- Wade Phillips, Norv Turner. They're the same coach. Two sides of the same mediocre coin. Have any coaches ever done less with more? Norv's team squeaks into the playoffs because the AFC West is terrible and Wade's team chokes in the biggest way imaginable to miss the playoffs. How does a team get waxed 44-6 in a must-win game and still keep its head coach?
- Dallas has some big time house cleaning to do. First, TO needs to go. He wasn't much of a force this year and he's too much of a headache to have so many dropped passes.
- Romo is the most anti-clutch quarterback ever. He's the A-Rod of QBs. I can't get over the sad sack look he had all throughout the second half of that Philly game.
- Who have the Chargers beaten this year? They didn't beat a single team that made the playoffs, and their win over New England came when Cassel was still getting his feet wet.
- The other thing people don't talk about with this Chargers team: Tomlinson belongs on the side of a milk carton. He's rushed for 100 yards in only two games this year. He had a very pedestrian 3.8 yards per carry this year. This team does not have a running game.
- Picks for the first round of playoffs: Miami over Baltimore, Indy over San Diego, Philly over Minnesota, and I really want to say Arizona over Atlanta but I just don't trust that Arizona can stop Michael Turner. So Atlanta over Arizona.
- For a warm weather teams, home field doesn't present that much of an advantage this time of year. Who doesn't want to play in San Diego or Miami in January when the weather is perfect? Miami has a great home field advantage in September and October when the humidity wears cold weather teams out, but later in the year, I imagine that teams must love playing in the comfortable Florida weather. Same goes for San Diego.
- Miami over Baltimore because I don't trust Joe Flacco starting his first playoff game on the road and I think Sparano and company will have enough tricks up their sleeves on offense to pull it out. 13-10, Miami over Baltimore.
- The Rat got fired in Denver. Can't say he hasn't had it coming, but it's still a huge shock. I just got used to the seeing Shanahan shrug off bad seasons and late disappointments. Denver could have kept him on if they got a new GM to help with the personnel. They've swung and missed on too many draft picks and free agent signings the past few years.
- Keep Tom Cable
- Browns, hire Scott Pioli and the one-time Mangenius to right the ship.
- I can't believe the Bills kept Dick Jauron. With Romeo and Rod Marinelli both out of work, Dick Jauron is unquestionably the worst NFL head coach. He's too conservative to be an effective coach. He punts on fourth and short at midfield, he runs when he should be passing and he has JP Losman pass when Marshawn Lynch has 127 yards on the ground and only needs a first down to ice the game. I wrote earlier about a terrible sequence he had in the Browns game. He's had one good year his entire coaching career. 7-9 the last three years, which means at least he's consistent, but I think the Bills have the talent to do better than that. They're a 10 win team with a competent coach.
- Non-football thought: For years, Pizza Hut has ignore trying to make good pizza and has instead tied its fate to the marketing of gimmick pizza (stuffed crust, Pizza Mia, etc.). Now they've decided to make a gimmick pizza that resembles good pizza. The Natural features real tomato sauce and pepperoni. What a novel concept.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Dear Sacramento Kings
Dear Sacramento Kings,
Seriously? You fired Reggie Theus? Did you learn nothing from my letter to the 76ers after they fired Mo Cheeks? Don't you remember last year when Theus took a shit Kings team and made them believe that they were a darkhorse 8th seed contender for a month. Come on, Maloofs. Show some patience with your coaches. This is ridiculous. Everyone expected the Kings to suck this year, and they were just keeping with expectations. Kevin Martin, your best player, has been battling injuries all year, and despite this, your team showed up for an inspired win over the West's best, the Lakers. But one lopsided loss to a much-improved Knicks team later, and Theus is on the outs. In what sport is one and a quarter seasons enough to implement changes to turn around a losing team? None. The NBA coaching carousel has to stop unless Mike Dunleavy, a coach who's actually had time to better his team and hasn't, gets fired.
Sincerely,
The Idiot Fan
Seriously? You fired Reggie Theus? Did you learn nothing from my letter to the 76ers after they fired Mo Cheeks? Don't you remember last year when Theus took a shit Kings team and made them believe that they were a darkhorse 8th seed contender for a month. Come on, Maloofs. Show some patience with your coaches. This is ridiculous. Everyone expected the Kings to suck this year, and they were just keeping with expectations. Kevin Martin, your best player, has been battling injuries all year, and despite this, your team showed up for an inspired win over the West's best, the Lakers. But one lopsided loss to a much-improved Knicks team later, and Theus is on the outs. In what sport is one and a quarter seasons enough to implement changes to turn around a losing team? None. The NBA coaching carousel has to stop unless Mike Dunleavy, a coach who's actually had time to better his team and hasn't, gets fired.
Sincerely,
The Idiot Fan
Saturday, December 13, 2008
The Obligatory Baseball Post
Move over Carl Pavano. There's a new worst ever Yankee contract in town. C.C. Sabathia, $161 million, 7 years, with an opt-out clause after 3 years and boy, will the Yanks fans hope that C.C. exercises that option. That would be the first bit of exercise Mr. 290 pounds has done in some time. He's a good pitcher, and I think every critic of this contract won't question that. He's a really good pitcher sometimes. But if I'm a Yankee fan, and thank god I'm not, there are a few HUGE things that worry me.
1. He was begging West Coast teams to sign him at the winter meetings after getting the Yankee's huge contract offer. He took like two weeks to sign that deal. $161 million and he took two weeks to decide on that. He has a history of pitching well in small market, no pressure teams (Cleveland, Milwaukee). He said he wasn't sure about living in New York and wanted to live and play on the West Coast.
2. Even after begging the Giants, Dodgers and Angels to sign him, no one threw him anything even close to the Yankee's offer. I can see the Dodgers and Giants being cheap, though the Dodgers could use a number one guy like C.C., but the Angels? They throw money around like there's no tomorrow. They're the Yankees of the West Coast. And nothing, no offer, nada. And C.C. wanted to play for them and probably would have taken quite a bit less to do so.
3. $161 million, 7 years. I'm sorry but no one is worth that kind of money. That's a terrible deal, anyway you slice it. I know it's the Yankees, and they have an endless supply of money with the YES network and the new stadium, but there was once a time when people wanted to play in New York. The Yankees have an unmatched history and legacy of winning. They play in the biggest market of all with the most potential for fame and endorsements. Their fans care. A lot. They shouldn't need to grossly overpay for players. Players should want to come to the Yankees and in some cases, take less money to do so because they know they'd make it back up in endorsement deals.
And then the Yanks go out and sign soon-to-be 32-year-old A.J. Burnett to a 5 year, $82.5 million deal. A.J., by the way, has only played like one complete season without being injured. He has an electric arm but can't control it. He's never had an ERA that's even close to under 3.00. Is this worth $82.5 million? Do injury-prone pitchers all of sudden become great when they hit 32? Unless A.J.'s hitting up Roger Clemens for some training and pharmaceutical advice, I don't see it happening.
And that sound you hear? That's the sound of the Red Sox and the three real Tampa Bay (Devil) Ray fans rejoicing.
1. He was begging West Coast teams to sign him at the winter meetings after getting the Yankee's huge contract offer. He took like two weeks to sign that deal. $161 million and he took two weeks to decide on that. He has a history of pitching well in small market, no pressure teams (Cleveland, Milwaukee). He said he wasn't sure about living in New York and wanted to live and play on the West Coast.
2. Even after begging the Giants, Dodgers and Angels to sign him, no one threw him anything even close to the Yankee's offer. I can see the Dodgers and Giants being cheap, though the Dodgers could use a number one guy like C.C., but the Angels? They throw money around like there's no tomorrow. They're the Yankees of the West Coast. And nothing, no offer, nada. And C.C. wanted to play for them and probably would have taken quite a bit less to do so.
3. $161 million, 7 years. I'm sorry but no one is worth that kind of money. That's a terrible deal, anyway you slice it. I know it's the Yankees, and they have an endless supply of money with the YES network and the new stadium, but there was once a time when people wanted to play in New York. The Yankees have an unmatched history and legacy of winning. They play in the biggest market of all with the most potential for fame and endorsements. Their fans care. A lot. They shouldn't need to grossly overpay for players. Players should want to come to the Yankees and in some cases, take less money to do so because they know they'd make it back up in endorsement deals.
And then the Yanks go out and sign soon-to-be 32-year-old A.J. Burnett to a 5 year, $82.5 million deal. A.J., by the way, has only played like one complete season without being injured. He has an electric arm but can't control it. He's never had an ERA that's even close to under 3.00. Is this worth $82.5 million? Do injury-prone pitchers all of sudden become great when they hit 32? Unless A.J.'s hitting up Roger Clemens for some training and pharmaceutical advice, I don't see it happening.
And that sound you hear? That's the sound of the Red Sox and the three real Tampa Bay (Devil) Ray fans rejoicing.
Dear 76ers
Dear 76ers,
What the fuck? Seriously. What the fuck is wrong with you? You fired Mo Cheeks? He's a good coach. Good enough to take a crap 76ers team last year and coach it to the playoffs. Good enough to have Philly thinking NBA Finals in the offseason this year. But not good enough to keep his job this year? Seriously? Who's better than him that's available right now? I don't see Hubie Brown making another coaching comeback. Look, you guys signed Elton Brand and you immediately started dreaming of championships. But here's the thing, Elton peaked a few years back and is coming back from Achilles surgery. He's playing with a group of guys that are not suited to his strengths and vice versa. It takes time to incorporate a new focal point to the offense. You may eventually turn it on and get it, but this kind of thing doesn't happen overnight. Also, if you were getting Elton Brand, you might have wanted to get some 3 point shooters too, so that your team could have proper floor spacing for Brand to be most effective. Right now, no one, and I mean no team in their right mind, is afraid of your perimeter players because they're all drive and kick guys and not perimeter or even mid-range shooters. Andre Miller? Nope. Andre Iguodala? Ha, are you kidding me? He's an overrated energy player that has lacked the energy ever since he got a HUGE contract in the offseason. Another brilliant move on your part, by the way. So enjoy your knee-jerk reaction. Enjoy dreams of this being a spark. In truth, you blew it with a good coach, a good person and a good teacher of the game.
Sincerely,
The Idiot Fan
P.S. Toronto Raptors management, most of the above goes for you too. Your coach was good enough to win Coach of the Year two years ago but not good enough to keep his job. Sure, your team was underachieving this year, but again, you were trying to incorporate a big piece in Jermaine O'Neal, who, by the way, doesn't run all that well after multiple injuries, and yet, here he is on a team that wants to run. I actually like Sam Mitchell's coaching replacement, so this isn't a huge loss, but let's actually give coaches some time to work here. Players can tune coaches out nowadays because they know that a coach's shelf life is only about two to three years. And you wonder why a coach loses his team.
What the fuck? Seriously. What the fuck is wrong with you? You fired Mo Cheeks? He's a good coach. Good enough to take a crap 76ers team last year and coach it to the playoffs. Good enough to have Philly thinking NBA Finals in the offseason this year. But not good enough to keep his job this year? Seriously? Who's better than him that's available right now? I don't see Hubie Brown making another coaching comeback. Look, you guys signed Elton Brand and you immediately started dreaming of championships. But here's the thing, Elton peaked a few years back and is coming back from Achilles surgery. He's playing with a group of guys that are not suited to his strengths and vice versa. It takes time to incorporate a new focal point to the offense. You may eventually turn it on and get it, but this kind of thing doesn't happen overnight. Also, if you were getting Elton Brand, you might have wanted to get some 3 point shooters too, so that your team could have proper floor spacing for Brand to be most effective. Right now, no one, and I mean no team in their right mind, is afraid of your perimeter players because they're all drive and kick guys and not perimeter or even mid-range shooters. Andre Miller? Nope. Andre Iguodala? Ha, are you kidding me? He's an overrated energy player that has lacked the energy ever since he got a HUGE contract in the offseason. Another brilliant move on your part, by the way. So enjoy your knee-jerk reaction. Enjoy dreams of this being a spark. In truth, you blew it with a good coach, a good person and a good teacher of the game.
Sincerely,
The Idiot Fan
P.S. Toronto Raptors management, most of the above goes for you too. Your coach was good enough to win Coach of the Year two years ago but not good enough to keep his job. Sure, your team was underachieving this year, but again, you were trying to incorporate a big piece in Jermaine O'Neal, who, by the way, doesn't run all that well after multiple injuries, and yet, here he is on a team that wants to run. I actually like Sam Mitchell's coaching replacement, so this isn't a huge loss, but let's actually give coaches some time to work here. Players can tune coaches out nowadays because they know that a coach's shelf life is only about two to three years. And you wonder why a coach loses his team.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
quick thoughts as we skid towards the auto apocalypse
- Poor Detroit. Their industries are in shambles, the city still has a bad rep for producing both Kid Rock and Eminem and the Lions won't win a game this year. Plus, the Pistons continue to be vastly overrated because people can't get over their perceptions of what the team was like 2 and 3 years ago. And the Tigers? Spent money that should have gone towards the auto industry on Dontrelle Willis and finished at the bottom of the AL Central below even the Kansas City Royals.
- Fire Rod Marinelli. He seems a like a good guy and is trying to get the Lions to win one game, just one game, but it's not working. His coaching background is defense and yet, the Lions are currently winless because their defense is atrocious. The offense is good enough to win 4 or 5 games, but opposing quarterbacks and running backs have career days against this team.
- The Lakers have problems on defense. They started out the season defending so well that everyone just assumed this was a strength. It's not. Not yet, anyway. They've given up 100 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games and the only game they played stingy defense was against lowly Milwaukee.
- Which brings me to this point: the Bucks are a terrible team. Have they quit on Scott Skiles already?
- The Jets have peaked and have gone from lock to make the playoffs to probably not making the playoffs in the span of two losses. They looked like the best team in the AFC after beating the Titans, but back-to-back losses to Denver and (gasp!) San Francisco have this team and its fans reeling.
- Welcome to the bottom, Chargers. Let me tell you, as a Raiders fan, after a while you get used to it and come to accept that you won't win a thing.
- Fire Rod Marinelli. He seems a like a good guy and is trying to get the Lions to win one game, just one game, but it's not working. His coaching background is defense and yet, the Lions are currently winless because their defense is atrocious. The offense is good enough to win 4 or 5 games, but opposing quarterbacks and running backs have career days against this team.
- The Lakers have problems on defense. They started out the season defending so well that everyone just assumed this was a strength. It's not. Not yet, anyway. They've given up 100 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games and the only game they played stingy defense was against lowly Milwaukee.
- Which brings me to this point: the Bucks are a terrible team. Have they quit on Scott Skiles already?
- The Jets have peaked and have gone from lock to make the playoffs to probably not making the playoffs in the span of two losses. They looked like the best team in the AFC after beating the Titans, but back-to-back losses to Denver and (gasp!) San Francisco have this team and its fans reeling.
- Welcome to the bottom, Chargers. Let me tell you, as a Raiders fan, after a while you get used to it and come to accept that you won't win a thing.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
NBA ceilings/basements vol. 2 - the east
How the East could be won or lost:
1. Boston Celtics - I've been thinking a lot about this team lately. They're getting the tough part of their schedule out of the way early with all the back to backs they've been playing. They look a little more beatable this year than last, but a favorable schedule down the stretch will help them immensely. A few things about this team:
a) Garnett has slipped, at least on the offensive end. It's noticeable. He relies on his jumper a lot more than in past years.
b) Garnett hasn't slipped on defense. And he still scares everyone on the court with his intensity and forces this team to play good defense.
c) The Celtics take pride in their D much like Detroit did under Larry Brown. Every guy on this team wants to shut down the other team. Every guy wants to grab a rebound or fight for the loose ball.
d) I'd be thinking so much about the age of the Big Three and looking for signs of slipping that I completely overlooked the possibility that Rajon Rondo could turn into a consistent All-Star caliber point guard. He's not there yet, but if he gets there, that extends the championship window for this team by a couple years.
Bottom line: This team is a lock for at least the Eastern Conference Finals and probably the NBA Finals.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers - They're better this year. They're going to win 60 unless LeBron gets hurt. They should steamroll their way to an Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Celtics. Here's why I don't think they'll beat the Celtics. Who's the second banana on this team? Obviously, LeBron runs the show, but who's the other guy that teams gameplan for? If you take LeBron out of the game, which the Celtics and the Pistons have done in the past, who beats you? The team is LeBron, who's the best player in the league and it isn't even close (sorry, Kobe), and a bunch of good role players. But MJ had Pippen, Shaq had Kobe and then Wade, Garnett has Pierce and Ray Allen, Duncan had Robinson and later, Ginobili and Parker, Kobe has Bynum and Gasol, and so on. You need at least two to win in this league. If they swing a blockbuster deal that doesn't involve Vince Carter (too selfish), they could move up. Otherwise, they'll be Boston's second banana.
3. Detroit Pistons.......nah...not this year, too soon. Orlando Magic - Enjoy being three. Even Dwight Howard making the leap won't bump this team up past Boston and Cleveland. In order to make the leap from very good to consistently great, Howard has to up his free throw percentage, develop a credible short jumper or jump hook and become a more physical defender with a mean streak. Another 50 win season looks to be a lock. Orlando's a well-coached team with good shooters, a vastly underrated point guard in Jameer Nelson and some decent depth in the bench. They should handle all but two teams in the East.
4. Detr....nope. Toronto Raptors - Bosh and I think O'Neal has enough in the tank for a good playoff run. Calderon is the best pure point guard in the East. They've got enough good shooters to force teams to respect the 3 point shot. Their fans are some of the best in the NBA. Just a lot of fun to watch. Bosh could make the jump to an elite player and carry them through a couple of playoff series. Playing against Howard in the playoffs last year hopefully made both players tougher and better all around. Update: Wait, what? They just fired their coach? That could change everything.
5. Detroit Pistons - This feels right. I'd hate to be a Pistons fan right now and have to talk myself into thinking Iverson could be the key to this team. A few things:
a) Seriously, the Pistons gave up on this year to try and get LeBron in two years? That's what it sounds like. Why would LeBron leave a better team in Cleveland, a city that worships him by the way, to go to a worse team in uber-unglamourous Detroit? There's no way this happens.
b) R.I.P. Rip Hamilton as an effective player for 82 games. Without Chauncey to dish the ball to him, Rip looks a little lost. Iverson and Stuckey eat into his minutes and neither knows him as well as Chauncey did.
c) They traded a pretty good point guard who could run their offense, hit a few big shots and defend pretty well for A.I., a guy who needs the ball to be effective, takes too many shots and can't defend. Have I mentioned that I hate this trade for the Pistons?
6. Atlanta Hawks - Here's a new gimmick for an NBA team: Let's play a season without a bench. Their starters can hang with anyone, and it looks like Horford's going from good to very good this year, but they've got cobwebs and tumbleweed on that bench. Maurice Evans? Flip Murray? Egads.
7. The New York Knicks - I'm a homer. They play their hearts out. David Lee is perfect for D'Antoni and Duhon just set the single game assist record. They'll be a first round out, but they'll get there.
8. Miami Heat - D-Wade. Nuff said.
9. Indiana Pacers - Young team showing some spunk. I don't know what to make of them. I like Granger and I like Jim O'Brien. Maybe this team has a surprise playoff run in it.
10. Philadelphia 76ers - What's the difference between the 76ers and the Bucks or the Bulls or any other East team with one good player and a bunch of ok guys? The burden of expectations. No one thinks much of the other teams, but everyone had Philly penciled in for the playoffs. Well, not me. The Brand signing slowed down their run and gun helter skelter style that made them successful last year. Louis Williams is no longer a microwave off the bench. There's a potential "Brand suffers bad injury and the team makes an improbable playoff run" lurking in their season. But that shouldn't be the ceiling of a team that had conference final aspirations.
11. Chicago Bulls - So much first round talent and nothing to show for it. Another lottery trip means another chance to get lucky with a blue-chipper. Derrick Rose will have this team in the playoffs in the next few years, providing their coach learns how to coach.
12. New Jersey Nets - Vince Carter is making a strong play for another team to make a mistake and acquire him in a midseason trade. NBA fool's gold. Note to Cavs: Don't be fooled.
13. Milwaukee Bucks - Defensive coach tries to get uncommitted players to play defense. Hilarity ensues. If only.
14. Charlotte Bobcats - Defensive coach tries to get uncommitted players to play defense. Hilarity ensues. If only. I sense a pattern at the bottom here. Why tie so much money with J-Rich, Okafor, and Gerald Wallace? Does anyone think this is a core that can bring Charlotte a championship? Obviously the answer is no. So why did they do it? If you can answer that, you too could run the Charlotte Bobcats.
15. There's a worse team than Charlotte? Ah, right, the Washington Wizards. They actually should be better than what they've shown so far. They have a couple of good scorers in Jamison and Butler. When/if Agent Zero comes back, at least one paper, they would have a good trio. But yet again, here's a team that invested big bucks in a core that has shown they can't win it all.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
What's wrong with the Oakland Raiders
Their owner, for one. Their problems stem from the very top. It's not a coincidence that the two of the teams without GMs have lousy teams. The Raiders don't have any consistency. Head coaches come and go every two years and they shift offensive philosophies too often to find a rhythm on offense. On defense, they've actually had some consistency, but the defensive coach is terrible. To quote Oakland fans: "Rob Ryan sucks." There's no other way around it. He's had players to work with. Here's how the Raiders lose:
1. They don't show up and get blown out.
2. They keep it close, but adventures in officiating go against them and they don't have the resolve to recover.
3. They keep the game close, maybe kick a field goal to take the lead or tie the game, and their defense gives up a last minute drive and the winning points.
I don't know this for sure, but I think the Raiders must have lost more games by last second field goals and touchdowns than any other team in the last five years. And that's on Rob Ryan. When the team needs a stop, he can't deliver. They make stupid mistakes in key situations, whether it's a pass interference penalty, lining up offside or getting a stupid personal foul penalty. Then there's the coverage. Rob Ryan says he doesn't play a prevent defense. But he does play a zone defense that involves the corners keeping the ball in front of them, designed to stop big plays but allow short chunks of yardage. This is a prevent defense. It never works. Why go away from the defensive scheme that kept the game close in the first place?
So what can Al Davis do to clean it up? In no particular order:
1. Fire Rob Ryan.
2. Let Tom Cable go back to coaching the offensive line. This has been their biggest area of weakness for a while, but they played reasonably well last year when Cable was just focusing on coaching the O-Line.
3. Get a GM. Give him the authority to shape the team.
4. Get rid of the overpaid, underperforming players. It's a lot of them, but they need to clean house.
5. Hire a coach and stick with him. Don't undermine him at all. Give him at least three years to build a winning program. Don't panic at the first 4-12 season. This team sucks and that's going to happen.
6. Don't draft cornerbacks or safeties. Draft offensive linemen. Draft defensive linemen.
7. Get a couple of decent wide receivers to help JaMarcus in the passing game.
8. Develop JaMarcus Russell. Run McFadden a lot more. Make him the centerpiece of the offense.
It's a lot to do, but look at the Dolphins as an example of what competent management can do for a team. In one year, they've made one of the most dramatic turnarounds and have gone from worst in the league to in contention for a playoff spot.
1. They don't show up and get blown out.
2. They keep it close, but adventures in officiating go against them and they don't have the resolve to recover.
3. They keep the game close, maybe kick a field goal to take the lead or tie the game, and their defense gives up a last minute drive and the winning points.
I don't know this for sure, but I think the Raiders must have lost more games by last second field goals and touchdowns than any other team in the last five years. And that's on Rob Ryan. When the team needs a stop, he can't deliver. They make stupid mistakes in key situations, whether it's a pass interference penalty, lining up offside or getting a stupid personal foul penalty. Then there's the coverage. Rob Ryan says he doesn't play a prevent defense. But he does play a zone defense that involves the corners keeping the ball in front of them, designed to stop big plays but allow short chunks of yardage. This is a prevent defense. It never works. Why go away from the defensive scheme that kept the game close in the first place?
So what can Al Davis do to clean it up? In no particular order:
1. Fire Rob Ryan.
2. Let Tom Cable go back to coaching the offensive line. This has been their biggest area of weakness for a while, but they played reasonably well last year when Cable was just focusing on coaching the O-Line.
3. Get a GM. Give him the authority to shape the team.
4. Get rid of the overpaid, underperforming players. It's a lot of them, but they need to clean house.
5. Hire a coach and stick with him. Don't undermine him at all. Give him at least three years to build a winning program. Don't panic at the first 4-12 season. This team sucks and that's going to happen.
6. Don't draft cornerbacks or safeties. Draft offensive linemen. Draft defensive linemen.
7. Get a couple of decent wide receivers to help JaMarcus in the passing game.
8. Develop JaMarcus Russell. Run McFadden a lot more. Make him the centerpiece of the offense.
It's a lot to do, but look at the Dolphins as an example of what competent management can do for a team. In one year, they've made one of the most dramatic turnarounds and have gone from worst in the league to in contention for a playoff spot.
Is it Donovan McNabb or Andy Reid?
McNabb has been stinking up the joint recently for the Eagles, but don't let Andy Reid off the hook either. Look at this line here:
So say you're playing your young backup quarterback on the road against one of the best defenses in the league. Say you manage to drive to the goal line and are sitting at 1st and goal from the one. Don't you just run it up the gut four straight times? Odds favor a touchdown in that situation. But Andy decides to throw, and well, you can see the result above.
This is part of a bigger problem that the Eagles have had for the better part of five years now. They don't have a short yardage back for these situations. They have Westbrook, who's one of the most versatile and talented running backs in the league, but he's not a big guy that can get the extra yard. How they didn't draft or sign a big running back the last few years is beyond absurd. This is a solid team all around that has had one huge glaring hole. Of course, Andy Reid refuses to run the ball in obvious running situations, so maybe they thought it would be money wasted to go after a short yardage guy.
PHI2 M.Stover extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Katula, Holder-S.Koch.
2-1 BAL1 (7:44) K.Kolb pass short middle intended for D.Jackson INTERCEPTED by E.Reed at BAL -8. E.Reed for 108 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
1-1 BAL1 (8:20) K.Kolb up the middle to BAL 1 for no gain (T.Suggs).
This is part of a bigger problem that the Eagles have had for the better part of five years now. They don't have a short yardage back for these situations. They have Westbrook, who's one of the most versatile and talented running backs in the league, but he's not a big guy that can get the extra yard. How they didn't draft or sign a big running back the last few years is beyond absurd. This is a solid team all around that has had one huge glaring hole. Of course, Andy Reid refuses to run the ball in obvious running situations, so maybe they thought it would be money wasted to go after a short yardage guy.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
What's wrong with the Cincinnati Bengals
Surely, every NFL team believes they can at least compete at the start of every season, but do they still think that by the middle of the season? In the case of the Bengals, it doesn't appear so. So where did it go wrong for a team that was at least supposed to have an explosive offense this year? Why can't Marvin Lewis get a good defense after coaching the Ravens Super Bowl D? It all goes back to their personnel moves of the last few years. Look, everyone that's even sort of followed this team knows what they've needed for the last few years: Offensive line depth, defensive line starters, linebackers, tight ends, safeties, running back depth. That's a lot of needs for a team. They've only sort of addressed linebackers out of that group. They made half-hearted attempts to address the safety position. Instead, they've inexplicably drafted wide receivers and cornerbacks. They cut Willie Anderson and Rudi Johnson in the offseason without bringing in suitable replacements, thus killing their depth in two key areas.
They seriously thought that Chris Perry, who's never played a full season in the NFL, could carry the load this year, and he proved them wrong. At one point, they cut Kenny Watson, who was their best back last year, and is a servicable third down back and good receiver out of the backfield. Now they're relying on Chicago cast-off Cedric Benson. Mike Lombardi of the National Football Post says Benson doesn't hit the hole with any kind of power or burst. Lombardi's right. The evidence is in the game film. He's not a good back. Rudi, meanwhile, has looked decent at times for the Lions, who are the worst team in football.
But he could be servicable if the offensive line wasn't a mess. They cut Willie Anderson, who was a good right tackle for them for years. Not only that, he was a mentor to Levi Jones and the rest of the guys on the line. They let Eric Steinbach leave in free agency a couple years back. He's young and a pretty good guard. The offensive line is the most important part of a football team. I think even if they had kept the line that had led them to the playoffs, they should have been drafting at least one lineman a year to bolster their depth.
They haven't had a good defensive line in years. Again, how about drafting some pass rushers that don't get arrested. They need a big body in the middle of that defense to occupy blockers and stop the run. They need a strong safety that can play in the box and bring the hammer down. They've done nothing to address this.
At tight end, they've let great rookies pass them by. A good blocking tight end would help their line and a pass catcher would give the offense an added dimension. They could line up in with a singleback, 3 WR, 1 TE formation and do a lot of damage in both the passing and running game if they had the pieces.
It's going to take a good couple years of drafting and smart free agent signings for this team to be competitive again. They have a lot of holes on both sides of the ball. They need a GM to help with this and they need to devote more resources to scouting. Marvin Lewis also needs to go. The Bengals need a fresh start. Unfortunately, their ownership hasn't shown much inclination to devote the resources necessary to put a winning team together in many years. Aside from two mediocre years and one good one, this has been a terrible team for the better part of the decade. Like the Raiders and the Lions, the problems with the Bengals stem from the very top of the organization and until they change course, they'll continue to be bottom-feeders.
They seriously thought that Chris Perry, who's never played a full season in the NFL, could carry the load this year, and he proved them wrong. At one point, they cut Kenny Watson, who was their best back last year, and is a servicable third down back and good receiver out of the backfield. Now they're relying on Chicago cast-off Cedric Benson. Mike Lombardi of the National Football Post says Benson doesn't hit the hole with any kind of power or burst. Lombardi's right. The evidence is in the game film. He's not a good back. Rudi, meanwhile, has looked decent at times for the Lions, who are the worst team in football.
But he could be servicable if the offensive line wasn't a mess. They cut Willie Anderson, who was a good right tackle for them for years. Not only that, he was a mentor to Levi Jones and the rest of the guys on the line. They let Eric Steinbach leave in free agency a couple years back. He's young and a pretty good guard. The offensive line is the most important part of a football team. I think even if they had kept the line that had led them to the playoffs, they should have been drafting at least one lineman a year to bolster their depth.
They haven't had a good defensive line in years. Again, how about drafting some pass rushers that don't get arrested. They need a big body in the middle of that defense to occupy blockers and stop the run. They need a strong safety that can play in the box and bring the hammer down. They've done nothing to address this.
At tight end, they've let great rookies pass them by. A good blocking tight end would help their line and a pass catcher would give the offense an added dimension. They could line up in with a singleback, 3 WR, 1 TE formation and do a lot of damage in both the passing and running game if they had the pieces.
It's going to take a good couple years of drafting and smart free agent signings for this team to be competitive again. They have a lot of holes on both sides of the ball. They need a GM to help with this and they need to devote more resources to scouting. Marvin Lewis also needs to go. The Bengals need a fresh start. Unfortunately, their ownership hasn't shown much inclination to devote the resources necessary to put a winning team together in many years. Aside from two mediocre years and one good one, this has been a terrible team for the better part of the decade. Like the Raiders and the Lions, the problems with the Bengals stem from the very top of the organization and until they change course, they'll continue to be bottom-feeders.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Good God, the Celtics OWN the Pistons
Celtics 94, Pistons 80. Ouch. Looks like AI is making no difference early on.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
NBA ceilings/basements vol. 1 - the west
How the West could be won or lost:
1. LA Lakers - Their ceiling is the highest of all teams. They look like they could win 70+ and run amok in the playoffs en route to an NBA championship. Their basement isn't too bad either. It would take a catastrophic series of injuries to keep them out of the playoffs, and as we've seen in the past, Kobe, Odom and scrubs is good enough for at least a seventh seed, which is their basement right now.
2. New Orleans Hornets - They could go to the Finals if the Lakers get hit with injuries and no one else (Utah, Houston) steps up their games. Look, I love Chris Paul. I think he's the best point guard in the game since Magic and the best pure point since Isiah. But I get the feeling that the rest of the team had career years and played above their ability last year and are falling back to Earth this year. I'm still not sold on David West being a big factor come playoff time. Worst case scenario, Paul gets injured and they don't make the playoffs. If they had one more competent big, I could see them doing real damage in the playoffs. Of course, if Chris Paul turns in an Oscar Robertson season, all bets are off and their ceiling goes way up.
3. Utah Jazz - Again, they could be in the Finals if the breaks go their way or end up as a 5th or 6th seed if Deron Williams gets hurt again. That's not bad for a team. Their basement isn't very low and this is a very talented team with a good bench and a great coach that forces them to play disciplined basketball night in and night out.
4. San Antonio Spurs - Do they have one more Finals run in them with this core? Yes. Can they be a top seed? Probably not because of the injuries to Parker and Ginobili. Will they miss the playoffs? No. They're going to be a very dangerous 3rd or 4th seed in the playoffs and at worst, an absolutely deadly 6th seed. No one will want to see these guys in round 1.
5. Houston Rockets - Overrated? Yes. Yao's going to get hurt. This always happens. McGrady's already hurt again and he's lost a step. I think he might be done. Maybe it's just the knee injury, but he couldn't blow by anybody this year and was shooting terribly. Sad to see that Artest joins the Rockets just in time to see them turn into the Sacramento Kings. Let's see, underachieving coach? Check, Rick Adelman to boot. High expectations never met? Check. People were all over this team in the preseason because they look great on paper. On the court is a different story altogether.
6. Portland Trailblazers - Oh, who cares where these guys finish, this is such a fun team to watch. Oden plodding around, while Fernandez and Roy make the game beautiful. Seriously though, if this team matures and Oden starts delivering, they can be this year's Hornets. I could see them getting to the second round of the playoffs, especially if they draw a weaker team like the Mavs or the Rockets in the first round. The bottom, of course, is missing the playoffs, but I don't see that happening.
7. Phoenix Suns - Another "on paper" team. Shaq, Amare, Nash, Grant Hill. This should be enough except three of those guys are well over 30 and Amare has a history of knee injuries. Plus, they willing got rid of a great coach and replaced him with a mixed bag coach. Not good, Phoenix. Nash had a telling quote recently saying that the Suns couldn't run with Utah when they got out on the break. Imagine that, the Suns can't run with other teams now. They peak with a 5th seed. Amare might be enough to get them in the playoffs, but their championship window closed last year.
8. Dallas Mavericks - They're done. Their window was slammed shut by D-Wade and the Heat in game three a few years back and then it was boarded up by Golden State upsetting them in the first round two years ago. Dirk lost his confidence and stopped sneering after big shots. Worse yet, he stopped taking and making big shots. He defers in key situations now. Teams have figured out how to defend him. Jason Terry and old man Stackhouse are the "game on the line" shot guys. That's a terrible situation. Jason Kidd has lost about five steps and can't defend any point guard. Their center position is a mess with two overpaid guys that both can't score and draw too many fouls. And Josh Howard is a scapegoat for admitting to smoking pot. Well, wouldn't you smoke pot if this was your team? Their basement is out of the playoffs which I think is likely. Oh, and they still have Devean George.
9. Denver Nuggets - The Iverson-Billups trade rejuvenated this team and fixed one of their biggest issues. Now they have a real point guard running the show and Melo can be the big scoring guy again. Their defense is a little better, but they're not getting out on the break as much as they did last year. Their ceiling is still a first round elimination unless they draw Houston. I don't think Nene and K-Mart are enough in the front court. They need one more big guy. Too bad it wasn't McDyess.
10. Golden State Warriors - Let's not kid ourselves. This team is not making the playoffs. Without Baron, they don't have anyone that scares another team. They might contend for the 8th seed playing Nellieball, but even if they get in, they'll be out in 4 games. Their basement is finishing under 500.
11. LA Clippers - Not making the playoffs. That's their ceiling and their basement and everything in between. This is one of those teams that you look at, and on paper, they look good enough that maybe you talk yourself into thinking that they could sneak up on some teams and steal a playoff spot. No, they can't. Tim Thomas and Ricky Davis on the same team, Dunleavy's the coach, and Baron already says their not on the same page. The Clippers are always in the Lottery, yet they never win.
12. Sacramento Kings - Where do you think their ceiling is? Not very high? Right. Ok. Move right along then. Oh, right the basement. Well, they'll get used to that. This team isn't very good and won't even sniff the playoffs. But at least they'll get a high draft pick. Maybe somebody told the Maloofs that the NBA Lottery is like gambling and they decided that's where they want to be.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves - Fun, young team that is still a few years away from contending. They might finish ahead of the Clippers and the Kings but they'll be well out of contention.
14. Memphis Grizzlies - See Minnesota Timberwolves entry.
15. That team that plays in Oklahoma City - You know the one. Their ceiling is also their basement. Gets cramped down there. They'll be the worst team in the West. Durant and Green will take the next steps and it won't be enough. There's nothing around these guys. They might be the worst team in the entire NBA. They are basically a bench and 3 starters away from contending. Think about that. That's pretty much the entire team. This team is an entire team away from contending. It's an absurd statement, but it's true. If only they could steal a good NBA team and move it to Okie Dokie City and give it a generic Arena Football team name.
1. LA Lakers - Their ceiling is the highest of all teams. They look like they could win 70+ and run amok in the playoffs en route to an NBA championship. Their basement isn't too bad either. It would take a catastrophic series of injuries to keep them out of the playoffs, and as we've seen in the past, Kobe, Odom and scrubs is good enough for at least a seventh seed, which is their basement right now.
2. New Orleans Hornets - They could go to the Finals if the Lakers get hit with injuries and no one else (Utah, Houston) steps up their games. Look, I love Chris Paul. I think he's the best point guard in the game since Magic and the best pure point since Isiah. But I get the feeling that the rest of the team had career years and played above their ability last year and are falling back to Earth this year. I'm still not sold on David West being a big factor come playoff time. Worst case scenario, Paul gets injured and they don't make the playoffs. If they had one more competent big, I could see them doing real damage in the playoffs. Of course, if Chris Paul turns in an Oscar Robertson season, all bets are off and their ceiling goes way up.
3. Utah Jazz - Again, they could be in the Finals if the breaks go their way or end up as a 5th or 6th seed if Deron Williams gets hurt again. That's not bad for a team. Their basement isn't very low and this is a very talented team with a good bench and a great coach that forces them to play disciplined basketball night in and night out.
4. San Antonio Spurs - Do they have one more Finals run in them with this core? Yes. Can they be a top seed? Probably not because of the injuries to Parker and Ginobili. Will they miss the playoffs? No. They're going to be a very dangerous 3rd or 4th seed in the playoffs and at worst, an absolutely deadly 6th seed. No one will want to see these guys in round 1.
5. Houston Rockets - Overrated? Yes. Yao's going to get hurt. This always happens. McGrady's already hurt again and he's lost a step. I think he might be done. Maybe it's just the knee injury, but he couldn't blow by anybody this year and was shooting terribly. Sad to see that Artest joins the Rockets just in time to see them turn into the Sacramento Kings. Let's see, underachieving coach? Check, Rick Adelman to boot. High expectations never met? Check. People were all over this team in the preseason because they look great on paper. On the court is a different story altogether.
6. Portland Trailblazers - Oh, who cares where these guys finish, this is such a fun team to watch. Oden plodding around, while Fernandez and Roy make the game beautiful. Seriously though, if this team matures and Oden starts delivering, they can be this year's Hornets. I could see them getting to the second round of the playoffs, especially if they draw a weaker team like the Mavs or the Rockets in the first round. The bottom, of course, is missing the playoffs, but I don't see that happening.
7. Phoenix Suns - Another "on paper" team. Shaq, Amare, Nash, Grant Hill. This should be enough except three of those guys are well over 30 and Amare has a history of knee injuries. Plus, they willing got rid of a great coach and replaced him with a mixed bag coach. Not good, Phoenix. Nash had a telling quote recently saying that the Suns couldn't run with Utah when they got out on the break. Imagine that, the Suns can't run with other teams now. They peak with a 5th seed. Amare might be enough to get them in the playoffs, but their championship window closed last year.
8. Dallas Mavericks - They're done. Their window was slammed shut by D-Wade and the Heat in game three a few years back and then it was boarded up by Golden State upsetting them in the first round two years ago. Dirk lost his confidence and stopped sneering after big shots. Worse yet, he stopped taking and making big shots. He defers in key situations now. Teams have figured out how to defend him. Jason Terry and old man Stackhouse are the "game on the line" shot guys. That's a terrible situation. Jason Kidd has lost about five steps and can't defend any point guard. Their center position is a mess with two overpaid guys that both can't score and draw too many fouls. And Josh Howard is a scapegoat for admitting to smoking pot. Well, wouldn't you smoke pot if this was your team? Their basement is out of the playoffs which I think is likely. Oh, and they still have Devean George.
9. Denver Nuggets - The Iverson-Billups trade rejuvenated this team and fixed one of their biggest issues. Now they have a real point guard running the show and Melo can be the big scoring guy again. Their defense is a little better, but they're not getting out on the break as much as they did last year. Their ceiling is still a first round elimination unless they draw Houston. I don't think Nene and K-Mart are enough in the front court. They need one more big guy. Too bad it wasn't McDyess.
10. Golden State Warriors - Let's not kid ourselves. This team is not making the playoffs. Without Baron, they don't have anyone that scares another team. They might contend for the 8th seed playing Nellieball, but even if they get in, they'll be out in 4 games. Their basement is finishing under 500.
11. LA Clippers - Not making the playoffs. That's their ceiling and their basement and everything in between. This is one of those teams that you look at, and on paper, they look good enough that maybe you talk yourself into thinking that they could sneak up on some teams and steal a playoff spot. No, they can't. Tim Thomas and Ricky Davis on the same team, Dunleavy's the coach, and Baron already says their not on the same page. The Clippers are always in the Lottery, yet they never win.
12. Sacramento Kings - Where do you think their ceiling is? Not very high? Right. Ok. Move right along then. Oh, right the basement. Well, they'll get used to that. This team isn't very good and won't even sniff the playoffs. But at least they'll get a high draft pick. Maybe somebody told the Maloofs that the NBA Lottery is like gambling and they decided that's where they want to be.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves - Fun, young team that is still a few years away from contending. They might finish ahead of the Clippers and the Kings but they'll be well out of contention.
14. Memphis Grizzlies - See Minnesota Timberwolves entry.
15. That team that plays in Oklahoma City - You know the one. Their ceiling is also their basement. Gets cramped down there. They'll be the worst team in the West. Durant and Green will take the next steps and it won't be enough. There's nothing around these guys. They might be the worst team in the entire NBA. They are basically a bench and 3 starters away from contending. Think about that. That's pretty much the entire team. This team is an entire team away from contending. It's an absurd statement, but it's true. If only they could steal a good NBA team and move it to Okie Dokie City and give it a generic Arena Football team name.
How the Celtics could win it all or come up short
The Celtics will win it all if their core is healthy for the playoffs and no one slips, even just a bit. Keep in mind, their core is the Big Three and they are all past the big 3-0. KG is 32 and has played more than 1,000 career games, all at his ridiculously high intensity level. I don't care who you are, but eventually it burns you out. He never takes a minute off when he's on the court. Pierce is a 31 year old wingman, and as with all wingmen, they rely on a good first step to get to the basket. If he loses that, he turns into a jump shooter, and while Pierce is a good one, the Celtics need him to be a slasher, a creator and a finisher. Ray Allen is 33 with a history of injuries. Of the three, he can most afford to lose a step since his game is less slashing and more spot up shooting. So far, it doesn't look like any of them have slipped at all. It's entirely possible that KG just simply will not let them take a play off.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Why I'm the Idiot Fan
A couple of addendums to previous posts. I somehow forgot Jerry Sloan when I mentioned great NBA coaches. He's definitely one of them. Utah's got a good team, but you put Flip Saunders as the head coach, and that team goes nowhere fast. If I had to rank the top coaches, I'd probably put Pop at the top, Phil next, then Sloan, then D'Antoni, Doc and Larry Brown. Nate McMillan can make the leap this year if his Blazers show something in the playoffs. He did coach a surprisingly feisty Sonics team a few years back, but I need more than just one good run to be convinced.
Also, in my How to Win in Football post, obviously the surefire way to win every game is, in the words of the immortal John Madden, to score more points than the other team. I wanted to add that the running and stopping the run teams often have problems playing each other. In those matchups, the team with the better QB or the better pass defense usually wins out, so basically, the Vikings can't win when they go up against a team that is like them. They also can't win because their coach doesn't know how to do his job, but that's for another post. Actually, you can take my post about Dick Jauron and replace the Bills and Dick Jauron with Brad Childress and the Vikings and you'll get my exact thoughts on that coach.
Also, in my How to Win in Football post, obviously the surefire way to win every game is, in the words of the immortal John Madden, to score more points than the other team. I wanted to add that the running and stopping the run teams often have problems playing each other. In those matchups, the team with the better QB or the better pass defense usually wins out, so basically, the Vikings can't win when they go up against a team that is like them. They also can't win because their coach doesn't know how to do his job, but that's for another post. Actually, you can take my post about Dick Jauron and replace the Bills and Dick Jauron with Brad Childress and the Vikings and you'll get my exact thoughts on that coach.
Dick Jauron will never win in the NFL
I'm typing this as I watch the Bills throw their season away. The Bills made a dramatic comeback from 13 down at one point to take a one-point lead. The Browns were playing a prevent defense and it looked like they were ready to pack it in for the third straight game. Then Brady Quinn leads a decent drive to get them in position for a long field goal and Dawson delivers a 57 yarder that would have been good from 60 for the Browns. But the Browns squib the kick and the Bills get great field position. First play, Trent Edwards throws a 22 yard strike to Robert Royal to get the Bills to the outer range of field goal position. So what does Dick Jauron do? Stay with Edwards to try to get closer into field goal range since a 50 yarder is no sure thing? Mix run and pass so that play action becomes viable? Or go ultraconservative, play not to lose and run dive plays three straight times to gain 4 more yards? Come on, you know which one it is. This is Dick Jauron's MO. How can a coach settle for a 47 yard field goal when there was a minute left before the dive plays? Go for the touchdown. Be bold. Go for the win. A 47 yard field goal into the wind is a sure thing? Unbelievable. Sorry Bills fans, but this is your coach. He's not bold. He doesn't go for the win. He lets his foot off the gas. I can keep throwing around cliches, but we all know the truth: Dick Jauron is too afraid of making mistakes to win football games consistently.
If you're a fan of football, you have to be disgusted with the way both teams handled the end of the games. Sure, the Browns won, but Romeo Crennel got away with one. You can't rely on 57 yard field goals to win games. Again, you have time to win the game. Mix run AND pass. In his case, he had three timeouts. They had a chance to make their possession the last one and have Dawson kick from much closer in. Marcus Stroud was a couple inches away from getting a hand on the 57 yarder. And then to squib the kickoff? Have faith in your special teams, Romeo. It's highly unlikely that they would give up two special teams touchdowns. On the other side, what more can you say about Dick Jauron's spineless performance? At least Romeo had Quinn trying to get a first down before the long field goal attempt. Welcome back to last place in the AFC East, Buffalo. How's Miami looking from down there?
If you're a fan of football, you have to be disgusted with the way both teams handled the end of the games. Sure, the Browns won, but Romeo Crennel got away with one. You can't rely on 57 yard field goals to win games. Again, you have time to win the game. Mix run AND pass. In his case, he had three timeouts. They had a chance to make their possession the last one and have Dawson kick from much closer in. Marcus Stroud was a couple inches away from getting a hand on the 57 yarder. And then to squib the kickoff? Have faith in your special teams, Romeo. It's highly unlikely that they would give up two special teams touchdowns. On the other side, what more can you say about Dick Jauron's spineless performance? At least Romeo had Quinn trying to get a first down before the long field goal attempt. Welcome back to last place in the AFC East, Buffalo. How's Miami looking from down there?
Saturday, November 15, 2008
How to win in football
1. Run the ball, stop the run. Sounds simple, but only a few do it well. This formula almost guarantees a winning season unless your pass defense is terrible (see Minnesota Vikings of recent years). This is old Bear Bryant style football. Line up your big guys and maul the other guys on offense. Run the ball in any situation. Never give up on the run (looking at you, Norv Turner). Your quarterback usually isn't spectacular but is credible with his play-action fakes, can throw a decent deep ball to open things up and avoids critical turnovers. On defense, get a big mountain of man that can tackle and has some burst at the snap and line him up in the middle. Get a big middle linebacker that can take on blockers and at least one quick outside linebacker to contain the outside. The Tennessee Titans have done this to perfection so far this year and the Ravens, Steelers, Giants and this year's Alabama Crimson Tide are good examples of how this formula can be very successful.
Downsides: not many. If this type of team runs into an explosive offense, they may find themselves behind early and be forced to pass more than they'd like.
2. Defense and Special Teams turnovers/scores. This doesn't work as consistently as some of the other ways, but in this formula, you rely on an opportunistic defense to create turnovers and a quick returner on special teams to set up most of the offensive scores. Virginia Tech and the Buffalo Bills rely on this formula.
Downsides: A lot. A smart team won't turn the ball over. Special teams provide a nice boost, but they usually can't win a team on their own. Again, look at the Bills and VaTech for proof.
3. Offensive blitzkrieg. See Indianapolis Colts, Greatest Show on Turf Rams, last year's New England Patriots, 2002 Oakland Raiders, 1990s Florida Gators. These teams score early and often, usually with an overwhelming passing game, relying on smart QBs, quick receivers, and running backs that can catch and run. By scoring a lot, they effectively take away an opponent's running game, leaving the defensive ends to focus squarely on sacking the QB. Look at these teams' defenses and you'll usually find light, quick defensive ends and good, opportunistic corners.
Downsides: A good running team can control the clock and take the opposing team's offense out of their rhythm. Light, quick defensive ends are great for attacking the QB but not so good at stopping the run.
4. The complete team. Hard to say if this has ever happened in the NFL. This team can do all of the above three and has no discernable weaknesses. They can run up and down the field, they can play ball control and they can use their special teams to manufacture turnovers. USC in Matt Leinart's first two years starting had a team that approached this level of play. The Florida Gators are the only team this year that has played like this and it shows in their final scores.
Downsides: None, except that it is incredibly difficult to play at this level for an entire season.
Downsides: not many. If this type of team runs into an explosive offense, they may find themselves behind early and be forced to pass more than they'd like.
2. Defense and Special Teams turnovers/scores. This doesn't work as consistently as some of the other ways, but in this formula, you rely on an opportunistic defense to create turnovers and a quick returner on special teams to set up most of the offensive scores. Virginia Tech and the Buffalo Bills rely on this formula.
Downsides: A lot. A smart team won't turn the ball over. Special teams provide a nice boost, but they usually can't win a team on their own. Again, look at the Bills and VaTech for proof.
3. Offensive blitzkrieg. See Indianapolis Colts, Greatest Show on Turf Rams, last year's New England Patriots, 2002 Oakland Raiders, 1990s Florida Gators. These teams score early and often, usually with an overwhelming passing game, relying on smart QBs, quick receivers, and running backs that can catch and run. By scoring a lot, they effectively take away an opponent's running game, leaving the defensive ends to focus squarely on sacking the QB. Look at these teams' defenses and you'll usually find light, quick defensive ends and good, opportunistic corners.
Downsides: A good running team can control the clock and take the opposing team's offense out of their rhythm. Light, quick defensive ends are great for attacking the QB but not so good at stopping the run.
4. The complete team. Hard to say if this has ever happened in the NFL. This team can do all of the above three and has no discernable weaknesses. They can run up and down the field, they can play ball control and they can use their special teams to manufacture turnovers. USC in Matt Leinart's first two years starting had a team that approached this level of play. The Florida Gators are the only team this year that has played like this and it shows in their final scores.
Downsides: None, except that it is incredibly difficult to play at this level for an entire season.
Friday, November 14, 2008
A coach makes all the difference
I've long maintained that there are only a handful of good coaches in the NBA and a ton of mediocre to lousy ones. The good: Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Mike D'Antoni, Larry Brown (despite his turn with the Knicks), Doc Rivers (I can't believe I'm typing this, but he sort of owned Phil Jackson in the Finals last season), Byron Scott and holy crap, that's it. There's six and one of them (Larry Brown) loses motivation easily. Byron makes the cut because he got the Nets to back-to-back Finals and pushed the Spurs to six in one of those, and the Hornets looked like a well-prepared team every game last season. Doc finally settled on a rotation and won a championship, so he's in. Of the others, only Mike D'Antoni hasn't won a championship or coached an NBA Finals game. But that's more the product of shaky officiating and bad luck. His Phoenix teams were consistently competitive in the playoffs despite key injuries to people like Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudmire. The other often overlooked culprit in the Suns supposed failure (how any team that consistently wins at least 55 games is considered a failure is beyond me) is that they have a terrible owner who was so desperate to not pay the luxury tax that he gave away Kurt Thomas and frequently sold draft picks. Had he kept them, the Suns may have had a bench that included Andre Iguodala and Ben Gordon. Seriously, if they kept their drafts picks and hit 50% on them, D'Antoni would still be coaching the Suns.
That said, one of my predictions for this year is that the Knicks will make the playoffs and D'Antoni is the number one reason why. The Knicks look incredible this year. They're playing unselfish basketball. This hasn't happened since the Jeff Van Gundy years. And the style of play is a joy to watch. Rucker Park brought to the Garden. Jamal Crawford is lights out all of a sudden. Nate Robinson is the new Microwave. Zach Randolph gives a shit again. And look who's on the bench: undertalented, overrated malcontent Stephon Marbury and overweight, out of shape, lazy, defenseless, clumsy Eddy Curry. D'Antoni knows these two are worthless and his team is proving him right.
There's a recent precedent for a good coach taking a lousy to mediocre team to the playoffs: Hubie Brown and the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizz had a long history of being lousy until Hubie came in. Hubie taught them how to play defense and the Grizzlies made the playoffs two straight years.
Another team to watch this year is Charlotte. Slowly but surely, that team will learn how to play defense, learn how to box out on rebounds, learn how to play team basketball under Larry Brown. They may not make the playoffs this year, but if Larry stays motivated, they'll be angling for a low seed in the playoffs next year.
That said, one of my predictions for this year is that the Knicks will make the playoffs and D'Antoni is the number one reason why. The Knicks look incredible this year. They're playing unselfish basketball. This hasn't happened since the Jeff Van Gundy years. And the style of play is a joy to watch. Rucker Park brought to the Garden. Jamal Crawford is lights out all of a sudden. Nate Robinson is the new Microwave. Zach Randolph gives a shit again. And look who's on the bench: undertalented, overrated malcontent Stephon Marbury and overweight, out of shape, lazy, defenseless, clumsy Eddy Curry. D'Antoni knows these two are worthless and his team is proving him right.
There's a recent precedent for a good coach taking a lousy to mediocre team to the playoffs: Hubie Brown and the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizz had a long history of being lousy until Hubie came in. Hubie taught them how to play defense and the Grizzlies made the playoffs two straight years.
Another team to watch this year is Charlotte. Slowly but surely, that team will learn how to play defense, learn how to box out on rebounds, learn how to play team basketball under Larry Brown. They may not make the playoffs this year, but if Larry stays motivated, they'll be angling for a low seed in the playoffs next year.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
A few more NBA thoughts
Contemplating the NBA while getting ready for the real job:
1. These young players are the truth: Al Horford, Andrew Bynum, Rudy Gay (has the potential to be an unstoppable scorer), Nate Robinson (the new microwave), Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo (his name is too good to fail), Brandon Roy, Rudy Fernandez, pretty much the entire Blazers team, Glen "Big Baby" Davis. There are more, but it's early and I can't think straight.
2. These youngins are what you think they are: Carl Landry (one-year wonder), Greg Oden (great defender when healthy, never healthy), O.J. Mayo (streak shooter, hey I like the guy, but he was streaky in college), Joakim Noah (on the wrong team, can we get him on the Knicks? He was born to play for D'Antoni), Ty Thomas (tantalizing potential that may never be realized), Yi Jianlian (looks great against a chair; against people, not so much).
3. Can Udonis Haslem get some love for doing the dirty work on what might be the most undersized front-line in basketball? The Heat don't have a starter taller than 6-9, and Udonis move to center (his college position) to give the Heat some muscle in the middle.
1. These young players are the truth: Al Horford, Andrew Bynum, Rudy Gay (has the potential to be an unstoppable scorer), Nate Robinson (the new microwave), Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo (his name is too good to fail), Brandon Roy, Rudy Fernandez, pretty much the entire Blazers team, Glen "Big Baby" Davis. There are more, but it's early and I can't think straight.
2. These youngins are what you think they are: Carl Landry (one-year wonder), Greg Oden (great defender when healthy, never healthy), O.J. Mayo (streak shooter, hey I like the guy, but he was streaky in college), Joakim Noah (on the wrong team, can we get him on the Knicks? He was born to play for D'Antoni), Ty Thomas (tantalizing potential that may never be realized), Yi Jianlian (looks great against a chair; against people, not so much).
3. Can Udonis Haslem get some love for doing the dirty work on what might be the most undersized front-line in basketball? The Heat don't have a starter taller than 6-9, and Udonis move to center (his college position) to give the Heat some muscle in the middle.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The NBA is back and so am I
Quick NBA predictions for the year so you can see how wrong I was later on:
1. The Lakers will win the NBA title. Seriously, it's the same team that went to the Finals last year, but they have Bynum healthy, Odom as a sixth man and the whole team caring about defense.
2. The Celtics will not make it back to the NBA Finals. One of the Big Three will get hurt. Playing the law of averages here with three players that are older than 30 and have logged a ton of games and minutes in their careers.
3. Greg Oden will finally score a point in a regular season game, but he's going to be a non-factor for most of the season. Sorry, Portland. Your big man is a big injury waiting to happen.
4. That team that plays in Oklahoma City will finish with the worst record and not win the lottery because they are doomed to fail by their terrible karma. They will never win anything in Oklahoma City.
5. Houston will be a popular pick to do damage in the playoffs but won't get past the first round. Again.
6. The Heat and the Knicks will both make the playoffs, and they'll both be a lot of fun to watch.
7. Say goodbye to the playoffs, Dallas Mavericks. You had a good run while it lasted. Quick rundown of their problems: Dirk has no heart, Kidd can't defend quicker guards (i.e. CP3, D-Will, Tony Parker, Steve Nash, hell, even Jordan Farmar), they have no killer to take over the end of the game, Erick Dampier is in the middle (speaking of no heart), they overpaid for DeSagana Diop (an ok defender, but a foul machine and he can't score) , Josh Howard isn't comfortable in Dallas anymore, and Jerry Stackhouse is about 8 years past his prime.
8. LeBron will set the record for holy shit moments in an NBA season not featuring Michael Jordan. Expect a few 40-10-10 games and maybe even a 50-10-10 game if his teammates are up to par.
9. The Cavs will be in the NBA Finals.
10. Bynum destroying the Big Z will be the last moment of the NBA Finals, moreso than the Kobe-LeBron matchup, which will be a toss-up edging slightly towards LeBron. But seriously, the best young big in the league going up against an aging, slow as molasses white center? not even close.
1. The Lakers will win the NBA title. Seriously, it's the same team that went to the Finals last year, but they have Bynum healthy, Odom as a sixth man and the whole team caring about defense.
2. The Celtics will not make it back to the NBA Finals. One of the Big Three will get hurt. Playing the law of averages here with three players that are older than 30 and have logged a ton of games and minutes in their careers.
3. Greg Oden will finally score a point in a regular season game, but he's going to be a non-factor for most of the season. Sorry, Portland. Your big man is a big injury waiting to happen.
4. That team that plays in Oklahoma City will finish with the worst record and not win the lottery because they are doomed to fail by their terrible karma. They will never win anything in Oklahoma City.
5. Houston will be a popular pick to do damage in the playoffs but won't get past the first round. Again.
6. The Heat and the Knicks will both make the playoffs, and they'll both be a lot of fun to watch.
7. Say goodbye to the playoffs, Dallas Mavericks. You had a good run while it lasted. Quick rundown of their problems: Dirk has no heart, Kidd can't defend quicker guards (i.e. CP3, D-Will, Tony Parker, Steve Nash, hell, even Jordan Farmar), they have no killer to take over the end of the game, Erick Dampier is in the middle (speaking of no heart), they overpaid for DeSagana Diop (an ok defender, but a foul machine and he can't score) , Josh Howard isn't comfortable in Dallas anymore, and Jerry Stackhouse is about 8 years past his prime.
8. LeBron will set the record for holy shit moments in an NBA season not featuring Michael Jordan. Expect a few 40-10-10 games and maybe even a 50-10-10 game if his teammates are up to par.
9. The Cavs will be in the NBA Finals.
10. Bynum destroying the Big Z will be the last moment of the NBA Finals, moreso than the Kobe-LeBron matchup, which will be a toss-up edging slightly towards LeBron. But seriously, the best young big in the league going up against an aging, slow as molasses white center? not even close.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
The state of the NBA
I've tried telling people that don't watch professional basketball this, but it seems too out there for them. The NBA is actually awesome this year. Seriously. Better than maybe even football this year. The league is filled with a good collection of uber-talented players and good guys, young stars on the rise and old tigers trying to stay relevant. This year is completely unpredictable. This is easily the best NBA season in 10 years. You'd have to go back to the early 90s to find a season this good. Back then you had Jordan's Bulls, Ewing's Knicks, Barkley's Suns, Payton and Kemp in Seattle, the Mailman and Stockton in Utah, Run TMC in Golden State and Mr. Drexler/Dr. Clyde in Portland, and the Dream in Houston. By comparison this season we have Kobe's Lakers, Chris Paul and the surprising Hornets, the Big Three in Boston, Baron and Jax and Monta and Nellie running til they drop in Golden State, the Run and Gun in Phoenix, Dirk Diggler and the Mavs, Duncan and Manu in San Antonio, Boozer and Deron Williams in Utah, Superman in Orlando, Yao (Ow!) and T-Mac in Houston, Melo and Iverson in Denver and of course, LBJ willing the Cavs to the playoffs.
Here's what we know: the East is lousy, except for Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Cleveland and sometimes Toronto; the West is awesome, except for the Clippers, Minnesota, Sacramento, Seattle and Memphis.
That said, Boston or Cleveland could still come out of the East and win the NBA title. Not incredibly likely, especially in Cleveland's case, but not impossible. As long as LeBron is healthy, the Cavs have a chance to beat anybody. He's the rare super-hyped athlete that has exceeded expectations. He's that good. No team wants to play him in the playoffs.
And he might not even win MVP. Kobe Bryant has been playing like a man who can sense a championship ever since the trade for Pau Gasol, but even before that, he had started playing with more maturity than ever before. He's a terror on the defensive end for the first time in a good five years.
Then there's Chris Paul, who is the point guard in the league and is nearly unguardable. He's averaging a double-double and is the main reason New Orleans has a good basketball team.
All of this adds up to the most exciting buildup to the playoffs in a long time. Even in the East, watching perennial losers like the Atlanta Hawks try to make the playoffs is fun. The Hawks have a fun team to watch with players like Al Horford, Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. Horford has been a monster for them. I like Chicago even though their record stinks. I think they're better than that. If Deng ever comes around, they could be a tough matchup for anyone. Joakim Noah's been a rebounding force for them. Look at the core in Portland: Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden when he returns next year.
For a league that has been boring and predictable, defined by selfish play and thuggish behavior on and off the court, this season has been a revelation. The NBA can be fun. Basketball can be beautiful. It is essentially the American version of futbol, creating beautiful art in motion with the hands instead of the feet.
Here's what we know: the East is lousy, except for Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Cleveland and sometimes Toronto; the West is awesome, except for the Clippers, Minnesota, Sacramento, Seattle and Memphis.
That said, Boston or Cleveland could still come out of the East and win the NBA title. Not incredibly likely, especially in Cleveland's case, but not impossible. As long as LeBron is healthy, the Cavs have a chance to beat anybody. He's the rare super-hyped athlete that has exceeded expectations. He's that good. No team wants to play him in the playoffs.
And he might not even win MVP. Kobe Bryant has been playing like a man who can sense a championship ever since the trade for Pau Gasol, but even before that, he had started playing with more maturity than ever before. He's a terror on the defensive end for the first time in a good five years.
Then there's Chris Paul, who is the point guard in the league and is nearly unguardable. He's averaging a double-double and is the main reason New Orleans has a good basketball team.
All of this adds up to the most exciting buildup to the playoffs in a long time. Even in the East, watching perennial losers like the Atlanta Hawks try to make the playoffs is fun. The Hawks have a fun team to watch with players like Al Horford, Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. Horford has been a monster for them. I like Chicago even though their record stinks. I think they're better than that. If Deng ever comes around, they could be a tough matchup for anyone. Joakim Noah's been a rebounding force for them. Look at the core in Portland: Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden when he returns next year.
For a league that has been boring and predictable, defined by selfish play and thuggish behavior on and off the court, this season has been a revelation. The NBA can be fun. Basketball can be beautiful. It is essentially the American version of futbol, creating beautiful art in motion with the hands instead of the feet.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
when people say sports don't matter...
...they're wrong. Case in point, the outcry of angry and sad Seattle fans as they realize they're going to lose their beloved SuperSonics. Bill Simmons of ESPN.com has ask that people send their thoughts on the Sonics moving to him. It's a good look into the soul of sports fans and into how much sports really means to people.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080229&sportCat=nba
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080229&sportCat=nba
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The painfully quick fall of the Miami Heat
We all knew this was coming. The Heat's championship was a one and done deal. Riles made a Faustian deal to get a championship to Miami. He violated sports karma by forcing out a very good coach in Stan Van Gundy so that Riles could claim the glory of bringing the first NBA title to Miami. He got an aging Shaquille O'Neal, teamed him with Dwayne Wade, and surrounded those two with aging role players like Alonzo Mourning, Antoine Walker, James Posey and Jason Williams. There were no long term prospects for this team. They traded whatever future they may have had with Caron Butler and Lamar Odom for quick results. And they got it. So every move they made to get to that championship is justified. But now we're seeing the consequences of those deals. Shaq has a bum hip and is a shadow of himself. Wade is constantly injured from driving recklessly to the basket, yet he's the only consistently good player on the team. Udonis Haslem, the other promising young talent on the team, is out with an ankle injury. Jason Williams, when he's healthy, is streaky at best, both as a passer and a shooter. Posey's gone and with him any semblance of defensive intensity on the team. Walker's gone, but that's actually a good thing. This team would be much worse with him. The Heat are finally getting a look at Dorrell Wright, but he doesn't seem to be all that good right now.
The Heat, two years removed from an NBA title, one year removed from a playoff appearance, are the worst team in basketball. They haven't won 10 games yet. They get blown out by mediocre teams like the Toronto Raptors. The Heat have lost 19 of their last 20 games, and three of those losses have been by 30 points. There's no other way around it: this team stinks.
It's amazing that any team with Dwayne Wade could be this bad. Even when he scores 40 points, they lose. There is no talent around him at all. And now this: the Heat may trade Shaq for Marcus Banks and Shawn Marion and strangely, this deal doesn't look like the Heat getting 20 cents on the dollar. I mean Marcus Banks and Shawn Marion for one of the greatest centers of all time? Marcus Banks being mentioned in a trade deal with Shaq? This is how far Shaq has fallen. Maybe a trade to Phoenix will buy his career an extra year or two, but it's hard to see him fitting in with the running and gunning style of the Suns.
For the Heat, the deal means potentially starting from scratch, albeit scratch that includes one of the league's best players (when he's healthy) in Wade. The deal would give them salary cap relief and flexibility. They could then blow the money on bad pickups, as has been their history (Shaq aside) or they can use the draft to add young talent and pick up role players at bargain prices to surround the nucleus of Wade and Haslem. While they're getting rid of overpaid talent, they should consider dumping Ricky Davis, the classic good player on a bad team who never makes his bad team good, and Mark Blount, who fluctuates between completely useless and somewhat competent.
The Heat, two years removed from an NBA title, one year removed from a playoff appearance, are the worst team in basketball. They haven't won 10 games yet. They get blown out by mediocre teams like the Toronto Raptors. The Heat have lost 19 of their last 20 games, and three of those losses have been by 30 points. There's no other way around it: this team stinks.
It's amazing that any team with Dwayne Wade could be this bad. Even when he scores 40 points, they lose. There is no talent around him at all. And now this: the Heat may trade Shaq for Marcus Banks and Shawn Marion and strangely, this deal doesn't look like the Heat getting 20 cents on the dollar. I mean Marcus Banks and Shawn Marion for one of the greatest centers of all time? Marcus Banks being mentioned in a trade deal with Shaq? This is how far Shaq has fallen. Maybe a trade to Phoenix will buy his career an extra year or two, but it's hard to see him fitting in with the running and gunning style of the Suns.
For the Heat, the deal means potentially starting from scratch, albeit scratch that includes one of the league's best players (when he's healthy) in Wade. The deal would give them salary cap relief and flexibility. They could then blow the money on bad pickups, as has been their history (Shaq aside) or they can use the draft to add young talent and pick up role players at bargain prices to surround the nucleus of Wade and Haslem. While they're getting rid of overpaid talent, they should consider dumping Ricky Davis, the classic good player on a bad team who never makes his bad team good, and Mark Blount, who fluctuates between completely useless and somewhat competent.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
The Raiders Situation
I don't know what to believe on the ongoing Raiders-Kiffin saga. Do they want him gone or not? He won't comment and the Raiders deny the reports. It's a question of who do I trust less, rumor-passing sports reporters or the most secretive sports franchise in the America. I'm hoping the Raiders are right and they aren't firing Kiffin, who did a great job in his first year as a head coach anywhere, and showed he can manage a game and instill a good offensive system. Rob Ryan needs to go because in four years with the team, the Raiders haven't improved on defense, save one fluke year when teams didn't try to score on them because the Raiders offense was so horrible. Then again, it could be that Al Davis insists on playing man to man defense as other people have reported, and his defensive coordinator has no say over his own part of the team. I really don't want this to be true because it'll validate what everyone has said about Davis. It will also mean that Davis has to go for the good of the team. And that's the saddest thing about this whole mess. Davis has been a brilliant football mind for so long and has done more to push civil rights in football than any other owner (including Dan Rooney of the Rooney Rule fame). Davis hired black and Hispanic coaches before the league forced people to look that way. He had black players on his team early on, and he was always an outspoken advocate for equality in football. He had a good mind for the Xs and Os of football too. His power run, vertical pass scheme was brilliant in its time, but his time may have passed. The man who has unearth more coaching gems than anyone else (Shanahan, Gruden, Madden, Flores) seemingly had gotten another one in Kiffin. I hope he stays with that one. If not, the Raiders are back to where they started and this last year, full of hope and wins on the road and over AFC rivals, was a wasted one.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
AFC/NFC Title Game Thoughts
1. LaDainian Tomlinson = overrated. There, I said it. I didn't think this day would actually come, but what a completely heartless, disgraceful no show by the former league MVP. Two carries, one catch, and a whole lot of time standing on the sideline while Michael Turner came in and showed that the Bolts don't necessarily need Tomlinson and Philip Rivers gutted out the game on a partially torn ACL and Antonio Gates played the whole game with a broken toe. Tomlinson talked big about his first championship opportunity and then didn't show up. LaDainian, that was the time to play hurt, to put your team on your back and at least try. He didn't once lobby the coaches to put him back in the game.
2. Now that's the Norv Turner I know and love. Here's a thought: You're down two scores with less than 5 minutes to go. You're at the 40 yard line facing a 4th and 10. You have the league's best running back, but he's moping on the bench, so he's a non-factor. But you do have a terrific backup in Michael Turner, a receiver playing to his potential in Chris Chambers and a decent, if injured, quarterback in Philip Rivers. You've moved the ball against the Patriots defense for most of the day. You're playing against the best offense in the league, against the most dangerous playoff quarterback in the league. All you need is 10 yards. Sure, let's punt instead. The Chargers never got the ball back. Brady and company worked the clock and the Chargers couldn't stop that Pats offense.
3. The return of Bad Brett Favre at the worst possible time. I actually don't have a lot to say here. I would have loved to see him play against the Pats in the Super Bowl.
4. Eli??!!?? in the Super Bowl?!?!?!? WTF?!?!? How did this happen? It all started in the last week of the season, when Eli came out and played like gangbusters against the Pats. The Patriots gaveth Eli confidence. Will they take it away in the Super Bowl?
2. Now that's the Norv Turner I know and love. Here's a thought: You're down two scores with less than 5 minutes to go. You're at the 40 yard line facing a 4th and 10. You have the league's best running back, but he's moping on the bench, so he's a non-factor. But you do have a terrific backup in Michael Turner, a receiver playing to his potential in Chris Chambers and a decent, if injured, quarterback in Philip Rivers. You've moved the ball against the Patriots defense for most of the day. You're playing against the best offense in the league, against the most dangerous playoff quarterback in the league. All you need is 10 yards. Sure, let's punt instead. The Chargers never got the ball back. Brady and company worked the clock and the Chargers couldn't stop that Pats offense.
3. The return of Bad Brett Favre at the worst possible time. I actually don't have a lot to say here. I would have loved to see him play against the Pats in the Super Bowl.
4. Eli??!!?? in the Super Bowl?!?!?!? WTF?!?!? How did this happen? It all started in the last week of the season, when Eli came out and played like gangbusters against the Pats. The Patriots gaveth Eli confidence. Will they take it away in the Super Bowl?
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