Thursday, April 28, 2011

Mock Draft 2011

Over the past few years, I've followed the NFL Draft to a borderline weird degree. Each year, the ultimate goal is to correctly predict which player every team will draft with their selections. Sounds simple, and probably boring as hell to any casual NFL fans. What makes the NFL Draft so much fun is also what makes it so unpredictable; NFL general managers are, in general, really, really stupid. Yes, it was hilarious in 2007 when Al Davis drafted Darrius Heyward-Bey about 110 picks too high, but what made this terrible moment in Oakland Raiders history so special for me was the fact that i had made the bold prediction mere hours ago.

What I have learned based on the last 3 or so NFL Drafts is that any knowledgeable football fan, given the same resources and time to prepare, could draft a better team than at least half of the team in the league. The reality is, to make an honest prediction, one has to take into account the incompetence of the owner. Even after that, some owner or GM will make a prediction so far from left field that nobody will have predicted it. Perhaps that is the reason I followed the draft so half-assedly this offseason. You can research till you're blue in the face, but it's impossible to totally account for the stupidity of all NFL owners. The following is my best attempt.

1. Carolina - Cam Newton QB Auburn

2. Denver - Von Miller DE/OLB Texas A&M

3. Buffalo - Marcell Dareus DT Alabama

4. Cincinnati - AJ Green WR Georgia Tech

5. Arizona - Patrick Peterson CB Louisiana State

6. Cleveland - Julio Jones WR Alabama

7. San Francisco - Blaine Gabbert QB Missourri

8. Tennessee Titans - Jake Locker QB Washington

10. Washington Redskins - Christian Ponder QB Florida State

11. Houston Texans - Nick Fairley DT Auburn

12. Minnesota Vikings - Andy Dalton QB Texas Christian

13. Detroit Lions - Cameron Jordan DE California

14. St. Louis Rams - Corey Liuget DT Illinois

15. Miami Dolphins - Mark Ingram RB Alabama

16. Jacksonville Jaguars - Ryan Kerrigan DE Purdue

17. New England - JJ Watt DE Utah

18. San Diego - Adrian Clayborn DE Iowa

19. New York Giants - Anthony Costanzo OT Boston College

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Da'Quan Bowers DE Clemson

21. Kansas City Chiefs - Gabe Carimi OT Wisconsin

22. Indianapolis Colts - Nate Solder OT Colorado

23. Philadelphia Eagles - Prince Amukamara CB Nebraska

24. New Orleans Saints - Robert Quinn DE/OLB North Carolina

25. Seattle Seahawks - Mike Pouncey OG/C Florida

26. Baltimore Ravens - Muhammad Wilkerson DT/DE Temple

27. Atlanta Falcons - Phil Taylor NT Baylor

28. New England Patriots - Akeem Ayers OLB UCLA

29. Chicago Bears - Marvin Austin DT North Carolina

30. New York Jets - Derrick Sherrod OT Mississippi State

31. Pittsburgh Steelers - Cameron Heyward DE/DT Ohio State

32. Green Bay Packers - Aaron Williams CB/S Texas

Friday, October 9, 2009

Josh McDaniels is Not Stupid

Back in March, I took the internet by storm with an article entitled "Josh McDaniels is Stupid." After all, Josh McDaniels had attempted to trade Jay Cutler, one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the NFL for the New England Patriots backup. When that didn't work out, McDaniels traded Cutler for a quarterback who absolutely defines mediocre, and already had the hometown fans calling for his job. While that was definitely stupid, Josh McDaniels is not.



I have never been more certain that an NFL team would fail than I was about the Denver Broncos this season. I thought they would go 0-16 and make the Detroit Lions look like the All-Madden team. A contract dispute and suspension of star reciever Brandon Marshall in August only confirmed what I knew would happen. I would have wagered everything I own that the Broncos would have a miserable season. The two problems with that were that I own nothing of monetary value, and nobody would be gullible enough to take the bet.



Week 1 came around, and the Broncos beat the Cincinatti Bengals on a fluke pass play with time running out. Upon watching this play, I was sure that the Broncos would go 1-15. Not because they almost lost 6-0 to the Bengals, but because of what I saw on the sideline. When Denver won, McDaniels threw his hands up in the air while members of the team patted him on the back and said "Good job, coach". Not only did he seem totally shocked his team won a game, but he looked exactly like that kid from the movie Little Big League. I could picture the movie in my head. It freezes at that part and the voice-over comes on:



Well, I made it. I knew I was really an NFL coach. Sure, maybe we didn't win too many games that year, but we sure had a lot of fun. And sometimes, thats what really counts.



Roll credits.



STARRING



Josh McDaniels - Little Big League kid



Brandon Marshall - Chris "Ludacris" Bridges



Brandon Stokely - Val Kilmer



Weeks 2 and 3 the Broncos dominated two perpetually awful teams in the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders. This would not be worth mentioning save for the simple fact that most people expected them to be equally bad, if not worse than both of those teams. Not only that, they beat up on both teams the way good NFL teams do.



Week 4 the Broncos pulled out a nailbiter against the always overrated Dallas Cowboys. Formerly disgruntled Brandon "Baby T.O." Marshall caught the game winning catch and ran 51 yards for the game-winning touchdown. His nickname is now Adult T.O.



Tomorrow will be the do or die game for Denver. McDaniels former teacher and fashion consultant Bill Belichick will bring the Patriots to Denver in hopes of sending his former pupil spiraling back to Earth. This is make or break for Denver. Win, and the Broncos will be known as a legitimate contender. Lose, and they endure another week of countless idiots calling them the "worst 4-1 team ever".

Don't get me wrong, Denver's not going to win games against elite defenses. The reason is simple: Jay Cutler is not their quarterback. If he was, they would most likely be the best team in the AFC, if not the NFL right now. Despite the poor decision, McDaniels has done a good job of managing the team. Most importantly, the players love playing for him and gets his team to consistently compete at a high level. He's not the best coach ever, but he's definitely not stupid.

So, Josh, you made a mistake. You thought for sure things would happen one way, and they didn't. Don't worry, buddy, it happens to the best of us.

Monday, September 28, 2009

A Tale of Two Coaches

The NFL head coach is a creature of great curiosity in today's league. Some coaches are heralded simply because their players are good enough to compensate for the coach's poor decision making (Brad Childress). Other coaches become the town scapegoats because of the front office's bone-headed off season strategy, and the players are not talented enough, or in one case disciplined enough, to execute the coach's game plan (pre 2009 Marvin Lewis). Some are fired 3 weeks into a somewhat promising season because the team's owner is stage 3 or 4 Alzheimer's (Lane Kiffin). No matter how the economy fluctuates, an NFL coach has almost no job security.

11 teams made coaching changes this offseason, one of which was the New York Jets, who fired head coach Eric Mangini. Although Mangini had led the Jets to 2 winning seasons in 3 tries, New York's front office decided to move in a different direction.

Enter Rex Ryan, former defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. Ryan brought with him a few former Ravens defensive starters and his trademark "Organized Chaos" defense, but those pale in comparison to his most valuable contribution to the team: a winning attitude.

There was no talk of rebuilding in New York, and to be fair a lot of the pieces were in place before Ryan came to town. But at the very least most expected rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez to hold the clipboard for at least half a season. Sanchez started from Day 1, and has yet to lost his first NFL game. On the other side of the ball, the Jets defense looks every bit as good as Baltimore's defense last season.

The Cleveland Browns were another team looking to move in a different direction following last season's dismal 4-12 showing. They saw Eric Mangini as the antithesis of previous coach Romeo Crennel. Crennel was seen as a player's coach. Hardly a disciplinarian, Crennel motivated his players with encouragement and positive reinforcement. If his play-calling and game management skills were half as good as most Madden NFL 10 players, he might still have a job.

Although Mangini and Crennel both coached under the mastermind Bill Belichick, only Mangini follows the Belichick coaching model. The Belichick coaching model is simple: draft well, game plan better than anyone else, and be a total d*** about it. If the three guidelines don't work, then cheat. The three guidelines typically work alright, but Mangini's only good at one of them.

The reason the Belichick model works in New England is because it has proven very successful. The players don't question it because it has proven to be a winning formula. The New England players have faith in Belichick's ability to build a competitive team. Nobody in Cleveland, fans or players, have a shred of faith in Eric Mangini's ability and for good reason.

Rex Ryan's Jets are the perfect contrast to Mangini's Browns. The Jets are 3-0 with a rookie quarterback and every player on the team is 100% behind the coach. Ryan's team always plays at a high level because he has spent the off season convincing them that they really are a great team, and he expects a lot out of them just as they should expect a lot out of themselves.

Mangini's approach in Cleveland has already cost him his job. Mangini's attempt to change the culture has been an utter failure. He has fined players upwards of $1,000 for such atrocities as forgetting to pay for a $3 water bottle at a hotel. As of now, 5 players have filed grievances with the league concerning Mangini and the team looks to be headed for full-fledged mutiny. All this because Mangini wanted to be seen as a hard-nosed football genius whose no-nonsense approach will create a winning atmosphere. Mangini's career as an NFL coach may be finished, so this piece of advice is to other would-be Mangeniuses. Look at Bill Belichick as you would a chainsaw juggler; with admiration of the unique talent, and knowledge that you do not possess it.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Josh McDaniels is Stupid

The 2009 season hasn't even started yet, and I'm already adding Josh McDaniels to the growing list of Bill Belichick proteges that have been utter failures as head coaches. Former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis has been mediocre at Notre Dame. Former Patriots defensive coaches Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini were fired after disappointing campaigns with the Browns and Jets, respectively. Mangini has taken Crennel's job in Cleveland (some people never learn). But Josh McDaniels seems determined to upstage all three of them, and he has yet to coach a single game.

While Josh McDaniels didn't exactly inherit a great team, he did inherit a great offense with one of the NFL's brightest young quarterbacks in Jay Cutler. Denver almost reached the playoffs last season solely because of Jay Cutler. Denver's running game, a perennial strength, was decimated by injuries last season. The only consistent players on the offensive side of the ball were Cutler, wide reciever Brandon Marshall and rookie left tackle Ryan Clady. McDaniels inherits a number of offensive weapons to work with, so his first step as head coach would be to rebuild the defense, right? Shows what you know.

McDaniels attempted to orchestrate a three team trade for New England Patriots backup quarterback Matt Cassell, who played well for the injured Tom Brady last season. When rumors of the trade surfaced all over the internet, McDaniels lied about it. Then he admitted to it. Then Jay Cutler demanded a trade, and the future of Denver's quarterback position is in jeopardy.

For starters, there's no way to predict how well Cassell will perform in the starting role. There are countless examples of backups that are thrown into the starting lineup and wind up succeeding. Hasn't anyone learned from one-year wonders like Scott Mitchell and A.J. Feeley?

Matt Cassell also played in an offense that is very, very quarterback friendly. Any quarterback, nay person, could easily put up great numbers behind a mammoth offensive line and arguably the best receiving corps in the NFL. In short, Jay Cutler has done more than Cassell with less talent around him.

Josh McDaniels finds himself in a hole he got himself into and he may not be able to get out of it. He may now have to use a first round pick on a rookie quarterback, which would be even more of a risk than betting against a Cassell sophomore slump.

After this season, it will be clear that the only coach that matters in New England is the one that dresses like a homeless man. McDaniels will fail, just as all the other Belichick proteges have, but his case is unique. McDaniels will fail because of his poor character and lack of judgment off the field, rather than because of his incompetence on it.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

2008 NFL Season Awards

Hello everyone and welcome to the Face Sports Network.

For my first post, I'd like to address a fundamental problem with the NFL award system. Why don't they wait until the playoffs are over to decide who the best players really are? In theory, they should all still be playing well into January. That being said, here is who should have won and why.

Comeback Player of the Year: DeAngelo Williams RB Car

If this award is the NFL's version of the NBA's Most Improved Player, which is how I interpret it, there's no question this award belongs to DeAngelo Williams. Williams didn't start a single game in 2007 and he wasn't even Carolina's leading rusher. He went from 4 touchdowns in 2007 to a league-leading 18 touchdowns in 2008. Williams was third in yards and boasted a whopping 5.5 yards per carry.

Runner Up: Chad Pennington QB Mia

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Matt Ryan QB Atl

They got this one right, but Joe Flacco was very efficient in the postseason, becoming the first rookie to win two playoff games and strengthening his case for the rookie of the year. His postseason play is what earned him the Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Year, which despite being named after a soda, does not carry the same prestige as the AP award. Both rookie QBs turned around their teams with the help of strong running attacks, and they appear to have very bright futures.

Runner Up: Joe Flacco QB Bal

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Ari

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had an excellent rookie season, grabbing 4 picks and deflecting 23 passes, including one interception return for a touchdown. DRC was dominant throughout most of the playoffs, deflecting 11 passes intercepting 2. He did give up a few big plays in the Super Bowl, but that doesn't dismiss the great things he did for Arizona this year.

Runner Up: Jerod Mayo LB NE

Offensive Player of the Year: Drew Brees QB NO

This is another choice I wouldn't change. Brees had a record-breaking season for New Orleans this season. The Saints didn't win many games this year, but they wouldn't have won any without Drew Brees.

Runner Up: Michael Turner RB Atl

Defensive Player of the Year: Ed Reed FS Bal

The choice of James Harrison baffled me. Not that I don't think James Harrison was an awful selection, because he had a monster year for Pittsburgh. When compared to Ed Reed though, it's quite apparent who really deserved this award.

Sacks: Harrison 16, Reed 1

Passes Deflected: Reed 25, Harrison 4

Interceptions: Reed 9, Harrison 1

Fumbles Forced: Harrison 7, Reed 1

Fumbles Recovered: Reed 2, Harrison 0

Total Touchdowns: Reed 3, Harrison 0

In the postseason, Reed continued to be a force, deflecting 5 passes, intercepting another 2 and returning one 76 yards for a touchdown. Harrison also returned a pick 100 yards for a touchdown in the Super Bowl. That was Harrison's first touchdown of the year. Reed had 4 for the year. No defender strikes fear into the heart of an offense more than one that not only takes away the ball, but is a threat to score every time.

Runner Up: James Harrison LB Pit

Most Valuable Player: Kurt Warner QB Ari

This is the most important award in the NFL, but somehow it doesn't account for the playoffs. Kurt Warner's performance in the playoffs and the Super Bowl were nothing short of spectacular. Peyton Manning was the de facto choice at a time during the season when there was no clear cut candidate, and he couldn't get his Colts past the 8-8 Chargers in the first round of the playoffs.

Runner Up: Michael Turner RB Atl