The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on the NFL preseason...

1. The auto industry isn't the only thing making a comeback in Detroit. If Matt Stafford can make it through the season in one piece and their secondary can hold up, the Lions have a real shot to compete for a wildcard. They've outscored the opposition 98 to 41 this preseason.

2. I still think they're the class of the NFC East, but I have more faith right now in the economy than the Eagles offensive line and linebackers.

3. Anybody seen Tiki Barber?

4. The Colts front office clearly took a look at the film of their two games with the Titans last season before signing Kerry Collins. His combined numbers against the Indy defense...56 of 78 passing for 544-yards with 5-touchdowns and 0-interceptions.

5. While trying not to break my cardinal rule of overreacting to preseason performances, it's hard to ignore what Steelers wide-receiver Antonio Brown is doing. His 4-reception, 137-yard, 2-TD effort against the Falcons was extremely impressive. Brown's potential emergence to go along with Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Heath Miller, Emmanuel Sanders, and Jerricho Cotchery, could make the Steelers passing game one of the league's best.

6. In a division that includes receivers like DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, the Giants secondary woes are even more pronounced. After cornerback Terrell Thomas was lost for the season, safety Antrel Rolle told me this week on Mad Dog Radio, "Honestly, I don't know what to do. I still don't know how to handle it at this point, but I'm going have to try to find a way. I have to. We have to as a defense."

7. I understand the theory, but in practice reviewing every scoring play is going to get old in a hurry. Officials need to make the distinction between what is debatable, and what's not. They've already taken a second look at too many scoring plays that were clearly touchdowns in real speed.

8. Welcome to the NFL Jim Harbaugh. Now go find yourself a quarterback. If you didn't already know, the preseason has once again confirmed that Alex Smith can't play.

9. Chiefs head coach Todd Haley needs to have his head examined if he really thinks the Ravens were running up the score on his team last week. Baltimore did nothing wrong. Haley should have directed his anger at his own players, who couldn't make a stop. This wasn't exactly Joe Flacco against Kansas City's 3rd team defense.

10. If Roger Goodell won't be suspending Buccaneers cornerback Aquib Talib or Titans receiver Kenny Britt for their off-season "issues", then it's clear he won't be punishing anyone for their lockout transgressions. Could it be that Goodell is going soft? Next thing you know the commissioner will actually let the players tackle each other without a fine.

11. By no means has he been great, but the Panthers shouldn't hesitate to start Cam Newton once the regular season begins. Carolina is going to be a last place team. Might as well let Newton learn on the fly.

12. Money comes first, but I don't think Larry Fitzgerald would've jumped at signing long term with the Cardinals if he didn't believe in QB Kevin Kolb.

13. Did it shock anyone that the Raiders grabbed Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft? The organization that loves the 40-time was likely blown away by his 4.36. My personal opinion on Pryor, he's a project at QB. Nothing more.

14. 42-pass attempts in 2-quarters against the Steelers for Matt Ryan...Who's calling plays for the Falcons now, Mike Martz?

15. With the teams set to square off Monday night, and again in week sixteen, I like the fact that there's been some trash talk between the Jets and Giants. The bottom line on these two organizations, the Giants have a more significant history...the Jets are more relevant right now.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on the abbreviated off-season...

1. You can't win the Lombardi trophy in July, but the Eagles took a giant step in that direction with their trade for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and signings of Nnamdi Asomugha, Cullen Jenkins, and Jason Babin.

2. No head coach will have more pressure on him than Andy Reid. He's won everything but the Super Bowl. It's championship or bust this season.

3. The Cardinals overpaid for Kevin Kolb. They were bidding against themselves.

4. He'll never admit it, but Bill Belichick is going for it now. He wouldn't have brought in the likes of Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco otherwise.

5. Mike Shanahan's really staking his reputation on Rex Grossman and John Beck? That's like Kevin Costner staking his reputation on Water World.

6. If the lockout proved anything, it's that football is a business. You can't fault Shaun Ellis or Steve Smith for signing with division rivals. There is no real loyalty, and that works both ways.

7. I don't blame Chris Johnson for holding out. The Titans look cheap here. Johnson is an elite running back, has easily outplayed his contract, and is no 1-year wonder. Pay the man!

8. The Saints didn't get the same headlines as the Eagles, but I love what GM Mickey Loomis has done with this team. They're as good as anyone in the NFC, including the Packers.

9. I can understand why he doesn't want to play another down for the Bengals, but Carson Palmer looks spoiled and petty with the act he's pulling. Palmer needs to realize, he's a very average quarterback these days.

10. Why do I have the feeling the Cleveland Browns are headed for a year that'll be worse than the final season of Entourage.

11. Memo to members of the Tim Tebow fan club...John Elway and John Fox didn't draft him. They don't have to justify selecting Tebow in the 1st round by playing him when he's not ready. Tebow is a project. Give it time.

12. If I had any faith in Norv Turner as a head coach, I could easily see the Chargers coming out of the AFC. However...I don't.

13. There was a better chance of the Giants resigning Tiki Barber than the team actually trading Osi Umenyiora.

14. Chris Carter should be in the Hall of Fame, but his claim that Calvin Johnson isn't an elite wide-receiver is laughable.

15. Count me as an enemy of the new kick-off rules. Players like Leon Washington, Josh Cribbs and Brad Smith are being marginalized.

No Ring For the King

Is it hot in here? For the Heat and LeBron James in particular, the answer to that question is a resounding yes, because LeBron is now officially in Hell. When he took his talents to South Beach in a way that made most of America sick, King James put a target on his back the size of Rosie O'Donnell's ass. His prediction of 7 or 8 championships before this Heat team had even practiced together only increased the hype, and Scottie Pippen didn't do him any favors by putting him in a category above Michael Jordan.

When the bar is set that high, the only way to shut down the critics and avoid becoming a punch line is to dominate while delivering a title. Had Miami beaten Dallas in the NBA Finals, LeBron's 4th quarter disappearing act would have still made him an easy target. As I've said before, he looked like a combination of the Tin Man and Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz in crunch time...No heart, and No courage. But at the very least, he would've captured a ring. Now he doesn't even get the pay off of a championship while riding Dwayne Wade's coat tails.

What makes things worse for LeBron is the Heat lost to a Mavericks team led by a lone superstar in Dirk Nowitzki. Isn't that why James decided it was time to leave Cleveland? He was never comfortable as a solo act, and didn't think the Cavaliers surrounded him with enough talent. But maybe the problem wasn't just the supporting cast, it was LeBron himself. Had he and Dirk reversed roles, I don't think there's any chance he would have been able to lead Dallas to a title. That kind of leadership isn't part of LeBron's DNA.

To top it all off, his comments following their game-6 defeat were an exhibition in the wrong thing to say at the wrong time. Instead of eating a little humble pie, he went in a different, but considering it's LeBron, almost predictable direction, "All the people that were rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life they had before. They have the same personal problems they had today."

He added, "They can get a few days or months or whatever the case may be on being happy that not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal. But they'll have to get back to the real world at some point." I live in the real world and the reality is this...When I woke up this morning, I still had the same amount of titles as LeBron James, and nearly as many 4th quarter points.

Welcome To The Land Of Mr. Stay Puft

I don't know the year, month, day, hour or minute it exactly happened, but it's clear to me now as a sports society, we've gone soft. In the last 8-months alone, we've had fundamental rule changes that take the teeth out of tackling in the NFL. We've had athletes tweet what are considered strong or controversial opinions, only to backtrack faster than Chris Johnson's 40-time. And we've had more than a few suggestions that MLB should eliminate the runner's ability to run over the catcher on plays at the plate.

When did everyone get so politically correct? One Buster Posey season ending injury means the game of baseball has gotten too dangerous? Now I guess the catcher must be covered in bubble wrap, and any physical contact by a runner warrants an automatic ejection. Had Scott Cousins not wiped out Posey to score the game winning run, you know what he would've been labeled as? SOFT!

You can't have it both ways. We all want these athletes to play 100% all the time, but then ask them in the heat of the moment to instantaneously think of what might physically happen when they do. Posey knew what he was getting into when he strapped on that catching gear. Just like NFL players are well aware of what they're signing up for when they put on a helmet and shoulder pads. I find it amusing that the same league preaching to these guys about brutal hits, wants them to play two more regular season games.

As for expressing an unpopular opinion, forget it. I and many others ripped Scott Pippen for his tweet claiming that Michael Jordan was the greatest scorer of all-time, but LeBron James is the best all around player. That doesn't mean Pippen had to run for cover. I hadn't seen him that scared since he was being guarded by Xavier McDaniel. I'd have far more respect for Pippen, or the Steelers Rashard Mendenhall for that matter, if they'd had the stones to actually stand by their comments.

In the end, I believe the knee jerk reactions, emphasis on being PC, and lack of backbone comes down to money. The Giants and MLB to a lesser extent view Posey as not just an up and coming player, but an investment. The reason the NFL has gone into over protection mode, especially with quarterbacks, is that's the glamour position. They don't care about Ray Lewis nearly as much as they do about Tom Brady. And even a guy like Pippen goes into damage control, because Jordan can always be a meal ticket. So maybe I don't know when all of this started, but I know where it started...Didn't you hear? Cash is king.

LeBron's No Big Shot

When LeBron James bolted Cleveland to "Take his talents to South Beach", he must have left his Tiger Blood behind. Now 61-games into his first season with the Miami Heat, LeBron has become the ultimate numbers guy. On a team that includes Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, he's only 1-point off his career scoring average, and his rebounds and assists are both slightly up. But ask him to hit a shot in the clutch, and LeBron morphs from King James into the Court Jester.

Exhibit A:Feb, 13th at Boston...Trailing 83-81 with 12-seconds remaining, LeBron gets fouled by Paul Pierce. However, he makes just 1 of 2-free throws and the Heat lose 85-82 dropping them to 0-3 against the Celtics this season.

Exhibit B:Feb, 24th at Chicago...Down 92-89 with 11-seconds to go, LeBron's off the mark on a three point attempt. The Heat fall to the Bulls 93-89.

Exhibit C:Feb, 27th vs New York...Trailing 87-86 with 7-seconds left, LeBron's driving lay-up attempt is blocked by Amare Stoudemire. James gets another chance though with 2-seconds remaining and the Heat now behind 89-86. But his three pointer is no good as the Knicks beat Miami 91-86.

Exhibit D:March, 3rd vs Orlando...Down 99-96 with 3-seconds to go, LeBron misses a three pointer and the Magic knock off the Heat.

Exhibit E:March, 6th vs Chicago...LeBron once again has the ball in his hands with the game on the line. Trailing 87-86 with 5-seconds remaining, his driving lay-up comes nowhere close. This time Dwayne Wade pulls down the offensive rebound, but he can't hit a desperation jumper as the clock runs out.

During the post game press conference after Sunday's loss to the Bulls, LeBron said "I told my team I'm not going to continue to fail them late in games." The question is, why does he keep getting the opportunity? Insert whatever line you want here, and there are several that apply. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it...or how about...The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

In the last month James has missed more shots in the clutch than Michael Jordan did in his entire career. Yet somehow he's still their go to guy at the end of theses game. When Pat Riley put the hard sell on this off-season, he told LeBron he would be Magic, Wade would be Kobe and Chris Bosh would play the role of Kevin Garnett. Under that scenario, it should be Wade who takes the final shot. He is the only one of the unholy trinity with a ring after all, and has been known to deliver in crunch time. Apparently, head coach Erik Spoelstra never got the memo. When the game's on the line, give your championship player the damn ball. Because there's a better chance of Charlie Sheen turning down a suitcase full of cocaine and room full of strippers these days then there is of LeBron knocking down a big shot.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on Super Bowl XLV...

1. Fitting that Green Bay overcame injuries to key players like Charles Woodson and Donald Driver Sunday night to capture the Vince Lombardi trophy. This was after all the same team that was forced to place a league high 15-players on injured reserve this season.

2. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that turnovers killed the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger's two interceptions and Rashard Mendenhall's fumble directly led to 21 of the Packers 31-points.

3. Packers defensive tackle Howard Green's pass rush and hit on Big Ben caused the game's first turnover, when safety Nick Collins returned an underthrown ball for a touchdown. That Green made an impact is amazing when you consider this was the third team he played for this season. Green was cut by the Redskins in training camp, and later released by the Jets.

4. I understand they fell behind early, but I thought the Steelers got too pass happy, especially after they cut the deficit to 21-17 in the 3rd quarter. It's not like they weren't having success on the ground. They averaged 5.5-yards per carry. Yet after they pulled within 4, Pittsburgh ran 3-times and threw 8-times on their next two possessions.

5. Was it just me, or did the field turf at Cowboys Stadium appear to be very slick and hard as a rock?

6. When Aaron Rodgers walks outside today, he won't see Brett Favre's shadow anymore. Rodgers not only has as many Super Bowl victories as Favre now, but he has something the future hall of famer never picked up...a Super Bowl MVP.

7. James Jones needs to work on his hands and concentration this off-season. The Packers receiver dropped what could have easily turned into a long touchdown on the opening drive of the 2nd half. Jones has plenty of physical gifts, but he's way too inconsistent catching the ball.

8. I don't expect the officials to get everything right, but that was a phantom face mask call on Tom Crabtree. Bad guess work by Walt Anderson's crew.

9. Use your head Keyaron Fox. You're down 31-25 late in the 4th quarter, and only have 1-timeout left. That was a stupid unnecessary roughness penalty you took there.

10. Where was the communication between Roethlisberger and his wide-receivers? In the final minute of a Super Bowl game the Steelers were in pre-season form.

11. Let's be honest here...Big Ben did not play particularly well. For as much career success as he's had in the playoffs, this was not a shining moment for him. Too many wild throws, the turnovers and the final drive meltdown. He's a winning player, but this loss falls on his shoulders.

12. Stop complaining Pittsburgh...that wasn't pass interference on 4th and 5.

13. The rest of the NFL should be afraid...be very afraid. The Packers are the 2nd youngest team in the league. Unless something happens to Rodgers, they're going to be awfully tough for awhile.

14. Not that I pay all that much attention to the half-time show, but the Black Eyed Peas didn't sound good and weren't entertaining. Enough said.

15. I've got a 6-year old son, so maybe this hit home with me, but the Volkswagen commercial with the kid in the Darth Vader costume was by far my favorite.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on Championship Sunday in the NFL...

1. I won't pretend to know what kind of pain Jay Cutler was feeling with a reported MCL injury, but with what was at stake my thinking is if you can stand and walk you can play. When his team needed him, I thought Cutler lacked toughness.

2. What are you complaining about Julius Peppers? You hit Aaron Rodgers helmet to helmet on that roughing the passer call early in the 4th quarter.

3. From the you can't make this stuff up department....Caleb Hanie threw for more TD's Sunday than Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler combined.

4. Mike Martz continues to outsmart himself. It's 3rd and 3 at the Green Bay 27 on Chicago's final drive of the game, and Martz is calling an end around for Earl Bennett. Result: 2-yard loss. Keep it simple there Mike. You'll stay employed longer.

5. Don't underestimate the impact Tim Masthay and the Packers punt coverage team had during Sunday's game. Masthay placed 5 of his 8-punts inside the Bears 20-yard line. On top of that, Green Bay held Devin Hester to 16-yards on his 3-returns. That's an outstanding job.

6. I have the feeling Packers GM Ted Thompson is still smiling today about the performances of Sam Shields and James Starks. Shields, an undrafted free agent out of Miami, had a sack and a pair of interceptions including the game clincher late in the 4th quarter. Starks, a 6th round pick from Buffalo, rushed for 74-yards on 22-carries with 1-TD.

7. Bart Scott's now famous post-game interview with Sal Paolantonio included this comment when Paolantonio told him see you in Pittsburgh, "Can't wait!" Apparently he could wait. Scott was one of the prime culprits in a first half of missed tackles by the Jets defense.

8. Ben Roethlisberger didn't put up big numbers, but he did what Peyton Manning and Tom Brady couldn't against the Jets...He kept his team on the field. Big Ben's ability to buy time helped the Steelers go 6 for 11 on 3rd down conversions.

9. Maybe you just can't reach a Super Bowl with a Schottenheimer. Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer had an awful night. Shall I count the ways....

3rd and 17 at NYJ 26: Down 17-0 with under 2-minutes to go in the half, no need to make a bad situation worse. Instead of a run or safe pass, Schottenheimer called for a play that had Sanchez looking down the field. Ike Taylor blitzed, drilled Sanchez, and caused a fumble which was returned for a touchdown.

3rd and goal at Pit 1: The Jets already tried a pass on 2nd down, yet they threw again on 3rd. Then when that failed, Schottenheimer went back to the run. LaDainian Tomlinson was stopped for no gain, and on a drive that took 8:06 off the clock in the 4th quarter, the Jets came away with nothing. Back to back throws from the 1-yard line? Are you kidding? Did I confuse ground and pound with duck and chuck?

1st and 10 at Pit 36: Sanchez just completed a 22-yard pass to Braylon Edwards. The Jets were trailing 24-12 at the time with less than 7 and a half minutes remaining. Yet they showed an unbelievable lack of urgency. No hurry up. That's pure incompetence there.

10. Nobody accounted for you Jamaal Westerman. How did you not block that punt?

11. Say this for the Jets defense...They made three elite quarterbacks look very ordinary at times during these playoffs. Manning, Brady and Roethlisberger combined went 57-90 passing for 657-yards with 3-TD's and 3-INT's.

12. Can't give enough credit to Rashard Mendenhall. On a night when no Steelers receiver had more than 2-catches, Mendenhall put the offense on his back at times. His ability to break tackles in the early going, and establish the run put the Jets on their heels.

13. Gusty play-calling by the Steelers on the final drive of the game. Instead of going conservative, they chose to be aggressive and threw for two first downs to put the Jets away.

14. At the same time, Antonio Brown's kickoff return allowed them that luxury. It may get lost, but Brown's 27-yard return to the Steelers 41-yard line made it easier for them to push the envelope.

15. One non-championship game note....A change of scenery may do him some good, but buyer beware on Carson Palmer. Too many times he looks like a stiff more than a savior.