QUOTE: “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.” -- Albert Einstein
Weekend in Review: What I learned
Jay Cutler came to play...
APJay Cutler made a triumphant return to Denver.
Watching the game Sunday night, I kept thinking, “How lucky are the Bears?” Give them credit. They made the trade, the one personnel move they needed to make, and they didn’t listen to all the perceptions about Jay Cutler like another team in the NFC North. Now they need to get him under a long-term deal because the price of doing business with quarterbacks keeps rising.
Tedy Bruschi retires...
Some players know when the end is near, and Tedy Bruschi clearly realized that his chances of making the Patriots this season were very slim. He was running with second team, and watching him play in the second half of the game Friday night told me that he was close to the end. Now, Bruschi has made the decision for the Patriots. He walks away from the game he loves and can look back on a great career.
Matt Cassel injured....
Because of Matt Cassel’s recent knee injury, the Chiefs may have to put their Tyler Thigpen trade talks on hold. Watching the injury happen during the game Saturday against Seattle, along with Cassel’s initial reaction, I thought it was much more severe.
Matt Leinart...and Vince Young
APVince Young will back up Kerry Collins again this season.
In case you missed it the other night, Matt Leinart finally played like a first-round pick. He threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns and might have had another had Lance Long been ruled inbounds. This is something to build on, and I realize it was against the Packers’ second- and third-team players, but there was progress.
And in case you also missed the Titans’ game at Cleveland, Vince Young played much better than he has all preseason. Yes, he was inconsistent with his decision-making ability and accuracy, but he looked like he’s making progress. His speed and athletic ability were too much for the Browns’ defense, which appeared slow.
The Browns’ QB Derby…
I live part-time (when he’s home from college) with a Browns fan (my oldest son), who’s also a huge Brady Quinn fan. After his review of the game Saturday, he feels it’s Quinn all the way. I watched the game, and for me it’s close, but I feel like the Browns have too much invested in Quinn and will make him the starter. They found a back in the later rounds this year, sixth-round pick James Davis, who looks like the real deal. I’m still not sold that Jamal Lewis will make the team.
Turk Schonert and the Buffalo Bills...
Turk Schonert is the offensive coordinator of the Bills, a team that has some very good skills players but can’t find the end zone if it had a map. They have an offensive line that’s young, and most importantly, they have a quarterback who is still unproven. The pressure is on Schonert, but it’s also on Trent Edwards because the Bills based their whole offseason on Edwards being the answer. Again, most personnel mistakes in the NFL occur when teams wrongly evaluate their own talent.
The Falcons’ defense...
The Falcons are a good organization and a very good football team on offense. They feel very confident with their defensive line. They had better be right because their secondary is suspect, and I believe cornerback Brent Grimes is going to be a part of many opponents’ game plans. What will the score of this year’s Falcons-Saints game be, 45-41?
The Baltimore Ravens are for real...
APHow far will Joe Flacco lead the Ravens this year?
The Ravens look for real, and Joe Flacco made some of the best throws I’ve seen this summer. I was worried about him coming out of college in terms of being able to anticipate his throws and show a rhythm to his game. But he has proven me wrong, and quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson, along with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, have done a wonderful job improving Flacco in every phase. He looks so much quicker now.
Marion Barber and the Cowboys’ backs....
Marion Barber is still an effective inside runner and does all the things that backs need to do well -- protect, catch and run. But when the Cowboys need to make big plays or speed up the game, they need to have Tashard Choice or Felix Jones on the field. As the season progresses, I have a feeling we’ll see more Choice and more Jones, and less Barber.
Levels of expectations for the good, the bad and the ugly
Yes, it’s still only preseason, so the Packers and Saints are good, but not as good as they showed this past weekend. And the Raiders and Bills are not that bad. There will have to be a little balance in terms of the expectations for the good and the bad. I love the Packers, but there will be some bumps in the road that they can overcome, but they have to be able to deal with their success as a team. As for the Bills and the Raiders, their coaching staffs will have the players’ full attention this week. They need to make the most of it.
Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi
McJunior has to be kicking himself for even inquiring about Cassel in the first place. Guy walked into a great offensive situation....gonna be a long season with Kyle ORton....
Really, you think Brent Grimes will be singled out. How about Chris Houston?
Very impressed by Cutler last night... really fired some bullets, especially on that 98 yd drive. He'll be a good challenge for our D on opening night, although I think our D is a lot more talented than Denver's. And I'm trying not to get overconfident based on the Packers play so far this preseason, but the vibe for this team going into the regular season is completely different from last year, when the fallout from the Favre Drama had more of an affect than the team would admit. As long as the offensive line can protect Rodgers, the offense is going to put a lot of points on the board. And the defense looks like it will create a lot more turnovers and pressure than it did last year. I do have some concerns about our special teams, but overall this team looks pretty solid. Can't wait to kick it off on Sept 13.
Bruschi was a hero to many for what he did off the field as well, and anybody who's watched the ESPN clip on Youtube about the day he hosted a six-year old child who'd been born with a defective heart -- and could watch it without crying -- needs to have a soul transplant. The media spend a huge amount of time on the bad actors in the NFL, and probably correctly. It would be nice if they could spend as much time celebrating the real good guys as well, and you don't get better or more real than No. 54.
Nice assessment of the Ravens. I know it's only preseason, but Flacco has looked almost perfect. I knew we'd be much better this year, but I still wasn't sure we could be better than the Steelers. If the Steeler offensive line performs as roughly as they did last year, we could be better than them. I'm not saying we're going to beat them twice, but if we can stay healthy I think we're capable of winning 13 games or more. As big as an addition as Head Coach Harbaugh was last year, just as important in my mind is the addition of Cam Cameron. It's so nice to see a creative and dynamic offense here in Baltimore, we haven't seen that since the Ted Marchibroda and Vinny Testaverde era!
Maybe GMs need to start considering the age of a prospective coach? Just because you are part of a "coach tree" doesn't necessarily mean you have the wisdom to deal with players and other personnel as a head coach. Did you see McDaniel in that press conference about Brandon Marshall? He looked like he was suppressing the need to urinate. Does he look and sound like a man who professional athletes are taking seriously?
I'm starting to think that coaching candidates that are too young to run for president of the United States should probably not be considered to be head coaches of a professional football team.
Kudos to Cutler for playing well in a very tough environment. But I'll point out that if Cutler always played like he plays in the preseason, Denver would be playing next Thursday in the big bash. The problem hasn't ever been his talent or ability. Nobody has argued that. Its been bringing it when it matters.
Now, if Orton does in fact have an open dislocation of that first knuckle, then at least you other Bronco fans will get that disaster season you're so dreaming for. That is the part of the Broncos offseason that I really don't get. To each his own, I guess.
yeah...mcjunior looks overwhelmed....without bellicheck as his safety net.....looks lost...gonna be a long year..
Cutler hasn't played on a winning team since high school.
But it's fun watching the hayseed Bears fans getting all excited and talking Super Bowl because of him. Will make it even sweeter when they finish 3rd in the division, lol.
How bout them Packers? Aaron Rodgers looked sharp as well as their offense and defense!
You can't lump coaches of any age group together. Pittsburgh has my favorite coach on their sidelines wearing a ring who's young enough to throw on some pads and play db.
I just want Orton to be all right. It's pissing me off that we have all of these injuries. I'm not completely displeased with the Broncos' overall performance, but I am mad at Darius Walker for that fumble. His touchdown was pretty sweet late in the game though. Come on Football gods, do not let Orton be injured. If McDaniels is to be fairly evaluated, as good as is Brandstater is, he needs a veteran quarterback. Brandstater is our future and therefore, I have confidence in that. Nevertheless, the present is also propitious so long as Orton is not hurt.
@ Eric Green:
I think Grimes is going to get picked on early and often. I've already heard some other Saints fans calling him ATL's Jason David. If the Saints fans can see it, you can bet the coaches do, too.
"the score in this years falcons-saints game be 45-41'
get with the program, the saints have a new defensive sheriff in town, Gregg Williams. under his watch they have gotten leaner and meaner.please look at their defensive stats in the three preseason games, sacks ,ints, fumbles, most importantly they have only given up 28 point in three games (less than 10 a game) .
Mr. Lombardi, I have to beg to differ with you in terms of the Bills not being that bad. They don't have an offense to speak of. Their passing offense is an absolute joke. Expecting Owens to be that much of a diference-maker on an offense this anemic is very unlikely. Edwards is getting worse and not better. Two weeks from tonight, they play in New England. Marshawn Lynch will sit out the first 3 games of the regular season. They are really bad. Their roster ranks in the bottom 6-7 teams of the league, in my opinion.
I'm a Bronco fan , but I was cheering for Cutler to stick it to this group of idiots who have destroyed a good offense and have the Broncos in the hunt for worst record in the NFL , certainly no dreams of the playoffs . Fire the new regime now before it gets worse !!!!!
The Browns are in for a long season - painfully long if the mighty Quinn is behind center.
Here's hoping Quinn is named the starter and somebody makes an offer for DA and the Browns accept it.
Tedy Bruschi may be replaced in the lineup, but his contributions to the team will never be forgotten. Congratulations on a well earned retirement!
If Jamal Lewis doesn't make the Browns, Jenna Haze will stop doing porn.
Jamal Lewis doesn't make the final 53?? What gives?
I had a manager once in the corporate world who had a rule; Absolutely No Managers Under 30 Years Old. He said in 30 years, he'd only seen a couple individuals that he would be comfortable with as managers under 35. It wasn't that he questioned mental facilities, intelligence, dedication, he just felt that they hadn't matured to the point where they could bring the confidence and stability to decision making that made those underneath them comfortable. He didn't want managers that had to have their bosses support to succeed, he wanted managers that could stand on their own two feet.
Think McD has all the tools to be a good coach in the future, but I think he currently needs to be propped up and supported by Bowlen way to much. He obviously has a long way to mature in how he handles interpersonal decisions and personalities.
Can't wait for the packers to win 5 games this year. Every loser "analyst" thinks a good preseason by Arron Rodgers means something, defenses do not gameplan in the preseason! the Lioins went 4-0 last year!
Michael, you say you're not convinced that Jamal Lewis will even make the team? He just received a $4M roster bonus in March. Cutting him seems unrealistic, and I can't believe that there would be a trade market for him. Can you elaborate?
* - See posts #20, #21, & #24
Mike,....enjoy your articles, but unless you have some reliable "inside tract/sources", and not just some "out in left field hunch", to even type that Lewis might not make the final roster is absolute poppycock. I mean really. Not even make the ROSTER?!?! Come on!!?? Yeah,....Lewis has lost a step, but he's probably equal, if not BETTER than probably 1/4 of the starting RB's in the league. What gives?
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Aug 31, 2009
10:57 AM
McJunior has to be kicking himself for even inquiring about Cassel in the first place. Guy walked into a great offensive situation....gonna be a long season with Kyle ORton....