No team in the NFL needs a win as bad as the San Diego Chargers, who have lost five consecutive games after starting the season 4-1.
The Bolts are hosting the Fighting Tebows in Week 12 in sunny Southern California. The winner will pull one game closer behind AFC West leader Oakland. Expect the Chargers to be that team on Sunday afternoon.
Here are three desperate teams that will claim a much-needed win to stay in the playoff picture in Week 12:
San Diego Chargers (4-6)
Despite San Diego’s 4-6 record, they are a solid home team, having won three of five in 2011. Tebow has been a road assassin, however, and the Chargers’ losing streak won’t end easily.
Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense is still much too potent for the Denver defense to contain all day long while Tebow struggles to sustain drives. The Broncos will be game for yet another week on the road, but San Diego outlasts them to send both teams to 5-6 on the year.
Philadelphia Eagles (4-6)
The Eagles looked great last week despite Vince Young’s three interceptions. Their defense may be on to something after Sunday night’s dominant effort at New York.
Ah, but the Patriots present a new set of concerns for the surging Eagles this week, as Tom Brady and the New England offense hit the road to take on Philly at the Link. Brady will struggle this week, though, considering the relentless pass rush the Eagles are bringing nowadays.
Vince Young is a winner under center, and he’ll avoid killer turnovers against a retched Pats’ secondary.
New York Jets (5-5)
The Buffalo Bills have been getting blown out as of late. What happened? Three-straight losses meets two-straight losses when the Bills visit the Jets at MetLife Stadium this Sunday.
Both AFC East teams are falling farther and farther behind the Pats and desperately need to win out to maintain any hope of a wild card berth in the AFC.
The Jets don’t mess around at home, though. They are 4-1 there and will blank the Bills in Week 12. Buffalo is out of sorts to say the least, and New York can’t get Tebowed this time around.
Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani
So the music industry must be as broken as the Tennessee Titans, when a little kid by the name of Justin Bieber won Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards. It’s a divorce of mutual antipathy, and has miserably tarnished an irreparable relationship in the Music City a place that has fueled an ongoing feud, entertaining an everlasting soap opera in Tennessee.
The corruption looms in the South for a team still in contention of possibly claiming a postseason berth, but the disappearance of romance and an unhealthy relationship concerning Jeff Fisher and Vince Young has promptly disjointed an entire franchise, and has also paralyzed the mettle of the Titans. In the national viewpoint, it’s a time when no one has reserved judgment on Fisher’s psychological strategy to purge Young of his duties as the starting quarterback in the near future, prepared to move forward without the underachiever.
And by now, Titans owner Bud Adams knows he cannot possibly promise his quarterback and coach employment next season, as long as a full-blown feud in the annex of intense disturbance creates borderline insanity. And yet, at this moment, there’s no remedy for both men in the middle of a disagreement for which reconciling seems impossible. If he has dismissed Young in an erratic culture, then the future gazes upon tumultuous, unless Adams offers an ultimatum as a cure.
The irony is that Fisher has turned down a priceless relationship, ready to disconnect with a quarterback in much enigma of his performance on turf. The glaring notion is that Fisher has no intentions in working alongside Young in the future, turning elsewhere to fill the hardest position in football. As of late Sunday, a shaky breakup created mayhem in the city of Nashville, hearing the titanic controversy in regards to an inevitable separation and the masses begging for both Young and Fisher to be ousted, furious of the tasteless dysfunction that has left a city dazed and disgusted.
The buzz, as of now, is reflected on Young’s thumb injury and he will miss the rest of the season to undergo season-ending surgery, a timing excuse to shove away the fifth-year quarterback eternally. So, while Fisher is obviously dispirited with Young’s progress, his boss insisted that both his player and coach needed to just get along. Assuming that the Tennessean reports are valid, Adams said Young will be the team’s starter in 2011.
Without hesitation, he stated, “Oh, God, yes!”
Adams, a native of Texas who believes in his star player, trusts in Young. There is a reaction, however, to this theory of Adams defending his quarterback, partly because Young, a Houston native who guided the Longhorns to national title in a memorable upset over USC, is a well-known Texas breed and has similar ties as the Titans bias owner. As long as Fisher is the manipulator, after conducting a useful foundation since the team landed in Nashville, he’ll be given the command to voice personnel decisions leading into the future of team layouts.
And if Young is part of the Titans blueprint down the road, a heated confrontation in the locker room is likely to erupt acrimony and could suddenly harm the stature of an unsettled franchise. The aura of the Titans is fading and Adams is stuck in a bad predicament, forced in releasing either his player or coach as a way to lull undesirable feuding. Few are more fortunate than Adams, such as Raiders owner Al Davis.
For once, without any cartoonish drama influencing a probable season, the franchise in Oakland isn’t ridiculed but Tennessee is mocked for all the madness tearing down the Titans 5-5 season. It could have been the tirade and hissy fit he threw over on the sideline, when Young sustained his injury as he is now portrayed as a trouble-maker and a distraction, and perceived differently by a disgruntled Fisher. He knew he was lucky to be playing in the first place, even though he lacked maturity in the past and stumbled in must-needed games, only to be benched in favor of veteran Kerry Collins, who’s recovering from a calf injury.
“I will say this,” Fisher said of Young’s injury, “had he been healthy, he still would not be the starter.”
From the look on his face, Fisher is holding a grudge on Young. If so, it’s hard to tell which direction this issue is leading to, when reports were released that he’s welcome to the team’s facility. It was shortly after the Titans 19-16 loss on Sunday against the Redskins that a verbal altercation had flared in the locker room, when Fisher opted not to allow Young back in the game in the fourth quarter.
“We are in the race,” Fisher said.
Adams clearly knows Fisher of 16 years is his man, but he also believes Young is his franchise quarterback. He has been a cornerstone on this franchise for a long time, long before Young’s arrival. And in this league, he has been a disciplinary coach, a trait that has defined his personality. Respect it, or leave it. That is Fisher’s attitude.
There is no shortage of specifics on Young’s lack of maturity, as to how he plays consistently, as to how he prepares in practice sessions, and as to how he handles adversity. The reality is that Fisher is ready to hand the rookie quarterback Rusty Smith the everyday task, confident that he’s capable of the challenge. As far as he’s concern, he’ll be ready to replace Smith next week at Houston if he stumbles in his NFL debut with the recent addition of backup Chris Simms.
Anybody but Young.
When it ends dramatically and abruptly, someone must leave. It’s understandable that either Fisher or Young will not return, but this is something Adams will have to figure out on his own.
Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani
10. Tennessee Titans: I don’t think you can say enough about the job Jeff Fisher has done in his tenure as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. He took over in 1995, and since then the team has gone 128-102. In my opinion, he is just a title away from greatness.
The Vince Young saga was an absolute disgrace, but you could tell part of the run the Titans made last year was Jeff Fisher coaching. In his years, the Titans have been in contention pretty consistently, and have won 10 games six times, which is remarkable considering this is indeed the NFL, where the word “consistency” loses its meaning.
That’s why teams who you can bet contend every year like the Pats, Steelers, and Colts are so unique.
And you know they draft well. The Titans have pulled off some magical draft picks. Drafting Chris Johnson and Michael Griffin back to back was nothing short of miraculous. Johnson was fantastic as a rookie, and Griffin is one of the best safeties in the NFL, and was a ballhawk last year.
Pacman Jones and Vince Young were terrible picks, but the Titans also have picked Michael Roos, who is one of the best left tackles in the NFL, DT Albert Haynesworth (2002, first round), Keith Bulluck (2000, first round), Jevon Kearse (1999, first round), Samari Rolle (1998, second round), and even the late Steve McNair (1995, first round).
Let’s not forget Derrick Mason, who was drafted by Tennessee in the fourth round in 1997 and is one of the most productive receivers in the game.
9. San Diego Chargers: People underrate the job the Chargers have done over the years, but they really shouldn’t.
Yes, they did draft Ryan Leaf. But over the last 10 years, they have done a tremendous job and appear to have the AFC West locked up for many years to come.
In 2001, they laid the foundation, drafting both QB Drew Brees (Purdue) and RB LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU) back to back. They continued to pull off good drafts and do to this day, selecting Quentin Jammer and Ben Leber early in 2002, Drayton Florence and Mike Scifres in 2003, and 2004 was a gem of a draft class.
They took Eli Manning, which translated to Rivers, and also took Igor Olshansky, who was a good DT until leaving last offseason.
They also got Nate Kaeding, Nick Hardwick, Shaun Phillips, and Ryan Bingham. I think it’s one of the more underrated draft classes in the last decade. And who can forget the last four years, when they have gotten countless good football players, including Shawne Merriman, Luis Castillo, Vincent Jackson, Antonio Cromartie, Marcus McNeill, and even Eric Weddle?
Since 2004, the “Bolts” are 54-26, and while some of that can be attributed to the weak division they play in, a lot is also a credit to the class of that organization.
8. Dallas Cowboys: The five Super Bowls speak for themselves.
True, the Dallas Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game since 1996, but that’s not to say they aren’t a great organization. In fact, during that period, they are 105-103, and in the last five years, are 46-34.
I don’t see this drought lasting too much longer. They have the pieces in place. They have a quarterback, a dangerous run game, a scary offensive line, and a solid defense. They have what it takes. Jerry Jones is a fantastic owner, and not so much as a GM, but I like what I see in this Cowboys organization. People still heckle Jones as a GM for trading draft picks for Roy Williams, but they are still good drafters.
In the last few years, they have made some good decisions in the draft room. Felix Jones was great as a rookie until he was hurt, and Tashard Choice really came on as the year progressed.
The 2005 draft was underrated for the Boys. They took DeMarcus Ware first, who, in four years, has 53-1/2 sacks. Let’s not forget Kevin Burnett, Marion Barber, Chris Canty, and Jay Ratliff. And in 2003, they took Jason Witten, Terrence Newman, andBradie James. Say what you will about the Roy Williams trade and the $1.15 billion stadium. This team wins—and the right way, at that.
7. Green Bay Packers: The days of Brett Favre are long gone, and if I’m a Packers fan, I’m not too sad about it. They have a brilliant organization.
Since 2001, they are 75-53, and while that has a lot to do with Brett Favre’s presence, they have the looks of a great team now. Aaron Rodgers is an elite quarterback, and proved that last year. Ted Thompson and the Packers definitely handled that situation perfectly, opting for the future in Rodgers.
It’s very hard to evaluate drafts so prematurely, but it’s pretty obvious the 2009 Packers draft class was a good one, as they got two solid prospects in the first round. Not only did they get that, they added to their defense—something they needed to do.
You can’t question the drafting. James Jones, Aaron Rouse, and Mason Crosby figure to play prominent roles in the future and both Rouse and Crosby were starters last year. Throughout the last few years, they have been inconsistent. But you can’t criticize what they get when they’re on.
Since 2001, they’ve gotten some good players like Javon Walker, Najeh Davenport, Nick Barnett, Nick Collins, Brady Poppinga, A.J. Hawk, and even Jermichael Finley, who has truly emerged during the preseason. Let’s not forget Greg Jennings, drafting Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila in the 2000 draft in the fifth round, and finding a diamond in the rough in 1999 when they picked Donald Driver in round seven.
6. Baltimore Ravens: Most great NFL players don’t make great front office executives, but Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome is a rare exception.
For 13 years, he was a great tight end for the Cleveland Browns, catching 662 passes for 7,980 yards and 47 touchdowns. His average season consisted of 51 catches, 614 yards, and four touchdowns.
In 1999, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1996, when the Browns moved to Baltimore, he became the general manager of the Baltimore Ravens, and his first draft picks rate as one of the best draft classes in NFL history, as he took both Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis in the first round.
In franchise history, the Ravens are 107-100-1, with one Super Bowl victory. Like every team, the Ravens are off from time to time, but always regroup with drafting. They have taken Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Terrell Suggs, Peter Boulware, Chris McAlister, Todd Heap, Haloti Ngata, Sam Koch, and of course, Ed Reed. Not a bad core of players in just 13 years of franchise existence.
The Ravens always draft well, and more recently, found their franchise quarterback when they selected Joe Flacco in 2008. This franchise has a bright future—and present.
5. Indianapolis Colts: The Colts changed the direction of the franchise in the 1998 draft. They had a choice to make. They could either take Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf, who threw for 3,637 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions as a senior at Washington State, or they could take Peyton Manning, who threw for 3,819 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions for the Tennessee Vols.
They decided to take Manning, who in 12 years with Indy, has 9 Pro Bowls, 3 MVPs, and one Super Bowl ring.
On the other hand, Leaf is considered the biggest bust in NFL history, as he threw 14 touchdowns and 35 interceptions and is currently in jail. Good decision, Indy.
But it’s not just this. Over the last decade or so, the Colts have done a good job in pretty much every draft, as they have taken some very good players like Joseph Addai, Anthony Gonzalez, Antoine Bethea, Kelvin Hayden, Bob Sanders, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Cato June, Dwight Freeney, Ryan Diem, and of course, Jeff Saturday.
Since 2000, when Peyton really got settled in, the Colts are ridiculously consistent, with a 101-43 record, good for an almost unbelievable .701 winning percentage. You have to respect the way the organization does things.
4. New York Giants: Another underrated organization. The Giants are excellent drafters, handle cap well, and are a very-well respected team throughout the NFL.
Of course, we all remember the Eli Manning-for-Philip Rivers swap during the 2004 draft, and it’s debatable who got the edge there. Eli has won a ring, but individually, Rivers has clearly had the superior career. That 2007 magical run the Giants had was fun to watch.
They beat some teams many thought of as clearly superior, like the 18-0 Patriots, along with Brett Favre’s Packers, who won 13 games that year. Eli grew up during the playoffs, making much smarter decisions.
The Giants definitely draft well. They go by the “best player available” philosophy, which most smart teams use. And since 2000, the results speak for themselves. In 2000, they added Cornelius Griffin and Dhani Jones, both guys who panned out, just not with New York.
In 2001, they added Jeremy Shockey, who was certainly a good tight end there from 2001 to 2007. They even got Osi Umenyiora, David Diehl, and William Joseph the next year, certainly an impressive draft. Others since 2002 include Chris Snee, Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, Brandon Jacobs, Mathias Kiwanuka, Aaron Ross, Jay Alford, and Kevin Boss.
3. Philadelphia Eagles: The way Joe Banner, Jeffrey Lurie, and the Philadelphia Eagles handle cap astonishes me. They are able to sign big name guys every offseason like Jason Peters, Asante Samuel, and Stacey Andrews, but still have plenty of cap room to make sure their core of players stay happy.
And nobody can question the way they draft. For every bust like Jerome McDougle (1st round, 2003), there’s a Donovan McNabb, Shawn Andrews, Mike Patterson, Brian Dawkins, Brian Westbrook, DeSean Jackson, Tra Thomas, Trent Cole, or a Stewart Bradley.
Every owner likes comfort. They like to have stability at both head coach and quarterback. They want to have guys they feel can produce year in and year out, but can also do it for a while. The Eagles have gotten that in Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb.
Reid has been head coach for ten years and has a 97-62-1 record, and in my opinion, is just a Super Bowl victory away from Hall of Fame consideration. McNabb is also that. He’s been an Eagle for 10 years, and the numbers speak for themselves: 29,320 passing yards, 194 touchdowns, 90 interceptions, 3,109 rushing yards and 26 rushing TDs, along with an 82-45-1 starter’s record. Need I say more?
2. Pittsburgh Steelers: It’s easy to hate the Steelers. However, I can’t do it.
They have the six Super Bowl rings, had a dynasty during the 1970′s, and have two Super Bowls in the last five seasons. But they win the right way. They are a class organization. They draft brilliantly, chase guys who can play, but also have character, and have respectful players and coaches.
You can hate them, but you almost have to have respect for them. In the 1974 draft, they got John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Lynn Swann, and Jack Lambert—four Hall of Famers in a single draft.
They haven’t had a draft so impressive since, but they’ve still been solid. Since 1998, they’ve added guys like Hines Ward, Alan Faneca, DeShea Townsend, Joey Porter, Aaron Smith, Marvel Smith, Casey Hampton, Larry Foote, Kendal Simmons, Brett Keisel, Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller, Santonio Holmes, Lawrence Timmons, and LaMarr Woodley.
And who can forget them picking up James Harrison on the waiver wire as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State and turning him into a 2008 NFL defensive player of the year?
1. New England Patriots: It’s hard to put anyone above the Steelers, but if anyone is a better organization than them, it’s Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots.
Like the Steelers, many people despise the Pats, but also like the Steelers, it’s for no real good reason. They win too much. That about wraps up those fans’ justifications.
The Patriots win, but not like the Yankees, they win the right way. They build from within. If you look around the Pats’ depth chart, almost everyone is homegrown. Except Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the Pats have a roster of players they drafted.
Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick. The whole offensive line is homegrown, and eight of the 11 defensive starters were drafted.
That’s phenomenal. The Patriots have the wins for the right reason. They don’t buy everybody much like the Washington Redskins do.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite for the Pats. It seems they are firmly against using the free agent market to win games. It’s understandable that people hate the Pats. They win too much.
But you have to respect how the organization works. They win the right way, and it shows it’s not just because of Tom Brady, as after losing him in the first game last year, they still managed to go 11-5, with Matt Cassel—who hadn’t started since high school. It was a credit to the coaching, especially Belichick, and the depth of the team. So they are my No. 1 organization.
Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani
OK, maybe not yet. But after he leads the Gators to their first ever undefeated season, wins his third national title, and wins his second Heisman Trophy, he will remove all doubt.
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
The list of my favorite college football players of the last 25 years that are not Seminoles is short. These are the guys I loved to see play, even against my beloved Noles.
Tommie Frazier. Eric Crouch. Reggie Bush. Vince Young.
I am obliged to now add a Gator (gasp) to that list.
Fact is, he would make my favorite list even with the Seminoles included.
We’ve heard all the lines about Superman wearing Tim Tebow underwear, he was asked to be Pope, but was too modest to take it, etc. He is a phenomenal human being, which certainly counts for a lot. But when his college career is remembered, it will be, at least in my mind, for what he said after the Gators most recent loss to Mississippi:
“You will never see any player in the entire country who will play harder than I will play the rest of the season. And you will not see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody for the rest of the season, and you will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season.”
Then he did it.
I mean, guys SAY crap like this all the time. And surely, Tim Tebow was not the only Gator who elevated his game after that one point loss last year. But the guy basically called HIMSELF out. In this age of zero accountability, he took accountability, put his team on his back and carried it to the National Championship.
A Gator!
In my mind, he should have won the Heisman for that speech (and his subsequent backing up of the speech) alone. Forget the stats, which are impressive alone. This year he will become the SEC’s all time leader in yards, passing TDs, and rushing TDs. He is already the all-time conference leader in passing efficiency.
Not enough to convince you? The guy is a winner and a natural born leader. He knows how to handle himself with the press and in public. He recently acquitted himself very well in a press conference when he was asked a ridiculous question about his virginity.
Will he be a great NFL player? Probably not. But that is not the question here. He embodies what makes college football superior to the pro game. The passion these young men have is unrivaled.
And Tim Tebow will go down as the best of them all. Ever.
I bleed garnet and gold. I remember with glee the Choke at The Doak and with horror Wide Right I, II, and III (and Wide Left, too). I love the Florida State Seminoles.
But the truth is the truth. It is what it is. And after this season, it will be three National Titles, two Heisman trophies, and the first undefeated season in the storied history of the University of Florida football program.
If he does it, he deserves the title of G. O. A. T. Greatest Of All Time.
And he will top my list as favorite of all time. Sorry, Charlie (Ward).
Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani
Now that it seems that Michael Crabtree is the only first-round draft pick to not have a deal signed. Now, things are getting worse for him.
Crabtree says he is willing to skip this year’s NFL season and re-enter the NFL Draft in 2010 unless if he gets a good deal signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Crabtree had received a five-year $20M deal but he passed it.
I think that is just outrageous what decision he just made. Crabtree may never have a second-chance at that kind of money. The 49ers are willing to go without him and it seems they will not give him a deal higher than what they gave him already.
It seems Crabtree will just make zero dollars this year besides getting $20M more. Besides, with the quarterbacks the Niners already have, Crabtree will not play that big of a role coming into this year. That means being paid $20M is a real smart deal.
If I were Crabtree, I’d take the money. Crabtree, we know you deserve more money but you just have to deal with what you got already. You can’t just dilly-dally away. It’s not smart what you are doing.
I really do believe Crabtree is not going to sign with the Niners, period. I think San-Fran can make a better investment if they could trade him. How about a team like, say, the Tennessee Titans. It actually will work for both teams.
The 49ers can trade troubled Mike to the Titans for quarterback Vince Young. But how can a trade be possible the Niners haven’t even signed Crabtree. It can be one of those sign-and-trade deals. I think the Titans have the money to pay Crabtree and I think they’ll be willing to do this trade.
Vince Young would be a great fit for the Niners, I guess. Well, not a great fit, but better than where they stand with Shaun Hill. With Young not that happy in Tennessee because Kerry Collins stealing his place, don’t you think he would be much more happier to stay with the Niners and probably be their franchise-QB?
I suppose it could all work out. It would be the right thing to do. Trust me, the Niners can’t succeed with Alex Smith nor Shaun Hill. The best they have is just go for Young. As Rookie of the Year a couple of years ago, Young is the right choice for this team.
He has the speed, the arm, and athleticism. He is has some negatives on him in which he can improve on soon. Young can also have some solid targets to throw to like Isaac Bruce, who still has some left in the tank. Josh Morgan is a sleeper for fantasy football fans and showed signs of awe last year.
Vernon Davis will also be out there to help Young as well. And with the a solid running game alongside with the one-two punch of Frank Gore and Glen Coffee, I think San Francisco has a team.
The Titans will also be benefited from this cause as well. With Kerry Collins as the quarterback, he has some nice targets to heave to; guys like Bo Scaife, Alge Crumpler, draft-pick Kenny Britt, Nate Washington, Justin Gage, and Crabtree himself. The Titans would have great targets and have a great running game in Chris Johnson and LenDale White.
The Titans look to bang on the door in the AFC South with Michael Crabtree. It assuredly looks like both teams will definitely account from this if this trade were to occur. I think the Niners should indubitably be convinced of attempting this. It can work.
Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have announced that Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has been added to their negotiation list.
Jackson a Alabama State product, was competing with journeyman quarterback Sage Rosenfels for the starting job before Brett Favre came out off retirement again, and was named starter.
Back to the Jackson story, he’ll more likely never come up to Canada, just like Vince Young being on the Argos neg. list, but if he becomes a free agent and isn’t signed he’ll be open to join the Bombers.
Currently, Michael Bishop is starting while Stefan LeFors (who recently took a paycut) is the backup with Bryan Randall third string.
However, the odds of him joining that group is slim with teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars needing a backup.
But, if he does get released and doesn’t get signed (you have better chances of winning the lottery than having that happen) then my guess is that LeFors will be given his walking papers, solely because of his awful performance as starter.
Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani
The St. Louis Rams need a play-maker. They can’t always count on Steven Jackson. And Marc Bulger can’t be the guys. He has been a failure towards the team.
Yeah, he has been a starter since 2002, but guess what?
Marc Bulger has only started all 16 games in one season only once! Just one time Bulger has started all 16 games in a season. You really want that in your starter? For the past seven seasons, Bulger has been sacked well over 230 times!
Michael Vick has to go to the Rams. They need a bigger play-maker, other than Steven Jackson. Jackson can not carry the load ALL THE TIME.
Torry Holt is gone. Isaac Bruce is gone. Az-Zahir Hakim is gone. Ricky Proehl is gone. Marshall Faulk is gone. Kurt Warner is gone.
The Rams aren’t what they used to be.
Their team needs to re-unite like the “Greatest Show on Turf” team they were.
And that kid, Michael Vick, can do that. Sure, the Rams won’t be an all-passing team because their play-makers on the receiving side aren’t there.
Vick can’t fall to San Francisco. Alex Smith or Shaun Hill will obviously end up there. He can’t fall to the Seahawks, Matt Hasselbeck or Seneca Wallace will be the main guy there. Raiders? Maybe, but why would they when they got Jeff Garcia and JaMarcus Russell?
Vick’s only choice is the St. Louis Rams. This is coming from a Colts/Rams fan (more of a Colts fan) and Vick is needed.
Michael Vick can lay off the load for Steven Jackson.
Marc Bulger won’t be needed, he has had poor play lately. Bulger has had a combined total of 22 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in his last two years.
Not what anybody would expect.
He is needed with St. Louis, as I have said many times in this article. Everyone in the sports world doubts his possibilities with any team. Are you kidding me? He has the best potential with a team in need of a QB.
You can say anything you want about Vick, but he deserves a shot with a team. Have you seen his abilities? Let’s take a look:
An arm nobody can deny
The speed no one can be able to stop
Michael Vick was also the first quarterback ever to have more than 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. This is what you call, my friends, talent.
Talent.
Nobody had the talent Vick had. He has had four seasons in which he ran for more than 500 rushing yards. He also had one of the longest QB runs in the NFL history, especially the memorable one against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now you can yap all you want about what he did with dog-fighting, but hey, everyone has done mistakes. People have done much much worse than what Vick did, and nothing happened to them.
Donte Stallworth killed a man. Leonard Little having a blood alcohol level, twice the limit and was driving 78 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour speed limit. Jared Allen was arrested three times for DUI. Jeramy Stevens was arrested for rape. And Chris Henry has been arrested FIVE TIMES!
You think Vick’s was worse?
I don’t think so.
Please give Vick a chance. How did Vick NOT learn his lesson? He has been in jail for more than 20 months for crying out loud!
Vick may not be a team player, but he can be a play-maker.
And that is all what the Rams need. For the team to go back towards their winning ways, Michael Vick is the answer. He can be the future.
People say he can’t perform well because he hasn’t played for two years. Well he has been playing football in jail and heck, he is only 28 years old! A lot left in the tank, could play for ten or eleven more years!
Then you say he isn’t good in passing. Well sure, he does a 75.7 rating, but he can WIN GAMES FOR YOU! Look at Peyton Manning or Dan Marino, they had all the stats but aren’t the type of playoff-type guys that can win games for you.
Vick can destroy on pass and running, don’t get me wrong. You have to believe that. And with Vick scrambling and passing around, that could leave some room for Steven Jackson to run over defenses when the defense is already tired with chasing after Mike Vick.
And at least he isn’t one of those quarterbacks who have more interceptions than touchdowns in their career. How can you say Vick is a bad quarterback?
Take a look at this: Compare Vick towards Vince Young. Let’s take a look at the touchdowns, interceptions, and passer rating:
Michael Vick: 71 touchdowns and 52 interceptions, 75.7 rating
Vince Young: 22 touchdowns and 32 interceptions, 68.8 rating
So many of you say that Young is a GOOD quarterback and say Vick is bad. Explain to me why? That’s just unacceptable there. Nobody talks about Young being a bad quarterback. It’s just stupid. Just plain stupid.
Vick can turn around this Rams team, and he will. He will. Believe me. Once Roger Goodell reinstates Vick, there will be a team looking for Vick. It may not be the Rams, which looks like the best destination, but there will be a team looking for Vick.
It won’t matter what team he’ll be playing on or what league he’ll be playing in. He will make a difference towards the squad.
Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani
Hey guys. I haven’t done The Update for a long time so here it is! Got a logo for it, too, which above! And also, make sure to check out the blog of The NFL Update. Let’s go!
Rodney Harrison Retires, Joins NBC
Patriots’ safety, Rodney Harrison, has officially retired after a successful NFL career. He played for two teams in 15 years. He played for the San Diego Chargers and went to a Super Bowl in his rookie year. While with the New England Patriots, where he spent most of his time in his career, he had won three Super Bowls.
Rodney Harrison will join Tony Dungy as they’ll both be analysts on NBC’s Football Night in America, according to NFL.com.
“I’m done,” Harrison said in a conference call with reporters. “And I’m very much at peace with that. Football has been good to me; I worked hard and I played hard.”
Harrison, who retired at 36 years old, holds the record for most sacks for a defensive back with 30.5. He is also the only player to have at least 30 interceptions and sacks. People say that he was a dirty player, it was just that he was a hard-hitter and lovable guy off the field.
I wish all the luck to my man Rodney.
Agent Says That Vince Young DOESN’T Want to Be Traded
Vince Young’s agent says that Vince Young doesn’t want to be traded from the Tennessee Titans after losing his job to Kerry Collins. After making his comments on television in Baltimore, it sounded like he wasn’t happy at all in Tennessee. Let’s see what will happen.
“Vince’s desire has always been to compete for the starting quarterback job in Tennessee,” Young’s agent said. “Even before they drafted him, they asked him if he thought he could compete for the starting role, and he said yes. He has always been a starter, and that is his mind-set.”
Greg Ellis Cut
Linebacker, Greg Ellis, ends his eleven-year time with the Dallas Cowboys after being released today. He holds the number eight spot for sacks in Cowboys history. A week before, Jerry Jones said he already thought about cutting Ellis. Ellis right now has 77 sacks and more than 640 tackles.
Let’s see where he ends up.
So that’s the NFL Update. More updates to come soon!
Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani
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