Week 12
11/23/06
- Things are getting interesting in St. Louis where first year
Rams coach Scott Linehan seems to be blaming everybody but himself
for the team's four game losing streak. Two weeks ago, he blamed
the team's two point loss to division rival Seattle on center
Richie Incognito for taking an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty
on Steven
Jackson's late touchdown run and then a holding penalty
on the subsequent two point conversion attempt. The unsportsmanlike
conduct penalty forced the Rams to kick off from their own 15-yard
line which gave the Seahawks good field position, helping to
allow them to get close enough for Josh Brown's game winning
field goal. Linehan conveniently forgot to mention that his
team lost by two points and that he took three points off the
board in order to attempt a fourth down conversion with a yard
and a half to go early in the fourth quarter. The play call?
A pass to rookie tight end Joe
Klopfenstein that failed. This week, Linehan remarked that
his team came out flat against the Panthers, a game in which
the team was shut out for the first time since 1998. Of course,
a pass heavy game plan resulting in only eight rushing plays
in your team's first game without Pro Bowl left tackle going
up against one of the league's best front fours might have been
part of the problem.
- The Ravens offense has fizzled for much of the season but
it appears they have turned the corner, averaging 28 points
per game over the team's last four games. The two main reasons
for the turnaround were head coach Brian Billick firing offensive
coordinator Jim Fassel and taking over play calling himself
and Steve
McNair's return to the starting line-up. Billick has focused
more on the running game than Fassel did and this has led to
a resurgence for Jamal
Lewis, which in turn has opened up the passing game where
wide receiver Mark
Clayton has excelled. Clayton has quietly moved ahead of
fellow wideout Derrick Mason and tight end Todd Heap to take
over the team reception lead.
- Interesting that Broncos resident genius Mike Shanahan seems
to think he can plug anything with a pulse into the line-up
at running back and get production, removing players from the
line-up based on a single subpar performance. This is a stark
contradiction from the way he handles quarterback Jake
Plummer, who can't seem to string together two decent halves
let alone two decent games. Plummer's quarterback rating has
fallen below 70, he's thrown more interceptions than touchdown
passes and he certainly doesn't have the look of a quarterback
capable of taking the team very far in the playoffs. Yet it's
likely too far into the season for Shanahan to have the option
of handing over the reins to rookie 1st round pick Jay
Cutler, who simply doesn't have enough time to get ready
before the playoffs. Look for the Broncos to head into the playoffs
as a wildcard and make their customary first round exit.
- The Lions record of two wins and eight losses wouldn't suggest
much improvement over last season, however the team hasn't definitely
improved under new head coach Rod Marinelli and offensive coordinator
Mike Martz. Injuries have hit the offensive and defensive lines
hard and now running back Kevin
Jones is out at least this week and possibly longer with
a an injured ankle. Jones backups entering the season (Shawn
Bryson and rookie 3rd round pick Brian Calhoun) are on injured
reserve, leaving the starting position open to former Ram Arlen
Harris, a late training camp cut. Jones' owners should take
note that Harris had a number of productive games for the Rams
in 2003 when Marshall Faulk and Lamar Gordon were injured, including
a three-touchdown performance on the road against Pittsburgh.
- The Eagles defense seemed to have solved their problems stopping
the run during the first part of the season but have regressed
in this area of late. Over the team's last three games, they
are averaging 188 rushing yards allowed. Look for the Eagles
opponents to exploit this over the balance of the season.
- It looks like safety Tony
Parrish's days in San Francisco are numbered. The five-year
49er has went from training camp starter, to sharing the strong
safety position with Mark
Roman, to backing up Roman, to game day inactive. Look for
Parrish and the 49ers to part ways after the season.
- So much for the Bears not being serious Super Bowl contenders.
After laying an egg against a struggling Dolphins teams, the
Bears went on the road to the Meadowlands twice and convincingly
defeated the Giants and Jets. With the running game gaining
traction and the team consistently getting big plays at wide
receiver from Bernard
Berrian and Mark
Bradley, this team looks like it can win it all.
- Keeping with the Bears, the loss of starting strong safety
Mike Brown
has had an adverse impact on the team's ability to stop the
run. With Brown in the line-up, the Bears gave up 100-yards
rushing in only one of six games (opening week against the Packers).
Since Brown's injury and Todd
Johnson's insertion into the starting line-up four games
ago, the Bears have given up 100-yards rushing in every game.
Johnson has made some big plays but is limited athletically
and is now splitting time with 2005 6th round pick Chris
Harris.
- It's beginning to look like the Broncos will part ways with
former starting right tackle George Foster at the end of the
season. Always a player with more upside than actual production,
Foster's consistencies finally drove head coach Mike Shanahan
to bench Foster and the team has not missed a beat with former
Colt Adam Meadows in the line-up. With promising undrafted rookie
free agent Erik Pears doing a commendable job replacing Matt
Lepsis at tackle, the Broncos look to enter next season with
Lepsis, Pears and Meadows as their three top tackles, affording
the team the luxury of finding a suitable trade for Foster,
who should be attractive to some team given his relatively low
salaries for the next two seasons.
- The rather sad tale of Lions defensive tackle Shaun
Rogers got a little sadder this week. After returning from
a four-game suspended for taking a supplement that contained
a banned substance, Rogers showed up so out of shape that he
won't play this week. Rogers had arthroscopic surgery performed
on his left knee after the suspension was announced but his
lack of conditioning and continuing immaturity are testing the
patience of the Lions brass.
- Keeping with the Lions, anybody who's ever read this column
knows I love to hammer their general manager Mike Millen so
let's keep that train rolling down the tracks. Anybody who knows
anything about the NFL knows that wide receiver Mike
Williams is an ill-fit for the Mike Martz offensive scheme
but Millen failed to get at least 50 cents on the dollar for
the 2005 1st round pick this past off-season and it's not quite
clear the team will part ways with Williams at the end of the
season, almost assuredly not getting anything in return. Here's
why. Williams has once again done absolutely nothing, this week
he admitted he went in the tank after things didn't go his way
and, finally, the team's roster moves at wide receiver tell
the league's general managers the team has little to no use
for Williams. He's been inactive for much of the season, often
losing his roster spot to undrafted free agents Devale
Ellis and Shaun
Bodiford (since waived and picked up by the Packers). With
the team releasing Az-Zahir
Hakim, it looked like Williams might finally get an opportunity
but that failed to materialize when the team chose to re-sign
free agent bust Corey
Bradford.
- Here's an example of how an ineffective, immobile quarterback
can make an average offensive line look exceedingly bad. With
Daunte Culpepper in the line-up, the Dolphins surrendered 21
sacks in their first four games. Over the last six games with
Joey Harrington
in the starting line-up, the Dolphins have given up only six
sacks. Better yet, the improved play in the passing game is
at least partly responsible for the improved performance of
running back Ronnie
Brown.
- LenDale
White owners might not want to give up on the rookie running
back just yet. After watching Chris
Brown struggle early in the season, it appeared only a matter
of time before White was given an opportunity in the Titans
backfield. However, veteran Travis
Henry took over and has played very well, which shouldn't
be a surprise given the number of seasons he played at a high
level for the Bills. However, Henry is due a $8.3-million roster
bonus next season and there is no chance the team will fork
it over, meaning the two sides need to renegotiate or Henry
will test the free agent market. With the team clearly in a
rebuilding mode and rookie quarterback Vince
Young not exactly looking like a player capable of leading
his team to the playoffs in 2007, don't expect Henry back in
Tennessee unless he accepts a deal for below market value.
- Here's more evidence for those who espouse the Super Bowl
hangover theory - the Seahawks and Steelers combined record
is 10-10.
- The Dolphins passed on former Chargers quarterback Drew
Brees this past off-season because they were concerned about
Brees having surgery to repair a torn labrum, which doesn't
make much sense considering the guy they signed (Daunte
Culpepper) blew out three ligaments in his knee halfway
through last season. Brees shoulder seemed okay this week during
his 510-yard passing day against the Bengals.
- Great move by the Rams to lock up defensive end Leonard
Little for the next three years. One of the league's most
underrated players, Little presence on the Rams allows the team's
defense to achieve at least a mediocre level of play. Quite
simply, the Rams had to lock up Little because he is the team's
only consistent pass rusher and playmaker. After nine years
in the league, Little still has an amazing first step and closing
speed, which allow him to rank near the team lead in tackles,
somewhat unusual for a defensive end. Without him in the line-up,
the team's average secondary would be even more exposed.
- Things haven't exactly gone Edgerrin
James' way since his decision to depart greener pastures
in Indianapolis for the Cardinals. This week, James set his
Cardinals high in rushing yards with 96 in the team's win over
Detroit. The Cardinals have failed to have an individual 100-yard
rushing day since October, 2004, an amazing span of 36 games.
Ouch.
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