Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Larry Hughes Becoming a Net?

One rumor going around has Larry Hughes going to the New Jersey Nets for Bobby Simmons and Maurice Ager. Ager would be included to make the salaries match. I don't see the point of this trade for the Nets. The Nets already have Kenyon Dooling manning the back-up point guard spot and Jarvis Hayes, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Trenton Hassell can the two guard or SF spot. Larry Hughes would probably get more playing time than any of these players. Hughes's deal does end next year so that's a plus. I wouldn't do the deal. Hughes needs the ball in his hands to be effective. The Nets already have Devin Harris, Vince Carter, and the developing Brook Lopez and Yi Jianlian (currently injured) as designated scorers for this team. Will Hughes contribute enough on the defensive end to off-set his lack of touches on the offensive end? I doubt it.

For the Bulls, they would be getting an overpaid player who is average in nearly every facet of the game. His defense might be slightly above average. Drew Gooden is still injured so I guess Bobby Simmons would fill in at the PF spot off the bench. I can stretch the floor for Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and Kirk Hinrich with his outside shooting. I guess its a win-win trade, if it happens.

Troy Aikman Critical of Tony Romo

I'll let Troy Aikman do the talking:

"I think maybe things happened so quickly for Tony in terms of obscurity to all of a sudden national spotlight that he hasn't fully grasped what being the Cowboys quarterback is all about," Aikman told former teammate Michael Irvin on Irvin's radio show. "And you don't go to Cabo the week before a playoff game. You just don't do it.

"It didn't take away from his preparations. I know that. I mean, everything he says is I think accurate. I don't think that had any bearing.

"But to say, 'I don't worry about perception,' you better worry about perception, because it's a big part of making it through some very difficult times."

"So, believe me, the NFL is such a reality show. Week to week, you're the best player in the league to the worst player in the league. It all depends on what you've done for me lately."

HEAT's Shawn Marion Involved in Trade Rumors

The latest rumor involving Shawn Marion has his services along with Marcus Banks headed to Toronto for Jermaine O'Neal. If this trade happens, it would benefit both teams.

The HEAT are in need of some height in their frontcourt. Their tallest frontcourt player is Jamal Magloire and his defense isn't that great either. There is no defensive presence behind Joel Anthony who has done an admirable job as the HEAT's starting center. Shawn Marion wouldn't be missed by the HEAT because they have so much depth at that position. The HEAT have Dorell Wright, James Jones, and Yakhouba Diawara can fill the potentially vacated SF position. Can you imagine the line up of Chalmers, Wade, James Jones, Haslem, and O'Neal? You could do worse. Jermaine O'Neal gives Wade another pick-n-roll buddy, a low post presence, and a post defender. However, the rub in this trade is the health of Jermaine O'Neal. He has been injured this season with those bothersome knees. If the HEAT make this trade, I think it signals that Riley couldn't care less about this summer's free agent class as O'Neal has a player option for more than $20 million. There is no doubt he'll exercise that option. This trade is a win for the HEAT, if O'Neal's healthy.

The Toronto Raptors would be getting a high energy player who can score in a variety of ways, rebound and defend. Shawn Marion can't shoot the three pointer with any degree of regularity. The move would allow the Raptors keep Andrea Bargnani in the starting lineup and go up-tempo more often. Marion is a huge upgrade at SF as Bosh has had enough of the errors made during the game.

Another possible trade partner is the Dallas Mavericks. Josh Howard is on the block and has been on there for quite sometime now. His admission about drug use doesn't help either. Shawn Marion for Josh Howard and another player? This could benefit both teams. As I said earlier in the post, Pat Riley doesn't care about this summer's free agent class. Josh Howard would give Dwyane Wade a much needed sidekick for this season and next. Howard could use the change scenery. The HEAT would still be short in the frontcourt but more potent offensively. The attention that Wade gets could result in Howard returning to his All-Star level. For the Mavs, they'll have Jason Kidd's and Shawn Marion's contracts expiring after this season. That is $38,552,000 coming off the books between. That doesn't include other contracts that expiring after this season. I think Marion would blossom playing next to Jason Kidd for obvious reasons and the Mavs could re-sign him after the season. The trade works out both teams.

Ravens Need Weapons on Offense

Surrounding weapons around Joe Flacco should be one of the Ravens priority. The Pittsburgh game exposed this weakness. Derrick Mason is the reliable receiver in the Ravens receiver group. There is some talent in that group with Marcus Smith and Demetrius Williams. Marcus Smith has been relegated to special teams duty to start his career, though he could blossom in his second season. Williams was suppose to have a big year this season, but that was not the case injuries derailed his season. He has a slight build so getting of the line of scrimmage is a problem, but he does possess good speed to go deep. He is still a raw route runner. The Ravens also have Mark Clayton, Terrence Copper, and Yamon Figurs. Mark Clayton has been a disappointment since being drafted. He had one breakout year and the other years were subpar. The lack of production can attributed to injuries or lack of development. Yamon Figurs is a bust and Copper is a roster filler. That is what Flacco had to work with this season, along with Le'Ron McClain, Willis McGahee, Ray Rice, and Todd Heap. That is not good enough especially in the receiving corps.

TJ Houshmandzadeh probably won't make it free agency. The Bengals will probably franchise tag him. Letting him go would set the Bengals back for years and I don't think Carson Palmer would not be a happy camper, along with Chad Johnson. The Ravens should rule out TJ at this point and while we're at it, Ocho Cinco should be eliminated from their minds. Baltimore does not need this head ache especially with a young man at quarterback. See Tony Romo.

Here are other possible options hitting the market that I personally like: Antonio Bryant, Bryant Johnson, and Amani Toomer. Of the bunch, Amani Toomer seems the least likely player to sign with the Ravens as I think the Giants will re-sign him or he retires. Antonio Bryant seem to have resurrected his career this season with the Buccaneers. I know he has had his problems in the past with drunk driving and substance abuse, but he was a really good number one receiver for the Buccaneers. He has the size and speed that the Ravens need at the WR position. Bryant is a good route runner, strong, agile, and has good speed. He is a big play receiver and may have finally mature as a player and person. Given what he did for the Bucs, his contract should be many times more than the league minimum. Bryant Johnson would be a good buy low player. He didn't have the season he was expecting because of the quarterback play. I wanted the Ravens to sign him last year but that didn't happen. Johnson would be a good addition for the Ravens and be a solid number two receiver. By the way, Bryant Johnson is a Baltimore native.

I doubt the Ravens will upgrade the running back position as McGahee will be a Raven next year. The Ravens won't release Willis McGahee because of the possible cap hit. Hopefully, Ray Rice will be given more opportunities to contribute on offense. He is a good change of pace back for the Ravens, though he is not as explosive as one would think given his size.

As for the TE position, Todd Heap has been more of a blocking tight end than a receiving tight end. I think he'll be a Raven next year, though I am not a fan of him. He gets injured way too often and isn't even that great blocking either. Owen Daniels might become available when free agency starts. He is a Todd Heap clone and might be a bit better at this point. I think the Texans will re-sign to a long term deal.

I'll address ways to improve the offense through the draft later.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Ray Lewis to the Cowboys?

Jerry Jones is still following his same path that he has followed for the last couple years. His method is to sign every big free agent that is on the market and throw tons of money at them. This method hasn't worked at all but that doesn't seem to stop him. Plus, the Cowboys need to sign DeMarcus Ware to a ginormous extension. With that said, I don't think they'll sign Ray Lewis. Ray Lewis will be a Raven next year. I hope.

Baltimore Ravens Will Have Busy Off-Season

The Baltimore Ravens off-season started earlier than I expected. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday. Though that loss saddens me, the Ravens must move on and try to make the team better.

Rex Ryan has already move on to be bigger and better things as he has signed a 4-year contract with the New York Jets. Good luck with that situation, Rex! Hopefully, the Jets will get you a franchise quarterback in the draft or fix Brett Favre.

The candidates for the defensive coordinator position will have big shoes to fill. Most experts think the Ravens will promote inside as the assistants and coaches already know the system. The leading candidate seems to be Vic Fangio. The Ravens signed Fangio a couple of years to breakdown film of the opposition and scout plays. He also possesses experience at the defensive coordinator position. Those teams were Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Carolina Panthers. I would probably choose him to replace Rex Ryan. The job won't be easy and there will probably be a drop off in production, but he has the most experience among the defensive coaches. Picking him sounds good to me.

Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Bart Scott will be free agents this off-season. The Ravens won't have the money to sign all three. My order would be Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis. Terrell Suggs should be the one that is given a long term deal given his production and age. Plus, Suggs will be in his prime. I don't know if I would franchise tag Ray Lewis. That is a lot of money tied up in aging player even though he hasn't shown any obvious drop in production. Ray Lewis is not athletic or as fast he once was, but you don't notice that decline because of his ability to diagnose the play so quickly. Bart Scott can bounce. I always thought he was a bit overrated as he likes to gamble on plays and is not that great at tackling in open space. They could replace him with Tavares Gooden, Jameel McClain, Antwan Barnes, or Edgar Jones. There are many in-house candidates to replace Scott.

Chris McAlister could be a cap casualty along with Samari Rolle, Willie Anderson, or Todd Heap. Of the bunch, Chris McAlister seems to be the most likely candidate to go as he hasn't gotten along with the new regime. Fabian Washington has demonstrated he can more than hold his own as his replacement.Willie Anderson could be gone too as Marshal Yanda will be returning at full strength next year.

There are much decisions to be made for the Ravens. Hopefully, all of the right ones are made.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Pittsburgh Steelers Defeats the Baltimore Ravens

Going into this game, the Baltimore Ravens had a chance. Joe Flacco was passing the ball well enough throughout the playoffs. He didn't have a turnover before Sunday's meeting with the Steelers. Even though Tennessee was moving the ball well against the Ravens, the Ravens were able to stay aggressive and forced turnovers against them and the Miami Dolphins.

Joe Flacco looked like a rookie in this game, making mistakes he wasn't making in previous games. The pass protection for Flacco was great considering the opponent. He stared down some of his receivers with some of his passes, one of which resulted in an interception by Troy Polamalu who returned the pick for a touchdown. That touchdown sealed the victory for the Steelers. The zone defenses ran by the Steelers confused Flacco. His statline was 13/30 for 141 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions. When you have a statline such as Flacco's, you will not win, especially when the quarterback is a rookie. 30 passing attempts for a rookie is atrocious play-calling. On the two drives, the Ravens passed the ball four times, one of which resulted in an interception by Deshea Townsend, while running the ball only twice. You can't do that against any defense especially with a rookie quarterback. Flacco should have throw that many times during a game. There was one drive in the first half were Willis McGahee ran for a 7 yard gain and a two yard gain. Obviously, he was short of the first down. The Ravens decided to try a quarterback sneak with the Joe Flacco. Why run a quarterback sneak when your running back just gained 9 yards total on the first two downs? On the next play, the Ravens decide to hand the ball off to Willis McGahee. The Steelers knew McGahee was getting the since the Ravens ran a QB sneak on third down. Just dumb play-calling in that instance. McGahee tip toe-ing to the line of scrimmage didn't help either. Make one cut and hit the damn hole since there is only one yard to gain. The bad play-calling didn't stop until the game was over.

Defensively, the Ravens played well given the circumstances. They only gave up 16 points. When the Steelers intercepted Flacco for the first time, the Ravens defense held the Steelers to a field goal. They shut down Willie Parker on the ground as he only rushed for 47 yards. The Ravens were able to blitz and get Rothlisberger often, but missed some sacks as players like Haruki Nakamura and Jarret Johnson didn't wrap up Rothlisberger when they applied the pressure. Rothlisberger is too big and too strong for players to just blitz and go for the big hit instead of wrapping up. He'll make players whiff more often than not. The score would've been much worse as Limas Sweed dropped a sure touchdown. On the play before, Frank Walker went out of the game with an injury and the Ravens inserted Evan Oglesby. The Steelers attacked him right away as Limas Sweed did a double move on Oglesby to get wide open. Limas Sweed simply dropped the ball and the Ravens held the Steelers to a field goal. The one big play the Ravens gave up was a Santonio Holmes touchdown. Rothlisberger scrambled out of the pocket to escape the pressure and finds Holmes on the opposite side of the field. The ball was poorly thrown but the Raven defender, Fabian Washington, slipped on the play. From that point, Holmes cuts across the field making two defenders miss enroute to a touchdown. The breaks did not go the Ravens way in this game.

The Steelers defense was great. They didn't have to commit many of their defenders to run as the front four was able to stop the Ravens game at times during the game. The #1 defense wasn't able to apply as much as pressure on Flacco as they did during the regular season. The Ravens routinely double teamed James Harrison on pass plays but that opened up things for Lamar Woodley, who had 2 sacks during the game. One of those sacks came against Lorenzo Neal because for whatever reason, the Ravens think a slow nonathletic fullback can block an emerging star pass rusher. The Steelers intercepted three passes, returning one of them for a touchdown. They were able to create turnovers and make the Ravens one-dimensional.

Ben Rothlisberger beats the Ravens again with his scrambling ability and decision-making. He avoided the pressure well. He even converted a 2nd and 24 with a 30 yard pass play to Heath Miller on the very next play. Rothlisberger's statline was 16/33 for 255 with one touchdown and zero interceptions. Rothlisberger made enough plays to get his team the victory.

The Steelers will be facing the most unlikely opponent in the Arizona Cardinals. The Steel City looks poised for another championship banner.

Arizona Cardinals Are Heading to the Super Bowl

I was not expecting this outcome to happen. I had the Eagles running away with this game because I thought the performances turned in by the Cardinals defense was a mirage. I also thought the Eagles defense would be able to get to Warner more often than the Cardinals previous opponents. I wasn't entirely wrong, but wrong nonetheless.

The Cardinals has their way with the Eagles defense. Kurt Warner was given an enormous amount of time in the pocket, especially in the first half. He also had an answer for the blitz by attacking the spot that the blitz came from. The slant and underneath crossing routes were the Cardinals bread and butter. They also did a trick play that resulted in a Larry Fitzgerald touchdown. The Cardinals were given good field position after a David Akers's missed field goal. On the first play of that drive, the Cardinals pitched the ball to J.J. Arrington, who throws the ball back to Warner and he throws the ball as far as he could to Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald tried to sell the fake as long as possible and slow down his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage so that Kurt Warner lead him to a spot. The ball was still under thrown but Fitzgerald was able to adjust and score the touchdown. Quinton Demps fell on the play which didn't help the Eagles much. Both of the Eagles' safeties bit on the fake too. Warner's statline was 21/28 for 279 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. That statline summed the Eagles day on defense.

Why don't defenses play man-to-man bump-n-run defenses? Teams should at least run this defense sometimes during the game. Teams could also play Cover 2 defense with corners pressing the receivers at the line of scrimmage. The Eagles didn't do any of these enough during the course of the game. Larry Fitzgerald and others were able to get open with little resistance. Jim Johnson would send the blitz, but Kurt Warner would've been able to find the open man fairly easily. This veteran defense even gave a touchdown on a trick play. The safeties jumped on the running of JJ Arrington without diagnosing the play until it was too late. Not only did Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald have their way the defense, so too did the Cardinals running game when they chose to run the ball. Edgerrin James was able to finds holes early and often. Tim Hightower finished them off by getting some first downs so the clock could run out. The Eagles defense showed up in the third quarter and that was it.

The Cardinals defense played well for a half, which would be the first half. The Eagles were driving the ball but had to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns. David Akers also missed a field goal as the laces on the football were facing towards him instead away from him. In the second half, the Cardinals gave up 19 straight unanswered points. Donovan McNabb was able to find his rhythm which was non-existent in the first half. His receivers were finally able to get open and get a good release off the line of scrimmage. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie definitely had DeSean Jackson on locked up in the first half, but he did give up a huge touchdown in the second half. Jackson ran a double move on Cromartie that gave him enough separation for McNabb to throw a perfect pass to him for the touchdown. That touchdown give the Eagles the lead for the first time during the game. However, that lead was short lived, as the Cardinals scored a touchdown on their next possession. McNabb ended up having a statline of 28/47 for 375 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also lost a fumble in the game which was forced by the ever-underrated Adrian Wilson.

Eagles fans will find ways to blame Donovan McNabb for this game. They'll point to his first half statistics and say that is where the Eagles loss the game. McNabb's passing was erratic throughout the first half and a little in the second half. However, he didn't give up 32 points. McNabb did give the Eagles the lead, yet the defense couldn't hold that lead. I guess that is life as an Eagles QB.

As for the Cardinals, congrats on getting to the Super Bowl. Kurt Warner has cemented himself as one of the greatest QBs ever. He is obviously a future Hall of Famer. They'll be pitted against the Pittsburgh Steelers who defeated my beloved Baltimore Ravens. Not everybody was happy for the Cardinals.

Really Anquan Kenmile Boldin? The Cardinals franchise finally gets to the Super Bowl and you're whining about touches or not getting enough playing time. Boldin did have an exchange with his offensive coordinator during the game. I have no clue about what they were discussing, but my guess would be that Boldin wanted to get on the field more often which was not the case in the second half. Quit pouting Boldin. Your attitude is going to cost you millions. Wide receivers are prima donnas.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Congrats to Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods accepted an invitation to speak at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday as part of President-elect Barack Obama's inaugaration festivities. Nuff said!

Bobcats & Mavs Make a Trade

The Dallas Mavericks traded DeSagana Diop to the Bobcats for Matt Carroll and Ryan Hollins. Diop gives the Bobcats another big which they sorely need. The Bobcats get a good defender in Diop. Diop is pretty average offensively. He could probably hit a 15 footer once every blue moon. Diop and Emeka Okafor could be a potent 1-2 punch for the Bobcats on the defensive end. The trade allows Okafor to move to his more natural position as a power forward. The trade also make the Bobcats a little deeper at that position as Brown will probably go with Juwan Howard and Nazr Mohammed off the bench for substitution purposes. One could say that Adam Morrison's play probably made Matt Carroll expendable. Both players are similar, though Matt Carroll shoots a better percentage than Morrison. Each player is all offense and no defense. Why not trade one for a needed big?

The Mavericks finally get their shooting guard that they have been needing for a while. Matt Carroll can shoot the cover off the ball but their defense will suffer. The Mavs need his shooting to spread the floor for Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd. Gerald Green and Antoine Wright haven't been playing consistent enough for the Mavs, though Wright's defense has been as advertised. Trading Diop has left the Mavs without a back up big for Erick Dampier. Brandon Bass is too small to be playing center. Ryan Hollins will present no resistance at the defensive end. I think they'll pick up another big at some point.

You're Fired, Jon Gruden!

Jon Gruden along with GM Bruce Allen have been shown the door by the owner. Jon Gruden produced a Super Bowl trophy during his tenure. Personally, I attribute that Tony Dungy and his regime. As for Bruce Allen, he was a good GM, I think. Michael Clayton hasn't worked well. Gaines Adams might be heading down that bust road as his repertoire is limited right now. I think it'll get better; it has to get better. Adams is too good of an athlete to not put it all together. I think he will, but it'll take some time. Allen did hit the jackpot with Jeremy Trueblood, Tanard Jackson, Arron Sears, and Davin Joseph. There are probably others.

John Clayton is reporting that the Bucs might promote Raheem Morris to head coach.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Broken Ankle Insurance!!!?!?!?!!!!

Kobe Bryant is here to offer you Broken Ankles Insurance. I think will buy this insurance so I can keep my ankles healthy and it eliminated my worries.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Is Ray Lewis the NFL's Greatest Defensive Player Ever?

Mark Kriegel pleads his case. For me, I think Ray Lewis is in the Top 5. Maybe the bottom of my Top 5. Here is my list:

Reggie White
Lawrence Taylor
Ronnie Lott
Ray Lewis
Michael Strahan

These lists are tough to do. I think I have my list right. I do reserve the right to change my mind. I might even put Ray Lewis ahead of Ronnie Lott. Its just tough to put together a list like this. Kriegel does a good job though.

Pittsburgh Steelers Advance to the AFC Championship Game

I thought this game would be of the low scoring affair. The #1 defense in the Steelers would be able to frustrate the Pro Bowl-snubbed Phillip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers defense has been playing at an elite level during the latter portion of the season including their playoff game against the Colts. Well, I was wrong on both accounts.

The score in this game ended up being 35-24. This could've been a loss for the Steelers if their offense didn't dominate the time of possession. On the Chargers first possession, after three plays, Rivers throws a deep pass to Vincent Jackson for a touchdown. Jackson dove for the football in the endzone while the defender had a hold of Jackson's left arm. It was a great pass and an even better catch. From that point on in the first half, the Chargers managed to score only a field goal. Their other drives were killed by penalties, bad execution and good defense from the Steelers.

In the second half, the Chargers only ran one play in the 3rd quarter. That is not a misprint. The Charger's offense only ran one play in the 3rd quarter and that play result in an interception by Larry Foote because the pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by one of the defensive linemen. The worse part is that the Chargers had excellent field position as a result of Darren Sproles huge kick off return of 64 yards. Talk about depressing. The Chargers only had the ball in the third quarter for about two seconds. They were going to get another possession after Chargers defense made the Steelers punt but the Chargers muffed the punt. The football bounced off the head of Eric Weddle who had no clue that the ball was coming. William Gay of the Steelers recovered the ball. That was the last chance for the Chargers to have a drive in the 3rd quarter.

In the 4th quarter, Chargers managed to score two touchdowns threw the air. Actually, Phillip Rivers ended up with great game. Here is his statline: 21/35 for 308 yards with three touchdowns and 1 interception. I'm sure Jake Delhomme would love to have that statline. The Chargers didn't play that bad, at least offensively.

Defense is another story. The Chargers defense had no answer for the running of Willie Parker. The Steelers star running back dominated the game on the ground. Here is his statline: 27 rushes for 146 yards and two touchdowns. He was back to his old self after suffering through injuries in the regular season. His running helped the Steelers take over the game in the second half. The Steelers offense dominated the second time of possession, especially in the third quarter. They had a TD drive with the time of 7:04. That was their first possession of the second half. After getting intercepting Rivers pass, the Steelers had a time of possession that lasted longer than 4 minutes, even though the drive ended in a punt. After the muffed punt by the Chargers, the Steelers had a TD drive with the time of possession of 12:52. Now that is how you keep the opposing team's offense on the sidelines. The amazing thing is that the Steelers got touchdowns instead of field goals on those long drives. The Chargers just couldn't stop the run or stop the pass in obvious passing situations.

Ben Rothlisberger did what he was suppose to do in this game. He took care of the football. Rothlisberger was 17/26 for 181 yards and one touchdown and no interceptions. He managed the game and completed passes when he had to do it. It helps to have a star running back in Willie Parker healthy and dominating on the ground. Running backs make the game a whole lot easier for quarterbacks.

The Steelers defense did what they had to do in the first half. In the second half, they barely take the field in the third quarter as the offense dominated the time of possession. In the fourth quarter though, Steelers defense didn't look great as Rivers was able to drop back and pass with relative ease. He threw a 62 yard pass Sproles who ran a slant route and just ran away from the defense. The Chargers touchdown scoring drives in the fourth quarter saw little resistance. However, the Steelers defense play well enough to get the win, thanks to the offense.

The Steelers move on to the AFC Championship game to face the Ravens. These two teams don't like each other. It should be a slugfest between the two defense, but somehow, I think the offenses will shine as these two teams know each really well. If it is high scoring, that game would not favor the Ravens. Go Ravens!

The Eagles Beat the Giants in Giants Stadium

Going into this game, all eyes were going to be Brian Westbrook because the last time he was in Giants Stadium, he gave the Giants defense a beating that they'll never forget. There were some eyes on Donovan McNabb too. The controversy about not knowing there is a tie in football and the benching heard around the world follow McNabb all season long. The Eagles won 23-11 while hanging their hats on the defense.

The Giants settled for field goals in the redzone while the Eagles scored touchdowns. The game got off to a huge start for the Giants as Ahmed Bradshaw had a long kick return on the opening kickoff. The return was for 65 yards and started the Giants off Eagles territory. The drive resulted in a field goal as the Giants were not successful inside the Eagles 10 yard line. On the next drive for the Giants, the Eagles get an interception by Asante Samuel that was return inside the Giants 5 yard line. The Eagles pressured Manning in the pocket and Manning overthrows Domenik Hixon by a wide margin. The wind could have been a factor as the ball sailed on Manning.

Throughout the game, Manning did not look comfortable in the pocket as Jim Johnson was blitzing every chance he had. Some of the balls thrown by Manning came out wobbling. The wind was blowing but not by much. McNabb didn't have problems throwing the football as he was rifling passes to Jason Avant and DeSean Jackson. Manning just couldn't gain a grip on the football as numerous passes were sailing or falling short to it's intended targets. This was not the best game for the Giants quarterback but it was hardly his worst.

There was some questionable playcalling from the Giants. They had an important 4th and 1 in the 4th quarter near the 50 yard line. The Giants chose to use a quarterback sneak instead of Brandon Jacobs. The Giants didn't get the first down. Why not use your 6'4" 265lb running back to get you a couple of inches? On a separate drive, the Giants had a 4th and 2. They chose to run Brandon Jacobs and didn't get it. The Eagles had virtually all 11 players in the box to stop the run which they did. Why not play action pass in this situation? Second thought, this might a little nitpicking right here, but the Eagles knew Jacobs was going to get the ball in this situation.

In the end, McNabb made the plays that he had to make and helped his team score touchdowns. The Giants settled for field goals and their kicker missed two other field goals in the game. That sums up this game in it's entirety. The Eagles move on to play the Arizona Cardinals in Arizona. The Eagles have less question marks than the Cardinals right now, who are not sure if Anquan Boldin will play on Sunday and played two opponents with quarterbacks that made bad and mind-boggling mistakes. McNabb will take better care of the football and not give the Cardinals a short field to work. Everyone knows that Jim Johnson will be blitzing early and often in this game. Can the Cardinals run the football? Can the Eagles get to Kurt Warner? Those questions will get answered this Sunday.

Arizona Cardinals Defeated the Carolina Panthers

This game had Panthers winning by wide margin written all over it. I thought there was no way the Cardinals could stop the Panthers running game with Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. I thought the victory over the Falcons was a mirage. Yet, the victor was the Arizona Cardinals via a blow out.

For whatever reason, the Panthers just let Larry Fitzgerald roam free in the secondary. The Panthers played a lot of zone coverage and let Fitzgerald get free release off the line of scrimmage. They barely double teamed Fitzgerald. The gameplan for the Panthers was terrible. The defense wasn't getting any pressure on Kurt Warner at all in the first half. Warner picked them apart as a result of their lack of a pass rush. The Panthers had to stop one guy by the name of Larry Fitzgerald and they didn't. It helped cost them the game. The defense played well in the second half giving up only 6 points but the game was over by halftime. H-A-L-F-T-I-M-E! The Cardinals won this game at halftime! Unbelieveable!

You know what was worse? Jake Delhomme. Delhomme was awful. Pathetic. Atrocious. Terrible. Dreadful. He was just plain bad. Delhomme made rookie mistakes in this game: holding on to the football too long, staring down receivers, specifically Steve Smith, didn't read the coverage correctly at all and throwing balls into double coverage. The former NFL Europe star made Joe Flacco look like a 10 year HOF bound veteran. This loss is on Jake Christopher Delhomme. Delhomme's turnovers came at inopportune times. On the first play of the Panthers 3rd drive, Jake Delhomme holds onto the football far too long and fumbles the football. Antonio Smith gets the sack, forced fumble, and recovered the fumble. That is what could happen when holding onto the football for too long. Delhomme threw two interceptions in the redzone. He also turned the ball on twice on the first play of drives. Yikes!

I can't believe John Foxx didn't insert Matt Moore into the game. Delhomme did not deserve to finish the game. Matt Moore couldn't have worsened the situation. I don't think anybody could've played worse than how Delhomme did in this game, that includes Brett Favre. If I am the Panthers GM, I'm looking for a franchise quarterback. When Delhomme is good, he is great. When Delhomme is bad, he is downright dreadful. He is 33 and shouldn't have made those mistakes he made in this game. Panthers need a franchise quarterback or start Matt Moore, who did win a NFC Offensive Player of Month during his rookie campaign. They need a change at the quarterback position.

As for the Arizona Cardinals, they'll be playing against the Eagles next Sunday. I'm not sold on the Cardinals yet. I will be if they beat the Eagles, but I do not think that is going to happen. Each team they've played was one-dimensional, and neither opponent had a quarterback on the level of Donovan McNabb. The Eagles won't let Kurt Warner have all day to throw in the pocket. Jim Johnson will bring more defenders than the Cardinals can block on nearly every play. Either way, the game will be fun to watch.

The Great Escape

The Ravens and Titans renewed their rivalry on Saturday. The Ravens and Titans used to play each other twice a year in the old AFC Central before the expansion of the AFC. There were many battles between these two teams. Eddie George vs Ray Lewis. Chris McAlister vs Kevin Dyson. Enroute to their Super Bowl victory over the New York Giants, the Ravens had to go through Tennessee to get there, which they did and the score was 24-10. These two teams met again on Saturday and the result was the same as the Ravens defeated the Titans 13-10.

The game was a defensive affair with two of the top 3 defenses in the league playing in this game. Each team traded touchdowns in different fashions in the first quarter. The Titans touchdown drive can be summed up in two words: Chris Johnson. On that drive, Johnson's speed gave the Ravens defense fits. He had a huge gain of 28 yards after Collins dumps ball out to him in the flat. He makes Bart Scott miss and his speed took over from there. Later in the drive, Chris Johnson scores on a run to the right side, practically beating the Ravens defenders to the spot enroute to the touchdown. His speed was apparent even though the field was slick at the beginning of the game. The Ravens' touchdown scoring drive was helped by a roughing the passer penalty by the Titans along with a couple runs. The actual TD was scored by Derrick Mason on a pass from Joe Flacco. The pass was a frozen rope to Mason as Flacco was showed off his cannon.

The game would change in change the 2nd quarter as the Ravens finally got their legs underneath them. In the beginning of the game, the Ravens defense looked slow and tired as they have been playing football every week since their bye week and had a short week again. Chris Johnson was making them look silly on the football, seemingly always making the first man miss on any given play. However, the Ravens began to assert themselves. On the last two drives of the second quarter, the Titans were able to get deep into Ravens territory. The results were an interception and a fumble. Pressure on the quarter forced the interception as the Ravens sent more defenders than the Titans can blocked, which forced Collins to throw off his back to Samari Rolle. The fumble happened as the Titans were in position to get either a field goal or a touchdown. LenDale White fumbled the football. He did have the football in the correct hand but the football was out away from his body which led to a fumble. Jim Leonhard recovered the fumble. Disaster was avoided in the first half for the Ravens.

In the second half, the two exchanged punts in the 3rd quarter, and in the 4th quarter things got interesting. Before the 3rd quarter ended, the Ravens had the ball. Flacco made a big connection to Mark Clayton for 37 yard gain. Clayton caught the ball in between two defenders. A couple of plays later, Stover hits a field goal. The Titans could not getting going in the second half until late in the game when they repeatedly beat the Ravens on slant routes and other short intermediate routes. They were deep in the redzone when Alge Crumpler fumble the football as the two Ravens hit him low and high. Those two Ravens were Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard, respectively. Jim Leonhard subsequently got a concussion because of the hit he gave to Crumpler. Fabian Washington recovered the fumble. On the ensuing possession for the Ravens, their offense goes three and out. They played it safe on that possession as they were inside their own 5 yard line. Titans get the ball and moves into field goal range for a Rob Bironas field goal which was good.

The Ravens had the drive of the game on their next possession. They held the football for four minutes. The drive was not without controversy. Flacco pass to Todd Heap for a 23 yard gain that the Ravens in Titans territory should have counted as the play clock was at zero for more than two seconds. There should have been a delay of game penalty called against the Ravens but that didn't happen. Since that catch, the Ravens were able to move to the Titans 25 yard line and Matt Stover kicked a 43 yard field goal which was good. That drive left only 47 seconds for the Titans on their next possession. The Titans only gained 5 yards on their drive and couldn't convert on fourth down. Game over.

The Ravens will be on the road again next Sunday as they face another rival in the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is no love lost between these two teams. The Steelers swept the season series. The Ravens will look to win the big game in enroute to their second franchise Super Bowl appearance. Go Ravens!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Knicks Might Re-sign David Lee

I think New York Knicks may want to re-sign David Lee instead of trading him. Here are a few things from the article:
Lee will be a restricted free agent this summer after the Knicks were unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension before the start of the season. It is believed that Lee, who will make $1.7 million this season, was seeking about $10 million per season in a new deal.

With the focus on having salary-cap space for 2010, Donnie Walsh wasn't inclined to give out lavish raises off a 23-win team. But after watching Lee for almost half a season, Walsh has told confidants that he has changed his mind about Lee.

"Unless someone blows them away with a trade," one source said, "[Lee] was told the preference is to sign him to a long-term extension."

One way the Knicks - who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday - can fit Lee into the budget and still have potentially more than $40 million in salary-cap space for the summer of 2010 is to trade Eddy Curry, who will make $11.2 million in 2010-11. Of course, Walsh also has to make a decision on Nate Robinson, the team's other restricted free agent this summer.

David Lee wants $10 million a year for his services, at least that is what his agent is trying to get him. That contract demand is tough. I don't know if I would give him that contract. Lee is a good player, but he is a role player. He can't defend even though he tries his hardest to defend. He has a good 15 footer, but Lee is pretty much a hustle player who rebound the basketball with the best of them. If I'm the Knicks, I wouldn't pay Lee that much money. He is simply not worth it. Maybe the Knicks and Lee's agent can meet somewhere in the middle.

Possibly Playing for Dad

This could be a dream come true for Coby Karl and coach/dad George Karl. Coby Karl played for the LA Lakers, though he didn't get much playing time because the Lakers already have another young point guard entrenched as a back-up in Jordan Farmar. Would Karl get any tick with the Nuggets? Maybe. The Nuggets already have Anthony Carter backing up Chauncey Billups, and J.R. Smith has been playing some point guard too. This transaction was bound to happen since Coby Karl was cut by the Lakers. Good luck to the Karls!

Monta Ellis Nearing His Return to the Court

Monta Ellis did his first drill since the accident. The practice was an odd man fast breaking drill. Here are a few quotes from Don Nelson on Monta Ellis:

“Way better than I thought he would be,” Warriors coach Don Nelson said. “He’s an amazing athlete.”

“It’s probably the lightest thing that we do, and that’s why we had him participate,” Nelson said. “It’s not a practice. It’s very little contact, but it is some defenders out there.”
Monta Ellis will probably return to the court in the middle of February. When he returns, the Golden State Warriors will have a glut of guards on the roster. Because of that problem, Jamal Crawford has given some thought to exercising his early termination option. I can understand why he would. His touches would significantly diminish when Monta Ellis returns. The Warriors already have Marco Belinelli, Kelenna Azubuike, and Anthony Morrow. You add the possibility of Corey Maggette and Stephen Jackson being able to score 20 points a night and play Crawford position, then it is understandable why Crawford would have reservations about staying in Golden State. The other wildcard in the discussion is Don Nelson. Nelson's commitment to the players and organization has been questioned all season.

Is there any team out there that needs a bonafide scorer who doesn't play a lick of defense? I can't think any team right now. Maybe the Dallas Mavericks could use his scoring for their bench. Would the Warriors trade Crawford for Jerry Stackhouse and possibly Brandon Bass? The Mavericks would probably say no to that trade because Brandon Bass is a good young player who has blossomed since becoming a Maverick.

Vujacic 'Doesn't Have a Brain'

Phil Jackson is always good for quotes. Here is what he had to say about Sasha Vujacic:

"We've just had to come to the conclusion that Sasha is an emotional player who plays by the seat of his pants, and that's about it. He just doesn't have a brain. He's just out there whacking away, working really hard, but a lot of times he's playing by the seat of his pants. He doesn't use his head out there at times.

"We're working with him. We're hoping he learns."

Friday, January 9, 2009

Three Ravens Made the NFL All-Pro Team

The Associated Press has released their roster of the 2008 NFL All-Pro team. Three Ravens have made the roster: Le'Ron McClain, Ed Reed, and Ray Lewis. Here are the stats for each player:

Le'Ron McClain: 232 rushes, 906 yards rushing, 10 TDs, 19 receptions, 123 yards, one touchdown

Ed Reed: 41 tackles; 34 of them solo, one sack, 9 interceptions, 2 touchdowns

Ray Lewis: 117 tackles; 85 of them solo, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions

Congrats to these Ravens teammates. Beat Tennessee!

Associated Press Top 25

With the college football season completed, the Associated Press released their season-ending top 25.

The Associated Press Top 25 Poll

Rank Team Record Votes
Previous










1 Florida (48) 13-1 1,606 1


2 Utah (16) 13-0 1,519 7


3 USC (1) 12-1 1,481 5


4 Texas 12-1 1,478 3


5 Oklahoma 12-2 1,391 2


6 Alabama 12-2 1,264 4


7 TCU 11-2 1,193 11


8 Penn State 11-2 1,153 6


9 Ohio State 10-3 1,013 10


10 Oregon 10-3 997 15


11 Boise State 12-1 938 9


12 Texas Tech 11-2 916 8


13 Georgia 10-3 903 16


14 Mississippi 9-4 857 20


15 Virginia Tech 10-4 713 21


16 Oklahoma State 9-4 534 13


17 Cincinnati 11-3 506 12


18 Oregon State 9-4 467 24


19 Missouri 10-4 435 25


20 Iowa 9-4 317 NR


21 Florida State 9-4 246 NR


22 Georgia Tech 9-4 223 14


23 West Virginia 9-4 144 NR


24 Michigan State 9-4 138 19


25 Brigham Young 10-3 137 17




The Utah Utes at number 2 doesn't surprise me. They are very good team. The Utes did give the Crimson Tide a beating. They are an underrated team. Brian Johnson is as advertise and possibly better. Their defense is solid too. The Utah Utes are a good all-around team.

I have problems with the ranking of the Penn State Nitany Lions. I'm a big fan of Joe Paterno, but that ranking is undeserved. They were blown to oblivion by the USC Trojans. They should fall out of the top 10, possibly to 11 or 12. Oregon should take their spot with Boise State moving up inside the top 10.

All the other rankings are fine with me. Maybe Alabama could be ranked lower along with Texas Tech, but that would be nitpicking, at least in the latter's case. Maybe. Look, Ole Miss gave Texas Tech the business during their bowl game battle. How they are still ranked ahead of Ole Miss is beyond me. Maybe the voters should go watch the game again. Whatever. See ya'll next year.

The Florida Gators Win Another BCS National Championship

Going into the game, I thought the Oklahoma Sooners had legitimate shot at winning the title. I actually picked them to upset the Gators. I thought most experts underrated the Sooners defense and the entire team's speed. In comparison to the Florida Gators speed, the Sooners team speed falls short. I wouldn't say WAY short but there is a good distance between the two. That is why they play the games. Florida defeated Oklahoma 24-14.

Florida's defense held the nation's best offense to 14 points. The secondary of the Gators had great game. They were physical at the line of scrimmage and down the field against the receivers. The Gator defense made Bradford check down on numerous occasions. The Sooners' deep routes were non-existent for the most part in the game. The Sooner receivers were running shorter and shorter routes as the game progressed. When the Gators defense saw that, they started taking those routes away, especially in the fourth quarter when the Sooners were behind in the game. All in all, the Florida defense played a good game.

Offensively, the Gators were so-so until the second half. In the first half, the Gators struggled passing and running the ball. Tim Tebow threw two interceptions. One of the interceptions was poorly thrown, and the other was a byproduct of the defense that was called. The defense that was called on that play was a zone blitz. Gerald McCoy was one of the linemen dropping back in the zone and he had the second interception. One play that was effective in the first half for the Gators was the triple option. The triple option made the Sooner defense have to defend the quarterback keeper, a pitch to the running back, and a shovel pass to the tight end. This play is what helped the Gator offense in the second half. The Sooners just could not defend that play. Tim Tebow and the Gator offense were able to find their rhythm in the second half because of that play. Tebow ran more quarterback design runs. In fourth quarter though, Tebow's arm is what got the job done for the Gators along with Percy Harvin, who was questionable before the game started. Tebow was accurate throwing from the pocket or on the run to his left. He threw in stride to his receivers and making the correct decisions. The former Heisman winner even did his patented jump pass for a touchdown. Tebow's statline was 18/30 for 232 yards for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Tebow also had 22 carries for 108 yards. Percy Harvin's contributions can't go unnoticed. Harvin had 9 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown. He also had 5 catches for 50 yards.

The Sooners played well. I wasn't surprised about how well they played. They are a very talented team. Anyway, the Sooners came up short. The Sooners offense certainly had their opportunities. After getting the second interception thrown by Tim Tebow, the Sooners were given excellent field position with the opportunity to score first. That drive yielded no points. The Sooners moved the ball inside the Gators 5 yard line. Actually, they had the ball at the goal line. The Gators stopped them four straight times. Yes, FOUR times! For whatever reason, Bob Stoops chose to go for it on fourth and the play was a run play. The Gators stopped the Sooners on the three previous plays that were run plays. When going for the touchdown on fourth down, why not go play action? Why even go for it on fourth down anyway? Before Bob Stoops went into the tunnel for halftime, when questioned about going for it on fourth down on that drive, Stoops said something along the lines of that's how the Sooners play. Really? You're in a national championship game against a tough Florida Gator defense, so you know opportunities to score are few and far in between. You should take the three points and move on. Nope. Not Stoops. This is Sooner football and going for it on fourth down is how we play. Anyway, the Sooners beat themselves once more before halftime with Sam Bradford throwing an interception in the redzone. He tried to fit the ball in tight coverage by the corner on the receiver. Bradford has to know that the only time you throw the ball in the redzone is if the receiver is wide open or has separation from his defender. That pass was just a bad decision from Bradford. For the rest of the game, the Sooner receivers were locked up by the Gator corners. They couldn't get any separation from the cornerbacks. Jermaine Gresham, a tight end, was the Sooners only mismatch on the field. He caught two touchdown passes in the game. Everybody else was locked up. Sooners did have a running game with Patrick Brown, but the running game was non-existent in the fourth quarter as the Sooners had to become a throwing team because of the deficit. Not a poor showing from the Sooner offense, but they could have done better for themselves with better decision making and with less mental lapses on offense.

Simply put, the Sooner defense could not defend the triple option to save their lives. Aaron Hernandez continued to catch shovel passes from the triple option because the Sooner defense just wasn't playing him. The Gators' speed on offense began to show itself in the second starting with Percy Harvin. They did not have any answers for the speedster. He was making tacklers miss and miss badly and cutting on that bad ankle as if it never existed. His speed was zapped a a little but he was still faster than most of the Sooners defenders. The only bright spot for the Sooners on defense was Gerald McCoy. He had a good game including an interception. He also has good hands for a big fella.

The game was another tough lost for the Oklahoma Sooners, and another championship banner for the Florida Gators and Urban Meyer. If I had to guess, Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow will return to school. The latter is more likely than the former. The reason that I think Bradford will return is because the Sooners have another chance to get to the title game again and they might have a healthy DeMarco Murray too.

The title game wasn't what many expected it to be. It was a defensive struggle for most of the game. Oklahoma Sooners' defense was the defense that blinked first and the Florida Gators took advantage enroute to their second BCS Championship in three years. Congrats to the Florida Gators!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

NBA News and Rumors

There aren't many rumors today or noteworthy news in the NBA.

The Nuggets made a move to get under the luxury-tax threshold. Cheikh Samb was traded to the Clippers for a conditional second round pick in 2015. Are the Clippers about to move one of their big man such as Chris Kaman or Marcus Camby? Probably not. The Clippers did cut a couple of players from their roster. Maybe the Celtics could use a big man such as Paul Davis.

The Miami HEAT have released Shaun Livingston. The Lakers could use the length of Shaun Livingston at their point guard spot. How about a lineup of Livingston, Vujacic, Ariza, Odom, and Mihm or Powell? There is a lot of height in that lineup. Phil jackson has wanted his point guards to be long and lanky. I doubt it'll happen, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

Ohio State Loses Another BCS Bowl Game

The Ohio State Buckeyes haven't been great in their last three BCS bowl games. Two seasons ago, the Buckeyes were embarrassed in the National Championship game by the Florida Gators 41-14. Last year, the Buckeyes lost to the LSU Tigers in another National Championship game. Last night, the Buckeyes had a chance to beat the Texas Longhorns. They were leading with 1:58 seconds left in the game. The outcome was more of the same for the Buckeyes as they lost 24-21 to the Longhorns.

The Buckeyes played really well as an underdog. There was no pressure on them to win the game as they were a 10 point underdog agains the explosive Longhorns. To hold the Longhorns to only 24 points is quite an accomplishment. Terrelle Pryor didn't have the greatest game in the world. His stat line was 5/14 for 66 yards and had zero touchdowns or turnovers. He also ran 15 times for 78 yards. Pryor kept his team in the game by managing the game. His stats aren't what you want to see out of the quarterback position but he made good decisions with the football. I thought he threw the football better on the run than in the pocket. He was way off the mark while in the pocket. He kept drives alive with his legs, moving his team into Longhorns territory. The Buckeyes had to settle for field goals though. Chris "Beanie" Wells had a big game too, but left the game late due to injury and never returned. Todd Boeckman was the most effective QB for the Buckeyes because of his ability to throw the football. He even threw a touchdown to Terrelle Pryor. Pryor made it look easy as a wide receiver. The playcalling in this game for the Buckeyes was about as good as there could be in a collegiate game. Most of their drives stalled because Pryor couldn't keep the Longhorns defense honest with his arm, ill-advised penalties, and good defense the Longhorns.

Defensively, the Buckeyes did everything that they could to slow down the high-powered offense of the Longhorns. They blitzed Colt McCoy with every chance they had. The Buckeyes brought more defenders than the Longhorns had blockers. The blitz made McCoy get rid of the football quicker than he would like. The blitz did force a poor throw from McCoy in the redzone which resulted in an interception that helped end the first half. Even though the Buckeyes defense played really well in this game, the game did have a "just a matter of time" feel for it as the Longhorns offense was a little out of sync.

That feeling came fruition in the third quarter, as Colt McCoy began to find his rhythm. The blitz from the Buckeyes bothered him in the first half, but the second half was a different story. McCoy's favorite target in the game was Quan Crosby who had a ridiculous game. Crosby's stat line was 14 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns. While McCoy found his rhythm throwing, he finally chose his spots to use his legs to keep drives alive. I don't think McCoy even tried to use his legs in the first half. He threw a touchdown to Quan Crosby in the end zone on crossing route for a touchdown, and ran for a TD which included a nice spin to elude a would-be tackler. The running game of the Longhorns was non-existant. There were a few positive gains in the gain, but the Longhorns pretty much won the game on the arm of McCoy. He had a stat line of 41/59 for 414 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The interception probably cost the Longhorns at least a field goal as it happened in the redzone at the end of the second quarter. Here is my play-by-play of the Longhorns touchdown winning drive (it's in all CAPs; so my bad):

WITH 1:58 LEFT IN THE GAME, COLT MCCOY CROWNS THEIR ASSES. QUAN CROSBY SEVEN YARD CATCH, QUAN CROSBY FOR THE FIRST DOWN, INCOMPLETION TO QUAN CROSBY, MCCOY RUNS FOR A TWO YARD GAIN, BRANDON COLLINS FOR THE FIRST DOWN GRAB, BRANDON COLLINS FOR AN EIGHT YARD GAIN, INCOMPLETION TO COLLINS, PASS ATTEMPT BLOCKED BY A LINEMAN (ZONE COVERAGE ON THE PLAY), FIRST DOWN GRAB BY JAMES KIRKENDOLL, FIRST GRAB BY COLLINS, QUAN CROSBY FOR THE TOUCHDOWN ON A SLANT ROUTE, GOOD MORNING GOOD AFTERNOON GOOD NIGHT!

That is actually not bad. One of these days, I'll take over for Jim Nantz.

Anyway, the Longhorn defense had some problems defending Terrelle Pryor's ability to run the football and stopping the run in general. Beanie Wells was running through and around that defense until he got injured. However, they held the Buckeyes to 21 points. That isn't bad. Could be worse. Brian Orakpo will be a solid NFL pro. He has been getting by on his strength and speed with no real go-to move. With solid coaching at the next level, he could be on par with Terrell Suggs, at least that is who he reminds me of at the moment.

Texas could be scary next year with Colt McCoy returning for his senior season. He'll have host of talents at his disposal. Most of their starters are returning on defense with Henry Melton, Brian Orakpo, Aaron Lewis, and Roy Miller moving on to the next level. It'll be a young group but very talented. The Big 12 is in trouble.