Week 8 thoughts

Media is focusing way too much on:

QB Brett Favre - Does anyone care about his injuries anymore? Yes it is amazing that he has played 293 games, and it will be one of those things that will be really impressive when he actually retires, and when you look back at it. The worst part is that Favre is the one that is fueling these stories. I know he is injured and I know he has a long streak, do we need to hear about it every day? Make it a story when he actually doesn't start. I don't think I have ever seen an athlete talk about himself this much before (other than maybe LeBron James) and Favre's team is 2-5.

Dallas Cowboys: Wade Phillips is terrible. They have tons of talent, but always underachieve.

This is nothing new, this is what the Cowboys have been for the last 10 years. What else is there to say? They are 1-6! Why are they still being talked about?

Media needs to focus more on:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They are 5-2, yet I do not think most football fans can name 3 players on their roster. This should be a fun team to watch for a long time. QB Josh Freeman and rookie WR Mike Williams are legit and CB Aqib Talib may be one of the best corners in the NFL and all are under 25.

Oakland Raiders: They have blown out their opponents in the last two games and are finally

showing the Raider nation a team they can be proud of. Yet the Raiders have had local TV blackouts for 11 straight games now. This is shocking considering how intimidating the fans are in Oakland. McClain said he wouldn't give an interview until the Raiders sold out a game:

"If the fans come out and we can sell out a damn game, I'll talk to the media," McClain said. "Until then ... I need full fan support." (NFL.com)

Rookies Dominating - It seems this year, more than usual, first year players have come in and really impressed. Look across almost every roster in the NFL and you will see rookies making a key impact on their teams. QB Sam Bradford, WR Mike Williams, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Devin McCorty, S Eric Berry, S Earl Thomas

Offense: Overrated and Underrated

QB

Underrated – Kyle Orton, I don’t know how Orton, who is 31-22 as a starter, is still under the radar. This year he is tearing it up; he is second in passing yards and has 8 TDs and 3 INT’s. He has put up these stats without any big name receivers around him. He has helped put Brandon Lloyd (leads the NFL in receiving yards), Eddie Royal, and Jabar Gaffney all in the top 20 in receiving yards.

Overrated – Carson Palmer, the Bengals loaded up with new receiving talent this year but

Palmer has underwhelmed. Palmer has thrown some costly interceptions this season and led the Bengals to a disappointing 2-3 start.

Best Rookie – Sam Bradford, he came onto the worst team in the NFL and has already led them to 2 wins and they are sitting 2^nd in their division right now. I think even the biggest football fan would have a very hard time naming 2 or 3 players on the Rams roster let alone a receiver.

RB

Underrated – LeSean McCoy, in his second year as a pro, and a first year as a starter, McCoy has proved he can be a carry the load and can catch the ball out of the back field. He has done a great job filling the void left by Brian Westbrook.

Overrated – Clinton Portis, has had some injury problems the last 2 years, and has not had a 100+ yard rushing game in almost a year. He is a big name, but ever since he left Denver he has not averaged over 4.3 yards a carry.

Best Rookie – Jahvid Best, has stepped in right away and has become the Lions starter. Even with a sub-par offensive line Best has found success. He has done a really good job catching the ball out of the backfield, he is second out of all RBs in receptions and yards.

WR

Underrated – Malcom Floyd, with Vincent Jackson holding out, Floyd has gotten a chance to be the primary target. The big 6’5” receiver is a deep threat and is averaging 22.6 yards per catch. He is probably going to end up putting up Randy Moss like stats this year, but has not garnered much attention.

Overrated – Dwayne Bowe, his first two years as a pro Bowe dominated and he looked like he was going to be a star. You would think with Todd Haley, who is a pass heavy coach, Bowe would continue to shine, but he has digressed. The Chiefs offense really needs Bowe to step up and be the player he was two years ago.

Best Rookie – Mike Williams, the late third rounder has been a stud leading all rookie receivers in yards, catches and touchdowns. The Josh Freeman –Williams connection could be a dominate combination for a long time to come.

TE

Underrated – Zach Miller, not too many people know how good Miller is other than Raiders fans. Miller had 805 yards receiving last year and is second for all tight ends in receiving yards.

Overrated – Jeremy Shockey, he is a big name player but has not been a playmaker for the Saints like he was in New York. He is probably not even a top 10 tight end anymore.

Best Rookies – Aaron Hernandez, Jermaine Gresham, and Tony Moeaki, All three of these tight ends have made a big impact on their team. Hernandez has shown the ability to run after the catch. Gresham is a big athletic tight end who is a great weapon in the red zone. Moeaki has been a surprise this year, he has quickly become Matt Cassel’s favorite target leading the Chiefs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.

Week 2: Rookie Spotlight (Rolando McClain Video)

3 Stars: RB Jahvid Best, Detroit Lions

Best took the offense on his back, running the ball 17 times for 78 yards, 2 touchdowns, and also had 9 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown. The Lions went on to lose 35-32 to the Eagles, but Best single handedly kept them in the game. Although the Lions are 0-2 they have shown a lot of promise in their first two games. As long as Best can stay healthy, (he dropped into the late round because of durability issues); I think he has a good chance of winning offensive rookie of the year honors.

2 Stars: TE Aaron Hernandez, New England Patriots

On a team with WR Randy Moss and WR Wes Welker and other weapons, the last person you would think would be leading the team in receiving yards is rookie fourth round draft pick Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez’s has shown the ability to make people miss in the open field, taking short passes and creating big gains. He went for 100+ yards receiving last game and is averaging 20 yards per reception. Hernandez reminds me a lot of Kellen Winslow Jr., but he may be even quicker. With RB Kevin Faulk done for the year, I think Hernandez’s will become a go to receiver on third downs.

1 Star: QB Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams

Bradford has been asked to do a lot so far as rookie QB. He was drafted by the worst team in the NFL without a lot of weapons on offense other than RB Steven Jackson who has not played great to this point. Bradford has kept the Rams in both the games he has played and has attempted 80 passes already. I think many young quarterbacks in his shoes would have already been benched. He has done a great job giving his team a chance to win.

Honorable Mention: LB Rolando McClain, Oakland Raiders

McClain has not been lighting up the stat sheet but this worth talking about after this vicious hit:

Sam Bradford - Richest Player in the History of the NFL (Guaranteed $)

Sam Bradford just signed a deal for six years, $78 million, a max of $86 million and $50 million guaranteed.

How can the Rams, let alone any team, afford to guarantee someone $50 MILLION!!!!????  If any player were to suffer a career ending injury, the team would take a serious cap hit for the next six years.  There seriously needs to be a rookie cap on contracts, and I hope it happens in the next collective bargaining agreement.


Anyways, to Bradford's 2010 season.  Coming off shoulder surgery that ended Bradford's 2009 season and led many to doubt his career, Sam was picked #1 overall by the Rams.  I don't think Bradford is a #1 worthy quarterback, let alone a $50 million guaranteed quarterback.  Adjusting from a spread offense to under center is not as easy as you would think (I did it from high school to college), and with a #1 pick you must be ABSOLUTELY sure with what you're getting.  That's not to say I don't think Sam can transition.

Bradford looks incredibly calm in the pocket and has no fear of taking hits.  The only thing is, he didn't take many with an incredible offensive line at Oklahoma.  Sam very well could be the answer for the Rams franchise, but he is going to need major help around him.  Sure, the Rams upgraded their offensive line by drafting Roger Saffold and moving Jason Smith to LT.  But their offensive line has been very poor recently.  And Bradford is one who is prone to injury (remember him hoisting the Heisman trophy with a cast on his hand?).  It will be interesting to see how Sam's health holds up.

Honestly, I think the Rams went with the "safe" pick.  Everyone said they should pick Bradford, that they needed a QB, because every struggling franchise needs a #1 overall QB, right?  Sorry.  Marc Bulger was a pro bowler.  Sure, he might be getting old and on the decline, but don't you think he could be successful with a little help around him?  Could they have traded down and gotten two quality starters to fill bigger needs?

Prediction:  Bradford will be thrown into the mix by week 4 after short term fix AJ Feely does not prove to be a fix at all.  Can't wait to see the Rams - Raiders showdown in week 2!!
If Sam were to start all 16 games:
15 Touchdowns
18 Interceptions
2,900 Yards
One Serious Beating