Chris' Roster
Kurt Warner
Michael Turner
Ronnie Brown
Antonio Gates
Colts DEF/ST
Anquan Boldin
DeAngelo Williams
Adrian Peterson
Ben Roethlisberger
Vincent Jackson
Santonio Holmes
Giants DEF/ST
Vicente Shiancoe
Jeff Reed
Mark Clayton
Jake Delhomme
Jeff's Roster
LaDainian Tomlinson
Steve Smith
Titans D/ST
Chris Johnson
Joseph Addai
Dominic Rhodes
Peyton Manning
Chad Pennington
Le'Ron McClain
Reggie Wayne
Domenik Hixon
Todd Heap
Titans DEF/ST
Anthony Fasano
Eagles DEF/ST
David Akers
John Carney
Tony's Roster
Brandon Jacobs
Hines Ward
Eli Manning
Willis McGahee
John Kasay
Kevin Boss
Larry Fitzgerald
Steelers DEF/ST
Dallas Clark
Joe Flacco
Rickey Williams
Steve Breston
Darren Sproles
Chester Taylor
Bo Scaife
Ryan Longwell
Joel's Roster
Ravens DEF/ST
Donovan McNabb
Jerious Norwood
LenDale White
Philip Rivers
Brian Westbrook
Mewelde Moore
Roddy White
Derrick Mason
Heath Miller
David Martin
Correll Buckhalter
Dolphins DEF/ST
Matt Stover
Adam Vinatieri
Anthony Gonzalez
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Championship Rosters
Here are the rosters for the Championship Bracket.
Erik's Roster
Peyton Manning
Adrian Peterson
Willie Parker
Le'Ron McClain
Reggie Wayne
Roddy White
Michael Turner
Steve Smith
Brandon Jacobs
Eli Manning
Santonio Holmes
Kevin Boss
Justin Gage
PHI DEF/ST
IND DEF/ST
Adam Vinatieri
Jason's Roster
DeAngelo Williams
Brian Westbrook
Vincent Jackson
David Akers
Giants DEF/ST
Kurt Warner
Chris Johnson
Hines Ward
Bernard Berrian
Vicente Shiancoe
Derrick Mason
Mewelde Moore
Ben Roethlisberger
MIN DEF/ST
Bo Scaife
John Carney
Ben's Roster
Phillip Rivers
Dallas Clark
Rod Bironas
Joe Flacco
Derrick Ward
Chad Pennington
LaDanian Tomlinson
Ronnie Brown
BAL DEF/ST
LenDale White
Antonio Gates
Jake Delhomme
Mark Clayton
TEN DEF/ST
Chris Chambers
Nate Kaeding
Andrew's Roster
Jonathan Stewart
Larry Fitzgerald
Anthony Fasano
PIT DEF/ST
Jason Elam
Donovan McNabb
Anquan Boldin
DeShawn Jackson
Willis McGahee
Joseph Addai
Mushin Muhammad
Anthony Gonzalez
Heath Miller
Armani Toomer
Kerry Collins
Correll Buckhalter
Sunday, December 28, 2008
LIVE BLOG: Chiefs v Bengals 4th Quarter
Fourth Quarter
14:15
The Chiefs have not cross midfield since William Wallace was six years old. They finally do, but can’t do anything with it as the turn the ball over on downs.
You know those Bud Light commercials where the guy is writing in thin air maps and such? I really wish I could do that. As a matter of fact, I wish I could do most things that happen in beer commercials.
13:35
RAMS UPDATE: A field goal pushes the Rams to within a touchdown. Still plenty of time life.
13:12
Cedric Benson could be an interesting fantasy option next season. Carson Palmer will be back but it can be assumed he won’t be fully back, meaning they will rely on the run a little more than usual. The way Benson has looked the last couple of weeks he might have a decent season in 2009. Wouldn’t be interesting if he gets traded for T.J. Houshmandzadeh but this time Benson has the crazy good season and T.J. sucks?
10:55
The Chiefs finally get a sack!!! Of course, it was a terrible sack. Boone had him first, but completely whiffed on the tackle. Babin ended up getting him after Fitzpatrick couldn’t get around his own lineman.
10:07
Robinson didn’t fumble, but he might as well have… Chiefs ball on the 7ish.
9:32
Tyler Thigpen can’t throw the deep ball. He under-threw Bradley badly, but the DB mistimed his jump. This gave Bradley a chance to catch the ball but he couldn’t hold onto it.
Tony Gonzalez followed that play up with his second catch of the drive. 9 more catches….
8:34
Bowe with another catch. He needs 40 more yards to get 1000. I predict he’ll get 35.
8:13
Thigpen fumbles the handoff, Bengals recover. Thigpen has looked terrible in this game, much the same way he looked in the Falcons game earlier this season.
He is 13-27 for 106 yards.
7:28
DERRICK JOHNSON JUST LIT UP CEDRIC BENSON!!!! How is Benson not dead??????????
6:40
Fourth Most Accurate Kicker In NFL History Shane Graham hits another field goal to extend the lead to 16-0, despite the fact that boring announcer guy said 17-0.
6:15
RAMS UPDATE: Rams score somehow, I’m too lazy to look it up – probably was Steven Jackson, and tie the game at 24. Don’t get too excited because, one, it is the Rams and, two, there is still 13 minutes left in the game.
The Lions game is still tied at 14. I kind of want that game to end in a tie now. 0-15-1. Would that be worse that 0-16?
5:57
Technical difficulties by CBS has forced to Plax myself. It really hurts. What was that guy thinking?
4:44
Mark Bradley was just called for a false start. Ugh.
4:08
Dwayne Bowe!!! Holy crap what a catch!!! I hope they challenge it, because I think he scored. Nice throw by Thigpen too. Could have used more of those…
On the previous play, Gonzalez caught a pass. 8 more catches…
Bowe has 10 catches for 103 yards. That puts him over 1000 yards. Statistically, Bowe is special. Now if he can just make those clutch catches and add some consistency…
Still waiting on the replay…
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Play stands. Ball placed at the one. Sucks for Bowe. Got his grand (1000 yards) though.
3:15
Chiefs have failed on three straight attempts to get into the endzone from the one. Play include: a fade to TG, LJ getting stuffed for no gain, a terrible pass to LJ.
On fourth down, they throw a fade to Bowe for a touchdown, but Bowe is called for offensive pass interference (tough call).
On fourth and goal part two, the Bengals are call for pass interference in the endzone. Ugly football.
3:00
On the second first and goal, LJ is tackled for a loss on a sweep-type play.
On second down, the Thigpen finally hits TG for the touchdown. 7 more catches…
Chiefs fail to convert the two-point conversion.
2:20
Green Bay is up on the Lions by 10 with 8 minutes left. 0-16 here we come!
STL and ATL are still tied, but the Rams have a 3rd and 9 on the Falcons 10 with 7 minutes left.
2:18
Leon Hall does not pull a Dwayne Bowe and holds onto the onside kick. One first down and the game is over. 2-14. Geez…
2:14
DeAngelo Williams: 163
Chiefs Rushing: 31
2:00
Benson runs for a first down, which should effectively end the game.
RAMS UPDATE: Rams hit a field goal to go up 27-24. I still think the Falcons will win the game.
Detroit scores, don’t know how, to get within 3 points of Green Bay.
1:30
Benson breaks 100 yards, which is good news for my fantasy team. Bad news for the Chiefs. The Chiefs have lost 23 of their last 25 games. Ouch.
:30
Fitzpatrick takes a knee. Bengals win. Chiefs season is done. 2-14. Terrible. Well, I guess we could be the Lions…
UPDATES: Within seconds of each other, the Packers and Falcons each score touchdowns. The Lions and Rams suck.
14:15
The Chiefs have not cross midfield since William Wallace was six years old. They finally do, but can’t do anything with it as the turn the ball over on downs.
You know those Bud Light commercials where the guy is writing in thin air maps and such? I really wish I could do that. As a matter of fact, I wish I could do most things that happen in beer commercials.
13:35
RAMS UPDATE: A field goal pushes the Rams to within a touchdown. Still plenty of time life.
13:12
Cedric Benson could be an interesting fantasy option next season. Carson Palmer will be back but it can be assumed he won’t be fully back, meaning they will rely on the run a little more than usual. The way Benson has looked the last couple of weeks he might have a decent season in 2009. Wouldn’t be interesting if he gets traded for T.J. Houshmandzadeh but this time Benson has the crazy good season and T.J. sucks?
10:55
The Chiefs finally get a sack!!! Of course, it was a terrible sack. Boone had him first, but completely whiffed on the tackle. Babin ended up getting him after Fitzpatrick couldn’t get around his own lineman.
10:07
Robinson didn’t fumble, but he might as well have… Chiefs ball on the 7ish.
9:32
Tyler Thigpen can’t throw the deep ball. He under-threw Bradley badly, but the DB mistimed his jump. This gave Bradley a chance to catch the ball but he couldn’t hold onto it.
Tony Gonzalez followed that play up with his second catch of the drive. 9 more catches….
8:34
Bowe with another catch. He needs 40 more yards to get 1000. I predict he’ll get 35.
8:13
Thigpen fumbles the handoff, Bengals recover. Thigpen has looked terrible in this game, much the same way he looked in the Falcons game earlier this season.
He is 13-27 for 106 yards.
7:28
DERRICK JOHNSON JUST LIT UP CEDRIC BENSON!!!! How is Benson not dead??????????
6:40
Fourth Most Accurate Kicker In NFL History Shane Graham hits another field goal to extend the lead to 16-0, despite the fact that boring announcer guy said 17-0.
6:15
RAMS UPDATE: Rams score somehow, I’m too lazy to look it up – probably was Steven Jackson, and tie the game at 24. Don’t get too excited because, one, it is the Rams and, two, there is still 13 minutes left in the game.
The Lions game is still tied at 14. I kind of want that game to end in a tie now. 0-15-1. Would that be worse that 0-16?
5:57
Technical difficulties by CBS has forced to Plax myself. It really hurts. What was that guy thinking?
4:44
Mark Bradley was just called for a false start. Ugh.
4:08
Dwayne Bowe!!! Holy crap what a catch!!! I hope they challenge it, because I think he scored. Nice throw by Thigpen too. Could have used more of those…
On the previous play, Gonzalez caught a pass. 8 more catches…
Bowe has 10 catches for 103 yards. That puts him over 1000 yards. Statistically, Bowe is special. Now if he can just make those clutch catches and add some consistency…
Still waiting on the replay…
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Play stands. Ball placed at the one. Sucks for Bowe. Got his grand (1000 yards) though.
3:15
Chiefs have failed on three straight attempts to get into the endzone from the one. Play include: a fade to TG, LJ getting stuffed for no gain, a terrible pass to LJ.
On fourth down, they throw a fade to Bowe for a touchdown, but Bowe is called for offensive pass interference (tough call).
On fourth and goal part two, the Bengals are call for pass interference in the endzone. Ugly football.
3:00
On the second first and goal, LJ is tackled for a loss on a sweep-type play.
On second down, the Thigpen finally hits TG for the touchdown. 7 more catches…
Chiefs fail to convert the two-point conversion.
2:20
Green Bay is up on the Lions by 10 with 8 minutes left. 0-16 here we come!
STL and ATL are still tied, but the Rams have a 3rd and 9 on the Falcons 10 with 7 minutes left.
2:18
Leon Hall does not pull a Dwayne Bowe and holds onto the onside kick. One first down and the game is over. 2-14. Geez…
2:14
DeAngelo Williams: 163
Chiefs Rushing: 31
2:00
Benson runs for a first down, which should effectively end the game.
RAMS UPDATE: Rams hit a field goal to go up 27-24. I still think the Falcons will win the game.
Detroit scores, don’t know how, to get within 3 points of Green Bay.
1:30
Benson breaks 100 yards, which is good news for my fantasy team. Bad news for the Chiefs. The Chiefs have lost 23 of their last 25 games. Ouch.
:30
Fitzpatrick takes a knee. Bengals win. Chiefs season is done. 2-14. Terrible. Well, I guess we could be the Lions…
UPDATES: Within seconds of each other, the Packers and Falcons each score touchdowns. The Lions and Rams suck.
LIVE BLOG: Chiefs v Bengals 3rd Quarter
Third Quarter
15:00
Good news: The Chiefs are a terrible second half team. Wait that’s bad news… ON WITH THE SECOND HALF!!!
RAMS UPDATE: Rams 14, Falcons 17. I truly hope Atlanta sits all of its starters in the second half. Please, sit your starters.
14:57
DeAngelo Williams: 143 yards (15 carries)
Chiefs: 50 total yards (51 penalty yards)
Tyler Thigpen is a fantastic 5-14 for 38 yards. The good news is that … ummm … well, I haven’t figured that out yet. I’ll get back to you.
I just heard on the radio that Herm Edwards press conference tomorrow is scheduled for 11:30. This is much earlier than usual (especially for an end of the season press conference). There is speculation that Herm will resign at the conference. Silver lining.
13:27
The Chiefs blitzed all three linebackers and failed to get to the quarterback. God our pass rush sucks.
12:47
JARROD PAGE!!! He just destroyed Cedric Benson. Seventh round…
12:01
Have I mentioned that the Bengals have 23 players on IR (NOT including Carson Palmer) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson are not active today? Oh, I didn’t know I had. Sorry about that.
With that said, first down Bengals. (19th first down of the day.)
10:25
It is times like these that I am glad God invented beer. And, yes, God is an inventor – I know I’m sooo controversial.
9:38
Derrick Johnson REALLY needs to work on his hands this spring and summer. He just dropped an easy TAINT (interception for a touchdown).
8:54
The Bengals have a mere 16 sacks this season (three more than the league record for fewest sacks). With this said, they still have 7 more sacks than the Chiefs.
8:09
The Chiefs finally make the Bengals punt for the first time today. Of course, the Bengals down it inside the five.
RAMS UPDATE: Rams 14, Falcons 24. If both the Chiefs and Rams lose, a coin toss will determine who has the 2nd overall pick in the draft. The more I think about it, what really is the difference between the second and third overall pick? Half a billion dollars in signing bonus’?
6:40
FIRST DOWN CHIEFS!!! Granted, Bowe pushed Leon Hall to the ground before he caught the ball (a penalty should have been called) but who cares. LJ follows that up with an 11 yard run. Back to back first downs doubles our total first downs for the game. We still have fewer yards that DeAngelo Williams though.
5:13
Bowe has caught about 345345 short screens in this game (actually that number is about five) and, after the three yard loss on this one, I hope it is the last catch he has on a screen in this game.
5:01
Tony Gonzalez makes his first catch of the game. He needs 11 more…
3:08
Chiefs punt. Again. Ugh.
51-yard punt by Colquitt goes into the endzone.
2:30
Cedric Benson just now returned from his hit delivered by Page. Sweet.
1:39
Holy crap the Chiefs force a three and out. Robinson returns the punt. Every time he touches the ball I’m convinced he is going to fumble. He hasn’t – yet.
Now seems like a good time to tell you that the Packers and Lions are tied at 14. Calvin Johnson has two touchdown catches.
Williams has 155 yards rushing.
STL is still losing.
:42
I would respect Dhani Jones a lot more if he wore a bow-tie during games.
:00
The Bengals get a sack, only they needed to cheat to do it (facemask). Maybe the Chiefs should look into that cheating thing…
One quarter remaining in the Chiefs season. COMEBACK BEGINS NOW!!!
15:00
Good news: The Chiefs are a terrible second half team. Wait that’s bad news… ON WITH THE SECOND HALF!!!
RAMS UPDATE: Rams 14, Falcons 17. I truly hope Atlanta sits all of its starters in the second half. Please, sit your starters.
14:57
DeAngelo Williams: 143 yards (15 carries)
Chiefs: 50 total yards (51 penalty yards)
Tyler Thigpen is a fantastic 5-14 for 38 yards. The good news is that … ummm … well, I haven’t figured that out yet. I’ll get back to you.
I just heard on the radio that Herm Edwards press conference tomorrow is scheduled for 11:30. This is much earlier than usual (especially for an end of the season press conference). There is speculation that Herm will resign at the conference. Silver lining.
13:27
The Chiefs blitzed all three linebackers and failed to get to the quarterback. God our pass rush sucks.
12:47
JARROD PAGE!!! He just destroyed Cedric Benson. Seventh round…
12:01
Have I mentioned that the Bengals have 23 players on IR (NOT including Carson Palmer) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson are not active today? Oh, I didn’t know I had. Sorry about that.
With that said, first down Bengals. (19th first down of the day.)
10:25
It is times like these that I am glad God invented beer. And, yes, God is an inventor – I know I’m sooo controversial.
9:38
Derrick Johnson REALLY needs to work on his hands this spring and summer. He just dropped an easy TAINT (interception for a touchdown).
8:54
The Bengals have a mere 16 sacks this season (three more than the league record for fewest sacks). With this said, they still have 7 more sacks than the Chiefs.
8:09
The Chiefs finally make the Bengals punt for the first time today. Of course, the Bengals down it inside the five.
RAMS UPDATE: Rams 14, Falcons 24. If both the Chiefs and Rams lose, a coin toss will determine who has the 2nd overall pick in the draft. The more I think about it, what really is the difference between the second and third overall pick? Half a billion dollars in signing bonus’?
6:40
FIRST DOWN CHIEFS!!! Granted, Bowe pushed Leon Hall to the ground before he caught the ball (a penalty should have been called) but who cares. LJ follows that up with an 11 yard run. Back to back first downs doubles our total first downs for the game. We still have fewer yards that DeAngelo Williams though.
5:13
Bowe has caught about 345345 short screens in this game (actually that number is about five) and, after the three yard loss on this one, I hope it is the last catch he has on a screen in this game.
5:01
Tony Gonzalez makes his first catch of the game. He needs 11 more…
3:08
Chiefs punt. Again. Ugh.
51-yard punt by Colquitt goes into the endzone.
2:30
Cedric Benson just now returned from his hit delivered by Page. Sweet.
1:39
Holy crap the Chiefs force a three and out. Robinson returns the punt. Every time he touches the ball I’m convinced he is going to fumble. He hasn’t – yet.
Now seems like a good time to tell you that the Packers and Lions are tied at 14. Calvin Johnson has two touchdown catches.
Williams has 155 yards rushing.
STL is still losing.
:42
I would respect Dhani Jones a lot more if he wore a bow-tie during games.
:00
The Bengals get a sack, only they needed to cheat to do it (facemask). Maybe the Chiefs should look into that cheating thing…
One quarter remaining in the Chiefs season. COMEBACK BEGINS NOW!!!
LIVE BLOG: Chiefs v Bengals 2nd Quarter
Second Quarter
15:00
Tony Gonzalez needs to average four catches a quarter now in order to break his own record. I still feel this is within range…
14:47
Tyler Thigpen throws an incomplete pass on 3 and 11. When the ball landed, there were zero Chiefs and five Bengals in the picture. And, of course, the pass was intended for Tony Gonzalez.
14:21
Andre Caldwell runs 79,621 yards in order to gain 25 yards on a reverse. Caldwell has looked very good in the first quarter and change. The Bengals have seven plays of 10 yards or more already in the game.
The Bengals are ranked 32nd in total offense and points per game this season. The Bengals are without Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Fantastic.
11:41
Cedric Benson runs for the Bengals eighth play of 10 yards or more. The Bengals are two yards away from a touchdown.
10:57
Cedric Benson. Touchdown. 10-0 Bengals. It is the 6 rushing touchdown for the Bengals this season. Live blogging Chiefs games is both historic and depressing.
On a more positive note, Cedric Benson is on my fantasy team this week. I’ll see your DeAngelo Williams with a “Cedric Benson playing the Chiefs,” Jason!
10:51
Charles is finally out on the field as a running back. I just learned from the most boring announcers in announcing history that Charles is averaging 7 yards per touch. This makes me mad.
10: 48
Chiefs: Three possessions, three punts.
32 Offense (Bengals): Three possessions, two scores.
Ben: Three possessions, three suicide attempts.
10:10
Make that four possessions, four punts. Somehow, Larry Johnson manages to gain zero yards on a third and one run.
MVP Dustin Colquit has a 55-yard punt that puts the Bengals inside the 10.
8:13
Awesomely bad movie: The Spirit. Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes are smoking hot in that movie. I have no idea what the plot was, but I do know Johansson and Mendes wore a splendidly limited amount of clothing.
8:07
The Chiefs defense has just managed to pull off a defensive holding and facemask on the same play. I think the Chiefs have more yard in penalties than offensive yards. I’ll check that.
6:41
Chiefs Total Offensive yards: 42
Chiefs Penalty Yards: 51
DeAngelo Williams: 107 yards (12 carries)
5:40
Cedric Benson suddenly looks like Walter Peyton. Chiefs defense: Reviving washed up players careers for the past decade.
4:11
“It seems as if Cincinnati has a real good feel on how to counteract whatever the Chiefs are doing on defense.” – Boring announcer guy
Reminder: The Bengals are the 32nd ranked offense in the NFL.
2:43
Ryan Fitzpatrick looks like Tyler Thigpen. This is not a good thing for the Chiefs future at quarterback.
2:01
HOLY SHIT I SAW GLENN DORSEY DO SOMETHING!!! He penetrated. Hehehehehe…
1:51
Fourth Most Accurate Kicker In NFL History Shane Graham hits a 30-yard field goal to give the Bengals a 13-0 lead.
RAMS UPDATE: Rams 7, Falcons 10 – Damnit.
1:41
Yards per Drive
Drive 1: 15 yards
Drive 2: 3 yards
Drive 3: 15 yards
Drive 4: 9 yards
1:29
Thigpen just threw a pass that was so bad, fans are booing because Intentional Grounding was not called. I mean the nearest receiver was literally 30 yards away. Not an kidding. 30 yards.
:44
The Chiefs are punting – again. I’m not going to miss this Chiefs team. Not one bit. It’s like watching the 2005 Royals.
:20
St. Louis scores on a touchdown pass to someone I’ve never heard of (Donnie Avery). 14-10 STL. SWEET
:00
The half ends on Fitzpatrick throwing a Hail Mary out of bounds. Ugly football game. 13-0 Bengals. One half left of wretched Chiefs football. I hope it’s a good one. I don’t want this to be the final taste in my mouth of the Chiefs.
15:00
Tony Gonzalez needs to average four catches a quarter now in order to break his own record. I still feel this is within range…
14:47
Tyler Thigpen throws an incomplete pass on 3 and 11. When the ball landed, there were zero Chiefs and five Bengals in the picture. And, of course, the pass was intended for Tony Gonzalez.
14:21
Andre Caldwell runs 79,621 yards in order to gain 25 yards on a reverse. Caldwell has looked very good in the first quarter and change. The Bengals have seven plays of 10 yards or more already in the game.
The Bengals are ranked 32nd in total offense and points per game this season. The Bengals are without Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Fantastic.
11:41
Cedric Benson runs for the Bengals eighth play of 10 yards or more. The Bengals are two yards away from a touchdown.
10:57
Cedric Benson. Touchdown. 10-0 Bengals. It is the 6 rushing touchdown for the Bengals this season. Live blogging Chiefs games is both historic and depressing.
On a more positive note, Cedric Benson is on my fantasy team this week. I’ll see your DeAngelo Williams with a “Cedric Benson playing the Chiefs,” Jason!
10:51
Charles is finally out on the field as a running back. I just learned from the most boring announcers in announcing history that Charles is averaging 7 yards per touch. This makes me mad.
10: 48
Chiefs: Three possessions, three punts.
32 Offense (Bengals): Three possessions, two scores.
Ben: Three possessions, three suicide attempts.
10:10
Make that four possessions, four punts. Somehow, Larry Johnson manages to gain zero yards on a third and one run.
MVP Dustin Colquit has a 55-yard punt that puts the Bengals inside the 10.
8:13
Awesomely bad movie: The Spirit. Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes are smoking hot in that movie. I have no idea what the plot was, but I do know Johansson and Mendes wore a splendidly limited amount of clothing.
8:07
The Chiefs defense has just managed to pull off a defensive holding and facemask on the same play. I think the Chiefs have more yard in penalties than offensive yards. I’ll check that.
6:41
Chiefs Total Offensive yards: 42
Chiefs Penalty Yards: 51
DeAngelo Williams: 107 yards (12 carries)
5:40
Cedric Benson suddenly looks like Walter Peyton. Chiefs defense: Reviving washed up players careers for the past decade.
4:11
“It seems as if Cincinnati has a real good feel on how to counteract whatever the Chiefs are doing on defense.” – Boring announcer guy
Reminder: The Bengals are the 32nd ranked offense in the NFL.
2:43
Ryan Fitzpatrick looks like Tyler Thigpen. This is not a good thing for the Chiefs future at quarterback.
2:01
HOLY SHIT I SAW GLENN DORSEY DO SOMETHING!!! He penetrated. Hehehehehe…
1:51
Fourth Most Accurate Kicker In NFL History Shane Graham hits a 30-yard field goal to give the Bengals a 13-0 lead.
RAMS UPDATE: Rams 7, Falcons 10 – Damnit.
1:41
Yards per Drive
Drive 1: 15 yards
Drive 2: 3 yards
Drive 3: 15 yards
Drive 4: 9 yards
1:29
Thigpen just threw a pass that was so bad, fans are booing because Intentional Grounding was not called. I mean the nearest receiver was literally 30 yards away. Not an kidding. 30 yards.
:44
The Chiefs are punting – again. I’m not going to miss this Chiefs team. Not one bit. It’s like watching the 2005 Royals.
:20
St. Louis scores on a touchdown pass to someone I’ve never heard of (Donnie Avery). 14-10 STL. SWEET
:00
The half ends on Fitzpatrick throwing a Hail Mary out of bounds. Ugly football game. 13-0 Bengals. One half left of wretched Chiefs football. I hope it’s a good one. I don’t want this to be the final taste in my mouth of the Chiefs.
LIVE BLOG: Chiefs v Bengals 1st Quarter
Pregame:
Chris Mortensen just tried to make me believe something crazy: Bill Parcells will leave Miami after the season via a clause in his contract.
But that wasn’t the crazy thing…
Bill Parcells possible replacement? Carl Peterson.
Chris Mortensen is officially the worse sports reporter ever. Or Miami is the stupidest organization ever.
First Quarter
15:00
I really wish Gus Johnson was doing this game…
14:53
Herb Taylor is officially a better kick returner than Eddie Drummund.
Which is worse: Going 0-16 or not winning at Cincinnati in 24 years?
13:41
I’m done with Larry Johnson. I don’t even think he is trying anymore. He purposely avoided hitting a hole so he could bounce it outside and get lose four yards.
12:36
If Thigpen is our quarterback next season (and God I hope he is not) he has GOT to get better at the deep ball. No accuracy whatsoever.
12:26
Jamal Charles can’t down a “gimme punt” inside the five. Up next: Glenn Dorsey gets pancaked by a wide receiver. Draft picks at work people!
12:09
I just learned that T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson are not playing today. If we give up more than 20 points today…
11:22
Anybody else hoping Ed Hochuli is umping tonight’s SD/Denver game?
10:08
Cincy is driving. Fantastic. God our defense sucks.
8:46
Patrick Surtain (it was really Jarrod Page) was credited with “really good coverage” on a dropped pass by a Cincy receiver I’ve never heard of. God, I hate these announcers. They could just put a couple of Cincy fans in there or maybe a couple of local college kids? It couldn’t have been any worse.
8: 41
Cincy goes for it on fourth down and fails. This is going to be a long and painful game to watch, isn’t it?
STL scoring update: Rams 0, Falcons 3. 10+ minutes left in the first quarter.
7:47
Three and out for the Chiefs after an incomplete pass to Tony Gonzalez.
Now would be a good time to mention a couple of records that could be set today. Four or fewer sacks makes the Chiefs the worst pass rushing team of all-time. Twelve or more catches by Tony Gonzalez breaks his own record for reception in a season by a tight end. Dwayne Bowe can get 1000 yards with an 81 yard (or more) receiving day.
6:44
Chris Henry should have beaten the Chiefs for a touchdown had he been able to find the pass intended for him. I don’t know whether to feel like the Chiefs dodged a bullet or if this is a sign of things to come.
4:38
I have a new, passionate hatred for DeAngelo Williams. Williams already has six carries for 80 yards halfway into the first quarter. I hate Jason, too.
1:45
Shane Graham hits a 39-yard field goal to give the Bengals the lead. Did you know Shane Graham is the fourth most accurate kicker in NFL history at 85%? I didn’t know that either.
RAMS UPDATE: Steven Jackson runs for a touchdown to put the Rams up 7-3 with 3 minutes left in the first quarter.
1:34
The Chiefs have been outgained 105 to 18 so far. Ugh. Cincy is ranked 21st in the league in defense, just incase you wanted to know.
0:00
The quarter ends with LJ losing six billion yards on a carry up the middle. We need a new offensive line and running back. Speaking of running backs, why isn’t Jamal Charles getting more carries in this game???
Chris Mortensen just tried to make me believe something crazy: Bill Parcells will leave Miami after the season via a clause in his contract.
But that wasn’t the crazy thing…
Bill Parcells possible replacement? Carl Peterson.
Chris Mortensen is officially the worse sports reporter ever. Or Miami is the stupidest organization ever.
First Quarter
15:00
I really wish Gus Johnson was doing this game…
14:53
Herb Taylor is officially a better kick returner than Eddie Drummund.
Which is worse: Going 0-16 or not winning at Cincinnati in 24 years?
13:41
I’m done with Larry Johnson. I don’t even think he is trying anymore. He purposely avoided hitting a hole so he could bounce it outside and get lose four yards.
12:36
If Thigpen is our quarterback next season (and God I hope he is not) he has GOT to get better at the deep ball. No accuracy whatsoever.
12:26
Jamal Charles can’t down a “gimme punt” inside the five. Up next: Glenn Dorsey gets pancaked by a wide receiver. Draft picks at work people!
12:09
I just learned that T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson are not playing today. If we give up more than 20 points today…
11:22
Anybody else hoping Ed Hochuli is umping tonight’s SD/Denver game?
10:08
Cincy is driving. Fantastic. God our defense sucks.
8:46
Patrick Surtain (it was really Jarrod Page) was credited with “really good coverage” on a dropped pass by a Cincy receiver I’ve never heard of. God, I hate these announcers. They could just put a couple of Cincy fans in there or maybe a couple of local college kids? It couldn’t have been any worse.
8: 41
Cincy goes for it on fourth down and fails. This is going to be a long and painful game to watch, isn’t it?
STL scoring update: Rams 0, Falcons 3. 10+ minutes left in the first quarter.
7:47
Three and out for the Chiefs after an incomplete pass to Tony Gonzalez.
Now would be a good time to mention a couple of records that could be set today. Four or fewer sacks makes the Chiefs the worst pass rushing team of all-time. Twelve or more catches by Tony Gonzalez breaks his own record for reception in a season by a tight end. Dwayne Bowe can get 1000 yards with an 81 yard (or more) receiving day.
6:44
Chris Henry should have beaten the Chiefs for a touchdown had he been able to find the pass intended for him. I don’t know whether to feel like the Chiefs dodged a bullet or if this is a sign of things to come.
4:38
I have a new, passionate hatred for DeAngelo Williams. Williams already has six carries for 80 yards halfway into the first quarter. I hate Jason, too.
1:45
Shane Graham hits a 39-yard field goal to give the Bengals the lead. Did you know Shane Graham is the fourth most accurate kicker in NFL history at 85%? I didn’t know that either.
RAMS UPDATE: Steven Jackson runs for a touchdown to put the Rams up 7-3 with 3 minutes left in the first quarter.
1:34
The Chiefs have been outgained 105 to 18 so far. Ugh. Cincy is ranked 21st in the league in defense, just incase you wanted to know.
0:00
The quarter ends with LJ losing six billion yards on a carry up the middle. We need a new offensive line and running back. Speaking of running backs, why isn’t Jamal Charles getting more carries in this game???
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Doubting Bradford
The longer I look at the quarterback situation in the 2009 NFL Draft, the more I think Sam Bradford is not the clear cut, no doubt about it number one quarterback in the draft. Now, I’m not saying that he is not, but I want to show you a few things that have made me think a little over the last couple of days.
What I did was basically break down what would be considered the six best NFL QB prospects in college right now. It is possible not all six will declare for the draft, but I think it is a safe consensus that these six guys are the guys to watch if not for this year, then for next.
The six are: Sam Bradford (OU), Matt Stafford (UGA), Colt McCoy (Texas), Tim Tebow (UF), Mark Sanchez (USC) and Nate Davis (Ball State).
The first two stats are mostly set ups for the last two stats I want to show you. The first one is career interceptions-per-attempts. This, to me, is the most controllable stat a quarterback. Like in almost all football stats, there are so many uncontrollable aspects that affect the eventual stat. For instance, a running back is nothing without a decent line, a receiver cannot catch passes if the ball is never thrown to him (or thrown in an uncatchable manner), a quarterback cannot control whether or not the receiver catches an accurate pass and so on. What a quarterback can control, however, is his decisions. He can choose when to throw, who to throw to and how to get it there (touch pass, line drive, etc.). Now, there are always interceptions, especially in college, where the receiver is at fault for either tipping the pass or running the wrong route, but I’m sure that there are an equal amount interceptions dropped that may not of been had it been a pro athlete and not a college athlete. Basically, I’m assuming these things balance themselves out over the course of one’s career. Anyway, I think this is one of the most important stats – moreso than yards, completion percentage or touchdowns – when statistically evaluating a quarterback. Here is how the six measure up.
INT-Per-Attempt
Tim Tebow – INT every 72 attempts
Thoughts: First, holy crap. That’s a massive number. Now, Tebow does hold the distinction of throwing the second fewest amount of passes (ahead of Mark Sanchez) and does throw many screens and passes to the flat to get his teammate's athleticism in space. But its not like the guy never threw it down the field, otherwise what is the point of have Percy Harvin play wide receiver and not running back? No matter the offense, that kind of ball protection is impressive.
Sam Bradford – INT every 56 attempts
Thoughts: For a guy who has thrown a half a million passes over the last two seasons, this is a staggeringly high number and in some ways more impressive than Tebow’s number. You can see why people would think high of him.
Nate Davis – INT every 52 attempts
Thoughts: I’d like this guy if he wasn’t Jason Whitlock’s sloppy seconds.
Colt McCoy – INT every 35 attempts (1 INT every 50 attempts if you exclude his sophomore season)
Thoughts: McCoy had that terrible 2007 season that hurt his career numbers. But he has shown he has the ability to protect the ball in two of the three seasons he’s played.
Matt Stafford – INT every 30 attempts (INT every 40 attempts this season)
Thoughts: Stafford’s INT:PA number has gotten better every season he’s played. People marvel at his arm and size, but look what that’s doing for JaMarcus Russell right now. Still, it is better to improve than to regress.
Mark Sanchez – INT every 28 attempts
Thoughts: This was Sanchez first full season as a starter so things were going to be a little rough. Additionally, USC – for some reason unknown to man – does not really have a top flight receiver for Sanchez to throw to. Plus, Sanchez was hurt coming into the season and did get better as the season progressed (4 INT in final 7 games with 2 INT coming in the Notre Dame – ?! – game).
Now that you have these numbers in mind, let’s look at how much pressure opposing defenses where getting on them. The obvious reason to look at this is to see what kind of atmosphere where these quarterbacks in when they had to make decisions in the pocket.
Times Sacked in 2008 (pass attempts)
Sam Bradford – 9 (442: once ever 50 passing plays)
Thoughts: Clearly, Bradford could do whatever he wanted in the pocket. Bradford was sacked in only four games this season, all of which involved a Texas school (Tex: 3 sacks; TCU: 3 sacks; TT: 2; TAM: 1). Bradford threw two of his six picks in 2008 in those four games (both against Texas).
Nate Davis – 12 (372: once every 32 passing plays)
Thoughts: While he does not have the same insane protection Bradford enjoyed, he still had some time to get comfortable. Davis is a millionaire to Bradford’s billionaire: Both are rich, but one is significantly richer than the other.
Tim Tebow – 15 (268: once every 19 passing plays)
Thoughts: Believe it or not, this is a number closer to what he can expect in the pros. In comparison, Philip Rivers, who is about in the middle of the road in the most/least sacked QB spectrum, is sacked once every 21 passing plays. (Gives you a different perspective on how crazy Bradford’s protection has been, doesn’t it?)
Matt Stafford – 15 (352: once every 24 passing plays)
Thoughts: This is more of a “true” number than Tebow’s because Stafford does not play a big part in the running game the way Tebow does – which can lead to inflated sack numbers. He is faceing something closer to NFL pressure – relatively at least.
Mark Sanchez – 16 (331: once every 22 passing plays)
Thoughts: Given that Sanchez has had a bum knee cap all season, I’m more impressed by his toughness after seeing this stat, which erases some (not all) doubts about how injury prone he may be.
Colt McCoy – 20 (375: once every 20 passing plays)
Thoughts: This is an encouraging state for McCoy given his production this season. It has changed the way I view his season compared to Bradford’s.
Finally, we look at the top rated defenses in the SEC and Big XII conferences since the top four of the six quarterbacks – in my opinion – are in those conferences.
Top 7 SEC Pass Defenses – as calculated by yards allowed per game (National Ranking)
South Carolina (3)
Tennessee (4)
Vanderbilt (18)
Florida (19)
Mississippi St (20)
Alabama (21)
Auburn (22)
Top 5 Big XII Pass Defenses – as calculated by yards allowed per game (National Ranking)
Colorado (74)
Nebraska (90)
Texas Tech (91)
Texas A&M (93)
Oklahoma (99)
There will be those who say that the Big XII offenses were so good that the defensive rankings are skewed. Here is one thought to counter that argument: Iowa State finished 29th in the nation in passing offense, 9th in the Big XII – ahead of Oklahoma State, Colorado and Baylor (Iowa State. 29th in the nation.). Eleven of the 12 Big XII teams finished 90th or worse in pass defense out of 119 schools. Seven schools finished 102nd or worse. I think it is fair to say that, at least, the Big XII is a below average pass defense conference. Seven Big XII schools finished 87th or worse in TOTAL defense this season. The highest rated Big XII team for total defense (yards allowed per game) was Texas and they were ranked 50th. In comparison, 9 (of 12) SEC teams were ranked 36th or higher in total defense.
It is true that the SEC had some bad offenses (Auburn, Kentucky, Miss. State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt all finished 103rd or worse in total offense – South Carolina was 97th), but at least six SEC schools cracked the top 55 in total offense (Georgia and Florida were top 25) this season, which is more than can be said about the number of Big XII defenses that cracked the top 55 in total defense (one – Texas, and they were 50th).I think it would be fair to say that the SEC was an average (barely) offensive conference this season, especially with how dominate the SEC’s defenses were.
The point in all of this is that Bradford and McCoy did not see the kind of talent on defense Tebow and Stafford did.
Eight of Stafford’s nine picks this season (and seven just 7 of his TDs) came against six of the top 7 SEC pass defenses; Miss. State was the only team Stafford did not play in the top seven. That’s not an easy haul for any college quarterback. In comparison, Tebow threw 10 touchdowns and ZERO interceptions (ZERO!) against four of the six defenses he could have faced (he did not play Miss. State or Auburn). Granted, he did not throw for many yards against those teams, averaging less than 200 yards a game, but he still handled them with more efficiency that Stafford.
ANYWAY, this whole thing began with me making a statement about not being sure of Bradford’s draft status as the number one quarterback in the class. Looking at these numbers, it seems to me that Bradford may have hit a bit of a perfect storm. He played terrible pass defenses, had an insane offensive line and had a plethora of weapons. He never really had to deal with pressure. The one game he did have pressure in, the Texas game, he threw one-third of his season total picks and lost the game (though he did throw five touchdowns…). When I watch OU on offense, I don’t look at them and go, “Wow, Sam Bradford is INSANELY good,” as much as I go, “That offense is an unstoppable machine.” Whereas, when I watch Florida, I'm more likely to watch and say, “Geez, Tebow is unstoppable.”
I think you could take Tebow, Stafford, McCoy, Todd Reesing, Chase Daniel, Brodie Croyle or Marques Hagans and still have relatively the same kind of success – maybe not 60 points a game success, but success none the less. I mean, who wouldn’t have successes at quarterback there if you’re only going to get sacked in four of the 13 games you play and your conference has 11 teams ranked 90th or worse in pass defense.
However, if you take Tebow from this Florida team, I don’t know if they would be as good of an offense. Much is predicated on Tebow’s ability to run – something Bradford doesn’t do nearly as well as Tebow does. I don’t think Sam Bradford goes to Florida and has a 48-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Some may say, “Well, Bradford is going to get his chance in the BCS title game when he plays Florida,” but it is not the same thing. Neither team will have played in over a month. This is no way to judge a players ability against a good team let alone a Championship. Not to say there is nothing to be gained from the game, but this would be a much more meaningful matchup if either team had played in the past five weeks. Stupid BCS.
Anyway, that’s just something I’ve been thinking about. Feel free to make fun of me for it. But please note, the does not mean I don’ think Bradford would not be an excellent quarterback at the next level or that Tim Tebow is the best quarterback in the draft (though I did make it seem that way). Tebow does have an awkward throwing motion, a slow release, concerns about what all the hits he took in college will do to his long term health, concerns about restructing a team's offensive line to account for his blind side being on the right and not the left, his overall ceiling and whether or not he can be a true pocket passer.
But ultimately this is a piece of what is going to be a much larger puzzle of finding the best quarterback in the draft. But I do think the gap between Bradford and the rest of this year’s quarterback class is closer than what ESPN and the rest of the draft guru’s are saying. I guess, that's really the whole point.
What I did was basically break down what would be considered the six best NFL QB prospects in college right now. It is possible not all six will declare for the draft, but I think it is a safe consensus that these six guys are the guys to watch if not for this year, then for next.
The six are: Sam Bradford (OU), Matt Stafford (UGA), Colt McCoy (Texas), Tim Tebow (UF), Mark Sanchez (USC) and Nate Davis (Ball State).
The first two stats are mostly set ups for the last two stats I want to show you. The first one is career interceptions-per-attempts. This, to me, is the most controllable stat a quarterback. Like in almost all football stats, there are so many uncontrollable aspects that affect the eventual stat. For instance, a running back is nothing without a decent line, a receiver cannot catch passes if the ball is never thrown to him (or thrown in an uncatchable manner), a quarterback cannot control whether or not the receiver catches an accurate pass and so on. What a quarterback can control, however, is his decisions. He can choose when to throw, who to throw to and how to get it there (touch pass, line drive, etc.). Now, there are always interceptions, especially in college, where the receiver is at fault for either tipping the pass or running the wrong route, but I’m sure that there are an equal amount interceptions dropped that may not of been had it been a pro athlete and not a college athlete. Basically, I’m assuming these things balance themselves out over the course of one’s career. Anyway, I think this is one of the most important stats – moreso than yards, completion percentage or touchdowns – when statistically evaluating a quarterback. Here is how the six measure up.
INT-Per-Attempt
Tim Tebow – INT every 72 attempts
Thoughts: First, holy crap. That’s a massive number. Now, Tebow does hold the distinction of throwing the second fewest amount of passes (ahead of Mark Sanchez) and does throw many screens and passes to the flat to get his teammate's athleticism in space. But its not like the guy never threw it down the field, otherwise what is the point of have Percy Harvin play wide receiver and not running back? No matter the offense, that kind of ball protection is impressive.
Sam Bradford – INT every 56 attempts
Thoughts: For a guy who has thrown a half a million passes over the last two seasons, this is a staggeringly high number and in some ways more impressive than Tebow’s number. You can see why people would think high of him.
Nate Davis – INT every 52 attempts
Thoughts: I’d like this guy if he wasn’t Jason Whitlock’s sloppy seconds.
Colt McCoy – INT every 35 attempts (1 INT every 50 attempts if you exclude his sophomore season)
Thoughts: McCoy had that terrible 2007 season that hurt his career numbers. But he has shown he has the ability to protect the ball in two of the three seasons he’s played.
Matt Stafford – INT every 30 attempts (INT every 40 attempts this season)
Thoughts: Stafford’s INT:PA number has gotten better every season he’s played. People marvel at his arm and size, but look what that’s doing for JaMarcus Russell right now. Still, it is better to improve than to regress.
Mark Sanchez – INT every 28 attempts
Thoughts: This was Sanchez first full season as a starter so things were going to be a little rough. Additionally, USC – for some reason unknown to man – does not really have a top flight receiver for Sanchez to throw to. Plus, Sanchez was hurt coming into the season and did get better as the season progressed (4 INT in final 7 games with 2 INT coming in the Notre Dame – ?! – game).
Now that you have these numbers in mind, let’s look at how much pressure opposing defenses where getting on them. The obvious reason to look at this is to see what kind of atmosphere where these quarterbacks in when they had to make decisions in the pocket.
Times Sacked in 2008 (pass attempts)
Sam Bradford – 9 (442: once ever 50 passing plays)
Thoughts: Clearly, Bradford could do whatever he wanted in the pocket. Bradford was sacked in only four games this season, all of which involved a Texas school (Tex: 3 sacks; TCU: 3 sacks; TT: 2; TAM: 1). Bradford threw two of his six picks in 2008 in those four games (both against Texas).
Nate Davis – 12 (372: once every 32 passing plays)
Thoughts: While he does not have the same insane protection Bradford enjoyed, he still had some time to get comfortable. Davis is a millionaire to Bradford’s billionaire: Both are rich, but one is significantly richer than the other.
Tim Tebow – 15 (268: once every 19 passing plays)
Thoughts: Believe it or not, this is a number closer to what he can expect in the pros. In comparison, Philip Rivers, who is about in the middle of the road in the most/least sacked QB spectrum, is sacked once every 21 passing plays. (Gives you a different perspective on how crazy Bradford’s protection has been, doesn’t it?)
Matt Stafford – 15 (352: once every 24 passing plays)
Thoughts: This is more of a “true” number than Tebow’s because Stafford does not play a big part in the running game the way Tebow does – which can lead to inflated sack numbers. He is faceing something closer to NFL pressure – relatively at least.
Mark Sanchez – 16 (331: once every 22 passing plays)
Thoughts: Given that Sanchez has had a bum knee cap all season, I’m more impressed by his toughness after seeing this stat, which erases some (not all) doubts about how injury prone he may be.
Colt McCoy – 20 (375: once every 20 passing plays)
Thoughts: This is an encouraging state for McCoy given his production this season. It has changed the way I view his season compared to Bradford’s.
Finally, we look at the top rated defenses in the SEC and Big XII conferences since the top four of the six quarterbacks – in my opinion – are in those conferences.
Top 7 SEC Pass Defenses – as calculated by yards allowed per game (National Ranking)
South Carolina (3)
Tennessee (4)
Vanderbilt (18)
Florida (19)
Mississippi St (20)
Alabama (21)
Auburn (22)
Top 5 Big XII Pass Defenses – as calculated by yards allowed per game (National Ranking)
Colorado (74)
Nebraska (90)
Texas Tech (91)
Texas A&M (93)
Oklahoma (99)
There will be those who say that the Big XII offenses were so good that the defensive rankings are skewed. Here is one thought to counter that argument: Iowa State finished 29th in the nation in passing offense, 9th in the Big XII – ahead of Oklahoma State, Colorado and Baylor (Iowa State. 29th in the nation.). Eleven of the 12 Big XII teams finished 90th or worse in pass defense out of 119 schools. Seven schools finished 102nd or worse. I think it is fair to say that, at least, the Big XII is a below average pass defense conference. Seven Big XII schools finished 87th or worse in TOTAL defense this season. The highest rated Big XII team for total defense (yards allowed per game) was Texas and they were ranked 50th. In comparison, 9 (of 12) SEC teams were ranked 36th or higher in total defense.
It is true that the SEC had some bad offenses (Auburn, Kentucky, Miss. State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt all finished 103rd or worse in total offense – South Carolina was 97th), but at least six SEC schools cracked the top 55 in total offense (Georgia and Florida were top 25) this season, which is more than can be said about the number of Big XII defenses that cracked the top 55 in total defense (one – Texas, and they were 50th).I think it would be fair to say that the SEC was an average (barely) offensive conference this season, especially with how dominate the SEC’s defenses were.
The point in all of this is that Bradford and McCoy did not see the kind of talent on defense Tebow and Stafford did.
Eight of Stafford’s nine picks this season (and seven just 7 of his TDs) came against six of the top 7 SEC pass defenses; Miss. State was the only team Stafford did not play in the top seven. That’s not an easy haul for any college quarterback. In comparison, Tebow threw 10 touchdowns and ZERO interceptions (ZERO!) against four of the six defenses he could have faced (he did not play Miss. State or Auburn). Granted, he did not throw for many yards against those teams, averaging less than 200 yards a game, but he still handled them with more efficiency that Stafford.
ANYWAY, this whole thing began with me making a statement about not being sure of Bradford’s draft status as the number one quarterback in the class. Looking at these numbers, it seems to me that Bradford may have hit a bit of a perfect storm. He played terrible pass defenses, had an insane offensive line and had a plethora of weapons. He never really had to deal with pressure. The one game he did have pressure in, the Texas game, he threw one-third of his season total picks and lost the game (though he did throw five touchdowns…). When I watch OU on offense, I don’t look at them and go, “Wow, Sam Bradford is INSANELY good,” as much as I go, “That offense is an unstoppable machine.” Whereas, when I watch Florida, I'm more likely to watch and say, “Geez, Tebow is unstoppable.”
I think you could take Tebow, Stafford, McCoy, Todd Reesing, Chase Daniel, Brodie Croyle or Marques Hagans and still have relatively the same kind of success – maybe not 60 points a game success, but success none the less. I mean, who wouldn’t have successes at quarterback there if you’re only going to get sacked in four of the 13 games you play and your conference has 11 teams ranked 90th or worse in pass defense.
However, if you take Tebow from this Florida team, I don’t know if they would be as good of an offense. Much is predicated on Tebow’s ability to run – something Bradford doesn’t do nearly as well as Tebow does. I don’t think Sam Bradford goes to Florida and has a 48-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Some may say, “Well, Bradford is going to get his chance in the BCS title game when he plays Florida,” but it is not the same thing. Neither team will have played in over a month. This is no way to judge a players ability against a good team let alone a Championship. Not to say there is nothing to be gained from the game, but this would be a much more meaningful matchup if either team had played in the past five weeks. Stupid BCS.
Anyway, that’s just something I’ve been thinking about. Feel free to make fun of me for it. But please note, the does not mean I don’ think Bradford would not be an excellent quarterback at the next level or that Tim Tebow is the best quarterback in the draft (though I did make it seem that way). Tebow does have an awkward throwing motion, a slow release, concerns about what all the hits he took in college will do to his long term health, concerns about restructing a team's offensive line to account for his blind side being on the right and not the left, his overall ceiling and whether or not he can be a true pocket passer.
But ultimately this is a piece of what is going to be a much larger puzzle of finding the best quarterback in the draft. But I do think the gap between Bradford and the rest of this year’s quarterback class is closer than what ESPN and the rest of the draft guru’s are saying. I guess, that's really the whole point.
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