Week 3
9/22/06
- Let's check up this week on our resident offensive geniuses,
Mike Shanahan and Mike Martz. The Broncos have one offensive
touchdown in two games while scoring 19 points and it appears
Shanahan's reclamation of Jake
Plummer resulted in short lived results. Plummer bounced
back from a number of subpar years in Arizona to play reasonably
well during his first three years with the Broncos before having
an outstanding season in 2005, throwing for close to 3,400 yards
and 18 touchdowns while tossing only seven interceptions. However,
he has looked abysmal this season, making a number of risky
passes resulting in four interceptions. It's highly unlikely
Shanahan would give the keys to the offense to rookie Jay Cutler
so Plummer will have the opportunity to play through his struggles
but how successful he will be is questionable at best. As for
Martz, he's done nothing with the Lions offense and has already
begun shuffling the team's starting line-up. Jon Kitna doesn't
remotely resemble Kurt Warner or Marc Bulger, Kevin Jones is
once again struggling and Rams retread Mike Furrey has replaced
free agent signee Corey Bradford (another beautiful Matt Millen
move) in the starting line-up with former Ram Az-Zahir Hakim
expected to become the team's third receiver in the next week
or two. As for offensive production in their first two games,
the Lions have generated 13 points, 30 first downs and are converting
26% of third downs. Not exactly genius material.
- There is apparently help on the way for Arizona's beleaguered
offensive line. After surrendering five sacks to the Seahawks
this week and being unable to open up holes in the running game
for the second week in a row, the team is expecting right tackle
Oliver Ross to return to action this week against the Rams,
a move that allows Reggie Wells to move back to his natural
position at left guard and recently signed Chris Liwienski to
return to the bench. The Cardinals are ranked 25th in the league
in rushing with 149 yards over two games. This week game against
the Rams should provide a good indication of whether the team's
running game will be effective this season because once again
the Rams have a porous run defense. If Edgerrin James doesn't
get it going this week, it is reasonable to assume he's in for
a poor season in 2006.
- It might sound odd but it says here the Eagles will not suffer
from the loss of Jevon
Kearse. After registering 7.5 sacks during each of his first
two seasons in Philadelphia, Kearse was off to a fine start
this season with 3.5 sacks. Nonetheless, Kearse has hardly resembled
the player that earned the nickname "The Freak" during his first
four years in the league with Tennessee. On top of that, the
Eagles have registered 13 sacks this season and are simply loaded
along the defensive line. At defensive end, free agent signee
Darren Howard (a former Pro Bowler) and youngsters Trent Cole
(four sacks) and Juqua Thomas (two sacks) will now be joined
by 2003 1st round pick Jerome McDougle, who has been a healthy
scratch for the first two weeks of the season.
- Look for the Packers to increase the role of tight end David
Martin as the season progresses. Starter Bubba
Franks' contribution was expected to increase with head
coach Mike McCarthy implementing his version of the west coast
offense but he has just three receptions for 18 yards in the
team's first two games. Not helping matters was Franks' two
penalties and two drops this past week against the Saints. It
is becoming apparent the team's decision to sign him to a seven-year,
$28-million contract extension prior to last season was a huge
mistake. With Martin able to line up at tight end and fullback
as well as having decent enough speed to play out wide, he's
likely to have a career year this season in Green Bay and may
force Franks off the roster in 2007.
- If things weren't looking bad enough for the Raiders' offense,
it now appears the team has question marks at three positions
along the offensive line. Left tackle Robert Gallery has missed
one game with a calf injury, left guard Barry Sims may miss
time due to a hip injury and the team can't decide which rookie
(Paul McQuistan, 3rd round, or Kevin Boothe, 7th round) it wants
to start at right guard. Throw in Aaron Brooks' strained pectoral
muscle which will keep him out two to four weeks, coach Art
Shell's insistence on keeping wide receiver Jerry Porter inactive
because of their personal relationship and offensive coordinator
Tom Walsh's antiquated playbook and questionable play calling
and it's safe to say this team is looking like the biggest bust
of 2006.
- Another team with serious question marks along the offensive
line is the St. Louis Rams. Center Andy McCollum will miss the
remainder of the season with torn anterior cruciate and medial
collateral ligaments while Pro Bowl left tackle is doubtful
for this Sunday's key divisional match-up in Arizona due to
a concussion. With McCollum out, starting left guard Richie
Incognito (who made his professional debut in the opening week
of the season) moved to center and veteran Todd Steussie took
over at left guard. Now if Pace is out, Steussie will move to
left tackle and recently acquired Adam Goldberg will likely
start at left guard, meaning only Adam Timmerman and Alex Barron
will be starting where they expected to be at the outset of
training camp. Not a great set of circumstances for a team that
has allowed nine sacks already this season and generated only
one touchdown due to their struggles in the red zone.
- If you're looking for a spark from the Detroit Lions running
game, you might be waiting a while. Not only is pass happy Mike
Martz the team's offensive coordinator but the team's running
game has been in shambles for quite some time. Starting running
back Kevin Jones hasn't had a 100-yard game since the second
last game of the 2004 season. Jones has a paltry 79 yards on
26 attempts this season, partly because the team's offensive
line has not played up to expectations. However, the musings
of Jones having a Marshall Faulk type year in 2006 seem to be
fading into the distant memory.
- If there's one thing you can say about Cardinals coach Dennis
Green, it's that he does it his way. Green benched starting
cornerback David
Macklin after he missed an opportunity for an interception
and then missed a tackle on a 49er touchdown on opening day.
He then followed up by making Macklin inactive during week two.
Now with Macklin's replacement, 2005 2nd round pick Eric
Green, questionable for this week's match-up against the
Rams, it appears Green will bypass Macklin and insert former
Eagle Matt Ware into the starting line-up if Green can't play.
Considering the Rams duo of Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce have
nine Pro Bowls between them while third and fourth receivers
Kevin Curtis and Shaun McDonald certainly aren't slouches themselves,
this seems like a curious decision.
- Despite their 2-0 record, there are some troubling times
for the Colts defense. The team has allowed 294 yards rushing
in two games (good for 27th in the league) at a rate of 5.8
yards per carry (last in the league). It's clear the team's
decision not to retain linebacker David
Thornton, who signed with the Titans, was a mistake and
it also appears their decision to emphasize speed over size
at the linebacker decision is not helping. The trio of Cato
June, Gary
Brackett and Gilbert
Gardner averages 230 pounds, which is generally the weight
teams want their weakside linebackers to be at. At 228 pounds,
Gardner is the third lightest strongside linebacker in the league,
ahead of only Ryan Nece of the Bucs and Alex Lewis of the Lions.
The team is also banged up along the defensive line with Dwight
Freeney, Josh Thomas and Montae Reagor banged up and Corey Simon
unable to practice since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery
during training camp. The injuries have forced the team to use
newcomers Bo Schobel, Dan Klecko and Ryan LaCasse as well as
2nd year player Darrell Reid, not a situation they envisioned
at the start of training camp.
- We told you last week since moving to St. Louis the Rams
were 39-0 when they had a 100-yard rusher. Of course, that had
to end and it did this week when Steven Jackson went over 100
yards in their loss to the 49ers.
- If you're on the look out for young tight ends that might
start producing decently by mid-season, you could certainly
do worse than checking out rookies Tony
Scheffler of the Broncos and Joe
Klopfenstein of the Rams. Word out of Denver is Scheffler
is quickly getting a handle on the offense and could see more
opportunities as a result of Rod Smith's struggles and concussion
issues, Javon Walker's numerous drops, the team's lack of a
decent third wideout with rookie 4th round pick Brandon Marshall
out with an injury and Stephen Alexander's inability to contribute
much of anything in the passing game. Rams coach Scott Linehan
has been known to utilize his tight end plenty but Klopfenstein
hasn't been targeted much in the team's first two games. With
quarterback Marc Bulger struggling with his accuracy and the
team's much vaunted passing game not resembling its former self,
Linehan may look to the rookie more often in the coming weeks.
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