Debate the Oakland Raiders offseason possibilities in The Football Fan Forum

2010 Preview:

The Raiders might not completely stink this year. Given the players they’ve added this offseason and the lack of talent in this division outside of San Diego, they appear likely to finish 2^nd in this division this year. Jason Campbell isn’t a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback, but he’s certainly going to help this team. He was, statistically, a solid quarterback last year and he is now moving to a scheme that fits his arm strength better and, with the maturation of Louis Murphy, Chaz Schilens, and yes, even Darrius Heyward Bey, as well as the additions of Bruce Campbell and Jared Veldheer to the offensive line through the draft, he may actually have a better supporting cast on offense in Oakland than he had last year in Washington.

The only main issue with Jason Campbell is his leadership skills and maturity. For all of his solid production last year, he only won 4 games despite having a good defense on his side. Those 4 games were against 4 teams that won a combined 17 games last year. He was 2-8 in games decided by 8 or fewer points last year. That’s not a good sign of maturity. Lack of maturity and leadership does not mix well with the Raiders and that could keep them from being the 8-8 team they could be this year. Still, I think they’ll win more than 5 games for the first time since 2003.

Projection: 6-10 2^nd in AFC West

Power Ranking: 22 

Last season: 5-11

Draft:

#8 MLB Rolando McClain (Alabama)

Huh? Rolando McClain isn’t fast. This doesn’t make any sense. McClain is a good prospect, but he doesn’t fit a 4-3 defense that well and the Raiders already have a good player at middle linebacker in Kirk Morrison, in fact, he’s one of their best. Plus, for a bad team like the Raiders, McClain doesn’t have the positional value. There’s a reason he was the highest drafted middle linebacker in 15 years. Plus, this doesn’t seem like an Al Davis pick at all. McClain isn’t fast. I think he made this pick because it allows him to piss off his fan base without making everyone in the mock draft community who said he’d go with a fast guy wrong.

Grade: C-

#44 DT LaMarr Houston (Texas)

A quarterback would have been preferable, but this is a decent pick. It fits the draft range and fills a bit of a need, but it doesn’t have a huge positional value. The Raiders really need a quarterback or to draft a left tackle to protect a quarterback. Also, Houston isn’t a great athlete like Al Davis likes. What is going on? Is Al Davis secretly dead? Is that rumor I heard about scouts giving Al Davis fake 40 times true?

Grade: B-

#69 OT Jared Veldheer (Hillsdale)

Well, the Raiders finally took a great athlete, Veldheer is 6-8 312 with a 5.05 40 time. However, if Al Davis was really making these picks, this would have been Bruce Campbell. I still don’t understand what happened to him. Overall, this was a decent pick and fills a need of positional value, but there were better options at the left tackle position.

Grade: B+

#106 OT Bruce Campbell (Maryland)

Hey, Al Davis is back. Bruce Campbell is a great athlete at 6-6 314 4.84, but he’s also the best available at this point, so, unlike most Al Davis picks, it’s actually a good pick. I think what happened is that Al Davis forgot that the draft was on a Thursday this year, because he was too busy decomposing, and didn’t show up until Saturday.

Grade: A

#108 WR Jacoby Ford (Clemson)

Yep, this is an Al Davis pick. Ford had the best 40 time at the combine, but he’s also in the draft range and fills a need.

Grade: A

#138 CB Walter McFadden (Auburn)

Another great athlete? Yep, Al Davis is definitely back. 5-11 181 4.40. Corner wasn’t a huge need for them, but it was a bit of a need and McFadden isn’t too far out of the draft range.

Grade: B

#190 MLB Travis Goethel (Arizona State)

Now, this is actually pretty funny. I can imagine this, Al Davis forgot the draft was on Thursday, showed up on Saturday angry because his assistants were making “bad” picks. He saw that they drafted Rolando McClain and said, “he runs a 4.69 40. He’s not good” so he drafted Goethel here who runs a 4.56. Not sure how Goethel helps them because he’s the 2^nd middle linebacker they’ve drafted this weekend, but he fits the range and could probably play another position.

Grade: B-

#215 CB Jeremy Ware (Michigan State)

Ware is one of the prospects who got drafted that I had never heard of, which is a surprise because I looked at about 400-450 prospects’ profiles to make my top 300 prospects Big Board. When he was drafted, I looked him up and found out he ran a mid 4.3 40 at his Pro Day. There we go. That makes sense. However, I don’t like the pick. The Raiders didn’t have to take another cornerback and because I haven’t heard of him, he probably shouldn’t have been drafted.

Grade: C-

#251 S Stevie Brown (Michigan)

Another prospect I haven’t heard of. I looked him up and couldn’t find a profile for him on ESPN or a 40 time. I think it’s safe to say he was a waste of a pick.

Grade: D

Overall:

I think this whole draft moving to a Thursday worked out for the Raiders. Al Davis could not be present for days 1-3, because he forgot, so they actually made some decent picks with their first 3 picks. Then, when he came back for rounds 4-7, he took his signature great athletes, but it’s okay because they are high upside guys and that’s the type of player you want in the 4^th-7^th rounds. If I were grading on a curve and comparing this draft to their drafts in years past, I’d give this draft an A. However, they did do some questionable things with their late round picks and they took Rolando McClain in the first, who was barely an upgrade over Kirk Morrison, and then traded Morrison for the right to move up from the 5^th to the 4^th round. However, overall, they got some good players, some good upside guys, they upgraded the offensive line, and they traded for a quarterback (Jason Campbell), so I think it’s safe to say this team could win more than 5 games next year for the first time in 7 years.

Grade: B (not including the Jason Campbell trade because that technically had nothing to do with their draft)

Key undrafted free agents

RB Andre Anderson (Tulane)

DE Alex Daniels (Cincinnati)

FB Manese Tonga (BYU)

G Alex Parsons (USC)

Positions of need: 

Quarterback: 

JaMarcus Russell was probably the worst quarterback to start a good amount of games in the entire NFL last year, maybe even in the last 10 years. Head Coach Tom Cable hates Russell with a strong passion and believes than if he weren’t forced to start Russell, by owner Al Davis, he would have won at least 8 games last year instead of 5, and I think he has good reason to say that. Cable was brought back for another year which could signal the end for the former #1 pick Russell in town, but unfortunately this isn’t a great quarterback class, so they could have a tough time finding a replacement that way. Expect Al Davis to target Michael Vick in free agency or possibly try to take Jevan Snead in the 3^rd round to fit his complex style offense, throw the ball far down field to fast guys and hope they catch it.

Signed Kyle Boller, Traded for Jason Campbell

Offensive Tackle:

Not giving him any excuses, but Russell’s line didn’t do him any favors, though you could also argue that Russell’s awful pocket presence made the line look worse than they actually were. Nonetheless, after the quarterback position, the #1 position Al Davis has screwed over in the last ten years in the offensive line, especially left tackle. Mario Henderson cannot start another year at left tackle so expect Davis to target a big athletic left tackle in the early rounds of the NFL Draft.

Drafted Jared Veldheer (#69), Drafted Bruce Campbell (#106) 

Defensive End:

They only managed 37 sacks last year and no one had more than 7. Trevor Scott, their leader in sacks, isn’t really even an every down end at 255 pounds anyway. They need to solidify the outside of their defensive line and for that reason, they could target a guy like Carlos Dunlap, a freak athlete, early in the draft. And by they, I mean their half dead owner.

Traded for Kamerion Wimbley, Traded for Quentin Groves

Outside Linebacker:

All of their outside linebackers are free agents this offseason so they could overhaul the position if they choose to, which might not be a bad idea because they aren’t getting a lot of production from the position right now, though they do have bigger needs. If Al Davis sees Taylor Mays as a linebacker rather than a safety, there is no doubt in my mind that Davis will take Mays, the most athletic player in the draft class, at #8.

Defensive Tackle:

Richard Seymour had a really down year this year in Oakland and I don’t blame him. That places sucks the life out of players. Just ask Randy Moss. There’s a good chance he isn’t back which will mean that the Raiders will be even worse against the run next year and still be without a 1^st rounder in 2011. Great trade.

Drafted LaMarr Houston (#44), Signed John Henderson

Safety:

Despite spending two picks in the first two rounds in recent years on Michael Huff and Michael Mitchell, they still need help at the position. The position doesn’t have a ton of positional value, but Al Davis is too busy being dead to know what that means so he could target Taylor Mays at 8.

Drafted Stevie Brown (#251)

Offensive Guard:

Al Davis didn’t just screw over the tackle position, they have little to nothing at the guard position either. Darren McFadden has talent, but if they keep allowing guys into the backfield, he isn’t going to get far.

 

Free agents: 

QB Bruce Gradkowski (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

QB Charlie Frye (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.2 million

RB Justin Fargas 

FB Gary Russell (exclusive rights)

FB Luke Lawton (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.2 million

WR Todd Watkins (restricted)

WR Javon Walker (he’s still alive?) 

OT Khalif Barnes (restricted)- resigned 1 year

OT Cornell Green- signed with Bills 3 years 9 million

C Chris Morris (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

DE Greg Ellis 

DE Richard Seymour- resigned 1 year 12.3 million

DT Gerard Warren- signed with Patriots 

DT William Joseph- resigned 

OLB Sam Williams- resigned 

OLB Thomas Howard (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

OLB Ricky Brown (restricted)- resigned

OLB Jon Alston (restricted)- signed with Buccaneers 1 year

OLB Isiah Ekejiuba- signed with Lions

MLB Kirk Morrison (restricted)- resigned 1 year 2.5 million 

CB Stanford Routt (restricted)- resigned 1 year 3.2 million

S Hiram Eugene (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

K Sebastian Janikowski- resigned 4 yrs 16 mil

Offseason moves:

Raiders waive MLB Isiah Ekejiuba 

Raiders re-sign DE Richard Seymour

Raiders sign NT John Henderson

Raiders cut QB JaMarcus Russell

Raiders sign RB Michael Bennett 

Raiders re-sign CB Stanford Routt

Raiders waive FB Oren O’Neal

Raiders sign RB Rock Cartwright 

Raiders trade MLB Kirk Morrison and a 5th-round pick to Jaguars for 4th-round pick

Raiders acquire QB Jason Campbell from Redskins for 2012 4th-round pick

Raiders acquire DE Quentin Groves from Jaguars for a 5th-round pick

Raiders re-sign OLB Thomas Howard

Raiders sign QB Kyle Boller

Raiders re-sign MLB Kirk Morrison

Raiders re-sign OLB Sam Williams

Raiders re-sign S Hiram Eugene

Raiders re-sign FB Luke Lawton

Raiders re-sign OLB Ricky Brown

Raiders re-sign DT William Joseph

Raiders re-sign C Chris Morris

Raiders re-sign QB Bruce Gradkowski

Raiders re-sign QB Charlie Frye

Raiders acquire DE Kamerion Wimbley from Browns for 2010 3rd-rounder

Raiders cut DT Gerard Warren

Raiders cut WR Javon Walker

Raiders cut DE Greg Ellis

Raiders cut RB Justin Fargas

Raiders re-sign OT Khalif Barnes

Raiders tender FB Luke Lawton

Raiders tender QB Bruce Gradkowski

Raiders tender OLB Thomas Howard

Raiders tender OLB Ricky Brown

Raiders tender MLB Kirk Morrison

Raiders tender S Hiram Eugene

Raiders tender CB Stanford Routt

Raiders tender C Chris Morris

Raiders franchise DE Richard Seymour

Raiders re-sign K Sebastian Janikowski 

 

By Packrphan 

This game was literally a situation of whoever had the ball last would win the game. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers directed a final drive to tie the game at 17-17. But Atlanta got the ball back with under a minute left and, courtesy of a facemask penalty on the kickoff return, started at mid-field.

As TV commentators are saying, the one-dimensionality of the Packers’ offense — i.e., no rushing game by the Pack — is showing up big time in a game like this, and was the difference today between these two teams. One could run the ball, the other couldn’t. I don’t have to tell you which is which.

Add in the inability of the Packers’ special teams to do something big when it mattered most, with time running out. Instead, they gave up a big return and then added another 15 yards with a penalty to allow a short amount of yardage needed for a winning field goal by Atlanta.

A turnover at the goal line by Aaron Rodgers meant two trips inside the 10-yard line for the Packers with only 3 points to show for it. Killer.

Missed opportunities. As with the 3 other losses this season — all by 3 points, by the way — that’s the theme of today’s game.

http://PackerFansUnited.com

Go back to Packers Fan Spot

 

 

Quarterback

Delaware

6-3 225

Draft board overall prospect rank: #153

Draft board overall quarterback rank: #9

Overall rating: 58 (5^th round)

40 time: 4.87

3/27/11: When Joe Paterno picked Darryl Clark at Penn State to start and, in response, Devlin transferred to Division 1-AA Delaware, hoping that he could follow in Joe Flacco’s footsteps to the NFL as a first round pick. The heavily sought after high school prospect had many similarities to Flacco, including the strong arm.

He had a solid 2009 campaign and a stronger 2010, throwing a mere 3 picks to 22 touchdowns and threw 15 touchdowns in his last 6 games, leading Delaware to 2^nd place in Division-AA. He struggled a bit earlier in the season, but a broken wrist was responsible for that. The important thing to note with the wrist was that he only missed 2 weeks with it, showing his toughness.

However, the offseason has not been kind to Devlin. Once viewed as a potential 2^nd round pick, Devlin sucked in the East-West shrine game and wasn’t invited to the Senior Bowl. He stunk up his Pro Day, showing up 30 minutes late and then throwing so inaccurately that several scouts left midway. He appears to have major mechanical problems in his delivery and is a longterm project of a day 3 prospect. He has a strong arm, but as we’ve seen so many times before, that alone won’t do it for you in the NFL.

NFL Comparison: Jevan Snead

 

 

 

I have my doubts about Plaxico Burress. He hasn’t played in two years and he turns 34 next month. Vick was 5 years younger when he attempted his prison to the NFL transition and he was rusty in his first year and Vick was more talented than Burress before getting incarcerated. 3 million isn’t a huge risk on him, but the Jets seem to think Burress is a suitable replacement for Braylon Edwards and he’s not. The one positive this deal has for the Jets over the Eagles’ deal for Michael Vick is that they don’t risk a huge PR hit. The public generally accepts Burress’ act as one of stupidity, rather than evil, not the case with Vick.

Grade: C

 

The last 12 months or so have been a pleasant surprise for Raiders fans. First, they drafted well, not just drafting the best athlete. In fact, after years of drafting almost nothing but duds, they had one of if not they strongest draft classes this past year, based on how their rookies played this season. They went undefeated in the division, including two wins over the Chargers, snapping a 13 game losing streak against San Diego, and though they still missed the playoffs, their 8-8 record after years of 5-11 or worse is a welcome surprise.

Jason Campbell looks like the first legitimate signal caller this team has had since Rich Gannon and unlike Gannon he’s not going to randomly turn ancient one day. Darren McFadden has finally emerged as an explosive lead back, leaving 2009 7^th overall pick Darrius Heyward Bey as the only memory of what was once regarded as the worst drafting stretch in league history (JaMarcus Russell #1 in 2007, Darren McFadden #4 in 2008, and DHB #7 in 2009).

However, all of a sudden, it seems to be going downhill. Not only did Al Davis not pick up Tom Cable’s reasonably priced option to coach the team for the next 2 years, after a great coaching performance in 2010, Davis actually fined 120K for unexplainable reasons (actually Davis did explain them, but I couldn’t understand what the hell he was talking about. Something about Gitmo and JaMarcus Russell).

Replacing Cable at head coach is Hue Jackson, their offensive coordinator, who did a wonderful job with the offense last season. Jackson improved their offense from 31^st in the league at 12.3 per game last year to 6^th in the league at 25.6 this year. It remains to be seen if he has what it takes to be a Head Coach, however.

The Raiders also released easily their best defensive player, Nnamdi Asomugha for financial reasons (owed 17 million in the final year of his deal). All of a sudden, their secondary is very thin. They also will likely lose Richard Seymour, arguably their 2^nd best defensive player, in free agency.

Last and probably worst, Al Davis made an 100 minute public press conference, proving that not only is he still alive (I think…), but he’s also very much in charge of this team, contrary to popular belief after this team drafted much differently than Davis normally would (height/weight/40) last year. I still like my theory that Al Davis didn’t know the draft was on a Thursday in 2010 rather than a Saturday, as was normal. If Davis realizes it’s on a Thursday this year, we could see even more awful drafting by this franchise.

Or maybe I’m wrong and this team will improve to above .500 under Hue Jackson and Davis has changed his ways to keep up with the times and will have another strong draft. Maybe.

 

By Vince Vitale 

Well fans say the St. Louis Rams look better in 2010 after two close losses to the Arizona Cardinals and the Oakland Raiders. Until the Rams show me a victory I am not going to say they look better quite yet. This team has still only found a way to win 1 of their last 18 games with Steve Spagnuolo as the head coach. In addition this team has some of the same issues it has had since 2006. The Rams are having a terrible time scoring points and moving the ball. The Rams continue to be unable to rush the quarterback or catch interceptions thrown to them. The Rams have a bad receiving core and no backup running back. If you look at this realistically not many things have changed only some faces. The Rams need thier coaches to simply make players better and to put them in better situations to succeed. Throwing swing passes to Mike Karney when long yardage is needed for a first down is not going to get us far.

The past two weeks the Rams have been beaten by backup quarterbacks and running backs as they faced Derek Anderson, Tim Hightower, Bruce Gradkowski and Darren McFadden. This week the Rams will face two very veteran players in Donovan McNabb who has over 30,000 yards passing and 200+ touchdown passes, along with Clinton Portis who is approaching 10,000 yards rushing. The Washington Redskins are the best team the Rams have face so far in 2010 but even the skins are not playing well and are far from unbeatable. The Rams need to win a game like today’s to gain some confidence for not only the players but their coaching staff.

The Rams head into the game today in the bottom 10 in passing and rushing offense and defense the same spots they have been in for quiet a while not. With the addition of Mark Clayton the Rams at least seem to have one receiver that Sam Bradford can throw the ball to. Injuries to Rams Tight Ends should mean more catches for Steven Jackson out of the backfield. Pat Shurmur needs to use Jackson better. Jackson needs to get down field, run wheel routes, line up wide, etc to be more effective in space. His seemingly lack of outside speed and wide receiver blocking have kept Jackson from big gains. Jackson seems to be a 20 carry, 80 yard back and he gets most of those yards between the 30’s. The Rams have to find new ways to get Jackson into the end zone. The Rams have made NO attempt to get any other running backs onto the field as only Kenneth Darby has seen any action and his 3 carries for 2 yards is not going to scare anyone.

The Washington Redskins have had their own issues this year. If not for a holding call on Alex Barron and some serious bad play from the Dallas Cowboys the Redskins would be 0-2 as well. The Redskins are dead last in total yards and passing defense. Also even with Clinton Portis and with Mike Shanahan as head coach the Redskins are DEAD LAST in rushing yardage. Clinton Portis has averaged only 3.1 yards per carry. On offense the Redskins only have one wide receiver with more than 3 catches and that is Santana Moss. Statistically through two games I am not sure if the Redskins have even played better than the Rams, however they have played better teams facing the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.

I think the difference in today’s game will be Donovan McNabb. McNabb is one of the leaders in NFL history in Int ratio. The Rams are not likely to get any interceptions from him. The key will be to keep him in the pocket and try to come around him and strip the ball. Ron Bartell will need to have a great game to stay with Santana Moss. The Redskins biggest threat will be Chris Cooley and backup Tight End Fred Davis. The Rams weekly have troubles staying with Tight Ends and today will be no different. James Laurinaitis who leads the Rams with 14 tackles will need to not only stop Clinton Portis but also patrol the deep middle of the field on passing plays. Many say Chris Long is getting better, is creating pressure etc. I still don’t see it. Chris Long moved to LDE and is facing the other teams RT each week. Having only 3 tackles is inexcusable in my mind. Let’s remember folks Chris Long was the #2 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Shouldn’t we expect more? I know no DE’s taken in the first round in 2008 have done much but maybe that just means we should have selected a player at a different position. Today Long will face big boy Jammal Brown who the Redskins got from the New Orleans Saints in a trade. The Rams really could have used Jammal Brown but elected to draft Rodger Saffold instead.

While McNabb is buying time in the pocket and making plays down field the Rams will need to keep pressure, in the form most likely of Brian Orakpo off of him. Playmaker DeAngelo Hall who already has 21 combined tackles will be locked on Mark Clayton and London Fletcher will be tracking Steven Jackson all over the field. This looks like another game the St. Louis Rams could win if everything goes great but I think the big name players on Washington will just make more plays than the Rams and they also have a huge coaching advantage.

Prediction: Washington Redskins 20-10 over St. Louis Rams

http://www.stlouisramfan.com/ 

 

By Derek Arnold 

Did we just witness the maturation of Joe Flacco as an NFL quarterback?

That’s what many of the talking sports heads in the media are saying this morning – that Joe, by virtue of his game winning touchdown drive during the final minute of yesterday’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, has now vaulted into the upper echelon of professional signal callers.

Indeed, it was a thing of beauty.  Flacco and the Ravens offense went 40 yards on just four plays in 36 seconds of game clock.  On the drive, they never faced a 3rd down situation.  Hell, the only faced a single second down, and even that was just second-and-one.  There wasn’t even the drama of a third-and-long or fourth-and-game situation as Joe faced down the beast that has been his nemesis since he entered the league, Dick LeBeau’s stifling Steeler defense, and came out on top.

On the play, T.J. Houshmandzadeh ran a great route, faking to the sideline as Flacco pump-faked, before turning towards the end zone and potential victory.  When he got there, a win was indeed waiting for him, in the form of a gorgeous pass that he ran under and hauled in, in the process sending all those rabid Steeler fans home from Heinz Field using their terrible towels to wipe away their copious tears.

Joe was finally able to do what Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers have been doing to the Ravens for years – breaking their hearts with a last-second drive to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.  That it happened at Heinz Field, which has for so long been a house of horrors for B’More, makes it all the more satisfying.  It was the Ravens’ first victory in Pittsburgh since 2006, and it not only served to keep their hated rivals from starting the season at 4-0 and with a commanding lead in the AFC North, but it catapulted them to first place in the division and gave them an early tiebreaker over the Steelers.

The game had, to that point, been the prototypical Ravens/Steelers match that we’ve come to expect stomach ulcers from each and every time these two clash heads.  The Steelers took an early lead on a Rashard Mendenhall run at the goalline, and the Ravens responded with a Willis McGahee touchdown run of their own.  From that point on, midway through the second quarter, no more than four points would separate the teams at any point during the game.  The Ravens led by a score of 10-7 at halftime, and by the same margin after the third quarter came to a close.

It felt all too familiar.  Leading after the second and third quarters means absolutely nothing, and far too many times we’ve seen Pittsburgh dominate the final quarter and make the plays down the stretch to eke out a win.  And when Mendenhall scored his second touchdown with just over seven minutes remaining, it seemed the game was taking a twist we’ve all seen far too many times before.  Taking a 14-10 lead had Pittsburgh and their fans, with that defense playing at home, feeling comfortable.  A bit too comfortable, as it turned out.

The Ravens took possession and went 65 yards on 10 plays on the ensuing drive…problem was, they needed 67 yards.  Third-and-goal and fourth-and-goal from the Pittsburgh 2-yard line both resulted in incomplete passes, and AGAIN it looked like the Steelers would survive.

They were too conservative on their ensuing possession though, afraid to let Charlie Batch take any chances that might result in a turnover.  Aided by a penalty, the Steelers went three-and-out, and Daniel Sepulveda punted from the back of his own end zone.  Another penalty, this one during the punt, moved the ball to the Pitt 40 yard-line for Flacco’s penultimate drive.  A drive that Ravens fans will be remembering fondly for many years to come.

For the first time in the Flacco-Harbaugh era, the Ravens won at Heinz Field.  And you couldn’t write a more perfect script of how it came to pass.

Give credit to Todd Heap and Ray Rice on that final play as well.  Both picked up Steelers’ blitzers from Flacco’s blind side, Heap coming all the way across the formation to stonewall Troy Polamalu.

The Ravens defense had another strong day, holding Rashard Mendenhall to just 79 yards on 25 carries, an average of just 3.16.  His longest carry on the day was 11 yards, lending credence to the theory that last week’s gashing by Cleveland’s Peyton Hillis was more a matter of effort than ability.  The run defense is fine.

As for the secondary, they were again fairly untested, but held up well.  Charlie Batch took his shots down the field, but connected on only one, a deep ball down the right sideline to Antwaan Randle El that set up the Steelers’ first score.  He tried Mike Wallace deep several times in the fourth quarter, only to be foiled each time by cornerback Lardarius Webb, who had a spectacular game.  On one, Wallace got both hands on the ball in the end zone before Webb stripped it out and nearly came away with the interception himself.

Still, some interceptions would be nice to see from this group at some point soon (even if Haloti Ngata is about to destroy you if you catch it…FABIAN!)

Speaking of Ngata, he was a beast Sunday, racking up a game-high 8 solo tackles, and team-high 11 total.  He made all of Heinz Field hold their breath, and all Ravens fans exclaim an “ooooooooh” when he planted Mendenhall about 3 feet deep into the turf on one short run.  Ngata also registered a sack, as did Terrell Suggs, who played a strong game despite drawing double teams for most of the day.  Suggs’ sack was big because it pushed the Steelers back on a long field goal attempt from Jeff Reed, and the kick ended up clanging off the right upright.

“Skippy,” as he is known in Pittsburgh, deserves special mention here.  Thank you, Jeff Reed, for going out and getting hammered Saturday night, or whatever else you did to make you forget how to kick inside your own stadium.  Reed missed two field goals Sunday, both going towards the open end of Heinz Field, which continues to prove impossible to master.  The swirling winds on that side of the field also pushed an early Billy Cundiff attempt wide right.

It was also nice to see the Steelers being the ones beating themselves for most of the day as well, as opposed to it being the Ravens as we’re used to witnessing.  While the penalties were fairly even throughout most of the game, in the end the tally was 7 for 52 yards for the Ravens, and 11 for 88 for Pittsburgh.  Three of Pittsburgh’s came in the final 5:03 though, making them extra costly.  Some Steelers fans are complaining about the refs this morning, so to them I’ll just say this – doesn’t feel so good when your team is on the short end, does it?

The other argument from yinzers and yinzer-wannabes alike will be this: “We didn’t have Ben.”

Well, that’s true.  But Ben doesn’t play defense.  TROY was out there. So were James, and Lamarr (both of whom were held extremely quiet by the Ravens’ offensive line all day).

“But the game wouldn’t have been that close if BEN was there.”

Fact: Roethlisberger has played in 4 of the 6 Ravens/Steelers games in the Harbugh-Flacco era.

Fact: ONE of those games was decided by more than four points.  Stop assuming that it would have been a blowout if #7 was on the field.  History doesn’t back that up.

Anyway, it was an awesome, awesome win for our Ravens, and it sets them up wonderfully moving forward. 

http://www.bmorebirdsnest.com/ 

 

 

Some still believe Robert Meachem has #1 wide receiver upside, even though the former first round pick has never exceeded 45 catches for 722 yards and 9 touchdowns despite playing with one of the best quarterbacks in the league for 4 years. The Chargers seem to be one of those teams, paying him 25.9 million over 4 years with 14 million guaranteed to replace Vincent Jackson. They’re going to be very disappointed. It’s absolutely ridiculous that Meachem almost got what Steve Johnson got (5 years, 36.25 million, with 19 million guaranteed). In fact, he only got 5 million less in guaranteed money than Marques Colston. This was just a panic overpay by the Chargers.

Grade: F

 

By Eric Karkovack 

Mike Singletary’s San Francisco 49ers should be hobbling around this morning after repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot on Monday night.  Turnovers plagued what would have otherwise been a spirited performance for the now 0-2 49ers.

For their part, the Saints (2-0) were only able to take slight advantage of the San Francisco miscues.  A botched snap over 49ers QB Alex Smith’s head went through the endzone for a safety on the first offensive possession of the game.  A poor free kick by Andy Lee setup the Saints in great field position and was capped off by a 6 yard TD pass from Drew Brees to Reggie Bush.  It was 9-0 Saints and looking a bit like a laugher.

But the 49ers were able to regain their bearings and force Saints fans to sit out a late night nail-biter.  Smith (23/32, 275 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 82.2 QB Rating) eventually found a comfortable rhythm and running back Frank Gore (20 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD) helped wear down the Saints defense.

Even so, the Saints were able to come up with turnovers in key situations and wouldn’t allow the 49ers to take over the game.  Interceptions by safety Roman Harper and corner Tracy Porter (with a great assist from linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar) took almost-certain points off the board, as did a fumble recovery by safety Malcolm Jenkins.

While the Saints didn’t necessarily “bring the wood” to Alex Smith in terms of putting hits on the quarterback, they were able to dig deep and make plays when it counted the most.  Credit the San Francisco offensive line and Frank Gore for handling a plethora of blitz packages.  That was a marked improvement over their play in Week 1 against Seattle.

Offensively, the Saints struggled against a very aggressive 49er front seven.  They often brought pressure right up the middle and were able to sack Drew Brees twice.

But Brees (28/38, 254 yards, 2 TDs, 108.9 QB Rating) was able to make plays under pressure.  This was a night where the backs and tight ends were his main targets.  Pierre Thomas had only 46 yards rushing, but had 8 receptions for 57 yards.  Reggie Bush had 4 catches, while tight ends Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas had 3 each.

Special teams were outstanding for the Saints.  Kicker Garrett Hartley was a perfect 3-3 in field goals, including the game-winner as time expired in the 4th quarter.  The wind at Candlestick Park was its usual swirling self, but Hartley was able to put points on the board when the team needed him.  That erases an 0-2 opener against Minnesota.

Courtney Roby was very effective in kick returns and recovered a muffed punt by Phillip Adams and set the Saints up at the 49ers 14 yard line.  While the Saints offense wasn’t able to convert that opportunity into a touchdown, Hartley kicked a field goal to give New Orleans an 8 point lead late in the game.

Reggie Bush had an electric 43 yard punt return late in the 3rd quarter, but muffed a return in the 4th.  As he went to recover the ball, a group of players piled up on him, apparently breaking his leg.  Early word is that he could miss 6 weeks.  We should know more as the week goes on.

That’s going to be a tough blow for an offense that hasn’t quite found its mojo through the first two games.

The last two minutes of the game were exceptionally dramatic.  Alex Smith led the 49ers down the field, setting up a 7 yard Frank Gore TD run.  A controversial call on a 2 point conversion pass from Smith to TE Vernon Davis tied the game up at 22 with 1:19 left on the clock.  Davis ran his route into the endzone, but was pushed back out by a Saints defender as he caught the ball.  Initially, officials said Davis was down at about the 1 foot line.  But replay showed Davis apparently possessing the ball just over the plane of the endzone.

Regardless, it was up to Drew Brees and company to end things – and they did.  Brees hit Pierre Thomas for gains of 8 and 14 yards, before delivering a clutch 30 pass to Marques Colston (5 catches, 67 yards) that put the Saints well within field goal range as the clock ticked down.

As if hitting a game-winning field goal isn’t enough pressure, the Saints were called for a false start as Garrett Hartley prepared to kick.  That turned a 32 yard field goal attempt into a 37 yard attempt.

As in the opener against Minnesota, the Saints won’t get a ton of style points for this one.  But they once again showed a lot of heart against a desperate team on the road.  You can see that the 49ers are a talented group.  But, you can also see what separates a pretty good team from a great one.  The Saints didn’t turn the ball over and, while they didn’t take full advantage of every opportunity, they were able to dig deep and find a way to win. 

Next up is a Superdome showdown with the 1-1 Atlanta Falcons.

Who Dat Awards:

Reggie Bush – Played very well, despite the whole Heisman Trophy fiasco weighing on his mind.  Hopefully, the Saints will have him back later this season.

Drew Brees – Dealt with a lot of pressure from the 49ers, but didn’t turn the ball over.  Made key throws to set up the winning field goal.

Marques Colston – It wasn’t a big night for the wide receivers, but Colston was clutch.

Pierre Thomas – He earned every yard on the ground and was a difference maker in the passing game.

Garrett Hartley – Showed that Week 1 was just a fluke.  Big kicks in difficult conditions.

Jonathan Vilma – Had 10 tackles, forced a fumble and played his heart out.

Jo-Lonn Dunbar – Huge tip of an Alex Smith pass that led to an interception.

Roman Harper – Picked up his first INT in awhile.

Courtney Roby – Was outstanding in kick returns and in coverage.

http://www.nosreview.com/

 

Quarterback

The Seahawks’ defense was a real strength in 2011, but the offense was the problem and the reason why this was just a 7-9 team. They’ll be better in 2012 offensively with presumably better health. Guys like Sidney Rice, Russell Okung, and Robert Gallery missed significant time with injury this season. However, I really think the quarterback position is holding up this team. Can they go 10-6 next year? With some luck, yes. However, I don’t think Tarvaris Jackson is the long term answer and the guy to lead them into the playoffs. They may reach for a quarterback like Ryan Tannehill or Brock Osweiler at 11 or trade down for them. If not, expect them to take a developmental quarterback after the first round. At the very least, he’d be a better backup than Charlie Whitehurst.

Defensive End

At the left end/5-technique position, Red Bryant is a free agent. He’ll be one of their offseason priorities and he has expressed interest in returning, so I do expect him to be back. Raheem Brock is also a free agent. The situational pass rusher had a down season in 2011 after getting arrested in the offseason. A 34 year old free agent, he probably won’t be back in the same role. At right end, Chris Clemons had another great season, but he’ll be a 31 year old free agent next offseason. Defensive end will be a much priority for them this offseason as they try to improve upon the 33 sacks they had in 2011. If they don’t go for a quarterback in the first round, they’ll take someone like Quinton Coples, Whitney Mercilus, Melvin Ingram or Courtney Upshaw at 11.

Cornerback

Richard Sherman had a fantastic rookie season after being a mere 5^th round pick last April. Former CFL player Brandon Browner had a mixed back of a season. He was awful in their loss to Pittsburgh and committed 15 penalties, 2^nd most among all cornerbacks behind only Stanford Routt, but also had some dominant moments. His 15 pass deflections were 3^rd behind just Darrelle Revis and Joe Haden. Besides, they don’t have much depth behind those two. Neither Walter Thurmond nor Marcus Trufant can stay healthy, while the latter is a free agent and likely won’t be brought back.

 

Guard

Both Robert Gallery and John Moffitt couldn’t stay healthy last season. Neither played particularly well either. The former will be 32 this offseason so he could be in the declining stage of his career while the latter was just a 3^rd round pick last April. They could use another guard in the mix.

Running Back

Marshawn Lynch’s beast mode ability carried over from their playoff win against New Orleans to last season as he had career highs in yards and touchdowns. Just in time for him to hit free agency. It always worries me when someone has their best season right before they hit free agency, particularly if it’s an underachieving former first round pick who has had off the field issues before like Lynch. However, for the right price, he’s definitely worth resigning. If for whatever reason they don’t resign him, they’ll need to find a replacement because their depth behind him is pretty poor. If he’s not resigned, Trent Richardson makes too much sense at 11. Even if he is resigned, they could bring in another back for depth purposes because neither Leon Washington nor Justin Forsett could carry the load should Lynch get hurt.

Outside Linebacker

Leroy Hill has had a past full of problems, ranging from injuries to off the field problems to suspensions, but he put together a good season last year. He’s a free agent this offseason so the Seahawks will have to decide what his long term future is with the team.

Middle Linebacker

David Hawthorne does not have Hill’s checkered past and he is one of the best middle linebackers in the league. The Seahawks have said he’s not a priority to resign (they also have to resign Lynch, Hill, and Bryant), but he really should be. They can’t let him go and they don’t really have an internal replacement so if he isn’t resigned, they’ll need to find an external solution.

Offensive Tackle

Both Russell Okung and James Carpenter also had injury problems in 2011 (only center Max Unger stayed healthy the whole season). Okung hasn’t been able to stay healthy in his brief 2 year career thus far. They could use a better swing tackle. Their offensive line really struggled this year after being hit with injuries, allowing 50 sacks.