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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Another year has come and gone, but it?s still in the midst of an NFL season. A few college bowl games remain as well.
I spent my first New Year?s Eve as a resident of the Central time zone teaching my 5-year old son about longitude and time zones. It?s not exactly the thrilling night most everyone else spent, but we actually had fun. Watching the broadcast of the festivities in New York takes on a diminished meaning when you?re no longer on Eastern time though; it was largely anticlimactic and seemed almost frivolous. One pleasant surprise: here in Texas, proudly the gun capital of the world, the tradition of shooting off your firearms at midnight has yet to catch on. In Michigan and Virginia, the last two locales I?ve resided in, the stroke of midnight on New Year?s Eve always left me wondering if I?d moved to a war zone with all the gunfire. Even the guy down the street with faux testicles dangling from his giant pickup truck and NRA paraphernalia blanketing said truck didn?t celebrate with gunfire.
$.01--My NFL season awards:
MVP--Tom Brady, having a freakish season on the best team in the league. The 36-4 TD/INT ratio is unbelievable. Runner up: Matt Ryan.
Offensive Player of the Year that isn?t MVP--Michael Vick, who would have factored more into the MVP race if he played a full season.
Non QB MVP--I can?t decide between Roddy White or Arian Foster. Give it to White because his team made the playoffs.
Defensive Player of the Year--James Harrison. Beats out Clay Matthews because of three more forced fumbles, almost 40 more tackles, and sheer intimidation. Troy Polamalu is the defensive MVP, but Harrison was on the field a whole lot more.
Offensive Rookie--Sam Bradford. He got a 1-15 team to the doorstep of the playoffs, setting all sorts of rookie passing marks along the way. Without him the Rams were a three-win team at best. Jacoby Ford and Rob Gronkowski both have compelling arguments.
Defensive Rookie--Ndamukong Suh. A very deep class, but Suh just might be the best defensive rookie ever. Already the best player at his position in the entire league. Devin McCourty would win in almost any other season.
Coach of the Year--Bill Belichick. Has almost completely turned over the roster, and you don?t do that with this kind of success without some seriously awesome coaching acumen.
Best Offensive Lineman: Joe Thomas. His effort is largely anonymous on a 5-11 team with major issues, but he was absolutely phenomenal all season long.
$.02-- Green Bay held on for dear life and edged the Bears, lifting themselves into the #6 seed and earning a trip to Philadelphia next week. It was a defensive struggle with very little offensive flow, and it took a late TD drive to seal the 10-3 win.
The Packers fascinate me as a playoff contender. They have a MVP candidate in Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, and their receiving corps is deep and talented. Green Bay has impact playmakers on all three levels of their defense, including perhaps the best CB duo in the league in Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson. They?re built almost the complete opposite of what you would expect for a team that plays home games on the frozen tundra--they rely on precision passing and have a weak running game, their offensive line is a weakness, and they?re overly aggressive at blitzing on defense, which is tough to do on a sloppy or frozen field.
I?m not quite ready to make picks yet, but I really like their chances in Philly. Their ability to spread out a defense is a real problem for the Eagles, particularly if Asante Samuel remains hobbled. Chicago went all out in this game despite having nothing to play for, and Green Bay handled the #2 seed. I like the recent improvement of LB AJ Hawk to help slow down Michael Vick, and I like the ability to bring pressure from all over the place to force the Eagles into rough spots. Green Bay still carries a chip from what they feel was a stolen playoff win a year ago, and that can carry a team a long way. I just wish they had something better than Bryan Bulaga and Josh Sitton on the right side of that offensive line.
$.03-- Two teams had chances to perhaps save their embattled coaches with inspired efforts in the finale. Alas, Cleveland and Miami completely screwed Eric Mangini and Tony Sparano, respectively.
The Cleveland loss to Pittsburgh wasn?t surprising; the Steelers have owned the Browns since they came back into the league. The talent disparity between the teams was striking, but it also seemed as if the Browns just weren?t ready to play. Mangini probably lost his job in the loss to Cincinnati a couple weeks ago, anyways.
It was the Dolphins blowout loss to New England that made the bigger statement. The Patriots reserves thoroughly dominated anything and everything Miami tried to do. The Dolphins came out flat and played passively all day, save a few exceptions (notably Davone Bess), the sort of effort which screams ?we want our coach fired? to an anxious owner tired of seeing his stadium half-filled even when the team was still a viable contender. The inability to develop offensive talent--and it goes far beyond Chad Henne at QB--is what will get Tony Sparano fired. Not being able to win at home doesn?t help his cause.
My best semi-educated guesses as to what happens to the coaching positions: Team President Mike Holmgren will try to lure Jon Gruden, might settle for Marty Morhinwheg, but will probably take the job himself in Cleveland; and Miami will aggressively chase Bill Cowher, letting him know money will not be an object.
$.04-- The Colts played their way into the playoffs, coming up with a tougher-than-expected win over Tennessee to win the AFC South. Of course they had technically already wrapped up the division when Houston knocked off what was left of Jacksonville a few minutes earlier, but don?t tell that to Peyton Manning.
If this game is an indication, the Colts are going to be playoff disappointments once again. Kerry Collins lit up the Indy pass defense, and the Colts had tackling issues all day long. Manning had to throw 41 times, and the hallmark pinpoint accuracy still isn?t what it used to be. He set an NFL record for the most completions in a season, a function as much of Indy?s problems rushing the ball as his own greatness. The special teams struggled, surrendering precious field position too many times. I?ll credit the Titans for playing their best game since October in this one, but when it takes a last-minute field goal, set up by Kerry Collins fumbling a snap one play after Dominic Rhodes fumbled, to beat a team that has one win in two months, that?s not exactly entering the playoffs with momentum.
Still, it?s damn impressive what Indy has done here. Nine years in a row they have made the playoffs, with double-digit victories in all those years. Both are NFL records that sure seem unlikely to ever be challenged in this era of parity. The have 16 players on IR, including their top three safeties and three of last season?s top 5 receivers. They looked dead in the water at 6-6 before winning out and running away with yet another division title. Somehow they sneaked into the #3 seed (thanks Oakland!), which means they host the Jets next week. I like the Indy playoff experience quite a bit against New York?s relative greenness, particularly Freeney & Mathis pressuring The Sanchize. Plus they beat them in the AFC Championship game a year ago, so the Colts have to have great confidence that is more than hot air.
$.05-- My worst fears came to fruition Sunday night, as the Seattle Seahawks beat the St. Louis Rams to win the NFC West (okay, technically my worst fears are driving under a moving train on a bridge, and clowns). They take that honor with a 7-9 record, making them officially the worst team to ever make the playoffs. The ?official? part of that statement is an understatement to just how bad this Seattle team truly is. Their backup quarterback was largely ineffective, their offensive line held on every single play, their pass defense got real lucky that the Rams don?t have one NFL legit wideout on their roster, and their opponent just wasn?t ready for the big-ness of the de facto playoff game. Seattle has lost seven of their last nine, haven?t beaten a team with a winning record since mid-October, and have a season point differential of -97, the worst ever to make the playoffs by more than five touchdowns.
Several thoughts spring to mind here..
My how awesome Kurt Warner must feel, because one year ago his Cardinals tore thru this putrid division and came in last this year without him.
How awful must the 49ers feel for sticking with a clearly overmatched Mike Singletary as coach for so long.
How fortunate must the 11-5 Saints feel for drawing the #5 seed, which means they get to play the Seahawks next week.
How unfortunate must the Giants and Bucs fans feel for being three games better than Seattle, yet both will be watching the playoffs next week.
And can these Seahawks be like the two prior ?worst teams to make the playoffs?? The 1985 Browns went 8-8, then scared the hell out of Dan Marino and the 12-4 Dolphins in the playoff opener, losing 24-21 on a late TD made possible by 2 iffy defensive penalties and a dropped INT. The 2008 Chargers also went 8-8, then proceeded to knock off the 12-4 Colts before falling to the eventual champion Steelers.
$.06-- Tampa Bay didn?t make the playoffs, but it wasn?t for lack of trying. The Bucs took care of business with an impressive, physical win over the Saints. Tampa finished 10-6 but they needed both the Giants and Packers to lose to make the big dance.
Next year, look out for the Bucs. Josh Freeman continues to impress at quarterback. His 25 touchdowns to six interceptions is a fantastic ratio for a second-year quarterback, especially considering his top two wide receivers are rookies. They also have a promising rookie RB in LeGarette Blount, though he had several plays in the last couple of games that make you wonder less why he went undrafted and Tennessee quickly cut him. The offensive line performed admirably without its two best players for most of the last month. Ronde Barber continues to defy Father Time at corner, where he remains one of the best run support CBs in NFL history; his stuffing of an end around where he beat two blockers and dropped the runner in his tracks made coaches everywhere smile. With strong building blocks like Barrett Ruud and Aqib Talib and a host of youngsters up front, the defense should continue to improve. Even though this win marked their first victory all year over a team with a winning record, you can feel the confidence and momentum surging as the Bucs hit the offseason.
It was a very important season for the Bucs to excel, as they slashed payroll and played in front of at least 10,000 empty seats in every home game. No other team, with the possible exception of the Cowboys, needs a quicker resolution to the labor negotiations. The Glazer family might have more money than all of South America, but they cannot afford to jack up payroll unless labor peace leads to increased season ticket sales. Labor uncertainty means fickle Tampa area fans will be even less likely to fork out big money upfront. At least the strong 2010 allows the Bucs to make the argument that the team is on the verge of something special. Another 4-12 finish would have left this franchise in very real peril.
$.07--5 NFL quickies:
1. Derrick Mason joined Tony Gonzalez and Jerry Rice as the only receivers in NFL history to catch at least 60 passes in 11 straight seasons. Mason is probably a distant afterthought when thinking of the best receivers of the last 15 years, but that is some impressive company he?s keeping. He plays for the Ravens, in case you didn?t know?and I suspect you didn?t.
2. My beloved Lions won their final four games of the season. The last time they won four in a row was 1999, best remembered as the pre-Millen era. The price of gas was $1.17, the #1 movie was Toy Story 2, and Ndamukong Suh was in 6th grade. Coach Schwartz should be rewarded with a playoff berth next year.
3. Thanks for the memories Brett Favre. Now go away. If I hear anything about #4 before I see him in Canton in a few years, it?s too soon. My weekly appearances on the Josh Pacheco Show (Wednesdays 2:15 CT on ESPN Hawaii) just won?t be the same.
4. Buffalo might have a starting QB in Ryan Fitzpatrick, but the Jets game proved they don?t have anyone behind him. Brian Brohm was dreadful as a replacement, looking like an overwhelmed little boy. I still highly doubt they take a QB in the first two rounds, but they have to bring in some fresh meat with at least 4th rounder promise or suffer the consequences.
5. So much for owning your division. The Raiders went a perfect 6-0 against their AFC West foes after smoking the Chiefs, yet missed the playoffs and finished in 3rd place. They also probably got their coach fired, as it?s widely speculated that Tom Cable will not return. Yet Norv Turner will keep his job in San Diego despite going 3-3 in the division and failing to make the playoffs despite having the #1 scoring offense and #7 scoring defense. Something is very wrong with that picture.
$.08--5 Draft quickies:
1. Jake Locker concluded his college career completing 5-of-16 for 59 yards, including 1-for-7 on 3rd down. Washington finished the season ranked 103rd in 3rd down conversion, 99th in passing accuracy, tied for 86th in yards per attempt, and did that against what the stat geeks say was the 104th-ranked opposing defensive schedule. I don?t care how great Jake Locker can look at times--those numbers are indicative of poor QB play. I pity the team that takes him anywhere above the 3rd round.
2. One of the matchups I was most looking forward to was Wisconsin DE J.J. Watt against TCU tackle Marcus Cannon. Even though TCU won the Rose Bowl, Watt was clearly the superior NFL prospect. The heavy-legged Cannon struggled with Watt?s ability to change direction with both power and control, and Watt consistently got into Cannon?s pads before the big man could fully extend his arms. Watt has yet to declare for the draft but should make the 20-40 overall range if he does. Cannon projects better as a guard in the NFL, where his bulk and brute strength are better served and his inability to move laterally and lack of quickness are mitigated. I see him in the 4th-5th round unless he loses weight and gains agility.
3. I?ve not been a big Travis Lewis fan, but the Oklahoma linebacker played a spectacular Fiesta Bowl against UConn. He showed the ability to blitz with good timing and control. Lewis has always had very good closing burst, but in this game he finished plays better than he had during the season. I?ve always liked his pass coverage skills, and he dominated this game while dropping back. UConn?s offense is bad, which tempers my enthusiasm, but if Lewis can play that well on the postseason scouting circuit, he?s got a chance to sneak into the 3rd round and would be a good fit for a 4-3 team looking for a nickel-package OLB.
4. I have been a Mikel Leshoure fan all season, but the Illinois junior really put on a show here in Houston at the Texas Bowl. His 180+ yard performance against Baylor was highly reminiscent of another back that plays in Reliant Stadium, one Arian Foster, currently the NFL?s leading rusher. Leshoure shares Foster?s balanced power and explosive quick step, and both set up and cut off of blocks very adeptly. Foster is a better receiver and pass protector, but should Leshoure decide to come out I see him in the 45-60 overall range.
5. Some early entrants declared. Quick thoughts on some of the more prominent ones:
--DeAndre Brown, WR, Southern Miss: he?s as talented as Calvin Johnson and taller to boot, but since his nasty broken leg he?s not been close to the same player. Potential 3rd round steal, but only if he gets 100% healthy. He?s one you want your team to take a risk upon.
-- Aaron Williams, CB, Texas: he was the best cover man on a Longhorns team that couldn?t cover anyone most of the season. Will test better than he played, though he does make a lot of plays on the ball. 3rd-4th round.
--Shane Vereen, RB, California: tough to convince a guy who has already graduated to come back to school, but I would have liked to see him add more lower-body strength and return duties. Gets points for his receiving skills, but he?s not close to former teammate Jahvid Best in terms of NFL skills.
--Jordan Todman, RB, UConn: a short running back with marginal speed and just average burst. It sounds a lot worse than it is for Todman, who has a natural slipperiness and great vision and balance. He?s also an accomplished receiver. But his measurable make him a tough sell above the top of the 3rd round.
$.09--5 Bowl quickies:
1. It was an extraordinarily awful New Year?s Day for the state of Michigan. Alabama pounded Michigan State 49-7 and that was with yanking most starters at halftime, while the Wolverines got blown out by Mississippi State 52-14 in a game where the Bulldogs could have scored two other TDs if so inclined. It was a good day to be an ex-Michigan resident?
2. Steve Spurrier just cannot beat teams from Florida in big games. South Carolina just turned the ball over again, and Bobby Bowden is still laughing his butt off. On a side note, I found Bowden?s infomercial-esque PSA one of the best productions of the college football season. On another side note, my 2-year old daughter faithfully held her souvenir Chick-Fil-A cow toy while watching the game. She is open for endorsements.
3. Let me get this straight--the bowl game played in the Cotton Bowl on New Year?s Day isn?t the Cotton Bowl, but something called the TicketCity Bowl. The actual Cotton Bowl game will be played sometime next week, not at the Cotton Bowl but in Jerry?s Palace in Dallas (really Arlington). Enough already!
4. Maryland thumped East Carolina in Coach Ralph Friedgen?s final game. It was an acrimonious parting, as the school forcibly pushed the ACC Coach of the Year out the door. Kudos to Friedgen for a heartfelt, classy farewell speech to his team that showed why he?ll be a tough act to follow. I like the hiring of UConn?s Randy Edsall to replace him, as Edsall had maxed out what he could do with the Huskies.
5. The Music City Bowl was a very entertaining, controversial tilt between North Carolina and Tennessee. The Tar Heels ultimately won in overtime, thanks to a bizarre rule they perfectly, and inadvertently, exploited. In the process of blowing the end-of-game clock management, North Carolina got penalized for having too many men on the field as Tyler Yates clocked the ball with barely one second remaining. In the NFL, that penalty ends the game, but in college there is no clock runoff. It allowed UNC to kick the tying field goal and go on to the victory over a bitter, demoralized Volunteers team. Tennessee lost to LSU earlier this year when they held the Tigers on the final play but got flagged for too many men. It was not a good year for either school, but the Tar Heels impressed me with how they fought through all kinds of suspensions and injuries.
$.10-- Last week in this spot I opined about the NCAA and that organization?s shameful and hypocritical abuse of power involving the Ohio State players. In it, I compared the NCAA to slave masters. That opinion was quite well-received, judging by the email responses and the attention it grabbed on some other websites and media outlets.
One of those media outlets requested me for an appearance on the radio last week. I do a handful of shows almost every week, and I?ve done spots on the home station of this particular show before. So when the producer of the show contacted me, I graciously accepted. And that?s where the fun begins?
The host of the show in question is African American, and is a name most sports fans would recognize. He saw the ?NCAA as slave masters? angle and loved it, which led to the interview request. But a funny thing happened on the way to the radio. In doing some background research on me, the host (or a producer, more likely) discovered that I?m in fact a white guy. That was apparently a problem for the host. The producer rather sheepishly contacted me about an hour before the scheduled spot, letting me know that the host was ?offended and enraged? that a white person used slavery as an analogy and he no longer had any interest in talking to me.
That?s an interesting message, and the hypocritical irony is not lost on me. When he assumed I was African American, my article was brilliant. When he found out I?m white, I?m suddenly a scourge unworthy of his spit. He?d probably really loathe finding out I went to a HBCU for grad school for a time, or that I was once a teacher at a middle school where I was one of three non-black people in the building. God forbid a white person should point out that the NCAA was treating its football players, all of whom in pertinence to the piece are black, like slaves. If a black writer makes that point, he?s a trailblazing hero not afraid to rage against the machine. But when a white man makes that claim, it?s a crime against African Americans everywhere. That?s the opinion held by one prominent African American radio host, and that?s just as racist as Rush Limbaugh (whom I happen to despise) pointing out that black quarterbacks cannot be criticized by white people without being allegations of racism. That is reprehensible to me and it should be to you too, especially if you happen to be African American. Narrow-minded bigotry does no good to anyone, whether the source is black or white. Football is perhaps the most color-blind institution in America, but sadly covering the sport apparently is not.
