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Dan Orlovsky Has Great Field Awareness

Ryan WilsonPosted Oct 12th 2008 6:00PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Lions, Vikings, NFC North



So let's just set the stage for quite possibly the dumbest play in recent Lions history. Late in the first quarter of a tie game against division rival Minnesota, Detroit quarterback Dan Orlovsky, in for a physically and emotionally battered Jon Kitna, facing third-and-10, takes the snap from his own one-yard. He's immediately flushed to his right by defensive end Jared Allen, and as Orlovsky looks downfield, presumably to try to complete a pass, he runs out of the back of the end zone.

Unintentionally. (You can view the numbnuttery in all it's embarrassing glory around the 25 second mark by clicking the photo above.)

I'd like to think that the Lions are somehow less a three-ring circus without Matt Millen, but it has yet to manifest itself on Sundays. On the upside, nobody's luggage has been stolen in more than a month, so there's that.

Oh, and the Lions lost, but that probably goes without saying.

With Ugoh Out, Manning Running for His Life

JJ CooperPosted Sep 14th 2008 2:44PM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Colts, Vikings, AFC South

If you thought the Colts were in bad shape with Jeff Saturday and Dallas Clark sidelined, things have gotten a lot worse on Sunday.

Starting left tackle Tony Ugoh was helped off the field at the end of the first half. With Ugoh out, the Colts have slid right guard Charles Johnson out to left tackle and brought in rookie Steve Justice at guard. Rookie Jamey Richard was already playing center for Saturday, so the Colts now have two rookies playing and a guard trying to block Jared Allen.

There's been no word yet on the extent of Ugoh's injury, btu he did not return to the lineup after all of halftime.

As you would expect, it's no going well. Allen had a sack before Ugoh went out, and E.J. Henderson had one in the third quarter on a blown block by Justice, but the bigger problems is that Peyton Manning has no time to throw even when he does get the ball off. The Colts' longest pass play is 18 yards, and Manning is averaging only 4.7 yards per attempt, which explains why the Vikings hold a 12-0 lead.

Line Play Should Decide Vikings-Packers

Bruce CiskiePosted Sep 6th 2008 1:20PM by Bruce Ciskie (author feed)
Filed under: Packers, Vikings, NFC North



There were two facts about the Green Bay Packers' preseason that you might find startling.

For starters, an offensive line that has prided itself on protecting Brett Favre for so many years didn't do a very good job with Favre's replacements in the preseason. Aaron Rodgers, Brian Brohm, and Matt Flynn were sacked a combined 16 times in four games, the most sacks allowed by any team in the preseason.

Meanwhile, the Packers defensive line struggled to generate much of any push against their opponents. The defense picked up just two sacks, which ranked last in the NFL.

Yes, it's just preseason, but the Packers clearly have a little bit of work to do in the trenches.

Luckily for them, so does Minnesota.
Continue Reading Line Play Should Decide Vikings-Packers

The Once-Over: Week One

Tom MantzouranisPosted Sep 4th 2008 12:00PM by Tom Mantzouranis (author feed)
Filed under: NFL Fans, NFL Real Talk



With attention spans dwindling, we forego full game-by-game previews to give you the essentials you need to know about every contest this glorious NFL weekend. Click here to go back in time.

 The 1s

Cincinnati at Baltimore: Ed Reed is iffy for the Ravens, but Chad Ocho Cinco is literally insane, so that's a wash. The Bengals will be starting a converted tight end at fullback, so I hope Ray Lewis doesn't load up on pre-game carbs; he'll have a chance to eat Chris Perry on the field. Despite a new coach and rookie quarterback, the Ravens have had a more stable offseason than the Bengals, which I guess doesn't say much but could make a difference.

Jets at Dolphins: I think the storylines of this game have been discussed to the point of inducing nausea, correct? OK, good, let's just move on before my eyes start to bleed.

Continue Reading The Once-Over: Week One

Steelers Fans This Is Your Nightmare

JJ CooperPosted Aug 25th 2008 9:01AM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Steelers, Vikings, AFC North, NFC North

With one game to go until the season starts, which Steelers fan out there feels comfortable with the offensive line?

There may have been a lot of discussion during the offseason about whether Ben Roethlisberger holds on to the ball too long. The Steelers offensive line cleverly figured out a way to difuse that controversy Saturday night. It's hard to worry about that when Roethlisberger never has more than a second or two before he starts dodging pass rushers.

The Vikings have arguably the best front four in football, with three potential Pro Bowlers among the four starters. The Steelers offensive line has one player (Marvel Smith) who has ever gone to the Pro Bowl, and if yesterday is any indication, no one who will challenge for a Pro Bowl spot this year.

The Steelers' first team offense gave up two sacks. By my count, Roethlisberger was also hurried four times in two quarters of action. That's six pass plays busted by the pass rush in 19 attempts (32 percent). And that barely explains how under the gun Roethlisberger was. Throw in some three step drops and the lack of holes for Willie Parker and it's clear that the Steelers offensive line was in over their heads.

Continue Reading Steelers Fans This Is Your Nightmare

FanHouse NFL Season Preview: Kansas City Chiefs - Dreaming to Be Mediocre

Matt MoorePosted Aug 18th 2008 1:00PM by Matt Moore (author feed)
Filed under: Chiefs, AFC West

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterbacks: Oh, holy God. Do we have to start here? Can't we start at defensive line? Or even offensive line? No? Okay. So last season, Damon Huard was such the pinnacle of mediocrity, he may have redefined the word for decades. It wasn't so much that Huard was spectacularly terrible, throwing constant interceptions as he heaved them down the field, Rex-Grossman-style, it was that he looked singularly incapable of actually getting the ball downfield to begin with. So, after far too many games watching the offense set new franchise lows, Brodie Croyle who had been waiting in the wings, finally took the reins. The results were less than spectacular. Chiefs fans support Croyle because the kid has shown flashes of leadership and a pretty solid arm. The trouble is, the protection was so bad last year, no one knows whether to pin the offense's disastrous play on an inability by Brodie to produce, or a result of the fact that Croyle spent so much time on the run it's a wonder he's not dead in the cold, cold ground. So with a retooled and slightly upgraded offensive line, he should be better? Right? Right? Oh, Jesus, where's the bottle? Wait, what? Huard's still on the team? Must get bigger bottle. Heat Index: 2
Continue Reading FanHouse NFL Season Preview: Kansas City Chiefs - Dreaming to Be Mediocre

Kansas City Chiefs Could Be in the Koren Robinson Business

Ryan WilsonPosted Jun 30th 2008 8:56AM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Chiefs, AFC West

This is wonderful news for, well, Koren Robinson. According to the NFL Network (via Kansas City Star's Jeffrey Flanagan), the Chiefs have shown interest in the former Seahawks and Packers wide receiver/return dude.
"Oakland and Kansas City expressed some interest in Robinson ... there isn't exactly a clamoring for his services. Still, a receiver such as Robinson is too talented to overlook. Any team that needs some depth at the position -– Dallas, Cleveland, -- would consider Robinson."
This news certainly can't make Al Davis happy given his recent epiphany. For the Chiefs, Flanagan points out that they've made it clear that players with the dreaded "character concerns" disorder are a no-go; Robinson certainly qualifies for the former which makes the latter seem unlikely, even though there is a gaping need for an experienced pass catcher on the roster after Dwayne Bowe.

MVN.com's Chiefs blogger Ryan Brown offers some perspective:
Rarely does someone seem to overcome their issues and their off-the-field problems entirely. ... That's one of the main reasons that the Chiefs got rid of fan favorite Jared Allen - he of the two-time DUI conviction. Allen appeared to have rid himself of his demons...and then promptly opened up a bar in Kansas City.
And I'd say Allen's troubles don't even approach what Robinson has been through.

As far as rehabilitation goes, the Cowboys have become the Betty Ford of NFL franchises. Maybe they can help Robinson straighten out his life. Added bonus: they're in the market for a No. 2 wide receiver. Two-for-one.

Never Too Early: Minnesota Vikings Fantasy Football Preview

Matt SnyderPosted Jun 24th 2008 4:00PM by Matt Snyder (author feed)
Filed under: Vikings, NFC North, Minnesota, Fantasy Football

Hear that? It's the pitter-patter of fantasy football season approaching. Fantasy FanHouse is here to get you ready by previewing every team from a fantasy perspective.

Meet The ...

Best running team in football. If anything they'll be better at running the ball this season. The Vikes have committed to a better balance between passing and running, which will (hopefully) prevent teams from stacking the box against the run -- opening more running lanes. Tarvaris Jackson has experience under his belt and is unchallenged as the starter, not to mention they signed Bernard Berrian in the off-season to give him a legitimate NFL wideout. Adrian Peterson has a year of NFL experience, and Chester Taylor is an able-bodied complement to Peterson. Expect the same, if not better, numbers as last season from the ground game.

The Breakout

He's not going to be a pro-bowler or even a fantasy starter, but "breakout" is defined as someone whose eventual value exceeds the value he held on draft day. Tarvaris Jackson is going to be avoided in nearly all drafts, or possibly taken as a third string fantasy QB with the hopes of upside. By the end of the year, he'll pick his spots well enough to be worthy of a backup fantasy QB for bye-week replacement or injury replacement purposes. He'll get rushing yards -- which is such a huge bonus for QBs -- avoid the interception quite well, and throw for 150-200 yards a week with a passing TD per game.
Continue Reading Never Too Early: Minnesota Vikings Fantasy Football Preview

Will Smith Gets Extended (Overpaid?)

Tom MantzouranisPosted Jun 11th 2008 3:05PM by Tom Mantzouranis (author feed)
Filed under: Saints, NFC South, New Orleans

It was exactly a week ago today that I guessed that the Saints would announce a contract extension for defensive end Will Smith before the week ended. I was a few days late on that prediction, but I won't let that stop me from giving myself dap (do the kids still say that?) in noting that the deal was announced today. And Smith is a very rich man.

The extension calls for Smith to earn up to $70 million over six years, with $26 million in guaranteed money. The deal places him third on the list of highest-paid ends behind Jared Allen and Dwight Freeney, but Smith's deal isn't far behind either of those two. It also trumps the seven-year, $63 million deal with $20 million that linemate Charles Grant got a summer ago. So was it worth it?

Well, who knows. Smith was on his way to being a premiere pass-rusher before fattening up and playing poorly last year. New line coach Ed Orgeron is trying to install a scheme much like the Giants' (who isn't?), which relies on lighter, faster linemen, so Smith will have the opportunity to remind everyone that he's got the ability. Whether he takes advantage remains to be seen.

Either way, from a talent, PR, and chemistry standpoint the Saints couldn't afford to see Smith walk after this year, and they had/have plenty of cap room. But with the money tied in its ends, the team will be hearing some deserved scorn from its fanbase if they're not a terror for quarterbacks.

Expect a Will Smith Contract Extension Announcement Sometime Soon

Tom MantzouranisPosted Jun 4th 2008 12:54PM by Tom Mantzouranis (author feed)
Filed under: Saints, NFC South, New Orleans

I noted that Will Smith's attendance at last weekend's minicamp was a good sign that he and the team are close to finalizing a contract extension, or at least negotiating in good faith.

I now am optimistic that a formal announcement will come sometime this week, perhaps even later today. Smith reported on WWL radio last night that he didn't have any good news to report on the contract front but that he might in the near future. Likewise, Sean Payton, in response to a question about whether Smith's contract had been "sorted out," said, "...when the time comes there will be an announcement," indicating it's more about the when than the if.

The subject of the extension is a divisive one. After getting $63 million last offseason, Charles Grant practically disappeared. Smith will surely command even more, especially with big money deals to Dwight Freeney and Jared Allen since. Smith's a very good player, but it remains to be seen whether he deserves the top-tier pay he will surely get.

On the other hand, he is the team's best defensive player and you can't let a guy like that walk when you're close to rebuilding that unit. The Saints are also around $25 million under the cap, which gives them plenty of room to sign all of their rookies and lock up Smith (and Marques Colston). So the money's there.

Either way, whether you're in favor of the extension or not, it's happening. And probably soon.
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