National Football Post Diner News

                 

11 Dec 2008

QUOTE:  “A leader is a dealer in hope.” ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

FROM JASON REID OF THE WASHINGTON POST…"I wasn't hoping to accomplish nothing. It was something on my chest that I needed to get off, and I did. So now that was yesterday; today, I'm at work. We're getting ready to play the Cincinnati Bengals."  Similarly, Zorn preferred to move forward after Portis' latest outburst provided another challenging situation in the most trying stretch of his brief head coaching career.  "He was confused about where he stood," Zorn said. "The real issue is, 'Just come in and talk.' I really believe that as coaches, if players don't come in, if they don't actually be proactive and come to us, sometimes it's hard to read, 'cause everybody's upset about a lot. This has been something that I think, 'Has he not done this in the past?'  That's a way that he's operated. He doesn't need to operate that way, in my mind. He feels like he's stuck, and part of it is, and this is what I addressed our football team with, it's all about losing. Winning doesn't bring this out. Losing does. And it's nothing we deserve. Nobody deserves that, but that's what losing does. Everybody gets upset. Everybody has a feeling. Everybody has an opinion. That's our problem. You know what remedies all this? Winning. That's what we want to do."

What is bad when you have a public fight is that you have to have a public make up, and every move between the two parties is watched and analyzed.  What this breakdown between Coach Zorn and Clinton Portis showed is that Zorn needs to understand two of the essential elements of leadership.  The first area in which he was deficit is called Management of Self --which simply means that as a leader you are willing to listen and critique your own self and not be shy in taking the blame.  The other -- and this one is the most potentially dangerous and long lasting -- is called Management of Trust, which means that the leader is consistent, good or bad, with his approach and demands of the group.  People will follow as long as they know they can trust the leader for a consistent approach.  What I have not read or heard is other players coming out and saying, “That was just Clinton being Clinton.” If I had heard that type of comment, it would imply that the team doesn’t support or condone Portis’ conduct.  But minus that comment, I can only assume the team must have supported the outburst.  One thing that’s certain is that both parties need to talk and iron out their differences behind closed doors.

FROM MIKE TRIPLETT OF THE NEW ORLEANS TIMES PICAYUNE…Chicago, meanwhile, coughed up fourth-quarter leads against all three of the Saints' rivals in the NFC South.  The Bears led Carolina 17-3 in the third quarter in Week 2 before losing 20-17. They led Tampa Bay 24-14 with 3:11 remaining in Week 3 but wound up losing 27-24 in overtime. And their Week 6 loss to Atlanta was the worst of the bunch.  The Bears took a 20-19 lead with 11 seconds remaining, but after a short squib kickoff and a 26-yard pass from Matt Ryan to Michael Jenkins, the Falcons won on a last-second 48-yard field goal by Jason Elam as time expired.  Were it not for those three losses, Chicago would have started the season 8-0.  "But you can't really live in the past," said (Lovie) Smith, whose Bears have been radically inconsistent the past month, mixing in solid wins against Jacksonville and St. Louis with blowout losses to Minnesota and Green Bay. "What we're excited about now is we're still in the playoff push. And we still feel like we control what happens to us."  The Saints have played their best football of the season the past four games, winning three games, including a solid overall performance in last week's 29-25 victory over Atlanta.  Like Smith, (Sean) Payton said he believes the team's sense of urgency has helped to elicit its best performance. And the players agree.

I am not sure this will be a well-played game, but I do know this will be a fun game to watch.  Both teams are not great, and both teams have had chances to be better than their record, but as Bill Parcells would always say, “You are what you are.”   If the Bears don’t win the game, they will look back on their season and talk about all the plays they should have made and how close they were to being a great team.  But there are reasons you don’t make the plays and there are reasons things break down, and that inconsistent effort is why the Bears are in this mess.  The Bears are going to have to evaluate both their offensive and defensive schemes this off-season, no matter what happens tonight, to see how they can improve and adjust to the ever-changing NFL.  The Saints lack great talent in both their lines and are not overwhelmingly talented in the offensive line.  I know they don’t allow sacks, but that has more to do with the ability of Drew Brees than the talent in their line.  The Saints’ defensive line falls well short of what they expected in terms of physical play in the run game and, more important, rushing the passer.  The Saints need to find a way this off-season to add more top ten players in both lines. 

FROM SAL MAIORANA OF THE ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE…But Lynch apparently felt it was time to share his feelings concerning the decline of the Buffalo offense, which has played a key role in the slump that has seen the Bills lose six of their last seven games to fall out of the AFC playoff race. "You've all been wondering what's up with the running game and I'm here to tell you today that I'm going to put it on me," said Lynch, who has unfairly left it to his teammates, particularly backup running back Fred Jackson, to deal with the persistent questions. "I'm the featured back here, and I don't feel, as the featured back, that I've played like it. I'm going to put that on me." It was a noble gesture, to be sure, but it was also foolhardy because Lynch is the last player who should be shouldering the burden for Buffalo's myriad problems. Lynch hasn't earned too many brownie points with his vow of silence, but no one could debate that there is anyone more competitive on this team than the second-year pro. "It's certainly not his fault," wide receiver Lee Evans said. "Everybody is vested in this somehow. The running game is struggling and that's on everybody, it's not just one person causing things. I guess you hold yourself to a high standard, and anytime you're losing you look at yourself and say 'What is it that I can do better?' You take a lot of that fault when things aren't going well and that's just part of the competitive nature of this business."

Another team that needs to fix their offensive line is the Bills.  But I think their biggest problem has more to do with how they practice than their talent level.  There is not enough physical toughness in the Bills’ line, and this happens because of the way they practice.  The Bills rarely wear pads in the summer, and they make sure their practices are player friendly.  That might work for a veteran team, but in order to get tough, you have to coach tough -- and toughness is a trait you can develop and enhance.  The Giants are a perfect example of how to enhance toughness.  They work on their run game all summer and make sure their offensive line sets the tone.  The problem with the Bills is that their running back is tough and sets the tone.  And because their toughness comes from Marshawn Lynch, the Bills have not been able to get an identity with their offense.  Every team’s offensive line establishes its identity. 

FROM BOB HOLHER AND CHRSTOPHER GASPER OF THE BOSTON GLOBE…Greg Cassel's death, at 57, threw into question whether his son will play Sunday against the Raiders in Oakland, a must-win game for the Patriots in their late-season push for a playoff berth. Cassel did not participate in practice yesterday at San Jose State University, leaving the team to be with his family in Southern California. Coach Bill Belichick did not have a timetable for Cassel's return and did not say whether he expected Cassel would play Sunday. "Right now, we are just taking it day to day," Belichick said. "He's going to take care of what he has to do." A spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff Coroner's Department said the preliminary findings indicate Mr. Cassel, a former Hollywood script writer, died in his home of natural causes. "At this point, we don't see any signs of trauma," Sandy Fadland said. "It appears to be a natural death." She said the coroner will conduct more extensive tests before declaring the official cause. Greg Cassel had been recovering from major reconstructive shoulder surgery after being thrown by a horse he was training, but he otherwise appeared in good health in September during an interview with the Globe.

This is so sad and comes at a very bad time for the Patriots.  Everyone here at the Post sends our condolences to the Cassel family for its tragic loss.  I am so happy to know that Mr. Cassel was able to watch his son grow as a football player.  And from one father to another, there is no better feeling in the world than pride in your children.  Watching Matt develop each day had to be exciting for Mr. Cassel.  All Matt can do is take it one day at a time, and the best way to honor his father is to go out and do what he taught him: be competitive and help the team win. 

On another note, when I was at NFL Films yesterday, we talked about the AFC East. I asked the question:  Do you think the winner of that division should have an asterisk next to its name like Roger Maris after he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record? Maris played in more games than Ruth, and the winner of the AFC East did not have to play against Tom Brady.  What are your thoughts?

FROM D ORLANDO LEDBETTER OF THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION…“He’s been productive since the day we’ve been here,” offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said. “Whenever he’s had opportunities, even in training camp, in the preseason games, he’s always somehow made plays.” Since suffering a rib injury against Denver on Nov. 16, backup running back Jerious Norwood has not had more than five carries in a game. With Michael Turner set to go over 300 carries and the Falcons needing to establish a running game, Snelling has been an additional option for the Falcons. “I wouldn’t be afraid to,” Mularkey said when asked if he’d be comfortable leaning more on Snelling down the stretch. “Not at all. I wouldn’t hesitate.” Snelling’s main job on third down is to pass protect. “Third down is always a big passing down in some cases so you have to be thinking protection,” Snelling said. “I’m real comfortable back there, knowing what I have to do. We have to keep (quarterback) Matt (Ryan) up on his feet.” Snelling showed his open-field ability against Carolina, when he took a screen pass for 27 yards. “The main thing about the screen is really just catching the ball,” Snelling said. “If it opens up, you have the ball in a lot of space and you can do something with it.”

You have to have a player who can protect and fill many roles for the team.  And Jason Snelling has been very productive for the Falcons in every role.  The one thing about the Falcons this year is the job Coach Mike Smith has done defining roles and getting the players to buy into their roles.  They accept what their roles are and play with passion in those roles.  You need to be direct and honest with what you expect and want from your players.  In Snelling’s case, I feel he could add more to the team if he was used at times, because he runs with power and is very hard to bring down.  He is the perfect back to play with Norwood and Turner. 

FROM GREG MOSHER OF THE DELAWARE NEWS JOURNAL…It was just brutal on that field today," the Eagles' right defensive end said after Sunday's 20-14 road upset of the Giants in blustery, arctic conditions common to the Meadowlands in December. "But we had one thing in mind, to go out there play ball and not really think about the cold. We had something going, and we had no time to worry about the cold." Cole had just finished chasing around Eli Manning for the better part of four quarters, and though he didn't get his hands on the Giants' quarterback long enough for a takedown, he gave left tackle David Diehl plenty of headaches in the process. It's not so much his bull rush or speed burst that makes Cole one of the NFL's most tenacious pass rushers. It's his ability to push his pedal to the maximum for all 60 minutes. Even his coaches can't seem to discern how he takes every fourth-quarter snap with as much energy as his first-quarter ones. What's his secret? "I don't know," head coach Andy Reid said. "I just know that he keeps doing it." Cole's insatiable appetite for hustle conjures images of another former Eagle known for relentless, all-out style of play -- the kind that most endears players to the spectators in the cheap seats. This guy used to wield his trademark air axe after every one of his tackles behind scrimmage. "You learn from other veterans like Trotter," Cole said, giving a nod to his former teammate, linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. "You go in on days we have off and come in. It's your off day but this is your job and you got a job to do that Sunday. We only get to play this thing for six months and we got the whole rest of the year to heal up and to rest. Ain't no time to rest in that six months."

As I have said, weather is a great equalizer, and this past week it helped the Eagles. But take nothing away from the game that Trent Cole played.  He was all over the field, and his jump-over on the blocked field goal was athletic and sensational.  He loves football and loves to compete.  When he came out of college, he was on the team we coached at the Senior Bowl and demonstrated all the skills and competitive levels there.  He was just not a normal height, weight and speed player.  I loved his skills and thought he might be the next great inside backer like Levon Kirkland of the Steelers.   I thought he would be perfect playing backer for a team that never asked their backers to read and react, but rather run through gaps.  He was strong and had balance.  He was just not always able to make the right calls and reads.  In the end, there was no one at the Hotel who would listen to me on Cole, and he was not even on our draft board.  (Shows you the kind clout I had). And he went to the right team that recognized his talent and uses him in a scheme that enhances his talent. 

FROM ADAM TEICHER OF THE KANSAS CITY STAR…Thigpen held his weekly meeting Wednesday and was provided ample opportunity to state his case to be the starter next season. He declined, saying he hasn’t done everything realistically in his power to convince the Chiefs he should be their starter in 2009. “If I felt like I’d done all I could … we should have won all of these games,” Thigpen said. “I might have the stats to look good, but when it comes down to it, that win-loss record weighs heavy on a lot of people’s minds. Right now, I’m not favored in that category, so I don’t feel it’s been a success for myself.” Coach Herm Edwards said the Chiefs are still evaluating Thigpen and that victories in the season’s final three games could tip the decision in Thigpen’s favor. They’ve done precious little winning with Thigpen as their starter. He’s 1-7 going into Sunday’s game against San Diego at Arrowhead Stadium. That record would be significantly better had he not fallen short on some critical plays in those eight games. His incomplete pass to a well-covered Tony Gonzalez on a two-point play against the Chargers last month prevented a victory. Instead of waiting for Gonzalez to come open in the end zone, he scrambled on a fourth-and-goal play in the final minutes of last week’s game against Denver but was tackled a yard short of the end zone. Had he successfully made those plays, Thigpen might be 3-5. While that’s not great, it might not look bad in light of the Chiefs’ many deficiencies.

The Chiefs are not going to see anything different the next three weeks to make them decide one way or another about the long-range talent of Thigpen.  They must operate this off-season as if they don’t have a quarterback and draft one to compete with Thigpen.  Thigpen has been great and he deserves the chance to be the man next year, but that does not mean he is good enough or can win enough to build the franchise around.  They made that mistake with Brodie Croyle, and Thigpen has out-played Croyle since getting his chance.  I never saw it with Croyle and thought that was a wasted idea.  But Thigpen shows more; he shows better command and has an NFL body.  He just needs to be around a more talented team.  Remember, Peyton Manning did not produce wins in his first season (that’s what makes Matt Ryan’s accomplishments this year so amazing). The Chiefs need to secure the long-term quarterback position and they need to invest heavily in that area, even with Thigpen.  One thing for certain, you can always get value for a quarterback. 

FROM MIKE KLIS OF THE DENVER POST…John Fox does not mean to offend the Broncos as he strums a miniature violin. The Carolina coach knows the Broncos, extraordinarily, have lost six tailbacks to injury this season. But Fox also knows six injured tailbacks affect the Broncos less than that would others.  Michael Pittman was considered an aging reserve until he became a Broncos star. When Pittman went down, Ryan Torain lived up to his hype as the next great back for a half. Then he got injured. Peyton Hillis was a backup fullback who became a star until he got injured.  The next running back the Broncos figure to introduce Sunday at Carolina is Cory Boyd, who was promoted from the practice squad this week after humbling the No. 1 defense as a scout teamer in previous weeks.  "No disrespect for what those guys have dealt with on injuries — we've had our share too and it's not easy — but I've seen that Bronco offense over the years do it with all kinds of backs," Fox said during a conference call Wednesday. "I've seen them over the years plug guys in and do very, very well. Again, I'm not trying to slight their injury situation. That's never easy. But I think they do a fine job."

Bobby Turner, the running backs coach at Denver, deserves a ton of credit for finding and developing these backs.  He coaches them hard, with tough love, and is very demanding in all three phases -- blocking, catching and running.   He loves to coach, and his passion comes out every day on the field.  He does not operate with any negative behavior, and he coaches the third teamer as hard as the first teamer.  He is a personnel department’s dream coach.  He tries to bring out the best in each player, and you know from watching him coach that if a player is not good enough it is because of his talent, not his inability to be coached.  Turner is one of the best coaches I have seen work his craft. 

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