Tom Coughlin's Legacy

Move over Rasputin! Tom Coughlin has a tendency for survival that rivals even a cat.

For a man who has been on the hot seat pretty much since getting the New York Giants head coaching job, Coughlin seems to get the most out of his team when it matters most. In the eight years he has been there, he has been rumored to be fired more often than Billy Martin. He has gotten less respect than Rodney Dangerfield felt that he got. Yet, along the way, the Giants have won their division four times, won a Super Bowl, and only had one losing season – his first. If that type of success can get a coach almost fired multiple times during the season, then you have to wonder what the expectations are for the Giants. 16-0 every regular season?

Now that Coughlin has reached his second Super Bowl, he may be poised to pass someone that happens to be considered the greatest coach in Giants history – Bill Parcells. As it stands now, Coughlin is not that far behind Parcells – Coughlin has a .578 winning percentage to Parcells at .611. Coughlin has won one less division title, but he also has one less losing season. If the Giants win, they will have the same number of championships. Maybe then, Coughlin will finally get his due.

The Super Bowl is a huge game for a number of reasons. A lot of legacies are on the line. But perhaps Tom Coughlin has more on the line than anyone else. A win, and he may finally not be coaching week to week.

Tampa Bay's Head Coaching Decisions

Let us hearken back to the halcyon days of the end of the 2009 season. The Tampa Bay Buccanneers, then coached by Jon Gruden, managed to finish 9-7, just missing out on the playoffs. At the time, Rahim Morris, then the defensive co-ordinator for the Bucs, was the hot young assistant coach. In fact, he seemed poised to take over as the Denver Broncos next head coach. So, in a panic move, the Bucs’ ownership fired both Gruden and the general manager, giving Morris the job. Why? Because they were afraid to lose such a talented coaching prospect.

Fast forward to the end of the 2011 season. Morris has been fired, following a disastrous season where the Bucs went 4-12, losing their last eight games in a row. Josh Freeman, who appeared to be on the verge of stardom, regressed. The defense was shredded by the opposition, both on the ground and through the air. If you can’t stop anyone, and cannot score, then it’s a long season.

So, in the quest to find a head coach that can consistently win, they looked through several rejects and retreds. Really, Mike Sherman, Brad Childress, or Rob Chudzinski are actually getting interviews for head coaching positions? So, finally the Bucs decided to hire a college coach, Chip Kelly. He refused. So, on to Plan B – Greg Schiano, the man who coached Rutgers. Yes, Rutgers.

Schiano spent his initial press conference talking about how he wants to bring accountability and disipline to the Bucs. Funny, since players he was recruiting to bring to Rutgers learned that he took the Bucs job by watching SportsCenter. That is still better than how his assistants found out – when Schiano did not appear during recruiting treks. Interesting how someone who is stressing accountability seems not to have any.

The Schiano hiring will, in all likelihood, be another two or three year footnote in the history of terrible head coaches that the Bucs have had. So what does this all mean? That the Bucs should have never fired Gruden in the first place. Yes, he had his issues and flaws, but the man won a Super Bowl with Brad Johnson as his quarterback. He made Brian Griese and Chris Simms appear competent. He resurrected Jeff Garcia’s career. Imagine what he would do with Josh Freeman.

The Bucs should have swallowed their pride and done everything they could to bring back Gruden. Instead, they will suffer for their panic move back in 2009.

Sports and God

So, a lot is being made of the random statistical anomalies from the Broncos-Steelers game on Sunday, and the religious connection. Tim Tebow’s favorite biblical verse is John 3:16. Tebow threw for 316 yards. Ben Roethlisberger threw a crucial interception on third and sixteen. The Steelers had the ball for 31.6 minutes, and Tebow averaged 31.6 yards per completion. Naturally, all of these statistics mean that God caers about football, right?

Um, no. Let’s be serious here – if whatever gods really care more about the outcome of some sporting even than the injustices and problems of the world, then maybe it’s time to get some new gods. Whatever higher powers one believes in definately have better things to do than to make sure that some scatter armed quarterback wins a football game. And if they don’t, then they have a severe issue with figuring out priorities.

Meanwhile, after every game, it’s customary to hear various athletes thanking God for their victory. So why don’t the players on the losing teams blame God for the loss? Steve Johnson of the Buffalo Bills did, and was soundly criticized for it. In all reality, he was right – if the gods want the opposing team to win, then they must want the other team to lose. And they certainly are in position to make sure that happens.

Sports comes down to strategy, skill, and luck – not some random higher power deciding who to favor based off how holy their life is. If that was really a major factor, then how did Roethlisberger win two Super Bowls? How do all of these people that no one would ever want to be around succeed time and time again? The reason is that they are, for that moment in time, simply better.

Tebow hit four passes that he may never complete again. Let’s not go overboard here. Sometimes a coincidence is just a coincidence.

What Are The Chargers Thinking?

So, who exactly does Norv Turner have pictures of? Did the ownership of the San Diego Chargers happen to be involved in a Mexican ‘dog and pony show’ while ol’ Norv just happened to have a cell phone with a camera? Is he blackmailing Dean Spanos by kidnapping his children and holding them hostage until he has truly pushed the Chargers into oblivion? Is there some sort of vendetta against powder blue?

All of the aforementioned scenarios are more likely than the actualaty that Norv Turner is still allowed to be a head coach in the NFL. However, for some reason that defies all sense, logic, and statistical evidence; Turner will be back for the Chargers for the 2012 season. The sound you hear right now is that of Philip Rivers crying himself to sleep, and Charger fans rocking back and forth telling themselves it would be ok.

Remember back when Marty Schottenheimer was coach of the Chargers? If not, lay off the bong, because it was only 2006. That season, the Chargers went 14-2, then promptly got bounced in the playoffs, which is not a shock since ‘Schottenheimer’ is German for ‘collapsing under pressure’. Following the most predictable early playoff exist since the last time Schottenheimer took a team to the playoffs, the Chargers fired him, promptly bringing in Norv Turner.

Now, the Chargers have a lot of talent. Turner is still, somehow, widely respected as a viable football coach. Despite all the evidence that points to him being only a good co-ordinator, he keeps getting second, third, and even fourth chances to prove people wrong. In fact, despite all the talent on that team, the Chargers have not even made the playoffs for the last two seasons. Know what they have been? The same Chargers as they were under Schottenheimer, right down to a similar winning percentage (.613 for Turner, .588 for Schottenheimer).
So, what exactly has been gained by keeping Turner? Not Super Bowl appearances. Certainly not progress. In fact, NOTHING has been gained by keeping Norv around. Much like the music of Paris Hilton, he should be put out of his misery and removed from being the head coach of the Chargers. However, that won’t happen, since Norv has pictures proving that Chargers ownership bankrolled their purchase by being part of the Columbian drug cartels. It’s the only reason that makes sense.

All He Does Is Win

In the NFL, the only thing that matters is whether or not a team wins. It doesn’t matter how the victory occurs, so long as the wins column receives another mark. So, the time has come to recognize someone that does nothing but win football games, no matter how ugly it may look out there. A man who has a penchant for leading his team to come from behind victories, often in rather miraculous fashion. A man who didn’t even start for his own team at the start of the season, and was seemingly unwanted by his own head coach. That’s right, we’re here to talk about John Skelton.

John Skelton? Yes, this man is why the Arizona Cardinals were even in playoff contention until this past week. He has managed to put together a winning percentage that is close to another quarterback that, according to his defenders, does nothing more than win in Tim Tebow. In fact, Tebow’s winning percentage is .615 at present. Skelton is at .600.

So, while Tebow gets all the credit for managing to win football games in rather unorthodox fashion, Skelton wins games also. Unlike Tebow however, Skelton does not have a solid defense or a great running game to rely upon. What he has is Larry Fitzgerald, which means that Skelton actually has to play quarterback. Apparently, this is a novel concept for a quarterback to, you know, actually look competent when throwing a football. While he may have accuracy issues (12 touchdowns to 15 interceptions in his career), it should not matter, since he wins games. At least, that’s the argument the Tebow crowd has.

In the end, it’s time to give some love to John Skelton. Since, you know, he actually can play quarterback in the NFL, unlike that fullback that’s simply lining up behind center.

What The Shanahan - Part Five

Remember back in the offseason, when Rex Grossman stated that the Redskins would be the team to beat in the NFC East for 2011? That notion seemed to be as insane as any proposed sequel for Ishtar. So, everyone laughed it off, and basically thought that the NFL drug policy obviously does not check for hallucinatory drugs. Then the Redskins started off the season 3-1, and suddenly people were jumping on their bandwagon, thinking that maybe Rex Grossman was really not that insane all along.
Funny thing about terrible teams – they will eventually revert back to the mean. Week One, the Redskins beat an injured New York Gians team that was still trying to figure out who to start in the secondary. In Weeks Two and Four, they defeated terrible teams in Arizona and St. Louis. Not exactly a murderer’s row of competetion there, especially since half of the teams in the college ranks could defeat them.

The most damning statistic to come out of the first twelve weeks is the flat ineptitude that the offense has shown. Previously, Shanahan had success in plugging in just about anyone as a starting running back, and getting them to produce. But how much of this was the ‘genius’ of Shanahan, and how much was the zone blocking scheme of Gary Kubiak? Fascinating to note that the Texans, who Kubiak coaches, can run the ball with ease, while Shanahan’s Redskins are 29th in the league in rushing yards.

The quarterbacks have been equally, and predictably, atrocious. Aside from Mike Shanahan, did anyone really expect the Disasterous Duo of Rex Grossman and John Beck not to suck? After all, John Beck has NEVER won an NFL game. Think about that for a moment. And this is the guy that Shanahan felt he could turn into an actual NFL quarterback? No wonder they have the sixth fewest points scored in the entire league.

Again, this really comes back to that overgrown Oompa Loompa Shanahan having a reputation for being better than he actually is. For all of the success that he is perceived to have, it all came riding the coattails of one John Elway. In fact, when not coaching Elway, Shanahan is 1-5 in playoff games. Yes, that’s right – one win and five losses. That is worse than the poster boy for playoff futility, Marty Schottenheimer. He’s 5-13 in playoff games. So, without Elway, how good a coach is Mike Shanahan? Answer – not that good.

So, as the Redskins prepare to face a good Jets team this weekend, get ready to laugh, cry, and be astonished. Not that the Jets are as great as they are going to look, but that the Redskins are that terrible. There will be no improvement until Dan Synder comes to his senses, asks What The Shanahan, and makes a coaching change.

The Tim Tebow Experiment

Well, Tim Tebow has truly made his mark on the quarterback position. After last weekend’s performance of the ages (2-8 passing, 69 yards and a touchdown) he may have set the quarterback position back eighty years. All these years later, those coaches who refused to adapt and regarded the forward pass as a fad have been proven correct.

Why bother playing the quarterback position with anything resembling skill when you can just run the ball sixty times? Why have solid arm strength and the ability to hit receivers in stride when a toddler could play roughly as well at that position? And yet, somehow the Broncos have managed to win games with this joke behind center, because the opposition is not smart enough to put nine players in the box.

In fact, Tebow’s own coach has admitted that if Tebow were in a real NFL offense that “If we were trying to run a regular offense, he’d be screwed.” That statement coming from John Fox is truly damning. Yes, everyone knew that Tebow would be a project if he stuck as a quarterback, but you would expect something resembling progress. Instead, he has regressed to the point where even his own coach does not want to see him throw the ball. And John Fox knows terrible quarterback play – he did see Jake Delhomme over his last two seasons in Carolina. Just wonder why he didn’t try the No Passing offense then….

The notion that Tebow is winning games has to be a nightmare for the Broncos organization. They were going nowhere, and gave in to the public clamoring for Tebow. They wanted to prove to the uneducated masses that Tebow, while he has a lot of heart, is not a quarterback. In this, they have been proven correct – Tebow is most definately not even close to an NFL quarterback.

Yet, the Broncos inexplicably manage to win games that Tebow starts, and somehow find themselves in the race for the AFC West. While this may be due to Tebow being Football Jesus and having magical powers (such as causing amnesia to opposing defenses so that they forget that the Broncos only run the football now), in all likelihood this is due to the unorthodox gameplan. Remember, the Miami Dolphins managed to win games with the Wildcat when it first came out. How long did that last? Well, the Broncos offensive playbook straight from 1904 probably has the shelf life of yogurt on the dashboard of a car during an Arizona summer.

In the end, expect sanity to win out, and the Broncos to fall back to Earth hard. Even Football Jesus cannot cause that many miracles.

Brian Schottenheimer Is An Idiot

Let us suppose, for a brief moment in time, that you happen to be an offensive coordinator. Now, let us imagine that, while in this role, you happen to be facing the worst pass defense in the NFL. A defense that cannot get pressure on the quarterback, cannot cover, and routinely gets torched on plays downfield. This defense is starting street free agents, career backups, and people that even the most die-hard NFL fans have never even heard of. Naturally, the game plan to face this team would be to throw on them until they prove they can stop the pass, right?

Naturally, that would be the logical game plan. Unfortunately for the New York Jets, they have Brian Schottenheimer as their offensive coordinator, a man whose very lineage screams blatant incompetence in even the most mundane of tasks. This ‘offensive mastermind’ put together a brilliant game plan; and by ‘brilliant’, we mean that in the Guinness sense of the term. This man could not create a worse scheme even if he were to channel his inner Terl from ‘Battlefield Earth’.  Of course, only a Schottenheimer would decide to run constantly against the league’s worst pass defense! They’ll never see THAT coming!

Now, Schottenheimer obviously was staring blankly into space or contemplating important life questions, such as how he is still employed, when the Patriots lost their starting cornerback and safety. He was blissfully unaware that backup receiver Julian Edelman was their nickle defensive back due to all the injuries. And of course, this receiver put a hit on LaDanian Thomlinson that will probably keep him from playing in Week 11, proving once again that even soap bubbles are more durable than he is.

Even if Schottenheimer was incapable of noticing such things, he must have seen videos of the Steelers torching the Patriots secondary. Or the Giants torching the Patriots secondary. Or the Bills torching the Patriots secondary. Or, well, anyone that has played the Patriots this season. They made even the immortal Chad Henne look like a real NFL quarterback. Then again, maybe ol’ Rex Ryan was dominating the film room, watching footage of people’s feet.

In the end, the lack of recognition of the Patriots defense led to the Jets downfall. And has once again proven that Schottenheimer is German for ‘incompetent’.

Chad Ocho Cinco's Role

With the news of Albert Haynesworth being released from the New England Patriots today, the attention has naturally turned to their other big acquisition, Chad Ocho Cinco. Already, pundits have begun wondering as to when he will be released. However, despite Ocho Cinco’s lack of production on the field, and his supposed inability to grasp the playbook, neither Bill Belichick nor Tom Brady appear to be overly concerned. Why would that be?

Perhaps the biggest clue to the solution would be to take a look at how the roster, and subsequently, the offense, is constructed. As had been previously mentioned on the blog, Ocho Cinco is presently nothing more than the fifth receiving option at best. In fact, the argument could be made that both Danny Woodhead, and, if healthy, Kevin Faulk would be ahead of Ocho Cinco on the pass catching hierarchy. On the surface, this would make Ocho Cinco quite the luxury item.

All of this masks the probable reason for Ocho Cinco’s continued presence on this roster. Bill Belichick is known for his tendency to acquire the next piece of the puzzle, ready to slot into a starting role, even if the starter has a year or more to go before being a free agent. In Wes Welker and Deion Branch, the Patriots have two starting receivers that happen to be in the final year of their contracts. The Patriots may have Welker’s replacement with Julian Edelman. But do they have Deion Branch’s?

Now, look at the fact that Ocho Cinco signed a three year contract this offseason. Belichick knows how this offense is constructed, and had to know that Ocho Cinco would not get many opportunities this season. What that essentially adds up to is to make the 2011 season a red shirt year for Ocho Cinco. He has no pressure to perform, can work on learning the playbook, and can develop chemistry with Tom Brady. This is a move that would provide the Patriots with a player for the 2012 season who can step right in and pick up where Branch left off.

In the end, Chad Ocho Cinco was not about this season. Bill Belichick signed him for 2012 and 2013, when he will be needed to step in for Deion Branch. And that is a pretty shrewd move.

Drafting the Heir

Peyton Manning has proven his case as the NFL MVP for 2011 without having played a down thus far this season. Given how the Colts have gotten quarterback play that has been worse than what Keanu Reeves displayed in ‘The Replacements’, and how badly the Colts have fallen upon their faces this year, it is time to think about who should be replacing Peyton Manning.

Given the nature of his injury, and how he has had three surgical procedures on his neck over the past two years, this should not have come as a surprise to the Colts leadership. Manning is, after all is said and done, human. His body broke down. They need to find his replacement, yet there are rumors that Manning will attempt to block the Colts drafting of Andrew Luck. What are the Colts to do?

Well, first, it’s time they face facts. Simply stated, they’re terrible. There is a distinct possibility they could join the Lions from 2008 in running the table in reverse. Wonder if members of that team will shower each other in O’Douls when that happens, like the 1972 Dolphins pop open champagne when the last undefeated team takes a loss. However, the Lions had a few players on that team. The Colts have almost nothing. Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark have disappeared. Only Pierre Garcon appears to have any life in this offense, as he’s actually catching the ball, something he never did with Manning under center. On defense, they have Dwight Freeney and Pat Angerer. That’s it. This team needed to be blown up a long time ago, but Manning disguised all of it’s flaws in a way no one truly appreciated until this season.

Yet, if Manning is going to try to stop them from drafting the next franchise quarterback in Indianapolis, they must say farewell. One player, even if he is the quarterback/offensive co-ordinator/MVP without playing a down of football, cannot stop a team from progressing. And that is what Manning very well may do. 2010 may have been the last time we see Manning with the horseshoe on the helmet, or even as an actual NFL player, for that matter.

The Colts need to rebuild this franchise like they did back when they drafted Manning in 1998. And if that means drafting Andrew Luck and getting rid of the best quarterback in franchise history, then so be it. The Colts can no longer afford to live in the past, especially since they do not have a fallback plan.

Rob Gronkowski's Apology

Today, Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots apologized for having pictures taken with porn star BiBi Jones. He stated that it was not his intention to hurt the reputation of the Patriots, or to offend anyone with the pictures that were taken. In fact, Jones was adamant that nothing happened between them other than the pictures, even though she was willing.

So, what exactly is Gronkowski apologizing for? He had the opportunity to have pictures taken with an attractive female that just happens to be in porn. That’s an offense that people need an apology for? It’s not like BiBi Jones is a criminal or someone like Casey Anthony. She’s just a girl that’s probably ‘just trying to work her way through college’. Just because she enjoys being on her back, or knees, or on top of multiple guys, means absolutely nothing here.

If anything, Gronk should be apologizing for NOT nailing her. Hell, she’s probably had a phone book worth of guys that can lay claim to sampling her wares. Maybe there just isn’t enough tread left on the tires, and Gronk figured it would be like a hot dog in a hallway. But seriously, who really cares? Who in their right mind is going to get offended by these pictures? Who really thinks that Jones being in Gronk’s jersey is a sign that the Patriots organization supports porn? Idiots, that would be who.

If anything, Gronk was with the wrong porn star. Remember Bernie Kosar? Remember who Bill Belichick essentially ruined his career by trading for Vinny Testaverde when he was coach of the Cleveland Browns? Well, Kosar’s daughter happens to be porn actress Lexxi Silver. Figure that there can be a nice little connection there – Belichick ruined Kosar’s NFL career, and Gronk can ruin Kosar’s daughter for everyone that comes after him. Pretty sure that Belichick and Gronk would be high-fiving each other after that one.

Anyway, let us here at the blog be the first to say that we’re disappointed in Gronk. Not because he was hanging out with porn stars, but because he didn’t close the deal. Seriously, next time, man up and do what hundreds of guys before you have done – BiBi Jones

The Time Is Now

There are no more excuses for Chad Ocho Cinco. No longer can it be said that he’s going through an adjustment period. If he is going to perform at all for the Patriots, it will happen next week, or it will not happen at all.

Let’s put aside the sarcasm for a moment. Stop with the Ocho Stinko and the NoCatchO jokes. It’s time to face facts. First, Ocho Cinco did not have a full offseason to learn the playbook, the routes, and to get extra tutelage from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. His offseason began at training camp; his first six weeks were his preseason. Quite simply, he had not had the time to adjust from being on the Bengals to coming to a perennial playoff team like the Patriots.

Also, expectations of what Ocho Cinco can be for the Patriots have to be tempered. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are major targets in the passing game. Wes Welker is the third down possession guy. Deion Branch is Brady’s favorite receiver, and always has been. So, in all seriousness, Ocho Cinco is, at best, the fifth target in the passing game. How many receptions can he realistically be expected to get?
However, the bye week has come at a fortunate time for Ocho Cinco. He has obviously gotten frustrated with his lack of performance. All he really wants is to be a contributing member of a championship caliber team, which he had never had the opportunity to be a part of.

Come Week 8 in the NFL? The excuses end. Either Ocho Cinco gets it, or he doesn’t. He has had his opportunity, and he must now seize it. If he doesn’t? Well, he will be nothing more than an afterthought, a forgotten man on a deep team that looks like it’s going to have a deep playoff run. And for Ocho Cinco, to be forgotten is worse than not being productive.

The time is now for Ocho Cinco, or it will never come.

In Tribute of Al Davis

Oakland Raiders owner and managing general partner Al Davis died today, at age 82. Davis was an NFL legend, whose career in the game began 60 years ago, when he became an assistant with the Baltimore Colts. Davis then became an assistant at the Citadel, then moved on to Southern California. He joined the Los Angeles Chargers in 1960, before being hired as the youngest general manager/head coach in NFL history by the Raiders in 1963. He would later purchase the team after leading them to a 23-16-1 record as coach.

Davis was also the final commissioner of the AFL, and spearheaded a movement that eventually caused the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. A truce had been established where NFL and AFL teams would not sign each others players, but that truce was broken by the New York Giants, when they signed Buffalo kicker Pete Gogolak. To Davis, that meant that he could go after anyone he wanted, so he pursued multiple NFL players, including John Brodie and Roman Gabriel.

Davis went back to the Raiders after the merger, overseeing a franchise that would win Super Bowls in 1976, 1980, and 1983. He gave a number of young coaches their first chance, including John Madden and Mike Shanahan. He hired not only the first black head coach of the modern era in Art Shell, but also the first Latino head coach in NFL history in Tom Flores. He was a true visionary for the league, and for as much attention as the Rooney Rule gets, Davis never cared about race. He only cared about a person’s football acumen.

Up until the end, the lived by his own beliefs, content to be the rebel. He was the only owner not to vote in favor of the new CBA, stating that he felt that the decrease in practice time that was included in the CBA would hurt coaching. He was also incredably loyal to his players and the Raiders. To be a Raider was to be a Raider for life. He would help former players, old friends, and distant relatives if he heard they were having problems, never caring for any publicity for it. Davis knew his reputation, and did everything he could to maintain it publicly.

While he may have been ridiculed recently for some of his personnel decisions, he appeared to have regained his ability to scout players over the last two drafts. He took on players that other teams were trying to dump in Jason Campbell and Richard Seymour, providing veteran presence to his young team. He found steals in Denarius Moore and Lamarr Houston. He plucked Kevin Boss from free agency, who fits the Raiders tight end mold perfectly. The Raiders appeared to be poised to return to the forefront.

Unfortunately, Davis will not be around to see the Raiders return to the playoffs. Yet Davis, more than the pirate logo or the silver and black uniforms, was the identity of the Raiders organization. He was, and always will be, what the Raiders are. He will be missed, but for as long as the Raiders and the NFL exist, he will never be forgotten.

The Super Bowl Halftime Show

Remember back when the Super Bowl would have halftime performances that people younger than forty knew who the acts were? Well, that ended back when Janet Jackson showed her nipple, and only her plastic surgeon was excited. However, as we live in a country where it’s ok to permit George Lopez to have a television show and Paris Hilton is allowed to exist, yet sexuality is frowned upon, this immediately set off a political correctness firestorm. As the FCC and the media overreact to everything, this was denounced as the biggest travesty since Gerald Ford became President
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Since that point, the halftime ‘entertainment’ at the Super Bowl has involved a series of bands that are further past their prime than Brett Favre. Even though one of the acts featured renowned pervert Pete Townshend, it was still considered better than having a repeat performance of the ill-fated Justin Timberlake/Janet Jackson moment. Even if Townshend was to be hitting on some six year old in the audience, it was not like he was going to expose himself publicly. Unless, of course, that six year old was really asking for it.

Now, for this year, we have the news that Madonna is going to be performing at halftime. Madonna does fit what the NFL has used over roughly the past decade – a washed up artist or group that is still well known. However, people are forgetting one very important thing – namely, that this is Madonna. Look at her history. Jose Canseco. Dennis Rodman. The ‘Sex’ book. Making out with Britney Spears at the VMAs. Numerous movie rolls where she has sex with anything. Her well known and deserved reputation as a whore. Was this forgotten about?

Add to this the fact that Madonna’s career is almost as dead as Helen Keller, and this promises to be a special evening. Will she be wearing a velcro suit that she rips off during the performance, and frolics around naked on stage? Will she attempt to masterbate with the Lombardi Trophy? Will she attempt to have sex with every member of both teams before/after/during the game? And will she attempt to coerce some random person from Malawi to let her adopt his kid? Hey, maybe she goes for the gold and tries to do all of that. While doing a couple of the cheerleaders there, just to show that she’s an equal opportunity whore.

Actually, this is a good move for the NFL. People will actually want to do something other than wake up their great grandparents when the halftime act gets on stage, since they were the only ones that could remember when these groups were young. People will be waiting to see if she brings any barnyard animals on stage, and gives an unforgettable halftime show.

Sit back and enjoy the fireworks, because this has all the potential to be a train wreck.

Peyton Manning For 2011 MVP

One would think that the Colts organization, by all accounts a rather astute group of football minds, would have realized that getting a legitimate backup for Peyton Manning should be on their list of priorities. Yes, before this year, Manning was more durable than the scalpel used by Joan Rivers’ surgeon; however, teams need to plan for emergencies. Seriously, Jeff Garcia wouldn’t have taken that job in a heartbeat?

But no, the Colts proceeded to go through the likes of Jim Sorgi and Curtis Painter as their primary backups to Manning. Apparently, players like Spergon Wynn were beyond the talent level needed at that position. The questions asked by Colts management must have been whether or not they can carry a clipboard while wearing shoulder pads and if they like hats. If you answered yes to both of those questions, then you could have been a Colts backup quarterback as well.

All of this ignored that Manning was literally everything to that organization. Their head coach’s coaching style is reminiscent of a blaxploitation version of the corpse from Weekend At Bernie’s. In fact, are we even sure that Jim Caldwell is alive? Has anyone seen the man blink? And what is he doing with that headset on, monitoring the drive-thru worker at the local McDonald’s as he takes orders? Useless.

And yet, Caldwell is not the only problem. They have not had a useful running back since the reign of James I (Edgerrin) ended in 2005. Their attempts to draft a running back have met with the same success that Vanilla Ice had with his album ‘Mind Blowin’. This even includes the coming of James II, Edgerrin’s cousin Javarris. In fact, despite spending two first round draft choices on the position since 2006. In fact, they have blown their last five first round picks. Winning franchises do not do that – they find actual playmakers. Teams like the Bengals, Bills, and Lions blow all of their first round picks, not teams that are supposed to be in the upper echelon of franchises like the Colts.

Then there is the train wreck that is loosely referred to as the Colts defense. They would not be able to an opposing offense that was comprised of eleven Helen Kellers. Dwight Freeney is still considered an impact player, but he is almost as old as Jeanne Calment was when she died. Pat Angerer has a great name for a linebacker, and is a tackling machine, but he is not a playmaker at all. The cupboard is completely barren on this side of the ball.

The only reason why the Colts were contenders year after year was Peyton Manning. Even though the season is only two weeks in, this has been proven beyond any doubt, given the absolute inability by the Colts to display even gross incompetence on the field. Yes, the Indianapolis Colts are playing football worse than France fares when it comes to a war since the times of Napoleon. Was their plan to find a backup to Manning to go 0-16, draft Andrew Luck, and hope he will be ready when the time comes? Because it sure seems like that was the plan.

Sadly, this also seems to be the plan being taken by the Kansas City Chiefs, who are playing more like the Chefs presently. At least they can point to numerous injuries as to why they have problems. In fact, avoid football entirely during Week 5 of the NFL season, in case you accidentally see any part of the Chiefs-Colts battle for the first overall pick. People that see this game may experience symptoms such as vomiting, breaking out in cold sweats, and having flashbacks of watching Jack Trudeau attempting to play quarterback. The only way to get rid of these symptoms would be to swallow a shotgun. Sorry, but terrible football is a fatal disease. Wonder if this suckfest will end in a 0-0 tie……

By not playing, Peyton Manning has proven to be more valuable than any one person currently playing for their teams. It’s time for the voters for the annual NFL awards to step outside the box, and vote Peyton Manning for 2011 MVP.

Shut Up Tim Tebow Supporters

Fans of third string, and hideously overrated, quarterback Tim Tebow are planning to purchase billboards, urging Denver Broncos coach John Fox to bench Kyle Orton and start Football Jesus. First, this assumes that Fox would actually care what these obviously delusional people think about the quarterbacking situation in Denver. Second, this assumes that Football Jesus not only can walk on water, model underwear, and praise God while playing quarterback with some level of competence. Tebow has managed to do the first three on this list, but he is not ready to do the fourth.

If a quarterback with a similar set of skills was to come out in the NFL Draft, and not have been named Tim Tebow, he would have been no more than a fifth round selection. Quite frankly, he needed to revamp his throwing motion, which is still a work in progress, learn a complex offensive system, learn to read a defense, and to make plays with something other than his legs. In fact, in most cases, the same player would have been converted to tight end. But since he’s the Football Jesus, he stuck at quarterback and was a first round pick.

Naturally, Tebow’s supporters are blind to this. To ‘attack’ Tebow (mention his shortcomings and how he needs to improve his game) is to attack his religious beliefs. Apparently, those people that notice the problems with Tebow’s game are against religious people, puppies, super happy sunshine, freedom, the sanctity of marriage, Swedish Bikini Teams, teddy bears, rainbows, and beer. But, that is not the case. No one cares who Tebow worships. He can praise God, Allah, Satan, or Cocidius for all anyone cares, as long as he plays football with some degree of skill. The reality is, that he cannot do that. So shut up, religi-freaks.

Lost in all the Football Jesus hype is the fact that the fact that Orton is actually a good quaterback. Last year, before the ill-advised Tebow games at the end of the year. He has completed 58.1% of his passes in his NFL career, has not had a quarterback rating below 79.6 in any full season that he has been a starter since his rookie year, and knows how to win football games. Tebow won games in college. Let’s put it this way – if Tebow throws for more than 70 touchdowns in his NFL career, I will eat my boxers on air during a podcast The Mad Sportsmen – you should give us a listen *shameless plug*). Take it to the bank.

Football Jesus was a great college quarterback, make no mistake. But there have been quite a few great college quarterbacks that have not done anything in the NFL. Just look to Rodney Peete, Gino Torretta, Eric Crouch, Brad Banks, Troy Smith, and Danny Wuerffel, amongst others. They were terrible in the NFL, and in fact, some players like Jason White, never made it in. THAT is the company that Tebow will be in – not in the Steve Young or Randall Cunningham level.

So shut up Tim Tebow fans, and get over yourselves. The criticism of Football Jesus has NOTHING to do with his religion – just the fac tthat he is not and never will be an NFL quarterback.

2011 NFC West Preview

Welcome to the eighth and final installment of the 2011 NFL Preview. In this edition, we take a look at the NFC West. As always, teams are listed in order of their expected finish.

1. St. Louis Rams:Over the past few years, the offense has been all about Steven Jackson. Jackson has been on the receiving end of a lot of hits over that time, and has shaken off the nagging injuries to account for 72% of the Rams carries since 2008. Jackson will not have to shoulder that much of the lead this year, as the Rams have finally gotten some actual depth behind him in Jerious Norwood and Cadillac Williams. They have also finally found themselves a quarterback in Sam Bradford. Bradford looks like a future star in the league, and has Josh McDaniels as his offensive coordinator. This will only help his development. At receiver, he has what is essentially Wes Welker West in Danny Amendola, and Mike Sims-Walker, who is looking to jump start his career after faltering over the past season and a half in Jacksonville. Lance Kendricks will make an immediate impact in the passing game at tight end.

The defense, particularly the defensive line, could be outright scary for the opposition this year. Chris Long is beginning to tap into his potential, and appears to be on the verge of becoming a dominant player. James Hall is still a steady player, and Robert Quinn will be worked into the rotation. As he develops, he could become yet another steady player on that line. At linebacker, James Laurinaitis is solid in the middle, but the rest of the linebacking corps is a bit lacking. They gave up a lot of big plays last year, but should see an upgrade with the signing of Ben Leber. The biggest problem the Rams defense will have is in the secondary. The loss of Oshiomogho Atogwe will hurt a lot, but they attempted to lessen the blow by bringing in Quintin Mikell and Al Harris. The cornerbacks do not have any depth at all, with the injury to third corner Jerome Murphy. If either of the starters gets hurt, the Rams are in a lot of trouble in the passing game. Look for the Rams to attempt to generate a lot of pressure with the line and through creative blitz packages to help the secondary.

The Rams have the pieces in place to be the dominant team in the NFC West for a long time. It starts this season, as they will finish above .500.

2. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals season was doomed from the start last year, as they attempted to go with the combo platter of suckage at quarterback. After realizing that Derek Anderson, John Skelton, and Max Hall are not NFL quarterbacks, they went out and traded their top defensive back in Antonio Rodgers-Cromartie (aka the Good Cromartie) for Kevin Kolb. Kolb is an accurate quarterback, but there are durability issues here. He has also displayed a penchant for turning the ball over, with eleven interceptions against fourteen touchdowns. Can Kolb be anything more than a backup? The running game is thin, as Tim Hightower was traded and rookie Ryan Williams is out for the season. This leaves the job solely to Beanie Wells, who has yet to show that he can actually do anything as a running back. Look for Chester Taylor, he of the 2.4 yards per carry last year, to get a lot of touches. The receivers may as well be Larry Fitzgerald, Larry Fitzgerald, and Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is a top three receiver, and should sue for a lack of support. The other starter is either going to be Andre Roberts or Early Doucet. Todd Heap was brought in as a free agent, and Rob Housler was drafted in the third round, but when do the Cardinals use the tight end? This could be yet another mess on offense.

The defense was absolutely terrible last year, looking at times old and at other times inexperienced. While they would like to trun the defense into Pittsburgh West, there is simply a lack of talent on this side of the football. Going with their third defensive co-ordinator in three years does not help, since unless he happens to be Gandalf and can turn nothing into a formidible cast of characters, it won’t matter. There is nothing even close to resembling a pass rush, either from the line or from the linebackers. Speaking of the linebackers, Joey porter and Clark Haggans were a travesty last year. They ae simply too slow to be able to make the types of plays that are required in this defense. In the secondary, Adrian Wilson is solid, and great on blitzes. Patrick Peterson will start immediately, and will need to fill the void left by Rodgers-Cromartie being traded. Look for the Cardinals to go four for four on new defensive co-ordinators next year.

The Cardinals need a lot of help, so why pick them to finish second? Because the rest of the division is even more of a train wreck.

3. San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers seemingly have a lot of talent on offense, but can never make it work. Why is this? Quite simply, it is due to the quarterback. News flash for those of you that didn’t know (probably Alex Smith’s family), but Alex Smith is terrible. If he is going to do anything with his career, aside from being known as the guy the 49ers drafted instead of Aaron Rodgers, it has to be now. Otherwise, expect to see Colin Kaepernick after the bye week. The offense will once again feature a heavy dose of Frank Gore, and will need him to stay healthy. Kendall Hunter looks like he can develop into a Brain Westbrook type of player, but can he shoulder the load if when Gore gets hurt? The receivers have a lot of talent, but have not realized their potential. Vernon Davis finally lived up to the hype, but can he continue to do so without Mike Singletary? Backup Delanie Walker should have an increased role in the offense, as the 49ers want to use the two tight end set in the passing game. Michael Crabtree remains an enigma, missing all four preseason games for the third consecutive year, and having much more hype than production. Braylon Edwards can make the spectacular grab, then can drop a ball that hits him in the numbers. Josh Morgan may actually be the most oconsistant of the receivers, but is at best the number three guy.

The defense had a lot of turnover, as six starters from last season are no longer with the team. Isaac Sopoaga moves over to nose tackle, taking over for Aubrayo Franklin. Justin Smith is a solid pass rusher on the line, and might actually be the best at putting pressure on the quarterback in San Fran. The linebackers are the strength of this unit, and are why the 49ers have a solid run defense. Patrick Willis is in the discussion for best middle linebacker in the NFL, and rookie Aldon Smith will provide a much needed pass rusher from the edge. NaVarro Bowman gets a chance to start with the departure of Takeo Spikes, and looks ready for the responsibility. Getting that pass rush will be important for the secondary. While Carlos Rogers and Donte Whitner are solid players, they are not even close to being elite. Forcing the quarterback into mistakes will dramatically help them, and make the secondary look better than it actually is.

The 49ers have some talent, and are taking the right steps. They need another solid draft, and they could be in contention as soon as next year.

4. Seattle Seahawks: Do not be fooled by Seattle making the playoffs and winning a playoff game into thinking that they are a good team, because they quite simply are not. They took a major step back when they allowed Matt Hasselbeck to depart as a free agent and brought in Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson was terrible to the point that his Vikings teammates flew to Mississippi to beg Brett Favre to return. Not exactly something that makes you have any confidence in Jackson as a starting quarterback, right? Marshawn Lynch had perhaps the greatest run in playoff history, but can he be the answer as the every down back? The receiving corps actually improved, with the addition of Sidney Rice and tight end Zach Miller. Adding Robert Gallery to the line helps as well, but there is not a lot of talent elsewhere on this side of the football.

The defense could actually be surprisingly good. Colin Cole, Red Bryant, and Brandon Mebane were out for a combined 18 games last year, but if healthy, will help solidify the run defense. While the front four only had 24 sacks last year, the number will improve as long as the line stays intact. Linebacker is a position that is in transition, as Lofa Tatupu was released. For the defense to truly emerge, Aaron Curry needs to live up to the hype that comes with being the fourth overall pick in the draft. Leroy Hill seems to finally be back from injury, and will add a dimension of toughness and an attitude to the defense. The secondary is flat out huge, as Pete Carroll has specifically targeted taller cornerbacks and safeties. Safety Kam Chancellor is 6’3. Cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman are 6’4 and 6’3, respectively. In fact, not one member of the secondary is under 5’10. If this experiment works out as well as Carroll is hoping it does, then the Seattle secondary could be rather formidable.

Seattle needs a lot more help on offense to be able to compete. Look for them to draft a quarterback in 2012, and attempt to drag themselves out of the cellar once again.

2011 AFC West Preview

Welcome to Part Seven of the 2011 NFL Season Preview. Here, we take a look at the AFC West. As always, the teams are listed in the order of their expected finish.

1. Oakland Raiders:If you want bold predictions and a team no one is talking about – here you go: The Oakland Raiders win the AFC West. And no, I am not heavily intoxicated as I type these words. Here’s why. The Raiders may have the best stable of running backs in the AFC, as Darren McFadden finally hit his potential, Michael Bush could start for half the teams in the league, and Taiwan Jones is a star waiting to happen. Jason Campbell displayed leadership and actually has enough skill to get the ball to his receivers, unlike the steaming pile of excrement that was JaMarcus Russell. Jacoby Ford is actually a solid receiver, and they may have uncovered a diamond in fifth round pick Denarius Moore. Derek Hagan has all the makings of a late bloomer, a la Brandon Lloyd. If they can get anything out of Chaz Schilens, Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey, this could be a dangerous group. Campbell also likes to throw to the tight ends, and while the loss of Zach Miller will hurt, Kevin Boss is a solid replacement. Look for Marcel Reese to get a solid amount of work in the passing game as well.

On defense, regression is expected with the loss of Nnamdi Asomugha. The starting cornerbacks are going to be Stanford Routt, and one of a pair of rookies in DeMarcus Van Dyke or Chimdi Chekwa. However, the safeties are solid, particularly with Michael Huff. The lack of experience at the cornerback position actually should be well disguised this year, as the Raiders have the potential for a truly dominant defensive line. Remember the theory of the pass rush for fantasy defenses, as pressure on the quarterback leads to turnovers? Expect that to happen here. Richard Seymour is still an absolute beast, and Tommy Kelly is a nice compliment as a true run stuffer. The ends of the very underrated Matt Shaughnessy (expect him to be at least a Pro Bowl player this year) and Lamarr Houston can get after the quarterback. Add in a linebacker of the caliber of Rolando McClain, and there are enough pieces to make this defense work.

The Raiders will make the playoffs this year. Time for Al Davis to stop being referred to as past his prime.

2. San Diego Chargers: So, how does a team have the top statistical offense and defense, yet still manage to miss the playoffs? By having special teams so bad that Helen Keller could even see that they were terrible. Philip Rivers catapulted himself into the discussion of the top four quarterbacks in the game with his performance last season, even though he was throwing to street free agents and guys that were bagging groceries or washing cars two weeks prior to seeing the field. Having Vincent Jackson back for the entire season paired with Malcolm Floyd will only make Rivers look that much better. Antonio Gates may be slowed by a persistent foot issue, he is still the top tight end in the game. The only drawback may be in the running game, where Darren Sproles will be missed far more than people expect. Ryan Mathews needs to show that he can stop fumbling and stay healthy. Mike Tolbert was the ultimate touchdown machine last year, but can he withstand the pounding of 20+ carries if Mathews falters?

The defense was a strong unit last year, and only improved thruogh the draft and free agency. Corey Liuget is a pure run stuffer, and will add sorely needed depth to the defensive line. Free agents Bob Sanders and Takeo Spikes can make huge impacts to the defense. If Sanders can stay healthy, look for him to regain the form he had back in 2007, when he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Coupled with Eric Weddle, the safeties are strong. Spikes, even though he has been in the league for 14 years, has yet to participate in the postseason. He can almost taste it here.

The Chargers should be a better team and have a better record. While most people expect them to make the playoffs, keep one thing in mind – Norv Turner. Hopefully the talent can overcome his deficiencies, but you never know.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs have some nice pieces on offense, but there are a number of concerns. Matt Cassel has a rib injury, and is likely out for at least the first week. If the injury turns out to be serious, that means that Tyler Palko or Ricky Stanzi will see a significant number of snaps. This does not bode well for a team hoping to return to the playoffs. At running back, Jamaal Charles had a great year last season, but had fewer carries than Thomas Jones. While the plan is for Charles to get majority of the carries, there is a question as to whether or not he can hold up under the workload. Dwayne Bowe is a good receiver, but put up a career year last season. Rookie Jonathan Baldwin will help to stretch the field, and Steve Breaston is an excellent slot receiver, but is there enough talent in the receiving corps? Tight end Tony Moeaki is out for the season, costing Cassel one of his favorite targets. Who knows what is going to end up replacing him.

On defense, there are a few solid pieces. Tanba Hali put up a great season, and appears to have finally found his ability to get at the quarterback. The pass rush is solid, and should only get better with the addition of third round draft pick Justin Houston, who will step right in for Mike Vrabel. Eric Berry is a playmaker in the secondary, and will only get better with experience. While the offense could be a disaster, the Chiefs defense looks capable of keeping them in games this year.

The Chiefs had a lot of things break right for them to make the playoffs last season. A tougher schedule, questions on offense, and a regression to the mean will keep the Chiefs from contending for a playoff spot.

4. Denver Broncos: Kyle Orton is a very good quarterback who does not get the respect he deserves. People keep expecting Tim Tebow to unseat him this year, but Tebow is not even close to be ing a viable NFL quarterback. If anything should happen to Orton, expect Brady Quinn to get the nod first. While Orton is the unquestioned starter, everything else is unsettled. Brandon Lloyd is the number one receiver, but can he duplicate his success in a different system? Even if Lloyd turns out not to be a fluke, there is still the inconvenient problem of finding someone opposite to him. Demaryius Thomas is still dealing with an injury to his Achilles. Odds are that Eric Decker gets the chance, but is he ready? Turning the attention to the running game, Knowson Moreno has been a disappointment. Willis McGahee was brought in to compliment Moreno, but does he have anything left in the tank? The offense could be an absolute train wreck this year.

On defense, the Broncos were terrible. They were unable to generate anything even remotely resembling a pass rush, sacking the quarterback only 25 times last year. The return of Ellis Dumervil from injury will help, as will the selection of Von Miller with the second pick of the draft. Champ Bailey and Brain Dawkins return in the secondary, but both are almost as old as Methuselah. One has to wonder how much more they have left, if anything. Aside from the ability that Dumervil has as a pass rusher, nothing in the front seven has proven that they are capable of starting for an NFL team. While the passing defense may be decent, the Broncos will get shredded by the run.

The Broncos are going to have a rough season, yet will be just good enough to avoid being able to draft Andrew Luck. The next few years will be long in Denver.

2011 NFC South Preview

Continuing with our annual football preview, we take a look at the NFC South today. As always, the teams are listed in order of expected finish.

New Orleans Saints: The fact that the Saints were able to make the playoffs with all of the injuries they dealt with last year is nothing less than miraculous. Sean Payton actually prefers to pound the football, regardless of how prolific the Saints passing game is with Drew Brees, Marques Colston, and Robert Meachem. The plethora of injuries suffered at the the running back position led the Saints to have to give significant carries to such luminaries as Julius Jones and Ladell Betts. And yet, they still won eleven games last year. The offensive line received an upgrade with the addition of Olin Kreutz, and Darren Sproles will take over the Reggie Bush job. Despite not being as much of a name, Sproles is probably better at what the Saints want him to do than Bush was. Jeremy Shockley left as a free agent, but the Saints actually upgraded with second year player Jimmy Graham.

The defense had it’s issues last year, particularly stopping the run. This was on full display for the world to see when Marshawn Lynch essentially ran over the entire Saints defense en route to one of the best touchdown runs in NFL history. To rectify this, the Saints drafted Cameron Jordan, who will start from Day 1. New Defensive tackles Aubrayo Franklin and Shaun Rogers were signed as free agents, and will make it difficult to move the ball through the middle of the line. The Saints need to put pressure on the quarterback in order to protect their secondary, where the only playmaker they really have is safety Malcolm Jenkins. The linebackers are getting younger, as new faces will be starting around Johnathan Vilma, who has entirely resurrected his career in New Orleans. Expect a dramatic improvement on this side of the ball.

The Saints improved dramatically, and should be considered a legit contender.

2. Atlanta Falcons: There is a lot of hype surrounding the Falcons this year to be a major player in the Super Bowl hunt this year, but that is completely asinine. In theory, the addition of Julio Jones should help Roddy White and Matt Ryan, but he is a major question mark. All throughout college he displayed an ability to make great catches, but would drop passes that hit him in the chest. The only way he can help the offense is by being a deep decoy. Expect Harry Douglas to be a better fit, and to contribute more this year. Tony Gonzalez is still considered by people to be an elite tight end, but his production is closer to Todd Heap than anything else. He is elite in name only. Michael Turner is getting older, and, let’s face it, is due to slow down as he approaches his 30th birthday.

The defense is, again, not as good as advertised. They play a base 4-3 without anything exotic. The coverage packages are conservative and vanilla. For them to be any good, they need to generate a pass rush. John Abraham continued his revival in 2010, but the rest of the line was unable to generate much pressure on the quarterback. Enter Ray Edwards, who signed a lucrative contract as a free agent to attempt to be the answer. This is a risky proposition, as Edwards never posted double digit sacks, despite playing with the Williams Wall and Jared Allen in Minnesota. How will he fare when he becomes the target of double teams? The linebackers, headed by a healthy Curtis Lofton, are solid. Sean Weatherspoon may be a future star at linebacker, but he needs to stay healthy. The secondary is average, and plays assignment based football. Brent Grimes is solid, but Dunta Robinson needs to recapture his form from back in Houston.

The Falcons should be good, but not great. They will be on the cusp for a wild card slot.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs are an extremely young team that had a lot of things go well for them last year. While they managed to win 10 games, only one came against a squad with a winning record, and that was when the Saints sat their players on week 17. The Bucs will need to continue their progression, particularly on offense. Josh Freeman enters his second full season as the starter, and looks like he could be a legitimate starting quarterback. In fact, he seems destined to become another Roethlisberger type, only wihtout the off-field incidents. Rookie free agent LeGarrette Blount came out of nowhere to gain over 1000 yards, depsite only starting eight games. Four round draft pick Mike Williams exploded, leading the Bucs in receiving yards and touchdowns. Kellen Winslow is still a top tight end, but they need to find a second receiver. Arrelious Benn was hurt last year and is expected to get that job, but Dezmon Briscoe may be the eventual starter there.

The defense, much like the offense, needs to progress. The defensive line could start players that are all either rookies or second year players. Mason Foster will take over for Barrett Ruud, who was the Bucs leading tackler last year. However, Ruud did not make a lot of plays, so they drafted what they feel is an upgrade. The secondary still have the venerable Ronde Barber, and talented plays like Aqib Talib and Tanard Jackson. However, Jackson is coming off a year long suspension, and Talib has had a number of legal issues since entering the NFL. The biggest issue will be finding leadership. While Barber is still around, someone needs to step up and be ready to take that mantle when he retires. Chances are, it will be Gerard McCoy.

The Bucs will make strides this year, but it will not show in the record. They are, however, a team on the rise.

4. Carolina Panthers: Let’s talk about the positives here first – the running game has three solid backs, and they still have the good Steve Smith. Greg Olsen will provide a nice red zone target, and help the young quarterbacks when they are running for their lives. Now for the rest of the team. Cam Newton managed to parlay one good season in college into being the first pick overall in the 2011 draft, just one year after the Panthers drafted Jimmy Clausen in the second round. That essentially was the equivalent of lighting a draft choice on fire. Clausen may not have been great, but Newton will be worse. Remember Akili Smith? Meet this generations version – Akili 2.0. They have not had a number two receiver since Mushin Muhammad left the first time, and they even brought him back in an attempt to give Steve Smith some help. At this point in time, Smith may as well just sit down on the field during plays to force his way out of town.

The defense has it’s bright spots. Charles Johnson stepped into the void left by Julius Peppers, and performed at a level that was completely unexpected. Terrell McClain could be a beast in the 4-3, and will help the Panthers stuff the run. Also helping the defense is the return of several veterans that had to deal with injuries last year. Thomas Davis may finally be healthy, and Jon Beason is an extremely talented player. The secondary has solid starters, but less than nothing for depth. The Panthers will try to blitz often in passing situations in order to allievate pressure on that group.

The Panthers are not as bad as they were last year, but they are not that much better either. It’s going to be another long year in Carolina.

2011 AFC South Preview

Welcome to Part Five of the 2011 NFL Preview. This time, we look at the AFC South. As always, the teams are listed in the expected order of where they should finish.

1. Indianapolis Colts:The Colts entire season comes down to whether or not the Peyton Manning neck injury is as bad as has been rumored. Kerry Collins, who has proven to be a serviceable NFL quarterback, simply cannot replicate what Manning is to the offense - essentially a second offensive coordinator. Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark can help make a quarterback look good; yet beyond them, the offense is not as good as one would think. Austin Collie is one hit from thinking he's Batman, Pierre Garcon has trouble with dropped passes and clearly frustrates Manning, and Blair White is still very raw. The running game has essentially been non-existent since the days of Edgerrin James, which is pathetic considering how much they spread the field. The offensive line should be better with the drafting of Ben Ijalana and Anthony Castonzo, but again, there is not enough depth.

The defense is actually in a state of transition. Known as a Cover 2 defense from when Tony Dungy moved over from Tampa, defensive co-ordinator Larry Coyer wants to play more man coverage and diversify how they attack the pass. THis switch cannot hurt, as the Colts were torched on deeper passes over the middle. Yet, the Colts did nothing to upgrade their secondary, simply resigning players they already had. The Colts were also terrible against the run, but they did take steps to address this. The additions of Jamaal Anderson, Tommie Harris, and Drake Nevis should improve their ability to stop the run.

The Colts will go as far as Peyton Manning can take them. If he plays all 16 games, they're a playoff team. Otherwise, they are 5-11.

2. Houston Texans: The Texans are a team that is consistently less than the sum of their parts. With Arian Foster, the Texans have an absolute beast int he running game who has an incredible ability to gain yards after contact. Matt Schaub is possibly a ten top quarterback, and Andre Johnson is on of the top three receivers in the NFL. While Jacoby Jones and Kevin Walter are not about to scare opposing secondaries, they do enough to help open the field up. Tight end Owen Daniels is as good as they come when he's healthy.

The defense is undergoing a transition from a 4-3 to Wade Phillips' 3-4. Every year when Phillips goes to a new team, there is a dramatic improvement over the previous year. Mario Williams is shifting to linebacker, in the hybrid mold of DeMarcus Ware and Brian Orakpo. Brian Cushing is a stud linebacker, and the Texans are solid against the run. The problem is in the secondary, where they give up majority of their big plays. In an attempt to rectify this, the Texans went out and signed Johnathan Joseph and Danieal Manning. The defense still needs depth and another cornerback, but the cupboard is not as bare as it had been in previous years.

Is this the year the Texans finally get it together? If not, Gary Kubiak is going to have the axe fall on him after the season.

3. Tennessee Titans: The entire offense is about Chris Johnson and how long Matt Hasselbeck keeps the seat warm for Jake Locker. Johnson is an elite back, capable of doing practically anything with the football. The entire offense will be set up off of Johnson, making his holdout through camp that much more important. Will he be ready to play at the elite level they need right off the bat? In the passing game, there are a couple of pieces in Kenny Britt and Jared Cook. Unfortunately, Britt has million dollar ability coupled with a ten cent brain. The rest of the receivers are a collection of underachievers and disappointments. Where have you gone Frank Wycheck and Kevin Dyson?

The defense is also undergoing change. Expect new defensive co-ordinator Jerry Gray to be more aggresive than the Titans had been in the past. This is partially to cover up for the smaller and less talented line, and partially to attempt to replace the production of Jason Babin, who signed with Philadelphia. Otherwise, the opposing quarterback may as well order pizza and pull out a lawn chair to work on his tan with the time he'll have back there. Cortland Finnegan is an island of competence in that defense now, the only true playmaker left. Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner might develop into solid pieces, but they will need to accelerate that curve for the Titans to have an effective defense this season.

This is going to be a season of turmoil for a team taht was once the model of stability. Rebuilding will be ugly, but at least Chris Johnson is going to be fun to watch.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars: News flash to the Jaguars organization - you do not release your starting quarterback five days before the season starts and expect to be competitive. Especially if you replace that quarterback with Luke McCown, who is basically there to absorb the beating that would otherwise go to Blaine Gabbert. This is unfortunate, because they do have some nice receivers in Mike Thomas, rookie Cecil Shorts, and tight end Marcedes Lewis. If healthy, Maurice Jones -Drew is a bowling ball of tough yardage, but there is no depth behind him with the season ending injury to Rashad Jennings. This is going to be a long season on offense.

On defense, a lot is made about the Jaguars lack of a pass rush. While some of this can be attributed to poor drafting along the defensive line, this is also due to a philosophical flaw on this side of the ball. The Jaguars do not want their defensive linemen to play a physical style of football. Quite simply, it is nearly impossible to get at the quarterback with a defensive line that is not physical. On the whole, the defense has improved, as linebackers Clint Session and Paul Posluszny, along with defensive end Matt Roth and safety Dawan Landry were brought in. Session and Posluszny will need to make plays, and Landry should help Rashean Mathis in the secondary. Despite this, the Jaguars are still sorely lacking in talent on this side of the ball as well.

This is another team who has nothing to look forward to other than the inevitable beginning to a rookie quarterback's career. Look for the Jaguars to clean house after this season.