Well, our first week of Fox NFL Sunday is in the books, time to get ready for Week-2. As we go along in this, my "rookie" season as host of the big shindig, I'll let you in on some of the off-screen, behind -the-scenes stuff that goes on from time to time.
Like our Week 1 show.
To say that Terry, Howie, and Jimmy were ecstatic to be back in the Fox studio for the upcoming season, compared to last year's road circus, would be an understatement. For me, after 10-years of being on the road doing games as a play-by-play guy for Fox, coupled with last year's road duties, it's a totally different experience.
What I think it does for the show is make things better because the guys can simply be themselves. They can hear each other, they can come back with the quick quips that only good friends can say to you, and they don't have to worry about being hit in the head by objects thrown from the crowd (like the basketball that beaned Howie in the Giants Stadium parking lot last fall).
A prime example was after Frank Caliendo's piece and his mock-Madden's, mock-fight with the real Bob Costas. Howie's line that "Frank just got his butt kicked by a preschooler" was priceless and fit the piece perfectly. However, I don't think that response would have come about had we been on the road with the guys struggling just to hear over the crowd, forget having time to come up with a funny line.
By the way, we get to watch every play of every game that goes on Sunday. That's what we do between the end of the pregame show and the various halftime segments that we have for each game. Anyway, the funniest line to come out while watching the games occurred during the Denver/Buffalo contest when one of the guys (who shall remain nameless) uttered the line: "Travis Henry is running today like he's got 9-mouths to feed.".
Great line, I thought.
Dump Offs ...I don't watch reality television (sorry bosses, never even seen American Idol). But I do know who, this week, is the NFL's Biggest Loser: Bill Belichick. He may win more Super Bowls because he's that good a coach, and his teams are usually that talented, but his mojo is gone. Win or not, his methods will always be brought into question, and that's too bad...
...I am not accusing anyone else of cheating here, let's be clear on that. However, you can't convince me that had the coach who did this been named Mike Nolan, or Mike Holmgren, or Mike Tomlin, that the vitriol from the media and other NFL people would have been the same. There's a disdain for Belichick and the Patriots that no other team comes close to meeting. As one NFL head coach told me, he wanted to see them "get it" because they are so arrogant...
...Final word on Patriot-gate: I have no problem with the punishment, because I honestly don't think it's that big a deal compared to what coaches do every day to try to gain some type of advantage. That said, how does Cowboys QB coach Wade Wilson get a 5-game suspension for breaking the rules for health reasons and Belichick get just a financial fine and the loss of 1-of-2 1st round picks next year for breaking the rules for competitive reasons? You tell me which affects the integrity of the game more...
...Hey, I can't stand her music, but is it wrong to feel sorry for Britney Spears and the mess that she has become?...
...We should all feel a bit for 49ers runningback Frank Gore this Sunday. He plans to play despite the death of his mother, Liz, after her long battle with kidney disease. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one knows how hard it can be just to function in the immediate aftermath. He has to try to do it in the public eye...
...I think that the Chargers are the most talented team in the NFL. Thus far, I know that they are the most talkative...
...The Saints offense looked awful against the Colts, there's no way that happens again this week against Tampa...
...Ditto, the Bears against the Chiefs...
...Do you think when folks in Jacksonville rushed out to get tickets to the Falcons/Jags game when they went on sale this spring they were thinking, "can't wait to see who wins that Joey Harrington-David Garrard showdown!!"
...Chad Johnson's act used to be cute...used to be...
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW Usually, documentary films aren't high on the list of recommendations. But you will have missed out on one of the best and more fun documentaries to come about if you don't see "In The Shadow of the Moon" while it's in theaters.
It's produced by Ron Howard and is absolutely fantastic. In fact, as soon as the movie ended, my wife leaned over to me and said, "that was really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really good". Yes, it was an 8-count-"really".
It's interviews with the only living people who have actually been to the moon (with the exception of Neil Armstrong who will not do interviews), interspersed with a lot of NASA footage from the actual moon missions.
It's surprisingly funny, and the stories told by the astronauts range from hilarious, to cute, to compelling. Michael Collins, who was back in the command module while Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were becoming the first to land on the moon, lets those of us who have always felt for him know that there was no reason to. He is definitely the star of the film, while Alan Bean adds the perfect comic relief.
Make sure you catch this movie, and catch it in the theater. The big screen makes a huge difference.
The preseason's all wrapped up. The cuts have been made. Now nothing left to do but play some football. FINALLY!
This time of year everyone always wants to know what everyone else thinks of their team. Well, since my "27 camps in 29 days" tour (turned out to be 25 camps due to weather and horrible service by the airline industry) allowed me to see the majority of teams, first hand, I thought that I'd give you my opinion on how the entire league stacks up.
It's just my opinion, and that's it.
So here we go with my ranking of teams from No. 1 (the best) to No. 32 (the worst). As you read this, keep in mind that last year, I predicted a Miami/Carolina Super Bowl. We'll see if I can do any better this time around.
1. San Diego Chargers
Reason to believe: Hands down, the best talent in the NFL.
Reason to worry: New head coach and new coordinators working together for the first time.
2. New England Patriots
Reason to believe: Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, enough said.
Reason to worry: Randy Moss, enough said.
3. Chicago Bears
Reason to believe: Weapons on offense may finally equal those on defense.
Reason to worry: Offensive line beginning to age.
4. Baltimore Ravens
Reason to believe: Willis McGahee looks like he's got something to prove.
Reason to worry: Steve McNair starting to show his age and physical pounding he's taken.
5. New Orleans Saints
Reason to believe: Drew Brees has been near perfect in camp.
Reason to worry: Still unsure how they're getting it done at linebacker, but they are...for now.
6. Seattle Seahawks
Reason to believe: Healthy Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, a much improved defense.
Reason to worry: Left guard Rob SIms and center Chris Spencer new starters from day one.
7. Indianapolis Colts
Reason to believe: Two words: Peyton Manning.
Reason to worry: Lost far too many players from Super Bowl team.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
Reason to believe: Roethlisberger out to show it wasn't all Cowher and Whisenhunt.
Reason to worry: Was Big Ben's success all Cowher and Whisenhunt?
9. Philadelphia Eagles
Reason to believe: Donovan McNabb is back.
Reason to worry: Fair or not, Andy Reid's family troubles will continue to be a topic in Philly.
10. Denver Broncos
Reason to believe: Jay Cutler in year two with Mike Shanahan.
Reason to worry: Outside of Elvis Dumervil, defensive line is a huge question mark.
11. Dallas Cowboys
Reason to believe: The way Tony Romo played in his first five starts in '06.
Reason to worry: The way Tony Romo played in his final five starts in '06.
12. Green Bay Packers
Reason to believe: Defense has the potential to be dominant.
Reason to worry: Offensive scheme built on RB and TE and right now team has neither.
13. Cincinnati Bengals
Reason to believe: Offensive starters are as solid a group as there is in NFL.
Reason to worry: Three 8-8 finishes in four years under Marvin Lewis.
14. Carolina Panthers
Reason to believe: Running game should be better under new coordinator Jeff Davidson.
Reason to worry: Dan Morgan is difference maker on defense, but can he ever stay healthy?
15. Tennessee Titans
Reason to believe: Vince Young makes everybody around him better.
Reason to worry: Haven't replaced Pacman Jones at corner, nor as a returner.
16. San Francisco 49ers
Reason to believe: Rookies Patrick Willis and Joe Staley are the real deals.
Reason to worry: Realistically, one more draft class and free agent year away.
17. St. Louis Rams
Reason to believe: As long as this coaching staff has Steven Jackson, they have a chance.
Reason to worry: Secondary will miss best player, Fakhir Brown, for 4-game suspension.
18. New York Jets
Reason to believe: Eric Mangini worked magic in 2006.
Reason to worry: It's not 2006 anymore.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars
Reason to believe: Defense too good not to believe.
Reason to worry: Cutting your starting QB a week before the season starts is not good.
20. Washington Redskins
Reason to believe:Defensive talent is back to 2004-2005 level.
Reason to worry: QB Jason Campbell missed a lot of preseason work with an injured knee.
21. Arizona Cardinals
Reason to believe: Team will be more disciplined under Ken Whisenhunt.
Reason to worry: Essentially the same defensive group that was ranked 30th last year.
22. Detroit Lions
Reason to believe: Passing game should be electric.
Reason to worry: Running game could be shockingly bad.
23. New York Giants
Reason to believe: May be deepest receiver group in team history.
Reason to worry: Anything other than a fast start and the wolves will be out in NYC.
24. Miami Dolphins
Reason to believe: Offensive-minded head coach Cam Cameron just what team needed.
Reason to worry: Could have also used some younger players on defense.
25. Cleveland Browns
Reason to believe: Talent has really been upgraded.
Reason to worry: Weeks 1-5: Pittsburgh, Cincy, at Oakland, Baltimore and at New England.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Reason to believe: Jon Gruden is desperate, and desperate coaches can be dangerous.
Reason to worry: Jeff Garcia hasn't played 16 games since 2002.
27. Buffalo Bills
Reason to believe: Should be able to run the ball and keep games close.
Reason to worry: Must have offense keep games close, because defense will struggle.
28. Oakland Raiders
Reason to believe: Daunte Culpepper beginning to look like his old self.
Reason to worry: Lamont Jordan's inconsistent and Dominic Rhodes is out first four games.
29. Minnesota Vikings
Reason to believe: Offense should be better by the end of season.
Reason to worry: First-year starter Tarvaris Jackson will struggle. How does he handle it?
30. Atlanta Falcons
Reason to believe: Bobby Petrino seems to have done a good job of keeping team focused.
Reason to worry: It was going to be a long year with Michael Vick's talent. Without him...
31. Houston Texans
Reason to believe: Change at quarterback brings in fresh air.
Reason to worry: Don't you just feel like they'll always be the "Arizona of the AFC"?
32. Kansas City Chiefs
Reason to believe: Wait, wait...I'm still thinking.
Reason to worry: Damon Huard was a backup for 11 years for a reason.
NFC division winners: Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Seattle.
NFC wild cards: Dallas and Green Bay.
AFC division winners: Baltimore, Indianapolis, New England, San Diego.
AFC wild cards: Denver and Pittsburgh.
Super Bowl matchup: Chicago Bears vs San Diego Chargers.
Since Super Bowl XLII is on FOX in February, I'll be there in person to see if my predictions are right. They probably won't be. :-)
As I write this post, I've seen 21 different teams during this preseason. That means when you add together each team's offense, defense, and special teams, I've seen a total of 63-different units. I will say that without a doubt, the worst of any of those 63-units was EASILY the Buffalo Bills defense.
They can't tackle, they can't cover, they can't put pressure on the quarterback.
I guess the good news is that the Bills know it.
As one Buffalo coach told me, "we have to do everything we can to keep our defense off the field." Well, knowing you have a problem is the first step to recovery.
Last season, head coach #### Jauron and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell somehow got this unit to overachieve. Their 10th ranking in scoring defense was a big reason why Buffalo surprised a lot of folks with a 7-9 record. Those two might have to be miracle workers for that to be the case again this year.
The losses of linebackers Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher-Baker will grab the headlines, but really, the crew is more athletic without them. They're also much more inexperienced, and for now, less talented. Maybe not for long, though.
Speaking about second-round pick, middle linebacker Paul Posluszny, Jauron told me "he gets it." He's not with the first unit yet, but "he's pushing hard." That would be a major step in the right direction. Current starters Angelo Crowell, John Di Giorgio and Keith Ellison all are hard working guys who give you everything they've got. The issue is, they just don't have a lot.
Things are better up front and behind....slightly.
On the defensive line Jauron thought that his team was "pretty deep, pretty strong at the defensive end position, but now that's all changed." Starters Chris Kelsay and pro bowler Aaron Schobel (who just got a new contract potentially worth $50 million this week) are still in tact, but pass rush specialist Ryan Denny will likely miss the entire season with a broken foot. Anthony Hargrove will miss the first four games of the season due to a league suspension. Thusly, the team signed veteran Al Wallace this week just to have somebody to backup Kelsay and Schobel. Wallace is officially a seven-year veteran, but made his NFL debut 11-years ago, and has bounced in and out of the league since while working as a junior high school assistant principal.
In the secondary, the team hasn't come close to replacing departed cornerback Nate Clements. Jason Webster and Terrence McGee are the starters, but both are just holding on. The hope is that second year man Ashton Youboty can step up and take over one of those spots, but he hasn't yet. Having safeties Ko Simpson, and Donte Whitner together for a second straight season should help. At times last year, Whitner was the defense's best player despite his rookie status, and this year he could take on that title full time. Not just by default, but because he actually has a chance to be that good. But on this defense he's a rarity.
Obviously, this team is going to rely heavily on it's offense, particularly at the start of the season. But, it's not like they appear ready to carry the load.
Quarterback J.P. Losman actually seemed to get better toward the end of the season in '06. What's surprising is that even a number of the coaches don't seem to be sold that he's turned the corner. Every coach I spoke with talked about how he must become more consistent. I was told that the reason he appeared to get better late in the year was that things were made so basic for him that they were able to "hold his hand." The problem is, you can only get away with that for so long.
Watching Losman, particularly when he throws the deep ball, you can see the flashes that give the Bills hope. Losman throws as pretty a long ball as any quarterback in the league. He also may be as tough as there is as well. Going into just his second year as a full time starter there should be a little leeway for him. This is his fourth season in the league. Not to mention, Buffalo spent a third-round pick this year on Stanford's Trent Edwards. Impatience is the norm in the NFL, so the jurors out there are just about ready to make the call on Losman's making it in Buffalo.
The Bills have tried to help him as much as possible with a group of running backs that may, as a unit, be the strength of the team. First-round pick Marshawn #### is "100% the real deal."
"He's a good runner, and a really good receiver" according to Jauron. He even does an decent job in pass protection, although that needs to get better (as is most often the case for a rookie who wasn't really asked to do it in college). Behind #### the Bills have former Bear Anthony Thomas, and fourth-round pick Dwayne Wright out of Fresno State, whom the coaches like in spot duty.
The Bills feel that they've upgraded the offensive line by adding left guard Derrick Dockery, Jason Whittle (who'll most likely be the starter at right guard), and right tackle Langston Walker. We'll see. The one guy that they don't have any concern about is left tackle Jason Peters who this year could catapult himself into the company of Walter Jones and Jonathan Ogden, joining the argument of "who is the best left tackle in the NFL?" Peters isn't there yet, but he's knocking on the door (along with San Diego's Marcus McNeill, by the way).
Lee Evans is a solid No. 1 receiver, the No. 2 role will be a group effort. Somehow out of Peerless Price, Josh Reed, and the speedy but small Roscoe Parrish, the Bills need to find a way to keep defenses honest in their coverages.
I don't mean this sarcastically, but the best unit on this squad is special teams. In fact, Buffalo's special teams are among the best in the league.
That may be the thing that allows Buffalo to tread water until it learns to swim. Jauron told me that this is his kind of team, one that isn't filled with stars, but guys looking to get better and a franchise looking to improve. He did a brilliant job last season in getting them to win seven games. The challenge could be tougher this season, but he seems ready for it. At least he knows what he's in for.
Without question, the best thing about this training camp tour is actually seeing teams with your own eyes and forming your own opinions based on what you see, and what you learn in talking with football people.
That may sound simple, but this time of year, lots of guesses out there are based on nothing but looking at rosters and who's back and who's not. Look, we're all guessing, and injuries or performance can quickly change a "sure thing" into an "oh-oh," and vice versa. However, you feel better about your opinion when you actually get to see things in person, how it all fits together, and more importantly how teams plan to use certain players in certain schemes.
That said, I have now had a chance to witness in person every team in the NFC North. I've already written that I believe that the Chicago Bears are the class of the division, and maybe the entire NFC (not really going out on a limb there, am I?). What I've learned by checking in with the other three teams is that: (1) I think that the teams in this division are going to be better and more competitive than a lot of people believe, and (2) whoever finishes second in the division is probably going to be good enough to make the playoffs.
So, who's No. 2 in the North?
Well, let's start with the one team that I'm sure it won't be, the Minnesota Vikings.
While I do believe that the talent in Minnesota has been upgraded, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, I think the Vikings have the farthest to go.
Yes, their defense is good, but it's not the all-world run stopper that folks made it out to be in '06. Part of the reason that they were No. 1 vs. the run (allowing less than 62 yards a game) is that they were last in the NFL against the pass, so teams didn't have to run against them. Now, that doesn't mean that they aren't a good run defense, period, because they are, they're just not great.
New defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is a Tony Dungy disciple, as was the departed Mike Tomlin. We'll see if he can keep things on an upswing. He'd better, because they'll need it.
Despite having rookie running back Adrian Peterson, who is the real deal if he can stay healthy, the learning curve will be steep for the Vikes offense, led by second-year quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson was a lost puppy when thrown into things last year replacing Brad Johnson. He simply wasn't ready. This year he's more prepared, appears to be more poised, but still has a lot to learn about reading NFL defenses and playing at this level week to week. His biggest problem will be that he doesn't really have much help in the passing game.
Already, the Vikings' best receiver may be former Packer Robert Ferguson, just signed this week. That's not a ringing endorsement. Watch out as the season goes on, though for second-round pick Sidney Rice. He's big, strong, and the coaches like his ability to catch passes going across the middle.
Coming off a 6-10 record, the Vikes will be more competitive than they were in '06, but I don't think their record will be a whole lot better.
On the other hand, the Detroit Lions should be both. More competitive and have a better record.
Of course, they're coming off a 3-13 season, so it would be hard not to.
But after six years of missteps under Matt Millen, the Lions are finally marching in the right direction. Millen appeared to be blinded by talent when drafting his first five years, taking players of truly questionable character because he thought they could play football. Well, eventually a locker room full of bad/questionable guys corrupts the entire system, or in the Lions' case, doesn't help turn it around. Millen's choice of head coaches didn't help as both Marty Morninweg and Steve Mariucci weren't the kind of guys who could handle the type of guys that Millen had acquired,
Now, it's all come together. The Lions have placed a premium on character, and they have the right guy to mold it in head coach Rod Marinelli.
After you establish character, you still need talent, and the Lions have more of it than they've had in a while. I have been a fan of Jon Kitna's since we both were tooling in NFL Europe back in 1998. He showed last year that he can throw the football (more than 4,000 yards passing), but its about what he brings to a squad as a leader that impresses me most. He's got the weapons in the passing game to succeed with the addition of rookie Calvin Johnson, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft (remember, though, it takes most rookie receivers a little while to "get it" at the pro level), to Roy Williams (who led the NFC in receiving yards in '06), Mike Furrey (who led the NFC in catches last year) and Shaun McDonald (the former Ram who will be the fourth receiver, but in this offense can still put up big numbers).
The addition of Edwin Mulitalo and George Foster should make the offensive line better at pass protection than it was last year when it allowed more than four sacks a game. But they most likely will struggle in the run game. No one on the line is a great run blocker, and the running backs they have aren't the type that can cover that up. Even if Kevin Jones is able to come back full strength from foot surgery (he has yet to practice), it could be a long year trying to get anything going on the ground.
To me, the whole key to the Lions lies in the health of the defense. IF everyone is healthy, they have the makings of a very good "Tampa 2" unit.
However, staying healthy on that side of the ball seems to be the issue the last couple of years. Whether it's defensive tackle Shaun Rogers (who was just taken off the physically unable to perform list this week, and appears to be about 20 pounds too heavy), or linebackers Teddy Lehman or Boss Bailey, it always seems that one of the key guys on that side of the ball is hurt.
Rogers can be a dominant tackle when he wants to be, and Cory Redding has shown that he is something special there, too. Ernie Sims is a tackling machine at linebacker. Now, their secondary isn't made up of guys that are great at man-to-man coverage, but that's not what they're asked to do in this defense. Corners Fernando Bryant, Travis Fisher and Stanley WIlson, along with safeties Kenoy Kennedy and Daniel Bullocks, are all pretty good tacklers, which is a must in the "Tampa 2."
The Lions have the talent to make a big leap from where they were last year, and even if they don't catapult into a playoff spot, they're finally on the right road.
The team that I think has already turned the corner, though, is the Green Bay Packers.
Some folks have knocked Green Bay's four-game win streak to end the season at 8-8 as simply being a product of playing the right teams at the right time (49ers, Lions, Vikes, Bears). Well, first off, you can only play the teams that are on your schedule and the object is to win, no matter who the competition is, so I never discount victories. Secondly, when you look at this roster, there's a lot more to it than just good timing.
The Packers enter this season with a good mix of youth and veteran talent. Especially on the defensive side.
DE Aaron Kampman led the NFC in sacks with 15, and he's only in his fifth year. On the opposite side Cullen Jenkins is vastly underrated as a pass rusher and a run stopper. Having Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila as a pass-rush specialist, and inside guys Ryan Pickett and first-round pick Justin Harrell (assuming he plays like he has so far in camp) makes this arguably as good a d-line unit as there is in football.
Their linebacking unit is far behind in second-year man A.J. Hawk, third-year player Brady Poppinga and Nick Barnett, who's only in Year 5.
The worries on defense, if they have any, come in the secondary. Charles Woodson seemed to find the fountain of youth last season playing across from physical corner Al Harris, but both are in their ninth seasons and in their 30s, not usually a good place to be for that position. Free safety Nick Collins is OK., but Marquand Manuel isn't getting it done beside him, so don't be surprised to see Atari Bigby take over at strong safety.
Brett Favre turns 38 in October and wants to win one more Super Bowl (who doesn't?). I'm not sure that that type of talent is there, but he has to feel better about what he has to work with on offense than he has in a couple of years.
This offensive line started two rookies at guard and an inexperienced center last year. Not only did Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz and Scott Wells all improve as the season went on, by the end of the year they, along with tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, were one of the better lines in the NFL.
Greg Jennings started out hot as a rookie wideout, until suffering an ankle injury that he never got quite right. Well, now it is. Donald Driver is a strong No. 1 receiver and now they've added rookie James Jones to the mix, and the coaches can't stop talking about him.
With Ahman Green gone to Houston, it's supposed to be running back by committee in Green Bay, but second-rounder Brandon Jackson has taken hold of the starting spot and shows no signs of letting go.
However, the search is still on for the Packers to find a fullback and a tight end. Both these positions are vital to the offense that head coach Mike McCarthy likes to run, but they still have no answer.
Brandon Miree took over for William Henderson at fullback last year. Miree didn't set the coaches on fire, Henderson has been let go, and now they're trying guys like Korey Hall, who was a middle linebacker at Boise State.
It's my belief (100% speculation here, gang) that if they had any alternative for tight end Bubba Franks he wouldn't make this team, but as of now, they have absolutely nothing better. David Martin left for Miami, Donald Lee isn't a pass catcher, and the other TEs on the roster are seventh-round pick Clark Harris and rookie free agent Joe Werner, who hasn't played football since his sophomore year in high school and was a basketball player at Division III UW-La Crosse.
These blips are why you can see that the Packers...nor the Lions, nor Vikes...are in the same tier as the Bears. You can, however, see why I think all are better than last year, and why this division is better. Being the best of the rest of the North is no longer a bad thing. Not when the potential for all is this good.
I mean, every guy could relate to being the kid who was forever chasing that one girl that he just couldn't get. We've all been Kevin Arnold at some point, just hoping to get Winnie Cooper to go out with us.
To me, the problem with the show became when Winnie finally said "yes" and went out with Kevin. From that point on, "now what?" seemed to be the question. Where could the show go now that Kevin had finally achieved what the entire series was built on.
"Now what?"
That seems to be the position that the Indianapolis Colts are in now that they've finally won their "Winnie," better known as the Vince Lombardi Trophy. What do the Colts have left to do? What do Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy have left to prove?
"I don't look at it as I have anything to prove," Manning told me. "I just want to do the best I can for this team. In some ways we almost feel like we want to reach back and make up for some of the ones that got away back in '03 and '04."
In case you don't remember, '03 was the year that Manning was NFL co-MVP with Steve McNair. The Colts finished 12-4 before losing the AFC Championship game in New England. '04 was Manning's 49-touchdown season, another 12-4 mark and another playoff loss at the Patriots in the divisional round..
Ironically, it's those two disappointing seasons, or more specifically the year after each of those disappointing seasons, that the Colts believe will help them handle being this year's defending champs.
"We've done a real good job of coming back from past playoff losses and had quick starts the next season," Dungy said. "We've been able to put the past in the past as soon as the following year begins."
"We've done a good job of coming back from tough finishes to seasons and been able to put it behind us the following year," Manning echoed before adding, "plus, it's not fair to the young guys in here for us to keep talking about last year and living in the past. I know that when I was a rookie I wanted the veterans to be as excited as I was about this NFL thing and (be in) the here-and-now."
With (1) rookie Tony Ugoh replacing retired all-pro left tackle Tarik Glenn, (2) rookie Anthony Gonzalez taking Brandon Stokley's spot as the slot receiver, (3) second-year man Freddy Keiaho filling in for the departed Cato June at outside linebacker, and (4 & 5) Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden the new starting corners in place of both Nick Harper and Jason David, the young guys will be a big part of the 2007 version of the Colts. It remains to be seen if they can live up to the 2006 model.
All those changes and we haven't even mentioned the loss of Booger McFarland at defensive tackle for the season with a knee injury.
A lot of change for a team wanting to get to the Super Bowl, not to mention one wanting to get back there. But Dungy and Manning truly believe that in this case, change is good.
"I think it is," Dungy stated, "because guys don't come in thinking, 'we've got the same bunch of guys, so we just pick up from February 4th and go from there."
Manning added, "Yeah we've lost a lot of players, a lot of good players. But we've lost guys before and been able to keep going. We've got young guys in Ugoh and Gonzalez, but we've still got Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Dwight Freeney in here, too."
And that's why when you're around Indy you don't sense any worry. They feel that they are still talented, and more importantly, that they have done the work that it takes to still be a championship-caliber team. In fact, Dungy told me that in preparation for going through a year in which they are officially "the team to beat," he went back over notes from his old Super Bowl-winning coach Chuck Noll. He also spoke with Lions head coach Rod Marinelli, who was on his staff in Tampa and stayed on to win Super Bowl 37 as a member of Jon Gruden's, about the challenges ahead. He even chatted up San Antonio Spurs forward Bruce Bowen, a 3-time NBA champ, so that he could be as ready as possible.
What he learned was that "you try to do the same things you did before. Don't take it any easier, don't work them any harder".
I have no doubt that Dungy, Manning and most of the Colts will be as prepared as any team in the league. What I'm not sure about is the talent level on this team. While all of the changes may keep the team from becoming complacent, I don't think that the team is as competent on the field.
The players they lost were good players, but I think the fact that they are at key positions hurts them even more when it comes to having young guys take over. They've got one new starter on the defensive line, one at linebacker, two in the secondary. Tough for a defense to come together with new faces at each level.
Manning told me that the young guys on offense have worked hard, and they ask the right questions, so he knows that they understand their respective roles. He also believes that Joseph Addai is going to have, quote, "a phenomenal year" as both a runner and pass catcher.
All of this sounds great, but once this team hits the field there's no debating that they aren't as talented overall as the team that won it all last season. I also believe that the other teams in the AFC South are catching up, as well.
It would be foolish to sit here in August and say that the Indianapolis Colts are done because they are talented, and they have come back time and time again when counted out. But it's also foolish not to understand that with the level of success they've now achieved, anything short of another Super Bowl championship will be a disappointment.
You look at the Kansas City Chiefs, and one thought immediately comes to mind: "Thank goodness the Raiders are in the same division".
The problem is, so are the Chargers and the Broncos.
The Chiefs have had maybe the most loyal fan base in the NFL for decades now. That loyalty won't get tested this season, but their patience surely will. No one around the Chiefs wants to admit it, but this is clearly a rebuilding year for Herman Edwards' team. The good news is that Edwards is the perfect guy to do it.
Last year, in his first with KC, the team kinda stole its way into the playoffs. They really weren't playing Edwards' kinda ball, nor were they his kinda players. They were still, essentially, #### Vermeil's team. And while they won a lot of games during Vermeil's five years, they only made one playoff appearances, with zero victories. The team that Edwards inherited had gotten old and expensive.
Instead of going the route of the San Francisco 49ers earlier this decade and riding the vets into salary cap oblivion, which would mean having to bottom out for a couple of seasons before getting back on the upswing, it looks like the Chiefs are making their moves now.
Nowhere more clearly than at quarterback where Trent Green, perenially an elite QB under Vermeil has been muscled out to Miami with either Damon Huard, or Brodie Croyle taking over. I say "either/or" because the team has not made it's decision yet. But considering that the Chiefs are in rebuilding mode, it seems easy to see that it's Croyle's gig to lose. The reasons are two fold: (1) Croyle is the guy that this regime drafted which means they naturally lean towards him. (2) Huard has been in the NFL for 11 years, and with the exception of replacing an injured starter, has been the backup on EVERY SINGLE TEAM he's played for. There's a reason that he's a backup. A good backup, but a backup, nonetheless.
Watching the two in person, it's clear to see that Croyle is physically a better QB and gives the Chiefs a better opportunity do be good down the road. Playing Huard this year does nothing to help the future. Croyle has a stronger arm, is more mobile, and has a little something about him.
Chiefs QB coach #### Curl told me "he's Jake (Delhomme) in ability and personality." Curl coached Delhomme way back in his NFL Europe days. Jake has taken Carolina to two NFC championship games and a Super Bowl. The Chiefs are just looking to win one playoff game for the first time since 1993. But it also means that you have to put up with some of the bad to go with that good that he can bring. The risk taking is what makes Delhomme what he is, made Kenny Stabler what he was, soon KC hopes that another 'Bama QB can follow in those footsteps.
If Croyle winds up the starter, he will be the first QB drafted by the Chiefs to start for the Chiefs since Todd Blackledge in 1983!!
One thing that I think will help whoever is the starter is that KC finally went out and got some big targets as receivers. #1 pick Dwayne Bowe is 6-2, 221 lbs. After signing his contract late, he's behind in camp, but his time is coming. Add him to all world tight end Tony Gonzalez, who is 6-5, Eddie Kennison, and a couple of the tall street free agent targets brought in ( "there's going to be 3 or 4 free agents make this team", Edwards told me), and it helps out the quarterback tremendously. Their size allows the qb to not have to be absoluetly pinpoint perfect on every throw, because they can either go up and get a pass, or fight off a smaller defensive back to make sure it's not picked off. That's something that the Vermeil Chiefs never had.
The big question is do they have a good enough line to give them the time to actually throw the ball. With the retirements of WIllie Roaf and Will Shields over the last two offseasons, the Chiefs have gone from having one of the best offensive lines in the league to one of the weakest. Damion McIntosh was brought in from Miami to play left tackle, but a knee injury will keep him out at least the rest of training camp, and his replacement Will Svitek ( a former defensive lineman at Colorado) is struggling in his place so far. On the right side, Kyle Turley continues his attempted comeback, and at least this year he's over 300lbs instead of the 280 he started '06 at, but at his age, with his back, the Chiefs can only keep their fingers crossed.
Until Larry Johnson ends his holdout, the running game is non existent. Forget Priest Holmes' attempted comeback. I'll be shocked if he ever plays one down, and that includes the preseason.
Things are much brighter on the defensive side where DEs Tamba Hali and Jared Allen are a solid pass rushing pair. Allen will have to sit out the first two games due to his league suspension, but his absence shouldn't impact matchups with either Houston, or Chicago, their first two opponents. They've got core of fast, if not spectacular, linebackers in Derrick Johnson, Kendrell Bell, Napolean Harris and the returning Donnie Edwards. Edwards has lost a step, now in his 11th year, but he's one of those guys that just has a knack for being around the football and making tackles no matter where he plays.
They'd better hope that veteran corners Ty Law (11th year) and Patrick Surtain (9th) still have something left in the tank. I'm not sure they do, and even then, i believe a lot depends on how good a pass rush the Chiefs get up front to help out.
There are a lot of question marks with this team. And even some of the spots that aren't uncertain don't have answers that are good. But I do believe that Edwards does his best work with young players. That should be a good sign for where this team is headed. Unfortunately, the mix right now is of young and inexperienced, plus long-in-the-tooth. Not exactly the combo you want when your schedule calls for two meetings each with the Chargers and Broncos, along with non division games against Chicago, Jacksonville, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis.
Its not a throwaway season by any means, but a rebuiilding one for sure.
After a couple of days away from the computer due to Fox responsibilities, I'm back.
Over the next couple of days, I'll drop some extra posts on the blog to give you thoughts on some of the teams that I have seen but haven't been able to post about. Be sure to check it out more frequently, if you can.
Starting today, with the Jacksonville Jaguars:
I'm on the field at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. I see Jags QB Byron Leftwich coming towards me. I reach out to shake hands with him when Leftwich pulls back his right hand and extends his left. He's superstitious about anyone - or anything, other than a football - touching his throwing hand before a game.
If there's anyone that needs some good luck, it's Leftwich and the Jaguars.
Injuries have kept Leftwich out of 15 of the last 21 games that Jacksonville has played. Sure, David Garrard won 10 of those games, but there have been no playoff victories, and last season a very talented team was only able to finish 8-8 and out of the postseason.
In the final year of his contract, Leftwich not only hopes to stay healthy, but head coach Jack Del Rio, on the hot seat himself, needs him to stay healthy, and more importantly be effective.
Both men are in must-win situations. Both men feel that this year is their best chance to succeed. Why? The hiring of Dirk Koetter as the new offensive coordinator.
Koetter, whom Del Rio has known for seven years, was the immediate choice to replace the fired Carl Smith as soon as he himself was fired as the head coach at Arizona State University.
"I loved Carl," Leftwich said, "but things are already much better with Dirk."
Del Rio says that his quarterback and offensive coordinator have been inseparable. That's part of the reason Leftwich is so enamored. Another reason is that Koetter will allow him more freedom than he had at any time in his first four years in the league to change plays at the line of scrimmage. The freedom to actually make decisions as a quarterback, not just do what he is told.
"I love it! Love it," Leftwich enthusiastically told me. "It's what I did in high school...in college. I can get out of bad plays at the line when I see it. What people don't understand is that there were sometimes when I'd get to the line and all I could do was do the best I could with the call that was made. I wasn't allowed to change it (no matter what the defense dictated)."
With that new found freedom comes even more responsibility for the performance of an offense that has traditionally been a far cry from the excellence on the other side of the ball in North Florida. I think that Leftwich is up to it.
I have always found him to be an engaging guy who actually loves football, and loves to talk football. You'd be surprised at how many players in the NFL don't really love the game. Leftwich does.
I also think that Byron's a better quarterback than he's given credit for. Is he a top-5 talent, no, but in a 32-team league, he's in the top half of starting QBs, and that's good enough to win.
His problem, other than the fact that he's never played a full 16-game season, is that as good as he is, every now and then he does things that just leave you scratching your head. Sometimes it's throwing at the feet of wide-open receivers, or holding on to a ball too long and taking a sack when he should have thrown it away. Those things can be corrected.
Some of it will be corrected simply by the new plan to let him have more control at the line of scrimmage. The hope of Koetter and Del Rio to throw more deep balls also should help him be better since that threat really hasn't been there for the Jags.
"People assume that because I'm a defensive guy that I want to play tight defense and run the ball," said Del Rio, the former linebacker. "I've always wanted to push it downfield and pressure a defense because I know how hard that is to defend. Ask Tony Dungy. He's a defensive guy, but knows what a big offense can do for you."
The problem is that the threat can only exist if you can actually accomplish it, and I'm still not convinced that the other pieces are there to turn the Jags offense into the Colts South.
As I've stated, I think that Leftwich is fine. The running combo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew was second in the league only to San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson and Michael Turner last season, so no issue there. Tight End Marcedes Lewis, last year's first-round pick, is fully healthy. He never truly recovered from injuring his ankle in the preseason as a rookie, so a check in the plus column there as well.
What has to worry Jacksonville is that it has an offensive line that is just ... OK. Particularly when it comes to pass protection. They'd be happy if their wide receivers could rise to the level of "OK".
While in Jacksonville, folks kept telling me how impressive rookie receivers Mike Walker (third round) and John Broussard (seventh round) have been. Then I remember how this time last year they were telling me about the resurrections of Matt Jones and Reggie Williams. Now one of them may not make the team, and the other might be a third guy at best.
If (capital "I", capital "F") Jacksonville can just get respectable play from the o-line and wide receivers, look out! The defense suffered a myriad of injuries in '06, and all it did was show them how deep they really were. They finished the season with #2 overall ranking behind Baltimore, and fourth in points allowed.
Free safety could be a question mark, as #1 pick Reggie Nelson, whom the coaches have been raving about, suffered what could be a serious ankle injury in the second preseason game. It can be difficult for a rookie to miss a significant amount of time in the preseason, and then - at that position - come back on a leg that may not be 100% at any time this season. Since Deon Grant was let go in the offseason, for now the Jags have to rely on veteran pickup Sammy Knight (who's been a strong safety most of his career), and Jamaal Fudge (a free agent who spent most of last year on the practice squad).
However, I think that this defense is so good, and that Del Rio along with defensive coordinator Mike Smith are so adept, that even if it's an issue, it won't be a major one.
Look, the pressure is on Del Rio and this team to win, and win now. I think it's possible, because despite all that went wrong last year, they weren't that far away.
Were all of their problems taken care of? No. But I do believe that they addressed enough of them to have a serious chance of becoming the team that ends the Colts' reign of four straight division championships, if it all comes close to coming together.
No, I haven't shut down the "Curt at Camp" tour just yet.
The reason there haven't been any blog entries lately is because all of us involved in NFL coverage here at Fox Sports have been in New York since monday for our annual seminar. Hopefully, many of you got to see some of it wednesday here on FOXSports.com. If not, you can catch it here.
I have had a chance to see and talk with both New York teams just before our meetings began. I will get you my impressions soon.
Let's just say that one team's fans won't be too excited, the other's ... :-)
I could easily start this blog entry with a rant on how messed up the nation's air travel system is, but I won't. Let me just say that because of a day of rain on the East Coast, I got stuck in St. Louis for 30 hours. In the process, I was switched back and forth between five different flights on two different airlines and scheduled to fly into three different airports. Eventually I made it to the Meadowlands.
I was walking through the lobby of the Sheraton Meadowlands hotel wondering just how one storm could cause this much trouble when I ran into Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox. Fox told me how his team's charter flight from Charlotte had been delayed several hours due to the same storm. That's when we joked that maybe he should be used to stormy weather by now.
After taking over a 1-15 Panther team in 2002, Fox proceeded to immediately turn Carolina around, going 7-9. The next year it was 11-5 and a trip to the Super Bowl. In '04, the thunder clouds rolled in, injuries hit and the Panthers went 7-9 again. Lightning struck again the following year with another 11-5 mark, and a trip to the NFC Championship game. Then last year, more injuries and 8-8.
I bring this up to point out that in the seasons when he's had a healthy team, Fox has taken the Panthers a long way. As of today, they are healthy. Then again, this time last year, they were too.
But then on opening day against Atlanta, they lost starting middle linebacker Dan Morgan, starting left tackle Travelle Wharton and starting center Justin Hartwig. Outside of the quarterback, those may be the three most vital positions on a football team. The Panthers never recovered.
"I don't talk about injuries because it just sounds like an excuse, and no one cares", Fox said.
What it pointed out to Fox, however, was that some changes needed to be made.
FIrst, he's trying to keep players healthy as long as he can. WIth Morgan having suffered multiple concussions in his career, don't be surprised if he doesn't play a single down this entire preseason in an effort to make sure that he's ready to go week one.
Secondly, Fox and GM Marty Hurney wanted to ensure that if/when injuries happen they'd have better depth. So, Carolina went out and drafted LB Jon Beason in the first round (even though he's an outside guy, it gives them more flexibility in case of injury), second rounder Ryan Kalil, who was a stud center at USC, and signed David Carr to backup Delhomme, who also missed three starts due to a bad thumb.
Of course, there have been those who think that Carr may have been brought in to challenge Delhomme, but that's not even on the Panthers radar. Fox, and just as importantly, the Carolina players LOVE Jake Delhomme and what he brings to the team.
"Jake is Jake. Nothing affects him. You know what he's gonna give you, and that's all that he's got no matter what. He's been no different with Carr here behind him. We've just always liked Carr's intangibles. We liked him coming out of the draft. People forget that we had the No. 2 pick that year (2002) he came out. Houston took Carr, we took (Julius) Peppers."
Thirdly, Fox realized that a change was needed with his offense. That meant getting rid of Dan Henning, the only offensive coordinator he'd ever had.
It was a tough decision for Fox to let Henning go, but an easy choice to hire Jeff Davidson as his replacement.
Davidson comes to Carolina from Cleveland where he took over the offensive coordinator duties once Maurice Carthon was demoted last season. He came highly recommended by Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis, who told Fox that Davidson was "the best offensive mind I've ever been around".
Crazy-high praise considering that some of the '"offensive minds" that Weis has been around are Josh McDaniel (current Patriot O/C), Tom Coughlin, and Chris Palmer. Weis and Davidson were Belichick assistants on all 3 Super Bowl Teams.
What Davidson has already brought to the mix is a new zone blocking scheme to try to take better advantage of what they have in the running game. The offensive linemen will work as blockers taking care of certain zones up front, and it's up to the running back to choose the right hole.
"That's what this team is set to do", Fox said. "We have athletic offensive linemen, not the big mauling kind---nor do we want that---that you use in a power running game. We have smaller, athletic guys who can move".
I do think this offense is better suited to run this way, not onlty because of their linemen, but also because of the running styles of backs DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo WIlliams.
Don't think for a minute that this means the passing game will be ignored. Not with a force like Steve Smith, arguably the game's most lethal wide receiver. The depth with second round pick Dwayne Jarrett, Keary Colbert and Drew Carter may be the best that Carolina has had as a unit. The tight end still doesn't threaten, but use of that position as a pass receiver is yet to be seen under Davidson's system.
Defensively the Panthers still are solid in their front seven, if not as dominant as their Super Bowl season. That said, there's not a better defensive end in the game than Peppers, and he has plenty of help up front. The added depth at linebacker makes this unit solid as well. However, I think there should be concern in the secondary.
Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas would appear to be fine at the corners---if they play like they played two seasons ago and prove that last year's mediocrity was not an indication of where they are currently. 2nd year man Richard Marshall was their most consistent corner last season.
Right now, the Panthers are a bit lost at safety. The retirement of the franchise's all time leading tackler, Mike Minter leaves a big hole. They traded for Chris Harris from the Bears after the start of training camp, and we'll see how he adapts. Nate Salley, another second year guy, will get a shot, as will journeyman Deke Cooper.
As with every team in the league, a lot depends on how healthy Carolina remains this season. If they can stay away from big injuries, they've shown the ability to provide big results. The question with this group is "how big?"
I don't believe that this team is as good as either team that went to the NFC Championship game this decade, but they are playing in the NFC, which means anything can happen.
The window hasn't closed just yet, but the opening is getting smaller. If a Super Bowl championship is going to happen, it has to happen now.
The "Greatest Show On Turf" died a long slow death. It was officially buried last season with the Rams firing of Mike Martz as head coach. The new seeds were planted when Scott Linehan was named as his replacement, and now those seedlings are beginning to grow into something nice to look at, again.
During Martz's final season in 2005, I thought that the Rams were the most dysfunctional organization in the entire National Football League. I mean, they should have sold tents at the team's facility in Earth City, there were so many different camps that people were forced to choose between. You were either a Martz guy, or a team president John Shaw guy. You had to decide whether the losses were caused by a reckless offense, or an inept defense.
Well, last year's firing of Martz and hiring of Linehan was the first step. It brought everyone in the organization under the same tent.
This year, it's all about winning football games and that's it. No hidden agendas, no trying to weed guys out and "change the culture," as was the case last season. Just winning football games.
The question now is, do they have enough pieces in place to do that?
Offensively, things aren't as explosive as they were back in the high flying days, but they still have weapons. It's now the second season that Marc Bulger will be taking plays from Linehan and offensive coordinator Greg Olson, and simply having gone through battle together should make them better.
"It wasn't really until the last three or four games that we were truly in sync," Linehan said. "It was like I was at the letter A, and he (Bulger) was at Z, and we had to meet in the middle. Now we're both on the same letter from day one. He knows how I think, how I like to call a play, what we're looking for in certain situations."
What Linehan didn't say, but I will, is that Bulger had to learn to simply be a quarterback.
Sure, he earned a lot of his just signed $60-plus million contract based on numbers put up while playing under Martz, but it wasn't until last year that Bulger got to be an all-around quarterback. He learned that it was not okay to turn the ball over, or waste timeouts. But that it was just fine to punt sometimes. to dump one off to your running back on a check down. That he wouldn't be derided in front of the entire team during meetings if he didn't try to hit the home run every single play. It actually made Bulger a better quarterback, and will eventually make the Rams a better team.
Having Steven Jackson finally unbridled also paid off. Jackson had a breakout season as the feature back, rushing for 1,528 yards, and totaling 2,334 combined yards, 5th most in NFL history.
The Rams finished last season winning their final three-games and averaging 33 points per game in the process. That doesn't mean that there aren't questions:
Can Orlando Pace come back physically and mentally from triceps surgery to be the player he used to be at left tackle? How much longer can you expect Issac Bruce (who'll turn 35 in November) to be a starter at wide receiver? If not much longer, then who replaces him? If Jackson goes down, or even misses a game, or two, who else can carry the running game?
The only one of those that can remotely be answered at this early stage is that the replacement for Bruce (who can't be expected to play 70-snaps a game anymore) would come in some combination of newly acquired Drew Bennett and TE Randy McMichael.
Bennett at 6-foot-5 gives the Rams a big wide receiver for a change. Something they haven't had in years. The kind of guy who can go up and get a jump ball. A skill that Linehan exploited in previous stops as offensive coordinator at Minnesota and Miami, with Randy Moss and Chris Chambers, respectively. That should help Bulger, as well.
Remember, St. Louis was ranked in the top-10 in the NFL in total offense, passing offense, and scoring, so it's not that far off.
Defensively was where the problems were.
The Rams are much improved on the defensive line, where they made an underrated move by picking up DE James Hall in a trade with the Lions. They also used their No. 1 pick to draft Adam Carriker out of Nebraska.
Every scout, or coach that I spoke with at Rams park was absolutely ga-ga over what Carriker can do. A defensive end in college, he has been moved inside to tackle for now. He'll probably start out by playing nose tackle before settling in as a "three technique" tackle down the road.
Linehan told me, "This guy is going to be great, a Howie Long type who has great hands, great leverage, and can play on the field every down."
Defensive line coach Brian Baker: "This rookie is special. In fact, he's not like a rookie, he's like a veteran in the way he plays, and his approach to the game. He's got great leverage, fantastic hands...I'm telling you, he's special."
Rams VP of Player Personnel Tony Softli: "He's got quick feet like a linebacker. When we conducted his workout, the moment we saw him, I turned to (Jim Haslett) and said 'shhh', we knew right then."
That's a lot for a rookie to live up to, but if he's simply good, that will help a Rams front that finished next to last in the league against the run in '06.
The linebacking corp, while undersized, definitely has speed in Will Witherspoon, Pisa Tinoisamoa, and former Panther Chris Draft, along with Brandon Chillar. No real superstars, but they are fine there as a unit.
Where I think the Rams have to be concerned the most is in the secondary. They finished 8th in the league against the pass last year, but that was because they couldn't stop the run, so no one threw the ball against them. This group appears to be average on it's best dayand they'll have to start the season without their top corner, Fakhir Brown who'll be suspended by the league for the first 4-games for violating the substance policy. Maybe a better defensive line, and a second year under Haslett's system will allow them cover until he returns.
Overall, the Rams start the campaign with a better team than last year. They play in what I think may be the most competitive division, top to bottom, in the NFL, so the road won't be easy.
Yes, the fruits of their labor are beginning to show. We'll see if they're ready to be picked.
I was somewhere around Effingham when the drugs began to take hold.
You know, Claritin, the allergy medicine.
Outside Effingham, Illinois.
That's when I noticed the strong scent of manure coming through the rental car's a/c vents, the plethora of "squashed bug juice" on the windshield, and the 326 billionth cornstalk along Interstate 57 that I was passing.
Anyone who's ever driven through the Midwest on a summer evening knows what I'm talking about.
Now that my head was clear, it suddenly occured to me that "this is it." This scent, this aura, is middle America. Tough and productive.
It also dawned on me that this gritty, smelly, down-in-the-dirt attitude is not only what has made this "America's Heartland" for nearly two centuries, but it's also what the Chicago Bears have represented for more than 80 years. That hard-nosed, grind-it-out, midwest work ethic.
Well, the Midwest isn't about to change anytime soon, but the Bears will be totally different.
Oh, the defense that has always been there will still be there, but get ready to talk about the Chicago Bears offense. Or should I say, get ready to talk about the Chicago Bears offense -- in a good way.
In the minds of many, the Bears made it to the Super Bowl last season in spite of their offense. They have a good chance to get back there this season, in part because of it...or at least what it has the potential to be.
Head coach Lovie Smith, and QB Rex Grossman were barely able to contain their genuine enthusiasm for the weapons the Bears now possess on the "forgotten" side of the ball in Chicago.
Of course, it all starts with Grossman.
There seems to be real reason to be excited about where he is today, compared to the end of last season when he appeared to be a shell-shocked young QB overwhelmed by his severely up and down play and the legtimate questions that brought to a team that had a chance to win it all. Smith likes to remind you that it was Grossman's first full season as a starter. That he had 7 games where his passer rating topped 100. That despite his ups and downs, he still lead the team to the No. 2 scoring offense in the league. Now, he feels with that experience, he will only get better.
My sense in watching Grossman, and talking with him in training camp, is that he is a bit different this time around. He still has the arm that shows you why coaches fall in love with him, and he still has that care-free spirit, which is why teammates love him. But he does seem to be a little more cautious of what he's saying to the media, while at the same time he seems to have found a comfort zone in who he is as a person, and how he needs to run this offense.
"I definitely think that's a good assessment, a good way to put it", Smith said. "He went through all that outside stuff last year and knows that the team was solidly behind him -- and still is. There's NO controversy at quarterback. That's why I think he's just more comfortable. Plus, (from a football standpoint) he knows the system."
"Oh, I'm much more comfortable", Grossman emphasized."Being that way, I see things better (on the field) and I can make quicker decisions."
That quicker decision-making should lead to fewer mistakes. It was the hesitancy and lack of recognition that often got him into trouble last year. Poor mechanics at times didn't help.
New QBs coach Pep Hamilton is set to work on that part. "As soon as he got here, he took Rex and said, 'let's get to work on those mechanics,'" Smith added when talking about Hamilton. "He got it going right away." And you can see the difference.
Now, Grossman has yet to face an opposing pass rush, or a defense designed to exploit his weaknesses. But the new Chicago Hope is that this offense will now be the one doing the exploiting.
Other than the hopefully improved Grossman, Pro Bowl KR Devin Hester has been added to the offense, and looks impressive every time he touches the ball. Following the cue from the Saints' use of Reggie Bush, the idea is to get the ball in Hester's hands and let him go.
Hester will line up at WR, but don't look for him to just take off down the field looking for a deep pass. Whether it's a quick WR screen, a "hot read" quick pass over to his side, a reverse, a quick slant route, whatever it takes to give him a chance to use the speed and moves that allowed him to take back an NFL-record six returns (plus one on the opening kickoff in the Super Bowl) for touchdowns in his rookie season.
And Hester may not be the biggest difference maker on the Bears offense.
Rookie first round pick TE Greg Olson has caught everything thrown his way. He's got the speed of a receiver and the body of a blocking TE. He's Jeremy Shockey without the attitude. Don't forget, they already had a fairly good TE in Desmond Clark.
Throw in deep threat Bernard Berrian having "taken his game to another level," according to Smith, along with the return of WR Mark Bradley to full health for the first time in two years and the always-reliable Muhsin Muhammad, and this passing game is suddenly pretty potent.
As one Bears official put it, "we had the 2nd-ranked (scoring) offense last year, and now we've added a Todd Heap-type at tight end, and a Reggie Bush-type at wideout".
The only question I have about the Bears O will be the play of Cedric Benson now that he will be "the man" with Thomas Jones taking his 1,200 rushing yards to the Jets. I'm not sure that either backup -- Adrian Peterson (the one from Georgia Southern) or 5-foot-7 rookie Garrett Wolfe -- is ready to be the second half of a dynamic duo in the backfield.
But you know what? If the Chicago's other weapons play like they're expected to, opposing defenses will be so spread out trying to cover everybody that Benson and company will easily be able to run at will.
So it's easy to see why the Bears finally feel that their O is now Grade A. It's also easy to see why they are probably still the class of the NFC.
All this and not a word about how that defense may be even better than it was in '06.
Yes, indeed, it looks like a new day is dawning in the heartland. The Chicago Bears could be a frightening team on both sides of the ball.
If there's a hotter place in America to have training camp than Jackson, Mississippi, then let the Saints know.
The team held two practices Tuesday, the second began at 4:20 p.m., when the temperature was 95-degrees, with a heat index of 102. Oh yeah, the offense was wearing all black.
And you know what? It's about to get hotter.....in football terms, that is.
"We know that this year we're the hunted, everybody's gonna be coming after us," said Deuce McAllister.
What a difference a year makes.
This time last August, the Saints were coming off a 3-13 season, had a first time head coach in Sean Payton and expectations that... well, there weren't any.
But after advancing all the way to the NFC Championship Game last season they come into 2007 as the team to beat in the conference in the eyes of many.
Payton said, "I told the team, we want those expectations on us, that's what we all are in this for."
Yet at the same time, at the recommendation of assistant head coach Joe Vitt, Payton began the camp focus last month by having a New Orleans style funeral to bury all of the success of last season. He wants the guys to understand that this is a brand new year.
"Expectations are great and all that," McAllister told me, "but now it's up to us to go out and prove it. We found out last year that expectations don't mean a thing."
Payton thinks that his team really does understand that the past is the past, in large part because in his eyes he has the "right kind of guys."
The proof came in what happened after practice in the Mississippi heat. Reggie Bush and Duece McAllister were among the last players to leave the practice field. Drew Brees was the last player to walk off. You certainly don't get any sense that this team is complacent.
"It's up to us veterans to lead the young guys," McAllister said. "The young guys have to either follow, or move on. I have been close before in the playoffs to having some success, and I don't want to slide back to 3-13 (after tasting success this time).
What is also evident is that the Saints are not only a more talented team than they were this time last year, they're a more talented team than the one that lost the title game in Chicago.
Even though they return 21 of the 22 starters from the NFC Championship game, Payton and GM Mickey Loomis have brought in a good mix of veterans and youngsters to create more depth, and more competition.
As if the returnees, aren't scary enough on offense, they expect to be even better. Last season both McAllister and Brees were coming off major surgery while also playing in a new offense. Bush, despite all his flash, was still just a rookie. So was WR Marques Colston. Now all are more comfortable in the system, and look it.
During the portion of practice where it's 11-on-11, Brees began by going 6-for-6, hitting 6-different receivers. The only thing that ended the streak was when he hit receiver Devery Henderson for what would have been a completion, but cornerback Fred Thomas stripped the ball before Henderson got "two feet down, and made a football move", as the officials would say.
"Brees has been spectacular" Payton told me. "The ball never hits the ground. Last year at this time, he was just trying to get his timing back"
Not that that held him back since Brees went on to lead the NFC in passing yards and passer rating, while helping New Orleans to the No. 1 overall offensive ranking in the NFL.
And now they've added a pass receiving tight end in former 49er Eric Johnson, along with first-round wideout Robert Meachem, who seemed to show no ill effects of his off-season knee surgery.
The bottom line is this offense can be frightening. The hope is that the defense doesn't cause Payton nightmares.
It wasn't exactly through smoke and mirrors that the Saints got it done in '06. Defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs did a fine job. Yet, that squad didn't make Saints fans forget the days of the "Dome Patrol" when Pat Swilling, Rickey Jackson, and Sam Mills ruled. That said, they finished 11th in total defense.
Even if they don't beat out incumbent starters, pickups like cornerback Jason David (Colts), free safety Kevin Kaesviharn (Bengals), and rookie corner Usama Young (third-round pick) add depth to the secondary. Same for new linebackers Brian Simmons (Bengals) and Dhani Jones (Eagles).
The Saints have a stud pass rusher at one end in Will Smith, and Charles Grant is solid at the other. They know that with the exception of Smith, they don't have a STAR on defense, but they're fine with that. Just like they're good with being "the hunted."
Don't look now folks, but this Saints team is for real. Real good. Expectations are great along the Bayou, and with good reason. I will be surprised if they don't go far again this season.
Maybe it makes some sort of cosmic sense that the Dallas Cowboys are back to holding training camp in San Antonio. Of course, the Alamo City is home of the NBA champion Spurs. And the last time the Cowboys held camp here, back in 2003, the Spurs were also champs of the NBA.
I mean, that's where the Cowboys are trying to get back to, that championship level.
But, hold on.
"Everybody wants to talk about 11 or 12 wins," new head coach Wade Phillips told me, "but we're not an elite team -- not yet, at least."
In part, that's why I find the Cowboys to be one of the most intriguing squads in the National Football League. They could wind up being an elite team, or it could quickly go the other way.
I think the Cowboys could do anything from win the Super Bowl, to finish 7-9, or 8-8. With this team, and nothing's a given.
It's been 12-years since Dallas won its last Super Bowl. They haven't won a playoff game since then, and have but one double digit win season since '98.
All that was supposed to change when Bill Parcells came to town, but after four seasons, nada.
Now, in fairness, Parcells took over a team that was coming off three consecutive 5-11 campaigns. The cupboard is a lot more stocked for Phillips, the man who's replaced him.
"When Bill got here, the team was here (hand raised to about his waist), now it's here (hand at neck level). It's up to us to take it up to that next level," Phillips said.
Moving up to that next level will most likely hinge on whether or not quarterback Tony Romo can take it up a notch in his first full season as "the man."
You know the story with Romo: The former free agent finally gets his chance last year, and it was a tale of two seasons for him.
He came out the gate as a winner in four of his first five starts. In his final five, he was 2-3 with six touchdowns and 12 turnovers.
"Romo's got to find a way to be more consistent," one player told me in the "duh" comment of the day.
That said, his teammates still believe firmly that Romo can be the guy. Why not? With him in charge, the team did score its most points in a season since that Super Bowl year.
As Phillips put it, "We've got talent on offense....we've got two good running backs (Julius Jones and Marion Barber), three good receivers (WRs Terrell Owens, and Terry Glenn, along with TE Jason Witten), our offensive line is huge."
The point is that Romo doesn't have to do it all on his own.
The only personnel change the Cowboys have made on offense is bringing in Leonard Davis, who was the second player taken in the '01 draft behind Michael Vick, to play right guard. Davis played all over the line during his years in Arizona, but is probably a better fit at guard than the left tackle spot the Cards had him in under Denny Green.
Where the Cowboys think Romo will benefit is in the support around him off the field. Former Cowboy Jason Garrett was brought in to be the new offensive coordinator. Wade Wilson, another ex-Cowboy, is the QB Coach. And Brad Johnson is the new # 2 QB.
While keeping the running game the same, Garrett has totally changed the passing system. But it's one that Romo is familiar with. Garrett learned it under Saints head coach Sean Payton when he was Garrett's offensive coordinator with the Giants. Payton then brought the system to Dallas where Romo began to learn it as a rookie, before it changed a bit last year with Payton's departure.
So while it will be different, it's not a system that's totally new to Romo.
Despite Romo's late season struggles, the real problem in Big D was how little the D played, ranked 20th of the 32 teams in points allowed.
That's where Phillips comes in.
In his last six stops as an NFL head coach or defensive coordinator, Phillips has taken over a team with a losing record the year before he got there and guided them to the playoffs in his first season -- mostly on the strength of eight top 10 defensive finishes.
Let's see what he can do in Dallas while keeping nine of the 11 starters from last year's struggling unit.
"We're just wiping the slate clean, (we're) gonna teach them an entirely new defense," said Phillips. Not worried about trying to ease the transition by keeping some of the old in with the new, he said with a smile, "There was a reason I was brought in here."
Phillips really lights up when he talks about defensive play and schemes. His take is that his system finds out what a guy does best, and then plays to that strength, rather than worrying about fitting a guy in to what he teaches. Adapt to the players, instead of making the players adapt.
A prime example would be what he plans to do with linebacker DeMarcus Ware.
Ware is on the verge of being a breakout star in the league. But while watching tape of last year, Phillips noted that opposing offenses would often dictate where he would play because the Cowboys lined him up according to the offensive formation. This season, Ware's job will simply be "rush the passer," said Phillips. The plan is to allow him to play in different spots on both sides of the defense so that off
...I don't watch reality television (sorry bosses, never even seen American Idol). But I do know who, this week, is the NFL's Biggest Loser: Bill Belichick. He may win more Super Bowls because he's that good a coach, and his teams are usually that talented, but his mojo is gone. Win or not, his methods will always be brought into question, and that's too bad...