The Coaching Carousel

There will be 11 teams next year with new head coaches. At least. That will be the most in NFL History. Two Super Bowl Winning Coaches were Fired. Two Coaches with Rings Retired and seven other coaching positions were vacated.

 Mike Nolan was fired on October 20th by the 49ers. He had a little over 3 seasons as the Head Coach there and won less than 1/3 of his games. DC and Hall-of-Fame Linebacker Mike Singletary was given the interim job. Singletary led the 49ers to a winning record in the second half of the season. Singletary was given a four year contract after the season.

Nolan has already gotten a new job, as the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos. I think there is actually a decent chance that he gets another shot at being the top guy for somebody if he does a good job there. He was respected for the effort he put in in the bay and he has a high-profile position now.

I think Singletary gets one year to turn the 49ers all the way around. That may not be fair, but with several Hall-of-Fame caliber coaches with ties to the 49ers being available next year Singletary might have to do something special to keep his job.

St. Louis was another team that made a change mid-season. Scott Linehan took over a team that was really not that bad and turned them into something much worse, winning just 11 games in over two years. He was replaced by Jim Haslett who went just 2-10 as interim coach, but did have the support of the team. St. Louis decided, however, to go with former Giants DC Steve Spagnuolo who had been a hot candidate for a job all season long.

Linehan has signed on to be the new Offensive Coordinator in Detroit. He acquires some talent, though he certainly had that in St. Louis, and a Pro Bowl QB.

Spagnuolo takes over a team with a lot of question marks. The defensive ones are obvious and they are the ones that he will focus on first. Spagnuolo is great at creating schemes to pressure the QB and was brought in to make Chris Long worthy of his top 5 draft pick. On offense, Bulger is aging, Holt is leaving and Jackson is unhealthy. I look for Spags to push for a QB with their first pick.

The least surprising coaching dismissal of the off-season was certainly Rod Marinelli. After leading the Lions to the first 0-16 season in NFL History there was little hope of keeping his job. Marinelli was replaced by Jim Schwartz, who spent the last seven years with Tennessee and was the Defensive Coordinator of the second best defense in the league this year.

Marinelli actually gained respect throughout the league for the way he kept the Lions fighting no matter how bad things got. And they got bad. Immediately after his dismissal he became a candidate for a number of jobs in the league and settled in as the defensive line coach in Chicago.

Schwartz has perhaps the easiest job in the league this year. Win a game and you’ve improved, win 4 or 5 and you’re up for Coach of the Year. People in Detroit are hoping that Schwartz has the stroke to bring Albert Haynesworth with him. While that is unlikely his time in Tennessee suggests he should make Detroit a much more stable place to play and perhaps along with OC Scott Linehan turn around the eternally struggling Lions.

Romeo Crennell won 24 games in four seasons in Cleveland. This year was the toughest for Romeo because there were actually expectations for the Browns this year. He was replaced by another Belichek disciple in former Jets coach Eric Mangini.

Crennel is unlikely to receive another opportunity as a Head Coach. Things never really got turned around in Clevleland and this season certainly made last year’s 10-6 record look like a fluke. There was some possibility he could end up the DC in Cleveland, though the more likely scenarios are that he ends up back in New England or takes a year off and gets a DC position next year.

A somewhat surprising hiring, given that most considered his stint in New York to be a disappointment and he is viewed as a younger, whiter Romeo Crennel my many. The real question is what did the Browns see to convince them he was the right man for their job? Another question is who does Mangini make the starting QB? The office will certainly want Quinn, who will likely get the job, but the comparisons of Quinn to Pennington are undeniable and Mangini did not like Chad.

Mangini, of course, leaves the Jets. I’m not sure if he left them better or worse than when he got there. The firing seemed premature and was a little bit of a knee jerk reaction to the New York media. The new big guy in New York is a Big Guy. Rex Ryan, the former Ravens DC and son of Buddy Ryan.

Two years after being dubbed the Mangenius, Eric was Man-Gone. Obviously Mangini was tied to the Brett Favre experiment and dubbed at least partially responsible for it’s failure. Mangini landed on his feet much quicker than most.

Ryan has been a hot prospect for a Head Coach job for a couple of years after working his way up through the Ravens Defensive Coaching System. He finally gets his shot in the Big Apple. He is a cordial and likable interview which will go a long way in New York. He will have to make a decision on Brett Favre sooner than later whether he wants to admit it or not. This team was not far off, though they are aging in some key areas. He inherits a very good offensive line, a good young defense and Thomas Jones at HB, which are all positives.

After five years in New York and two years in Kansas City, Herman Edwards finally ran out of excuses. His quarterback was always hurt, his team was always young and they never signed the right Free Agents. All of that may be true, but so is his 54-74 record as a head coach. And yet, it took seven years for somebody to fire him. It may take just as long to replace him as the Chiefs can not seem to get over the fact that Mike Shanahan has no interest in coaching there right now. They have now began targeting Bill Cowher, apparently confused as to their current standing within the league. More likely options are Cardinals OC Todd Haley, Dolphins DC Paul Pasquireli and Chan Gailey.

Big Herm may well get another chance at a head coaching gig. He is a respectable guy with a lot of experience so his name is bound to come up. Personally, I’d like to see him get Gene Upshaw’s job. I think he would be a great guy to work with young players and help them understand their responsibilities to the game.

I’d go with Todd Haley. The Chiefs have some pieces in place on both sides of the ball and a good young coach is the perfect fit for them right now.

The Oakland Raiders will hire another head coach this offseason. Their sixth in a decade.  Lane Kiffin was unsurprisingly fired after going 5-15 in twenty games and replaced by Tom Cable who won 4 of 12 the rest of the way. Al Davis is now trying to find somebody to take the job. The usual suspects don’t apply here because none of them will work for Davis. It will also be hard to get a hot coordinator to take on this as their first coaching job.

Kiffin looks to go the Pete Carroll route. Though not entirely successful in the NFL he was able to use that experience to shoot himself into a high profile and highly sought after college job, as the new Head Coach of the University of Tennessee.

My pick to be the new Raider coach is Jim Fassel. He wants a job just bad enough to take this one. Al Saunders is another guy who could take this job.

Future Hall of Famer Mike Holmgren announced his intentions to step down from the position before this season and have Special Teams Coordinator Jim Mora Jr. take his post. He could not have imagined his final season would go the way it did, and it was a shame. In ten seasons Holmgren won five division titles and an NFC Title with Seattle. Mora Jr. is the former head Coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Holmgren led two teams, Seattle and Green Bay, to the Super Bowl, winning Super Bowl XXXI with the Packers. He already has a street named after him in Green Bay and could well get the same treatment in Seattle if they ever run out of dead rock stars. Holmgren will likely take a year or two off, depending on how long it takes for the job in San Francisco to open up.

Mora Jr. gets another chance at Head Coach after spending three years in Atlanta and accumulating a winning record. If Mora has matured any and can keep from saying stupid things in interviews he could be a good head coach. He takes over a team with a closing window and aging players. The draft will be very important for Seattle this year.

On January 12th Tony Dungy retired after more than three decades in the NFL as a player, assistant and head coach. He spent 13 seasons as a Head Coach, seven in Indianapolis. Dungy won more than 75% of his games coached in Indianapolis and led the Colts to a victory in Super Bowl XLI. He will be replaced by Colts QB Coach Jim Caldwell.

Tony Dungy may just be the guy who can actually walk away from the game. He is already an ordained minister and would like to focus time on pastoral activities. After the suicide of his son a couple of years ago, he has put a renewed emphasis on his family life as well. I could easily see Dungy being able to stay out of the limelight, but hope that he eventually finds a way to work with the league. The NFL can always use a guy like Tony Dungy.

Jim Caldwell has no NFL Coaching or Coordinating experience. He spent eight years as the Head Coach of Wake Forest, but went just 26-63. You have to wonder if he got this job more because of his relationships with Dungy and Manning and less because of actual credentials. That said, he inherits a team managed by Peyton Manning so that side of the ball should be fine. Losing DC Ron Meeks is a big deal. Indianapolis has all of it’s cap tied up in four or five players so the defense is made up largely of guys that nobody else wants. While they’re never a top 5 defense, Meeks always made them good enough.

Jon Gruden was the most successful coach in Tampa history, winning 57 games in seven years and Super Bowl XXXVII. A collapse in which Tampa Bay lost it’s last four games and missed the playoffs cost him his job however. Tampa Bay promoted Raheem Morris to the head coaching job. Some think this was a reactionary move to keep Morris from taking a job elsewhere.

Gruden will likely get a head coaching job somewhere soon. The question is whether that will be in the NFL or College. He won’t take the Oakland job this season and does not appear to be a candidate in KC. Next year will bring more possibilities, but he will be in contention with other Super Bowl winning coaches for all of those jobs. My prediction is that in 2010, Jon Gruden is the Head Coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Morris was a candidate for several jobs in the off-season before being promoted by the Bucs. He was their secondary coach this year and helped them to the number one pass-defense ranking. The Bucs see him as being in the Mike Tomlin vain, and he is already popular amongst the team.

Certainly, the most surprising coaching change comes from the Mile High City, where Mike Shanahan was let go after 14 years, 146 wins and two Super Bowl rings with the Broncos. While this change came much more amicably than the one he had in Oakland it was still jarring none the less. Josh McDaniels will look to fill his very big shoes. McDaniels had been a defensive and offensive assistant for the Patriots, including being their offensive coordinator this year.

Shanahan was the greatest coach in franchise history. If he had stayed just that he may well still be there today. Mike Shanahan was not a great GM. He was downright bad at picking defensive players. D.J. Williams and Elvis Dumervil are the only ones he’s drafted in the last five years that have made any real impact. Still, the X’s and O’s of the Mastermind will be dearly missed and hard to replace. I look for Shanahan to be the Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 2010, if not sooner.

He’s very similar to Shanahan in some ways. He’s an offensive guy who comes to Denver from a dynasty-like team. He’s got a lot of offensive parts already in place, though who will be the running back is up for debate. He runs a much different offense than Shanny, with less bells and whistles and more straight-forward approach. On defense he and Nolan will run a 3-4, a drastic change for Denver, but one that would seem to benefit their current personnel. He will be expected to win very soon.

Looking Back at Week 15

Chicago Bears 27

New Orleans Saints 24

Bears: Chicago remains one game behind Minnesota in the NFC North. They did so despite a less than stellar performance from their defense. Special teams were a key as Daniel Manning compiled 135 return yards. That was more than the Bears had on 28 offensive plays. One concern for Chicago was that they seemed to be trying to prove they could win by throwing the ball. Matt Forte rushed just 11 times. You can’t get into a shootout mentality if you don’t have to.

Saints: While mathematically alive, the Saints probably saw their playoff hopes go up in flames with the overtime loss. Two key pass interference calls, including the one in overtime, covered over 70 yards and set up 10 Chicago points. The Saints will say they were a few plays away from being 10-3, but their inconsistency put them in their current position. They also need to stop trying to make Reggie Bush a great back and just accept that they have a very good back in Pierre Thomas.

Atlanta Falcons 13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10

Falcons: Atlanta proved they are able to win even when their QB plays poorly. A big part of that was the 152 yards that Michael Turner had on the ground. He has become one of the two or three biggest acquisitions from last off-season. Another reason was John Abraham, who had three sacks. He now has 15.5 on the season, silencing critics who were calling him a flop in Atlanta.

Bucs:  I talked a little bit about it last week and we saw it again against Atlanta. This team’s age is showing. Garcia missed last week and may miss this one. Derrick Brooks will probably miss his first game in 13 years this Sunday. The defense looks slow against the run and Joey Galloway has been a non-factor this season. Their schedule is favorable, but there is a real chance that they could miss the playoffs.

Cincinnati Bengals 20

Washington Redskins 13

Bengals: This game wasn’t even as close as the score indicates. The Bengals dominated from the opening whistle. Ryan Fitzpatrick played easily his best game of the season, accounting for 2 touchdowns and no turnovers and mixing it up well amongst his receivers. Cedric Benson had 163 yards from scrimmage and the defense held Clinton Portis to just over 3 yards per carry.

Redskins: I said it months ago and several of our loyal readers owe me an apology. The Redskins aren’t just now blowing up, they were never that good. All it took was for the rest of the league to realize that Jason Campbell can’t beat them and they can play man on man with an 8 man box. Like the Bucs they are clearly slowing down. Might be because they are a collection of parts (Taylor, Fletcher, Hall, Springs, Carter) rather than a well coordinated team. Such is the Redskin Way.

Houston Texans 13

Tennessee Titans 12

Texans: Don’t the Texans wish they could replay September. This has been a very good team over the past two months, on both sides of the ball. They throw the ball well, especially to Andre Johnson, they’ve found their RB and they have some dynamic playmakers on defense. Here’s hoping they can finally turn it into something meaningful next year. Steve Slaton is one of only two running backs to go over 100 yards against the Titans and he’s done it twice.

Titans: It’s not time to jump off the bandwagon yet, but there are some problems on this team. The game plan against them has been let Collins beat us for a while now. We saw on Sunday what happens when Collins doesn’t play well. They were 2-13 on third down. The longer-term question for the Titans is which Collins shows up in the playoffs.

Jacksonville Jaguars 20

Green Bay Packers 16

Jaguars: David Garrard had his best game of the season, throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Had he been able to play that well all season, the Jaguars might not be a huge disappointment.

Packers: Speaking of huge disappointments. I never totally bought into the Packers, but who could have thought they’d lose six out of seven and end up a below .500 football team?

Miami Dolphins 14

San Francisco 49ers 9

Dolphins: Does any team win uglier than the Dolphins? Of course after a 15 loss season last year, I don’t think they’re complaining. The Dolphins defense has been amazing since Thanksgiving. They haven’t given up a TD in three weeks. Chad Pennington continued to play very well and has been the most effective Dolphin QB in nearly a decade. Miami has two road games to finish the season, but winning both would likely make them a playoff team.

49ers: The 49ers dominated this game. They had the ball for 17 more minutes than Miami. But they could not turn their 60 more yards of offense into points. I think a 5-9 team can take some positives out of the fact that they had no turnovers and committed just 4 penalties, but they are clearly a couple of playmakers away.

Seattle Seahawks 23

St. Louis Rams 20

Seahawks: Seneca Wallace is a free-agent after the season. He’s played well enough in the last 3 weeks that he may get some good offers. Mike Holmgren got his 160th win, two of the three he got this year came at the expense of the Rams.

Rams: They took a 17-7 lead into halftime, but as is the case with most bad teams they couldn’t finish. They can not wait for this season to be over and should be one of the more interesting teams to watch in the off-season.

New York Jets 31

Buffalo Bills 27

Jets: Talk about an early Christmas present. Despite doing everything they possibly could to lose this game, the Bills just wouldn’t let them. For every mistake the Jets made, and there were plenty, the Bills would make 2. Culminating with a JP Losman fumble inside their own 20, on 2nd and 5, with two minutes left in the game, returned by Abram Elam for a TD.

Bills: What the hell are they doing throwing in that situation? They had run for 187 yards in the game. Losman had already thrown two interceptions. It may well end up being the play that cost Dick Jauron his job. 

Indianapolis Colts 31

Detroit Lions 21

Colts: Indianapolis did a great job of taking the Lions seriously. They formulated a game-plan to take advantage of the Lions weaknesses at linebackers, getting the ball to Dallas Clark 12 times for 142 yards. They also ran the ball 27 times, showing 0nce again they are a far more balanced team than they were earlier this year. All that said, in the seven game win streak, six of them are against teams with a losing record. Even those often weren’t very impressive. I question how they’ll do in New England, New York, Denver or even San Diego.

Lions: I don’t think they’re quitting, you have to credit Rod Marinelli for that. They have their running back of the future and Dan Orlovsky played well. I’m sure they’re looking at a QB with that number one pick, but their real deficiencies are on defense.

San Diego Chargers 22

Kansas City Chiefs 21

Chargers: Well, San Diego felt robbed after the week 2 loss to Denver, Kansas City has more than made up for it. For the second straight game against San Diego, the Chiefs snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. How do you not catch that onside kick, if you’re the team’s number one receiver. More importantly how do you give up a 40+ yard pass play on the next play? The Chargers are now VERY much alive in the playoffs. It’s still a bit of a longshot, but with the Bucs injuries San Diego can beat them and is there anybody willing to guarantee a Bronco win in Mile High against Buffalo?

Chiefs: F-ing Chiefs

 Minnesota Vikings 35

Arizona Cardinals 14

Vikings: Minnesota is that team playing their best football at the right time. They have a great defense and a great running game. If they could get Tarvaris Jackson to play for the rest of the season like he did on Sunday, they’d be a real danger. The potential loss for the season of Pat Williams is obviously a major concern.

Cardinals: We’re seeing what often happens to teams that aren’t used to the spotlight. The good news for Arizona is they have a couple more meaningless games to get used to it. They have to figure out some way to get production out of the running game and play more consistenlty on defense. Arizona ran the ball just 7 times and none of the carries belonged to Edgerrin James.

Pittsburgh Steelers 13

Baltimore Ravens 9

Steelers: First of all, I think it was a touchdown. Secondly I have no idea how they could have overturned the initial call of short of the end zone. That being said, phenomenal drive orchestrated by Ben Roethlisberger. There are still a ton of questions about the Steelers, but they are 11-3 and headed possibly for home field advantage. They are also a team that I hope Denver gets to play in the playoffs, because I think we could beat them. I’ll explain why if the situation arises.

Ravens: They looked a lot like the Ravens of the past few years. Great defense, bad quarterback and an inconsistent run game. The playoff road is much tougher for the Ravens now, the weight lies on the shoulders of Joe Flacco.

New England Patriots 49

Oakland Raiders 28

Patriots: I didn’t learn anything new about New England in this game. They’re still tied for first. They still can put up points against bad defenses and their defense is still bad enough to give up 28 points to the Raiders. If you’re a QB and your dad dies you definitely want to play the Raiders that weekend.

Raiders: Did anybody think they could actually be worse than last year?

Carolina Panthers 30

Denver Broncos 10

Panthers: Best team in football today. They’re the kind of team that could lose that title pretty easily, but they were clearly the best team on the field on Sunday. The duo at RB is as good as anybody in the league, the defense is threatening and Steve Smith is starting to dominate. Who’d want to play them right now?

Broncos: I think their was a clear effect on the Broncos when they learned that the Chiefs had blown it. They were very good at the start of the game on offense, every other drive looked flat. They were never aggressive in the second half and the team looked to already be looking forward to Buffalo. They better get it done against the Bills. If not they will lose in San Diego and it will be one of the biggest collapses in NFL History.

Dallas Cowboys 20

New York Giants 8

Cowboys: I know the attention is on the offense, but give a lot of credit to the Cowboy defense. They have really been getting it done lately, even against Pittsburgh. In this game they gave up just 218 total yards and accumulated 7 sacks against an offensive line with three pro-bowlers on it.

Giants: Something is wrong with this team. Maybe it’s the missing parts, maybe it’s distraction, I don’t know. Whatever it is, they seem to be doing the opposite of last year. They are hitting their first pitfall at exactly the wrong time.

Philadelphia Eagles 30

Cleveland Browns 10

Alright this game sucked, so let me just comment on the announce team. I thought there could be nothing worse than Kornheiser, until I met giddy Jaworski. Could he have been any more excited about how well the Eagles were playing? You could just picture him in the booth rocking in his chair, with a huge grin and rubbing his hands together. It’s pretty well known that Jaws is one of the most bias announcers around, for Philadelphia and Kansas City, thanks in large part to his relationships with Dick Vermeil and now Herman Edwards. This was disgusting though. The Eagles made some huge mistakes in this game and Jaws had an excuse every time. He refused to even acknowledge that Andy Reid may throw the ball too often and could not accept even the notion that McNabb may not be back next year.

Week 15 Preview

Don’t you love December football?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-4) @ Atlanta Falcons (8-5)

Announcers: Dick Stockton and Brian Baldinger

Storylines: Two teams in the ultra-competitive NFC South look to bounce back from divisional losses and solidify some playoff standing.

The Bucs Should Win If: Monday was a fluke instead of a sign of the times. Tampa has to play exponentially better against the run than they did on Monday. They can not let Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood repeat the Panthers success against them, especially in what will be a rowdy Georgia Dome.

The Falcons Should Win If: Roddy White is able to capitalize on a Tampa defense that may attempt to overcompensate against the run. The Buc defense will not be embarrassed twice in a row. So Atlanta will need some big plays to pull out the win.

Pick: Falcons. Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense are improving by the week. Tampa Bay on the other hand seemed to be showing signs of slowing down last week.

Washington Redskins (7-6) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-11-1)

Announcers: Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston

Storylines: The ‘Skins hope to take advantage of the first break in their schedule in quite some time to maintain some level of relevence. It is a must win game for them.

 The Redskins Should Win If: Two guys with ties to Miami get their game going. Former Hurricane Clinton Portis needs to be the center of attention on Sunday to take some of the pressure of a struggling Jason Campbell. Former Dolphin Jason Taylor needs to give Daniel Snyder some return on his investment and start playing up to his Hall-of-Fame credentials.

The Bengals Should Win If: T.J. Houshmanzadeh gets double digit catches. The Bengals can not beat the Redskins by playing conservatively. They will have to take shots downfield at their best playmaker.

Pick: Redskins. Nobody in the league needs a win any more than the Redskins this week. Not only to maintain playoff possibilities, but for the confidence of Jim Zorn and to make Clinton Portis happy for a week.

Tennessee Titans (12-1) @ Houston Texans (6-7)

Announcers: GUS JOHNSON!!! and Steve Tasker

Storylines: The Titans can lock up home-field advantage with a win over a team that they have traditionally dominated. It may not be as easy as it looks though.

The Titans Should Win If: Chris Johnson outrushes Steve Slaton. The Titans have struggled only when they are unable to be explosive on the ground. Chris Johnson should have plenty of opportunities this week, he can’t let this be a game where he doesn’t show up.

The Texans Should Win If: Matt Schaub is able to pick apart the 3rd ranked pass-defense in the league. It isn’t an easy task, but Schaub has played well over the past month and if Houston has any run game it will make his job a lot easier.

Pick: Texans. Yeah, going for the upset here. Houston is eliminated from the playoffs, which makes this their Super Bowl. They have played well which guarantees a great crowd and we know divisional games are where anything can happen.

Green Bay Packers (5-8) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9)

Announcers: Ron Pitts and Tony Boselli

Storylines: Arguably the two most disappointing teams in the league. Green Bay still has a glimmer of playoff hope, that disappears with a loss here. The Jaguars hope to finish strong and maintain some sense of dignity.

The Packers Should Win If: Aaron Rodgers throws three touchdowns. The Packers best hope appears to be that this somehow becomes a shoot-out. They have a terrible run defense and have struggled to move the ball themselves for much of the season.

The Jaguars Should Win If: They can avoid falling two scores behind. Jacksonville can’t overcome adversity with their offense. They need to be able to run the ball and not put the game on David Garrard’s shoulders. Especially with his best receiver, Matt Jones, finally being suspended.

Pick: Jaguars. Look for MJD to have a big game here and put the Pack out of their misery.

San Francisco 49ers (5-8) @ Miami Dolphins (8-5)

Announcers: Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan

Storylines: The Dolphins have been hot and can get one step closer to one of the best turnarounds in league history by knocking off the 49ers at home. The 49ers have played well in the past couple of weeks and look to add another big road victory to Mike Singletary’s resume.

The 49ers Should Win If: They keep Shaun Hill’s Jersey Clean. Hill has been very good since replacing JTO as starting QB. If given time he can make some plays against the Dolphins secondary.

The Dolphins Should Win If: Chad Pennington outplays Hill. Chad has quietly had his best season this year and if he can continue to complete 66% of his passes and avoid turnovers we may be watching the Dolphins play in January.

Pick: 49ers. Miami has been walking a tight rope for the past few weeks, eeking out victories over teams they’re supposed to be much better than. San Francisco is playing just well enough at this point to make the Dolphins regret a poor performance.

Seattle Seahawks (2-11) @ St. Louis Rams (2-11)

Announcers: Matt Vasgersian and JC Pearson

Storlines: Ummm….

The Seahawks Should Win If: Seneca Wallace and the Seattle Offense gets into a rhythm. They were there for 3 quarters last week and once they fell apart in the fourth, they were done.

The Rams Should Win If: Marc Bulger takes advantage of the worst pass defense in the league and actually, you know, connects on some plays downfield.

Pick: Rams. They’re at home.

Buffalo Bills (6-7) @ New York Jets (8-5)

Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Storylines: Both teams have hurt their chances with their recent slides, the Bills worse than the Jets. Both teams should play this one as an elimination game.

The Bills Should Win If: Somehow they’re able to get the ball deep to Lee Evans. The Jets have given up nearly 300 yards passing per game over the past month. The Bills will have to stretch the field, not just accept the underneath stuff and settle for a field goal on the scoreboard.

The Jets Should Win If: Brett Favre plays like he was prior to the Denver game. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown in two weeks and the offense has become anemic. They may not need many big plays to win the game, but they will to get back into a flow headed towards the playoffs.

Pick: Jets. Aside from the loss to Denver, the Jets defense has played well in the past two months. I don’t think the Bills offense will be able to score enough points to beat a Brett Favre who is backed into a corner.

San Diego Chargers (5-8) @ Kansas City Chiefs (2-10)

Announcers: Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots

Storylines: You know the refrain by now. A Chargers loss means they’re done, a win may keep their slim hopes alive. Just ask the Talking Heads, they’ll tell you all the reasons the Chargers are still the favorites to win the West.

The Chargers Should Win If: LaDainian Tomlinson rushes for 100 yards. I know they’ve won games without LT coming up big, but not many of them. He only had 78 yards in their win earlier this season over KC, but many argue that was a game they were lucky to win.

The Chiefs Should Win If: Tyler Thigpen is able to make throws to Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzales. The Chargers are susceptible in the pass game and KC has had success when these two guys are focus points of the offense.

Pick: Chargers. I really want to go the other way and a Chief win wouldn’t shock me, because I actually don’t think the Chargers are much better than them right now. San Diego played motivated last week and had 10 days to get ready for the Chiefs.

Detroit Lions (0-13) @ Indianapolis Colts (9-4)

Announcers: Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick

Storylines: The Colts look to hold off their wild-card competition. The Lions are still looking for that elusive win.

The Lions Should Win If: {crickets}… alright, if the Lions QB can avoid turnovers and Kevin Smith is able to dominate the game, they have a puncher’s chance.

The Colts Should Win If: Hell is Hot. It will be even easier if their talented defensive ends are able to force Orlovsky or Stanton into 3 or 4 interceptions.

Pick: Colts. The Colt defense has been playing really well recently. The offense is still off a step, but that shouldn’t matter much in this game. They are also way too smart to overlook anybody.

Minnesota Vikings (8-5) @ Arizona Cardinals (8-5)

Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman

Storylines: The only meeting of the week between two division leaders. The Cardinals spot is secure, the same can not be said for the Vikings thanks to Chicago’s win on Thursday.

The Vikings Should Win If: They are able to hit Kurt Warner early. With little hope of getting a first-round bye, the Cardinals have little to play for. Fear of losing their franchise QB could turn them conservative in a hurry.

The Cardinals Should Win If: They are able to force Tarvaris Jackson to attempt more passes than Kurt Warner.

Pick: Vikings. Adrian Peterson should have a good game against the Cardinals defense and be able to protect the young QB. I know the Cards will play hard, I just think teams have a tendency to play too vanilla when they know they have more important games down the line.

New England Patriots (8-5) @ Oakland Raiders (3-10)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon

Storylines: The Patriots have been on the West Coast all weekend to avoid having to make the trip on consecutive weeks. They didn’t play all that well in Seattle last week, so we’ll see how this strategy works out. They would not make the playoffs as of now, a loss obviously can only hurt their chances.

The Patriots Should Win If: Their potpourri of linebackers plays well. They have young guys (Jerod Mayo and Pierre Woods) and not so young (Mike Vrabel and Junior Seau) starting. They looked confused last week and hope to have worked out all the kinks during the week.

The Raiders Should Win If: Zach Miller has a big day. He is the player most apt to take advantage of the previously mentioned linebacker problems. John Carlson had a nice week for Seattle in their near win, the Raiders should target him no less than 10 times.

Pick: Patriots. There are obvious traps here, but with Oakland running such a generic offense, the Patriots defense should actually find it fairly easy to adapt to.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) @ Baltimore Ravens (9-4)

Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Storylines: The two best defenses in football, for first place in the AFC North. A loss could take the Ravens out of the current playoff picture.

The Steelers Should Win If: They are able to get to Joe Flacco. This will be the biggest game of his career and he is playing the best pass-rushing linebackers in the league in Harrison and Woodley. He will need to accept the occasional sack and not make a poor decision.

The Ravens Should Win If: Ed Reed is the safety making plays instead of Troy Polomalu. The Ravens are certainly scoring more than they have in recent weeks, but that has as much to do with their defense as offense. They will have to find ways to give Flacco and maybe Matt Stover, as short of fields as possible.

Pick: Ravens. The biggest game in Baltimore in years and a team that defensively, feeds off that fire better than any.  I think they will force more mistakes and win a very good game.

Denver Broncos (8-5) @ Carolina Panthers (10-3)

Announcers: Dick Enberg and Randy Cross

Storylines: The Panthers can clinch a playoff spot with a win and some help. They can at least create some real seperation with the Saints already losing and the Bucs and Falcons playing each other. The Broncos clinch the AFC West with a win and if the Ravens beat the Steelers, the Broncos join the conversation for a bye.

The Panthers Should Win If: They are able to do what everybody thinks they will do. Run for 200 yards on one of the worst defenses in the league.

The Broncos Should Win If: The Panthers don’t turn all of those yards into touchdowns. Jay Cutler has been playing very well and will put up points on any defense. The Panthers can’t just outgain the Broncos, they have to outscore them.

Pick: Broncos. They have been very good on the road this year and the Panthers are just the kind of team to have a letdown after a great week. We saw on Monday that their are shots to be had downfield against Carolina and Cutler and Marshall, Royal are more equipped to exploit it than even Garcia and Bryant were.

NewYork Giants (11-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (8-5)

Announcers: Al Michaels and John Madden

Storylines: A bunch of off-field crap and what should be a great game with playoff implications for both teams.

The Cowboys Should Win If: They are able to get at Manning consistently. The Passing game was off last week and one of the keys for Dallas is to keep them out of rhythm. Especially since Brandon Jacobs isn’t playing, the Giants will be much easier to make one-dimensional.

The Giants Should Win If: Their receivers step up and play much better than last week. They can’t drop balls and run poor routes. They play a much softer secondary this week and they all, especially Hixon, need to take advantage of that.

Pick: Cowboys. I think Jacobs not playing is huge. They don’t have the power back in short yardage situations that they need which could result in a much less relaxed offensive unit.

Cleveland Browns (4-9) @ Philadelphia Eagles (7-6-1)

Announcers: Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski

The Browns Should Win If: They are able to find ways to get the ball in Josh Cribbs hands. He is the player most capable of an explosive play right now on the Browns roster.

The Eagles Should Win If: They stick to last week’s game plan and get the ball into Brian Westbrook’s hands 30 times.

Pick: Eagles. I don’t know if Andy Reid can keep running the ball, but it might not matter against the Browns.

Week 11 Preview

Detroit Lions (0-9) @ Carolina Panthers (7-2)

Announcers: Ron Pitts and Tony Boselli

Storylines: The Panthers try to bounce back from an ugly win over a terrible Raiders Team and establish some dominance against another terrible team in Detroit. The Lions are looking for their first win of the season to keep Rod Marinelli from being the first coach to go 0-16 in a season. They will start Daunte Culpepper for a second straight week.

Key to the Game: Quarterback Play. Jake Delhomme can not play like he did last week and expect another victory. Daunte Culpepper was not terrible last week, especially considering that he started on 3 days practice for the entire season.

Fantasy Note: Look for DeAngelo Williams to get a lot of touches against a bad run defense, when he has 80 yards in his career the Panthers are 9-0.

Pick: Panthers. I’ve said before that the Lions won’t get their first win on the road and I stand by that. Look for Delhomme to bounce back here and have a nice game en route to maintaining first place in the South.

Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-8)

Announcers: Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston

Storylines: The Eagles look to bounce back from a close loss to the Giants. The Eagles are now 0-4 this year in games decided by less than a touchdown. They are 1-8 over the last two years in close games. The Bengals had a week off to celebrate their first win of the season over Jacksonville in week 9.

Key to the Game: Brian Westbrook. He needs to touch the ball more than 13 times, like he did last week. If he can get more than 20 touches, the Eagles have an excellent chance to win.

Fantasy Note: Chad Johnson is averaging 6 catches per game over his last four and has scored touchdowns in three of those four games.

Pick: Eagles. I look for the Eagles defense to dominate this game. They will blitz young Ryan Fitzpatrick all day long and Cincinnati does not have the run game to counter that.

New Orleans Saints (4-5) @ Kansas City Chiefs (1-8)

Announcers: Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick

Storylines: The Saints are at the point where even the most dim-witted pundit has to see that their season is hanging by a string. Though many have been unwilling to give up on the preseason favorites, they are in a spot where they will need to go at least 6-1 to make the playoffs. The Bengals have played well in recent weeks, but have no wins to show for it. They will look to get it done at Arrowhead.

Key to the Game: Larry Johnson. He will return as the featured back this week and the Chiefs will need him to be effective in order to control the clock and keep the Saints offense off the field.

Fantasy Note: Drew Brees is on pace to break Dan Marino’s single-season yardage record. He has thrown for 300 yards in three consecutive starts against the Chiefs.

Pick: Chiefs. Tyler Thigpen has played well enough in the past couple of weeks. The Chiefs will put up enough points to upset a very one-dimensional Saints offense. Remember what they did to Cutler and the Broncos in week 4.

Baltimore Ravens (6-3) @ New York Giants (8-1)

Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Storylines: Baltimore rides a four game win streak into the Meadowlands to face the team that many believe is the best in the league. A rematch of Super Bowl XXXV. The Ravens will be without a league high 16 players due to season ending injuries.

Key to the Game: Strength vs. Strength. The Ravens are the number one rush defense in the league. The Giants are the number one rushing offense. The Ravens haven’t given up a 100 yard rusher in 28 games.

Fantasy Note: Joe Flacco has played well recently and has gotten picked up in most leagues. Don’t start him here. He hasn’t faced a top 12 pass defense in over a month. This week he faces the second best pass defense in the league and number 3 in sacks.

Pick: Giants. The Giants defense will win this game by a close margin. They can take away the Ravens run game and force rookie Flacco to beat him. Something I don’t think he is ready to do yet.

Minnesota Vikings (5-4) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)

Announcers: Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan

Storylines: The Vikings try to make it 5 out of 6 against a Tampa team coming off a bye. The two old NFC Central Rivals are both right in the hunt for playoff spots and both need wins here to maintain that position. Cadillac Williams makes his 2008 debut.

Key to the Game: Garcia’s Mobility. Jared Allen has been dominant in recent weeks and will be taking on Donald Penn this week. Jeff Garcia will have to be aware of him at all times and use his legs to make some plays.

Fantasy Note: Adrian Peterson is not as strong a start as you think this week. He has, in his young career, shown a trend of inconsistency. He has never run for 80 yards in five straight games. He has over 100 in his last four. The Bucs have only given up 66 yards per game on the ground at home and are 4-0 in those games.

Pick: Vikings. Look for Chester Taylor to actually play a bigger role than Peterson this week. The Bucs are susceptible to screens and short passes, so look for Brad Childress to return to his true west coast roots. Both teams could struggle to run the ball and Gus Frerotte is the more likely QB to come up with the deep balls taht could be the difference in what will likely be a low-scoring game.

Oakland Raiders (2-7) @ Miami Dolphins (5-4)

Announcers: Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots

Storylines: The Dolphins are just one of several teams who had top 10 picks last year and are now driving for the playoffs. After a 1-15 season in 2007, The Dolphins could be in second place in the East with a win here. Yet, the Raiders will have their seventh straight losing season.

Key to the Game: Oakland’s Offensive LIne. They gave up 3 sacks and a forced fumble to John Abraham. They gave up 3 sacks and a forced fumble to Julius Peppers. This week they face NFL Sack Leader Joey Porter.

Fantasy Note: Both Miami running backs should be starts. Oakland has struggled against the run and Ricky Williams is becoming a bigger part of the offense, coming off his first 100 yard game. Ronnie Brown hasn’t gotten huge yards in recent weeks, but has 10 touchdowns in his last 8 games.

Pick: Dolphins. It’s hard enough to travel across the country and play in Miami, it’s harder when you’re an awful team.

Chicago Bears (5-4) @ Green Bay Packers (4-5)

Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman

Storylines: The first meeting of the season in one of the game’s best rivalries. The Bears have won five of the last six meetings. The Packers, once the favorites in the North, try to just get back into the picture. The Bears seek some consistency.

Key to the Game: Aaron Rodgers. The Bears are terrific against the run, but are ranked 30th against the pass. Rodgers will need a Kerry Collins-esque performance to get his team back in the win column.

Fantasy Note: The Packers have given up 178 and 220 yards on the ground the last two weeks. Now they’ll have to play without MLB Nick Barnett. Look for Rookie RB Matt Forte to have a huge game for Chicago.

Pick: Bears. Lambeau is not quite as intimidating as it used to be, but Brian Urlacher is. Look for him to get into Rodgers face and possibly his head. The Packers can not stop the run and will not win against a smashmouth team like Chicago until the relearn how to do just that.

Houston Texans (3-6) @ Indianapolis Colts (5-4)

Announcers: GUS JOHNSON!!! and Steve Tasker

Storylines: The Streaky Texans look to get back into the win column against a team that has dominated them since their debut in the league. The Colts are 12-1 in the series, including a gift win courtesy of Sage Rosenfels earlier this season. Rosenfels played well last year, but has turned the ball over 7 times in 3 starts this season.

Key to the Game: Colts Secondary. They will have the unenviable task of covering Andre Johnson, who is averaging 120 yards per game over the last 6. If they can come up with the interceptions, as they did against the Steelers last week, the short field will mean a lot to a suddenly inconsistent Colts Offense.

Fantasy Note: Dallas Clark has 3 touchdowns in the past 3 games.

Pick: Colts. If you can’t win the division game at home, it is very hard to win it on the road. This time Bob Sanders will be on the field, which won’t make it any easier for Sage.

Denver Broncos (5-4) @ Atlanta Falcons (6-3)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon

Storylines: At the beginning of the year, you probably would not have expected the Falcons to be the overwhelming favorites in this game. Rookie Matt Ryan has played very well and a win here solidifies them in the playoff picture. The Broncos try to build off a very impressive fourth quarter against the Browns last week and had another 10 days to get ready for this game. Could the game be a shoot-out that culminates in a last second Jason Elam field goal attempt?

Key to the Game: Broncos Run Game. The way the Broncos can pull off the upset here is by establishing a run game that has been marred by injuries. They will start back-up fullback Peyton Hillis at Halfback and spell in recently returning Tatum Bell.

Fantasy Note: Michael Jenkins will line up against a struggling Karl Paymah this week. Jenkins is averaging over 16 yards per catch this season.

Pick: Falcons. If Denver came up with a game-plan that catches Atlanta completely off guard, during their ten day layoff, then they’ve got a chance. As things stand though, it’s hard to envision how the Broncos can win this game with all their injuries and having to travel to what will be a very excited Georgia Dome.

St. Louis Rams (2-7) @ San Francisco 49ers (2-7)

Announcers: Matt Vasgersian and JC Pearson

Storylines: Ugh. Martz and Isaac Bruce vs. The Rams. Martz vs. Singletary. Singletary vs. The Overwhelming Need to Drop His Drawers in Front of Grown Men.

Key to the Game: Focus. A game like this between two teams with no hopes of the playoffs will always come down to which team still decides to show up.

Fantasy Note: How will Frank Gore respond to not being called on for that Goal Line Carry on Monday?

Pick: 49ers. Shaun Hill has played well in his two starts and this one will be against a team that appears to have quit. Steven Jackson will not play which means the game is on Marc Bulgers Sore Shoulder and that has been bad news the past couple of seasons for the Rams.

Arizona Cardinals (6-3) @ Seattle Seahawks (2-7)

Announcers: Dick Stockton and Brian Baldinger

Storylines: Arizona travels to Qwest Field in their continuing Journey to grab the torch from the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle has won the NFC West four straight years. Arizona has not had a division champion in 33 years. Their magic number is 3. The Return of Matt Hasselbeck.

Key to the Game: Penalties. Arizona was flagged 10 times on Monday. They will not get two straight wins playing that sloppy.

Fantasy Note: The return of Matt makes Bobby Engram a solid contender for your third receiver slot.

Pick: Seahawks. I don’t think Matt Hasselbeck being back under center for the Seahawks can be overstated. They will look like a different team and should be the kind of team that is hard to beat at home once again.

Tennessee Titans (9-0) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)

Announcers: Dick Enberg and Randy Cross

Storylines: The Titans are not hunting down perfection, just another win this week. The Jaguars try to get on track before it is too late. A loss here eliminates the Jags from the division title race.

Key to the Game: Chris Johnson. The Titans dynamic running back will need to bounce back from a terrible week against Chicago and set the tone. The Jags have a much better pass defense than Chicago, so they do not want to ask Kerry Collins to win again this week.

Fantasy Note: Bo Scaife caught ten passes last week and is averaging nearly 50 yards per game. In a weak Tight End year, he is an every week starter.

Pick: Jaguars. Jacksonville is a tough place to play and you have to believe at some point that we will get a glimpse of the Jacksonville team we thought we’d see this year.

San Diego Chargers (4-5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)

Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Storylines: The inconsistent Chargers travel to Heinz Field to take on a Pittsburgh team nursing a lot of injuries. Including those to Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker.

Key to the Game: The Running Backs. Neither The Other LT or Willie Parker has lived up to their expectations this year. If one of them can go for 100-120 yards in this game, that team will win.

Fantasy Note: Tyler Thigpen threw 3 touchdowns in San Diego Last Week. Big Ben, even hurt, is better than Tyler Thigpen.

Pick: Steelers. The Steelers have lost consecutive games at home. They seem unlikely to lose a third. For the talking heads who keep assuming that at some point the Chargers will suddenly become a great team again and are still the favorites to win the west, here’s some things to consider.

The Broncos have the 27th ranked pass defense. The Chargers are 32nd.

The Broncos stink against the run, but the Chargers give up over 100 yards per game as well.

The terrible Broncos defense gives up just 3 more points per game than San Diego.

The Broncos are the Third Best Pass Team in the League. The Chargers are 6th.

The Broncos are struggling at running the ball and are 18th in the league. The Chargers, with their hall of fame back, are 25th.

The Chargers are a sub .500 team. What is it that everybody still loves about them?

Dallas Cowboys (5-4) @ Washington Redskins (6-3)

Announcers: Al Michaels and John Madden

Storylines: It’s the Cowboys-Redskins, what more could you ask for? How about the return of Tony Romo? Will Portis gut it out and play hurt? Will the Cowboy season be saved or ended in Prime Time?

Key to the Game: Jason Campbell. With Portis unlikely to play, it will be up to Jason Campbell who hopes to get his biggest win as a Redskin. He threw two interceptions at home on a Monday Night in his last start.

Fantasy Note: Santana Moss averages 8 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown in his last three games against Terrance Newman and the Cowboys.

PIck: Cowboys. I don’t think Romo playing is the difference maker here. Portis not playing is. The Cowboys willl put eight it the box and pin back their ears and get after Campbell. He struggled against the blitz vs. the Steelers.

Cleveland Browns (3-6) @ Buffalo Bills (5-4)

Announcers: Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski

Storylines: The Bills try to stop the bleeding at home against a desperate Browns team.

Key to the Game: Brady Quinn. If he can play as smart and efficiently again he gives his team an excellent chance to pull off the upset.

Fantasy Note: Kellen Winslow obviously has great chemistry with Quinn. Don’t worry about the mistakes, he will still be a big part of the game plan this week.

Pick: Browns. The Browns play well in Prime Time and Buffalo is still missing some key pieces (most notably Aaron Schoebel). This game could look a lot like the Cleveland-Denver game, though I don’t think the Bills can score 34 right now.

50 Greatest Quarterbacks of the Past 25 Years: 35-31

35.

Neil O’ Donnell- Steelers, Titans, Jets and Bengals

O’ Donnell was a third round pick of the Steelers out of University of Maryland. Injuries thrust him into the starting line-up halfway through the 1991 season. In his 8 games the Steelers went 2-6 but O’ Donnell played very well for a rookie and was named the starter going into the 1992 season. In his first full season as a starter, though he missed four games, O’ Donnell threw 13 TD’s and 9 interceptions and earned his only career pro-bowl appearance. O’ Donnell continued to play well in the ’93 and ’94 season both years leading his team to the playoffs. In 1995 O’ Donnell took the Steelers back to the Super Bowl for the first time in nearly 20 years. O’ Donnell threw 17 TD’s and 7 picks that season, but memorably struggled in the second half against the Cowboys.

O’ Donnell would capitalize on his Super Bowl Bid by signing a lucrative contract with the New York Jets. O’ Donnell would struggle initially in New York and be benched after 6 games. In 1997 when Bill Parcells came on he re-named O’ Donnell the starter. O’ Donnell played very well in 1997 again throwing 17 TD’s and 7 interceptions and fell just short of the playoffs. From there O’ Donnell went to Cincinnati, which was probably a bad move. Though O’ Donnell remained highly efficient (15-4 TD to INT), The team was awful and O’ Donnell’s stock fell around the league.

O’ Donnell would join the Tennessee Titans and remain their back-up for 5 years, going 6-2 as a spot starter. O’ Donnell would retire following the 2003 season. O’ Donnell to this day still has the lowest interception percentage in NFL History. He threw just 2 interceptions per 100 passes.

34.

Carson Palmer- Bengals

Carson Palmer was the first overall pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2003 draft. Palmer sat behind Jon Kitna for his rookie season. Palmer became the starter in week 4 of the 2004 season. There were growing pains, but Palmer was certainly productive throwing for 2900 yards and 18 TD’s. Perhaps the bigger effect of Palmer is that for the first time in over a decade fans in Cincinnati believed they could win. In 2005 Palmer proved he could win.

Palmer led the league in 2005 with nearly 69% completion percentage and 32 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl in his first full season as a starter. He also led the Cincinnati Bengals to the playoffs after not having a winning season in nearly 15 years. Many believed the Bengals could have gone even further had Palmer not torn both his ACL and MCL after throwing a 66 yard touchdown on his first career playoff pass.

Palmer continued to impress in 2006 throwing for over 4000 yards and 28 TD’s. In 2007 he threw 26 more TD’s. Though Palmer’s stats have slipped over the past couple of seasons there is no doubt he is one of the most threatening QB’s in the league. While some may believe this is too high for a guy just starting his 5th season, consider this he has already thrown more TD’s than Jim McMahon, Doug Williams or Doug Flutie. All of whom played more than ten years. He is on pace to throw more than 300 TD’s and for over 45,000 yards if he plays ten more years which there is no reason to believe he won’t.

33.

Bernie Kosar- Browns, Dolphins and Cowboys

Bernie Kosar was the number one pick in the 1985 Supplemental Draft. Kosar was supposed to be a backup in his rookie season, but injuries made him the starter in week 6. Kosar helped the Browns make the playoffs by controlling the ball and handing it off to their duo of running backs, Byner and Mack. In 1986, firmly installed as the starter, Kosar’s handcuffs were taken off and Marty Schottenheimer opened up the offense for his talented quarterback. Kosar threw for nearly 3900 yards and led the Browns all the way to the AFC Championship Game. They would come one DRIVE away from the Super Bowl that season. In 1987, despite a strike-shortened season, Kosar would have his most productive season, throwing 22 TD’s. Again the Browns went to the AFC Title Game. This time it was an Earnest Byner fumble that kept them out of the Super Bowl.

After an injury plagued ’88 season, Kosar returned in fine form in 1989. Kosar threw for over 3500 yards and 18 TD’s. Again Bernie Kosar took the Browns to the AFC Championship Game and again they fell short. This time there was no heartbreak as the Browns were simply over-matched by a very good Denver Bronco team. The Browns would miss the playoffs for the next three years behind Kosar. Though, in 1991 Kosar had a very good year, with a completion percentage of 62% and throwing 18 TD’s to only 9 interceptions.

In 1993 The Browns would trade Kosar to the Dallas Cowboys who were in need of a starter after Troy Aikman was injured. Kosar played in four regular season games for the Cowboys that year throwing 3 TD’s and no interceptions and helping the Cowboys make the playoffs. When Aikman was hurt again during the NFC Title Game against San Francisco, Kosar was brought in to relieve him. He went 5-9 for 85 yards and a TD. He also took the final snap of the Cowboys Super Bowl Win that year. His only ring.

Kosar would finish his career by backing up Dan Marino in Miami for three years. Bernie Kosar took the Browns to the AFC Title Game four times and played a major part in the Cowboys return to the Super Bowl. He holds the NFL Record for most consecutive completions without an interception. Though his pro-career did not match his career at University of Miami, Bernie Kosar was a very good NFL Quarterback.

32.

Trent Dilfer- Buccaneers, Seahawks, Ravens, Browns and 49ers

Trent Dilfer was the 6th overall pick in the 1994 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After sitting for most of his rookie season, Dilfer became the starter in 1995 and struggled both that season and the next. Dilfer showed signs of promise at times but threw far too many interceptions. In 1997 Trent Dilfer was finally given help with the arrival of Warrick Dunn. The much improved run game opened things up greatly for Dilfer who went to the Pro Bowl that year. Dilfer threw 22 TD’s and led the Buccaneers to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. He topped that by actually winning a playoff game when the beat the Lions. Dilfer would remain with the Bucs for two more years. He is the winningest quarterback in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After the 1999 season Trent Dilfer was released as the Bucs decided to go with Shaun King. Dilfer would sign a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens to back up Tony Banks. Banks would start the first half of the season and while the team was successful Banks was very unproductive. Brian Billick turned to Trent Dilfer. In half of a season starting for the Ravens Dilfer would throw for 1,500 yards and 12 TD’s. Dilfer would lead the team through the playoffs and to a win in Super Bowl XXXV where he threw for 153 yards and a touchdown. Despite the success and the fact that he had the second highest selling jersey in Baltimore, the Ravens cut Dilfer after the season, feeling they could get more productive at the QB position. If you double Dilfer’s stats from that year it adds to a season with 3,000 yards and 24 TD’s. If the Ravens had that kind of quarterback in the past 8 years they may have made another Super Bowl run.

Dilfer would spend 4 seasons as a backup in Seattle. In his spot start duty Dilfer went 8-4. Dilfer would get a starting opportunity in 2005 and again with the 49ers in 2007, but predictably given those teams, would find little success. Trent Dilfer is widely considered one of the best locker room guys in the game and while he may not have set any records in the league, he’s got a ring and that’s more than most guys on this list.

31.

Mark Rypien- Redskins, Rams and Browns

Mark Rypien was the 6th round pick of the Redskins the year after winning the Super Bowl. With Doug Williams on board, Rypien figured to see little action. An injury to Williams opened things up for Rypien. Mark threw 18 TD’s in only 6 starts and made an aging Williams expendable at the end of the season. Rypien started the next season and made the Pro Bowl that year. He threw for over 3500 yards and 22 TD’s. He would miss some of the ’89 season, but still managed to throw for over 2000 yards in 10 games. In 1991 Rypien would not only return to the Pro Bowl, but win the Super Bowl. Rypien threw for 3800 yards that year and 28 TD’s to just 11 interceptions. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XXVI throwing for 292 yards and 2 scores.

As the Redskins got older, the team began to struggle and Rypien along with them. Though they won a playoff game again the next year Rypien threw more interceptions than TD’s. 1993 was even worse as Rypien was injured for much of the season and threw 4 TD’s to 10 picks. Rypien would finish his career as a journeyman back-up. Rypien is said to have one of the best deep balls in the history of the game. He is a 2 time pro-bowler and a Super Bowl MVP. If not for injuries, not only to him but the Redskins around him, Rypien may have had a much more successful career.

Breaking Down: Cleveland Browns

2007 Record: 10-6, 2nd in AFC North

Head Coach: Romeo Crennel, Career Record of 20-28. Some, including myself, would argue that Bill Bellichek was largely an average coach until he stumbled upon Tom Brady. Could the same have happened for Romeo Crennel last year. After two down season, his seat getting hot and no sign of hope, Derek Anderson turned the Browns around for at least a little while. Now it is up to Romeo to build around an offense that suddenly blew up a year ago. Can he build a defense to match?     Grade: C

Special Teams: Joshua Cribbs developed into the second most exciting return man in football last year with four returns for touchdowns. Of course, that year has convinced Joshua Cribbs that he needs more money. It does not appear to be leading to a holdout though. Veteran Phil Dawson hit 87% of his kicks last year, but did miss a PAT. Dave Zastudil returns as the punter.     Grade: B+

Defensive Line: Robaire Smith is the only returning member of last years line. He had four sacks last year, which was just 1/2 sack short of a career high. He is good against the run, but is not enough of a threat in the passing game. Corey Williams comes over from Green Bay and moves from inside a 4-3 defense to the outside in a 3-4 defense. Which all should mean little. He will stay in the down-technique and play the run. The pass rush will come from the outside linebackers. Shaun Rogers was also added. He comes from Detroit and is also making a change from 4-3 to 3-4. It could be harder for him, as he is a true nose tackle now. The extra weight he carries often could help him, I guess.     Grade: B-

Linebackers: Veterans on the left, youth on the right. Romeo Crennel finally makes a Parcells move by bringing one of his guys into his system. In this case, Willie McGinest. He should be a great leader on the defense if he can stay on the field. He has missed games the past couple of seasons and his numbers are down. He is still an upgrade at this position. D’Qwell Jackson starts on the opposite side and he played very well there last year. Nagging injuries are an issue for him. Inside the greatest compliment paid to Andra Davis lately is that he is the only member of the defense not replaced by Romeo. His numbers were down last year though and he may finally be looking over his shoulder now at youngsters Leon Williams and Beau Bell. Kamerion Wimbley is the other inside man and while his incredible talent is evident he also struggled at times last year.     Grade: B+

Secondary: Eric Wright was considered a huge risk when Cleveland took him in the second round last year, because of off the field issues. While he has kept his nose clean, his play did not necessarily justify the risk or the hype. Hopefully he continues to mature as both a player and man. He starts opposite another sophomore corner in Brandon McDonald. McDonald came with less money and hype but played every bit as well. This could be an exciting corner combination for years to come. Veteran Terry Cousin comes over from the Jaguars to play the nickel position. The Browns are nearly as young at safety with Sean Jones and Brodney Poole. Jones showed signs of being a ball-hawk and Poole looked impressive when he was able to get the ball in his hands.     Grade: C

Offensive Line: The Browns had the sixth best rushing average in the league and did a fine job of protecting Derek Anderson. If offensive tackles won awards Joe Thomas may well have been the rookie of the year last year. He, nobody else, was the biggest boost to this offense in years. Kevin Shaeffer is the RT. At Guard Rex Hadnot and Eric Steinback did a fine job of run blocking. Hank Fraley is a good center with some injury issues.     Grade: B

Receivers: In the conversation for best corps in the league. Once a QB showed up in Cleveland, Braylon Edwards showed what a special talent he is. Sixteen touchdowns last year he may just be starting to show his capabilities. Edwards will benefit by having a deep threat on the other side in the person of Donte Stallworth. He’s become a bit of a journeyman the past few years, but is a perfect fit in this unit as he is the deep threat to Edwards possession receiver. Joe Jurevicius moves to the slot which is suitable to his skill set. He could be the kind of player he was in Seattle a few years ago when he caught 10 TD’s. Kellen Winslow topped a thousand yards last year and 80 receptions the past two. Of some concern though is that he had just 50 yards per game in the final month and no touchdowns.     Grade: A

Running Backs: Jamal Lewis looked rejuvenated at times last year. 1300 yards was his highest total since his 2000 yard season in ’03. No signs of slowing down either as he topped 100 yards in three of his last four games. Jason Wright appears to be the favorite backup as he averaged 4.6 yards per carry last season. Jerome Harrison figures to make the squad as well, though is more likely to contribute on special teams.     Grade: C+, I’d like to see a more sure backup for a 29 year old running back.

Quarterbacks: Derek Anderson was not supposed to be the answer. While he did have 29 touchdowns to only 19 interceptions last year, the final four games tell a worrisome story for Anderson. Only five of his touchdowns came while the Browns were trying to make the playoffs and he threw six interceptions in that same span. Twice in the home stretch he had QB Ratings of less than 60. Unless Anderson is able to regain his mid-season composure we may just see Brady Quinn this year. While many think Quinn fell in the ’07 draft, I am actually of the opinion that he would have been a third round pick had he played his college ball anywhere other than South Bend. It will be interesting to see if moving from Weis to Crennel systems is as smooth as some think it should be. Former Miami star Ken Dorsey will make the team as well.     Grade: C+

2008 Forecast: The Browns have a tough schedule this year and are not going to catch anybody by surprise. That said I think the Browns have far superior weapons on offense to anybody in this division and are comparable with anybody in the league. One question mark is Lewis’ age, which did not seem to cause an issue. The bigger issue is which Derek Anderson shows up more often. He gets the benefit of the doubt as he was good far more often than bad last year. Many QB’s struggle the first time they face a playoff run, some do better the next time. The defense has some good young talent and a good coach with some solid new additions.

Predicted Record: 11-5