BCS: More like Show Me the Money

Dear MR. NCAA,

I am sick and tired of hearing about the BCS.  You make the claim that going to a playoff system would water down the regular season. You make the claim that every game means something…I will stop right there.   Personally, I don’t see how a playoff system would water down the regular season.  I don’t see how it is okay to have a playoff system at every other level. I guess D-IA (aka FCS)-D3 mean nothing, the only level that you don’t want watered down is D-I aka FBS.  The claim that every game impacts the BCS standing is just a lie.  This coming weekend (or should I say week, since the only two days teams don’t play games are Sunday and Monday, but only when there is NFL football, otherwise any day is fair game) not ONE single game will have an impact on the BCS standing.  This year could turn into a mess, I for one don’t want to see and LSU-Bama rematch for the title. Why you ask? We’ve been there done that already. It’s was late in the season, if it was earlier in the year I would be all for it, but not now.  So I am here today to propose a playoff system that I believe could work, it might even make more money than the current system.  We all know the only thing the NCAA cares about is money. So here goes nothing.

My idea is a 16-team playoff system, starting a week after the conference championship games and ending either the first weekend in January or some time that week.  This would help the teams because a month layoff hurts timing that the team develops over the year. Oh wait, you don’t care about the game you want to hear about the money. Sorry I will get to that for you, Mr. NCAA. This system would yield a total of 15 games.  Each game could use a current bowl game for its title, since we don’t need any more bowl games.  This is the part you will like this allows you or whoever charges the company to attach their name to a bowl more money.  Which allows for a bigger TV contract since all the games are bundled together, again more money.  Also, the playoff system would allow for the game to be decided on the field, and not on a computer or a coach who ranks his own team.  This would also allow for all other bowl games to be played, but for the love of God stop with all the bowl games.  I love football but I don’t want to see two 6-6 teams battle it out.  The bowls should be a privilege not a right, and right now more than half of D-I teams make a bowl game. This is the first grade where everyone gets a ribbon for taking part.

I am open for ideas on how to come up with the 16 teams.  My idea is to use the BCS standing (I know the NCAA does not want to get rid of it) that takes the top 16 teams.  But like the current rules no more than 2 teams per conference, be willing to up it to 3.  No more AQ, unless every conference gets one.  No teams should have the right to play in the post season because they were the best in their conference at 6-6, I am looking at you UCLA, who would be the Pac-12 rep if they beat Oregon, but that’s a really big IF, but anything can happen.

So to recap

1.      16 team playoff

2.      More money

3.      Chance for more money

4.      BCS can still be used

5.      Did I say more money?

Thank You,

A concerned NCAA fan

Also a retired D3 football player (Can I get some kind of pension)

Is Devin Hester a Hall Of Famer?

As of right now, I say NO.  Without a doubt he is the greatest return man in the history of the game, but this does not equate to being Hall of Fame worthy. It’s hard for someone to make it as a special team player into the hall.  Take a guess at how many guys that were just special team players are in the hall... if you said one you are right.  The only player that was a special team’s player is Jan Stenerud; he was a place kicker who played 18 years. He scored 1,699 points, had a 66.8% success rate at kicking field goals and 96.5% on extra points. 

It is hard for a special teamer into make it to the hall.  For the simple fact they are on the field for so few plays a game.  Last year Marc Mariani had the most Kick Returns in the NFL with 60 over a course of a season; that is an average of 3.75 times a game. Tramon Williams lead the NFL in punt returns with 41 over a course of a season; that is an average of 2.56 times a game. 

Now these are both the top return guys from each category, not taking into account times when they did not return the ball.  However, it gives a general idea of the number of plays that they were on the field.  Taking the numbers and combining them leads to 101 plays on the field.  I’ll add the top number of fair catchers on punts, which was 21 last years.  So the total now stands at 122 plays in a season or 7.63 plays a game.

I understand that the number of kick/punt returns is not comparable to the number of plays on offense but it puts things into perspective.

Last year the team that ran the most plays during the course of the season was the Atlanta Falcons, who ran 1,097 plays on offense.  Which comes to an average of 68.56 plays a game.  Taking the team that ran the least amount of plays it comes out to 56.69 plays a game, the Titans ran the least plays a game a total 907 plays last year. 

Last year in the NFL there were a total of 32,319 offense plays ran. This is an average of 1,009.97 plays a team for the year and 63.12 play a game for each team.

Now looking at the average plays per game 63.12 and the average number of kick/punt returns a game 7.63; it takes 8.27 games for a kick/punt returner to equal the number of plays that a member of the offense is on the field for a single game.  So it takes almost a whole year for a kick/punt returner to play the equivalent number of plays that a member of the offense participates in during the course of two games.  As a result, takes a returner eight years to participate in the same number of plays as an offensive player does in one year.

Throughout Hester’s career he has returned 128 kicks and 189 punts, in 83 total games.  His combined total return is 3.8 per game, when adding his 52 fair catches it comes to 4.45 a game. Just last year Hester averaged 3.4 return-plays a game, including fair catches.  He had a total of 55 returns and fair catches.

The Bears had a total of 936 plays last year on offense. That comes out to 60.19 plays a game.  Hester only had 55 total returns last year, so he did not even play a full game based on the average number of plays the Bears had per game.

This year the Bears through seven games are averaging, 60.14 plays a game on offense. While Hester is averaging 4.42 returns a game.  He has played one half of football so far this season, as he has been involved in 31 total plays.

I understand that Hester has an impact on the game, on more than just his returns.  Some teams elect to kick the ball out of bounds on a punt instead of kicking it to him.  Also, fin the battle for field position they can flip the field advantage to their respective team.  A long return can spark a team even if it is not a touchdown.

Now Hester owns many records as a return man, he owns the career total kick/punt return for touchdown record for returns with 16.  When all is said and done he will most likely own the record for more returns for touchdowns, this includes all type of returns (punts, kicks, missed field goals, fumbles, and interceptions).

I think for Hester to make the Hall of Fame, based just on his special team accomplishments, he needs to end his career with about 25-30 returns for touchdowns.  This is going to be very hard to do, if not impossible. Another way Hester can make the Hall of Fame is if he improves himself as a wide receiver.

Now realistically Hester can improve as a wide receiver as he is still just learning to play the position. There are only a few receivers in the league that have been playing the position shorter then Hester. He is only in his fifth year playing wide receiver.  Hester will never be a number one receiver however; he can be a good slot receiver. There is no other player in the league that can run with him in the open field.  If you think there is watch his punt/kick returns, the cuts he makes and his vision are unbelievable.   

The biggest problem is that the Bears have no receivers, so Hester is made to play on the outside.  This is a problem for him because he can’t use his skill set, because he is easily jammed, due to his small stature.  It is much harder to jam a slot receiver, which would allow Hester to get off the ball clean.  His best game this year came when he played the slot the most against the Vikings, where he had five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown.

If Hester can somehow get to around 8,000 yards and 50 touchdowns as a receiver I think he has a great chance to make the Hall of Fame if he does not return another kick for a touchdown.  However, Hester would need 5,496 more yards to get to 8,000 and 37 more touchdowns to get to 50.  Can he do it? I am not sure, but I would love to see it happen.

More than just a whistle: Coaches

Coaching is one of the hardest professions in the world and one that people undervalue every day. As fans we turn on the TV or attend a game, that's about all we can do as fans. Sure we can try and coach from the stands and tell everyone around us what the coaches are doing wrong, that's the easiest part of any game. Another easy spot on the team is the armchair quarterback; sure it's easy to see where the quarterback should have went with the ball on the 2nd or 3rd replay. But it's not that easy in full speed with guys flying all around.

A good coach puts everything they have into improving their team.  However, when it comes down to the outcome of a single game itself, it's really not up to the coach whenever the team wins or loses. Sure a coach can make a few bad decisions during a game or at the end of a game, which many view as the calls that lost the game. However, that is not always the case. As Bob Conwell, one of my football coaches would say there are five plays that change a game. After hearing this for the first time I did not believe it, but it really does hold true.  Take any football game, there are five plays with-in that game that either won or lost your team the game. Sometimes the play seems like the littlest thing at the time, but it can have a major impact on the game in the end. The game comes down to the players not the coach.  The reason for this is that good players can overcome bad coaching, but good coaching can't overcome bad players.

When it comes to sports everyone wants to win, just like many other facets of life. But no one wants to win more than a coach. No one puts more work into the team or upcoming game as a coach.


Coaching can really take its toll on someone when their team isn't winning or playing well.  As a society we have been taught that winning on the field is the only thing that matters.  Society does not care what a coach does off the field, for their players or anyone else. The only thing people care about is what the team does on the field. But to be a good coach, they can not concern themselves with just the results on the field they also have to be concerned about the development  of the players on their team.  A coach plays a major role in shaping a player for the rest of their lives. Coaching is like teaching, but in a different classroom.  The subject a coach teaches depends on the sport in which they coach. However, all coaches teach players life lessons that will be instilled in the players the rest of their lives.

Cubs right divison, wrong team for GM

The Chicago Cubs are looking in the right division, but the wrong team for their new General Manager.  The Cubs should be looking at Tampa Bay Rays Andrew Friedman; he fits Tom Ricketts baseball philosophy.  On October 30, 2009 in Rickett’s first press conference as the new Cubs owner, Ricketts stated “We've realized there is no magic bullet, no one player you can sign," he said. "The only way you're going to do it is drafting and developing the right players and coaching them through the system and being consistent with how that talent comes up the system to give the general manager the flexibility to put the best team on the field.”  The Cubs have already begun the process of improving their minor league system, and upgrading their international scouting.  Also, they upgraded their facility in the Dominican Republic.

Theo Epstein is a good GM but I am not sure he is the right fit for the Cubs.  Epstein has had what seems like an endless bank role.  Now the Cubs are a big market team, but they are also a team looking to cut payroll over the next few years.  However, Ricketts does not seem like he wants to spend a bunch of money on free agents.  Ricketts would rather build a team from within, as he stated at his first press conference.  Which has not been Epstein strong point over the years, he has been better at finding free agents and trading for players.  Now yes, the Red Sox have had a pretty good farm system over the years, but most of their impact players have been brought in from the outside.  The biggest reason I think Epstein is a good fit for the Cubs is because he ended the Red Sox drought.

Andrew Friedman has done the most with so little.  The Rays are a small market team.  The market doesn’t even seem to care about them; they can’t even sellout playoff games.  Friedman has been the GM of the Rays since November 3, 2005.  Before Friedman was named GM the Rays never one more then 70 games. Since then the Rays have consecutively won over 70 games the last four years.  There have only been two years that the Rays did not win over 70 games and they were his first two years as GM.  The Rays have been to the playoffs three times since Friedman took over, which equates to half his time as a GM. These stats are very remarkable since the Rays play in the AL East, with the Yankees and Red Sox.  The Rays payroll this year was 41.053 million dollars.  In comparison the Yankees payroll was 202.689 million and the Red Sox payroll was 161.762 million.  The Rays could play for almost four years with their roster before they would even reach the Red Sox payroll for one year.  The Cubs are looking to cut payroll, which will still be more the Friedman has ever had to spend down in Tampa.  Epstein has never had a payroll under 120 million. Friedman has never had a payroll over 71 million.  From my understanding the Cubs are looking to have a payroll around a 100 million.  I believe that Friedman would be able to get the most out of those 100 million dollars.

The Rays minor league system has been rank in the top five for many years. This year it is ranked number three, last year it was number one.  Compared to the Red Sox which is ranked fourteenth, last year it was eleventh. Ricketts is looking to build from the inside out; this is something Friedman has been able to do down in Tampa.  Epstein has been better at building from the outside in, bringing in free agents and trading for prospects.  If Ricketts truly believes in his statement about how he thinks a team needs to build a team to win consistently. The better fit would seem to be Friedman and not Epstein.

Neither one is a bad choice, but the one that seems to fit the Ricketts baseball philosophy is Friedman. 

**This is a little late, as sources claim the Cubs have agreed to a 5 year 15-20 million dollar deal witrh Epstein**

NBA could lose big if Lockout ends season

The first two weeks of the NBA season were cancelled last tonight, and it is a footnote.  Reasoning it became a footnote was because there were MLB playoff games and a NFL Monday night game.  Now the cancellation had been expected since late last week, but think if the NFL cancelled it first two weeks at some point, any other game would have been interrupted. 

The NBA lockout is much different than the NFL lockout that happened this past summer.   The biggest difference is that NBA teams are actually losing money, much of the doing of team owners.  The NFL made claims that they were losing money, but it was just a ploy that the NFL owners were trying to use to get a better deal.   The NBA has a full list of problems much of which will not be quick fixes, but if they want to keep the casual fan around they must get a deal done without losing any more games.  NBA does not have everything going for them like the NFL does.  Football is the biggest sport in this country because as a country we love violence.  We also have short attention spans, games on three days a week at most is much easier to follow then having games every day of the week. 

Personally I am not a really big NBA fan but I will watch it, but I won’t watch a bad basketball game.  I also won’t go out of my way to watch the Bulls play, if I miss a game I miss a game no big deal.  However I can’t remember the last time I missed more than a quarter of a Bears game, also will watch any game that is on. Growing up in Chicago, I was able to witness six NBA championships, the first three I really don’t remember, as I was too young.  But then the Bulls went through more than a decade of bad play and knew there was no chance of them doing anything.  That is one of the biggest differences between the NFL and NBA, with the NFL there is always hope for the team one roots for at the beginning of the season too come out of not where and make the playoffs.  In the NBA thought for the most part at the being of the season people know what to expect from the their team.  NBA is all about stars and the NFL is all about teams.  In the NBA a team needs two star players or a star and a bunch of good role players.  In the NFL a team needs no stars to compete; they just need guys who play.

In Chicago there is a sense of pride now in the Bulls that has been there since the championship teams.  The Bulls are good again and are a very young team.  They also have an elite player in Derrick Rose, but I fear that the Bulls will lose everything they have built if the season is cancelled much more than a few weeks.  People will need to rediscover the team, same thing happened with hockey after they came back from their lockout after missing the entire 2004-2005 season. Same thing happened with baseball after their strike in 1994-1995.  If the NBA doesn’t want to lose fans the need to come to an agreement by the end of the week at the latest.  Even if it is just a year deal and they continue talks on a longer deal.

Owners and Players get warped up in talks that they forget the people who they really affect and that is the people that work in the stadiums.  These people are the ones who are going to miss the money they would have earn during the season.  Most players are still getting checks from their team and will continue to receive a check until the end of October.  Owners are not living off money they receive from the teams many own other teams and or business, so yes they will lose money but it will not make them have to find another job.   

I hope i get to see more highlights like these ones sooner than later 

Like it, Love it, Steer Clear of it- Week 4

Like it

Lions (+1) vs. Cowboys

I really like the Lions this year; I see them winning this game by a Field goal.  Hard to trust Romo who could go down at any minute, because of his broken ribs and collapsed lung.  The Lions front four can get after a QB, Suh also has a history of trying to kill a QB.  The Cowboys should be able to thrown on the Lions if their offensive line can give Romo time.  However, the Lions are the better team and will show that today, but winning this game.

Love it

 Bills (-3) vs. Bengals

Bills haven’t lost to the Bengals in forever and I don’t see it happening this week.  The Bills have an elite offense, which is also a balance offensive and their defense is better then last year. The Bengals have a top 3 defense this year but they have yet to play a good offense.  The Bills should be able to impose their will on offense, and keep the Bengals in check. 

Steer Clear of it

Vikings (-3) vs. Chiefs

This game scares solely because neither team has established an identity.  The Vikings can’t play four quarters, the have lead every game they have been in this year only to collapse in the second half.  The Chiefs have lost a few guys on both sides of the ball and it’s hard to see what they are going to be.  I believe the Vikings will win the game but it’s too iffy to make that call.

Reaction to the holding call

I said earlier that this Bears/Packers game reminded me of last year’s first game. The reason for that is after each game each side complained about the refs. Last year the Packer’s fans were complaining that there were too many penalties called on the Packers; there were a total of 18.  This year Bears fans were the ones complaining, mainly of the holding call at the end of the game. Which it was holding, but the ref took forever to throw the flag. Also once again Fox added to the confusion, by showing relays of Cory Graham standing by himself.  The holding wasn't obvious, the fact that people had to search for it proves that. Also the fact that it happened around the 50-yard line and the flag was thrown around the 18 yard line also added to the confusion.  The thing I don’t like about the holding call was the situation in which it occurred, and the timing of the flag. Flag was thrown so late it is unbelievable; it was also thrown by the ref that is the furthest away from the play.

But as the video below shows it was a legit call, the hold happens at two seconds on the left side, just under the Fox Box or whatever they are calling it this year. I advise not to blink, look away, or do anything else that would distract you for the screen. Also make it a full screen before you start it or you might miss the hold.  This is also the only way one can see the hold.

A hold is a hold there is nothing else that really can be said.


But now Bears fans are idiots, for being unhappy about the call.  Which if the tables were turned, like they were last year, Packers fans would not be happy. We have short memories as fans; it’s all about what have you done for me lately. So before you call someone an idiot/something else think about what you were doing last year and before you get all pissed off about the holding call think about what you were say/doing last year. Because most Packers fans I know they were not happy with the officials last year, just as Bears fans are not happy this year.


More than just the holding call that played into the outcome of the game, the non-Pass Interference on Woodson is another one, which most likely saved a touchdown.  But there were bad calls both ways, also many good ones.   The Bears did not play a very good game at all, so before blaming the officials, blame the team for their play.
Also if there was no flag on the play, there would have been 52 seconds or so left.  The Bears would have still been down three with little chance of getting the onside kick.  The only people that really need to be upset about the holding call are the people that gambled on the game, as it was a 3.5 spread and the Bears would have covered.

Like it, Love it Steer Clear of it- Week 3

My Picks

Like it

Chiefs vs. Chargers (-15)

I know the point spread is huge, but the Chiefs are getting worst each week it hard to put any faith in them.  The Chiefs have lost their best player on each side of the ball.  Chargers are a great team, and they can score. Look for this one to be over in a hurry.  I would take the over also in this game, Chiefs are giving up an average of 44.5 points so far this year and they have not played a top five offense this year.

Love it

Lions (-3.5) vs. Vikings

The Lions have a good offense going against a subpar defense, although the Vikings do get defensive tackle Kevin Williams back this week we should help them out.  Lions are a well-balanced offense, and should keep the Vikings guessing all day.  Vikings offense has a strong running game, but a weak-passing attack.  Which plays right into the Lions hands.  As the lions have a strong front seven and a weak secondary.   Lions should be able to score touchdowns while the Vikings will be kicking field goals all day.

Steer clear of it

Packers (-4) vs. Bears

It’s a rivalry game these are never easy to get a handle on; great example is week one between Ravens and Steelers.  They tend to split the series every year.   Bears seem to be one of the few teams that can slow down the Packers.  The Packers are struggling with pass defensive this year.  So the Bears should be able to score, if the line can hold up.  I really think this game is a toss up, not because the talent levels are the same but because, the teams play each other tough.  They know everything about each other.

I went 1-1 last week.

NFC North-Defensive Lineman ranking

I have decided to rank defensive positions the same way that I did offensive positions.  It is going to be much harder to rank teams because of the different systems, but I have decided to give it a go.  The NFC North features 3 teams that play 4-3 schemes, the Bears, Lions and Vikings.  The Packers are the only team that plays a 3-4 scheme.

I am going to start with Defensive lineman; this is going to be based off of the teams depth chart.

     1.)    Chicago Bears- I have been back and forth with this ranking, it was between the Bears and the Lions.  I went with the Bears for the a few reasons they are healthy, they have depth, and are more experienced than the Lions.  The Bears also have Julius Peppers, who might be the best defensive end in the NFL.  He had, by his standards an offseason when it comes to sacks last year.  However, a lot of things he does do not show up in the stat sheets at the end of the game.  The next best athlete on the line is Henry Melton, who played part of his college career at running back.  Needless to say Melton has a first quick step.  This might be the biggest strength of the Bears.  On the opposite side of Peppers is Israel Idonije, who is coming off his first year as a starter and a career year.  The nose tackle is Anthony Adams is a space eater; he plays well against the run and provides a decent inside rush.  Also, look for Amobi Okoye and Matt Toeaina to make impact at nose and the other tackle positions.  Backing up Peppers and Idonije are Nick Reed, Corey Wootton, and Mario Addison.   Wootton is out with a knee injury, but should be return for week two.  It looks like Reed will get more time then Addison, even thought Addison is listed above Reed on the depth chart.

      2.)    Detroit Lions- The Lions come in at number two for one reason; there is a major lack of depth at every position.  Their starting four stacks up against any team in the league, but after that they have average players.  The Lions best lineman is Ndamukong Suh, who is only in his second year but is an absolute beast.  He might be the strongest player in the NFL.  Also, the added Nick Fairley in the first round of the NFL draft.  There are still a ton questions about how he makes the transition from college to pro, as he sat out the preseason with an injury and won’t be back for awhile due to having surgery on his foot.  If Fairly can make the transition quickly and have an impact, the Lions might have the best two starting interior defensive lineman in the NFL.  The scariest thing about that is that Fairly is only 23 and Suh is only 24 years old.  The Lions Defensive ends are Kyle Vanden Bosch and Cliff Avril both are very good players in their own right.  The only down fall is that they are both not great pass rushers.  The Lions best back up is nose tackle Corey Williams.

     3.)    Green Bay Packers- Three and four are a tossup for me both teams have two good players, but after that there is not much to be desired.  The Packer’s best player is B.J. Raji who is a force in the middle, can play both the pass, and the run.  He is on the field a lot for the Packers.  Raji has a good first step and some good pass rushing moves.   Raji is a run stopper first and foremost and at 337 pounds he is a hard guy to move off the ball.  Ryan Pickett is the Packers next best lineman, and is a run stopper.  Pickett lack pass rushing skills but rushing the passer is not his job in this scheme.  He is there to eat up space so the linebackers can make plays. The other starter is Mike Neal, who is in his second year.  Neal played very little last year, but that is understandable since he was playing behind Cullen Jenkings.  Neal is not an upgrade over Jenkings, but he should play well as his replacement.

      4.)    Minnesota Vikings- The Viking lost two of their starting lineman from last year; they lost Pat Williams to retirement and lost Ray Edwards to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.  The Vikings do however still have Jared Allen, who is one of the elite pass rushers in the league.  Allen is also a great athlete, he can play the run and will drop into cover every once and a while.  The Vikings next best lineman isn’t even on the field yet; Kevin Williams is severing a two game suspension.  The suspension stems for a violation of the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs program. Williams failed a test back in 2008 for taking StarCaps, along with a few other players, but the case has been on appeal ever since.  He will be back in week three but I’m not sure how much he has left in the tank.  The Vikings have pegged Brian Robison as the replacement for Edwards. Robison has been with the Vikings for four seasons and in limited time he has 13.5 sacks, which is a low number even for a backup over that time.  I don’t see him coming in and being much of a threat as a pass rusher.  In the middle the Vikings will go with Letroy Guion and Remi Ayodele.  Ayodele is a journeyman who has played will when given a chance.  In 2009 and 2010 he had a total of 67 tackles, he is a run stuffer and that is about it.  Ayodele will not provide much of a pass rush at all.  Guion has seen limited action backing up the Williams wall, also expect him to drop out of the starting lineup when Williams returns.   Their backups are all young and have very little experience.

All NFC North team- Offense

After ranking the teams as a whole by position, I thought that it would be a good idea to build a team using the players from the NFC North. This first installment is just going to be offensive players; I will put together a defensive team once I rank the teams.   Going to try and keep the team as close to 25 players, since rosters in the roster size in the NFL is 53. Three roster spots are for a long snapper, kicker and punter.  That leaves 50 roster spots; cut that in half leaves me with 25 spots, for each side.  There might be some guys on the team that will play a bigger role then where they are listed.  For example Devin Hester is the 6^th receiver, but he is more important in return game then he would be as a receiver.  Players are listed as they would be on the depth chart. So here goes nothing

QB

Aaron Rodgers

Jay Cutler

RB

Adrian Peterson

Matt Forte

Jahvid Best- Taking him over Ryan Grant because of his speed, and agility.

WR                 

Calvin Johnson

Greg Jennings

Percy Harvin

Donald Driver

Jordy Nelson

Devin Hester- Bigger role on special teams, small package of gadget plays on offense.

TE

Jermichael Finley

Brandon Pettigrew

Visanthe Shiancoe

LT

Jeff Backus

Chad Clifton

LG

Steve Hutchinson

Rob Sims

C

John Sullivan

Roberto Garza

RG

Josh Sitton

Chris Williams- Moving him from the left side, didn’t really like any other of the right guards

RT

Bryan Bulaga

Gabe Carimi- This one is more of a hunch, I think he will be a good player.

Number of players from each team: Bears-6, Lions-5, Packers-8 and Vikings-5.  Shockingly it’s a fair balance team.  Also only used up 24 spots so that gives me one more to use on defense, which is something I am sure I can use.  Next is defensive lineman, I know that the season has started but I am going to try and get them done as soon as I can.  I have been busy with work and the class I am taking.  I would like to thank you for your patience as I work on getting them done also hope you enjoy reading them.

NFC North Tight End rankings

These ranking are getting harder and harder, things are now turning into how teams use the players within their system. For example, the Packers use a tight end more than any other team in the division; I would hope so since they have five on their roster.  The Bears very seldom use a tight end, in their offense; they are more often use as an extra blocker than anything else.

Can Scheffler and Pettigrew take advantage of the middle of the field

      1.)    Detroit Lions-  This was not an easy decision for me to rank them as number one, but what put them over the top is the fact that they have two guys that can demand teams cover them. Those two being Tony Scheffler and Brandon Pettigrew.  Both guys take space up in the middle of the field.  Teams must respect both of them this provides Calvin Johnson more little freedom to move around on the outside.  The Lions other tight end on the other hand is really no threat at all, at 6-6 275 Will Heller is a glorified tackle.   

Can the Packers find another receiving option  besides Finley

      2.)    Green Bay Packers- When looking at their roster it kind of mind boggling as to why they would have kept five tight ends.  Even harder to believe, when looking at the fact that they are all within three inches of each other and within nine pounds.  On paper they look like they would be very identical players, but this is really not the case. Jermicheal Finley, who is the best receiving tight end on the roster.  Finley makes plays all over the middle of the field, he is the only real threat at the position as a receiver.  The next two are Tom Crabtree and Andrew Quarless both of whom are more of the traditional tight end.  They are both solid blockers. The last two are both rookies in D.J. Williams and Ryan Taylor, not sure what roles these two will play this season.  I don’t see them getting much time, unless someone get hurts.

Shiancoe needs to step up to help out in the passing game?

      3.)    Minnesota Vikings- The Vikings has a very good tight end in Visanthe Shiancoe.  He is a much better receiver than a blocker.  Luckily for Shiancoe, Jimmy Kleinsasser is a much better blocker then receiver.  These two really balance each other out, each is strong where the other is weak.  The Vikings also drafted Kyle Rudolph and Allen Reisner in April.  Rudolph should be a very good tight end in a few years, not sure how he will play this year coming off of his hamstring detachment last year.  Nonetheless, he is a very good receiver, but needs to work on his blocking.  Reisner is much like Kleinsasser he excels in blocking, but lacks some receiver skills.  Although, Reisner is a better receiver then Kleinsasser.   It looks like the Vikings might be looking to move on from Shiancoe and Kleinsasser, they already drafted two guys that will most likely replace them.  This year look for Shiancoe and Rudolph to pick up the slack from the receiving corp.

      4.)    Chicago Bears-  They are here by default because they only have one guy, Kellen Davis, that is really going to be a consistent threat  However, their offense doesn’t really involve the tight end all that much.  That is the reason they were able to part with Greg Olsen in the offseason, the basically gave him away. Davis is very unproven, coming into this year, he caught a total of ten balls, but he did have two very good tight ends in front of him.  Davis has a lot of upsides as a receiver and a blocker.  He is a big target at 6-7, 267 lbs.  He might turn out be the best overall tight end in the division, but we haven’t seen enough of him yet to make that claim. Matt Spaeth is the number two guy and he really only has one job, block.  He will leak out and catch some passes but it will be very little.   The last guy on the depth chart is Kyle Adams who is going to fill the H-back/FB/TE role for the Bears.  He is going to do a little bit of everything. 

This brings offense to a close.  I plan on doing defense ranks also, but have yet to decide exactly how I will do them.  Since every team plays a different system it hard to claim who has better corners or safeties, because they are all asked to do different things with in the system.  For example, the Packers use Charles Woodson in many different roles.  Woodson has played corner, safety, nickel back, and linebacker all in one game.  So trying to compare his stats to Charles Tillman of the Bears is hard because Tillman plays corner and that is it.

I would like to thank those of you who have taken the time to read any of these.  Also, I would encourage you to comment on them.  I like to hear what people have to say, even if you don’t agree with what I have to say.  It gives me something else to look for when watching games other then the game itself.

Finally, after reading I am sure one can tell that I am a Bears fan, that why there section tends to be longer because I know much more about them then I do any other team since I follow them more closely.  However, I am also a fan of the game, so I can respect people’s opinion, as long as it can be backed up.  It bothers me when people form opinions based off of what other people say, but don’t know facts or can’t back it up with anything.  I know everyone does it, I do it too, but I also try to bring something to help my case.  I don’t just hear something once and run with it, I don’t think that it is always a good idea.  So please, if you can give me some feedback.

Thanks,

John

NFC North WR rankings

Wide receivers are next on my list and one of the harder spots to rank thus far.  A true number one receiver is hard to find, there are only a handful in the league.  I believe there is only one true number one in the NFC North and that man resides in Detroit, Calvin Johnson.  He is the only receiver in the division that I believe can truly take over a game and dominate it.  Greg Jennings is knocking on the door, but he is not quite there yet and I don’t think he will ever be.  That’s not a knock on Jennings at all but there are just so few guys that can really be called a number one receiver.

  These ranking are going to be based off of the current depth charts of each team.

Greg Jennings is the best WR in the deep group in the NFL.

      1.)    Green Bay Packers- Are the deepest team in the NFL when it comes to receivers.  They have a star in Jennings, but after him any one of them could be number two.  This is a great thing for the Packers, because no matter who they put opposite of Jennings, there is no drop off.  Now each guy brings something different to the table but they are very similar receivers for the most part.  After Jennings, the Packers have Donald Driver, who is about to become the all time leading Packer in receiving yards. Then Jordy Nelson, James Jones and rookie Randall Cobb.  Cobb has shown everyone what he can do on opening night, he returned a kickoff 108 for a touchdown and caught a 32-yard touchdown pass.

Can anyone step up and help Johnson?

      2.)    Detroit Lions- Really the only reason they are number two on this list is because of Johnson, who is a top three receiver in the NFL.  After him there is a major drop off, the next best guy is Nate Burleson.  He put up decent numbers last year but playing on the opposite side of Johnson, his numbers should be much better since teams focus on Johnson.  The rest of the receiving core contains Maurice Stovall, rookie Titus Young, Rashied Davis and Stefan Logan who is really just a return guy.  Lions will lean heavily on Johnson and Burleson and hope that Young can fill the slot at some point this year.

Can Hester turn into a WR?

     3.)    Chicago Bears- I know, the Bears have one of the worst receiving corps in the league, blah blah blah.  I do not think it is bad as everyone makes it out to be, it’s more of a high risk high reward corps in the league. The Bears have Roy Williams, Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, Earl Bennett, Dane Sanzenbacher, and Sam Hurd who should play a bigger role on special teams than the offense.  Williams is the Bear’s best receiver at this point, which is really isn’t saying much but most people believe Williams dropped a lot of balls last year.  This is really not the case, as Michael C. Wright of ESPN Chicago and ESPN 1000 points out, Williams did not even lead his team in drops last year Miles Austin did.  Williams caught 57.8% of the balls that were thrown at him last year. Which is not a great number but looking at others in the division Jennings was not much better at 61.8%,and Johnson was lower at 56.2%. Is Williams a great receiver no, but he brings a new element to the offense and that is his size.  The one thing the Bears have is speed at receiver, but the lack a big body and  that is what Williams brings to the table. Hester is a work in progress one thing many people forget about him is that he is not a true receiver. He is well behind the Learning curve because of the fact he never settled on a position in college.  Most receivers have been playing receiver since at least college, but Hester is only in his fifth year playing wide receiver.  He is getting better each year, and could have a break out year this year. Knox busted onto the scene last year and put up great numbers, but he also cost the Bears a lot too.  Knox led the league in targets that resulted in interceptions, due to him running poor or the wrong route. Knox needs to play more disciplined then he did last year. Bennett and Sanzenbacher will both play the same role, possession receivers.

Harvin is the lone bright spot 

      4.)    Minnesota Viking- the Vikings have Percy Harvin and than a mix of castoffs.  After Harvin there is nothing there is no guy the clearly stand out. Their next best receiver is Michael Jenkins who had really done a lot down in Atlanta playing with Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez.  Next would be Bernard Berrian, who is a deep threat and that is really about it.  The next guy is Devin Aromashodu who is a bigger body, but lacks effort at times.  He was in the doghouse last year in Chicago, for not wanting to block.  The last receiver is Greg Camarillio, who is a possession receiver.  The Vikings are going to be feast or famine this year, if Harvin doesn’t have a good year I don’t see anyone else in this group taking over.  I would expect Harvin to see a lot of double teams and teams rolling coverage to his side.  Hopefully Harvin can stay healthy otherwise the Vikings will be in for a long year in the passing game.  When in doubt just give the ball to Adrian Peterson.

Like it love, love it, steer clear of it

My friend Sean Yerkes and I will each be pick three games a week, a game we love, a game we like, and a game we would steer clear of.  We will each pick are own games, so there is a chance for 6 total games.  We will also give a reason for why we think the team will win, or a reason to stay away from the game.  

Sean's Picks

 

Like It

Packers -10 vs. Panthers

Cam Newton had an impressive start to his NFL career, throwing for 422 yards and topping the rookie record. Cam Newton may see some success, but he does not repeat his week 1 performance against the Packers. Rodgers and Co. will be just too much for the Panthers defense and I don't think the Panthers can go touchdown for touchdown with the Packers.

Match-up to watch: Packers DB vs. Steve Smith. Cam Newton's favorite target will be blanketed with plenty of good defense.

Love It

Steelers -14.5 vs. Seahawks

Steelers were taken to the woodshed last week against the division foe, Ravens. The Steelers are going to take all of last week's frustrations out on the poor and lowly, Seahawks. Seattle struggled against the 49ers and I am almost scared for them to go up against a Steelers team that is most likely pissed and looking for some kind of self-redemption.

Match-up to watch: LaMarr Woodley vs. Breno Giocomini. YIKES! An All-Pro going up against a practice squad player...Tavaris better be able to run a lot.

Steer Clear of It

Saints -7 vs. Bears

This game is going to be a lot closer than people think. Saints have a good offense and the Bears have a good defense. Saints have an average defense and the Bears have an average offense. I believe this game comes down to the wire (much like the Saints last game). Cutler has to go knick-for-knack with Brees because regardless of how good a team's defense is, Brees will find a receiver. 

Match-up to watch: Any defender vs. Sproles. Sproles is a defense killer. If he is matched up against any linebacker and has an open field, the ball is going his way. 

My Picks

Like It

New Orleans -7 vs. Chicago

I would normal stay away from Bears games but I don’t think the Saints will cover the 7 point spread.  This should be a great game and should be close through the game.  Can see either team winning the game but this game will come down to a field goal then a touchdown.

Love It

Lions -8 vs Chiefs

The Chiefs gave up 41 points to the Bills last week; I'll let that sink in for a minute. The chiefs also lost their best defensive player in Eric Berry for the season. They also only scored 7 points against a Bills defense. The Bills defense is not a top-notch defense but the Chiefs offense has not been the same since Charlie Weis announced he was leaving. Lions have a very good front seven which will put pressure on the Chiefs line. Thinking the Lions win by at least 10 points.

Steer Clear of It

Vikings -3 vs. Buccaneers
I would steer clear of anything to do with the Vikings until they decide what type of team they want to be. They kept a good offense in check last week, but McNabb only threw for 39 yards. That is just unheard of for a starting quarterback. I cannot see McNabb having such a bad day again. Also hard to get a feel for the Buccaneers team because they are young and won a bunch of games in the fourth quarter last year.