eyes, made a noise that suggested saying "as if", and walked away. Tomczak was nice enough to apologize to me though. That was the pre-season before Super Bowl XXX and I'm kind of glad, even though my favorite team lost the Super Bowl, that O'Donnell had a shitty game and left for the Jets soon after.
- Some players were not only jerks but were also stupid. Bam Morris was one of those idiots, and not just because he would later get arrested in Denver when cops found a bunch of cocaine in the trunk of his car during a traffic stop. One day at training camp the ropes that separated the fans from the players were lowered so a delivery truck could go through. Fans made sure the ropes never made it back up. As the crowd of players and fans mingled, Bam Morris decided to ride his motorcycle into the crowd so he could talk to some woman. He almost ran over several fans and then got shot down. I was standing near by and it turns out the woman was married. Despite these past few stories, training camp was more often a great experience than not...
- I met The Bus! One of my favorite player interactions ever was when I met Jerome Bettis. He was very nice and talked some football with me. Not too shabby for a kid about to enter middle school and his autograph is on it's own separate page.
- Though meeting The Bus was not my favorite interaction at training camp. One day, this was the same summer that O'Donnell blew me off for an autograph but a different day, I saw a group of what looked like coaches walking away from the crowd and locker room back up towards the dorms. I took off running, autograph book in hand, and a group of 5 or 6 other kids followed me. When we arrived at the group one of the kids asked who these guys were. I looked at him, astonished, and replied, "It's Coach Cowher!" Bill Cowher looked at me and smiled, one of the few times he probably ever smiled while coaching, and took my autograph book. He found a blank page and signed it for me. Dick Lebeau was there too but he stayed behind the other coaches. After Cowher gave all of us autographs, the group of kids and I walked back to where the players were. Those other kids still weren't quite sure who we had met...
Not all teams open training camp to the public and not all teams provide time for autograph sessions. The fact that the Steelers do this truly shows that they appreciate their fans and shows just why they're one of the greatest franchises in the NFL. I went back to Steelers training camp a few times during college (having attended a university about an hour or so away from St. Vincent's College) and it was wonderful to see that they have added so many great and interactive experiences for the fans. Plus, there's no better way to get pumped up for the season by seeing and showing support to your team during the dog days of summer.
Do you have any fond memories of training camp? Any funny or interesting stories? Please share them below...
- Getting player autographs! At Steelers training camp the players leave the field by going up these long wooden stairs, walk through a roped-off section through the fans, and into the locker room. Steelers fans crowd around these ropes in the hopes of collecting as many autographs as possible. Rookies were more than delighted to sign - even more than once if you came back to them and often on the same page in my Steelers notebook. They didn't care. I didn't care. It was exciting for everyone! Though not all players would happily oblige their adoring fans...
- Speaking of some players, often star players, not signing for their fans... Kevin Greene was a jerk. In the mid-1990's, Greene appeared a few times at pro wrestling events with Hulk Hogan. Greene even kind of looked like Hulk Hogan. At training camp, Greene would walk through the fans doing Hogan's famous crowd preening moves - you know the one where he puts his hands up to ears to entice louder cheers? Greene would do these as he walked through the entire line, only signing a few autographs. I remember one fan in particular who showed up every day one summer completed decked out in Kevin Greene merchandise. Jersey, hat, steelers pants, a Kevin Greene photo in hand. He was almost always at the front of the crowd and every day would call out for an autograph from his favorite player. Greene never obliged. The next year, that same man showed up to training camp wearing plain street clothes and didn't bother trying to get autographs. A year or two later an aging Greene left for Carolina. No one seemed to mind...
- Mike Tomczak (the best back-up QB ever in the NFL) was not a jerk, but Neil O'Donnell (the man who helped the Dallas Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX by throwing two of the worst interceptions of all time) was a bigger douche than Kevin Greene. It was the summer before my fifth grade year and I had managed to find a spot in the player line right next to the locker room entrance. It was me, some kid who was maybe a year or two younger than me, and then the doors. Tomczak signed autographs for everyone. It took him forever to get into the locker room after a grueling practice session, but he didn't care. The boy next to me and I were waiting for Tomczak to finish signing our books and Neil O'Donnell was walking by. The boy next to me said, "Mr. O'Donnell, can I please get an autograph?" Tomczak looked at him and said, "Come on, Neil. Just sign a couple." O'Donnell huffed like it was the biggest burden in the world and reluctantly signed for the kid next to me. When I asked for an autograph as well O'Donnell rolled his eyes, made a noise that suggested saying "as if", and walked away. Tomczak was nice enough to apologize to me though. That was the pre-season before Super Bowl XXX and I'm kind of glad, even though my favorite team lost the Super Bowl, that O'Donnell had a shitty game and left for the Jets soon after.
- Some players were not only jerks but were also stupid. Bam Morris was one of those idiots, and not just because he would later get arrested in Denver when cops found a bunch of cocaine in the trunk of his car during a traffic stop. One day at training camp the ropes that separated the fans from the players were lowered so a delivery truck could go through. Fans made sure the ropes never made it back up. As the crowd of players and fans mingled, Bam Morris decided to ride his motorcycle into the crowd so he could talk to some woman. He almost ran over several fans and then got shot down. I was standing near by and it turns out the woman was married. Despite these past few stories, training camp was more often a great experience than not...
- I met The Bus! One of my favorite player interactions ever was when I met Jerome Bettis. He was very nice and talked some football with me. Not too shabby for a kid about to enter middle school and his autograph is on it's own separate page.
- Though meeting The Bus was not my favorite interaction at training camp. One day, this was the same summer that O'Donnell blew me off for an autograph but a different day, I saw a group of what looked like coaches walking away from the crowd and locker room back up towards the dorms. I took off running, autograph book in hand, and a group of 5 or 6 other kids followed me. When we arrived at the group one of the kids asked who these guys were. I looked at him, astonished, and replied, "It's Coach Cowher!" Bill Cowher looked at me and smiled, one of the few times he probably ever smiled while coaching, and took my autograph book. He found a blank page and signed it for me. Dick Lebeau was there too but he stayed behind the other coaches. After Cowher gave all of us autographs, the group of kids and I walked back to where the players were. Those other kids still weren't quite sure who we had met...
Not all teams open training camp to the public and not all teams provide time for autograph sessions. The fact that the Steelers do this truly shows that they appreciate their fans and shows just why they're one of the greatest franchises in the NFL. I went back to Steelers training camp a few times during college (having attended a university about an hour or so away from St. Vincent's College) and it was wonderful to see that they have added so many great and interactive experiences for the fans. Plus, there's no better way to get pumped up for the season by seeing and showing support to your team during the dog days of summer.
Do you have any fond memories of training camp? Any funny or interesting stories? Please share them below...
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Dez Bryant Needs to Shut Up and Play
Star wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, Dez Bryant, had his contract end after last season. His agent and the team could not come to terms on a new contract, so Bryant was given the franchise tag designation. Once he signs his offer Dez will make $12.823 million next season. That's not a shabby salary to go out and catch footballs for four months. However, like most players given the franchise tag, Bryant is refusing to sign it to place pressure on Jerry and Stephen Jones to give him a long term contract.
I have no problem, nor should anyone else, with Bryant doing this. Football players have notoriously short careers and need to maximize their earnings. What I have a problem with is that Dez has recently said that he's considering not signing his franchise offer and possibly sitting out some regular season games. Everyone wants job security, especially at a place they truly enjoy being, but this is not the way to get what you want. There is nothing professional about refusing your services because you don't get what you want. And if he doesn't get it from Dallas, almost every other team in the league will be willing to give it to him.
Of course if he doesn't get that long term deal from Dallas it's very likely that he'll be given the franchise tag again next year. That would mean a one-year contract worth 125% of the one he received this year. To clarify, if Dez does not get a long term deal, he'll make approximately $27 million over two years - fully guaranteed! As it is very unlikely Dallas would use the franchise tag a third time, Bryant would be set to hit the free agent market at 28 - still very much in his prime - and set to receive one of largest, if not the largest, contracts ever given to a wide receiver.
I'm not complaining about the money given to people to play a game - that's a subject for another time. What I will complain about is Bryant continuing to talk about his contract in a very public way. All this will do will make fans, maybe even a few Cowboys fans, resent him - especially if he starts trash talking the team or management. So Dez, it's your turn to listen. Stop complaining. Stop whining. Do what a lot of other players who have been given the franchise tag have done. Keep that franchise offer in a safe place and sign it once you're ready to report to training camp. Make sure you get in enough practice time to be ready for preseason action. Let your agents continue to negotiate and see what happens. No one feels sorry for you, so just shut up and play.
I have no problem, nor should anyone else, with Bryant doing this. Football players have notoriously short careers and need to maximize their earnings. What I have a problem with is that Dez has recently said that he's considering not signing his franchise offer and possibly sitting out some regular season games. Everyone wants job security, especially at a place they truly enjoy being, but this is not the way to get what you want. There is nothing professional about refusing your services because you don't get what you want. And if he doesn't get it from Dallas, almost every other team in the league will be willing to give it to him.
Of course if he doesn't get that long term deal from Dallas it's very likely that he'll be given the franchise tag again next year. That would mean a one-year contract worth 125% of the one he received this year. To clarify, if Dez does not get a long term deal, he'll make approximately $27 million over two years - fully guaranteed! As it is very unlikely Dallas would use the franchise tag a third time, Bryant would be set to hit the free agent market at 28 - still very much in his prime - and set to receive one of largest, if not the largest, contracts ever given to a wide receiver.
I'm not complaining about the money given to people to play a game - that's a subject for another time. What I will complain about is Bryant continuing to talk about his contract in a very public way. All this will do will make fans, maybe even a few Cowboys fans, resent him - especially if he starts trash talking the team or management. So Dez, it's your turn to listen. Stop complaining. Stop whining. Do what a lot of other players who have been given the franchise tag have done. Keep that franchise offer in a safe place and sign it once you're ready to report to training camp. Make sure you get in enough practice time to be ready for preseason action. Let your agents continue to negotiate and see what happens. No one feels sorry for you, so just shut up and play.
Friday, April 3, 2015
Quick NFL Thoughts
Well, it's April. NFL Free Agency has come with its usual quick bang and the cupboard is almost empty. The NFL Draft is at the end of the month, leaving fans to read countless mock drafts that mean absolutely nothing - but still offer up debate and hope for everyone. But before we get to the draft let's take a second and reflect on how exciting and interesting the NFL off-season has been so far. Here are some quick thoughts:
- I wrote earlier this year that I thought Rex Ryan and the Raiders needed each other. Well, it turns out Rex didn't need them as he decided to go to Buffalo instead - leaving the oh so attractive Raiders job to Jack Del Rio. I'm sure Rex simply didn't want to work in a division that didn't include his buddy Bill Belichick, but that's besides the point. Rex is going to ruin the Buffalo defense. He's a 3-4 guy, they've assembled players for and play a 4-3. Rex should take the example of Mike Tomlin (another defensive guy who went to a team that employed a different defense than he was use to) and not mess with the system. True there's no Dick Lebeau in Buffalo, but Mario Williams didn't have fun playing outside linebacker his last season in Houston. Why make him do it again? No need to fix what isn't broken. Try finding a quarterback, Rex.
- It's been a relatively quiet off-season on the legal front. There have been a few arrests - mostly for drunk driving - and thankfully so after last year. Are players finally realizing there could be repercussions if they break the law? Ray Rice is seemingly shunned by the league, though is also an aging, less effective running back. Though Greg Hardy got paid nicely even though he's facing a lengthy suspension and there's plenty of interest in Adrian Peterson if the Vikings can't convince him to come back. It's still early in the off-season, but let's hope that NFL players (and let's include executives and owners) have learned the lesson that they are not above the law. For some reason Jameis Winston is coming to mind as I typed that last sentence...
- Speaking of Winston, reports have come out that the Buccaneers are leaning towards him with the #1 overall pick because they don't like how quiet and reserved Marcus Mariota is. Wait. What? How does that make any sense? Mariota is the better player, though he'll probably need some time to adjust to the NFL. But that shouldn't stop teams from taking him. Who cares if he needs to sit a season or two? The new CBA has locked in rookie contracts so that they aren't a burden on the team. Carson Palmer and Aaron Rodgers both sat on the bench for a couple of seasons after being drafted. Palmer has done pretty well for himself despite his knee issues and Rodgers is the best QB in football. Lovie Smith clearly knows nothing about quarterbacks. Good luck to them when they screw up the first pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.
- Speaking of Mariota, with more and more reports coming out about it, I'm believing the hype that Cleveland will trade up for him - possibly with the Titans though Washington remains a possibility since I don't believe the Titans will take a QB at #2. This offers more proof that Ray Farmer has no idea what he is doing. Did he go to the Matt Millen school of NFL General Managers? I think the Justin Gilbert pick last year will turn out ok, but he wasted his second first round pick on Manziel. Manziel is not an NFL QB and should just be cut - no one should ask for him to be included in a draft pick deal. It's not out of the question to consider that Farmer will give up more picks in an attempt to finally find a franchise QB for Cleveland. What they should do is stay where they are, draft a WR and another defensive piece in the first round, and then add someone like Brent Hundley from UCLA in the second round. But poorly run teams don't like doing what they should and instead think they're going to outsmart everyone by constantly reaching on players. Is there something in the water in Cleveland that causes people to make bad decisions?
- Getting away from the draft, this has been a very exciting off-season. Why? PLAYER TRADES! Trades involving players actually on NFL rosters rarely happen in the NFL and thankfully this off-season has been full of them! Philly has been the most active jettisoning LeSean McCoy and Nick Foles, but a bunch of other teams are getting in on the action as well. Keep it up, NFL! Trades generate a ton of interest from fans - just look at the MLB. The rising salary cap has helped make trades possible so teams can absorb bad contracts, which in turn generates buzz in every NFL market. There's also the issue of teams locking up their best players preventing them from hitting free agency. Less quality free agents means more trades! Please, please, please let this be a continuing trend in the NFL!
- The other interesting major development has been the retirement of four talented players. Well, ok, three talented players and Jake Locker. And all for very different reasons. Locker "lost his passion", though actually was barely good enough to be a back-up - though back-up QB in the NFL is not a bad gig. Patrick Willis has foot issues. Jason Worilds has decided to pursue other opportunities. The most interesting case is Chris Borland. He would be entering his second NFL season and was an excellent linebacker last year. He's leaving the game due to future potential health issues. He did his research, consulted with former players, and came to the conclusion that playing in the NFL wasn't worth possibly suffering from CTE later in life. This is somewhat reminiscent of Robert Smith retiring at the age of 28 while still productive, and playing with a young Randy Moss and a still effective Dante Culpepper. All of these players have people scratching their heads and questioning their decisions, but all should be applauded. Especially Borland. Here's to hoping that Chris Borland leaving the game because of potential brain trauma issues gets and keeps the conversation going about player safety in the NFL.
Please share your thoughts/questions about any of these topics or on this NFL off-season in general below.
- I wrote earlier this year that I thought Rex Ryan and the Raiders needed each other. Well, it turns out Rex didn't need them as he decided to go to Buffalo instead - leaving the oh so attractive Raiders job to Jack Del Rio. I'm sure Rex simply didn't want to work in a division that didn't include his buddy Bill Belichick, but that's besides the point. Rex is going to ruin the Buffalo defense. He's a 3-4 guy, they've assembled players for and play a 4-3. Rex should take the example of Mike Tomlin (another defensive guy who went to a team that employed a different defense than he was use to) and not mess with the system. True there's no Dick Lebeau in Buffalo, but Mario Williams didn't have fun playing outside linebacker his last season in Houston. Why make him do it again? No need to fix what isn't broken. Try finding a quarterback, Rex.
- It's been a relatively quiet off-season on the legal front. There have been a few arrests - mostly for drunk driving - and thankfully so after last year. Are players finally realizing there could be repercussions if they break the law? Ray Rice is seemingly shunned by the league, though is also an aging, less effective running back. Though Greg Hardy got paid nicely even though he's facing a lengthy suspension and there's plenty of interest in Adrian Peterson if the Vikings can't convince him to come back. It's still early in the off-season, but let's hope that NFL players (and let's include executives and owners) have learned the lesson that they are not above the law. For some reason Jameis Winston is coming to mind as I typed that last sentence...
- Speaking of Winston, reports have come out that the Buccaneers are leaning towards him with the #1 overall pick because they don't like how quiet and reserved Marcus Mariota is. Wait. What? How does that make any sense? Mariota is the better player, though he'll probably need some time to adjust to the NFL. But that shouldn't stop teams from taking him. Who cares if he needs to sit a season or two? The new CBA has locked in rookie contracts so that they aren't a burden on the team. Carson Palmer and Aaron Rodgers both sat on the bench for a couple of seasons after being drafted. Palmer has done pretty well for himself despite his knee issues and Rodgers is the best QB in football. Lovie Smith clearly knows nothing about quarterbacks. Good luck to them when they screw up the first pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.
- Speaking of Mariota, with more and more reports coming out about it, I'm believing the hype that Cleveland will trade up for him - possibly with the Titans though Washington remains a possibility since I don't believe the Titans will take a QB at #2. This offers more proof that Ray Farmer has no idea what he is doing. Did he go to the Matt Millen school of NFL General Managers? I think the Justin Gilbert pick last year will turn out ok, but he wasted his second first round pick on Manziel. Manziel is not an NFL QB and should just be cut - no one should ask for him to be included in a draft pick deal. It's not out of the question to consider that Farmer will give up more picks in an attempt to finally find a franchise QB for Cleveland. What they should do is stay where they are, draft a WR and another defensive piece in the first round, and then add someone like Brent Hundley from UCLA in the second round. But poorly run teams don't like doing what they should and instead think they're going to outsmart everyone by constantly reaching on players. Is there something in the water in Cleveland that causes people to make bad decisions?
- Getting away from the draft, this has been a very exciting off-season. Why? PLAYER TRADES! Trades involving players actually on NFL rosters rarely happen in the NFL and thankfully this off-season has been full of them! Philly has been the most active jettisoning LeSean McCoy and Nick Foles, but a bunch of other teams are getting in on the action as well. Keep it up, NFL! Trades generate a ton of interest from fans - just look at the MLB. The rising salary cap has helped make trades possible so teams can absorb bad contracts, which in turn generates buzz in every NFL market. There's also the issue of teams locking up their best players preventing them from hitting free agency. Less quality free agents means more trades! Please, please, please let this be a continuing trend in the NFL!
- The other interesting major development has been the retirement of four talented players. Well, ok, three talented players and Jake Locker. And all for very different reasons. Locker "lost his passion", though actually was barely good enough to be a back-up - though back-up QB in the NFL is not a bad gig. Patrick Willis has foot issues. Jason Worilds has decided to pursue other opportunities. The most interesting case is Chris Borland. He would be entering his second NFL season and was an excellent linebacker last year. He's leaving the game due to future potential health issues. He did his research, consulted with former players, and came to the conclusion that playing in the NFL wasn't worth possibly suffering from CTE later in life. This is somewhat reminiscent of Robert Smith retiring at the age of 28 while still productive, and playing with a young Randy Moss and a still effective Dante Culpepper. All of these players have people scratching their heads and questioning their decisions, but all should be applauded. Especially Borland. Here's to hoping that Chris Borland leaving the game because of potential brain trauma issues gets and keeps the conversation going about player safety in the NFL.
Please share your thoughts/questions about any of these topics or on this NFL off-season in general below.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Tom Brady - G.O.A.T.?
After winning his fourth Super Bowl in six tries, and once again being claimed the title game's MVP, many NFL writers and former NFL players are shouting from the rooftops that Tom Brady is the greatest NFL quarterback of all time. Why? Because he plays in an era where QB statistics have exploded and he's won those aforementioned Super Bowls. Do you know who else has won four Super Bowls? Terry Bradshaw with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sadly this does not mean greatness. Bradshaw was an average quarterback, at best, who was blessed to play with two Hall of Fame wide receivers, a Hall of Fame running back, and a defense that was arguably one of the greatest defenses of all time. The third quarterback to win four Super Bowls? Joe Montana - a man widely considered to be the greatest QB of all time.
My top 5 all time QB list:
1. Joe Montana
2. Dan Marino
3. Roger Staubach
4. Peyton Manning
5. Johnny Unitas
So why isn't Brady on this list? Well, to start he's only had two truly great statistical seasons. One would be the famous 2006/2007 season when the only loss the Patriots suffered was against the Giants in the Super Bowl. That was also the season Belichick basically got Randy Moss from Oakland for a bag of (deflated) footballs and Moss remembered how great he was after leaving the Black Hole. Brady won his first NFL MVP award that year. His second truly great season came in 2010 when he set the record for TD:INT ratio and won his second MVP award. That's two truly great seasons out of the 14 Brady's been in the NFL. True he missed one season when Bernard Pollard destroyed his knee 8 minutes into the 2008 season. But the Patriots really didn't miss a beat with Matt "I Can't Believe I Tricked Scott Pioli Into Paying Me To Be a Starting QB" Cassel - going 11-5 and barely missing the playoffs. Would the Patriots have won an extra game and got into the playoffs with Brady at the helm instead? Maybe, but those are the breaks...
But four Super Bowls!?!? That must mean something since only two other players have done it in NFL History. Well, let's take a look at those...
Super Bowl XXXVI vs. St. Louis Rams
Brady was awful in this game - almost Ben Roethlisberger in his first Super Bowl awful - with a final stat line of 16/27 for 145 yds and 1 TD. We can forgive him for this because he was a rookie. This game was not won because of Brady. This game was won because the defense returned a Kurt Warner INT for a TD and the right leg of Adam Vinatieri.
Super Bowl XXXVIII vs. Carolina Panthers
Brady had a much better outing this time going 32/48 for 354 yds, 3 TDs, and 1 INT. Basically the same stat line Jake Delhomme put up, though he didn't throw a pick. This game will most be remembered for Panthers kicker John Casey kicking the ball out of bounds on a kickoff in the final moments of the game. This provided an opportunity for Brady to drive a very short distance so Vinatieri could once again win the game for the Patriots.
Super Bowl XXXIX vs. Philadelphia Eagles
This time around Brady was outplayed by Donavan McNabb. Brady went 23/33 for 236 yds and 1 TD while McNabb went 30/51 for 357 yds and 3 TDS. Unfortunately for McNabb he also threw 3 INTs. The Patriots defense won this game, and it sure didn't hurt to have a rejuvenated Corey Dillon. This game is also more remembered for Terrell Owens bitching about how McNabb couldn't run the offense because he was too busy throwing up in the huddle.
Super Bowl XLIX vs. Seattle Seahawks
Brady actually put up pretty great stats in this game going 37/50 with 328 yds and 4 TDs. But he also threw two picks, and had a lower QBR and QB Rating than Russell Wilson. Brady did win MVP, but my thoughts are that honor should have gone to Julian Edelman. Brady also spent most of the game throwing screen passes. This was reminiscent of Brad Johnson's Super Bowl with Jon Gruden and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It's not exactly a compliment to be compared to Brad Johnson.
I won't even get into the two Super Bowl loses against the Giants (2007 & 2011). Brady was harassed by the Giants defensive line for 120 minutes in those games and he lost to Eli "I'm Still Better Known Than Cooper - Maybe" Manning - who himself is an average QB at best.
While Brady was an elite QB for some of his seasons in New England, he cannot be considered the Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T.). He's not even in the conversation, though if I were to expand my Top 5 to a Top 10 there might be room for him on the list. But he would certainly come after some current QBs (Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning for instance) and some other guys who played in the same era. Plus he does that thing - A LOT - where he throws the ball into the ground, spins around, and falls to the ground. How could a guy be considered the greatest when he does that?
My top 5 all time QB list:
1. Joe Montana
2. Dan Marino
3. Roger Staubach
4. Peyton Manning
5. Johnny Unitas
So why isn't Brady on this list? Well, to start he's only had two truly great statistical seasons. One would be the famous 2006/2007 season when the only loss the Patriots suffered was against the Giants in the Super Bowl. That was also the season Belichick basically got Randy Moss from Oakland for a bag of (deflated) footballs and Moss remembered how great he was after leaving the Black Hole. Brady won his first NFL MVP award that year. His second truly great season came in 2010 when he set the record for TD:INT ratio and won his second MVP award. That's two truly great seasons out of the 14 Brady's been in the NFL. True he missed one season when Bernard Pollard destroyed his knee 8 minutes into the 2008 season. But the Patriots really didn't miss a beat with Matt "I Can't Believe I Tricked Scott Pioli Into Paying Me To Be a Starting QB" Cassel - going 11-5 and barely missing the playoffs. Would the Patriots have won an extra game and got into the playoffs with Brady at the helm instead? Maybe, but those are the breaks...
But four Super Bowls!?!? That must mean something since only two other players have done it in NFL History. Well, let's take a look at those...
Super Bowl XXXVI vs. St. Louis Rams
Brady was awful in this game - almost Ben Roethlisberger in his first Super Bowl awful - with a final stat line of 16/27 for 145 yds and 1 TD. We can forgive him for this because he was a rookie. This game was not won because of Brady. This game was won because the defense returned a Kurt Warner INT for a TD and the right leg of Adam Vinatieri.
Super Bowl XXXVIII vs. Carolina Panthers
Brady had a much better outing this time going 32/48 for 354 yds, 3 TDs, and 1 INT. Basically the same stat line Jake Delhomme put up, though he didn't throw a pick. This game will most be remembered for Panthers kicker John Casey kicking the ball out of bounds on a kickoff in the final moments of the game. This provided an opportunity for Brady to drive a very short distance so Vinatieri could once again win the game for the Patriots.
Super Bowl XXXIX vs. Philadelphia Eagles
This time around Brady was outplayed by Donavan McNabb. Brady went 23/33 for 236 yds and 1 TD while McNabb went 30/51 for 357 yds and 3 TDS. Unfortunately for McNabb he also threw 3 INTs. The Patriots defense won this game, and it sure didn't hurt to have a rejuvenated Corey Dillon. This game is also more remembered for Terrell Owens bitching about how McNabb couldn't run the offense because he was too busy throwing up in the huddle.
Super Bowl XLIX vs. Seattle Seahawks
Brady actually put up pretty great stats in this game going 37/50 with 328 yds and 4 TDs. But he also threw two picks, and had a lower QBR and QB Rating than Russell Wilson. Brady did win MVP, but my thoughts are that honor should have gone to Julian Edelman. Brady also spent most of the game throwing screen passes. This was reminiscent of Brad Johnson's Super Bowl with Jon Gruden and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It's not exactly a compliment to be compared to Brad Johnson.
I won't even get into the two Super Bowl loses against the Giants (2007 & 2011). Brady was harassed by the Giants defensive line for 120 minutes in those games and he lost to Eli "I'm Still Better Known Than Cooper - Maybe" Manning - who himself is an average QB at best.
While Brady was an elite QB for some of his seasons in New England, he cannot be considered the Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T.). He's not even in the conversation, though if I were to expand my Top 5 to a Top 10 there might be room for him on the list. But he would certainly come after some current QBs (Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning for instance) and some other guys who played in the same era. Plus he does that thing - A LOT - where he throws the ball into the ground, spins around, and falls to the ground. How could a guy be considered the greatest when he does that?
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