NFC North Blog: Season Recap

by Bill Young

The NFC North presented a season that mirrored the NFL as a whole--wild and unpredictable. The Vikings entered and ended the season in the spotlight. Unfortunately, the end of the season was for bad reasons. Injuries and poor decisions like the Randy Moss trade led to the departure of coach Brad Childress. However, there is hope for the Vikings. Interim coach Leslie Frazier showed good leadership as the team defeated the Redskins, a team that the Packers and Bears managed to lose to. At quarterback, the situation is a mess. Joe Webb and Tarvaris Jackson are not NFL QBs. The Vikings need to draft one. To make matters worse, the defense is getting old. Specifically, the corners are awful. When the Williams wall slows down, this team has nothing defensively to scare offenses.

The Detroit Lions could have had a remarkably different season had they beaten the Bears in week 1. That "catch" made by Calvin Johnson was a pivotal ruling. While it was another losing season, there has been great improvement. The Lions have won four games so far with two games versus the struggling Dolphins and Vikings remaining. The defense and DT Ndamukong Suh have improved a great deal this season. The Lions will make the next step by improving their offensive line so that QB Matthew Stafford will not have to be put on IR next season. Odds are that the Lions would have had more than four wins this year had the team not had to trot out 2nd and 3rd string QBs at all times.

The Green Bay Packers started the season as a Super Bowl contending team. Expectations have changed after the Packers have sustained a myriad of injuries to important players. QB Aaron Rodgers has had two concussions this year. Jermichael Finley, one of the top tight ends in the NFL, was lost for the season early on. In addition, the injury to RB Ryan Grant has limited th Packers to a pass-happy offense. Expectations for the Packers if and when they make the playoffs are low, but the defense under Dom Capers has been impressive as former Heisman winner and Michigan great Charles Woodson has made plays all over the field. If the Packers manage to beat the Giants this weekend, a playoff run won't be that surprising given the added significance of defense in the playoffs.

The Chicago Bears have been the surprise of the NFL this year. They came out of nowhere to lockup the NFC North. Still, few believe they can do any real damage in the playoffs due to the poor decision making of QB Jay Cutler and the below average offense the Bears send onto the field. The Bears defense, however, has been excellent other than the notable lapse against the Patriots. Concerns of poor play are valid because this team lost to the Redskins as Cutler threw for four interceptions--all to Deangelo Hall. If Cutler can improve his play, this team has the ability with its superior special teams and defense to make it to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, given Cutler's history, this seems unlikely at best.

NFC East Blog: A Failure of Giant Proportions

by Bill Young

The New York Giants suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles last week. If not for Jets coach Rex Ryan, Giants coach Tom Coughlin would be getting all the headlines this week for running on the field to lecture his punter after the punter failed to kick the ball out of bounds and away from DeSean Jackson. In fairness to the punter, the Giants blew this game long ago and seemed likely to lose it in overtime.

The offense lost its composure and QB Eli Manning was unable to stop the bleeding in the fourth quarter. Defensively, the Giants got tired and the blitzes that were so effective for the first three quarters of the game were no longer getting to QB Michael Vick. This fatigue was most evident in the rushing lanes that pass rushers took. Because the defensive players lost their discipline and did not coordinate their pass rushing lanes, Michael Vick was able to use his immense athletic talent to elude all of the rushers and escape multiple times for long gains.

In the fourth quarter, at the end of the season, it is expected for the defense to be a little tired. The strain of facing the Eagles explosive offense did not help matters. The real issue was the successful onside kick in the middle of the fourth quarter. How does Coughlin not have the Giants prepared for an onside kick after the Eagles scored to make it 31-17? That was the Eagles only hope. What else were they going to do?

Ultimately, this loss will most likely send the Giants out of the playoffs as the Packers look like a formidable team coming off their surprisingly close contest with the Patriots. While one loss should not define a coach's legacy with a team, it will certainly sting, making it easier for ownership to fire Coughlin in the offseason. Then, a new start could enable the Giants to regain the glory of a few years ago.

AFC South: Same song different verse

by Bill Young

The Jacksonville Jaguars missed a golden opportunity to seize control of the AFC South division when they lost by 10 to the Indianapolis Colts. Not only that RB Maurice Jones-Drew is doubtful against the Redskins this week. The Redskins, while in the midst of a controversy-ridden and disappointing season, have played hard every week. The Jaguars are so dependent on Jones-Drew that even the Redskins defense will have an opportunity to stop them. To make matters worse, RB Ryan Torain is having a great season, potentially earning a starting job for next season. The Jaguars defense has been shaky all season. This might be another heartbreaking loss the Jaguars are accustomed to each December.

Worse news for the Jaguars is that the Colts get RB Joseph Addai back in the lineup. He gives the Colts a RB who can pass protect and run the ball more effectively. The Colts have missed him a lot and will see a significant offensive improvement this weekend. This year's Colts are the opposite of earlier teams. Usually, the Colts are in good form early but fade by the playoffs. This year the Colts have endured many injuries. With the return of Addai, the Colts will only get better as the season ends and the playoffs begin.

NFC South Blog: Are the Saints underrated?

by Bill Young

The Atlanta Falcons surprising dominance until this point has taken the league by storm. Michael Turner, Matt Ryan, and Roddy White have each improved and taken the offense to new heights. It doesn't hurt to finally have chemistry with future hall of fame TE Tony Gonzalez.

The horrific QB situation in Carolina has been on display all season. The best example of this occurred when stay at home dad Brian St. Pierre had to start one week.

Even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made a run. While the Buccaneers have only beaten teams under .500 and lost to all teams above .500, they are 8-5 and in contention for a playoff spot behind amazing fourth quarter performances led by 2nd year quarterback Josh Freeman.

Noticeably absent from the discussion so far is the defending champs, the New Orleans Saints. This may be the first defending super bowl champion team to fly under the radar at 10-3. After a difficult game with the 49ers this year where RB Reggie Bush broke his leg, the Saints offense has suffered. However, despite this injury and less turnovers generated by the defense, the Saints have held on and won the games they have needed to win. Now Reggie Bush is able to play once again and the Saints are ready to make another push in the playoffs. Whether the Saints win the division or not is irrelevant, merely getting into the tournament should be enough for a team with this much confidence and ability.

AFC South Blog: Jags v Colts--a big game?

by Bill Young

While the Jaguars and Colts games have been close every year, most of the country has ignored them mostly because the Jaguars never seem to win the games or the division. This year however the Jaguars have a realistic chance to sweep the Colts and win the division. The question is whether the Jaguars will perform at the level they are capable of and successfully implement a winning gameplan.

For many years, coach Jack Del Rio has enabled the Jaguars to overachieve despite a wide receiving corps that ranks in the bottom half of the league. Against the Colts this weakness is not as evident due to the brilliance of the Jaguars running attack (ranked 2nd in the NFL). The real question in this game is whether Jacksonville's defense will show up.

Last week the Jaguars gave up a whopping 31 points to the Raiders at home at one pm when the Raiders were still feeling the effects of jetlag. The "sluggish" Raiders offense piled up over 450 yards of total offense. To make matters worse, Jason Campbell looked like an elite quarterback out there--throwing for over 300 yards.

While the Raiders can run the ball far better than the Colts can at this point in the season, Peyton Manning should have a field day in the passing game. In addition, Austin Collie and Joseph Addai could return for this game which could greatly boost the suddenly turnover prone Indianapolis offense. Most importantly, Manning would not have to force passes in or not have continuity with such no-name receivers as Blair White constantly being shuffled on and off the field.

If Jacksonville does win this Sunday, it will be an upset because it has always been that team that can never get past the last obstacle to make the playoffs. If the Jaguars are ever gonna make it back to the playoffs, they have to make this opportunity count. Who knows if the Colts will ever be this injured or be struggling this much in the next 5 to 10 years? If they fail, the defense will have to be improved. If they succeed, they build on a good foundation. This is a key game for Jacksonville for the future not just the present playoff implications.

NFC East Blog: Season Breakdown

by Bill Young

In case this has not been said enough this year, QB Michael Vick is leading the Philadelphia Eagles to winning the NFC East division. While the Giants are currently tied for the lead, it has been clear that the Giants do not possess the offensive weapons necessary to match the offense of the Eagles.

In addition, even when the Giants' defense shows up, the offense leads the league in turning the ball over. This is due to poor decisions by Eli Manning and fumbling by running backs. For all the accolades that Manning has gotten for winning a super bowl over the patriots, at some point, the Giants need to think about finding an alternative at QB. While there are other factors to blame like an inconsistent offensive line and decimated wide receiving corps, Eli Manning has been for the most part ineffective throughout his career other than that one magical playoff performance. Even a game manager like former QB and current ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer was in his prime would do better than Manning at this point.

Meanwhile, the other teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins keep inventing new controversies every week. Perhaps its the only thing that will get fans to the games. However, after a certain point, can't these organizations just control their players and stay out of the headlines for one week. Maybe it's too much to ask. Ultimately, the blame lies in the personnel brought to each organization. For instance, Albert Haynesworth was known to be undisciplinned and only in it for the money from the beginning. In Dallas, Terell Owens and others were able to remain Cowboys for years longer than they should have because the owner loved them.

These organizations need to start over. At least the Redskins are winning in this category--they seem to start over after every season.

NFC East Blog: Redskins bound for last place?

by Bill Young

The Washington Redskins have looked absolutely awful the last few weeks. Even the victory over Tennessee looked like one of the worst games ever played. The defense is the league's worst. Now, to make matters worse, the one hundred million dollar man, Albert Haynesworth has been suspended for the remainder of the season.

The Redskins were already thin at nose tackle as it was. This move effectively ends their season since Maake Kemoatu has been ineffective at best, getting zero penetration into the backfield. This coupled with the achilles injury to emerging star safety Laron Landry makes the secondary limited as well. Clearly, the Redskins can't hope to do well with Reed Doughty constantly getting run over and eluded by Brandon Jacobs. Granted, that performance was one game, but similar plays have been occurring all season.

While the Redskins do not give up a lot of points, the defense typically fails in the fourth quarter due to lack of depth. When a stop is really needed, the defense is too gassed and gives up a ton of yardage.

The offense hasn't been outstanding. However, TE Chris Cooley and WR Anthony Armstrong have been bright spots in an otherwise dull season.

The Redskins better get it together or the Cowboys, 3-1 under Jason Garrett, will pass them for 3rd in the division. Perhaps the Redskins want to be this bad. Tanking might be best for a team that has far less talent than its division rivals. Unfortunately, the Redskins typically don't have the draft picks available to take advantage of their dismal seasons.

AFC South Blog: Can the Jags hold on to win the division?

by Bill Young

The Jacksonville Jaguars grabbed the division lead after defeating the Tennessee Titans 17-6. The question is whether they can maintain their lead. This team has a lot of momentum having beaten each division rival. In addition, they seem to be a team of destiny after beating the Texans on that last-second Hail Mary pass.

How could this possibly go wrong? Unfortunately for the Jaguars, a lot can go wrong. The offense relies heavily on the ability of All-Pro running back Maurice Jones-Drew who has quietly made himself into the offensive threat that can dominate any game. Without him, the Jaguars have a very limited offense because he catches a lot of short passes and is a dynamic runner. Quarterback David Garrard hasn't exactly impressed people most seasons. Some still wonder if getting rid of Byron Leftwich was the right move. Until the quarterback play improves, the offense won't be good enough to do damage in the playoffs even if Jones-Drew stays healthy. If Jones-Drew gets injured next week, their playoff hopes look grim.

Another issue for the Jaguars is the defense. The win over Tennessee is not indicative of the defenses capability because even the Redskins and their league worst defense held Tennessee to 16 points. Stopping the run has been an issue at times. Also, while Rashean Mathis has had a decent year, the secondary other than Mathis has been suspect.

Finally, the Colts always have a chance of putting a winning streak together. Peyton Manning will not continue to play as badly as he has the last few weeks. The Colts just got LB Gary Bracket back from injury and should be able to stop the run more often now. That may be all the Colts need to win their remaining games.

NFC East Blog: Are the Titans finished?

by Bill Young

The Tennessee Titans just lost a game to a team that got utterly humiliated the week before, the Washington Redskins. Randy Moss was ineffective and Vince Young had another tantrum. At a certain point, should coach Jeff Fisher just get rid of Vince Young for good and start over? Start Kerry Collins when healthy or another available veteran QB like Jeff Garcia. Even Daunte Culpepper would be a step in the right direction.
Vince Young is clearly a head case who is not mentally tough. He is the definition of a player Fisher can't tolerate. Forget about Randy Moss being a distraction. He provided holes for others to take advantage of. The playcalling, however, was atrocious. Probowl RB Chris Johnson did not get enough carries against the Redskins.
How did the Redskins hold down the league's top scoring offense to 16 points? Simple. Cover the stars and let such great players like Bo Scaife win the game. The Titans have to be able to throw on early downs so that a team like the Redskins can't always load the box. If not, audibles must be made to get a running play to go away from the blitz. Veteran QBs should be able to make these calls at the line. Unfortunately, Vince Young doesn't appear to fit that mold just yet.

NFC East Blog: Playoffs?

by Bill Young

The Eagles gained a strangehold on the division last week with their 27-17 victory over the Giants. This could begin another typical decline for the Giants.
In other games, the Redskins won a hardfought game against the Titans. Unfortunately, the Redskins had 10 players get injured during the contest. While next week's game against the Vikings is a winable game, it won't get any easier. The Redskins and the Giants might eliminate each other from playoff contention. With Dallas all but eliminated, the Eagles could be the sole representative in this year's playoffs. For all the talk of the talent in the NFC East, coaching and team chemistry have been at all-time lows.
The Giants continue to turn the ball over. Fumbling continues to haunt the Giants. The Cowboys were doomed by a team of stars without passion and the poor leadership of Wade Phillips. The Redskins, the least talented team of the four, have not been able to take advantage of a soft early schedule. Losing to both the Rams and Lions is inexcusable.
The Eagles have capitalized on these errors and stand to win the division--if Michael Vick can stay healthy.

AFC South Blog: Midseason Report

by Bill Young

TWO UP:

The Indianapolis Colts remain the team to beat in the division despite their myriad of injuries to the secondary and wide receivers. Its about time to recognize what they still have instead of focusing on what they have lost. The Colts still have Freeney and Mathis to rush the passer and Peyton Manning to lead the offense. These players are irreplacable for this current Colts' team. If the Colts go far in the playoffs, it will show the individual greatness of these players. If the Colts fail to do well this season, the legacy of Manning is in danger of taking a hit. Quarterbacks like Tom Brady have done well with less while Manning had future hall of famers like Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne to throw to for the entirety of his career. In addition, Pro-Bowl TE Dallas Clark is a weapon that most QBs have never had. If Manning wants to elevate himself above quarterbacks like Troy Aikman and make it to the level of those like Tom Brady, he needs to prove he can perform well in the playoffs regardless of the supporting cast.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were the beneficiary of good fortune when Mike Thomas caught David Garrard's Hail Mary pass to defeat the Houston Texans. After getting destroyed by the Chiefs a month ago, the Jaguars have responded to win their next two games against the Cowboys and Texans. This coupled with their upset victory over the Colts makes the Jaguars a dangerous team in the AFC South. If they can maintain this level of play, a playoff berth is a possibility.

2 DOWN:

The Tennessee Titans took a chance on Randy Moss. Now they will have to live with the effect he will have on the lockerroom if they start to lose. The loss to the Dolphins was not the start the Titans were envisioning. However, RB Chris Johnson will have more room to run if Randy Moss is capable of behaving like a professional on the field. Unfortunately, this is not likely to happen as Randy Moss may end up having his career abruptly as his conduct is no longer tolerable if he is no longer a top receiving threat in the NFL.
The Houston Texans started well. However, injuries to key players have significantly affected the Texans playoff chances. The injury to Pro Bowl LB Demeco Ryans specifically destroys any semblance of defense the Texans had. In addition, Andre Johnson is banged up. Unlike a certain QB, there will be no press conferences to address his ankle injuries, but they are definitely hindering his play. That being said, Texans coach Gary Kubiak has the opportunity to revamp the offense by focusing on the emergence of RB Arian Foster. Foster, an undrafted player from Tennessee, has done an admirable job when given enough carries. Playcalling has been the best defense against Foster as he is sometimes forgotten about in bigger games like the debacle in the second game versus the Colts where the Texans failed to establish the run against a pitiful run defense. If the Texans hope to turn their season around and keep star WR Andre Johnson, they need to emphasize the running game to minimize the time their defense is on the field and provide more open opportunities for WRs off of play-action passes.

NFC East: Mid-Season Report

by Bill Young

For the NFC East, every news story has appeared to be about the turmoil and constant troubles surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. However, for all of their perceived flaws, the organization appears to be moving in the right direction. While firing Wade Phillips sooner might have enabled the Cowboys to salvage their season, this has become an ideal situation for Jason Garrett to assume the head coaching duty. He has no pressure on him since few expect him to be the coach next year as ESPN analysts are continuously associating former Super Bowl winning coaches like Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher to the job. On the other hand, the Cowboys' coaching job is high profile and will give Garrett a chance to be a head coach of another NFL team at the beginning of next season. Football-wise, Jon Kitna has provided veteran leadership that the offense has rallied around. This leadership along with the emergence of the explosive Dez Bryant has led to the recent upset of the New York Giants. This win despite only having two healthy cornerbacks on their roster is a sign of positive things to come, possibly propelling the Cowboys past the Redskins to third in the NFC East.
While the Cowboys future is improving, the New York Giants have a lot of concerns to address. Last year's second half losing streak needs to be avoided. Unfortunately, a loss to the cellar-dwelling Cowboys was not a good start. The fact that the Giants looked unprepared for Dez Bryant who has been the Cowboys only consistent offensive threat this year is simply inexcusable. While the Giants do have 7 games to right themselves, they showed many signs of a team that could fade down the stretch. Examples of these signs were most evident when WR Hakeem Nix quit on a route leading to an interception and the inability to run the ball against Dallas. Since the Giants do not have the most explosive receivers, the receivers need to commit to their routes and the run game MUST be effective for the Giants to make the playoffs this year. Otherwise, they might as well end their season here and begin planning for the future.
One team thats fading fast is the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are the league's worst team at converting third down. In most cases, this would lead to benching the quarterback. Unfortunately for the Redskins, McNabb is now an 80 million dollar man who is backed up by the turnover waiting to happen--Rex Grossman. An even greater concern is the play of the defense. After getting shredded by the Eagles last week ( a team the Redskins held to 14 pts earlier this year), one has to wonder if the Redskins defense has anything left for the rest of the season. Linebacker London Fletcher has been a warrior but even he will get tired at some point if the offense continues to fail to sustain drives. Brian Orakpo has also been slowed by injuries, highlighting the lack of passrushing depth the Redskins exhibit every week. Losses to the Lions and Rams combined with the latest thrashing by the Eagles do not bode well for the Redskins as they face the Giants in two of their last 7 games.
The hottest team in the NFC East is the Philadelphia Eagles. QB Michael Vick has worked harder at film study and it shows. The Redskins had no way to defend him last week and most teams will not fare much better. As long as Vick avoids hits like the one the Redskins inflicted on him earlier in the season, the Eagles can go far in the playoffs. Super Bowl potential--maybe not. The running game is still weak and the defense can look average at times, but with Michael Vick leading the offense, all of those problems are largely overshadowed by the scoreboard.

Who should sign Randy Moss?

by Bill Young

In the AFC South, teams like the Texans and Jaguars should stay away from Moss because their current capabilities are well below the level of a playoff contender. As we have seen, Moss will constantly give up on plays if his team doesn't perform to championship contending level.
That said, the Colts should pass on him too. Manning did not need Moss against the Texans and will not need better wide receivers against other teams. The Colts need a better running game and Moss definitely can't solve that problem.
Ultimately, the Titans should sign Moss because their best receiver, Kenny Britt, is out indefinitely. In addition, Titans coach Jeff Fisher has command of the locker room in Tennessee the way Belichick has command of the locker room in New England. Randy Moss would have to buy in to the team goals or sit on the bench. A Brad Childress debacle wouldn't happen here.
In the NFC East, all teams should stay away. In the case of the Giants, they need to focus on running the ball and controlling the game. It has been proven in the past that this strategy leads to more wins for the Giants.
The Cowboys should keep what they have and let rookie Dez Bryant develop into a star. Adding Moss would only prevent Bryant from experiences the myriad of coverages teams are sure to throw at him in the coming weeks and greatly stunt his development.
The Eagles, on the other hand, have a glut of wide receivers who run the deep route well. Randy Moss would only be a good acquisition in this case if he were willing to run over the middle and make the clutch catches on third down. Somehow, that doesn't seem possible any time soon.
The Redskins should stay away from Moss because he cannot solve their offensive line woes. How well McNabb/Grossman/Jamarcus Russell can scramble is irrelevant because there is too much pressure for a deep ball to be thrown to Moss. Eventually, despite the Redskins current record (4-4), Moss would tank the rest of the season and screw up the chemistry present. On top of all these factors, Shanahan has done an excellent job dealing with Haynesworth, McNabb and any other big name Redskin player. It seems that Shanahan is going out of his way to alienate his star players. I'm sure Randy Moss who thrives on being the best player on the team would love to play for a coach who doesn't care about how good a player is. After all, if a lineman for the Redskins (Dockery) is benched because he isn't trying hard enough in practice, then Moss would be benched every game. Despite the overwhelming evidence here supporting not signing Moss, this hasn't stopped the Redskins before.

AFC South Blog: Titans division to lose?

by Bill Young

The Jacksonville Jaguars looked pathetic last night compared to the great defensive performance of the Titan defense and steady play of backup QB Kerry Collins. The performance by the Titans is nothing new. Since their 0-6 start last year, the Titans have won 13 of their last 17 games, which is the best record in the NFL.
With the Colts battling a number of injuries, this could be the year the Titans break through and win the division. The Colts have lost a number of safeties. In addition, Dallas Clark and Pierre Garcon got injured in last week's game. Further complicating matters is the injury to RB Joseph Addai because backup Mike Hart is a slower less effective version of Addai. Even Peyton Manning will have a hard time carrying the offense without a running game.
The Titans chances also increased because the Texans lost their best defensive player on Sunday when Demeco Ryans suffered a season-ending achilles tendon injury. The defense was already shaky while Ryans was in the game, but without him, its likely to completely fall apart. The Texans offense will have to carry an even greater load which will become increasingly difficult given the injury Andre Johnson is dealing with and the toll the season will start to take on RB Arian Foster.

NFC East Blog: What we've learned so far

by Bill Young

Dallas Cowboys: This is a team that has consistently underperformed. While a lot of this is coaching related, no amount of coaching can fix the lack of talent on the Cowboys offensive line. Lack of attention to this part of the team the last several years is starting to catch up to the Cowboys. At 1-4, their playoff chances are slim to none.

New York Giants: By beating the Texans and Bears the last few weeks, the Giants have earned a share of first place with the Philadelphia Eagles. Defense is essential for the Giants when the running game isn't working. As always, when Eli Manning needs to shoulder the load, its a bad sign of things to come.

Washington Redskins: At 3-3, the Redskins have been very inconsistent. One week, the Redskins beat the Eagles. Another week, they lose to the Rams. This week they put in a great effort without Albert Haynesworth before falling to the Colts 27-24. One thing you can say for sure about the Redskins is that they hurt people. They hit hard and play the game right. The Colts lost Dallas Clark and Pierre Garcon to injury during sunday's game. Unfortunately for Redskins fans, the Redskins could not take advantage of this golden opportunity. When talent catches up to the effort expended by Redskin players, this will be a dangerous team.

Philadelphia Eagles: Kevin Kolb answered his critics with an excellent game against the Falcons last week. Michael Vick was nowhere to be found. The controversy is there, but not a factor. Like the Cowboys, the Eagles have something that has to be going wrong or it wouldn't be the Eagles. The Eagles' QBs have handled the situation well but the coach hasn't. Changing your mind mid-week doesn't really inspire confidence when he went to Vick. When will the next change happen? Will one of them get traded? Too many questions and no answers. Until the team has an identity on offense, the team will really suffer, especially after the injury to Desean Jackson.

NFC East and AFC South: It's all screwed up

by Bill Young

Just when you thought the Eagles might put some distance between themselves and the rest of the NFC East, they handed the struggling Redskins a victory. Between Vick and McCoy's injuries, the Eagles offense was decimated.

Kevin Kolb came into the game and could not throw a pass longer than 10 yards. This was most evident during the fourth quarter. The Eagles needed to go down the field but could not do so against one of the league's worst pass defenses. Precious time was lost as the Eagles routinely threw the ball over the middle for five yard gains leaving only an ending hail mary attempt that was intercepted by Deangelo Hall.

The Redskins and Eagles knocked themselves out of contention last week as Clinton Portis is now out for 4 to 6 weeks. The Eagles offense looks crippled and the Redskins offense looks like it mainly works in the first half. If the Redskins want to finish strong like the Giants and Cowboys will, the offense has to step up in the fourth quarter.

The AFC South also was shaken up when the Colts lost to the Jaguars as Josh Scobee kicked a game winning 59 yard field goal as time expired. The Colts didn't just lose the game; they lost safety Michael Doss and reserve safety James Silva for the rest of the season. While Peyton Manning has shown the ability to carry the Colts to victory time and time again, the depleted secondary will put an increasing amount of pressure on the Colts' offense. This pressure has manifested in more turnovers early in this season.

While the Jaguars always seem to play the Colts tough, this is another sign that the Colts reign atop the AFC South may be coming to an end. The loss to the Jaguars puts the Colts in a precarious position if tiebreakers get involved at the end of the year because they have already lost two division games. Ultimately, all teams in the AFC South are still in the hunt, but the Colts appear to be in the most trouble.

They are who we thought they were

by Bill Young

Last week, the Houston Texans had a chance to establish themselves as a Super Bowl contender while the Cowboys were attempting to keep their playoff hopes alive. Is it too early for saying it was a must-win for the Cowboys? Not really, considering their awful play the first two games of the season.
The Texans came in after two good wins with a chance to bury the Cowboys and gain a strangle hold on their division. Unfortunately, the Texans are who I thought they were: a playoff pretender who can't defend against the pass. As long as they can't defend against the pass and Andre Johnson continues to get nagging injuries, their season hopes will look increasingly dire.
On the flip side, the Cowboys reminded us of the playoff and division winning potential they have by putting forth a solid effort in all phases of the game versus the Texans. The defense constantly pressured Matt Schaub, while much maligned WR Roy Williams has finally started to show up. If this continues, Miles Austin may not see constant double coverage for the rest of the season due to the balance in the Cowboys offense.
On a side note, the Redskins are who I thought they were: a competitive team who will not win ANY meaningful road games. Will they be in the playoff race til the end of the season? Probably. However, this is thanks to the Cowboys horrific start and the great potential for the Eagles to collapse. At home, the Redskins defense can play a decent game, but on the road, don't bother turning on the TV for those games because if a team allows the Stephen Jackson-less Rams to score 30 points, then there isn't much hope for the defense to stop anyone.
While everyone in Washington praised the hire of Shanahan, I was skeptical--not because his coaching record is less than stellar without Elway. Shanahan has always been an offensive minded coach. The NFC East is won every year with DEFENSE. Before Shanahan, even Zorn understood this. Even the best offense has trouble scoring in the NFC East. This greatly limits the effect of Shanahan's offensive genious while greatly highlighting the normal defensive difficulties his teams usually have. It was a good gig for Shanahan because the money was worth it. In terms of actual fit, another rebuilding campaign will take place 2 years later when management finally realizes what kind of football wins in this division.

NFC East Blog: Can someone give Brandon Jacobs his helmet back?

by Bill Young

There were two clashes between NFC East and AFC South teams. The AFC South emerged victorious both times proving their supremacy as the Colts destroyed the Giants and the Texans came back to beat the Redskins in OT. What does this say about the teams? The Texans are a solid team. The Redskins need a running game--fast. Unfortunately, the injury to Trent "silverback" Williams will not help matters when they play the Rams next week. The Colts played a good game and it was enough. The Giants are a shell of the Super Bowl team that beat the Patriots.
This brings me to the incident that happened with RB Brandon Jacobs in the 3rd quarter of last weeks game. Intentional or not, Jacobs threw his helmet into the stands while the game was going on. Half of the third quarter went by as the Giants attempted to rally against the Colts. Ahmad Bradshaw, the current top running back for the Giants was getting tired as Jacobs waited to get his helmet from Colts' security guards. As Bradshaw wore down, the Giants' comeback fizzled and the TV cameras only show was Jacobs watching the security guards wrestling for his helmet from the fans.
Should he have gotten his helmet back? I think not. All indications are that he wants out of New York. Generally, in other sports, a player about to be traded sits out games. Jacobs shouldn't have been in any way, so why give him his helmet back. Let the fans keep the souvenir. If baseball fans keep foul balls and tennis fans keep tennis balls in the stands at pro tournaments, then why can't an NFL fan keep a helmet?

AFC South Blog: Is Bob Sanders really THAT important?

by Bill Young

The Indianapolis Colts got thoroughly outplayed by the Houston Texans last week and lost 34-24. This victory says more about the Texans than the Colts. The Texans appear to finally be ready to get to the playoffs after several near misses.

The Colts, on the other hand, appear to be in trouble after allowing more than 200 yards rushing to Arian Foster and losing star safety Bob Sanders. However, this is not a new problem for the Colts. Over the last four or five seasons, Bob Sanders has barely managed to stay on the field for half of his team's games. While the stats (yardage wise) take a significant hit, the Colts defense has always been more of a bend but don't break defense rather than a shut 'em out defense. This strategy along with the play of QB Peyton Manning has been immensely successful--in the regular season.

Peyton Manning can still carry the Colts into the playoffs. Just expect the scores to be much closer. The regular season will be more demanding this year and will prevent the Colts from doing much in the post-season. They will still make it, but they may have to earn it on the last week of the season.

NFC East Blog: Did the Redskins Win or did the Cowboys lose?

by Bill Young

Last week, the Washington Redskins put forth a professional, workman-like effort to defeat the Dallas Cowboys. However, before we anoint the Redskins as an NFC contender and demote the Cowboys to being cellar dwellers, we need to take a closer look at some key factors that happened during the game.

First, the Redskins defense played a great game. This was greatly aided by the poor playcalling of Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Only last year's Redskins and this year's Jets have managed to butcher a game plan to a greater extent. The Redskins fought valiantly to cover the other receivers, but in the end, the Redskins had no answers for Miles Austin (10 catches 146 yards 1TD). One would think this would lead to even more balls his way. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, the majority of the first half was spent throwing screen passes to Dez Bryant and trying to get Roy Williams involved.

The running game was also ignored. The Cowboys have always been a better team when they commit to the run. It allows the offensive line to get better protection for Romo on play action situations. In addition, without the running game, the talent of Felix Jones, Marion Barber, and Tashard Choice was benched. It is always easier for the defense when their are less great offensive players to worry about.

On top of the playcalling blunders, the Cowboys fumbled at the end of the first half which led to Deangelo Hall scoring the Redskins only touchdown. Coach Wade Phillips admits that kneeling down was the right play. Unfortunately, Jason Garrett bungled the play call again.

This play would have been of no consequence if the Redskins offense had been putting points on the board. While the Cowboys played a strong defensive game, QB Donovan McNabb was up to his old tendencies including bouncing the ball to his receivers and having receivers drop the ball when he finally threw accurate passes. While it is possible that the receivers were shocked that McNabb actually threw accurate passes, the injury to Damarcus Ware is certainly a huge loss if Ware has to miss any more time this season. Without a pass rush, the Cowboys corners have been exposed in the past to be no more than average.

Ultimately, despite all of these shortcomings, the Redskins still BARELY won on the last play after a holding penalty was called on OT Alex Barron, one of two backup offensive linemen the Cowboys were forced to play due to injuries. The stars aligned perfectly for the Redskins on this night. As for the Cowboys, better days are ahead as OT Marc Colombo will return for Week 2 vs the Chicago Bears.

AFC South Blog: Is Vince Young the next Steve McNair?

by Bill Young

Despite the headlines All-Pro Running Back Chris Johnson grabbed with his predictions of 2,500 rushing yards this summer, the Titans will only go as far as QB Vince Young takes them. He must hold defenses accountable for the passing game to balance out one of the league's best rushing offenses. If he fails to do so, the Titans have a long season ahead of them.

Early in this preseason, however, Tennessee Titans QB Vince Young has shown remarkable poise in the pocket for someone who not too long ago would be running for his life as soon as his first read was covered. No one questions his leadership now.

This season is a turning point in Young's career. He can either step up and lead the Titans to the playoffs and potentially more, or crumble under the pressure the way he did early in his career. So far, despite this being preseason, the Titans look like a formidable team in a loaded division. The players appear to be rallying around Young in the same way they once believed in Steve McNair. Tennessee's receivers may not be household names, but coach Jeff Fisher believes that "they're the best group he's seen in years."

High praise to be sure, but the potential for this Titans team to go to the playoffs and do damage is great. Don't be surprised if the Titans start this season the way they ended last season--as one of the league's best teams.

NFC East Blog: Is Manning Really All Better Now?

by Bill Young

Early in his career, New York Giants QB Eli Manning was criticized by people like former RB Tiki Barber for not being a leader and not being as confident as NFL QB needs to be to win games. While Manning's stitches may have been removed recently, the effects of hits like the one Manning sustained in his first preseason game can linger throughout the upcoming season and potentially the rest of his career.

Former Texans QB David Carr was once a highly touted QB coming out of college. He took a few vicious hits during his first few seasons and never was the same QB. Because of these hits, he has been relegated to being a backup for the rest of his NFL career.

I'm not saying that Eli Manning has taken the beating that Carr has. However, if the Giants line can't protect him during the first few games of the season, Eli's career as a starting QB could very much be in jeopardy. For the Giants who hope Manning will be their franchise QB for years to come, further injury is unacceptable.

Given that Eli Manning is banged up, the running game and defense will have to step up. If for some reason there are 3rd and longs, running the ball or throwing screen passes isn't the end of the world. Defense has ultimately been the calling card of the NFC East for the past few years. Its time for the Giants to be more conservative and limit the amount of hits Manning takes during regular and preseason games.

AFC South Blog: Texans Lose RB Tate for Season

by Bill Young

The Houston Texans lost RB Ben Tate for the season when he tore ligaments in his ankle and susgtained damage to his fibula after being tackled by Arizona LB Daryl Washington. This setback will hurt the Texans dearly as Tate was drafted to compete for the starting job. Coach Gary Kubiak had been very high on Tate's chances to start this season ahead of Steve Slaton and Jeremiah Johnson.
This latest setback will put even more pressure on the shoulders of QB Matt Schaub to carry the load as the Texans will need to look to a more passing dominated approach to keep up with their division rivals.

NFC East Blog: Cowboys Win First Preseason Game

by Bill Young

Finally, the scrimmages begin and news other than Albert Haynesworth's conditioning test can come into focus. The Dallas Cowboys looked impressive early, moving the ball easily against the Bengals in the first quarter en route to a 16-7 victory. Unfortunately, the red zone offense left a lot to be desired as the drive stalled inside the five yard line.
While the Cowboys defense may have looked impressive statistically, offenses are notoriously poor in the beginning of the preseason. Carson Palmer did not have the timing down with his receivers and the running game suffered as a result.
Offensively, the Cowboys played one real drive with starters before giving way to players fighting for roster spots. For the most part, the offense was ugly, with the lone bright spot TE John Phillips sustaining an ACL injury effectively ending his season. It is a tough break for Phillips and the Cowboys as Phillips was impressing the coaching staff and playing well before the injury with 4 catches for 60 yards.

AFC South Blog: Cushing Suspended for 4 games

by Bill Young

LB Brian Cushing of the Houston Texans was suspended for 4 games after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. This loss will be tough for the Texans to overcome as Darnell Bing will have big shoes to fill during the beginning of the season.
The timing could not be worse as the Texans face the Redskins, Raiders, Cowboys and Colts in their first 4 games. All of these teams figure to run the ball or test the linebackers in other ways. The Colts will use short passes to take advantage of the void over the middle while the Cowboys, Redskins, and Raiders will run the ball frequently to wear down the Texans' star DE Mario Williams. The Texans would be fortunate to emerge from these first 4 games at 2-2. If the Texans do worse than 2-2, they most likely will miss the playoffs given their loaded schedule against the NFC East and always tough AFC South divisional rivals.

AFC North Blog: Draft Grades

By: Tony Mosesso, Michigan State University

I know I'm a little late, okay, well, a lot late, but things have been pretty busy lately. However, I'm back and ready to talk a little about the NFL Draft again.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Round 2: DE Sergio Kindle, Texas

Round 2: DT Terrence Cody, Alabama

Round 3: TE Ed Dickson, Oregon

Round 4: TE Dennis Pitta, BYU

Round 5: WR David Reed, Utah

Round 5: DT Art Jones, Syracuse

Round 6: OT Ramon Harewood, Morehouse

The Ravens missed on helping their secondary, which should have been a top goal. It's questionable and surprising that they took back to back TEs in rounds 3 and 4 with the need at CB and S. However, Ed Dickson could turn out to be the best TE taken in this draft in the long run, and Dennis Pitta will complement him well. Still, I think the secondary was more important than TE depth.

Overall Grade: C+

Cincinnati Bengals

Round 1: TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma

Round 2: DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida

Round 3: WR Jordan Shipley, Texas

Round 3: CB Brandon Ghee, Wake Forest

Round 4: DT Geno Atkins, Georgia

Round 4: LB Rodderick Muckelroy, Texas

Round 5: OG Otis Hudson, Eastern Illinois

Round 6: WR Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas

Round 7: OL Reggie Stephens, Iowa State

The Bengals had a very nice need-based draft, giving Carson Palmer a few more weapons and bolstering their defense. The only real miss I see here is not grabbing a safety anywhere in the draft. Plus, Jermaine Gresham is a good candidate for a bust. First round TEs are always risky, considering all of the other players on the board. Gresham is going to have to prove his worth. Carlos Dunlap is a first round talent. Jordan Shipley will be a strong slot receiver for Palmer. The Bengals nabbed a lot of talent, but only time will tell how it pans out.

Overall Grade: B+

Cleveland Browns

Round 1: CB Joe Haden, Florida

Round 2: FS T.J. Ward, Oregon

Round 2: RB Montario Hardesty, Tennessee

Round 3: QB Colt McCoy, Texas

Round 3: OT Shawn Lauvao, Arizona State

Round 5: SS Larry Asante, Nebraska

Round 6: WR Carlton Mitchell, South Florida

Round 6: DE Clifton Geathers, South Carolina

Cleveland did very well for themselves this year, passing on Colt McCoy not once, not twice, but three times before landing him with their 4th pick of the draft. Montario Hardesty will immediately compete for carries with Jerome Harrison, while Haden, Ward, and Asante will immediately strengthen this week defensive secondary.

Overall Grade: A-

Pittsburgh Steelers

Round 1: C/G Maurkice Pouncey, Florida

Round 2: DE Jason Worilds, Virginia Tech

Round 3: WR Emmanuel Sanders, Southern Methodist

Round 4: DE Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State

Round 5: OT Chris Scott, Tennessee

Round 5: CB Crezdon Butler, Clemson

Round 5: LB Stevenson Sylvester, Utah

Round 6: RB Jonathon Dwyer, Georgia Tech

Round 6: WR Antonio Brown, Central Michigan

Round 7: DT Dough Worthington, Ohio State

Pittsburgh spend much of this draft helping their 3-4 defense and offensive line, but their three skill position players are no slouches. Jonathon Dwyer is a lot better than his 6th round draft position, and he'll be set to prove it in a backup role to Rashard Mendenhall. With the trading of Santonio Holmes, the Steelers elected to provide some depth at WR (Sanders, Brown). Solid draft for Pittsburgh this year.

Overall Grade: B

AFC East Blog - No Fly Zone be Damned

Jim King


Brandon Marshall, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Braylon Edwards, Torry Holt, Santonio Holmes, and Davone Bess are the prolific wide receivers of the AFC East. You could base an entire Pro Bowl team on just this one division and still have leftovers.

Brandon Marshall is quickly becoming the most proficient possession receiver in the NFL. Randy Moss has led the NFL in touchdowns two out of the last three years. Torry Holt led the NFL in receptions from 2000-2010. Wes Welker has had three straight seasons where he caught over 100 passes. Santonio Holmes has two Super Bowl rings and was the Super Bowl MVP two years ago.

When you combine these receivers with Tom Brady, Chad Henne, and Mark Sanchez, you have arguably the best young, talented division in football at the quarterback position.

In 2007, Tom Brady set the NFL record with 50 touchdown passes; Randy Moss had a record 23 touchdown receptions to go with it. We already know that New England will have that trademark prolific passing attack.

But now Chad Henne and Mark Sanchez are starting to get some toys to play with. Mark Sanchez can run Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes with Jerricho Cotchery out of the slot. Henne, in a system that is run-heavy, can finally spread the ball out to the daunting Brandon Marshall with Davone Bess and Ronnie Brown out of the backfield as escape valves.

What was considered the weakest division in the NFL just two seasons ago has grown into arguably the most powerful. Three teams could plausibly make pushes for the division title. In the end, perhaps all three of them could make the playoffs. That is how talented New England, New York, and Miami have become offensively.

Miami and New England have also addressed their troublesome defenses this off-season. The Dolphins went out and signed Karlos Dansby to a lengthy, expensive contract. They also added a few minor players in the secondary and line. The Patriots solidified a long term deal with the behemoth we call Vince Wilfork to a six year deal. They also brought back Leigh Bodden, the second best free agent cornerback of the off-season, former Panther Damione Lewis, and Tully Banta-Cain, who had 10 sacks for the team last year.

The Jets, who were already solid as it were, got better defensively. With the signing of Antonio Cromartie early in the off-season, they improved also the linebacking corps with the addition of Jason Taylor.

Both teams addressed defense in the NFL Draft as well. Both the Pats and Jets took a cornerback in the first round: New England took Devin McCourty while New York selected Kyle Wilson. The Patriots also addressed their linebacker woes in the second round with Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes, both teammates from Florida. Cunningham and Spikes are projected to start in Bill Belichick’s linebacker corps in the upcoming season.

At this point, it is really a coin toss as to who could take the division. The NFL Draft is tonight and that could be divisive in determining the pre-season favorite.

You almost have to feel for Buffalo who seems to be the only team that got worse, if that is possible. Hey, if it’s any consolation, they were able to take CJ Spiller with the ninth pick of the draft. Looks like Ryan Fitzpatrick will be getting a second chance…

Perhaps they can lure Jim Kelly from retirement.

NFC East Blog: Redskins sign veteran wide receivers

by Bill Young

The Washington Redskins have recently signed 16 year veteran Joey Galloway and Bobby Wade. Both wide receiverss are well traveled, playing for at least four teams each. Galloway, however, is part of the latest trend in Redskin wide receiver signings--old and hopefully reliable.

These moves don't inspire confidence because the Redskins signed players like Keenan McCardell, Irving Fryar, and James Thrash at the end of their careers hoping to gain a possession receiver. Unfortunately for the Redskins, lost speed is tough for wide receivers to overcome because defensive backs in the NFL are only getting faster and more adept at using film to their advantage.

One has to wonder if GM Bruce Allen was hoping that Joey Galloway could still be the player he saw when he oversaw the Buccaneers from 2004-2008. In any event, the odds are heavily stacked against the Redskins wideouts once again as yet another new offensive system tries its hand at rejuvenating the anemic Redskins offense.

Mike Shanahan's offense has been looked at for many years now. Defensive backs have more than enough film to prevent either of these signings from being more than signing players for the sake of signing players. Moves like these are typical of the Redskins. If the Redskins hope to rebuild a once-proud organization, it will have to start by refraining from making decisions like these. Otherwise, ownership will have to begin the rebuilding process all over again.

NFL Draft Grades: NFC East & AFC South

by Bill Young

NFC East:

New York Giants draft picks: Round 1 Pick 15 DE Jason Pierre-Paul

Round 2 Pick 46 DT Lindval Joseph

Round 3 Pick 76 S Chad Jones

Round 4 Pick 115 ILB Phillip Dillard

Round 5 Pick 147 OG Mitch Petrus

Round 6 Pick 186 OLB Adrian Tracy

Round 7 Pick 221 P Matt Dodge

The Giants missed their chances to land a solid LB in the first round and passed on offensive lineman early in the draft in what was a top heavy OL draft. Pierre-Paul and Joseph will greatly improve a less than stellar run defense. Grade: C+

Dallas Cowboys draft picks: Round 1 Pick 24 WR Dez Bryant

Round 2 Pick 55 ILB Sean Lee

Round 4 Pick 126 CB Okwasi Owusu-ansuh

Round 6 Pick 179 OT Sam Young

Round 6 Pick 196 CB Jamar Wall

Round 7 Pick 234 DT Sean Lissemore

The Cowboys got great value with their first round pick in Dez Bryant. Unfortunately, the rest of the draft wasn't nearly as kind. Sean Lee isn't nearly the LB that was needed and they passed on the solid cornerbacks available with their first round slot while wasting two of their later round picks on CBs. Lissemore could turn into a great backup DT. Grade: B-

Philadelphia Eagles draft picks: Round 1 Pick 13 OLB Brandon Graham

Round 2 Pick 37 CB Nate Allen

Round 3 Pick 86 DE Daniel Te'o-nesheim

Round 4 Pick 105 OLB Keenan Clayton

Round 4 Pick 122 QB Michael Kafka

Round 4 Pick 125 TE Clay Harbor

Round 5 Pick 134 DE Ricky Sapp

Round 5 Pick 159 WR Riley Cooper

Round 6 Pick 200 RB Charles Scott

Round 7 Pick 220 ILB Jamar Chaney

Round 7 Pick 243 DT Jeffrey Owens

Round 7 Pick 244 S Kurt Coleman

The Eagles successfully found great linebackers early in the draft while finding a solid cover corner in Nate Allen. In addition, they found a good backup for Kevin Kolb who could potentially become a starter in the NFL some day. Last but not least, the Eagles finally found a short yardage back in LSU bruiser Charles Scott. Grade: A-

Washington Redskins draft picks: Round 1 Pick 4 OT Trent Williams

Round 4 Pick 103 OLB Perry Riley

Round 6 Pick 174 TE/FB Dennis Morris

Round 7 Pick 219 WR Terrence Austin

Round 7 Pick 229 OG Erik Cook

Round 7 Pick 231 OT Selvish Capers

The Redskins used the draft to improve its beleaguered offensive line. In addition, they found a good linebacker for the new 3-4 scheme. In the end, the Redskins failed to find a replacement for the depth they lost on the defensive line and are still left looking for help at the safety position. Grade: C+

AFC South:

Houston Texans draft picks: Round 1 Pick 20: CB Kareem Jackson

Round 2 Pick 58: RB Ben Tate

Round 3 Pick 81: DT Earl Mitchell

Round 4 Pick 102: ILB Darryl Sharpton

Round 4 Pick 118: TE Garret Graham

Round 5 Pick 144: CB Sherrick McManis

Round 6 Pick 187: OG Shelley Smith

Round 6 Pick 197: RS Trindon Holliday

Round 7 Pick 227: TE Dorin Dickerson

The Texans greatly improved its secondary by adding Kareem Jackson. RB Ben Tate is a reach given the gimmicky offense imployed by Auburn. Other good RBs were still available in the second round. Other picks added much needed depth on the D-line and LB core. Other offensive addition gave depth to the TE position where Houston struggled to find production after Owen Daniels got injured last season. Speed demon Trindon Holliday could add a new dimension to this already potent offense. Grade: B+

Indianapolis Colts draft picks: Round 1 Pick 31: OLB/DE Jerry Hughes

Round 2 Pick 63: ILB Patrick Angerer

Round 3 Pick 94: CB Kevin Thomas

Round 4 Pick 129: OG Jacques McClendon

Round 5 Pick 162: TE Brody Eldridge

Round 7 Pick 238: DT Ricardo Mathews

Round 7 Pick 240: OLB Kavell Conner

Round 7 Pick 246: CB Ray Fisher

The Colts focused on improving their pass rush. In addition, they got much needed depth at cornerback after David Macklin left via free agency. The complaints about the offensive line were addressed at a cursory level. The safety position, given the amount of injuries Bob Sanders has, should've been a point of emphasis. Grade: C-

Jacksonville Jaguars draft picks: Round 1 Pick 10: DT Tyson Alualu

Round 3 Pick 74: DT D'anthony Smith

Round 5 Pick 143: OLB Larry Hart

Round 5 Pick 153: DE Austen Lane

Round 6 Pick 180: RB Deiji Karim

Round 6 Pick 203: CB Scotty McGee

The story of the draft for the Jaguars is missed opportunities. First, they missed an opportunity to add an elite pass rusher to their anemic pass rush in the first round and went with Alualu who might have second round talent at best. Then, they chose Smith who has character issues. Finally, they chose a RB to go alongside Jones-Drew in the 6th round before choosing a kickreturner in Scotty McGee. Other needs couldve been addressed like the WR and DE positions. Grade: D

Tennessee Titans draft picks: Round 1 Pick 16: DE Derrick Morgan

Round 3 Pick 77: WR Damian Williams

Round 3 Pick 97: OLB Rennie Curran

Round 4 Pick 104: CB Alterraun Verner

Round 5 Pick 148: S Robert Johnson

Round 6 Pick 176: QB Rusty Smith

Round 6 Pick 207: S Myron Rolle

Round 7 Pick 222: WR Marc Mariani

Round 7 Pick 241: DT David Howard

The Titans got a steal when DE Derrick Morgan fell to them in the first round. LB Rennie Curran will help improve the tackling of a Titans team that declined last year after the departure of Albert Haynesworth. The Titans also picked up a corner and a DT to solidify the defense. Finally, the Titans got two WRs in an attempt to improve one of the league's weakest passing attacks. Unfortunately, more wasn't done to address the glaring need for CBs. Grade: B+

AFC West Blog: Singing a similar tune

By Justin Tumidanski

The AFC West has consistantly been the topic of conversation again this offseason, and come draft day it doesn't appear like its going to change. All eyes are set on two of the teams in this division, as it may just be a make or break draft for their coaching staffs. Can the Oakland Raiders make strides to come out of mediocrity? Will the trading of Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall actually pay off for Josh McDaniels?

A year after trading away their franchise quarterback (Jay Cutler), the Denver Broncos traded away one of the best wide receivers in the league (Brandon Marshall) in order to prepare themselves for this years draft. It is quite peculiur that this team is dumping pro-bowl caliber players, because the Broncos have been close to clinching a playoff berth the last two years. Denver has seven total picks in this years draft, so all eyes will be locked in on them come thursday. Josh McDaniels has choosen to get rid of good players that had player-coach character issues, he needs to step up with this draft if he hopes to retain his job as the Head Coach. It'll be quite intersting to see how McDaniels addresses his lack of a #1 wide receiver in this draft, which is filled with talented players that have baggage.

The Kansas City, has been quite the opposite of the Broncos this offseason. They have brought in talent in order to bring themselves closer to being a playoff contender. Jamaal Charles will be looking to replicate his end of the season running numbers, and by bringing in New York Jets cast off Thomas Jones they have secured a one-two punch in the running game. With eight picks in this years draft the Chiefs look to solidify their shaky defense and to strengthen their offensive line to protect their investment in Matt Cassel. Glenn Dorsey hasn't lived up to his potential, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Chiefs look for a nose tackle and linebackers to aid their 3-4 defense.

The San Diego Chargers this year, have not made a huge splash through free agency, and the transition to a pass first team is almost complete. Although they have lost a few players whose best years are behind them (LaDainian Tomlinson and Jamal Williams), the team was likely to draft their replacements with this years first and second round draft picks. Will their leadership and experience be missed? Certainly, when a team loses a veteran who has been with a team for a long time, their loss will be felt. The development of Phillip Rivers into one of the best quarterbacks in the league should offset their losses, and push them into the playoffs because of their week division. The chargers will most likely be looking towards a running back and a nose tackle for their defense.

The Oakland Raiders have finished with five or less wins the last seven seasons in a row. With all of those high draft picks, you would think that they would have a pretty strong team by now. Wrong. Although it is to early to rule out Darren McFadden and Darius Heyward Bey, the only top draft pick (over the last seven years) made by Oakland that has lived up to their draft rank is Nnamdi Asomugha. Robert Gallery who was drafted as an OT, had a rough start but has made his way into being a starting G in coach Tom Cable's system. Raider nation is tired of being the bottom of the division, and getting nothing for their high draft picks, can they turn it around? The raiders have eight this year, in one of the deepest drafts in a while. If they can't walk away with three or four starters in this draft they are likely to remain on the bottom of the division for a while. The Raiders should build the trenches this year, and I
wouldn't be surprised if they look at a quarterback with their second round pick.

Staff's Picks: Mock Draft

The staff of NFL Insider Today got together in our war room to discuss and implicate the picks each team will make in the first two rounds. Each writer was responsible for the four teams in his division for a total of eight teams a piece. Tony Mo made the picks for the NFC West and AFC North, JT was responsible for the NFC North and AFC West, Bill Young had control of the NFC East and AFC South while Jim King rounded it out with the NFC South and AFC East. Enjoy...

Round 1

1. St. Louis – QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

2. Detroit – DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

3. Tampa Bay – DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma

4. Washington – OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

5. Kansas City – S Eric Berry, Tennessee

6. Seattle – RB CJ Spiller, Clemson

7. Cleveland – S Earl Thomas, Texas

8. Oakland – OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa

9. Buffalo – OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers

10. Jacksonville – DE Jason Paul-Pierre, South Florida

11. Denver – WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State

12. Miami – LB Rolando McClain, Alabama

13. San Francisco – CB Joe Haden, Florida

14. Seattle – OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma

15. NY Giants – Sean Witherspoon, Missouri

16. Tennessee – DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech

17. San Francisco – OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland

18. Pittsburgh – CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State

19. Atlanta – OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas

20. Houston – CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama

21. Cincinnati – S Taylor Mays, USC

22. New England – DE/OLB Brandon Graham, Michigan

23. Green Bay – G Mike Iupati, Idaho

24. Philadelphia – CB Devin McCourty, Rutgers

25. Baltimore – DE/DT Jared Odrick, Penn State

26. Arizona – OT Roger Saffold, Indiana

27. Dallas – OT Charles Brown, USC

28. San Diego – DT Terrance Cody, Alabama

29. NY Jets – WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame

30. Minnesota – QB Colt McCoy, Texas

31. Indianapolis – OLB Larry Hughes, TCU

32. New Orleans – DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida


Round 2
33. St. Louis – WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati

34. Detroit – CB Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State

35. Tampa Bay – G Maurkice Pouncey, Florida

36. Kansas City – TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma

37. Philadelphia – DE Everson Griffen, USC

38. Cleveland – QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame

39. Oakland – DT Brian Price, UCLA

40. San Diego – RB Jahvid Best, California

41. Buffalo – DT Dan Williams, Tennessee

42. Tampa Bay – WR Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech

43. Denver – DE/OLB Ricky Sapp, Clemson

44. New England – RB Ryan Mathews, Fresno State

45. Denver – CB Chris Cook, Virginia

46. NY Giants – DT Tyson Aluala, California

47. New England – WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois

48. Carolina – DE Corey Wootton, Northwestern

49. San Francisco – CB Patrick Robinson, Florida State

50. Kansas City – DT Linval Joseph, East Carolina

51. Houston – DT Lamarr Houston, Texas

52. Pittsburgh –WR Damian Williams, USC

53. New England – QB Tim Tebow, Florida

54. Cincinnati – CB Dominic Franks, Oklahoma

55. Philadelphia – OLB Daryl Washington, TCU

56. Green Bay – OT Jason Fox, Miami

57. Baltimore –CB Brandon Ghee, Wake Forest

58. Arizona – OT Tony Washington, Abilene Christian

59. Dallas – WR Eric Decker, Minnesota

60. Seattle – FS Nate Allen, South Florida

61. NY Jets – DE Austin Lane, Murray State

62. Minnesota – CB Donovan Warren, Michigan

63. Indianapolis – G Jon Asamoah, Illinois

64. New Orleans – S Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech

Three Team Trade, moving Ernie Sims and Tony Scheffler

It has been announced today that a three team trade has been made between the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos. The Eagles acquired LB Ernie Sims from the Lions and gave a fifth round pick in 2010 to the Broncos. The Lions acquired TE Tony Scheffler and a seventh round pick in 2010 from the Broncos to send Ernie Sims to the Eagles.

Ernie Sims is heading into his fifth season with his best year being 2007, where he had 97 solo tackles along with a sack and a interception. Tony Scheffler is also heading into his fifth season posting his best numbers in 2008, where he had 40 receptions for 645 yards and 3 touchdowns. Both players haven't quite lived up to their teams expectations, we shall see how they do in their new homes.

NFC North Blog: Great Potential, But Filled With Holes

By: Justin Tumidanski

The 2010 draft is almost upon us, and that means it's finally time to start talking some football once again. I believe that the NFC North may just be one of the more competitive divisions in the NFL this year. Last years front runners (Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers) haven't made any strong additions through free agency this year, and have chosen to try and retain as many players as possible. Both the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears have arguably been the most active in free agency this year, with many key additions it is clear that the talent level in this division is rapidly leveling off. This may be the most competitive year for this division that we have seen in a long time. Glaring holes are present in each team as draft day approaches. These need to be filled in order for them to return to respectability (Lions and Bears) or be considered serious playoff contenders (Vikings and Packers). These holes are what I would like to address in this blog.

Green Bay Packers:
With the first year of transitioning to a 3-4 defense complete, the Packers can only hope to improve upon their good defensive numbers in 2010. This team is arguably the most complete team in the division with a strong defense and a very potent offense. There are only two main areas that I am concerned with for the Packers heading into the start of the season, with the first being the offensive line. Only the starting gaurds were able to play in all sixteen regular season games last year, and looking at the age and history of both starting tackles it may not change again this year. Throughout last year Aaron Rodgers was under much duress as he was sacked fifty times, with some of the highest sack totals coming in each of their five losses. It is clear that Aaron Rodgers (or any quarterback) plays their best when they have a comfortable pocket to work in.

The health of the secondary is also a concern, as starting corner Al Harris was unable to play the full sixteen game season after suffering from a severe knee injury. 2009 defensive mvp Charles Woodson isn't getting any younger either. Look for the Packers to address both of these needs through the draft. If health is not a factor this year, the Packers have the best shot out of anyone in this division to compete for a super bowl trophy.

Minnesota Vikings:
This team a year ago was one game from the super bowl, it is hard to believe that there would be any significant hole in any aspect of this teams game. But, there are more than you'd like to think. As the Farve watch continues in Minnesota, the Vikings roll into the draft with some major uncertainty with who is going to lead the team come September. I find it very difficult to believe that Farve will not be under center for the purple and black this year, but with Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels waiting in the midst things don't look good if he decides to retire.

My main concern though when looking at the Vikings, is their secondary. Both Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin had significant injuries last year, and will they be ready to start the season? Winfield looks like he will, but there has been no official word when Griffin will be ready after tearing his ACL in the NFC Championship loss to the New Orleans Saints. With unimpressive play of both of the starting safeties, Tyrell Johnson and Madieu Williams, along with questions at cornerback the secondary of the Vikings is looking quite rough. Look for them to pick up a play maker for their secondary and a rotational defensive tackle to provide depth behind the aging Pat Williams with their early picks.

Chicago Bears:
Bringing in the offensive guru Mike Martz is a very risky maneuver which could end up great or a complete disaster. With the true intention to strengthen an otherwise anemic offense the Bears brought in Mike Martz to help bring the best out of Jay Cutler. The problem is that they still have no real #1 receiver in Chicago and who knows how Jay Cutler will rebound from his twenty six interception season. Things however, are starting to look better as Devin Aromashodu stepped up his game at the end last season, I have a feeling he will be paired with the shifty Johnny Knox to begin this season.

The Bears also made headlines this offseason by bringing in stud defensive end Julius Peppers from Carolina in order to bolster their defensive line. This move looks more like a expensive bandaid rather than a long term solution as the big names on this defense are getting old. This team is in transition and needs to bring in talented defensive players and offensive linemen in this draft. The problem with this of course, is that last year they spent big to bring in Jay Cutler, and are left with few draft picks (with the first of the few being in the third round) to fix their problems. Going into the season, the strength of the Bears team is with the offense, and their position in the NFC North with be determined solely on how well Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, and the receiver corp. adapt to the Mike Martz system.

Detroit Lions:
Head coach Jim Schwartz is doing a great job by brining in middle grade veterans and drafting talent in order to build the team for the future. Their skill positions are nearly set, and they are beginning to bring the defense that rated last in many stat categories around. That being said this team has a ton of ground to cover in order to return to respectability.

Aside from Louis Delmas the secondary is atrocious, giving up a league worst 265.6 passing yards per game. In a division with elite quarterbacks (Brett Farve, Aaron Rodgers, and Jay Cutler) if they can't force throws with pressure from the defensive line they may find themselves in a similar spot come next offseason. The additions of Corey Williams and Kyle Vanden Bosch strengthen their chances of putting pressure on the quarterback. As the draft approaches, it is looking more like the Lions will bring in Ndamukong Suh to further bolster the defensive line. That leaves the secondary as the defenses main weakness, as it still has a long way to go even with the addition of Falcons cast off Chris Houston. Unless they find a starting caliber cornerback or a top tier edge rusher in the draft it is fair to expect the Lions to find themselves with another top 10 pick in next years draft.

We will get a good indication of what exactly these teams are concerned about going into the season by looking at what they choose to do in the draft starting this Thursday.

NFC East Blog: More QB trades?

by Bill Young

With the acquisition of Donovan McNabb, it appears that Jason Campbell's days in Washington are numbered. The Redskins are hoping to get some draft picks to make up for the ones that they sent to the Eagles for McNabb. At the moment, the Raiders and Panthers are the frontrunners to land Campbell. Another potential trade includes the Broncos with the Redskins attempting to get Brandon Marshall. This is a longshot but stranger things have happened.

In addition, the Philadelphia Eagles are putting QB Michael Vick on the trade market. This seems like a peculiar move for the Eagles given the fact that the most productive Vick can be is on the Eagles as a wildcat or backup QB. While Vick showed glimpses of his past ability, he is far from the QB he was a few years ago. Trading Vick for a lower round draft pick would be almost the equivalent of giving him away. The Eagles offense which was already relying on big plays last year would stagnate without McNabb or Vick to give defensive coordinators nightmares. Ultimately, the Eagles are probably going to keep Vick and try to improve through the draft.

AFC North Blog: Why the Ravens Will Be Division Champs

By: Tony Mosesso, Michigan State University

In a division battered with inconsistency and headline news stories that are completely unrelated to football, there is one team that flies under the radar every season - the Baltimore Ravens. Everyone talks about the Steelers being the "class of the AFC North", Big Ben makes headline news with cases of poor conduct that are supposedly always false (sure, all the women just pick on Big Ben...), the Bengals have consistent headliner Chad Ochocinco, and the Browns are just plain bad (but not for long - see "AFC North Blog: Searching For an Identity", by Tony Mosesso). Even with outspoken leader Ray Lewis, the Ravens hardly get classified as a true contender in the AFC. 

But this year will be different.

The Ravens always have, at the very least, an above average defense. That won't change. So what's the difference you ask? Well, by process of elimination, and by ignoring Special Teams, it has to be offense. Specifically, Joe Flacco and Anquan Boldin. 

Flacco has been fantastic since his NFL debut, exceeding much of the nation's expectations. In his rookie season, he posted solid numbers, especially for a rookie. He held a 60% completion percentage, just under 3000 yards passing, and 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Last year, he improved. Sophomore slump? Not for this guy. He improved his completion percentage to 63.1%. He added 7 TDs to his rookie tally, which gave him 21. His interceptions stayed put at 12. Not too shabby. Lastly, his QB Rating increased eight and a half points to 88.9 (80.3 rookie season). The best part for Flacco and the Ravens? He's only going to get better. Getting another year under his belt will undoubtedly help him. But what's the X-Factor? The addition of ex-Cardinals Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin.

Boldin finally provides a solid second option to the Ravens passing game. Inconsistency has plagued Raven receivers, with the exception of Derrick Mason. But how is Mason supposed to thrive in the offense without the ability to outrun the league's top corners? He's a possession receiver at this stage in his career - and a great one at that. But it's a lot easier for a defense to cover a receiver that primarily runs slant routes, in routes, and out routes, 6-10 yards from the line of scrimmage, when they have no complement on the other side of the field. Everyone knows where the ball is going nine times out of ten. Mark Clayton hasn't cut it as the #2 receiver, and Demetrius Williams hasn't exactly panned out either. Sporadic solid efforts have helped, but ever since Todd Heap forgot how to play the Tight End position, the Ravens have lacked a threatening second option (with the exception of dump offs to Ray Rice). Boldin provides that. No longer can a defense sit on Mason and Rice. Boldin gives you much more than just another option though. He is the most threatening of the Wide Receivers and Tight Ends. He can play small ball or go for the home run. He has great hands. He has solid speed. He helped make Larry Fitzgerald who he is. And playing with veteran Derrick Mason won't hurt him. He'll make it much easier on Joe Flacco. Heck, he'll improve Flacco's numbers more than you think. Blitzing corners won't be as likely, as they'll have to stay back to cover more than just one receiver. With that said, I'll give you a simple equation for Flacco's season.

Flacco 2009 + Boldin - CB pass rush ('more time in pocket') = Top 5 QB ('Flacco 2010')

Another plus for the Ravens? Ray Rice is only going to get better. 

This year's draft could prove to be vital for the Raven defense. If they want to improve their above average defense to a once again ELITE defense, that's where the draft comes in. The best case scenario that I see is Boise State CB Kyle Wilson still being on the board for Baltimore to grab. He would be a great fit as the Ravens #2 CB, or even nickel back until he gets the hang of the NFL style. But I think he's ready. And the Ravens' current #2 CB (Chris Carr) is better suited as a nickel back. If this proves to be impossible (Wilson goes early), they could select fellow CB Patrick Robinson (Florida State). As you can tell, I see CB as the Ravens most needed position. If both of these fall through, they could trade back to the second round and take Inside Linebacker Sean Lee (Penn State), who would be a great complement to Ray Lewis - and could learn A LOT from Lewis as well. 

All in all, the Ravens are primed to make a run this season. Their team was good last year, and they've vastly improved. The Steelers are no longer the dominating force they were a couple of  years ago, the Bengals are a 9-7 to 10-6 team, regardless, and the Browns aren't ready to compete just yet. The Ravens should take the division and make a run at Super Bowl XLV.

Mark it down.