Why Defensive Injuries will keep Chargers out of Playoffs. posted by Chargers Fan

The chargers have the highest percentage of touchdowns allowed in the Red Zone in the NFL. That is not a playoff caliber team. That means not only are the Chargers giving up points, they are letting offenses sustain drives, which eats up clock, energy, and manpower. The Chargers can make the playoffs, but that means they have to be good again on defense, and that starts with getting healthy.

But the Chargers have the bye week to regroup and assess it’s gaping holes on defense. It shouldn’t be too hard as the Chargers, as late as five games into the season, where dominating on the defensive side of the ball. The rushed the passer, stuffed the run, had take-aways, and shut receivers down.

In fact, they led the NFL is scoring defense. They man handled Arizona, left the defending Super Bowl champs in the dust, and had their way with the Buffalo Bills as they notched a shut-out, the definition of a complete defensive performance.

But that only worked because the Chargers had youthful speed and depth to constantly rotate in and keep offenses on their heels. Rookie Jerry Attaochu is able to speed around tackles and get to the quarterback in no time. Rookie Jason Verrett with a sub 4.4 40 speed can keep up with any receiver in the league but also has the bulk to come up and stuff the run from the outside. Manti Te’o’s ability to read the line allows him to fill running gaps better than anyone in the league.

But all of that talent is of no use when all of the players sit watching the games from the sidelines for long periods of time.

GENO SMITH BACK TO FULL STRENGTH TO BACK UP VICK. posted by Jets Fan

Reports coming from the Jets organization is that Geno Smith has healed his shoulder enough to suit up as Michael Vick’s backup as the Jets look to take on the Steelers Sunday.

Smith had been sidelined for the past few games, forcing Vick into the starting role, for the second week in a row.

Geno Smith being healthy is very good news for the Jets as they need all the help they can get to get past their 1-8 start, despite his substandard performance earlier this season.

With Vick’s scramble heavy playing style, this will lead to the inevitable injury that keep Vick sidelined, and the Jets will need Smith as 3rd stringer Simms has not proven to be a viable option for the Jets as he only recorded 11 snaps when Vick got knocked out of play and had to go to the locker room as part of the NFL’s concussion protocol.

The role of backup quarterback is a new hat for Smith to wear as he has not been a backup since his early days at West Virginia. Perhaps seeing the game from the sidelines will help Geno Smith improve his defensive recognition as Smith has not been stellar so far this season.

So far on the season, Smith has thrown for seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, yet 3 of those game during a one game sloppy performance against Buffalo.

Whether Vick or Smith ends up being the long-term starter for the Jets, they need to find answers quick as Rex Ryan is on the hot seat as nothing has seemed to work in the past few seasons for the Jets.

And Smith. The second-year quarterback has gone from the future of the franchise to a question mark during a bad season.

How Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith’s Cockiness has elevated his game. posted by Chiefs Fan

In week nine, against the Buffalo Bills, Chief’s corner back Sean Smith was lined up against Stevie Johnson on their one yard line.

Ball snapped, Johnson beat Smith over the middle but the quarterback mis-threw and Smith took it 99 yards for a score, with a nice high step celebration as he crossed the goal-line.

Cockiness is nothing new to Smith and that one play demonstrated everything about him, speed, talent, and yes confidence.

Smith’s hero is Deion Sanders, he even changed his number to 21, the same as his idol.

Now Smith is not alone in his swagger as he puts it. There’s a new breed of corners that have risen in the NFL, much in the vein of the former all-pro Sanders. With the game now becoming so pass friendly, interference being called quicker than a play can even begin, a new class of corners have not backed down from this, but instead, embraced it.

They pride themselves on being able to ‘play on an island’ , going toe-to-toe with the NFL’s elite receivers.

Sure their aggressive play and cockiness will lead to lapses that cost teams big plays and touchdowns, but you cannot avoid touchdowns in today’s game. There’s going to be high scores and there’s going to be big pass plays, but that should not cause a defense to play timid. Smith understands this, that it is a mindset that is more important than cautiously not letting anything get over his head. It’s that same mindset that made Sanders such a threat over 15 years ago. That same mindset that causes quarterbacks and coaches to throw away from a certain corner’s side of the field. And it’s that mindset that adds an unquantifiable element to any defense.

Bills Not Looking Ahead posted by Bills Fan

The Buffallo Bills are sitting in a good spot at 5-3, half way through the season, but they are far from alone. They are joined by Miami, Cleveland, and Kansas City, with San Diego, Baltimore with one extra loss and Indy and Pittsburgh with one extra win. It’s a very cluttered AFC and the playoff picture is looking more and more like a magic 8-ball. Each time you shake and flip it over, it reveals a new team to reach one of those playoff spots.

The worst thing a team can do is waste it’s valuable time trying to play fortune teller and predict who’s going to end up where, and the Bills are wasting zero time doing that.

When asked about the playoffs, Bills Head coach Doug Marrone said “I’m probably not a good person to talk about that, we’re just looking at Kansas City. I think that to spend time looking at what’s going on around you right now is really wasted energy. We need to spend a lot of time on ourselves in making sure that we’re prepared and ready to go out there and start this quarter against a good Kansas City team.”



And look ahead they should not. With the Bills coming off a bye week, they look to separate themselves amongst the clutter of 5-3 teams in the AFC, but will need to focus on the task at hand, each and every week if they hope to accomplish that as the Bills have historically not been good in November, 6-18 over the past six seasons.

Doug Marrone knows this as they take on a very good Kansas City team and is keeping his team focused on the things they can control, their effort and preparation when they show up on Sunday.

Can the Buffalo Bills make it to the playoffs in 2014? posted by Bills Fan

The Buffalo Bills struggled to a 6-10 record last season, and the team ownership has not been settled. This is a team that has not made the playoffs for the past 14 years, the longest active ‘drought’ among the NFL teams.  During that span, the team has had six different head coaches and 12 quarterbacks.

But management has rolled the dice, so to speak, on quarterback E.J. Manuel. The 2013 first round pick will be looking at wide receiver Sammy Watkins, whom the team drafted this year after trading away their 2015 first round pick. Aside from Watkins, Manuel will have pass-catching targets in Robert Woods, Mike Williams, as well as running backs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson.

Manuel’s status as the team’s franchise star has raised some questions amongst Bills fans. He was not exactly outstanding in his rookie season with a 58.8 completion percentage. Likewise, there is the question of his health as he endured three knee operations last season. Should his knees fail him again, Manuel will have to give the quarterback chores to backup Thad Lewis who’s good but certainly not a franchise star.

The Bills have a good interior line with center Eric Wood and right guard Kraig Urbik. The problem could be at left guard, which was the former position of Andy Levitre who left the team for the Tennessee Titans.

The Bills signed Jim Schwartz as their defensive coordinator this season. It is widely anticipated that the team will switch to a 4-3 formation this season which should benefit Mario Williams. Williams was still effective in the 3-4 scheme last year with 13 sacks but he’s more effective at 4-3. But questions will still linger about his health as he sustained a hip injury in the second half of the 2013 season.

2103 NFL Draft: Round One Recap posted by Joe Anello

The first round of the 2013 NFL was as unpredictable as it was billed to be, with trades and surprise picks all along the way. Here are the stories that came out of Thursday night!

-The run on offensive linemen started early and continued throughout the early portion of the round. Offensive tackle Eric Fisher came off the board at number one to the Chiefs; with fellow tackle Luke Joeckel coming right after to the Jaguars at number two. In total, eight offensive linemen went in the first 20 picks of the draft, highlighting the lack of skill position players to be found.

-In the first trade of the night, Miami up from their pick at twelve to Oakland’s number three for…LANE JO-. Wait, nevermind. It was for defensive end Dion Jordan. Miami shipped their 12th overall pick and the 10th pick in the second round (42) to the Oakland for number three. This oddly leaves Miami with the 22nd pick in the second round (54), which is precisely the pick that Kansas City doesn’t want as compensation for left tackle Brandon Albert. So… Miami still doesn’t have a legitimate left tackle. Cool…

-The St. Louis Rams, with picks to spare apparently, traded their first, second, third, and seventh rounders to move up to 8 from 16 so they could take receiver Tavon Austin. Austin was the clear play-maker at wide-out in this draft, so for a team desperate to get Sam Bradford a weapon.

-Instead of drafting Ryan Nassib, the quarterback that was so familiar to head coach Doug Marrone, with the newly acquired 16th pick, the Buffalo Bills went off the reservation and reached on QB E.J. Manuel. Yeah, Manuel probably would have been there in round two. Sorry Bills fans.

2013 NFL Offseason: Quarterback Craze! posted by Joe Anello

Aside from a few relatively noteworthy transactions in NFL free agency, the past few days have been all about the quarterbacks. There’s been news aplenty regarding some premiere and not-so-premiere signal-callers across the league and the ramifications of their movements. Let’s get through all the news!

Dallas Cowboys extend QB Tony Romo with a six-year, $108 million deal ($55M gtd.)

So we’ve all heard about the basic numbers here, but there’s definitely some “fine print” to this contract. The extension does give Romo $55 million in guaranteed money, but that includes the $11.5M he was scheduled to make next season. He did get a $25M signing bonus, which is pro-rated over the life of the deal (which technically ends after the 2019 season).

This is the contract the Cowboys needed to get done. Through an odd contract loophole, Romo could have become a free agent after the 2013 season… but also after the franchising period ended. So he would have been able to simply walk out on Dallas and get into the free agent market directly, without fear of being franchised. So without a better plan in place or being in any sort of position to draft a quarterback, Dallas made the right, sensible move here. They locked up their franchise quarterback for the long-term.

QB Kevin Kolb signs a 2-year, $13 million deal with the Buffalo Bills

WHOAH. Did NOT see this coming. Can I still get partial credit for saying he’d land in the AFC East? Kolb somehow skirts the sideshow that is the Jets quarterback competition and lands in Buffalo, where he currently only has to beat out Tarvaris Jackson, who isn’t exactly Jim Kelly. Don’t expect this move to stop the Bills from taking a quarterback somewhere in the first two rounds. Kolb might be better than Ryan Fitzpatrick. But at least he’s not making a ludicrous amount of cash.

Free Agency 2013: Day One Recap posted by Joe Anello

NFL Free Agency started with a flurry this afternoon, with deals being announced by the minute shortly after the clock struck 4PM ET. I’m here to take a look at some of the bigger deals of the day and offer a quick take. First though, I want to cover a few of the moves made on Monday, before free agency.

(Note: I’m only going to discuss ACTUAL roster movements. While a running back visiting a crappy team *cough*ReggieBush*cough* might be newsworthy, I ain’t got time to talk about every little flight here.)

(Second note: for those of you looking for my take on the Chicago Bears’ moves, check out my earlier post here.)

Minnesota Vikings trade WR Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks

The Vikings received first and seventh round picks in the 2013 draft and a third round pick in the 2014 draft.

The Seahawks received Harvin and signed him to a six-year, $67 million dollar deal. ($25.5 guaranteed.)

Minnesota obviously wanted to get Harvin out of their hair. Despite Harvin’s interviews to the contrary, he and head coach Leslie Frasier did NOT get along. But what player won’t love Pete Carroll? An A-HOLE, that’s who. Props to Minnesota for getting a decent bounty for Harvin, but that 25th overall pick might not be a game-breaker. Still, they’re better off. For Seattle, this deal signifies how close they think they are to a title. They’re putting all of their chips in the Harvin basket now, as they released return man Leon Washington as a result of this trade.

The Final Drive: Week 15, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

Week 15 in the NFL saw a few notable shut-outs, as well as a few hilarious playoff eliminations. We can’t waste any more time, so let’s get right into The Final Drive!

(8-6) Cincinnati Bengals 34

(4-10) Philadelphia Eagles 13

I’d say this was impressive, but the Bengals left a lot of points on the field. Still, they’re in the driver seat for the sixth wildcard slot if they can take down the Steelers in week 16. Are they still hard to judge? Surely. But they beat down the Eagles exactly how a good team would. That means something.

(12-2) Atlanta Falcons 34

(8-6) New York Giants 0

I really can’t explain this one. Maybe the Giants have a deal with the NFL to make the NFC East race more interesting down the stretch? Otherwise the Falcons might actually be as good at home as they think they are.

(8-6) Washington Redskins 38

(5-9) Cleveland Browns 21

No RG3? No problem. Kirk’s got ya covered. That guy will be a tradeable asset in a year or two. Bet on it.

(6-8) New Orleans Saints 41

(6-8) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0

Where did the vaunted Buc offense go? They made the Saint defense look like the freaking ’85 Bears. That takes a LOT of sucking.

(11-3) Denver Broncos 34

(9-5) Baltimore Ravens 17

So these Ravens are really letting up as the season winds down. Joe Flacco is inconsistent at best, and he didn’t improve dramatically with Jim Caldwell calling the plays. But do you know what really did the Ravens in? Their defense. Again. The Chris Harris pick-six of Flacco definitely hurt, but the Baltimore defense still gave up 27 points. And by the way, Denver looks like a scary-ass two seed.

The Opening Drive: Week 11, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

Week 11 in the NFL has reached your doorstep! On the slate this week are some key divisional match-ups that will go a long way in solidifying contenders and flushing pretenders or will simply muddy the water. It’s time for The Opening Drive!

(4-5) Miami Dolphins at

(3-6) Buffalo Bills

Another Thursday night winner! (Some sarcasm there.) To be fair, this is a pivotal game for the Dolphins, a team that only two weeks ago was right in the AFC Wild Card race. After two losses, a deflating performance against a division rival would be disastrous for their season. I expect Ryan Tannehill and Reggie Bush to come out with strong games against a Buffalo defense that falls behind too easily.

(4-5) Arizona Cardinals at

(8-1) Atlanta Falcons

On the road IN ATLANTA? The Cardinals have almost no chance whatsoever to win this game. The Falcons are likely going to be super pissed after losing to the Saints and will come out and lay the wood to a team that’s lost five games in a row.

(2-7) Cleveland Browns at

(4-5) Dallas Cowboys

This is easily my “Trap of the Week.” We have a Dallas squad flying WAY too high after downing a mediocre divisional opponent in a primetime game. We have a young and feisty Browns team that is highly competitive and plays tough defense. Cleveland may not be able to match Dallas for points, but they might not have to if Romo turns the ball over.

NFL suspends Bills RB Karlos Williams 4 games (Yahoo Sports)

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From Yahoo Sports

Bills draft pick arrested in Arkansas on misdemeanor charge (Yahoo Sports)

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From Yahoo Sports

LeSean McCoy won't be charged over Philadelphia club brawl (Yahoo Sports)

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From Yahoo Sports

NFL-National Football League roundup (Reuters)

Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who overcame a diagnosis of Hodgkin's Lymphoma in late 2014 to return to the field and have an All-NFL season in 2015, has been selected as the 2016 George Halas Award winner by the Professional Football Writers of America. Berry, the 47th Halas Award winner, is the first member of the Chiefs franchise to receive the honor, the PFWA announced Monday. Other 2016 nominees for the Halas Award were New Orleans Saints cornerback Delvin Breaux, Carolina Panthers special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven, Buffalo Bills guard Richie Incognito, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer and New England Patriots offensive lineman Nate Solder. [read full article]

From Yahoo Sports