AFC North Preview

Part three of an eight part series taking a look at each of the NFL's divisions as the beginning of the regular seasons draws nearer. Here, we examine the tough AFC North

Baltimore Ravens
Unlike the first two divisions looked at, the AFC and NFC south, the AFC North is not ruled by one team way out in front of the others. The Ravens are the top dog here, but not by a lot. The Ravens defense is obviously their strength, and they will rely on it again this year like they have since their Super Bowl victory in 2000. They lost versatile linebacker/defensive lineman/defensive back, Adalius Thomas, to free agency, but that shouldn't slow this unit down. The question marks lie on offense. Baltimore brought in QB Steve McNair before last season to help the offense take some pressure off of the defense. And it worked; to a point. They improved their '05 record of 6-10 to a franchise best 13-3 record last season, but the offense, once again, let them down again. This season the Ravens say goodbye to aging RB Jamal Lewis, but hello to RB Willis McGahee, who should add some much need fresh blood to the offense. This is a very solid team, capable of dominating anyone at any time. And if McNair can stay upright for another season, and McGahee adds the sought after spark to the running game, then you could be looking at a very serious Super Bowl contender.
Prediction: 12-4

Pittsburgh Steelers
It feels like an eternity since the Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2005, right? However, don't let last year's 8-8 record fool you; the Steelers are not that far away from that championship team. Yes, the Steelers started woefully last year, but, like their Super Bowl season, they turned it on later in the season and nearly made the playoffs. This season, they have a new coach - just their third one since 1969. And Mike Tomlin will add some fresh blood to the mix. Ben Roethlisberger is healthy and appears to be in football shape, and the Steelers are oozing talent at all positions. The defense lost LB Joey Porter, but they are still a very solid unit with a coordinator in Dick Lebeau who likes to reinforce the name "Blitzburgh" at every opportunity. Watch for the Steelers to have a very strong bounce back year.
Prediction: 10-6

Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have been on the verge of greatness for a few years now, but they have so far been unable to take the next step. They have a lethal offense led by All Pro QB Carson Palmer, who is definitely coming into his own. They have one of the best receiving duos in Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh, and a solid running back in Rudi Johnson. The defense is full of young aggressive players, and that has been their weakness thus far. They took a step back last season partly because too many players decided to test out their acting chops of "COPS," but coach Marvin Lewis has finally taken a hard line on the extra-curricular activities. If the keys players can stay out of cop cars this season, the Bengals should be able to continue their upward trend after a bit of leveling out last season. I don't know if it's ever been done, but I can see the Bengals being the third 10-win team and possibly the third playoff team from the AFC North.
Prediction: 10-6

Cleveland Browns
In a stacked division, the Browns are the odd man out. After all, the other teams in the division need someone to beat up on. And the Browns, being in a transitional period, fit the job description perfectly. There really aren't many areas of strength on this team, aside from the nice draft they just had this year. Unfortunately, that draft won't help them too much this season. Coach Romeo Crennell, isn't able to pick a QB for his team, and it seems to be his personal mission to keep Brady Quinn off the field, as he still remains the third string after outplaying the two guys in front of him for most of the preseason. RB Jamal Lewis is new to the team after leaving Baltimore, and he should provide something to the running game, but don't expect him to be putting up the numbers he used to put up against the Browns in his heyday. It will be a long season in Cleveland, and it could be Crennell's last season there.
Prediction: 3-13

NFC South Preview

Part two of an eight part series examining each division in the NFL leading up to the start of the regular season. Last time we looked at the home of the defending champs, the AFC South. Now we will look at its counterpart in the NFC, the NFC South.

New Orleans Saints
The Saints are very much like the Indianapolis Colts, short of the track record. They own a high powered offense - ranked number one last season; above the Colts - and a suspect defense. But the Colts proved that the only requirement of a defense when the offense is that good is to be good enough to play over its head in January. And in a weak NFC, all of this makes the Saints an early favorite to represent their conference in the Super Bowl. It is only natural to expect the Saints to come back down to earth after a "magical" season last year. However, this offense is the real deal. Two great backs, a great QB, a good young receiver, a solid offensive line, and great play calling make them a can't miss to score points. The defense is a different story. There is potential for a decension from this unit after a good year last season. But, they will only be asked to limits teams to three touchdowns and change.
Prediction: 12-4

Carolina Panthers
Who are the Carolina Panthers? Are they the Cinderella team that made it to the Super Bowl? Are they the team that failed to match high expectations because of a bubonic-type rash of injuries? Or are they the team that simply failed to match high expectations? This season should show us that they are somewhere in between. There is still plenty of talent on this team; both at the skill positions and in the trenches. But their inconsistencies mirror those of their QB, Jake Delhomme. If Delhomme can match his play from the Panther's Super Bowl run, the Panthers can be a major force in the NFC. Julius Peppers is still one of the most dominant defensive forces in the league, and Steve Smith is still one of the most dominant players on the offensive side. The talent is there at the running back position, with DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams, but it all will fall apart if "Mistake Jake" is behind center.
Prediction: 9-7

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers will continue to transform from the defensive powerhouse that Tony Dungy helped build to the high powered offense that Jon Gruden loves. And depending on how smoothly that transition goes, this could be a playoff team in the jumbled middle tier of NFC teams. Gruden finally has a QB in Jeff Garcia that fits his mold perfectly: a smart, fiery, veteran capable of throwing for a high percentage. Garica, who ressurrected his career in Philadelphia last season, should have a good season in Tampa. The problems lie on defense. Not many players are left from that 2002 Super Bowl team, and the ones that are, have simply lost a step. If the young players, including first round pick Gaines Adams, can step up and contribute this season, Tampa could return to the playoffs.
Prediciton: 9-7

Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were going to have a rough season even before Michael Vick got caught breaking the law. Things could be ugly this season as Vick was good for a couple wins solely from his legs. But what they lose in the running department, they gain in the passing department. With Joey Harrington, you say? Yes. Harrington has obviously shown he is unworthy of the expectations put upon him in Detroit, and to some extent Miami, but remember: With Vick, the Falcons had the 32nd ranked passing offense last season. Harrington won't pile up the stats - or even wins for that matter - but he should provide a more consistent presence in the air than Vick did (which isn't saying much, I know). Don't expect any triumph over adversity, feel good stories like New Orleans last season coming out of Atlanta this season. Having your star convicted of killing dogs is a little different than having your city and fan base destroyed and displaced by mother nature. Oh, and the Falcons simply won't be winning too much.
Prediction: 4-12

How sweep it is

Five days ago the Philadelphia Phillies were seven games behind the New York Mets for first place in the N.L. East. They were coming off of their fourth straight loss, and had lost three series in a row. If they were getting by with smoke and mirrors, as has been suggested, the jig was evidently up. My oh my, how things can change in that span. Thanks to a five game winning streak, including a four game sweep of the Mets, the Phillies are now just two games back. And smoke and mirrors has given way to a view of a legitimate contender for the division title.

Thursday afternoon, the Phillies completed the rare sweep with a simply exhilirating 11-10 walk-off victory. After staking the Phillies a 5-0 lead, the Mets were able to battle back and tie the game in the fourth and fifth inning. Then, the Phils answered right back, making the game 8-5 in the bottom of the inning. The Mets battled back again and took the lead with a five run inning of their own in the eighth. Philadelphia cut the lead to one in the bottom of the inning, shut down New York in the top of the ninth, then scored two off Billy Wagner in the last frame to take the league, win, and sweep.

Ten games ago, the Phils were entering a hugely important ten game homestand. And as mentioned above, things did not start out two nice, going 2-4 in the first six. Now with this sweep, they finish the homestand with a 6-4 mark; nothing to sneeze at, but certainly not what they could have been looking for (except maybe for GM Pat Gillick) at the start. But considering four of those wins came against the Mets - their ultimate competition - they have to happy with where they stand now.

Even more important than the quantity of the wins, was the quality of them. The Phillies beat the Mets in just about every way possible in a four game series. A convincing 9-2 victory; a 4-2 come from behind victory in 10 innings; a 3-2 nail biter that ended on a fielder interference call for the last out in the ninth; and now a wild come from behind win today. They have shrunk the distance between them and New York by five games in five days, and they now lead the season series 9-6 with just three more to play.

The Mets still have the lead in the division, but you have to wonder if the Phillies now have the psychological edge. There is practically nothing that the Mets can take positive out of this series. And now they have to face the Atlanta Braves, who are also trying to make up ground on the Mets. So, it is conceivable that the Phillies could pick up even more ground over the weekend. Of course, that is if the Phillies take care of business against the Florida Marlins; which can prove to be more difficult than the numbers would suggest.

The upcoming series against the Fish is perhaps as important as the previous series was. It will be very difficult to bring the same kind of emotion that they brought to this past psuedo-playoff series. But if they don't they could lose all the momentum they have gained this week. And if that gets combined with the Mets turning it around against the Braves, then this amazing sweep will go all for not. Only time will tell if this series was a sign of things to come, or just another crest in a wavy season.

AFC South Preview

With the regular season almost upon us, it's time to take a look at each of the NFL's divisions. And in part one of eight, what better place to start than with the division that is home to the defending Super Bowl champs - the AFC South.

The Indianapolis Colts were the class of this division for years before they finally won the championship last season, and now they have only reinforced that positioning. Barring some crucial injuries to the champs, the remaining teams in the AFC south will be fighting for a wild card spot in the AFC (which will prove very difficult).

Indianapolis Colts
Despite suffering a number of personnel losses during the offseason, the Colts will face little resistence in winning their fifth consecutive division title. If the AFC South were a deeper division the Colts might have have a tougher time of it though. They lost Mike Doss (S), Nick Harper (CB), and Cato June (LB) to free agency, and Tarik Glenn (LT) to retirement; all of which could have impacts on this year's team. The defense is still a weak unit that could ill-afford to lose quality veteran players, and Tarik Glenn has been a big reason Peyton Manning has stayed so unscathed during his illustrious career. And Manning, of course, is the reason this team should cruise to another post season birth. He simply is that good, and even with a poor defense, he runs an efficient enough offense that it won't matter until; until January.
Prediction: 11-5

Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags are perhaps the NFL's biggest enigma. They have one of the most stingiest defenses in the league, and it's very underrated. They have a solid running game with explosive ability out of Maurice Jones Drew, and they have spent numerous high round draft picks on wide receivers over the past few years. However, just like Manning is what makes the Colts go, the QB position seems to be what is holding the Jaguars back. Byron Leftwich and and David Garrard were both unspectacular las season, and it appears that they are getting one more chance this season. Garrard, taking over for an injured Leftwich last year, basically did everything possible to not take over the starting job permanently. Leftwich continues to show flashes, but too often those flashes are interrupted by injury or poor decision. Never the less, that defense and running game should propel the Jags to a solid season and possible playoff birth.
Prediction: 9-7

Tennessee Titans
Last year, the Titans did their best 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers impression, by winning six of their last seven after starting o-5. And like the two teams above them, their successes and/or failures were largely a result of the quarterback. In this case, Vince Young took over the starting job for good in week four and went on to play his way to a Rookie of the Year award. This year, there is plenty of optimism surrounding the Titans. And yes, Vince Young looks to have a bright future, but there are still plenty of weaknesses on this team. Last year's defense was ranked 32nd; just above U.S.C., and they still have very few weapons at wide receiver and running back to help out Young. This year, Young will provide plenty of thrills for sure, but the Titans are still a ways away from challenging the top teams in the AFC.
Prediction: 7-9

Houston Texans
The Matt Schaub era is about to begin in Houston. And for some reason, people around the league find this a reason to feel optimistic. Matt Schaub is a young QB who has shown to be pretty solid, but let's get this straight: he has six career TDs vs. six INTs for a QB rating of 69.2. That's not a whole lot to write home about, even considering his lack of playing opportunity in Atlanta. The Texans' defense is showing signs of improvement, with Mario Williams coming into his own (even though he'll probably never be able to live up to the billing as "the guy picked instead of Reggie Bush") and the emergence of Defensive Rookie of the Year, DeMeco Ryans. However, the Texans can bring in all of the skill position players that they want, but if they don't fortify that offensive line, no QB will have a chance. Schaub better have his running on this season, because he's behind a line that had departed David Carr on his butt more often than the Abraham Lincoln memorial.
Prediction: 6-10

It wasn't as bad as it looked

The Philadelphia Eagles lost there second of three preseason games Sunday night, 27-13, to the Pittsburgh Steelers. And being the third preseason game, it was supposed to be a dress rehearshal for the regular season opener. And by most accounts, it was am ugly performance - the second such one this preseason (game one in Baltimore). However, considering the things you really wanted to see from the first team gearing up for the opener in Green Bay, things weren't as bad as they looked.

Before the weekend leading up to the game, the Eagles released Jeremiah Trotter, one of the best linebackers in team history and a fan favorite. In the objective eyes of the team, Trotter had lost a step (or two or three) and was too much of a liability in the passing game. He was getting exposed too often by teams that made him move as much as possible. So the team made the switch to Omar Gaither, a quicker but smaller linebacker, to play the middle. So, naturally, the biggest question mark going into Sunday's game was how would the Birds do against the run - the Achilles' Heel of last year's team. And to be honest here, there run defense was not too bad.

Yes, the Steelers gained 398 yards of offense in the game, but only 76 of those yards came on the ground. Starting running back, Willie Parker, gained just 32 yards on 10 carries. And, yes, Parker scored on an 18 yard run untouched, but considering the problems this team had against the run last season, they really did perform quite well Sunday night.

What killed the Eagles was the passing game; and not even the straight, drop back and pass, passing game. It was screens, dump-offs, and plays off of a Roethlisberger scramble that grounded the Birds. This was certainly a little troubling, especially considering the fact that Gaither was supposed to help in the "mis-direction" game, but these were problems that can be fixed by scheme and practice. Getting run over, play after play, is usually a result of losing man on man battles - something that is much more likely to be a sign of lack of skill than lack of preparation. This was Gaither's first start at MIKE, and Chris Gocong's, 3rd start at SAM. These guys still have plenty of room to grow, and the defense should get better as they get better.

As far as the offense goes, there is no need to be worried here, even though in two of three games the first teamers have done little worth writing home about. The one thing we have seen, is a McNabb who appears to have absolutely no lingering effects from ACL reconstruction surgery. And don't get worried about the running game. The offensive line is one of the best in the league, and Brian Westbrook has pulled an "L.T.," and barely played in preseason.

The Eagles' offense is going to be productive this season. Do not let a slow preseason from them fool you; this unit is one of the best in the league. The concerns are the same as last season, and they are all on defense. The run defense put in a very good performance against Pittsburgh, and most of the negatives from Sunday night are completely fixable problems. Yes, things looked ugly, but as they say, looks aren't everything.

Is Biron the Answer?

It’s late August, and that means two things: Baseball pennant races and the start of football is upon us. So the next logical step is to talk about hockey, right? No? Well, I’m going to do it anyway. With the Flyer’s off-season transformation complete, there is a lot of optimism coursing through the Philadelphia area. But considering the team is coming a franchise worst season where they finished last in the NHL, is there too much optimism? That remains to be seen, but there is one position in particular where that may be the case. Martin Biron came over in a trade from the Buffalo Sabres before the end of last season. He helped the team finish relatively strong, and was later signed to a contract extension. He is being penned by many as the clear cut starting goaltender that the Flyers have consistently lacked. But should he be?

Maybe Biron shouldn’t be built up to be a savior in goal. After all he did lose the starting job in Buffalo to Ryan Miller. Yes, Miller is a great young goaltender, but how smart is it to call a backup goalie the answer for your team. Now if the Flyers went out and got a backup, like Ilya Bryzgalov, who has proven his ability to lead a team in the playoffs, there would be more reason for the optimism.

Secondly, the idea that a team needs one clear cut star in goal to win is a little antiquated. Granted, a great goalie can make a team dramatically better, but it is not a necessity. In today’s game it is more important for a team to have two solid goalies, and for one of those goalies to get hot come playoff time. Last season, the Ottawa Senators made it to the Stanley Cup finals with an average goalie in Ray Emery. They won from balanced offense and solid defense.

Finally, and most significantly, goaltending has not been the Flyer’s problem over the past 5-10 years. No matter how much anyone tries to tell you this, don’t believe them. Last year the problem was simply everything. Take a look at all the quality chances opposing teams got game in and game out, and it’s hard to put the blame on Antero Nittymaki. The team started to win when Biron arrived largely due to the improved play of the defense. In previous years, they’ve continually had great goaltending performances. Brian Boucher, Roman Czekmanek, Robert Esche have all put on great playoff performances. If ‘Manek could have gotten any offensive support, the Flyers could’ve went deep into the playoffs. Both Boucher and Esche took the team within one win of the finals.

Is Biron an upgrade at goal? Probably. But at the very least, he gives the Flyers two very viable options in goal – a requirement in today’s NHL. It is a little inappropriate, however, to label Biron the “answer,” considering that the question came from everywhere on the ice except the goal.

The Straw that Broke the Hamels Back?

It's never a good idea when you analyze a team's injury problems by stating who has not been on the disabled list. And the number of Phillies on that ever decreasing list is down to nine with the addition of Cole Hamels to the 15 day D.L. And so far, the Phillies have shown more resilience than a Brawny paper towel commercial. But now they have lost two straight series to the N.L. worst Pirates and the rapidly slumping - or I should say, previously rapidly slumping - Dodgers. They are now 5 1/2 games behind the Mets and 1 1/2 behind the Padres for the Wild Card, and without their best remaining player, Hamels, for the next week and a half, it looks entirely possible that the Phils will not be able to fight off this latest injury.

Take a look at the Phils current rotation: Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, J.D. Durbin, Fabio Castro. What do you notice? Well, besides the fact that they currently only have four starting pitchers, it's blindingly clear that a team with this group of arms should be no where near a playoff birth. Jimmy Rollins stated during spring training that the Phillies were the team to beat in the N.L. East. Bold words, yes. But if J-Roll made that statement knowing who would be pitching in mid-August, the Phillies would need a new shortstop because Rollins would have been checked into Belleview.

But Rollins was looking at a much different rotation. One that actually had six arms. Only Moyer remains. Forget the injuries that the Phillies offense has endured this season. Going from a staff of Brett Meyers, Freddy Garcia, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Adam Eaton, and Jon Leiber to what we see now, really is incredible. But through it all, the Phillies remained in contention.

While they are still very much in it, the loss of Cole Hamels during the most important stretch of the year, the odds are becoming very long against the Phils. There is only so much a team can take. And over the last two series, we might have seen this team cross that line. This is not a "Stick a fork in them" article (even though maybe it should be) because the Phillies have already gotten through so much, maybe they can keep it together for two more weeks. Why two weeks? Because Cole Hamels, Chase Utely, and even Michael Bourn should all be back to help the Phillies make one final push toward their first playoff appearance since 1993.

Trotter gets Axed

Today, the Philadelphia Eagles released nine year veteran, Jeremiah Trotter, the Axe-Man. During an emotional press conference, Trotter, along with the organization, announced the move with a sense of remorse. Trotter, in his second stint with the Birds, was a fan favorite. And it seems clear that he had become an organizational favorite; making this decision a tough one for the team. However, Trotter and his creaky knees no longer fit into the Eagles' plans at linebacker.

Ever since returning to the Eagles in 2004, after his two year experiment in Washington failed, Trotter has been a team leader on and off the field. He came back humbled and was willing to start the season as a backup. But by midseason, the Axe-Man was back, starting in the middle of the defense, on his way to his third Pro Bowl. He was the run-stopping anchor on that Super Bowl team, and even though the run defense worsened the following year, that didn't stop him from earing another Pro Bowl trip.

It is clear that the team feels that Trotter can simply no longer provide the range that their middle linebacker needs to, as they make way for younger, quicker, Omar Gaither. Trotter came into training camp after a vigorous offseason where he lost weight in an attempt be become quicker and put less stress on his aging knees. However it wasn't enough to hold off the youth movement in the Eagles' linebacking corps. Trotter's age has simply caught up with him.

Of course, this is not the first time the Eagles' have parted way with a popular veteran. And for the most part, the Eagles have been correct in their unpopular assessments. Trotter himself was a victim of this way of business when he left the team the first time. And after two unsuccessful seasons with the Redskins, he was back in Eagles green - under their terms, not his.

Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent, Hugh Douglas, Duce Staley, Corey Simon, and the list goes on. They were all popular veterans that the fans and media felt were critical parts to the team. We were wrong and the Eagles' front office was right. So it seems fair that the organization has earned the benefit of the doubt in this situation. And seeing how tough it was for them to make this particular move, it shows that they really wanted to keep Trotter on. However, in the best interest of the team, it was just time for Trotter and the Eagles to go their separate ways.

For the Phils, the Time is Now

For four and a half months, you've heard one statement coming out of Philadelphia more than any other: "The season is still young; we gotta take it one game at a time." Well, that mantra no longer applies. Granted, they still must take things one game at a time, but the season is no longer young. With 39 games remaining, and the team trailing the first place Mets by five games, the Phillies need to make a move. And what better time to start than with the upcoming 10-game homestand against 3 playoff contenders; two of which they are currently chasing (Padres and Mets).
A lot of people don't want to here it, but the Phillies have done a tremendous job just being in this position considering all of the injuries they have suffered. Whoever you want to blame for lack of quality pitching and depth in the field, it can't be denied that the players have played to their utmost potential. Unfortunately there comes a time when "close but no cigar," doesn't work anymore.
The Phillies have been in this position before. Last season, they hung around in August and September only to miss the playoff by three games. Two season ago, they missed the playoffs by just one game. If the season ended today, they'd miss the playoffs by one game again. Thankfully, it does not end today.
The next three games are against the LA Dodgers. The Dodgers are really struggling right now, but with a staff capable of shutting teams down at any moment, the Phillies need to bring their A-game. Especially considering the next two opponents: three against the Padres and four against the Mets. There is not much of a bigger opportunity than facing the team you're trailing by one game at home for a three game series. As for the Mets, if you can't get up for this series, you are not a fan of baseball. The only way this four game series could be any more important (short of the playoffs) is if it took place in mid-September. So what is "acceptable," to put it in the words of Phil's GM Pat Gillick, for this homestand? Normally, I think you'd be happy with a 6-4 record against these three teams. But considering the ground the Phils have to make up, and the amount of time they have to do it, 7-3 needs to be the minimum goal. And those three losses can't come at the hands of the Mets or the Phils can pretty much kiss the division goodbye.
7-3 will be difficult without Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, and Michael Bourn, to name three D.L. residents. But, it is time to put those injuries aside if the Phillies want to make the playoffs. It is time to stop patting their backs for hanging in there despite the adversity they've faced. If you're looking for the perfect time to make a move, the time is now.

Eagles Pull a 180 on Panthers

The Philadelphia Eagles, coming off of a 29-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in their first preseason game, beat the Carolina Panthers 27-10 Friday night. It was a complete turnaround in all phases of the game. But just like against Baltimore, when it feelings of panic had to be tempered, the fact that it is preseason can not be forgotten. It also should be noted that quality of competition differed quite a bit from the first game to Friday night. But, never the less, the Eagles team that showed up Friday looked very good, and more importantly, restored the hope of a Super Bowl caliber season.
The biggest difference was obviously the addition of Donovan McNabb back into the starting lineup. It has been mentioned a number on times on this blog that this writer has complete confidence in McNabb, his ability to overcome this injury, and his potential for an MVP-type season. And Friday night, McNabb showed everyone else those same things. One by one, questions were answered. Will the offense be conservative with him in their until he gets his feet underneath him? The answer was an emphatic no. He opened the Eagles' first drive with a 27 yard strike to who else but newcomer, Kevin Curtis. McNabb has made it a habit the last dew seasons to gel early and often with his newest toys on offense. He then completed a 16 yard pass to Jason Avant. Overall, in about one quarter of play, Number Five completed 6 of 9 passes for 128 yards. In addition to those first two passes, he also threw a NFL films-style perfect pass to tight end Matt Schoebl for 58 yards. All of that was great, but how would his newly constructed knee hold up when a live rush forces him out of the pocket? That was answered the first time his protection broke down. McNabb scrambled right and threw a pass on the run. Granted, the pass was low and incomplete, but McNabb showed everyone he can still preform his Houdini act if needed. The final question: How would he handle the eventual sack? The answer: just fine. McNabb succumbed to the pass rush towards the end of his playing time, and arose unscathed. McNabb essentially showed on Friday night that his biggest obstacle won't be overcoming the injury itself, but the 9 months of rust that the injury caused.
The offense wasn't the only unit that needed to improve. And they weren't the only unit that did improve. The defense, victims of an all too familiar opening drive touchdown in Baltimore, forced Carolina into two straight three and outs to start the game. And McNabb wasn't the only starter to make an emphatic return to the lineup. Lito Sheppard made his presence felt by returning a Jake Delhomme interception 40 yards for a touchdown. Now whether that was Lito returning to Pro Bowl form, or Jake Delhomme proving that his Super Bowl season was indeed the aberration (and not the last couple seasons like everyone in the Panther's organization will tell you) remains to be seen. But it's hard to not be encouraged by what the defense did, especially in response to their opening game performance.
In the case of McNabb, only one more hurdle needs to be passed: How will his knee hold up in the days following action? Especially when he starts the season and puts it through a full game's worth of punishment. It will likely swell up initially. But if it gets severe, or is causing McNabb to miss practice time when the season rolls around, that might pose a problem. But other than that, it looks like the question mark can be removed from the Eagles' most important position (and it probably shouldn't have been there from the beginning). The Eagles' offense will be fine this season. In fact, they will be much better than fine. If there are real concerns on this team, they are on the defensive side of the ball. Improvements have been made this offseason, and through two preseason games, the results have been mixed. With a number of young and new players, it is understandable to expect the defense to be a bit of a work in progress. The next preseason game is usually used as the dress rehearshal for the regular season. And the opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, should be a good test. So, we should have a better idea of what the Eagles actually are after next Sunday. But it's important to remember that we have a real idea of what the 2007 Eagles are until about October (if not later).

Phils Find Another Way to Win

Whatever you think of the Phillies this year, there is one thing no one can deny: this team has never given up trying to find new ways to win. Tuesday night, they won for only the second time all year when scoring three or fewer runs. And a large contributer to that victory was new guy, Russell Branyan. Branyan came on to pinch-hit in the top of the eighth inning - his first at bat as a Phillie - and proceeded to drive a 1-0 pitch well over the wall in right field. The homer gave the Phils a 3-2 lead which they did not relinquish.

In a playoff race, it's critical to beat the teams you're supposed; like the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates (their current and next opponents). But for whatever reason, the Phillies have struggled against teams with worse records this season, particulary the Nationals. So it becomes even more critical to pull out wins that you probably shouldn't have had any right winning. Again, look at the series opener against the Nats. Shawn Hill, coming off the disabled list and making his first start since May 11, held the Phillies to just one hit and no runs over 6 innings of dominating ball. Luckily for the Phillies, Hill was on an 80 pitch count. He was pulled, and the Phillies eventually pulled out the game with Branyan's blast.
Kyle Lochse was almost as good, pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings before giving up 2 runs in the bottoms of the seventh. But the Phillies bullpen (yes, that bullpen) closed the door the rest of the way; highlighted by Brett Meyers striking out the side in the final frame for the save after the Phils took the lead.

The win was important for a number of reasons: First, the Mets and Padres, whom they are chasing in the division and wild card races respectively, both won. As mentioned before, you have to beat the teams you're supposed to beat. But also, teams in a pennant race can not afford to let quality pitching performances go to waste. Especially when those performances have been few and far between for the Phils this season. Branyan may never repeat his first at bat with the Phillies, but he'll take it. And the Phillies will too.

No Time to get Raven Mad

There were two ways to start this post, depending on how the Eagles did in their first preseason game: "I know it's just preseason, but...." and "Thank God it's just preseason." A 29-3 loss later, and both of those statements can apply. It's always important to not put too much stock in a preseason performance, but on the other hand, the games may be a sign of things to come; both good and bad. In this case, fans hope it is not a sign of things to come, because those "things" would definitely be of the "bad" variety.
As they say, "I've got good news and I've got bad news." Let's start with the bad news. The Eagles defense looked shockingly similar to the much-maligned unit of last season; particularly in a few specific areas. Areas that were supposed to be strengthened. The Eagles were still unable to get consistent pressure on the quarterback. To be successful this year, they will have to get pressure on the quarterback without blitzing. They certainly didn't show an ability to do that last night. The Eagles again gave up a long sustaining drive that netted points to start the game. And a big reason for that is another one of the problems that plagued them last year: They are unable to get off the field on third down. Baltimore's first drive last night with the first team offense against the first team defense: 12 plays, 93 yards, and a touchdown with 3 third down conversions of 6 yards or more; including the touchdown pass. It's pretty simple for the Bird's defense this season: make teams punt and give the ball back to your offense.
There was only one glaring concern on the offensive side of the ball: the offensive line. The unit that is supposed to be the main strength of the team seemed lost against the Raven's. There were no running lanes for the backs and the quarterbacks were consistently on the run; if they were even standing. Poor QB, Kevin Kolb, in his first NFL action ever, was slammed on his first two snaps (one of them being roughing the passer, and the other being a 16 yard loss).
Those are the negatives. And before anyone goes jumping off the Ben Franklin Bridge, here are the positives. First, take a look at who was not in the game: Donovan McNabb, LJ Smith, Shawn Andrews, Brian Dawkins, and Lito Sheppard to name the big guys. Those are all key guys, and both sides of the ball are going to struggle without those guys, even for a couple series. And while the defense had it's struggles, they did seem to tackle better. Chris Gocong, a big question mark going into the season, looked much more solid against the run than Dhani Jones last season. Takeo Spikes looks healthy, and that's all you can ask for from a veteran like him in preseason. Offensively, Brian Westbrook is still making people look silly when he gets in open space, and Jeremy Bloom looks like he can really add something to the return game.
Obviously, in a 29-3 loss, the negatives are going to outnumber the positives. But this statement can not be uttered to one self enough in preseason, for bad as well as good performances: "It is only preseason." The Eagles do not game plan teams in preseason. So, it's a little understandable when a team that blitzes in waves like the Ravens, a young offensive line is going to have trouble picking them up. And Jim Johnson is not going to dial up all his creative defensive schemes in the preseason either. So, it really is impossible to get a full team diagnosis in the preseason, especially after one game. Just look at last year: The Oakland Raiders went 4-1 in route to a league worst 2-14 regular season record. And what did those eventual Super Bowl Champions do in the preseason? 1-3. Go figure.

Ten Predictions for the upcoming season

With the NFL preseason well under way, it's time to make some predictions that will inevitably be proven way wrong in the next four months. Regardless, here we go:

1. Calvin Johnson will not be Offensive Rookie of the Year. The number two overall pick in this year's draft has been considered by most, the best player in the draft class by a wide margin. And therefore, he is a heavy favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. But, in today's NFL, the only sure thing is the fact that nothing is for sure. Look for Marshawn Lynch in Buffalo to take the award.

2. The Patriots ARE as good as people think. It has been trendy to go against the trendy pick lately. Which means a lot of people are calling the Patriots overrated after many others called them Super Bowl favorites. Don't be fooled though. The Patriots were one poor half of football away from another Super Bowl appearance, and possibly victory, last season. This season they return all their strengths, and eliminated their weaknesses. If there's one thing I learned over the last six years, it's to not underestimate the New England Patriots.

3. Willis McGahee will make everyone in Baltimore forget about Jamal Lewis. Lewis gave the Ravens offense absolutely no big play ability. That, combined with McNair giving the passing game no big play ability, made that offense very stagnant. Meanwhile, McGahee has been stuck in Buffalo his whole career. Despite that, he has still had a relatively successful career. He can be the durable every down back that Lewis was, and supply some explosiveness that the Raven's offense has never had. McGahee will have a big season in Baltimore.

4. Trent Green will not start more than ten games for the Miami Dolphins this season. I can't figure out why everyone thinks that Green solves all of Miami's offensive problems. Did everyone forget how bad Kansas City's passing game was last season before he got hurt? Did everyone forget how Green had one of the worst performances in the playoff loss to Indianapolis? Trent Green is on the downside of his career, and he will just be another member on a Miami offense full of underperformers.

5. The Saints will return to the NFC championship game. Last year was no fluke. Coach Sean Payton has all the weapons, and he knows how to use them. The Saints offense is that good, and the NFC is bad enough that they will be able to get by without a mediocre defense.

6. Vince Young will struggle in his sophomore season. This is partly because of the simple fact that he set the bar pretty high in his rookie season, and it will be difficult for him to improve upon that at this point in his career. But also, it is difficult for a young QB when opposing defensive coordinators start to accumulate game film on them. Just look at Tony Romo from a year ago. The first five games of his career, he looked like the second coming of Troy Aikman. But, then opposing teams started adjusting. And he struggled like a young QB should. Vince Young should be a good, if not great, NFL QB. Just not this season.

7. Jeff Garcia will be successful in Tampa Bay. Garcia had a ressurection last season while replacing injured Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia, leading the team to the playoffs in the process. However, he didn't fit in Philly's plans, and moved on to the Buccaneers. He will be a perfect fit for Jon Gruden's offense. Think Brad Johnson during the Buc's Super Bowl run a few years back. Both are smart, quick thinking guys, capable of running the west coast offense as good as anybody.

8. At least one participant in the Super Bowl will have gotten there because of their offense. I know the saying, "Defense wins championships," and I generally believe it, but times are a changing. The league is, and has been for a while, changing toward a more offensive, higher scoring game. And teams like the Saints, Colts, and Eagles are taking advantage of it. I expect one of them to be in the Super Bowl.

9. Ron Jawroski will be criticized for his performance on the Monday Night Football broadcast. Ok, so maybe this isn't much of a prediction, since pretty much everyone has criticized whoever ESPN throws into the booth. Personally, I think I will enjoy Jaws as part of the broadcast, but that won't stop the complaints from pouring in.

10. Andy Reid will be the Coach of the Year. Pretty simple here. The Eagles will amass a nice record, and Andy Reid has been a contender for the award for many of the past eight years. It is his time.

Football: The Newest Game of Chance

The Cleveland Browns have not exactly been a pillar of success in the NFL since returning to the league in 1999. During that time, they have gone a combined 40-88 with one playoffs appearence; a 33-36 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round. Most recently, they finished the 2006 season with a 4-12 record, earning the number three overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. So things obvioulsy haven't been going very well in Browns country. But with coach Romeo Crennell in his third season, and a nice haul of young players with bright futures from the last few drafts, hopes would seem to be on the rise. That is until you hear that Crennel is choosing his starting quarterback for the Brown's first preseason game by the most scientific of methods: flipping a coin.
For a sport based on strategy, analysis, and consistency as much as football is, it's ridiculous that a coach would decide the most important part of a football team by an activity of chance. Crennel's reasoning is that both his quarterbacks, Derek Anderson and Charlie Frye, are so evenly matched that he could go either way. While, logically, that makes sense, that just isn't the way football works. The quarterback position needs to be your most consistent if you want your team to have consistent success. And by flipping a coin, not only are you losing that consistency, your are telling your team that neither is capable of consistently leading them.
There are a number of positions in football where it is ok, and in some cases an advantage, to have more than one player capable of starting. The quarterback position is not one of them. And unlike a running back by committee approach, a quarterback by committee approach doesn't exist. Obviously you can only have one QB on the field at a time, but also there simply isn't enough quality quarterbacks in the league for one team to have two of them. Some teams aren't lucky enough to have one quality trigger man. So, in the case of the Browns, if you don't have one guy behind center, then you've got none.
Aside from this decision demonstrating the lack of a quality starting quarterback on the team, it also demonstrates the coach's lack of decision making, leadership, and quite frankly, coachingability. What does a coach expect his team to think when he can't even decide which quarterback will give his team the best chance to win based on something other than luck. If he can't do that, how can you be confident that his starting running back wasn't decided by throwing a dart at the depth chart; or the game plan wasn't put together with the help of his children; or trades aren't orchestrated based on the teams with the best cheerleaders? As an NFL coach in today's game, it is imperative that you show control in the decision making process.
I understand that it is only preseason, and those two quarterbacks may very be equal enough to be decided by a flip of the coin, but this is not something you make public. There needs to be a sense of confidence and control coming from the head coach; especially when the team is in a rebuilding phase. When you are a team on the upswing, looking to reinvigorate the fan base, saying/doing something as crazy as this is something that could really put a dent in the level of confidence in the team's progress.

Quick hit thoughts

Barry Bonds
- He is baseball's all-time homerun leader. Period. Until it is proven he cheated or someone passes him.

Alex Rodriguez
- A-Rod hit his 500th home run this past weekend at the ripe old age of 32 years and 8 days - the youngest player ever to accomplish the milestone. Considering he is still in the prime of his career, many feel he will eventually overtake Bonds as the real/true home run king. Two problems with that thinking: First, he will need at least 258 home runs from this point on. And while, it is easy to assume he will get that based on what he has done thus far in his career, anything can happen. He will probably need to play another 10 years to reach the milestone. And it is a stretch to assume anybody will remain healthy during that time. Second, and maybe more importantly, people assume A-Rod is doing it all cleanly. Personally, I agree, but is it safe to assume anybody in today's game is doing it the right way? No. So let's not crown A-Rod the home run king already.

Chase Utley
- How many modern day players are taking ground ball practice with their hand in a cast? This guy was made for playing in Philadelphia, if anyone ever was.

Brett Meyers
- Anyone see him close out game two of the Marlins series on Wednesday night? If you did, you never would have thought this guy was a top of the rotation starter to start this season. Instead, he looked like one of the game's best closers. Struck out the side on 14 pitches; 13 of those were strikes. I have been that excited in the ninth inning since Billy Wagner was a Phil.

Tom Glavine
- Glavine recorded the 300th win of his underrated career with Atlanta and New York. What I find interesting is how happy I am for him. Being a Philadelphia fan, I'm not exactly inclined to be happy for anyone who played for either of those teams; let alone both. But being juxtaposed to the Barry Bonds debacle, Glavine's accomplishment was a breath of fresh air.

New York Yankees
- Is it just me, or does it seem like the Yankees have been scoring 16 runs every other game for the past month.

Eagles Training Camp
- I have to admit I'm getting a little football overexposure right now. I'm excited for football season like everyone else, but I don't need to here about every pass, catch, and hit from drills and scrimmages. People are reporting on these things like they are happening on a Sunday in the fall. And all of the sudden, the Eagles are getting pretty nicked up. The list of players not participating in practices, for one reason or another, is growing day after day. I'm assuming, and hoping, this is Andy Reid erring on the side of caution. Although, LJ Smith did re-aggravate the sports hernia he had surgery for this past offseason. Let's get to the start of the season already before any more people go down.

Larry Johnson
- Get to camp buddy. You don't deserve L.T. money, so stop asking for it.

NFL Rookies
- These rookie contracts are getting out of hand, and the rookies know it. That is why the number of first year hold outs grows year after year. Number three pick, Joe Thomas, received 23 Million in guaranteed money from the Browns, while an All-Pro like Dwight Freeney just signed a contract with 30 Million guaranteed. Now that doesn't seem like a proportionate distribution of wealth. The game is unbelievably wealthy right now, so it shouldn't be much of a problem in the short term. But, down the road, ridiculously rising rookie contracts could become a problem for the game.

Boston
- Can it feel any better to be a sports fan in Boston right now? The Red Sox are arguably the best team in the majors, and they just added Eric Gagne to their already strong closing tandem. The Patriots are considered by many to be a favorite to win their 4th Super Bowl of the decade after adding Adalius Thomas on defense, and Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss on offense. And the Celtics, have gone from cellar dweller to favorite in the Eastern Conference since the draft and adding Kevin Garnett. Oh, it must be good to be a Boston fan. Just ignore the hockey team.

No matter what, the game of baseball loses

So, apparently last night, the most hallowed record in sports was broken. In case you missed it, Barry Bonds connected on his 756th career homerun in San Francisco last night to pass Hammerin' Hank Aaron on the all time list. And in case you also missed this, Bonds has been under scrutiny for taking performance enhancing drugs....allegedly. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have been about as far from a Barry Bonds supporter as someone can get; short of sending hate-mail to the guy. However, something has happened over the past couple weeks. Something in my brain, or maybe it's more accurate to say in my heart, has changed. I think I have accepted him as the All-time home run king.
I'm not saying that I think he is good guy who has been unfairly criticized and abused by the fans and media alike. But, rather, maybe we should hold off judgment until we know something concrete that would warrant the vilification. After all, why shouldn't the credo of "innocent until proven guilty" apply to sports as well? Just because there is some circumstantial evidence - okay, a lot of circumstantial evidence - doesn't mean the guy doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt.
The biggest piece of circumstantial evidence is the fact that Bonds had his best seasons, in terms of power, at the point in his career when almost everyone else begins to decline; and decline rapidly. One such person before Barry who didn't decline was Hank Aaron himself. That's right, Aaron turned it on when most of his peers were struggling to just maintain. A great article on ESPN.com uses computers to simulate what Aaron would have done, had he pitched in the same circumstances as Bonds. Basically what they found was that the career patterns of each player are not as dissimilar as many claim. Again, I'm not inferring that Bonds is innocent, or guilty for that matter, but the fact that he became a better hitter late in his career is not enough to crucify him.
Now, I want to make clear that if he ever is found guilty he would lose that benefit of the doubt. I do not agree with Bonds supporters who argue that it still takes a lot of skill to hit all those homers, and Barry Bonds is still a hall of fame caliber player even without the homer runs. None of that matters when you cheat. It all goes away when you cheat. Bonds could retire right now, and even if steroids only gave him ONE extra homerun, he cheated. He would then lose the benefit of the doubt, and I don't think that any of his records should be considered.
And that is what makes it so sad; an accomplishment like this should be met with celebratory emotions instead of disdain. While all the evidence leads down the road to cheater-ville, one thought has been crossing my mind: What if we find out that Barry is, in fact, innocent? Not just that he'd never proven guilty (which will probably be what happens), but PROVEN INNOCENT. Would we be able to live with ourselves for turning this great milestone into a great disgrace? And the worry isn't even so much about unjustly convicting Barry the person, but the moment. Barry Bonds, regardless of the "chase" and BALCO and anything related to it, has always been a bad person. So hurting his feelings is not exactly a concern of mine.
Imagine the 1998 season under these circumstances. In case you don't remember, that was the summer that Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa made their run at the single season home run record, which was a huge milestone in its own right. At the time, there was no talk about cheating. These were two guys who were having magical seasons. And we ALL lived the magic with them. Many consider that season, myself included, the biggest cause for the MLB's recovery from the strike. What if McGuire and Sosa were being accused of cheating back then like they, along with Bonds, are now? Would baseball have ever recovered from the strike? And what if we are wrong now? But then again, what if we are right? Unfortunately this looks like the ultimate lose lose situation for the game of baseball.

Culture of complacency has got to end

As anyone who reads my blog knows, I've haven't been out for Pat Gillick's blood by any stretch of the imagination. Many around here want to blame him every time the Phils lose a game. While I still feel the guy deserves a little more time before the hammer can come down, he said something today that really dropped him down in my book; to paraphrase:

I would be happy if we finished this homestand with a 4-2 record, but 3-3 would be acceptable.

This statement, I've come to realize, epitomizes the main problem with the Phillies organization for the last 124 years (aside from being very bad for much of that time). This Phillies ownership in particular does not seem to want a championship. They seem to be content with being OK. This is NOT ok.
Since Gillick was given the general manager job almost two years ago, I have been patiently waiting for him to work his magic like he has done in other cities. And I thought we were getting there. There were a number of mistakes made by previous management that he had to fix/work around before he could really turn this team into a contender. And, let's face it: the Phils have a fun, exciting young team that is 5 games out of first in the East (just two out of the wild card). And they've done this with enough talent on the DL at some point to field a team that could probably beat the Pittsburgh Pirates...ok, bad example. Anyway, my point is that they don't need that much more to make the playoffs.
And that is where the culture of complacency comes in. What indications have the people in charge down in Philly given us that they won't stop there? Judging by Gillick's comments (in addition to a long history of "penny pinching"), they will stop there. 3-3 is acceptable?! No championship caliber team should EVER accept mediocrity. And that is exactly what Gillick is doing. Now I know Gillick is an honest guy who speaks his mind. And, quite frankly I like him for it. He is a straight shooter. Last season, after trading away Bobby Abreu and Corey Lidle, among others, he stated that he did not think the Phils would be true contenders until the 2008 season. And what did the team do? They caught fire, and made another run at the playoffs. Eventhough they came up short, there was a lot of hope for this season.
There are some who believe that Gillick's comments, both then and now, were meant to inspire and motivate the team; a little bit of reverse psychology I guess. However, like I said earlier, Gillick is a guy who speaks his mind. He generally doesn't play those types of mind games. So when he says that a .500 homestand is acceptable, I have to believe that is what he truly feels.
This is clearly a problem in a city starved for a championship. Take a look at the Flyers and Eagles, the two teams that have had the most success over the last decade. They don't talk about making the playoffs the same way the Phillies do. To those two teams, making the playoffs is just the start, not the destination. The Phillies organization, while they won't flat out say this, have made it clear that their goal is simply to make the playoffs. The Flyers, even coming off a league worst, and franchise worst, season, are talking about making the playoffs....and doing some damage once they get there. And the Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie, just today, mentioned how he expects playoffs, and the main goal is to win the Super Bowl. For both of these teams, anything short of a championship is a disappointment. Unfortunately, the Phillies' management doesn't live in that culture. Hopefully when/if they make the tranisition to a championship-based goal system, it won't be a case of culture shock.

Update

More posts are in fact coming. I'm was just awfully busy the last few days. I appreciate your patience.

What is happening with ESPN?

So I let ESPN's "Who's Now?" segment, a feature that attempts to crown the most celebrified athlete in the world (but basically America), slide simply because there wasn't a sports blog on the internet that didn't have a complaint about it. Enough had been said on what proved to be a new rock bottom for the once infallible station. But I came across another feature on their website that attempts to project which 50 players in the game today have the best chance to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. They call it "Cantonized," for the town where the game's greats become enshrined. The list started off good with a bunch of no-brainers. But it wasn't long before the list became flooded with OK players, players early in their careers, and even players who have yet to play an NFL snap. And on top of that these players took the spot of others who deserve consideration.
The creators of the list, Thomas Neumann and Scott Symmes, created a scientific formula to predict these future Hall of Famers. And like most times when someone tries to scientifically quantify and predict the future in sports, or any aspect of life for that matter, they fail miserably. Because the beautiful thing about sports; and what makes fans come back year after year, generation after generation; is that it is unpredictable. That is why we watch. We can speculate, but to begin to try and put science behind those predictions is counter-active to the appeal of sports. This formula was broken down into five categories where each player was rated. Twenty points was possible for each category, for a maximum score of 100. The five categories are: Mortality (injuries), Statistics, Team Success, Upside, and Intangibles.
The first ten on the list probably won't be argued by anybody. But then again, it's not hard to name ten of the best players in the game. Brett Favre unshockingly topped the list. However, he maxed out at a score of 78. So you get a sense of the scale of scoring. If this was a school course, there would be a major curve, unless the professor was Mr. Hubert....what an asshole. Anyway I digress. Anyway, the top ten was rounded out by the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Larry Allen, Ray Lewis, and LaDainian Tomlinson, to name a few. No complaints here.
Things start to get fishy at the 21st prediciton: Shawne Merriman. Now, yes, Merriman may be the best defensive player in the game, but he has been in the league for two years. That's barely enough time to judge whether a draft pick is a bust or not, let alone if the guy will be considered one of the best to play the game in it's rich history. One thing you've got to remember is that the Hall of Fame is for people who were great their entire careers. But still, I had no idea what I was in for further down the list.
At 32, we have Randy Moss. Now I'm a guy who thinks that character should play a part in whether or not a guy is Hall of Fame worthy. But even disregarding all of his character issues, he's simply not worthy to be "Cantonized." He simply hasn't done anything since leaving Minnesota, which was in 2004. While there, he was great. Maybe better than any other receiver ever. But he is now on the down side of his career, and six years does not make a Hall of Fame career. That fishy smell I smelled at 21 was starting to get pretty strong.
And it didn't take long for that smell to go from strong to unbearable. At number 34 is none other than, last year's second overall pick, Reggie Bush. Granted, the guy has tremendous upside, but is that enough to predict a hall of fame career. His rookie season wasn't even worthy of that kind of recognition even if it was projected over a 10-15 year career. 155 carries for 565 yards and 6 TDs. The only reason his rookie season wasn't pitiful was because of the 88 receptions for 742 yards; quite good for a back. We don't even know if his small frame can withstand the pounding that a Hall of Fame running back is bound to take.
It was about this time that I started thinking the list couldn't get any worse. That, and where the hell is Donovan McNabb on this list. Then I saw Vince Young followed by Calvin Johnson. With Young it is the same story as with Bush: too early to tell. But, it's a very different story with Johnson. Johnson, THIS YEAR'S second overall pick, has yet to play a snap in the NFL and these guys are putting him in the Hall of Fame. How do they possibly defend this? Well they give him a middling score of 10 for mortality, but combined with perfect 20s in upside and intangibles, he has a score of 50, and enough to make the list (and he didn't just squeak on either). I agree that this guy has amazing upside, but where does the perfect score for intangibles come from? We simply have no idea what he will accomplish on the field, let alone what kind of leader he will be. Cut intangibles in half, and give him a MAX score of 40.
At this point I'm feeling sick. I think that fish smell is actually a rotting whale under my desk. Now, I'm just going through as fast as possibly (noticing names like Matt Leinart, Steven Jackson, AJ Hawk, and Adrian Peterson)to see McNabb's name on the list and at least keep the lunch in my stomach. I won't keep you all in suspense any longer...he wasn't on the list! (cue dramatic music now). Oh, but ESPN did classify him as "on the bubble." I feel so much better now.
I'm sure Thomas Neumann and Scott Symmes would defend their predictions by saying they objectively based on a scientific formula. But I don't buy it. This whole experiment, in the same vein as "Who's Now," is just another effort by ESPN to turn athletes into celebrities. Over the past number of years, they have been trying desperately trying to transform into Entertainment Tonight. You don't have to be a marketing major to know that ESPN's primary demographic is males between the ages of 18-35. And you can probably narrow that down even more by saying single men. Now who out of this demographic cares who Alex Rodriguez is dating, or who's in Matt Leinart's entourage? Without sounding too misogynistic, the answer is no one. This is a perfect example of ESPN's disgraceful attempt to gobble up more advertising revenue, while leaving there core, loyal audience out in the cold. But if they keep doing this, who knows how loyal that audience will remain.

Birds take flight, part II

Today was the first full day of padded practice at Eagles' training camp up in Lehigh Valley. No more practicing in shorts. Hitting is upon us. And what better timing to continue my Eagles preview with those heavy hitters on the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles' defense is the key to this whole season. As described yesterday, the offense has an impressive array of weapons and a coaching staff that has turned the Birds into one of the top offensives in the league. The Eagles will score their points this year. But as steady as the offense's rise has been over the years, the same can be argued about the fall of the defense. The Eagles have always been known for their punishing defense. And defense has been the backbone of every deep playoff run during Andy Reid's tenure; except last year (if you call that a deep run). Last year, the Eagles got it done mostly by outscoring teams. The defense played better down the stretch, but they certainly need to play better if they hope to achieve their goal this year: winning a Super Bowl.
It all starts on the defensive line. A good defensive line can cover a lot of deficiencies in the linebacking corps and the secondary. And on the flip side, a poor defensive line can even make pro bowl caliber players look like they don't deserve starting. This year's defensive line unit has the capability to do both, and which way they go will have a huge impact on the outcome of the season. Last year they were closer to the second type of defensive line mentioned; they didn't do their part in stopping the run by keep interior lineman off of the linebackers, and they couldn't rush the passer on passing situations. They weren't as bad as the previous year, but they vastly underperformed expectations.
There is new hope this year that this unit can perform up to last preseason's expectations, and beyond. A big reason for that renewed hope is the return of the Freak, Jevon Kearse. Kearse got off to a great start last year, picking up 3 1/2 sacks in the season's first two games, before going down with a season ending knee injury. Shortly after his loss, the whole defensive line fell apart. If the defense is a skyscraper, and the defensive line is the foundation, then Kearse is the bedrock below. At age 30, that's how important he is. Almost as important is Broderick Bunkley. That's right, last year's 6'-2", 306 lb. first round draft pick, who could barely get on the field. With a full year of learning under his huge belt, Bunkley is in position to become the centerpiece of the D-line. If they are to make a turn-around at stopping the run, then Bunkley will need to be what the front office projected him to be. And there really is no reason why he can't be that guy; he has all the tools to be a dominant defensive tackle in this league. I expect (or maybe it's hope) that Bunkley will be the big body in the middle that shuts down opposing run games this season.
The thing that makes Jim Johnson's defensive scheme so good is his defensive line rotation. We got a glimpse of it last year to start the season. It was almost like hockey where they had two complete defensive line units. And after any play Johnson could call for a line change. It worked great, that is until Kearse went down, and the lines had to be shuffled and eventually scrapped. Going into camp, the Eagles are in even better shape to bring back that strategy. Aside from Kearse and Bunkley, they have a number of talented guys who aren't unnecessarily guys that will carry a defense. Juqua Thomas, Trent Cole, Darren Howard, and rookie Victor Abiamiri will all split time at the end posistion. And Thomas and Cole specifically showed a great ability to get to the passer when they went keyed on in a offensive blocking scheme. And with a healthy Kearse, that won't be possible. At tackle, Mike Patterson, Ian Scott, Montae Reagor, Jeremy Clark, and LaJaun Ramsey will all rotate with Bunkley. It'll be interesting to see who performs best out of all these guys heading into the season, because they can't keep all of them. Regardless, I have renewed faith, and hope, that this defensive line will terrorize offenses all season.
The next line of defense, the linebackers, have been criticized for years; and rightfully so. They simply haven't had much talent there outside of Jeremiah Trotter since Carlos Emmons left. But that comes down to an organizational philosophy. The Eagles just have never valued LBs that much. To them, the key to a successful defense is the defensive line and the secondary (and a great offense). And until this offseason, it showed. Going into training camp, there is a new confidence about this LB unit because they have been greatly upgraded. The biggest upgrade being Takeo Spikes. Spikes was brought over in a trade with Buffalo, and he will become an immediate starter. But it's not just Spikes who is an improvement. Gone is banjo playing, bowtie wearing Dhani Jones, and in comes a couple young guys that this organization really loves. Chris Gocong probably would have been starting strong side linebacker last season, his rookie season, had he not suffered head and neck injuries before the season started. Now after soaking up information for a year, he is penciled in as a starter. I say penciled because there is a lot of competition. Right now rookie Stewart Bradley is third on the depth chart behind Tank Daniels. But there are many who feel that Bradley could become the strong side starter by the midway point of the season. Spikes is pretty the man at weak side, but don't forget about Matt McCoy, who was the starter their last season. He struggled mightily (partly because of a shoulder injury he was nursing) and was eventually replaced by Omar Gaither, but the organization is still high on him He could be valuable in passing situations. Gaither's natural posistion is middle linebacker, which everyone, who knows anything about the Eagles, knows is occupied by Trotter. However, this posisiton is not free from competition either. Trotter took a lot of heat about being too heavy, too slow, and generally to old. And instead of getting defensive (no pun intended), he hit the weight room and lost nine pounds off his frame. He is more solid, quicker, and most importantly, he's got less weight bearing down on those knees of his. It probably won't be this year, but Gaither looks to be lined up as the Axe Man's eventual replacement. Overall, this should be the linebacking corps should be the most active unit in training camp, as far as competition goes. And no matter who wins, the Eagles will be taking a much improved, deeper LB squad into the season.
That brings us to the last line of defense, the secondary. The Eagles lost nickleback Rod Hood this offseason to free agency. They knew it was going to happen, but they were not going to pay him the starter's money he wanted, and quite frankly deserved. And they shouldn't have. He was a good player, but it was time for him to move on and try to become a starter. That leaves the Eagles with the incumbent starters in Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard. And add in William James, who feels he is starters material and you basically aren't going to miss a beat without Rod Hood. While none of these guys can be considered "shut-down" corners (that term is used way too loosely anyway), they can definitely hold their own against the best in the league; especially if the D-line can prevent the QB from having a cup of teas before he throws the ball Sheppard is a former Pro Bowler and Brown should have been. However the real story of this defense is at safety. Yes, Sean Considine didn't show much ability to stop the run last season after replacing the soon to be departing free agent Michael Lewis, but his coverage skills are not bad at all. And behind him is Quintin Mikell, who while a good special teams player and leader, isn't much of a replacement at safety. So let's hope the guy next to Considine can pick up the slack. Again. You may know him as Brian Dawkins. But I simply refer to him as beast. As a good friend of mine likes to say, "Three quarters of the world is covered by water....the rest is covered by Brian Dawkins." This guy is the heart and soul of this defense, and maybe the whole team, and maybe even the whole city during the fall. There is nothing he hasn't done, and there's less that he can't do. He took last season's defensive performance personally, and already he's giving speeches to his defense that it wasn't good enough. In his words, "we let the offense down last year." Harsh, but correct. And I expect Dawkins to have a historical year for safeties. He will put this entire defense on his back, if he has to, in order to win a Super Bowl. But if all goes to plan, he won't have to.