JGalligan
Footballguy
With the pre-season officially three quarters over, it‘s interesting to see how many of our pre-pre-season questions were answered and how many new ones were created. Before the pre-season, I asked myself what the most burning question was for each team and then proceeded to answer it. I was going to do the same for this series but two things dawned on me shortly after I had begun. One, was that it was incredibly weird. Something just didn’t sit right with me about asking myself questions and then answering them. I felt like a fruitcake. And that’s never a good thing. Secondly, I also realized that the questions that I would ask for a team probably weren't a good representation of what the locals or homers of a particular team would ask.
After assuring myself that I was in fact not insane with the help of a Teletubbies episode with my daughter (now that's insane), I hopped onto the Shark Pool and requested some help from my fellow football addicts. After switching the channel to a football game to acquaint the young one with the game, of course. If you ignore the fact that I shamelessly bumped the article to the top of the page approximately 14 times, the response was fantastic. Every single question that was posed was either knowledgeable, funny, witty or all three combined. Although I only picked one question per team (not entirely true), the multitude of replies were both insightful and exactly what I was hoping for. Please accept my heart-felt, "Gracias!"
To go on a tangent very quickly... Hopefully this posting doesn’t come off as me thinking I can answer everything anyone could muster because I think I’m some sort of genius. Trust me when I tell you, I’m about as close to a genius as Chris Mortenson is to being a patient reporter (I‘ve killed it, I know, I know). Zing! I just write about football entirely too much and tend to do this question thing from time to time. Besides, answering non-math-related football questions can make for a pretty good time. Actually, combining football with anything will result in a good time. That much is common knowledge. Plus, its much more appropriate to refer to the answers as "responses" instead, since that's exactly what they are. It makes everything flow a lot more smoothly.
My hopes are that you will read the responses I’ve provided, either agree or disagree and then give your own responses/answers to the given questions. The questions were provided by Shark Pool posters, so it’s only right that they should be answered by them as well. Since not all teams had a question and because of the length of the responses, I’ve decided to separate this into different parts. I don’t know exactly how many parts there will be but I can assure you that it won't go over four. At least I don't think it will..
Some of the teams questions have still not been asked, so if you feel your up for the challenge of thinking up a witty, yet thought-provoking team question, by all means head over to the thread and make it happen! I want to get all of the questions wrapped up so I'm accepting pretty much anything at this point..
As always, enjoy and feel free to disagree vehemently in your replies!
In no particular order:
Atlanta Falcons
“Does Matt Ryan have the mental toughness to survive his baptism under fire?” -- Patrick T
With a nickname like Matty Ice -- he better! But regardless of whether he has it, he’s going to have to fight through it no matter how tough it is. Rookie QB’s that have been 'thrown into the fire' if you will, have not fared very well in their first year.
Since 1995, 20 different quarterbacks found themselves playing in ten or more games their rookie year. Of those 20, only three would win more than five games for the team: Ben Roethlisberger (13), Kyle Orton (10), and Vince Young (8). Using the same rookie QB data, the average amount of TD’s thrown during the rookie year was 11 compared to 13 average interceptions. The three exceptions in wins found themselves on favorable teams compared with many of the other QB’s. Usually, high-profile rookie QB’s are taken early in the draft and thus, forced to learn on a shoddy team.
Although the Falcons defense leaves much to be desired, Ryan finds himself with some pretty talented weapons compared to the average rookie. What this all means is that Ryan will have the opportunity to learn the game in 2008 and maybe even put up some pretty good numbers. However, it’s unlikely he’ll lead the Falcons to many wins during his difficult journey through his first year.
Cleveland Browns
“Will the addition of Williams and Rogers help the Cleveland run D and will they get enough pressure to help out the young corners? And no I don't want to talk about Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. The other 87 threads on it are good enough.” -- Eric Rymer
Despite what was largely a disappointing career in Detroit for Shaun Rogers, the mans mere presence alone on the defensive line will be enough to shore up the run defense a bit. He could even have a career resurgence with the change of scenery. Detroit’s not really known as a place where players tend to flourish, after all. Corey Williams has gotten better the more he’s played and he’s a lock for a significant amount of playing time in Cleveland.
As for whether or not they’ll help the young corners? Well, it’s funny because the Browns essentially traded an integral piece of their passing defense (Leigh Bodden) for the opportunity to bolster their run defense (Shaun Rogers). Will the contributions of Williams and Rogers help the run defense? Absolutely. Will they do enough to balance out the fact that their pass defense is now the major weakness? I can’t say for sure, but I know the Browns are certainly hoping as much. If it were up to me I would have kept Bodden, acquired Williams and then used whatever draft picks I had left to take a shot at a young defensive lineman, or acquire a cheaper, veteran DT that wouldn’t cost me my top CB. But that’s just what I would do and should be taken with several tablespoons of salt. I’m confident that Romeo Crennel and his coaching staff know a tad more about tinkering with NFL teams than I do. Although I am a solid in Madden franchise mode..
Baltimore Ravens
“Who in the world will "step up" on the O-line and give the Ravens QB (whomever it may be) the ridiculous amount of time they need to make a decision with the ball? I fully believe the Ravens are in for a long season.” -- Shoe Horn
It’s a relatively young offensive line, so whoever ends up starting at QB will need all of them to step up their game. Troy Smith would at least have the ability to scramble away from any collapsing pockets, whereas Kyle Boller still hasn’t appeared to make his reads quickly enough to ensure that the offensive line doesn’t have to hold off the rush for an eternity.
Chicago Bears
“Barring injuries will Kyle Orton start all 16 games; or will he at one point be benched for Grossman/Hanie/Simms?” -- Huge Bears Fan Since Forever
Despite the many, many times that I’ve made fun of the Bears QB situation (around 24 off the top of my head), the more I see of Kyle Orton and the more that I look at his past, the more I end up believing the Bears made the correct decision. It’s well documented what Orton brings to the offense compared to Grossman. Orton brings a conservative, just-enough-to-win type play whereas Grossman brings the aggressive, I’m-good-for-at-least-one-sixty-yard-TD-bomb style of play.
Orton though, is 12-5 as a starter and very well could improve his TD/INT ratio with more experience. He’s still relatively young, despite how his beard begs for the contrary. The major reason he would be benched is if he continues his ‘vanilla’ style of play. He managed to improve both his yards gained per pass attempt and interception issues last year over 2005. If you take everything into account, Grossman may offer the Bears a bit more explosiveness on offense, but Orton is the better choice in the long run. We’ve likely seen all we need to see of Grossman so it’s no surprise the Bears are going to give Orton a shot to prove to them that he’s improved.
Arizona Cardinals
“How many games will Warner start at QB before injury or fumbleitis give Leinart another chance?” -- Captain Hook
Leinart could still end up starting (according to Ken Whisenhunt) but would need a very solid and convincing final pre-season game to quiet the doubters. Assuming Warner starts though, as long as the Cardinals are winning, Warner will stay in.
In 2006, that didn’t last very long despite Warner putting up some pretty decent numbers. As we’re all aware however, head coaches do not make roster changes with fantasy points in mind. In 2007, Warner again produced the numbers but narrowly avoided losing as many games as he won. Over the past three years, it’s become apparent that Warner can still play and from a fantasy standpoint, can do pretty well. From a real world perspective though, he’s always an interception late and a few wins short from the playoffs.
I see Warner starting and looking pretty good for a few games but eventually reverting to a level in which they’ll win one, lose two. Then win another one, but lose the next one. Leinart will be thrown in to try and salvage the season, fail, but remain the starter for the remainder of the year. If the Cardinals are ever going to go with Leinart, they just need to put him in there and just let go. He’s never going to get into any kind of groove if he thinks he’s an incomplete pass away from being replaced by Kurt Warner.
Cincinnati Bengals
“Based on pre-season action, it looks like the Bengals Defense is a step ahead of their Offense. Will their O-Line continue to suck or will the return of Chad Johnson, TJ Houshmandzadeh and Rudi Johnson magically make it all come together and bring the offense back to prominence?” -- Big Papi
Only seven QB’s were sacked more than Carson Palmer was last year. So there’s really no reason to doubt the pass protection this year, especially since the offensive line remains relatively unchanged (save for rookie Anthony Collins). The run blocking on the other hand is a different story. The Bengals were 24th in the league in rushing yards and in the lower echelon for the rushing TD totals as well.
If the line can stay healthy and the passing game gets off to a good start, the run blocking will likely improve, especially with a healthy Rudi Johnson and blossoming Chris Perry available for carries.
Tennessee Titans
“Will Pacman stay off of Loop 12 and NW Hwy (Strip clubs in Dallas)?” -- JTM
Although I used to be all for the Pacman strip club jokes (okay fine, I still am..), I’ve decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and think he’ll make his off-the-field issues a thing of the past. I mean, you can’t blame him for liking strip clubs. You can for mixing in guns and violence with them, but hopefully he’ll realize that in the overall scheme of things, his football career is a lot more important than his fun spots -- both personally and financially.
I really hope he can keep himself in check though, because it would be a shame if we barely ever get to see him play again. He’s just too talented.
Miami Dolphins
“The Fins lost 6 games by 3 or fewer last season. They had devastating injuries. They had crappy coaching. The coach did not have any control of the team. They brought the toughness back and improved at QB, RB, O-line and at almost every position. Are the Fins a true dark horse wild-card contender?” -- Our Gang
If you asked me this question at the conclusion of last season, I would have laughed at you and concluded that you must be intoxicated. However, with Bill Parcell’s arrival, a strong NFL Draft, promising progression from Tedd Ginn Jr. and Derek Hagan, and Chad Pennington’s quest for vengeance, the team isn’t half bad.
There still rebuilding though and I absolutely do not agree with the people that think the defense could actually improve with Jason Taylor’s departure. That makes no sense to me. He was the best player on the team. Please stop predicting that.
To focus in on your question, I guess I would need to know what you mean by a dark horse contender. To me, it would first apply to a team that is believed to be in store for something like a 6 wins (if that) or less season. Something akin to the Cleveland Browns of last year. They came out of no where, but they also weren’t coming off a 1-win season. As much hope as there may now be for Dolphins fans, I wouldn’t bet on them to make the playoffs if you gave me free money. I would bet on their offense vastly improving and Bill Parcells 'weakness-radar' succeeding in giving the team a new, winning attitude (as opposed to last year when the players celebrated their only win of the year). But not on them in relation to a playoff bid.
After assuring myself that I was in fact not insane with the help of a Teletubbies episode with my daughter (now that's insane), I hopped onto the Shark Pool and requested some help from my fellow football addicts. After switching the channel to a football game to acquaint the young one with the game, of course. If you ignore the fact that I shamelessly bumped the article to the top of the page approximately 14 times, the response was fantastic. Every single question that was posed was either knowledgeable, funny, witty or all three combined. Although I only picked one question per team (not entirely true), the multitude of replies were both insightful and exactly what I was hoping for. Please accept my heart-felt, "Gracias!"
To go on a tangent very quickly... Hopefully this posting doesn’t come off as me thinking I can answer everything anyone could muster because I think I’m some sort of genius. Trust me when I tell you, I’m about as close to a genius as Chris Mortenson is to being a patient reporter (I‘ve killed it, I know, I know). Zing! I just write about football entirely too much and tend to do this question thing from time to time. Besides, answering non-math-related football questions can make for a pretty good time. Actually, combining football with anything will result in a good time. That much is common knowledge. Plus, its much more appropriate to refer to the answers as "responses" instead, since that's exactly what they are. It makes everything flow a lot more smoothly.
My hopes are that you will read the responses I’ve provided, either agree or disagree and then give your own responses/answers to the given questions. The questions were provided by Shark Pool posters, so it’s only right that they should be answered by them as well. Since not all teams had a question and because of the length of the responses, I’ve decided to separate this into different parts. I don’t know exactly how many parts there will be but I can assure you that it won't go over four. At least I don't think it will..
Some of the teams questions have still not been asked, so if you feel your up for the challenge of thinking up a witty, yet thought-provoking team question, by all means head over to the thread and make it happen! I want to get all of the questions wrapped up so I'm accepting pretty much anything at this point..
As always, enjoy and feel free to disagree vehemently in your replies!
In no particular order:
Atlanta Falcons
“Does Matt Ryan have the mental toughness to survive his baptism under fire?” -- Patrick T
With a nickname like Matty Ice -- he better! But regardless of whether he has it, he’s going to have to fight through it no matter how tough it is. Rookie QB’s that have been 'thrown into the fire' if you will, have not fared very well in their first year.
Since 1995, 20 different quarterbacks found themselves playing in ten or more games their rookie year. Of those 20, only three would win more than five games for the team: Ben Roethlisberger (13), Kyle Orton (10), and Vince Young (8). Using the same rookie QB data, the average amount of TD’s thrown during the rookie year was 11 compared to 13 average interceptions. The three exceptions in wins found themselves on favorable teams compared with many of the other QB’s. Usually, high-profile rookie QB’s are taken early in the draft and thus, forced to learn on a shoddy team.
Although the Falcons defense leaves much to be desired, Ryan finds himself with some pretty talented weapons compared to the average rookie. What this all means is that Ryan will have the opportunity to learn the game in 2008 and maybe even put up some pretty good numbers. However, it’s unlikely he’ll lead the Falcons to many wins during his difficult journey through his first year.
Cleveland Browns
“Will the addition of Williams and Rogers help the Cleveland run D and will they get enough pressure to help out the young corners? And no I don't want to talk about Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. The other 87 threads on it are good enough.” -- Eric Rymer
Despite what was largely a disappointing career in Detroit for Shaun Rogers, the mans mere presence alone on the defensive line will be enough to shore up the run defense a bit. He could even have a career resurgence with the change of scenery. Detroit’s not really known as a place where players tend to flourish, after all. Corey Williams has gotten better the more he’s played and he’s a lock for a significant amount of playing time in Cleveland.
As for whether or not they’ll help the young corners? Well, it’s funny because the Browns essentially traded an integral piece of their passing defense (Leigh Bodden) for the opportunity to bolster their run defense (Shaun Rogers). Will the contributions of Williams and Rogers help the run defense? Absolutely. Will they do enough to balance out the fact that their pass defense is now the major weakness? I can’t say for sure, but I know the Browns are certainly hoping as much. If it were up to me I would have kept Bodden, acquired Williams and then used whatever draft picks I had left to take a shot at a young defensive lineman, or acquire a cheaper, veteran DT that wouldn’t cost me my top CB. But that’s just what I would do and should be taken with several tablespoons of salt. I’m confident that Romeo Crennel and his coaching staff know a tad more about tinkering with NFL teams than I do. Although I am a solid in Madden franchise mode..
Baltimore Ravens
“Who in the world will "step up" on the O-line and give the Ravens QB (whomever it may be) the ridiculous amount of time they need to make a decision with the ball? I fully believe the Ravens are in for a long season.” -- Shoe Horn
It’s a relatively young offensive line, so whoever ends up starting at QB will need all of them to step up their game. Troy Smith would at least have the ability to scramble away from any collapsing pockets, whereas Kyle Boller still hasn’t appeared to make his reads quickly enough to ensure that the offensive line doesn’t have to hold off the rush for an eternity.
Chicago Bears
“Barring injuries will Kyle Orton start all 16 games; or will he at one point be benched for Grossman/Hanie/Simms?” -- Huge Bears Fan Since Forever
Despite the many, many times that I’ve made fun of the Bears QB situation (around 24 off the top of my head), the more I see of Kyle Orton and the more that I look at his past, the more I end up believing the Bears made the correct decision. It’s well documented what Orton brings to the offense compared to Grossman. Orton brings a conservative, just-enough-to-win type play whereas Grossman brings the aggressive, I’m-good-for-at-least-one-sixty-yard-TD-bomb style of play.
Orton though, is 12-5 as a starter and very well could improve his TD/INT ratio with more experience. He’s still relatively young, despite how his beard begs for the contrary. The major reason he would be benched is if he continues his ‘vanilla’ style of play. He managed to improve both his yards gained per pass attempt and interception issues last year over 2005. If you take everything into account, Grossman may offer the Bears a bit more explosiveness on offense, but Orton is the better choice in the long run. We’ve likely seen all we need to see of Grossman so it’s no surprise the Bears are going to give Orton a shot to prove to them that he’s improved.
Arizona Cardinals
“How many games will Warner start at QB before injury or fumbleitis give Leinart another chance?” -- Captain Hook
Leinart could still end up starting (according to Ken Whisenhunt) but would need a very solid and convincing final pre-season game to quiet the doubters. Assuming Warner starts though, as long as the Cardinals are winning, Warner will stay in.
In 2006, that didn’t last very long despite Warner putting up some pretty decent numbers. As we’re all aware however, head coaches do not make roster changes with fantasy points in mind. In 2007, Warner again produced the numbers but narrowly avoided losing as many games as he won. Over the past three years, it’s become apparent that Warner can still play and from a fantasy standpoint, can do pretty well. From a real world perspective though, he’s always an interception late and a few wins short from the playoffs.
I see Warner starting and looking pretty good for a few games but eventually reverting to a level in which they’ll win one, lose two. Then win another one, but lose the next one. Leinart will be thrown in to try and salvage the season, fail, but remain the starter for the remainder of the year. If the Cardinals are ever going to go with Leinart, they just need to put him in there and just let go. He’s never going to get into any kind of groove if he thinks he’s an incomplete pass away from being replaced by Kurt Warner.
Cincinnati Bengals
“Based on pre-season action, it looks like the Bengals Defense is a step ahead of their Offense. Will their O-Line continue to suck or will the return of Chad Johnson, TJ Houshmandzadeh and Rudi Johnson magically make it all come together and bring the offense back to prominence?” -- Big Papi
Only seven QB’s were sacked more than Carson Palmer was last year. So there’s really no reason to doubt the pass protection this year, especially since the offensive line remains relatively unchanged (save for rookie Anthony Collins). The run blocking on the other hand is a different story. The Bengals were 24th in the league in rushing yards and in the lower echelon for the rushing TD totals as well.
If the line can stay healthy and the passing game gets off to a good start, the run blocking will likely improve, especially with a healthy Rudi Johnson and blossoming Chris Perry available for carries.
Tennessee Titans
“Will Pacman stay off of Loop 12 and NW Hwy (Strip clubs in Dallas)?” -- JTM
Although I used to be all for the Pacman strip club jokes (okay fine, I still am..), I’ve decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and think he’ll make his off-the-field issues a thing of the past. I mean, you can’t blame him for liking strip clubs. You can for mixing in guns and violence with them, but hopefully he’ll realize that in the overall scheme of things, his football career is a lot more important than his fun spots -- both personally and financially.
I really hope he can keep himself in check though, because it would be a shame if we barely ever get to see him play again. He’s just too talented.
Miami Dolphins
“The Fins lost 6 games by 3 or fewer last season. They had devastating injuries. They had crappy coaching. The coach did not have any control of the team. They brought the toughness back and improved at QB, RB, O-line and at almost every position. Are the Fins a true dark horse wild-card contender?” -- Our Gang
If you asked me this question at the conclusion of last season, I would have laughed at you and concluded that you must be intoxicated. However, with Bill Parcell’s arrival, a strong NFL Draft, promising progression from Tedd Ginn Jr. and Derek Hagan, and Chad Pennington’s quest for vengeance, the team isn’t half bad.
There still rebuilding though and I absolutely do not agree with the people that think the defense could actually improve with Jason Taylor’s departure. That makes no sense to me. He was the best player on the team. Please stop predicting that.
To focus in on your question, I guess I would need to know what you mean by a dark horse contender. To me, it would first apply to a team that is believed to be in store for something like a 6 wins (if that) or less season. Something akin to the Cleveland Browns of last year. They came out of no where, but they also weren’t coming off a 1-win season. As much hope as there may now be for Dolphins fans, I wouldn’t bet on them to make the playoffs if you gave me free money. I would bet on their offense vastly improving and Bill Parcells 'weakness-radar' succeeding in giving the team a new, winning attitude (as opposed to last year when the players celebrated their only win of the year). But not on them in relation to a playoff bid.
Last edited by a moderator:
