29 Oct 2008
QUOTE: “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” ~ Kenneth Blanchard
FROM KEVIN ACEE OF THE SAN DIEGO UNION…The defense was passive, even confused. The mistakes were not being corrected. It was, in fact, getting worse. After a series of meetings on another continent, following another demoralizing loss, those were the judgments of the Chargers' brain trust. And so, less than a week after the team's president and general manager declared decisions on changes would be made at year's end, defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell was fired Tuesday and replaced by inside linebackers coach Ron Rivera. “The same things have been our nemesis the entire year,” coach Norv Turner said. “ Ultimately, I've got to make a decision based on what's best for our football team and where we need to go.” The decision to fire Cottrell was, in the end, Turner's. The head coach for weeks had been publicly hinting at and privately pushing for scheme changes he would like to see, particularly regarding the team's pass rush.
Something had to be done in San Diego. And I don’t look at this move as making Ted Cottrell the fall guy—it just was not working. It was not working last year in the beginning of the season when they were blowing coverages and not playing very soundly. But when they went to Denver and beat the Broncos convincingly, their season turned around. This year, the defense never had that turn around game. When I watch the Chargers on defense they seem to violate the “Fred Palermo” theory of football—they try to do too much. They are in man, they are in zone, they rush three, they zone dog and at the end of the day between the mental mistakes and the lack of any real consistency, they fall short in everything. The Chargers need to play man to man, rush three or five and have a foundation of a defense. It appeared even last year that Cottrell was trying to do too much and the players never seemed to have a full grasp of the game plan. Too many details were missed. This move does not absolve the players, as they share some of the blame too. But when I watched the Chargers on tape, it was clear to me that something had to be done. Remember, it’s either coaching, players or schemes that are the reasons for a team failing. In the Chargers analysis, it was the coaching.
FROM SEAN JENSEN OF THE ST PAUL PIONEER PRESS…But the Vikings have to prepare for that possibility with defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams reportedly facing four-game suspensions for violating the league's policy on steroids and related substances. According to a Fox Sports report Sunday, both players tested positive for a weight-loss diuretic that includes bumetanide, which is on the league's banned list. With a strict policy that puts the burden almost squarely on each player, Kevin Williams and Pat Williams could be simultaneously sidelined, unless they can figure out a way to avert their suspensions. The threat of losing one or both is an ominous possibility. Not only would the Vikings lose 628 pounds of bulk in the middle and at the front of their defense, they also would lose a pair of Pro Bowl players who free up teammates and still make their share of plays. They have combined for 73 tackles, six sacks (all from Kevin Williams), six passes defended, five tackles for loss and 18 quarterback pressures. Nose tackle Pat Williams, who usually lines up over the center, commands double teams, while Kevin Williams has gotten more one-on-one opportunities this season after the offseason acquisition of Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen.
This is a tough situation for the players. They clearly know the rules, but my instincts here tell me that the players did not know these pills they were taking had a banned substance. The word in the locker gets around that a weight loss pill does not have a banned substance in its make up and all the players are going to take it. The players are like many Americans who fight the battle of the bulge. Many of them have weight clauses in their contracts in which taking these pills would help to avoid fines. So this is not a drug problem in the NFL. This is a quick weight loss problem in which the players didn’t know what was in the pill they were taking.
FROM RICH CIMINI OF THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS…Esiason lowers the Boomer on Favre. The always-candid Boomer Esiason, in an interview Monday with Boston's WEEI, unloaded on Brett Favre."Brett's performance the last three weeks has just really been horrendous," the former Jets QB said. "He has been maddening. . . . A couple of the interceptions he's thrown the last couple of weeks, I can't explain. People ask me, 'Why is he doing this? Why is he doing that?' There's no answer for it other than the fact that he's completely just throwing the ball up and hoping somebody on his team will come down with it."
I agree with Boomer. I wrote on Monday that Favre has ice in his veins for even attempting the throw that won the game. But what makes Favre so good is also the reason Favre can hurt you. Everyone loved him after the Miami game when a Hail Mary throw turned out to be the game winning touchdown. He is not afraid to take chances with the ball and is not afraid to take the blame. He will never lose that style and he will never stop taking chances. But the Jets need to do a better job of managing him and maybe when you are playing one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, you might attempt to run the ball a little more. All this talk about Favre hides the Jets real problems: they are not talented enough to be more than an 8-8 team. They struggled to beat some bad teams in the NFL and this week is their week to prove to everyone they are not to be taken lightly.
FROM MIKE REISS OF THE BOSTON GLOBE…Morris also cleared up what knocked him out of that game, indicating that the injury occurred at the end of his final carry - a 29-yard jaunt over the left side in the second quarter, when he was tackled by Broncos safety Calvin Lowry. "Initially, I was pretty upset," Morris said yesterday after speaking to a group of students about nutrition at Plymouth South Elementary School. "Thankfully, I have my family, friends, and teammates that are helping me shift focus from the negative and look at the positive of coming back." Morris declined to detail his injury or place a timetable on his return, instead using the words often spoken by coach Bill Belichick regarding injured players. "Bill describes it [as] day to day and that's how I describe it. I'll be back ASAP," he said. "It's dealing with the unfortunate part of the game and I'm working my way back."
What the Patriots do is find ways to win. Getting a player like Morris back will give them another option to help them win games. And against a team like the Colts, they will need either Morris or Jordan to play and play big—literally. The Patriots, when they have all their key offensive players back, are able to do enough to win games. But as we have written about each week, it will never be like last year and all the games will be close. This team knows how to prepare and they know what it takes to win. These are qualities very few teams in the NFL have.
FROM MIKE CHAPPELL OF THE INDY STAR…That's in stark contrast to the past nine seasons that have produced eight playoff appearances, one world championship and six division titles, in large part because of the difference-making talents of quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, defensive end Dwight Freeney, safety Bob Sanders and running back Joseph Addai. The group has combined for 24 Pro Bowl appearances and accounts for approximately $53.5 million of the team's $123.3 million salary-cap budget -- that's 43 percent. Yet it has been unable to keep the Colts from getting off to a 3-4 start that threatens to extinguish their postseason aspirations. Coach Tony Dungy argued Tuesday afternoon that difference-making plays must "come from any number of places," and refused to focus on the stars. Yet if the Colts are going to salvage the season, their stars must shine more brightly, beginning Sunday against the Patriots.
There is no doubt that the key player, Peyton Manning, is not playing the same as he did last year. Whether it is his knee, missing camp, his arm, or even his lack of preparation this off season, something is not right with Manning. And I don’t mean he is throwing interceptions, because both of the ones he threw against the Titans should have been caught by his own man. Manning is a tremendous play action quarterback and when he does not have the real threat of the run, this offense is not the same. He needs a back to be standing next to him that can take over the game, a back that other teams fear. When you run the spread, like the Colts, the Bengals, and many others, it is the running back that puts the fear of God into the defense. It is the back that has to be the play maker, not the wide outs. Right now, the Colts are limited in their back field and this lack of star talent affects everything else.
FROM STEVE REED OF THE CAROLINA GROWL…John Fox’s demeanor hasn’t changed, even with his Carolina Panthers tied for the second-best record in the NFC at the midway point of the season. Fox likes to divide the season into four quarters – much like a football game – challenging his team to go at least 3-1 in each quarter. They’ve done exactly that so far to get to 6-2 entering the bye week. If the season ended today, the Panthers would be the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs and get a first-round bye. “I liken it to being on the road to a final destination,” Fox said. “We are on the path; we haven't gotten lost. We are kind of on target or on schedule. We've definitely not gotten there yet but at the halfway point we are on schedule.” The Panthers should have a pretty good chance to go at least 3-1 in the third quarter of the season. They come out of the bye with games against Oakland, Detroit and Atlanta.
The Panthers know who they are now. They have an identity that has been defined. They are on course and they know if they can keep working and keep improving they can make an impact in the playoffs. The key for the Panthers this season was when Jon Fox suspended Steve Smith. He regained control of the locker room and put the players into a team mode. Sometimes how you deal with the adversity is how your team reacts and responds.
FROM MIKE TRIPLETT OF THE NEW ORLEANS TIMES PICAYUNE…"We've done pretty good when we've spent a week in a hotel," Payton said. "We've got to find a way, and I've got to find a way, to do a better job of getting the team that focused and that prepared mentally and physically each week in the next eight weeks." Payton was also impressed with how the team dealt with the loss of injured tailback Reggie Bush and the reports that starters Deuce McAllister, Will Smith and Charles Grant are facing possible four-game suspensions after testing positive for banned diuretics. "We understand that in this league, no one really cares (what you're dealing with)," Payton said. "I don't mean that in a negative way, but no one wants to hear about your pains. What we can control each week is how we go about preparing for a game. And I thought last week with all the other things going on, I thought we had real good focus as a team. I felt confident that they were prepared to play a good game against a good team."
Sean is so right--no one cares about anything other than the win. And if you consistently win, then your wins are judged on style points, which to me, is really a disturbing part of the coverage of the NFL. The Saints are a very inconsistent team that needs to find some consistent play from all areas of their team. They still need to find a back and if McAllister does get suspended, this might be the motivation the Saints need to find another runner.
FROM STEVE DOERSCHUK OF CANTON REPOSITORY…The Browns can dream, can't they? While they're at it, they can calculate. Here's how Cleveland is back in the playoff race despite its 0-3 start: • The Browns can reach the halfway point of the season at 4-4 and be tied for the second wild-card spot if they beat Baltimore on Sunday in tandem with the Jets losing at Buffalo. • Cleveland will pull to within one game of AFC North leader Pittsburgh if the Browns win their next two games — at home against Baltimore and Denver — while the Steelers go 1-1 at Washington and at home against the Colts. One key for the Browns is to be no worse than a game behind Pittsburgh for the Dec. 28 season finale at Heinz Field. If the Browns beat Pittsburgh and those two teams wind up with the same record — assuming Baltimore fades — the AFC North title will come down to the tiebreaker formula.
The Browns are a team that if they can get hot, they can do some damage the rest of the year. They have their line healthy now, and if they can keep making big plays in the passing game they will be able to score points. They are too talented on offense to not be able to score and if the Winslow incident brings them closer as a team, they can overcome their early problems. They are so inconsistent that IF they can start to get a consistent effort each week, they will be there for the stretch run.
FROM D ORLANDO LEDBETTER OF THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION…Rookie left tackle Sam Baker, who suffered a hip injury last Wednesday, will miss the next few practices and will not make the trip to Oakland. He’s set to visit two hip specialists. “He injured his hip, and we aggressively treated it,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said Tuesday. “It’s not responded. The medical staff suggested that he goes and seeks other opinions.”After selecting quarterback Matt Ryan with the third pick in the draft, general manager Thomas Dimitroff made his first major trade to get an extra pick in the first round to select Baker. The Falcons are being extra cautious with Baker, who’s considered one of the future cornerstones of the line. He won the starting job to open the season. The left tackle position is considered the most important spot on the line because he protects the quarterback’s blind side on passing plays. Baker also was doing well with his run blocking, helping the Falcons to average 150.3 yards a game. He was in the lineup when Michael Turner rushed for a franchise record 220 yards against Detroit in the opener. The Falcons sent two second-round picks (Nos. 34 and 48) and their fourth-round pick (No. 103) to Washington for the 21st pick, a third-rounder (No. 84) and a fifth-round pick (No. 154). The 21st pick was used to select Baker. This will be the third full game that he has missed, and he did not finish two other games this season. Baker tried to play last Sunday against Philadelphia. However, during pregame warm-ups, the injury flared up and he was declared inactive for the game.“Sam is very competitive,” Smith said. “It’s just an unfortunate situation that Sam has been injured. He wants to come back as fast as he can.”
The Falcons have done an incredible job of coaching their offensive line. All the talk is about Baker, but Dahl and Clabo are the two real impact players on the line. Neither of them are stars, but they are big, tough, smart, and play hard every week. They have gotten better and even though the Falcons spent a first round pick on Baker, getting solid play from these two has been the reason for their improvement.
FROM DAN POMPIE OF THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE…Really working. Bears quarterback Kyle Orton's passer rating in the no-huddle is 144.7 compared with 84.8 after a huddle, according to STATS. In the no-huddle, he has thrown three touchdown passes and no interceptions and has completed 68 percent of his throws compared with 61.5 percent after a huddle. The Bears have used the no-huddle in each of their last four games. The more they have used it, the more they have liked it. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner estimates the team has used the no-huddle about 20 percent of the time over the last month. It started out as a way to limit the number of blitzes and personnel packages by the complex Eagles defense, but it has provided different benefits against different opponents. Against the Vikings, the Bears wanted to wear down Minnesota's big, dominant defensive linemen. For most of its history, the no-huddle has been used as a "hurry up," usually as a way to get quick scores at the end of a half. The Bears have deviated from using it as a hurry up, often letting the clock run once they get to the line of scrimmage. "If we like the play call versus the defensive look, we might snap it with 25 seconds left [on the play clock]," Turner said. "But we might not. We still want to work the clock. We're taking our time and seeing what the defense is in.”
One thing about having success is that it brings in new ideas and new ways to keep improving. The Bears have some mismatch players on offense and the no huddle is a perfect way to force the defense to not change and to keep playing their personnel groups. With TE Greg Olsen, the Bears cause so many problems because he is like a wide out, and when he is on the field with Desmond Clark, the threat of the run and the spread are in play. The ability to have a blocking tight end on the field allows the offense to use a pass receiving tight end to the maximum.
Why are people (like Boomer Esiason) surprised at the things Favre does, it's what he has always done. ALWAYS!! Just because in one, (ONE!!!) of his recent years the reigns were placed on him and he managed to throw fewer dumb passes does everyone forget what he is?
Yes, he is a Hall of Famer, one of the top 10 QBs ever (just on longevity, endurance alone) but he really should have retired after last year. Not because he has nothing left, but because that horrible INT he threw in OT against the Giants was his career in a perfect little nutshell. It is what he is, and what he will always be.
Didn't the Patriots run the "spread offense" pretty much all season last year?
You're telling me Maroney/Faulk were the "fear of God" parts of that offense? That Maroney/Faulk were the "playmakers" and not Moss/Stallworth/Welker?
Come on Michael, let's not make a blanket statement and forget about the most successful spread offense ever used in the NFL just one year ago.
Have to agree with SJGMoney here. It's waht Favre has always done and always will do as long as he will play. Every analyst says that before every game - he always keeps both teams in the game, and also the opposing defensive backs always say there are 4 to 5 passes every game that he is just throwing up for grabs. That's what usually happens. So why anybody is surprised after 17 years that he still fits the image of the "gunslinger" is beyond me - that is who he is. Only Holmgren and McCarthy (partially) could reign him in and that is when he had his best years. No doubt, he is a legend and sure HOFer. That doesn't change who he is, though. Plus, he ist starting to look his age and since his receivers don't know him well enough yet, they cannot bail him out as much as Driver, Jennings, and the rest of the Packers receivers were able to do the last couple of years.
Bombs away, Brett "Lamonica" Favre.
Some of us like a throwback, you would have made a marvelous AFL quarterback.
You're a Favre-elouse one in the NFL as is. You're also the Iron Man.
I'm going to agree with deljzc here - Addai may be good but you're concerned about Manning and the WRs in the offense. Getting to him is key to winning which is why I would suggest the offensive lines struggles are contributing.
You guys are right, but I'm growing tired of this term "gunslinger" that almost makes it sound ok for Favre to be a crappy quarterback. Folks, there is nothing "gunslinger" about the passes Favre threw up in the air against the Chiefs on Sunday. The bomb a mile into the air right over double coverage that got picked? A quick out that should have been pick six, and another that was pick six? If that's gunslinging, then Rex Grossman is Brett's Sundance Kid.
But in all seriousness, my jaw dropped when I heard Thomas Jones got only five carries in the first half, coming off a huge game a week before. They played the Chiefs! He should have gotten a dozen carries in the first half alone. Where is the coaching? Mangini can't control his team with Favre at the reigns.
remember when the media made a big deal that Ted Cottrell wasnt being interviewed for a HC job?
Michael, it seems that whenever a team goes to the no huddle, audible/adjustment heavy scheme it is always praised due to the points you described above. My question is why don't all teams run this as at least a part of their base offense? What are the big drawbacks that limit teams from doing it, is it mainly confidence in the QB to know the system and adjust correctly at the line? Thanks
I agree Jon but at times coaches are scared to go no huddle. Manning needs a run game, and so does Palmer. the Patriots might not of had a great back, but when they had to run they could
Lombardi hit on all cylinders today. I do believe that in this instance, the players weren't masking steroids. Otherwise, yes, Favre gets a free pass to do whatever he wants. Lombardi proposes that the Jets reign him in but that genie's already out of the bottle. It's impossible to tell Favre what to do, he's had unprecedented autonomy since Day 1 with the Pack. The Colts definitely need a healthy tailback to alleviate Peyton's struggles, and perhaps the Browns may be hitting their stride. Hopefully my Broncos go into Cleveland 5-3 and emerge with win #6 a week from Thursday.
Yes, I don't understand this idea that the players are so wary of weight clauses that could get them fines that they don't bother to find out what is in pills that could get them suspended. Whether or not any of them are juicing, that line of reasoning is ridiculous. This is obviously not something that "all the players in the lockerroom are taking" as it is only a dozen or so being reported. And guys get suspended for it every few weeks. Anyone who isn't carefully checking ingredients is a fool.
People who don't think the league is full of juice are probably the same people who thought Bonds' 73 were clean.
The problem is that guys like King/Mortensen/Glazer and everyone at ESPN is so in bed with the NFL that they're simply not going to risk their access. They're mouthpieces, not reporters. Anyway, it gives that appearance to this fan.
I think that if you pulled back the curtain, you'd find that the guy who supplies all these players (an NFL's version of Kirk Radomski) probably got a bad batch of masking agent. Whoops.
Mike,
I agree that if the Pats don't have either Sammy Morris or Lamont Jordan for the Indy game, they will have a tough time winning this game. And, if Ellis Hobbs plays, Manning won't need a running game.....
How dare you insult Favre's football sensibilities in the Big Apple, whose city hosts the stock ticker. Thomas Jones is the ultimate Dow Jones-er, he has a big game and then has a drastic drop off in yardage yields, this is nothing new to his career.
That is not to diss what he's done as a Jet, it's just who he is as a runner, sometimes the ride can't hit third gear, etc. When he's able to give his best you get pretty good results as part of the team, when he isn't playing at peak potential you get a severe drop in output. The problem for the NYJ is that they've made a bevy of such acquisitions and if you want feature back performance then you need a true feature back. Chemistry is tough to develop with RB by committee.
When it works, all is well in the world of expectations, if the players are feeling sub prime, the scoreboard ticker lays an egg. Guess what - they are still in their games, and that's the reason you brought Favre here, to try and make every time out count. Lay it on the line and stand by your guns. You know how to get out of a gunfight, right? It involves shooting a lot more than the other guy until you hit the target.
Every couple of days, the same lame-ass criticism of Brett Favre slips out like a rotten garlic fart from the toothless mouths of the Favre Haters.
"Uh, duh, Favre uh duh, he throw interception. Interception bad. Favre bad uh duh."
Boomer Esiason made his comment so he could be mentioned in the same sentence with Favre for a day or two.
As for Mr. Lombardi, he apparently feels strongly both ways, offering silly equivocations like: what makes Favre great also makes him bad.
Stay tuned to the National Football Post as anti-Favre mouthbreathers continue to regale us with their glib little points.
Michael, I'm calling B.S. again.
The Patriots couldn't run the ball a year ago. That's why they lost the Super Bowl. They abandoned the run, couldn't run the Giants out of pinning their ears back and going after a spot they knew Brady would be.
I agree the spread needs a run component to be effective and that was proven when New England failed in the Super Bowl. But to call the running back the "fear of God" part or "most important playmakers" is false.
Manning is the most important component of Indianapolis' attack. He's the general. As you stated many weeks ago, running the ball effectively is about formations, execution and a back that won't go down on first contact.
You do not need a superstar running back in the spread system to run it effectively.
Cincinnati and Indianapolis' problems go well beyond Rhodes and Perry/Benson.
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Oct 29, 2008
10:51 AM
Why is every NFL commenter so quick with the line, “they all have a weight clause in their contracts” in defense of the guys who tested positive?
These writers must think that Joe the Viewer is thinking, “well, gee, he weighs 310, and runs a 5 second 40, and can bench 500 pounds, but I bet he’s taking that steroid masking agent to help lose weight.”
And the thing is, I don’t even care if they take steroids. I like my gladiators to be huge and fast and dangerous and a menace to their future selves.
And even if it is true that ALL of these guys took those diuretics just to make weight, lets please stop acting like it's out of the question that they're masking steroid usage.
The "weight clause" stuff started the second the positive tests were announced, and it really sounds like the NFL media got their Rovian Talking Points.