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Pro Sports Wrap - Sports Personality of the Day:Tony Romo

A.J. Smith on hot seat

December 4th 2011 15:16
I wrote up a player profile on Nnamdi Asomugha a few days ago, and Nnamdi might be suffering from a concussion that was sustained in the second quarter of Thursday's game. The Eagles are hoping that he will recover before the team takes on the Miami Dolphins next week. Asomugha landed awkwardly and hit Seahawks wide receiver Mike Williams with his head, and Nnamdi is already suffering from a knee injury.


The healing process is moving ahead for Peyton Manning, and Dr. Robert Watkins said the surgery was a success; Manning will be able to increase the length and intensity of his workouts. The Colts have been vague about their plans for the future concerning Manning and a certain draft-bound quarterback.

Chargers GM A.J. Smith's job security is quite low right now, and he will likely be fired along with head coach Norv Turner. In fact, the Chargers will almost certainly fire their head coach who has been notorious for leading underperforming squads. The Chargers haven't quite made a decision on Smith's future, but there is more of a chance that he will be fired than the chances of him sticking around with the team in the future.


Cedric Benson's foot injury has been keeping him out of practice, but he is expected to play against the Steelers. Losing the consistent back would hurt the team, and Benson's style of running is a good counter-attack against the Steelers stout defense. The injury does not seem to be serious, so consider Benson to be good to go today.

Mike Martz used to work at Arizona State as their quarterbacks coach, receivers coach, and offensive coordinator before working with the Rams. Dennis Erickson was deservedly fired, and Martz's contract will run out after this season. Martz has expressed interested in a reunion with the team, and he actually turned down an extension from the Bears in the offseason.

There are rumblings that Rob Ryan will have head coaching offers next offseason, but Ryan will wisely remain focused on what he can control; this season. The Cowboys are currently the leaders in the NFC East, but it is true that Ryan will be a big candidate for a head coach position soon. He has been linked with a move to the Jaguars already, and Ryan has stated that he is prepared for the duties of being a head coach.

Before the Houston Texans went ahead and signed veteran Jake Delhomme, they expressed interest in former Jags quarterback David Garrard. However, it should be noted that pretty much every team who endured an injury to their starting quarterback contacted Garrard. But Garrard is still out with a back injury, and he is still a few weeks away from being fully healthy; he'll have to wait until the offseason until a team will sign him.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been awful on defense this season, and most of that has to do with their inability to tackle. Although safety Tanard Jackson's horrible technique has been the biggest culprit, the fact that the linebackers are playing as poorly as they are means that this is going to be a position of need next offseason. Mason Foster was a good find in the draft, but the overrated Quincy Black's ill-advised, hefty contract is starting to look that much worse. Black has been nothing short of poor this season, and fellow outside linebacker Geno Hayes has taken a step back in 2011.

Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is one of the best in the business, and teams with head coaching vacancies should definitely take a good look at Koetter. The Jaguars are in turmoil right now, but Koetter says that he isn't feeling the heat. It's obvious that the Jags aren't going to do anything with Koetter, because Blaine Gabbert's struggles- and I emphasize the word "struggles"- aren't his fault in the least.
GM and HC feeling the heat
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I don't want to make this an "I told you so" post, but I really did. It was a long time ago when I made the bold statement that Jeremy Maclin is the better receiver than DeSean Jackson. A few of you readers agreed with me, but most of you called me an idiot for saying this. Sure Jackson can make the big play, but he is extremely inconsistent, and Maclin is also capable of making a big play. And plus, Maclin doesn't drop as many passes and is far more consistent.

Last year, when both receivers were actually healthy, Jackson caught just 49% of the passes thrown at him. He did, however, average 22.5 yards per catch; and his ability as a deep threat is the only reason why he had such a great year in 2010. And even then, Jackson's season was overrated, as he is a very one-dimensional player. The only asset he brings to the table is speed, and the arm of Michael Vick is the reason why he is able to haul in these long passes. That's not saying he's a bad player, because Jackson is a good receiver. However, he isn't great, and those who believe he is a top ten receiver are crazy.

This season, Jackson has gone deeper more but is averaging less yards per reception (16.2). He is, however, catching 53.1% of the passes thrown at him and has still been able to average 8.6 yards per target. However, yards per target favors those who go deep more often. Maclin, on the other hand, has impressed me by having a 67.6% catch rate despite playing with injuries. It doesn't matter what you use, because both the advanced statistics and general scouting say that Jeremy Maclin is the better receiver. This isn't a reaction to this season, it's basically a reminder that Maclin is the better, more consistent receiver.

This whole post isn't going to be about a battle between two receivers, because I like to cover two points in my Football Talk posts. The Chicago Bears have yet to extend Matt Forte, but they have extended their best player at a different position; wide receiver.

Earl Bennett was given a four-year deal worth $18 million ($4.5 million per year), and he has a good rapport with quarterback Jay Cutler. In fact, he's Cutler's go-to-guy and the QB connects with Bennett much better than he does with the other receivers on the team.

He's the team's most consistent receiver and has led the Bears in catch rate during the past two seasons. Bennett is versatile and can split out wide or man the slot, and he is averaging 9.5 yards per target this season. Although Johnny Knox is averaging 11.7 yards per target, he only catches 52.8% of what is thrown at him and goes deep 43.4% of the time.

The Bears obviously need to get a deal done with Forte, because he's one of the best backs in the league and also has a big impact in the passing game. Not only that, but he is one of the few backs who can excel in front of a subpar run blocking unit. The Bears are arguably the worst pass blocking team in the NFL, but their run blocking isn't quite as bad (it's still bad though). Anyway, re-signing Bennett was a smart move, and it didn't take a whole lot of money to do it.
Re-signed for $4.5 million per year
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11/2011 Player Profile: Nnamdi Asomugha

November 30th 2011 17:30
Nnamdi Asomugha is widely regarded as the second best corner in the NFL to Darrelle Revis, and he was a valued commodity when he hit free agency. Asomugha was given a five-year contract worth $80 million dollars by the Philadelphia Eagles, but he has been a disappointment in his first season with the Eagles. The usually perfect Asomugha has been beat a little too easily this year, and his work in run support- much like last season- has left a lot to be desired.

Asomugha is still a star corner, and I don't think he declined this sharply. Although Asomugha is getting older, he can still cover but is just having a poor season. The scheme he's in with the Eagles doesn't fit his skill set as well as the man-to-man coverage scheme in Oakland. But there really isn't any other way to say it, because Asomugha is in the midst of a poor year; especially by his lofty standards.

We can all hope that it's just a slump, but he is a 30-year-old corner who is in a comparatively unfavorable scheme. The Eagles are also paying Nnamdi $16 million a year, and his level of production hasn't quite matched the contract this season. That's a far cry from what Nnamdi was doing last season, as he was easily one of the best coverage corners last year- and the best over the past three. A more likely explanation is that the former Raiders standout isn't fully healthy, and it really seems like the only truly logical explanation at this point.

In fact, Asomugha led the league in receptions per coverage snap last season. However, he is averaging around 16 yards per catch this season, despite not giving up many catches. In short, he's getting burned way more often than usual. Just look at the first time the Eagles played against the Giants, he was absolutely awful. There is still time for the star corner to bounce back, even if there isn't time for his team to. He needs to get back on the right track and prove that he isn't a declining player. I think it's just been a rough season, and I hope he's able to prove me right on that.

An interesting thing to note is that quarterbacks are still avoiding him, but he just isn't playing all that well. Last game, Nnamdi allowed all four passes targeted to him to be complete. It doesn't seem like his skills are deteriorating, but there is definitely something else at play here (perhaps injury). Regardless, I hope Asomugha turns things around soon and shows that he is indeed the second best cornerback in the NFL.
Struggling with new outfit
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2011 Week 11 Preview: Eagles and Giants

November 16th 2011 17:33
There is no way to understate the meaning of this game for the Philadelphia Eagles, because they have come off of a horrid performance against a poor Cardinals team. The Giants, on the other hand, lost to fellow NFC division leaders the San Francisco 49ers. This is an important rivalry matchup for both teams, and it's time to see whether or not the Eagles can right the ship.

In the Giants most recent loss, the key culprit was some of the worst offensive line play in a single game all season. Eli was constantly on the run, yet he still had a completion percentage of about 70% on such throws. It was Eli alone who kept the Giants in this game, because most other quarterbacks in this league wouldn't be able to make the throws he did; especially in the face of pressure. Although he isn't known for his ability to run with the football, the younger Manning is more than capable of evading the grasp of frustrated defenders who are looking for a sack.

I expect the Eagles defensive line to demolish a significantly weaker unit opposing them in the trenches, and I could see everybody on their line having a good day. The only Giant who is a capable starter on the line is right tackle Kareem McKenzie. He is a very good tackle who is among the best in the league at run blocking, but he has struggled this season in pass protection.

It is simply known fact that the Eagles run defense is beyond poor. Even if Ahmad Bradshaw does not play, I could still see Brandon Jacobs pounding the ball and slashing the Eagles defense. Since the Eagles utilize a Wide-9 with their defensive line, this puts a lot of strain on their linebacker corpse to make plays. Although Brian Rolle has emerged as a solid rookie linebacker, I am really not a fan of Moise Fokou.

The most interesting matchup to watch for will be the Giants receivers vs. the Eagles secondary. Even though the Eagles secondary hasn't played well this year, there is no denying their talent. I don't have high hopes for DRC right now, but Nnamdi is far too talented to keep this up. Asante Samuel has actually been playing well this season, and that was on display last week. My biggest problem is that their safeties are suspect in coverage, and it will be up to the receivers to present themselves as vertical threats (which they will) and force these lesser safeties to bracket them. Yeah, I'm pretty psyched to watch how this matchup ends out.

There's no denying that Michael Vick hasn't been as electrifying as he was last season, but Vick actually did play well early on in the season. However, it almost seems as if he is reverting to his former less-effective self. Last week, he was running instead of reseting the play far too often, and that didn't bode too well for the Eagles passing attack.

Another thing that I want to point out is that his receivers have been less effective this season. People are finally starting to see the light, as more and more people are starting to side with me in the Jeremy Maclin vs. DeSean Jackson debate. D-Jax has been poor this season, and tight end Brent Celek has been even worse. Maclin has been carrying the receiving corps this season, along with some solid help from Jason Avant. The Giants have about an average secondary, and that's pretty much thanks to cornerback Corey Webster. Again, the pass offense versus pass defense component should be an interesting battle to watch.

The Eagles offensive line has really come round this year, but they will probably be beaten by one of the most skilled defensive lines in the NFL. I don't need to heap praise upon this unit, because everybody knows how dangerous they can be to an offense's rhythm. If they can get consistent pressure on Vick, this passing offense could get in some trouble if Vick keeps reverting to old habits.

LeSean McCoy should be able to do well against an underwhelming group of linebackers, despite the presence of two solid safeties in run support. McCoy is simply rolling this season, and he should be in for another good game against the Giants. He is their most important player on offense right now, and I would like to see the Eagles give the rock to McCoy.

This is obviously going to be a tough matchup, but I believe in the Giants more than I believe the Eagles. They really haven't shown any week-to-week consistency, and the Giants also have the homefield advantage (if that means anything). I trust that Eli Manning will make some big plays and give the G-Men a win this week.
It's Eli Time
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11/2011 Player Profile: Brandon Flowers

November 13th 2011 14:49
In my piece yesterday, I ranked the top 50 corners in the NFL. Kansas City Chiefs star Brandon Flowers with fifth on the list, and the 5'9 corner proves that you don't need height to be a successful player in this league. In fact, he matched up pretty well against Vincent Jackson in their last faceoff; V-Jax is one of the taller corners in the NFL. However, he did give up two touchdowns against Calvin Johnson, despite actually holding his own and playing well overall. Guys, please don't confuse him with the lead singer of the Killers who has the same exact name.

Among all cornerbacks this season, Brandon Flowers has the most passes defended with 15 break-ups. He also has four interceptions, although picks aren't really a good true evaluator of a corner. But it still shows us that he is capable of making plays in the secondary


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11/2011 Cornerback Rankings

November 12th 2011 15:43
1. Darrelle Revis- Revis is easily the best cornerback in the NFL right now, and he breaks up almost as many passes as receptions allowed.

2. Nnamdi Asomugha- Despite a poor 2011, I still believe in his ability as a pure cover guy. However, Nnamdi is awful in run support and can't tackle


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In the last Football Talk column, I spent the majority of the article defending Tony Romo. Before I get into this piece, I want to say that the song "Innocence" by Disturbed is a great one to listen to if you are angered by the men who did nothing at Penn State. I can't believe six grown men completely ignored what happened, but I'll leave it at that without going on to a rant. As a PSU fan, I just don't want to talk about it. I also have a rap-related question for you all, and it concerns Big L's "Put It On". Is the dude with the Jamaican accent really Kid Capri? Thanks in advanced to those of you who will attempt to answer this baffling- to an idiot like me- question.

Eli Manning doesn't have Steve Smith anymore and has been playing with inexperienced receivers who are talented, but they aren't very good route-runners. Manning has been an MVP candidate thus far, because he has basically led his team to the top in the NFC East and led an amazing comeback to take down the Pats. Deja vu aside, Manning has the second highest air yards per attempt, and this is a testament to his elite play and downfield proficiency. In fact, Aaron Rodgers- perhaps the greatest quarterback of all-time by the end of his career- is the only player higher in AY/A with an insane 8.3. Yeah, you read that right; 8.3


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To continue my NFL historical player profiles that take a look at some noteworthy former players, I take a stop to the Chicago Bears teams of the 80's to write about their quarterback; Jim McMahon.

The fifth overall pick by the Bears in the 1982 NFL Draft out of BYU, McMahon began slinging passes the year Mike Ditka became head coach of the Chicago Bears. In fact, the coach and injury-prone QB were known to have clashes. We all know the whole headband story when he wore a headband under his helmet that said "Rozelle" to irk then-commissioner Pete Rozelle
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10/2011 RB Rankings

October 25th 2011 14:59
1. Adrian Peterson- And you thought I was going to put DeMarco Murray here. Seriously though, there is no back out there better than Peterson. He's everything you want in a pure rusher with his versatility in that he can blow by you, juke you out, and run you down 'till you fall flat on your face (the song is Madden 2003's "Suck It Up").

2. Jamaal Charles- The ACL tear sucks, and Charles is a monster who averaged only about six yards per carry last year


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10/2011 Defensive End Rankings

October 23rd 2011 15:28
1. Justin Tuck- Stout against the run and can bring the heat too. Just a monster who has also mastered the art of the strip sack.

2. Julius Peppers- Makes everyone around him that much better and does everything as a player. Peppers can even tip passes regularly on the line (9 PDs last season


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10/16 NFL Rumors: Tuck and Snee Out

October 16th 2011 15:26
In case anybody was wondering, I get all my rumors from Yahoo! Sports, and I basically read, rephrase, and add in my own opinion to make these rumors unique and PSW-quality.

The Giants had one of those "What the hell just happened?" losses last week against the Seattle Seahawks. I looked outside to see if the world was ending, but it was just another NFL game. The Giants now face the surprise Buffalo Bills, but they won't have Justin Tuck and Chris Snee. They can deal with losing Snee, but Justin Tuck is such a huge presence for this team. I never thought they could win anyway, but this only hurts the Giants. The Bills will come back down to earth to a certain extent at some point during the season, because their terrible players on the offensive line are over-performing at an unsustainable level


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9/2011 QB Rankings

September 29th 2011 18:27
1. Aaron Rodgers- The NFL's version of The Machine
2. Tom Brady- Look past the four picks; he owned the Bills
3. Drew Brees- He rips up secondaries


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And on I march with these historical player profiles, while listening to Nirvana of course. Is Dave Grohl not the best rock personality in recent history? While that would be a very entertaining topic to discuss, my "job" here is sports analysis. It's an equally fruitless activity in the eyes of the equally ignorant public, but why listen to the ignorant who have not reaped the rewards of sports? I mean, every diehard sports fan admits that they have learned a lot about life with sports as a medium. Life is like Shawn and sports are like Gus, Gus translates the incoherent nonsense Shawn says. Likewise, sports help translate the craziness and seeming randomness of everyday life. Alright, I'm gonna stop being philosophical- and not get religious- and hit up this HPP.

Before I start this post, I want to go off on another monologue (an aside would be if I was talking to myself, but I'm not Jack White). Why is Dwight Howard's nickname D12? Like, how does that make sense at all? I hate it when people make basketball player's nicknames out of their initial and jersey number. AK47 is cool, but D12 is as ludicrous as the rapper. The guys who made up this nickname are popping too many purple pills and seeing too many purple hills


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9/2011 WR Rankings

September 24th 2011 13:50
1. Larry Fitzgerald
2. Andre Johnson
3. Calvin Johnson


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I like to try to come up with questions that I don't currently have an answer for, and then I just start investigating and trying to come up with an answer. With all the great passing performances going on right now, you could argue that having a shutdown corner like Revis makes all the difference in the world. You, in a sense, take out the opposing quarterback's best weapon and are able to handcuff about 70 yards or so from an offense.

There is actually another question that I need to tackle first: who is the best shutdown corner in the game? Although quarterbacks are less likely to throw it at Nnamdi Asomugha, Revis is younger and is a slightly better corner overall. And oh by the way, he offers far more than Nnamdi in run support. It actually doesn't matter as to which corner you prefer, because either way, Nnamdi or Revis could be the best player in the league


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2011 Week 2 Preview: Falcons and Eagles

September 16th 2011 16:54
Before I take a look at this game, I want to recall the 2004 season's NFC Championship game between these two teams. This was back when Michael Vick was the Falcons beloved franchise quarterback, and it was also the year in which Donovan McNabb roasted everybody and took the Eagles to the Super Bowl. They lost, but Andy Reid may finally be able to lay claim to a title of his own this season. The Eagles first legitimate test is an away game against Atlanta.

The reason why I mention the home and away dynamic is the fact that Matty Ice and the Atlanta offense are even better in the Georgia Dome. However, they are coming off of an embarrassing and unexpected drubbing against the Chicago Bears in the season's first week. The thing is, they really didn't play as poorly as the scoreline (30-12) would suggest. They are too talented to not bounce back, but that lackluster performance certainly hurts their stock going into this game. I mean, it's pretty difficult to be a legit Super Bowl candidate when you lose 30-12 to a team who will most likely struggle to go 8-8


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2011 NFL Kick-off preview

September 7th 2011 16:40
As I sit here in my comfortable abode on an all too crappy netbook typing this post out while blaring Tool, my mind is busy contemplating the rigorous ahead of us (NFL fans). The parity in the NFL makes predicting a difficult task, but I do know one thing for sure; this is going to be one hell of a season. Don't believe me? Well, why don't you just take a look at the season's first game between the Packers and Saints? I don't need to tell you how great these two teams are, and just how great these two teams will be in February. Oh wait...this is the NFL, where crazy happens.

The Eagles, Falcons, Saints, and Packers are the NFC's undisputed Big Four heading into the season. They have very little questions surrounding their teams, and these are the guys who you put your sports' dignity on the line when you make your predictions. But with a full season looming ahead, injuries, poor execution, and the usual unexpected twists and turns that happen during 16 weeks of football will make the guessing game an even more difficult affair. For now, I'll just stick to one game and break down how I think things will end up between the Packers and Saints
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8/2011 QB Rankings

August 24th 2011 14:50
1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Peyton Manning
3. Tom Brady


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8/18 NFL Rumors: Aaron Maybin signs

August 18th 2011 15:04
This post will talk about the top rumors and bits of news of the week. Michael Vick told GQ that he didn't want to sign with the Eagles, because he didn't want to be a third stringer behind McNabb and Kolb. Both of those guys have since been traded, and Vick has become one of the best ten QBs in the league. He wanted to sign with the Bills or Bengals, but Roger Goodell told Vick that the Eagles were the best team to choose. Good thing Vick followed the commish's advice, otherwise there would be no Super Bowl talk for the Eagles.

While Vick did have a great year in 2010, he was fairly mediocre towards the end of the season thanks to disguise blitz packages that confused Vick. He especially struggled against the Vikings, and he had a ton of trouble recognizing cornerback blitzes involving Antoine Winfield. This year, he has arguably the league's best possession receiver in Steve Smith, and the additions of Danny Watkins and Ryan Harris will bolster a line that was very poor last year. Harris is one of the most athletic linemen in the league, and he was one of the best tackles out there under Mike Shanahan's zone blocking scheme. He's recently struggled with injuries, and the man blocking scheme employed by the Broncos last year did not suit Harris's skillset. Since Vick is a lefty, Harris is his blindside protector, and he should have an excellent 2011 season


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To qualify a running back must have at least 100 carries. Thanks guys for your feedback, and feel free to comment and criticize. Do you think I should give an extra bonus to the guys with more carries? It seems as if the players in the 100-199 range have the advantage, but this is- after all- and efficiency stat. (The groupings should not be interpreted as tiers, as they are only used to make it look less messy)


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