Bleacher Report - Articles by T.A

Wes Welker: Efficiency Juggernaut

T.A — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:15:39 -0500

It’s seems in today’s day and age that the media flocks to prima-donna players. Using the boorish behavior of these players to fill articles with their atrocious analysis of football.

How many articles have we all read elucidating Terrell Owens’ destruction of team locker rooms? Now how many times have we read an article focused on Terrell Owens habit of dropping footballs throughout his career?

How many times have we heard a football analyst whether it be ESPN or NFL Network question JaMarcus Russell’s lack of work ethic? But we’ve rarely seen these same analyst break down game film or specific plays and show us what exactly JaMarcus has been doing wrong. We rarely see these analyst compare the routes that JaMarcus’ receivers runs to routes of some of the top-tier receivers in the NFL.

The NFL’s lack of quality media coverage, or even lack of quality statistics that the average fan could examine have left football fans to be some of the most ignorant fans in sports.

The media has been so focused on highlighting Terrell Owens lack of production in Buffalo, Chad Ochocinco off-field antics (some even on-field), the NFL’s “lack of parity” that they’ve been completely oblivious to one of the most productive and efficient season by a wide receiver this past decade.

Wes Welker has quietly been the most efficient receiver in the NFL this season. But yet, you rarely hear analyst dissect his fabulous season.

Welker hasn’t put up a lot of touchdowns to the likes of Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, or Larry Fitzgerald, but Wes has been more efficient and productive (when he’s been on the field) than every one of them.

Despite missing two games this year Welker is leading the league in receptions with 79 grabs. His next closest competitor, Reggie Wayne, took two extra games to catch 76 footballs.

No receiver has caught more passes in their first eight games than Wes Welker has. Ever ! His next closest competitor? Marvin Harrison, who had 69 catches his first eight games in 2002.

Welker is on pace for 138 reception, I don’t think it’s far-fetched to think that had he been able to play 16 games this year that he would have had a very good chance of breaking Marvin Harrison’s single-season record for receptions. Keep in mind this is a record many analysts think will never be broken.

Despite being ranking fourth in targets among receivers Welker has caught 79 percent of the passes thrown his way, among receivers targeted more than 80 times this year, Welker’s 79 percent catch percentage leads the entire league.

Welker is fifth in the league in receiving yards and leads the NFL in yards per game (106.8).

Welker ranks 10th in the Football Outsiders DVOA efficiency rankings. Now keep in mind that Welker has been targeted significantly more times than all the receivers ranked ahead of him in terms of DVOA.

Welker ranks fourth in the league in terms of the Football Outsiders DYAR production rankings. Welker and New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Coltson are the only receiver to be ranked in the top-10 for both DYAR and DVOA.

A lot could be made of Randy Moss taking away double coverage and that is why Welker has been able to catch so many passes. However, this misconception is meant to belittle Welker’s production.

Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss have all explained in many interviews and conference calls that teams tend to double cover Wes Welker on third down and around the goal line. Need examples? In Super Bowl XLII when Randy Moss caught his fourth quarter touchdown a safety and linebacker were double covering Welker in the slot, this left Moss one-on-one with the cornerback.

The NFL Network has an outstanding show called Playbook. The show’s host Sterling Sharpe, Mike Moyock, and Brian Billick examine game film. In one of the shows they examined Randy Moss’ 71 yard TD catch against he Miami Dolphins. Moss and Welker both ran crossing routes and the safety had to commit to either Moss or Welker, the safety chose the latter, and this left Moss one-on-one with the CB.

Moss and Welker both help each other out, and the misconception that Moss is the sole reason why Welker gets all his catches is very skewed.

Welker could very well break the record for catch percentage with over 130 targets, if he hasn’t already in the last two seasons. But the media will never tell you that.

It’s shame that Welker might very well be snubbed for the Pro Bowl this year, even though he is putting up one of the best receiving season in recent memory.

Game Plan: New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

T.A — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:03:22 -0400

After the New England Patriots pulled off a remarkable fourth quarter comeback against the surprisingly impressive Buffalo Bills, they must head to the Meadowlands to face another division rival, the New York Jets.

The Patriots split wins with the Jets last season. The Patriots won the first game and the Jets broke Bill Belichick’s undefeated record in overtime with the Patriots in the second game.

The Patriots face a much improved Jets team with new head coach Rex Ryan. Whoever wins this game will have sole possession of the division lead.

Here is what I think the Patriots must do to come away with a victory:

Patriots Week 1 Playbook and Analysis:

The Patriots defense executed most of the points from last week’s game plan e.g. they jammed receivers at the line of scrimmage on third down (with safety help up top.)

They didn’t however minimize the YAC of the Buffalo Bills receivers and running backs. After Week One the Buffalo Bills ranked fourth in the league in yards after the catch with 156 yards (Fred Jackson accounted for 62 percent of those yards). Of the Bills’ 276 total yards 60 percent came from YAC.

Offensively the Patriots followed 1/3 of the last week’s offensive game plan.

They carried out the ball control game plan, winning the time of possession battle 37:08 minutes to 22:52 minutes. The Patriots sustained time consuming drives, however many drives stagnated on third down.

The Patriots didn’t do a very good job of protecting Tom Brady. They were many times when Brady got hit fractions of seconds after he released the ball.

The Patriots actually followed last week’s game plan of setting up screens to running backs and receivers but didn’t execute the screens (reasons varied from receivers and running backs dropping the ball to Brady over throwing the screen pass).

Defensive Game Plan:

Mark Sanchez had a very impressive NFL début, throwing for 272 yards and a very impressive 8.8 yards per attempt; let's hope the Pats can bring his performance back to rookie standards.

The Patriots struggled stopping the YAC of the Bills receivers (especially Fred Jackson); this happened when Jerrod Mayo was injured and Guyton had to step in to the game. When Mayo got injured the Patriots switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3.

This put Gary Guyton as the only ILB (technically a MLB) on the field and was responsible for calling defensive plays. He had trouble diagnosing screens and was thinking too long instead of reacting.

Going against Leon Washington you must be able to contain him after he catches the ball out of the backfield. Leon Washington has a 7.8 career YAC average; compare that to Wes Welker’s YAC average in 2007 of 6.8 and you can clearly see just how effective Leon Washington is at gaining yards after the catch.

Rex Ryan said that he will be using Leon Washington more this season; this week is going to be a perfect opportunity to use Washington’s explosive abilities.

I don’t expect the Patriots to fully contain Washington with Jerod Mayo most likely being out for the game and Gary Guyton filling in, but there are some ways the Patriots can minimize Washington’s YAC.

Since the Jets don’t have a dynamic wide receiver, Bill Belichick doesn’t have to be inclined to put double coverage on one of them. This allows the defense to be flexible and will hopefully allow the Patriots to put a man in the “box” to stop the run and most importantly the screens and YAC.

The Jets have a very good TE in Dustin Keller who had a very good game when these two teams last faced off catching eight passes for 87 yards including a clutch catch on 3rd-and-19 to help the Jets win in overtime.

Once again, the Jets not having a dominant receiver that vies for double coverage allows the Patriots to be flexible and double cover Keller if the situation calls for it.

I think the Patriots should utilize Patrick Chung in this game. Coming out of college Chung had a reputation of being a hard hitting safety and solid tackler. Chung could help double cover Keller and stop screens to prevent any yards after the catch.

He also provides an intimidating presence, something the Patriots lacked the last time they played the Jets (allowing players like Keller and Washington to bounce off tacklers.)

The Patriot defense was very bad at stopping the Buffalo Bills when they really had to, they must get crucial stops.

Recap:

For the second week in a row the Patriots must stop YAC
The Patriots must be physical and must stop Dustin Keller
They must get crucial stops

Offensive Game Plan:

The Patriots’ offense struggled early last week; Tom Brady participating in his first meaningful game since Week One of last year may have been a major reason for that.

The Patriots struggled setting up screen passes early in the game. The Patriots receivers tied for second in the league with three dropped passes, most (if not all) of those dropped passes occurred during attempted screens.

I think the Patriots will eliminate those problems and hopefully execute those screens better.

If Rex Ryan’s defense lives up to it’s reputation and brings pressure on Brady, the screen and short passing game will be very crucial to the offense’s success. The best way to beat a 4-6 defense is to spread them out and get quick slant routes before the defense gets to the quarterback.

When facing a 4-6 defense you also must have a solid running game. Last week the Patriots' running game starting off great, but the offensive line slowed down and allowed the Bills to dominate the line of scrimmage. The O-line will get their hands full once again going against Kris Jenkins.

The offensive line wasn’t impressive although they only gave up one sack in 53 attempts (this shows us how fast Tom Brady gets rid of the ball compared to Matt Cassel last year).

The offensive line must improve and allow Brady to have some sort of organized pocket to throw the ball. This will be very difficult to accomplish against a Rex Ryan defense.

I expect the Patriots to try and get the ball downfield more often this game.

I also want Joey Galloway to step up to all the hype he received when he arrived in New England. This will be very hard to do going against the Jets secondary with Darrell Revis and Kerry Rhodes.

Ben Watson had a very good opening day, but he has been very inconsistent during his time in NE. He makes a spectacular catch one play then drops a ball the next play. If he can make his presence known in the middle of the field (especially when the Jets blitz) it will be a tremendous lift for the offense.

Recap:

Protect Brady (second week in a row)
Try to strike down the field more often (when Moss or Galloway is single covered due to a blitz)
Ben Watson must prove he can be consistent and establish himself in the middle of field

Prediction:

What is the Unit Most Likely to Succeed?

Secondary: They had a very good opening day, shutting down Terrell Owens, Lee Evans, and Roscoe Parish, eliminating the Jets receivers with a rookie quarterback throwing them the ball should be a cake walk.

What is the Unit Most Likely to Fail?

Offensive line: The offense struggled against the Buffalo Bills defense that, aside from Aaron Schobel and Aaron Maybin lack a pass rusher. The Jets will bring pressure on Tom Brady. Rex Ryan’s Raven defense almost upset the 2007 Patriots; he would love to get pay back this year.

Player That Needs to Step Up?

Joey Galloway: Galloway was expected to pull coverage away from Randy Moss and make big plays down the field…that hasn’t happened so far. We can’t put all the blame towards Galloway however; he was only targeted twice last week compared to Randy Moss’ and Wes Welker’s league leading 16 targets.

Who is the Most Crucial Player for the Patriots This Week?

Brandon Meriwether: With Jerod Mayo most likely not participating in the game, Meriwether needs to step up and prove he can lead this defense and prove that he is one of the better safeties in the NFL (or at least the AFC).

He had a solid game last week having eight tackles, three of which were unassisted and a very crucial stop of Leodis McKelvin that allowed Pierre Woods to strip the ball.

Game Plan: New England Patriots-Buffalo Bills

T.A — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:38:58 -0400

After a year of absence from a meaningful NFL contest, Tom Brady will reclaim his rightful spot as the quarterback of the New England Patriots. He’ll receive his first snap under the glimmering lights of Gillette Stadium on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills.

Tom Brady recently said that this team was on a mission, an implicit statement of the teams quest to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the fourth time this decade, cementing their dynasty with the Team of the Decade award.

However, in order to accomplish that big goal, the Patriots have to get off to a good start in the month of September. First up for the Patriots this month are the Buffalo Bills.

This is what I think the Patriots should do in order to come away with a victory:

Defensive Game Plan

The Buffalo Bills come to Foxbourough with an altered offensive system and different players from last year.

The Bills most notable signing on offense is Terrell Owens. They also traded their Pro Bowl LT Jason Peters to Philadelphia this offseason.

The Bills also drafted tight end Shawn Nelson in the third round of this year's draft. Nelson is a physical specimen (6'5", 240 pounds). He has very good speed for a guy his stature, and coming out of college was known for having very good hands.

All of those weapons will cause mismatch problems that the Bills will expose once they realize it.

Running back Marshawn Lynch won't be able to play during the game due to his three-game suspension by Roger Goodell. The Bills do, however, have a capable and versatile back-up running back in Fred Jackson.

The Bills will be implanting a no-huddle offense. With Terrell Owens joining speedy and shifty wide receivers Lee Evans, Roscoe Parish, and Josh Reed, this group could cause match problems for many defenses.

Bill Belichick’s teams have fared well going against the no-huddle offense (e.g. Super XXV against the Bills, and the many battles with the Colts) so he should develop a very good game plan.

The best way to stop a no-huddle offense is to disrupt the rhythm and chemistry of the players. Our cornerbacks must be physical at the line of scrimmage. Jamming the receivers will disrupt the route running. Jamming a physical specimen like Terrell Owens could be tough to do, but Shawn Springs has proven through his many battles with Owens that you need to play physical.

Starting cornerback Leigh Bodden has shown he can be physical with any receiver, including Randy Moss during training camp, but has been somewhat inconsistent during the preseason.

Along with jamming the receivers at the line of scrimmage, the defensive line needs to get penetration and get to the quarterback. This will cause Trent Edwards to hurry his throws. With cornerbacks disrupting the route running of the receivers and Trent Edwards rushing his throws, the secondary and linebackers will hopefully take advantage of the errors and mistakes.

It’s also important that the defense doesn’t show what they’re going to do before the ball is snapped, since the quarterback will be looking for mismatches. The defense must confuse the quarterback and cause sloppy and inept plays. If the defense is going to blitz Trent Edwards, they must disguise it, which shouldn’t be hard to do under a 3-4 alignment.

It’s a must to not allow a lot of yards after the catch. The Bills' receivers are shifty and fast. One missed tackle could result in a long touchdown.

Recap:

Jam receivers at the line of scrimmage
Get penetration and pressure on the QB
Confuse the QB and disguise coverage and blitzes
Don’t allow any YAC.

Offensive Game Plan:

The Bills drafted Aaron Maybin, and although he missed most of the Bills training camp, he has shown his explosiveness during the pre-season.

Protecting Brady from Maybin and Aaron Schobel, who when healthy is one of the best defensive ends in the NFL, is a must. Brady will be coming back from a major injury, and nobody wants to see him go down again.

It looks like Nick Kaczur will be the starter at left tackle. Belichick must see something in him that most New England Patriots fans don’t see (besides consistently being manhandled by DE and OLB.) If Kaczur struggles early, the Bills will be relentless in bringing pressure on his side.

I don’t expect Brady to have over 40 attempts this game. In fact, I’ll be surprised if we see him throw the ball 30 times. This should help the offensive line a lot.

Going against a no-huddle offense, the best defense is a time-consuming offense. In Super Bowl XXV, Bill Belichick was credited a lot for holding the high-powered Bills offense that averaged a league leading 26.8 PPG to 19 points, but the Bills were actually very efficient that game. They accumulated 371 total net yards during the game.

What won the game for the Giants (besides that missed field goal) was the punishing running game that controlled the clock and kept the Bills' offense on the sidelines. The Bills had a total of 56 offensive plays compared to the Giants 73 offensive plays. In that game, the Bills had possession of the ball 19:27 minutes compared to the Giants’ 40:33 minutes of offensive possession.

I think Bill and the offensive staff will look back at that game and hopefully put together the same offensive game plan the Giants executed during Super Bowl XXV.

If he does, look for Brady to hand the ball off to the five running backs we have on the roster. I think Fred Taylor should see the most carries out of the five running backs. He has been consistent during his career managing a very impressive 4.6 YPC with over 2,000 carries.

I expect the Bills to blitz Brady a lot. If so, this will call for the offense to execute a lot of screens. Short passes and screens will not only give Brady a steady rhythm and confidence, but also milk the clock and keep the pass rushers off-balance.

This is the situation where I think they should also use Laurence Maroney. During the preseason, he showed flashes of explosiveness (you could argue he always had that) when catching passes out of the back-field.

There is a possibility that Welker will be absent from this game, as well Julian Edelman. If so, Maroney should see a lot of screens and passes coming his way.

Since we don’t know what the defense will give us this season, a good defense is truly going to be great offense.

Recap:

Ball control offense, with long drives that control time of possession to keep the Bills offense on the sidelines.
Screens to running backs and receivers to keep pass rushers off-balanced and give Brady a rhythm
Keep Brady on his feet and make sure he doesn’t get hurt.

Tom Brady: Will He Ever Avoid The Sack of "The System Quarterback?"

T.A — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:58:32 -0400

When debating on the performance of players in the NFL, there are two sides of any debate—those who consider statistic as the best measure of the players performance and those who consider wins and championships as the best measure of a players performance.

Each side has its own measure and formula of what is most important and how to judge a players performance.

The measure of how "clutch" a player performs is mostly used by those who believe winning championships is the most important factor in any debate (especially quarterbacks.)

When those who weigh championships more mention the notion of clutch to the statistics group, the stats group usually say that it’s a false measure—that being clutch is exaggerated in order to make excuses as to why a player hasn’t put up impressive statistics.

That in turn would equalize the playing field to players that have put up impressive numbers.

What’s ironic is that this same group of debaters have created a fictitious measure themselves—the cliché of a "system quarterback," described as being a quarterback with outstanding surrounding talent, coaching staff, and an organization that covers flaws in the quarterbacks ability to be successful and win games.

This cliché is used on Tom Brady more than any other quarterback in the league today. The only problem is, Tom Brady's not a "system quarterback."

The cliché used against Brady is nothing more than the Brady pundits excuses to why he has become successful.

The majority of NFL fans believe that Brady was drafted and put into a Super Bowl contender. This is a misconception that is meant to belittle Tom Brady’s impact to the New England Patriots.

Before Brady became the starting quarterback of the Patriots in the 2001 season, the Patriots went 5-11 with a four time Pro-Bowl quarterback (which Brady is now himself) and former No. 1 overall pick in Drew Bledsoe.

They also had major pieces put in place such as Willie McGinest, Ty Law, Teddy Bruchi, Kevin Faulk, Adam Vinatieri, and Lawyer Milloy, and Bill Belichick. All of those players were present prior to Brady becoming the starter and were present after he became the starter.

Yet, the Patriots still went 5-11 the year before Brady became a starter.

Not much change from 2000 to 2001. The Patriots drafted both Matt Light and Richard Seymour in the 2001 season but neither were major contributors to the 2001 Championship run.

The 2000 defense and 2001 defense performed very much at the same level. The 2000 defense ranked No. 20 in the league in overall defense, and the 2001 defense ranked No. 24 in overall defense.

The defense from 2000 allowed 334.6 yards-per-game while the 2001 defense allowed 334.5 yards-per-game.

The 2001 defense was better than the 2000 defense in terms of points allowed, but by a small margin; the 2000 defense allowed 21 points-per-game, and the 2001 defense allowed 17 points.

Brady Pundits could say that Bill Belichick needed time to set up the defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 but this notion is false since Bill Belichick has always used the 4-3 at some point during the season.

He used the 4-3 defense in both Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXIX.

The point I’m trying to make is Brady was not put in a perfect situation and in a team that was a Super Bowl contender, and that there was no major difference between the Patriots team that went 5-11 in 2000 and the Patriots team went on to win the Super Bowl in 2001.

Those who label Brady as a system quarterback must be clear on which system they are talking about.

Tom Brady has worked with three offensive systems throughout his career. The Charlie Weis system, the early version Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick System, and the late version.

The Charlie Weis system utilized the running game and screen passes to Kevin Faulk more often and featured a lot of two TE sets.

The early Josh McDaniels system (in which Belichick was more involved in the offense) utilized quick slant passes to Troy Brown, while the late Josh McDaniels system was a finesse passing game.

It’s ironic that Brady succeeded in all of those systems.

Many like to point out that Matt Cassel succeeded in the same Patriots system that Tom Brady played in.

What they fail to realize is that the system that Cassel played in with Randy Moss and Wes Welker isn't the same system Brady played in his whole career.

Brady put up the same numbers Cassell put up in his first year without all the weapons, not to mention he played a tougher schedule than Cassel played.

The cliché of "the system quarterback" is very dubious in my opinion, considering the fact that every quarterback in the NFL could be labeled as a "system quarterback."

Every team surrounds their quarterbacks with the players they feel like will best help their quarterback succeed. Some teams will surround their quarterback with a great defense; others will surround their quarterback with a great offense.

So why is the quarterback that is surrounded with the better defense considered a system quarterback, while the other one is not labeled with the cliché?

In Bill Belichick We Trust

T.A — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:23:53 -0400

Being a New England Patriots fan on draft day is like attending circus: you never know what’s going to happen.

Bill Belichick surprises me every year. This year, Cassel went for a second round pick. Last year, Asante Samuel was let go. Before that, it was cutting Lawyer Milloy. Years before that, it was letting Bledsoe go to start Brady.

It seems that it is almost certain that Belichick is going to make a move that surprises me sometime during the season.

Going into this years draft, analysts and broadcasters stated that this draft was very deep.

I was shocked when my favorite draft analyst, Mike Mayock, stated on the NFL Network, “this draft sucks.” Minutes later on an interview with Bill Belichick, Belichick stated that he didn’t disagree.

These statements set the mood of a surprising and unanticipated draft.

I thought that the biggest need the Patriots had was OLB. Yet, they didn’t select an outside linebacker until the third round.

Watching the first round, I was bewildered when Rey Maulugua was slipping way from the top-15. I kept hoping for him to slip to the Patriot’s 23rd pick.

I was ecstatic when he was available at the 23rd spot. I was shocked when we traded the pick to Baltimore in exchange for their 26th pick.

When Maulugua was still available at 26th, I thought that Belichick was doing what he did last year in terms of what he did for Mayo: move back a couple of spots and pick the same player you would have with the previous pick with less money.

To my dismay, they traded back and eliminated themselves from the first round and once again avoided Maulugua.

I was even more ecstatic when Maulugua was still available at the 34th pick.

Belichick surprised me again by passing up Maulugua, Everett Brown, and Connor Barwin. Instead he opted to selected Oregon safety Patrick Chung.

I didn’t think that the Patriots needed a safety, especially since they signed James sanders to a three year, $3 million deal during the off-season.

He surprised me once again when he drafted Ron Brace, a defensive tackle out of Boston College with the 40th overall pick.

I thought to myself, “Why would you draft a defensive tackle when you have one of the best nose tackles in the league, Vince Wilfork?"

With the 58th pick, Belichick drafted Sebastian Vollmer, an unknown offensive tackle.

In the third round, the Patriots traded two of their four draft picks for two second round picks next year.

Many of my friends started questioning Belichick’s draft. Some even went as far as to question whether or not BB could handle the draft without Scott Pioli.

I admit, I was a bit upset with the draft. But, as a Patriots fan, I will always live by the code: in Bill we trust.

There is no doubt in my mind that when Pioli was in New England, Belichick was still the commander. He always made the last call.

To be honest, I didn’t really like the draft, at first. I would have personally loved some other players like Barwin, Cushing, Maulugua, and Brown.

I trust Bill Belichick. He has a better track record than most of the general managers in this league.

After further analysis, I realized that what Belichick did was very smart.

He didn‘t like any of the OLB in this years draft, so he decided to get second round picks for next years draft.

As of now, the Patriots have three second round picks in next years draft.

This will allow Bill to do what he loves to do best in next years draft: trade up, trade down, and have flexibility.

Belichick also drafted Daruis Butler, who Mike Mayock graded as his best CB in this year's draft.

Belichick also drafted Ron Brace for insurance just in case Wilfork leaves the Patriots next year.

Belichick also traded Ellis Hobbs because he knew that, with Daruis Butler, Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, Terrence Whitley, and Jonathan Wilhite, Hobbs would have no way of making the team.

Patrick Chung is most likely going to be the strong safety and Merriweather is going to be the free safety. I don’t really know what’s going to happened to Sanders. Bill gave him a $3 million deal, and now he is likely go to be on the bench.

I love the draft pick of Daruis Butler. I think that, within two or three years, he will be a shutdown corner.

With Butler and Bodden starting, both of our cornerbacks are six feet tall.

Our secondary is now fixed. All that we need to do now is either sign Jason Taylor or trade for Peppers.

One thing is sure: our defense is better right now than it was last year.

Belichick also drafted Sebastian Vollmer. He will most likely learn for a year or two and will replace Nick Kaczur at right tackle.

We all know that Belichick makes his share of mistakes, but he has selected some amazing players.

The NFL's Top 10 First Overall Draft Picks

T.A — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:30:42 -0400

With the NFL draft about two weeks away, the Detroit Lions have a large task at hand.

Just like the 72 teams that have picked first overall before them, the Lions must make a detailed analysis of their team and select first overall.

In the vast and captivating history of the National Football League, 72 players have been selected first overall.

The first overall pick is the pick that is awarded to the worst team the NFL has to offer. This pick allows the team to rebuild for the future.

It allows the team’s fanbase to be excited about the upcoming season and forget the previous season.

The player that is selected first overall is supposed to be the new face of the franchise, a combination of the team’s position needs and the best player available.

Much to the dismay of the teams that select them, few of these players turn out to be the players that the teams, the league, and the general public thought they would be.

However, a select few have, in fact, turned out to be what we thought they would be or even exceeded expectations.

I have devised a list of the greatest first overall draft picks in NFL History.

I graded these players on how great their careers were and whether or not they were Hall of Famers.

Unlike my last article, I included players that didn’t make their career with the team that were drafted by, for the simple reasoning that although you played for another team, you were still a first overall draft pick.

Honorable Mention: Ron Yary

Ron Yary was the first overall pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 1968 NFL Draft.

He had a spectacular career with the Vikings and Rams. He was a phenomenal offensive tackle.

He was voted to the Pro Bowl seven times (1971-1977).

He was selected First Team All-Pro six times (1971-1976).

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

10. Bill Dudley

Statistical Analysis

Rushing: 765 Att, 3,057 Yds, 18 TD, 36 Fmb

Receiving: 123 Rec, 1,383 Yds, 18 TD

Passing: 81/222, 985 Yds, 6 TD, 17 INT

Kicking: 66 FGA, 33 FGM, 127 XPA, 121 XPM

Punting: 193 punts, 7,304 Yds

Kickoff and Punt Returns: 3,258 Yds, 4 TD

Defense: 23 INT

Bill Dudley was drafted first overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1942 NFL Draft.

Dudley proved to be a very good pick. He played almost every position the NFL had to offer. He passed, rushed, received, punted, returned punts and kickoffs, and played defense.

The guy personified versatility.

He was a part of the “60-Minute Men,” a breed of players that played both offense and defense, a practice that’s becoming extinct in today’s NFL.

Although Dudley played for two other teams (the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins), he was still very productive.

Dudley was selected to three Pro Bowls (1942, 1950, 1951).

He selected First Team-All Pro in 1942.

He led the league in rushing yards in 1942 and 1946. In those same years he led the league in all-purpose yards.

In 1942, he led the league in kick return touchdowns.

In 1946, he had an extraordinary year when he led the league in interceptions, punt returns, and rushing yards.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

9. Troy Aikman

Statistical Analysis: 2,898/4,715 (61.5%), 32,942 Yds, 165 TD, 141 INT

The Dallas Cowboys selected Troy Aikman first overall in the 1989 NFL Draft.

Aikman proved to be a very good selection. He led the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl victories (Super Bowls XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX), winning the Super Bowl XXVII MVP.

Aikman was selected to six Pro Bowls (‘91, ‘92, ‘93, ‘94, ‘95, ‘96).

He led the league in completion percentage in 1993.

Aikman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

8. Terry Bradshaw

Statistical Analysis: 2,025/3,901(51.9%), 27,989 Yds, 212 TD, 210 INT

Terry Bradshaw was voted to the Pro Bowl four times (1975, 1978, 1979).

He was voted First Team All-Pro in 1978.

Bradshaw led the league in passing touchdowns in 1978.

He led the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories, a record he holds with Joe Montana.

The Steelers always could count on Bradshaw to perform in the big games.

Bradshaw was very talented, but he had overwhelming talent around him.

Bradshaw was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

7. Paul Hornung

Statistical Analysis

Rushing: 893 Att, 3,711 Yds, 50 TD, 22 Fmb

Receiving: 130 Rec, 1,480 Yds, 12 TD

Kicking: 140 FGA, 66 FGM, 194 XPA, 190 XPM

Passing: 24/55 (43.6%) 383 Yds, 5 TD, 4 INT

Paul Hornung, “The Golden Boy” of the Green Bay Packers dynasty, was an explosive player. Hornung truly had a “nose for the end zone” as he made big plays in crucial situations.

His most notable clutch play came in the 1965 Championship game against the Cleveland Browns. With the score 13-12 in the third quarter, Hornung made a 13-yard touchdown run to give Green Bay a 20-12 lead, a lead they didn’t relinquish.

The victory gave Green Bay their ninth overall NFL title.

Hornung was a phenomenal tailback. In the 1961 NFL Championship game against the New York Giants, Hornung showed his clutch abilities, demonstrating why his teammates and coach trusted him with the ball in big games. He scored a then-record 19 points as the Packers won one of their many NFL titles.

Hornung was also a very good punter, wide receiver, and kicker.

Hornung was also a very effective blocker.

In 1961 Hornung was voted the NFL’s MVP.

He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1959 and 1960.

He was voted First Team All-Pro in 1960 and 1961.

In 1960 he led the league in total touchdowns with 15.

He led the league in total points scored (including extra points and field goals) in 1959, 1960, and 1961.

He inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

6. O.J. Simpson

Statistical Analysis

Rushing: 2,404 Att, 11,236 Yds, 61 TD

Receiving: 203 Rec, 2,142 Yds, 14 TD

Before O.J. Simpson went crazy and became known for the alleged murder of his wife and conviction of robbery, Simpson was a fantastic NFL player.

The Buffalo Bills drafted him first overall in the 1969 NFL Draft.

O.J. proved to be a phenomenal running back.

O.J. was voted to the Pro Bowl six times (1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976).

He was voted First Team All-Pro five times (1972-1976).

He led the league in rushing touchdowns twice (1973, 1975).

He led the league in rushing four times (1972, 1973, 1975, 1976).

He was named NFL Player of the Year three times (1972, 1973, and 1975).

Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

5. Earl Campbell

Statistical Analysis: 2,187 Att, 9,407 Yds, 74 TD

The Houston Oilers selected Earl Campbell first overall in the 1978 NFL Draft.

During the 1970s and early 1980s, NFL defenders felt the shoulder pads of Earl Campbell every time they played him.

Campbell was an absolute beast and was extremely hard to stop.

Campbell was selected to five Pro Bowls (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983).

He was selected First Team All-Pro three times (1978, 1979, 1980).

He led the league in rushing yards in 1978, 1979, and 1980. In those same years he led the league in rushing yards per game.

He led the league in rushing touchdowns twice (1979, 1980).

In 1979 he led the league in total touchdowns with 19.

He was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year three times (1978, 1979, 1980).

He was voted the NFL MVP three straight years (1978, 1979, 1980).

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

4. John Elway

Statistical Analysis: 4,123/7,250 (56.9%) 51,475 Yds, 300 TD, 226 INT

Yes, I know that he abandoned the Colts and demanded a trade, and in doing so left the Colts in turmoil.

However, he was still a first overall draft pick no matter the team he played for, and with that reasoning I had to include him in the list.

John Elway was the leader of the Denver Broncos in the 1980s and '90s.

Elway was a very clutch quarterback. He led the Broncos to 47 fourth quarter comeback victories.

He led the league in passing yards in 1993.

He was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times (1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998).

He was voted the 1987 NFL MVP.

He led the Broncos to victories in Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

3. Chuck Bednarik

Statistical Analysis: 20 INT, 268 Yds, 1 TD

There aren't a lot of stats that are recorded regarding Chuck Bednarik, but the guy was one of the greatest football players to ever put on pads.

He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1949 NFL Draft. The guy didn’t disappoint.

He was the last “60-Minute Man.” He played both as a linebacker on defense and as a center on offense.

Bednarik was one of the toughest men to ever play football. In 14 NFL seasons Bednarik only missed three games.

Bednarik was made famous by one of the biggest hits in NFL history. In a game against he New York Giants, he hit Frank Gifford so hard he ended Gifford’s season.

In the 1960 NFL Championship game against the Green Bay Packers, Bednarik had the best game of his career.

During the game he knocked Paul Hornung, who is ranked seventh on this list, out of the game. After playing both sides of the ball the whole game, he made the most crucial play in the game when he stopped Jim Taylor at the eight-yard line as time ran out, giving the Eagles the NFL Championship victory.

Bednarik was voted to the Pro Bowl eight times (1950-1956, 1960).

He was voted First Team All-Pro five times (1950-1954).

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

2. Bruce Smith

Statistical Analysis: 200 Sacks, 2 INT, 43 FF

Bruce Smith is perhaps the greatest defensive player in our generation (1980-present).

The guy was a monster. You couldn't block him one on one no matter who you were.

When you hear his name, the first thing you think about is the NFL’s all-time sack leader.

The guy dominated the league almost every year that he played.

Bruce Smith was selected to 11 Pro Bowls (1987-1990, 1992-1998).

He was selected First Team All-Pro eight times (1987, 1988, 1990, 1993-1997).

He was named Defensive Player of the Year twice, in 1990 and 1996.

He is going to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

1. Peyton Manning

Statistical Analysis: 3,839/5,960 (64.4%), 45,628 Yds, 333 TD, 165 INT

As much as I dislike the guy, I have to give credit where credit is due

To this day, Peyton Manning is the greatest first overall pick of all time.

No other player on this list matches the statistical performance, the way he turned the franchise around, and his impact on the National Football league.

Manning destroys the competition with his statistical performance, and his Super Bowl victory destroys all questions that he couldn’t win the big one.

When he retires, Manning will probably be the best statistical quarterback the NFL has ever witnessed.

Manning has been to nine Pro Bowls (1999, 2000, 2002-2008).

Manning has been voted First Team All-Pro four times (2003-2005, 2008).

Manning has won three NFL MVP awards.

He has led the league in passing yards twice (2000, 2003).

He has led the league in passing touchdowns three times (2000, 2004, 2006).

He has led the league in passer rating three times (2004-2006).

Plus he is a certain first ballot Hall of Famer.

The Top 10 NFL Draft Steals of All Time

T.A — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:58:20 -0400

In the National Football League, a championship team is built through trades, free agency, and most importantly: the NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft is where teams build for the future. It allows teams to add depth or strike gold on players who will be starters for years to come. It allows the teams to get those one or two players who will put their team in the playoffs and possibly the Super Bowl.

Since the first official NFL Draft in 1936, which took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia, many teams were able to draft players in the first and second rounds who would later become Hall of Fame players.

Others have not been as fortunate.

Teams have picked early, but the players haven’t turned out to be what they hoped they’d become.

Surprisingly, players drafted in the later rounds, the players who many consider to be non-starters, have yielded more to their team than other players that were picked before them.

I've devised a list of the greatest draft steals in the history of the NFL Draft. I graded the players on the round they were selected in, how good they were, and if they made it to the Hall of Fame.

Players who were drafted in the first round are not included simply because, if they were drafted in the first round then they’re not considered a steal.

For example, although Dan Marino was drafted late in the first round and was a phenomenal football player for the Dolphins, he is not included on the list.

Also not included are players who didn’t build their career with the teams that drafted them. I don’t consider them draft steals but rather waiver, free agent, or trade steals.

Honorable Mention: Johnny Unitas

Johnny Unitas was a spectacular player. He is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. He was drafted in the ninth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers but later cut before the season began. Unitas made his career with the Baltimore Colts who signed him after he was cut, therefore he was a waiver steal, not a draft steal.

10. Andre Reed

Draft Selection: Fourth round, 86th overall pick; Career Stats: 951 Rec, 13198 Yds, 87 TD

Andre Reed was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 1985 NFL Draft.

He later would prove to be a great draft steal.

He was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times (1988-1994). In 1989, he was second in the league for receptions. He is sixth in NFL history for career receptions and 10th all-time for career receiving yards.

9. Art Shell

Draft Selection: Third round

Art Shell was an anchor of the Oakland Raiders' offensive line in the 1970s. He was a phenomenal left tackle.

He was named to the Pro Bowl eight times (1972-1978, 1980). He was also selected

First-Team All-Pro three times (1974, 1976, 1977).

In 1989 he was inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame.

8. Roger Staubach

Draft Selection: 10th round, 129th overall pick; Career Stats: 1685/2958 (58%), 22700, 153 TD, 109 INT, 83.4

During the 1970s, Roger Staubach was the leader of the Cowboys. Staubach was truly "Captain America." He led his team to victory, winning both Super Bowl VI and XII.

He was able to make big plays in crucial situations. Staubach was very clutch; he led the Cowboys to the 23 comeback victories. Seventeen of those comebacks were in the last two minutes. His clutch play earned him the nickname "Captain Comeback."

Things weren’t always exultant between the Cowboys and Staubach.

Staubach was involved in one of the vilest quarterback controversies in NFL history. In Staubach’s second season, Tom Landry couldn’t decide whether to start Staubach or Craig Morton.

There was a point in the season when Staubach and Morton were switching places after every play. After a heated battle, Tom Landry decided to start Staubach.

His passing numbers weren’t astonishing, but we have to remember he played in the dead ball era—a period in NFL history when teams didn’t score a lot of points due to the extraordinary defenses. He played in the same era with the Steel Curtain, Purple People Eaters, and the Fearsome Foursome.

He averaged 7.7 yards per attempt. He led the league in passer rating twice in 1971 and 1973. Also in 1973, he lead the league in passing touchdowns.

Staubach was a exceptional scrambler. He rushed for 2264 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career. He average 5.5 yards per attempt rushing. He was ranked sixth in the NFL Films’ list of Most Mobile Quarterbacks of all-time.

What amazes me is his patriotism to this amazing country. Staubach served in the U.S. Military after his college career at Navy. He wasn’t a full-time starter until the age of 29. He was inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

7. Bart Starr

Draft Selection: 17th round; Career Statistics: 1808/3149 (57.4%), 24718, 152 TD, 138 INT, 80.5 QB rating.

From my previous article, you probably know how I feel about Starr.

Starr was arguably the greatest quarterback in Green Bay Packers' history. His efficient play calling led the Packers to five championships and perhaps the greatest dynasty the NFL has witnessed.

Although Starr will always be overshadowed by his coach, he was a major part of the Packers’ dynasty.

He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966.

In 1966 he was named the NFL MVP and First Team All-Pro.

His numbers weren’t great, but it should be remembered that he never had 300 or more attempts in a season. The guy was a stud and has to be in the conversation of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time.

He was inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

6. Shannon Sharpe

Draft Selection: Seventh round, 192nd overall; Career Stats: 815 Rec, 10060 Yds, 62 TD, 12.3 Y/R

Shannon Sharpe is one of the game's greatest tight ends, but the Broncos never realized what kind of player he would be after they drafted him. In fact, they did not know what position to list him under on the roster.

Coming from Savannah State, scouts didn’t know a lot about him. He was too slow to be a wide receiver and too small to be a tight end.

The Broncos later noticed Sharpe was a hybrid tight end. He caused matchup problems for the defense every time he was on the field. Sharpe was too fast for the linebacker, and he was too big and strong for a cornerback to cover him.

He was selected to eight Pro Bowls (1992-98, 2001).

He was First Team All-Pro four times (1993, 1996-98).

When he retired, he had the record for most receptions by a tight end. He is also a future Hall of Famer.

5. Terrell Davis

Draft Selection: Sixth round, 196th overall; Career Stats: Rushing: 1655 ATT/ 7607 Yds, 60 TD. Receiving: 169 Rec, 1280 Yds, 5TD

Coming into the NFL Draft, Terrell Davis was downgraded because he wasn’t very fast.

Fifteen running backs that were picked before Davis would eventually all failed to match the career that Davis would have.

When the Broncos drafted Davis, he was a sixth running back in the depth chart. With hard work, dedication, and some great preseason games and training camp, Mike Shanahan elevated him as the starter for opening day.

Davis would fail to disappoint Shanahan. He gave John Elway the running support that he lacked for so long.

In his seven-year career, Davis made it to three Pro Bowls, 1996-1998. He was selected First Team All-Pro in those same years.

In 1998 he led the league in rushing, and he led the league in rushing touchdowns twice (1997, 1998). Also in 1998, he led the entire league in total touchdowns with 23.

In 1998 he joined some of the few running backs that have eclipsed 2000 yards in a season.

Davis proved that speed is not the only factor to be looked at when drafting players.

4. Larry Wilson

Draft Selection: Seventh round, 74th overall pick; Career Stats: 52 INT, 800 Yds, 5 TD.

It's easy for me to mention Larry Wilson because he is one of my all-time favorite athletes and is probably my favorite non-Patriot of all-time.

He was a cerebral safety that was unheralded for his time. Quarterbacks would fear every aspect of his game.

When Wilson came into the league, he revolutionized how the game would be played forever.

After his college career, Wilson played as a running back. He was very small, 6' and 190 pounds to be exact.

When the Cardinals drafted him in the second round, they didn’t really need him in the running game. They later decided to move him to the safety position.

Wilson was the first safety to master the safety blitz. He was an absolute beast when he was coming from a blitz. Blocking him with a tight end or running back was impossible because he was so fast and skillful at the new scheme.

When he wasn’t blitzing, he was intercepting passes. He had phenomenal ball skills, so quarterbacks would try to avoid throwing the ball his way. This tactic didn't have any success because they never knew where Wilson was going to be. They didn’t know if he was going to blitz and deliver a devastating blow or drop back into coverage and intercept a pass.

Wilson had many sacks, but the exact number of sacks was not recorded during the years of his career.

He was inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

3. Deacon Jones

Draft Selection: 14th round, 186th overall pick

Deacon Jones played in the '60s and '70s. During this time period, sacks and tackles were not accurately recorded, but the word "sack" is largely credited to him. The only stats that he was credited with was two interceptions for 50 yards.

Jones was the leader and talented pass rusher of the Fearsome Foursome. When Jones came into the league, he revolutionized the defensive end position.

He had amazing speed and quickness for a relentless first step.

Although he played for three teams, (the Rams, Chargers, and Redskins) his career debut came with the Rams, but while with the Chargers, he was still a productive player and one of the premier pass rushers.

He was selected to eight Pro Bowls (1964-1970, 1972).

He was selected First Team All-Pro five times (1965-1969), and he was inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

2. Joe Montana

Draft Selection: Third round, 82nd pick; Career Stats: 3409/5391 ( 63.2%), 40551 Yds, 273 TD, 139 INT.

Who would have thought perhaps the greatest quarterback in NFL history would have been a third round pick?

Coming from Notre Dame, Montana lacked arm strength and consistency.

However, after Bill Walsh worked Montana out, he realized that Montana was the perfect fit for the 49ers' West Coast offense.

The rest was history. Montana would become a legend.

Montana won four Super Bowls, winning three Super Bowl MVP awards.

Montana made it to the Pro Bowl eight times (1981, 1983-85, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993).

He was selected First Team All-Pro three times (1987, 1989, 1990).

In 1982 and 1987 he led the league in passing touchdowns.

He led the league in passer rating in 1987 and 1989. In 1989 he also led the league in passing yards per game and yards per attempt.

He threw for 300 or more yards 39 times and passed for 400 or more yards seven times.

None could question Montana’s clutch abilities. Montana led his teams to 31 fourth- quarter comebacks, none more suspenseful than the Super Bowl XXIII fourth-quarter comeback against the Cincinnati Bengals.

He was inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

1. Tom Brady

Draft Selection: Sixth round, 199th overall. Career Stats: 2301/ 3653 (63%), 26,446, 197 TD, 86 INT.

Thomas Edward Brady Jr., the golden boy of the Patriots' dynasty. Brady was drafted by the New England Patriots as a compensatory pick of the 2000 NFL Draft. The Patriots were considering drafting Tim Rattay of Louisiana Tech, however, they decided to go with Brady.

This move later transformed the way New England football would be played.

Brady has led the Patriots to four Super Bowls, and led them to victory in three of them. He was named Super Bowl MVP twice.

He has compelled a 14-3 (.824) playoff record, only out-matched by Bart Starr’s 9-1 playoff record.

With 50 in a season, Brady holds the record for most touchdowns.

He is also is the youngest quarterback to ever win three Super Bowls.

He has been selected to four Pro Bowls (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007).

He was named the 2007 NFL MVP, and the AP Male Athlete of the year in 2007.

He led the league in touchdowns in 2002 and 2007, and lead the league in passing yards in 2005 and 2007.

Why Bart Starr Is Underrated

T.A — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:54:41 -0400

In today’s NFL, fans focus too much on the present day. We love the players that we witness play, however, many of us fail to learn about the players of the past.

I was recently at a sports bar and I overheard a conversation about the greatest quarterbacks of all time. As a lifelong NFL fan, I decided to participate in the conversation. When I heard their list, I was shocked. Nowhere in their list did I hear the name Bart Starr.

After realizing this I asked them, “Why isn’t Bart Starr in any of your lists? Clearly, he was one of the all time greats that played this game.”

Their answer was “he had Hall of Fame talent all around him, besides, his stats weren’t even that good.”

I excused myself from the table as soon as I heard the ludicrous statement.

Many NFL fans today, fail to have knowledge on the history of this eminent game. Many fail to do extensive research and adhere to their colleagues', friends', or families' accepted beliefs.

They fail to realize that Starr has achieved more success in the era that he played in than most of the quarterbacks that they consider to be better than he was.

Starr was a clutch and prolific passer who led his teammates to adore and admire him. He did nothing but win month after month, and year after year. He was the on-field general of one of the greatest if not the greatest dynasties the NFL has ever seen.

He was a samurai of the Packers offense, slicing through defenses with his efficient passes. He was just what his last name said he was: a star.

However, in the modern world, his accomplishments are thrown out in the streets like garbage. His achievements are stomped on by the feet of inanity. Some even go as far as to call him overrated.

Common misconception has done a severe injustice to Bart Starr’s legacy. His legacy is usually shrouded by the fact that he was surrounded by Hall of Fame talent.

People throw his achievements away, stating that he had a great defense and great running game to back him. They discredit his clutch abilities by saying he rarely had to score a lot of points in order for his team to win.

On the contrary to popular opinion, I believe that Bart Starr is one of the most underrated and underappreciated quarterbacks in NFL history.

How good was Bart Starr? Well, I’m here to shed some light to this subject.

Statistical Analyst

Here are Bart Starr’s career stats.

1808/3149 (57.4 percent), 24718, 152 TD, 138 INT, 80.5 QB rating

From a first glance, these statistically may not seem good at all. But let’s take an in-depth look into them.

Many blame him for not having a spectacular season as he has never thrown for over 3,000 yards, nor has he ever thrown more than 20 touchdowns in a season. Let’s examine this situation.

Throughout his career, Bart Starr has started a full season as the primary quarterback only four times. This limits his opportunities to put up big stats.

Here are the seasons that he did in fact start the whole year.

1961: 172/295 (58.3%), 2418 yards , 16 TD, 16 INT. (Pro Bowl Selection)

1962: 178/285 (62.5%), 2438 yards, 12 TD, 9 INT. (Pro Bowl Selection)

1964: 173/272 (59.9%) 2144 yards, 25 TD, 4 INT.

1965: 140/251 (55.8%) 2055 yards, 16 TD, 9 INT.

His best seasons, besides 1966, occurred when he started the entire year.

But starts doesn’t tell the whole story to why Bart Starr never had a spectacular season. Passing attempts has a lot to do with it. He averaged 20 attempts per start.

Sammy Baugh averaged 36 attempts per start. Tom Brady has averaged about 33 attempts per start. Peyton Manning has averaged about 34 attempts per start.

As you can clearly see, all of these quarterbacks average over 10 more attempts per game than Bart Starr.

The most attempts Bart Starr has ever had in season was 295. When Johnny Unitas threw for 24 touchdowns in 1957, he had 301 attempts.

In 1959, Johnny Unitas threw 34 touchdowns, but he had 367 attempts. He had 378 attempts in 1960 when he threw for 25 touchdowns.

When Sammy Baugh threw for 25 touchdowns in 1947 he had 354 attempts. In 1962, Y.A Tittle had 375 attempts when he threw for 20 TD. In 1967, Fran Tarkenton had 377 attempts, throwing 29 touchdowns.

All of these players took 300 or more attempts in order to throw for 20 or more touchdowns, Bart Starr never had 300 or more attempts in a season.

So if Bart Starr had 300 or more attempts would he have thrown 20 or more touchdowns?

A statistic that could help us figure this out is TD% (touchdown percentage). This statistic helps us find out how many attempts it took for a quarterback to throw one touchdown.

In Bart Starr’s case, it’s not logical to use his career TD% since he had very few attempts his rookie (44) and his last year (45). I decided to take the TD% in the year that he the best TD% and see how many attempts it would have took him to pass for 20 touchdowns.

In 1963 Bart Starr had 244 attempts and had a 6.1 TD%. If he kept going at that pace it would have took him about 327 attempts to reach 20 touchdowns.

This was the case for many quarterbacks in his time such as Sammy Baugh and Johnny Unitas. In fact, in the seasons in which Johnny Unitas didn’t have 300 or more attempts he never threw for 20 or more touchdowns.

Neither did Sammy Baugh. In fact, many quarterbacks today would struggle to throw for over 20 touchdowns if they had about 240 attempts per year.

Fans today make the mistake of focusing too much on the overall results. I like to look at the averages. And that's the place where Starr excelled in.

Throughout his career, Starr has averaged 7.8 yards per attempt. Joe Montana, Sammy Baugh, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Y.A. Tittle, Fran Tarkenton, and Otto Graham all couldn’t match that mark.

He averaged 13.7 yards per completion in his career. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, John Elway, and Dan Marino all couldn’t surpass this mark even with the fact that they started in more games and completed more passes.

He has a better career completion rating than Johnny Unitas, Sammy Baugh, Fran Tarkenton, and Y.A. Tittle.

His interception percentage was lower than that of Johnny Unitas, Y.A. Tittle, and Sammy Baugh.

His quarterback rating is better than that of Sammy Baugh (72.2) , Sid Luckman (75.0), Johnny Unitas (78.2), and Y.A. Tittle (74.3).

Bart Starr led the league in passer rating three times.

He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1960, 1961, 1962, and 1966. In 1966, he was named the NFL MVP and was named First Team All-Pro.

Postseason and Clutch Play

Bart Starr is arguable the greatest postseason quarterback of all time. He has an NFL record 9-1 playoff record, and he has won five NFL Championships.

Many may argue that the record and championships were a result of the team being talented in all positions. What they don’t know is that Bart Starr had some prolific games in the playoffs and championship games.

In the 1961 Championship game against the New York Giants, he threw for three touchdowns as the Packers humiliated the Giants in 37-0 victory.

His best postseason game was the 1966 NFL Championship game, when he threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns as the Packers beat the Cowboys 34-27.

His best clutch performance came in the 1967 Ice Bowl. The official game-time temperature was -13 degrees Fahrenheit, and the wind chill made it seem like it was -48 degrees Fahrenheit.

The average quarterback will not dare to play in this kind of weather. In fact, the league won’t even allow anyone to play in this kind of weather.

The officials couldn’t even use their metal whistle in the frigid weather. The NFL Network reported that the referee tried to blow the whistle after the first play and as he pulled the whistle out of his mouth his lip started bleeding.

Even with the relentless Doomsday Cowboys defense Bart Starr quickly went to work and he gave his team a 14-0 lead after two touchdown passes.

With the Packers down 17-14 and 4:50 remaining in their own 32-yard line, in sub-zero temperatures, Starr led his team to one of the most ostentatious and methodical drives in NFL history.

His play calling and pinpoint accurate passes propelled the Packers down the field all the way to the Dallas 3-yard line.

With the ball on the 3-yard-line, Starr gave the ball to Donny Anderson three straight times and he only managed to gain two yards.

It was third and goal at the one yard line with 16 seconds left on the clock. Center Ken Bowman and Guard Jerry Kramer made perfect blocks and allowed Starr to execute a quarterback sneak to give Green Bay the victory that gave them a third consecutive NFL Championship.

Team Support

Many say that he had great team support. They state that he had suffocating defenses and prolific running games. These are the same people who don’t do enough research on the subject and adhere to the general public’s point of view.

Bart Starr’s Packers weren’t a great running team in their early and later years. In fact in some Championship years Bart Starr had horrible run support.

Here is the rank of his running game in every year that he played:

Year: Rank: Amount of Teams in the league:

1956 10 12

1957 11 12

1958 10 12

1959 3 12

1960 2 21

1961 1 22

1962 2 22

1963 2 22

1964 1 22

1965 15 22

1966 11 24

1967 5 25

1968 15 26

1969 13 26

1970 16 26

1971 4 26

This chart helps us see that The Packers had their best rushing teams from 1959-1964. They had horrible rushing teams from 1956-58 and had sub-par rushing attacks from 1965-71.

So how did the rushing game impact Bart Starr’s performance?

Well, from a first glance it seems that whenever the rushing game was good, he did better, considering he had his best seasons from 1961-65, the same span of years in which the Packers had a good running game.

But a closer look proves otherwise.

In the years that he had a prolific running game those were the years that he had the most attempts in. So we can’t really say that it was the running game that made his numbers go up.

He also had a very good year in 1966 and lead his team to the a Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs even though his defense ranked 11th in the league.

The conclusion that he didn’t play well when he had a bad running game cannot be made, because he averaged 186.5 attempts in the years that his running game wasn't one of the most productive in the league.

The Verdict

Even with all of his accomplishments and accolades the general public proves to be ignorant and foolish by not giving Bart Starr his due respect. He played in the harsh weather Green Bay had to offer, called his own plays, and yet, many consider to him to be overrated.

The public loves the quarterbacks with all the stats but fail to recognize the quarterbacks that have done nothing but win. They fail to take an in-depth look into the stats to reveal secrets that they may not have known.

I hope that this article gave you a more clear understanding of who Bart Starr was a player.

Why Bill Belichick Is a Hall of Famer

T.A — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:37:25 -0400

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is an elite club in which only the players and coaches who have best contributed to the game are enshrined.

We all know that to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame you must have had a very decorated career as a player or coach.

With that in mind, is Bill Belichick a Hall of Famer?

The first thing many of you thought when you read my question was Spygate. You thought how can a “cheater” be inducted into the most exalted and renowned honor that the NFL has to offer.

Many may say that what Belichick did from 2000-2006 is tainted because of Spygate. They say that the “scandal” helped Belichick on winning many of those games and championships.

Many failed to do extensive research on the subject and immediately blurt out what they heard from ESPN or other prod casters.

If we set Spygate aside and look at his accomplishments you’ll realize that Bill Belichick is truly a Hall of Famer.

Few coaches in the history of the National Football League have accomplished what Bill Belichick accomplished.

New York Giants Defensive Coordinator.

Bill Belichick had his rise to fame when he was the New York Giants' defensive coordinator. He was one of the best and brightest defensive coordinators during his time in New York.

During his 12 years as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator the average overall rank of his defense was about 8th in the league.

He posted top-10 defenses eight times.

He posted top-five defenses six times.

His 1985, 1986, and 1990 defenses were ranked 2nd in the league in overall defense.

In 1990 his defense was ranked 1st in points allowed.

His most significant defensive job as the Giants' defensive coordinator is not remembered for the brilliance he showed but for the last play of the game. In Super Bowl XXV Bill Belichick’s defense held the high-powered Buffalo Bills' offense to 19 points. The game plan that he devised for the famous or infamous upset is now situated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Cleveland Browns Head Coach:

Bill Belichick was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1991-1995. He had a disappointing career as the Browns' head coach but few realize or give him the credit for having a good season in Cleveland and he never had a season in Cleveland in which he didn’t win at least five games. His overall record in Cleveland was 36-44, which is a terrible record. However, in 1994, he lead the Browns to an 11-5 record.

New England Patriots Head Coach:

Bill Belichick’s time in New England was the golden age of his career. As New England’s head coach Bill Belichick compiled a 105-40 record.

He created one of the NFL’s greatest dynasties with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls in a four-year span.

In 2001, Belichick led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history. In the Super Bowl victory over the St. Louis Rams Belichick showed his genius when he shut down one of the NFL's greatest offenses to only 17 points. Belichick’s defense kept the Rams to three points in three quarters. His game plan against the Rams is now held with his game plan against the Giants in Super Bowl XXV in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In his nine years with the Patriots the team has only failed to make the playoffs three times. In addition, he had five consecutive playoff appearances.

During Spygate

I know there’s some people who have done their research and feel annoyed and that it's unnecessary that I mention this, but I’m putting together a case for why Belichick should be a Hall of Famer, I have to address this issue as it is part of Belichick’s career.

First and foremost Belichick was not convicted of “cheating” by the NFL. He was convicted of improper camera placement.

As my good friend John here on B/R has mentioned many times before, the NFL rule books state that teams cannot put cameras anywhere in a stadium that doesn‘t have three walls and a roof over it (the press box).

Belichick didn’t use the video tapes he had for the game that was being played. He used them for future reference. He didn’t video tape every team they played. The video tapes containing others things and contained few aspects of the opponents defensive signals.

We must ask ourselves a question: did Bill Belichick gain any competitive edge with Spygate, and if so, how much of an edge?

Belichick reportedly started video taping the other team's defensive signals in the 2000 NFL season, which was the year that the Patriots finished the season with a 5-11 record.

The next season was a dramatic turnaround, as the team won their first Super Bowl.

Right after winning their first franchise Super Bowl in 2002, a year that included the era of Spygate, the Patriots finished the season with no playoff berth.

The next year they went back to the Super Bowl and won it. The same thing goes with 2004.

So the first five years of Spygate resulted in three Super Bowls and two seasons with no playoff berths.

If Spygate was such an advantage, why was it so inconsistent?

The answer: Even if it did give Belichick an edge, it was only a minimal edge--if it was such an enormous edge, then the Patriots wouldn’t have been so inconsistent in their first five years of the Spygate scandal. Yes, they won three Super Bowls, but they missed the playoffs twice those years.

After Spygate:

Lets look at his career after spy gate. After the NFL found out about Belichick’s video taping NFL agents were ordered to oversee everything that the Patriots do on the sidelines.

In his first season without “cheating” ( he didn’t “cheat” in the Jets game because the video tapes were seized) he became the only coach in NFL history to lead a team to a 16-0 season.

He lead the New England Patriots to a 18-0 record before finally losing to the New York Giants in the final minutes of the Super Bowl. He engineered a defense that was ranked 4^th in the league in overall defense.

In his second year of not “cheating” he lead the Patriots to an 11-5 record and missed the playoffs only for the simple fact that he had a poor conference record, and the Patriots became the only 11-5 team since the 1985 Denver Broncos to miss the playoffs.

Belichick's overall record after Spygate is 29-6.

An argument could be proposed that Bill Belichick now has a better team and doesn’t need to cheat. That isn’t exactly true. Yes, the Patriots now have a better offense but their defensive unit during the Spygate era was much better than the one they had during the past two years.

The Patriots have won at least nine games in the last seven years under Belichick.

In the playoffs, Belichick is 15-4 over his career both with the Browns and Patriots. Only Vince Lombardi has a better wining percentage in the playoffs than Belichick does.

The only obstacle preventing Bill Belichick from being a Hall of Famer is Spygate. But as I mentioned, he has succeeded without Spygate. If you look beyond that, Belichick’s accomplishments are unmatched by any coach in the last decade and is among the NFL’s all-time great coaches.

Sammy Baugh: The Greatest Overall Football Player of All Time

T.A — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:43:50 -0400

In the long history of the NFL, superstars, legends, and champions have all come and gone. They have dominated their time and have had an allure of reputations as the best of the best.

Every position in football is carefully analyzed and statistics have been saved from past decades, allowing us to compare pasts players to present players. People continually debated on who was and is the best at their position.

Other debates are of who is the best overall football players. In my mind there is no doubt that the greatest overall football player of all time is Sammy Baugh.

Samuel Adrian Baugh was a very talented athlete. He played his college football career for the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horn Frogs. He had a outstanding collegiate career. He was named All-American in 1935 and 1936.

Sammy Baugh was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round, sixth overall, in the 1937 NFL Draft.

In the long and illustrious history of the NFL there hasn’t been a more versatile player than Sammy Baugh. According to Steve Sabol of NFL Films Sammy Baugh played quarterback, tailback, cornerback, defensive tackle, he made punt and kickoff returns, and was a punter.

Sammy Baugh, the Quarterback

When Sammy Baugh entered the National Football League he created an offensive revolution that changed the nature of how football was played for eternity.

Football, back then, was a very primitive sport, compared to the football we know today. It was a pound for pound run game. Teams ran the ball mostly every play. Teams would only pass the ball as a form of desperation. Even if they passed the ball it was thrown within the 30 yards of the line of scrimmage.

Sammy Baugh was the stimulus that brought about the forward pass and changed how teams game planned and involved the forward pass in their play calling.

The NFL had never seen such a prolific passer when Baugh came into the league. His accuracy was unheralded for his time.

Sammy Baugh’s career passing statistics: 1693/2995 (56.5%), 21886, 187 TD, 203 INT, 72.2 QB rating

From a first glance these stats may seem pedestrian. But you have to realize the era that he played in. Nobody had come close to achieving these stats.

He lead the league in passing yards four times, his rookie year 1937, 1940, 1947, and 1948.

He lead the league in passing yards-per-game six times, in 1937, 1938, 1940, 1945, 1947, and 1948.

He lead the league in completion percentage nine times during his career.

He lead the league in passing touchdowns in 1940 and 1947.

He lead the league in passer rating four times, 1937, 1940, 1945, and 1947.

Sammy Baugh only started 83 games on offense and defense. In comparison, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and John Elway have double if not triple the amount of starts Sammy Baugh has while only playing on offense.

Sammy Baugh accomplished all of his passing statistics while also playing other positions such as cornerback, running back, punter, and defensive tackle.

Sammy Baugh, the Running Back

As a running back Sammy Baugh scored nine career rushing touchdowns, including one that went for 41 yards.

Sammy Baugh, the Defensive Back

As a defensive back Sammy Baugh had 31 career interceptions for 491 yards. In 1943, he lead the league in interceptions with 11 interceptions for 112 yards. Sammy Baugh is the only player in NFL history to throw four touchdowns passes and make four interceptions in the same game. The four interceptions he made in that game is still tied for the record of most interceptions in a game.

He also may have had many sacks and tackles as a defensive tackle and defensive back, unfortunately we can never know because sacks started to officially be recorded in 1969, and tackles started being recorded consistently in 1994 and weren’t official until 2001.

Sammy Baugh, the Kickoff and Punt Returner

In his punt and kickoff returns Baugh had 99 return yards in 11 receptions. Not phenomenal but pretty good for a quarterback.

Sammy Baugh, the Punter

Sammy Baugh was a phenomenal punter and was one of the best punters to ever play the game.

Sammy Baugh’s career punting Stats: 338 punts, 15245 yards, and averages 45.1 for punt

His longest career punts went for 85, 81, 75, 74, 75, and 76 yards.

His 45.1 average yards-per-punt is second all-time.

He led the league in punting yards in 1943.

He also lead the league in yards per punt from 1940-1943, the most seasons that a punter has ever lead the league.

His 51.4 average yards per punt in 1940 still stands today as the highest yards-per-punt in a season in NFL history.

His 48.73 average yards-per-punt in 1941 stands as third best in NFL history.

Lets look at the manner in which he achieved these statistics.

Sammy Baugh was one of the toughest players in NFL history. He played in an era where they had little protection, which was very dangerous. A game, back then, was very tough to go through. Even if you were injured you still had to play

“If you got hurt, many times your team wouldn’t take you out because, if they did, you couldn’t come back until the next quarter. They let you recover on the field,” Baugh said, reflecting on the rules used back then. Back then they were no rules to protect the quarterback.

He also play in era when the Mel Blount rule wasn’t created. This made it very difficult for his receivers to get up.

He also had these statistics with a sub-par supporting case.

Sammy Baugh retired after the 1952 season. By the time he retired he owned 13 NFL records. He was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 17-member charter class of 1963.

Sammy Baugh’s Championship

In his rookie season Sammy Baugh lead the Washington Redskins to a victory NFL Championship game. He also lead the Redskins to a victory in the 1942 NFL Championship game.

Accomplishments

In 1943 Baugh had the most impressive season in NFL history and accomplished something nobody will ever come close to accomplishing. He lead the league in passing, punting, and pass interceptions as defensive back.

Sammy Baugh was voted to the Pro Bowl six times.

Sammy Baugh retired after the 1952 season. By the time he retired he owned 13 NFL records. He was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 17-member Charter Class of 1963.

In my opinion Sammy Baugh is without a question the greatest football player in NFL history. He was the most versatile player the league ever witnessed. Some doubters might say that he didn’t play with competition but he also didn’t play with the luxury that toady’s players have. He didn’t have the protection, rules, and training equipment today’s players have at their disposal.

Top 10 NFL Head Coaches of This Decade

T.A — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:14:42 -0500

In the NFL there’s a lot of things that makes a team successful. One of the most important factors in a team’s success is the Head coach. The head coach is the general, the motivator, and the organizer of a team. Without a good head coach a team can’t be great. When you look at all the great teams of the past they all had great head coaches that knew how to win. The Green Bay Packers had Vince Lombardi. The Steelers of the 70s had Chuck Noll. The San Francisco 49ers had Bill Walsh. And the Cowboys had Jimmy Johnson. I decide to make my Top 10 list of the NFL head coaches in this decade starting from 2000. I will only count the coaches winning record starting from the 2000 season. Here’s the criteria I used. Regular Season success, Post Season success, how the coach motivates his players, Draft success , and most importantly Super Bowl wins. Let me know what you think.

Begin Slideshow

Breaking News: Matt Cassel Traded to Chiefs

T.A — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:38:06 -0500

Bill Belichick has done it again.

As reported by Adam Schefter of the NFL Network, Matt Cassel has been traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.

There’s no information on the compensation yet, but the deal includes a trade for Mike Vrabel. New Chiefs GM Scott Pioli is very familiar with Cassel, as he was the one that scouted him back in New England.

In my opinion, the deal is Mike Vrabel and Matt Cassel for Kansas City’s third overall pick and another later pick in this year's draft.

The Patriots started their youth improvement on the defensive side of the ball back in last year's draft and now they've traded Vrabel, who was one of the all-time Patriots players and likely will replace him in this year's draft.

Vrabel is going to be 34 years old when the season starts and would have been a free agent next year. It's a smart move by the Patriots to get what they can for him now before he retires or before he went to another team.

This is also good on Kansas City’s side because they now have a franchise quarterback to build their organization around. Many have speculated for months that Kansas City was the main trading option for Cassel and it looks like to be true.

Once again, Cassel is now a Kansas City Chief.

Philip Rivers Should Have Been Awarded AFC Offensive Player of the Year

T.A — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:19:37 -0500

Recently Peyton Manning was awarded the AFC Offensive Player of the Year. Although he had a great season he didn’t deserve to be given the award. Philip Rivers deserved it.

I am not a San Diego Chargers fan and quite frankly I don’t like Rivers’ attitude. However, he has been done an injustice. He had a better offensive season than Manning did.

All the excuses that you can make for Manning not having a good defense and run support you can make for Philip Rivers as well.

Here are the stats of both players:

Philip Rivers: 312/478 (65.3 percent) 4,009 yards, 34 TD, 11 INT

Peyton Manning: 371/555 (66.8 percent) 4,002 yards 27 TD, 12 INT

Manning had 77 more pass attempts yet couldn’t throw for more yards and touchdowns. Manning has the slight edge in completion percentage, but he had more attempts.

You could make the argument that Manning had no running game. The same thing could be said for Rivers. You could say that Manning’s defense was terrible, but the same could be said for Rivers.

Rivers was sacked 25 times this year. Manning, on the other hand, was sacked 14 times.

An argument could be made that Manning has a faster release, but Rivers also has a fast release. Manning was given a lot of protection and had time to throw the ball. Rivers had a passer rating of 105.5 while Manning’s was 95.0.

You could argue that Manning’s team had a better record but the award is for Offensive Player of the Year—your team's record has nothing to do with it.

Rivers had a better offensive year than Manning had, yet Manning won the award. This just proves that NFL awards are a popularity contest. The person that’s more popular among the writers that vote is going to win.

This wasn’t meant to say that Manning didn’t have a good season, because he did. However, Rivers had a better season and should have won the award.

He was done an injustice by not being named to the Pro Bowl and was done an injustice by not winning the AFC Offensive Player of the Year.

2009 NFL Mock Draft: First-Round Breakdown

T.A — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:10:37 -0500

Here’s my Mock Draft. There are many picks that are subject to question, but this is what I think will happen on draft day. Tell me what you think.

1. Detroit Lions: Jason Smith, OT (Baylor)

Now that Detroit has announced Daunte Culpepper as the starting QB for the '09 season, it would make no sense drafting Matt Stafford, especially since you can wait until next year when Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy are going to be available.

Smith was ranked as the No. 1 left Tackle by NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock.

He is the best pass protector out of all the tackles in this year’s draft. He has great athleticism, which explains why he started his collegiate career as a tight end.

2. St. Louis Rams: Eugene Monroe, OT (Virginia)

The Rams could go many different directions with this pick.

With new head coach Steve Spagnolo calling the shots, they may want to go defense and draft Aaron Curry to supplement Chris Long or go after Michael Crabtree to replace Torry Holt. However, their most pressing need right now is for a young talented tackle.

With Orlando Pace getting old and with this year's draft being loaded with talented tackles, the Rams have to look at a suitable replacement for him.

I see them taking Eugene Monroe out of Virginia.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: Matt Stafford, QB (Georgia)

With Matt Stafford still on the board the Chiefs are very surprised and with no franchise QB under center Scott Pioli isn’t going to let Stafford slide even more.

Aaron Curry may go here as well, but I don’t think Scott Pioli is going to pass up Stafford.

Stafford has a good arm and great pocket awareness. He can also fit the ball into tight spots.

This pick also depends on who Scott Pioli thinks is better: Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez.

4.Seattle Seahawks: Michael Crabtree, WR (Texas Tech)

Michael Crabtree is the pick here.

If his still available, there is no way the Seahawks are going to let him pass.

He is the most dynamic player in the draft.

He has great hands and explosiveness every time he touches the ball. His not running the 40-yard dash in the combine, so we can’t compare his speed to the rest of the receivers but on the field he is very fast.

5. Cleveland Browns: Aaron Curry, OLB (Wake Forest)

The Browns desperately need help on their defense.

They didn’t put any pressure on the QB last year and that resulted in them being burned in the secondary. Their choices here are Malcolm Jenkins or Aaron Curry.

I see them taking Curry as that will help them get pressure on the quarterback and help their secondary.

6. Cincinnati Bengal: Andre Smith, OT (Alabama)

This pick has to go offensive lineman. Cincinnati’s current left tackle Levi Jones has had terrible seasons the past two years. Their other tackle, Stacy Andrews, is coming off ACL and MCL injuries.

Andre Smith will give them a big boost and they could move him to right tackle and put Antony Collins, who had a pretty solid season last year, at left tackle.

7. Oakland Raiders: Jeremy Maclin, WR (Missouri)

With Al Davis making the calls anything could happen.

New head coach Tom Cable might persuade him to go offensive lineman and draft Michael Oher but knowing Al Davis he’ll want to draft the most explosive guy available and in this case its Jeremy McClain.

If McClain runs a 4.30 in the combine, this pick is a definite.

If the Raiders lose Nnamdi Asomugha in free agency they could also look to draft Malcolm Jenkins.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Oher, OT (Ole’ Miss)

The Jaguars' offensive linemen couldn’t protect David Garrard if their lives depended on it this past season.

That’s the reason I see them going with Michael Oher with this pick.

They could go with a running back to supplement Maurice Jones Drew since they cut Fred Taylor but they could pick a running back in the second round.

Michael Oher is a very good run blocker and picking him will only improve their offensive line.

9. Green Bay Packers: BJ Raji, DT (Boston College)

With the Packers switching to a 3-4 defense they need to get them a run-stuffing DT that could cause havoc.

Luckily for them, BJ Raji is in this year’s draft.

Raji is a monster that can dominate centers and guards for years to come. He could be the building block for their 3-4 defenses.

They could also decide to replace Al Harris and Charles Woodson but that wouldn’t help their transition at all.

10. San Francisco 49ers: Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB (Texas)

With Mark Sanchez still on the board the 49ers might decide to draft him, but I doubt they will and with new head coach Mike Singletary, they will turn to a run first and play good defense philosophy.

There’s no doubt that they will be able to run the ball with Frank Gore, but their defense needs some re-tooling.

They need a safety and somebody to put pressure on the QB. Brian Orakpo will provide them with someone that can put pressure on the QB and cause mistakes. They could pick up a safety later on.

With the run first philosophy, they mine as well let Shaun Hill be the starting QB, considering he already knows the system. They don’t want to make the same mistake they made with Alex Smith.

11. Buffalo Bills: Everette Brown, DE/OLB (Florida State)

The Bills had no pass rush this past season; Aaron Schobel being injured for most part of the season could have caused much of that, but even with him back they still need help.

They only had 24 sacks the whole season.

If Orakpo is still available at this point the Bills can’t pass him up.

12. Denver Broncos: Rey Maualuga, LB (USC)

Denver is switching to a 3-4 defensive scheme with new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan; they’re going to be looking for the right personnel and talent to fit the scheme.

Many see them taking Knowshon Moreno here but Denver needs to fix their defensive problems first—besides Peyton Hillis showed he has some promise before he got injured.

13. Washington Redskins: Peria Jerry, DT (Ole Miss)

Washington could look at WR or an offensive lineman with this pick but I see them trying to fix their lack of pass rush from the interior. Peria Jerry is rising up on draft boards and with a good combine, it‘ll only make his case stronger.

14. New Orleans Saints: Malcolm Jenkins, CB (Ohio State)

If Malcolm Jenkins is still available at this point this would be a sure pick.

The Saints have struggled in the secondary for a long time and Malcolm Jenkins would give them a big improvement. He has the potential to be a shut-down cornerback for years to come.

15. Houston Texans: Tyson Jackson, DE (LSU)

With no great safety in this years draft and Taylor Mays opting to stay in college, the Texans can’t take a safety this high.

The number one safety in this years draft Louis Delmas may still be available when they pick in the second round.

The Texans will focus their attention on getting someone to supplement Mario Williams. I see them taking Tyson Jackson here.

16. San Diego Chargers: Chris Wells, RB (Ohio State)

With LT getting older and Darren Sproles becoming a free agent, I see the Chargers picking up Chris Wells. This pick depends on if they re-sign Sproles but the Chargers don’t have a lot of positions of need.

17. New York Jets: Mark Sanchez, QB (USC)

With Brett Favre finally retired, the Jets need a franchise QB.

Mark Sanchez will provide them with just that. He has a strong arm and good accuracy.

The Jets may think about picking Knowshon Moreno here but I doubt they’ll pass up Sanchez.

18. Chicago Bears: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR (Maryland)

This may be too high for Darrius Heyward-Bey, but the Bears really need a wide receiver.

If they don’t pick him here I really feel sorry for Matt Forte and anyone who drafts him in Fantasy Football next year. Teams are going to stack the box and put eight men just to stop him.

The Bears offense is going to have a long season if they don’t draft Darrius Heyward-Bey.

I know a lot of people think they need to draft defense with this pick but they can pick up defensive players in free agency or later on in the draft.

19.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB (Penn State)

The Buccaneers may look at a WR here if they lose Antonio Bryant in free agency, but they need someone who can put pressure on the QB.

Although Aaron Maybin is undersized, he has great speed and explosiveness off of the edge. He could add some bulk once he gets drafted.

20. Detroit Lions: James Laurinaitis, LB (Ohio State)

Detroit was terrible in run defense last year and could use a major upgrade at linebacker. James Laurinaitis is a very skilled athlete. They can build their defense around him for years to come.

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Brandon Pettigrew, TE (Oklahoma State)

There are a lot drafts suggesting the Eagles go offensive lineman, but they need an upgrade at tight end. They could pick up an offensive lineman later on in the draft.

Brandon Pettigrew is a complete tight end as he can block and catch the ball.

22. Minnesota Vikings: Vontae Davis, CB (Illinois)

The Vikings need a QB and could very well draft Josh Freeman, but I think the Vikings will have to get some veteran help.

Josh Freeman is no better than Tavaris Jackson, because it’s going to take some time for him to develop. If they draft him, it's probably going to work out that Tavaris Jackson beats him out for the job anyway and its back to square one.

The Vikings are better off getting Derek Anderson or trading for Matt Cassel.

23. New England Patriots: Brian Cushing, LB (USC)

As a Patriots fan this is a no brainer for me.

It makes no sense drafting a cornerback when we already invested two picks last year for Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite.

Wheatley showed a lot of promise during Training camp and before he got injured. Jonathan Wilhite also showed potential filling in for Deltha O’Neal later on in the season.

Brian Cushing will have an immediate impact on the defense just like Mayo had last year.

24. Atlanta Falcons: Louis Delmas, S (Western Michigan)

Mike Mayock of the NFL Network rated him as his top safety and after seeing Delmas in the Senior Bowl practices—I don’t disagree.

Delmas is good in coverage and good at tackling. He is also very smart.

Many may argue that William Moore belongs here, but I disagree.

Receivers burned Moore numerous times in the Senior Bowl practices. If he has a bad combine, then I have even more trouble believing he is better than Delmas.

Atlanta could use a safety with the talent that Delmas potentially has.

25. Miami Dolphins: Percy Harvin, WR (Florida)

With Percy Harvin still on the board I see them picking him.

Although the Wild Cat faded away from Miami’s play calling as the season progressed they could still use him in that regard.

You put Ronnie Brown, Ted Ginn, and Percy Harvin all in the backfield or shifting around and the defense won’t know what to do.

Harvin is very explosive. All Chad Pennington needs to do is give him the ball and he’ll rack up 30, 40 or 50 yard gains.

26. Baltimore Ravens: Alphonso Smith, CB (Wake Forest)

The Ravens have released

Chris McAllister and with Samari Rolle set for free agency they could loose them both. If they do, they seriously need to draft a CB.

Alphonso Smith will provide them with a suitable replacement.

27. Indainpolis Colts: Hakeem Nicks, WR (North Carolina)

With the top defensive tackles all ready gone the Colts have to look at another position of need.

Marvin Harrison is getting old and will likely retire or be cut if he doesn’t restructure his contract.

Knowing the Colts draft history, they like to draft receivers high and early so if they want to replace Harrison, they’ll use this pick.

28. Philadelphia Eagles: Knowshon Moreno, RB (Georgia)

If Moreno is still available at this point the Eagles are going to draft him.

Brain Westbrook is getting old and Moreno is a suitable replacement. They could look at an offensive lineman here but they can draft one later.

Moreno will be too enticing to pass up.

29. New York Giants: Clint Sintim, OLB (Virginia)

Wide receiver could be a possibility here but all of the top receivers are gone. Look for them to improve their outside linebackers with Clint Sintim.

30. Tennesse Titans Michael Johnson, DE (Georgia Tech)

Once again, the Titans could look at wide receiver here but all the op receivers are gone. Michael Johnson has great pass rush abilities and they will improve their strengths by getting him.

31. Arizona Cardinals: LeSean McCoy, RB (Pittsburgh)

Edgerrin James has said that he doesn’t want to return to Arizona.

If he gets traded or cut the Cardinals will have to replace him because Tim Hightower can’t carry the load all by himself.

LeSean McCoy will be a good pick here.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers: Alex Mack, OL (California)

The Pittsburgh Steelers had trouble protecting Ben. Look for them to upgrade the offensive line with Alex Mack.

The Truth About The Indianapolis Colts Defense!

T.A — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:13:07 -0500

I’ve read a lot of Manning vs. Brady articles and it seems that every article written in Manning's favor mentions how the Colts defense is horrible.

On the contrary I’ve found some pretty revealing stats (from NFL.com, not ESPN or other sources) that clearly reveal that the Colts defense has had some dominating years.

When they did have those dominating years in defense Manning still didn’t win a championship. So people can’t complain that Brady won championships with great defenses because when Manning had great defenses he didn’t win championships.

Lets take a look at 2007. The Colts were ranked 1st in the league on points allowed (once again I got all of this from NFL.com) the colts defense was ranked 3rd overall ( total yards allowed). They were tied for second in the league in number of Touchdowns allowed. They were tied for second in interceptions made.

Notice how in 2007 the Colts had a better defense than the Patriots. Yet, with this great defense that the Colts had it was Tom Brady who led his team to an undefeated season.

Brady has received a lot of criticism because he had great defenses in the superbowls that he won ( except for 2001 because they were ranked 26th overall). But as you can see Manning had the better defense in ‘07 yet he didn’t take advantage of that and win a championship.

When they made the playoffs they played against the San Diego Chargers. Manning did have a great game in terms of yards, throwing for 401 yards but he had 48 attempts and only called 18 rushing attempts. He also made two interceptions one in the red zone.

It was in the final minutes of the fourth quarter that San Diego toke the lead and Manning was called to win the game. As a patriots fan I got to say that in 90 percent of the times that Brady is called in the final minutes of the game he delivers even with working with sub-par weapons.

However, this was not the cause for Manning. He didn’t make the plays when his team needed him the most. The Colts needed a td and they drove down the field but was stood up by the Chargers defense. By this point you would think the game was over with 2 minutes to go. But the Colts defense spared Manning and gave him another chance. What do you think happened. Manning failed to capitalize once again. So the chargers won 28-24.

Lets look at another season when the Colts defense did good but Peyton failed to capitalize and win a championship. In 2002 the Colts were ranked 8th in overall defense. And were ranked 7th overall in points allowed.

Once again Manning had a great defense, made it to the playoffs but yet he failed to capitalize. In the wildcard playoffs the colts were blown out 41-0 by Chad Pennington‘s Jets. Manning couldn’t get his team to score one time not even a field goal. He was 14-31 ( 45.2 percent), completion rating for 137 yards and 2 interceptions.

He was out preformed by Chad Pennington who didn’t even have as good as weapons as Manning. His performance hurt their defense because they were always on the field. You can't expect the defense to win the game if their always on the field.

In 2005 the colts were ranked 11th in overall defense. They were ranked 2nd in points allowed. And 9th in interceptions. That’s a pretty good defense.

Once again Manning failed to win a championship. In the playoff game against the steelers Manning threw for 290 yards but only one touchdown. In fact the colts had only scored 3 points before the fourth quarter the Steelers had a 21-3 lead going into the fourth quarter.

After the Colts were stopped at their own two-yard line the game seemed to be over. But Manning’s defense helped him out by causing a Jerome Bettis fumble. But Mike Vanderjagt missed a 46-yard failed goal to tie the game. The colts lost 21-18

Many may blame the kicker for loosing the game but what they don’t remember was that Manning had a chance to take the lead in the final minutes but once again failed to do so and there was a turnover on downs at his own two-yard line. Also being shut out for three quarters doesn’t help either.

As you can see The colts had a some season where they’ve been a great defense. However, manning has failed to capitalize with those defenses. While Brady on the other has won championships every time he had great defenses.

Even when Brady didn’t have great defenses he won at least one playoff game such as 2005 where they ranked 26thin overall defense.

Even in 2001 (when the Patriots won their first Super Bowl) the patriots were ranked 24th in overall defense they didn’t give up a lot (as they ranked 6th in points allowed ) of points but they still gave up a lot of yards which takes time off the clock for the offense to be on the field.

Once again Peyton has had great defenses in the passed but still failed to win championships while Brady has won a Championship every time he had a great defense (excluded 2007 when he made it but lost).

Todd Haley Is The Best Thing to Ever Happen To Dwayne Bowe

T.A — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:21:02 -0500

When Scott Pioli hired Todd Haley to be the next coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, the happiest man in the Chiefs' locker room was Dwayne Bowe.

We all saw what Larry Fitzgerald did over the regular season and postseason. A lot of Fitzgerald’s performance can be directly linked to the teachings and play-calling of Todd Haley.

Over his coaching career, Todd Haley has helped wide receivers accumulate superstar stats.

While working with the New York Jets from 1995-2000, he helped Keyshawn Johnson have the best two seasons of his career in 1997 and 1998.

In 2001, he helped Marty Booker have the best season of his career when he was with the Chicago Bears. That season, Marty had 100 receptions for 1,071 yards and eight touchdowns.

And we all know what he did for Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, and Steve Breaston when he was with the Cardinals. They all had over 1,000 yards receiving as they caused problems for every defense in the league.

Dwayne Bowe has a lot of talent, as he had a break-out year last season, catching 86 balls for 1,022 yards and seven touchdowns. Now those are some pretty good stats. I’m surprised that nobody has been talking about him.

Additionally, Bowe is only in his second year in the league. In his rookie season, he had 70 receptions for 995 yards and five touchdowns.

If the Chiefs can improve their defense and allow more opportunities for their offense to be on the field, Bowe is going to be spectacular.

Another point to consider is Tony Gonzalez. If Gonzalez is traded, that will make Bowe the primary weapon for whoever is under center.

I believe that under Todd Haley he will improve his stats even more. Don’t be surprised if Bowe cracks the top five in the league in receptions, receiving touchdowns, or receiving yards.

Is Jay Cutler The Next Superstar Quaterback?

T.A — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:03:06 -0500

There’s a lot of good young quarterbacks in the NFL. One that I think sticks out the most is Jay Cutler of the Denver Broncos. Cutler was named to the Pro Bowl this year, and he had a career season.

I think that Cutler is the next superstar quarterback in the NFL. He has the arm strength to get the ball down the field and into tight spots. He also has the body of a quarterback, and at his age, he could be good for a long time.

In 2008 he had 4,526 passing yards 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Those are some pretty good stats, and Cutler is only in his third NFL season.

Many may argue that Jay Cutler throws too many interceptions, but we have to think outside the box because stats don’t tell the whole story. Cutler had no running game during the season, and it seemed that every running back on the Broncos roster was injured. This made the Broncos offense very one dimensional.

He had to put the whole offense on his shoulders and help them perform. Denver was ranked 2^nd in the NFL in total offense, and ranked 3^rd in passing offense. Teams that played the Denver Broncos knew what they were going to do offensively, and that’s pass the ball. When considering this, one has to wondering how Cutler put up the stats he did.

Another fact to consider is that the Broncos defense was horrible this season. Denver’s defense was ranked 29^th in the NFL overall, they ranked 26th in the NFL against the pass, and ranked 27^th in the NFL against the run. This meant that the Broncos had to play from behind a lot, which made it even more difficult for Cutler to pass the ball.

Jay Cutler is going to be a superstar in this league. He has the weapons to do it. Brandon Marshall is a physical specimen, Eddie Royal has the speed and hands to beat any cornerback in this league, and Tony Scheffler is also one of the better tight ends in the league.

I believe next season the Broncos are going to have a good running game with Peyton Hillis, who had a good season before he got injured. The good running game will keep defenses honest allowing Cutler to have even more fun with his weapons.

If new coach Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan could fix the defense, the Broncos would be a serious playoff contender. If they do, Jay Cutler is going to be a beast of a quarterback. However, I still think he needs to solve some of his interception problems. I’m sure Josh McDaniels will work to fix those problems with him.

If he does, Jay Cutler will be a Pro Bowl quarterback for many years to come.

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in Weather Games

T.A — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:07:48 -0500

When talking about Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning many Manning fans always mention how he has the better stats. But stats don’t tell the whole truth.

For once I would like people to think outside the box because there is always a clear explanation deep down as to why a player puts up the stats he does and why another player doesn't. We have to think logically and not always start stating stats.

Stats don’t tell the whole story, if they did the Cardinals should not have lost this year's Super Bowl and the Patriots should not have lost last years. If stats told the whole story then Joe Namath and Bart Starr would not be in the Hall of Fame.

But unfortunately stats don’t tell the whole story.

When comparing Brady and Manning there are many factors to consider, but its seems that a lot of people don't consider how many outdoor games they play in.

A writer here at Bleacher Report, Ryan Michael, told me that Brady plays in snow games, at Foxborough, about once or twice a year. Once a year? Snow is not everything, there’s always wind, rain, sleet, etc.

Lets look at both divisions that they play in.

The AFC is all outdoor stadiums and three fourths of the teams are in the northeast, where, after November, we experience nasty weather almost everyday such as high strong winds, freezing rain, snow, and sleet. Let's look at the AFC South. Two fourths of the teams play in indoor stadiums included the Colts.

Now that we got that out of the way lets figure out the approximate number of outdoor games each player has per season.

The Patriots play half of their games in Foxborough, so that’s eight games of outdoor weather. They also play one game in the Meadowlands, which we all know has brutal winds (if you're not sure just look back at the NFC division playoffs this year between the Giants and Eagles).

The Meadowlands also occasionally experience snow and rain. Then the Patriots have to play one game in Buffalo. We all know how freezing Buffalo is. And Buffalo experiences snow every year. Buffalo also has winds that can reach over 120 mph.

Just look at the game between the Patriots and the Bills this year, when the field goal post was half tilted during the game and they had to fix them every time a team was about to score. Then the Patriots play one game in Miami and we all know Miami has a lot of rain.

That’s already 11 games that Brady plays in outdoor stadiums. They also play four NFC teams, and in about every division there’s only one indoor stadium. So add three to 11 and you get 14.

So Brady plays 14 games out of the 16 regular season games in outdoor stadiums, that’s 87.5 percent of the games in outdoor stadiums.

Brady has to face all the wind, rain, sleet, and snow that mother nature has to offer for 14 games out of the regular season.

But that must not be a big deal, right? Because Brady only plays in one snow game per year. Wrong. Brady plays in approximately three or four per year because he plays in places like New York and Buffalo.

Brady faces even more possibility of playing in snow when he plays the NFC East or NFC North. Now Brady has been a starter for seven full seasons in the NFL, so he has played in approximately 21 snow games in his career. That’s not even counting the playoffs where he faces even more possibility to play in the snow.

But like I mentioned before, snow is not everything. Wind is a factor. When you want to go deep with the ball and the wind is blowing straight at you at about 35 mph, that effects your throws. And it effects your vision when its snowing and the snow goes into your eyes.

Ryan has also mentioned that Brady fumbles a lot. How many times has he played in rainy games effecting his grip on the ball.

Answer: a lot. Just look at Matt Cassel when the Patriots played the Steelers this year in Foxborough. It was raining a lot and he had two fumbles. That’s something Brady has to deal with each year for every season his been a starter in the league.

Lets look at Manning and the outdoor games he plays in.

He plays in the AFC South which features two indoor stadiums, the Texans and the Colts. Manning plays half his games at home so that’s already eight indoor games he plays in. Plus the Texans game, that’s nine.

He only plays in Jacksonville once a year and Tennessee once a year so that’s only two outdoor teams. You can add another two outdoor teams because they either play the Chargers or the Steelers most of time.

They also play four NFC teams, so you can add another three as was the case for Brady. That’s seven outdoor games the Colts play. That’s 43.75 percent of the games outdoor compared to Brady’s 87.5.

Brady plays indoors about three times a year. While Manning plays indoors about 11 times a year.

So there’s a part of your explanation as to why Manning has better stats. Because he plays in a nice, comfortable dome where he doesn’t have to worry about the wind blowing away his passes.

He doesn’t have to worry about rain disrupting his grip on the ball. He doesn’t have to worry about his hands freezing to death every game after October. Well unfortunately Brady has to deal with all of that for approximately 14 games a year.

Another note that I would like to add that’s off topic. I hear a lot of Manning fans complaining that there defense was horrible this year, did you know that the Colts only allowed six passing touchdowns this year.

Yeah, they gave up a lot of yards but once the opposition got to the red zone, the Colts shot them down and gave up only three points.

Once again, as you can see, the stats don’t tell the whole story. There is always a story hidden underneath and if people think outside the box they’ll see it.

Is Rodney Harrison a Hall-of-Famer?

T.A — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:51:16 -0500

What’s the first thing you think about when you think about Rodney Harrison?

My guess is “The Dirtiest Player in the Game,” but is he really the “dirtiest player” in the game?

I know that he has made some hits that are questionable but that happens when you play football. Football is a physical game and people get hurt playing it.

Harrison has never meant to injure anybody. In fact, he never has injured anyone.

Let’s look at some legends of the game that are (or are soon-to-be) Hall of Famers that have delivered their share of big hits to opponents.

Mel Blount, for instance. When you hear the name Mel Blount you think about the Mel Blount Rule: the rule that stopped defensive backs for making contact with the wide receiver beyond five yards of the line of scrimmage.

If you’ve ever watched highlights of Blount, most of it showed him laying somebody out, being aggressive, and bringing wide receivers to the ground after a great catch. With much respect, he made his career off of delivering big hits to anybody that had their hands on the ball.

Another player is Ray Lewis. I remember watching this year's AFC Divisional Round game when the fullback for the Tennessee Titans caught a screen pass for the first down and Ray Lewis hit him so hard, all I heard was a big POP!

Has anybody criticized Lewis for that? Absolutely not.

Another player who’s not in the same caliber of Blount or Lewis is Ryan Clark.

Did anybody see the hit he laid on Wes Welker? Welker was three catches away from extending his record of most consecutive games with seven or more catches, and he flat got laid out. He was out the rest of the game.

I know everybody saw the hit he laid on Willis MaGahee. He put the guy in the hospital for god sakes. Yet, I don’t hear anybody calling him a dirty player.

Rodney Harrison plays this game hard.

He goes out and tries to punish whoever has their hands on the ball, but he doesn’t want to injure anybody.

Look at Brian Dawkins, for instance. Brain goes out at plays ball and he's delivered a couple of big hits, too. Dawkins will be a Hall-of-Famer his first year on the ballot.

Another hard-hitting safety is Bob Sanders. How many times have you seen him lower his shoulders and delivered a big hit to a running back?

Answer: A lot.

I’m sorry, but this is football.

It’s a physical sport. If you don’t want to get hit, don’t play.

You have to anticipate people knocking you around for sixty full minutes.

Let’s look at Rodney Harrison’s career stats: 634 overall tackles, 30.5 sacks, 42 passes defended, and 34 interceptions with two touchdowns. His 30.5 sacks is an NFL record for a defensive back.

Rodney Harrison is one of only three players in NFL history to have recorded 30 sacks and 30 interceptions in the regular season of their careers, and he was the first to do so.

Pretty good stats, wouldn’t you think?

Well, Rodney Harrison shows up in the playoffs as well. He is tied with former teammate Asante Samuel with the most interceptions in the postseason with seven.

He has also shown the tendency to make big plays in the playoffs when the Patriots need it the most.

Last year, for example, he intercepted a David Garrard pass late in the fourth quarter to end the game.

Harrison has dealt with his share of injuries especially when he had this year's devastating injury.

Before he was injured he was in the top five in the league in tackles.

With him soon retiring he deserves some respect.

The hard work he puts in to improve his skills every season and his performance on and off the field should not go unrecognized.

He's made it to three Pro Bowls which signifies the respect he has from his peers and coaches around the league. Remember, all of this was coming from a fifth-round pick.

Its sad that the only thing people remember him for is the guy David Tyree made that catch over.

If you look at the play really closely you’ll notice that the catch wasn’t entirely his fault.

Who let Eli escape and throw the ball? Not Harrison.

Why didn’t more Patriots defenders come and help him out?

They didn’t, they just smiled at the camera hoping to be on every Super bowl highlight for eternity.

When you look at that play really closely, he wanted to go for the interception.

Why do you think David Tyree put the ball on the other side of his helmet? You think he was just trying to be fancy?

No, Harrison made a gamble. He wanted to be the one to solidify the Patriots perfect 19-0 season. When you gamble you know it’s a 50/50 chance you’re going to hit the jackpot and a 50/50 chance you fail.

Harrison has always been the defensive hero for the Patriots in the playoffs and he wanted to be the hero that sealed the deal for the first-ever perfect 19-0 season.

Unfortunately the play turned out to be on the opposite side of history.

It doesn’t mean he doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame.

NFL Franchise Imitating The New England Patriots!!

T.A — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:35:25 -0500

We all know that the patriots are hated by every NFL Franchise. And a lot of that has to do with Spygate. However, as a friend of mine John Gurkin wrote on his article

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/116527-spyhate-what-really-happened-in-spygate-and-how-it-was-all-hyped-up

which clearly points out that Spygate was a misunderstanding and that it was blown way out of proportion. Yet, most of them are mimicking the Patriots organization.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/don_banks/07/16/chargers/

In the article Don Banks explains how every move the Chargers make is clearly involved one way or another of them trying to be and finally beat the Patriots.

Lets look at another NFL franchise that are trying to be like the Patriots the Denver Broncos. We all know about the hiring of Josh McDaniels. Hmm say, for a team that was against Spygate why are they bringing in Josh McDaniel’s from the New England Patriots who was clearly there during the media outrage of Spygate. I’ll tell you; they're trying to be like the New England Patriots. They're hoping that the things that Josh McDaniels learned form Bill Bellichick about hard work, good scouting, and discipline, would somehow spread over to the Denver Broncos.

Don’t get me wrong I like the Denver Bronco’s. I think they're a great Franchise and that they are on the right track to becoming a playoff team.

Lets look at another team the Kansas City Chiefs. They brought in Scott Pioli. Clearly they knew before they hired him that Pioli was a great friend of Bill Bellichick and that he was there during the media chaos and outrage of Spygate. Why did they hiring him then? Because they knew that he did a great job in New England and that he would help rebuild their franchise.

There are plenty of things that I could mention, the list goes on and on. Nfl franchise’s are picking off Patriots assistants like apples on tree. But aren’t all of these Franchise’s supposed to be outraged by Spygate? All of these teams are clearly being hypocrites of themselves and there franchises.

I’m sorry if I offend any fan base because clearly that is not my intention. I’m just pointing out facts that point out that slowly and secretly NFL teams are mimicking the Patriots organization.

You look a team like the San Diego Chargers. It is very clear the statements the Charger’s general manager A.J Smith made of him reading the book The Blueprint: How the Patriots beat the system to create the NFL’s last great Superpower . The Chargers have built an obsession with the Patriots Franchise as Don Banks explains in his Sports Illustrated article.

Here is a url of the article I hope you get a chance to read it.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/don_banks/07/16/chargers/

The Patriots Need to Select a Linebacker With Their First Draft Pick!!

T.A — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:54:15 -0500

The Patriots have the 23^rd overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Let’s just imagine they don’t trade Matt Cassel for any draft picks for now. Who should they pick with that 23^rd overall pick? Many people say that they should choose a cornerback. However, I disagree.

With Junior Seau and Teddy Bruschi both most likely about to retire after this season, there is a compelling need in the linebacker position. We know the impact Jerod Mayo made this season and there is no doubt that he is going to be more productive as he improves more aspects of his game.

When you look at linebackers in this years draft the names that stick out the most are Curry, Maualuga, and Laurinaitis. But all of those names are going to be gone by the time the Patriots are on the board. One linebacker that I think people aren’t that much aware of is USC linebacker Brian Cushing.

Cushing is a smart, athletic, physical, player. He is very good in open space and has sideline to sideline speed. He could stop the run and get pressure on the quarterback. He is also very versatile because he can play inside and outside. We all know that’s the kind of players Bill Belichick likes.

Many may argue that we got torched in the secondary this season. But you got to realize that we didn’t put pressure on the quarterback. If you give a quarterback all day to throw the ball then the wide receivers will have more time to get open down the field. We need to fix are linebacking corps because it's getting old and slow.

If you do draft a cornerback with the first round pick then what are you going to do with Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite who we selected in last years draft. Jonathan Wilhite did a pretty good job when he was put into the starting line up later on in the season. He certainly didn’t embrace himself as Deltha O’Neal did almost every game. Remember Jonathan Wilhite was a fourth round draft pick, imagine what Terrence Wheatley would have done if he started. Unfortunately he ended the season in injured reserve.

I really think if you give Jonathan Wilhite a chance he would become a star. Remember Asante Samuel was a fourth round draft pick. He didn’t do well in terms of interceptions his first two years. But he was given the chance to play and we all know what happened after that, he became a superstar and on of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Cushing is a really good player. And I think the Patriots would be making a mistake not to draft him.

Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning: Who Really Is Better?

T.A — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:18:18 -0500

A writer on Bleacher Report by the name of Ryan has written a lot of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning articles in which he clearly states that Manning has the upperhand. Well, I respectfully disagree. Ryan has proved his case with a lot of stats. However, I believe that stats don't tell the whole story.

Don't get me wrong: Peyton is a great quarterback and one day he will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This article was not meant to bash Peyton or any Colt fan. This article is just me stating my opinion that Brady is better than Peyton. I understand that everybody has their own opinion and that this argument will never end. I'm not trying to persuade people to agree with my opinion, but to keep it in perspective.

First, lets start by Super bowl wins. Many people might not agree that Super bowl wins should be the top priority in comparing these two. They say that Super bowls are a team accomplishment. I agree, but the play of the quarterback could decide the outcome of any Super Bowl.

Before every season, every quarterback thinks to themselves: I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that my team is holding the Lombardi Trophy in the last game of the season. Since quarterbacks get most of the credit they are most responsible for leading a team to the promised land.

Brady has won three Super Bowls, Manning has won just one. Who has the upper hand? Brady. Brady won the Super Bowl MVP twice. Many may argue that Brady won all of those Super Bowls because of kicker Adam Vinatieri's heroics. I disagree because Brady was the one who led the drives and they only needed to get a field goal to get the lead, and eventually: the win.

Why go out and try to be crazy and get a touchdown to win the game with about seven seconds left when you can just drive 50 yards and get a field goal?

I agree that Manning has the upperhand in career statistics, but lets take a look at the supporting cast both players have to help them win games and put up good numbers.

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends throughout career:

Upper hand: Manning. Manning has had Marvin Harrison, a first ballot Hall-of-Famer - his whole career. Let me say that again: HIS WHOLE CAREER. He has had Reggie Wayne, another arguable Hall-of-Famer for eight years. Manning has Dallas Clark, an elite tight end, and FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK Anthony Gonzalez, who is a rising wide receiver. Notice how all of those people were first round draft picks.

Lets look at Brady. He's never had a a sure shot Hall-of-Famer until Randy Moss and look at what they did together in just one season. He breaks MANNING'S record of 49 TD's in a season with 50 and Moss breaks Jerry Rice's record of receiving TD's with 23.

They become the first team to not lose a regular season game since the league went to a 16 game regular season. Before Randy Moss, Brady never had a first round Draft Pick as a wide receiver, let alone a Hall of Fame wide receiver. Anybody ever notice that? The only first round target he had was Ben Watson, who is always injured.

Many may argue that Manning made all of his wide receivers good and famous,and Brady couldn't do that. Well, once again: I disagree. Lets take an in-depth look at that. Brady's favorite receiver when he won his three Super Bowls was Deion Branch. Deion Branch was pretty good, not astonishing, but pretty good. He left the Patriots when he became a free agent and went to the Settle Seahawks.

Has anybody heard of him since? I don't think so. All you've heard of him is his injuries and when he wasn't injured you didn't hear anything. And let me ask you this, if Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne were to leave the Colts when they were in their prime would they have still produced? Maybe not to the extent that they did with Manning but they would have certainly produced.

Running backs throughout their career

Upper hand: Manning. Peyton has played with Hall-of-Famers like Edgerrin James when he was in his prime. The only consistent running back Brady played with was Cory Dillon, and he played with him for a short time.

Offensive Lineman throughout their career.

Upperhand: Tied

We can all agree that both Brady and Manning have significant protection in the pocket.

Stadium:

Upper hand: Manning

A lot of people argue that Manning has better stats. Lets take an in-depth look at that. Brady has played in an outdoor stadium in New England his whole career. He had to worry about blowing winds, rain, sleet, and especially snow. In those conditions, the offensive coordinator would call more run plays than passing plays. Manning always played in a dome, not worrying about any of the before mentioned conditions. In fact, it also helped his defense because the Dome holds more noise.

Defense through their career:

Upper hand: Brady. This should serve as a fact that I'm not being biased. I have to admit that throughout their careers, Brady has played with the better defense.

When you compare these two you also have to keep in mind that Manning has played in four more seasons than Brady has. He played two seasons before Brady got drafted and one season after Brady was drafted because as he was a backup his first year. Manning played another season more than Brady when Brady was injured in the opening game of the 2008 season.

Overall, when you look at their supporting casts, you can clearly see that Manning played with better talent around him. Yet, Brady is the one with more Super Bowl rings.