TALKIN FOOTBALL

Thursday Edition

August 16th, 2012 

Talkin Football

 

The Best in the West

Should Denver be the Favorite?

If you were to ask this Broncos’ fan you might be surprised by the answer. Even with the addition of Peyton Manning and as good as he has looked thus far in camp, it’s far too early to start crowning, boasting, or bragging about any changing of the guard. There are still 17 weeks of regular season football, none of which Manning has seen in over a year.

There wasn’t a lot of separation in the division a year ago and even with the addition of Manning to Denver, it’s too early to see the difference. Manning offers the Broncos a potential upgrade on the offensive side, but we’ll need to see his durability following all of those neck surgeries he underwent.

The Raiders and Chiefs will have many questions to answer this season with a number of key players (Charles, McFadden) returning from injury and a number of new faces finding their fit, but don’t count either out. Last season the Silver and Black showed some promise with Carson Palmer in the huddle and with a full training camp and preseason under their belt, they figure to once again be a factor if they can keep key folks healthy.

With both Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel returning from injury, the Chiefs will do their best to figure into the AFC West Division equation. Always tough at Arrowhead, Kansas City will provide a stiff test for the division foes.

When you talk about the AFC West you can not discount the San Diego Chargers. They still have Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, plenty of complimentary pieces on offense and a tough defense. Denver may have made what looks like the biggest move this off-season, but the Chargers have owned the West for the past several seasons and they have not gone away.

It’s too soon to pick a favorite, but if Denver is going to claim any stakes in the west they will have to prove their worth when they meet the Chargers on Monday night in week 6,

Does Moss Run Deep or is there Gold in the Bay?

Yeah, I may be a little confused by that title as well, but simply put should Randy Moss be considered a difference maker in San Francisco. And with or without Moss, do the Niners have any real threats within their own division?

Last season with a ball-control offense and a ferocious in your face defense, the Niners came one game from returning to the Super Bowl. With much of their core defense in place and second year head coach Jim Harbaugh at the helm, the Niners will enter the 2012 season as the perennial favorites.

They have made some notable additions on offense that include ex-Giant receiver Mario Manningham and ex-retired receiver Randy Moss, but are these changes going to make a huge impact? The offense is ball control and run heavy (ranked 3^rd in attempts last season) and with Alex Smith under center, it does not figure to change much, even with the new additions.

Both the Rams and Cardinals are teams in repair looking for their identity and don’t figure to make much of a push for the division. With a new head coach and a young arm under center in St. Louis the Rams will be hoping to build quickly in 2011. Even with an improving defense the Cards seem less of a threat in the hunt for the division as they are still in search of their starting quarterback.

The Seahawks are an improving squad under the direction of head coach Pete Carroll and should all their pieces fall into place this season they could conceivably make this division interesting. On paper the Seahawks would appear to be a formidable opponent, but fortunately for the Niners they must take their case to the field.

A strong run game and stout defense figure to be the correct recipe to stay atop the division, and the Niners should once again fit that mold.

By David Ortega

WHATS THE LATEST

Tuesday Edition

August 14th, 2012

What's the Latest

Replacement Refs: Out with Old, in With New?

That may be the way of the NFL world for the moment, but is that a good thing or bad? The replacement refs have been far from spectacular thus far this preseason and we have only seen one week of work.

It’s hard to take either side in this matter, when you consider the current state of the economy and the fact these guys are well paid; considering they only work about half the year. After reading a couple of articles and understanding a little more of what’s at stake, of course the issue is money. The Refs want more and the League wants to give them less; business as usual.

In the short term, the League and the Refs both need to make some concessions here and get the men in stripes back on the field for greater good of the game. What the league needs to understand, they need these professionals working now to protect their investment; the game itself and the 1500 or so players.

The game needs the regular referees need to get back on the field and open an on-going negotiation (through-out the season) that will make them full-time employees and get them a reasonable pay-increase. This is not a situation that you want to test the waters and hope for the best. Remember the NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry; they need to protect the players and the integrity of the game.

Replacements is not the answer, this is just an un-wise temporary solution to a long term problem. The two sides need to get back to the table and agree to get the regular zebras back on the gridiron.

Chad Johnson Done for Now?

Following his arrest Saturday for domestic violence, Chad Johnson’s comeback in 2012 has been halted and put on ice. It’s very unfortunate to see something like this happen; it’s an ugly situation and unfortunate for both Chad and Evelyn.

I can only say Chad has no one to blame but himself. Only he and Evelyn know the truth of what happened, but for Chad at this point that’s irrelevant. When you are considered an NFL Diva and a high profile athlete, you have to be ready for the baggage and responsibility that comes with that territory. You also have to be not only responsible for your actions, but accountable for the decisions you make; a profanity laced press conference, getting married so quickly, etc.

Chad Johnson has built this persona and image about himself as some kind of character (Ochocinco). He often work so hard at creating and living up to this persona, without realizing that he is also alienating himself from his team and other players. It’s not to say this is good or bad, but for some it’s often considered baggage.

And at 34 years of age and coming off a dismal showing with the Patriots last season, Johnson can hardly afford any slip up. You can get away with some things when you are on top, but when you have become irrelevant and considered sometimes a distraction; you have no room for error.

Johnson was on the comeback trail, but after a disappointing stint in New England, the recent events, and his poor display in Miami, any thoughts of a comeback undoubtedly will be put on hold for the time being.

Johnson may be staying positive and hoping he’ll get another chance with another NFL team, but certainly he’s got more serious matters pressing at the moment. His comeback will have to wait.

By David Ortega

TALKIN FOOTBALL

December 3rd, 2011, Saturday

TALKIN FOOTBALL

SLOWING DOWN TEBOWMANIA

From an observers perspective, stopping the Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow and the Denver offense is much easier said than done. If you have been paying attention to any of the several NFL shows broadcasting on TV or reading the latest excerpts from the many websites on the net, you get the feeling this has become quite the popular subject. It’s something that has been at the forefront of discussions for several weeks now; funny thing is the topic doesn’t seem to be going away.

While all of the NFL and expert analysts share their opinion as to why the Tebow led offense can’t work and how to stop it, over the past four weeks Tebow-mania continues the roll and Broncos keep winning. Maybe one of the reasons everyone seems to be getting it wrong when they are sharing their thoughts is because while most do know what they are talking about, perhaps they are only thinking in conventional terms and methods.

How do you stop something that is so unconventional and unorthodox?

In hindsight I would have to offer, if you are going to game-plan to stop the Tebow-machine, you can’t use conventional or conservative means. When you face a team that does not throw the ball, when faced with a passing situation you can’t send your nickel or dime package on the field; hellooo, they don’t throw the ball.

I will be the first to admit, I am quickly becoming a fan of Tebowmania, although it is painful to watch on Sundays. But one thing I keep telling myself, this is how they do it, this is how He (Tebow) does it. It’s not going to look pretty and it’s not going to look much like anything I am used to seeing.

There are flaws in this offense and scheme, but I can see that it’s something the Broncos have identified and continue to work on. Let’s face it, the Denver passing game is a work in progress and unfortunately for opposing defenses, there is just enough there to do some damage and make plays.

So how do you stop Tebow and the Broncos offense; maybe you start by asking teams in the SEC? Or maybe you stop putting together a normal defensive game-plan and realize you are not facing a normal offense. I am not sure that there really is a viable answer, although I am sure we will hear more opinions over the weekend from many offering their thoughts on the subject.

The funniest part I see through all of this, while so many continue to nay-say and believe the success of Tebow and Broncos offense can’t continue, Tebow and company just keep rolling along to the tune of four straight wins. With a 2-9 Vikings team next on the agenda, this whole song of dance of how they (Tebow and the Broncos) can’t keep to doing what they keep getting done may have to continue at least for another week.

Just my thoughts and my take on the subject….

By David Ortega

TALKIN FOOTBALL

November 30th, 2011, Wednesday

TALKIN FOOTBALL

The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles: How the Dream Died

Before the 2011 NFL Season was officially underway, they were unofficially tagged “the Dream Team”, but what exactly has gone wrong with the 4-7 Eagles may not be all that too difficult to explain; at least from my perspective, the unofficial “NFL Couch Potato.” Now how’s that for a title and a well earned one?

For the past 12 weeks I have had the privilege to be able to tune in every Sunday and catch nearly every game on six (dedicated for football) televisions; you should really stop by sometime to check out our set-up; it’s awesome! Throughout the season I have managed to catch quite a bit of the Eagles in action; I drafted running back LeSean McCoy as my number one, so I have a vested interest.

When I see all the talent this team possesses, I am quite surprised to see them struggling at 4-7 and hanging onto a thread to make the post season (yes, I believe they have a shot at the sixth spot). After watching them lay egg after egg, it comes as no surprise to see this team go from dream to nightmare. The funny thing, they have been their own worst nightmare with constantly shooting themselves in the foot with way too many turnovers. If you read the stat lines or box scores, sure you could lay all the blame or most of it anyway at the feet of quarterback Mike Vick (14 turnovers this season), but I believe that would be inaccurate.

The players take the field and are asked to execute the game plan and plays that are called, and if you ask me, there is where most of the blame lies. Maybe some of the players were quoted as calling the Eagles the dream team, but if you ask me I think they were not the only ones listening or believing it. It could be head coach Andy Reid himself may have gotten a little caught up in the hype and believed he had an unstoppable cast that he could unleash.

I am far from a professional analyst, but if you told me that the Eagles coaching staff became so arrogant as a result of the media hype that they believed they could come out of the gate with guns blazing I would have to agree. Stepping away from the defense for a moment and looking strictly at the offense; Vick is an incredible talent and gifted athlete, but the Eagles offense would appear to have quite a few of those gifted and talented athletes. As I watched some of the action in the first part of the season, I could not understand the early focus and dependency on the passing game. It seemed the Eagles were content with leaving the games solely in the hands and feet of Vick that he quickly became dependent himself on relying mostly on his mobility and athleticism.

In the teams’ first five games McCoy, one of the leagues’ most dynamic ball carriers only topped 18 carries once, while the Eagles offense struggled severely with Vick trying to carry most of the load; Vick carried the ball 38 times and turned it over 10 times (seven picks, three fumbles). It was quite evident this team abandoned any sense of balance and Reid was going to right this ship his way or sink; at 4-7 they are close to sinking.

The Eagles may have put together some nice names on defense, but when your offense starts to sputter and repeatedly turns the ball over it puts too much pressure on any defense to dominate and dictate tempo. Perhaps this dream defense and dream team is built more for playing from in front, rather than having to scramble and salvage. With an important matchup coming up this Thursday, the Eagles are facing a one and done situation. The reality is their hopes of making the playoffs are slim at best with a 4-7 record, but with the Giants beginning to slide, the Lions not playing as well as they did earlier this season, and the Bears losing Cutler, the doors has not closed yet.

At 9-7, the Eagles could still possibly slide into the post season and with the talent they do have, this dream team could quickly become someone’s nightmare matchup for Wildcard weekend. First things first though, the Eagles must win and keep winning, something they have yet to do through 12 weeks. Apparently as easy as it is to find reasons for failure or lack of success, the Eagles had better hope Reid can find some answers soon or this will be one dream Philadelphia will hope to soon forget.


By David Ortega

KEYS 2 SUNDAY (WEEK 4)

October 2nd, 2011, Sunday

Keys 2 Sunday

Week 4 Previews

(just a couple)

New England Patriots @ Oakland Raiders
Normally when a team has to travel across the country, it’s already a tough matchup, but add that it’s the Raiders and your destination is “The Black Hole” and you can’t even imagine how tough it’s going to be. Well that’s what lies ahead for the Patriots today and while I do like what Hue Jackson has done in Oakland this season I can’t begin to imagine Bill Belichick letting his team drop two in a row.

Quite simply for the Patriots, to beat the Raiders today they will have to outscore them. Yes, the object of the game is to have the most points after 60 minutes, but today’s game has all the makings of being a shootout and if the Patriots paid attention two weeks ago, they know the Raiders can be had. Against the Bills in week two the Raiders let a 21-3 lead slip away and lost 38-35.

The Raiders are doing a lot of things right on the offensive side of the ball and although they are averaging a hefty 30 points per game this season, they are not built for a shootout. The Raiders would like to run the ball, control the clock and tempo of the game, but with their 28th ranked defense that is allowing over 27 points per game they could very much find themselves in a barn-burner.

Tom Brady and the Patriots understand they will have to dictate tempo and they will need to put pressure on Jason Campbell and the Raiders offense. I expect to see the Patriots to come out spreading the field and watching Tom “Terrific” chucking the rock all over the place; Brady could post another five-bills in the air today!

My Pick; Patriots 40, Raiders 31

Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys
Without question the Lions are one of the feel-good stories this season with their 3-0 start. When they take the field today against the Cowboys, one player that will be going out of his way to make sure quarterback Tony Romo does not feel good is Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh.

Suh is off to a quiet start this season with just two sacks, but you can bet part of the game plan today will be to get the Motor-city Terror off to a fast start. The Cowboys are going to be short-handed once again with wide receivers Miles Austin (hamstring) OUT and Dez-Bryant (quadriceps) a game-time decision. The Cowboys will have to turn to the ground game today if they hope to have any success and keep pressure of Romo; they had better stay away from third and long or Suh and the Lions defense will be bringing a ton of heat.

Offensively with Matt Stafford and Megatron playing well the Lions will need to get out of the gate quickly against the leagues 12th ranked passing defense. The Cowboys lead the NFL with 13 sacks this season and the Lions have struggled a bit with pass protection allowing five last week to the Vikings, but I expect Lions to address this issue by having Stafford get rid of the ball quickly; running back Jahvid Best and tight end Brandon Pettigrew could be instrumental.

What this game is going to come down to is offense, the Lions have all the playmakers and Cowboys will simply be unable to keep pace.

My Pick; Lions 28, Cowboys 17

The rest of my picks today….

Bears over the Panthers
Bills over the Bengals
Titans over the Browns
Texans over the Steelers
Saints over the Jaguars
Vikings over the Chiefs
Eagles over the Niners
Redskins over the Rams
Giants over the Cardinals
Seahawks over the Falcons
Packers over the Broncos
Chargers over the Dolphins
Ravens over the Jets
Buccaneers over the Colts

So far this season I have been struggling with my picks, making some bone-head calls. This is the week I get back on track.

By David Ortega

FOOTBALL RANKINGS (WEEK 3)

September 29th, 2011, Thursday

My Football Power Rankings
(Thru Week three)

It does not take a rocket scientist to tell you that at the moment the Packers are the best team in the league. While there are a couple of nice 3-0 stories out there, let’s not start jumping on any bandwagons for the moment. The Packers still have Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, and Jermichael Finley to boast perhaps the league’s most lethal passing attack (ranked 8th in the league), along with a ferocious defense led by All-Pro linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. Last week’s demolishing of the Bears should be a testament as to how good the champs are and that they are the best until proven otherwise.

A lot of us wanted to start anointing the Patriots as the league’s best, after all with Brady, all those yards, and all the those points, but then again that is why they play the game. And on Sunday we learned a great fact about the Patriots, there are two sides to every team; an offense and a defense. Apparently this season the Patriots only have one side.

My Rankings do include a couple of up-and-comers that are making noise and starting to attract attention; and deservedly so. The Bills are off to an impressive 3-0 start and when you add the win over New England it is hard not to consider them a Top-10 team. Like the Bills, the Lions are starting to roar, but before we let them claw their way to the top, week 4 will present a nice test for the motor city boys when they meet Dallas.

Perhaps the biggest move on my board is the big fall the Bears have taken with consecutive losses and poor performances. They look like a team that is in a free-fall and with the Panthers up next, they better hope they can land softly, because their schedule is about to get very difficult with the Lions, Eagles, and Chargers coming up over the next several weeks.

Week 4 should begin to separate the boys from the men and really start to paint the picture of who the real contenders are and who are the pretenders looking for a place to hide;

My Rankings (Week 3)

1. Green Bay Packers (3-0): You remain the best perched at the top until someone can come along and knock you off. The Packers have a few holes here and there, but they are loaded with talent and are able to make up for any deficiencies.
2. New Orleans Saints (2-1): After falling to the champs in week one, the Saints have done what has become expected of them, win and score a ton of points; 70 points the last two weeks.
3. San Diego Chargers (2-1): They narrowly survived laying a huge egg on Sunday with a 20-17 win over the Chiefs. They had better be more prepared this Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium when they face a desperate 0-3 Dolphins team.
4. Baltimore Ravens (2-1): The Ravens rebounded nicely in week 3 with a most decisive and dominant road win over the winless Rams. Flacco was sharp and defense was tenacious.
5. New England Patriots (2-1): The Pats hit a speed bump on Sunday that sent them skidding as they fell to the Bills in a shootout. The Pats have all kinds of problems to address on the defensive side that apparently a prolific offense can’t hide. They could stumble again this week on the road against the Raiders.
6. New York Jets (2-1): After their strong start, the Jets took one on the chin in week 3 and got lost in the black hole. The Raiders shredded the Jets run defense for nearly 200 yards on the ground on their way to a 34-24 victory. The Jets will face another tough test this week against the Ravens.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1): It was not the most impressive win on Sunday night against the Colts, but it still counts. The Steelers struggled with the run against Indy on their way to their second win in a row, but will face a much more balanced Texans attack in week 4; a three-peater could be tough.
8. Dallas Cowboys (2-1): It took another heroic effort from quarterback Tony Romo and the Cowboys offense, but this Sunday against the Lions they may need a lot of good luck as well. The Lions will definitely be in the mood for some barbeque (ribs) when the Boys arrive!
9. Detroit Lions (3-0): It’s not the highest ranking I have seen, but the Lions have yet to really play a meaningful opponent; the Vikings and Chiefs are 0-6 combined. The week one win over the Bucs (2-1) was nice, but this week against the Cowboys is a real test.
10.Buffalo Bills (3-0): An impressive win over the Patriots yes, but it's just one game. While their offense looks great, they do have some holes of their own to fix on defense.
11. Houston Texans (2-1): The Texans still have the look of a contender despite their loss to the Saints (a lot of teams are going to lose to the Saints) and this week at home against the Steelers they have a real chance to make a move in the AFC.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2): This dream must reside somewhere on Elm Street, because it has the makings of being a chilling nightmare. The offense appears out of sync and the defense, in particular seems to be playing in a daze. They may as well be, surrendering four touchdowns last Sunday and a total of eight this season; ties for the most allowed. They could be the next to fall hard, if they don’t get the defense corrected and Vick protected.


The rest of the league

• Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
• New York Giants (2-1)
• Oakland Raiders (2-1)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
• San Francisco 49ers (2-1)
• Washington Redskins (2-1)
• Cleveland Browns (2-1)
• Tennessee Titans (2-1)
• Chicago Bears (1-2)
• Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

• Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)
• Carolina Panthers (1-2)
• Seattle Seahawks (1-2)
• Denver Broncos (1-2)
• Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)
• St. Louis Rams (0-3)
• Minnesota Vikings (0-3)
• Miami Dolphins (0-3)
• Indianapolis Colts (0-3)
• Kansas City Chiefs (0-3)

FOOTBALL RANKINGS (WEEK 2)

September 23rd, 2011, Friday

MY Football Power Rankings
(Thru Week Two)

Not a lot of changes at the very top with both the Packers and Patriots chalking up a couple of wins, but there was a few drops in the middle with a disappointing performance from the Ravens and the Bears. Of course the Bears did have a much more difficult matchup against the Saints, but they still looked awful.

Looking over my rankings, the Rams are certainly the best looking 0-2 team, but they need more production from their running game if they are going to get in the “W” column. The Panthers are clearly the most interesting 0-2 team with Cam Newton at the helm; they could also be the most dangerous because of Newton’s incredible playmaking ability. He just needs more help from his defense (58 points in two games is too much). The Chiefs are without a doubt the worst team in the league at the moment; ineffective offense and a defense with more holes than a pair of shredded Levis from the 80s.

A couple of teams that grabbed my interest are the Titans and the Giants. With all the injuries surrounding the Giants in the tough NFC East, they along with the Cowboys look like they could be the odd men out; really the Redskins with the Eagles? Everyone seems to be conceding that with the Colts down (and likely out), the South is there for the Texans to win; what about Tennessee?

There’s a lot to follow and keep up with in the coming weeks, so who can really make heads or tails of anything? I am a far cry from one, but I offer my take on how I rank the teams through two weeks;

My Rankings (Week 2)

1. Green Bay Packers (2-0): The champs keep rolling along, although it took them a little while to get going in week two against the Panthers. The offense looks high octane, but the defense again showed a few holes in the secondary that will need to be filled.
2. New England Patriots (2-0): The Patriots handled the Chargers with relative ease last Sunday, but their secondary will be severely tested this week when they travel to face the Bills
3. NewOrleans Saints (1-1): A nice decisive win over the Bears is exactly what the Saints needed to bounce back after their week one loss to the champs.
4. New York Jets (2-0): You can try, but it seems futile to try and keep Rex and the boys out of the mix when talking about Super Bowls and the best. It was only the Jaguars, but it was still an impressive looking win.

5. San Diego Chargers (1-1): They lost to the Patriots on the road; not many teams will be able to keep it as close as the Bolts did. After the tough loss the Chargers will get a bye week with the Chiefs coming to town.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1): So much for a “Dream Team”, a tough road loss to the Falcons hurts less in the standings, than the painful experience on the field. The Eagles better find a way to protect Vick much better, or the only dream they will find is in their sleep.
7. Baltimore Ravens (1-1): There’s no question their loss on Sunday was a big oops, but before we start downgrading the Ravens let’s see how they respond. We also need to keep an eye on theTitans as well.
8. Houston Texans (2-0): They are off to a nice start, but they need to beat someone before we start believing they are the real deal; first test, this Sunday against the Saints.
9. Atlanta Falcons (1-1): The Falcons bounced back with a nice win over the “Dream Team”, so you know that deserves some merit. After their stumble in week one, the Falcons showed a little more life, but the passing game still needs work going forward.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1): It was an impressive win last Sunday with the shutout, but let’s not get carried away, it was only the Seahawks. The Steelers will have a great opportunity to continue this momentum, when they scrimmage with the Peyton-less Colts this Sunday night.
11. Dallas Cowboys (1-1): It was a nice comeback win for the Boys, but it was also a costly one. With Romo, Austin, and Bryant banged up, this is where they might peak (at least for a while).
12. Detroit Lions (2-0): It’s time to start giving the Lions some respect. It’s not about who they beat, but more about how they beat them. This team looks good and you know they are hungry.


The rest of the league

• Buffalo Bills (2-0)
• Chicago Bears (1-1)
• Washington Redskins (2-0)
• New York Giants (1-1)
• Oakland Raiders (1-1)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)
• San Francisco 49ers (1-1)
• Arizona Cardinals (1-1)
• Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)
• Cleveland Browns (1-1)

• Denver Broncos (1-1)
• Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
• Tennessee Titans (1-1)
• St. Louis Rams (0-2)
• Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
• Carolina Panthers (0-2)
• Miami Dolphins (0-2)
• Seattle Seahawks (0-2)
• Indianapolis Colts (0-2)
• Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)