GOING 10 YARDS: 10 Random Thoughts from Wildcard Weekend
By Jeremy Schloss
1. 
No matter what happens in the Tebow era going forward, Tim and Bronco fans will always have “that” game. The odds of that game ending with a 80 yard TD pass by Tebow were about the same as Transformers being nominated for best picture. If I’m the Broncos though, I wouldn’t be complacent w/ that one win. Playing in Gillette vs. the evil genius Bill Belicheck is a daunting task, and if they are just happy beating the Steelers, then this could be an ugly game. Celebrate and then prepare for a battle. Key for the Pats this week, pressure Tebow. He showed in Pittsburgh that if the pass rush just isn’t there, Tebow can do some damage. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. 
Congrats to Hines Ward on what seems like the end to a great career. Few receivers were as consistent, competed harder, blocked better, or were as great as a teammate as Mr. Ward. Not to mention the guy knew how to trash talk with the best of em, and never seemed to stop smiling. Ward’s smile was probably his most notorious feature, as no one other than Hugh Hefner probably smiled more. I’m sure we will see the dancing w/ the starts vet again somewhere in either a studio gig job or as a coach. I see him excelling at either, smile in hand. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. 
So I thought the Giants would win this week, but to basically shut out the Falcons? I’d say Matt Ryan and company were exposed this weekend. I don’t care how well they were playing coming into January, the Giants defense has no business shutting out anyone, let alone a playoff team. And lets talk about “The Gambler” otherwise known as Mike Smith. How many 4th and short calls is this guy gonna go for? He gave up an easy 6 points that would have made the game 10-8 at the time, which most likely changes the whole landscape of the game. 3 straight playoff losses for Smith and I think Falcons fans should be clamoring for a change. Mike Smith seems more suited for the Craps tables than head coaching.
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4. 
After watching Calvin Johnson the last few games, I think it’s safe to say he is the most dangerous receiver I’ve seen in my time. I was very young during Rice’s prime years so Jerry supporters will have to forgive me for that. Moss was the best I’d seen and Calvin just seems even better. I’ve never seen a guy make the amount of guys covering him totally irrelevant as much as Johnson does. If Stafford throws it up, you can bet your Shia LaBeouf that Megatron is coming down with it. He is essentially a more physical Moss with a little less speed but a much better attitude. With him on the team, no lead or back door spread cover will ever be safe. I hope Oakland Raider fans didn’t destroy their laptops after reading this section. As you may or may not remember, Johnson went #2 in the 2007 NFL draft. #1….The Immortal JaMarcus Russel. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. 
Throw out the Charger game in week 16, and the Lions defense hadn’t held a team under 27 points since their bye week. If Stafford and Calvin are going to make some noise in the playoffs, Suh, Fairly, and the rest of the Detroit defense will need to figure something out. For Lions fans, you just have to hope that this wasn’t the “one year” Stafford holds up, because the defense just might have wasted it.
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6. 
Drew Brees is on another level right now and it should be interesting to see him against the #1 defense in the league. If the Niners can’t slow him down, then I’m not sure the Saints won’t be punching a ticket to Indy. The Saints offense hasn’t been held under 20 points all season, while S.F. average opponents were held to less than 15 a game. Interesting and weird stat with N.O., their lowest scoring output of the season was 20 points in a losing effort to…. Tampa Bay??!? The Bucs defense was so bad this season their coach wasn’t just fired, but ran kicked in the a$$ on the way out the door. Somehow they picked off Brees 3 times. That was all the way back in week 6 though. My how things change in a matter of weeks. Bucs ended up with the worst scoring defense in the league and Drew Brees had just about the best 10 weeks a QB as ever had. This game should be a great test for Brees. Sorry Giants and Niner fans, but I feel I’m not alone secretly wishing for the week 1 rematch of Rodgers and Brees.
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7. 
It’s amazing how it all worked out for the Pats this week. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brian gets hired away to save and purify Happy Valley, so they bring in an old friend in Josh McDaniels to take over. The same Josh McDaniels who just so happened to coach the very team they are playing against this week, and the guy who knows more about Tebow than probably anyone outside of Denver and Heaven. If it wasn’t Belicheck, I would chalk this up to sheer coincidence, but for the NE coach, it just seems like his intricate master plan has come to fruition. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
8. 
Tough game for the Bengals but still a lot to look forward to for this dreadful franchise. Dalton and Green look like keepers and when healthy, their defense is in the top tier. What Cincinnati should focus on come draft time is getting a running back who can break a big play. Benson didn’t have the year people think he did and might be on the tail end of his up and down career. A game breaker is just what that offense needs to take it to the next level. If recent history has proven anything, its that you don’t need to find a legit back in the 1st round, so there is no excuse to not grab an explosive talent in the mid to later rounds this April. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
9.
I rode the Giants wave last week and will continue this week with my upset pick. They just seem to be peaking at the right time and have plenty of confidence after just barely missing defeating the Pack earlier in the season. I just don’t trust that Green Bay offensive line. Tuck, Osi, and JPP just seem like they will give Rodgers to many discount double checks to allow him to do his thing. I think he Giants win a squeaker, 28-27. And if I’m the Giants, I’m rooting hard for the Niners this weekend. A trip to NO to play Drew Brees at home is like walking the Green Mile with Tom Hanks. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
10. 
Crazzzy spreads this weekend. Pats a 14 point favorite against Jesus’s favorite football player? How many 2nd round games have double digit spreads, let alone that many? One thing’s for sure, it will be good vs. evil for football fans around the country, as the Tebow feel good lifetime movie will be heavily rooted for against the villainous and hated Patriots. How about a 2 loss team with the leagues best defense as more than a FG underdog at home? Saints better hope that disrespect doesn’t motivate Willis and crew even more. The other two games both have 9 point spreads in favor of the home team, which went 4-0 in the wild card round. If Vegas is correct, the only game really worth watching is the Saints Niners game, as we should have 3 blowouts on our hands. Something tells me the NFL wont shake up that way. For my viewing pleasure this weekend, after that miserable LSU/Bama Championship and the 3 blow outs last weekend, I sure hope not.
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The Extra Point: 
I was watching the film “Hitch” the other day, and during the very cliche scene where the smoking hot Eva Mendes wakes up on her couch to discover Will Smith is no longer there in the morning, I had a thought. Of course he comes in a few seconds later with coffee and a ton of energy, thus relieving her worst fears of him ditching her. You’ve probably seen this a dozen times in rom-coms. Hitch’s suave move got me thinking though. How do these guys get back in the apartments when they pull this “romantic” move? One has to figure they take the girls keys. All these keys always laying around to just grab? Isn’t that a bit presumptions to think the girl would be OK with making yourself at home by going in and out of her apartment while they sleep? I never see these guys with keys when the come back, do they just leave the door unlocked? There are so many variables that I feel a guy cannot accomplish this move in the real world. No doubt some one night stander has tried this in real life though and got either locked out or kicked out for taking the girl’s keys.
Ryan Matthews Trucks Kyle Arrington
By Gayle Saunders
Follow Him on Twitter
Paging all young runningbacks out there in football land!!! When your coach says “run through someone” This is exactly what they mean. I’d love to thank Arrington for helping us out with this valuable lesson. Last but not least…a big thanks to Ryan Matthews for being a young beast in the game!
NFL’s New Playoff Contenders for 2011
For the last 15 years the NFL has had at least 5 new teams make it to the playoffs. Last year the playoff picture consisted of the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Seattle Seahawks. In the 2009-2010 season the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, and Minnesota Vikings made the playoffs but were unable to make it back for the following season. Here are the teams to watch to take over their respective divisions and make the playoffs in the 2011 season.
1. Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys let the pre-season hype go to their heads last year and I believe a under the radar Cowboys team will be dangerous in the NFC East. The NFC East may end up being one of the hardest divisions in football, but that shouldn’t stop a revamped Dallas team from succeeding. I don’t believe the Cowboys will win their division, but will most likely take the wild-card spot.
2. St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford is ready to take the next step in his progression. Losing to the Seahawks in the last week of the season last year which allowed them to take the division must have been devastating. The key is that Bradford and the Rams have only gotten better with time. They’ve added weapons on the offense and their defense is another year experienced. Although I do believe they will be battling the Cardinals deep into the season for the division championship they will be able to rise above with Bradford at the helm.
3. Houston Texans - With the notable additions such as JJ Watt, Brooks Reed, Jonathan Joseph, Daniel Manning the Texans are ready for Indianapolis…and I don’t just mean the division. I expect the Texans to make a deep run into the playoffs. Last year, when the offense didn’t score 35+ points the Texans lost the game. This year they have not only added key defensive players but added defensive coordinator and former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips and his 3-4 scheme. This year will not be all dependent on Schaub, Johnson, and Foster which will help the Texans win the division.
4.San Diego Chargers- With Norv Turner on the ‘hot seat’ expect things to be great in San Diego. This team had the best ranked offense and defense last year statistically, but couldn’t put wins together early mostly due to their special teams. With a new special teams coach and improvements to both the offense and defense and as long as Phillip Rivers is healthy, this team should be playoff bound. Bob Sanders is going to be a huge piece of the puzzle if he can remain healthy giving this defense a big playmaker.
5. Detroit Lions – Ndamukong Suh, Cliff Avril, Nick Fairley, and Kyle Vanden Bosch. That is the starting defensive line for the Detroit Lions. Suh, who could end up being one of the best defensive players in the league, anchors the line at tackle with 66 tackles and 10 sacks as a rookie. The Lions had the 17th best offense last year and that was with Shaun Hill at quarterback. Expect big things from Matt Stafford and Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. As long as Stafford can stay healthy, which is a huge issue for him, this team will excel on both sides of the ball and make the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
Why San Diego will ‘Charge Back’
By Rich Renza
Of manverusbook.blogspot.com
San Diego’s 2010 season was a bitter disappointment to their fans. And, after an early playoff exit to finish the ’09 season, at home against the upstart Jets, the public has largely written off these Chargers. The public is mistaken. Here we have a team with a top-shelf quarterback, an excellent defense, and playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, looking to make up for a humbling campaign last year. The 2011 Chargers are far more likely to win the AFC West than any other team in their division, and the motivation to prove that last year was a fluke should propel them deep into the Playoffs this year.
Last year’s drop-off to 9-7 from a 13-3 record in 2009 might lead you to believe that the wheels simply came off. That wasn’t entirely the case. They started off the season on an awful 2-5 run, but it wasn’t due to a lack of talent on the field. They lost a Monday Night Football game in Week 1 to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead, under monsoon-like conditions, in front of fans who raised their intensity to match the stormy weather. The Chargers racked up 389 total yards (197 for KC), but gave up some huge plays, including a 94-yard punt return by Dexter McCluster that would be the first of several special teams lowlights over the next few weeks. In Week 3, San Diego outgained the Seattle Seahawks in total yards 518–271, and still managed to lose the game as their special teams gave up two kickoff returns for touchdowns. Their third loss at Oakland, in Week 5 snapped a 13-game winning streak against the Raiders. You might find this hard to believe, but they outgained Oakland 506-279, yet lost due in-part to a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown. They lost by 3 points to St. Louis the next week, then again by the same margin in Week 7 against New England. In that game, the Chargers held the Patriots to 38 yards in the first half, but were down 13-3 at intermission due to costly turnovers. San Diego’s last hope, a 50-yard Kris Brown FG attempt to send the game into overtime, hit the upright sending their record to 2-5. They rolled through seven of their next eight opponents, and then lost a must-win game at Cincinnati, with the game time temperature below freezing, ending their playoff hopes.
What can we tell from dissecting their 9-7 disappointment? Special teams played a huge part in three losses, and contributed to a fourth, an occurrence which is not likely to happen again. The Chargers addressed the issue by hiring former Tampa Bay Special Teams coach Rick Bisaccia to stabilize the unit. Assuming that the Chargers make a marginal improvement in that area, we can expect their win total to climb. Vincent Jackson’s lengthy holdout last year did not help matters on offense; his return will aid the Chargers considerably. While the running game suffered last year, Phillip Rivers showed that he is capable of picking up the slack, with many considering him to be a front-running MVP candidate halfway through the season, even when his team was at or below .500. Bringing in Takeo Spikes, and taking a flier on the oft-injured former defensive standout Bob Sanders will only help their already stout defensive presence.
In their division, Kansas City is a young team with a solid foundation, but often teams like these make a huge leap one year, and then tend to take a step back the next (i.e. the 2007 New Orleans Saints). Oakland won 8 games in 2011, but with a new coaching staff, and the loss of Nnamdi Asomugha, question marks remain if they can stay near the .500 mark. The Broncos have changed their starting quarterback and their head coach, and will likely be non-competitive in their transitional stage.
The Chargers are a team that won nine games, and narrowly missed the playoffs. We can see that without the special teams mishaps, they would have represented the AFC West in the Playoffs. Now, we have that same team, intact for the most part, having addressed their glaring issue, who are motivated to take back the division that they have dominated for the past several years. That makes San Diego a bit of a dark horse team this year, and I expect them to return to the Playoffs with a strong 2011 season.
Kevin Burnett takes Sam Bradford head off
By Gayle Saunders
Follow Him on Twitter
Sam Bradford’s helmet was knocked off by a helmet-to-helmet hit by Kevin Burnett of San Diego. No flag. wth???
ERIC METCALF 2 punt return TDs vs Bengals
WICKED STIFF ARM BY TOMLINSON
Vincent Jackson: Catching the Ball
What is the most important factor in catching a football?
Vincent Jackson: It’s all about your eyes. If your eyes are not focused properly on the ball, your hands won’t get into the best position to receive it.
What part of the football should the eyes be focused on?
Vincent Jackson: The cross hairs. When you look at a ball, especially one that is coming in your direction, you should be able to see the two crosshairs, the seams at the tip of the ball coming at you. By focusing on that tip of the ball, even more specifically the crosshairs of the ball, you improve the chances that your hands will be positioned properly, increasing your chances of catching the ball.
What is the proper position of the hands?
Vincent Jackson: The easiest way to visualize this is by grabbing a football. Take the tip, crosshairs, and point it to your face. Now, form a triangle with your index fingers almost touching each other and the same with thumbs around the tip of the ball. Then place the rest of your fingers on the ball following the angle of the football. Another important thing to remember is that your fingers should be the only thing touching the ball, not your palms. Now drop the ball and maintain the same hand position and you will have the proper hand positioning to catch a football.
What is the most important aspect of hand placement?
Vincent Jackson: Catching it with your fingers and not your palms. Your fingers have elasticity in them, so when the ball hits your fingers it naturally takes away some of the balls energy (speed). If you try to catch a ball with flat hands, the ball will hit your palms, which is a harder surface and the ball will be more likely to bounce out of your hands.
Any other thoughts about catching the ball?
Vincent Jackson: Yes. The best way to learn to catch as a youngster is to use your hands. But there are times when I will have to take a big hit and that is when I chose to let the ball into my body and almost cradle it a little. However, this is a skill and it has taken years for me to learn how to do this without the ball bouncing off my body. Also, the technique we’re talking about is hand position for balls above your waist. You need to have your hands placed differently for balls coming at you below your waistline.
Vincent Jackson: Chargers may use the Franchise Tag
By Gayle Saunders
Follow Him on Twitter
Its been reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune, there remains almost no way the Chargers will sign Jackson to a long-term deal, but they possibly consider putting a franchise tag (which would likely be worth $10 million for one season) on him if such a designation remains part of the NFL’s next collective bargaining agreement. The current labor deal expires March 4.
The team views Jackson, who has sought as much as $50 million for five seasons, as a risk because of his arrests for DUIs and driving with a suspended license. There is the potential for a long suspension from the NFL if he gets in more trouble off the field.
Jackson definitley made his value known in Thursday night’s game against the 49ers, catching three touchdown passes.
Vincent Jackson signed his contract tender for this season on Oct. 29 after Week 7. He missed the next three games because of a team-imposed suspension and being placed on the roster exempt list. By being eligible to play for the final six games (he missed one due to injury), he will accrue his sixth season toward free agency.
Jackson and his agent said at one point that the receiver wouldn’t play at all this season because of his unhappiness at not getting a long-term deal. Counting the six games and the Chargers’ Week 10 bye, Jackson will earn $240,058 rather than the $3,268,000 he would have made had he signed his tender as a restricted free agent before the season.
Javier Arenas gets owned by Steve Gregory!
By Gayle Saunders
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Chargers Steve Gregory throws down some vengence on Chiefs Javier Arenas…ooohwee we enjoy these legal clean hits!
