Through the first two weeks of the NFL season the debate of Sanchez versus Stafford has been heating up in and around Detroit and the NFL. Sanchez has looked pretty good in New York, throwing for 435 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a QB rating of 91.3 percent. Sanchez has also beaten the all-mighty New England Patriots. Stafford on the other hand has looked less than stellar for the Lions, throwing for 357 yards, one touchdown, 5 interceptions, and a QB rating of 40.5 percent. The fans in New York have already given Sanchez a nickname of “the Sanchise” which refers to him being the franchise QB. In many circles Stafford is already being called a bust and some are calling for his replacement, Daunte Culpepper. If you look closely, there is a big difference between the two first round picks situation. Look at the team structure that each quarterback has around them.
Let’s look at Sanchez structure first. The Jets have made plenty of upgrades to their roster within the last couple years. Just two year’s ago the Jets brought in two Pro Bowl caliber offensive linemen, Alan Faneca and Damien Woody. They traded for a perennial 1,000 yard rusher Thomas Jones, and have developed another one in Leon Washington. This past off-season alone they signed Pro Bowl linebacker Bart Scott. The signing of Scott allowed a better transition into Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme since he played under Ryan in Baltimore. The Jets team structure is all around a better system. Jets players have already said that Sanchez doesn’t have to do much. Sanchez doesn’t have to force balls into coverage. He can hand it off to one of his running backs and every once and a while run a play fake to a wide-out. The game looks slower to him.
Let’s now look at Stafford’s structure. Stafford has a bigger up hill battle. He has a decent RB in Kevin Smith, but who really knows what he is since this is only his second year in the league. He has one of the best receivers in the league to throw to. But think back. When is the last time Calvin didn’t have a safety over the top in coverage? Stafford has to force the ball to him which in return causes interceptions. And let’s not talk about the no blocking, penalty taking offensive line. These guys can’t protect anyone and they are pretty much drive killers with those penalties. And oh yea…don’t forget about Stafford being on a team that finished 0-16 just last season and also a team with 8 years of inept drafting by our favorite GM here in Detroit, Matt Millen. Stafford has absolutely no foundation around him. The game looks much faster to him. If Sanchez was in the same position he would struggle as well.
The point to be made here is if they were to switch teams Sanchez would struggle here and Stafford would probably be doing what Sanchez is doing right now. This debate shouldn’t even be going on yet because they’re just rookies. Talk to me in three years!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Football is Back!
Football season is back and boy am I glad to see it. After an entire summer looking at out of shape and lazy baseball players and a sport with two trade deadlines, in which I'm still confused about, it's time to see some hard hitting football. Time to see some great one hand catches and see some outstanding QB's move their team down the field in a two-minute warning. I get excited just thinking about it. Yes I know that the college season started last weekend, but this will be the first full weekend of football, college and pro. We already had a great game on Thursday, the defending Super Bowl champ Steelers defeating the Titans in overtime 13-10. I'm sure after that great game there's a few more like that one to come.
Here are a few games, including a sleeper match-up, from both the college schedule and the pro schedule:
College
#18 Notre Dame @ Michigan: This is a match-up of two coaches that need a big win. Charlie Wiess is being called an intern coach in South Bend, and Rich Rod has already been called out on possible NCAA violations by his players none the less. Both teams are coming off a blowout win against Nevada and Western Michigan respectively, but the question is still out there...What kind of team are they? Saturday's game will tell us the answer. Well some of it at least. 3:30pm on ABC.
Central Michigan @ Michigan State: Central Michigan is coming off an embarrassing game against Arizona, scoring just 6 points with an offense that is suppose to be great. Michigan State on the other hand is coming off a good showing against Montana State, but the question still remains who will be their starting QB in the long run. Central has the capability to pull of the upset if their offense comes together and State can't come up with the right formula at QB. Noon on ESPN 2
#3 USC @ #8 Ohio State: The big match-up of the weekend. USC is starting a freshman QB on the road at night. Will Barkley be able to handle the noise from the crowd inside the horseshoe? For Ohio State they are trying to finally show up in big games, losing 35-3 in this same match-up last season, and also losing in the national championship to both Florida and LSU. A win hear could mean a lot for them but mean a whole heck of a lot more for the Big Ten. The Big Ten's power conference reputation has been getting trampled over lately. It's sad to say but they need to root for "The Ohio State University" this weekend to win this game Saturday night. 8pm on ESPN
SLEEPER MATCHUP-UCLA @ Tennessee: Last year they played and it was a great game. UCLA won 27-24. But after that game both teams floundered. UCLA finished 4-8 and Tennessee finished 5-8, leading to the firing of long time coach Phillip Fulmer. For Tennessee this should be a revenge game. They lost this game last year and it lead to a bad season and wholesale changes in the off-season. Don't count this game out. 4pm on ESPN.
NFL
Dolphins @ Falcons: This is a battle of, who was the fluke team last season? Both teams came out of nowhere to finish 11-5 last season. The Falcons added TE Tony Gonzalez to a powerful offense which already consist of WR Roddy White and RB Michael Turner. The Dolphins will probably turn out to be more contender than pretender. 1pm on CBS.
Eagles @ Panthers: This is a great match-up. The last time the Eagles played in Carolina, they lost in the NFC Championship game 14-3. Will this time be different? The Panthers are coming off of a 12-4 season but many feel that they will not be that same team. The Eagles need to get off to a good start seeing that they will introduce Mike Vick into the equation week 3. Who really knows what that will bring? 1pm on FOX
Bears @ Packers: This Sunday night game will be a classic black and blue match-up. Many experts expect the Packers offense to be powerful this season. Fantasy Football players look out for Aaron Rodgers. The Bears defense is coming off an injury plegged and highly disappointing season. And don't forget, Jay Cutler doesn't have Brandon Marshall to throw to this season. 8:20pm on NBC
SLEEPER MATCHUP-Jets @ Texans: Many people will be watching this game for what else? Mark Sanchez. Can Sanchez be the Matt Ryan of this year's QB class? The Texans need this game. They have been touted the up and coming team for probably 3 straight years now, but every year they start off slow and can't recover. This game is very important for their season. 1pm on CBS.
Here are a few games, including a sleeper match-up, from both the college schedule and the pro schedule:
College
#18 Notre Dame @ Michigan: This is a match-up of two coaches that need a big win. Charlie Wiess is being called an intern coach in South Bend, and Rich Rod has already been called out on possible NCAA violations by his players none the less. Both teams are coming off a blowout win against Nevada and Western Michigan respectively, but the question is still out there...What kind of team are they? Saturday's game will tell us the answer. Well some of it at least. 3:30pm on ABC.
Central Michigan @ Michigan State: Central Michigan is coming off an embarrassing game against Arizona, scoring just 6 points with an offense that is suppose to be great. Michigan State on the other hand is coming off a good showing against Montana State, but the question still remains who will be their starting QB in the long run. Central has the capability to pull of the upset if their offense comes together and State can't come up with the right formula at QB. Noon on ESPN 2
#3 USC @ #8 Ohio State: The big match-up of the weekend. USC is starting a freshman QB on the road at night. Will Barkley be able to handle the noise from the crowd inside the horseshoe? For Ohio State they are trying to finally show up in big games, losing 35-3 in this same match-up last season, and also losing in the national championship to both Florida and LSU. A win hear could mean a lot for them but mean a whole heck of a lot more for the Big Ten. The Big Ten's power conference reputation has been getting trampled over lately. It's sad to say but they need to root for "The Ohio State University" this weekend to win this game Saturday night. 8pm on ESPN
SLEEPER MATCHUP-UCLA @ Tennessee: Last year they played and it was a great game. UCLA won 27-24. But after that game both teams floundered. UCLA finished 4-8 and Tennessee finished 5-8, leading to the firing of long time coach Phillip Fulmer. For Tennessee this should be a revenge game. They lost this game last year and it lead to a bad season and wholesale changes in the off-season. Don't count this game out. 4pm on ESPN.
NFL
Dolphins @ Falcons: This is a battle of, who was the fluke team last season? Both teams came out of nowhere to finish 11-5 last season. The Falcons added TE Tony Gonzalez to a powerful offense which already consist of WR Roddy White and RB Michael Turner. The Dolphins will probably turn out to be more contender than pretender. 1pm on CBS.
Eagles @ Panthers: This is a great match-up. The last time the Eagles played in Carolina, they lost in the NFC Championship game 14-3. Will this time be different? The Panthers are coming off of a 12-4 season but many feel that they will not be that same team. The Eagles need to get off to a good start seeing that they will introduce Mike Vick into the equation week 3. Who really knows what that will bring? 1pm on FOX
Bears @ Packers: This Sunday night game will be a classic black and blue match-up. Many experts expect the Packers offense to be powerful this season. Fantasy Football players look out for Aaron Rodgers. The Bears defense is coming off an injury plegged and highly disappointing season. And don't forget, Jay Cutler doesn't have Brandon Marshall to throw to this season. 8:20pm on NBC
SLEEPER MATCHUP-Jets @ Texans: Many people will be watching this game for what else? Mark Sanchez. Can Sanchez be the Matt Ryan of this year's QB class? The Texans need this game. They have been touted the up and coming team for probably 3 straight years now, but every year they start off slow and can't recover. This game is very important for their season. 1pm on CBS.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
2009 NFL Predictions
The NFL season is less than 12 hours away which means that it's time to be the nostradamus of the NFL. Here are my predictions for the entire season. From division winners, conference and super bowl champions to season awards. Let the debate begin.
2009 NFL Season Predictions
NFC
East
2009 NFL Season Predictions
NFC
East
*New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Cowboys
Washington Redskins
North
*Green Bay Packers
*Minnesota Vikings
*Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
South
*Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints
Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
West
*Arizona Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks
San Francisco 49ers
St. Louis Rams
NFC Championship Game: New York Giants over Green Bay Packers
AFC
East
East
*New England Patriots
Miami Dolphins
Buffalo Bills
New York Jets
North
*Pittsburgh Steelers
*Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
South
*Indianapolis Colts
*Tennessee Titans
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
West
*San Diego Chargers
Oakland Raiders
Kansas City Chiefs
Denver Broncos
AFC Championship Game: San Diego Chargers over Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XLIV: San Diego Chargers over New York Giants
*Teams in italic are playoff teams.
Awards
MVP-Philip Rivers
Offensive POY-Adrian Peterson
Defensive POY-DeMarcus Ware
Offensive ROY-Percy Harvin
Defensive ROY-Aaron Curry
Coach of the Year-Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers)
MVP-Philip Rivers
Offensive POY-Adrian Peterson
Defensive POY-DeMarcus Ware
Offensive ROY-Percy Harvin
Defensive ROY-Aaron Curry
Coach of the Year-Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Starting Stafford, Right Move or Not?
With the first game of the 2009 NFL season, the Detroit Lions select...Matthew Stafford to be their starting quarterback. This may not come as much of a surprise to many, seeing that he was the Lions #1 overall selection in the 2009 draft, but this doesn't make complete sense to me. During the preseason Coach Schwartz gave both Stafford and Culpepper a fair chance before making his decision. Most times Stafford looked half decent at QB, but other times he looked less than stellar by throwing interceptions and leaving the pocket too early. With this team coming off of 0-16, you would think that getting a win early would be top priority. During the preseason Culpepper managed this offense well, dumping the ball when needed and throwing long when available. Yes Stafford threw the ball downfield more, but during the preseason you see the most vanilla of vanilla defenses. When the regular season comes he will see blitzing, zones, and stunts for the first time, which will make throwing it downfield a little bit harder to do.
Look, making a decision on starting a rookie QB is not the easiest decision to make. There is no A+B=C formula to making this decision. Every situation is unique in its own way. Look at Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning. Both of them started from day one and both struggled badly at some point in the season. Statistically Manning finished the year with great stats but the team finished with a 3-13 record and lost many close games. Troy struggled as well throwing twice as many interceptions than touchdowns, and finishing with a 55.7 percent QB rating. But in the end putting them in the fire early may have been best for them. Troy finished with 3 Super Bowl rings, 1 MVP award, and a Hall of Fame induction. Peyton so far as won 1 Super Bowl ring, 3 MVP awards, and a sure bet Hall of Fame induction. On the other side of things are David Carr and Ryan Leaf. David Carr started all but five games in his five year career with the expansion Houston Texans. In his rookie campaign he had it rough throwing nearly twice as many interceptions as touchdowns and being sacked 76 times. Carr's career never recovered from being thrown into the fire early with no protection or no one to help him. He has what we call "happy feet" in the pocket. But can you blame him. He was sacked 249 times in his entire career as a Texan. If you didn't know, that's way too much. Ryan Leaf started day one for the San Diego Chargers. He led the team to a 2-0 start but everything collapsed after that. He was benched for throwing just 2 TD's and 13 interceptions in 9 games. For the season he threw for just 1,289 yards, with a 45.3 percent completion rate and a paltry passer rating of 39. During the season he not only showed that he wasn't ready to start but he also showed that he probably wasn't mature enough to handle everything that comes with the NFL. He yelled at reporters after games and also nearly fought fans during practice sessions.
All these rookie QB examples are all different. Who really knows what Stafford will turn out to be? He could turn out to be Manning or Aikman, or he could turn out to be Leaf or Carr. But of course we hope not the latter. The time now is not to criticize the decision that was made but support it. We gotta root for Stafford to succeed and not fail. Time will only tell. Story to be continued!
Look, making a decision on starting a rookie QB is not the easiest decision to make. There is no A+B=C formula to making this decision. Every situation is unique in its own way. Look at Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning. Both of them started from day one and both struggled badly at some point in the season. Statistically Manning finished the year with great stats but the team finished with a 3-13 record and lost many close games. Troy struggled as well throwing twice as many interceptions than touchdowns, and finishing with a 55.7 percent QB rating. But in the end putting them in the fire early may have been best for them. Troy finished with 3 Super Bowl rings, 1 MVP award, and a Hall of Fame induction. Peyton so far as won 1 Super Bowl ring, 3 MVP awards, and a sure bet Hall of Fame induction. On the other side of things are David Carr and Ryan Leaf. David Carr started all but five games in his five year career with the expansion Houston Texans. In his rookie campaign he had it rough throwing nearly twice as many interceptions as touchdowns and being sacked 76 times. Carr's career never recovered from being thrown into the fire early with no protection or no one to help him. He has what we call "happy feet" in the pocket. But can you blame him. He was sacked 249 times in his entire career as a Texan. If you didn't know, that's way too much. Ryan Leaf started day one for the San Diego Chargers. He led the team to a 2-0 start but everything collapsed after that. He was benched for throwing just 2 TD's and 13 interceptions in 9 games. For the season he threw for just 1,289 yards, with a 45.3 percent completion rate and a paltry passer rating of 39. During the season he not only showed that he wasn't ready to start but he also showed that he probably wasn't mature enough to handle everything that comes with the NFL. He yelled at reporters after games and also nearly fought fans during practice sessions.
All these rookie QB examples are all different. Who really knows what Stafford will turn out to be? He could turn out to be Manning or Aikman, or he could turn out to be Leaf or Carr. But of course we hope not the latter. The time now is not to criticize the decision that was made but support it. We gotta root for Stafford to succeed and not fail. Time will only tell. Story to be continued!
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