I'm still here! Sort of...

My apologies to everyone for not updating in oh, about two weeks now. Things have been hectic and I spent the last week in NYC, away from the word wide interweb. Things should return back to quasinormal any day now, though I have a lot going on in the real world so expect updates to be sporadic/irregular. Thanks for sticking around!

Oh yeah, and I'm working on that line running down the page for no explained reason. It came about completely randomly and unprovoked, so I'm a little lost for an explanation at this point. (Update: I did it. Woot woot!)

And here is the rest of it.

Another botched call, some nail-biters and...a TIE?!

It was just another weekend in the NFL. Or was it? Now I felt pretty silly after that Philly-Cinci Game ended abruptly after the clock hit zero in overtime, and I sat there thinking "Where's the second overtime?" I felt much better about it when Donovan freakin' McNabb asked the same question... Even hockey gives teams a better chance at breaking the tie. I would say this should be looked at to possibly institute some rule changes, but since it hasn't happened in six years it's probably not something we need to worry about much. Besides, Roger Goodell has bigger fish to fry. After the second botched call of the season (both involving San Diego)received some major press coverage, the NFL front office is calling for a change in procedure, potentially allowing referees a second look at the replay. I'm on the fence about it, as I'm not sure what the side effects will be. If it sometimes takes two minutes to look at ONE replay, it it going to potentially take four minutes to watch it twice? It should be a priority for NFL officials to avoid slowing down the game any more than it has been. Just ask my girlfriend.

Really, the botched play didn't affect anyone but fantasy football players. The Steelers would have won either way. Besides, it provided us with the very first 11-10 final score in NFL history. Can you imagine if San Diego had been screwed over like they were against the Denver Broncos AGAIN? Now THAT would be a story.

Week 11 Pick 'em

Week 11 picks are admittedly quite late and I haven't posted anything else all week. Call it a midseason slump. Anyways, here's to a better next week. Picks are after the jump.

New York Jets at New England Patriots – This game should be the deciding factor in whether the Patriots can take their division AGAIN.

Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons- Where did this team come from? No team that had the meltdown of the ’07 Falcons should be this improved. Then again, someone’s going to need to make a case for the playoffs in the AFC West. No takers so far.

Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers – Fugget about it.

Philadelphia Eagles at Cincinnati Bengals – I could see this one being pulled off by the Bengals, but on planet Earth, it’s probably not going to work out that way.

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers – Major playoff implications here. If Kyle Orton returns, he should be able to manage his offense to a win. If Rex “I suck, seriously” Grossman makes another start they can kiss this one goodbye. They should probably cut him over him the off-season, I imagine he makes too much money.

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – I think Indy’s going to turn it all around here and surprise some people with a deep playoff run. Or maybe not, I don’t know…

New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs – N’awlins let me down last week with their major suck factor, and Kansas City surprised me with their capability. Hey, they have to win sometime right?

Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins – The Miami Dolphins are too good to lose to this sorry bunch of suckers. Yeah I said it…

Baltimore Ravens at New York Giants- The New York Giants have been every bit as good as they claimed to be in the off-season when nobody thought too highly of them. They silenced a lot of critics and should continue to do so. Have they had a bad draft pick in the last five years?

Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Minnesota came up with a big win last week and is looking to get themselves into the Wildcard picture. I wouldn’t think they’re out of the picture for a division win either.

St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers – I’m expecting the 49ers of old to show up this weekend, not those other guys that filled in on Monday. St. Louis is a much better squad than their record shows. Still not that good though.

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – If anyone in this division is worse than the 49ers it’s the Seahawks. I feel for the people in Seattle, I really do. Two teams that were supposed to be title contenders fell to the basement of their LEAGUES. It’s sad really.

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jaguars are out to prove something, though I’m not sure what that is right now. At any rate, they won’t do it this week.

San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Pittsburgh rejoice! A game that once looked like a playoff preview will now be a blowout farce on the cold, unforgiving Heinz Field.

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins – Dallas MUST win this game to keep up with the contention and stay playoff-worthy. Washington must win it to keep up with the Giants. This is a must-watch game with a whole lot of implication.

Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills- Last year, this game was played during a blizzard, and was barely visible on television. That was pretty cool, wasn’t it?

NFL Prospects- Michael Oher, LT

On the offensive side of the ball, I've added Michael Oher of Mississippi to the Home Field All-American Class of '09. The giant man-beast was expected to declare for the draft last year, and would have been a first-round pick even then, which says a lot about his stock after gaining another year of experience...(By the way, I have NO idea who those white folks are behind Michael, so don't ask.)

Tackles have never been more valued in the NFL, and Michael Oher will certainly be coveted by a lot of teams for years to come. His hulking frame and nimble feet are the perfect combination to dominate the field and provide excellent pass and run protection. What else can you say about a tackle? He’s good, real good, and has all the intangibles coaches love, while everyone else has no idea what that even means.

So where could Michael Oher end up going? He’s a virtual lock for a top 5 pick, and God knows a few of these teams could really use him. Detroit needs to pick up a defenseman, so he’s unlikely to go at number one (assuming Detroit finishes last). No one needs a good tackle like Cincinnati, but Oakland gives them a run for their money, so either of these teams could benefit greatly from adding Oher. Of course, Oakland likes its glamour picks and is expected to pickup a quality wide-out like fellow Home Field candidate Michael Crabtree. St. Louis could also benefit greatly from a good rookie tackle, but likely will also make some pickups on defense. If I had to make up a mock draft today, and I don’t, I would most likely be putting Michael Oher in Cincinnati. Of, course, I said that about Rey Maualuga a couple months back, didn’t I?

NFL Prospects 2009: Michael Johnson, DE

Michael Johnson of Georgia Tech is the premiere Defensive End in this year's draft class, and many analysts project him going in the #1 spot, a privilege that looks like Detroit's to lose. They have a LOT of needs, and DE is definitely one of them...

Michael Johnson is rather light for a defensive end, but this isn’t stopping NFL scouts from going nuts over him. He stands tall at 6’7” and weighs in at the 250-60 range. His height is what makes him particularly attractive at the position, as it should provide major disruption on pass plays. In a league where talent is being spread thin, players with Johnson’s frame and skill set are difficult to come by, which should make him a sure-fire first rounder, if not first overall. In the most recent Sports Illustrated, a coordinator in the NFL was discussing the value of the D-line, stating that the administration folks laugh when they see the media’s mock drafts loaded with wide receivers in the first round. They know the value of a good defenseman, and that talent at the position is certainly more difficult to come by. This makes Johnson all the more valuable. Of course, for every player there’s a downside, and Johnson has his share. Though he’s proven to be a talented pass rusher, Michael David Smith at NFL Fanhouse had this to say on Johnson’s status as a first-rounder:

“The reason I question whether he's one of the truly elite players in the 2009 draft class, though, is that he came off the bench as a situational pass rusher in his sophomore and junior years and didn't become a starter until this season. That tells me that Georgia Tech's coaches don't see Johnson as a complete player, even though NFL scouts seem to think he'll become one.”


The point that Michael Johnson has not been a key player in his formative years is well taken, but I don’t think this is a major downfall, and would compare it to, say, Felix Jones, who was a backup running back taken towards the end of the first round in 2008. In fact, many scouts prefer players who have not been used extensively at the collegiate level, as it suggests a fresh pair of legs and a possibility to be less injury-prone. A year ago, Michael Johnson was predicted to be a third-round pick, but staying for his senior year should ensure that he goes in the first round and, with any luck, may even go first overall.

NFL Week 10 Pick 'em

WHAT? Week 10 already? You know, a couple years from now this COULD be only about the halfway point of the season. Well, actually, it probably would still be at the same point, but it would be Week 12 with six weeks to play!

Denver at Cleveland- Brady Quinn’s first start! Denver started out looking promising but recently has taken something of a nose dive. This could go either way, but I’ll give it to Denver.

New Orleans at Atlanta- Atlanta’s been much better than advertised, but their young defense should have their hands full with Drew Brees and his awesomeness. Reggie MIGHT return, but probably not.

Tennessee at Chicago- I’m going with my man Dr. Z (SI) on this one, I think the surprisingly effective Bears will humble the Titans a bit.

Jacksonville at Detroit- Last week, Jax took a loss to the other winless team at the time, Cincinnati, but will they allow themselves to lose to the Lions? That’s some true punishment.

Baltimore at Houston- I still feel sorry for Houston…

Seattle at Miami- How sweet has Miami been lately? I could seriously see them making the playoffs, especially playing these kinds of matches. Why don’t they just give ‘em the trophy?

Green Bay at Minnesota- It’s interesting this game was scheduled at 10:00am because usually these matchups that look so good in the preseason get primetime slots. Fortunately, this one slipped through the cracks.

Buffalo at New England- This is BIG time test for the Bills, who started off so magnificently, then lost the Jets. They’re going to need to start winning their division games to make a playoff run.

St. Louis at New York Jets: Seems like the Jets are back on track. Right?

Carolina at Oakland- Until further notice, I have no confidence that Oakland can win another game this season, or any future ones for that matter. Until further notice…

Indianapolis at Pittsburgh- Pittsburgh looks too good to lose this game, but if Roethlisberger doesn’t make it back, they might. It would be a big win for Indy.

Kansas City at San Diego- If San Diego loses this one, they should be officially barred from playoff contention.

New York Giants at Philadelphia- Don’t miss this game; it’ll be a good one.

San Francisco at Arizona- Why do these always end up on Monday Night Football? San Francisco at Arizona will NEVER be a good matchup; one or both teams will always suck! Think about it.

Week 9 NFL Musings

Another week is past, and more revelations have presented themselves. I can't remember a season where the major contenders were so damn inconspicuous. Sure, the Titans are undefeated and already practically in the playoffs, but can they really contend with the big boys? In my opinion that question has yet to be answered, but then again its becoming increasingly difficult to tell who the "big boys" are. More on that after the jump.

1. As I write this, the Washington Redskins are losing to Pittsburgh. Again, I’m compelled to ask, who is this Washington team? They get big wins against division foes and then drop games to the likes of St. Louis (who admittedly is a much better team than they started out as). This is the kind of game they need to win if they want to make a run at the playoffs, and it looks grim. Oh yeah, and Roethlisberger isn’t even playing. They’re being taken for chumps by good ol’ Byron Leftwich. Classic.

2. Derek Anderson is officially back on the bench. Here’s a question for all you couch coaches: When your team was supposed to be a playoff contender but has only managed to win three games midway through the season, do you: A) Continue to instill faith in your Pro Bowl quarterback and make changes to the receiving corps, or do you B) Bench said Pro Bowl quarterback in favor of your second year, second string QB who has thrown only eight regular season passes in hopes that his balls will be more catchable? The Browns are going with B, and keeping Braylon “Drop ‘Em” Edwards at the top of the depth chart. Nice.

3. Cincinnati won a game! Which proves once and for all not how capable the Bengals are, but just how miserably bad the Jaguars are. Detroit is the lone winless team in the league. It’s fun to watch, isn’t it?

4. The Cardinals have made their case for a serious playoff run. With every other team in the division three games behind and utterly terrible, they have little competition and should cruise right in. Can they get past the first round? That remains to be seen.

5. The beginning of the NFL’s “flexible scheduling” will be starting Week 11, and the schedule will change in the event that the Sunday Night game is a poor matchup. This week, the matchup will be Dallas vs. Washington as regularly scheduled because, quite simply, it will be a decent game. Chicago at Minnesota in Week 13 as well as Seattle and New England the following week may not be so lucky.

Chief's Tyler Thigpen Catches A Touchdown Pass

This is fairly amazing...



This new Wildcat trend is really shaking things up in the NFL. New variants and a pretty incredible success rate ensure that there should be some great stuff on the horizon. I'll do my best to post the good ones.