Author Archives: The Chancellor of Football

Week 8 AFC North: Protecting the NFL Republic

by

1

Bengals defense has been beastly the first half of the ’11 season.

With all this talk of wide open offenses in the NFL this year, there is a division where a more traditional game favors the defensive side of the football. The AFC North. Going into yesterday’s games, this division’s four teams ranked 1, 2, 3, & 4 in total defense. Surprisingly it was the Cincinnati Bengals who has led for most of the year before being overtaken by the Ravens. Baltimore luckily had a chance to pad their stats on Monday Night playing an inept Jacksonville team in a 12-7 upset loss.

Each team has the old mantra of running tough, milking the clock, and supplement that with timely passing. Yet the main ingredient is defense, defense, defense. For it was the swarming defense of  the Cincinnati Bengals that knocked the offensive minded Buffalo Bills from the ranks of the unbeaten earlier this year 23-20. This was one week after coming out on the short end of a 13-8 alley fight with the 49ers.

These are your Cincinnati Bengals. One year removed from a season that saw Pri-Madonnas Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco fail as Batman and Robin. Watched their franchise quarterback in Carson Palmer threaten to retire over returning to the team. No problem, Bengals draft TCU’s Andy Dalton and fed Cedric Benson the football. Such thinking has been rewarded with 458 yards and 2 TDs despite the fact he sat out yesterday’s 34-12 beat down of Seattle. Dalton has endured a rookie season baptism by fire where he’s finished the first half of the season with 1,479 yards, 9 TDs and 7 interceptions. He is this year’s Mark Sanchez where he’s not being asked to do to much, rely on his running game and his defense. After a 5-2 start, it’s safe to say that Marvin Lewis and his Bengals have an old tried and true winning NFL formula working for them.

As for the defense, Geno Atkins leads the way with 3 sacks with Jonathon Fanene following with 3. Safety Reggie Nelson leads the way with 45 tackles with Ray Maualuga cleaning up with a hard hitting 38. Were you looking for extremely high numbers?? Sorry you don’t understand the formula. Run the football and minimize how much your defense has to play. Been a staple for over 93 years in the NFL. Lets take a look at the standings as well.

AFC NORTH W L T PCT HOME ROAD DIV CONF PF PA DIFF STRK
Pittsburgh 6 2 0 .750 4-0-0 2-2-0 0-1-0 4-2-0 176 139 +37 Won 4
Cincinnati 5 2 0 .714 2-1-0 3-1-0 1-0-0 4-1-0 171 123 +48 Won 4
Baltimore 5 2 0 .714 4-0-0 1-2-0 1-0-0 3-2-0 185 110 +75 Won 1
Cleveland 3 4 0 .429 2-2-0 1-2-0 0-1-0 2-3-0 107 140 -33 Lost 1

Returning to the leader board after 4 straight wins are the defending AFC Champion Steelers who has seen it’s defense surrender more yards than in year’s past. In 2010 the Steelers were tremendous holding opponents to 62.5 yards per game rushing. This year they have had some struggles yet have bounced back to a respectable 8th allowing 99.1 and this week they get James Harrison back from injury. With a rubber match head knocker this week against division rival Baltimore, all hands need to be on deck. However it was the Ravens that bludgeoned the Steelers with 170 yards rushing in week one. In Harrison’s absence, LaMarr Woodley has picked up the slack and leads the team with 9 sacks. Two of which came in last week’s 25-17 win over decade long nemesis Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Woodley sacks rookie Blaine Gabbert

Yet there are points for concern. Do you realize the win over New England represents their only win over a winning team this season?? Also for all the hard hitting the Steelers have been known for they have only forced 3 turnovers and 2 of those are interceptions. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/2011.htm Right now their leading tacklers are safeties Ryan Clark (50) and Troy Palamalu (48) which shows teams are moving the Steelers off the line of scrimmage. Truth be told they have an easy schedule that may be masking the real Steelers. Right now Pittsburgh is #2 overall in defense yet if you take out the win over New England, their wins come over the Colts (30th in offense), Seattle (31st), Tennessee (25th), Jacksonville (32nd or last), and Arizona (20th).

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=false&conference=null&role=TM&offensiveStatisticCategory=TOTAL_YARDS&defensiveStatisticCategory=null&season=2011&seasonType=REG&tabSeq=2&qualified=true&Submit=Go

Just think it’s these anemic offenses that have passed for 10 TDs and only 2 interceptions?? This team is still deficient at defending the pass as they were in last February’s Super Bowl. Right now they are winning on the arm of Ben Roethlisberger. His 365 yards and 2TDs were the difference in the Steelers win on Sunday. Rashard Mendenhall has been solid (421 yds /3 TDs) however it’s come down to one frantic 3rd down scramble & throw after another to sustain drives. Can this formula keep?? If they can win this week at home against Baltimore they can sustain that they are in fact still the team to beat in the AFC North. A loss here and indeed the Ravens will have swept their nemesis and dropped them to 1-3 against teams with winning records. Which will really raise serious doubts on their ability to make it back to the AFC Championship Game.

Ready to try and sweep the Steelers are the up and down Baltimore Ravens. How is it the Ravens lost to the 2-6 Jaguars just two weeks ago 12-7 and to the Titans earlier in the season 26-13?? This team needs to quit overlooking it’s lessor opposition. Joe Flacco is coming under all kinds of heat for not showing much improvement over these last few seasons. He checks the football down too much and isn’t running the total offense when it comes to taking to the air. Yet the NFL’s #1 defense has led them to a 3-1 record against team’s with winning records. Ray Lewis (who else) leads the way with 55 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 1 interception. As a unit they have 17 sacks, 7 interceptions and 6 fumble recoveries. Again it is up to this unit to carry this team as far as it can go.

The Ravens offense is too reliant on Ray Rice. He’s been super productive out of the backfield with 489 yards rushing, 5 TDs and 33 receptions for 373 yards and 2 more touchdowns. However his playing style takes too many hits and he may wear down by season’s end with this his 3rd season with such a heavy workload. It’s imperative that Flacco make better use of his receivers aside from Anquan Boldin (34 rec. 539 yds 2TDs) and TE Ed Dickson. Flacco is too predictable when you show him zone he won’t throw to the second level and just dumps it to Rice. He will be the reason this team doesn’t make it to the Super Bowl. In his 4th season he should have shown the growth to master more of the offense and learn the nuances of the quarterback position. Will he throw to the second level against the Steelers this week??

Cleveland’s D’Qwell Jackson is having a Pro Bowl season

Rounding out this defensive group are the “No Name” Cleveland Browns who are in the midst of shaping the same gameplan around a young QB in Colt McCoy while pounding the opposition with Peyton Hillis. Yet this season Hillis (211 yards / 2TDs) has been nicked with an assortment of injuries and has shared time with Montario Hardesty (244 yards). The Browns have been playing close to the vest games all year thanks to a defense filled with No Names that have roped teams into defensive struggles. Last Sunday they were out in San Francisco in another slugfest where they lost a close one 20-10. The 49ers jumped to an early17-3 lead and were nearly shut out from that point on. Again this defense was let down by an offense that couldn’t get out of it’s own way being held to 66 yards rushing. In their defense they were down to a second string running back with both Hillis and Hardesty out with injuries.

So how are the Browns just 3-4?? They have been able to best the weak teams in defensive struggles and can’t get over the hump when they require more offense. Their 5th ranked defense has been led by D’Qwell Jackson, a fifth year linebacker out of Maryland, who is having the best season of any MLB /ILB. He’s corralled 64 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries and looks like a young Ray Lewis. In fact this team has 17 sacks while forcing 8 turnovers. Four linemen have multiple sacks so far this season, their first under defensive co-ordinator Dick Jauron. Their a hodge podge group of veteran free agents and a few unheard of stars like Jackson. If they can get through the next three games relatively healthy, five of their final 6 games are against defensive brethren in cold weather. Their defense can only carry them so far. Otherwise they stand a chance to make some serious noise in the division if they can get some offensive help. Will they get it??

Thanks for reading and share the article.

NFL Week 8 Predictions

by

0

Ray Lewis

Don’t you just love football?? Here we are after a night of thrilling finishes to college football Saturday, heading into NFL’s week 8 with some pivotal match-ups. This week has most of the teams playing against unfamiliar cross conference opponents which should make for an interesting week. We expect some surprises but one thing we want to point out is after an 0-3 start, the Kansas City Chiefs play Monday Night against the San Diego Chargers with first place on the line. In our never ending comparisons we explained they could match the plight of the ’89 Steelers who lost their first two games by a combined 93-10, yet came back to make the playoffs. Well after being outscored 89-10 in their first two games, the Chiefs can be in first place before we hit November. Now that is a turnaround!! Lets get after the games…

Arizona Cardinals @ Baltimore Ravens: After that disaster Monday Night, Joe Flacco needs to make amends with the fans of Baltimore and his teammates. He has to play better and the Cardinals 26th ranked defense could be the tonic he needs. Meanwhile Anquan Boldin will want to win this one badly also against his former team. Ravens on the strength of their defense which overtook Cincinnati as the #1 unit in football.

Minnesota Vikings @ Carolina Panthers: The first foray into playing quarterback on the road in the NFL for Christian Ponder. Should be one where Carolina’s defense should rattle the rookie. Yet the Panther’s 29th against the run defense might get scorched by Adrian Peterson. Peterson comes in with 729 yards and 8 TDs and may need a herculian effort to pull this off. We have to go with the Panthers and Cam Newton at home…..barely

Jacksonville Jaguars @Houston Texans: The Texans are coming very close to giving away a season that shaped up to be a special one for them. Of course they couldn’t help the untimely injuries of Mario Williams and Andre Johnson but this team needs to get going. After last week’s 41-7 devestation of Tennessee, this is the game where they need to hammer home the point that they’re the AFC South’s best. All they have to do is stop Maurice Jones-Drew, who has run for 677 yards yet has those two Monday night fumbles dancing in his head. Texans will be going for the football. Rookie QB Blaine Gabbert in his first road start in the NFL shouldn’t be a factor. Texans going away.

Enigmatic Eli

Miami Dolphins @ New York Giants: Where do the Dolphins go after a mind numbing loss to the Broncos?? A mildly cold Gotham. Not good, especially with the psyche of having to relive Tebow’s comeback time after time on NFL Network and ESPN. If only they had quality running backs to exploit the Giants 27th against the run defense they would have a chance. Giants with Eli Manning passing on a suspect Dolphin defense will be enough.

New Orleans Saints @ St Louis Rams: This is going to be a glorified scrimmage for the Saints offense. After getting torched by DeMarco Murray for 253 yards on the ground, the Saints will be licking their chops to take the lead and hand it off to Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas. Right now the NFC’s #1 ranked offense is hot with Drew Brees ahead of his 5,000 yard season pace. Yikes!! Saints

Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans: After a 62-7 collapse on the road on Monday Night and now they travel to Tennessee?? Titans and Matt Hasselbeck should rebound. Paging Chris Johnson!! Paging Chris Johnson!! If you can’t get running here you may have to renegotiate your contract and give some money back.

Fred Jackson powers Buffalo’s offense

Washington Redskins @ Buffalo Bills: The “Land of the Misfit Toys” welcomes in a Redskin team that is coming back to Earth after a 2-0 start. They have gone 1-3 since then and lost RB Tim Hightower for the rest of the season and Rex Grossman has started to throw interceptions with 9. Wrong place, wrong time. The Bills enter the week with the most interceptions with 12 and 16 turnovers forced overall. It will be loud in Orchard Park and Grossman should throw some picks today. On the other hand, Fred Jackson is 6th in the NFL in rushing with 601 yards and 6TDs and should make it to 3rd today if he rushes for over 71 yards. The ink is just drying on Ryan Fitzpatrick’s new $59 million extension and he should be on his game after a bye. Buffalo wins over a sliding Redskin team.

Detroit Lions @ Denver Broncos: Want to hear something funny?? A few years removed from setting the record for the most consecutive losses in NFL history, the Lions find comfort away from home now. They are 3-0 at home and take on a Bronco team giddy over a come from behind win. There is a serious chance at an emotional letdown by the Broncos. Tebow will face a potent pass rush this week and if they minimize turnovers they have a chance at home. On defense they won’t have a good time covering Calvin “Megatron” Johnson who has 10 TDs already. Everyone is waiting for Detroit to wake up and be a bad team again…it’s not happening. Detroit on the throwing of a maturing Matthew Stafford (16TDs / 4 ints) will best the Broncos.

New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers: Here is where the rubber meets the road gang. The #1 offense of the Patriots vs the #3 defense of the Steelers.  So defensive strength belongs to the Steelers right?? Until you inspect and see it’s the Steelers who are 12th at stopping the run to the Patriots ranked 8th. Tom Brady is 4-1 lifetime vs. the Steelers which includes two AFC Championship Games in 2001 and 2004. Somehow the Steelers have to get Mendenhall going early in this one. If the Steelers have to cover Brady’s receivers on a slippery snowy field, Wes Welker is going to have a field day. Roethlisberger may need to make some big plays in this game. Patriots win this one being a more complete team.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Seattle Seahawks:  Cedric Benson is suspended and the Bengals have only RB Bernard Scott to keep Seattle’s defense and crowd noise off of rookie QB Andy Dalton. However the game will turn on the Bengals #2 ranked defense which has forced 9 turnovers and has allowed only 1 team over 100 yards rushing the ball. Bengals

Cleveland Browns @ San Francisco 49ers: One of the surprise teams in the league is out by the bay this week. Yes the 49ers are 5-1 and were the toast of the town for two weeks. However the team I’m talking about is the 3-3 Cleveland Browns who are going into this game with the league’s 4th best defense in all of pro football. Peyton Hillis is sore and a game time decision. Everyone is expressing how poorly Colt McCoy is playing and he does need some improvement. However he has 8 TD throws along with SanFrancisco’s Alex Smith has the same amount of TD passes. This is an upset special… Browns in a tough one.

Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles: The Cowboys discovered a running game in DeMarco Murray last week with a team record 253 yards rushing against the Rams. Yet it was just that…against the Rams. So was it a coming out party or an aberration? For the first time in many weeks Tony Romo wasn’t asked to pass deep into the 4th quarter where he’s had his troubles. Coming into the game, the Dallas Cowboys come in with the #1 defense against the run and face the #1 rushing offense, so what gives?? Vick with a few scrambles should tire out the Cowboys defense and the safeties are still suspect and may allow DeSean Jackson to get deep. With their season on the line we think the Philadelphia Eagles will right the ship after lamenting their fate all through the bye week.  Jason Garrett has some questionable calls late in close games and will do it again tonight. Sorry Hollywood, Romo will throw a late pick.

AFL Lives On!!

Monday Night Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers: The Chargers had the chance to reverse how others, namely the Taylor Blitz Times, views them as perennial underachievers last week and then went out and did so again. This time with the spotlight on them after Rex Ryan’s comments. They viewed that game as a big game and promptly laid an egg. The team that has gone through a crucible is the Kansas City Chiefs. This summer it was thought this was the best team in the AFC West. First came the 0-3 record, lost their 1,400 yard rusher in Jamaal Charles going down, then rededication and a 3 game winning streak has this team confident again. They have found a sound RB replacement in Battle. With a win they go from worst to first in only 4 games and will lead the AFC West again. Will they get it?? Yes on the strength of their ground game with Thomas Jones, Battle, and McCluster leading the way.

Thanks for reading and share the article!!

Week 7 NFC North: Sobering Developments

by

1

Every NFL season has it’s ups and downs. One month you’re a world beater and headed to the Super Bowl, once those other pesky ten games get out of the way. A month later you’re a team in search of a few answers on how to right the ship. Or in the case of the Chicago Bears, the mantra is to prove last year’s run to the NFC Championship wasn’t a fluke and they were / are worthy of primetime coverage. Last Sunday the Bears crossed the pond and held off an up and coming Tampa Bay team 24-18, for their 3rd win in 4 weeks.

Look no further than RB Matt Forte for their resurgence. Do you realize that in four weeks he’s run for 553 and 2 TDs and catapulted himself into one of the NFL’s rushing leaders with 672 yards?? He ranks third in rushing and with the Bears schedule becoming easier after this week’s bye, he could run the Bears right back into the playoff chase.http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/2011.htm  Has there been a running back this year who has played better than Forte?? we don’t think so. He also leads the team in receptions (39) and receiving yards (419) and if he keeps going may be up for NFL MVP consideration as well.

What is shocking is the Bears defense being ranked 24th in all of pro football. This week saw the Bears wave goodbye to S Chris Harris who started against the Bucs over at Wembley. Against the run they are a respectable 13th yet their pass defense has been awful of late ranking 27th. What is puzzling is the fact that the Bears are rushing the passer well. Led by Julius Peppers (4 sacks) there are at least four Bears with 3 sacks or more in just seven games. Lance Briggs was just named NFC Defensive Player of the Week and has 55 tackles. Urlacher is right behind him with 39 tackles and 3 interceptions. With all this pressure and solid linebacker play, what is going on in the secondary?? The play at nickleback and safety needs to be shored up. They have a bye week and then they face Philadelphia and the Michael Vick Experience. With so much attention on the World Champion Packers and the resurgent Lions, most experts don’t see this Bear team who quietly sits within striking distance of the division leaders.

 

NFC NORTH W L T PCT HOME ROAD DIV CONF PF PA DIFF STRK
Green Bay 7 0 0 1.000 3-0-0 4-0-0 2-0-0 6-0-0 230 141 +89 Won 7
Detroit 5 2 0 .714 2-2-0 3-0-0 2-0-0 4-2-0 194 137 +57 Lost 2
Chicago 4 3 0 .571 3-1-0 1-2-0 1-2-0 4-3-0 170 150 +20 Won 2
Minnesota 1 6 0 .143 1-3-0 0-3-0 0-3-0 1-4-0 148 178 -30 Lost 2

A little wind has been swept from the sails of the Detroit Lions amidst back to back losses to San Francisco and Atlanta until you realize 6 of the 7 teams they have played are .500 and above. The Falcons have won their division 2 of the last 3 years and fighting to keep pace with the Saints and Bucs (whom the Lions beat already). Their other loss came was against the NFC West leading San Francisco 49ers. Each can be attributed to facing Pro Bowl caliber running backs in Frank Gore (141 yds /1TD) two weeks ago and Michael Turner (122 yds) who ran effectively against them. In fact the Lions are 28th against the run and has only held 1 team under 100 yards rushing this season. http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=false&conference=null&role=OPP&offensiveStatisticCategory=null&defensiveStatisticCategory=RUSHING&season=2011&seasonType=REG&tabSeq=2&qualified=true&Submit=Go

While the Lions have been a scoring machine the first 5 games they have been somewhat slowed in the last two. The missing punch out of the backfield in Mikel Leshoure, on injured reserve, is slowing this team down. Jahvid Best is filling the void as best he can but is a limited runner on 3rd and short. However the maturation of soon to be Pro Bowl quarterback Matthew Stafford (1,912 yards /16TDs & 4 int.) is right on schedule.https://taylorblitztimes.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/2011-detroit-lions-preview/ Calvin “Megatron” Johnson’s touchdowns have slowed a bit (8 in 4 games v. 2 in last 3 games) yet he topped 100 yards receiving in each defeat. They just have to get past Denver and recharge their batteries in the following bye week.  To us, these games seemed to be growing pains for a young team yet they should be concerned about their run defense. Especially in a rematch with the Bears with Matt Forte’s recent rushing performance.

Sailing along are the World Champion Packers whose offense is one of the best in all of football. Aaron Rodgers is moving well in the pocket and distributing the football without taking sacks or hits like he did last season. Concerns about his concussion situation seems a thing of the past. The Packers are passing at will on opponents who can’t generate enough heat to get to Rodgers. How affective are the champs with the ball? Well their offense is ranked #3 overall with Rodgers unbelievable statistics. Rodgers has completed 71.5% of his passes for 2,372 yards, 20TDs to only 3 interceptions. Yikes!! It’s as though he’s playing Madden Football on rookie. Do you realize he’s on pace to throw for 5,421 yards with 45 TDs. That would destroy Dan Marino’s single season yardage mark if maintained and just off pace to break Brady’s all time touchdown record. Lethal.

Lets ask a question: What happened to this defense?? Green Bay has been giving up candy on defense this year to the tune of 391 yards  per game. Where last year the team was galvanized and held together by the leagues’s #2 ranked defense, this year’s edition is ranked 27th. Without a significant injury to the starting 11, you’d have to say it’s a terrible performance. In 7 games they have only held one team to 10 or less. They even gave up 27 points to an inept rival Viking team last week.

Eventually offensive juggernauts fall to a superior defense in postseason play. The Packers are walking a tightrope. They want to finish like last year’s team with a Super Bowl victory yet are playing defense like their 2009 edition that was knocked out in the wildcard round. It would be best for this team to get to some Oklahoma drills this off week. Their title defense will come down to their defense in the end and they definitely have to play better.

Thanks for reading, comment, and share the article.

 

 

 

 

Week 7 AFC West: The Pendulum Swings

by

0

Just when it seemed that you knew where the season and how the teams would fare, up jumped week 7. The Oakland Raiders had to recover from not only the loss of owner Al Davis, they had to replace QB Jason Campbell due to injury. It seemed natural that there would be a letdown after the emotional win over Houston but a 28-0 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs may have turned the season. The Chiefs looked like their 2011 campaign was doomed after an 0-3 start. However do you realize that the Raiders have a bye and if the Chiefs defeat the Chargers, they would actually be in first place with a 4-3 record?? Sure we’re getting ahead of ourselves until you realize the AFC West has been thrown for a loop.

Gone is the efficient offense the Raiders enjoyed for 6 weeks with Campbell at the controls. The Raiders tossed up 6 interceptions yesterday with perennial below average quarterback Kyle Boller at the controls. He and Carson Palmer each threw 3 interceptions. Palmer’s is understandable since he has only two practices with the team but Boller has no excuse for being that ineffective. The Chiefs came into the game with only 5 interceptions on the year. However they left Oakland with a confidence boosting win and the Raiders are left trying to salvage a good season start short circuited by injury.

Tim Tebow in the midst of yesterday’s 18-15 comeback win over Miami

Did we say changes?? Well the Broncos will be galvanized for the next few weeks with their 18-15 comeback win over the Dolphins. The Broncos were down 15-0 with just under 3 minutes remaining when Tebow and the offense came to life. Up until then he looked like the erratic quarterback that John Elway envisioned before the season. Turnovers, inaccurate throws, and not reading the whole field. He missed a wide open Aaron Decker, when the Dolphins broke a coverage that would have been a 78 yard touchdown. Tebow completely whiffed on his throw. For much of the day he displayed exactly what team exec. John Elway and Coach John Fox’s countenances had suggested about his play.

Yet when the game and the lingering questions of inserting Tebow was on the line, he led a dramatic comeback. His first touchdown was a scramble throw but the throw for 27 yards to Daniel Fells to set up the second showed maturity. He threw a bend to the TE over the linebacker in the heart of a Cover 2 (we don’t say Tampa 2 here) which showcased the type of throw Tebow was accused of not being able to make. Then came his TE throwback screen for the TD before running in the two-point conversion himself. Yet before we get ahead of ourselves…lets take a look at the standings

AFC WEST W L T PCT HOME ROAD DIV CONF PF PA DIFF STRK
San Diego 4 2 0 .667 3-0-0 1-2-0 2-0-0 3-2-0 141 136 +5 Lost 1
Oakland 4 3 0 .571 2-2-0 2-1-0 1-1-0 4-3-0 160 178 -18 Lost 1
Kansas City 3 3 0 .500 1-1-0 2-2-0 1-1-0 2-2-0 105 150 -45 Won 3
Denver 2 4 0 .333 1-2-0 1-2-0 0-2-0 2-3-0 123 155 -32 Won 1

Which brings us to the front running San Diego Chargers. After Coach Norv Turner was upset by Jets Coach Rex Ryan who said earlier in the week, ‘that he would have several rings had he coached the talent in San Diego’. The Chargers took the field with that emotion and marched to a 21-10 halftime lead only to fold in the second half enroute to a 27-21 loss. This was a big loss, not only because Turner’s reputation was on the line but again this team displayed the lack of heart to take down an AFC heavy. Its a broken record around here to talk about how they play up to or down to their competition yet here we go again. https://taylorblitztimes.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/2011-san-diego-chargers-preview/ The two teams with winning records the Chargers have played they lost to. This is music to the Chiefs ears who host San Diego this week and can overtake the Chargers in the AFC West with a win. The Chargers are 1-2 on the road and looked like the AFC’s best team in the first half. Yet a second half collapse against a team that knocked them out of the playoffs a few years back is disheartening and may have long term affects. Especially with a showdown with the World Champion Green Bay Packers in two weeks. This team could possibly be .500, again!! You have to be kidding me?? After a 4-1 start?? Of course it doesn’t sound far fetched. No more than the NFL’s #8 offense being shut out (2nd half) in the type of game that could have gotten the Chargers over the hump from a maturation standpoint. Even with Rex Ryan’s bulletin board shenanigans and they play that flat when their coaches reputation is on the line?? Uh Oh!! We fully expect it if you read our preview nothing has changed and yes the pendulum has swung.

The Chiefs are playing mistake proof football and Coach Haley has scaled back Matt Cassel’s passing. As of this week the Chiefs are the 7th best in the NFL at rushing the football. This bodes well for their upcoming game with the Chargers ranked 21st at stopping the run. They have gone back to last year’s formula that produced a 10-6 season. Thomas Jones (58 att., 185 yards) does the heavy lifting but the committee of Jackie Battle (232 yards / 5.2 avg) and Dexter McCluster (210 yards /5.0 avg.) has been effective. The Chiefs are 6th in sacks allowed with 10 and the defense has rebounded to a respectable 18th.http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=false&conference=null&role=TM&offensiveStatisticCategory=OFFENSIVE_LINE&defensiveStatisticCategory=null&season=2011&seasonType=REG&tabSeq=2&qualified=true&Submit=Go  Coach Haley, this is the formula you need to stay with until you have a full offseason with Cassel. He’s not yet ready to be your Kurt Warner as his early season play showed. One more week and the Chiefs can be in first place at midseason. Who would have thunk it 4 weeks ago??

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2011102300/2011/REG7/broncos@dolphins#menu=highlights&tab=recap

Which brings us to the 2-4 Broncos again. The comeback was one that was more frantic than it was artistic but its the heart that was displayed that rallied his teammates that can’t be underestimated. You saw it in the team’s body english along the sideline and the spirit exhibited on the field. First the team found life in Willis McGahee’s emergence and now Tebow going into the lineup. His team believes in him and all comments about his play should be relegated to what he does the rest of this season. However as we at the Taylor Blitz Times look back, yesterday’s performance invokes the memory of the first comeback by Lil’ John Elway. Each came against weak teams but the experience could have long term affects on confidence. How can you be so enigmatic for 57 minutes and deadly in the last 3?? Yet when you quarterback the Denver Broncos, you will ALWAYS be compared to John Elway. Well here is Elway’s first fourth quarter comeback which looked eerily similar to Tebow’s yesterday. Take a look

Did you notice Elway only had one good throw on the corner route to Clint Sampson?? The rest were screens and a frantic ad-lib to a blitz. They looked the same to me and Tebow has a chance to grow from his moment in Miami just as Hall of Famer Elway grew from his. Are we saying Tebow will become a Hall of Famer?? Time will tell…we’re just comparing novice quarterback comeback to another for their starting point value. Now maybe his team executive nemesis Lil’ John will cut Tebow some slack. Believe me, we have.

Thanks for reading and share the article with other football fans.

Best Finish To An NFL Game Ever: Hail Mary -1980 Vikings v. Browns

by

1

Metropolitan Stadium

Everyone loves a fantastic finish and we feel as though NFL Films and such focus too much on the glamour teams. They leave too many great moments on the cutting room floor if it’s not Dallas, Pittsburgh, or Green Bay. What if we were to tell you that a team actually completed a hook and lateral (not ladder) and a hail mary to finish a game?? Yes everyone remembers the hook and lateral in the ’81 AFC Divisional Playoff between San Diego and Miami, yet we’re going to take you to one that was even better. It was the last great moment in the 21 years Metropolitan Stadium served the Minnesota Vikings.

It was 1980 and the ink was just drying on the Nation’s newspapers of Ronald Reagan’s landslide victory over incumbent President Jimmy Carter. The Iran hostage situation was over 400 days old and we were completing the 1980 NFL Season. Teams were just now fully understanding the capabilities afforded them when the NFL loosened it’s rules on passing before the 1978 season. The ball was able to be thrown and touch multiple receivers without having to hit a defender in the interim giving birth to the Hail Mary.

Hall of Fame Viking Coach, Bud Grant

The Minnesota Vikings had just said goodbye to Hall of Fame QB Fran Tarkenton, the league’s All Time yardage and touchdown passing leader. In stepped Tommy Kramer, who had none of the big game moxie of a Tarkenton. He was a poor man’s Danny White in that he followed the most revered quarterback in the team’s history.

After losing the fourth game to the 4-0 Detroit Lions, 27-20, it looked as though the Vikings had indeed passed the baton. However with a strong finishing kick they went into the penultimate game of the season with an 8-6 record. If they could win the 15th game, they would win Bud Grant his 11th NFC Central Division Tltle. Their opponent  going into that game was no slouch.

In came the 10-4 Cleveland Browns and Sam Rutigliano. He was in his third year and on his way to his second straight NFL Coach of the Year award for breathing life into a moribund franchise. In those years they were known for their ability to win a game in the final seconds and had performed that feat 14 times in the last two years with less than 2 minutes remaining. Moreover this was the Browns first winning season in nearly 10 years. What better chance to show that they had arrived than to go on the road and win in a tough NFC camp and finish off the Viking’s season.

So on a cold day the Browns took the field and roared to a 23-9 lead and the Vikings looked cold on their sideline as the 3rd quarter ended. Then the Browns started playing conservatively and played close to the vest as the Vikings roared back.

After the Vikings scored 2 touchdowns to trim the Browns lead to 23-22. The Browns had the ball and drove toward midfield yet the Vikings defense held and forced the Browns to punt and pin Minnesota at their own 20 yard line. There was less than :20 left in the game. Time for daring and time for one final drive to win the NFC Central Division championship for their coach. This is what took place…

Epilogue: The Vikings running a hook and lateral on the opposite of the three receivers look on a Hail Mary was beautiful and I can’t remember anyone running it like that since.  By the way, do you know who the Cleveland Browns linebacker #53, who was beaten on the play was?? Try former Pittsburgh Steeler Coach Bill Cowher.

Yet this team covered 80 yards in 2 plays to earn Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant his 11th and final NFC Central Division title. However they went down to the eventual NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles in the ’80 NFC Divisional round of the playoffs 31-16.

Mike Davis intercepts Brian Sipe’s pass for Ozzie Newsome to end the Brown’s season 14-12, in the 1980 playoffs.

On that exact same weekend the “Cardiac Kids” Cleveland Browns lost in the ’80 AFC Divisional Round to the Oakland Raiders 14-12. This game was made famous for “Red Right 88”. The tail end of a play’s assignment that had the Browns throw to the tight end in -42* weather rather than kick the obvious field goal. It was 3rd down and Coach Rutigliano opted to go for the endzone one more time. Only to have Raider Safety Mike Davis step in for a game clinching interception to end the Browns season. However the Browns had two kicks blocked in that game which was one of the coldest in NFL history.

However for one  magnificent drive, Tommy Kramer, Ted Brown, and Ahmad Rashad gave Viking fans the last great moment in Metropolitan Stadium. Within 2 years they would move indoors and the Viking franchise hasn’t been the same since. Hopefully they can get a new stadium deal and go back outside where the Vikings should be.

Thanks for reading…and share the article.

ESPN- What the F*ck Happened To You??

by

12

ESPN,

Yes I asked the question and meant it in the language I used. Why am I upset? Well I have been a fan since the channel’s inception in 1979. You see, Columbus, Ohio was one of those first test cities for ESPN making it’s first foray into cable television. If my mom wasn’t watching something or it was my turn to channel surf, boom ESPN was on in our house. Now many of the old NFL stories you used to play on holidays is why I’m a historian on the sport now.

All you had were experts in terms of former players, former coaches who would talk strategies and insight to what the casual viewer could learn. Now I turn on your network and all I see are Jen Sterger eye candy types regurgitating what someone teleprompts her to say.

Half the time they can’t get into an indpth discussion on most of the topics and when they cross reference something there are TEN better references that could have been used! Damn! Does it really have to go to the lowest common denominator like most channels?? You don’t have to sexy up football, men have watched the NFL for 92 fuckin’ years. It didn’t start from an MTV spinoff

You want to know how long I go back with you…First off in 1980, you would start showing football in the third week of July when you would show the Super Bowl highlight from the previous season. I would be buried in the TV listings looking for it because from that point on you’d dabble in historical pieces until the season would start. You had no football shows to speak of but you got the juices going.

By 84′ you’d have Jim Simpson hosting these shows. He’d come on and speak for a few minutes before the Yearbook (they weren’t called that at that point) of the ’73 Dolphins and the ’74 Steelers (which i taped) or a Super Bowl highlight as these shows were dotted across a television viewing day. I always had tape running in those days.

Can remember wanting to hear what ESPN would say about a game on SportsCenter and can remember Chris Berman’s on the field report after “The Catch” following the ’81 NFC Championship with San Francisco knocking off Dallas 28-27. Same thing for the ’82 NFC Championship as the crowd stormed the field in RFK. CBS wouldn’t get down IN the celebration where you guys did. Gave it more feeling than reporting from the booth.

Then every holiday before real games were played you’d show something of yesteryear that added history to the tradition. Can remember on Thanksgiving ’85 taping yearbooks for the ’68 Jets, ’69Chiefs, ’70 Raiders, and ’73 Buffalo Bills. Then on Christmas Day the ’71 AFC Divisional Playoff Highlight to Ed Podolak’s spectacular 350 yard game where the Dolphins beat the Chiefs 27-24 in the longest game ever. Then you played the ’77 AFC Divisonal Playoff of the Super Bowl Champion Raiders beating the Colts in double overtime 37-31.

Up to that point you let the game and the sounds do all the talking, yet in ’86 you started to sprinkle in some good shows. Namely Monday Night Theater (predecessor to my Taylor Blitz Times Theater on Facebook) where you would highlight great games of the past relevant to the two teams playing. Then the coup de’ gras…Monday Night Matchup.

I can still remember the good old days on that show with Ally Sherman, Steve Sabol of NFL Films, and a young Chris Berman. It was the best television show ever covering the X’s and O’s on the sport and I wouldn’t miss it.

With that show’s success you decided: Why not have our own pregame show for the Sunday games?? NFL Gameday and NFL Primetime hit and I was watching from that first episode in ’87. You snatched up the late Pete Axthelm from NBC to go with Chris Berman and a just retired Tom Jackson and I haven’t watched a full pregame broadcast from the regular networks since.

Berman came off the television, just like us. A huge fan, who just happened to be up close to express it and ask the questions we zealots would had we switched places with him. Then you introduced the Sunday Night Games and I thought Mike Patrick was the best play by play announcer next to Dick Enberg. He made the games feel like an event. Can still remember the Sunday Night Matchup with the Cleveland Browns with CBs Frank Minnifield and Hanford Dixon against the Forty Niners and WR Jerry Rice. That game was treated like a Super Bowl and that game dwarfed all others that day and the folllowing Monday.

You were elevating the game with your coverage and shows and literally my television wasn’t off ESPN by this time at all. Throw in college basketball, NFL,  and the NBA’s televised drafts?? Man, I can remember a six way phone conversaton when the Boston Celtics selected Len Bias in the ’86  draft. We all hated the Celtics so we were in a complete shock as you broadcast his selection. Then broadcast on SportsCenter and subsequent shows of his death two days later. Being a high school teenager at the time, man this was big news. Then being on your station following up Bias one week later was the death of Cleveland Browns safety Don Rogers from a cocaine overdose. Where regular news spoke of this for a few minutes and moved on, you gave it hours and depth. Especially one from the black community, I looked at that as a sign of respect not afforded by the regular networks. To many of us, the perception was if something happened to a black celebrity it wouldn’t be afforded the coverage of that of a white one. That was extremely important to me.

At that time and beyond you were the sports information universe outside of what else I was reading on my own. Yet in the late 90’s you started to change into something more commercial, more sinister, more tabloid. Gone was the respect of the athletes you covered and you seemed to sensationalize items that didn’t need to be. Yes, the ignorance and tragedy of Ray Carruth’s murder/ attempted murder of his fiance should be covered, but every time someone gets a speeding ticket or a DUI doesn’t have to be. The tone your station has reporting transgressions of black players has a negative undertone to it. Any argument at a team’s practice facility was now on the air 24 hours a day. All of a sudden you were in a race to leak every off the field incident and to me started to seem more like TMZ than ESPN.

Just know that  power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It was exactly at the turn of the century where you became aware of your own pull and started to act as though you owned or governed the leagues you covered. The corporate dumbing down of your shows started and the proliferation of eye candy blondes took the place of former players and writers. Whether they’d be asking silly ass questions on the sideline during games or slowing down topics discussed on shows, I kept asking why??

Then to make matters worse is you are even now a tabloid to those who work / worked for you and started to eat your own young. From the Sean Salisbury incident ( which was totally wrong in our estimation) to Erin Andrews being peeped on while dressing on the road, to Jalen Rose’s DUI a few months back.  Instead of hearing about a trade on Sports Center we’re listening to some report on Erin Andrews?? Please stop! Where the hell did my favorite station go?? What the fuck is this nonsense??

Get back to doing what you had done to become a sports giant. Be there for the fan and offer the best talent and the best coverage a fan can ask for based on information and insight they can provide. You don’t see Fox News getting rid of Greta Van Susteren for an eye candy strumpet with a blouse full do you?? No because the viewer is tuning in for the news and want to hear it from a credible source. Sports is in the same boat and we zealots would tune in anyway. Listen, there were over 80 million viewers that tuned in for Super Bowl X and a reported 120 million for Super Bowl XX, and the sideline reporter for the latter was Bob Griese. Certainly not eye candy. We’re going to tune in. Some outlets don’t need the sex sells dogma that has infiltrated every other aspect of advertising and entertainment.

But alas, we know this is falling on deaf ears but needed to be expressed. Like our government you’re too big to listen and too far gone to reverse your tactics. I thank the NFL for realizing this and building their own network based upon your prior model in the NFL Network. If it weren’t for Chris Berman and Tom Jackson, I wouldn’t turn to your channel. Yet for the few times a week I’m around a television, I tune to you inadvertently and leave a few minutes later disappointed.

So at this time I have to break up with you and I’ll miss my friends Chris and Tom but it isn’t the same. Trey Wingo doing NFL Primetime makes me want to throw a brick through my television and I paid too much for my 47″ 1080P LG. That move along with the bimbo eye candy was the last straw for me and I won’t turn on your channel ever again. From a historian and writer who aspires to make this blog and subsequent website, radio shows, and internet television shows in the spirit an old ESPN could enjoy… This is goodbye.

Chancellor of Football from the Football Offices of Burbank, California

Sincerely Yours,

Jef A Taylor

Chancellor of Football