NFL

What I Took Away From This Weekend’s Games

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I had a little bit of time to burn tonight, so I figured I’d reflect upon the games from Week 4 in the NFL.  I was only able to get through a handful of the games, but I’ll get back at it in the morning with the ones I left out. Feel free to let me know what you guys think.

Baltimore 23, Cleveland 16

To me, Baltimore’s biggest problem in this game was that they were a bit hesitant to hand the ball off to their best player.  That being said, I never felt like the Ravens were in danger of losing, so I guess it doesn’t matter all that much. The Browns performed at about the level that everyone expected, but I thought Baltimore’s defense would be a little more impressive than they were.  Not sure if this game is an accurate indicator of what to expect from the Ravens this year though, because we see a lot of games like these between divisional “rivals”

Atlanta 30, Carolina 28

Impressive rebound by Cam Newton, but Matt Ryan and Roddy White stole his thunder  in the final minute.  The play of the game I heard the most about was not the long throw to set up the Falcons kicker at the end of the game, but Cam Newtons fumble – which Carolina recovered – that gave Atlanta new life.  Yes it was a poor play by Newton, but the team wouldn’t even have been in the game without him.  Cam giveth and Cam taketh away.

New England 52, Buffalo 28

Turnovers lost this game for the Bills.  Ryan’s Fitzmagic has run out and suddenly everyone surrounding the franchise must be sick to their stomach with the obnoxious knee-jerk contract that he was given last year.  I’m sure it must feel more like a prison sentence to everyone who has love for the team, and I send my deepest condolences.  If there is a silver lining for this team, it has to be the backfield tandem of Spiller and Jackson, even though they didn’t quite measure up this week.  The Patriots hung around even though they didn’t play their best game, and took complete advantage of the opportunities given to them by the Bills.

Minnesota 20, Detroit 13

From what I saw of this game, it seems that these teams have taken steps in opposite directions.  Christian Ponder has certainly improved with a year of experience under his belt, and I don’t think the Lions are going to be able to get by without a running game this year.  Calvin Johnson has been a victim of double coverage this entire season – which everyone should have seen coming considering the freakish numbers he put up last year – and the Lions have struggled because they’ve become somewhat reliant on him.  It is a passing league, but that is not justification for Matt Stafford throwing 50 times a game every week.  If Detroit is going to come close to reaching the success of last year, they are going to need to tweak their offensive strategy a bit.  The best way to go may involve finding out who the starting running back is, but what do I know.

 

San Diego 37, Kansas City 20

Didn’t see much of this game except for the highlights and I looked at the stat sheet, but from what I can tell, San Diego is the better team and controlled the game throughout.  Phillip Rivers completely outclasses Matt Cassel (even though he is a whiny crybaby) and when one team features a much better quarterback than their opponent, the outcome is usually pretty predictable.  Jamaal Charles is still an absolute monster, and Dwayne Bowe is an elite receiver, but that is really all that stands out to me about the Chiefs. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think too many pieces are in place for Kansas City.

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NFL

The Bearor’s Den Rises/Quick Thoughts on a Young NFL Season

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Alright, its been a while.  I’ve had the craziest summer of my life, traveling from coast to coast, then back again.  I spent practically no time at home over the past 5 months, and now I’m back at school and still busy.  Let me rephrase that: I’m still busy and I’m still lazy.  To be honest, I  could have found time in my schedule to throw up an article or two a week at least.  I just lacked that itch to get back to it, but now with this web publishing/design class I’m taking and the NFL season starting back up, I’ve got the urge to write again.  So sorry for dangling my few loyal readers along, and I’ll do my best to stick with it this time around.

That being said, here are couple quick thoughts that I have on the young NFL season:

The 49ers are who we thought they were. Maybe some people were surprised by how effectively San Francisco’s defense stifled Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Week 1, but many also expected Harbaugh’s team to rebound after a disappointing loss in the NFC Championship game, myself included.  Through 2 weeks, the 49ers are one of a only a few teams that looks just like they did last year.  They have the same smash mouth mentality on both sides of the ball that last year’s team had, and they’ve built upon that.  The defense is a carbon-copy of last year’s group and Alex Smith still epitomizes the ultimate game manager.  Usually it doesn’t catch my eye when a team doesn’t change from year to year, but seeing sizable differences in teams like New England and New York makes me think a little longer about consistency.  The season is in diapers right now, but the 49ers are the scariest team out there simply because they are the same as last year.

Michael Vick still isn’t a Quarterback.  This may be a little bit of the New York Giants fan talking, but it still baffles me how someone can look so lost on passing plays after 9 years in the league.  Anytime I make a comment on his ability to throw a ball, apologists start talking about how strong of an arm he has and how dynamic of a playmaker he is.  Those are great perks for a QB to have, but there has to be fundamental quarterbacking skills underneath that.  Mike Vick is all frosting and no cake, and nothing about that has ever changed in my eyes.

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NFL

Bucs Seek Offseason Treasure

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by Nick Wershing

A year ago, the Philadelphia Eagles were the team to make a splash in the offseason with the signings and acquisitions of Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jason Babin, Cullen Jenkins and Ronnie Brown. This year, the biggest offseason movers are the new-look Buccaneers. New head coach Greg Schiano is implementing a new attitude in Tampa Bay and looking to make a big impact in his first year.

 

The Buccaneers started the offseason by signing arguably the best free agent on the market, Carl Nicks. Nicks is thought to be the best guard in the league, and should sure up the guard position for a long time in Tampa. They also brought in WR Vincent Jackson, who was unhappy with his situation in San Diego. Jackson is regarded as a number one receiver in the league. His presence will give Josh Freeman a great new target, as well as allow Mike Williams to run as a number two receiver, or a slot guy, where his speed can be more effective. Along with these two bigger signings, the Bucs also brought in CB Eric Wright, who had 4 Ints and 74 tackles last year, and Amobi Okoye, the 10th overall pick in 2007 who has 15.0 career sacks, to team with Gerald McCoy and Albert Haynesworth.

 

The Bucs then addressed more needs in the draft. They brought in RB Doug Martin, who many expect to beat out LeGarrette Blount for the starting role, and Lavonte David, the second best Inside Linebacker in the draft this year. Martin is a great signing because he is a do-it-all back, not just a pure runner. He will catch out of the backfield and block for Freeman in pass protection. David is a talent that any team would love to have and should mature into a great long-term piece in the middle of their 4-3 defense.

 

They Bucs also resigned two of their best players, in CB Ronde Barber and K Connor Barth. Along with the new players, Greg Sciano is bringing a new attitude to Tampa. He wants players who want to be there and want to improve. When safety Tanard Jackson failed a physical, he was released. Then TE Kellen Winslow, their top option the past two years, decided not to show up to the optional camps, the Bucs put him on the trade block and ended up shipping him to Seattle.

 

And just when you thought they were done making moves…. They bring in TE Dallas Clark. One of Peyton Manning’s favorite targets the past few years, Clark is an upgrade even from Winslow at the position. Clark is an elite TE, in league with Antonio Gates, Rob Gronkowski, and Jason Witten.

 

The Bucs are set on Freeman as the QB of the future. After a disappointing year last year, they are setting him up for success. If Freeman can’t succeed with the pieces they are placing around him now, then the Bucs will need to reevaluate his future. But if he plays as they, and many experts, believe he can, the Bucs will be contending with the Saints and the Falcons for the NFC South division title.

 

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