Draft Watch: SEC Championship: Florida vs Alabama

This game is for the right to play in the BCS Championship game and we could see as many as 20 players drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft depending on how many junior declare, with a few more sign as un-drafted rookie free-agents.

The Florida Gators: 12-0 (8-0)

QB Tim Tebow (SR) - Tebow is one of the best college football players of all time, but NFL teams have mixed reviews on his skills for the next level. Draft Grade: 2nd round

WR Riley Cooper (SR) - Cooper is a very good overall football player and will make a solid third or fourth receiver at the next level. Draft Grade: 5th round

TE Aaron Hernandez (JR) - Hernandez is a very good receiving tight end, but needs to improve his blocking. Most likely will declare for the 2010 NFL Draft. Draft Grade: 2nd round

C Maurkice Pouncey (JR) - Pouncey is a very good athlete with good strength and the ability to get to the next level with his blocks. If he declares, could be the top center. Draft Grade: 2nd round

OG Michael Pouncey (JR) - Pouncey isn’t the athlete that his bother Maurkice is but still a very good offensive linemen. Draft Grade: 4th round

DE Carlos Dunlap (JR) - Because of a DUI ticket he receiver he will not play in this game. Dunlap has all the physical tools to be a great defensive end in the NFL, but just needs to be more consistent. May have already played last game as a Gator. Draft Grade: 1st round

DE Jermaine Cunningham (SR) - Cunningham is a good pass rusher and is a good overall athlete which is why some think that he could be a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL. Draft Grade: 3rd round

LB Brandon Spikes (SR) - Spikes is a very good tackler and has the ability to make plays all over the field. Draft Grade: 1st round

CB Joe Haden (SR) - Haden most likely will declare and be the first cornerback drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft. He has very good ball skills and is a willing tackler. Draft Grade: 1st round

S Ahmad Black (JR) - Black does a very good just supporting the run and there is some thought that he will declare for the 2010 NFL Draft. He doesn’t have great size/speed but is a productive player. Draft Grade: 4th round

S Major Wright (JR) - Wright is a very good free safety and has the ability to play the run as well as cover a receiver man to man. Draft Grade: 4th round

The Alabama Crimson Tide 12-0 (8-0)

TE Colin Peek (SR) - Peek is an all-around tight end who can block very well and also be a factor in the passing game. Draft Grade: 5th round

OT Drew Davis (SR) - Davis has great size at 6-7 305 pounds and is a very good run blocker as a right tackle. Draft Grade: 7th round

OG Mike Johnson (SR) - Johnson could be the first offensive guard drafted and does a excellent job in the run game. Draft Grade: 2nd round

DE Brandon Deaderick (SR) - Deaderick has a good combination of speed and strength. Experience in Nick Saban's 3-4 defense can only help. Draft Grade: 7th round

DE Lorenzo Washington (SR) - Washington has great size at 6-5 290 and would be a perfect defensive end in the 3-4 defense in the NFL. Draft Grade: Free-Agent

DT Terrence Cody (SR) - Cody is a dominating player inside who takes on multiple blockers and is a very good at stopping the run. Draft Grade: 1st round

ILB Rolando McClain (JR) - McClain has been making plays ever since he came to Alabama and is a very good overall linebacker who can play the run as well as the pass. Draft Grade: 1st round

CB Kareem Jackson (JR) - Jackson is a very good overall cornerback with good size and most likely will declare for the 2010 NFL Draft. Draft Grade: 2nd round

CB Javier Arenas (SR) - Arenas is not the shut down type cornerback but is a very good player who is a great return man. Draft Grade: 3rd round

CB Marquis Johnson (SR) - Johnson plays in the nickel and dime roll, but has good size and shows good coverage ability. Draft Grade: Free-Agent

S Justin Woodall (SR) - Woodall has played well this season and has shown good coverage skills for a safety. Draft Grade: 4th round

For more NFL, NFL Draft news, you can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jvanfulpen

Photos Courtesy of College Press Box

Draft Watch: MAC Championship: CMU vs. Ohio

Tonight we have the MAC Championship with Ohio vs. Central Michigan. The following players will be a factor in the 2010 NFL Draft.

QB Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan (SR) – One NFL Scout told me that they had LeFevour as their second overall senior quarterback. He has had an outstanding senior season and career for Central Michigan and will get a chance to go to an All-Star game and the NFL Combine where his true final grade will be found out. He is a very good athlete and also is an accurate passer, the question mark is his arm strength. When it's all said and done he is a 3rd round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. With a good All-Star week showing and a good combine the Chippewa could move up into the 2nd round.

WR Bryan Anderson, Central Michigan (SR) – Like LeFevour, Anderson has had an outstanding career at Central Michigan. He is a big, physical receiver at 6-5 215 pounds, with good hands. The question mark is his straight line speed. If he can run in the low 4.5 rang he could be a 4th round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, otherwise he could fall into the 7th round-PFA category.

WR Taylor Price, Ohio (SR) - Price has good size at 6-0 200 pounds. Even more impressive is his outstanding speed—Taylor reportedly ran a 4.33 this spring. He does a nice job catching the ball and this season has improved his route running. Nevertheless, Price is far from a finished product as he still relies to much on his raw speed to get open. Right now he looks like he is a 5th round pick.

CB Thad Turner, Ohio (SR) - Turner projects as a good nickel or dime type corner at the next level. He has decent speed and showed that in the spring running a 4.47 in the 40. Turner's size is solid, but at 5-10 180 pounds he could bulk up a bit. More importantly, he needs to show better man to man cover skills and make more plays in the secondary. He has shown enough ability that with coaching the MAC defensive back could stick with an NFL. He has a free-agent grade so far.

For more NFL, NFL Draft news, you can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jvanfulpen

Photo Courtesy of Robert Barclay Central Michigan

Draft Watch: Oregon State @ Oregon

Tonight we have a Pac-10 game that has the Rose Bowl on the line with Oregon State at Oregon. The following players will be a factor in the 2010 NFL Draft.

TE Ed Dickson, Oregon (SR) – Dickson is a big receiving tight end at 6' 5"/243 pounds, has good hands, and is a good overall athlete. He needs to work on his blocking ability to become more of a complete tight end, but has the ability to do that. This season Dickson has caught 42 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns. He will likely be drafted in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

RB LeGarrette Blount, Oregon (SR) – Blount was kicked off the team because of his actions in Oregon first game this season and we don’t know if he will play. In his junior season he averaged 7.3 yards a carry and had 17 rushing touchdowns. He is a big back at 6' 2"/240 pounds, and has good speed. He has good straight ahead speed, but need to work on his quickness, so he can get in and out of holes at the next level. He isn’t a complete running back yet, and he needs to work on catching the ball (two receptions last season). Because of his actions, he should get drafted around the sixth round. Even though he might not play, it's a good sign that he will be in uniform.

S T.J. Ward, Oregon (SR) - Ward has only played in six games this season so far because of injuries but has 53 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception and three pass break-ups. He has decent size at 5'11"/208 pounds and is a good overall athlete. He has good coverage skills and played some cornerback earlier in his career. He has the ability to cover the slot in the nickel like a cornerback and that does increase his value. I look for him to be drafted around the fourth round.

DT Blake Ferras, Oregon (SR) – Ferras has great size at 6' 6"/290 pounds and has shown the ability this season to be a hard worker and physical presence on the defensive line. He has 32 tackles for 4.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. He has a free-agent grade right now.

QB Sean Canfield, Oregon State (SR) – Canfield has really turned it on this season with a great performance in his first full year of starting exclusively. He has completed an amazing 70.7 percent of his passes for 2,797 yards, 19 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He has a strong arm and has the ability to make all the throws necessary to play on Sundays. He is a pocket passer who can move around, but wont beat you with his feet. He has improved his draft stock this season, coming into the season with a free-agent grade and now is around a fifth round draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

WR Damola Adeniji, Oregon State (SR) – Adeniji has come out of no where this season to be third on the team in receiving with 47 catches for 672 yards (14.3 average) and four touchdowns. He has good size at 6'3"/213 pounds and shows good hands. He needs to improve his route running and we need to see how fast he really is. Right now is more of free-agent type.

DT Stephen Paea, Oregon State (JR) – Paea has a rugby background from his youth in Tonga and is a very strong and disruptive force on the defensive line. Is 6' 1"/285 pounds so is slightly undersize for a defensive tackle but uses his athletic ability and strength to make plays in the backfield. This season he has 36 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Right now looks like a late second round pick if he does declare for the 2010 NFL Draft.

For more NFL, NFL Draft news, you can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jvanfulpen

The Ramblings Of Rosstradamus…Week 12

The holiday weekend is over and although several teams have much to be thankful for, others dropped huge turkeys on the table…burned, dry turkeys with a terrible aftertaste. I figure after we’ve all eaten ourselves into food comas over the past several days, a starch-free, low-cal version of the week 12 match-ups was in order…

The New York Giants are one of those “others”. It may seem like ages ago that they got the stuffing knocked out of them in the Mile High, but it was just a few days ago that Big Blue failed to show up for a pretty important game. The Giants were embarrassed, dominated, exposed, crushed, rolled, pole-axed…choose your verb; they all fit. The myth of the offensive line was finally laid to rest—the New York ground game was non-existent, totaling a mere 57 yards against a Denver team which had yielded over 167 yards per game on its four-game slide. Brandon Jacobs ran 11 times for 27 yards and is now below four yards per carry on the season. The big bruising back took to the outside far too often and looked like Ron Dayne, tap-dancing at the line with tentative little steps. He’s not the back we saw gaining five yards per carry over the past two seasons. But it’s not all on him.

The offensive line did absolutely nothing to create holes for Jacobs, who doesn’t need a canyon to run through. Eli Manning suffered behind the lackluster line as well, and faced constant pressure throughout the game. It’s easy to watch an offensive performance like that and blame it on the skill position players…but it’s actually simpler than that. In order for any quarterback…in order for any running back…in order for any team to succeed offensively, the offensive line must provide protection and blocking. The Giants line—which has been a weapon for so long—is now a glaring weakness. The Giants could manage only 38 yards in the first half. Those are Oakland Raider numbers, not the numbers of a perennial playoff team. Manning’s foot ailments aren’t helping, but if he had protection and a running game no one would be attributing his mediocre performances to a bum wheel. Without a major improvement in record time, the offensive line’s poor play is going to cost this team a playoff berth. The defense played well enough for the Giants to stay in the game, but they’re not a unit that can dominate these days. They need help from the offense. That help was there earlier in the season when the Giants were playing weak teams, but no longer. And it all stems from the offensive line. The myth is over…and with Dallas, Philly and Minnesota still to play, the reality of a non-playoff season is fast approaching.

The Jets must be among those who are in favor of Christmas starting the minute after Thanksgiving is over. I mean, we see all of the lights, the ads for gifts…and now we can include Jake Delhomme’s arm. The Carolina gift-giver checked his interception list four times as he slid down the chimney at the Meadowlands, and down the tubes with his team in the Jets’ 17-6 victory. The win has revived playoff talk for Gang Green, and why not—everyone else in the wild card race managed to lose this week. At 5-6, the Jets have a long way to go before they’re a playoff team…but gazing into my crystal ball, it’s not an impossible task. Denver is two games ahead of the Jets and just snapped a four-game skid with a dominant performance against the Jets’ roommates. I’m willing to pencil the Broncos in for ten wins. That puts them in and leaves one playoff spot for the 6-5 teams—Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Jacksonville—and 5-6 teams to battle over. The sub-.500 teams are the Jets, Miami, Houston, and back from the dead Tennessee.

Around the League…

I wish that the NFL would just ban field goals altogether. To have players play so hard for so long only to have the game determined by some guy who doesn’t play…it’s sort of a letdown. Think about it. All game long players beat the hell out of each other, battling on the field, fighting for yards…only to see some guy who is on the field three times a game and never mixes it up strut out there and determine the outcome? Why is this acceptable? And don’t give me the “They’re like closers in baseball—the best teams have great ones!” argument. Kickers aren’t like closers. Closers pitch and pitching is a major part of baseball, something which takes place all nine innings. Kicking a field goal is unlike any other aspect of football. It’s almost the opposite of the rest of the game. Get rid of it! Give me more fourth down decisions for coaches! Give me more football.

Rant over.
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Sanchez Sinks Jets

How about those New York Jetropolitans? They took it on the chin from an angry New England team and now sit at 4-6 after beginning their campaign 3-0 with a mouthy bullet. The boasting has been replaced by crying…literally, and Rex Ryan’s crew is watching their playoff aspirations fall by the side of the New Jersey Turnpike. This 31-14 beat down was quite the contrast from the teams’ week two meeting, one which saw the Jets emerge with a hard-fought 16-9 win over their division rivals. The differences in this return bout were glaring: Wes Welker destroyed the New Yorkers this time around, hauling in 15 receptions for 192 yards. I guess since he missed the first match-up he figured he had to put up two games’ worth of stats in this one. He was everywhere, and the Jets were too busy patting themselves on the back for holding Randy Moss in check…but what about the war?

Despite Welker, the Jets managed to stay in the game thanks to a blocked punt with less than a minute to go in the first half. That made it 24-7 and when Mark Sanchez hit Jerricho Cotchery for a 29-yard touchdown to open the second half to make it 24-14 there was, justifiably, some hope for the Jets. Hope that Sanchez would realize that New England’s Leigh Bodden was in fact wearing a Patriots jersey. The defense made a stop on the ensuing series and New York got the ball back, down ten with plenty of time left. But Sanchez could not get anything going…could never find a rhythm of consistency. The teams exchanged punts and the Jets began the fourth quarter with the ball and a chance…which was snuffed out by Bodden, who must have some more pictures of Sanchez eating hot dogs or something; three picks in one game? Forget who made these interceptions; the distressing thing is that Sanchez threw them at all. He’s transformed from a confident player who was leading his team to victories to a quarterback with zero confidence, one who is leading his team into the loss column on a weekly basis.

The tiring Jet defense held Brady and company in check one more time following the turnover…but when they gave the ball back to Sanchez, the speechwriting signal caller refused to accept it. Instead, he threw his fourth interception of the afternoon. At this point, Jet fans had to be thinking, ‘At least it wasn’t to Bodden.’ New England took advantage—seriously, how many times do you turn it over against a solid team and expect to get away with it—in the form of a Laurence Maroney touchdown plunge to make the score 31-14. Sanchez added a fumble on the next Jet possession to complete his five turnover day. It was another awful performance from the man out of USC, and one that’s starting to become par for the course. That’s scary for the Jets who, after the team’s 3-0 start, thought they were all set at quarterback for years to come. Now they—and the rest of us—aren’t so sure. As I mentioned last week, this 4-6 record wouldn’t be so foul-tasting to Jet fans if they’d lost their first three and were slowly showing signs of improvement; if Sanchez started terribly but was now showing signs of “getting it”, the mood surrounding the team wouldn’t be as gloomy as it currently is.

But they didn’t, they haven’t, and it is. Look, no one should expect a rookie quarterback to do everything right. Once teams adjust to his strengths, it’s up to Sanchez to adjust in kind…but he can’t seem to do it and the game is now playing Sanchez instead of the reverse. This team is not without positives; Thomas Jones played well again, the defense played well in the second half, and the special teams made a huge play…but when your quarterback goes 8-21 for 136 and turns the ball over five times, it doesn’t matter what the rest of the team does. So what do you do if you’re the Jets? Do you sit Sanchez down for a game to let him catch his breath? No way. He must fight his way out of this on the field, not by watching someone with half of his talent flounder. There are six games left in the Jets’ season. Sanchez had that amount of time to reassure the coaching staff, his teammates, and the fans that he IS the right guy for this job. The only way to do that is to take care of the football. He knows it. He also knows that he helped contribute to what we can see now were unrealistic expectations for this Jet team. They were never as good as that 3-0 record…but are they as bad as the 1-6 record they’ve compiled since then? The next half dozen games will tell us, and will determine the mindset for the 2010 Jets.

The Call

We’ve all heard about or seen “The Call” by now—Bill Belichick decided to go for it from his own 28 on 4th and 2 with just over two minutes remaining. The Pats failed to convert. Let the debate begin…and it IS a debate, regardless of what certain media blowhards think. In no way is it “the worst decision of all-time” as some have said. I understand why Belichick decided to go for it. For him, it was a simple question: Do I have more faith in Tom Brady getting me two yards, or in my defense stopping Peyton Manning from anywhere? Belichick did a quick calculation in his head based on the game in front of him and decided to go for it. He was able to do so because, well, he’s Bill Belichick. Someone like Jack Del Rio may have thought about going for it in that situation, but wouldn’t have. The Del Rios of the NFL world—in one way or another—factor in the backlash potential and when it comes down to it, don’t have the track record to withstand the criticism and cries for their head. But Belichick can afford not to care.

I had no problem with him going for it. I watched the same game Belichick did and saw the same thing—the Pats weren’t stopping Indy in the 4th quarter. Manning and the Colts had two scoring drives in the final quarter. One took 2:04, the other 1:49. We all saw it. It’s funny, I ask those who condemn the decision to go for it, “When you thought New England was going to punt, did you think Manning was going to win the game in the last minute?” All of them…ALL of them said, “Yes”. So did I, and so did Belichick. That’s why he went for it. People want to whine about how it shows a lack of faith in his defense…well, yeah—it does, and why shouldn’t it? That defense gave up a pair of two-minute touchdown drives in the 4th quarter already. They have a pattern of giving up long drives at the end of games. Former Pats like Rodney Harrison and Tedy Buschi harshly criticized their one-time coach for his diss of the D. Too bad. Maybe if the defense had showed their coach something late in this or any other game, he’d have punted. On the other hand you have Brady and the offense, the unit that wins games for New England. I love how people say, “It’s obvious! You HAVE to punt there!” My question to you—all of you—is “Why?” Is it because “that’s the way it is?” If you want to tell me it’s because of the percentages, you need to get another calculator, because the numbers—especially for a successful 4th down offense like New England’s—say to go for it. Tradition is nice, but the bottom line is that Belichick is Belichick because he went for it there. Was it a bad decision? Yes—because it didn’t work. But having the guts to make a decision that 31 other coaches wouldn’t have made is part of who Belichick is. I don’t think Pats fans would want him to change. You have to accept the arrogance with the genius…and those rings.

That being said, I wouldn’t have had a problem with him punting either, which I think he would have done had he still had timeouts left. And that’s the thing about this—there isn’t enough discussion about what happened leading up to The Call. New England had a 3rd and 2 before the 4th down. If Belichick knew he was going to go for it on 4th down, why not run the ball on 3rd down and 2? More importantly, why not have a play ready for 4th down so you don’t have to burn your last timeout? THAT killed them. Had he not squandered the timeout, the Pats could have challenged the ridiculous spot on the 4th down play. Even if he didn’t challenge it, New England could have used the timeout on defense and there would have been some time left on the clock. To me, it was poor clock management—something you almost never see from Belichick—which cost them the game. However, at least Belichick owned the decisions and refused to complain about the ridiculous spot the Pats received on the 4th down play. Here’s what he said about the loss of the timeout, “We had a little miscommunication on that as to whether we were going to go (for the first down) or punt it. That wasn't cleanly handled. Again, I'll take responsibility for that.” Good for him. I hope he keeps making decisions he believes in. We have enough coaches coaching scared.

Big Blue To Miss Playoffs?

The New York Giants are one of those teams that thought they were playoff-bound just a couple of weeks ago that were dealt a harsh dose of reality in week nine. From a quarterback who isn’t forceful enough and a coach that doesn’t trust his players, to a defensive coordinator that cannot make adjustments and an offense that’s laughably predictable in key situations, the New York Giants proved one thing yesterday: they are not a playoff team.

It unfolds like a novel.

Foreword: the previous three games, all losses. The defense constantly coming up short when it matters, the offense unable to gain a yard at critical moments, the coaching staff scratching its collective head as they search for solutions…all leading up to what the head coach described as a “Super Bowl” against San Diego.

Chapter One—We’ve Seen This All Before.
After committing a penalty on the opening kickoff, the Giants drove right down the field, mixing runs and passes to set themselves up on the San Diego 30-yard-line. The drive’s momentum continued with an eight-yard pass to Steve Smith on first down…but that’s where the trouble began: second and two resulted in a Brandon Jacobs one-yard effort and third and one, a predicable no-gainer from Ahmad Bradshaw. Playing at home, against a soft team, in a game described by the team’s head coach as a Super Bowl, on fourth and inches…Tom Coughlin decided to kick a field goal. That Lawrence Tynes didn’t like the snap or hold and thought he’d get a mulligan is pathetic, but the fault lies with the decision to kick the field goal in the first place. The Giants were moving the ball and needed to set the tone for the game by telling San Diego, “We don’t think you can stop us.” Year after year we hear about how wonderful the Giants offensive line is…but where are they on short yardage situations? How many times is this team stopped cold on 3rd and 1? Perhaps that played into Coughlin’s decision to settle for a field goal, but come on—you’re telling your team “I don’t think we can gain a foot” on the first drive of the game? Not what I would have done.

Chapter Two—Rolling out the Red Carpet.
Following an exchange of punts, the Chargers finally took what the Giants gave them—the middle of the field. Philip Rivers fired to a wide open Antonio Gates for 19 yards then hit the underrated Vincent Jackson over the middle for a 10-yard touchdown. How many times do the Giants cornerbacks have to fail to cut off opposing teams’ underneath routes before the coaching staff adjusts and tries Plan B? When there’s an answer to that, I’ll let you all know. For now, all we can do is watch as the next competent quarterback hits another open receiver in the middle of the field. Manning, who played well yesterday, led the Giants on a game-tying drive which took four hours. OK, it took 10:35 of game time. The offense took two steps forward and one step back for 76 yards. Apparently doing that and scoring a touchdown takes a little more than 10 minutes. Manning’s 19-yard pass to Steve Smith on 3rd and 18 should have been all Coughlin needed to trust his quarterback with the game on the line. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Halftime: 7-7.

Chapter Three—The Longest Yard.
On their first possession of the second half, the Giants faced a 3rd and 1 from the San Diego 46. Bradshaw—not the big bruising Jacobs—is stopped cold for no gain. This is a great offensive line? This is “Giants Football”? Nah—THIS is the way to lose games; being predictable on short yardage and making things easy for the opposing defense.

Chapter Four—It’s Not Me, it’s YOU!
After yet another poor Jeff Feagles punt, the Chargers were set up at midfield. It was only a matter of time before Jackson turned Corey Webster inside out and drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone. Rivers hit 10th-string tight end Kris Wilson for a two-yard touchdown and it was 14-7 Chargers. Following the scoring play, Giants “leader” Antonio Pierce thought it would be productive to scream at teammate Danny Clark, on the field. Whether or not Clark missed his assignment (he did) is irrelevant—the Giants aren’t one of those teams, are they? The team that yells at each other, loses focus defensively, and points fingers during a game? Well…they are now.

Chapter Five—Could it Be?
A Tynes field goal—he liked the way this one looked, so decided to kick—and a Kevin Boss touchdown reception, the Giants took a 17-14 lead with nine minutes remaining in the game. San Diego moved the ball to the Giants side of the field and faced a 3rd and 5. Only Norv Turner could call an end around in that situation. The Chargers had receivers wide open all day, yet Turner decides a gimmick is the way to go? With seven minutes left down by a field goal? Are you serious? Man, that guy is terrible. He did everything he could to hand the game to the Giants. New York had the ball and the lead with six minutes left. They could drive the ball down the field and finish the game off…couldn’t they?

Chapter Six—It Looks Like it Could.
Five plays later, Feagles was punting again, and the Chargers had the ball with 3:30 left at their own 23. Would the defense come up with a big play? This time, the answer was a quick “yes”. Terrell Thomas intercepted Rivers on the first play of the drive and returned it to the Chargers four. All the Giants had to do was punch it in from there…but a holding call on...Chris Snee pushed them back to the 14. Still, it was first down and Manning had earned his coach’s trust with his stellar play up to that point. Hadn’t he? He was 24-30 with a pair of touchdowns—surely the ball would be in his hands. The team didn’t give him that huge contract to sit on the ball and play it safe, did they?

Chapter 7—Where Not to Lose means Losing.
You want to talk about playing not to lose? First and goal from the Chargers 14: short pass for no gain. OK, so nothing was there. Second and goal from the 14, Jacobs runs for five yards. OK, kind of…I guess that opens the playbook a bit more for the third down pass play and…wait, what? Coughlin runs the ball on third and goal from the nine? When he has a zillion dollar quarterback who has been ridiculously accurate in the game? Jacobs runs again for five yards and the Giants settle for the field goal to go up 20-14. After the game, Coughlin said he was worried about turning it over because the Chargers were “defending the goal line”. That’s why he decided to take the field goal. He made the decision in his mind immediately after the penalty and if you can find me a better example of playing not to lose, I’d like you to show it to me. Of course it was possible that Manning would throw an interception. But the point is—you’ve made a franchise decision that Manning IS the future. He’s the one you’ve invested an obscene amount of money in; how then, pray tell, do you not trust him in this situation?

Chapter 8—Inevitability.
Was there anyone that didn’t know San Diego was going to drive right down the field and score to win that game? Everyone I was watching the game with did. And how could we not? With the way the secondary had been playing and the fact that the pass rush hasn’t come through when asked during the losing streak, it could be a surprise to no one when Rivers led San Diego to the end zone with little resistance. The defense came up lame, once again. San Diego did not face a third down on that final drive. Rivers used the middle of the field on four of his five completions leading up to the touchdown pass to Jackson, and he did so because there was absolutely no pressure on him, once again. The End.

Epilogue
The Giants are now 5-4 after starting the season 5-0. Losing four in a row is distressing at anytime, but this downturn is particularly so. They keep losing in the same way—offensive uncertainly and a lack of vision defensively. Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan has to take some heat for his inability to make adjustments, both week to week and during games. Coughlin has to take some heat for decisions he’s made and for the way he’s handled the players during this losing streak; once you see things aren’t working, as a head coach you must adjust. He adjusted when he realized his iron fisted technique wasn’t yielding wins and the team won a Super Bowl. Now he must use this bye week to figure out a way to get the team back together because make no mistake—this team has officially fallen apart. But the fault for all of this lies mainly on the players themselves, as it always does. The weird thing about it is that literally every player has played their part in the collapse. It’s not just the offense or kicker or linebackers or secondary—it’s the whole ball of wax. Perhaps the coaches would be best served by purchasing mirrors for everyone on the team. I guarantee you, if they all looked into their respective mirrors, not one New York Giant would think, “I’m the fairest of them all.”

It’s not too late…the season is slipping away, but it can be salvaged. The Giants host Atlanta following their bye and we’ll see within a quarter of that game whether or not Coughlin’s team is ready to fight, or ready to throw in the towel. Win that game, and they head to Denver for Thanksgiving with a new mindset. Lose it, and the Broncos will be putting a .500 team out of its misery in front of a national audience.

NFL Draft: 2010 Inside Linebacker Rankings

NFL Draft Guru Justin Van Fulpen ranks his top ten senior inside linebackers for the 2010 NFL Draft.

1. Brandon Spikes, Florida - Spikes has good size and rang for an inside linebacker with the ability to go sideline to sideline to make a play. Spikes has a great football IQ, and has the ability to diagnose plays and predict, at times, where the ball is going and takes great angles when pursing the ball carrier. He is not great in coverage, but can do it if he is asked to. Spikes had a better sophomore season then he did last year, but is a productive player who can make game changing plays at the middle linebacker spot, which is hard to find and that is why Spikes will be drafted early if he keeps playing like he is capable of. Spikes has played well this season with 32 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 1 interception.

2. Sean Lee, Penn State - Missed all of last season following surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that happened last April. Lee was a heck of football player before his knee injury and the question will be can he get back to his form in 2007 where he had 138 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 recovered fumbles and 1 interception. Before the injury Lee was a very good overall linebacker who make plays all over the field and many thought that he would have been a later first round pick with his ability and football IQ. Now, there are a lot of question marks that come up with Lee. He has only played in 5 games this season, but has 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks so far this season.

3. Pat Angerer, Iowa - Angerer came out of nowhere to lead the team in tackles last season with 107 total tackles, after recording just six tackles in his first two seasons. Angerer tied for the Big Ten lead with five interceptions to go along with three pass breakups, to help him earned All-Big Ten second-team honors. Angerer has good size at 6-1 235 pounds, and not only is a good run defender, but as seen last season can play the pass and is effective both in man to man coverage as well as zone. Angerer has had an outstanding season with 77 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 1 interception.

4. Jamar Chaney, Mississippi State - Chaney has good size at 6-0 240 pounds, and shows the ability to play thru traffic and get to the ball carrier. He has some coverage ability, but looks like more of a 4-3 middle linebacker that is a two down linebacker at the next level. This season so far he has 58 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and 1 interception.

5. Micah Johnson, Kentucky - Johnson has great size for a middle linebacker at 6-2 256 and is a thumper in the middle. He is somewhat tight in the hips and needs to show better ability to flip his hips and get back in coverage, but is good overall football player and a leader on the field. This season he has 55 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack so far.

6. Darryl Sharpton, Miami (Fla.) - Some teams have Sharpton playing outside linebacker and some have him playing inside. I think he fits as an inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. If he gets drafted by a team that plays that defense I think he will be a very good player at the next level. He lacks great size being 5-11 and around 235 pounds, but is a productive player because he is a very good overall athlete. This season has 46 total tackles, and 3.5 tackles for loss.

7. Reggie Carter, UCLA - As a sophomore Carter missed some time with a knee injury, but had 12 tackles for loss, last season played in all the games and had 84 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss. Carter is going to be a steady player at the next level that will be able to play the all the three linebacking spots, because he is a good athlete and takes good angles to the ball and does a good job anticipating where the ball is going to go. This season so far Carter has 51 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack.

8. Mike McLaughlin, Boston College - McLaughlin was a very highly rated linebacker coming into the season, but has only played in 5 games so far this season, with only 27 total tackles. He is a good overall athlete and has decent size at around 6 foot and 250 pounds and is a player that is a two down player at the next level being a 4-3 middle linebacker. He needs to really show well at an All-Star game and the NFL combine to help his stock go back to where it was before the season started.

9. Jacob Cutrera, LSU - Cutrera has the size and ability to be more productive then he is. He is 6-3 240 pounds and right now this season has only 28 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception. He can stop the run and shows and good ability to go side line to side line and can also flip his hips and drop in coverage if asked to. You could see him move up the board as we get into the All-Star games and post season work-outs.

10. Reed Williams, West Virginia - Williams is a two down linebacker at the next level, because he is a good run stopper, but his pass coverage ability needs to improve. He is around 6-0 230 pounds and this season has 32 total tackles, and 1 tackle for loss.

Photos Courtesy of SEC Sports Media, Don Liebig/UCLA,

Jets Snap Three-Game Losing Streak; Lose Leon

The Jets snapped their three-game losing streak against the Oakland Raiders, thrashing the sad sack Silver and Black 38-0. But how much can be learned from such a scrimmage? JaMarcus Russell was finally pulled—or put out of his misery—after turning the ball over on three of Oakland’s first four possessions, and the New Yorkers once again ran the ball for over 300 yards. Unlike the Buffalo game, those yards led to a victory…although it did come with a price. Fan favorite Leon Washington broke his fibula and will be lost for the year, the second devastating injury in two weeks for Gang Green following Kris Jenkins’ torn ACL. However, unlike Jenkins, for whom there is no replacement, the Jets unveiled a new running back and Shonn Greene certainly hit the ground…running. The Jets traded up 12 spots to secure Greene’s services and the former Iowa Hawkeye did not disappoint in his first serious action of the season, carrying the ball 19 times for 144 yards and a pair of touchdowns. I realize it was the Raiders, but 7.6 yards per carry is noteworthy regardless of the opponent. Greene ran with power and confidence on Sunday, taking a bit of the sting out of the Washington injury. And for those of you who curse players for demanding more money and holding out, this is the situation they want the guaranteed money for, and justifiably so. Washington turned down offers from the Jets which would have guaranteed him $5 million and decided to play out the final year of his contract before becoming a restricted free agent. He’ll earn $535,000 this season but is guaranteed nothing going forward.

Now that it appears that the owners are going to opt out of the current CBA, DeMaurice Smith needs to prove he is truly the Executive Director of the NFLPA and get his players guaranteed contracts when a new CBA is negotiated. The NFL’s owners aren’t happy with the current split of revenue, claiming the players make the money while the owners take all of the risk. Really? Tell Leon Washington—who had a BONE BREAK THROUGH HIS SKIN WHILE MAKING YOU MONEY—that he’s not taking any risk. End of side rant.

Mark Sanchez had to throw the ball a mere 15 times, completing nine of those attempts for 143 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a score. But the Jets could have won the game without throwing a single pass; this was not a test for the aerial attack. That will come when they face the Dolphins at home this week. For now, though, Sanchez and the Jets stopped the snowball from rolling downhill with the win. Calvin Pace finally contributed with three sacks and two forced fumbles, and his four-game suspension is now a distant memory. They’ll need more of that from Pace if they expect to make the playoffs—the man was brought in to make a difference. But, back to Sanchez…what a difference a week makes. Last week everyone was criticizing his demeanor on the sidelines. This week everyone—at least everyone without a stick up them—was holding in laughter over the rookie QB’s choice of sideline cuisine. Honestly, who cares if the guy eats a hot dog on the sidelines? Can’t haters find something else to get upset about? And don’t hand me the “he disrespected the game” nonsense. The NFL is about teams building $1 billion dollar stadiums, players making obscene amounts of money, drug use, dog fighting, talks of a work stoppage, non-stop television commercials, embarrassing refereeing, and the Broncos throwback socks…and a hot dog is disrespectful? Child, please.

Speaking of disrespecting the game, consider the Raiders. They’re all pumped up after defeating the Eagles last week. They’re at home with the fans screaming in support…and within two minutes, Russell fumbles on their first play from scrimmage and the Jets waltz into the end zone to take a 7-0 lead. Talk about taking the air out of the balloon. Any momentum gained by the Eagle upset was lost on one play. Russell turned the ball over twice more in the first quarter, leading to seven more Jet points and essentially ending the contest. As many of us have been saying for a year—Russell is not an NFL-caliber quarterback. It’s time for Oakland to admit their Ryan Leaf-esque mistake and go in another direction. The former number one pick was clueless out there against the Jets. He was 6-11 for 61 yards and two interceptions but the saddest part is, that performance was by no means his worst of the season. Bruce Gradkowski isn’t Kenny Stabler, but enough is enough—at least pretend you want to win and give your team a chance. To me, starting Russell is more disrespectful to the game than any hot dog could ever be.

The Jets are 4-3 and have to be looking forward to avenging a week five loss to the Dolphins this Sunday. I expect them to. After a bye and a game against and enigmatic Jacksonville team, Gang Green should be 6-3 when they travel to New England in week 11. I say “should be” because the Jets consider themselves playoff worthy. We’ll see about that over the next month.

Giants Drop Two In A Row

Uh, oh. This is what Giant fans have been afraid of. Now that Big Blue are playing some halfway decent teams, their damaged secondary is being exposed due to a lack of pass rush. It’s costing them games and will continue to do so. Sunday night’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals wasn’t embarrassing, but it was a loss which the Giants deserved. Right now, Arizona is a better team and proved it to me last night. The underrated Cardinal defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions from Eli Manning, and sustained pressure on the Giants’ signal caller all night long. Pro-Bowler Adrian Wilson was everywhere and the Cardinals were able to successfully guard the Giants receivers one-on-one all night, allowing them to blitz without consequence. When Manning did have time to throw a deep ball, it was either off-target or dropped.

The Giants wide outs have performed better than most expected, but their limitations are being exposed as the season wears on. Steve Smith is a terrific player, but he’s not a deep threat. Throughout the game against Arizona, Manning saw man coverage and tried to take advantage of it by throwing over the top. For the second week running, those deep passes could not be completed and Smith’s intermediate routes were somehow forgotten until it was too late. Mario Manningham dropped a touchdown, Smith failed to capitalize on a potential pass interference situation, and Manning was rushed into inaccurate throws. Arizona cleverly mixed up their blitz packages, occasionally dropping eight men into coverage to deny Manning those short passing windows but sending five and six men at Manning often enough to make him uncomfortable all evening. This is how it’s going to be for the rest of the season. When the Giants play good teams—they’ve played only three so far and are 1-2 in those games—they will have to deal with the “We don’t think you have receivers good enough to cost us in one-on-one coverage” mentality.

They must adjust offensively. They ran the ball only 25 times last night. I realize that the Cardinals were playing with eight in the box at times, but the Giants still managed to average over four yards a carry and Brandon Jacobs needs more than 13 carries a game to maximize his effectiveness. But to me, the key to the Giants’ troubles these days is this: they cannot get to opposing quarterbacks. In those three games I mentioned earlier—against Dallas, New Orleans, and Arizona—the Giants have three total sacks. The secondary issues have been unmasked because of this and unless they figure out a way to get to Donovan McNabb, they will have lost three in a row a week from now. Kurt Warner was 26-30 last night because he had time to throw nearly every time he faded back. Teams are able to max protect and send only a couple of receivers out because the Giants secondary—especially the safeties—cannot cover. At all.

It’s all about the pass rush—they Giants can’t get enough of one, and their receivers cannot make other teams pay for theirs. The coaching staff and players have a week to figure out a remedy.