A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
As you have surely heard by now, Jake Delhomme is back in the NFL.
The man who quarterbacked the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2003, and who is renowned as a great guy and good leader, but who in subsequent years became synonymous with terms like “interception” and “noodle arm”, is now a member of the Houston Texans.
But no matter where Delhomme goes, now or at any time in the future, to me he’ll always be Bojangles’ Defender of the Fresh Biscuit.
Last season, the Cleveland Browns were a terrible football team through the first 12 weeks of the season. They lost 11 of their first 12 games, barely could muster any semblance of a competent offense, had their GM quit mid-season, and had the editors of Webster’s Dictionary considering using the Browns team picture next to the word destitute.
Then Jerome Harrison happened.
After the Browns squeezed out a 13-6 win over Pittsburgh that no one thought was possible, the Browns turned the running game over to Harrison for the season’s final three weeks. He responded by running for 286, 148, and 127 yards, plus five scores, leading the Browns to three more victories and deciding many a late season fantasy matchup.
Thus, Harrison was a popular #2/#3 RB choice in fantasy drafts this season, especially once talented rookie Montario Hardesty went down with a season ending knee injury during the preseason. It was expected that Peyton Hillis would take some carries away from Harrison, but how could the Browns not feed Jerome the rock consistently after he (and the O-Line) basically saved everyone’s jobs last season?
Well, they didn’t feed him in Week 1, in a matchup with Tampa Bay and its woeful run D, which represented one of Harrison’s best chances for fantasy stardom in 2010.
The beginning of the NFL season is nearly upon us. The first week is the only time that every squad is undefeated — including the Lions and Rams. That should last for a good few hours.
The Browns, however, are no longer in the same discussion with the Lions and Rams.
Cleveland has completely redone the look of their team during the offseason. The main addition was adding Mike Holmgren as basically the head of anything football related. He is not the head coach (yet), but if the team doesn’t preform, he might be seen on the sideline again.
When we all woke up today, a lot of people thought that the Cleveland Browns would trade up to the first pick of the 2nd round and select Texas QB Colt McCoy.
As it happened, the St. Louis Rams kept the 33rd overall pick and selected Roger Saffold out of Indiana to shore up its offensive line and protect its investment in #1 pick Sam Bradford.
Then the Browns took a safety…and then they took a running back…and finally, with the 85th pick in the draft – some 50 picks after many people thought he’d be selected – Colt McCoy was the choice of the Cleveland Browns.
And it was the best pick in terms of value in the first three rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft.
What’s that? You want some reasons? Fine, here we go:
No position in the NFL is more highly scrutinized, debated, and discussed than the quarterback. It’s impossible to build a consistent winner without one (and people who follow the Cleveland Browns would tell you that it’s impossible to find one period).
After this weekend’s Packers loss to the Bucs, Aaron Rodgers was a popular topic of conversation on Twitter. I made the comment that he has not shown me that he has the “it” that people always talk about when it comes to QBs. Some agreed and some disagreed, but it got me thinking about where Rodgers falls in relation to today’s crop of QBs.
Thus, I set out to rank the quarterbacks currently holding starting NFL gigs, taking into account their current age and skill level, future potential, past accomplishments, and the general confidence level I would have if that player was the QB of my team.
Editor’s Note: AJ Kaufman’s weekly MNF coverage on MSF is sponsored by Sadler’s Smokehouse, a producer of premium pit smoked meats that are best described by Sadler’s slogan: Legendary since 1948.
Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.
With a variety of delicious choices (beef, pork, ribs, turkey, brisket, and more) and availability at grocery stores throughout the U.S., Sadler’s meats are the tasty, convenient choice when you want to watch the big game and eat well while you’re doing it.
Panthers-Cowboys MNF Preview Podcast presented by Sadler’s
(FYI…audio player may take a second or two to load)
MNF Preview Podcast: Cowboys-Panthers
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Though it may seem silly and emotional, in Dallas, hope turned to despair from week one to two.
However, after a closer look, it is a very good sign for your offense when you are playing one of the top rated defenses in the conference, your quarterback plays one of the worst games of his career, and you still manage 31 points.
These results convey two important points: (1) that your offense is balanced, and (2) that your offensive line is getting the job done.
It should come as no surprise that given the production of said offensive line, the Cowboys running game is firing on all cylinders as Marion Barber and Felix Jones represent arguably the best 1-2 running back punch in the NFC, if not the NFL. Barber is averaging more than six yards per carry in 2009. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, Barber is still questionable for Monday with a quad injury.
Fortunately for ‘Boys fans though, his backup, Tashard Choice, is no slouch, and should pick up the slack nicely if pressed into a more prominent role in the offense. Last year, Choice put together a string of three excellent games against Pittsburgh, New York, and Baltimore. Therefore, he should serve solidly in a time-share with Jones.
Expect Mr. Jones to maintain his role as the change of pace and 3rd down back with Choice claiming the “workhorse” duties. The duo should come up big against a Panthers defense that has an injury riddled front-line and has given up over 150 rushing yards in each of their first two games.
As for Romo, odds are he’ll be fine. The bigger issue is the uncertainty over a reliable third option for the Cowboys’ receiving game (after Jason Witten and Roy Williams). Patrick Crayton seems destined to be nothing more that a slot receiver, leaving Miles Austin in the driver’s seat to run away with second wideout duties. His talent and big play ability has left Jerry Jones watering at the mouth, but Austin has yet to consistently manifest that talent into reality.
It is a very bad sign for your secondary when Eli Manning, Mario Manningham, and Steve Smith look like the second coming of the Three Amigos. That said, I think the Cowboys will be fine defensively, so long as they abandon the experiment to rotate Orlando Scandrick (who was repeatedly burned by Manningham) and Mike Jenkins at the corner, and it seems like Wade Phillips has already started to move in that direction.
Panthers fans can take some solace in the fact that Jake Delhomme, coming off two straight awful performances that led to major criticism, wasn’t nearly as bad last week against Atlanta; but that being said, his 308 passing yards shed far too positive a light on his actual performance. This simply isn’t the Delhomme of five years ago, and the Panthers have to be second guessing the heck out of themselves for his exorbitant contract extension this past off-season.
Though he indicated he “felt good out there,” Jake was nearly an early disaster. Though he began the game 4-4 for 54 yards, he could have thrown an early interception when he inexplicably tossed a weak underhand pass, which was dropped by a Falcons defender. If Delhomme would have thrown a pick there, things probably would have snowballed on him again, as they would have been in another big early hole.
So, though it’s not outrageous to muse that the 34 year-old is on the downward arc of his career, the Panthers do indeed have a dangerous rushing attack with DeAngelo Williams and 22 year-old Jonathan Stewart that will make things significantly easier for Mr. Delhomme at times.
All that being said, I just don’t see how the Panthers stop the Cowboys’ rushing attack, especially with the season ending ankle injury to defensive tackle Louis Leonard, one of the team’s primary run stuffers. This is yet another hindrance to a defensive line already crippled by injuries.
Ultimately, I just don’t see the Panthers as being able to stop the Cowboys’ ground game without bringing a safety in the box, and in doing so, they will open up the passing attack for Tony Romo, who should have a good bounce back game. Dallas needs this win, and it’s highly likely they’ll get it, perhaps easily.
Cowboys-Panthers Prediction and Spread Pick: Cowboys do cover the large spread.
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* – Felix Jones photo credit: Dallas Observer Sportatorium
* – Jake Delhomme photo credit: Snort Report
