Archive for October, 2009
Buttaball Moving to the Front Office
Posted by Ashwin Ramnath in Uncategorized on October 27th, 2009
If only it was as exciting as it sounds. For all 12 of my dedicated followers I want to update you and let you know that I will be joining the team at http://www.frontofficefans.com/. I’ll occasionally be updating the site here, but the majority of any new writing I do will be there. Thanks to everyone for helping me launch my fledgling career in the world of blogging.
NBA Preview 09-10: Atlantic Division
Posted by Ashwin Ramnath in NBA on October 14th, 2009
As the beginning of the 2008-2009 NBA season nears, it is time to preview every team’s season. While a few teams have their eyes on the ultimate prize, an NBA championship, others look to build upon their success from last year, qualify for the playoffs, or simply win more games. We’ll start by taking a look at the Atlantic Division, where the Celtics seem poised to dominate while the other four teams look likely to battle for one of the lower playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference.
1. Boston Celtics: With Kevin Garnett back from a season-ending knee injury and the addition of Rasheed Wallace to bolster their frontline depth, the Celtics motto for the year is simply championship or bust. With their Big Three of Pierce, Garnett and Allen leading the way the Celtics should easily clinch the division and will have one of the Eastern Conference’s top three seeds.
The development of Rajon Rondo is critical to this team’s success. As their superstar trio continues to age and the games they have play take a toll on their body, it will be up to Rondo to be more than simply a facilitator. Rondo must build upon the success he had in the playoffs last year and be able to carry the load at times offensively for this team.
Rajon Rondo must maintain his playoff performance for an entire season in order for the Celtics to win another championship.
Boston will also need bigger contributions from their bench particularly Glen ” Big Baby” Davis and offseason addition, Marquis Daniels. Davis, much like Rondo, must carry his impressive playoff form into this season to provide the depth they need in the frontcourt and help minimize the amount of time that Garnett spends on the floor. His ability hit jumpers will also be key in helping floor spacing and opening up the middle of the floor. Daniels will be expected to provide more scoring punch off the bench to spell both Pierce and Allen and along with Davis will be key to the Celtics’ playoff success.
Rasheed Wallace brings a valuable addition to the Celtics. Though his game is clearly in decline now at age 34, Wallace has a versatile offensive game, with the ability to stretch the floor and also score effectively out of the post. He is also an extremely good defender, both on the perimeter, but more notably in the post. While he cannot carry a team offensively anymore, which was apparent in Detroit last season, he can certainly chip in valuable contributions either off the bench or in tandem with Garnett in the starting lineup.
With an aging,veteran core, this season may be the best chance the Celtics have of reclaiming the title. Head coach Doc Rivers’ ability to manage his veterans minutes in the regular season, development of his younger players like Davis, Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, all while being able to work Wallace and Daniels into the rotation successfully will determine the Celtics’ playoff success.
2. Philadelphia 76ers: This team continues to have a number of talented players, without truly being able to address any of the problems that plague them. Last year’s team looked doomed to failure after their acquisition of Elton Brand. They couldn’t operate in the halfcourt effectively with Brand, with their lack of shooters to provide any kind of floor spacing and while the rest of the team could run the floor, Brand languished behind, being more suited to a slower game.
It looked a poor fit and a decision that was questioned by many. Without Brand, the team performed much better and in the playoffs extended the eventual Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic to six games before bowing out. This led to people questioning what they should do in the offseason. The Sixers responded by attempting to solve their shooting problems, but signing long-gunner Jason Kapono, a career 45.4% shooter from 3-point range.
While this certainly provides some relief, the loss of point guard Andre Miller is another setback. The plan is to start Louis Williams at the spot early in the season. Williams is a great scoring guard off the bench, but his ability to run the point and get the ball to Brand and Iguodala and generating scoring opportunities for the team remains a huge question mark.
Elton Brand's low-post game is a poor fit with the rest of the 76ers roster which is better suited to an up and down game.
Iguodala remains the same player putting up an impressive 18-5-5 last year. Unfortunately his game seems like a poor-fit alongside a low-post player like Brand. Iguodala needs the ball in his hands to be effective and lacks the ability to move off the ball for easy layups, while his inability to shoot the ball from anywhere outside of the paint means that teams can afford to leave him and double Brand in the post.
Both Thaddeus Young and Mareese Speights seem destined to be coming off the bench in relief for Brand and Dalembert though their talents seem a better fit with the rest of the Sixers’ roster. Their development will continue to be hindered in a situation where they are not being utilized to their maximum potential. Rookie Jrue Holiday has all the tools to develop into a top-flight NBA point guard, but he may take a year or two to develop into the caliber of player the Sixers are hoping for.
While the Sixers should once again clinch a playoff berth, their long-term success looks to be stunted by the team’s composition. They now face the decision of either changing the team to fit around Brand, which looks unlikely considering the rest of the team’s talents, or looking for a trade partner to take on his contract. Players with the ability of Brand can certainly be attractive to teams looking to contend immediately, but the Sixers must acquire pieces in return that will fit into an up-tempo running game, address their shooting woes and can elevate the team to the upper echelon of title contention.
3. Toronto Raptors: This team spent a lot of money in the offseason which should lead them to the playoffs this year, but may not be of great benefit in the long-run.
Turkoglu signed a contract with the Raptors in the offseason for 5 years, $53 million. The questions is whether Hedo was worth the long-term incestment the Raptors put into him. He will blend in seamlessly into the Raptors free-flowing offense and he provides matchup problems with his size and ability to pass and score off of pick and roll situations. Hedo and Chrish Bosh’s potential in that area of the game remains limitless as both players can score inside and have the touch to hit jumpers.
Andrea Bargnani's continued development will be necessary for the Raptors to become an elite team.
Bosh will continue his excellence and should average a double-double again this year. His areas for improvement must be his interior defense and it is imperative that Bosh become a better passer with more offensive options surrounding him this season. Jose Calderon will once again run the point this year and if he continues the production he has put up over the course of the past two season, he will remain among the league’s best.
The Raptors helped out Calderon in the offseason, by signing Jarret Jack to back him up. Jack will give Calderon much needed relief and his steady play gives them a valuable option off the bench and he is an underrated player in end-of-game situations with his propensity for making big shots. Marco Belinelli was a steal for the Raptors and his otherworldy outside shooting ability will certainly make him a valuable cog in the rotation.
The biggest question mark for the team and player that could elevate them to an elite status is Andrea Bargnani. He showed signs last year of becoming a legitimate scorer. Bargnani averaged 19.4 points and 1.6 blocks over his last 20 games of the season. If he can continue that play and also become nastier rebounder, paired with Bosh they could develop into one of the NBA’s most feared frontcourts.
Though the signing of Turkoglu and Jack helps them going into the season, questions remain around if Bosh will remain in Toronto and even if he does, will Turkoglu be able to sustain his play as he ages into his early-to-mid thirties.
4. New York Knicks: Does my love for the Knicks cloud my ability to judge them? Yes, but in all honesty I believe this team has players with enormous potential that is getting overlooked by analysts and writers who would prefer to continue to use the team as a punchline.
In the Knicks' uptempo system, Danilo Gallinari's unique talents could be maximized to great effect.
First and foremost is Danilo Gallinari who coach Mike D’Antoni claimed was the best shooter he had ever seen. While this is certainly an exaggeration, Gallinari has a high skill-level that translates well to the running game the Knicks will be playing. He is a 6′10 forward who can handle the ball, shoot and has shown an increasing ability to pass the ball. He must continue to get into game shape and get his legs underneath him. Once that happens Gallinari could easily put up 18-20 points a game this year. The key to his success lies in allowing the game to come to him, rather than forcing shots or deferring to teammates when he should shoot.
Wilson Chandler also provides another hope for the team and could provide an excellent complement to Gallinari. Chandler must first realize that while it is important for him to improve his outside shooting, that his greatest strength offensively is his ability to drive strong to the hoop. Chandler will be able to draw fouls and get to the line, where he is a good shooter. This will eventually force teams to lay off of him, giving him better looks from the outside, rather than the contested and forced shots he is taking right now.
While Chris Duhon is certainly not the long-term solution at point guard, he provides steady play and leadership. The key is for D’Antoni to also provide time for Nate Robinson and rookie Toney Douglas at the guard positions. Robinson and Douglas would be a good tandem off the bench, with Douglas’ ability to play the point on offense and defend effectively against bigger shooting guards on defense. This will allow Nate to play off the ball, where he thrives offensively and also minimizes the defensive liability he is by matching him up against point guards.
David Lee has shown an ability to hit the occasional jumper now which he must continue to make more consistent, but his knack for rebounding and increased effort on the defensive end makes him a key part of the team’s frontcourt rotation.
Al Harrington can score in a number of ways, but must learn to do so in the context of the offense, rather than holding the ball and ruining the offensive flow that the Knicks’ system is predicated upon. His renewed focus on the defensive side of the ball and role as a leader on the team make him one of the most important pieces to any success the Knicks hope to have.
Both Jared Jeffries and Darko Milicic have the same role. They are athletic big men, that are in the game primarily for their defense. Milicic’s knack for blocking shots combined with his size, strength and ability to run the floor ensure he will see plenty of time on the floor while Jeffries’ defensive rotations will be helpful in getting the team to be respectful on the defensive side of the ball. Both players must be able to hit outside shots in order for the Knicks’ offense to operate at full efficiency this season.
This team has a lot of question marks, but their increased effort on the defensive side of the ball should lead to more wins and I full expect this team to contend for a playoff seed in the 6-8 area all season long.
5. New Jersey Nets: The Nets have a number of talented young players on the roster, but their success will be limited this season as progress should be based not on their record, but on the development of their youth.
Brook Lopez' emergance as the premiere young center in the NBA brightens New Jersey's long-term outlook.
Devin Harris is one of the league’s best young point guards and he has flourished following his move to New Jersey with head coach Lawrence Frank running the offense through him. His blistering speed is impossible to defend and when he gets into the lane it creates defensive nightmares for the opposing team. While Harris leaves much to desire in terms of his playmaking ability for others around him, he has become a top-5 NBA point guard capable of carrying his team on any given night.
Brook Lopez has had a great impact since he was drafted and his rapid development into the league best young center gives the Nets an extremely valuable commodity. With the lack of quality big men, Lopez’ rugged post game and imposing defense is an anchor for this team to build on for years to come.
Trading Vine Carter and Ryan Andersen, netted the Nets a potential long-term shooting guard in Courtney Lee. In his rookie season for Magic, Lee was routinely assigned to defend the opposition’s best perimeter player which he did to great success. As the season continued, Lee began to demonstrate an ability to score from the outside and also slashing to the hoop. If he continues improving, the Nets may have found a perfect backcourt mate to pair with Harris for years to come.
Second-year guard, Chris Douglas-Roberts has shown flashes of becoming a consistent contributor so far in training camp in preseason. Douglas-Roberts may be able to develop into a good scoring option off the bench for this team as the season progresses. Rookie Terrence Williams has a world of potential, but must continue to work on his game. He needs to develop a better handle and a more consistent outside shot. If he can maintain his focus Williams can become a two-way player who could be a nightmare on defense for opposing teams’ perimeter players.
This team certainly is not built to win now, but Lawrence Frank has made a habit of turning his club into overachievers. While the loss of Carter hurts it should be offset by the further development of their young players as the season progresses. The Nets will end up on the short end of the scoreboard more than not in 09-10, but they will be competitive and look to have a bright future.
The NFC Four Weeks In
Posted by Ashwin Ramnath in NFL on October 8th, 2009
Much like the AFC, the NFC has also had surprises during the first four weeks of play.
NFC East:
On top of this division so far has been the New York Giants. Relegated to almost second team status as the rest of the New York and national media fawned over the Jets and rookie Mark Sanchez, the Giants have taken advantage of their surprising anonymity and sprinted to a 4-0 start. Two division wins including one at Dallas will be key for them as they target the division crown and home-field advantage in the playoffs. The defense looks superb and with the depth available to them they have been able to allow players to recover from injury completely before coming back into the lineup. As long as Eli Manning can stay healthy and keep the offense rolling, this is a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
If Eli Manning can stay healthy, the Giants could be on the road to another Super Bowl in January.
Dallas has been a huge disappointment so far and their problems have been far more than Tony Romo’s underwhelming play. While Romo’s 3 interceptions certainly were a major cause for their 33-31 defeat at home to the Giants the defense looked atrocious being carved up through the air by Manning and his young receiving corps, specifically on the final drive of the game.
Their inability to come up with key stops continued in Denver, where after being dominant for the majority of the game they allowed Brandon Marshall to make a huge run for a touchdown with under 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter. While Romo certainly needs to come through in end-of-game situations, it would be nice if the defense was also held to the same standard. DeMarcus Ware has yet to get his first sack this year.
The Redskins showed a pulse in a comeback against Tampa Bay last week. Then again it was Tampa Bay and though they sit on a 2-2 record, their two wins came against teams with a combined 0-8 record so far. One of their losses was to the 1-3 Lions who hadn’t won a game in 19 weeks. Jason Campbell receives a ton of criticism, but outside of his nightmarish first half against the Bucs in which he threw 2 first half picks, he’s been fairly solid. Head coach Jim Zorn looks like a dead man walking and if owner Dan Snyder’s past history is any kind of indication, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t fired at the conclusion of the year.
In Philadelphia the Eagles are 2-1 coming off of a bye week. With 3rd year quarterback Kevin Kolb starting the past two games in place of the injured Donovan Mcnabb the Eagles are 1-1 and Kolb has looked very good, throwing for over 300 yards in each. Their loss came to New Orleans who steamrolled them for over 400 yards, but in the other two contests the defense has looked very good. If the offense can continue to put points on the board and also get a healthy Donovan McNabb, the Eagles can make a run at the Giants for the division and could be a real Super Bowl contender.
NFC North:
Minnesota has started off the season strong and their defense has been outstanding so far, with Jared Allen piling up the sacks by taking advantage of both Kevin and Pat Williams’ ability to collapse the pocket on the opposing team’s quarterback. Adrian Peterson continues to lead their dominant running attack and Brett Favre has played superbly the last two weeks while still gaining a rhythm with his wide receivers. Minnesota looks and has played like a possible Super Bowl contender.
If Jay Cutler can avoid making costly mistakes, the Bears could make some noise in the playoffs.
Chicago is sitting nice at 3-1, but they are making a habit of getting off to a slow start which could become a problem as the season goes on. Jay Cutler has been tremendous after his forgettable 4 interception debut in Green Bay. Cutler must continue to make good decisions, take care of the ball and not force it into tight windows. The Bears defense has been solid even in the absence of linebacker Brian Urlacher.
The key to their success will be to get the run game going, which they were able to do last week against Detroit. Then again it was Detroit. The Bears will challenge for a playoff berth, but their ability to pass Minnesota in the division hinges on the legs of Matt Forte.
Green Bay is 2-2 and were it not for Cutler’s Week 1 stink bomb could easily be tied with the Lions at the bottom of the division at 1-3. Their biggest problem so far has been their inability to provide Aaron Rodgers with any kind of protection. Against the Vikings on Monday night they gave up 8 sacks. Unless they can give Rodgers more time it is going to be a struggle for them to qualify for the playoffs given that they use the pass to set up their running game.
Detroit is once again destined for a top-10 pick, but this team bears little resemblance to Lions teams of past. The scores in their losses so far have not been indicative of how competitive this team has been. They had a 10-7 lead on the Vikings at the half in Week 2 and last week were tied with the Bears in Chicago to start the third quarter after beating Washington in Week 3. While things won’t turn around this year, Stafford has shown he certainly has the ability to become a top-5 NFL quarterback. The Lions must address both their offensive and defensive lines this off-season in order to continue to make progress.
NFC South:
New Orleans has emerged as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Their offense has shown that not all rests on the shoulders of Drew Brees as both Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell have run the ball very effectively this season. With the emergence of a defense that has so far been successful in creating turnovers and in the last two weeks has demonstrated the ability to shut teams down. If they can continue their surprising defensive play, big things are in store for them.
The Falcons need to get RB Michael Turner going in order to get back to the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Atlanta started off the season strong, with wins against Miami and Carolina, but dropped their Week 3 game on the road in New England. Matt Ryan has been impressive throwing only 1 interception so far this year, but it is critical they get Michael Turner going. Unless teams are forced to stack the box against them, they will begin to find it harder to put up points on the board through the air and while their defense has been solid, they are certainly not capable of carrying the Falcons to victories without any support.
Tampa Bay and Carolina have been terrible this season. Tampa Bay now has Josh Johnson starting for them at quarterback after Byron Leftwich failed to impress. They have not been able to run the ball, putting them in deep holes to begin games which they lack the ability and talent to come back from. Their only competition is Carolina who must be regretting re-signing Jake Delhomme this off-season. The Panthers have been awful on both sides of the ball and head coach John Fox may finally get the boot after this season.
NFC West:
The 49ers look like they are well on their way to reclaiming the division title. They possess a dominating defense led by linebacker Patrick Willis and an offense that has been carried so far by running back Frank Gore with help from Shaun Hill and tight end Vernon Davis, who looks like he is ready to deliver on his pre-draft hype. San Francisco would be undefeated were it not for Favre’s miracle at the end of their clash with the Vikings, but their performance in Minnesota opened eyes and while they may lack explosiveness, this is a team that will not beat itself.
WR Larry Fitzgerald and the Arizona Cardinals will need to catch lightning in a bottle again if they want to defend their NFC crown this year.
Following up on their surprising run to the Super Bowl last year, the Cardinals have been anything but impressive. They shot themselves in the foot in their opening game against the 49ers with turnovers and have continued to be careless with the ball already committing 7 turnovers on the season. It would be great if that was the extent of their problems, but they have also been unable to stop the run and like last year they have not been able to run the ball on their own. Their run to the Super Bowl last year was miraculous and while they still have time, it does not look like they will be able to catch lighting in a bottle twice.
Seattle appears lost and with Matt Hasselbeck stuck on the sidelines nursing injuries that trend should continue. They have ran the ball effectively when they have had the chance too, but have had to abandon it in two of their losses as they fell behind early. The defense has been decent, but the combination of a mediocre offense and defense does not point to any kind of long-term success. It may be time to officially begin rebuilding at the conclusion of the season for the Seahawks.
St. Louis is a team in dysfunction. The only certainty on their team is Stephen Jackson who is killing fantasy teams around the country (including mine) in his search for his first touchdown of the year. Their passing game is non-existant, the line play on both sides of the ball has been atrocious and looking up and down the roster, their seems to be little hope for any immediate improvement. Marc Bulger, much like Hasselbeck in Seattle, may be nearing the end of the road and St. Louis looks like an early favorite to land the top pick, where Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford could well be the pick.
With a quarter of the season gone, the NFC looks top-heavy with little depth. It will be interesting to see which teams prove themselves in the coming weeks in a conference with little parity.
The AFC Four Weeks In
Posted by Ashwin Ramnath in NFL on October 6th, 2009
Two weeks into the NFL season, Jason Whitlock revealed some “truths”.
One of them was this gem.
8. Tom Brady is never going to mentally get over his knee injury.
Whitlock’s belief was shaped by the fact that after he tore his ACL in college, he has struggled to recover mentally from it. Maybe it’s just me, but Brady’s mental make up is something I’m not confident that Whitlock is qualified to diagnose and after the past two weeks, Whitlock would probably lose his license to practice.
Tom Brady looks like he is rounding back into form after two impressive victories over the Ravens and Falcons.
Two weeks ago Brady struggled mightily against the Jets’ pass rush in one his career’s worst performances. This was also one week removed from an incredible fourth quarter performance against the Bills in which Brady went 12-14 on the last two New England touchdown drives in a spectacular comeback.
Maybe it’s just me, but maybe it was possible that Brady just had a bad game, couple with his recovery from a major knee surgery. However, since the debacle against the Jets, Brady has shown that he is returning to his pre-injury form in leading the Patriots to two impressive victories over the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens.
6. Indy’s victory over the Dolphins raised far more questions about the Colts than it answered.
Whitlock goes on to state his belief that the Colts’ defense has no chance of stopping the run and then went on to say that “Tennessee is going to smoke Indy”. First of all, even if the Titans beat the Colts I have a feeling, based on the Titans’ 0-4 start, it will be a tight game.
The Colts were atrocious in their Week 2 game against the Dolphins, giving up 239 yards on 49 carries. In their other 3 weeks the Colts have given up a total of 187 rushing yards on 76 carries for an average of 2.46 yards per carry. While the quality of their opposition can be called into question, the overwhelming evidence at this time suggests that at the least the Colts are an above average defense against the run.
This isn’t an attack on Whitlock as much as an example of why drawing conclusions on the week-to-week performances of teams is foolish. Even after four weeks it seems hasty to be coming to conclusions about the fate of teams and individuals.
Even after their Week 2 loss at home that dropped them to 0-2, nobody predicted that the Titans would drop to 0-4 with an abominable performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Two weeks ago most were predicting that Jacksonville had given up on head coach Tony del Rio, but now after two consecutive victories that opinion has shifted once again with two victories against divisional opponents.
Other than there Week 2 stink bomb against the Cardinals, the Jaguars have played extremely well, including their Week 1 loss to Indianapolis on the road in which they had a chance to tie the game on a 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter. Fortune is fickle and in the NFL every game can change the course of a team’s season. That’s why it is better to judge the season in quarters, 4 games at a time.
Here are a few things we know for certain after 4 weeks in the NFL season about the AFC.
AFC East:
The Patriots and Tom Brady look like they will once again be a huge factor come playoff time and have a good chance to win another AFC East crown. The Jets are going to be good as long as their defense continues to dominate and they can run the ball effectively. As long as rookie Mark Sanchez is not asked to win games for them through the air, the Jets will be tought for anyone to beat. Think the Baltimore Ravens from last year.
The Dolphins with Chad Henne in now for the season will take their lumps, but their future outlook should be improved with their young signal caller now getting experience. In the long-run Chad Pennington’s injury will be a blessing when they look back.
The Buffalo Bills are hopeless and as a Bills fan I think it’s officially time we end Dick Jauron’s coaching tenure. If the Bills could actually hire someone with creativity that can utilize our talent at the skill positions that would be a start. No team with Lee Evans, Terrell Owens, Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson should struggle like this to put up points.
AFC North:
The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t make anything easy and their inability to run the ball consistently may be their Achilles heel. Playing in a division with the Ravens and the rejuvenated Bengals, making the playoffs will be no lock.
Can Ed Reed cover up for the rest of Baltimore's porous secondary?
The Ravens are a complete team and Joe Flacco has the potential to be top quarterback in the league. If I were the Ravens though my main concern would be how exceedingly porous the secondary has looked. It certainly looked like a problem against the Chargers in Week 2 and was exposed again by the Patriots yesterday.
The Bengals with Carson Palmer, Chad Ochocinco and an improved defense look dangerous, but can they sustain this for 16 games? I’m not completely sold yet, but as a fan of both Palmer and Ochocinco I hope they can get back to the playoffs. On the brighter side of things they are the best in Ohio now that it’s confirmed Eric Mangini is clueless and the Brown with him at their helm are hopeless.
AFC South:
The Colts look like world beaters, with Manning making his no-name receivers blend in seamlessly into the offense. Their defense, as I addressed earlier, looks good and Bob Sanders is yet to play this season. The Texans are dangerous with their potent offense led by Matt Schaub and all-world wide receiver Andre Johnson, but their defense is still prone to giving up big plays.
The Jaguars have certainly reversed their fortunes after a poor start, but an overall lack of explosive playmakers makes me doubtful of any real success. Can you really win with David Garrard as your franchise quarterback?
Titans look to be feeling the prolonged affects of losing a devastating home playoff game to the Ravens. Their ability to consistently shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers in that game is only outdone by their ability to sustain that throughout the first four weeks of this season. That defense looks like a sieve as well this season after losing Albert Haynesworth and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz this offseason.
AFC West:
This division barely maintains the semblance of an NFL division. The Broncos have at least done their part starting 4-0, though two of those were against the Browns and the Raiders. A miracle play against the Bengals accounts for their third victory and a home win against an overrated Cowboys team barely qualifies as an impressive resume. However, you can only beat who you play and when you give up 26 points in 4 weeks, regardless of who you play its impressive. Having Brandon Marshall on the same page as head coach Josh McDaniels has certainly helped the Broncos.
WR Brandon Marshall and the Broncos stellar defense has helped lead them to a surprising 4-0 start.
The Chargers inability to play defense, has shrouded the fact that they also cannot run the ball and that Tomlinson looks like he’s over the hill. It’s also meant that Philip Rivers will once again suffer the consequences as he continues to put up amazing numbers while he attempts to carry the Chargers virtually by himself into the playoffs once again.
The Raiders and Chiefs are both franchises that at the moment look hopeless. While the Chiefs at least were able to sign Scott Pioli as their GM and still have an owner with fully functional mind, the Raiders lose in both of those departments as Al Davis continues to tarnish his legacy.
The JaMarcus Russel experiment in Oakland looks like it’s a failure once again showing why you should be very careful in drafting quarterbacks when the most positive thing on their resume is their strong arm. Being a quarterback in the NFL also involves your ability to read defenses, accurately deliver the ball and being in shape for most of the part. Russell fails in all four of these criteria.
After four weeks, the AFC looks like it could be wide open with a number of teams in contention for playoff berths. As the season progresses look for the playoff picture to clear as more questions are answered and we are able to discern more effectively the contenders from the pretenders.