Bleacher Report - Articles by Michael Lombardi

Diner Morning News: Mailbag Day

Michael Lombardi — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:09:00 -0400

QUOTE: “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”Ben Franklin

My e-mail inbox has been overflowing, so today I thought I’d answer a few.

From Robert:

Just thought you would find this amusing. At the Jets shop, Vernon Gholston replica jerseys are now marked off 50% to $40, while the Mike Nugent jersey still goes for $80. Are you officially a bust when your jersey sells for half the price of a kicker who is no longer on the team?

http://www.jetsshop.com/jets/home.php?cat=351&sort=orderby&sort_direction=0&show=all

I think that’s a fair question deserving attention. When the people who run a team’s pro shop know a player is a bust, then it’s over. You can’t fool New York sport fans, and you definitely can’t fool the pro shop staff—in any city. Just ask the employees down in Atlanta how many Jamaal Anderson jerseys are moving off the shelf, or the Derrick Harvey jerseys in Jacksonville. His jersey has already been moved to the Reggie Williams discount pile.

By the way, I love theories, which is one reason I love reading about the JFK assassination. This new pro shop theory by Robert will be added to my theories list. One of my favorite things when I was in the NFL was watching players board the team bus for a road trip. I loved seeing the different types of luggage each player would select for trips.

Often, the type of luggage a player carried would tell the real story about him. Hence, my theory on matching luggage. Any time I saw a player with matching luggage, it told me the player was very comfortable, was more about looking good than being good, and his time on the team was limited.

Who needs matching luggage for a one-day trip?

Steve Everitt, a former first-round pick of the Browns, would just bring his toothbrush—my kind of player.

Mr. Lombardi,

I was wondering what your thoughts are on Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell, and if you think he will ever justify being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft?

Julio
Lubbock, Texas

This one is hard for me because I’ve never seen Russell do the same thing mechanically twice when the ball is in his hands. He’s all over the place with his fundamentals, and I know the Raiders have two of the best quarterbacks coaches in the league in assistants Ted Tollner and Paul Hackett.

I’ve known Hackett for over 20 years, and there is no finer quarterbacks coach on the planet. He is detailed, and he’s a fundamentalist, so watching Russell must drive him nuts. All the talent in the world won’t benefit Russell if he can’t make the fundamental throws.

I initially thought Russell wasn’t a West Coast scheme type of quarterback, and I still feel that way. But after watching him this season, I don’t know what offense best suits his skills. When accuracy is a major problem, it’s hard to design any offense.

The next month of the season is critical to determining if he will prove to be bust or find his niche.

Michael,

My friends and I have been having this argument all week. Who would you rather have heading your team and why, Mark Sanchez or Jay Cutler? Personally, I would rather have Cutler because of his unlimited potential that he has shown in his first three seasons. I’m not saying Sanchez is bad, but I just don’t see the same potential.

Thanks, Marty

Marty, I agree with you. There are few quarterbacks in the NFL who can do the things Jay Cutler can on the football field. His talent is rare, and combining that with his competitiveness makes him a unique player. I love Mark Sanchez and loved him coming out of the draft, and many teams will regret not selecting him this year when they look back on this draft. They are both great quarterbacks, but I would go with Cutler.

Cutler did things in the Pittsburgh game that are hard to do. He slid around the pocket, he moved side to side and he made very good throws, with precision. He’s big, and oftentimes his athletic ability is overlooked. He is fast and strong with the ability to stand in the pocket and make all the throws.

Mike:

I know there isn't a lot of statistical information available on offensive linemen, but what do you make of Matt Light? I don't think he's a good enough pure lineman to be a starting LT on an elite NFL team. I am not sure I buy "He's very good, but struggles against speed-based pass rushers." How can you be "very good" and have that problem? What have you heard? What do you think? And, if you have written about this, can you shoot me a link?

Thanks and keep up the good work.

Samuel Leroy

Light is an effective player, but like all left tackles in the NFL, he has certain problems with certain rushers.

For example, Jordan Gross of Carolina has not allowed a sack to John Abraham in his past three games. Is this because he knows him or just because he can handle him? I tend to think he’s familiar with his game and knows his rushes.

Then last week, David Diehl of the Giants did not allow a sack to DeMarcus Ware after he had three the last game they played. Did Ware get worse or did Diehl improve? I think Diehl stepped up his game and got some help, although he single-blocked him more than 20 times. But he was able to keep Ware off Eli Manning all game.

So when viewing a left tackle, it does matter who they play and where they play. Light is good, not great, but he can provide the protection needed for Brady.

Mike:

Do you think Ray Gustini will be effective this week calling plays for the ‘Skins in the red zone?

Tipper

I love my man Ray, and he’s been working hard all week with his Madden game and has even called Dick Curl for advice on his timeout usage. Check his column today. He makes note of Curl.

Rapid Ray is ready. He talked to Sonny Jurgensen this week and will not throw the halfback pass, but quarterback draw is up early in the game.

Have a great weekend. Come back for Sunday at the Post as I will break down all the games. Thanks for the emails, thanks for calling me an idiot more times than I care to think about, and thanks for making the Post your daily reading.

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The National Football Post is a unique and premier online source of quality and credible news, information and insight about all sides of football featuring professionals with experience in all facets of the NFL.

Tavern Talk: The Heat Is on Jim Zorn

Michael Lombardi — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:33:00 -0400

National Football Post

Have you ever seen the Washington Post’s D.C. Sports Bog by Dan Steinberg? Great stuff, and this week he examines ‘Skins head coach Jimmy Zorn trying to take a timeout as special teams coach Danny Smith comes over to throw his body all over the idea.

Steinberg breaks this down Zapruder-like in his blog with great commentary. Click the link above and it will take you right to his breakdown. And for this frame by frame, there’s not a timeout taker on the grassy knoll.

The pressure is really on Zorn this week as the ‘Skins face the Lions, a team that has not won since December 2007. Zorn had a little confrontation this week with legendary Redskins quarterback and radio analyst Sonny Jurgensen, who is also the best friend of owner Daniel Snyder.

Jurgensen questioned the play calling in the red zone, specifically the Clinton Portis halfback option pass, which works well going to the left but not as well going to the right. Most teams forget who’s left-handed at running back and it catches teams off guard.

Anyway, the play failed and the ‘Skins ended up going 0-5 in the red zone, which put Zorn under enormous pressure.

Here’s part of the Jurgensen-Zorn confrontation from D.C. Sports Bog:

“Third down, I'm the quarterback, and you call the halfback throwing the ball for me, I'm calling timeout or calling an audible,” Jurgensen said. “I'm not letting the halfback throw it. That's what you pay me for.”

“Well then, I would have to take you out of the game,” Zorn countered. “As soon as you called timeout, I'd say what's wrong with my play, because...”

“It didn't work!” Jurgensen interrupted.

“No, but I called it to work. Alright?” Zorn said. “We called it to work. It didn't work. There were a lot of plays out there that didn't work. And I'd take you out of the game. Sorry, Sonny.”

AP expect Clinton Portis to do more running and less passing Sunday in Detroit.

Not a good idea to get into a confrontation with a man who’s best friends with your boss. But clearly, the heat is on Zorn, and whether he wins Sunday in Detroit, the heat will remain on him, in large part because the offense will fail to achieve success.

And he got the job as head coach for his ability to run an offense, even though he never called plays in Seattle.

Is this a must-win game for the ‘Skins? I would say yes because the level of confidence in Zorn is very low right now in Washington. In a town where all that matters is approval ratings, Zorn’s rating is not recognizable. And unless he can catch lightning in a bottle, this Redskins team will never be good enough to be an NFC playoff team.

Is that Zorn’s fault? No, not at all. This team has design and production problems. However, the owner who designed the team is going to blame the man who’s in charge of production. That’s how it works in the NFL.

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Jets and 49ers: Two Levels of (Possible) Tampering

Michael Lombardi — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:40:00 -0400

National Football Post

QUOTE: “If you have accomplished all that you have planned for yourself, you have not planned enough.”—Edward Everett Hale

Wednesday night on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL,” I was talking about 49ers first-round pick Michael Crabtree, who is still holding out and remains the lone unsigned rookie from the 2009 draft. Crabtree’s agent, Eugene Parker, indicated to me on the phone the other day that he’s willing to compromise and sit down and work out a deal, but the 49ers have to be willing to do the same.

These situations don’t arise because one party is completely at fault—it takes two to make a mess and it takes two to make a deal. As my NFP colleagues Andrew Brandt and Robert Boland wrote, no one should take things personally or draw lines in the sand. That won’t help get a deal done.

AP: Michael Crabtree remains the lone unsigned rookie from the 2009 draft.

As for the Jets-tampered-with-Crabtree.html" target="_blank">alleged tampering charge regarding the Jets, I’ve mentioned that this is very hard to prove. But since the 49ers have previously been fined for tampering, they know what it takes to prove the charge. And they’d better, because if the league finds they filed a frivolous claim, it can fine them, according to a memo issued last May.

As I’ve written before, tampering is commonplace throughout the league, but there are two forms of it. The first, which I admit I have done, is to find out information about a particular player and get as much information on the situation as possible. If anyone in the NFL doesn’t admit this exists, they’re just not being honest. It happens all the time.

The second is taking action—making promises or doing deals before the time frame allows such talks to occur. And that’s where the gray area starts.

Let’s examine how this situation might relate to the Jets. We all know that this summer, and even now, the Jets feel they’re a legitimate big-time wide receiver away from being a complete offense. We heard all summer the rumors of their interest in Brandon Marshall when he was having his problems with the Broncos.

But does interest mean they tampered? Scrutinizing the first level, these are the questions to consider:

Did the Jets ask questions or inquire about Michael Crabtree, either with him or anyone close to him, before the Aug. 14 trading deadline for rookies?

Did the Jets talk to Eugene Parker, who also represents the Jets’ Dustin Keller, at any point this summer about Crabtree and not Keller?

The second level would include these questions:

AP: Did the Jets really get involved in the Crabtree negotiations?

Did the Jets promise Crabtree they would pay him what he wants?

Did they tell Crabtree that they would pick him in the 2010 draft and pay him like a top-five pick?

Did they assure Crabtree or Parker of their interest?

I’m not here to judge or make claims about what did or didn’t happen. The 49ers have their views and the Jets have theirs. But on the surface, it’s plausible that the Jets did their due diligence with regard to Crabtree.

Does that mean they may have tampered? Maybe. Did they make any promises? Hardly.

The Aug. 14 date was the last day the 49ers could have traded Crabtree’s rights. However—and this is the most critical point—the 49ers could never trade their rookie pool allocation to sign Crabtree. So the trading team would’ve had to have room left over from its rookie pool to enter a deal for Crabtree, or else he would’ve had to take the rookie minimum—which he never would have done after being the 10th pick overall.

Every team uses its rookie pool money down to maybe a thousand dollars. So how could a trade have happened before Aug. 14? The answer is it couldn’t under the guidelines of the draft pool. (FYI: Only on trades that happen on draft day does the rookie pool money transfer with the player.)

So will the 49ers be able to prove the Jets tampered? Not sure they can, but they must be very protective of their player, even overly protective, because at the end of the day he’s their player and they need to get him signed.

They need to make sure everyone in the NFL knows they’re watching every move made by his agent and his friendly advisers. They need to send a message, and this claim clearly accomplishes that goal.

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Tavern Talk: A Lesson in Composure - by Mike Lombardi

Michael Lombardi — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:33:00 -0400

National Football Post

Main Entry: com•po•sure
Function: noun
Date: 1647
: a calmness or repose especially of mind, bearing, or appearance : self-possession

Here at the Post, we don’t offer English classes, but we always talk leadership and ways to manage people.

Now, I know not everyone who reads this site watches the Kansas City Chiefs and based on last year, why should you? But if you’ve never seen how emotionally out of control Todd Haley, their new head coach, gets when something goes wrong, tune in to one of their games. It will happen before the end of the first quarter. He doesn’t need a series of events to make him snap; all it takes is one bad play.

Todd Haley's frustrations have been visible all season. How will he react when his team takes on the entire NFC East in the next four weeks?

After watching him for two weeks, I’m worried about his safety. He’s liable to snap one time too often at the wrong player and have that player go all Latrell Sprewell on him.

It’s one thing to coach with passion; it’s another to lose your composure. With the next four games all against NFC East teams, it’s possible the Chiefs will lose all four. If that happens, the tension will mount and criticism will not be tolerated or handled the same way as when things are going well. Losing has a way of putting people on edge, and when a coach is out of control, it might be enough to send someone spiraling out of control.

I believe a team takes on the personality of its head coach—good, bad, calm, or nervous, serious or indifferent. The manner in which the head coach conducts business is the way the players will conduct their own business with each other.

Professional football is not high school. Players are adults and should be treated in a respectful manner. The players do need to be coached, but it needs to be done respectfully, in a way that allows teaching to occur. If all you do is yell, you’ll never be taken seriously.

I have not been in the locker room, nor have I talked to Chief players. Maybe during the week Haley does keep his composure, and maybe be does teach in a calm, respectful manner. But when the bullets are flying and the game is on the line, clear and precise thought requires a calmness and composure. It takes poise to think smart.

I often compare the NFL to chess in that it’s a thinking man’s game. Have you ever seen champion chess players go crazy after making a wrong move? No, because they need to concentrate on the next move, the next thought, the next idea.

I really hope Haley can find his inner peace on Sunday. His team plays hard, and it’s been competitive in both games. But for his (and their) long-term success, he needs to calm down.

Serenity now!

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The National Football Post is a unique and premier online source of quality and credible news, information, and insight about all sides of football featuring professionals with experience in all facets of the NFL.

Diner morning news: How Injuries can be Fatal

Michael Lombardi — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:04:00 -0400

QUOTE: “Your success story is a bigger story than whatever you’re trying to say on stage... Success makes life easier. It doesn’t make living easier.” —Bruce Springsteen, Q magazine (August 1992)

As we all know, injuries in the NFL have played a huge part in deciding the eventual champions. Good teams that avoid injuries become great teams in December when the talent pool has been depleted. Some teams are devastated by injuries at certain positions, and there’s no solution to fixing the problem.

In 2005, for example, I had a conversation with then-Dallas head coach Bill Parcells about an injury to Flozell Adams, who was going to miss the remaining 10 games of the season.

We talked about how there was no long-term solution to losing a left tackle, because if a team has a player with enough talent to become a good left tackle in the NFL, he’s not sitting on the bench. He’s in the game.

I realize there have been exceptions, especially in Pittsburgh where Max Starks filled in for an oft-injured Marvel Smith at left tackle and learned to play the position on the fly. But for the most part, losing a left tackle can be fatal to a team’s success.

Last week in Green Bay, we saw the Packers lose Chad Clifton early in the second half, which then forced them to make three moves, moving Daryn Colledge from left guard to left tackle, center Jason Spitz to left guard and inserting Scott Wells at center.

These moves had already been prearranged, so during practice week everyone had limited time working at their new positions. This week in practice, with Clifton out with a sprained ankle, the line will be able to practice the positions they’ll be playing in the game.

Will this help? Not really because the Packers must now try and cover up both edges from being exploited. It’s a good thing the St. Louis Rams are the next team on the Packers’ schedule and not the Vikings.

Did these injuries cost the Packers the game against the Bengals? I don’t think so since the Bengals were getting pressure on Aaron Rodgers before Clifton went down.

The Bengals were powering back the weak line of the Packers, who want to be more athletic and less powerful by the design of their run game. This lack of power has cost them, and at some point the Packers must find players who can anchor the line of scrimmage and keep the pocket clean for their quarterback.

What was interesting Tuesday in terms of transactions around the NFL was that the Packers’ fifth-round pick this year, Jamon Meredith from South Carolina, was on their practice squad and Bills-sign-Meredith-place-Butler-on-IR.html" target="_blank">chose to leave to go to Buffalo, which was looking for a tackle after placing Brett Butler on injured reserve.

Meredith is raw as an athlete and a player. He can run, but he’s not always a power player, although that description fits into what the Packers want from their offensive linemen. Meredith played tackle and guard at South Carolina, so he had position flexibility, but he must not have been the right fit for the Packers as they could have easily made room to keep him on the active squad had they chosen to promote him.

Letting any offensive lineman leave at this time of the year is not prudent, not normal, and not smart—unless you don’t feel the player has NFL talent. But if you feel that way, why was he on the practice squad? Was he good enough for practice squad but not good enough to promote? That logic is hard for me to accept.

Can the Packers recover? It’s early, but offensive lines are like almond trees; they take planning and years to develop before they realize their full potential. With problems now at right and left tackle, this makes the recovery even more difficult—but then again, thank God for the Rams.

Can the ‘Skins recover from Redskins-place-Thomas-on-injured-reserve.html" target="_blank">losing Randy Thomas? With the lack of depth in their offensive line, I would have a very hard time believing they can withstand this loss over time.

The ‘Skins put Will Montgomery at right guard to replace Thomas, and this will make them even more prone to run the ball left. I was concerned about their offensive line all last year, yet the front office chose to do nothing other than replace Pete Kendall with Derrick Dockery and move up Steve Heyer to starting right tackle.

Where is the youth? Where is the plan for developing an offensive line in Washington? Where are the bright young “Hogs” grazing the field in D.C.?

They don’t have any—and this will cost them again this year. At what point does “The Daniel” stop spending on players and build a state-of-the-art personnel department? Great lines take time, and the longer the ‘Skins keep fooling themselves with this line, the longer they’ll be watching the playoffs in HD TV.

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Tavern Talk: Watching the Game Clock

Michael Lombardi — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:03:00 -0400

National Football Post

Monday night, we learned an important lesson about the NFL: It doesn’t matter how long you possess the ball, it matters what you do with it when you have it.

One of the most meaningless stats in football is time of possession in this sense: The Colts and Dolphins each had the ball for eight possessions (teams usually have it 11-12 times a game), and each scored five times.

The Dolphins, however, missed a field goal and threw an interception at the end of the game (more about that later).

The possession that killed the Dolphins was the one right before the half when they made the field goal but left too much time on the clock for Mr. Manning.

Miami Dolphins at 3:06

Ronnie Brown had 136 yards and 2 scores.

1-10-MIA 40 (3:06) R.Williams right tackle to MIA 47 for 7 yards (K.Hayden).

2-3-MIA 47 (2:31) R.Williams up the middle to MIA 48 for 1 yard (R.Brock).

Two-Minute Warning

3-2-MIA 48 (2:00) L.Polite right guard to IND 49 for 3 yards (G.Brackett). R11

1-10-IND 49 (1:32) (No Huddle, Shotgun) R.Williams left guard to IND 41 for 8 yards (M.Jackson).

2-2-IND 41 (1:14) (No Huddle, Shotgun) C.Pennington pass short right to D.Bess ran ob at IND 35 for 6 yards. P12

1-10-IND 35 (1:08) C.Pennington pass short left to G.Camarillo to IND 34 for 1 yard (T.Jennings).

2-9-IND 34 (1:01) (Shotgun) R.Brown up the middle to IND 32 for 2 yards (E.Foster).

Timeout No. 1 by MIA at 00:56. This is the killer call. Once the Fins left the huddle from the previous play, they started the clock by running the ball, which was smart, but they should have had another play call after the run to let the clock keep running and not used a timeout. They still would’ve had three left, and once the game got below 40 seconds, they would be in control.

If you use a timeout here (not advising it), then let the clock run down using the 25 seconds, or a large portion, before the timeout, which they did not. Had they run another 10 seconds off the clock, the Colts would’ve started their drive at 25 seconds and not 35.

The opponent here is the Colts, but it’s also the game clock. The Dolphins had to go into the half with the lead and not allow Manning any time to mount a comeback. (I know, had Gibril Wilson caught the pass, this all would be a moot point, but that’s football, and some guys cannot catch)

3-7-IND 32 (:56) R.Williams up the middle to IND 27 for 5 yards (G.Brackett).

Timeout No. 2 by IND at 00:47.

4-2-IND 27 (:47) D.Carpenter 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-J.Denney, Holder-B.Fields.

Chad Pennington had an interception and no touchdowns.

Two timeouts before Miami starts the drive. All teams have two play calls made in the huddle before the drive even starts—but clearly not Miami last night. To use a timeout and only run two plays in 1:18 is a complete violation of game management 101. This is very bad as this drive was doomed from the start.

Miami Dolphins at 3:18, (first play from scrimmage 3:13)

1-10-MIA 18 (3:13) R.Brown left tackle to MIA 19 for 1 yard (D.Freeney).

Timeout No. 2 by MIA at 02:26.

Why did it take so long for the play to get in? Forget the actual call, the next one needed to be ready.

2-9-MIA 19 (2:26) R.Brown right tackle to MIA 24 for 5 yards (E.Foster).

Two-Minute Warning

3-4-MIA 24 (2:00) C.Pennington pass short middle to T.Ginn to MIA 35 for 11 yards (M.Bullitt). P24

1-10-MIA 35 (1:39) (No Huddle, Shotgun) C.Pennington pass short left to T.Ginn ran ob at MIA 44 for 9 yards.

2-1-MIA 44 (1:33) (No Huddle, Shotgun) C.Pennington pass short right to A.Fasano to MIA 45 for 1 yard (T.Jennings). P25

1-10-MIA 45 (1:10) (No Huddle, Shotgun) C.Pennington sacked at MIA 36 for -9 yards (R.Mathis). FUMBLES (R.Mathis), recovered by MIA.

Carey at MIA 35. V.Carey to MIA 36 for 1 yard (E.Foster).

Timeout No. 3 by MIA at 00:56.

2-19-MIA 36 (:56) C.Pennington pass deep left to D.Bess ran ob at IND 46 for 18 yards.

Penalty on IND-D.Freeney, Defensive Offside, declined.

3-1-IND 46 (:50) (No Huddle) C.Pennington up the middle to IND 42 for 4 yards (E.Foster). R26

1-10-IND 42 (:41) C.Pennington spiked the ball to stop the clock.

Ted Ginn could not come up with a potential winning touchdown grab.

2-10-IND 42 (:35) C.Pennington pass incomplete deep middle to T.Ginn.

3-10-IND 42 (:27) (No Huddle, Shotgun) C.Pennington pass incomplete deep left to T.Ginn.

4-10-IND 42 (:22) (Shotgun) C.Pennington pass short middle to T.Ginn to IND 30 for 12 yards (J.Lacey). P27

1-10-IND 30 (:12) C.Pennington spiked the ball to stop the clock.

2-10-IND 30 (:06) C.Pennington pass deep right intended for B.Hartline INTERCEPTED by A.Bethea at IND -5. Touchback.

Other points...

The timeouts used by the Chiefs in the first quarter against the Raiders killed them in the final drive of the half—which cost them a least a tie. I think Chiefs coach Todd Haley better be careful going nuts on players when they make mistakes, at least until he establishes himself.

One time is fine, but all game long? He’s going to have to bite his tongue or they won’t listen. Warning to CBS: You don’t want to show Haley’s face after a bad play—or else be prepared to pay a fine.

Did you know the Rams used their last timeout with 10:51 to go in the fourth quarter? So when they got the ball back, they had no chance to make a play.

Also, did you know the ‘Skins went for it on fourth and one after the two-minute warning, nursing a two-point lead from the Rams’ two? See below.

2-6-SL 7 (2:20) L.Betts left end pushed ob at SL 4 for 3 yards (O.Atogwe).

Timeout No. 2 by WAS at 02:13.

3-3-SL 4 (2:13) C.Portis left guard to SL 2 for 2 yards (L.Little, O.Atogwe).

Two-Minute Warning

4-1-SL 2 (2:00) C.Portis left end to SL 4 for -2 yards (D.Vobora).

APJim Zorn saw his Redskins hang on for the win.

Why not kick a field goal here and make it a five-point lead so that a touchdown is the only way you lose the game? They must have forgotten this from last year...

St. Louis Rams at 3:47, (first play from scrimmage 3:40) 2008...down by two points...

1-10-SL 24 (3:40) (Shotgun) S.Jackson up the middle to SL 31 for 7 yards (R.McIntosh, M.Washington).

2-3-SL 31 (3:03) S.Jackson up the middle to SL 32 for 1 yard (C.Griffin).

3-2-SL 32 (2:23) (Shotgun) M.Bulger pass short middle to D.Avery to SL 44 for 12 yards (C.Horton) [A.Carter]. P7

Two-Minute Warning

1-10-SL 44 (2:00) M.Bulger pass incomplete deep left to T.Holt (C.Rogers).

2-10-SL 44 (1:54) S.Jackson up the middle to SL 41 for -3 yards (C.Horton, R.McIntosh).

3-13-SL 41 (1:13) (Shotgun) M.Bulger pass deep right to D.Avery to WAS 16 for 43 yards (L.Torrence). P8

The Replay Assistant challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was Upheld.

20+ Yards Passing

Timeout No. 2 by WAS at 00:39.

1-10-WAS 16 (:38) M.Bulger kneels to WAS 17 for -1 yards (J.Taylor).

Timeout No. 3 by WAS at 00:35.

2-11-WAS 17 (:35) PENALTY on SL-R.Incognito, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, 15 yards, enforced at WAS 17 - No Play.

2-26-WAS 32 (:35) S.Jackson up the middle to WAS 31 for 1 yard (L.Landry; L.Fletcher).

Timeout No. 3 by SL at 00:02.

3-25-WAS 31 (:02) J.Brown 49 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-C.Massey, Holder-D.Jones.

My man Ray Gustini never makes this mistake on Madden. How can you not remember this and just kick the field goal and make it a five-point game? Jim Zorn, welcome to the game-management column.

Minnesota Vikings Need More from Brett Favre

Michael Lombardi — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 06:14:00 -0400

“If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.”—Albert Einstein

I was on NFL Network Monday night, and the subject of my favorite Sears spokesman came up.

I made the point that there’s no way Brett Favre can continue to go along managing the game and expect to win a Super Bowl for the Minnesota Vikings. My theory was met with strong resistance from the distinguished panel of Marshall Faulk, Warren Sapp, and Mike Martz.

So today, I’d like to make a few points to support my case:

Brett Favre Has Not Yet Shown His Gunslinger Mentality with Minnesota

I agreed with Vikings head coach Brad Childress when he said that winning in the NFL is very hard, and he was going to do whatever gave his team the best chance to win.

Beating the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns, however, is not overly impressive considering that you trailed at the half in both games.

When Drew Brees threw for 358 yards and six touchdowns, everyone said good game, but it was the Lions.

When Brett Favre throws for 155 against the same Lions secondary, the popular theory is that he’s doing what he needs to do to win the game.

Please.

Why the double standard?

You have to practice throws, you have to prepare your passing offense for when you play the better teams. What is Favre doing for the Vikings that Tarvaris Jackson isn’t able to do for about $11 million less? Even Earl Morrell of the famous 1972 Miami Dolphins, who prided themselves on only wanting to run the ball, averaged 9.1 yards per attempt.

Here are the last 10 Super Bowl champions’ average yards per attempt in the regular season:

1999     Kurt Warner—8.7
2000     Trent Dilfer—6.6
2001     Tom Brady—6.9
2002     Brad Johnson—6.9
2003     Tom Brady—6.9
2004     Tom Brady—7.8
2005     Ben Roethlisberger—8.9
2006 Peyton Manning—7.9
2007     Eli Manning—6.3
2008 Ben Roethlisberger—7.0

Every quarterback, with the exception of Eli Manning (who had a 7.42 average per attempt in the playoffs), had above a 6.5 per attempt and made plays passing the ball down the field.

So, if everyone is buying into the theory that a running game is going to win a Super Bowl, then no one has been paying attention to the NFL recently.

Tom Brady of the Patriots has been under the microscope of late because New England has not been able to make plays down the field in its passing game.

But, of course, Mr. Sears is doing just fine throwing for a long of 13 yards Sunday.

I’m confused.

I know the Vikings have Adrian Peterson, and I know they’re good on defense, but I also know from my 20-plus years in the NFL that you must be able to make big plays in the passing game to win big games.

No running team is going to win the Super Bowl today. And the passing game is something that can’t just be turned off and on. It requires precision timing and attention to detail.

Is It Only a Matter of Time Before We See Vintage Favre?

Jets head coach Rex Ryan, after debriefing Kevin O’Connell, said the Patriots must be worried about the Jets because he learned that the Patriots had been working on the Jets’ blitz scheme all offseason.

Worrying is not what the Patriots were doing; they were preparing for the Jets because it takes an offseason to prepare the system and players when facing that very unique scheme. If you try to do it the week before the game, you have no chance to win.

In addition, this concept is much like the passing game—you can’t just turn the passing game on the week you’re going to face the Pittsburgh Steelers and be able to execute it at a high level. It takes refinement and being able to practice at a high level with a high degree of tempo—in other words, it takes game conditions.

Does it bother anyone that Favre was the 31st-ranked passer in completions of over 20 yards last year? This means that when the ball was in the air for 20 or more yards, his completion percentage went way down.

I am not anti-Favre, but I’m just not going to buy into this public perception that all is fine and he can just manage the game.

By the way, what does “manage the game” mean? Does it mean handing off every play? Does it mean not making dumb mistakes? Does it mean not throwing a pass over 10 yards?

I’m not buying into this notion that Favre will check them into the right play because he’s so experienced and the defense is wary of his ability to make plays.

Worried?

Favre has been sacked seven times in just two games. Jackson was sacked three times in two games last year, but he had to face the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts, not the Lions and Browns.

To me, this means teams are willing to take a chance and attack the pocket, force him to move laterally and react to pressure.

Why has Brees only been sacked twice in two games, but Favre seven times? Does Brees not have Favre-like ability to check into the right play? Hardly.

My whole intent on the show was to educate football fans that Favre will need to throw the ball down the field to win a Super Bowl—which is the reason he came back, not to manage games.

It’s not that I’m mad at Favre or not a fan of his Hall of Fame play in the past.

But if we’re all thinking alike, then clearly no one is thinking.

And I did point out that maybe these first two games were part of the extended preseason that Favre missed, so they’re bringing him along slowly. That makes sense to me, but only time will tell if it proves correct.

If the goal is to win a Super Bowl, he will have to throw it down the field—and throw it well.

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Tavern Talk: A Toast to Rex Ryan and the New York Jets

Michael Lombardi — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:04:00 -0400

National Football Post

I’M BUYING A ROUND FOR THE HEAD COACH OF THE WEEK…

Rex Ryan, New York Jets

Ryan has been talking the talk since he arrived in New York, but Sunday he backed it up with a very Jets-shut-down-Brady-Patriots-in-win.html" target="_blank">creative but sound game plan against the Patriots. Yes, the Patriots—a team the hometown faithful had not seen the Jets beat firsthand since 2000.

Ryan couldn’t care less what people around the league think and made no bones about debriefing former Patriot Kevin O’Connell, now a fourth-string quarterback for the Jets. In fact, he even made O’Connell an honorary team captain—even though O’Connell didn’t dress for the game.

For the record, the Jets are one of only two NFL teams carrying four quarterbacks on their active roster. Ryan is brash, he’s cocky and he’s a good football coach. He has his team believing his every word, which is half the battle in the NFL.

I’M BUYING A ROUND FOR AN ASSISTANT COACH OF THE WEEK…

Mike Zimmer, Cincinnati

The words “good defense” and the Bengals have not often been used in the same sentence, but since coming to Cincinnati last year, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has changed that notion. The Bengals are for real on defense: They play hard, they play fast and they’re physical.

They feature two very talented young corners in Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall, both former first-rounders. Six of the 11 starters come from the draft, and Zimmer has done a good job blending in the players who know his system with what was already in Cincinnati when he arrived. When you look at their statistical numbers, they don’t stand out, but as we know, statistics seldom tell the whole story.

RAMBLING THOUGHTS

1. New England had 16 third downs last week at home and another 15 on Sunday, which means the Patriots are not making any down-the-field plays. New Orleans has had 26. In the Super Bowl, the Giants forced 14. To beat the Patriots, teams must tackle well and not allow the big play.

2. We all know the red zone is key to winning as the Patriots, Chargers and Chiefs were 0-for-the-red-zone and the ‘Skins won despite being 0 for 5. Close games always come down to which team has the most success in the red zone. You have to go back to 2006 to find a game in which the Patriots were held without a touchdown.

3. This is not the first time the Jets have been accused of tampering, going back to Bill Parcells and then Bill Belichick. But what I find interesting is that the 49ers lost a third-round pick for tampering with Lance Briggs of the Bears, so they must know what’s needed for proof in the commissioner’s court.

I’m not saying the Jets tampered; all I’m saying is that the 49ers have experience in this area. Trust me, the Jets will not be the only team accused of tampering with Michael Crabtree if his holdout goes into the offseason.

4. Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports reported that Browns coach Eric Mangini fined a player more than $1,700 for taking a bottle of water from the hotel. You have got to be kidding me. There are more pressing problems in Cleveland than the absence of water. Mangini needs to figure out what’s urgent and what’s important. Give me a break on this one. Is it any wonder why everyone is unhappy in Cleveland?

5. Can everyone thank Joe “The Tippper” Fortenbaugh for his sage advice on Johnny Knox, the wideout for the Bears? He’s killing my phone looking for praise. Knox is very good, and Tipper was on it early this year. Well done, Joe.

6. Losing Albert Haynesworth to the ‘Skins is not the reason the Titans are 0-2, but in Texans-win-shootout-in-Nashville.html" target="_blank">the game against the Texans, they did miss his push, his presence inside and his ability to make Matt Schaub play in a tight pocket. Schaub needs room to throw, and with a clean pocket, even though he doesn’t zip the ball, he’s very effective. The Titans had mental breakdowns that also hurt.

7. Mario Manningham is averaging more than 16 yards per catch so far this year, and his big body has been very effective making tacklers miss, thus advancing the ball. Speed is important at wideout, but quickness and balance make a player effective, and those are two areas of strength for Manningham.

8. The New York football Giants have won two big NFC East divisional games already this season, Cowboys.html" target="_blank">including last night without some important players on defense. Based on the first two weeks, they look like the best team in the NFC East—but it’s early.

APThe Raiders won in spite of JaMarcus Russell on Sunday.

9. The Raiders should not apologize for their win Sunday, but they need to find a way to increase JaMarcus Russell’s accuracy percentage. It’s going to be tough to beat many teams completing only one-third of your passes. Ugly wins still count as wins.

10. Running back Rashard Mendenhall looks to me like he’s going to be the main back in Pittsburgh now. Yesterday, he finally looked like a first-rounder, and this might be the last time we see Willie Parker.

11. Falcons-worst-fears-confirmed.html" target="_blank">Losing defensive tackle Peria Jerry for the season will really hurt the Falcons’ defense as they need all the healthy bodies they can find. They’re tough at home, but can they win with that defense on the road? There was no quit in the Panthers.

LET’S HAVE A TOAST TO…

Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys, whose team lost, but whose stadium is flat-out amazing.

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Diner Morning News: Postgame Thoughts

Michael Lombardi — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:04:00 -0400

QUOTE: “Candor is always a double-edged sword; it may heal or it may separate.”—Wilhelm Stekel

Week Two brought some very exciting finishes, but are we any closer to learning more about the 2009 season? I’m not sure we are (we all know Yahoo Dave might be—let him have his fun this week), and we won’t be close to forming any concrete conclusions until mid-November. Here are some thoughts about the weekend.

RANDOM GAME THOUGHTS

1. Jay Cutler of the Bears was sensational Sunday. Forget about the statistics; watch his athletic ability, his movement, his footwork and his arm, making all the throws as he moved away from pressure. He was really bad last week, and he was really good this week.

2. The Bears must find a way to get their running game going as they have not been able to establish any balance in their offense. Understanding that they’ve played some very tough teams that defend the run well, they still must find a way to get this element of their offense moving.

3. Green Bay’s offensive line is a mess right now at both tackles. When they carted starting left tackle Chad Clifton off the field, they moved Daryn Colledge to that spot, and things went from bad to worse. The Pack must get this line fixed—quickly.

4. Antwan Odom of the Bengals was a dominating factor. Five sacks are hard to get in any game, regardless of who played left tackle for the Packers. I loved that the Bengals went to a three-man line at the end of the game when they couldn’t secure the onside kick. It’s always an adventure getting in the win column for the Bengals.

5. There are times when I’m not sure that the power and velocity have returned to Carson Palmer’s arm. There are times when he doesn’t appear to be able to drive the ball. The Bengals are 1-1 and haven’t gotten a 2005 Carson Palmer-like game yet. This was his first win in his last six starts. Make no mistake—the Bengals’ defense is very good.

6. Brett Favre has thrown for 265 yards in two games, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt, and has been sacked seven times. But the Vikings have won two road games to start the season, and Favre has not thrown an interception. Can they keep winning with no down-the-field passing game? Favre’s longest pass of the game Sunday was 13 yards.

7. As bad as Kurt Warner looked last week, this week he came back and proved to me that his bad opener was more rust than age creeping into his game. He was spotless with his accuracy and his handling of the offense. Three of his first four drives produced 17 points. Warner still hasn’t been able to make down-the-field throws (just two long passes of 22 yards), but he has been effective moving the team.

8. JETS WIN JETS WIN JETS WIN.…Impressive win for the Jets. Watching the game, they proved they can tackle much better this year than last year when they ranked 31st in allowing yards after catch, and they held the Patriots to less than 10 yards per catch. The Patriots have not been able to make big plays down the field in their offense, and until they do, they’ll have to rely on their ability to convert third downs. They were 5-of-15 on third-down conversions Sunday, which is where the Jets won the game.

9. The Falcons’ Tony Gonzalez continues to be amazing. With Matt Ryan at the controls, Gonzalez is the perfect player to enhance this offense. The Falcons led the NFL in first-half point differential last year, and just after two games, they are plus-18. Under Mike Smith, the Falcons are 13-1 when leading at the half.

10. The Raiders win with less than 100 yards rushing, with just over 100 yards passing and despite allowing the Chiefs more than 400 yards of offense. But they protected the ball (no turnovers), and they gained 69 of their 166 total yards on the winning drive. They found a way to win. Any win in the NFL is a good win, no matter what the stat sheet says.

11. MVP of the NFL after Week Two? Mike Bell of the Saints. His 229 yards rushing, along with his power and toughness in the run game, allow the Saints’ other talented skill players to shine. And shine they do, with Drew Brees making every throw possible. The Saints have scored points on 14 of the 25 offensive possessions they’ve had so far this year, with one drive resulting in a missed field goal.

12. I know the Eagles didn’t have Donovan McNabb, but their defense couldn’t rise to the challenge of facing the Saints. This will prove to be a very valuable learning experience for new defensive coordinator Sean McDermott.

13. The Cowboys have real problems on defense. I know Tony Romo is going to get all the grief, but the ‘Boys are giving up almost five yards a carry and allowing opposing quarterbacks to average over 7.5 yards per pass attempt. What makes all this alarming is the fact they can’t make plays on the ball. This secondary is going to be exploited all year—especially if it can’t get any rush.

14. Greg Ellis has three sacks so far for the Raiders, and Anthony Spencer has yet to record his first for the Cowboys. Spencer hasn’t looked good on tape to me so far this year, and he must be able to rush off the edge to help DeMarcus Ware. I wonder what the front office (Jerry Jones) is thinking now that Wade Phillips is running the defense and the defense is playing so poorly?

15. Seattle’s run defense is as bad this year as it was last year. After Week Two, the soft label has moved from Houston to Seattle. Now, all the Seahawks fans will say they have too many players injured, but in reality, there are always injuries in Seattle.

16. How many more games is Seneca Wallace going to play in and lose to make the Seattle front office go out and get another quarterback? I said it during the draft—Mark Sanchez made the most sense for the Seahawks in light of the durability issues surrounding Matt Hasselbeck. But the Seahawks love linebackers and wideouts. They lead the NFL in money allocated to linebackers and wide receivers.

17. Ladies and gentlemen, the National Football Post’s own Ray Gustini will now take over the play calling in the red zone from the Redskins’ Jimmy Zorn. The ‘Skins were 0-5 in the red zone and 0-4 in goal-to-go situations. Now that’s ugly. Rapid Ray claims he has never been 0-fer in the red zone since he started playing Madden.

18. Did you know Terrell Owens was second in the NFL in dropped passes last season? This year, he might become the No. 1 dropper in the league. Nice Bills win coming off the tough loss in New England.

19. I know I’m being a smart ass, but that secret of not naming a quarterback this summer has really helped Eric Mangini and the Browns offense. I know it’s early in the Mangini regime in Cleveland, but I don’t like the direction this team is going. They have one offensive touchdown in the last eight games. They have no back, one receiver and a unproven quarterback. Do you think it’s going to get better for their offense?

20. The Ravens have scored 24 points or more in their last 12 wins, and the way they can move the ball this year on offense makes them a complete team. Ray Lewis looks great moving around making plays.

21. The Chargers are going to have to outscore people this year, and they lost Sunday because they were 0-5 in the red zone and 0-4 in goal-to-go situations. This is where they missed LT.

22. Matt “I Love Me Some Texans” Bowen was last seen in Chicago drinking more Bud Heavies than he could handle celebrating the Texans’ win. Impressive win it was, but as I wrote Friday, divisional games are always closer. I was really impressed with Matt Schaub standing in there and making plays; he showed me the toughness I haven’t seen before on the road. Nice win for the Texans.

More game thoughts in today’s Tavern along with my NFL.com column. I just love the NFL.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi

Diner Morning News: Five Ways to Better NFL Picks

Michael Lombardi — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:22:00 -0400

National Football Post

“Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.” — Dr. Samuel Johnson

I noticed my man Rapid Ray Gustini had a tough week picking games. Regardless, you have to cut him some slack, since the first weekend is always unpredictable, and poor Ray has obviously been following some of the wrong people on Twitter.

However, I’m confident he can turn things around and make everyone proud of his picks. To assist him, I thought I’d offer a list of five things to look for this weekend in the NFL.

Before we get to the list, no team wants to start 0-2, as the chances of reaching the playoffs are slightly less than 14 percent—clearly difficult, but not impossible.

Consider this: Last year, five of the 11 teams to start 2-0 missed the playoffs: Bills, Broncos, Cowboys, Packers, and Patriots. And three of the 11 teams to start 0-2 reached the playoffs: Chargers, Dolphins, and Vikings.

So this weekend is important for 0-1 teams, but it won’t threaten their playoff hopes if they don’t win. Applying that same logic to my man Ray, evidently he can have another bad week and still show signs of turning it around—much like his hero, Vikings coach Brad Childress, did last year.

(Many here at the Post suspect Ray’s poor showing in the first week was due, in large part, to the fact Matt “I love me some Texans” Bowen refuses to grant Ray’s request to feature the women of “Mad Men” in his Eight In the Box series.)

1. Don't fall to the temptation of the Lions playing at home.

I admit that when Brett Favre signed with the Vikings, I told NFL Network’s Rich Eisen that the Lions would upset Minnesota in Week Two for their first win since Dec. 23, 2007.

I spoke before thinking, before looking at the numbers, before knowing that Childress was 5-1 against the Lions in his career.

Minnesota has won 13 of the last 14 meetings against the Lions, including six of its past seven trips to the Motor City.

What made me blurt out my ill-advised prediction to Eisen was the fact that the Lions have played the Vikings well the last two times. In fact, in both games last season, the Lions were in position to win in the fourth quarter.

So is there no hope for the Lions?

I’m sure there’s always hope, and since they’re not facing a passer like Drew Brees of the Saints, their secondary will not be as exposed as it was last week.

But can they turn hope into a win? They can.

If they can contain Adrian Peterson, much like the Browns did in the first half last Sunday, they’ll force the ball into the hands of the Vikings new game manager, Favre. And he’ll need to prove he can make plays in the passing game.

2. The Arizona Cardinals on the East Coast is normally not good.

I know the Cards won last year in Carolina in convincing fashion, but did you know they’ve lost 11 consecutive regular season games on the East Coast and lost all five of their regular season East Coast games in 2008 by a combined score of 202-102?

The last time the Cardinals won a regular season game in the East was Nov. 7, 2004, when they won 24-23 in Miami.

I know the Cards need to win, but they don’t seem to like the Eastern time zone. With Kurt Warner looking a little rusty last week and the fact they’re playing in Jacksonville, it might spell trouble for Arizona.

3. "We'll get them next week" theory

I know it’s tempting to assume that a team that played well against a top opponent the week before and lost a close one will win the next game because they’re playing a lesser opponent.

Remind yourself that every week is a new matchup, and every new matchup might present different problems.

For example, the Raiders looked good last week against the Chargers, and the Chiefs looked bad against the Ravens. So one might assume it’s an easy win for the Raiders this weekend in K.C.

As Lee Corso might say, “not so fast, my friends.” Matchups against division rivals are always tough to predict. Leave all assumptions alone.

4. Big-time starter hurt, easy win for the opponent

This week, Donovan McNabb is iffy for the Eagles’ game against the Saints. So if he doesn’t play, it should be an easy win for the Saints, right? Not sure.

I always hated playing this kind of game, especially on the road, because I felt our team might have a letdown and might not prepare with the same attention to detail as it would have had the starter been playing.

Conversely, the emotion of not having the starter for the home team might force them to prepare with extra care and attention to detail.

These games look easy on paper if the starter doesn’t play, but they’re anything but easy on the field.

5. Division games are always close.

Seven of the 16 games in Week Two are divisional games. Since realignment to the current eight-division format in 2002, the 14 teams that have advanced to the Super Bowl have a combined 68-16 (.810) record in games within their division.

So if the 49ers win this weekend, they’ll have a 2-0 lead in the NFC West before playing the Rams. This might make them the team to beat.

Have a great weekend. Check back for Sunday at the Post, my breakdown of all the games and some notes, along with the regular Sunday column.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi

Tavern Talk: Three-Step Dots - by Mike Lombardi

Michael Lombardi — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:04:00 -0400

National Football Post

Based on the first game of year, I’m worried about the Colts’ left tackle spot. They might be able to cover this up now, but not later in the season. Charlie Johnson struggles—and will struggle—against better teams.

Jacksonville's Eugene Monroe had a rough opener against Indy's Dwight Freeney.

Eugene Monroe, the first-round pick of the Jags, had a tough week—which was expected because he was facing Dwight Freeney in his first game. He was beaten more times than I can count. The Jags will have a hard time functioning well on offense early in the season without giving some help to Monroe.

Donald Brown is going to be very good, and the fact the Colts use him as their personnel protector on the punt coverage team tells you they love him, too. He’s going to help the Colts a great deal this year. His blitz protection was solid.

Former Lions' head coach Monte Clark passed away today. Monte was a very nice man and a solid football coach. My first NFL game as an employee of the 49ers was against his Lions in 1984. His son Bryan was our backup quarterback on that team. My condolences go out to his family.

Reggie Wayne of the Colts seems to get better and better with each year. He’s as smooth as it gets.

Tampa Bay will need to make sure it fixes its confusion issues on defense as the Bucs gave up too many big plays. Had they been in better position, they might have been able to make a stop.

The Bucs’ offense will be too tough for some teams to handle. They’ll move the ball on most teams because they have talent to be a complete offense. They gave the Cowboys more problems than they expected.

Dallas looked lost and confused on defense and had trouble getting lined up. They need to get those problems fixed if they expect to beat the Giants.

Allen Barbre of the Packers easily could have made the Diner list this morning as he needs to step up his game if he’s going to be productive at right tackle. He was clearly a weak link in the Packers’ line.

Atlanta's Kroy Biermann held his own against Miami's Jake Long.

DE Kroy Biermann of the Falcons makes more plays than first-round pick Jamaal Anderson and is the better player. He gave Jake Long of the Dolphins trouble on a few plays as well last week.

Watching Phillip Merling of the Dolphins play this week, I’m reminded how everyone thought he was a first-round pick before he was injured. And the reality is that he clearly has first-round talent and plays like a first rounder.

Watching the game on TV, I wasn’t sure how the Chargers’ Shawne Merriman was playing. Watching the tape, he played well and is back. He’s going to get better and better as the knee gets stronger.

Darrius Heyward-Bey of the Raiders will continue to see bump coverage the rest of the year until he proves he can escape. No matter how fast you might be, if you can’t get away from press, you won’t make many plays.

Tight end Todd Heap of the Ravens looks healthy and back to his old self. He’ll be a huge part of this new and explosive Ravens' offense.

Outside backer Jarrett Johnson of the Ravens makes my all underrated team. He’s very good.

Week Two of the NFL season and already there are must-win games for some teams. Don’t you just love the NFL?

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The National Football Post is a unique and premier online source of quality and credible news, information, and insight about all sides of football featuring professionals with experience in all facets of the NFL.

Diner Morning News: Time To Rebound

Michael Lombardi — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:29:00 -0400

National Football Post

"Some marry the first information they receive and turn what comes later into their concubine. Since deceit is always first to arrive, there is no room left for truth."—Baltasar Gracián

Last week, some players, along with some teams, had tough weeks. As is the case in the NFL, the next week provides an opportunity to right the ship, to show the league that the previous game wasn’t an indication of things to come.

We all know the Carolina Panthers must improve, the Arizona Cardinals must find their offensive flair, the Houston Texans are soft (everyone except Matt "I love me some Texans" Bowen), but here are other examples:

Jake Long, OT, Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins' tackle Jake Long looks to rebound from a bit of a rough opener.

Playing against John Abraham of the Atlanta Falcons is no easy order, but Long had some very embarrassing plays on tape. Getting flattened on your back is humbling, especially when you hold a 50-pound or more advantage. Long never looked comfortable in his stance throughout the entire game, and the Dolphins' offense never had a rhythm.

This is a big week for Long, who has to face Dwight Freeney of the Colts, but at least he gets a home game, and the snap count will return in his favor.

Miami Offense

The Dolphins look slow on offense. They look like a team that can’t make a big play unless they create it by deception.

Chad Pennington has to be perfect with every throw, and last year he was usually perfect. However, when the Dolphins face teams with great team speed on defense, their lack of explosive players at wide receiver and quarterback is revealed and magnified.

I know Ronnie Brown is perceived to be a top-10 back, and I even made him an almost blue in my recent blue-chip survey, but last year, he gained fewer than 50 yards rushing in nine games, and on tape in Atlanta, he didn’t look explosive or display the big-play potential the Dolphins badly need. In fact, Ricky Williams looks like the best back on the team.

The Fins are good on defense, but they need help from their offense, specifically the running game, to win playing their 2008 style.

Jay Cutler and the Bears' Offense

I thought Mike Martz did a wonderful job on Monday’s NFL Network Total Access breaking down Jay Cutler’s four interceptions against Green Bay. Clearly, Cutler is responsible for the mistakes, but he had very little help from his offensive teammates.

When Green Bay Packers' corner back Charles Woodson was able to take the Bears' tight end Greg Olsen out of the game, this forced the Bears to look for alternate options in the offense.

The Packers went nickel to the Bears’ two-tight end set, treating Olsen like a wide receiver (which he essentially is) and taking away the normal advantage the Bears gain from that formation.

Added to this problem was that the Packers could play run defense with their nickel front, which kept the Bears from getting into any rhythm. The Packers basically took the Bears’ two best players out of the game and dared the other players to beat them.

Take Matt Forte and Greg Olsen away from Cutler and see what’s left—that approach will be the defensive style every opponent will feature, assuming they have players who can match up.

The Steelers have those kinds of players, so it’s time for the younger Bears players to show up and perform. The Bears have some players who showed flashes of being able to handle that role, but clearly weren’t ready for the prime time.

They need to be ready this week.

DeMarcus Ware and the Cowboys' Pass Rush

DeMarcus Ware hopes to be very active when the Dallas Cowboys play the New York Giants this weekend.

Last Sunday, Ware faced a very good left tackle in Tampa Bay’s Donald Penn and was shut down, not recording any sacks (by the way, one more outing like that and Penn will be a blue player.) Tampa Bay Bucs' quarterback Byron Leftwich went back to pass 41 times and wasn’t sacked once by the Cowboys.

This weekend, Ware and the 'Boys face the Giants, a team they recorded eight sacks against last season, stinging the Giants’ offensive line with bad memories for years to come.

So that makes the matchup even more compelling as the Giants will remember that game vividly and the Cowboys have been asked all week by the media, “Where are the sacks?”

Frank Gore and the 49ers' Run Game

Sunday was a great day for the San Fransisco 49ers, beating the NFC champs on their home field and showing the NFL they have a real defense. The 49ers won the game averaging less than one yard per carry, and for a team that wants to run the ball this season, that’s not acceptable.

This week, playing at home against the Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers need to establish their style. They need to prove they can be an effective running team because they will not be able to win games in the NFL averaging less than one yard per attempt.

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The National Football Post is a unique and premier online source of quality and credible news, information and insight about all sides of football featuring professionals with experience in all facets of the NFL.

Tavern Talk: What QBs Will be Left Standing? - by Mike Lombardi

Michael Lombardi — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:28:00 -0400

National Football Post

Here’s the question of the day: What quarterbacks, who are currently starting now, will be starting at the end of the year? Sure, it’s easy to say goodbye to Jake Delhomme after his recent bad outing, but who else might be in danger?

Here’s a list of opening day starters in the NFL:

Arz Kurt Warner: Looked rusty in Week One; needs to show he’s still great Sunday.

Atl Matt Ryan: Every time I watch him, I think he’s a blue. Every time.

APJoe Flacco

Bal Joe Flacco: Another week like the last one and he’s a blue.

Buf Trent Edwards: I strongly doubt he’ll be left standing at the end of the season.

Car Jake Delhomme: Not many options in Carolina. If things don’t improve before October, he won’t celebrate Halloween as the starter.

Chi Jay Cutler: Bad first outing, but he’s good. He just needs to play within the system, not force the system.

Cin Carson Palmer: Something’s wrong. The Bengals’ offense isn’t moving well—is Palmer really 100 percent healthy?

Cle Brady Quinn: It took all of camp to make him the starter, so anything is possible.

Dal Tony Romo: No chance unless an unforeseen injury happens.

Den Kyle Orton: He has to play better than last week. He was injured so that might be the reason.

Det Matthew Stafford: Going to get better every week. All he needs to do is stay healthy.

APAaron Rodgers

GB Aaron Rodgers: Going to be great this year.

Hou Matt Schaub: Sorry, Matt “I love me some Texans” Bowen. Schaub won’t stay healthy.

Ind Peyton Manning: Never happen.

Jax David Garrard: Played well in Week One, but with two rookie tackles, he’ll take some hits.

K.C. Matt Cassell: Already missed Week One, and with this offensive line, the injury bug might be a problem.

Mia Chad Pennington: Chad Henne is breathing down his neck. Might happen sooner than later.

Min Brett Favre: Four sacks in Week One to a team that only had 17 all of last year. He’s 39-years-old. You do the math.

N.E. Tom Brady: No chance.

N.O. Drew Brees: Another no chance. By the way, he’s fun to watch even if you’re not a Saints fan.

NYG Eli Manning: Another no chance.

NYJ Mark Sanchez: Like Stafford, he’s going to be very good with each rep. Must stay healthy all year.

Oak JaMarcus Russell: He’ll take some hits and might get beat up, but he’s going to be given every chance to be the main guy.

APDonovan McNabb

Phil Donovan McNabb: Unless too many injuries get him down.

Pit Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben takes some sacks, and if he’s not there at the end, the Steelers won’t be in the hunt.

SD Philip Rivers: Injury only.

Sea Matt Hasselbeck: Injury only, and that’s very possible based on his durability.

SF Shaun Hill: Wild card here. He doesn’t always look good, but he can run this very basic offense.

Stl Marc Bulger: With the first selection in the 2010 draft, the St. Louis Rams select…Sam Bradford.

TB Byron Leftwich: I think he’s keeping the seat warm for Josh Freeman, which the rookie might occupy by Week 10.

Ten Kerry Collins: Unless he gets hurt. He played well the other night in one of his better games. Looks much quicker.

Wash Jason Campbell: No chance if the 'Skins don’t find a way to make big plays.

Who do you guys think?

Diner Morning News: Eagles Need to Move On

Michael Lombardi — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:17:00 -0400

QUOTE: “Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.” —Khalil Gibran

The Curious Case of Shawn Andrews

Wow, that didn’t take long. The Eagles ended two-time Pro Bowl offensive guard Shawn Andrews’ season before it even began. This will be the second year in a row that Andrews will miss the season. Last year, he suited up for just two games and now, entering his sixth season, Andrews has played in just 50 games.

When training camp started, the Eagles placed Andrews on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list, which meant they did not pass him on his incoming physical and had the right to waive him at any point in camp without financial liability.

This move allowed the Eagles to make sure Andrews was rehabbing and healthy by the third week of the preseason, at which point they would have to decide to either pass him on his physical and assume the financial liability or wait six more weeks, placing him on PUP reserve.

The Eagles decided to pass Andrews on his physical (removing him from the PUP list), based in large part on the medical advice of Andrews’ Los Angeles back doctor, who pronounced him healthy, and he accepted his base salary for the season.

How’s this for a press release announcing the move of Andrews to injured reserve: "Despite receiving medical clearance from back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins late in the summer, Andrews was unable to overcome back pain to get on the field in the days leading up to the opening game of the regular season in Carolina."

"Andrews missed the entire training camp and the preseason after tweaking his surgically repaired back during the conditioning tests upon reporting to Lehigh University and didn't start practicing again until just before the final preseason game against the Jets."

Do you sense some anger in the tone of that message? I sure do. Then the Eagles decided not to play Andrews in the final preseason game, extending more trust in him and saving him for the opener. Now they’re saving him for next year. What’s going on here? If this was a Hollywood marriage, the next line we would read would be “irreconcilable differences.”

The Eagles have a real dilemma in the sense they have a 28-year-old potential Pro Bowl (I emphasize potential here because when you miss two years of football, it’s all potential) offensive lineman who seems to be battling bigger issues than his back.

Andrews is not dependable, but he is not expendable based on the move by the Eagles because they have not given up hope. Understanding the basis of their hope is where I have a little problem.

As many of you know, I love offensive linemen and understand a team wanting to collect as many talented players in that area as possible—but at some point in dealing with undependable players, regardless of the position, you must move along.

What does Andrews have going for him, besides an economically friendly contract for a good player—assuming he will play and then actually play well? Those are two very large assumptions based on Mr. Andrews’ past performance.

Now, I think the Eagles have reached their boiling point in the case of Shawn Andrews. It’s time to move on and on and on. As Khalil Gibran said in the opening quote, progress lies in advancing what will be. And what will be for Shawn Andrews is a new team.

Is There Trouble Brewing In Carolina?

Week One of the NFL season and the vultures are already out, circling above Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme and Head Coach John Fox. The Panthers had an interesting offseason after being handicapped by the enormous cap number of Julius Peppers, which curtailed any potential improvements following their 12-win season.

Supporters of the present regime in Carolina would say they return 21-of-22 starters from last year, so there’s no need to panic, everything will be fine, just be patient. Clearly, this is the right message, the right tone to send to fans.

But they’d better show some progress—fast. Delhomme has two touchdowns and 11 turnovers in his past two games, including playoffs (nine interceptions and two fumbles lost), and nine of his last 46 pass attempts have been intercepted. This includes the playoff game.

Delhomme has always been a bit of a gambler, but it’s time to pull back the reins and protect the ball. And what about some help from his teammates?

When defenses can build an eight-man front with the ability to double an outside wide receiver, they can neutralize an offense. And since everyone spent time studying the Panthers’ offense during the offseason—focusing on their run game—the Panthers must find alternate ways to make big plays.

Consistency in offense is not what the Panthers were about last year. They must make big plays, and so far this summer, after one week, those plays have not been available.

In the game of NFL chess, the next move is the Panthers’. They must find a new way to make the same plays that allowed them to win 12 games in 2008. They need to show progress very soon, or instead of circling, those vultures will be landing.

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Tavern talk: Learning from experience

Michael Lombardi — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:19:00 -0400

National Football Post

Tuesday is always game management day in the Tavern—reviewing the events of the past weekend and learning from game experiences. Every NFL coach should keep a situational file in their computers to learn from the events of the past.

As Harry Truman once said, “The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know.” So every game provides new ways to learn. In the NFL, there is a fine line between second-guessing and learning from the experience. We are not second-guessing here but rather pointing out alternative ways to achieve success.

Notre Dame at Michigan

Notre Dame at 3:07 ND 34 MICH 31

AP: Charlie Weis

1st and 10 at ND 16. Armando Allen Jr. rush for 13 yards to the ND 29 for a 1ST down.

1st and 10 at ND 29. Robert Hughes rush for no gain to the ND 29.

2nd and 10 at ND 29. Timeout MICHIGAN, clock 02:29.

2nd and 10 at ND 29. Jimmy Clausen pass incomplete to Golden Tate, broken up by Donovan Warren.

3rd and 10 at ND 29. Jimmy Clausen pass incomplete to Shaquelle Evans.

4th and 10 at ND 29. Eric Maust punt for 29 yards, fair catch by Greg Mathews at the Mich 42.

DRIVE TOTALS: Notre Dame drive: 4 plays 13 yards, 00:54 Notre Dame PUNT

How does Charlie Weis not get called on the carpet for this one? This is game management 101. He leaves the Wolverines with both of their timeouts and does not reduce the game.

With the college rules of the clock stopping for a first down, this makes his decision of not reducing Michigan’s timeouts, or the game clock, bizarre. When the drive starts, the timeouts and the clock are the opponent for Notre Dame, not the Wolverines. If he runs the ball in either situation, he wins the game. This is bad ball.

Denver at Cincinnati

Cincinnati Bengals at 6:21

1-10-CIN 9 (6:21) C.Benson left guard to CIN 11 for 2 yards (V.Holliday, D.Williams).

2-8-CIN 11 (5:41) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass short middle to C.Ochocinco to CIN 23 for 12 yards (A.Goodman).

Timeout #2 by DEN at 05:01.

1-10-CIN 23 (5:01) C.Benson right end to CIN 20 for -3 yards (A.Smith).

2-13-CIN 20 (4:22) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass short middle to C.Ochocinco to CIN 33 for 13 yards (A.Goodman; W.Woodyard).

1-10-CIN 33 (3:38) C.Benson left end to DEN 47 for 20 yards (B.Dawkins; R.Hill).

1-10-DEN 47 (2:55) (Shotgun) C.Palmer scrambles left end to DEN 45 for 2 yards (A.Smith).

2-8-DEN 45 (2:11) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass short left to A.Caldwell to DEN 32 for 13 yards (B.Dawkins).

AP: Cedric Benson

Two-Minute Warning

1-10-DEN 32 (2:00) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass short middle to B.Leonard to DEN 14 for 18 yards (B.Dawkins).

1-10-DEN 14 (1:32) C.Palmer pass short right to A.Caldwell to DEN 7 for 7 yards (A.Smith).

2-3-DEN 7 (:50) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass short middle to A.Caldwell to DEN 1 for 6 yards (R.Hill).

The replay assistant challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was upheld.

Timeout #1 by CIN at 00:41.

1-1-DEN 1 (:41) C.Benson right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

S.Graham extra point is GOOD, Center-B.St. Louis, Holder-K.Huber.

DEN 6 CIN 7, 11 plays, 91 yards, 5:43 drive, 14:22 elapsed

S.Graham kicks 74 yards from CIN 30 to DEN -4. E.Royal to DEN 13 for 17 yards (R.Maualuga).

Denver Broncos at 0:38, (1st play from scrimmage 0:34)

1-10-DEN 13 (:34) (Shotgun) K.Orton pass incomplete deep right to B.Marshall (J.Joseph).

2-10-DEN 13 (:28) (Shotgun) K.Orton pass deep left to B.Stokley for 87 yards, TOUCHDOWN. (Ball was intended for B.Marshall, tipped up by L.Hall)

Timeout #3 by DEN at 00:11.

(Pass formation) TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. K.Orton pass to B.Marshall is incomplete.

Tough loss for the Bengals, but once again they have themselves to blame. The timeout after the review at 41 seconds is a killer. Make Denver use its last timeout and then the game would come down to a jail-break field goal attempt.

It strikes me as a team not prepared to win, not thinking clearly, not having been in that situation before. Why do the Bengals need a timeout, other than getting organized, which is what happens in situational practice?

You cannot stop the clock at that point, as the game clock is an opponent. With three timeouts and four plays left in the game, if you do not score on the first try, maybe use one, but all this did was allow the Broncos to have 38 seconds, which is not much time, but it should have been 20 seconds.

Yes, Roy Williams should be worrying about getting the receiver on the ground and yes, they should have had a deep player in the deepest part of the field, and yes, why did they rush four defensive linemen? It’s a tough pill to swallow, and yes, luck played a part, but not as big as many might suspect.

Buffalo at New England

AP: Trent Edwards

Buffalo Bills at 0:50, (1st play from scrimmage 0:45)

1-10-BUF 21 (:45) (Shotgun) T.Edwards pass deep middle to T.Owens to BUF 40 for 19 yards (B.Meriweather, J.Wilhite).

Timeout #2 by BUF at 00:37.

1-10-BUF 40 (:37) (Shotgun) T.Edwards sacked at BUF 40 for 0 yards (D.Burgess).

Timeout #3 by BUF at 00:28.

2-10-BUF 40 (:28) (Shotgun) T.Edwards pass incomplete short right to L.Evans (M.Wright).

3-10-BUF 40 (:24) (Shotgun) T.Edwards sacked at BUF 30 for -10 yards (T.Banta-Cain).

4-20-BUF 30 (:01) (No Huddle, Shotgun) T.Edwards pass deep right to D.Schouman to NE 47 for 23 yards. Lateral to R.Parrish to NE 43 for 4 yards. Lateral to F.Jackson to NE 34 for 9 yards.

FUMBLES, recovered by BUF-R.Parrish at NE 40. R.Parrish to NE 44 for -4 yards (L.Bodden).

The first killer mistake was sending out the hands team to prepare for the kickoff. With NE having all three of its timeouts and being down more than three points, it needed to create vertical field position, and the only way to accomplish that was to kick it deep.

Never did it enter my mind that they would do anything else because of the three timeouts they held in their arsenal. The Pats were going to get the ball back, had the fumble not occurred, with no timeouts and around 1:25 to go in the game—assuming that they stopped the Bills and the Bills ran the ball three times in a row.

They spent all summer running the no-huddle, and for them to call a timeout after an 18-yard gain is a huge mistake. At this point in the game, timeouts are needed for the final field goal attempt and in case of a sack. Downs are not as important as timeouts as the amount of time left reduces the amount of plays.

Did anyone see any other ones from last week?

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Diner Morning News: Monday Night Madness

Michael Lombardi — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:44:00 -0400

QUOTE: “If the mind is to emerge unscathed from this relentless struggle with the unforeseen, two qualities are indispensable: first, an intellect that, even in the darkest hour, retains some glimmerings of the inner light which leads to truth; and second, the courage to follow this faint light wherever it may lead.” -- Carl von Clausewitz

National Football Post

As I’ve written in the past, it’s difficult to draw conclusions from opening games, and there are times when a lesser team can rise up and beat a more talented team. Monday night, we almost saw it happen twice.

Monday Night Football is back, with the emphasis on the night.

Wow, both games were entertaining, and in both we didn’t learn the winner until the final seconds.

In the opener, Buffalo played the style it had to play—until the last two minutes. The Bills allowed yards, but did not allow the big play. They played well in the red area on both sides of the ball (on defense until the end). They didn’t get many sacks, but they pressured Tom Brady all night and, more importantly, they created a scoring turnover. They made the Patriots throw the ball in front of them all night, and I thought the Bills had one of the best tackling games on defense I’ve seen in some time.

New offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt called a nice game, and the Bills’ offense executed very well, especially in the screen game. They were patient on offense and did not expose their line by running routes down the field that require time and protection.

Until the end of the game, the Patriots’ pass rush was not a factor, in large part because of Trent Edwards’ ability to get rid of the ball quickly. As we saw at the end of the game, when the routes had to expand, the protection failed. We know this line is growing as it has not played together for some time. This will be a work in progress—at least for the first half of the season. If the Bills can keep them all healthy for the next two months, they’ll make great strides.

The Patriots had the football gods watching over them last night, and I’m sure they’ll handle this game in the right manner, which is to learn from their many mistakes. The Bills’ game plan will create a common thread for other teams all season—pressure Brady, don’t allow the big play down the field and play well in the red zone.

Evaluating Brady, he appeared hesitant to run with the ball, and he was in the same spot in the pocket for all 53 of his passes. Pocket passers are great, but there must be the threat of a run, or movement in the pocket, or else there will be constant pressure. Teams are going to force Brady to move off the spot, make him move right or left and hope this will affect his accuracy.

This is the same plan many teams use for the Colts’ Peyton Manning. This scheme worked on Manning early last season because his line was not playing well, but as the season progresses, it becomes easier to adapt to the speed of the game and recognize the pressures. Monday night, the longer the game went, the easier it was for Brady to become his old self. But make no mistake, the NFL is a copycat league. The Patriots’ next few opponents will adopt this defensive approach.

The second game was another entertaining contest and showed that the Raiders were playing with great intensity. They came out displaying their vaulted running game, which featured the two-pronged attack of Darren McFadden and Michael Bush.

(By the way, the Raiders might be able to recoup the draft pick they gave up for Richard Seymour if they decide to trade Bush. With Justin Fargas out, they have three backs, and Bush might be the odd man out.)

Running the ball effectively in the first half, the Raiders’ offense showed signs of coming to life, but in the second half, when the Chargers made the correct adjustments in their run fits, the Raiders only gained 43 yards on the ground. When the Raiders can’t run, it places too much burden on quarterback JaMarcus Russell in the passing game.

I thought Steve Young did a great job of explaining how the Raiders’ offensive staff was tailoring the offense for Russell. Russell is never going to be precisely accurate, but he needs to make one or two big throws as he did last night to make this offense effective, assuming the running game is going well.

The Raiders normally struggle to defend the run game of the Chargers, but with the addition of Seymour, they kept the run game in check, showing promise they can handle that aspect of their opponents’ arsenal.

On the final two drives of the game, the Chargers were able to move the ball down the field, amassing nine first downs and 166 yards of offense. Like all good teams, when the game was on the line, the Chargers found a way to execute and produce points. It was a hard-fought game between two AFC West rivals, and the Chargers must feel very fortunate to have won.

FINAL OBSERVATIONS FROM WEEK ONE...

I think the Eagles' signing of Jeff Garcia sends a message (to me at least) that they’re not excited about the development of backup Kevin Kolb. And how could they be? Every time he’s taken the field during the regular season or in the preseason, he has not produced nor looked capable of producing. If the Eagles were to lose McNabb for any extended time, even with Michael Vick, who has not shown he’s ready yet for prime time, this team might be hurting. It made sense to bring in Garcia as a security blanket.

I know you can’t draw definitive conclusions—positively or negatively—after the first game of the season, but I’m anxious to see how Kurt Warner plays this weekend in Jacksonville. He didn’t look like himself in Week 1. Is his age showing or was he just rusty? We’ll find out in Week 2.

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Tavern Talk: Let's Buy A Round, NFL Edition

Michael Lombardi — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:34:00 -0400

I’M BUYING A ROUND FOR THE HEAD COACH OF THE WEEK…

Mike Singletary, San Francisco

Mike Singletary led the 49ers to a win over the defending NFC West champs in the season opener.

Despite an offense that averaged less than one yard a carry, Singletary and the 49ers found a way to beat the Cardinals utilizing their defense and an excellent punter. The 49ers had only four penalties all game and were able to make plays in the passing game when they needed them.

Shaun Hill played well down the stretch, especially in the final scoring drive when he engineered a 15-play drive and converted on all four third-downs, the last one for the winning touchdown. It might not have been pretty, and I wonder if they can win this way all year, but Sunday it was very effective—and the 49ers’ defense is very physical.

I’M BUYING A ROUND FOR AN ASSISTANT COACH OF THE WEEK…

Sean McDermott, Philadelphia

After allowing an opening drive of 13 plays and six first downs for a score, the Eagles settled down on defense and the next five drives were a horror show for the Panthers: interception, fumble, punt, interception, punt. A total of 17 plays resulting in just one first down. Clearly, the Eagles’ defense made the right adjustments, and McDermott deserves the credit.

RAMBLING THOUGHTS

1. If the Bears’ defensive line plays like it did last night, this team is going to be very good all season. And the Packers’ defensive front was just as good and as fast. Both teams, in fact, looked much faster than last year. Watching the game, I was thinking, "how is Brett Favre going to run away from those guys?"

2. I know Jake Delhomme was bad, but who can make this offense more explosive? Take away Steve Smith and the Panthers don’t have a playmaker at tight end or wideout. They rely on the big play, and when the big play doesn’t happen, they struggle. Delhomme is never going to be a consistent passer. He just is not making the big play now, and the lack of a big play magnifies the deficiencies on offense. Nine of his last 46 pass attempts have been interceptions, including the playoffs

3. Losing Brian Urlacher will hurt the Bears, but what hurt them last night was losing both Pisa Tinoisamoa and Urlacher. If they can get Pisa back and their front can play with the same intensity as it did against the Packers, they’ll be able to overcome this injury. The Bears are not strictly a Tampa-2 defense; they’re an overload defense and love to attack. Because of this change, their lack of corners worries me more than losing Urlacher.

4. The Bucs might want to rethink their kicking situation as new kicker Mike Nugent missed two kicks Sunday, one blocked and one wide right from 46. The Bucs’ offensive line played well and had some chances in the game. With Derrick Ward, Cadillac Williams, Kellen Winslow and Antonio Bryant behind a good line, they’ll move the ball.

5. The Eagles have no choice but to bring back A.J. Feeley for the Saints game because they need someone who can operate the offense in the absence of Donovan McNabb, who might take longer than a week to heal. Broken ribs are not fun for quarterbacks. They just might have to part with one of those wide receivers who didn’t dress yesterday, Brandon Gibson or Reggie Brown.

6. The Colts losing Anthony Gonzalez may cause some to speculate that they might consider bringing back Marvin Harrison, but I strongly doubt it will happen. Pierre Garcon will have to step up his game.

7. I was thinking about Michael Crabtree during the 49ers game and wondering what he was thinking about his holdout. It still makes no sense. The season has started and he’s losing money off his game checks. It goes from dumb to dumber.

8. The state of Missouri is going to suffer this year from bad football. The Chiefs and the Rams are bad. The Chiefs have some talent in their defensive front but can’t rush the passer and don’t have a playmaker in the back end of their defense. On their first four possessions, they went three-and-out.

9. Carson Palmer doesn’t look the same as when he was throwing for 4,000 yards, and the problem might be that the offense looks the same. The Bengals have enough defense to be contenders, holding the Broncos to just 11 first downs. If they can get any offensive production the Bengals might have a chance, but it appears the league seems to have caught on to what they’re doing on offense.

10. Corey Webster had a great game for the Giants as he took Santana Moss right out of the game for the Giants. He played well and was a huge factor in the Giants’ big win. Had the Giants been able to convert a few 3rd-and-shorts or 4th-and-shorts, the score might not have been that close.

LET’S HAVE A TOAST TO…

Brandon Stokley of the Broncos for being in the right place at the right time—and then doing the smartest thing ever as he ran along the goal line to eat up more of the game clock. Don’t you love smart players who know the situation? Why was Roy Williams of the Bengals going for the big hit?

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NFL Diner Morning News: Postgame Thoughts

Michael Lombardi — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:34:00 -0400

National Football Post

QUOTE: “Too often we color our perception with other people’s pencils.” -- Tim Winter

The NFL season is upon us, but we shouldn’t draw too many conclusions from the opening weekend. There are, however, a few observations to make along the way. Remember, the NFL is a marathon, not a sprint. Last year, the ‘Skins started out 6-2 and the Bills 4-0, and both watched the playoffs with the rest of us.

So, fast starts are good, but peaking at the right time is better.

In the Diner every Monday during the season, I’ll have 10 or so thoughts about the games, and in the afternoon, a full Tavern to go over the weekend events. Also, I’ll be writing my first column for NFL.com today, so be sure to check it out.

SOME RANDOM GAME OBSERVATIONS…

1. Mark Sanchez of the Jets is the real deal.

He’ll have some bumps along the way and make mistakes, but he’s someone to build a franchise around. His poise, his command, and most of all his leadership skills were tremendous. His pocket awareness was outstanding; his eye level stayed down the field all day. What a day on third down for Sanchez as he was 8 for 9 converting third downs.

Now that’s impressive--and awful for the Texans.

Matt Schaub struggled yesterday as the Texans didn't put up much of a fight against the Jets.

2. The Texans played liked they did in last season’s opener. In Pittsburgh last year, they got down 21-3, and this year at home, where they normally play well, they were down 10-0. The Texans are not physical now, they were not physical last year, and I see no evidence that this will change in the first five games. It’s a talent issue more than anything. Welcome to the hot seat, Gary Kubiak, because CEO Bob McNair says 8-8 won’t cut it.

3. Is it me, or does Houston’s Matt Schaub just not look like he has any presence on the field? He doesn’t seem to have the leadership to get his team out of a funk, and it seems like the Texans have adopted his personality.

4. I thought the Vikings were a good team without Brett Favre and are a good team with him, but being objective, Favre looked old and rusty Sunday. His sense of timing was off. How is he going to last when he gets sacked four times by the Browns, who only had 17 sacks last season.

5. Brett Favre was the 31st worst passer in the NFL in completions of more than 20 yards last year. Yesterday, his longest pass was for 21 yards. For the Vikings to make the move to the next level, they need him to make plays in the passing game, not just manage the game.

6. I feel so badly for the Bengals, but situational football is a huge part of the NFL. Where was the deepest man on the field? Who cares if they catch it? All they had to do was tackle anyone who touched the ball. A defense cannot get outflanked. I know this is a little like second-guessing, but it’s paramount to the situation. I wonder if the Bengals worked on that one.

7. Miami’s first four drives went like this: punt, fumble, fumble, punt. This team has now turned the ball over nine times in the past two games, five from the Baltimore playoff game and four on Sunday. It had six fumbles all of last season and three yesterday. The Fins are not good enough to not play their style, which is to protect the ball and keep the game close. They played well enough on defense to win, but giving the Falcons four extra possessions is tough.

8. The Falcons are strong when they can play with the lead, and yesterday they had a 10-0 lead at the half. John Abraham is a factor at home when that happens, as he had two sacks. If you want to beat the Falcons, you must protect against Abraham.

9. These are not the same defensive Ravens as before. Not anymore. These Ravens can move the ball with Joe Flacco at quarterback. Flacco might throw the best seven cut (corner route) in the NFL. He has a great command and is really in sync right now. Ray Rice is hard to tackle, and as the season progresses, he will be a huge factor.

10. Brodie Croyle had a 116.00 quarterback rating against the Ravens, but he was 2 of 10 on third down, so the Chiefs ran only 44 plays and held the ball for 20 minutes. Quarterback ratings clearly do not tell the whole story. The Chiefs are bad on offense, and it will take some time to get it fixed.

11. Jake Delhomme was in a very giving mood, and he’s why I love the Sunday Ticket. It’s not to watch all the games but rather to turn off the bad games -- and this one was bad. The Panthers looked bad on offense, and if they don’t make a big play, they struggle. In fairness to Delhomme, once a team takes away Steve Smith, what are his options in the passing game?

12. San Francisco looked very physical on defense, and showed it can pass rush with power. Kurt Warner looked as if he didn’t play enough in the preseason and was never in sync. Anquan Boldin was not himself and didn’t have any speed or burst because of the hamstring injury. The Cards’ line was pushed around all day. The 49ers are going to be tough to move the ball on with their front.

13. The ‘Skins must find a way to get the ball down the field in their passing game. When teams take away Santana Moss, they don’t have a playmaker who worries you. Teams will take an attitude that if Antwaan Randle El beats us, or if Chris Cooley beats us, we deserve to lose. However, we can’t let Moss beat us, which is was the gameplan the Giants followed. Two catches for six yards is not going to get it done.

14. I feel badly for Steve Spagnuolo and the Rams. It’s going to be a very, very long season.

Check back later for the Tavern.

Diner Morning News: Opening Night Review - by Mike Lombardi

Michael Lombardi — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:49:00 -0400

National Football Post

QUOTE: “America is not like a blanket—one piece of unbroken cloth, the same color, the same texture, the same size. America is more like a quilt—many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread.” — Henry M. Jackson

Please take a moment today to remember the victims of 9/11. As Bruce Springsteen eloquently wrote, we shall always be reminded by the “Empty Sky.”

Despite having an up-and-down game, Ben Roethlisberger delivered when it mattered.

What a start to the NFL season Thursday night in Pittsburgh. The crowd was electric, the setting was Super Bowl-like, and the game, in spite of not being a thing of artistic beauty, was still very entertaining. It was a physical confrontation that resulted in a few players having to leave with injuries. There will be many players today getting treated for bumps and bruises, and each team should be thankful for the extra days before their next game. Have you ever seen a quarterback like Big Ben Roethlisberger look so bad in one long stretch and then come back to make key throws, key plays, and win the game for his team?

Both teams are very talented. Both play physical football, and both can make their offensive opponents become one-dimensional. They could play 10 times and each might win five. And who would have thought that Titans kicker Robbie Bironas would miss two kicks in one game? He has missed two field goals in a single game only one other time in his career (this is his fifth season). The other time was in a loss to the Ravens in 2006 when he was also 1 of 3.

Some game observations...

If you have Willie Parker in a fantasy league, you might want to reconsider. As I’m sure Joe “The Tipper” Fortenbaugh has already told you, Parker is not the same back, and the Pittsburgh running game is going to struggle in the AFC North. The Steelers will not run the ball on Baltimore, or even Cincinnati. The only time their running game might come to life is against the Browns. And their schedule in coming weeks is not favorable to a bad running team. Three of the next five games are on the road. Usually, it’s hard for good running teams to run the ball on the road, so this will be a huge challenge for the Steelers.

Kerry Collins was able to make plays downfield against the Steelers on Thursday night.

I thought Titans quarterback Kerry Collins had his eye level down the field all game as he was poised and seemed confident with each throw. His play was excellent, and he even moved around the pocket more quickly than I’ve ever seen him. Losing weight has made him much more effective.

Tony Brown, the defensive tackle for the Titans, was sensational. He was unblockable for the Steelers line. He, along with Jason Jones, will create havoc all season. I think Brown might earn blue-chip status very soon.

When the Titans watch the tape of the game, besides the missed field goals, they’ll be very disappointed in their running backs’ pass protection. Chris Johnson had a poor game trying to locate the right guy to block.

These back protection problems were showing up all game (James Farrior’s sack was on Johnson, who lost him in protection) and they reared their ugly head on the drive that started at 2:57 in the fourth. Game tied, the Titans start their drive on their own 18-yard line. A first down completion results in a first down, then three straight incompletions, which were a result of the pressure coming from the inside that forced Collins to throw the ball away. I’m sure the Titans would like to start that drive over again.

Five of the Steelers’ 12 drives resulted in no first downs, and another five resulted in two or fewer first downs. But when the Steelers had to have it, they were able to mount a 12-play drive. Amazing how they can find ways to get a drive going.

Rashard Mendenhall has struggled in his adjustment to the pro game.

The Titans had only five penalties for the game, but three of them were for illegal formations—their tackles setting up too far in the backfield. Two of the three resulted in big plays being called back.

You have to wonder what will happen with Rashard Mendenhall, who hasn’t looked like a first-round running back. In fact, Mewelde Moore might be the best back for this offense right now.

Heath Miller has to be one of the best blockers in the NFL from the tight end position. He allows the Steelers to give help to their tackles and can protect on his own. He’s a very good player.

We have 13 more games this weekend—how good is that? I’ll be on Twitter all day Sunday with comments of the games I’m watching. I love NFL Ticket.

Have a great Friday, and join me for Sunday at the Post and a preview of the games.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi

Tavern Talk: A Gritty Season Opener

Michael Lombardi — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:33:00 -0400

National Football Post

Finally, the decisive moment is here and we get some real football on TV. I know that Ms. Jenny from Tennessee is excited to see her Titans just as we’re all excited to see the start of the NFL season. What a weekend ahead of us—college football (I’ll be at the Delaware-Richmond game Saturday), then some classic NFL battles all day Sunday and straight through to Monday night.

Starting off the 2009 season tonight is the big one, the Titans and the Super Bowl-champions Steelers. One more shout-out to Rod Woodson for his selection to the Hall of Fame. He’ll receive his Hall of Fame ring tonight at halftime, so congratulations to a great man and great player.

Before I get to the game, let me explain that opening weekend is the hardest time to get an accurate portrayal of things to come. The NFL is scheme-based, and the first three games of the season allow bad teams to hide behind protective schemes.

But once there’s enough real tape to watch, the most talented teams prevail. So don’t read too much positively or negatively into your favorite team’s performance in September.

Titans defensive lineman Jason Jones had a huge game against the Steelers last season. Can he duplicate that performance tonight?

Last year, the Tennessee Titans were 12-2 entering their Week 16 home meeting against the 11-3 Steelers. The Titans won 31-14 to secure home-field advantage for the playoffs. The Steelers led 14-10 in the third quarter, but the Titans scored the final 21 points in the game.

Ben Roethlisberger was 25 of 39 for 329 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, was sacked five times and had four fumbles (he lost two); Willie Parker was held to 31 yards on 19 rushing attempts (1.6 average). The Titans scored 21 points off four Steelers turnovers.

Albert Haynesworth missed that game with a knee injury and was replaced by Jason Jones, who had 3½ sacks and three forced fumbles. So even though the Haynesworth talk will dominate the airwaves in predicting the outcome of the game, his absence is a moot point.

Big Ben is 9-14 career as starter when he has 31 or more pass attempts and 42-6 when he has fewer than 30 pass attempts. Five of his 17 career fourth-quarter comeback wins came last season as he was able to make key plays at key times in games.

The Steelers had no real running game last year, and I’m not sure tonight’s game will provide any insight into the real Steelers ‘09 run game. Tennessee is tough for any team to run against, and the Steelers will probably struggle to get the run game going.

So what does all this mean? It means we’ll have a very good game, hard fought and physical—in fact, very physical. There will be plenty of sore players after this one. Because of my football theory of building a winning team through the lines, I like the team with the best lines, offensively and defensively, which for me is the Titans (hear more on today's podcast).

I feel that with Chris Johnson and the combination of tight ends the Titans have, they can match the great Pittsburgh pass rushing defense.

It will be a great game and a great start to the season. As Jackie Gleason used to say, “And away we go...”

Diner Morning News: Mangini's Big Secret

Michael Lombardi — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:33:00 -0400

National Football Post

QUOTE: “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”—Confucius

One thing—and it may be the only thing I’ve learned from Browns head coach Vikings-NFL.html" target="_blank">Eric Mangini’s decision not to formally name a starting quarterback even as of this morning (we all know it’s Brady Quinn)—is that he can keep a secret. Keeping secrets is not going to earn him any points toward the playoffs or help him win the Super Bowl, and it might be the most childish act I’ve seen in my 20-plus years in the NFL.

What good is it doing for the team? There’s no competitive advantage to this whatsoever.

When a head coach speaks to the media on a daily basis, he has three main audiences he’s addressing: the players in his locker room, the fans, and the organization. He must be aware of all three each time he speaks, and he can send messages to each group. He can use the media as a tool to help his cause as the chief motivator of the team.

I love watching NBA coach Larry Brown address the media after the game because he’s able to call out certain players without mentioning their names. His low-key style and matter-of-fact delivery are powerful tools in his motivational arsenal.

The head coach doesn’t have to tell fans team secrets, or what he really thinks, but he does have to sell his plan, his leadership skills, and his ability to be in control of the team.

Not answering questions, or being overtly coy (especially when talking about the quarterback position), sends a message of doubt—whether true or not—about the finality of the decision. All this secrecy has placed doubts in the minds of fans, players, ownership and organization.

That doubt might promote the one reaction you want to avoid if the starter plays bad—cries for the backup.

It’s not like Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson are so different that Leslie Frazier, the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator, would have to develop two different schemes.

Frazier is going to run his scheme no matter who they start. This is professional football, and the offense is not going to change significantly from one quarterback to another. Anderson is not going to run the option and Quinn the veer, or drop back. They are going to run their offense.

Both quarterbacks struggle with accuracy issues, although one (Anderson) can throw the deep ball better while the other (Quinn) is more effective on the short and mid-level throws. By the way, my son Mick, who happens to love the Browns and Quinn, argues this point with me all the time.

So what’s Mangini trying to accomplish here? He’s a smart but shy man, and his lack of communication skills are legendary in NFL circles. When he was the head coach of the Jets, he would be in his office for hours, and staff members rarely saw him—not just for days, but for weeks at a time. Nothing has changed from his time with the Jets.

Mangini is a hard worker and spends countless hours in his office, working on many things that might not seem important to others but are very important to him. He’s not going to share his thoughts with anyone, as he doesn’t trust people to keep a secret.

It’s this lack of trust that prevents him from allowing the dialogue that’s needed with the right people to make the right choices.

It takes discussion about the issues to decide on new ideas, new thoughts and maybe alternative solutions. Get smart people making decisions and you’ll make smart decisions. Exclude everyone and you’ll only get what you want.

Somewhere along the line, Mangini will learn the difference between what is urgent and what is important.

Last year, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, the man whom Mangini has modeled his secret-keeping after, had no problem announcing that Matt Cassel would be the new starter after the injury to Tom Brady.

He sent home two prospective quarterback schedules for a workout the next day to send a message to Cassel and the team that he had faith in Cassel and wasn’t looking to replace him at any point.

Belichick can keep a secret and can be evasive with the media, but he knows how to send a message to the team, which normally is a very clear and precise message, using the media as his conduit.

How hard would it have been to come out and announce to the Cleveland faithful, along with not having to make Quinn lie in front of the cameras, that Quinn is the starter and here’s why he’s going to be the starter for the entire season, barring an injury?

Send a message to the fans, to the team, and the organization that promotes confidence in the choice. Use the media to communicate your message; the league doesn’t give away trophies for best secret-keeper.

I just don’t get it.

Today in the Tavern, I’ll talk about tonight’s Titans-Steelers season opener. Yes, the NFL is back, and you have to love that.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi

Tavern Talk: NFL Free Agents To Watch

Michael Lombardi — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:20:00 -0400

National Football Post

The first week of the season for me in any personnel department was spent reviewing teams’ final rosters after the 53-man cutdown.

Now, I understand the opening-day roster is a work in progress, but for a player to be on a roster now means he has some value to the franchise. Since being in scouting is like being in the information business, it means it's time to review how teams were built as they enter the new season.

First thing I wanted to do was have the pro assistant make a tape on all the college free agents who made other NFL rosters. Again, not from being in second-guess mode, but rather to learn from the tape, to determine if we had made a mistake with our own evaluation.

Some of these players may not have fit our team in terms of the height, weight, and speed requirements, or fit the scheme, but it helps to learn what kind of players are making NFL teams.

To become a better scout, you must first learn what is playing in the NFL and, more specifically, what is playing for your team.

Here is a breakdown of all the college free agents who made teams as of Tuesday. What’s striking is the fact that only 29 players made NFL teams, which is very low, and reaffirms that the ‘09 draft was not strong and had no depth.

The other striking fact that came out of this little project was that nine linebackers made NFL teams. This stat can imply two things: First, that teams are in dire need of athletic players to cover kicks; and second, the linebacker position has become hard for many college scouts to evaluate.

Whenever there’s a twofold element to the evaluation, i.e., run player/pass defender or blocker/receiver, mistakes are more apt to be made.

Only eight teams did not have a college free agent make their team: Miami, Cleveland, Houston, Tennessee, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco. The surprise team here is the Eagles, who normally have one or two.

Each player on this list is worth watching:

2009 college free agents on active rosters

AFC East

Buffalo
Ashlee Palmer, LB
Garrison Sanborn, LS

New England
Brian Hoyer, QB

New York Jets
Jamaal Westerman, LB

AFC North

Baltimore
Dannell Ellerbe, LB

Cincinnati
Quan Cosby, WR/PR

Pittsburgh
Ramon Foster, RT

AFC South

Indianapolis
Ramon Humber, LB
Jacob Lacey, CB

Jacksonville
Julius Williams, DE
Russell Allen, LB

AFC West

Denver
Chris Baker, NT

Kansas City
Pierre Walters, LB

Oakland
Nick Miller, WR
Desmond Bryant, DT

San Diego
C.J. Spillman, FS

NFC East

Dallas
Kevin Ogletree, WR

New York Giants
Bruce Johnson, CB

Washington
Edwin Williams, C

NFC North

Green Bay
Evan Dietrich-Smith, G/C

Minnesota
Kenny Onatolu, LB

NFC South

Atlanta
John Parker Wilson, QB

Carolina
Garry Williams, RT

APJonathan Casillas

New Orleans
Jonathan Casillas, LB

Tampa Bay
Marc Dile, G
Demar Dotson, T

NFC West

Arizona
Reggie Walker, LB

St. Louis
Roger Allen, G

Seattle
Michael Bennett, DT

Diner Morning News: Random Thoughts

Michael Lombardi — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:34:00 -0400

National Football Post

QUOTE: “I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.” - Bob Dylan

RANDOM TOPICS

Eagles sign a tight end...finally

I’ve been harping on the Eagles and their failure to put anyone on their roster who resembles a blocker. Brent Celek, their starting tight end, doesn’t even get in the way very well, so when the Eagles are in short-yardage and goal-line situations, they’re not effective running the ball to the strong side. Now, with Alex Smith, they at least have someone who can get in the way and help in pass protection. Smith can function well in this role and can help the Eagles in Week One because he knows the offense well from his time with the Bucs and Jon “Love You Bro” Gruden.

Bills release starting left tackle Langston Walker

You really have to wonder what was going on in Buffalo last winter. I know it’s cold up there, but from the outside looking in, their planning and design on how to improve the team for 2009 fell apart before the season even started. The Bills moved Walker to left tackle because they wanted to trade Jason Peters, which they did. Then, based on preseason film, Walker proved to many that he was not a left tackle. He was late off the ball, poor at cutting off the back side and unable to secure the edge in pass rush.

Having said that, I wonder if the Colts might explore Walker as an option at left tackle.

They fired their offensive coordinator, Turk Schonert, after a bad preseason, but in reality, Schonert and the offensive staff should not have been invited back last February based on their performance during the past two years. According to reports, owner Ralph Wilson urged a change of staff, but coach Dick Jauron fought off the suggestion. Which begs the question, what did Jauron see in his staff that made him think the offensive unit was headed in the right direction?

Jauron himself said recently that he did not consider firing Schonert until right before he made the move. What? I respect Jauron and know he’s a smart man, but that statement made me gasp. There’s no way I can accept that Jauron likes bad football, and there was a lot of bad ball in the Bills’ last 12 games of 2008. Loyalty to Schonert is an admirable trait, but being loyal to producing a quality product is the creed of running a football team. It’s not about friendships, it’s about being productive.

Again, this proves the point that most problems within organizations lie in their inability to self-evaluate. The Bills had no passing game last year, and although they had some talented players, their production never matched the talent. Keeping the status quo is making this season very challenging, and the hope for success is just that - hope. I would love to know who made the design for the Bills of 2009.

Now they go to New England with three-fifths of their offensive line gone from last year. All the money paid to Walker and Derrick Dockery in free agency two years ago has been wasted. The team's design has been bad, and at some point the Bills have to get someone in their building who can build a team that can compete with the Dolphins, the Patriots and even the Jets on and (most critically) off the field.

The Bills are going nowhere until they admit their planning and design has been flawed. They need one person in the building, a coach or personnel man, who can make the right choices and design the right plan because the level of competition in the AFC East is and will remain very fierce and intellectually challenging.

It wasn’t Schonert’s fault. It wasn’t Walker’s fault or Peters’ fault. It was the plan's fault. The other day, I wrote that there are 10 teams trying to win the Super Bowl and about 22 teams playing Madden 2009. The Bills are in the Madden group. It’s not about the play caller, it’s about the design. It’s going to be a cold winter in Buffalo.

Where’s Richard?

I’m told reliably that Richard Seymour isn’t looking for a long-term contract from the Raiders, that in fact Oakland.html" target="_blank">his absence centers solely on his unhappiness with the trade. The comments from coach Tom Cable are really irrelevant, since the trade papers have been signed and approved by the league office. He counts on the Raiders’ 53-man roster, so why does Seymour need to clear things up with the Patriots? All that remains is for Seymour to show up and pass his physical. There’s nothing left for the Patriots to do regarding Seymour because he’s now the property of the Raiders, so many NFL observers were left shaking their heads after hearing Cable’s comments.

Seymour has no choice other than to retire, which he doesn’t want to do as he was expecting a Julius Peppers-type of contract next offseason in what may be an uncapped year. The Raiders can place him on their reserve did not report list and go after the remaining portion of his pro-rated bonus. But clearly, that’s not a course of action a team that gave up a first-round pick in 2011 wants to explore.

Can the Raiders trade him now? Yes, but do you think they can recoup their investment? Hardly. But again, the Raiders made this trade to improve their team, not collect draft picks, so trading Seymour isn’t an option for them.

The only positive for the Raiders is that they don’t play until Monday night, so their week of preparation for the Chargers game doesn’t start until Thursday, giving them more time to get Seymour to Oakland.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi

Tavern talk: Stafford and Growing Pains—by Mike Lombardi

Michael Lombardi — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:49:00 -0400

National Football Post

Were you surprised by the Matthew Stafford decision in Detroit? Considering the Lions didn’t win a game in 2008 and now are going with a rookie quarterback, their agony might be prolonged even further.

Or did you feel the money and the lack of a proven player behind Stafford were going to tip the scales in his direction? For me, considering all the options—and most importantly the talent level—the Lions made the right call.

They need hope and they need to make their fans feel excited, and this move brings the two into focus. They need to prove that there’s a difference between this regime and the previous one, on and off the field.

Let’s face it, Lions fans have seen some bad ball, some very bad ball. Stafford is young and is going to make mistakes, but he allows the other players to have an impact. This move will allow offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to utilize all the skill players he has in his arsenal and pressure defenses.

Despite going winless last year, the Lions look better on offense in every aspect: players, coaching, and, most important, scheme. Linehan can utilize these players to create mismatches that will make the game slow down for Stafford.

Utilizing the play-action pass creates the separation that will allow Stafford to not have to correctly read the coverage. Play action is the best friend to a rookie quarterback because it creates space in the secondary, allowing the QB to read color and put the ball on the wideout or back.

Creating distortion in the defense makes the rhythm of the game easier for any quarterback.

Matthew Stafford will benefit from being surrounded by a polished offensive coordinator and an emerging set of skill players in his rookie campaign.

With running back Kevin Smith and blocking tight end Brandon Pettigrew, the Lions will be able to run the ball with enough effectiveness to allow their play-action schemes to be effective.

Teams that can’t run the ball bring nickel fronts and coverages into the game plan on earlier downs, which create problems for any quarterback, young or old. Movement of the pocket is another essential for Linehan to utilize with Stafford because he can throw the ball from any point on the field with precision.

Linehan has tools in his kit to protect a young quarterback and the experience to enhance his development. Linehan may not have been a very effective head coach, but like Cam Cameron of the Ravens, he’s a very good play caller and designer. He knows how to run an offense effectively and can create the matchups needed to help Stafford.

However, what makes all this possible is the unique talent Stafford brings to the game. None of the plays or schemes will work unless Stafford can make all his throws with accuracy, precision, and timing.

His skill level far outweighs the negatives of sending a rookie quarterback out on the field. In Week six of the season, Stafford will be like a new player and will make the Lions a much better team.

And next year, he will be even more effective, just like Aaron Rodgers has demonstrated in Green Bay this summer. The second year is the key, but in order to get to the second year, there has to be an investment made in year one.

Growing pains are growing pains whether they’re with your kids or with very rich quarterbacks. Everyone has to endure the pain in order to get better.

This same theory applies to Jets-starter.html" target="_blank">Mark Sanchez of the Jets, but because the Jets’ defense is so much better, there are not the same concerns as with the Lions. However, Sanchez and Stafford are going to have their moments, good and bad.

Fans need to be patient. From my viewpoint, both will be able to bring more than hope to each franchise—they’ll bring wins.

Next Tuesday in the Tavern, we’ll take a look back at some games where the right or wrong moves were made with regard to game management. I promise to make this a Brad Childress column—just not every week.

DMN: Jets, 'Skins, and Information Men

Michael Lombardi — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 06:31:00 -0400

National Football Post

QUOTE: “A learning experience is one of those things that say, ‘You know that thing you just did? Don't do that.’”—Douglas Adams

Information Men

The Jets traded for Kevin O’Connell (have you ever seen a team more obsessed with the Patriots than the Jets?), and the ‘Skins signed former Giants quarterback Andre Woodson, so now both players will face their former teams in Week One (Woodson) and Week Two (O’Connell) of the season.

Does this mean the new teams will have insight and privileged information coming from the two quarterbacks? Yes, they’ll know all the calls and all the checks, and they’ll know the philosophy behind the schemes. But will it help their new teams win? In my mind, knowing what will happen and preventing it from happening are two different things.

The Jets have had a personnel obsession with the Patriots, often claiming players the Pats let go, but rarely do those players make significant contributions in helping the Jets win. Many thought it was because former Jets coach Eric Mangini knew the Patriots players who were available, so it was a natural process. But the obsession has not ended, as evidenced by some recent claims.

Now, the Jets are carrying four quarterbacks on their roster. With the exception of starter Mark Sanchez, carrying three backups fits perfectly with the John Madden creed: “When you have a lot of something, you got nothing.” You have to wonder what the Jets’ real motivation is in acquiring O’Connell.

Will Andre Woodson and Kevin O'Connell provide their new teams with an edge against their former clubs?

The last thing they need is a another weak-armed quarterback who’s best suited to play the shotgun and didn’t look good in any preseason game. The Jets will claim they had a high grade on O’Connell coming out of college, so it made sense to them to make the trade.

But does this make sense at a time when you have two players suspended for the opening game? This means you roster is light on kicking game players and could use a little help. I’m not against the trade for O’Connell, but what I don’t understand is why a team would carry three quarterbacks with very little game experience. Isn’t two enough? Something seems a little fishy here.

The Lions-cut-CB-Smith-to-make-room-for-OConnell.html" target="_blank">Lions put in a claim for Kevin O’Connell knowing two things: One, they really didn’t want him, and two, they knew that among the Jets, Browns, and Broncos, one of those teams would be willing to give them a late draft choice. Clearly, the Jets, Browns, and now the Broncos are very predictable with their personnel acumen.

So can O’Connell help the Jets learn more about the Patriots’ personnel and scheme? I’m not sure he can offer any more than former Patriots coach Brian Daboll could during his stint with the Jets.

O’Connell can help Jets coach Rex Ryan understand their protection patterns and how they might block certain looks, but that information is nothing that Ryan or Mike Pettine, the defensive coordinator, can’t determine off game tape. So the claiming of O’Connell must be talented related or obsession related, but not insider information related.

The ‘Skins did the same thing claiming Woodson from the Giants, and by the sound of the reaction from the Giants, it’s clear that Woodson has information about the opening game. This is probably because the Giants spent a large portion of their training camp preparing for the opener with plays and formations they never showed in the preseason.

Woodson being on the ‘Skins will now force the Giants to make changes—taking no chances on Woodson sharing their calls, checks, and ideas. As with O’Connell, the information that Woodson has about the Giants only pertains to the offense; neither can affect the other side of the ball.

The question remains, do these moves help in terms of information or are they solely personnel driven? When I was in the NFL, my sole thinking was improving the talent level of my team. If, by chance, that meshed with a player who could share some insight, then it was a bonus—but it’s not what drove my thought process. I learned a long time ago from George Allen to “evaluate the evaluator.” I urge the Jets and ‘Skins to do the same.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi

Diner Morning News: The Raiders' Risky Move

Michael Lombardi — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:39:00 -0400

National Football Post

QUOTE: “Never memorize what you can look up in books.” — Albert Einstein

THE BIG TRADE

Patriots-trade-Richard-Seymour-to-Raiders.html" target="_blank">The Patriots turned a player who only had 16 games left in his New England career into a first-round pick in 2011. They knew they would receive a compensatory third-rounder for Richard Seymour as they had no intention of re-signing him after the season. So instead of settling for a third, the Pats made the move now and received a future first-round pick.

I know Raiders fans will try to put a positive spin on this move, but what can it be? Seymour doesn’t have a contract after this season, so he has to be franchised. Why else pay a future first-rounder?

Is Seymour’s talent level worthy of a first-round pick? Yes and no. Yes, there are times he can be a dominating player, but too often he’s not active. This trade makes it clear that knowing when to move an older player early is something former 49ers coach Bill Walsh mastered and passed on to Bill Belichick.

I love this move for New England since it gets a pick that might be very high in 2011, and that rookie class might have some form of wage scale depending on upcoming collective bargaining talks. That pick, as one high-level NFL executive told me Sunday, might be the replacement for Tom Brady down the line.

Now New England will focus its efforts on re-signing Vince Wilfork, who is an essential player in the Pats' defensive front. With sixth-round pick Myron Pyror playing well (even getting calls from other teams checking his availability) and second-round pick Ron Brace also playing well, the Patriots seem set on their defensive line. I’m sure they’ll make a few more calls to Kevin Carter to see if he’s finally willing to come out of retirement.

As for the Hotel faithful, Seymour does bring value if the Raiders can get him to play hard every play, something that didn’t always happen in New England. Maybe the coaches or owner will find that magic touch and bring his level of play to a higher plane.

It shouldn’t surprise objective fans in the NFL that, according to people close to Seymour that I talked to, he’s less than pleased to be heading west. He never expected this move, which is a fair reaction, not a necessarily a negative reaction about Oakland.

Seymour is still talented and can still be effective, but he’s very inconsistent. He’s a flash player, and if you grade the flashes, he can be disruptive, but there are times when he’s not a factor on the field.

For this move to work, Seymour has to play at a high level, and the Raiders must re-sign him. Giving up a first-round pick for potentially only one year of a good player is not a good move, even in the eyes of diehard Raiders fans. At first, this deal was being framed around a second-rounder in 2010, but it moved to a top pick because the Raiders wanted to keep their draft alive next year.

Have the Raiders improved their team? On paper, clearly yes. Have they also taken a risky move? Again, yes, and the risk is twofold—in the contract and in getting Seymour to play at his Pro Bowl level full-time.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi.

Diner Morning News: Cowboys and Coordinators

Michael Lombardi — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:57:00 -0400

National Football Post

QUOTE: “It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.”

— François-Marie Arouet

It’s less than a week before the opening bell of the NFL season, and there were 13 games played Thursday night, ending the preseason for 26 teams.

As we enter the Labor Day weekend, many of you will take advantage of the last few days of summer, but you’ll want to keep the National Football Post in mind.

Today, cuts will begin and trade talks will heat up around the league. We’ll keep you posted on everything we hear will happen, what we think might happen and what we know will happen. So keep coming back this weekend.

Even Joey “The Tipper” Fortenbaugh will put down his golf clubs and save some money by not having to replenish his Titleist inventory so he can work the phones.

What does Willie Nelson think about the NFL's biggest buzz—the axing of the Chiefs' Chan Gailey and the Buccaneers' Jeff Jagodzinski?

"Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys,
Don't let 'em pick guitars and drive them old trucks,
Make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such."

Willie Nelson wrote that song about cowboys, but you could easily replace the word “cowboys” with “NFL assistant coaches.” What’s happened to the coaching profession when we see two high-priced offensive coordinators fired before the season starts? How can this happen?

It happens because NFL owners are hiring head coaches who are not ready to handle the magnitude of the job. Some may say it’s best to cut their losses early and not be afraid to make changes. But what about the Catholic school motto of “stick-to-it-iveness”? What happened to the leader being able to cultivate, motivate, prepare and demand results?

What has happened in the NFL is that owners have lost the sense of value that comes with experience. We know from reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell that no matter how talented an individual is, he still requires 10,000 hours of training/experience to reach the highest level. Therefore, when owners hire young head coaches without that experience, the coaches run the risk of making mistakes, some of which are hard to overcome.

I’m not suggesting that Raheem Morris or Todd Haley should not have replaced their offensive coordinators.

What I am suggesting is that they should not have hired either man in the first place. The interview process should have alerted both coaches of potential problems.

But since both men have never really been in a position to interview coaches, they ran the risk of making mistakes. Had Bill Walsh been in the building in Kansas City, he would have told Haley that when building his staff—particularly on the side of the ball where his expertise resides—he should hire people who will follow his orders, follow his command and follow his philosophy, not someone who will bring in his own ideas and beliefs. You can’t mix systems or ideologies.

Older coaches, such as Gailey in K.C., have their own way of doing things, their own beliefs, and it’s hard for many to change. Those differences should come out in the interview process. The critical aspect to building a staff is to hire coaches who will teach the players exactly what you want, not what they think is best.

Morris, according to sources, was not happy with Jagodzinski’s ability to prepare the team, his overall attention to detail and his willingness to seemingly allow other coaches on the staff do his work as if he were the head coach.

What would worry me most if I were a Bucs fan is that the word going around was that while players and coaches were not happy with Jagodzinski, Morris in fact got along with him—but felt he needed to make the change to make peace with everyone. That doesn’t sound like the work of the leader, but rather the work of a committee.

All these problems should have been handled in the interview process, but, in fairness to Morris, he probably hasn’t interviewed many coaches.

Again, the experience card comes into play. The ability to solve this problem before reaching the firing stage should have occurred, but with very little experience in these situations, the easy route is to just make a change. This ends up costing the owner money he thought he was saving when he hired a young coach.

Owners might want to start evaluating experience, or at least make sure there’s experience in the building, because it’s very important.

Have a great Labor Day. The Sunday Post will be in its usual spot, with a shorter version for the holiday. And keep checking back for updates.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi.

Diner Morning News: New York Jets Should Avoid Brandon Marshall

Michael Lombardi — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:34:00 -0400

National Football Post

QUOTE: “Success in life is a matter not so much of talent and not so much of opportunity, but rather of concentration and perseverance. The man who succeeds above his fellow man is the man who early in life clearly decides his objective, and towards that objective he directs all of his powers.”—Vince Lombardi, Dayton, Ohio (July 11, 1970)

Vince Lombardi passed away at just 57 years of age.

Today marks the 39th anniversary of the death of Vince Lombardi. His life ended much too soon, but his words, his wisdom and most of all his spirit still live on. The quote above was taken from his last speech, given to a business group in Dayton. Today, we honor his legacy and the enormous value his presence added to the NFL.

Thirteen games are on tap tonight in the NFL, and the clocks in those games will be running down quickly. The main concern is to get the games over as quickly as possible since most veteran players have the night off.

Brandon Marshall to the Jets?

I’ve read many versions of this story, but from the people I’ve talked to with knowledge of the situation, the Broncos really don’t want to trade Brandon Marshall.

In my opinion, if the Jets make this trade, they will destroy their locker room.

Aside from Marshall’s off-the-field behavior, this move would destroy the Jets’ team chemistry, not from a character standpoint but more from a monetary standpoint. Rewarding a player who has been an overt ass by giving him what he wants sends a horrible message to the other players in the locker room.

As my man Matt “I love me some Houston Texans” Bowen wrote Wednesday, until they take care of disgruntled running back Leon Washington, it would be difficult to satisfy Marshall. The Marshall saga in Denver is all about money—do not lose sight of the main root of the problem. Since the Jets have been on a little austerity program—at least that’s what they’re telling Leon’s representatives—it doesn’t seem they can afford both Marshall and Washington.

I know that most fans think the Jets have huge sums of money, but before making that assumption, you might want to ask how many season seats they’ve sold for next year in their new stadium.

Backup QBs

I was talking to someone in the league Wednesday, and neither of us has ever seen so many teams in the NFL searching for answers at backup quarterback. As Mike Smith, the head coach of the Falcons, said about the quality of depth at quarterback, “There are not 32 good starting quarterbacks in the league, let alone backups.” The decline in the talent level of backups has left many teams with huge voids. Even drafting quarterbacks early to develop them as backups hasn't solved the problem. Just ask the Packers.

If Tarvaris Jackson isn't in Minnesota's future, will he land a backup gig in a new city?

Where have all the backup quarterbacks gone? In the past, backups were former starters who had lost some of their skills but could manage a game and potentially start for a period of time, although not over the entire season.

Now, that kind of player is called a franchise savior and comes out of retirement—twice. We won’t go there, I promise.

But really, where have they gone? Joey Harrington is a player who comes to mind, but he’s in New Orleans, and I’m sure if a team made any kind of decent offer, the Saints would move him. Tarvaris Jackson can be had for a song from the Vikings and probably will be released, but how does he help a team now? He will not know the offense unless he’s traded to a team that runs the west coast offense, so if a team that doesn’t run that offense takes him, he won’t be very effective the first month of the season.

Here’s a list of backup quarterbacks I’ve heard are on the market:

PLAYER—TEAM—TRADE VALUE

Joey Harrington—New Orleans—Late-round conditional
A.J. Feeley—Philadelphia—Too many teams remember what happened in Miami, so his value is not as great; late pick at best
Tyler Thigpen—Kansas City—Not on market now that Cassel is injured
Tarvaris Jackson—Minnesota—Late conditional pick
Jeff Garcia—Oakland—With Charlie Frye and Bruce Gradkowski, the Raiders will entertain an offer
Luke McCown—Tampa—Anything, as they want to dump his salary

The next two days are going to be very interesting. I’m headed to L.A. today to join NFL Network’s Total Access and cover the moves each team makes Friday and Saturday. No Tavern today, but the Diner will be in its usual spot Friday.

Helping youth football

A great event is happening Friday morning in Brooklyn, N.Y. American Youth Football will distribute cleats at 9:30 am on the football field at Poly Prep Country Day School, 9216 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn. Young players from around the league will be on hand to accept the donation. The most recent recipient of AYF’s giving back initiatives, the Big Apple Conference, has 6,000 participants throughout New York's boroughs. For more information, contact Jessica Abramovich, American Youth Football, (305) 851-2938.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi

Tavern Talk: The Miami Dolphins Build a Winner

Michael Lombardi — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:52:00 -0400

National Football Post

Not many people are talking Miami Dolphins football lately, but after watching them play three games in the preseason, I’m impressed with their talent level and very impressed with the direction they’re going.

I’ve written about how the Rams are void of talent and how they need to build a program and an identity. If they’re searching for ideas on how to speed up the process, they might want to look down south at the Dolphins.

The Fins are one of the more physical teams in the NFL on both sides of the ball. For many who think they might not make the playoffs this year, watch this team play a little this summer. How do you go from 1-15 to 11-5, from worst to first? Not with hope, but rather with a plan, on and off the field.

Jake Long anchors a Dolphins offensive line that is even stronger with the addition of Jake Grove.

The game of football starts up front, and the Dolphins offensive and defensive lines are much stronger this year. They’re playing with more power and tenacity. It also helps that they have more talent, as defensive linemen Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford have flashed with exceptional skills. Their offensive line behind Jake Long, and with the addition of Jake Grove at center, appears to be explosive and powerful. They are well-coached and well-trained.

This team is good now and will keep getting better as the season goes along. When I watch them on tape, the players appear to be in good shape; they all look like they’ve been living in the weight room, as their strength lifting converts to the field. All good teams get maximum results from their offseason programs, and the Dolphins’ tape shows the results.

Cornerback Vontae Davis, their first-round pick, appears to have fit into the program, and his athletic skills are very apparent. His play gives the Dolphins an excellent coverage man to help their secondary and offsets the loss of Andre Goodman to Denver. He’ll make an instant impact for the Dolphins on defense.

At quarterback, the Dolphins rely on Chad Pennington to not make mistakes and to make the right throws. His arm never appears strong enough, but somehow, some way, the ball gets there on time. Chad Henne has had his moments and is learning how to play and, most importantly, how to speed up his tempo in the game—whether it’s mentally or physically. Pat White is their wildcat player, and based on some of the plays I observed, they’re going to have an expansive wildcat package. The single wing lives on in Miami.

I’m fully aware that the first three games of the season—against the Falcons, Colts, and Chargers—might result in an 0-3 start, but the Dolphins will get better as the season goes along. They have some very good young players on both sides of the line who will create weekly problems for opponents. They’re building the team the right way, which is what St. Louis must do.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi

Mike Lombardi's Diner Morning News: What the Cuts Mean

Michael Lombardi — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:33:00 -0400

National Football Post

QUOTE: “I think continually of those who were truly great. Who, from the womb, remembered the soul's history...The names of those who in their lives fought for life. Who wore at their hearts the fire's center. Born of the sun they traveled a short while towards the sun. And left the vivid air signed with their honor.” —Stephen Spender

What did we learn from Tuesday’s cuts?

The Rams hated their 2006 draft.

The Rams decided to clean house and get rid of the remaining players from their 2006 draft class. Falcons-acquire-Tye-Hill.html" target="_blank">Trading former first-round pick Tye Hill and waiving second-round pick Joe Klopfenstein finished off the first day of drafting in 2006.

Already gone were third-round picks Jon Alston and Dominguez Byrd. Claude Wroten, the first third-rounder in 2006, battled off-the-field issues before the Rams picked him and has had many since.

Talk about having a non-productive day when they entered the draft room in 2006. You wonder why the Rams have been so bad for the past three seasons. They have a design problem—and a production problem. They are the perfect example of a team that’s playing “Battleship Football.” (FYI, “Battleship Football” is when teams randomly pick players hoping they’re good, not because they fit the scheme or the profile. The same theory applies to play-calling—randomly calling plays without regard to a strategy.)

I have been killing the Rams for their lack of personnel, but the facts support my harsh critique. In fact, they’ve been flying under the radar far too long. Since firing Mike Martz in 2005 when they were 2-3, the Rams have gone on to win 17 games while losing 45. Much of the blame can be related to the dysfunction in the front office, along with having people pick players who don’t know the NFL, understand the NFL or have a clue what it takes to play in the NFL.

Finally, the Rams have revamped their front office, but the work that lies ahead is immense. It will require time, a comprehensive plan and shrewd evaluations.

How did Vernon Gholston end up the sixth pick overall?

I admit I’m obsessed with this subject, but WTF? How did this player get to be the sixth overall pick in the draft? No one I talk to or hear from at the Jets will claim responsibility.

Everyone points in the direction of Cleveland and former head coach Eric Mangini as the main and only culprit. But since I’m now reading “Legacy of Secrecy” (thanks, Dr. Mike) about the Kennedy assassination, I have my own conspiracy theory on Gholston.

Here goes:

Because no one has claimed this pick (Rex Ryan is a loyal employee on this subject and has tried to put the best spin on it) or seems to understand how it transpired, it must have been Gholston himself. We know that Gholston was in New York City the day of the draft in 2008. He could have quietly moved from the green room to the Jets table after the Chiefs picked Glen Dorsey, held the two Jets employees against their will, then written his own name on a card, carried the card to Joel Bussert of the NFL personnel office and proceed to walk up to the stage to shake hands with Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Then, his very talented agent, Ben Dogra, could have persuaded the Jets to pay huge sums of money to a player they never wanted to avoid the embarrassment of turning in the wrong card. The crime is committed and the cover-up begins.

Amazing, right? How else could this have happened? I know this: The coaches in Houston are hoping the Jets have to start Gholston in the opener.

Green Bay is looking for a backup QB.

It’s no secret that Brian Brohm has struggled the last two preseasons, causing concern among the Packers. There was some talk, internally and externally, about the team claiming Kevin O’Connell from the Patriots on Tuesday, although they never placed a claim. However, this doesn’t mean the Packers aren’t looking for another quarterback. In the coming weeks, I’m confident they’ll be searching the market and bringing in players for workouts.

The Lions must not like Drew Stanton.

The Lions signed Brooks Bollinger on Tuesday and claimed Kevin O’Connell and now have five quarterbacks on their roster, although they’ll carry only three. They won’t able to get them ready for extensive use in their game this week, so I suspect the Drew Stanton era is coming to an end. He may only be on the team right now because he can handle the offense in the final preseason game.

Andre Smith’s left foot.

Why does it always seem that the players who hold out are the first ones to get hurt? This is a major setback for Bengals rookie tackle Andre Smith, who needs as much work as he can possibly handle. Now, a broken bone in his left foot puts him in the training room. If Smith can condition, one positive might be that he can get himself in shape.