Following an exciting first round, we break down the favorite picks, most pleasant and biggest surprises, most under-appreciated pick, worst move and more.
Peyton Manning, Mario Williams, Mike Wallace and Carl Nicks headline an intriguing free agent class that can shift the balance of power this offseason.
The Eagles seemingly came out of nowhere to sign Nnamdi Asomugha as they eye a trip to the Super Bowl.
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Thanks to all for the emails welcoming my daughter to the world. We appreciate them all, and I?m happy to report little Ellie spent a good part of her first Sunday in the world watching football on Daddy?s lap. She even wailed and cried at the appropriate times during the Lions/Packers game, feeding off my cues when Jon Kitna threw two of worst telegraphed INT's you?re ever going to see.
Thumbs Up
To Mike Shanahan, for defying conventional wisdom and going for the win in one of the more thrilling games in recent memory. The Broncos converted the 2 pt conversion with 24 seconds left to take the lead, rather than doing what pretty much every other coach would and kicking the extra point for the tie and overtime at home. That decision would have resulted in major controversy, even calls for his head, had rookie WR Eddie Royal not made a great catch in traffic to get the win. Shanahan accurately felt the pulse of his team, and the huge clutch win gives Denver a two game lead over the crestfallen Chargers, who have lost both games this season in the waning moments on almost the exact same pass pattern. San Diego will rightfully bemoan a brutal blown call by Ed Hochuli that kept Denver alive, but you can?t expect to get calls on the road.
To the movie ?The Express?, the story of Ernie Davis. I first read his story when I was in 3rd grade and I?ve relished hearing about him from those who got to see him play. It?s an emotional drama that is made for the big screen, and it is a story more NFL fans should know about. I hope it lives up to my expectation (not to mention the excellent Robert Gallagher book on which it?s based) and inspires more people to learn the story of Davis, the first African-American drafted #1 overall and the only person to have his jersey retired without ever playing a game. It gives beleaguered Syracuse fans a reminder that they used to field a pretty good football team, too.
Thumbs Down
To the NFL, for the scheduling issues surrounding the Texans/Ravens game. I fully supported the postponement when it was first announced, and Goodell & CO. should have left well enough alone. But by rescheduling the game for Monday before Hurricane Ike was within 12 hours of landfall was a preposterous decision. After what happened to the Superdome in Katrina and knowing the strength of the storm, did they honestly think Houston would be in any position to host a football game? Is ?Brownie? now working as the NFL schedule maker? I understand the need to put out a plan, but hopefully next time the NFL will think through that plan before hastily implementing it. This was also a golden opportunity to use an alternate site and bring the NFL experience to a place like Lincoln or Birmingham, but the NFL fumbled that ball away too.
To the NCAA pollsters, for once again proving they have no ability to perform their jobs. I?ve argued for years that no polls should ever be released before October, and this year is a classic example. Anyone who has watched even five minutes of college football this year can tell you the two best teams by a pretty wide margin are Oklahoma and USC. But somehow Georgia and Florida both received more 1st place votes than the Sooners, though Oklahoma wound up with a higher ranking. BYU treats UCLA like the Bruins are Temple, yet they can?t get more respect than an Auburn team that squeaked by a lousy Miss. State team 3-2 (granted it was played underwater). Ohio State struggled to beat my beloved Ohio Bobcats before getting completely annihilated by USC, yet they rate above undefeated teams with impressive belt notches like South Florida and East Carolina. Among those getting votes are: Minnesota, who will not be favored in any Big Ten contest they play; Notre Dame, rewarded for beating the worst Michigan team ever; Kentucky, 3-0 but needing divine intervention to hold off lowly MTSU a week after playing D-IAA weakling Norfolk State; and a Colorado team that got outplayed by D-IAA Eastern Washington. Just stop embarrassing yourselves and don?t vote for any rankings until after the 5th full weekend of games.
Thumbs Twiddling
To the Carolina Panthers, for living on the edge of the knife. John Fox has his troops at 2-0 and alone atop the NFC South, but both wins could very easily have been heartbreaking losses. It?s hard to gauge teams like this, because both sides of the coin are in play. Clearly they are a good enough team to stay close and rally for a win, and getting these kinds of emotional wins can carry a team a long way. But it also means they have enough issues to be 0-2, and the odds are pretty high that the tremendous good fortune (San Diego coverage lapses, Greg Olsen?s fumblitis) will run out sooner than later. I expected the Panthers to win the NFC South and they?re off to a strong start, but their overall play sort of erodes my confidence.
For Lane Kiffin, the Raiders coach who may or may not still have his job by the time you read this. Kiffin is the youngest coach in the league and a very bright, creative mind with an outstanding coaching future. The Raiders took a chance on him at an age and experience level where most guys wouldn?t even get a return phone call. He?s also employed by Al Davis, the epitome of the meddlesome hands-on owner. Leisure Suit Al nearly axed him this offseason when Kiffin had the audacity to request hotheaded, insubordinate defensive coordinator Rob Ryan be removed. His team is improved enough to be competitive most weeks and win a few games, but Lane Kiffin probably won?t be around to get the credit. Here?s hoping he can pair with another good football mind in a terrible situation, Marvin Lewis in Cincy, and the two of them can take over a team with sane ownership and prove their coaching acumen.
Thumbs Sucking
To the Miami pass defense, for all-around ineptitude. Cardinals QB Kurt Warner notched a perfect QB rating in Arizona?s 31-10 rout of the Dolphins, completing his first 9 attempts for over 220 yards and 2 TDs. Normally the blame falls on the secondary, but this was a total team disappointment for Miami. Warner had enough time to order a beer from a stadium vendor and dig for loose change as a tip while surveying the field, deciding which of his essentially uncovered receivers to throw the ball. I saw at least 3 plays where both Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald were double-teamed but both still a good 8 yards clear of any defenders. I knew the MIA defense was going to struggle, but I haven?t seen a unit so thoroughly overmatched since Peyton Manning notched a perfect QB rating against the Saints a few years ago. When paired with Jet Favre?s strong Week One performance, this Dolphins pass defense could challenge the 2005 Texans as the worst of all time. If this year?s Rams don?t beat them to it...
To the Cincinnati Bengals, for not even trying. It?s one thing to be a bad team or having a bad season; it?s another altogether to quit on the season before it even starts. This group has clearly already mailed in the rest of the season, from Coach Lewis all the way to the long snapper. Cutting popular vets Rudi Johnson and especially Willie Anderson just before the season started showed the remaining players that their worst fears were correct--the Brown family doesn?t give a damn about the team or the fans. Two years ago this team was a Carson Palmer injury away from a Super Bowl run. Now they?re streaking towards the #1 overall pick in the 2009 draft despite having a significantly more talented overall roster than Kansas City, Miami, or St. Louis. The body language and effort level in the first two games was pathetic, very reminiscent of the Santa Kemp era my fellow Cavaliers fans suffered through in the late 90s. I?ll be shocked if this team wins more than 3 games.
