Why the "Devestating Hits" rule is a non-issue

What a week in football headlines.

Not sure if you’ve heard or not, but the NFL will now suspend or eject players who perform helmet-to-helmet hits.

To me, it’s no big deal.

Wait a second…don’t react just yet to my non-reaction. If you’re going to reply to this, don’t use the stupid hyperboles and exaggerations. They sound like this;

“They’re going to start playing flag football next!”

“It’s basically two-hand touch!”

“They’re going to lose fans!”

Now honestly, how many of you believe any of those?! Come on, raise your hand…I didn’t think so.

Fact is; the NFL hasn’t really changed any rules. They’ve basically said, if you lead with the crown of your helmet, launch yourself at another player’s head, or any other illegal hit, they have the right to eject or suspend you.

Guess what NFC East fans; these hits have been illegal for years now. And the game has gotten nothing but more popular yet more deadly. The only significant change is now you can be suspended. This is no different than if the police start cracking down on speeding tickets by suspending your license. You know it’s illegal; you’ve shown you don’t care about the fines, so we increase the penalty.

The rules haven’t changed, the penalties have. Stop crying about how this isn’t real football, the players SHOULD’VE been playing like this for years now!

The truth is the NFL is trying to keep the health of their players in mind. I don’t think any reasonable fan thinks otherwise. I’m not going to touch on how the NFL are hypocrites because they want to extend the season, or how they sell “NFL’s Greatest Hits” DVDs, that’s too much politics and marketing for my taste.

The real danger is that NFL defensive players have a sense of security with their helmets. They put that helmet on and it’s like putting on a weapon, and that’s not what the helmet is designed for. It’s designed for safety, your shoulder pads are your weapons. Mike Ditka put it the best, if you want these players to stop launching head-first? Then take away those facemasks. Those pretty boys won’t hit like that then! (I’m paraphrasing).

The NFL is asking players not to drop their heads when they tackle. As in, tackle with your facemask, not the crown of your helmet. They’re asking for wrap up tackles that lead with their shoulders. Ray Lewis might complain, but he has some of the best wrap-up tackling in the game today. You know who use to lead with his shoulder 95% of the time? The late-great Sean Taylor. You can perform hard hits without them being illegal.

So stop overreacting NFL fans, matter of fact, watch football Sunday, and let’s see how much really changes. I’m confident that if anyone does get suspended, we won’t be arguing why, we all know illegal hits when we see them; it’s just time for them to go away.

Redskins Try To Simulate Vick

Every generation has that player that you just can’t explain.

Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Walter Payton, Deion Sanders, Jerry Rice, and Barry Sanders were all players that were 8-10 steps ahead of the competition (There’s others, but you get the idea).

Michael Vick is one of those players.

Whoa, calm down, I’m not saying he’s the best player in the league, a top ten quarterback, or anything like that. All I’m saying is that it’s almost impossible to gameplan against him.

In the 1980s, it was impossible to gameplan against Walter Payton. You didn’t know how to simulate his speed, his agility, his ball carrying vision, or anything during practice. You couldn’t figure out a sound-proof way of managing him during the game.

For those of you who don’t know, in practice, your scout team simulates what you’re going to see on Sunday. For example, if you’re the Cowboys, you have backup quarterback, Stephen McGee simulate whatever quarterback you’re about to face this week. So with the Titans coming up, McGee would try to act like Vince Young in practice so that the defense knows how they need to play.

Question: who on that Redskins team is going to simulate Michael Vick?!

The skins have used a practice squad wide receiver, Brandon Banks, this past week due to his speed (ran a 4.2 40 yard dash), but that won’t be relevant come gametime. You still can’t simulate his agility, ball carrier vision, or throwing arm. But I guess it’s a start.

Say what you want about Vick off the field, that is your right, but we all can agree that if he truly is back to his old form, then he will be exciting to watch on Sundays.

Week 2 Preview; "Texas Two-Step"

Let me makes this very plain and clear; there is NO MUST WINS IN WEEK 2 FOOTBALL!

You know what it actually is? It’s not that teams must win these games to prevent being 0-2, it’s that nobody wants to deal with their media two weeks in a row after a loss. And the NFC East might just have the worst media in the NFL. Reporters everywhere, who want to pressure the teams into a win, pressure them to make a statement or comment that will fill the newspapers and blogs the next day. You can lose the first two games and still win a Super Bowl, both Dallas and the New York Giants have already proven that.

The Dallas Cowboys have their home opener as the Bears come into town. Dallas didn’t trust their offensive line last week with two subs in, luckily, both Marc Columbo and Kyle Kosier have been practicing this week and are expected to start. This should allow the Cowboys do be more creative in their offensive playcalling. So you Jason Witten fans, no need to worry, he’ll be more active now that he won’t be asked to stay in and block as much. Also, “Beware of D-Ware”. His injury wasn’t as serious as it first looked on the field on Sunday Night, and he was practicing again on Thursday. The Bears’ Jay Cutler is known for making mistakes when under pressure, look for guys like Mike Jenkins and Keith Brooking to have big plays in pass defense if Ware can get to Cutler.

My call: Cowboys 24, Bears 13

The Philadelphia Eagles will start Mike Vick, his first start since 2006. And just like last time when he was in the NFL, there’s no sure-fire way to defend against him. He isn’t as fast or accurate, but still a weapon under center. Fantasy alert: Start him. He can easily give you 300 combined yards on the ground, and in the air. Unfortunately for the Eagles defense though, they will go without Stewart Bradley. Luckily, they’re taking on the Detroit Lions. Need I say more? The bigger upset is if Vick can’t do it against a team that barely belongs in the NFL.

My call: Eagles: 17, Lions 6

On to last week’s winning teams, both teams could’ve easily lost their week one openers. Washington took the game when Dallas turned in sloppy play, and the Panthers were in the Redzone multiple times before turning the ball over to the Giants repeatedly. But don’t get me wrong, a win is a win. We’ve seen times when a team plays sloppy, and yet the other team still can’t capitalize (see Dallas@Buffalo in 2007). You take the win, learn from the mistakes, and move on.

“Texas Two-Step” was a Washington headline this week as they take on their second Texas team in a row when they face the Texans. Houston just came off one of their biggest wins of their short franchise history last week, beating the Colts for just the second time…EVER. Meanwhile, Washington squeaked away a win over arch-rival Dallas. This gets my upset alert of the week. Houston coming off an emotional high, and then goes to play in-state rival, Dallas next week; this is your typical sandwich game. Look for Washington to capitalize on more Texas mistakes, and you Arian Foster fans look out, this isn’t the Indy defense we’re talking about, it won’t be as easy to run against this Jim Haslett team.

My Call: Redskins 17, Texans 13

Ladies and Gentlemen: this is our main event!

Well, not really. The Manning-Bowl is overhyped if you ask me. These guys aren’t hitting each other, their not going toe-to-toe. Now Ronde Barber and Tiki hit each other, gameplanned against each other, that was a competition. Quarterbacks don’t face each other, they face the defenses! So until I see Peyton at middle linebacker, or Eli covering a slot receiver, I won’t call this the “Manning-Bowl”.

If the Washington game got the upset alert, this one gets my Blowout Alert. Peyton runs off of emotion, not like Phillip Rivers emotion, but the “I will not lose!” emotion. Do not for one second think that the Colts won’t let Peyton fling the ball all over the field and run up the score on the G-Men. The Giants will try to do what the Texans did and rush the passer with just their front four. Peyton loves scorching defenses when they blitz, but if guys like Osi and Tuck can get good edge pressure, the Giants have a better chance. But I don’t think so. If you have a Colt receiver on your fantasy team, there’s no reason not to start them. If you have a Colt running back though, put him on your trading block.

My call; Colts 31, Giants 10

The UFL, not the XFL

You know where the XFL failed, when they decided to go all in, put all their eggs in one basket and try to compete with the NFL.

I’m not saying compete as in put their games on Sundays and try to steal ratings from them, but the XFL obviously went after NFL fans and thought that they’d exist in a world where we all know NFL is king.

That’s why I like the UFL; they’re not trying to be a competitor with the NFL, but more of an alternative. They air their games during the week on the Versus and HDNet channels, they allow their players to break contracts to go to the NFL, they understand that NFL is still King.

When the XFL started advertising, they advertised themselves as better than the NFL. They advertised rule changes; there were no fair catches, coin tosses, or extra point kicks. They said their game was more aggressive; they allowed pass interference and made you physically earn the opening possession. And all and all, it failed. Fans weren’t fooled by the product they put on the field. A nice truck made out of shitty parts is still a shitty truck.

And that’s mainly where the UFL and XFL are different. For one, the UFL didn’t put all their eggs in one basket. The XFL tried a big launch with key market teams and air their games on NBC. Suddenly fans realized that the players weren’t at the caliber that they are use to watching, ratings dropped, and NBC backed out.

Secondly, like I stated earlier, the UFL is trying to coexist with the NFL. They haven’t put teams in key NFL markets. They have teams in places like Omaha, Sacramento, and Hartford (plus one coming to VA, Beach in 2011) just to name a few. They haven’t made drastic rule changes to make their game seem better, just subtle ones to make it different (such as how overtime isn’t sudden death, there’s no “tuck rule” and touchdown celebrations are allowed).

As for the product on the field, the names of players and coaches alike will sound familiar to the average football fan. Former AFL head coach, and Jon Gruden’s brother, Jay is one familiar coach you’ll recognize. Add him along with names like Jim Fassel, Dennis Green, and General Manager Rick Mueller, and you know that these players are being coached and managed by experienced veteran coaches. Afterall, sometimes you’re only as good as the gameplan allows.

Then the list of names like Dante Culpepper, Jeff Garcia, Tatum Bell, Dominic Rhodes and Ahman Green show you that this league has experience under the helmets too.

Will the UFL beat the NFL in ratings, or drafting high profile college athletes? No. But what they will provide you is quality football, entertaining games, and your football fix during the week as you wait for your favorite NFL teams to play on Sunday.

What You Should and Shouldn't Worry About: Dallas

I started this ‘Worry’ series a while back, starting with the Redskins and never followed through with it. I apologize. It’s time to get back on track and finish what I started.

You sit at the bar with your buddies, most of them are just like you, they love the same shows you watch, the same hobbies, and of course, the same football franchise. It’s then when you realize, since you’re all on the same side of the argument, you can candidly speak about the things that you worry about for your team, and also the things that you know are rock solid. I’m going to help you with that conversation.

99% of fans, broadcasters, and reporters alike have Dallas slated as the best team in the NFC East, and that alone should scare Dallas fans. It wasn’t too long ago when Dallas was getting a lot of mainstream media attention and pressure to make it to the Super Bowl. They had the HBO show “Hard Knocks” and were coining the phrase “Super Bowl or bust” throughout the offseason. Which goes to show you one simple rule of thumb; nothing is promised in the NFL. That’s the year Romo broke his pinky finger on his throwing hand, Brad Johnson couldn’t get the job done in the four games he had to start, and Dallas got absolutely manhandled by the Eagles in a game that for all intents and purposes, was a play-in game for the playoffs.

So Dallas fans have reasons to worry, they do not want to go through another season like that. And this preseason thus far has not eased many of them at all. But before you go and hit the panic button on anything, let me help you guys and tell you what to worry and not worry about going into this 2010 season.

No Worries Here

David Beuhler
It’s been heavily covered; Dallas’ placekicker position was horrible last season. Nick Folk and Shawn Suisham were the laughing stocks of the NFC East, and both were Cowboys at one point or another. David Beuhler steps up and Jerry Jones basically crowns him the new kicker without proving himself at the NFL level. Well…looks like Jerry was right afterall. I myself was very skeptical of the decision since Beuhler hadn’t had to make any pressure kicks in his football career since high school, but I was wrong. Dallas brought in former NFL kicker, Chris Boniol to help Beuhler with his mechanics which has obviously helped him out. Beuhler was the same person who couldn’t beat out Nick Folk last season for the placekicking position, and now he’s hit six for seven field goals in the preseason, not to mention that you can count his misses in training camp on one hand. He’s not Morten Anderson, but thankfully, he’s no Nick Folk either.

Hit the Panic Button

Red Zone Offense Struggles

I wrote about this earlier, but for those who didn’t see it, I will repeat the staggering statistic. The Dallas Cowboys last year were ranked number two in offensive yards. So obviously, they can move the ball up and down the field as they pleased. However, they were ranked 13^th in touchdowns. So what does that tell you? It tells you that far too often did Dallas move the ball well into opponents’ territory, yet struggle to get the ball into the end zone. And any football fan will tell you, you’ll rarely win games with just field goals, you win games with touchdowns. According to Mickey Spagnola of dallascowboys.com, the Cowboys have worked for countless hours in the offseason on their red zone offense, they know it’s their weak-point. But nothing has looked better thus far in the preseason. Many point to the fact that Jason Garrett seems to forget how to run when he gets inside the twenty. Case-in-point look at the hall of fame game; when Dallas was inside the five yard-line and decided to throw three straight passes, all of which were incomplete. Fans and reporters are baffled that Dallas has a bruiser in Marion Barber, yet decides to become finesse within the twenty. If Dallas wants to be the best in the east and Super Bowl contenders, they sure won’t do it settling for field goals while they’re opponents score touchdowns.

How Preseason Looks Just like Movie Trailers

There’s exceptions to every rule out there, there just is. Now I believe I speak what most of you know is true, whether it be opinion or statistical fact, 95% of you agree with me. But every now and then “Mr. Exception” will voice his opinion to me.

“Rob, what about this time,” or “Hey, what about this team.”

Listen, don’t be Mr. Exception. Don’t point out the one or two times that I’m going to be wrong. I have a friend whose dad smokes damn-near a pack of cigarettes a day and is currently 65 years old. No signs of cancer or any health issues to speak of. Yet it’s a known fact that smoking isn’t good for you. So like I said, there are exceptions to everything.

Now what I’m about to say is true, don’t follow the exceptions, and just follow what I’m saying.

For those of you who are begging for an 18-game season and to get rid of a couple of these preseason games, this is for you. Like ESPN’s Colin Cowherd calls it, the preseason is like a movie trailer. A good movie trailer will give you glimpses into a movie, just small tidbits here and there to give you an idea of how good the movie truly is.

If you think the preseason doesn’t give you anything, then check this out; the Colts, Packers, and Patriots have all scored at least 60 total points in their three preseason games. Meanwhile, teams like Carolina and Chicago can’t score over 30. Last season’s prolific offenses continue to shine, while the subpar ones continue to struggle, even if it’s just preseason.

Now just like movie trailers, we can be fooled. I’ll give you two examples of good and bad movie trailers. Go and look at the trailer for The Hangover. You knew from the second that trailer ended, that that movie was going to be golden. And guess what, you were right. They gave you a mere glimpse of the comedic genius that was in that movie in a 30 second commercial.

But sometimes, a trailer gives you everything they got, and when you see the movie, you already know the best parts. Go watch the Trailer for Adam Sandler’s Funny People. Those were the only funny parts to the movie. Trust me, I’ve seen it.

Preseason can fool you much like Funny People did. Last year’s Titans were in a QB debate. So Kerry Collins and Vince Young gave you everything they had in the preseason. When it got to week one, you’ve already seen the best parts of the movie.

The Washington Redskins did that to their fans in their preseason opener against the Bills. They came out and looked like a new team. Twitter pages, Facebook statuses, and text messages alike went crazy because for the first time in a while, Skin fans were given a reason to cheer. But just like a movie trailer that gives you too much, the Skins gave too much of their gameplan, and Baltimore saw what was coming. So in the Skins’ second preseason game, the Ravens tested their defense out and it resulted in a hobbling Donavon McNabb.

The Dallas Cowboys are giving us a glimpse of things to come, poor redzone execution. I know I’m being harsh, but this is the same redzone struggles that the ‘Boys had last season. Since numbers don’t lie, listen to this; the Cowboys were #2 in the NFL in total offensive yardage, yet they were 13^th in touchdowns. Fact; the Cowboys have a problem scoring touchdowns. They move the ball fine, but getting it into the end zone has always been an issue and continue to be an issue here in the preseason.

It’s hard to gage where the Giants are, in their first game rookie Victor Cruz shredded the Jets’ second and third team defense, but as for the Giants’ first team, they didn’t show a lot on the field. They came out in very vanilla packages and plays. By the second game Eli was hurt, and they were left with a third string quarterback under center. Tonight’s game against the Ravens will tell us plenty though. We’ll see if the Ravens will pounce on NY like they did on Washington.

Lastly, Philly, much like Washington, showed a great performance in week one, and delivered nothing in week two. Here’s the sequel to Funny People. Not to worry Philly fans, a new quarterback, new starting running back, this was expected. Everyone believes Andy Reid is one of the best coaches in the NFL, myself included. This year will truly be a test of his coaching abilities.

The third game of preseason is where you’ll see the starters play into the third quarter. So let’s see if these NFC Beast teams are showing us small glimpse, or everything they got in the preseason.

18-Game Season = Worst Product On the Field.

I fully believe it is human nature; I like it, so give me more of it.

OK, this may work for money, sex, and Rocky movies, but not so much football. NFL Football doesn’t go into that category. It more-or-less belongs in the category of candy, ice cream, and using your cell phone in public.

I get that players, owners, and television sponsors all like the idea of an extended season. You bring it up in conversation, and a lot of them just have dollar signs in their eyes like an old Warner Brothers cartoon. However, one pro bowl quarterback said differently.

Carson Palmer, quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals, was on ESPN’s Mike and Mike radio show this morning and brought up a valid point that he claims the majority of players feel. He stated that with an 18-game season, it takes away the one thing that football has over every other sport; the feeling that every game matters.

Even the most diehard basketball or baseball fan knows that they’ll miss seeing their favorite team on national television. But the vast majority of them won’t mind it nearly as much as your diehard Redskins fan who absolutely NEEDS to see their team on the field every week. Same even in goes for college football. Thanks to their ten-game season, if you drop one game to UVA or Appalachian State, you can kiss your National Title hopes goodbye.

Be prepared NFL fan, your Colts and Saints will be able to tank more games than ever. Your Patriots and Vikings of years to come will be able to play their backups because they’ll be able to clinch their respective playoff spots earlier than ever. And let’s not forget the horrendous teams, the Lions, the Rams, the Browns, and the Buccaneers of the world will be able to throw in their rookie quarterbacks, interim head coaches, and new (usually bad) gameplans in at week eight because they’ve already been lapped by their division rivals.

So what am I saying? If you’re ready for an 18-game season, then get ready to watch more horrible football. We’re not adding two quality games to every team’s schedule; we’re watering the product down.

Adding more games is not the problem with the NFL games, its adding quality to the ones they already play. If somehow you can promise me that Peyton Manning will be playing in week 17, then I’ll watch. If you can promise me that the Browns’ head coach won’t be fire before the season’s end, then maybe the team won’t be on the threat of blacking out their last two home games. That’s the bigger problem with the league, not the fact that we don’t get enough games to watch on television, but that not all of the ones they currently play are at the NFL standard of quality.

And for those who are quick to point out that they’d rather have watered down games than preseason games, I ask you to do one thing for me. Explain to me why this past week’s Minnesota vs San Francisco drew 10.8 million viewers? Was it to watch Bret Farve throw one pass? Fans might say they hate the preseason, but you still watch. Numbers don’t lie.

So obviously I’m against extending the regular season, at least until we fix the quality of the 16 games they currently play. However I welcome anyone to express to me why I should feel differently.

Stock Watch: Dallas and New York on the radar...

Stock up: Victor Cruz debuted this past Monday night for the Giants. The undrafted rookie wide receiver took center stage with a six catch, 145 yards, and three touchdowns performance in the second half of said game. Weeks ago Coach Coughlin stated that he has had a great camp thus far, and after the Monday Night game he reiterated his hope for the young player.

"Justice has been served,” said Coughlin. “Young man Victor Cruz really has had an outstanding camp. He works his tail off every day. He’s made a lot of plays this past week.”

Cruz has a real shot at not only making this roster, but being part of the 45-man active gameday roster with Domenik Hixon being out with injury. Cruz can fill Hixon’s shoes in special teams as well as his route running ability, just as the Jets secondary from this past week.

Stock Down: The Dallas Cowboys Offensive Line have been blasted by the media for weeks because of their age. I’ve always said, if people are picking at your age, that means you’re doing everything else right. Plus we’re talking about a O-line with the median age of 32, not exactly dinosaurs. But they make this list due to the injuries to both Marc Columbo and Kyle Kosier. Although Marc Columbo should be ready for week one, Kosier is slated to be out for 4-6 weeks. We’ll see this weekend who Dallas will put in his place, but this goes to show all you fans who love to trade away depth; it takes one injury to change the whole outlook of your team. Remember the last time Kosier got hurt? It was the 2008 season, a season that most Cowboy fans would love to forget about.

Opinion: Fanboys Please Stop Reading!

So I’d like to take a moment every now and then to give you something different. Obviously I can sit back here and regurgitate NFL facts and headlines for you, but you have Adam Shefter and the NFL Network to do that. That’s not why you come here and read. You’re here for a different opinion, a new outlook, something you can’t get anywhere else. Either that or you’re bored and have ten minutes to waste in your day.

So someone struck my nerve today, calling my blog biased.

You couldn't be more wrong.

But unlike many fans, especially NFC East fans, I’m able to put my passion aside to talk football and give you my genuine opinion. I do not hide the fact that I’m a born and raised Cowboys fan. Don’t deny it to my readers, my friends, my family, nobody. But if you want to talk football with me, you better put your passion aside or you’re just going to sound like another fanboy trying to prove a wrong point.

Fanboys are the fans who can’t talk anything else unless they’re praising their own team. “The Eagles are great! Blah blah blah! Kolb! McCoy! Yay!”, No facts or information there, just fanboy crap.

So yes, I rank the Cowboys as the best team in the East, can you really argue with that? I never said they were going 16-0, didn’t say they’d win the Super Bowl, all I say is that at the end of the season, I believe they’re going to win the East. I dare you to come up with some factual evidence that shows otherwise. Is New York a good team? Yes. Is Washington getting better by the week? Yes. Is Philly….well….sorry Philly. But my point is that I give everyone their credit where it’s due, yet nobody wants to see that. You all want to be fans, and that’s 100% fine. Just don’t bring your fanboy crap to me when I’m ready to talk football.

And for the Philly fan who just got mad at me, you have the worst quarterback in the division in a league that is ran by quarterbacks. Get over it.

Every team has their weaknesses, including the Cowboys. If anything, I’m MORE critical about the Cowboys than anyone else, but Giants fanboy who only wants to hear good things about his team will come around, message me, “nobody wants to hear your biased crap! The G-Men are the team to beat! WOOOOO!”

You’re team crumbled last season and you’re defense sucked.

And I’ve changed my mind, I’ve looked at the facts and movements and wrote about it. I had the Skins at the bottom, they’ve made moves, and I now think they’re third in this tough division. I’m not holier than thou, I can be wrong.

But more time than not, I’m right. And you fanboys hate it.

So I’ll end my rant this week, and will continue with my opinion columns as I need a space to vent to these fanboys. Until then, I encourage you to share my blog with your friends who enjoy talking football, and ask fanboys to know their roles, and shut their mouths.

Stop Using Preseason for your Trash Talk!

You got to stop this preseason trash talk. It’s getting ridiculous.

For the record, I understand why the hall of fame game was the highest rated preseason game in six years. Nobody was tuning in to see a great product on the field, people tuned in because it was football. Period. It didn’t matter who was on the field, people were going to tune in regardless.

Other than that, the preseason doesn’t make any sense to me. I’m not stupid, I understand that coaches need it to try out new schemes, players are trying to get back in rhythm, and some are fighting for jobs. I understand that part. What I don’t understand is you, the fan, taking away anything from the preseason.

Colin Cowherd of ESPN radio put it best when he said that the NFL preseason is like parenting. Hear me out on this one; you as the fan and even most media outlets won’t give any or much credit when the team does well, but you will criticize and critique anything that doesn’t look good. Think of parenting, and many of you are parents or old enough to have a decent outlook on how your parents raised you. As a parent, you don’t get nearly enough credit for doing something good, you pack lunch, you instill morals, and not until years later will your kid ever thank you. However, if you’re not around, you don’t buy that birthday gift, you don’t spend enough time with your kid, and you two will be in therapy sessions by the time the child is 14. You’ll be confused on how you got their, your kid dressed in all black proclaiming you’re a crappy father.

Now this doesn’t describe your own team, you’re going to praise your own team by far. The Giants and the Skins looked good in their preseason debuts, and of course their fans are jovial when talking about their teams. I’m talking about everyone else. You go to a random Titan fan on the street about the Skins’ win over Buffalo and they’ll give the skins zero credit. You’ll hear stuff like, “It’s preseason, it doesn’t count.” “They faced Buffalo, who cares?”. And so on and so on…and maybe rightfully so.

You ask a random Eagle fan about Dallas’ performance, and they’ll be happy to bash them. “They can’t get into the end zone” “Romo is looking sloppy” etc. Again, no credit for doing good, criticism for doing bad. Its stuff like this that makes my head hurt. Why are we trying to use preseason games to make our teams look good? Stop it. It’s preseason, it’s not a true measuring stick of how your team will perform!

I’ll get a text or a response after this that will say something like, “But Rob, the preseason shows you how good your overall team is. Good, competitive teams always compete!”

You’re wrong.

Think the preseason matters? Here’s a stat for you. In the past three preseasons, the Colts are 4-9. Yet the Detroit Lions are 9-4. Who’s the better team? I’ll just let you think about that for a second. …

So go ahead, root for your team, watch the players on the bubble of making the roster, but understand that nothing should be taken away from the preseason at all, not the good plays, not the bad plays. Come September though, that’s when real football will begin.

What to look for: Hall of Fame Game 2010

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages….football have returned!

They say that NFL is the season where’s there’s no offseason since we talk football all year.

That’s bullshit.

We all know we’d much rather watch football all year then to simply talk about it.

This weekend is obviously Cowboys-heavy as we have Emmit Smith, the league’s all-time leading rusher, getting inducted into the hall of fame. Following that, on Sunday we will watch the Dallas Cowboys take on the Cincinnati Cowboys.

That wasn’t a typo, I meant to do that.

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, defensive tackle Tank Johnson, safety Roy Williams, wide receiver Antonio Bryant, cornerback Pacman Jones and wide receiver Terrell Owens. Six former Cowboys are sprinkled in the Bengal roster this season, all with important roles in what the Bengals will want to do in 2010.

We know Romo, Ware, and the 1^st teams won’t play much in this game. Not to mention with Dez Bryant suffering a high ankle sprain in camp, we’re not going to see the first-rounder at all. So why would Dallas fans watch this game? I’ll tell you what to look for and why it’s important to the Dallas Cowboys…

Stephen McGee, the third-string quarterback will get some playing time this preseason, and this is the year that the Cowboys would love to only keep two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. The Cowboys have added depth at wide receiver, offensive linemen, and linebackers during the off-season, and like many of the players that they’ve obtained. So with that, there has to be cuts. Mark my words, McGee is on the bubble. Dallas saved a roster spot by making David Beuhler the kicker as well as kickoff specialist, and they’re searching for a reason to cut McGee to make room for guys like wideout Sam Hurd to stay on the roster.

David Beuhler, do I need to explain? The kicker position was a laughing stock in Dallas last season, and with former Cowboys kicker Chris Boniol working on his mechanics this offseason, Beuhler has reportedly looked good in camp thus far. Jerry Jones has put all his money in the David Beuhler stock so-to-speak, so if he shanks a 30-yarder this weekend, the hook may come earlier than expected.

Kevin Ogletree, the second-year wide receiver would love nothing more than to be on the active gameday roster every game this season. But with the emergence of Miles Austin and drafting of Dez Bryant, it won’t come easy. Dallas routinely only activates five receivers on gameday (projected gameday receivers: Williams, Austin, Bryant, Crayton, and Hurd). So Ogletree will need to show that he is capable of catching more than a bubble screen to make the active roster come week one. And you may laugh now, but there’s this guy named Jesse Holley from the reality show “4^th and Long” still looking over Ogletree’s shoulder to make the active 53-man roster as well.

We’ll wait until the third or fourth preseason game before we take a look at starters like Alan Ball and Doug Free (remember, Dallas gets five preseason games this year with the addition of the hall of fame game). But these players’ performances have a direct impact on Dallas’ 53-man roster.

Stock Alert: Ahmad Bradshaw and Tony Romo

Stock Up: Ahmad Bradshaw has now bounced back from multiple surgeries, one on an ankle, and two on both feet. Many thought he’d be a once-a-day player during this camp to help with his rehab. However, he’s already back to two-a-days, showing the quickness that the Giants are hoping for. With Brandon Jacobs on the downfall, the G-Men hope to split the carries between the two backs 50/50 or we may even see Bradshaw get the majority carries. Let this be a heads up for you fantasy players, draft Bradshaw before Jacobs.

Stock Down: Tony Romo has not looked good in training camp thus far. Multiple reports coming out of San Antonio have reported multiple defensive backs jumping his passes more often than he’s finding receivers in the end zone. Romo is coming off his best season of his career, and told reporters that his bad camp his due to a sore arm, something that happens every camp. I don’t quite remember seeing Romo struggle this much in camps past, so we’ll see in the coming preseason how Romo will do in a season full of expectations for the ‘Boys.

NFL Rankings; Who Moved Up and Who Moved Down...

Back in April I told you who the best teams in the NFC East were, I broke it down, and I gave you solid reasons on why each were placed in those spots.

And anyone who wasn’t a Cowboys fan hated it.

Think about this for a second, I don’t ask much from my friends and fans. All I ask is that when you bring me your argument, you take your passion out of it. Whether its hatred for one team or whether it’s love for another, take it out of your argument.

Let’s get one thing straight, you hate other teams in this division because of specific events in YOUR life, not the franchise’s history, but in YOUR life.

If you’re a Redskins fan under 30 years old, you hate Dallas because for the past two decades, they pretty much dominated the Skins. Now the Skins have won some games, I don’t take that way, but let’s face facts; you hate them because even when Quincy Carter was QB, they were beating you and were very loud and proud about it.

Cowboys fans, you hate Redskins because they continuously like to trash talk and hate you no matter how many games you have over them. But other than that, you hate the Eagles, cause the second the “Triplets” left and your dynasty was over, the Eagles took over the NFC. Not to mention how they cheered when Michael Irvin laid paralyzed in the Vet.

Giants fans, you’re tired of being overlooked. You’re the only team with a Lombardi Trophy in the past decade, and yet nobody cares. Nobody talks about you being at the top of the division, even after you ended the Patriots’ streak.

Eagle fans, well let’s face it, you hate everyone. Everyone has a trophy, and you’re the Buffalo Bills of the NFC. With every great year, everyone downplays it because you never win the big one.

Of course there are other reasons why you’re passionate one way or the other, but that covers the majority of my readers.

Ok, now take that all out of it; and here are the August rankings of the NFC East.

The Dallas Cowboys are still on top of the NFC East. Not much has changed in Big D outside of their new offensive weapon in Dez Bryant. The thing about Dallas is, in a quarterback-driven league, they have the best quarterback from last season returning (statistically that is). They also arguably have the best wideouts in the division. They still have questions surrounding their left tackle position, that’s the one thing everyone’s eyes should be on. But ask any NFL general manager, if your team only has one or two question marks going into the season, you’re in good shape.

The G-Men of New York have been quiet this offseason, but their two key moves put them strongly in the #2 position in the East. Lets not forget this, the Giants started last season 5-2. Now, they did have a horrendous defensive breakdown, but just because they’re quiet, doesn’t mean they aren’t a team to look out for. Also, don’t underestimate the signing of Keith Bullock at middle linebacker. With Antonio Pierce being cut and eventually retiring, the Giants were ready to start fourth-round-pick, Phillip Dillard until Bullock’s recovery was promising enough to sign him. Combine that with the defensive help that Antrel Rolle will bring, and the Giants are confident that another meltdown in the second half of this season won’t happen like in 2009.

The Hogs and the Washington Redskins have made smart moves this offseason, moves that they’ve always failed to make in seasons past. For the first time in years, they stopped signing players as if they were one player away from the Super Bowl. They started in the trenches with rookie Trent Williams, traded for Jammal Brown formerly of the Saints, and then signed four different defensive lineman of 300+ pounds to help with the transition to the 3-4 defense. They may still struggler on offense though, with a running back core that’s on the decline, you’d hope that Shannahan’s running offense will be reborn in Washington. However, nobody can put their finger on the wideout spot. With Joey Galloway, a player who was cut twice last season, slotted at #2, many wonder what’s going to happen in the passing game.

And lastly, the Philadelphia Eagles are now last in the East. Don’t get me wrong, they haven’t made any steps backwards since the last time I evaluated them, but the Skins honestly have made more changes and moves while the Eagles stood idle. While the Skins are trading for help, taking players to Donovan McNabb’s “Hell Week”, the Eagles are getting injured in training camp and making zero moves to help their depth. Think about this for a second; I already explained how having the worst quarterback in the division usually makes you the worst team, but have you realized that the two players that anchored this team for around a decade are now gone? Both McNabb and Brian Westbrook made this team the dominating team for years, and within one offseason, they’re both gone. Can Kevin Kolb be a starter in the NFL? Can McCoy become a stable #1 RB? Will the new secondary be able to hold up in this offense-heavy conference? Much like the Cowboys only have one major question which is a good thing, Philly has the most question marks surrounding their team, and that my friends, is a bad thing.

Disagree? Please tell me why

Bret Farve tells Vikings he's NOT Returning

In a move that completely opens up the NFC...

Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Favre began telling team officials on Monday night that he will not return for another season. The disclosure comes on the heels of an observation from Zulgad that team "ownership and power brokers" held a meeting at practice that "looked very intense."

Zulgad also reports that Favre plans to issue a press release later today. Apparently, Favre's injured ankle "has not responded" after surgery and rehab.

Jay Glazer of FOX also reports that Favre has begun communicating the message to teammates.

We've been insisting that, before Favre returns, he needs to persuade everyone that he won't return. Just like he did last year.

Monday's Quick Shots - Golic blasts Haynesworth

Took a break through the slowest month in the NFL offseason, but now we’re back and will hopefully deliver more consistently.

I’d like to start off with a new column of “Quick Shots” to summarize what happened over the weekend in the NFC East. Let’s take a look…

Washington Redskins
With all the Albert Haynesworth news, I’m sure Skin fans are already tired of hearing about it. But this morning, many reporters, writers, bloggers, and even radio hosts tried to perform the same conditioning test that Haynesworth has been struggling with. And if you haven’t heard, that includes ESPN’s Mike Golic. Mike Golic, a 47-year-old retired player, use to play for the Miami Dolphins as well as the Philadelphia Eagles. He ran the conditioning test this morning and went on to say that he wasn’t impressed with Haynesworth. Hey Golic, none of us are.

Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles had some scares in their camp over the weekend with injuries to Mike Bell, Asante Samuel, and DeSean Jackson just to name a few. Luckily for this team, they were nothing more than hamstring and back pulls, so all players are looking to make full recoveries. Anyone still ready to trade away Philly’s depth now? I didn’t think so.

Dallas Cowboys
Speaking of trading away depth, Cowboy fans everywhere were ready to trade away Sam Hurd and/or Patrick Crayton with the emergence of rookie star, Dez Bryant. Well with Bryant down for 4-6 weeks with a high ankle sprain, I don’t see fans crying for a trade anymore. Lets also not forget, a high ankle sprain is sometimes considered worst than a bone break. Sprains don’t heal as quickly and can linger for the season. Cowboy fans can easily remember Terrence Newman’s constant struggle with ankle sprains in the past. Again, another reason not to trade away depth at a particular position, especially one as key as wideout.

New York Giants
The signing of Keith Bullock seemingly came from nowhere, however it’s well-known that the team was struggling with Phillip Dillard at middle linebacker. Bullock won’t bring you the speed or big hits at that position, but does bring the team some much-needed leadership. We’ll see if Bullock, who tore ligaments in his knee last season, can still perform at a high level.

NFC East is always full of media attention and publicity. We’ll redo the rankings later this week. Any thoughts?

Haynesworth: Just One Example of the NFL's Unfaithfulness

Albert Haynesworth signed with the Washington Redskins last season and was promised he’d be able to attack the quarterback. He was told that he would be given every opportunity to make plays in the 4-3 defense, whether it be at defensive tackle or at defensive end. Now, with new coaches Mike Shanahan and Jim Haslett implementing the 3-4 defense, Albert feels betrayed.

Does he have the right to be angry though?

Is Albert Haynesworth selfish? Yes, there’s no arguing that. But there’s this unwritten rule in the NFL where you have to be faithful to your franchise, your franchise doesn’t have to be faithful to you.

That’s a load of bullshit.

Last year, after their week five win over Kansas City, better known as Miles Austin’s breakout game, Patrick Crayton wasn’t even told he had been demoted to third wide receiver. It was just assumed he knew. That’s like you being outsold by some new guy at your sales job. And the next day when you show up to your shift, your boss looks at you funny. “You’ve been replaced by the new guy….what? I thought you knew!”

NFL Teams can cut you when they want (and only pay the bonuses, regardless of how long your contract was), they can bench you, they switch the scheme when they deem fit, and all of this has a big impact on the players’ livelihood.

This isn’t the NBA. There, when they hand you a contract, they mean it. You get a three-year deal with the Knicks, unless it’s bought out, you’re a Knick until otherwise told. DeAngelo Hall signed a seven-year contract with the Raiders in 2008…before they cut him seven weeks into the season, avoiding paying him a bonus that was going to be due in week eight.

Again, your franchise doesn’t have to be faithful to you.

Do you think a scheme has no effect on how you play? Or how much you’ll get paid?

“If you’re a star player, you’re a star, scheme has very little to do with it.” –Anonymous Friend of mine.

And a lot of people think that. I call those people; idiots.

Steve Young, NFL hall of famer, (you might’ve heard of him) was a Tampa Bay Buc before he was a Niner. Cedric Benson was a bust in Chicago before last year’s season with the Bengals. Kerry Collins took the Giants to the Superbowl after failing in Carolina, and then his downward spiral after leaving New York. Scheme matters people.

That’s why you see so many players holdout of minicamps. That’s the only leverage they have. Some have obviously outperformed their contracts. New York Jets’ Darrelle Revis is playing for about $1 million this year…the Redskins’ Carlos Rogers is getting $1.5 million….think about that for a second.

So all and all, Haynesworth is selfish, but someone has to take a stand against the unfaithfulness that the NFL teams display. The media likes to jump on the players for wanting more money, playing time, etc. Fact of the matter is, nobody jumps on these franchises for betraying them.

Should Roy Williams Play in the Slot?

Should Roy Williams be Dallas’ slot receiver?

You can’t take a lot away from OTAs and other voluntary practices. They’re putting these players in shorts and t-shirts, they can’t hit each other, and there’s a strict no-contact rule enforced across the league (which is why I don’t understand why offensive and defensive linemen are even there). But one big question on the minds of Cowboy fans surrounds the three wide receiver set that Dallas has been experimenting with. The big question is who plays in the slot if Dallas lines up with Roy Williams, Dez Bryant, and Miles Austin?

A popular Dallas area newspaper released a stat that shows Roy Williams’ stats over the middle, and quickly, fans loved the idea. Roy has struggled at wideout, yes, but don’t be fooled by these stats. They are not what you think they are. Just because Roy’s best stats are over the middle, does not mean he will be a great slot receiver. While looking at these stats you’re probably thinking “Slot WRs generally haul in a lot of passes over the middle, so Williams must be well-suited for that spot!” No.

Assuming that is a classic logical error known as confirming the consequent. If you believe the above, here’s what your mind just did:

1. If a player is a slot receiver, he will perform best in the middle of the field.
2. 2. Roy performs best in the middle of the field.
3. Therefore, Roy Williams is, or should be, a slot WR.

That theory may look solid, but that’s the equivalent to saying…

1. If it rained last night while I was asleep, the street will be wet.
2. The street is wet.
3. Therefore, it must’ve rained last night.

With the numerous of reasons a street would be wet, you hopefully now understand why Roy’s excellence over the middle doesn’t immediately translate into him being in the slot.

Truth be told, Roy is excellent in routes referred to as “in-breaking” routes. These routes include slants, posts, and ins, all routes that place you over the middle of the field. It drastically effect the stats I showed you early on that chart. So your next question is, what about Miles or Dez at the slot?

I fully believe the two will share that role with a little bit of Felix sprinkled in. Miles’s stats show that he is just as effective over the middle as on the outside, so no reason to make him THE slot receiver. Dez has always shown great athletic ability, so his talent can be used all over the field. And lets not forget about Patrick Crayton, he does have reliable hands, and on an important third down, he might be the guy to go to.

Jason Garrett has shown he can exploit mismatches, and he must be a kid in a candy store with as many offensive weapons he has. Look for him to exploit defenses with his variety of playmakers this season.

Disagree? I do welcome comments and criticism.

What You Should and Shouldn't Worry About: Redskins

You sit at the bar with your buddies, most of them are just like you, they love the same shows you watch, the same hobbies, and of course, the same football franchise. It’s then when you realize, since you’re all on the same side of the argument, you can candidly speak about the things that you worry about for your team, and also the things that you know are rock solid. I’m going to help you with that conversation.

By the way, what I like to do here at the NFC Beast Blog is give you what I call Big Boy Fantalk I’m not from the era of “everybody’s a winner” or “everyone gets a trophy for just trying”. I give it to you like I see it, if you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’m not here to sugarcoat it in any way shape or form. Yes, one of these NFC East teams I’ve followed and cheered for my whole life, but as an adult, I am realistic and even know my team’s weaknesses and opportunities. You want sugarcoating? Go listen to your local radio show, I’m sure they’re going to be able to tell you exactly why you’re team will win the Super Bowl. Come to me when you want the truth.

I live here in the DC area where the fans are buzzing and gaining confidence as the day goes on, and understandably so. On paper, they made some intelligent moves this offseason. They’ve done everything from GMs, coaches, and probably the most important, quarterback changes. With training camp about a month away, I’m going to let you know what you should and shouldn’t worry about Redskin fan.

No Worries Here

Running Back by Committee

Unlike most people, I actually have faith in the trio of halfbacks that the Skins have assembled. Sure, on paper they just look like the Pro Bowl class of 2006, but combine that with the always successful Mike Shanahan running game, and you have a real threat in that backfield. Donavan McNabb is no John Elway, Coach Shanahan does not want him flinging the ball 40+ times a game. He’d rather get a comfortable lead (lets say 14 points) and then let his halfback trio run right down the seam for the rest of the game. Each of their three (and maybe four if they sign Brian Westbrook) backs have unique skills that differentiate them from each other, and Coach Shanahan knows how to use multiple backs. Just ask Mike Bell and Tatum Bell.

Emerging Young Talent

Due to their lack of wins, not many fans around the league got a chance to realize that the ‘Skins have some emerging talent on their roster. A lot of attention was rather drawn to the sudden emergence of another NFC East team, of course I’m speaking of Miles Austin of the Dallas Cowboys. Brian Orakpo’s 11 sacks (albeit, four of them were against the Raiders) can not be overlooked, and most fans know that name. But players like Devin Thomas, Fred Davis, and Rocky McIntosh give fans hope that this team has potential in the years to come.

Get the Panic Button Ready

Switching to a 3-4 Defense

Out of all the offseason decisions that made sense, there’s one still has me scratching my head. The Redskins’ defense in 2009 was the only thing steady in this team. I’m not saying they had jaw-dropping stats or numbers, but they were at least in the middle of the pack for most major defensive stats across the league, and that’s saying a lot when you’re in the same division with some of the best offenses in the NFL today. So to not build on that, but rather change up completely still confuses me. And the most essential part to a 3-4 defense is the nose tackle…the Skins don’t have one. They were hoping that Albert Haynesworth would fill that role, but he has declined to play a position that doesn’t constantly attack the quarterback. With an undersized middle linebacking core, you need a big body in front of them so that you’re 245lb linebacker is being blocked by an offensive guard that will outweigh him by 60+ pounds.

McNabb’s Durability

Donavan McNabb might arguably be the best quarterback in the division, if nothing else, a close second to Tony Romo. Both players actually play very similarly. They’re threats to run the ball, roll out of the pocket, and can drill the ball downfield with some pretty good accuracy. But McNabb rarely finishes an entire season without some sort of injury. Now he will be put behind one of the league’s worst performing offensive lines from 2009. Washington fans got really excited when they acquired McNabb, but quickly forgot that he is far from the NFL’s iron man, he has a big durability problem.