Tavern Talk: Blue Team Observations by Mike Lombardi

National Football Post

I appreciate all the comments about my blue list, even though we have some disagreements over the essential makeup of the list. At the end of the season, we will revisit, re-evaluate, and re-calculate.

 

But for today, here are some observations:

How good would Tennessee be if it got almost blue play from its quarterback? Imagine if Vince Young had been playing at a blue level?

Green Bay is one of the youngest teams in the NFL and has more than 70 blue points. The future looks very bright on the frozen tundra.

Miami has some very good players, and this time next year, it might be at the mid-60 level. Teams will be sore after a game against the Dolphins, who are very physical.

AP Could John Harbaugh be on the brink of becoming a blue coach?

Baltimore is one more draft away from being a very good team for a very long time.

John Harbaugh, Tony Sparano, Ken Whisenhunt, and Mike McCarthy might become the next group of blue coaches after the season.

Minnesota assembled 72.5 points and did not have a quarterback, which is amazing. If the Vikings get almost blue play from you-know-who, they might be able to win the NFC North.

Chicago needs to find some blues and almost blues on both its lines if it’s going to catch the Packers in coming years. Based on what I’ve seen, No. 1 pick Chris Williams is not going to be one of them.

Denver would be higher had I kept Brandon Marshall on the list, but the Broncos are still void of talent, especially on defense. Losing Jay Cutler and Marshall cost them 23 points, which would have placed them at 44.5 points.

I think I’m too high on Buffalo and Carolina. I might need to make an adjustment on these teams in January.

If Dallas had a blue coach, it might be the team to beat in the NFC East. They have 64.5 points and no points for coach—they put all their money into players.

The Rams traded a first-round pick today, Tye Hill, for a conditional seventh. What does that tell you about their ability to draft in the past?

AP Is blue in Matt Leinart's future?

Arizona is a team in a delicate spot. If the Cardinals don’t get blue play from their quarterback, they could make a significant drop, which is why Matt Leinart must come through for them.

Houston and the Jets are tied at 51.5—one team (the Jets) good on defense, and the other (the Texans) good on offense. I’m willing to up the ante with Matt Bowen. I’ve seen enough of the Texans to know the team they’ve built won’t work on the road in the NFL.

I do not like seeing coaches get fired before the season even starts. How come the Chiefs didn’t know that a Todd Haley-Chan Gailey team wasn’t going to work? This is not good, and the fact that their talent level is very low only makes matters worse.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi

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