NFL Week 12 Deep Outs

We all know the story of the Tennessee Titans: one of the best teams in the league last season, they stumble out of the gate and for the first six steps of this season. The owner asks for a change of quarterback from the steady-as-she-goes aging veteran to the whiz-bang kid. Since then, the team’s fortunes have been turned and the Titans have won 4 in a row coming into their week 12 game.

It seemed everything was falling into place for the Titans to make it 5 in a row. The team coming into Tennessee was the Arizona Cardinals, and their star quarterback, Kurt Warner seemed to be having some vision problems due to a concussion he received the week prior. Enter Matt Leinart.

Some back stories:

1) In Super Bowl XXXIV (Jan `99), Kurt Warner was the starting QB in the Super Bowl against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans were down by 7 with just six seconds left on the clock when the late great Steve McNair threw a dart to Kevin Dyson...Just one yard short, and Warner celebrated an MVP performance by lifting Vince Lombardi’s trophy.

2) The 2006 Rose Bowl was a battle between budding superstars. Led by Matt Leinart, the University of Southern California Trojans were going for a National Title against Vince Young and his University of Texas Longhorns. The Trojans were heavily favoured entering the game, yet it ended with Matt Leinart watching from the sidelines as Vince Young trotted into the end zone on 4th and 5 from the 8 yard line to win the game. It was an amazing end to an amazing game that will go down in history as one of the best plays. Hell, the 4th down run by VY to win the game was recently named the #5 college football play of all time.

So once again, in a whole lot less of a spectacle, it was Leinart Vs. Young, for the first time since that fateful Rose Bowl.

...and once again it came down to a final drive. Once again, the ball was in Young’s hands, and once again Leinart was left as a helpless spectator on the sidelines. And once again, VY put together a masterful drive, this time relying on his arm. He went 8 for 15 for 89 yards (including 2 4th down conversions) before the drive stalled at the 10 yard line.

It came down to a 4th down play with 6 seconds left. So many similarities:

1) Six seconds, just like Super Bowl XXXIV

2) 4th down with a chance to win for Vince Young, just like the Rose Bowl.

Which way would it end up? A VY Win, or a 1 yard Titan loss?

As we are all aware by now, VY completed a 10 yard pass to Kenny Britt on 4th and Goal as time expired to win the game over the Cardinals! Vince Young is back (and using his arm!), and so are the Titans. Their win streak is now at 5...

...and I won my bet on the Titans! ;)

Pet Peeve of the Week:

There wasn’t much of an issue with it this week (I think the Falcons and Chargers were the only ones that wore theirs) but this trend of throwback/3rd uniforms is out of control. From my beloved Seahawks wearing jerseys that could burn out any HD TV, to the Broncos wearing vertically striped socks that looked like they should be in prison, enough is enough. I almost enjoy the regular uniforms these days because I don’t get the opportunity to see them that often anymore.

Stat Line of the week:

Jake Delhomme in the first half: 5-12 for 29 yards and 3 interceptions, one returned for a TD. In all, he ended the game with 4 interceptions.

What else happened this Sunday:

- I can’t tell you how many times I pleaded to through the TV to Jim Mora Jr to give Forsett a shot! Is it fair to assume he has won the starting job even when Jones comes back?

- Steven Jackson started off the game with a 25 yard run. After that, the Seahawks basically shut him down. His carries after the first were for the following yardage: 0, 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, 3, 7, 4, 2, 3, 4, 7, 0, -2, 6, 5, 4, 3, 8, 0. Of his 23 carries 16 were for 4 yards or fewer. The only one that reached double digits was his very first 25 yarder.

- Seahawks have won 11 straight over the Rams now. Wow, remember when this used to be a heated rivalry?

- Anyone remember Michael Vick? Man, I can’t wait until he makes it back to the NFL!

- Deshaun Jackson caught another TD, this time from 35 yards out. The interesting point about this TD is that it was his shortest of the season!

- This was Philly’s second straight 4th quarter comeback win. Shouldn’t a team with this much talent be winning games against Chicago and Washington a little more handily?

- When will John Fox realize that the Panthers are built to be a running team? I still think it will cost Fox his job in the long run.

- Sanchez bounces back after his 5 interceptions last week with an ok game (13 for 17 for 154 yards and an int)...Not SPECTACULAR, but enough to win while the defence is stopping everything that is thrown at them.

- Carolina had 2 TDs called back, one reversed by replay, the other nullified by penalty. After the penalty, Delhomme promptly put the ball in the hands of the Jets. This was the nail in the coffin for the Panthers

- I didn’t realize that Sage Rosenfels still played for the Texans! That is two years in a row they have given up a big lead to the Colts in Houston. This team just cannot get over the hump, and I put the blame squarely on head coach Gary Kubiak.

- Colts had a 1st and goal from the 8 yard line. 2 incomplete passes to Garcon, an incomplete pass to Collie that drew a P.I call, and a new set of downs. A shovel pass to Addai that resulted in no yards. An Addai run that went BACKWARDS, and finally Manning targets one of the best WRs in the league for the TD. Moral of the story? Throw to Wayne as soon as you can.

- After a decent game last week against the Lions, Brady Quinn went back to his old self, completing just 44% of his passes for 100 yards. You are NOT going to win a game with those numbers from your quarterback.

- Quinn caught an 18 yards pass and ran for 10 yards and a TD in a single drive. Maybe he is the new ‘Slash’? hahahahahahaha

- I don’t think Ryan Fitzpatrick is a starter in this league, but he proved today that he gives the Bills a better chance to win than Trent Edwards. Maybe Edwards can take JP Losman’s job next year in the UFL.

- Fitzpatrick (Harvard) and Edwards (Stanford) have to be the smartest QB duo in the league. We know they are much smarter than the duo in Philly. One didn't know that a game could end in a tie, the other funded a dog fighting ring. Smart guys!

- I love Gus Johnson! He made the T.O 51 yard TD feel like it was to win the Super Bowl!

- I am very impressed with Josh Freeman so far in his young NFL career. He has proven that he can keep his team in the game. If only they could put some skill in the positions around him.

- The Bucs had one of the best downs of a punt as 3 different players touched the ball in attempts to keep it out of the end zone. It resulted in Falcons ball on the 2 yard line.

- With The Bucs up by 4, the Falcons had a 1st and goal from the 10 yard line. Due to penalty, the Bucs stopped them 6 consecutive times before Chris Redman FINALLY completed a pass for the win. Kudos to the Bucs on the first 6 stops. It showed a ton of heart and that they are headed in the right direction.

- Strange game in SF. Two of the best RBs in the game going head to head, and they COMBINED for 31 carries for 108 yards. Seriously, how do EITHER of those players not get 25 carries a game?

- There is something special about Michael Crabtree. With another year under his belt, he could be up there with the elite of the game.

- Anyone else think the TD pass to Frank Gore looked a little reminiscent of ‘The Catch’?

- 4 turnovers by the Chiefs led to 28 points for the San Diego Chargers. Even better is that one SD turnover led to 2 points....for the Chargers! Yes, SD converted on a safety after an LT fumble near the goal line.

- For the 3rd time this year, Vincent Jackson finished a game with 56 yards. He has 58 yards in one other game, and another with 46. Not impressive, but I found it interesting.

- Brett Favre threw 1 yard this week for every year he has played in the NFL. 392.

- The Jay Cutler Interception Count is now at 20. I am cheering for him to reach 35 by the end of the season.

- 'Double-D' Dennis Dixon looked like a real QB out there. I think his performance tonight may have solidified a backup role for him this year, and into the future.

- With 48 seconds left in the first half, Carey Davis got his 1st carry of the season for the Steelers. He got his second carry on the very next play. He ended the night with just those 2 carries. Want to bet he doesn't even double that by the end of the season?

- I loved seeing the rushed FG at the end of regulation for the Ravens, would have been a great play had the ball travelled another 3 yards. Billy Cundiff got another chance in OT, and made the best of it!

- I'd like to give a shout out to the Montreal Alouettes who stole a Grey Cup on a last minute field goal from the Saskatchewan Roughriders. I guess you are allowed to put 13 men on the field for a FG in Saskatchewan!

From the Sports Opionated Back Pages: Barry’s Bolt & the Lasting Legacy of the Losing Lions

Nobody needs a reminder of how dreadful the current financial times are. In case you do, the old home of the Detroit Lions, the Pontiac Silverdome, was recently purchased at an auction.

Yes, this is the same 80,000 seat facility that once was home to the NFL’s Detroit Lions. In its time, it was the largest capacity NFL stadium. It also once was home to the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and was the venue of various NCAA football bowl games. It hosted an NBA all-star game, four 1994 World Cup soccer matches and Super Bowl XVI. It staged many concerts from Elvis to Michael Jackson. It set an attendance record for a sporting event when droves of white-trash, red-necked hillbillies invaded its ground for the World Wrestling Federation’s WrestleMania 3 (93,173). Only to be eclipsed by the waves of Bible-thumpers and sinners that came to pray with the late Pope John Paul II (93,682). Now if they could have found a way to combine those two events, imagine the attendance records that would have been broken.

Growing up in Manitoba, Canada in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, I followed the NFL, or at least tried to. The Canadian television networks did not carry any NFL games. I had two choices, watch American national television or American local television.

American national television networks showed a lot of Buffalo Bills’ games. Back then, the Bills were a treat to watch. Jim Kelly cool in the pocket, Thurman Thomas was the premier versatile back, Andre Reed and James Lofton complemented themselves so well as wide outs and Bruce Smith led the Bills defence. Kelly, Thomas, Lofton and Smith are all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Of course the Bills are more famous for losing four straight Super Bowls (1991-1994) however, that was all Scott Norwood’s fault.

The Lions, on the other hand, were a different story. Although Matt Millen single-handedly destroyed the franchise, to his credit, the Lions were in terrible shape when he arrived. A franchise accustomed to losing and relying on their only world-class player (running back Barry Sanders), they were very boring to watch. Quarterbacks Rodney Pete and Scott Mitchell will never hear their names in the same sentence as Canton, Ohio (except in this instance, congratulations men!). Wide receiver Herman Moore made a decent career for himself despite the lack of supporting talent. On defence the best I can say is that Chris Spielman was a hard-worker who had to make all the tackles, because no else would. One can easily make a case for Sanders being one of the best running backs ever however being a humble man may have hurt his career and his agent should have made a case to get Barry out of Detroit. He recently stated that the main reason for his controversial early retirement (at age 31) is playing for the Detroit Lions had robbed him of his “competitive spirit” through the Lions’ “culture of losing”. Obviously Barry underestimated how powerful the Lions’ culture of losing would become after the 2001 hiring of Matt Millen, the architect of the 24 game (NFL record) loosing streak.



I have to mention my all-time favourite Barry Sanders statistic. How bad were the Lions back when Barry Sanders played? Saunders holds the NFL record for most carries for negative yards (336 carries for -952 Yards). All this by one of the greatest running backs of all time.

Back to the Pontiac Silverdome.

On Sunday afternoons, if the Bills were not playing, I would watch a Lions game. Yes, I would watch the abysmal Lions just to catch a glimpse of the elusive Barry Sanders. I have to say Barry was the most exciting NFL player I’ve ever seen.

The Pontiac Silverdome was completed in 1975 under the guidance of William Clay Ford and the City of Pontiac for a total of $55.7 million dollars ($220 million dollars in 2009). When it was built, the City of Pontiac was a thriving hardworking city in close proximity to other larger cities such as Detroit and Flint. At the heart of Pontiac lies the numerous General Motors manufactoring plants. This is where many of GM’s trucks were built and Pontiac is the home to one of GM’s most recongized brands of automobiles, the Pontiac division.

As we are now aware, the automobile sector was one of the hardest hit sectors during the current recession or depression or whatever it is you or the “experts” want to call it. Car and truck sales are down, especially North American autombiles. For whatever reason (President Obama blames their subborness to embrace change) GM was hit hardest. As a result, the City of Pontiac has taken a nose dive in the past 10 years and specifcally, in the past 5 years.

The majority of homes built in Pontiac have been built in 1969 or earlier (60%) and the number of homes currently being sold as foreclosures is 613. The average home in Pontiac sells for $75,000, well below the national average of $170,000. Times are so tough that my 1997 Pontiac Sunfire, that I sold in 2004 for $2000.00 could have bought a 1300 sq.ft. bungalow in Pontiac at today’s foreclosure prices.

Out of all of this financial pain and sorrow comes a special opportunity. An investment opportunity. An old investment adage is “buy low, sell high” and the city of Pontiac can’t get much lower.

Hence, the selling of it’s crown jewel, the once glorious and infamous Pontiac Silverdome, was necessary to help sustain the city of Pontiac. This is how dire things have become. The city has been hit so hard that they even had to hire an Emergency Financial Manager to help the City cope with the strained financial climate.

The Silverdome has become a massive drain on the finances for the residents of Pontiac. Maintenance on the facility was approximately $1.5 million per year and was not generating any property tax revenue. The costs to maintain the facility far exceeded the revenue to the city and as such, the city of Pontiac have been trying to sell the Silverdome (and the surrounding 127 acres of property) in the hopes to generate some quick funds, save on maintenance costs and help generate some much needed jobs in a city that has 22% of its population living below the poverty line.

After several attempts to sell the facility, the city of Pontiac had no choice but to place it in the hands of the Emergency Financial Manager of Pontiac and have it sold in an absolute auction by sealed bids.

When you take a look at the auction website you get a real sense of the city’s desperation to shed the once proud home of the Lions. The video shows that the winning bid not only gets the Silverdome and the 127.5 acres of property, but they get 3 storage bins, a full size practice field and all the contents of the Silverdome. The auctioneers boast at the 46 concessions, 56 restrooms, 11 concourse heaters, 93 executive suites and if you act now, they will throw in the security offices and security uniforms free of charge.

Yikes.

The Emergency Financial Manager even goes on to state that the city will do whatever it takes to work with the new owner and promises “virtually no bureaucratic red tape”. Wow. Now there is a desperate statement, from a desperate man, with a desperate job title. Couldn’t they have given him a job title such as, financial administrator? Or how about budget manager?

The taxpayers of Pontiac spent $55.7 million building the Pontiac Silverdome nearly 35 years ago and now it has sold for a meagre $583,000 to an unknown purchaser. This was roughly a year after a $17 million bid fell through. Yes, the sale almost went for 30 times the final sale price only 12 months ago. To think that the actual building itself could be demolished and sold for its parts (turf, raw materials, electronic equipment and can’t forget those security uniforms!) at more than $583,000 makes you think that Matt Millen himself brokered this deal.

"This was a giveaway," said David Leitch, an Auburn Hills, Michigan broker.

“The property alone, at $10,000 an acre (around $1.3 million), should have gone for more than that. And you have the Silverdome, its contents, and the infrastructure already in place”. Instead the final sale price fetched a measly $4572/acre, 50% less than the average price for undeveloped land in the same area.

Even the Mayor of Pontiac admitted he was saddened and disappointed by the final sale. Not only did the citizens of Pontiac get severely short-changed, they don’t even know who bought their famous landmark.

The Detroit news media even reported that since it was in fact a Canadian real estate firm that won the auction, the Canadian Football League must surely be expanding to Pontiac Michigan. The media agency even contacted an official for the CFL who informed them of their stupidity and ignorance.

Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight’s game features the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Pontiac Rough Riders!

The truth is the winning bidder bought the Silverdome without even setting foot in Pontiac. The sale seems to be the first step in trying to secure a Major League Soccer franchise for the area however nothing has been confirmed.


The venue I remember as the home of the great Barry Sanders went for pennies on the dollar. A building that would have cost $220 million to build today, sold for 0.3% of that cost. What a typical Detroit Lions move. Why are so many people still surprised that Barry Sanders retired at 31 years old?

Like so many tackles, Barry saw this coming and so the Lions’ culture of losing manifests itself once again in Pontiac.

A Serie A Resurgence in the Champions League?

In the past few years, the Serie A has been relegated to a second tier player in the UEFA Champions League. Back in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons of the tournament, the Serie A held 3 of the 8 quarter final spots and in both seasons had a team in the semi-finals or finals.

In the previous three seasons, the clubs of calcio have been successful in navigating the group stages but have lost in the first knockout round all too often. The 2006-07 tournament proved to be the beginning of a downward spiral. Despite Milan winning it all, a promising Roma team was humiliated 7-1 in the second leg of the tie against Manchester United after winning 2-1 in the first leg.

With the Premier League dominating the final four the last few years and La Liga producing a dominating champion, Barcelona, along with a newly built Madrid powerhouse, it didn’t look like a promising year for Serie A. It was especially dismal since two of the leagues best players, Kaka and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, were sold to La Liga clubs in the summer transfer period.

With only one match left in the group stage, it appears to be time for some guarded optimism on the peninsula.

Fiorentina has already qualified for the knockout stages, with Inter, Juventus and Milan all controlling their own destiny against lesser opponents. It is by no means a guarantee, given that Rubin Kazan is fully capable of giving Inter fits, Juventus must play a past champion in Bayern Munich and Milan lost to Zurich earlier in the competition. That said, the Serie A clubs will be favored in all three matches.

Another reason the Italian teams could make a deep run into the Champions League is the change in level of competition. In the past few years, the Premier League clubs were clearly the strongest and with the most depth. With the exception of Chelsea, the rest of the Big 4 appear to be having a down year. Liverpool has already been knocked out, while both Manchester United and Arsenal have suffered from the loss of experienced talent in the transfer market. Either team could still make a run, but aren’t as imposing as they were in years past.

So if Serie A is to return to prominence, who will it be? For starters, I believe all four clubs have the talent and form to make it to the quarter finals, which would be a success on its own.

The teams with the best combination of talent, depth and a secure position in the Serie A table are Inter and Juventus. They could reasonably sustain a prolonged Champions League run while still battling for top spot in the league.

Milan have a great Champions League history and a starting eleven capable of winning some close match ups, but the depth is not available along the back line or in the wide attacking positions. This could force key players like Nesta, Pato and Ronaldinho to tire as the season goes on.

The Viola are the most intriguing squad of all in my mind. They have played stunningly in the Champions League and appear ready to unleash one of the world’s best young players in Stevan Jovetic. If you haven’t seen him play, watch this clip. He is capable of creating goals out of nothing and has the fire to compete on any level. Cesare Prandelli has his team playing with great movement and organization, to the point that they are a nightmare match up for any team in the draw. They will be the underdog against any of the bigger clubs, but stand a puncher’s chance against anybody.

Hopefully, I haven't applied the Sports Opinionated Curse to the Serie A clubs like I did to Jay Cutler, and we can all enjoy a resurgence of Italian football this season.

Liverpool Losing in the Champions League was a Good Thing

Losing in the Champions League is not something that Liverpool fans are used to in recent years. I'm here to tell you that it's the best thing that could happen to the club this year.

As a fan of AC Milan, but a close follower of the Premier League, I see eerie similarities between Liverpool's squad and the Milan team of 07/08. With the squad aging and stretched thin, the Rossoneri tried to compete on two fronts, the Champions League and Serie A.

The previous year's success in the Champions League had convinced the club's management that their team was a winner, and as a result, they did little to reinforce. Despite a decent run in the Champions League, the team finished 5th in the Serie A, and out of UEFA's biggest club competition for the following year.

Liverpool's depth has been tested in other ways this year, but the result is the same. Injuries to Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres have left the squad without their most potent offensive players for long stretches and Alberto Aquilani has failed to fill Xavi Alonso's boots due to injury as well.

With the Reds currently in 7th place on the Premier League table and 5 points out of a Champions League spot, it's time to focus on their league form.

When AC Milan missed last season's Champions League, it hurt their credibility as a major club, made it harder to attract top players and obviously had a financial impact. Liverpool can't afford to undergo the same, so the the early exit from the group stage may be a blessing in disguise.

I know it hurts to see your team fail, but it's better to deal with the disappointment now than to suffer all of next season.

The Wow Factor

Wow!

We've all said it. We've all seen plays that make your jaw drop. The plays that require you to use your thumb and fore-finger to push the tongue back into your mouth. The plays that leave you struggling to catch your breath, as the previous gasp was stolen by an image that was indescribable.

Whether it is an amazing juke at the line of scrimmage to open up 50 yards in front of him, a smash-mouth play at the line, a gut-wrenching block, or climbing the ladder to snag a seemingly uncatchable ball, we have all said that magic 3-letter word.

Wow!

Any player can make a single play to give you this reaction. Marty Booker drawing a pass interference call while making an amazing one handed catch. A 5'7 running back knock an All-Pro linebacker on his ass . The man nicknamed All-Day pushing aside a cornerback to break a TD run. One of my favorites is still seeing Joe Jurevicius knock a ball up to himself for a touchdown (1:20 mark). Some plays are given names: The Catch, The Run, the Helmet Catch. Every week, there is a new play that shows the average armchair quarterback why they are sitting on the couch and these athletes are cashing cheques for big coin. These are the plays that keep bringing you back week after week to watch this sport, and it’s all summed up in one single word. Wow!

This was one of those weeks that we added another play to the collection of epic plays in the NFL database. Matt Stafford showed more guts in just his 8th NFL start (in a nothing game) as he came onto the field for one last play while his left arm dangled out of the socket. He passed the game winning TD, and immediately turned to yell at the trainers 'It's out! It's out!' referring to his non-throwing shoulder. NFL Films was fortunate enough to have Stafford mic'd up for the

game, and it made for some pretty memorable clips.

A few times a season, we are given the gift of seeing a player at the top of his game put together an entire 60 minutes of perfection. We've seen Adrian Peterson set the single game rushing record with 298 yards against the Chargers in his rookie year. We saw Clinton Portis score 5 touchdowns against the Chiefs, and Randy Moss catch just 3 balls on thanksgiving for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns, also in his rookie year. Hell, I remember watching Warren Moon in 1990 throwing on almost every down to rack up 527 yards against a Kansas City Chiefs defence that had no answer for the run-and-shoot offense.

I love football. I have never hidden that fact. The game is amazing in so many ways, but it is the memories of these WOW plays, and these WOW games that make me come back for more. They are the reason that every August is like a new sun rising. It's the reason why the first Sunday of the season is bigger and better than Christmas for me.

But with all of that said, very rarely are we fans treated to an entire career that WOWs you like a stunning work of art. In my 20 years of being a football fan, I can honestly say there have only been 2 players that can live up to these lofty expectations....and I believe we are on the brink of a third player that can once again treat us fans to an entire career of plays we will talk about decades from now. A new da Vinci to paint a master piece for us to admire.

A wise scholar once said that to see the future, we must first examine the past.

Unfortunately, I can only go 2 decades deep with my own personal intimate knowledge of football. There were players before I was on this earth that were wowing the generations before me. I can only witness and appreciate the highlights of the greats before my time: Jim Brown, Walter Payton, and Earl Campbell. These 3 players single handedly shaped future football fans in previous decades with their contradictory styles. Earl Campbell with his power and speed, Walter Payton living up to the name 'Sweetness' with moves that were so sweet it rotted your teeth, and Jim Brown, just an uncanny combination of elusiveness, speed, power, and aggression! I often watch the highlights of these three and wish I could have seen them live and in their prime!

Then in 1986, the next specimen came along. Hershel Walker was built in the same mold as Earl Campbell. He was one of those fast, elusive runners that wasn't afraid to take on the biggest and strongest combatants. He would leave defenders scattered on the field like it was the scene of a natural disaster movie.

Along with Herschel Walker was a kid named Vincent Jackson. You may know him better as 'Bo', a guy so athletically gifted that he not only excelled at football, but also on the diamond with the Kansas City Royals. The kid was such an amazing athlete that he (at a reported 210 lbs) was clocked at staggering 4.12 in the 40 yard dash at the 1986 NFL Combine, a number that is still talked about like it was myth. Stories still circulate about a 3.9 second 40 yard dash that he ran in high school as well, but that rumour can only be confirmed as a tall tale, but few would be surprised if evidence surfaced proving it as fact. Bo graced us with just 38 NFL games before a degenerative hip ended his masterful football career.

Two athletes that are known by their first name, Herschel and Bo. Two players that electrified the league for a combined 15 years.

These are 5 players that every fan should look up on YouTube, and just admire: Brown, Campbell, Payton, Walker and Jackson. All were just plain fun to watch throughout their college and pro careers. If it doesn't give you a new appreciation for the game, and add to the love affair with football, you can never be won over as a fan.

Which brings us to the two modern day (read: during my life as a fanatic) players that changed the football landscape for the future of greatness...

Let’s rewind to a personal story of mine. In November of 1991, at the age of 11, and my parents decided to pack up the family car for a ten hour drive to Minnesota to see the Detroit Lions play the Minnesota Vikings in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. I vividly remember saying to my mom as the teams entered the dome 'I don't even know who I want to cheer for!’ Well, my mind was made up for me as I saw one of the most magical players of all time rack up one of his biggest and most impressive games of his oh-too-short career. Barry Sanders rushed the ball 23 times for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns in a winning effort. This was the WOW game that would engrain the game of football in my young, impressionable mind for eternity.

Sanders was the pinnacle of 'wow'. The things Sanders did were inhuman. He raised the bar from the level his predecessors, from Jim Brown to Herschel Walker, had set to an almost unreachable height. His 5'8 frame could change direction on a dime, accelerate like a finely tuned Ferrari, and shed tackles like a snake shedding its skin. All of this from one one the quietest, most modest players to play the game.

I remember seeing an interview with one of the best defensive ends of the time, Kevin Greene, and his comments were something along the lines of 'I don't know how he does it! His ankles are not normal! They break, they heal...They break, they heal...’ Explaining what Barry Sanders did on the field to someone that didn't see him play is like explaining a color to a blind person, or a sound to a deaf person. He simply left you speechless with the things he did.

...and then, much like Bo Jackson, he was gone way too early. If only the Detroit Lions could have built a team around him and given him the championship that a player of his caliber deserves.

Every two or three years, you hear about a new, fresh young stud coming out of college that has a 'swagger' to him. These players are often referred to as being moulded in the 'Sanders-esqu' ilk, but rarely....Nay, NEVER live up to these high expectations. Only one has come close to providing the non-stop excitement that Sanders could.

...I first saw Michael Vick as a freshman at Virginia Tech in 1998 (Watch that clip! His acceleration is mind-boggling!), and he was routinely doing things that I hadn't seen since Sanders. I could see a new dawn of unbelievable plays coming, and for a few seasons, Vick electrified the NFL with his feet. Once again the wow factor was back, and placed squarely on the shoulders of a 22 year old punk with a pot habit, and a propensity for dog fighting. As time wore on, the cockiness, and lack of work ethic got the best of him, not to mention the fact he had deep ties to a dog fighting ring in his home state of Virginia. Soon after, in a story we all know too well, Vick was indicted on federal charges, and was removed from the NFL in the prime of his career. How could a player with such 1-in-a-billion talent take it for granted, and rob an entire fan base of years of held breath and dropped jaws? It was just selfish, and unfair. It was the end of the 'Vick Wow Era'.

But I saw Sanders, and his bar was higher...

That entire preamble to get to today. The dawn of this new 'Wow Player'. The Tennessee Titans second year running back Chris Johnson.

Who knew that when the Titans took Chris Johnson out of East Carolina with the 24th pick of the 2008 NFL Draft, they were potentially getting that next special player in the NFL? Who knew that the speedster would electrify a fan base that so desperately craved a wow player since the indictment of Vick two and a half years prior? Who knew the Titans were going to get a player that potentially could break ANY run and turn ANY game with every carry. Who knew they were getting a player that would routinely turn 2 yard gains into 12 yard spectacles.

I haven't had this much fun watching a running back cut through the line of scrimmage since the days of Sanders dropping 200 yard rushing games in the 90’s like it was going out of style.

Chris Johnson is a speedster, but that is not his only attribute. He can quite easily drop his front shoulder, and crash into linebackers, pushing them back another 2 or 3 yards. He can make a key block in the backfield, only to slip outside the tackle and catch a dump pass and turn it up field for a massive gain. He can read the block. He has the vision. He has the speed to outrun defenders like they are lions attempting to chase down a gazelle on the Serengeti plains.

It is really the first time since the November afternoon in 1991 that I have been excited to see a career unfold in front of me. I know every week, he could change the outcome of a football game, whether it is Nashville, or in fantasy leagues across the globe. All I know is that there is a good chance I will be sitting at home, with my jaw on the floor muttering that amazing word that keeps me coming back every fall.

Wow.

Please comment on your favorite 'wow' plays, games, or players.

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Vince Young Crushes the Texans...and other Week 11 Analysis

Many of the stats in this post are derived from the publicly available and premium database statistics at FootballOutsiders.com, NFL.com and ColdHardFootballFacts.com

Vince Young’s Back and Dangerous

I know what LL Cool J would say, but I think last night’s game counts as Vince Young’s comeback. Maybe it’s a breakout or a statement game instead of a comeback. No matter what you call it, he gave every defensive coordinator left on the Titans schedule a serious migraine.

Just watching what the Titans did to the Texans defense last night explains why every year NFL scouts drool over college quarterbacks that can both run and pass. While many turn into slash-type players like Josh Cribbs, Brad Smith, Antwaan Randle-El or Kordell Stewart, the rare few present the complete package like Mike Vick or Vince Young do.

Just so we’re clear, I’m talking about Mike Vick 1.0, the latest edition of Mike Vick isn’t even as good as Brady Quinn.

In the running game, the combination of Young and the NFL’s most dangerous back, Chris Johnson, kept the Texans defense guessing. Using the zone read and the option play forced the Texans edge defenders to hesitate. That hesitation can be the difference between a 3 yard gain or a 10 yard gain when Young and Johnson are involved. Essentially, this is the exact tactical advantage the Dolphins were hoping for with Pat White when they spent a second round pick on him. The difference is that the Titans don’t have to make a substitution, which helps disguise the play. This follows the Sports Opinionated OBP Rules to the letter.

In the passing game, Young frequently had a running lane when the Texans were in man coverage. With the defender’s backs to him, Young could easily pick up the first down with his legs. Eventually the Texans were forced to leave a linebacker as a spy. This is a massive offensive advantage for the Titans given that one defender was taken out of the play, not rushing the passer and not dropped into coverage.

You can bet that the Cards defensive coordinator, Bill Davis, is wracking his brain this week to ensure they have a plan to limit Young’s effectiveness.

How much has the Cardinals running game improved?

Watching the Cardinals offense the last few weeks, it’s easy to notice the improved running game. How much better are they on the ground? Put it this way, they’re pounding the rock better than most drug dealers right now.

Rushing DVOA Weeks 1-7           -24.6%

Rushing DVOA Weeks 8-11        +21.6%

In the first seven weeks of the season, the Cardinals were a dismal running team. Since a week 8 match up with the Panthers and a few weeks after giving Beanie Wells a bigger role in the offense, they own a formidable running attack. A rushing DVOA of 21.6% would rank them 2nd in the league if it was indicative of a whole season.

The Story Behind the Colts Win over the Ravens

Say it with me…you MUST score touchdowns in the red zone. The Ravens lost to the Colts this week despite outplaying them for most of the game. They forced Peyton Manning into interceptions and moved the ball well against the Colts defense. Unfortunately for the Ravens, they never got in the end zone and settled for 5 field goals.

The graphic below shows a comparison of both teams in the red zone, both offensively and defensively.

While both teams have quite impressive red zone defenses, the Colts held a significant edge in red zone passing offense. Not coincidentally, the Colts converted 2 of 4 red zone attempts into touchdowns and won the game, largely due to better red zone efficiency.

I Need a Red Zone Stats Site

If any of you readers know a site that I can find quality red zone TD percentage stats over the past few years, I would really appreciate it. Just post a comment with the site if you know any.

NFL Week 11 Deep Outs

Surprisingly, the game of the week wasn't New England versus the Jets. It wasn't Bears and Eagles....It wasn't even the Chargers at Denver, where the winner would sit alone atop the AFC West.

No, the game of the week was one where both teams combined for 2 wins as they took the field on Sunday morning.

Yes, the best game this week was the Cleveland Browns in Detroit to face the Lions. Quinn Vs. Stafford. Schwartz Vs. Mangina. Joke Vs. Joke!

Entering the game, Cleveland had a NFL low for points scored in the first quarter, scoring just NINE points in all their games COMBINED! When the dust had settled on a very exciting first quarter, Cleveland had hung 24 on the board, and Brady Quinn had 3 TD passes. Add that to his current yearly total and he had FOUR TDs total. His stat line after 15 minutes was 8/9 for 153 yards and 3TDs. Eye popping numbers.

On the other side of the ball, Matt Stafford had the biggest game of his young career, as he chalked up a pretty impressive stat line himself: 26 for 43 for 421 yards and 5TDs. If you want to see a negative in his play, he also threw 2 picks on the day, but by now I think Detroit fans are used to seeing this type of play out of him.

The play of the day was really a combination of two plays. The first was with just a few ticks left on the clock, and the Lions down by 6. Stafford was able to keep the play alive with some movement in and around the pocket, darting to the left...Then back to the right, avoiding the 3-man rush the Browns had sent to take down the rookie. With one final toss of hope, Stafford released a ball to the end zone as he was crushed, landing on his non-throwing shoulder. The outcome was an incomplete pass, and a hurt QB. But wait! A flag on the play. Pass Interference in the end zone, resulting in one un-timed down from the 1 yard line, as a g

ame cannot end on a defensive penalty.

Here is the most curious call of the day for me...Stafford was noticeably hurt, and on the sideline. An ice cold Daunte Cullpepper had entered the game under center, and was ready to get the snap when Mangini, in his infinite wisdom, called a timeout. After the timeout, Stafford took the field again, and calmly tossed his fifth TD of the game, this one was a game winner to his

fellow rookie, Brandon Pettigrew. The home team won in a game that seemed as though the ending was scripted by Walt Disney himself (minus the racism)!

What a game! What a finish!

Pet Peeve Of The Week: I cannot take credit for initially thinking this one up, but I can't help but agree with it. It occurs when a QB drops back to pass, and delivers an off target pass down field. The defending cornerback takes a stab at the ball, knocking it down, or JUST whiffing on it...Then you hear it: 'Almost intercepted!'.

Dick Enberg might be the biggest culprit of this, as I heard the 2 word phrase come out of his mouth 4 times while watching the 1st half of the Broncos-Chargers game. Really, Dick? Was it almost intercepted, because it looked to me like he got two fingers on it, and did his job... DEFENDED THE PASS!

I plead to all announcers...Please do not overuse this phrase. You have already beaten it into the abyss of meaninglessness. Let’s bring it back to its glory days when it meant the ball was really almost intercepted.

Stat Line Of The Week: Robert (Bobby) Meacham - 2 catches, 10 yards, 2TDs. That is making the best of your opportunities!

And now a few other notes from Sunday:

- Freeman looked like a winner early on, going 2/3 for 26 yards and a excellent TD pass to Michael Clayton on his first drive. He also had a key 15 yard scramble on 3rd and 13 to keep the drive alive. The problem is that after that drive, he was just 15 for 30 for 100 yards and 3 interceptions. Consistency might be the name of the game for Freeman from here on out.

- Drew Brees is the least blitzed QB in the league, and TB continued that trend by not blitzing him once in the first half.

- Eli Manning had his first ever 300 yard game at home. He continues to be an anomaly, as he is one of the few QBs that is better on the road than at home. Doesn't it seem like he loses a little luster come winter at home in the Meadowlands every year?

- Tony Siragusa was a sideline commentator for this contest....Commentators are supposed to add to the game, and I find that he takes away from it. Please stop it, Tony!

- The Vikings outgained the Seahawks 160 to 4 on the ground. Tavaris Jackson, who played only 15 minutes of the game, was just 4 yards behind Seattle's leading rusher, Justin Forsett.

- Remember the Poison Pill contracts from a few years ago? Steve Hutchinson had a clause in an offer he signed with the Vikes that if he wasn't the highest paid O-Lineman on the team, his contract was guaranteed? The Seahawks could not match as Big Walt Jones made a truckload of money, so in retaliation, the Seahawks signed Nate Burleson to an offer sheet that stated 'if he played 4 games in the state of Minnesota, the entire contract was guaranteed. Oh, just some of the games GMs play! Even though Burleson is having a breakout season (8-100 on Sunday), it's pretty obvious that Minny got the better of those offer sheets.

- In the upset of the week, KC beat the Steelers in overtime. 2 comments about this game: 1) The Steelers are just not the same without Polamalu patrolling the middle of the field! 2) Chris Chambers went from castoff to #1WR within 2 weeks of play. He had his hand in this upset as he caught a 61 yd pass in OT to set up the game winning field goal by Mr. Irrelevant, Ryan Succop!

- The Steelers have given up a Defensive or Return TD in 8 straight games!

- I can't stop talking about MJD! Even in a sub-par game rushing (25-66 and a TD), he was impressive. In one play in particular, he was face masked and horse-collared at the same time by Paul Posloszney. Oh, and he still managed to pick up 3 yards. Man I love that guy!

- I am not sure what the Bills were doing at the end of the first half as interim coach Perry Fewell showed some 'Andy Reid Style clock management'. With a 7 yard completion to T.O, the Bills lined up, 1st and goal on the 5 yd line with the clock running down from 0:27. The smart play is to spike the ball, giving you 2 chances for the TD before kicking the FG. Instead, they get to line line, snap the ball, and ran a play...a RUNNING PLAY with F. Jackson. They then had to kill the clock with 6 seconds left, leaving a field goal as the only option. They ended up losing by 3 points. Smarter play calling, and they could have won the game. Who knows.

- Well hello there Mr. Owens...where have you been all year? 9-197 and a big TD! I think you and Mr. Fewell will be getting along very well this week!

- SF, I know you were down early, but rushing the ball just 10 times (only 7 with Frank Gore) is appalling....Especially since for his first run of the day, Gore broke it 42 yards. Not sure about you, but I would rather put my game plan on the legs of Gore than the shoulder of Alex Smith.

- You think V. Davis and A. Smith like playing with one another? Just another 6-108 and a TD for Davis!

- Well Hello there Mr. Jennings! Nice to see you coming to play again this season! 5-126 and a TD make it your best Sunday of the season to date.

- The first catch by a Cowboy WR came on the last play of the 3rd quarter. No wonder the Dallas offense was on the side of milk carton most of the game.

- Did anyone actually think Dallas WASN’T going to score when they got the ball with 7:06 left in the game, trailing 6-0? It seemed to be a foregone conclusion that it was going to be a Cowboy victory.

- Is there a worse announcer than Joe Buck? The guy can make the most exciting play sound boring.

- Indy wins their 19th consecutive game (2nd longest streak in NFL history) in a tight game in Baltimore. It goes to show that Vegas knows more about Football than you, as this game was MUCH closer than anyone expected.

- Derrick Mason might be having one of the quietest good seasons for a WR in the league. Just another 9 catches for 142 yards.

- Arizona proved they need Warner to be healthy to win. In 1 half of Matt Leinart, the team put 0 points on the board, had 2 3-and-out's, and looked altogether stagnant. Maybe there was some merit to the rumours about Brian St. Pierre challenging for the backup role in the preseason.

- Wait, What, Really? Oakland beat Cinci? How did that happen? I guess having a QB under center that can actually throw a spiral helps win games?!!?! Who would have thunk it?

- Bernie Scott rips off his first 100 yard game in his first NFL start. Larry Johnson? 2 carries 5 yards! With that said, it looks like the goal line back with Benson out is going to be Carson Palmer.

- More growing pains for the Sanchize! Another 5 turnover game for him results in a lop-sided victory for the Pats. There were a couple throws that even I know better than throwing.

- Darrelle Revis proved he might be the best corner in the game by keeping the best WR in the game to just 5 catches for 34 yards and a TD.

- Are the Broncos done? 4 straight losses after starting 6-0, and next week they are entertaining the Giants. I predict that the Broncos will be .500 after another Arrowhead upset in week 13!

- We're not sure if the Broncos are done, but Lord knows the Chris Simms experiment is. Kyle Orton was apparently not well enough to start, but well enough to come in and play over a half of football. Strange coaching by McDaniels there.

- There was another example of the announcer jinx in this game. Phillip Rivers had been having a heck of first half when Dick Enberg decided to let us know that he had completed 12 straight passes. The next pass? Knocked down at the line. Way to go, Dick. Might as well just shout 'SHUTOUT' at a hockey game.

- Should I be shocked that Jay Cutler threw an interception with the game on the line late in the 4th quarter? His 18th pick of the season was the nail in the coffin to the Bears

- A Shout out to all Canadians! I noticed 2 Canadian flags on FGs this week, one in Detroit, and one in Giant Stadium! Represent, my Canuck brethren!

Thierry Henry - That's French for Unsportsmanlike

The World Cup, much like the Olympics, is meant to be a pinnacle of the sporting world. Countries pin their hopes and wishes on their team, hoping to ride an emotional wave of pride and euphoria to a title. Unless, of course, someone cheats and knocks your team out of the tournament before they ever get to play a game.

I can’t shake the image of Thierry Henry controlling the ball with his hand. It haunts me. If I lived in Ireland, my day would consist of moping around in shock, anger and disbelief.

For those that aren’t aware of the situation, Ireland and France were playing off for a World Cup berth, with France having won the first leg 1-0. Ireland was winning the second leg 1-0, when the offending play happened. France striker, Thierry Henry, controlled the ball in the box with his hand before passing it back across the goal to William Gallas, who headed home the tying goal. That goal sent France to the World Cup and denied Ireland the chance to play in the world’s biggest tournament. If you haven’t seen the play, here it is.

The essence of sports is that they provide an arena for competition among athletes where the better athlete or team is rewarded with a victory and the satisfaction of besting an opponent. This arena should provide fair competition, so that it’s the skill and determination of the competitors that decide the outcome, not different rules for different competitors.

Is this the only time that anyone has cheated in soccer or another sport? Of course not, but it’s a fantastic example of the dark side of sports. If you don’t believe me, just go back to that YouTube clip and watch Henry, number 12, celebrating his cheater’s triumph. He was soaking in the cheers of the fans, even though he knew that it wasn’t a fair goal.

I don’t think Henry planned to control the ball with his hand. It looks like a natural reaction on the replay. What he could have done, however, was put his hand up and admit to the indiscretion. He didn’t have to claim the goal, that was his choice.

The problem is, this type of behavior is continually rewarded. Players dive and handle the ball all the time, and officials let them get away with it. In fact, players are often rewarded for their antics with penalties and free kicks. If we want them to be sportsmanlike, then match officials need to start rewarding sportsmanlike behavior and punishing those who dive, tug jerseys and other foul play.

Many people have asked why the referee didn’t blow the play down, but I’m not sure he saw it. His line of sight was blocked and it would have been up to the linesman to make the call then. When the pace of the play is so quick and there are a mass of players in the box, it’s not always easy to see. This is why so many major sports have included the use of instant replay. FIFA, however, has steadfastly refused to incorporate the technology, despite support for it. Most of the proposals have been to include replay only for reviewing goals, and this could have been one of those situations.

Another thing that really bothers me about the whole situation, is the lack of support from other football federations. Other countries should be just as upset by the injustice as Ireland is. Why haven’t England, Spain, Italy or the Netherlands spoken up? Why aren’t other nations saying they don’t want to be in the group stage against a team that advanced unfairly.

It’s hard to say the blame is all at the feet of Henry, the match official or the FIFA officials who refuse to add replay for goals. They all have some blame, and they are all responsible for ripping the hearts out of Irish fans. They don’t owe Ireland an apology; they owe them a chance at the World Cup.

Ireland hasn’t asked for a victory, they’ve asked for replay, essentially a “do-over” on the game. I don’t think that’s too much to ask given that the result was so tainted. This wasn’t an extra goal in a 5-1 game, it was the deciding goal in the final minutes of the decisive match.

FIFA needs to remember that there are a whole generation of young fans watching these games that just learned it’s OK to cheat. How would you explain the game to a 6-year-old? If the hand ball was wrong, then it should have been called back, it’s that simple.

Another thing that really bothers me about the whole situation, is the lack of support from other football federations. Other countries should be just as upset by the injustice as Ireland is. Why haven’t England, Spain, Italy or the Netherlands spoken up? Why aren’t other nations saying they don’t want to be in the group stage against a team that advanced unfairly.

For their transgressions, Henry, the match official and FIFA officials should be sentenced to wander the streets of Dublin on St. Patty’s Day.

New Writer on Sports Opinionated

I just wanted to let everyone know that we have a new writer on our site.  Marty Borotsik is trying his hand at entertaining you, and hopefully does a better job than the rest of us.  He's already posted two articles, the Week 10 Deep Outs and the Coaching Hotseat breakdown.

Marty also has a podcast on the NFL that that be found through iTunes under the title Ultimate Football Talk.

The Hot Seat: Coaches Rankings

My thunder has been stolen.

Here I was all ready to write an article about coaches on the hot seat. My research had been done, my top 10 had been compiled, and my notes had been made. Then, I thought I would take one more look at some NFL news, and BAM! Dick Jauron was thrown out of Buffalo like a napkin messied with hot sauce. The good news is that I had him at #3, so it would have made me look bad if I had posted this column before he was fired.
...Man, I probably shouldn't have said that.

According to a world renowned source (me), there are 7 coaches in the NFL that are untouchable due to past history and current record. These ‘safe coaches’ have 0% chance of getting fired, and should remain on with their current teams for the foreseeable future.

Sean 'Duck Face' Payton
Bill 'The Emperor' Belichick
Jim 'Ole Stone-Faced' Caldwell
John 'Don’t Call Me Jim' Harbaugh
Mike 'Omar Epps' Tomlin

Marvin 'Really? 0% Chance?' Lewis

Brad 'Kornheiser' Childress

The next category is coaches that are new to their teams (and coincidentally, to being a head coach in general). These coaches have been given a few seasons to prove their worth and are just in the first season of implementing their ‘winning’ formula. These coaches have a 5% chance of being removed from their duties, and can spend the offseason honing their skills by playing Madden 10. Right Raheem?

Raheem 'Madden Guru' Morris
Steve 'I Miss NY' Spagnuolo
Jim 'Power of the...' Schwartz
Rex 'Belt Line' Ryan
Todd 'Tiger Woods' Haley
Josh 'I just got my first pube' McDaniels

There is a group of coaches that the jury is still out on. All but one are in their second year of tenure with their team, and all have shown positive growth. Hell, Ken Wisenhunt has taken his team to a Super Bowl, 2 others have division titles (Smith and Sparano), and the last won over hearts across the league with his handling of Vernon Davis in one of his first games as coach. He then proceeded to fall out of favour with the fans by dropping his pants in the locker room at halftime, and naming Shaun Hill his starter this preseason. The only remaining non-2nd-year coach is Gary Kubiak, who has spent the past three seasons building his team from 6-10 to 8-8. At this pace, they should have their first 12-win season by 2015.

Overall, these coaches have a 10% chance of being fired.

Ken 'I Love This Division' Wisenhunt
Tony 'Soprano' SparanoGary 'Screwed is Shaub Gets hurt' Kubiak
Mike 'Steve Martin' SmithMike 'Hard Ass' Singletary



Right before we enter the top 10 'Coaches on the Hot Seat', there are 3 remaining coaches that fit into a category of 'Have-been-on-the-hot-seat-at-one-time-or-another,-now-we-are-ok,-but-could-fall-out-of-favor-of-the-fans-pretty-damn-quick' coaches. Jeff Fisher has the longest tenure of any NFL coach, taking over for Jack Pardee in 1994. In that time span, he has won 3 division titles, made 6 playoff appearances, 1 Super Bowl appearance, and gone through numerous pairs of Oakley sunglasses. Tom Coughlin was on the fast track out of NY in 2007 until he turned his team around, and nonchalantly won a Super Bowl against a 18-0 Patriot team. Mike McCarthy inherited a team lead by Brett Favre, and won a division title in his second year as coach. Since Aaron Rodgers took the helm, the only positive about the play of the Packers is that they have Detroit in their division, stopping the decline to last in the NFC North. These 3 coaches have a 20%-50% chance of sticking around, depending on how they finish out the season.

Win or you're out:
Jeff 'Cooler than the other side of the pillow' Fisher

Tom 'Cerberus' Coughlin
Mike 'Missing Favre' McCarthy

Missing: Buffalo Bills HC

Anyways, on with the Top 10 coaches on the Hot Seat:

#10) Andy 'Clock Management' Reid - Amazing preparation coach. There might not be a better coach from Tuesday to Saturday in the league. The problem is that the games are played on Sundays, and it seems as though Andy Reid still has not figured out that the clock continues to count down from 15:00 to 0:00. At no point does it count UP, nor does it stop for no reason what so ever. He has also not figured out that eating timeouts does not mean they are meal replacements. I would like to think it’s time for a change in Philly, but truly, there is only a 25% chance of him getting rolled.

#9) Jim 'Playoffs???' Mora Jr. – He could technically be included in the 'new in town' category, except he spent a year as DB coach/Assistant Head Coach to Mike Holmgren. In these two years in the system, the Hawks have been less than impressive, although die-hard fans would rather blame the collapse in the NW on injuries or GM Tim Ruskell. There is also the OC that can be blamed for some of the problems, as Gregg Knapp's offense is about as exciting as a drive across the prairies and explosive as a snap-pop. Mora has a 30% chance of hitting the bricks come January.

#8) Norv 'Pock Face' Turner - When your team has one of the most talented rosters in the league, but a coach that can't win the big game (Marty Shottenheimer), why not replace him with ANOTHER coach who has record of being JUST as inept in big games (Turner)? My guess is that the Chargers will once again choke on a fat one in the wild-card round of the playoffs this year, and Turner will be fired and replaced with another coach of similar credentials. Let’s say.....Andy Reid? ....no no no, Dick Jauron! Without a playoff win, Norv has a 40% chance of leaving town after the season.

#7) 'Who names their kid' Lovie Smith - Did you know he was named after his great aunt, Lavana? Godammit I love Wikipedia! Anyways, Sundays for the past two seasons have been filled with shots of Lovie's disapproving glare in the direction of crappy QBs....From Sexy Rexy (Grossman, not Ryan) to Kyle Orton, he believed they had the solution with Jay Cutler. Little did Lovie know that Cutler actually needed some guidance on the offense to make it work. Instead, the Bears’ offense has turned into a rudderless ship in a hailstorm of errand passes. How long can Lovie live on the fact he took a defensive minded team the Super Bowl? I guess it will be one more season. 41% chance of him getting canned this season, though.

#6) Tom 'Pacquiao' Cable - If only Tom Cable could be as aggressive with his offense as he is with his women. I guess it doesn't really help when your team is owned by the Crypt Keeper, and hasn't had an impressive first round pick since 2003. Seriously, their last six picks going back are Darius Heyward-Bey (#7 overall), Darren McFadden (#4), JaMarcus Russell (#1), Michael Huff (#7), Fabian Washington (#23), and Robert Gallery (#2). This is a good example that you should be able to fire the owner. Instead, the owner will fire Cable, and bring in another pawn. Hell, who would want to coach under that wretched old coot? Cable has a 55% chance of facing the wrath of Al Davis. The good news that if he goes, we have a 20% chance of seeing Al Davis read another letter off of an overhead...Always high comedy.

#5) Jack 'Choppin Wood' Del Rio - I give JDR credit for one of the gutsiest calls a coach has made in the last decade when he cut Byron Leftwich just weeks before the start of the 2007 season. At the time, it left fans and media alike scratching their heads. In the long run, it was a great call as David Garrad has proven that he can lead this team. But the downside is that the defensive minded JDR currently coaches the #30 ranked defence in all of football. Because of this, without a wild-card berth, the man who brought the suit back to the sideline is in grave danger of hitting the unemployment line. There is a 2/3 (66.666666%) chance that this happens.

#4) Wade 'Swedish Meatball' Phillips – This Cowboy coaching situation is one of the more confusing in the sport. You are in a c

ity whose expectations are out of control, with an owner that likes the spotlight more than your pro-bowl butterfingers QB, and playing in a new stadium that looks like it's ready to give birth to an extra terrestrial. Wade Phillips is NOT the man for the job in Dallas. He should be thrilled to coach in a division with Andy Reid and Jim Zorn, or he would look like a steaming turd of a coach, rather than just a stinky one. With no playoff appearance, there is a 75% chance of removal. If they make the playoffs, it’s more like 40%.

#3) John 'Live by Delhomme, Die by Delhomme' Fox - John Fox has become 'Mr. Loyalty' in Carolina, as he is playing the same game with Jake Delhomme as he did with Stephen Davis and Deshaun Foster. With the running back loyalty, it never really cost him, but the Del-bacle of the past 12 months may end up costing him his job. With Bill Cower living in Charlotte, just chomping at the bit (not supposed to be a jaw joke, even though it kind of is!) to get back on the sidelines, Fox may become a casualty of war. I see a 70% chance of Fox leaving town, and a 40% chance that he ends up coaching another team.

#2) Eric 'Mangina' Mangini - Something needs to be said about the Belichick coaching tree. Cranell blows, Weis sucks, and Mangini has proven that he can take capable players and make them play like the tin man (it's a 'no heart' reference). Now that his BFF, George Kokinis has been fired as GM, everyone can see the writing on the wall. A new GM will be coming to town (Mike Holmgren?) and will want his own man on the sidelines. There is almost no chance (let’s put the number at 90%) that the Big Brown Beaver keeps his job.

#1) Jim 'Perpetually Confused' Zorn - This is a no-brainer. This is another situation in which maybe the fans should be able to fire the owner, but unfortunately Danny Boy is going to tinker with his Billion Dollar toy. Not saying Zorn doesn't deserve to lose his job, that team has been horrible when he has two hands on the wheel . Since Bingo-Sherm was brought in they have been somewhat respectable, but the fact is that the fan base in Washington feels they deserve more. If only Big Dan could figure out that he needs to get his chubby fingers out of the pie and let a real GM take control. Until then, the coaching carousel in DC will continue. Zorn has a 100% chance of being fired at season's end.

Free Plug: Join me every Thursday as I co-host the Ultimate Football Talk podcast. Available on iTunes!

From the Sports Opinionated Backpages:

The Placenta Cure: the Bloody Truth

We mammals have the Holy Grail and don’t even know it. While many have searched for eternal life, it is becoming apparent it may have actually been inside of us all along. Well, inside of a pregnant woman anyway.

Quick anatomy lesson for those who are clueless or were absent (unconscious) during a live birth and missed the opportunity to witness the bloody miracle that is childbirth:

The placenta is the organ that connects the baby to the mother inside the womb. The umbilical cord is the reason why some of us sport an "innie" or an "outie" belly button. However, the reason for having a placenta isn’t only to provide us humans with a reason to poke fun or have a lint deposit handy. It plays the vital role of nourishing the developing fetus by supplying oxygen and nutrients while filtering out toxins and it plays a role in the development of the child’s immune system.

Why all this anatomy talk you ask? Well it seems our friend the placenta may play another role. A role which, leave it to athletes to find an edge, may have some usefulness in sport.

This week while on international duty for his country, Arsenal soccer player Robin Van Persie had suffered an ankle injury while planting his foot. The injury he sustained usually sidelines an athlete for 8 to 12 weeks. This must be eating at Van Persie. He has been in great form this season helping lead the Gunners to a share of second place. Arsenal has scored the most goals (36) in the Premiership and his seven leads the team in scoring. A player known for been injured often, Van Persie has been enjoying a relatively injury-free season, until now.

Being desperate to return to his form, Van Persie has decided to fly to Belgrade to seek the help of a woman whose form of physiotherapy is much different than traditional Western medicine. Her name is Mariana Kovacevic and she is becoming quite popular in the sporting world. Watch out Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil, you may have some competetion.

Her unorthodox, in-house treatments are designed to help tissues heal faster. Some of her techniques are standard practice in the realm of sports medicine, while others remain controversial. Whatever the case may be, it has become clear that word is spreading fast about her practice. Some Premiership players have already sought her services and it seems that some of them have spoken to Van Persie. It was these players' testimonials that pursuaded him to follow their lead.

The technique that has received the most attention and is the most controversial involves massaging placental fluid directly onto the affected area. Before you get a bit grossed out, don’t worry it’s not human placental fluid, it’s from a horse uterus. Phew, big sigh of relief.

She has remained secretive in her techniques as she is currently in high demand. Some sports clubs are even trying to employ her as part of their medical staff. There is no doubt that the athletes (so far only European soccer players) that have seen her for muscle injuries are very vocal in their appreciation for her services. Many players stated that she drastically cut recovery times and some athletes even stated that their careers have been extended. Liverpool’s Yossi Benayoun and Albert Riera, Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany and Nigel De Jong, Ajax’s Marko Pantelic, PSV Eindhoven's Orlando Engelaar and Inter’s Dejan Stankovic are to name a few of her past patients who continue to sing her praises. So, it may not be the Holy Grail as I previously stated however her track record does involve successfully treating soft muscle injuries in some rather high caliber athletes.

Trained in physiotherapy and sports medicine, she does use some standard Western medicine techniques. However it’s the use of placental fluid that seems to be the standard form of her treatment and the most unique.

The placenta is rich in many nutrients, including iron, naturally occuring prostaglandins (anti-inflammatory properties) and stem cells. It remains unclear which substance if not all, play a role in accelareting soft tissue repair.

In Eastern regions, the placenta has already found its way into medical and health related products. These include treating postpartum depression, iron deficiency and even beauty products. As such, what will it take for Western medicine to adapt a more placenta-friendly environment, instead of inceration? I guess we have to wait and see if a representative of Pfizer knocks on the delivery room door with a cheque.

"Big Pharma", always looking out for what is best for us, that is, those of us who can afford it!

Belichick Made the Right Call...and other Week 10 Analysis

Many of the stats in this post are derived from the publicly available and premium database statistics at FootballOutsiders.com, NFL.com and ColdHardFootballFacts.com


Belichick was Right – But I'm Glad They Failed

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a Colts fan, so I despise Bill Belichick. I have to; I think that’s written into the Colts fan by-laws. So, naturally it hurts to say this, but he made the right call on Sunday night.

If you were him, would you rather put the game in the hands of your consistently clutch quarterback, Tom Brady, or the other team's 4th Quarter Assassin, Peyton Manning? Yup, me too. I’d tell Brady to go win the game. All the momentum was in the Colts corner and the Patriots needed to play for the win, rather than playing not to lose.

After watching the play a few times, the play call wasn’t bad, and the spot on Faulk’s catch could just as easily been ruled a first down on the field, it was that close. However, when Brady watches the film this week, he’s going to choke on his triple latte when he realizes that Welker was wide open and could probably have taken it to the house.

Given that I’m supposed to be giving you some sort of insightful analysis on the topic, I’d like to turn you over to the team at Advanced NFL Stats for this article. They break down the win probabilities of both going for it on 4th and 2, as well as the chances of the Colts scoring from each field position.

For those that are less nerdy than me, and I’m sure that’s just about everyone, or just statistically challenged, let me break down the idea.

By going for it, the Pats had a 60% chance to convert and win the game outright. In the event that they didn’t convert, they still only had to worry about the average NFL offense scoring 53% of the time. By combining those probabilities, they had a 79% chance of winning the game.

If they punted, they had a 70% chance of winning the game, meaning that going for it gave them 9% better odds.

Think of it like a poker hand, you always want to play to better odds than your opponent, but sometimes he beats you anyway. In this case, that Pats had the advantage in either situation, but going for it was the better decision.

Belichick made the right decision and went all in, but Peyton Manning got a great card on the river.

JaMarcus Russell vs Bruce-Ski

With JaMarcus Russell once again getting pulled from a game, I thought it would be interesting to review his performance this season versus the Raiders backup, Bruce Gradkowski, or as I like to call him Bruce-Ski. Admit it, he sounds like he should be the #1 fan for Da Bears!

I also included Jeff Garcia in this analysis given that the Raiders cut him before the season started.

"JDR and myself are very similar except he's really good looking and was a great player. So other than that we're very similar."
-- Jets coach Rex Ryan on the similarities between him and Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio (Twitter)

That quote could just have easily been twittered by Bruce-ski about he and Russell. They have completely different talents, different salaries and different draft positions, but they both suck equally.

Darius Heyward-Bey

In a related note, the Raiders quarterbacks may be terrible because they’re forced to throw to Darius Heyward-Bey. At this point, DHB has 6 catches, for 96 yards and no touchdowns, for the whole season!

That places him 24th in rookie receptions and 19th in rookie receiving yards. On top of that, most of the players ahead of him on the list are either their team’s third receiver or backup running back, while DHB is a starter.

Easily my favorite DHB play was the way he handled a pass against KC this Sunday like a live grenade. I didn’t know you could bobble a ball with your hands AND knees while still bouncing it to a defender for an INT. Take a look at the 3:40 mark of this clip.

For that performance, DHB gets the Bud Adams salute from Raiders fans.

Unexpected League Leader

Quick, tell me who’s leading the NFL in interceptions?

The correct answer is free safety Jairus Byrd of the Buffalo Bills. With 8 interceptions and 18 passes defenced (2nd in the league), the rookie from Oregon is making a name for himself. 

Unfortunately, he's about the only bright spot in the Bills season so far, and now he'll have to adjust to a new coach with Jauron being the first coach to get fired.

Will Larry Johnson help the Bengals?

With the Bengals announcing that they’ve signed Larry Johnson, let’s take a look at his impact. I get the feeling that the Bengals haven’t learned their lesson about having disruptive players in their locker room, but is Johnson worth the risk?

He’s 29 years old and figures to have a few good years left in him, but has his productivity decline been due to injuries, his offensive line or just being past his prime?

The following table shows LJ's performance over the last 4.5 seasons along with the corresponding Adjusted Line Yards of his offensive line.

Johnson's production took a steep drop after the 2006 season, not only due to injury, but also on a per play basis, as shown in his Yards per Carry and DVOA.  Coincidentally, that was the same year Kansas City's offensive line play started to slip as well. 

The Bengals line currently is average 4.01 Adjusted Line Yards, which would be a lot closer to the blocking LJ had during his peak years.  Given that he will be a backup to Benson and an insurance policy for injury, I think it could turn out to be a savvy move by a play-off bound Bengals team, but they already have one major attention hog on the team in Ochocinco, so they better hope he and LJ don't try to out do each other on Twitter.

NFL Week 10 Deep Outs

It's the play that every football fan is talking about this Monday morning.

The Situation? Up by 6 with 2:08 left to play in the game. 4th and 2 from your own 28 yard line. Peyton Manning on the sideline, drooling to get the ball like Pavlov's dog hearing a bell.

The Choices? 1) Punt the ball, giving Manning and the motivated Colts offense 2 minutes to drive approx. 75 yds for the win with 1 time out remaining. ...or 2) go for the first down, knowing full well that if you do not make it, the pressure will be put squarely on the shoulders of a defence that had already been devoured by Manning twice in the 4th quarter.

The Decision? Bill Belichek did the best to outsmart himself, and succeeded. the call was a 2 yard out pattern to Kevin Faulk who proceeded to bobble the ball on his way to the ground, leaving the ball, the entire Patriots offense, and Belichek's ego about 2 feet short of the first down.

The Editorial? I, for one, am in favour of the call. By punting the ball away, every fan of the game knows full well that Manning would have marched down the field and scored anyway. It was the way the momentum of the 4th quarter had gone, and it was the history of the rivalry that told us this. It also told Belichek this, and he knew he needed to go for the heart. Instead, his team whiffed with the dreaded heart punch and the Colts remain undefeated and heading into Baltimore next week.
It's one of those plays that are completely make-or-break. It's going for 2 for the win, instead of kicking the XP and going into OT. Hell, the distance was even the same...2 yards. You make it, and you are enshrined as a genius. You miss it, and you are the new Rich Kotite.

Bill Belichek, you are Rich Kotite. For one week, anyways.

Bits and Pieces:
- 5 more picks, Cutler? That is 17 through 9 games. You are a long ways from breaking George Blanda's single season record of 42, but when is the last time you remember someone throwing 30 in a season? That is 2 games you single handedly lost for the Bears, most likely costing your team a shot at a wild card berth.

- Yup, Denver is a fraud. Ok, maybe I am being a bit harsh, but losing to the Redskins is just downright embarrassing. Chris Simms did his best to make Kyle Orton look like Joe Namath. 3/13, 13 yards and a INT in 1 half of football is somewhere between Jamarcus Russell and Derek Anderson in the spectrum of ineptitude. It’s downright JaBad.

- Anyone catch the TD from Hunter Smith to Mike Sellers? It might go down in history as the slowest developing, yet successful trick play of all time.

- T.O explodes on the sidelines? Just like the man himself, his escapades have become irrelevant, too.

- Is Steven Jackson the best player to ever play for a REALLY crappy team? I dare you to find me a more talented player that plays for a one-win team.

- Yup, the Bengals just swept the season series with the Steelers. I wonder what odds I could have gotten on that in August.

- Sanchez? Sanchiez? Who cares...Take a look at MJD. It’s been said many times before, but that kid can play. Just another ho-hum day of 145 yards and a TD. The knee at the one yard line was a thing of beauty, too. How can you not like this guy!

- Fantasy Player of the week? Sidney Rice. 7-201. The only negative to his game was not getting to pay dirt himself. I guess when your team finishes it off for you, who cares. His year-long coming out party continues.

- Josh Freeman reminds me a little of Byron Leftwich, and a lot of Vince Young. Leftwich for his size, his (lack of) speed, and his delivery. VY because of the fact he give his team a chance to win every week, even with the lack of talent around him. This kid could be a real player in a few years.

- Oh Matty Ice.... Your nickname is now a description of how you have been playing lately....Ice Cold. Just over 50% completion percentage, and 2 costly picks. Yikes, if M. Turner misses any time (and if the diagnosis of a high ankle sprain is right, it could be a few games) this team is in deep trouble.

- KC-Oak. Did Anyone outside of the Black Hole watch this game? Me neither.

- Philly and Dallas both had a chance to pull away from the idle Giants this week. Instead, the Cowboys coughed up a fur ball in Green Bay, and the Eagles choked on it in San Diego. Say it with me: The NFC East is OVER-RATED!

- Lastly, the Seahawks have one positive that came out of another disappointing game in the desert: Justin Forsett proved he is the man at RB for this team. 17-123 and a TD against a pretty stout run Def. Tack on another 26 yards in the air, and you have your man in Seattle. I know it, and you know it. Now, if only we could make Jim Mora Jr. know it.