National Football Post Diner News

17 Oct 2008

QUOTE :  “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”  MARK TWAIN…

MIKE KLIS OF THE DENVER POST... Broncos coach Mike Shanahan was told his star receiver, Brandon Marshall, carried a football, finger over the tip, at his news conference Thursday. "That's a good idea," Shanahan said. "He didn't fumble it, did he?" Uh, well, one of the equipment managers did knock it loose as Marshall was walking toward the appearance. "Oh, don't say that," Shanahan said. After making critical fumbles in the Broncos' two losses this year, Marshall was letting everyone know he's seriously trying to correct the problem.  "It's nothing special, it's just kind of training your brain to hold on to the ball," Marshall said of the age-old tactic of carrying a football around during off hours.  Wideout Brandon Stokley remained out with a concussion. "He's still seeing the doctor, and the doctor recommended today that he not practice," Shanahan said. . . . Tight end Tony Scheffler (groin) and running back Selvin Young (groin) continued to practice on a limited basis. . . . Shanahan, on the return to practice of rookie running back Ryan Torain, who has been out since training camp to mend a dislocated elbow: "Hopefully there's no setback and he can go in a short time. But I'd say it'll take a couple of weeks before he can go."

Part of the reason why Marshall fumbles so often is that he is always fighting and trying to get the extra yard.  Add in the fact that receivers get hit from all angles, especially from behind.  The Broncos will struggle offensively if they don’t have at least Eddie Royal for the game.  It is clear from Mike Klis’s report that Brandon Stokley is not going to play because of his concussion and if Marshall is the only real wide out, it will make the Patriots game plan a little easier to execute.  The key for the Broncos is Ryan Torain.  They need a big back and he would be a huge asset as the weather turns and throwing the ball becomes a little more difficult. 

FROM OHM YOUNGMISUK OF THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS…It's probably a good bet that San Francisco offensive coordinator Mike Martz took a long look at how Cleveland was able to counter the Giants' blitz scheme. Anderson threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns by getting the ball out quickly. Oftentimes he would take quick drops and release the ball before a Giant came close to him. And when Giants defenders tried to counter by getting their hands up, the 6-6 Anderson still was able to see over the rush and complete passes. Tuck said that if a quarterback holds the ball for three seconds or longer, it is the defense's fault if the signal-caller isn't hit or pressured. Tuck said that Anderson held the ball for three seconds or longer only four times and on two of those occasions, the Browns quarterback ran a bootleg to avoid the rush. "You got to give Cleveland a lot of credit; they did a lot of things to mix up their blocking schemes, they had quick throws. ... But that isn't a worry for us," Tuck said. "We know that sometimes you can have the best rush in the world and sometimes it doesn't show up on paper.”  “If you throw the ball under two seconds, it is kind of hard to get to a quarterback," he added. "We really weren't able to get into a rhythm as far as a pass rush."

The Giants and the Eagles run very similar schemes and the game plan that Mike Martz used for the Eagles game will be a springboard for the Giants game.  For a coach, this is a dream come true in terms of preparation.  All the work that was done for the Eagles game will carry over to the Giants game.  The 49ers will move the ball, the 49ers will make a few plays, but the 49ers will really struggle to slow down the Giants offense and if they get behind early in the game, it might be a long afternoon. 

FROM MARLA RIDENOUR OF THE AKRON BEACON JOURNAL…The pair's nonverbal skills were so on-point that Edwards described it as 'freaky.”  “There were some things I did and in the back of my mind I'm thinking, 'I should not have done that,' and here's the ball right on me,' Edwards said. That was most evident on an 11-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter that gave the Browns a 13-point lead en route to a 35-14 victory over the previously unbeaten New York Giants. Edwards explained he was supposed to go outside of Giants cornerback Aaron Ross, get to the back of the end zone, run in three steps, then go back out. It didn't exactly work that way, but it worked.' I went to the outside and he jumped outside hard,' Edwards said of Ross. 'I came back inside and he fell. I said, 'It doesn't make any sense to go back and come back out out, just go up and stop.' I went up and sat down and [Anderson] said, 'Cool, he's there' and he fired it low where nobody could get it and we scored.' That's the chemistry. It was just one of those nights.' Anderson said that when he saw Ross fall, he and Edwards, 'kind of met eyes, I guess. Then I knew he was going to sit there, and I let it go. It was good to have that connection.'

When Derek Anderson can hit a quick slant as well as the deep ball, then this Browns offense is really explosive.  Having most of their weapons back last week makes a difference and I expect them to use Joshua Cribbs more in the single wing formation.  I cannot think of a better player to run that offense and he will make a huge play at some point for them this year.  But the Browns offensive line really played much better last week and that is what set the tempo.  They will face a ton of man to man coverage this week and they now have the skills players to give the Skins some trouble.  Unless Stallworth pulls a hammy in pre game, which is very likely, he is the one tough match up for the Redskins this week. 

FROM DAVID WHITE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE…Free safety Michael Huff said he has lost his starting job to Hiram Eugene, who apparently will start Sunday against the Jets at a sold-out Coliseum."Right now, Hiram's starting because I haven't produced the way I should have these last four or five games," Huff said after practice. "Things just didn't go my way, so it was time to make a move. I definitely understand it." Cable announced Wednesday he was opening the free safety job to competition between Huff and Eugene. He said they shared snaps Thursday and spoke well of Eugene, who started five games last season ahead of Stuart Schweigert. "The thing about Eugene that impresses me is I've seen him throw his body around in there," Cable said. "I've seen him get out of center field and get to the sideline with some range."Not that Michael hasn't, but I just see it with a little more zip, a little more flair if you will, and that's what we're looking for." Huff was supposed to be all that and more when he moved from strong to free safety in the offseason. His demotion speaks volumes of his struggle to adapt to the NFL game.

This makes me chuckle.  No, take that back, it makes me laugh.  When I was in the Hotel, I fought to keep Eugene on the team, but we cut him to keep Derrick Gibson around for another year.  Wonder why?  And now he is replacing Michael Huff as the starter.  Eugene might not be in the right place all the time, but he has a unique ability to find the ball and make plays.  He is tough, he is physical and he can run.  I was really worried about losing him when he was on the practice squad, but no team made a move to get him.  And I love that Tom Cable is now an expert on the defense. I bet that is really going over well with the defensive staff. 

FROM JOHN RYAN OF THE SAN JOSE MERCURY…Finally, the message from the 49ers was becoming of a head coach: clear, confident, accountable and in tune with his players. OK, so it was the offensive coordinator who sounded like that, but still, a welcome sign. Mike Martz took his turn in the assistant-show rotation on KNBR's morning show Thursday and: Gave J.T. O'Sullivan some much-needed backing. "Both those interceptions are more coaching issues than they are from J.T., I think. There's just the little details of his play, from a coaching aspect of what we need to do, that's imparted from me to J.T., his understanding. The last one, it was just, it was a hot read that really was more of a coaching issue than anything else in terms of how we handled that." Contrast with Mike Nolan's weekly insistence that the defensive scheme is fine if the players would just execute it already. Said O'Sullivan didn't need a confidence boost. Asked if he had to prop up his quarterback, Martz laughed. Hard. "You obviously don't know J.T, no. No, no, no, no, no, no. If you're that fragile in this league that you need to get a shot in the arm after five games, six games or so, no. Uh-uh. He's what you want from that aspect. He's a tough dude. He's resilient, he's a fighter, he knows where he's got to get better." Contrast with Nolan vis a vis Alex Smith. Sent a no-fear message about the Giants' defense. "We go into that place and we play wide-open, aggressive football and take it to 'em. That's how you beat 'em." Contrast with Nolan's attempts to hold on for dear life and win 13-10 against any tough team.  But on second down, then I think you need to look at running the football, which we didn't do, which I think you have to go back and look at." Accountability? What?

One thing about Mike Martz is that he is not shy to talk to the media and he does not lack confidence in his ability to move the ball.  And when Mike does this kind of interview and it is the opposite of the tone set by the head coach, it makes the organization look disorganized and out of touch.  The 49ers on defense have been bad, and the only way you gain credibility in the locker room is to be honest and to be straight.  Football is a very complicated game and many don’t understand the inner workings. But one thing everyone knows is that the 49ers are bad on defense.  Mike Nolan just needs to admit that and gain some credibility with his team and his organization. 

FROM ANWAR RICHARDSON OF THE TAMPA TRIBUNE…Seattle RB Julius Jones may have showed his youth in commenting about Tampa Bay's older defensive players."Like I said, they have veterans, and they know the system well and those guys know the game well," Jones, 27, said during a conference call Wednesday. "They are smart players, and what you have to do with those players is just beat them athletically. I know a couple of guys are up there in age, and that is how we are going to try to get around those guys is beat them athletically."Bucs DE Kevin Carter, who is 35, took Jones' comments personally. Carter printed Jones' quote and hung it on the locker-room door. He is using that criticism as extra motivation for Sunday's game against Seattle."I feel young again. Dare I say, I feel young?" Carter said. "It doesn't matter that I am 35 and played 14 years. I'm part of an elite group that flies around and has a great time while they're doing it."Tampa Bay LB Derrick Brooks was aware of Jones' statement, but will take a different approach to Sunday's game."It doesn't affect me. If I'm going 80 miles per hour, that's not going to make me go 81," Brooks said. "It is what it is."White Tiger Ready To Roar?Bucs coach Jon Gruden delivered some encouraging news for Tampa Bay fans. WR Joey Galloway practiced Thursday and might play against Seattle. Gruden said Galloway has a 50-50 chance, which is far more optimistic than the past few weeks."He's getting better," Gruden said. Galloway (foot injury) has missed the past four games.

I would not suspect that the Bucs need any motivation for playing the Seahawks than watching the tape of the Seahawks play.  And I really don’t care about age.  When I watch the Bucs play on defense, they don’t look old, they don’t look slow and I am not sure what Julius Jones is talking about.  What Jones needs to do is to just worry about running the ball hard and get the players in his locker room to come out and play with some intensity and some effort.  

FROM STEVE KORTE OF THE BELLEVILLE DEMOCRAT…Right guard Richie Incognito was remorseful about getting a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that could have cost the St. Louis Rams their first win of the season. Incognito was flagged for cussing at an official with 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter, forcing kicker Josh Brown to make a 49-yard field goal instead of a much shorter chip shot in the Rams' 19-17 win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday. "Looking back on it, I obviously should have kept my mouth shut," Incognito said. "I should have gotten everybody picked back up off the ground and back into the huddle. It could have potentially cost us the game. It was a big mistake on my part."   We were trying to get people up, and the ref had come in, and they were trying to sort everything out," Incognito said. "Me and Steven (Jackson) and couple of the guys were trying to get everybody off the ground."It wasn't like I took a shot on somebody, it wasn't like I was trying to hurt somebody. I was trying to help my teammates and keep the game going." Incognito said he was voicing his displeasure over the situation to one of the officials when he received the penalty. "I just got caught up in the heat of the moment, and the mouth got running," Incognito said. "Honestly, I didn't think it was all that bad, but one of the referees took offense to it. I wasn't even talking to the referee who got me with the flag. I was talking to the one guy, and his buddy came in and got me. I let my emotions get the best of me on that one."

Bill Parcells taught me many things, and one of his pet peeves was dumb players.  And you have all seen his clip from NFL Films, where he is saying we are too dumb to be any good.  And he is not talking about book smarts he is talking about football smarts. And that is what drove me nuts about Incognito is the stupidity that he showed.  He is not a talented enough player to be dumb.  And I appreciate that he admitted his mistake and he needs to never say another word again.  Had I been his GM, I would have fined him for conduct detrimental for his play in the game. 

FROM ALLEN WILSON OF THE BUFFALO NEWS…Defensive tackle John McCargo was on the practice field with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, one day after his trade to Indianapolis was voided when he failed the Colts’ physical. Bills coach Dick Jauron said the team was happy to have McCargo back. McCargo might have other ideas, though. “I don’t think anything I say is going to lead to anything positive,” he said. “I talked to Chris [Jenkins, the Bills’ media relations director] and he told me to tell you all that, right now, I’ve got nothing to say about it. Take it how it is. I don’t know. Maybe one day I will.” Doesn’t sound like a guy who is thrilled to be back, does it? Well, it’s understandable. One day, he was looking forward to starting anew with a team that wanted him. The next day, he was back with a team that felt his services were no longer needed. McCargo, the second of two first-round draft picks in 2006, fell out of favor with the Bills because of his inconsistent play. While Jauron doesn’t see McCargo’s return as awkward, McCargo’s teammates took a different view. “I think it’s an awkward situation for everybody,” defensive tackle Kyle Williams said. “I can’t speak for how he feels, but he’s got to be feeling, ‘They didn’t want me here and now I’m back.’ He was excited about the opportunity to go to Indianapolis. To have to be back here, it’s got to be an uncomfortable position to be in.”

One thing McCargo has to learn is that he controls his play, not the Bills.  No matter what uniform he puts on, he has to show the work ethic and the desire to be a player.  This is not an easy situation for him to be in, after being traded and saying his good byes and now returning to the same locker room is a very humbling experience.  The Bills will need McCargo to do something for them this year, and he has to be ready to play and not worry about anything other than his own play. 

FROM MIKE REISS OF THE BOSTON GLOBE…Patriots quarterback Tom Brady underwent a second procedure on his injured left knee Wednesday to clear out an infection, according to a source close to Brady on the West Coast. Brady had surgery Oct. 6 at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles. Doctors said the procedure went well, but Brady began to feel ill this week because of the infection. While he has not seen Brady's injury, Dr. Nicholas DiNubile - a knee specialist and spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - said an infection must be aggressively treated and monitored. He noted there are different types of infections, with different degrees of severity, and some are more easily managed than others. "This can happen to anyone having a surgery, but it's a relatively rare occurrence after knee procedures," DiNubile said. "The earlier you recognize and treat it - that's surgery and antibiotics - the less likely you're going to have problems down the line. The best-case scenario is that they got it early, and if everything goes right, he would be back at the same time as was expected."

As we reported with Peyton Manning, having a second operation is common to handle some infection and to clean up the loose bodies.  And one thing I do know is that Brady’s knee will be stronger than it was before and his rehab will move along very smoothly.  With the advancement made in medicine these kinds of knee injuries are very easy to come back from and I expect Brady to be at full force for camp next year. 

HIGH SCHOOL COACH OF THE WEEK....

Alex Rotsko                  Longmeadow Lancers              Longmeadow Mass…

Longmeadow has only six starters returning and must replace QB Pat Donnelly, who went 33-0 as a starter and led the Lancers to their third straight Division I Super Bowl title. RB/LB Niko Sierra, RB/DB Alex Scyocurka, OL/DL Mike Greim and WR/DB Kyle Smith will carry much of the load until the newcomers mature. "We may not be as strong," said head coach Alex Rotsko, "but the JV (10-1) and freshman (9-2), had two of the best backs in the state."

I am not sure what to make of it," Longmeadow Alex Rotsko said. "We scored 80 points and I feel a little embarrassed to say that I don't know if I should feel satisfied or disappointed with what happened tonight. I don't think I have ever seen anything like this." Longmeadow was coming off a 61-42 win at Westfield last week, another big league win. The 80-point effort and 135 total points is believed to be a Western Massachusetts record, and the game produced 1,252 yards from scrimmage. Longmeadow rushed for 649 yards as a team, with Alex Scyocurka gaining 315 and scoring five touchdowns. Teammate Niko Sierra added 257 yards rushing and four touchdowns. "It was fun to be part of 80, but I'm not sure were as happy as we should be," Scyocurka said. "We know we can execute offensively, but we've had trouble with two good and different offensive teams the last two weeks."

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