I was listening to Mel Kiper on ESPN radio a couple of days ago, and he directly said that Jake Long was the most overrated player in the draft. He mentioned that Jake Long was a “work-in-progress” as a pass-blocker, but would make an immediate impact as a run-blocker. I have heard EVERY draft analyst say that they did not expect Long to make a great left tackle in the NFL. Rather than be a great left-tackle in the NFL, Long will likely make a good right-tackle. This is due to his slower feet and innefficiencies in pass-blocking. I am not saying Long won’t be good at the next level, but there seems to be a lot of question marks for a guy who is getting $30 million guaranteed. I hope he isn’t the next Robert Gallery, and I hope Bill Parcells isn’t making a huge mistake in his first major decision with the Miami Dolphins. I will say this…Bill Parcells is a genius and if he thinks Jake Long will be a good NFL player, then he probably will be. However, if Long proves to be a bust, and Matt Ryan, Chris Long, Vernon Gholston, and Glenn Dorsey emerge as perennial pro-bowlers…the Dolphins will look back and realize they made a huge mistake when they probably shouldn’t have.

DISREGARD EVERYTHING YOU JUST READ FOR A MOMENT….don’t be surprised if Parcells tries to deal Long on draft day. Most NFL GM’s believe he has something up his sleeve. The Dolphins may end up with Gholston, Long, or Dorsey after all…and it would only make draft day much more fun.

I hope New England doesn’t completely unravel everything they built in the 2007 offseason. The Patriots decided not to tag Randy Moss as a franchise player, which will likely leave him “playing” the market. The Patriots also passed on the $6 million option for Donte Stallworth, which makes him a free agent. Wes Welker is a fantastic possession receiver, but he is not a #1 receiver and neither is Jabar Gaffney. Welker and Gaffney will not be nearly as effective if Randy Moss and/or Stallworth aren’t on the field. The Patriots can afford to lose Stallworth, but not Randy Moss. New England set all kinds of offensive records this past season, largely due to Randy Moss and his ability to stretch the field. I will be shocked if Randy Moss is not a Patriot next season. The better question is: which is more likely?…Moss or Belichick with the Patriots next year? I can’t answer that question yet, but it is possible that neither one of them will be on the New England sidelines next season. For more information on the Randy Moss situation, click on the link below:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AtSfXOCzBIZFXuThHlgdWw1DubYF?slug=ap-patriots-moss&prov=ap&type=lgns

On Aaron Rodgers Often Getting Hurt: 

Comment:

What do you mean Rodgers can’t play a quarter without getting hurt. Did you see the GB Dallas game as$hol#!!!!!!!!!!

 I was called an a$$hole because I have the opinion that Aaron Rodgers has shown a durability problem. Fortunately for me, I am not even close to being the only person that has this opinion of Aaron Rodgers.   For example, on one Packers fan site, cheeseheadtv.com, an article titled “From Iron-Man to Mr. Glass” said Rodgers “simply could not stay healthy.” It is true that Rodgers had a great game against Dallas. However, I must make two points that I consider quite valid. One…they lost that game. Two…that was only one game. So until Rodgers becomes the starter and proves he can stay healthy on a consistent basis, I will continue to have the same opinion of him.

 On My Quarterback Rankings:

Comment:  

Haha, ditto to the dude above. Also, you rank Garrard in the top 10 after just one season? WTF man? Brees is an elite QB, certainly more deserving than Garrard. Let’s look at what Brees has done in the past 4 seasons: threw for over 24 TDs each season, made 3 Pro Bowls, had a QB rating above 89 each year, threw for more than 3100 yards each of those seasons and completed better than 64% of his attempts. Tell me which QB you would rather have on your team?

I will admit that I made a mistake in my rankings. However, I still do not think Drew Brees is necessarily a better QB than David Garrard. They are both very good quarterbacks, but also two players who have different roles and play in different systems. They both had good seasons, but lets not forget the Saints had a 7-9 record in the worst division in football, and the Jaguars had an 11-5 record in the deepest division in football. Drew Brees threw 18 interceptions during the regular season, while David Garrad only threw three. It is true that Brees had 10 more touchdown passes and far more passing yards than Garrard, but Garrard also played 4 less games than Brees. In addition, Brees had a QB rating of 89 this past season, while Garrard had a QB rating of 102. I am not saying Garrard is definitely better than Brees, but I wouldn’t say Brees is definitely better than Garrard either. Don’t forget that these rankings were not based on a body of work, but where I think each quarterback stands going into next season. And for the record…I would have rather have Garrard than Brees as my starting quarterback going into next season. My corrected QB rankings are below:

1. Peyton Manning

1. Tom Brady

3. Carson Palmer

4. Tony Romo

5. Brett Favre

6. Matt Hasselbeck

7. Ben Roethlisberger

8. David Garrard

9. Drew Brees

10. Donovan McNabb

10. Eli Manning

As the title of this article suggests, there isn’t one part of me that believes the Giants are going to win this Sunday. You may have seen my previous article on the Super Bowl, where I predicted the Giants to win 52-7, and for Eli Manning to throw five touchdown passes. I think Eli Manning will have a good game, but I don’t think the Giants will be able to pull this one out. However, I do think this will be a close football game.  The Giants have played great football in their past four games, and frankly, I don’t believe there are many teams in the NFL that would stand a better chance to beat the Patriots this weekend than they do. Nevertheless, the Giants will need a lot of things to go their way for them to win.

Though a game is rarely decided in the first quarter, it is of unquestionable importance for New York to get off to a fast start this Sunday. If the Giants get behind by two touchdowns early in this game, it will be a blowout. The Giants must control the clock by running the football with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. If the Giants are able to run the ball, this game will be lower scoring than the regular season finale in week 17.  If the Giants are unable to run the ball, it will force them into third and long  situations,   giving them more opportunities to commit turnovers. New York must play turnover-free football the entire game to have a chance, as the Patriots rarely miss chances to score, especially with a short field. Also keep in mind that New York’s defense is effective, due largely in part, to their ability to create pressure with four defensive lineman, which allows them to keep seven defenders in the secondary. They are not a blitzing football team, and when they are forced to do so, they give up a lot more points. We saw a glimpse of that in week 17 when the Patriots scorched the Giants deep on several occassions. Therefore, a big key for the Giants is their ability to get pressure on Brady with their core defensive lineman.

The Patriots, on the other hand, just need to keep doing what they have been doing all season long. If the deep routes to Moss or Stallworth are not there, then Brady will focus on his slot and check-down receivers. New York will try to keep as many defenders in the secondary as possible, but if the Giants are forced to blitz, the New England receivers will have some big-play opportunities. With the weather in Phoenix expected to be pleasant on Sunday, I expect Brady, and his wide array of receivers, to have a huge game. Though I am pulling for the Giants, I expect Tom Brady to be the MVP and for the Patriots to win the football game. However, I do not expect the Patriots to cover the 12 point spread. Ultimately, I think Plaxico Burress was right when he said his team would score 23 points, but I think the Patriots will double his prediction of 17 points.

Prediction:  New England Patriots  34        New York Giants  23

The New England Patriots have a roster full of inexperienced players. There is no doubt they deserve to be in the Super Bowl, but their lack of playmakers on offense will be too much to overcome. The biggest problem with the Patriots is their poor head coaching and their subpar play at the quarterback position. Tom Brady seemed to struggle all season, and Bill Belichick has never been able to win in the playoffs. If there is a coach I would not want coaching my team in the super bowl, it would clearly be Bill Belichick. It is hard to believe the Patriots were able to get this far with who they have under center. When was the last time Tom Brady threw a TD pass? It would probably also help if Brady had some worthy wide receivers, or maybe a decent offensive line. Brady does have Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Though neither receiver is worthy of being a #1 or #2 receiver, they would both make a decent third option on other teams around the NFL.  This team never seems to do anything special on offense. Certainly, it would make it easier if Brady had time in the pocket. However, it seems like he is running for his life every time he drops back to pass the ball. I don’t see the Patriots scoring a point against the Giants’ defense when it matters. Expect a touchdown pass from Matt Cassel to Stephen Spach late in the fourth-quarter after New York’s starters are on the bench, handing out their championship hats and practicing their victory speeches.

There isn’t much to say about New England’s defense, except that none of the players on that side of the ball have played in a big game. With young linebackers, a weak defensive line, slow corners, and a terrible safety, I would expect the Giants to score at least 4 touchdowns…in the first half. I don’t expect this to be a very entertaining game…unless you like watching Tom Brady and company get crushed. Every matchup is in the favor of the Giants, who have dominated each of their opponents this season. I expect Eli Manning to throw at least 5 touchdown passes and for the Giants to win BIG:

Prediction:   New York Giants   52       New England Patriots  7

The biggest idiot award for January 2008 belongs to Dan Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins. He really worked hard for this award. He beat out other nominees such as Brittany Spears and Tony Romo, who apparently dumped Jessica Simpson after his playoff loss to the Giants. Tony, let me give you a little piece of advice…Jessica Simpson is really hot, and you should at least wait until the next regular season to toss her aside. Dan Snyder has even managed to beat out my friend Brian Byrd for this award, who destroyed his face after falling down the stairs at the bar two nights ago. The best part is that Brian is a Redskins fan, and he asked me to write a post about his team. Well…here ya go Brian….the Redskins are officially a disaster. Today, they fired both their Offensive Coordinator, Al Saunders, and their Defensive Coordinator, Gregg Williams. Both coaches were considered early favorites to succeed Gibbs once he retired. Now, they are gone, leaving Snyder with some serious explaining to do after this decision. The Redksins also released Quarterbacks coach, Bill Lazor. 

If I was Jason Campbell I would request a trade…or a free pass to kick Dan Snyder in the balls.  Washington’s defense was strong and their offense seemed to have the pieces coming together at the end of the season, but now their young quarterback will have to learn another new system in the offseason. With the Giants, Cowboys, and Eagles in their division, the Redskins will need a prayer to make the playoffs next season. I love the talent on the Redskins roster, but their owner makes terrible decisions on a consistent basis.

Everyone knows about Bill Belichick and his legendary coaching status. Belichick was the defensive coordinator for the NY Giants under Bill Parcells from 1985 to 1990. They claimed the Super Bowl title in 1986 and 1990, and his defensive units were never ranked worse than 11th in the NFL during that time frame. It should also be known that Belichick was able to turn around the awful Cleveland Browns in the mid-90’s. Belichick was hired after a 3-13 season in 1990 (which still remains Cleveland’s worst record in team history), and eventually led the team to an 11-5 finish in 1994, including a victory over Bill Parcells and the Patriots in the playoffs. However, Belichick’s team fell apart the next season after it was announced the Browns would move their franchise to Baltimore the following season. Now Belichick is with the Patriots…enough said. They have been the most dominating team in the NFL since his arrival, as Belichick has already led the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles.

NOW…Bill Belichick may be the better coach in this year’s Super Bowl, but the man on the other side has more impressive credentials than most people realize.  Tom Coughlin has experienced success everywhere he has been. Before arriving in Jacksonville as the Jaguars head coach in 1994, Coughlin was the head coach of Boston College, where he guided a previously struggling program to a 21-13-1 record. His tenure at Boston College included a 9-3 season in 1993, which included a victory over top-ranked Notre Dame and a final ranking of 12th in the USA Today/CNN Coaches Poll. After leaving Boston College, Coughlin became the head coach of the expansion Jaguars, where they became the only expansion team in NFL history to make the playoffs four of their first five seasons. In Jacksonville, Coughlin compiled a 68-60 record, including a 14-2 season in 1999, a 4-4 playoff record, and two appearances in the AFC Championship game. Those statistics would be good for any head coach, but to do it with an expansion team is very impressive.  Coughlin has coached in a Super Bowl before, but last time he was coaching with Bill Belichick. Thats right…Coughlin was the wide receivers coach for the 1990 New York Football Giants. Tom Coughlin knows offense and he knows quarterbacks. While the quarterbacks coach for Boston College from 1981-1983, Coughlin tutored a player by the name of Doug Flutie, who went on to win the heisman a year after his departure. Don’t be surprised if Eli Manning continues to get better…and don’t be surprised if the Giants give the Patriots all they can handle for the second time this season. Either way, I don’t think Tom Coughlin is on the hot seat anymore.

Atlanta’s attempt to bring in an offensive “genius” from the college ranks did not prove to be very successful this past season. As a result, they went another direction. Today, the Falcons introduced Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator, Mike Smith, as their new head coach. Mike Smith will bring more intensity and discipline to a team that has dealt with their fair share of off-the-field and on-the-field problems in the past year. The Falcons had a decent defense this past season, and I would expect them to be even better under Smith next season. Warrick Dunn and Jurious Norwood will also reap the benefits from their new head coach, as Smith plans to build a team that focuses on running the ball on offense and stopping the run on defense. Byron Leftwich is another player that is probably happy about Smith’s arrival. They spent four years together in Jacksonville, and I don’t think anyone will be surprised if Leftwich goes into next season as Atlanta’s starting quarterback. Overall, I would say this is a good hire for the Falcons, but Smith will need to find another running back to help Norwood after Dunn retires, and an answer at the quarterback position. Even with a decent offensive line and some promising young talent at the receiver position, don’t expect much out of Atlanta’s offense next season. Smith may prove to be a great coach, but he has a lot of work to do in Atlanta. For more news on the hiring of Mike Smith, click on the link below:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Auq3KLsopwOCY7pGe5Bsa285nYcB?slug=ap-falcons-coach&prov=ap&type=lgns

I thought the Tennesse Titans CB,”Pacman” Jones, had taken it upon himself to end his NFL career, when an Atlanta woman had accused him of striking her in a strip club.  But according to ESPN, the woman has withdrawn her petition to have him arrested. This incident may still cost “Pacman” his spot on the Titans roster. I doubt Jeff Fisher wants a player like “Pacman” to ruin the great chemistry his team has shown throughout this past season. One thing is certain…if it were my decision…”Pacman” Jones would be gone.  For more information on this story, click on the link below:

 http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3199910\

Thus far, the NFL playoffs have been nothing short of spectacular. What I have noticed in the first two rounds, is the extraordinary play at the quarterback position. In particular, two young quarterbacks have stood out: Philip Rivers and Eli Manning. Just two weeks ago, every single commentator, analyst, and general football fan were under the impression that Philip Rivers and Eli Manning were not good enough to win in the playoffs. Well guess what? Everyone was wrong. Not only have they both won their first two playoff games, but they have played like seasoned veterans in the process. In New York’s two games, Eli has completed 32 of 43 pass attempts for 348 yards, 4 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. For San Diego, Rivers has completed 33 out of 49 passes for 556 yards, 4 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions. Both players have displayed great confidence, poise in the pocket, and the abiliy to make a big play for their team when needed. Their great play will need to continue next week, as Eli and the Giants face off with Brett Favre and the Packers, while Philip Rivers and his Chargers have the tough task of playing the undefeated New England Patriots. As of right now, I think the Patriots will roll right into the Super Bowl, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants pulled off another road upset. However, let’s not forget that the Packers have only lost one playoff game ever at Lambeau Field, which was to Michael Vick and the Falcons in 2003. Regardless of what happens next week, I think we have only seen the beginning of two quarterbacks with great promise in the future.