5. Seattle Seahawks – Lucky to make the play-offs in the first place thanks to an inspired performance by Charlie Whitehurst in Week 17, and even luckier to beat the Saints in the wildcard, I doubt the Seahawks will have as much good fortune this time around. Letting Matt Hasselbeck depart to the Tennessee Titans and replacing him with Tarvaris Jackson is a huge gamble, and one that I just don’t see paying off. The other three NFC West teams also look stronger and better equipped to wrestle the division title away from the Seahawks. Without winning the division, it’s unrealistic to believe Seattle has a chance of a wildcard berth with so many other teams in the NFC appearing to be much stronger on paper.
4. Kansas City Chiefs – Last year the Chiefs had a stellar season which was built around their success at Arrowhead Stadium, before faltering at their very own self-proclaimed fortress in the play-offs. The majority of the Chiefs’ triumphs were against below-par teams and it is questionable whether Matt Cassel will have as much success with a tougher schedule. Add this to the fact that the Chargers will likely be back to their very best, and it looks like the Chiefs may have to watch the play-offs from the sidelines this season.
3. Chicago Bears – In 2010, the Bears claimed the NFC North crown ahead of eventual Super Bowl winners, the Green Bay Packers. Chicago’s season was defined by a series of ground-out wins, with only one word coming to mind, ‘ugly’. The Bears will still be coming back with a strong defense this season, held together by LB Brian Urlacher, the heart and soul of the defensive unit.
Of course, they will always have their home-field advantage – the terrible turf, coupled with adverse weather conditions, always seem to trouble any team that sets foot on Soldier Field. However, there is a question mark over quarterback Jay Cutler. Usually a leader brimming with arrogance, he appeared to be dependable throughout 2010, up until his team reached the play-offs. Cutler has shown signs of coming unstuck a little too easily. In the Bears' NFC Championship loss to the Packers, Cutler went off injured at half-time and failed to return from the locker room to support his teammates. For this act of desertion in the team’s hour of need, many fans lost their faith in the QB.
One of the Bears' most glaring weaknesses is their offensive line, although much of this can be attributed to the system employed by offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Last season, the OL struggled mightily to keep Jay Cutler upright, leading to the QB being sacked 52 times - 12 more than second-placed Joe Flacco. Admittedly, the addition of Gabe Carimi might help those issues, but the Bears did themselves no favours by trading tight end Greg Olsen to the Panthers. I really see the Bears struggling to repeat a push for a play-off berth.
2. New Orleans Saints - It was a difficult choice between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints as to which team might not feature in next season’s play-off picture. On this occasion I have decided that despite many predicting a post-Super Bowl loss slump for the Steelers, they will still remain strong enough to make the play-offs again. It is the Saints that might struggle, however. In last year's wildcard match-up against the Seahawks, the Saints' defense was worryingly exposed, with Seattle exploiting glaring holes in the secondary and in the Saints' inability to prevent the run, a fact that Marshawn Lynch can testify to only too well.
Also, with Jeremy Shockey having departed to the Carolina Panthers, Drew Brees is lacking a tight end he can truly depend on with important check-downs. Head coach Sean Payton is placing a lot of faith in second-year tight end Jimmy Graham, selected in the third round of the 2010 draft, to fill the void left by Shockey. Not only this, but in a league that is growing ever tougher, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now hot on their heels and are a team bursting with exuberance and talent.
1. Indianapolis Colts – Maybe a surprise to most but if Peyton Manning has any reoccurring problems with his recent neck surgery it could bring the curtains down on the Colts’ play-off hopes. Depending on Curtis Painter could prove problematic, even with Reggie Wayne pulling defenses apart. Proven in college but a long way from NFL stardom, Painter could find it difficult dealing with the pressure of so many fans expecting to make the play-offs. Having missed out on the postseason just once in the past 10 years, surely the run has to end at some point. Doesn’t it?
Showing posts with label matt hasselbeck. Show all posts
Showing posts with label matt hasselbeck. Show all posts
Friday, 5 August 2011
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Free Agency Frenzy
With the lockout finally over it has already been a busy week in the NFL. Deals are still going off left, right and centre as the race to be ready for the upcoming season reaches fever pitch.
One of the hottest topics at the moment is which quarterback will end up where. At the start of the week we had at least 10 quarterbacks with an uncertain future, now with the latest deal it looks like only Vince Young, Marc Bulger and Kyle Orton are still missing a new home.
The week started with a bang when Seattle Seahawks snapped up Tarvaris Jackson, and that marked the end of Matt Hasselbeck’s long career with the Seahawks, as he moved to pastures new in Tennessee. Palmer looks like he is set to retire, and that has prompted the Bengals to bring in long time Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. Despite this move it still looks like the Bengals have a very long and unrewarding season ahead of them. This was amplified with the departure of top receiver Chad Ochocinco.
Donovan McNabb was the next to hit the headlines when he sealed a move to the Minnesota Vikings. The long-time Eagles QB had made it abundantly clear he was unhappy in Washington and now looks set to play a pivotal role in the mentoring of Christian Ponder.
Amongst all this mayhem, Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart joined the Houston Texans in what will surely be a back-up role to Matt Schaub. Look out for Schaub this season as it looks like the Texans might just make a significant push to knock the colts off their high horse.
Lastly, one of the most speculated moves during the lockout was finalised when the Eagles dealt Kevin Kolb to the Arizona Cardinals, in exchange for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second round pick. Personally I can’t help but think that the Philadelphia Eagles got a great deal out of the Kolb trade, the only issue is that it leaves them thin in the quarterback department. That brings me to my next topic.
The Titans have recently released Vince Young, making him the hottest quarterback available at the moment, with Kyle Orton looking like he will join Reggie Bush in Miami.
So who would be most suited to Young? Well, he has recently been linked as the ideal candidate to back-up Michael Vick in Philly. Both players have a similar playing style – with a strong arm, and the ability to scramble when needed. Alternatively, I could see Young being added to the Washington Redskins’ roster to beef up the competition under center.
It seems obvious at the moment that the Redskins are in a state of emergency. They’ve just lost DT Albert Haynesworth to the Patriots and since McNabb’s departure they have been left with two far from proven quarterbacks on their roster. Looking at their stats from previous seasons makes worrying reading. Both John Beck and Rex Grossman have thrown far too many interceptions during their limited playing time – a massive cause for concern that needs addressing ahead of pre-season.
That leaves Marc Bulger. Bulger has had a far from illustrious past three seasons and currently looks most likely to drop out of the league after 10 seasons. He could, however, still find himself a back-up role, but it seems unlikely having missed most of the quarterback rush so far.
It will be interesting to see which of these quarterback moves contributes to the most success come the regular season on September 8.
One of the hottest topics at the moment is which quarterback will end up where. At the start of the week we had at least 10 quarterbacks with an uncertain future, now with the latest deal it looks like only Vince Young, Marc Bulger and Kyle Orton are still missing a new home.
The week started with a bang when Seattle Seahawks snapped up Tarvaris Jackson, and that marked the end of Matt Hasselbeck’s long career with the Seahawks, as he moved to pastures new in Tennessee. Palmer looks like he is set to retire, and that has prompted the Bengals to bring in long time Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. Despite this move it still looks like the Bengals have a very long and unrewarding season ahead of them. This was amplified with the departure of top receiver Chad Ochocinco.
Donovan McNabb was the next to hit the headlines when he sealed a move to the Minnesota Vikings. The long-time Eagles QB had made it abundantly clear he was unhappy in Washington and now looks set to play a pivotal role in the mentoring of Christian Ponder.
Amongst all this mayhem, Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart joined the Houston Texans in what will surely be a back-up role to Matt Schaub. Look out for Schaub this season as it looks like the Texans might just make a significant push to knock the colts off their high horse.
Lastly, one of the most speculated moves during the lockout was finalised when the Eagles dealt Kevin Kolb to the Arizona Cardinals, in exchange for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second round pick. Personally I can’t help but think that the Philadelphia Eagles got a great deal out of the Kolb trade, the only issue is that it leaves them thin in the quarterback department. That brings me to my next topic.
The Titans have recently released Vince Young, making him the hottest quarterback available at the moment, with Kyle Orton looking like he will join Reggie Bush in Miami.
It seems obvious at the moment that the Redskins are in a state of emergency. They’ve just lost DT Albert Haynesworth to the Patriots and since McNabb’s departure they have been left with two far from proven quarterbacks on their roster. Looking at their stats from previous seasons makes worrying reading. Both John Beck and Rex Grossman have thrown far too many interceptions during their limited playing time – a massive cause for concern that needs addressing ahead of pre-season.
That leaves Marc Bulger. Bulger has had a far from illustrious past three seasons and currently looks most likely to drop out of the league after 10 seasons. He could, however, still find himself a back-up role, but it seems unlikely having missed most of the quarterback rush so far.
It will be interesting to see which of these quarterback moves contributes to the most success come the regular season on September 8.
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Titans begin hunt for Locker’s tutor
With the eighth overall pick, the Tennessee Titans select: Jake Locker. Inspired decision or a sign of desperation?
As Sam Bradford showed in 2010, a quarterback is the focal point of a rebuilding franchise and therefore a team is fully justified in selecting one in the first round.
Get the pick right and, like Bradford did, you can turn a franchise from a 1-15 disaster into a respectable 7-9 team. Get it wrong and the consequences can be catastrophic, not only on the football field, but also financially.
When Titans owner Bud Adams made it clear that Vince Young, selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft, would not be returning to LP Field, it was obvious the team needed a new face to lead the franchise.
But there were serious question marks hanging over Locker after he endured a lacklustre senior season at the University of Washington, finishing with a career completion percentage of 53.9.
Plagued by inaccuracy, his decision-making prowess was suddenly a red flag and, despite being projected as the number one overall pick ahead of Sam Bradford in 2010 by some – prior to his decision to stay in school for his final year – most experts predicted him to go in the middle of the second round at best.
What was not taken into account was the number of other teams in desperate need of a new franchise quarterback. Carolina, Seattle, the Vikings, Redskins, Arizona, Bengals, 49ers and arguably the Dolphins – despite looking like they are happy to give second round pick Chad Henne another season to show what he can do – are all in the hunt for a star signal caller.
Carolina nabbed Newton with the first overall pick and the Titans jumped at the chance to select Locker – obviously believing there were too many other teams sniffing around for there to have been any hope of him dropping to them in the second. This was somewhat justified as the Jaguars traded up for Blaine Gabbert, the Vikings chose Christian Ponder at 12 and early in the second Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick went to the Bengals and 49ers respectively.
Chances are, Locker won’t start right away. Although Sam Bradford did last year, that was only after a full pre-season and training camp. And it was clear from the start that the Rams QB was an exceptional talent.
There’s no question Locker has potential, but asking him to lead a team with a struggling offense, with little or no time to get to know the playbook – thanks to the ongoing lockout which has been in place since March – could do more harm than good for the young signal caller.
With veteran QB Kerry Collins, who led the Titans to a 13-3 season three years ago, announcing his retirement this month, the only other quarterback on the roster is Rusty Smith. And Titans fans will know from last year that he is not the answer.
What the team needs is a veteran QB who can take the reins and mentor Locker until he’s ready to take over. There are no shortage of options when Free Agency opens on Friday, but there are still a number of rival teams in the market for them.
Rumour has it that Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck is done in Seattle and that his most likely landing spot is with the Titans – General Manager Mike Reinfeldt knows the Pro Bowler well from the seven years he spent in the Seahawks front office.
Besides Hasselbeck, other options include former Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb, Ravens back-up Marc Bulger, the Eagles’ Kevin Kolb, Matt Moore from Carolina and former Heisman winner Matt Leinart.
McNabb looked very poor last season. He struggled mightily at the Redskins, but then how much of that was down to McNabb himself, and how much to a woeful franchise, is up for debate. In any case, it seems most likely that the long-time Eagles Pro Bowler will be snapped up by the Vikings as a tutor for their first-round pick Christian Ponder.
With Tarvaris Jackson being released in Minnesota, he may even be a potential target for the Titans. But it is more realistic for a team such as the Eagles, Ravens or even Dolphins to pick him up as a back-up QB, rather than throw him in as a starter right away. At the Dolphins he would be able to compete with Henne, although former Titan Vince Young has long been linked as the answer to that dilemma this past off-season.
The Eagles’ Kevin Kolb appears certain to join the Cardinals or the Seahawks, and both Moore and Leinart are probably too great a risk considering their poor performances in 2010.
That means the best option is likely to be Marc Bulger or Hasselbeck – who despite having a poor regular season disrupted by injuries, produced a superlative performance in the wild card game to dump the reigning champion Saints out of Super Bowl contention.
Bulger is well thought of in league circles, despite enduring a painful time at the Rams in his nine seasons – though not many QB’s could have done anything with that team, and in particular, that lack of protection from the offensive line.
The only other way to go would be to take a punt at Chicago’s Todd Collins, Tyler Thigpen of the Dolphins, the Raiders’ Gradkowski or another Heisman trophy winner in Troy Smith at the 49ers – who did show glimpses of potential last season, albeit fleetingly.
But it is unlikely any of those will offer as much benefit as Hasselbeck. The long-time Seattle QB has taken his franchise to the play-offs on six separate occasions, including four-straight division titles and a Super Bowl appearance in 2005.
That would seem the perfect CV for a man tasked with tutoring what the Titans hope will be their own future Pro Bowler.
As Sam Bradford showed in 2010, a quarterback is the focal point of a rebuilding franchise and therefore a team is fully justified in selecting one in the first round.
Get the pick right and, like Bradford did, you can turn a franchise from a 1-15 disaster into a respectable 7-9 team. Get it wrong and the consequences can be catastrophic, not only on the football field, but also financially.
When Titans owner Bud Adams made it clear that Vince Young, selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft, would not be returning to LP Field, it was obvious the team needed a new face to lead the franchise.
But there were serious question marks hanging over Locker after he endured a lacklustre senior season at the University of Washington, finishing with a career completion percentage of 53.9.
Plagued by inaccuracy, his decision-making prowess was suddenly a red flag and, despite being projected as the number one overall pick ahead of Sam Bradford in 2010 by some – prior to his decision to stay in school for his final year – most experts predicted him to go in the middle of the second round at best.
What was not taken into account was the number of other teams in desperate need of a new franchise quarterback. Carolina, Seattle, the Vikings, Redskins, Arizona, Bengals, 49ers and arguably the Dolphins – despite looking like they are happy to give second round pick Chad Henne another season to show what he can do – are all in the hunt for a star signal caller.
Carolina nabbed Newton with the first overall pick and the Titans jumped at the chance to select Locker – obviously believing there were too many other teams sniffing around for there to have been any hope of him dropping to them in the second. This was somewhat justified as the Jaguars traded up for Blaine Gabbert, the Vikings chose Christian Ponder at 12 and early in the second Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick went to the Bengals and 49ers respectively.
Chances are, Locker won’t start right away. Although Sam Bradford did last year, that was only after a full pre-season and training camp. And it was clear from the start that the Rams QB was an exceptional talent.
There’s no question Locker has potential, but asking him to lead a team with a struggling offense, with little or no time to get to know the playbook – thanks to the ongoing lockout which has been in place since March – could do more harm than good for the young signal caller.
With veteran QB Kerry Collins, who led the Titans to a 13-3 season three years ago, announcing his retirement this month, the only other quarterback on the roster is Rusty Smith. And Titans fans will know from last year that he is not the answer.
What the team needs is a veteran QB who can take the reins and mentor Locker until he’s ready to take over. There are no shortage of options when Free Agency opens on Friday, but there are still a number of rival teams in the market for them.
Rumour has it that Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck is done in Seattle and that his most likely landing spot is with the Titans – General Manager Mike Reinfeldt knows the Pro Bowler well from the seven years he spent in the Seahawks front office.
Besides Hasselbeck, other options include former Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb, Ravens back-up Marc Bulger, the Eagles’ Kevin Kolb, Matt Moore from Carolina and former Heisman winner Matt Leinart.
McNabb looked very poor last season. He struggled mightily at the Redskins, but then how much of that was down to McNabb himself, and how much to a woeful franchise, is up for debate. In any case, it seems most likely that the long-time Eagles Pro Bowler will be snapped up by the Vikings as a tutor for their first-round pick Christian Ponder.
With Tarvaris Jackson being released in Minnesota, he may even be a potential target for the Titans. But it is more realistic for a team such as the Eagles, Ravens or even Dolphins to pick him up as a back-up QB, rather than throw him in as a starter right away. At the Dolphins he would be able to compete with Henne, although former Titan Vince Young has long been linked as the answer to that dilemma this past off-season.
The Eagles’ Kevin Kolb appears certain to join the Cardinals or the Seahawks, and both Moore and Leinart are probably too great a risk considering their poor performances in 2010.
That means the best option is likely to be Marc Bulger or Hasselbeck – who despite having a poor regular season disrupted by injuries, produced a superlative performance in the wild card game to dump the reigning champion Saints out of Super Bowl contention.
Bulger is well thought of in league circles, despite enduring a painful time at the Rams in his nine seasons – though not many QB’s could have done anything with that team, and in particular, that lack of protection from the offensive line.
The only other way to go would be to take a punt at Chicago’s Todd Collins, Tyler Thigpen of the Dolphins, the Raiders’ Gradkowski or another Heisman trophy winner in Troy Smith at the 49ers – who did show glimpses of potential last season, albeit fleetingly.
But it is unlikely any of those will offer as much benefit as Hasselbeck. The long-time Seattle QB has taken his franchise to the play-offs on six separate occasions, including four-straight division titles and a Super Bowl appearance in 2005.
That would seem the perfect CV for a man tasked with tutoring what the Titans hope will be their own future Pro Bowler.
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