Notes from Day Two of the NFL Draft posted by Joe Anello

Another exciting, fast-paced night of the NFL Draft passed Friday as rounds two and three wrapped up in under four hours. Without any more filibuster, let’s get right to some of the stories that caught my eye.

-The night after taking Stanford’s Andrew Luck with the first overall pick, the Colts come back on Friday and draft Luck’s tight end Coby Fleener. At that point, the Colts had a field stretcher in a league that has gone tight end crazy. But they didn’t stop there, taking Clemson tight end Dwayne Allen at the start of the third. Allen’s more of a complete tight end than Fleener, being able to get on the end of the line and take on defenders. Still, I thought that would be the last pick for a few rounds that the Colt spent on offense. I was wrong, as they got into the end of the third round to take Florida International receiver T.Y. Hilton, who figures to get time in the slot. So I guess that GM Ryan Grigson isn’t concerned about that shittastic defense? Looks like the new Colts are going the same direction as the old Colts. Spend the valuable assets on offense and fill in the gaps with late rounders on defense. I’m puzzled by their draft. The moves will improve their offense certainly, but they needed to get much bigger on defense in order to handle new coach Chuck Pagano’s schemes.

-With three picks in the second round, the Rams had an opportunity to address a number of needs and even take a chance. Following their pick of receiver Brian Quick to start the night, they took a risk by selecting Northern Alabama corner Janoris Jenkins, who fell off of many teams’ draft boards thanks to two marijuana arrests and other poor decisions. Regarded as the second best (if not the best) cover corner in the draft, Jenkins partners with Cortland Finnegan to give the Rams a ballsy defensive backfield. The action didn’t stop for them there however, following those picks with the selection of the speedy RB Isaiah Pead to help spell Steven Jackson. And if that wasn’t enough, they selected Montana corner Trumaine Johnson in round three. Fisher just overhauled an area of extreme weakness, but he’ll need to stay on top of Jenkins and Johnson to keep them in line. I really like what the Rams did, even if they got too cute and traded away from Morris Claiborne.

Tebow is a New York Jet: Yay or Nay? posted by Joe Anello

On the same day the Saints were punished by Roger Goodell, the New York Jets attempted to steal the headlines once again by trading for the surprisingly polarizing Tim Tebow. I say surprisingly because it’s shocking that anyone gives this much of a horse’s crap about an obviously inadequate quarterback. I don’t care how hardcore Christian he is. New York sent Denver a fourth and sixth round pick in return for the QB and a seventh round selection. After a snag about contractual obligations was resolved, Tim Tebow was a Jet. Despite my misgivings about Tebow the QB, I still feel the need to discuss the trade because it has some significant downstream consequences and subtext.

First off, let me address how this trade improves the Jets. Uh… I guess new OC Tony Sparano wants to use him as his Ronnie Brown so he can keep running the wildcat? Instead of Brad Smith, whom the Jets lost in free agency last offseason, they will be able to sub in Tebow with certain packages designed to take advantage of his skill set. Aside from that wrinkle, I’m not sure how useful he’ll be in a back-up role. He’s not exactly steady and consistent. If Rex Ryan had trouble muzzling Sanchez, you won’t believe the issues he’ll have reigning in the drama that comes with The Chosen One.

This move also proves that the Broncos had no interest in keeping Tim as a back-up to Manning. The reasons are simple. The first reason being that Tebow and Manning are polar opposite quarterbacks and cannot run the same offensive scheme. Manning gets the ball out quick and is a deftly-footed statue in the pocket. Tebow, on the other hand, has a slow release and loves being anywhere but inside the tackle box. One cannot do what the other does. Therefore having both of them on your roster means having what amounts to an entirely different playbook when the back-up is in the game. How’s that helpful?

My Many Musings on the Manning Maneuver posted by Joe Anello

The cloud that’s hung over the NFL for months ended today when the story broke that Peyton Manning would be signing with the Denver Broncos. The ramifications are not just limited to the Broncos however. They are far-reaching across the NFL landscape. Here are my thoughts on the biggest free agent signing in NFL history.

The Broncos are still a massive rebuilding project away from legitimately contending in the AFC. Even if they bring in ALL of Peyton’s fellow aging ex-Colt teammates, their best hope is to win the AFC West. Beating the likes of Pittsburgh, New England, and Baltimore is going to take more than slapping the 2007 Colts back on top of an already shaky offense.

Former Colt center Jeff Saturday is already scheduled to visit Denver this weekend, starting the process of bringing Manning’s buddies to town. Dallas Clark will probably be next on the list to make a stop in the Mile-High City, ensuring that John Elway will do anything for his new legend. Even if they do make a push to bring in Pittsburgh’s Mike Wallace, the Broncos are supposed to be a run-first team under John Fox. This system will need to undergo an overhaul now that Denver has an actual quarterback. He can’t run this offense like Kyle Orton or Tim Tebow ran it. (Nor should he.)

It means they’re still a playoff team. Beyond that, they’re good for another couple wins thanks to Manning’s presence. The offense will be improved by leaps and bounds, which will hopefully be enough to take the pressure of a defense that carried the team too often last year. No more will the Broncos be forced to win 15-12 skirmishes. I’m not convinced they’ll have even a top five offense with the pieces that have currently in place, but perhaps a shrewd maneuver or two will lean me in their direction.

Manning For All: Peyton's Chances with Every NFL Team posted by Joe Anello

"And as I go, I go with just a few words left to say. A few words I want to address to Colts fans everywhere. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I truly have enjoyed being your quarterback.”

Those were the last words from the always-classy Peyton Manning on Wednesday as he finished saying goodbye to the Indianapolis Colts. Fighting back tears, Manning and owner Jim Irsay made their statements and answered a few questions related to the QB’s departure as well as their prospective futures. They were emotional, I was emotional, it was emotional. But after the press conference ended there was only one question on the minds of NFL fans:

Where will Peyton Manning play in 2012?

As it looks like it’s going to be a short process before Manning decides on one of his surely many suitors, we don’t have time to debate. Since even an 85 to 90% Peyton Manning is better than three-fourths of the starters in the league, there are a ton of teams where he would be an upgrade. With that in mind, I’m going to go through EVERY team and describe why they might (or might not) want Manning, Peyton’s likely thoughts on the landing spot and the chance it might actually happen. I’ll preface this list by saying it’s reported that he might want to stay within the AFC and that I’m not taking the offensive system into consideration all that much. (If you’re getting Peyton Manning, you can tweak your damn offense or he can run the hell out of whatever you got. Shouldn’t be an issue.) He’s already starting making visits on his whirlwind free agency tour, so let’s get started!

Pick Six: Divisionals posted by Randolph Charlotin

1. Regular season or post season. It doesn’t matter. The Patriots keep on breaking records. QB Tom Brady became the first player to throw five touchdown passes in one half of playoff football. He also tied a post-season record with six touchdown passes in a game. Brady did this while throwing for 300 yards in a playoff game for the first time. To top it off, Brady executed a well placed 48-yard quick kick to Denver’s 10-yard line.

2. With the win, Brady and head coach Bill Belichick became the winningest head coach-quarterback combo in NFL playoff history. They surpassed Pittsburgh coach Chuck Noll and QB Terry Bradshaw. Not that the record matters to Belichick and Brady. They are still behind the Steelers tandem in Super Bowl wins, four to three. Brady and Belichick still have work to do to be most successful tandem.

3. WR Deion Branch did not play against Denver in the regular season, but he certainly made up for it. He finished with three receptions for 85 yards, including a huge 61-yard TD as Denver was thinking the Patriots were going to run their 2-minute offense. New England started the drive with 2:27 left in the second quarter. An 11-yard Woodhead run followed by the TD pass equaled a 30-second scoring drive. The defense forced a Denver three-and-out and the offense scored again in five plays, and the game was over with the second half still to play.

4. Talking about the defense, they turned in a dominant performance. When they first faced Denver, they allowed 252 rushing yards. On Saturday, they gave up 252 total yards. They forced 14 negative plays and sacked Denver QB Tim Tebow five times. It was easily the best game the defense played all year long.

The Final Drive: 2012 Divisional Round posted by Joe Anello

I have to say, I was skeptical that these four games could live up to the hype, especially after last weekend. But I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. I even gave myself a cushy lead for later poor postseason predictions. But I’ll tell you about that later. Right now it’s time for The Final Drive of the Divisional Round!

I’m not sure I can put into words how freaking EPIC this game was. It was such a fantastic start to the weekend’s action. The Saints came out embarrassingly flat, with three turnovers early, including a horrendous pick over the middle from Drew Brees, who never saw the safety coming. The Niners turned those possessions into points, notching 17 with not even a minute gone by into the second quarter. Brees fought back as you knew he would, finding his big targets Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston on consecutive drives to pull within three at the break. It was hard to say the Niners had the momentum though. I mean, when the other team turns it over four times in a half and you’re only up a field goal? That’s a problem. San Fran’s special teams even got another turnover from Darren Sproles early in the third, but they could only manage to put up a field goal. Eventually that was going to come back to bite them. San Francisco wasn’t even trying to run the ball for the first three quarters, an offensive plan that befuddled me, to say the least. Alex Smith was getting all sorts of pressure from the Saints, who were simply sending more rushers than the Niners had blockers. (Just math, really.)

The Opening Drive: 2012 Divisional Saturday posted by Joe Anello

After six long days of waiting, the NFL playoffs are back today with a great match-up in the NFC and a highly publicized showdown between Jesus and Satan in the AFC. It’s a great day for some football. That means it’s a great day for The Opening Drive!

(13-4) New Orleans Saints at
(13-3) San Francisco 49ers
4:30 PM ET, FOX

Off for a week, it’s easy to have forgotten about the Niners and their tremendous regular season which earned them that rest. Alex Smith had a solid year (finally), but he hasn’t been all that impressive to me when I’ve gotten the chance to see him. He has a few decent weapons, but the Saints’ focus should be on running back Frank Gore and tight end Vernon Davis, Smith’s main outlets. ‘Frisco’s offensive line is underrated and should have the clear advantage in the running game, but how are they going to put up points? Michael Crabtree is (sorta) good, but he’s not dangerous enough to put up a monster game and abuse the Saints secondary all day. If they’re going to win, Jim Harbaugh’s defense will have to contain this next man.

Drew Brees is pretty freaking good. However, he still has the ability to toss an interception or two while trying to get the big play deep. If he can avoid those turnovers against the Niners, he’ll keep his Saints on top. He’ll have a lot of resistance on the front though, as San Fran can get up the field and rush the passer. Definitely keep your eyes on the two Smith’s, Justin and Aldon, who can both get pressure on the outside where the Saints’ line is weakest. Where the Niners are going to have issues defensively is in the secondary, Carlos Rogers has had a great year, but he doesn’t have as much support at corner. That’s not a recipe for success against Brees, who has Robert Meachem, Marques Colston and Devery Henderson. Still, that’s not even the Niners’ biggest problem. They like to keep linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman in the game as much as possible, which is going to create ugly match-ups with Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles. I think the Saints win those battles more often than not.

Hours Before Kickoff: Divisionals posted by Randolph Charlotin

Bill Belichick doesn’t do reunions. The Patriots head coach is not the sentimental type. Only if he feels someone can make the team better, then Belichick will welcome a familiar face back.

Josh McDaniels, formerly the Pats’ offensive coordinator from 2006-2008, is back after a failed head coaching stint in Denver and escapes St. Louis before probably getting fired by new head coach Jeff Fisher. McDaniels will be an offensive assistant to outgoing OC Bill O’Brien, who’s leaving New England for the Penn State head coach job after the playoffs.

It’s unknown what McDaniels will do as offensive assistant, but he won’t be positioned to step on O’Brien’s toes, that’s for sure. But looking at what they did in their separate terms as New England’s offensive coordinator, the offense can be more consistent with McDaniels around.

Comparing their total bodies of work is like apples and oranges. To simplify, we’ll focus on their best statistical seasons, McDaniels’ 2007 and O’Brien’s 2011.

This is a fair comparison because both offenses were record-breaking in their own rights: ’07 for Brady’s 50 touchdown passes and WR Randy Moss’ 23 TD receptions, and 2011 because Brady eclipsed Dan Marino’s 27-year-old passing yards record and Rob Gronkowski shattered tight end records for receiving yards and touchdowns in a season.

In just two categories is there a big difference between seasons. Total points are 589 in 2007 to 513 in 2011. That is due to the TD passes being 50 to 39, respectively. Rushing TDs was almost identical, as the present day squad edged 2007, 18 to 17.

The Final Drive: 2012 Wildcard Weekend posted by Joe Anello

Are you exhausted yet? There was TOO MUCH DRAMA! (That’s a lie. There’s never too much.) Both nights of Wildcard weekend ended in tremendous excitement, wrapping up with a dramatic overtime ending that didn’t even warrant explanation of the new rules. I’m still appalled. Let’s just get The Final Drive started.

The first game of the weekend started off awfully sloppy, with plenty of penalties and “jitters” as described by Nessler and Mayock. As the game drew on though, the Texans clearly established themselves as the better team by man-handling Cincy. Rookie lineman J.J Watt, who has shown an inherent talent and awareness to deflect passes at the line of scrimmage made the play of a game by boomeranging Dalton in the second quarter. Watt timed his jump perfectly and made the catch and rambled 29 yards to paydirt. Then he sacked Dalton to end the first half as the Bengals were driving. It was hilarious afterwards to see Dalton with the “Why didn’t you tell me that lineman wasn’t actually fat? I never would have thrown it his way had I known” face. I blame the scouts on that one. The Bengals performance could be encapsulated with their second half opening drive: they were stopped on second down for a loss, then flagged for 12 men in the huddle, then Dalton wasted a time-out as he couldn’t hear the play-call in Reliant’s noise. Those wheels came off. Missed chances to take away the ball from Houston, poor tackling on defense allowed Houston to let Arian Foster loose and control to flow of the game. T.J. Yates never had to make a big play, so the Texans got the win.

The Opening Drive: 2012 Wildcard Sunday posted by Joe Anello

If Saturday’s games were any indication, then Sunday’s remaining Wildcard action should be entertaining as hell. Who’s got time for lengthy introductions though? Let’s break down this action!

 


(10-6) Atlanta Falcons at
(9-7) New York Giants
1:00 PM ET, FOX

Even more of a toss-up than Texans-Bengals, this game seems like it could go either way. Matt Ryan and the Falcons have been hot of late, winning five of their last seven games. However, all of those wins except one (Tennessee) came against sub .500 teams. Atlanta’s been kicking the crap out of crappy teams in 2011. Ryan hasn’t looked as sharp against quality defenses, but he hasn’t been getting help from receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones in those outings. Too many drops in an inconsistent passing attack. As always, the key to their success is the production of Michael Turner. The Falcons have a very aggressive offensive line that excels at run blocking, but their pass blocking hasn’t been as dependable. Defensively they’ve struggled to produce any sort of pass rush, even with Ray Edwards. John Abraham needs to have a big day.

Eli Manning may have just completed his best season as a professional quarterback. It came at a great time too, as the Giants wouldn’t have even been competitive this season without Manning’s heroics. Their running game hasn’t been as dominant as in years past, which is a direct result of the decline of their offensive line. Still, Manning’s put up points this year thanks to a stellar receiving crew, fronted by Victor Cruz, who looks like most explosive receiver in the game. On defense, the Giants are weak in the secondary, but those deficiencies are masked by the outstanding play of the defensive line. They still have Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, but the emergence of Jason Pierre-Paul this year has really elevated their chances this postseason. Their front four has the type of talent they had when they won the Super Bowl and is a key to beating these high-powered offenses.

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